For Everything There Is A Season...

We recently took a quick trip north for a very special occasion: it was Mr. G's and my 50th high school reunion! Our class has always stayed pretty well connected and, even fifty years later, some things don't change. There were approximately 125 classmates in attendance, not bad out of a class of 307!  

In this photo are the three amigas, we were the very best of friends in high school and always look forward to reconnecting; given any opportunity! Mr. G and I sat and visited, and ate, with our old friends and classmates as if time had stood still. At our dinner table stories were told that I'd never heard before, tales that have stood the test of time!  We were so impressed by the organization of the reunion committee: there was no stone unturned, every. single. detail. was attended to and expertly implemented to ensure the best reunion ever! My heart is so full; even now, almost two weeks later, from classmates that I spoke with and their stories. I'm was so inspired and proud to learn of amazing lives and careers from folks that I grew up with as well as saddened to realize the loss of thirty eight members of our class of '71; gone much too soon!  All of a sudden, it seemed, the evening came to a close; I don't know why I was shocked when I looked at my watch, that should have come as no surprise since it seemed like the last five decades had just passed by in the blink of an eye.  I am left warmed by rekindled friendships and hilarious stories of days gone by; some of which I am still laughing over now.

We truly had the very best time; even if we did have to wear our high school pictures pinned to ourselves to be recognized! (Someone ought to tell graduating seniors that the TRUE "permanent record" that follows you for the rest of your days is your yearbook portrait!) 

A flowerpot of  souvenirs followed us home... 

...as well as happy memories to last a lifetime!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Well done, class of '71; well done!

Life is Good!

A Little Bit Of Family Time

I've been gone for a little over a week; we made a quick trip to New England to celebrate both Father's Day with my dad and my Mom's birthday two days later. It's always a great time when we get together, and it always goes by way too fast! This photo (L) was taken out in my Dad's workshop just as we were leaving to drive back home on Friday last week. I am posting, below, family photos that sum up our week together; mainly gathered around the table for meals, if not at my Mom and Dad's table at various other tables out and about, it's what we do!

Father's Day-- steak tips on the grill, Dad's choice! Mom, my BIL, sister, Mr. Goodneedle and Dad.

A fried clam roll from a take-out stand in Winnisquam, NH. I save up all year for this many carbohydrates and cholesterol in one meal. Yes, it is worth it. Just looking at this picture right now transports me back. 

The ladies all together for Mom's birthday. We ate at a favorite restaurant chosen by the birthday girl; we all had her favorite of all desserts instead of birthday cake there: fried ice cream! 

Lunch out at a great, old-fashioned diner after shopping at Keepsake Quilter. Hats are optional. 😉

My haul from the shopping trip. Great buys on backing fabric when purchased by the pound. I found a couple of books that I had been looking for and a pattern for placemats which are touted as quick and easy-- we'll see! I was very happy to see Keepsake Quilter return to the beautiful, well-stocked flagship store that it had been in the past; the new owners have turned this premiere shop back around.

This may seem totally unrelated, and maybe it is, but I wanted to add it to this "going back home" post. Mr. Goodneedle and I were in the same high school graduating class in Massachusetts. We recently observed the 48th anniversary of that occasion and couldn't resist swinging by our old alma mater on our way up to New Hampshire this time after spending time in the Boston area. The renovated building now bears little resemblance to the school as we knew it. In our minds, though, it remains exactly the same. On a warm June evening  in 1971 three hundred plus students stood proudly in the front driveway and walked up to the the podium, one by one, to receive their diplomas; a long time ago but, then, it sure doesn't seem that way.

That's the funny thing about time, the clock and the heart measure it completely differently;

in a blink, our short week was over and it was time to hop back in the car for our drive south.

I'm holding on to these memories,  I've tucked them away. 

I wouldn't trade this time of double celebrations together for the world.

★Two quilty posts to follow! Stay tuned~

Life is Good!

Hidden Treasures

I love aprons; I wear them all the time. Normally I wear a bib-style style apron that loops behind my neck and ties behind my waist.
I have made many of these over the years and have tried out different patterns for similar bib-style aprons.

