Walking with the Dogs

This week I've been walking the "girls" very early each morning - around 6:15am. Notice I use the word "with" the dogs, not "taking" them for a walk! Big difference.

We walk each other actually. They slow me down while taking lingering sniffs and I drag them along with the sniffs become obsessive.

This morning was lovely. During the pre-dawn hour, a sliver of a moon hung in the blue sky surrounded by huge, dark clouds. Since I love the moon in all of her phases, this glimpse was breathtaking.

The birds are very active this time of day. Even though we walk very early in the morning, the robins are singing their little hearts out. I like to think one joins us, flying from tree to tree and serenading us as we walk. However, it is more than likely many robins saying "Good Morning!" to each other. Other birds join the chorus - the chirp of the little sparrow, the whistling of the cardinals, the cries of the gulls. Every morning has the opportunity to turn in to a major bird concert!

I'm by nature a morning person. I love these walks as much as Gracie and Lucy Lou do. It gives my day a boost of inner peace and contentment. It is my time to spend with God, with nature. It is my prayer.

Sniffs and all.

Projects, more projects

Here are a few pictures of quilts in progress.













Above is the Wee Spin wall hanging from the class I took at Ye Olde Schoolhouse last weekend. I took a picture of it being laid out. I sewed jelly rolls (40" strips of 2 1/2" wide pieces of material) together and then cut them out into 4 1/2 triangles. The triangles get pieced together to form hexagons. I had a lot more fabric then called for so I just kept going, adding another row to the finished hanging. It is off to be quilted this weekend. I love the 1930s reproduction materials and the "school house" look to the hanging. Clicking on the pictures should enlarge them so you can see the materials. They're fun!


Next is a quilt I'm calling my "Springtime" quilt due to the colors. However, they look totally different on this picture - much brighter. This is a large 9 patch, each block is a finished 15" and it will be another large queen/king sized quilt. Clicking on the picture shows the fabric better. I love the blue fabric.






And, I am in the process of finishing up a twin sized quilt. I just started hand sewing the binding on.

Phil made me promise not to purchase any more material until I have all of my projects completed.

I'm trying . . .

Another quilt finished

So, my "quilt from hell" aka Basket Weave 4 patch is all finished! This is the first large quilt I attempted and now that it is quilted and the last stitch of the binding hand sewed, I am happy with the results.

It is HUGE. I thought I was making it for a queen size bed, but so much more hangs on the other side which from this picture you can't see, it would fit well on a king size bed.

Here are some additional pictures.

Once again I had it professionally quilted at The Patched Works.

We chose a very simple pattern, I believe called "Rain" since the quilt itself was busy and I really wanted the "basket weave" to show. The "quiltie" ladies, as they are called at the store, are wonderful and so helpful.

Here is the backing. I love the material and am using it on my "dragon fly" quilt, which is currently being quilted by Meandering Mary. The quilting shows up a little better in this pic.

A Nice Afternoon

Today I took a quilting class at Ye Olde Schoolhouse. There were about 7 of us in the class. And, while we certainly didn't look anything like the ladies in the picture, the sense of "sisterhood" was there.

We learned how to use "jelly rolls" which are pre-cut 2 1/2 strips of coordinating fabrics - usually around 40" long and maybe 32 strips per roll. We had a choice of 2 projects - a lap quilt or a wall hanging.

I chose the wall hanging because I fell in love with the sample Jeannie has hanging in the store. It uses 1930s reproduction fabric, which I find myself being drawn to (jeez - another quilt idea!). I got as far as sewing 18 strips together and getting them all cut into 4 1/2" triangles. It is spread out on my dining room table and I will start to sew them together tomorrow. It should go pretty fast and I am looking forward to arranging the triangles into circles and seeing what colors/prints go best next to each other.

I only knew one of the other ladies in the class. We have a mutual friend and I have met Kay maybe 3 or 4 times in 30 some years, but it was nice to chat with her and her friends.

