Balloons, Bags, and a Giveaway

Yesterday this hot air balloon was flying over our property. This is the second one I have seen this weekend. And they were not the same ones. It was a beautiful weekend for something like this and hopefully some day Rich and I can take a hot air balloon ride. It was looking like it was thinking of landing in our pasture.

Luckily the balloon did not land in our pasture, and it didn't seem to bother the horses too much.

I did get out and ride the last several days. It is so pretty out and has been the perfect weather for riding!

Last night I put the finishing touches on the pincushion. I am pretty happy with the way it came out and then I made this bag from the same book the pincushion came from. The material for the bag is Summer In The City by Urban Chicks. I think the line is about a year old. THe lining is a plaid from the same line.

J and I have this game we play called "Did you know". We try to see what totally useless information we can stump the other person with. Example: Did you know that more people are killed by donkeys than airplanes?? or Did you know that a pearl will melt in vinegar?? so...where is this going?

Now, for what you have all been waiting for. I am at post 107. So in honor of missing post 100 and being at 107, a giveaway. But you have to come up with a totally useless piece of information and post it. Then J will pick the winner next Monday, the 20th. So hunt up that useless info and leave a comment. Who knows what we might learn! Oh, and the winner will win a bag like above, filled with ???.

Saturday Sunshine

It is an absolutely beautiful Saturday afternoon here in NE Ohio. The sun is shining and its warm - was 75 for a high and tomorrow is supposed to be 78! That is not normal NE Ohio weather, but I will gladly take it! I actually got outside and did some weeding in the flower beds and we got the grass cut for probably the final time. This is my single pumpkin with 5 of my 11 little pumpkins. What a bummer year!

Last night was Jr High night at the High School football game. The JR high players, cheerleaders and band members get to go out on the field and hang with their respective groups. So J was able to play in the band. He plays the trumpet; and they played the fight song and the jaws theme in the spirit tunnel and then played a song, Smoke on the Water, at half time with the band. Our band is REALLY small, like 50 people maybe. I think the cross country team is bigger than the band. Yeah, its really sad, and you can't hear them and they don't play anything good! Here is a picture of J during the spirit tunnel.

Then today was PAC (pioneer athletic conference) meet. Our teams placed 1st in all the races. J, unfortunately, did not race. His ankle is just not feeling better and after being on it last night and running on it in practice etc he just couldn't do it. He was pretty upset about it, but he does still have the state race in two weeks so we are going to take it easy a few days and plan on that.



The park where the meet was at was just beautiful, and has a great trail riding path (HINT HINT DAD!). These are two pictures I took this morning of the park and the trees starting to change.

No sewing has been going on, just too busy. But I did finish my number one favorite book of the year so far. It is called The Necklace by Cherly Jarvis. It is a true story of 13 women who buy a diamond necklace together and share it. It talks about how each felt about the necklace, the group and how they changed their lives because of the necklace. Very good, I would definately recommend it to anyone. It was a quick read, but really shows how material things are not that important and its more about the lessons learned!

Here I come!

Check Out...

...mom's giveaway here

What's new?

....Not much. The kids are in school, Rich and I are both working, and it is raining. There you have it. In fact this is what Rich is doing tonight (and last night, and probably tomorrow night!).

But he did fix the chair tonight. The screws came out of it so it leaned very badly to one side. Its much better now.


Last night I took T to the library to return some books, and of course pick up more!

I found this book just looking so lonely sitting on the shelf:

I made this pincushion last night from the book. Its not done yet, I still have to put the seam thread on and sew it shut but you get the idea. There i also a great bag in the book that I think I am going to have to try to make!

Tonight I put the border on J's quilt and cut and ironed the binding. Now I just have to cut the backing, sew it togehter, baste the quilt, quilt it and sew the binding. Then comes the dreaded hand sewing the binding.

I have passed 100 posts so I am going to have a giveaway for 109. yeah, I just have to be weird. I was thinking of going with 113...hmmm....maybe...ok, keep an eye out and it will be a contest that you have to participate in to win, not just leave a comment....wonder what it will be!

