Creating memories

We had a houseful of guests for Thanksgiving 2014. I wanted to get a picture of the mess in the kitchen, but this is what I found. Amazing and much better than what I remember when I was a kid with the same number of people that descended on Mom's house. 

I caught a couple of my girls by surprise. 

Good friends made it down from New York State. 

 Sitting around after the food is consumed.

The older kids helping the youngest.

We had a good day with lots of yummy foods created by many hands. Thank you, Julie for our first Thanksgiving in 15 years! Love you!

Until next time,

Happy Quilting, Sharon 
Permanent "Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" 
Certified Instructor since 2013

Evening! What are you thankful for?

It's getting to be that time of year when you start thinking about the guy in the red suit. Julie has already started planning her 'black' Friday (which is now black Thursday). I'm so glad I don't do that type of shopping. I think the last time I did the black Friday shopping was about the second or third year that it was started and labeled. I wish them luck, but their bottom line will not include my green stuff.....

Next week is the week we should all be thinking about what we are thankful for. Some it can be just to have a home or a job. Some have a long list and others have a short one. This year I am most thankful for Carl being here to celebrate another holiday season with me and that I am able to celebrate with Julie for the first time in about 15 years and the first time with her family. The smaller things I am thankful for are my health, talents and knowledge. I hope you all find at least one thing you can be thankful for during this season. There are so many people that this time of the year is the hardest for them to get through. Some are missing loved ones, others feel guilty they can't do more for friends and family, others don't feel they have anything to be thankful for.

Please remember to smile at the frazzled mother in the grocery line, let the 'idiot' get ahead of you on the road and excuse that rude person you just encountered. May we all remember to be polite and forgiving during this stressful time of year.

Until next time,

Happy Quilting, Sharon Permanent "Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2013

We're off to see the wizard!

Oops, I guess it's not the wizard we are going to see. ... Ella,  Maddi, Carl and I are on our way to the Harvest Craft Show in Portland, TN. My little helpers are amazing with set up, take down and everything in between.  Since the first show, Ella and Maddi know what to do and jump right in. I really enjoy having their help and company at these things.

Until next time,
Sharon

November!

Everybody on the social media arenas started a daily 'blessing' note. There are so many things that I am thankful for this year that I can't list all of them. The biggest blessing I have this year is that Carl is here with me. I have a plaque on my wall that says, "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all", which is so true.

As I am writing this I am watching 'Wagon Train' on MeTV. It is so cool because 2 actors on this episode we met at different western festivals. Ruta Lee and Robert Fuller. Robert Fuller has been at most of the western festivals that we have gone to over the years, but Ruta Lee we have only seen once. Both are great people to be around and very friendly. Ruta has the best smile and a great sense of humor. We just love being able to go to the western festivals to see our 'heroes'! You have to check out the 'friends' pictures on Ruta's site. The ones with James Stacy, Paul Petersen and Ruta on the 4th page were taken in Kanab, UT and Carl & I were standing right next to them when the picture was taken! Cool huh?

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving this year!

There's a new quilt in 'Quilting World' for your viewing pleasure.

Until next time,

Happy Quilting, Sharon
Permanent "Quilting the Kaye Wood Way"
Certified Instructor since 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick note on this, "Black Friday" to say I sure hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving! We had a very nice day and dinner at Coby's yesterday! Thank you, Addie for another fabulous thanksgiving dinner! I also have to mention that it was Kelly's birthday, too. She has decided that she is 29 (again), LOL! Love you, Kel!

Happy Quilting, Sharon
Permanent "Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2013

Happy Sunday!

Today we were challenged at church to write in a journal for future generations. I don't keep a journal, but that is why I started this blog. When I think of those that came before me in my family my first question is usually, "What did they do for a living?" I have a lot of family stories from my mother's side of the family, but little from my father's. We were always getting together with mom's family, but my dad only had 1 sister and we didn't have 'family dinners' with her and her family. The only time we really got together with them was when there was a funeral, wedding or graduation in the family. Not many stories were told about past members of the family during those times.

