Creative Homemaker

A Bonnie Hunter Quilt

2012-01-28T15:22:00.001-08:00

I just finished my first Leader and Ender quilt. They are quilts that sew themselves!
This pattern is called Sisters 9-Patch, from her book Adventures with Leaders and Enders.
This one is for the back of my couch and will sport a pretty cream and green border.

Comfort Quilt for Cancer Survivor

2012-01-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

I belong to an online email list, (which shall remain nameless so the secret remains just that.) One of the ladies/quilters there has been a wonderful contributor to the list; often sharing fun patterns and free designs, much to the delight of all who read the posts.

Recently, she has been missing, she has cancer and has undergone many difficulties in her recovery.

It was suggested that we send her quilt blocks. This heart pattern is what we chose.

Then someone suggested that we send her a quilt, since she won't be able to sew for a while.
I volunteered to sew the blocks together if someone else would quilt it.

The little squishies started piling up in my mailbox. :-)

I loved looking at all the fabrics from other quilters' stashes.

The Heart Quilt project was born. We soon overwhelmed the original list and a sister site was set up to handle to overflow.

Our first quilt is finished, with another quilt on the way to another member who has experienced traumatic events recently.

Just like our quilting ancestors of the past, we are coming together for joys and sorrows, to stitch our hearts out for those in need.

Although this new fangled quilting bee may look different--we aren't sitting under a spring blossoming tree in our homespun gowns and quilting with babies and dogs romping nearby, we are contributing to the well being of our quilting sisters.

Community matters. Hospitality matters. Comforting those whereby you have been comforted matters. I'm not talking about Random Acts of Kindness, those help to make the world a better place, yes. But I'm talking about deliberately stepping out of your comfort zone and doing a tangible thing to help someone in need.

I am so thankful to be a part of this first Q-Hearts project, with many more to come.

End of the Year Quilt Tally

2012-01-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

End of the year, (ok, actually beginning of the year actually, but I did these last year...) tally.

The first finish was Robby's Winds of Sodor quilt. It's made from strings and crumbs--wonky log cabin style. It's the second in a series of three quilts for my boys' room.

The back of Robby's quilt has a train panel given to me by a friend who knows I quilt. I added extra wonky log cabin blocks around the perimeter of the panel. We now have a sort of two-sided quilt.

I quilted it in a overall swirl pattern. It's interesting to see the improvement in my quilting. That first wonky log cabin is, well, quilted, but not good at all.

The pattern is laid out in a "streak of lightening" pattern, The light colors zig-zag across the quilt diagonally.

You can see the stitching better here. Robby says it looks like wind.

The next quilt I finished is from February. My father in law died and it's made from his shirts. It's styled after Bonnie Hunter's pattern Bargain Basement from her book Scraps and Shirttails.

I quilted it in a swirly flower shape in the block centers and feathered flowers in the border.

My next finish is really just a "flimsy." It's not quilted yet. This is a signature quilt from the ladies at Fort Leavenworth, PWOC. (Protestant Women of the Chapel.) There are many friends' names here and I love remembering what they meant to me. It's nearly my oldest project, I began this in 1995.

The next finish is also a signature quilt and also just a "flimsy." It's from a Yahoo email group, "Real Women Quilt," which is now pretty much abandoned. I made some good friends there and these women have enriched my life in many ways.

This is the center of a quilt I originally started for a neighbor. He was a Marine and many of the prints are Marine prints and military designs. About the time I was sewing on the binding, our families had a great falling out. I was hurt and decided I would see the quilt on Etsy instead of feeding the fire, so to speak. I made $450 off of it, and I feel good that my quilt went to a retiring Marine Corps Sergeant and his wife.

I love making mug rugs, they are a quick way to get a pretty gift for a friend. These little cups and saucers are from the ends of a table runner I made for my table. I gave one to a dear friend and I kept one for myself in my sewing room.

The quilts were not on my UFO list, but two very dear friends had babies this year, one girl and one boy. Henri and Isabella both needed a sweet snuggly from Auntie Mary. His and hers. I love the look of vintage sheets in a quilt. They are so cozy and soft.

This sweet snuggly is made from the baby clothes of another dear friend's baby. Little Molly has such adorable fabrics to wear and Momma wanted to preserve them in a quilt. We ironed interfacing to the backs of each cotton knit square and pieced the rows together. It's backed with a soft Minky fabric with butterflies. Oh, so soft!

This large square quilt was originally for a QOV project my family started while my nephew-in-law was at Walter Reed hospital. It was larger than the criteria and so I kept it. When friends of ours moved from WA to MO, I thought they would like a "thank you" quilt, (for his service in the military.) Interestingly enough, SGT B and his wife have become better friends with us through facebook since they moved away.

This quilt was put together last January while I worked on Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll during Bonnie Hunter's mystery project. It's called Christmas Lights. It is quilted with Holly leaves in an overall pattern. I donated it to a Church auction where it brought $125 and was purchased by Miss Sue who takes care of the nursery.

This quilt was made for my sister-in-law for Christmas. It's made from Pop's ties. I ironed interfacing on most of the backs to keep them from stretching out of shape. It was tough. It was one of the more difficult quilts I made this year just because of the fabric type. Satin is slippery and hard to keep from stretching. I quilted it with overall swirls and hearts. The border has tiny feathers and feathered flowers.

The quilt on my bed is for my hubby, Bear. He complains that when you get in bed the covers aren't long enough to cover your back. This one is specially designed with 5 borders so that the quilt is wide enough when you get in. It's made from a block of the month pattern from the Cabin Fever Florida quilt guild. It's called Cabin Fever in honor of the their 2010 BOM pattern. I added block borders from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville and the penultimate border is also from Bonnie Hunter.

The last little project before the end of the year were these little mug rugs. I didn't get pictures after the binding was put on, I gave them away too quickly. I kept the one on the bottom right for myself. They were designed in the style of Bonnie Hunter's tiny tree pattern with a variation or two--strip pieced on old phone book pages.

I haven't kept track of fabric used or purchased, though I haven't bought much this year. While I worked at the LQS the year before, I bought enough fabric then to keep me quilting for a while.

It's been fun going back to see how I've completed projects. Last year I had 25 UFO's, and I finished around a dozen. Now I have 41 UFO's. Somethings' the matter with my math!

Organizing my Farmer's Wife blocks

2011-12-06T05:35:00.001-08:00

Through many of the Farmer's Wife blogs I have read, not many have discussed the organization method that appealed to me.

I have a tendency to start a project and then fall off the bandwagon, so to speak, for lack of proper organization. I know this will be a long term project for me, because I am hand piecing the blocks--sort of a challenge to myself to see if I can do it. I'm no Jane Stickle, by any means, but I can dream, can't I?

The colors I chose were scraps from the quilt I just finished, and I'm quilting now. It's a queen sized bed quilt made from The Charlotte line by Debbie Beaves of The Violet Patch, (RJR Fabrics 2008.)

Another gorgeous piece is the rose floral near the center of the case, it's Heaven on Earth by Ro Gregg, Northcott, Quilt for the Cure #2761. I couldn't find a year on the selvage, sorry. That will likely be my border fabric, it just sings to me!

I pulled out all my fabrics and lined them up in this vintage makeup case I snagged at a "primitives" sale. It had a broken mirror, but that doesn't bother me. I don't check the mirror much while I'm sewing.

Dragging large pieces of fabric out each time I started a block was inconvenient and cumbersome when I want a hand project, so I knew I'd have to do some pre-prep in order to keep things tidy.

I have this little stationery box that fits my pincushion, scissors, thread and pencils. I also stack my prepared blocks inside and pull out one at a time to work on.

I look at the layout and cutting instructions in the book and determine the colors, and templates, I lay out the templates and over estimate the amount of fabric needed for each block and fold the fabrics, templates and a sticky note with brief cutting instructions together. I found some old clear envelopes from my card-making days to seal them in. They look pretty just like that!

Once the block is finished, I place a small sticky note on the corner with the block number and name. ( I just had an idea that I should mark the date it was finished, that would be nice to add, too.) Then I slide each block down into a page protector in my binder my sister made me.

The templates are in the binder too, under the first tab, and the completed blocks are in another tab.

I hope this gives someone an idea on how to organize any small quilting project.

I tackle any large project just like Melinda Mae, one bite at a time.

Melinda Mae by Shel Silverstein

Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
Who ate a monstrous whale?
She thought she could,
She said she would,
So she started in right at the tail.
And everyone said,"You're much too small,"
But that didn't bother Melinda at all,
She took little bites and she chewed very slow,
Just like a good girl should...
...and in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
Because she said she would!

I'm going to be a Farmer's Wife!

2011-11-22T08:49:00.001-08:00

No, Bear hasn't given up becoming a full-time Lutheran pastor. No, we aren't moving and buying 50 acres. (Although that would be lovely!)
I've sipped the tainted kool-aid, I've jumped off the deep end, I've begun something for which I should have my head examined.

With all I have going on in my life; 5 kids in the midst of 5 grade levels of homeschooling, the numerous--like 25--projects already in UFO status, I've begun another.

I'm participating in the Farmer's Wife Quilt Along, FWQAL. The flickr group currently has 962 members. Sounds mildly cultish to me.

It may take me years, but I'll plug along. Following the winding path, walking toward the light, and
stitching long hours into the night when I should be doing other things.

My sister, Silver, made me this precious binder cover for which I shall store my secret stash of templates and instructions. Oh, and since these are all templates, I'll be working on this as a carry-along, handstitching project.

Just shoot me now.

Ties That Bind is finished

2011-11-18T09:38:00.001-08:00

Last year when my father-in-law, Pop died I knew I wanted to create something out of his shirts. He was such an amazing influence on us as a married couple. I lived with Pop and Nana while Bear was in basic training and Gadget boy was only 2.

I learned to love my in-laws very much during that time and respect who they became in my life.

Pop was such a frugal man. He regularly shopped at yard sales, but brought home only what he knew he could use. He regularly repurposed items--old wood, old tools, wooden handles, etc. Tape, wire and staples were what held much of his surroundings together.

So when I thought about how I would recreate a quilt memorial in his honor, scrappy became the method.

Nana, Bear and I stood near his closet as we pulled clothes out and scanned them all. His shirts were plaids, beiges, yellows--homespun and earthy--just like he was. I took a dozen shirts and about as many ties.

On the way home from our visit, I cut apart his shirts and pulled off buttons. The ties sat forlorn in the bottom of the bag.

Frankly, they scared me.

Cotton is easy to sew with, and I can handle the occasional double-knit polyester "snuggle quilt." I recently even made a cute baby quilt out of t-shirt knits. But slippery ties in silky fabric, that have been cut on the bias and pulled, folded, and tied for years didn't seem that easy. So they sat.

I eventually started taking them apart--if I did it carefully, I could just pull one string and the chain stitching would unravel. I pressed, and folded and then they sat in a small container on the top shelf of the sewing room closet for a few more months.

Meanwhile I worked on the quilt for Nana. She needed to feel the comfort of a quilt around her shoulders. Her quilt was finished in time for her birthday, in February the following year. Her quilt can be seen here.

Recently Nana said that Jane has been feeling really overwhelmed and reclusive. I think she is just now beginning to grieve after a year. Grief can be a difficult thing to deal with and if we don't allow ourselves to properly deal with loss, it can trip us up and make other areas in our life fall apart.

Bear went back home to help Nana with some winterizing and he suggested that it was time for Jane to have something tangible to help with her grief.

I felt also that I was now better equipped to tackle the tricky job of all those slippery fabrics.

I adhered them to lightweight interfacing and cut them into strips. I pieced them on top of rectangles of old phone book pages and made strippy blocks.

I ran out of blocks before I had it big enough so I searched through my Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville-books and came up with an appropriate border to use. The rick-rack border on this quilt seemed to fit the style of Pop's quilt. After looking at it for a while it reminds me more of the lattice that covers the covered patio in their backyard. I think it's an appropriate design element.

The final border is also a criss-cross pattern that reminds me of the sunshine and shadow patterns around the patio.

It is quilted with hearts and swirls to "wrap arms of love" around my dear sister-in-law. The border is the same feathered flower that I quilted on Nana's quilt. Poppa loved to garden and flowers and feathers remind me of him.

I can't wait until she sees it at Christmas time.

Crock pot recipe review: Saucy Apricot Chicken

2011-11-16T12:11:00.001-08:00

This has got to be the Easiest. Recipe. Ever.
One 6 pound package of frozen chicken
One jar of apricot, (I used peach) jam
One package of onion soup mix, Knorr or Lipton, (I actually used a Tastefully Simple package of Onion, Onion mix from my friend Denise.)

Dump the chicken in the crock pot, shake the soup mix over it all evenly, and warm up the jam and pour over the mixture. Cook on low 4-5 hours.

I'm turning mine on high for an hour or so and then turning it down because my chicken is frozen.

I'll announce the verdict later....

Dinnertime:
I was curious to find that the jam did not stay gelatinous. It completely liquefied as it cooked in, under and through the chicken.
I lifted the chicken out carefully and poured the remaining sauce into a pan and thickened it with about 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch. I poured just a bit of it over the chicken to glaze it.
The verdict:
Bear said nothing, which is typical. Gadget boy loved it, true to form. (He won't complain about any meal. He knows better.) Miss Busy and Chels at it up and asked for seconds. Ace devoured his, as did Boo. Robby didn't eat it, well because the snack of a PB&J still lingered in his tummy.

We served this with frozen peas, canned corn and saffron rice.

Sewing up a storm...

2011-11-15T08:38:00.001-08:00

I've been "occupying" my sewing room a lot these days and getting projects accomplished.

I have an old mason jar full of slips of paper that I pull each time I finish up a UFO. Each piece of paper has an unfinished project on it. When I pull a paper, I must work on that project until it's finished. Sometimes that is a joy, sometimes, it's a real pain, but discipline is good.

I have to purchase a few things for the latest one I pulled, and there will be a post on that later, it's possibly the ugliest quilt EVER! But it will be loved, and worn, and drug around, and that's what quilting is all about. Making something wonderful for someone you love.

Just a little hint about what's coming soon...

Polyester and fur. Oh my!!

I was country, when country wasn't cool.

2011-11-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

Barbara Mandrell and I have something in common.

No, it isn't the perky blonde hair, it's not the flannels shirts, and it's not that we are both fans of Roy Rogers.

The thing we have in common is that we've both been "something" when that "something" wasn't cool.

There is a trend today on the blogs that I read to be "all vintage!" and "back to basics."

I've done that for years, folks.

I don't need Food in Jars or Creative Canning to tell me how to process and can our harvest.

I don't need Passionate Homemaking to tell me the benefits of baby wearing. I just did it.

I made my own baby sling and wore my last five babies until I could no longer empty the dishwasher without fear of them toppling out of the sling and into the dishes. I did it because "hands free" is practical. When I could set the baby down, believe me, I did.

I have always done homemade crafts for gifts. Like these and these and these. Seriously, people, I did these in 1985!

I'm so vintage it stinks! I regularly press my sheets on an "very vintage" 1940's Ironrite named Irene.

I even have a vintage Ironrite charm bracelet to wear while I press.

I have a vintage Kenmore sewing machine,

and a sad-iron that I use for a bookend.

Even a vintage potato masher that I used just last night.

I guess I am trendy!

I'm so cool, it just oozes from every pore. It's just that I don't blog/brag about it, so nobody knows just how cool I am. (Don't you think those two words often have the same meaning?)

I've been making scrap quilts since the 80's too. Not because scrappy was cool, but because we were poor college students and I could only afford to cut up fabric from the leftovers of a more necessary project. And we need a pretty bed covering to keep us warm.

I've been wearing aprons all my married life too. Oh, aren't they so cute and homemaker-ish?

Yes, they are. And practical. And I'm all about practical.

Does that make me trendy? If you say so.

So I guess I'll just continue to be trendy, and practical, and so very vintage! I may or may not blog about it, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

June Cleaver and Barbara Mandrell have nothing on me.

