My thanks to you all

Almost four months into outpatient therapy, frustration and more than a few tears it was time to say thank you. Thank you dear friends for being so kind and writing so many notes of encouragement. In addition my thanks as well to everyone who works so hard to help Dale get well. So I baked cookies and cupcakes. seems like food is universal among those who spend their days caring for others. For the most part we have been blessed with people who really care about those who come through their doors. Not to say that there are not still hard times. This whole thing has been filled with ups and downs, not the least of which came about a month ago. I was cruising along in my life. Times have been hard and stressful but I was managing. Then one day the OT told me that she wanted me to do a series of therapies at home everyday! She said she could only imagine how hard things were and how difficult it would be to add more. Hmmmm it was true. She could only imagine. I shed a lot of tears the next few weeks. I finally decided to be candid and had a conversation with the OT where I told her my concerns about this, I have no training and felt inadequate . I reminded her she was the one with the education. She then told me that she went to school to be able to train people like me to give therapy to their loved ones. I did get in line and now do several therapy's a day. It is only the last week that I decided this was not going away and shed my last tears for now. Well, maybe I do occasionally drop a tear or two. It seems I can manage almost anything as I do have help from family and friends.
The problem that remains is something I can do nothing to change. Over the years my role as the mother of a developmentally disabled child/adult has changed from being a mother to being a care giver. Now I find the same thing has happened in my marriage. I am no longer exactly a mother or a wife. Of all the changes over the last year, this is the most painful. I so miss being a mom and now being a wife. I believe this will change back to some degree but for now, it is what it is. In the meantime, I continue to be grateful for those who care so this week I made cookies. Wish I could do the same for all of you, but in the meantime love to you and yours. Hold them close.because you never know.

When you realize you are now a dinosaur

Since I am not far enough along with Aunty Green and really do not have any other quilts to share right now I have decided to share a secret I had hoped never to admit to anyone. Quite some time ago I realized that I had become a "Dinosaur" "Traditional Quiltasaurus, species Tyranappliquerex, sub species Handquiltaraptor. I am not sure when this became my reality but I think I know how it began.

Perhaps the seeds were planted in the late seventies and early eighties, before I became a quilter but began to to attend quilt shows in order to find needlework patterns and books to add to my "stash" of of embroidery items.

Quilt making was becoming popular again when many people made patriotic quilts to celebrate America's birthday. I attended my first quilt show and knew instantly that I would moving beyond the small sweet quilts I made for my babies. Beyond the simple patchwork for my adolescent daughter in green, yellow and and orange gingham which she treasures today almost thirty years later. Beyond the "Make This quilt In a Weekend" pattern for a Log Cabin design published in a popular women's magazine. before rotary cutters this project took more that a weekend to cut out! Even using a quilt as you go method it was months before this quilt warmed the dreams of my active little boy.

As I walked that show in Santa Rosa California, I was drawn closer to the position I am in today, teacher, lecturer, hand appliquer, hand quilter.

Now please understand that a non-traditional quilt was a purple Ohio star. So , imagine my utter shock when I entered a large room, and encountered a group of animated women gathered in front of an unusual quilt hung high above their heads. It had to be a quilt, because it was a quilt show. But nothing in my experience prepared me for what I saw. On what I assumed to be a fabric foundation there were attached garter belts, girdles and bras of every conceivable color size and style! I was stunned! Listening to the conversation around me I heard disbelief to match my own and then two words, "Art Quilt!" In addition, "This Will Never Fly!", " Art Quilts are not going to work.

Well, they were wrong! Artists began looking at fabric and quilting as a way to express their passion and Art quilts were here to stay.

When I walk around quilt shows today I find myself counting the traditional entries. Turn the corner and "be still my heart" a hand applique quilt so beautiful it takes my breathe away and across the way another. No wait, on closer inspection I find it to be machine done. A traditional red and green design, machine appliqued and quilted Also takes my breathe away. It's that good! So, I am not threatened by the newer species on the block. I am always attracted to great work and there is a lot of that around.

