Thanks—-Giving!

 When you look up Thanksgiving, you find all sorts of  searches on the Date of Thanksgiving, the story or history of Thanksgiving, recipes, decorations, traditions, etc.  have you ever given a thought of Why You Celebrate this special fourth Thursday of November each year! 

Oh yes, for some it’s the beginning of Christmas shopping—all those sale ads hit you in the face.  Our kids loved the catalogs that arrived in our mailbox (this was before social media bombarded us).  They would find the best pencil they could and begin to surf the pages to circle any toy or item that took their fancy.  

To others, it’s the Macy Thanksgiving parade with all the pomp and circumstance of music, dancing, floats, giant balloons!  To the guys, it’s football!  

For others, this day means family—to our family it is the one day we set aside to enjoy each others company—we might lack one or two members who are celebrating with the other family, but in spirit we are ONE!  

This year is no different—about a month ahead, we begin the conversation about who will host the day—who hosted last year—someone never remembers (that’s me) and there is the special one who does!  That’s decided—next comes the planning of the meal—who’ll bring what and it’s always their favorite dish.  Food is always good no matter if the seasoning is off, recipe is just not right, burnt, under done—we rejoice anyway and no one remembers what it was like last year!

2023 is our extra reason to be thankful on Thanksgiving—we have a new addition to our family.  It has been a tough year for him and his parents—our little CDH baby boy is growing up.  Now at 9 months, he weighs 20 lbs, hopefully he’ll be home soon from children hospital, after 8 months of his life spent there with caring hands of doctors and nurses.  He has endured 10 surgeries, spent several days in NICU or PICU, suffered heart stoppage and being resuscitated but still has that winning smile and demeanor every single day!  He is carried by many around the world in their hearts and prayers!  

Yes, we are thankful on this Thanksgiving Day for this miracle little boy—

He gives you that look and you melt! 

As we count our blessings, we say THANK YOU to our almighty GOD for this precious warrior! He makes us happy each day!!

Make your Bed?

Recentry there was news story on our local TV station--it was an interesting story, a departure from all the other sad and disturbing news items.  

" Making your bed everyday may sound like a tiresome task to some, but one company will pay you a $1,000 if you can commit to the chore for the next 30 days. Jewelry company Shane Co. created the bed-making contest to motivate others to start off their day a little more intentionally."

Do you make your bed every day when your feet first hit the floor?  That is the only task I complete some mornings before I begin other chores around the house.  Do I think I could earn this money---just for making my bed?  There are other things that go along with just making a bed--You must figure out why making a bed makes you a better person!  go here if you think you want to enter this contest!

This is the best speech every--all about what you can accomplish by simply beginning day by making your bed first thing in the morning!

1. Make your bed 2. Find someone to help you paddle 3. Measure a person by the size of their heart not by the size of their flippers 4. Get over being a “sugar cookie” and keep moving forward 5. Don’t be afraid of the circuses 6. Slide down the obstacles headfirst 7. Don’t back down form the sharks 8. Be your best in the darkest moments 9. Start singing when you are up to your neck in mud 10. Don’t ever, ever ring the bel

What do you learn from making your bed? 

Week Round-up

 Looking back on the week, I don’t think there was much accomplished!  Let’s recount our days—hubby spent one day at daughter’s ranch—mowed pasture, repaired the electric fence (horses keep rubbing against it);  he fixed the roll up door on the shed—he was gone all day!  That left me some quiet time.  What did I do with that time?  

 I decided on bindings for four quilts, cut the width, pressed in half and sewed them on quilt

Finished up this gift for a friend—just need to add a hanging sleeve

Made a horse comforter for great grandson, who loves horses—this will be one of his Christmas gifts

In the evenings, with my feet up and tv on our favorite show, my hands are busy stitching bindings on five quilts.  Still, have seven more to stitch. 

Cast on with hand-spun cotton for November gingerbread dish cloth.  

Of course, there was time searching for knitting patterns and dinner recipes.

Yes, as I reflect—didn’t do too bad!

Got The Blues!

No!  I don't have the Blues!  I'm looking forward to working with Blues!

