Wanda

To Shop Or Not To Shop

Published on June 20, 2016April 27, 2017 by WandaLeave a comment

Fabric shopping. Who can’t relate? There is noting like walking along the buffet of beautiful, glorious fabric. Ah I almost have to touch each and every morsel. I delight in the possibilities of what masterpiece I could create with just this perfect piece of material.

Before I realize it, drool is dripping from my chin. Nonchalantly I pull my handkerchief from my pocket and while pretending to cough, I wipe the tell tale sign away from my face. Phew! I am ever so thankful that Mom always told me to carry a hanky. Slowly I search the shop for a diversion. Good, there are notions. I head over there to give my eyes a chance to lose their glassed over look.

But then it hits me again. All of those can’t live without rulers and buttons and…Well you know what I mean. Before I know it…you guessed it. I’m drooling again! Will this impediment to my cool calm exterior never stop? So then I give myself a strong talking to and begin to graze the delightful desert, the patterns.

I am sure you know what is coming next. Of course I begin drooling again. I can’t control it. My hanky is soaked. I look around the shop with panic in my eyes. Not a beach towel in sight. What to do? What to do? With that one of the girls from the shop walks up and asks “Are you OK?” I smile and tell her yes. She asks if I am ready to have my fabric cut. I follow her to the cutting table. As I stand there waiting for my treasures, I look around the shop and see someone else with glassed over eyes and drool dribbling down her chin. 🙂

I love this cartoon. Sound familiar? I must admit that when my hubby has gone fabric shopping with me he usually asks if I am sure I have enough. I am one lucky quilter! But then I remember what is waiting for me at home and say yes I’m sure.

Happy Fathers Day

Published on June 19, 2016April 27, 2017 by WandaLeave a comment

Today is Father’s Day. It’s been nineteen years since my father died. I really miss him. It’s been seven years since my father-in-law died. I miss him too. When you are young you never think that your dad won’t be here forever.

On a brighter note, this is my son’s first Father’s Day. His feet still haven’t hit the ground since Isabella came into his life in February.

Aren’t these shirts cute? Karina had them made. I’m not too sure about toasting my granddaughter with a mug of beer though. :). And just look at Isabella laughing. What an angel she is.

Lastly, certainly not least, Joe is dad to my other three grandchildren and I wish him a Happy Father’s Day too.

My hubby and I are spending a quiet day at home. All the kids called to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. We are just enjoying the race on TV. And he’s got the Phillies on the computer. What more could he ask for?

Friday Reviews And More

Published on June 17, 2016April 27, 2017 by WandaLeave a comment

Blueburied Muffins by Lyndsey Cole

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another cozy mystery series. I liked the character Annie who returns to her hometown to get away from the trouble her ex-boyfriend is in. She is afraid she will end up right in the middle of it. She receives a message that her aunt’s cafe burned down and that is when she decides to head home. She has been estranged from her parents, so she goes right to her aunt. They reopen a new cafe in a new building. The first morning Annie arrives she finds her ex dead in a booth. Many more strange things happen to Annie and her aunt. It’s a fun easy read with a few surprises.

He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not by Becki Willis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I have read from Becki Willis. It’s a romantic mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. The romantic scenes were definitely R rated, but done tastefully. Ashli is being stalked and the police don’t take her seriously so she hires a private detective to protect her. Of course Lange is drop dead gorgeous and she is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. Ashli, however doesn’t realize her beauty, inside or out is anything special. There is more going on than trying to catch the stalker. Lange has no family and feels like he has no roots. He slowly opens himself up to the possibility of new love complete with family and a home. I really liked the book. However, I am noticing that many of these kindle edition of books have many mistakes in them. I am not sure if they are not edited well, or if there is some problem in creating the ebooks.

I only had two books to post today. We spent most of yesterday running around. I had my reader with me, but somehow the book I was reading disappeared. Never had that happen before. Then I started to read another book and my reader’s battery died. By the time we had supper and got home, I decided I needed a break from reading for the evening. I am determined to complete my 100 books challenge for the year. So, I have been binge reading. I tend to do things in binges. That’s how I quilt too. 🙂

Speaking of quilting. I am getting ready to make a quilt for my grandson Andrew. He has Aspberger’s and he is a sweet heart. He loves logos and signs and he has always loved Route 66 and old cars. So I found the best fabric. It’s called “Get Your Kicks” by RJR Fabrics. It came out in 2012 so I was really lucky to find it. Actually, my husband found it for me on Ebay.

Isn’t this great? It has all the road signs along Route 66, the map and the old cars. I plan to make the Turning Twenty pattern for Andrew. I think it should look great in these fabrics.