Weekly Journal Post

2011-10-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

MyHomeschool Mother’s Journal

Because I recently came across this blog, I've been excited to start a journal of our homeschooling days, morethan just the checks on the boxes in our teacher’s guide; this will give me abetter feel for “are the kids getting it?” “Did we deal with attitudes today?” “Didanything sink in?”

Maybe those questions will not be answered, but it is myhope to get some sort of feel for those things.

Today, Reformation Day, we read through the Martin Lutherchapters of Hero Tales. This was out oforder according to the teacher’s guide for Exploring Countries and Cultures.But I felt one day out of order was important enough because of theholiday. I hope to make things as relevantas possible for my children. I want themto know the “why” behind what we do.

I printed out coloring sheets for the Luther Rose,Reformation Day and the Luther Rose but I had read-alouds and coloring sheetsto do with discussion questions afterwards. I am met oft times with blankstares and sullen attitudes.

Like right now, for instance. I had to go upstairs and referee a squabblebetween two girls who can’t work together. I had to “reel in” a 9 yr old boywho gets lost and doesn’t come back to finish an assignment.

Robby is working beside me, because that’s the only placethat he can stay on task. Ace is at thekitchen counter working on math. The girls are upstairs hopefully completingSaxon math and no longer fighting.

This has been a difficult transition from public school tohome school and I’m not sure the kids “get” the importance of it. At Sunday School they had discussions withthe other girls in their class about where each of them goes to school. Most of their Sunday School classmates attendschool together at Concordia. Distance and cost have prohibited that for us,but Bear and I feel that a Christian education is so very important. Chels andMiss Busy were the only ones who answered homeschool. And then it seemed as if they were ridiculedfor it. (That was the impression I gotfrom their retelling of it to me.)

I feel as if I am not making a difference. I feel as if I amforcing my will upon them. I feel like most days I am talking to a brick wall,or rather 5 little brick walls.

I am thankful, however, that I get to have my childrenaround me during the day. I do enjoythem. When some mothers say, they can’t wait for school to start so that theirkids are out of their hair, I find that funny. My daughter Miss Busy is a little Mini-Me, and we laugh and jokesometimes like sisters.

This week I’m working on a special quilt, when homeschool isnot in session, for my younger sister-in-law. My father-in-law passed away a year ago and I took his ties and havemade them into a quilt, or rather, blocks for a quilt. I have to sew the blocks together and addborders still. Then I’ll layer and quiltit, probably for a Christmas present. Pop’s birthday was on Christmas Day and that is a particularly difficultday for them.

A picture to share:

I made a quilt for my mother-in-law out of his shirts, whichyou can see here, so this one is for Jen. I hope she draws comfort from it.

Ready for School

2011-08-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

Our homeschooling adventure continues on Thursday, the first of September. We homeschooled last year, using Rod and Staff Curriculum. It was difficult for me and I'm not sure the kids really enjoyed themselves. I heard them stammer when people asked how they like homeschooling. If that doesn't reflect a dislike, I'm not sure what does.

This year I've done some research. When you begin a venture not knowing what lies ahead, you often don't have many questions because you don't know what questions to ask. But this year I feel more prepared. I knew what they did not like and what did not fit our styles of learning and teaching.

Armed with this knowledge, I embarked on a search for the curriculum that would fit us better. I really wanted Sonlight, but the cost is prohibitive. I had heard good things about A Beka, but it's more of a school/classroom environment, which is the reason we didn't like Rod & Staff. I stumbled across My Father's World and liked the price, the way we could combine all the students together and then have individual levels for Language Arts, Spelling and Math.

My Father's World uses a rotating course approach. We start with an overview of God's World and the countries and continents. Then next year we dig deeper into the beginning of civilization and work our way toward the present in subsequent years. I'm excited, I can see a long term benefit, and continuity to this program where in R&S I felt so...lost, I guess, for want of a better word.

I have added the appropriate math for Robby, Ace, Miss Busy and Chels; and Boo has his own kindergarten program given to us by a friend. When she gave it to me, I sort of put it aside and didn't look at it until I had ordered MFW for the other kids. I just figured that whatever Boo had, I would shuffle it into the day as it seemed to fit. I looked at it the other to prepare and discovered it too was My Father's World! How amazing is that!? I am taking that as a sign that this program is for us.

Boo is advanced for a Kindergarten child, I think. He's been doing preschool with Miss Busy for most of last year. He's smart. He loves to be up at the school desk with the rest of the kids so this will be a fun year for him as well.

Our school room is more colorful, more organized, and more kid friendly this year. I'm not going to get so uptight about paperwork, busywork or schedules. We will learn together, study God's people and His world and learn more about Him. In the process, I am confident that the academics will take care of themselves.

Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Quilt Studio Tour

2011-07-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm MaryLu and I'm a quilter. (Hi, MaryLu!)

My blog header's "mission statement," if you will, says "I'm just trying to make something beautiful with the scraps I'm given." Sometimes that means the situations that life throws at me, sometimes it's more literal.

I've been given lots of scraps lately and I've tried to file them into their appropriate categories, here in my studio and in life.

Here is my peaceful place, where I go to think, unwind, create in (relative) peace and quiet.
I just picked up this entertainment center at Goodwill and found that it fits perfectly in this little nook in my studio.
On it, I keep baskets of fabrics sorted by designer, or by use. It also displays some of my most treasured things.

Each basket is full of specific types of fabric. And then there's my Go! cutter. It's wonderful for quickly making a pile of scraps into usable pieces.

Sitting atop this cabinet keeping watch over things is Uncle Sam. The sewing machine belonged to my brother Clarence. We helped my sister-in-law clean out her basement after my brother died and I rescued it. It's a very sturdy, (and heavy) Kenmore I've named Claire.

I've always had an interest in antique, or just plain old, sewing accouterments. These spools and sewing kit came from the estate sale of a neighbor. Ms. Dorice was 93 years old when she died. She made the most beautiful beaded Christmas ornaments. I give her things a prominent place in my studio.

This little cabinet came from a friend, (thanks, Crystal!) It's holding my Etsy pincushions and miscellaneous projects in the drawers.

These will soon turn into pretty pincushions to go in my store.

Just like this one...

Up above, a plaque from my sister, because my sisters are awesome and sewing always reminds me of sewing at home with them.

This is one of my "inspiration-makes me smile" areas. I painted the blue shelf a million years ago, and the old canning jars are filled with more vintage notions and buttons.

Yes, that's a sundae dish full of Lemonheads! I had hoped that the kids wouldn't notice them if they weren't in the box. Nope, took them about 5 minutes to see them.

On the floor is a pile of patiently waiting stuffed friends. This is the ER for all things fluffy. They need some stitches and stuffing and they'll be good as new.

The picture in the checkerboard frame is my "someday" place. A simple little farm house next to the church where my hubby preaches, set in a hilly little scene with blue sky.

On the opposite wall are some of my minis. And a waiting Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll block. I only have about 40 more of these to make.

Behind the door is my recently repurposed pattern storage. I don't sew clothes much anymore, I prefer things that require no fitting--quilts always fit. I also don't care for 3-dimensional items. I can always press a quilt flat and make it work, not so easy with a stuffed bear's head or tummy.

The closet shelf holds my larger pieces of fabric, anything over a yard or so, are wound on half-bolts. I got the idea from Gee-Gee's, the quilt shop where I used to work. They rolled their remnants this way and stored them on a bookshelf. Very tidy!

Stacked under the shelf are my folded pieces of fabric arranged by colors.

My Bonnie Hunter Scrap User System is "filed" neatly into another bank of drawers. They are so pretty!

The basket on top holds all the spools I have emptied this year. I thought it would be fun to see how much I actually go through. It's filling up fast.

Here's my Quilting Queen ready for the next project. She's quite the work horse!

Beside her sits my leaders and enders, (also from Bonnie Hunter!) These will one day turn into a beautiful "My Blue Heaven" a pattern by, (again) Bonnie Hunter. You can see a picture in this post at Bonnie's Website. When I looked up the link I discovered that it was a "Show and Tell" post, and that my quilt was the first one pictured! [Squeal!]

These sweet boxes hold my WIP projects, (that's Work In Progress,)

Next to my Quilting Queen is a special little gift from my adorable sister, Syl. She stuck this little cute pincushion in a box of fabric. When I saw it I knew just the place--I dropped this little felted wool cutie into one my waiting cups and saucers. This one will stay right by me, thankyouverymuch! I love it, the lanolin in the wool keeps my pins and needles rust free--a welcome benefit in this damp climate.

My windowsill holds more of my "pretties." I trade them out now and then so I can enjoy them all.

I'm even flowing out into the hallway, just one bookshelf now, but look out, soon I may be stashing fabric and notions all over.

Thanks for taking a look, I hope you have had fun on my tour. Come back soon and we'll enjoy a cup of tea together. If I can find a cup that hasn't been turned into a pincushion, that is.

Etsy Store...Finally!

2011-07-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

I just set up my Etsy Shoppe. I'm spelling it the Olde way just because I like all things vintage.

I'm featuring sewing items, vintage sheets, (isn't everyone?) pincushions, and handmade sewing accessories that reflect an earlier, simpler time.

I often wish that I were Ma Ingalls, or Anne of Green Gables; but not really, I rely on my modern appliances too much for that. So, I try to incorporate a bit of the nostalgia and whimsy here on my blog and in my Shoppe.

I have a few pincushions listed there and a queen sized quilt. The quilt I will showcase here as well. I'll also be setting a link on my sidebar to get to my Etsy Shoppe, (once I figure out how to do that of course!)
This is the quilt: It's a queen sized Thimbleberries pattern, made with Marine Corps and military fabrics. There are several machine embroidered emblems and icons that represent Marine life and patriotism.

It's machine quilted on my DSM in an all over stipple pattern with scrolls, stars and rippling flag waves in the borders, and bound by machine then hand stitched down.
I'm selling this for $450, with $25.00 Shipping.

Check out my Etsy Shoppe here.

We’ve all got “stuff”

2011-05-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

As I write this I am painfully aware that I am not the only one who is dealing with issues. A dear friend of mine has had terrible issues with her disabled child and trying to get him a proper education. I have another friend who recently had an emergency C-section and came close to losing the baby, (and herself for that matter!)It frankly makes my paltry troubles seem, well, paltry.

But this is my blog, and I use it to express my feelings and a place to share. So, share I will. If you don’t want to read my whining, you can always use the little “x” in the upper right hand corner. K?

For those of you still here…(crickets chirping…)

We’ve been through a difficult period in our life. About 8 years now. Well, really since we moved to Washington. Situation after situation has caused deep hurt, family strain and financial burdens. We have been through most of it and come out the other side much stronger and “ahead of the game,” so to speak. The financial stuff is really starting to wear on me. Just when I think we are getting ahead, another thing happens, the truck needs a major repair, the washing machine starts squealing, or a bill comes that depletes the bank account.

Thus far, we have been able to stay afloat, well, at least to have our noses above water, (well, borrowed water…but I digress)--and things are starting to look up. Maybe. I’m always afraid if I say that that things will take a downward plummet and some major appliance will quit or an engine will blow out on the trucks.

Bear is now a reservist, the army doesn’t want him full time, so here we sit. That’s another story for another day!) He’s drawing unemployment, and getting some drill time. But getting in the system in order to get the pay coming in regularly is like pulling teeth, or having your appendix taken out with a butter knife.

We are at the lowest point now hopefully, and things should start to climb, but as I type this, the water is turned off and can’t be turned on until Wednesday; every hiccup in the power makes me think that the power company has finally pulled the plug and I fear my phone will be cut off next.

Bear has about 10 days of drill for which we still have not received pay. It will arrive sometime, I’m sure.

Interestingly enough, this is not what irks me about all of this. I consider the opportunity to evaluate my food storage and water storage a good test of my preparedness. (We don’t have nearly enough water storage for 8 people for one day, let alone a week.) We have been borrowing water from a neighbor with a hose for washing dishes and cooking. As far as bathing goes, well, let’s just say you may not want to visit until the water gets turned back on.

The thing that bothers me is this, why is it that so many people “play” the system?

What I mean is, why is it that others can finagle a way to “piggyback” on their spouse’s training and work out a vacay for themselves, oh, a trip to Cancun here, or a weekend in Chicago, or a 3-day trip to Hawaii? We can barely keep the utilities going!

Bear’s commander suggested that we do just that. There was an opportunity for him to take some training in Hawaii. It was a mandatory training and the next available one on the schedule was at the Army training base at Schofield Barracks. When I spoke to Bear’s commander, he said we should go together and have a little vacation. I was at first floored that he would suggest such a thing, then I explained that financially that would not be feasible.

I really shouldn’t generalize, I do have it good. I have a husband that loves me, strives hard each day to take care of us, and if he could, would give me the world. Just for some reason God has frugality and limited financial “abundance” in store for us right now.

I’m really, really NOT asking for assistance. I have accepted all I am going to accept in this situation. God will get us out of this, or give us the strength to withstand the difficulties. We are learning patience. We are learning frugality, and we are learning to be thankful for what we have.

Feather Biscuits

2011-04-12T18:34:00.001-07:00

Because my niece-in-law mentioned them, (thanks, Kristina!) and because I've never used that recipe before, I decided "Feather Biscuits" would be on tonight's menu.

At some point I may be a little more organized and actually create a menu out of the recipes in the "Home Cooked Heritage" cookbook, but for now I'm winging it. Hense, the feather-recipe. Haha!

Feather Biscuits, submitted by: Diane D.

Says Diane, This recipe came from my Aunt Sandi and is one of my favorites. We always eat biscuits and gravy Christmas morning. Try these and you'll know why they're my favorites.

2 c. flour

1 t. sugar

1/2 c. shortening

2/3 c. milk

1/2 t. salt

4 t. baking powder

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Mix egg and milk together and add to dry ingredients all at once. Stir until dough just follows fork around the bowl. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead tenderly about 20 strokes. Roll out 3/4 inch thick. Cut and bake on ungreased sheet at 450 for 10-14 minutes.

Ok, first of all, since I was looking for ways to use up leftover roast and potatoes, I turned the leftovers out into a large rectangular casserole and dropped the biscuits on top.

So, there was no rolling involved. I will give them another shot and roll them, I promise.

So, the verdict? These are amazing!! Thanks, Diane, the entire family thought they were better than my regular biscuits. (Mine does not include an egg. I think that makes all the difference!)

Denise, if you are reading this, try this recipe for your rendition of R.L.'s Cheddar biscuits. These are awesome!

Durrant Family Cookbook: Fruit Cocktail Cake

2011-04-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Have any of you seen "Julie and Julia?" It's the story of an adventurous lady who decides to recreate all the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook, Joy of Cooking.

She blogs about her successes and failures. I've decided that I will do the same thing.

I have an amazing cookbook created by my relatives. It's a collection of family favorites from aunts, cousins, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. I have several cousins who have expressed an interest in obtaining a copy on line.

While my uncle has access to several physical copies, I thought it would be fun to try recipes at home, then blog about my successes or failures, tips and tweakings.

Because I try to keep my blog anonymous, I will post page numbers of the cookbook and first names only of the submitting cook.

Here is the first: Fruit Cocktail Cake by: Carolyn C. (My Mom!)

It appears on page IX-8 of the cookbook.

Stir together: 1 1/2 c. sugar, 2 c. flour, 2 t soda, pinch salt and 2 well beaten eggs and 1 #303 fruit cocktail and juices. Pour into greased 9x13" pan. Sprinkle top with 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c. nuts. Bake for 1 hour at 325. While baking, mix icing up: 3/4 c. sugar, 2/3 c. milk, 1 c. butter. Boil 5 minutes and add 1/2 c. coconut, 1 t vanilla and pour over hot cake.

Editor's comments: I didn't open a can of fruit cocktail, I had a can of cranberry jelly, half a jar of pluots and some leftover crushed pineapple in the fridge. I threw these in the batter instead of the fruit cocktail.

I have a daughter who isn't a big fan of nuts, so I just tossed some halved pecans on top with the brown sugar, so that Chels could pick them out.

