April - It Came and Went

 Still reading many books each month and this month besides taking care of some remaining items from Mom's life, many seasonal chores, the athletics for the grand children, and the WIPs I wanted to complete I was again really busy.  A quick recap follows.

Books read since I last shared:

Mom's stuff: though she gave away most all there are some sentimental items I received and another quilt (the Solids in Spiral) I brought to my Long arm quilter just last week.  Still need to attend to much of it as I am mourning and somewhat growing and getting away from my "life's feeling of overwhelm".  Thankfully, I keep telling myself    I don't procrastinate   , that alone is helping.  

Seasonal Items:  Besides the winter blow down, raking the yard and lawns, blowing the landscape around the home, cleaning out the gutters (PHEW! that alone took 2 days), deadheading and pruning shrubs and the flowers , fertilizing the fruit trees and evergreens I managed to get it all done.  Happy and glad I obtained nearly 141 miles walked as I went about it. Another WIN.

Disregard that wheel barrow full of fire logs back near the gate, while going for a hike at a favorite spot of mine, the Power Company had cut down sections of trees in their way, thus leaving a mess.  I helped them  out and brought home some useable awkward sections for my fire pit enjoyment.  lol  

The gutters needed replacing so while still on target I inquired with the Leaf Guard company.  Their quote made me stagger.  I kid you not, so I opted to go to the same company that installed the earlier out of date system 25 + years ago and was happy with both the result and price.  Two areas of concern were the black ice build up near my front and side door entrances.  It seemed to always drip from the seams or over flow them causing icicles and more drips.  Of course sure enough those areas would  freeze in those most critical areas.  I'm assured those days are done with.  

The other area are the 2 downspouts.  The one newly installed near the front door I want to landscape into its environment and this is how it currently looks in the above photo. 

Not Pretty.  ;-(  

Initially they laid that 4" PVC pipe just next to the paver bricks.  NOPE! What an EYESORE for the first impression of my home.  

So I asked them to angle it backwards into the rock area not the patio so it would not be able to pool there on the step area.

 The other downspout is my access point to the hose manifold area so I asked if they could use the 4" PVC pipe for sturdiness and I'd purchase landscape blocks to elevate a bricked patio step for use.  

They tried and here it is to the left.  

They used a cut piece of pine bough timber to support the patio bricks that had been thrown in there initially and temporarily.  They tried to make it nice while workable.  I see when taking the pic that the alignment and the pitch is off now, so more potential problems down the road....   A for effort anyways.  As they mentioned, they don't dig.  lol

So both of those tasks move onto my May chores.  

The two youngest Grands:  

The youngest grands are both enjoying their sports and doing well scholastically.

PGS#3 pictured on the left is an 8th grader, high honor roll student who also happens to be on the Varsity Hockey team.  A once in a lifetime chance occurred for him this Spring at the end of the Hockey season that I haven't yet shared.  His team made it to the NYS Final Four Competition.  Fanfare upon their departure to Buffalo, NY for the weekend to practice and then compete.   I'll do a separate post for that.  

He's close to 5'10" here and he's solid with a-lot of muscle.   Awhile ago as he was going through a rapid growth spirt (about an inch every 6 months), I asked him if he hurt.  He'd inquire...What?  I'd reply growing so quickly with one part not quite corresponding to the next part's growth?  "NO"  was his reply and I think he assumed I was cracked!  lol   Soon after I asked him what his goal was since I've always maintained that we manifest our destiny and futures dependent on our life choices, and then again he looked at me like, WHAT?  I clarified, "How tall are you going to be? What's your desire?"   Being a teen, he didn't care of course.   LOL  

This past week,  PGS#3 stole the winning run on an err when they tried to throw him out on 3rd.  Game Over.

🎤mic drop.

PGD#1 Was noted as "Player of the Game" with the win 2 weeks ago for her softball team.   All in all, great times to watch especially as she'll graduate in June and has committed to Oneonta for the fall- pursuing her dream in the Medical field.  I'll share one of her Senior Pictures below with some of her talents, not too shabby for an High Honor Roll Student!  Truly, during her photo shoot she had over 50 pictures taken and not 1 shot was off.  She is beautiful and very photogenic.

I'm proud of all my grandchildren and children too for that matter.  Good Peeps - all around.

WIPS:  Managed to get my Spool quilt center top assembled (believe that was done in March) but there she sits.  Am auditioning border treatments and made a couple of purchases to continue but my creativity breaks slam down hard and I know it just isn't quite right.  So I'm percolating that project.   

