Summer vacation

Last week I decided to tale a little vacation.  I just wanted some relaxing time away for a few days and also wanted to go to the temple before it closed for renovations.  I love camping in the mountains but just could not get things to work out as I had hoped.  Instead I booked a hotel in Denver for 4 nights.  I left on Tuesday afternoon, checked into the hotel and found something for supper that night.

Wednesday I decided to drive in the mountains for the day since I was unable to camp over the weekend.  I have driven through Idaho Springs to Echo Lake before then on through Evergreen and Morrison back into Denver.  It is a beautiful mountain drive without taking all day.  One thing I have never done is once arriving at Echo Lake, is to take the 14 mile drive to the 14,264 feet summit of Mount Evans.  This road is the highest paved road in North America.  This time I am doing it!  I paid the $10 for passage up the road and away I went.  The climb began immediately.  Up, up, curve, up and curve again.  The further I went the steeper the drive became, the tighter the curves were, the narrower the road became and the less there was on the side of the road.  In fact, you could see the depth of the blacktop of the road...then...nothing.  There might be a rock or two beside the road but other than that it was a sheer drop off into the valley (or road if you are lucky) below.  As I drive, I am a gawker.  I love to look around.  As the traffic was light that day I was able to drive in the middle of the road on some straight stretches of road and really look.  The mountains were beautiful, so many colors in them and the sky and clouds looked so fresh.  As I looked around and over (even from the middle of the road) I got butterflies in my tummy.  Oh, my goodness!  I can't believe I'm doing this and know Dad would absolutely hate the drive and view although he is where I got my love for this.

This is what I actually saw as I was approaching a very tight curve on the very steep road that had no guard rails.  I had the camera in my hand on the steering wheel so I could show what it was really like.  I am as high as the clouds with nothing between me and a beautiful free fall should I not make the curve.  I stopped once about 9 miles up the mountain at a little lake that had a rest area.  I just sat for about 10 minutes to catch my breath and relax my tense muscles before going on up.

As I finally get almost to the top I am stopped by wildlife. There is a family of sheep crossing the road in front of me. I know it is a little hard to see. but there were 6 of them-a couple were babies.


At the top it looks like God used a huge dump truck to make the top of the 14,264 foot high peak and people were climbing it.  The road is 14,120 feet high and you can see for miles as the sign says.  I felt like I was on the top of the world but had the little butterflies in the tummy and the swirl in the head as I looked all around me.  Can you believe people ride mountain bikes up this road?  I would not want to be on the edge of the road there there is nothing but drop off and have cars coming from both directions at once on this very narrow road.

The drive back down the mountain was as intense as the drive up.  I think I was on the drop off side of the road more.  Every curve would bring forth a prayer.  I saw more wildlife also.  There was a little red fox walking along the edge of the road.  Then there was a deer standing on the edge of the road on the side of the mountain so close that a passenger in the car could have reached out and touched it as it stood so still.  There was too much traffic at that time to get a picture of the deer. 

Once I got back down to Echo Lake I could have gone on the drive through Evergreen but at that time I was to the point of "Just get me out of the mountain and back to the Interstate" state of mind. But on the way there was this meadow and pond with moose playing in the water.  There were probably 20-25 critters there.  I know the picture shows the meadow much better than it does the moose.  I finally got to the Interstate and back into Denver.  This was a beautiful drive, although a very tense drive, and I am so glad I finally did it.  It was a nice day in the mountains that brought me a lot of joy and peace.

When I returned to Denver I went to visit a friend.  An ice cream truck came down the street.  I have not seen an ice cream truck since I was little and we were in New York visiting my uncle and aunt.  I did not know they were still even in existence.  I flagged him down and bought a $3.50 drumstick ice cream cone and visited with the driver a bit.  That was like being a kid again and was fun.  I later went out to supper at Rosie's Diner.  It was a cute place with the old diner counter as well as booths and tables.  The booths had the old jukeCristo sandwich.  I have not had one of those for at least 15-20 years.  This was a day to remember.

