We are not in HOT WATER!

Of corse!!! The hot water heater is broken G R E A T  of corse.  I am starting to think we do not want to own a house.   This is great just call someone and have them worry about it. In the mean time we have no hot water.  It could be worse I guess, like the pioneers we will heat it on the stove and put it in the tub yeah!!!! It really could be worse,  Right?  I will just sew.

Finally Moved In

Well,  This weekend we moved into our house.  Thank goodness for my sisters and brothers in law, and my nephew's.  I do not know how we. no they did it.  I am no help with my health problems.  One of my sisters had a 3 level fusion in her neck, and her thyroid removed this year and the other one had a shoulder surgery and is waiting on a hip replacement.  They are younger than me, Everyone worked like Draft Horses.  We are all to old for this.  The next time if there is one I am hiring someone to do this.
Even the dogs are tired.
Have to get the sewing room up and running.   That is something only I can do RIGHT?

MOVING IS ICKY AND I DO NOT LIKE TO DO ICKY!!!!!!!!!

There are boxes every where it is 7 weeks since the water pipe broke and the owner if the house has never made contact with us. So I believe that some things are meant to be.
So we  found a great house a nice house, not to far away. We will have to go to a new Ward, that is OK because the owner of the house is in our current Ward.
My Passion for thrifting, fabric vintage linens, patterns, quilts, blankets, the list goes on and on.
Some of you know the fever it causes. It;'s a form of crazy (I hope not ),  NOT HOARDING!
They are beautiful things and I share with others.  Now I have to move it.
I sent my package today Can't Wait For HerTo Get It. NEEDFUL THINGS SWAP
KEEPING A WATCHFUL EYE

A Very Sad Day

Some of you may think that this is inappropriate.  How ever we were a product of the 50's and this is the truth.  Back then no one heard the cries of a child when things were not the way they were suppose to be.

Today my husband lost his older brother.  He was not older by much. 17 months. They were born to a mother that was 15 and 16 years old married off to an older man. A man that was angry, and had no formal up bringing. Drank and could not read.  He did work hard but was a very selfish man and only cared for he wants, and needs, while others suffered.

This is the letter that my husband wrote to his nephew and sister in law

WARNING THIS MAY CAUSE HEART TROUBLE.

Dear Matt and family:

I wanted you to know how Paul and I grew up and how it shaped his life. I remember as a little boy my big brother was tall and very skinny. WE were close as any brothers could be. 

I remember that our dad was very strict with us, mostly us boys. Our dad would beat us if we did something he didn't like and I mean beat with his fist or a belt, but your dad would always get it worst. Some times I would have to stand between your dad and my dad so, (I feared that my dad would kill your dad), to stop my dad from beating your dad to death. We would have black and blue marks all over our bodies and have a blooded mouth to boot from him hitting us in our mouth. To say my dad was mean is an under statement he was very cruel. 

I remember we were so poor that we didn't have a lot of food to eat and when we did have food on the table my dad would get mad for what ever reason and turn the table over with the little food we had on it, was now uneatable and we were sent by him to bed hungry. To say that we didn't have it easy growing up is true.

I remember that when our room was, (as little kids do), a mess he would come in and throw all of our toys (what little we had), out the up stairs window and our clothes too and then we had to, after a beating, go outside to clean up the mess that he made and throw everything in the garbage. We were crying not only from the beating but also the loss of our toys and clothes. He made sure that no one would take anything back out. Then would have us take the cans to the curb on trash day. So now all of our stuff would be gone for ever.

I remember as little boys we would hold each other in the one bed your dad and I shared crying why our dad was so mean and we we'er hurting from the beating and we were so hungry too. We were never to touch the milk or any other food that was for him, growing up or we of course be in trouble with him and get another beating but we were hungry. 

As we got older I remember that your dad would take on the blame for us younger kids and take the beating so we didn't get it. It happened all the time and it was over nothing, our dad would get mad about something at work or what our mom said or if we,as he would put sass back to him.

