Ornaments

I finally finished the full line of the Vintage Christmas ornaments. There are 12 ornaments in the line and I have decided that I am going to do another 12. They have been so much fun to work on. I don't know exactly what I will be doing in the next 12, but I have some ideas. Check in often as I will be posting pictures as I get them done. You can purchase these on my website at http://www.chickadeehollowdesigns.com/

Happy Stitching! Carol

Quilting Stories

Behind every quilt there is a story. Did you ever really think about that? I have been thinking a lot about that lately as I try to zero in on how I come up with my designs. So often, I am asked how I come up with different designs. So, I have tried for a long time to come up with an answer when I get asked that. I think I may be blessed with a photographic mind. I am not sure other people see things this way, but I can shut my eyes, and I can visualize what a certain design/block looks like.That may sound an awful lot like, “I see things!” But it is true. My favorite time to visualize things like that is when I go to bed at night or when I get up in the morning. So, if you came into my bedroom, you might see a graph pad laying next to me bed. You just never know when an idea comes so I always want to be prepared. A lot of times I get an idea from looking at fabric, so I guess you could say that, “the fabric is speaking to me.” I guess I will be careful who I tell that too. They may wonder about an old psychiatric nurse that “says the fabric is speaking to me.” But even more than how I get my ideas, I think it is more important for me to hear your stories. Growing up with a mother who made many, many quilts, I now think back about some of those quilts. Most of her quilts were made from a cardboard barrel full of scraps that never seemed to get empty. My Grandma used to go to Goodwill and get used cotton clothing and my Mom would use it for quilts. I remember very well, me and my sister sitting on the quilts and looking at the different pieces of fabric, pointing out the ones from which we had homemade dresses. And always I now think about her tools. They were minimal! A treadle sewing machine, scissors, yardstick, cardboard shapes, squares, circles, etc. There were no rotary cutters, cutting mats, or acrylic rulers. We are able to make much more beautiful quilts now days, but I still have fond memories of the scrap quilts my Mom made. Recently, I ran into a friend of hers and we got to talking about her quilting, and this is what she said, “I wish I had been born 20 years later. “ Her comment struck me and I wondered if my Mom didn’t feel the same way. She is gone now, but her quilts live on as she never made one for herself, they were all given as gifts for grand kids, nieces and nephews weddings, etc. So many times this is where our quilts go, and each of them has a story. I would like for you to share a neat quilt story with us, so I could share it with other readers. A lady I worked with told me about her quilts story. She had it all cut out and I don’t remember what the pattern was, anyway her husband got very ill and ended up in ICU for over a month. She said it was the quilt that sustained her through that long and grueling time. He couldn’t talk as he was on a respirator, so she just sat with him and quilted on her quilt until he recovered. So, that quilt has a story. Share some of your stories with us.
Happy Stitching! Carol

Grandmothers Flower Garrden Quilt

Traditional Flower Block

Today is the day I started my Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt. Our club officially got off the ground last week, and at present we have 5 brave souls who have started with a few more that are thinking about it. Hopefully, we will get more to join us as they can start whenever they want. At this time we have, Vickie, Karen, Renee, Charlene, and myself. I remember thinking at one time that you had to be crazy to start one of those. But, I always admired them and thought them to be an interesting concept. I decided to look up some history on the Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt, and I found out some things that I thought I would share with you. This quilt was thought to be the most popular quilt pattern after 1925, and many women who had never made a quilt before made one of these quilts. It was very popular duringthat time; it was the Depression Era, and many women felt it was a good way to use up all their scraps.The actual hexagon pattern, commonly referred to as “mosaic” actually dates back to 1700’s. That is a long,long time ago! So, now we know that. Aren’t we blessed with all of the quilting tools, and fabrics of today? I am so grateful that I havethis to keep me occupied in this crazy world we live in today. I also found it interesting that this was a popular quilt during the Great Depression; the state of our country right now may someday be called the second Great Depression. Oh, if we could only look into that crystal ball and see the future. I want to hear from all of you, send me an e-mail, csteff46@tds.net let me know how it is going, and also if you are having any problems. Also share pictures with us and I will post them here.If you have any good GFG Quilt stories, (or other quilt stories) share them with me too,and let me know if I can post it.Today is the day I started my Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt. Our club officially got off the ground last week, and at present we have 5 brave souls who have started with a few more that are thinking about it. Hopefully, we will get more to join us as they can start whenever they want. At this time we have, Vickie, Karen, Renee, Charlene, and myself. I remember thinking at one time that you had to be crazy to start one of those. But, I always admired them and thought them to be an interesting concept. I decided to look up some history on the Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt, and I found out some things that I thought I would share with you. This quilt was thought to be the most popular quilt pattern after 1925, and many women who had never made a quilt before made one of these quilts. It was very popular during that time; it was the Depression Era, and many women felt it was a good way to use up all their scraps.

