On a wing and a prayer

Well, one wing finished and 3 to go! At this rate I might be finished this time next year!! I did get to bead in the afternoon while little one napped (as did big one! - Hubby). I do enjoy working on this piece because I can pick it up anytime to work on. Gotta love any hand work. I did also get some of the quilting done on my daughter's table topper. I cut out lots of organza leaves and will be ready for the next step of placing them.

It's almost like an old folks home around here...between Bob's aliments and mine we look like we're ready for the 'camp' for old folks. More Dr. appointments this week so at least we'll get out and about for a few hours! We're saying our prayers all goes well with those!

Tomorrow Kalee and I go to our first puppy kindergarten class! I just wish it were during the daytime rather than 6 p.m. Guess they don't have much luck with the day class. The only other day class didn't start until mid November and we just can't wait that long to train Bob and I! Housebreaking has been the easiest part of raising Kalee, as is her sitting good for food, letting us take food or toys from her mouth...but when she plays, even by herself, keep your hands out of the way! My arms look like I've been through the woods! I'm just not quick enough! But I'm positive about her being trained (or me being trained) so I know this phase will pass.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICK!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICK!! Yep, here's the happy kid just waiting to dig into Grandma Nancy's great cake (there's more pictures of the cake my DIL's mom made below). Hard to believe Nick is 8 already!!
Darrin and Kris were a great host and hostess again to celebrate Nick's party on Sat. Of course, the theme was FOOTBALL! When we arrived, Darrin had all the kids in the front yard playing flag football. He even had yard markers up! I did put two videos of the kids playing at the end of this post. They were a hoot to watch!



Isn't this cake great!! Nancy makes the best cakes and decorates them to boot! The chocolate cake was delicious! Of course Nick's favorite is chocolate. I've never seen a boy who LOVES chocolate as much as Nick does.

check out all the extras on the cake!

This was Nick's BD gift from mom and dad. His new bike! He loves riding bike like his dad does, although it looked so big to me. I was informed by his friend, Weston, that he fits it perfectly and was riding around the sub already! Guess grandma was informed!

Of course lots of presents...Nick is opening the 'bottomless' bag from his grandma Nancy! One little boy at the party said "how many shirts are in there?" "Wow, it's like a store." Funny.

See the smile on Nick's face. Auntie and Uncle Jeff got him his helmet for bike riding.

Food a plenty and lots of fun for the kids.

Some art work finally!

Well, in between the role of a new 'mom' and 'old' mom, I am starting to get some artwork done. Boy, I sure forgot how much time you spend with a baby! I mean puppy!!
Kalee is coming into my sewing area with me or else I'm doing beading or sewing while she sleeps. I still have to clean, do laundry, cook dinner too so it's hard to space out my time for art work. But I'm learning or remembering how I did 'child' rearing 40+ years ago!
I'm making progress on my beaded butterfly and it does feel good to be back beading. This is a butterfly from Hawaii I think! It's been so long since I drew up the design I'm not even sure if that's where this butterfly makes his home!
I also came up with a few different designs for my daughters table topper.
This is the 2nd or 3rd design. The final piece will be a mix of all I think! I really won't know until I start cutting out the leaves from the organza.
I do have the background sandwiched and I painted on some stems. Next will be the leaves then stitching.
I made this quilt in 2003 for a Christmas gift for Bob. It was our Mandy girl and now it hangs on the wall in our computer room above my desktop. Bob never thought it looked exactly like her but I've always liked the quilt. She's my girl and always will be.

Another Happy Birthday Wish!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARY JO!!!!! Yes, another birthday this month!! MJ is our DIL (Bob's son's wife (that's Ron in the background). I don't have any baby pictures of Mary Jo or else they'd be on my post! Maybe next year I'll get one from her mom! I also sent MJ a Birthday Ball which I'll blog about tomorrow.
Until then, have a GREAT DAY, MJ!!!! Wish we could be in Indiana to celebrate with you!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAWN!!

