Michigan Speaks

My long time friend from Michigan wrote to me today. She is probably the only person in the state without a computer and no desire to have one. She actually likes to sit there and write in longhand.

Know anyone like that?

I didn't think so.

Patti lives on the outskirts of town in a house taken from the pages of Victoria magazine. She has done everything herself, and her husband Ern has done the woodwork. Ern is so talented in wood. The lifesize horses he has carved! Oh stop me please. He is just outstanding.

Patti is no slouch either. She knows more about Victoriana than anyone I know. She can take something and turn it into antebellum. Here's her new project. She bought an old beat up motor home and has turned it into "Aunt PittyPats Pretty Camper Rose Cottage"... complete with three chandeliers, lace curtains, and roses galore! She has a little porch on it and has painted it inside and out. Putting her Patti touch on it.

It doesn't run. It isn't supposed to. Its mission in life is to sit there in the yard and be a gracious little getaway, so to speak. To sit in the evening cool, listening to the grasshoppers and the swaying trees, to watch the sunset and feel the breeze on your face, to let the day's worries waft away.

Good work Patti, my hat's off to you.

Kathygirl

The importance of family

This week I had something unexpected happen. Hmmm... maybe it was one of those posts I got. You know, the ones that say if you forward it to ten people in ten minutes you'll have good luck?

Anyway, I enjoy genealogy and have posted my tree on the internet. I use my yahoo email just because. Last week I went there to clean out the spam, and I had one email out of 1,192 that was a personal one to me. The subject was "family tree maker info" and I almost deleted it along with the others!

This wonderful email was from my cousin Di. Now what's the big deal there, you say?

I lost contact with this cousin in 1969, when my mother passed away. The last time I saw Di was at the funeral. Di is a lot younger than I am, because I'm the oldest of the oldest. So I'm more like an aunt to her in age talk.

I knew she was somewhere, but not spelling her married name right hindered me from ever finding her. She found me! But here's the really cute part. She didn't know who I was! Now isn't that nifty?

I am thrilled beyond words. This cousin has always been very dear to me, and we grew up having the same grandma raise us, and at the same time. Di was a toddler and I was a teenager then.

I know that the Lord had to orchestrate this. He is so generous. Thank you Lord for Di, and for putting us together again.

Kathygirl

ONE OF MY TALENTED SONS

My Army son sent this foto to me tonight.


He took it at the arboretum here in Houston last month. I don't know where he gets this talent, but he's an excellent photographer, don't you agree? No website yet but there's one in the works.




Take it easy. I have three grueling days of work ahead of me, starting in the morning. Twelve hour shifts each day. But still, I thank God for my job. Things could be worse.


Have a wonderful weekend! I'll check back Sunday.

Kathygirl

Buy My Son a Tree

My son Ken has his own blog. Hey, it's a pretty good one. You will enjoy it if you go on over there and take a look.

He came up with an idea. Instead of the "If you like this post, buy me a beer" he prefers a tree.

So I added a link down on the left of my blogspot so you can give this guy a tree. Go take a look and if you need any advice, you can Ask Ken.

May we hav tree pleez?

Kathygirl

Finally getting to the quilt

My daughter is putting the thumb screws to me.

She wants her quilt.

Now mind you, the Other Daughter.. well HER quilt is stuck in the Netherworld (lovingly called The Closet) because I hit a snag with it. And SHE never mentions it.

But this here daughter, she's the baby.

You know how they are.

So I started tonight.

First I decided not to use my Janome, but will serge the whole thing. So I managed... don't ask how... to get it out from behind and around and through.. and dusted it off, did a trial run. Not up to specs. It runs fine but the stitch was a bit of a pucker. Unplug. Move.

Out comes the Brother PQ1500. This is a real workhorse. I also had it behind and over... had nick nacks on it for goodness sakes. Dusted it too and polished it up, had to get the book out because it had been tooooooo long!

And so I started. Just a simple thing. This quilt is for the guest room. My daughter has applied to be a foster parent. So the quilt must be equally suitable for boy or girl.

Last time she was in town, we went to Joann's and fabric shopped. Got the fabric. There it sat. Too much text messaging here. So I decided to use simple 8" blocks with no sashing. And my friend will do an all over stipple for me, it will look nice. And I can get backing with a faint design, then it can be reversible. That sounds good.

Got a few blocks together and it didn't take much to see that I will be hunting for additional fabric, cause I didn't get enough! sigh.

Our dog-person Nikki gives it her stamp of approval.

So guess where I'll be tomorrow? Yuh. Joann's. They'll be glad to see me. I do a lot of selling for them while I'm there, just making suggestions to this stranger or that... oh, you know how it is!!

Later, y'all

Kathygirl