I can not believe it has been 3 months since I updated my blog. Where to start is another question!!!

It seems as though we have been moving in one form or another since the last time I posted. I have been packing or unpacking almost every day and I can tell you that it is getting quite boring!!! We packed everything up from the 'big' house and put it in storage. We thought that we would be staying in a small condo type apartment, but as with all plans that went south..... So we decided to try an extended stay place, so off we went to 'check in'. What a trip that was last month! We ended up on the second floor and the only things we can say that was good about that was getting the extra exercise with the stairs and being able to use the hot tub every night. This place was smaller than the 24 foot trailer we lived in for awhile a couple years ago. Needless to say I didn't get to do any sewing while I was there. I did manage to get some towel tops crocheted, though.

One day while Carl & I were out riding around we saw a for rent sign on a little house in Sun City. We ended up  going to look at it and ended up signing a lease. Now we are again moving boxes and unpacking!!! So this makes our move lasting for 3 months. I am so sick of boxes!!! It probably wouldn't be so bad, but I started working in an allergist office in October and don't have all day to play like I use to. It was fine when I was only working part time, but just this past week I have started full time. I don't want full time, but it is a new practice and I am the only nurse. I am training a MA, but not sure how that is going to work out. The last MA didn't last very long.....

My current projects are to get my swaps caught up and out of the way. Then I have a quilt to make. Lots of ideas floating around in the brain and now that I have a room I am going to be able to get them made into quilts. This house that we are in is very small compared to the last one, but there was a room big enough for me to have my quilter and sewing machine set up so I am happy. Titten even approves and has settled in. She hasn't ventured into the sewing room yet, but I'm sure she will one of these days.

Well, I need to get to bed. Another long day tomorrow at the office.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Busy, busy, busy week this past week. I started a new job with an allergist and worked at a Mollen clinic. Of course the highlight was my BIRTHDAY!! I don't usually brag about my birthday, but what the heck, I may not have many left!!! No there isn't any medical problems, but I am over 50 now and I doubt I have 50 more years to go....

One of the things that we have decided to do is to move. Yep, you read right, we are moving. For now it is going to be into a temporary place and put everything into storage. So that means the quilting is going to slow waaaaaaay down. I will be able to get tops done and sew little projects, but the quilt frame will have to go into storage. That's okay it will make it easier for me to concentrate on my new job and maybe we will be able to take a couple of road trips!!

On one of my forums I joined a Birthday Block Swap for this year and I have received 4 blocks so far. Here they are, aren't they BEAUTIFUL??

Now here are the blocks I have been swapping for the Sew Along. Every 2 weeks we have a new pattern and partner. These quilts will be prized possessions when I get them together.

 

I packed up some of my blocks I have ready to put into quilts and other blocks I have swapped. I have enough swapped blocks to make about 5 quilts. Maybe one day I'll be able to get them done!!!

Since we are moving we are having a garage sale. I am not keeping a lot of our big furniture so if you are in the area come on over on the 24th and you just may pick up some good deals.

Next week I will be teaching a class at Church how to sew together pillow cases, then in November I will be teaching a couple quilt classes. I can't wait for the quilt classes!! It shall be so much fun. I'll also be able to drop my favorite sewing machine off to have an over haul. She sure has been temperamental lately and I'm not sure why. I guess it is just because I work her to hard!!

Well, I am off for some more packing.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com
http://myquiltingbuddies.blogspot.com/

Good Evening Everyone!!!!

Oh so happy today. We are both feeling MUCH better and we seem to be getting our life back to where it was. It seems as though 2009 has been about going from one hospital stay and sickness to another. It will be nice to wake up each day and be able to go and do the things we like to do and not have to worry if we will have to head home before we get everything done. Now that we are getting back on our medical feet I have a new husband. He has done this to me before so it wasn't as much of a shock, but after seeing one face for so many years it is quite an adjustment to see another one. Here is before and after pictures so you can determine for yourself if I have a new man or not.

This one was in 2007 at the Western Festival with our oldest grandson.

This one is a couple days after his heart surgery in April of this year.

This is the newest one just a couple days ago. Notice anything different???

While I have gotten a new man I have also been getting my quilt block swaps done and doing little projects to sell on my site. I have even gotten the pictures taken and down loaded them on the site, so that is quite a feat for me. The latest project I completed today was sewing up a couple pillow cases for a class I am going to do for Relief Society. I forgot how easy they are to throw together and I need to do more of them. I know the grand-kids really like them.

