Give me a push....

and watch me go...*VBS* I've been waiting and waiting for Blogger to be "ready" to change me over to the new format. I check in every few days and have been told, "sorry, not today". Well, in the middle of trying to get the winter night picture AND the winter night words publish(I would have preferred them together) I click on "update to the new blogger". And it went through!!! I was astonished! But I continued on, and with little or not trouble, I'm switched. Not sure if it's a good thing or not, but at least I'm not in the LAST lifeboat leaving the sinking ship....*VBG*

Driving home on a winter night....

a time of solitude. And one could add silence, but unless you are standing outside, alone, it isn't silent. The heater of the car hums it's soothing-making-warm . A little whoooosh of the tires on nearly dry pavement are what I hear.
All around me the night sky is a deep grayish blue with only a few stars making their way through the overcast. Snow has begun to fall, very fine snow, falling in wisps and swirles. The road home follows the little river, up and out of the coulee. It winds and turns and twists it's way up and out onto the state highway. That seven miles of twist and turns are best navigated slowly, especially at night, and especially in winter. No wolves in my landscape, but the possibility of deer, always, year round. I think about the silence and the color of the sky, so different than on a clear cold night when it is velvety black and sparkles with stars. Tonights sky is like thick, warm velvet laid across the curve of the sky. Without the car, I would wonder what time of night it was? And thinking about that I realize it's not very late, as many lighted window dot the sides of the road. Some yard lights, and my headlights reflect in the many curve ahead signs. I met no cars in the seven miles of the river road, it's as if I am alone in the Universe. One of the Ancient Wise Women, the Elders.
We have snow on the ground now, and even without the moon, there is a soft shimmer of light refected back up to the heavens. It's not really dark with snow on the ground.
The then around one last bend, past the cemetary and the stop sign for the state highway looms ahead. I'm not alone, here is civilization in the form of a well lighted church, and streets, a small park and small business places off in the distance. Two more miles and I'm home. As I come up and over the last hill, heading west, the security lights of The Cottages shine like a beacon in the darkness of the countryside. And here is my turn, onto Meadow Lane, and then onto Cottage Lane and into my garage. Inside my cozy cottage, Ebby waits to welcome me home again. Warm and well lit, it offers shelter, food if I need it and a secure place "to be" in the world. I shut the door against the darkness and cold, and smile at the memory of my drive home on a winter night.

Part 2..see part 1 below...

the finishing of the edge. She turned under the quarter inch(or there abouts) and did a running stitch that looks like quilting. The top and bottom edges
would have been straight. At this time, the backing has brought over and zigzagged down. Makes me think it's a fairly current repair to those edges. And since the damaged spots are at the top and bottom, it's probably from pulling the quilt up as you used it.
And here's Ebby....*VBS* I realized it's been a while since I snapped a pic of her. This is on the sheepskin that is in the hallway, right at the intersection of the bathroom door, and doors to the 2 bedrooms. She gets the warm air from all three rooms and it also gives her an excellent view of what's going on in the house..LOL She's getting to be a spoiled kitty with two sheepskins to choose from and all my quilts. She continues to adore TV, especially Animal Planet. She comes running for the Meerkat Manor series. Not sure what it is about those shy litle critters in Africa, but she doesn't miss a second of it. 

I wonder....

