Oh HAPPY Day!

My sister called me a few minutes ago...she is scheduled to leave the hospital at the end of the month!  She has been hospitalized since January 7th.  Yahoo!!!

Happy Easter!

Boy did I fall behind in my Civil War blocks...I have three of them ready to go...pictures are here:

This first one is Fort Sumpter

This one is White House

This one is Comfort Quilt...all in Jo Morton Fabrics.  I am so excited about this Civil War quilt!


I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter!  We have a quiet home today.  My niece Katherine is in Amsterdam right now, going to Bruges, Belgium and then to several cities in Germany.  I have to hold down the fort with Grandma for a couple of weeks.

I have a fun week ahead!  I am so excited that the weather has warmed up.  I took my new bike out for a 30 minute ride...adventured to the neighboring city via bike path.  It was fun!  I love my new bike!

Enjoy that spring weather!

Busy, fun weekend!

Boy, oh boy do I have fun plans!  I started my weekend with a massage...and as usual, came home Friday night feeling wonderful!  My friend David is absolutely MAGICAL!  I hope everyone who has aches and pains can find someone like David to help them work through those "issues"....

Let's see...today started out with cookery and hopefully will end in a quilty fashion.  Katherine made quiches for breakfast...then we freeze the rest for week day breakfasts...wonderful!  A trip to Costco and we are set for the rest of the month with meat and vegetables...lucky us!  I hope to get my Civil War blocks done...I have two weeks to do.

Tomorrow is a BIG day...my friend David is coming over and we are going to work on a quilt for him.  He is redecorating his space and needs something quilty for his bed.  His house has a decoration on the front...I noticed it was a quilt block standing on point...Puss in the Corner!  How fun is that?  I think that Puss in the Corner will have to be a second quilt somewhere down the road.

More later on Shipshe, and hopefully the Civil War blocks.  Katherine has laid out her graduation quilt so now I have to start putting that puppy together.  It will be a beautiful quilt!

Inspiration and Affirmation

My visits to Shipshewana are inspiring always.  I get to visit with people I only see once a year.  I also get to see all kinds of quilts and all kinds of quilters.  One of the people I see is Rebecca Haarer.  I mentioned her name in one of the shops and the shop keeper said that she read Rebecca's blog...well, I got all excited and when I saw Rebecca, I asked about her blog, wanting to become a follower.  There is no blog at this point, much to my dismay.  Rebecca has such a gift with words.  I want to share with you an email she sent me ( I have her permission) that will inspire me for years to come.  We only saw each other for maybe a total of 15 minutes during the time I was in Shipshewana, but she made an observation that has me glowing...what follows is an affirmation of the work I have been doing for the last three months, with my friend Maria, a nutritionist, and my friend David, a massage therapist.  Here is Rebecca's note.

Hi Deb! I am barely awake it seems as I check my email after several very fun and busy days! I got in too late last night to check email, as I had a birthday party cookout to attend after work yesterday. I promised myself when I dropped into bed early this am, that I would "sleep in" but here, I am. Not to worry though....soon, I will turn this lap top off, set it aside, and roll over, and go back to sleep!


I am still very happy inside and out, from the happiness of having you and all the other beautiful quilters here. It just feeds my Soul and Spirit to have all of your creativity and enthusiasm sprinkled around the community. There is nothing better than to have a group of quilters in the shop laughing, discussing, and being excited, in general about quilts. I LOVE it!!!


Thank you So much for sending your blog to me. I enjoyed reading quite a bit of it!!! I wanted to tell you when you first walked into the shop, how radiant you look. Your "energy" has really shifted... in some way, and I couldn't put my finger on it but having read your blog....I know in part, it is the weight loss! wow. Congratulations on your committment to a healthier life style. You are an inspiration to me. (this is something I too need to address!) I have to say, that even though you have lost weight, there is MORE to you, in terms of energy, or something! You do look and feel radiant!


Also, I am sending prayers to your sister. Thank you for sharing her journey...what a journey, and I pray for her and her family. Witnessing a family member friend go thru this is a huge task. I feel for you as well. God's grace, to you all.


I also enjoyed seeing your quilt blocks. What fun blog sharing. I don't know if I will set up a blog....I don't quilt. I don't know If I would have something consistent to share. Probably my posts would be "all over the place!" But, If I do set up a blog.....I will thank YOU for your encouragement.

