Saturday, December 20, 2014

Holiday greetings to all!

Because we all celebrate different holidays and I'm fine with generic greetings.  Diversity makes life more interesting.    :-)

Mary Jo --- Your ladder/Xmas tree is such a clever idea and it looks great!

I lack a few small items to wrap for Xmas gifts, and then I'm done.   I think.  Unless I run across something else.   Ack.   It will be fun to see how our 15-month-old DGD responds to Xmas morning.  She too young to truly get into the prezzies yet, but she will be more aware than she was a year ago.
Sophie (our dog) will receive a nice Xmas dinner treat of raw egg on her meal, and we might even give her a "happy meal"  of her favorite dry kibble.   Oh! how she dances in circles when she sees the bag.   LOL

DH and I are worn out on the holiday parties and foods, and we have one more to go.   We really cannot complain, as we aren't being forced to attend or eat any of it (LOL)  but oh, my, some serious exercise will have to take place in the coming weeks.     
A friend sent me this, and I think it sums up my situation perfectly ---

An Aussie Christmas

Beautiful quilts, ladies. Thanks for sharing. And I love the stepladder Christmas tree.

We are just back from a week in Melbourne where our son graduated with his Masters in Architecture at 35 years of age. We have 3 days to get the house in order before he and his partner, and our youngest son and his wife, drive over to help us celebrate Christmas.

We always have a ham, perhaps a turkey, both cooked in the Weber the day before, with assorted salads. However, this year we will have a few additions to bulk up the table as the younger couple are both now vegetarians. Last year they baked a stuffed pumpkin, which was really very tasty.  Being American, Sarah misses northern Christmases (hot Christmases don't feel 'right' to her!) as well as her family, quite keenly. This is only the 2nd year that she and Shannon have been here on the day, so we're hoping she will enjoy it more this year.

To make it even more interesting, our eldest son's partner is a Persian (Iranian) Zoroastrian, and this is the first Christmas she will spend with our family. Yesterday she received her first ever Christmas card and was over the moon.  She has had a wonderful time buying a tree for their flat and decorating it. I have made them both Christmas stockings so that she can have that experience as well.

On the weekend after New Year we will drive to Adelaide and have a late Christmas picnic with middle son, his fiancee and their 2+2 children. It's been fun finding and making children's gifts again after all these years.  Next year, when we have settled in our new home down there, we will hopefully have the whole family over for the first time in ages. The swap is still going ahead - the new owner has even started bringing some of his belongings and storing them in the cellar here (now termed his 'man cave').

Wishing you all as happy a Christmas and New Year as possible, with hugs to those who will be feeling sad at this time.

Fran


Friday, December 19, 2014

Thank you

Mary Jo and Sarah, thanks for changing the mood of the board. It has helped my disposition. I especially like that bright quilt you have made Mary Jo. Perhaps the cold and cloudy weather has had a lot to do with my mood. Your bright quilt has brought a smile to my lips.

Rosey I have to apologize for the disappearance of your post because of my using the same title as you and causing the confusion about duplicate posts. I was using the title because my post was about how I was feeling similar to you about the holiday season.

I should hang out with the cheery quilters here more often. It can only get better. We will head out to DS's home before the snow flies and enjoy the antics of our two year old DGS and his baby brother who is only 4 months old. Talk about smiles and cheerfulness....

Happy Holidays!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Happy happy, happy!

Today is my DH's 66th birthday.  He wanted an egg McMuffin from McDonald's for his breakfast, so that's what he had.  LOL
We spent about 3 hrs. bike riding up in the Amelia Island area of No. Fla.   There is a wonderful bike trail there, a bit of the over the river foot/bike bridge is still not finished.  We took our own lunch.  I thought the sun was going to come out, but it was overcast the whole time.  A bit chilly, but about 60.  Good time with the man I love.
I know the conflict of Christmas.  The TV shows, etc. make us all want "perfect" my oldest and only granddaughter was killed in a 1 car accident 4 years ago yesterday, and today is DH's birthday.  Family on Canadian border, etc.  Mom is given days, maybe 2-3 weeks left by Hospice nurse.  Still I choose Joy, to remember the Birth of my savior, Jesus.  We have a wonderful church family, great friends.  The first Christmas our DD and SIL were gone was so sad.  No one invited us over, and we ate out very quietly.  Things have improved since then, thankfully.
This year we are going to friend's house for dinner at 2pm, another friend/relative house at 5PM.
We are back looking at condos as of Sat.  The one we were thinking about fell through.
I'm hoping Mom's passing will come before the next few months.  This year has been "on hold" wondering where, when, etc. we will live.  It's time to fish or cut bait as they say by the water!
Good quilting, blessings for Christmas for all.
Sara in No. Fla.