how many worries, hopes, dreams, plans, or problems this quilt could tell us about? I wonder if it's maker used new fabric scraps, or pieces from her mending basket? I wonder if it was made for the love of making quilts or necessity? I wonder what bed or bunk, in what state it began it's usefulness? I bought it in Galena, IL quite a few years back..probably 1988 or 89. I paid $70 for it, in an antique store, probably more than it was worth, in reality. It has the vintage fabrics
of the 1930's and 40's, a powerful lure for me..*G*
These pics should enlarge quite big with an extra click. The quilt appears to be machine pieced, but I'm not seeing well enough to be sure. It is hand quilted, as you will see if you enlarge the picture. It's a very, very, very thin quilt. In one damaged block(that I haven't repaired) you can find a very thin cotton batt. I thought it might be a sheet blanket, but it IS a batt.
This is the damaged block I haven't repaired. The black of the fabric is rotting, which is not unusual in old fabric.
Apparently there had been a hole or tear on the opposite end also, and this is how the former owner(who knows if it was the maker or someone else) repaired it. I plan on leaving
it as it is. The backing is actually quite pretty.
There is suppose to be one more picture of how she finished the edges, but Picasa has dropped that one. I will post it in a seperate post. The blocks are a FINISHED size of 2.5"(top) X 4.5"(bottom)
A few finish at 2 3/4" X 4 3/4". They are a finished heigth of 2 1/4". I think you could easily rotary cut these from strips. Kind of variation on the Tumbler or Waterglass pattern.
And I wanted to thank all of you for your kind words and for liking my blog just the way it is. I do feel guilty at times, because I don't follow the drummer of new patterns, planned quilts, new fabrics and more new fabrics. That's not the drummer I hear. But I'm happy to cheer you on your way towards all the wonderful adventures you have with making your quilts. Hope everyone has some sunshine today..*VBS* 

Googling my corner of the world...

you would find below zero temps and new snow. A brillant sunny day, but cold, cold,cold. A minus 1 degree is certainly not a record for January 28th.
Zooming in on my house, you would find a gift of both time and love in the seat of this chair..*S* A Thursday evening gift from my friend Jean. DD#1 wants one of my rugs*S*and it should have a "Tuscan" feel about it. So the collecting has begun, I have greens, gold, tans and browns, but purples and
lavenders elude me. She also wants one in periwinkle. Wish me luck!
The next picture is of my new beginnings. As Vera of KCQuilter says, it's so relaxing to sit and crochet, and I can do that without much light and when my eyes are tired in the evenings. This one grew by one more color yesterday, lime green! I'll show you more later. If you are a 'word' person, or unusually perceptive, you'll have noticed that I chose NOT to use the word "quilt" in
my blog title. I told in my personal stuff that you'd get questions, ponderings, memories, musings, the occasional 'amble' down the lane, and 'stuff' that is in the scrapbag of my life. If you are "all about quilts" or quilting, you may or may not be happy reading my blog. What I give you is 'pieces'. Sometimes they are a finished product, called a quilt, sometimes not. I don't foresee that changing. If my blog disappoints you, it's probably one that you should skip. The one thing I can guarantee, is that what you get is me. And I don't have a one track mind or ever follow the path just as it lies before me..*VBS* Is this the road less taken...I don't know, I never asked. Oh yes, the last pic...my(favorite) cousin Ross, and Finn the summer of 1945. Our fathers are brothers, and you can see the Smith resemblence.
P.S. Thanks for all the lovely crossed fingers, toes, etc. It seems to have "worked"! I am feeling better each day, and didn't even need ONE nap yesterday, much less 2 or 3..*G* Now the blood work isn't quite as big a factor...maybe I can manage this after all.

Returning.....

from the Land of Point, where everything has a point, and if you don't....you are pointless. A very long, long time ago, I watched a movie(or a program?) called The Land Of Point, where everyone had a point but the main character and his dog, Blue. The whole concept of "pointless-ness" stuck with me. I don't believe for a moment that if you don't have a point(the same as everyone else) you are pointless.*VBS*
I like round, all manner and sorts of round, circular, dotted, rings...what have you, as long as it connects to itself and is continous. Maybe that's why I make my rugs round..*G* For whatever reason, I like what I do. Thought I'd bring you up to date on rug production...or adventure.
The first rug pictured is # 3. You saw rug #1 and #2 awhile back....before Christmas. My friend Jean got rug #2 for Christmas. I call it Fiesta. Rug #3 is 30", and I may add more. Rug
#4m the pink and blue one is 24 X 28"..again, not sure if I'm done or not..*G*
#5 is another totally scrappy one, just a bit of this and a dab of that. Not as pretty as fiesta, not as bright. It's 28" at this point and I may add 2 more rounds to make it 30". And to put some dark at the outside.
I don't really have any explaination or excuse for being missing this week(since Saturday), a trip to the Dr on Wed. and a few other commitments, but mostly I've been "stalled" in a quiet place. My meds have been keeping me way too tired and needing a lot more sleep than what is reasonable. I had another abnormal thyroid test in Dec, altho not quite low enough to being any therapy for it. We reconsidered that again at my appointment, and she had blood drawn for a thyroid enzymes test. And we switched a couple of med from a.m. to p.m...hoping that might help. Guess we'll know by Tuesday. Blood has to go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for analysis. I'm not sure about any of this, but I am way, way past being tired of being tired all the time....keep your fingers crossed for me..*VBS* 