This was a hit with everyone! The caramel-ly flavors and texture, with coconut was more like a spice cake with German-type frosting than a cake with fruit in it.

I will definitely do this one again. I think using any jar of fruit would be very tasty!

Two Years

2011-02-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

Two years can change a lot of things.

Babies learn to walk and feed themselves, some even are potty trained. College students can earn a whole degree. Road construction projects can be planned, carried out and completed. Gardens come and go.

Two years hasn't changed the amount that I miss you, brother.
Mother says to turn February into a month for serving others. I know that this is true. I always feel better when I'm giving to others. When I'm sharing talents, a warm loaf of bread or a hug.

But for now, (and maybe every February) I'll run the course of grief. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Sometimes the anger takes over. Sometimes bargaining is the emotion I reach for. But I usually end up in the same place. There isn't anything that any of your loved ones could have done to change God's plan for our lives. Those of us who are left to mourn must reach and re-reach this decision each time we work through the grief.

It stinks that you aren't here. It stinks that our family is one brother short. It stinks that Suzy can't have her sweetheart near. It makes me mad. So mad in fact that I've stopped writing as much. I wasn't going to do that. You encouraged me to write and I've not held up my end of the deal. You were always doing for others, making staves for Eagle Scouts, giving time to those in need, helping family members whenever your skills were needed. Offering laughter and stories and making our lives more joyful.
I think I'm just having a bit of a pity party. Dang it, aren't we entitled to a bit of one? Two years is long enough to quit being so angry, isn't it?

Maybe I should quit feeling so sorry for myself and make a batch of cookies to share, or write a note to a friend, or go stitch a quilt for a loved one.

Two years. I still miss you. I guess I always will.

Pedal to the metal

2011-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't get speeding ticket. Actually, I haven't gotten a ticket in years. God has always spared me that embarrassment/correction!

I've been power-piecing! I have just come to adore Bonnie Hunter's method for fabric scrap corralling! It is just so fun to see my little labeled drawers of bricks and blocks. Like legos for grownups.

My piano teacher used to have a set of blocks she would use to teach the parts/fractions of a measure. Quarter notes, half notes and eighth notes. Now I can build my own "measures" out of fabric!

I've been working on a quilt for my beloved Mother-in-law. After Pop died in October, (there's been a lot going on in my life and I'm not caught up blogging!) I asked Nana for some of Pop's shirts so that I could make a quilt for her. She was excited that I would do that for her, but someone reluctant I felt, to let go of his shirts. It was like tearing skin. It was almost painful for me to watch as we decided which ones she could part with.

I came home with a beautiful selection of stripes, plaids and checks; in white, cream, yellows and rust. I've thrown in a few scraps of my own to give it a bit of zip, and quickly pieced my version of Bonnie Hunter's "Bargain Basement."

As I pieced the quilt, I sort of thought how even the name fits Pop. He was always one for stopping at a yard sale, finding a great deal at an estate sale or rummage sale. He was always fixing things, tweaking items at the house in order to make them better, more efficient, more user-friendly. I think he would be pleased that the shirts just hanging in his closet will have new life and give comfort to those he loved most.

UPDATED TO ADD: A photo or two!!

Roll, Baby, Roll!

2010-11-19T09:45:00.001-08:00

As if I didn't have enough on my plate...(that must be the understatement of the year)I'm jumping in.

I was just going to sit back and watch the clues unfold. But I've gotten sucked in!

I'm doing this.
I love Bonnie Hunter's quilts. They are everything that appeals to me, colorful, scrappy, frugal with lots of great details. I love her motto about "ugly" fabrics, "If it's still ugly, you just didn't cut it small enough!"

Once the first clue came out I knew I had to play along. I love green and pink together. It is all over my house in different shades and combinations. My poor husband has to sleep in a froo-froo bedroom. Which he does willingly to keep my happy. (The first time I saw him, he was wearing a pink Izod button down shirt.) [swoon!]

Yet, I digress. So, I'll post my progress here. I'll put up a picture as soon as step one is completed. Ok, I'm excited now!

Eating is overrated, isn't it? "It's Campbell's soup for dinner, kids!!"

Modified to add my photo! Most of my 172 units are completed. I just have about 40 more to go, but I can't focus any longer. Heading to bed....

Thimbleberries 2009 3's Company

2010-11-14T13:09:00.000-08:00

I'm so far behind!

I just finished the last month of this beautiful BOM. I was making three sets of them however so it took me a while with each step. I'm making the light colorway for me and an "army" colorway for my husband and a "marine" colorway for a dear friend of the family.

This weekend I have sequestered myself in my sewing room and worked on UFO's. It has felt very good to get lots of little nagging things done.

Here's my Thimbleberries so far...

Wonky Log Cabin Finish

2010-11-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I thought I would share my latest finish. I've completed the
second in a 3-part series of quilts for my three boys. They all share a
room that is decorated in red, white, blue, Americana prints with a healthy
dose of bears, trains and boats thrown in.

I made their curtains and some crib accessories when they were younger and
I've saved every scrap. (Thank you, Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville!) My first quilt was for my youngest, this one is for the middle boy and there is one more in the works
for my 8 yr old son, the oldest of the littles. Robbie, my middle boy, loves
Thomas the Tank Engine so his quilt is mostly blues with sunny Sodor Railway
yellows thrown in.

Robbie looked at it and found the letter "J" in the middle. (His middle initial.) I may have to add some alphabet blocks to the back.

I love making wonky log cabins and using up every crumb in these quilts.
This one is just a flimsy right now. I have about 20 extra blocks that will
go on the back side along with a Lionel Train panel that someone gave me.
(nothing wasted!)

Hopefully, I'll sandwich it tomorrow then I'll free motion quilt it after
the kids are done with their school lessons for the day.

Thanks for looking! I've enjoyed getting back to my sewing room finally!!

You can see the first one here.

Still plugging along

2010-10-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

We're here!

We're buried under the pile of science projects, math books and addition flash cards. My "turn in" box threatens to overflow. One mother has a hard time keeping up with 5 subjects from four children.

I'm sure enjoying my time at home with them. We have corrected, or at least attempting to keep on top of the corrections, in Robby's handwriting. He's 2nd grade and has been making lots of his letters backwards; s, d, g, p, and 7, 3, 2, and 5. I think I have at least figured out the why. He's a very precise and exacting child. He likes things straight and true.

He even thinks that his food stays sorted out in his tummy. So when he writes, his paper is NOT turned at a slant and he crooks his arm around the top of the letter and writes top down, instead of angling his hand with his paper and writing left to right in a natural arc. I usually sit right with him when he writes and re-tilt his paper so he stays correct. He is making far fewer errors with his letters. He told me today after I corrected a word he was writing that he likes the vowels in the words so he writes them last.

Ace, (who is 8) finishes before everyone else and is 4 lessons ahead in his spelling. But he presses down very hard, has horrible handwriting and he's a "lefty." I have a hard time trying to figure out how to fix this issue. Bear says to have him write on toilet paper so he has to have a light touch. (I found that only slightly weird, but pretty amusing!) Dear Husband has interesting ideas sometimes. We may try tissue paper at the very least. Ace's hand hurts after he writes and he tires quickly.

Right now we are having issues at home with integrity. It seems they have realized there is only one of me and I can't be in all places at once. Papers turned in with nonsense answers, reading books when studies should be completed first. It is a bit overwhelming to say the least.

However, on a positive note, they are working together nicely. They are not fighting and bickering as much, and I can see numerous areas where homeschooling has definitely benefited them. I'm very glad we made this decision. I'm even learning things I didn't before.

Tomorrow we start a unit on rainbows and color. We will have a fun day of cut and paste, maybe mixing some corn syrup "paints" for sugar cookies. They have worked hard all week and Friday is close upon us.

Sink or Swim

2010-09-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

I've begun.

I've jumped in with both feet first into the swirling mass of books, pencils and kids.

I'm desperately trying to keep my nose above water.

Teaching 4 children with 4 different grades isn't turning out as easy as I had hoped. The girls usually finish their assignments and have to wait for me to assign the next item. I'm constantly interrupted while teaching new concepts to the boys either by Boo trying my patience, or one of the girls wondering what they can do next.

I know there must be an easier way. I've had friends who have home schooled 10 children at a time, each one in a different grade level. I'm not Super Woman. I've got to get more organized so that I'm not constantly feeling like I'm just at the surface of the water ready to go under at any moment.

On a positive note, I'm loving having my children around me and being able to tell them and teach them things during each moment throughout the day. Those moments when I catch them doing something sweet for a sibling. When they help someone else without being asked. When they are curious about a concept we read about. It is gratifying to see their curious minds at work.

It is amazing to see that Chels is actually smarter than me. That's scary. We have to go through her math book together so that I can understand the concepts and teach them to her. She's bright, smart and amazing.

I'm so glad that we decided to do this. I just need to find a way to make it run smoothly.

"Love" photos...

2010-08-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ok.

I'm homeschooling.

If I were born in a different time, I'd love to be Lucille Ball, June Cleaver, Ethel Merman or Vivien Leigh. I'm a country girl living in the city. But, oh, to be as cool as her.

These are absolutley gorgeous! Take a peek. You might need a tissue.

Getting organized!

2010-08-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'm getting sort of excited. I have an inner need to organize and label things. I bought another shelf from WallyWorld and Ace and I put it together. Miss Busy and I moved the scrap booking cupboard over and scooted things to make the new bookshelf fit.

I pulled out my Dymo and made everyone a space on the new shelf. If I'm organized, I think I am more likely to maintain a schedule and we won't fritter away our school year. I'd love to just "play" all year and pretend that the kids are learning life skills, but for me, we need to maintain just as much of a schedule as if we were going to school.

I have decided we will have school in the diningroom, so that if there are still dirty dishes on the kitchen counter there will be nothing preventing school from starting. Then once things are going a bit then I can get back to the dishes while the kids are working.

I'm counting on Chels and Miss Busy to help me with the younger boys, reading, and assisting them with directions, etc. This should work, right? They help me in that way already, so that should be the natural carryover. I hope this will work. I'll update as we progress.

Time for a change around here....

2010-08-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a big step.

I'm venturing into unknown and for me, uncharted territory. I'm joining the ranks of homeschooling moms. Crazy, I know.

Twenty years ago, when my husband decide to join the military I wasn't really exited about those changes in my life. But I've gotten use to the idea. And we do this life pretty well. We have adjusted and we have grown.

Then 15 years ago, when my husband started talking about going to seminary, I was scared. I didn't think I could live up to the demands of a pastor's wife. I didn't think my, then only one child could behave the way a pastor's child should. But we've made it through that hurdle too.

Then when my husband started talking about becoming a Chaplain. I REALLY didn't like that idea. I had known a chaplain's wife who (to me, on the outside) seemed too perfect. She had perky hair, she taught Bible studies, she had perfect children. That wasn't me. I couldn't possibly manage all that. But then I've met other Chaplain's wives who have assured me that the military needs all kinds, and that I would do ok.

And now this. Through much prayer and discussion, we have decided that homeschooling is right for our family. I've said for about 12 years that I wouldn't homeschool. You see, I taught our eldest son at home and I didn't do a very good job. He was difficult. He wouldn't listen to me. I understand now that it wasn't me. The outcome of my first attempts doesn't mean that I doomed to repeat the success or failure this time.

I've since come to realize that Philippians 4:13 is for me. "I can do all things THROUGH Christ who give me strength." It isn't my doing at all. He works through me to make me the person that I am.

That's why this newest change in my life doesn't scare me so much. I know that if God wants me to do this thing, homeschooling, then He will provide the strength I need to get through it.

So, dear reader, all 3 of you, keep praying. I'm going to need all the strength I can get.

Another UFO Finish

2010-06-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Just finished another UFO. This one really was the oldest one I had. I thought that the pinwheel quilt was older, but after reviewing dates, I discovered that this one was started in 1991, this was my second quilt. The first was a needle turn applique, (what was I thinking?) quilt in a queen size to fit on my bed.

My tumbler quilt was laid out on my mother's family room floor while my husband was in basic training back in 1991. I lived with my parents while he was away. I cut out the shapes with a template and scissors and sewed one row at a time and laid it back down on the floor. There are so much faster methods now!

I wanted a gradient style quilt that sort of faded from pinks, to blues and then greens. I don't know if I had enough pieces to really accomplish this, but in my early unskilled years as a quilter, I don't think I did too badly.

I decided to quit a little paisley in each dark tumbler and stitched 1/4 away from the seam on the light colored squares. If I had it to do all over, I think I would just do an all over fan pattern, I think it's called a Baptist fan. That's a favorite of Bonnie Hunter's, and I'm a fan of hers.

Quilt for Eden

2010-06-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

My newest grand niece was born last month. I've been working on this little baby quilt for a while and it was done the day she arrived, but her Mommy and Daddy didn't know what to call her.

Once they decided her name, I was on to another project, and had a hard time getting it out again to make the label. But now it's done, label embroidered, and stitched on.

I hope she likes it. It's made completely from vintage sheets and one dust ruffle, (the chocolate brown stripe.) I quilted it in a "waterfall" design, from top to bottom.

And no, this one wasn't in my UFO list. Some things just take precedence.

Remember to never forget...

2010-05-31T05:12:00.000-07:00

A Frugal Quilter's Dream

2010-05-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits to volunteering at the food bank here in my little home town is the thrift store right next door. I usually only get to run in with a donation while my kids wait in the car, or quickly scan the kitchen section for canning jars, but on Thursdays when I have a break in my food bank work, and while I have a babysitter at home, I enjoy a leisurely browse through the fabric and bedding bins, looking for scraps of 100% cotton fabrics or vintage sheets. I also scan the men's and women's button up shirt racks for treasures.

I used to say that if a scrap of fabric ever made it into my house, it wouldn't emerge unless it had been made into something useful, a quilt, apron, potholder, rag rug, etc. Now the same goes for men's shirts. I may even start scanning my husband's closets for pretty patterns.

I'm in the process of making two more scrappy log cabin quilts for my other two boys who share a bedroom. Their quilts will be red, blues, creams, yellows and some bear/nautical prints. Today I found this gorgeous Old Navy men's shirt with red white and blue stripes with ships' flags. I was so excited. The good thing about this shirt is it's a 2XL, so that means almost 2 yards of fabric for my quilting obsession.

I bought 4 men's shirts, one was 2XL, two of them were large size, long sleeved and the other was a large, short sleeve. Once I cut them up, I'll get about 5 yards of fabric, for a whopping, $2.40. If I had shopped at my local quilting shop, (which I admit to doing way too often...) I would have paid about $50 for the same amount of fabric.

Then later, my babysitter brought me a trash bag full of fabric, while most of it was fleece, knits and polyesters, I did find some scraps of solid 100% cotton percales. One can never have too many solids. I've washed them all, hung them on my drying rack and later I'll be cutting the up the shirts to add to my scrap bins.

Bonnie Hunter is my quilt hero, and you can find out why I'm so obsessed with men's shirts over at her website, quiltville.com.

Enjoy the eye candy!!

Military Spouse

2010-05-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

In honor of today being Military Spouse appreciation day, I'm writing to tell you how I came to be a military spouse.

Nearly 20 years ago, my husband, myself and our son were living in a little duplex near Camel's Back Park in Boise. Jut down the street from the trendy, hip neighborhood of Hyde Park. We hobnobbed with bicycle touring, and kayaking college students. I worked at a family owned sporting goods store running their embroidery machine in the sweatshop basement. I created beautiful cheer leading outfits, band uniforms and Letterman jackets.

Bear was a college student finishing up his teaching degree and had gotten frustrated with the liberalness of the department and had left the university.

After much prayer and research, we decided that it would be a good life with many benefits to join the armed forces in some manner. His first choice was the Air Force, be Bear is slightly colorblind and didn't make their cut off criteria.

He was a music major in college, so he tried out for the 35th Army band. He was accepted and soon left for Basic Training at Fort Sill, OK. I stayed in our apartment for a while but soon discovered that juggling a toddler in day care, living expenses and trying to get back and forth to work with less than reliable transportation wasn't all it was cut out to be.

