Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Stay safe and warm this Holiday season.I hope you are surrounded with theLOVE. 

of family and friends.

Thanksgiving Greetings

Happy Thanksgiving  friends. May you have a warm home filled with love, and a full tummy among your blessings this season.

Tie One On !!!

“

Participation is simple.
On the day before Thanksgiving, November 27th this year,
pause in the preparation of your own meal, wrap a loaf of bread or other baked good in an apron,or cloth.
 tuck a prayer or note of encouragement in the pocket,
and deliver the wrapped bundle to someone without your bounty… a neighbor, friend or family member in need of physical or spiritual sustenance, a bit of recognition or just a kind word.

 whether you live in a high rise apartment building or on a quiet block,

no matter which direction you walk out of your own front door,

 someone deserving of a gesture of kindness is close by. I hope you have a beautiful Fall and wonderfulThanksgiving.

Fall in WISCONSIN

It’s  officially Fall in WI the  smell of pumpkin bread baking in the oven, and the chilly weather. Did I say chilly?” They are predicting  SNOW flurries for Halloween!
We are heading up to Green Bay this weekend. Mike  is going to the GB Packer game Monday night. Not me,  I’m going to stay warm and cozy with the granbabies.

Today is the first time I’ve baked anything, since my stroke.  Figured we didn’t need any sweet treats around tempting us. But I love to bake!The house smells soooooooogood.
Tomorrow I’m sewing with the girls at the retreat house. Need to bring a little Pumpkin bread along. And then take  some to GB.   My recipe makes 3 loaves.

It's my favorite. 

I get by with a little help from my friends

I get by with a little help from my friends, okay truth be told….with A LOT  of help from my friends.

This is my first finished quilt on the long arm since my stroke. Yeah!!! Not perfect by any means, but FINISHED!! There was not a flat seam in the quilt. Talk about wavy, especially  those curved edges this quilt top needed to be rescued. Don’t you love the cheddar orange centers?

I’m doing better. Getting downstairs to my sewing room  more these days.  Friends coming over and helping to organize my stash and UFO‘s (unfinished projects). I’m afraid to admit the number, let’s just say, Love to start cutting new fabrics… my problem is finishing…LOL

Stable is good

"Stable is good"

That's what the neurologist said when I went back for a three month check up last Thursday.HE was very pleased with my progress. I've made some lifestyle changes 1)follow  a low fat/no sugar diet (.lost 15 pounds)2)tryto walk  everyday. 3)Takemy meds faithfully. I also finished 12 weeks of P.T on Monday. On On  my first weekwhen tested  I scored a 28 out of56. on my last day, I scored a 48 My balance is much betterand I have more  confidence walking. I still have some visionproblems that I hope will improve over time. I  thank the Good Lord every rnorning  for all that ICAN DOGratefulfor   being able to walk and talkand waking up!

This last weekend we camped with family at Jelly STONE in warrens  WI
The weather was perfect The grandkids had so much fun at the waterpark. no waterslides for Grandma ...yhanks anyway LOL

They are growing up so fast!!! No more babies(boo-whooo

I'll stop rambling now. Stay safe.More soon

Finding a newnormal

Finding a new “normal”

Has been my goalhe past few weeks

Believe me, it is not  easy!I go to PT 3 days a week. Fortunately, I am not paralyzed . I’m going to regain my balance,I feel tipsy“tipsy”when I walk. Thank God,. I have a strong handto hold . Mike has been there for me every inch of the way
While, I am sad andfrighteneddgoing thru this/ I am grateful formy ntblessings.My wonderful hubby,family and friends

my MyBFF, Joyce, Whodropped everything and came running tobe with  me. She was my taladvocate and second set of ears during mytstay inthe hospital .And was here for me when I came home.

 OHI can't forgetmy FRIENDSHIP STARSQUILT GUILDgals, who sent cards, called,came for a visit, (even when I was owly). They have supported meand are getting me back on the road to sewingagain.YEAH!
I hope uou are able to make sense oF this post.  Typing and spelling is difficul. But tomorrow is another day. I AM getting dtronger EVERY DAY!


rEMEMBER TOBE DRATEFUL FOR THE LITTLE THINGS.Stay well , my friends.

Opps .I did it again

I Fell.

 big time

Aren't 0I pret0yt.?

3 weeks ago today ........I fell off my computer office chair and hi.t... ihe cementfloor floor ......hard..0..BbANGED UP MY FACE PRETTY GOOD, DON'T ya yhink?

To make aL O N G a LONG story Short.

I did not go to the.Doctorright away

I was scheduled.for cataract surgery on Wed..D I.figured I'd wait til I went in Wed morning0.......I did have a terrific headache monday night .and all of Tuesday....

I checked out fine on Wed and theprocedure wentas scheduled .......

fRIDAY morning I woke up dizzy and "off balance.

,mIKE TOOK ME TOthe uRGENT cARE0who0then sent me to theERfor a CSCANT..c.T scan.nBELIEVE ME i WAS SGOCKED TO FIND OUT 'D HAD A STROKE yES, A STROKEI'm too young....not. Sorry about yhe cap lock0.I'm really not yelling.W. There is so much more yo my story but I'm gettin. tired to continue typing.and thinking. I justwanted to updateuou my griends.

