It's A Workout!

So, when I began this blog sixteen years ago I never seemed to have any difficulty finding things to post about. I was regularly keeping up with the goings on in and around Chez Goodneedle on an almost daily basis. Now, it's a workout. I don't know why. There are certainly no less things happening, that's for sure! And so, for today, accept this much: my current progress on the Workout Quilt from the Wonderful Curves Sampler Book. This one is nothing but fun, I'm halfway there! Thanks to all who've inquired about my whereabouts; all is well, and I'm still right here where I left off, stitching away. 

I shall return...

Life is Good!

* Thanks to Unknown (see comment below) for the eagle-eye, 

that pesky offending HST has been righted!

Let's Celebrate!

Nine years and 1800 posts. Yep, you read that right; this is a milestone post for me. It actually began a little over nine years ago, June of 2006 to be exact. My son talked me into starting a blog, I really wasn't interested at the time; I didn't know what I would blog about. Ahem; I guess I figured that out! Over the years this place has become a forum for miscellany from me: commentaries, quilty content, book reviews, product recommendations, grandchildren show and tell, opinion pieces, faith stories, sewing projects, prayers, photo gallery, travelogue, time management tips, quilt shop reviews, household hints, and a place to brag about Hannes the wonder dog. I have sought advice here and asked for your opinions. If you've been a reader from the beginning, are an occasional visitor or even if you're brand new to The Strawberry Patch, I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Through the years I have considered, at several times, giving this up; but I haven't, I've gone on hiatus and returned, something has always drawn me back. I have some friends and family members who keep up with me through this venue, that's been enough to keep me fueled and running even when it's been on barely more than fumes. If you read my previous post, you know that I attended a memorial service for a freind last week. When I was greeting her husband at the reception afterwards he mentioned to me how Marianna read my blog faithfully, I was deeply touched.  One of the greatest side benefits of blogging has been meeting up with some blogger friends in real life... that has been both exciting and affirming, almost like spending time with a pen pal, there has been that instant recognition of previously shared time together (even though it was cyber in nature), omitting all of the awkward small talk and ice-breakers that normally accompany an initial get-together. In sincere appreciation for you being here and in celebration of this milestone I would like to host a little giveaway, it's a small, yet sincere, token of my thanks for your readership and your encouragement over the years. Just leave me a comment; I'd love to know why you've stopped by and for how long you've been coming back to this spot. I'll draw a winning name, at random, sometime next week. Thanks again, now... let's celebrate; 1800 and more to come!

Life is Good!

My Soup Pot Overfloweth...

Chicken Soup #2  ~  60" X 80"

If you've been following along with my "Chicken Soup" quilt making adventure you'll understand my delight in posting a photo of Chicken Soup #2 this morning, in all it's full-fledged flimsy glory! Chicken Soup #1 is completely quilted and is now awaiting binding. The really wonderful thing about using all of these low volume prints is that while the fabrics are fresh and modern, when combined one next to the other they produce an instatly soft, quiet, vintage look; how is that possible? I am in love with the resulting visual effect and overall feel (Click here for more low volume inspiration). And so, as a way to celebrate getting this far with two out of three quilts from the same batch of fabrics, and commemorate a recent blog post milestone of 1500 posts; I am happy to send you some soup! If you would like to receive a small helping just leave me a comment below and watch for my drawing at the end of this week. I'll select a random winner at the end of the day on Friday, 25 October. The weather's getting cooler and it's a perfect time for Chicken Soup; plus, I can use some companions on the low volume bandwagon! 

Here you go~ 165 die-cut tumbler shapes, the exact fabrics used in the quilt above.
The tumblers are 4" (finished length), there are enough here to piece a small quilt,
 approximately 44" square if set 15 across and 11 down, or anything else that you can think of. 
Good luck!
This giveaway has ended, thank you for your interest.

Watch this blog for another giveaway too, coming also at the end of this week,
it's a double book (2 winners!) giveaway sponsored by the Penguin publishing group.

Life is Good!

Oh, Happy Day!

"Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit
and marked with the cross of Christ forever".

Yesterday, St. Patrick's Day, was for the wearing of the green; that was not the exception here but it also marked a happy and momentous occasion for our family as it was the day of Holy Baptism for our granddaughter, Lynnleigh! She was wide awake and perfectly quiet as she received the Sacrament and was welcomed into the Lord's family. Here she is with her parents at the same font where her Daddy was baptized over three decades ago (as well as our daughter) and our other three grandchildren.

