The World as I Know It

The label

2011-04-10T19:02:00.001-04:00

The label, a photo by Laurie_Mike on Flickr.

I love these labels!

Sock Monkey

2011-04-10T19:01:00.001-04:00

Sock Monkey, a photo by Laurie_Mike on Flickr.

Yes, I'm going to be grandma again in July! We don't know if we are getting a boy or girl, so I chose to make this quilt with something neutral. Who doesn't love sock monkeys?

Baby Quilt top

2011-04-09T14:32:00.001-04:00

Baby Quilt top, a photo by Laurie_Mike on Flickr.

My daughter asked me to make a quilt top for her friend's new baby. She is having a girl in May or early June. I loved this pattern, it goes together so fast and is so easy! Great for a beginner, or a quick gift for someone more experienced.

Building Walls

2010-08-18T21:11:00.007-04:00

I had someone tell me once that they thought I was building walls around my heart. I didn't know this person, but, could feel that it was said to me with good intentions. It was said out of love and concern. So, why are walls a bad thing? People who have them are only protecting themselves right?

I also heard someone say that being shy is a form of 'selfishness'. Those of us that have struggled with shyness would undoubtedly argue with that notion, if we weren't to shy to do so.. :)

The reasoning was that by not expounding on your thoughts and knowledge the shy person is depriving others of their talents and gifts. So, with that in mind, I'd like to say that perhaps building walls to protect ourselves is also a form of selfishness. We are not allowing others in our lives, thus shutting out someone that may be able to help us grow. Yes, there is always a chance that someone may hurt us. But, with out those experiences, the good and the bad, we can't become the person that God wants us to be.

Remember, He will not let us down, betray us, or hurt us. Oh How He loves us!

What about tearing those walls down and letting others get to know you? What about opening yourself up and allowing your gifts to be heard and used? It's time to allow others in your life, to expand your horizons.

Thoughts for today

2010-08-18T10:31:00.004-04:00

As I was thinking about our Ladies Group at church, and the various activities we had planned last year, and what I thought we might do for the next few months, I started thinking about how much fun we had just playing board games. We sat around big round tables, laughing and sharing each others frustrations about the 'game' we were playing. But, then it occurred to me that it is also what we do in the 'game' of life. We attempt to build relationships on how we play our part in the game. We plan out a strategy, arrange our cards, and then go out into our world and expect to find fullfillment by winning the game.

When I consider this, I wonder how we build true relationships. Are we playing all the cards and finishing the game with a winning hand all the time? Or do we hold back a card or two, just in case. I would submit that occasionally we find that we are so busy working our strategy that we forget to immerse ourselves in real relationships. We only share that part of our life that we find lovable. We don't give in to sharing weaknesses or what is hard about our life. Thus, people don't really know us. They only know what we want them to know. We are playing a game. But, we don't set out to win this one. We just want to get by.

But, what does God want for us? I beleive He is asking us to have fullfilling, open relationships so we can build each other up, know when our friends are weak or hurting, thus needing our prayers. We need each other. We need to have people in our lives that know us well enough to tell us when we are headed for trouble.

Let's stop playing games with one another, and submerge ourselves in true relationships.

Catching up

2010-08-12T20:23:00.006-04:00

I hadn't realized it had been so long since I had posted on my blog. There aren't many exciting things going on in my world! The last post was in February, so let's just hit the highlights!

I did work on a baby quilt for my nephew and his wife's new baby. Baby Ethan arrived in July, just a cute as can be! The quilt did get finished, but the baby shower isn't until next week, so I won't be posting a photo until after.

In June, Mike and I took a trip to New York City.

We saw all the 'tourist' sites. Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Empire State Building, and went to see "The Phantom of the Opera"
We met frieds there, Marion and Otti Nowak from Berlin Germany.

Day #7 - The last day.. Sunday

2010-02-27T21:17:00.003-05:00

We packed a lunch then headed to Kona Baptist Church Then for another picnic and more whale waching at the Place of Refuge Park.

It may seem like it would be boring to spend so much time at the beach just sitting and waiting for the whales to show. But the truth is, I found it very relaxing. The air is crisp, yet warm. No humidity and a cool breeze. The palm trees give you shade, but, not too much. Paradise.

After a few hours it was back to the Honokohau Harbor and the
"Bite Me Restaurant" for another round of fish before I leave. The fish of the day was "Monchong". It's a white fish full of flavor, but not a strong "fishy" one. It was perhaps the best fish I had ever eaten.

Then we headed back to the apartment to get my bag packed. It will be a sad goodbye, but a vacation to remember for a life time.

Day #6 - Whale watching

2010-02-27T20:41:00.010-05:00

Erin, Tad and I started the day early. We headed north to find a good whale watching beach. Once I learned to watch for the spouting, I could easily spot where the whales were playing in the ocean. At one time, there were four of them, it looked like "sychronized spouting". When you saw the spout sprays, if you used binoculars you could watch the whales rolling around in the water. It was quite fascinating.

The way to Waimea

Ranch in the valley

In Waimea, there is a place called "Church Row". There was a memorial there that told about all the churches and a little something about their history. One particular church said that in the 1840's they had over 1200 members of their church. Now that's a pretty big membership for a small community on an island it the middle of the pacific ocean!

It was a very clear day, which was a good thing for photo taking!

After lunch at Solimene's Restaurant in Waimea, we started back towards Kona. We stopped at a resort to take a short hike to see the Petroglyph Park. This is a lava field that the natives carved petroglyphs into the lava. When the Resort was built, they preserved the field and made a trail. I added the link to show a little about what the petroglyphs were, I'm not sure if it's the exact same park or not.

Here's a beehive on the beginning of the hike to the petroglyphs

Erin and I with the lava field in the background.

Honu (Turtle) carved in the lava

Tad and Erin

Sign explaining about the carvings

End of the World

2010-02-27T20:37:00.001-05:00

Mom at the End of the World
Originally uploaded by ReporterErin

The last stop for the day, a place called "The end of the World". I don' tknow how it got that name, but, it's a pretty cool place. We stayed here for about an hour. With the sun reflecting off the black lava rock, I got a sunburn.

Hawaiian Monk Seal

2010-02-26T18:39:00.008-05:00

While at the Place of Refuge we saw a group of people watching something swim toward the cove. We figured it would be a sea turtle as we've seen them there many times. But this time it was a little different as it came closer to shore. This time it was a Hawaiaan Monk Seal Since these are on the "Extremely Endangered" list, it was all very exciting.

Place of Refuge

2010-02-26T18:18:00.009-05:00

After our tour of the Painted Church, we headed up the coast to a beautiful National Park called Place of Refuge

This park is a great place to experience some native Hawaiian culture, take a hike and have a picnic.

Picnic area.

This is on the hike, it is believed to have been a goat pen.

The end of the hike.

Day #6 - Friday First Stop, the Painted Church

2010-02-26T17:42:00.007-05:00

I can't believe it's Friday already! Today we have a small hike planned and lunch agt the Place of Refuge. It's a warm day, and we are hoping to see some whales at the beach. But, our first stop is a little church called "The Painted Church".

I found the following information at this website: Painted Church
"In December of 1983 restoration work began on the deteriorating church, in collaboration with the Bishop museum in Honolulu. In February of 1985 the restoration was complete and the parish celebrated. On the hundredth anniversary of the dedication of the church in its present location, in 2002, more renovation was completed. A large plywood altar had been constructed after the changes initiated by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960's, this enabled the priest to celebrate mass facing the congregation. This was replaced by a koa wood altar crafted by a parishioner, that was smaller and more in proportion to the size of the sanctuary. A matching pulpit was also crafted of this precious Hawaiian wood. The statues were refurbished and the carpet replaced. St. Benedicts sparkled once again. There are two mission churches in St. Benedict's parish, St. John the Baptist in Kelliakekua and St. Peter's Church in Milolii, 25 miles south of Honaunau. St. Peter's was built to replace a church of the same name, destroyed by a lava flow at Hoopuloa in 1926"

This tree as outside, I thought it was unusual.