Did complete a Needlebook for one of my stitching bags.  Included a corded lobster claw loop to help stuff stay inside if needed and also placed a magnet under the applique on the batting page as a just in case and then don't you know I had a bugger of a time getting that snap adhered correctly.  Third time was the charm truly.  Sewed the binding by machine and then  hand stitched the interior side to close it.   

I cross stitched a piece from Melisa of Pinker n Punker Quilting that she gives out often and are so nice.  

I used her "HIVE in a Jar" but refrained from using the jar effect. I also created 2 smaller designs.   Another hive (due to an error in counting I went with it and made it up as I went designing my own nine patch crosses on it) and for the flower part I duplicated it close enough to Melisa's design on the larger piece, but added stitches and bees to fill it in more for the backside of the scissor fob.  Luckily, I've been able to slowly immerse myself from following the directions entirely and make these stitchings uniquely my own.

Am planning on making another needle book with that larger stitched piece and the 2 smaller parts a fob to complement them.  Then of course I plan on making another project bag with BEE stuff with the same fabrics.   lol   Wish me luck!

Sorry, so much for a quick recap. But that just seems to be the norm around here.  lol

TTFN

November Ends

Where is the time going?  My world seems to speed up continuously and that seems impossible but each day is a blur.   The sunsets around here continue to be spectacular!  It's amazing to witness it like this at this time of year.

Some of The GRANDS:  PGS#3, PGS#2, PGD#1
2015 Thansgiving at Meme and Popi's

The Thanksgiving Holiday was wonderful.  Family that could make it did and most of all the grandchildren were around the table.  That makes my heart sing!
While preparing the feast, I received a call from lil' Miss PGD#1.  She wanted to come down could I pick her up?  Sure, I responded so I picked her up and she helped out quite a bit.  Her brother was also invited to come since I had  seen an appetizer dish I thought they'd like to create for our feast but due to some of his behavior errs was told by his Mom that now he'd have to wait until Mom and Dad came down. His loud thoughts were "that's fine by me"  I'll be glad when he gets through this stage and he'll be 7 soon.  

So this is what she did with just a little help from her brother.  Cute isn't it!

She also made the gravy for the feast and the lil' guy helped to set the table.  We had a very enjoyable day and spent some nice quality time together.  Eating, visiting, football toss, football watching, clean up and then some board games.  All in all so much to be grateful for.

Photo of the Grands taken at PGS#1 Birthday celebration at the end of October
PGS#3, PGS#1, PGD#1
He enjoyed meeting his youngest cousin for the first time and re-visiting with his older cousin.

The day after Thanksgiving, we spent it with the eldest grandson, PGS#1 and brought all of the dinner's leftovers to share a Thanksgiving Holiday with him.   Since he just arrived at this place, he's still in the observation mode so can't he can't leave the premises at his present step.  All the counselors are impressed with him and are repeatedly telling us that the individual on all the medical reports is not the same person they are seeing.  We can only hope he continues to do his best.  

Dear daughter celebrated her !! Birthday just before Thanksgiving, so we got together for that too.  The grands blew up about 150 balloons for the celebration.  The elder one, PGD#1 has learned how to make balloon animals so they used their Dad's compressor to blow them up when Mom was gone for the day.  That's one way to keep the young ones busy so Dad can continue to work on their new deck -  Brilliant!

PGS#3- age 6 still

During the party the youngest one, PGS#3 age 6 decided to static cling some balloons to the walls.  With just two of them sticking on his head, decided it was a strong enough hold to actually glue him to the wall too so he fly paper pressed himself against the wall saying, I'm stuck!  Oh where and how does he come up with the things he does, makes us all happy and scratching our heads wondering.  LOL      

Please disregard the blurriness of the photo, that's my fault with trying to capture these real life moments quickly.

My list of what I wanted completed is falling way short too of everything on it with the exception of my counted cross stitch- Bent Creek's, The Red Thread.  Sorry that I've erroneously been giving credit to Lizzie Kate for this design.  My bad!    Check out all the months- they are now complete:

I've surpassed my goal for this and it's just the end of November.  Yippee!!!  

All that remains now is the ribbon surround on the sides and top with the phrase to stitch along the bottom. That is slated for 2016 but who knows how far I can continue with it this this year.

 Some other bit's I'm grateful for are the Washington Hawthorne tree in the side yard.  It's always so gorgeous at this time of year with all the berries left on the branches for many weeks.  Then it seems like a flock of birds fly in overnight and devour them all in a day.  Since it's wintertime, I'm never sure when that happens, but I am hoping to find out when this year.

