An OLD Photo and a Trip Down Memory Lane

While rearranging some photo albums I came across this one of my Father's family taken in 1927. It was their Christmas card that year. Since all but one of those pictured are passed away I thought it would be ok to share it.

My Father is 7 years old in this photo. One of the very few childhood pictures of him. The 24th of August would have been his birthday. I love black/white photography. Can any of you remember when you could get either black/white or color film for you camera? Or even "before color"? This generation can't even remember when cameras had FILM, I'm sure!

My 15 yr old granddaughter has been visiting me the past week. She lives in California so we don't get to see her as often as we'd like. Even though we are so much alike (Neither of us is very conversational!) I've really enjoyed having her here.

Last Saturday we took a little ride up to Mt Adams. We intended to park and hike in to one of our favorite spots after a picnic lunch. The road was unbelievably awful! It took us twice as long to get there as it used to. So we just ate our picnic and headed home. The mosquitoes were very healthy and active anyway! OFF to the rescue!

Sunday Simmerings

I'm LOVIN' this warm weather we've been having.

I almost have a little Annie doll from OhSewDollin done.

At 83 my Mother is off on another jaunt to Europe for a month.

Our old kitty (16 at least) is showing his age and probably won't be with us much longer.

I love, love, love my Janome 6600. It's the greatest!

Have A Great Week Everyone !!

Curtains

Here are s couple photos of my new kitchen curtains. There is some of this fabric in my placemats and table topper also.  I keep coming back to this fabric. I think it cheers me!

There is also a white band at the bottom but my kitchen isn't large enough for me to get the entire curtain. Sorry.

I'm getting to be such an I-can-do-it Jane!  I managed to get my new weed eater put together all by myself! I tried ot out and didn't lose any body parts so I must have done it right! Bow I'm wishing I didn't need to babysit tomorrow so I could cut more grass. Oh, well. There's always more grass and another day.

Tuesday Thanks

For a day off.

Have I said for warm weather and long days LOL

That my oldest Granddaughter is coming for a visit.

For washing machines and dryers.

Electricity !!

Have a Great Day!

Busy, Not Lazy, Days Are Here!

Yesterday the weather was perfect and I thought I'd just take a day off and enjoy my lawn swing. WRONG!! There was a mini reunion at my sister-in-law's. She will be 80 on Wednesday (Aug 4) and all of her children but one were there. I should mention that she has 10, yes 10, children. So children and spouses made quite a gathering! It was enjoyable to see the nieces and their families again, some had to come from OK and CO so we don't see them often.

Today I'm putting the final touches on a new kitchen curtain. After my machine decided to have a little hissy-fit. Tip:  If the bottom thread garbles (tech term), it's an issue with the top thread. After I totally unthread the top and rethreaded it's working fine. Whew!

As soon as I'm finished with the curtain I'll get a photo and post it. I saw a retro curtain on a website and this is my interpretation of that curtain.

I must be having low blood sugar! I had the next-to-last seam all pinned on and something just told me to check it.. It would have been upside down!  Much easier to unpin than frog a long seam!

The curtain is done, Done, DONE!! And hung. Love them!

Sunday Loves

The LONG days of Summer (sad the days are getting shorter)
Weed Eaters
Hot Summer days (85 is just right for me)
Instant coffee when I'm in a hurry
Warm oatmeal on a cool morning

Have an absolutely awesome week!

Grass, and more Grass

Not much happening on the farm except the grass is growing faster than I can keep it cut. There hasn't been much time for sewing as I have developed an obsession to get all the grass cut that's around the house. Our area experiences grave fire danger so I'm trying to get it cut before it's too dry. Hopefully it will stop growing at that point.

I will be fitting the chair cover on for a "final fitting" tomorrow. I'm getting to the point of wanting to be done with it. I want to do something more fun! Like getting back to quilting! Or Annie dolls, or...anything.

Since I haven't been doing much at my sewing machine I don't have any photos to share...unless you would like to see "grass that's as high as an elephant's eye" really is. Can anyone tell me what song that line is from?

I was totally lazy today. I just couldn't make myself go out and start the weed eater or lawnmower. So I didn't. What a luxurious feeling! Totally decadent! I could get used to it very easily.

A friend is blogging how many miles she walks each week so i thought I'd start too. Nothing today, I'm afraid. She's aiming for 18 miles each week. I think I'll start with 1 mile each day, or maybe a little more, but I know it won't be 18!! We'll see.

Sunday Thanks

That I live where it's peaceful
For the birds that share my part of the world
For a/c
For my soft cozy bed when night falls
For long summer days

Have an Awesome week everyone!

Summer Is Here! Finally.

