On June 14, the Blacksmith's great-nephew, turned 15. Two days later he got his driving permit.
One month later, Bradley is driving the hardest road he will ever travel. He was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, stage 4.
The extended family has banded together to help him and his family in any way we can. There is a Carebridge site set up under" Battling for Bradley". The Facebook page is "Battling for Bradley Fundraising Group".
Life is not fair sometimes. Please add Bradley to your prayer list.
Our church had their annual parish picnic on Sunday.
On Thursday we helped roast 1100 pounds of beef . . . for 11 hours, we worked off and on at church.
Friday we weren't able to help, due to previous commitments. However before we left Thursday evening, we had the roasting pans ready to do another 500 pounds of beef the next day.
Groceries were delivered.
The shiny new stoves were ready to roast the beef.
There were groceries every where. When you serve 3000 plus people it takes lots of food. We left town early Friday morning for Hamilton, Missouri.
We were there for a BAM meeting and would be staying with our good friends Phil and Margie. After a quick lunch with them, the guys headed to the blacksmith shop, and Marge and I went to town. There she would show me all the new shops that Missouri Star Quilt Company had opened. We first drove by their new huge warehouse. After stopping in their original store, we stopped in their new retreat building.
The bedrooms all feature beautiful quilts (with the pattern attached) adorning the walls. Like me, you may wonder why not on the beds. Well, health rules call for the quilts to be laundered after each guest. So instead of washing the quilts to pieces, they use duvet covers in all white and feature the quilts on the walls. The rooms have many combinations of beds, from multiple twins, doubles, or a combination. Rooms sleep anywhere from 2-5.
Each room has it's own sink with many individual bathrooms at the end of the hall.
This was fun to figure out how the black block was pieced. Once you see it up close, it's pretty easy. Piece a 7 or 8 inch block and add a triangle in black to the corner!
I loved this scrappy quilt. I'm sure it was made from a jelly roll or charm pack.
This is a view of the working area on the first floor. I must say it was well lighted. Guests are welcome to use the kitchen there too.
This is their "solids" store. It is the refurbished J. C. Penney store. Did you know that J. C. Penney lived in Hamilton?
It's hard to imagine that many solid colors! I did not get pictures of the other shops which included a civil war fabric store, seasonal fabric store, and soon to open the Batik store. They are also remodeling a building for their new restaurant, Blue Sage.
After visiting all 5 shops, we stopped for an ice cream. My choice was coffee, Margie had cherry.
Saturday was the BAM (Blacksmith Association of Missouri) meeting, 87 were present! It's always great to visit with everyone. To read more about the day check it out here. Life is Good!
Saturday morning, our first day in town, we headed to the Martin Creek School for a jamboree. My blogger friend Tipper from Blind Pig and the Acorn was performing there with her family. It was a fund raiser for the school, where one of Tipper's brothers is the principal.
Her daughters, "Chitter" and "Chatter", her Pap, brother, and nephew, all joined Tipper in playing music. Most of them sing as well.
Listen to them and I think you will agree, it's some great music. Tipper's Dad did a tribune with the final song, that brought a tear to the eye of many there. It was about his good friend that died the past year.
While there we did a little shopping from the vendors, I found a great pair of sterling silver earrings. The blacksmith found a hammer head. (Which later wound up in the hands of a new up coming blacksmith, right Larry?!) We also had breakfast/lunch and homemade cake!
Saturday evening, after the Gala at John C. Campbell Folk school (read about it in yesterday's post), we stopped by Brasstown Community Center for a concert. The Kelley's were just about to finish up for the evening. This is a family of two brothers and two sister that can really sing. I only wished we would have heard the entire concert.
On Wednesday, my blogger friend Dana of Old Red Barn Company, along with her daughters, "Boo" and "Licious" picked me up for lunch. We went to Doyle's, a local place that has fantastic food. Just ask "Boo", she ordered a Monte Cristo sandwich, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with a with raspberry dipping sauce! Dana and I traded gifts, she gave me some her wonderful homemade soap (which is available on her blog) in one of her hand made zipper bags. I gave her a Red Barn charm. Next week Dana has her second quilt book coming out, Imagine Quilts. Last year I surprised her at the book signing of her first quilt book. I was just two weeks too early this year to surprise her.
