getting out in the mountains . . .

DH and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary this weekend. So we just used that as a nice excuse to get out for one our treks around the Adirondacks. We started out by driving up to Newcomb and visited here. I wish I had taken a picture of their butterfly and hummingbird gardens, just beautiful! I hope to plant something similar at the lakehouse, ah someday! Anyway we walked a trail and it was beautiful, could hear the bullfrogs, saw a chipmunk, heard lots of birds but just enjoyed the quiet.

Unfortunately it started to pour, and there was lots of thunder and lightning so we finished our hike and headed back to the visitor center. Next we headed off to Long Lake and Hoss's. There are so many great books there, keeps us both busy for quite awhile. I got an awesome pair of Minnetonka sandals, half price. I am always the bargain shopper. They have a tree growing right through the store.

After an ice cream cone we headed down to the lake and walked around and planted ourselves in rocking chairs on the porch of the Adirondack Hotel , a turn of the century hotel (or is it Hotel Adirondack) where we sipped a cool beverage. We poked our heads inside and a young woman said feel free to wander around and so we did. All the doors were open to the rooms upstairs that were not occupied. Many were decorated with victorian furniture with handmade quilts on the beds, very pretty. This picture is from 1930.

We sat there and watched one of those little sightseeing planes take off on the lake, pretty cool. I was too chicken to go up (what with the storms in the area and all), actually I was just too chicken.

It was very idyllic so it was a little hard to get up and leave but we did.

We met up with this guy first however. Walt said it is a snapping turtle and he didn't look any friendlier than the alligators that we saw in Florida so we steered clear of it.

We drove on to Inlet, NY which is beyond Blue Mountain Lake and Raquette Lake, both beautiful lakes. We stopped in at the Kirsty's Red Dog Tavern and had dinner. We have been there before and it measured up to be just as good this time around. It's off the beaten track a little so if you every in the area ask for directions.

We then headed on to home arriving there around 10 p.m. after many miles on back roads. We almost ran out of gas because almost all gas stations in the rural parts of NY are closed by 9 p.m. but we drove until we found one, phew. It was a great day! In fact we have decided to head back to the area in July and spend a couple nights so we can explore some more. We even made reservations here which is so unlike us, but we decided to go for it!

Trinity Rose is here . . .

Our 5th grandchild is here and we are so happy. Had to add a picture, all went very well for Megan, not saying it was easy because after all labor is just that, labor but it was not too long for her. She was born at six p.m. and home by 10 p.m. God is so good.

getting very excited . . .

Our daughter Megan Joy is having her third baby next Tuesday, June 17th. Megan goes to midwives and has her babies at a birthing center. You ask how is that different? She doesn't have any drugs administered and the baby is delivered on a regular bed in a room that is furnished as a bedroom. The only problem is that Tessa Hope her second came very quickly, in a matter of minutes, and her first Joy Courtney came quicker than expected. There is some concern that she will not make it to the center to have the assistance of the midwife. So on Tuesday they will naturally induce labor and Trinity Rose will be here. So we are all very excited and praying for Megan, and Trinity's safe entrance into this world. Please pray for Megan and Jeff, her husband, thank you.

phew, home again, home again . . .

My husband and I spent friday and saturday driving all over the place to 10 quilt shops! It was a shop hop and it was fun for a lot of reasons. I know you are probably thinking, how could this man go to all those shops? He must be a saint, (he is). He was my driver and at each shop he was able to take some time to grab a cup of coffee or a bottle of water, and sit and read while I browsed.

We played a game as we went, each shop choosing a movie and giving us trivia questions to go along with that theme. In Woodstock the employees were all dressed as Nuns, and it was a bit startling as you turned a corner and there was a woman or a man dressed as a nun. Can you guess the movie?

At the Quiltbug in Esperance the Movie was It's a Wonderful Life, one of my dear husband's favorites. As we had a cup of coffee and chatted it was playing in the background, much to our surprise in Chinese!