The class was only 2 hours, but we all stayed for at least another 3 1/2 hours. I enjoyed it so much. At one point while I was cutting (and cutting and cutting) I listened to the other ladies chatting, the hum of the sewing machines and laughter, women offering to help each other if we were stuck or had questions. I thought, "How many other women have gotten together like this over the years to quilt?" Probably millions. I know my mother, grandmother and great-grandmothers on my maternal side did. I have a couple of the quilts my mother and grandmother made to prove it. I felt a closeness, a kinship with these women I didn't know. Both present and past.

This is the best part about quilting. The sense of history. The sense of community. The sense of creating something not only useful, but beautiful. The sharing of stories, of ideas, of life. And, each quilt tells its own story.

It's a good feeling.

Poor Gracie

Gracie had surgery on Monday. I noticed a little growth on her leg and took her to the vet right away. He was concerned enough to want it removed and tested for cancer.

Gracie did great throughout the surgery. I got her home and she was just fine. Well, in true Gracie fashion, she did try to get pity from me, which wasn't too hard to do. However, after jumping on and off the bed as well as most of the other furniture, my feeling sorry for her didn't last too long! She will limp a little when first getting up if she has been sleeping, but otherwise I see no side effect other than trying to look pathetic. She does a good job, doesn't she?

Friday we went back to get the bandages changed. Hence the bright green bandage. The first one looked like army camouflage.

When I first got Gracie she was 1 1/2 years old. That was almost 8 years ago. At that time she had a slightly deformed nipple, which the vet told me to keep an eye on. Two years ago it became swollen and red so we had it removed. It was cancer, but the vet got it all and she has been just fine. Hopefully when we get the test results back from this latest growth, all will be well. I take her and Lucy Lou to Spirit of 76 Vet Clinic. They are the best ! Dr. Voss has been our vet the last couple of years, but all of the doctors there are great, as well as the support staff.

Lucy Lou doesn't seem overly concerned about Gracie's plight. She gave her a good sniffing when she came home after surgery, but in true Lucy Lou fashion nothing really bothers her.

Tomorrow Gracie takes the last of her pain meds and antibiotics. I should get the test results back in a few days and her stitches come out in another week. Let's hope this ordeal will all be over with then.

I've been a wreck!

Poop Patrol

I have two dogs, Gracie and Lucy Lou. Like good girls, they let me know when they need to go outside and are very good about not leaving messes in the house.

This past December we had lots and lots of snow. Now, my girls are "girly" dogs, and while Lucy Lou might tromp through the snow to find a good place to squat, Gracie prefers the concrete service walk. Which means that when I shoveled, I shoveled dog poop along with the snow, into the yard.

December was followed by a very cold January. No chance to get out there and pick up poop, let alone find it under the snow.

But, it has thawed this month and most of the snow is gone from my little yard. Unfortunately, the melting did not include the disappearance of the poop.

At work it has become a joke for those of us who have dogs to compare amounts of poop picked up on any given day. We all use the plastic grocery bags for this lovely job. And we all have different techniques. We have shared such poop pick up stories and hints, such as "Pick it up while it is still a little frozen as it will get mushy as the day goes on." Or, "grab some latex gloves for this purpose." And, "Yesterday I filled the bag almost to the top!" Yes, such intellectual conversation goes on within the fire department.

Today I am home early. I went to the doctor for sinus problems and have a touch of bronchitics (Thanks for the codeine Dr. Yan!). I stopped at the grocery store for last minute items as we are suppose to get a large amount of snow this weekend and I want to lay low and get better. But, before happily taking my first teaspoon of cough medicine I decided to fill up the bird feeders and, yes, do poop patrol in the yard.

For some strange reason doggie poop seems to multiply in my yard. I know my dogs habits, but there was more than what I feel is necessary for two relatively small dogs in just a few days. However, picking up their poop is a small price to pay for the love, devotion, laughter and pure joy theses dogs give me. As I finished my job and was walking back into the yard after dumping my nearly full bag into the trash can, I saw Lucy Lou raising up from the squat position and try to "bury" her . . . ah, leftovers.

Oh, well . . .

Buckeyed Beauty

Last fall I took my second quilting class at Ye Olde School House in Hamilton, WI (Cedarburg). We made this Buckeye Beauty wall hanging.