The highlight of the past week was having a quilt shop want me to teach 'Quilting the Kaye Wood Way' classes for them. I would love to be able to teach quilting to others. It is an addictive craft that's for sure. I'm sure I'll know in the next couple of weeks if I will be busy teaching or not.

One of the things I have to do next week is can some peaches. I ordered peaches from a friend and they came in yesterday. I am sitting here smelling delicious peaches. I guess I need to give another case to the munchkin from my last canning session. She will only eat 'grandma's' peaches and she lets everyone know it. Her Mom opened a can from the store one day and she spit it out and said, 'That's not Grandma's peaches!!' and wouldn't eat them.

Wow, I am lucky tonight!!! I just checked to make sure the pictures were loaded where I wanted them to be and they are!!! No playing with the pictures and the words this time.

I suppose I need to get to bed. We are going to be able to go to church together tomorrow for the first time in forever and I need to get my beauty sleep.

I hope everybody has a great Sunday.


Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

Happy Weekend!!

Not much going on here this past week. I have been working for Mollen doing flu immunizations this week. Of course I had to go and get a bug from being out in the public. Just what we need around here another sicky!!!! I sure hope everything smooths out by Thanksgiving because I sure would like to enjoy the holidays. I also need to get busy on Christmas projects. I don't have many planned, but I still would like to get them all done this year.

I'm off. Have a great week!!!

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

Good Morning Everyone!!

I hope everyone is having a great day today!! I am trying to get into my quilting room and have fired up the iron. In between using the sewing machine I will be getting laundry done. Not my favorite past time!!!

Yesterday way my first day back in the grind, so to speak. It was my first day giving flu and pneumonia injections at a Mollen Immunization clinic. I can not believe the number of injections we put through one small clinic. I alone did almost 100 and I wasn't even there the full shift!!! I was pooped when I got home, had a sandwich and was in bed with the lights out by 8!! Can you believe I signed up for more of this punishment???

This past week I accomplished a lot in my sewing/quilting room. I finished 3 simple flannel blankets

and a 'Heart' Pillow

Plus, Janice and I went dumpster diving and found a couple great dumpster to get our number 10 cans to make our toilet paper holders.

The tall round things in the front are our toilet paper holders. We make them to hold either 3 or 4 rolls of toilet paper.

The other small project I started was covers for the packages of Kleenex you can carry in your bag or purse. They are super easy and I have several different color choices ready to go.

The last we accomplished this past week was to go looking at the local Farmer's Market. Some are way expensive or really reasonable and FULL!!! Just our luck.... If anybody has a favorite craft fair that we could set up at that is in our neck of the woods could you give me a shout? We are looking to fill up our calendar and need a few more places to set up.

We will be setting up at Westbrook Village's Arts & Crafts Show on November 7th. We also plan on being at Ventana Lake's show this fall too.

Other than that it has been quiet around here. Carl is doing really well and feeling better every day. Yesterday while I was out giving pain to people he cleaned my floors, washed the dishes AND remembered to put the lid down on the washer so that the load I started could wash while I was gone!!! Yippee, I think I'll keep him :)


Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

Goings on Past and Present

It is funny how many things can go on during a short week or two. Last week on Monday it seemed like a regular start to another regular week. Boy, was I ever WRONG!!! Monday was fine, I spent it in the sewing room. I don't remember what it was I accomplished at this point, but I did accomplish something. On Tuesday it started out as any other Tuesday except my DH went off to the doctor's office to see what they could do about a pain in his belly. They found out what they needed to do and we then went off to the emergency room about 2 PM. Now the wait begins. About 8 hours later they let us know that 1) he has an umbilical hernia which needs surgery and 2) he has an 11 mm kidney stone just above the bladder with an slightly inflamed kidney. The kidney stone was a surprise, but the hernia just decided to start bothering him after he pulled a client up in bed on Monday. So off we go to a room 'upstairs' so he can go into surgery 'probably' tomorrow. On Wednesday he calls me and tells me that he will go into surgery at 2PM for umbilical repair and a stint for the kidney stone. The surgery went just fine and now he is home for awhile. This time he is on a restricted 15 pound weight limit for 6 weeks. With his work 15 pounds means he can't even deliver supplies to clients so that means he will be spending time in the office again. The girls down there are going to love having him around!!
The good news about all of this is, I am getting a new man!!! Now, all I have to do is keep up with him.

