Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Bridgeton Covered Bridge today....

We ran by the Bridgeton Covered Bridge in Parke County this evening...Roger has went fishing this morning...he and a former boss met there and waded the creek. He could not wait to take me there.
The above is a normal summer scene...there are always pretty flowers planted.
And here we have the bridge and the dam.....notice no water coming OVER the dam....this is the first time we have ever seen it like this. I don't know if it has happened before and we just never caught it or if this is an actual first time...

Also, notice the bridge is repaired...go HERE to see what it looked like back the first of June after a tornado passed through there.
We both threw a line in the water a few times...Roger caught this small one this evening...I didn't catch anything here but had a couple hits....we went on to Mansfield where I caught one tiny Pumpkinseed bluegill...

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Drive-bys

I have seen these barns 3 or 4 times, and I am never prepared to get a good photo. They are just there and gone too quick. I have no idea what the top one is used for...I think every time we have passed it, it has had cars in the parking lot.
The bottom one has the sign about Ring of Fire, the music of Johnny Cash...what that means I do not know. Maybe it features someone playing his music...that is my first thought.
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It has been a beautiful day here...low humidity and mid 80's for temps. We are going to have one more day of it and then back to the 90's.

I hung out two loads of clothes, I put the second load on before I brought the first one up to hang out. By the time I hung the second one out, the t-shirts in the first load were almost bone dry...except for where the clothespin held them on the line and they are the sleeveless that has that ribbing around the armholes...they were not quite dry.

I am enjoying sitting outside and reading....just so lovely these past few days. I hope after this next days of 90 degrees that they are the last of the year. I am really, really looking forward to fall and hope it is a long one. But if we don't get some rain, I am afraid it will be here and gone before we really get to enjoy it.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Yardage

I took photos of the new fabric I picked up in Shipshewana...thought I would show it on here. I have at least one blogger friend that will probably enjoy seeing it.
The two above are half yard pieces and the red doesn't show true on this computer...it is more of an orangy red. So if that is what yours shows, it is showing it more true to color. Reds with a hint of orange is hard to find and I always buy a piece if I find one. This one happens to be a Christmas fabric but I did not notice that...and will ignore it when I use it. The orange...well, I use a lot of brights in kids quilts and would love to someday make an orange quilt like THIS one. The only thing is I can never hold on to orange fabrics...
The one above is a Kaffe Fassett fabric...and I LOVE it...I don't love very many of his designs, but then there are the ones that are just fabulous in my opinion. I use a lot of yellows in my quilts, but going to be hard to use this one. I just like to look at it.
The three above were from Little Bit of Lolly's...the others are all from Lolly's fabric. Both are in Shipshewana...the ones above are on sale...the two outside ones I got because I always need lights. And the other is a bright that will look good in a child's quilt. Quilters have a tendency to buy mediums and darks...they are the ones that are irresistible...the ones you just can't stop yourself from buying. But I have been trying to make myself buy a few lights along. That is one reason I use yellows in my quilts...yellow will brighten an otherwise drab quilt.
The two above are batiks....batiks are not printed...they really don't have a right side and a wrong side. They are stamped with a resist and then dyed. The resist blocks the dye from taking in the part that it covers. Sometimes the resist is then removed and it is dyed again...giving us a range of colors. I am building a huge selection of them...I find them hard to cut...
And the two above also came from Little Bit of Lolly's...they are Civil War reproduction fabrics...I have a good collection of those. Roger wants a quilt from them so that is one that is on my list of 'to do' quilts in the future.
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Every time I get in my fabric, I think of my mom...I don't think she was ever in a real quilt store. And she would have thought me foolish to spend the money I do on fabric. I bet there was never a year went by that she didn't make at least 4 or 5 quilts and probably more some years...with at least a couple being quilted by hand. She tied some quilts, and gave a lot of those away as gifts.

She had boxes of scraps...and I remember us hunting for scraps of a fabric...just to have enough to do blocks with. Sometimes it was hard to come up with enough of one fabric to do a block...but it was fun to stir around in the scraps and try. She never even thought about trying to get things on the straight of grain...there was just no way.