The actual hexagon pattern, commonly referred to as “mosaic” actually dates back to 1700’s. That is a long,long time ago! So, now we know that.Aren’t we blessed with all of the quilting tools, and fabrics of today? I am so grateful that I have this to keep me occupied in this crazy world we live in today. I also found it interesting that this was a popular quilt during the Great Depression; the state of our country right now may someday be called the second Great Depression. Oh, if we could only look into that crystal ball and see the future. I want to hear from all of you, send me an e-mail,info@chickadeehollowdesigns.com let me know how it is going, and also if you are having any problems. Also share pictures with us and I will post them here.If you have any good GFG Quilt stories, (or other quilt stories) share them with me too,and let me know if I can post it. Also, anyone else who wants to join us and make a Grandmothers Flower Garden Quilt, just let us know, and you can find all the information on my website, http://www.chickadeehollowdesigns.com/.

Happy Stitching! Carol

Time To Plant

One thing for sure that I know I have passed along to my grandkids is the love of going out and digging in the dirt. Even before I was ready to dig this year, these two grandsons of mine, age 4 1/2 and 5 years had to do some spring planting.They discovered this nice patch of black dirt next to the shop, and they both came running into the house asking for seeds. Grandma wasn't prepared, so I had to scamper a bit and find some seeds. I dug into the sunflower sack for the birds, and then I went to the cupboard and found some navy beans and then a few popcorn seeds; I made up a little baggie for each of them, and they both ran outside happy as could be.
That kept them busy for about a half hour, as they dug holes and planted their seeds. It sure was fun to watch.
I did go out today to dig in one of my flower beds, and it was great, but I have to pace myself, or otherwise I would stay out there all day. Then the next day, I would be stiff and sore.
Tonight I have to get busy and do a little quilting or stitching. I am working on some more miniatures made from Civil War fabrics. I will get a picture as soon as I can to post.
Happy Stitching! Carol

Fun With Charm Squares

Centennial Stars

Prairie Stars
Who can resist going into your favorite quilt shops these days and picking up a couple charm packs. They are affordable, and there is something about them being pre-cut that adds to them being so desirable. I have designed a few quilts using charm packs. Prairie Stars is one of them, and that is made out of 120 Bound To The Prairie charm squares. I couldn't resist the deep rich colors in that line. You can find the pattern on my website, http://www.chickadeehollowdesigns.com/

Centennial Stars is a miniature quilt I designed, and it too, is charm pack friendly. The fabrics I used in that little quilt are Civil War fabrics, and the colors I chose almost give it a patriotic feel.

