This is my first real quilt. Finished Nov. 15,2011. My new great grandson has me thinking it is time to pass on some love to be remembered when I'm not around. This took me a month of heard headed thoughts of "I can do it" attatude. Finishing it this morning has me on a roll so I will be trying to make another one for my other great grandson. Then on to a great granddaughter. Lots of work but so much fun when it is done with a purpose.

Best Bargin Ever

After raising 7 children I became the Queen of bargins.  BUT this has to be the best bargin ever.  Our town has a For Sale Internet place that this Brother Serger was listed on for $20 this week.   I have a Brother Serger bought last year and paid over $300 for it.  I have always believed you get what you pay for but couldn't pass up this temtation thinking even if it needed work it would be worth the $20.  WELL, to my surprise it really was a super bargin.  Not only did the Serger come in it's original box with original instructions books and all the extra's that come with a new serger but the detailed bill of $197. for repair and service made on it.  Also had two hard back Serger books as well as a large bag of all kinds of lace + cards of cute buttons.  I brought it home sat it up along side my old Sears sewing machine and my Brother Serger bought last year and plugged it in.  Grabbed a scrap piece of material and stepped on the foot feed.  WOooo HOooo.  She runs like a little champ.  NOW really.  Is this a bargin or what.  Sometimes good luck comes when you least expect it.

Pam (my daughter) Picked Vegies

I got Pam to let me take a picture of some of our first ripe vegies.
July 4th 2011

I'm having fun with the garden being made inside the EMU cage this year. Being I gave the EMU away last summer decided it would be a good place to make garden and not worry about the deer eating it all up before I could. I love putting little extra's in the garden just for fun. I have my little pigs here garding the crops. They are by the Tomatotios and bush beans. Yummmm

Never tell Grandma...Too Old.  I have been working on this landscape job for my sister that lives in Redding.  This is her front yard with cement stepping stones all around it so she can walk around without stepping on the ground cover I will be planting when I get through pulling weeds and turning the soil over to soften it up for new plants.  She has a huge yard that has 4 levels.  Three of the levels  will be weeded and planted with different color ground cover.  The top level will be weeded and planted with hedges around it and garden inside.  Looks like this old lady will have a job for quite a while.

Keeping old Tools for Good Memories

Just because the handles or parts of any kind get broken with my old tools, don't mean they have to be thrown away. Pam (my daughter) has found a friend that will put them together as a fun thing so they can be kept forever. This is one of my little tool friends that will remind me of all the work they helped me with in my little corner of the world sense 1989.

I went out to take a picture of my cactus in bloom and found my kids resting together so took their picture also. I'm so happy all my loving animals get along and are happy with each other

This is one of my memories of the LoneStar Cememt plant that I worked at for 14 years.  After part of the plant was updated in the 80's, Streater, one of the bosses gave this to me.   It is one of my dearest memories of my work time at the plant.  OLD, made in the early 1900's but was made in the times when things were made to last.  It will last forever.  It now is retired and don't have to work hard any more.  Just stands proud and holds flowers.

                                      My neighbor Norma and I went up to see the water
                                         being let out of the lake due to the heavy rains.
                                                                March 19, 2011
    

VW Back earning her keep. YEAaaaa

The little truck was having problems to where I put it on non-op for a few months.  With spring on its way I needed it for the garden work so decided to see if I could find the trouble.  Bought a new battery and Glen put it in for me and came to tell me it started up like a little trooper right away.  BOY, am I a happy camper again.  LOVE my little truck!  It is low to the ground which makes it easy to load and unload any thing I need.  It is full of good soil here waiting for me to use in my garden areas. I shoveled it out of Glen's truck you see in the background so I could drive it close to area's I want the soil.  Glen's truck is too big to get close to some places.

Preparing for a Red Hat Fun Time

OH NO, Another new project. My sister is the mom of a Red Hat Ladies group. She called me and invited me to go on a Historical Tour of our town. Now I have Never joined a group of women like this but decided it would be fun. Only problem I am really a nut about matching colors and when I think of mixing red and purple it makes me shiver. I have made up my mind to be a sport and go for it but can't go out and buy some expensive purple shirt and red hat for the one time occasion. SOOo Hit my favorite thrift shops and found a Red hat, Purple blouse and a gorgous scarf to go with the blouse. This hat isn't really a good hat to show class so will be doing some revanping on it and add some flowers and do what ever to make it come up to standard of what I feel it should look like.
GADS How do I get into these challenges?

