Monday, Monday

Brief interruption to Christmas Magic sewing.... a picture (or two) is worth a thousand words....

First.....

And Then....

I have never cut myself with the rotary cutter before.... funny how it doesn't even hurt; it's that sharp! Big old bandage on it to keep it clean at work.... and no sewing tonite. Not because it hurts, just too awkward and I don't want to bleed on anything.

Hope to be back at it tomorrow!!

Looking on the bright side, my finger finally did  stop bleeding AND I didn't need stitches OR have to drive myself to the emergency room. :-)

Till tomorrow!

(PS that is NOT my finger in the picture, who can hold a camera with a big, bandaged finger bleeding all over the place??)

Christmas Magic update

So I went through some of my stash and I found a couple of Christmas themed panels that I thought would be easy enough to make for this Christmas.... how many days do I have?? (yikes)

So far so good.... just have to hope my sewing machine doesn't act up!!

Ready for quilting.....

And on to the next project.... think I will save all the quilting for the end.... probably not a good idea!

Ambitions

Looking through my to-do pile for my next project to work on..... can I get it done for Christmas?

Stay tuned.....

The Day After

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I had a great day at my daughter & boyfriend's new home. His folks were in from out of town, and my son picked me up so I didn't even have to drive.

All in all a great day with plenty to be thankful for. Lots of good food, a warm wood stove, and family. Who could ask for anything more?

Fabric Friday 11-27

Today I would like to share some fabric that I won from Pat Sloan. It is from her Georgia line and won't be available in stores until January.... so I get to drool over it before everyone else! It is so beautiful, I especially love the teal.

And as you can see, when quilts or fabric are laid out for viewing, kitties have to come over and give their opinions! I think she likes it, don't you?

 

Strut Your Stuff Thursday 11/26

I have been doing cross stitch for over 30 years. I haven't been doing it as much since I started trying my hand at quilting. This is one of my favorite pieces because I was able to learn SO many new stitches. It was quite a challenge for me.

I don't have the designer's name handy, but I could dig it out if anyone was interested.

Can't wait to see everyone else's projects this week!

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 1

I don't consider myself to be a religious person. I don't belong to a church, I only know 2 prayers, and I have only a very basic knowledge of the events in the bible.

Having said that, I am grateful for the Lord who I know makes all the other wonderful things in my life possible. I believe we all have guardian angels that are with us each day to give us support. I also believe that if you are going through a rough spot in your life and you ask the Lord and your angels for support and guidance that you will receive it. You just have to keep your eyes (and your mind) open to it.

I was giving a key chain with this verse from the bible, Matthew 7:7

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Your prayers will be answered, but not always in the way that you hope. The answer may be "no" or "not yet" because there are other plans for you.  Everything happens for a reason, AND everything happens WHEN it does for a reason.....

May the Lord bless you and your loved ones this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 2

I found an idea for making a gratitude journal on the You can make this blog. Easy, inexpensive way to have a personalized journal!

Today I am thankful that I had the opportunity to go back to college. I have 2 more classes this month and then I will have my Bachelor of Science in Human Services. I still can't believe that I was able to complete this feat since I have been out of school 30 years!!! (I was slightly out of practice!! )

I was very lucky to find a great school and program that was designed for adult learners. The professors and students that I have met there in the past two years have enriched my life beyond the education that I received.

I say this: if you think you are "too old" to go back to college, Forget it!! You are only as old as you think you are.
If you are "too scared" to go  back to college; "Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something" Fredrick Smith.

And one last thought from Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are usually right."

If you are dreaming about going back to school...... just do it! I did and I am SO glad I did....

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 3

Today I would like to express my gratitude for my car. It may seem like a silly thing to be thankful for, BUT this is my car:

My car is a 1995 Toyota Previa in this color, but with a roof rack. (I got this picture off of Edmunds.com because it gets dark here at 4:00 so I couldn't get a pic of mine.)

My car is almost 15 years old and still runs great (KNOCK WOOD,CROSS FINGERS, THROW SALT OVER THE SHOULDER and all the other tricks one does to ward off bad luck) It has only 140,000 miles on it and I expect to get many more. Of course, the last 5 years or so I haven't put many miles on it, just puttering around town or driving up north to see my daughter.

This is actually the second Toyota van I have owned. The first van was a 1985, one of the first mini vans to come out. I had that car for 10 years before I sold it and bought the Previa. Because it was one of the first mini vans, whenever I would see another one on the road we would honk at each other and wave. Funny!