BTW- This shot does not do it justice.

Another thank that I enjoy is the natural thermometers outside the bedroom window.  Each morning when I lift the shades, I can note the cold.  Depending on the curl of the leaves and droop of the rhododendron's leaf clumps, you can instantly see how cold it is.  Notice the tightness and droop?  It's in the twenties this am.  Not that it gives it in numbers, only cold, Really Cold and SEVERLY COLD.  LOL  You can barely notice but the rotted timbers are slowly be replaced with landscape blocks.  So much more to do on that yet.

before

Another thank I have is the side deck is completed!  Yippee!!  That only took 14 months!  My BIL came over to help DH finish it and brought his tools with him.  It's beautiful and gorgeous.  The only problem is with that Trek decking being weathered for a whole year it's dirty and needs some scrubbing but right now it is way too cold to attempt that.  It will have to wait until the Spring.

DH and Siamak (my dear BIL)  taken the Saturday before Thanksgiving
and it was bitter cold while they were working!

THANKS Honey and SIA!!!!

DH installed the post solar lights this week.

They just softly cascade down each post,

(I'll try to capture a photo of them when they are lit.  

Edited this on 12/7/15 the day before the littlest grandchild turns 7.)

You can see the tiny lights just under the post caps despite the camera flash, we're all so satisfied.  8 )

Wishing you all the best at this time of year,
Jane

Saw an idea of another embroidery piece that would be sweet to stitch at some point.......

Much going on....

 Back from camping and a wonderful time was had. 

 

What a perfect sentiment!

 

 

This little pillow was my gift to Mom years ago when she was living her dream of having a Class A camper. When she and her boyfriend sold it, she gave the pillow back to me so I quickly put it on the Master bed in our camper.  

THE NILE, 1999

I pulled out this older quilt I made about 15 years ago to use since I didn't have the new camper quilt finished.  I really like how cozy it made you feel when you walked into the camper. The pattern is One Thousand Pyramids designed by Deb Tucker of NH using a 60 degree ruler and includes the leftover triangles trimmed into 1-1/2" squares to make that second border finishing in a row of 1" squares. 

I kept looking at it and saw that even at that time in my quilty life, I used the same fabric as either a dark or a light depending on the fabric neighboring it.  You can see where I placed them next to each other in the center bottom seam, pictured above, giving the illusion of a parallelogram in a medium rose fabric.  The only rule I kept was  for dark triangles to point up and the lighter triangles to point down.  It also was the time that I realized that I tended to stash fabric in the mediums and needed to extend my eye to lighter and much darker fabric choices. 

For the label, I did try a new to me technique and designed a perspective border surrounding a triangle.  Though it may be hard to see I drew lines from a center point radiating out past the triangle I wanted to use as the center and paper pieced it  successfully.   I just snapped this photo and it was 14 years ago when it was finished. 

 

 

 

 Thank goodness for the camper's Air Conditioning too, since with all the rain and heat, the humidity was kicking my Asthma's butt. But Ahhhh AC- what's not to love!

 

Camping was wonderful despite the weather.  It was great to walk and ride the bikes. 

 This scene depicts our little corner of Cumberland Bay Campsite for a whole week.  Our daughter's family had an adjoining campsite so the grandchildren loved playing at the beach, in the water and we were privileged to watch fire works  on three different nights besides gathering together for meals.  The second week we moved the screen tent more on our site since we had several different neighbors come and go after Thera and her family left.  Even PGS#2 (age 16) was coerced into staying with us for one of the nights since he promised his 4 yr old cousin that he would.  He also enjoyed the lake and we made even  more fond memories while he with his electronics stayed with us. 

I wasn't quick enough with the camera to capture his fall.  In the picture above you'll notice him laying on the ground after his fall.   So during another siesta shows this shot with him actually still in the hammock(of course with his iPhone.  lol 

BEFORE

AFTER

All of us giggled like fools.

