Sorry I haven't been around, we're fine, just busy! We've decided to school through the summer 4 days a week so Ashley can start 8th grade on schedule, plus she wants to keep doing the subjects she's not even behind in, like Apologia Physical Science. She's not even supposed to start this till 8th grade, but she started reading it when we got it in the mail and she's hooked! Experiments with electricity! And chemicals! Physics! Be still my heart! Who am I to stop a future doctor from studying science?

I'll be back soon with a real post, with pictures! and maybe chocolate!

Diamond quilt progress!

This is such an easy quilt! I love scrappy quilts, and I needed an easy project with BIG pieces after working with my fiddly tiny hexagons for a while. The magazine has it described as a Triangle Tango, but I call it the diamond quilt.

I got the first row sewed together, and the second row pinned. I glanced into a drawer in my sewing room and lo and behold discovered the blues and yellows squares for this quilt! Thankfully I only have to remove stitching in two places in the one finished row. So no big deal!

Below is a photo of what my daughter gave me for Mother's Day yesterday. It's a flower pot shaped like a teacup! I drink hot tea, English style, all day long, so this was so cute! It was filled with herbal teas, pretty dish towels and a beautiful card. I am going to get some pansies today to plant in it.

Lastly, here's a little bag I made yesterday. It's from a This N That patter, available in most quilt shops. It came together in just a couple of hours. I think the pattern is called Button Bag. The fabric I chose reminds me of chocolate covered strawberries. LOL

I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I am stuck in a restaurant every afternoon and evening for the foreseeable future. It has wreaked havoc on Ashley's schooling. We have determined to school through the summer to get her caught up, so she can start 8th grade work in September. Today I am going to try to leave the shop by 8 pm, to get Ashley home to give her a decent bedtime. If it was just me being dragged into this, I would suck it up and do whatever I had to do. But my daughter is involved and it is breaking my heart.

There's alot more to this situation than having to work in the restaurant. I can't say much, but I just found out my husband has not paid our mortgage this month. The money went into the pizza shop. For the first time, I'm concerned. I am not afraid, because the Lord knows what He is doing, but I wish I knew what His plans were! It drives me nuts, the not knowing, and being unable to plan.

Thank the Lord I can still quilt!!

Where God wants me to be...

Well, the sale of the restaurant fell through. It seems that although the potential buyers had a dream of moving to the mountains and opening a restaurant, the bankers had a different opinion. I am trying to keep a positive attitude about the whole thing. Obviously this is where God wants me/us right now. I can't imagine why. I feel like every other little aspect of life is on hold. I need to stop worrying about the "why me's" and focus just on "why?" What is God's plan? I am sure this will all work out for good. I need to remember that He can see the long range outcomes, I can't. In the meantime, I have met many people, and have been able to share my faith with a few.

Time to go! I hope to come back with a quilting post this weekend!

Pay it Forward... Trying to anyway!

So I came across this neat, wonderful idea on Dianna's blog called Pay it Forward. Have you heard of it? I haven't. I thought it was such a wonderful idea I signed up! I have never received mail or sent mail to or from a blog friend, so I'm kind of excited about the whole prospect! What a unique opportunity to spread alittle bit of happiness across the miles!
Here's how it works, as copied from Dianna's blog...

The first three people to leave a comment will receive a hand made gift from me.The only thing you have to do to participate is carry on the gift by giving to three more people...as soon as you have left a comment do a "pay it forward post" on your blog and continue the giving.

It's that simple! So, are you crafty? If so, hop to it! Here's your chance to spread some joy. And receive alittle for yourself!

So I'll wait patiently for three people to comment on this post. I wont tell you what I'm sending you, but remember I like to sew. And embroider. And I make a mean pizza. But alas, you probably wont get pizza in the mail.

So hurry and comment people!


Ummm... anyone want to give me a hint on how to post the Pay it Forward picture at the top of this post? I can't get it to stick!

This is officially my 100th post. My how times flies! In honor of such a historical event, I bring you my "100 things about me" post that I did for no apparent reason in 2007. Updates are in red.

100 Things About Me

Updated in red!

