Thursday, December 25, 2014

This might work....

Not sure about this but I thought I would try to work out how to Post before having to confess to the DGD that I had already forgotten all she taught me...!!  

 This is today's catch... Not a good one , but the men had a good day out and there is enough for us to have a taste of fresh fish for dinner...

Rosey....I feel your pain !! I
I made and dressed a doll for a DGD , years ago.  It involved a lot of work and took a very long time.. I was with her when she opened her parcel, she threw the paper over her shoulder and the doll quickly followed. (She was 3 at the time !)  I decided then that I needed to take pleasure in anything I made as there was no guarantee that anybody else would ever take pleasure in it !   It works for me !   That quilt is beautiful and all of us here can recognise your talent and skill... I'm sure it will become valued and treasured as the years pass by !   

Now..... I wonder what I press to get this to Post ?!?!

Marion.

Marion. 






Christmas & the reality of a six year old

Granddaughter, Addison is six years old.  She's known that I have had a quilt in the making for her for over a year, finally finished it over this past summer, sent it off to my longarm quilter, Mary L, who does a fantastic job on quilts.  I suggested to my son that he put the quilt on her bed today to surprise her; no, he insisted, it should go under the tree, it's from you.  So, under the tree it went.  An Ipad (ref??) was her main gift from her dad, she ripped Xmas wrappings off various electronic gadgets and when she got to the quilt, the look on her face was....anti-climatic to say the least.  "Finally", she said," you got my quilt done" and went on to rip off more Xmas wrappings...Anti-climatic...all that work, one day I hope she can look back on it and think..Grandma Rosey made that quilt.  We all know what goes into the making of a quilt.  A six year old child cannot be expected to have that same appreciation that she has for an iPad...(I'll get that spelling right one of these days). 

It was the first Christmas in over forty years that I have not been in charge of the Christmas dinner.  No turkey, no leftovers, no being in charge.  It went to my son, who, despite being harried at the last minute, made a memorable Christmas turkey dinner.  And you know what, it wasn't hard turning over the reigns to someone else...finally.  I'm okay with it.  I'll get a turkey in January and himself and I can eat turkey and leftovers in the middle of January.  That works for me.

Best part of the day was that I was allowed to drive the hour and a half down to my son's home, n/e of Toronto and back.  Usually himself insists on driving but my nerves are getting to the point where, in the air, there is no-one better; on the ground, watch out.  He pulls out, never looks, eases into another lane, cars honk, light turns green, he goes to turn left into oncoming traffic, wheels screech, my heart turns over.  I think it's the lack of awareness that there is traffic and while as he says, there is traffic in the sky, a plane in front, a plane beneath you, a plane above you and behind you but, I said, there is an air traffic controller and he said yes.  On the ground, you have to be your own traffic controller.  So, for the first half hour of our trip this morning, it was like driving with a six year old hyperactive kid in the passenger seat.  "What's this for; what's that for" meaning the dashboard of my Nissan Pathfinder.  "Look it up in the handbook" I said..."Can I push this to see what will happen?"  A tranquilizer dart passed through my mind...should I have slipped him something in his morning tea before getting him into the car, which was a concession on his part completely...I HAVE TO BE IN CONTROL, you know...I AM A PILOT.  Then, the story of his friend Terry, a retired airline pilot who bought a Honda and doesn't like it because he can't programme his GPS while driving the car.  The car has to be turned off.  "Imagine having to pull off the road to set your GPS" he said, indignantly. Hmmmm......I'd rather fly with a pilot than drive with them on the ground.
Rosey

From Mary L, in Kansas

I miss talking with you all on the internet.  Still cannot get in to the page myself so I'm asking Rosey to do it for me.  I have recently reconnected on the internet with Shirley Greene and Doni Reimer.  I miss the old page the way it used to be.  We're in South Padre Island now.  I'm recuperating from a bad flu with pneumonia.  Then the day after we left home to head south,  DH started having pain and drove the last two days with pain.  Went to the doctor Monday and he's probably trying to deal with kidney stones.  They gave him some pain pills that is helping but he's not having a good time yet.
This past year I've made a wedding quilt and a quilt for my sister-in-law from the scrubs she wore to work before she retired.  I don't think I have pictures of them on this computer.

I hope everybody has a Merry Christmas and a great 2015.

Mary in KS

Oh dear !

I've forgotten already !  Fortunately we are still in Auckland and the DGD will be home later.... I  will get  her to show me again....THEN I will do as Rosey suggested , and write down all of the instructions....

Boxing Day here and the DH and DSIL have gone fishing with the two DGSs... We are hoping for fish for dinner.  We had a great day yesterday, everybody was in good humour , the weather was good and the food delicious..  Later in the afternoon DD and I went for a lovely walk along the beach and enjoyed seeing the families down there, playing in the sand.  The evening was spent looking at old films of the children when they were tiny...teenagers love that !  The rest of us were amazed at how young we all looked !!!

Marion .



Learn something new everyday

Old adage proven true. It's good to see a post from Pat. Will enjoy seeing the quilt again when your quilting is done. I have always said it is best to have a teen girl tutor us in the new technology. They are infinitely more patient than the young men and they will allow you to try it instead of doing it for you.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

From Pat in Michigan


Was reading Marion's post (courtesy of Rosey) this morning and how she was able to get the chat page on her IPAD.  It works!!  I followed her directions and now I have the chat page on my IPAD.  Thank you Marion.....
I have been sewing...will add a photo to this message.  The top is now in the quilt frame and I plan to hand quilt it this winter.   Have wanted to make a lavender quilt for a long time.  It is small, will fit the top of a double bed, but then not every quilt has to be king size I tell myself.  The photo is before I added sashing etc.  No outer borders.
Merry Christmas everyone!
 

