My Cup Runneth Over

Happy 2009 Everybody!
Wow, amazing how fast time flies... seems like only yesterday it was 2008... (That's a little joke!)


Hope everyone's holidays have been lovely, meaningful, renewing, inspiring and enjoyable. Ours has been all and everything mostly due to watching and caring for Mo. I am so grateful to say that she truly has been our Christmas miracle, defying all medical prognosis and teaching us that we really don't know a damn thing! She has gone from laying at deaths door to carry in the morning newspaper through our front door, (something she use to take great delight in but hasn't done in sometime, so seeing her do it once more the other day was extremely heart warming.) I do not know if it has been the power of love, everyone's prayers and good wishes, the St. Francis charm around her neck, or just her invincible spirit that keeps her going. Maybe it's all of it combined. Suffice to say, my cup runneth over with gratitude.

Tidying Up

Our holidays were wonderful this year.  We reminisced, celebrated the day and our good health, and talked about future dreams.  My son was delivered back to school in record time on a sunny Sunday.  His girlfriend, bless her heart, was kind enough to meet us halfway.  I returned home to this glorious sunset taken on the bluff overlooking our farm.  My house is at least 200 ft below in the valley beyond.   

The only visitors left at our home are the early morning risers looking for a fallen apple in the orchard.

I was able to sneak in some time to sew over the holiday.  I worked hard to get a long awaited crazy quilt block under way.  I hand pieced most of the fabrics and should be able to start the embroidery by the New Year.  Sorry, I can't show you any photos until June.  It will be part of a quilt top gifted to our current guild president.  I am back to doing a lot of work by hand lately.  I love the soothing feeling you get from a darting needle.  

Housework is next on my list.  I plan to get everything in order this coming week so I can relax a little bit and get caught up on my blog reading.  I have been checking for updates as time permitted these last few weeks.  I am getting caught up little by little but will be leaving fewer comments so I have more time to read.  

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year full of joy and peace!

Chris

Merry, Merry, Happy, Happy!!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and most joyful New Year!


Christmas 1968 at Grandma's house in Catonsville, Maryland. That's me, age 5, in the homemade apron, along with my parents and big sister Jean.

I'm taking a little holiday blog break, but will be back bright and early in the New Year!!

Until then, much love, good wishes, and peace. xo Victoria

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Every Christmas brings out the little kid in me that couldn't wait for Santa to arrive. We would read "The Night Before Christmas" each Christmas Eve. I also remember setting out cookies for Santa and even hearing his sleigh bells one Christmas! I cherish so many wonderful times with my family past and present.

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I wish all of peace, joy and the merriest of Christmases this year. Thank you for your friendships near and far.

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Update: I just had a Currier and Ives moment. Yes, sometimes life here really is as it seems. When the sky lit up this morning I looked out of my office window and I was able to see mom and the twins (our local deer family) moving up the hill through the snow. Out the other window was a family with horse and buggy traveling to town.

OMG EARLY XMAS

My new Bont skate boots came!!!!! Hooray! I'm preheating the oven so I can heal-mould them to my feets now. I'm so excited!!!

..... HOORAY!

Happiness is a Warm Puppy Dog

Every year at Christmas time I get completely stressed out. I worry and obsess and try to create the perfect image of what a happy Christmas is suppose to be. The lights, the decorations, the tree, the treats, the presents. And I dread it. And I feel guilty for dreading it. And all of that worry, obsessing, dread and guilt wears me out.


This year though none of that matters. Life, (as well as our living room) got turned a bit upside down when Molasses entered into this final stage of her cancer. Funny thing is, I am starting to think that Mo didn't get the memo that she was supposedly on her way out, and I am so happy! As a matter of fact, this is the happiest I have felt during the Christmas season in a long time.


