Driving Age

So, I pulled these four-patch posies out of the stash closet the other day, they'd aged well. These are all fussy cut and reassembled from the same large scale print. Turning to the laptop and EQ8 I was able to draw up a setting for them that, hopefully will show off each block's individual beauty. It's about time. I seriously couldn't remember how long they'd been languishing until I searched old blog posts and found this.  Imagine that, if UFO's could drive, this one would already have its own license! Stay tuned for a finish.

Life is Good!

From Here To There And Back Again

We've taken another road trip, albeit a quick one. Augie continues to excel as a traveler, we never could have asked for a better car companion. Since last Sunday was both Father's Day and my mother's 90th birthday we drove up to New Hampshire to celebrate the joyous, double event with my parents. It was a beautiful day.  Mom and Dad live in what is known as the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, as we drove north and got closer to their home last Sunday we experienced the mass exodus of motorcycles headed south on the highways and by-ways, having only just concluded the 100th anniversary of Laconia "Bike Week" that day. (another reason that we chose not to arrive any earlier, the traffic is crazy during this event!).  Time spent with Mom and Dad this past week was laid back and easy, they've established a new normal routine since my mother has returned from her rehab stay. Physical therapists and/or Occupational therapists come in to their home daily to work with her and assist her in growing stronger and more independent again. We helped out as we could with repairs, yardwork and household chores.

As you can see, above, Augie did his part too: offering pet therapy in the form of "lap time", as often as needed! We did take advantage of the location to eat some fried clams while we were there and made a trip (or two 😉) to the local ice cream stand for a cone. Ah, summer evenings in New England.

Augie celebrated "National Dachshund Day" on Wednesday, the Summer Solstice, (the longest day for the longest dog)! 

I didn't take many pictures this trip (other than of the pup) but was happy to receive this one yesterday, as we were in the car again, traveling back home. Mom goes every Friday to the beauty shop to have her hair done and, following that, she and Dad have lunch at the diner next door; it's their weekly custom. Yesterday, when they entered the restaurant they were greeted with all this at "their" table: a party tablecloth, balloons, gifts and even a birthday hat! Isn't that just the sweetest gesture? My parents are dearly loved. 💗

Back home again, someone has dragged out all of his toys and settled right back in. I've tackled the laundry mountain, watered the plants and baked a loaf of bread already. 

It's good to be home again; there's no place like it, Dorothy was right!

Life is Good! 

The Best Diversions

We've had some diversions from our normal routines this week, the best kind, an overnight visit from these two. Since they're currently being home schooled we were able to take an active part in that and even added some enrichment activities as well! 

At break time we played a rip-roaring game of Sequence and took a field trip to a local park for some exercise, fresh air and sunshine; the weather has been absolutely wonderful this week, cooler temps with lower humidity. Sometimes a brief redirection from the customary is just what the soul needs; I feel confident saying that we all had a good time during their visit!

In other news; our little buddy, Hannes, turned 18 last month! He's grown more feeble lately and his little back legs have been slipping on our hardwood floors as he navigates. It's so sad; and scary. We ordered these "grippy" socks and they really seem to help! As you can see, they work for him to safely walk around, and turn, with no sliding or slipping whatsoever. He leaves them on just fine, and doesn't seem to mind one bit.  Honestly, I think he's grateful. We cherish every day that we have with him. 

The Potato Chip quilt has made its way to the design wall, it will need another row and finish up at 64" X 80" when it's all together. I've been shifting and rotating blocks daily as I size it up. This is a fun and fast project!

The Kousa Dogwood is beginning to put on a show with it's fall "fruit". 

The colors are simply stunning as they ripen. 

Life is Good!

