The Tenacity of Quilts

In the early 80's, God provided for this Young Mama, a neighbor, a confidant, a helper, a friend in the shape of an older mama, (just two years older than I am now), to come along side me to help me adjust to being away from my family for the first time.  Due to a job change, my young family packed up and moved three hours north from my home town.  I had a three year old and a nine month old in tow and felt lost, discombobulated and overwhelmed.  At the exact same time, my neighbor had just retired and was wondering how to fill her days.

My, my.  Did we ever cover that nagging question!

This needy young mom clenched onto her loving, caring ways with a firm grip.

This Wonderful Woman babysat my children, taught me how to paint on china, shared her vast life learned wisdom and encouraged my creativity.  I was known to ask her over for supper and have her bring the main course.  And she did with a great deal of entertainment and enjoyment. 

 

 Wonderful Woman had a plethora of friends that she introduced us to as we entangled ourselves into her life.
We were embraced readily as her buds could see what a blessing our rag tag group was to her.

 One friend in particular was an excellent crafter.  She could fashion huge wool rugs out of strips of old coats.  She could quilt like no other.  And she promised to share these crafts with me.  A stroke robbed her of much of her capabilities and as dementia took over her life, my opportunity to learn from a master evaporated.
However.
Before she met her devastating fate, she handed off to me, a legacy of her talent.
As a young woman in the 1930's, she pieced a quilt top and like most of us quilters, she packed it away, 'for another time'.
Why she deemed me worthy to complete this quilt, I have no idea but I am ever so glad she did.

 My skills were undeveloped at that time so I folded it carefully and refolded it on occasion, plotting and planning for the day that I would complete it.  Pregnant with my fourth child in 1987, I decided to attempt the quilt.  I began adding appliqued hearts to the white spaces because my fourth child was destined to be a Valentine's baby.
I probably got through two rows of hearts when my Baby Girl arrived and the reality of caring for four children prompted me to, once again, fold up the quilt and store it for another time.

 Fast forward to 2012 and my Baby Girl announced the arrival of her second child, a daughter.  With her first child, she had a clear plan of a quilt  that she wanted her firstborn to possess from her Mimi.  But the second one came before the second birthday of the first and quilt planning was less important to a very busy young mama.
Then I remembered the very vintage quilt tucked away in my stash and my memory.
I showed Baby Girl the unfinished attempt at the heart applique that I attempted for her and she liked it.  She acquired fabric scraps from her mother in law's fabric stash from her grandmother and added some checked flannel from BG's grandfather's pajamas, and we were set to begin. 

Last fall, as we awaited Baby Girl #2, I cut and sewed (enlisting the help of Most Loving Friend during a weekend visit) and prepared this long ago quilt.  Kindred Spirit friend donated fabric to me while on a visit last summer, that would work perfectly as the backing.  I added some free form black stitched embroidery to the borders, to make it more me.  I embroidered flowers, pumpkins, swirls and leaves and her lovely name, Della James, as we traveled this past October to Kansas City to visit their new location.  The heavy weight of the near completed quilt provided close quarters in the front seat of the car as we journeyed the many miles to their new home.
There was just enough fabric from the stash to complete the bindings on this quilt.
I pieced what I could salvage, determine to use the memorable fabric to it's fullest.
Then, this week, this holiday week, I worked on hand stitching all the bindings to finalize this long awaited project.
Last night, Thanksgiving Evening, seated amongst my dear ones, in front of the fire, I completed this quilt, started over 80 years ago by a woman who entrusted me to the task.

Quilters, keep an eye to legacy when creating a quilt.  Quilters, understand that your talent has merit and the memories created with a quilt is worthy.  Remember to entrust others to projects that will be seen to fruition....someday... and that your story will be told years from when you started your project and that is okay.

Quilts are stories in fabric and quilters weave the story.
See to it that you find or create your story for yourself and your family.

Four Times the Fun

' I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.'  3 John 1 :4


Years ago, I remember telling my youngest to copy this verse and put it on the refrigerator.  I remember thinking what a joy it would be to be able to watch my grown up children embrace truth and live it fully.  My hope, in those long ago days, was to be able to live long enough to rejoice with the John of the bible who spoke of his 'spiritual' children.  I still have that verse in it 's childish scroll among my belongings.  It still gives me a thrill.