Thursday I did a little shopping, took a nap and visited my aunt and uncle.  I took them some items for a garage sale his family is having to raise money for his daughter that needs surgery.  After a nice visit I went to the Outback Steak House and had one of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time (not counting the great sandwich I had the night before).  It was a steak fillet cooked then sliced thin and placed on some kind of special herbed bread served with au jus and sweet potato fries.  Yum, Yum!

I went to the temple on Friday from 9:00 - 3:00.  It was great to be able to do some family history work and be reminded of all the covenants made and blessings promised in the Holy Temple, The House of the Lord.  Later I got together with my niece, Liz, that lives in Denver for college.  She has the cutest house that she shares with 3 house mates.  Liz has done a lot of work in the yard planting grass and flowers to make the place really look like a home and not just a rented house.  We went out to a Mexican restaurant in a trendy part of town off Colfax Ave.  It was a place and in an area that I never would have found or gone to on my own.  The food was good and the company was great.  We had a wonderful visit and I'm so glad she was able to share some time with her old aunt.

Saturday was the day to return home.  I got ready to check out and the main elevator was out of order.  At least there was a back service elevator to use.  I would not want to haul all the stuff I had down the stairs by hand.  It would have taken 4 trips.  I went shopping for a bra and got frustrated and just headed on home.  Dana called me to ask me to babysit that evening.  I was about an hour from home at the time.  I got home, unloaded the car and went to babysit my great niece and great nephew.  I love spending time with the kiddos while my nephew takes his wife out on a date.  They got home very late and I set my alarm to get up for church but fell back asleep and did not wake up until 1:20 p.m.  Oops, I missed church.  I guess I was totally exhausted from a great week of 'relaxing' vacation.

Summer days

Summer has been hot, hot, hot.  So many days have been over 100 degrees with the rest in the mid to upper 90's.  Thank goodness I have central air conditioning in my house.  I'm lovin' that.  Dad got the air conditioner fixed in my car a couple weeks ago after having problems with it off and on for over 2 years.  That is so nice also.  I am such a wimp about working in the heat and humidity.  Yes, northwest Kansas has had some humidity.  I've been trying to go outside to work in the flower beds or mow early in the morning.  I survive longer on the mower than I do working in the yard. 

I put in a flower bed along the south side of my house last summer and put one along the west side of the house this summer.  I got some plants while in Wichita in June and got the area worked up the the plants in the ground.  As I was walking across the yard looking at other plantings, I stepped in a hole in the yard that I had never seen before.  I fell to the ground on hands and knees with my foot still in the hole.  I got up and continued to work in the yard another hour or so before going into the house to sit and cool off under the ceiling fan.  When I tried to get up to take a shower, I could hardly put any weight of that right foot.  By evening I got the crutches from Mom & Dad.  A few days later I went to the clinic to have it checked and was told there was no obvious fracture on the x-ray and to wear the walking boot and use the crutches.  If I was not better in 2 weeks I should come back and then they'd find out what is really going on.  I do not want to mess with 9 month of a hurt ankle as I did 2 years ago.  I wore the boot and used the crutches for another week and a half before trying it without.  I decided to go to the chiropractor then.  He said it was out of place and did a couple pulls, twists and pops and sent me on my way and to come back in 4 days.  At that time he said it was only slightly out of place, put it back in with one pull and taped the arch and ankle.  That was 4 days ago and I hardly have a limp when I walk.  I even got the mulch down in the new flower bed yesterday. 

While using the crutches, I used a messenger bag to carry stuff around since I did not have extra hands.  My cell phone was in there all the time because I usually do not have pockets.  I was picking up dishes and cups to take to the kitchen and put a mug in the bag thinking it was empty.  It fell over in the bag as I was moving and there was some melted ice water in it.  My phone got wet.  I immediately took the battery out and dried everything out and placed it all in rice..  This it supposed to be the cure all for wet cell phones and I know it has worked on a phone that took a bath with one of my nieces.  Mine just got wet, not dunked or soaked.  The rice did not work on my phone.  The battery still works in Mom's phone but the screen and keyboard are dead in mine.  UGG!  Rather than buy a new phone, I just had my old one with an external antenna reactivated.  It does not matter what phone I have I still have dropped calls, week signal and can not answer calls in the bedroom. 

