Quilt Square Quilt-Along!

Run on over to Jo's Country Junction and join in on the Quilt Square Quilt Along! A GREAT way to use up some of those scraps!!!!

The Year 2011

January 1, 2011, began as normal – a sweet kiss between my Ronny and I at midnight – well, if we were awake! Sometimes it happened the next morning – especially in the later years of our marriage! We were so excited for 2011 – the year we would celebrate our 40^th wedding anniversary. Who would have thought it!! Yes, there were those who doubted our union – especially since we only dated approximately six weeks before getting married.

In January 2011, we celebrated our first-born, Heath's, 37^th birthday. Valentine's Day rolled around and we professed our love for each other as lovers do on Valentine's Day. In March, we were so blessed to witness the marriage of our precious nephew, Matthew Ashmore, to his beloved Amanda. We had a wonderful time and danced the night away. In April, it was Easter – such a glorious time in history when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ rose from the tomb. We spent Saturday before Easter with the Earley family and friends in Conroe – such a wonderful day –lots of fellowship, dominoes, egg hunts, and telling the Easter Story to the children. Little did we know that on the anniversary of Jesus' ascension into Heaven that our world would be rocked!

On Easter morning, while getting dressed for Sunrise Service at our church, Ronny had a minor stroke which took him to the hospital. It was just to be a one-night stay for observation purposes. Later that evening, he was transferred to ICU and just after midnight on April 25, Ronny suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage which left him in a coma. My entire world came crashing down around me. My heart was shattered as was the rest of our family's hearts. On April 26, as we were all gathered around his bed, he was taken off the respirator and a test was performed to determine his brain activity. During the test, his heart stopped beating. It was over. Being the strong, wonderful man, husband and father that he was, he took care of us once again and removed that decision from us and made it himself. We didn't have to tell them to unplug the machine. He told the physicians for us and spared us. Ron was a very giving person and in his death, he continued to give – he was a tissue donor – helping others.

Why am I repeating this story? When we celebrated the new year, 2011, little did I know it would be our last New Year's kiss. In January, little did I know that it would be Heath's last year to celebrate his birthday with both parents. In March, at Matt and Amanda's wedding, little did I know that it would be our last dance together. In April, at the family Easter celebration, little did I know it would be our last celebration together.

The past eight months have been a complete fog. I am simply 'going through the motions'. I somewhat understand why it is recommended that no major decisions should be made until at least a year after the loss of a spouse. I reflect on the last few months and can honestly say I do not know how I have functioned. Well, I do know – it is simply by the love and grace of God. The One who walks with me, holds my hand, keeps me safe, helps me smile when I really don't want to smile. God is gradually picking up the shattered pieces of my heart and making a new person. I am a work in progress.

The year 2011 was the worst year of my entire 59 years of being alive. I will not begin 2012 with that sweet kiss from my beloved Ron, but begin it as a heart-broken widow. I will relish his memory and all the awesome years we had together, and the many blessings we enjoyed together. Those memories, the love of my God and my family and friends will encourage me to build a new life. Even though my future is uncertain, I choose to embrace the unknown and have faith that everything is going to be okay.

I wish each of you a Happy and Blessed 2012! Please make wise decisions as you celebrate. Please don't drink and drive, please tell your family how much you love them, and most importantly thank God for your blessings. Only God knows our days and when it will be our last day, our last hour. Live each day as though it were your last. One more thing I wish for you, my friend: If you don't have a relationship with God, I encourage to seek Him in 2012.

Secret Santa Has Arrived!

OH EM GEE! My font is underlined and I don't know how I did it!!! Oh Well!

The Secret Santa from Utah has arrived in TEXAS!!!!! A couple of days ago, I received the following -- a darling Christmas cup filled with my very favorite candy -- Hershey's with almonds!!!! Along with it came a sweet card.

Today, I came home from work and the following box was waiting for me! Wow! Another Secret Santa box.

I opened the box and this is what I saw -- a beautiful card and some lovely doilies!

I removed a layer of tissue paper and looky what I saw!

The first package I opened was this awesome necklace!!!!! It says "Keep Calm and Quilt On" I absolutely LOVE IT!!!!!