And she would cut her pattern from a piece of cardboard...the kind like cereal boxes are made of..of the back of a composition book. And she would just hold it and 3 or 4 layers of her fabric and cut around it with scissors...This is one of her quilts....as I told in that post, I do not know where she got all the red fabric. She made another quilt with that red fabric and it was just one big lone star. My brother Neal has that quilt I think...I know he was always meant to have it. If he does, he should take a photo of it...anyway, just saying that any time I am messing with fabric I think of mom.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Home again

I could use a trip through the strip pits just to ease my mind...not that anything is bad wrong. Just sort of have frayed nerves.
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We headed to Sarah's house Thursday morn...she was taking a pediatric first aid class because she is going to start babysitting for a few kids. The class was Thursday and Friday nights starting at 6:00 and ending at 10:00 pm, and her hubby had to work both nights so our babysitting services were requested. It was a hard job but we were up to it....LOL

We stayed till this evening...not sure just what time we got in but well before dark. I got a few little things done, sent Sarah a text that we had made it home okay, had to balance the checkbook...I don't think many people do that any more but I just do not trust myself enough not to do it.

About the time I got done with chores and started to catch up with my blog friends, Roger lost this little spring of something he was working on. He was sitting in front of the computer while doing it, and let me tell you we looked and looked and looked. Spent over an hour...I even got the vacuum out and put a knee high hose over the end of it and started vacuuming. Nothing.

Roger looked on every surface around, and I did, too. I looked behind the monitor, and on the bottom shelf and looked at the printer, but didn't think a spring could get under it. I honestly thought about having Roger lift it up, but thought no, no use. So I finally decided to quit and take a break from it..and he looked behind the printer and there it was! What Fun for a Saturday Night!
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I think I am going to have to invest in a router for Sarah's house...so I can take my own computer to be able to blog some. I have time at night, although I might be too tired to do much. But I could at least visit a few blogs.

For some reason, any time I visit this blog on her computer, it freezes up. Totally freezes. I can sit there for an hour and still not be able to do anything. I got the bright idea to visit some other blogs via their comments in my email. Up until now, I could visit a few blogs from there with no problems...now I cannot even visit any if I have a minute. It freezes up for other people's blogs, also.

We have no idea what else to try....and I am so tired right at this moment I cannot even think of what we have tried so far. I know we have tried different browsers. It is just so frustrating.




Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Rain + sewing = FUN

It was a beautiful day today...till a bit ago. It clouded up, and has started to rain. Liquid beauty. I think we need it...some of the creeks around here are so low...low enough to walk across without getting your feet wet.
The Bubbie got me up early....even after playing with him last night. I got up, got my shower; Roger was up before I was done. I fixed a bit of breakfast, spent a little time checking out some of the blogs, doing email, then headed to the basement. Above you will see some of my rulers...they are thick acrylic rulers for cutting against with a rotary cutter which is laying below my scissors in the photo below.
I first repaired a shirt of Rogers...one he had only worn a few times till a seam pulled loose. Up in the shoulder seam. Well, it is dark green and black flannel...I have tried numerous times to see to take the stitches out. Finally, I just stuck the raw edge back under and sewed it enough to hold it in place a bit...then I used some fusible web, got a scrap piece of dark fabric and fused over the seam and sewed it down. That stitching is noticeable, but not bad...and for everyday, who cares.
Next I started fiddling with these crumb blocks again...it is time consuming but satisfying at the same time...I use up scraps that I would not use up for anything else. And when I am done, I will have enough for some kind of quilt...
I had a couple of the ones above started so finished them, came up and we fixed lunch. Then I have been back down there sewing and made two more. Decided I wanted some fresh pictures so came up to get the camera and noticed that the rain had actually started.
I forget how many of the blocks are here...I have just been messing with them in odd moments here and there. When I want to sew a line but don't feel like really getting into a big project. Or when I am too tired to think. These are almost foolproof....