1. I have brown hair
2. If you don't count the gray
3. I have two children
4. I can't have any more
5. My husband is 16 years older than I am
6. After I turned about age 35 it didn't matter anymore honestly, sometimes it matters
7. My mom died when she was 46
8. I was 24
9. That's way too young to make funeral arrangements for a parent
10.My dad remarried they separarated this past August
11. His new wife is crazy. I mean that.
12. She wants to live on another planet
13. I want her to live on another planet
14. I used to be a special ed. teacher
15. I loved my job
16. I loved my own children more
17. I have two cats, a dog, and three chickens now 3 cats, a dog, 7 chickens, a hedgehog, an Umbrella Cockatoo, hermit crabs and two aquariums
18. I hope to clear some land and get a couple of goats
19. I live in the middle of nowhere.
20. Our driveway is so steep the UPS man meets us at the bottom
21. I like to be alone
22. I never get to be alone
23. I love to read
24. I have a hard time concentrating to read
25. I love to sew
26. I love to bake
27. I'm not very good at regular cooking, like dinner
28. I play the piano, kind of
29. I miss my hometown
30. I miss my sister
31. I miss my brother
32. I miss my dad
33. My husband will never grow up
34. My favorite food is anything loaded with carbs which I do not eat!!!
35. I had gastric bypass surgery in 2005
36. I lost a bit over 100 pounds
37. I still fight food cravings every single day
38. Sometimes they win
39. I have gained 8 pounds since moving to TN lost most of it again!
40. I am a boring person
41. I don't like group activities
42. I am shy
43. I am not articulate
44. I worry about my son excessively
45. I worry about my daughter excessively
46. My cat is twice as big as my dog
47. He sleeps in the bathtub
48. I have 17 unfinished sewing projects
49. I finished one, then started a new project yesterday
50. I sell stuff on ebay
51. I spend everything I make on ebay
52. My favorite season is Autumn
53. I love to organize
54. I'm not very good at it
55. I drive a pick-up truck
56. I wear my clothes twice before washing (except undergarments!)
57. My daughter tries to match her clothes to whatever I am wearing
58. I have more online friends than real life friends
59. My little dog probably won't live much longer he's still wobbling along!
60. I never feel I am good enough
61. We do not have a tv
62. We do not want a tv
63. We do have a regulation pool table
64. My husband is a very good pool player
65. Our front porch overlooks mountains and cow pasture
66. Our back porch overlooks mountains
67. We have books stacked on every flat surface in the house
68. Except the pool table
69. I love old stuff
70. My husband speeds by yard sales and thrift stores without stopping
71. I want to lose 10 pounds now I want to lose 4 pounds
72. Losing weight is hard, even after gastric bypass
73. My favorite color is green
74. I was raised Catholic
75. I was named after a nun
76. She is still living and serving God
77. I am now Baptist
78. I still love the Catholic faith
79. I don't think there is only one "perfect" religion
80. It is not my opinion that matters, but God's
81. There is some mystery around the disapearance of my father when I was a baby
82. I have light brown eyes
83. I lose my cell phone 10 times a day
84. I drink hot tea all day long
85. My long haired cat is the exact same color as my carpet
86. I love that!
87. If you were to open my spice cabinet, at least 5 things would fall out
88. My truck is very messy inside
89. My husband does not know I have a blog
90. I take 11 vitamins a day
91. I have a protien deficiency resolved with proper diet
92. I do not like to wash dishes
93. I have a dishwasher I have never used
94. I am terribly afraid of the dark
95. I used to take 3 different medications for depression and anxiety
96. I miss my mother every day
97. I pray for every expecting mother I see
98. I enjoy being around people who are elderly
99. My house needs to be vacuumed
100. I can't seem to get myself off the computer
Whew!! That wasn't so bad, although the last few took me as long as the rest of them altogether. Post your list in a comment, with a link!

I've not been a very good blogger lately.