The next package revealed this precious snow man. Isn't he cute??? Look at that sweet smile.

Next was this awesome star made of vintage laces. Oh Dear! I think Secret Santa is trying to spoil me!

And Looky!!!!! An adorable rooster (look at those polka dots) with measuring spoons! It is precious and goes perfect in my kitchen.

Below is a pic of all my goodies!!!

Secret Santa, I don't know who you are, but you truly made my day. I've been looking for a "fast forward" button to get me through these holidays and on into January but haven't found one! Thank you for making me smile and putting some Christmas spirit in me -- my first Christmas without my sweet husband. I LOVE EVERTHING YOU SENT ME!!!!

Texas Rangers & Quilting

YAY!!!! The Texas Rangers Baseball team has, once again, advanced to the World Series. How exciting this is for this Texas girl. It was bittersweet watching them win last night. I sit and stitched on binding on a quilt (pictures are forthcoming) that I had been commissioned to make. I kept looking over at my husband's chair, but he was not there.

We used to always watch the baseball games together. Of course, I would always be stitching on 'something' -- a quilt, hand embroidery, etc. It just wasn't the same without him with me. Loneliness is tough when you are used to doing things as a couple.

So the moral of this story is this: Go hug your loved ones; tell them you love them as you never know when it could be your last time.

Back to quilting. I think I may just be back to the quilting world!!!! After losing my husband, I had lost all interest in quilting. I didn't understand because quilting is my favorite thing to do!!! I've been reading books on becoming a widow and grief and I've learned this is normal -- yea, I'm finally normal!!! ;) I am finishing up a T-Shirt quilt made of Harley Davidson t-shirts. These shirts are from all over the U.S. After this quilt is finished, I'll be making another with t-shirts from around the world. Ya'll stay tuned for upcoming pictures.

SECRET SANTA

I am participating in the Secret Santa hosted by the Colorado Lady. Hop on over and join the fun. Christmas is just around the corner! It's going to be FUN! Sign-up is open until the end of October.

10 Random Things All About Me

1. I am a Christian


2. I am the youngest of three children, the only girl, the only redhead. Both brothers and parents have/had black hair.


3. I am a cancer survivor and have been in remission for 8 years


4. I recently became a widow -- the worst day of my life


5. When I love someone, I love with my whole heart and soul


6. I love birthday cake, wedding cake, and Hershey's chocolate w/almonds


7. I love to hear the sound of my grandchildren's laughter


8. I feel like a kid in a candy store when I go to a quilt shop


9. If I am your friend, I am loyal and you will be stuck with me forever


10. I love to laugh and have fun

Yea! It's Gonna be Funnnnnnn!

I just received my swap partner from Shawnee for the Fall Table Runner Swap. I am so excited -- I LOVE table runners, toppers, etc. and use them a lot in decorating my home. I've already gone to my partner's blog and am familiar with her and even planning my runner! Stay tuned for more details and sneak peaks!

It's Fall Ya'll and Gettin' in the Groove

Hello Folks! Yep, I'm still around -- I've just been in a 'funk' since the passing of my sweet husband and haven't been posting. I'm really trying to get into the groove of things again -- it is just hard to stay in focus. I am going to do better about posting on my blog and sharing with you what I'm doing.

It's Fall -- my very favorite season. Fall makes me think of beautiful turning leaves, cooler weather, campfires, Thanksgiving, etc. My husband was a big bow hunter and I loved going with him to the deer lease (yes~wives were welcome on this lease). We would sit around the fire and just enjoy visiting with friends. I always made sure that I took some type of handwork or a good book to read to keep me busy while he was in the woods. I won't be doing much of that type of activity any more but that doesn't mean I have to stop enjoying the beautiful fall!

Speaking of Fall, Shawnee, over at Shawnee's Flirty Apron Swap is doing something different for Fall. Instead of aprons, we will be swapping TABLE RUNNERS! Isn't that fun? I love me some table runners and use them (along with small quilts) for decorating in my home. When I read her idea of swapping table runners, I was really excited. I said to self, "Poor Pitiful Self, I think this will be just the thing you need to do to get you back in that studio and working on projects" so I immediately signed up! You should go over -- no, you should RUN over, and sign up to join the fun. The deadline to sign up is September 30 with mailing date of October 20-30 (date depends on whether you are a new swapper). I hope you will join us!