I think I am headed down in a minute to get the binding made for my older daughter's quilt...I have not started the quilting of it yet but thinking after this next weekend that I will get started on it...I want to do it when I haven't got anything planned that is going to take me away from it for days at time...and I love having the binding already made when I finish quilting...that way I can get right on to one of my favorite parts.

Some people hate doing the binding, but I love it. I really pretty much like everything about quilting except the pin basting the layers together. And even with it, I don't mind smaller quilts too bad.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Clinton County Courthouse, Frankfort, Indiana

I have been meaning to post these photos of the Clinton County Courthouse....it is located in Frankfort, Indiana and was built in 1882-1884 and was designed by George W. Bunting. I would say job well done!
I only managed to capture a couple of details as we passed through. At least we were going slow.
It makes me want to go back and be there after business hours and to have time to walk around and take more photos. This courthouse is another beauty.
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On the home front, we have been quite busy....doing a job or two that needed to be done here at home. Roger replaced a toilet...nothing was broken or anything like that...we just wanted one of the tall ones. Our bathroom is quite small so talk about a job! It is so hard to work when you don't have room. I am so thankful that he can do about anything. I kind of wanted to do it now before we got any older...I knew someday we would probably really want/require one. So just decided to do it while we had the time and was able.

And today I have hung three loads of laundry out and have most of it put away. Just have to bring in the towels and fold and put them way. I feel like I have run a race the number of times I have been up and down the steps. The first load went off balance two or three times before it was finished...I had rinsed it twice and cannot remember if it stopped on the last cycle or not.

Bubbie has been in high form...we are going to have to get out a toy or I am going to have to take time to play hide and seek with him after while. He has been after me off and on all day...tackling my sandals, nipping me, reaching to grab me as I pass....and he just has a look that you know he is wanting to get into something but he is so rough the other cats don't like to play with him. So it is left to us to entertain him sometimes.

Also, I have really avoided feeding hummingbirds because of the cats, but I keep seeing them looking till they almost make me feel guilty. I guess I could rig one up high enough till the cats could not jump and get them. But the season is about over so might wait until next year.

That is it from my corner of the world...I need to go get those towels in and then I might settle down and either read or sew....


Saturday, August 20, 2011

View from the strip pits...


I took a chance and ran out to the strip pits this evening...I really left it too late to go. By the time I got out there the sun was low behind clouds and the lighting was low. However, my trusted Rav4 and I crawled along at a snail's pace, trying to see something of interest. A car met us not long after we entered the area, and whether due to them, or due to my timing I did not see much at all. Not much was moving...not even birds.

There are areas out there that are bigger than your average mud puddle, but cannot be classified as a pond. They are almost completely dry, so nothing moving in them.

The one above is definitely a strip pit, but I don't think it is too deep because I see moss over a big portion of it if looking from the right angle.

When I got to this view point, I had to take a picture...it was trying to work up to a storm and had that weird cast of light. There was lightning in the distance, and if I had not left my sewing machine plugged in, as well as my netbook....I would probably have stayed out there a while. I have always wanted to be out there during a storm.

Anyway, click on the picture above...it will get bigger and it is such a peaceful view to look at.
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Roger spent a big portion of the day spreading some gravel we had delivered the other day. I had some laundry on the line, which I always throw in the dryer for just a few minutes. In that was a pair of old work shorts of Rogers that had a pocket with a hole in it. I spent time replacing it this afternoon...I had replaced the other one a year or so ago.

I am not quite sure how much sense that made...they are CHEAP shorts from Walmart...so not worth much considering their age. But we fooled around and waited too long to buy any new ones for him...his size was no longer available when we began looking a while back.

This, and some comments a friend made about buying candles and house decorations led me to think about how each of us are. I very seldom buy house decorations...the kind for the individual seasons....with the exception of Christmas. I like the others...I do not know why I don't buy for them. I love walking into her house and seeing what she has set out. It gives a home such a welcoming feel.

I have bought my share of candles...and still buy a few along. I love candles....always have and always will. I don't feel guilty about it.

