In the Nick of Time

 Yeah!  Finished block two of Helen Stubbings  "Twelve Days of Christmas" BOM just in the nick of time.  Block three comes out tomorrow, the 16th.  This one, "Two Turtle Doves," took me a lot longer to stitch, but I am pleased with how it turned out.

My goal is to finish each block in the month it comes out.  This month was cut pretty close as I am also trying to piece Gail Pan's "Wish You Well"  BOM, work on family history, yard work and other everyday activities.

Started sewing row two of "Wish You Well" and am loving the scrappy look. It is a little challenging to me as I'm really not a scrappy person.

I've also decided to get back to writing a little each day.  Several years ago, I took a writing class and we were encouraged to do "morning papers," just writing a few lines each day with no particular theme...writing whatever comes to mind.  To get me going, I've gone back to doing the "Word of the Day."  Each morning I click on "word generator" and whatever word pops up, that's what I write about.  Some days it is only a line or two and others a paragraph or more.  Who knows, maybe I'll even get back to my poetry.  When my mother was alive, we would challenge each other to write a poem and then share it.  I looked forward to those times and miss not having her here to share and push me to write.   

Well, time to get ready for my grandson's lacrosse game.  Such fun to be with family and see him play.  So proud of him and happy that he wants "Grandma" there.

It's a Toss Up

 Warm temperatures and bright blue skies certainly made the day a toss up for me.

Do I work in my yard or my sewing room?  My piecing and gardening are calling to me and there is nothing I enjoy more than being outside.

So I decided to work outside, trim my shrubs for an hour and then come inside to finish row one on my "Wish You Well" BOM.  As I have lymphedema in my arm due to cancer and removal of lymph nodes, an hour is about all I can do outside and then I have to take a break.

After exercising my arm, it was down to my sewing room.  Row one is now complete.  Yeah!~  

 I have decided not to add the squares with appliqued circles as suggested in the pattern because I have some small pieced squares from the projects I've taken the fabric from.  Am hoping that they will work to go around the top.  

Now off to do a little stitching on my "Twelve Days of Christmas" stitch along. 

Blocks one and two

Finally getting around to piecing Gail Pan's BOM "Wish You Well" stitcheries.  I've had them embroidered for awhile, but wasn't in the mood to sew them together until today.  Today, was the day!

The fabrics I am using are from a project I started a few years ago, but then decided I didn't want to do it.  So when I saw this BOM was done scrappy, thought it would be a great way to use up some of the fabrics.  Will still have much of the fabric left as the cut pieces are not that big.   

Maybe once this project is completed, I'll find a way to use the bocks that were sewn for the other project.  Hate to waste them and all the work that went into piecing and stitching the blocks.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get a few more blocks put together in the coming days.

Bride's Diary

 Ran across this while cleaning out some files and it brought a smile and chuckle to me.  So, thought I'd share it.

Bride’s Diary

Dear Diary:

Monday:  Now home from honeymoon and settled in our new home.  It is so much fun to cook for Hank.  Today, I made an angel food cake and the recipe said, “Beat the 12 eggs separately.  Well, I didn’t have enough bowls to do that so I had to borrow quite a few to have enough bowls but I got the eggs beat and the cake turned out fine.

Tuesday:  Hank wanted fruit salad for supper.  The recipe said, “Serve the salad without dressing.”  I didn’t dress.  Hank happened to bring our neighbor for supper that night and did they ever look startled when I served salad.

Wednesday:  I have decided to serve rice and found a recipe which said, “Wash thoroughly before service the rice.”  So I heated some water and took a bath before steaming the rice.  Seemed kinda silly in the middle of the week and I can’t see that it improved the flavor any.

Thursday:  Today Hank asked for a salad again.  I tried a new recipe.  It said, “Prepare ingredients, then toss on a bed of lettuce for one hour.”  I hunted all over the neighborhood for a bed of lettuce and finally found one in a neighbor’s garden.  So I tossed the salad on the bed of lettuce and stood there watching to make sure the dog wouldn’t take it.  Hank came home and asked if I felt all right.  I can’t imagine why.

Friday:  Today I found an easy recipe for cookies.  It said, ‘Put all ingredients into a bowl and beat it.  So I did that and beat it over to my neighbors.  There must have been something wrong with the recipe because when I came back home again, it looked just the same as it looked when I left.

Saturday:  Hank went out in the yard this morning and brought in a chicken.  He asked me to dress it for Sunday.  I didn’t know just how, but I found a doll dress and some little shoes and I thought the chicken looked real cute.  I wondered why Hank counted to ten when he saw it.

