Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello

Two years ago tonight I spent my first night in this house.

So this is my second New Years here-I hope it will be my last.

I love the house but I've learned a lot about myself in the past two years.

I've learned I'm an introvert who interacts with people one on one but not in big groups.

I've learned that I'm a sensitive who reacts to the emotions that flood off other people.

I've learned that I have inattentive ADD (Boy did that explain SO much.)

Lastly, I've learned that at this point in my life I should not have a permanent address.

I spent 3 happy months in 2016 out and about in my trailer (Ceili)

and I am just not as happy in one place.

Sometimes, houses and other things can feel like chains.

I plan to break them this year.

Perhaps my word for 2019 will be "Change".

I like it!

I'm wishing all of you a wonderful 2019!

May you break the chains that hold you back,

Change whatever you need to change,

and be happy!

Last RSC for 2018 and plans for next year

The top for my Scrappy Granny is complete,

at last.

Big sigh.

I lived with the layout for about three weeks!

Maybe it could be better but I like it.

Even the sashing is scrappy-it took FOUR different blues!

Today, I will make the backing and binding.

It won't be finished until 2019 though.

There's still too much going on!

So next year for RSC I have several quilts I'll make blocks for.

First up:

Hash Tag! 

A pattern I picked up at Missouri Star last year.

I'll be using 2 inch strips instead of 2 1/2 inch strips though.

My 2 1/2 inch strips (along with 1 1/2 inch strips) go into

 4-Patch Frenzy

Another Missouri Star pattern.

This one given me by a lovely lady from Canada.

For hand work:

Lucy Boston.

Not sure what size I'll make the blocks yet.

I will continue using up 2 1/2 inch squares by making 9 patches

with white.

I tried to get organized about the quilting for the upcoming year (S)!

I put every pattern into this binder.

 Inside I put the pattern inside a plastic sleeve,

then added a print out sheet of the steps required.

When I put this together I had 45 quilts I want to make!

I won't get them all done this year!

All the works in progress plus the NEXT up are in project boxes,

mostly ready for me to begin.

Unless they are for RSC and the box will hold the finished blocks.

As each project is completed I'll put another one in that box.

I plan to be gone in the trailer for a big part of 2019

and I want plenty of things to do!

I have 15 or so boxes so that should do it!

Merry Christmas One and All!

For those of you in Australia and New Zealand 

Santa has already arrived!

For us in the US and Canada

We are still waiting!

I hope that each of you find peace, good health, 

happiness in 2019.

(and that Chookyblue gets more rain!)

A New branch on the tree

Welcome Isabel!

Born December 20, 2018

Weighing int at 8lbs 2.4 ozs

She looks just like her big brother, Ryan 

and is laid back and  a snuggler!

Mama and Isabel are both doing well and are home from the hospital.

Should be a VERY busy few days at the Lennon Fines household!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge Grannies

My Scrap challenge blocks for this year.

I like them!

BUT. . .

They won't make a very large quilt.

I really like to make quilts that will fit a bed.

Even with borders and sashing(see below photo for that fabric) this won't be that large.

So, the question for me is. . .

Do I leave it alone (except for rearranging the blocks)

OR

do I dig into the scrap/strip drawers for

 pink, purple, red, yellow and orange and make more blocks?

What do you think?

For now these blocks will reside on my design wall.

UNTIL,

 I make up my mind.

Gifties

I've been seriously missing from bogland the past few weeks

But I have not been idle.

Well, at least not totally idle.

I have a new granddaughter arriving no later than Dec 20th!

Quilts must be made!

First up is the Peter Rabbit quilt.

(Whenever I make baby quilts there's always one I like and one I don't!

Peter is the don't!!)

It is quite large and will probably cover both Mommy and baby so it's all good.

I guess!

Close up of Peter fabric.

The one I do like-this yellow and white Hole in Nine.

(Sorry about the shadows but I was working between snow events!)

Both of these have fleece on the back-warm but light.

The last of the baby sewing.

Burb Rags!

Always popular with the new parents,

I often get requests for MORE!

An even dozen here.

These are simple to make, sturdy in the wash, soft and big 

enough to keep your clothes clean!

We had a mini baby shower/birthday party for Bri last Sunday.

We had fun shopping for a GIRL!

And the new baby hit the jackpot!

I have more to sewing to show, 

Will be back tomorrow!

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. . .

Image from the National World War I Memorial 
Kansas City, Missouri

On this the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I
let us never forget the cost of war.

The Memorial has been celebrating for the past 9 days,
by illuminating the north side of the memorial with poppies.
Today there was a service held at the memorial 
which included  readings of diaries, letters
 and remembrances of those who served, 
those who died and those left at home.
Not all were from the United States.
Selections from other countries
 were read by a member of the Armed Forces from that country.
So some Brits, a Frenchman, even an Aussie along with others.

