Memories of Kathy

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I have a first cousin who has touched my life throughout... She turned 62 on June 17th and today I'm on the way to her funeral. She lived her life with a passionate desire to give her love to everyone that came into her life.
Our fathers were brothers and as children,we spent summertime visits together. Many a Christmas was spent with the Terry family gatherings. There we created imaginary space people called Marsha and Martin whom love to say, uhmmm perky perky that when on to a song and played with the similar dolls we received.
I remember...
Sharing the worse time of poison ivy one summer, when we explored the woods behind her home.
She was a year ahead of me in school so Kathy received the womanhood talk lecture first. I remember her explaining to me this is what will happen to us...
My father moved me away many times through his job, but we never lost contact.
We each found our lifetime husbands. Happily one year Terry and I moved to Kathy's area. At this time, we were beginning our families.
But this time i had two small girls ahead her.
Then my husband and I moved away after the birth of our first son. Kathy was pregnant with her first son also. Tears were shed but...
Shortly, after that Kathy and her family moved to our area and our husbands shared the same job at Winnebago.
We both felt God wanted our lives to be shared. This was a time, when our walk with the Lord was becoming alive! It was Kathy,that explained that God has the abundant life for free,if I would just ask! We prayed together and studied the word many times as our babies played.
We always shared tall glasses of iced tea. Many times this lead to projects ...we needed to make for our children. Memories of sharing Lots of sewing time together and ideas!
Always at the end of the day... every toy and game, kids got out had to be picked up and put in it's proper place before leaving. Kathy was a stickler about returning every item before leaving. I think of her still,every time I continue to do this.
Our lives grew apart as our children grew and we moved away from each other. But that let us lose touch and a birthday never forgotten. We would try to meet and catch - up
With each others lives as frequently as we could work it out.
Too soon, Kathy has went to walk with the Lord on the heavenly streets, but you are always with me in my cherished memories! Those continue daily.
Thank you Lord for the gift of my Cousin Kathy.

Crazy Quilt Retreat

I just returned from St. Louis / O'Fallon CQ Retreat. What a fun inspirational group of stitching women. Everyone came excited and willing to share and stitch together for 5 days. We all pooled together to rent the hotel ballroom. There we placed our machines, needles and Ott lights! Did I say fabric?! Fabric everywhere. Such beautiful stitches were seen by everyone. The above picture is a quilt made by no other then the published stitcher, Martha Green! How I enjoyed the tips,she shared with me. She comes from Oklahoma along with her friend Donna. Other Friendly stitchers came from California, Minnesota, Mo., Kansas, Illinois and 3 of us from the state of Iowa. Thank you so much, Mary Ann for organizing once again a truly blessed week! What a beautiful project, Mary Ann was working on...but no pictures there. It is being entered into a National completion and we all agreed it's got to be a winner.! Good Luck, Mary Ann...
Thanks also to my fun loving stitching sister, Barbara.. Loved our time together and all our fun we shared. I must post more pictures of some of our adventures soon.
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Time for Stitching...

A busy weekend at work. Joys I had working with people,who are able to turn on a dime and do many critical jobs at once. I continue to learn everyday about life and the blessings God shows us everyday!
So today, I find myself recuperating and taking it easy.
I few weeks ago, I signed up for a online course from Susan Elliott. It has been a wonderful class even though, I must find places outside my home to view her you-tube videos. The class was over yesterday. I am by no means finished with my book. Susan said,the class will disappear from the Internet today. I did print off PDF instructions. My plans are to finish soon. As picture below,I do have the flower done and look forward to putting it all together. But not today or this week. I looked at my progress and missed it this weekend. But,I have my favorite grandson tomorrow(another joy) then back to work on Wednesday...
I do highly recommend Susan's course. She mentioned it will offer again this Fall.
I will post pictures when I finish. Thanks Susan for the class. Loved it! ( playswithneedles)
Susan recommended a favorite fabric store in Vermont. My order arrived this weekend. Such beautiful pieces of delectable colors textures for crazy quilting.
It is Delectable Mountain Cloth
Brattleboro Vermont. Www.delectablemountain.com
.... Best wishes to opening of my friend's new booth at Knot New...
Looking forward to seeing it soon!



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Chickens Anyone?