I am SO grateful that my Previa starts right up every morning and gets me where I need to go. Everyone I know makes fun of me and my "mom van" especially since I am usually the only one in the 7 passenger seats. BUT whenever anything big or bulky needs to be moved, I  am the first one they call...... me and my mom van. Stop by in another 5 years, I plan to still be driving it!! Did you give your car a hug today and say "thank-you"?

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 4

Today I would like to show my gratitude for my co-workers. I work in the public schools as a teachers' assistant and I also work in a YMCA after school program. I have the best co-workers at both of my jobs.
In the after school program I work with all young people; I could be their mom! Yet they are all very good at their job. I can count on them to be on time everyday, ready to work and willing to take on any task. They are all amazing with the children. These kids are in elementary school and can be a handful, yet the staff is always patient and kind with them. If there are any problems, the staff is quick to notify me of them before the problem gets too big to handle.
We all have fun everyday with these children! I am so grateful that I have staff that I can rely on.

In my position in the public school I work with children with emotional disabilities (middle school). I am very lucky that the teachers I am working with this year are so understanding with these students and are willing to give them a second (and third....) chance when they  make a mistake. Not every teacher in the building is as understanding.....I am grateful for the kindness and patience they show my students....

Found this quote today.... something to think about as Thanksgiving approaches.

Brother David Steindl-Rast :
Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more.

Gratitude is contagious

Elaine at Faithful Quilter is showing her gratitude by hosting a Thanksgiving giveaway....  Sign up and maybe you can be a grateful winner!!

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 5

 Putting my gratitude into words, and more importantly writing it down makes me realize how truly lucky I am. I find that I have been in a better mood this past week, and work has been less stressful. Is this just a coincidence? Figured I would do a little research and check it out...

" People who describe themselves as feeling grateful to others and either to God or to creation in general tend to have higher vitality and more optimism, suffer less stress, and experience fewer episodes of clinical depression than the population as a whole. These results hold even when researchers factor out such things as age, health, and income, equalizing for the fact that the young, the well-to-do, or the hale and hearty might have "more to be grateful for."

So, I guess it is not my imagination..... expressing my gratitude has already had an impact on my emotional well being...

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am spending Thanksgiving at the new home that my daughter bought with her boyfriend this past spring. They are cooking dinner, but there are several side dishes that she would like me to bring. So off I went to the store today to buy the necessary ingredients...

I am grateful that today I was able to go to the store and buy what I needed without worrying about the balance in my checking account. I knew that I had enough money for my purchases and could shop with confidence. I am also grateful that I live in an area of the world where food is plentiful and relatively inexpensive. I have a choice of many different stores, and more food choices than I could ever imagine. My life is full of abundance and I am truly blessed.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 6

As you can tell from the title of my blog, my kids have all grown up and are living in their own apartments. So I am living in the "empty nest". I had a really hard time dealing with this as my "baby" went off to college and I was definitely in a funk. I am doing much better now as I focus on their success and independence rather than the loss of my babies.

To help fill the nest a bit I adopted a cat, Hunter. If you have ever had a cat, you know that they are great company and don't need to be walked in the middle of a driving rain storm or a winter blizzard. Everything was going on fine, and then my youngest daughter got a job working for the Humane Society in Laconia, NH.

My home then became refuge for cats that no one wanted for one reason or another. I fostered several, and adopted many..... A few that I took in were sick and I only got to live with them a short while before they passed away. Maya was the first of these ill cats; she had a severe heart defect and couldn't be adopted out. I took her in and about 6 months later I found her dead. I called my daughter crying and crying! I was just so upset. But she helped me realize that Maya had 6 months of living in a loving home, with plenty of food and a warm place to sleep. I helped make the end of her life a happy time for her. This made me feel a little better and helped me cope several years later when the same thing happened again with another ill cat.

Maya

Adopting a pet can be a heartbreaking experience. BUT it has brought me so much joy as well. Two little kitties I took in had severe digestive problems and were SO skinny. Took a long time to get them feeling better but today they are plump and happy and still living (and loving) with me! (Their pic is below)

Georgie & Ellie

Harry is the cat in the title of my blog. He is a handful and if he had been adopted probably would have been shuffled from one home to another as people got tired of his antics. When I first brought him home I couldn't leave a loaf of bread on the counter as he would rip it open and take bites out of all the slices. He still chews on any piece of plastic he can get his teeth into, but he is a love bug too, and I could never give him up.

So today I am thankful for my furry friends. I may have given them a home, but they have given me so much more in return. I see their smiling faces in the window when I come home from work, and they race each other to the door to greet me. I always have a furry bundle to snuggle with when I am sleeping, and when I am sick they all climb into bed to comfort me.