Happy Stitching,

Carol

Waking Up With Stitching On My Mind

I can tell it is going to be a good day when I wake up with stitching on my mind. Some times people laugh at me when I tell them this, but it is true. Almost every day I wake up with stitching on my mind. I never seem to tire of it. If I do get tired of working on a cetain piece there is always another one around that I can work on. If you are like most quilters or stitchers, (I am both so I call myself a quitcher!!) you probably have many different projects lying around in vaious places throughout the house, and probably also in the car. And if you can't find one laying around, there is always a new one to start!! That is so much fun, starting a fresh new
project! With all the good intentions in the world we start new things and every once in a while we finish one. Many times I may have five projects lying around all with about a half hour left on them. Then all of a sudden one day, I will get the urge and finish them all in one day. Aaaah! What a great feeling it is to finish five projects in a day. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment. I had one of those days yesterday , and I was able to wrap up about 7 things actually. Today, I feel like I have accomplished nothing, even though I have been busy all day. I like making miniature quilts, and I like doing my own designing. Sometimes I think that people may
think I pop these things off just like that and sometimes it does happen that way. But right now I am working on a miniature that has been reconstructed so many times that I am thinking about calling it "A Misfit." I am eager to see the response I get once I actually put it on the market. It isn't a hard quilt, it just took forever to get around to something that I was pleased with. Well however, it turns out, I know my grandaughter will like it. She loves everything I do, even a very gaudy piece of Crazy Quilting that was actually my first attempt at that. Whenever, she sees it, she asks me if she can have it when I am gone. I always promise her she can,
because there is no doubt in my mind that anyone else will fight about it. Grandkids are the best! Tomorrow it will be off to school to see my oldest grandson in the spelling bee. Should be fun!!
Happy Stitching! Carol

Being Grateful

It was so cold this morning and I sat and thought about how grateful I am that I don't have to go out into the elements any more for my job. After nursing for 40 years and getting up early in the morning or coming home in the morning after a night shift, I really appreciate not having to get up in the morning or go out in the night and brace the cold. That set my mind thinking about all of the things I have to be grateful for, and the list went on and on. I think it is good to reflect on the things we have to be grateful for, and most often we don't have to look too far to see someone who has it worse than we do. Yes, I have the usual morning aches and
pains that go along with getting older, and of course my chronic neck pain from an "old football injury". Yes, it is true, it really is an old football injury. It happened when I was 16 years old and I was playing football with my five brothers. I always had to play with them so they could have three against three. On that particular day, my one brother threw me a pass and as I caught it, my oldest brother sacked me so fast. I didn't even see him coming it happened so fast. My body whipped to the ground and I heard my neck snap. That was the start of a life of neck pain and I have had problems ever since. The chiropractors say it was a whiplash, now I have some arthritis going on in the vertebraes. Even with all the pain I have endured with it over the years, I have something to be grateful for. I am grateful I didn't die!! It is my cross to bear and it's burden is very light compared to some things that others have to endure, so I try notto complain.I am grateful for my husband , my children, my grandchildren, and the list goes on. One of the things that I am especially grateful for is the talent that God has given me to do my designing and my artwork. It is what fills my life these days, and what a joy it is. After finding a way to incorporate my artwork into my stitching and quilting, I feel really blessed to be able to do it all. Thank You God! Today I worked on a new design for a spring pillow, I drew some wildflowers that I am going to use for the center panel. You can see it at the top of my post.I think I will use
some of the 30's reproduction fabrics arouind it, not sure how yet. Don't you just love the 30's??Doesn't making something springy just lift your mood or spirit? Until next time, just keep on stitching.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007