WHAT????? A PANTY SNATCHER!!!!

The time has come for me to share the story of the "panty snatcher"! If you have been reading my blog (not that there have been a lot of posts lately), you know that I lost my precious husband a couple of months ago. You also know that he had spoiled me rotten. You see, he was retired and I was still working. He took care of the house, the yard, did a little cooking, and he also did the laundry. WAIT! I know some of you are in a panic -- "she lets her husband wash her clothes????" In my closet was a basket and if there were pieces of clothing I didn't want him to wash (let's face it -- men can really screw up our favorite clothing in the washing machine), I just put it in the basket and I would take care of the washing.

In the week or so after his passing, I would wonder "where are those special capri pants I love to wear, or I wonder where that ole t-shirt is that is so comforting"? I just blew it off that they were "here somewhere" and that in my sudden grief and dispair, I had just put them "somewhere" (you know -- those places that we never know WHY we put them there in the first place).

Typically, I am one of those people who like to shower in the mornings. One morning, I arose getting ready to take my shower. I go to my panty drawer, open it, and to my surprise, there were only TWO pairs of panties!!!! I was in a state of panic -- WHERE WERE ALL OF MY PANTIES??? I mean, my drawer was always stocked with panties. I just couldn't imagine. My mind went into overtime. I decided there must be a panty snatcher in the area!! Now I have some really awesome neighbors -- they know I'm here alone and they tend to look out for me. I just couldn't believe that they never told me someone was stealing panties! But then I thought "they just didn't want to scare me". Okay, so I go on to take my shower and get dressed for work. As I am in the shower, I just keep thinking about what happened to my panties! I said "Lord, I don't know what is going on, but SOMEONE has stolen ALL OF MY UNDERWEAR!!!!!!". As I am washing my hair, it suddenly hits me -- I NOW HAVE TO DO ALL OF THE LAUNDRY!!!!!!!!! There is NO panty snatcher in the neighborhood -- just a crazy, grief-stricken woman who hasn't done the laundry!!! Then I began to laugh and laugh and laugh. You know the kind of deep laugh that you can't stop and you laugh so hard you nearly pee yourself (good thing I'm still in the shower!). Whew, so glad that mystery was solved!! I mean, I was really concerned!

Not to fear folks -- my panty drawer is full again -- I have been doing the laundry! So now you have the 'rest of the story'.

Stayed tuned for more adventures in this new season of my life. Who knows??? I may even have some quilting stores to share eventually! (I'm still trying to get my mojo back -- haven't sewn a stitch since my sweet honey passed).

A Season of Life

Hello Friends, I have certainly neglected my blog lately. What have I been doing???? Well, it certainly hasn't been quilting or sewing. I have not sewn a single stitch since Ron's passing! I am trying to get my mojo back! I will be attending a retreat with my Wacky sistas the end of the month so I'm sure they will get me inspired.

I have been doing some reading and learning to cope and live in this new season of my life. You see I work full-time. Ron was retired and I lovingly referred to him as my "house boy". He kept the house clean, did laundry, and cooked -- well cooked most of the time. He did these things in between hunting and fishing. I was VERY SPOILED and didn't realize how spoiled I was. I have mowed the grass only ONE TIME IN MY LIFE! I don't even know how to start the lawn more -- that contraption is foreign to me -- LOL. My dear oldest son has been taking care of the yard for me, but is going to teach me how to use the mower. I've realized that I have to do laundry (I'll save the story of the alleged 'pantie snatcher' for another post), cook, wash my car, take it in for oil changes, and many other sundry things. Just this week it struck me that I may need to check the a/c filter! I walk around my house and think "oh my gosh, I am totally responsible for this place!

