Reflections on Mother's Day

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day....I certainly enjoyed mine :)

The boys seemed to have a good weekend as well :)

Have you ever noticed that relationships with parents and family doesn't always look like a Hallmark Card?    I know the hardest job I've had in my entire life is being a mother and step-mother.  When times get tough I think to myself...."who's idea was this anyway?"  AND....I would not trade a child I have or have nurtured for anything...sometimes I just need to say...DAMN....this is hard! 

My relationship with my Mother was not a Hallmark card...until the last three months of her life.  I find it very easy to forgive her shortcomings because I know there isn't a one of us that were born with a menu to choose our strengths, weaknesses, temperaments, genetic predispositions, appearances, talents....not a single person alive gets to choose.  All we can do is the best we can with what we have and take responsibility for our choices.

As a mother I do the very best I can and I hope to God it is good enough.....I hope they forgive me one day for my short comings and know all I ever wanted for each of them is to be loving, kind and happy human beings.  I don't care one iota what jobs they have or how much or little money they make.  What is most important to me is that they are honest with themselves and one another, that they are kind and generous with their gifts and talents and that they come to know what it is that they are responsible for in this lifetime.

Imagine a Sit Com that was about those folks who could and did choose their attributes?  I bet there would be folks, including myself, who would make a mess of that too....ROFL.  The human condition/experience....not very pretty at times....but it sure is amazing and wonderful all at the same time.

Smiles,
Kelly

Selling Some Beautiful Needle Art - Udate with Offers Posted....It closes Today

 UPDATED 4/29/16

Normally I don't do this, but I was thinking who would appreciate beautiful needle work more than those who do needle work?

Here is the story....these two beauties were made by a Guild Member who no longer has room for them in her home.  The quality of each piece is tops!  At first I thought I would put them on E-bay for her....then I thought...heck I don't even look at E-bay and great people would miss the opportunity.  Sooo....I'm going to show you photos here and if you are interested in purchasing either one or both, please e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com with your offer.

NO OFFERS AS OF 4/29/16

Cornucopia 23 x 16 3/4 Framed (without frame 20 x 14)

The quality is beautiful as you can see...and I even smelled each up close...they definitely were never hung in a home with smokers...there is no odor at all and I have a great sniffer :)

I Built Myself A Farm (18 x 12)
$28.00 OFFER AS OF 4/29/16

This is a cross stitch and it is the tiny stitch type.  I have taken close ups for you to enjoy.

You can feel free to make offers through Sunday May 1st and I will update this post daily with the highest offer for each.  The money will be given to the Black Swamp Quilt Guild.  Each piece will go to the highest offer and that person will pay exact shipping only.

Any questions...feel free to e-mail me.  Please be sure to indicate which piece you are making an offer on so I will be clear as to your preference.

Smiles,
Kelly

Early Onset Dementia?

Photo Credit: houseandhometidbits.blogspot.com

I'm not quite sure what is wrong with me....it is a very rare event....so rare in fact that I can not even remember the last time all of these events occurred together...I actually cleaned out my refrigerator, freezer AND pantry yesterday. 

This may not sound odd to any of you....but I was so concerned last night I had to text my sister and ask if she thought it might be early onset dementia and was wondering if I was loosing myself.  Thankfully she assured me that every other part of my personality and mind seemed to be intact.....this was just a rare and strange event and if I were really lucky it might strike again.

What next?  This is very scary for me.....is it possible to domesticate a woman at 52?

I'm going to start counting backwards by 7's from 100...just to be sure I'm OK.

Smiles,

Kelly

Sunny and Bright

Remember that little red sports car that was left in the snow?  Well....today it got a new life!  The Flamingo Family are sporting that hot little thing and I loved seeing it today on my drive past.

I've finished a few small projects and I've got to take some photos and then I'll share.  Suffice to say it is more yard weather than it is indoor sewing weather here in Ohio.

Smiles,
Kelly

Jet Lagged

I had every intent to continue posting to my blog and then I got hit by jet lag, chores, orders and every other thing....so here I am...and I gotta make this one short because I have another full day ahead of me.

While in France we did some Geocaching.  If you don't know what Geocaching is....you may want to find out because it is a ton of fun...for grown ups and children alike.

This one was particularly good.  I won't give any of the clues away or even identify the location of the cache. 