The foot accident was on Friday (July 8) and the cell phone accident was the following Monday (July 11).  On Thursday (July 14) I laid on the couch to put my foot up for a while and fell asleep.  When I woke up a couple hours later, I opened my eyes to see a 3 foot long snake crawling across the middle of my living room floor.  I called Mom and she found Dad in the shed and I had kept a watch on the snake to see where it would go.  They both came in to help, one with a hoe and the other with a shovel.  He had crawled behind the recliner along the north wall.  Mom opened the door and Dad chased him that way and finally out the door.  He took off towards the road but turned around and headed back to the house.  Bull snakes are good to have around because of they eat other rodents but you get in my house and you are fair game.  If he had kept going he would be alive but once he headed back to the house, Dad decided he would not have the chance to get back in.  Thank you Mom & Dad for coming to my rescue once again.  That week was some week and I would rather not repeat another one like that.  Foot accident, cell phone accident, and snake in the house.

Now for the fun stuff.  I hope you have stuck with me through the other.  I spent 2 weeks in Wichita at Karen & Ron's home in June.  It was very hot there also but I stayed mostly in the basement in the cool sewing room.  I had taken a project to work on and that is what we did.  Karen had meetings 3 of the days and I just sewed away.  I have had fabric for a Storm at Sea quilt for at least 6 years.  Along with the fabric, I had a copy of the pattern that I had marked changes for it to be the size I wanted and had templates drawn out and cutting directions ready.  Karen & I work so well together when quilting.  I usually cut and arrange the pieces and Karen sews.  I then cut, press, trim and then arrange the blocks together for the next sewing.  We finished the top.  I plan to machine quilt it on Mom's long arm quilting machine.  It is double bed size.  But as you can see it fits very nicely on a queen bed.

Since coming home from Wichita I have finished the applique borders on the Year in the Garden quilt.  Now it is ready for machine quilting also.

On the way to Wichita I found some fabric that would work in my bathroom for curtains.  I bought enough to make a valance for the bathroom window because I also wanted to hang a pull shade on it.  After purchasing this fabric and making the curtain while in Wichita, I decided to make a matching shower curtain.  Karen & I stopped in Newton to buy more fabric.  Yesterday I painted the trim boards around the bathroom window, installed the pull shade and the valance.  I put up the shower curtain.  Today I made a hanging bag from the extra fabric.  The bathroom looks so much brighter with having the shade up and the forest green shower curtain down.  Now to clean the room.

               

I have been helping the ladies group at church with a quilting project.  We were given enough fabric for two quilts.  I took the amounts of each color we were given and figured out several patterns we could make from it.  We have had two sewing nights at church and are to have the quilt tops done by September 17 when we will all gather in Garden City to quilt them.  I have been asked to teach a binding class so I think I will machine quilt ours before going there.  I'm excited to get these done.  I then will work on Eilene Murphy's quilt.  I have been enjoying the sewing projects.

Arbor

Today I finally did it.  I did it all by myself, in fact.  I am proud of that fact.  For two years I have had a box sitting in my mud room waiting for me to do something with it.  I have looked at the box and moved it around and dreamed about what was inside but nothing else.  Today I moved that box to the living room.  I removed the clear plastic cover, then slit open the bottom of the box.  I slid out the contents of the box onto the carpet.  I looked it all over well and got excited about what I saw-a lot of white sticks.  White vinyl sticks - for the arbor that I want to put in my front yard along with a new white vinyl fence.  The fence has been sitting in my garage for 2 years also now.  I read the directions that came with the arbor and found the electric drill, extension cord and square.  Now I was ready to begin.  The instructions said it should take 30 minutes and two people to assemble this.  Well I went to work while sitting on the floor.  I assembled the arches and screwed them together.  Next the sides were laid out and the slats inserted before squaring up each of the sides and setting with screws.  Now came the part that I was to need a second person to do-put the arch and sides together.  I maneuvered things around using my back, hands and head to get it together.  Yes it would have been easier with another person but I was stubborn and did it myself.  When I tried to totally raise it up straight I heard a huge clatter and realized that I was standing under the running ceiling fan.  Oops!  Way to go, Rose.  I had to scoot over before standing it up.  I do have a few white vinyl marks on the ceiling fan blades that should rub off easily.  Any marring on the decorative part of the top of the arch connectors will never be noticed.  Here it is.