How am I coping you ask? Well, it is simply by the love and grace of God. I have a very strong faith and a great network of friends. I have many, many bad moments (and sometimes days), but 'these too shall pass' in time. I also have many, many wonderful moments too. You see, Ron and I were 'best friends' and were just approximately six weeks shy of our 40th wedding anniversary. When he left this world, he took a part of me with him, but he also left a part of himself with me -- his strong will, his love, and a zillion memories! He also left me with the knowledge that I WILL SEE HIM AGAIN! I know without a doubt that he is living in the most glorious place -- a place that words cannot describe. I know that when my time on this old earth is over, he will be waiting for me. This knowledge brings me great comfort. Also, knowing that my Heavenly Father is constantly holding my hand on this journey and equipping me with everything I need is my constant strength.

SEW, I went to the local quilt shop today and picked up some fabric for an apron swap. I'm hoping to get back into the studio this weekend to do some sewing/quilting. I am thinking that signing up for this swap and having a deadline will get me back to my sewing.

I have rambled enough for now. Stay tuned and I'll share the "pantie snatcher" story in a future post!!! It was quite an awakening for me but a funny one!

Ya'll have a Blessed week and I hope all your stitches are perfect and your seams are all quarter inch.

May He Rest in Peace....

Folks, it has been a long time since I have posted on my blog! I've been busy and then on Easter Sunday, April 24, my whole world came tumblng down around me. While getting dressed for church, my precious husband and bestest friend had a mini stroke that took him to the hospital. Then a little after midnight on April 25, he had a massive stroke that left him brain dead and in a coma. He was only 62 years old and too young to die. I am so thankful for the time we had together (next week we would have been married 40 years) and am grateful that God took him quickly and he didn't have to suffer. He was a wonderful person and always giving to others. He continues to give as he was a tissue doner (his heart stopped beating so he was unable to donate his organs as well). He was my biggest quilting fan and biggest encourager. I have not taken a single stitch since his passing. I am hoping to do so this weekend....he would want me to do this! Make sure you always love your family and always tell them how much you love them and how much they mean to you. You NEVER know when God will decide to call them home. We had a wonderful marriage and loved each other so much. I have absolutely no regrets and I know that I'll be seeing him again when I get to Heaven. My Lord and Savior is my refuge and keeps me going along with the wonderful memories of our life together. May Ron Earley rest in peace.................

We Have Winners!!!!!

We have Winners!!! First off, I want to thank Linda at B. Bumble and Company for hosting this great giveway! THANK YOU LINDA! Using the old fashion method of putting the names on slips of paper and drawing out of a basket, I have selected TWO WINNERS. First off the winner of "The Little Cowboy" Is........................................................................................ JACKIE FROM TEXAS!!!! The winner of the Good Shepherd is.......................................................................................................... SHELLEY FROM MAINE!!!! CONGRATULATIONS LADIES! I will get your patterns in the mail this week!!!!

It's Time!!!

Today is the last day to enter the B. Bumbling and Company give-away that Linda has so graciously sponsored! (See my post dated 3/15/2011). You have until MIDNIGHT to comment. Come on folks -- go check out these awesome patterns so you can win one.

Quilt Show Anyone???

Yesterday, my quiltin 'besties' and I attended the East Texas Quilt Guild Show in Tyler, Texas. We had a blast as ususal. The day started out meeting at the Brookshire Brothers parking lot. Well, needless today, that was a fiasco! LOL! We were meeting at 8 a.m. I arrived at about 8:03 a.m. to find NO ONE! I couldn't believe it because Annie is always on time and usually early. So I decide they must have parked in a different place so I drive around. "Oh look, there is a car like Molly's, but that's not her". Then I see Kathleen driving into the parking lot. We discuss where they may be and did we get our "wires" crossed. Suddenly, we here this 'honk'. It was Molly and Annie! (and YES, that WAS Molly's car). We hop in and off we go to stop and pick up Rhonda on the way! We are laughing and talking so much we "almost" passed up the Butler Store where Rhonda was anxiously waiting. Now we are set. SEW, let's go to the quilt show!!!!

This is a picture of the Guild raffle quilt:

The following is the Wacky 6-Pac Quilters who are quiet 'infamous'. LOL!!!! We had one lady say to us "ya'll look like ya'll are a really fun group!" And of course, (in our very shy and modest way), we told her "heck yeah, we are fun"! LOL L-R: Molly, Kathy (that would be me), Kathleen, Rhonda, and Annie. This Valentine quilt was made by none other than our "Aunt Kaye". She is really not our aunt, but the aunt of another quilting friend, but we all call her "Aunt Kaye". Kaye is a fantastic quilter and has her own longarm quilting business.