We joke that our blanket and towel covered living room, which I have affectionately dubbed Camp Mo, looks a bit like a crime scene, what with all of the little splatters of blood everywhere from her nose. Thankfully she hasn't had any bad bleeds in the last 2 days, but a sneeze or a simple shake of the head can send a few red droplets flying, (and we have been told that the hemorrhaging can, and will, start up again at anytime... which truthfully scares the daylights out of me.) She is more tired then usual, but considering that on Friday we were calling the Vets to make the preliminary arrangements for when the "time came", (which we all thought was going to be any day) she has rebounded remarkably well since then. Her appetite is still good, and she even gets a bit of energy now in the afternoons and plays a little with her toys.


Hubby is on vacation this week, and we now take turns sleeping by her side at night on the air mattress, and being with her during the day. The house decor is certainly not looking very festive, the tree is only half decorated, and half of the lights are burned out! I have completely slacked on the gifts, and only sent half of the Christmas cards on my list. But the home is filled with lots of love and joy and thanks to Molasses BooDill, I have my priorities straight this year. Forgive me, for I know I am stating the obvious, but it really is all about the love. Not the lights, nor the tree. Not the cards or the cookies. And not even the gifts on Christmas morning. It is just about the love. The Who's in Whoville had it right. So did Charles Schultz when he proclaimed that happiness was a warm puppy!

Thanks to everyone for their kind and loving words. Things are looking up that Mo will make it to her 12th Birthday on Christmas Day, which is all any of us here want. (However, we did give her a few early presents just in case. You never saw a dog love to open a present more then Mo. She won't steal your food, but she will steal your unopened presents!)

I have also been doing some quilting/sewing, when not watching Mo, as it is tops for filling my well and keeps me going. I hope to post some pictures here and some new items in my shop after the holidays.

Best wishes to all of you! xoxo

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful

Sorry to start my post with this out of focus shot of Jack but I just couldn't resist sharing this picture of our snow puppy. This shot was taken on Friday morning after we received 8" of snow overnight with a total of 12" by the time the weather broke.





Saturday brought more snow and a choice, do I travel in the snow or wait until Sunday when 30 mile per hour winds were forecast? I chose the snow. The 9 hour trip took 14 hours. It is good to be home safe and warm. Next year my son is getting a bus ticket for Christmas...

As you travel north of where we live the land levels out quite a bit. There are rolling hills and the occasional limestone outcropping. Into the Northwoods the roads are lined with pine trees, oak and birch as far as the eye can see. It was too snowy to capture the distant tree lined hills today. I had also hoped for some pretty shots of Lake Superior but had to settle for this freighter in drydock and a grain storage facility in Superior, WI. Duluth Harbor, located between Duluth Minnesota and Superior Wisconsin, is the largest and the farthest western port on the Great Lakes. The chief exports from Duluth Harbor are grains from the US and Canada, coal and iron ore. Here is a link to the Lake Superior Martime Mueseum's webcam. Not much action today.

Here is a link to some quick facts about Lake Superior. There are so many beautiful places to see along the shore line. More about that on another visit.

Metal Sugarplum Fairy?

Does anyone know of a badass rendition of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker? Hell, any well-known Nutcracker piece will do.... If there's a metal cover out there, or if any of you would be willing to record one for me for xmas, I would be forever in your debt.

Techno is a good second choice, just so you know.

Keeping Vigil

My sweet Molasses took a sudden and serious turn for the worst last Wednesday night when she started hemorrhaging from her nose. I have no words to adequately express the feeling of fear and helplessness that we felt. Now it has become our new normal, as we keep a loving vigil over her. We have covered our living room with blankets and towels, and that has been where Mo and I have been camping out. She in her bed, and I most of the day and night by her side on a blow up mattress.

Molasses for the most part, has been alert and comfortable. I do my best just to keep her warm and quiet, and try to stop the bleeding each time it starts. Last night was good, and I awoke with hope that today things would start to really turn around for the better. Unfortunately after waking she experienced another pretty bad episode. Mo is relaxing peacefully as I type this, but I can clearly see the toll this is taking on her as she seems to be growing weaker. I still pray for a miracle, but know, as the vet has told me, this is most likely the beginning of the end.