Over the river and through the woods....

to dear son's house I go....*VBS* Color me tickled pink!! I got such a nice call yesterday, inviting me for lunch today with my youngest DS and his sons.
You've seen these two mischief makers before, several times. They are the ones who live the closest to me in miles. I don't know them well, because DS's ex pretty much cut me out of the picture. But now DS is settled in a new relationship only 20 miles from here, and he has the boys every other weekend.
I've spent part of the morning making fresh chocolate chip cookies to take with me..*VBG* Hey, have I got 8 grandsons or what??? I KNOW about fresh cookies. And I'm taking the youngest, Nathaniel his big boy quilt to use at his Dad's house. The older DGS got his when he was 3, but it lives at his Mom's(I hope). Both were the bargello pattern from Quiltville, and utility quilted.
I'm short on time now, but will be back with more, soon....*VBS* Little boy time is just what I need!
P.S. For Gail, you asked about the word on the folk art wall plaque. Yes, she stamped the word touch(about 1/4" high) onto the silver looking metal. The hand is cut from paper and machine meandered. It must be glued on the board I suspect.

Restoring Order....

to my sewing room...a much needed exercise. I'm running slow this January, and things are way out of control in there. In the process I came across this stack of 9 patches. I must have been working with 2" squares because they are 5" blocks. And I see that I used mostly dark and mediums. Like Bonnie and her "odd blocks", I wondered where I had been going with these and when?? No matter. I see 44 of them, counted and pinned into groups of 10. It
occurred to me this a.m. that I could set them with a
single hour glass(or broken dish) block and get some nice diagonals going.
If you are cutting squares specifically for hour glass, you get 2 sets of triangles from each paired off square. I don't want toooo much duplication in the broken dishes scrap quilt and using one of the pair in the 9 patches would work
fine. Two quilt tops from one set of blocks sewn..*VBS*
I also managed to find the first 3 heartstring blocks that I did. These will be going to Nancy. I'm in the process of cutting more foundation blocks and probably will keep putting a few more out for that project. I'm pretty low on 2" strips right now, and virtually NO red ones, so I'd better do that also..*S* I've been seeing such lovely quilts all around the Mavericks ring and the Stash ring too, wish I was part of that great creations effort. Makes me blue sometimes, this puddling along with a dib and a dab. Guess I need to remember to be grateful that I can see to do some things..*VBS* I think I am going to use the triangles cut off the heartstrings to make some wonky stars. Won't matter there if I get it straight or not...LOL

Agreement reached....

After a narrow escape, I rescued my ability to upload pictures. I had tried to load them directly into Picasa. It did NOT recognize my camera, and then promply told my computer "no more pictures". I switched something things around in properties and that worked! So I'm back in business..*VBS* Wish the eye trouble was that easy to solve. Visually, I'm still
limping along. Today I'm giving you one more piece from my folk art collection. A friend of my DD makes these. This one says "touch" below the metal and paper. I love it!!
The second pic is taken against a little doll quilt I made back in the 1980's. I was shop sitting for a friend, and things were slow. So I pulled some scraps from her scrap box, cut 2" squares, or maybe 2.5" by hand, sewed them together by hand, used a piece of flannel for batting, and made a small backing. I did it like a pillow case turn and then quilted it without a hoop. Really was one of those "play" time approaches...LOL
There isn't much quilting, and I should have done a more primative job with the stitching. That didn't occur to me..LOL

Third picture is the full view of it. I love the half heart that looks like a barn with silo..*VBG*
After seeing the little quilt Fiona made, over at http://scraps-in-progress.blogspot.com/ I decided to show this one.
Fiona's is much smaller, only 5" X 7".