Outside the church was a little souvenier stand that sold handmade christmas ornaments. I bought a wreath ornament made from the koa wood, with a nativity in the center.

Day #5 Continued

2010-02-25T20:57:00.005-05:00

After horseback riding, Erin and did some 'beach hopping'. Meaning we just stopped at several places on the way back into Kona. Here are a few photos of the day.

Day #5 -Thursday

2010-02-24T19:13:00.010-05:00

HORSEBACK riding day! Erin and I got up early and drove to the Waipio Valley to take the scheduled Horseback riding tour. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time! To take a horse thru the valley and see some places that you just don't get to see unless you are willing to hike several miles up and down the rocks and hills! By the time we got there it was raining. Not to be deterred, we climbed into the 4 wheel drive van with 12 other people we didn't know to be cowboys for a day.

We got to the stables, though, I wondered a time or two if that van would just plummet over the cliffs, and began our orientation lecture. The lecture included how to get on and off the horse, when to lean forward, how to hold the reins, and what to do in the event that the horse lays their ears flat on their neck. We were also instructed that horses, much like people, do not like their "space" intruded upon by other horses getting too close. Great... :)

One by one we mounted our rides, the guides carefully pairing up horses with riders. Erin got a horse that wanted to lead the pack. I got the horse that none of the other horses liked. Figures. She is in front, me in the rear. Yeah.. our first day together and there are 12 people riding in between us.

About 20 minutes into the ride, one of the other rideres decided she wanted to take some photos, so she fell back behind me. Next thing I knew, Shady, the socially inept horse I was on, laid her ears back and began to make a fuss. I thought she wanted to climb the mountain beside the trail, or dump me on the ground. Luckily, I had ridden before, though, let's just say it's been a very, very long time. I pulled back the reigns and told her that she didn't need to get in a tizzy. Somehow she must have thought that I knew what I was doing because she calmed right down. You should have seen the look on the guide's face. Poor guy, thought he had lost a tourist! I assured him we would be fine, and the tour continued.

We rode for about an hour and half, thru streams of water, viewing waterfalls, wild mustangs, and baby colts. All the while it rained. It was a beautiful ride and believe it or not, not one person complained about the weather.

Hawaii - Day#4

2010-02-24T18:18:00.006-05:00

It's Wednesday now, and again I head to the beach after I dropped Erin off at work. She had shown me another beach earlier in the week called the "Energy Lab" beach. Nearby there are salt water desalination plants, where they take the water and remove the salt. The salt gets sold as Kona Sea Salt, and they bottle the water for drinking. The surf was high today, so I thought it would be fun to watch the waves crash up on the rocks. I had the zoom on, so I'm not sitting quite as close at it might look.

Hawaii - Day #3

2010-02-23T19:42:00.004-05:00

Wednesday, Day #3
Today I thought I should get some of my souvenier shopping done. So, up to Alii Drive I wandered. I found a little quilt/sewing store that I had to browse. The fabrics were very nice, but, much like at home, pricey. I wanted to stop at the farmer's market, but, not finding a place to park, I headed south of Kona to a small town that I can never remember the name. There's a big fabric store there, Kimura's, with a small Japanese woman that runs it. I love going there because they have plenty of Hawaiian fabrics to look at and the owner is so pleasant and helpful. I will visit her store every time I go to Kona as long as she remains open! I made my purchases and decided to head on over to the Kona International Marketplace. Much to my dissappointment, many of the stores had gone out of business. The floral shop was gone. I loved walking thru that and admiring the orchids. With my souvenier shopping complete, I went to the beach to wait for it to be time to pick Erin up for lunch. While waiting at the pavillion, a man approached me, and asked if I had come to attend a meeting. I politely explained that, no, I was only waiting to pick up Erin for lunch. When I asked what kind of meeting he was hosting, he told me it as an AA meeting. I told him I didn't want to seem rude, but I certainly wasn't in need of his services! We talked for awhile, he was from Minnesota. It seems like everyone I meet that lives in Hawaii is from somewhere else. Interesting.

Hawaii - Day #2

2010-02-23T19:40:00.007-05:00

Tuesday, Day #2. Tuesday. I have a cousin that lives in Hawaii, her name is Ruth. She grew up in California and although I had never met her, I know her mother. Ruth and I had been planning to get together while I was visiting, so today would be the day! She picked me up at Erin and Tad's apartment and we went down to the Harbor to meet Erin for lunch. We ate at a cute little restaurant where they serve fish sometimes caught on the local Deep Sea Fishing tours.

Erin and Ruth talked me into having a Fish Taco. They put fish in a taco shell, shredded cabbage, tomato, some white sauce, and salsa on the side. I have to say I really enjoyed it.

Ruth and I then went back to her home, where I met Clouseau, her dog. She has a lovely home with an ocean view. We talked for several hours, like we had known each other our whole lives. Here is a view of the entryway, Ruth handpainted these Birds of Paradise. Lovely

Hawaii Day #1

2010-02-23T19:33:00.005-05:00

I have returned from my trip, it's true. But, I'm trying to get this all written out before I forget what I did every day!

** On Day #1 - 3 Erin had to work. It's tough flying so far and seeing her go, but, I knew that I wanted to spend some time just laying on the beach reading books and hoping that I can get a tan. So, we decided that I would drive her to work, then I could have her jeep to get to the beach. I would then pick her up for lunch, then back to the beach.

Day #1 was the first day we did that. On the way to her office (West Hawaii Today), she helped me remember where some tourist friendly beaches and a few other places. Today was the day I would also get my hair done. She has a fantastic hair dresser named Shayla at the Icicles Salon in Kona. I highly recommend her!

After I got my hair done, Erin, Carolyn (a co-worker of Erin's) and I went to Subway for lunch. I dropped the girls off at the office after, and headed to the "Old Airport Beach" where I found a lovely spot near a tree. I could rest under the tree with the sun shining on my face.

Hawaii Trip.. the arrival

2010-02-22T19:00:00.004-05:00

I arrived at the Kona Airport 20 minutes early, which meant that Erin and Tad weren't quite there yet. They only live about 10-15 minutes from there, and were watching my flight on a computer flight tracker. Before they realized it, the plane had landed and they needed to get down to meet me.

The sun was shining, the temp was about 85. By the time I got off the plane, found my luggage, they were pulling up at the curb. This is my greeting "lei"

Musings

2010-02-22T18:53:00.002-05:00

On February 7th, I boarded a plane for a trip to visit Erin. If you don't know, Erin is my oldest daughter, she and her husband, Tad, live in Kona Hawaii. This would be my 5th trip to the Islands, but my first on my own. I have to admit, flying alone, navigating the airports with no support seemed a bit intimidating When I entered the airport in Fort Wayne, the temperature in Indiana was 12 degrees. How I looked forward to some warm weather and sunshine!

This is what I found when I landed in Maui, the last stop before I was to arrive in Kona.

Journey of Discovery

2010-01-27T17:55:00.001-05:00

I finally finished the 12 month project, Journey of Discovery, Block of the month. Now to put them together!

Block #8 - Montana

2010-01-27T17:37:00.000-05:00

The winter at Ft. Mandan, N. Dakota, involved hunting, trading, keeping fit, dealing with the cold, doing extensive repairs to old equipment and building new canoes. During this time the Indiana squaw, Sacagawea, had her baby on Feb. 11th. He was named Jean Baptiste, and nicknamed "Pompey". On April 7th, the men started out once again on their journey. Eight days out of Ft. Mandan, the expedition passed the farthest point upstream on the Missouri known by Lewis to have been reached by white men. They were now traveling through Montana and heading straight west.