 

Inspiration

Inspiration can come from many different sources and directions, we simply need to keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to receive. I signed up for yet another Chrismon workshop last month. This one, a three-dimensional angel, can stand alone (literally) or join other figures in a nativity set. This was a much more advanced class than those I'd taken previously but I went for it anyway, thinking "how hard can it be, there's an instructor on site if I get stuck." A friend and I set out on the scheduled day and drove on down the road to Rufty's. There were numerous classes being taught that day, the classes coincided with an ongoing multiple-day Open House event.  As we worked, stories were told around the table and we learned about each other through the common interest: how long we'd been making Chrismons, where we were from, and the like; there were two ladies in our class from out of state, they'd come especially for the Open House festivities. One lady told us that she'd only begun Chrismon making the year before, that she'd already made 150 and that she was self-taught from watching YouTube videos. Well, as if that wasn't inspiring in itself -- she was 91 years old! Yes; let that sink in for a minute! Wow. She traveled from Georgia, with her daughter,  just for the class (she was taking another class the next day too) and staying in a local hotel. She had photographs of the fully adorned Chrismon tree that she'd made for her church and was starting on more for a second tree. 91! Committed to learning a new skill during a pandemic while she was house-bound. Self-taught from YouTube videos. 150 Chrismons in a year.  Yes, I came away inspired and awe-struck at her commitment and determination. As a Chrismon-making newbie I thought that my fourteen were an accomplishment, think again! Thinking gets me in trouble all the time. Remember that earlier thought that I had "how hard can it be?"... well, as I was diligently working, finishing up my beaded angel (above), an over-stressed and weakened wire snapped; her head fell off on my palm, she’d suddenly become decapitated! I was completely distraught (thankfully, being in public prevented a total freak-out moment)! But, our fearless instructor calmly took my piece in hand, reassured me, backed out some of the beads, spliced in a new connecting wire and deftly reconnected her head. My blood pressure s-l-o-w-l-y dropped back to normal. And there it was, even more inspiration, this time in the quiet hope and kind consolation given by a stranger; loving assurance freely given to someone working well above their skill level. Grace. I'll remember this day for a very long time; I have a precious, repaired, angel to remind me of lessons learned way beyond those involving beads and wire. Praise God!

 What's inspired you lately? 

Life is Good!

A Tale: The Old Lady and The Leggings

"He She was an old man woman who fished shopped alone..."  

with apologies to Ernest Hemingway.

I have a birthday coming up. But, before that could happen, I had to catch up on a certain birthday that occurred at the end of July, our daughter's; I had promised her a mother-daughter birthday lunch. I made good on that promise last week, we had a delicious lunch together in the Capital City. While we ate she told me that she wanted to take me to her friend's house who sells Lularoe clothing. Lula who? Lularoe. It's big right now, I had heard about it from friends and family. Our daughter has been wearing the cutest skirts and Lucy Ann has shown me some precious dresses from Lularoe. The fabric is oh-so soft. I was excited about going to look at the clothes, any line that advertises "when fashion meets comfort" has my full attention; plus, I hadn't been shopping with Marcia for a very long time, it would be fun!  "I want you to try on a pair of leggings" she told me, that's when I almost dropped my fork. "Absolutely not", I responded. I tried to explain my reluctance abject refusal through logical reasoning: "leggings are not pants, they are not meant to be worn on legs over ~ahem~ a certain age (6?), they are too revealing".  She wouldn't listen, she shook her head and smiled,  "I want you to try a pair on" she said, while smiling. "I would like to get you an outfit for your birthday".  "I'll go" I thought, "I'll try them on" I smiled to myself, "but, no, I definitely won't come home with a pair; not me". Marcia's friend has devoted her living room to Lularoe. She had racks upon racks of tops, skirts, dresses and... oh, yes, the ubiquitous leggings. I chose a really cute top to pair with a straight, black skirt that I had at home. In fact, I bought it and wore it to church yesterday (top photo), I just loved the fabric and the cut the instant I tried it on. It's extremely comfortable and versatile, it will look nice with slacks or jeans too. I also bought a pretty knit skirt with a flared hem that I can wear anytime, it can easily be dressed up or down. Marcia and her Lularoe friend were very convincing about the leggings: "you need to try a black pair first", the friend was putting them into my hand as she explained, "everyone needs a 'starter' pair, see what you think". I chose a plain tunic-style swing top to try on over the leggings, it seemed long enough to satisfy my need to cover*. I knew that the chatter wouldn't end until I took a deep breath and got it over with. I retreated to a bedroom with a full-length mirror to scrutinize the appearance of my aging body in the non-pants. I wasn't hopeful. First of all these tights-without-feet are "one size fits all"; we all know what that means.  I wiggled myself into them and tugged them up. They stayed where I put them. Hmmm. The weight of the knit was substantial enough to not be see-through. Hmmm. And, truth be told, as much as I hated to admit it: the super-soft knit was strong enough to actually be somewhat flattering; they didn't look that bad! Hmmm. The top that I tried on wasn't right though. I went back to the living-room-turned-Lularoe-marketplace to choose some different tops. There were cheers from my daughter and her friend when I entered; "don't you love the leggings?" my daughter asked? She could already tell that I did. I tried on a few more tops and settled on this combination, I honestly did not want to take the leggings off. My now ecstatic daughter told me that she and her family wanted to give me this outfit for my birthday. I felt happy and confident with the choice and agreed.  "I'm not sure I will wear them out of the house though", I told her with a wink. Change is hard for me. I learned a lot last week though this experience; to not be afraid to open myself up to something new and different, to accept the opinions of others as valuable resources that can balance my own and to simply trust more.