We are finally catching up with the rest of the country temperature-wise. It's 103* in The Dalles. Seriously glad I'm NOT there but I DO enjoy the warm weather.

How times does go by! Between the grandchildren being sick and my mother's illness (and then, of course, I just COULDN'T be left out!) I've been very busy. Usually my yard is very colorful with pots of flowers but not this year. Too busy with other things.  So I need to get busy and make some colorful quilt tops for QFK to fill my need for color.

We ended up having an Un-Fourth of July. We all got together along the river where the fireworks were supposed to be. But...alas! We were experiencing very high winds and they cancelled the show. We live in a very arid area (usually) and fire danger is an ever-present threat once the rains stop.  We still had a great (chilly) time picnicing and visiting with friends and family. I'm sure it will be remembered for many years as "Remember the year it was so cold and windy and they cancelled the fireworks." How the temps change is just a few days!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel getting that now hated chair cover finished. If I'm diligent it could be finished this weekend. What a burden off my shoulders that will be!

I did a first this week. My daughter bought a cute little fabric purse that only had a snap closure. Of course, she wanted a zipper. I found a matching zipper in my stash, and by hand basting it in first, I was actually able to insert it, and it came out looking ok. I was pleased with myself.

I have a friend who is a avid greeting card maker who just started her own blog. It is:
               katsretirementjourney.blogspot.com

I think she will be posting regarding herStampingUp group, card making and other things.

I came across this remark by Jerry Seinfield the other day and thought it was worth repeating.
                       "Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason."
.The poem by Robert Frost has long been one of my favorites so I got a chuckle and a few thought-provoking moments from that line of Jerry's.

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY

Why does the real summer weather come after the day's start getting shorter?
Why do hair and grass always need cutting?
Why when I try so hard to be neat does my house still get messy?
Why do days go by faster the older you get?
Why does the wind quit blowing when it gets hot?

MY THURSDAY THANKFULNESSES

I'm thankful I had the money to pay the tire company when they came out along the freeway and changed a flat for me.

I'm thankful for warmer weather.

I'm thankful for the unexpected money that came today.

I'm thankful that my husband still has a job when so many are unemployed.

I'm thankful for my family.

HAVE AN AWESOME DAY!

I really DO know how to spell

Sometimes my fingers aren't as fast as my brain though!  Or is it the other way around? The word is DIVERGED not DEVULGED !! Sometimes I hit the wrong key and publish a post before I intend to also LOL

I finally figured out a way to do continuous bias, yippee! The placemats are all done. After I mend a small tear in a pair of pants for DD I'm going to finish a cute little pot grabber I saw on another bog and she was kind enough to mail me the pattern. It's a little chicken. It's been so long since I started it I will need to read the directions again to see what needs to be done next.

I found the cutest flannel at Jo-Ann's earlier this spring. It's bright green with red plaid ladybugs. There was only enough to make boxer-style jammies with it. Oh, well. Then, if I get left alone for awhile I will work on whittling down the fabric stash. It does no one good just sitting here.

I want to start doing Quilts for Kids and Newborns in Need. Small quilts that I can easily do the machine quilting in my tiny space. How I envy those with sewing STUDIOS !!

Friday Ponders

I love it when it rains HARD during the night and then dries out so I can do yard work later

I love trying to figure out how to do things on my own, and do them RIGHT

I love watching the deer browse in our fields

I love the scent of the air after a good rain

I love watching the little finches at the feeding station

Have a great weekend everyone!!

BEJEWELLED QUILTS BY BARB: ACCU-GO GIVE AWAY!

Enter now until June 12 for a chance to win one of these fantastic little machines. Go to her blog for complete details on how to qualify for entries.  And be sure to tell her Grandma Shell sent you. Once again it is
http://bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com/

Have we ever had rain the last few days!  And this is only round one the weatherman says. Oh, my!! But everything around here is still so green and beautiful. I just hope it dries out enough so I can get the mowing done.

I don't know where the little quote came from but thought it was worth sharing.  I found it in a journal book that I keep interesting qoutes in.

    "Giving is Living

    Each day, ask God to show you little ways you can be a giver, even if it's simply holding the door for      another person or assisting someone with his or her struggles.  Once you catch this whole attitude of giving, confrontations on the freeway cease to be confrontational, irritating sales clerks don't seem so obnoxious anymore. and daily chores like laundry and carpooling take on a different meaning."

One of my online quilt grous is doing a challenge this month. The challenge is to do a quilt or wallhanging of something you're a fan of.  I'm still at the deciding point of choosing between Robert Browning and Robert Frost. I love the following lines that Browning wrote.

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven--
All's right with the world!

Or this portion that Robert Frost wrote:

Two woods devulged in a yellow wood,