I don't know if any other women do this, but I used to feel guilty for spending money for things I wanted...and even some things I needed. I have no idea why I was that way. I can remember buying a can opener and feeling guilty and knowing how stupid I was. That was when I was very young and first married.

And no, the guilt didn't develop after I was married, it was there before. A lot of women have tons of clothes and shoes....I have never been one for that. I like to have a few things I like real well, and as long as I have three or four pair of jeans and maybe a pair of khakis, I am good to go. Now, if I didn't have a problem with one of my feet, I might have a garage full of shoes by now....cause I always did love shoes and purses.

I no longer feel guilty spending money on things I want...well, not much anyway. If I feel guilty about anything, it is the amount of fabric I have. But I don't feel guilty for long.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Phone house--I think

We saw several little buildings...different styles...while driving in the Amish country around Shipshewana. I even saw one that was a log cabin, not quite as big square as this one is wide. I felt like there would barely have been room to stand in it.
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The toot is asleep right now...she didn't want to go to bed. Her mom ran to meet a friend she hasn't seen in ages. Lorelei did not want to go night-night at all...so I let her stay up a little late. We turned the lights down low and watch Max and Ruby. On there, they were telling the moon good-night.

So, we sat about 20 minutes, then she went and found her Papaw and sat with him a few minutes more. Next we went to tell the moon good-night but there was no moon. However, there were stars, so we told them good-night and she came in and went to bed. I had to stand and rub her back a few minutes which put her right to sleep.
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Her mom wanted to go eat Chinese, which is about 12-14 miles away...plus drove on to the south end of Terre Haute. Lorelei did not stop jabbering the whole time. Part of the time she carried on a conversation with her Papaw...part of the time she was singing...and part of the time it was just jabbering. She would yell for me and yell for her mom...and we had to answer. She preferred if we answered in a different voice each time. She counted, she said her abc's, she sang....she held us hostage with nothing but her voice.

Last time we were over at her house, we had been to Walmart and came in and set stuff on the counter. I was standing at the end of it, and Sarah was putting things away. Here came Lorelei and patted me on the bottom and said 'Mama's butt!' Then she bent over and wiggled her little bottom and patted it and said 'Lorelei's butt!'...by then Sarah and I are cracking up, but she stood up and went and patted her mom's bottom and said 'Mommy's butt!' We have no idea how she came up with that and she has not done it again.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Can you identify this?

I think this might be some kind plant grown for birdseed, but the way I have started seeing it around the edge of fields I am not so sure now. It has had several of those little yellow flowers...the plant is about 5 ft. tall. Those little green pods turn the brownish-black color and are just packed full of little black seeds.
The plants have fuzzy, heart shaped leaves..
oh, and here is the seed pot....I keep wondering if I should make an effort to cut off the seed pods and catch all the seed and burn them or something. I can just imagine getting something started that I might regret.
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The toot and her mom are supposed to come tomorrow evening and may stay two nights. That is the last I heard. We are anxious to see her...I miss them living close by but am so thankful that they do live within day trip range.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Wildlife up north

One evening while we were up at Shipshewana, we took off in search of a little wildlife. We found the Pigeon River Fish and Wildlife Area...we were not disappointed. First we saw the geese near this bridge. It was the perfect place to fish and of all times, we did not have our fishing gear with us. It was late and lots of shadows...so this was the best shot of one of the geese. While there we heard sandhill cranes but could not see any.
We left there and not sure which came first without going and looking at the number of the image...but at one point looked down the dirt road and there were the turkeys and their babies. I don't know if it is two moms and their children, or one mom and her friend and children. If you look close there are ten of the babies...there are three in one blob right in the middle.
Then we came out and saw a couple of the cranes...I don't know how many shots I took and not one is decent. I have fooled with this one to try to make it more presentable but did not do very good.
That is all I got to photograph, but we also seen rabbits, deer and their fawns. And that was just in one short drive.

We hope to go back another year and actually do some fishing....

