Fanciful Quilts

We arrived in Shreveport, Louisiana this morning. Vacation #2. Shreveport is where it began - the life of Riley & Sharon as one. We met here, eloped to Marshall, Texas on the 27th of July 1971, informed my parents that evening we had gotten married and 38 years later we are back. A few side notes before the story. First - eloping may seem very romantic and I suppose at that time it was. I have been a parent for many years now - and I can imagine what my parents went through that night. Second - Riley & I did renew our vows - in church - the full wedding bit - 25 years later. Dad got to walk a daughter down the aisle for the very first time. Third - I recommend number 2 all in all. A marriage is an event to be shared with family and friends. It's a celebration of love, commitment and proclaiming to the world - this is it. Coming back evokes quite a few feelings. One of which startles me - I remember so little. We took a drive to Barksdale Air Force Base. At the tender age of...

Today is the 24th of Christmas....better known as Christmas Eve....even better known as the day before Happy Birthday, Jesus. You know how you get a small little niggle in the back of your mind that just stays there quietly until it's time to be recognized? I know your answer is yes....so I will share my little niggle. For years, it would upset me when a simple "thanks" was not received in response to giving a gift. Horrifyingly (isn't that a lovely word!), it was just "upset" - it was full blown anger. Thoughts would ramble through my head that went something like this.... "what does it take to pick up the phone to say thank you...." or "for gosh sakes, all it takes is a piece of paper and pen and an envelope and stamp to simply write in block letters THANK YOU".... or..... on second thought, the 3rd rambling is to be kept private. I'm even ashamed of that particular rambling thought. Now on to the niggle. Why buy anyone anything? Wh...

Writers get writer's block....quilters sometimes face the same stumbling block. The inspiration isn't there - the motivation has fled - the sewing mchine is deadly quiet for the most part. This quilter not only has hit a stumbling block but dead on to a brick wall. No reasonable explanation. 75% of one pieced top is on the design wall and has been there for quite some time. Sashing to go between the blocks was ordered, delivered, washed and yet - not ironed. And still the 75% pieced top still remains on the design wall. No reasonable explanation. Every journey starts with one step - but what does one do when one doesn't feel like putting that foot in front of the other to continue on the journey? Perhaps every journey isn't meant to be finished within a specific timeframe. Ecclesiastes 3:1 advises "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven". For now, the pieced top will remain on the design wall until such time it...

While I sit here at Basics Cafe in Oshkosh WI (free wireless, folks!), I am wonder just why this trip to Oshkosh. Granted - this is where my parents live. Granted - they are now getting to the age where it makes sense to downsize from their large home to perhaps a condo in a senior citizens community. Granted - it's been awhile since I last visited for more than 2 days. Granted - sis is still on vacation until Monday and it made sense to drive up now. But still - what did I hope to accomplish? First - just a visit. The folks just aren't into the idea of flying....and driving is out of the question...not even as passengers. So - if the mountain won't come to....you get the idea. Second - still just a visit. Perhaps it is time to put the house on the market. Perhaps it is time to them both to live where life is more manageable. I don't know. I am not my parents. I don't know if I would resent either one of my children visiting with ulterior motives. Getting old - what...

Today is the 30th of August. Today marks our son's 29th birthday. Twenty nine years old. Married. They have one son, age 4. Twenty nine. It would be redundant at this point to write 29 one more time...or write 'how could that be'. I think it's pretty obvious I marvel at how quickly time passes. Yesterday, son & father and grandson took a walk around our old neighborhood. The neighborhood where we raised both our children. It was a good place .... parts of it not so good now. Time has a way of changing neighborhoods. This walk was a gift for hubby on Father's Day...a walk. I got glimpses of what it meant to Riley to walk with son & grandson and it warmed my heart tremendously. Good talks about what it meant to roam around the neighborhood wthout fear....good memories all in all. I do believe the walk was a present that will live in Riley's heart for ever. It got me to think about "best presents". I asked a group of friends what they thought to b...

Monday the 27th of July marked our 38th wedding anniversary. Thirty-Eight Years. Lots of changes in those 38 years - some of them good - some of them I used to wish for a do over. But if I'm to believe that God is really in charge, the changes were and still are for the best. We learn from change. Sometimes it's overnight. Sometimes it takes months. Sometimes it's a question I hope God will answer. My list of questions are getting shorter each day. Now that is a very good thing. On our anniversary, we opted to go to Red Lobster. Actually, I got to choose. Change didn't happen for the choosing of the restaurant (grin). It's a standard safe restaurant for me. However, that morning we did some major furniture rearranging in the bedroom and in the living room. Okay, so it's not earth shaking change - but a pleasant one just the same. What I really thought about most was the fact that we are not guaranteed anything. We're fortunate enough to have one grown child ...