                    

Yes, I know it is indoors and it is leaning.  I did not screw the arch to the sides yet because I thought it would be easier to move outside in three pieces instead of one large unit.  Now I need to get the patio and sidewalk concrete poured so I can install the arbor around the new sidewalk and install the new vinyl picket fence.  I have plans to do more flowers along the fence the width of the arbor when all is done.  I have a lot of ideas in my head of what I'd like the front of my house and yard to look like and maybe, slowly, I'll get them all done.

I am pleased that I have taken the first step.

Rose

Happy Easter

Happy Easter.  This is a day of celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Over the past week we have remembered His suffering, His atoning sacrifice, His crucifixion and death, and His glorious resurrection from death.  All this he did for me, for you, for all mankind.  What an amazing and beautiful thing Jesus did for us.  I am so grateful for that and for the plan of salvation.  This video is beautiful.
I hope you will view it.

In 1985 I toured Israel with my mother and a small group from the area.  There we toured the historical sites where different events were believed to have occurred in the life of Jesus.  It became more real to me at that time than ever before and even more so a couple weeks later when all that I had done, seen and felt really sunk in fully.  I was there where He was born, where He grew up, where He was baptized, where He taught, where He walked, where He died and was buried, and where He rose again.  I know Christ is risen and lives.

Last Sunday I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting in church today, Easter Sunday.  When President Rose asked me to speak about Easter traditions, I told him I'm sure I have a different view than some because of growing up Catholic.  He wanted that point of view and how it applies to us as LDS members and how it brings us closer to the Savior.  I prefer a two week notice to speak in church so was glad when I substituted at the school in the library three mornings this past week.  Those morning are spend supervising study hall.  I had time and full access of the Internet and used them to my advantage in preparing my talk.  By noon on Thursday, I had my talk researched, written, revised, and printed-ready to present on Sunday. The presentation of my talk went very well this morning and I received many positive comments.  What is more  important to me is that it be pleasing to the Lord.  I pray it was.

"Why seek ye the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen." (Luke 24:5-6)  He Is Risen.  Happy Easter.

Sister's Weekend



Arvilla (Mom), Dorothy, Phyllis (Sis), MaryAnn, Sister Rita


This past weekend my mother and her sisters got together from Thursday afternoon till Sunday morning.  These girls started this annual gathering 20 years ago.  There were seven girls in the family.  One passed away when she was 23 and another passed away since this annual gathering began. The youngest sister has Alzheimer's disease.  The sisters-in-law are also invited and the brothers and spouses join the girls for Saturday evening dinner.  They take turns hosting the event and do many different things.  This year my mother was the hostess.



 

    

                                 

During spring break her children gathered off and on over a 3 week period and helped her get ready for the gathering.  We painted the living room, painted the bathroom, and removed the old kitchen linoleum and Dad installed new industrial tile.  We helped her deep clean the kitchen, bathroom, and living room.  Mom bought herself a new chair since hers was falling apart.  Dad's chair was no better but he did not want to buy one but my sister found a lift chair for him and they brought it home the day the sisters were gathering. 

Dorothy, the youngest of the sisters, lives in Denver and before she became sick she used to make quilts for the homeless.  She has donated over 75 quilts and given at least another 25 to family and friends.  The girls are all avid sewers and quilters.  Mom thought it would be nice to make quilts for the homeless and send them back to Denver with Dorothy this year before she no longer knows what is going on.  The other girls were told of the idea and were fully on board.  Some made quilts, some made quilt tops to be tied or quilted, some brought out fabric to be made into quilts. 