Sorry for the lack of posts. The computer is last on the priority list; not by choice mind you! What computer time I do have is spent planning my daughter's 8th grade school year, and answering emails from my son in Iraq and my sister in North Carolina. I haven't turned on my sewing machine in over a week, and I have not ran in over a month. To top it all off, my weight is up 5 pounds that seem impossible to lose. I have been working every day except Sundays, and those are spent attending two church services and teaching Sunday School to a bunch of wild and crazy 6 year olds who do not seem to grasp a work I say. To say I feel discouraged is an understatement. It's been a rough week of missing my son, my sister and brother, my dad, my mom in Heaven, my old friends back home. I am drowning in my to-do list which keeps getting longer. Still no word from the would-be restaurant buyers.

Boy what a downer I am today!! Everyone has these kinds of days/weeks, right? I am fortunate in many, many ways. A friend from church had back surgery and is having a rough recovery. My pastor has had numerous skin cancer growths removed from his neck over the years, and they decided to do surgery to go alittle deeper to hopefully rid him of the cancer long term. Well, it's not working. New growths are emerging as fast as they can remove them. So I am fortunate to be strong and healthy. I have a nice home, when so many are losing theirs. My family may be far from me, but they are healthy and happy too. I have all I could want to eat, as evidenced by my 5 pound weight gain. Our church recently delivered food to a community in KY where we met an older couple who were emaciated from simply being hungry. In America! So I'll be grateful for my extra 5 pounds, thank you. Yes my son is training Iraqi police right now, but he is alive and happy in his endeavors. He wants to extend his stay till November.

See, life is good, God is generous with His gifts. We all have trials and burdens, but take the time to tell me what you are thankful for today.

Hey there! If you haven't seen the post below, please scroll down, my daughter was baptised on Easter! It was beautiful!
What a busy time it has been! I do have some good (for me!) news though, we got an offer to buy our pizza shop! One of the diners asked if he could take pictures of the dining area, he said it was so nicely decorated, he wanted to show his son and daughter-in-law in Florida. I thought that was alittle odd, but said sure. I thought it was even more odd when he photographed the bathrooms! lol Four days later a man and woman from Florida come in for lunch. This is nothing new since it is a tourist town, but they too are oohing and ahhing over the decor, the food, the location etc. The gentleman handed my husband a piece of paper and said take this home and read it. My husband read it right there and said no way! But later they sat down and talked. And talked. And talked some more. Meanwhile I'm tossing pizzas, making pasta and salads and my ears are burning I tell you! The family leave and my husband breaks the news. He expected me to be heartbroken, but honestly, I am so happy I am dancing inside! I like the restaurant, but my heart is not in it. Ok.... I hate it. I hate cooking all day, I hate the fact that my daughter is now behind in school, I miss my house, I miss my pets, I miss my sewing. I want my old life back! We are discussing price, but since we paid so little for it, their offers so far have been wonderful.
So maybe in a couple of weeks, things will get back to some kind of normal around here. We can pray!

On the sewing front, things have been slow. But just look at these hexagons! I just love them. I need some Ideas on what to do with them, but for now I just love making those beautiful flowers. So does Crazy.


Here's aptly named Crazy. She is my second-biggest quilting supporter. She adores fabric and will pull pieces off the shelves to lay on them on the floor. She's very stand-offish, as she was wild when we found her, but she's very loving in her own way.

I've made steady progress on the diamond quilt, as seen on the cover of the latest Quilts and More magazine, except mine is scrappy. The bag on the right is full of the diamonds still in two pieces. They will get their turn at the sewing machine today.

Here's the birds for the bird quilt also found on that website. I'm doing this one only to practice applique. I'm liking it so far, but it's harder that I expected. I love the freezer paper technique explained to me by a blogger friend, I wish I remembered which one! Sorry, blogger friend!

Sorry for the darkness, but here's my sewing room. Isn't it awful? This is the ONLY room in my home that looks like this. Every bit of stuff in there has a purpose, you just can't tell at the moment.

Here's my little Bonsai. He's doing so much better! He walks and potties totally unassisted now, though he stumbles and gets lost frequently. He will have blood work every 8 weeks to check for inflammation, but other than that he's a happy guy!

Harry needs no introduction. He's an awesome cat. When I sew, he lays near me, but never on me, like some others who shall remain anonymous.

Here's a great shot of Cleo. She's so shy she's hard to get on camera. She was watching the hedgehog run around in this picture. Look at that concentration!

