Thankful

We can't all be together this Thanksgiving, but my family still has so much to be thankful for. We all have homes to keep us safe, food on the table, people who love us and wish us well. I pray the same is true for you.

It has been tradition for many years for my family to gather at my house for Thanksgiving dinner. This year, it will be only me and Jesse. The rest of my family are celebrating in their homes too. I'll miss the fellowship and fun. But we've all decided we can skip one year of togetherness to try to ensure that we'll all be here to celebrate in 2021, when hopefully we'll be able to come together again.

I'm still making some of the traditional dishes: chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans. But I'm making them in smaller amounts. And I'll fix up a to-go package for daughter Andy to pick up from the front porch.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Be safe.

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On 11/26/2020, Sue, a Florida Farm Girl said ...

You're being very smart this year. Hopefully we'll all have another year when we can gather round the loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving

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On 11/26/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

Love your quilt in its autumn hues and timely reminder. I remember reading long ago that "God has two homes, one in heaven and the other in thankful hearts."

We had turnkey, cornbread dressing, jellied cranberry sauce (makes the BEST sandwiches to have those ingredients on bread with a bit of mayo. Just sayin'), sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn pudding, and pumpkin pie. It was just the two of us and DS2 who is in our bubble.

Hugs!
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Pants on Fire! Literally!

Thank goodness, I wasn't wearing them.

I really don't know how this happened. I was getting ready to take a bath last evening. I had my pajamas on the vanity and was lighting a scented jar candle. I like scented candles when I take a tub bath. (What ever happened to aromatherapy?)

Candle was lit, water was running in tub, and when I turned around, my pajama pants were burning. Not smoldering--burning. Flames were visible.  I quickly smothered the fire out, and nothing was damaged except my poor pj pants, a favorite pair. They're old and comfortable.

I went ahead and had my bath, candle burning and putting out sweet-smelling fumes. I promise to be more careful today. No playing with fire.

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On 11/20/2020, Sue, a Florida Farm Girl said ...

Oh, dear. So glad you noticed right away and hadn't stepped out of the bathroom for any reason. So weird since we think jarred candles are pretty safe.

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On 11/23/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

YIKES! How good it was that you quickly noticed the fire before it could cause more damage (poor pjs!) or become dangerous. So much for a serene, blissful bath with your heart rate probably going at a gallop.

Hugs!

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On 11/25/2020, Valerie said ...

Oh my goodness! So glad you noticed. Happy Thanksgiving.

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On 11/30/2020, Laurel said ...

Please be careful.....had an acquaintance years ago who burned and died when the plastic shower curtain caught on fire from a candle burning. He was trapped in the tub and couldn't get out through the burning curtain.
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Back to the Pyramids

"Joanne's Pyramids," barely begun

When my sister Joanne passed away more than a year ago now, sister Ramey and I helped my nephew Jed clean out her house. One thing that I brought home was this project that Joanne had begun, a Thousand Pyramids quilt. She apparently was basing her quilt on one she found a photo of in a decorating magazine (see photo below).

Joanne started her quilt, based on this magazine photo. There's no indication what magazine the photo is from.

When I adopted the project, I was under the impression that she had done most of the cutting. I was going to stitch it all together and have it quilted. Boy was I wrong! When I got started, I realized a lot more cutting needed to be done. That's when I set the whole thing aside, having become interested in making the millefiori quilt,

Well, the millefiori quilt is done and on its way to the quilter. I have named it "The Dance," by the way. Sherry C., suggested that title and referred to Garth Brooks's song. I immediately thought of the line from that song, "I could have missed the pain, but I would have missed the dance," which reminded me so much of my life with Vann and his death.

But I started out to talk about Joanne's Pyramids. Her color theme is rich, earthy autumn colors, and I'm sticking with that. An easy thing to do, since I have quite a collection of autumn and Halloween themed fabrics. (I'm not using any of the blatant Halloween fabrics in Pyramids however. Just autumn.)

I've been cutting pyramids all week, and I still have a couple hundred to go. The entire quilt (queen size to fit my bed) requires 1218 pyramids instead of 1000. Joanne had cut less than 300. I've made good progress and should be able to finish cutting with a couple more days at the cutting table. Stitching should go fairly quickly since it's a one-patch design.

I think Joanne would be tickled that I'm finishing the project she started. I can't believe she has been gone a year now. I miss her more every day.

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On 11/20/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

What a wonderful quilt this 1000 Pyramids quilt will be with the blend of your fabrics with Joanne's fabrics! I love the quilt tin the magazine photo and share your curiosity about what magazine contained that photo. I cannot wait to see how all of these wonderfully rich autumn fabrics come together in this quilt. Enjoy the process!

2020 has certainly been a year for you choosing complicated quilt patterns to tackle, hasn't it

Hugs!

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On 11/20/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

Where did the question mark go that was at the end of the last sentence? 'Tis a mystery.
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A Sad Scene

The expression on this fellow's face pretty much expresses how I feel about the condition of my backyard.

A few years ago, I had a pretty little garden in my backyard. I've never been any great shakes at gardening, but I found that if I put some work into it, I could have a nice little place to grow flowers and other fun flora. It wasn't easy, with the fibromyalgia crap and the back that was none too stable. But for a few years, my little garden flourished.

And then the back problems got worse, and worse, and worse. At the same time, arthritis made its presence known, and the fibromyalgia continued to plague. So I had to give up any semblance of gardening. My backyard has suffered greatly.

