Headstart Quilting...

 Each year, members of our quilt guild are asked to create quilts for 

three different charities...Hospice, Toys for Tots and Headstart.

The Headstart quilts are made for pre-schoolers who get to choose their own, use it for rest time through the year and then keep it at the end of the year. It has to be quilted at least every four inches because they are washed every week and need to stand up to that extra laundering. There is also a size requirement, and they need to measure at least 36" x 42".

I made this quilt top on Monday and quilted it yesterday. Today I'll bind it and then it will be ready to donate next week at our guild meeting. It measures 42" x 42".

We were told that we needed more boys' themes, so I decided to use some cute dinosaur, paw print and circle fabrics. I had a lot of fun quilting it, too. I quilted spirals over the circles, "Raahr" and two hearts in the dinosaur blocks and a single, big paw print (echoing those in the fabric) and "woof" in the paw print blocks. Then I just stitched straight rows in the sashes and borders.

One of the cool benefits of making these charity quilts is that I can practice my quilting techniques. As long as the stitching is secure, little kids don't notice a few imperfections, and trust me, there are more than a few!

I'm also going to try a new (to me) binding technique. Rather than machine sew the binding to the right side of the quilt, fold it over and hand stitch it on the back side, I'll try sewing it to the wrong side, fold it over and then (using a specialty stitch) sew down the binding on the right side. I'm hoping it turns out really cute. (I'll let you know.)

I'll try to make one more boy's quilt before next Tuesday so I can hand in two at the meeting. Wish me luck!

Green Lake, Wisconsin...

The year was 1981. This is a photograph of our boys and our two nephews. The four of them were happy to pose for Handsome's camera on our boat. It was a wonderful summer vacation spent together at the family cottage on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Their eyes still sparkle when they remember summers spent at their Grandma Ev and Grandpa Gurn's home on the lake.

Our nephews and their wives and kids now live on the East coast (New Jersey), while our boys still live in Wisconsin with their families.

This week, our elder nephew and his wife (along with their two daughters) have traveled to Wisconsin to share a week at a rental on Green Lake with our two sons, their wives and their children.

Unfortunately, months of planning couldn't find a free week that younger nephew and his wife (and two sons) could join the group. The original plan was to recreate this photo with all the boys - twenty eight years older. Our younger son is the owner of our boat now, so even though the mahogany is in storage, had our nephew been there, they would have been able to closely recreate the image. It would have been fun.

Instead, they are going to pose our grandson, surrounded by little girls, minus two cousins. It's the best they can do this time, but the dream to recapture that image with the original Fab Four will go on until it's accomplished. Perhaps next year.

We can't wait to hear their new stories of days and nights spent on Green Lake. Grandma Ev and Grandpa Gurn are, sadly, long gone, but they would love to know that the memories they helped create for our kids are coming to life again this week.

A Perfect Ride On A Perfect Day...

Saturday night, Handsome asked me if I'd like to ride with with him and some members of the Port Charlotte Harley Owners Group for breakfast. Well, of course! Then he told me we'd have to be at the dealership by 8:00 am. Well, aaaaallllright..(You need to know that I'm not an early bird.) But I got up early on Sunday because 1) I really wanted to go with Handsome on a group ride and 2) I like going out for breakfast!

We arrived at the dealership and there I met six new friends. Most of them are married, but I was told their wives don't like getting up early either, so I'd have to wait until another day to meet them.

We left Port Charlotte and drove the back roads to meet up with Highway 41 just before it crosses the Punta Gorda bridge. (That's where Hurricane Charlie made landfall in August of 2004.) We then continued south to Fort Myers and ate at a restaurant called The Farmer's Market. We really had a nice time learning about our new friends and their interests. Some of them are planning an upcoming ride to Sturgis, a well-known annual Harley rider's mecca.

The ride was officially over when we arrived at the restaurant, so we took photos for posterity, said our goodbyes, and then Handsome and I headed home. A three hour ride that covered nearly one hundred miles. We were home by 11:00 am and of course, cooled off by going for a swim.

What I wish for you, my friends, are days spent doing what you love - with a person or people that you love. In this whole wide world, it really can't get much better than that.

Another group shot. l-r: Bob, Jesse, me, Steve, Joe, John and Rand.
Handsome is taking this photograph.

Time Sure Flies...

You may have noticed the picture of the good looking young man on my left sidebar. He's my nephew, Lydell III, son of my brother by the same name (except his name has a II after it!). Lydell is graduating from Centennial Sr. High School in the St. Paul, MN area this weekend.

Now, I want you to know that it seems like just yesterday that I took this photograph of him (second from the left) with his younger brother and two cousins. The whole family was gathered for his brother's birthday when I managed to get them all to pose for me on their slide. Aren't they the cutest collection of little boys ever?

Aunties are known for bringing out the family album at the slightest notice, and considering that I'm now a Grandma, too, the impulse to pluck a golden oldie out of the archives was impossible for me to resist.

So, Lydell, my nephew, you've grown up almost in the blink of my eye and you've become a fine young man. Congratulations on your graduation, and all our prayers and best wishes go with you as you embark on your next great adventure.

l-r: Westyn, Lydell, Cain and Logan (four of my six nephews)