Florida in December

Our first day there was the warmest, 75 degrees. 

Logan went to extreme measures to keep from crying. Swim goggles to the rescue! He loves to do prep work in the kitchen. Here he was making broccoli - cauliflower salad.

 

Connor got to open his birthday present after dinner. He turned 11.

Connor is playing his new computer game from Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Lori, even though Aunt Lori made sure everyone signed the card, including Rosie the dog, somehow Aunt Lori forgot to sign it.

A tree from North Carolina graces their living room.

Sarah after not having a piano for 20 some years picked it right back up after Rusty bought her a piano for her 40th birthday.

The boys played many racing games using the stair railings. Tape measures were even brought out in some instances to find the winner.

Mom and daughter!

More cooking. One day we made gum drop candy, but we forgot to take a picture!

Mr. Cool posing for his birthday.

Grandma, will you make me a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich? From that day on, grandma had to make the same thing for him every morning.

The boys each got their own Oreo house kit.

The boys and their grandparents. 

 Grandmas and their boys.

 

Fishing!

He said he caught 7 or 8, nothing too big this time.

Usually pretty sunsets!

Playing a little soccer in the park.

Grandpa found the tiniest lizard.

The last night in Florida we went to the Willam’s holiday house. It was built in 1900 and peeking in the windows (as the owner and family live there) it looked much like it probably did way back then.

Here’s a video I found about the house. https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/1274013

3 beautiful stained-glass fixtures.

Our traditional front door photo until next time boys!

Mark Twain State Park October 15 - 17

This will get your attention! Yep, been shooting turkeys and squirrels. Some liberal woman, probably from St. Louis saw the guys cleaning their kill at the fish cleaning stations provided in the state park. Her first mistake was to ass-u-me they were killed where they were being cleaned.

However, they were shot several miles away in a particular range for hunting.

The agent was so very nice, and funny and was glad he didn’t have to pull out his pencil and ticket book. He said it was a “great” day.

I’ll just let you enjoy our view!

The guys enjoying the cool evening and a fire.

Life is good!

 

A quilt for my best friend

Once again, I was offered a deal through a blacksmith friend. John, who helps us out a lot at the Blacksmith shop at the steam engine show, asked me if I’d be interested in some quilting fabric. His sister Bonnie was no longer able to sew due to Parkinson’s disease. 

I first bought 2 or 3 bags. When I got it, I was so pleased, I told him and his wife Linda, I’d buy the rest. The next week we all went to Bonnie’s house. She showed me some of the quilts she had made. As I walked out with 3 more huge bags of fabric, she stopped, picked up 30 absolutely beautiful Dresden blocks and said would you want these too?  I’m pretty sure my mouth dropped open as I was trying to say Yes.

She had sewn them all together, they just needed the center circle.

After I got home, I went through her fabric and matched fabric for the circles. After they were sewn on, I found the white fabric for the background in Bonnie’s fabrics.

I appliquéd them with 2 strands of embroidery thread. 

One was prettier than the last! 

I started with this layout. After I posted it on Facebook, my friend Diane, said how much she loved it. She wanted to know how big it was. After I told her if she liked it, I could make it bigger. I knew she had been looking for a long time for a new quilt on her bed.

After I’d add a row, we try it out on her King size bed. I finally made it 106” by 110”. BIG

My friend Mary, who I hand quilt with at church, said she’d love to machine quilt it for me. The back is as beautiful as the front.

I finished it off with a special quilt label.

Then I played a little sneaky and found out when Diane would be gone. Saturday morning, she was leaving at 7:45 to take care of her grandson. About 8:30, I called her house figuring her husband would answer, but he didn’t. I thought oh he must have gone deer hunting. I went to their house, his truck was in the garage, I figured he left with Diane. I open the door and yell several times for Fred, no answer. I got to the bedroom, and lo and behold, he was sound asleep. Boy, did I do a fast about face and run out of there.

So, I had no choice but wait until later. Unfortunately, I had to leave, and she beat me home that afternoon.

It fits her bed perfectly! Diane loves it.

I got an email today from Bonnie who gave me the fabric. She loves what I made it into and told me recognizing her fabric, made her so happy.