I have a man who keeps the grass mowed and the shrubbery trimmed, but that seems to be the extent of his talents. There is so much that needs to be done. I was out in the back with Skipper a bit ago (even that isn't easy any more since the ground is quite uneven), and what used to be my garden is now quite shabby. I started taking pictures, but then quit. Just too big a mess.

I did find a couple of happy spots that when cropped away from the overgrowth and dead stuff, look a little cheerful.

One of my French hydrangeas has survived so far. It has even presented me with a bloom, here in November.

This is Vann's cypress tree. He always loved his friend Paul's cypress. So a few months after Vann got sick, Paul planted Vann one beside our house. It's not in the backyard, but it is a bright spot all year long. In spring and summer it's a verdant green. But it's not an evergreen. In fall, it's needles change to a rich rust color. And in winter, even it's bare brown branches are pretty. When Paul planted the tree, it was no more than waist high, if that. Now, 12 years later, it's taller than my three-story house.

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On 11/17/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

I love the little stone face in the grass! Too cute.

Vann's cypress tree is lovely and the story that goes with it is even lovelier. Like love, with time, it grows.

Perhaps you need to explore the possibility of hiring a gardener to take care of your borders and edges around the grass? You could look into getting plants that require little care and are native to your area so the gardener would be needed only a few times a year.

Hugs!
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Zooming Quilts and Books

Our November guild speaker was Susan K. Cleveland, a lady with whom I'm sometimes confused.

On Monday, I "attended" my quilt guild's November meeting, via Zoom. It was an exciting meeting. Our speaker was one of my favorite national quilt teachers (and namesake) Susan K. Cleveland. She's such a fun, funny, and talented quilt designer, it's always a joy to see her. Of course, she was coming to us from her quilt studio in southeastern Minnesota. But it was still fun. Her website is piecesbewithyou.com, where you can see her wonderful quilts, books, and quilting tools.

Today my book club group met via Zoom to discuss this wonderful book, Dear Edward, the best I've read all year. For a brief review and a link to the book on Amazon, see "Book Read in 2020" in the left sidebar.

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On 11/11/2020, Judy Cloe said ...

Susan,after your glowing recommendation of DEAR EDWARD, I read it and liked it as much as you did. I suggested it to my book club and we are doing it next year. Thanks!
Loved seeing your amazing quilt on show and tell on Monday. Can't wait until I can see it in person.

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On 11/11/2020, Nicole said ...

Dear Edward just about broke my heart. I had to put it down a few times because it made me so sad. I persisted though, and got to the end. It was so well written. I don't know if "enjoy" is the word I'd use to describe my experience, but it was a very good book.

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On 11/12/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

How delightful to have another Susan Cleveland in the quilting world. How about that?!

Sewing for Christmas is keeping me busy so am not reading quite as much as usual. Will keep Dear Edward on my list, though.

Is Millifiori finished now? May we please see the quilt you showed on Zoom? Thank you!

Hugs!
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Cool Is Back

Congratulations to Joe Biden and

Kamala Harris,

our new POTUS and Vice President.

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On 11/07/2020, Sue, a Florida Farm Girl said ...

Oh, yeah!!!

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On 11/07/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

Waaahoooooooooooooooooo and glory be!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs!

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On 11/08/2020, Helen in Switzerland said ...

Congratulations America. The rest of the world is celebrating with you!

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On 11/08/2020, JAMES CAGE said ...

:-)
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Pearls for Kamala; Lace for RBG

I'll likely lose a few more blog readers after this post. When I go to vote in a couple of hours, I won't be allowed to wear any blatant symbols of the candidates I support. And that's good, I think. But my pearls and lace should pass muster. And even if nobody gets the connections, I'll know--and that's what I'm going for. I don't know if Justice Ginsburg wore lace socks; I know she always wore a lace collar with her robe. I have a lace collar that my mama crocheted, but I can't find it. So these old lace socks that I've had for decades will have to suffice. The pearls aren't real pearls either. But it's the thought that counts, as they say.

No matter who or what you support, I hope you are voting or have voted. Because I know in my heart that if we all vote, things will be better.

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On 11/03/2020, JUANITA said ...

Watching from the UK with baited breath. My husband and I have been glued to CNN for weeks and will probably stay up tonight to watch the votes coming in. I have everything crossed for you. The best of British luck to America for a great new presidency! x

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On 11/03/2020, Helen in Switzerland said ...

I'm waiting from Switzerland also with bated breath and praying that America can return to standards of decency and humanity that have been missing these last four years. I hope you get a president who cares for all Americans and who works to take care of you all in these terrible times. I also hope that whoever loses accepts it.....

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On 11/03/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

My family and I all voted early, DS2 and I via Absentee ballots and DH, DS1and DDIL all voted in person but a couple of weeks ago. Hope everyone at your polling place is kind, courteous, and honest, from voters to poll workers. Heaven help us all in the houses and days ahead.

I'm making microwave cozies to stay away from the news coverage.

The Victorian catalog used to have scrunchy lace topped socks, but don't know if they're still around.

Big hugs, my friend!

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On 11/03/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

Please make that "in the HOURS and days ahead"..:)

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On 11/03/2020, Sue, a Florida Farm Girl said ...

Good for you. I like your pearls and lace.

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On 11/07/2020, ldcapouya@yahoo.com said ...

Congrats! from South Louisiana!

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On 11/11/2020, Wendy Schwerin said ...

democracy and decency...return.

Blessings for us all.
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