Comin' Up Lillies!

Still not up to all that much, but I have been sorting photos as well as fabric and decided to implement some of the things I've been learning about scrapbooking.  Here are some pictures I took a couple of years ago of Lar's lillies.

 One of my favorite pages ever!  But I won't hand cut titles out of regular printer paper again!  - Self reminder:  print on cardstock!

Feeling Better About Feeling Lousy

Don't know where we caught it, nor what we caught, but we have been really under the weather this week - started for me with an unbelievable sore throat and has moved on through body aches, fever, and an enduring cough.  Lar is following close behind.
BUT!!
Because I don't feel like doing much else, I've been able to sit and sort....

This is pretty much what my fabric stash has been looking like for the past few years - sorted by color but pulled apart and untidy due to the many times I've pulled out and rummaged through.

And this is what the Blues and Purples look like now.
I was fortunate to read a hint on line by someone as to a great way to shelve a stash - and I really enjoyed doing it so far!

I still have about half my blues to do - and, needless to say - I'll be at this for some time to come.
The shelves will only be holding reasonably sized pieces - maybe 1/2 yds and more.
And my own solution to the rest:

Making the neatest possible folds and they will be stored near their like colors.
When I'm feeling better - I'll be so happy with myself!

Going to Pieces with Paper!

Quilters out there know about Paper Piecing.
I had done some paper piecing many years ago - and it can be addicting!  With some thinking and planning, you can get the neatest blocks/patterns  which would be much more difficult with traditional piecing.
What I'd forgotten was just how frustrating, confusing and upside down and backwards it requires one to think!
This is a signature square (without border it's only a 3" square) I decided to use for a souvenir quilt I just made.  It incorporates the fabrics from the quilt and was meant to form a heart.  
As you can see, I almost immediately mixed up the fabrics!  Not much of a heart here...but I did put my own heart into it!

 Click here to see where I got the pattern



The white area will have the information/dedication/signature written on it.  Then it'll be appliqued onto the back of the quilt.

Meantime - I need a cup of tea!  My synapses have had a nervous breakdown!  But it was fun and I'll be doing some more paper piecing again soon.

Family Ties.

We took a day trip to DE to be with one of my cousins, Linda, and some of her family the other day.  It was so great being with them...and can I tell you what it does to my heart to have them so interested in our family history?  I loved expounding on what I remember and/or have found out and when I got home I fulfilled their wish to be connected to much of the research I have done - on line and off.  I love that it is important to them.  Thanks Linda and Terry for your hospitality!

Better Irish Late than not Irish at All!

As we were away for the Official St. Patrick's Day - we celebrated later in the month.  18 of us actually managed to fit into our dining room (I didn't say comfortably!)

We were thrilled to have both Rita, and Aunt Joan this year!

Yes, Susie, Colleen did dishes!  She helped a lot!

And I was very grateful!

Family Gathering to Remember

It was wonderful to have so many dear ones assembled to honor my husband's mother and my sons' grandmother.  I couldn't pass up the photo opportunity!

Last Days of Winter's Summer

Back at the homefront, we relaxed on the patio,

 went to the pool

hung out in the hot tub (can't imagine doing this much in summer! ) 
I got to visit a local quilt shop briefly, and was able to get some fabric for some special souvenirs...more on that later.

 and drove to a neat town that, again, we'd have loved to have spent more time.

 we ate lunch hurriedly at this restaurant, where I got pictures of my grandson's favorite ferns.

We had a lot of gorgeous sunsets - this is one - special for us as we were to leave the next day.

Looking at Red Rocks

21 March - a day really worth remembering!

MONTEZUMA'S CASTLE

Montezuma's Castle - the site of a prehistoric culture that once lived in the Verde Valley.  While there were hunter and gatherer occupants here for thousands of years, agriculture and architecture were influenced by first the Hohokam and later the Sinagua.The Southern Sinagua farmers began building this five-story, 20 room dwelling early in the 1100s.   

 MONTEZUMA'S WELL
This includes a lake and fairly lush vegetation in the midst of the desert.  The well is a limestone sink formed long ago by the collapse of an immense underground cavern  Feeding springs flow continuously.*
* National Park Service US Dept of Interior - National Monuments, AZ

SEDONA 

BELL ROCK

 CATHEDRAL ROCK

CHAPEL OF THE HOLY CROSS

I was a lot like a little kid as we drove into town!  This is not a town to drive in, take a quick look and leave.  As I sit at home now and look over the map of Sedona and environs, I realize just how much more there was to see.
Larry and I had the good fortune to visit a gem store where we met the nicest lady who taught us a great deal about gems, where we bought some and then learned even more.  
Above you may see that we had a little time to sit in the lovely visitor center.  As we were about to depart, I was getting total eye contact from an elderly lady pushing an even older gentleman in a wheel chair.  The eye contact was so complete that I realized we were going to speak.
Her first words, "Where you from?"  I replied, "New Jersey!"
"Me too!" she answered!  "Where in New Jersey?"  
I asked, "where in New Jersey are you from?"  Her response, "Toms River."
Then she proceeded to tell Larry and me how she had come to be in Sedona.  Originally from Greece, she'd come a long way.  Her parting words, "I am tired of Sedona.  How many times can you look at red rocks!" 
Because of our little conversation, it was decided we could not spend any more time in Sedona, and so we were on our way.  I did not want to leave and dearly hope to find myself in Sedona once again - apparently I have not looked at red rocks enough yet!