Still a dinosaur, not very smart with technology but a whiz with a needle. Have you got a story? Come on share it with me and anyone else who happens to come by and read what we write about the passion we share.

Auntie Green quilt, Still a work in progress

I just know that everyone of the other quilters involved in this project are way ahead. Perhaps even finished with the applique, and maybe the quilting is also finished! Okay. a little over the top I suppose. True, I do not have a lot of quilting time these days but I know the solution is to stay the course. many years ago I worked for a company named Sunset Designs. I was hired to stitch four color work, simply said the pieces I stitched were to photographed for pattern covers. best work required. Later I was moved to new product development where I worked with artists and designers. In this case perfection was not required, but good interpretation was required.
I met a lovely woman in that department and once when I asked her how she accomplished so much. Now is when I should tell you that she had only one arm. She told us she threaded at least one needle every day and stitched at least that much. And so that is what I will try to do with this quilt.



I am a fairly conservative quilter when it comes to fabric choices but I decided to move out of the box for this quilt. The original quilt artist used prints for virtually every motif. I like to use prints that read like a print but are not. However, I decided to honor the original artist and do the same. My choices may be a little more whimsical what with polka dot leaves, etc, but I am beginning like enjoy this step out of my very controlled box.

The little circles in the top photo are simply cut from fabric and appliqued in place. So far the stems are made from bias tubes though I quite like doing needle turn. I will continue to work and share and hope I hear from you.

Our wedding Day

I found the picture of the chapel at Moffett Field in Mountain View California where we were married. There are a lot of photos of the base and of the blimps that used live in gigantic hangers in the Sunnyvale Library archives. One of the interesting things I found out there is that the area behind the alter is set up to revolve to reveal different alters representing as many religious beliefs as possible. Seems lovely to me. We attended many events at the base over the years including many air shows. Our day was sunny and breezy, a great day for beginning our lives together.



Standing with my father, waiting to walk down the aisle. We were both looking pretty young that day. I remember feeling pretty confident at this moment. My choice seemed so right.

Walking to my new life


I was pretty happy. Loved my dress. I had attended a wedding planning event at Emporium Capwells and knew I couldn't afford to buy a dress. That is where I saw the bell sleeve and decided to make my own dress. Scary, but I lucked out, I think. White bridal satin with a lace overlay, a small train and pretty white shoes. My bouquet was in the shape of a cross. I felt pretty.

This is the entire bridal party! Left to right, Rosada Koshak, my matron of honor and dear friend from high school. Next, the bride ( me ). Beside me the cute sailor I married and beside him my brother Robert, chosen to be best man



Saying our vows. Hmmm. I look ecstatic, he looks scared.

Too late to change our minds but no matter, fifty years later we both know the choice would always be each other. How lucky we are. Still in love after all this time.

This is one of my favorite pictures. I miss those hands. For the first couple of years we were married I did some hand modeling. Fun and good for the ego I think.


Remember, I am the oldest and this is my family, minus David who could not be there. So from left to right: Kenneth, Irene, Kathleen, Dad with Doreen in front, Me, Dale, my beautiful mother Dorothy, Robert, Ronald, Bill, and Mark standing in front of mom.

Oh, now he looks happy and not scared. Good move honey!


Dad, me,Dale and Mom


Me, Dale and his mother Marge Kelso. In the end it turns out she did not like me a whole lot but Dale told me from the beginning that I was his family and not to worry about being liked by anyone but him.

Nice couple, don't you think? We left that day in Dale's hunter green MG TF. We were cool in those days. Now, did we always agree? Of course not. Did we argue, even bicker at times.? Of course! We did however, always know that a marriage is work and a good deal of the time we were working. Right now is one of the working times. He is working so hard to get well and I am working hard to be sure he has all the room he needs to do just that. This is not easy for either of us, but worth it I think. The secret to a fifty year marriage if there is one, is that we never once gave up on each other, even at the low points. Thanks for coming by.

