I like Thursday: December 27, 2018

Good Morning!  Today I'm glad Christmas is over!

I like how my kids loved their quilt for Christmas!

Pete and Jess were really sweet!  They came on Sunday because Pete and had to work on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

The grandkids and their quilts:

I knew my grandies wouldn't be as enthused about getting a quilt.  They much preferred those hover balls I got them...

Especially my big guy Nik (their Dad).  Surprisingly our dogs weren't so interested in the balls bopping through the air.  But their puppy apparently went crazy for the balls (yeh, I got them a bunch of them).

Today this one is going to the groomer for a spa day.  I found a fragrance free shampoo and that will help my allergies.

I finished this quilt two weeks ago and forgot to post it:

It's an Ami Simms pattern called "Dog Yeared". I bought and began to sew this many years ago.  I don't think the pattern is even available anymore but I'm happy with it.  I like binding quilts in the winter time.  By fall, I usually have a stack to do and it is such a nice comforting (and warm!) thing to do during wintery evenings.

Well I'm off to make phone calls this morning.  I need to call the doctor for the next step in back recovery, physical therapy.  I'm much improved but not well enough to take a walk yet (so annoying).  Hopefully the PT will take me the rest of the way on recovery.

Have a great week!

Merry Christmas!

No peeking Scout!

"Who me?"

I used an old napkin doll to display my Christmas hankies.  I like it!

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Hugs!

Craftsy users

I've heard from two people who are vendors at Craftsy that some of the shops are being closed.  Allie over at Allie--Oops and Deb Kratovil have both sent out messages about this.  Allie says she was informed that some of her patterns are going to be pulled and they are shutting down Deb's store all together.

You can read about some of this here.

The point is that if you are like me and have patterns purchased but not saved, you might want to download them NOW.  Apparently these changes are going to happen soon.  

I like Thursdays: December 20, 2018

I was driving home from the doctor when I spied these geese in and along a small pond.  It stimulted an old music memory and I had to rack my brain to remember the song; it's called "Something told the Wild Geese."  It's a wonderful haunting song that encapsulates the feeling of the eve of winter.  You can listen to it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j9Vh6b_p00  

It's Thursday and that means the web is full of positive thoughts.  You can find more at LeeAnna's Blog at Not Afraid of Color!

I love the Christmas commercials that people share.  Deb over at WonkyGirls Journal shared this earlier this week and it's become a big favorite of our family!!!  Thanks Deb!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-58Ju4311Y

I like Christmas hankies!  I was hoping to do a little display of mine this year but my back prohibited me hanging them.  Still, I thought I would share some of them:

This one was so loved, it was even mended :)

 Love the imprinted images on these two!  The reindeer!

Gotta love me a Christmas poodle!

Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season!  

Things I like: December 13, 2018

Well it's Thursday and that means we post whatever we have that is positive to share with the world!  Join LeeAnna (our hostess) at Not Afraid of Color for more posts.

It's been an off week since most of what I do these days is rest my back.  I've been lucky that I have such a good husband and a good brother.  My mom, my sister-in-law, and I have all been infirmed lately and the men have been running everywhere and doing everything.  Brad even drove me and helped me do a lecture at a tea party this past week (it was asking a lot of him but he was really good natured about it).  I gave my talk and was able to not cancel the program.  Three cheers for the men!  Thanks guys!

Brad's been doing all of the Scout work as well.  He's working on training her during walks and she appears to listen to him.  Once I'm allowed to go for a walk we'll work together with her to see if we can stop the horrible yanking.  She sure is a pretty girl though and she's adapted to they guys' routines and afternoon romps with Greta:

I like poodle pins!  These are the ones I'll probably wear on Christmas!

Mom gets home from the rehab on Saturday.  I've been babying the flowers she was sent in the hospital and hopefully they will still be nice when she gets home.  It's so nice to have fresh flowers around!

That's all I really have this week.  I'm on stronger steroids and muscle relaxers and am hoping to reduce the swelling soon as I hate being layed up.  What is interesting in your world?

Have a great day! 

Challenge quilts completed!

I continue to rest my back which is still fragile.  The one thing I can do is bind quilts and fortunately, I had a stack all ready to go.  This past week I finished binding my challenge quilts.   

Every year our guild (like most) has a quilt challenge.  I love this year's theme, "Panel Play!"  Who doesn't have a panel or two (or more) in their stash that they should use up?    Both pieces are completed now and ready to take to the meeting in January.  This one used up some of my Mary Englebreit fabric and 1940s repro fabric:

Then there is this piece.  For the first time ever, there were puckers in the machine quilting.  It's a real disappointment that it's not "perfect" but will still make a good donation quilt.

I hope you have a good and happy day!

Happy St. Nicholas Day and other things we love: December 6, 2018

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

I like traditions--old and new--and one of our family's traditions is to honor St. Nicholas.  On December 5th, we would always put our shoes outside our bedroom door and couldn't wait to see the candy and small toys stuffed in them on the morning of the 6th.  I did this for my son until he went away to college.  When I got married, my stepsons moved in with us and even though they were teenagers, they loved this tradition too.  I'm posting this on the fifth of December just in case you want to put your shoes out too!

