January 31

Here we are, the last day. I posted pics of my mom from back in the day so I thought I would end this with a pic of her now. She hates to have her pic taken and you can rarely get one unless it is by surprise as this one is. I love this pic of her. Doesn't she have the most beautiful blue eyes. Here's to you mom, I love ya.

Here it is, last day eve. Now, tell me aren't we all going to kind of miss this, at least a little bit. Surprising how challenging it can be to just take and post a picture a day for a month. I have enjoyed it tho and enjoyed visiting everyone else's blog too. Really kept us connected. This is DH with our babies and our babies chillin in front of the fire. From left to rt on DH is Maybe, Pudge, and Abbey. Abbey is Pudge and Maybe's mom. You guys already met our big boy Ernie in an earlier picture with my granddaughter. Just also wanted to take a minute to say thanks for all your lovely comments on the bear. My friend, Rob, who did the fairy cross stitch also wanted me to thank everyone for all the lovely comments on his cross stitch. Guess that is all till tomorrow.

Thursday Jan 29

First off, thank you all for your great support about my weight,health and exercizing. I am really stoked to do this. I was s'posed to meet with the trainer today, but my street didn't get plowed so there was no way. Tomorrow at 11:00, then no excuses!!

This is my pic for today and it is not a new pic, but ultimately seems like this is about sharing and not just a new pic. Besides, there isn't much out there but snow to take a pic of, I haven't even had any birds lately. This is one of my favorite creations and it is sold so I am glad I have the pics. This is the Ice Fairy, The Polar King and The North Wind. The bear and the doll are cloth and the wind is needlefelted. The wind even has long willowy eyelashes, not sure if you can see them. I love the bear and the wind and the fairy is ok. She isn't my best, but she will do. Just thought I would share them and I am desperate for a picture. LOL

Wednesday Jan 28

We got dumped on today. Snow, snow and more snow. Level 2 snow. I am trying to get a picture that gives you an idea. This is the house across the street with my DD car in front and yes there is a road in there. It was so deep I even had trouble in my 4WD pick up getting through it. I think we got about 12" but haven't heard the final tally. Most business closed early and the mall didn't open till 1:00 pm, if they opened then. We already had about 12" on the ground....so yippee skippee, more white stuff. But it does sparkle so pretty in the sunlight or the moonlight.

This is Kamden my GS. I just posted this cuz he is so darn cute and into everything. He is just a couple of weeks away from walking. We get so tired of chasing him and saying NO KAMDEN that we put him in baby jail. He is learning a whole new vocabulary now. LOL

Everyone had such nice things to say about my yarn. Here is a pic where I started knitting it and a pic of the style I am trying to make...kind of a poncho sweater. I thought it would be great to throw in the car and put on over a shirt on a cool summer night. That is the goal, but we shall see if I can do it. I do so love the colors yellow, purple, blue. Happy colors that go with about anything.

Now for the biggie. Here is a picture of me that I am hoping will become my "before" picture. I have been fighting my weight for about 10 years now. You know, all the menopause stuff (sorry guys) and I have low thyroid (which I am being treated for so it shouldn't matter anymore right?) and slightly high blood pressure. I didn't really talk about any resolutions but I really want to get this weight off this year. I am just not comfortable. I also am not brave enough yet to tell you what I weigh, maybe after I lose some. Anyway, I work for the hospital here and they have a fitness club, kind of like the Y, but they also use it for rehab with trainers and doctors etc. Course, we get a wonderful discount as an employee. Last week I went and joined and this Thursday I meet with a trainer to get me started. Now, this is costing me money (incentive #1). I have told you all about it (incentive #2) and I want off blood pressure and just better health in general (incentive #3). Once my dr. said I needed to exercize an hour every day. I was like, where did all the crap about 3 days a week go? Anyway, I really watched my diet and I did treadmill for 30-45 min (as fast as I could walk, which is pretty fast) and pilates for 1/2 hour a day for a month. I gained 5 pounds. Talk about discouraging!! Let's hope for better results this time. So, wish me luck and hopefully I can post progress pics & numbers. I would like to lose at least 40 pounds and by june would be extra nice. Till tomorrow. I think I have talked your ear off today.

Oh, one more detail.....I got the pictures to work thanks to everyone's helpful hints.