Lynnleigh with her proud grandparents;
Grandpa Bob (O'Pa) baptized her.

As is customary with all the newly baptized,
she received a quilt from our Quilt Ministry
so that she might experience being wrapped in God's love;
and also a candle lit from the flame of the Baptismal candle at the font.
"Let your light so shine before others that they may see
 your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Our daughter-in-law's gracious family hosted a lovely and lavish, celebratory, luncheon in their home after our worship service. It was a beautiful day in every way and a lovely time to visit and reflect on our many blessings with friends and family.

This pretty picture was snapped back at their home;
Lynnleigh is being held by her eight-year-old second cousin.

Life is Good!
...and happy and blessed too...

This post marks the 1,400th From The Strawberry Patch...
I never imagined when I began writing, almost seven years ago,
 that I'd have this much to say!  Thank you, most sincerely, for reading through the years; 
it certainly doesn't seem to me that I am running out of material or ideas, at least not yet!

Steam Vents

Steam Vents

Steam vents are scattered over this fault-bounded block that has partially slumped into

Kilauea Caldera.  Rainwater sinks through the ground and is heated by rocks which

carry heat from the liquid rock below.  Hot water then rises through fissures to condense in the chilled air. 

The grassy landscape nearby suggests that soil temperatures are too high for trees to survive easily.

At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park near Hilo, Hawaii

_________________

I have tons of photos and notes to share. The busier my days are and the farther away I get from our recent adventure the more difficult it becomes to post about it. I wanted to share this today though, a snapshot from our first port excursion. The "big island" of Hawaii is rugged and, by comparison to the other islands we visited, undeveloped. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park offered stunning views and "other world" natural landscapes!  This photo has been edited in Picmonkey; it has become my newest and latest obsession! It is free and fun; I will warn you, though, it can become a huge time eliminator!  Thanks for tolerating my wandering and absence over the last several weeks; I shall return on a more regular basis with more sewing and quilty content, you can count on it. In the meantime, have a wonderful Wednesday!

Life is Good!

Words...

... they're powerful, they're life changing, they're important; they can have a profound impact.

When I sit down to compose a blog post I endeavor to communicate what is on my mind. Somedays I write my thoughts, dreams, hopes and inspirations, more often than not I show a current project and talk about progress (or lack thereof). Sometimes I use this forum to share a tip or a snippet of wisdom that I have gleaned. Once in a while I chronicle the steps along my life's journey of faith. It all comes down to words, I toss them out with not a whole lot of thought as to where they land... like scattering seed; some may be blown away, some may be gobbled up by the birds (or heaven forbid, my nemesis: squirrels!), and a few may find fertile soil and take root. Last December I asked for prayer on behalf of Paula. I didn't know Paula personally, she requested prayer through an e-mail. She explained that she read my blog and had made some notes on thoughts I had communicated and written them down in her journal. She was facing surgery and stood in need; and so, we prayed. We prayed some more when her husband sent a follow-up e-mail explaining that the prognosis after surgery was not good, the cancer was a particularly aggressive form and that radiation and chemotherapy would soon begin. And so we prayed, here, again.

I learned yesterday that Paula lost her battle with cancer on Sunday, yesterday was her memorial service. I have copied the note received from her Pastor.

Dear Mrs. Goodneedle,

My parishioner Paula has been following your blog for a long time. I
looked back from December and noticed that you asked for prayers for
her from your readers. What a gracious thing to do! I felt compelled
to write to tell you that Paula died on Sept. 4th after a 12 month
battle with cancer. Please know how much you impacted her life during
that time. I will be sharing a quote at her memorial service today
from your blog that Paula wrote in her journal: "As children of God
aren't we all a little bit of a scrap quilt?...." I guess we never
truly know how much impact we have on someone else. We simply plant
seeds of God's love, and He takes it from there. Thank you for
sharing not only your talents, but also your faith with so many.

Sincerely,
Rev. Mary Jo Bray
First Christian Church
Wauseon, OH

Thank you for your prayers, thank you for stopping by from time to time to read, thank you for your words. Don't ever ignore the powerful impact that words can have. Our words matter. It isn't important if they're spoken or written, prayed or sung; it doesn't matter if they arrive in a card, an e-mail a phone message or a blog post, our words can have a profound impact. How will you scatter your words today? Where will they fall? Think about it, I know I will be; please join me in prayer for Paula's husband and her family through these difficult days.

