Miss Jean is Traveling

I'm off on a last minute trip to the Denver area with my son. Miss Jean will be back in a couple of weeks. If I can figure out how to download pictures on son's computer, I'll do a post or two. If not, I'll see you when I get back.

Stay cool while I'm gone. Since I'm going to Colorado, I know I'll probably stay more than cool!!!


*** Just checking in from beautiful, and I mean beautiful, Colorado! After last weeks blizzard I was a little scared, but the snow is melting and the skies are blue. Son lives in Centennial on the outskirts of Denver. The other night we rode the metro to the downtown district for dinner and we had a great time. I brought all the wrong clothes - did I think I was going to the North Pole or what!?! The only shopping I've done so far is to buy a few t-shirts at Penney's and load up on incidentals at Target.

I have never seen an area with such great shopping centers and an abundance of great restaurants. We went to church Wednesday night and everyone was so friendly. Colorado, you should be proud of yourself!!!

I have to talk son into taking me into town to the local quilt store. I'm going through withdrawals!

In the meantime, I'm checking all my bloggy friends so don't think I haven't forgotten any of you.

Ta Ta!!

Halloween

Is this not the cutest thing? A Scottish Terrier pumpkin!!!!! Maggie would approve, I'm sure, wouldn't you Maggie? The Better Homes and Garden magazine people have the cutest pumpkin stencils on their site. They have lots of dog breeds as well as other interesting projects to get your home ready for your little Trick or Treaters.

Alice Blue Gown

This is a beautiful vintage print that my sister recently found on one of her antiqueing jaunts. It is just beautiful, as you can see. Printed on the bottom of the print, it says "Alice Blue Gown". I'm printing the lyrics to that old song below. However, I'm leaving off the author as I have found at least three writers who are attributed to writing it.

Alice Blue Gown

I once had a gown, it was almost new,

Oh, the daintiest thing,

it was sweet Alice blue,

With little forget-me-nots placed here and there,

When I had it on, oh, I walked on the air!

it wore, and it wore, and it wore,

'Til it went, and it wasn't no more.

In my sweet little Alice blue gown,

I first wandered down into town,

I was so proud inside,

As I felt every eye,

And in every shop window I primped, passing by.

A new manner of fashion I'd found,

And the world seemed to smile all around.

'Til it wilted, I wore it, I'll always adore it,

My sweet little Alice blue gown!

The little silk worms that made silk for that gown,

Just made that much silk and then crawled in the ground,

'Cause there never was anything like it before,

And I don't care to hope there will be any more!

And it's gone, 'cause it just had to be,

Still it wears in my memory.

In my sweet little Alice blue gown,

When I first wandered down into town,

I was so proud inside,

As I felt every eye, And in every shop window I primped, passing by.

A new manner of fashion I'd found,

And the world seemed to smile all around.

So it wouldn't be proper If made of silk were another,

My sweet little Alice blue gown!

Somebody's Knockin'

Did you ever notice how you don't really "see" things around the house until you have to replace them for some reason? Our old door knob was over 20 years old. I never paid it much attention until it was broken. We had some movers take out an old large television last year and they broke the handle. On closer inspection it was due to be replaced anyway.

I didn't realise how scratched and tarnished it had become. We had been doing some redecorating so we took our time replacing it as we have a security screen door with a dead bolt anyway. So this is what the door looked like for the longest time. Shameless, I know. It got to be a little embarrasing to put your fingers through the holes to open the door for guests.

We finally went down to a local door hardware specialty store. Turns out that our door knob was shorter in length than they are made now. See the little bottom hole? They said that they did not have a knob or back plate that would cover the holes. Since it is a metal door it proved to be quite a dilemma. The salesman assured me that there was nothing I could do but buy a new door, pay them to bore out the holes, buy new hardware and then pay them to install it. Somehow that didn't sound right to me so we went home.

I got on the trusty old internet and found this site. What a wonderful place to find hardware for the home. They have beautiful antique looking hardware for all of your needs and are the nicest people to deal with. I found just what I needed at the same price I would have had to pay at a local "big box" retailer. Since they are out of state there was no tax or shipping. The quality of my new knob is outstanding. Plus, it was a brand that the local specialty store carried!!! I knew there was something suspicious!

Oh, well, moving on...... Our friend Barry volunteered to install the door knob for us. He brought along a little help to supervise. Yes, folks, it's Duhgall! Barry is married to Becky of Sweet Cottage Dreams fame.

So like all good supervisors, it took Duhgall and Maggie to watch Barry install the hardware.

Here's the new door knob. Yep, Miss Anne, I was so inspired by you that I bought a glass door knob. I am so in love with it!!!!

Hey, I gotta go. I think somone is at the door.........

I'm Back!

I want to thank all of you who left such kind comments and kept checking back while I was gone. Sweety is doing much better and we have some more appointments scheduled to make sure that he stays that way. I don't know what it is about men when they are sick or have a chronic condition. But that is a post for another time.

Things have been a little hectic around here with car trouble. We've had our car in the shop (two shops at that) no less than four times! After a new battery, a new alternator, and new front brakes the voltage warning light is still coming on and there is still a funny (not) scraping noise coming from the front right tire side. Besides that there is something rolling around that sounds like a marble. Just a little nagging sound that adds to the stress. (New note for those who ever go back and read my blog again when there's nothing better to do and there are no re-runs of Law and Order on the television: It was a marble rolling around making all that racket! Whew!!) We only have one car and with Sweety needing medical care and my Mom having recent surgery, it's been very stressful. If any of you know anything about cars or knows anyone that does and has some sort of clue as to what the problem might be, let me know!!!!!