Tuesday Jan 27

Hi everybody! I am posting early tonight. I have been trying to figure out how you guys get your pictures in different areas of your dialogue. Every time I try to do that, when I bring the pics in they just come out at the top. Oh well, maybe someday I will figure it out. Today, I have a picture of this fabulous yarn I bought about a year ago. It is wool and hand dyed. I paid a ridiculous price for it, but hey it is a once in a life time thing. Anyway, I really wanted to make a poncho out of it but I wanted a poncho with sleeves. I finally found a pattern for one, but it is done all in garter stitch which I really don't care for in this yarn. So, I have decided to do it in stockinette and see if I can figure it out. Anyway, if and when I finish it, I hope it fits and I think it will be beautiful. I went downtown today because the store I bought it in is really quaint and was in the refurbished carrousel district. To my shock the store is gone. So, I took a picture of two murals that are painted on the sides of buildings downtown. One is a mural of the town and the other of Johnny Appleseed. I guess he spent a lot of time here back in the day. We do have several apple orchards around here. Also, I am still trying to get info on Mickey Mouse, but the guy that everyone thinks will know is in Hawaii...must be nice. Also, about those cacti, they are huge, as in 6' and more!

So sorry I missed yesterday. Hope that doesn't disqualify me. I was sick. The 9 month old grandbaby was sick and his mom was at work so guess who got stuck holding him all day? I was just to pooped to compute. Today I am posting some pictures from Kingwood Center which is 47 acres of mansion and gardens right in the center of our town. Mr. King left it and a trust to take care of it. The gardens are fabulous and here is a link if you would like to read more about it. http://www.kingwoodcenter.org/ I am posting a couple of pictures from the greenhouse where they have cacti. You certainly don't see cacti like this anywhere but a greenhouse in this neck of the woods.

Saturday January 24

Today is not much of a post, but after seeing this armature yesterday in photo, thought I better change it and try again. I think it looks better now. What do you all think? It was cold here again today, 15. Took 2 of my granddaughters roller skating for the first time tonight. They did great and had a lot of fun. My 6 year old put those skates on and took off like she was born in them. My 3 year old had the kind that go over your shoe and they don't go so great but it did giver her the feel of rolling and keeping her balance. Maybe next time we will try real skates. Lord how long has it been since any of you been on a pair of roller skates? Let me tell you, I found all kinds of muscles that forgot what they were there for.

Today was a quiet day. Temps got almost to 40 degrees today. Felt like a heatwave. I looked oustide and there were all these kind of big black birds flying in the sky. I mean gave you that feeling of the The Birds. Remember that movie? I tried to get a picture and these are the best I could do, but they were everywhere.

I worked on my cathedral window quilt and restarted my Libelle (Sherry Goshen class on DollStreet). I'm glad I took this picture. Her armature looks proportioned right when I look at her, but this picture makes it look like I need to give her a bit more torso length. You guys are so right about a picture really showing you what is wrong.

Thursday Jan 22

Here is my other find at the antique store. Once again, this is only a top and needs completed. This is a crazy quilt. I could never see myself making a crazy quilt either. First of all, doing "random" piecing would drive me crazy. It would probably be a good exercize for me, but I just don't do "random" well. Second is the embroidery that is usually done on one of these quilts. I don't do embroidery, at least not by hand, by machine is another thing. This one has what I believe is called a feather stitch done around everything. I think you can see it in the close up of one of the stars. I really like star quilts, so I especially liked that the "crazy quilt" formed a star pattern. The entire thing is done by hand. The stars were crazy quilted onto a piece of foundation muslin. I took a picture of the back of a star so you could see that. I did some research and from what I can ascertain, crazy quilts were tied instead of being "quilted". Does anyone out there know anything about that? They also, traditionally, would have more exquisite fabrics in them, like silks etc. This one doesn't seem to have that. I feel like it was pieced with scraps and cut up clothes. No reason to believe that, just something I feel. I do want to finish all 3 quilt tops, but find myself hesitant to start. I want to do them and their original makers justice, so I keep hesitating. Usually I quilt by machine, but kind of feel that I should do it by hand since they did the piecing by hand. And just finding the right fabric for the backing.....lots of decisions there. If I do get brave enough and finish one I would for sure post it, but in the meantime I am happy I have them and appreciate them and can share them. I just feel that it honors the makers and gives them a bit of a legacy even if we don't know who they are or what their story was.

Wednesday Jan 21

I went to my favorite little antique store and found two new quilts. But, since this is a picture a day, just sharing one today and saving the other for tomorrow. This is a double wedding ring, another pattern I would never do......there are those circles again, and do you see how tight that point is on the print going into the rings? Whew, not for the faint of heart there. Anyway, this one is also hand pieced and a top only. I hope to finish it too. The edges are scalloped, don't know if that is evident in the pics, so that means it will have to be bound with bias, that will be a challenge in itself. Also, notice the yellow? If anyone has a bit of fabric that looks like it would come close to matching, there is one of those tiny squares on the edge that is torn. If I can't come close, then I'll probably replace it with something obviously different. Once again, wouldn't it be lovely to know something of it's maker. That is a lot of work there. Tomorrow, pictures of my other find.........

Comment on Jan 20

Yes, there is hope that she may go back to her art some day. My oldest DD grew up and never had any interest in sewing or cooking. Now, she loves to do both. I never would have figured that. We use to tease her that she couldn't even boil water. So, maybe age has something to do with it. We can only hope.