I had the unmitigated pleasure to share this past weekend with my two daughters and their two daughters each.

I had the pleasure to observe them parent.

I had the fun to hear their discussions about oh so many matters.

I giggled while Hazey Jay discovered humus for the first time.

I let out a little, excited scream as Miss Viv read her very first word.

I had the pleasure to make them dinners and lunches and treats as they nursed their babies.

I laughed at the chaos that four little girls can cause in a relatively short time.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Hubby picked up the slack and cleaned up after dinners.

I loved watching this little ol' house live up to it's large family potential, utilizing all it's spaces.

I gloried in painting with the little girlies.  Any excuse for this Mimi to paint....

I snickered to myself to hear the countless, 'Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi!!', when I left the room for a minute.

I smirked hearing the exact same words that used to come out of my mouth, hearing it from my two daughter's very similar voices.

I cringed when I realized that the birthday cupcakes I was making for Baby Girl, Vanilla Latte Cupcakes, were minus the 2 cups of sugar required.  grrrrr.

I had the rapturous Mimi time that made me smile in my sleep.

I had the big fun to change diapers and help in the potty with those so inclined.

I loved the deep conversations, revealing more and more of the character of my sterling grown up girls.

I watched as my girls struggled with the things of mamahood: Am I doing it right?  Am I too soft?  Too tough?  Too tired?  Too distracted?  My heart went out to their spirit of being overwhelmed too many times in too many days..

And my heart burst quietly observing those tender moments, just mama and daughter - those sweet, nustley, lovey- dovey times that warm a mama to the core.








Yes, I rejoice with John....

Goodness and Gracious

The one thing traditional about our Thanksgivings is that they are very nontraditional. Every year brings its own interpretation of the state of the year, nay day.  Flexible has been our guide word since a fourth child enter our world.  It's like the opening of gift each year; just what will our
Thanksgiving look like?  We've had Thanksgivings full tilt formal, we've had it delivered by friends when a family illness overwhelmed us.  We've had it in church basements with lonely college students,we've gone to an Italian menu, we've celebrated it with a video camera in Kindred Spirits brand new kitchen,we've gone bowling, we've had it while we packed up my mom for an ER visit.  With a multitude of amigos and single o; you name it; we've done it.

 However, I think we went over the top this year.

Baby Girl decided to grace this memorable Thanksgiving with her latest daughter, Delightful Della, in tow, born November 13th.  We had been on board to serve as mama's helper once she came home from the hospital.  We knew with a due date like November 20, that Thanksgiving was going to be another spontaneous creation.  And with nearly 40 years of planning Thanksgivings that way, I was up for it.

On this visit, we found out that we could rent one of the married student housing apartments for a minimum fee. Since Baby Girl, Illustrious Son In Law, Lil' Lady and Delightful Della were taking up pretty much all of their 500 square foot living arrangement, we opted to spread out a bit and rented the apartment for five days.

Crazy for a woman that never graced a college campus, to haul her stuff into the international world of a top ten university married student housing arrangement.  The smells of foreign cooking permeates all the common areas and you project yourself into the wider mindset available in a large metropolitan advantage.  The burkas, the diminutive,disciplined Asian population, the business as usual from the world not affected by our Thanksgiving, lent this Thanksgiving as Highly Unusual.  But Fabulous.

As you have guessed by now, a Thanksgiving celebration with the presence of a Nine Day Old infant certainly puts the most amazing, wonderful, exuberant, grateful, fabulous slant on what could become a dry, boring Feast Day.

While the little apartment was cozy and well equipped for a rental, I am used to every convenience, cookware/utensil/serving dish/dishware/etc etc that is known to common man.  Forty years of hospitality has outfitted my little kitchen with most of the needed gourmet tools for a successful dinner.  This year, I had three pans, two towels, assorted plastic cooking tools and a few semi good knives.

I love me a good food challenge.

