A Big Finish & Rainbow Purple

This finish deserves a fanfare of trumpets!

The log cabin flimsy is finally done! After a year’s journey I have reached the first finish line!

My last step was to fix the fraying yellow strips so the seams wouldn’t come apart. After all this is a marriage quilt and, besides, after all this work—who wants it to fall apart?

I didn’t take a picture of the top because, well, it is just too darn big! It is a king-size. Due to the 14” blocks and no border, I was stuck with just one size choice. 112 x 112. That just about cover a king size top with some generous over-hang, doncha’ think?

For those of you who haven’t seen this quilt a gazillion times in the past year, here is the best picture taken when it practically filled up my garage wall.

Also on the “design wall” is my latest finish of blocks for the RSC 2014. I’ve been making snowball blocks in each month's colors. April’s color was purple and, true to form, I finished them this month!

I’m trying to get lots of novelty fabrics in my blocks. Didn’t have many in my purples. I did get my plaid purple in though. I’m trying to get a plaid block in each color because, well, I’m crazy, loony about plaid!!! And always one vintage, which looks like I scanned the same block twice!

The lavender in the upper right corner is one of my favorite colors. True to form it looks blue next to the purples. If I put it with blue blocks, it would look purple! And of course a gratuitous picture of my children. This was taken on our recent trip to the ocean. Noel Heart and Sweetie are running through the waves here. They were trying to the Baywatch slow-motion run!

I want to encourage everyone to go and see the website, Life Sew Crafty. She is hosting a blog hop to educate people about breast cancer. Every two weeks there are 2-3 guests and each one displays a pink block that they have made. I am going to be hosting on June 7!! I'm very excited, it's my first hosting! Fun for days! To learn more, read my previous post giving more information, plus pictures of Nancy Drew and family's recent visit. If that isn't a draw, I don't know what is!

I’m hooking up with the following blogs. Hop on by to check out lots of lovely quilts! Their badges are in the right sidebar.
So Scrappy RSC Saturday
Patchwork Times
Show & Tell Tuesday
Fabric Story
Linky Tuesday
WIP Wednesday
We Did It Wednesday
I Quilt
Fabric Frenzy

For Pink’s Sake! & Nancy Drew is here again!

This post is brought to you by the number

Yes, the brilliant number four! One, two, three, four more days until the end of school! That’s Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday!

So many good things happening! It’s Friday, and it’s a three-day weekend! Nancy Drew, SWH, Sweetie & Curly came for a week-long visit! 

More on that later…
I can’t wait to tell you about a blog hop that I’m participating in!

Anna is the lovely lady who writes the Life Sew Crafty blog. At this time in her life, her mother-in-law is fighting cancer for the second time. Anna wanted to host this blog hop honoring several women in her life who have battled cancer, the last being Tina, her mother-in-law. The medical bills are piling up and up, and Anna is asking for donations to help defray some of the cost for the family.

At the same time, she is collecting pink quilt blocks to make a quilt to donate to the Cancer Center where her DMIL has had her treatments. She has instructions on her website for making a pink block.

Also, many bloggers are participating in a blog hop and show off pink blocks of their own. Every two weeks on Saturday, there will be three-four blogs to visit. Here are the participants for tomorrow!

May 24

Jess @ Quilty Habit

Melinda @ Quirky Granola Girl

Kristyn @ Melon Patch Quilts

Visit her blog site click on the badge at the top of the right sidebar to see the full calendar of blog participants!

Exciting Thing #2

I am going to be hosting For Pink’s Sake on June 7! It’s my first time hosting. To say I’m excited is a gross understatement!

I have already picked out the pink block I’m going to make. Here are some hints: It’s from an old book, it hails back to 1923 and for those who like Bonnie Hunter quilts—it has 65 pieces!—for one block. You can be sure I won’t be making this as a 4” block! By the way, for those who want to make a whole 75” x 87” quilt, it takes 1,617 pieces or 42 blocks: 21 pieces & 21 plain.

Sharing with Can I Get A Whoop Whoop Friday!

And now for the promised family visit information!

L to R: Curly, SWH, Nancy Drew, Sweetie

Picnic on the Beach
Clockwise, starting from right rear:
My kid's dad, Yours Truly,  my "new" DSIL: Chief,
Sweetie, Nancy Drew & SWH

I'm burying Curly's legs in the sand

Up, Up and Away!

Strike up the band! It's Spring Break!