Block #10 Washington

2010-01-27T17:33:00.000-05:00

"Journey of Discovery"

On October 10, 1805, the explorers rode into the Snake RIver. The Snake joined the Clearwater River from the south. That night the expedition camped near the site of the present Lewiston, Idaho. Within a week the expedition passed from the Snake River into the Columbia River. The explorers had entered the present state of Washington. Throughout this part of the journey, the Native Americans were always friendly, and they were able to purchase food they needed from them. Clark believed they were friendly because of Sacagawea. "A woman with a party of men is a token of peace", Clark wrote.

January 2010

2010-01-07T20:14:00.002-05:00

Yep, it's January. The snow is falling, we have about 6" on the ground with more coming tonight. It's the light fluffy stuff that blows into big drifts if the wind picks up. I'd rather have the 'snowman' kind.. heavy, and wet, it stays on the ground in one place better!

My birthday is this month, and today in the mail I got a "AARP" card.. yes, that means I'm about to turn 50. Entering the 1/2 century age. Old. Funny though, I don't feel old, I don't look 50 for whatever that means. What is 50 supposed to look like anyway? Grey hair, tons of wrinkles, falling out teeth?

Yep.. it's January.

South Dakota - Block #6

2010-01-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

Block 6, of the Voyage of Discovery BOM

By the end of August, the expedition had reached what is now Yankton, South Dakota. Here the captains met five Sioux Chiefs and seventy warriors. These were the Yankton Sioux, who turned out to be peaceful. At the council meeting they listened patiently to Lewis's speech and accepted the medals and other gifts. Further to the North they ran into the Teton Sioux, which were believed to be the most troublesome of all bands of Sioux. Communicating through sign language they arranged a meeting and ended up spending 4 days among the Teton. Even after the exchange of gifts and participation amoungst the tribe, they left very cautiously and were glad to forge ahead.

Catching up

2010-01-04T19:58:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy few months for me. We've taken a couple of trips, one for pleasure and one missionary trip. First we spent a week in Berlin Germany with new friends. We saw all the tourist spots, lot's of old architecture and went to a Holocaust memorial. Germany is filled with interesting history.

In November, we went to Santiago, Dominican Republic to help a missionary family with their work. We spent time handing out food to people that had little or nothing to eat. We prayed for the sick, helped with dramas, and shared our faith. The Dominican is a beautiful country.

The holidays have come and are gone now. It is my hope that I will continue to keep up with my blog, and keep get my Block of the Month challenge of 2009 finished soon!

Bonus Block #12 - Indiana Puzzle

2010-01-04T19:57:00.003-05:00

This block is from Indiana and named "Indiana Puzzle". Lewis and Clark journeyed down the Ohio River bordering on Indiana's south border before they reached their first destination in Illinois.

Oregon - Block #11

2010-01-04T19:52:00.003-05:00

On November 7th, the day dawned with a heavy fog. By mid-afternoon the sky cleared. THen came th emoment they had all awaited. "Great joy in the camp," Clark wrote. "We are in view of the ocean, the great pacific ocean we have been so long anxious to see." They could hear the ocean's waves breaking on the rocks. Clark also noted, "Ocean 4142 miles from the mouth of the Missourie River. Unfortunately, he was not exactly right. What the captains had looked out oupon was the wide mouth of the Columbia River. It was as much as six miles across. On November 17th, 1805 Clark took some men and set out by foot to see th emain ocean. After exploring the area a the mouth of the Pacific, the men set up winter camp at Fort Clatsop. They would remain here until heading back east on March 23, 1806.

Idaho - Block #9

2010-01-04T19:46:00.002-05:00

In September the explores would be crossing the Bitterroot Mountains. The Bitterroots in Idaho, are part of the Rocky Mountain chain. This would be the most difficult part of the journey. Here they entered a great maze of snow covered ridges and passes. It was country harsher and more hazardous than any they had faced. Even today, few people inhabit this region.

North Dakota - Block #7

2010-01-04T19:45:00.001-05:00

BY October 24th, the expedition was well north of present Bismarck and approching the Mandan villages. The captains knew from their research in St. Louis that the Mandans (and their neighbors and allies) were the center of the Northern Plains trade, attracting Indians from vast distances. This was the location the expedition would spend the winter. Relations with the Mandans was excellent and the Indians were delighted that the expedition would spend the next five months as their neighbors.

Claudia

2009-09-27T20:37:00.003-04:00

I'm really behind on my blogging! On August 16th, I became the proud gramma of Claudia Brooke Southworth. She weighed in at 6lbs 5oz, 19 1/2 inches long. She had really dark hair, and I love being gramma!

New Baby Quilt

2009-09-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

This is the first of a set of 2 baby quilts I'm trying to put together for a set of twins about to be born at church.

Shipshewana Quilt Show

2009-06-27T20:33:00.000-04:00

I entered my "Two Trips to Hawaii" quilt in the Shipshewana Quilt Festival. This was a "Juried" show, which means that you had to submit photos of your quilt, and a jury decides if it it good enough to hang in the show. I don't know how many they had to pick from, but I do know they turned some down. I love my quilt and miss having it hang on my bedroom wall.

I will be glad to have it home again!

A sad month in 2009

2009-06-09T11:30:00.005-04:00

In the last few weeks, I've lost an uncle and an aunt.

My Uncle Ledford was in his late 80's. In 1941 he was in the Navy, his ship happened to be "dry docked" at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for repairs when the Japanese began bombing. I've always thought that he was a very courageous man for pulling fellow soldiers out of the firey waters of the harbor. Though I didn't know him well, he lived in Washington State after the war, I think of him often and know that he is greatly missed by his family.

My Aunt Retha just turned 80 last year. She seemed in good health until one day she had a pain in her side and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The doctors and specialists did all they could do with treatments but, just a few months following the diagnosis, she passed away.

It's been a sad several weeks for my mom. She is the youngest of 11 children, and with these losses there are only 4 surviving.

If that wasn't enough to think about, this last week we had two members of our church pass also. One, a man in his late 40's, early 50's (?) fell from a 6' ladder and hit his head. He had such severe brain damage that he could not survive. He left a widow and children still at home. The other was a younger man that had only attened a few months, and though I didn't have the opportunity to get to know him, it still affects us all.

It makes you wonder why life gets cut so short for some folks, and others get a life full of adventure, excitement, love, loss, blessings, stress, and fun. We probably won't ever know the answer to that question, though I know many people ask and ponder it daily. I do know that through faith in God we can all make it through this life, and that HE will carry us when we think we can not walk another step. All we have to do is ask.

Tomato

2009-06-07T14:07:00.000-04:00

This morning while eating my breakfast bagel on the deck I began to wonder how long it took tomatoes to ripen. You see, I bought a tomato plant at the greenhouse this spring that already had green tomatoes growing on it, and being a somewhat impatient person, I thought it had been long enough.

So, I wandered over to the plant and took a peek. Suprisingly, I saw a hint of red peaking out from under the beautiful green leaves. I got down a little closer and there it was, our first ripe tomato. What a great way to start the day!

Name that plant #2

2009-05-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

Here's another. Looks like a smal orange bush, with lily like flowers. I'm totally lost on this one. Never seen anything like it.

Name that plant

2009-05-20T16:52:00.000-04:00

This is a plant that just bloomed in my yard. I have no idea what it is. Any gardeners out there reading this, please let me know!