And here's the cats' nemesis, Rocco. He loves to get down on the floor and run! He totally freaks out the cats, and they hide when he's running around, and I stay right with him so he won't chew the furniture. He's a hoot!
Well I guess I'll save the hedgehog and chickens for another post. Time to get going!

My daughter got baptised on Easter!

My daughter came to the conclusion, that since she was saved by God's grace almost 4 years ago, it was time to be baptised. What better time to be baptised than on Easter?

Praising God for his precious blessings.

Just to prove I have no life...

I will post about the same stuff I posted about last Friday.
Ahem.

I am still making painfully slow progress on the three quilt tops I'm working on. This would be because I have maybe 30 minutes of sewing time each day.

Diet wise, I have not lost an ounce. If fact, I managed to gain almost a full pound by eating very little and working myself to death. I think the problem is I have not been running like I used to. We used to run three miles, three times a week, now we run almost none. Well ok, none at all this week.

I finally heard from my son Andrew in Baghdad! Remember when I said no news is good news? Well I was right. Come to find out, from an email Andrew sent to my sister, that there have been explosions of varying intensities around the compound they are in at night. One such explosion blew up the Hummvee Andrew drives during the day. Needless to say I am scared for him. He does not know that I know, because the only news he tells me is what he had to eat yesterday, and what he wants to eat tomorrow. My sisters gets all the disturbing stuff, which she passes on to me. He is fine, but they are extra cautious, which is good. Did I mention he wants to extend his stay till November?
No matter what your stance is on the war going on, these people serving in the armed forces are VOLUNTEERS. They VOLUNTEERED for the service, knowing that overseas duty will be likely. My son, and many others, want to stay till the job is done. So enough with the emails about peace, love, daisies, huggs, kisses and happiness. They know what they are doing.
Done with the rant.

Ashley is doing great! She's really racking up the tips at the pizza shop. A customer called her "charming" and she had to look it up in the dictionary. Since then she has really done her best to be "charming." She really is a sweet, soft-spoken, friendly girl, so it's not such a stretch for her to be extra "charming." LOL Actually she is complimented alot, expecially by older people who comment on her work ethic and her manners. She is saving her tips to buy a mule. Not a horse, but a mule. They're smarter, you know.

Here's to a nice weekend! Let's pray for no rain for a change, and a few hours of sewing time! Whoo Hoo!

Long time no post!

Geeze, it's been a week! I just don't know where the time is going! Well, I do know, it's going to homeschool, the embroidery shop, the pizza business, my little dog, and the other animals, including baby chicks and their housing needs. Not to mention housework and church!

I have been sewing, and I'm making slow progress on the diamond quilt. I'm also making slow progress on the hexagon quilt and the bird quilt. I've decided to make the bird quilt smaller than the directions state in the directions.

I made some curtains and pillow covers for my daughter's room yesterdaay, a bright sparkly pink. We also splatter painted some t-shirts. I wish I would have taken pictures of that! Since my dog was close by my side, he got alittle splatter painted too.

On the diet front, I have not mentioned it recently because I seem to be at a standstill. I have had sugar cravings like you wouldn't believe! They say you lose the cravings after not eating sugar for a while, but I have not eaten sugar, white flour, white potatoes, white rice, or any processed foods at all since Christmas, and here I am struggling with cravings. I feel great and have tons of energy, but the last 4-5 pounds dosen't want to leave. I understand it is a lifestyle, not a diet at all. And I have no plans to let junk foods back into my life, I just wish for instant results, ya know? LOL, oh well, what can you do? Just keep pluggin' along!

We have not heard from our son in Iraq for a while, but no news is good news they say. Sometimes he just can't get to a computer. Last I heard he was thinking of extending his tour. (Insert grimace smiley here.) Crazy kid.

Ashley is looking forward to the last day of school, whick for us will be June 12th. If we stick to some semblance of a schedule till then, and if we don't think of any extra topics to research and dive into. We are looking forward to Sonlight 7 next year! I'm looking forward to having Language Arts intergrated into the Sonlight curriculum! One less subject to buy and plan for, I think! We'll see, I've heard mixed reviews about it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!