It's a blessed week away from work. And here I am toodling away on a bus to the airport.. .. Here I come Utah! Ready or not.

I got up at 4:00 a.m. The flight is at 8:00. Last night I got packed early enough so I could get some semblance of sleep. But no, I stayed up watching Bones. I got to bed at midnight. Everyone can run on 4 hours of sleep, can't they?

I'm off to see my cuties. Curly and Sweety. Seven marvelous days with my daughter, Nancy Drew,  SWH and the most adorable granddaughters ever. I'm so excited!

Inventory time. Did I remember my pajamas? Did I bring my wallet? Did I bring all my charger cords? What about my shoes, extra sweater, make up and pills?  Thank goodness my iron has automatic off or I'm sure I'd be wondering about the proverbial iron otherwise.

This is my first time writing my blog from my phone. New adventures every day.

My real purpose of writing this morning was to let you know that kindness exists in the most unlikely places.

It wasn't that cold this morning. Maybe 40°. I'm just wearing a sweater. There was only one other person there at the bus stop. We talked a little. Of course the obligatory weather chat ensued. I mentioned where I was going and how it was colder there. I hardly ever bring a coat with me. My daughter has plenty of coats I can use.

I started to say that I hadn't brought a coat to tell him about my daughter's closet. I didn't make it past "I don't have a coat when he quickly asked,  "Would you like to use mine? "

At first I was going to protest when it struck me how kind an offer he made. I then thanked him sincerely and declined.

How amazing. So thoughtful of him. I can tell you that he had made my day even happier than it was before.

I'm so glad to share this with you. I hope it makes your day happier too.

Off I go. .. To family.

Oh shoot! I forgot my charger for my Nook!  Well I can rest in peace now. No more worrying. I figured out what I forgot.

Where in the World is Quilting Nonnie?

 Can you believe I'm home every day, all day, on summer vacation and haven't had time to post in my blog?

Me, in earlier years, spending my summer vacation in my favorite past time.

 Dig the crazy couch, the cool hair do--can you guess the year? Answer at bottom of post.

My dog, Bambi, and reading my favorite author, Dick Francis

Well, I didn't spend every day reading...besides that couch is long gone! Where would I read? Okay, down to business. Why, you the faithful reader ask haven't you been in blog land? Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego Quilting Nonnie?

First Excuse Reason:
It's 19 days until I go back to work. And that is not my Whoop Whoop!

Second Excuse:
Somebody "didn't see me" and smacked into my car. We've been valiantly living with one car. Two are being put back in running order by my genius hubby, Wizard of the High Order of Car Repairedness.

Third Excuse:
Kitty! Need I say more? Why yes, I can (and will)! After undergoing four name changes, she has finally been christened Kaiju. Japanese translation: Big Monster. The way she storms with her big paws through the house scattering everything in front of her, she definitely qualifies for Monster. With her paws, it looks like she is going to be Big.

Kaiju! Do not climb the design wall!

Bad Kitty! Do not eat the pins!

Plus, when I sit down and she climbs up in my lap and falls asleep. Then I'm stuck there until she wakes up, so I can't get as much done. (Guess where she's at right now?)

Oh, darn! Here I am stuck here doing nothing till kitty wakes up. Hmm, where's that mahjong game?

Fourth Excuse:
Quilting as much as possible before my halcyon days of summer are through.



Fifth Excuse:
Yummy vegetables and their maintenance.

Lovely tomatoes!

Fantastic Peter Pan Squash!

Sixth Excuse:
Finding a gardener to take care of overgrown bushes and weeding! (see above pictures for proof).

The bush that took over the world!

Step One: Ignore weeds. Step Two: Oooh and ahhh at flowers.

Now the big question is: Does anybody want a yard job??? Very little experience needed except for deathly thoughts towards weeds!

Seventh Excuse:
Correcting mistakes in quilting:

Guess the mistake here!

I found that my spool quilt was supposed to be 6.5 x 4.5. I had made the blocks 4.5 x 4.5. I have to add 2 more strips to each spool. Since the strips are all used, I have to rip apart some spools to add to other spools. And make more white side strips.





Eighth Excuse:
Cleaning, routine-ing and house-ing:

Summer has been split between the Q activity and getting the house in order. My goal is to have everything clutter-free, everything having a place so that I can maintain during school year. I've got the kitchen, my part of cleaning bathrooms and living room done. I'm more than halfway through the spare room. It was (is) a huge task because its real name is: "If you don't know what to do with something, just throw it in the spare room on top of bed or any pile you like!"

