Monday

Working today. I am sewing a whole bunch of bags, I put the fabric from the upholstery samples together, add pockets if I find a suitable scrap, and pile them up. Then, when I think I have enough piled up, I'll pick the straps, add them, and then choose the lining. I'll finish them mostly with zippers, since I prefer a zippered bag, and by now it's easy to install the zipper. One of these days I'll open an Etsy store and start selling them. Up until now it's been only for friends.

Saturday I went cherry picking with my middle child, her munchkin, and her mother-in-law. We went just over the border into NY State. On the way there we ended up in a downpour, which we ignored, pushed on, and when we got there, it was still raining a bit. But it stopped, and we ended up with plenty of cherries. I made jam immediately after getting home from cherry picking. The munchkin is getting to be very verbal, he repeats everything you say to him! I just want to cuddle him, and hug him... but two-year olds are off and running and not so much interested in being cuddled.

Oh, and I have a demented squirrel tearing holes into my kitchen window screen! I was wondering where that hole in the screen came from - and the window is not that easily accessible - when I saw a squirrel pop up! By that time I had already closed the window, not knowing what critter was making the hole....
I have to get the tree trimming tool back, that my friend borrowed, and trim all the trees close to the house. Another friend wanted to know what I kept in the kitchen... well, it's my kitchen, I keep whatever kitchen stuff in it!

Windham photos

The photo on the left will take you to the pictures from last weekend in Windham, NY. As you can see, it's a wonderful place, grass, flowers, woods, barn, horses, and a tyke.

Web give-away

There is a cute give away at this address:

http://vintagebellastudio.blogspot.com

I love old handmade tablecloths! I collect them at garage sales, especially when they are only a dollar or so, since I feel the item is not loved - from the mother-in-law perhaps? ;-)
Folks don't like to iron them. I have the most gorgeous tablecloths just from garage sales. And I keep finding them. My most elaborate one was free even! A woman in Germany made it, it took her two years, at the end of which she decided it didn't match her decor anymore. So she gave it to my cousin to give to me after she heard of my collection. I was speechless.
So go register for the drawing, maybe you'll start your new collection.

Upstate

Upstate is where we were this weekend. Upstate NY, that is. For anyone not from the tri-state area (NJ, NY, CT), I imagine 'upstate' is a term you can't do much with. Upstate in my case was Windham, in the northern part of the Catskills. Gorgeous, beautiful area. Amazing, scenic, wonderful, reminds me of home, green, forests, mountains, and gossip in the small towns. We were only there from Friday night until Sunday, and yes, found out all the gossip about all the people we know there.

I had a great time with Jackson, my two-year old grandson. We visited the two horses, which are boarded in the barn close by, and Bobby, the bloodhound/beagle mix, came along with us. It seemed that it was only fun for Jackson with Bobby, his story later was 'Bobby bark horses!' And he kept calling her over to look at the horses. Bobby drank water from the puddle, which was another amazing thing to him, he announced: 'Bobby drink puddle!' One forgets how cute two-year-olds can be, and is then quickly reminded, on how whiny and unreasonable they can be too!

On the way back we stopped here:
http://www.lawrencefarmsorchards.com/
and picked strawberries. What a beautiful spot! I picked 5 lbs. of strawberries, came home, and looked for the supplies to make jam. Not that easy... seems like not many folks make their own jam or jelly anymore. And it's so easy! And good!
Anyway, it took me no time at all to make 8 jars of strawberry jam.
And still I haven't taken the time to load pictures of the bags I make, talked about the quilt I really, really do want to make....
I will!

unending rain

The weather was not going to be one of my topics. But with rain 14 out of 17 days, it sort of pushes it's way to the foreground. Especially, when it's raining into the building where you work. Buckets everywhere, and plastic covered piles, since we don't want anything ruined, make for a difficult work environment. Pretty soon we'll declare the pool open.
I was looking forward to garage sales, but it looks as if it's going to rain all day Saturday. Hmm. better get started on some of those projects I've been putting off!

Maryland

We spent the weekend in Maryland. About 10 miles east of the Beltway. You'd never know you are this close to the capitol of the US. Rolling hills, farms, lots of barns, some tobacco barns, some just barns, silos, large lots, just so nice.
We were there for Noah's first birthday. And he got celebrated with the whole family present, on both sides. His dad's sisters were there with me, one of the uncles, three of his cousins, a cousin of his mom's with her husband, an uncle and aunt of his mom's, the parents of his mom, and little old mom of the dad -me.

His dad's friend from his boyhood days was there with his wife, plus one of the guys he works with with his wife.
A beautiful cake made by his mother, so much love for the little guy.


The neighbor across the street was there as well, and I spent the entire time she was present talking to her. Very interesting, we talked about sewing and quilting. She gave me the push to start a quilt sometime soon! Just start, she said.


We went to the playground by the church across the street, next to the cemetery, after we walked - Greg and I, taking Jackson in the stroller along with us. We stopped back by the house and picked up Jessica and Nibby, the German Shepard. That's how we ended up at the cometary, having the kids along. Greg asked a volunteer for permission to use the playground, which ended with us introducing ourselves all around and chatting with her first.