He went to school and he would get into fights all the time, I think he was getting out his anger against my dad out at school. Of course he would get a beating from dad when he got home from work because the school would call our mom and then she would tell our dad. It went on like this until he was kick out of just about every school around us. Then some jackass said that your dad needed medicine to calm him down, well he was like a zombie from then on, and then they decided that he needed to be in Special school because of the drugs that he was on because it caused him not to learn like the other kids. Oh that help Paul really, well (not). So my big brother not was only on a drug that caused him to be a zombie, but he went to, (and I quote your dad, a retarded school), I might as well act like them too. It was so hard to see my big brother in that state. 

Your dad was very good at repairing things him and I would tear thing down just to see how they worked. We would then put it back together again of course we have some screws left over at the very end, but as time went on and we got better and not having screws or parts left over. And he would fix all of the kids bikes in the neighborhood. All the kids knew he would fix their bikes for them. As he grew up he started to fix other things, he would help anyone who needed help, talk about learning from life, thats what he did.

I love your dad very much, I know we didn't keep up with one another as we would like to have had. But we sort of knew. He will be missed.

I know that your dad took so good care of his mom and dad as they needed. He was always there for them. Our dad, I think never appreciated your dad and what he always did and never ask for anything in return that he did for them. But I know and God knows what a very good man your dad was, and how he always help others, even when he had nothing.

I will miss my brother very much. he was my big brother. I loved him for all he has taught me and how he protected me when we were little guys.

I will miss my big brother forever.

Love from your younger brother Eddie

Just One Look

Just one Look
For my swap partner "Needful Things"

House Hunting

I hate house hunting.  We have to move because our lease option owner failed to do major repairs.
Yes MaJoR repairs.  We had a water pipe break and flood the 3rd level of the house. This is a storage area laundry room, family room, daughters room. all the flooring had to be ripped out. The water mark was 4 ft up the wall. They brought in industrial fans to dry every thing. The carpet laid in the house 7 days before they were allowed to remove it.  We lost countless irreplaceable books, antiques, washing 35 blankets. OK not only do I have a Fabric problem, I also have a Blanket problem too.  I have furniture and books and leather purses are just a few of the things along with my sisters trailer full of stuff.All under the carport. So since it has not been taken care of and our stuff needs a home.  We are house hunting.  Just packing my sewing room is overwhelming.  I am getting to old for this.  I just want simple clean and enough room.
Patience is a Virtue that I still need to learn.

Clap, Clap,Clap-Clap-Clap DOG SHOW !!

This is our Standard POODLE  JACE.  He sat and watched the Westminster Dog Show For 45 min tonight.  He is a Royal 31 inches at the wethers and 84 pounds. He is a white and chocolate Parti.  Or in horse terms "Ovaro".  He is a gentle giant. A big Teddy Bear.  First he stood the he sat and next he lay down on the floor.  He jumped up on the bed and continued to watch.  Love that BIG GUY

SNICKETT #2

 I love my life (sarcasm here).  
3 weeks ago we had a pipe break in our storage room. By the time we found it we had 5 inches of water in my daughters room and the family room.   Now the clincher is Our house is a Lease Option.  We were getting the loan ready.  The woman that owns the house is dragging her feet.  We did all the leg work and had insurance to cover our personal belongings. She has to take care of the structure problems.  She has a nice brand new home 3 blocks way.  Don't get me wrong we had a nice house too.  My family room carpet is ruined had to be removed it smells like mold down there, all my furniture and my daughters bed room are on my sisters trailer. (All that would fit) the rest is on the carport. The things we lost were personal. My daughters baby pictures. things that my grand parents brought from Germany.  Antiques, Books beloved books some we can not replace. My Shirley Temple Doll 36 inches tall box and curl's. Rug my son sent to his sister from Iraq, hand carved boxes he brought from Bosnia. That is just a few of the things.
So now my daughter is sleeping in the Main Living Room, All her cloths are in the sewing room. We are all using the same bathroom.   So we have decided and the law allows it to go.  She has drug her feet long enough and I am done. I am the one that has to sit here and look at stuff piled
every where.   So we have decided  just to rent for now and maybe build a house when we are recovered from all of the me-hem.
As My sweet little Mema always said # What the Lord give you is for your growth. Get up your still breathing.  she also said regularly.  "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired"
Can't wait for the Swap already making things for my partner.  yarnigras.blogspot.com  VISIT

MY NEEDFUL THINGS

I need to keep my family's  German Heritage alive.  The customs that my siblings and I grew up with need to be carried on thru our posterity.  