You can view photos of  the poppy installation
  as well as video of this mornings events here--
www.theworldwar.org/armisticeday

We will remember.

October

October

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild, 

Begin the hours of this day slow,

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled, 

Beguile us in the way you know;

Release one leaf at break of day; 

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away;

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--

For the grapes' sake along the wall.

Robert Frost.

A Short Vacation!

 Last Friday my daughter, Elizabeth, and I left Kansas City and headed west to San Diego CA.
All to visit my oldest son, Steve, his wife, Candice and this girlie!  Currently, my only granddaughter, NORA! Who turned 9 just recently!  (She will be joined by another granddaughter in December-which will bring the count to 4 boys ad 2 girls)

She is a hoot and delightful! Being silly with her hot chocolate!

This is Saturday morning.  This is always a whirlwind of a trip and certain things simply MUST be done when I am there.

 We took a Gondola ride on Coronado Island after a great dinner at the Fish Market on the bay the first night. I had never been over the bridge to the island and the ride took us among the boats of the wealthy and their bayside homes.  Interesting but not my lifestyle.

After Saturday's Breakfast silliness we were off to Penzy's to pick up a free box of samples and some jars of spices--I found Fines Herbs!  Been looking everywhere for that!

Then it was off to La Jolla to see the seals at the Children's Pool.  No children are allowed to swim there now as the Seals and Sea Lions have taken it over!  It was fun to stand on the breakwater and watch the seals swimming in the Pacific! There were also lots of Pelicans, no sea lions that day.

A short drive later and we are at La Jolla Shores beach headed toward the tide pools.  Along the way we found all these

TINY sand dollars!  I even managed  to get them home without breaking them!

 

Nora found an Octopus (Very small and I never did see it for the silt) we saw lots of sea urchins and very small conches while we clambered over the rocks. 

On Sunday, Beth and I wanted to go the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park so we were up quite early and eating breakfast when Nora joined us (Steve and Candice came later) We opened the place and closed it as well!  I think Beth's step counter said 18,000 steps for that day!

I've been several times and always enjoy it-think it's the closest I'll ever get to seeing the animals in the wild.  Best parts for me: watching the keepers feed the Gorillas! Especially the one that kept begging for more by holding its arms up!  And the baby elephants-one born in August and one in September, just adorable little ones.  The Park is heavily into the breeding of endangered species and works worldwide to save wildlife.

Monday, as Steven had to work and Nora was off to school we set off for some other more Touristy sites.

First up was Old Town.  I had never been and neither had she so we walked about being tourists!

Then we headed to one of my very favorite places-THE DOG BEACH!  Of course, we got lost along the way.  I know how to find things there just well enough to get lost each and every time I go there!  But we did find it at last, thank you google maps!  Both Beth and I are serious Dog people and sitting there watching dogs have such a blast both in and out of the water is just so FUN!  The dogs love it-in fact one dog on his way home just laid down in the sand-still with his ball in his mouth while his Mom walked away.  We said "look he dosen't want to go home!"  She said-"It's a stand off every day!"  Then she said "Well, see you later" and the dog ran after her. Still makes me smile.
The last place we headed before I took her to the airport as she was leaving before me was to Seaport Village for a little shopping!

Not all my purchases but. . .  I love glass and miniatures so a little (not tiny) turtle and a tiny dolphin both of glass.

And a Harry Potter mug! 

 Mischief has been managed for this post!

(And I am home again!)

PS-This blog is kind of a mess!  But I've fought and fought with Blogster and I GIVE UP!

Another Finish!

I'm on a roll this year finishing up quilts.

I actually finished this Rail Fence

Week before last.

We've had SO much rain 10" in four days!

Then 1" more a couple of days later.

(None of this had anything to do with a hurricane!)

At any rate I couldn't get outside for a decent photo

as the back yard resembled a pond.

It's lucky I did it while there was a short blip of sunshine

as it's been mostly cloudy and cool.

All that rain 

and the temperature plummeted!

Went from Air conditioning to heat almost overnight.

Gotta love the weather in Missouri 

Where it's too far north for mild winters

 and too far south for mild summers.

I mostly hate it!

I've always said it was too bad the weather was so bad

as it's such a pretty place.

Back to the Quilt.

I tried something new on this one

Used fleece as both batting and backing.

Only one layer.

It's quite light and very warm.

(And oh so much less expensive.)

I'll be doing more of that.

I liked it.

Finished Part 1

I began an enormous project eight or ten years ago.

  I sorted and scanned a lifetime's worth of photographs.

Today, I scanned the final actual photo!

(Well, unless I open something else and it has photos in it-

that's happened a couple of time!)

I still have one roll of negatives to scan, 

and some slides.

Still, I like thinking that most of Part one of this project is finished!

Happy Dance!

Blue Grannies

Really dark aren't they?