I quit my sweatshop job and moved all our things into a storage unit and moved in with my Mother-in-Law, and step-father-in-law. After a few months, I got a job waitressing in a small Ma and Pa restaurant in the little town of Payette, Idaho.

After Bear was finished with basic training, we decided that going full time Army was probably a better situation for us than just reserve days on the weekends. While Bear was in AIT, training to be a legal specialist and then later a Chaplain Assistant, we decided that Gadget-boy and I would get along better with my family during that extended training situation. My father came to Idaho and helped move all our things to Utah.

I got a job at a greenhouse-nursery selling, watering and caring for plants. I loved working there, loved tending the little seedlings and watching them grow into flourishing flowers. Memorial Day weekend, my husband had a four-day pass and came home to visit us, and my employer would not give me anytime off to go away with him. He said if you go, then you don't come back. That was fine with me and we left. We spent a wonderful weekend in West Yellowstone at my parent's time share condo.

Bear returned to AIT and we returned to my parent's home. In August, Bear had new orders to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and we prepared to move out things once a gain. The 22nd of August we flew to Kansas, slept on the floor at the home of Bear's NCOIC. The next day we found an apartment and bought a car.

We made many friends at Fort Leavenworth, many of which I still count as my very best friends today. That post shaped the military wife that I am today. Fort Leavenworth is mainly an officer/TRADOC )training and doctrine) post. There were two officer courses there back in the 90's. CGSC and CAS3. CGSC was a longer assignment and many of the officer's wives came along for the 10-11 month stay. I attended PWOC with the other military wives and absorbed their grace and compassion. Many images of lovely ladies floods my mind as I write this, Sandra, Wendy, Ann, Daphnee, Melinda, Denise, (love you still) and Donna, ( I will miss you always.)

The job of a military spouse is not an easy one. The ladies who followed their officer husbands to CGSC came along thinking that it would be a respite from other activities and would find time to spend with their husbands. It was not always so. Many times they were the ones taking their children to camp, softball games while their spouse was at home studying, writing papers to further their career.

As I have grown as a military spouse, I'm inclined to say that it is the hardest job in the world. Though, that would probably be on overstatement, it's certainly one of the most difficult. I have stood by a young wife, supporting her as she spoke one final goodbye to her sweetheart as his casket was lowered into the ground. I have had other wives support me through labor pains when my husband could not be there.

Military wives are passionate. We learn to make friends fast, and for the most part, they are true friends. Life is too short to be fickle, conniving, and vicious back-stabbers; contrary to Hollywood's portrayal. We've helped unpack boxes with the new neighbor, and we've gladly accepted the leftovers from our old friends when they PCS to another duty station.

As my life as a military spouse has progressed, sometimes regular Army, sometimes reserve, sometimes as a civilian family longing to be back in full time, I will forever be blessed by the friendships created and nourished with other military spouses along the way.

I can't send each of you a bouquet of flowers, but I can share some of the beauty from my backyard. God bless you military spouses. You are definitely appreciated!

My oldest UFO finished!

2010-05-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of the family asked me to handquilt a quilt for her too many years ago to count. I can't remember who did the piecing, some relative of hers. I've had it on my GraceFrame hand quilting frame for a long time.

I have had 5 more children since then, moved five times and carefully packed it along each time.

I was determined to start finishing things while Bear is gone on this deployment. This was the UFO that gave me the most grief and added stress to my life. The guilt associated with having this quilt for so long stifled my creativity and nagged at the back of my procrastinating brain.

It's done!! I pulled it off the frame a few weeks ago and finished hand sewing the binding on yesterday. I washed and dried it, and took a picture for my archives. I will attach a label before I send it off to my friend, if she still counts me as one.

Even though a twin size quilt only weighs a few pounds, I feel like a TON has been lifted off my shoulders!

Tonsillectomy

2010-04-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today, my Chels got her tonsils taken out. She did a great job and I am so proud of her. They schedule the surgeries youngest first, taking the babies first and then the patients get increasingly older.

She was a little bit scared at first, but she had her iPod shuffle and "zoned" out while we were waiting for her turn.

The surgery center where she had the proceedure done was very efficient, I spoke with both the doctor and the anethesiologist during our 20 minute wait. The were quick, efficient, but also very patient in anwering any questions I had about the proceedure and recovery time. I was fairly impressed.

They took her back and I waited in the waiting room for about 30 minutes. The Doc came back and told me she had done just fine and was groggily resting in the recovery room.

While I was sitting in the waiting room, I had an enigmatic experience. I had been working on this project. Carefully sewing the little seams back together with tiny running stitches, and appliqueing a few pieces that were too fragile for the running stitches. There was a lady sitting next to me, the grandmother of the girl who was taken back just after Chels. She sat and played a Nintendo DS game as I stitched on my quilt. I felt so juxtaposed, so twisted in time.

I was amused that no one stopped to look at my work, no one inquired what I was doing. The nurse in recovery asked me if I was sewing a blanket. A blanket?! Sheesh, that's like calling a 1967 Mustang just a car!

What has happend to our world? Has our maternal ancestors faile to pass the torch of our craft? Where are the mothers and nurterors of tomorrow if the grandmothers are playing video games instead of following Titus

Quilt Rescue

2010-03-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Some people have an affinity for animal rescue. That's wonderful for them. There are many poor pets that need a loving home and someone to be their advocate. I appreciate the work and the services they provide.

I, however, have a heart for unloved, abused quilts. At every yard sale I visit I keep a keen eye out for poor unloved fragments of fabric. Every once in a while I find a treasure worthy of rescue.

Today was that sort of a day. I stopped just down the road, not thinking I would find anything, browsed a few tables, walked around a corner and saw this beauty. It was marked $22, which was a steal of a deal for the vintage fabric and hand sewing involved. I quickly and discreetly scanned the bills in my purse and was about to walk away, but the "yard sale manager" said she would consider all offers. I quickly said that I only had $13, would that be OK. She hemmed and hawed, then caved! YES!!

This vintage Double Wedding Ring was poor, unloved and abused. It was once a lovely item. Perhaps it was a wedding gift for a newly returned soldier and his bride. Maybe his mother made it while praying for his safe return.

Then again, maybe his sweetheart made it as she hoped for the best--that he would one day come home and return her love with a proposal.

I can always dream.

Back to the facts: it is 1930's vintage fabrics, it was hand pieced. At one time it had been quilted with lovely little stitches in a yellow cotton thread. It looks as if it had only been quilted to a flannel sheet. It has since been cut away from that flannel except around the fine yellow stitches.

I'd really like to restore it to its original beauty and luster. I really have no idea where to start, except to resew the edges and get the arcs back together. Then maybe to sandwich it and quilt around the yellow stitches.

Any other ideas?

Binding on the Wonky Cabins

2010-03-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

I finished sewing the binding on last night while I watched "Blind Side." I thought this would be an appropriate movie since I was doing the "Bind Side" of the quilt, haha!

Great movie. Great actors. But no one to watch it with. I hate watching good movies without my Bear....but I digress.

Back to Beary Wonky Cabins by the Lake.

In keeping with the scrappy look of the quilt, I did a scrappy binding too and pulled all my reds and blues out of the binding drawer and pieced them all together.

I love hand sewing a binding on a bed size quilt. I'll do a machine stitched one on wall hangings and table toppers, but I prefer the old fashioned way on a full-size quilt for some reason. A quilting friend of mine said that I was backwards in my opinion on this, that I should do it faster on a bigger quilt, and take my time on a quilt that didn't take so long to finish. I don't know. I guess I'm just weird like that.

I'll be sending a picture of the finished top to Bonnie Hunter to post on her website. She shares pictures of your quilts if you have made one of her patterns. I originally found her crumb tutorial and I knew I had to make one of these, since my boys have bunk beds, I need to make another one; maybe even two, since I have three boys in that room; although Boo is still in a toddler bed.

I've also been playing with these blocks for Christy. They are pretty addicting too. I'm ready to sew the "X" together today. I'm so excited for her to see them. You can read about the quilt she is making for her hubby here.

Beary Wonky Cabins by the Lake

2010-03-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

I've had this top unquilted for a while now. It's a crumb chaos block which you can find tutorials for here and here.

Beware, if you try these, they are addicting. You just whip along mindlessly sewing, and streaming out the backside of your machine come these lovely wonky things. I love wonky these days, ever since I did my wonky houses for Jennifer.

So, yesterday, I really wanted to stipple. Just to meander around the quilt and not really think about what I was doing. So, I sandwiched this top with batting and backing, and went to town, or rather went to the Lake.

(I really did label the quilt with my name, but I don't post that sort of stuff on the web.)

My boys have bunk beds, so this will be for one bunk and the other bunk may get its covering soon, I'm such a fan of wonky blocks, I have to do more.

I still have to bind it, but couldn't wait to show you. So, what have you finished lately?

They're here!!

2010-03-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

My new Elna Quilting Queen and my Elna 8200 Experience Embroidery machines are here!! I'm unpacking them now. Later I'll be sewing, and after that, more sewing, and after the sewing, I think I'll be...yep, sewing. I may come out from under in a few days!!

Don't expect to see me until the newness wears off, maybe in say about 10 years!!

(I will post pictures in a little while as soon as they are all unpacked and pretty.)

Entering a Honey Bun Giveaway!

2010-03-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, it's not what you think! A honey bun is a sweet rolled up bundle of fabric strips! They are 1 & 1/2 inches wide and come in the most luscious colors!
I'm entering the giveaway here. I'm also in an online quilting bee with this talented crafter! Seriously, she is a crafting maniac! Christy makes the coolest things out of "stuff" the sort of stuff that other people would throw away! She's my kind of frugal gal that way!

So, hop on over, follow her instructions and you can have a chance at a honey bun too!

Under construction...

2010-03-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Hi dear readers. I think there may be two of you...
I'm working on a new layout and a post to go with it.
I'll be under construction for a bit, so please bear with me.
It'll be good, I promise.
See you soon...

Tax return and debt relief

2010-03-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

According to the IRS, our income tax return will be deposited tomorrow. I am so thankful! With it, we are retiring some debt, paying off a personal loan and catching up on a few things that have been pushed to the back burner during Bear's most recent stretch of unemployment.

First and foremost, we are paying off my truck. We currently owe more than it is worth, but we have determined that we will not be buying another vehicle for quite a long time, so we are making this one our primary concern.

My suburban was repossessed last summer and we were literally crippled without it. When there are 7 in your immediate family, you can't really go anywhere in a two passenger pickup. Paying off the truck is first so that it will never get taken away from us again.

While I do not fault the bank or the repo company, as they were just doing their job, it is certainly frustrating, and a bit scary to walk outside and wonder where is your vehicle.

Second on our list, is to pay back a personal loan from a friend that Bear worked with a few years ago. His generous offer helped us to stay in our house and not have that taken away from us. It has been a year of God's perfect timing. I have described this past year as if I were standing on the edge of a great chasm, with darkness all around and not knowing where to take the next step. God's grace held us perfectly still at times and directed our steps when it was time to move. This year, while one of the most difficult we have ever been through, has also strengthened my faith in a way that never would have happened if the road had been easy.

Thirdly, I'm going to do a little truck maintenance, tires, and alignment, and possibly a tuneup. I have to take care of the Big Blue Beast.

After all the "must do's" on my list, I'm thinking of getting this. Then I'm saving up for one of these for Bear when he returns.

Random day...

2010-03-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

Does grocery shopping just make you exhausted? By the time I get to the checkout, I'd like to tip the bagger extra to have her come home with me and unpack it all.

Then off to Costco to see what good deals I could find there. I found one! This fabulous little camp stove and propane burner unit. It has a griddle or flip it over to have a grill, for pancakes or steak! And on the other side, a burner so that I can do all my pressure cooking outside and not ruin my ceramic stove top.

I can't wait til it warms up so I can use it outside, for outdoor cooking.

I thrifted some lovely vintage sheets the other day. We have a great thrift store in our little town. They sell pillowcases for 35 cents each. Each pillowcase yields two fat quarters and lots of strips for my fabric stash bins.

Not much work on my UFO's lately. I just did a rush job for a customer, two purple dance costumes for an SRSIrishdance.com. I'd love to go see them, I love Irish dance.

Now I'm relaxing to my piano. I just run the remote, my Weber does all the work. Every time I sit down to play I have an accompanist who sits and plunks along beside me. I can't tell if the sour notes are from him or me. Both, probably.

Off to bed, and maybe catch up on my through the Bible in a year. Sort of fell off the bandwagon on that one.

Mowing the yard, Self Worth, and Calf-skin Gloves…

2010-03-05T18:49:00.001-08:00

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, no clouds in the sky finally and warm enough to get outside and do some much needed yard work.

There were leaves left over in the front flowerbed and needed to come out so they wouldn’t smother the emerging plants underneath. The grass in the front had matted leaves too. I pulled out the rake and scraped and scraped until it was all loose and free. Then I went into the garage to dig the mower out from under the piles of Nerf bats, balls, and Tonka trucks that had piled on its top during the winter months. While I was in the garage I grabbed the first pair of gloves I could reach. Blue knit jersey ones with rubber on the palms. They would provide enough coverage for my hands while I mowed.

I checked the gas, added some oil and primed it six times. Pulled the rip cord and to my utter amazement, it started right up!! My front yard isn’t very big, it only takes about six passes with the mower and a quick turn around the flowerbed and it’s done. So then I breezed through the side yard and even did the street section in front of my house and my neighbor’s.

I opened the large side gates and let the sun shine onto the front yard where it gets shaded when the sun is low in the winter months. I could almost hear it breathing in the sunshine and soaking up the nutrients! My yard is looking good, I thought.

But then I turned to the right and saw how overgrown my beautiful rosa rugosa has become. Working on it during the summer months is dangerous. It is completely covered in tiny sharp spines that will ruin your hands. I grabbed my clippers and started whacking out the dead stuff and the suckers that have spouted outside its designated area. Snip, ouch, whack, clip, ouch, ouch! Those knit jersey gloves weren’t enough for the job. They were fine while I was mowing but when it came right down to the tough stuff, I wasn’t prepared.

I went back inside the garage and dug out the good gloves. I have a fabulous pair of calf-skin gloves that even the toughest rosa rugosa won’t get to. That’s what I needed. My hands thanked me, and I got back to my task. Soon the “rough rose” was tamed again and not so rough looking.

Recently, I’ve had some “rough roses” in my life; stuff at work, issues at home, things that make a girl feel like she’s not doing a good job. Situations when a mom feels like anyone could do this job better than her.

I realized while I was cutting my roses that I was having a spiritual “glove problem.” I wasn’t protected from the worldly spines that can pierce my soul. My self-worth does not come from outside factors but from who I am in Christ; who does He say that I am.

When the world says I’m worthless, Christ says I am a new creature. When friends mock my behavior, Christ says I am a reflection of Him. When those I have offended call me names or threaten to tarnish my reputation, He says, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

I realized today that I don’t have the protection I need from the world just as my hands didn’t have protection from the thorns. I haven’t put on the whole armor of God lately. From Ephesians chapter 6: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Emphasis mine.)

It’s the shield I have been missing lately. Those flaming darts were getting through my armor and hurting me. They burn, they affect my spiritual outlook on life and I don’t like it.

Taking up the shield of faith has always been hard for me. My faith is weak. I have doubts, and fears. I waver and vacillate one way and the other. I’m easily swayed by voices whispering sweet things in my ear. I know that voice. I’ve heard it all my life and it’s the voice of the enemy.

How do I block out the enemy’s voices? And he has many. I hear his voice in the snacks from the cupboard. I hear his voice inside my head telling me I’m not good enough, I’ll never be thinner, and that I just can’t cope with the circumstances around me. I even hear it voiced over other people’s voices. He sometimes uses those closest to me.

When I’m trying to block out noises at home I turn on my iPod and stick my ear-buds in my ears and crank up the praise songs. I close the door to the sound and get in a quiet place.

