Out of the mouth of ... Bailey

Yesterday was my DH's "Medicare" Birthday - yep, he's 65.  We celebrated by going to Red Robin for lunch. I bought (I know, I didn't bake this year -- most of my kitchen stuff is packed up and ready to move. I'll make a special treat once we get settled) a Chocolate Silk Pie that we enjoyed at home.

During a birthday call from Adam, little Miss (3 year old) Bailey got on the phone and said,

"Happy Birthday Grandpa.

You're old!"

We both got a great laugh out of that one!


A special quilt has finally been finished and is in the mail to it owner (it's a surprise)...

This was a group signature quilt project, with blocks from all over the US, as well as Canada, Australia, and the UK.  I think she is going to love it.

Today when I went in to see Mom the staff gave me a card. It was a wonderful thank you card.  Yesterday they did a Luau Party and it was rather hectic with a lot needing to be done and not enough hands to do it all, so I jumped in and helped. It was fun to do. What a surprise to get the card. Totally unexpected.

The head nurse at the care facility where Mom is is having cancer surgery today. I'm praying that all goes well and that soon she'll be cancer free and feeling good again. She is such a caring nurse to all the residents.

Can one be too efficient?

DH and I are busily packing up our house in preparation for our move in a week and a half.

This morning DH asked what I wanted for breakfast.  After some thought, okay after little thought, I suggested we have a coffeecake, which he was fine about making for us, until ...  yep, I had already packed the cookbook with that recipe. Phooey!  So much for efficiency. We settled for English Muffins and OJ.

As you can see, most of the boxes piled up are sewing boxes. LOL  I'm working to get my sewing room empty so I can get the carpet cleaned in there and have that out of the way. That room and the kitchen will be the biggest tasks (and I have several boxes from the kitchen done too).  Right now I'm feeling like just tossing things into boxes, the car, the moving truck ... that's why I 'm doing some boxes each day so it won't be so daunting.  Of course, if I could get some better sleep right now it would help.

Well.... tomorrow we're taking time out to celebrate. DH turns 65!  Hello Medicare!

Time to move on

(photo from morguefile free photos)

Today we will be starting to do this ... packing up our worldly goods (once again. I've lost track of how many actual moves I've made over the years) to move to our new adventure at a Christian Counseling Retreat. It's in a lovely setting, heading up into the mountains. For DH and me it is our dream job, something we've talked and dreamed about since we got married (41 years ago).  We met at a Church Camp and backpacking in the gorgeous mountains in Central Oregon.  It's in our blood.  The plan is to have everything moved in 2 weeks. Fortunately a lot of our goods are already packed and in storage, but there is still plenty to do.

We will also need to get some good winter wear as we're going to snow country.  Thank goodness we have a nice supply of quilts. I think they will be put to very good use this winter!  DH will have great opportunities to perfect his fly fishing as the river will be just steps from our front door.

We are really excited about this opportunity that God is blessing us with, and hope to be there several years. God took care of all the roadblocks that popped up, clearing the way for us to be able to go and serve. 

DH will be bringing home (today) our pile of boxes we have in storage to pack up what's here in the house. I'm making my lists and they are growing in length.... what to check on, what we need to bring from storage, what we need to buy ...  Thankfully we've had LOTS of practice so this should be a piece of cake, right? LOL

We will be a bit further from Mom, but close enough that I should be able to get in to see her at least twice a week. Unless fuel costs lower or we win the lottery (which I've heard you can't win if you don't play) that is all we'll be able to manage for now. My sister lives quite close to her and will be able to drop in more often.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers for work for DH over this last year. We know that none of the other great opportunities worked out as this is what God was getting ready for us, as well as preparing us for it.

NAME CHANGE:  I'm changing the name for my blog. I'm getting ready to (hopefully) start selling some of my art and the new name is more fitting for that.  It's an exciting new adventure for me.

Tidbits from my week

Mom decided to add some color this week.  Early in the week she tumbled head first out of her wheelchair and got a doozy of a rug burn on her forehead and several fingers of her hand are colorful with bruises.  Two nights ago she decided to add to that when she got out of bed ... onto the floor, and tore open the skin by her elbow.  Solutions, or at least the best we can do solutions, that are now in place are:
1) She can only be in the wheelchair unattended if she is pushed up to the table so if/when she falls asleep (as she is doing at the drop of a hat these days) she can't get further than the tabletop.
2) A new hospital bed was delivered that lowers close to the floor so if/when she gets up on her own there isn't far to fall.
Thankfully no serious injuries in either fall, but it only takes one fall to cause great havoc!

I took some pictures of my sister's new kitchen. It's not totally done, but it is coming along. One of my brothers has custom built all the cabinets. This project started in February and the kitchen may be done by or in September. That still leaves the diningroom and hallway to finish. Oh, and then there is the one bedroom that was in the middle of renovation when this started and has remained in that state....

I finished two thread painting postcards, gifts for a couple of my friends with birthdays this month.

We had another meeting with the directors where we are hoping to soon move and work last night. We're feeling very hopeful that we soon be packing up and heading closer to the mountains, to a beautiful setting, helping to serve God and a great ministry.  

Got some great deals at JoAnn's today -- some patterns for our Miss Bailey that were just 70 cents each and some Sulky threads on closeout for 50 cents each!  Couldn't pass those up.

DH is all signed up for Medicare and his supplement insurance now ... to be in effect by Sept. 1. Now to find affordable insurance for me ... with our very limited income. 

That said, we are so thankful for how God is taking care of us, helping us meet our obligations and providing for our needs. We are blessed!

Thread play for Postcards

It's been a while since I did some thread painting. This week I'm working on a couple of postcard size pictures. I'm still working to improve the look of water and waves.  With each piece I feel I'm making progress ... and having great fun too.

Background Prep

Now that I'm caught up with projects that needed to be done by a date that is quickly approaching I can take some time out to do some other work... a couple more thread paintings.  They are for a couple of birthdays (hmmm.... which are approaching fast, perhaps I was a bit hasty saying I was caught up! LOL).

A Friday Finish! WooHoo!

While "visiting" with Mom today I worked on stitching the binding on this quilt. Okay, I stitched and Mom slept, but I was there for those brief moments when her eyes would open and she'd say a few words before back to the Land of Nod.  I was very pleased with how it turned out.  To mark my quilting lines I used a new to me tool -- The Dritz Tailor's Marking Set that uses ceramic leads.  A friend told me about them, actually she told me about another brand name (which of course I can't remember at the moment) of a similar product.  The lines can be either erased or washed out.  They all came out beautifully! It's always chancy when marking on white fabric, but these leads came right out. I used the pink color (that's what my friend likes to use the most), but there are green and white ones included as well.

He's a Keeper!

Got a 2 for 1 deal today.  First, DH steam mopped our kitchen floor and then ... as you can see, he helped me pin this quilt! Yep, he's a keeper!  You know what I'll be doing today - before and after visiting Mom. Now to get that walking foot on my machine and get started!

Blessings

41 years with the same fellow

4 children and 2 "in laws"

1 grandchild

So Blessed!

Meeting a Quilt Blog Friend

Today was a really great day. A Quilt With Us friend who I've only known online came to my house today. We had a great time.