More Progress on BTCT

Only a couple more layers to go then the last flowers. 

blessings,

Chris

linking with quiltingismorefunthanhousework

                    slow-sunday-stitching

The Bookshelf

Yesterday the cleaning lady and I (mostly her) cleared off 4 shelves of books in the back kitchen that I have decided to donate. I have not looked into any of the books since I graduated with a Bachelors's degree in counseling studies in 2008. Most of these were counseling books focusing on marriage and relationships. Others were cookbooks. Lots of cookbooks. I gave away more than I kept, but I do, after all, have grandchildren learning to cook. So I kept the chocolate books and the pie books and the jello books. I could do a whole blog post about each one of those.

I actually flipped through every single book to see if I had left any interesting book marks. I once loaned a bunch of specific counseling books to a class mate for her thesis. She took a moment to flip through each one and found an envelope with $150 US and enough Canadian cash to pay my cleaning lady that day. I had given my husband the last of the cash I had on me that day and wondered how I would pay the girl. God is amazing in providing what we need at just the time we need it. I had planned to visit the author in Ohio later that year and had my money ready. I try not to use cash for book marks anymore. I once found my birth certificate in a book several years after I got a new one so I could get a passport. There were book marks of all sizes and shapes with notes and post its in most of the books.

There were cookbooks about canning. And she found a plaque I had received in 2006 for winning high points in canning at our local fair. I was canning queen in 1998 also. Oh the stories I can tell. I learned to make homemade jams the year I got married and eventually canned fruits and applesauce and pickles and relishes. We had a big vegetable garden. It was a way of life. On the farm here, we have plenty of room to grow food for ourselves not just for the cows. We gave up the vegetable garden the year we turned 50 and took over the family farm. Now our son is getting ready to plant 500 strawberry plants and start his own vegetable garden. He has 3 little girls to help.

My ADHD brain had a field day with memories evoked by each book and I had to tell the cleaning lady about each one and stories and talk talk talk. Why do I do that? I don't know, but I do. Bless her, she keeps right on cleaning. Another day we will tackle the china cabinet in the hall that houses about 200 counseling books. But I had decided to not get rid of them until I had my dissertation done. Then there are hundreds and hundreds more here in the office/quilt room on theology (after all I have a degree in theology) and many more counseling books. And devotionals. I have lots of them. Quilt books are on a different bookshelf on the other side of the room. But Glenda from Australia once told me that you eat an elephant one bite at a time.

This bookshelf will be cleaned up and moved into to the living room for the many children's books that are presently in boxes in a closet. The closet shelves will then have quilting project boxes returned when the book boxes were put there. At least this is the plan in my head.

Blessings,
Chris 

Done

Last week wasn't so bad. But the cleaning lady did lots on the list.

1. Pay taxes. Done
2. Payroll Remittance. Done
3. Pay car insurance. Done 
4. Pay cleaning lady. She is here now working her magic at removing dirt. Done 
5. Back up computer files. How hard can this be? Now its done b/c it was easy
6. Take geraniums outside for summer. Done by cleaning lady. 
7. Figure out how to clear cookies so I can log in to my writing coach's website.  
8. Clear clogged kitchen sink. Never quite finished the dishes for an empty sink so No.
9. Make Action Plan for writing. Done
10. Write 3 times. Done
11. Clear my work space so I have room to write. Done then re-cluttered again.
12. Sweep quilt room floor. Done by cleaning lady.  
13. Plant The tomato plant. Been raining all week so No
14. Work up flower beds. Done by cleaning lady.
15. Put the potted geraniums in holes in the flower beds. Done
16. Set goals for the week. Done 
17. Massage on Friday. Done

My to-do-tuesday  list for this week includes:

1. Prep rest of the leaves and stems for BTCT block. Done
2. Stitch leaves and stems for BTCT block. Done
3. De-clutter my bedroom. Started
4. Donate clothes. Not yet
5. Donate wicker chairs. Done
6. Donate 1 box of books. Done
7. Donate another box of books. Done & done
8. Plant morning glories. Done
9. Plant one tomato plant. Done
10. Clear clogged kitchen sink. Good task for the leaning lady methinks. Done
11. Do the cookie thing with my writing coach. Done. Called in my IT guy and he fixed it. 
12. Write at least 3 times. Done
13. Begin writing the Action Exercises and Journaling for my new course. Been reading but not writing here yet
14. Not give too much advice as our son plants 500 strawberry plants and other things.  Behaved myself

This should be enough for one week. Blessings,

Chris

BTCT Progress

A few more buds and leaves and a flower back-basted 

onto the second to last Beyond the Cherry Trees blocks

for slow-sunday-stitching.

Blessings,
Chris

To Do Tuesday

I came down this morning to the sounds of a little girl crying because she did not want to wear her sweater under her rain coat to school because she was hot. It was 4 C this morning. Yesterday she wanted to wear leggings under her uniform skirt because it was cold. It was 22 C yesterday.  She turns 6 on Friday. By then I should have lots done here because I am making a list for to-do-tuesday-5-7-19.

Also, when I came down this morning at the unearthly hour of 7:08 AM, I remembered that my taxes are due then I remembered I had not paid the car insurance nor submitted payroll remittance. I am retired. I should not have to work or pay bills. Sigh. They still have to be paid whether I do it now or I do it later.

1. Pay taxes. Done
2. Payroll Remittance. Done
3. Pay car insurance. Done 
4. Pay cleaning lady. She is here now working her magic at removing dirt. 
5. Back up computer files. 
6. Take geraniums outside for summer. Done by cleaning lady. 
7. Figure out how to clear cookies so I can log in to my writing coache's website.  
8. Clear clogged kitchen sink. 
9. Make Action Plan for writing. 
10. Write 3 times for at least 3 hours. 
11. Clear my work space so I have room to write. 
12. Sweep quilt room floor. This will be a challenge. I have a cleaning lady. I pay her to clean. 
13. Plant The tomato plant. 
14. Work up flower beds. 
15. Put the potted geraniums in holes in the flower beds. 
16. Set goals for the week. Done 
17. Massage on Friday. 

This should keep me busy for a few days. 

Blessings, 

Chris

If You Clear It - She Will Fill It

My youngest granddaughter turns 6 this week. She is special. I mean, really special. 

We have been doing some serious decluttering here in the old Farmhouse. I was getting something from the back kitchen today and spotted the following on shelves and chairs: 

She was helping Daddy clean out the trailer in anticipation of selling it and brought some critters home with her.

And of course they must be fed. 

These baby chicks were in the quilt room last week under a light. 

I guess they needed to keep warm.

I once set up an empty 8 foot table and told her she could use it. She filled it one end to the other with crafts and stuffies and books and toy sewing machines and snacks and her ipad in no time at all. Just like Gramma. 

In the meantime, the 7 year old has requested that she do some sewing. She tells me isn't it wonderful that she is so blessed to have the skills to sew. She sewed up many 7 inch I Spy blocks last summer and we are continuing now. Well, until she cut the thread too short then jammed the machine and I had to re program it and refill the bobbin. But that's what Gramma's do. 

Blessings, 

Chris

Slow Sunday Stitching

The little boys had been sick with a really bad virus for the past two weeks. They went to the doctor on Thurs and were told they could be with people again. Their first comment was. "Gramma can come and visit now!" since Gramma stayed away so to not bring any of the virus home to share with the little girls. Gramma had to wait for her car to be brought home from getting the snow tires off and new brakes on. Then she quickly grabbed a few stitching things and a change of clothes and drove the 2 1/2 hours in the dark to surprise them all. The little boys found her in the guest room Sat morning. And lovely hugs and snuggles and more hugs. It's been a whole month after all.



I got a few bits back basted on BTCT block #24 and started stitching the green thing that will be behind the flower. I did not have any red in my kit to prep the buds so will do it later. But for now, I have a bit of hand work for  Slow Sunday Stitching.

Blessings,
Chris