May - Block #5 - Iowa

2009-05-13T21:15:00.000-04:00

Lewis and Clark traveled the Missouri River bordering Nebraska and Iowa, the party came upon their first Indians in August. On August 2nd, a party of Otos and a few Missouries arrived at the camp, accompanied by a French trader and translator. Gifts of tobacco, pork, flour and meal were exchanged for watermellons. The Indians were farming as well as a hunting people, with semi permanent towns. The captians, Lewis and Clark, invited them to a council at their campsite, which they called Council Bluff, which is across and down river from the present day Council Bluff, Iowa.

This is the 5th block in the block of the Month series of the "Journey of Discovery" quilt. It was much easier than it might look.

Lizzie's Hutch

2009-04-29T18:47:00.000-04:00

This week in LaGrange, the Northern Indiana Woodworker's Association held a convention across the street from where I work. It was in an abandoned RV factory. The group is primarily made up of Amish craftsmen. Now, while I will readily admit that not all Amish are the best furniture builders, these are the "best of the best". I saw some of the most fabulous furniture on display that I have ever seen.

I've been searching for the perfect hutch to put in my kitchen, and I found it. I pretty much figured that it would be way out of my price range, and normally it would have been, but the salesman (could have been the shop owner for all I know) was quite generous that day, as he gave me a great deal.

I love the "antique look" of the cabinet! Now, I just need to add some decorations! Yay! More shopping!

Mrs. Robin

2009-04-29T17:57:00.000-04:00

Several weeks ago, I noticed that something kept dragging little scraps of dead grass and weeds up to our porch. I didn't think much about it, but, just kept sweeping them off. Then I noticed that a robin was building a nest on the porch light beside the patio door.

She's been sitting in her little nest quite alot lately. I wanted to take a photo, but, didn't really want to disturb her, so I went upstairs and quietly opened the bedroom window. When I was sure she wouldn't fly away, I snapped a couple photos. I cropped them to make it look closer. She's a lovely bird.

The First 4 months

2009-04-22T20:53:00.000-04:00

Here are the first 4 blocks of the "Journey" series together.

Block #4 - Nebraska

2009-04-22T20:49:00.000-04:00

On July 21st, sixty eight days from the start, the expedition reached the mouth of the Platte River in what is now known as Nebraska. In those days, to go past the mouth of the Platte was the Missouri river man's equivalent of crossing the equator. Lewis described the Platte running a mile wide and an inch deep, just bursting with animal and plant life. It was here that the men first discovered the badger.

This is by far the hardest block I've done so far. It is not perfect! But, I decided to leave it as it is because I think it's a lesson to be learned. Life isn't perfect, things don't always go our way, even though we like to think we have "it all together", most of the time we just don't. Thankfully, we are not in charge.. God is still on His thrown, and we can trust him.

Block of the Month - Kansas

2009-03-18T18:04:00.004-04:00

Kansas is the third block in the "Voyage of Discovery" Block of the month series.

The Kansas plains were a welcome land to the voyagers. "Deer to be seen in every direction and their tracks are plenty as hogs about a farm" Clark wrote on June 30th. Now headed north, the expedition was entering a near-paradise. Clark noted "rasberries purple, ripe and abundant." On July 4th, the men ushered in the day with a firing of the cannon. This was the first ever Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi River.

Attic Windows

2009-03-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

I started this quilt a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't quite settle on fabrics, they didn't seem to give me the 3-d effect I was hoping for. I really wanted to use the giraffe squares for the "window" part.

I really like how it all turned out! L

Attic Windows

2009-02-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

This is my latest project, a baby quilt, possibly for the new grandbaby. Though, I have several friends having babies, so, it could go to one of them too.

I asked a friend, Joanne, to help me enlarge the pattern, she did it on her EQ6 (*I think).

I'm thinking of putting black trim around the blocks to give it a framed look. Any comments?

Voyage of Discovery

2009-02-12T17:09:00.000-05:00

This is Block 2 of the "Voyage of Discovery" (Lewis and Clark) quilt. It symbolizes the State of Missouri.

On June 26th, the expedition completed its westward trek of 400 river miles across the present state of Missouri and arrived at the mouth of the Kansas River. The first trek of the journey was plagued with health problems such as boils and dysentery. The captains diagnosed the problems from the river water they were drinking and advised the men to dip their cups below the surface when they went for a drink. The surface water was full of scum, mud, and debris; if the men dipped deep, they would get cleaner water. Their diet was also part of the problem as it consisted of mostly meat and cornmeal. Then there were the ticks, gnats, and mosquitoes to deal with. They came in droves so thick that the men could not keep them out of their eyes, noses, ears and throats. To escape, men stood in the smoke of the fire and coated their exposed limbs, necks, and faces with voyager's grease.
*******

Sounds like loads of fun doesn't it?!?!! I'm glad I'm only making a quilt!

Desi

2009-02-09T19:27:00.001-05:00

I thought maybe I should put up a photo of the better looking end of the cat now!

Desi's story

2009-02-09T19:23:00.000-05:00

For awhile now I've been meaning to tell you about our other cat, Desi. We got Desi the same time as Louie, though they are not from the same litter. Desi is probably about a month older. He's full of zest, always curious, and loves high places.

The love of high places got him in trouble last week.

For the first time in months, when I came home for lunch, I drove our car in the garage and left the garage door up. He jumped on the CRV and then on top of the garage door. I didn't know he was there, and of course, when I left to go back to work after my lunch, put the door down. Not quite 2 hours later, Mike came home and discovered that Desi was trapped in the door, and not able to move his hind quarters. Needless to say, Mike and Desi were both distraught! He rushed him to the vet to decide what to do. Desi had xrays, and the vet reported that there were no broken bones and maybe we should leave him overnight to see if there was any change before we made any decisions. Our vet knows how much we love our pets! The next morning, Desi was moving his tail and feet slightly, so we decided to leave him there and do 5 days of cortisone shots. (2 per day). Saturday we brought him home.

He can't really jump on things, and isn't supposed to do stairs for awhile, but, the vet is hopeful for a full recovery. If you look at this photo of the 2 kitties, you will see that while Louie stands on his feet, Desi's stands more on his lower legs. That's how he walks now. It's a little awkward for him, but he can get around pretty good. The vet tells us that the feet are the last thing to recover after spinal nerve damage and to give it time.

Please join us and pray for our Desi!

Centerpiece

2009-02-09T19:12:00.000-05:00

My sister in law put together this lovely centerpiece for me. I have it on my formal dining room table. She's one talented lady! Thanks Judy!

My Random Things

2009-02-01T16:45:00.003-05:00

This is a clarification note. On my list of random things, I noted that "people who are annoyed by other people's bad grammar, annoy me." This is not to say that I'm never annoyed by bad grammar. You see, there has to be a balance. If you are speaking publicly, or are a journalist, and your grammar is bad while doing your job, I would be annoyed. And I suppose if you are always "grammar checking" yourself, then you probably are annoyed by these issues.

However, if you are not in these jobs, and are not an English teacher, you should just cut the rest of us a break! :)

I'm off my tangent now. It really doesn't bother me all that much anyway. I just wanted to clear that one up.

25 Random Things

2009-01-31T18:21:00.004-05:00

On Facebook there is a thread going from person to person listing 25 random things about yourself. I've been thinking about these things, and even posted my own list. Then had to add to it, so, I thought I'd post one here. I don't know how many people really read this blog, but, if you do, here's a little about me that you may or may not know.

1. I met my hubby (Mike) on a blind date in August of 1977. We got married in 1979, and 30 years we are still together and still happy.

2. I have 2 kids, 2 son in laws.

3. I have my first grandchild on the way, due in August!

4. I love to sew. I make quilts and purses.

5. Being annoyed by bad grammar annoys me. Who doesn't slip up once in awhile? If I have to worry about my grammar around my friends.. are you really my friend?