Here are the last few pictures I am going to post from our visit to NY. We really had fun taking the kids to the Alpaca Farm. Carl took some neat pictures. Here they are:

This is Maddi being brave and feeding the Alpacas that were in the barn. Boy, we sure learned alot about Alpacas that day.

Here is Ella feeding the Alpacas in the barn. This kid is fearless around animals when she gets use to seeing them!

Here are a couple year old Alpacas that the owners wanted to get use to being around people. They fenced them in the yard so that whoever came to visit could be up close and they couldn't run to the other side of the pasture. They still managed to get far enough away that the girls couldn't pet them.

This is a picture that I really like. I just wish Maddi had been in it too. This is the 3 day old cria that the owners brought out from the pasture. You can't see it, but Mama is crying on the other side of the fence wondering what we are doing with her baby. This little one was so very soft and his coat is going to make great yarn. The more it has 'crinkles' in it the better quality of yarn it makes. That's just one of the 'tidbits' we learned that day.

Now I am off to get some training done so that I can go to work giving flu injections next month. That will be fun!!

I'll post a few more wedding pictures the next time I get on. I just have to get them into my albums first!!!

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

Good evening all!!

I finally downloaded all of my photos from our trip to NY. We had so much fun being Grandma and Pa to Julie's kids. I'm not sure who tired whom out, but we had fun. I think the best part about being around them was their sweet spirits (yes, Julie your girls!!). We took out a couple CD's of kids songs that we played while traveling. What sweet voices the girls had. They each had a favorite and of course they were on different discs!

We went to the Lolly Pop Farm which is an ASPCA facility that has all kinds of animals. We thought there was a petting zoo, but the goats and sheep didn't want to be petted. Never fear, the horses wanted to be fed so the fearless girls made sure they had a snack or two.

Inside the building where they have the cats, dogs, goats, sheep, birds and rabbits is this mosaic horse. Of course the girls had to ham it up around it.








This was the entrance to the 'petting zoo'.












The only animals in the petting zoo were goats and sheep and they sure didn't want to make friends!

















These horses didn't bite and were real friendly.











































This guy was camera shy. It is a Llama inside a barn. Every time I lifted my camera it decided to step back inside. The markings on this animal were so cool. The right side of the face and left front legs were white and the left side of the face and right front legs were black. I just wish the snot would have been bolder and shown off a little bit for me......






The girls are fearless around horses and ran right up, pulled grass and fed them. We had to practically beg them to go to McDonald's with us to get them to leave.












These are 2 of my favorite pictures of my girls. We were waiting for every one to show up for the wedding rehearsal so we played on the park equipment. They didn't slow down for anyone or anything that night.
















I am so thankful for the time we were able to spend with our granddaughters. I hope we were able to make some special memories together. Now, I just wish they'd talk to me on the phone!!! Can you imagine girls NOT wanting to talk on the phone??? Yeah, me either. I have a feeling that when they do get the phone bug Mom and Dad will have to have another phone line put in.........

Never fear I have more, but, alas, it is bedtime. Maybe one day I'll be able to download pictures on here without it being a major task.


www.coyotequilts.com

This is for my kids..........

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now,
a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and
failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.
' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason,
neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.


I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life..'

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands.You nee d to be able to throw something back sometimes.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you
But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others,
your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about .I just did

www.coyotequilts.com

Whirlwind trip to NY

Good evening all!! Well, I have finally found a few minutes to be able to post some of the pictures that I have downloaded already. The wedding was at Emerson Park in Auburn. I'm not sure if Julie realized it or not, but my side of the family lived and worked in and around Auburn most of their lives. My mother worked in a local shoe factory that closed long before I was born.

Here Julie is getting ready for the big day, discussing what needs to be done when, while her sister Kelly and friend Bethany look on.





Jim and Julie were married in the evening and here she is getting a picture with 'the girls'. They were so proud to be able to be in their Mom and Dad's wedding and were sooooo good.

