Going to the Birds

A dear friend of mine asked me yesterday to send her some pictures of what I have been working on lately. One might could say that my life is "going to the birds" here recently. I have been stitching a new set of blocks that have birds in each one of them. I also think they look like Kaliescope pictures or even Mandala type art.




Now just have to figure out how I want to place them in a quilt and what fabrics to use. Lately, I have been using very vibrant colors because I have so wanted Spring to get here. Thanks goodness it has finally arrived, but we did have quite a bit of snow fall just the other day.




I am so happy the snow melts quickly once the winds start to blow and the sun comes out again. Does make for interesting driving down our mud pit though.



Also, people have been delivering vases of dafodils to the residents of the nursing home and personal care where I work. I love seeing this bright yellow around and the flowers make wonderful conversation pieces to get everyone talking to each other.

Enjoy your Spring and I hope it doesn't fly by too quickly!!

Where did February Go?

Happy Leap Day!

I am in shock that February 2012 has flown by. My son also pointed out to me the other night that I am now NOT a blogger. I asked him why he said this and he replied, "Because I never see you typing furiously on the computer and telling me to be quiet while you think." He is 14 and full of wonderful insights.

I have been putting in 45 hour weeks in Personal Care. The 3 ladies in the wing are such precious characters. It is a delight to get them talking about their lives and "the way things were" in the past.

Just the other night I was talking to one of the ladies about a quilt I am working on that a person in Georgia has requested. It has been something for me to wrap my mind around -- a quilt for their casket. The person is in her 60's and has always wanted a tulip quilt and wants one for her casket. She says she is in good health but one never knows.



I am still working on adding the leaves as shown in the picture.

This lady in personal care told me that is not a strange request. She said that Blackfeet Indians used to place a star quilt on their caskets. She said it was a tradition. I had never heard of that before.

I know my foster mother used to tell me that she did not want flowers at her funeral, she wanted them while she was alive. So being the dutiful daughter wanting to please, I planted 100's of tulip bulbs along the walkway sidewalk out in the front yard. I got as much joy from them as she did.

Just talking of flowers has got me wanting Spring to hurry and come. I love the blooming and greenery.

So as to prove my son wrong, I am going to strive to take time to put my thoughts, sights, and experiences to the keys in March.

Cracked Pots

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?'

'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.'

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'



Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding...

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.


SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Rhubarb Anyone

Last week I had spoken with my neighbor friend on the phone and mentioned that the rose bush she gave me for my May Day birthday had some lovely blooms not quite open on it. She then came over a day or so later while walking her fluffy pooch and got to chatting while outside.

I had to shoot a picture over to her through Facebook of the sweet first rose. Just beautiful -- which is exactly what the name ROSE means.

While visiting outside my next door neighbor came out of his house and we all spoke briefly. He happened to mention that I should harvest the rhubarb from a plant that comes up every year. Not knowing much about what to do, both neighbors were very instructive on how to harvest and prepare it.



Me being the talkative one in the house, I came indoors and told my husband about the rhubarb. He decided take the project on this weekend and we have ended up with some wonderful strawberry rhubarb pies. While enjoying a piece, Fred told me about how his mother used to make them and family would make special requests of her. It has been a little over a year since she passed away but each of us mention her often.

So here is hoping your summer has some strawberry rhubarb pie in it!!!!

My Spring is Full of Colors

I love the snow taking a break from us for a while. Can't believe we are sporting temperatures in the mid to high '40s for the past few days.

This has made me do some moving around of things in my house -- something known as "Spring Cleaning". I have only bagged up one sack of things to take to donate, but know I will get around to more soon.





Keeping my fingers busy as night while working I have been stitching on a few more pieces. Then on the weekends I get to spend a little time in my sewing room. I am working on another quilt top and decided to come up with some patchwork blocks. Lots of thread and the humming of my machine happening with this one. I seem to be choosing brighter colors.



Well, I am told if I don't get off this computer and head upstairs, dinner will be gone. Hope you are getting into the "Springy Zone" and your world is filled with happy colors.

Pick Me Up Winter Bouquet

Well, I finally did it! I broke down and visited a new floral shop on Central Avenue in Great Falls, Montana. When the snow keeps persisting on these extremely hard winters, I just have to have some signs of life and growth and color infused in my world to keep me going.

It was fun to be able to pick out what I wanted in my bouquet. I also let my husband do the selecting of the flowers. I think we did a really good collaboration!

Now they sit on my dining table and even the kids are happy and talking of them. My sweet daughter pointed to the inside of the lily and told her younger brother, that stuff is called "pollen". Thank goodness she didn't go into the discussion of bees as he has a major worry about that subject.

I will just be glad to get to the bee season this year, but until then another trip to the flower shop may be in order. Just saw an updated weather report -- another winter storm on the way for us and we are at -18 degrees as I write this!

Spring Chickadees

Oh, how I would love to hear the birds chirp right now!

Winter is seeming like forever here in Montana these days. Plugging in the van to ensure a start when turning the ignition key, brushing the snow off the windows, frozen ice on the windshield wiper blades, and watching every step you take. Then, just like out of no where down you go whether it be forwards or backwards . . . an instant feeling of defeat.



Since the birdies don't seem to be in the near future, I decided to stitch some to work on a colorful quilt top. Maybe I will get it put together by the time green grass and green leaves and sunshine appear around here.



Until then, I may just have to go and purchase some fresh cut flowers for the dining table -- those always perk me up!! Hope you will do the same if you are beginning to feel the way I am these days.