6. I lost a sister to cervical cancer in 1983, I still miss her daily

7. I have an awesome brother and sister. They have added another sister and brother to the family.. (their spouses of course)

8. My sister and I share the same birthday, but we are not twins.

9. I've been to Hawaii 4 times, and hope that I get to go again.

10. I have 3 stepsisters that I never see. Debbie, Lynda, and Cathy, where are you? I miss you too.

11. Both my girls graduated from college and are working in their field of interest.

12. I have 3 cats. At least one of them sleep with me every night. I think they take turns.

13. I attend Grace Christian Fellowship in Sturgis Michigan.

14. I am terribly addicted to Facebook. It has made me a nosy person! LOL

15. I drive a 2006 Honda CRV.

16. I work for the Town of LaGrange, and have for the last 15 years.

17. I graduated from Prairie Heights High School in 1978

18. My most embarrassing moment was in HS, I was water skiing, and when I fell in the water my bathing suit top broke. Thankfully the other girl in the boat was wearing a t-shirt over her suit.

19. I broke my arm jumping over a pummel (?) horse in PE class. OUCH! And another embarrassing moment.

20. The greatest accomplishment so far has been raising the most amazing kids.

21. I regret not going to college.

22. If asked what my biggest dissappointment in life would be, I would have to tell you that I really don't have one. With the exception of #21 of course.

23. I once was so addicted to playing nintendo, I would fight with the kids that it was my turn. (I guess I have an addictive personality)

24. I love to learn new things.

25. My parents were divorced when I was 7, almost 8. That was very unusual in the 60's.

Baby Quilt

2009-01-21T16:32:00.002-05:00

I'm currently on a quest to make the "perfect" baby quilt for our first grandbaby due in August. So I started out with this fabric.

I picked a log cabin style quilt, with the Winnie the Pooh characters as the center blocks. So, featured will be Piglet, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger,and Eyeore. I've got the top pretty much finished.

Unexpected Blessing!

2009-01-17T16:39:00.006-05:00

We had an Arctic week here! I live in Northern Indiana, and one night this week it dropped to -22*, not including any wind chill factors. Now, that's COLD folks!

I hate everything about being cold. Having to wear extra clothing, boots, mittens, the works. But, I have to tell you about a blessing anyway.

While it was -22* this week, we left our water running so it wouldn't freeze in the lines. But, one of us forgot to turn the hot water on too.. big mistake. We got up and of course, the hot water wouldn't run.

So, I called my local plumber, and he came out and worked on it. Poor guy was so popular that day, his cell phone kept ringing with people around town with the very same problem. He had to come and go, as we weren't quite sure where the frozen spot was. He put a small space heater near the water heater, thinking it was where it came into the house from the garage. But, it wasn't and he had to come back and do some more searching. Several hours later, he found it and got it running. During all of this he drained the hot water heater, cut some of the wall board out from behind my washer and dryer, and put in some new lines. It was frozen right by where the dryer vents outside. We were pretty pleased to have it working again.

Then I decided to get in a HOT bath, and I found my blessing!

When we moved into this house we noticed that the hot water took forever to get upstairs to the bathroom, and we didn't have much pressure on the hot side either. It was on our list of things to fix when spring arrived. But, when I turned on the hot for my bath, the water pressure was about doubled... and it got hot right away!

SO, the frozen water fixed our pressure problems! And now we can cross that off our list! I'm so thankful that I could find something positive about the whole experience.

Voyage of Discovery

2009-01-14T18:12:00.002-05:00

At my local quilt shop, Homespun Treasures, we are doing a Block of the Month. It will be a quilt called "Voyage of Discovery", following the journey of Lewis and Clark.

The first block is the Illinois block.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-13T21:34:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I'm a little late with the greeting.. but, wanted to share this cool photo. It was taken in the Dominican Republic on New Years Eve. Mike went there on a mission trip, but also got to see some sights. You can see some other photos of the trip if you visit my flickr photo page.

While he was there, they did several different ministry works. They held a kids day at the mission compound, helped a blind group, handed out food, toys, and clothing. They also helped at a men's maximum security prison with a "family day". At the prison once a year, they let the families come in and visit with the inmates. They have a christmas party and other activities.

Hawaii quilt block

2009-01-13T21:15:00.006-05:00

Every state has a quilt block named after it. I didn't know that before I started looking at quilt patterns. You can find them at Quilter's Cache It's interesting to see what each one looks like.

I've been looking for something to use my Hawaiian fat quarters, I thought the Hawaii block would work well, what I didn't know was, that I would struggle to get it done correctly. I made 3 different sizes in the same fabrics before I was satisfied.

This block will go to Carol on the Yahoo! Group "Quilting in Indiana". The group has a "lottery" every month and she was the winner for January. The winner gets to pick the block you make, and she chose "your favorite state block." I picked Hawaii because it's my favorite vacation spot. This photo is of the block I'm sending her.

The Chair

2009-01-03T19:37:00.005-05:00

So, I'm home alone for a week, and I decided I needed a project. While at JoAnn Fabric, I found a piece of upholstery fabric in the scrap bin for a $1.50, about the right size to redo a chair that Erin left here. It's a great chair, just needing a new look. So, I bought it, and some black to do the bottom, as I knew I wouldn't have enough to quite finish the whole thing. When I got home, I started tearing the old fabric off and kind of figured I'd probably picked a challenge that I wasn't quite up to! This is what the chair originally looked like:

And here is the chair with her new look! Not bad for my first time!!

Hope you like your chair Erin!

My REAL Christmas present

2009-01-03T17:54:00.002-05:00

I got the best gift this year! Karissa and Josiah came home for Christmas, handed us each a gift and said we had to open them at the same time. I had a feeling I knew what was about to happen and excitement filled me! I ripped off the paper, and saw the gift, a photo frame that says, "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's" Mike got one too, that says "Grandpa and me" In the frame was a paper that said "Baby Southworth coming in August 2009" being mischevious at Grandma Laurie's" Mike likes the little ones to call him "Uncle Buck" so his said "Baby Southworth coming in August 2009, hanging out with Grandpa Buck"

We LOVED it! We are going to be grandparents for the very first time! We are totally ready too!

Just call me Grammy!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-03T17:35:00.003-05:00

It's been a busy few weeks so I haven't really had much time for posting to my blog.
After I finished "Mrs Frosty" I had to give up the sewing for awhile, it's the Christmas Holiday after all, and there are many things that needed to be done.

We've had some really cold weather here in NE Indiana. About 2 weeks ago, it dropped down in the subzero temps, when the wind was factored in of course. About that time, the furnace in our house decided it was tired and didn't need to work very hard. I took issue with that additude and called the furnace repair man. Naturally, it had a factory defect, and of course, we needed a new furnace. Just what you want for Christmas right?!!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! They worked for about 5 hours and finally got it running so we wouldn't freeze until they could get the new equipment installed. It's done now, and supposed to be more energy efficient. I hope so, after the power/gas bill we got in the mail today, I could use some good news!

During that, Mike was getting ready to go on a Mission trip to the Dominican Republic. We packed him up and he left on the 30th of December. He landed in Santa Domingo later that day, but at the wrong airport for the mission! YIKES! After much prayer and pulling strings, the mission person there, Tim, got him a ride to Santiago. It was a stressful trip for Mike, and since he isn't home yet, I haven't heard all the details. I'm glad he made it safe though! Since then, they've had a good time.

Since Mike is gone, I've decided to get a few projects done around the house. Like organizing his office, cleaning up the garage, and a feeble attempt at re-upholstering a chair. I'm taking photos, and I'll post them later!

