The National Memorial Day Concert

This years Memorial Day concert was a tear jerker. I have tried to make it a point to watch for the last several years. This one was heart wrenching and heart warming and wonderful. If you didn't get to watch it, I hope you can catch some of it online here at PBS.org. Wonderful, really.

Piano Continued

This is the second half of the Mother's Day piano gift. I think I like this part even better. It's the table my sweet hubby built to put the electric piano on. He built the bench a number of years ago when we had the big high back grand and no bench. I loved it, and so when it came time for this table, he made it to match.

 They both have the same coloring, same detailing and were built with love. He says he fell in love with me the first time when I played Fur Elise for him about a million years ago. I haven't played it in years, but my goal is to re-learn it. Because I like the idea of him to falling in love with me all over again.

This explains something....

I came in the dining room today and found this....

No wonder my tension is always an issue when I sit down to sew lately.

My Mysterious Mother's Day Card

It's not like I don't know who the card was from, I do. I only have two kids and they are both pretty cute. It's that I wasn't quite sure what exactly the sentiment meant. I hope it's a nod to the priority we set to service to others around here. He didn't really have much to say about it. When I asked what it meant, he said, it means what it says. Just like his daddy. They don't say much, but they say what they mean. Even if I don't always grasp the entire meaning. Those two have big hearts.

Help Wanted

I am pulling this from my sweet cousin's blog. She's an amazing woman and her her entire extended family are in need of prayers and support. Her sister, and my cousin, Becky has been diagonsed with breast cancer at a very young age. She has 4 young kids. If you can, please include her in your prayers and meditations. Thanks so much.

Why it's hard to accurately put a date on a quilt

I have these unfinished projects hanging around, don't you? I hope I am not the only one. Sometimes I get back to a project in a matter of days, or weeks. Sometimes it takes a bit longer. I started this quilt for my son, when he was very small. He's 9. I got it finished this week. Finally done and all of the guilt that went with it for not finishing it, that's gone too. Yippee! He loves it. Even though he's not a baby anymore.

  So the question is, how do you date a Quilt? It seems there are many methods from pattern to fabric to method of construction. It's really hard to go by fabric alone, because what quilter doesn't have a stash and who recycles it all of the time? As for construction, I certainly wouldn't have even attempted to machine quilt this 9 years ago. And I think the pattern has been around a little longer than 9 years. Here is one method to find an approximate date, from WomenFolk.com. And here is a list of a dozen clues to becoming a quilt detective. Good information to have. As for this quilt, I am going with the date finished.

  As always, there's more to the story. This is one I really love. Once upon a time ago, in the early 1880's, a sturdy woman and her family lived in the harsh Midwest plains. They worked hard, played rarely and made do with what they had. They were resourceful and frugal and busy. Can you even imagine how busy a woman of that era would be even without Facebook taking up her valuable time? She had a mending basket., and I am sure, a basket of projects she wanted to finish one day. Time got away from her and she never did get to finish some of those projects she started with great intentions. (I can so relate.) She was also a pack rat. That's a family trait.

   Fast forward more than 100 years and the sewing basket is uncovered again. To the surprise of some of the womenfolk in the family, there are about 15 precious quilt blocks. Hand pieced and hand sewn, in great condition, because they were at the bottom of the basket. \

Seeing as how every one was enamored with them, it was decided that whoever wanted some of them would be allowed 3 pieces. These are the pieces that fell into my possession. I took a framing course just to preserve them. I love them and every time I look that them I feel a pull to the past. And I try not to feel bad that I have projects unfinished. Maybe one of my GGG Granddaughters will finish them up for me. Or just keep them around for inspiration. The estimated date on these blocks is early 1890's.

   The quilt hanging on the rack is from my paternal family. It's what was called a raffle quilt. It is dated on the back 1926. You can see that it was made from flour sacks as well as finer fabrics. It's in rough shape in places, but I love it too. It hangs happily in my living room cheering up the place and making it feel like home.

   So how do you date a quilt? I have no idea, but I do know that once it's done, it's done. I don't make show pieces. I make pieces meant to be well used and well loved.

Happy Mother's Day to Me

Mother's Day never was one of my favorite holiday's. Not that I don't love my mom, mother in law or grandmothers, and it's not that I don't love being a mom. I have had my fair share of over the edge and crazy days as a mom and times I wanted just two minutes without anyone needing anything from me. I do appreciate thoughtfulness and kindness. I just have issues with the whole thing. Father's day too. I am an equal Grinch on the subject.

Let's just start by saying I am pretty hard to surprise. (That's not a challenge.) At least my husband and kids have a hard time surprising me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they are all "finding" challenged or that they just hate to keep surprises. They can't wait to see the look on the faces of their family members when they have a gift to give. This Sunday my rock star husband pulled it off though.

First on Sunday morning he let me sleep in. Late. And kept the kids out of the room. Heavenly. Then he made me breakfast. That was yummy. I got to read the parts of the newspaper I wanted all the way through. Then when I went on a bow making kick, I didn't even get the look that says "This mess is going away soon, right?" He helped get the kids ready for church and took steak out of the freezer for dinner. All awesome things that I really appreciated.

The kids and I left for church. In Nursery Meg's teachers had helped her make a lollipop flower that said Happy Mother's Day on it, and she insisted on eating the lollipop almost before the car was started to head home. No thought of sharing that at all. That actually made me laugh, more at the nursery leaders than at my daughter.

When we came back, he wasn't home. I got a call a few minutes later that was cut off right after I heard "How important to you is..." Is what?  4 more dropped calls and I still had no idea what he was asking.(grumble grumble ATT)  I made dinner wondering what he was up to. Finally almost an hour later he came home. He had a mother's day gift for me in the car. I wasn't expecting that. One of the kids then brought me the topsy turvey upside down tomato planter and gave me a hug. Thanks, I think. I wandered around a little confused for a while until Adam helped him carry in the real present. A new electric grand piano from Yamaha. I was floored. That wasn't even on my radar at all. Things have been tight since we have moved here and while I really do miss my piano, I wasn't expecting any kind of replacement for quite some time.

Turns out he's been looking for one for quite a while and found a great deal on it. It just took some time and negotiating to get it to his car. What a guy. I am feeling pretty blessed today by a wonderful guy who still cares about what's important to me and wants me to be happy. The gift was amazing, but in this case, it really was the fact that he was thoughtful and caring that made all the difference in the world to me.

Mother's Day never was my favorite holiday and whatever happens next Sunday is of little consequence to me. Yesterday was mother's day to me and I am so happy to have a guy who knows how to surprise me now and then.

Mother's Day goodies

A couple of weeks ago my sweet cousin and friend had a great tutorial on her blog about stamping on fabric. She's so creative and makes such cute things! I entered to win in her drawing and actually won. Not because I am related either. The greatest thing about it was, unlike me, she acutally mails things off. I have post office phobia and getting things mailed out is a major undertaking at my house.

Back on track--- I made these cute resuable grocery bags for my mother in law for mother's day and decided to stamp them up. I need a little more stamping practice, but they were fun to do and I hope she will like them. I am not worried about her checking my blog, because even if she does, there's the whole post office thing and when she actually gets them will be a mystery indeed.

So, I am posting to show Annalia I actually put her gift and idea to good use. Thanks a ton!