I need all things Poodle.  When I was a little girl, the next door neighbor had a beautiful Standard Poodle.  I would sit on my back porch and watch that poodle gracefully prance in the yard. If it was cold weather I would watch out the window until they let him out, then I would sneak out side with my  blankie and watch him he would come to the fence and lick my tiny fingers.  I wanted to be a Standard Poodle because of the grace. I could not become a poodle so I settled for owning them and sharing their grace.

I need my grandchildren 2 girls and 3 boys. Each so very different and unique. I need their hugs and smiles to help get me through the day. I need the humor that they provide, ideas,and stories.
I love to see the things they do like their daddy did when he was a boy.

I need sewing needles that are easy to thread because I am loosing my sight. So much of time while sewing is spent trying to thread needles.

I need my religion in my life.  I am a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.
I believe in Christ. I need to pray and prayer gives me peace.

I need my daughter and daughter in law. They are my rocks.  When I an down they always pick me up.

I need fabric it makes me feel good. Sometimes I just sit in my sewing room and look at the yards and yards of GLORIOUS fabric.  If they made a candle that smelled like new fabric I would buy them all.

I need my sisters in my life. If I have trouble cutting a pattern out one of them will always do it for me.  If I go to a quilting class my sister will do the block for me because I have trouble seeing it.  I need them because I love them.

I need to go to my happiest place on earth at least once a week. For me the happiest place on earth is the DI a chain of thrift stores here in Utah and a few other western states.  I find fabulous  things there.

I need pink, It helps me feel light and happy.

I need sparkles, They help me feel bright.

I need my best fuzzy friends, they love me unconditionally and never talk back.

I need sand paper and spray paint because I love to make something out of something else.

I need my sweet husband, he has been my best friend for 41 years. He takes care of me and works hard every day. He has made my dreams come true.

I need books and magazines I have been a reader all my life.  I have to read on my Ipad now or listen to my Kindle.  I feel very blessed to have these thing available.  I still feel the need to have reading material in my hands.

I need Duck Dynasty.  I love their family connection.  It reminds me of our family.  (we do not eat squirrel or game of any kind.)

I need Vintage be cause I love it.

I need hugs from my 2 boys. They always say I love you.

I need Swaps. It keeps me creative and helps making friends on the Internet.

I need to make people happy.  I like to buy little things that I know people will like.

A Lemony Snicket Life It Is!

 The title of this Blog says it all.  I am sure that there are those of you out there that feel the same way.

I have told my Adult children that the Wand I used for the last half century, is some where that the sun no longer SHINES!

Having said that, I do have a lovely family. The Holiday's were FABULOUS, really they were.  The 2 months before the celebratory months were a bit of a ruff road. We got through it, because that is what families do.

We had our oldest grand daughter for a full two weeks.  We have never met her until now, she grew up in Honduras, and our son was finally able to find her here in the US. We were all so happy and excited to have her here with us. What a lovely young woman.  She is kind and caring and so happy to have her daddy in her life.  It is really a  blessing.  

Then our son and daughter-in-law and the grand kids, came for New Years, they stayed for a week and she went home with them for a week. Now she is back in California with her mom.  We will get to see her for Spring Break.

While they were all here, my son was cleaning up the kitchen, there was some dried spaghetti noodles on a pot. He was scrubbing the pot and one of the dry noodles went under his thumb nail all the way to the cuticle. We tried to get it out it was way  to painful. So off to the  Urgent Care we went, to have a Spaghetti noodle removed. It had begun to soften due to his body heat.  The Doctor had to lift the nail to remove the NOODLE.  Who does this happen to? I mean really? Fortunately, it was Angel Hair Pasta.  Now we buy Linguini instead. 

                         Family, It's Who You For Dinner.

Missing

I have been missing for a bit. Taking care of some stuff. will be back soon

The Story Of Rose

This is the Zombie I sent to my Partner It is "Rose" She was the Choir Conductor in Wonderland's  garden.  It

was a story that I felt would not get told because of the other characters were more in the lime light.