However, the 4-week class stretched into a couple of months. I was sick, and then my father passed. By the time I had my last class it was after the holidays. My classmate, Lisa, who waited for me so we could finish together, couldn’t make our last class due to a car accident her daughter had. I’m still not sure if Lisa ever will finish this project. I hope so.

Anyway, the main body of the quilt is sewed from a “charm pack” which consists of approximately 32 pre-cut coordinating fabric squares produced by the fabric companies. While I like the fabrics in the charm pack I picked, the hanging is a little too busy for me. However, I do like the end result and am glad I decided to go with a black print boarder. The class taught us triangles, boarders and arranging fabric/colors into pleasing patterns, as well as the “star” feature. Again, my instructor was Diane, who is a wonderful teacher. I finally got the binding and pocket for hanging hand stitched to the back. The quilt was professionally quilted by Mary, who goes under the business of Meandering Mary, LLC. She doesn’t have a website, but her email is meanderingmary@charter.net I think she did a fabulous job on this piece and am thrilled with the end result – mostly due to her expertise.

Here is a picture of it before the boarders were added. Big difference!

Details of the quilting. Double click to enlarge the picture.

As of today I have one queen sized quilt top (I call my dragon fly quilt due to the main fabric) on the way to be professionally quilted by Mary and another twin sized quilt being quilted at The Patched Works. This means, I better get the binding hand stitched on my mock basket weave quilt (see earlier post) and get it finished before the other two are done! By the way, that quilt turned out great, despite my finding a turned block at the quilters.

So, now I will finally (yes, I will, I really will) start my “friendship” star, queen size quilt. I have been putting that off for months. Making the “stars” scares me, so I will practice a couple on scratch materials. Since I have to make 72 blocks or a total of 72 stars to complete the quilt top, I have a feeling after the first few blocks I will be able to sew them in my sleep! When that quilt top is completed I have 9-patch all cut and ready to go. I start a “sampler” quilt class in March and have the material for that quilt all ready. Oh, and I have a baby quilt to make for Phil’s granddaughter, due in a few weeks.

Whoosh! So many quilts, so little time!

Purple People Eater

I finished up the last step - hand sewing the binding - on a twin size quilt I made. I call it my "purple people eater" quilt due to its color. I certainly hope those who sleep underneath it are safe and sound!

Hard to believe a quilt came out of those squares, but it did!



And here is the end result. It is the "furrows" pattern, which is the same pattern I used on the baby quilt (see older posts)

I am making at least 3 twin sized quilts for our future home. I plan to have a large bedroom in the "shabby chic" style. All will be different colors, but all 4 patch. The 2nd one is currently being cut and in blues and purples. I think the 3rd one will be in greens.


Left is the backing, which I love.

Right is a close up of the quilting, done by The Patched Works.

You can click on the pictures for a closer look.




I don't think Lucy Lou is very impressed with all of my hard work!

Playing Dress Up?

Today I took a break from quilting and turned on the TV to TCM. The movie was Palm Springs Weekend from 1963. A typical "teenage" movie from that time with the crazy cast of Connie Stevens, Troy Donahue, James Conrad (remember Wild, Wild West?), Jerry Van Dyke, and Stefanie Powers. I think Connie Francis sang in it.

While staring mutely at the screen I began to notice the clothing the women had on. Typical 1963 fashions, but I noticed that most of them would fit in perfectly with today's styles. The dresses, from the waist up would work perfect in 2009, with the lower half (skirt part) being just a little fuller than today's styles. They were beautiful dresses.

During this time my sister, Sue, called from Atlanta and I told her to turn on TCM and check out the fashions. Since she would have been around 18 at the time the movie was made, she would remember them. And, she did. We really got a kick out of watching this and discussing the fashions and the 2-piece women's swimming suits with the pointy bra type tops and the bottoms well above the belly buttons. They were sexy with out boobs hanging out and butt cracks showing like they do now.

In one scene the "kids" got together at a house for a party. The record player was in full swing and they were dancing the Twist (remember the Twist?). The women had on fabulous dresses and the men all had on jackets and ties. Sue remembered having a dress very similar to one in the movie.

