Some days

Some days things just don't go like they should, cat on my quilt frame? Shouldn't happen but it does. Rain Memorial weekend? Same feeling. Tired to the bone from 3 days at work and two long nights at the bar. Ditto. I know today will be the day I do housework and sleep, the weather is dull and dreary and my house is getting deep because I have not been home to crack the whip with these teenagers that live here. I made a trip to Omaha last Monday to deliver Mom and Kristin, a trip to Norfolk for eye appointments, made jam on Wends day and worked Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (got lots of sewing done and a few good sales too!) I also took the night shifts at the bar to help out with the weekend alumni traffic. Friday was so busy I had to have a customer call the boss to come help me...wow! Last night the last hour was a big rush after the class parties. Tonight will be interesting as we're catering the alumni dance and having the bar open. I did get kind of lucky and don't have to be there till 8. I like my part time jobs but sometimes I think all the shifts shouldn't happen on the same weekend, just like that cat on my quilt frame.

Uncle Danny

My Uncle Danny passed away on Easter, I was there in the hospital with him for the last two days of his life. My Mom was in Az and my Aunt Donna in Kansas City so Kristin drove me down to Co. Bluffs when I got the news he was on Comfort Care Friday night. I chased all the creepiest friends away when I arrived and only his true friends would show their faces to his family and stop in to check on him with us there. My Aunt and Uncle John along with Adam made it up Saturday and we kept each other company until Sunday when I had to leave about noon. Kristin had to go back to college and I had to work. John and Adam left about the same time to care for animals and Adam had a job interview the next day. My Aunt Donna stayed with him until the end, I'm glad she was there. I know he was waiting for us all to leave before he could let go peacefully. The 14th we had a small service at the church next to my grandma's house with family and the 6 of us (mom, me, Sara, John, Donna and Adam) went to the cemetery. My Aunt wrote a poem for Danny, I find it very fitting of his life and want to share it here.

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  Daniel Nile Wilson


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  Born November 20th, 1954


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  Died April 24th 2011


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  What was he looking for? By Donna Brooks


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  What was he looking for?


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  No one ever knew


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  Even as a child,


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  What was he looking for?


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  He was a little wild.


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  Trouble seemed to find him,


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  Even when he hid,


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  What was he looking for?


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  When trouble he would bid.


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  The rules he did not follow,


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  He lived life his way


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  What was he looking for?


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  Never did he say.


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  Now the end has come,


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  Free from all life's strife


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  What was he looking for?


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  Throughout his troubled life.
  

Mission Waco

Kristin will be spending 10 weeks at Mission Waco in Waco TX. She is an intern with the theater dept. (or anything else they need). missionwaco.org I checked out the web site today, they are really busy down there! I noticed there are a lot of programs for adults as well as a summer theater program for kids. I think I will donate a few items to the Clothesline, its a resale shop who's sales go to a program for rehab. I also have some craft items that will be put in the box along with the hats I make. I will be sending Kristin a care package or two so adding a few extras won't hurt. I would love to send money but the plane ticket and new clothes for the kid kind of ate up the cash.....so I will do what I can along with lots of prayers!

Challenge

I issued a challenge to my fellow quilt group members. I gave them each a jacket front and back panel and told them to use it. It was blues with a flower pot on it and jacket shaped. It also had the instructions printed on the fabric around the panel. The top pic is mine, I used the blues in my pink and blue string quilt (I'm channeling my inner 80's loving quilter). I decided to use up a bunch of mauve's and blues, not sure how big it will be when totally done, hopefully big enough for my bed.

Here's a pic with every ones challenge, Flicsha made the bags, Luanne made the small quilt, Linda made the RWB string blocks and Anita made the table runner.

Close up of Luanne's small quilt, you can really see what the panel looked like from this pic.

Here's mom's bags, she even used the instructions in the bags.......and she used everything! Just kept making things with the scraps!

Anita's table runner is on the left and more of Linda's blocks. We were missing a few members so it will be fun to see how they used them next month.

Kristin's play

OK I thought I had this sideways pic thing fixed..........oh well turn your head and look at them. Kristin was costume designer for her friend Andrew's play, The Bird Boy. He wrote and directed it both. Her friend Isaiah was property designer and the crew made over 2000 paper cranes for the show. I was very impressed with the show and I think Andrew has a future in writing 'Lifetime' movies. (oh and he's a fantastic actor too)

Kristin said her design was mostly a scavenger hunt as the play was set in modern Seattle. Sara and I really enjoyed the production and our time spent with Kristin too.

Look...I'm one of those people who take pic's of everything! (that's what Kristin says) well I blinded the audience before the show with the flash on the camera. It amazes me how much my girls look alike, they always have. In baby pic's sometimes I have to look at the background instead of the girl to tell who the pic is of, especially when Sara is wearing Kristin's hand me downs. It's funny but all Kristin's college friends know when her family shows up for a show because of Sara. They are hollering for Kristin even before we can ask for her.

graduation

My kids and a couple friends at Josh's party.

Here we are, the whole family. I'm really proud of my kids, they are growing up to be extraordinary people. Josh graduated 3rd in his class and will be attending Northwestern next year majoring in history and writing. He also has a job for the summer. Kristin will be a missionary in Waco TX at an inner city youth mission for 10 weeks. Brad has a new summer job starting when he gets out of school and Sara is doing small jobs also, babysitting, mowing, helping her mom.......oh and drivers ed!

Grad presents

Kristin made presents for her friends graduating from college this spring. She put these quilts together at Christmas time and I quilted the bottom 3 in January. The top quilt I finished for her on Mother's day and she bound it before she went back to school that evening.

The middle two quilts are made from recycled sheets. I love vintage sheets! Reminds me of summer nights when I was a kid, sleeping with the windows open, to hot for even a sheet to cover up with but by morning being cold and looking for that sheet. The sheets now days just don't have the same feeling, oh don't get me wrong, I love my high thread count Egyptian cotton but small print cotton from the 60's are to die for and the white heavy cotton I got from my grandma..........oh are they nice!

I think I'm going to have to have one similar to this green beauty, big enough for a king size bed to remind me of summer nights. I have a pretty good stash of sheets now to just get busy sewing! I am also on the look out for a king size set for my bed but they are hard to find that big in a set, guess I'll just keep looking at thrift stores and junk shops. (I know they made them, my Mom had a king size bed in the 70's)

Kristin called me in a panic on Monday, the green was on the white after washing. I told her to go buy a fabric dye magnet and maybe a bleach pen. She found a Shout fabric dye sheet on a table in her hallway where every one puts things they don't want or need before moving out of the dorms. It worked and saved her gift quilt. I'm happy to report the friends loved their quilts and Kristin was happy to give them something she made.

May has been a busy month, my Mom has been here two weeks, graduation for Josh and Sara, work, cleaning, parties and my uncle died on Easter. I have pic's to share of most events so just be patient with me and I'll get started soon!