I once had a teacher in high school that demonstrated that if you stick your fist into a bucket of water it will displace the liquid. But if you pull your fist out, the water rushes back into the cavity left by your hand. If you want to keep the water level the same you have to replace your hand with a similar sized substance.

I have to do the same thing when I want to block out the devil’s voice. I have to replace his voice with scripture. I turn up the Christian music; I read the Bible and meditate on God’s word. I tune out the devil and listen to my Master’s voice instead.

He is my calf-skinned leather gloves to the rosa rugosas of the world.

Squishy!!

2010-03-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

On one of my quilting groups, when people receive a package in the mail they call it a squishy. It's squishy because it's full of soft pretty fabrics, or quilt blocks, or fun sewing gifts.

I got one in the mail today! Ooh, I LOVE squishies!!

I'm participating in a vintage sheet swap over here. Jennifer did a great job of hosting it. She said she had 545 fat quarters and 38 participants. WOW, what a job!!

Thank you so much Jennifer for hosting this! It was so much fun. I can't wait to go through and fold and fondle each one!

Finishing a UFO

2010-03-03T16:26:00.001-08:00

I've updated my sidebar with all my UFO's. I'm determined to get a big chunk of these completed this year. I can really fritter away my time and after recently quitting my part time job, I've got to get organized if I'm going to really accomplish things. So, although they aren't in any particular order right now, (I may rearrange them by priority,) I'm chipping away at that list.

First of all, let me introduce the Zeller Pinwheel. I've had this quilt too long. It's been on this frame for years. I told a friend of mine I would quilt it for her, it was pieced by a relative of hers and basted already. Then we moved, several times, she moved twice, and we've recently been back in touch. Now I'm determined to finish it this year.

I've moved my quilting frame downstairs where I will see it daily and can spend time sitting and quilting on it. That is the only way I'll get it done. Just do it!

I've counted the rows and columns, it is 9x11, that's 99 of these little pinwheels. So if I shoot for, at the very least, one pinwheel block a day, I'll have it done in a little over three months. I have a big section completed, but I'm not counting those, I'm just using them as a cushion.

So there it is. Officially on a schedule. I will have this done by the end of May. Then I'll finish the binding, and get it out in the mail to my friend.

How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

Bee Block is finished

2010-03-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in an on-line quilting bee. You can see the posts here.

Jennifer asked for cute little wonky house blocks. I made two. The first one was sort of a practice, it turned out ok. Not my favorite. The second one is better, I hope she likes them both. I'm sending both, but no pictures until she gets the package.

Ooo, I love surprizes!!

I'm off to do some more quilt blocks. Well, and laundry, always laundry.

Back to being a SAHM

2010-03-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

For the past ten months, I juggled. Juggled dinners, homework, laundry and working part time at the local quilt shop in town.

I am so done with working. I enjoyed it. I made some good friends. I learned a lot. Now let's get back to doing what I was meant to do.

Dishes.

Laundry.

Helping with homework.

Changing diapers.

Mowing the lawn.

Quilting, just for me.

And I'm loving every minute of it!

Standing Stones...

2010-02-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, (or today, depending on when you read this) the 18th of February is a milestone in our family.

One year ago, on that day, my brother accidentally shot himself and died. It was tragic, shocking, heartbreaking for his wife and children, and his extended family, his brothers, sisters and mother.

Milestones are hard, they are reminders of the pain and loss that we thought had gone away. They are what they are and we have to deal.

Every time something significant in the Old Testament happened, the protagonist would create a milestone, or a standing stone of the event.

When Jacob dreamt about the ladder with the angels descending and ascending up on it, when he awoke, he set it up as a standing stone or a milestone. “'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it'....then Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it." Genesis 28:17-18.

Dictionary.com defines a milestone this way: "a stone functioning as a milepost; a significant event or stage in the life, progress, and development of a person, nation, etc."

The death of a family member may not seem like it would promote progress or development, but I believe it has.

Through his death I now realize just how important relationships are. I'm not afraid to tell people that I love them. Not just family members, but friends. Some people look at me like I'm nuts, but I feel these emotions deeply and I'm not afraid to say it.

Because Clarence is gone, I'm ever mindful of the role that my husband Bear plays in my children's lives. They need both parents. All the time. Not just on the weekends, or when you aren't burdened down with duties and projects at work. I have felt the hurt when my nephew has had to step into the role of his father and walk his sisters down the aisle to be married. I've watched as he has taken over as the patriarch of the family. My nephew is an amazing man and certainly qualified for the job, but I believe he was handed the baton too soon.

Because I feel the loss of my brother in my own life, I am aware of my children's feelings toward their brothers and sisters. I try to instill in them how important it is to really love each other; for one day, we will have partings among us too. I want them to always know how much they are loved.

It is because of the example of my dear brother that I write this blog. He was my encouragement. He was my source of strength when I thought that my writings weren't good enough. It didn't matter to him. He thought what I had to say mattered and so he gave me the boost I needed to submit an article for publication.

So, tomorrow I will set a standing stone in remembrance of a family member. February 18th will be the standing stone. The milepost. That date on the calendar will say to me, "We have come this far. We have hurt, we have cried, been enraged, but we have grown. We will move on from the hurt and pain. We will overcome."

My dear brother, I was angry, I was in shock, I was hurt, I mourned your loss. But because of this milestone, I will remember, and I will be stronger for knowing you.

(You can read the eulogy I gave at his funeral here.)

Bad Days...

2010-02-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

We all have them. We usually hate them. They come at us mercilessly with no retreat. One thing on top of another, after another.

Like my bad day, which was really more like four bad days rolled into one long Mount Everest like journey.

Toilets overflow. Sink drains get backed up--in need of Drain-O and spills out of the trap. Then the floor of the cupboard is warped and wet. There's a hole in the bathroom door. Breakfast messes all over, burned finger with the curling iron, (my grey hair is showing,) trying to get out the door to go to church, no socks or shoes, where's the diaper bag, Finally in the truck, buckled up, where's the crock pot for church dinner, back to the driveway, return to the car, spills the coffee, stained white turtleneck, back in the driveway, takes a Tylenol, finally on the way, only 30 minutes late.

Just getting past the morning was a challenge, but now we are listening to praise music in the car. I'm feeling better, ready to face the day and be pleasant. The kids go to Sunday School and I go to the back of the truck to retrieve the crock pot full of sweet and sour meatballs. I find it upside down in the cargo area.

I have a nice travel crock pot, with a tight fitting lid and a zippered carrying case. Amazingly it contained the whole sticky mess and kept it all inside. I knew, however, that I would have cleanup when I got to the kitchen. God gave me the grace to keep a smile on my face regardless of the dripping oozing mess concealed inside the zippered container.

After 30 minutes of scrubbing, washing and rinsing, my crock was plugged in, and the meatballs were heating again nicely, only missing a cup or two of the sauce. I missed Sunday School and decided that worship service was where I needed to be.

Boy, did I ever...

God knows our needs. I say that a lot, because lately that's what He keeps assuring me. From one end of the bulletin to the other, I read of God's provision, his love, and His assurance that I am not alone.

A friend of mine posted a link to message by R.C. Sproul, entitled The Dark Night of the Soul. R.C. says this about depression:

"This phenomenon describes a malady that the greatest of Christians have suffered from time to time. It was the malady that provoked David to soak his pillow with tears. It was the malady that earned for Jeremiah the sobriquet, “The Weeping Prophet.” It was the malady that so afflicted Martin Luther that his melancholy threatened to destroy him. This is no ordinary fit of depression, but it is a depression that is linked to a crisis of faith, a crisis that comes when one senses the absence of God or gives rise to a feeling of abandonment by Him."

I've been in this dark place. I have said those very words. Months ago I wrote in my personal journal, (only part of it will I quote here, much is too dark for me to even reread.) After unemployment stretched on and on, the army not accepting Bear's active duty packet, the mortgage company threatening to foreclose, and my suburban being repossessed, I described my crisis of faith in this way.

"Everyone says to me, 'You must believe in God's Word...' 'You have to trust that He says He will never leave you or forsake you...' 'He is with you always, you just have to look to Him and believe...' 'It will all work out, you'll see, and you'll look back and understand why you went through what you went through.' (and this is a good one,) 'He'll never give you more than you can handle.' So, what if I can't even believe that this IS the word of God, what if God isn't even there. What if He just created us and leaves us to our own devises and this is just what we get for being selfish, wicked human beings. I cannot believe anymore!! He has drug me into too deep of a pit and I can't get out. This is more than I can handle!"

That's where I was several months ago. I was in a Dark Night of the Soul, and that is exactly what my depression was rooted in, my belief that God did not exist, or if he did then he didn't care about me and had abandoned me.

But God...

He pulled us out of that pit. He set our feet on solid ground and made the path straight before us.

But God...

He has not left us, He is using people, circumstances, hymns, and scripture to anoint my wounded heart. He is bandaging my broken spirit with His word--to let me know that I am not alone, that even the psalmist David soaked his pillow with tears.

The words of Charles Wesley spoke to me today during the hymn of the day. I don't know why that particular hymn was chosen, it didn't seem to fit with the topic of the transfiguration of Christ, but it was just what I needed to hear; verse three of "Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies"

"Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day."

R.C. speaks again of this crisis of faith, he says. "Spiritual depression is real and can be acute... Our faith is not a constant action. It is mobile. It vacillates. We move from faith to faith, and in between we may have periods of doubt when we cry, 'Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief.' "

I am at this point in my recovery. I can now acknowledge that He is here and I'm trying to believe, but I still doubt at times.

Bad days happen, toilets overflow, crock pots spill their contents and ooze sticky messes, coffee cups dribble on white shirts and people get cranky.

But God...

He is there to comfort us through those bad days with words such as these, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor. 4:7–10).

Our joy comes from the Lord, not of ourselves. We cannot produce joy without first being filled with the joy of the Lord.

During my Dark Night, I was going through motions but I wasn't IN the word of God. I carried my Bible, but it wasn't open much of the time. I hid behind a facade of the cheerful Christian and didn't allow those around me to see my hurt, and I didn't listen to much of the comforting words that were said to me.

I knew in my head that Jesus had gone through much more than what I was called to bear, but that didn't make it any easier, after all He is God! But R.C. put that in perspective for me as well. That doesn't mean that Jesus was a Pollyanna, always being "glad" in the face of trials. He knew grief too;

"Our Lord Himself was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Though grief may reach to the roots of our souls, it must not result in bitterness. Grief is a legitimate emotion, at times even a virtue, but there must be no place in the soul for bitterness. In like manner, we see that it is a good thing to go to the house of mourning, but even in mourning, that low feeling must not give way to hatred."

The sermon title today was "The View From Up Here." I mentioned before that pastor was talking about the transfiguration. The sermon title means so much more to me. The view from up here is so much better than the pit that I was in. The bitterness and hatred are fading away and being replaced by His love and provision for me. The depression and darkness of my soul are giving way to His light, as bright as the noonday sun, as I return to the presence of God and bask in His glory.

Gonna be real here folks.

2010-02-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

I decided a long time ago that this blog was mostly for me. I'm not out to impress anyone with sewing skills, canning abilities or Biblical knowledge. This is my journal, I've just invited you all along for the ride. So, this is what my journal entry is for today.

Today sucks. Big time. It started out rotten and just got worse.

I volunteer at the food bank; and this morning was our volunteer breakfast. I was told it started at 7:30, didn't start until 8 or maybe even 8:30. No set time, why even bother, no one else seems to have a schedule or a life.

So, I arrive and no one else was there. Ok, there was this one guy, but he's mostly a creep and I don't get a long with him. I talked, dug through my small talk repertoire and got more irritated as the morning went on.

So finally everyone else arrived, we ate, and I scooted out before the "I appreciate you, but this is my program and I'll tell you how wonderful I am." speech.

By the time I got home, the house was a wreck, Chels had run off, Miss Busy had broken a hole in the door and the phone was ringing long distance from Iraq.

The kids ran out the door and hopped on the bus before I really knew what had happened.

I then got the vacuuming done because there was food all over the floor, and headed out the door with Boo in the stroller to do my 3-mile walk. We did 1/4 mile before it started raining on us. I stuck it out and did 1.25 miles and we came home. Cold, wet and more cranky.

The babysitter came and took Boo upstairs for his nap, she doesn't sit with him until he falls asleep, so he gets up and gets into mischief. (Ok, I probably shouldn't sit until he is good and asleep, but I like having a bit of control over the situation.)

It turns out that sometime while she was here, he got into a game board that my uncle made and scattered pieces all over my bedroom an his bedroom. The other day I shampooed acrylic paints out of the girls' carpet because of his mischief.

Work was sucky, we were arranging fabric, and it's hard on my hands to move the bolts of fabric all over, they are heavy and I have carpel tunnel syndrome. It irritated me to have to rearrange stuff like that. Espeially when after the day crew leaves, the girl I work with at night has quit and sits in front of the computer if there are no customers. I hate just sitting. I don't want to BS with someone all night long. When I'm not doing anything it seems like this job is a waste of my time when I could be home taking care of my children.

So after work, when I came home I got the report, Ace had a nose bleed, Miss Busy had a scratched eye, no chores had been done, yet they were all sitting in front of the TV.

Then after dinner, which wasn't too fabulous either, the school counselor called me and said that Chels had come to school crying and was all upset about the morning's activities.

I never should have gone to that stupid appreciation breakfast, I can feel sufficiently appreciated if I just stay home and help my children.

I'd really like to just start this day all over again. Crawl back under the covers and sleep until noon. I'm feeling like having a good cry, but that would be unproductive. I'd really like to just go to bed, but that would be unproductive. There is laundry that needs done, sewing that needs finished, projects of my own that I would like to work on just for the pleasure of doing them, but I'm feeling pressure from all the "must do's".

Stop the world, I wanna get off.

Phone calls...

2010-02-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

are the most wonderful things aren't they? Especially when they are from your sweetheart half a world away.

It is so nice to be able to share and communicate just like he was at his office 20 minutes away instead of thousands of miles.

God has blessed us with this communication. It hasn't always been this way. In past deployments there was often no communication for days, even weeks. I am so thankful that we can talk almost daily.

It allows me the opportunity to better pray for him when I know the daily struggles he faces.

Daily communication should be a part of our spiritual life too. I've been neglecting my spiritual life lately for some reason. Maybe it's that I think I don't have enough time, or I feel I've gotten too far away from God and can't bridge the gap. But yet, I know that I'm not the one who has to cross the chasm, He has done that already.

Just like our earthly relationships, we need to cultivate and grow deeper in our spiritual relationship too. We wouldn't want to keep talking about the weather with our friends here at home, and we shouldn't always be in the "greeting" mode with God. He wants more from us than our Facebook Status updates, He wants more than an hourly "tweet" telling Him our plans. (He laughs at them anyway.)

He wants deep meaningful conversation. He wants the best for us and daily status updates really aren't the best we can give him.

I think we have become a society that craves all the instant gratification we can get. Microwave popcorn takes too long, frozen dinners make us wait. We are so impatient at red lights, we take airplanes instead of driving and complain about the check-in lines.

I admit I did it today, I was waiting in the 20 items or less line at the grocery store, waiting to purchase my 24 pack of toilet paper. The lady in front of me was having a pleasant conversation with the checker, but I was nearly stewing in my own juices, being impatient about the time it took her to load the lady's groceries. As I walked out the door after paying for my one item, I was mumbling under my breath about how long that took and now I'm going to be late, crab, crab, crab.

What if I spend my "phone call" to God that way? Is my prayer life hurried, impatient, and cranky? Do I just give him my laundry list of requests? Dump on Him my grievances for the day; then expect Him to turn me into a joyful Christian?

You get what you put into a relationship. You reap what you sow, and what you give you will get back in return. When I talk to my sweetheart on the phone, I know that I may not have much time and my next phone call is never guaranteed. I try to leave the conversation with loving attitudes and encouragement. Yet, my conversation with God often times is too quick, cranky and discouraging.