The shop in Lee, MA chose the movie Mash. They had an medical tent set up outside their shop. We probably clocked over 300 miles on our car and I know you must think we are crazy with the price of gas but we got to see some beautiful areas of NY and Massachusetts as our GPS took us down back roads. Chatham, NY is gorgeous with rolling hills and the Berkshire Mountains and the town of Red Hook has not one but two coffee shops. While in Massachusetts we stopped to have lunch here and even sat in a rocking chair on their massive porch for a few moments until we continued on.

The last shop Adirondack Quilts is housed in Glens Falls, NY in a building that once housed a shirt making factory. There are 3 floors in that old building with lots of art galleries for so many different mediums. Each shop was different, had a character of its' own and it was amazing to see a variety of fabrics as we went with very little repetition. Some I may never get back to but many of them I know I will keep in mind if I am ever in their neck of the woods, if just to see some of the lovely employees and shop owners that we chatted with along the way!

So now I will have lots of projects ahead, I may need to pick up some things but I think I should put a freeze on my spending for awhile.

back to sewing . . .

With lots of other things to do yesterday I went up in my sewing room last night and kept at it until I finished a quilt which I plan to give to my new granddaughter who is due at the end of June. The colors are bright and the back is soft, I used flannel so I think it should be useful. It was not the best job of having the corners of the squares meet but everytime I make another quilt I feel like I learn more.

Found out recently that my youngest son's girlfriend is pregnant. When they find out what they will be having I will be sewing for him/her I am sure, can't wait!

I still need to finish my quilt top from my attempt at Crazy Mom Quilts quilt along. Don't know if I will ever finish it at as a quilt, just would like to get the quilt top finished.

I am anxious to start sewing some purses, totes, supermarket bags, whatever I can attempt in that category. I can't fall asleep some nights thinking of all the things I'd like to try.

Sorry about the bad picture, shadows, etc.

wonderful two weeks . . .

First I got to babysit for my grandson Jason out in Massachusetts for 4 days. He and I had a lot of fun getting to know each other better. He is such a happy baby and now 1 years old. The weather was beautiful so we went outside quite a bit and he really enjoyed his new wagon which his Mom found at a garage sale.

While at was at my son's I snapped a picture of his 1955 truck, I just love it. This is my DH, daughter and son-in-law enjoying the beautiful day we had for my grandson's birthday.

a very special day . . .

Then I was home for two days and off on the road again for my son-in-law's college graduation in Maryland, very proud of him, it is hard to finish college while working full-time and being a great husband and dad. My daughter and he are expecting baby #3 at the end of June. What a great time for our family, so happy for them.

Hmm, now I need to get back to sewing or is it gardening I should be doing, maybe both, weed pulling is like therapy to me anyway, hehe. Do you notice how housecleaning never seems to make the list, oh well.

finally . . .

Here is my quilt top from quilting 101 that I have been attending on Monday mornings for six weeks. I actually went for 5 weeks and doubled up last week because I am going out of town this afternoon. Anyway, it was definitely a learning experience and through the mistakes I made I will be better equipped for my next project. Later we will have a finishing class to add batting, the back, quilting and lastly binding but at least the top is done. It will be a wall hanging and possibly hang in our lake house. I also added a picture of the teacher's sample that we followed, she used batiks, so pretty. I will miss the women from the class, it was fun to encourage and help each other, but I have a feeling many of us will be back for other classes.

If you click you can see the fabrics better, but please excuse the yucky walls in the background. Our bedroom is almost empty because I stripped the wallpaper that we put up 25 years ago now. Now my 25 year old son will soon be painting it if I can ever choose a color. DH is holding the top for me, right in the middle of packing for a conference in Houston.

And the teacher's quilt . . .