Hubby and I set off for the local market and used all our creative devices to create a tasty, healthy and somewhat disposable Holiday Feast,  When we came upon the paper aisle, I announced with arms held open wide, Hubbiness, you are about to witness a rarity!  I am about to buy everything disposable for THANKSGIVING!  This from a woman who never buys paper plates, who has paper cups just because someone left them at my home, who looks askew at those that would wash disposable silverware, yes, this was HUGE!  In awe, Hubby watched as I selected paper plates, napkins, cups AND silverware.My therapist for my compulsive/obsessive disorder from years past would have lifted his glass in my victorious honor.

And I loved it.

It symbolized freedom from my years of slavery to the way things 'should ' be to the freedom of the need of the moment.

I had arrived.

One indulgence that I insisted on, was a proper pie.  Researching recipes, I found a dandy maple syrup pear pie, that really sounded amazing.  Seven dollars worth of Bartlett pears were selected carefully and placed gingerly amongst the cushion of paper goods in our cart.

Once 'home', both Hubby and I could not remember seeing the pears once we got in the car.  Remember, we did have the lovely distraction of our little two year old companion with us at the store, on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, with a fairly new cashier at our check out.  The parking lot was packed to the very limit and the aisles filled with the absolute limit of customers.  Were we going back to fetch those pears? 

 Uh, no.

I had brought along three apples, borrowed a lemon from BG and her cinnamon, used our raw sugar and threw in some blackberries and of course, butter and the final product was considered by Illustrious SIL, that it was close to the best apple pie he had ever eaten.  Score.

 While the post dinner naps commenced, this Mimi 'cleaned' up by disposing of it all but little bowls full of squash and mashed potatoes and a modicum of turkey and 
proclaimed the Mini Meal a raging success!While the little family scooted back to their own little home, Mimi and Papa ventured outside and parked ourselves under a shelter to take some time to reflect on our blessings and drink in His Word in light of a most thankful year.

 Earlier in the week, we had the precious privilege of keeping Lil Lady occupied while her mama healed and rested from the phenomenal event of producing an 8 pound 3 ounce baby totally unmedicated or with any intervention of any kind.  Pure and natural, just like she prayed for.  Amen.
And spending time with Lil Lady?
Oh. My.
Imagination Station, Chick fil A, leaf shuffling, playground playing, play dough creating, hide and seeking, book reading, snuggling, blues clues watching.....Oh the delight of a precious, precocious two year old....!!!!

We departed the next day to leave the next shift of helpers to ooh and ahh over our new little addition to our family and be as blessed as we were.

Not too long after our arrival home, another Little Blessing appeared at our home...Sweet Adeline and her helpful beading ways...

What are we thankful for this most unusual of our forty years together? Just five things:

Vivien, Lailyn, Adeline, Hazel and Della.

Thank you LORD!!

Travels with Mimi

 Two words that strike a chord in a long distance grammy's heart:  Child Care.
When Lovely Wife text that she had a hole in her child care and needed someone to fill in for one day, this Mimi responded: Packing Now.

 So it was on a warm January day, that Papa took two days off to take care of the delightful 'task' of watching our Sweet Adeline for eight precious hours.  (Warning: Precious Child Beyond Words Rant.  You were warned.)  Seriously, this child is such a doll.  Gentle spirited, calm and sunny, I had the thought that perhaps her Sitter Susie, should pay mama and daddy for watching her!  In all my years of child tender, have I had the pure delight in babysitting.  Sleeping peacefully when needed, gobbly eating when it was time, didy changing with a happy disposition and enjoying the outside in the warm January sun, taking in all that wintry nature had to offer.  Hubby and I found ourselves just watching her discover her little world afresh.  Her diminutive little size (10 pounds at 5 months) makes her so much more precious.  But make no mistake, she is no Light Weight when it comes to development.  This feisty little miss keeps up with the best of them, just in a teeny way.  I am smiling as I write this merely in the pleasant memory of our visit with her.......

When Sweet Adeline's mommy returned, we headed southward to start our Child Care Part Two.


