Bonding

Taco is a great bonder. Here he is bonding with Cait on the living room floor. Bella stayed in hiding for the first few days Cait and Kathryn were here. Now she comes out occasionally, but bonding is not in her bag of tricks--unless it’s bonding with Jesse or Taco.

Yesterday I did something I haven’t done in a while: I went fabric shopping in a real store (as opposed to online). My sister Ramey needed to go, so I tagged along. We spent an hour or so in Jo-Ann’s Fabrics, where I gathered up some gray fabric to add to my stash. I have very few grays, and since I’m thinking of doing my heart blocks with gray backgrounds, I thought I’d better have some on hand. 

Ramey didn’t find what she needed at Jo-Ann’s, so we made a quick stop by Hobby Lobby, where she had more success. Then we dropped into Panera’s and had wonderful sandwiches and soup.

Needless to say, all the activity was not kind to my back, but I had a good time, and I’m looking forward to playing with my stack of new gray fabrics. I don’t have a photo of the fabrics yet, but I’ll take one and post it later. I got some really pretty ones.

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On 04/27/2017, Gayle said ...

I was so happy to find your blog today. I used to follow your blog when I had a quilting blog several years ago (Sparkle Jars). I'm quilting again. I've been trying to remember your name/name of your blog for a few months and then...yesterday...a friend serendipitously loaned me the book, Fan Quilt Favorites, and there you were at the front of the book on the author page! :) Anyway, glad to have found you so I can enjoy your blog again as well as your book list. Have a great day. Gayle

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On 04/30/2017, Edwina A Wagner said ...

I know you probably already know of this site... but just in case you don't I'm sharing as I buy quite a lot of fabric from them. https://www.thousandsofbolts.com/
They color sort their fabrics so it is easy to buy colors (grey for instance). You can't "feel" the fabric tho. That's what makes shopping at fabric stores so much FUN!!
Fondly, -e from Petaluma CA sheep ranch

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On 05/04/2017, Dolores Tanner said ...

LOVE Panera.... so wish we had one. Anytime I go anywhere more populated I always look one up and have to partake!!! YUM!!!
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Great Discoveries

Cait and Kathryn have discovered Daylight Donuts delicious apple fritters.

I haven’t had any time for quilting this week. But I’ve been enjoying spending time with Cait and Kathryn. We haven’t done anything special. In fact, I haven’t been away from the house since they got here. But they have gone out several times, exploring around the old hometown and visiting Daylight Donuts where they’ve been introduced to those dessert-plate size, completely addicting, apple fritters.

I have made a great discovery too: I’ve found that I now have access to Shipt grocery delivery service. This will cut out one of my most difficult chores. For those of you who find grocery shopping to be difficult or impossible (or maybe just don’t like to do it), check this out. 

If the link doesn’t work, here’s the URL: https://www.shipt.com/groceries/?r=C74D8C. For some reason, I’m having trouble getting my links to imbed.

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On 04/25/2017, Edwina said ...

I know it's been said... but I really didn't believe it... that we all have a double. Well, one of your gals (the one in braids) looks just like my oldest granddaughter who has thick brown hair and also loves to put it in braids. Maybe they're related somewhere in their ancient background. ;>) Hugs... e from sheep ranch in Petaluma CA.

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On 04/25/2017, Edwina said ...

Oh, and I'm glad I don't have that bakery in my home town or I'd be having one every day!! -e

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On 04/26/2017, Barbara Anne said ...

Those apple fritters look so very yummy! It's good we don't have them here.

Glad you are having a good time with your family guests AND That you've found a grocery delivery service!!

Hugs!
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Never Knew I Could Hurry So Slowly

Cait and Kathryn will be here this evening. I’m trying very hard to get the bedroom ready for them. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to change bed sheets when you have no working spine.

I grocery shopped yesterday, but had to wait for Jesse to get home to bring the groceries up for me.

I planned to vacuum before C and K arrived, but it ain’t happening. They’ll just have to be grateful for food and clean sheets.

It sure will be good to see them. Haven’t seen them since August 2014.

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On 04/21/2017, Pat said ...

My sister coming to visit next week. Have to pace myself getting ready. House always turned upside down anyway what with eating, reading, snacking, movie watching, laundry . Dusting seems very important until she gets here. Y'all enjoy your time together!

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On 04/21/2017, Joanne said ...

Glad to hear they're coming to visit. I wish Jed could be here this weekend, but he has a lot of stuff going on at home.

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On 04/22/2017, Barbara Anne said ...

Have fun! The girls won't be bothered about those dust bunnies at all.

Hope the wewather is good there as our forecast is for rain, rain, and more rain for the next 3 days.

Heaven help me, I'm packing up a lot of my sewing room to prepare for a furniture rearrangement. Looks good on paper, but oh, the work involved!