Monday, August 15, 2011

Blue Horse

This is not my image...it is one I found on the net.....
It is that time of year again....a time when kids return to school. Seems like it gets earlier every year. Every year I think back to my own childhood and remember Blue Horse Notebooks and loose leaf paper. Does any one else remember them? I don't know that there was anything special about them...just that they were what was available. I think we got points to redeem for things, but don't actually ever remember getting anything with them. I know I had at least one 3-ring binder that had that blue horse on the inside cover...it was the hard canvas type. And it had the little clip at the top of the front cover on the inside to hold your pencil....I was describing it to Roger and he had forgotten all about it.
When we were kids, there was not near the variety of things that is available now...we were lucky to get basic pencils and paper. I don't know what happened one year...I don't know if mom had a hard time getting to town or what, but when I was in second grade, I don't know how many days I had to borrow paper, and I think I got it all from one girl. I always think of her and how kind that she never got mean about it.
And when we were in the younger grades, I can remember all of us having our lessons returned to us, and we all used the back side of them and did another lesson on them. It wasn't just me, but I think most of us. We were 'green' before that was the in-thing to be.

I remember standing and almost drooling over pencils and paper back then, and after I got older every now and then mom would let me splurge on a sketch book...and I am not an artist. Don't have that gift at all as far as drawing and sketching...but I still liked to try.

And does anyone remember that back in our day, there used to be binders which held the paper at the top. And you could actually buy paper that had the holes at the top. The front cover flipped over to the back...and it was not rings that held the paper but plastic posts. And they had a little compartment to put a pencil or two. You raised the 'lid' to put the paper on the posts, or to get to your pencil.

I can still spend hours looking at these things...you don't want to take me to Staples or Office Max! For me, they hold untold treasures. I can never leave without buying some little something...even if it is just pens. But you can bet I want to spend more, though, just I don't have the excuse to get it. And in addition to the pens, paper, notebooks etc...there is also computer stuff to be picked up and looked at and read about...

Saturday, August 13, 2011

From Northern Indiana

We got up to beautiful weather Monday, and Roger knew I would want to get out a little with the camera. Where to go was the question of the day though. I got on line and started checking weather...I cannot even remember why now. I think to see what the days ahead would hold if we didn't go Monday. I happened to check out Shipshewana and the weather sounded perfect.

It was too late in the day to head out then....well not really. But had a lot to do and did need tires on the Rav4...so, even though they could have waited, we felt better getting them on. And had errands to do in Terre Haute. So got all that done Monday, oh, and I had to make that couple jars of juice before we left...didn't want to waste the tomatoes.
Anyway, that is where I have been...the photo above is from out in the country near Shipshewana...look at that sky. The whole time we were there, we had beautiful skies like that. And the temps did not get above 80º while there...at least I don't think they did. I did not suffer with heat at all.
On the way there we went through Nappanee, Indiana...another Amish community. We saw these quilt blocks on the side of a building...I took them through Roger's window...he tried to stop long enough for me to get a good one, but people were turning right behind us so just had to be satisfied with what I got.

I love murals...and thought this was a wonderful one, but could not get a better shot. We actually tried to get in a better place, but it was just too busy, too many parked cars, too much traffic, AND they were working on the road going through town so that made it that much worse.
We wanted to go to the flea market at Shipshewana...I wanted to get a couple throw rugs there. But next time we go, we don't want to even go to it. It wasn't overly crowded and the weather was perfect, but just don't want to spend time there. I did go to Lolly's Fabric Store and to her Little Bit of Lolly's in the basement...and will definitely go there again...but there is other stuff I want to do.
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Right now I have tomatoes on to make juice with, and have clothes on the line. When I get the tomatoes done, I definitely need to mop....and just so many things calling to me. I want to visit blogs...

Oh, and that is another thing...the first evening we got to our hotel, I was able to blog a little bit. Even left a comment or two before we got out again. I thought that was great, that I had a great wi-fi connection. Instead, it became harder and harder to do stuff. I think I did a bit more that night, such as uploaded pics for two or three days on my other blog, but after that I could not upload any photos, nor leave any comment on anyone's blog.

So, I will try to catch up with everyone over the next day or two. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

They just kept coming...