When my daughter Pam brought the four kittens to me crying that they were going to be killed because no one wanted to try to keep them alive. Someone had thrown them in a trash been before their eyes were open. I wasn't too happy with her for bringing this challange to me. I used an eyedropper for the first two days every 2 hours around the clock. Then went to doll baby bottle till they could be taught to drink from a bowl. All the work and worry were more than worth the work. This little only boy of the litter is now the love of my life. They came to me at a time I was needing a reason to think life was good. I now know they were one of the best things that was ever given to me. Boots here is the love of my life and I seem to be his. He is with me all the time regardless if I'm in the house or outside working the garden area or what ever needs work. I love him so very much even though till now I had never been a real cat lover. Strange how life happenings can change a persons ideas of what is inportant.

WOooo HOooo, A happy camper I am today. Bored to death with the snow and cold keeping me in so playing around with the computer I found the picture taken a LONG time ago that I thought was lost in my old computer. One morning I was sitting at the window on my computer and looked up to see this raven eyeballing an cupcake I had thrown out to my little birds that I feed above my window. My camera was close so I grabbed it and snaped the shot. Little did I know there were any of these birds around here. I have never seen another one sense so guess he was just passing by and I got lucky to get his picture. LOL

I have been a month of working to get my clay faces done and decorated in the way I wanted them Several ups and downs learning a new way to do some of the things and a miss hap that caused one of the vasks to get broken and then to make a new one but all is well now and I'm ready totake them to the Art Center on Supper Bowl Sunday. I'm not sure if the center will allow me to use my own display rack but I'm hopping so. Going to get a picture to take to them today so find out. Wish me luck

Boots is really enjoying the out doors laying in the Sunshine. Only thing I hate is he would love to catch a bird. They come here as I have fed them in this area for years. Guess I'll have to change the feeding area to keep peace. This guy is the love of my life right now.

This is the first face I started with. She kind of took on her own personality and turned out to look like a Gypsy Girl. I liked it so just let her be what she wanted to be. Darn, Even a piece of clay can be boss of me. She will be one of the five pieces to enter the Art Show.

Marti Gras Face #1

Entries for Redding Art Center for Feb. 2011

These faces are a new kind of project for me. They were to be the start for cloth body dolls. Not working with clay and painting of the faces OR working with the fabric stiffener they were quite a challange and I had a deadline to enter them coming up much too fast. This caused me to try to cut down the needed time for a whole doll to do the wall hanging faces. One of my memories for Feb comes from time in Louisiana in Feb when the Marti Gras happens. This brought this kind of face came to mind. They are all made with a mould from Sherry Goshon ( You can see her work at: http://sherrygoshon.blogspot.com/At one point of making a total mess with fabric stiffener I was discuraged with the total mess I was in and ran out of patience for working with it. Was ready to give up the whole thing of making them for our Feb. Art Center display. I went to bed after fighting with the Fabric face disappointed and ready to forget the Art Show. The next morning bright and early with a clear mind , not normaly being a quitter, I decided that I should try one more time. Well, much to my surprise everything I put my hand to was working. YEAaaa  I will be taking all my entries down to put in the Art Center on Sunday, The Big Football day.

Finally finished this little Gypsy Face to where I am half way satisfied. She was to be a doll but due to a time factor to enter her at the Art Center I changed ideas. Now I have found the papers for the entries and find they were to be listed at the Center by the 20th. OPPS. Oh well, This made good practice for another time. Also made me think twice about working with the fabric stiffener. I was able to make a real mess with with this product.

Well, the idea is in my head. Now all I have to do is get the powertex to dip the head scarf in to be able to form it and do a shoulde wrap the same to get it on a gourd somehow. Still working ye' ol' brain to figure out the rest of the project. Some of the little feathers are from my house chicken, chic-a-dee.