This then led to a conversation about how people use to get dressed up to go "out." Going to church, funerals, weddings - every social setting was an occasion for dresses, heels, ties and jackets. We both agreed it was kind of nice.

The last couple of weddings I have been at I have been shocked at the apparel some of the guest have worn. Shorts, casual shirts, flip flops, etc. Same with funerals and church.

When I was a kid I remember getting a fancy dress for both Christmas and Easter. I remember some were hand-me-downs - my very favorite being one such dress. It must have been for Christmas as it had a black velvet skirt. I felt like a princess. We always "dressed" for church and weddings. If Mom and Dad went out to dinner with friends, it was always in a dress for Mom and a tie and jacket for Dad. I remember thinking how beautiful they looked.

What happened? Now we are so casual it is ridiculous. One person came to my father's memorial service in leggings and tennis shoes. Hard to dance at a wedding in flip flops. Who dresses up for a nice dinner at a restaurant any more? Phil and I were walking into a store last weekend and saw a young girl walking out in pajama bottoms and slippers. Jeez. My Mom would have killed me.

Remember when going on an airplane meant dressing up? Now most people look like they rolled out of bed and on to the plane. Not that I want to wear pantyhose every time I fly, but I do try to look somewhat nice while being comfortable.

I guess there is a time and place for everything. However, sweat pants do not belong at funerals nor shorts at formal weddings. As for me, while I am glad I live in the age of panty hose and non-pointy bras, I still love putting on a pretty dress and going to dinner or wearing a special outfit for the holidays or Easter.

And, if we as a society have gotten so casual with our dress, what else have we gotten casual about? Hmmm, I'll save that for another post.

A Very Bitchy, Frustrated Quilter

Jeez.

I spent hours and hours and hours on this mock basket weave quilt. It is a very easy, 4-square quilt, made of 2 materials with stripes. One color is cut vertically and the other horizontally. Strips are sewn together, cut, sewed into blocks, blocks into rows and there you go. A queen sized quilt.

Except that it took forever. Only 2 colors and prints got very boring. It lost its challenge. It is huge. Each block is 6 inches. The quilt is 16 blocks in width and 18 in length. That is 288 blocks. 1,152 squares. 96" x 108". I thought I would never, ever get it done.

I even started a new quilt. Got it just about cut out when I realized that if I didn't finish this one, I never would. And, since I had only 6 rows to go before completed I put everything aside and finished it.

When I made the last stitch, I stood up from the sewing machine and danced a little jig around my kitchen. I pressed the quilt top, pressed and squared off the backing and drove immediately to the quilt shop to have it professionally quilted.

At the shop, they measured it and I completed the paperwork and took one, long look at the quilt.

And, then I saw it. One block on the second to last row was sewn in sideways. Thank God it is the end block, but never the less, the quilt had to go back home.

Note block with safety pins. You can click on the image to really see my mistake!

Now, I am far from being a perfectionist. However, in quilting you have to be pretty darn near perfect. This quilt has been very forgiving as many squares don't quite match up, but it is very hard to see them. And, this mistake is at the bottom of the quilt on a corner. I could have let it slide and I bet no one would be the wiser (well, almost no one). But, after all of the hard work I just can't let it be wrong.

I own several seam rippers. They get a good work out on my quilts! Tomorrow night I will rip out the block, press it, and sew it back into the quilt correctly.

There are such quilt known as "humility" quilts. Quilts with obvious mistakes in them, still quilted and used. They are to remind the quilter that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. I could have used this as my "humility" quilt, I guess. But, truthfully, knowing there was this mistake in it would have driven me crazy.

Mary Sue's Doggie Quilt

Mary Sue is my doggie sitter. She is also my nephew, Patrick's, aunt on his father's side. So, there is a family connection.

Mary Sue loves animals and loves my dogs. I am so fortunate that she is available to dog sit. Not only does she love my dogs and takes wonderful care of them, she also stays at my home while I'm gone so that my house is always "lived in." All this for a nominal daily fee and food. Our agreement is that she never leaves my dogs alone for more than 6 hours, sleeps at my house and I provide food for her to eat. She also has use of my washer and dryer. It is a win-win situation, although I think I (and the dogs) get the better end of the deal!