Ella and Maddi were so proud to walk down the isle in front of Mom with their brother Tanner. They each had baskets of rose petal to 'throw' on the walkway. Afterward Maddi came up to me and said, "Gramma, I still have some left, Ella threw hers all away!" What a hoot.





Here the beautiful bride is walking down the isle with her Dad. It was just about here that Julie started crying. I didn't cry until later.








Here is Jim waiting patiently for Julie. This moment has been a long time coming, but well worth the wait.















HITCHED!!!!




Julie had a memorial of her Grandmother Wager just outside the receptions doors. I was not aware of it until about half way through the reception. Now, this is when I started to cry.

Just knowing that she wanted to have her Grandmother be a part of her wedding when she has been gone from this earth since 1986 touched my heart.




Now it's time to get 'the girls' home and to bed. It is getting late, but how do you get 2 girls that want to party to leave?? Well, they decided that they should have a photo shoot on the way to the car.


They told Pa what pictures to take and posed themselves at different places. Best exit ever thought of! The first is going down the stairs on the first leg of going home.

The next stop was at a sign in the side yard to lean against just so.

The final shot was when Gramma met up with them at the car. We were all pooped, but were in great spirits. Now we are off to our next adventure.


These are just a few pictures I was able to get with my camera. I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures that Kelly and the photographer took.

We had 4 days taking care of 'the girls' while Mom and Dad did their honeymoon in Hawaii. Just like Mom and Dad we had a vacation too. We went to an Alpaca Farm, the Lolly Pop Farm and of course swim lessons!! I'll be back to bore you with more pictures when time permits.

Jim, Julie, Tanner, Ella and Maddi------- I love you guys!!!

Almost at the end

of our visit. It sure has been filled with going to and fro. Last week it was about the wedding. The wedding was in Auburn, the dress was in Groton, the girls hair was done in Groton, and the tuxes were in Cortland. That was some running that was done. The wedding was good, of course there were some things that didn't go as planned, but the marriage license is signed and they are married. The next week is about the girls. So far we have had fun at an Alpaca farm and visiting different places. The Alpaca farm was lots of fun. There were 5 of us that went to see the Alpacas. My sister and her husband had never been to an Alpaca farm so we dragged them along with us. We fed the Alpacas and Llamas and learned lots of 'stuff' about them. At first it was kinda' scary feeding them, but they eat just like a horse. You have to keep your hand flat and they just pick up what you have laying in your hand and chow down. We were even able to get up close and pet a new born cria. He was only 3 days old and didn't have a name yet. Boy, was he ever cute!!! We also were able to see the chickens, peacock, rabbits and of course the 'barn cat'! Tomorrow it is off to the Lollypop Farm to a petting zoo! As soon as I am able to down load my pictures and bore you with them........

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

www.coyotequilts.com

Today IS THE day!!!!

Good morning all! Today is THE day for Julie to get married. It is wet and cold here right now. I sure hope it doesn't rain like it is predicted to..... At least it is under cover even though it is outside. Pictures will follow after the deed is done and I get back to Arizona.

Happy Quilting!
Sharon
www.coyotequilts.com

Busy Life

Yippee!! I spent a grand afternoon with Lynne and she received her birthday surpise. Here is the picture.... I really like this pattern and am making one for myself, but it is going to be in browns instead of greens. I am putting different borders and blocks than in this one.

It's only 4 days until we climb aboard the plane for our trip to NY and it's only a week until Julie and Jim get married. I just hope it stops raining out there so we don't all get water logged.

I have been slowly getting things together that I needed for the trip. I bought my outfit a couple weeks ago and I got my nails done yesterday. I forgot how much I really like having fancy nails!!!

Now, I just need to find a job so I can afford to keep them. My job taking care of Judy ended on June 18th when she was moved to a group home. After Carl's visit to the hospital we decided that we needed to be able to do a few more things and go see family more than we were able to do with Judy here. I am going to go back into Hospice nursing, which I love. I know one outfit that has offered me a job without an interview, but am not sure if I want to go there. It is a new outfit and I'm not sure if I really want to be involved with the 'ground breaking' work that is needed to get a Hospice up and running. The other side of the coin is that I know most of the nurses that work there and that is why I have been offered a job. I'll make that decision when we get back from NY.

