Letter to Twins

Dear Cadance and Callie:

I want to tell you:

On November 12th, in the year of our Lord two thousand and ten, I welcome you to your world. I am blessed to know your Great-Grandmother, Jean. I want to tell you this day that you are blessed to be a descendant of a very special woman. I hope some day she will write her story. She is a wonderful storyteller and her story is for her to write as only she can.

I want to tell you, your Great-Grandmother, was a friend of my Mother-In-Law and through that relationship, I’ve come to know her. She is one of the most spiritually faithful women I know. She has a fun, animated personality that draws you into her life and leaves you feeling blessed to have made her acquaintance. I want to tell you that your grandmother, Sherrie, and your Great-Grandmother Jean were present at your birth. This is a treasure beyond your full understanding at this time but realize there were four generations of amazing women in one room on the day you were born. I want to tell you God is good. I want to tell you that your Great-Grandmother has had more than her share of hardships but she has never faltered on her faith in Christ. It is her strength; her character and her faith that I hope you take, cherish and carry with you all your days. I want to tell you, you are loved. I want to tell you to be kind to your enemies it will drive them crazy. I want to tell you to stand up for yourself, and more importantly, stand up for someone that needs a friend. I want to tell you to have fun, to be strong, to laugh, to dance, to cry, to love.

I want to tell you to remember your Great-Grandmother; she is the one that asked me to make your baby quilts and I made them with love for you and respect for the long line of women who came before you.

With Love,
Dava

Homespun ornaments

Unexpectedly, I am spending my Holidays in West Tennessee. All of my normal Holiday decorations are in Florida this year so I've decided to borrow a few ornaments and make the rest.

When we moved into this house there was a Christmas tree, in a box, in the back room. I decided to keep it, that was about 5 years ago. A few days back, I opened the box for the first. I found a nice little four foot tree in perfect condition. Up it went on top of a blanket chest, centered nicely in the front window for the World (well for the residents of this small town) to see.

I strung it with lights and a few glass balls that I borrowed from next door. My Sister In Law recently visited here from St. Louis, so we bought a few bags of cranberries and her and I got busy stringing them up for my tree and some for her own tree. Then, I borrowed a dehydrator, sliced up some apples and oranges and in two days I had some nice dried ornaments. Finally, I strung up some stale popcorn (must be stale otherwise they will just crumble as you string them up.

Over the next few days, if I get time, I'll string up some more popcorn and I may get in my fabric stash and make a few primitive inspired ornaments to round out the whole Tree.

May you all have a blessed Holiday season.

Frosty Quilt

Cute Cute!!! Frosty The Snowman Quilt top. It measures 69X76. I still have to layer and quilt it. Somewhere between organizing a Fall Festival, completing two baby quilts (for twins), visiting Mom-In-Law in the Rehab center, and Art Classes, I hope to find time to finish this in plenty of time for the upcoming Holiday Season. It's been a crazy few weeks.

Hum of the Cotton Gin

I find myself a bit melancholy, as the Summer wains in West Tennessee and the colorful Fall Season has set upon us with cool breezy nights and pleasant day temperatures. As I write, I can hear the Cotton Gin echoing a familar hum accross the town telling its residents harvest time has arrived in small town America. My husband says it's the sound of money. If the farmers have a good harvest they can buy new cars, new clothes and patronize local restrauants. The whole county benefits. I just think how much I love a great pair of blue jeans or the feel of a favorite cotton blouse.

I am thinking of how much I love this town and its people. What I cherish the most is its imperfections. I've never been one to like perfect people, homes, places or things. If a building is perfectly manicured with clean lines and spotless paint, I feel it lacks character and history, which is boring and frankly there is just something unnatural about the appearance of perfection. Observe an older building and I pause and wonder of its history and the people that dwelled within its walls. This can be said too of people.

I have digressed a bit so I will turn back to my original thoughts of being downhearted. Why am I so melancholy as the busy Fall season approaches? My beautiful, strong, independent Mother-In-Law had a stroke on September 17th. By stroke standards it was a small one but, it is always difficult to see a loved-one struggle. We remain hopeful for a full recovery as she fights, in rehab, to regain her mobility. Sometimes hope is all we have so we cling to it like bees to honey, enduring the sting and looking forward to tasting sweet victory.

Her stoke has reminded me that all things and people must change over time. I just don't want this town to change, neither its imperfect people, that I love, nor its imperfect buildings which I've grown to appreciate. So I will sit here awhile and ponder the changing season and the ever-changing life around me. Soon I will find a comfortable place where I can delight in the present gifts from God, rejoice in victories as they come, grieve for losses and always be amazed at this thing called life. Until I find that comfortable place, I will listen to the hum of the cotton gin and allow it to lull me into a more peaceful state of mind.

All Modern Giveaway

Like to see a Gator in a pond of Duckweed? Check out my Sister's blog at: http://appliejuice.wordpress.com/author/appliejuice/ It's actually a cool blog site with lots of educational stuff for home school and good stuff for learning even if you are not a home school mom. Got healthly recipes too (-: Ymmmm.

My sister has implemented a well organized marketing strategy (aka a sneaky ploy) to get more readers. She is currently hosting a free giveaway until Sept 25. All I have to do is post about her blog on my blog for other bloggers to read and blog about. Yep, she has shamelessly gotten me to plug her blog on my blog to get more blog readers. As long as I win the giveaway this will be worth it. If I don't win I hope she gets more readers. (-: Seriously it is a good blog to follow. Check it out before 9/25 and enter the drawing for yourself, you may just win.

Now for the freebee drawing..the giveaway is for a $45 gift certificate at allmodern.com. How cool is that. They have lots of really neat items designed with a modern flair. Lots of the popular large prints in blues, browns, pinks and greens for bedding and home decor. Check out the Crib bedding, it's awsome. http://www.allmodern.com Favorite item for me would be the Morning Glory Organic (yes organic) sheet sets, who can resist a comfy set of cool, high quality sheets.

Frosty Quilt updated

Frosty the Snowman was a happy jolly soul with a corn cob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal...o.k. I know you know this tune. (-: Who can forget a childhood favorite tale of a jolly snowman and the children that befriended him one Christmas season. Confess, you sill watch this delightful tale every year don't you...

For the next step in the Frosty quilt, I've "fussy cut" some Frosty fabric showing Frosty and his friends flying through the snow and mixed them in with the traditional snowball quilt blocks.

Frosty Quilt Progress

I've added a sparkle snowflake, a dark blue and a red w/holly border to the Frosty Panel. I thought the red gave is a pop of color. Currently measures 40X48 or there abouts. Stay tuned to see what I have planned next.