She was right; I am now a dyed-in-the-wool cotton-knit-convert. Who knew? 

I have to admit this old dog lady can still learn a trick or two, as long as I keep my mind open. I did assure my daughter though, that these solid black 'starter' leggings are as far as I am willing to step outside my comfort zone. I won't be asking her to pick me up a pair of bright orange hibiscus print anytime soon! I have to draw the line somewhere, right? So, what do you think? Should I leave the house? 

Life is Good!

*For the record: I am no stranger to 'tops' of this length, when I was in high school this would have been considered a dress! That was then. This is now.

LOVE

My Mom and Dad went on a little get-away in Maine last week. A town square see-saw there provided this too-tough-to-ignore temptation. I understand that Mom was the instigator for this quick trip back to the joyful playground days of their childhood.  There simply aren't enough heart emojis or love buttons to fully communicate how much I adore this photo. I dare you not to smile along with me.

Life is Good!

Mirror Image

I saw my grandmother this morning, There she was... in the mirror! I got ready for the day and slipped into a cardigan sweater... my favorite white, lightweight, cable knit; I gazed back at my own reflection, that's when I saw her. Among my most vivid memories of her was the fact she always wore a white, cable knit cardigan, regardless of the season. She carried it with her through the dog days of August, just in case there would be air-conditioning wherever she was going, she didn't like cold air blowing on her. I remember shaking my head and seriously wondering about her ability to adapt. Years later I recall playing musical chairs in restaurants with my mother-in-law for precisely the same reason; and, having a similar reaction. I'm not exactly sure when I became them, but, I have. I heard myself telling my husband this summer that if I lived alone I probably wouldn't use air conditioning, but would prefer to open the windows all summer long and acclimate myself to the outside temperature. I actually said that... out loud; and could scarcely believe it myself. Yes, I saw my grandmother this morning in the mirror, she was wearing my white, cable knit, cardigan... she'd even left a crumpled up tissue for me in the pocket. I smiled.

Life is Good!

What Was That Beep?

I was sewing on Tuesday afternoon when my husband stuck his head in the door to my sewing room and asked "did you hear that?" "What?", I asked. "That beep, what was that beep?" Then I heard it, it was a cross between a beep and a squeak. It went off every so often; but we could NOT locate it. Gregory was here, napping at the time, I pressed my ear up against the door to the bedroom where he was sleeping to make sure that it wasn't coming from inside, it wasn't. We checked smoke detectors, we listened intently from every corner of our house. Another beep would having us off and running/searching all over again. Finally, peacefully, it stopped altogether. Later on, I loaded Gregory into his carseat to take him back home. I picked up my cell phone, from my purse, to let my daughter-in-law know that we were on the way; but I couldn't call her, my phone was dead. I didn't make the connection between the dead phone and the mysterious beep-squeak right away, it was a gradual dawning process... "Ohhhhh, yeah." I plugged in my phone when I returned back home. Now I know what a dying phone battery's warning signal sounds like, let's hope I remember!

( I know my children are shaking their heads at this disclosure;

take heart, dear ones, your future is closer than you think!) 

