Wind Mills and Prairie Points

As I look through the thousands of pictures of quilts on Pinterest on line, I want to make all of them.  All million!!!!  I probably have at least 500 of them pinned to my board.  This one really caught my eye because I love 1930's fabrics and the prairie points are in the quilt and not on the binding. That alone really made me want to try it.  My Mom taught me how to make prairie points for quilts about 30 years ago.  I love them.  

The best part of making this quilt, I already had everything that I needed.  I used my 1930's scraps, the white was from a bolt that I keep on hand and I used a piece of scrap batting.  The backing came from my stash too.  I wasn't sure if Marlyn ( my lady who quilts my quilts on the long arm) could quilt just the middle or not.  I didn't want the prairie points quilted down.  Of course she could do it!!!!  So the middle up to the prairie points is quilted in a stippling stitch.  The border under the prairie points, I quilted in lines on my machine.  This left the prairie points free standing.  After piecing some yellow fabric together for the binding....TA DA!  My little 1930'a baby quilt was done.  I didn't have a pattern for it.  I just "winged it" and it worked.  Sometimes I amaze myself. ( smiling)  

Here's Your Sign....

Notice the little bird on the Garden sign.  

There is also a sign for the TT on the bottom. 

I had planned on making the post of signs since before we moved up here and I finally got it done.  Even though, the TT is now gone.  I put the sign up for it any ways since it's still that way....only about 40 miles that way.  Ryan and his family gave me the cutest little metal birds that you can screw onto things.  I put one of them on the Garden sign.  I still have two more birds to find homes for around Brambly Pines.  There is room on the post for more interests.  I'm hoping sometime soon, I can add " Studio" to the post.

Yellow!

One of the forsythia bushes that the  BNOE gave us when we first moved into the house.  

     Today is brought to you by the color "YELLOW"!!  It really is Spring.  The daffodils are blooming every where you go and the forsythia is in all it's glory.  Bright, cheery yellow after a very long cold winter. I actually picked a big hand full of daffodils and mailed them off to Christina in Florida so she could share in our wonderful Spring.  She said they had arrived like I had just picked them.  It was fun to think that one day they were in my yard and two days later, they were on her dining room table.
       As the days go by, more and more wonderful colors will appear.  SPRING!  It has to be the best time of the year!!!!

The Perks

I was looking out the sun room window this morning and George went flying by and onto the front porch, with something BIG in his mouth.  My heart sunk because I just knew it was another bird that I get so mad at him for catching.  I hollered at Chuck that George was on the front porch with something in his mouth.  When Chuck went out the door, I heard him say " oh no, George!!!"  It was TWO baby rabbits.  George dropped one and Chuck caught it but George took the other one under the porch.  We could hear it crying.  I couldn't stand it.  I had to come in the house, holding the one baby.  Chuck crawled under the steps....I know!!!  how he ever did that, beats me but he did.  He was able to get the other baby bunny but it was bleeding.  I held it with it's sibling until Chuck got the big basket from the back porch and put one of the kitty blankets in it to keep them warm.  It only took a few minutes until the one really hurt bunny  died.  The other one seems to be doing fine....just scared maybe.  I got on line to see what we should do and it said that if they are 6 inches long they can survive on their own.  We should put it back where it came from and cover it with dried leaves.  The mother is probably close by.  The problem is.....we don't know where George found them.  He came from out back, so we are going to put it in the woods far enough away from the house in hoping that George doesn't find it again.  Right now he is in the basement.  Not for time out but because something scared him really bad while he was outside and he wanted in his " safe place".  Chuck says the crying of baby bunnies can bring dogs and coyotes around.  Maybe that is why George wanted in the basement so badly.  Any ways....you just never know what the day is going to bring when you live in the woods.  It has it's perks but it also can tug on your heart strings.

It's time for "Green"

My tea pot that I bought in Ireland

It's the month to celebrate " green, shamrocks, leprechauns, corn beef, cabbage and green beer".   I was lucky to spend a week in Ireland a few years back.  It sure is the land of " green".  Just beautiful with it's cliffs and green fields where sheep roam.  Ancient Castles galore and lots of music, dancing and beer.
   I spent one whole day making 27 shamrock cookies to take to our Quilt Guild meeting this month.  Everyone enjoyed getting them as I enjoyed sharing them.  Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!!!

Hello Spring!

Spring is in the house. 

The Crocus are always the first to bloom 

Tulips are coming up

Hyacinths are coming up and will be blooming soon 

These, I don't know what they are....it will be surprise when they bloom.  I planted a bunch of bulbs last  summer and can't remember what I planted where...ha 

I know it's not really Spring but it's sure darn close.  We've had a few days of Spring weather where we have opened the house up and spent time on the porches. We've be wearing our short sleeves or just a light sweater.    Winter is still peeking around the corners though.  Another cold front is coming this way in a few days.  At least we know it won't last long and we will be sleeping with our windows open at night, the hummingbirds will be back, along with the fire flies.  Everything will be blooming in all it's glory.  I just love this time of year!!  I feel sad that I missed out on 59 Springs in my life but feel so lucky to have them now.

