Hope Missouri

Today we went to Hope, Missouri to help out fellow blacksmith, Joe.

Just south of Joe's drive way is this big majestic house. Cut limestone, something that makes my heart melt. This looks like it has been partially restored. So beautiful, why I'd almost trade my timber frame home for it. Since this posting, I have been told this was known as the Hope Mill.







Inside Joe's shop, drawn on his forge hood are chalk drawings from Joe's grand daughter Becky. Something her grandfather treasures.











Here is BT striking hot metal.











Here he shows off an almost completed hinge.





Here is another thing that I found interesting in Joe's shop. On his very organized shelf is a container of moon rocks. Moon rocks? Where did they come from, the moon or Hope?





To check out more of BT forging in Hope click here: Osagebluffblacksmith.

Quick trip

After 27 1/2 hours, 690 miles, 4 barn quilts, acre after acre of corn, fields of soybeans, and one over night stay, we are home. We left Friday afternoon to attend the Saturday morning funeral of BT's Aunt Mary in Jesup, Iowa.

It was always fun when visiting their house. Aunt Mary seemed to live in kitchen. She was well known for her green pickles. At the last family reunion several jars of her pickles brought high dollar at the fund raiser auction. BT was lucky enough to grab a few jars for himself.

It was only appropriate that her family had this arrangement made for her visitation. It features her wooden spoon, her granite cold packer, a jar of her red and a jar of her green pickles. It was topped with her hand written recipe card.

Aunt Mary will be missed by her 6 surviving children, her 24 grand children, 5 great grand children, and countless nieces and nephews. Her son, Tom, proceed her in death only 5 days earlier.

Rest in Peace Aunt Mary.

Gentlemen's wardrobe

Our bedroom is complete. Tonight, the son came over and helped his Dad move the gentleman's wardrobe upstairs. It was somewhere in that move up the stairs, that the son said, you could have built a ranch style timber frame!

In refinishing this wardrobe, I found the date of October 1918 stamped on the back of the mirror. Hard to believe it is 91 years old.



It looks good in the room. We now have three wardrobes in our bedroom.
See how it turns into a neat little desk?

I still would like to find something in oak to use for night stands. Otherwise I'm finished.

Now time to get busy filling the wardrobe up! I plan on using it for fabric storage.

Arrow Rock Missouri 2009

Look what I found in MISSOURI on the way to the Arrow Rock festival. It's a Missouri Barn Quilt. And to think I went all the way to Ohio two weeks ago to find them.

I'll have to admit, I didn't take this picture. (Thanks flickr). We saw it on the way in and was going to snap a picture on the way out. Darn if we didn't go home a different way.

This is Main street.

Some of the carved pumpkins on display.






This is the pottery I bought from Wolf's Point Studio. She uses lace to make the pattern. The piece is like a small cake stand.




We ate lunch at the 1834 Arrow Rock Tavern. The meal was pulled pork, mashed potatoes with the skins on, milk gravy and candied green beans along with corn bread with honey butter. As soon as I got home I had to google the recipe for the green beans. They were so delicious. Basically what I found, you make them just like candied sweet potatoes, a little bacon and lot of brown sugar.


It was a very cool fall day. We wore layers, some of which included cuddle duds! We saw many talented artists, viewed a quilt show, saw street musicians, watched apple butter being made, ropes being braided, yarn spun and ran into several old friends.

I took so many pictures, I felt this was the best way to share them with you:

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tom Monat 1955-2009

Today we lost one heck of a cousin. His battle with cancer is over.

He is fishing in the great waters with God.

Rest in peace TOM

Per Tom's request, his body was cremated and he did not want services. If you wish to send a card, email me and I will get you an address. You can get my email by going to my profile. Patti

Terry's block

A few posts ago I told you I was making a block for Terry. I finished it today. Tomorrow, it will be mailed to Maine.







Sorry this picture is blurry (I wasn't the photographer). I just wanted to show you how Bentley has to check his email every evening after dinner.







I'm still working on Miss E's baby doll quilt. Here's a few more of the blocks. Most of them were taken out of the Quilts for Rosie book. Sarah gave me the book for my birthday. Great paper piecing patterns.

Finally I will leave you with a few pictures from our place. This is just a sampling of what 4 to 5 inches of rain can do.











It is 55 degrees and still raining, I just turned the furnace on. We have been A/C and furnace free since the 14th of August. The electric cooperative will love me now.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church Groom Texas

My MIL lives in Groom, Texas. The cross of the highway is located outside her kitchen window. Every day as she does dishes, hangs out clothes to dry, or walks through her dining room, this is her view.

Awesome!!!

This cross is located on Highway 40 and can be seen for miles when approaching from either the west or east side. To read more on the Cross ministries you can go here.






However, they were awaken Tuesday morning to the sounds of fire engines. Their church, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church was on fire. To read more about it go here.

Our prayers are with all of the Groom parishioners.