Started in 2018, I plan to use this page to document my sewing, scrapbooking, life adventures, and random musings. I want to record facts, my thoughts, and my ramblings. What fabric did I use? What worked? What didn't work? What ideas do I have for doing this project again in the future? Hmmmm, kind of like Chapter Five of a dissertation. Maybe I should rename this site "Chapter Five"?
September 7, 2024: No matter who you are or how much experience you have, there is always something to learn. I've been doing digital scrapbooking since 2012. I've had a lot of training on how to use the programs, Artisan & Historian. I've attended all but one LIVE training session in St. Louis, and I use the program frequently. All of that aside, I just opened an email about the upcoming crop and have already learned something new! I'm going to document my "something new" moments this crop. I hope I never stop being a learner. I hope I never assume I know it all and quit trying to learn new things.
Wordark.it: I've used this website for many years. Sonya Campbell showed it to me, and I've shown it to a lot of people, too. At the site, you type in a word or phrase, and it shows that word or phrase to you in all of the fonts that are installed on your computer. Today, I learned that you can install a Chrome extension to have it always available on at the top of your Chrome window, which would be handy. I learned you can click and have the font choices randomized so you're not always choosing from the same fonts (A-Z). Most importantly, I learned you can click on a font, keep scrolling, click another font, keep scrolling, etc, and then click on Show Filtered Results and see all of your selections together to help you choose the one you want. Nice tip to learn!
August 29, 2024: If Taylor Swift can have eras, so can I! My eras are more like two week periods of time, but I'm finding that I'm 100% good with that. To me, a Mojo Era is a period of time when I really focus on something specific, working hard to complete various projects and improve myself. Sometimes more than one Mojo Era will overlap, and this has been going on a lot recently. Right now, I seems to be in my quilting/Ralls County Historical Society era. I've been hitting each of these themes pretty hard in the last two weeks, and I'm thoroughly enjoying both of them. Which Mojo Era are you in right now?
When I walked past my longarm, I had to snap this photo. This is Teresa's Christmas throw wound up on the backing bar. I find it fascinating how neatly an entire quilt can wrap around itself and compress! (August 25, 2024)
Close up of the vertical insert on this quilt that helped make it pop! (August 25, 2024
I snapped this picture to help me remember to keep my quilting in perspective. I always overthink everything, including quilt designs. Sometimes, I'm afraid to start quilting a flimsy because I am afraid I won't pick the "best" quilt design for the project. This is precisely what I did on this project. In the close-up photo to the left, I stitched beautiful swirl feathers. About 10 minutes into the project, I realized the fabric would overtake whatever I stitched. I kept stitching my swirl feathers not because I knew anyone would see them but for practice. When I got to the horizontal rows, I looked up designs online and through my pantographs. I did simple loops over the quilt, which turned out perfectly. This part of the quilting went very quickly. The material and design speak loudly, and my stitching didn't need to speak loudly. I like the photo above because it shows something I've only done once before but have wanted to improve. I loaded the vertical column parallel to the take-up bars to quilt this quilt. I tried to make the stitching on the white material as straight as possible, and if I had loaded the quilt the other way, I would have had to stitch an area, roll up the quilt, and repeat. I switched on the white strips and then quilted the bold floral panel. After finishing this, I increased my stitch length to a basting length and basted the quilt about every 6-8 inches. You can see two of these basting lines in the photos above; one is in the upper left-hand corner of the image, and the other is on the right-hand side, passing through a loop in the design. After I basted the quilt, I unloaded it, found the center, and reloaded it so the horizontal stripes were parallel to the take-up bars. Because I did a hand-guided edge-to-edge loop design, I could do a section, roll the quilt up, and do the next section. This worked very well. In the future, I want to remember that I can unload and reload my quilts as needed to best use the space I am quilting in. (August 25, 2024)
Also, check out this gorgeous backing fabric! I hope Teresa loves it as much as I do!
This is one of Teresa's table runners, and I wanted to really highlight the middle square, so I did some dot-to-dot quilting. I have always liked this spiraling technique. This fabric is gorgeous, and the bamboo batting gives it a nice texture.
While I could have repeated the dot-to-dot on this table runner, I wanted to do something different. I "stitched in the neighborhood" around the middle square and then did an all over flower design. I used wool batting in this one, and I love the way it "fluffed."
I did "stitch in the neighborhood" on this table runner. The blues in the fabric are amazing! The backing fabric is incredible, and I want to find a way to use it in other projects, too. Teresa is going to have some pretty tables, and I hope she is very proud of her sewing skills! Christmas, here she comes!
(August 29, 2024) Mid-June to mid-July, Brian and I set up camp at Crooked Creek Campground in Eldon, Missouri, near Lake of the Ozarks. This was our first experience setting up camp, leaving it to come home for a few days, and then returning. We loved it! That said, we were also glad when the time ended. Since we only rented the location for one month, we felt like we had to go every weekend to get our money's worth and really experience camping. We would head down on a Thursday or Friday and come home on Sunday afternoon. Brian works full time, and I work about 20 hours a week, so sometimes it felt like we met ourselves coming and going. The wifi signal at the campground was weak, so it was a great time to think and make notes about all the projects I either needed or wanted to work on. During my quiet time at the lake, I made quite a list, including compiling all of the notes I've sent myself over the last few years. Here's a snapshot of items on my list. The entire list is too overwhelming to look at. By the way, I know--random!
*Things to find: Folder on a hard drive called DOROTHY'S RECIPES
*Things to sew: High-tech tucks (See post below--one item checked off the list), something with curves, cathedral window
*Things to scrapbook: Page about Sarah Alice Tully, who died in a fire in KC apartment about 1971 (Thinks Maureen Gibbs in a sister. She was never married. I learned all of this from a conversation with Cathy McAfee, Aunt Marynelle, and Aunt Ruth while scanning their recipes at Cathy's house on December 1, 2021.)
*Things to write: Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) throwback to sheet music magazine, always searching for the one modern song they shared, and searching the Catholic Missourian to find lyrics.
*Things for Historical Society: Know where you stand project....incorporate it into a Ralls County project.
*Things to read: Abby Jimenez books (I've read them all now--great books), Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Karen Robards, KC Wolfe books.
*Things to watch: The Chosen; Friendly Persuasion with Christa
*Things to do: Get scrapbook page to Cannon Caldwell; get sheet music for Guns 'n Roses's song, November Rain and learn how to play it, and make t-shirts for Rhonda and me.
*Things to see: Lake Moraine, Glacier National Park, Hawaii, New England...
August 29, 2024: For my entire life, when I do something, I do it big! Scrapbooking--bought a ton of supplies I never used! Gardening--planted flowers everywhere and started collecting/starting seeds. Sewing--same thing! Since I made my list in the Ozarks, I've tried using up material and batting I have on hand to check items off my list. Making two baby boy quilts was on my list--one for my friend's grandson and another for a girl Brian works with. The last baby boy quilt I made was half-square triangles (HST) in shades of gray, and I remembered I had some HSTs and gray fabric left over. I went to town and make two quilts. I even quilted them at the same time on my longarm. They are finished and ready to gift. It feels good to know that I used up a few supplies and checked a few items off of my to-do list!
To me, stripes make the best bindings. It add just a little movement while at the same time framing the quilt.
I did straight line quilting on both of these quilts using my channel locks. At first, I tried going from left to right and then returning, right to left. My machine didn't like it, shredding threads, so I just surrendered and went left to right, cut threads, and started again, left to right.
July 30, 2024: Yesterday I marked an item off of my quilting/sewing bucket list! When Mary and I went to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, I instantly fell in awe with the tucked/pleated quilts that were on display. Fast forward a bit, and I again saw these quilts at the Hannibal Quilt Show. I took a photo of one of the quilts, include a tag describing the technique. Fast forward a few years, and I found that photo again and headed to Google. I quickly learned that the technique I wanted to learn is called High Tech Tucks, and Caryl Bryer Fallert-Genry of Bryerpatch Studio developed it. He included a very detailed .pdf on her web page, which I linked to in the above sentence. Using this guide, I finally jumped right in and went to work.
What worked?
The directions are superb! After showing a pattern of what to do, the directions show you a realife image of what it looks like. This is very helpful for knowing what to do and why you are doing it.
The directions include the names of materials that work well for this pattern. While I chose my background fabric from my stash, I did buy a gradient fabric to use for my tucks.
The finished size of this project is perfect for a wall hanging. Now I need to find a place in my home to hang it!
What didn't work?
I didn't follow the binding directions, simply because I enjoy the process I use for binding.
I didn't include the hanging sleeve for the project, and I will probably regret this. I've never been in the habit of adding hanging sleeves to my projects, and I should have followed the directions to figure out how to do it. I'll probably hang this with tacks, although I'm toying with the idea of removing the binding from the project and displaying the artwork in a picture frame that has the glass removed.
What ideas do I have for doing this project again in the future?
Now that I understand the process, I'm ready to play with color schemes and stitch lines. How would this look in a more neutral or monochromatic color scheme?
Wouldn't this make a beautiful quilt? If I loaded backing fabric, batting, and gridded interfacing lengthwise in my long arm, I could make a larger version of this project.
Since this project is basically a quilt-as-you-go project, I wonder if I could make 12x12 blocks and join them to create quilt blocks? Hmm....
The possibilities are endless! I love learning new things and trying new techniques!
May 26, 2024: I want to write some notes before I forget...
Wojtek the Bear: I want to learn more about him. Were books written about him? Movies?
Wernher von Braun: A former Nazi, this man ended up working for the United States. I would like to know more. Did he start working for the Americans before or after World War II? Is this one of the Nazis that the United States assimilated after World War II as the Cold War began to develop—another topic to learn more about.
March 15, 2024: March 15, 2024: Tuesday, Teresa, Mary, and I headed to Branson Quilt Week! When we went to Quilt Week last year, we all agreed we wanted to head back this way. In January, we made plans, got a hotel room, and signed up for classes. We drove home last night, and today I continue to be amazed by everything I learned, remembered, or recalled from the event. Time to write down my thoughts!
First of all, the scrapbooker in me failed! The only picture I have of the three of us together was from our first stop on the trip, which happened to be at the Buc-Cee's in Springfield. I know better than this! That said, I had enough memories to make up for the lack of photos of the three of us.
This year, we stayed in the Hilton at the Convention Center, and this was a fantastic decision. The room for two nights didn't cost much more than we paid last year, and all we had to do each morning was wake up and walk to the quilt show. During the day, I ran to the room a few times to grab a few things that were needed at random times. The location is fantastic. The night we arrived, we walked from the hotel to Branson Landing, just behind our hotel. We enjoyed a margarita and supper at Flaming Margarita's. The atmosphere was just what we wanted: something a bit unique. The margaritas were served flaming, and the burgers were served with a syringe full of cheese! It was just the touch of uniqueness we needed. We ended the night playing Scrabble SLAM, and we may have been a little loud!
Early Wednesday morning, I didn't have a class scheduled, but Mary and Teresa did. Teresa's class still had an opening it, so I signed up and joined her in the classroom. Wonderfil presented the class, Threaducation. Mom always used Coats & Clark thread, probably because it was the only thing available to her, and most like, it was the cheapest option available. It is a polyesther thread that is still sold. Generally, I use 50-weight Aurafil for piecing and 40-weight Glide for quilting. I use a 60-weight Bottom Line for applique. That's all I knew about thread until I took this class. There are so many thread options available today!
I learned so much in the class, and the presenters used one of my favorite teaching techniques, storytelling, to help us remember the information.
As the thread gets smaller, the weight (number) gets larger. Sausage theory is how to remember this. Imagine you are feeding people with one pound of sausage. If you have eight people, the sausage patties are thick, like the thickness of an 8-weight thread. If you have to feed 100 people with that same pound of sausage, the patties will be small and fine, like the thinness of a 100-weight thread.
Several times, the presenters shared pictures of items stitched with 12-weight versus 50-weight or 40-weight versus 100-weight thread. If you want the thread work to show, use a thicker thread; if you want the thread work to disappear, use a thinner thread.
When a thread is advertised as long staple fiber, each fiber is still only about 1.5-2 inches long. When a cotton thread is labeled as mercerized, it has been dunked in a caustic mixture to expand and strengthen the cotton.
Nobody makes 100wt cotton thread. It would break all the time.
Cottonized polyester removes the shine from the polyester thread and can be microwaved and ironed.
Three-ply thread is more round than two-ply thread and sits better on the fabric. Two-ply thread sinks into the fabric more than three-ply thread.
Trilobal polyester will always look shiny. Strands are triangular, having more reflective surfaces.
Piecing with an 80-weight thread will allow your seams to lay flatter. The presenters always use an 80-weight bobbin thread and adjust tension based on the weight of their top thread. When piecing with 80-weight thread, reduce your stitch length. Stitch length, not thread weight, determines the strength of the seam.
No matter the thread weight, reducing stitch length on curves will make the curve more "curvy."
Appliqué completed with 100-weight thread, whether by hand or machine, is almost invisible. Wonderfil's 100-weight Invisifil almost disappears and cannot be seen.
Invisifil has color. Monofilament does not. Monofilament ages poorly.
When sewing with metallic threads, use a vertical thread holder, reduce speed by 50%, and use the correct needle size, preferably a 90/14.
Metallic and topstitch needles are the same needle.
And my favorite phrase, which I'm going to adopt, is: Instead of stitching in the ditch, we stitch in the neighborhood! Using a higher-weight thread will hide small bobbles when you accidentally come out of the ditch and into the neighborhood.
Because I love her work, I purposely chose quilting classes taught by Stacie Spradlin. Stacie lives in Quincy, and I've been trying to find a class close enough to attend. When I saw her on the Branson list, it was a win-win! I took two classes with her, and I learned so much! The first class focused on quilting feathers, and the second class provided numerous ways to customize quilts to the individual recipients.
Most importantly, the biggest takeaway from the conference is that I have amazing people in my life. Mary, Teresa, and I had such a great time meeting new people and laughing.
March 7, 2024
If my mind were my legs, I'd be an Olympic champion.
Running non-stop, unable to run in one single direction; instead running two or three different directions at once,
Circling back from time to time to check on the running patterns of the other routes that are being explored simultaneously.
No time to take a break or catch my breath before a new route pops up and I'm off.
Some routes provide a leisurely path, while other routes are up and down, all over the place, and sometimes even disconnected.
Just when I make the connection of where I'm at and what I'm here for, a new route pops up. rerouting.
Quick, I grab a tracking app to write down where I'm at and what I'm doing, but before I can finish writing my thoughts, another route pops up.
So many routes that lead to so many outcomes.
Some routes a requirement, and others a run down memory lane and trying to preserve the route for others to explore long after I am gone.
February 15, 2024
Navigating the post-chemo world has been a nice adventure. During chemo, Brian and I kept to ourselves, even limiting our time with our kids and grandkids. Throughout the process, I wondered if we were overdoing it. A week ago, I even said to someone that we were probably too cautious. Well, today, I'm very thankful for the decisions we made to stay in and away from others during chemo.
In late January, I returned to my sewing group in Hannibal. This was my first attempt to return to routine gatherings that I enjoy. During the second week of the sewing group, I even enjoyed lunch with everyone from the group. It was great to sit with friends and socialize. It was great to talk with others about something other than cancer, chemo, and recovery.
Last week, I took family calendars to my aunts and uncle, and I absolutely loved catching up with them. I took time to sit and visit, when in the past I might have dropped the calendars off and left quickly.
The following day, Teresa, Lynn and I headed to Chesterfield for our scrapbooking retreat. The last retreat was in October, and I participated virtually because of my upcoming chemo treatments. It just wasn't the same as attending in person. In January, I decided to attend the retreat in person, and I'm so thankful I did! I didn't stay up as late scrapbooking as usual, but I fully participated in the retreat and learned many new things. I didn't complete many pages, but I completed the retreat and that felt great! Tameka was our instructor, and we were fortunate to have Maggie Buckley of Mag's Graphics in attendance, as well as one of the original Pixies. I continue to be amazed by how much there is to learn!
When Lynn dropped me off at my house on Sunday, which happened to be Super Bowl Sunday, I immediately took an Epson salt bath and a short nap. Watching the Chiefs win the Super Bowl with Brian, Rachel, Clayton, Henry, and Sadie was a great time! Henry and I even sneaked away from the game for a few minutes to surprise everyone with fresh brownies.
Fast forward to Monday evening...I started sneezing and blowing my nose non-stop. When I was ready to head to bed, I knew I would be sleeping in the recliner because I had so much head congestion. When I woke up Tuesday morning with a 99.6 temperature and heavy congestion in my sinuses and ears, I took a COVID test. The test was positive, which I suspected because my temperature continued to climb, and my congestion became heavier and heavier throughout the day. I tried to watch TV, but I just wanted quiet. Sleep was difficult between my headache and the pain in my sinuses, throat, and ears from the congestion, but I found it. I emailed my care team at Ellis to let them know I tested positive and asked for their feedback. Quickly, they called in a script for Paxlovid. Brian picked it up at about 2:30 p.m., and I had my first dose by 3:30 p.m. Whether it was from the Paxlovid or would have happened anyway, my temperature fell to 100.4 by 6:00 p.m. The low-grade fever, body aches, and congestion continued through the night.
It's currently 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, and I'm feeling better. My throat is less painful than it was this morning, and my ears are beginning to feel less congested, too. Other than general weakness, my two biggest complaints, diarrhea and a terrible taste in my mouth, are probably more from Paxlovid than from COVID. That said, I'm not sure I want to stop taking it as I don't want the COVID symptoms to return, either.
I'm very thankful tonight that Brian and I chose to isolate for much of the time I was having chemotherapy. This experience with COVID hasn't been life-threatening or anything else, but I do wonder what would have happened if I had had COVID during a time when my white count was extremely low. It scares me to think about it. Brian and I worked hard to avoid unnecessary exposure to germs during my treatment, and I'm now confident that we made the right decision.
Normal and routine will return slowly but surely. Instead of rushing it, I've learned to pace myself and not overdo it. I'm a bit disappointed that my follow-up PET scan won't be tomorrow but will instead be on March 28th. I had hoped that our trip to Isle Mujeres would be a celebration of our remission diagnosis, but I'm quite content to make the trip our celebration of overcoming everything that life threw at us in the last six months. We continue to overcome whatever comes our way. As my cousin Zelda wisely said, "What is normal?" Isn't that the truth?
October 17, 2023
January 31, 2024
January 31, 2024: My last chemo was December 21st, and I'm in what I call the recovery phase. While the chemo keeps doing its thing, I feel my body returning to normal. Major side effects are gone, and my hair has started growing back...slowly but surely. About five days ago, I was brushing my teeth when I caught a glimpse of the back of my head in the mirror behind me. I could see a hairline starting to show up on the base of the back of my head. I ran to Brian and showed him, and he saw it, too. Trust me, he's not one to say he sees it if he doesn't. He truly saw it! Today I noticed that the eyebrows between my eyes are starting to sprout again. I've never been more excited about my unibrow!
If I had to pick an external MVP during the chemo process, it would have to be my eyebrows. I started losing my hair about two weeks after my first treatment, and I ended up shaving my hair about a month after the first treatment because I was so tired of having hair everywhere. I hoped my eyebrows would hold out, and they sure did. Since I was a preteen, I've had really thick and dark eyebrows. So dark, in fact, that my mom often thought I was getting into my sisters' makeup. I wasn't. I've plucked and waxed my eyebrows so much over the years. Some say when they wax their eyebrows, they don't grow back. That's not the case for me. I generally get my eyebrows waxed every three weeks, usually about one week after they need to be done. My eyebrows have definitely thinned and have also lost their dark color. My thin, gray eyebrows are sparse, but they are still there. When the rest of my hair fell out, my eyebrows stayed. They are hanging on, and for that reason, they are my external MVP. By the way, the little growths on my eyelids thried through the chemo! They'll come off as soon as I get an all clear from the doctor.
As for the internal MVP of chemo, that award goes to my veins. I was relieved when Dr. Verghese said I wouldn't need a port. Well, I was relieved until a variety of nurses and previous chemo patients told me I needed to ask for a port. I checked with the doctor again, and he assured me that if at any point I was tired of being poked or if my veins started to struggle, I could get a port.
My four treatments are complete, and my veins held up like a champ! One IV was placed behind a valve, and one IV missed the vein, but other than that, my IVs went in smoothly and stayed just where they needed to be. I had an IV at least once a week for at least fourteen weeks, and my veins stayed strong. The chemotherapy drugs are so corrosive and toxic, yet, somehow, God designed our veins to withstand them. To me, that shows just how strong they are. I'm thankful my veins held up to the treatments.
December 21, 2023: Well, this is it. My final chemo treatment. My lab work was decent, so my treatment proceeded as planned. My nurse, Makayla, was a hoot! I didn’t have any symptoms during treatment, and the drive home was good, too. Just before the treatment ended, my nephew, Kenny Cody, came back to our cubicle and visited with me and Brian. It was his first time back in the unit, even though his wife had chemo treatments in the exact same area. When Tammy had her treatments in 2021, hospitals were still in COVID protocols, so Kenny had to wait in the general waiting area outside the unit. Tammy is even more of a rock star than I previously thought! The treatments would be long and boring without someone with me in the cubicle or room.
At the end of the treatment, they did the bell ceremony. I have never witnessed one of the ceremonies. As Brian, Kenny, and I rounded the corner of the unit, following Makayla, to my surprise, my nurse practitioner, Chris Wallace, and the unit nurses were lining both sides of the hallway leading to the bell. Makayla videotaped while I rang the bell three times, and then we took a few photos.
I had no idea how good the ceremony would leave me feeling. I walked out of the unit hopeful that that would be the last time I ever had to enter that unit for another chemotherapy treatment. Over the next weeks, the chemotherapy medicine will continue to attack my cancer cells and any other fast-growing cells. Even though I don’t know how this journey ends, God does, and He’s going to get me through whatever lies ahead of me.
Brian was there for evey part of the process, and I'm forever thankful to him for that.
Ring this bell
Three times well
Its toll to clearly say
My treatment is done
This course is run
And I am on my way!
December 20, 2023: As I type this, I haven't told my family about hearing from my deceased brother, but I plan to very soon. Surely, you are asking yourself if I am crazy. Well, I'm not! I'm 100% sane, at least for today. Let me explain...
My final chemo treatment is tomorrow, Thursday, December 21st. My plan for yesterday was to finish stockings for the family and pick up the house. I need everything done for Christmas by the time I leave for the treatment. The last treatment hit me really hard, really fast, so I have no way of knowing how I'll react to Thursday's treatment. I have already given myself permission not to get everything that I had planned on doing done. I haven't completed the books I wanted to write for the grandkids and another dear friend. I haven't quilted the Christmas tree skirt I'm making for a friend. I haven't made the ornaments I wanted to make for my sisters. I haven't, I haven't, I haven't.
So many "I haven'ts," but I'm okay with that right now. While working on stockings, Brian and Clayton brought in my Christmas gift, a workbench for my sewing room! Since I picked it out on Friday before my mammogram, I've rearranged everything in the front three rooms to make everything fit and look nice. Translation: I have made a huge mess, and it needs to be cleaned!
After a few hours of cleaning (and making great progress), I tackled a project I'd been putting off. I decided to tackle it not because it needed to be done right then but because once it was completed, I could throw most of it away, making it one less project I had to find a place for. Several months ago, Gary's wife, Sandy, gave Diana two photo albums to give to me. I glanced through the albums and found several really neat photos. My project today was to remove the photos from the self-adhesive, magic magnetic albums. These albums were so popular in the late 70s and 80s, and, at the time, they seemed like a great solution to organizing photos. The photos stayed put, and the albums were nice. Fast forward forty years, and almost everyone who does any photo work knows these albums are the devil. The photos stick to the pages and sometimes eat through the back of the photos. If this doesn't happen, either the sticky stuff becomes useless and the photos move around, or the sticky stuff becomes so adhered to the photo that you nearly have to rip the photo off the pages. I currently have about 10 pages from these albums that I need to freeze to make one more attempt at removing the photos and scanning them. If you have any of these albums, please promise me you'll remove the photos from them immediately!
I honestly thought this would be a 30-minute job, but as I continued working beyond an hour, I was ready to quit. Few photos came up easily, and the ones I could remove had sticky stuff on the back of them, making it impossible for me to stack the photos on top of each other neatly. Also, Gary didn't write on the back of all of his photos, so I already determined that some of these photos would never have their story told. This saddened me. Right about that time, I almost quit because the project seemed hopeless. I pulled a photo from a page and noticed the back of the photo was filled with words! Gary's words. I read the first line and got goosebumps: "Hi whoever reads this." With this photo, Gary spoke to me. His message was so powerful, and his words were just what I needed to hear. Gary died almost 19 years ago, yet the words he wrote to whoever would be reading the back of this particular photo were so heartfelt and powerful! I still can't completely process his words and the knowledge that Gary wrote a message at one random point in time, not knowing if anyone would read it and definitely not knowing who would read it. And, incredibly, I happened to be the one. I quickly pulled as many photos from the albums as possible, and a few more included similar messages. I'll share those later.
For now, I'm sitting here at peace, knowing that Gary went through many bad times and survived. Wait, he didn't just survive, he thrived. Through the grace of God, we can do this, too. I can do this. Cancer is my current "down," and Gary's words have inspired me to fall back on the word of God and continue moving forward with a thriving spirit. Thanks, Gary. I miss you and can't wait until we can talk again. Love, Delores
December 8, 2023: While scrolling Facebook a few weeks ago, a picture popped up on my screen that brought back a rush of memories. A Facebook friend was selling a miniature hutch and kitchen set, along with a doll. The doll caught my eye instantly because I quickly recognized it as a doll made by my childhood neighbor, Mrs. Gladys Brown. My suspicions were confirmed when her granddaughter quickly bought the items and shared that her grandmother made the doll. I was so thankful to see the pictures of Mrs. Brown and the tag on the doll that her grandchild posted.
Growing up, there was an empty lot between our house and my Uncle Chester and Aunt Betty's house. As a kid, this was the lot I walked through to get to my nightly piano lessons. Sometime in the 70's, Mrs. Brown bought the lot and built a home on it when she relocated to town. Almost instantly, Mrs. Brown and her family became a part of our family.
Dad was diagnosed with leukemia in 1972, and off and on for many years, he would have a host of doctor's appointments and hospital stays. If the older girls, Teresa & Diana, were home, they watched us. Once they were off to college and married, but before we were old enough to stay home alone, if Mom had to go with Dad, she would send Trudy and me to someone's home for the day and/or night. It seems like we were split up often. I totally get it now! I don't think we were terrible kids, but, like most sisters, I'm sure we started bickering after we were together too long, and as many of the people we stayed with were elderly, I'm sure we were exhausting! We stayed with a range of people, including Grandma Tully, Aunt Delila, Aunt Iva, Aunt Marynelle, and Mrs. Brown. We were blessed to have so many good people willing to take us in on a moment's notice. A stay with Mrs. Brown involved amazing food, hours spent looking through Avon books, and watching her work on her amazing dolls, all within the comfort of her neat and tidy new home. As an added bonus, our house was right beside hers, so we didn't need to pack anything!
I don't know how Mrs. Brown became involved in creating dolls, but if you have ever seen her work, you've had a chance to look at quality workmanship. Mrs. Brown was meticulous in her handiwork, and she and Mom used to brainstorm ways to improve the process and make each final doll an even higher quality than the one before it. Facial features were hand embroidered, and careful care was given to make sure the features looked realistic. Mrs. Brown made the dolls in a variety of skin & hair colors, and she made countless outfits for the dolls. If someone wanted a specific dress or outfit, she would go to her guest bedroom, get out the box of outfits, and carefully lay them out on the bed so she and the customer could see all the options available. If they wanted something that she hadn't already made, she would make it for them.