I have cleaned carpets and moved things around in the house this past week and then this week all I have done is go running around. Last Saturday Carl & I went to estate/garage sales, Sunday was church, Monday was shoe shopping, Post office run and lunch with Carl, Tuesday was nails and visit Judy, Wednesday was lunch with Lynne, Thursday is going to Janice's to help her figure out her embroidery machines and Friday is a 'need to stay home day'. I wonder how I managed to get my house mostly rearranged, kitchen table cleaned off, kitchen counter cleaned off so we can sit at the bar or table to eat and all of the other sorting and cleaning I have accomplished. We have also managed a walk most every night. Last night we even went out after dark and got an ice cream cone...together!!! It is almost like when we sold the house in Groton and we didn't have any kids at home anymore. I am looking for more fun times together, even the simple things.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon
www.coyotequilts.com

Good evening everyone!! I have been trying to get on over here to post happenings, but like always things get in the way..... I also have figured out how to get my pictures where I want them to be! See, even an old lady like me can learn new tricks!!

The biggest news is that Carl goes back to work on light duty starting tomorrow. He isn't able to lift anything over 25 pounds so he will be staying in the office and going to meetings to fill out his time. I finally figured out how to download a photo of him while he was in CCU which started on my phone. This is a couple days after his surgery and was really looking pretty good. He still had lots to tubes hanging around.... This was either April 24th or 25th.

Here he is the first day of our visit from Spencer & his family on the 9th of May. He doesn't look like he had major heart surgery 2 1/2 weeks before this picture, does he?

He still gets tired, but that has been getting better. He is walking all over the place again to get his stamina up. I told him the other day that I was going to have to have major surgery just to be able to keep up with him. Neither one of us realized how slow we were getting. I just thought it was age getting the best of us. He just thought it was his weight and that is why he started on a diet. As of today he has lost about 95 pounds and wants to loose a few more. I am going to have to make up some new patterns and get busy at the sewing machine just so he can have something to cover his bare butt!!!

I have finally gotten my quilting bug back. Just before Carl's surgery I didn't have any ideas or projects going and it has taken some time for me to return to the sewing/quilting room. I finished a project for a friend's birthday and started one for myself. After I am able to give Lynne her present I'll post pics. I don't want to spoil her surprise!!! I even managed to get my sewing room picked up and blocks done for my swaps.

This is the block I made for 3 Sisters Christmas Sampler Swap:


This is for Rebecca and we have swapped several times before so I have to keep coming up with different blocks. While I was looking for fabric for this one I realized I needed to restock my Christmas fabric. What a challenge that will be..... :)




Here are the blocks for the 3 Sisters Tennessee Block swap:

These were sent to Betty H. and Janet H. Eventually I am going to have a king sized quilt made with these blocks. I needed to have several different 5 inch squares of fabric to do this quilt. My dear friends at Quilt In A Day (AKA: QIAD) came through for me. We did a swap of 'nickles' (5 inch square pieces of fabric) and I now have lots and lots of different fabrics to make this a truly scrappy quilt.


This block is a 'Send Along , Sew Along Swap' on QIAD. This one we swap one block with a partner every 2 weeks. My first block went to my pal, Beth, from the Secret Santa we did at Christmas time last year. She loves Asian prints and her favorite colors are red and yellow. I couldn't find the red or yellow fabric I had in mind, but this material really jumped out at me.


The second block I made for this swap is for Jean. She is a newer member of the 'El's Angels' and I have not swapped with her before. This is going to be a treat! I just love getting quilt blocks from around the world.

I suppose I need to get to bed. I get so involved when I am on this computer that time just seems to fly right on by. I am just glad I was able to figure out how to move my pictures and do a little search here and find some interesting features. Keep tuned as I may play some more with my format!!

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

Carl and doings

Good Evening all,

Carl continues to improve each day and the docs are happy with his progress. Today we visited the hospital so he could tell all of the people that helped him while he was there, "Thanks". He wasn't able to see everyone that took care of him, but he did get to see a few. He didn't even know where he was going because the last time he went from room to room and floor to floor he was looking at the ceiling as they wheeled him around in his bed. The floors were quiet because the snow birds have flown home and there are less of them to take care of. This happens every year during the summer. They close down different floors because there isn't enough people there to take care of.