Last week when Sarah and Lorelei spent a couple nights, we ran through the strip pits...first we saw what we thought were a couple hen pheasants, but on second thought for me, I am wondering if they were half grown pheasants. I didn't get a chance to take any photos, they were just there and gone. We went on a mile or two farther and saw this female and a young one crossing the road ahead of us...I took the above photo through the windshield.
We were paused and oops, there came another one!
Oh, and here are a couple more! I was out of the Rav for the last two shots, but they are still nothing to brag about. Yet I am happy to even have gotten them. This is the first time we have seen young pheasants out there...I suppose they are called chicks but don't know for sure.
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I canned a couple more jars of tomato juice last night...brings my total to eight. I am having a hard time not opening a jar....just so hard. But I know I crave it so bad in the winter and the stuff you buy just does not do the trick for me. Maybe because they are processed a little too much and made from concentrate. I guess I should be thankful I am the only one that likes it.

I also got the quilt sandwich made using the quilt top I showed two or three days back. Getting everything stretched out on top of each other and then doing all that pinning is the part I don't like to do in quilting. There is no easy way to do it at my house--I have to get down in the floor on hands and knees and then when it comes to the actual pin basting, I am on elbows and knees...I pin about every 5 or 6 inches....sometimes a little closer....talk about getting stiff.

Normally, I take a break or two with a quilt that big, but there was a show on TV I wanted to see so I pinned for almost two (2!!!!) hours straight and just barely got done in time. By the time I finished, I felt like head was right down between my shoulders....and have had a stiff neck since. But it is done and I enjoy the quilting by machine. I think I am doing diagonal lines through the blocks with the red, and then something else in the blocks that are made of tans....some kind of free-motion work.

I do my quilting on a regular sewing machine...well, it is a Juki and has a little more space to the right of the needle than most. Most people think quilting on a sewing machine is easy until they try it. It is harder than it looks, specially when it comes to a big quilt.But I am going to wait a few days and get over some of this soreness.



Sunday, August 7, 2011

Memories of childhood and fall....

Fall is in the air, and with it fast approaching, I got in the mood to share this song...I have a couple or three new followers since I posted it originally that I think might enjoy it. The song is Good To Be Home by The Everybodyfields...no not a spelled wrong...they spelled it all together. Notice the past tense there...they have since broken up and went each gone their own way. I love a lot of songs, but think that deep down this will always be my favorite one....


SO GOOD TO BE HOME by The Everybodyfields

I was sick about the time we hit Virginia,
I had tombstones down both sides of my face.
Driving all night home from Boston,
I was so tired of being away.
Thinking about summer time and heat waves
And a town, it hardly ever snows,
Hitting apples with a baseball bat in August,
That's where I want to go...
So good to be home.

Well sidewalks down here, they go forever
and they always seem to meet you with a smile.
If they don't park the cars out where they shouldn't [??]
I believe you can see clear for a mile.
Well there's a tree on Maple St., it turns so yellow,
it turns lose the leaves; the ground, it turns to gold.
My car, it always knows what gear to be in
and my feet can always take me home.
So good to be home.

Well the lights here, they can spin the head of a young man
into thinking that the whole town loves you.
But your heart is not protected from the city
it might help to get you through.
Well the downtown has given me some problems
and we've all had some growing up to do,
walking on cars and across the tops of buildings,
I think that God was probably laughing too.
So good to be home...

Down the street my neighbor's son is walking,
the north side is getting bigger all the time.
I owe the girl down at the library some money,
she says she's just gonna let it slide.
In my mind every single day is sunny,
it's so bright it almost hurts my eyes to see.
When the rain is pouring out over the gutters,
thank the lord just to be here in Tennessee.
So good to be home...

Half a mile now from the border,
half a mile just to roll my windows down.
Sitting, staring at the windshield,
telling myself "not too much further now".
I call David up to see what he is doing
and I pass him as he's getting in his car.
Down the road and take a right down State of Franklin
and we'll p__ the night away down at the bar.
So good to be home...

Anyway, my brother, Neal put his photos to the song...they are all pictures from around our childhood home...