This year for Christmas I made her a silly doggie lap quilt. She picked it up yesterday and just loved it. So, we took a picture, although Gracie and Lucy Lou didn't want their pictures taken. Bad hair day for the dogs, I guess! Below are additional pictures of the quilt.

Yesterday I took Mary Sue to the Wisconsin Humane Society and we got her a cat. Her last cat, Barney, died a couple of years ago and she has been very lonely. She really doesn't have a lot of money, so Phil and I agreed to pay for the cat as well as any cat related items she may need and the first trip to the vet. Mary Sue is thrilled! The new cat, Maggie Mae is beautiful, very friendly and will have a wonderful home with Mary Sue. I'm not traveling for a while so Maggie Mae will have time to adjust to her new environment. And, when it comes time for Mary Sue to doggie sit again, Maggie Mae should be OK alone at night as Mary Sue lives close to me and can return home several times a day to check in on her. She is a very lucky cat!

Back of quilt - note dog/bone quilting

Quilted at The Patched Works

“Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!”

Happily in my late 50s I retired as an Office Coordinator for the City of Milwaukee in 2010. I also moved from Milwaukee, WI to Canton, GA where I purchased a beautiful home. Since I knew nothing about Canton, GA other than my immediate area (a three mile radius, thus far) I am having fun exploring the area with my faithful GPS. I am getting very good at making U turns!

I live my two dogs, Sam and Oliver, both rescue dogs.    Sam is a Cairn Terrier mix very smart and entertaining.  Oliver is a Shih Tzu mix,  smaller than Sam and very adorable, although not the brightest star in the sky!  They make me laugh every day and I adore them.

I work part time at the local library - a wonderful job I enjoy very much.

I enjoy quilting and gardening, am an avid reader and love, love, love to travel. Sam, Oliver and I walk the hills in my subdivision and hike in the Blue Ridge. I have an adventurous spirit, which I am starting to bring out of hibernation! I'm having fun pursuing new adventures and dreams.

Sam, me and Oliver - life is good!

BURRRR: Thoughts on my dogs and quilting on a cold winter day

It is cold outside.

My dogs go out, go potty and run back in. No sniffing, no poking around. The doggie door on the outer porch door gets very stiff in the cold and little Gracie has a hard time pushing it with her head to get in the porch and, therefore, back into the warmth of the house. Lucy Lou, on the other hand, gives it a good shove and strolls on in. I notice that Gracie waits for Lucy Lou when she can and catches the door once Lucy Lou is through it. However, this morning she wanted back in and pawed at the stiff plastic door until she got through it. Poor pup.

Yesterday Phil and I picked up my "doggie" themed lap quilt made for my doggie sitter, Mary Sue. It is a very simple, large block quilt I sewed together in less than 5 hours and took in to have professionally quilted. I'll post pictures when Mary Sue comes to pick it up. Late yesterday afternoon after Phil when back to Illinois, I machine sewed the binding on to the front of the quilt.

As I settled in last evening to start hand stitching the binding to the quilt back I decided to bring in the latest book on CD I am listening to in my car. There is nothing worth watching on TV and I wanted some noise in the background. I'm not much of a listener to music when I am alone and the TV is off, preferring the quiet. But, last night I wanted sound.

What a delightful evening I had! The lap quilt was spread out on me, keeping me very warm. Gracie jumped up and snuggled in under the quilt as I stitched, adding another layer of warmth. Lucy Lou was in her basket snoring gently and I listened to my book. It is Time is a River by Mary Alice Monroe, another good Southern female writer. (I really like Southern women writers). I'm enjoying it.

I like my own company. I like keeping busy when alone, which is one reason quilting has become so important to me. I'm being creative while making things that are useful. During the daylight hours I do the cutting and sewing of the quilt pieces, watching the blocks accumulate and the quilt pattern appear. I enjoy the quiet of my home, watching the birds at the feeders from a couple of different windows, stopping to rub the bellies of the dogs or play with them, cooking simple meals. Piecing together scraps of fabric that turn into something beautiful.

Now I have discovered another pleasure for the evenings. When I want a little company, while hand stitching at night, there is always a book on CD awaiting to be discovered.