My empty nest may be full of cat hair, but my life is fuller because of the kitties that put it there.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 7

So how did everyone sleep last night?? If you are following along, people who show gratitude in their daily lives enjoy a better night's sleep..... So I hope you slept well!

I have another good reason to think positively and be grateful everyday:  
Your attitude affects your health and how long you will live. 

"In 1973 Dr. Grossarth-Maticek tested the attitude of thousands of elderly residents in Heidelberg, Germany. Amazing results surfaced twenty-one years later when he compared the test scores with their current health: the 300 people who had scored highest turned out to be thirty times more likely to be alive and well 21 years later than the others.

Long term and current research now tells us that the mind and immune system are connected and do not exist independently. A positive attitude about health can ward off mental distress and may help provide important protection against diseases." Read More

So have you shown gratitude today?

Friday' Gratitude Post:

I am grateful that I live in this wonderful country, America. Sure, it's not perfect, but show me some place that is. I am free to go where I want, when I want to, without being stopped by a uniformed officer with a gun, asking questions. I can talk about what I don't like about my government without being brought in front of a firing squad. I am free to read any news or information that is available in print, or on the internet without the government pulling the plug.
People die everyday trying to get into this country, both legally and illegally. For some people, it is all they dream about: America.
I believe in your rights to criticize this country, I have done it myself.  BUT if you do criticize your government, you had better be participating in it as well. So many Americans throw away their right to vote each year that it makes me cry. When I watch people in some third world countries standing in line for DAYS for their right to vote I am in awe of their patriotism. If we have a rainy election day here in the US, the turnout drops significantly!!

I am grateful to be living in America, where we are free to take our freedom for granted!

Fabric Fridays and Strut Your Stuff Thursdays

Michelle at Rosebud Quilting has started Fabric Friday!

Stephanie at Somewhat Simple is hosting Strut Your Stuff Thursdays!

(I had better get busy making some stuff to show off!!)

I would like to share this quilt I made several years ago for a raffle fund raiser for a local children's  hospital. I was so happy that the quilt was won by someone I actually knew, so I know it has a happy home.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 8

Today I was getting my hair cut and colored (way over due!) and while I was waiting for the timer to ring, I was reading the November issue of Good Housekeeping. It was almost like I was meant  to read this particular issue because there was a short article on gratitude!

According to a study done in England in 2008 people with a positive and grateful attitude enjoy a longer, more restful night's sleep.
From an article in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research online:

"When falling asleep, grateful people are less likely to think negative and worrying thoughts, and more likely to think positive thoughts. It appears that negative pre-sleep cognitions impair sleep, and gratitude reduces the likelihood of such thoughts, protecting sleep quality. Equally, it appears that positive pre-sleep cognitions have a positive effect on sleep, and that gratitude facilitates these thoughts, leading to superior sleep quality."

SO, if you need another reason to be grateful for everything in your life, getting a good night's sleep is a good enough reason for me!

Today  I would like to express gratitude for the home I live (and sleep!) in. I still live in the house that my (ex) husband and I bought back in 1985 when the three kids were under 5 years old. They grew up in this house and don't remember living anywhere else. They all live in their own places now, but this house is still "home" to them. It is way too big for me, I have to hire repair men to come and help me fix stuff (when my very handy son can't do it himself), and it is full of the clutter of almost 25 years.....

Every once in a while I think about selling and moving into something smaller, newer, or condo-ish..... but part of me doesn't want to give this house up just yet. It is full of memories, both good and bad.... and it is home.

I am grateful for my home, especially when so many people don't know where they will be sleeping tonight.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown Day 9

Gratitude Wednesday.

Today I would like to give thanks for my friends. I am very lucky to have a wonderful group of friends. I don't make friends easily! But when I do consider you my friend, you are my friend for life.

I am still friends with 2 people that I have known since elementary school. One I keep in touch with only by emails and cards, and the other I was lucky enough to go and visit last year. It was SO much fun to catch up!
I have a small, but amazing group of friends here in town that I know would drop everything and come running if I needed help. We try to get together each Friday for girls night, or go to lunch and a movie on the weekend.
I also have a group of internet friends that I "met" over 20 years ago in an online cross stitch group. They live all across the country and we have been together through births, deaths, kids going to school for the first time and graduating college. We have cried on each others' virtual shoulders through pain and disappointment and have shared a lot of laughs. I consider them to be my close friends even though we have never physically met.

I am especially grateful for my friends because I am not always a good friend in return. I am horrible about picking up the phone and calling people. I HATE IT. I would rather talk in person or send an email!! Isn't that horrible!??
I am also kind of boring and don't always want to go out and do anything.....
I hate shopping...
I don't drink coffee...
I can be a bit moody......
My house is messy (cat hair in the nest!) so I don't like to have people over. I will bring all the food, movies, games, etc..... just please can we do it at YOUR house??