A much needed break

Had a wonderful weekend in Green Bay.

Our first trip to Door County.

Beautiful. Just Beautiful.

Hope to return in cherry season.

Here are a few "treasures" I found.

Doesn't this little black box

 remind you of the Singer Featherweight case?

Even came with the cute little key for the lock.

Filled with old sewing notions.

Really, how could I pass it up?

Of all the Door County souvenirs available in the shops

I came home with this hand embroidered flour sack dish towel. 

The clerk said the owner's mother hand stitches these for the shop.

Really now, that is soooo me.

We went to see John Pinette in concert.

He is THE  FUNNIEST!! 

Look for him on Comedy Central.  

You won't be sorry.

Last Tuesday, I spent the day quilting with friends.

A new retreat house opened in our area

"The Grove"

 and we rented the place for the day.

Nine hours of sewing.

And laughing.

And eating.

Here is the recipe for the coffee cake I brought.

I mixed it up before I left and baked it there.

Ohhh, the smell of cinnamon baking.

It was a hit.

Hope to get my sewing room put back together next week.

I feel the need .......to sew!

Hope all is well with you.

Thanks for stopping by.

What a Mess!

We were in MLK for 3 days last week,

 babysitting the grands.

It rained the entire time.

We came home to a wet-wet-wet

 lower level. 

Completely ruined the carpet in my studio and computer room.

We had to move everything up and out.

Oh what a job!

Luckily, I have 2 extra bedrooms.

Dehumidifier and fans blowing 24/7.

Now if it would just warm up so I could

 open the windows 

but

we had snow flakes on Friday!

Sadly, we are expecting another week of rain......

can you quilt in hip waders?

I'm sew looking forward to Tuesday.

Sewing with friends.

Hope life is easier in your neck of the woods.

A Century of Progress

Did you know that in 1933 Sears,Roebuck & Company

 sponsored the largest quilt contest in history?

Over 24,000 women jumped at the chance

 to win over $1,000 in prize money.

Not surprising since this was at the

height of the great depression.

The guest speaker at our IIQSG meeting

on Saturday was Merikay Waldvogel.

She lectured on her book

Merikay was amazing!

She brought to life the stories 

of the quilts, and the quilters. 

Scandals and all, oh my. 

Out of the 24,000 quilts entered 

only 225 have been found.

Another reason to search  

flea markets and estate sales. 

Could you image finding such a treasure?

The IIQSG meetings are held the first week

of April and August at the

What a beautiful museum.

It's a "must see" if you are ever in the area.

Look at the cute quilt block trim on the front porch.

This is one of the vignettes in the quilt room.

The exhibit of spool cabinets is unbelievable.

Love how ornate this one is. 

This was my favorite quilt.

Doesn't the petal pattern and fabrics look modern? 

So many different designs going on.

You will be so proud of me.

Seven quilt shop stops and I purchased

only

3 1/2 yards of fabric.

I can't say that about the others...but

What happens on quilt trips 

stays in the car!

Rainy and cool here today.

Time to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book.

I'm not one for time travel or Stephen King, but I'm loving this book.

Especially since I lived thru the 60's.

My "glory days" more or less LOL.

Don't forget to check out 

Stay Safe my friend and 

Organizing Fabric- What a job!

Fair warning, this project is not

 for the faint of heart.

ORGANIZING your fabric.

BEFORE

I saw this idea on Pinterest and

thought I would start one shelf at a time.

Well, that didn't work.....

It's like eating just one potato chip!

I used over 300 comic book boards.

Love the finished look.

My own little quilt shop.

I organized my "odds & ends",

backings, and fat quarters using

plastic storage containers.

 I'm giving 4 bags of 

"What the heck was I thinking"

fabrics to charity.

How I store my WIP

(works in progress)

 The vinyl bags are sold for fat quarter storage.

JoAnn's had them on clearance

and I bought several.

(Like all they had). LOL

It makes taking projects to retreats, 

and Sew Days so convenient.

Keeps everything you need

for the project together. 

My reward for all this hard work is

 a weekend with the girls.

Going to Kalona Iowa

for a Quilt History meeting.

I've gone the last 3 years

 and love this group.

There are 19 quilt shops on the way.

How many do you think we'll hit?

I still have a little space left on my shelves.

 Here is my fabric case closed.

I purchased these at Farm & Fleet. 

Made by Sauder (do it yourself) cheap.

Hope your having a great week.

Winner! Winner!

Easter Greetings

it actually feels like

Spring this weekend in WI.

The Stitchery Blog Hop 

was soooo much fun.

Madame Sam and Jane are the best!

What a talented group of bloggers.

Thanks for all your sweet comments.

I will post the answers to your questions

(details on how I transfer etc.)

next week when I have more time.

Here is winner of the 

redwork drawing.

YEAH!!!

Cookie anyone?

They are so easy to make

and kids of all ages love them.

Don't these colors just make you happy!

Have a wonderful weekend!