I found this apron, pictured, in a box of my Mom's fabric this week, she brought it to me after she had cleaned out her sewing space last fall and I promised her that I would make good use of the long-collected fabrics. I had forgotten  about the apron, tucked neatly inside the box. This treasure is old, well-worn and made from flour sack fabric that is now as soft as a tissue; it is completely hand made, even the button holes.

My mother says it was made by her Aunt Lizzie. She remembers, as a small child, going to Aunt Lizzie's home and sitting on the horsehair sofa and looking at her family Bible. Aunt Lizzie was a skilled seamstress; my mother also remembers being served toast with mustard during these visits. 😝 Apparently, Aunt Lizzie's sewing talents didn't crossover into the kitchen.

It has a split-T back and buttons at the side waist. It is small. I can wear it but it would be much more comfortable if that strip at the back waist were lengthened and the buttons moved out just a bit.

I just love this style, there are no straps to slip and it provides good coverage, as any apron worth its weight in fabric should!  I can even see this being made adjustable, with two buttoning positions on each side, as needed. I am working on drafting a pattern from this beauty to see what I can come up with.  I might just have some strawberry print from which to try the pattern out. I could also make smaller versions for the granddaughters.

Stay tuned, we'll see how this goes first. In the meantime, this fragile but lovely apron from the past will be saved and admired; a testament to a tried-and-true style and some dedicated, yet delicate, hand stitching. 

Life is Good!

One On One

We had a wonderful time with our youngest grandson this past weekend at Chez Goodneedle. We love to spend time with all of the grandchildren, naturally, but occasionally having them one on one  is extra special. Gregory is growing up fast, but I love the fact that he still says "chickmunks" instead of chipmunks and that he calls the marble game played by one "solitary" instead of solitaire; those few remaining vestiges of being very young are all the more endearing. Gregory and PawPaw worked on his Pinewood Derby car together, somewhat of a time-machine moment for us as it seems only yesterday that our son, Gregory's father, worked on his own Pinewood car with his grandfather!

From that same time machine (or the wayback machine, remember Sherman and Peabody?) comes an electronic pinball machine (see photo above) that our son played with for hours on end as a young boy; it holds just as much fascination for this current generation redhead thirty-some years later! 

Life is Good!

Marking Time

I have a new way of marking time in the Studio these days, the rapid passing of each hour is cuckoo here now; and I love it! (The cuckoo, not the swift passage of time!!) I have been quiet the last two weeks, absent from the blog for good reason; my Mom and Dad have been visiting, we had a wonderful time. They are responsible for this beautiful new addition to the wall. It is a birthday gift, marking a significant birthday (Medicare? Who, me?? That's definitely CUCKOO!) for me near the end of last month. I had seen this clock a few years ago at Keepsake Quilter in Meredith, NH when Mom and I were shopping there. I remarked to her back then about how much I loved it; and, because she's my mother, she remembered! I was very surprised and genuinely thrilled to open this amazing gift!

Our time together passed much too quickly. We did visit an Amish store and neighboring community one day and the Zoo on another. But, mainly, we stayed at home and visited. I did get some sewing done and will share that, as well as a video of the marvelous cuckoo clock in action, in upcoming posts.

The great-grandchildren were all here on several occasions which, naturally,  

is always wonderful for us but was an extra-special treat for my parents. 

I am glad that my mother suggested grabbing my camera for these two shots last Saturday.

My Dad is teaching Gregory how to count and peg a Cribbage hand. This is especially heartwarming to me, as one of my earliest childhood memories is hearing my Grandfather, Dad and Uncle count Cribbage hands on any given Friday night at my grandparents' home. (And, as mentioned above, we all now know how long ago that was!) Mr. Goodneedle and I play Cribbage every day at lunch, and most days at dinner too. In the future may be playing three-handed now, with our grandson!

All too soon it was departure day. We took this picture in the garage right before they headed for home on Monday. They were happy to welcome a back seat passenger, Pfaff, to accompany them on their traveling adventure! (Yes!! My Mom really did come to visit, somehow she didn't appear in any of the photos except for this one!😞)

Life is Good!