It's been a busy week.  My mom had a knee replacement on Monday and so far, is doing well.  We are hoping she will be moved to a rehab today because she lives alone.

Speaking of aches and pains, my back is officially out.  I started with terrible spasms last Friday and managed to get through until yesterday when my husband insisted on taking me to the doctor.  Even though I have a terrible knot spasming, there is good news too.  Doc Mitchell says there is no sign of nerve problems or herniated discs but that the spasm is visibly noticeable.  I'm on steroids and muscle relaxers so I should be good to go in a week or so.

The reason for the spasms?  Oh yeh Doc said it was this little one and her yanking:

"Look what I did!"

No walking until the back is better and yes, we registered for dog training classes that begin in January.

It was also a week of some sadness.  Some of you might remember Rudy, my late Mother-in-Law's dog that we fostered for a while many years ago.  No one in my husband's family liked or wanted Rudy.  He was old and everyone thought he was nasty except our family.  Unfortunately, my husband and I could not keep him because we had just lost Teddy and Seamus was not ready for another dog to join us.  

Our dear friend Barb adopted him officially and for years has been giving him the most wonderful home where he was loved by Barb, her daughter and son-in-law, and two wonderful little boys who ended up calling him "Uncle Rudy."  I cannot thank Barb and her family for loving Rudy so much.  His last years were truly happy.

Rest in Peace dear Rudy.

Have a safe and blessed week!

Keeping it simple and liking it: November 29, 2018

We are keeping it seasonal here this month and I'm wondering:  what is your favorite season?  My favorite season is Spring.  I've never liked Autumn or Winter and here is why:  

too much gray!!!

How is your week going?  Did you have a good Thanksgiving?  Ours was good but quiet.  My husband actually wasn't home until after the day so we celebrated on Friday with my Mom.  I cooked and kept it simple.  My husband had to travel out again on Sunday and I didn't want a lot of leftovers.

My Mother is having a knee replacement on Monday so this season is going to be minimalist at best.  I put up a little Christmas tree and decided I like it undecorated.

I also went with a winter theme for Nana's window.  I still haven't figured what (if any) I want to put around the wall hanging.

Are you a last minute shopper or do you prepare far in advance for the holidays?  I worked in retail as a side job for years while I was raising my son.  You can't get me near a shopping area after Thanksgiving!  The grandkids are 10 and 15 and we mostly give them cash anymore (who the heck knows what electronic gizmo they are using now?).  I did make them each a Christmas quilt.  Helena's is aqua snowflake fabric.  Her bedroom is aqua:

Miles' quilt is more traditional:

They are both quilted with snowflakes on as you can see on the back:

Scout is as entertaining as usual but she has become a handful lately.  Things I KNOW she knew she is ignoring and she is acting out more.  She has taken to rearranging the pillows on the couch and sleeping up there when she can:

She doesn't listen at all when other dogs are around and her yanking me has become so bad that I'm worried about my back.  Then--I was cooking Thanksgiving and found this on the floor:

I don't like traditional thimbles.  I never have and years ago found that thimble pads work perfectly for me.

This was my last pack and Scout had eaten everyone except the one that was stuck on my sewing box (I use one repeatedly until the adhesive wears off).  I scolded her and this is the look I get:

My cousin calls this the"Who me?" look.

I talked to friends and family and just as they thought, the thimble pads did not cause her to get ill.  I'm sure you can imagine how exasperated I was when I went to use my LAST THIMBLE PAD on Saturday and learned she had climbed up and stole that one too.  

"Thank you ,thank you very much."

Scout needs more training.  I think she is going through adolescence right now and that is why she is so challenging.  I've never had to take any of my normal poodles to be trained they always seemed happy to learn what we wanted.  

My husband says Scout is just happy-go-lucky and that is why she seems immune to learning.    I found one place with great reviews and it turns out that is where my friend's daughter is going with her dog (Thanks Barb!) so that is top priority for the new year.  

Be sure to check out my entertaining posts at LeeAnne's.  Have a good week!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

First snow of the season

"8 inches of snow."  That is what my neighbor said last night when he came over to shovel our front path in the early evening.  We had more through the night and traffic was a mess everywhere.  Even our lazy little street was a parking lot as drivers left the jammed main streets and tried to find alternate routes.

The snow began at noon and came down at a rate of an inch or two an hour.  It was pretty for a while and then we began to hear all the stranded stories.

The weirdest story had to be the camel that was spotted off one highway.  Apparently he was being transported to an event in Philly and when the trailer carrying him got stuck, the driver took him out to keep him safe.  Einstein (the camel) and his driver eventually turned around and returned to the animal refuge.

I think Einstein made national news last night :)

I worked on binding a Christmas quilt for my granddaughter and think I will stay in and sew today.  Hopefully the temperatures will rise and I'll be able to walk Scout later today or tomorrow.  She does enjoy the snow, but preferred to sleep most of the day away :)

Have a safe and happy day!