On the 3rd of July, Riley, my sister Carol & I flew to Oshkosh, WI. Several hours later, we were joined by our daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter , son, daughter-in-law and grandson.... all to wish our parents a Happy 60 th Anniversary. Sixty years. Six decades. What can one possibly do to commemorate sixty years of marriage? The only thing we thought of was to make sure my parents got to meet their great grandkids from Ohio and that they did. Nothing beats a hug from a child. The world could be falling around me - and a hug from grand daughter or grand son and nothing else matters. It was a whirlwind trip - flew in Friday evening, flew back home on Sunday. No matter Riley, sis & I flew back on Monday, it was still a whirlwind trip. Learned much this weekend. It's wonderful to visit while staying at a hotel. It's better when the hotel has a pool and whirlpool and free breakfast. Not to say that parents aren't great hosts though. It's wonderful...

Another case of left knee swelling for Riley....which now makes episode #3. If one were to ask me why my thoughts about bilateral total knee replacements, I would have to think twice before giving an answer....and perhaps in a month or two, I could so do. Don't know what the answer would be...but lots of thought would have gone into it before speaking. Episode #1 left knee swelling - a trip to the hospital via ambulance and a very long wait in a well designed (she writes with sarcasm) ER room. Swelling decreased with elevation, ice & happy juice pain medication. Sent home shortly thereafter. Episode #2 left knee swelling - after a long weekend chess tournament. Elevation, ice & compression relieved swelling. Amazing what one can learn by visiting the ER for a bit. Episode #3 left knee swelling - today. Okay, I think right about now: enough is enough. The theory is this: adhesions & scar tissue is plaguing the left knee. Blood thinner is causing the adhesions & scar ...

On the 9th of July, my parents will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Imagine....sixty years. Riley & I will celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary on the 27th of July...and I think that's one long length of time (a good length of time, Riley - honest). I thought it would be a wonderful gift to my parents to bring our two kids & their family to WI to help celebrate their 60th....a tad early since we'd be coming in on the weekend of the 4th of July. I examined driving....500 miles in a 12 passenger van with 7 adults and 2 kids under the age of 5. Well, room for 12 did seem like a lot of room until you figure in car seats for the tykes. Scratch that. Thought about renting 2 mini vans and doing the caravan bit for 500 miles. I wonder why I felt tired just at the thought. Driving 500 miles on Friday....driving 500 miles back on Sunday. Scratch that. Flying. Yes, that's the way to go. No fuss, no muss. Fly in, rent a couple of cars to get around, snag 3 hotel ro...

As earlier written, Riley had both knees replaced on the 13th of May. He was home on the 22nd of May and all was well....until..... Friday, the 26th of May I came home after 5 hours away (womens' group studying a Beth Moore lesson @ church; a trip to the quilt store and to JoAnns) and the dear man's left knee was swollen. Mind you, not overly swollen. He couldn't get comfortable and within 45 minutes or less, the left knee now resembled an overripe cantaloupe and he was in a lot of pain. Horrors. Could get him down by elevator to the lobby (curses on living on the 6th floor of a high rise apartment - at least temporary curses) but he could go no further. A 911 call was made (thank you Deanne and Jason of our leasing office!) and within minutes, an ambulance was getting him on the gurney.Despair does not begin to describe my state of mind. Long story short - adhesions & scar tissue had torn away from the knee and while good for the knee to bend properly, it was c...

Today, dear husband Riley will be discharged from the hospital after having a bilateral knee replacement. The now-bionic man decided to have both knees replaced. Surgery took place on the 13th of May and today is the 22nd of May. A miracle, indeed, to be discharged this early. One of the items on the to-do list was to drive to the medical supply place and pick up a few items to make life easier. As I packed the shower bench and apparatus that fits over the toilet (is there a real word for that contraption???), I realized that we are no longer in the spring season of our lives. Just fact, nothing more. We have lots of adventures to still look forward to....including the vacation we didn't take in February of this year when Riley came home from Iraq earlier than expected. Oh yes, dear husband - it's in writing now so the vacation was merely postponed (smile). I so look forward to having him home once again. Never knew hospital visits could be tiring - though not so tiring as to t...

Whatever happened to the small stuff in life....such as expressing gratitude or thanks for receiving something....or opening the door for someone when they have both hands full....or saying something nice to someone in the elevator....or even electronically posting a 'I've missed you' ...... I am becoming more & more disenchanted with not seeing or hearing the small stuff in life. Ahhhh - but the story is not over yet!!! Today I took a long walk. First, to the post office. Now keep in mind, most trips to the post office takes an attitude of patience and kindness. Okay, maybe not for you but the post office I frequent may have very well been the basis for the phrase "going postal". So with the idea of 'what ever happened to the small stuff' in my head, I mentally geared myself for the trip across the street to the post office. Oh yes, that's a blessing in itself....we live across the street from the post office. I was greeted with "hey, there y...