From MaryJoG.

Like you, Rosey, I'd decided last year's Christmas letter was my last.  John insisted.  I felt it was too hard to write about all of his health struggles.  That took over our lives so there was not a lot more to report.  But, did one and it was OK.  This year, I've decided to respond to any letters with a personal note.  So far, not too many have come in.   The stepladder tree idea came from Pinterest.  Love it!  Have never tasted mince pies but they do sound good.  Nice to learn of ideas from across our world.  The red and purple quilt is for my son and daughter in law who teach in a small village in AK, on the Bering Sea.  They spoke of the drabness of an all beige apartment and no daylight.  Days are very short there.  This will brighten all.   The quilt at the base of the tree was made by my daughter while she was in college.  As an engineering/math major she made her own pattern.  It was her first quilt and she doesn't think she is a quilter!  
I'm driving 2 1/2 hours to Eastern OR to visit my son and his family.  They are down from AK and the girls from WA and TX.  We will have an early Christmas this weekend.  Will fly north to spend the holiday with my daughter's family. Tuesday night, the 5 grandkids are doing a piano concert for their Dad's birthday. That may be the highlight of the holiday.  Merry Christmas to all.  Hope this is the best one yet.

Hmmmm!

I am conflicted about Christmas and have been mulling it over in my mind all season. No conclusions yet and I just don't feel like talking about it. I do wish good will to all my quilt friends here though.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Merry Christmas to all

Love your tree Mary-Jo, what a good idea, Marion great wall hanging Doris, the valances look really good, love the new ideas you are all showing and I feel so sorry for all of you who haven't eaten mince pies. Spicy fruit mince with a drop of brandy Yum , when there kids around it has to be apple juice, but still great. I have finished my shortbread and chocs now to start on the mince pies. When Harry was here I had to hide them ,usually in the drier he never looked there........ My kittens have gone and peace is now around us, Not too bad 2 wrecked plants, my watch is missing ,my new mat will never be the same, my cat came back 10 mins after they went, and I will probably have them again next year, some people never learn do they!!!!! Love to all of you have a great holiday and keep warm, hugs, Bee in NZ.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Mary Jo Took an old ladder & Dressed it up for Christmas

Merry Christmas from Mary Jo

Christmas greetings

I'm behind in checking in here.  It's been a busy month with no end in sight.  

Rosey - What a beautiful quilt for your granddaughter!

Marion - Your Xmas wall hanging photo is a lovely Xmas card for our Chat Page!   Thank you for posting it.

DH and I spent the weekend in Sarasota, Florida, to visit my aunt.   DH and I toured the Ringling Brothers   Circus Museum and the family mansion on Saturday.   That evening, we attended my aunt's annual Xmas party.   Oh the weather is lovely down there!!!  After our museum tour, DH and I ate lunch on the patio (!!!) at the museum.   Everything is green and we didn't have to wear jackets.   Now I understand why Florida is popular during winter!

Around Thanksgiving (the U.S. one) I finished some valances for our son & DDIL's breakfast table area.  She buys the fabric and I do the labor.  They save a pile of money that way.   I hope they will be kind when they choose my elder care. (LOL)     DDIL helped me install the valances and here is a quick pic she took on her cell phone.  She chose upholstery fabrics (ugh) but the good news is that they were both lightweight --- although heavier than drapery fabric --- and it was manageable.


I've also made some bibs for our DGD that are waterproof, made with that PUL fabric which is popular to use as covers for cloth diapers.   DGD is now feeding herself (oy, the mess!) so having something that can be wiped off and laundered when it becomes truly a disaster, is very convenient.   I bought a pattern online, downloaded as a .pdf, taped the two pages together, and it's very easy to make.  We like the fact that it is designed with a "sleeve"-of-sorts  to hold it in place.

I bought it here ---  http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/05/bapron-tutorial.html No affiliation, yadda yadda yadada.     I've also made some to give to my Pilates teacher as a Xmas gift.  She has a 10-month old daughter who is at this stage, also.
 I used a 1/4" purchased ready-made Wright's brand  binding from JoAnn's, which helps the project go very fast.     If I used a wider binding, I could add a pocket along the bottom, to catch food as it falls down.   

Must run . . . too much to do this week.    Hugs to everyone!