A Beautiful Day

Thank you God, for this beautiful day! Although it started out a little humid after a little night time rain, it ended up being so beautiful this afternoon and evening. The sun came out, the humidity went down and it got cooler.However, not far away, 4 inch diameter hail stones and downed trees. Some more people to remember in my prayers tonight and another thing to be thankful about. Have you ever really thought about how many things happen in a day that we have to be thankful for? We are so blessed in so many ways. Speaking of beautiful, I got a close up look today at the RJR fabric line,"The Roaring Twenties." It is a beautiful line of 1930's reproduction fabric and I love every piece of it. Man, did that set the old wheels a turning! I am totally amazed at all the beautiful fabric lines available,and they keep coming and coming. Someone asked me if I was going to do any fabric designing since I do pattern designing, and I said," Not while they keep turning all these beautiful fabrics." The biggest problem is what to do with all I already have. I know there is always charity and I have every intention of sending some that way here in the near future. I was contacted by a gal who works with an organization called Patches Of Love. They make and take quilts to homeless orphans in disadvantaged countries. You can look up their organization on line, it is called www.patchesoflove.com You can send them either quilt blocks already made or you can send them the quilts. They ask for quilts about crib size and you can see where they have been and where and when they are going on their next trip to take quilts to orphans.We are so blessed in this country, most every little child I have known in my life has had several quilts. It is hard to imagine that there are some with none. Besides designing quilting, one of my passions is too draw, sketch and paint. Today, I was thinking about sunflowers, and how they are colored. If you ask someone what a sunflower looks like, they will probably say, yellow flower with green leaves and stem. But the real striking sunflowers are those that have reddish petals and are multi-colored. I will never forget this town I came through one time in southern Minnesota and someone had planted sunflowers right up to the highway in the little patch of dirt that lies between the sidewalk and the curb. They were mixed, multi-colored, and so tall and they greeted everybody who came into that town. It was so striking, I will never forget it. Anyway, that would be my dream to have a patch like that down by my mailbox to greet passer-bys. And as an added dimension right next to the American Flag hanging from a flag pole. Oh, and we might as well stick a birdhouse or two in there too. I think I better dream on that tonight and see if I can make it happen this week-end. Tune in later to see what happens, maybe if it turns out good, I will even post a picture. I do have a drawing of some sunflowers that I will share tonight. Enjoy, and keep on stitching!Monday, May 21, 2007Change Is Good Every day I am reminded that changes are good for you. Living here in Minnesota, you better get used to change. Today, our morning started at about 45 degrees, and right now at 4:00pm, it is a very humid 85 degrees. We have had wind, rain, sunshine, humidity, calm, cloudy, and stormy. It is true what they say, if you don't like the weather one minute, just wait a while and it will change.I need to get some of my annuals planted yet, once the weatherman can promiseme that we are not going to get any more frost. Some parts of our state had a half inch of snow yesterday.It is absolutely the best time of the year. The hummingbirds, wrens and orioles have arrived and the chorus they send up every morning is like being in heaven. I have a little Berwick wren building a nest in a birdhouse that is sitting in the corner of my deck that I have not even got put where I want it, I guess it will stay there until the little ones are hatched. It is a treat to sit in my screen porch and watch it flit from tree to tree in my back yard staking out it's territory. Bird behavior is so interesting to me, maybe it is because I was a psychiatric nurse for many years that I am interested in their behavior. You can learn a lot about nature by sitting and watching them as they mingle with the other birds at the feeders, and protect their territory.Aaah! Birdwatching is great. But do you know what makes it even greater?? If you have a piece of stitching in your hands while you are sitting in the porch while watching them; it doesn't get any better than that. Oh, did I forget to mention a big cup of strong coffee and a good stitching friend? That helps too!! My porch is one of my favorite places these days, can you tell??I am stitching on several different projects right now. I feel bad for people who have not been exposed to the world of stitching. It is such a big part of my life. I truly love making miniatures and most of all I like designing my own ideas. I have made some miniature table runners that you can check oput on my website. These have really gotten to be a lot of fun for me, and very easy. They also have many wonderful uses, being great for end tables, coffee tables, and also accent tables. I made a pattern for Autumn, Christmas, and Spring. Each pattern has five different designs and none of the three patterns are alike so there is a total of 15 different desgins. Check them out at www.chickadeehollowdesigns.com. Well, I better get back to designing before the day is done. For those of you who are folowing my blog, I apologize for not posting for so long, but we have been busy doing some changing and re-organizing here. Until next time, grab a cup of coffee and some stitching and head for your porch, patio, deck or whatever you have and take in some of the wonderful sights and sounds of spring. Keep on stitching!!Friday, February 9, 2007 Happy Stitching! Carol
Happy Stitching! Carol

