Hello Friends!

Hello  Blogging Friends,

It has been a long time since I have updated my blog.  I am still here.  It has been a challenging beginning to the school year.  However, this is Saturday and I don't have to think school!

This afternoon is a beautiful fall day in NW Wisconsin. This morning when I looked out my kitchen window I saw the swans had returned.

Colby, who will be three in another month, has had to spend the past two weeks with his Dad or with Papa.  He has loved everyone moment of it.  Many hours in the combine, tractors, or in the truck running for parts with Papa.

If you look closely you will see Colby next to Todd in the combine.

Yesterday when he was with Papa, Daddy and Uncle Pete there was a deer close on the edge of the woods.  Colby walked within 20 feet of the deer before it ran off.  If you look carefully you will see the deer on the edge of the woods.

The only sewing I have accomplished was to finish the Christmas tree skirt for a teacher at school.  We have a long history together.  I had her daughter in kindergarten in 1980.  We began teaching full time together in 1997.   We have a special bond in experiencing the death of a child.  Her grandson died of a brain aneurysm at the age of 10.

On this beautiful fall afternoon, I attempted to put together a fall arrangement in our yard.  I went out to the barn for the straw bales, to the cornfield for the corn stalks, and a stop at the local green house for mums on closeout.  Our neighbors raise pumpkins .  They stopped to drop off the fantastic pumpkins to finish the look.

Thirty four years ago our oldest son, at the precious age of four, was killed in a farm accident on our farm. As I have shared before, it is something you never got over, however you do learn to live with the grief.  It is hidden away in a special spot in your heart.  On the anniversary of the accident, the grief tightly hidden begins to surface again.  I am so very thankful and blessed to have friends who pray me through the day.   When the day is over, the grief returns to the secret spot in my heart that only I know is there.

However, my birthday was the day following the funeral service.  My DH has never been able to celebrate my birthday since that time.  I am so very thankful I have friends who have been faithful and make me feel loved and special on my day.  Also, since I have Daughters-in-love who now make sure there is something special for me.  I am so very blessed.

Kylie loved her baby carrier.  Now I have requests for three more!

The best place to be when you are tired is on your papa's lap.

God Bless you my friends,

A Birthday Project...

Kylie's second birthday is coming up in a few days.  She loves baby dolls.  I saw a baby doll carrier online and decided it shouldn't be too difficult to make. 

I searched through pinterest looking at different styles and possibilities.  I found a e-pattern to purchase with three sizes and all the directions.   MOST of the instructions were ok.  Other things, I am glad I know how to sew and how to quilt.  It was challenging in some things.

 It called for fuseable interfacing on the sides and bottom of the outer fabric and lining fabric.  High loft batting 1/2 inch.   Sewing the sides to the one bottom piece at the corners was interesting.

 The directions called for 1/2 inch double sided bias tape to go around the top.  The top was WAY to thick to sew with bias tape.   I decided to go around the top with the same type of binding I use on my quilts.




It worked and I appreciated my walking foot!  I used the same fabric as the lining.

There are many things I will do differently when I make another one. 

 The pattern called for a simple blanket... I knew it needed a matching quilt.

I will find out next week how she like it.  Kasey saw it today.  She walked over to me to whisper, "Grandma will you make one for me for my birthday?"

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!!

The most important reason I teach.

On Thursday, one of my  third students needed to present a biography of a famous person.  Her gen. ed teacher came to tell me the student hadn't read a biography.  I did a quick search on Betsy Ross.  I found enough information at  Destiny's reading level for her to learn facts about her character.  From  her reading she had to come up with 12 questions for the class to ask her about her famous person.

We were able to find a dress in a fourth grade classroom which students wear when they have their " Little House In the Big Woods" unit.   Wednesday night I sewed a flag for her to use as her prop and found a basket to call her sewing basket.



  The answers to the questions she couldn't remember we wrote on sticky notes and put them in the bottom of the basket.

 These are some of the facts Destiny found:
*Betsy Ross was the 8th of 17 brothers and sisters.
 *She lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
*George Washington asked her to sew a flag in June, 1776.
*Gen. Washington asked her to make a square flag.
*Betsy made the flag a rectangle because she thought it would fly better.
*The thirteen stripes and thirteen stars represent the thirteen original colonies.
*Her flag first flew with the reading of the Declaration of Independence at Independence Hall on July 8, 1776.

She was pleased and did a great job!

Thank you.

                    Land of the Free, Because of the Brave 

 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.  John 15:13

Yesterday morning on our way to church there were two pair of Canadian Geese swimming on the pond across the road.  Usually there are 4-6 goslings.  Each pair only had one goslings.  

One afternoon after school Kasey and Cole came home with me.  DS#1 and DH were in the field.  DS asked if I would feed the calves in the barn across the road.  The grandkids love helping Papa or Dad feed the calves.  They were sure that grandma didn't know what to do.  They insisted on showing me how to shovel feed into the buckets, dump feed in front of calves, open hay bales, and how to feed the hay to the calves. 



 




Nine days of school with students.   They will be very busy days with piles of paperwork to finish.
It is unreal how things have changed during my teaching career.  The number of hours spent on paperwork takes away from the time that we could be spending prepping for special things to do with the students.  


I am making my mental list of all the things I hope to accomplish this summer.  Many things on my UFO piles to finish.  Hopefully, before long I will be able to post pictures of finished quilt projects!!

Working With Daddy and Papa

Warning.....Grandma posting a picture!!!

Cole (5)  and Colby (2) love farming with Daddy and Papa!  DS#2 and DH added "Buddy Seats" to a couple of the tractors.  They are a specially designed seat for a child complete with a seatbelt. I think we should try to remember to take a picture every year of the two of them standing in front of this tractor!

DH and DS#2 have finished planting corn and are onto planting soybeans.  This is the bean planter. The tractor is four wheel drive with duals on the front and the back. The yellow "bubble" on the top is for the computerized auto steer and GPS control of the tractor.  

These boys are just like their dad.  He would ride in the tractors with DH or myself for hours. Of course, even at 4 or 5 he was able to tell me if I had done something wrong!

One of my para-educators in my classroom  was recently shocked to learn I used to drive the tractors.  I explained that it was just DH and myself.  I spent many hours in the spring, summer and fall driving the tractor before I returned to teaching full time.  One summer when I was pregnant the only place we had AC was in the tractor.  I spent hours raking and baling hay just to be in the AC.  I teased DH that he would have to lift me into the tractor with the loader when I wasn't able to climb into the cab.

My grandfather and father -in -law would not believe the technology used for farming.  Much different from farming with horses when they farmed or a two cylinder John Deere B.

This is my father-in-law in 1949. Times have changed in some ways.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day Friends. 

I hope you have had a special day!

Every year DH brings home three  beautiful red roses for me for Mother's Day.  Each rose represents one of our sons.

 I am so thankful for having had the opportunity to be a mom three times.  This Mother's Day has been a difficult day.   Today I am missing my oldest son who has been a four year old in heaven for thirty three years.  You never know when a difficult day may happen.

 I was able to give a hug to DS2 before he and DH left for field work at 6:30 this morning. DS 3 stopped after church with Granddaughter #3 so I had my hug from him also.

Take the time to give your children an extra hug or phone call today.

Thank you.

Right now I am baking DH his favorite Oatmeal Raisin cookies because I know it is a difficult day for him also.  They should be ready when he returns from the field.  I will even leave some cookie dough in the mixer bowl for him.