Sunday:  Today Hank’s folks came over for dinner.  I wanted a roast but all I had was hamburger.  So I put it in the oven and set the controls for roast.  It still came out hamburger.  Must be something wrong with the controls.

Monday:  I was going to bake bread today.  This recipe said” mix well and knead well then stand in warm place until double in bulk.”   Well if I have to double in bulk, I just won’t bake bread.  Good night!

Tuesday:  I don’t know why Hank was so surprised when he came home today and found me painting the bathroom.  He asked me why I had my coat on in the middle of July.  I told him the instructions on the can said, “For best results, put on two coats.”

Dear Diary:  This has been an exciting week.  I am eager for tomorrow to come so I can try more new recipes.

 

It's Been Awhile

 Goodness, but its been a long time since I posted anything here.  I remember a few years ago how everyone was posting almost daily.  Sadly, don't see many posts anymore.  Guess other social media sites have taken over.

It's hard to believe that the first quarter of the year is drawing to a close.  What has been going on in my life?

In January My large Maple tree was removed.  The September 100 mile wind storm took a toll.  It has been damaged before with our East winds, but this time was just too much for me and it.  These winds cause me great anxiety and when my neighbor called the morning after and said limbs from my tree were covering and blocking the street I knew it was time to take it down.'

January came and so did the "Singing Arborist" and his crew.  It was amazing to see them climb the tree and take it down, plus they also worked on my Ash tree in back that had been damaged when my neighbors Aspen tree fell on it.

It gave me such peace having it taken down.  The large trunk and limb were "planked" and when they dry, in a couple of years, Mark will make me a coffee table as a remembrance.

Hoping that the winds had calmed down didn't last.  The later part of January came with more wind and this time my neighbors trampoline ended up in my yard.  Thankfully, the tree in front had been removed the week before.  How the tramp missed my house and garage, I don't know.  Part of it hooked over the fence that separated my yard and another neighbors.  Think it kept it from sailing on in the wind. Thankfully no damage to my yard this time.

Stump has now been ground out and I have tons of mulch to spread around.  We will need to do some lawn repair when the kids have time to help me.

Have been doing a little stitching.  Just finished the last block for Gail Pan's "Wish You Well" block of the month.  Now to trim and start assembling the blocks.  Also finished block on of Helen Stubbings "12 Days of Christmas".  I am doing mine in redwork.

And, I have row one completed of "Brings Me Flowers" BOM from Gail Pan.  April should be available for stitching in the next day or so.

It's so relaxing to work on these projects.  Just hope I can keep up now that Spring is here and yard work is calling to me.

Become/Becoming

 

Today as I was listening to Inklings Institute something was mentioned that caused me to take a minute and reflect upon choosing a “Word” for 2021.  The word impression that came into my mind was “Become/Becoming”.  Actually, I guess that is two words.  But to me, they go hand in hand and so I will consider them one word.

I was amazed how quickly thoughts and goals came into my mind that would help me to become stronger, more self-assured, and a more spiritual and Christ-like person. I hurried to write them down.  I believe some of these goals will change over the year, becoming more deeply ingrained as I progress.  New ones may be added, and some may be eliminated or reworded, but at least I have a starting point in my desire to become the person Heavenly Father has always wanted me to be or knows that I am.

I hoped to become Well-Versed, experienced or skilled; more knowledgeable as I focus on Becoming in 2021.

Finished!

Several years ago after completing my cancer treatments, I thought it would be great to make a "cancer quilt" as a symbol of my struggles, challenges and successes. So, I purchased pink and brown fabric and planned on making a Log Cabin quilt design.  The center block would be the "cancer ribbon."

A few blocks were made and then for one reason or another, they were set aside.

  

Off and on through the years I would pull out the blocks and fabric, look at them, and put them away.  Finally, I decided I didn't want to make a large quilt but also didn't want to waste the fabric I had purchased.

Then I found "Remembrances" by Jo Morton and since I love the Churn Dash pattern thought I'd make her "Peppermint Twist" quilt.  I made several blocks and then like the Log Cabin blocks they got stored away.

Recently while sorting through my unfinished projects, I came upon them once again and decided it was time to do something or get ride of the fabric.  But I no longer wanted anything big, so I sewed a few blocks to those already completed and made this small table topper.  I didn't separate the blocks, just sewed them all together.

It's not my favorite combination of fabrics anymore, but at least it is finished!