The one thing I remember most about the dolls is the hair. I remember Mom & Mrs. Brown toiling away to find a way to add hair to the dolls that looked as real as possible. I remember yarn wrapped around a piece of scrap cardboard and then many attempts to hand or machine sew the yard to the doll's head. While I don't remember the process that finally became the standard, I do remember that there was a standard once they got it right. Whatever that process was, Mrs. Brown and Mom perfected it so that Mrs. Brown could use it repeatedly as she created her masterpieces. The quality of the hair was one of the trademarks of Mrs. Brown's dolls.
When Mrs. Brown moved to the neighborhood, you didn't just get her--you got her entire family! Mrs. Brown and her by-then-diseased husband had three children: Rex, Ivan Dale, and Norma Jean, and by the time we met them, each of her children had their own fa. Mrs. Brown's family visited her frequently, and her family, in many ways, became a part of our family. Since Rex lived in Perry, too, my siblings and I knew his children from school and Mrs. Brown's house, and since he had nine children, there was always someone our age to play with in the lots between our homes. I remember Mrs. Brown joyfully celebrating the births of her grandchildren and grandchild, but I also remember her deep mourning of at least one grandchild who passed away unexpectedly in young adulthood. I remember her sorrow and pain during this time, and I remember watching Mom experience that same sorrow and pain, trying to find ways to be there as a support for Mrs. Brown to help her somehow make the tragedy make sense. I fondly remember Mom and Mrs. Brown walking between our homes, sharing ideas and trying new things. I'm sure many cups of coffee were shared between these two as they discussed their children and grandchildren, their loves and passions.
When Mrs. Brown died in 1988, my mom and our family lost a good friend and neighbor. Mrs. Brown's legacy lives on in her children and many generations of grandchildren, and it also lives on through her dolls.
October 19, 2023: Kaitlyn stopped by after work and brought some cheese tortellini and some Olipops. Olipops have become my favorite "soda." I drank the Doctor Carson, a Dr. Pepper type soda, and it was really good. I had Brian grab some heavy whipping cream, and I made supper. I found a recipe for Alfredo sauce, and since I didn't have enough parmesan cheese, I made up the difference with mozzarella cheese. I don't remember the recipe I used, but I think this is how it played out.
I creamed 1/2 c. butter and 1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream in a skillet, whipping it with the "new-to-me" metal whipper I bought at a thrift store in Mexico. Aunt Ruth showed me hers and told me she loves it for scrambling eggs, so when I was killing time in Mexico one day waiting to get the windows of my Blazer tinted and I ran across one, I bought it. It's a pretty useful tool!
I then added in a 3/4 c. mixture of parmesan and mozerella cheese, some Italian seasoning, a very small amount of garlic, salt, and pepper.
Once creamy, I poured the cooked tortelini in and stirred it until it was all coated.
The side dish was something I saw on TikTok and wanted to make for awhile. I steam a bag of Brusse sprounts. Who knew how tasty steamed Brussel spounts would be!
I used a cup to smash about 1/2 of the Brussel sprouts. I laced them ion the Air Friyer on a liner. I bought the liners last weeken, and while I think Brian thinks they are Bboogie, I generally am the one that cleans up the Air Fryer, so it's all good.
I sprayed the Ssmashed brussel sprouts with olive oil, you know, like Pam.
I sprinkled powdered ranch dressing powder and mozzerlla cheese on the Brussel sprouts.
I used the setting "toast" and set the time for 5 minutes.
Delicious! A very unexpectedly good meal!
October 10, 2023: Yesterday I received probably the greatest news I have received in recent months! The lymphoma on my tonsil was removed with my tonsillectomy last month, and today's PET scan shows that it isn't anywhere else in my body, and it seems the surgery removed all of the cancer. This is the news that I, and many others, have been praying for! Cancer-free! Absolutely amazing! So, why am I not happier today?
Before today's PET scan, the hematologist already told me he suspected Stage I or Stage II, and he already told me that the treatment would be 4 chemotherapy treatments, each spaced 21 days apart. The doctor was right. I have (had) Stage I cancer. I was all prepared for chemotherapy. But...when you hear that they got all the cancer, it makes you wonder if you need chemotherapy. Recently, a friend of ours was given almost identical news. He received a diagnosis of cancer, they removed it all, and they recommended chemo. He decided to refuse the treatment. His theory is that if they got it all, why does he need chemo? While I have never judged him and his decision, I wondered why he would refuse treatment. If even one cancer cell remains, it will grow and return. Why not have the chemo and make sure it is completely gone? Well, after today, I better understand why he might have made the decision that he made.
Before you can begin chemo, Ellis Fischel requires you to participate in a cancer teaching appointment. My appointment was with a nurse practitioner, Chris Wallace. Personally, I prefer to see nurse practitioners, so I was (and still am) glad when I learned that a nurse practitioner would be doing the training. I'm a researcher, so I already read numerous articles and studies about the doctor's recommended treatment. One of these articles focused on a study that showed that having the particular type of treatment I am going to have increased your risk of having additional "other" cancers. I read the study and attributed it to another possible side effect of chemo, and no one gets all the side effects, right? I read the studies about sores in your mouth, throwing up, and hair loss. I finally resigned myself to the fact that if losing my hair is what it takes to get rid of my cancer, bring it on!
While I thought I was prepared, I actually wasn't prepared. In addition to chemo, I will be issued up to 9 medications. To be fair, one of the medications is actually part of the chemotherapy process. Three of the medications will be anti-nausea medications, two to prevent side effects, and four to prevent infection. In addition to these nine medications, the treatment consists of 4 more medications, 2 of which target only cancerous B-cells, and 2 of which target any fast-growing cells. The latter medications are the ones that cause hair loss, as your hair follicles contain fast-growing cells. There will be weekly labs, and depending on the lab results and symptoms I may have, more medications.
In addition to the medications, we, of course, had to go over the side effects, which happened to be a list of more than 48 items, of which 10 were marked as the most common side effects. What, do you ask, are the most common side effects? Well, let me list them for you.
Low red blood cells
Constipation and/or diarrhea
Fatigue and weakness
Hair loss
Increased infection risk
Mouth sores
Nausea/vomiting/heartburn
Numbness and tingling
Changes in mood (depression/anxiety)
Elevated uric acid
The less common side effects are almost too frightening to think about, including secondary cancers. Brian asked for clarification, and yes, chemo treatments sometimes cause other cancers. Ironic, huh?
After the chemo training, both Brian and I felt the need for a second opinion. Since the test results are saying my cancer is gone, I need to hear from someone else that these four treatments are necessary. It's not that I don't trust my doctor team at Ellis. It is, instead, me making sure that I'm not going through anything I don't need to go through, especially when the treatments have so many risks and side effects. I am not seeking a second opinion so someone will tell me what I want to hear, but rather, so that someone will tell me what I need to hear.
I'm very thankful that the nurse practitioner explained all of these items to me to make me aware. In my head, I keep going back to everything I read and was told about my adult tonsillectomy. Thankfully, while the recovery wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, it wasn't easy. I'm not obtuse enough to believe that I won't have any side effects from the chemo treatments if I have to have them. If we decide to proceed with the treatments, I'm going to have to rely on my family, friends, and faith to get me through the four treatments. I'm also going to rely on the prayers of my family and friends when I'm too worn out and discouraged to pray on my own. I firmly believe their prayers are what got me through the most difficult experiences in my life, including this most recent health situation.
There are clubs you can join, and there are clubs you can go to for a night away and a good time.
We join clubs we want to join.
Maybe the club is our hobby.
Maybe the club is about something we care about.
Maybe the club is just fun.
But,
Sometimes, we become members of clubs we don't want to be in.
Membership is not voluntary.
Sometimes you see the membership coming, and sometimes it comes out of nowhere and leaves you breathless.
These are clubs that you don't even know exist until you or someone you love becomes a member.
Clubs that are based on knowledge and understanding that we never wanted to have.|
Clubs that we don't ask to join, but clubs that instead make us automatic members.
These are clubs we never wanted to be a member of.
Clubs that when walking past, make you divert your eyes and not want to see.
Clubs that are rarely spoken of by their membership simply because if you’re not a member of the club, you just can’t understand.
If you don’t know if you’re a member, then you definitely are not.
You can often tell the membership by a look of understanding that goes so deep into the member's soul, making you hurt all over again.
These clubs make you see life a little differently, making you more aware of the fragility of life, safety, and security.
What clubs, you ask?
Sometimes you are notified of your membership by simply answering your phone.
"Ma'am, your husband has been in a wreck and we need you to come to the hospital."
"Mom, sit down. Your son didn't wake up this morning."
"Oh, sweetie, your mom had a heart attack and didn't survive."
Other times, you are notified as you flip through a spouse's cell phone, photos, or email accounts.
"You wouldn't even have to ask, sweetie."
"Don't call me tonight because my wife will be home."
Sometimes, you know you're a club member just by the recognition that is shared in a meaningful glance.
Seeing someone wearing a chemo cap and using your eyes to convey that you know the surprise of seeing the first chunk of hair on your comb.
You've pulled on your hair to confirm it wasn't your imagination, only to see hairs taunting you in your shaking hand.
You've showered gingerly yet still have to reach down and pick up the mound of hair that has settled in the drain.
You've woken up in the morning and experienced that brief moment when you wonder if it was all a dream, only to see your pillow littered with long pieces of hair.
You've stood on a porch with your husband's beard trimmer and cried as you shaved away any remaining hair because it's just too hard to deal with hair being everywhere.
You've stood in front of a mirror, seeing a baldheaded woman staring back at you.
You've been so self-conscious that you didn't want anyone to see you, yet, to the shock of an unsuspecting delivery man,
You've also become so used to it that you forget to put your chemo cap on when you answer your door.
In a single glance, club members know all these things and more. Others don't.
But sometimes, you find out by accident.
Scanning the patient portal and accidentally finding your biopsy results.
Walking home alone just that one time, not knowing that you would become a member simply because someone else decided they had a right to take something from you that you weren't willing to give.
Sometimes you find out in the sterile environment of a clinic or hospital room.
"Do you smoke?"
"How long have you had this cough?"
"Is there a family history of cancer?"
Sometimes, the membership is sudden, yet sometimes, it comes after months or years of struggling and fighting.
"There is nothing else we can do."
"It's time to start getting your affairs in order."
"If there is something you want to do, do it now."
"I don't know why you're unable to get pregnant."
"We've exhausted all efforts."
Sometimes, you don't know if you are a member of the club or not.
"Ma'am, your daughter cannot be located. She was last seen at 11:30 p.m. at a local establishment."
"We're going to need to do a biopsy and wait for results."
Sometimes, the club teach you that you have a lot to learn.
Learning to live in a world without your child.
Learning to love yourself again after a stupid mistake changed your life and the life of another family.
Learning to live with survivor's guilt, trying to understand why God spared you but chose to end the life of one of his sweet children.
Learning to love and leaving to live.
Some of the clubs will happen to everyone, at varying times and stages.
Becoming an orphan because of the loss of both parents, either together or many years apart.
Losing the love of your life after sixty years of marriage.
The club of men and women that suddenly became a widow, or maybe not so suddenly.
Learning to overcome the loss of a partner.
For these clubs, there are no officers, recognition banquets, or honors
There are only days and nights spent remembering how you became a member.
Reminiscing about life before your membership became active.
Seeking out other members, either actively or subconsciously, hoping to find someone who can help you make sense of this new club you've unwittingly joined and help you make it through the initiation process.
Praying for a miracle that will somehow change your life so dramatically that your membership will be revoked, yet knowing that this is an impossibility.
Doing anything you can to get your membership revoked.
Trying not to relive the experience that made you a member, while at the same time trying not to forget about life before admission into the club.
While some people never come to terms with their membership, denying that they fit into the group to which they have been assigned,
Others find a way to make the membership meaningful...to make sure that they are able to overcome the obstacles they've encountered and then continue to move forward,
Sometimes even becoming the group leader and activity director.
Are you a member of the club, or are you standing on the fringe trying to figure out how it feels to be a member?
Do you even know the club exists?
Do you know how to support membership when you aren't a member? Can you?
September 4, 2023: I woke up at 5:45 a.m. today and couldn't go back to sleep. I had a productive morninig. I finished sewing the binding on my friend Jackie's quilta and I even caught the Golden Hour and snapped a few photos of it. I fed the birds, and they flocked to the bird feeder. I ran to the shed to grab sausage, but when I couldn't find any, I opted for bacon instead. After I baked the bacon, I started dishes since Brian was still asleep. I love when there are no dishes in the sink! After Brian woke and we ate breakfast, I finished up the dishes that we used to enjoy our bacon and eggs. I wiped down the stove, cleaned out the sink, and admired my work. The kitchen looks good!
Then, I went to the living room, and what did I see on the table beside where I usually sit? A cup! The dishes are no longer done.
This reminded me of something a wise lady once told me. Pat Walton was a cook at Perry Elementary School, and she was a very kind woman. She and her assistant cook would also spoil the teachers. For example, on days when the kids had peaches as their fruit, Pat would often make peach cobbler for the teacher work room. When it was roll day, cinnamon rolls would sometimes show up fresh and warm in the staff workroom.
The cooks generally worked from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., or something like that. By 1:30 p.m., the kitchen would be so clean you had no idea that they had already cooked a lunch for 130ish kids and many teachers. Just like me this morning, Pat always ended her cleaning by wiping down the counters and sink and sweeping the kitchen floor. More often than I want to admit, about 1:30 was when I would walk in with, you guessed it, the cups that accumulated on my desk. I dreaded walking in and putting my cups near the sink when Pat had just finished cleaning up, but if Pat minded, she didn't ever tell me. After I apologized, she always reassured me that it was not problem, and that I had simply given her the starter dish for tomorrow. What? Yes, she would say that she always needed a dish to start doing dishes, and she made it seem like my failure to return glasses during lunchtime when the dishwasher was running almost non-stop was actually doing her a favor.
As I move the cup from the end table in the living room, I try to be positive. Hey, now I have a starter dish. The world is good again! Thank you, Pat, for your positive outlook on life. Thankfully, it was contagious.
Perspective is everything. There are certain phrases that have a different meaning depending on where you are at in your life journey. Only in context can you begin to understand what someone is going through as they near words that seem innocent enough, but may be deeply traumatic. Each of us comes to language with our own mindset, life experiences, worries, talents, and situations.
"You're grounded," makes most teenagers furious, yet as an adult, when someone tells you you're grounded, it is generally a compliment.
"You're pregnant," is the most wonderful phrase an individual hoping to have a baby can hear.
"You're pregnant," strikes fear in the cancer patient who is undergoing chemotherapy.
"Do you smoke?" might be a fun pick up line at a bar or at a party when you are eighteen, but it is a terrible phrase to hear after a doctor looks at a growth on your tonsil.
Started August 21, 2023. Expanded upon for weeks.
I keep looking, hoping it is gone, but it's still there.
When it first appeared, I can't be certain.
I didn't feel a sudden change.
Others didn't look at me and wonder, "Man, something just seems different about her."
Is it the same infection that keeps coming back over and over again?
Did it change at some point and turn into something more sinister?
April 1st played a cruel joke on me, hitting me with a double whammy of sinus and throat pain.
COVID? Who knows. Didn't have a fever or terrible ear ache I usually associate with COVID.
Weeks later, a trip to ambulatory for steroids and antibiotics were on my travel agenda.
Did they even look at my throat? I don't remember.
Was the patch there already? Not sure.
I think it's good to see a different doctor from time to time.
Like a parent who gets tired of hearing the same complaint over and over from her child, surely doctors were getting tired of hearing my same complaint: sinus infection and a sore throat.
Like a parent of a newborn who just grows used to getting buy on little sleep, I was just used to it and didn't think much about it.
I seem to always have a sinus infection and a sore throat.
New eyes looked and my throat, and then said, "Let me see that again."
"The white patch?" I ask.
Yes. I'll be right back. Let me grab the doctor to take a look.
Dr. comes in and says it looks like an absess.
FNP: Do I prescribe an antibiotic?
DR: No, let's save that for when her tonsils are so big and she's struggling to breath.
ME (inside voice because I have to be brave): WTF? Struggling to breath!
Time to have a specialist, an ENT, look at it.
I went home and looked at the patch. Still there. Now I'm thumbing through photos (yes, I take photos of my tonsils.) White patch there...and there. Wait, is is the same white patch they saw today or a tonsil stone? I sure don't know!
I saw the ENT, and he labeled the white patch a cyst.
He was more concerned with the red streaking down my throat. "Do you have sore throats a lot?"
ALL THE TIME.
He labeled my throat problem GERD and prescribed Protonix. Said he's see me in three months, unless the CT showed something.
What a nut! An antacid for my sore throat? I can't believe I just went to this doctor!
Fast forward 3 days, and, wait! My sore throat is gone! I can swallow again! No more choking on bites of food--an act that was just second nature to me. Healed! Hmmm, thank you, doctor, for diagnosing GERD. Who knew!
I looked at my throat, and it's still there.
Good news! CT scan didn't find a cyst or absess.
But wait, why is the doctor calling?
What? Chronic and acute sinus disease. Well, duh!
A round of prednisone and two rounds of antibiotics.
Oh, and medicine for a yeast infection about a week in.
Fun stuff.
The swelling in my sinuses went down, so I looked.
Still there.
Two weeks later, the doctor looked again; still there.
Not much worry for the throat, as he was more concerned about my sinuses.
Sinus surgery? I didn't see that coming.
But, at least I don't need a tonsillectomy, so I'm good!
Two weeks later, visiting with the allergy doctor.
She looked; still there.
"Do you smoke?"
FUCK!
I knew what that meant...the "C" word.
I shot Brian a look and caught his expression as the realization made its way into his thoughts and his hand moved to his mouth.
Brian and I listened as she shared that while the patch looks "filled," when she touched it, it didn't feel full.
I wonder why no one has touched it before to know that?
Squamous cell cancer?
Can I possibly be hearing the "C" word first?
When I imagined all the ways Brian and I might have to deal with cancer in our lifetime,
I never imagined I'd be the first to have a cancer scare.
Can we biopsy it? NO
Is there a blood test? NO
So what now?
Tonsillectomy.
FUCK!
I saw my primary, and she looked. Still there.
She notes it has changed and doesn't look like my "normal" throat infections.
Should I have a tonsillectomy?
YES!
So, here we are.
I look almost every day, and every day, it's still there.
Last week, I had a steroid shot, so my tonsils aren't as large as usual.
Surely that pesky patch is gone, too.
I looked; still there.
I've gargled with salt water.
I looked; still there.
I'm making plans for two weeks of pain.
Tonsillectomies are for kids.
They are too painful for adults.
Everyone knows that!
Yet, here I am, preparing.
I pray the recovery won't be as painful as I expect it to be. Time will tell.
I pray the surgery will be for naught. Time will tell.
Chemo? Radiation? Too scary to even entertain the thought.
So I ignore those thoughts.
I push them down into the recesses of my soul where all unspeakable thoughts reside.
But just in case, I see a doctor about removing three pesky bumps on my head.
They aren't cancer, but if my hair thins, I don't want them there.
Surely positive thinking can get me through this.
I'm not going down the "Why me?" road, because, why not me?
I'm no different that anyone else.
I don't have a lease on a cancer-free life.
Better people than me have had a cancer diagnosis already.
Worse people than me have a cleaner bill of health than I do right now.
That's life.
Yet, what caused it?
Never smoked, except for a vape pen I used a few times in June and July, well after the patch was already present.
I'll forever mentally blame it on the vape pen, even though the rational side of me knows that isn't the cause.
I don't drink much.
I eat terribly.
Sinus problems for years.
Did the sinus problem cause the tonsil problem?
Did the tonsil problem cause the sinus problem?
Are my allergies terrible, or do I simply have a sinus and tonsil problem?
I just looked.
Guess what?
It's still there.
It's one week until surgery; I can do this.
I'm psyched.
I've order every type of throat losenge recommended.
I've done my pre-surgery nesting--cleaning out the pantry and, refrigerator, and organizing everything I can.
Finished up a quilttop so I could get it off the long arm and have a new project to work on.
At work, I've written notes, talked with clients, and arranged for cover of things that will go on during my leave.
And then, the call came.
Surgery is cancelled for Sept 5th.
The doctor is needed somewhere else.
The surgeon is booked through November.
FUCK!
How can a doctor tell you you might have cancer,
Yet postpone your surgery almost three months after that conversation?
I'm praying they'll call tomorrow and tell me they have found a way to fit me in next week.
If they do,
I won't need to cancel our vacation.
I won't need to cancel things I have planned for October.
I won't need to worry every single day if the thing on my tonsil is still growing.
Is it benign or cancerous?
Should I be on an antibiotic right now?
Is it spreading?
Am I worrying for nothing?
By the way, I looked, and it's still there.
September 29
I looked, and it's not there.
Surgery is over and recovery is coming along nicely.
The tonsils and growth are long gone. Now I wait to hear the official biopsy results this afternoon.
Here's the problem, though...
I've already seen the results.
So, before heading out to get the official diagnosed, I logged back into the patient portal to see if my eyes have been deceiving me, or if I really have an official cancer diagnosis.
I looked, and it's still there.
The quilt is finished.
Weeks and sometimes months went into selecting just the right pattern, picking out luscious fabrics that have a personal meaning or connection to the quilt's future owner.
The sewing began, and the ripping also began.
Sewing, ripping, second guessing fabric choices.
Pressing seams open, squaring up,
Making it just right.
Finally, after all the work,
a quilt is born.
The quilt brings such joy to its recipient.
It's used gingerly, so as not to damage it
I'll be damned, I'll be damned if (I don't remember this line of thought)
Things you never get over
I woke up somewhere between a memory and a dream. Tom Petty lyric I heard at Grafton
Anaylsis paralysis
From a KC Wolf. The banana that gets separated from the bunch is the first to get eaten. Be a team player.
KC Wolf: There's never a right time to do the wrong thing and there's never a wrong time to do the right thing.
ME: A chapter in your life story that you wish you didn't know how to write.
KC Wolf: If you ask a man his occupation, find out his job. If you has a man his preoccupation, you find out his passion.
Certain phrases have a different meaning depending on the situation and the the time of your life you are in. Ex: Want a smoke? at a party when you are 25 usually is a positive. Do you smoke? when you are 56 and the doctor has just looked at your throat is enough to make your heart stop for a quick second.
Life Cycles
LIFE CYCLE
Life is a quilt, pieced together and meant to be enjoyed and cherished.
The quilt is finished.
Weeks and sometimes months went into selecting just the right pattern, picking out luscious fabrics that have a personal meaning or connection to the quilt's future owner.
The sewing began, and the ripping also began.
Sewing, ripping, second guessing fabric choices.
Pressing seams open, squaring up,
Making it just right.
Finally, after all the work,
a quilt is born.
The quilt brings such joy to its recipient.
It's used gingerly, so as not to damage it.
So fresh and new! Crisp and firm.
The new fabric smell, combined with the beautiful stitching from quilting, and sometimes you just sit in awe as you look at the new quilt.
Fast forward a few years,
the fabric is beginning to soften, and the quilt now has a few scars and stains.
You don't mind the scars and stains, though, because each one has a story to tell.
Fibers begin to relax, and the batting become fluffy.
Combined with the softened fabric, you have a quilt that warms you on cool nights and provides the security you need on other evenings.
Fast forward several more years, and you have a quilt that is not just a quilt, but a conversation piece and memory maker.
There may be rips in the quilt, and the binding is starting to fray from use.
Decisions have to be made.
Fix it? Leave it alone and let it live out its life? Put it away for safe keeping?
Decisions, decisions.
Quilts are a lot like us.
Most of us enter the world because two people in love decided they wanted a child, possibly as a memento of their love for one another.
A newborn is so fresh and new!
You never forget the smell of a newborn, and as new parents, sometimes you will sit in awe of the new life you have created.
Babies grow up to be kids and then young adults.
Still new and fresh, yet, unfortunately, they start to accumulate scars and stains. Hopefully the good outweighs the bad, and you can't see the scars and stains.
Instead, you see memories of a learning to ride a bike, first love, and other milestones.
Many years later, knees give out. Some relationships end and new ones are formed. Suddenly you are spending about as much time a doctor's appointments as you are at family dinners.
Decicions have to be made.
Do you replace the knee or doing physical therapy to see if that helps.
Do you worry in the quiet hours about relationships that didn't work out,
or do you celebrate the relationships you have?
Do you use your good China or put it away for your kids and grandkids to enjoy long after you are no longer around?
Just like the quilt, decisions have to be made.
Life is like a quilt, pieced together and meant to be enjoyed and cherished.
What you do with this quilt is entirely up to you, but I hope you use it to its fullest.
Certain phrases have a different meaning depending on the situation and the the time of your life you are in. Ex: Want a smoke? at a party when you are 25 usually is a positive. Do you smoke? when you are 56 and the doctor has just looked at your throat is enough to make your heart stop for a quick second.
July 26, 2023: Last night, my cousin, Sharon, reached out to me about scanning and organizing her mom's photos. I'm giddy thinking about the possibility of learning even more about my family through my aunt and uncle's photos! Last night I self-reflected, asking myself why I get so much joy out of scanning and organizing my family's photos, and I think I found the answer. If the entire process gives me one more picture of my mom or dad, it's worth it! And, learning about my parent's family members helps me learn more about my parents.
Sharon's mom, Aunt Mary, was the last living relative from my Dad's generation. She married my dad's brother, Harold, shortly before or after my parents were married in 1951. When she died in September of last year (2022), it was so sad knowing that another entire generation has passed away. Her funeral was beautiful, with a display of some of the many quilts she made in her lifetime draping the pews of the church.
I asked Sharon to also include any military records or family records with the photos. Very soon afterwards, she sent me some hand written notes from Uncle Harold, along with his discharge summary. It's time to start analyzing the paperwork he left behind to learn more about my uncle's time in the military. Here goes!
Harold Leake Discharge Papers
3. Harold E. Leake completed his career as a Sergeant. FIND LINK TO SHOW HEIRARCHY.
4. INF: Infantry Division
5. AUS: Army of the United States
6. Company K of the 169th Infantry Regiment of the 43rd Division More Information
7. Relieved of duties May 14, 1946
8. At Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, Missouri
21: Occupation at time of induction. (Code Table) 3-16.10 16.10 is the code for agriculture, which aligns with the description, farm hand general.
22: Harold was inducted into the Army on May 24, 1944 at
25: Jefferson Barracks, located near St. Louis
26. Harold was registered with the selective service
27. 1=Fit for military service (More Info)
28. Inducted from Ralls County, MO
30: Anti Tank Gun Crewman 610: Operates as a member of the crew of self-propelled or towed antitank gun used in the destruction of enemy tanks and other armored vehicles
31. Harold was awarded a combat infantryman Badge and was given a Rifle M-1 S `on July 15, 1944.
32: Campaigns Harold participated in, but not specific battles: New Guinea and Luzon
33: During his time in the army, Harold earned the following honors:
Two Overseas Bars: An Overseas Service Bar indicates a soldier has served six months of service in a combat zone. Each bar indicates a separate six month period.
Overseas Bar: Army Overseas Service Bars are worn on the Army Service Uniform to represent the cumulative amount of time spent overseas, with each stripe representing 6 months. Multiple Overseas Service Bars are worn simultaneously, extending vertically on the sleeve of the uniform. The Overseas Service Bar is worn centered on the outside bottom half of the right sleeve of the Army Service Uniform coat. The lower edge of the overseas service bar is placed 1/4 inch above the sleeve braid of the coat for officer personnel, and 4 inches above and parallel to the bottom of the sleeve for enlisted personnel. Each additional bar is spaced 1/16 inch above, and parallel to the first bar.