Sundays use to be one of the busiest days for mom and I when I was a teen. Sundays usually meant that family was coming over for "Sunday Dinner". From my memory banks "Sunday Dinner" meant either spagetti or roast beef on the table. I can't remember what else was a 'usual' meal. It was always chaos when the families would arrive. We had between 5-20 extra people in the house for that meal almost every Sunday. Sister, brothers, spouses and of course who could forget the 'kids', which were my nephews and nieces. I was the official babysitter after everybody arrived. Not every Sunday went smooth, but nobody killed anybody and I was always very thankful when the noise level returned to normal. I don't know how my mother managed to sleep in on those days with all the work she had to do to get ready for everybody. I guess it helped a lot when 'dinner' wasn't until 2 PM and she always had part of the dinner done the day before. She had making a huge meal down to a fine art I think. I remember one Sunday morning before everybody showed up asking her to teach me how she made spaghetti sauce. She said she was to busy, so after I was married the first time I learned how to do it by using the recipe on the back of the Muller's lasagna box. I still don't know how she managed to get her spaghetti sauce to taste so good. I do know that she used Ragu sauce as her base then added 'stuff' to it.... We never had garlic bread, but plain bread and butter with the bread being sliced Italian. The 'kids' sat at the kitchen table and the 'adults' sat at the dining room table. I guess I was 'adult' enough because I don't ever remember sitting in the kitchen. I can hear my sisters saying, 'That was because you were spoiled!'. Yep, they'd be right LOL! Then they'd have to admit that they helped! Of course there was all kinds of yelling back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room before everybody was quiet from stuffing their faces. Mom was always the last to sit down, but always managed to be the first one done. She would get the meal together and then all of us 'girls' had clean up duty. I remember one time we managed to talk the 'boys' into doing clean up. That didn't happen very often. Mostly the 'boys' sat in the living room watching the current ball game yelling at the TV, head shaking and feet stomping at the 'idiot' thing that was done.... I think it is an universal thing for 'boys' to yell at the TV during sports :).... Sometimes the 'adults' would sit around and play cards. If there weren't any 'kids' around for me to watch I usually sat around the table and listened to the stories. That was one of the best times for me. The 'bestest' time for me was when everybody left and there was peace and quiet in the house again.

By the time I graduated from high school all of the 'kids' were doing other things and there were fewer "Sunday Dinners" at grandma's. I don't know how many "Sunday Dinners" the rest of my brother and sisters have with their families now, but I know I have few. With my kids scattered all over the United States it's hard to have a family get together on a regular basis. That is why I started this blog, to pass down the stories and happening that my family doesn't hear at the 'Sunday Dinner' table.....


Happy Quilting, Sharon
"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way"
Certified Instructor since 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

My wish to all of you is to have a peaceful Thanksgiving this year. 

The memories that your friends and family will take with them though the years will not be your clean house or perfect meal, but the conversation and the love that is shared this day. In that way the day will always be perfect even if the rolls aren't cooked, or forgotten in the oven, or that the kids spilled milk all over the table. 

Take the time to enjoy each other and to make memories to share with future generations. 

For those that get my posts in the e-mail you can get to my "My Spiritual Side" and "Quilting World" through the links embedded in the words.

Happy Quilting, Sharon
"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way"
Certified Instructor since 2009

Happy Turkey Week!

Boy, I can't believe I haven't been here since the beginning of the month! I sure have been busy otherwise! 

First off we have rented a new place! It is twice the size of the place we are in and I shall have a single room just for my machines and 'stuff'! Yippee! This new place also has a pantry! Not very big, but much bigger than the one we don't have now :).... 4 bedrooms, an eat in kitchen, family room and living room with a 2 car garage.... We shall be in room heaven! 

The next thing I noticed was my visitor counter has gone haywire! I don't think that I have had 447587 visitors~~~~ I just had a giveaway for the 10,000 visitor... I think I just may need to correct that number. I wish I had that many visitors, but lets get real here..

I finally managed to get to the Temple site this weekend. Oh my! We have great progress so you must go on over to 'My Spiritual Side' and check it out.

I also set up at a craft fair this past Saturday. It was a nice day--a little cool, but not to much. I did a decent job of selling little things, towels and wine vests were the main sellers. I guess I need to get more of them up on Artfire and have on hand for other craft fairs. I won't be doing any more this year because of the move. I am going to have a hard enough time getting any extra gifts done as it is. As usual I am procrastinating....

Well, I am off to 'My Spiritual Side' for awhile. Thanks for visiting and come back often.

Happy Quilting, Sharon 
"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" 
Certified Instructor since 2009

Fun the past week or so~~~~

Lots has been going on since the last post. 

First I have to say congratulations to Lee and Tango for winning the 10,000 posts! I'm sorry I didn't get back on sooner to let you both know! I will notify you with through your links in case you don't come visit in the next couple of days!

Next, is a picture of my view when I am driving to our Goodyear office. I try to look at the mountains each morning because they tell me what type of complaints I will be getting from my patients during the day. As you can see it is pretty clear on this trip and the symptom complaints were minimal.

Now this picture tells a different story! We went out to supper tonight and this is what we walk out into when we left the restaurant. Not a pretty site that is for sure!

Only 2 of us in the Glendale office dressed up for Halloween. It wasn't planned that we both were cowgirls either!




On Saturday we went to see the Arizona Symphony with Kenny Rogers. Carl wins neat stuff from work every once in awhile and these tickets were the BEST! I have never heard a symphony live before and they were great! It amazed me watching the conductor the way he used his whole body to let the orchestra know just want he wanted from them. So cool!

Then Kenny Rogers came on stage....... He may be up there in years, but boy can he still sing the songs. Great performer and a great show.