Each moment over the last few days has been filled with much sadness, but also much much beauty and grace. I am profoundly thankful for getting to simply lay with her, to gaze into her big beautiful brown eyes, to tell her for the one millionth time how much I love her and to thank her from the depths of my soul for bringing me so much joy and happiness. Molasses returns my look, staring deep into my eyes. She sighs, rolls over for a belly rub and dozes a bit more.

Waiting for the Snow Storm

It has been a snowy winter so far. We have received about 15 inches since the beginning of December. We are due for 10 inches tonight and tomorrow and expect two more snow storms in the next seven days. I have to pick up my son from college in Duluth this weekend and hope to make the 9 hour round trip during a break in the weather.





We finished decorating our Christmas tree tonight. Christmas cards are started and most of the shopping is completed. We are looking forward to visits from family soon to come.

I wish many happy and memorable days ahead for you and the ones your love as the new year approaches. Happy Holidays! - Chris

Hello! I'm Back. . . For a minute

So Life has been crazy, We made the emergency trip to Albuquerque to pick up MIL because she broke her hip on Halloween. We were able to avoid the big snow storms, but there were some snowpacked roads and a few flurries. We're just glad we're home. We had the BIG Dr's appt with her new Dr up here and it was LONG. But we still have a bone density test ahead of us on Friday and blood work. She's not too excited about it all!

Quilting - Ummm I don't think I posted this picture. I took this tree skirt off just before leaving last week.

From Drop Box

And if it works here's a video of the posessed pencil sharpener I plugged in the studio. It was fine and then all of a sudden it started

Hopefully I'm back to blogging and we won't have such a lapse again. Well, I have good intentions!

Reminder: we've moved to rollerderbyquilt.blogspot.com

I just posted two new posts, with nifty images and all kinds of amazing information. Want to learn which foreign country sent me a square last week? Check the new blog. Want to see how giant the quilt is now? Check the new blog. Want to learn how to make real, working X-Ray specs? Check the new blog.

Why are you still reading this? Go ahead and CHECK THE NEW BLOG already!!!

What an excellent weekend.

Rather than do a long post about the amazing surprise party that Steve planned, I'll simply say this:

I never saw it coming in a million years, and every time I think about walking through those doors and seeing all of those people yelling "SURPRISE" I still get choked up. That definitely goes down among the top three happiest days of my life, ranking up there with the night Steve and I got together (when he told me he loved me), our wedding this summer, and now this. Pretty sweet.

Steve is the best husband ever.

Work in Progress

I have been fiddling around with this new piece for the last few days, constructing the individual blocks, and piecing them together to make the top shown here.


I knew that I wanted a contemporary quilt which was reminiscent of an old utilitarian work quilt. Utilitarian quilts were made from old recycled scraps and bits of fabric left over from other projects. While elements of creativity and thought were definitely put into their making, they also weren't terribly fussed over in the design and construction since they were going to be used for everyday day needs and would get a lot of wear and tear. Because of this, utilitarian quilts often have a wonderful randomness about them, as you had to use what was on hand and make it work the best that you could.

To help give my quilt top a utilitarian feel, I picked certain colors of blue that I had on hand and constructed the blocks from strips that were intentionally cut fairly straight, but not exactly straight.


Each block was stitched without any idea of how it would look in relation to the other blocks, as I wanted to be surprised and challenged with how they would best look when laid out. (This turned out to be much more of a challenge then I thought it would, and I am still not sure if I got it right, visually speaking.) Bits of red were added for the "pop!" element.

The top measures about 33" square, which will make for a nice lap quilt, throw or wall hanging. Hoping to get her quilted this week, wish me luck!

:)

Tonight has been one of the best nights of my entire life. I have the most wonderful husband ever.