Life is Good!

What Was I Thinking?

The closet that keeps on giving has released a few (hundred) relics! I am loading boxes with donations that are heading in different directions: Goodwill, our church's Quilt Ministry, our local Quilt Guild and, last but not least, the trash can! I found lots and lots of quilt-related clothing patterns, that are not being kept! I never made any vests from this pattern (my daughter can go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief now!) but how I remember the excitement attached to purchasing this and thinking that I might! Oh, yes, there's some age on this pattern as well as this blog's author, I am continually reminded.

On Sunday afternoon Mr. Goodneedle and I were out shopping when I saw a young woman run across the parking lot wearing shoes that look a lot like the one pictured below. I actually heard myself say, out loud, "she's going to twist her ankle in shoes like that"!  My husband and I laughed out loud as we both realized how old I suddenly sounded. That's OK. One day that woman will clean out her closet and have a moment of reckoning when she sees those shoes, she'll feel exactly the same way I did last week when I ran across this pattern... I can almost hear her thinking out loud: "what was I thinking?"!

Life is Good!

Better With Age!

Remember those linen towels I posted about before Christmas? They are the very best thing for spotless crystal! They're one of those things (like fine wine and my husband) that only get better with age. The more they're washed and dried the softer and more absorbent these towels get, ensuring better performance each and every time. I found this linen for sale by the yard at Waechter's Fine Fabrics in Asheville, it is genuine Irish linen from Ulster. (Thanks Quiltkeemosabe for turning me on to this great find!) It takes 7/8 of a yard per towel; the edges are already hemmed, the ends are to be finished and there's allowance for that to make one fine-sized drying towel. That comment above referring to my husband and aging? Today's his birthday! The glasses are ready for toasting... Happy Birthday, honey, I love you!

Life is Good!

Huh?

I received a phone call on Saturday evening, as I was preparing dinner. It was from a member of the reunion committee, from our high school; her name was vaguely familiar... she was phoning to double check that we had received the "form" for submission to our 40th anniversary yearbook. Huh? She must have meant to call some old person. I'm sure she must have been embarrassed to make such a mistake. We had a very pleasant chat.

Life is Good!

What's Behind The Name?

You've known me for a few years by this name, no doubt you've assumed it wasn't my real name and came from my affection for sewing and all things quilt related, that's only part of the story... allow me to explain how the name came to be in the first place. Years ago I was having a telephone conversation with a friend; we were discussing books that we were currently reading. She mentioned that she and her husband were reading John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I didn't quite catch the name of the book and responded with the question: "Midnight in the Garden of Goodneedle"? We laughed and she repeated the name of the book, slower and more deliberately for my aging ears. I forgot about it until the next time I saw her husband; he teased me by calling me "Mrs. Goodneedle." It was funny, I wasn't offended by the name, and I sort of liked it. In fact, I liked it so much that I wrote down a true story, for children, back in 2005... before I began blogging, and entitled it "Mrs. Goodneedle and the Miracle Quilt." I've faced numerous rejections from publishers since then on my little book, but that's OK... it's my story and I will continue to tell it. The following year however, when this blog came to be, I began composing posts with this now familiar pen name; it makes me smile, for a litany of reasons, not the least of which being that it's become a daily reminder of the happiness that can occur from not taking myself, or aging, too seriously!

Life is Good!

Huh?

I'm catching my breath today, it's good to be home. After our excursion to the Midwest and back I raced to the Capital City and crammed in some Mason-time and then dashed off to Asheville yesterday for a fabulous quilt show at the incredibly beautiful North Carolina Arboretum. Whew! I took a gift basket of assorted goodies to our hosts in Illinois last week. Among the packages of gourmet cookies, crackers, spreads and dip mixes, I had also tucked in this cute little spreader. My sister-in-law opened up the basket when all of the family was gathered in their family room, including my mother-in-law. The following conversation ensued:

SIL: "Thank you for the spreader"
MIL: "What is that on the handle?"
Group: "CHEESES"
MIL: "What?"
Group: (a little louder this time) "CHEESES"
MIL: (looking perplexed, but nodding and replying softly) "Oh"

Later on she asked me, quietly, "where did you find a spreader with Jesus on the handle?" We're still laughing over that one, the spreader has officially been renamed.

