Birthdays Abound!

A decade and a week or so have passed since the tiny baby, the one that made me a Nana, 

burst onto the scene.  Happy Birthday, Mason! 

Four days after her son celebrates his birthday our daughter's birthday rolls around. We drove to the Capital City late last week to take her and her family out to lunch on her big day. I didn't get any pictures of the festivities but had taken a shot of this "All Aboard" bag that I made for her from a By Annie pattern. I believe she liked it. It really was easy to construct; the directions, as always, were clear and simple to follow. There are two mesh pockets on the inside to organize the contents. This one is the medium sized bag; the pattern contains instructions for three sizes: small, medium and large.

And last, but certainly not by any means least-- our furry little buddy, Hannes, observed his fourteenth birthday yesterday! He was more than happy to pose for the occasion; but, he wonders- where's the cake?

Life is GRAND!

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.

Challenging Myself... Reaching New Heights!

I spent this past weekend in the mountains of North Carolina with our daughter and approximately 120 other women, sisters in faith. We studied God's word together, prayed together, ate together, played games and explored nature together and, above all, learned to trust in God's promise together, as women have done since Old Testamant times.  The recurring theme of the weekend was trust; how we can apply that trust to our decision making processes, to the risks we face and to the challenges we rise up to meet... our own, personal, leaps of faith! The building where we met is equipped with a climbing wall. We were offered the opportunity on Saturday afternoon to sign up for a climbing session, to challenge ourselves and trust in what was being provided for us. I like a challenge. And yet... I wasn't entirely sure if this was something I could do. I weighed my options, all the while reflecting on what we were learning through the decision making process based on the teaching of St. Ignatius. I identified my fears and opened myself up to what was new, what challenged me as a child of God to look beyond my own personal agenda and desires. I decided to leap... to reach beyond self-imposed limits and open myself up to trust. I said a prayer and donned a climbing helmet.
The climb was hard work, strenuous (for me); it's difficult to know where to step and where to grab for pulling up. I was totally reliant on my belayer below to give me cues: "reach up with your right hand for the yellow", even though I was right there on the wall my focus was fully about holding on! Isn't this how our God operates when we place our trust in Him? He will guide our steps, our every hand-hold, if only we will open our ears to listen for, and have faith in, His word.

Even though I  broke loose from the hand holds and swung free numerous times, I didn't give up; I did come close though. The good news is that I was continually encouraged to keep on... to grab again, to pull up, to "frog up" with my legs, to keep going. Here I am reaching out for the topmost grab on the wall. This was an exhilerating experience! I will think about this challenge for a long time to come. How much easier it would have been to give up and how happy I am that I didn't. God continues to place challenges before me... how much easier is it to stay within my own comfort zone? What do I risk, how much do I miss, by setting limitations? A lot! This climbing wall showed me the way to rethink the choices before me. "Every choice we make, no matter how small, is an opportunity to align ourselves with God's will."  What new heights are awaiting you?

Life is Good!

Charms Of A Different Variety

I've been sharing charms lately, fabric charms; today I'm sharing charms of a different variety: have a look at these treasured silver charms. My sweet mother-in-law has been going through her jewelry and giving pieces away. Our daughter had expressed an interest in this charm bracelet of her grandmother's; she remembered wearing it many years ago when she would stay after Sunday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house to play dress-up. Grandma would let her wear some of her special jewelry and she'd dress up in layers of Grandma's tops and scarves, she was, maybe three or four years old. Marcia remembered that Grandma told her: "someday, when you're grown up, that bracelet will be yours".  Grandma remembered that too, she gave it us a few weeks ago to deliver to our daughter in the Capital City. The story behind the bracelet is that my mother in law wore it when she was in high school; in the late 1930's to 1940. The heart charms were all gifts from friends and family, most of them are engraved with names or initials. Look carefully at the puffed heart in the center of the close-up, "Daddy" is engraved there. I never knew my husband's grandfather, but this touched my heart. There is also a charm from "Mother" as well as one from my father-in-law when he was but a teen too, so many memories... so much love.

I polished it up as best as I could before giving it to our daughter. Some of the enamel-faced hearts were already worn, I believe that only adds to the value. I know that our daughter will cherish this gift, as she does the precious relationship with her grandmother. The best part of the transfer of ownership of this bracelet is this: Grandma knows that the love goes on... from one generation to the next, to the next... this pretty bracelet full of hearts is only a symbol; someday our daughter can pass it down too, the bracelet is now a family heirloom. 

My heart is smiling.

Life is Good!

Pride Goeth...

...Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall... -Proverbs 16:18

For the last couple of weeks my daughter-in-law has been dropping by one evening a week to work on "onesie" dresses for little Lynnleigh. Here's a completed one with her monogram added for panache! They're really cute and clever dresses; using a minimal amount of fabric the onesie remains functional underneath, keeping the dress pulled down and the diaper covered at that same time. While sewing we were chatting about making little girl clothes and somehow the conversation turned back to a long ago memory of my own: I  had made a jumper and blouse for my own daughter thirty four years ago, when she was just three years old. I had been so proud of  this ensemble back then; a pinwale corduroy jumper with a set-in zipper and a strawberry print blouse with eyelet lace trimming the rounded collar and gathered cuffs. I remember how adorable she looked dressed in them! The premier wearing had been to Sunday School, the teacher commented on how cute she looked when I dropped her off. I was beaming, did I mention how proud I was? That was short-lived. When I  stopped back by her classroom to pick her up for "big" church, forty-five minutes later, her sleeves were flapping loose down around her hands; those little gathered cuffs had quickly become things of the past. "I had to cut that elastic" her Sunday school teacher reported "those little hands were turning purple because the cuffs were so tight!" I was crushed; and embarrassed. We laughed about it at the time but I learned a valuable lesson about pride right then and there. Over the next few days I replaced that elastic, adjusting the length, and my daughter wore that jumper and blouse until she outgrew it. Not another word was ever spoken about the "incident"  by the teacher, she and I have remained good friends all of these years; now in her 80's she is a dear and loyal member of our Quilt Ministry group. I wondered out loud to my daughter-in-law, in the recounting of the tale, if the teacher remembered cutting that elastic. The very next morning at church I found myself mentioning to my longtime friend about the little onesie dresses that Leigh Anna was working on at our house; without missing a beat she looked me in square in the eye and said "you're not putting any elastic in those sleeves are you?"

Christmas 1979, the jumper and blouse with sleeves "adjusted" to proper size.

With that she winked... and gave me a hug. I am blessed to have faith models like her in my life;
those who know me, who've walked beside me through the years, and love me anyway!
Life is Good!

What Makes You Smile?

I received this photo attachment to an e-mail this morning, it was entitled "Hello, Spring!" The e-mail came from my daughter. You can just imagine how this made me, her quilter-mother, smile; all the way up from my toes. Her joy and enthusiasm for this purchase of fabric is evident; I contend that when joy and enthusiasm for anything is passed from one generation to the next it is a reason to smile...broadly! She plans to transform this yardage into two pretty little dresses for Lucy Ann. She might be saying "Hello, Spring"; but I say "O, Happy Day!"

Life is Good!

36 Years Ago...

...the Summer Olympics were being held in Montreal, Nadia Comaneci scored the first perfect "10" in women's gymnastics.

...both Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford were strong contenders for the Republican Presidential Nominee position heading toward the convention.

...Elvis Presley was on tour in Syracuse.

..."Got To get You Into My Life" by the Beatles was the number one song in the country.

..and this precious baby girl was born!

Happy birthday today to my sweet daughter, you have certainly made the world a happier and more loving place; your Dad and I are so very proud of the lovely lady that you've become; here's hoping that today is a special one for you.

Life is Good!

Girls' Weekend, Part One

Some of my favorite ladies were in the house for the weekend, and what a wonderful weekend it was! Friday evening my mother-in-law, daughter, and Lucy Ann were all here with us for dinner. Lucy Ann was sweet and charming, she babbled throughout the meal and enjoyed showing off her walking skills for an adoring audience. My daughter had planned for us to have a sewing weekend for a while, it had to be rescheduled once due to illness, but it was finally here. When she arrived she broke the bad news... her bag of patterns and fabric had been accidentally left behind in the Capital City. No problem, we have stores here!

Saturday morning Lucy Ann, Mommy, and Nana were off the the LQS

for replacement fabric and supplies.

Lucy Ann loves fabric!

...and she definitely knows which how to shop!

The little wheeled push carts are just her size!

What's a girls' weekend without show and tell?

Lucy Ann's Mommy and Nana were busy while everyone else was watching football;

and Lucy Ann has a some cute new clothes to show for it:

Reversible A-line jumper with appliqués.

... and another one, I am still looking for buttons for this one.

A darling pair of pants and coordinating T-shirt with a Valentine owl appliqué.

WHOO loves Lucy Ann? I'll bet you can guess.

And the best news of all? There's more fabric and patterns back in the capital City...

we get to do this all over again! I can't wait.

Life is Good!

Cinnamon M&Ms

I put my Winter dishes away yesterday, preferring to call them that over Christmas dishes so that I may use them for one month longer. When I opened the dining room buffet I discovered a bag of Cinnamon M&M's; (say that 3 times fast!) a gift from my daughter, given right after Christmas. She and I share a fondness for chocolate and cinnamon flavors combined. Apparently, these M&M's are a seasonal item. Wouldn't you just know it? As soon as I discover that they're wonderful, I learn that they're unavailable again until next year! I found a recipe for oatmeal cookies using these tasty additions and baked up a batch; she'll be visiting for the weekend and I can't wait for her to put these to the test. If you happened to buy a bag and haven't eaten them yet you might want to bake yourself up these cookies, you won't believe how good your kitchen will smell while they're baking. If you didn't have any, or if you did and now they're lo-o-o-ong gone, you might want to print the recipe and save it for Christmas 2012.