Philippine Liberation Ribbon with One Bronze Star (More information here)
World War II Victory Medal : The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945.
35: I still need to figure out what BT A stands for.
36: December 2, 1944, Harold was shipped to APTO (Asiatic Pacific Theater Operation), arriving on December 23, 1944. As far as his return home, I’m not sure what NOT A means, but he arrived back at port in the United States on May 6, 1946.
37: Harold served the Army from the continental US for 0 years, 6 months, and 6 days. He served overseas for 1 year, five months, and fifteen days.
38: Harold’s highest rank was Sergeant.
40: AR 615 - 365 RR 1-1 Demobilization, is the Army Regulation concerning Army forces reduction after the war. I’m not exactly sure what Separation Program SPKPM 210.8 PAR 1D on January 16, 1946 means. I’ll keep researching.
42: Harold completed 8th grade.
43: Total Service 1 years, 11 months, 21 days
44: The Mustering-out Payment Act is a United States federal law passed in 1944. It provided money to servicemen, returning from the Second World War, to help them restart their lives as civilians.
46: Amount of money received to get home
47: I'd like to learn more about this person
48-53: Insurance information. He had to pay a monthly premium of $6.50 to continue his National Insurance. I’m not sure what continue only $5,000 means. Need to learn more....
55. Explanations Below
Lapel Button Issued (Lapel Pin was a small round pin issued at discharge, commonly called the "Ruptured Duck" box.) (I need to clarify this information.)
ASR Score 35 (ASR Score is the number of 'points' earned which determined when a soldier was shipped home)
ASR Score is the number of 'points' earned, which determined when a soldier was shipped home. The ASR score system was revamped again in September 1945 because too many experienced veterans were going home and leaving the younger soldiers to wind down the operations in Europe after the end of World War II. All European units were re-designated as Occupational, Redeployment or Liquidation Forces. Occupational Forces consisted of volunteers and the troops with the lowest scores. According to the WWII point system, troops with scores between 60 and 79 ASR points were classified as Liquidation Forces. Those with the highest scores and troops designated for return to the U.S. were considered Redeployment Forces.
Notes from Uncle Harold that he left through his local VFW paperwork: FASCINATING!
Harold E. Leake
3020 Co. Rd. 228
Fulton, MO 65251
(573)642-6520
Branch of the Service: Army (Infantry) 43rd Inf. Division
When did you serve? May 24, 1944-May 14, 1946
Where did you serve? Asiatic area New Guinea, Philippines Is, 6 months Japan
Length of Services: Almost 2 years
Hghest Rank: Sergeant
Service Medals Received: World War II Victory; Good Conduct; Inf. Combat Badge; Asiatic Pacific, Marksman SM 1Rifle
I took my basic training in Camp Roberts, California. After a short furlough home, back to the west coast from there to Holland New Guinnia from there to the Island of Luzon in the Philippines. Was there when the war ended. After a short time was sent to Japan for occupational duty, about 6 months.
Came back to the West Coast, then to Jefferson Barracks to receive my discharge
July 13, 2023: Unfortunately, my sisters and I have been spending a lot of time together. I used the word unfortunately because we are spending time together going to visitations of our family and extended family. Steve died in September 2023, our cousin Linda's husband, Rocky, died unexpectedly in March after a hit-and-run car/pedestrian accident, and most recently, our cousin Linda died unexpectedly. For the last two deaths, we rode together to the individual's visitation in Liberty, MO, about a 3 to 3.5-hour drive from Perry. Trudy was sick for Rocky's visitation, so our cousin, Cathy McAfee, rode with us. For both of these trips, we talked almost non-stop. Brian advised me to roll the window down from time to time because he knew our talking was going to suck all of the oxygen out of the air. He wasn't wrong! We like to talk, and when we talk about family memories, we really like to talk.
About two weeks ago, I bought a subscription to Storyworth. Storyworth sends subscribers a writing prompt every week, or more frequently if you wish. The prompt is meant to give you a topic to write about, with the goal of creating "your story" over the course of a year. If you don't like the prompt they send, you can choose a new one or pick your own topic. So far I've had a prompt about my mom and another prompt about my dad. I don't always stick to the exact prompt, but I try to write to the overall gist of the topic. I tried to just let the thoughts come to my mind and type them as quickly as I can. I pay little attention to spelling and grammar at this point, with the goal of just getting my thoughts down on paper. If I have an idea I'm afraid I'll forget, I quickly type a few words to help me remember my thoughts and then return to the current work in progress. I've really tried to focus while I'm writing, evening addressing thoughts or memories that are difficult to process. After the year, you can buy a bound copy of your story, and you can even buy additional copies for family members. For now, I'm not going to think about that. I tend to get wrapped up in making a project big and grand, which sometimes derails the entire project. I don't want this process to end like that.
Last week, I used a picture of my dad's truck to help me write some memories I have of him. One time, Dad's truck bed caught on fire, so that was a major topic while I was writing. Ironically, somehow the topic of Dad's truck fire came up on our way home. Diana and Trudy filled in pieces of my story. I couldn't remember who noticed the fire, but I knew someone said, "Dad's truck is on fire." Diana clearly remembered that she was the one that yelled the declaration of the fire, and then she remembered going to the phone and dialing the number Mom ingrained in our brains in case of a fire: 3300. That's right. No area code, no prefix. Just 3300. This connected Diana with someone from the fire department, and the fire truck showed up before we knew it. In the story I wrote, I stated that we didn't know how the fire started. Trudy knew! She said that Bradley, Dad, and others were cutting down trees and branches the day before, burning their harvest of weak or broken limbs. The next day after church, Bradley started shoveling up the piles of burnt debris, which he assumed were free from fire. They weren't. Not long after he started scooping the piles into the truck, the truck caught fire. Dad's truck was old, probably a 1952 Chevy. He used it primarily for the garage, so the wooden boards in the bed were soaked with years of oil and gasoline. Oil, gasoline, and fire are a dangerous combination, as we found out that day.
When I wrote my blurb about Dad's truck burning, I knew I didn't remember everything. That said, I realized quickly that my memories of the day were very different from Trudy's and Diana's. Were my memories wrong? Nope! They were my memories and that is the way I remember the day. Diana and Trudy have their own memories, and they very clearly the way they were in involved in the event, or in the case of knowing that Bradley scooped the embers into the truck, Trucy clearly recalled what Bradley told her.,
June 11, 2023: This is another "catch up" post. This week, Mary and I took two classes with Angela Walters during her Longarm Academy. On tuesday, we took a rulers course, and on Wednesday, we took a feathers course. Here are my takeaways....
Things I Learned
Until I took the ruler course, the only reference line I used on my rulers was the extension tab that showed me where my line would end. Angela exposed me to the world of 45 degree reference lines.
When Angela described how to get contract in your quilting, this really clicked with me this time. She described four ways to get contrast: color, shape, direction, and density. To really make an area or design "pop," use a different color, shape, direction, or density in that area. To make something blend, use a similar color, shape, direction, or density. Angela modeled this for us on a long arm, and then we played around with this a bit. It worked! If you're echoing around feathers and you want to the feather to blend, keep the echo about the size of the feather. If you want it to pop, make the echo lines closer together. The filler around the feather makes a difference, too. Want the feather to pop? Use tight lines or tight lazy eights. Want the feather to blend, use a larger spacing or keep using curves. (See top image of this post)
We stayed at a cute Air B&B in Liberty. I need to start doing research and using Air B&Bs more than hotels.
One night, Mary and I sat and brainstormed ideas for two of her upcoming classes. It was great to have a brainstorming session! It had been awhile since we just sat and threw out ideas!
Thoughts for the Future
In 2019, Mary and I took a couple of courses during that year's Longarm Academy, and one of them was feathers. I didn't now if repeating the class would be a great idea or not, but it ended up being an amazing idea! When I took the first class, it was the absolute first time I ever used a longarm. During the class this week, I was able to not worry about using the long arm and focus on improving my feather skills. I know what parts of the feathers are a struggle for me, and I was able to listen very attentively to hear what Angela was saying and practice my feathers to correct my former strategies for making feathers.
I have always wanted to make a beautiful swirl chain. Even though this particiular design wasn't a part of either class, Angela designed it for me. I love it! I can't wait to start practicing and perfecting!
I have plenty of pieces that need to be quilted, including many of Angela Walters's panels that come with instructional videos. I need to keep on keeping on and improving my quilting skills.
5-14-2023: We went on our first camping trip of the season this weekend. Hopefully this year will be better than last year. What does this mean? Well, last year, our first camping trip was our last camping trip. I really can't explain why, though. It just happened that way. We never committed to any weekends, and because of this, we never went anywhere.
Several years ago, Brian bought a camper from someone in the area that selling their camper to buy a newer camper. The camper was a 1998 camper, and it was in pristine condition. It was a great first camper. It was small enough we had to learn to pack only necessities, and it was large enough we could have the kids stay with us if they wanted. When Brian said we were going to camp some, I had no idea what this meant! Camping was not something we did as I was growing up, and we never did it when our kids were younger, either. Well, one time we did. We borrowed Jimmy's RV and Sarah, Rachel, Brian, and I camped at the State Fair one time. Sarah had a piano competition at State Fair University (where, ironically, Rachel ended up going to college years later). We camped at the fair and spent a day and night at the fair. I believe this was our state fair trip where Rachel and Sarah rode one of the rides, and a pocket knife fell out of Rachel's pocket. The carnival worker laughed. I wonder how that same situation would play out in today's world?
Tim & Rhonda Caldwell camp a lot, and they are the ones that picqued our interest in camping. Sometime they camp alone, but they usually camp with their daughter's family, Bub & Haley Hardy, and some of their friends. This weekend, we camped with Tim & Rhonda, Bub & Haley, Brian & Stacy Mesmer, and Aaron & Gina Mesmer.
Kaitlyn drove up on Saturday to spend some time with us. I loved when Tim found out Kaitlyn is a Bills fan. Game on!
Loaded up and ready to go.
This was the maiden voyage of our new (to us) camper. This camper has a slide out, something that we've wanted for a long time. The other camper was so cramped when people came inside it. This one has some space, which we really like. Our maiden voyage did not disappoint! The truck and camper worked perfectly together, and I did a pretty decent job packing the camper with what we needed for the weekend. As a matter of fact, I overpacked! Shocker! Here's are a few thoughts from the weekend.
No matter how much you plan, you're going to forget something. Thankfully, we are usually no more than a few minutes to a town where we can buy what we forgot. If not, we've found we can live without a lot of things.
In a normal week, I wear one pair of shirts and tshirt for the entire week. If I go somewhere (work, sewing group, etc), of course I wear something different. But if I stay home, I wear the same clothes for many days. Why on Earth, then, do I pack for a weekend camping trip like I'm going on a two week vacation? I wasn't sure what tshirts and shorts I wanted to wear, so I took too many. I wasn't sure how hot or cold it was going to be, so I also took jeans, a sweatshirt, and my coat. I ended up wearing a tshirt and shorts each day. As we unloaded the camper, I brought back so many clothes! I'm going tot try to pack lighter in the future. I'm also going to start accumulating some camping themed t-shirts that I can leave in the camper, reducing my packing greatly!
I only packed chairs for me and Brian, which I'll never do again. When Kaitlyn called to say she was coming up for the day, I asked her to stop in a Dollar General and buy a few of the fold up chairs they well. She showed up with 3 different chairs: a $20 fold up like I was talking about, a $30 chair, and a $40 two-seater. Kaitlyn's motto is usually "go big or go home," so I don't know why I expected anything less! She told me to keep the two most expensive chairs as a Mother's Day gift, but I'll be trying to return them to get her money back to her!
I bought a package of the marshmallows that have chocolate in the middle of them. I doubt I'll ever buy them again, though. They melt really fast in the microwave. In 10-seconds, the inflate and melt. I thought this was great, but as I began eating a s'more, I figured out really fast that the marshmallow is probably the stickiest marshmallow I've ever eaten. It was a mess! There isn't a lot of chocolate in the middle. In the future, I'll stick to regular marshmallows and Hershey's chocolate bars.
Want to camp without getting a divorce? Be sure to get a camper with an automatic awning. Every camping trip prior to this one, Brian and I almost hated each other by the time we got the camper rolled out. Brian thinks that because he knows how to do something, it should come natural to every one else, too. NOT! I never remembered how to help him roll out the awning on our old camper, so I always did something that added extra work to the process. With the automatic awning, I had the awning rolled out before he even got back to the camper after hooking up electricity. It was night starting the weekend without a squabble!
I'm very thankful for Brian's driving skills, especially his backing skills! I cannot back up anything--a lawn mower, a car, a truck...nothing! He can back anything it seems. I knew he was good, but I didn't realize how good until we watched a family back their new camper into a camping spot across the road from us. The driver could not get the camper into their spot. In the process of trying to do so, he ripped the awning off of his camper and nearly jack-knifed the truck pulling the trailer. Brian would have had it in place on the first attempt. Camping is definitely something I can only do as long as Brian is along. I don't have the skills necessary to even get us there!
It was a nice, relaxing weekend. Brian and both agree that it's a better camping trip when our kids and grandkids join us. We will have to work on making this happen. Right now, it's time to begin scheduling our next camping weekend so this one doesn't become our only trip of the year!
ay 8, 2023: Last month, I was the guest speaker for the spring meeting of the Northeast Missouri Genealogy Society. I didn't even know such an organization existed! I gave a 30-minute presentation entitled "Genealogy Meets Scrapbooking." I want to record my notes here in case I ever do something like this again. By the way, I thoroughly enjoyed doing this and hope to someday host a workshop to show others how to integrate their genealogy research with their scrapbooking skills.
I printed 20 brochures for RCHS, but I needed more! Bring more next time.
Take Ron Leake's Leake Genealogy book
Take some scrapbook pages.
Take the book of Mom and Dad's wedding
Accordion folder for filing duplicate portraits for family members.
Organize photos chronologically so family members can easily find the photo they want.
Include a notation on scrapbook pages so your kids know how the person in the photo is related to them.
Don't know where to begin? You can start by getting all of your photos in one location. That means taking photo frames apart to see every photo you stacked on top of each other, too! Also, if you have pictures in magnetic photo albums, remove them immediately. If they are stuck to the album, try sticking the entire page in the freezer for a few minutes. Sometimes, this makes it easier to pop the photo off the page. If worse comes to worse, cut the picture out, leaving the magnetic backing in place.
I began by sorting and organizing school portraits and other portraits. After getting all of your school photos in one place, start organizing photos that are the same together. For each portrait of someone, you might have an 8x10, 5x7, 4x6, or small wallet or trading photos. Pile similar photos together. This step may take a while, but it is a very important step! If you don't get all your portraits in one place and sort them into similar photos, you may be almost finished with this step when you suddenly find another portrait! Then, you will find yourself repeating steps.
Along with this step, make a school year chart similar to the one shown in this post. I used the chart primarily to help me figure out school photos. Mom would write 1978 on the photo, but sometimes, she would write Sophomore. Using this chart, you can match the grade level and year, which will help in the long run. Making this chart will save you a ton of time and energy not only while you are organizing your school portraits but as you organize other photos and memorabilia, too. Make the first date the year your first child started school, whether kindergarten or preschool. Continue your years through the graduation of your youngest child, even if they haven't graduated yet. I keep this chart on a bulletin board in my scrapbooking room. Mom's mom's chart looked very different as I started adding birthdays, anniversaries, etc., to give me a complete picture of the photos I was organizing.
This next step is optional, but I highly recommend it! Take one stack of photos and scan the largest photo in the pile. By scanning the largest photo, you will have the most flexibility with the scanned image. I scan almost all photos at 300 dpi. At 300 dpi, a photo can be reproduced the same size as the original without losing details or becoming pixilated. If the largest photo you have from one year is one of the very small trading photos, scan that image at 600 dpi. At 600 dpi, a photo can be enlarged to twice its original size before becoming pixilated.
After photos have been sorted and the largest photo scanned, it's time to start putting some of the photos aside if you choose to do that. For this step, I use an accordion-type folder. When I sorted Mom's photos, I wrote each of my brothers' and sisters' names on one of the dividers. I put the names in chronological order because that is what makes sense to me. You do what makes sense to you. Grade your first pile of photos, keep the largest copy of the photo, and put all remaining copies in the appropriate person's section of the accordion folder. The accordion folder will be your portrait duplicates folder. When a photo is in the accordion folder, you know you can give the copy away, as you have saved one photo for the organization process.
Now, you have one copy of every portrait/school photo all in one place. Make one pile for each person/sibling. From here, begin wherever you want. I started with the oldest child for a few reasons. Mom was always good about writing on the back of photos, but she was especially good about writing on the back of my oldest sibling's photos, aka Gary's. I also chose to start here because Gary's wife had children from a previous marriage, but Gary didn't have biological children. Mom had a lot of photos of Gary and Sandy's grandkids, but overall, the pile of Gary's photos was the easiest for me to organize. Starting with your first person, organize his/her photos chronologically.
You have a few options once you have the photos in chronological order. You can put the photos in an envelope or accordion folder with that sibling's name. I wanted to organize the photos to make it easy for Mom to look at them. I glued each photo to a piece of black cardstock bigger than the photo. Using a gold metallic pen, I wrote the person's name, the photo's date, and the photo's grade level on the black cardstock beneath the photo. If anything else is written on the back of the photo, I also wrote this on the black cardstock. When I started, I sat with Mom, and she wrote the information on the cardstock. Her handwriting was absolutely beautiful! As the project continued, this process exhausted her, so I took it over. After all the photos were matted and labeled, I glued them to 12x12 scrapbook paper. After all of Gary's photos were put on 12x12 scrapbook paper, in chronological order, I put the 12x12 pages in photo albums. I put all of Gary's photos in one album. It was super heavy. Mom couldn't lift it well, which defeated the whole purpose of putting the pictures together so she could look at them. I would choose to use multiple albums with fewer photos in each album if I were to do it again. The photos should be easy to store and access. The weight of the album does matter. Even if you can lift the album now, you might not be able to as you get older. Of course, you can wait until you are older to put the pages into separate albums, but you might not want to do that much work by that time.
I continued with each sibling. When I got to photos of my sibling's children, I completed the same process, putting the pictures chronologically in order behind the sibling's photos. For example, Teresa's album had pictures of Teresa, followed by the wedding portraits of her and Steve, Wendy's pictures, and Kenny's pictures. As I got to Wendy and Kenny's photos, I started combining their photos. For example, if Kenny was in kindergarten when Wendy was in fifth grade, I put both pictures on the same page. You can do this step however you wish. What am I saying? You can do any of these steps however you wish!
Family members enjoyed looking at these albums when they visited the house. When Mom passed away, each family member took their album, and I also gave them all of the duplicate photos from his/her section of the accordion folder. This was a fast way to give each sibling the photos Mom collected through the years of them and their children and grandchildren.
After completing this process, I began organizing all other photos, which I'll call candids. This process took me a lot longer, but amazingly, it didn't take as long as I thought it would. For my family, our photos ran from 1951, the year Mom and Dad were married, to the current date, which I believe was about 2012. I did the photos before 1951 as a completely different group of photos at a completely different time. I got six boxes and labeled each according to a different decade: the 1950s, 1960s, etc., up to the 2000s. I put each photo in the correct decade's box.
I am very lucky that Mom generally wrote dates on her photos. When I came to a photo that Mom didn't write on or date, I became a detective and figured out when the photo may have been taken. Sometimes, the photographs themselves have dates on them. The tricky part of using this information is that the date printed on photos is generally the date the photo was printed. While Mom was pretty good about developing a film after a roll was complete, not everyone is. By not everyone, I mean me. I would sometimes have many rolls of photos to develop and hold on to them for months or years.
Another technique I used was grouping photos by their size or shape. Through the years, photographic prints have changed. For example, Mom's 1950s photos were usually square black and white with a scalloped edge. If I saw photos that looked like a photo I knew the date of, I grouped those photos together. This usually worked, but not always. My mom loved cameras! Her Uncle Joe gave her a camera in probably the 1940s, and she also had a more modern 1960s-type camera that she liked. As long as they made the film for her 1940s camera, she would use it occasionally. Just keep this in mind as you begin your decade sorting.
Mom and Dad lived in the same house their entire life. This made dating some of the photos difficult. For candid photos, I can look at the house we lived in and know a general timeframe. From that timeframe, I often looked at the flooring or wallpaper, knowing about the year we switched out the green 1970s carpet that never wears out with the 1991 grey carpet just before Sarah was born. You can also look at the other people in the photos. Look at the cars in the photos. Look at the decorations on the walls. If Great Aunt Suzie, who died in 1970, is in a photo, the photo had to be from 1970 or before. Since I was not 100% sure about these dates, I tried to write @ 1963 or probably 1967 on the photo, if I wrote anything on the photo. Become a sleuth and start assigning each candid photo to a specific decade.
This process step gives you a great history of cameras and photography. The transition from black and white photos to color photos was a game changer for some photographers. The 1980 color photos look very different from the 2000 color photos. The standard for photo film also helps you date photos. 35mm film has been around for a very long time. In 1972, Kodak introduced 100mm film, which produces a specific photo size. Do you remember 126mm film? It was introduced in 1963 and, by 2008, was no longer being manufactured. And don't forget disc film! That would be from the 80s. If the photo was printed at home from a printer (and is probably grainy and sometimes smeared), this is most likely a photo from the 2000s, which is about when digital cameras became a thing. The digital camera and photos are a whole different discussion for another day.
Some photos didn't fit into the candid category. Off the top of my head, I remember coming to photo Christmas cards of family members or photos that relatives sent to Mom to show how their kids were growing and changing. Other photos that just don't "fit" into this process are photos that my siblings and I shared with classmates. I'll talk about how I handled those at another time.
After all candid photos were sorted into decade boxes, I started with one decade and started processing them. I put all the other decade's boxes out of sight and nowhere near where I worked. Looking at all of these photos (there ended up being at least 13 photo albums of non-duplicated photos) was overwhelming! I started with the 1950s box. I used scrap paper to make dividers for the box: 1950, 1951, 1952, etc. I began filing all photos behind their probable year. Once all of the 1950s photos were sorted, I processed the 1960s box. I pulled out all the 1950 photos and pulled out duplicates, leaving one of each photo in the decade box. There are many ways to handle duplicate candid photos, but I'll share how I did it. I took a box and put the 1950s duplicates in the front of the box, followed by the 1960s duplicates, etc. You could easily "stack" duplicates in the photo album sleeves if you prefer. My goal was always to make one set of photos from Mom that was in chronological order. As a side note, when Mom died, I took the duplicate candid photos to the meal after Mom's funeral and let siblings and others pull out any photos they wanted. After all, these were the duplicates.
After I had one decade of unduplicated photos, I scanned the photos. Again, you don't have to do this. That is totally up to you. Personally, I love scanned images because they are easier to store and don't take up physical space. After scanning the images, I filed them in photo albums. I started by putting them in random albums, trying to reuse Mom's albums. I quickly realized that I wanted all albums to be the same, so I went to Walmart and purchased several photo albums of the same shape. I didn't purchase enough albums, so I went to Walmart a lot to purchase albums. I tried to get all albums with the same design, but when push came to shove, I always chose an album the same size as my other albums. Using my label maker, I labeled each album with the date of the photos in the album. For example, 1951-1952. Sometimes, an entire decade would fit in an album. Other times, depending on family events, one year might take two albums. I would like to offer one small piece at this stage, do not completely fill an album. Chances are, you will find some 1950s photos that were mistakenly put in the 1960s box. When I ran across these, I filed them in the blank pages of the 1950s album, usually at the back. While the photos weren't in chronological order, they were still pretty close.
I continued this for all the decades. This process wasn't easy, but I'm thankful I did it! Mom's photos were easy for her and all family members to access. If my kids were at Mom's house and wanted to look at pictures she took of them as a baby, they could grab a specific year and enjoy the memories! Disclaimer: My kids weren't the biggest fan of my process. Before my process, Mom had an album for each grandchild. The album would have the person's name written on the front of it, and if you were lucky, she had found your name in a newspaper or something and cut it out and included it within the album's pages. Sometimes, there would even be a small piece of an envelope that she wrote a note on and inserted on top of a photo. If you were really lucky, you could still see the cut-out "v" on the said envelope, showing where she used that specific envelope or paper to help her hem a pair of pants to keep the turned-up fabric the same length. Sometimes, there was a news article in your album; most likely, your birth announcement from the newspaper was also there. While my kids preferred Mom's system, it was a confusing system. What if there were three people in a photo? Whose album did it go into? Again, I just stuck with chronological to make my life easier. Life happens chronologically, so why not organize life that way?
When it was time to clean out Mom's house, we put all of these candid albums in several plastic tubs and started passing the tubs around. The first sibling started with the tubs, taking out the photos they wanted to keep. After days, weeks, or months, that sibling passed the tubs to another sibling. I'm not 100% sure where the albums are now. To ensure all siblings had all the photos, I had my brothers and sisters buy a thumb drive, and I put all the scanned images of Mom's photos on the thumb drive. This would make another post, as I used the tagging feature of Forever's Historian program to help me separate my photos from Mom's photos.
Future Topics:
Organizing Mom & Dad's Wedding photos: This started my obsession.
What to do with the "other" photos
How I organize my scrapbook pages
How to organize obituaries and other items that you or others have cut out of newspapers.
What to do with invitations, thank you notes, letters, etc.
April 19, 2022: One bite at a time! I think of this addage everytime I walk into my longarm room lately. My elephant is a granny square quilt. For some ridiculous reason, I decided to do a heavy fill around the borders of the quilt to make the outside square really pop. They better pop! I can't even count how many hours I have in this project. I hope it looks amazing when it's finished.
Every time I have a chance, I walk into the long arm room and stitch my flower meander for as long as I am willing to stand there. Sometimes it is one minutes, and other times I stay longer. It's slow going, but I'm going to eat this elephant one way or another!
April 2023: Today seems as good of a day as any to catch up on some writing. I started the year by writing every single day, but as the year advanced, I often forgot to do my daily writing. I saw my writing improving as I wrote more frequently, so I'm hoping some of the "ease" will return as I try to pick up this habit once again. For now, I'm going to throw out a few images and write a few words, maybe even sentences and paragraphs, that will spur me along as I work on future writings.
The "filmstrip" above was my attempt at returning to my cut and paste days of crafting! Linda Hodges designs display windows for the historical society, and she comes up with amazing ideas and concepts. Recently, she planned a schoolhouse window and a photography window, asking me to print out pictures of schools for the school window. I hemmed and hawed around....what size? frames vs. no frames? who would pay for the frames? And on and on! One day, I met Linda uptown to help her put the finishing touches on the windows, and we have a brainstorming session. I forgot how good those can be. You can't have a preconceived idea or it doesn't work. We were both open to anything. We narrowed it down to mounting photos on black cardstock and placing it at the bottom of the window. Well, I came home and thought about it some more. Hmm, filmstrip is black. I wonder if I can replicate filmstrip? With the help of my Silhoutte, I found a way to do it. I love how the strips turned out. The day before the Lasagna Supper, Linda, Linda Woodhurst, and me met at the historical society to do some cleaning and put the filmstrips into the window. They looked great. Now, two weeks later, they don't look so great! I need to get uptown and retape the strips, using clear tape to hold up the tops of the filmstrips.