I have also been chaining routines so that the first step starts a chain and makes sure many things get done: Get up (which is a gargantuan task), take meds,  feed demanding animals, shower get dressed, eat breakfast whilst reading scriptures, daily prayer, scoop cat litter and the voila! my day has started and all things that were needful got done.

Also trying to habit-ize regular cleaning of house. Can you by any stretch of the imagination see that I am an organizer, a inveterate list maker? Here's the weekly afterschool routine:



It is so difficult, as everyone who lives and breathes will attest, I'm bushed after work. I hope that forming chains will make things run more regularly.

That was a BIG eighth reason!

Ninth Excuse:
Creating budgeting routine. 'Nuff said!

And in the meantime...lovely family!

Noel Heart and Firstest take part in Rugged Maniac

Victory is Ours. Firstest does his version of the Happy Dance. Noel Heart on left, her cousin on right.

What is it about my two daughters that they are drawn to mud? (see post here)

For more whoopty do, check out other adventures at Confessions of A Fabric Addict. The link is in the right sidebar.

** Date of first picture: 1994, but I do believe the couch was from the decade before. I was its third or fourth owner. It's really true, they don't pay teachers very well!

Mother's Day in Retrospect

Whooppeee! I love being a mom and grandma!

The other day Nancy Drew, now 32, and I were going through a box of mementos she had left at our house. We were Skyping and I was showing her the things in the box so she could choose things she wanted me to send.

Lo and behold I found some awesome treasures! Mother's Day cards from the past. I confiscated them and put them up in my quilting room. I think I love them more now than then!

Feast your eyes!

1986: 6-years old. And a blast from the past of what wallpaper looked like back then. Yeech!

 

 

 

1987: 7-years-old with a huge heart!

And what did I spy inside? Coupons that I never used. Darn! I told Nancy Drew I was going to redeem them right now...and I had a plethora of choices. (I love the word plethora. It's a cool word and I love the way it rolls off the tongue). But I digress. I figured if I redeemed all of them right now that Andi would be here, in my home, for eight lovely days! I'd even pay the air fare.  My coupon choices were:  Making a cake, running an erin, (dig that spelling!), making a pie, breakfast in bed, making dinner 1 night, an extra chore, a hug and a kiss, and a sholder masash!

I can't believe I didn't cash in on those! Dummy. The first thing was the masash, yummm.

Another Mother's Day Card

 And now the next, third, generation. Here are two cards sent from Nancy Drew's daughter, Curly. She is almost three. I had hinted, very unsubtly, that I would love "one of those hand-print cards from my grandchildren", this came in the mail. Curly didn't want to do a hand-print, so she did her version in the right hand corner.



And aren't I the charmed Nonnie? An art work done by Curly. Guess where they're at? Yes, on the fridge! Where else?


Here's a picture of my two precious granddaughters: Sweetie and Curly.

 Now dash over to Confessions of a Fabric Addict to savor other's whoopees! Grab the Whoop! Whoop! badge in right column. Also hooking up with Link A Finish here

Three-day weekend ahead! Whooppe-kiyi-aaaaaaa!

How Random Can I Get?

It seems that if I only post once a week, it's either Random Thursday or Whoop Whoop Friday.


This week has been everything except for quilty. Preparing for my son and his wife to come has been the household past-time for two weeks! I started in about three weeks before their arrival. I had to dig out the guest room, uncover the living room and prep the garden, plus forge my way through the back porch. Guest room and living room are recent occurrences, but the porch is actually the same as the last time TGS was here, two years ago, and I asked him to help me clean it up! Click here for the post on my euphoric list of endeavors and before-pictures.

As the three weeks moved along, I lost two highly anticipated cleaning Saturdays. One to illness and another to "something that could not be avoided". Each day I swore that I would come home after school and do x amount of work. When I stumbled in from work, I was too bushed to do anything. If this sounds familiar to you, join in on the second verse!

The closer we grew to the target day, the less concerned I became about how much was going to get done. Isn't it wonderful how amazingly flexible I am in lowering my standards?

Meanwhile, my brave, noble, talented and incredibly fantastic Hubby was trying to get a shower put in the 2nd bathroom. That bathroom only had a tub. With just the master bath having a shower, it's a bit difficult when four people only have one shower!

But, good has been done here!