There is just so much to this song...it is the mood of the song.....the words don't exactly fit my childhood but the mood fits me to a 't.'
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Just thinking about how every fall, before school started, mom and I would try to get done with canning and freezing soon enough to have a couple weeks to sew and make my dresses for school before it was time to cut tobacco. About the only place that carried fabric back then was J.C. Penneys...at least in the little town we went shopping in...across the mountain in Middlesboro, Kentucky.

Patterns and fabric were up on third floor I think...and I am almost thinking the bottom floor was the ground floor...not positive but thinking that up the first set of stairs was kids clothing..maybe just girls, and I think the next floor was women's...followed by the next floor having household goods and and fabric and patterns...but maybe the children's and women's was one floor, don't know for sure.

There was an elevator, but I don't ever remember taking it a single time...we always went the stairs with mom telling me to slow down and don't fall, etc. I don't think I listened to her for more than a second on that one...but most stuff one did not ignore when she told you not to do.

But we would go up, and I would browse the patterns...McCall's and Simplicity...I don't think they offered Vogue or Butterick. I don't know if I even heard of those till I was away from home...but I may have.

Once I found the pattern, I looked for material...and I think I always chose the pattern first, then the fabric. I think most times I chose a couple patterns and made a couple different versions of the dresses...and believe me I didn't get that many dresses. Mom did most of the sewing, though I can remember her walking me through making a dress when I was probably in 5th grade, and I may have made some of my dresses when I was in high school, but don't remember for sure.

We sometimes spread things on the kitchen table to lay them out to be cut, other times the floor. One thing, I know my mom never got as much fabric as the pattern said to get...she would look at it and decide how much less she needed than it called for and I don't ever remember her being short of material...lots of times we had buttons at home, but had to buy zippers if required.
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The cicadas are calling here now, and if we sit on the porch at night, it sounds like autumn could be here in all its glory except maybe it is just a bit hotter than it will be later. Hearing them the past few nights just made me think of the days of my youth, and getting ready for school. And I can't think of fall, without thinking of that song...so thought I would throw them together for this post...and am sure I will probably do another in the weeks ahead. I am hoping for long fall season.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

With a thankful heart....

Someone mentioned that I should show my sewing project(s)...well this is a quilt top that I finished a few months ago when my shoulder was still bothering me. It is 87 inches square. This was taken in harsh-middle of the day sunlit. Actually it was overcast and sunny by turn...either way this does not render the true color....I happened to be out in harsh light.

Anyway, I really had trouble when I sewed the long seams to put the quilt together because my shoulder/arm just ached. Then it got worse...but you know what? I sewed the lining for the backing today....with not a single pang. And I am planning to pin baste it in the next few days if nothing happens. Not so long ago, I could not have even thought about pin basting it...I could not even get down and reach back under the shelf to plug in the computer...it literally brought me to tears. I am still careful with that one, but I can do it. It is just it was such an unexpected thing, I will always remember it.

I am so thankful to be back on my feet...at least once a week I do something and think 'That didn't hurt!' When going to Sarah's it was getting into Roger's truck...it is an older Ford Ranger, but it is 4-wheel drive and I actually have to grab the handle above the window to get in...plus step up first on what is the step board....not so long ago it was a real struggle to find a way to hold on and pull myself up on the passenger's side.

And you women, you know how we grab the covers and flip it up in the air to spread it out better when we go to make the bed...I can do that with not a single twinge.

I had to miss a lot of therapy when I was sick, and thought I would start it again when I got over whatever I had, but I am finding that just living my life and doing the things I do normally seem to be doing the trick. When I quit therapy, I could not get in the truck without a struggle, I couldn't reach and hang clothes on a couple little clotheslines I have in the basement and I can now, and there are several other things that I can do that I couldn't do before I got sick.

And I am just so happy to be able to do them....I don't know how many times I have told Roger 'Look, this doesn't hurt!' So many simple things I cannot think of all of them. There is not much I can't do, but still have a little range to get back...but I think it will come with living. I can reach around behind my back with that side much farther than I could when I first got sick. I can put a belt on after I put my jeans on, and don't have to think and put it through the loops before I put the jeans on.

