From Nancy Broers, a long time Country Threads customer:
Hi Mary! Sure hope you are feeling a little better every day, you sure have been thru hell the past several months. Really enjoy your blog every day, hearing about all your adventures! Still am so thankful I took a beginning quilting class at Country Threads back in 1988 or 1989, making a 9 patch and rail fence, in the classroom above your garage. Loved your quilt shop! The airplane quilt that Sue helped me choose fabric in 1991 is still in use. I gifted it to my son when he graduated college, then my grandson used it in college. He is out of the army, he was an officer, and now is a pilot for American Eagle!
I would like to nominate my sister, Patricia Latty, who will be 87 on October 15th. I am 10 years younger and we have always been besties! Oh the things she has taught me! A few years ago she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A couple weeks ago her oncologist thought it was time to start infusion treatments. Hopefully they will get her white count lower and not give her too many side effects. Let me tell you a little about her story.
Pat attended ISU back in the late 50’s majoring in clothing and textiles. Years back she made many beautiful outfits. She met her husband, John, and gave up city life and became a farmers wife. They were married over 60 years, he passed away a few years ago. She still lives on the family farm, which was homesteaded way back around 1834. Her son John is now the 5th generation farmer on that land. He lives nearby and checks on her daily. Her daughter, Julie, is the quilter in the family! You might know her from her business, Me and My Stitches. Pat also has 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Pat has always been involved in the community, her church, Kings Daughters, and when Julie was young she started a 4H club called Hilltop Helpers. About 45 years ago she found her real passion, doing stained glass. She opened a stained glass studio where she has taught countless students the fine art of cutting glass and soldering. In her spare time she loves to read and knit. The past couple of years she has been making stocking caps that she donates to shelters, oncology, and anyone that could use a warm hat. She is probably close to donating about 100 hats. I am sure she would love to get some happy mail! Her address is: Patricia Latty, 16758 Irish Ridge Road, Burlington, IA 52601
I just addressed my card to Patricia – I hope many of you send a card, too!
How do you keep a tall cactus from becoming top heavy and tipping over? I worked on this all afternoon and it’s ok but not exactly what I had in mind. It will never need repotting again but I will have to add wire as it gets taller. Ugh.
Hankster visited this afternoon and on our way to the field, he grabbed an ear of Farmer Tim’s corn and enjoyed a yummy snack – sorry Tim.
I had a cat that loved corn on the cob and my husband who never wanted a cat would leave a couple of rows and she would chew it off and then use the next hour cleaning herself. But next time would be next to my husband begging for corn. I once put some corn in her bowl and she wouldn’t touch it. Go figure. She also begged for hot wings but he wouldn’t give her with the sauce but after she about she was drinking lots of water but if he didn’t share she would sit and head butt him until he gave in. He would do it and tell her not to get sick because the vet would put him in jail she would look up and head butt him again. We lucked out and she never got sick
Angie – I think some cats, like some dogs, have cast iron stomachs!
Our grand-dog, Mimi, also loves corn-on-the-cob … but she likes it buttered, and hand-fed to her, lol! When we eat corn-on-the-cob we leave a row or 2 on the cob when we’re done, then let her nibble the corn off the cob. It’s very fun to watch! We take the cobs away when she’s done. Yum, yum!
I always like to send cards. Patricia sounds like a very interesting lady. To take up stained glass! Wow! I’m glad her son is close and doing the farming.
I wouldn’t think that dogs would like field corn! Hankster is a clever dog.
I will check out Julie’s quilt shop online. Thanks for the infi, Nancy.
It looks as if your cactus is reaching for the grow lights. Soon it will outgrow your morning glories! I’m glad you could rescue it
The pictures of Morty (ie)? exploring her surroundings are so sweet. A cozy bed, meeting Barney, lounging on the stove to supervise the action in the kitchen; I wonder where she will turn up next.
October is National Positive Attitude Month according to ADRC. Practice gratitude, spread kindness, focus on the solutions not the problems, and celebrate your wins. Good advice for every month.