I fell in love all over again with the southern magnolia - blooms as big as dinner plates, just lovely. And the scent!
We took one to bring back to the house and used it as a centerpiece.
The weekend was over much too fast....

Dentist

Yesterday was dentist day for my two oldest grandchildren. I don't know what happened with Jessica, I do know what happened with Matthew. Almost seven, he was called in first. And even though the TV was turned up way high in the waiting room, pretty soon we could hear him crying. And then he came out, still crying hard. His mother handed him over to me, and took Jessica in. Matthew wanted to bolt out of the door, I wouldn't let him. He just wouldn't calm down, nothing was even done on him! I finally just took him home, and just handed him over to his Dad.
I'll have to find out what happened with Jessica.
I met a friend for the movies, we saw 'Night at the Museum'. Entertaining. I think I'll take M&J with me next Tuesday and see it again. Then I want to see the 'Hangover' - the lines for this movie were unbelievable! Must be really entertaining/funny!

It rained yesterday, and Linda at work and I worked at getting things off shelves that were getting wet, drying them off, and redistributing them before moving on to our normal work.
I hung out my laundry, hoping that the weather would turn nice, like predicted, and not stay damp and drizzly.
I came home last night, after a rainfilled day, to find the robins nest, which was up high under the deck on the ground. I think - really hope - that the baby robbins were big enough and the nest is no longer needed.

Sunny Sunday

Yesterday was Jackson's birthday. We had a wonderful time, the evening ending with a fire in the impromptu fire pit, and roasting marshmallows.
Saturday Morning was wonderful with a fun-filled garage sale hunt. A girlfriend and I started at 7:30 AM, and found a huge garage sale open for business right off the bat. I found material, a beautiful twin size quilt, some glass carafes, more material, a ramekin matching my V&B Naif dishes, four blue/white plates - and tons of more things. We felt like junk dealers by the time we were done~!

I was cold

I was cold this evening, it rained all day, and just sitting there I was chilly. Too late in the year to turn on the heat, so I went for my walk. I had skipped it this morning, see rain. I just got back, and I'm chilly no more! I was gone for 40 minutes, with some little hills in the way... and a deer in the bushes right next to me, which scared me, I guess the deer felt the same about me, it took a giant leap - then stood a bit in the shadow seeing what I would do. No, I did not strangle it with my bare hands and ....
Yesterday I picked Jessica up from daycare, and we stopped by her house before I took her to gymnastics. On the way, through a very fancy neighborhood (and this is in what is called 'the greater metropolitan neighborhood' of 17 million people), we saw a fox. Really. Just walking on the side of the street. If I hadn't been driving, I would have rubbed my eyes! I pointed it out to Jessica, and she confirmed, yes, it was a fox! She decided it might be a 'baby fox', I agree with her, it did look young, but, he turned the corner and was gone.
And one of these days, really, I will show off what I make! Not for work, the bags I make for fun, my friends, as gifts...

Rain

This morning I walked mostly, at 5:30 AM. Yes, I was the only one walking, see rain. Only one lonely biker, who then moved off to the road, and left the walkway for me only. The heron and the swans were out and about. It mostly just drizzled, which didn't bother me. Despite my early exercise I didn't leave the house any earlier for work. Plus I got stuck behind a school bus.
Not really a problem, gave me time to think more about my day.

We finished a boat cover today, not so much sewing, it needed to be made water-tight, which we did with silicone, since sewing more would have put more small holes in the cover where the needle punctures the fabric. Hopefully this will do it for George, who is off on a 5-year adventure with his sailboat and his 'admiral'.

I am still trying to figure out if the robin, which is nesting under my deck, is still there. It's so dark in that corner, it's hard to see. And if they are still there, I don't want to disturb them. Yesterday one of the birds 'yelled' at me and dive bombed in the yard, as if he really wanted to attack. I'll keep you posted!

See what I found on a blog - it's so cool. I picked all the States I have visited since I've been here - far too many years to list.
I love seeing it on a map, but then it also points out to how many places I haven't been yet....


visited 26 states (52%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Like this? try: Archean

This is one of the treasures I found Saturday at the garage sales. The pillow with the cathedral window quilt pattern, matching to my bed quilt - which was a fabulous gift from a friend.
The 'Guten Morgen' pillow was a gift from a cousin. I love going to bed with all these wonderful things! I found the terrine the same day at the same house, and think it's just fabulous. There is something just great about garage sales, so much anticipation, one never knows which treasures one finds.

Birthday

Today is Jessica's birthday. She is five years old now! Amazing. I remember her birthday, I was taking care of her 20-months old brother, while her Mom and Dad went to the hospital. The phone call was 'everything is fine, she is healthy, gorgeous, and her name is Jessica'.
The next phone call was that she was in trouble and needed to go to the NICU. Well, she had cried so hard at birth, that she had a hole in her lung, that needed to heal before she could go home.
Well, everything turned out all right, Jessica is fine, but there were a few tension filled moments.

Since then I - all of us, really - got plenty of practice with NICU's, babies in trouble, premature babies, lung issues, etc. But everyone is fine so far.... we are so lucky or blessed.

This is really supposed to be about my crafting - sewing, making things, etc. So far I have managed to not show or talk about anything I made. I'll get there!