Now, back to sleep. Hope everything I have written makes sense...as there is still plenty of "sleep" in my brain!


Thank you Deb!


Be well! Rebecca Haarer


Now isn't that inspirational?  I have to thank Maria, David and my niece for their support and guidance in this journey I am on to a healthier me.  Life style changes take a whole lot of support and patience!  But, I am finding these changes worthwhile...
 
More on Shipshe later when I get caught up!

Sadness....last full day at the retreat!

We are frantically sewing and I am still behind.  I have two projects with me that I have not even touched yet!  I did finish sewing my niece's graduation quilt blocks...she gets to crawl on the floor when I get home and lay it out.  Finally! 

I am having a great time with my friends...

Here we are, standing in the rain in front of a quilt shop.  Cindy took the picture and refused to have her picture taken...harumph!

We went from here to Gene Stratton-Porter's cabin...so there will be more pictures to folllow!

Adventure!!!

What a fun day!  We started out the morning with a wonderful breakfast at the 5 and 20 Restaurant...then went to Rome City and found Carolines Country Quilts...what a cute shop!  I was forced to buy some fabric and a pattern for slippers.  Then we went on to Gene Stratton-Porter's cabin.  Oh my gosh!  What a fabulous place!  I have lots of pictures but will have to take some time to label them, etc.  I will share them later...for now, here is the group, minus Cindy (who insists she is in the witness protection program)....

Cold and rainy!  We saw mute swans and heard Candian Geese...it was a lovely place.

More to come!

Oh yeah, I was forced to go to Lolly's and spend a bunch of money there.  Oh my...too bad for me!

Too excited for words!

I actually slept last night (except for the personal, private, tropical vacation I had at 3am)...I hate hot flashes!  I think tonight may be another story all together...

JoAnn tells me that she is going to be all done packing and get to bed at a decent hour.  Her clothes were packed by the time I talked to her at 5pm...it was just to get the projects pulled together.  What a challenge!

We are all set as far as I can tell.  I can't wait!  I feel like a little kid!

Oh dear! Mixed feelings!

I am packing my heart out...and I know I will forget stuff...and take too much....and wish I had brought something else.  Oh well, I am sure I will have friends there that can lend me what I forgot, right?

I am so excited to be going and yet nervous to leave...I want to be sure I cover every base and make everything OK before I go...but that can't happen.  So, jittery I will have to be.

This year is so different from previous years.  I haven't felt this good for many years and it will be different to be in this place I enjoy so much and be able to enjoy myself!  Hard to express how I am feeling.  Anyway...thanks to my friends for their part in my improved health...the Diva is on the right path now!

Is it Tuesday yet?  I believe we are leaving at 6:30AM which means I may be fired right off the bat.  JoAnn is NOT a morning person!  Oh well, by the time we get to Chicago, she will appreciate me again....since I am the driver.

Here is a preview of one quilt I will be working on:

I love basket quilts...this one will have a double handle on each basket.  The fabrics come from the Nottingham collection which is one of my favorites.

I am looking forward to finishing my niece's graduation quilt at the retreat...she reminds me on a regular basis that she graduated in 2005...AND 2010....sigh....

And I plan to work on, hopefully finish, the mystery quilt I started the end of February.  That one will be extraordinary...pinks and browns...Jo Morton fabric.

Then, just in case I get bored, or need to converse...I have several of my blocks from the Heart in Hand applique that I hope to finish.

What do you think?  Do I need to bring more?  Aren't we there for 4 and 1/2 days?  I need to clear my schedule so I can get to David's quilt...that will be wonderful!

Fun day!

Oh what a fun day I have had!  Met a friend for breakfast and then off to the quilt shop to look at fabric...We are cooking up a new quilt for him.  I am really excited about this!

I am in the midst of packing to go to Shipshewana next week...and I had to stop to make the Barbara Brackman BOW...cute block...Jo Morton fabrics, of course!

This one is called Fox and Geese...I used some new and some old fabrics...my stash is getting some exercise here!

I have a really neat setting picked out...these blocks on point with setting blocks that are half light and half dark...not log cabins, more like quarter square triangles, but more angular.  I am excited to get this one finished!

I hope everyone has fun plans for the weekend!

I am going to visit my sister in the hospital tomorrow and continue to work on packing for the trip.  Oooh!  I can't wait!