And when Finn answers the questions....some were the same, but....

***You Are An ENFP***
The Inspirer
You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules.Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller!
You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.
What's Your Personality Type?http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/

this and that....

Post a note to Leslie: The pic you asked about was a card, and you may take it..*S* Post a note to Linda J, the personality test was fun...but I'm quite sure it was Sylvia(the responsible one) answering the questions. Finn is not nearly that dependable..LOL
Maybe I should take it again and let Finn answer..*G*
I'm 'bummin' today..was totally down for the count yesterday(read "chocolate brownies day"). The 'thing' in my left eye, that I had so painfully opened and drained on Monday is back bigger, by Tuesday morning. That's NOT what was suppose to happen. It was suppose to drain, let the antibotic drops heal it, and be gone forever!!! Ya...right! and then there's "me".
I have two options.. go back and have it done again....not even considering that right now. Or, let it run it's course til it opens itself, and drains. Trying to be 'adult' on Monday, I let him do his 'doctor' thing...big, big owies to have your eye lid frozen..lots of needle pokes, and no matter what he said, that was NOT a tiny needle!!!
So......................I'm trying to pull myself up and out of the dumps . At least the brownie thing was only yesterday..so far.
Betsy has invited me for a day of sewing and a sleep over if I want to, tomorrow. Her DH is out of town and we will have the place to ourselves..I think I can, I think I can...but snow is predicted, so we'll see. I don't drive in snow, as I can't tell where the edges of the road are...plain and simple. I have NO desire to be in the ditch.
I'm showing you my Delectable Mountains top(again) as I am debating taking off some blocks(it's 90 X 108) and then having it long arm quilted. Think I probably should try it across my queen size bed and see how it looks as is. It has no borders, and I would kind of like to add some. The blocks are 10", so not too hard to reduce the size. Anybody have any suggestions???

This was fun....

***You Are An ISTJ***
The Duty Fulfiller
You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done.You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings.Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you.Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy.
You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.
What's Your Personality Type?http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/

A Stitch in Time.....???

I guess by now, I should just expect the unexpected...especially in regard to my eyes. Yes, I'm under the proverbial weather once again. Seems like I did this. Oh yes, it was last January...and how many times since...darn! As usual, it always happens on the weekend. Saturday night found me with a sore left eye. Creeping redness and swelling. By Sunday, my face was swollen also. The appearance was that of someone getting a stye...except I don't think people get those much anymore. You know, that little sore place on the eye lid..hurts like the dickens. So I hot packed it, and I cold packed it. I used the drops, both antibotic and steroid. Not much luck. By today there were more to worry about so I called my faithful optm. and went in. I had a blocked gland, which needed lancing..ug! Long and short of it, he froze the eye lid(first time for that and LAST time I hope..big owie!!) and now the job is done. Some of the swelling is gone, but the eye continues to weep. Sure makes life interesting...LOL
I haven't done much since Friday, a little sewing and some cleaning up in my sewing room. I have 3 string blocks done, but my camera and Picasa aren't on speaking terms right now..so that will have to wait. I don't have anywhere I have to go for the next couple of days, and hope to catch up some on my reading and comments. Hope all of you are doing enough sewing to make up for my lack...Hugs, Finn

Making progress.....

