A birthday treat!

Margarita cheesecake with a strawberry sauce!

Yesterday was my birthday!

TheManWhoHoldsMyHeart and TheOther#1Son took me out to dinner at a favorite restaurant!

We had a great time, good food, and lots of relaxed conversation.

I love quiet dining, plenty of time to digest and enjoy the company of family!

I can shout it out "I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER"!

 

 

 

 

 DD made the announcement this weekend! She and her husband R are expecting our 1st grandchild! Due date is April 2, 2013! I've known for a few weeks now but was not allowed to say anything until the end of the 1st trimester. That was this past week so... WoooooHooooo!!! I've been busting at the seams (like the sewing reference there ;) ) keeping the secret, just sure it was going to burst out if anyone asked. I've got a poker face!

I have plans to sew lots of baby things but will wait a little longer as they have plans to find out the baby's sex.  I'm thinking it's a girl.....just a feeling.... But I made it and now I can let it slip into any conversation! If a strange asks "How are you today?" I can reply "Great, I'm going to be a grandmother!" I'm so excited, I'm smiling all the time just thinking of that little bundle of baby that I'll get to nuzzle and smell it's sweet little neck! I've been waiting for this day since I found my first gray hair. Many "grandparent" friends assure me it's even better than having your own kids. I loved being a mother.........so a greater joy...I can't wait.

A piece to tide you over :-)

I have plans to use this block as a pillow on my thirties print quilt. I got the block in some fabrics I purchased at an auction, the block was hand appliqued and almost done except for two of the leaves, they were basted in place. So to adhere those and tie them all together I machine blanket stitched around all the leaves in black thread. I [heart] the blanket stitch on my Janome 6500 and use it whenever possible~~it's the main reason I bought the machine, plus I love the needle up/down button, the knee lift, the needle threader, the auto thread cutter, the array of decorative stitches, the ............. Ok I'm in love and it shows!!!!!!!!! hehehe
Today my BFF is coming for a long weekend visit!!!!!!!!! It's been a year since we've seen each other, too long :(   But we'll make up for it!!! ;-)  talk talk talk!!! We're attending the crafts fair in Hillsboro, KS on Saturday! It's so fun and so inspiring to see all the craft pieces!