Bless This House

Welcome to our home. This is what you see when you enter in through the front door: stairs leading up to our converted attic space/now theater room, a chair holding a pillow proclaiming that "a spoiled rotten dachshund lives here" and a Singer treadle base with a glass top serving as an entrance hall table. Oh, yes, and on the wall directly in front of you is a wool applique wallhanging  beside a framed, embroidered sampler. The sampler was added today, I stitched it in 1975 and presented it to my then brand-new mother and father-in-law that year for Christmas.  They were building their home at that time and this sampler was proudly placed in their foyer a few months later when they moved in; there it hung, proudly, until a few weeks ago. With a heavy heart I took it down from the nail that supported it, dusted it off and carried it here. Yesterday their house went on the market for sale. I pray that special home will find a family soon, it needs one. This hand embroidered house blessing will hang in our home from now on. Every day when I walk past it I will remember, and my heart will smile. I pray that our own front door will "prove ever open to joy and love" as theirs did, for four-plus decades.

This cross stitch sampler was ordered, if memory serves, from an advertisement in the back of Good Housekeeping magazine. It was a kit, the linen was stamped and the floss was included. This blessing was inspired by a plaque that hung in the White House during the Eisenhower administration; the sentiment, however, is timeless.

Life is Good!

Timeless Greetings

"Greeting cards have all been sent 
The Christmas rush is through ..."

These lyrics from the Carpenters' "Merry Christmas, Darling" played in my head as I finished addressing and putting stamps on a stack of Christmas cards this year. I wonder what tunes played through my own mother's head as she performed the same ritual sixty two years ago. I wonder, too, what she was thinking when this photograph for their Christmas card (with a three-month-old me on her lap) was taken. Most likely she was longing for a full nights' sleep but wishing good health, peace and the joy that is Christmas to remain in the hearts and minds of her friends and family well into the New Year. I wish you that very same thing today.

In memory of my dear friend, Helen, let me pass along this idea from a former blog post for recycling the Christmas cards you've received from friends and family far and near; we continue this practice every morning. I hope that she knew what a blessed prayer legacy she was creating. Thank you, Helen!

Merry Christmas!

Life is Good!

Gonna Party Like It's 1955

September 23, 1955

Today I am celebrating an aniversary; it's the sixtieth anniversary of my 2nd birthday. I know, I can only see one candle on that cake too... you'll have to take my word for it. My Mom, Dad and I had just moved into our brand new home only weeks before, the Living Room wasn't even done yet; according to Mom the party festivities were confined to the kitchen and, from the looks of things, the present opening happened in my bedroom. Take a closer look at the party dress I am wearing... those are embroidered strawberries on that dress! Oh, how I wish I had that dress now. (I can't help but notice the bruise on my forehead... apparently I've always been a little on the klutzy side, here's the proof!) The cake table is beautifully laid out and all dressed up too, with a damask tablecloth, this was quite an occasion! Yep, today I'm partying... just like it was 60 years ago, it IS quite an occasion!

This is a piece of the fabric from the curtains in my bedroom (above). The print is large, the gingham dog measure 9.5" from top to bottom. I think it's held up well over time, the color is still vibrant. I am going to try to figure out a creative way to use this in combination with some photo to fabric transfers of the birthday images above and create a keepsake from my childhood.  Any ideas? I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Life is Good!

Jolly Friends

"Jolly Friends" ~  22.5" X 22.5" ~ hand quilted ~ 1992 

This was an original pattern that I taught at a long-ago quilt shop back in 1992. A freezer paper template star block came to life as Santa Claus with a little applique and embellishment. The class was a popular one and I met many wonderful friends through that opportunity... Quiltkeemosabe was new in town, she took the class at the invitation of another relative newcomer and we hit it off immediately; the grand adventures (and there have been many of them) began from that day on. Twenty-one years later the tables are turned, she's the teacher, I sit in her classes; through it all we've both moved away, lived other places, and found our respective ways back home. Our adventures continue. She inspires me!

