Quiterama

Gosh, you would think quilters invented the computer to see the number of them blogging. There must be a million!

So I've gotta keep up right?

Well, this is my latest quilt in progress. Wild, huh? Not your Grandma's quilt, eh? Well, I found the fabrics at the Big Red Barn at North Myrtle Beach and they just called my name. But I waited until I finished my other projects before starting.

The next quilt is a "community quilt" I made from flannel shirts I bought at the Salvation Army and cut up . It has a million pieces I swear and that taught me one thing; I do not like making the same block over and over even if it is in different colors. But I do like the way it turned out.

So what have you been up to these cold days?

Scrabbleiscious

These are my Scrabble "Peeps". On the left is Elizabeth Hodge, then me, then Eleanor Clark, and Peggy Peck.

Three Cokernuts and a Gamecock (that would be Elizabeth, our scorekeeper since Coker didn't teach Math (or at least none of us took it) and our Scrabble scores are so very high (not) you need an advanced degree to add them. Or at least have a few brain cells left that help you remember to WRITE DOWN THE SCORES....

Elizabeth is working on this skill....she does forget quite often which necessitates remembering who made what word twenty minutes ago and what the score was. We would fire her, but none of us wants the job; it is like the Supreme Court, a position for life, you can't get out of it except by dying and she is not ready for that. (yet)

We meet every few weeks at Peggy's house. We take turns bringing dinner. I would say cooking dinner but several of us rely on our husband's culinary talents (that would be me) our mother-in-law's cake baking talents (that would be me) or Little Caesar (that would be the Elegant Eleanor.

Elizabeth cooked last night. Brunswick Stew like you have never had in your life.....Yummo second helpings all around. AND a chocolate roll (Chocolate cake filled with REAL whipped creme and rolled like a jelly roll and covered with delectable chocolate icing.) Even my mother-in-laws lemon filled cake could not top this creation.

I so wish I had taken a picture BEFORE we completely demolished it!

On to the Scrabble Game. Eleanor ALWAYS wins; I am usually second and Peggy has come up and now beats Elizabeth regularly. I look for her to bump me out of second place. I will lead the whole game and then Eleanor puts a 35 point word on the triple word and leaves me in the dust.

But the most fun is the social interaction between the four of us. We are all in different "circles" so we all bring something different to the Scrabble table. We laugh continuously the whole night. We do not drink anything alcoholic (or even coffee or caffeine in any form) so it is not an artificially induced hilarity. It is pure fun and the joy of being sixty-five (Peggy finally reached this milestone January 30th....the youngest person in our class of 1965.)

So all you youngsters out there reading this.....hang in there.....the BEST times of your life are ahead....!!!

Who Will Be My Valentine?

Free Counter

For the last few days radio show host have been having people call in with their most memorable Valentine's Day scenarios. That got me to thinking about my most memorable ones. Let me tell you about two of them.

The first one was in 1980. It was the night before Valentine's Day; Curtis was working second shift at the textile plant (4pm-11pm). I took the children up to bed and as I did something said, "Call your, Mom and Dad and wish them Happy Valentine's Day.

So I came downstairs and called. When Daddy answered, I said, "Will you be my Valentine?"

He said "I'll always be your Valentine!" We talked a little more; I chatted with Mom. No big deal.

Two nights later we got a call, my 82 year old Dad had fallen and hit his head on the cement driveway. He never spoke again and died 18 months later.

I will forever be glad I obeyed that impulse to call him and ask him to be my Valentine and have him promise to ALWAYS be my Valentine. It is a comfort even now; after 29 years.

Another memorable Valentine was one when I was depressed.....loss of both parents, farm draught, three teenagers, impending bankruptcy, a few downers like that and I came home from school on Valentine's Day to find a huge hand lettered banner stretched all the way across our carport that said "WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE?" hand lettered by my never before crafty husband in magic markers. No gift of flowers, jewelry, perfume, dinners out, will ever mean as much as that freezer paper banner made for me by my husband.

But this year he did come pretty close. This is what he wrote, "I love watching your face light up and knowing I can still make you laugh. I love your tenderness and how you really care about other people's feelings. I love being the guy standing beside you in those old photos of ours. I love how you bring out the best in me and don't let me settle for less... I love that you are genuine and you don't have to pretend. I love sharing the quiet with you as each day winds down, I feel totally content because you are near." I've written him lots of love notes and poems through the years but never anything that said it all the way this does for me.

So even though we didn't hear from any of our children or grandchildren on Valentine's Day; we have each other and that is enough.

Small Town Girl

I ran across this newest history of Darlington County while working at the library the other day. I of course immediately checked it out (don't try this at home....it is a REFERENCE BOOK).

I had a great time reading it; seeing if I recognized any one I knew or remembered any of the places written about (I did.) I have also taken it to my neighbor who is a great local history buff.

Then I went to hairdresser yesterday and in walks an old friend I haven't seen in a couple years, Catherine Pate. She like I had gone to a "strange" hairdresser, while Susan Mullis was recuperating with her broken arm. Now we were both in the shop for repair work. So while Susan's daughter Tonya worked on our hair we got caught up on family and friends we have in common.

For the benefit of Gabby, one of my three readers, I will report that Rhonda and Marty's daughter Bracy is a Sophomore at Clemson on full scholarship majoring in architecture. Their son, whose name I've forgotten, has finished Ringling School of Art and is a video game inventor in Troy, New York.

It was such fun and exactly what I love about living in a small town.

Oh, and Monday at the library two former students came in and I got to get caught up on their lives. I was a proud librarian bragging about how MY former students are STILL readers :)

They even checked books in and out.....no videos...."no siree, Bob Tail Jack" as my Grandmother in law used to say.

And below you will see the result of the hair repair. Of course, if I stay with this color, I will have to change my whole huge wardrobe to autumn colors......hmmmmmmm.

What do you think....is this a keeper?

Quilting Quips

Phew, I have finally finished my Baltimore Album Quilt. It turned out pretty well for a beginner.

I am taking it tomorrow to show at Quilt Guild and then to Hospice. Hospice uses quilts to cover the body when showing it to the family. I think it is a nice idea to add some beauty to this

sorrowful event.

Since I cannot seem to move the top quilt picture down here where it belongs, just pretend it is under these comments. (: This a quilt made from scraps. It will also be going to Hospice.