A quick glimpse of the shower progression:

L to Right: Tearing out the ugly 70s backsplash, Hubbing tearing up wall to put in pipes for shower head, Bathroom with cement board, Our hallway during the "project"!

I'm sparing you all the rest of the pictures, including the one of my hubby's hand with 6 camo bandaids on it from taking the cement off the walls. And the cement dust. *cough*cough*

I was trying to still use the sink and do my hair and make-up in there. Last night I walked in the bathroom to get a glass of water. I looked at my glass innocently sitting on the counter, open side up...yummmmmmy! Water with cement dust. I toddled off to the kitchen.

This morning I went to brush my teeth. I looked at my toothbrush innocently sitting on the counter, bristling waving in the air. Well, wouldn't that be a brand-new experience for me? Cement my toothbrush to my teeth?

Back to the good stuff: I'm so excited...a shower! It's our first ever home improvement project! We've lived here nine years and it's the first time we've been able to afford a "project!"

Tomorrow's a Whoop Whoop Friday...tune in for happy garden news and the emergence of the guest room (almost).

Check out more randomness over at Live a Colorful Life and Patchwork Times. Click on the buttons in the right column and relax and see some goodness.

Same blog time, same blog station (with a tip of the hat to Batman!)

Really Random Thursday

I have been so busy trying to clean house for when TGS and OSLW come for a 10-day visit next week, that everything else is falling into ruin. Now the kitchen isn't staying clean because I'm too busy trying to shovel out the guest room! My laundry isn't getting done because I'm trying to get my vegetable and flower gardens weeded...You see how it goes?

I feel like my life is dedicated to randomness lately. I have to really fight my tendency to "squirrel" (see explanation in  this post!). Start to clean guest room. Oh, here's a dish I need to put in the kitchen. Trot down the hall. Oh look! I didn't put away the cereal from this morning. Clean, clean, clean. Oh yes, I was cleaning the guest room. Start to amble down the hall. Oh dear, I left my sweater hanging on the railing of the living room, I should put it away. Stroll to MBR. Oh darn! I forgot I was going to put in some laundry. Drag laundry to garage. I can't believe I forgot to clean the cat litter. Carrying bag of "cat poopies" at arms length to garbage can. Look at all those palm fronds that have fallen with all the wind lately. I'll put them in the yard waste can. Oh shoot! I'm supposed to be cleaning the guest room.

Does this even sound slightly familiar?

But I digress...

My random presentation for this week are some awfully adorable girls. These are my two granddaughter, Curly and Sweety. I was having a Skype chat with them and captured these pictures.

Curly showing me her Easter loot. That's Nancy Drew in the background.

Sweetie and Curly on the egg hunt

Curly looking at picture of herself on Skype.

I tawt I taw a wabbit

Look at my egg!

Showing Nonny the candy in their mouths.

*Sigh* I sure wish they lived closer. Thank heavens, stars and moon that we have Skype!

I'm linking up with Really Random Thursday at Live A Colorful Life. Click on the badge in the right column and see what other random people are doing randomly.

Really Random Thursday

Random is my middle name! It's my major form of organization. I dropped in on a new blog I'm following, Live a Colorful Life. She has Really Random Thursday and I decided this would be a fun thing to blog. You can get to the blog by clicking on the badge in the right column.

My sisty ugler came down from Ashland, Oregon to visit me last Saturday. It was very short and I wish there was more time. It was fantastic to see her and my niece. My sisty ugler is looking marvelous. She retired last summer, lucky her, and she is so much more relaxed.


Before she came down she told me she was giving up on quilting. Can you believe it??? Willingly give up something so wonderful? She had found that quilting was something she could do in little amounts of time that were in between all the craziness of teaching. Now that she has left the madhouse behind, she feels like its time has passed. I guess I can't complain...I got her stash!

So here's what's sitting in front of my design wall today...

It's not an overwhelming stash, but who cares? It's fabric, lovely fabric and it's mine, all mine! (evil chuckle) My sister was more of a project quilter and I don't know how she managed to control herself and not buy pretty fabric just for the beauty of it!

 Isn't this fantastic? My sister obviously has a good eye for color and design. This is a partially finished quilt. I will be in flamingo heaven when I put it together.

Here's a bin of 30's repro fabrics complete with pattern. I hear them calling me right now from the other room....Terri, Terri! Come out and play!

Isn't this going to be yummy? Again another ready to make quilt with pattern! I'm a lucky girl.