Sick Kitty

The smell of the hunt!! 

He's good at " Ignoring " me.  

We have another sick kitty.  I know!  I'm not ready for this so soon after nursing Marmalade.  This time it's George.  I tell ya, rag muffin Annabelle is going to out live them all!  Last week when I went down stairs to let George out for the day, he was in his kitty pan and I noticed he was having trouble going ( peeing)  I knew right away what the problem was.  Out of the four male cats we have had in the past 44 years, three have had  this problem.  It's a common problem with neutered cats.  It could be a dangerous problem if not caught right away.  We rushed George to the vets that afternoon and after being checked to see if he was totally blocked, he was put on two different meds to take twice a day.  I cringed.  Giving a cat a pill is almost impossible and I had to get two of them in him a day.  Along with a syringe of liquid, twice a day.  This was NOT going to be fun!  George  turned out to be the easiest cat ever to get the meds in him.  I crushed up the pill and put it in a scoop of wet cat food.  I put the liquid in another scoop of food and he licked the plate clean.....every time!  George will eat anything!!  Hence...why he's so fat!  After watching his cat pan for the past week, I'm going to let him spend his days outside again.  He's seems to be better now but not to say we won't have to rush him back to the vets again.  We'll have to watch him for the rest of his life.  After all.....he's a neutered male cat.  ....which I was never going to have again after our second male cat we had that had this problem.  We were just lucky with Marmalade, I guess.

Daffodil time!!!

Our first blooming daffodils of Spring

What a difference a week makes with warm weather and sunshine.  

Daffodil tea 

The daffodils have been up for about a month now but the first blooms appeared last weekend when we had a beautiful warm day.  Daffodils are such "happy" flowers.  Bright and oddly shaped.  I love them!  With never being able to grow them in Florida, I have been planting them all around the house.  We even have a big bed of them down by the barn. They are so cheery to have in the house after this super, duper cold winter we have had this year.  It may still be cold outside right now, but Spring is just around the corner.  The daffodils say so.  

New Dining Room

looking from our living room through the stair well and into our hall way.  This was taken before we hung things on the walls.  

The Downton Abbey table minus three leaves.  The fire place in the background, would be in our dining room. 

Our living room, looking where our computer secretary and two chairs are.  It's  the far end of G & G's dining room now. . 

The corner where our " surprise table" is.

After the pretty Valentine luncheon, Melanie and I headed down to Gene and George's.  In case any one doesn't know, Melanie and Gene are first cousins.  Their daddy's were two of the 13 children of the Johnson family.  We spent three nights and two full days, visiting, hanging pictures, moving furniture around, eating wonderful food and going antique shopping. Oh, there were several "tea parties" also.  Every afternoon, Gene would fix tea and we had "tea sandwiches" to hold us over until dinner.  How, I wish we all lived close enough so they could come have tea with me once a week.  It's no wonder why I loved coming to Alabama all those years.  They make everything so special  and have such beautiful things surrounding them in their homes.  After four years, I still have to pinch myself to make me realize that I actually live were people live like the elegant past.  I came home and started polishing all of my much needed silver and setting up several of my tea sets.  Now, I'm just waiting for someone to come have tea with me.  

Valentine Luncheon

I had five days of fun!!  It started out with Chuck "carrying me" ( that's what everyone says for " taking me" , up here.  I know...funny huh?)  down to Birmingham to Carmichael Hall.  The fun started with going to an Estate Sale with Lady Melanie.  Lots of pretty crystal and silver.  I came away with two pretty pieces of silver.  One was a gift from Melanie.  That evening, we were so lucky to be able to have dinner at " The Grill ", part of "The Club" on top of the mountain.  The view is breath taking when the sun is going down and then all of Birmingham turns on it's lights.  The food is the best I've ever eaten!  It's such a wonderful treat!!  On the way home, we stopped at a boutique where Melanie's sister's grand daughter works.  There were so many beautiful things to pick from.
   Saturday we woke up to cooler weather so we grabbed our coats ( I borrowed one from Melanie) and put them on over our PJ's.  Then, we jumped in the car and drove through Starbuck's to get some breakfast. Don't tell anyone that the Lady of Lawrence County and the Lady of Carmichael Hall went to Starbucks in our PJs.   After breakfast, we went down the street to Melanie's son and daughter in laws new house for me to have the tour.( we did get dressed before going)  Melanie is so lucky to have two of her children living on the same street as her.  Her daughter and family lives three houses down.  That is where we were invited to a " Valentine Luncheon", Saturday at 11:30 am.  The table was just gorgeous with  magnolia leaves and silver compotes full of pieces of chocolate candy to choose from.  Kellet served strawberry soup and chicken salad croissants sandwiches.  There was wine and water to drink.  For dessert, there was champagne to go with the pretty little petitfours.  It was so much fun to be included in such a special luncheon.  Thank you Kellet for inviting me!!