-- Post From My iPhone

Local Attractions

In late October and early November the local male deer go through a rutting season. My husband and I had a chance to see the "rut" in action. Five bucks were competing for the affection of one doe in the field behind our house. It was quite a sight to see. This buck was by far the oldest and strongest of the bunch and also the victor.

--Friday night you will be able to see the largest full moon of the year. The moon is closest to the earth this time of year. Look for high tides in coastal areas.

--In the early evening on Sunday, December 14, there will be a "window of opportunity" to view for Geminids meteor shower in a dark, moonless sky. Between the times that evening twilight ends and the time that the bright waning gibbous moon rises, there will be about an hour of dark sky available.

Catching Up

I have been hesitating to post this, only because I am afraid of jinxing the positive, but I do wish to report that Molasses has been doing splendidly! Her original symptoms have gone away, (knock on wood) and with the exception of a strange skin rash which we were able to treat naturally at home, (with some great advice from my friend Lori Jo) Mo has been just fabulous! Last month we weren't sure if she would even make it to Christmas, but now our hearts are full of hope. Her birthday is Christmas Day, and she really is our little Christmas Miracle! Thanks again, to everyone who said a prayer or thought a good wish for her.

As for me, I am feeling better, but still battling this cold! After two weeks I am wondering if it is ever going to go away, and am just doing my best to get along with it. Here is the truth: I am not a good camper when I am sick. It makes me very crabby, and I just want to lay on the couch and eat, and have people feel sorry for me. How pathetic! This is not the Lancaster County way of doing things mind you, (then again I am not a native Lancastrian). Absolutely no laying on the couch wrapped in a warm blanket for the true locals. Around here people take great pride in continuing on with their daily business despite strep throats and raging fevers. They delight in getting right up to your face and declaring how they have pneumonia and their doctor strongly suggested that they check into the hospital, however they can't be bothered with all of that sissy stuff. Then they cough on you. In this neck of the woods, I am a wimp.

I've been working on a pile of quilting blocks that I hope to turn into something wonderful. Getting frustrated as my last few projects haven't gone the way I had hoped, (so no photos!)

Spent the day today decorating the house for Christmas. Eldest is headed home from college tomorrow. We get to have her for a whole month, yay!

Have a great weekend!

Moving to a new URL...

ATTENTION! I'm moving to a new blog to make this whole "roller derby quilt" thing more obvious and easy to find. The new URL is:

rollerderbyquilt.blogspot.com

Go there, comment, and look at the new squares from London's Rockin' Rollers!

WOW!

It's been kind of crazy around here. We've been getting our basement apartment ready for my MIL. I might have mentioned that she broke her hip on Halloween and she's been in a Rehap facility and a Skills Center in ABQ, NM. Well, it's time to bring her to UT and take care of her. So we've rearranged and turned the toy room into Grandma's room and try to spruce it up and get it livable for a wheelchair and a walker. We think it looks pretty nice down there and I hope she'll be comfortable. Since we're talking Home Tour, I'll let you tour Rosy's new abode before she even gets here.

From New Folder

From New Folder

From New Folder

So I was too lazy to take myself downstairs to take the pictures. I sent Candis and friend to do it, and this is what I got. You can't see that in the living area there is a small kitchen area along the opposite wall from the computer.

I really should be posting the pictures of my finally painted Mudroom and 1/2 Bath. They turned out cute. I'll get to that later I guess.

Homestead Cabin Retreat

I spent the weekend at the Homestead Cabin Retreat. Each time I have stayed there in the past I have taken projects with deadlines and put lots of pressure on myself to get them completed.

This time I decided to take a few works in progress. Friday night was spent by the fire under my king size bed quilt while I hand quilted and spent time with some of my favorite girlfriends. It was such a wonderful way to unwind and re-energize my spirits.
On Saturday I broke out my tumbling block quilt top which I started hand piecing while on vacation visiting my MIL in Florida three years ago. This project has been close to completion for two and a half years.

