One Foot in Front of the Other

While we didn't receive the diagnosis that we had prayed for, we continue to believe in God's faithfulness and eternal love. We are overwhelmed with love, caring friends, family, even strangers. We are thankful. And Rob is determined and prepared for the fight of his life. What a testimony he and Christi are for our Lord.

Please continue to lift all of us up in prayer as we love one another......and put one foot in front of the other.

                    GRATITUDES:

              The promise of eternal life.

                 Friends to lean on.

                        Hugs.

                   Take care,

                     Jennie

Pray

Please continue to pray for Rob, Christi, Robert and Sara Ashley.  Rob's surgery went well, but pathology reports are pending.  He should be out of ICU tomorrow and hopefully home by Saturday.
I am staying with the children every night and trying to nurture Christi and Rob during the day.  My life is consumed with those people I love most.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Everything else can wait.

Seen in downtown Newnan today:

Thank you, Phyllis at "Let Them Eat Toffee"

GRATITUDES:

A family that prays together.

Hope.

Friends who rally when you absolutely need them the very most.

Take care,

Jennie

The Post I would never have chosen to make

My life is fairly simple. Sometimes a little busy, but by choice.  My children, well, their lives are full of the things of young families.......jobs, school, church, sports and social activities. As it should be. We are not usually prepared when something intrudes in an unwelcome way to interrupt what we know, and redefines the very lives that we have been living so comfortably.

Such was the case when, so unexpectedly, we were forced off track by Rob's diagnosis of those feared words, brain tumor.  Words that fill us with dread and anxiety and the questions that just can't be answered right away in order to allay our fears.  Christi explains it best on the Caring Bridge page she has started for Rob:

http://m.caringbridge.org/visit/mightytosave

Please join with us as we pray for total healing and recovery for

 Rob, as well as strength and faith in his healing for Christi, Robert 

and Sara Ashley.

Rob & Christi celebrating 25 years of dating in July.

The Estes crew at a GA game last year.

GRATITUDES:

Unflappable faith

Kind, competent medical staff

Praying friends

Take Care,

Jennie

Autumn Class

Yesterday my incredibly talented friend, Debi, joined several of my other friends here at the house to teach a class based on Crabapple Hill's  design, Autmn Call.  It is a stitchery design with crayon tinting. It was intended for framing, but Debi designed a wonderful pieced and appliquéd border for it and made a wallhanging.  

Yesterday was about tracing and crayons.....it is going to be a challenge, but a great piece when finished.....if I can just stay in the lines :-)) And I have wanted to try the crayon tinting for awhile, but just couldn't get up the nerve to do it on my own.  Debi surprised us all with a personalized goodie bag which included handmade pincushions crafted from vintage jello molds!!!! How clever and generous is that?

The Kathy Schmitz black work wallhanging, Ring in the New, is bound and on the wall. I love it!

My mom painted the rooster pitcher years ago.

Summer blooms.......

Ordered a couple of spinning books and a spinning magazine. I am trying to learn as much as possible, but this old brain just doesn't absorb or retain knowledge like it once did.

I still haven't mastered blogging from my iPad. Can't get the photos centered and enlarged, but I will continue to try. Is it me or the Blogger app????

Back to work on the wool appliqué.......

GRATITUDES:

Cool evenings on the back porch swing.

The chatter of hummingbirds dive bombing our feeders.

Laughter.

Take care,

Jennie

More "Words to Live By"

Still behind, but here is my latest finish, Joy.

And here are this month's Quilt of Valor string blocks for our Sew Crazy group.

On my birthday......yes, I know that was months ago in April, but sometimes I just don't get around to what I want to blog till later, much later......my very thoughtful friend gave me this incredible Latvian painted egg. Lo and behold, it was one of my hen's eggs (Puff, the Ameracauna) ! She had taken one of the eggs I gave her and had a lady to blow it out and craft this gorgeous quilt design on it.  Puff's eggs are a lovely pale blue, a little difficult to discern in this photo. She is older now, and look at the difference in the size eggs she is laying!