not alot, but some. Since I am working from scrap, it takes a bit of time to cut the 6" squares, match them up, sew, cut, re-sew, size and sew...LOL. This is my first broken dishes(or hour glass if you prefer). Each individual block (1/4) sizes out at 5". So finished 4.5". Eleven sewn together gives me 49.5" which is a good
width, I think.
Betsy helped out last week by cutting me some 6" squares in darks and lights.
As always, when Betsy is cutting, some brights are wandering in...*VBS* Mostly I am trying to use up some of the older scraps . And while at Betsy's I did find a quilt I'd like to make(from stash) in a book called Spectular Scraps(I think) it was published in 1999, and is Australian I think. I drew out the lay out for the blocks, and will be cutting for that quilt in golds, blacks, deeper yellows, and probably in the dark blue purples. Just have to decide what size HST's I want to work with...*VBS* Feels good to know what I'm going to be doing...soon!! Today I'm off to lunch with another old friend. Haven't seen her since about Thanksgiving. So we will lunch and then shop the thrift store and a couple of other places. I want to look at the Amish furniture store and see if they have a headboard I'd like for my queen size bed. That's next on my "I want" list..*G*. Oldest DS gave me the money to buy it as a christmas present. I'd like to find one within the amount I already have....and that might be challenging...we'll see. The thrill of the hunt!
I'm also cutting some foundation blocks this a.m. so I can make the Heartstrings blocks for the project and to honor Nancy's birthday and her Dad's...*VBS* Hope you all are having a good day! 

The Second Picture...from the post below

You'll have to look really hard...hopefully the pic will enlarge with a click, but I'm never sure when it will and when it won't.

Here she is, coming up and out of the crock, and you can just make out the red ball in her mouth. Excuse the post Christmas boxes! This was Christmas time of 1995 0r '96.

"In The Still of The Night......

while the world is in slumber...oh, the times without number...when I think of you..." yup, it's just me, wandering in for awhile.
Blogger and Picasa and I are playing games tonight. With Blogger, the game is "I can't load the pictures in order", and with Picasa it's "you can't have the second picture at all". So I gave up...we have ONE. I had wanted to get a picture of my broken dishes today, to share. But that didn't happen. Not much happens on demand or schedule around here lately.
And so I'm sharing my darling Mercedes(Mercy) with you tonight. She came into our lives as a kitten, in the last year or two of the marriage. When he left, she stayed and moved to the quilt shop house with me. She was quite an interesting cat. As far as I know nothing traumatic ever happened to her, but she was a "scaredy cat". She ran from every noise, movement and stranger person. She'd hide and come out when she was ready. She had a very unique trick that sure did surprise me. From somewhere a small red rubber ball came into the house. The kind that is usually attached to a rubber string and a wooden paddle. She adored the red ball, and would carry it around in her mouth, dropping it here and there. More than one the golden stole it from her and just laid there looking all innocent while she meowed up quite the storm. I got wise to him tho, and would just say "drop it" and then she had it again. I'm not sure when it turned into a game, but at some point I threw the ball across the room and she went tearing after it, and brought it back and dropped it at my feet....amazing!! After that it was the best game in town. She'd retrieve it endlessly. I learned I could bounce it just right and it would go into a big RedWing crock on the other side of the room, and she'd dive in after it and come up and out with the ball in her mouth. That's the picture Picasa doesn't want to load. Think I'll stick it in a seperate post. I had her until the late fall of 1997. With the first cornea transplant looming ahead of me, and no one caring much what I was going to need care wise, I had to find a new home for her. There was no way to cover the cleaning of the litter box and no one to do it but me. DD#1 took my golden for a week, until I was mobile again. What you can't do with a cornea transplant is bend over much for a while, and must avoid any thing that could come in contact with your eye. That means Vasoline on your face with Saran Wrap stuck to it, while you shower..just loads of fun...LOL
It was hard to see Mercy go, but tough times call for tough measures. I'm so very much hoping I can get Ebby interested in a little red ball, but in her middle years, I'm not sure if I can or not...but I'm trying..*G* 

Bringing Up Ebony....