Someone did an excellent job hiding the cache in this tree.  The boys loved finding it.  There was another that was magnetic and placed on the back of a large parking meter system.  The metal piece looked like it belonged there....but nope...there was a cache hidden behind it.

Something very funny (to me anyway) happened while searching in a park for one cache.  The four of us looked high and low....used the instructions and still could not find the cache.  Rick went down a set stairs into parking area.  He saw an opening and felt some paper.  He thought for sure he had found the cache so he called the boys and I over.  His intent was to allow the boys to be the one's who actually do the discovering. The opening was too high for their reach so I reached into this hole and pulled out some paper.

Lo and behold....it was not a Geocache at all....YIKES!

We found someone's drug stash.  Worse yet....I never thought to wipe my finger prints off the paper.  So if anyone in France is looking for me....ya gotta know we were just Geocaching and nothing else....HONESTLY!  I am so grateful it was me who reached up and pulled it out and not my kids.  I sent them away after I noticed there was no paper to sign like in a Geocache.

Speaking of addicts.....I'm still working on my nickle size hexies.  This is the progress I've made:

It it growing and I'm really enjoying this project. 

Oh...and did I mention a snow storm?  We were hit with 7 inches of snow and it took out a part of one of our trees.  Here is how it started:

Beautiful white flakes in the early evening....and by morning...

A winter wonderland in April.

So very grateful Rick owns a chain saw!

The poor little frozen children in front of the city library!!!  LOL

Now....off to get a ton of stuff done.

Smiles,

Kelly

PS....just visited Susan's blog, Hanging on by Needle and Thread. She is having a giveaway and I don't think you will want to miss it.  Click Here to enter to win a class teaching scrap quilts or pineapple quilts.

Returning Home from Spring Break

What a wonderful time we had.  We visited Lyon France, Paris France, Rome Italy and by chance a day in Amsterdam.  I really don't want to bore anyone to death with vacation photos...after all we each had a camera and I took 659 myself...yikes.  I will share a few highlights and later will create a photo album on line for anyone interested in more details.

The Louvre in Paris

 

Eiffel Tower in Paris

Tribute to Lady Diana at the tunnel where she was killed.  I've seen this a few times now and every time I cry.  What a lovely woman and so very sad to have died because someone wanted her photo.

We were very interested in the one person electric cars in Europe.  They were so cool...I want one with a hitch so I can pull my kids along behind me...LOL.

One very big problem would be getting all that fabric home in this little jobbie.

Musee de l'Armee seeing the tomb of Napoleon

 Naturally the boys loved all the weapons and armor.

No quilt shop visits :( but I did see some beautiful textiles and clothing.  I will share about those in a separate post.

Every quilter I know touches the fabric in the shop....right?  Tell me if I'm wrong...but I've never been to a shop yet that said, please don't touch the fabric....until Rome!

 Valli Fabrics

I was so excited when I came upon the Valli fabric shop in Rome.  The fabrics were absolutely amazing...BUT....as I was looking at the fabrics and began touching some of them a salesman approached and told me, "do not touch the fabrics.  If you would like to see them, ask me." Perhaps this is usual and customary for Rome, I would not know as this was my first visit.  The one fabric I wanted to purchase was 136 Euro (apx 155.00 US dollars) for 1 meter.  I wanted to  make a lovely scarf for myself and one for my sister as a special treat....yes...a very special treat.  The store had no customers and three sales associates standing around.   My thoughts on the subject...no matter the customs of the country.....if I can't touch your fabric then you can't touch my money!  Instead I bought a few lovely scarves at other shops....and yes....I touched the scarves before purchasing them :)

Up to my ears in laundry and feeling guilty for using my clothes dryer.  The family we visited in France do not use a clothes dryer....I feel so spoiled and lazy.

Smiles,
Kelly

Teh Mediaebal City of Perouges (Ain) France

 Happiest of Easter's to those of you who celebrate Easter.

We visited a Medieval Walled town yesterday.  People live in this village and it was amazingly beautiful.

The IHAN Clan

The Jackson's with our hosts, The Paret and Lepetit Family.

I hope you enjoy some of these photos.  Our host brought along his wonderful camera.  Unfortunately, I was so busy packing for 3 other people that I did not pack our traveling camera.

I understand there may be a Silk Museum and I am hoping to visit there....or at least a fabric shop.  

Last evening I wanted the earth to open and for me to fall deep inside.  The boys were actually arguing over a baguette!  Two children who have never gone a day with out enough food were fighting over bread.  I think because the bread here is soooooo gooooood.

