Fish on My Chicken Yard?

I finished this little baby boy quilt, and hung it on the chicken yard for a picture.    You can see there's a lot of interest from the chicks.

And now it's moved over to the garden.

And here it is on the swing.  It really gets around, doesn't it?

I really like this underwater fabric I used on the back.  It's a bright, happy quilt for a much anticipated little boy.  He's due to arrive in January.  The shower for Mom was on Saturday.  Quite an extravaganza.  I didn't get to stay for the whole thing, so I really hope she liked it!

On the really plus side, I brought Miss Ru home from the hospital this afternoon.  We've already had a visit from the home healthcare nurse.  We'll be doing some antibiotics here at home for about a week, and then back to normal.  Thank God!  I am so thankful.

Hope you've got lots and lots of good things going on in your life.

Hugs and kisses,

They're Everywhere

                                  
Quilts, that is.  We went up to visit our daughter in the hospital this afternoon and look what's in the lobby.

Obviously, it's been there for quite a while.  I don't know why I never noticed it before.  You can hopefully see from the plaque above that each unit at Methodist Hospital designed their own square, which was then made into this quilt.

Pretty neat, huh?

What I like even better than the quilt is this beautiful artwork of the true Healer.

I took our baby girl in to the emergency room on Tuesday afternoon.  Her pulse rate was very high and she had an irregular heartbeat.  After many tests and procedures it seems that what caused it was not a heart problem, but rather her body's reaction to an infection flaring in her lungs and the resulting pain.  Antibiotics are running, yet again, and she should be back home next week.  God is good! 

I hope you have all had a wonderful day here in the States celebrating Thanksgiving, and those of you in other places doing what most makes you happy.

I am thankful for you all - the wonderful friends I've met here in blogland!

Hugs and kisses,

Happy Thanksgiving

 I pray that your day is filled with all things good and lovely, that you enjoy family and friends, and that you remember to thank our Father, for it is He who has given us richly all things to enjoy!

We have much for which to thank Him!  I thank Him for YOU.

Hugs and kisses,

Thank You, Margaret!

I had such a nice surprise in the mail yesterday.  My friend Margaret had sent me such sweet, thoughtful gifts.  Margaret had written on her blog awhile back about making some hats, and I thought it was such a neat idea.  She gives a link to the tutorial on that post.  I did try my hand at it, but my one effort did not look anything like as good as Margaret's.  Now I have one of Margaret's and I shall so enjoy wearing it in the yard!  Thank you so much, dear friend!

I will SO have to incorporate this beautiful stitchery into a quilt just for me.  And there's a glasses case behind that!  Wowsers!

Yesterday Mr. Sweetie Pie and I went on a sort of sad errand.  A lady in our church is being forced to move from her home.  I think the city is condemning the property, but whatever the reason she has until Monday to get out.  She told me on Sunday that she would like for me to have an antique rose that she has had growing there for the entire 48 years she has lived in that house.  She told us yesterday that she had been born in a house directly across the street, and that she had grown up there.  Now her house (and it's a rental) is the only one left on the street.  She is moving in with one of her daughters until she decides where to go and what to do, and putting her things in storage.  Anyway, we first had to trim quite a bit - it was a huge bush, and then Mr. Sweetie Pie dug it up and put it in our van.  It was so big that I was able to divide the roots into three separate bushes.  The one above is now on our back fence.  I have another on the side of the house and the third went to live with my very sweet neighbor across the street.  I also brought home a number of clippings that I will attempt to root.  It would be a shame to let a survivor of a rose like this to die out!  I look forward to many more years of blooms from this grandmother of roses!

It is such a beautiful day here today.  The sky is that incredible blue that seems to only happen in autumn, with crisp cool breezes blowing.  Right now I'm watching LOTS of sparrows outside my window.  I know some people don't like sparrows, but I enjoy their antics.

There's still plenty that is pretty to enjoy in our yard.  I love seeing things grow, don't you!

And just in case you're wondering how the chicks are coming along, here's a little picture of them.  I went inside their pen to give you a better look, but I had forgotten a very valuable lesson:  Do not approach untrained young chickens with your toes available for pecking, or it will happen.  The little clip below will show you exactly what I mean.

Hope your day is full of only pretty and not painful things!

Hugs and kisses,

Baking Day

             
It is really cool and pleasant here today, so I decided early this morning to have a baking day.  First I made my favorite fruit bread.

This time I used dried cherries, blueberries, cranberries, raisins and golden raisins.  YUM!

Next was a loaf of white bread.  I did the first stages in the bread machine and then let it rise again in its pan and baked it in the oven.

And finally, I baked a batch of whole wheat rolls.  I substituted honey for the sugar in their recipe.  Again the first steps in the bread machine and then forming, letting rise and then baking in the oven.  We had these for lunch and they were really good.  I brushed melted butter on them while they were still warm.

Tonight, it's dripping a little light rain outside, but still pleasantly cool.  Through the open back door the fragrance of these angel trumpets is just heavenly!

Meanwhile, back in the sewing room I am still avoiding this little pile of fabric cut out and waiting for me to get busy with it......  I think it's taunting me....

Have a great evening!