GRATITUDES:

Reconciliations.

The enthusiasm and sharing spirits of fellow fiber artists.

Grace before meals.

Take care,

Jennie

More Summer Blooms

Summer Blooms #8 & 9 are completed.  Number 10 arrived in the mail today........sigh.

 Summer Blooms 8

Summer Blooms 9

Love Grows in my  Garden is a finish!!!

And the Second Saturday Sampler is set and waiting for me to make a backing and cut batting.  I can mark it off the August list for now.  Hopefully it will go to see Debi for quilting next week.  Feels good, though, to have this much done on it.

This is the Jo's Little Women top that I cut the backing and binding for a couple of days ago.  I just might quilt it myself........it really isn't very large.

I also made backings for three other UFOs.  Will try to get photos of those up tomorrow.  Now I need to get back to the Words to Live By blocks before I fall too far behind.

GRATITUDES:

Talented friends who generously share their skills and knowledge.

Formations of clouds in dazzling colors.......how can you not believe there is a God!

Awakening to old dogs snuggled up close.

Take care,

Jennie

It doesn't take much

Sometimes it really doesn't take much to make me happy.  My old ironing board cover had really seen better days.  It wasn't great to begin with, and with the spray starch and hot iron, it didn't take much to make it a disaster.  I had covered it with a towel for a couple of years.  Recently I had searched all of the local stores looking for a replacement (it is oversized) to no avail.  Thank goodness for Amazon!!  Now I am a happy camper.

Last night was sleepless, so I got prep work done on the Primitive Gatherings blocks, as well as one of the Summer Blooms stitched.  The new ones will be here tomorrow............oh, well.  Also squared up a cute little Jo Morton Little Women's Club quilt (name unknown, stitched many years ago, major UFO) and got it ready for quilting with backing and binding made.  I will cut some batting and it will be ready to pass on to Debi when we have our stitchery class next week.  It will make a great Fall table topper.  I could quilt it myself, but it is worth paying someone so that I can move on to something else.  Photos in the next few days.  No chance today.

Today was spent preserving veggies........two kinds of peas and okra for frying.  And laundry.  Guess I can't stitch everyday.

A friend recently posted this photo of my friend Peggy and me (on the left) from our 9th or 10th grade year in high school.  I think it is hysterical.  But what is scary is that I have absolutely no recollection of this event!!  My girlfriend says we were hostesses at a Prom.  I will have to trust her with this one.

GRATITUDES:

Friends whose memories are no better than mine....welcome to the club, huh?

A young doe and her spotted twins in our meadow.

Bunnies........but don't tell Blake because they are eating our peas.

Take care,

Jennie

Ladybug

I have really been meaning to introduce you to my Ladybug for a couple of months now, but just never got around to taking photos.

Being "into fiber" has naturally led me to yet another related hobby.  Really, it was inevitable.  Every time I would go to Yarnhouse and see the wheels, my heart would flutter.  Finally, I sat down with Cary and tried out several.  I thought I would chose a very traditional looking wheel, however, even with my extreme inexperience, I knew that when I treadled the Ladybug it was the one for me.  Since then I have had a couple of lessons and have been busy practicing.  There is lots to learn.

Each Schact Ladybug wheel has its very own special ladybug hidden on it somewhere, with no two in the same spot.  Here is mine, down between the treadles.  How cute is that????

At Spin In,  I finally tried out some beautifully dyed fiber instead of the boring (but lovely) off white Falkland that I was learning on.  The choice,  Blue Faced Leicester hand dyed by Frabjous Fibers in color way #235 Cathedral.  I am so excited.  Soon there will be enough spun to actually ply my very first yarn.  I can hardly wait.

I pulled out the dreaded 2006-2007 block set from Little Quilts' Second Saturday Sampler.  No wonder I didn't finish this quilt.  These blocks are not very attractive, but they are done and represent an investment in time and money, so I am going to set them and send them off to be quilted.  It will be a simple setting with fabric from stash.  Update soon.