  

Every year they have a show-n-tell evening to show what they have been working on during the past year.  They all do so many sewing and crafty things.  This year they showed all the quilts they brought out that were already finished and those that would be finished during the weekend.  It was amazing.  They had 33 finished quilts and quilt tops.  By the end of the weekend they sent 30 quilts with Dorothy and Frank to Denver for 2 different homeless shelters.  Sis took a couple home with her for a charity in Manhattan as well as a couple quilt tops to tie.  MaryAnn took a couple tops home to finish also.  Look at the pile of finished quilts they made.  The decision was made to continue to make quilts throughout the year and see what they can do by their next gathering.  These ladies are amazing. They are all beautiful seamstresses and quilters, and have huge hearts.

  I am blessed to have a mother and aunts that are such a good example to me of what family really is all about.  To come together as a unit and work together for good is only one way they have blessed the lives of our family and the lives of strangers alike.  I am grateful that I was able to spend some time with all of them over the weekend and watch them interact together.  I pray that one day my sisters and I will be able to do the same as my mother and her sisters.

Half Square Triangles

I came across a quilting blog today that really excited me.  Jennifer at That Girl...That Quilts has a method for making half square triangles that really intrigued me.  Check out her site here http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/2011/03/have-stitchin-weekend.html.  She takes a square, stitched all the way around it and then cuts it diagonally twice to make 4 half square triangle blocks.  I never would have thought of that.  She also gives the math to make your hst's any size you need.  How fun!  She is doing a Have a Stitchin' Weekend projects posted every Friday.  I am anxious to see what else Jennifer does and what new tricks I can learn.
Happy sewing and quilting.

New Great Babies

Wow, our family is growing so fast. 

 

February 1, Alisha, Jake & Emelyn received a baby boy, Isaiah. 

 

 

Then on February 26, Valerie & Justin had a baby boy, Jeremiah.

February 27th, Chris & Megan had a baby boy, Gabriel. 

 (2 prophets and 1 angel within a month--we have been blessed!)  Three grandsons within 4 weeks for Cathy and Joe. 

Dana & Joe were to sign the final adoption papers on Andrea, Ernie & Amanda today.  That is three more grandchildren for Cathy.  That makes 10 grandchildren for Cathy and 3 grandchildren for Karen - 13 great babies for me.  That is 53 of us if we all get together at once.  I think that is fantastic.  I have 19 nieces & nephews plus 8 spouses & now 13 great nieces & nephews (Great-Babies).

Our family is so blessed.  All are here safely & healthy.

Sewing

I have been sewing a little bit more and I really do love it.  The first thing I did was to put together blocks that baby shower guests designed with waterproof markers at the shower into a quilt.  I have had a stripe fabric with red, blue, yellow, green and orange on a white background for so long in my stash that worked perfectly to set these blocks together with.  My sister Judy had some fabric in her stash that I used for the backing of the quilts.  I hope Megan & Valerie enjoy them.  It was a cute idea for a baby shower to occupy guests and to have a remembrance from that day.   I hope their babies arrive soon.  I am anxious meet them. 



                                                               

                       for Valerie Visser                                                                      for Megan Broeckelman















Alisha has a new baby, Isaiah, who was born February 1 and permanantly joined their family a week later.  I am so happy for Alisha, Jake & Emelyn and excited to meet the little guy.  I want to make a quilt for him before I do meet  him and have ideas in mind but have not nailed down the right thing for him yet.  It will be fun to create something for him.

Today my Great-Babies, Layne & Macie, turn three.  They love to help Mommy and Aunt Lizzie cook.  Liz is in culinary school and wears a chef hat as part of her school uniform.  I made chef hats for the twins.  It was so fun to do.   I did an Internet search for sewing chef hat and found a lot of web sites with tutorials.  I read several of them and then went to the sewing machine and did my thing based on what I had read. 

Well, I'm off to begin creating my next sewing adventure.

Baby Quilts

When my nieces & nephews began getting married and having babies, I decided to make each one an applique baby quilt to match the theme of their nursery.  It could be used as a blanket or wall hanging.  I have so much fun coming up with a design to go with each nursery.  I have designed a sports theme quilt, a farm scene quilt, and baby doll dresses quilt.  I have also made a firetruck theme quilt from a purchased pattern called "To the Rescue" by Clair Oehler at The Country Quilter.

Yesterday was the baby shower for both Valerie & Megan.  Here are pictures of what I did.  Chris & Megan have decided to wait till the baby is born to find out it's sex.  Megan has done her nursery in brown and aqua.   The teddy bears quilt is a personal design based from a coloring page for the bear.  