They're that good.

So's Life!

Girls' Weekend!

Our daughter, Lucy Ann, and their dog (also female) spent the weekend with us; we made the best use of our time! (Our son-in-law and Mason, along with Mason's other grandfather, had their annual "boys" weekend in the mountains.) On the home-front it was a non-stop sewing extravaganza (except for when we were shopping for fabric, or eating!). Friday afternoon was spent creating two football T-shirts for Mason; after all, college football season is nearly underway! He'll be the best dressed fan in the Capital City.

Gregory stopped by on Friday evening (with his mommy) to eat, and play, with his cousin.

Then, it was time for more sewing! Using the Britches and Bloomers pattern by Jackie Clark we stitched up these adorable pants for Lucy Ann and created two matching embroidered T-shirts. Cute, cute!! (Planning ahead for that October birthday!)

Saturday morning was kicked off with another quick shopping trip for more supplies and then we were back at it. One more ensemble (with two shirts) and we were done... for now!

We're already planning our next time together to create some sweet little Christmas clothes; in fact, we've decided that Girls' Weekend needs to be much more often than an annual event!

Life is Good!

A GRRRRREAT Day To Be A Tiger!

Our daughter is a proud Auburn alumni. I stayed up last night until midnight, just for her, to witness her beloved Tigers win the National college football championship game. (OK, I may have napped some during the game but I watched the spectacular finish!) She has rigid good-luck rituals that she adheres to before games: dressing her family in orange clothing and, last night, she even prepared an all-orange dinner! Looks like her strategy worked. It's a happy day at her house this morning. I wonder who's more excited here, Mom or Lucy Ann?

War Eagle!
Life is Good!
It is all about #1 today, isn't it? 1/11/11

Dreams, In Our Jammies...

Dreams and Visions, that was the theme of our retreat weekend and our study of the book of Revelation. One of the highlights was a pajama party (picture 150 women dressed similarly and wearing crowns!) featuring a PJ fashion show that culminated with fruit, cake and pretzels arranged to be dipped in a flowing chocolate fountain! Here I am with my daughter posing for a quick snapshot before the festivities began. It was an amazing time away together spent in Bible study as well as fun, food and fellowship. On Sunday morning we arrived for worship to find a small book placed at our seats about dreams (and symbols) for us to take home. I randomly opened my book to the following page:

How about that? The presiding Pastor for the weekend talked to us quite a bit about dreams; our feelings in response to our own dreams and the importance of dreaming big KINGDOM DREAMS, plus giving voice to them so that they may be realized. Well, if I were dreaming of quilts my big dream would be that they were all finished-- quilted and bound, now that would be heaven for sure. Oh yeah, I forgot, these are dreams we're talking about... not fairy tales!

Life is Good!

Dust Bustin'

Here's my daughter and her teaching assistant packing up the classroom. I've been back in the Capital City assisting with this monumental chore. It was two days worth of work, toting a LOT of books! An elementary school teacher accumulates many things, did I mention that my daughter collects books? She does, and they're heavy! Bit by bit, box by box the classroom was emptied and scrubbed down. We had fun working side by side, we always have fun together. It wasn't all work. We went to Char-Grill for lunch on the second day. It's a unique fast food restaurant where one marks up their own order form outside, drops it through the slot in the glass and waits until their name is called. My chili dog was delicious! I had to keep my strength up after all. I arrived home in time for Church Council meeting last night. Today I spent time visiting with quilting friends I haven't seen for years at our "Quilting Pleasures" Guild Show. I needed some quilt therapy in the worst way, I'm itching to stitch and received much inspiration. I've been gone so much lately that my sewing machine is gathering dust; sadly, I may even have to reintroduce myself to Sundance! I have baby quilts to make, and time's a wastin'. I'd like to use the colors of this puppy dog as a color pallete for a wall quilt for the nursery. The blue matches the crib bedding, the green is fresh and lively, while a little touch of red adds interest and will match a rocking chair in the room. I'll have to see what I can find in my stash. In the meantime I need to embroider some burp cloths and bibs and, oh yeah, find my dust rag; I know there's a sewing machine under here somewhere!

Life is Good!

If Blessings Were Pearls...

I know I'm getting older. I'm choosing to count blessings, not years. I have LOTS of blessings this year alone! Our baby is getting married soon, very soon. My husband is retiring at the end of June. We are expecting a grandson in August. Amazing, blessed events; each and every one. These types of events are reserved for those who've gained experiences, and collected blessings, along the way. Something happened this weekend that made me smile, I'm not saying this occurrence made me feel old, or even particularly blessed, it just made me smile! Our daughter called on Saturday. She and her husband have bought a mini-van. Yep, the couple who are the epitome of all that is cool and fashionable are now driving the very symbol of impending parenthood! I'm so very glad I've lived to see this day; for if blessings could be pearls, then it's moments such as these that become the sweet, strong string that holds them all together. This accessory one earns only by living!

Life is Good!