Sourires (French for Smiles)

Kelly

Sharing A Friends Work

My birthday was a ball....all weekend long.  Since then all I have really done is get ready for our trip to France.  I did visit a quilting friend yesterday and she said it was OK to post pictures of some of her projects. 

This was the lovely quilt that adorns Sharon's front door.  Talk about being greeted with a smile....I was definitely smiling.

A close up so you can get a better appreciation of the ruching.

This is Sharon's latest quilt....talk about a mind blower.  I'm not quite sure if I believe her when she told me that is wasn't that difficult....not to say she was lying....but not hard for her and not hard for me may be two different conversations.

This is another of Sharon's pieces.  I love, love, love these dandelions!

On the way home I saw this:

On your mark, get set, go....hunt Easter Eggs I'm assuming.

If I'm able to post from France....I'll certainly do that.  If not....see ya right back here in the beginning of April.

Spring Smiles,
Kelly

International Quilting Weekend on The Quilt Show and Birthday Wishes

Not that I inspired Ricky and Alex to host a weekend of viewing episodes of The Quilt Show...FREE.   I'm just saying today is my birthday and also the first day of free episodes!  Coincidence?  I could take it personally and tell myself they love and adore me so much....but for this once...I'll act normal.

It is true....both events...separately....

 (Photo Credit)

 Click HERE or go on over to The Quilt Show dot com and check out the fun weekend they have put together.  Prizes....oh yes...they have amazing connections and have lots of great prizes including a Bernina sewing machine.  God knows I don't need a 4th Bernina so I'll pray one of you win it :)

I have had the great fortune of meeting both Alex and Ricky and they are as delightful in person as they seem to be on TV and in their videos....so head on over and take a look at the wonderful weekend they have planned for everyone in the quilting world and best of luck in winning some truly excellent gifts.

Did someone say birthday?  Yep....I turned 52 today.  The day started out perfectly....Rick let me sleep in and he drove the boys to school.  Then I got up and got a cup of coffee and had to sort through the loaf of bread to find 2 slices that hopefully didn't have mold (why does bread mold so quickly these days?) and I made some peanut butter toast and had a cup of joe.....ahhhhhh.

Oh but it gets better....much better!!!  I'm letting you in... way behind the curtain here....getting very vulnerable....a bit scary and emotionally naked  .... here goes:

I watched last nights episode of Grey's Anatomy.  To most people this is just a television program.  To me....this is an altered reality in which I live and these are my friends.  I will not ever hear otherwise....sorry if they are real people in real life....I choose to live in a conversation bubble that includes all of them during the episodes. 

Sitting on my sofa with my laptop, having a great cup of coffee and eating toast with lots of my great "in my own bubble friends"....no screaming and fighting kids in the back ground....no one to ask if I'm going to get dressed for the day or help them find their phone cord....the freedom to enjoy my bubble friends....now that is fun in my 52 year old book!!!

 A cheerfull gift.

Typically I have little ability to delay gratification....when I get a card in the mail...I open it.  Not this year.  I saved every card I received on the kitchen counter and during my show I began opening cards and a gift too :)  I am very touched by the number of people who remembered it was my birthday and took the time to either make or send a card.  For some reason I must forget that there are folks who love me because I'm very surprised when I get cards in the mail.  Am I alone here or do you sometimes forget that you are loved and important to people outside your immediate family?  If ya tell me I'm alone here I'm checking into the closest nut ward.

 I absolutely love every card....and wanted to share a close up of this one:

This touched my heart deeply....it came from my oldest daughter.  We are a blended family...the girls came by Northwest Airlines (via Rick's first marriage) and the boys came from the stork....but we are all one big family.  I guess I have not felt very important lately and these cards really really really reminded me that indeed I do matter to others...THANK YOU!  And to all who regurarly read my blog and have sent Happy Birthday comments and e-mails....THANK YOU too!!!

 Another fun gift....feeling the love :)

It has been all the stress of the past few years that has worn me down and my thinking can get wonky....it is nice to have come through all of that and get back to what is the most important things in my life.   I want all the rest of my years to be connected to this type of love and appreciation....just like it was before the do-do hit the fan a few years back.

AND....guess what the last words of Grey's Anatomy were....

"Affection, acceptance and unconditional love...that is what people want."

Another coincidence....or perhaps just serendipity!

Feeling Loved Smiles,
Kelly