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Christmas cheer ,

Well.....here we are in Auckland and the DGD has worked her magic and shown me how to post a photo, on the IPad !!   There will be no holding me now ! (That's if I remember how to do,it.... ). All so simple when you know how !  DGD has down loaded an Ap called Blog and when It click onto it....there is the posting page !     We have just been out for some last minute grocery shopping but that should be IT until after Christmas.  Let's hope so.    Hot and muggy in Auckland, but so very nice to be here.

Wishing you a safe and happy time .  
Marion.

A comment by Rosey








BloggerBlogger Another from the comments on my post that may be of interest to any who cannot get to the comment portion on the blog for whatever reasons.

 RoseyP said...
Laura, what a beautiful Grandma and what beautiful children. Size gives the pictures a richness on the board...I think it's great.
I'm happy to post for anyone who can't connect with the chat board. I've put my email address on here before...will spell out the in-betweens even though this is a private forum:
farmerswalkbandbatsympaticodotca
Convert the 'at' and the 'dot'.
If not, find me under our website found in the wording above.

Another grey day here in Southern Ontario, typical December weather. Am working on redrawing a design which will take awhile and keep me busy over the next week or so. I'm turning over copyright of two quilt patterns to our local museum, one of which appeared in Canadian Living Magazine, our national women's magazine, thirty years ago and the pattern is still selling a few each year. I don't want to see it lost when I 'cork off'...!! Paring down in my own way. Rosey

Mary Jo commented and I wanted all to see

Some here do not read all the comments. There were times when I could not get to them myself so I posted Mary Jo's comment from my earlier post. Also Sara suggested, for the grandaughter's kit, fruit roll ups and/or protein bars of some sort Mary Jo - great idea Sara.Delete

        Mary Jo said:
You are very welcome, Laura. Visiting those precious little ones will bring even more smiles. People, in general, do not realize the heartache that comes to many during the holidays. Good memories are more difficult to handle than bad ones I find. Avoidance is my method of coping. Have not attended any concerts or musical presentations this year as that was 'our thing' to do during the holidays. Church is the hardest place for me to go. Finally gave up and switched to the contemporary early service which meets in the gym rather than the sanctuary. Memories hit hardest there.


Am at my son's in Eastern Oregon for 3 days to celebrate an early Christmas. It is wonderful to have them down from AK and to have their girls home. One is 'down' from Seattle and the other 'up'from Waco, TX. Now that they are thru college and employed, visits are less often.

Will fly to my daughter's for 3 days over Christmas. Her 4 children (19 to 26 years) and one's spouse will be there. It will be a houseful with 8. 3 days away is about my limit. Great to distract myself with family. And truly enjoy them.


The red/purple crazy quilt was started in class. I was teaching crazy quilting and tried something different. Did it all on the machine. In setting up the quilt room, I found a lot of crazy quilting fabrics and supplies. I'm thinking of making Christmas stockings for next year.


The grandaughter who lives near me is leaving in February for 3 years in Antofagasta, Chile to do missionary work. I'm making a kit of emergency supplies for her to take on the plane. She will travel to Ecuador for a month and then to Columbia for 2 months. Do you have any ideas for the kit other than medical supplies? It needs to fit in her carry on tote bag. All feedback is appreciated.
Blessings,
MaryJo

Mr. and Mrs Claus

Just to clarify, picture below is not DH and myself. They are Mr. and Mrs. Claus from DS work.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Rosey's Posting Service

Rosey that is such a great service you offer - posting for those who cannot find another way to communicate here. If you can, post Mary Jo's second note on the board. I enjoyed her comments and don't think everyone always reads the comment section. I know I forget some of the time.

We have arrived this evening at DS & DDIL. The children and their excitement for the holiday have already brought smiles. Even as I post the infant is having a bout of crying and even that is okay because it is part of life. This will be a nice time as it is always when we visit.

The boys saw Mr and Mrs Claus a couple of weeks ago. See why I'm smiling? Oh dear. This is posting huge but I'll leave it unless someone objects because I have no clue how to make it the proper size.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Marion's Roses

Marion from New Zealand sent these through to me overnight and said that when picked, she placed them in the vase, closed the door up to the room and later that day when they had guests, she opened the room and the scent from the roses was beautiful.  I asked permission to posted them  here as Marion hasn't figured out yet how to post from her Ipad.  I'm happy to do this for people.  She and her DH leave for Auckland tomorrow to celebrate Christmas with daughter #2 and family.  From England originally, I asked Marion how she managed with warm Christmases after growing up in the UK.  We in the northern hemisphere could not imagine Christmas without snow to some degree...

A storm is scheduled to come into Southern Ontario from the US mid-west on Christmas day...we're hoping the weather forecast is altered to after Christmas.  So many travel by road up here to visit family...as happens elsewhere and where there is storm forecast, it's always a worry.

Two dogs outside in the dog run barking their fool heads off, better go get 'em.
Rosey for Marion in New Zealand.