Auction Sale

...went to an auction sale yesterday. Sort of sad. The man who owned the house and all the "stuff" was there - it must be hard to see your lifetime of belongings sold to the highest bidder. I went because there were some handmade quilts sold. I didn't buy one - I really just wanted to see them. There were a few people there who seemed to appreciate the artistry of the quilts.

In this economy - with so many people unemployed and so many facing financial difficulty. there are still people with money to spend. One man spent several thousand dollars on coins - one woman spent several hun

dred on a couple of RJR items. A very distinguished gentleman paid $2,100 for a Colt Python...guess he really wanted it.

I did buy a stained glass mirror - just couldn't resist. It is beautiful and the price I paid is less than I would pay for the materials to make it.

Little Man is spending the night with us. We had so much fun playing outside - feeding the donkeys. He loves riding his "Harley". Are boys born with the need for speed? He loves pushing the turbo button to go fast. He also loves riding it down to the shop or somewhere - then deciding he doesn't want to ride it back.

Is spring here? Mid 80's today - felt more like summer.

Beginnings and Endings...

I'll never be much of a blogger - it's been a month since my last post!  Am I too busy, or just not disciplined enough to post frequent blogs?  Don't know.  I enjoy it when I do get here.  And I really enjoy a few other blogs.  One of my favorites is pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com.  Some people really can do it all!

March is sometimes hard for me.  I need to remind myself of the good "March things" - my dad's birthday is in March, two nephews were born in March, my brother got married in March, we plant early vegetables in March.  The hard memories:  my mom died in March, my 23 year old nephew, Dale died in March.  I have great memories of both of them - but they left too soon and I still miss them.

My life has been crazy busy lately.  And whose fault might that be?  So many things I love doing with my time - it is hard to choose.  The picture is a stained glass I made - I love Irises - they just look like Spring.  One of my pet peeves is hearing someone say, "I don't have time to do that".  Seems to me that we each have the same number of hours in each day.  Some things are necessary, but a large part of our time is spent on things we choose.  I guess we all know people who choose to do not much of anything.  Funny thing is - they're usually the ones who say they don't have time when asked to do something.  I've found that time has gotten much more precious as I get older.  None of us have an endless supply of time.  Enough of that!

Radishes are growing in the garden - broccoli, spinach carrots and cabbage are planted.  Gracie and Stormy (our miniature donkeys) are enjoying the warmer weather, Bo the Beagle is happy, Little Man rode his "Harley" this weekend and Grandsons One and Two were here!  Life is Good!

I Do Like a Challenge!

Why do you think I'm making this quilt?  I sometimes ask myself.  It is a bargello.

Squares are one inch - some smaller - some just a tiny bit larger.  Cut one inch strips of fabric - twenty different fabrics.  Sew the one inch strips together and then cut the sewn together strips into one inch strips and have fun arranging them and sewing them back together.  I do like a challenge - and this definitely qualifies as a challenge.  One more to check off my "bucket list" ...when it is finished.

My subconscious may be rebelling since I seem to have lost the pattern after starting the quilt.  My stubborn streak won out - I bought another pattern book!

I admit to being very competitive - just can't stand the thought of not knowing how to do something.

I love making quilts.I just have an aversion to ever making the same quilt pattern twice...so on to new and bigger projects. The new Janome Horizon sewing machine I got for Christmas sure makes it easier and so much more fun. I will be teaching a quilt class at Sew Together in February and March.  It's a great pattern...that I haven't done before so we will be learning together.  I really enjoy working part time at Sew Together - don't know if I enjoy teaching knitting or quilting more.  Our customers are wonderful and I've seen so many people that I haven't seen in years.

Little Man spent Sunday night with us.  His mommy says he always takes long naps the day after spending time with us.  He must be worn out from all that playing.  He is two years old and so full of energy and fun.

I cooked "dinner" for all of us Sunday.  Funny...it is dinner on Sunday but it's lunch the rest of the week.  Sitting around the table for a meal with family is one of my favorite things.

My biffle (best friend for life) who now lives in Georgia called tonight.  We talk quite often and usually for an hour or so at a time.  Some friends are just so much more than friends.  She works part time in a book store so we always have books and quilts to talk about.  She is reading a new book by Karen White - set in Georgia - I may have to read it.

Life is good.

Life is good.

Family Pizza Night

Pizza Night with sons, daughter in law and all three grandsons.  Pretty special.  It's about so much more than pizza!

I continue to be amazed and so pleased at how much our two teenage grandsons enjoy playing with Little Man, who is two.  They love spending time with him.  And of course, he loves the "big boys".  I think he was born with an extra dose of "boy".  He is just all boy all the time, but such a sweet, loving little boy full of hugs and kisses.

My biffle (best friend for life) in Georgia has a beautiful new granddaughter - three weeks old already.  We had a long chat this morning - she is loving having Mommy and baby living with her while the Daddy is away for work.  What a special time...

Kids finally went back to school today - two hour delay.  School has been cancelled all week because of snow.  There will be a make up day tomorrow (Saturday) - then NO school on Monday.  ???  This snow is not melting.

Family time - it's a good thing.

Grandsons, Granddog and Maybe Snow...

Our oldest grandson (14) and our youngest (2) are both sleeping at Nana's and Papa's house tonight. How special is that? The middle one was here with us for a while earlier tonight. Little Man just loves his big cousins and they dote on him.

The loft bed that Ken build for our younger son, Josh, had to be rescued from the attic this week.  Josh used it about 25 years ago;  Dale and Tristan used it a few years ago.  Now is is Little Man's turn.  He loves it - all his toys can live under the bed.  Of course he can't seep in it yet - it's way too high.  What fun to have the same bed his daddy had a few years ago.

Our two donkeys, Gracie and Stormy - both female - are two of Little Man's favorite things. He loves to feed them cookies. No, Stormy was not named after my brother who shares the same name. She was actually named Stormy when we got her. Little Man loves all things outdoors - the barn, the donkeys, the tractors and especially riding the Gator.

Much too cold today. Snow and ice in the forecast for tomorrow. I'm ready for spring!

We had another visitor for part of the day. Granddog Baxter spent the afternoon. He doesn't snore as much as Bodacious - our beagle.  He does beg for food quite a bit.

Snow or no snow?  School or no school?  Dale's last words before bed were, "Don't wake me if school is closed."  I always wanted to wake up early when school was closed so I could enjoy the whole day.

A really good day.

Bucket List

My Bucket List is a work in progress.  Things I really, really want to do.  Do you have a Bucket List?
Sometimes I think I really want to do something until the opportunity comes - then I begin to rethink it.  I guess it is more attractive to me when I think it is impossible!  Truth is - I love life - I am truly blessed.  Maybe I need to look at my Bucket List as more of a "Do I really want to do this?" list.  What could be better than a day like today?

I mailed the Tumbling Blocks quilt to beautiful baby Daniela in Georgia.  A quilt is a gift of much more than cloth, batting and thread.  It's a gift of time, creativity and love.  

I spent the afternoon teaching my Daughter in Law more about quilting.  We spent time together sewing - a very good thing.  Little Man took a nap in "his" room at Nana and Pop Pop's house.  Then he went to see the donkeys - Gracie and Stormy.  A very good day.

A woman I knew years ago came in the shop today.  She is the same - we had a great time of remembering.  She is a knitter.  It is good to remember who we are and who we were.

God is good.  Life is good.

 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:

   “I have loved you with an everlasting love; 

   I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Jeremiah 31:3