July is ALMOST over!

I am trying to decide if it is my age or if there are just more deaths and funerals and hurting people.  In the month of July I have attended services for: a forty six year old co-worker who lost her battle with cancer,  the 93 year old mother of friends,  an 18 year old young man where I was asked by the parents for a tribute and reading,  the 81 year old husband of a close friend who had suffered a serious stroke four days before his death, and the 89 year old mother of a very close friend.   Also, a co-worker's father and brother were killed in a farm accident, which struck very close to home.

At Tyler's service, the 18 year old. Our pastor talked about numbering our days to grow in wisdom and knowledge.  We do not know what tomorrow will bring.  Use each day to show those around us we care and love them.  Make each day count.

This is the reading Jill and Burt asked me to read as a tribute to Tyler, I spoke telling them it was a tribute to them as Tyler's parents.  I expressed that Herb and I would walk this road with them as we have with many other parents.

A Child on Loan


by – Edgar Guest
“I’ll lend to you for a little time,


A child of mine,” God said,


“For you to love while he lives


And mourn for when he’s gone.”

“It may be one or seven years


Or twenty-one or three,


But will you till I call him back,


Take care of him for me?”

“He’ll bring his charms to gladden you


And should his stay be brief,


You’ll have these precious memories


To comfort you through grief.”

“I cannot promise he will stay


Since all from earth return.


But there are lessons taught down there


I want this child to learn.”

“I’ve looked this world over,


In my search for teachers true.


In the crowds of this great land,


I have selected you.”

“Now will you give him all your love


Not think the labor vain,


Nor hate me when I come to call


To take him back again?”

I fancied what I heard them say,

“Dear Lord, Thy will be done.


For all the joy Thy child shall bring,


the risk of grief we’ll run.

We’ll shelter him with tenderness,


we’ll love him while we may

,
And for the happiness we’ve known

,
forever grateful stay.

But should the Lord call for him

,
sooner than we’ve planned,


We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes


and try to understand.”

In the midst of all this I desperately needed therapy time.

 I finished three UFO baby quilts which needed to be given as gifts. 

My favorite pattern for a little girl ( Liesl). Her mom was a neighbor her entire life.  At 36 she found and married the love of her life.  A year later they have been blessed with a beautiful little girl. 

A gift for a new baby boy (Solomon Gerald )who lives 1/2 mile up the hill.  His dad grew up in our neighborhood and has been a friend of our sons.  Our families are more than neighbors, we are unrelated family. 

This is the quilt I made earlier and didn't realize I turned a square.  I hadn't added the binding.  I looked at it again and realized the baby (Jaeger James) would love it even it if wasn't perfect. 

  I started piecing together a Christmas Tree Skirt for a co-worker.  Her family celebrates Christmas when they all come home at Thanksgiving for deer hunting.   I will finish it in time for her October birthday.  

Last weekend we celebrated Tatum's 6th birthday.  Since Jessa didn't have a formal party she didn't have the mermaid cake she wanted in February.  So we celebrated her "almost 4 1/2" birthday also.

Tatum designed her princess cake and had her hands on top of mine while I did the decorating.  She designed the first four mini cakes. Then she decided she could do it also.  She decorated four mini princess cakes herself.

DS-1 and DIL-1 and family went camping for four days at a KOA located in Hayward, WI. It is a true tourist haven that is 40  miles away.  One highlight is the go-carts.  They invited us up on Thursday night to the go-carts and cook out. 

 We enjoyed sitting around the campfire with them and cooking iron pizzas and pies over the fire. 

Monday I leave for a three day conference in Wausau, WI.  When you have been in education for many years you are able to experience the swinging of the pendulum from one extreme to the other.  The current swing is to have all special education students involved in the general education classes completely.  I do understand the concept, however I am very skeptical for the students with extreme learning disabilities.  I have worked with students as third graders who come as non-readers.  When I used direct intensive instruction with them they leave my program as seventh graders reading at a fourth or fifth grade level.   

I will admit, I am going with an open mind.  

I very rarely, if ever, become angry.  But, I do become frustrated.  I found this the other day. 

Until later, 

June in Pictures!

WOW!     Summer is going fast...

School was out for students on June 5.  I have had four days of meetings since..


I spent a day at the Minnesota Quilt Show!  WOW! It was held at the DECC (Duluth Entertainment Conference Center.)

  I learned:
1. It takes more than one day to see everything.
2. Wear comfortable shoes.
3. Quilters are the nicest people you will ever meet. (Which I knew already!  )
4. We talked with the actual designers of the patterns and fabric. WOW!


  I have three of our grandkids on Monday (Kasey, Cole & Colby)  on Mondays and the other four on Fridays.  It saves  each  family one day of paying daycare a week.  Papa had a good helper when working on replacing a bearing on the hay rake.

 

Our 41st anniversary was on June 15th.  DH stopped the tractor along the edge of a field to bring home a bouquet of wildflowers.  

Father's Day everyone was here for Sunday lunch after church.     Then everyone headed for a ride on the trails in our woods.  DH with Jessa and Tatum buckled into the Polaris Ranger.  Conner, Kasey and Cole on youth ATV's complete with helmets.  Kylie on an ATV with her dad.  Marie, Katie, Colby and myself in the JD Gator.



It was a beautiful day.

After the ride in the woods the kids all climbed on the ATVs for a picture.  Even when sitting on an ATV Jessa is a princess wearing her tiara.

Two weeks ago DS #1 found a kitten in the haymow.  It was extremely weak (couldn't stand or hold it head up) and cold.  When DH came home he warmed it by holding it close to him.  He had to feed it with a medicine dropper a few drops at a dime.  The first couple of days it ate every two hours a few drops at a time. After a few days it was strong enough the the kids to take turns holding it.  It now drinks from a bowl and eats kitty food. Soon we will have to find a home for him.  DIL-2 is highly allergic to cats!

Finally!  I was able to quilt! In April I showed Cole the quilt I was making for him. He was excited even if it was only sandwiched.  On Monday he asked when I was going to work on his blanket.
When I five year old asks....

 I worked Monday night and Tuesday afternoon.  It was delivered to him before he went to bed on Tuesday night.

It passed the snuggle test!

I think he likes it.

Now on to finish two baby quilts and three Christmas tree skirts.

Happy A GREAT Fourth of July!!