Tired Tired Quilter

This is so totally foreign to me, being tired, or sleepy, I mean.  I had to look both of those words up on the computer.  In the definition it said, "see, 'Dianne.'"  It seems like I am so tired these days that I just want to go right back to bed no matter how many hours sleep I got that night.  One would think two-four hours of sleep a night would be just fine, but, no-o-o-o.  So, please excuse me as I yawn throughout this...

Gabby's Rose II

Black and White Forever

Gabby's Rose

I thought you might like to know that I am progressing with my fabrics.  I am very close to having them printed.  I am going to re-publish the four designs just to tease you.  Even if I gave the "go ahead, Make my day," today, it would be at least two months before everything was actually in my hands.  And, to be realistic, getting to that go-ahead day is, in and of itself, at least two months away.  Samples have to exchange hands, money has to change hands, colors approved, fabric approved, etc etc......process.

Taupe and Cream Forever

So, just in case you were curious, or the phrase, "Hmm, I wonder what is happening with Dianne and her fabric designs," crossed your mind, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  And, I hope this answered some of your curiousity.  If you really want to make me appreciative, take your smart phone, or your IPAD-type gismo to your local quilt shop, flash them (uh, the fabric images, heh heh) and say, "See this lovely fabric?  I neeeeeed some of it so pleeeeeese order it."


And if all that was not exciting to you, or interesting, or anticipatory (is that a word?), or did not suit your needs in any way, I will leave you with this beauty from Psalm 8:4-5

When  I see the heavens, the work of Your hands, the moon and the stars which You arranged, who are we that You keep us in mind, mere mortals that You care for us?

Just a Thought from this Quilter

Talking about  half-full, positive approaches to life...ysterday Brandy and I were out playing Santa and just happened to stop and shop for a moment.  (Wipe that shocked look off your face)  Here is the saying off of a card we found:

"We will never be the same as we were before this loss, but are ever so much better for having had something so great to lose."
 
 I loved that thought.

HoHoHo from this Quilter

It 's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.  We are making our traditional pralines and chocolate covered pretzels to ship off to the less fortunate (aka, those friends who decided to move away from this State-of-Awesome-Food.)  If you are now thinking, "Louisiana???? Sweltering heat, bazillion per cent humidity, and mosquitos on steroids,....these had better be da*#*#*%*$***#* good pralines,"  all I can say is, "Have you tasted these babies?"  I guess it goes without saying that I am pretty much a half-full-kinda-gal and right now I am totally full of kaka.

Finally Home, Finally a Moment

My gosh, it has been weeks since I wrote.  I tried several times to add to my Thread while I was in Alabama but it was hopeless from Mother's place there on the top of her mountain.  She and her husband, Gene, shared their love and their passions while living on 26 acres of land that they reclaimed from a watermelon patch.  Twenty five years later there are raspberries, blackberries, muscadines, blueberries, persimmons, peaches, figs, etc etc growing where they lovingly planted them along with thousands of pines, wildflowers, hardwoods and anything else they could stick in the ground.  They also planted rusty old cars, trucks, lawnmowers, and tractors, in that same yard along side a home they never felt the need to finish.  Mother and Gene were way too busy doing far more interesting things.  They cooked meals for the homeless, rescued injured birds and released them back to nature, were members of the volunteer fire department, recycled, and traveled, driving the back roads instead of the interstate, loving the beauty of the world from the stars to the bottom of the ocean.

Eleven years ago, at the age of 82, Mother called me saying, "Dianne, I want to buy a beach house. I figure better late than never.  Can you go with me?"

"Mother, I work, remember?  How about we go during Spring Break?"

"Can you get away next week?" she asked.  "We will just go to look and see what is available."  Three days after going down there, just to look, she bought a house.  Our next summer was the best, ever.  Talk about power shopping, we furnished an entire house from the bathrooms, to the bedrooms to the kitchen, in two weeks.  We filled eight carts at Wal-Mart, saw a sign advertising great wicker furniture in Atlanta so we hopped in the car and bought furniture in Georgia, found incredible finds, great bargains, and giggled the entire time.  We would fill the car until we could barely fit in it ourselves, drive home and unload it so we could start all over, again.  For the next eleven years, we spent many great times there, walking on the beach, gathering shells, driftwood, and memories. 

Now, we will be heading down there in two weeks, this time to cast her ashes to the place she loved so much, adding her ashes to our baby sister's.  When does it stop hurting so much?

Hi from This Quilter

Change of plans....we are now leaving Sunday.  Turns out we need a HASMAT team to come to the house before we can safely enter.  Scary.  The name of one of the groups we contacted was "The Suicide Crew."  Now, that is totally sad to me.  Where is the gentleness?  The, well, vagueness so it won't be so awful when these folks have to enter a home...it is also an assumption that anyone who dies outside the confines of a hospital committed suicide.  Where is that kinder, gentler mindset?

Happy Thanksgiving from this Quilter

Blessings and best wishes to all of you.  I am leaving to check on Mother's house. Please keep those good, sweet thoughts and prayers headed my way.  I seem to be in the market for those a lot these days.

The Week From Hell

Another phone call.  My brother, Don, just called to say that the police in Alabama had found both our Mother and her husband, Gene, dead in their home.  Apparently Gene had a heart attack going into check on Mother.  When Gene did not show up for his doctor's visit, the office called the police in to check on them.  They found Gene, dead on the floor and Mother gasping for breath.  Emergency services were called but Mother died before they arrived. 

This week is now the anniversary of our Dad's death, our sister's, and our Mother's.  I am officially declaring November a non-month and skipping straight to December from October.  It is the only way I can keep what little sanity I have..........

One More Teensy Weensy Post

Jeez, look at the time.  Even my writing is all slanty.  Oh well, I have been playing with the colors on the earlier design, "Gabby's Roses" and we all know what happens to time when a computer is involved.................................................

Quilter Hears Sleigh Bells

I swear I could hear those bells ringing, today as I walked into the mall.  Oh yeah, that is the normal ringing in my ears.  But, talk about getting in the Christmas spirit.  The sales that are already going on right now, attempting to lure us innocents into their shops.  IT WORKS.  I naively walked towards the mall from the parking lot.  There in huge letters, it said SALE.  It was like driving "past" a donut shop.... just not gonna happen.  There I was hours later with my goodie bag.  At least most of it will be Christmas gifts...just because I know what is in my pac....um, I mean, in their packages, well, Merry Christmas to us all, heh heh.

Quilter's YIKES

It seems like "Yikes" and "Eek" are becoming part of my every day, every hour vocabulary.  Take today.   I woke up after my usual two hours sleep thinking, "Great.  I have a few hours before I have to get ready for my meeting...I am even going to have time to do my walk, check on that quilt top I am working on, and, with any luck, play on the computer a bit." HAHAHAHHA.  My next thought, at least that what it felt like, was, YIKES!  I have fifteen mintues to get ready.

There was no walk.  O.K, there was a tiny bit of checking in on the quilt top.  Mostly, there was "playing on the computer."  It is a friggin' addiction!   YIKES.  I  now have three minutes to get ready. Seeya.