Today our 4 yr old grandson had his tonsils removed. Mom & dad are doing fine....Grandparents are breathing easier and E (for Ethan - or so his parents say - I think it stands for 'excess' - as in an overabundance of energy!) is probably running around as if nothing had happened. Has to be youth. What a charmer this kid is... Dear husband took a few photos of E before the surgery. You'd never know what was awaiting this brave little man. He was given medicine to help calm .... I have got to get some of that stuff. That's the most laid back I have ever seen Ethan. Nope, there was the time we had finished my errands & he was in the car seat just moments away from dream land. Not exactly what I had envisioned. The nap was meant to be taken at home so I could join him in dreamland. But I digress. He sure was cute wearing that cloth elasticized cap the nurses wear in surgery. After much coffee and free wireless (surgical centers now have wireless - does that tell you...

Love this idea....absolutely love it! Okay - so you are anxiously awaiting what the idea is all about - but of course you are! I shamelessly took advantage of daughter's blog http://daharadreaming.com/blog/ that brought to my attention the gift that will encircle the world....or so I hope! The first three people who leave a comment on my blog will receive a wonderful gift - sometime this year. Simple enough? Ahhhh - but there is more! You must pass this gift on YOUR blog.... Without regret, I shall simply borrow the rules from daughter's blog - with a few unknown-to-you edits.... *The gift will be something I have made just for you - not something stored away to be brought out now *Package will be mailed sometime during this year *I'm one of those craft-it-all people - so who knows what the heck you'll get.... *Sure - you can regift it.....that's the neat thing about receiving a gift. It's YOUR gift *Yes, I will contact the first 3 people who leave a com...

Ever had moments when you wonder "what the heck am I doing with my time?" The photo is just the tip of the iceberg as to what has been filling my time lately. Pincushions. They're growing in number - daily. I don't know why. I finish one and the next one is started immediately. I'll watch episodes of Bones (am now up to Season 2 - gotta love Netflix) and by the time the credits roll after episode #2 on the DVD, I've completed another pincushion and am contemplating the next one. In the meantime, fabric that has been cut out for quilting blocks lay patiently on the cutting table. Sewing machine quietly sits on the table waiting for the chance to create the blocks. Latest quilting magazines lay untouched on the desk. So what could this possibly mean....and what in the world will I do with all these pincushions.... Be very wary of unsolicited packages that may come your way..... this is the year of the invading pincushions. Be.very.careful. In the meantime, I hop...

I love food. Okay - that's is not entirely true. I love desserts. I love cheeseburgers also. I look for the perfect dessert and the perfect cheeseburger. I've found many a perfect dessert but only once found the perfect cheeseburger. Alas, the ultimate in cheeseburgers are no longer to be found. They were served at the Diner on St Clair, Dayton Ohio - no longer in business. Darn. Now the perfect dessert? One made the list just a few days ago. The Killer Brownie made by the bakers at the Dorothy Lane Market, S. Main Street, Dayton Ohio. You will not believe this brownie. It's the ultimate in chocolate. It's the stuff chocolate dreams are made of. After one bite, I was in chocolate heaven. Obviously this is true since I ate darn near 3/4 of this delectable dessert before I stopped to photograph it. Rich, rich chocolate - with a layer of nuts - a layer of caramel - and heaven knows what else and then is dusted with confectioners' sugar. If I were gluten intolerant, I w...

This evening I had a strawberry sundae for dinner. You could say it was in celebration of spring. You might even venture the opinion it's foolish to have ice cream for dinner. I say it gave me pleasure to be out in this wonderful spring weather, knowing that it is only 14 days before my beloved Riley comes home to me. I saw a couple walk their dog to the ice cream stand....and several moments later, walked away with two ice cream cones and a bowl of ice cream. Now that's a blessed dog..... I saw a young mother & father with their young son. With grandparents watching, father and son boogied to the music over the speakers. Life is truly wonderful! Tomorrow I may very well have oreo cookies and coffee for lunch.... And in the meantime, I quilt. Angel45402

Yesterday was my 57th birthday. Fifty-seven. Twenty years ago I would have thought, that is really getting up there. Ten years ago I thought, sixty years old is just the beginning. Today I think, seventy years old is just the tip of the iceberg. It's all in one's perspective. This year's birthday - very, very sweet. Had the birthday lunch at Red Lobster on Sunday. Had birthday breakfast with sis - a trip to the local quilting store where I patted my beloved Kenmore 25+ yr old sewing machine goodbye for a couple of days (servicing and cleaning - its very first one ever) - picked up a "few" fat quarters (never mind how many - few is also relative) plus a 1/2 yard of Amy Butler's new prints (never mind why), a trip to the big ole Dorothy Lane Market south of town where I kept repeating "awesome" much to the dismay of those around me (you have got to see this place someday!), and finally a trip to Tim Hortons for sandwich, soup, coffee & timbits befo...