Tuesday Jan 20

This will be short & sweet tonight. I worked 9 hours today and babysat from the time I got home till now. Sometimes you just wonder if it is worth their mom working. Anyway, have to do it again tomorrow so I need to get to bed. This picture is of a drawing my youngest DD did back when she was in high school. I so wish I had the talent to draw. She also sculpted a really awesome dragon in high school, but I don't remember getting any pictures of it. Anyway, she doesn't ever draw or sculpt anymore and, from someone who doesn't have that talent, I just hate that she wastes it and doesn't do it more. K, till tomorrow............

On the Tall Guy

I talked to my mom and she doesn't remember his name. She said that Gray's (Gray Drug--do you remember those?) brought him in for a promotion. He was famous for being so tall. She says that she and her girlfriends took him out on the town that night and that they had a heck of a time getting him in the car. Sorry that is all she could remember. She says it was a looooong time ago.

It's been a really long day. I left at 6:30 a.m. to go to work and just got home at 9:45 p.m. My DD had minor surgery to help her pass a kidney stone, so I work at the hospital then sat up there all night. Yuck. Anyway, everything went fine, now we just wait for it to pass I guess. The picture of the house has an icicle from the gutter to the ground. I could not get any closer or else I couldn't show how long it is. I think I win on size for an icicle here. This is my neighbor's house and I sure hope it doesn't ruin his gutter. The entire gutter is ice. Course, there is my DGD again. She wears this princess dress EVERY DAY ALL DAY and we are all so sick of it. It is poufy at the bottom and she is forever knocking things over or something with it. It is a good tool tho when she is bad. Instead of time out she has to give up the dress. She put this gettup on with the sunglasses and put the sunglasses on her Princess Pony. Okay, sick of the dress or not, it was too cute not snap and share.

Sunday January 18

This is Ohio State Reformatory, which is no longer used as a prison but has been taken over by a historical society and they give tours. I think the architecture is neat, very gothic and the woodwork inside is gorgeous. It is the highest free standing cell range (5 or 6 tiers of cells high) Originally they did use it as a "reformatory". The grounds around it are park like and families were encouraged to come visit and have picnics etc with their inmate family members. At that time, inmates were taught trades like carpentry so that when they re-entered society they could be productive. This was also a working farm, worked by the inmates, and fed all Ohio prisons, back in the day. It has been used in several films, most extensively in Shawshank Redemption. To a lesser degree in Tango & Cash, Harry and Walter Go To New York, Lock Up, Air Force One. They also claim that it is haunted and a couple of those shows on TV that go trying to prove hauntings have been there, but I don't believe they found any proof. Needless to say, I did not get these pictures today....look at those lovely blue skies. So, in lieu of more snow pictures, I am trying for something you might find interesting.

Saturday January 17

Do you believe we are already over half way thru this month? I cannot believe how fast time flies. I was looking for a photo to share with you all today since it is still nothing but white outside around here. I barely left the house today, just to take kids to work and back. So, I am sharing some really old photos with you today. These are pictures of my mom. She is just a tiny thing, 4'11", size 5.5 shoe and could buy clothes in the kids dept. She, of course, hates that because kids clothes are really not her style. I always got a kick out of the photo with her and the tall guy. I think he was someone the store she worked in brought in as a promotional thing and I don't remember how tall he was, but they look pretty cute together. The other is just an old black and white of her that I always liked. She is a living example of dynamite coming in small packages. A couple summer's ago someone drove thru her front yard and she got in her car and chased them down and made them come back and fix her yard. She was 67! I told her she was crazy and lucky. Gotta love her tho.

I am sitting in my "sunroom", which is where my computer is and my teeth are chattering. We have been heating with electric heaters because our furnace needs a $400 repair and most of this winter that has been fine. But with this cold right now....NOT. During the day I keep a heater in here because it is also where I sew, but at night it goes up to the bedrooms, so I am shivering while I make this post. I was not inspired by anything today to take a picture of because my world is still mostly just white and it is all beginning to look a bit boring. Sometime in the last couple weeks I mentioned about my BF getting in a car accident, that luckily didn't cause any serious injury, but boy did she get some doozy bruises. I got her permission to post one of her bruises, which is on her stomach. I don't think I have ever seen a bruise like it before. They say this was caused by the seatbelt. Now, that is a wicked bruise. K, I am ending now and heading for the heat.

Thursday Jan 15 Photo

Today, as forecasted, was horribly cold and I am still sick with a head cold that makes me feel like I am in a fog all the time. Had to go to the grocery as my lovely babies (see above) were out of milk and that about took all my energy for the day. So, here are 2 of my grandchildren, the 2 that live with me and I thought they looked so cute, they are a perfect photo of the day. Little Kamden is in the tub and looks to be having a grand time and big sis, Kyleigh, is helping mom scrub him down.

