A Day of Quilts

Mom and I went to a first quilt show today. Incredible. Mindboggling. Inspirational (hopefully)!

Here are a few pictures from the Genesee Valley Quilt Club Inc Quilt Festival at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Take my breathe away!
I love the originality of Remembering Marmalade by Bonnie Robinson. That tail is something else!


I love kids fabric and the sweetness of children's quilts. Here's one of the many that caught my eye.
Alaina's Quilt by Carolyn Maruggi


Batik fabrics always catch my eye, but I always seem to overthink them, thus having no clue how to use them. I love how Joan Wigg used batiks in her Beautiful Batiks Row by Row.


I am an outdoor lover at heart and I am always drawn to nature and God's creatures. I don't know how the moose thing started by I am a sucker for a moose! Claire Welch's Northern Neighbors quilt fit me to a tee!
Here is another beautiful scenic quilt entitled Johnnie's Bear Quilt by Karen Wilcox
One of my favorite patterns is the Courthouse Steps. The pattern is similar to the Log Cabin which is also a favorite of mine. This Courthouse Steps by Liz Cocuzzi is a lovely rendition in browns. Is
n't the border of houses cute on Cracked Up by Cynthia Marino?


I have a special fondness for sampler quilts and traditional blocks Arizona Queen by Nancy Smith is a beauty!.
Also Colton Wedding by Jody Farraci (I love toile prints!)
Can you imagine the work this sampler took? (I missed the name on this one :(


Have you seen the quilts that use all sorts of neat embellishments to add to their style? Well they are even more gorgeous in person than in the magazines! Yesterday by MonaJeanne Easter was absolutely precious!
And some blocks from Ribbons, Pearls, & Lace

Ok, I know, I really can't show you EVERYthing..they were all so lovely! So I will close with a couple of neat quilts that show great use of theme fabrics. You know those fabrics that are just so darn cute but you think, "What could I do with those?" Well, these women did wonders!! Patricia Foote made this adorable A Dick & Jane Quilt to Griffin,
The King was in the building gracing Brook's Elvis by Joyce McMurray And finally, two of my sentimental favorites for their odes to cowboys and cowgirls Saturdays with Gabby by Leslie Delpopolo and My Heros Have Always Been Cowgirls by Kate Wylie



Hope you enjoyed the mini-show!
~Blessings



!

Spring Blooms

Garden Therapy

We had a nice little picnic with mom yesterday. I wish I could say I don't sit there and think about the fact that dad ISN'T there, but I do. Especially when I see the hurt and sadness in my mom's eyes. I believe with all my heart we both try to be positive; neither one of us are the type to mope, but this is a big one and the "sick to your stomach" feeling has not eased. I now it is good though that we both desire to have joy in our lives again; it just is not quick to come of course. Mom has done a bit of spoiling me...she says this is my birthday present, my birthday is not until August though! I have always wanted a china cabinet and I know she has always wanted to give one to me. We found it at an antique store, I liked it there, but I am blown away at how it looks in the dining room. It will always be special to me because she bought it.
The glasses on the top shelf are from my friend, Michelle, and another set from my MIL. The glass bowls on the middle shelf are pieces my mom gave me as house warming gifts.

As I have mentioned before, spring has snuck up on me. The weeds really thought they had me beat. So this weekend I have tried to show my gardens a little TLC. I can't really describe the mood I've been in; it's not the lethargic "I don't care" attitude, but it's more like "I get started and it exhausts my brain too fast" place right now. But the gardens need to get done, nature soothes me, my flowers make me smile. So today was the day:

See the weeds, the wild onions & garlic and the bags of mulch calling out to be opened?
Poor Mr. Frog, who has been with me many years was quite worried that the "jungle" was going to invade his space!
The flowers were kind enough to show up even though I've been a poor hostess!





I did get this bed cleaned up and covered with mulch today, and Mr. Frog was so happy to have some fresh mulch to perch on, and a new rose bush friend to guard!

Thank you again for your prayers. We had more sad news today as my dad's uncle passed away this morning. As a school friend I have reconnected with on facebook writes: You just gotta keep livin' , man. L-I-V-I-N !

I haven't posted in so long, I can't even do it right! Check out my post here: http://beemoosie-picture-diary.blogspot.com/2009/05/happy-memorial-day.html

~Blessings!