With all the ott lights on in the room this picture is somewhat washed out so you can't see the true colors and the quilting, bummer.

garage sale find

Our little town at the lake had a townwide garage sale today. I think there was less for sale because it was rainy and cool but I got a deal. All of this paper ribbon for $2. I am sure I will use most of it on gifts or cards.

Not a very good blogger

I really wanted to start a blog, but I also really wanted to paint my bedroom, and sew, and sew some more and then work on my garden, etc., etc., etc. My daughter said to me, "Mom, maybe you should cut something out". Of course she is correct but I just don't know what because I love some of those things so much. Getting called back into work has really thrown me for a loop because that has cut into my time quite a bit! Hmmm. That's the other factor, my daughter and her beautiful baby girl Annabelle. Courtney, Annabelle and I have started taking a long walk together once a week, don't want to cut that out either, it is too special. Last week we were walking and it was junk up week around here, everyone cleans out their garages and basements and puts it all at the edge of the road and then the town comes by to pick it up. While we were walking a found a wonderful basket, it will be perfect to collect vegetables this summer.

I am also not a very good blogger because Valerie tagged me and I failed miserably, really don't know who else to tag because I am so new at this, don't know many bloggers, just read a lot of them.

Valerie my six word meme is "Love makes my world go round." So sorry it took me so long to post that. That should have been easy, the love of my Lord Jesus Christ and that of my husband and my family is what makes my world what it is, pretty terrific.

My son Jason and my daughter-in-law Holly took my grandson Jason to his first baseball game, looks like he enjoyed his nap on Daddy.

Last night I made a little shirt for him. I love the fabric with the little turtles or honu as they are called in Hawaii, so cute. I think the fabric is from Timeless Treasures.I am going to his house for a week to babysit starting on Sunday and then at the end of the week our family will gather to celebrate his first birthday. This will be special for me because I don't get to spend much time with him. Hope he gets to know me well and isn't shy of me. I plan to take lots of walks with him in the stroller, hope the weather is good. The other reason I am sewing like crazy is because my husband bought me a very special birthday gift. This will be the last sewing machine I ever get, I will never need another. The only thing this doesn't do is cook dinner for us. I think I am going to attempt some knits or terry cloths, some things that I have always avoided.

I have been sewing up a storm with it, mostly kids clothes, they are so fast it is instant gratification.

For Tessa, and for Joy, little dresses.

more sewing for kids

Spring means cute little outfits for babies. I find it hard to sew now because I want to be outside. With the windows open and the breeze blowing the curtains it was fine to be inside. This is a gift for a friend, my favorite part is the pockets, love the tie through them. Always love making the bloomers because they always look so cute on babies. This picture looks dark but if you click on it you can see it better.

I have more projects ahead, I decided to cut them out all at once over the weekend, which is my least favorite part, but the fun part, the sewing is ahead.

I have quilting class this morning, can't wait! I always feel a little dumb in class, seem to make mistakes, but I keep my seam ripper handy.

Life Can Be Sooo Busy

I am retired but was asked to substitute at work this week. It was funny being back after a year off. I was dreading it, sure that I would not be able to remember things and that they had changed procedures since I left. However, as soon as my fingers hit the keyboard the dust bunnies in my brain shook loose and I was okay. Sure I had to ask some questions, but not too many, what a relief.

Of course I had just started taking wallpaper down in my bedroom after it was up there for about 25 years so I was determined to finish that task. Scraping my way through it at 6:30 in the morning wasn't fun, but it is off! Now to choose a paint color.

It seems like most of the blogs I visit are showing spring flowers these days, even summer flowers, it is killing me because where I live we get a taste of Spring and then just like that I am back to sitting under the afghan on the couch trying to keep warm and it's April!!! Okay, I have lived here for 25 years so I should be used to this by now but oh well. So here is a picture of a poor little daffodil in my garden trying to grow but shivering in the cold rain. I'm still waiting for a dry day to start cleaning up the garden.