This day was Eldest/Admin's thirty third birthday and it appeared that her and Wonderful Man had made special arrangements to celebrate her last birthday away before their family burst into a family four in the middle of this year.
Once again, Hubby and I had no qualms of taking on the first overnight with Miss Viv.  As a very talkative three year old, she is very good at conveying her needs (and wants) and had an understanding of the fact that mama and daddy were going to be gone for One Sleep.  Her little face took all the information in and processed it with her three year old knowledge.  She looked back and forth at her beloved Mimi and Papa and tried to weigh the advantages of saying good bye to mommy and daddy to staying with the rare opportunities with Mimi and Papa.  Something told her that it was going to be okay. This was to be our trial run for the Day in May when little sister shall arrive and perhaps she may be away from her parents for awhile.  A lot was riding on her ability to tough it out.  Pivotal in her life, we wanted it to be a grand experience for all involved.

 So we went to the zoo.
In January.
Half Price Day.

 And a Penquin Parade.

 And another generation for Papa to show all the intricacies of the Reptile House.

 Miss Viv spent a great deal of time this past summer at this wonderful zoo, so she led the way for a lot of it....We were unsure if Manatee Springs were open, and when we hesitated and started to walk on, she exhibited her ONLY strong emotion of the weekend.  If the manatees were closed for the season, we were just going to have to break in, it was that important to her...Fortunately, no crimes were committed and we spent a great deal of an hour watching all the sea creatures and our most animated granddaughter.

 All that zoo walking created quite a hunger so off we went to Miss Viv's favorite: Chick-fil-a.  She ate all of her meal and a lot of mine....

 Our night time adventure went very peacefully thanks to Half Price Day at the zoo.  Our little girl passed out between us after only four books...

 And look what we got to see when we awakened!  The sweetest little face with good sleeps under her belt.  Mimi fixed her yogurt and french toast.  She was snarfing all the toast when she noticed a 'little' cinnamon and sugar on her cute mug.  She says, 'Mimi, I need a napkin!' Then a pause when she realized that all the good stuff on the french toast was yummy.  She then updates by saying, 'Nebermind - I'll lick it!'  And she did.

 We said good bye to Papa for the week and hello to mama and daddy and thus began another seven days of a most lovely visit with My Little Family.

 The week was productive, fun, adventurous and busy.  I got to attend EA's prenatal visit, go to all my favorite Cincinnati's haunts, got my haircut, watched movies about silly penguins with Miss Viv, cooked and baked and restored a staircase.  I got to be serenaded while I painted away and decided that most work is better when Wonderful Man and Miss Viv are singing .....

The time came to return to the Sewing Room and that is how it should be...
However, the memory spent with my dandy little girls provides the fuel for my time on this sod....

'Grandchildren are the crown of the aged......'    Proverbs 17: 6

Amen and amen......

Full Heart *sigh*

 Not many words today.
Heart is imploding and lots of sighs are expending but words just fall short.

 Having a house full of my favorite people just does a number on this very very very very thankful Mimi.

 Making food for my sweeties always takes me over the top.  Listening to their conversations while I saute and bake keeps a smile on my face for days.

 Taking part in my grands first holidays darn near takes me over the edge, emotionally.  Observing that I do indeed have the most adorable in laws ever, seals the deal.

 The transformation of the quiet little house to crazy, hectic party home tickles me like nothing else.

 Running the dish washer three times a day makes me laugh at what it must be thinking.  Wondering how four dozen eggs, innumerable loaves of bread, gallons of tea and juice and never mind the pounds of butter that were ingested and enjoyed, could have disappeared,  makes me giggle.

 Pretty sure my muscles groups that seldom carry little ones, are thinking that I've lost my mind.  Pretty sure I have.  And my heart. Many times over.

 Remembering the joy of pretend play as Papa, Unca Joco and Pretend Cousin Sara played Daddy, Mommy and baby horsies with Miss Viv for hours......

We even had two courageous men head out to Black Friday to score some deals....




























In keeping of the competitive and wacky spirit of gaming in this household, a trophy was awarded the high points of some video game that involved unicorns and rainbows.  I think.  All we know that Miss Viv's Mommy horse was sacrificed for the honor of becoming the trophy. I told you; things get strange around here.




On Sunday afternoon, after four days of wonderful camaraderie, lots of food and laughter and baby holding, my adorable guests searched the house for their belongings and added some things as well and packed their cars well as they headed off to their real lives, far away from this Mimi....... The silence was deafening as the house sighed in contemplation as to just what went on.