The best news of the holiday deserves it's own post... so, I'm signing off for now! L

Snow Lady

2008-12-18T21:29:00.000-05:00

Here she is.. now she is stuffed, has her applique'd hearts, birdhouse and lil' birdy. Her nose is probably a little big for her face. Now I have to figure out the scarf, arms (twigs) and mittens. She may be a little lumpy, but she's kinda cute too!

Building a Snow Woman

2008-12-17T20:51:00.000-05:00

I needed a new project, so I dug in the patterns and printouts that I've collected over the last few years and found a pattern for a Snow Woman. She will be about 2 1/2' tall when she's finished. And stuffed.

Here she is all flat and lifeless. I'll post as she progresses! L

New Purse

2008-12-10T17:57:00.000-05:00

I love being asked to make something to give as a gift. Last week my sister asked me to make a bag to give to a friend. I knew right away what fabric I would use.

This has some pockets inside, and the buttoned pocket on the outside also has a zipper.
To be honest, I'd like to keep this one...

Something new

2008-12-07T17:15:00.003-05:00

This weekend brought some new thoughts. First, a friend was asking me how I liked our new home. He caught me at a weak moment, and I confided that even though I love the house, I was tired of being cold all the time. Since he has a heating and air conditioning business, he knew all the right questions to ask. Then proceeded to tell me that there is a little known fact about thermostats that I needed to check out. After taking some notes, I went home and took a look at my thermostat. I can't exactly tell you that all thermostats do this, but, if your furnace is only blowing for a few minutes, there is a fix and it will run longer, saving you money and keeping your house warmer. I wonder why they don't really want you to know that?

I think it's just so the repair people can make more money. Just another reason to be thankful for all the friends that I have.. the heating/ac guy, the plumber, the lawn care man, the car guys, etc. There's alot to learn~ but I'm always up to the challenge!

Finished Wall Hanging

2008-11-28T19:37:00.000-05:00

I finished it today. I'm quite pleased with the end product.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T19:10:00.002-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving we decided to help serve a meal at our church. They advertised for a few weeks that we would deliver meals to people who weren't able to get out, or they could come to the church to eat or take home a meal for the holiday. This was a joint effort of all the churches in our community. We boxed almost 200 hundred meals for delivery. I don't know how many folks came to the church to eat, but there were quite a few. We got to eat after we were done serving, and I have to say, the food was great!

Somehow, though I missed having my girls for the holiday, I felt like this was one of my favorite Thanksgivings.

Dr. House

2008-11-28T18:40:00.002-05:00

Do you watch the show "House"? I like to once in awhile. He's a little edgy, and it's interesting to see all the things he tries before he really gets the diagnosis correct.

Anyway.. over the weekend, Mike was taking a book off the shelf, a pretty good sized hardback book, and he dropped it on his foot. I had a feeling that he broke at least one toe, so, later he took off his socks and sure enough, the middle toe was swollen and purple. Looks like he will lose his toenail.

He hobbles around like Dr. House. I even got out a cane for him!

Funny conversations

2008-11-25T19:04:00.002-05:00

Today at work we were talking about the funny things that have happened over the years in the office. I said I sure wished I'd kept them written down, they might make an interesting book. The thing is though, sometimes you have to know the people and personalities involved to really see the humor in it all.

Anyway.. it's fun to laugh at work isn't it?! It's the best part of the day when that happens. There are so many folks out there that don't have jobs and things to brighten their day. I'm feeling pretty fortunate.

A Christmas Project

2008-11-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to do a Christmas wall hanging for awhile, and I found this pattern in a clearance pile at a quilt store in Marion Indiana, I think it was called "SewBiz".

While I thought I was following the directions, I realized that I messed it up at one point. But, since I can't explain how, I guess you will either be able to see it.. or it doesn't matter. I kind of like how it turned out regardless, so, I'm not about to rip it apart to 'fix' it.

For those that don't sew, it's called a "Log Cabin" pattern.

The big question is..

2008-11-23T10:37:00.001-05:00

Hubby is laid off his job. If I were out of work do you know the place I would go? If you don't, you haven't been reading this blog for long! Haha.. Erin.. you know where I would be don't you?? Especially since I have enough air miles on my cc to go for free.. so the big question is this...

I wonder why Mike doesn't fly to Hawaii for a few weeks and enjoy the warm weather?? I know I would.

Baby it's cold outside...

2008-11-23T10:32:00.004-05:00

It's only November, and it feels more like it's January. I know the global analysts all say we are experiencing global warming, so, I would like to ask.. why is it 15-20 degrees below the normal temp for this time of year? No, I don't want to diminish the importance of the subject to those who believe it to be true, but, sitting here in Northern Indiana, it's a little hard to buy into right now. I see the photos and news clips on tv, but, I wasn't there 100years ago.. what do I know for sure?? There were no movie cameras and photos were all black and white. They can make all the claims they want to, but, I know from first hand experience that the news media does not always get all the facts right.

First Snow

2008-11-17T17:39:00.004-05:00

We had our first snow accumulation today. And even though I am not ready for winter, I missed most of the fall because of our move, I really enjoyed watching it fall. So fresh and white and it makes the air feel so clean and crisp. Kind of like a gift after losing all the colorful leaves. I was watching out the patio door while cooking dinner tonight, and decided to take a few photos. I really like how this one turned out. You can see the flakes falling down ever so gently.

Louie wasn't particulary impressed with it though. Guess it was a little cold on his precious paws!

Stocking

2008-11-09T19:08:00.000-05:00

It's past time to begin thinking about Christmas projects, but, I've been in a "slump" of late, and hadn't started anything for the season. Today, I decided it was time to sew. I found this cute little pattern on Eleanor Burns website. I have alot of christmas fabric scraps so, I made one. I did enlarge the stocking by 1" all the way around. It was very easy, it only took about 2 hours start to finish, including taking the photo.

Adventures

2008-11-02T13:27:00.003-05:00

There are a few observations I made as we were moving all our things from one house to the other that I thought I would share.

1. Nothing goes as planned. We said we would give ourselves 3 weeks to move. It's now been 5, I think, and we still have stuff in the garage at the old house.

2. The first thing I noticed in this house was the water pressure is weak. To say the least. It takes a good 30 minutes to fill a small bathtub.

3. You will find things that you don't remember having, forgot where you put them, or thought you threw away years ago.

4. If you are a pack rat, KNOCK IT OFF! You will regret it. How can one family of 2 people and 3 cats have so much to box up??

5. I bought a brand new Maytag range. Don't believe it when the tv commercials say that the Maytag repairman is bored. He's been to my house 2 times already. My brand new oven didn't heat up beyond 260 degrees.

6. The cable/internet/phone guy came to hook up the cable and internet. And although, the customer service person said they would hook all three things up at the same time, the guy couldn't or wouldn't hook up the phone. Just one more day I had to leave work early for a service person who says they will be at our house between 8:00 am and 5 pm. Thank goodness for flexibility at work.

7. The phone was hooked up, only to not work for 3 more days. Here we go again....

8. They reset the phone, and it work for one day. I've about given up on the phone. Now I know why people have given up their land lines.

9. Halloween in town is different than Halloween in the country. In the country, you might have 5-10 little kids, who you know all the parents and they have told you in advance that they will be bringing their kids by for candy. In town, every kid in a a 20 block radius comes to your house even though they don't know you. We handed out candy to over 100 goblins, princesses, various animals, jedi, spiderman, batman, etc before I ran out. Next year, I'll be more prepared. It was kind of fun though.

10. Over all, it's been a good thing. Lot's of hard work, but, hopefully worth the effort. When we were doing this, I should have written things down that I wanted to write about as I know there were many more observations than this. Somehow, now that we are pretty much finished, they don't seem as important or life changing as they did at the time.