While I haven't been writing as often as I would like, I have been reading more than I have in ages! I am hooked on Colleen Hoover books. I also finished reading The Lilac Girls. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in World War II. It is a unique look at the war and the years after the war through three very different women: Caroline, a New York socialite with a calling to help others; Herta, a German who really wants to be a doctor, but who is living in a world where only men can be doctors; and Kasha, a young Polish dancer who tries to help the anti-Nazi cause, while at the same time not understanding the risks she is taking. I learned so many different facts about this time period that I didn't know. I'll share some in a future writing.
But, back to this picture. My mom used to use the word conniption, but I'm not sure I've ever seen it in writing. In the Colleen Hoover book, Hopeless, I ran across this word and instantly thought of Mom. Man, I miss her so much.
This is the only picture I have of me, Mary, and Teresa from our Quilt Week adventures. We had a great time! Mary found us an AirB&B that was very nice. We spent our days at the AQS Quilt Show and our evenings finding new places to eat, including Paula Deen's restaurant.
Mary and I took classes, and Teresa had time to walk through the booths and see all the ware that they were peddling. And they were peddling some good things! Next year, I'll pick more classes to attend, and I'll pick them as soon as we decided to go so I can get into the classes I want to take.
There are so many more things I want to say about Quilt Week, including unknowingly signing up for a class that was taught be the designer of one of my favorite quilts from the Paducah Quilt Museum. There was a display by a quilt guild that was challenged to create a piece based on a song title. More on this later...but for now, what are the two songs depicted above?
The boys and I stopped by the historical society museum for one reason or another, and they loved playing with the rotary phone. I hope they like this picture when they get older. There is no way to imagine what phones will look like when they are teenagers.
I tried it and I wasn't impressed.
We have surpassed the 100 day mark on my Scrapbooking Tips & Techniques Facebook page. I am getting ready to go update the list of prompts. While I've tried to keep up, I've fallen behind again. I'll spend some time over the weekend writing and telling my story.
March 16, 2023: Several years ago, I started a Facebook page, Scrapbooking Tips and Techniques. While the group was pretty active fora few months, over time, the page sort of faded away. In December as I started thinking about writing daily and recording my story and thoughts, I decided to post a daily topic to the page and encourage others to write their own story. I definitely don't expect people to post every day, or even at all if they don't want, but I have to admit I love when others do post.
Today's post was to write a limerick in recognition of tomorrow being St. Patrick's Day. When I checked the page, two people had already posted a limerick they created. I loved it! It was inspiring! I decided to write my own limerick and post it to the page. We'll see if this encourages others to write a limerick, too.
January 12, 2023: I've always heard this saying, but there is a Snapchat of me on a bicycle that proves this is a lie! LOL! If I practice, I can get good at riding a bike again! At least I think I can.
For 32 years, I was a teacher. Some people would say I was a teacher for only 12 years, which is the amount of years I taught students in a classroom, and a principal for the other 20 years. I disagree! For 32 years, I had a lot of students, and they came in all shapes and sizes. Some of my students were the typical 5-11 year olds at the elementary level. My other students were first year teachers learning the trade, veteran teachers who were burned out and needed feedback and inspiration, overzealous teachers who needed guidance to focus their energies, teachers who wanted to do everything after they went to a conference, teachers who refused to go to conferences because already knew how to teach (probably the hardest teacher to work with), parents of teenagers who had never had a teenager before, parents who were trying to raise their child while going through their own trauma, and children (yes, I even call high schoolers children) who were going through trauma and didn't have the ability to focus on school AT ALL! I was able to work with a wide variety of people, and I was a teacher for the entire 32 years!
Tomorrow, I begin to "teach" a new set of students. For the spring semester, I will be supervising and helping develop two student teachers from HLG. Our first meeting is tomorrow, where I will meet two brand-new-to-me individuals and begin to navigate the world of student teaching. This makes me think of my student teaching days.....
It was December 1988, and the envelope (didn't have email) arrived letting me know my student teaching assignment. I remember standing in the living room of our trailer on Walnut Street, opening the envelope in anticipation of getting exactly what I wanted! I wanted to student teacher in 2nd grade with Arlen Provancha. I opened the envelope and saw that I would be student teaching in 6th grade with Muriel Beshears. Muriel Beshears. While I was in college, I did a lot of student teaching at Perry Elementary, and Muriel Beshears scared me! She was strict. Very strict! She was a bit fierce and not afraid to speak her mind. I might have cried. Okay, I did cry! Why? I wanted 2nd grade with Arlen! Sixth graders were no where on my list of students I wanted to work with! And, I wanted Arlen Provancha! He was dynamic, energetic, and enthusiastic. Muriel was strict and fierce.
I don't remember an orientation like I'm going to participate in tomorrow. I think I just showed up on the agreed upon date and started doing what the college asked us to do. At first, I observed Muriel, and then subject by subject the roles were reversed and Muriel observed me as I taught. When I was observing one day, I remember watching someone playing in their desk while Muriel was teaching. I don't think she noticed. I assured myself that I would be on-the-ball and notice things like that and put a stop to it. At the end of each day, Muriel and I would touch base about how the day went and decide what changes we needed ot make for the next day. I never mentioned to Muriel that someone was playing in their desk.
Fast forward a few weeks, and Muriel was observing me as I taught. I'll never forget our follow-up conversation. SHE POINTED OUT THAT STUDENTS WERE PLAYING IN THEIR DESKS WHILE I WAS TEACHING! What? I kept a watchful eye! And, the audacity! I didn't say anything to her when it happened to her, so why was she telling me about this! Didn't she know they played in their desks when she was teaching, too? At that point, I had two options: be a bitter Betty and say, "They did that when you were teaching, too," or learn from the feedback she was about to share with me. I chose to learn. I asked Muriel what she does when that happens. I don't remember what she said, but I'm sure she was direct and to the point and had a bit of wit and a touch of good-humored sarcasm in her response.
Student teaching with Muriel was a great experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The fierceness she showed outside of her classroom was the fierceness a momma bear shows her cubs. Muriel's students were her children. She was responsible for them. She considered them her mission in life, her purpose. You know how you can say something negative about a close family member but not one outside of the family better say a negative word? That's what Muriel's classroom was like--a family. There were inside jokes with her students, there was discipline, there was humor. Muriel's teachings skills helped shape me into the teacher I became. You know what I figured out about Muriel Beshears? She was dynamic, energetic, and enthusiastic. She was also strict and fierce in the best way possible!
So, as I sat down tonight and thought about my meeting with the two new teachers I would be working with for the next few months, I asked myself, "What can I do to make our introductions a teaching experience to show these two individuals that every moment is a teaching experience. I sat at the kitchen table. The same kitchen table where just hours earlier I assembled a puzzle of my family that I had printed from my scrapbooking company. I think the kids and grandkids will love it. I wonder what I can do with puzzle pieces. Well, this is what I came up. I 'm going to label 10 ziplock bags 1-10 and put three puzzle pieces in each bag, one for each of us.. I'm going to take two die. We'll only use one die for the first six questions, but two die for the last set of questions. We're going to roll dice and answer the question. We'll probably laugh because we're nervous. We're going to start getting to know each other and hopefully form a bond that is as strong as the bond that Muriel and I shared. It might not happen, but I'm going to try as hard as I can to help these ladies become outstanding teacher. You know why? It's because they are my students, and you never forget how to be a teacher.
Even the hardest puzzles have solutions!
Introduction–Names
Border pieces of a puzzle are the easiest, so we’ll start with the easiest pieces first. These questions are about who you are. After you answer a question, you get a puzzle piece. When all puzzle pieces are distributed, we’ll complete the puzzle.
Roll the die, and we’ll answer whatever question you land on. (18 pieces, so 6 questions)
What is your name?
Where did you spend most of your childhood?
As a teenager, what was your favorite social activity?
Tell me about a teacher that had a positive impact on your life?
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Tell me about your family, however big or small that might be.
Now for the inner pieces. These are a little bit harder because they talk about feelings, emotions,and what makes you you.
You’re about to complete your student teaching. What scares you the most?
Why do you want to be a teacher?
Tell about a powerful relationship you currently have with someone other than a family member.
Imagine you are 80 years old. How do you want people to describe you?
How can you use an activity like this in a classroom? How can you change it?
Every time I learn something or try a new process or activity,, I think about how I can use what I learned in my classroom or my life. I’m not just talking about professional development. I’m talking about things I read in my sewing magazine, conversations I have with friends and families, and conflicts I encounter. Todd Whitaker (What Great Teachers Do Differently) said something at a conference that has forever impacted me…personally and professionally. When we do things perfectly the first time, we don’t learn as much as when we fail. When you fail, you have to really evaluate what went wrong and make a plan to get it right. It may take several times, but you will grow personally and professionally when you fail. From that, you grow into something amazing!
Student Teaching Advice From a Seasoned Veteran
(aka…someone who loved being in the trenches…me)
Ask questions.
Keep a journal.
Could be just for you.
Could be something that you write in as you observe the classroom teacher and that she writes while watching you teach
Over plan.
Maintain confidential information and conversations.
Be a team player. Be someone who helps put the puzzle together, not tear it apart.
Spelling and grammar matter–a lot.
If you are struggling, don’t wait too long to ask for help. Remember, if it was easy, everyone would do it!
Know your content.
If you don’t know an answer, don’t make one up. Find it.
Think of the most innocent adult in your life. The person that you want to be perfect in front of. Before you post ANYTHING to social media, would you want this person to see it? If not, don’t post it.
Relationships, relationships, relationships
Be present in the moment.
January 6, 2023: On a scrapbooking page that I run, I've been posting a daily prompt to help me (and others) write about themselves and how they became how they are today. Today, I prepared a scheduled post that I've been thinking about for some time. When I taught 4th grade, I discovered that I love to teach and write poetry. It seems that writing poetry gives you a change to play around with words that might have been boring or disjointed in a traditional story or journal entry. For this post, I asked everyone to write a five senses poem about a childhood memory that makes them smile. I picked going to my dad's garage. I have spent almost two hours on the draft below. I say that not to brag, but to help me remember that writing something that is truly meaningful almost always takes time. I'm so thankful that my retirement allows me to take this time and work through this process. This poem isn't complete yet, and it may never be. It is my current (everchanging) final draft.
Dad in front of the garage in 1970. When I found this photo from this posting it was labeled, "Dad in 1970, 56 years old." I'm currently 56 years old. Goosebumps...
I hear wrenches turning and clinking together as Daddy works on cars and trucks like a skilled surgeon, breathing life back into customer's vehicles that in need of his care and attention to detail. I hear the crisp ring of a rotary phone ringing in the office as I run to answer it, "Leake's Garage," and stay behind, sitting at the long wooden desk, thumping through the phone books, car guide, and invoices, pretending that I work here as I spin around in the chair. I hear stories, including the story of vehicle inspectors that follow cars from garages to re-inspect them to make sure the mechanic did the inspection correctly and didn't just sign off and stories of other mechanics that have been known to change a customer's oil, forgetting to return oil to the engine block, with a word of caution from Daddy to always check that before driving away. I hear the heavy door of the back bay sliding open, allowing a burst of sunlight in as Dad waves in yet another vehicle that needs his care and attention.
I see Dad's amazing smile as he looks over from his work, probably with a mix of pride that I want to spend time with him at the garage and frustration that I am asking too many questions. I see grease laden work areas flanked by neatly organized parts sitting on the shelf, labeled with Mom and Daddy's special code to know what they paid for each item, waiting to be called upon to be used. I see the sitting area where Dad takes a break from time to time, especially when someone stops in to chat, sharing laughs and stories of yesteryear and current events, all at the same time.
I smell oil as it drains from suspended vehicles into the seemingly indestructible tin bowl sitting complacently on the concrete floor until Daddy picks it up and pours it into a barrel that is filled with other oil that has seen its better days. In contrast, I smell the fresh air as I head behind the garage to look through the treasures in the junk pile, digging through the rocks to find fossils that I can use to make an Indian bead necklace or rocks that catch my eye and might be worth taking home. I smell the dark, murky liquid in the cleaning station, mesmerized by how Daddy carefully drops part in, scrubs them, and then pulls out something that looks nothing like it did when it went in, and then at the end of day, sinks his hands into, scrubbing his nails with a small, bristle brush in his preparation to close up shop and to return home to his family. I smell the history of Daddy's old truck as I carefully push the small, round button on the handle and tug as hard as I can to open the door as we jump in to run uptown to Burdman's to pick up a part that he doesn't keep in stock.
I taste chilled Coca-Cola from a vintage cooler fizzing and bubbling as the thick glass bottle pours the rare-to-me, sugary treat into my parched mouth. I taste the peanuts that Daddy said I could get off of the metal display rack, having just struggled to lift the clip holding the peanuts to the stand and then struggling to rip open the plastic, resorting to using my teeth to save the day. Somehow, I seem to taste the oil and grease that have such a presence the garage, permeating the air and giving off an aroma that I will forever associate with my dad.
I feel safe, like nothing in the world can hurt me. I feel invigorated, having just walked or ridden my bike from our house, rushing over the old bridge that shakes when I'm on it and praying that I don't meet a car or truck. I feel like all is well in the world, and I've got it made. You know why? Because I do.
December 27, 2022: We mixed it up a bit this year, having prime rib instead of turkey or ham. It was a hit! Brian smoked the meat all day, and we enjoyed supper together before playing a few games and opening presents. I write on this page mainly to help me remember things...good memories, good food, scrapbook ideas, genealogy facts, etc. Today, I'm writing about some food that I want to make again.
Brussel Spouts: After washing and cutting Brussel sprouts, I put them in a bowl and covered them with 1 stick of melted butter. Next, I added some uncooked bacon bits (real bacon), pecans. a handful of brown sugar, and a tablespoon or so of Dijon mustard. Since I don't like hard to clean pans, I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture out evenly. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Asparagus: After cutting off the woody part of the aspragus, lay it on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Cover with olive oil, and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. When you take it out of the oven, cover it with ranch powder.
White Cocoa: Put a bag of white chocolate chips in a slow cooker. Add 3 cups heavy cream, 4 cups milk, and 1 tsp vanilla. I made ours with 2% milk, and it was great! Cook on high for about an hour and a half, stirring from time to time. When hot, serve with miniature marshmallows, Peppermin Rum Chata, and whipped topping from a spray can.
Left Over Prime Rib Vegetable Soup: The next day, we cut some leftover prime rib into small pieces and made a delicious vegetable soup. In a large pot, combine 2 packages of powdered Au Jus gravy, 6 cups water, 15 oz of diced tomatoes (I used one that had seasoning and celery in it), some Italian spices, salt and pepper to taste, and several cut up potatoes. Cook over medium heat. After about 20 minutes, add a bag of frozen vegetables and let simmer. Just before serving, draw out about 1 cup of broth whisk it with about 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Add the mixture back into the soup. Enjoy!
Who needs to be good when you are this adorable?
I am freaking jolly!
Dear Santa, why you be judgin'?
I ate Santa's cookies. #noregrets
Sweet but twisted
Whatever jingles your bells
Dear Santa, just bring wine
Christmas Cheer? I thought you said Christmas beer.
Be naughty, save Santa the trip.
I'm on the naughty list and I regret nothing.
December 27, 2022: This year, instead of buying pajamas for everyone, I made t-shirts. I even color coded them! Blue for me and Brian, red for the Petersheims, green for the Joneses, and purple for Gage & Kaitlyn. I learned lots in the process!
Siser heat transfer vinyl (HTV) is amazing! I ran out and bought some Cricuit vinyl from Joann's. The Cricut vinyl was a bit persnickety. I think if I played around a bit, I could get it to work, but I'm going to go ahead and order more Siser HTV for future projects. For sizer, I heated the press to 360 and pressed for 35 seconds, removing the plastic covering almost immediately. For Cricut, I used the same temp and time, no luck. I turned the heat up, no luck. I turned the machine off and let it cool to about 320 degrees. After I pressed the design for 35 seconds, I let it cool completely before removing the plastic coating. It finally worked.
Teresa's heat press is a life saver! It's so easy to use, and I trust the vinyl holding more than I ever did when I used an iron. I did use parchment paper on top of vinyl, even though it has a plastic coating. Love the heat press!
When I ran out of Siser and used Cricut vinyl, I wasn't happy with the results. I messaged Sonya Campbell to see if she had some she would loan me until I could replace it. She did, but I kept on playing with the Cricut vinyl. Being stubborn is an asset sometimes. The cut marks from the Silhouette were not prominent on the Cricut vinyl. The vinyl weeded perfectly, but I missed a few inner pieces. Namely, the four inner pieces of the present on Kaitlyn's shirt, and the inner details of the wine glass on Ryan's shirt. Sonya saved the day! She told me to put the back of the shirt again an iron and remove the vinyl while the shirt was against the iron. It worked! I can tell what I did wrong, but no one else seemed to notice. The process leaves a bit of a sticky residue on the t-shirt, as shown in the picture to the left.
Designer digital sells cheap cut files! I don't know if I'll ever create my own files again!
I want to learn about sublimation and play around with it soon.
I also want to do something where I put photos on fabric, maybe even making a quilt from the squares.
I bought Jackbox Party Pack 5 first, but when we played it at work before Christmas (FUN DAY!), the games weren't that fun. Kaitlyn and Gage like Fibbage, so I bought this Jackbox Party Pack (that's the name of the pack...how original). Such fun! We really liked Fibbage and Lie Swatter, and I look forward to playing the other games, too. I need to buy a longer HDMI cord to hook my computer to my TV.
November 10, 2022: Last night I came home from work, hungry, but not wanting to cook. Brian has been dieting and he doesn't eat much anymore, so I kind of thought it might be a cereal night. We started talking options, and I remember that a few days ago, I had boiled too many chicken breasts, so there were two in the fridge that needed to be used up. A quick Google search, and I found a recipe. I tweaked it a bit because we didn't have all of the ingredients. It was delicious! So delicious that I don't want to forget how to make it.
Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti Recipe
12 oz. penne, ziti, or whatever noodle you want to use, cooked
2-3 cups chicken breast, shredded (I used to very large chicken breasts)
Alfredo Sauce
Put a splash of olive oil in a skillet and brown 6 garlic cloves.
Add 6 Tablespoons flour
Add 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups milk (I used whipping cream)
Cook, while stirring, until the mix starts to thicken. Remove from heat and add 1 ½-ish cups of shredded parmesan cheese
Add salt & pepper (and whatever other seasoning you like)
Toss the penne, shredded chicken, and alfredo sauce.
Put ½ of the mixture in a 9x13 pan.
The recipe called for mozzarella cheese, but only had slices of provolone, so I covered the mixture with the slices.
Add the other ½ of the mixture.
Again, you’re supposed to top with mozzarella cheese, but I used Colby jack instead.
Bake at 400 degrees until browned and bubbly.
Delicious!
Ideas for the next time:
Broccoli or peas would have added some color
I should have used Italian seasoning, but, honestly, it was good even without it.
I had no idea how easy it is to make Alfredo sauce! I'll be doing this again.
August 6, 2022: After skipping the family vacation last year, it was good to get together and enjoy some time away from home. Brian and I left a few days early and headed to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Eureka Springs is a quaint town in the Ozark Mountains. The entire town seems to be built on a mountainside. We rode the trolley to become familiar with the layout of the town and to avoid parking in the downtown area. After enjoying a drink downtown, we found a restaurant that gave off a vibe similar to Broadway Oyster Bar in St. Louis, one of our favorite places to eat. The restaurant, Sparky's Roadhouse Café, was recently voted "Best Burger in Eureka Springs," so we tried the burger. Honestly, it was really good, but I can't imagine it was the best. We should have gone with our initial want and ordered a steak. Live and learn.
After supper, we decided that there wasn't anything huge on our "must see" list for Eureka Springs, so we decided to head back to Branson to continue our vacation there. Interestingly enough, while driving around Branson, we drove past the abandoned castles of Branson that are big on TikTok. On TikTok, people sneak into the area where these homes are located and take video. We're not that brave, or stupid, so I just watched some of the videos. Apparently these home were built in 2008, and then the construction company went bust and they are just sitting there decaying. Very strange to say the least.
Being from the Hannibal area, I assumed, incorrectly, that most caves are like the Hannibal Cave. Wow! This one proved me wrong and increased my desire to explore more caves. Talking Rocks is a vertical cave, meaning instead of walking through the cave, you walk to the bottom of the cave and then back to the top. If you are in Branson, I highly recommend checking out this cave!
Things I've Learned
Finding a week that works for all family members is almost impossible! We never had a day when everyone was together, but everyone sure tried and made it at least one or two days!
It's hard to give someone directions if you don't know where you're going.
We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, so enjoy today. While on vacation, Trudy messaged our sister group to let us know that her brother-in-law, Jason, died. He was only 48.
No matter where you go or what you do, there's no place like home! And your own bed!
The Branson We've Experienced (Beginning 2019)
Tickets are good for three days. If we do this again, we'll go on our first day so we can go again anytime we have a few minutes of downtime.
Branson Boardwalk
Branson Landing Fountain Show
Lights and fireworks on the hour!
Legends at the Dick Clark American Theater
We loved this show!
For $5 extra, you can sit in the VIP area on the 2nd floor.
Talking Rocks Cavern
Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail Cart Tour
The Lake of the Ozarks We've Experienced (Beginning 2022)
Places to Eat
Clockers Café (Branson)
This restaurant is in the downtown area. Very tasty!
The Keeter Center at the College of the Ozarks (Hollister)
Ryan found this restaurant on TikTok, and it did not disappoint!
Get there when they open (10:30) because they fill up quickly.
You can't make lunch reservations, but you can make supper reservations.
Hook & Ladder Pizza Co. (Hollister)
Joe's Crap Shack (Branson Landing)
Landshark (Branson Landing)
Tucker's Shucker's (Lake of the Ozarks)
Cheeky Monkey (Good food, family drama, LOL!)
Craig's Treehouse (Same other, good atmosphere and food)
Picking Porch (Great food, limited hours, 11-7)
Paula Deen's (Great food, unlimited food, bit $$)
Where We've Stayed
We've stayed her several times, and we love it!
Ozark Village in Osage Beach
Gazebo Inn in Branson
Nice rooms right on the strip
Other Branson Attractions For the Future
Ralph Foster Museum
Located on the College of the Ozarks campus, this museum houses the truck from The Beverly Hillbillies.
Aquarium at the Boardwalk
Bowling
The kids enjoyed putt-putt golf
August 7, 2022: Sometimes I'll see something and it sparks something in me...either something I want to try or something that is neat and I want to remember. Even on our family vacation, I found a few pieces of inspiration! There photo frames were painted on the walls of a bathroom. I always wanted to hang photos on the walls at school, but I didn't want glass frames. This technique would have done the trick!
What a neat towel rack idea! I may try this in our guest bathroom.
(Gazebo Inn, Branson)
I thought this was a unique way to hang a curtain. (Gazebo Inn, Branson)
August 2022: I'm mainly posting what I'm allergic to so I'll have quick access to the list.
About 30 years ago, I had allergy testing done in Quincy, and I was even on TV! One of the local tv stations was going a segment about allergies, and it happened to be the dayI was there. At that time, they drew a grid on my back and gave me shots of different allergens. They created a serum and I started getting allergy shots at Dr. Tucker's office in Center. After a few weeks, I stopped getting the shots....I don't remember why. It was probably because I thought I was too busy with a full time job and kids, and I also remember getting very large bumps on my arm after the shots.
Fast forward 30 years, and I decided to try the process again. To do the testing, you have to be off all allergy meds for 5 days. Dang! That was hard! I don't know if I'd do it again. The first testing was very simple, placing drops of allergens on my arms. This testing showed a few allergies, but not nearly enough to account for my year round allergies, so a second round of testing was scheduled. Another 5 days without allergy meds that cumulated in a terrible migraine the night before testing. For the second round, allergens were inserted just below the skin on my forearms.
The list to the left is what I'm allergic to at this time. BTW, coffee drinkers should definitely check out where cockroaches can be found! I go back August 11th for my first dose of drops, which I'll do at home after the first time. Most insurances don't pay for the drops, but the cost is $209 for 3 months. I figure I would spend more on gas going to Vandalia or Columbia every week, so I went ahead and went with the drops. They also make a toothpaste you can use instead of drops or shots, but I didn't go this route. I'll be doing allergy drops for one year, and if there are signs that the drops are helping to build an immunity to my allergies, I'll continue the process for 5 years, at which time these allergies will hopefully be gone!
July 28, 2022: Tonight while I was looking for a photo for another project, I ran across this photo. I stopped and reflected back on how absolutely disappointed I had been when I took this particular quilt off my long arm about a year ago. From the front, I thought I was doing great! Well, not great, but not terrible. I knew there was some pull when I was sewing, but I didn't connect that to my upper thread tension being so tight. I also couldn't believe how once I figured it out I had left such a gap between my pantograph rows! I didn't know what I didn't know. I didn't know that the quilt shouldn't look like this. Today as I look the back of this quilt, the tension is still too tight and the gap is still too big. Instead of being upset when I look at this picture, I'm proud. I'm very proud of the growth I've made in my longarm skills over the last year! I still make mistakes like these, but not as often. I purchased a new bobbin case and that helped a lot (see, it couldn't have been all me, could it?). I'm learning when to slow down and when to speed up. I'm learning which mistakes need to be ripped out, and which mistakes need to be looked at and laughed upon. In essence, when it comes to long arm quilting, I'm learning to relax.
As I look at this quilt back, I have other memories, too. I remember how once I was officially retired at this time last year, I was just coming off three successive bouts of strep throat. I remember how I was so tired all the time. I honestly think I was just so tired and exhausted that when I actually had a chance to stop and slow down, my body decided to take advantage of the situation and make me slow down for much longer that I anticipated! At this time last year, I was still trying to do the retired life. It's hard to complain to people about how hard it is to retire when it is the goal of so many people. I knew I was blessed and fortunate, but it still didn't make this "what next" feeling go away. About this time last year, I was really starting to realize that 1) I was actually retired, and 2) I could do what I wanted. As my long arming abilities have developed over the last year, so have my retirement skills. I took a part time job in June, which I didn't know if I would like or not (not the work, just the working!) and I'm trying my best to keep my work like and my home life compartmentalized more skillfully than I even did when I was an educator. Just like when I worked at school, I don't have trouble focusing on work when I'm at work. Before retirement, my problem was NOT focusing on work when I was at home. I'm getting pretty good at it this time around, if I do say so myself. I love working. I know that sounds strange, but I love spending hours during the day doing something worthwhile that helps my community. This time as I work, I'm going to try very hard to keep perspective and balance, something that I've never ever considered a personal strength.
There are so many parallels between my development of long arming and retirement skills. In my retirement, I'm learning when to slow down and when to speed up. Just like my long arming, I'm learning which mistakes of my retirement need to be fixed and which need to be looked at and laughed upon. I'm learning to slow down, relax, and enjoy this phase of my life. I'm looking forward to continuing to develop my skills in all areas of my life.
July 23, 2022: In keeping with watching some of the classical movies I have never watched, I decided today would be the day that I watched Gone with the Wind for the first time. What a trail blazer of a movie that must have been back in the day (1937ish), because it is still a trailblazer of a movie. The story was nothing like I imagined, and I can't wait to watch it again sometime to understand even more of the movie's plot and impact.
I can't sit still for 3 hours (or however long it was...seemed long!), so I would watch a bit of the movie, sew a bit, watch a bit of the movie, sew a bit. The head index was well above 100 degrees today, so I was more than happy to spend my afternoon inside. Yesterday, our friend Jerry's mom, Betty, stopped in to drop off more baby quilts for me to practice my skills, and she also dropped off a free pattern she received for a Quilter's World Market Bag. I know it was a free pattern because I got one in the mail, too, and I held on to it for a long time. I believe I eventually threw out my copy of the pattern during one of my cleaning sprees. Mary and I visited a few quilt shops yesterday, and I vowed to get back in the habit of making a daily project and/or using up my stash. Since this pattern is made with 5" squares, I went to my cabinet full of charm packs and other precuts, selected one, and got started! The market bag is quilted and lined, so after sewing the pieces together, I loaded the squares on my longarm and channeled my best Vera Bradley! Let me say, quilting the lattice design on the diagonal isn't easy! I have a Simply Sixteen, so I have about 14 inches of usable throat space. Quilting diagonal lines, that makes from some choppy segments. Overall, I love it, but I never remember how long those diagonal lattice lines take to complete!
