More winter!

                                  

                                Last weekend we had another snow storm!  It moved in on Thursday night with snow and wind.  Everything in Northwest Wisconsin was closed with the area sheriff department urging people to stay off the highway.

 We used the tractor and loader to clear out our driveway.  DH also started up the John Deere Bulldozer to push the snow back.  He needed to use the dozer to clear a path to feed the cattle.

Several machine sheds, garages, and decks have collapsed under the weight of the snow.  DH and DS-1 spent Sunday afternoon trying to shovel snow off our biggest machine shed.

Farm Taxes are completed!  That means--out comes my sewing machine!!  I need therapy time.

Last Sunday afternoon we celebrated Jessa's third birthday.  All she wanted to eat was the "Blue Cake Grandma made."

 

It seems unreal to think Kylie is six months old already.

God Bless,

Linda

Wisconsin Recess

Finally an outside recess.  The weather in northern Wisconsin during January was too cold to allow the students outside most days.   If the temperature is below zero they stay inside.   Today the temperature is 10 degrees with no windchill.  They were loving it!

 We were closed due to extreme cold temperature and windchill four days in January.   In addition to the cold weather there is an extreme shortage of LP (Propane) to heat homes.  Before Christmas we paid $1.17 per gal to fill our tank.  Currently the price is over $7.00 if you are able to find it.  The dealers are expecting cash on delivery and will only drive to a tank if the tank is down to 10%.  Many families have their heat turned down to 60-65 degrees.  

This morning I saw a house fire in an older home that was using a space heater to heat the home. 

We are all ready for spring. 

Cold Weather Quilting & Treasures Part II

As is with most of the country, IT IS COLD.  Most of the churches were closed on Sunday.  Schools were closed today and will be on Tuesday also.    I have taken advantage of the time!

 The flannel quilt is for a little guy who was born in September.  With everything that happened during September, October, and November, I didn't sew his quilt.   The back is a gold minky. I was pleased how well it went together.   I will take it to a baby shower on Saturday at his grandma's house.

The shower Saturday is for our neighbor.   The dad-to-be is like one of our own kids.  It is exciting.  I finished a quilt top I had made last summer.  I didn't think I dared go to the shower with a quilt for the baby not here yet and not take a quilt for the baby already here! The fabrics are Darlene Zimmerman retro fabrics.

One Man's Trash....turned into treasures for me.  When working a cleaning out my MIL's house in November my BIL would sort through things to be put out for pick up by a local charity.  He happened to mention he put out several tins of buttons.  I said I would take them.  I went over to the house that evening.  In the stack of things to go to charity I found what I consider treasures.

One of the items was this old wicker sewing basket.   When I opened it I found several projects that were started.  Also were crochet hooks and embroidery hoops.

There were several boxes of crocheting threads.  When looking through one boxI found an envelope containing several crochet hooks and two tatting shuttles.  I took them back to the house to share with my SIL.These are a few of the hooks and the shuttle.

Tomorrow I will have one of the grandkids so he doesn't have to ride 45 minutes to day care in the cold.  I plan to spend time quilting on a overdue graduation gift.  It is the largest quilt I have used free motion with my DSM.  I will be very glad when it is finished! Amy,  do you recognize the blocks?

               Stay Warm---forecast for morning is -45 deg. wind chill. 

    God Bless, 

   Linda

Happy New Year My Blogging Friends!

 

We have big plans for New Year's Eve.  DH is already almost asleep on the couch watching college football bowl games.  I am getting ready to pull out my sewing machine to work on one of the three baby quilts and one twin size that I need to finish in January.  

It has been a busy week.  Our sons and families were here for breakfast on Christmas morning.  To make it easy we had Belgian Waffles with maple syrup from friends and strawberries from the strawberry patch of another friend. 

                      We even managed to get a picture of all seven grandkids at one time!
                                                       It was quite an adventure.

 

 May God Richly Bless you in the New Year,

Linda

Treasures Found-Part One..

I spent many  hours during the month of November on Saturdays and  week nights after school working with DH's  brother, his SIL  and DH's sister going through my MIL's house.  She was a "saver', there are years of cards, newspaper clippings, and things to sort through.

On the bottom of one cupboard were quilts she had tied made of old wool and flannel scraps.  The other families each took 2 or 3 of these quilts.  At the bottom of the cupboard was another quilt. It is completely hand stitched and hand quilted.  There is no batting in it.

                              

Also found in a drawer were 20 Dresden Plates.  They are sewn by machine, pressed and ready to be used.  They are sewn with  old flour sack or chicken feed sack fabric.  They are machine stitched with the edges sewn by hand.  The other eight are like these.

These four pieces were with the Dresden plates.  They are of the same fabric. 

We found a box in a closet with another set quilt blocks.  These are completely hand stitched.

Does anyone have any advice or guidelines for using new fabric with these very old blocks?  We don't know who sewed any of these blocks or the red and white quilt.  It isn't the type of hand work my MIL usually did.

Next time I will post more of the treasures we found. 