I'm back!

2008-10-31T19:52:00.002-04:00

Well, the last month has been full of adventure! First we had a family vacation, which I've already posted about. Then we began to move into our new home. Everything is here now, though it felt like it would take forever to get that accomplished.

Moving. It's hard work. Especially for people that like to "collect" things. I'm a pack rat. So is Mike. We also have an apartment full of things of Erins.

I'm ready to settle in and get things back to normal!

So.. back to the sewing room!

My Family

2008-10-02T16:00:00.001-04:00

Originally uploaded by meetthesouthworths

I've been gone for awhile, we went to visit Erin and Tad in Kona Hawaii. Karissa and Josiah went too. We had a nice family vacation. At the end of the trip, I realized we hadn't gotten a photo of all of us together, as Tad had to work while we were there. So, I found a kind looking womat at the airport and asked her to take a photo of all of us. In the front: Karissa, Me, Erin, in the back, Josiah, Mike and Tad. A photo to remember!

Done and ready to mail

2008-09-13T19:46:00.003-04:00

This is probably the quickest little quilt I've ever done. One week start to finish. I had to add some white flannel to the backing piece Erin & Tad sent, as my top was slightly bigger. I have the quilt in the mailer and I will mail it on Monday.

Finished Top

2008-09-12T17:23:00.000-04:00

I ended up staying up last night until the blocks were all sewn together. This is the finished top. Of course I have to put the batting and the backing on, and quilt it, then put on the binding. I think it turned out really cute. I hope baby Drew enjoys his quilt.

36 Squares

2008-09-11T20:05:00.001-04:00

Here are the 36 squares needed to put together Britt's baby (Drew's) quilt. The next step is to square them off so they are all 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" blocks, then sew 4 of those into a main block, that will make them about 12 1/2" square.

After that I will make the quilt top. It's going pretty well. Erin and Tad like it! YAY! I'm really hoping to get the top done before we go to Hawaii next week. Then I can finish it up when we get back and mail it off to the new baby. Baby was born this week. His name is Drew Michael Bensman. I don't have a baby photo or I would post it.

The first block finished

2008-09-08T22:17:00.003-04:00

I had to adjust this pattern a little, because when I went to cut the pieces, they weren't big enough to allow for any monkeys to remain "whole"!

Suprisingly, all went pretty smoothly even with the adjustments.

Co-ordinating fabric

2008-09-06T16:15:00.000-04:00

This is the fabric to help pull the print together for the baby quilt I'm about to start.

A new project

2008-09-05T17:15:00.004-04:00

Arriving in the mail today were three very cute fabrics. Erin has asked me to make her sister in law a baby quilt. I haven't picked out a pattern yet, but, I have a couple things in mind. And, though these will be the main fabrics, I will add either some batiks or solid colors. The monkey and frog fabric will be the front, and the "Noah's Ark" flannel will be the back.

I think this will be really cute when it's finished!

I will post some photos here of the progress. Can't put them on flickr, just in case some one sees it before she is supposed to! :)

Meet Sawyer

2008-09-04T19:17:00.001-04:00

Sawyer Thomas Boszor, born September 3, 2008. Weighing in at 7lbs 5oz. He's my greatnephew.

The new house

2008-09-03T20:18:00.000-04:00

We want to put the plants in the divided spot that runs between the driveways. I have seen this plant growing in this area, I just don't know what it's called. We took the picture in Montana when we were on vacation a couple years ago. We thought it only grew there, then we got home and saw them here.

Can you name this plant?

2008-09-03T20:03:00.004-04:00

Mike and I want to plant this flower at our new house. Do any of you know what it's called?

Another Bag done

2008-09-02T18:30:00.005-04:00

I've been working on a purse for my sister in law. I wanted this one to be "special" because she is special to me. She is the kind of person that when you need something, she practically knows it before you do, and is offering to help. I love that about her.
She has so many talents too. Decorating, flowers arranging, taking an ugly garage sale item and turning it into a treasure. These things are all very inspirational to me!

Paisley's are her favorites right now, so I picked this pink paisley with her in mind. Then I started out with the basic bag that I made for myself last time. Next I wanted a unique flap for the bag, so I made a quilt block.

I hope she will like it!

Moving

2008-08-31T17:19:00.002-04:00

Hubby and I have been considering a move for several years. We've talked about the kind of house we would like to have, and honestly, I kind of figured that it was a "pipe dream".

The criteria went something like this:
1. The right price of course, and we are very conservative on prices! (Big problem!)
2. I wanted to move into town for reasons I won't go into here.

3. He wanted a bigger yard, and a woods. (isn't that a conflict with #2??)

4. Laundry on the main floor.

5. Basement

6. Big enough that we don't have to sell our collectibles, yet not so big we can't afford heat and air conditioning.

7. 2 Bathrooms

8. A room for my sewing stuff

9. Place on the property that he can run his ebay business with out it being all over the house. (i.e. a separate garage)

These are a few of the things we wanted, I'm sure there were more at the time.

So, off and on we would drive by a potential house and critique it with out even stepping foot inside. Most were put in the negative column. There was one house we really liked, but the owner wanted so much for it that we thought it was ridiculous.

Then we called the realtor. The owner of this house had dropped the price into the "almost reasonable range", so we made an appointment to look at the house.

It met the criteria. Has a small area that is almost "woodsy" in the back yard, which is 1/2 acre by the way. It is in Town, has a separate garage.. and 3 bathrooms. The laundry room is just off the kitchen. Who would have thought.

We made a non-committing verbal offer that we were sure they would laugh at, but, come back with a counter offer. Yet, they didn't. They accepted. We met again to go over details.

We are buying a house. We are moving in a few weeks. I can hardly believe it.

Meeting Friends

2008-08-23T17:17:00.007-04:00

Today I traveled about an hour and half to a city south of me to meet with some online friends to sew. These are gals I've met in the Quilting_in_Indiana yahoo group.

In order, if I remember correctly, are: Wendy, Darlene, Judy, Joni, Linda, Liz and Sandy S.

We chatted about our kids, the good times and bad, discussed quilting retreats, local govt issues, our jobs, husbands, and sewing. We went to lunch where Dan Quayle used to eat tenderloins and a special cheeseburger the diner now calls a "Quayle Burger". The food was plentiful, tasty and reasonably priced.

Then we walked down the street to the County Courthouse, where they were holding a 100 year birthday celebration of the building. They had a farmer market, an antique car show, then inside they had cake and ice cream. The Courthouse has some beautiful artwork painted on parts of the ceiling and a huge dome with stained glass windows. Too bad I didn't have my camera when we were out on our "field trip".

Oh, and we did get some sewing done too!

Things I've learned this week

2008-08-20T19:27:00.003-04:00

1. Don't go to Redi Care just before school starts. You will have to wait in line for a really long time before you get to see the Doctor. Reason: Every school kid in the county will be getting a sports physical.

2. Cats can give you poison ivy/oak/sumac. They carry the oils on their fur, you pick them up, the oil gets on your skin. X amount of days later you are digging it till it bleeds.

3. Taking prednisone for above mentioned poison ivy/oak/sumac can give you "rosy cheeks" and hot flashes. Not fun when it's already HOT out.

4. Organizing a class reunion is not an easy task. You don't know where these classmates have disappeared to. You don't know what the married names of the female classmates are. The classmates that are supposed to be helping don't answer emails or phone calls. They want a reunion, but, sadly, I'm worried that when it's all said and done, they will not be happy with what was planned, yet they didn't make the time to help organize. Yes, this may be may last attempt at class reunion event planning. We shall see.

