Sewing with Grandma

Believe it or not, I have very little patience with sitting in front of a sewing machine. I can quilt and sew just about anything, but I get claustrophobic when stuck there for any amount of time. My Mama, on the other hand, is an avid quilter and loves every bit of it. She has designed and made amazing quilts for most of her 13 grandkids (its a little hard to keep up when that many are born in the space of 11 years), as well as full sized quilts for each of her 5 kids. Not to mention all of the others that she's made over the years.

So when she approached me and asked if her oldest Granddaughter might like some sewing lessons, I jumped at the opportunity!

They started last Summer, with my girl choosing the "what" (a quilt for her doll Mimi). She was able to pick through all of Grandma's fabrics and chose the entire color scheme and layout. In between holidays and school, there weren't very many opportunities to get it finished (a great disappointment, as it was intended to be a Christmas present for Mimi). But at last, the final day came, and the project was finished.

I'm so proud of my little one. She took to the craft like I should have known she would. We are a family of makers, after all. She did all of the stitching and stuck with it even when there were stitches that needed to be re-done. She even chose the thread colors and did the tying to hold it together.

These two are already trying to decide what their next sewing project will be, and none of us could be any happier with the arrangement.

Almost immediately after finishing the quilt, a box was found and Mimi got to open her gift, much to the amusement and delight of everyone present.

Christmas Recap

Anticipation.

Christmas baking (which in our house means a couple of last-minute things made on Christmas Eve (Vegan Gluten Free Banana Bread and Super Spicy Ginger Cookies).

Relaxing because all of the gift wrapping was finished days before.

A very peaceful and contemplative Christmas Eve service at our church.

Christmas morning crepes and sausages and lots of coffee and exchanging gifts with our best friends (LEGOs! A new doll! And for me... a starter kit to begin beekeeping at last; something I've wanted to do for years and years and years).

Christmas evening spent with the Farmboy's family.

New Year's Eve spent with my family (So. Many. Cousins.)

We are blessed in many more ways than we deserve. With friendships and family relationships and a church congregation to which we truly belong, heart and soul. With a home that brings peace and comfort in the darkest of hours. With so much that I could never express, including YOU.

Thank you for coming back time and again, even when my blogging consistency is extremely lacking. I appreciate you more than you know.

The main reason I was so much more relaxed this Christmas? Instead of sourcing and buying gifts for the multitude of family members that we exchange gifts with each year, I gave "homemade" gifts to all (tee hee)...

The Rest of Summer

Concerts in our small-town forest park, concerts in a well-populated city park, sleeping alone in the guest room because the mattress is firm and doesn't hurt my back, scavenger hunts, a heat wave, watering the plants and then watering some more, charting samplers, working out bass lines, visiting the duck pond with Grandpa and Grandma, front yard picnics, apples in the orchard, the kids and I soaking in as much of our Summer break as one can while being an invalid.

It was a beautiful season, no matter the circumstances. We are continually talking about being thankful in all times, no matter what. When things look bad, we start to count our blessings. It sounds a bit trite, I know, but through my Adrenal Fatigue a few years back, and now the pain of a herniated disc, piriformis syndrome and sciatica, I really have relied on the discipline of thankfulness to keep me positive and yes, even content.

By the grace of God,

"all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." -Julian of Norwich

My apologies for the following, if you're not a fan of needles... I wanted to include this picture for my own memory, plus its pretty fun that my needle ankle tattoo has needles around it.

It would seem that we have been adopted by another black cat. This handsome fella has been hanging around for a few months now, growling and yowling at our permanent felines, Freaky and Strange, but the two elderly fellows have decided to tolerate this new youngster, if at a distance. Socks, as he has been named by the youngest Twist, sneaks meals from the open and always full cat food dish, drinks from the freshly circulated water in the fish pond, and hangs out every evening below the bird feeder. We've been trying to lure him closer with quiet gentle words and have worked up to him not bolting every time we open the door. He regards us with suspicion and won't let us get within six yards, but he lets us talk.