When will you really make time for your Creator? When will you make time to have that meaningful conversation with the One who gave you breath? He is longing to hear from you in a deep and meaningful way, and He doesn't check your Facebook.

Vintage Sheet Swap

2010-02-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Oooh, what fun! Jen at Rosey Little Things is hosting a vintage sheet swap. I joined late, but she still let me play! I've got my vintage sheet fat quarters cut, folded, rolled, tied and ready to go in the mail. I'm so excited to see what goodies I get back. I love swaps! It is such a nice way to share and get a different variety of stuff rather than the same old stuff you always pick up.

Besides, vintage sheets are FRUGAL!! And I'm all about that!

I have a friend...

2010-02-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

Isn't that a nice way to start a post?

Everyone should have a friend.
I would have to say that she is my oldest friend. That is not to say that she is the oldest friend that I have, but she is the one whom I have known the longest. We probably met in our church's nursery. She is 9 months and one day older than me. We went through grade school, Jr high together and then I moved over into the next school district. Not too far, but far enough that we didn't hang out like we used to.

I graduated high school, she graduated high school and then life got underway and I haven't seen her in years.

She comforted me during my father's illness and death. She has shared with me joys and sadness through the years.

It is so nice to be able to just pick up where we left off last. I never hear, "I called you last, it's your turn!" or "I'm not writing another letter until she returns one to me!"

She's been there for me through the years, and she's come to my rescue again.

Without any prompting, other than me stating my goals, she has given me great encouragement and concrete direction so that if I follow her advice I will be assured of meeting those goals.

Now that's a friend.

Here is an excerpt from her last note to me.
"I made a goal to work out 6 days a week and not miss a day. And I am over 300 days and counting. The end of March will be my one year mark. Here is what I did. I made the goal that I would work out for at least 25 minutes a day -- and it counted as long as I hadn't gone to bed yet.

It didn't have to be intense. I just had to do it. And so I began. Sometimes it was in the evening. Sometimes it was in the morning. Sometimes I was literally in my pajamas and barefoot. On the elliptical. For 25 minutes. But I did it. And I developed the habit of exercising.

Because I am going to have to do it for the rest. of. my. life."

Oh, my gosh!! Fat girl inside me is screaming! I don't wanna do this for the rest of my life! Isn't there an easier way? Isn't there a pill? A shot? A surgery, a suction, a something?

This is where my "self" takes over and what I know to be true in my heart is wrestled to floor and subdued with a slice of cheesecake.

I really do know that it takes hard work. I really do know that Fat girl didn't move in overnight. She came in one spple fritter, and one Biggie size french fry at a time.

And oh, she didn't come alone. She brought with her some of her friends too. She brought Sloth, Apathy, Busyness, and Blatant disregard for a healthy lifestyle.

But with the help of God, good friends and determination, Fat girl is packing her bags. She's outta here. It's going to take baby steps, and lots of them. Then I'll jack up that Reebok step and take bigger steps. Then we'll tackle long fast walks, and maybe a YMCA class.

I will make it. Skinny girl will take over and be more prominent in my life. I'm afraid that I'll always have a shadow of Fat girl behind me. (In more ways than one, haha!) But I'll make it, with lots of encouragement from old friends.

So, I better get used to it. I better stop being whiny and wimpy. I'd like to stay around long enough to enjoy some more of this good friendship. Love you, Bec.

The war continues...

2010-02-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the score:

1. The battle is between Fat girl and Skinny girl. Fat girl is whiny, she doesn't want to get out of bed. Right now she has more influence over the physical body than Skinny girl. It's hard to overcome her influence when the bed is warm and the room is dark.

2. Gin Miller could kill me. She is a hard taskmaster to Fat girl. She's not as tough as Jillian and she's definitely more compassionate. But to keep up with her, Fat girl will have to move out. "Kill her, Ms. Miller!" Then skinny girl and I can keep up.

3. Hip Hop Reebok is not fun when you can hardly keep your balance enough to stay on the step. Good thing I'm not doing this at a gym where I might actually be seen! (gasp) The loud guffaws would certainly stifle my resolve.

4. The shopping list is all wrong. Starbucks apple fritters are not part of this workout, but Fat girl keeps forgetting that. Skinny girl needs to exercises her resolve and assertion and not let Fat girl bully her. (But you know, Fat girl is big, and bossy, and cranky when she doesn't get her apple fritters.)

5. The real reason this battle is hard right now. I haven't invited the Fitness Master to be in on it with me. He is the one who keeps my spiritual life in shape. He is the one to whom I should look to get rid of Fat girl. He can do it. He can help me tackle her to the ground and make her pack her bags.

Philippians 4:13, for Pete's sake! "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

"Jesus, can we do something about Fat girl? Skinny girl can't breathe!"

Symbiosis and dividends...

2010-01-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

This deployment is different than all the others.

Well, for one, this time Bear is the Chaplain, and not the Chaplain assistant. This time he doesn't carry a weapon, which given the success rate of his firing range experience, that's not a bad thing. This time he is in a different role, and this time, so am I.

I have mentioned before, I think, how I never wanted to be a Chaplain's wife, but through the examples of Godly women in my life and the Holy Spirit working on my heart over the past 16 years, He has changed me. But at the same time, God knows our needs, our strengths and our weaknesses.

I have a friend, Laura, who has stepped into the role of Chaplain's wife so beautifully it constantly amazes me. She is loving, and a truly compassionate partner to her Chaplain/husband through some very difficult circumstances, and God has built a ministry to the spouses of her husband's soldiers through Laura. She has been a comfort to hurting wives and families in her husband's unit and is lovely example of Grace, and "Jesus, with skin on."

When I grow up, I want to be like her. I'm so not there yet.

As Bear and I began walking this path nearly three years ago, I felt certain that I would not be able to be his "civilian partner" and minister to his soldier's families because of the ages of our children and the season of life I am in right now. God knows that and has given me baby steps, and a picture, (in miniature) of duties to come.

With this deployment, Bear is assigned to a Chaplain Detachment, so he doesn't really have a large unit of soldiers with whom he will be working. His "team" consists of him and his Chaplain's Assistant.

The relationship between a Chaplain and his assistant is unique, consisting of an officer, the Chaplain; and an enlisted soldier, the Chaplain assistant. Ordinarily, (in my experience) officers and enlisted soldiers are like oil and water. When thrown in a jar together and shaken, they will mingle and work together quite nicely, but when the shaking stops, they each retreat to their own levels. This is not the case in the symbiotic relationship between Chaplain and assistant.

The Chaplain relies on the enlisted soldier for protection in a combat zone, because the Chaplain does not carry a weapon; for support in his duties as a Chaplain, and sometimes the assistant becomes a gateway to the other enlisted soldiers in the unit. The enlisted soldier in turn, relies on the Chaplain for guidance, leadership and hopefully encouragement in his own career development, promotions, etc.

It can and should be a relationship built on trust and respect. In some ways it is not unlike a marriage--created in the halls of the pentagon, if you will, and sometimes, (more often than not) blessed of God.

Through the 17 years that Bear was a Chaplain's assistant, he has known some wonderful Chaplains. They have been mentors to him, spiritual guidance counselors, pastors and friends. He has also known some immature Chaplains, who were difficult, selfish, and lazy. These are not the norm, however and his good experiences far outweigh the bad.

I have prayed for Bear's unknown assistant since he embarked on this journey to become a Chaplain. I didn't know who it would be. It could have been a female. It might have been a non-believer with no regard for the things of God. I prayed that as a Chaplain, Bear could be a positive influence in the life of that soldier, just as Bear's Chaplains have been in his life.

God listens.

He has given Bear an amazing assistant who knows and loves the Lord. He has a great love of scripture and studying God's word. Plus, he's a crack shot at the firing range. For which I am most thankful.

God has blessed this relationship though, in a way I did not expect. He has given me a new friend. Someone I can hopefully mentor and teach. Someone I can come alongside and share what I have learned about Army family life. We have only just begun this relationship and it has already proved to be equally as symbiotic.

As you may know from my sidebar and my comments area, I don't use real names on my blog, so we'll just call her Kate. Kate and I have emailed a few times and gotten to know one another. I've come to know just how much she loves her soldier and her God. She will make a good Army wife, and I hope that we will be around to share the blessed event with them one day. But for now, Kate and Jay are in a long-distance relationship. (Darn deployments.)

She is new to this whole "army-family-deployment-separation-what's going on with my soldier" thing. So I've been trying to find ways to encourage her. To help her understand the army system and answer any questions she may have. A day or two ago, I passed along a compliment I "overheard" about her soldier, just to give her a boost for the day, and she ended up returning the investment I made in her, by passing along some encouragement to me which she also "overheard."

That's the way God does things. We are blessed to be a blessing. We pass it on to someone else and it, in turn, gets passed around and we all end up getting a blessing. I love this verse in Luke, chapter 6, verse 38; "give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

That's what Kate has done for me. She has been one more confirmation that Bear is on the right path. It has been such a difficult, winding, often dark and scary road to get here. We always tried to remember the words of one of those Godly Chaplains in our past, "Stay the course. It may not be easy, but stay the course!" It is good to finally be on the other side of that wilderness road; to emerge from the darkness on the other side and see light, not only Light, but a Way stretching out in front of us with many wonderful symbiotic experiences--and Godly dividends.

Flying out...

2010-01-25T17:58:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be easier to say goodbye this time. I had already held him in my arms one last time and kissed him goodbye.

He's been TDY since Jan 2nd, so I really thought that this would be just an extension of that absence.

Not so. We spoke on the phone today. He told me he was flying out to the sandbox in the next hour or so. We told each other "I love you!" and my voice cracked. I cried. I hope he didn't hear it in my voice. He thinks I'm strong. He knows I am capable of changing a tire or climbing up on the roof to check the shingles. He's seen me balance the calendars of 5 kids and be nursemaid, chef, and taxi driver.

It's just that my best friend is no longer here. He's not in this state, he's not even in our country. That makes me sad. It made me cry to think that he was going so far away.

I don't want him to think I can't do this. I can. I can if I remember Philippians 4:13 for Pete's sake!

Because I am strong. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." As long as "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

I think I'm going to be reading the book of Philippians a lot this year.

Goals update

2010-01-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

Well, after only a week, I have been up early 5 out of 7 days to do some sort of workout. I haven't completely fallen off the bandwagon and I'm feeling sore in places that I never knew could get sore.

I have taken back one pair of shoes and I'm searching for another. I need a good supportive shoe in which I can do my aerobics workout. Even though I do it on the floor at home, I can't do it shoeless. So the last few days I've been doing Pilate's and targeted muscle toning. It feels good, but I'm not getting the caloric burn that I'd like to accomplish.

I can't seem to stop putting calories in, however, and that is frustrating me. I'm trying to stay focused on the goal, and take baby steps. I have pretty much eliminated all the junk food in the house, but it is the quantity that I have a problem with now.

There will always be an ongoing battle between fat-girl and skinny-girl inside me. I know I can do this, I've lost weight and felt good about it before, it's just the dailiness and monotony of getting into a new habit.

It's so easy to have two pieces of toast instead of one. The toaster has two slots so why not just do another one. It's so easy to eat a whole package of trail mix, when I read on the package that there are two servings inside. I have to break out of these habits and replace with good ones.

And therein lies the problem.

How.

I'm making some motivational signs to post on the pantry doors and the fridge. That helped before.

Will update again soon.

Green--revisited

2010-01-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

So, apparently this is to be the characteristic that I am to work on this year.

Jealousy. It has struck me again. I was telling a friend yesterday how I was feeling jealous because another friend's husband came home on R&R and I don't get to see Bear.

Well, I just found out that spouses and girlfriends of Bear's contemporaries are flying to see them off. We can't go and now the ugly green monster has hit me again. Argh!!

Why do I do this? I said goodbye already. Why does it bother me so when people get to do things that I can't? I must not let this get me down. This is not an attribute that God is proud of in me. I have a family to run and a household to take care of. Stop it! Stop it, right now, I say.

In case you are reading this, Bear. I love you so much and wish that I could be there with you. I'll work on my heart and you stay steadfast. We'll be together in God's time.

Resolved...

2010-01-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

I realize it is a little late for New Year's resolutions, but I wasn't in the right frame of mind then. I'm coming out of the fog now and I'm going to try and accomplish the following things this year.
1. Lose at least 30 pounds.
If I can consistently lose about 2 pounds a week, I should be able to accomplish this goal in 15 weeks, or about 4 months. I've done it before and it takes consistent portion control and calorie counting. I haven't done very good with that lately.

2. Work out at least 4 times a week. That should be Step-aerobics, or a good hard walk, either around the block or on our 3-mile walking path.

3. Read through the entire Bible in a year. If I read at least 3 chapters a day and 5 chapters on Sunday, that will get me through in one year. I have some catch up to do as I haven't been reading for 2 weeks. But it will be easy to catch up.

There are some other resolutions I'd like to work on, like finishing some UFO Quilting projects, budgeting more efficiently so we can pay off bills. I'll visit these topics later.

Today so far--did my Bible reading and my step-aerobics workout.

Green

2010-01-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'm seeing jealousy rearing its ugly head. I don't like it and I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of it.

On Bear's last deployment he had a different assignment, he was the Chaplain's assistant and this time he's the Chaplain. He's doing a much different job, one that doesn't really have a start or a stop time. This job involves presence--just being there for the guys, hanging out where they hang out, conversing, getting to know them, their families and their concerns. I know this and yet, I'm sort of feeling like he doesn't want to hang out with me. You see, we are both on facebook but he never seems to be on to chat with me. I know he's doing what he needs to, and I know in my head that this is his calling, yet in my heart I can't help feeling like he doesn't want to spend more time with me.

Oh, I know the way he is--once he has his assignment he is very determined to do the best job that he can. He is very compartmentalized and puts things on the home front out of his mind so that he can focus on the task at hand.

He is a good soldier, and a good chaplain, and he is loved by his soldiers and can relate to them because he was been in their boots for 17 years. I don't mean to dis my husband on this forum, this is more about me and my jealousy than about Bear. It needs to stop. I need to get over it and seek solace from the One who will never leave me.

"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) I'm not fearful, but I am dismayed. He has commanded it, and so now I must do it.

Please pray with me in this.

Update

2010-01-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's about time! Time for me to update. Goodness, I had no idea I had been away that long. I do have [two] faithful readers so I'm doing them a disservice by not writing.

Bear has a job as a Chaplain in the reserves. Because this is a public forum, I won't be posting dates and places because of OPSEC, but I will say this. He will be traveling in the next few weeks and we'll be getting overseas pay soon.

God has faithfully and carefully led us to this point. I know this because it almost didn't happen, one person in authority said no, another person in authority said "yes we want you" and the second one of them got the paperwork done first and now Bear is in.

We are so thankful to be finally back in where he can minister to the good soldiers of the armed forces. He has a wonderful Christian Chaplain's Assistant and they get long well. I have chatted with Bear's assistant and he assures me he will take good care of our Chaplain. For that I am thankful.

We were able to spend a wonderful holiday season with Daddy here at home and just after New Years he left again to do training in southern US and is getting to know the soldiers with whom he will work.

On the homefront we are slowly getting caught up on bills, maintenance items and digging ourselves out of our financial pit we were in. God is faithful and has brought us through the wilderness just as He did the Israelites with our sandals intact and our clothes unworn.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

2009-11-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

I see a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. There may be a job for Bear as a Chaplain. Things are still pretty undecided and up in the air, but for now there is hope.

I'm convinced that God never gives us more than we can handle. Yet, it is never an easy road, for what good would an easy path do for you, there would be no growth, no stretching, and no muscle toning.

This past year has been very hard, with unemployment, deaths, reposseessed vehicles, utilities disconnected. But it has also been sprinkled with grace. He has been there in the midst of the storm, gifts from friends, assistance with bills, gifts of food, and much much heartfelt prayers for our situation.

Bear was ordained in February, he graduated from seminary in June and was commissioned as a Chaplain in the Individual Ready Reserve last month.

