Tomorrow morning early (7:30 AM mountain time), my son, Michael, will undergo serious back surgery. He was injured in an auto accident two years ago and has suffered great pain all this time. I am asking all of you out there in cyberspace to pray for him and his recovery. To be honest, I am panic stricken and terrified. A very good friend of mine died one year ago from complications of this same surgery. It would mean a great deal to me if I knew that many internet friends were praying for him. Thank you in advance. Averyclaire.
Prayer Request
05 Jan 2009 7 Comments
in Family, Prayer Request Tags: Family, Prayer Request
Happy New Year
01 Jan 2009 1 Comment
in Christmas, Family, Needlework Tags: Christmas, Needlework, New Year
Best wishes for a beautiful new year that is filled with laughter, good health and many blessings!
My holidays were lovely, fun, and filled with laughter. Although I was very sad that my son and his wife were unable to be with us this Christmas. Maybe next year.
We had a fun Christmas Eve with the family. We attended a service for Christmas Eve where Santa made a surprise visit and paid homage before the manger with the children. It was beautiful.
On Christmas morning we had a lovely breakfast with our daughter and her family, and last night we enjoyed a quiet New Year’s Eve at home.
In the needlearts department . . . over the holidays I began working on a surprise for my sister-in-law. My DH’s mother, Violet, died last spring after a brief bout with uterine/cervical cancer. She lived a long, full life and passed away at the age of 87. Last month my friend, Marjorie, gave me some old magazines. In one of them I found a cross-stitch pattern of Violets done on a lovely English Rose Jobelan. My SIL is having a hard time with the passing of her MOM (as we all are), but I thought this saying would be a nice remembrance for her. The stitching will say “The Violet, a lady with a charm, grace, and beauty all her own. I will show my progress as I complete it. Here’s the first photo.
Here are the earrings that Marjorie made for me as a gift. They are lovely, Swarovski crystal trees. I loved wearing them over the Christmas holiday and received lots of compliments. Thanks Marjorie.
Here is a photo of the manger my mother had when I was a little girl. While my heritage is English, this set came from Germany and I wil treasure it always.
And as I sit here in front of my computer and contemplate putting away all the Christmas decorations and tree….I am still sitting in front of it enjoying the beauty and peace of the season. Maybe in a week or so I will be ready.
I Was Tagged
03 Nov 2008 10 Comments
in Family, Gifts Tags: Birthday, New Baby, Wine Tasting
Paddy’s Daughter tagged me over a week ago and I am now just getting around to answering it. I am to tell everyone 7 unusual things about myself that most people don’t know. Well…this is really hard. My life is like an open book. Even thinking about it for a week and a half doesn’t help! But here goes anyway
1) When I was younger…my dream was to be a research biologist.
2) I love turtles…they are the voice of God.
3) I am four of five and a Star Trek fan.
4) I am terrified of spiders…any kind…they make my heart jump right out of my chest!
5) I am a weather watcher. Love it.
6) Most women like to shop…I don’t.
7) There is nothing I love more than total silence. It fills my soul.
This was very hard for me…so I am not going to tag anyone else. I did this just for you Sue. Hope you have learned a little bit about me.
Just for fun here is # 8 about me. My niece, Lesly, just a few hours ago gave birth to a beautiful little boy, Ryan Patrick…8 lbs. 8 oz….22 inches long. He has a lot of hair. It is her first baby and we are thrilled…but even better yet….today is my 60th birthday!!! So I will never forget little Ryan’s birthday.
My children gave me a big party yesterday to celebrate. It was such fun. Besides the brithday party, my daughter decided to turn it into a lovely wine tasting party. Great wine! Another day with lots of family and friends to make life wonderful.
“A Magical Year”
17 Sep 2008 8 Comments
in Family, Quilting Tags: Anniversary, Quilts
Blocks 1, 2 and 3
Today is my younger son’s first wedding anniversary. Mike and Michelle live in Colorado and were married in a meadow near a lovely lodge in the mountains one year ago today. I called them tonight to say “Happy Anniversary.” Both seemed to be having a fun time with friends. But I share with you something that my daughter-in-law said to me tonight … “We have just spent the most magical year of our lives.” Now you must understand that my son was in a nasty auto accident two years ago, needs back surgery soon, and I believe it must have been a very difficult year. And yet Michelle could still say they had a magical year. Mike is so lucky, and as parents we are so lucky to have her in the family.
Here are photos of the blocks I have completed so far on their “wedding quilt.” Yes, I am slow. It should have been done at least for this anniversary! Alas, it was not.
Block 4
- Block 5
Block 6
Michelle and Mike
Happy Anniversary!!
Celebrations
14 Sep 2008 3 Comments
in Applique, Family, Quilting Tags: Applique, Family, Hawaiian, Quilting
We went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a couple of days to help celebrate the birthday of a friend. It was such a joyful celebration. The party was a kind of family reunion, where many of the family members had not seen one another for up to 15 years!
From the sidelines I watched his daughter gently holding her father’s hand and I could see the tenderness and love in their faces as they spoke quietly in the corner. It was fun to watch the joy on the faces of cousins who were together for the first time in years. The entire weekend was very uplifting. Thanks Ray for sharing your birthday with us.
It was also a “quilt fix” for me, as my friend, Judy, is a wonderful quilter. She had many projects to share…some finished…some works in progress. She inspires me to say the least. I always find fun and laughter when we are together. Sadly our time was limited to just a brief visit, but it makes me long for another visit, hopefully soon.
Today I share with you one of my works in SLOW progress…some of my Hawaiian quilt blocks. My daughter, who has a wedding anniversary today, bought me a Hawaiian quilting book on her honeymoon in Hawaii several years ago. So far I have only three blocks done. I love to do the needle turned appliqué, but I fear it will be a long time before it is complete. Her anniversary today inspired me to share this with you.
Time
10 Sep 2008 4 Comments
in Family, Needlework, Wool Tags: Family, Time, Wool
It was six days of fun, family, and relaxation. We had a couple of days to ourselves; the children and grandchildren arrived; we hiked; we biked; we canoed; we roasted marshmallows; and we just simply spent time with one another. We even celebrated one granddaughter’s 8th birthday with candles and cake and gifts. It was marvelous. It was a gift to me that they all agreed to come for the weekend. And then we had a couple of additional days to just relax before coming home to what awaits everyone upon returning home.
My time was spent with family…not much needlework, but I did manage to complete a couple of items, make progress on another, and read a good book.
The wool candle mats are from patterns I purchased sometime ago, but still available. Working with wool is very soothing, very forgiving, quick to do and something I very much enjoy. I have been collecting bits of old wool for years, have tried my hand at dyeing a bit, and have purc
hased some lovely wool pieces. Most of what I use is felted wool fabric, but when I can’t find or create just the right colors, I use wool felt. This comes in brightly dyed colors more than one could ever wish for.
Sometimes my only enemy is time…not enough of it. Right now I have time dedicated to promised projects and not enough time for desired art projects of my own. One day. For now, I spent the last six days of my time with my family…a very precious gift from them to me. I am grateful.
Averyclaire 