Bonnie Hunter has invited us to sew with her on 2024 mystery!

I'm anxious to see how the Blues create indigo way.  I love blue fabrics so I ordered

the fabric that she recommended.  I don't usually do that.  With this quilt, I"ll be able to use some of my  own hand dyed indigo fabrics.

There were two color ways to order so I chose this one with strong, darker blues

Here is the fabric selection spread out--

here comes the day after Thanksgiving!

Gather your blues and be prepared for an exciting adventure into blues!

Round To It…

Do you ever have those “round to it” times?  Oh, yes!  I want to do that when “ I get round to it!”

The photo below shows all the patterns printed off that were

“ round to it”patterns!

And guess what, after months of saving these scraps of paper, I’ve not done a ONE of these patterns!  Just put them aside and think “I’ll get round to it” someday—that day hasn’t come, I guess!

Now, my tastes have changed and I’m onto some other “round to its”

Like—finishing hubby’s socks—oh goodness, these socks have been a “

round to it”

since early 2023.  

Nope—started—not finished and winter is a’comin’.

I’ll get “ round to it” soon!  Look how many needles are out of service just for this pair of socks—gee whiz.  

Each time I sit to knit, another reason pops up to place these socks back in the queue of “ round to it” projects. 

Maybe, today is the day………

Will be a good day to knit—oops, I didn’t get “ round to “ measuring the length of his foot—but, I could knit on the other sock’s heel-

I’ll get “round to it” soon! 

 

 

Soup On!! ETC, ETC, ETC

 Love this time of year!  There is a light chill in the air and we are thankful for it!!  So many reasons to enjoy this time of year—

Time to wear hand knit socks!!

• Time to cuddle up in a comfy chair and read a book
• 
  Recent birthday gift from brown headed daughter
  
  
  
  I love that if she has read the book, she includes a review on post it note! 
  
  
• And….. lots of soups! 

  
• First up--chicken sausage gumbo!  I take the easy way out with this gumbo mix--all the spices and thickening agents you need.  Just add cooked chicken (found half rotisserie chicken in freezer) and always have smoked sausage on hand!  Instead of rice, we use riced cauliflower--Yummy good!  Along side we have a nice loaf of French bread. 
• 
  
  
  Second night--split pea soup!  I know, most people don't like split pea but we do especially when we add smoked ham hocks as the seasoning meat
• 
  
• 
• We put the fresh ham hocks on the smoker for several hours, then bake them two hours and now added to the slow cooker
  
  Cooking on low while we do errands and tonight we will have a cooked soup ready for the table! Yum! Yum!
  
  
  Another soup—tomato basil soup!  One of my favorite from National known restaurant!  Instead of buying the ready made jar, I decided to try my hand at making this delicious mixture.  

  

  After all, our basil had been trimmed before first frost—let’s begin……..fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, vegetable broth, etc

  

  Look at this delish bowl of tomato basil soup! Served with toasted cheese sandwich on jalapeño cheese bread! Great meal!
  
  
• This weekend we are hosting family and friends for chili and veggie soup (hubby makes a great soup with beef stock and lots of fresh veggies)  I make the chili and will have lots of goodies accomplishing the soup night==of course, by Saturday night, the temperature will be near 80 again--down goes the AC for sure!  

What's on your soup agenda is for this week??

Holy Moly!!

 Yep, It’s here!  The official start for the holidays—did you participate in Halloween activities?  

Our bucket of goodies was displayed on our front porch as we were attending an adult block party—watching the cameras we saw polite youngsters grab only one bag,  as usual there were a couple who took more than their share.  omeday they will learn!

This weekend is International Quilt Festival!  Will you attend?  I’ll be there with a friend who

Has never attended!! She’ll be blown away! 

Getting ready for Christmas?!!  Seems every year December 25 comes closer than the year before—maybe, it’s just my age.  Here is one way to begin your season now!

Fort Worth Fabric Studio always has unique fabrics and patterns for your sewing pleasure

Order a kit or as I do, use from your stash.  The patterns are free on their website beginning November 8.  Let the sewing room light up!!