Friday, July 31, 2009
























Here's the first batch of pictures. On our visit to San Angelo July 23-24 after eating at a Mexican restaurant we walked to the nearby Visitor's Center. This is near the Old Fort Concho in the downtown area of San Angelo. If you ever get a chance to go -- Go check it out. DGD and DGS's other grandmother had bought them bubbles and we had fun with them Friday morning. I love these pictures! Click on them to enlarge.

More to come!

Blessings,
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Pay It Forward

I have had interest in the Pay It Forward I posted back earlier in the year. I received the P.I.F. gift from Connie of Cootie Blog 2 and will post a picture. The first three to leave a comment will be included in the P.I.F.; so please leave a comment. Check out the original post at http://cateringquilter.blogspot.com/2009/02/pay-it-forward.html .

Next post will include pictures. I promise.

Blessings,

Update

Sorry, that I haven't posted lately. It's been busy again. We traveled to San Angelo/Ballinger last week on Thursday and Friday to take a Charolais bull to DH's dad who raises Charolais cattle. We took DGD and DGS with us to visit their great grandparents. It rained on us while driving down there. They went home Saturday evening. Then on Sunday I got ready for our quilt retreat. There will be a post about the retreat up and coming. I had a wonderful time. While at quilt retreat DH called to tell me his dad had been taken to the hospital. I got home Wednesday evening and then the next morning we drove back again to San Angelo. DFIL's stent they put in 2007 was completely blocked and found another blockage. They fixed all that. We drove home the same day. We stopped in Abilene to see DN who is visiting from the UK (and she is expecting their first child). This morning DFIL was supposed to go home but after an EKG they found another blockage and took him back into surgery. Thank God they found it and took care of it while he was there. We stayed home this time.

Rain--when we left at 4:00am Thursday it was pouring rain. We drove for about an hour in rain you could barely see to drive. When we got home the rain gauge had 2 3/4" in it. Glorious.

I am so tired. I am doing laundry and paying bills. I have made a note to myself. No traveling or grandkids before quilt retreats. It is too exhausting.

God Bless,

Monday, July 20, 2009

Cooler!

Oh, yeah! It was in the lower 80's today. I woke up to the sound of rain. Wonderful. Our temps had come down from those horrible triple digits from last week to upper 80's and 90's earlier in the week and today was absolutely awesome. Isn't it amazing how the weather can change and pick up your spirits?

Our neighbor down the road brought us a cantaloupe. Yummy! We are enjoying our okra and sharing our harvest now. I have an orange tomato just about ripe. My zucchini are dying off. Probably the results of 100+ temps. The yellow squash got a good soaking when we were at the hospital with DS#1. A hose sprung a leak that fed one of the nozzles in a hog pen and soaked the yellow squash. We had a young man checking on things but it must have happened after he had come. That's probably what saved the yellow squash during those horrible 100+ temps.

DH is enjoying his time off. We are beginning to call this lay off an extended vacation. : ) He has applied for unemployment and been picking up applications. He has also been working on a tractor for the neighbor who brought us the cantaloupe. DH talked with the supervisor who laid him off today and there may be a possibility of going back to work in 2 to 3 weeks. Now we have some decisions to make. We want to be in God's will most of all and are praying. Does he even want to go back there? If he can find something better--he would be happier. Does he want to work for himself? Does he want to work with me in the quilting business? Would we be able to work together? We have been talking a lot lately.

Oh, and here's something quilty. I hadn't updated the Featured Blog lately. Check out the most recent one. Seriously good. Penny Halgren's blog How to Quilt has a wealth of information.

Blessings to all,

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Hot!

This was sent to me in an email.

"YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN TEXAS IN JULY WHEN. . . . The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground. The trees are whistling for the dogs. The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance. Hot water now comes out of both taps. You can make sun tea instantly. You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron. The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly. You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car. You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window. You actually burn your hand opening the car door. You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m. Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?" You realize that asphalt has a liquid state."

It has been 106 to 108 degrees for highs this week. And no rain. We have a cool front forecast for tomorrow. 95 degrees for a high. Ahhhh! Our grass which once was green after the wonderful rains has turned crispy. Our garden--the okra and blackeyed peas love it. But all the other vegetables are shriveling. It is taking a tremendous amount of water to remedy the heat. But it will cool down and everything will be better soon.

