From our reader Liz:
My good friend’s mom is turning 99 on August 29th. She’s requesting cards from everyone she knows for her mom and if you’d be ok with adding her birthday to the blog, I know she’d be thrilled.
Here’s some info on her from her daughter (my friend) Donna Maglinger if you wish to feature her:
My mom’s 99th birthday is August 29th and it would be fantastic if you would be able to send her a birthday card, as she loves getting mail. This photo was taken Easter this year. 2025.
She not only is approaching 99, in great health, she lives alone outside of the bustling Evansville, Indiana city limits, and drives to her 4-H club, her Gideon meetings and Prime Time events. She was the church organist until the organ needed repair and they have not found a repair person available as of yet, but she will gladly play and sing at her piano at home to any visitors that request it. She still loves to cook, and frequently has the kitchen all hot and steamy as she prepares food to take to potluck events. It’s a bit of a walk to the mailbox but she loves getting cards, which she displays for weeks. If you would like to celebrate her 99th birthday, her address is:
Betty Lamb
7201 Little Schaefer Road
Evansville, Indiana
47720
Many thanks, dear Mary!
Liz Schwartz
Happy Birthday, Betty! Anybody who reaches her 99th birthday is a winner in my book!! And you look absolutely MAHVELLUS! I’ll be sending you a card!
My days are busy – but tonight I actually said hello to my sewing machine and it felt good. Started making some easy 6” blocks. Molly came this afternoon but we didn’t get to do much because of a thunderstorm. She made the best of it however.
Cynthia froze corn today – she used her electric roaster which I think is a great idea to keep the house cooler.
She also had excellent luck with this product:
More reader photos
Woodcarver project at the Iowa State Fair
Family treasures
Quilts at the Iowa State Fair
Becky and I went to the final Thursday Night On Main in Clear Lake. We think alike!
In a veterinarian’s waiting room, ‘Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!’
Hi Mary, in Australia visiting my sisters,and missing my recliner armchair that helps me stand up! I find it hard to get out of ,, normal,, chairs now,another sign of aging! Hope l look as good at 79,not sure if l will make it to 99! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy – Rick has a hard time getting out of chair, too, but he doesn’t have a lift recliner – he should. What are you going to do for fun while you’re visiting?
When we went camping, we used many of the quilts that I made and I’m glad they went along for the memories that my grown children talk about. We tent camped and used blow up air mattresses and had a very large canvas tent. Yes, they got wet a few times, had some smores melted on them but they were loved and used. Our daughter often talks about her quilt and all the places it went, sleepover, camp, and yes camping. Its 40 years old and well-loved and yes, it’s been patched a few times and still she uses it watching TV. I will have to try the recipe for corn done in the roaster for freezing, how simple. My card is in the mail, thanks Liz for telling us about your mom, what a full life she lives. We had a some much needed rain on Saturday and now everything is cooler, and the air is cleaner.
Hazel says “I can make short work of that hotdog!” Just give it to me……
Meta – Hazel’s a food hog unless it’s her dog food! Ha!
A card for Betty is ready to mail, plus one for Jo’s country junction. The blog was awesome today. I hope my quilts are used and loved!
I was sewing yesterday and kept coming up one block short to finish the quilt. I hunted every where. Ok so I made another block with the scraps and guess what I found behind the sewing machine!!! I had looked and looked back there! Today after all that there were TWO blocks. grrrrrr
It is extremely hot and humid today. Ugly weather for elderly people!
Have a good weekend
Isn’t that the way it always is? I’m looking now for two 72” inner border strips I know I made…I’m pretty sure…I think….okay I’ll keep seeing more. Ugh!!!
Why does my phone not like the word “sew”? I would love to throw the phone away but alas I wouldn’t be able to communicate. 🤦♀️
Shall I remind everyone that a quilt is to be used and not just displayed or tucked away in a closet? I just said it! All the quilts were great this morning.
I am staying in during this heat wave. I was in my sewing room yesterday afternoon but sad to say not much accomplished. Had stuff to put away from retreat. I hope to be in the sewing room again this afternoon. So much to do! Ha
I love seeing your pics of cats and dogs etc. . I came home from retreat to feathers and carcass on my front porch. A little feral kitty had been hanging around before I left. I thought how happy that feral would be on your farm, Mary.
Fran – I agree 100% that quilts are to be used and not stored away but couldn’t he have used it on his bed at home? But like I said, he’ll have the snazziest campsite and put his buddies to shame. Are you thinking of taming the feral kitty? How far away are you from me? Do you want to bring her to me when you’ve got her tamed down?
Wow, great quilts today. I love the one with the Iowa map. And the log cabin is a masterpiece. I hope he goes camping in a lodge or cabin, to keep it safe!!
Mollie looks like she’s getting into the act.
And Betty looks great!!! And she’s doing the best for herself by staying active! Great inspiration!
What talent displayed here from wood carving to embroidery to cooking!! Very impressed. Always love to see a sampler done!
I’m nostalgic for the embroideries I did and let go.
What a great email! Beautiful deer, quilts and heirloom cross-stitch and a new friend, Betty. My brother and sister-in-law went to the fair twice and sent pictures and videos throughout the day. I expected quilt pictures but they must have skipped the quilt display. When they winter in Texas, they like to visit antique and thrift shops and they always send quilt and sewing machine pictures and lots of pictures of unusual items.