So as we head off to the Merry Month of December, let us carry in our hearts the warmth of our relationships and the priorities of family and friends.
And may we be kind - as if at the end of the Christmas Season, we shall receive a trophy as dandy as the one that was fashioned out of my sewing room this past weekend by Baby Girl's Hubby....


My dear children: I love you more than my luggage.....

Not a Creature Was Stirring....(apologies to Sweet Sharon)

Cats and their perches.
Around our home and especially our neighborhood, their perches can be just about anywhere. Neighbor Cats insist that I have need for a new cat since the demise of  Miss Kitty last spring.  Do cats, like hobos of old, mark the house as 'Suckahs'?  Do they know that they only cats I've owned have been those that adopted me? I keep looking for a banner, a 'serving number 53' device by the back door, or some cryptic carving informing all of Catdom that I could be swayed. Nevertheless, my garden, my outdoor wicker, patio furniture will, on a good weather day, be upholstered with the finest of Cat personages.  Mostly unknown to me.  They will even look at me, annoyed, that I would even question why I should disturb them.  I started leaving them alone long ago.  I have accepted that foreign cats will decorate my yard, porch and patio.  The hanger ons will go pretty predictable for awhile, then out of the blue, I find a ball of fluff in the least likely place.  Ditzy Stella has a record for the Craziest Cat Perches Ever.  Indoor and out.  This week Stella has approved of the newly installed Christmas Tree and it's silky skirt.  She has spent a good deal of each day this week in this exact position.  Last night, whilst Blogging, she was actually snoring.  Good ol' Stella.

However, unlike my feline buds, roosting in one place very long is not on my agenda this week.  Tomorrow, Miss Vivie calls me for a week of hijinks and conversation in her nearly two year old communicative way.  Mimi is abandoning the calls of the Pre Christmas Sewing Room to a higher call- helping Eldest/Admin for the week.  Packing for the week long trip includes extree things IN CASE a certain other Granddaughter decides to make her appearance and Mimi needs to greet her.  Ah, the blessedness of being needed by BOTH daughters and granddaughters at the same time!!  Tough, huh??!

So this blog shall take another rest while caregiving and fun and frivolity take place, followed by prep for Vivien's First Christmas at Mimi and Papa's.

Welcome December!
We have been waiting a l-o-n-g time....!!

Potpourri

Have traveled a bit this summer.  Collected sights and memories and now that I'm perched for a spell, I'm having fun viewing all that I have taken in.  Swell visits.  Companionable people. Fun car trips.  Nothing on a National Park Scale, but lots of lovely visits with some of my very favorite people. Miss Vivien, of course.  And here at Baby Girl's Baby Shower for her Baby Girl, Vivie and I clued in on each other and quite honestly, it took me awhile to see anything else.  We spun a neck grabbing hug as we caught up on all our lovins.  The photo of the grandest gathering of lovely young women was taken at Squirrel Park.  Aptly named.  And there were actual squirrels there, not just a Mimi crawling up a slide for her granddaughter.  In the heat.  After traveling three hours.  For a special party. Vivie and Mimi had to have some time. In her piggy tail photo, V is wearing a dress that Mimi made her.  Didn't think the fabric or pattern could have gotten much cuter.  I was wrong.Then there was the Niece Lovefest.  Eldest/Admin is absolutely smitten with her Unborn Niece.  She could not wait to feel for herself the magnitude of movement that Baby Girl is experiencing.  I walked in on this moment.  Two sisters with the Baby Mind Meld.  Adorable.Kindred Spirit Friend, Stained Glass Artist, author, poet, most precious of friend.  And we are quite silly as well, climbing into the back of her seatless RAV, indulging in Whitey's Ice Cream.  We laughed and giggled as we traveled to her gracious home, while our Hubby's caught up on their lives and listened to the Two Buds in the Back.  And our Leaving Photo had to include, Pearlman, her doxie, who just at that moment wanted to be a Cory.As Crazy Dee was purchasing some Spectacular Gem adorned sandals, I came across this sign that really does define us.  She still owes me $10.00.

Peek a Boo.  I see you, most Wonderful Granddaughter.....Mimi loves you......