Happy Birthday Dawn!!!
You were a beautiful baby and now such a beautiful woman - inside and out!
Love you!

Dunckel’s Veterinarians thanked for attention

This is the letter I wrote to both the Davison Index local newspaper. Today we brought home the remains of our little girl. The hurt is there all over again but at least she is home with us again.
Dunckel’s Veterinarians thanked for attention

I'm really doing some art work again!

Yep! It's true! I'm back doing some art work FINALLY! I didn't realize how hard it was being a mom again! Your time isn't your own that's for sure! But I'm not complaining and wouldn't trade our little girl for all the art I could make in a year! Kalee has brought so much joy to our lives in a weeks time! It's only been a week yesterday when we picked her up!

So this a.m. I started playing with leaf patterns. My daughter wants a table topper for her glass table that sits in their LR and her BD is next week so...this is a background piece (beige) and a small piece of organza that I'm going to use for leaves. I'll use the same technique as I did for my black/white AAQI quilt. I have several different colors of organza and I'm now working out the design/placement for the leaves. It will be a circular quilted top about 19" in circumference.

AND I was actually able to do some beading today on my butterfly!! Kalee sat on my lap later this afternoon and slept while I beaded. It felt good to be back at doing something!
Tomorrow I'm headed to meet up with the grand kids after school. I haven't seen them in two weeks so I'm looking forward to them meeting Kalee and just seeing them again!! Hopefully, Kalee will get wore out meeting the kids! That will give grandma a rest from playing with her!

MQAI exhibit pictures

Here are some of the quilts from the MQAI exhibit that opened this past weekend. If you are in the Flint area, make sure to stop by the Greater Flint Art Council and check them out. We have close to 50 quilts all based on the theme 'Art of the Kitchen'. Here are just a few!

APRONS AND PEARLS
by
Mary Andrews (Co-Curator for the exhibit)

EATING, PRAYING, LOVING
by
Marty Calhoun (Co-Curator for the exhibit)

BUYING LOCAL
by
Anne Hiemstra

BASICS: GARLIC, OLIVE OIL AND TOMATOES
by
Barbara Bushey

FRESH TOMATO SOUP
by
Carol Tamasiunas

TOSSED SALAD
by
Chris Zane

CUCINA PARLATO
by
Judy Parlato

JELLO ANYONE?

by
Laurie Ceesay

I keep thinking each day I'll get back to doing some form of art work but no luck so far!! Maybe tomorrow! Kalee is sure keeping this 65 year old 'mom' busy! But I'm lovin' every moment!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIS!!

I hope you have a great day! Love you lots! Admire your strength, fortitude and dedication to whatever you do!! I know you're always there for me even with the miles between us!! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy this day!!!

MQAI Exhibit

Well, another successful opening last night at the Michigan Quilt Artist Invitational. I can't post pics for a number of reasons! First, I didn't take any pictures last night! Second, not sure of pictures I can post of the art work. I'll ask Mary (curator) and see if I can at least post the pieces made by some of my friends.
This is the last year for this exhibit which I believe is going into its 15 year in 2012. That means each and every month, Mary or Marty, have had to pick up and hang quilts! Keep in mind this exhibit travels throughout the state of Michigan! That has been a lot of work and this year (2012) is the last year. It's time for Mary and Marty to take a well deserved break.
I sent out a note to the artists who have participated in the exhibit to have them bring a thank you card to the opening (or mail to me to give Mary and Marty). The box above is what I made to hold the cards. There were a slew of thank you cards when I left the exhibit last night!! I'm so glad!!

these were the fiber cards I made. Of course, I didn't have the setting correct on my camera (no surprise there!) so they aren't as bright as actual. This was Mary's fiber post card (note to her is on back) and it was bright orange/red/yellow...Mary's favorite colors are red/oranges.
This was for Marty...I didn't know her favorite colors but thought green would work for her. Again, actual color is a lot brighter.

I printed out the Thank You then did tangles, scanned back into computer and printed onto fabric. I sewed french knots on the lettering and then did the stab stitch on the background.

