Susan's Quilt; yup, it's done!

This past Labor Day weekend my friend, Susan Marie and I, went up to the river to stay at the cabin for a few days of girlfriend R&R..........and to quilt. You see, Susan loves fabric and color and all things sewn as much as I do. She had saved her gently worn capri pants that were her favorites and wanted to piece them together to create a tropical colorful quilt so she would never have to give those pants away!

Well, Susan had done a lot of the work ahead of time by tearing them apart and we began the task of cutting the pants legs into squares and rectangles. At the end of Day one we had them all cut out and laid in a pattern we both liked. Then with 2 sewing machines set up, the piecing began.

Susan started joking that we'd never get finished.........ok, I need to clarify something right here and now......Susan kinda sorta has a cute little habit called "I don't always finish what I start.". Ummmmmm.....that just doesn't compute in my "git 'er done" brain. I reassured her that she would indeed go home with a finished quilt. She expressed some more doubt that the whole thing would be done and she would finish it "some day". Ha! Not on my watch!

Needless to say you can see where this is going. She most certainly did finish the quilt before we left for home and it turned out darned cute, too, wouldn't you agree? I had teased her for days that I was the one who drove us up there and she was not going to be returned home until the quilt was competed. After the look of shock wore off on her face, we giggled about it for the next two days while she "got it done".

We're still friends, so I guess I didn't push her too hard and she is very proud of her quilt, and rightfully so.

Good job, Susan,
Deb

Ah, yes......

Many of you already know that my mother-in-law's husband went to heaven in June. Madalen is doing remarkably well transitioning once again to life without her spouse. She is, however, suffering from moderate dementia. We make certain that her needs are taken care of and check in with her frequently but we also realize her days of living independently are quickly coming to a close. One downside is that since Ken died, she just sits in her living room in her recliner. Her lack of interaction with others has been a big concern for us and we feel she needs the stimulation of conversation, but she simply won't get off that chair.

Most of the time her memory loss simply means we have to search for that document a little harder or recheck her grocery list before leaving her house to be certain we're not buying yet another 5 lb. tin of coffee to add to the others already in the cupboard. She is unable to tell us the mysterious name of the woman who takes her to church every Sunday and is shocked when we discover 10 bags of old, filled kitchen garbage bags in her little shed that desperately need to be hauled to the dumpsters nearby before her building gets condemned.

So imagine my surprise when Joel got off the phone after talking with her last night and he was grinning. Usually when he hangs up the phone after talking to his mom, he has a look of concern on his face. Not last night, nope, grinning from ear to ear. Ok, I'll bite.....what's going on? He said that his mom was having 8 women over on Friday night and they were going to "play something". As he questioned her further, she said she didn't know who was coming or what they were going to play because she couldn't remember. We both giggled because we were tickled that she was actually entertaining a group of ladies again. Don't know who they are or what they're going to do, but she has actually asked ladies to come over to her house! Can't wait to hear how it went.....we'll have to call her Saturday morning.

Taking one day at a time,
Debbie

Can't Let It Go

Ok, I started to blog about this several times today and kept shying away from it, but I can't seem to let it go. A few days ago, I saw an interview on tv with a pastor and his 10 year old son. Their story was very touching and caught my interest. I looked them up on the internet and immediately downloaded their book onto Joel's Kindle so I could begin reading it. This story has had a profound effect on me and it seems that I should share with all of you something that has hit me this hard.

You can discount what you are about to read and I'm fine with that or you can be amazed like I was. The name of the book is "Heaven is For Real" and the author/dad is Todd Burpo. You can read excerpts from the book on their website: http://www.heavenisforreal.net/ and if you are as intrigued as I was you will soon find yourself purchasing the book and reading it all in one sitting. Also, you can view the video @ http://video.foxnews.com/v/4419243/heaven-is-for-real . By the way, if you have a tender heart for the Lord, grab the tissues.

The book is neither long nor lofty which makes the effect it has on it's readers all the more amazing. The father is very forthright in his recalling of the events and the son is so believable. I don't usually go "all in" for hyped scenarios in supposed real events books, but this one has definitely caught my attention. Let me know what you think.

Pondering,
Debbie

The Great White Egret

This morning as I sat down in my cozy chair which looks out over the backyard, I looked up and this is what I saw a mere 10 feet away. Isn't he wonderful? He was standing there on one foot, occasionally taking a drink from the pool. I had never noticed how large the feet of these birds are until today.

I started my reading and would occasionally look up to see if he was still there. Then he decided to show off and preen for me. He kept nuzzling his pure white feathers and craning his neck in impossible configurations as he went about his morning routine. Show off!

He took a few more sips from the pool and effortlessly lifted himself off the ground and up over the roof of our house. Maybe I'll see him again tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.

Deb

Grandma's cabin

This is the entrance to what we call "Grandma's cabin" up at the river. The owner's mother stays here when she comes to the camp and she's our neighbor's grandma, hence, Grandma's cabin. It sits right on the riverfront and has a pretty little porch, just the right size for sitting a spell and enjoying a cup of coffee.
The raised boardwalk keeps your shoes off the sandy soil and looks pretty, too.

Couldn't you just cozy up with a good book on the screened porch? I know I could. As a matter of fact, I often sneak over there and hang out with my coffee and enjoy the view of the river.

See what I mean? The outside deck is snuggled in under a canopy of oak trees and hugs the bank going down to the dock and the river.

And this is what you see when you look up from the dock down below. Pretty cool place....one of my favorites. Come visit with us......

Debbie

?12 Days of Christmas?

You know the words to the song, right? 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 Lords a-leaping, 9 bras a-hanging.........whaaaaaaaaaa?! Yes, I made 9 "Ta-Ta" Totes during one of the last trips up to the river and they needed to hang for 24 hours while the glue that holds on the Swarovsky crystals was drying. What better place for them to hang out than from old gym locker baskets in the sewing room?

That's my version of art. Now hum along with me......five golden rings........

Christmas on my brain,

Debbie

Singing

When I opened the blinds this morning and saw the fog over the oak trees, I ran down to the river to click off a few shots before the fog lifted completely. If you double click on the photos you can see more detail.

There is something so peaceful about being engulfed in fog.....like the rest of the world is shut out and along with that your problems and cares are shut out as well.

I was trying to put into words how these scenes make me feel and I decided that mornings like this make my heart sing.

Hum along with me,

Debbie