Well, this month the color was dark blue!

I've managed to mostly stay caught up on these this year.

Amazing!

After camping

I took Ceili (my little 23' camper) Out for 4 days beginning last Thursday.

It always takes a ton of work to get ready to go.

Mostly, because I am still modifying the interior.

I have to take power tools and wood and more.

Quinn and I did enjoy the days as the weather turned cool

and gave us glorious skies!

Many walks, both short and long were taken.

On Saturday, Scott (youngest son) came out to Arrow Rock State Park for the afternoon.

We had such a good time-always enjoy time with one of my children without any one else.

We also walked from the campground into the Town of Arrow Rock.

The picture above is of Main Street in late afternoon sun.

The business district is about 1 block long!

It does have a really nice yarn shop.

I didn't bring any home!

This is the Arrow Rock Lycecum.

A small theater that produces melodramas and some musical shows.

I haven't been but it is VERY popular!

The campground is small and it can be very hard to get a space on show weekends!

I did quite a bit of work on the inside of Ceili.

Mostly finish work now.

Then I'll try my hand a posting a video!

Quinn the photo bomber!  She turned 7 on the 23rd.

I did take along some hand work.

Of course!

I finished sewing down the binding on the pink four-patch.

Also worked on a somewhat secret paper piecing project 

and did quite a bit on Ethan's Stocking.

(Without any un-sewing I might add!)

Met up with my Baylor roomie in Columbia for lunch yesterday!

Crackerbarrel all the way!

She was traveling through with her youngest daughter and hubby.

Her daughter was moving from DC to Colorado Springs for a new job.

It's always nice to see her and visit as she lives in Texas!

After that I drove Ceili to storage

and then home.

A good weekend all in all.

Even if I'm quite tired!

Finished. . . Finally!

Nora's Stocking!

I think I worked on this for 3 or 4 years!

So much blending filament, I hate that stuff!

It really makes the icing sparkle though.

It will join the others on my stairs in December.

The first stitches have been taken on this:

Ethan's stocking.

No blending filament in this one!

On the Janome I've been building red and blue rails.

All the blocks are finished and I'm putting together the rows.

I started a new English Paper Piecing project.

I think there will be several thousand 3/4" squares in this project.

The little pink four patch quilt is

under the needle being quilted.

There's something hinky I need to fix in the border first though.

It's been raining lately so there's been lots of time in the studio.

Speaking of the studio,

I'm off to work!

On Fall

This once was a pepper plant!

Fall is coming.

Thank Goodness!

The sun no longer shines in my North facing windows.

The days are shorter.

That does not mean it is much cooler.

In the 80F's instead of the 90F's 

and quite humid.

We officially had 4 1/2 inches of rain in August 

that's at the airport far north of here.

The weather changes every 20 miles or so.

South of the Missouri river is different from the north (where the airport is.)

South of I-70 the same.

I live nearly into the next county I'm so far south.

I don't think the airport is much of a match

 but it's the "official" site for measuring such things.

At any rate we are still down 3 inches for the year.

Fall is typically dry but these days

 I don't think there is such a thing a typical weather.

One of many piles of tree branches dealt with.

While there was rain the fly population went into hiding.

It has returned and I am back to being a mass murderer.

I'm also dumping the potted veggies.

They look pretty sick.

Then, I'm turning the pot upside down in the Hosta garden

to keep little miss Quinn from digging and lying in the dirt.

She had unearthed part of the roots of one plant!

 No more of that!

I have several maple trees here,

It seems that their branches grow out a long way

 and then take a sharp turn 

towards the ground.

The one in the front had gotten so bad

 that I was ducking tree branches walking to the mail box! 

 Not to mention the branches caught in the door of the truck!

So last week,

I took the little chain saw on a pole out and cut down

branches-at the tree.

(Discovered I have a couple of more that need it since.)

Then I hauled the branches to the backyard.

I've been going out for a bit each day

Clipping off the leaves and smaller branches into yard waste bags.

I finished that this morning.

I still need to cut up the bigger pieces and tie them into a bundle for pickup.

Then I will deal with those that I missed.

Soon there will be leaves to rake.

Grass to rake and overseed.

Every season has it's own chores.

Fall chores have begun.

Still,

FALL IS COMING!

Catch up!

Finished this table runner last week, 

Just couldn't manage a photo!

 Rain, camera battery and just plain forgetfulness all to blame.

I've been working, long hours every day, on Nora's Stocking.

I got such a lift finishing the big black and gold quilt

 that I decided I'd finish it this month.

I think I'm going to make it!

Only a bit more finishing up on the bulk of the sock,

Her name

and assembling into a Christmas stocking.

In other areas,

I've spent hours working on sorting out all the "Hickam" stuff!

I got quite a bit off Ancestry

and Family Search.