This Is The Story Of Rose from Alice In Wonderland’s Garden

Rose was the director of the Garden Chorus.

Rose led them in some beautiful melodies

 All of the other flowers loved her so.

Then the long dreaded Zombie Apocalypse found its way to Wonderland.

The rotting, fumbling Zombies massacred the Garden.  They stomped on all of the beautiful flowers.  Rose tried to hide from all of the mayhem but it didn’t matter where she hid. The Zombies sloughed the disease on to the garden.

Rose’s once beautiful red petals began to drain of all their crimson color.

Droplets of her color fell on her leaves like the dripping of blood, slowly leaving the dead.

The petals once so brilliantly colored turned to a pasty sickening pink.

Spiders put webs in her once ruby petals.

Rose looked at the garden of all her beloved friends. Lifelessly they lay in the disgusting

Swaller that was once as the garden of Wonderland

All of Roses friends, broken brown, green and twisted.

Was she all that was left of the most beautiful ground covering in Wonderland?

“No, No it can’t be true”, she silently wailed.  It was true!

Alice, the White Rabbit, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, everyone, anyone in Wonderland

TURNED, succumbed to the dreadful undead.

ZOMBIES!

                                    That day, the music died.

IT'S ZOMBIE TIME

'

I love this time of year Zombies here Zombies there Zombies, Zombies every where.
Oh Wonderland. What happened?  Yarnigras Swapper Spot.
My partner this year is Little Messy Missy. I have swapped with her before. She is also very talented.
The most fun is we are in the same Zip Code. Missy left my Zombie on the front porch. When my daughter went to work she brought it in and put it on the dinning room table. Then she called me and told me there was a visitor at the table.  So I crept out and there she was The best little Zombie ever with the best Coffin I ever got.  So Far...........
She made Alice and all the little elements she put together. FABULOUS
THANK YOU MISSY

  SHE IS SO CUTE!!

Here is the Zombie I sent my partner Its on the way............

Next Up Voo Doo Pin Cushions  Whahooo!

I AM SWAP POSTING BEHIND, WAY BEHIND!!

I have to start way back in July With the Bunting Swap only Malinda C and I did the swap and it was fun.

This is not a GOOD picture by any stretch, really does not do it justic it so cute.
Melinda made it out of jeans so creative


















Next I have the F R I E N D S  Swap that was put together by Khristina McCarthy from sewprimskhris.blogspot .com  This was a fun swap also. The swap was to make a new friend and I did with Donna C in California.  Hi Donna!. Here is what she sent me.

Such lovely useful things. Fat Q bundle in pink,
darling pink buttons, Satin Pins.Quilt Journal and pattern, sewing machine needles, pink trim. and some lovely Tea soooo yummy. Thank You Donna.











Next is the Flirty Apron Swap.  3 Things You Would Like. This was a fun one too.  Here is what Ruth sent to me.  Lots of Fat Q so pretty. Candles that smell Wonderful from one of her favorite places.
a QUILTING Magazine.  She made me the cutest Around Town Bag.  I love it because when I go somewhere my poor hubby has to carry my purse. This is great, I can just sling it one and take only what I need.  Thank You Ruth.

I love Swapping, It is so fun.

JUST A PEEK

Here is a peek of the Zombie I made for my Partner.

This is Barbie and Tianna

this is my Family's First Annual Barbie Head Zombie contest.
All my sisters, daughter,nieces and the craftiest of them all daughter inlaw. We are making Zombies we each found a Barbie Head at the Thrift Store. Tianna was a bonus.  I think Barbie and the hands are already SCARY and ICKY.
Anyone have ideas let us know.  I think it will be fun.


Always Making Something..................................

Barbie your beautiful, someday I'll be as beautiful as beautiful, beautiful as she.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

What is Wrong With Me??

                             I almost forgot!  We have a new family member.
This is the newest member at the  MADD HOUSE He is a Royal Standard Poodle Parti Chocolate and white.  He 30 lnches at the wither and weighs 82# he is 2.5 yr old.  He was very well taken care of.  He is the sweetest most gentle boy ever! Just what I needed. No really. I wanted a BIG POODLE.  Yes I already have a BIG POODLE I just wanted a BIGGER POODLE.  My husband told me no more dogs. (hahahaha) He is as crazy as I am about Standards. They are like potato chips You can't have just one.   Isla has been sad since we lost Jack and now she is happy as long as he follows her rules and does what she tells him.