Happy Stitching! Carol

My Funny Friends

One thing I really admire in a person is a great sense of humor. I like people that can laugh at themselves and can tell you funny things that they have done even if it makes them look silly. My friend Judy, has a sense of humor a lot like mine and often we will say the same thing at the same time, which makes it even funnier. We often talk on Instant Messenger and sometimes we get the giggles so bad that we have to quit. Last night she was telling me about the fact that she lost the mattress pad for her queen size bed. She has been busy re-decorating her bedroom and in the process misplaced her mattress pad. As we were talking, she was telling me all the places she had looked for it and I was kind of suggesting places where she should look also. Now how does one misplace a queen size mattress pad? She lives alone in a smaller home and she claims she has looked "everywhere." She told me she had even looked in her "freezer." Needless to say, they were several, "lol, lol, lol," over that comment. She is one of these obsessive people who is a fanatic about cleaning and ironing and pressing everything. So, I suggested to her that maybe she had ironed it and folded it up and put it in the drawer with her doily's. Then I suggested that maybe she still had it on the bed, or that it was under the lid of her printer. (That's another story I should share.) Anyway, the last I talked to her, she had still not found it. It really isn't the kind of thing that someone would come in and steal. She is a quilter; I sure hope she didn't sew it into a quilt! Anyway, I do look forward to talking to her every evening ater the news, because we have the same kind of sense of humor. It is good to go to bed laughing. There has been times when I have gone to bed and thought of something that she said and then I would lay there and laugh and try not to disturb my husband. It is good to have a friend that can make you laugh.I had my own little circus here tonight, as I gave my two Pomerainian pups a bath. I was all alone in the house; I could have used my husband with his lariat rope. I guess next time I give them a bath I should not bring out the towels and the puppy shampoo until I have them corraled! They still are not quite used to the bathing ritual. It is tick season in Minnesota so they need their baths frequently. First I tried to lure them to me by talking sweet and that didn't work. Then I tried one of their favorite toys and they both sat there and looked at me like they were thinking I was pretty weird. Darn!! Where are those husbands when you need them. After several trips through the entire house, (under the beds and chairs, behind the couches) I finally caught one and took him to the tub. As soon as the other one saw what was happening, he disappeared! By the time I was done with the first one, I was pooped!! I actually thought of waiting with the second one until in the morning, but they sleep together and I didn't want the other one to get dirty again, so the chase was on again. Finally they were both squeaky clean and then my husband walks in. (Don't husbands have uncanny timing??) When I told him, he thought it was funny! Guess who is going to be around on the next bathday?? He needs to get in on the round-up. After all he is the cowboy in the family! I didn't get any quilting or stitching done today, but my studio is sparkly clean. If we get the rain that is forecasted for tomorrow; it will be a great day to spend the day stitching. A couple of graduations to go to, visits with the kids and grandkids and the weekend will be gone.I want to take some special time this weekend to reflect and pray for the men and women who have gone before and those who are presently serving our country. We all need to take time to honor them and pray for them.Wednesday, May 23, 2007

My Little Wren Friend

Today I sat in my screen porch in my favorite chair and as usual did one of my favorite things in the world and that is watch the birds. We have an abundance of colorful song birds who enjoy our backyard. As I wrote earlier ,we have a wren that was so impatient to build a nest and start a family that we didn't even have a chance to put the bird house up. I had a bird house on a post just leaning against the corner of my screen porch when she started to build the nest. It didn't matter to her that it hadn't even been nailed up-right. I explained to all my grandchildren who were of course very curious that they musn't disturb the nest as she was going to have baby birds very soon. Well, that just made them all the more curious and it wasn't long before the post got knocked over and lay precariously on it's side. Again I warned them to leave it alone as I was afraid that the mother wren would certainly be done with that house after all the comotion. It wasn't long before the mother wren was back and sat very quietly on the edge of a wooden flower pot and cocked her head from one side to the other as she wondered what had happened to her house. She seemed reluctant to go inside but finally did and quickly popped her head back out and did a 360 of her head as you could see her trying to figure out what happened. Well, being the good mother that she is, she continued to nest but I think it took her at least a day and about 100 trips in and out of her house to get it situated the way she wanted it. I was relieved, it looked like she was going to stay! A week passed and one of my grandsons came and he decided that the post had to be uprighted so up the post comes and of course an angry mother wren quickly flew out and lit on one of the nearby branches and very loudly let us know that she was not happy. I always wondered how such a little bird could have such a loud presence. I knew I had to intervene in some way to make this house a little more permanent, at least long enough to bring these babies into the world. I propped the post up into the corner and planted a heavy flower pot against one side of it and then pushed a flower box against the front of the post so it couldn't go anywhere. In doing this, I made sure that the front of the bird house was now visible from my favorite chair. Now I am in heaven, (that is what my sister-in-law calls my screen porch) I can now watch her even closer as she is only about 10 feet from my chair. Now, I can't wait
for the grandkids to come and sit on Grandma's lap and watch the birds.As I was sitting there today, being reflective about my special mother-in-law who just passed and thinking about her role as a mother to my husband and watching the mother wren do her job (the babies are here now, we can hear them very plainly) I found myself comparing how we as mothers are much like bird mothers and how much our children depend on us for the things we do.Somedays I look at my house and it seems like it has tipped over, because everything is out of sorts, and even if I get the family to help, it is still me, the Mom who orchestrates everything. When it comes to nourishment, it is me the Mom who initiates the cooking and I am the one who makes sure the meal is balanced so the family is properly nourished. Just like the mother wren, it takes
about 50 trips around the kitchen to get it all together and feed the brood. She, the mother wren never seems to tire, as she is always, alert, chirps like she had a swig of serotonin, and flits about like she nevers needs Ibuprofen or Aleeve to get her through the day. And I will bet that she nevers eats the last worm either.She gives it to her kids. At least they don't have to do laundry and keep track ofwhether or not the family has
any socks left or where that blue shirt is that was in the laundry last week. But I do believe they have good memories, because every year they have to fly all the way back from down south, and how in the world do they remember this weather beaten little 6 x 6 house on the corner of my porch. Can you imagine how many houses they must pass on their way up here? And the other thing that is so amazing, as I have beenwatching it for years, they always arrive on May 9th. Coincidence?? I don't know or just a darn good Mom keeping track of everything as usual??Mom's are amazing people who have amazing strength and do amazing things for their families. I know I will be keeping close watch on my deck family, I just have to see those babies take their first flight. I have a feeling I will have lots of company, because my grandkids and Minnie (my cat) are very interested in the activity in that little house. This will be my stitching spot for quite a while.
Friday, May 25, 2007

