Goodbye and Welcome Home

I had to let Buddy go last Friday. I miss him so much.

 

I posted about his story when he came here to live in this post. In the past few months he has had seizures. We took him to our vet and got no answers. Then more recently a stroke that left his left front leg mostly useless. Still he was happy and did not appear to be in any distress. So I enjoyed every minute I could with him. 

The time came, as I knew it would, when I had to let him go. I know it was the right thing to do and the right time to do it, but that doesn't make it easier to do. 

He left peacefully with Mr. Muddling and me right there with him. 

 

Now you might not agree with what I did or think it was right, but when we got home from Buddy's release, I went online and stated looking at our local animal shelter.

 

I saw this little guy whose eyes said, "Come get me!" 

They had called him Petey, but we decided on Buddy, Jr.

We call him BJ.

 

 

BJ is six months old, and starting to make himself right at home. 

Not going to kid you, it is quite a bit of a change, a lot like suddenly having a two year old little boy arrive to stay! He is into everything. Absolutely no limits, he thinks. Thankful we have a kennel!

I really do love him, and hopefully with time he will grow into the perfect companion for my late night sewing adventures that Buddy and Bruno before him were.

 

Speaking of sewing adventures, I am working (when opportunity arises!) on a new quilt for a very wonderful lady who loves blues. So of course I had to get a few more. These came from Glorious Color, and they are wonderful and arrived quickly! I may have also bought a red lotus leaf for myself. I really like that one.

 

 

You know, life goes on. There are always going to be challenges and bad things do happen with disgusting regularity. But. God is still on the throne, and there is still always so much for which to thank Him! And I do.

 

I thank Him for you! And I hope you are not having any of those bad things happening right now!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine 

 

 

 

Tilda and Summertime

 

Oh, I love this quilt so much! All the beautiful Tilda fabrics from several collections all playing together so nicely and backed with a hot orange batik fabric.

This quilt was just a joy to create, and I am sure it will remain a joy around here for years to come!

 

 

Does it look like Summer? Well, it definitely IS!!! All the brilliant colors, the one white chicken strolling around out there, the coleus ,the bright pink zinnias, lots and lots of figs ripening on the tree all combine to make me happy, even in the heat.

The lower right picture in the collage above is a couple of gifts for our great niece's baby girl set to make her appearance in August. I only had a Christmas gift bag, so I used a colorful napkin or two and trusty Mod Podge  and turned it into a Summer bag! 

 

I hope you're seeing lots of things that make you happy! The world is so full of beautiful things. We just need to notice them and it will make our life so much more enjoyable!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine 

 

 

Another One for the USO Lounge

 

But first, take a look at this gorgeous, brilliantly colored plumeria!  Isn't it beautiful! My next door neighbor gave it to me a couple of years ago, but this is the first time it has flowered. I am so excited to see it! 

 

Don't you love this backing fabric for my newest quilt for the USO Lounge at our Houston airport! From my friend Deb.

 

 

And here is the front. Very simple rail fence with a couple of nine patches in the middle. Fun quilt to make!

 

 

I read a really interesting article the other day in which a woman who is a food scientist made the case that a lot of the health decline in our country is directly traceable to the commercial milling of wheat grains starting in the 1920's. Freshly milled wheat grain spoils rather quickly because of the wheat bran and wheat germ which are both somewhat fatty, and therefore will spoil or go rancid relatively quickly. Commercial mills discovered they could profitably sell ground white flour that would not spoil IF they removed the bran and wheat germ first before milling or grinding the wheat berries into flour.  Of course this also removed the majority of the real food value from the bread made with that wheat!

 

 

So, I bought a grain mill, the one she recommended, and it worked perfectly, quickly and quietly!

I had ordered five pounds of the hard red wheat berries and I ground up all of that last night. This morning I got up early (Yes, this is a miracle!) and mixed and kneaded and waited for that to rise, cut it into three, formed into loaves and put in pans and waited for that to rise. Baked and deliciousness was enjoyed!! I also made some pimiento cheese which Mr. Muddling and I slathered on a couple of pieces of the bread. Heaven! 

I was really impressed with how easy it was. Needless to say, I've ordered more wheat berries!!!

 

It's always good to learn something new, and to go back and renew your mind to things you once enjoyed. I am so happy it turned out so well! 

 

I hope you are growing in the things you know and learning new ones! It's always good to learn and to do!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine 

 

 

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Three Cheers for the Red White and Blue

 

I finished this one. Just got photos taken. It will be going to the USO Lounge at IAH Houston. I am so glad to have another one ready to go. My friend Sandy has some ready as well. Three Cheers!

 

 

In other news, Mr. Muddling's darling baby girl Lady had surgery this week. It went well and we expect a full recovery, but she does NOT like her new wardrobe. Life is just full of challenges for all of us, isn't it?

 

 

This one is getting closer to completion. Maybe a couple of borders. It will be going to the USO Lounge, too. We are behind in what we want to give them, so once we get this latest batch there, we should be caught up. YAY!!!

 

 

How cute is this pin cushion!!! A friend from our prayer group at church gave it to me. I love it. What would we do without our friends?