I'll keep you updated as soon as we know the situation for sure, in the meantime, we would covet yur prayers on our behalf.

Beth, you've done it again...

2009-10-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

Beth Moore you have once again chipped away at what's eating me.

Deep down in my heart of hearts, in the deep dark places of my soul, I am afraid that God is a taker and not a giver.

Beth, why is it that whatever I am feeling, comes out in your study. For instance; you say, "Sometimes when you want to go on the ride of your life with Jesus, you have to let go of where you are right now." (or somehing like that, ok, I'm not the fastest note-taker ever...) and this: "what is keeping us from the ride of our lives with God?

Ok, so, yes. I maybe having a hard time letting go of somethings. Well, like, income for instance, a house, schools for my kids...etc.

And another thing: Abraham didn't know beforehand that he wasn't going through with Isaac on the alter. But we do.

Hindsight is always 20/20. That's hard for me to put into perspective...how would I have handled the situation? Probably not without much screaming and falling on my face before God, and whining, and pouting, and generally carrying on like a spoiled brat!

POW!! Thunk! Arrow, swift to the target. Bull's eye!

That's the problem right there. I'm afraid of the test. I'm afraid that God is a taker, not a giver. I'm afraid that the path He has called us to walk will require too much of me. Oh, my! There's another one! I'm afraid that I will be pulled, literally, out by the roots. Asked to leave home, asked to move, asked to downsize, asked to transition.

Why can't we just BE!! For goodness sake? Change is hard and I don't like it.

So, Beth, since you seem to have a twitter acount with God, ask Him what He's doing...'cause, I don't have a clue.

Down and downer

2009-10-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

I had this post written earlier in my head and now it doesn't come easily for me.

I had gone to a Beth Moore Bible study last night at my church and was feeling very lost and alone.

The topic was inheritance. How in God's word it says that I am an heir with Christ. We discussed afterwards how sometimes you just don't feel this way or that and that is when you have to just believe the Words of God, even if you don't feel that way.

Well, what if you can't even just believe that anymore. What if, you don't trust those words any longer. So what if God says he will never leave us of forsake us, if I feel left or forgotten, that makes it awfully hard to trust and believe then doesn't' it.

What if God says He will give us the desires of our hearts, but the waiting period has been too long and you have lost the joy. What if it just takes too long and in the process you just can't take another step in any direction because you don't even know which way to turn. Each seemingly good step has turned out badly, each place you turn looks worse off than where you are standing, so why bother anymore.

That is where I am today. I'm only here because there isn't any where else to go. I'm only existing because it is better than the alternative.

The Bible says, (I even hesitate right now to say 'God's Word', because I'm not really sure if it is God's word.) that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, that he has resources that we can never even fathom. So why are we sitting here after 11 months of unemployment, still no job, no direction, no income.

What would you have us to do, God? Are you even there? Do my prayers and groanings and petitions heavenward even make it past the ceiling?

What if there isn't anyone bigger than me running the universe? What if God doesn't even care? Has he just created us and then left us to our own devices?

This may all sound terribly blasphemous, but that's where I am today. Maybe I've listened too much to Job's friends, that they are filling my head with lies and doubts, maybe it's just me. But I'm not sure the path we are on is the way to go. What if God never has anything better in store for us than to just scrape by, never have even enough to pay the bills, always be late on payments, always having bill collectors calling. I can't believe that that is God's best for us. Yet, that is where we seem to be.

So does that mean that I am not in the center of God's will? Does that mean that we have gotten off track somewhere? Does that mean that the desires of our hearts, specifically to serve and minster to soldiers and their families as a Chaplain and his wife, are never to be?

I'm tired of getting nothing for an answer. I'm tired of hearing "just wait, God will provide." I'm tired of hearing "all in God's time." What if, he doesn't have a time line for us? What if he couldn't care less about Bear getting into the Army as a Chaplain. What if others have sabotaged things beyond repair? And who really cares anyway?

Uh, off again...

2009-05-19T09:58:00.001-07:00

I feel like I am the rag hanging in the middle of the rope in a giant game of tug of war. (Great picture, huh?)
Back and forth, tugged here, yanked there, drug through the mud a little, squished by the teeming masses, ripped backwards only to start the whole process all over again.

In order to save what is left of my little brain power, I'm just copying my facebook post, I'm too tired and discouraged to do anything more than this.

"Due to a Department of the Army administrative glitch, Bear's packet did NOT make it before the board!! The next board meets June 23rd. We are slowly sinking...into despair, into debt, into the muck and mire of self pity. The DA is transitioning to a paperless board system, Bear's packet was there and complete, but for some reason did not get transmitted, (along with many other packets as well.) Big DA SNAFU!!

I am so jealous of everyone else who has gone through this process. Why did it seem so easy!? Why is it so hard for us?

Bear keeps saying that we will emerge on the other side of all of this smelling like smoke, but not burned. (Reference to Shadrack, Meshack and Abendigo, in the fiery furnace.) I'm not so sure. I'm trying to trust, but I am so very tired of the hanging and holding on. My grip is slipping.

Why are we forced to sit on the sidelines when everyone else in in the fight, working for the Lord, we sit, we watch, we wait. I'm growing lethargic and lazy, frustrated and frazzled, discouraged and disappointed.

Prayers please

2009-04-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

My sweet little great-nephew, Michael, has had serious brain issues. He had a tumor which was partially removed through an operation last year.

He has been having chemo radiation therapy once a month to shrink the remaining portion of the tumor. It was surrounding his optical nerve and couldn't be completely removed.

On Thursday, April 30th, he will be having another MRI to see if the tumor is shrinking and then later that afternoon he will have another chemo treatment.(Two weeks after that his Momma will be having a C-Cection to deliver a baby brother for Michael, please pray for her too.)

Please pray that God will cause the tumor to shrink and no damage to the optical nerve has occurred.

He is such a sweet little babe.

I know that God can work miracles. I've seen Him do it.

Ah, Spring!

2009-04-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

I hung my clothes lines today. In honor of this springtime rite of passage, I'm reposting the rules, for those of you who don't know them already...
1. Wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes. Walk the length of each line with a damp cloth around the line.

2. Hang the clothes in a certain order and always hang whites with whites and hang them first.

3. Never hang a shirt by the shoulders, always by the tail. What would the neighbors think?

4. Wash day on a Monday...........never hang clothes on the weekend or Sunday for heaven's sake!

5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you can hide your 'unmentionables' in the middle.

6. It doesn't matter if it is sub zero weather.............clothes would 'freeze dry.' (Too wet in my part of the world!)

7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes. Pins left on the line are 'tacky'.

8. Hang the clothes up so that each item does not need two clothes pins, but share one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

9. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED?????????? Well, that's a whole other subject. I'm off to play with Boo...

On again...

2009-04-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

Bear's Chaplain packet will go before the board on the 13th of May; our anniversary and also two years to the day from when Bear got out of the military to pursue becoming a Chaplain.

We are very excited that the packet has been pulled out of the recruiter's bottom drawer and will be submitted.

It is with much prayerfulness that we have gotten to this point, and we are asking for prayer during the selection process.

God is indeed sovereign and we are trusting Him for the outcome.

Surrender...

2009-03-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Is this what I'm not doing?
I thought that I held loosely to what was in my hand.
Apparantly, I have not.
I guess if it feels as if part of me has been ripped away, I was clinging pretty tightly to it.
I'll try Lord.
My hands are open Lord.
I'm letting loose.
Take what you want.

Funny Pic to share

2009-03-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

I've been sorting through oodles and gobs of pictures. (ha ha, my mother used to say that!) Anyway, a lot! Been trying to edit, crop, identify pictures to go in a memorial album for my brother Clarence's family.

I think we are up to 24 copies so far. I'm doing them digitally with a great program from Creative Memories called Storyook Creator Plus. It makes me look like I'm a graphic designer, which clearly, I'm not! But anyway, it's great.

I came across this funny picture of my Daddy and brothers. Thought I'd post it here.

Clarence is on the right standing next to Dad. I guess they were playingping pong. Although I don't remember that there was a ping pong table in that room? Hmmm, maybe they were just being weird, which is tipical behavior for the men in my family.

Old Home

2009-03-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

While we were away at my brother's funeral in Idaho, Bear and I drove to the house I lived in for the first 14 years of my life. It is a very old (120 years?) home in Meridian Idaho. It was called the Wireless Ranch, there was a wireless radio tower on the property when it was first built.

I loved the home. My dad had done so many great improvements, there were built in cabinets, drawers, shelves, special display shelves for my brothers' model cars, drop down desks, etc. Dad and my brothers built this huge drop down train table with pipe legs that screwed on when it was down. There was always something fun going on, and I loved living there.
Bear and I drove up to the home to take some pictures. Bear drove up the driveway and I started snapping pictures. Mr. Todd Owner, (not his real name...) came out of the house. ”May I help you?” he said somewhat reservedly. I told him who I was and that we once lived here. He remembered us from a few years ago when we had driven by and asked us if we would like to come in and see the inside. Of course we did!

We talked with him about changes Dad had made, knocking out walls, the maid’s quarters, etc. I took some pictures, which I will post on my blog. Some of it has changed drastically, other parts of it are just as it was when we lived there.
There was dirt in the sandbox and I didn’t want to dig to find our handprints, but I took a picture of the back patio dated 1970. It all looked much smaller than I remember. Hmm.
Todd said that the historical society had been out and looked at the garage. The roof has termites and they weren’t interested in putting it on the registry because of the damage.
The pole house was gone when they moved in, and the basement rooms had been changed. Brian and Clarence’s room had been enlarged into the pink shag carpeted girls room. Todd was going to redo the downstairs bathroom soon. But the pink upstairs bathroom was just as I remembered it. Pink fixtures and the same pink rose wallpaper.

I told him if he ever wanted to sell it there were a few family members who might be interested. He said, oh good, it starts at one million for the house, out buildings and 4.5 acres. Wow!

My Brother

2009-02-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

My brother Clarence was a keeper. Those of you who knew him well know that he was also a pack rat, but I’m not talking about that.

He was a word-keeper, a memory-keeper, a journal-keeper. He was faithful in writing in his journal for most of his adult life, at least from the time he went on his mission.

I remember when I was younger, we stayed overnight at his house, it may have been in Twin Falls or Rigby, I don’t remember which, but when I went into the bathroom there were volumes on journal on the back of the toilet. I guess most people use that as a reading room, Clarence used it as a writing room.

Clarence told me to keep writing when he found out I had started a blog. He encouraged me to submit a few of my stories to an online newsletter, Heroic Stories. It was with his help that I became published.

I cherish the history of my father, and my children have read it too. It is a great legacy to leave behind for family members.
Because Clarence has set such a good example for me, I will continue to keep a journal. It may not be a daily thing, but I do write regularly. It may not be in numerous volumes like these, it’s on my computer and on my blog. I may not give elaborate details about each and every event, but I write about who am at the time.
Clarence has left behind a glorious legacy of his life for his children, a treasure to cherish for years to come. He has encouraged me to do the same.

Life is fleeting...

2009-02-18T23:12:00.000-08:00

My heart hurts tonight. I can barely even express my thoughts. My dear eldest brother was in an accident and died this evening. The details are few, and too painful to even express.

My immediate family, nearly 60 of us, are in deep sorrow.

It is tragic. It is painful. The remembering hurts and makes new tears surface where I thought none existed.

My dear brother once told me he thought my writing was pretty good and that I should keep it up. He encouraged me to submit a few stories to newspapers for publication. I write from the heart, how I feel usually comes out on the paper. Not tonight.

I may be silent for a while. We may be travelling to a funeral. Oh, how I hurt just now...

Please pray, he leaves a wife, 6 children and several grandchildren, 6 brothers and sisters, his mother. Oh, he was dear to me. I can't believe he is gone.

What to do with all this?

2009-02-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

Many years ago I made a lovely "coat of many colors;" a quilted jacket made from many strips of fabric from various quilting projects and homemade clothing. It is warm, comfortable, but getting worn and raggedy. Bear forbade me to wear it any longer.

So, I took it apart and made a pattern out of the pieces. I'm going to make another one with strips, crumbs and strings I've collected in the past 20 years. I'm looking forward to the finished project.

I found a flannel sheet at the thrift store for 25 cents that will serve as the filling. It is quite toasty with the lining and fabric on the outside. It will be such a thrifty, yet beautiful jacket when it is finished.

But what do I do with the old one now? It is in six pieces, two sleeves, two fronts, the back and collar. The sleeves and front are sort of worn through in places and the collar is probably heading for the trash, but any ideas what to use the good quilted pieces for? Any ideas are welcome.

Quilt in a Day--And a story

2009-02-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

At Thanksgiving we had company, good company, the kind of company that doesn't FEEL like company, but more like family. We love them. We are uninhibited when they are around. We sometimes let it all hang out.

While they were here, Bear walked down the stairs and drug his hand absently along the wall as he turned the corner and knocked the candle out of the sconce on the wall. He exasperatedly hung it back in its place and told me if it happens again he would rip the sconce off the wall.

Later that day, our friends and I were sitting in the family room, chatting, enjoying each other's company when Bear came down the stairs a second time, and again knocked the candle out of the sconce. After a Bear-like growl, he ripped the sconce, candle and screws out of the wall. We all sat there dumbfounded and looked at him with jaws dropped and saucer eyes.

"I told you I was going to rip it off." He calmly replied.

So, I told him, I would have to make a quilt to go in that spot, because it’s flat. It doesn’t stick out and get caught on unsuspecting passersby.

I HAD to make a quilt. He made me do it. So, I did. It’s done. A quilt in a day.
What do you think? I can justify anything. Especially a whole day of quilting!

Ordination Stole

2009-02-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

Bear asked me to make this for Sunday. I messed up the first one, making my own pattern wasn't easy. It's just a sash, straight lines, how hard can it be? I ask.

Well, the second one turned out better, plus I made it reversible with purple for advent season.

I like it.

I'll be a proud wife of my Ordained Pastor husband on Sunday. Wow, that sounds so strange. I'm now married to the clergy. Or rather, I will be after February 8th at 11 am.

BTW, the brick wall that we ran into see here, wasn't so much a brick wall afterall, more like a mountain to be climbed, and we are scaling it's heights right now.

We've hit one.

2009-01-30T22:01:00.000-08:00

When filling out the enormous amounts of paperwork for his Chaplain packet, my Bear discovered that there is a moral clause stating that a Chaplain Candidate cannot have any bills that are over 90 days delinquent.

Unfortunately, we have one.

We have a 20/80 split mortgage and while my Darling, hard working husband was temporarily out of work between his enlisted stint in the Army over a year ago, and the job from which he was just laid off in December, we fell behind on our 20% mortgage. We were on a repayment plan and fulfilling it, when he was laid off. Now the repayment plan is in default.

Now the Chaplain Packet is defunct.

Ka-bloo-ey.

For at least one year after ALL our past due bills are paid current.

He will then be able to get a moral waiver.

At which time, he will be too old to enter the military as a Chaplain unless he then gets an AGE Waiver!

Not to sound ungrateful; and knowing in my heart that God is still in control over the situation; but we never would have been in this predicament if the Army hadn't said that Bear needed to GET OUT of the military in order to fulfill his requirements to be a Chaplain!

I'm frustrated.

I'm disappointed.

I'm stumped.

I'm tired of this.

Why God, does it have to be so hard to serve where we believed that you wanted us?

Ordination Invitation

2009-01-30T09:07:00.000-08:00

You're all welcome to come!! Cake afterwards, you know you want cake.

Bad Blogger

2009-01-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

I've been bad.
I've been ignoring you.
I've no excuses.
I've been swamped with life.
Not to mention an unemployed husband at home, who thinks I should be keeping house instead of sitting at the computer...
Nuff said.

R.C. Sproul on your IPod!

2008-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

My Dear Hubby just sent me a link to some great Christmas messages by R.C. Sproul. Click here and download your own copy for free! Stick it in your MP3 Player and have a good listen.
Good stuff people, enjoy.
Merry Christmas!

Costly Lessons Learned

2008-12-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today started out so well...