While in Brasstown, I received a delivery from Rob Withrow, a local potter, of my BAM (Blacksmith Association of Missouri) steins. The only problem with them, is that I want to keep everyone of them. Thanks Rob, you do wonderful work.
Dana took me to Bless My Stitch quilt shop. There I found this darling ribbon. Look for it soon in charms. Several times the blacksmith and I went to Fosters flea market in Murphy. My blogger friend Jackie of Carolina Crafting has a booth there. This time, I figured it was safe to visit Jackie there. Last year she took me up a mountain, that is until we started sliding down it in her pick up and I bailed on her! (Love you Jackie!)
Jackie and I did a little bartering, she got charms and I got this beautiful cobalt blue keg. She told me this belonged to her uncle. I'm still trying to find out more information on it. I can tell it's old, as the spigot is pewter.
My week of R and R, visiting with friends, doing a little hand work in the Casita, and just enjoying the beautiful area, while the blacksmith was sweating his butt off in the shop was great.
As we travel I like to count how many Casitas I can find. We stopped at this gas station/McDonald's just south of St Louis. As we pulled out ,I saw this on the opposite side of the building where we had parked. Life is Good!
We did it again! We went back to Brasstown, North Carolina to the school.
If you have never been to this folk school you must put it on your bucket list. We've been there 5 times!
We went a day early to attend the gala and auction.
For your ticket you got "heavy" hors d'oeuvres, and two drink tickets.
Grilled steak skewers
Boiled stuffed mushrooms
Mini peppers filled with party spinach
To die for Tiramisu Shooters. I may or may not have had more than one of these!
The flowers, all picked at the school, were beautiful. There was a lot more food but I was too busy eating to take pictures, like Feather Beds stuffed with Sorghum Glazed Ham, Smoked Trout Dip with Bacon and Almonds, Falafel with Tahini Sauce and Cucumber, Camembert, and Walnut Truffles, Watermelon Popsicles, Chocolate Cherry Clusters, and again, to die for, Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, and last, Jam Thumbprints, which I never got around to tasting.
The Puddle Jumpers were playing early in the evening.
In the live auction was one of my favorite potters pieces, a Rob Withrow face jug!
Here is an interesting thistle plant made in the Francis Whitaker blacksmith shop. There was a silent auction and a live auction, so many beautiful things all donated to raise funds for the school.
I took this picture during one of the many rains we had early in the week. I like to think it was raining hammers in Brasstown, instead of cats and dogs. This is part of the front porch at the timber frame blacksmith shop.
I found a barn quilt on the fiber arts building!
Watching the Tuesday evening contra dance is always so much fun.
Walking the grounds is so refreshing. This was my evening walk from the Keith house to the blacksmith shop.
See the smoke? That's all the forges going in the shop.
The blacksmith shop is a beautiful timber frame building.
Jerry Darnell and my blacksmith are having a little discussion of the day's lesson.
Looking out the front door of the shop, you can see the spring house.
This is the beautiful blacksmith shop. On Friday afternoon, for the closing ceremony of the week's classes, everyone brings what they made to the Keith house.
My hubby's week's worth of work. Eighteenth century hardware was the title of the class.
Our friend Pattie Bagley made all these shaker boxes in her woodworking class.
The weaving class made some awesome coverlet samples.
19th century whirligigs were also awesome!
This table represents most of the blacksmiths' work.
Pioneer quilts class was taught by Cindy Brick.
After dinner we went back for a concert. It was a packed house! It's a good thing we saved our chairs before dinner. Another week comes to a close. Someone mentioned how can you go to bed on Sunday night and wake up and it's Friday morning already. It's just that time flies when you are having fun. It's good to be renewed, re-spirited, and refreshed with the friends of John C. Campbell Folk school. John C. Campbell Folk School