 

My very good friend who has been our across the street neighbor for over forty years moved to heaven this morning. She was in the her nineties, and has had a long, good life. But I will miss her.

 

I am so glad our good heavenly Father knows all our joys and sorrows and is with us through them all.

 

I hope your week has been wonderful so far!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

 

 

 

 

Glorious Spring - No, It Is Summer

 

Left to right, starting at the top row: Four o'clock, Daylily, Coleus seedlings, Nocturnal Spider, Rose of Sharon (Althea), Tommy Toes tomatoes, Zinnias, Mother of Thousands, Summer Personified.

 

I think we may have had a couple of days of Spring here in Houston. Maybe. But we for sure have SUMMER now! All the wonderful growing things are compensation though.

My blog friend Deb very kindly had her husband dig up and send me some Mother(s) of Thousands after I told her mine had died off long ago. Blog friends are the best! 

I potted up some of them and shared with the ladies at our prayer group, along with some of the coleus seedlings I had started. I love it!

 

 

Our great niece is expecting a baby girl soon, so of course she needs a quilt. I am really pleased with how it developed!

 

 

The top picture is before its trip through the washer and dryer and the bottom one is after those voyages. Don't you love that crinkly-ness? It is so soft and cuddly. The green backing is a thick flannel. I think it will be a wonderful floor quilt as well as a bed quilt.

 

 

After all that sweetness, I had some green flannel left on the frame, so I quilted this little panel and got it bound. It is so vibrant! And now it will be ready for display when Autumn rolls around.

 

This red white and blue has now had borders added and is on the frame ready to be quilted. It will be going to the USO Lounge at Houston's Intercontinental Airport.

 

I DO try to stay busy. It tends to keep me out of trouble. Sometimes anyway! LOL!

 And seriously, there are always so many things I want to do and see and learn. 

 

Our God is infinitely creative, and I think He's made us creative, too!

 

I hope you're having a wonderfully creative time in your part of the world!

 

Hugs an kisses,

Elaine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abundance

 

There are so many beautiful things outside it is hard to know where to start. I'll start with the flowers - my favorites. I love Springtime when all the flowers start to burst into bloom. It feels like the earth is waking up from a long winter's nap.

 

This is one of my favorite trees - the mimosa. Lots of people call it a "trash tree". They don't like it at all. I grew up seeing mimosa trees every spring and summer. Their flowers have a sweet gentle perfume, and they hold a special place in my heart.

 

 

This is the front on the left, and the back on the right of the quilt I had to make after seeing it on the Jo's Country Junction blog. It is called Brick House. It was super fun and easy to make and will be going to the USO Lounge at our local airport. 

 

Most of this green mass is mustard greens. I grow them mostly to feed our chickens. They love them. I am trying to get them all picked and eaten by said chickens soon, because there are also tomatoes and cucumbers growing in there!

 

 

AND.......this Celeste fig tree I am growing from a cutting from our old tree that was destroyed by a hurricane! I love figs. Mr. Muddling - not at all. But I am excited it is doing so well. I have another variety I bought online that is also doing well!

 

 

The queen sized log cabin is getting closer to a finish. I sewed the last strip of log cabins onto the center part of the quilt, and I have sewn the first two inner border strips on. Two more inner border strips to sew on and then an outer pieced border and the final outer border. Then quilting! I knew it would be a long term project, and it is, but the couple I am giving it to deserve the very best. So I'm trying to make sure they get it!

 

I hope someone is making sure YOU get the very best! I know our good God has you on His mind for good. I would certainly not want to be here without Him!

 

Hope your week ahead is full of only good things!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

 

 

 

Cats and Flowers

 

I cannot even tell you how much I love these cats! Cats are such stinkers anyway, and these look full of personality! Our Miss Dinah is a beautiful girl who belongs still to our daughter Ruthie. Dinah does not acknowledge any other owner, though we do qualify as servants!

 

 

Just look at those faces. They are not going to be good kitties. You can tell just by looking. The beautiful fabrics in this quilt came to me from a dear blog friend. (She sent such a box of delights! I am so happy!) Thank you Deb!!!

 

 

And look at all that crinkly-ness! Yummy!!

 

 

 

Meanwhile, outside, things have been simply beautiful! Roses outdoing themselves blooming, amaryllis dazzling in their beauty, iris in all their purple glory bursting out everywhere, dogwood covered in blooms, azaleas blooming with super abundance! AND, in the lower left, you can see the little lemon tree we bought in the fall blooming its little heart out. What you probably can't see is all the little lemons on there! I do so love Spring!

 

 

There are over 100 of these log cabin blocks here. I think there are enough for the center of a quilt I'm making for a sweet couple we know. They are such a blessing to everyone, I wanted to make something special for them. Still a very long way to go, but Lord willing, I'll get it done!

 

I hope all is going well in your world. It does seem sometimes that there are just too many challenges, but you know, maybe they are what we need to make us stronger and to make us what God wants us to be! I choose to believe that anyway.

 

Thank you for being my friend. I wish you lots of good things only!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine