I Have Had Better Days

Believe me I will not be upset if you pass this post by! I will probably take it down soon anyway. I am just disillusioned these days by those who victimized others, who feel no guilt for what they do. As many of you know, I am the parent of an adult with developmental disabilities. Dan is not perfect, no one is, but he is kind and friendly and willing to help out others. Unfortunately, this can mean he is often taken advantage of. A couple of weeks ago as is my habit I visited Danny with his usual weekly money. Grocery money, money to eat out one evening, and cash for every day. He gets four dollars a day to spend on soda, etc. This was taken care of on Sunday night. On Monday around noon he was calling to remind me that he needed his money for the week. His support staff was coming and he needed the money soon! I argued with him but he was so upset I finally went over to his apartment. Sure enough all the money was gone. I emptied my wallet so he could shop and asked a few questions. Turns out he has been befriended by a young man living in the same complex. This guy often borrows from Danny and uses his phone and hangs out in his apartment. He was there that morning, and he was there the next Monday morning before eight o'clock. . Told Danny he needed to use his phone because his truck was not running. By nine  I was getting a call that all his daily money was once again gone. I have changed whet we do for grocery money and eating out money or that would probably be gone as well. Danny lives on seven hundred dollars a month. This was devastating!

If you are familiar with the innocence of many of the disabled you will understand why this can happen. What I don't understand is the person who thinks this behavior is okay. This is one of those times when I have to say I am done. I hope you are having a better month than I am. I know things will get better and it could be worse.

Christmas on my mind!

 Hello again, it looks like I am not finished with Christmas just yet. In my last post I spoke about family and the creativity of those I grew up with. So, now I will show elements of a wreath my sister Kathleen gifted me with. First of all, I think we have a rather unique relationship. Kathy is five years younger than me. If you look back on the post that includes my wedding picture you will see her looking very young. As the years passed and we were both married, we started to hang out more. When the children cam along we found the age difference had begun to fade. We became friends, confidants and as close as sisters can ever be.

 We are separated these days by distance. My husband, and son and I moved to Mo about ten yearts ago to be with our daughter and subsequently our granddaughter. My husband had retired and began to say such things as he would rather see his friends a few times a year and out daughter once a week or even more. I was born in California, raised there, raised our children there. I miss the Christmas fun we had in the days. We always met for lunch and the sort of shopped. We didn't buy much that day but walked around acting smug because we were finished with our own shopping.

 She cried with me when our youngest child was born with developmental disabilities and always treated him as if he were just like the other kids. So he always thinks he is. He still asks about her every day.

 We are at a time in our lives where the hard stuff gets harder. So, we hold on to each other despite the distance and for me it is a great comfort.

 As many of you know, my husband is in a wheel chair because he has had four strokes. Kathleen's husband is now also ill with cancer. We cannot physically comfort one another, but we keep in touch as much as we can offer all the support we have to give. I am so lucky to have a baby sister who loves me enough. I hope you have someone in your life who can give you hope.

Two days before Christmas I received this beautiful wreath hand made by my dear sister just for me. You already know how much I treasure hand made gifts and when someone makes something with me in mind, I am so honored. So Kathleen, thank you so much. I am so happy to have you in my life.
I hope you all have someone to love and be loved by as I do.

For Love

Well, hello. I have not blogged for quite awhile but now that the holidays are somewhat behind us I have decided to check in again. I want to share something about the women in my family. We all seem to have a creative bent. My mother, Dorothy Jewell Bates Wareham had a talent for crochet. She never learned to use a pattern but that did not stop her. A mother with ten children she made sure each and everyone of her children owned an afghan made with her own hands. Her sister Verna Bates Sutterfield was an accomplished artist. Another sister, Vera Bates Epperson also had a talent. Aunt Vera made her girls wedding dresses. She was able to design these dresses herself.  Because of their wonderful examples I was able to explore my own options. I am the oldest of ten children and as soon as I was able I would go to the local dime store and choose a baby sacque or dress ready to embroider. Over the years I have dabbled in many crafts. Today I limit myself to embroidery, cross stitch and especially quilting.  My sister Kathy makes gorgeous wreaths. I will share one soon. My daughter, Kelly is continuing the tradition. She is a wonderful cook, she makes cheer bows for her daughter as well as the team, she has been the wardrobe mistress for several local productions, often making the costumes and she crochets.

The coaster above is designed to hold the cup below.

This is Fireside Coffee. Add three to four teaspoon sof mix to hot wate rand stir with a candy cane. Yumm.

 This darling pincushion was also made by my daughter. Lovely don't you think? She makes these to sell on her Etsy account which you can access by clicking on the pink cup cake on the left or the Etsy
emblem on the right.
 

Below is the snowflake pennants she also made for me. I love this as it added just the right touch to my holiday.

Above you see my almost finished snow flake cake. I found the original recipe in Southern Living magazine. My version is not as pretty I think but so good. A little time consuming but worth every moment. The snow flakes are made of fondant. They are painted with a small amount of vodka and then edible glitter finishes the look.

I wanted to write this post because I have a feeling that you might feel the way I do when someone sits down and sets out to make something just for me. It touches me in a way I will never forget. The work above is my daughters but I am one of the blessed when it comes to friends. and family.  I hang out with such talented women. You know what I bet you do too. Don't give up on me, I think I will become creative again soon. After all it snowed some today. That just might mean I will be stuck at home a little more with my quilt frame beckoning in the corner. I hope you will share your story of creativity with me and others who come to see if I am still around.  Warmly, Nadine

Halloween? I think not!

I live in an area where Halloween is king, queen and perhaps princess. I do love seeing the children in costume. They are so excited and are at the door for candy.  I always have more than enough.

However, I think that the wreath I made for my front door is perhaps not a Halloween wreath but  lends itself more to a more literary time. I made three of these,one for my sister and one for my daughter. My daughter, the English teacher has suggested that I look at this from that literary standpoint. Now I read a great deal of those novels a long time ago, William Faulkner, Edger Allan Poe, Nelson Algren, Asimov, Bradberry, Pearl S Buck, Stephan Crane, Emily Dickenson, Scott Fitzgerald, Nathanial Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, John Irving, Barbara Kingsolver, Sinclair Lewis, Herman Melville, Toni Morrison, Eugene O' Neill, John Steinbeck, Harriet Beecher Stowe Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, Jane Austin, Harper Lee, and so many more.

Two standouts for me are Edgar Allan Poe and William Faulkner. These are scary guys. As a young reader I was attracted to that kind of writing as well as science fiction.  I remember reading "Pit and Pendulum" around fourteen. Poe wrote," Arousing from the most profound of slumbers,we break the gossamer web of some dream. yet in a second after wards, ( so frail may have that web have been) we remember not that we have dreamed." I was fascinated with that phrase most of my life. Of course the truth is the biggest impact of that story was always the beating heart!!!

As to William Faulkner my favorite of his, is "A Rose For Emily"  I still remember " Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition and a duty,  a care; a sort of a heredity and obligation upon the town"

As I look at what I have written I realize it is a kind of ramble but sometimes that is all I have to offer. I started to read when I was almost four, so technically when I was three. bet you are impressed. I continued reading almost everyday of my life. Sometimes it helps me survive the day, always it is a comfort and joy.

Be sure to read the green box. I have seen it happen. Good reading to you. I hope you you come by and tell me about your own journey.

Baltimore on the Prarie 2013

Having returned from Baltimore on the Prairie in Omaha Nebraska a few weeks ago I am still thinking and remembering my wonderful experience there. As an instructor I have the pleasure of sharing my joy in making quilts. Over the last few years I have concentrated mostly on Baltimore applique and and frankly any kind of applique. At BOTP, students can indulge themselves in lovely choices with something for everyone. I am pretty traditional with a world of wonderful quilts made in the past for inspiration.   My classes next year include the Bird in the Bush block nestled in the lower left corner above and is my main conference class. The one day offering is second in the top row. It is called "The Way We Were". A catchy title if I do say so myself, but the name serves a purpose. I grew up the oldest of ten children and at my mother's side. We washed on Monday, ironed on Tuesday and well you get the idea. That is the way we were. Today's reality is clearly different, but you can still re-create that time in this project. A little embroidery, a little applique. It gets no better.

Now I cannot speak for the other great instructors except to say they are all first rate. It keeps getting better and better. Nancy Kerns brings lovely applique to the table with her beautiful vase of flowers in the bottom row second block. Beautiful! In the top row third square is a gorgeous slightly contemporary spray of flowers. You need to see this one close up, it is breath taking.

Jeanne Sullivan is very popular at BOTP and with good reason. Her work is lovely and absolutely meticulous. She will take you through a variety of special techniques. her blocks appear on the top row, left and the bottom row right. Look closely at both. It will take your breath away.

Don't forget Rita Verroca.  Next year she will be offering two special classes using the Broiderie perse techniques as well as regular applique. Her classes are very popular and well received. her color sense is right on and her skills are wonderful. Her samples are shown in top row fourth block and bottom row third block.

Okay, now you know a little about next year and I really hope to see you there. Truth is the instructors often have more fun than the students and that is saying a lot. Come, spend a few days and i bet you will come back again and again!   Let me know what you think, what you would do and what you would like to see. Happy, happy stitching, Nadine





 

I have really talented friends

 

I am so lucky to have so many talented friends in my life. One of these is Jeanne Sullivan. She is an amazing quilt artist and has won the Northcott fabric challenge for a number of years. She has been working on her book for the last couple of years and it will soon be on the market for all to share. I am personally looking forward to working my way through the entire book and perhaps improving my own skills. Jeanne has an incredible and very tiny berry I am hoping to see in the book just to find out if I can recreate it. Okay I am also hoping to add to my own work with the skill sets I know are in this book. Now, at three o'clock this afternoon I waltzed over to   jeannesullivandesign.com and signed up for my own copy. Jeanne has wonderful sewing items for sale as well as applique items and more. I know this seems like a commercial but sometimes you just have to celebrate for a friend.  See you there