What NOT to do when helping clean yard. . .

While DH was running the riding mower, mulching up leaves, I was helping by picking up sticks, tree branches, etc. I picked some up from the patio and not realizing how close I was to our pickup topper (stored on stands and parking for riding mower), turned around right into the corner of the opened back window. Ouch!!!

I will definitely pay more attention to my surroundings from now on. Just glad the damage is on the outside of my eye. I think keeping ice on it after I did it definitely helped on swelling and kept from bruising worse.

No wise cracks from my kids or there will be no sugar cookies, pumpkin bread, cherry or pumpkin pie for Christmas!!!

Fresh Apple Cake From Friends

Recently, some friends from church brought over a fresh apple cake, still warm from the oven. We love our church family! It was so good, I had to force myself to cut it up and freeze most of it to keep us from gobbling it down. Thanking the maker of this wonderful cake, I asked if she share recipes and she did.

Seeing that she made it in a bunt pan, I told her that I had a fancy pan I was going to try it in. I received in the pan Christmas gift exchange several years ago and had never used it (still in cardboard wrapping). I also made another in an old favorite pan. Both are now in the freezer.

It did really well in that pan. I do have a confession though - I forgot to put the nuts in both cakes - and I EVEN had the pecans!! :(

Guess I will have to FORCE myself to make another.  ;0) Thanks Evelyn and Dwayne!

Special Friends . . .

We made a lap quilt a while back for some special friends, Angie and Tom. As soon as I saw the fabric, I knew it had to be for them. I made the quilt top and my DH quilted it. The Lord fills these two people up and that love flows out to everyone around them. Our family is blessed with their love and  friendship. Thank you guys!

Cross Quilt Beginnings

Cross Quilt Beginnings

I don't always plan out the quilts that I make, in fact, I rarely do but generally have an idea of what design I want. However I started some blocks just to keep busy, not having any idea what I would use them for.

A friend, who knows I quilt, gave me some scraps someone left at our church.

 There were lots of brown, green, yellow and teal pieces of fabric.
I cut three inch strips  and stitched two different colors together on two sides then cut them diagonally, flipped them and stitched together. It takes a LOT of three inch blocks to make a quilt!!

 I forgot that I had already packed my quilt books so I searched the internet for patterns  but didn't find anything that struck my fancy.

I remembered a picture I saw several months ago and saved it - now where did I save it?? Finally located it on my desktop (among the hundreds of other pictures on there).

 

I had enough blocks to make the center of my quilt but will have to wait to finish until we get moved - I already packed my fabric as well!! Anyway, here is the start of my quilt.

Magdalena Michael

I have been remiss about posting to my blog for several months. We have had a lot going on and the next few months may be pretty busy as well, depending on how some things work out but will try to put inputs in now and again.

 Magdalena Michael

 

 

Beautiful Family!!

 Magdalena Michael, our newest granddaughter was born August 19th in Bulgaria. She was pretty small but healthy and welcomed by Mom, Dad and big sister Kalina. 

There was much speculation about what her name would be. When asked what her new sister's name should be, Kalina (our three year old granddaughter) replied "Broccoli".  Our son and daughter-in-law called her "Plus One" until she was born and gave her the name Magdalena Michael.

They call her Maggy. Her great grandmother (my grandma on Dad’s side)  was called "Maggie" as well as one of my cousins.

It will be awhile before we get to see her in person but are getting picture updates and hope later to see her on Skype. She is a beautiful baby!!

Still on my soapbox - ANGRY with HP and Microsoft. . .

I have a perfectly good dependable HP1000 Laserjet printer with an almost new print cartridge in it, THAT I CANNOT USE!

Because these two companies got together and decided not to have a printer driver available for use with Windows 7. This printer is UNSUPPORTED. I am not the only one with this issue and do NOT understand why these companies will not do something about it.

I just bought a new printer to run on Windows 7 and IT IS NOT AN HP PRINTER!!

Gu Ru

Guru

We have been doing a bit of work at our church in the last few weeks and it has generally gotten around that we do some computer work. One Sunday, an elder announce that our congregation has some new computer "guru's". 

Several people have asked if we are the guru's - I don't know about that - we both just like working with computers and have learned quite a bit. One member is so convinced she calls . . .

Me         - Gu                                                    

and  Him        - Ru

She knows who she is!!