Now I'm checking, fixing mistakes as I find them,

 deleting, merging and printing out clean copies.

I have one family that's giving me fits!

Will go back to them next week.

Soon it will be onto the Weddles (my Grandmother Hickam).

It will take longer!

We've had rain, though not enough to end the drought.

Cooler weather for a few days (once I even put on a sweater!)

But, the heat and humidity came back!

Now we are under a heat advisory, so must stay inside.

Only a few more weeks of horrid heat.

I hope!

A little sewing!

 First up.

Orange Granny Squares for Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

 Then Catch up!

Red Granny Squares for Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Last Month's color.

Had them cut out for weeks

Finally got them sewn up.

Finished top of what I'm calling the Pink 4 patch.

The blue hanging beside it will be the back.

There may be some yellow added if needed as I have some left.

I've already cut the binding strips.

Unless I have to buy batting

(really hope not but haven't looked)

I've only bought the yellow border fabric,

All the rest is from the stash.

I've also nearly finished the quilting of the fall table runner.

All in all a great week sewing!

Makes me so willing to go into the studio to work!

Speaking of the studio. . .

I had to clean up a bit.

Needs still more tidying.

Perhaps today.

(Only if I can't find something!)

FINISHED!

As you can see,

Tanya's Black and Gold quilt is finally finished.

I decided that having it hanging around

 was negatively affecting my energy so I finished it!

There are two more rows of blocks behind 

the hangin quilt.

It's a BIG one!

Making it was simply one issue after another.

I try to remember that perfect is the enemy of done.

I did learn, too late for this one,

That I should use a 6 foot table to quilt big ones.

Or perhaps all of them?

Now that it's done I feel more like stitching again! 

Housework-be gone.

Stitching to do!

Mass Murder!

The patio door has become a killing field!

There are now enough fly guts on the glass that a proper wash-up will soon be required.

In the past two days I've killed at least 20 flies.

I have no idea where they are getting in.

I didn't have this problem last year.

I think that there's at least one  I haven't managed to kill though.

Maybe more.

Now you know, 

I 

Am

A

Mass

Murderer!

Exciting times!

Yes, that's my driveway!

They cut away a big section and jack hammered away the cement!

All to repair a water line that was leaking.

Leaving a constant puddle and runoff on the street.

They dug a VERY deep hole and replaced the pipe under the street,

then filled the hole in with gravel.

Tomorrow they will pour concrete on the torn up area.

In two weeks my drive with be useable again!

Such excitement!

Adventures!

Martin pond, Iowa

Last Thursday I picked Ceili up from storage and headed east on US highway 24.

Ended up at Wakonda State Park quite near the Mississippi river!

Close to Hannibal, hometown of Samuel C. Clements better know as Mark Twain.

On Friday, I worked on the changes I'm making to Ceili so she will be more comfortable.

Did a bit of cooking for the next day.

Drove into Quincy, IL to purchase the things I forgot to bring!

Well, some of them!

Quincy had some very unusual houses.

I wished for my camera, 

but of course I'd left it behind.

When will I learn?

On Saturday, I managed to get myself lost.

Going from the campground to Larry's sister's place.

Thank goodness for Lucas!

Who talked me through sending him my location on the Iphone

and then found me and led me in!

There was an afternoon and evening of visiting,

most of Larry's family was in attendance.

It wasn't hot which was seriously welcome!

As was the rain that came off and on all afternoon.

Speaking of rain.

It rained at the campground off and on all night.

Woke both Quinn and I several times,

Well that and the folks talking in the wee hours.

Several folks lost dining canopies and one trailer lost it's awning!

Must have been windy,

I didn't notice that.

The rain continued most of  Sunday morning,

finally driving me out of the trailer from the pounding on the roof.

That pounding brought on a pounding in my head!

(I'm not complaining that it rained! 

For one thing we are in desperate need of much more.

Then, if I did, thinking of Chookyblue and how desperately she needs rain-

well I'd feel guilty.)

I had planned a trip into Iowa for Sunday.

When I think of Iowa I think of corn and flat.

I don't think I'll drive up and down hills through a pine and hardwood state forest.

Then we wandered up and down roads like this:

Osage Road to the south

and to the north.

 Not flat.

Although there was plenty of corn!

Finally, we arrived at our destination.

Center Chapel Church.

More specifically the cemetery at the church.

I was looking for this stone in particular.

John and Mary Ann Evans Watkins.

Emigrant ancestors from Breconshire, Wales.

The last of my families to come to the United States.

Arriving in 1881.

On the return trip I thought it would be interesting to see Keokuk, IA.

I don't know why.

Crossed the Mississippi river, unintentionally.

Decided to drive along the river instead of turning around.

I did drive beside the river for a bit then through farms of corn.

Had to go clear to Quincy to cross back over the river.

I've never been fond of Illinois.

I haven't changed my mind.