Take care everyone.
Kris in WI
Kris – the tall cactus has been outside all summer and another reader said she had one that grew to the ceiling! I will have to find a spot where it can live permanently and put a hook in the ceiling to support it!
Nancy, I love your airplane quilt story! I looked up Julie’s website and signed up for her newsletter. The quilted jewelry is so awesome and I’ll be looking at it this evening when I have more time.
Love and prayers to Patricia for a good health report.
Thanks! Her jewelry is really nice. She also is a fabric designer of civil war fabric for Kaufman.
It’s nice seeing the connection of Julie from Me and my stitches as I get her emails on products she makes which are so adorable. I wish Nancy good health and enjoy sending out cards. I hope my one to Canada made it okay as the PO told me it would take 2 weeks and then I heard somewhere there was a postal strike.
Kathy – Teresa did let me know about the postal strike in Canada but she assured me all mail is being held and will be delivered. What timing, huh?
Hi Kathy and Mary, yes we still have a postal strike so I can’t send any cards out, which I find frustrating. As you said Mary all the mail is held and once the strike is over it will be delivered.
We purchased several cactus plants years ago, one of our cats would eat bite size chunks of the plant. It just wasn’t a good plan. We haven’t had house plants since, so I really enjoy seeing all of yours. We have beautiful gardens in the summer and white fluffy snow in the winter. Sounds like Patricia has a great life going! Love the Hank is included with your animals!
Diane O – I am hovering over the Golden Crocodile that has two new leaves unfurling at once! It is so fascinating to me and honestly my cats don’t seem to be interested in my plants, thank goodness.
I used to have a cactus like that. It grew to the ceiling. I put a cup hook on the side of the window trim and tied a string to it and tied it around the cactus. I finally gave it away because it was so tall.
Shirley – I used a cup hook, too, when it was shorter but now I guess I need a ceiling hook. I could cut it off and let it grow again but then I’d feel tempted to start all those pieces into new plants – ugh
That made me laugh, Mary! It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it? Maybe you need both, the hook on the window sill and a hook on the ceiling to hold the plant steady. Or a wider pot might help – give it more ballast on the bottom?
Jan – this was the biggest lightweight pot I could buy at Menards and I put broken cement blocks in the bottom for weight. I think I’m out of options. But I don’t think I can throw it away. And all those pencil trees I started! Hank’s mom asked if I couldn’t just throw several of them out in the grove! Uh, no, I cannot do that. I’ll try Marketplace next.
It sounds like Patricia has enjoyed a very full life. Be careful with the dogs eating that corn. Hank grabbed a corn of ear from time to time on his morning walks to the top of the corn field. Unbeknownst to us, he also ate part of the cob and ended up at the vet’s getting his stomach pumped as it caused an intestinal blockage. I told Mary about the blockage a few weeks ago. The corn is harmless-the cob is not.
Cindy K – oh, good grief!! I looked at the picture again and there are pieces of cob on the ground. Hankster is very bad about eating things he shouldn’t – fabric strips are another temptation for him. He also tears toys apart so…I’m going to send his mom a text to tell her to watch him and the cobs. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you Cindy!!! We will keep an eye on Hankster. Earlier this fall he took a liking to acorns during our walk in the woods. I found out those are also toxic but the info stated a ‘large quantity’. Not sure what a large quantity is but I don’t think 3-4 count as large. He likes to break them apart and then spits them back out. We stopped walking in that area until they were not as obvious to him. After I learned about the acorns I’d tell him NO when he stopped to grab one. That helped. But now he does have a liking to field corn. We have a corn field on 3 sides of our acreage so we will make sure he doesn’t eat much of the cob. I’m guessing he spits out the cob but who knows with a young golden retriever? They like to chew any and everything imaginable.
I appreciate all you readers looking out for my Hank Ster. 🙂
I’ll be happy to send a card to Patricia. I love how the airplane quilt Nancy made went to her son then his son who now is a pilot for American Eagle! Meant to be! Happy dogs chomping on fresh corn. Happy Mortie too,