The twelve Garden Baskets blocks are ready for their setting.

Next up on the hooking frame is the Maggie B design that I started with Jayne Hester last October.  I lack the background and border.  I really don't like the border plan, so I need to rethink that.

Three of the grands headed back to school yesterday.

Robert, ready for his first day of high school at his mom's and dad's Alma Mater, Newnan High School.

Macy with Ms. Wilson at Elm Street, ready for second grade.

Christopher's first day of kindergarten at Poplar Road.

GRATITUDES:

Teachers, God Bless them.

Comfy shoes.

Friends who gift you with live worms for your chickens.

Take care,

Jennie

August

August slipped in like a thief in the night.  I wasn't quite ready to turn the page on the calendar yet, but alas, time just doesn't wait.  And after all, August puts us one month closer to Fall!!

Finished the "Hope" block in the Words to Live By series.  I have two more blocks to get done before the next one arrives.  Whew!!

This is the last Garden Basket block.  I will try to get these last three added to the original nine that are already set before the finishing kit arrives this month.

I finished the hooking on Love Grows in the Garden tonight and added a little chicken to make it "my own".  I am not sure the proportion is just right, but it is primitive........I mean, look at that big ole bird in the corner.  Anyway, I am pleased to have this much done and plan to try to get it bound this month.

Tomorrow is the deadline for the caps and scarves for the Appalachian mission trip.  I ended up crocheting 3 scarves and 12 caps.  It sort of cut into my other projects for the month, but it just seemed a lot more important to me.  Besides, I used up some stash yarn, too.

Speaking of mission projects, on Sunday Blake and I joined Matt, Ashley and family at Newnan Presbyterian Church to help package food for Stop Hunger Now.  In a two hour period, about 75 volunteers packaged 15,030 meals for needy children.  Pretty amazing.  I was so proud of Macy, who at age 7, was weighing the food bags and helping to seal them just like the adults!  If your church is looking for a project, this one is certainly worthy of your consideration.  

Today was grass cutting day.  This is a job that I enjoy doing, and so, have taken it away from Blake pretty much......especially since I have learned to use the Zero Turn mower.  It usually takes around 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  There is something so meditative about sitting on that mower and visiting all of the grassy areas in our big yard.  It is amazing to cut along the edge of the woodland and  glimpse  the wildlife and wildflowers that I wouldn't ordinarily see.  And it gives me quiet time alone to think and praise God for the incredible world he has provided for us.

July has come and gone with several things remaining on "THE LIST".  Love Grows should definitely get finished this month, and hopefully the woven scarf and Sampler quilt, also.  Sally Post didn't get done at all, but will be easy to catch up.  I was able to prep a block for Primitive Garden and have some more laid out to prep this month.  Sometimes it is easier to prep several while I have everything out and then to work on them.  The little Summertime blocks from Temecula Quilt Company will probably have to wait until they are all here for me to do more on them as the Primitive Gathering blocks have been about all I could keep up with.

I am not adding to the August list, as I know that I will be out of town for over a week along with everything else that I have going on this month........gardening, yard work, a couple of visits to my Sister's before she moves, a new stitchery class, weaving.......well, you get the drift here.  At any rate, I think that this is ambitious enough for August.  Anything else I might get done will just be icing on the cake.

The cousins all went to the water park a couple of weeks ago and had a great time.  Despite the age differences, they always enjoy being together.  I think it would have been so much fun to have had family close by to make memories with.  School will be starting soon for all of them.  It is hard to believe that Robert will be a Freshman at Newnan High School.

Sara Ashley and Jackson

GRATITUDES:

A glimpse of a spotted fawn in the edge of our woods.

The sweet smell of freshly mowed grass.

Sleeping late.

A vision of hungry children being fed by strangers who love them.

Take care,

Jennie