What a busy month that past...an early spring filled with so many activities. Classes needed to update my job to 8Th decade party and wonderful time spent with my family.
A beautiful year for our annual egg hunt in the forest. Much searching and running around in the absolute sunny day.
But chickens, what about chickens? Our granddaughter Madalyn was here for a week during spring break. She lead her grandpa into much discussion of a needed chicken farm.
We are seriously thinking on this option, which was presented by our granddaughter. The option of Madalyn spending time here this summer. She has showed us her research and listed the pros for the plan. Agreeing to the plan...but where to begin and is it a good plan? More research will be needed. Any chicken farmer or tips out there?
According to Madalyn she believes, she has her grandpa convinced and on the for a llama. Oh yes, she thinks we need a llama also!

Favorite product

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While digging through old photos, i found this one of myself as a youngster in my parents home. Looking closely to the photo, I noticed the loaf of bread was only 19 cents. Wow, isn't it about $3.00 now? Also, notice the box of Reynolds Cut-Rite wax paper.
I remembered all the times I used wax paper in crafts growing up. Capturing my beautiful fall leaves between 2 pieces of wax paper then ironing them together to making appear as if captured on glass. Using it with my shaving of my crayons to melt between wax paper for what i believed a beautiful mosaic of colors.
Later I used it while sewing fabric to attach fabric for easier cutting and to help with my iron. Actually so many times, I used wax paper for fun activities it brought many fond memories.
This lead me to research how long it has been around for us to play with...
.... Even though Thomas Edison likes to take credit for inventing wax paper it was actually invented by, Gustave Le Gray in 1851.
It allowed color from back of a photograph to be seen from the front. It revolutionized photography.
It was discovered it could be used in wrapping food. Not sure when or how Reynolds Industries decided to manufacture it. The company origin goes to ceramic products after the WW ll. That's when Harry Reynolds U.S. Naval Commander in 1948 started the company in Cailfornia. He was making plastic molded products for sale to mobilized engines. He acquired aluminum to use in sliding. I could not find the exact transition to production of cut-rite wax paper. I surmised it was sometime during this 1948 production because Reynolds wrap aluminum foil and wax paper for the food industry appeared on the grocery shelves. Great plan, as we still cannot imagine being in the kitchen without it!
Next time, I pick up the wax paper to drop my cookies onto or create with it ...I will remember it was on my Moms kitchen counter when I was 3 years old.
Long ago....

Foggy Weather and Snow

Venturing home last night to my warm cabin, I drove through very dense fog. It made it very hard to see, but i also did not see any deer out on my roadways. YEh!
It was a busy weekend in the ER but seem to settle down when all the footballs games came on TV. Guess not as many want to go to ER when the Superbowl playoffs are on.
This Morning, I woke to see the ground covered with snow and a white landscape with the fog gone and a frozen pond. It brought to mind Tasha's thoughts on the new snowfall. She loved to see the tracks of animals freshly placed as they walked through the woods. I too love to see those tracks and try to imagine what animal and what it plans for the day. So as I walk to my mailbox today, I will see who has passed before me as well.
I leave with you with one of Tasha Tudor's favorite quotes from Henry David Thoreau...
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours"

Thoughts of Tasha Tudor

During this wintery cold days I have been browsing this delightful book!


I found it on Alibris.com used books. I have always admired her the fun and beautiful illustrations in children's books. But her lifestyle was a simple and back to basics as if the 1800s.
If you have not taken a walk through this book check it out. It is a treasure to enjoy as eye candy and words of wisdom.
We have a forecast of wintery weather and single digit temperatures. So thought i would share some her thoughts. Here are a few words from Tasha...
"I don't shovel snow. It's a waste of time. I just walk through it and make a path. I keep a pair of snowshoes stuck in the snow by the back door for when it really drifts.
I can always smell the first storm before it comes. There is a scent of snowflakes in the air that's unmistakable. To me it's joyous.
I especially love it when the storm comes quietly during the night and I wake up to a changed world. I can tell instantly. The light in my bedroom is so different when there is snow outside.".
They is much more beautiful thoughts I have enjoyed reading. Another fun note were in this used copy, I have found lovely little bookmarks tucked into the pages of the giver of the book, their delight and wonder she wants the recipient to see.



If you can, spend time looking at a wonderful life of Tasha Tudor
Born August 28, 1915 Boston, Massachusetts
Died June 18, 2008 Marlboro, Vermont