I'm pretty sure that some of you gals who have cats know this already, but Ebby is my first feline to come into my home at a mature age. I've been learning how different that is from bringing home 'baby' LOL.
I suppose since I have a need to educate to the "max" of a creatures potential, I assumed ALOT....boy, did I ever! I simply can't imagine NOT playing with my kitty, young or old. What I've learned is that Ebby must have been left on her own...and only played as she could devise. So ALL the kitten things work with her, altho she looks at me as if I haven't got a brain in my head..*G*. December brought a new observation...I was sewing and she was laying on the carpet next to my chair. I have a fairly large(by default) TV in my sewing room. It sits at machine level and I can reach it without getting up. So she was pretty close to the large screen. The movie was Ice Age, and as I glanced down, she was staring at the screen with her ears perked up. I was surprised. So I watched her off and on for the next 15 minutes and her eyes never left the screen. This was new to both of us!
I re-arranged the bedroom in Dec. and that brought a very small tv to stand on my low dresser, right next to the bed. The first time I was laying in bed watching Animal Planet and she was on the bed, she saw a cat on tv and went bonkers!!! Yes, she can tell a cat from a dog, and adores any birds that might be shown. Now she lays on the bed and waits for me to turn the tv to Animal Planet..LOL. This morning I was crocheting with my morning coffee in the front room watching something on the Discovery channel and a program about squirrels came on. She came flying across the room and put her paws up on the screen. Really profiles her "middle" age spread nicely..*VBG* So I pushed a rubbermaid over there and put a quilt on it.
She sat, stood and laid there for the entire program...turning her back if the commercials lasted more than a minute or two.
She's been in here complaining ever since I came to the computer with the camera...LOL. Can I explain that the squirrel program is over???? Wish me luck! 

Something old, something new...

if these two pictures look familiar, it's because you saw them last January. The little gal in pink is my newest DGD. She's past a year now, and is the one who didn't want to be in the picture with all those boys last Saturday..*VBS* My middle son is her unofficial 'Daddy'. Now I have 2 DGD's....with those 8(soon to be 9) boys....LOL The
second picture is what I showed you last January 6th.
I have been wondering if any of you look back, out of

curiosity, to see what you posted on this date last year??
What I find is that some of that months project have been completed, and some are still in the block stage, same as last year. That's because I'm such a good starter, and such a bad finisher..*G* That is something I'm going to be working on this year. It's an old, old, old habit and I do it well and easily. Bad Finn!
And last year at this time I was on the verge of that first eye infection, and didn't know it yet. The major infection in my right eye is mostly past now, doing only a little damage to my vision. I still have that transplant..thank goodness. The secondary infection I got in the left eye continues to make trouble, and I more than a little sick of it a year later. But I think my lucky stars that I still have most of the vision that was left in that eye, about 20/300. Enough to make out shapes and some details. And I can see color and movement, but without focus. So if I linger in the past too often, or you find me on that train to yesterday, please bear with me, or smile and move on by...*VBS*
I'd love to be as 'up and at 'em...*S*' as the rest of you, but it's not part of my reality anymore.
I love my blog, I love the writing part, of what I am thinking about, what I wonder and my impression of the world around me. The pieces I pull from my scrap bag may be new or they may be old ones you've seen before.
I get sooooo much enjoyment and ideas from reading your blogs. I feel like each of you are my special friends. Betsy is getting quite used to me talking about my friend Tonya, who is going to Paris, or Linda J. that we donate fabric and tops to. About Lily in Canaberra, and Norma in British Columbia. And can you imagine how thrilled I was, to share Judy at Sunshine Quilts setting idea(from the Gratitude quilt) with Betsy on Thursday? She has a pile of poorly pieced blocks from her Aunt in Washington State. Her DA wants them put together but they are so many sizes. Broken dishes blocks(of course they are!!!) Set in blocks of 4. By adding the first inner strip of Judy's 'set', Betsy can then size all the blocks the same before adding the second strip and the HST corner pieces!!
Now who says we don't solve the world's problems????
When I see Betsy again, I'll snap a picture of those blocks and the setting..*S*
I've been in broken dish parts heaven this a.m. sewing triangles together. I have to do a grocery run while the sun is out, and also have to clean up the house. The clutter is threatening to overtake me....have a sunshiney day!!