Fifty years and counting

Dale and I were married May 7 1961 and this is where we spent our honeymoon. I was nineteen and he was twenty-two. Yes we were young but it was a different time. I am the oldest of ten and he was an only child. A match made in heaven as I didn't want ten children and he wanted two. Our wedding cost $129.00, my friend from high school was my matron of honor, we had thirty three guests and I made my own gown. Our honeymoon was three days long because we couldn't afford more, and I had to get back to my job as a hair dresser and he had to get back to Moffett Field Naval Air station. So we hiked, visited the waterfalls, witnessed one of the last fire falls and rubbed elbows with a black bear. We stayed in a two room cabin and loved every moment of our time in the park. If you have never visited this park, what are you waiting for. Yosemite was and remains a favorite destination. We had planned to revisit the park this year to celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary. Dale is not well enough so perhaps next year.

Aunty Green Quilt

Just thought I would share my progress on the Aunty Green quilt. I was invited to join five Australian quilt artists and four American artists to reproduce our own version of this great quilt. I am sure that I am woefully behind my peers, but a promise is a promise. I have already written about the challenge of producing a decent oval. The vine is a bias stem and not especially difficult. The hardest thing about the leaves was their number. Ninety-six! Perseverance is the only way. Most of you would probably begin with the flowers within the oval and that would be my usual plan. However, I find that when some element is repeated as much as these
leaves are, I know myself. I would put it off for far too long. So I do them first. The small flowers inside the oval were made by cutting circles from a great print and gathering the fabric around a circle template. Pretty cute and easy to do. It does feel good to be quilting again. Happy Easter you all!!

Spring?

Spring is a confusing season in the mid-west, at least for me. I am a dyed in the wool California girl. No apologies, none. As I sit here in late April I can hear the thunder that has been announcing yet another storm to worry about. The thunder has been continuous for the last twenty minutes. Spring? I don't know. This is another in a fairly long list of potentially dangerous weather patterns. However, the above picture is of a pretty little dwarf cherry tree visible from the back door of my home. Lovely, but doomed as the flowers are already fading and when the cherries appear so will the birds and I will be unable to stop the madness. Sorry, carried away because I also live in a part of town that is frequented by Japanese beetles!!! They like my Rose of Sharon, cherries, blackberries, hibiscus, and crab apple.



The Lilacs were pretty this year though, because I did not get to do fall clean-up last year, they were not as abundant as usual. The scent was lovely.



This of course is pink dogwood. The flowers you see represent about the number of blooms I have seen each year for the eitht years I have lived here. Two to three blooms seems about it.



But this year!! The whole tree was covered. Even the storms and winds could not diminish the abundance. Don't know what happened but going with the flow for now. This picture was taken a few days ago, but still beautiful.



This Japanese Maple has long been a favorite of mine. The beetles like this as well. Now I have a service to keep me from losing it every year. I get emotional about my flowers and trees. At the base of the maple is a large Knock Out rose which resists pests and in this case seems to come back overnight.

The last two pictures are Anemones or Wind Flowers if you will. I have taken great care to exclude the weeds that still predominate the beds though between Therapy for Dale, grocery shopping and rain drops, I am beginning to make some head way and hope to have my usual display, though somewhat reduced. I have always thought of gardening as a very personal therapy. From the birth of a disabled child forty-five years ago to this last year watching my husband navigate his way through his toughest health challenges ever, I have longed to get my hands back into the soil. I hope you all have something that helps bring balance back into your life.

Now, as to whether there is Spring in Missouri, the jury is still out. However, for what it is worth, my own eight year observation suggests that it does come, but hurry to enjoy it because it is definitely fleeting. Sometimes I think the natives here just trying to be optimistic.