So with the chilly weather comes bootie crocheting, boy are these fun and fast and so cute on my granddaughter. My daughter put them on over those little stay on socks and the booties stay put that way. I know at least five young women who are pregnant right now so the booties make great gifts along with those wonderful burp cloths.

I have also been busy sewing, my favorite thing to do. I finally got around to making this dress, from the directions here. I picked up the shirt at the Salvation Army for $3 and I can't wait to see it on one of my granddaughters, hope it fits.

The back, made from the front of the men's shirt.

And the front, my husband said what kind a man would wear a shirt like that?? He, he, such a man comment!

I knew I'd find a use for all those yo yos that I made years ago, they look so sweet on kids clothes.

I'm a lucky girl

Recently my daughter-in-law Holly told me about Freecycle. If you are not familiar with it, it consists of a bulletin board where people offer things for free. If you sign up you can also have the daily postings sent to your e-mail. That's what I do, looking to see what people are giving away. Then I notice recently that it's okay to post Wanted requests. So I posted Wanted:Quilting Fabrics and I had two responses. One woman had a box of scraps for me and the other had a bag of fabric. Some of the fabric isn't usuable by me, but most of it is fun! I'll have to post a picture!

The other reason that I am lucky(blessed actually) is that I started a quilting class yesterday, my first one. It is a beginner class and I thought that was a good place to start. I am taking it at The Joyful Quilter in Glenville. The teacher is super, she is so laid back and patient. I have been sewing since I was a child so I thought it would be a snap, but I made two fixable mistakes yesterday, guess I am not such a smarty pants after all. Well now I need to finish my homework and I am looking forward to next week. That's my biggest problem, no patience, can't wait to get onto the next part. We are making a quilt sampler, a wall hanging, a great way to learn I think.

Last night I cleaned up my sewing room, wish I had taken a before picture so you can see just how bad it was!!! I told myself, no sewing til you clean up your room!! Now I will actually be able to find things. Still I am impatient to try everything, I think it may be reading all the wonderful blogs out there, there are so many wonderful tutorials. And now Sew Mama Sew is going to have a contest and there will be more, can't wait.

My friend is retiring from her job so I had to sew her something, well not really but any excuse to sew is a good one. So I made her this bag and an eyeglass case and well why not add a change purse. This was really fun, I hope to make more of these bags, they are just so perky. The directions are from the Happy Hour Quilt booklet. It took such a small amount of fabric to produce all three.

Phew, back to sewing this morning. Doctor's appointments and other things I had to do last week kind of filled up the week. I always feel like something is missing when I don't get to sew. Today I have been sewing some burp cloths thanks to Barbara and her great idea to use pre-fold diapers. I have left the trim off and just used some decorative stitching along the edge. They are fun to make because you have a pile befor you know it. My daughter's friends are all having boys thus my choices of fabric but I have made them before in pinks and added the trim. I think next I will make some of those for my daughter who will be having a baby girl in June.

Here is Annabelle modeling her bonnet, isn't she beautiful? We think so!

I was away on a trip to Florida but now I am home and back to sewing. Just finished this bonnet for my granddaughter Annabelle, maybe for Easter if I can get it to her in time. I'm an old fashioned girl, just love the pleats and ruffles.

Yikes, that's a lotta stuff

Lately I have been trying to get rid of so much that has accumulated around our house, unless it is fabric of course. Anyway, I found this on the NY Times Site, yikes! Now these kids do have too much stuff! Of course if you read the article it is about color not things, but I am still amazed.

Dish Towel Totes

Been having fun playing around with dish towels, kitchen towels, tea towels, whatever they are called. I bought them at Target, and added some fun lining fabrics, some interfacing. They are very easy to sew but I feel good when I have something finished in one day.

Here is a quilt I made for my son for his birthday. It is made from old jeans and flannel, it is really soft and will be warm I think.

Great Music

For some amazing music, This young man makes my day. He is an adopted nephew to our family, and we are lucky to have him that's for sure.