I enjoyed and willr emember fondly some key points during this camping trip.  One that comes readily to mind that I'll share is when I brought him to Blockbuster.  Since the weather was continuous rain that first week I brought him to blockbuster to pick out a couple of movies that he'd like to see besides something else for later in the week for his younger cousins.  While driving there his iPhone kept tweeting softly.  With me not being used to hearing this "tweet"  I was looking around to see who wanted my attention at each stop light with that whistle.  By the second set of street lights I finally realized it was his phone!  I fessed up about it and  Oh how we laughed at that too.    Another time he'd be eating a meal with us and call his grandfather sitting across the table from him who was completely oblivious.  DH kept answering his phone but never realized the culprit who kept calling was Joshua who was sitting across the table from him.  We laughed more and  more until he finally fessed up what was going.   We really had too since we were both in hysterics by this point.  Way Too Funny but I guess you had to be there . 

Concrete boardwalk just in front of our campsite and Plattsburgh, NY in the distance. 

When we returned home we only had a few domestic concerns.

First  was our hayfield, oops... I meant our lawn. lol  Our daughter and her spouse attempted to  mow it for us  2 days before our return but with their schedules between work and ball games with their children, they ended up starting to  mow it the night before we returned calling us at 9:15pm to know which gas can to use and they left, I kid you not, cornrows that you get when you rake a hayfield.  I'm sure the neighbors couldn't have been too thrilled about the noise that late either.  The grass was so high with all the rain we had that first week while away and then the subsequent heat and high temperatures during the 2nd week, that one cut wouldn't fix it and it looked absolutely horrendous!  I thought DH's heart would stop when he saw it, but to his credit I only heard a small gasp escape his lips. 
The second need happened just after our friend John disconnected our camper from his truck.  While we were having a beverage in the driveway and we heard a loud Ka-POW!!  All of us looked at each other and discerned that it came from the backyard, perhaps the pool area not a truck that just happened to be going by at the same time.  Going back to investigate we found that the pool heater was leaking from the front corner.  That can't be good I thought to myself.  Then came the smell of propane gas was apparant making it an even three concerns. 
That's when I started thinking, what came first the chicken or the egg?
Did the propane leak cause the heater to blow! Or did the heater blowing cause the propane leak?

After many phone calls to the respective companies we deal and dealt with it, reasoning the how and whys it actually was a knob turned off on one of the propane tanks that caused one tank to be at 120% capacity while the other tank was at 30% making the tanks blow off.  DH found the tank caps out in the lawn while mowing the next day  so we're not even sure when they started leaking.
The HAYWARD POOL HEATER was only 13 months old and though our pool season had  only 4 months of use, no warranties would cover that expense or replacement via where it was bought, IN THE SWIM or with Hayward Manufacturing directly.  I told the Representative at Hayward that I was not a happy camper though just in the previous two weeks I truly was.  It's thought that with all the rain we had, {can you say "ACID RAIN"}  it turned the water too acidic and that's what wore out the heating elements out inside causing a bad baffle or /and the heat exchange unit to blow then leak.  Major bummer and can you say ouch and ka-ching!  Thank goodness Lake Champlain Pools where we do our business, was so helpful.  Many water tests were done, chemicals added and they came out within 2 days to replace the heater but couldn't fully hook it up since when Amerigas came the day before for the leaks, locked the tanks and couldn't come until today so the heater can finally start doing it's job. 

Of course there are other items on our to do lists (Not to mention the mail, gardens, etc..... ) but we're content with all so far and we'll plug along.  I still have to  finish unpacking the camper and cleaning it  thoroughly and will continue to get it ready since my Mom will be back North next week and is staying at her little home away from home here then. 

It was so nice to get away and even nicer since while I was camping, I managed to finish off 2 more items from my UFO and project lists. 

First, that Ironing Caddy is totally done. 

Detail of button closure using 2 funky hair bands cut in half  for the elastic over the shank button.
Also the cording used for the handles instead of making cloth ones to eliminate any bulk while actually using it to iron hopefully.

 

I didn't care the way the fold piece went on the pattern so I did a different button and loop attachments.  Like how it looks and is unobtrusive with this fold.

Then my Kumihimo bracelet I started last month in a beading class I took with my good friend Trudy was also finished.    I attended another WRAP IT UP class this past Friday at Ali's Beads and was able to get 2 pair of earrings repaired  besides the 2 additional Kumihimo bracelets finished that I did the  beading/weaving on while camping. 

 

First Kumihimo using size 8 beads.

 

Second Kumihimo braided also size 8 but an assortment of finishes and colors.

Third Kumihimo with another assortment of beads also size 8.

Luckily Alison, the owner of the bead shop actually does the manipulating of finishing them for me.  With my neck and back issues my left hand dexterity is nil and when I try to finish it they look like a three year old got hold of some wire and had a great time though the finish is terrible.  With Alison so graciously finishing them, I love them all. 