While I am here posting I will go on over to the 'Spiritual Side' and post the last pics of the Temple that I took 2 weeks ago. I have to confess that I have not been up there since and I'm not sure if we will make it up there this weekend or not. Both Carl & I have felt the effects of the dust storm tonight. Grit in the mouth, sinus pressure, ear pressure, sneezing and of course the usual cough. The worst part of these storms is that it kicks up the fungi that causes Valley Fever. I don't want to get that, but you can't avoid it when this wind is carrying all of this dust. We'll just have to watch each other for the next few weeks for the usual flu symptoms and get to the doc. This stuff hangs on and you have to have a long course of antibiotics to take care of it. I think this is one of the down sides of living in the 'Valley of the Sun'.... 

I guess I could have been in NY snowed in this past weekend.... at least here I'm not cold.... LOL!

Until next time

Happy Quilting, Sharon
"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way"
Certified Instructor since 2009

New 'Toy' problems and solutions

Happy Black Friday!! 

Today was the first day that I have ventured out shopping on black Friday in years. BUT, I had to have stuff for my new 'Toy'!! I received the parts I needed to get it going again 2 days ago and I was still having problems..... so I went to Jo-Anns to get different needles~~~maybe that was it........ While I was up in the area I figured I might just as well go to Hobby Lobby, so I picked up the Side Winder for bobbin winding, maybe that was one of the problems...... Nope, nothing seemed to work, besides the tension the top thread kept shredding. It was like something was catching it. Sooooooo, I went hunting! This is what I found:

This is a drive shuttle spring. It sits around the outside of the bobbin. The area that is circled is suppose to have a little loop, but this one had a rough edge and kept catching the upper thread and shredding it. This is what happens to your tension when this little piece of metal is bad. 

This is the top

 This is underneath

This is what it looks like when you have a working drive shuttle spring.

This is the top

Yep, this is freehand. Not bad, huh?

This is the bottom

Yahoo! I am in business! Now I need to get busy and get my supplies out and get a real quilt loaded. This machine is going to be such a DREAM to quilt with!

Happy Quilting, Sharon 


"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2009

Craft Fair

Drats! I forgot to get a picture! I even remembered to take my camera, but never even got it out of the bag! Well, we had a great day! It was cool, not cold, not hot, just a beautiful Arizona day. I will have to remember to get pictures at the next show we do in December.

I am still waiting on parts for my new 'toy'....... It's a good thing I have my ''Challenge!" going on right now otherwise I would just about be crying 'cause I can't 'bond' with my new baby! I keep saying, just a few more day, just a few more days! Now that the craft fair is out of my hair I am going to get the Advent Calendars done then I can have the time to play with my new toy.

I have been thinking about what I want to do for my next "Challenge!". I do believe it is going to be at least in part getting papers cleaned up, pictures onto the computer and just sorting all of the 'goodies' I have kept over the years. One dear friend from church has sent me a home made birthday card for the past 10 years and I have saved every one. The sad part is nobody except me appreciates what that means to me. Once I am gone they will just be a birthday card someone sent to me and it will be tossed. I want to scan this type of stuff and put it on a thumb drive with an explanation. I also have old pictures and newspaper clippings I want to get scanned then I am going to pass the discs or thumb drives down to my grandkids. It will be my way of passing the family to them. I was lucky enough to have family around close, but now we are spread so far apart that it's hard to pass on stories.

Well, it has been a long day and I am going to hit the hay. See you all later, alligators!

Happy Quilting, Sharon
"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2009

"GO" cutter give away.....

I was not the lucky winner of this quilting gadget..... Oh well, I'll try again if it comes up!!

The weather has been great this past week or so. We are in the mid to high 70's during the day and going down in the 40's at night! This is why I live here!


Happy Quilting, Sharon

"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2009

"GO" cutter give away.....

I have been intrigued with the "Go" cutter. I have found a blog that is giving one away! So I just had to jump in with the other 400 plus quilters that would love to win a free "Go"!

Go on over and check it out!

http://lavenderridge.blogspot.com/

Happy Quilting, Sharon
"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2009

My new toy.....

Here is my new toy.....

Now, if I could only stop breaking things and get him to stop being temperamental, or maybe it's me being temperamental....

Happy Quilting, Sharon
"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2009

My new toy.....

Good evening blog surfers!!

Over the past 10 days or so I have found it hard to get on here and post about my "Challenge!" because I have been busy with my new 'buddy'. I have accomplished getting my 'buddy' level, oiled, leaders made, poles with velcro, bobbins wound, and a practice piece on. I was going to post a picture, but the only ones I have so far is my rotten tension issues. I have done everything I can think of to get my tension right and finally decided I needed some experts opinion. After posting on the Yahoo! group I went fishing through other posts..... I guess I should have tried that first. Tomorrow I will try what I read tonight and see what happens. Boy, will I be one happy camper if it works. So, for now, I think I'll put my fanny to bed so that I can be bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow to try it again....

Have a great night all!

Happy Quilting, Sharon

"Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2009