Valerie & Justin farm.  Rumor was that Justin wanted to wallpaper the nursery in tractor repair manual pages so their baby boy could tear down a tractor by age 5.  Valerie was not so sure about that.  Maybe the tractor quilt will help.  I did purchase a pattern for the "One the Farm" quilt which was also designed by Claire Oehler with The Country Quilter. 

Now I have had to tell them that this is done only for their first baby--8 babies will not get 8 applique quilts.  I have 19 nieces and nephews and that would add up to a lot of applique quilts and most likely several at once as with Megan & Valerie's babies-due about a week apart.  I'm not that creative nor that fast!!

I wonder what I will do next.  What will the next nursery theme be?  We'll see.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!  This is the day we traditionally celebrate the birth of Christ.  Happy Birthday, Jesus.  Growing up we always had a birthday cake for Jesus and my sister, Cathy, still does.  That always kept the true meaning of Christmas in our minds and hearts.  Also during the Advent season, Mom always told us that we had to be good (not just so Santa Clause would come) in order to make a soft crib for baby Jesus in our hearts.  When we did good we added straw to His crib and when we did bad we lost straw and put stones there instead.  What kind of crib do we want in our hearts for baby Jesus?  A very soft bedding for the Son of God, our Savior. 

Years ago when my sisters were getting married and starting families of their own, Mom said it was time to begin our own family traditions and we did not gather on Christmas eve or Christmas day.  At first, being single with no children, I felt abandoned.   My sister, Mary, would have Christmas eve with friends that were alone for Christmas.  We would go to mass then to her house for dinner or snacks and movies.  We called it our orphan Christmas.  I did this for a few years then I went to Wichita to spend the holiday with Karen and her family.  Later I joined Cathy and her family.  My family was wonderful about including me in their gatherings.  At times I just wanted to stay home.  The past few years, Kevin would have all the family that was around come to Colby and we'd gather at the bowling alley for fun and games then go back to his house for soup supper.  Everyone would bring all their left over holiday treats to share since we'd do this usually the weekend between Christmas & New Years.  I have not really set up any personal Christmas traditions. 

This morning I decided to surprise Mom & Dad by doing the chores before they got home from church.  I broke the ice from the tank and hooked up the water to fill it.  I fed grain to the horses.  I called the baby calf and grained the mother so the baby could nurse.  I put grain in for the steer.  He came on a run. I thought he was coming to the grain pan since I was dumping grain into it but--oh, no.  He knew I did not lock the gate and decided to sneak behind me and get out.  He wondered onto the road and as I would try to walk around him to herd him back to the gate, he would run, jump, kick and twist.  He was having a blast.  It was like he just wanted to play. He wondered to the grinder then on down the hill to the feed bales.  I got the 4-wheeler  because I was tired to trying to chase around him.  He then decided that we should run down the road, through the ditch, and into my back yard.  I drove around the shed to come in behind him, not knowing how far beyond my yard he was headed.  He just looked at me and took off across the front yard and stopped by the mailbox and looked at me again.  I took off towards him and it was as if he was grinning at me then finally took off and ran right back into the pen where he was to start with and ate his grain.  Ornery thing,  his day is coming.  He does not know why he is being grained while all the others are in the pasture. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not parish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16)
May the love of God fill you with rejoicing!

Cell phone pouch

I lose my cell phone in my purse all the time.  There are two inner pockets with no hooks to slide the phone or other things in and also a zippered pocket inside the hobo type purse I am using right now.  The phone falls out of the open pockets and gets lost at the bottom of the bag.  I can't find the phone in the bottom of the bag nor can I get the zipper pocket open before it quits ringing.  Darn, I've missed another call.  I don't get that many calls so I hate to miss one.  It might have been you calling and I'd want to talk to you. 

As I was blog hopping today, I came across Mobile Phone Pouch with Pocket Tutorial at Chezvies. 

The tutorial is great and I decided to give it a try.  I found it easy to follow but, of course, I wanted to make some changes.  I added a top flap with a velcro closure so not to lose the phone out of it like the purse pocket. 