That kind of sounds like my Grand Daughter Laney Hmmmmmmmm  Any way he is here to stay. We Love him already.

 #1 RULE:  STAY OUT OF MY BED !

 I DON'T NEED YOUR BED!

 

TOLD YOU!

                                      
   

 OH IT IS ON LIKE DONKEY KONG PARTY BOY!

                                      
                       




 

             
    
                   
         
                                      

You Never Know.........

This has been a hard week.  My sweet sister that I have taken care of since she was 2 yr old has not been well.  Just a few months after I had my  Spinal Fusion, she had a Cervical Fusion.   Her surgery was every bit as bad as mine. Painful, and long time to return to normal.  She never really regained herself.  She has felt worse and worse everyday to the point of not being able to get out of bed which is totally not her.  I asked her to go to the Doctor.
Now here is a sidebar.  We both suffer from Hashimoto's Disease.  Those of you that may nt know what it is I will give a brief description.  Hashimotto's is Thyroid Disease, But it  is more than Thyroiditis or Hypo - Hyper.   Hashimotto's Goiter or tumor or noduals that grow on the Thyroid gland.  This causes a multitude of problems. It is also considered an Auto-immune deasease and is responsible for manifesting other organs to falter. That is a short,  short explanation. If you are interested you may want to google it.
So on we go,  they did a biopsy of her Thyroid and ultrasound. She has had this done several times in her life.  The results were different this time.  It took 3 weeks for the results to come back.  They did come back. Stage 1 and 2 cancer.  Now the good news is it is 93% cure rate, and no Chemo or radiation. Just some Iodine with isotopes that will kill any cells that may get away.   The interesting thing is our brother's girl friend is a Cancer Research Doctor in St. Louis (That's home) at Barnes Hospital.
We emailed the results and she explained it to all of us.  So in the next 2 weeks she will have her Thyroid removed. I have FAITH that she will be fine.  The only thing I am worried about is she is still having trouble swallowing. I don't know what the days that follow will hold during her recovery. She has requested my SOUP from a blender and I will make her what ever she wants.
Life without a Thyroid is different for everyone.  I guess the best is yet to come. If yoou are so inclined to, please remeber her in your prayers. Heavenly Father will know who you are praying for.

Working on things for 3 Swaps.  Why do I do this to myself??????
Always Making Something................................................................................................
 
My daughter gave me some interesting advise that never occured to me. 
Pour out your heart in prayers. That it may be filled with love and hope.

Fall The Best of Seasons

Fall is my favorite time of the year.  Back in St Louis (where we grew up and raised our kids) the fall was beautiful.   Millions of Oak Trees, Maple Trees.  The colors are so vibrant and walking on the leaves and acorns fabulous!
There are some wrights of passage that come with this season.  Like Fritz's Cinnamon Ice Cream, Roasted ears of corn at the Pumpkin Patch and Real German Brats. I miss home sometimes. That was a different chapter in our lives.
The comes October and Halloween so it's a holiday (not really) but my daughter in law loves to make costumes and they all co ordinate.  I leave that to her.  I on the other hand make the kids PJ'S for all  occasions.  So I bought the fabric for the Halloween.  So I thought I would share it with all of you.
Whatever is left over I will make a Table runner for their dinning table.

For the boys










For the Girls

For My Table

Always Making Something....................

Shake Off The Weekend And Make Something!!

So the weekend was kind of hard and I had my own little petty party.
To shake it off, I remade my BIG BEAUTIFUL POODLE, Isla.
I had this cute slightly larger than a lap quilt, that I picked up at the thrift store.
The bed is a PVC pipe and it is about 20 years old. It's from the show days, it is light and
easy to take with you so the dog can lounge between shows.
This will be this beds 4th make over.   So here goes the simple make over.

Step one the quilt

Cut the shape can you see the mistake?   I fixed it.

!

This is one happy POODLE

All 70# s  of her.  She got in bed and did not move.