Great Giveaway

Check out this giveway I found here!

And the pattern for the fabric baskets can be found here.

Busy, Busy

It has been a fairly busy weekend since Thursday.

Friday I worked and then came home and just chilled out. Ok, so Friday night wasn't busy, but I think I needed it. We have had lines out the door at work with people wanting assistance. Everyone says it is crazy and that they haven't seen lines like this in a LONG time! Our line in the morning was out the door all morning! So I chilled out on Friday night, reading and watching mindless TV while Rich took the kids to the football game.

Then Saturday I cleaned most of the day. Trying to get some "fall cleaning" done. So it was really a deeper cleaning than I usually do! While I was cleaning I pulled a liner out a Longaberger basket that Rich's ex-wife gave me during one of our "good" times - they aren't very often, and I found a $100.00 bill! WOO HOO!! yeah me! Then Saturday night we pretty much hung out - just Rich and I. We watched State play (they won!) and did nothing in general. The house is very clean though, with the exception of my sewing area (See picture!)

And today was a very productive day (mostly!). I went to see my friend Holly who is waiting on a heart. She has an artificial heart in right now so she is hooked up to that machine and then is hooked up to a breathing machine. No talking because of the trach tube, but she is hoping this week to get the kind she will be able to talk with, and to be relisted on the transplant list. She was taken off of it when they were trying to stabalize her and her artificial heart. She now has to also get stronger (6 weeks in ICU!) before they relist her. But she is doing really good and is fighting. I know she is frustrated, but it will be worth it in the end! I also managed to get lost twice up there. No one told me that only one parking garage was open on Sundays - yes, I go to the clinic often, but not usually on Sundays, and the open garage is not one I even know where it is!!!! I am usually a patient in the hospital if I am there on a Sunday. Then the exit to the highway was closed. It was just horrible! And of course, Rich was not answering his phone.

Then I went to Kohl's to get Rich a birthday present, his birthday was the first. I know, I am late, but he understood. And then went to JoAnn's to pick up the material for J's quilt. I spent part of that $100 on it so it worked out well. And yeah, it could have been spent on other things, but I really want to get this done for J'. He has been so patient and the material was on sale for $2.99. So I picked up the following:

The cowboy print is the border and binding

I am not a pink person, but I like this for some reason.

Dragonflies. Just had to have it, there like frogs, just have to have them!

And lastly the two baskets that I made last night and tonight. They were super easy to make and went together really fast. One or both are going to Mary. Its up to her which one (or both) she wants.

Now I am off to make the coffee and read before bed. I have an appointment at 7:00 am before work tomorrow morning so it will early to bed. And hopefully in the next 3 weeks I will have a permanent job!

My Quilting Horoscope

And I think it fits!




This is from The Quilters Horoscope by Pauline Rogers

Taurus - April 21 to May 20
Taurus is the quilter who always finishes a project, as they are persistent and determined. When attending workshops or using a pattern they will follow every instruction to the letter. They can be greedy when it comes to their stash, as they know the value of material. They save every bit of scrap. However, they are warmhearted and loving to such a degree that they have given away nearly every quilt they have ever made. They are gifted artists, excelling at sewing, patchwork and quilting. The stitching in their quilts is of such high quality that their quilts will endure for eons.

In other news, tonight was the last jr high cross country meet before districts. J ran a 15:23 WITH a sprained ankle. He wanted to run and was determined to do so, and he did! Very happy with his time. It is also homecoming weekend, and we missed the parade, but oh well, what can you do!

We have spirit!

J, running hard

It is also getting cold here. 42 when I left the house this morning and is supposed to be 39 tonight. We were so cold at the meet, the poor kids I am sure had it worse. J wasn't going to wear his underarmour, but I packed it anyway and he was certianly glad I did! Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to start another project. I definately want to make a fabric basket and have some other things I want to do! But I am off to snuggle up in bed and hopefully get warm!

CC, exploring Robin's truck