My phone measured about 3" X 5" so I used her directions.  I wish I had made my seams the full 3/8" instead of using my 1/4" foot.  I made my loop from the same fabric as my pouch using a 4" X 1 1/4" strip folded in quarters to have the raw edges enclosed then stitched along the open edge.  I cut a 4" X 3" flap that I angled to 3" on the overflap end.  I sewed it in as I did the loop.  I plan to hook the phone pouch to a clasp on the ring of the purse strap or can hook it to a lanyard when I am working outside and have no pockets in my clothing. 

I think this will work for me.  Check it out for yourself.

Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

I have a sister that tells people that I can't cook.  I do not cook everyday because of cooking for one but I can cook.  Tonight I am making Easy Stuffed Mushrooms.  I tried something like this at a social a few years ago and could not find a recipe that I liked so I made up my own.  These are so easy and can be made with many variations that suit your own taste.  I like the very lean pork sausage in bulk that I get from my sister who raises hogs.  You can use your favorite bulk sausage.  I use cream cheese and when in the mood or when I have the other ingredients I have added mozzarella cheese and/or Parmesan cheese also.  Green onions would be good here as well. Fresh medium sized whole mushrooms seem to work best for me.  I do not like to chop and add the mushroom stems to my stuffing.  I will chop them then freeze to add to other dished later that I'd like mushrooms in.  Just brown the sausage, mix with cheese, add any other things you like, stuff into mushrooms where the stems were removed and bake or broil.  Yum, yum good. 

Rose's Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound bulk sausage, browned (can use pork, turkey or your favorite sausage)
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese (can be lite or fat free if you wish)
1 pound fresh whole mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

Mix cream cheese and browned sausage until well blended.  Add any other of your favorite ingredients (such as mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, chopped mushroom stems if you wish) and mix well.  Stuff the cheese/sausage mixture into the mushrooms, place in a baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees 10-20 minutes or until mushrooms are at preferred tenderness.  You can also place under broiler for a firmer mushroom and browned stuffing top.

My First Quilt

I finally finished my first quilt.  It is the “Lone Star” or “Star of Bethlehem” pattern.  I love it and think it is so beautiful.  I found the perfect fabric to match my bedroom.  I chose mauve roses and navy.   I took a class at the local fabric shop to make the top.  It was fun to learn how to strip piece diamonds.

Now there is more to this story.  I began the quilt class September 24, 1994 and finished this quilt July 25, 2010.  I’ll do the math for you—yes, that is nearly 16 years—15 years, 10 months, and 1 day to be exact.  As a first quilt, I made every mistake in the book and probably some that are not in any book.

First, the class was great.  That is one thing I did right.  I found beautiful fabric I loved that it matched my bedroom.

MISTAKES -
(Mistake 1) I made it the size to fit my Cal-king sized waterbed.  No starting small for me.  I have since sold the waterbed and purchased a regular king sized bed.

(Mistake 2)  I chose cream fabric to fill in the huge star but then chose navy for the backing.  Why?  I liked the navy and thought it might not show dirt as fast.  But then why the cream fill in on the front?  It would show off the huge star well.

(Mistake 3)  I went to Wal-Mart to buy a batting and picked up the only king size bat they had.  When I was sandwiching the quilt together I realized it was a high loft batting.  Oh, well, that will make it look soft and fluffy.

(Mistake 4)   I got the quilt all put together in the large quilting frame from my grandmother.  I did this alone and had to work and work and work to get it all pinned in and stretched and squared.    Why did I not ask for some help instead of being so independent?

(Mistake 5)  Once in the frame, it is time to quilt.  I decided to outline quilt each diamond in the center star and around the small inner border.  I purchased a quilting template that fit perfectly in the big fill in squares.  I marked the template in the cream with a fine point mechanical pencil with regular lead.  I marked a partial of the template in the fill in triangles making a judgment call as to how much to put in there.  I used a white chalk pencil to mark the navy print borders with a part of the template and then with 2” wide lines going towards the center of each side of the border.  I did not want to do a cross hatch design.  Did I really think that chalk would stay on the entire border until the last border was quilted?