Deep breath! Aaahhhhhh! On another front, or weather front I should say, we are having our first storm of the season and it is a doozy!!! Here is a picture of my back yard. Do you see all of the debris on the ground? I wish I could add sound effects so you could hear the wind. Oh, my goodness! It is just howling and blowing. Last night we went out and took down the patio umbrellas because the local news station said there would be really high gusts of wind all day. I wish you could see how gray the sky is.

Fact is, I love weather like this. So what's a girl to do? First of all, since I'm retired and woke up with a headache, I'm staying in my cozy jammies and robe all day. Yes, you are very welcome for my not posting a picture of that!!!

I'll be drinking tea and reading the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Susan Wiggs, Lakeshore Christmas. What I won't be doing is eating an entire bag of Trader Joe's Kettle Corn in one sitting. Nope, not me. That would just be wrong, considering the fact that that's what I did for two days in a row!

Again, thank you for all the bloggy love that was sent my way!

Checking In...

Maggie here. I wanted to touch bases with all of my mommy's friends. My Daddy is doing much better and he thanks everyone for all of their prayers and well wishes. He's having to watch his diet and take better care of his diabetes. You can still pray for him, though. That is always a good thing to do.

Mommy said to tell you all that she misses you and will be back soon.

Blog Hiatus

Miss Jean is taking a little bloggy break. I wrote about my Sweety and his medical problems here so I won't go into them again now. He has had another small episode this past week. Hopefully it will stay small and no further problems will arise. In the meantime, Maggie and I have to concentrate on taking care of and watching him.

I'll still lurk around and be checking up on my blog friends. I just want to tell you all how much the entire blog community has meant to me. When times are stressful, I can always count on you all to make me laugh, appreciate what I have, learn something new, travel to wonderful places and just "get away".

Blessings to you all.

Passing Down Traditions

As most of you know I love to quilt. I don't always get (or make) the time to do it, but I love it none the less. I think it comes from my Grandma Somers. I am fortunate to have some of the heirloom quilts that have passed down from generation to generation in our family.

My daughter is not interested in quilting. Not that she isn't artistic or talented. Just the opposite, there isn't anything she can't do. Sewing just isn't her thing. I have a wonderful daughter-in-law. I would love to sit and teach her to quilt but she lives near Denver and I'm in California. I would like to start making trips back there and take her to quilt classes at a local quilt shop. She has just started a new job in a new city with a new house so perhaps now isn't the time. Maybe next year.

I don't have a granddaughter like my friend does. She is eight and is already quilting and stitching. So much fun!

So what am I to do? Hmmmmmm.........

"Maggie, would you like to learn to quilt?"

"I think so, Mommy. What's quilting?"

"Well, you buy beautiful fabric that costs lots of money, cut it up and sew it back together. That's called quilting."

"You're kidding me, right?"

It's a mystery to me!

One of my most favorite things in the world are old quilts. I love them even more than new ones or making them myself. I guess it's the feel of them and the history that they evoke.

This quilt rack is hanging in my bedroom. Enlarge the picture to see what it says! These quilts are not my family heirloom quilts. Those I have displayed in a glass quilt case in my guest room. These are found quilts that somehow got separated from the family they came from. That's the mystery to me. How could someone part with a family quilt! Shameful! But a bonus for me.

Last weekend my sister, Janice, called and wanted to meet and go antique shopping at The Green Pea here in town. I wasn't really looking for something, but I always keep my eyes open. Sandi had just put this quilt out for display the day or two before. She didn't think anyone would actually be interested in it and really hated to get rid of it herself. Well, girlfriends, Miss Jean spotted it. With heart racing, palms itching, sweat beading up on my forehead, I quickly checked the tag and grabbed it! It is in P-R-I-S-T-I-N-E condition. No tears, no stains, no nada. It goes back to the late 20's or early 30's from what Sandi and I can ascertain. Sandi had purchased it from a lady who said (correct me if I'm wrong, Sandi) it was made out of her mother's dresses by a great-grandmother. The stars are vintage feed sack fabric (re-purposed into clothes at the time) and 30's fabrics. The green fabric used for the sashing strips , binding and back is the popular shade of green for that time.

Now I quilt but I am no expert at it. I quilt to have fun, not to enter quilt shows. If my corners match up I'm a happy camper. I have all the latest gadgets, rulers and rotary cutters to make quilting so much easier than our ancestors had. They had cardboard templates and scissors and did everything by hand. This quilt is all hand stitched and hand quilted. The squares are spot on even, the points are perfect. This person was a true craftsman.

The colors will go just perfect in my bedroom. I use vintage china and glass for dinners and I use old quilts to cover up with, I don't just use them for display. There is nothing, nothing, better than napping under a vintage quilt. The softness of the well loved and well worn fabric is intoxicating.

Guess who else thinks so? The first day I had the quilt, I put it on the bed and thought I would take an afternoon nap. Maggie immediately jumped up on the bed and cuddled herself down.

Pure puppy nap heaven!

Thank you for selling me the quilt, Sandi. I know if was difficult for you to part with. It has a good home and you can come visit it anytime you want. Just don't try to make Maggie move. She thinks it belongs to her!



***Now I don't want any of you to worry. You may remember this story that involves a fabric emergency I had last year. I needed the fabric because Maggie had eaten chewed a good size piece off of a quilt I had made. She has been rehabilitated and does not chew household items any more. Whew!

Patrick Swayze

Can you remember when Dirty Dancing came out in 1987? My daughter and I watched it over and over again. I still do. I love that film and what it stands for: unconditional love.

My heart is sad today.

Patrick Swayze

August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009

Patrick: We love you and will miss you. Our prayers are with your wife, Lisa.