I will be adding stars to the top and bottom of the quilt top. I have not been able to figure out a good way to finish off the left and right sides of the quilt with out losing definition of the tumbling blocks. Does anyone have a suggestion?

We shared lots of ideas with each other. I taught a quick tutorial about ruching. Cindy and Susan took it further and made some beautiful ruched flowers to embellish Christmas gifts and pincushions. Another Cindy joined us and brought along her paper crafts made in a recent class.

Here is another habit (or did I mean hobby?) that I could get addicted to.

Snow came on Friday night. It was wonderful to sit by the fire and watch it falling against the backdrop of a rustic log cabin. I was one of the first to rise. These are the scenes that greeted me in the morning. A little bit of heaven in the middle of nowhere.

Fashionably Warm

My energy is super low as I am still fighting this cold of mine, as well as the cold outside. As stated before I am not a fan of winter, but I do adore the look of these sweater outfits gleaned from old knitting pattern pamphlets!




See more in my Boodilly shop... here and here.

Now excuse me while I go blow my nose and brew another cup of hot tea. xo

More Gee's Bend Quilts

Still filled with emotion from finally getting to see the Gee's Bend Quilts. I am itching to do some sewing, but everyday life chores and obligations seem to be frustratingly demanding of my time lately, plus I am still nursing this cold that does not want to go away. Uhg!

I wish that I could show you the powerful feeling of seeing these quilts in person. Obviously, you can tell from the photos that they are indeed wonderful works of art. However when you see them up close, they are ...

Magnificent. Bold. Breathtaking. Humbling. Inspiring. Transcendent... In other words, knock me to my knees fabulous!


Created by Arlonzia Pettway


Created by Loretta Pettway


Created by Lillie Mae Pettway

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To learn more about the quilts of Gee's Bend and the woman who created them please visit here.

Favorite Bloggers and Beautiful Things

A few weeks ago I received this from Lynn & Linda, two new blogging friends. I have been remiss in passing this on. I read so many wonderful blogs and it is really hard to choose. You all deserve this award. I chose four blogging friends that I have not recognized before.

Here are the rules:- Five people are allowed to receive this award: four dedicated followers of your blog and one who is new to your blog and lives in another part of the world.- Please link back to the person who gave you this award.

Jude of Cariad in Crete
Bindu of Transient Lives
Embellisher of Million Little Stitches
Jackie of Jackie's Stitches

And a new blog I have recently found: Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods in beautiful Norway.


I had a few minutes to shop at the craft fair this weekend. I purchased a few Christmas gifts for my family and bought this for myself. I have always loved glass paperweights and I couldn't resist this lampwork necklace made by Jamie of Uh-Oh Art Studio. All of my favorite colors! See more of her work at her Etsy store.
Monday night we had our guild party at Patsy's retreat. We had a gift exchange of something handmade. By chance Patsy and I each exchanged gifts with each other. This is the second year in a row that Patsy received my gift. This year Patsy received two of the Christmas ornaments I designed, last year it was one of my snowflakes. Here is what I received from Patsy:

It's perfect for me. I love hand embroidered linens and this hand towel in soooo lovely! I adore the little quilt basket ornaments. I will enjoy unpacking them each year and remembering her friendship. I also love the tissue paper she packed this gift in. Don't be surprised when you see me using pattern tissue paper if you order from my Etsy shop. I just purchased a ton of patterns left over from Jeanne's fabric sale to use for packing material. Patsy, you are a genius! Follow this link to see the party decorations. It was like walking in to a fairly tale, dazzling and so picturesque!

I'm bouting this year.... you should come see me.

Because I finally get to skate in front of people this season (hooray for me!) you should go to the bouts this year. I'm a Nutcracker, as you can see by my awesome featured rollergirl page.

Make sure you go to the Nuts bouts! In fact, you should BUY SOME TICKETS for holiday gifts to make sure that TONS of people holding "Nuts Out" and "I <3 Dreadnought" signs are in attendance. Do this or I won't love you anymore.