And of course, the Dear Jane quilt.

A feathered star quilt is on my quilting 'bucket list'. I finally made a small one (with the help of my friend Molly). Naturally, I am drawn to them and had to get pictures.

I really liked the alternating 9-patches and appliqued flowers in this quilt.

And here are the RABBITS! I don't know the maker of this quilt, but the fact that it was 'rabbits', it deserved a picture. You see, there is a "story" here -- one that I shall not share on the blog but it is about our precious 6-Pac member, Jerri, who is sitting at Jesus' feet working on her applique -- rabbits no doubt.

I loved the Eagle in this quilt.

I bet the maker of this quilt is either now on alcohol or some type of drug! LOL

After the show, we went to our favorite eating spot -- Mercados Mexican Restaurant and then on to "A Nimble Thimble" a fantastic quilt shop. I had to take a picture of one of the ladies working at the shop. Isn't this the cutest apron?????

And our last stop before getting home was this "junk place"! What fun we had.

That's all folks! I hope you enjoyed the show.

Happy Quilting!

It's Your Lucky Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of my quilting buddies! Today could be your lucky day!!!! Be sure to sign up to win one of the awesome patterns from B. Bumbling, aka Linda! (See my post below.) The drawing will take place April 1st.

Wordless Wednesday

A New Friend and a GIVE-AWAY!

Friends! What would we do without them?? There are many types of friends -- those that we consider family; friends we work with, go to church with, neighbors; friends who are parents of our children's friends; cyber friends. A cyber friend is one we meet through our on-line contacts that we may not have made in person. I have a new 'cyber friend' that is just that - LINDA!

Linda is a kindred spirit. We are both quilters, we both live in Texas, we both have sons, and we are both grandmothers. Linda grew up in San Antonio and lives in Pleasanton, Texas. Linda is also a pattern designer. She has a background in art as well as early childhood education. She approaches her quilt designing the same way she would if she were illustrating a book. I love the whimsical and colorful designs. For the last few years, Linda has been selling her patterns locally in San Antonio and recently began selling them online. You must go check out her website -- B. Bumble & Company and see the great patterns she has created.

Here are just a couple of her patterns (keep reading because you can win one!!!!):

The Good Sheperd. This quilt is approximately 43" x 36" and is a loving shepherd cradling a lamb on his shoulder. The verse embroidered around the border is Isaiah 40:11 ~ The Lord tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. What a great quilt for a baby, for Easter, for a church classroom, or gift for a friend -- think Baptism, Confirmation, Easter, etc.Another adorable pattern is The Little Cowboy of a mischievous looking little boy (or girl -- pigtails and skirt are included in the pattern) is standing in oversized cowboy boots and hats. This quilt is approximately 59-1/2 x 51 1/2 inches. This would be a precious baby quilt, a birthday quilt, or to be used in a western-theme room.

BE CAREFUL!!! You just drooled on my blog!!!!!! I bet you wish you had one of these patterns! Well, you can! Just follow the instructions below to be entered in a drawing. The entry deadline is at Midnight on Tuesday, March 29th. I will compile all the entries and choose a winner on Friday, April 1st. There are several ways for you to win:

Visit Linda's Blog, Buzzing and Bumbling and leave Linda a comment on her blog telling her that I sent you to visit then come on back and tell me you went visitin'!

Become a follower of Linda's blog and leave me a separate comment telling me you did.

Blog about this give-away and leave me another separate comment telling me along with a link to your blog where you posted about the give-away.

Visit Linda's online store, B. Bumble & Company, to check out all of her precious patterns and come back and tell me which is your favorite.

Make sure you include your email in your comments so I can reach you. GOOD LUCK!!!!

THANK YOU LINDA FOR BEING SUCH A GENEROUS SPONSOR!

In Loving Memory................