I had a list. I was a Mom on a Mission. Armed with Notebook, checks and cash to deposit, bills to pay, prescriptions to pick up.

Ah, the pleasure of a day well planned.

But God...

(I said this the other day, when it was in my favor, but today although it wasn't in my favor, He was still in it.) But I digress.

I stopped at the military post to deposit some money so I could pay bills and then zipped over to my friend's house to see if she'd like to accompany me on the rest of my errands. It's so much fun sharing trips with a friend.

Checking things off, we got a new calendar, got a great sale on a new coat, had lattes and lunch, got glasses adjusted and headed home. Sweet!

On the way back to post, I got pulled over at the gate. My tabs were expired on my Suburban. Akk! I knew that! I had forgotten that! There was nothing I could do. I was sure I was facing a ticket, it was 16 days past due. Sure enough, 35 minutes later, I drove away with a $75 fine. The reason it was 35 minutes, (I know! That was a long time to sit!) the MP that was "helping" me, was having OJT, On the Job Training and his SGT was doing things "by the book" and they both kept stumbling around. (Get it right, Gents.)

Anyway, back to the "but God..." part of it all. You see, I could blame God for throwing crummy stuff my way, just when I thought they couldn't get any worse. Or I could try and figure out what I had done wrong to deserve this punishment. But when I look back on my day, God had nothing to do with the fact that I had forgotten to pay my registration. I don't have an excuse. I volunteer on Thursdays right across the parking lot from DOL. When we received the notice, we didn't have the money, but about two weeks ago, we had enough money to take care of it. But I didn't.
Consequences will get you every time. It isn't that God is heaping punishment for sinning. But there are consequences for sinning. Even unknown sin, (or forgotten sin, like misplacing a bill.)

It's taken care of now, I'm driving legally. And my Suburban is sporting a new sticker, and new clean shine. (I'm surprised the gate guard could even read the label through all the road grime.)

God Keeps His Promises

2008-12-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

As we look ahead to the seemingly bleak future and all that it holds, I am frightened. I said it, there. I'm scared that we won't make it.

What will our future hold? I feel like Evil Knievel looking across a great chasm. I can see the other side and the pathway there is straight and true. But in between me and the clear path is a dark and foreboding place. My earthly frame tells me I need to find a way over it, through it or around it.

But God...

Aren't those fabulous words? We find them over and over in His word to us, the Bible.

But God will provide a way. I don't just hope that he will, I know that will. Not only because he has provided in the past but because He says that He will in His word.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

To me this means, I don't need to worry about my mortgage payment, clothes for my kids, or food for my table.

God will provide if I only trust wholeheartedly in Him.

A New Movie and a New Chapter...

2008-12-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

I never go out on Black Friday, it's just too crazy out there, but this year I had some items that I desperately needed at Wally's. While I was there, the $2 movie kiosk caught my eye. There were some great titles there. "Hope Floats", "Pay it forward", "Take The Lead", and "Two Weeks Notice" Love this one, Hugh Grant is a cutie, and Sandra Bullock is just so funny and glamorous all in the same breath.

Ironically, Bear came home with one of his own yesterday. Please keep us in your prayers, this comes at a bad time financially.
We are however, trusting God in all of this. We know that it is not Barry's supervisor who controls the tides. He is not the one who makes the waves stand still nor is he the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

We knew when Bear started this job that it was only temporary. He's going to seminary to finish his MDiv. so that he can return to active duty as an Army Chaplain. That is the goal, not spending time in a job that is clearly going nowhere, or becoming so frustrated with the supervisor that seminary study is comprimised.

We know that this is God's will and His perfect timing and we are trusting Him with the outcome. It will be about 7 months before graduation, (take a look at the ticker on top of my page,) and then a short transitionary period. The trial here is staying afloat while all of this happens. We still have a mortgage payment, a car payment and utilities to juggle.

I do like having my husband at home, and if I could just find a way to make money doing that we'd all be happy.

Tea Party Update

2008-12-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pictures of the "Giving Tea" we had for Chels. We had 8 girls here for cucumber sandwiches, mini quiches, tea, punch and cupcakes.
They brought and donated lots of items for Health Kits for the needy. Our church will be passing these kits out to the homeless throughout the Christmas season.
We also played a fun tea tray game where you look at a bunch of items on a tray and then try to write them all down without looking at them. These girls were good! They got them all! Little smarties.

Tonight we had our family birthday celebration with cake, ice cream and candles. Ace informed me that even though her birthday was on Thursday she doesn't turn 11 until we eat cake.

If that's the case, I think I could subtract a few years from my age.

Chel's Birthday Party

2008-12-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm having a tea party with a bunch of giggly girls. I know, I should have my head examined. Chels loves to hold tea parties for her birthday and since it is so near Christmas, we tend to "do it up right!" We get out the pretty tea things, lace, doilies, white gloves and hats.

Instead of presents this year, she wants to collect items for health kits for the needy. (What a sweetie!) So instead of horsey things, or books, or new CD's she'll be getting toothpaste, socks, and shampoo for her birthday.

I'll post pictures of the actual event soon.

Have to run, dah-ling. I need to iron some Battenberg lace, brew up some Earl Grey, and dig out the punch bowl.

Fish and Houseguests...

2008-12-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

We had company for Thanksgiving; dear friends whom we have known for about 12 years. We were stationed at Fort Leavenworth together and have some kids the same ages.

We joked about each others' blogs and how, after they had all left, I would be posting the analogy of how fish and house guests are alike and should only be around for a couple of days.

But then I tore the pages off my Mary Englebreit calendar, (ok, I really tore off about two weeks worth of pages, so now you know, I procrastinate,) and this is what I found on today's page.
This fits the weekend so much more than the fish story.

We love you, Stripes!!

Ok, so what's the difference anyway?

2008-11-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

Need a little fiber?

2008-11-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

The girls and I were cleaning the kitchen tonight. I asked Chel's to put away a can of condensed beef soup. I told her I was going to have it for lunch but changed my mind. She replied, "Why? Because it was constipated?"

I would rather...

2008-11-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

be doing fun crafty things with this...
and this...
and maybe this...
But instead, I'm faced with this...
and this...
Go ahead, feel my pain. Give me some bloggy sympathy.

And by the way, who wouldn't love a girl who would show you her messy sink full of last night's dishes, I tell ya!

Boo is getting it!!

2008-11-16T19:24:00.001-08:00

and Thomas the Tank Engine is happy not to get tinkled on!

Here's a good start!

2008-11-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Amy, (the one I Shop Hopped with,) came over last night and helped me cut out outfits. She also brought along some sweaters and "outgrown" things from her closet to use. We went through my girls' closet and picked a few things that they just LOVE, so we could make patterns and copy them.

Amy brought 4 darling turtleneck sweaters. We cut out skirts to add to the bottoms to make sweater dresses.

My girls also have this darling pair of gaucho pants in a brown velour fabric. We laid them out on pattern paper and traced a new pattern to cut out of this gorgeous red Ultrasuede/knit stuff.

Today was also a potty training day for us, so I wasn't as productive as I had hoped, but I got two items finished to add to their fall wardrobe with about a half dozen or more cut out ready to sew.

And on a side note, Boo is tinkling in the toilet!! Not all the time, but I think he's getting it! Yay, Boo Boo!!

Because I'm the Kind of Mom that I am...

2008-11-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

And because my children have nothing to wear...

today, I'm turning this...

Into this...

Boring...

2008-11-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have nothing fabulous to talk about. I'm not sure if I even have any readers anymore...
Anyone?
Anyone?
(crickets chirping...)
Ok, I think I'm just posting for my own benefit.

I've been making a fabulous quilt! Ok, I think it's fabulous because it's something I never thought I could do. I've been so fed up with my lame sewing machine lately, I've decided to go on strike and not use it! So there!

I've been doing hand applique! I LOVE it! I'm going to do a tutorial here on my blog so keep watching!
Here's a sample to keep you excited! Aren't you excited? I am!

Shop Hop - Day One!

2008-10-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

What fun!

I took the girls out of school to drive all over the countryside getting free fabric! Now what could be more exciting than that!
Miss Busy, Chels, my friend Amy, (not her real name) and Belinda, (not hers either, I'm all about anonymity.) started out on our little crafty jaunt.

The deal is this, you get a Shop Hop "passport" and at each shop you visit you get a stamp, a fat eighth of fabric, and a pattern for a quilt block. Our first stop was in Ocean Shores. What a nice store! And fabric on sale! This is the Ocean Shore's Block. Pretty isn't it? The shop owner added her own touch and threw in a little green bug fabric. Isn't it cute?

You can't go to Ocean Shores without driving on the beach, so we did, took some great pictures, (didn't get out, too cold in October!)
And then drove past the Judith Ann Inn. I'd love to stay here some day. So picturesque. Can you imagine watching the sunset over the ocean from the window in your room. Ahhh...

This is a picture of the Shop Hop quilt in the shop in Aberdeen. Most of the other shop owners weren't so nice about letting us take pictures. Too bad, not that I would cheat them out of a pattern or anything, they were just all so pretty!!

Anyway, I snapped a cute handbag I'd like to make for Miss Busy out of polka dot and pink shoe fabric. Just her style!
Chels got some horsey fabric to make a pillowcase. We'll have fun sewing!

Gotta rest up for tomorrow. Seven more shops to go!

Togetherness

2008-10-26T19:41:00.001-07:00

...it lasted all of ten minutes; but it was a happy ten minutes.

Penny wise and dollar foolish.

2008-10-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a big, ol' stupid, careless idiot and God saved my family from my carelessness last night.

But I'm getting ahead of myself... It is dreary here, cloudy and starting to get into the rainy season which I hate. I burn candles so that the light and the fragrance stimulate my brain and I feel better about this weather. Yesterday I had some candles burning in various rooms and last evening I had a meeting to go to with a friend. I went around the house before I left and extinguished all the flames, or so I thought.

We have a small powder room downstairs and we keep the door closed most of the time to keep Boo (who's 2) out of the cupboard and the TP roll.

I left a 3-wick candle burning there on a plate on the bathroom counter. It was a short 3-wick only about an inch tall, and I am so dang frugal I couldn't possible just throw it away when it was that short, no, I have to go burn the life out of it, until there is just no wick left. (Please just ignore my personal berating, there is a point to all this.)

So, I left the house forgetting that that particular candle was still going. The door was closed, and I forgot. (NEVER, NEVER BURN A CANDLE THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE AT ALL TIMES!!)

When I came home from my meeting, the house was quiet, everyone was asleep and the lights were all out, the candle was still burning peacefully in the powder room with the door closed. I did not, for some reason, open the door when I went to bed as I usually do, but only set my things down and went to bed myself.

Sometime in the night, the candle got down to the bottom, lit the paper label on fire, burned the wax, broke the plate, spit hot wax all over the tile and burned a hole in the counter top.

God spared us! This could have caused the whole house to go up in flames as we slept, and it would have been my fault!!

I can not believe how stupid I was. I feel like pitching all the wax- burning items and all lighters and matches in the trash. I am so ashamed at my carelessness, I can't get over it.

I have no idea how much a new counter top is going to cost us. At least, thankfully, it wasn't a whole bathroom. And thank God I'm not trying to figure out what the life of one of my babies is worth.

Please learn from my costly lesson.
NEVER, NEVER BURN A CANDLE THAT YOU CAN NOT SEE AT ALL TIMES!

This is today

2008-10-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

I look out my window to this...
It's a good day for staying inside with a cup of steaming cider and my lap quilt in front of the fire.

So those errands I needed to do in town? They get put off another day. I really didn't want to run to the post office with a two year old anyway.

Thanks for the rain, God!

Another Quilt Project

2008-10-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

This quilt was commissioned by a friend of my husband’s. We were in the army together at Fort Leavenworth, KS back in 1993.

Ann and Paul, well, mostly Paul, wanted a red, white and blue bedroom and he asked me to make him a quilt for their bed. He and I picked out the design and shopped for fabric. I was very excited about this project because red white and blue is a favorite theme of mine. I can’t remember exactly how long it took me to make it, but I only had one child at the time and we had a small apartment off post and only one car. So what is a stay at home mom to do all day with only so many carpets to vacuum and nowhere to go? She would make a quilt.

We discussed a price, but then, while we were visiting their home, we discovered that they had once owned an antique store, (very small, from their home) and were looking to get rid of a few pieces. I discovered, under a pile of boxes, a Singer treadle sewing machine with a gold leaf sphinx on the front. It was beautiful! I told Paul that I wanted the treadle machine in trade for the quilt and he agreed.He borrowed a few quilting books because he wanted to learn quilting, then he and Ann were stationed in Germany and I never saw them again. I lost my quilting books and I wish I could have kept the quilt too. I can always make another one for myself, but I did get a beautiful antique machine, (which really works, by the way) out of the deal. I still think I got the better end of the bargain.

I’ll post a picture of the sewing machine and cabinet later, it’s, um, buried under some stuff right now.

Quilt Projects

2008-10-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Because I have nothing finished right now, and nothing new to post, I'm going to show off some of my older finished projects, in hopes that it will inspire me to complete some UFO's.

This quilt was purchased by my sister many, many years ago to complete her trousseau. (That's an ancient thing now days isn't it?) I believe it was made by a great aunt or some female relative. It was only the quilt top, and sat in her cedar chest for a while until she met the man of her dreams. I offered to quilt it for her, (upcoming wedding-double wedding ring quilt, get it?)

I don't recall how long it took me to quilt it, but I believe, true to family tradition, I think it was late, at least before her first anniversary anyway.

It was wobbly, the football shapes inside the rings weren't flat at all and as I quilted it, it required pinning and flattening. It did turn out relatively flat, but the footballs are all a bit poofy.

I'm pretty proud of the quilting, it was all hand done with a bias border around the scalloped edges.

Quilt-y Name

2008-10-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

I've been quilting alot lately. It's getting colder and quilts keep me warm, inside and out. I love looking at patterns, curled up in my cozy brown wing back chair.

I love browsing through fabric stores seeing new designs.

I love the patterns as they emerge from behind the needle of my sewing machine.

I've sort of neglected my blog during the past few weeks, but now that summer isn't keeping me so busy, I thought I'd pay a little more attention to my readers, if there are any of you left.

Just for fun, check out my new Quilt-y name, I'm Her Grace Pincushion Collector. Oh, how true!! Fit's me to a T. I love making pincushions, (small project, easily finished) and they are so pretty.

If you are crafty, check it out and tell me your quilt-y name.

I'm still here!

2008-09-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

I'm here, I'm alive, I'm just swamped!

As I have said before, I volunteer at the food bank in our little town. Yesterday, Larry, the manager, got in several pallets of tomatoes, loaded with boxes of beautiful red fruits needing something done to them at once. So although canning tomatoes wasn't on my list this year, (I still have about 30 quarts from last year,) I did tell myself that anything that came my way free, I would put up. I spent too much last year buying fruit to can, so my goal this year was "nothing purchased." Well, 100 pounds of free tomatoes is nothing to turn your back on. So I brought home 5-20 pound boxes.

Then near the end of the food bank time, (we're open from 1pm to 4pm) someone brought in 6 "banana boxes" of pears from trees on their property. Unfortunately, these pears wouldn't last a week until the next food bank day, so they needed to go out as well. Larry gave me two boxes.

Larry is generous to a fault. He will often ask, "how many do you want?" And if you say, "Two, please" He'll ask again, "how many?" When you repeat the number, he adds them together and says, "Oh, you want four!" After working there for 8+ months, he still catches me off guard sometimes, and I come home with double the amount of stuff I had intended.

My neighbors know that on Thursday evenings to be aware of my Suburban cruising the neighborhood. I always share unusual things with them.

I count all this as gifts from God. And as such, I will freely share what I have been given with others. So today, I'm working on gifts. Gifts of tomato sauce, herbed Italian tomatoes, tomato soup, diced pears, Christmas pears, pear butter, banana bread and zucchini bread.

I'll be back when the steam from my canner clears and my hands, feet and back recover.