Break and getting it together

Where to start... sometimes I am a bit discombobulated.

-Summer break is on! I think the kids like it...


-Seth picked some flowers for me.


-The memory quilt is coming together, slowly, block by block.


-I think I found a pattern for the next quilt I want to make.

-Taking Hannah to see a movie at midnight next week!

-We'll be in Denver in a few weeks!

I like that my dad's memory quilt is coming together and that I finally have a cohesive plan for the next quilt I want to make . If anyone wants to get together while we are in Denver in July, just drop me a line!

Summer

It is officially summer now! The big kids are in their final week of school. Finally. It feels like they are the last ones to get out of school. Colorado kids have been out for almost a month already, but my kids won't go back until after Labor Day instead of mid August.

I have to admit I have been in a quilting slump. I don't know why. I have a ton of projects to get done and a few things I want to do, yet they all sit there unfinished. What's up with that? I figured with my break from school I'd be a quilting fiend. Gotta get my groove back.

I've read a few books... I've taken a trip to Denver for a funeral... I've spent time doing fun things with the kids too... and this week, Daniel is in Israel for work. Yes, he's in Tel Aviv, Israel for 5 days. We took him to the airport on Father's Day. At least he didn't have to fly coach. On our way back we swung by the grocery store for some milk. I saw that organic strawberries were on sale, $5.00 for a 2 lb container! I had thought I wouldn't be making strawberry jam this year because we didn't go picking, but if they were that cheap then I could do it! I grabbed 3 containers. Two for jam and one for eating, of course!

Hannah was my trusty helper. Seth smooshed some berries for us but that was about all he could do. He sampled some too. I really love that Hannah wanted to do this with me. I love that my mom and I got to can together. Will she love it too?


To enjoy this last week of school and get a dose of summer we've had some fun afternoon trips. They have silly half days all week. Yesterday we went to Great Adventure. The big kids had a blast but Seth didn't fair so well. He got tired and cranky. Today, we went to the beach. The water is still cool, 67 degrees, but you can still get in. The waves were pretty big as the tide came in. We had a good time and everyone tried to bring home half the beach in their swimsuits.

My mom and I talked this weekend and she asked how my garden was doing. Wanna see?

Zucchini.

Tomatoes and Simon's shoes in the background.

Pumpkin, that Seth convinced me to plant off to the side. I kind of hoped the seeds wouldn't take...but they did.

Many more things are growing. We've got cucumber, basil, green pepper, tomato, zucchini, bush beans, and snap peas. Oh, and the pumpkin. The whole garden is still quite small, growth wise that is. We got it started a bit late and most of these veggies won't yield until mid-late summer. I wish I had more room for other squashes too! Next year, maybe.

And Mom, these last two pictures are for you.

The plants you helped me plant are doing very well.


My rock...


Well, I better go put my kids to bed! I'm going to sew tonight... I swear...

Pattern ideas

I have this wonderful stack of fabrics that I want to make a quilt with. I am having a very difficult time finding a pattern I like or that I can see these fabrics in.

So, I want some help. I need some ideas. Is there a pattern that you think these fabrics would work well in?

Memorial

Sunday was my Aunt Sharon's memorial service. I flew out very early on Saturday morning. Although the flight was god awful early, it gave me a chance to see a few friends and some family before the service on Sunday. I had a red eye flight home Sunday night. It was a quick weekend trip.

The service was held at Lookout Mountain Park on a cool, rainy day. She had requested that we all attend in our pajamas. She said she always wore hers and that when she died we should have a pajama party instead of a funeral. She was probably looking down and laughing at all of us in our pj's in the rain because she way ornery like that. They released balloons and spread some of her ashes up there. It was very nice. We had a reception at a church down in Littleton following that. I got the chance to see some family that I haven't seen in a very long time. I wish our family would have reunions that weren't because of a death.

All in all, things went well I think. With my family that is truly saying something. It isn't all that uncommon to have the cops called on a few select members of the family... yeah, I have a Jerry Springer family.

I also got to bring home a very special thing with me. A quilt.


When my dad died Aunt Sharon told me that this quilt belonged to me. It had been given to my dad, but he apparently didn't think he could care for it so he entrusted it to his sister. I told her to hold on to it for me.

Now, it's mine. At a high cost unfortunately. The cost was losing one of my aunts...

I am truly blessed to have this quilt come to me though. I love it. There are a lot of things about this quilt that I'd like to figure out. I don't know who made it or when it was made. I think it was made in the 30's. Each block has a name on it. I recognize some of the names, but not all of them. I have some research to do. It has 56 names on it! Granny, Poggy, grandma Betty, and great uncle Jim are all on there, but their other 3 children aren't listed so it was probably made before they were born.

Betty Seward was my paternal grandmother.

Rest in peace Aunt Sharon. Thank you for this beautiful gift. I promise to take good care of it.

Doctor, gymnast, or politician?

Hannah is doing so well with gymnastics. I don't anticipate any Olympic events in her future, but she has been in gymnastics for a few years now and has steadily gotten better. She made team a few months ago and she participated in her last recital this weekend. From here on out she'll be helping with recital instead of being in it. In the fall she'll start competing with the team too! Pretty cool and unfortunately not cheap.



So, Hannah did something really cool Sunday night. She sat down and wrote a letter to the President. Yes, the President of the United States. She had an idea of how to stop the oil spill and wanted to let them know her idea. I can't even explain how awesome I think this is. This was all her doing, not ours. She did ask Dan for help to find the information about where to send the letter. I think she wrote 3 drafts. We told her that she may not get a response back, but I truly hope they send her a little form letter or something thanking her for her input. It is a good idea coming from an young girl.



She still wants to be a doctor when she grows up. At least, that's what she says right now. Whatever she does when she grows up I know I'll be proud of her because I already am.

It's the little things

It's the little things in life that make me happy...

Like finishing a baby quilt for a little girl that was born this week. We'll see her next month when we go to Denver.




Or picking hydrangeas from the yard.


It really is all about the little things.

Rail Fence

Oh em gee! This is so adorable, if I do say so myself! I really had a hard time deciding on a pattern. Finally, I thought something simple would be best. Rail Fence is a nice simple pattern. I think it fits the fabrics well. I really need to start with a pattern first. It's harder to have fabric and find a pattern that fits your fabric quantity. I don't think I'll ever learn though. If I see cute fabric, I buy it and worry about what to do with it later, like make an adorable baby quilt.


Quilting makes me a happy camper! Yay, for summer free time! Time to get these blocks sewn together!