By 7:30 p.m., I completed the bag. I took it to the front porch, took a few photos, shared them with Mary, and then realized, I hate the handles! I looked back at the pattern to make sure I did them correctly (I did), and then I decided it didn't matter--I'd just live with them. I watched a few more minutes of Gone with the Wind, and then knew I was going to rip it apart and redo it. I did. While I was watching the end of the movie, when Clark Gable's classic line, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," came on, I was pinning the top of my redone bag so I could take it to my machine to topstitch it, again! The movie ended, I finished top stitching, and it occurred to me that I care and give a damn!
My mom was an impeccable seamstress. While she could sew absolutely anything, her specialty was alterations. I can't stand alterations! She was skillfully rip other people's work apart and correct it to make it great. She would alter the waistline of the knit pants of Lela Mae Moss, a tiny woman that never could find pants that fit her well. She would him the blue jeans of Mikka Wasson and Rose Woodhurst, and you would never know by looking at the jeans that they didn't come from the factory that way! She was always doing alterations for her family, and she was always fixing anything we bought or made that needed any type of alteration.
As a kid, while I was thankful that she fixed my work, I never understood why she cared so much! So what if the stitching was perfectly straight? So what if the left leg of the pants were a bit longer than the right leg? Now, I kind of get it. If someone seems my work, what will that say about me? I could have left those bag handles alone, but would I be proud of the bag? No. Once I realized that, I knew I was going to be ripping it apart and fixing the handles. And you know what? It didn't take long at all! Now I have a finished project that I'm proud of. I'm glad to have my name attached to it. I'm proud to say, "Hey, look what I made!" It's good to give a damn!
July 21, 2022: Getting easier is one way to describe it, but probably the more appropriate phrase would be "building confidence." As I finished Ryan's t-shirt quilt today, I realized that I hadn't held my breath as much as I did when I made my first t-shirt quilts. I hadn't overthought every single decision. I hadn't fretted and worried as much about getting it right.
Things I Learned
Cut the t-shirt blocks bigger than you think you'll need. The amount of waste is nothing compared to the regret you will feel if you have a block too small.
For this quilt, I wanted to use a particular pocket decal, but the area on the shirt was too small. I cut a piece the size I wanted, and then I placed a t-shirt square that was the size I needed behind the block. I sewed the pieces together, and I doubt anyone will notice that the block has some dimension to it. (It's the yellow fire emblem beneath the tiger mascot at the left--I can't even tell that it's not the usual cut.
I put this off and put this off, and I don't know why. It came together easy. Instead of overthinking everything, I used a simple stippling pantograph to quilt it. The panto has a wide pattern to it, and it was very quick and easy. I could have done something more elaborate, but the t-shirts need to tell the story on this one--not the quilting.
Thoughts for the Future
Twice in recent weeks, I've done something I didn't think I would ever do--I machine stitched the binding. I was going to handsew the binding down, but then I considered how this quilt would be used. Most likely, it will be on bed in a fire station or used on a couch in a living room. Either way, it's going to get use. It's not a show quilt, and I know that Sarah and Ryan will wash it frequently. With that in mind, I went ahead and machine sewed the binding. It's not perfect, but I don't think Sarah or Ryan will mind, much less notice. It was super quick to complete the quilt, and I think it looks nice. Over time, I honestly think this might be the method I prefer.
I need to get started on Tyler's quilt. I hope I don't put it off, but rather just jump in and do it!
The next t-shirt quilt I do for the girls, I really want to try to do it with the method that Amy Domke described in a Handiquilter video. I love the idea of making the quilt right at the long-arm, and since my girls seem to love chenille yard on their quilt, I think they'll also like this quilt design. I think it will be easier for them (and me) to like it since they already have a "traditional" t-shirt quilt.
If there is any quilt I can possibly make for others as a side hustle, this might be the one. I've read on several sites that quilters charge $20-22 per ts-hirt. I can't imagine paying anyone that much, but if there is a market for this service, I want to consider giving it a try in the future.
July 12, 2022: Part of my new job will require learning about sites that are contaminated and need to be cleaned up. These are called Brownfield sites, and they are almost everywhere around us...whether it be an old factory that needs to be torn down or a home that has to be demolished because it is in a state of disrepair. I attended the Missouri Waste Control Coalition's meeting at Margaritaville on Monday, and I learned a lot. Basically, every day I learn that there is so much more to learn! I'm excited to put my training to use as we work to improve communities in the region.
I'm including my notes below, mainly so I'll remember the neat places I want to visit!
My favorite acronym from the day: RND: Rip Off & Duplicate! I love this. No need to reinvent the wheel all the time.
Pocket parks are a huge movement right now for cities and counties. The use of string lights makes them a bit more modern, and these are great locations for food trucks, outdoor movies, etc. One presenter also shared that a policeman request that new developments in their city be called parks so they could patrol them for drug use/sexual offenders.
Murals to tell a story are another big push. They can tell the story of the town or county, and, if designed correctly, some of them make great Snapchat/Instagram backdrops.
One city designed portable mini-golf “holes.” They can be used all together at one location (pocket park, city park), or each hole can be moved to a different location throughout the area/town/county so players get to see a larger section of an area.
Bee boxes in pocket parks are also growing in popularity.
I was able to eat lunch with the guest lunch speaker, Denise Coogan of Subaru in Indiana. They are now 99.97% waste free. She shared some of the strategies that they used to get to this point, including working closely with all employees and stakeholders to brainstorm and try out new ideas. She kept using the term kaizens as a synonym for ideas. I think this is a term that the Subaru team thought of, but maybe not. I need to look into this...
If you want to find ways to eliminate waste, look for areas where you say, "We've always done it this way."
Save cans and bottles and donate the money you make to a charity.
I’m always keeping my eyes and ears open for neat places to visit, things to see, and topics to research. These things intrigued me….
Excelsior Springs, MO has worked hard to revitalize their downtown area. Everyone sitting around me from that area talked about how great The Elms is for a short get-away.
The USS Hoga is the last floating vessel that was in Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Docked at the Riverfront, it is a part of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.
Bear 399 in the Grand Tetons has it’s own Facebook and Twitter account, and you can often see live feed of the bear in the wild. (Subaru partners with National Parks to improve recycling practices in these areas).
The actor that played Elvis, Austin Butler, did a phenomenal job. I look forward to watching more of his movies. Also, the movie appears to have been pretty accurate. I watched a documentary about Elvis today, and the facts really lined up. From past experience, I'm about to become obsessed with finding out more about Elvis.
July 9, 2022: Last night, Brian and I went see the new Elvis movie. We saw the movie in Hannibal, and the theater is really nice. I love the reclining seats! I not only loved the reclining seats, but I loved the movie, too. The movie isn't really a musical, but it has some musical qualities to it. The soundtrack is amazing (of course it is--it's Elvis's music). The movie uses a lot of symbolism and irony to tell the story of Elvis. I really didn't know much about Elvis before seeing the movie, so I enjoyed every single 2.5 hours of it. Brian didn't like the way the movie started...he thought it was cheesy, plus he doesn't like Tom Hanks. I on the other hand loved the beginning. A lot of creative techniques were used to tell the background of how Elvis got started and become a star, including his musical influences. I didn't know he was a twin, but his twin was stillborn. I also didn't realize how Colonel Parker took advantage of him. I always thought Elvis lived his dreams until the very end, but the movie told a darker story of how the people in his life manipulated him to get what they wanted. Elvis never did a world tour. Colonel Parker wasn't a Colonel. Elvis was arrested for "lewd and perversive acts" after a concert when he was told not to move his hips because so many people didn't like it, but he did anyway. "Elvis has left the building," was announced after each show once Elvis was rushed from the venue to his car to avoid the countless security problem that his stardom created, some of which were trumped up in yet another attempt to control him. Finally, Forrest Gump did not teach Elvis to dance. That one really bummed me out. Like all movies, some people will love it and others will hate it. I'm on Team Love It and highly recommend it!
July 8, 2022: Ok, so I'm very biased when it comes to my grandkids, but my current sewing project is a lot biased!
When I saw Krista Moser's Lollipops and Licorice quilt pattern, I bought it immediately! I was so intrigued by the many dimensions to this quilt--there are 3-D boxes, diamonds, and stars. Every time I looked at her examples, I always saw something new. When I bought the pattern and watched her video, I also feel in love with Jen Kingwell's Just a Speck & Lollies line. I had previously purchased some of this fabric for my stash because I liked it so much. Luckily, Sew Sweet Quilt Shop in Brunswick sells the material, so I bought what I needed. Fast forward a year or so (ha!), and I decided to jump in and make the pattern. I have so many things I want to do in retirement, and this is one of the tasks I wanted to complete.
For a pattern that looks so complicated, this was relatively easy. By relatively easy, I mean that having sewn for a few years now and owning the correct cutting ruler, it went together easily. I was a little scared of the design because there is only one straight-of-grain cut in the solid pieces, and none in the patterned pieces. Biased edges stretch, and if you're not careful, you can distort you blocks. For the solid pieces, you want to make sure the straight-of-grain edges are to the interior, but once you cut your pieces and start to sew, I lost track of which edge this was. After watching Krista's video, I learned that if you pull at the side of the fabric, the straight of grain cut, it will fray, but if you pull at the side of a biases edge, it will stretch but not fray. That's something I'll If I would have undertaken this pattern when I picked back up with my sewing four years ago, this would not have been super easy, and here's why:
I've developed a pretty accurate 1/4 inch seam. I have a great presser foot for it and I'm more skilled at making sure I keep the fabric lined up against the edge of the presser foot.
I've improved my cutting accuracy, too. It takes a bit of practice to figure out how to hold the ruler and rotary cutter at the same time without hurting yourself. Not a lot of time, but it's definitely something that improves with time.
I've figured out the importance of ironing fabric and seams between steps. When I think back to sewing in high school and when I was first married, I don't ever remember ironing! That may explain why what I made always turned out okay, but usually needed a little TLC from my mom.
I've figured out the different between pressing and ironing. With a quilt block that has so many biased edges, this is super important.
Finally, I've finally grasped the concept of enjoying the journey! Okay, not completely, but I'm getting better. I worked on this in small bits and pieces, making sure I never felt like I "had" to get to a certain point or meet a deadline. That's big change for me!
While I sew, I usually listen to Chip and Joanna Gaines's show, Fixer Upper. It plays on repeat on Amazon Prime, and I don't really have to pay attention to it. I can look up when I hear something intriguing, and I know if I have to stop sewing, I can always catch the episode another time. Chip has a saying, "Sometimes even a blind squirrel sometimes even finds an acorn." That a little how I feel about the block at the top of this post. I'd like to say that all of my blocks matched up perfectly and I didn't lose any points, but there are definitely misses in my finished quilt blocks. However, this block is about as perfect as I could get it! I have all of my points, and the white dotted line in the middle of the black even comes to a perfect point in the middle like it is supposed to do. Currently, the blocks are on my design wall and I'm beginning to sew blocks together a few blocks at a time.
July 8, 2022: The Lollipops and Licorice pattern has a bonus pattern that you make from the leftover cuts of the main quilt. This quilt, Gumdrops, is smaller than the original quilt, but usually almost every inch of the fabric. Very nice!
I love sewing projects that involve chain piecing. I can sit at the machine and get a lot of sewing done on a project in a relatively short time. Today, I added the solid fabric to the patterned hexagons. The process went pretty fast, and more importantly, I was able to do all the blocks consistently instead of stopping after several blocks and having to reorient myself about where the solid piece went on the block.
And, with chain piecing, comes chain ironing! For this pattern, and the Lollipops and Licorice pattern, Krista Moser recommends pressing seams open since so many seams come together for the blocks. I usually like pressing to the dark so so my seams can next, but I actually didn't hate pressing all of these seams open. To do this, I would press all of the seams of all blocks to one side and then go back and press all of the seams open. This gave the fabric a chance to cool down. When I pressed the seams open, I would lay the clapper on the seam and leave it there while I pressed the next block's seam open. By the time I did that, the block had done it's magic and flattened the seams on the previous block.
I really like how the pressing made the block more accurate. I liked it so much I decided to take a picture of the blocks from the back side. Once quilted, you'll never see this, but I wanted to remember it. On the completed block pictures, notice all those frayed edges? Those are the straight of grain edges that are supposed to go to the outside of the block to help make the block more stable when they are sewn together. Not all the points in my block as good as the points in this block!
July 7, 2022: Recently, Sarah showed me a new technique for taking photos with a cell phone--taking them upside down! She shared a tick-tock video with me very similar to this one, and I have to admit, it's kind of cool! This makes a small, but subtle change to the photos, giving them an entirely new perspective. I'm sharing a few examples below. Love the technique or not, it's something to try from time to time. I wish I would have taken these photos from both angles so you could see the difference.
July 6, 2022: While looking for a photo, I ran across this jewel. In March-April, Lynn, Teresa, and I participated in the FOREVER Pixels2Pages Hollywood Crop. This is a virtual crop where you learn from the Pixies and create a wide variety of scrapbook pages. One thing they started doing several crops about was having participants create "flats" of themselves. Some scrappers use these flats to decorate their pages, and some even take their flat, and the flats of others, on trips and to new and exciting places! While at the in-person scrapbooking retreat in March, we somehow came up with the idea of making ourselves the Golden Girls. When I came across this picture, it made me smile. I treasure the scrapbook retreats that we attend.
June 13, 2022: Well, kind of! Today I started a part-time job at Mark Twain Regional Council of Governments. My official job title is Community Planner. The Council of Governments operates under the Missouri Department of Economic Development. I'll be working on Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Today I mainly figured out how to log into the various technology, and I got a little experience sending out ACH and SMF01 forms. Even though it definitely isn't sewing or scrapbooking, I still have a lot to reflect on tonight.
Things I Learned:
No matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn!
I'm thankful that I've had the experience of feeling overwhelmed at work because I'm definitely feeling it after today. That said, learning something new was exciting.
Every business has its own set of acronyms. I was fluent in educational acronyms, and now it's time to learn some Economic Development acronyms.
You can never proofread an email enough! I made a mistake on several emails that would have been avoided if I would have slowed down and reviewed the email more closely.
It's exciting to get to know new people and try new things!
I made the cherry filling by combining:
1.5 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
4 cups cherries (with their juice)
Bring to a boil and then let cool.
June 12, 2022: About a month ago as blossoms started coming onto our cherry tree, Brian said, "June 10th. Cherries are always ready on June 10th. " He was exactly right! I waited until the 11th to pick and pit the cherries, both of which take about the same amount of time. Every year when I'm pitting the cherries, I am in awe that cans of cherry pie filling don't cost more than they do! It's a lot of tedious, repetitive work. But, the fruit of my labors is always worth it!
I never can remember which recipe I use for cherry cobbler, so I'm putting it here so I'll have it in the future. I think Grandma Leake's cobbler recipe will work perfectly!
My final product: Stack and Whack
June 7, 2022: Disclaimer: This may not be the actual first project I've made completely from my stash, but it is the first one I have done in a very long time!
In the sewing world, there is a meme that is always popular: Buying fabric and sewing are two completely different hobbies! Amen! This goes for just about any hobby! Acquiring the tools needed to do something and then actually doing it are two completely different processes. For the first few months of my re-entry into the sewing world in June 2018, I bought fabric with a specific project in mind, came home and made the project, and then moved onto the next project. A few months later in October 2018, I completely derailed! My friend Mary and I visited Missouri Star Quilt Company and Quilting is My Therapy, and my obsession with buying fabric began! Seeing all the luscious fabrics with their unique colors and textures made me want all of them. Then add a subscription to Bluprint (formerly Crafty and again Crafty), and I had all the ammunition I needed! I started buying fabric, creating what I had been trying to avoid when I started sewing again: accumulating a stash.
Yesterday, I woke up and decided I was going to begin using my stash. I went to my cabinet full of precuts, and the first beautiful bundle I saw was the Lily & Loom Girls Trip jelly roll. Jelly rolls are spun together beautifully, creating an visually stunning appeal. This muted rainbow swirl seemed to be calling to me. I took the jelly roll to my sewing room, removed the plastic packaging, and then just stared. Would I be able to make something that truly celebrated this jelly roll, or would I create something that looked odd and out of sorts? I took out my lint roller and rolled both sides of the jelly roll several times. This is a tip I saw somewhere, and I'm thankful that I remembered it today. There was so much lint that came from the pinked edges of the fabric. After partially unrolling the jelly roll, I remembered a quilt that has been on my "to-do" list since I began sewing. Unfortunately, I didn't know the name of it, but I did remember how to generally make it. I began on one end of the jelly roll, sewing the first strip to the second strip, the third strip to the fourth strip, etc. I didn't want to duplicate any of the strips, so I ended up with a piece of strips that was 20.5 inches long and about 40 inches wide. Now, to find that darn pattern.
I went to my laptop and started searching: easy jelly roll quilts, quick jelly roll quilts, sew and cut jelly roll quilts, quilts with 2.5 strip precuts. Finally, I found a picture of the quilt I had in mind. The quilt is called Stack and Whack, and while there were several different "patterns" for it, the one I had in mind was by none other than Missouri Star. This makes sense because when I first started sewing, I spent a lot of time watching Missouri Star videos. I rewatched the video and began cutting my main fabric piece apart. Since the Stack and Whack Jenny Doan made used 32 jelly roll strips, and mine only used 20 strips, I knew I would need to adjust my widths a bit. I quickly cut a 7" piece and a 5" piece. The dilemma was deciding how wide to cut the largest pieces. I knew I needed at least 6 inches removed, so I began by cutting the first piece 6.25 inches. In my head, I would rip the strips apart into blocks of three strips and combine them to make a pillow to match the quilt. After I cut the 6.25 inches, I realized it should have been 6.5 Too late, and for once I decided not to fret about it. I started sewing my flimsy together.
Once assembled, the size just wasn't right. You know when you look at something and know it isn't right, but you're not sure how to make it right? That was me. I googled "Golden Ratio Calculator" and played around with that a bit, but even though I know the Golden Ratio model would have looked perfect, the figures they gave me seemed a bit narrow. I looked at the flimsy and decided to make a random cut that looked right to me. Luckily, I like the final product!
Things I Learned
The lint roller is a quick way to get the lint off the precuts. I'll definitely do this again (if I remember).
I have a lot of stash, but I'll probably need to buy some neutrals and/or background fabric to make the projects I want with the stash I have.
I thought I could access all of my bookmarks from my school account, but I had a lot of trouble finding them yesterday. I need to find them and get them copied over to my new Google account.
My quarter inch seam has definitely improved over time! I need to remind myself often that when I try something new, it will get better with time. And I need to give myself more grace.
Since I like the way the flimsy turned out, I need to make some notes to make sure I can do it quickly in the future. Since I only used 20 strips, I have 20 more ready to go. I may make an identical quilt with the fabrics.
I cut the flimsy into the following pieces: 7 inches, 5 inches, and 17 inches.
I put a 2.5 inch strip of white grunge on either side of the 5 inch piece, and I put a 5 inch border all the way around the quilt top. To do this, I needed about 3/4 of a yard of white grunge fabric.
Ultimately, this project takes half of a jelly roll and 3/4 of a yard of background fabric. This is definitely a quick and easy quilt top. Depending on the fabric, it would be a baby quilt or a lap quilt for an adult.
Thoughts for the Future
I'll definitely make this again. I may make it again in a few minutes with the leftover jelly roll strips!
When I do it again, I'll probably add one more 5" piece to the top or bottom. This way, the strips will be offset a bit instead of lining up horizontally. I think it will look better with the offset.
I also saw a pattern where a completely different fabric was used in place of the 5" inverted fabric strip. Loved it!
When I quilt this, I may use an all over design, but wouldn't it be fun to practice a variety of narrow border options in the various strips? Hmm......
It's time to stop saving my stash for the perfect project, because the perfect project doesn't exist! I need to begin using up what I have!
Who am I kidding? I'll probably go fabric shopping with Mary this week!
June 6, 2022: It's a girl! Sadie Ann was born May 17, 2022, at 7:49 a.m. In early May, Rachel was told to stay home from work because of gestational diabetes and blood pressure issues, and she was also scheduled for a C-section. About a week before the scheduled date, it hit me--we're going to have a new baby very soon! I headed to Columbia and visited several quilt shops. On this day, Satin Stitches had all of the items I was looking for--flannel, gauze, and tulle. I had just completed my baby quilt for Sadie, and now it was time to make a few other items. I love making self-binding receiving blankets, so I made a few of them, including one from gauze fabric. I had never sewn with gauze before, so I was thankful for the advice the ladies at Satin Stitches gave me, including the helpful hint to not use a rotary cutter on gauze. This saved me a bunch of trouble. They showed me how to cut on the lines and shake the gauze to straighten it out for sewing.
Sweet Sadie bug in one of the receiving blankets I made for her.
It has been a long time since I use a cutter and heat transfer vinyl. My old Cricut still works, but the program that I needed to use it with my computer is on my previous computer, which doesn't boot up anymore. They company that made the program doesn't sell it anymore because Provo Crafts sued them and one. Luckily, I purchased a Silhouette for $100 from Dustin Wasson. I figured it out and was back in business!
The pattern I used for Sadie's quilt is Spin Cycle by Gudrun Erla. I used a woodland friends fabric line that I purchased from Bits and Pieces. There is not enough contrast between the pink and the other fabric, but I think it turned out cute. Live and learn!
June 6, 2022: I've always been fascinated by applique, but everytime I tried it, I never could get the hang of it. I remember admiring the beautiful applique work that Pal Walton used to do on her denim shirt and wall hangings. I used to watch her at her sewing machine stitching those beautiful stitches to anchor her fabric designs. I've tried versions of applique in the past, including the first quilt I ever truly made, which was a clown quilt for Sarah before she was born. It was a hand-tied quilt, with ruffled edges. I had cut out a clown and balloons, iron an adhesive to the back, and ironed them down onto the quilt. At that time, fabric paint was used a lot to seal the edges. I think I used rick-rack for the strings to hold the balloons! While the paint did crack over time, the iron-on adhesive and puff paint did what they were supposed to do, holding the design in place and not allowing fraying to occur. I later made mom a grandmothers shirt with her (at that time) grandkids' handprints.
All that aside, I never did what I felt was true applique. When Bits and Pieces of Hannibal offered a sew along of Lori Holt's Chicken Salad in January 2022, I signed up! The first Monday, our teacher, Jane Danielson, taught us Lori Holt's method for applique. We met each Monday for 12 more weeks, creating 12 applique chicken blocks for a quilt. Jane offered help as we (I) needed it. After a few weeks, I began to look forward to our Monday sewing group not just because of the applique, but because of the comradery that we shared during these two hour sessions. We learned about each others' families, trips, favorite movies, and lot of other tidbits.
At the end of the process, we ended up with two quilts--the applique quilt and an alternate quilt of pieced blocks. I've already quilted my applique quilt, and as soon as my batting arrives, I'll be quilting the pieced quilt. I have already signed up to do Lori Holt's next quilt-along with our Monday group, and I'm looking forward to August so we can catch up on each other's lives!
Things I Learned:
After a few weeks, I finally got the hang of the bias tape maker. We were making 1/4 inch bias tape, and at first, I couldn't figure out how to pull the fabric through without it untucking in various places. By about week 4, I had it figured out.
We used the 1/4 inch bias tape to make beaks and chicken feet. I hate all of my chicken feet, but by the time I saw an alternate process that I liked (Thanks, Sandy!), mine were all finished and I didnt' want to redo them all.
My hand stitching improved during the process. As I learned more, by stiches got smaller and smaller, and, hopefully, they will hold the chickens for many years to come.
I love Lori Holt's applique technique. It is the process I'll use for upcoming applique projects, including a camping pillow and elephant wall hanging that are on my to-do list.
Lori Holt is one heck of a marketing master. She should teach classes in marketing.
Thoughts for the Future:
"Quilt as desired" may be the most fearsome words in the quilting process. As I loaded my quilt on the longarm, I only knew that I wanted to stitch around my applique work. I started the process by machine basting my quilt. I had a problem in the upper left hand corner that I still can't figure out (too much bunching), but other than that, it worked pretty well, I do think I'll try to have my design in mind before I start quilting in the future, as the rolling back and forth got a bit tedious.
I can stipple! Sometimes my stippling looked good, and other times, it was awful. That said, I think if I go back to my drawing notebook and sketch out some stipples, I can train my brain to do it correctly.
Next time, I'll probably machine applique. I truly wanted to learn how to hand applique, which I did, but I'd like to try appliqueing on my machine next time. I think I'll feel more confident that my work will hold up over time if I machine applique. If I don't like the look of it, I'll go back to hand applique.
I loved piecing the alternate quilt! I didn't want to do the sashing and borders like Lori Holt suggested, so I created a different type of sashing. I really like it, but I think my "stop border" kind of messed with the design.
It's always fun to see the quilt top once it is completely put together. I had to finish the quilt by embroidering the baby chicks' feet. I still don't enjoy embroidery work.
This photo shows stippling that I'm pleased with. The stippling I'm not pleased with is shown in the photo at the top near the journaling.
I'm thinking about giving this quilt away to one my sisters that loves canning, baking, and all things country. She loves chickens, too, but I have too much time and learning invested in my Chicken Salad quilt to give it away.
June 6, 2022: Each year, the eighth grade English teachers, Brittany Lugena and, before that, Adria Palmer, would have students read To Kill a Mockingbird. They always read it about the time that I needed to do classroom observations of teachers. My observations always happened near the beginning of the book, and I never knew much about the story. I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird. Catch your breath and keep reading!
Since retirement, I've trying reading more and more, and this book was on my reading list. I finally broke down today and watched the movie instead. I'm absolutely sure the book is better than the movie, which is always the case. That said, I thought the movie and storyline was just okay. I thought the movie did a great job or portraying the racial problems of the time period, and I loved Atticus's "turn the other cheek" example that he set for his children. That said, I thought the rest of the movie was a bit cliché and underwhelming. I realize that the book was written in 1960 and the movie came out in 1962. At that time period, I'm 100% sure that the book was controversial and engaging. Every time they used the n-word, I cringed. I can't imagine living in a time period when that was socially acceptable. I'm glad I never had to. I understand the "he got what was coming to him" storyline, but it seemed a strange way to connect it all. Like I said, this is just my unpopular opinion.
A current hot topic in our culture is the banning of books, to which I am 100% opposed. This book is often included on the list of banned books because of the use of the n word. To me, this is ridiculous! The word is used because it was used in our culture at the time, and one theme of the book is treating everyone as equals, which often didn't happen in the 60s, and some would argue that it still doesn't happen today. Way back in the days of card catalogs, I used to look up topics for books to read, and they were topics that probably would make the banned list--sex, dating, alcohol, marijuana, etc. I wanted to read books that included these key words because I wanted to read interesting books. If I was reading a book that offended me or troubled me, I stopped reading. My parents and teachers trusted I was intelligent enough to know what to read and what not to read. I hope that I taught my girls the same thing. No one makes you read a particular book, usually. If you're offended, put it away, but always remember, this may be the book that someone else wants to read. I can remember one book I stopped reading, The Lovely Bones. The story was about a girl that was kidnapped and raped. I had daughters the same age as the character, and I couldn't read it. I simply stopped reading the book and moved on to another book. It seems simple, but maybe there is something I'm missing.