Ahh, another simple pleasure.

Baby, Baby Part Two

Last weekend while in Georgia my sister, Sue and I met up with Ed and Libby. Ed is our real estate agent at Reynolds Plantation where Phil and I will be buying property this year. Not only is he our real estate agent, but both Ed and Libby are turning into our good friends as well. Ed and Libby will be grandparents very soon.

As I had posted previously, here is pictures of them with the baby quilt I made. They seemed to love it although they had not had a very close look at it!!!! Anyway, I am thrilled with the quilt and the fact that they like it.

This, to me, is what quilting is all about.

Something Sparkly

My very loving, Philip, gave me a cute snowman pin and a top of the line GPS system for Christmas and well as some money with the instructions to, "buy yourself some sparkly while you are in Georgia for the holidays."

Now, usually this would not be hard for me to do. And, since my sister, Suzanne, and I have been shopping in stores within a 200 mile radius of her house, you think by now I would have found something sparky. And, I have looked.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you want to look at it) we have been to many quilting stores in our travels. And, I have bought material. One pattern is gem colored dragon flies that I will turn into something for a bed and I bought a blue and white patterned quilt kit that will make up into a "china plates" lap quilt.

But today, while in Marietta at the Red Hen Quilt shop I found beautiful, slightly Asian inspired, dragon fly material with matching green and gold material. Very soft, very pretty and elegant. This is exactly the material I have been looking for to make a king size quilt. The quilt will be used in the house that Phil and I will be building. I bought over 11 yards of it, plus 4 yards of each of the coordinating materials. Well, I'm figuring the quilt, pillows, etc. for our master bedroom. And, the material does have a slight gold thread running through it. There's the sparkle.

I find this a little scary. Spending my "holiday" gift money on something other than a nice piece of jewelry or even shoes?

As I said in previous posts, I am hooked on quilting. This trip proved it!

An Odd Christmas In Deed

I'm in Suwanee, GA, which is outside of Atlanta, spending the Christmas holiday with my sister, Sue, and her family. Those around the dinner table on the 25th will include 4 UU's, one Pagan and one Jew. Should be a hoot!

In any event, I am out of Wisconsin and today it will be 60 degrees here. Sue and I are driving up to a little mountain town to do some last minute shopping. I won't have boots on or a scraf, mittens or a hat. It's wonderful.

Phil is back in Illinois, sick with the flu and buried under snow. I am worried sick about him, but his kids are with him and he is going into the doctor today.

My doggie sitter, Mary Sue, has already paid a neighborhood kid twice to shovel my sidewalks. Oh, well . . .

I'll be back on Sunday. Maybe.

Baby, Baby

Here is my first ackward attempt at making an actual quilt. It is a baby quilt, made for friends of ours who will become first time grandparents in late January. Obviously, it's a girl!

I pulled the quilt pattern off the web. I guess it is the "furrows" 4 square pattern (based on the furrows you see in fields). I think it turned out very cute, if you don't look too closely! It was professionally quilted by Kathy Holz.

I am just finishing a twin size quilt of the same pattern only in purple.

To the right is the backing of the quilt. I hope Ed and Libby like it!

Tea for Two

One of my very favorite things to do when I visit Anne-Marie in Ireland is sit around her kitchen table, drink tea (Lyons tea) and talk. So, once I started quilting and went overboard on my first project, table runners, I had to make Anne a tea theme table runner. Then I thought, "What the heck, I'll make her a tea cozy to match!"


I posted the runner and tea cozy to Anne last week. Hopefully, she will get it in time for Christmas and she will not open this blog until she receives the package.














The tea cozy is slightly lopsided. That's OK. I know Anne will get a kick out of it. I pulled a pattern off the Internet, but in the end I just traced the tea cozy I purchased on our trip to Scotland in 2007. To the right is a picture of the backing and you can see the quilting. I had it professionally quilted by Kathy Holz.

So, Anne-Marie - keep the kettle warm. You may see me sooner than you think!


Enjoy!