Not much quilting going on just yet. I am in the process of making a couple wallhangings, but I have not pushed myself with it yet. I have also signed up for a couple more blocks to swap in 3 Sisters. They are a bunch of neat quilters. Not a lot of personal stuff going on that site, just swaps. I was going to post the pics I have of the blocks I have already swapped, but I haven't downloaded them from my camera yet. I need some time to do that 'cause I make sure that I put them in the correct folders and label them when I download. That is the only way I am able to keep them organized.

It won't be long now before I am in NY state at my daughters wedding. The days just seem to fly right on by. I received her invite today so I know the date & time LOL....... I did manage to find an outfit to wear, but now I need to get a pair of shoes to match and I want to get my nails done before I fly back. I guess I had better get my buns in gear as I only have a month left to get this stuff done. I sure hope it isn't wet and nasty while I am back there.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

Slowing down

Good evening all, The excitement of the past month has calmed some. Carl's appointments with the doctors have gone well & they are amazed at his progress. All are surprised that he doesn't have pain in the chest area from the surgery. He notices when he is doing something he should not do because his ribs and sternum let him know. A couple nights ago I went out & was trimming a bush next to the driveway and he just raked the debris out into the driveway & it really tired him out. The next morning he felt every pull of the rake in his legs and arms. That is the most work he has done in a month!! He is able to walk longer without running out of air and is feeling much better. Yahoo!!!

I have finally returned to my sewing/quilting room the past 2 days. It has been hard to get back into my routine with Carl home. I enjoy spending time with him and find it hard to quilt. I do have an incentive though, I am in a couple swaps that I must get done and in the mail. At Quilt in a Day, I am hosting a 5 inch fabric swap (they are called 'Nickles') and packages are arriving everyday, waiting for a 'White Elephant' box to arrive, and at the beginning of next month I am going to be doing a 'Sew Along' swap and finally my next birthday block is due at the end of next month. I have that block done & I think I'll send it out early so I don't have to worry about it while I am in New York at my daughters wedding. I am also involved in 3 Sisters Cyber Quilting block swaps. I have one left to get out before the end of the month and I started working on that this morning. If nothing else the deadlines encourage me to get back into the swing of things. Can you believe that I haven't bought any fabric is the past 2 weeks??? Neither can I. I may go into withdrawl. I am trying to be very good while Carl is out of work. I am very thankful he got Aflac a few years ago because it sure has been a blessing for us twice. The first time was when he tried to cut his thumb off with a hole saw. He was out of work for 6 weeks that time.

Here is the block I am making from the 'Nickle' swap. I am going to make a king sized quilt for our bed. I thought I had enough, but most of my stash was repeats & I wanted lots of 'scraps'. So I called on my quilting buddies to help me out.



Happy Quilting,
Sharon

Bad News/Good News

Morning all!!! It sure has been a busy couple weeks since I posted last time.

First, I managed to get a quilt top done and get all of my block swap obligations done. Then the world almost fell out from underneath me.

My husband, Carl, needed to go to the MD for a heart catherization on the 21st of April. We didn't expect anything big to go on with this test. We sure found out that we thought wrong!!! After he had the test done the doc told him, 'we're going to cut you open' and he told me he needs heart bypass surgery, 'in the next couple of days'. He had 4 arteries that were 90% blocked!!Talk about a surprise!!! So, off we go to Boswell Hospital to have Carl admitted for surgery. So, on Wednesday morning off he goes to surgery for the next 4 hours with me sitting reading and praying. I saw him for a couple minutes after he was settled in his room after surgery then I came home for awhile to let the staff do what needed to be done without me under foot. I returned that night after the vent was removed and he was sitting up in a chair. I don't think he remembered much about that night, but he was doing real well. Each day he was in the hospital we saw improvements and there was another heart patient that decided that Carl was his inspiration. Carl spent 4 nights in ICU and 2 nights on the regular floor. The last couple nights he had heartburn real bad and really didn't want to eat much, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to come home if he didn't. So, finally on the 27th of April we came home. I'm not sure if he slept any better in his own bed last night or not. I do know he was sound asleep when I went to bed & I woke up about midnight and he was out and about. He is taking it easy and following all of the doctors instructions. Neither one of us want him to have to go back into the hospital because he pushed to far to fast. Now we are on to the next step of the 'bump' in our road. Getting all the appointments set up & making arrangements to get him there. 2 down 1 to go.....