Having watched the movie, I might go ahead and read the book now. I never could get into the book, but now that I know the storyline, I think I can read it with a new appreciation. Maybe.
March 23, 2022: In Mom's files, we found these original documents. Years ago, Mom donated dad's uniform and all of his medals and patches to the local VFW. Dad never talked to me about his military history, and most likely it is because I never asked him. I love when Gayle and some of the older siblings share stories. While searching for information about Dad's infantry division, the 71st, Teresa ran across a brochure that was made to share details of the liberation of the Gunskirchen concentration camp in Lambach, Austria, The liberation occurred on May 4, 1945, and in Dad's records, there is this letter of commendation dated May 31, 1945. What an honor. Someone wrote notes at the bottom of the paper, mostly likely his mom, Maude Abell Leake, who likely kept his documents until his marriage to Mom in 1951, although we'll never know for sure. The words are chilling. I wonder if Dad didn't want to praised for his infantry's work, or if he didn't understand and comprehend the significance of what happened until years later? Or, more likely, he was trying to do anything he could to put the horrible images from his military career behind him. Regardless, I couldn't be more proud of Dad and his contribution to ensuring the freedom for Holocaust prisoners and all Americans.
February 20, 2022: When I look through photos, sometimes I have to wonder who took the photo. The photographer is always faceless in their photos, but usually this doesn't stop us from knowing who took the photo. When looking at photos from my mom, I can pretty much assume that Mom was the photographer. From time to time, though, Mom is in the photo, and then I love to try to figure out who took the photo. I can usually tell by figuring out which of her seven children are missing from the photo. Still, there are a few photos that have me stumped (and of course, I can't find one of those photos right now!).
On February 7, 2022, my sisters, Sandy, and I went to Kansas City to view the Auschwitz exhibit. It was very moving. As I looked at the photo on the right, I immediately wondered who took the photo. The caption beneath this photo read, "Photo from "The Auschwitz Album" showing women and children on their way to the gas chambers; Crematorium 3 looms in the background." Who took this photo? Why? Did he/she know what was about to happen to these people? Did he/she care? Try to stop it? So many questions flooded my mind.
As I continued through the exhibit, it was as if the exhibit hosts had read my mind. The photos were taken by SS photographers. There are three albums in this series, all taken by SS photographers. The first album, the holder of the photo shown, depicted deportees arriving from Hungary. The second album contained photos that document the progress of construction in the camp. The last album belonged to a senior official in the Auschwitz camp management: SS-Obersturmfuhrer (First Lieutenant) Karl Hocker. Photos from this third album were on display in another room. These photos showed the good times regularly enjoyed by Hocker, his fellow SS officers, and the camp's female telephone, telegraph, and radio operators. These photos showed the SS officers and others living and enjoying life. These photos made me sick. Not because of the graphic imagery--there were more graphic images throughout the exhibit. Rather, these images made me sick because they seemed to show that the killings, mistreatment, abuse and other vile acts occurring at Auschwitz and similar camps and ghettos had no impact on the SS officers. They were still able to go on picnics and enjoy life, knowing they were ending the lives of so many people. It also spoke volumes to the type of individual that could have possibly taken the photo to the right. Can you imagine taking a photo of someone(s) at their lowest...just before you know their family is going to be ripped apart and so many lives ended? And, could you imagine going on a picnic with your friends afterward like this didn't even happen? I sure can't.
I've always wanted to know how to applique, so I signed up to take a course through Bits 'N Pieces in Hannibal. Our first class was February 14, 2022. This is our first chicken from Lori Holt's Chicken Salad Sew Along, Hattie. I'm enjoying learning a new skill and meeting new people.
March 2022
I donated this completed quilt to the Ralls County Historical Society. I've been volunteering there for several weeks now as we move to the new museum and put the library back together. The library become the holding area for a variety of artifacts after the July 9, 2021, winds damaged the roof of the existing museum. Ron Leake has worked for many years, and this is one of his personal passions. It's a privilege to be working alongside him as we continue to preserve, honor, and celebrate Ralls County's history.
January 9, 2022: In my continued effort to get my fabric and scraps under control, I tackled the scraps from Clayton's quilt. When making that particular quilt, you end up with a bunch of "ears" that are cut off to make star legs. I kept these ears since they were pretty large. Today as I looked at them, I immediately decided to toss them. Almost as quickly, I dug them out, sat down, and started sewing them together.
While watching Dexter, I sewed the scraps together. I was amazed how many there were. I haven't counted them yet, but I bet there were almost 100 ears. (Update: There were 151!) When opened up, these will become half square triangeles that I will do something with. I'm considering a pillow to give to Clayton to go with his quilt or something else. There are so many options for designing patterns with half square triangles.
At the end of the sewing process, I knew I would have to square up the blocks, so I decided to pull out my 2.5 inch Bloc Loc half-triange square up ruler. I bought these (more on this...) several years ago on my first trip to Missouri Start Quilt Company. I never really used them, but I decided to give this little ruler a chance today. It is a rock star! You line up the seam and the indentation in the middle of the ruler and then trim. You don't have to rotate the block, which saves a bunch of time. I'll definitely be using this ruler again!
I started thinking...I think I bought a set of three rulers and not just this one ruler. The other two rulers weren't in my ruler container, unless I overlooked them. Before I started a mad dash to find them, I decided to log into my Missouri Star account to see if I actually bought the set of three, or just this one particular ruler. I love that I can log in and review my purchases. I did buy the set of three, so tomorrow the hunt begins!
January 8, 2022
Just before Christmas, I had new struts put on my vehicle. Just after Christmas, I had my vehicle aligned in Farber. The business had a nice area set up for people to wait while the mechanics worked on vehicles. There were toys in the room, too, and it seemed like the perfect place for the owners to put their kids while they finished up their day's work. On the bulletin board in the room, I immediately spotted this sign. It brought me back to days when my kids were little and they would mimic what they saw in their classrooms. At one time, Sarah even put a word wall up around her bedroom!
I imagine this is a morning message that the teacher models for students to help them learn to read and write. Whatever it is, this student took the words to heart and replicated them. I don't know where this student goes to school, but it appears that he or she has an amazing teacher! Be a learner, not a finisher. I love this! There is even a smiley face about learner and no expression face abover finisher. I took a picture of the sign to help me remember to always be a learner, not just a finisher. Words of wisdom from a young person! I have a lot to learn so I better get at it...
January 7, 2022: Yes, please! Combining quilting and scrapbooking sounds like a great combination to me!
I love to scrapbook, and I also love to sew. Since I began sewing quilts in the Summer of 2018, I've taken numerous pictures of my projects during the entire process...construction, modification, ripping, final project. From time to time, I even make scrapbook pages to showcase and tell the story of some of the quilts.
For many of my first quilts and projects, I kept pieces of leftover fabric in baggies so I could keep the materials together in case I wanted to make a pillow or something else to match the quilts I made. That process was helpful for me several times! I did make some pillows, and Kaitlyn even requested a key FOB from her Mizzou quilt material because she liked it so much. When I downsized my "stuff" in June to make room for my longarm, that I affectionately named Lavon, I couldn't make myself get rid of these baggies! Instead, I put them away "for another day."
Well, that day was today! It felt great touching the fabrics that I used to make a quilt for Mom. It was my second quilt--preceeded only by the quilt that started it all, a quilt for my first grandchild, Carter. When I gave mom the quilt, she was pretty excited. She quickly inspected it, especially looking at my handiwork on the binding. I think I may have impressed her! For a short time, Mom was able to use the quilt knowing that it was a gift from my hands. When she passed away, I got the quilt back, and I will cherish it forever.
One snow day, after watching Lori Holt's video about storing scraps, I started cutting and storing my scraps in a way similar to her process. That said, I just couldn't separate some of the fabrics and combine them all together! This included fabrics from quilts and projects I did that were either meaningful to me or that I felt should be "kept together." These fabrics, I put into plastic baggies and stored in a dresser drawer. They've been calling my name and haunting me to tell their story, but I never knew how to do it. Viola! Fat Quarter Shop's Brickhouse was just the thing I needed! I saw the project online in December, downloaded the free pattern, and set my mind on this project. Today, Kimberly Jolly released the first video explaining her quilting projects for 2022, including Brickhouse. I listened, looked at my scraps, modified, and made my first block! I'm trying not to second guess it, even though there are at least three blocks I want to rip out and redo. That said, I'm not going to do that. I'm officially on the way to completing my Scrapbooking Brickhouse Sampler!
Throughout the year, I hope to use up my baggies of scrap fabrics to make blocks from the fabrics. The first block, the one at the top of this post, is a collection of fabrics from mom's quilt (plus one piece of fabric because I didn't have enough pieces that were big enough to complete the block. I'm hoping that when I'm completely finished (do we ever really finish projects?) I will be able to snuggle under a quilt that is a hodge podge of memories of my quilting experiences. I want to be able to look at mom's block and remember her pride the day she put it on her lap for the first time. I want to look at the black and gold brickhouse and remember how excited Kaitlyn was to begin college at Mizzou. I want to look at the Coriander Quilts Pepper and Flax material and remember meetings in Clarence with my fellow principals, and Natalie's willingness to stop at Stitch 'n Clip on our way home one day. I want to look at each of my brickhouses and relive their stories in my mind. Just as my scrapbook pages are a written record of my life and memories, my brickhouse quilt will be my visual memory of my quilting journey.
January 6, 2022: Okay, hate is too strong of a word, but I definitely don't like this flimsy that I really wanted to love! When I did the Strip Joints sew along with Gudrun, I fell in love with the design of the block and the Tim Holtz fabric. I decided to turn the quilt into a bed spread, my first ever. After several fabric woes, I finally had the top put together. I excitedly put it on our bed, and disappointment immediately set in! To me, it's frumpy. It's definitely what I had in mind. So now, I have a decision to make: do I finish it as it or tweak it some more. I really want to finish it as is, but I know I won't be able to do that! After looking at it more, I think I know what I don't like about it. the border is too think. All of the other fabric pieces are 2" finished, and the border is 4" finished. To mee, the proportion just isn't right. So, it needs a 2" border. Also, I don't know if I'm a fan of the color of the border. I originally wanted Provisions Rust (below), but that was a struggle, too! I'm either going to cut down my rust strips and use them for the border, or I'm going to cut down this border (Chalk & Charcoal) and use it. As a third option, I'm considering buying the dark blue or maybe chalky black Provisions fabric. I didn't want a "blue" quilt, but the fabric seems to be telling me this needs to be a blue quilt.
Things I Learned
Buy enough fabric the first time, and if you don't know how much you'll need, buy more than enough. I absolutely love the Tim Holtz Provision fabric (border fabric below), but I bought all that Bits and Pieces had in stock. When I tried to order the material from different places, I never could get the right shad. I
Tim Holtz fabric is as lucious as his scrapbook paper! I used to love his scrapbook inks, embellishment, and papers. I really wish he made digital artwork! Hmmm, I wonder if he does. I should check on that!
This photo from the internet was my inspiration for turning the Strip Joint quilt into a bedpsread. I like the clean, contrasting lines.
This was my first attemp, using Provisions fabric for the border. I didn't buy enough, though, and I spent a lot of time finding more of it.
December 27, 2021: That's right, even after Christmas Day, it's still time to celebrate the Christmas spirit! Carter stayed with us for a few days after Christmas and Henry joined us during the daytime to play. I saw someone that used poptarts instead of gingerbread to make gingerbread houses, so as Brian and I shopped before Christmas, I made sure to purchase some poptarts. The boys enjoyed making the house. There wasn't much mess, and they were cute! The boys didn't care that we did this after Christmas. It was fun to keep the festivities going!
One thing I learned from this experience is to get out my good camera more often so I can use it effectively when I need it. I took several photos of the boys with their houses, but not until this picture (the last one) did I realize the the focus square was focusing on items behind the boys. This was the only photo of the obys that was in focus. I do like it, though, because it kind of tells the story of what it's like to build gingerbread houses with a 2 year old and a 3 year old. Geesh--they are cuties! How did I get this lucky?
December 20, 2021: A few weeks ago, I decided to check out HBO Max. Recently we added this channel to our monthly expenditures because we wanted to watch King Richard, which, by the way, is a great show. While surfing through the many available titles, I ran across the new spinoff of Sex and the City. I never watched Sex and the City, and I'm not sure why. It was probably because we either didn't have that channel or at the time I was surrounded by little girls and couldn't watch that show while they were awake. Regardless, I decided to give And Just Like That (AJLT) a shot. I really enjoyed it! I watched episode 1 and 2 back to back, and if you've seen the episodes, you know the ending to episode two was very moving. To end each show, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) says, "And just like that....(insert what she learned)."
Tonight will finishing up bias binding for three quilts that I'm working on (more later), I was so tired from ironing the binding. The string of fabric seemed to go on and on and on. When I was finished, it hit me! "And just like that, you figure out how many yard of binding two yards of material will make." The pool of binding was large, so I decided to go ahead and measure it. I use GE Quilt Design's Stripology ruler and process to cut the binding, and I even used her GEasy Point Trimmers. The only fabric I didn't make into bidning were the small pieces (less than 8 inches or so) that are cut near the end of the process. So, exactly how many yards of binding does two yards of material make?
34 YARDS! 1, 224 inches! I couldn't believe it! When I put the dimensions of each of my three quilts into the Robert Kaufmann Quilting Calculator ap (free!), it told me that each quilt would need 5/8 of a yard of fabric for binding. 5/8 times 3 = 1 7/8 yard of material , so the 2 yards seemed perfect. I didn't truly realize how large the three quilts were until I saw 34 yards of binding laying on my cutting board! Dang! Now to sew it all on by machine and handsew it down. I guess I better get off of here and get to work. And just like that...you know!
Uncle JD's Honorable Discharge Paperwork
December 8, 2021: While visiting with Cathy Power McAfee, Marynelle Tully Power, and Ruth Tully Evans on December 1, 2021, I was able to scan a copy of our Uncle JD's WWII Discharge paper. Luckily, I've already analyzed Dad's discharge paper, so it was a bit easier to analyze Uncle JD's paperwork. Here we go!
3: James Douglas Tully (Uncle JD) completed his career as a Technician Fourth Grade, a rank given to him on August 15, 1946.
4: MD = Medical Department or Detachment...not 100% sure which one is correct. Another source... And Another...
5: AUS = Army of the United States
6: 62nd Field Hospital, which was based in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) assigned to England and Germany. (BTW, this is the last organization he was assigned to. It's possible that he was a part of other organizations, too. More research needed.
7: Discharge Date
8: Separation Center at Fort Dix, New Jersey (Jefferson Barracks was deactiviated as a separation center sometime in 1946. I'm guessing that's why Uncle JD's separation ocurred in New Jersey.
21: Genealogical information at time of induction. (Code Table) (Code table) I'm still working on this. I do think it means exactly what it says, but I can't find that code. Uncle JD graduated high school and almost immediately was inducted into the army. Especially because of the fear of the unknown, the Tully family took a picture before he left. I'll share it below.
22: Date of order telling him he needs to report for duty
24: Date Uncle JD reported to Jefferson Barracks (Interesting....Dad has about a week between these two events (#22 and #24), but Uncle JD's were on the same date.)
25: Jefferson Barracks is located near St. Louis, MO.
27: 1 = Fit for military service (More Info)
30: Medical Technician 409 (4094 is the code).
31: Military Qualifications and Date: Using a Standard M-1 Rifle on July 24, 1945, Uncle JD score 176, which would give him Marksman qualifications.
32: Uncle JD did not participate in any campaigns or battles (Makes sense because the war officailly ended on June 5, 1945, just days after his induction into the Army.)
33: Uncle JD earned the following honors:
Army of Occupation Medal: The Army of Occupation Medal is a military award of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department on 5 April 1946.[2] The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had performed occupation service in either Germany or Japan. The original Army of Occupation Medal was intended only for members of the United States Army, but was expanded in 1948 to encompass the United States Air Force shortly after that service's creation. The Navy and Marine equivalent of the Army of Occupation Medal is the Navy Occupation Service Medal.
Victory Medal: The Congressional authorization for the medal specified that it was to be awarded to any member of the United States military who served on active duty, or as a reservist, between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946.
36: December 27, 1945, Uncle JD was shipped to the European Theater of Operations, arriving January 5, 1946. On October 17, 1946 he departed to return home, actually arriving October 27, 1946. He was officially discharged from the Army on January 7, 1946.
Depart: = Date ship left loading port Destination
ETO = European Theater of Operations, APT = Asiatic Pacific Theater; MTO = Mediteranian Theater of Operations.
Arrive: Date ship arrived at port of destination
37: Uncle JD served the Army from the continental US for 7 months, 7 days. He served overseas for 10 months, 1 day.
38: Uncle JD's highest rank was Technician Fourth Grade.
40: AR 615 - 365 RR 1-1 Demobilization, is the Army Regulation concerning Army forces reduction after the war.
42: Uncle JD completed high school, 4 years.
43: Total Service (Continental and overseas combined)
44: The Mustering-out Payment Act is a United States federal law passed in 1944. It provided money to servicemen, returning from the Second World War, to help them restart their lives as civilians. Dad was also given this same amount of pay and first payment, so it must have been a standard amount.
46: Amount of money received to get home (Again, same travel pay as Dad.)
47: I'd like to learn more about this person
48-53: Insurance information. He had to pay a monthly premium of $6.50 to continue his National Insurance. Need to learn more....
55. Explanations Below
AW 107 refers to the Articles of War number 107. It was under this authority that a service man was honorably discharged from the army/navy/etc during or after WW2. AW 107 authorized the the issue and wear of a lapel pin to be worn for up to 30 days on his uniform and then later on his civilian clothes signifying his honorable discharge. This pin later became known as the "ruptured duck." The pin was first issued in a metal version, but because of material shortages it was later issued in gilded plastic and a cloth version. No days lost means that Uncle JD never had an absence from duty that was not covered by "official leave."
Lapel Pin: Lapel Pin was a small round pin issued at discharge, commonly called the "Ruptured Duck" box. (I need to clarify this information.)
ASR Score is the number of 'points' earned which determined when a soldier was shipped home. The Adjusted Service Rating (ASR) score system was revamped again in September 1945 (September 2, for Uncle JD) because too many experienced veterans were going home and leaving the younger soldiers to wind down the operations in Europe after the end of World War II. All European units were re-designated as Occupational, Redeployment or Liquidation Forces. Those with the highest scores returned to the US, and those with the lowest scores remained overseas. Uncle JD's score was low because in Sept. 1945, he hadn't served overseas yet, and he was unmarried and had no children.
Again, fascinating! Uncle JD has a lot of pictures, and he labeled them. Awesome! I'll begin processing them very soon. FASCINATING!
November 26, 2021: For Thanksgiving, we gathered for supper. The girls have other places to be for lunch, and it works out well to meet back at our house in the evening. I wanted to make deviled eggs, but my eggs were pretty fresh. I dreaded peeling them! I decided to Google strategies to make this process easier. As I read, I found multiple references to how easily eggs boiled in an Instapot peeled. I decided to try it. I put a dozen eggs in the Instapot, along with a cup of water. I ended up "Instapotting" them for 10 minutes, letting them set without pressure for another 10 minutes, and finally ice bathing them for 10 minutes. They peeled perfectly! I will definitely be doing this again!
With the success of the eggs, I decided to see if I could make mashed potatoes in the Instapot, too. I ended up filling the pot with whole potatoes and 1 cup of water. The first time I did this, I set the timer for 10 minutes and then left the potatoes in the still sealed pot for another 10 minutes. When I opened the lid, the potatoes weren't completely baked, so I cooked them for another 10 minutes. When I took off the lid, the potatoes were perfect! I transferred them to a mixing bowl and added all of my favorite ingredients: butter, salt, pepper, and evaporated milk. Rachel talked me into adding cream cheese and sour cream. It seemed so odd to be mixing up whole potatoes, but the final product was spot-on. I'll definitely be finding more ways to use my Instapot to make cooking easier.
(Thanksgiving 2022 Update: Rachel cut potatoes into about 2 inch pieces. I Instpotted them for 15 minutes and then left them in the Instapot for an additional 15 minutes. Perfection!)
November 22, 2021: I'm making this Grinch Countdown to Christmas panel by Robert Kauffman for Carter. It's been an interesting project. First of all, I worked on the
When it was time to quilt the panel, I picked up some high loft batting at Walmart. I love the puffiness that the high loft batting leaves when it is quilted. I started with these feathers in the swag at the top of the panel, and I had to stop and admire them and take a picture. When you run your hand over the feathers, the material poofs in all the right places and looks amazing!!!! I actually stopped for a bit so I could plan out the rest of the panel and enjoy the part that I actually got right!
Making the countdown ornaments was interesting. First of all, I used heat and bond iron on adhesive to attach the fabric to black felt. Then, I trimmed the ornaments about 1/8 of an inch from the fabric. Before sewing the front and back together, I put a piece of ribbon in the top which will be used to hand the ornament on the tree.
November 21, 2021: It finally happened. I got blood on a project. While cutting a piece of binding, I barely nicked my arm; it didn't even bleed. At first, anyway. When I was at my machine sewing the binding onto this wall hanging (too large, BTW), I noticed something red on the fabric. At first, I thought it was paint, as I've been practicing painting some barn stars. However, I hadn't used red paint. I checked my small nick, and sure enough, it was bleeding pretty good. I finished sewing on the binding and then remembered that I've read a lot of posts about this on various Facebook sewing/quilting pages. I got the peroxide and a Q-tip out, and after dropping the Q-tip into the peroxide bottle, I put just a touch of peroxide on the spots. Some blood came up, but not nearly enough. I then poured a small amount of peroxide on the blood stains, and magic happened. The blood bubbled. When it stopped bubbling, I placed a dry wash rag on top of the wall hanging to soak up the peroxide. Like a magic trick, the blood was gone. It was amazing how quickly and thoroughly it worked!
I've always wanted to make this particular quilt pattern. I found the free Woven Star Mini Quilt pattern at Stitch Supply Co., but it was too small for the space I needed it for. I doubled the pattern, which made it a bit too large (36" x 36"), but it looks okay. It's a bit too small to be a baby blanket, but it could possibly be used as a small lap blanket.
Things I Learned:
For this project, I used a loose-weave linen type fabric that I purchase at Hobby Lobby. I love the look of linen, but I really didn't enjoy working with it. It frays really bad, and I think that the loose weave caused me some problems on the long arm.
When quilting this wall hanging, I had some problems by the time I got to the bottom of flimsy. It was really out of alignment. Using my electromagnetic channel locks, I set my stitch length to 4 and then stitched across the bottom rows of the project, moving the fabric to align it and straighten it as needed. There are a few "poofy" spots on the side and bottom, but overall, it didn't turn out too bad.
I love ruler work, and I'm so thankful for YouTube videos. When I was trying to figure out what to do on the star, I went back and rewatched this Angela Walters video from a Free Motion Challenge I participated in about a year ago. I'm super happy with the way the star turned out, although there is so much thread build up in the very center that you can see that I didn't use matching top and bobbin thread. A bit of white from the bobbin thread peaks through. Hmmm, I believe I've read on my Facebook groups that I can use a Sharpie to color the white thread....I'll wait until another day to try this.
Looking at my photo of the piece hanging, I need to measure out the placement of my hanging tabs. Once I saw how unevenly spaced the tabs are, I can't unsee it.
Thoughts for the Future:
It's good to know that there is a simple way to get blood out of fabric. Hopefully, I won't need to use this technique often, though. From reading, it seems the key it to put the peroxide on the stain as soon as you can.
I should probably do a bit more basting when I'm quilting something. Sometimes I even forget to baste down the sides of the project and reattach the side clamps. If I would baste and clamp more consistently, I think I'd get a "squarer" final product.
I "floated" this quilt top since it was so small, but wonder if it would have stay more straight if I would have attached it to a pole.
I really like this pattern! I want to make another project, this time adding various borders to the project; something like this.
If I ever do a project with linen-type material again, I want to use a higher quality linen to see if it makes a difference. I also am looking forward to washing this to see how the linen shrinks. More on that at a later time. I'll keep you posted!
November 20, 2021: I bought a rump roast at IGA, and, man, I made an amazing supper tonight! I want to remember what I did, so here goes...
Roast in Electric Pressure Cooker (EPC):
Sear roast in olive oil with salt and pepper
Transfer to Instapot and add one stick of butter, a packet of ranch dressing, and a package of onion soup mix. I also added about 1 c. water.
Cook for 30 minutes and leave closed while steam releases as the food cools
Cook another 15 minutes, again leaving closed while steam releases as the food cools
Once you check the roast and it is starting to come apart with a fork, add carrots and cook another 15 minutes.
We had Rhodes warm and serve dinner rolls that only needed to cook for 12 minutes. I also made homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, using this recipe for the gravy: https://www.homeperch.com/how-to-make-gravy-from-crockpot-roast-juice/
Delicious!
November 18, 2021: For the last few months, I've been doing some research to help me understand Dad's WWII Discharge paper. I hope to scrapbook what I learn so future generations can understand the document, too. I'm afraid I'm going to be unable to locate the online references I've found so far, so I'm leaving them below. I hope to come back to this post from time to time to list what I learn about Dad's time in the Army in the 1940s.
3: Dad completed his career as a 1st Sergeant.
4: MD = Medical Department or Detachment...not 100% sure which one is correct. Another source... And Another...
5: AUS = Army of the United States
6: Company D of the 371st Medical Battalion of the 71st Infantry Division
7: Discharge Date
8: Separation Center at Jefferson Barracks, MO
21: Genealogical information at the time of induction. (Code Table) 5-21.010 I'm still working on this. One code table says one thing, but other say other things. He is listed as a miner with one code on this document, but at the National Archives, he is coded as 760, Attendants, filling stations and parking lots. Both of these occupations make sense, as Dad did work in coal mines prior to the war, and he also worked for Eul Heizer at a gas station/garage. This category describes the general job someone did as a civilian.
22: Date of order telling him he needs to report for duty
24: Date Dad reported to Jefferson Barracks (Wow! From June 27 to July 11, 1942, I'm sure Dad said lots of goodbyes to his friends and family. What a trying time!)
25: Jefferson Barracks is located near St. Louis, MO.
27: 1 = Fit for military service (More Info)
30: Auto Mechanic 2nd Echelon (014 is the code). This is what Dad did at his last organization (#6 above)
Second Echelon (Division); medical service consisting of collecting casualties from the dispensaries or Aid Stations operated by the first echelon, rendering emergency treatment in Collecting Stations and evacuating the patients to one or more Clearing Stations for further emergency treatment.
32: Campaigns Dad participated in, but not specific battles
33: Dad earned the following honors:
Two Bronze stars for campaigns listed in #32 per War Department General Orders 33-40 in 1945 (Need to learn more!) Reads: “General Order 33 and General Order 40 published by the War Department in 1945.” Note: General Orders are the highest form of orders issued by the Army and supersede all other forms of orders.
Bronze star medal General Order #133 Head Quarter 71st Infantry Division, August 21, 1945 (Need to learn more!)
35: I still need to figure out what BT A stands for.
36: January 26, 1945, Dad was shipped to the European Theater , arriving February 6, 1945. On December 22, 1945, he departed to return home, actually arriving January 1, 1946. He was officially discharged from the Army on January 7, 1946.
Depart: = Date ship left loading port Destination
ETO = European Theater of Operations, APT = Asiatic Pacific Theater; MTO = Mediteranian Theater of Operations.