Sheryl – do they purchase the antique sewing items? And I didnt get to the fair once! My friends are getting an award today – they raise hogs and farm as well. My friends sister who rides a scooter even got to go to the fair!!!
No they don’t buy any of the sewing items but probably would if I asked for something. They take pictures of those things b/c they know I love it. One thrift store had an attached quilting shop and they got pictures of the quilt shop for me. They buy useful items. He likes antique tin signs and has quite a display in his machine shop and my sister-in-law loves cute and old dishes. They love browsing those places.
I haven’t been to the fair for a lot of years. We used to go every year. Congratulations to your friends on their awards.
I was hoping the label on the Blue Four Patch would show up on the quilt. It doesn’t so here is what it says.
BLUE FOUR PATCH
2025
Rita Scott, Central City, Iowa
45” x 58”
A gift of blocks and squares were given
to me unfinished. 135 blocks were sewn
together into four patches and then into
a quilt top. Leftover blocks were sewn
together along with fabric from a jumper I
made, disassembled and used for the
backing and binding.
I hope I look as good as Betty as I grow up. Haha!
Beautiful samplers and quilts from the fair. Molly looks content just sitting in the golf cart although I’m sure she would rather be out running around.
Looks like Connie needs to make a different quilt for her grandson for camping. One out of flannel pjs. Love the Log Cabin quilt as I’m sure he does too!
Rita-Thanks for sharing your quilt’s story with us. Every quilt has a story that isn’t often written down or told.
Connie L-Great quilt and what your grandson said is part of its story.
Mickey in Glendale,AZ-I appreciate the card. Many thanks.
Betty, age 99, you go, girl.
It finally rained here in Scottsdale on Thursday night. Lots of thunder, wind, and rain.
Molly is so cute even if she is a bit round. I would be a Molly if I were a dog.
Keep blogging, Mary. There is lots of kindness in it which the world needs.
Lynn – and kindness matters!
Oh my goodness – I shudder with you about the quilt for camping 😱 it is absolutely gorgeous 🤩
And Hazel – I just can’t get enough of her antics 🐾🐶🐾 she really brightens up my days!
i, too, us that Clorox product and love it!
Loved seeing the State Fair quilts. I read somewhere that Dawn Powerwash in a spray bottle was good on stains, so I tried it on whites. They were right. I don’t know about stains on colored clothes though. Thanks for the tip on the Clorox. I’ll look for it. Hazel and that hot dog – too funny. Glad to see Barney. It looks like he has found his forever home. ❤️
I haven’t tried Dawn Power Wash on stains, but I have been using Dawn on stains for years. Works great on spaghetti sauce stains.
The dog and the hot dog reminded me of our Ebony Eyes and lemons. She could be outdoors and smell when i cut into the lemons for juicing. She drooled so profusely waiting for her bit of lemon. I was never able to find any information that they were okay so she only got a very small bit. Did not want to have a bad outcome like a friends challenges when she gave into some chocolate for her dog.
I hope the young man was just teasing his granny with the quilt for CAMPING.
Love seeing the state fair quills and Connie’s stunning log cabin, but for camping?! Sheesh! That young man needs a day at the sewing machine to develop an understanding of how much time, effort and love goes into making a work of art.
But my favourite photo today is Hazel, Becky and the hotdog! That is priceless! The look of concentration and concern on Hazel’s face! She was very invested in where that hotdog was going!
Betty looks way younger than 99 to me. Shouldn’t we all be so lucky! I would like to know how to prepare corn for freezing in a roaster-looks much easier than my method. Awesome quilts from the fair. Our state fair is coming up in a few weeks-looking forward to going-haven’t been for several years.
That tree is suffering from a fungus. We had a tree in our front yard when we moved here that was over 100 years old. Several years later, that yellow stuff starting growing on it. We called a tree service and they said it was a fungus. Cost over $400 to treat it. The tree last about five more years and I noticed the fungus was growing on branches way high near the top of the tree. We had a severe storm with large hail 3 years ago. I knew we would be replacing the roof but I didn’t realize until morning that the tree busted in half and was laying all over the yard. That was a major mess to clean up. and we had to remove the entire tree. The guy that took it down after we cleaned up as much as we could said it would be awesome to do a wood carving since the tree had such a large trunk but he discovered that the inside of it was totally rotten from the fungus.
That’s quite a seamstress that match a pocket that good. Wow!
Cindy k – I’ll post the oven corn recipe. I can almost tell you – 16 c corn, 1 lb butter, 1 carton half and half. In oven 350 for one hour. Cool and package for freezer. I’m in bed writing this so I’ll double check in am
That’s great matching on the shirt pocket. I’ve had some luck finding shirts in ND that I can cut apart. One thrift store had fill a bag for $10. I rolled the shirts as tight as I could and got 9 in there! Another store had them for $2.50! It’s been fun searching for 100% cotton shirts. Wonderful quilts today. But, camping with that beautiful quilt? You never know what the young ones think.
Martha – made me sad for Connie to think that gorgeous quilt was going camping!! You got a real buy on shirts!!
Ouch. What a beautiful log cabin.