 

 

 

Was also able to finish reading 2 books too!  The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs and September's Book Club choice of The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus.   I do so enjoy reading at night just before bed, it seems to reset my spirit.   Something about me is that  I love reading at night in bed but not as much in a chair.  Strange isn't it?  But I know what I like and more important what I don't.  And a couple of thimble hooks I bought awhile ago on clearance were a Gothic gold color so I wanted them to be shabbied up abit and not so glaring.  Now they are finished and put to good use in the sewing room.

That's all I have time to share for now, dinner must be attended. 

Salad, Skampi and perhaps a pistachio meringue with fresh fruit for dessert if I can manage.  DH has duties at the Fire Station tonight and has to be out of here by 6:30. 


Maybe I can make the time to sew on some of my quilt projects while he's gone!

 

What's around my Home,

A glimpse of several past projects that are displayed for Thanksgiving and during  the Fall time.

 

I can't remember the name of this pattern off the top of my head. 

When I run across the pattern I'll come back to share which one I used. 

The batiks collected to do this project were so much fun to shop for and I remember well the efforts of machine appliquing around those curvy leaves.   The horror of slicing them in half . 

But also the satisfaction when they were reassembled and placed back together. 

 

For the table / candle mat, I used an eyelet yarn to fringe the outer binding after using my favorite Kona Cotton Black to enclose the quiltlet edges.  Would you believe I used 2 bolts of Kona Black so far in my life time!   Both of these pieces are still a favorite of mine.   Another favorite is the pottery face planter made by a local potter artisan, Vera Vivante.  

 

A painting of DH's that is left up year around.  The colors in this are so deep and rich. 

 

The photo does not do it justice. The frame is one I picked up at an auction for $12.00. What a deal! Needless to say the mat boards to finish it off were about 5 times that price.

 

Still, The Elk was named because of my continuous response.  Several years ago, while hand quilting this wall hanging my friends would inquire what I brought to work on.  My answer always was and thus the name just happening for it,

"Still, The Elk". 

 

 

I quilted a puzzle piece outline through the center of this piece horizontally

but when it came time to do the vertical cross pieces I just didn't have it in me.

I did outline quilt the leaves in the leaf print border and did a bit of assymetrical diagonal lines in the inner borders.

When I called it good enough to exhibit for the fall, my thought was to quilt some more on it during the winter, just not sure yet which year I may attempt that! Perhaps some year.

The outline of the elk, foreground and tree is Ultrasuede and was easy enough to work with. The most difficult part besides the hand quilting was finding strips of the sky fabrics to flow with the fiery sky look I was attempting.

I'm happy with it. 

 

Enjoy your Black Friday weekend.  I may go shopping tomorrow before that beading class.

 

Jane

 

 

 

 

Before Frankeinstorm hits

 I ran a mended Official Hockey Uniform next door to a neighbor's son who just passed his certification and noticed how nice our side lawn looked.  I figured I'd grab a snap shot of it  before Hurricane Sandy's affects are felt and seen.  The forecast is that she'll be here tomorrow.  I hope all who've been displaced and live in the any of the dangerous areas keep safe.  Belongings can be replaced but people can't .


My son just flew back from Austin, TX after attending an International 3 Technical Rescue Convention.  I'm glad that he bumped his return flight a day sooner.   DS#1 enjoyed the trip and the chance to kibitz  with other International 3 Rescuers and reconnecting with friends that live cross-country.   He thought that he might have been recognized at this forum since he and a friend won one of the Higgins- Langley Awards for Technical Rescue for 2011. The actual award ceremony was held in Lake Tahoe, I believe back in May, but he couldn't attend at the time because of other work commitments.    I am glad and proud of his accomplishments and despite always helping others out in dangerous situations,  I know that he is following his passion and know he has a solid thought process and integrity/responsibility for the safety of persons on his team/self  besides helping out strangers whenever needed.  Even though I still am concerned, I really don't worry too  much,  just offering up silent prayers of thanks and guidance from Heaven.

Both he and DH were at the Fire  station last night helping to  get all the equipment set  up in case their Volunteer Department is  deployed for help elsewhere with the impending storm.  It's a good thing too since they were called to help out in a region  just south of Albany this afternoon.  Not sure yet where or how bad it is  or expected to get since the storm is heading towards Connecticut now.    

 

We're all set.  This snap is from Saturday and now the flags, chairs, and decorations are safely put away. 

Stay safe all.

 

Regards,

Jane