Friday Night in Blogland....

and certainly not as much fun as dancing at the Starlight Ballroom...*S* But it'll do for now. It's been a mixed up "feeling" sort of week. I think I've had way
too many Sundays and a couple of extra Fridays, none of which were today...LOL
Having the holiday on Monday tends to do that, I think. It's a quiet night in my valley. No sound of heavy trucks, hauling. No pinpoints of light in the nighttime sky. Even Mr. Moon is hanging out elsewhere...probably over California or Bali. Every thing is slight off kilter, like a table that slants and the spilled beverage all runs one way. I don't know what that is about, except that it's unusual to have these 30+ and 40 degree days in WI in January. We still have no snow, at least through the midsection of the state. Nice for the heating bills, but weird.
At my age I don't really miss the bone chilling cold of WI in January, but I do miss other things. How clear and crisp the nights are, with stars twinkling above us. The music from the skating rink, or the sound of the ice skates, and the laughter of the kids in mittens and scarves who fly across the ice. Even the hoots and jeer and scrapes and thuds of the boys playing hockey in the mostly dark pond behind my house.
I miss the crunch of the snow as you walk, and the really frigid 'squeak' it makes as the temps plunge below zero. Steamed up glasses are something I can live without, but after so many years, they become part of the norm.
These days as you drive or walk, it's the familiar brown of November, and as the rain keeps falling, a bit like March. Almost any seasonal change month except January.
So tonight I picked out this orphan block, that I quilted as a 'solo' block. These broken dishes or HST blocks keep popping up without my looking for them. This one is pleasing with it's bright colors, and off kilter plaids. Some of the triangles are pieced to get a big enough scrap to use....I like that. And I do it, when I remember. Any time I am just a tat short of being able to cut the piece I need, I can stitch a tiny bit across the 'short' side, press and cut my square or triangle. I often wonder why we are so reluctant to do that? It barely shows in the pieced quilt, and when it does, it just adds to the charm...*VBS*. When I see 'that' in the quilt of another, it feels like she and I share a secret...a good secret, a kind of sisterhood.

Happy, Happy Birthday.....*VBS*

Somebody special has a birthday today! Grandson # 3 is turning 9. He's a darling boy, and probably the one I am the closest to. I took care of him for awhile as an
infant. Then his parents moved to southern WI, and I haven't seem much of him the past 8 years. But the connect is there..*VBS* He was by my side constantly last Saturday at our family gathering.
Here his picture from a summer ago. He's taller now, and has put on abit of weight. I get to call him at his mom's this afternoon after school and talk to him..*VBS* Blessings indeed!
Yesterday Betsy and I had a sewing day. Her DH was off to Chicago, and we had lunch, fresh cookies and got lots of broken dishes made up. She cut squares and I sewed. Almost, but not not quite enough for a WTIL top. I've been sewing already this a.m., hoping that the Blogger comments would finally straighten out and behave. Even restarted the computer, but to no avail. Just tried again, and they still are running like molasses in January...LOL
So rest assured, I'm reading your blogs, but I sure haven't been able to leave many comments...sorry!

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window???