....this is a picture of love..... Today I celebrated my birthday a couple days early with the help of our son, grandson, daughter, son-in-law (aka Son #2), granddaughter and sister. We had lunch at Red Lobster - no doubt, because of my great fondness for seafood. Fifty-seventh birthday...and each year gets better and better. Darling husband knows my favorite dessert is carrot cake - and several years ago Red Lobster offered it. Alas, he didn't know they no longer have it on their menu....so the substitute sent home was this lovely cheesecake topped with strawberries. Birthdays are a wonderous event. One can either embrace it - or not. I love birthdays. It's a day of reflection . A day to be honored. A day to enjoy fully. So I take this time to list what I love.... * I love Jesus * I love my husband *I love my children and their spouses *I love the fact they have given us grandchildren *I love our grandchildren and love the idea of having more someday *I love carrot cake *I lov...

This is Tuesday's rose - the 27th of January. I admit it. I'm spoiled. A rose every Tuesday and with it brings a ray of sunshine even during the most frigid of days. Double digit temperatures - 6 inches of snow - and another inch or so of ice beneath the snow. It's been a lovely couple of days here in Dayton Ohio. I must remember these days come summer when I complain that it's so terribly hot. Here's a shot from our 6th floor apartment window.....Frigid? You bet. We don't often get days like these - but when we do, it's a beauty. Now imagine, going out to brush off the car - and finding underneath the snow about an inch of ice. Now imagine looking in the rental car (another story for another time) and finding no.scraper.anywhere. One hour later, 2 Blockbuster cards, one tiny whisk broom, one plastic dustpan and 1/8th of a tank of gas (had to get that defroster working), we were able to get into the car. Now THAT is determination. But there's beauty eve...

Time has a way of passing so very quickly without one realizing it. The rose continues to be delivered without fail every Tuesday and I'm reminded how very much I am loved. It occurred to me the other evening that life is a series of short stops. Sometimes we stay for awhile and we think - ahhhhhh - this is it. This is nice and life becomes comfortable. Comfortable turns into a yearning for something different and once again, we continue on the journey. And then there are those who no longer travel and life just is. It's nothing more, nothing less. We've all been there. We take each other for granted....we forget why God created us .... we forget to share our thoughts....we no longer dream out loud. This has nothing to do with how young or how old one is. Without dreams, life is empty and desolate. God has given each of us a very special gift - a talent if you will. Sometimes we discover it early. Sometimes we don't recognize it at all but others do. Sometimes we jus...

This one has to be my all-time favorites....of all the roses Riley has had delivered weekly, this is THE one. Perhaps it is the fact that we're getting closer and closer to our magic date of 23 Feb 09 when we will meet in the Atlanta airport and then fly out to Cancun. Perhaps it's just the sheer beauty of this flower. The deep red is in the inside of the petal - and the creamy barely pink color is on the outside of the petal. The rose itself didn't last more than a couple of days, but the beauty of it will be forever in my heart. A mazingly enough, when the rose unfolded - it was truly beautiful. For two days it showed its glory without a wilt in sight. I dreamt of this rose several nights ago....as if there was a significant meaning to this particular rose. When I woke up, Robert Burns poem came to mind. Mind you, I'm not one to read poetry until the wee hours of the morning...or even while having a cup of coffee midday. I do confess to having written many poems in m...

Ah but first - the rose. I have been remiss in not posting.... Many things to do, many things still not done, many things I probably will miss. Life goes on. Back to the rose. I do not how this happens, but each week the rose that is delivered is more beautiful than the week before. There's an analogy waiting to happen here, I can feel it. Yes - like being in love with the same wonderful man for 37 years. Each week it's better than the week before. It could be a word - or seeing his face on Skype - or getting an email from him that makes me laugh. And now the power of the vacation. My beloved is taking three weeks vacation from his job in Iraq. Three weeks! We shall meet in the Atlanta Airport. Shades of 'An Affair to Remember' (see it - you'll love it). From there, we will fly to Cancun, Mexico where we will be staying in a wonderful hotel for ten wonderful days. Having not been to this hotel before, I am building it up in my mind as a wonderful hotel. How could it...