Looking out my kitchen window.

Sophie posted a picture looking out her kitchen window so of course I had to post mine. Hurry Spring!

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2008 Row Robin

My first row for the 2008 row robin Kathi's hosting on About Quilting (link to the About forum top left).

I decided to go with a bright houses on black and white theme. I'm pretty happy with the wonky houses I made except the one on the right end .It was a little to dark and the back ground of the little girl in the upstairs window (click on pic for better look) is a little too dark also. It makes it kinda hard to see her. But it is my row so if I want I can always change it later.

We got a ton of snow last night and are expecting more today so I probably won't get this row mailed out for a couple days.

Of Cattle and Children -Friday Flashback

A few days ago Dorothy wrote on her blog about wanting a cow and the abuse at the Sacremento meat processing plant. Rian left a comment wondering how 4-H children handle the fact that the steer they raise from birth ,take to the fair ends up on someone's plate.

I suppose some handle it better than others but it broke my older brothers heart. He raised the steer from a tiny calf. Treated it like a pet .The little thing would nestle it's little head in my brothers arms. After showing him at the fair and seeing him sold to a local resturant my brother cried. Was depressed for weeks, quit 4H and wouldn't eat beef for a couple years. I think it ruined farming for him.He joined the Navy at seventeen moved to CA. and never looked back. I don't have many pic's of my brother so here's a newspaper clipping when he joined the Navy.

I think seeing him go through that was tramatic for my parents too. Because years later I had a sweet Brown Jersey cow. It was the practice when a cow became old and stop giving milk to send them to slaughter. But my cow never went. When she stopped producing milk she stayed on our farm and died of old age I think my dad simply could not bear to see another child go through that. Thanks Dad.

Life of Riley

I came across this fake bear skin rug that used to be in the grandchildrens's playroom. Just for fun I put it in front of the fire place . It wasn't long before Peanut and Buddy(aka Fatty Arbuckle) put it to good use. Click on the pic's for a better look.

My New Toy!!!

DH bought me an early B-day present. A new quilting sewing machine a Janome 1600 P. I'm so excited! I haven't tried it yet. Gotta go do that right now : )

Sign of the Times and Last Years Row Robin.

As many of you know we've been remodeling our family room. When DH hired the painters they did the job the next day . And it was a Sat! Last Wed. the carpet salesman called to tell me our carpet was in and ask when I'd like it installed. I replied the first appointment they had. Expecting to be told six weeks from next Wed. To my surprise the salesman said "How about tomorrow morning." I've heard work is slow around here . I guess!

Here is a picture of our new carpet. It's dark moss green. It's not tweed but sort of a blend I guess you'd call it. I love it! The paint does not show it's true color here it's really a moss green and doesn't have the aqua tone like it looks in this picture.

And a couple picture of last years Row Robin finally all sewn together and bordered ready for quilting. Click on the pictures to get a better view.

We are Siamese if You Please

Our two Siamese cats Poochi and Peanut lounging on the family room sofa.They used to love to sleep on my sewing table under the ott light. But since putting in the new fireplace they stay close by it. They follow the sun, ummm I mean heat : )

Just Shoot Me!

For gosh sakes! I just got over my migraine last week was folding some clothes turned the wrong way and twisted my knee. But I shouldn't complain too much. Ice packs for a couple days and wearing this knee pad and it's almost good as new.

When I started this blog I decided I would not write about illness or politics.

Politics for the simple reason that I don't think my opinion or knowledge of the subject is so profound that I feel driven to shove it down the throats of everyone unfortunate enough to be near me. Unlike Elizabeth and Rosie on the view.

Illness? Well when I was five my Aunt Margie came to our house for a visit one morning . When I began to tell the guesome details of a stomach flu I had suffered the night before she gently informed me that one does not disscuss such things in a polite society. I never forgot that and have avoided sharing such unpleasentries ever since.

But alas, here I am whining about a migraine last week and now whining about twisting my knee. I promise no more!

Doll Quilts Done!

I finished adding the binding to the green and orange doll quilt yesterday. If you click on the pictures you get a better look at the dinasours. I was a little disappointed with the binding on the pink one. It puckered badly .Maybe because I was sewing four layers of flannel or because I didn't have enough fabric to cut it on the bias?Not sure but it is what it is I'm not doing it over.

Sick Headache

I've had a migraine for two days .I had a friend years ago from Texas (we lost touch over the years) that called a Migraine a sick headache. Good word for it. The nasuea is the worst part. They usually last about three days so I should be coming out the other side anytime now. I don't get so many as I used to and not sure what brought this one on . Fussing with DH over how much to spend remodeling the family room,and sewing room would be my guess. The man still thinks of goods/products in 1950 prices . The carpet man came to measure yesterday so soon we'll be done. Thank goodness.

Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day

Here in Toledo we have a large Polish population and this is their Fat Tues. traditional treat, Paczki. Pronounced Poon-sky. They sell tons here on Fat Tue.

.They are like a heavy filled cake doughnut available with quite a few different fillings.My favorites are lemon and prune. Yum!

Brent's Evil Twin?

Well in our son Brent's case he's probably the evil twin and this guy is the good twin.This photo came with a insert in our gas bill last month at first glance we both thought it was Brent. This is the way he looks when he's reading my blog and making fun. I have to endure it though since he's a computer genius and keeps me and half the county in working computers. OK genius is a strong word. May be computer gifted : )

What I did...

What I did on my winter vacation. umm.... I mean while I was trapped for seven days upstairs keeping the dogs company while the workers re-did our family room.
I took a machine and some scraps with me and made two doll quilts. Not so fancy as some on the About.com doll swap but I think the children will be pleased. They were fun to make because you get to see the finished product so quickly.

Our New Look

Last couple weeks we've been remodeling our family room. Had an old fireplace removed a new one put in and paint. New dark moss green carpet on order.

I orginally went to get a WB fireplace but was sold when they showed me a vented gas one with blower and remote control. I thought do I really want to clean out ashes? Answer ,No... Three pictures here one of the old gray fireplace and two of our new lake rock corner fireplace

Then I agonizeds over paint color.I thought a warm chamois brown.DH hated that .DDIL was pushing moss green. I was a little leery i thought it was a little too close to avacodo green from the 70's. But decided green is a color I've always been able to live with so I went with moss. LOVE it.

PS-

These pictures do not show the true color of the wall they look aqua here and they are a true moss green in person

Birthday Boy and Quits

Here's the Jan. birthday boy a day late .His 22'nd birthday was yesterday.He called last night from Alaska.We had a nice chat. He will be getting out of the Air Force in Aug. and coming back to go to college here at TU.
These two quilts I've posted before as some of you know. But Konniemac ask me about the story book one and mentioned she was working on a Cars quilt so this is for her. The Storybook one is a row quilt from the nesting robin Dorothy hosted last fall. Each row represents a children's book.
Row #1.The kissing Hand
#2 Harold andthe Purple Caryon
#3 The Giving Tree
#4 Make Way for Ducklings
# 5 The Polar Express.
I gave the quilt and a copy of each book to grandson for Christmas. I can't say I was crazy about "The Giving Tree "book not sure what the message is. I know many teachers love it .But my DIL and I thought it was sad another DIL cried when she read it. But when my sis read it she thought it meant one can always be useful. Maybe...
ps -click on the quilts for a closer look