I have to find fabric for Aidan’s quilt. Aidan is my second grandson and he is such a love bug. He wants to have sea creatures. But he doesn’t want the comical ones. Of course my grandchildren always want a theme that is no longer popular. I am not having much luck with fabric for Aidan. I may have to talk to him about using another theme. He loves animals, so maybe he’ll find something else he would like.

Alannah is my first granddaughter and the boys little sister. She is a dancer and can’t get enough of it. She does ballet, clogging, tap, jazz, and lyrical. She’s at the studio every day during the week. She started competing when she was 5. She will be 8 on July 1st. I had picked up fabric with ballerina’s on it for her quilt, but I think it might be too young for her now. So I will have to talk to her and see what she prefers. She loves clothes and shoes and purses. She takes after her mom, aunt and grandmother. 🙂 So I guess none of us can complain.

TBT

Published on June 16, 2016April 27, 2017 by WandaLeave a comment

This is me in August 1958 just getting ready to turn 7 in another month. We were in Seattle, Washington on my Uncle Francis’ house boat. It was so cool. You could fish right off the back porch and that is where I caught my first fish! I guess that ‘s where I got my love for fishing.

My family and I drove out to Washington state for my Uncle’s wedding. We had a 1957 Cadillac which was so big. My dad put a piece of covered plywood on the back seat that reached the back of the front seats so that we could sleep and have room to play on it. My grandmother came along with us and she sat in the back with us. Like I said, the car was BIG!

Of course we hadn’t even gotten out of Pennsylvania when one of my doll hats flew out the window. It was one of the straw hats that matched Ginger’s outfit. I still have that doll, but I have no idea what happened to all of her clothes. I remember crying because my dad wouldn’t stop and go back and get it. What a great start to our vacation. 🙂

We were fortunate enough to be able to take our time and sight see. We stayed at the neatest places on our way out. I can remember riding through Yellowstone National Park and being so amazed with the bears. I had my window down in the back of the car. My grandmother was in the back next to me. A cub came up to my widow and stood up. I actually got to pet him. My grandmother screamed, and the cub made a noise. Before I knew it the mamma bear was headed toward the car. We got the window up just in time, but she gave the side of the car a good swat. I thought the whole thing was great. However, my parents were furious with me.

Later that day, my dad decided to get out of the car and take pictures of the bears. He was stooping down by the back tire of the car to get the shot he wanted. All of a sudden he slipped in the gravel on the side of the road and he was chased back into the car. Of course my brother and I being little and not understanding the danger of these animals, we thought the whole episode was hilarious.

I witnessed an American Indian ceremony dance and even got the chief’s autograph. That was so cool to see. I was fascinated with the geysers we saw too. My father planned a different route for the ride home which was nice. We saw different things on the way home. Such good memories were made during that trip. 🙂

Wild Wednesday

Published on June 15, 2016April 27, 2017 by WandaLeave a comment

This week’s wildlife creature is 4 month old opossums. Now opossums aren’t what you would call cute, but these little fellas are. They are sharing a meal in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge in Orlando. They will be returned to the wild after they learn to fend for themselves. Look how cute they are. 🙂

Didn’t get to spend anytime sewing today. After being gone for so long we had errands to run. I had a doctor appointment early this afternoon. Tomorrow I see my rheumatologist. On the way home tomorrow we’re stopping at the grocery store. And eventually I have to do some cleaning. YUK! But I can only put it off for so long. How does your house get dirty when you are away?

I brought the neatest weeds home from Florida. Dottie let me dig them out of her yard. They actually have pretty light lavender blooms on them. Since we don’t have a formal yard, I thought they would be great to spread through our property. I hope they take.

I’m sure you have all heard about the 2 year old being taken by an alligator at one of the Disney resorts in Florida. I cannot believe any parent would let their 2 year old play in the edge of the water at 9:00 at night without being at their side. You know, alligators are wild animals that live in the south. And this is mating season so they are very aggressive now. People have got to take the signs about staying our of the water seriously. A 2 year old looks like a dog or cat and the alligator is going to do what comes naturally.

My heart breaks for the parents. I have lost a child so I know first hand the grief they feel. This is such a tragedy. But God makes no mistakes. I am comforted to know that this little one is in the arms of Our Lord.

Monday Musings

Published on June 13, 2016 by WandaLeave a comment

I never had the aversion to Mondays that many people have. My career as a nurse included working every other weekend and every other holiday. So Mondays didn’t hold any significance for the start of my work week. Even when I was in school, Mondays only met a new opportunity to reconnect with my classmates after my weekend. Maybe I feel this way because of how my Mom raised me. She had this amazing outlook that everyday was an opportunity, to be enjoyed and explored. I guess it rubbed off on me. 🙂

I have to wonder at all of the Monday sayings available on the web. You know the ones I mean. The ones that belie Monday’s attributes. The ones who look at Monday as an end of something rather than a beginning. The ones that portray a picture of misery.