A quiet beginning!

~~~~A little fog~~~a little mystery~~~~

 

I've got a few projects in the works and hope to have pics to show soon.

 

Just needed a change...

While I love my original choice for background, ~I'll probably go back to it soon~, I just wanted a little change!

 

I [heart] hot buttered popcorn flavored Jelly Bellys!

 

So when I found this background it was yummy perfect! Do you have a favorite Jelly Belly? I did a google search to find out the most popular flavor and it's been very cherry for many years. But hot buttered popcorn has interrupted cherry's reign! Woohoo! HBP Jelly Bellys have been on my Christmas wish list for many years and my children all know this and usually put a bag of the sweet goodness in my stocking! From there the JB's go into a jar in my sewing room and sit on my work table beside my sewing machine so I can suck and sew! I like to let them sit on my tongue for awhile to prolong the enjoyment then chew and have the flavor enjoyment without the hassle of popcorn kernel coverings in between my teeth!! My favorite pairing with the HBP JB is an equal amount of root beer flavored Jelly Bellys. What a concept a snack and a beverage all in one little snack package! LOL

 

We had a great weekend with TheOther#1Son and his girl K! Saw a movie, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, ate great BBQ ribs and sweet tater fries at Hickory Hut BBQ, did a little shopping for back to school clothes for the college boy, played Monop, Monop, Monopoly (inside joke) and enjoyed the general relaxed family time that always just happens! All these events while gray skies let rain fall and fall and fall! We received 2 and a quarter inches!!!

It's Monday and it's good!

Yes it's a Monday and the weather is beeeauuuutiful! We're still dry, really dry.... even with that wonderful inch of rain last week on Monday! It's going to take many, many more inches, but the lower temps make all the difference! Light breeze, from the east south east with the high temperature to only reach 85! That-- is my kind of weather and low humidity!!! What's really amazing is the evenings are really cooling off, down right blanket weather with some good snuggling for extra warmth!!
Yesterday, TheManWhoHoldsMyHeart and I enjoyed a picnic for a late lunch. We broke in the Wine and Cheese Cooler Tote DD gave us for a joint Mother/Father day gift! It features two acrylic wine glasses, two cotton napkins, one hardwood cutting board, one stainless steel cheese knife, one corkscrew, one "Life's a picnic!" bottle topper and space for three bottles of wine! Pretty upscale for us! It raised the level of our picnics to Ooh-La-La!! But space for THREE  bottles of wine!!!! That's an all nighter!!!!!! We'd have to pack a tent too! LOL Our picnic location is always on our land in one of several locations. 1)Up, on an eastern hilltop, under a mulberry tree, with a 360 degree view of the surrounding prairie, this is a good location for non windy days. 2) Down by the creek under a willow tree, so amazing when the creek is flowing, it feels romantic and is my favorite. 3) On the northern most boundary of our property under a line of oak trees and the farthest from everything with the best chances of seeing wildlife. Our picnics are an escape from all the to-do's that plague homeowners on weekends, and it takes several repeats of "Oh I suppose we should get back and finish ....fill in the blank before it gets too late". Then we pack up the picnic, fold up the blanket and return to the real world. Thanks again DD for the picnic tote!
It's the first day of back- to- school for two of our grown children! It's deja vu! Always brings the bittersweet memories of their early days back! How did all that time get away from me? Before I get weepy on this glorious day I just want to wish them both a great school year and semester, respectively. DD is a high school math and engineering teacher and TheOther#1Son is a grad student on his second year as student and Teacher Assistant, with plans on going all the way to a PHD in mathematics. There will be many more first days for both and a time for me to remember those long ago first days, of pictures, new school supplies and shiny smiles, with a few tears (from me) as I continue from a distance to send them out into the world.

Aww.. Relief!

It's finally happened, some relief from the heat, just this past weekend, and now some rain! I just went out and checked the rain gauge an INCH plus .10! With about .01 to maybe .02 of the collection amount as bird poop! We have a mockingbird that enjoys the view from the rain gauge with it's butt over the collection spout! I usually collect the rain amount in a used water bottle, for watering my African violet that sits in the kitchen window. The bird droppings make for an interesting look to the collection, bad to look at good for the violet!!! This is such a welcome "shot in the arm" for the garden, yard, trees, pasture, ponds etc.!!!
I've been reading more lately and not sewing as much. Though I did make a small "something" a little over a week ago and have gone on to make many more. Sorry I can't show it as I have close family members that follow my blog and what I've been making I've decided to use for Christmas stocking stuffers! I will take photos and post, maybe with each of the recipients, after the holiday!
I did find an interesting idea for a super quick quilt that I want to try very soon!
Link below:

http://www.heirloomcreations.net/sewing-tips/the-jelly-roll-1600/

It looks fun and I have lots of 2 1/2" strips I'd like to use, the problem though is my strips are not all 40" in length! That could take some serious math!!!!!!!! We shall see!
[Note to Jean; What do you think, is this something we could do when you visit in Sept? If we each purchase a jelly roll of our choice we would have the cutting already done for us so all we'd have to do is sew and chat. It would be easy and mindless so we can talk, talk, talk while we sew!!]

Hope it's raining where you are!!! I'm going to clean house and bake some chewy, raisin, walnut and date packed oatmeal cookies!! TTFN! (tah tah for now)

P.S. The books I've been reading The Walk series by Richard Paul Evans! Coming Spring of 2013 book 4 in The Walk series. Not my usual style of read but very enjoyable.  A quote from the back jacket cover "an unforgettable series about hope, healing, and the meaning of life."