Top o' the morning!
**************************************

Doesn't this picture make you wanta sit down and cut into that pie?

This is the photo on the back cover of.....

The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen!

It is such a beautiful book.
Not only wonderful recipes, but personal stories, tips, crafty projects.

Makes me want to put on my apron!

This was a birthday gift from my highschool friend, Shirley.

Yep, high school.

High school.....a million years ago.

Though we lived thousands of miles apart,

much of our adult lives, we have "kept in touch".

Sometimes it was months, even years, between our calls and visits.

But each time the phone rang and we started to chat

it was like no time had passed.

We have been thru boyfriends, breakups, weddings, husbands,

divorces, parents dying, child raising, and now the best part

grandbabies.

This isn't the most flattering picture of either of us.

But it was the only one I could find without

tearing thru old boxes.

I'm sure Shirley, on the right, is giving me some great advice.

I love ya girlfriend!

And thanks for the surprise package!

You also receive a one year subscription to Country Living magazine.

FREE!

Be sure and check it out!

Oh, it's that time of year again...

TAX SEASON!

I know I'm not the only one that feels this way.

While that's not me in the photo

(iStock image)

it's exactly how I feel.

Exhausted.

I finished 2 of the free BOM stitchery patterns from

Gail Pan designs.

She posted the third in the series, "Joy" this week.

Be sure and check it out.

A quick and easy project to stitch while watching

Dr. Mc Dreamy.

I've made some progress on my Dad's Christmas quilt.

Yep, I said Christmas.

Better late than never, right?

It's the Boxed Blessings pattern

from Ingrid Barlow.

I had a ton of black and white fat quarters in my stash

I wanted to use up.

Now I just need to get them off my design wall and

stitched together.

Love how the red pops.

Manly, yes?

Wow, have you missed me??

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I’ve checked in.
Lordy, the time just flew by.

First off, my Aunt Polly is the same.
She spent a few days in the hospital,
giving Hubby & I a short, but much needed, break.
Thank You for your prayers.

I had a birthday in February.
Hard to believe I turned sixty. Yep, the big 6-0.
I can remember celebrating my Mom’s sixtieth birthday
and thinking how OLD that was.

Not now!
I’m sticking with Oprah…….
60 is the new 40 or was that 50?

Then, not long after that, my computer crashed.
Fried.

We had to replace our old Windows XP

with a new computer running Vista.
What a pain!

Are you aware that you can’t buy a new computer with Windows XP?
Your forced to use Vista.
Of course, most of my outdated software didn’t

want to play nice with Vista.

A big head ache, to say the least.

(Listen to me whin like an old lady)

And then to recover your backed up data…….
my taxes will be a little late Mr. President.

But on the bright side of February
I was able to finish the antique quilt I bought in Iowa last spring.
A very scrappy Steps to the Altar.
(Irish chain in my book).
The variety of fabrics is amazing.
A true 1930’s, hand stitched, quilt.
It measured 76” x 78”, that’s 5,928 one inch squares.
Almost 6,000 hand stitched pieces!

Unbelievable.
I wonder how many hours it took Mame to piece this?
After hand stitching the binding down,

I soaked it in Oxy Clean for a few hours.
Man, you should have seen the water!
D-I-R-I-T-Y!
Then I washed it again with Oxy Clean and detergent

and it came out so nice.
I used muslin for the backing and binding.

After drying, on low, in the dryer, it came out all wrinkled and soft.

Just like it had been around for years.

Before Quilting

AFTER

Notice the cheddar orange and green?
Soooo....1930's!

Each square measures 1 inch!

Wouldn't "Mame O'Neal" be thrilled to see her quilt finally finished
70 something years later.


SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

In yesterdays mail, came the latest issue of Country Woman magazine.
As I was soaking up all the pretty pictures and great recipes
I noticed a familiar looking quilt.
It took me a minute to realized that it was MY quilt!
Yep, my 1930’s Reproduction Butterfly Quilt is on page 46!!!!
Not a big picture mind you, but it’s there.
In print. With my name and city.
I’m disappointed you can’t see the quilting in the white areas.
It’s really what makes the quilt special.
Oh well…



I promise not to stay away so long. I miss all my blogging buds.
Will Spring and the grilling season ever get here??

It's been awhile I know.

I've missed you, my sweet blogging friends,

and appreciate all the emails of concern.

I must say, if January is any indication of

whats to come the rest of the year......I'll pass.

My heart goes out to anyone caring for an elderly relative.

I completely understand your weariness.

And I have a new found respect for those

who have chosen a career of caring for the elderly.

Your definitely angels.
.

We were able to get away for the day to attend

the baptism of our sweet baby girl, Brenna.

Thanks to my friend, Ellie, who came

and spent the day with Aunt Polly.

As you can see from the pictures below

Brenna enjoyed every minute of the attention.

Smiling sweetly for the Priest.

Aiden is the proud big brother.

Reis, holding Brenna, with cousins Dylan & Dusty.

This is my favorite flannel scrappy quilt.
So necessary on these below zero days.

Stay warm and I hope to get back to blogging soon.

A Tiskit, A Tasket.....

I need to share a FREE block of the month program

from Bunny Hill Designs with you.

A Las Vegas quilting friend sent me the link.

The January block is just adorable!

The link features several FREE patterns
all just as cute as can be!



I finished 36 log cabin blocks
and put them together in the barn raising layout.
Now I need to use the left over strips
and design a border.
Geez, I love a quick and easy pattern.


I bought a baby monitor to take down stairs
so I can sew when Aunt Polly is sleeping.
Just mindless piecing is all I can do.
We have had home health care nurses
in and out all week.
I don't know what I would
do without them.

And here's the view from my front door this morning.

Snow and more drifting snow!

Predicted all week.

Hope this finds you happy and healthy.

How many times have you written 2008

instead of 2009 in the past 2 weeks?

I have several times!

Christmas Pictures.......a little late.

But I know you understand!

Working for their dinner.

Here's the "kids table".

And the "grown ups" table.

I wish my dining area was larger

so we could all sit together.

After dinner we opened our presents.

Aiden wanted to help everyone rip off the paper.

He had so much fun with the paper and ribbons!

My oldest grandson.

His younger brother.

Don't they have the cutest smiles!

My granddaughter modeling the apron I made her.

She's such a sweetie! And loved her apron.

A future photographer?

Baby girl in her Christmas outfit.

Love the hat!

The whole gang!

While I haven't been able to work on any customer quilts this week,

I just HAD to sew last night.

Life is so stress full these days I needed to hear the hum

of my Janome and feel the fabric in my hands.

I've been meaning to work something up with these

red, white, & blue 2 1/2 inch strips.

Wanted to do some mindless piecing.

A whole ten log cabin blocks.

I sure miss visiting your blogs.

I'm going to have a whole lot of catching up to do!

Thanks for stopping in.

CRANBERRY GLOGG

Do you remember this recipe

from my November post?

Well, here's the results........





Hubby's pouring it into the bottles......

I think I should have chopped the cranberries smaller.
Looks like I have more berries than drink.

They sure were good over vanilla ice cream!

A very late toast to the New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Aunt Polly is coming home from the hospital this afternoon.

She's up and walking a bit. Feeling much better.

Anxious to break out of the place.