Arrive: Date ship arrived at port of destination
37: Dad served the Army from the continental US for 2 years, 6 months, and 5 days. He served overseas for 11 months and 6 days.
38: Dad's highest rank was 1st Sergeant.
40: AR 615 - 365 RR 1-1 Demobilization, is the Army Regulation concerning Army forces reduction after the war.
42: Dad completed 8th grade. I believe I have a report card for him that shows he started 9th grade, even though he always told us he had an 8th grade education
43: Total Service (Continental and overseas combined
44: The Mustering-out Payment Act is a United States federal law passed in 1944. It provided money to servicemen, returning from the Second World War, to help them restart their lives as civilians.
46: Amount of money received to get home
47: I'd like to learn more about this person
48-53: Insurance information. He had to pay a monthly premium of $6.97 to continue his National Insurance. Need to learn more....
55. Explanations Below
AW 107 refers to the Articles of War number 107. It was under this authority that a service man was honorably discharged from the army/navy/etc during or after WW2. AW 107 authorized the the issue and wear of a lapel pin to be worn for up to 30 days on his uniform and then later on his civilian clothes signifying his honorable discharge. This pin later became known as the "ruptured duck." The pin was first issued in a metal version, but because of material shortages it was later issued in gilded plastic and a cloth version. No days lost means that Dad never had an absence from duty that was not covered by "official leave."
Lapel Pin: ASR Score is the number of 'points' earned which determined when a soldier was shipped home. Lapel Pin was a small round pin issued at discharge, commonly called the "Ruptured Duck" box. (I need to clarify this information.)
American Theatre Campaign Ribbon: The medal is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces who served in the American Theater of Operations during the period from December 7, 1941 to March 2, 1946 or was awarded a combat decoration while in combat against the enemy. The service must have been an aggregate of one year within the continental United States, or thirty consecutive days outside the continental United States, or sixty nonconsecutive days outside the continental United States, but within the American Theater of Operations.
European African Middle East Theatre Campaign Ribbon: The European - African - Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (EAMECM) is a military award that recognizes the service of U.S. Armed Forces personnel who preformed military duty in the European Theater during World War II. Created on November 6th, 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9265 it was originally just a ribbon and there was not a full sized medal until 1947. The first recipient of the medal was General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower. There are 19 approved campaigns for the award. Multiple campaign awards are denoted with a bronze star device.
Overseas Bar: Army Overseas Service Bars are worn on the Army Service Uniform to represent the cumulative amount of time spent overseas, with each stripe representing 6 months. Multiple Overseas Service Bars are worn simultaneously, extending vertically on the sleeve of the uniform. The Overseas Service Bar is worn centered on the outside bottom half of the right sleeve of the Army Service Uniform coat. The lower edge of the overseas service bar is placed 1/4 inch above the sleeve braid of the coat for officer personnel, and 4 inches above and parallel to the bottom of the sleeve for enlisted personnel. Each additional bar is spaced 1/16 inch above, and parallel to the first bar.
Enlisted Reserve Corp (ERC): ERC stands for "Enlisted Reserve Corps". Time in ERC is from the date Dad took the induction oath until the day he entered active service, June 27-July 11, 1942.
Victory Ribbon: Authorized by an Act of Congress on July 6, 1945 and awarded to all members of the Armed Forces who served at least one day of honorable, active federal service between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946, inclusive.
ASR Score is the number of 'points' earned which determined when a soldier was shipped home. The ASR score system was revamped again in September 1945 because too many experienced veterans were going home and leaving the younger soldiers to wind down the operations in Europe after the end of World War II. All European units were re-designated as Occupational, Redeployment or Liquidation Forces. Occupational Forces consisted of volunteers and the troops with the lowest scores. According to the WWII point system, troops with scores between 60 and 79 ASR points were classified as Liquidation Forces. Those with the highest scores and troops designated for return to the U.S. were considered Redeployment Forces.
FASCINATING!
November 16, 2021: After messing up my Phoenix transferring pieces between my bed and my sewing machine, I decided I need a design wall! That evening when Brian and I went to Lowe's to pick up materials for his deer stand, I bought two pieces of styrofoam for my design wall. I'm pretty sure Brian thought I was crazy, but he went along with it. For my birthday a few days later, Brian took me (and Henry--his babysitter was gone for a few days) to Country Kitchen for breakfast. After breakfast we ran to Walmart, and on a whim, I bought two packages of felt. I really thought I wanted grey felt, but they didn't have two packages of it, so I went with this teal color instead. On the way home, I told Brian I really only wanted one thing for my birthday--to get my design wall up that day. When we got home, he did it! Dang! I was impressed! I love my design wall! I currently have my Christmas in Europe Block of the Month blocks by GE Quilt Designs hanging on the wall, and I also have both sides of "ornaments" for a countdown to Christmas wall hangings laid out and ready to join together.
Supplies:
Styrofoam panels (I used two 4' x 8' panels, hanging them in landscape mode)
Something to cover the panels that would also hold quilt blocks. I chose felt from Walmart.
Tape to tape the top of the felt to the panel
Gorilla Tape to help position the board
Washers and nails to secure the panels to the wall (Brian still needs to add a few more connections to the upper left hand corner of the panels.
Things I Learned:
My husband can do carpentry work! I need to help him develop this skill by creating projects around the house!!!
It is hard to finagle a 4' x 8' panel in a relatively small room that already has a longarm in it.
After the felt hangs for a bit, I'll staple it to the panel. I may also remove everything from the design wall and mist the flannel a bit to see if that helps remove a few more wrinkles.
Thoughts for the Future
I really wish this design wall could be in my sewing room, but I just don't have enough wall space to make it large enough.
If I would have hung the felt outside on a warm day and misted it with water, many of the wrinkles in the felt may have fallen out of it. I tried to steam it but panicked because I didn't want to mess up the felt and delay getting the design wall completed.
The felt works perfectly! I was planning on buying a king sized flannel flat sheet, but they didn't have any in stock, so I thought of the felt. I think I like the felt better for holding power, but one sheet probably would have looked nicer.
November 15, 2021: For week three of writing club, I wanted to buy one student a special treat. This student is allergic to nuts, and the cookies I brought definitely were not safe for him to eat. I bought him a Rice Krispie treat and told him how much I appreciated him advocating for himself and his allergy and for being a good sport about not having a snack for the previous two weeks. When we did free-write to start the night off, he wrote this poem. Man, what a great kid!
November 13, 2021: The girls and I left Perry at 7am to head to Peoria, Illinois, to go on a Jurassic Quest. Henry and Carter really eventually loved the dinosaurs, but, man, were they scared at first! Our timing wasn't very good when it came to the boys' napping schedule, and they were exhausted by the time we left to come home. They napped for part of the trip, but were awake for most of it. The girls and I had our own personal concert on the way home, singing songs we used to sing when they were growing up. Needless to say, there was a lot of Miranda Lambert! This is a day I'll always remember.
Please & Thank You!
November 10 2021: Today, I worked alongside Ron Leake at the Ralls County Historical Society in Perry. It is fascinating work! Ron smiled his mischievous grin when I arrived and told me he had something I was going to like. Sure enough, he was right! My cousin, Fred West, visited the historical society last week and brought some photos that his mother left him. Jewels! There were pictures of my dad as a young man, and several photos of Uncle Darvin. I was able to see new photos of Grandma and Grandpa Leake, individuals that I never had the opportunity to meet. There were photos of my Aunt Erma, Fred's mom, along with photos of Uncle Chester and Uncle Harold. Uncle Harold looks so much like Grandpa Leake! There were photos from Grandma Leake's family, the Abells. I don't know as much about them as I do the Leake side of my family, so it was exciting to see faces that I can place alongside the information in Family Tree Maker. Some of the photos didn't have names on the back, so they are going to be difficult to label. If Mom were alive and in her right mind, she would be able to tell me who these individuals from the past are, and she would tell me stories about them. I look forward to scanning these photos and sharing them with my family.
Throughout the morning, we touched many photos (tip of the iceberg!) that were not labeled in any way. One of these photos is the beautiful photo accompanying this post. Isn't it gorgeous! A teacher at Perry Elementary School is sitting outside reading to her students. I'd love to know the names of the people in this photo, because I can 100% guarantee I have a few relatives in this picture. At the windows in the back ground. I think that was the cafeteria. I'll post this photo on the historical society's web page soon, and hopefully some of the people that are interested in history will be able to identify some, if not all, of the people. (Update 11-16-2021: This was posted to the historical society's facebook page...Gina Brown My mother in law is Elizabeth (Robinson) Brown and she is in this picture with her brother Johnie Robinson. The picture is at Perry Elementary. She and her brother attended West Hartford school which was out on Y. They were bussed to town every 2 weeks for book readings. She is 91 years old but was very clear on when and where this was.) How awesome is that!!
Lesson: Please, please, please, write the date on photos, and include the names of people in the photo--even if it seems obvious to you who is in the photo! I scrapbook, so this is pretty easy to do. I do worry about photos in the future, though, because so few photos are printed anymore. Will they have photos when they are my age or will their photos be lost when they switch phones? How will they tell the story of the photos? Just something to think about.
Monday, November 8, 2021: What a beautiful day! Today, I learned something about retirement--I can do what I want, and that includes changing my mind.
I like to be efficient. Yesterday, I planned out my day...
Leave about 1:00-1:30, head to Bits and Pieces to pick up the batiks I need to finish my Phoenix quilt
Possibly make a Walmart run
Be at Ralls County Elementary by 3:00 for Writer's Club
I woke up, washed dishes, vacuumed the house, started laundry, and, in general, picked up the house. When I looked at the clock in the living room, it was 10:05. Cool! I have three hours to play. I walked to the kitchen and the oven said it was 9:05. Awe....that's right. I forgot to change the living room clock. Yay! Four hours!
I got out my Strip Joints quilt, which I am going to change up a bit so I can use it as a bedspread in our room. After sewing the blocks several months ago, I thought of a new arrangement. Because of this, I had to rip the stitches out of about 12 blocks. I sat on my couch, ripping stitches and watching In The Dark. I took a break from ripping to sew the border on my quilt. Before I knew it, it was 1:00! Oh, no! I need to stop! But I want to keep going since of on a roll. Here it comes....
I figures out I could change my mind! I didn't really need to be anywhere until 3:00, and I could go to Hannibal another day. So liberating! Working full time, I had to schedule so much of my day just so I could get things done. Five months into retirement, it is sinking in that I can change my schedule at the last minute, even on a whim, as long as it doesn't impact anyone else. So liberating! Who knew??
I didn't choose colors well, so the pattern was lost in the piecing! Also, when moving the pieces from my bed to the sewing machine, I sewed a few pieces wrong, which created a mess! I need a design wall!
November 9, 2021: I ripped, ripped, and ripped a bit more. I sewed pieces back together, often incorrectly, which caused me to rip again. After spending a lot of hours on this, I think my Phoenix is complete and ready to be quilted!
November 7, 2021: I love to scrapbook! Digital scrapbooking was just what I needed--no more keeping paper and embellishments all over the place! With digital scrapbooking, I actually finish pages. October 15th, Teresa, Lynn, and I went to a scrapbook retreat in Chesterfield. It was probably the most relaxing retreat we've attended. Since returning home, I've actually kept up on my scrapbooking.
The program I use is Artisan 6 by FOREVER. I am actually a FOREVER ambassador, but I mainly do that to get a discount on the items I purchase. I backup all of my scrapbook pages to FOREVER. I love learning new tricks and techniques. More importantly, I love that our family's history and life are being recorded for my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids to enjoy for many years, even long after I'm gone. Both Carter and Henry like to "read" my scrapbooks. Last night, I sent my most recently completed pages to be printed. I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival this week!
November 6, 2021: While I've completed two quilt alongs (QAL) with Gudrun of GE Quilt Designs, today was the first time I participated in a QAL for an entire day in "real time." Brian is putting up his deer stand, and I had the entire day to focus on the QAL. I'll definitely be doing this again!
Supplies
Phoenix pattern from GE Designs
10 fat quarters of coordinating fabric (light)
2 1/3 yard of a contrasting fabric (dark)
XL Stripology Ruler
Things I Learned
I need to pay attention, measure twice, and cut once. I cut my dark 7" instead of 7 1/2" so I had to make a quick trip to Ben Franklin this morning and chose a new dark for my quilt.
The lights and darks must have a definite contrast. Tomorrow, I'll be ripping some of my sewing apart to remove the yellows and oranges from the quilt. I'll run to Bits and Pieces to pick up some other batiks that coordinate with my other lights.
I really, really, really wanted to finish this quilt top by 5pm today so as I started putting my columns together, I rushed. Unfortunately, I sewed a few pieces together wrong, so Jack and I will be having some alone time tomorrow.
I love batiks! When I first started quilting, I was obsessed with batiks, but when I ready over and over that their colors often run, I shied away from them. For this QAL, I decided to use the fat quarters in my stash. I loved sewing with the batiks and will definitely do more projects with the batiks I have left in my stash.
I need a design wall! Bending over to lay out this quilt top on the bed really made my back ache. Tonight, I bought 4x8 foot Styrofoam panels for my longarm room. I'll be installing them tomorrow!
It was nice that Brian straight-up told me he was going to be busy all day Saturday. I didn't feel guilty spending my entire day quilting. We both spent the day doing what we enjoy!
Thoughts for the Future
The darks and lights really need to contrast. Also, I really liked the look of quilts I saw on Gudrun's Crew when the lights were from one particular color, instead of the wide variety I used.
I love turning my photos to black and white so I can see if I have my colors evenly distributed. This is when I really noticed that I need to take out some of my yellow and orange lights so the pattern shows up more distinctly.
I want to make another quilt using my 7" darks. It will take just a bit of adjusting to downsize the pattern, but it shouldn't be too hard. I want to do this soon and try out a new color scheme for my lights.
I sometimes set unreasonable goals for myself and hurry. This usually doesn't work out! I need to slow down and enjoy the process more. It's not a race!
I love this pattern and will definitely make this quilt again (and again and again!).
Brian's deer stand is awesome! I may take my laptop and cell phone hotspot up there one day and scrapbook!
November 5, 2021: Starting today, I'm starting over! When I first started this blog, I was good about writing in it frequently. Over time, I stopped. Today, I'm hoping to turn over a new leaf! At least for a week or two. LOL!
Last week, my friend, Mary Jones, and I took a spur of the moment trip to Paducah, Kentucky. We both retired in May, and I always wanted to go there, so we decided to stop putting it off. The quilt museum was great, and I really loved the optical illusion of this tiger quilt. We also visited Hancock's of Paducah, walked the flood wall murals, and drove part of the McCracken County Quilt Drive.
Supplies:
A good friend that loves what you love
A trustworthy vehicle and Google Maps
Things I Learned:
There are so many varieties of quilts and quilting techniques. This includes a quilt make of wood and old quilts that have been recycled and painted with acrylic paints. Absolutely amazing!
Hancock's is huge!
Pizza Warehouse has amazing Calzones, and the breakfast at Gold Rush Cafe is very tasty!
Thoughts for the Future:
Mary and I tend to travel on Mondays, or so we've noticed. Unfortunately, many quilt shops and restaurants are closed on Mondays. Not a big problem, but definitely something to keep in mind.
Don't leave the Fritos in your vehicle! Remember to bring them to your room or you'll regret it!
November 25, 2018~My friend, Mary Jones, has a blog telling stories of her sewing and quilting adventures. One of her tutorials is for a quick and easy Mug Rug. I love visiting her blog for ideas, techniques, and just to enjoy the voice she brings to her writing.
I plan to use this page to document my sewing and scrapooking adventures. I don't create ideas, but I want to record facts and thoughts. What fabric did I use? What worked? What didn't work? What ideas do I have for doing this project again in the future? Hmmmm, kind of like Chapter Five of a dissertation. Maybe I should rename this site "Chapter Five"?
So, back to the Mug Rugs! Fun! Brian's sister, Brenda, gave me a gift of handsoap, a candle, and some preserves. She and her husband, Tommy, along with her daughter and granddaughter, Cindy and Bailee, were visiting this week from Colorado. As soon as I opened the gift, I panicked! What can I give her in return? My mind instantly went to sewing! From there, I remembered that Mary gave all teachers a Mug Rug for Christmas a few years ago. An idea was born (or stolen or harvested, however you choose to look at it)!
Supplies for 8 Mug Rugs
Charm Pack of 5 inch precuts (42 total): I used Garden Variety by Lella Boutique for Moda Fabric. I bought the Charm Pack for $9.99 (probably 25% off) at Ben Franklin in Monroe City. Adding an additional square to cover the binding made me feel better but probably wasn't necessary. I cut the extra squares from a leftover fat quarter I had in my trash stash.
Eight 5" pieces of batting: I cut mine to 4.75 and liked it just as well.
Things I learned....
Follow the directions. Putting the background square beneath the batting doesn't work.
It's a pain to rip out detailed edging stitches, but it can be done!
"Quilting" the background fabric to the batting wasn't worth the time.
Just as Mary said, be sure to let the starch dry or the material will get distorted.
Thoughts for the future...
I need to use my 1/4 inch edger presser foot to improve my accuracy.
10 inch squares would make an awesome potholder!
If I made a potholder, I'd probably sew something "felty" to the center to hold it all together.
If I made a potholder, I probably would quilt the batting to the background material.
These ended up going to Tracy Shively, Gage Shively's mom.
She loved them!
My hubby found a recipe for these, and we gave them a try tonight. I used the recipe from Be Your Best Mom, adding some diced up cranberries to the turkey.
I combined one can of jellied cranberry sauce and 4 oz. cream cheese ina pan and heated, stiring to mix. This was a delish relish for the wonton combination.
The verdict: pretty good! The cream cheese-cranberry sauce was perfect for adding a bit of sweet to the wonton. I think in the future it could be made with crescent rolls, although the wonton wrappers have a lot less calories and carbs.
November 27, 2018~I cleaned house today and made Turkey Pot Pie. I promised myself I would work on hand-sewing the binding on Rachel's quilt. I broke my promise.
I started out by watching YouTube videos, and I ran across this Square in Square block tutorial by Patchwork Facil. I loved it so much that I decided to grab some fat quarters that I've been stockpiling. By the way, this particular set of fabrics were selected by Mary Jones during one of our visits to Homestead Hearth in Mexico. I like to pay a game there...They have a grocery basket full of discounted fat quarters. I start by closing my eyes and randomly picking up a fat quarter. From there, I match three or four more fat quarters to my pick. I'm very cautious with colors, but Mary is not! She played the game with me, and I ended up buying all of the fat quarters she picked out. Mary is daring with colors and patterns, and her combinations always look so vibrant! Disclosure: I'm not sure Mary picked all of these, but she picked most of them.
Anyway, I watched the video and started cutting out squares. I used an online metric conversion tool to convert the centimeters to inches. I tried to do all of this in the living room with my husband, acting like I was really into The Voice. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the gravity of the various sizes. I played with sizes and made a few changes. I ended up having to recut my blocks because the various sizes are very important! Here's what I ended up needing:
1 block 3.75 inches
1 block 4.25 inches (trim to 5 inches)
1 block 5 inches (trim to 6.5 inches)
1 block 6.5 inches (trim to 8.25 inches)
1 block 8.25 (trim to 11 inches, final size)
Things I learned...
I dislike metrics (already knew this; just wanted to restate it)
Precision is important for this block!
I had no idea you could cut a seam intersection off and still make a quilt block!
I originally planned to turn this block into a potholder, but I think it's too big.
I need to take some time and iron and starch my fat quarters, especially ones that are rolled or folded. I tried to cut the fabric without ironing, but there was too much error in my cutting. Lesson learned.
Thoughts for the future...
I want to play with sizes to make a smaller block that can be used as a potholder
I don't think I'll cut blocks in advance the next time I make this. After I have perfected my precision, I'll take a risk and cut ahead.
What a neat block! It looks so difficult but is so easy!
November 27, 2018~Turkey Pot Pie is favorite of Brian and I. I can never remember which recipe I use, so I'm adding the details here.
Crust: Betty Crocker Cook Book (double recipe)
Filling: Chicken Pot Pie IX (I add powdered chicken stock to the recipe.)
(I also like adjusting the filling recipe from the Betty Crocker Cook Book.)
On our first trip to Sew Sweet in Brunswick, Mary told me I should give French seam pillow cases a try. I did, and I'm hooked! They are quick and easy! I make a 9 inch cuff, 3 inch border, and 27 inch (.75 yard) body. For larger pillows, use a yard+ for the body.
Road Trip by Alison Glass 5 x 5 single scoop from Andover Fabrics
Purchased at Appletree, $11.99
Mom gets up and falls down frequently. One idea my sisters and I had was to get her a weighted blanket. About the time we decided this, a video popped up on my youtube feed for a weighted blanket. As an added bonus, it was from Rob Appell, the host of Man Sewing, one of my favorite!
December 27, 2018...You can't spend the day shopping for fabric and notions and then come home and turn your brain off. Well, at least I can't.
Mary and I spent the day touring fabric stores. We started in Boonville at Missouri Country Quilts. The owners are very friendly and showed us around their store. They have a large sale sections after buying another company's fabric when they closed. My favorite buy at this store was faux leather to make a purse. I hope I can pull this off!
Then we visited Quilt4U. They have a huge selection of fabric. Next, Satin Stitches. This was probably my favorite. They have a little bit of everything! Mary and I purchased a jelly roll and white fabric to make a quilt we want to donate for the JH Bengal Bash.
I came home and made Chad an Army pillowcase, which he liked! Then I played around with an edging technique that I've been checking out. I have to admit--it was pretty easy! While making the potholders to practice this technique, I also practiced my machine quilting. First I echoed the seam line with straight stitches, and then I tried out the zig-zag technique. I like them both.
For the pot holders, I used a mini charm pack, Southern Exposure by Laundry Basket Quilts for Moda. The charm pack was only $3.75. I was able to make two pot holders with a few mini charms left over. I love when I can practice lots of techniques on a small scale. I think that's why I like making pot holders. I am hoping to give some of my pot holders to my sisters at our family dinner on Saturday.
This started as a baby quilt, but after the quilt top was almost complete, I started seeing it as more of an adult throw. So, I added some Ohio Star blocked to the top and bottom of the main lone star portion to give it some length. This was the first time I truly added something to a quilt pattern. To give everyone their due, I used directions and information from a variety of sites:
Ohio Star Block Tutorial (My favorite because it gives sizes for Ohio Star blocks of various sizes)
Ever since I saw one of these QAYG preprinted batting quilts at Missouri Star Quilt Company, I've wanted to make one! One day while checking out Ben Franklin in Monroe City, I found this batting. I bought the fabric there, too. This particular pattern takes 1/3 yard of 10 different fabrics. I started this quilt for our newest great-great nephew, but Kaitlyn thinks it should go to Carter, so it's now his!
Things I Learned:
This style of quilting is very forgiving! I laid a piece incorrectly, so my next piece wasn't large enough. No problem! I just sewed a third piece on and it worked out!
When the pattern says to cut a specific size, but that size exactly! I had a few sizes that were a little off because I folded them incorrectly when I cut them. I ended up having to make this quilt a bit more narrow than the pattern suggested to make up for this.
When sewing the pre-printed batting, stay within the lines. I started or finished just outside of the lined, and it shows up on the backing because all pieces are sandwiched together while you're sewing. I don't think anyone will notice, but I noticed and want to do better next time.
This picture is after the quilt was washed for the first time. I really wish I would have quilted the blocks some more.
Thoughts For the Future:
I watched the video from the company after making this quilt, and I should have watched it before. I just finished a paper piecing project, so I was still in that style of sewing!
The directions say if you want to do quilting on the blocks, you should do it after the quilt is assembled. The next time I do this, because I did really like it, I'll ignore this direction and do some line quilting on each block before adding the next piece.
I made the first one of these for Aspen Rae Hathaway, and I am making the second one for Harper Sharp. This quilt is super quick, so I thought I'd write down some details to make it even quicker next time!
The star is made of:
8 Layer Cake pieces (10x10)
4- 10x10 white pieces
4- 9.5x9.5 white pieces
3 inch border takes ...
6 inch border takes
Backing: 3 1/3 yard if regular width; 1 2/3 if using wide backing
Binding:
On my way to a JH basketball game in Shelbina, I stopped in at Midwest Quilt Company. I really like this store! The owner is a retired band teacher, and she is very motivating! On a whim, I picked up a Christmas tree project that I assumed was a quilt project. When the owner was putting it in my bag, she said, "This is a fun paper piecing project!" I bought it anyway because I am always up for a new challenge. I have to say, I loved it! I watched several videos to help me understand the process, and this video was the most helpful!
The first piece I've done from start to finish that I love! I bought the kit to make this from Bits 'n Pieces in Hannibal. After I pieced it, I put it aside and came back to it about a month later. After watching this Angela Walters video, I decided to try the technique. I LOVE IT! I'll definitely be trying this again sometime!!!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96-lsr69Fn8
Mitered corner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9WGrb7POGc&t=184s
How to make bias tape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucAkD_HRl3c
I really want to be able to quilt my own quilts, but for now, I'm terrible! I did do one centerpiece (above) that I thought I did well on, but it was small and only had two feature areas. To improve my game, I watched the following Angela Walters' videos:
Dot to Dot Geometric Machine Quilting: FMQ Challenge Quilting Along
Dot to Dot Variations: I got lost as I was going!
I made a quilt sandwich from two solid colored fat quarters. To make these samples usable, I made my quilt sandwich with one layer of Insulbrite and one layer of regular cotton batting. I used my walking foot to stitch six pretty even areas. Within each area, I used a marking pen to draw the outline of a square. For here, I tried a different technique in each square. Finally, I cut the six areas apart and edged them with orange fabric. I used a few techniques on the binding to find what I like best. I definitely like using this technique to join binding, but it was too tedious to do that on the small potholder, so I went simple and used this technique the most.
I tried to use my bias tape presser foot to put on the binding, but I don't know enough yet! Also, I think my quilt sandwich was too think for this. Yeah, that's what I'm going with--it couldn't have been me! HA!
What I Learned
I have a lot to learn.
I really need to get in a habit of pulling up the bobbin thread when I start and leave enough of my final string to tie off the design. I cleaned up a few loose threads, and I ended up starting to pull out the stitches! Yikes!
This was fun! I did a few pieces with marking and a few pieces with no markings. I want to get to the point where I don't need markings, as I think it will make the process faster.
I never could do two designs symmetrically. I need a lot of practice on this!
Thoughts for Future Projects
It was a lot of work to bind the potholders, and I don't know if it was worth it. Since I actually used one of the potholders today, maybe it was worth it.
I went to Ben Franklin and saw a cute printed fabric with hexagons. I bought one yard of the fabric and one yard of a matched backing. I am going to make a quilt sandwich and practice on the hexagon pieces from time to time. I hope this gives me a way to practice and improve my techniques.
As an alternate to the technique above, I may also start a stitch journal. I saw some need ideas for this in the following videos: Decorative Quilting with a Walking Foot (Jacquie Gerling Stitch Journal).
Several weeks ago, I bought this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Today, I found the accompanying videos! I may do the Mosaic Stich quilt following along with the book and the videos.
January 15, 2019...I joined a Facebook group about Quilt As You Go, and the cover photo is an absolutely beautiful quilt. The designer, Betsy, has an amazing tutorial about binding the pieces together. I tried this several weeks ago and turned some of my block into potholders.
Fast forward a few weeks, and I'm home with snow days! After organizing my craft room and scraps, I'm spending today doing several QAYC projects with my scraps. I started with Christmas scraps. I'll post photos soon!
January 21, 2018: One of my Facebook friends shared a recipe for a Keto friendly pizza. I modified the recipe a bit to make it a breakfast pizza. We ate it with salsa and loved it!