Puppy is calling as is hubby! He's getting wore out from the puppy stage but we'll get through it!

This is a sneak piece at the 'trade' Sally, over at Sally's Stuff blog, and I arranged. I made this cuff for her and she's making me a thermo fax screen! I'll be heading to the post office later this afternoon to mail her cuff. If you aren't familar with Sally's work go and check out her blog! She'll be coming to Houston in the fall as two of her art quilts are part of exhibits at the IQA show! How cool is that!

Today is another rainy day but Bob and I still have to go out to a Dr. appointment for him. Over the weekend he developed facial swelling which really had me concerned. We went to ER on Sunday but the Dr. thought it was inflammation of some glands or ducts. It seemed to go down some but yesterday the swelling was back. Not as bad again today but he still needs to be checked.

No new handwork for me yet! I want to make my daughter a table topper for her round coffee table using organza for the leaves. She showed me some designs so I have part of a plan but no work on it yet!! Just too busy playing MOM! Yikes! Kalee is like having a two year old to keep you on your toes. But it's SO well worth it!! We smile all the time and she's doing so good at sleeping through the night and her potty time outside.

Well, off to get ready to dodge rain drops, first with Kalee and then with Bob!

Attempt at our normal life

Well, our lives are attempting to get back to normal but I really think it's more like we're creating a new life! Our little Kalee is just a doll and makes us smile from the time we get up until we go to bed.
Today will be the first time I leave her for a few hours. It's the opening of the MQAI exhibit on Friday so today we hang the quilts. We have the hanging system down pat so it shouldn't take that long! I'm a new mom so I have to be home with my baby for awhile!
I think I'll be able to get back to my art work starting this weekend! Let's hope! Not sure I can bead at night for awhile either. I can just see Kalee eating the seed beads! Yikes!
Gotta run! It's play time again!! Whew! I should be in great shape running up and down the stairs. I have a feeling it will be a few months before our little one can climb stairs...what ever happened to having a one story house!

The worse of times, the best of times...

No, this isn't a Tale of Two Cities...but it's been the most awful time for Bob and I. I didn't know I could hurt that much from the loss of our beloved Mandy. I'm not going through everything that happened last Friday because it's too hard talking about it over and over again. Mandy most likely had a clot, stroke and went into cardiac arrest. She's not suffering anymore and Dunkel Vet's here in Davison did a wonderful job trying to save her. We'll be forever grateful for everything they did.
And now it's "time" for the best of "times"! We brought home our new puppy yesterday afternoon! You can read all about Kalee on her blog here. She's the sweetest little dog and so far just the smartest, best little puppy you could ask for! Kalee has brought us so many smiles since yesterday and is filling some of the void in our hearts. No dog will take the place of Mandy but Kalee will certainly create her own spot in our world. I hope for those who follow my blog and are animal lovers will go over to Kalee's blog to meet her.

Our hearts are broken

Mandy

November 3, 1999 -September 2, 2011

Our hears are broken...we lost our our angel.

Just playing

Just a quick post today. Of course I had to play with all I learned from Jill yesterday! This is my piece which is about 8" x 6". I just used some poly organza I had on hand.

I did notice that you have to watch which side you are sewing to! Well, duh! The middle piece is backwards from all the rest! It was enjoyable working on it and once Mary and I get our order for some silk organza we'll make our first Bojagi piece.
I also finished the cuff I was 'beading on the loom' and now I need to weave the 60! warp threads and add the cuff! It's almost finished, Sally!! I don't want to show any pictures until Sally receives it. I'll post our 'trade' story in a later post.
And I am working on my beaded butterfly for my journal piece. I keep forgetting to look up the name of this butterfly but it's from Hawaii...that's all I can remember about it...that and its colors are black, white and red! We've had some wonderful pleasant summer days with no air conditioning needed! We did turn it on last night as the humidity and thunderstorms started. Today doors and windows are open and so far it's pleasant. Temps are suppose to get up to 90 today but turning rainy and cold for the holiday weekend. Go figure! So I guess the air will get its workout again!