Life is Good!

Chill Pills

Last month I had an eye exam, the regularly scheduled, annual, variety. Everything seemed fine... until the end of the exam when the Dr. asked me if I had noticed any changes. "Well, yes", I responded, "I have a lot of tear-ing, more than normal". He took another look and asked me how my eyes felt first thing in the morning. "Fine" I answered. He cocked his head and looked like he didn't believe me. "Really"? he queried.
"Yes"
"Hmmmm". He then explained that my eyes were really dry and the surface of both eyes showed significant abrasion because of that.
Then, get this... he asked about the "stage" of life I was in. Yeah, OK, whatever... as if it's not uncomfortable enough dealing with temperature fluctuations and mood swings now I am discussing "this" with my eye doctor? C'mon...
He went on to explain that the aging process can dry the eye and that the tears were a response but my constant tears weren't beneficial tears because there wasn't enough fat in them. ( I really liked hearing that I do produce something with little to no fat... it's those small victories that keep me going...) The advice was to start using drops daily, an opthalmic ointment at night (fun!... like looking through a Vaseline lens... ) and add Fish Oil to my diet in the form of capsules. My daughter in law suggested keeping them in the freezer to diminish the "pleasure" of enjoying them all day long. That works, too! And so, every morning and every evening I pop a "chill pill" for beneficial tears and try not to fret over drying up like a raisin. I go back next month for a progress check; but I can already tell an enormous difference, my eyes do feel soothed and much more comfortable. My skin is softer, too. After reading the label it appears to be good for everything. Fish Oil, it does a body good, try yours frozen!

Life is Good!

Every Age She's Ever Been

I'm sure you've seen this brain-teaser puzzle before. Is it a drawing of an old woman, eyes downcast, wearing a frown? Or wait, is it a young woman turning her head away, wearing a ribbon around her neck? Once your eyes have seen one it's difficult to focus on the other again. I dare say that's the way it is in real life. My mother in law is 86, she lives in her own home, with only her little dog for company. She's content, most of the time. We know she's lonely, but this is where she wants to be; and will be, until she can't stay there by herself anymore. We take her anywhere she needs to go outside of her immediate neighborhood, to church, to the mall, to the doctor's office, to the drug store; she's happy with this arrangement. I picked her up for our monthly circle meeting on Tuesday. She was ready when I got there, she was wearing her Christmas sweater. We talked about friends and family on the short drive to the meeting; sadly, friends and family who are no longer living, she had chosen the topic. I felt a sense of sadness seeping in by the time we arrived. I helped her up the steps and went back out to move the car, once she was settled. When I entered a second time she had taken a seat at a table that was already full; I sat down at the next table and couldn't help but notice, as time went on, what a great time the ladies at mother's table we having. All of similar age to mother, these women were not only smiling and giggling(!), but clapping their hands in delight! I was curious about the conversation at that table. I later learned that our female Pastor had asked who at the table had ever worn a crown, been in a beauty pageant or been on a homecoming court. The answer? Quite a few! I never knew that my own mother in law had been a beauty queen when she was sophomore in high school, or that we had a former Potato Queen and Basketball Queen in our midst. These ladies were transported back to happy, carefree days through these memories; back to times when they felt beautiful and hopeful and excited about life. It was a wonder to behold. Mom was happy all the way home, she asked if we could stop at the mall; we did, she was gleeful and chipper as we shopped, I noticed that she even had a slight spring to her step as we navigated between the stores! We talked about mailing packages and Christmas dinner on the drive back to her house, no more sad conversations about departed loved ones. I thanked our Pastor the next day for injecting such a great mood-brightener into our Circle meeting, I explained how it had worked wonders even hours later. She reminded me of this passage, from Ecclesiastes:

"I'M EVERY AGE I'VE EVER BEEN"
( I have put eternity in their hearts Eccl 3:11)

I hadn't thought about it that way, but yes... I am, too; every age I've ever been. I love that! Now, go back up and look at that picture puzzle again. Can you see it, every age she's ever been?

Life is Good!