Things I have (or haven't done)

My friend, EarthboundSpirit, posted this on her blog. You are suppose to "bold" the things you have already done in your life. Well, here goes:

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when not ill (guess that secret's out)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (maybe in my soft ball playing years)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (for about a split second)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke (when I was drunk)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (back in June - car accident)
47. Had my portrait painted (sketched by a dear woman friend who is an artist)
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (one of my great wishes)
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (I was very young)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Been on a speeding motorcycle
78. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
79. Published a book
80. Visited the Vatican
81. Bought a brand new car
82. Walked in Jerusalem
83. Had my picture in the newspaper
84. Read the entire Bible (read big chuncks, but not all)
85. Visited the White House
86. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
87. Had chickenpox
88. Saved someone's life
89. Sat on a jury (three times!)
90. Met someone famous
91. Joined a book club
92. Lost a loved one (only too recently)
93. Had a baby
94. Seen the Alamo in person
95. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
96. Been involved in a law suit (if divorce counts)
97. Owned a cell phone
98. Been stung by a bee
99. Ridden an elephant

Let Me Give Thanks

This Thanksgiving I plan to spend the next 4 days at home, alone and in my pajamas.

The fall has been a roller coaster ride of events and emotions for me and those around me. I'm tired, I'm weary and I need my 4-day holiday to step back, reflect and recoup! Soon I will haul out my quilting, which has been put aside for a couple of weeks, and start sewing to my heart's content.

My father died November 18th. Although I mourn his loss and miss him, at age 90 with Alzheimer's and unable to walk, it was his time. He wanted to live to be 90 and he made it with several months to spare. I believe he is now reunited with my mother, his love for over 61 years, as well has his family and friends. He is in heaven, strong and healthy and singing love songs in Mom's ear.

Dad went into hospice care in September. The fall was spent going to work and 1-2 days a weeks (as well as at least once during the weekend) traveling out to see Dad and feed him his lunch. I thank goodness for the Family Medical Leave Act which allowed me to take precious time from work to do this. I am also grateful for the fire department for which I work for understanding my need to be with Dad in the day time hours, when he was most aware. I am actually looking forward to returning to work Monday and starting the week without plans to leave during the day! I crave "normality" whatever that is!

Yet the last 2 months with Dad, even though most of the time he didn't know me and slowly lost his ability to move, talk and sing, I have felt the closest to him. I have always said I was blessed with the best parents in the world. It's true.

Philip has also been dealing with his father. At age 86 he needed more care and attention. At one point, Phil went out to New York five weekends in a row to make arrangements with his siblings to move his father into an assisted living facility. Phil's parents lived in the same Long Island home for over 54 years. The slow process of cleaning out the house has begun. It has been a stressful and sad process for Phil. Even though this meant our time together has been limited between dealing with our father's, it has brought us closer as we are sharing the same thoughts and emotions.

I was suppose to spend this Thanksgiving week in Atlanta with my sister and her family. This, of course, all changed when Dad died. Philip rearranged some of his plans to be with me and my family and now, this Thanksgiving week, will undergo medical tests that should have happened last week. The tests are hell, but we are very optimistic as to the outcome. Next weekend he travels back to New York to spend time with his father, who is not adjusting well to assisted living. While my sister and brother-in-law still welcomed me to travel to Atlanta with them after the funeral, I knew we all needed this time to relax and process the events of the past couple of weeks.

After Dad's memorial service Phil did spend a few days in Oklahoma with his daughter and son-in-law who are expecting their first baby (Phil's first grandchild!). Phil painted the baby's room, put up a chair rail and a panda bear wall mural. I am thankful Phil did this and spent time with Colleen and Rick. I know working on the baby's room brought this tender hearted man great joy. Now he is home this Thanksgiving day, preparing for his tests which start tomorrow.

Phil and I have postponed several things we planned this fall until later this winter. We need the time to relax and get into our routines again. We both have other family issues we will be dealing with in the next couple of months and need time to process. It's OK. We are a strong couple and know that this time will bring us even closer together than pull us apart. Plus, we have a baby to look forward to in late March!

Life is full of the good and the bad times. I'm remembering both this long weekend. It's OK and what I need to do this weekend. For all the sad things that happened these past few months, behind all of them are wonderful memories. I am so grateful for these memories. So very grateful.