Hugs and kisses,

Wisdom on Teenagers from a Man Who Doesn't Have Any

1) Teenage brains do not work properly. I am pretty sure that there is scientific evidence to support this assertion.


2) You will have to decide to pick your battles. Those absolutes you held onto? Your line in the sand? Forget about it.

3) There is a reason they have grown bigger and stronger than you. It is a survival mechanism. Face it, they are just too big for you to bury the body alone.

4) You will want to turn everything into a life lesson. Resist the urge.

5) You will question your sanity.

6) You will hear your own parents voice coming out of your mouth. At times it will shock you. Heck, I'm not even a parent and I say things my parents said.

7) They will make you laugh in spite of yourself. And that's the one that ties it all together and makes it all worth it. It's all temporary, be patient, it will all come together in the end.

Copyright © 2010 by Frank Lozano Photography
http://www.franklozano.com/


I especially liked number three. LOL

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men (and Quilters)

so often go astray or askew........a sort of translation from Robert Burns' To A Mouse.

 I had great plans for this little quilt.  And they went sadly, badly astray, askew and just generally messed up.

I actually and finally finished it last night and today I've added the label.

Mr. Muddling and I will deliver it this afternoon.

I so wanted it to be perfect, and it is so not perfect.

But it is finished, and it is for a baby, so I'm just not going to beat myself up about it any more.  But..........this is why I don't make quilts to order.  I make quilts to give to others and to use here in our home.  Ordinarily I have a good time making them, and I know they are a blessing to the ones who receive them, and that's why I do it.  I do not strive for perfection.  I strive for the best I can do.  I miss it sometimes, but I forgive myself and move on.

I hope you're forgiving yourself, too, when you miss it.  No one is perfect - no matter how perfect they may look to you.  We all make mistakes.  We all fall from grace.  But you know, if you read First John 1:9 you will see that it says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness."  Thank God!

Have a great day.

Hugs and kisses,

Houndstooth

 I was admiring another of Nanette's beautiful quilts and commented on the houndstooth fabric she had used for sashing.

We both agreed that we like houndstooth a lot, and Nanette said that she had ordered a cape for herself from houndstooth and was waiting breathlessly for it to arrive.  So, when I ran across this little article today in:

I just had to share.  And now for a blast from the past:

This is me in high school in the (YES) houndstooth top I made.  As I told Nanette, I had hose to match that I had made out of the same fabric.  I still have the pattern.  Isn't it funny how things come back around?  Again and again!

I have been watching "Chicken Vision" most of the day - so much more entertaining than television for me.  They are loving having more space to play.  They did not quite know what to do last night.  I had to go out and pick them up from the chicken yard and take them inside their house and place their little claw-y feet on the roost.  Then they were fine and settled right down to sleep.  This morning they weren't sure what to do, so I had to go out and take them back down.  LOL  I hope I don't have to do that every day!

Hope your day has been full of enjoyable things to see, too!

Hugs and kisses,

Our Little Girls Have Moved Outside

I am once again hearing the chirping of chickens outside my sewing room window and it's a pretty sound to me.  I moved the chicks outside to the chicken yard today and they seem to be settling in pretty well.  But oh, boy, are they escape artists!  Bruno had to round up a couple of them.  I think I have pen secure now, and I'm truly hoping I don't wake up to chicks all over the neighborhood!

Hope you're having a happy time, too!

Hugs and kisses,

Quilt Festival

Well, I did it!  I finally went to Quilt Festival, and it was so inspiring.  I saw beautiful quilts, and I got a very short little visit with my friend Karen.  I haven't seen her in the flesh in years, but we've kept up with each other via email and blogging.  She and her husband Johnny gave our daughters their very first jobs - selling Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  Long time ago.  It was so good to see you, Karen!

Anyway, I took a lot of pictures, some of them I shouldn't have taken.  I thought I was being good and only taking pics where they were allowed, but I got a few that were not supposed to be photographed.  Sorry.  So, at least until the quilt police come and get me, enjoy this little look at Houston Quilt Festival.  Wish you could have been there with me!!

Hugs and kisses,

Oh, Baby (Quilt)!

I have been working on this little baby quilt for a new little boy to be born this month to the son of our next-door neighbors.  I watched that little boy grow up and now he's going to be a daddy.

I stayed up literally all night on this one and I was having such a good time.  I free-handed stars and hearts in the red blocks and had a lot of fun doodling around the border.  Then I trimmed it.

And then I made the horrible discovery that I had caught the backing in my border stitching.  So after a lonnnnng time ripping, a sore neck from bending over said stitching and sore fingers from ripping out said stitching, I'm still not through, but I did quit for now.  Bummer!

On a more positive note, I did finish my bag.  I think it will serve me well.

I'll try it out at Quilt Festival tomorrow!  I can hardly wait.

It's rainy and gray and cold (for us) here today, but it should be a pretty day tomorrow.  I've never been to Festival before, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm working on getting the chicken house and yard ready for the babies to move outside.  The old ladies are gone and I miss their murmurings out there.  I'll like it a lot better when the new chicks are outside where I can see and hear them from my window.  Plus, I'd really like to get my garage back!

Have a great day.

Hugs and kisses,