More of the 365 day blocks

Week 42

This is one of my favorite blocks maybe. 

Week 43

Week 44,  I'm not always please with my color design after they are made, but I usually keep them. The last block is not my favorite.  

 

Week 45

Week 46.  If my counting is right, counting the stashing I'm up to 9,634 pieces of fabric. 

It's been a good week to sew as the blacksmith closed shop and moved to deer camp for the week. That has it's advantages, I don't cook, I get invited to deer camp for dinner, my day is free to do anything I want. 

Deer camp is only 2 miles from our house. So he does come home to shower and grab anything he might need for the next meal. 

He scored with this 9 point buck early in the week. 

Yesterday he came home and we took a little road trip. My friend Debby needs a pick me up, so we picked her some bittersweet. 

The fence row is full of it. 

I made this bee quilt for my soon to be great niece, Della. She's due the day before my 70th birthday. I sure hope she holds out for 1 day!!

Life is good.

God is Great.

Friends day

Friends, isn't that what matters in life?

My BFF Diane, asked me to go to some Christmas open houses. After all it's doe weekend in mid-Missouri. Yep, that's right, the opening of deer hunting season. It's like a religious holiday around here. 

So Diane, myself, and my grand daughter Lizzie went to town. 

Our first stop was at Southern Willow Interiors, in New Bloomfield, Missouri. Take note of the hanging flower arrangement. The guys told us it was a 10 foot wheel from a plant in Jefferson City. There were two at the front driveway entrance all decorated too. I was in awe and forgot to take a picture. 

Two best friends, and their husbands, dissembled a barn and used the materials to build this beautiful shop. The husbands were just as proud of it was their wives, telling us all about the building materials. 

Our next stop was at our "friend" Marla's shop, Cotter Pin.  She had antiques mixed in with new decorating items. Then there's a whole room with new Fiesta ware. I saw this Fiesta ware cookie jar. It is beautiful.   It matched my daughters dishes, but she said she didn't need it.

Next stop was my friend, the other Diane, at her new  shop, Brimstone Gallery & Antiques. It was just opened this week and she said the crowds were great. She might have been just a little overwhelmed!

We crossed the street for lunch at JQ's on High Street. Lizzie had the Spudmageddon!!!  It was the biggest potato we have even seen. A GIANT baked Idaho potato with creamy butter and piled high with JQ's tender pulled pork, Head Country Original BBQ Sauce, bacon, shredded cheese, diced onions and sour cream.

Believe it or not, she could not eat the whole thing!!

With full tummies we went to Dogwood Vintiques. There I saw a frog, that I just had to take a picture of. Of course it stayed there.

 

I forgot to tell you about stopping at my friend, Lizzie's J Street Vintage shop. I had purchased this bolt of vintage fabric at her on-line auction. I paid $10 for the bolt. See the original price tag of .39 CENTS a yard? It's so vintage it's only 36 inches wide. Most fabric now is 45 inches wide. I estimate there's about 8 yards still on the bolt. 

 

Did I mention dessert?  Of course BFF's have to have dessert. Mary Kremer was selling her beautiful cupcakes and cookies at Cotter Pin. This was my to die for pecan cupcake!!! The best $2.50 ever spent.

As an ending to my day, I went to deer camp, where the guys cooked smoked crappie and trout. The women furnished river potatoes (A family tradition), a lettuce salad and brownie. 

Life is good.

God is good.
 

Halloween 2021

Here's my youngest grand dog, Rosie!  This was my daughter in law's, Facebook post. 

We only get a few trick or treaters, this is our great great  nephew, Lucas and his Mom, Staci.

Our first spooks were our nephew Trevor and his son, our great great nephew Kaiden.

Three little neighbor boys, the Reynolds brothers!

On the left our grand daughter Lizzie, and her cousin Laycee, which is our great niece.

The girls go through their candy while finishing touches were add to the homemade Vegetable soup with spaetzle's. It was so good. Soup is always a tradition on Halloween as the grandkids come here as their last stop. 

Our traditional Halloween picture with the grandkids.

The day before Halloween Lizzie shot a small buck, or as she calls it her unicorn!

This was on her daddy's  44th birthday too. Birthday boy looks pretty proud.

Here is a little embroidery for the holiday!

My Christmas, Easter, Valentine, Halloween cactus is blooming again, right on schedule!

Thought I'd change the jack o lantern up a bit! Sew on~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Quitting for the night

Ok, I knew I had sewed enough today. This is the first block of week #42. The first block has 68 pieces of fabric. Remember each block is 3 inches square!  I will tackle it tomorrow.

This is my 365 day tiny block challenge quilt. 
 

This is week #42. 

My Facebook/former blogger friend, CJ made this bread the other day. So I started it Friday and baked it Saturday. It’s not sweet, just a bit of honey is in it, but the cranberries are sweet and delicious. However next time, I would add a few more pecans.

Crusty cranberry pecan bread

Tonight I toasted a piece, that was even better!

Time to rest these eyes and get me a cup of hot tea!

Apple festival October 22, 2021

Today we took Lizzie who was out of school, and headed to Mennonite country. 

Our first stop of course was Donut Palace in Eldon!

