Red/White Bear Paw Progress

Red/White Bear Paw Progress

I feel as though I have been working on this quilt project for awhile now. This past weekend I managed to get all of quilt blocks completed.

This is a scrappy red/white quilt project.

I started this project after seeing the Bear Paw block all over my social media feed. I love the look of this block. A LOT!

Now that the blocks are complelted it is down to the sashing and borders and this red/white quilt project will be complete.

 

Book Club

 Book Club

Years ago I was part of book club, we meet monthly, very intelligent older gentlemen picked the books that we read and all of them were so heartbreakingly morbidly depressing that I quit reading the books. That being my book club experience, I haven't been real interested in participating in a book club.

But ...

My daughter and I have decided to make our on little book club and our first book is the first book of the Harry Potter series. I have seen all of the movies but never read the books.

It's time and I'm excited to read this book.

Pen Pal

Pen Pal

I'm very fortunate that I grew up in a time when handwriting was a skill to be mastered and where folks wrote letters and post-cards to friends and family.

Hand written anything seems to be a thing of the past. Along with email, text messaging, and social media we now even have digital signatures that have replaced handwriting almost completely.

Fortunately for me I have a sister who agrees that hand writing and communicating via post-cards, cards, and letters is still an important skill and a joyful task.

I don't know about you but I love getting mail.

Recently I was sick and didn't get out of the house until I was feeling better, so I ended up with two letters to send to my sister. 

I highly recommend letter writing, journaling, and any other form of handwriting. Handwriting is a beautiful skill and so it seems a dying art.

 

I Love This Little Life

 I Love This Little Life

Recently I came across the article below online.

@deepbreathssmallsteps on Instagram

These words really hit home for me and gave me pause to be truly thankful for this little life I have carved out and blessed enough to live.

In Queue

 In Queue

Like most quilters I have quilt projects in progress and quilt projects in queue.

I especially have several red/white quilt projects in queue. The red/white star quilt pictured above reminds me of the Moda LOVE pattern and is possibly the next red/white quilt in my quilt project queue. I have planned for a while to make a Jacob's Ladder quilt block pattern in red/white ... I'm not sure which one I will make first. I'm presently still working on the red/white Bear Paw scrap quilt but getting closer to finishing that project.

I love having options, I love red/white quilts, and more and more I love traditional quilt patterns.

Gas Stove

 Gas Stove

A little short of a month ago the 100 lb. propane tank that supplies gas to my kitchen stove was finally empty. I have lived in this house for 5 years and the gas just ran out.

After almost 4 weeks without the use of my stove ... this is a beautiful sight!

Family

Family

My sister has been sharing pictures and family history via text messages. I can't tell you how much I enjoy getting a random text message in the middle of the day about my family. It always makes my day.

The pictures and text below is her latest installment

Dean Gipson, Patrick (Pa) Gibson, Liza (Granny) Gibson's brother, and Doc (Grandpa) Gibson

**Note** Our family name was Gipson with a "P" until my Grandpa Doc married my Grandma Dorothy. My Grandma Dorothy changed it to Gibson with a "B".**

Coal Mine - Crawford, Tennessee

These pictures were taken about 100 years ago.  This is the coal mine our family worked in.  The men in the picture are Dean Gipson, Pa, Granny's brother and Grandpa Doc.  That doesn't really look like Grandpa but that's what Grandma Dorothy told me.  Dean Gipson was a neighbor boy Granny and Pa took in and raised.  I don't know about you, but I am very thankful none of us had to work in a hole in the ground to feed our family. 

This was up around Crawford, Tennessee, near the Tennessee Kentucky line.  

Family - Celebrating

 Family

Celebrating My Girl's 32nd birthday

We had a wonderful day. I all began with visiting a new pop-up shop that does permanent jewelry. We decided on matching bracelets with little heart charms. 

Then on to manicures and a pop in at Joann's fabric for some yarn. We will be crocheting hats soon.

Then it was onto Nama's our favorite sushi joint for an early dinner. We finished the evening at her place with her favorite ice box pie.

Happy Birthday baby girl!

Red/White Bear Paw Quilt Project

 Red/White Bear Paw Quilt Project

This project seems to be the quilting project that I have landed on at the moment.

Back in my red/white fabric scrap box for this one.

This quilt block is a bit fussy. With all of the half square triangles there is a fair bit of trimming.

Lots and lots of half square triangles ... LOTS!

That being said, I love this traditional quilt block pattern.

Red/White Bear Paw Quilt

Size = TBD

Family

 Family

Joyce Ann Carpenter

90th Birthday Celebration Weekend the end of January.

Me, my Momma, and my Sister

Headed North to Ohio, to celebrate Aunt Joyce on her 90th birthday

We arrived! My aunt's house has always been a place where I felt happy and loved. All these years later I still feel that way.

I love this place.

Right there ... that smile and that laugh ... that is my Aunt Joyce!

Aunt Joyce with a few of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

What a wonderful way to celebrate your 90th birthday, surrounded by family and friends.

Easter Basket - 2024

 Easter Basket 2024

During the Big Snow of 2024 we ended up with a couple of snow days. So I decided to begin practicing and working on my daugher's 2024 Easter Basket.

I've been practicing on flowers and I made a basket with a texture pattern called the Bobble stitch.

As my girl is into dinosaurs ... I decided on that as the theme for the 2024 Easter Basket.

This pattern is, Timothy the T-Rex by bluephone studios.

It is a great pattern and has come together really quickly.

First Finish of 2024

First Finish of 2024

My first finish of 2024 - crochet

This is Poke' Mon figure, I'm not sure the name. I made this for a friend at works little boy.

I love crocheting little figures.

 

Happy Valentine's Day - Sugar Cookie Recipe

 Happy Valentine's Day

Sugar Cookie Recipe

My Aunt Joyce's Sugar Cookie Recipe

I hope you will make some of these cookies for yourself and someone you love.

SNOW 2024

 SNOW 2024

On Monday January 15, it began snowing and it didn't stop ...

We ended up with 9 inches of snow and a couple of snow days!

It was a beautiful peaceful snow that made the world slow day and relax for a couple of days.

Family - My Girl

 My Girl

My sweet girl is 32 years old today.

Happy happy birthday baby girl!

Family

 Family

Martha Jean Head Gibson Norris (my mother) and Cheryl Carpenter (my cousin)

This is Cheryl and Grandma Jean.  Crossville, Tennessee.  1958.  Here is my Mom's recollection 

This picture was at Pa and Granny's on Jap Camp Road, Crossville, TN. Cheryl was about 18 or 19 months old, I was 18 years old, and it was the first time I had met my husband's, Clyde Edward Gibson, family. Because Ed and I got married in June and this picture was taken in July 1958.

2024 - Off and Running

 2024

Off and running ...

I had hoped to be more organized and structured in my blog posting this year but as you can see ... here we are a week and a half into February 2024 and I've made 1 post this year.

1 ...

Just 1 ... as in singular ... just 1 ...

UGH!

The black eyed peas were made and consumed on January 1 - for health, happiness, and wealth.

So far I have not received any wealth, and I've ended up with RSV and Strep at the same time, which does not facilitate any happiness!