 ..."and we'll be jolly friends forever more"...

Life is Good!

Quilt Jail...

...if there was one, and there were quilt police, I would be behind bars with absolutely no chance for parole. You're wondering what this picture has to do with quilt jail, read on... you'll see. The first quilt I ever owned was a gift from my great-grandmother. She made two, nearly identical, quilts; one for me and one for my sister. They were (if memory serves, and that's a big "if") pieced from some sort of a combination Rail Fence/ Log Cabin pattern of  irregular strips and tied, not quilted, so I suppose they weren't even quilts at all, in the truest sense. I  took mine with me when I went away to college, it was the perfect thing to lie upon when sunbathing. As if it isn't bad enough to think about how much baby oil that quilt absorbed, think of this: I would "lay out" on a flat roof covered with asphalt shingles that my friends and I could access through a bathroom window in our freshman dorm. You can only imagine how badly destroyed that quilt became;  I threw it away.  Oh yeah, and then there was my skin... well, what can I say? It was 1971. Lock me up, throw away the key; I deserve it. The memory of that stained and abused quilt haunts me, even after all these years. I plan to recreate it, for Grandma; think of it as a long-overdue act of retribution.

EQ Design for 2014  "Grandma's Gift ~ A Recreation"  45" X 63"
This could be subtitled: "Behind Bars"

Life is Good!

This Mom's, and Nana's, Observations...

Of course you already know that I am going to say something about time passing much too quickly... blah, blah, blah. Well, that's a given, lets go ahead and get that out of the way on this, my son's (the youngest, he's my baby) 33rd birthday! Here is Lynnleigh, his baby, at seven months. Jokingly, I had remarked about her being proud of this new sitting-up skill. No joke; she is so enamoured with sitting up, and the ability to do so on her own, that it actually interferes with her sleep! She and Gregory spent the last few nights here and I found, at naptime and bedtime, that she often sits herself up immediately after being put down and then cries pitifully because she's in that position! I got lucky with this picture, a quickly snapped photo (looking ever-so posed!) in the kitchen while I was making dinner earlier in the week. Her crawling has been halted in a similar fashion because all she wants to do is raise herself up onto her feet. With her hands planted on the floor in front of her, and her hind-end straight up in the air, she is the personification of a capital "A" (or inverted "V") and she cannot move. I tried to show her how to put her knees down on the floor, time after time, but she's not one bit interested in Nana's solution; right back up she goes!

Gregory is a little sponge, absorbing everything around himself and spouting back to us his own observations and experiences on the world in which he lives. These two commentaries kept us entertained, enjoy; I am posting here two personal status updates from Facebook:

e

Valuable information from Gregory to keep in mind before your next shopping trip; this will, undoubtedly, save you time and miles on your vehicle.
At WalMart you can buy dog food, cups and see the fishies.
At Lowe's you can buy better lawnmowers.
At Target you cany buy shoes, but... (this is important!) you need to pay first!

 e

With apologies to his Methodist grandparents, Gregory is showing his deep Lutheran roots; instead of being happy about our new television in the kitchen he is very concerned about where the old one went. At lunchtime today he said, hanging his head, that he is "very sad" that the old TV has been taken to Goodwill, he " really loved that one"!

e

Time is going to fly, we can't stop it or hold on to it or bottle it up to use it later; but, we can enjoy each phase and document the passing of time with photos and sweet stories of precious children growing up and exploring their world. We can be ever grateful that we're on this adventure called life right along with them! My daughter sent photos over the summer of Mason building and writing; of Lucy Ann painting at the easel... miraculous achievements for children who were, seemingly, only born a few days ago! 

I feel much closer to my own parents now. They've always reminded me about times long since gone with questions of  "remember when..." referring to occurences with my own children. To be honest, sadly, I don't recall most of those same things that they do; I guess I was just too preoccupied with being a Mom and getting it all done.  Now, I understand; grandparents were created for just this very thing, thanks be to God!

Life is Good!