We had something to deliver to our Mennonite auctioneer/farrier friend in Excelsior. His wife always has a produce stand out front. 

Across the street we went shopping at Weaver Market, where I found a frog I could possibly like. It was made from figs, raspberries, oranges and ginger. 

Next it was to Apple Festive at Dutch Market. We followed this truck in and just  had to ask to take a picture. The couple tells us it happens all the time. We had a nice chat with them.

I asked Lizzie to take mine and grandpa's picture, I thought it was funny how the Mennonite worker joined us!

The lines went very quick, one team weighed apples, the other rang your purchase up.

Grandpa and Lizzie pick out many different varieties. Now that we have them home, we can't tell which one are which.

Cute little kids in the wagon!

At Hoover's surplus store we found this Blackstone grill for $130. I texted it to Jeremy. About 20 minutes later, after we had left, he replied, BUY IT. We turned around and went back. In the few minutes we were gone it had SOLD.  It was a bargain.

Shopping is hard work so she takes a little rest in a cute chair! Luckily it wouldn't fit in our car.

Lizzie made a haul. The dress is brand new with tags, Target brand,  it was $2. The shoes are Blowfish brand, new with tags $55, bought for $22. The brand new volleyball shorts with tags for $2. She got 2 bottles of sunscreen, the collapsible dog bowl and 2 face mask for a quarter each at the amazon return store. 

At County Road Surplus, Bernie and I scored very well too. I got a new pair of Natural Reflections flannel lined jeans regularly $46 for $18, a Bob Timberlake flannel shirt $48 for $19. The gold T-Shirts was $3. Bernie got a Natural Reflections Henley shirt $28 for $12. 

At the Amazon return I bought a new cell phone case for a quarter, 2 bottles of sun screen for a quarter, and some Mousse for a quarter.

 Our 18 pounds of apples for $7 and some change.

It's always fun bargain shopping and visiting with friends!

God is good.

 

 

 

 

Saltfork Blacksmith Conference Sulphur, Oklahoma 2021

We pulled out of the driveway early Thursday morning and headed to Sulphur Oklahoma.

We arrived at Country Days RV park shortly before dinner time. This was our second time to stay at this park. Debby is always a pleasure to work with. The park is way out in the country and very peaceful. 

Friday morning after a good night sleep, we found a local breakfast spot, The Poor Girl Café.  Coffee was hot, eggs were perfect and I enjoyed listening to the local men's coffee club discussing their ailments.

We had the day off and decided to play tourist.    

 

We checked out Chickasaw Lake,  the  mud hens were thick on the lake. We saw many flocks of them riding the white caps 

In town we went to Sulphur Springs, can't say we like the smell or taste of the water. I don't care if it did have healing powers!

This was the bridge at Chickasaw Cultural Center. You could do a self guided tour and play the talking boxes, even talking in 3 languages. 

This is just a very tiny section of Bromide Hill. It sure looked like someone had poured rough concrete. Of course it was God who did!

At the visitors center we saw possibly the biggest picnic table ever!

Just one of the many buildings built by the CCC in the 30's.

So many springs, waterfalls, and streams to check out.

This was in the downtown area.

Later in the afternoon we headed out to the Steam Engine show grounds where the Oklahoma Saltfork Craftmen were having their yearly conference. 

Set up for the weekend was just about complete. We would return bright and early in the morning.

 

There were 3 of us vendors set up across from the demonstrations. 

Bernie visits with Greg Reeder of Reeder Products, Inc. With a little luck, Greg might be at the Missouri Blacksmith Association conference in May of 2022.

My job for the weekend was selling tongs. So I took hand work. Luckily I finished it Sunday evening just as things were drawing to a close. 

I also made a new friend, Karen from Tulsa. Her husband is a blacksmith and she thought she'd tag along with him. After all they had rented a tiny cabin near by for their anniversary. We soon discovered we had a lot in common, first of all breast cancer survivors, then February birthdays and the list went on and on. 

You never go hungry at this conference. JJ and LaQuitta and several other workers feed you well! This was smoked briskets, smoked ribs, ham, and pulled pork!!  The best ever!

Added to the above meal was potato salad, slaw and PECAN PIES.

This is JW, the son of Brent the demonstrator. He was a little trooper all weekend. He made this in the craft class. When I asked to take his picture, he said they already took it, and then he struck this pose!

Brent Bailey was a fantastic demonstrator. I watched him forge an axe head and then he turned the wooden handle.

Our final night in Sulphur, as we went to a Mexican restaurant God gave us this beautiful sunset!  There were 2 people parachuting in the sky too. We had dinner with our new friends Karen and Todd and about 24 other friends from the conference. A yearly tradition!

 

Monday morning after a good nights sleep, it was time to head home. We were looking for a breakfast/lunch place and came into Prague. We asked a local where to go and she suggested The Kitchen, and up front on their sign they advertised Kolaches!!!

Lunch was good, too much food, but then they told us they were completely out of Kolaches.  Such a disappointment!

In Sarcoxie, while filling up the gas tank, I spied an antique store down the street. We went to check it out. Of course the blacksmith found rusty iron to buy!

What a trip!  Good times, good friends, new friends, good food, good weather, God is good!