Stitched Presents

For cousin Jessica -- who loves Nativities. A couple months ago I got to visit a town called Glasgow, Montana. Not much going on there but did get to spend a little time with some cousins and get to know them really for the first time. My husband and son were supposed to take a guided fishing boat day out on Fort Peck Lake but the weather proved non-cooperative so they will return in the Spring. It is amazing how you can be related and yet not have the opportunity to get to know each other. Family has always meant a lot to me as I grew up in a foster home. As a child you are told in the foster home that you are part of the family, but the last name is never the same, and then when it really comes down to introductions to new people -- you are called the "foster child". I, however, was fortunate to get to know and love Aunt Marie. She found out about me when I was 15. She came to visit in Tennessee and then we started a correspondence through mail and phone for many years. When I turned 21, she was my anchor to moving on with my life and helped get me to Montana. Many years later I can see how she helped so many in the family get from one place to another to where they need to be. I am glad to say she is now where she needs to be and hope that she continues to be happy and feel love from all the family -- near and far. Still trying to figure out the 1st, 2nd, 3rd cousin order of family and wondering where the "twice removed" parts come in when people are talking. Guess I need to do a little research. Did manage to stitch a few presents for the Glasgow area cousins and hope they have a wonderful holiday season. Here is thinking of you -- McKenzie, Malani, Nicole, and Christian (he got a knitted cap)!!

My Kind of Valentines

Last weekend my family stumbled upon a very unique museum (Miracle of America Museum) in a small lakefront town called Polson, MT. I had passed by this place many times over the years that I first lived in Montana and would take road trips onto Missoula for some fun and shopping. I fell in love with a display of Victorian Valentine cards and snapped photos. They just don't make love notes like these anymore. Glad they are in a glass case to be preserved. Wish I had artistic talents like the ones who created these lovely pieces of history. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

From Here to the Moon

Okay call me obsessive about a few things. I simply love this song by Dolly Parton after renting and watching her in the movie "Joyful Noise". My family has been hearing me playing this link from Youtube at least 5 times today. Hope you enjoy the song. Simply click on these words: From Here to the Moon and Back.

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to none

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper - wrapped package:

'This,he said, isn't any ordinary package.' He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box. 'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on, was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it.

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral home, his wife had just died.

He turned to me and said:
'Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life. Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with

my family, and less at work.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.

I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal glasses every day...

I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it..
I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

The words 'Someday....'and' One Day....' are fading away from my dictionary.

If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do
it now....

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell..

I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.. She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food.

It's these small things
that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to none..

If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.

If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it 'One of these days', remember that 'One day' is far away... or might never come.....

No matter if you're superstitious or not, spend some time reading it. It holds useful messages for the soul.

5 Things in Life

Got this from a DEAR FRIEND... There are 5 things in life you cannot recover: A stone...after it's thrown. A word...after it is said. An occasion...after it's missed. The time...after it's gone. A person...after they die. Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile, Enjoy Life!!

Goodbye Mom

A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at him..

She finally overtook him at the checkout, and she turned to him and said, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease; it's just that you look so much like my late son."

He answered, "That's okay."

"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out 'Good bye, Mom' as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy."

She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, "Goodbye, Mom."

The little old lady waved and smiled back at him..

Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone's day, he went to pay for his groceries.

"That comes to $121.85," said the clerk.

"How come so much? I only bought 5 items."

The clerk replied, "Yeah, but your Mother said
You'd be paying for her things, too."

Bet you thought this was going to be a tear jerker. Don't trust Little Old Ladies!!

Yes, I laughed too

Bambi & Thumper ....really do exist!

This was taken in Alberta , Canada in a back yard...Very cool!
Bambi & Thumper ....really do exist!

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 . . .

"Bless This House" Gift

I completed this free hand machine quilted piece that I had hand embroidered "Bless this House" for a dear friend of mine in Tennesee.

I shadow machine quilted "Faith", "Hope", and "Love" in the stitches. It was my first time making letters or words machine free-hand. I tried to capture the word "Love" in this photograph.



I sent a snail mail card to Twila saying that she could use this as a wall hanging, table mat or even turn it into a pillow panel. No matter how she chooses, I hope she knows it was made out of love from a friend who is now far away and missing our crafting visits.