And you know what? For some reason, my friends still love me..... like I said I am truly blessed in the friends department. I hope my friends know how much I love and appreciate them..... Maybe I should give them a call and..... NAH!!!

Thanksgiving Gratitude Day 10

Tuesday:

I was reading the blog of a friend of mine and she was talking about a psychology course she is taking. It is called Positive Psychology and in the course she learned  how both negative and positive thoughts can affect the brain. As you think more positive thoughts, the brain tends to form pathways for those types of thoughts, almost as if you were hard wiring the brain for positive thinking.

It has been found across many different studies, that people who routinely express gratitude lead a happier more fulfilling life.......

(For more info on Positive Psychology) 

Which brings me to today's gratitude offering....

I am grateful that I am working and earning a living, especially during these hard times when so many people are not. I work two jobs, both with children in an educational setting, in the inner city. The kids I work with are amazing! They always bring a smile to my face and I am grateful that they are in my life. 

Looking through the eyes of a child helps you to remember your gratitude.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Countdown

The 12 days before Thanksgiving are considered by some to be a good time to think about all that we are grateful for in our lives. It is so easy to complain about the little day to day things that crop up, that we often forget how lucky we are.

Sunday was the 12th day before Thanksgiving : I am grateful to be 50 years old and healthy! So many people are not so lucky. I give thanks every day that I am able to get out of bed and go about my day with out pain or sickness.

Monday: I am grateful for my 3 children. They are the joy of my life and I am so proud that they have grown up to be happy, successful adults. I work in the public schools and I know how easy it is for children to go astray. I thank the Lord above everyday for all of our good fortune.

Stop and say thank you today for all the wonderful things in your life! Expressing your gratitude is so much more enjoyable than complaining.

Weekend stuff

Rainy, dreary Saturday today... got up early to go take my entrance exam for grad school.... now to wait three weeks to get the results. So catching up on some blog reading....(and I will probably take a nap later..)

Although I should be writing a paper that I have due..... bleh



Sweet Home Quilting is giving away a cute backpack from Moda Home. You have a week to get over to their blog and enter to win this great bag.


Inchworm Fabrics is giving away a Swanky Honey Bun and Turnover.... I LOVE that fabric!! They will be offering other give aways, so keep your eyes open.

Audrey's Giveaway Blog is giving away a beautiful stained glass star from Katy Did It Stained Glass. If you check out Katy's shop she has some wonderful items for sale.
Audrey has lots of great giveaways going on right now, a beautful Christmas wreath and some cute pocket mirrors. Check it out!

And don't forget the Esty  Christmas Open House that starts Nov 15! Lots of specials and lots of giveaways!

The dance of joy

Ok, so the quilting "powers that be" must be feeling sorry for me for not winning the Moda Bake Shop Gobble Gobble Challenge (But hey, even I liked the winners' quilts better than my "newbie" attempt)

Anyhow..... these "powers that be" are trying to make it up to me BIG TIME! I won the Cross Country Christmas Blog Hop give away today on Pat Sloan's site! Hooray, Hooray!!!

Pat Sloan is giving away: a packet of her NEW Georgia fabric, her Christmas Wishes pattern, a group of Aurifil threads and few other goodies.... wOw!

I am one lucky girl today!!

Thank you universe!!
xxoo

Looky what I won!

Hey!! I won a copy of the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks issue!! (Picture from their website) I won it from the Stash Quilting web site.

Stash Quilting also included one of their beautiful palette pillows with my win!!
These pillows have an insert in the front and you can put the quilt block of your choice inside of the insert. Isn't that great!!! They come in some beautiful colors, but I chose Hunter green because I have someone in mind who will be receiving this as a gift...... Watch their YouTube video demo here on their blog.

Can't wait to see my pillow and this great magazine with all of these blocks. Go to the Quiltmakers website to find out more about this magazine and enter some great contests.

Winning this helps me feel a bit better after NOT winning the Moda Bake Shop Gobble Gobble challenge. But some really great designs DID win! :-)

YAY! to all of us winners.

Candied Fabrics

I just love the look of hand dyed fabric, and I just found a great online source: Candied Fabrics. You can see some of her beautiful color palettes here. They are all gorgeous!

She is also having a great give away between now and Thanksgiving, so be sure and enter for a chance to win one of her fabulous creations!

Veteran's Day

Remember to thank a veteran today for your freedom, and remember their sacrifice and the sacrifices of their families.

God Bless America and our veterans.