Thanks to all for all the prayers, well wishes and answered calls for help given to us through this time. It has been amazing to me the blessings Heavenly Father has given us through all of this. He has been giving us inspirations over the past 3 or 4 years in preparation for this 'bump' so that we could keep our heads afloat. I am so glad we were able to hear the whisperings of the Spirit and acted on them.

On to our next 'bump',
Sharon

Good afternoon all!!! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted anything. It doesn't surprise me though, 'cause I have been busy, busy, busy. I have finished 2 'Star' sampler quilts, made and mailed off 2 different blocks for my swaps, made 8 blocks for another swap, readied them for mailing, and started blocks for a quilt for our king sized bed and attended another class with Kaye Wood. She is so much fun and I can't wait for her to come back to the valley so I can take another class from her. This class certified me to teach quilting with her Starmaker 8 ruler.

I am not going to add all the housework I did NOT do...... I know my floors need attention, but they will just get dirty again... I at least found out what was wrong with my steam cleaner. I had a new switch put in when we moved in up here, but it wouldn't steam. Well, the switch that was put in wasn't high enough when the button was pushed to actually turn the foolish thing on. Now I just need enough ambition to put it to work. It will make cleaning these tile floors much easier. My darling husband has been doing the mopping for the last few months for me because it was such a chore.

We have finally settled with the insurance company about the auto accident. It was a fight to get them to understand that the van we were in was not just a conversion van, but had A LOT of extra work done on it. After we found out the magic words to tell them it went much better. Can you imagine the words 'dropped floor' with wheel chair ramp worked much better than 'handicapped van'. We would have gotten this taken care of a long time ago if we had known the 'magic' works!!

We have our tickets for Julie's wedding. We got a smoking deal on ticket into Ithaca, (which for those that don't know where that is) is about 20 miles from where we need to be. Usually we fly into Buffalo which is about 150 miles from where we need to be. I am starting to get excited about seeing the 'girls'. I received a flyer from Jo-Anns Etc today and found lots of things to do with them while Mom & Dad are out having fun. I am going to wait to pick up any of my ideas until we get there because we have to pay extra for our baggage. I sure don't want to have to pay the second bag fee just because I have lots of 'stuff' I want to do with them. I have a few other things I want to do while I am there, but I'll have to wait to see if I have time to do everything. At least it is just visiting family because we don't need to visit sights because we lived there for so long.

We had a quiet weekend this past weekend. The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 179th annual conference was aired on TV. Some great messages and warnings were given. Concerns about the state of finances and readiness for other disasters were talked about with good counsel for all to take to heart. Then yesterday Carl and I were set apart for our calling. We are 'Baptism Clothing Coordinators for the Peoria North Stake'. We will be opening the Chapel for the monthly Stake Baptisms, making sure that everyone that is getting baptised has the right outfit and then wash it afterwards.

Tomorrow is Ella's birthday!!! Happy Birthday Ella!!!! I hope you have a great day. I can't believe the number of years that have gone by since she was born....... It just seems like yesterday! Well, it seems only yesterday that Julie was born, so I guess I AM getting OLD!!!

Talk about old---Coby's birthday is TODAY!!!! He is a young, 36!!! Yes, I had to do the math for that one. I am lucky I can remember the year he was born to DO the math~~~~

Well, I am off to fix supper. Yes, you read right, me cooking----NOT, just salad for Judy & me. I think I can handle that.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

Happy St. Pat's Day!!

I hope everyone is having a great day today!!! Nothing special going on here, but the weather is beautiful!! We have had the bedroom door open every night the past few nights & it is great. Carl put on a regular screen door so we don't have the bugs coming in and then he put a cat door in so the cat isn't bugging us to go out all night. I sure have been sleeping much better since the cat can go out when she wants!!

I also want to wish Isaac a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! He's one of the cute guys in the family that lives in California. I hope you have a great day, Isaac!!

I suppose I need to get busy, Judy has company coming and we thought they'd be here later, but I just received a phone call saying they are close. Yikes!!! I am glad I don't have to entertain them after I let them in the door. I can finish with the beginning of my day.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

Good Morning All!