Peace

Peace, that is what I yearn for. It is what I believe God for, His peace, that passes all understanding. Despite what I see & feel; despite the circumstances. I won't let go of Jesus & His peace. I can't afford to. You see today, I went to another funeral. This week I mourned & cried with many of the people I did this with a month ago. My aunt, dad's youngest sister (#7 out of 8 children) passed away Tuesday morning. 47 years old. Mother of two young adults. Sister, daughter, aunt, friend. The shock of an elderly mother that has lost her second child in one month. Siblings reeling from the pain. My mother & I trying to heal from the loss of my dad thrown right back to step one, but mourning also now because others are now so deeply touched by the pain we have experienced. Unbelievable. Incomprehensible.

You may or may not understand this, but I still believe with all my heart that God is good. He does not take from us. Sickness & death are the devil's business. God heals our broken hearts and promises us an eternity free from this pain with Him. And He also knows we get sad and beaten down and even lose our hope. He understands. He knows that right now, I am fighting moment by moment to maintain His peace....

~Blessings

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say, "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God, fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

And I hear the voice of mny angels sing
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart
"Worthy is the Lamb"

I Will Rise
Written by Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, Jesse Reeves & Matt Moher
From the CD Chris Tomlin Hello Love

Missing Dad

I don't know if I can put into words the sorrow I have felt the last 2 weeks. My father was a young man, having just turned 60 in December, and from all appearances in good health. Even so I received the phone call 2 weeks ago this very night from my mother that she had found him outside, non responsive. Two weeks later I am still unbelievable exhausted from my brain trying to wrap itself around the fact that Dad is not here. I understand I may always wrestle with that fact.

How quickly everything changes. Two weeks ago I was an only child of two loving parents who lived 7 miles away. We may not have seen each other daily (although my DH and dad worked together) but they were part of my living & breathing. I constantly made plans and planned life around them. They were in every scene of life; birthday parties, graduations, marriages, births...

And although I am more than half way past 36, I was a child. Yes, I am responsible, but I was Bob & Charlotte's child. I did not take care of my parents, they are/were young and healthy and self sufficient. Instantly, I feel like my mom's protector. She is strong and capable still, but I so want to DO for her. Not that there is anything I can do to take away this horrible pain. Never the less my heart has taken her in to my immediate family and she is mine to take care of now.

It all feels so strange.

I miss him calling me "Bon"

I miss his holey jeans and big grease stained work hardened hands.

The half gentle pinch/half rub on the arm that was his I love you/hello

I miss hearing him say "i love you" b/c he WOULD say it

That scrunched up face and higher pitched "AHHHH GEEEEZEEE" when he was teasing

Hundreds of other things I miss that I just wasn't ready to let go of....

Sad Day

We unexpectedly lost my dad last Monday. Words cannot express my sadness; but I know with all my heart "absent of the body, present with the Lord"

Lovely Weekend

We've been blessed this weekend with sunshiny 50 degree weather. Now I know this is cold to some of you, but up here, in March, we are bordering on a heat wave. You can literally hear the collective sigh of contentedness as the majority of us housebound, hibernating humans come out of our caves and stretch and yawn feeling the life giving warmth of the sun. DH & I took the baby for a walk today. She is an okay walker; she pulls quite abit still, which

I can't stand because her neck shrinks down to nothing and I worry that she will slip out of her collar. She is learning though. This picture was taken at a nature trail that was carved out of some land in our town a few years ago. It was too wet and muddy to go back in there today.
I love this next picture; it is recycling at it's best!When the land was being prepared for the trails, this old wreck was found. It sits now at the entrance of the trail with a lovely flower box behind it. All that water is not usually there, it's overflow from a nearby creek.
I guess this post is going backwards! Earlier in the day, DS and I stopped at a local antique shop to help out the economy! ( we visited a different one last weekend!) Today was apron jackpot day! I found 3 adorable half aprons! Some to keep and some to share I think...

I am totally in love with the white & green crocheted apron; definitely my find of the day. I guess it is the uniqueness of it that draws me. I think it's cute. I also like to visit this particular shop b/c she always has old post cards that represent the holidays. I think I'll research it a bit, but it seems that people sent post cards often in the early to mid 19oo's and they were made for every holiday. So far I have found Christmas, New Years, Easter & St Patty's day. The prints are so nostalgic and beautiful!

I visited a lovely little farmgirl etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5338774

and fell in love with a tea towel that I just HAD to have!! Isn't it darling?

To back up a little more, we had an awesome dinner to celebrate my MIL's 70th Birthday. DH wanted to take her out for something special, so we took her to our extra special once a year type of place. We even took the kiddos and learned, "yes, we can clean 'em up and take them out!" I love seeing children with their grandparents.
Well the fresh air seems to have made me long winded!!! Hope you are able to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine too!
~Blessings!