......of my dear friend, Jerri, who lost her battle with cancer one year ago today -- March 14, 2010. She fought long and she fought hard. She never gave up and battled to the very end. She handled her cancer with grace and with an uptmost faith in God. She was not afraid to die. Jerri was one of the neatest people I've ever had the honor of knowing. We met at a quilting retreat about 12 years ago. We 'clicked' and became the best of friends. This post is quite 'picture heavy' but I just want to share Jerri with you.

Here she is at a quilting retreat, we had blue painter's tape on our stations with our names on them. Jerri put her tape on her chin so she wouldn't forget who she was!!!!

Jerri loved to learn new things and was never afraid to take on a new task. Here she is with fellow 6-pack quilters, Molly and Rhonda, try to figure out 'something' on the computer.

In 2008, we went on a quilting cruise. Oh My! What fun we had. Jerri always blamed me for her not being ready to go. I would stand outside her cabin door, knock on the door and say "Wackies on the Move". She would get frustrated with me because she would not be dressed yet! She gave me a hard time over this! LOL! Here is a picture of Jerri and I on the shuttle being transported over to the cruise ship.

One of our retreats was on Halloween weekend. Of course, being Wacky the way we are, we had to have some ghoulish times. Here is a picture of the "Wacky 6-Pack" in our crazy glasses.

Back to the quilting cruise, Jerri made each of us some Wacky Glasses to wear. We chose one of our "formal dinner nights" to wear the glasses. Here is Jerri modeling hers! We were quite the "hit" on this cruise. They say on every cruise, there is usually one group to watch -- we were the group!!!!

One of the things on my "quilting bucket list" was to go to the Paducah, Kentucky, quilt show. Here is a picture of Jerri, Kathleen, and myself on a bus full of quilters heading to Paducah. We were known as the "Brat Pac". We had not merged with the Wacky Women yet. One funny thing is Jerri had got cold on the bus and slipped on her long-sleeve denim shirt, but she put it on backwards! She looked at Kathleen and I and said "Now looky here! If we have a wreck, don't you girls let them try to twist my head around!"
Not long after my Mother died (she was also a quilter), one of my Mama's friends invited me to go on a quilting retreat and told me to bring a friend. The theme was "YaYa Quilters". Here is a picture of Jerri and I in our "YaYa" attire.

In 2008, several of our quilting group entered the Texas Department of Agriculture's "Go Texan" quilt contest. Each person purchased a fabric pack from the TDA and designed an original quilt block that depicted the theme. The theme for 2008 was Texas Wine. Our group was honored to have THREE members' blocks chosen -- Jerri, Rhonda, and myself. Here is Jerri posing with her winning block at the 'unveiling' at the Texas State Fair.

Oh how I miss my dear friend! When the "Brat Pac" quilters and the "Wacky Women" quilters merged into one group, we became the "Wacky 6-Pac". Sadly, there is only 5 of the 6-pac now, but we will always be the "Wacky 6-Pac" as our dear Jerri is always with us in spirit. There is never a time that we are together that her name, or something she said or did is brought up. She continues to live in our hearts and will be there forever. If I could have traded places with her, I certainly would have done it. What an awesome lady she was and what a wonderful friend!!!! I was so BLESSED to have her as my friend. I love you Jerri and I miss you more than you can imagine, but I take great comfort in knowing that I'll see you again.

Looky What I Did!

They say you should "toot your own horn" every now and then so here I go.......Looky!!! I won at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo "Go Texan Quilt Contest"!

This quilt is Bunny Hill's free online BOM a couple of years ago. It is made with both cotton and wool and hand-applique. It was a fun pulling fabrics from my stash and a very fun quilt to make. Each block represents a month of the year. I entered it in the county quilt show and it won the Go Texan Award which qualified it to be displayed at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. I just learned the quilt not only got a first place ribbon but also won Best of Division in the wallhanging category. WOW! I'm so excited! I'm anxious to get the critique sheets from the judges -- you know that's how us quilters learn is hearing from the judges!

I'm a WINNER!!!!! Kathleen Tracy over at A Sentimental Quilter was giving this book away on her blog and I won!!!! I am so excited. THANK YOU KATHY!!!!!!!! I can't wait to make a project out of it.

Wordless Wednesday