The "No Feet" Post

Cheapo Fiscally conservative that I am...

I'm not willing to shell out moola for a picture of bare feet walking a path.

Which is what I wanted to end the year with.

The thought of me walking into the next 365 days.

Not knowing what they will bring.

But being thankful for each one.

Mostly, thankful for family and friends (this means YOU!) that walk the path with me or are walking another way and we intersect here and there.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Turning the Corner!

My favorite day of the year just passed.

The winter solstice!

From now on, it will stay lighter just a little bit longer each day.

That means spring is on the way!

Trying to catch up on all the bloggy goodness that happened at Christmas.  I love reading about the traditions and memories families and friends kept and were making!

Hubby luv took the week of Christmas off for vacation.  The boys enjoyed having him home.  Javi is on a three week break from classes and Bean and Middleman are off this week still.  Friends over today to kick bootay on the XBox!

Some exciting news at our house!  We've adopted!  LOL

Please welcome Wee-kips to the family with us.

Here she is just waking up from her mid morning nap.  Not to be confused with her early morning or late morning nap.

Wee-kips was an outside kitty at KT's country home.  She has some issues due to what they think were either being hit by a car or attacked by a larger animal.  They live in coyote country and Wee-kips just showed up at their house late summer/early fall.  She also has something not quite right with her jaw as in head injury?

She is the most docile, loving, cuddly kitten in the world.  Lady and Peek-a-Boo are adjusting.  Speaking of, Peek has had a couple of instances where what we think is a tumor has burst.  It happened again this morning and we've decided that taking her to the vet would probably kill her (does not do car rides at all!) and the vet would either suggest putting her down or a treatment she might not survive anyway.

We've decided to keep her here at home and let Nature take its course.

Among some other fun, quiltey things, I finished the Aloha Quilt.

This is the back.  The two tall people helping me were Javi and his friend Josh.  Thanks guys!

This is the front.  I quilted straight stitch around the pinwheels and a meandering stitch on the large, floral print.  Just a thin edge for the binding.  I wanted to get better pictures, but the guys were needed in the family room to kill aliens!

Okay, not quite caught up on everything, but I feel better just reconnecting with blogland.

Hard to believe another year is almost here!  I don't do resolutions, because I usually break them.  LOL 

Wishing all a Happy New Year!

Friday Finish-Lazy Butt Blues

I live in Cornville, USA.

Our nightlife is eating out and trips to Wal Mart.

LOL

I do, however, belong to the Indianapolis Modern Quilt Guild.  I'm not sure why they let me in since I've never been to a meeting.

When you have kids, who have soccer, school, germs etc, you find your availability is a teeny bit constrained by them.

It's okay though.  'Cause I love them!

Anywho...

Karen's block for November.

Where did November go?

Oh, yeah.

LOL

So, tonight was the night to get up off my lazy duff and do some construction!

She asked for houses with block measurements in multiples of threes.  Mine ended up 12.5 x 12.5". 

I have learned not to try and quilt after a chemo treatment for my mom.  LOL

The brain disengages at the parking lot of the cancer center and I'm not exactly sure when (or if) it will decide to start functioning again tonight.  I loved the colors and fabrics she chose.  Not ones I would normally pick, but I loved the way it turned out.  That's what I like about the bees, you get to be out of your comfort zone and play on the wild side!  The orange strip at the bottom is for all the brick roads we have in our town that I just love.

I originally was going to try and do a block of my house......but.....ahem.  Simple really is better! 

You can see incredible, inspiring and beautiful pictures on our flickr group!

Mom's doing well.  She's experiencing some of the side effects of one of the drugs.  Bless her heart, she's a trooper.  She brought her knitting (she's making a prayer shawl for the church) but they vampired her and the iv was in the way.

Here's to a safe weekend for those traveling on the coming snow!
Here's to a better weekend than me for those who live a little bit more south and warmer!
Brrrrr!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our soccer coach's family is in serious need of a miracle.

http://www.kjkdancingthroughtherain.blogspot.com/

Would you please lift them up in prayer over the next few days?

This Week's Finishes!

One reason I hate snow is that it's usually there because it's cold.  Too cold to go outside and take decent pictures of anything!

Madeline's block is finished.  I think I like it on point as much as not.  When I made the "Dove" in the middle, I just kept thinking bikini top or owl eyes.  'Cause what you don't see are the curved sides on this flower.  LOL  I'm glad it got sewn into something a little less crazy!

Both blocks together.  Funny, the solid one looks larger in dimensions than the scrappy one.  My points aren't quite like I would like them on this bottom edge for Madeline, but no amount of finageling would fix it!

Grrrrr.

Over the last few months, I've been stashing away orange fabrics with the intent of making a quilt for a cancer patient at the center where my mom takes her chemo.  I'm saving up blue as well (you can kinda see it on the left).  I'm thinking a HST one about the size of a large lap quilt, less than a twin.  Cancer patients receive Benadryl (or a form of it) when they take their chemo and this, along with the other drugs, can make them experience cold and chills.

I'd like to give a little warmth back into the world.

Happy, sunshiney, warm colors!

I'll be working on the November block for Karen for the IMQG bee.  She asked us to make house or building blocks (which I cannot copy and save the examples she sent, ratz!) in such vibrant, colorful fabrics!  Need to do a little planning on this one.

