Singapore

I remember just the other day my kids were all in my house, driving me nuts, being loud, arguing about TV, and going through 7 gallons of milk a week. These days my kids are traveling the globe and finding true love. Just three weeks ago I wrote and posted pictures about Brandon getting engaged. This week, little April is making plans to leave for Singapore, for about 4 weeks.

She's so excited, she is in awe of all that's happening to her. I think her text to me today was, "This morning I put on my new jeans and a pretty sweater and went to work, it's not even noon, and I'm thinking about where my summer clothes are and planning to head to Singapore for a month."

My youngest son, he's on a bus with the True Gentlemen of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Iowa, heading into a snow storm for the Chicago area. And kids wonder why parents worry.

But seriously, my sister Deb explained it best. She was talking about Emily coming home from Miami, she said, I think that she just thinks about a plane just like a "taxi cab". And I think that she is right. Back in the day, when we were kids, flying was something that the very rich or lucky got to do. These days, the kids hop on planes and head wherever the spirit takes them. And this month, the spirit takes April to Singapore for a few weeks, probably a month, to work, discover and enjoy another new adventure.

And guess what ... grammie gets to have beautiful little Lena!





Until soon, vic

Great Weekend: Day 3 ~ Sunday

What a wonderful day this day has been. I was blessed to worship with the great folks at Bethany Lutheran Church, Thompson. We went for coffee afterward, and then off to see Jordan's new house with Mark and Joan. While we were there, we decided we should all head out for lunch at Shooterz, Forest City. Didn't get home till around 2 this afternoon. What a wonderful, relaxing day!

After a 15 to 20 minute power nap, I headed to the studio, you see I had piles and piles and piles of little pieces of fabric laying out on the cutting table, and we have a very curious little cat who loves to "help"! I wanted to get this project all cut and boxed up, it's a project a group of friends and I are making together, and it's too hard to cut and talk at the same time :)

Soooooooooo ... this mess ...

Turns into ... 48 of these cute little blocks ...

If you look close, each block is 8 1/2" ... and I need to make 48 of these little blocks ... here's 4 of them ... the look I'm going for is very scrappy ... there are 48 fabrics, each block has 3 different colors in it ... INSANITY!



It truly was a fabulous weekend ... I miss Nolan like crazy ... he's back to school. Have gotten several picture messages of the "granddogs". Yeah ... it was a wonderful weekend. How was yours?

Until soon ~ vic

Great Weekend: Day 2 ~ Saturday

After quality time at home alone on Friday, we spent a quiet night at home, watching tv. Doug and I had decided that it was time to go through and organize all of our Christmas decorations (ok, I decided, asked him to help, and he said I suppose). We headed to the basement at about 10:30, sorted all of the boxes, wrapping paper, bows, threw half of them away, and put the rest away. We cleaned out the "store room", then opened every Christmas tote that we had. I touched and sorted each and every tote. We were able to downsize 6 totes. Mind you, I still have a lot of winter decorations up, and will need one more tote, but it is all organized, put away, and you can walk around in the store room! Time: 3:30.

Me ... I headed into the studio again ... Why, one might ask would a SANE woman take 48 nice pieces of fabric, 18" x 24", called a fat quarter in the quilt world ... why would a sane woman cut it into 1 1/2", 2 1/2" and 3 7/8" squares and 1 1/2" strip, and 2 1/2" strip ... WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY ...

Here's a photo of some of the mess I made in the brief 2 hours I got to work on it:


42 of the 48 piles of 1 1/2" squares, in 48 different colors!
Notice the quarter laying to the left between two rows.

 And one might wonder why ... you see these little squares, when sewn will be one inch square ... isn't that the size of a postage stamp? In the next post, Great Weekend: Day 3 ~ Sunday, you'll see how the insanity continues!

Until soon ~ vic

Great Weekend: Day 1 ~ Friday

Some get excited to go on vacation, some get excited to go somewhere fun and shop, me ... I got excited beacuse I got to stay home, and sort Christmas decorations, do laundry, and work on some quilting. Friday was a wonderful quiet day, I wrote my sermon in the morning and got to play in the studio for the afternoon. which brings me to the questioning of my sanity.