Another Day In Paradise

A beautiful day for sitting in the screen porch and stitching. When the weather is like it was today in Minnesota, it is close to paradise. Low humidity, light breeze, temperature in the 70's and the sun shining. I am so grateful for my screen porch (here in Minnesota you gotta have screen to keep out the mosquitos) it's nothing fancy, just very country and comfy. Now what could be better than that. As I look over my rock gardens, I can see that I am going to need to put down the stitching one of these days and do a little weeding. I don't like to use weed killer because we have so many birds that visit our backyard, and I don't think it is good for them. Speaking of the birds, my little wren friend was not in her house today and I am quite concerned about it.I miss her chattering and antagonizing the car. I know the cat didn't get her because the cat doesn't go outside. I don't hear any little ones either, I sure hope I didn't miss their first flight. I am stitching on another piece of what I call "Crazy Stitching." I am not a crazy quilter, as I really don't like the bright, garish look of some of it, but the stitching intrigues me. I like doing
the stitches. I also like to draw (if you haven't figured that out by now) and I like doing a drawing of some of the stitches, coloring them and then transferring them to fabric and then doing
embroidery on them. The photo that I have just posted is one of my latest pieces. I have yet to make it into the heart shaped little door knob hanger. I have the best time doing these. I will include another photo after I get a digital picture of it.When I was talking about prardise earlier, I was reminded about an e-mail I got the other day from my niece. She is a young mother and and has 3 little girls, the oldest is 3, and the other 2 are twins and are two yearsold. In her note that she wrote me, she ended it by saying, I need to go because one of the twins had written all over the other one with a magic marker, and then ended it with.... oh, just another day in paradise. It struck me funny but at the same time I found myself reliving some of those experiences of being a young mother and dealing with things like kids coloring on the walls, etc. When you reach the age of being grandparents, and how you think at that point in your life, those days were like paradise. What fun it would be to spend a few days with three active little girls like that. I love little children at that age, they are so quick to smile and they are just like little sponges as they absorb everything you say and do. The thing that I wonder about though is why, I as a mother at that age was so serious about everything. When I think about it, we did it to ourselves. I remember thinking that my house had to be perfect, the laundry always had to be done, heaven forbid if anyone came over and saw the house a mess. I remember just flying into a frenzy if I found out someone was coming and I would clean and dust and bake a cake because back in those days you always had to have something baked to go with coffee in case someone came over. I remember fretting about the garden and making sure there were absolutely no weeds present. I went to school and got both of my nursing degress after my children were born and worked out full time most of my life. I remember feeling like I was on a roller coaster some days, as I would fly from one thing to the other. Now I sit back and I think "for what." Life is what happens when you are busy making a living." And those days with your children when they are small are so precious, and it is all gone in the blink of an eye. Young mothers, take heed, slow down, spend time with your children, the days pass way too quickly. We all need to slow down and enjoy life more, because in the end, it is all about what kind of a person you are inside and not what things look like on the outside or what your home looks like, or what others think about you. Take time to stitch, and watch the birds, smell a few roses, chase a few butterflies.
Happy Stitching! Carol