Well, this has been a self-centered post....I wanted to say a little about this but kept wanting to explain farther. The point of the post was supposed to be about being thankful for what we have....especially good health.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Decorated tree

We came across this tree in some little town in Illinois last week...I have never seen anything quite like it. It was by a place that sold exotic fish and supplies....the entire situation had a strange feel to me. It sort of had the feel of a home, yet it looks like an old store.
I should have had Roger park somewhere till I could have gotten better shots, but like I say, I felt like it had the feel of a home.
It seems to have a little bit of everything thrown on it for decoration...
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We have been to Sarah's for a couple days. I figured with her seeing us the day before, that it would be no big deal when we walked in but she came running and jumped for me to grab her. To just walk in and make someone that happy...there is no better feeling.

I am not sure what I am going to be doing the next few days...got home so late I did not check my tomatoes. I finally had a ripe tomato from the Brandywines and it was simply delicious, red and ripe all the way through--just the way I remember tomatoes. So I am hoping I have some more of them ready to eat. I may even end up taking a flashlight out there to check before the night is over. Yes, I am that hungry for a home grown tomato. I meant to take a few with us just to have....Sarah nor Jeremy likes fresh tomatoes but we would have enjoyed them.

I also have some sewing ready to do, and would really like to get started on that. And there is the never ending laundry...so I am sure I won't be bored. Plus I want to get caught up on blogs that I have missed the past couple of days. I hate getting a week behind...and I never can just simply start off and not go back and see what I have missed.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

A gift....

I really think the ones on down below will show better if clicked to enlarge.
I don't think I mentioned, but last week, Friday to be exact, was our 35th anniversary....well, when Lorelei and Sarah came this is among the stuff they brought us. The gourd is one of the ones I grew a year or two ago....
And Sarah did the painting of it...and she did great job in my estimation. The above is Cougar...
and there is Puss Puss up there...notice her big eyes. They are big in real life.
Another view of Cougar--notice he is laying on a quilt. A quilt never is made that is not tested by the cats.
And of course this is Bubbie...she really captured him....notice he is under the quilt. That is very typical of him. And it shows his smiley face...he has that in real life. Sometimes looks almost like a smirk...like...ahhh, I have you trained well.

And I love the sunflowers she painted...and the fact that the quilt is there. It would not be us without that quilt.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Guess who is spending the night?

We have a couple of visitors....can you guess who they are?
And can you guess what we did this evening?


As always, my photos enlarge.
I was going to show several photos, but then just settled for this quick sequence of three.
I really think you will like them better if you enlarge them....
she was not the only one with a smile on her face. On the way home, her papaw looked at me and said he had not stopped smiling since they got here. And neither had I....and my mouth was almost hurting from smiling and laughing so hard at some of her actions and words.

The first thing, when I looked out and saw their car, I went out the back door to meet them and here she came being a dragon. Then Sarah told us she had asked her before they left if she wanted to go see Mamaw and Papaw and she just said 'No' in this real calm voice....and in a minute or two she again ask her if she wanted to come see us...that time she wanted to come see Mamaw and Papaw's toys! and come see Mamaw's chair and Papaw's chair!

I cannot remember all she has said and done....we came to this stop sign on the way home. Her Papaw stopped at it of course...and she says "GO! Go, Papaw!"...so he really stepped on the gas and she said, "Papaw, you're like my daddy!"

I try to keep Klondike bars here when she is going to be coming, and always when we are trying to get her settled for the night, I go get a Klondike bar and we share it. I unwrap it and put it in a bowl and walk in. She was sitting back in this little rocker thing. I sat down and did not say anything...she was watching TV...all she had to do was turn her head to see me with the bowl.

I rattled the spoon two or three times and she did not turn around....I was debating just getting up and walking across the room and Papaw walked in and bent down and said something to her. She turned to say something back to him and saw me with the bowl. I don't think I have ever seen her move as quick to get up out of the rocker! Her mom and I cracked up...