"the one with the waggley tail?" And I could add "the adorable short legs and long ears"..*VBS* The picture is of my mom, and one of my favorites. I still carry this one in my billfold, altho it's been exactly 40 years since it was taken. We(Fred and I) were living in Michigan, he was teaching in the "thumb" area. It was the springtime end of our first year...1965-66. We wanted a dauchy puppy. There is a good kennel in my hometown of Chippewa Falls, WI. Paintcreek Kennels, my mom knew the owner well. She picked out the puppy for us, and our baby was air freighted to Michigan. What a thrill to get her crate from the plane that brought her!
This pic is my first look at my little darling. And she was a darling. A red dauchy with some black on her.
She adapted well to our life style and got along well with our elderly cat Sam. We lost Sam to old age within the next year, and a new kitten, Jinx was added to the family. He teased the dickens out of Maggie, mostly by occupying her doggie basket all the time. I have many pictures of her and of them, but they are in slide form. Hope to do something about that this year.
1967 turned out to be one of those "worst of times, best of times" years. The loss of Sam, the new joys of Maggie. We added a brittney spaniel and applied for adoption in Saginaw. We moved to a farm house about 1 miles out of Mayville, MI. December of 1967 brought our darling baby girl. She arrived on Dec 21st. and was just past 3 months old. No problems at that age. We had a chance to buy a house on 2 acres on the other side of Mayville, and jumped at the chance, even tho it was January. Our move was followed by a full blown blizzard which stranded us with out milk for the baby. Friends brought us some on a snowmobile..LOL.
February brought a phone call in the early morning hours, my mom had died suddenly from heart failure.
We later learned it was congestive heart failure, her lungs filled in just a matter of hours, and all help came too late to save her. We made arrangements, packed up the baby(friends took the dogs), and set out on the 12 hour drive to WI. Things were about what you'd expect driving in early Feb. across country for a funeral.
Jumping ahead to summer '68, baby was crawling, and loved Maggie sooooo much. She'd crawl over and grab at her. Unfortunately, by then, Maggie was older and not happy with being grabbed by tiny fists. Especially her ears or tail. She woke up snapping at the baby. Broke our hearts, but we knew that it was just a matter of time and she'd connect. Either with the babys face or hands. We agonied over it, and got folding gates, but the puppy in the sun, asleep, was a strong lure for DD..*S* We decided to see if my Dad, so recently widowed would want to take Maggie as a companion. He did, and we were thrilled. We drove home the summer of 1968 with dogs in tow, for a visit. When we left, only Missy, who didn't mind being outside most of the time, left with us. While we were gone, the neighbor boy accidently let Jinx out while feeding him, and he was hit by a car. Sometimes life just leaves you reeling...trust me, I know.
And so on to pics of Maggie a bit older. Picasa just would NOT load the picture above or a fourth one in black and white. That's the reason for the two part post..*VBS* More disjointed than I had hoped for..LOL

Doggie in the Window~Part 2

Fun times....Fred, Finn and Maggie. Our new baby, and she went everywhere with us. This was taken in Caro, MI in the summer of 1966. A picnic, but I can't remember if my folk were visiting or we were with friends. We lived in Mayville, MI and Fred taught physics and chemistry. We were a happy bunch, lots of teacher friends our same age and in the same boat, financially. I was secretary to the Supt of schools. Adoption plans had not yet crossed our minds. Fred was 26, me almost 26.
This next picture was taken the summer of 1967, while we were visiting my parents in Chippewa Falls, WI. That's where Maggie came from. We had added the timid brittney spaniel to our family. She came to us as a two year old, named Missy with a deep fear of guns. Not much good for bird hunting, which is big in the thumb of MI. We had been to the Northern WI District Fair, where my sister had won the yellow dog. It was a happy time, a teaching contract for another year, and we were about half way through the adoption process in Saginaw. 

Getting started....finally

I've chosen the first project for 2007...*VBS*.... hopefully a jump start to move me onward. And as usual, before I could snap a picture, I had curious company..*S*
I'm going to be putting these square in a square (or HST's) together for a WTIL top for the Alabama project. I did one of these for Linda J. last fall, but have more blocks and HST's in a rubbermaid.
I'm hoping by tomorrow it might be to the flimsy stage. I've joined Linda and Norma in setting a goal of getting one UFO to the flimsy stage each month. So Norma, here's my January project..*VBS* I'm headed out the door shortly, to have lunch and thrift store
shopping with my friend Jean. The thrift store is always closed on Mondays, and that's her day off. She is using her New Years Day day today. And we can shop together, finally!!
I'm posting pics through blogger today, and I'm not very thrilled with how it loads them. I actually had put the sunrise picture in first..ya..everything is in backwards order. These last two pics are from 7 a.m. on January 1st. It seemed a good way to begin the year..*VBS* And yes, that is a tat of snow you see. Not enough to cover the grass, but that was because the wind was blowing a gale on New Years Eve. All the snow went elsewhere..LOL I'll be back soon with a few more pics from our Christmas on the 30th.

P.S. to KC Quilter *VBS*, it's just fine with me...what you asked about...*VBS* Anything, anytime is just fine....no problem here! Hugs, Finn