This blog in the last few months seems to have taken on a pretty constant need for prayer. That must mean that those who read my blog are praying people. And I am grateful. We are again in need of your prayers. My husband is without a job. He took the week off when DS#1 had surgery. On going back to work on the following Monday he was laid off. The company is in bankruptcy. We are confident that God is supplying our needs. Our desire is to be in God's will when the next step comes. It is very interesting. My husband told me that Sunday morning the Lord was dealing with him about the amount of hours he was working and the next morning he didn't have a job. God is up to something good.

Blessings to all,

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Home Again!

Yes, I'm home. And it feels good. DS is doing good after back surgery. He should be able to drive this week. He is getting around slowly but good. Thanks for all the prayers. He and I had a good time together at his house this last week. I had time to read a book, finish sewing "Pieces Parts" quilt (and DGD Aimee loved it when she saw it this weekend).



I cooked and cleaned and watched TV.


And we celebrated DGS Mason's 2nd birthday Saturday afternoon. What a precious baby! AND we are going to be grandparents again! Mason is going to have a baby brother or sister! Praise the Lord!
Can you see Butterball and I in the reflection of the patio door? You can click on the picture to enlarge it.



AND we have a new doggie at our house. Ruby is her name. She is a border collie. Yes, there may be puppies--someday. Max is getting older--ten years old. Ruby belonged to our DD and family and since moving into their new house Ruby wasn't happy in their smaller backyard. She was herding bugs. Poor baby. She seems to be happy here. She is 9 months old. Lots of energy! Oh, boy, here we go again. Poor Max. First Butterball--lots of energy and now Ruby--lots of energy. His naps will never be the same! We took Ruby down to meet the calves and hogs last night. It was feeding time and everyone was making lots of noise and she didn't like it at all! Ruby and Butterball are very curious of each other. So funny. Ruby had the habit of licking DD's dogs faces. Go figure. She tried it with Max just now. Let's just say it didn't go over too well! She probably thought "Grumpy, Old Man!"


Blessings,

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Popping In

I am at my DS#1's house taking care of him after his surgery. He is doing well. He was dismissed from the hospital on Friday. He is progressing every day. He can't drive for two weeks following his surgery and can't go back to work for four weeks. I will stay until he can drive. I have been cooking and doing some cleaning. ; ) He hasn't offered to disown me or suggested I go home yet so I guess we are getting along peachy.

I brought some quilting projects. : ) and my sewing machine! Can you say "almost quilt retreat"?
I got the "Pieces Parts" quilt all together. There is a Jo-Anns right up the road. I went there today to buy ball-point needles to hem up lounge pants that are knit that DS#1 had bought. There's also a large thrift store I want to check out. I've visited a Super Target. Love it. AND maybe I will find time to check out the two quilt stores in the area.

I missed you guys in the last few days. I am using his computer to post. Trying to catch up on blogs. Thanks for all the prayers.

Blessings,

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Blogging Break

I am taking a blogging break. I may pop in the middle but I'm not sure. Things are getting busy around here again. I've been picking squash. Yesterday I picked our first batch of okra. Fried okra for supper. : ) The blackeyed peas will be ready in a short while and DS#1 will be coming home from the hospital. So I'll catch you later.

Blessings,

Wise County Quilt Guild 2009 Quilt Show

Here's a link to WCQG's 2009 Quilt Show . You can see a picture of our finished donation quilt.

Blessings,

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

It is a small world after all!

Park City Girl had a quilt festival online a couple of months ago and I go back to her site and look at more quilts from time to time. I happened onto to this one and thought, "I've seen this quilt before." Sure enough. I have a book Friendships in Bloom and on page 34 there is a picture of the beginnings of this quilt. The book is based on round robin exchanges between women from America and Norway. From what I understand the center block was made by the owner of the quilt and then passed on for a row to be added. I bought the book because I was involved in a round robin several years ago and enjoyed and for the interesting border ideas. It was very interesting to see this quilt again and completed.



Happy quilting and blessings,