Crust
1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Topping
1 cup sausage gravy (make it after you fry your sausage
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
toppings - sausage, scrambled eggs, whatever you like
Garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly spay a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. With a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese until combined. Spread into baking dish. Bake for 15-17 minutes, our until golden brown. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes.
Spread pizza sauce on crust. Top with cheese and toppings. Sprinkle pizza with garlic powder. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. The original recipe is part of this Facebook group: Keto And IF Made Easy
Rachel, Sarah, and Carter went shopping in Columbia, and Rachel came home asking for a shopping cart cover for her little man! I thought I'd start with Carter, and since his daddy loves The Avengers, I figured I'd start with them! Sarah tried my creation out with Carter today, March 31, 2019, and it worked! Now, onto other shopping cart cover creations!
I started by viewing this tutorial several times. I'm placing this photo here to help me remember how to make the mitered corner on the Self Binding Baby Blankets. You match up sides and then mark a 90 degree angle to sew on before clipping.
This is the video I watched to make my first binding on the bias. Super easy!
I love the Stripology XL cutting ruler! In the video linked above, Gudrun shows you how to use it to make bias binding. So quick and easy!
After taking two classes with Angela Walters, I wanted to continue to practice the skills I learned so I started sewing 2.5 inch charms together! I wanted something different than a potholder, and a quick Google search came up with the this "Around the World" quilt pattern. For months, I wanted to make an envelope pillowcase for pillows that I bought online from Joann's in December. It all came together in this pillow. I was able to make my first envelope pillow, and I was also able to practice my continuous curve technique. My ability to make the envelope pillowcase is much better than my continuous curves, but I sure hope I'll improve!
January 12, 2020
So much has happened since I wrote last time (May 19). I've sewn and sewn, scrapbooked and scrapbooked. Oh, and my momma died. Heartbroken. Most of the time, I'm good. Today, I just can't quit thinking about her. Tears in my eyes, I decided to open this "blog" back up and write a bit.
In some ways, Mom has been gone for a long time. Dementia ravaged her mind, and her body was broken and worn out. About the time she lost the ability to talk, she also started losing the ability to swallow. That said, I was still able to drive over to see her anytime I wanted. She didn't talk back, often she just itched herself to pieces while I was there, but still, she was there. Now, she's gone. No more visiting, no more waking up in the morning to check my phone to see if something happened to her overnight. I feel bad even feeling bad--lots of people don't get the opportunity to love their momma until she is 92 years old! That should make it easier, right? I have five remaining siblings. It's not like I'm alone, right? My mom lost her husband and her father six weeks apart, and yet she kept on living and thriving. I can do this! No need for a pity party, right? I think I'm just in the mood for a pity party...
Instead of wallowing in this ache that won't leave my chest, I'm going to work on this blog today. I'll go update some of the projects above that are either finished, or at least closer. I'll update pictures of some projects I've worked on. More distractions. I definitely named this page write when I started it! While I'm updating this page, I'm going to be missing my momma.
Class with Angela Walters
In October and November, I took Angela Walter's class, "Help! How Do I Quilt It?" It was amazing! For this class, I purchased her panel, watched her weekly videos, sketched in my notebook, and then tried it out on my own! I truly had no idea I could do this, but I'm very proud of my panel, mistakes and all! I learned that I like matching thread, not contrasting thread, although I'm glad I used contrasting thread on this project so I can see my work and remember what I did right and wrong. This quilt, I'm keeping it! I keep it on my loveseat and use it to keep me comfortable at night!
I want to be sure to remember this binding technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWh90tXr7g4
I don't plan on using it a lot, but it sure made life easier for this potholder! By the way, this was the first time I did stippling and felt like I did a good job. I then used the cheater binding technique and figured why stop there! I machine sewed the binding onto the front of the pot holder. It looks good on the front and ok on the back. I'm definitely improving, although I have a long way to go!
I started this six week class in January 2020, and I learned so much! Since it was for me, I practice machine binding a quilt. I am not good enough at it to use it on anything that isn't for me, or a potholder, but to master this skill would be amazing! I learned so many things from this class, and it's time to get back to reflecting.
What I Learned:
Following advice from a member of the Let's Stitch--Scallops Facebook page, I purchase a roll of skateboard tape. I put a few pieces on the back of each ruler, and I was able to move my ruler and fabric so much easier.
Use the smallest ruler possible. There isn't much throat space on my machine.
After a lot of practice, I am much closer to being able to make circles/pebbles.
I thought I knew how to make wishbones, but I don't! I struggle to make them evenly spaced and with the same loop at the top and bottom. I think all the turning has to happen in the loop, with the connecting lines remaining straight. I love the look, but I don't necessarily like my results this time.
Mettler thread does not FMQ well on my machine. Avoid it!
Bottom Line prewound bobbins are amazing! I don't think I'll use anything else when I'm free motion quilting.
It's okay to mark on your quilt before FMGing. Spritz the blue lined away when you're finished, and don't get the blue lines hot with an iron or they may remain.
Ideas for Future Project/Learning:
I want to add a border to everything! Also, we learned a lot of techniques for small borders, too!
I am using up some of my stash during the COVID-19 quarantine, and I searched for ideas to make using mini-charm packs. I found this pillow pattern, and I loved it! Fun and easy to make--start and finish in a day, even with lots of distractions!
Before leaving for a spur of the moment trip to ?? last summer, I spied a small travel pillow at Walmart. It's 14" x 20", and it is the perfect size for the vehicle. Before leaving, I woke up and made a quick pillow cover for it. Well, fast forward a few months, and I really wanted to make my grandsons a small pillow! The pillows are cheap--about $8 for two from the Walmart site. This time, I decided to make a few notes about how to make the pillow so I don't always have to rethink it.
Each pillow takes 30 inches of material, and you'll have a nice 20x15 piece of material left over, too.
After making sure the fabric is 30-ish inches long, cut the fabric in hald, making two WOF 15" pieces.
Piece 1: Cut this piece to be 15" x 21". You won't use the remaining piece for the pillow, so set it aside.
Piece 2: Cut this piece into a 15" square. (Note: This is the envelope backing of the pillow. The "formula" for figuring the size of envelope backing is half the width of the pillow (10) + 5 inches, for a total of 15". This time it happens to be a square
First, finish the edges on one side of each of the envelope backing pieces. My material was directional, so I literally laid it out and made sure everything was going the right way. I ironed my first edge over about 1/4" and then ironed it again about 1/4". Take this to the sewing machine and stitch it down. Do this for both pieces.
Next, lay the pillow front (15"x21") face up. Lay the envelope pillow backs on top of the front, right sides together. Be sure your raw edges are to the outside and the finished edge you made above is to the middle. Pin the pieces together, making sure to pin the pieces that overlap.
Take it to the machine and sew 1/4" all the way around the edges. Clip the corner, turn it inside out, and insert your pillow form. You have a quick and easy pillow for a vehicle or just for someone you love! These would look great on a bed, too!
Things I learned...
When stitching the finished edges of the pillows, I always like one better than the other--probably because one was a bit straighter line! I put the one I like the most on the pillow front so that when it is reversed, this is the one that shows.
FUN!!! I want to make a lot more of these!
The directions above make sense to me now, but maybe not in a few weeks or months, so the next time I do this, I'm going to take some pictures and add them below.
Thoughts for the future...
I want to learn how to add piping to the edges. It would give the pillows a bit of pop!
The front could be quilted! Maybe even with blocks. This can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.
Finally! Something that is as easy as it proclaims to be! This was made from scraps and turned out super cute! The girls love them! I'll be making more!!! I used this tutorial for directions.
Thoughts for the future....
Make as many as I can in as many funky colors as possible!
This is something I can make for teachers! They are quick and easy to make! Maybe I can attach a cute saying......like.....Teachers are the key to our school!
April 17, 2020...Scrapbooking is one of my other favorite obsessions! Diana, Teresa, Lynn, and I went to a Pixels2Pages Live Retreat in St. Louis in October. Our instructor was Jan McCullum, one of the original pixies. In March, right as COVID-19 was making its way into Missouri, Teresa, Lynn, and I attended another Live Retreat in St. Louis, again taught by Jan. This weekend is the 10th birthday of Pixels2Pages, and Lynn, Teresa, and I are attending the virtual birthday bash. I'm learning so much, and yet getting so few pages done! Between virtual school and virtual scrapbooking, I'm about virtualed out!!!!
October 2019
April 17-19, 2020
April 17, 2020--Such a fun, yet time consuming process!!!
May 10, 2020: The girls and their families came out yesterday, Saturday, for a Mother's Day fish fry. It was a great evening.
After everyone left, Brian and I bought flowers for our moms....and took them to them...at their grave sites. This sucks. I miss my mom and Dorothy so much! Does it get better over time?
After a principal leadership meeting in Macon, Natalie Gibson and I stopped by Stitch and Clip in Lenter, MO. I fell in love with a fat quarter bundle from Corey Yoder, and so did Natalie! I agreed to make her a tablerunner, and it was one of the first few pieces that I quilted "freehand" by myself. I love how it turned out, and I think Natalie did, too!
Things I Learned:
Coriander Quilt fabric feels amazing! I love her color schemes and patterns! I ended up going back to Lentner to pick up more fabric for future projects!
Thoughts for the Future:
October 25, 2020: Carter (2) and Henry (1) loved wrapping up in this quilt that their Great-Great Grandma, Mary Clary, made many, many years ago! It's so old but hold so many memories! When we were first married in 1986, we lived in a trailer that wasn't in the best shape. The first winter, it was so cold! Dorothy came me this quilt, along with at least one other one, and I put nails above the windows and sewed loops on the quilts so I could "hang" them over the plastic covered windows. It helps so much! Since then, this quilt has been used over and over again by everyone. It's nice to see that another generation gets to enjoy Grandma Clary's handiwork!
December 22, 2020
When I first saw this pattern, Mondrian Lone Star, I absolutely love it! The crisp lines created by the black fabric really drew me in. I purchased the pattern and materials and cut it out. I started it, became frustrated, nd returned to it man months later. Surprise! I've improved my cutting and sewing skills since I started this project, and things just didn't line up. It's a hot mess! I think I know what I should do next time, and I'm fighting the urge to cut out a new one and make it just to prove it to myself that I can do it. That said, I'm going to fold this one up and try it again a different day to see if my skills have improved.
December 20, 2020: I used the sidekick ruler by Jaybird quilts and Nova to create this center piece. I think I love the colors! In my head, I think this would make a great bedspread. I absolutely love the color combination and the way "most" seams match up.
November 22, 2021: Start a "poem" offering two options, with the real answer being neither of them.
Example: Which is more important? The gift or the gift giver? Answer: The thought behind it...of something like that...
Wake to the usual routine
On a beautiful spring day.
Then a memory overtakes me.
Sadness is sneaky that way.
Busy at work,
Not much to say,
Even among the usual,
Sadness is sneaky that way.
You've been on my mind.
The memories they weigh.
Sometimes I think I can't breathe.
Sadness is sneaky that way.
A memory creeps in out of nowhere,
Unexpected and
Do you like what I've done to the kitchen?
Do you think the arrangement should stay?
I wait for your voice
Sadness is sneaky that way.
halfway
overlay
Lying in bed at night,
I close my eyes to pray.
I reach for your empty pillow.
Life is sneaky that way.
October 3, 2023
Excuse the poor language, but this phrase is all that is coming to my mind right now. On Friday, I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctor told me that Ellis Fischer Cancer Center already had a hearing scheduled for Monday to discuss my tumor and cancer. I felt to thankful that the cancer was being taken seriously and promptly.
2:30 p.m. Monday, October 2, 2023, I called Ellis and talked with someone. She saw my name on the list, and she told me I should hear from someone by the end of the day or on Tuesday.
It's Tuesday now. I waited until 2:30 again, and after being transferred at least three times, I got this lady on the phone who shared that the next opening is in November, but she will send a message out to the lymphoma doctors and let me know when they can see me. What the fuck? My particular kind of cancer is described as "aggressive," yet the next appointment is November? I am trying to stay calm. I know that a lot of people probably got a cancer diagnosis last week. Know which one I care about? Only mind. I don't even care if that sounds selfish. I want medical professionals to make my cancer a priority and have confidence as we proceed through whatever is next.
I wanted to wait one more day before "going nuclear," but Brian told me to call my ENT and make them aware of the situation. The nurse who was in the meeting when my ENT discussed the diagnosis with Brian & me answered the phone, and I asked her if this is how the cancer world works, or just Ellis, and she said, no, this isn't usually how this all plays out. She shared that another patient had a similar frustrating situation with Ellis this morning. She is calling them now to "light a fire" under them.
I absolutely hate being the person that causes a shit show, but I also hate being the person with cancer that sits around and is at the whim of medical professionals. The key word there is professionals. Rant over. (Well, for now!) There have already been a few situations throughout this process that have made me feel like I might go crazy, and I really need all of that to stop. My mind is already playing a hundred scenarios on a 24-hour rotating cycle, and I just want answers. What am I dealing with? What is the treatment plan? When can we start? I want to use the phrase that I'm "pulling my hair out" worrying, but it seems like a terrible pun since hair is one of my worries. Not necessarily losing it (I don't want to), but the timing of when it will happen and when it might grow back. Call me vain. I don't give a fuck! Unless you've had to entertain the notion of being bald at your daughter's wedding, I don't care if you are judging me right now. Awe, there's my anger. I knew it would come out eventually. Don't worry, though, I'll apologize for my thoughts as soon as I have a plan and am moving forward again.
Mid-June to mid-July, Brian and I set up camp at Crooked Creek Campground in Eldon, Missouri, near Lake of the Ozarks. This was our first experience with setting up camp, leaving it to come home for a few days, and then returning. We loved it! That said, we were also glad when the time ended. Since we only rented the location for one month, we felt like we had to go every weekend to get our money's worth and really experience camping. We would head down on a Thursday or Friday and come home on Sunday afternoon. Brian works full time, and I work about 20 hours a week, so sometimes it felt like we met ourselves coming and going. The wifi signal at the campground was weak, so it was a great time to think and make notes about all the projects I either needed to work on or wanted to work on. I made quite a list during my quiet time at the lake. Here's a snapshot of items on my list. I know--random!
*Things to find: Folder on a hard drive called DOROTHY'S RECIPES, short obituary notice for Mary Charlie Bell, WW2 book I loved as a kid may be in shed?, My copy of leake genatology, green ralls county books
*Things to sew: Curtains for Rachel's room, baskets from coth and/or rope, high tech tucks, something with round edges, cathedral window, Teresa's projects, finish Sadie's quilt from Branson Quilt week, finish Highway 36 quilt and pillow shams, peasant's dresses for Sadie, pajamas for the kids for Christmas, flannel receiving blankets, Quilt for Autumn Carroz, Hollow star, Penguin pattern for Mrs. P., Tyler petersheim's tshirt quilt, I spy quilt and book
*Things to scrapbook: Page about Alice Tully who died in fire in KC apartment about 1971 (Thinks Maureen Gibbs in a sister. She was never married. Sarah Alice Tully, all of this from a conversation with Cathy McAfee, Aunt Marynelle, and Aunt Ruth while scanning their recipiesat Cathy's house on Decmeber 1, 2021.) Random note: JPCarman's son, Chris, died. Picture looking at senior picture now and then man I was fat she I wish I was that sknny again. I love my hair turned out perfect, oh my gosh what was I thinking with that hairstyle, things like that. Finish my projects I didn't finish last Christmas (If you give a ? a ?, Brown Bear for Sadie, Lynn, Mary); recipe book for girls from calendar. From Carter Nov 7, 2022: He's my fart brother. Papa. Fart brothers do not each each other's food. And they don't fight. Only ninjas fight. But they don't....Our old place on Hwy 19: 33117 Hwy 19, Make sister's ornament. How I process photos in historical by batch. Sstart with one star will i scrapbook this phot? No. Then 1 star. Picture from my shower
*Things to write: the wedding, sinus surgery, shingles, If I'd known (perspective from mom when she left the house May 13 and never returned), Poem about quilt and how to care for it, cellar book--ifnish it. "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) throwback to sheet music magainze, always searching for the one modern song they shared, Like Catholic Missourian to find lyrics; Story weekly prompts. Story Gayle told about Bob Allen's grave and the 4 Littles were buried, tied to the apple orchard in our backyard. The things you'll miss. Things I never thought I'd miss (originally was thinking about all the nights we stayed with Mom and felt frustrated, yet would love to do again, but can also apply to cancer journey (blow drying my hair.) Fabric acupuncture aka applique. She was an enabler, She enabled others to be the best they could possibly be. ; Wisdom from Pat Sloan: If you're storing something that you are going to eventually throw away, you are storing trash. ....I want to follow their lead...something Carter or Henry said. You're ruining my day, Carter. You reuined my day. I'm gonna make a new one (day).......Spilling Out......Carline Fedderline a Poppy girl? German subs in the Hamptsons. Is this true?.... My mom was smart. Not in that I know a bunch of information and I want to tell you all of it kind of way. She was smart and I'm gonna listen to what people say no to look at my surroundings I'm gonna live in the moment, and I'm gonna lean from that way. That's the best smart.......without. I don't know if I would have....without. Evelyn Hugo....If you give a clerk some coffee....Looking down, judging.....July 10, 2023 posdcase while on the way to the ozarks for brownfield training...if you ask a man his occupation, you'll know his job. If you ask a man his preoccupation, you'll find his passion. .....What's a chapter in your life that you wish you didn't know how to write? There's never a right time to do the wrong thing, and there's never a wrong time to do the right thing (KC Wolfe). A banana that's separated from the bunch is the first one that gets eaten. Be a team player (KC Wolfe) Make a leakefamily calendar. Vinton 3543 Chapelton Court, Richfield, Ohio 44286; laurenceleake@virizon.net analysis paralysis; Tom Petty at Grafton: I woke up somehwere between a memory and a dream. Things you never get over (losing your mom)....I'll be damned, damned if From August 6, 2023...We should all be as forgiving as grass. Play on words for cellar book, cellar/seller, sell her August 9th notes when Dr. Franzese told me she thought I might have cancer. August 18, 2023: What are you doing? Searching for weapons to kill the Indians. Or batman. August 25: Shawnee Oklahome Kenneth Crownoever;;;;Peaches and Herb Shake your Groove Thing, heard Friday, Sept 8th. How about on the way back and other lies we tell ourselves...Sept 12. I'll catch you on my way out (selling Boy Scout popcorn at Farm & Home in Hannibal. I choked on liquit Tylenol Sept 23 note You've got a lot on your plate....it's a good thing I like to eat........I'm no longer retired comeing out of retirement. a full time job that was thrust upon me. I'm fighting cancer. Clarify, I'm fighting future cancer. Oc 13 Here's the you I h I see. i don't see a 57 year old. If from Brian's perspective, if from my perspective Her'es what I see when I look in a mirror. I think I like to betterffrom my perspective. Packing for chemo (sugar free mins, colllodial oatmeal for bath water, ) I'm still trying to make this process predictable, lenear. It's not. Throwing up after drinking too much, morning sicknet, chemo, Dripping way (Nov ;7 and 9 thoughts). When sewing the cuff on, whatever part of the cuff you see inside the stocking will not be seen when you flip it out to complete the stocking.. It's all about what you get used to. It's amzing how quickly the abnormal becomes normal. Mit's strange what you can get used to. Be careful what you get used to. make a list of projects completed each year. jan 26 went to sewing group, hairline starting to form. why am i so effig hungry recommented by , Tell story of dad and little league; teens encounter christ. Quote from bob and tom show about technology: If it's a tool, its yours. If it's a toy, it's mine. Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards Marh 8, was this from a podcast? March 13: I had to blow dry my hair today! From a book...is it a secret or is it private? When I had cancer, I felt healthy. I didn't know I had it. When I went to get a massage, I felt great. I walked out feeling better, meaning I had to have not been feeling great but didn't know it. When you mentioned a week at Isla Mujeres to Brian, it sounded wonderful. On the flight here, I felt great. Yet somehow, leaving the island tomorrow, I feel more relaxed and healed. I was able to be fear free for most of the time, and I quickly realize that the only person that seemed to care about my lack of hair is me. No one else. I hope I can transition to no hate when we get home. You knew what we needed and when we needed it. That means so much to both of us because we didn't know how much we needed this. March 28: No new cancer and the cancer i had responded to treatment! Yahoo! I'll have a pet scan every six months for a couple of years. He wanted mt to see an ENT and have sinus surgery to drain my sinuses because the lyphome likes inflamed areas of your body. Permanent forever, yet temporary (conversation about up to date photso) Better than mine. I'll never know how God chooses what happens, but his plan is better than mine Started out with a little girl who makes something in her. Mom is better than hers cause she has more experience so who's always thinking something is better than what they have. That kind of theory for a boo. Wow. Goosebumps. Better than mine, but I'm gon to learn and grow.
; Brian's boss'es class wrote me notes. I should write them an update. Add my writings from the Facebook group to Storyworth. Wounds heal. Love lasts. We remain (April 9 probably from a book. Used to poem. I used to. I could get used to this. that. Seriously. I could never get used to that. be careful what you get used to . it's hard getting used to new things. It's strnage the things we get used to.
Seriously Poem: Take myself too seriously. Seriously? You can't be serious. Are you serious? Sounds serious
Chatper on Storyworth: Things the kids say: aug 24, 2024 at race track: I don't care what it takes. it want to win this so i can get that precious golden trophy.Ryan told Carter that he can put more aire in the tires or leave it the same. He said if he leaves it the same, he'll have to drive harder to win. He said if he puts more aire in the tires, the car will go faster, but he was leaving it up to Carter. Carter said, "Let's do some air. idn't come all this way not to win.
Stitches Poem: in stitches,
stitched with love, coming apart at the seams, takes some getting used to, used. I was used. Use. Has to use
Things for Historical Society:Find Roscoe Baker's place on an old map, will by by St. Paul, Know where you stand project....incorporate it into a Ralls County project. Stehle stoves: The Stehle stove was manufactured in Perry by the Nelse Stehle family. One moder was better and I don't know where the factory was at. I haven't been able to locate them. They probably had it from here, and I don't know how they did the the biggest problems find a hottie how they wou've gotten steling strawberry calls with love that stuff like older than put together but it was definitely. I've got a couple ads for the for the newspapers at all about them and go to the Howard Smokers difficult particles in her about it dong I am from
Feb 18, 2022 ron leake conversation when he was in the hospital about Nelson Stehle family. Poker Run throughout the county, sod buster, road bowling,......Carline Fedderline a Poppy girl? German subs in the Hamptsons. Is this true?....Rock 'n Roll BINGO Mary Lou Montgomery 573.795.1414, Newspapers at Sheriff's dept, microfiche machine. Get school pictures from Dan Peters. Gun to bad coyote
Things to read: Abby Jimenez books, Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Karen Robards, KC Wolfe books, the adjustment bureau
Things to watch: The Chosen; Friendly Persuasian with Christan note from Aug 25, Spencer's mountains, Hostages on Tubi
*Things to do: Get scrapbook page to Cannon Caldwell; get sheet music for Guns 'n Roses's song, November Rain, and learn how to play it, Call Fred West and set up a date for a drive; Get 50th anniversary pages of Fred and Rosemary to them, work with Diana to make the project of interviewing older community members happen, Get back to doing birthdays, plan pumpkin day, Stencil pumpkins, choose eyes, nose, mouth and stencil paing, safe for littles, maybe glow in the dark paint, make sure I wrote about Halloween carving failure, inverted vinyl to stencil. Plaque/sign for names on the courthouse bid picture,,,,reprint of the Leake genealogy book, Have a paint party with Teresa nd Mary since we didn't make it to the party at Stitch 'n Clip. Keepsake frames from hobby lobby. Find or make Othello game. photos to shari bell, t-shirt shirts for camping sorry about my husband, bella canvas and comfort colors, get footstool/ottoman for camper, pick up stuff from cathy mcafee's
Things to see: Lake Moraine, Glacier National Park, Hawaii, New England, Grand Moreau, Tofte, Duluth, Canal Park in Duluth (Augst 31 conversation with Mary since we won't be able to go to New England. Carthage: Lake Hill winery, meat store. be leary of jail and museum tour, Pizza place, alphonos's
Tshirts: Sorry about my husband, sexy and i tow it, i'm only mean because you're dumb. (August 29, 2024)
December 8, 2023: It's that time again! I'm going to look through my text messages to myself and dump my thoughts here so I won't forget them!
Catholic Missourian page 13 song lyrics and interpretations.
Heaven by Byan Adams
Better Together by Luke Combs
Shake your groove thingby Peachers and Herb. No meaning, really, just a song that brings back my teenage years.
You don't know how it feels by Tom Petty (I woke up somewhere between a memory and a dream (July 21 at Grafton)
Lip Service (I can't remember my thought process here, but I texted myself this after being out with Brian last night
Write about college days, Brian and I both waking up and knowing I should go back to college, mom not letting me use her car.
Drip
Dripping away (IV)
Throwing up at Paul & Jo's parking lot as a teenager
Nausea from chemo
I'm still trying to make this process predictable, linear, but it's not.
Here's you I see; I don't see a 57-year-old man. If from Brian's perspective, if from my perspective, hear what I see when I look in the mirror. I think of lI like it better from my perspective of me.
You've got a lot on your plate?. It's a good thing I'm hungry!
I'm no longer in retirement. Coming out of retirement. Full-time job that was thrust upon me. I didn't ask for it. I'm fighting cancer. Clarify that I'm fighting future cancer.
How about on the way back and other lies tell ourselves.
Boy Scouts at Farm and Hoem: I'll catch you on my way out.
We should all be as forgiving as grass.
Cellar seller, roots
I'll be damned. I'll be damned if.
Things you never get over:
Losing your mom
Analysis Paralysis
The banana that is separated from the bunch is the first to get eaten. Be a team player.
February 5, 2024: Brian and I stopped by Sharon Schmohe's house today to pick up containers of her parents' documents and photos. Her parents are my aunt and uncle. The family already sorted the items into general spans of time, so I grabbed the 1966-1980 container and started working. Step one is sorting. To begin, I sorted the pictures by general size: square, rectangular, old rectangular, and portraits/documents. Portraits/documents are any papers that are in teh container, along with school pictures and studio portraits. I separate these items because I know they will have to be scanned on my faltbed scanner. The other photos, hopefully, will be able to be scanned through the automatic feeder scanner that I use. My next wort will be sorting each group into items that have writing on them and items that have no writing on them. If there is no wriing on the photo or document, I'll simply name them 1966-1980. If there is writing, I plan to name the file exactly what is written on te back of the photo. If there is a year or date, I'll lead with that. All the photos and couments in tihs package will go into a folder named 1966-1980. Anyway, that's tha plan. I'll keep you updated!
Group the pictures by year, or a band of years.
Identify duplicates and put them in a separate location. There's no reason to pay to have the same photo scanned multiple times.
Regarding school portraits
Group all school portraits together in one location
Stack pictures to identify duplicates. Once all pictures have been stacked, scan the largest picture possible. If the largest picture doesn't have anything written on the back of it to identify the subject and or date, but the smaller ones do, copy information from smaller pictures to the largest photo. File duplicates in the acordian folder described in a different post.
So, what if you didn't follow these directions and now you have all of your photos back?
Start by identifying specific photos for events and grouping them together. For example, if you know Brian and Delores got married in 1986, group all photos from the event together and label them 1986 Brian and Delores's wedding.
When possible, start the file name with the year.
Use the print date on the back of the photo to help establish a date for photos. Even though someone may have waited a year or longer to develop their film, at least this establishes a "must have been prior to" date to help identify the photo.