This morning is quiet. No running to be done, no kids around and husband at work. I am cleaning up the e-mail and getting a couple loads of wash done then I am hitting the sewing machine.
I have one quilt loaded ('Fall Trees with Ease') on the frame
and one on the design wall ('Pink A-Maze-Ing'). Both of these are going to be demo quilts for shops to hang to find out about interest in classes. I recently signed up on a 'find a teacher' site. Boy, was that a trial in patience and computer glitches. It sure is a slow process to get things up and running. I just hope that when I start teaching that it just keep going and going.

The quilt with Pooh on it is a friends quilt that I made 8 years ago. I did all of the embroidery then made the quilt and quilted it. This is the first picture I have of it. Not bad for one of my first quilts.

Since the accident I have been having headaches and my neck hurts anytime I spend a any time on the computer. I think that I will be going to the doctor to have everything checked out later. I sure didn't want to have to go, but it has been almost 2 weeks and things should have calmed down by now. I just kept thinking that the only thing they would tell me was to 'give it time'. I just hope there isn't much else going on. I don't want to stop doing things because I have a headache. It tends to slow progress down around here and I don't have time for that.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon

Beautiful Day

This weekend is our Stake Conference. We have the privilege to have a General Authority speaking to us. It is interesting the message we were given last night. We discussed the 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World" For those that don't know about it, the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has proclaimed what a marriage and family should be and how to conduct ourselves in this life to be able to live in the Celestial Kingdom after our death with our families.

I often wonder what prompts different talks or discussions. With this talk last night I think, Are there a lot of marital problems in our Stake? Is the Lord trying to stop marital problems in our Stake? Or is it just to strengthen strong marriages? I do know that it was a reminder to ME what I need to do keep harmony in MY house. That is not as easy as it seems!! Each morning I ask for help from the Holy Ghost for guidance through the day. I know if not for him I would not accomplish even half as much as I do. I am very thankful to be a member of this church. It helps to guide and direct me when I need it the most and that is everyday.

Sharon

I found this on one of my forums and I just had to share.

Wash Day...........

Monday Wash Day
Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and Vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility Through the week ahead.

Tuesday Ironing Day
Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles Of prejudice I have collected through the years So that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday Mending Day
O God, help me mend my ways so I will not Set a bad example for others.

Thursday Cleaning Day
Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday Shopping Day
O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal happiness for myself and all others In need of love.

Saturday Cooking Day
Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly Love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.

Sunday The Lord's Day
O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please Come into my heart so I may spend the day and the Rest of my life in your presence.

I have much to be thankful for today since Judy & I were in an auto accident a short time ago. I do believe if another motorist hadn't honked her horn and alerted me of the oncoming car that we would be sitting in the hospital emergency room at this moment. If I had not hit the brakes the other auto would have slammed into the part of the car right where Judy & I were sitting. As it was it hit the front tire area, bent the tire and smashed the front end. We were sooooo very lucky. We even had a police officer witness the accident. Just a second after we were hit I looked up and saw a police cruiser with the lights on and she was pulling around us to alert other oncoming traffic. I didn't even have a chance to get my cell phone out of my pocket. We are both home and doing okay. I do have a splitting headache and a goose egg, but that is minor to what could have happened. I would really like to get some quilting done, but I know that if I try at this point I will just waste fabric by cutting the wrong size strip.

Happy quilting,
Sharon

Loading quilt frame

For those that wonder what I am talking about when I say, 'I am loading a quilt' here is a pictorial.

The first thing I do is to baste the backing to the leaders then I load it on the quilt frame. The leaders are fabric that attaches the quilt back or top to the bars on the quilt frame. Some frames have round bars, but this one has square bars.

In the first picture it shows the leader over the front bar and the 'cover' bar I use to hold the leader to the bar so it won't twist when I am quilting.

The second picture is the 'cover' bar on.

The third picture is starting to roll the backing onto the quilt frame.

The forth picture is the backing almost completely on the frame.

I then did the same thing to the back bar with the other leader.

The fifth picture is the backing ready to lay the batting and quilt top on so I can quilt a quilt.

It seems to take some time for some, but this one with the pictures took me only 15 minutes. That's not bad for being the 5th one I have started since getting this frame. Before I had to push my quilts through my regular sewing machine by hand. I am much better with my meander on this than I was doing it the other way. I need to get good enough to do repeat designs instead of meanders. For now though I can get a small quilt done in about 4 hours instead of a day or two.

It is so much more fun to quilt my creations now.

Happy Quilting,
Sharon