Hugs!
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Busy Week Behind, Another One Ahead

I won't even try to list it all. Suffice to say that I had several activities at my house last week, including Easter dinner with the family. It was all fun, and would have been more fun if I had not been battling increasing back pain. I have an appointment with my doctor in a couple of weeks (the soonest I could see him). I'm going to tell him that I'm either going to have to have some relief from this pain or he's going to have to write me a prescription to stay off my feet from here on out. I can't take it anymore.

I'm expecting house guests--Cait and Kathryn--my other daughter and DIL--to come in tomorrow from Providence, R.I. I haven't seen them for a while, so I'm looking forward to the visit. But, again, I'm sure I would enjoy it much more without the pain.

Anna has had numerous personal issues and hasn't been here to clean for several weeks. But she's here today. So I came up to the sewing room to get out of her way. I got the rows of heart blocks sewn together and the backing constructed for it. I also have a backing for Jesse's quilt, but no construction necessary. I purchased the 108-inch fabric so I wouldn't have to sew any great long seams for that huge quilt. I do have to press it, however, which I don't look forward to that.

I have decided against a border for the Rainbow Hearts quilt. It measures 50 inches by 60 inches without borders, which is plenty big for a cuddle quilt, even for a teenager, I think. I'll put a pretty binding on when it's quilted, which should finish it up just fine.

Anna is still working, so I think I'll get my binding made for the Dancing Leaves quilt. Quilt show will be here before I know it, and I still have lots to do to get my quilts ready.

 

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On 04/19/2017, Barbara Anne said ...

Love the cuddle quilt and think a charming binding will look great!

So sorry your back has been hurting so much. Perhaps your long-arms quilter will press your quilt top and backing for you - for a fee or for free?

Enjoy your guests from the northeast! Hope they'll cook and baby you while the are there.

Hugs!
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Pressed Between the Pages

This is me and my sisters, long ago and far away--well, not too far away as the crow flies. Joanne is holding Baby Ramey. And that’s me standing in front of them. I’m three years old, Joanne is 12, and Ramey is newborn. 

There’s a quote in a book I read a couple of weeks ago that I will paraphrase (since I don’t remember the exact wording). The character is looking at a photo of himself taken many years passed. He comments on the fact that because the cells in our body regenerate themselves every so many years, he is physically a totally different person from the one in the photo. 

I am not that little girl anymore. And boy! can I feel it.

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On 04/13/2017, Linda said ...

ha-ha. Me, too!

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On 04/13/2017, Barbara Anne said ...

Sweet!

Hugs!
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The Secret to Hummingbird Cake

 

When Beverly posted this book on her How Sweet the Sound blog, I was attracted by the cover. I love Hummingbird Cake. I love to bake them, and I love to eat them. One Christmas season, I made more than a dozen of these amazing cakes and sold them to make money for our local food pantry. But I digress.

I decided to download a Kindle sample of the book and see if I would like it. I didn’t think I would. I normally don’t go in for chick type books, as anyone who follows my book review (left sidebar) can attest. After reading the sample, I was hooked. I had to find out more about Carrigan, Ella Rae, and Laine. So I downloaded the entire book.

I have to confess that the first third of the book is just a bit slow--or maybe I’m judging it in hindsight. The last two-thirds is extremely riveting. Perhaps that’s what makes the book’s beginning seem leisurely. And maybe the author meant it to be that way. She lulls you into the the hot and humid Louisiana world of these three women and sets you up for an emotional finish that will send you through at least a half of a box of tissues.

I can’t say a lot about the plot of the book without dropping some spoilers. Think “Steel Magnolias,” “Beaches,” or “Terms of Endearment.” Or even Little Women. Any book or movie that deals with the special bonds formed by girls and women. Add the southern heat and humidity of Louisiana and friends and family gathered in a century-old farm house, and you have the makings of this wonderful book. Read it.

If you’d like to try your hand at making one of these wonderful southern confections, you can find my recipe at the bottom of the right sidebar under “Recipes, Etc." There’s no secret to how I make it. I use the original Southern Living recipe, contributed by a southern lady whose name I can’t remember right now. I just tell everyone to “watch out for the beaks."

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On 04/11/2017, Patty McDonald said ...

Hi Susan,
Always enjoy your book reviews. Just finished 'The Lost City of The Monkey Gods' and enjoyed the read. I'm not in to chick books but will take a sample read on amazon. Also, I clicked on your link for the recipe and the page was blank. Have a good week. Patty Mc

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On 04/11/2017, Barbara Anne said ...

Thanks for the mention of this book! Will give it a try.

The link to the recipe was blank for me, too, but I looked on your right sidebar for the recipes and found it there.

Hugs!
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