Waiting For Warm Weather

Anyone else ready for Spring?? I am eagerly awaiting for the first day that I can sit in my screen porch, watch the orioles and humming birds drink from the feeders, and stitch the day away. Man, it don't get any better than that! I can't almost feel the warm sunshine on my achy bones already. Our weather has not been good for the athritis sufferers of Minnesota. One day it is 50 degrees, and the next day it is 10 degrees. The cyclical nature of the weeks in March are just teasers for those of us who need the sun to warm our achy bones and help the Ibuprofen some. The heating pad helps, but it is not the same as the sun. However, my stitching keeps me busy enough so the days go by pretty fast, and it won't be long and the renters will be here.( My little wren friends, usually on May 9th.) I am not sure if I ever mentioned that I am a bird lover, and I especially like to draw them. We are so blessed to be able to watch these amazing creatures, and especially in the spring when all their colors are so vibrant. I see that I have gone past the magic hour for getting my beauty sleep, so I better close for now. Leave a comment, we would love to hear from you.
Happy Stitching! Carol

Lifes Little Blessings

Everyday, I am reminded that one of the blessings of getting older is grandchildren. I am fortunate enough to live pretty close to all six of my grandchildren and I am grateful that all of them were very healthy when they were born. They are all different, their little personalities are so special. The one thing I appreciate the most about them is the condition of their hearts. They are very normal children in so many ways, but the thing I think is the neatest about all of them is their hearts. They are all very affectionate, very caring, warm
individuals. Some of the things they say and do just warm my heart and make me believe that they will grow up to be very special people. All of them love animals, which is pretty evident, as none of us lack for pets. We had a very unfortunate thing happen this week, one of our dogs, Molly, (who was a black lab in appearance, but was a mix of a couple different breeds was found in an animal trap. Needless to say, she was dead, and the
trapper who found her was very sad. When he came to our door, and told me what happened, I immediately teared up and and I felt like we had lost a family member. Molly was like family, she was the protector of all the grandchildren, while she watched our place at night and would always alert us that maybe a cow was out or something was going on outside that needed our attention. All of my grandchildren loved Molly. When my two oldest grandsons would come and spend a night with us, they always wanted to bring in Molly. I always let them, because they would lay on the floor with him and play. They would hug him, sit on him, roll on the floor with him and many times I would hear them say, "Molly , I love you."They all loved him; he would actually
smile at them. If you have never seen a dog smile, you have missed out. It is the sweetest thing.My grand daughter who lives next to us, claimed Molly as her dog. Where ever, Mariah went, Molly went. They were inseparable, and she claimed tobe the one that trained him to be such a wonderful dog. Manytimes I felt sorry for him, for some days Molly wore hats, some days he was on a leash; whatever she did to him, Molly accepted as part of his chore to follow along behind her. When the grandkids were playing outside, Molly would lay quietly on the lawn, and watch them, as soon as one of them would get to near the road, or wander farther then they were allowed to go, you could see Molly slowly get up and go and put herself between the danger and whatever grandkid needed gaurding. She did it very quietly, as if it was her job. If one of the kids would disappear from site, we would know to immediately see where Molly was as she would be at her post protecting. And if we didn't see either her or one of the kids, all we had to do was give a holler, and she would come bouncing out from where ever and lead us with her tail a wagging right to where ever the missing
kid was. Molly was a blessing too. Thank you God for bringing Molly into our lives, we will all miss her. It is true what they say about dogs, their love of man is unconditional.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Happy Stitching! Carol