Here's just some fabric that I get to pet. There's more...you saw all the bins. There's some fabric from Zimbabwe because my sister goes there so often. A nice bin full of blues and another of blacks.

Heaven! I'm in Heaven!

February 3, 1960

My dad in 1952, age 24

Today is the day my dad died. Every year I remember him on this date and also his birthday, March 11. I was four when he died. He was 31. He had, what was then, a terminal illness. He had Addison's Disease, an autoimmune disease, which is now treatable, but not curable. 

During my sophomore year in college, I took my phase one class in Elementary Education. One of the first assignments we had was to write our history. The following is an excerpt from that assignment, written when I was eighteen.

"The first four years of my life I lived at a California Division of Forestry fire station, my father being foreman of the station for our small town of Yorba Linda. I was, what my mother often calls: "my father's shadow." I would follow him around the station as he did his work. Sometimes during the day, my sister and I would come into his office and he'd stop whatever he was doing and talk with us. Once in a while he would give us one of the fire prevention posters as a treat.

Although my memories of my first four years aren't too vivid, some of the scattered recollections I have are of after dinner time. When Jan and I finished eating, we would crawl under the kitchen table and play with Mom and Dad's feet. They would always ask or comment to each other in wonderment that "there must be mice in the house" and "what are we going to do?" After dinner, Dad, on all fours, would chase us around the house; or we would play Button, Button, Who's Got the Button? or Hide the Thimble. Other times, Mom and Dad would wrap us in a blanket like a hammock and carry us around the station. Before they let us out, we would try and guess where we were. It was always a surprise to look out and figure where we were. I recall a lot of happy times then, not specific events, but a secure feeling of well-being.

 

Dad was always cheerful, whistling wherever he went. He seemed to be one of the spirits God blessed with an attractive personality, full of giving and concern for others. He always had a kind word for everyone; people who knew him say they can't recall him ever being unkind or hurtful to anyone.  Dad had many, many friends who loved him dearly and he loved them all too."

Here is a poem that my Mom read to me while I was a child. She said it described my Dad.

THE MEASURE OF A MAN

Anon.

Not--"How did he die?"    But--"How did he live?"
Not--"What was his gain?"   But--"What did he give?"
   These are the units to measure worth
   Of a man as a man regardless of birth.

Not--"What was his station?"   But--"Had he a heart?"
And--"How did he play his God-given part?"
   Was he ever ready with a word of good cheer,
   To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?

Not--"What was his church?   Nor--"What was his creed?"
But--"Had he befriended those really in need?"
Not--"What did the sketch in the newspaper say?"
But--"How many were sorry when he passed away?"


credit:  Golden Nuggets of Thought, Ezra L. Marler, 1946, p. 111

I am a Mormon, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What held me together after Dad's death was the knowledge that he has gone onto another place that I will someday be also. In many churches, people "bear testimonies" of what they know is true. The following is my testimony of my dad.

On this anniversary of his death, it is only the death of his body. We have eternal spirits and they cannot die. They are our essence and who we are. In this life we have a mortal body and an immortal spirit. When we die, our spirits return to our Heavenly Father to continue to live through the eternities. I believe in life after death. I know that families will be reunited after death to live together again.

I often think about my family "on the other side". My mom and dad together waiting for my sister and I to come, but willing to let us have our life here on earth. I think of reuniting with my dear uncle and aunt. I look forward to being with my grandparents and friends.

I have a Dad. I know what a dad is like. My father was loving and wonderful; he had a great sense of humor, loved music, loved sports, loved to have fun. People loved him; I loved him. My mom adored  him. He loved my Mom. He loved me; he called me "clown." He thought I was cute and wonderful. I followed him everywhere. My mom called me his little shadow."

I can testify to you of the deep influence of a father on his children. Even though my time with my dad was small, he has had tremendous impact on my life. I can still remember his love for me. I still have the feeling of being cherished by him. I know of things he valued in me. I remember, value and try to emulate many of his traits. If four years of parenting can yield so much, then think of the influence a father has on his children throughout their growing years.

 I can testify to you of love that lasts beyond death. I loved my dad dearly when he was here on the earth. He was a super dad! I love him still. I miss him still. But I know that the bonds of family are for eternity and I look forward to seeing him again. I cannot tell you how the promises of an eternal family have consoled me. I can tell you that my father died, but his influence and his love and participation in my life did not end. I testify of my father's continuing care. He lives still and he has helped me through many difficult times of my life.