I never bought into a particular day of the week having that kind of power over me. Isn’t one day as good as the next? Can’t we do the same things on lets say Tuesday as we can on Monday? Or on Thursday? Is this a symptom of our societal outlook on our time? Weekends are more valuable or beneficial than weekdays? Why are they the only fun days in our lives?

The only day I have ever given more significance to is Sunday. It’s the day for God and family. It’s the day that sustains our spirit and our purpose. It’s our reward for living all of our days to the fullest. The day that brings clarity to our lives and to our hearts.

So I guess what Monday holds over us is opportunity. An opportunity to jump right in and enjoy what comes, or run away screaming and yelling over the limits it holds.

Another Terrorist Attack

Published on June 12, 2016 by WandaLeave a comment

I’m sure you have all heard about the attack last evening on the gay nightclub in Orlando. This is so distressing. Another ISIS terrorist struck and the crazy ISIS people on the other side of the world are giving praise to Allah for him doing so. What kind of god demands murder and destruction?

I pray for all of those who were injured. I think the number was 53. And I pray for the souls of the 50 who were murdered. But it’s getting difficult for me to pray for the terrorists who have murdered and destroyed so much. I have asked God to give me the strength to pray for their souls. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.” So my Christian duty requires I pray for them.

We need to be praying for our country and our leaders here and in the world that peace can be reached. We need to realize that our laws should never supersede those of God. Without our prayer and our going back to how things should be, I fear that our end is very near.

Sunday Supper

Published on June 12, 2016April 27, 2017 by WandaLeave a comment

Gary asked me what I wanted for supper today. He does the cooking. I told ya’ll he spoils me. Anyway, it got me thinking about the Sunday dinners I had as a kid, then later when our children were growing up. Everyone was home for dinner and everyone sat at the dining room table. No one touched their food until after Grace was said. The TV was shut off and only dinner music was permitted to be played with the volume low.

My Mom is probably spinning in her grave watching down at the way we eat our meals now. It’s only the two of us so we just sit in the living room and eat in front of the TV. Which is where he served me my supper today. This allows me to keep a sewing machine and project on my dining room table undisturbed. But that’s not the real reason. I do have a sewing room so the dining room table isn’t needed for that. We just don’t bother with the niceties of dinner. Funny how things change.

When we have guests, we always revert back to what we were taught as children. We use “good dishes”, crystal stemware and cloth napkins. It’s funny. If one of our daughters stop here while we are eating in the living room, they always comment that they were never permitted to eat in front of the TV growing up. I chuckle and say what my Dad said to me all the time. “Do as I say, not as I do.” And then I tell them that they can eat anyway they like in their house, but they know how to do it right so that they can teach their children. They give me that funny look as if to say I’m crazy. 🙂

As my Mom always said, “you have to know how to do things right, you never know where you’ll wind up.” It used to drive me crazy, but I did it her way-the right way.

Times have certainly changed. It seems that these niceties are falling from our society. I can understand it. After all we are all so busy. Children don’t come home from school anymore and stay at home. They are involved in so much. Dancing, sports, clubs. All good things for them to do, but it does take away from the social aspect of family dinner. I always enjoyed our family dinners. We talked about our days and it was such a good way to stay on top of what the kids were doing.

I am sure that many of you have noticed the changes and possibly you have also adapted the short cuts to family meals. Not many women can or want to be home all day and they work outside the home. This isn’t a judgement for what happens today. It’s just an observation of how society changes with the times.

Saturday’s Quotes

Published on June 11, 2016 by WandaLeave a comment

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams

This is one of my favorite quotes. How many of us can relate? I know that when I think back to what dreams and plans I had as a child, I am not at all where I thought I would be. For this I am eternally thankful. After all, God makes no mistakes.

That is not to say that I didn’t want to become a wife, mother and nurse. That was always what I wanted. The path is what was so unexpected. From meeting my husband, to having my children to my nursing career it has been a crazy unexpected wonderful ride. I have a wonderful husband who spoils me. I have three wonderful children. I also have four beautiful grandchildren who are the light of my life. I had a career in nursing that I loved more than I thought possible.

My life has been full of twists and turns, surprises and boredom, illness and health, joy and sadness. I’ve survived the worst, and lived the best. As I look back over this voyage I have been on I feel content that I am who and where I should be and I look forward to where it takes me next.