Carla, thanks so much for the ideas on how to attach some bird food to my tree. There are pine cones up the street, although right now I doubt I could find a one of them under the snow. I am going to do this tho. Course I went out today and needed new bird food and forgot to buy it. Sighhhhhh. I don't exactly know how I managed to spend 250 at the grocery today and forgot flour, sugar, lemon juice, kool aid, bird food......and that is just what I have managed to remember I forgot so far.

Here is a little funny for the day. I opened my cupboard (which is against an outside wall) to get a glass and the darn thing was almost frosted. Now that gives you an idea how cold it is out there. You Canadians put up with this kind of cold a lot don't you? Can't figure how you stand it. Here is to everyone keeping warm.

More SNOW!!PICTURES!! I can't help it. We are under a level 2 snow whatever and Thursday our chill factor is s'posed to be like 35 BELOW zero. The roads are horrid and my DH is not finding his snow blower all that much fun anymore, but I still can't help but appreciate the beauty of it all. The lit tree is in my back garden and we put it up for Christmas, but I like looking out at it and left it up. I had visions of attaching food for the birds to it but so far have not figured out a good way to do that. Anyway, it just looked so pretty out there tonight that I took more SNOW PICTURES. The bird fountains are just for an idea of depth. I have no idea how much we have gotten, just that it is LOTS.

January 13 Photo

I know, I am a day late (and a dollar short, ha ha) I was so sick yesterday I just did not have the energy to post. I had mentioned earlier about our downtown being restored and that I would try to take a few pics. These buildings are 3 stores. The Coney Island Diner has been a part of downtown as long as I can remember, (and I can remember a looooong way back). It looks just the same as it always has and has the best coney's anywhere. When I was young, like grade school (60's), we used to go downtown and spend the day. There was Penney's, Sears, Wards, Neisner's (5&10 with a counter lunch area) Woolworths, just to name a few. I can remember having the whole family grandma and grandpa, their 9 kids (my aunts & uncles) and the grandkids (me and my cousins--and there were a lot of us) going to Coney and eating. This is where the antique store is that I found my braids and my quilt top. There aren't as many stores downtown now, but I do love that they have restored things the way they have.

January 12 Comments

Romona, the fairies are by Maria vanScharrenburg and you can see both of them at the following link on page 2 www.needleworkshoppe.com/lanarte . By the way, my friends are very down to earth and just plain wonderful people. I am so lucky to have them both in my life. For instance, my DH does not buy me a mother's day present because he says "I am not his mother", and my kids, up until recently never seemed to hold a job long enough to buy anybody any presents. So, several years ago Amy and Rob started buying me a mother's day present. Well, needless to say, that almost brought me to tears. I think the first year was a miniature rose bush that still blooms every year in my garden. That is just the kind of folks they are.
Judi A, your comment "you must be a wonderful friend to deserve such a lovely gift!", really touched me. I had never looked at it that way...I always thought what great friends they were to make that for me. I never thought of myself being a wonderful friend to deserve it. Thank you for that revelation and one doesn't diminish the other.

January 12 Photo

This is my best friend Amy and her hubby Rob. The picture above is my Christmas present from them and hubby is the one that stitched the picture. Isn't she just a beautiful fairy? I just love this picture and Rob does beautiful cross stitch. There is a companion piece to go with this one and I told him he would have to stitch that one too, since every cross stitcher has their own style. He just laughed. This is one of the nicest Christmas presents I have ever received and I can really appreciate all the time he had in stitching this for me.

Also, to everyone who says my quilt is "lookin good", a big THANK YOU.

January 11 Photo

I had a great relaxing day today. Even tho I had to babysit 2 of the grandkids they were quiet today and I watched movies all day and worked on my current project. I think in a post not long ago I talked about the cathedral window quilt I am working on. The top picture is "a block". It takes four 9-1/2" muslin squares to create that block alone. The second picture is just a close up and the bottom is all the blocks I have done so far. They aren't sewn together, I just placed them so you could get an idea of the overall look of the quilt. It takes a LOT of muslin to make one of any size at all. The muslin is all sewn by machine, but the inserts are set in by hand. I find it really relaxing when I am sitting watching TV. I am sure, just like most of you, I need to do something when I am sitting and watching TV or riding in the car etc. I hate to have idle hands. The first time I saw a cathedral window quilt was at a friends house, about 15 years ago. I think her grandmother had made it and I spent a lot of time looking at it trying to figure out how it was done. I never could figure it out, but went to the library to learn how to do it. At that time, I only found 1 reference to cathedral window quilts and some really brief instructions. I am not on any timetable with this thing, just work on it whenever and put it aside if I want to work on other things. Have a great week everyone, since tomorrow starts a new one.