5. Lilac bushes need to cross pollinate. I did not know this until a fellow walking neighbor told me so. The neighbor across the street from her pulled their bushes out, so, now she's worried that hers won't bloom. Is it true? Please do share.

6. The lovely little boy kitties that I adopted at the animal shelter one year ago now think they need to be "territorial". One is bullying the other. Why can't cat's just be friends?

When I decided on this title for this blog entry, I know there were more lessons learned. The prednisone is working on my memory I guess.

Untitled Purse Project

2008-08-15T18:30:00.003-04:00

I've been making purses alot lately. So, I made up my mind that I could make one with out a pattern telling me each step of the way. So, I got out my handy sewing tools, including a new sewing machine foot I purchased, called a "cording" foot. I made some cording to trim out the bag, started cutting, then started sewing. This is the end result. I have to tell you, I'm fairly pleased with myself.

Of course all bags patterns have a "name" but this one doesn't. If you have a good suggestion for one, please leave it in the comments!

Wylie Coyote

2008-08-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

About 15 years ago I started a new job at the LaGrange Town Hall. Working in the Town Hall can be an interesting thing. You get to know the people that make your town what it is, including the Police Officers. There was one officer that was always very intimidating to me, his name is Oscar. I thought he was mean and scary to be honest. One day he pulled up to the office as I was walking in and I looked in the police car only to see a large size Wylie Coyote sitting in the back seat. That gave me a whole new picture of who Oscar is. Police officers demand respect by the very nature of their jobs. They get up each day, knowing that even in a small community, something really bad could happen to them while trying to "protect and serve". But seeing this stuffed animal in the back seat of the cruiser made me chuckle.

Oscar and I became friends after that. And we talked about the turning point in our working relationship many times. This last May he retired from our Police Department and I asked him what happened to Wylie. I don't remember what he told me at the time, but apparently he left him in the Marshal's office. This morning one of the other officers walked in my office and said "I heard you would appreciate this" and pulled the animal from behind his back.

I have to admit a little tear came into my eyes. Wylie Coyote might be retired from the Police force, but he now has a prominent spot in my office with the Beanie Babies.

Love Birds

2008-08-10T18:02:00.003-04:00

These little applique'd birds were really fun to make. I probably wouldn't have done them on my own, but, when the girls on SewGoodFriendsdecided to do a swap, I decided to join in.

Louis, my baby

2008-08-10T17:32:00.000-04:00

Haven't shared any photos of Louis lately, so, here's some that I took this afternoon. We have a new camera, and it's fun to play around with it.

Louis is a willing subject. He doesn't always look right at you, but this time he did pretty good.

A New Project

2008-08-09T21:21:00.007-04:00

After the kids all went home today, I decided I needed a new project. A challenge always cheers me up after they go home.

I am in the mood to make a baby quilt, so I picked some animal fabric, and a pattern from Blocks Galore Got the fabric cut, and here's what it looks like so far.

Visitors

2008-08-09T18:00:00.009-04:00

This week we had visitors from out of town. Yes, Erin (daughter) and Tad (sil) came from Hawaii for a short visit. They landed in Detroit on Friday, Aug 1st and then visited Tad's family in Ohio until Tuesday, then they drove to Noblesville to stay with Karissa and Josiah, then Wednesday night they came here. On Thursday, we drove around town and took photos (so Erin could show her friends in Hawaii what the midwest actually looks like), then we made our way to South Bend to have lunch with her former co-workers from the Tribune. We ate at the "Star of India" on Grape Road. I've only had Indian cuisine (I like that word!) one other time, and I have to tell you, this was much better than the first time around. When Erin said "Indian restaurant" I considered staying home, but, I knew I wanted to spend the day with them, so I decided that it was only one meal, so why not. I can't tell you what I ate, except something that looked like red skinless chicken, and a couple kinds of rice. One looked alot like fried rice from a Chinese place. I won't say that I would choose an Indian place for myself, but, I was full when I left.

When we got home, we went to the LaGrange Steam and Gas Show at the fairgrounds. Lot's of old tractors and stuff to look around at. Erin took lots of pictures there too.

On Friday, we had invited several friends and family to an "Open House" so the kids could see as many people as possible before heading home. So, Erin and I made food for the party, Tad helped too. Karissa and Josiah came, so we took a break and went to eat ice cream at our favorite place. Then we loaded up the car for the party location, The Brick House Inn.

It was a fun party. We got to entertain friends and family that we don't get to see alot. It was really fun to catch up. I've posted a few pictures of the night on our Flickr Page

Or, you may be able to see a few on Karissa & Josiah's Flickr

And in a few days, I'm sure Erin & Tad will post some of their trip.

Erin and Tad left after the party, they were staying with his sister in Toledo for the night, then they were flying back to Hawaii this morning.

Karissa and Josiah went back to Noblesville this afternoon.

Now it's deadly quiet in the house again.

Guess I'll head back to the sewing machine!

LazyGirl Designs

2008-08-03T22:32:00.000-04:00

Love this little bag! I made it tonight in about an hour. This is a real cutie, with 2 inside pockets and a nice size strap.

It all happend at work

2008-07-29T17:50:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we had some excitement in the Town Hall. For those of you reading that don't know, I work for the Town of LaGrange in the Town Hall. In our building we also house the Fire Station and Police offices. Our Fire Department is all volunteers. Yesterday, our fire chief was available to give a summer school class a tour of the fire station to a group of kids. Things were going along as usual, when the town clerk came into my office and said one of the kids had passed out. So, thinking that these were 5-8 year olds, I figured the other adults out there may need a helping hand. Seeing a classmate pass out could be pretty traumatic right?!?!

So I run out to the fire station and low and behold these kids are not 5-8 yr olds, they are closer to 12-15 yrs. old. Needless to say, they didn't really need watching. They were all pretty calm about the whole thing.

Come to find out, the boy that passed out didn't wake up at the normal time, and didn't have time to eat breakfast. It was warm in the fire station, we don't run the a/c out there, and it has a certain smell, you know, exhaust mixed with fire smells, so possibly the combination of those things just didn't sit well with him.

I realized that people in the emergency services field run to help these people, then they don't ever know what really happened after. I saw the fire chief later in the day and I asked him how the kid was, and he didn't know. They treat the wounded, hand them off to the next set of medical staff, and don't look back.

Am I nosy? I don't know, but it bothered me all day that I don't know if the boy had a serious medical problem, or was just overcome with the smell, heat, and low blood sugar.

I don't know how they stand not knowing. Guess it's something you learn to live with.

Love Bird Applique

2008-07-26T21:10:00.000-04:00

I haven't done much applique so when the sewing ladies wanted to do this swap, I hesitated. I don't know if my skills are up to the challenge or not. This is the start of the block. A 6 1/2" square of background fabric, then the bird's body, then his wing. Now I need to add his eye and beek, then hand embroider on some feet.

Tell me how I'm doing!

Another "LizzieBCre8tive" bag

2008-07-22T21:58:00.001-04:00

I've been working on this bag for several days. I made the bag a little bigger this time, then added pockets with snaps on each side. I wanted one of these pockets for my cell phone, and it seemed a little off balance, so I felt like another one was needed.

The inside has pockets too. And you close it with the handles like a drawstring.

Cell Case #2

2008-07-16T19:32:00.000-04:00

This may become an obsession. This time, I quilted an 8 1/2" square (fabric face down, quilt batting, and fabric face up, like a sandwhich). Then I put a binding on it. Then I folded it in half, and measured the center to the size I needed for my phone. I made 2 seams, starting on the folded edge up, leaving a space in the center for the phone. Add a strap to keep the phone in a snap. Then you fold over the over lapping part, hand stitch it down, and you are done!