I'm not kidding. Not even slightly.

Where Have I been?

I haven't gone anywhere, I've been right here in my house trying to do the Thanksgiving thing! Not that I had a big crowd for Thanksgiving or anything. The boys came home from BYU and that added to the 6 that already live here made a pretty good amount of chaos. Oh, I remember now! DH stayed home from work for the whole week! Along with the fact that the 3 year old only had one day of preschool and we canceled the after school play date, and my week was shot! Funny how DH stays home and all my plans to get stuff done seem to go down the drain.

We did however get things all set up for my MIL to come and stay with us while she recovers from her broken hip. She's been in a rehab facility and a skill center, but the insurance won't pay for any more time and it's time for the family to take over. So next week DH and I will be driving to Albuquerque to pick her up and bring her to Utah. DH is an only child and his father passed away 15 years ago and so it's just he and his mom. But she doesn't want to come up here to live so we can keep any eye on her because all her friends are down there, unfortunately friends can't take care of you when you need 24 hour care. That's family is for.

I finally finished Jan's quilt that's been on the machine WAY TOO LONG. But I think it's good to go and I'll be shipping it off tomorrow! Yippee!!

I'll try and post some Thanksgiving pictures and anything else I can find tomorrow!

Derby derby and more derby

Since the season started up last month I literally can't stop thinking about roller derby. I'm obsessed. When I'm alone I visualize especially good blocks I threw at the last practice, or I imagine walking into the street and knocking over cars. I fantasize about getting new skates, or think about new ways to explain skills to my new skater sisters. It's become all I think about this season and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

If I could go to practice every day I would. Lately all I want to do is skate around and hit people.


-- Post From My iPhone

Gee's Bend and James Castle

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, (and to those of you spread elsewhere in the world, I hope you all had a lovely weekend!) We were busy like most of you enjoying family, good food and going here and there. I managed to catch a nasty cold and spent all of Saturday sprawled on the couch, (kind of like the last illustration in my previous post, but wrapped in blankets and clutching a box of tissue.)

But by Sunday I was feeling a bit better and hubby and I took off by ourselves for a much needed date.


We headed off in the pouring rain to the Philadelphia Museum of Art eager to see the quilts of Gee's Bend. I have wanted to see these quilts since they first came into public awareness. Seeing them up close and in person was almost like a religious experience, and I actually had to choke back the tears at times as I was so overcome by their power.



After spending a good deal of time soaking in the quilts, and feeling as inspired as I will ever be, we headed to the next exhibit where we were introduced to the works of James Castle. I am shocked that I had not heard of him before, but I had not... I really need to get out more.


Once again, my mind was blown by the amazing work laid out before me.


Apparently James was born deaf and mute, and I would wager autistic. He went to school for the deaf, but either rejected or was unable to learn traditional forms of communication.


However, James became proficient in his own forms of visual communication, executing many drawings and showing a masterful understanding of one point prospective. The drawings are mostly done with a mixture of soot and spit, applied with a hand carved stick to any recycled paper or cardboard he had on hand.


James also created intricate cardboard replicas of objects, birds, people and totem shapes, bound together with string.




And his books! So many books! Oh my, they were fabulous and fascinating, made of all sorts of recycled materials and filled with his sketches, doodles, and symbols, often repeated over and over again, to form a most beautiful language. What a truly remarkable human being.





I have often heard other artists discuss how seeing a certain show changed the direction of their own work, but have never myself experienced anything so profound despite having seen many, many wonderful shows throughout my life. But these two particular shows were different. Both left me changed, and I know, (the way you just know some things) that viewing the quilted works done by the fine woman of Gee's Bend, and the work done by the utterly fascinating James Castle, will absolutely have an effect on my work.

I thank them all for the gifts that they have given us through their undying artistic exploration, ingenuity and creative spirit.