(Mistake 6)  I wanted to do my first quilt right - just like Grandma would have done it.  I really wanted to hand quilt this but I have never hand quilted before.    I chose cream thread to match the top.  Now what about the navy bottom?  Every stitch shows.  Being in the frame so tightly, I could not get small, even stitches.  Actually, I could not even make a stitch that was not the entire length of the needle and then I had trouble getting the needle pulled through the quilt.

(Mistake 7)  Quilting in a frame was not going to work for me, so I decided to quilt in a lap hoop.  This means that the quilt needed to be basted together before being taken out of the frame.  I thread basted all around the edges and decided I was not going to hand baste the entire quilt and then hand quilt it again.  I decided to pin baste it instead.  I used large safety pins that were the size of diaper pins (if anyone remembers using diaper pins) placing them every 12-15 inches apart because that is how many were in the package I bought.

(Mistake 8)  I used an oval hoop that measured 12” x 20” and then later a 14” round hoop to quilt in.  This is so that the quilt would be portable.  Who wants to haul around a king sized quilt with them to work on.  Well, I did it.  I would put it in a suitcase and take with me to church to work on while watching General Conference.  I took it with me when I traveled to visit my sister and even when I went camping.  Because of the pin basting at the distance apart the pins were, I had to really watch the backing each time I set the quilt in the hoop to make sure there were no lumps, folds, or tucks.  There were a lot of hoop movements in quilting this quilt!

(Mistake 9)  I only worked on it when I was sick or when my house was completely cleaned and only in winter.  Why, you might ask.  The quilt was so heavy because of its size and the high loft batting that I only worked on it during the winter when it was not too hot to have it on my lap as I worked on it.  I worked many hours at my job and never had a lot of time at home.  I felt guilty if I worked on it when my house was such a mess and needed cleaning.  I only had any length of time to focus on the quilt was when I was sick.  Now being sick, I usually felt too awful to quilt and spent the time in bed.  Obviously it did not get worked on very much.  It never was a UFO (un-finished object) because it was left out in the living room all winter and in the bedroom all summer so I could work on it a little at a time. 

(Mistake 10)  I quilted with whatever needles I had on hand which was a multi-purpose pack of all sized and types left from home ec class in high school.  They were hard to weave through the fabric and even harder to pull through.  I had to use pliers or else take only a stitch or two at a time.  I did graduate to a little rubber disc to pull the needle with.   I finally found some fine appliqué needles that worked well and then later bought actual quilting needles.

I'm sure there are many more mistakes.  I have made many other quilts during this journey and have learned so much.

Things I Did Right -
1.   Learned the love of quilting from my Grandmother and Mother
2.  Took a class for my first quilt
3.  Finished the project even though it took a long time

Things I Learned -
1.  Do not give up
2.  Do not hand quilt with high loft batting
3.  Blend your quilt back color with your quilt front color and use an appropriate color of quilting thread
4.  Baste well
5.  Use fine needles even if you break them along the way
6.  Quilt every chance possible
7.  No matter what size the quilt, it is wonderful to lay it on the bed or hang it on the wall
8.  I love to make quilts

New Blogger

I have had an online journal of sorts through Spaces at WindowsLive.  It is going to be changed to another blogger type site and then be eliminated.  I decided to join the real Blogger.com world.  I do not really understand what will happen to those Spaces posts as I do not want to lose them and would like to transfer them here but not sure that is possible.  I'll see what I can figure out.  For now, I am glad to join the Blogger world.  My blog setup is still a work in progress so the look and options may change.  I hope to share my thoughts here as well as projects I'm working on and completed. 

I enjoy sewing and quilting.  I have more quilts than any one bed needs and more wall hangings than my sewing room walls can hold.  There are more quilt projects in progress and many in a tub waiting to be started.  I have been trying to make an applique baby quilt that can be used as a wall hanging for each of my nieces and nephews as they have their first baby.  I have made a sports theme, a farm scene,  baby doll dresses, and fire truck theme.  I have 2 more on the way and due only a week apart.  I need to get busy but have not gotten the inspiration yet for them.  When it hits, I'll sew up a storm.