Snapdragons

Playing with Paper Dolls

I am exploring play with paper, card-making, paper crafts, and paper dolls this year. I found a sweet pattern on flickr.com for this oriental paper doll. This is the first one I made and have now completed two others that are a little bit bigger.

Savannah Rose is claiming this one as her own. She always wants the first trial on my experiments!

I think this oriental doll could be used as a bookmark or even an ornament on the Christmas tree if I add a ribbon on back for hanging.

Also, I have been playing with using a worn out deck of playing cards and came up with some flower creations from a punch I purchased. Now I have to decide what I want to put as flower centers and then how I am going to use the finished pieces. Something will come to me and I will have to update my blog posting.

My Dresden Quilt Block Center

A dear sweet friend of mine made me a paper pattern of the spokes of this Dresden Plate quilt block pattern. I have been goint to town cutting up my pieces of scraps -- I hate to throw anything of fabric away!!!!

Here is the first attempt and I have just had my creative "boost" of how I am going to finish this one off. It will be a bigger finished quilt top, probably a throw to snuggle up in. I already have 8 embroidered cute pieces to add as parts of borders around this.

Now, only to find my ruler -- fingers have been walking away with them off my table recently and it takes time and makes me frustrated to find things. Still looking for my favorite pair of scissors and had to break down and buy another one.

It Feels Like Spring

I have been stitching and got into the "Spring Mood" the other day. Almost feel like going and getting some fresh cut flowers.



We actually went out to a local park to fly frisbees and play around on the tennis court yesterday. This morning however, we wake to overcast skies with the temperature falling some -- could be rain -- could be snow.



At least it isn't lasting as long on the ground.

Step Aside Martha Stewart

Savannah Rose and I were invited to attend a "Spirit of Women" Cooking Class meeting this past Monday evening. It was held at a place we had never visited in Great Falls, MT called Electric City Conservatory.



Cooking did not take place as a local business, Penny's Gourmet To Go provided a table full of finger foods.

Carrie and Rachel with Electric City Conservatory showed us how simple floral arrangements in vases, flower orbs, rose petals and candles can decorate a table easily.





One floral arrangement was simply a bunch of Bells of Ireland greenery snipped at an angle on each stem to desired height for your vase filled with water. Snipping at an angle helps the water be absorbed better.

Also, very important for each vase arrangement is to remove all the leaves and greenery from the stems that are to be submerged in the water. This prevents mold in the water and slows down the aging of the arrangement.



The flower orbs (balls) made for the table were from roses and one from bachelor buttons. A floral block called Oasis was cut to size, placed in a sink or bucket of water not submerged but on top. The Oasis then soaked up a great deal of the water in pretty short order. Afterward, knife was used to shape the Oasis block into a ball or round shape. Each individual flower was cut on the stem at an angle with about 2 inches remaining and then pushed into the Oasis.

The smaller the flower bloom, the more bunches are needed to fill the Oasis shape. Also, it was mentioned that the finished flower ball may get your table wet and decorative plates could be used to set them on. The flower orbs do not have a very long table life, approximately 3 to 4 hours.



One of the most beautiful arrangements I have ever seen is called "Spilling Over". The roses are placed in slanted laying position as if they are falling out of the vase.



We closed out our evening by doing a little shopping in the store. I got more ideas for crafting projects and found some fun cards with "character" to send to my sister-in-laws.

A Cheery Quilted Tote Bag

It all started with Savannah Rose (my daughter, age 15) wanting to embroider a flower. She picked out the pattern and the color of her threads. She tried to stitch one of the outer petals in the pink but this project did not last long for her and her attention span issues.

Her embroidery hoop lay on my sewing table for months and I asked her several times if she wanted to pick it up again. Her idea was to maybe choose another picture pattern. I let her do this and she came up with more involved pieces as far as stitching goes. I will eventually get her fabric ready and help with that down the road.




So, I could resist no long and completed her flower. When stitching I was thinking what should I use this in for her . . . a doll blanket, a pillow patch, an apron for her dolls . . . then it hit me!!! I could make a TOTE bag for her to carry all her goodies in when we go on outings. (This is always an event for her to get everything ready and loaded on outings.)

Last night was the grand finale on getting my vision completed. Even though I was up till 3 a.m. doing the free hand machine quilting, it turned out beautifully.




Savannah was so cute as she was up with one of her not sleeping nights. She said, "Mom, this is beautiful. I bet you could sell these at the Farmer's Market next year. Maybe for $5 or $10." A business woman is behind those young eyes, but I think I might have to raise her prices on items for sell.

I included something in my machine quilting for her to carry with her in this piece. I hope she knows it always . . .

At the Duck Pond

The kids and I visited the duck pond at Gibson Park for the first time today with a bag of old buns. The boys had a splendid time and left saying they wanted to return really soon. I made that happen rather quickly as I loaded them and their dad up after dinner for the excursion repeated. I had found another loaf of bread in the bottom of the refrigerator under the meat crisper.







Also, I had been told that people come out on Wednesday evenings for music performances at the same park. The turn out was great and everyone enjoyed the music played.



We took Fred to see the flower garden and arch. He thought it was lovely but allergies and an asthma attack took over and coughing from Fred played along with the music. So much so that at times people were looking and staring like "what is this sick man doing out and about."







All in all it was a nice evening to be out and about. Next time, however; one will remember to check and see if the inhaler is packed along for the trip.