Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Katniss Says ...


"Where are you?
Why are you not in here sewing?
and
Let Meowwwout!"


Poor Katniss.
I am sorry.

In the photo I am outside trying to help my hubby sets things aright in the yard after a freak gust of wind blew over ...


... our heavy duty metal frame yard swing.
The above photo is a "before" one that was blogged HERE
The frame at the top is broke and bent and 
the canvas cover needs repair.

It also blew over the chairs and rearranged 
some other things in our yard.
Only the swing was damaged.

This happened on a sunny breezy afternoon while 
the family was all inside gathered around the computer skyping 
with my daughter's family cross country.

Our neighbors' yards were not touched.
It was like the twilight zone came down in our yard.
Mysterious.

We are still waiting for a part to fix the top frame 
but otherwise the yard is back to usual.

Not sew on the sewing and computing and blogging front.

My sewing computer is down and has been for weeks.

I have been trying not to whine and complain about it here
and to find a way around it.
But it is not easy.

No design function. 
No patterns.
Limited photo ability.
No ability to print.
Not easy to blog.

This is like a big black hole in my life that
is sucking all my energy into it.

Sewing is my happy place and I cannot quite get there at the moment.

My tech crew is trying to fix this
and is baffled and frustrated.

It is not a virus.
It is an operating system issue on my faithful old
dino of a computer.

Think I will put Katniss on her leash and  take go out in the sunshine.

Hope to be back to sewing and blogging soon.

Take care.

Monday, May 9, 2016

My Mother's Lilacs


 My Mother's lilacs bloomed for Mother's Day!

Those of you who have been following me for a long time know
that this always makes me happy.

My mother was an avid gardener, 
a country girl from New Hampshire
who was transplanted to the city.

She had a very green thumb and her  roses, flower gardens, flowering bushes and vegetable garden were the most bountiful and beautiful in her tiny yard in the neighborhood of tiny yards.

She had lilacs of many colors from deep purple to white, but these
pink purple ones were her favorite.

My mother's lilacs grew and she gave their offshoots away to all the neighbors who wanted them and most of these gifts are still blooming although all the new residents who enjoy their fragrant blooms each spring never met my mother and have no idea from whence they came.
The higher blooms you see in the background of this photo are over the fence in our young neighbors' yard.

However, as my mother's health declined in her later years and she could no longer garden, her roses and lilacs withered and became overgrown, decimated by harsh winters and over shadowed by large trees. When I was a young mother and living in another state we could only do basic yard work when we were able to visit.  
My mother's green thumb was not handed down to me
 although I do enjoy puttering around the yard.

To make the long short, a few years ago my mother's legacy in our yard was reduced to one small, non-blooming bush that was near extinction.  My hubby and I dug it out and moved it to a sunnier spot and I watered and did my best to nurture.

The first year it bloomed again was a joyous celebration.

Every year it has a few more blooms.

It blooms each year for Mother's Day
and I see my Mother's smile.

:-)

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Meet the Road Home Row Along Designers

stbs-Road Home tall banner


has introduced all the designers for

The "Road Home" Row Along

Here they are ...

Sew Incredibly Crazy
Colorado
Feather Your Nest
Gresham, Oregan
Tweety Loves Quilting
Edinburgh, UK
Allie-Oops Sweet Happy Life 
Harrisville, MI Sunrise Coast
BDieges
Road to Tehachapi (CA)
Beaquilter
Denmark
Words & Stitches
Beaches of California
Stitches Of Love
Tallahassee, Florida
Creatin’ in the Sticks
Dodge City, Kansas
Quilted Fabric Art
Burlington Vermont
Just Let Me Quilt
Las Vegas, Nevada
Cheryl L
York, Maine
Cynthia’s Ark
Adelaide South Australia
Patchouli Moon Studio
Central New Mexico
Quiltscapes
Heber City/ SLC
Quilting Queen Online
Texas
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Worcester County in Central Massachusetts
Designs By Fee
Tasmania, Australia
Heleen Pinkster
Netherlands
Quilt Art
Africa
MooseStash Quilting
Alaska
Cali Quilter
San Francisco, CA
Meadowbrook
Minnesota
Westend Quilter
Manitoulin Island, Canada
Linda Robertus
Netherlands
Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse
New Hampshire
Seams To Be Sew
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Kissed Quilts
Grand Coulee, Washington
Seacoast Quilter
New Milford, Connecticut
Cloth and Paper Studio
North Georgia Mountains
Batts In The Attic
Los Angeles/Hollywood
I Can Quilt 2
Baltimore, MD
Patchwork Breeze
West Michigan Shoreline
Pamela Quilts
Oregon
Life in the Scrapatch
Massachuesetts
Patti’s Patchwork
Toronto, Ontario Canada
Weekend Quilter
North Carolina
3 Patch Crafts
Bulgaria
Stitching Impressions
Corner Brook, Nfld, Canada
Pine Valley
New Zealand
Rebecca Mae Designs
Northern Maine
Any Pattern
Port Angeles, Washington
Renee C
Alberta, Canada
Sarah Q
Outer Space
Sue G
Northern Rivers Region, NSW, Australia
Quilt Fabrication
Silicon Valley, CA
Needles In A Haystack
Mojave Desert
Quilt in Piece
Amanzimtoti, South Africa
All Things Sewn
Tester For Rows


I have seen some of the rows in the making and they are fabulous!

You will not want to miss a stop along the road home.

:)