Behind the dishes, to the left, project 1, under the bunny
project 2, to the right of dishes, a bag I'm designing
for April to hold ALL the dishes!



First: How many projects does one woman "NEED" on hand?



Top shelf: Fig Tree Cinnamon Stars 2 piles on the left
Next: Quilt for a Special Lady; then a baby quilt;
Second Shelf: flannels on the left, batik winter on the right
Third Shelf: more flannel, a quilt April wanted 8 years ago!
That is what you can see, there are projects behind it all!





Another shelf: Filled with Civil War on the top
shelf; Civil War on bottom shelf, left.
Second shelf - Moda and lots of books
Bottom Shelf on right: new fabric I had to have!

 I finally decided on a project that I needed to cut out and have ready for sewing with friends ...
Continued on next post: Great Weekend: Day 2 ~ Saturday

Until Soon ~ vic

A day with Dad!



April, Eli, Grandpa, Emily, Nolan and Brandon. Grandpa and
some of his most favorite people! Fishing 20

 Took Dad for a recheck today and some education about his pacemaker ... it was a good day. He was telling stories about the snowstorms he had driven in back in the day, the day when he was on the milk route. He got to talking about the different owners of themilk plant. We then got onto his favorite subject, his grandbabies.

A couple of highlights from our conversation: "Emmy called me, she said they were nuts down there in Miami, wearing coats and scarves when it was 60 degrees." Then we talked about Brandon and Blair being engaged, he said, "It sure took him long enough!" Then he laughed. We then got to talking about Nolan sitting in the hospital with me when he had surgery. Dad said, "Gosh, he's a good boy!" Yep, we had another great day, even in the midst of sitting and waiting for doctor's appointment.

I'm Back

As I sat avoiding all the work on my desk, things that are piling up, I kept thinking about all the things to come in the new year ... not professionally but personally. I wandered through a number of blogs last night as we watched the Crimson Tide beat up on their opponent, and I thought to myself, I don't know of anyone who wants to read about my boring life, but maybe I should keep a diary of the year to come. The ups, the downs, the quilting, the laughter, the food, and the tedious boring things. I love to write, I love to read and believe it or not there are so many things going on in my head! So another return to blog land!

Christmas - It was awesome, busy, filled with friends and family, but it was the first year we weren't all together. Brandon was with Blair and her family in Fremont. Sharing isn't always my forte' but we did ok and we had a wonderful Christmas, even if I was lonesome for my oldest boy. It was very relaxed, even changed up the menu at my dad's house. No ham, turkey, lutefisk or dishes! We had appetizers ... meatballs, wings, shrimp, deviled eggs, and Don made lasagna. Paper plates were AWESOME and we got to enjoy each other's company without all the rush and work. Christmas Day was relaxed, but strange without Brandon and Blair here.

New Year's Eve - We celebrated with great joy this new year! Doug and I are gaining another daughter!!! Brandon proposed to Blair at Pilot Knob, near Forest City, (the weather didn't cooperate, but still a very romantic thought) and surprised her by having her mom, dad and grandma at our house for the weekend. She was surprised, we all shared a tear or two, toasted the engagement and celebrated two nights in a row! Too bad April and Blair's brother, Kasey, couldn't come.

First House - Brandon and Blair have bought their first house. The place they will make their first home together as a married couple. The place where memories will be made, where they will begin their family :) and where Brandon will get to shovel his first sidewalk and mow his first lawn as a home owner! We are excited and proud of them, they searched hard and long, looked at many, many houses, and waited to find "the one". Can't WAIT to move Brandon for a 10th or 11th time :)

The Wedding - October 6th  has been set for the day that Brandon and Blair will become husband and wife. We will witness the union of love, we will toast the union of joy and we will celebrate the union of two hearts. It's amazing what happens in one year and what is in the year to come!

Enough for this post ... I'll be back later this week. Maybe I will learn some new tricks in the world of blogging.

Until Soon!