Film star Helen Twelvetrees, ca. 1936-7 / photograph by Sam Hood

If you love photographs from days gone by, then you are going to be in heaven when you check out this link. I know I will be going back there often to see a bit of history. -- Alice

http://www.flickr.com/photos/statelibraryofnsw/

Helen Twelvetrees during filming of "Thoroughbred", Sydney, 1936 / Sam Hood

Film star Helen Twelvetrees, ca. 1936-7 / photograph by Sam Hood, originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales collection.

w/WonderlandShoppe

Format: Silver gelatin photograph

Notes: One of the first American women to star in an Australian film

From the collections of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Midsummer in Sweden - Maypole

Midsummer in Sweden, originally uploaded by Silva_D.

In Sweden the Maypole is usually called a midsommarstång, as it appears at the Midsummer celebrations, but it is also called majstång, as the word maja means to decorate with greens and that is exactly how most Swedes decorate them. They appear in many varieties, the most common being a cross with two rings hanging from the "arms" and the pole is popularly identified with the male sex and the rings with the female.[citation needed] Garlands of leaves and flowers are usually wrapped around the pole.
Sometimes a crown of flowers is placed on top of the maypole, supported by the ribbons, so that it gradually descends the pole as the ribbons are woven together, finally falling to the ground.



Today maypole dances are often done without dividing the participants by gender, simply having them in pairs facing one another so half go one way and half go the other.


In Sweden similar traditions were once observed but today the pole is the centre of traditional ring dances, the songs being more or less the same as during the dances around the Christmas tree. Arrangements are usually made by local traditional groups. Swedish speaking parts of Finland often celebrate Midsummer with a midsommarstång as well.

'What does love mean?'

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:


'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4


'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' Emily -age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at Night.' Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7



'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day'
Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image) Karen - age 7

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'
Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8



And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'


I LOVE this one: What is Love? Love- a wildy misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise, and lips to pucker - rare_jesika.

Gonna Be A Bear

In this life I'm a woman. In my next life, I'd Like to come back as a bear. When your a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, your suppose to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too.

When your a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while your sleeping and wake up to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definately deal with that.

If your a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. you swat away anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.

If your a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

YUP, GONNA BE A BEAR

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute. look at it and really see it...... live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.

Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us!

A Cup of Coffee

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee..You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked,

'Tell me what you see..'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.



'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.? You can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!!!!!!!

Special Huggums Dolls -- Madame Alexander

My daughter, Savannah Rose has high functioning autism with psychosis. She is absolutely lovely and turning 15 soon.

A few years ago we met a wonderful friend, Judith, who introduced Savannah to the Madame Alexander Huggums Dolls that were distributed in 1964. Her daughter had received one as a Christmas present when she was just 4 years old and had kept her doll in the family all these years.



This love for her daughter's original Huggums doll led Judith to finding others to rescue and repair. My daughter has become another on this mission and has fallen in love totally. She is now the proud mother of three and she loves shopping for their outfits and accessories. Her newest one is named Susan Jane and is pictured here.



History of Madame Beatrice Alexander

Dolls of Madame Alexander are highly prized throughout the world and are an 85 year tradition of fine quality and innovation. Beatrice Alexander retained control of the company for most of her lifetime, selling it in 1988. Her legacy was a vast number of dolls which have been prized for their attention to detail and history. The Company , started at the onset of World War 1, began by making Red Cross dolls , made from cloth which she and her sisters created in the kitchen of their New York home. With starting capital of $1600.00 she started the Alexander Doll Company in a Manhattan gallery. Influenced in part by the Lenci dolls of Italy, Hers became a resounding success. Although quite unusual for a woman to start and run a company in that part of the century, she had inherited quite a work ethic from her father , who ran a doll shop where she grew up. Impressed with the aura of Madame Lenci of Italy, she decided to improve her image by calling herself Madame Alexander. In the 20’s her husband Philip, began the daily operations of the company freeing her to develop ideas for new dolls. She had a talent for being able to provide ideas for new dolls to fit the times. During the depression her “Alice In Wonderland” doll became a huge success as were the dolls of “Gone With The Wind” as well as the re-release of “Alice” when the Disney movie appeared in 1933.

In the early 50’s Madame Alexander dolls won 4 awards from the Fashion Academy of New York. In the early sixties , Philip died and she recruited her son in law and grandson to help run the company. By the 80's the dolls began enjoying great success as collector items. The company was resold in 1995 and has continued to this day to produce high quality and elaborately costumed dolls.

As long as we have a desire for dolls, the legacy of Madame Alexander shall live on.