God Bless,

Linda

From My Family to Yours!

It has been an extremely busy, stressful and hectic month. 

 Today we stopped to get together and celebrate Thanksgiving.

Both of our sons, daughters-in-love, and our precious grandkids,

 and my mom came for dinner today. Along with our

nephew from New Jersey, who is as close as a brother and son to 

our family.

Our little house is quite packed when everyone is together.  We squeeze eight adults and a high chair at the table. (Really squeeze when the guys are 6'7", 6'6", and 6'4"-then DH is still almost 6'3"

                                           Five of the grandkids sat at the "kids" table. 

                          Grandson #3 still had to sit next to mom and dad at the big people table.

Granddaughter #4 slept through dinner.  As soon as she was awake she found her spot on Great Grandma's lap.   Of all the food, the biggest hit is always Great Grandma's homemade rolls.
 

God Bless,

Linda

Therapy Results

Finished just in time for a Baby Shower this afternoon for one of our assistant pastors wife's shower.
They are expecting their first in December.  It is a "clothesline" shower.  All the gifts are being brought unwrapped or in gift bags.  Jess will be opening them as the guests arrive with everything hung on a clothesline or set out for others to see.  Since they are new to our church she doesn't know many people.  This way she will associate a name and the gift.

God Bless,

Linda

In Need of Therapy

           

I am in desperate need of some therapy time.  I need to relax my mind for a while.  DH had two days of normal sinus rhythm.  Today he is back in Afib.  I will be making a call to the Cardiologist at the Heart hospital in the morning.

I will update after some quilting time.

God Bless,

Linda

Home Again......

 The Sheraton Minneapolis Midtown  was my home away from home Monday thru Thursday morning this week.  

 DH was a patient at  the Abbott Northwestern Heart Hospital again.  . Once again he was in AFib and AFlutter.   We have been there so often the nurses even remember us!   His Cardiac Electrophysiologist told us the next step will be a second ablation.

My days were spent in his room until about 7:30 or so.  Then I would return to my room.  The hotel is connected to the hospital by a secure 1/2 mile skyway.

So...when I had a few hours to myself at night I watched TV and fussy cut small pieces for two upcoming baby quilts.  I am so glad I bought a small cutting mat.  It fits great in the suitcase.  Now to find the time to put them together.  One needs to be complete for a shower on November 10.

Our own bed is going to feel so good in a few minutes...Back to school in the morning.

Sometimes You Just Smile!

One of the wonderful things about having special daughters-in-love is their doing special things for me.   After years of not celebrating my birthday they now make sure it is a special day.   Travis' funeral had been held the day before my birthday.  The anniversary every year was too difficult for my DH to do anything special for me.  It bothered me most because my sons weren't taught how a husband honors his wife on her birthday.  That has all changed now that I have DILs. 

We tried to take a picture.  The kids were either not feeling well or just too tired.  I subtitled the picture, "How many grand kids  can cry at one time in one picture!"


                    Currently the grandkids are 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 10 months and 6 weeks! I am so very blessed!

                                Kylie's star arrived yesterday from Scrap Happy Creations.

                         

Kasey called last Saturday afternoon all exited.  She said, "Grandma the swans are back on the pond.  I just saw one taking a bath with its tail feathers up in the air."   So the next afternoon she and I went on the 4-wheeler to take a picture.

Sometime I hope to return to my quilting!   I learned this week that my forever friend and adopted sister's  son and DIL are expecting their first baby.  They have had difficulty becoming pregnant.  Everyone is thrilled for them.  I have been saving John Deere baby fabric hoping this day would come.

(Oh!  I am holding with my weight.  The best part is that I have not gained any of the twenty pounds back. Hopefully I will be able to return to class soon!)

If you have extra time in your prayer time...DH's heart is not beating correctly again.  We meet with the specialist on Wednesday to see what the next procedure will be. Thank you!

God Bless! 
Linda

Potpourri

Memories

 

October 3, 1981

The day our lives changed forever.  Our precious four year old, Travis, was killed in an accident on our farm.  We remember this day hour by hour.  We had the first frost of the  fall the night before.  We went out to pick his pumpkins that morning.  He spent the day loading, unloading and hauling them .   One of the tragedies remains that we no longer have a relationship with our nephew who was driving the tractor that ran over him. We all live with the "what ifs."  Especially that DH trusted someone else with our son who was doing something we didn't allow.

We are so very thankful for the four years the Lord shared Travis with us. 

A Child Of Mine

I will lend you, for a little time,
A child of mine, He said.
For you to love the while he lives,
And mourn for when he's dead.
It may be six or seven years,
Or twenty-two 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 his lovely memories,
As solace for your 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 the wide world over,
In search for teachers true.
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes,
I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love,
Nor think the labour vain.
Nor hate me when I come
To take him home again?
I fancied that I heard them say,
'Dear Lord, Thy will be done!'
For all the joys 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 angels call for him,
Much sooner than we've planned.
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes,
And try to understand.

by Edgar Alan Gast