His First Pillow

I made this pillow for my youngest grandson, who is fascinated by cars, trucks and anything that moves. It became his new favorite "car" the moment he laid eyes/hands on it. I found this fat quarter at a local quilt shop while looking for something else entirely. Within two feet of this very cute print I found a basket of softly shaded minky squares. A pillow was born in my eyes, one that would stand up to a toddler's love. After pre-shrinking these pieces it was a quick matter of trimming the trucks and stitching the square. A quick stuffing of polyfil and a whip stitch later, this pillow lay in this chair to wait for its new owner. My heart filled up when he hugged it the first time. He woke up this morning and brought it to the table. He brought it along on our car ride too. He better take it along home tonight so that he can share it with his crib buddies. After all, it is just the right size and a welcome addition to Lambie and Peter Rabbit!

Spring is coming....

It is sunny today and cold...I am typing at the dining room table just to the right of the slider to the deck so the sun is facing me.  Lilacs have buds and there is a tinge of green on the grass.  Oh in a few weeks it will be a wonder to go outside and find new things popping up every day.  I love seeing spring emerge.

Spring....Hurry Up!

Happy Friday everyone...it is amazing how much crud our sinuses can hold...so full and never seeming to empty.  This winter bug I have had for weeks and weeks off and on cannot leave soon enough.
It has been an interesting winter for all of us with our family concerns, crazy weather, temptations, events and silly sicknesses that seem to persist within our bodies. I am ready to throw open the doors and let the sunshine in. Spring cleaning and deep cuts to the clutter. I am so ready to feel better and get out to walk or ride my bike. Yes, spring will be welcome any time soon, sooner rather than later would be good too!

Mysteries....

Watching a good mystery is fun and some of the best are solved by women. I liked Nancy Drew as a girl. Nowadays I enjoy streaming Murder She Wrote episodes from Netflix. How fun to see the 80's clothes and wild hair while trying to stay one step ahead of Jessica Fletcher in solving the crime. How much more innocent these shows are than what we have available today. Less sex, violence and unnecessary foul language. Styles may change but a good story endures.

Weighing in at the Doctor!

If you have ever watched your weight, you cringe when the nurse directs you to stand on the scale before seeing the doctor. Like most women I am not happy with my body. This past week I have had miserable cold. I haven't exercised and have eaten anything that comforted me. My husband even cancelled our tickets for the symphony so that they wouldn't toss me out for my disruptive cough.

Getting to the point of all this as I justify what happened next, I hopped on the scale at the doctor's and watched as the scale registered a number that was six pounds more than what I saw at home last week. I was so floored I found myself making excuses to someone who really didn't care. You can imagine the inner dialogue I had with myself. It was not pretty.

Today, I braced myself and stepped on my scale and guess what! It was where it was last Friday. Moral of the story and a lesson to be learned is not to pay attention to that scale at the Doctor's Office!

My Favorite New Toy

This left-handed, ergonomic rotary cutter by Martelli is my favorite new toy

...I used it on my dinosaur quilt



My cutting is steady and in control

 

The blade retracts safely inside the handle and opens at the flick of the wrist onto the mat. Good tools make a difference a matter of just working on a project and enjoying myself.

Musing about fabric.

Last week I mentioned that I ran short of fabric for the border of the dinosaur quilt project I have been working on bit by bit. I measured the remaining two colors and decided to purchase more of those too in order to circumvent yet another trip to the quilt shop. All three batik prints were available. Whew.

I cut and sewed the remaining gold print. I was getting ready to press the quilt top when I noticed three small holes evenly spaced along the top of the fabric. my heart sank. Another trip to the quilt shop. Don't get me wrong, I like to visit the quilt shop but it can be tricky to get out of there alive without spending even more money than I planned.  I just went. Friday morning I drove over there with a firm resolve to leave with my billfold secured to my purse.  The clerk was mortified when I showed her the holes.  She had just asked me if I had used a needle that was too large only to eat her words when she looked closer.  No fabric is immune from flaws whether it is utility cloth or fine woolen.  This I learned in a prior career with the retail fabric industry. The owner concurred and I received my 7" of goldenrod batik.

I like to buy fabric at this local quilt shop; the owner is so kind and creative. I think I could spend the day there.  But for every hour I spend the more I see and the more I want to spend. Her shop is cozy, she is honest and helpful and buying locally helps her with her livelihood. Fortunately I made it out the door without spending but I am still thinking of all the possible projects I could do next time. The dinosaurs await so I best get back to the project. I will show pictures too.

Tonkas and Thomas

Today I “drove” a big yellow Tonka truck. I read about Grover being frightened by the Monster at the End of This Book. I watched Thomas the Train, read about Thomas the Train and played with Thomas the Train. Our 19-month old grandson is spending the night with us. He loves Thomas the Train and all cars, trucks and anything that can be moved.


Spending time with my grandchildren gives me insight into parenting that would have been great when I was a young mother. Sometimes I remember times my patience could have been better. Time is a great teacher. Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song called “One Little Heartbeat at a Time.” When I hear the words it reminds me how important being a mother is. We may be tired, we may wish we had other things to do but we make a difference in this world one little heartbeat at a time. Here is a link to this song; crank it up and let the words sink in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo0Buzfd770


Then play cars or dolls or read lots of books. Work is important but children are only little for a little while.

Are you a dreamer?

I received this wonderful quote from a friend a few days ago.

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
- Harriet Tubman

I found this a very reflective quote. I am on a journey of career transition. I am a life long day dreamer.  When it comes to following my dream I can't begin to tell you what that is. I am not complaining for this lack of knowing what I want to do with my life.  I have had many things that I have achieved and done well. I married my high school sweetheart and we raised a wonderful family.  I have worked many jobs but now I am at a crossroad of finding new work that I love.

Where will this fork in the road lead me? I like the wisdom of Harriet Tubman's quote and it reminds me of promises within scripture. As I travel this journey I am learning a lot about what I like. I have learned that I have a voice; one that I wish I had developed as a very young girl.  Regrets?  No I don't have regrets. My journey has made me who I am today.  As I decide where the journey takes me tomorrow, I'll use my experiences to guide me while allowing myself the luxury of dreaming.

A Super Sunday!

Today is Super Bowl Sunday and the house was lively.  The laughter and chatter did my heart good on a drab Sunday.  Did I watch the big game?  NO....I was in the kitchen stuffing manicotti and deciding which pan to bake ziti in!  While I cooked I watched the Murder She Wrote Marathon.  The guys were up long enough to fill their plates befoe disappearing quickly. 

I had the best of both worlds today!  Good food and the joy of spending time with my family. 

Tomorrow  I am going to the quilt shop!  My current project is a dinosaur quilt top for my seven year old grandson.  It is nearly finished but I didn't quite have enough for the extra borders.  The original size of the quilt was that of a throw but I decided it would be more fun if  the quilt covered his double bed.  The gals at the quilt shop helped me convert it to the size I wanted.  I just need a bit more.  Wish me luck at the store.  It would be a nuisance if they were out of the fabric! 

Pastor's Business Card

I saw this today and thought I would share it because it gave me a chuckle!

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.

Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote 'Revelation 3:20' on the back of it and stuck it in the door.
When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, 'Genesis 3:10.'

Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.' Genesis 3:10 reads, 'I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked.'

Keep smiling and have a wonderful day!