Carppy, crappy picture.  Here is what I've gotten done so far on my Lone Star quilt.  I started it at my mom's right after her latest chemo.  Dad was in the hospital and we didn't want her to be home alone during her "sleepy" weekend.

This is a QuiltSmart, fusible interfacing pieced project.  I've been wanting to do a Lone Star for a long time after seeing one at my LQS.  KT and I wrangled our broods and hubbies together in their "many" van on a Saturday and went together for some therapy.  I was going to buy the strip method pattern, until I saw this

pattern could be done on the fusible interfacing.  It's exactly like English Paper Piecing!  The seams fit together wonderfully!  The hardest part is figuring out what fabrics and colors you want to use.

Very much worth the money to buy the interfacing and do it this way, especially since this is a first time trying this pattern.  I have a better feel for how things go together and where to place fabrics.  I will definitely be doing this one again.  I just wish the pictures were better, but it's bleak, gray, white and cold outside.  Which, as you know, means dark inside!  Blech!

And it is that time of my life where my 5th grade student will be showcasing his burgeoning talent.

Ah yes!

Bean originally began with the French Horn.  But, it was difficult to play and gave him headaches.  Go figure!

So, he moved on to a trumpet like instrument called the cornet.

Much smaller, not as loud.

Yay!

Hope you all have a great day, despite whatever weather you're having.  If it's sunny and warm where you are, book me a flight and I'll come visit!  If not, I feel your pain!

P.S.

An update on my mom and dad.  Dad came home Monday from the hospital and is settling in nicely at home with things getting back to "normal" (if there ever is such a thing!).  Mom had her doctor's visit yesterday and will need two more chemo treatments and then will be on a maintenance chemo treatment once a month.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.  That was a very long three weeks!

P.S.S.

Don't forget to check out Amy's blog for Sew & Tell's Friday Finish!

Scrappy Star Block

This last weekend I got to share with my mom at her house.  She has a "sleepy" weekend where she watches a little tv, putters a bit, eats and then naps.  All day long.  LOL  We drove up to see my dad and I got to spend some time working on a new project which I don't have pictures of yet. 

Madeline asked us for a block called "Dove in the Window".  My month has been so full, today was the first day I could sit down and devote a morning to reading the instructions and piecing a test block.

I rummaged through the scrap bag for beautiful blues.  This is a 9" unfinished block that can be found here.

The little center pieces will make you burn your tiny fingers when pressing with steam!  Yow!

But it's complete and will be going in the mail after the holiday, along with a special package for a special bloggy friend.

Dad remains in the hospital until at least Monday.  We will surely miss him on Thanksgiving day and for dinner Saturday.

On a hugely happier note, my mom's CA125 count is down within normal.  Which means the chemo is working.  She'll have one more course and hopefully be done!

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving and sharing with you three of the things I'm most thankful for:





Catching my breath

and trying to breathe.

Thank you all for lifting us up in your thoughts and prayers.  We're getting through each day and shaking our heads at the thought of where we've come from and trying not to give too much thought to what tomorrow will bring.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  Psalm 16:11

Dad remains in the hospital until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

He's doing better, but I want my Dad back the way he was.

Dad and Coach Crean's wife at a recent IU game.

Mom has another treatment today.  My sister is by her side for this one.  We're tag-teaming.  LOL  It's an all day treatment for her, and the doctors have given her permission to visit my dad outside of normal visiting hours today so she doesn't have to travel back to town, or stay in town after the chemo.

A friend of my dad's will be visiting him tonight to keep him company.  Mom doesn't do night-driving very well, so we've been taking turns picking her up and chaffeuring her to visit Dad for the two hours a day she can see him.

They will be celebrating 40 years of marriage in December. 

Tomorrow I will be dropping kids off at school, picking them up, dropping Middleman off at co-op and picking Mom up for her post-chemo shot.  We'll pick Bean up then and drop him off at another friend's house til Javi gets home from school and work.  Middleman has a ride back to town from co-op (in another town) sometime tomorrow.  Several of the teens go "airsofting" in a forested aread owned by a church one of our families go to.  Hubby's parents will be helping take care of our niece and nephew through the next couple of days. 

Calling hours tomorrow night for Joyce, and a dinner in the state capitol for hubby whom-I-love-so-much's work.

Trying to make plans for someone to be with Mom the rest of this weekend and next until we're comfortable with her staying alone.

Saturday is the homecoming celebration.  This woman was a pastor's wife, mother, friend, grandmother, daughter, sister, mentor, spiritual mom and so much more.  I had the blessing of being able to tell her goodbye Tuesday.  I had just left my mom after visiting with Dad at the hospital and still had my surgical mask I've been wearing around Mom because I've been sick.

Mask in place I knocked at Joyce's door and my sister in law led me in to talk with her dad, and say, "I'll see you soon." to her mom.

What has gotten me through the last week and a half is the knowing that I have been in tighter, nastier, more painful and agonizing places in my life.  And He has always gotten me through them and on a brighter path with the hands of my friends and family right there holding me for Him.  Being His hands and feet.  His comfort and peace.

And for KT, that means being His chef extra-ordinaire!

She had fed us, made us laugh and challenged two very wonderful boys to step up to the plate and be the men they are destined to be--by thinking more of others than of themselves.

What a friend.  What a sister.

May we all have such blessings in our times of need.

Fly to Jesus!

Home is a much better place.

Celebrating the life, joy, spirit and homecoming of Joyce!

...and live!