Life is Good!

image credit: http://www.mindmapinspiration.com/tag/positive-words-sheet/

Five Years Ago...

...in July I entered blogger-world and posted for the very first time. I was very reluctant in the beginning and, truly, only began at the urging of my son; I doubted I'd have anything to say! I suppose that hasn't been the case... 1,000 posts later! Yep, this is a milestone post from The Strawberry Patch and, of course, to celebrate (and show my appreciation for you stopping by and reading whatever happens to cross my li'l ol' mind over these past five years) I will host a giveaway. A LOT has happened since that very first post: our son is married, my husband has retired, grandchildren have arrived, Sundance moved in, quilts have been made (some have even been completed!) tips, tricks, techniques, recommendations, sorrows, joys, challenges and victories and have been shared with all of you, my blogging friends and family. I've only felt love and support every step of the way and I've never looked back. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment and I will draw a winner next week, on Easter Sunday. Make sure I have your e-mail address, or a way to contact you, should you be the lucky winner! There are no bonuses or gimmicks to enter multiple times, that confuses me way too much. Just a comment, that's all. I thank you and look forward to many more years, and posts, together.

Life is Good!

Blessings Abound!

Back in July of 2006 I started this blog, I was prompted to do so by my son. I thought, at that time, that I didn't have much to say and wondered what I would ever post about... imagine! Here we are, nearly four and a half years and 9oo posts later, I guess there was plenty to share! Since the conception of this blog I've "met" many incredible, generous, fellow bloggers and our family has been blessed over, and over, and over again! I can never thank you enough for all of your kind comments, support, and friendship along the way. In celebration of abounding blessings and this, my 900th post, I will be hosting a small give-away to one commenter. I will have Mason draw out the lucky name on Monday, all names/comments need to be submitted by midnight Sunday. Good luck, and thanks again for dropping by The Strawberry Patch and sharing in life from my little corner of the world: quilts, projects, ideas, family, precious grandchildren, and a dachshund...one post at a time! I am deeply grateful.

Life is Good!

And The Winner Is...

...without further ado...
Quiltdivajulie!

at the stroke of noontime today my husband assisted by drawing the winning comment:

Your patchwork journal will be on it's way to you soon, I will personalize it today!
Thanks to everyone for the wonderful comments and time you've spent visiting
The Strawberry Patch over the last three+ years and 700 posts, I appreciate your friendship.

Congratulations~
Life is Good!

Advent 2 And 300 Posts!

We continue to count our blessings as we prepare our hearts and home for Christmas 2007! We had a very exciting weekend in the Capital City with our daughter and son-in-law; along with the planned activities they also bought a house while we were there! We couldn't be happier. The location, the size, and the style are completely perfect for their needs! After all of that excitement on Saturday we went to bed knowing that we would need to get up fairly early the next day. We were going with our daughter and son-in-law to a small cafe near the new house for breakfast; there, we were meeting up with his parents, as well as their realtor--to sign the necessary papers, at 8:30. Following that, we all planned to tour the new house. We didn't set the alarm clock; since my husband and I are early risers we knew we'd awaken with ample time to shower and get ready. That was, indeed, the case! The clock beside the bed was a "talking alarm clock", I discovered. At one point in the middle of the night my husband asked me if I knew what time it was. I had to turn on the lamp to see that it was 4:15 AM. That's when I saw the words "talking clock" beside a large button on the clock's top surface. The next time my husband inquired about the time it was still dark, but I reached around and found the button. "It is 6:15" announced an odd, electronic voice from the nightstand. My husband got up then. He took the dog out for a walk and showered and changed before he came in to get me at 7 AM. Plenty of time, I thought. I was out of the bathroom, all dressed, make-up on, ready to go... when I discovered my husband watching the morning news and grinning broadly in my direction. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Sure, what's so funny?" I responded. "Someone forgot to "fall back" with their talking clock", he laughed. Oh.

My son-in-law makes really good coffee. I had the occasion yesterday to
fully enjoy several delicious cups; after all, we had plenty of time!

In honor and celebration of 300 posts Mrs. Goodneedle will draw
a lucky name from all of those who leave a comment
on this post entitled "Advent 2". The winner will receive a special,
commemorative prize from The Strawberry Patch.
Thanks to all of you for the kind support and well-wishes
over the last year and a half!

Life is Good!
...you all help to make it so...