Twenty four years ago tonight it was 29 degrees at 11 pm and I heard our dog Carly run towards the barn and bark and bark. I didn’t think too much of it but about 1:30 am I thought about it again and decided to go to the barn with a flashlight. As I shined it into the outdoor pen, there was Jill, one of my goats, with a BABY!
A weak little cry came from a few feet away – there was the tiniest little wet something struggling in the dirt – another teeny tiny goat! I picked it up and moved it to Jill’s side but Jill pushed it away!
I had no choice but to put the wet little thing inside my coat. Right?
Read the rest of the story in my book Oh, Susannah!
Soft cover book $15.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Cash or check only, Mary ETHERINGTON, 2345 Palm Ave. Garner, IA 50438
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My friend, Betty Lamb, who we honored on her 99th birthday, is wondering about this quilt. Her mother (!) found it in the bottom of an old trunk about 80 years ago.
Thanks for your blog & for any info you and/or readers might be able to share.
Liz in Olathe, Kansas (formerly Mason City, Iowa)
Sent from my iPhone
Another thank you:
Dear Miss Mary,
Thank you so much for arranging for the card shower for my friend, Anita! She has been so thrilled to get the cards and savors each one. She told me how delighted she was that most folks included a short note with the cards because it felt like she made instant friends. (She is very lonely because she can only rarely go out, and that’s usually to doctor appointments. Yuck!) Each card will be saved and treasured. She can’t wait to show them to me tonight when we celebrate her birthday.
What a blessing you are! Please thank your readers for me.
***************Hi Mary! Sending cards is a wonderful idea! Last week you featured my sister, Pat Latty, on her 87th birthday. She wanted me to thank all the ladies, and one man, that sent her lovely cards and notes. So much encouragement also! She received over 75 cards! It was ironic that the first card she opened was from Baltimore, Maryland – she was born in Baltimore! The cards really were much appreciated, thanks to all of you!
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Thank you to everyone who sent a card!
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I had a lovely little Sunday afternoon nap so now I can stay up late and sew!
Thank you again and again for going to the effort to send a card to someone you don’t even know. The recipients are always so tickled to receive them and once again – KINDNESS MATTERS!
Oh my gosh, we had a dog that looked just like Moe!!
On Saturday we went to visit my mother in law Gerry, at her care home. She has a big stack of cards and now says “I got these because of you (Teresa) and Mary from Country Threads”. She is so thrilled and especially liked the stories people wrote about their life and how many different states the cards have come from.
We can’t thank you enough for the card shower. Cards are still coming as the postal workers catch up the old mail. It not only brought joy to Gerry but it brought joy to my sister in law and myself as we read them too. What a special community you have built Mary, with this blog. God bless you.
Teresa – oh, this makes me so happy! But remember, I only put the request out there – all credit goes to my readers and there’s just no way to put a thanks or price on it. I still say, widows are often forgotten – or at the very least have already lived their most productive and exciting years. A simple card with a note goes a long way. I am thrilled that she has enjoyed her card shower. I knew the readers wouldn’t care about the extra postage!!
Yes, a big thank you to all the readers who mailed cards out.
Your story of Susannah is always so sweet. She was a special little goat.
Have a wonderful fall day everyone. We are getting rain pretty much every day. Our son and his partner are moving in this week so the house is a mess. We’ve converted the garage into a bedroom/sitting room but still need to paint and install the flooring so their things are everywhere in the house until that is done. I’m hoping for Friday or Saturday. We shall see. I did bake cookies today, and am making 2 loaves of sourdough bread so there’s a little normal in the chaos. Soon it will be better. We are also waiting for two upper cabinets to replace two shelves, I need more storage than the two shelves can provide. And a cupboard is being converted from a trash/recycling cupboard to a cupboard with three slide out drawers. Once that is done I can finish unpacking.
Teresa – I’m glad it’s you and not me!
Ok Mary that made me laugh. I wish I could say it was someone else not me. I’m normally a very neat, organized person right now my house looks like a bomb went off. All I keep saying to myself. This won’t last forever, this won’t last forever. All four of us worked together to get the drywall (Sheetrock) primed so hoping to get both coats of paint done tomorrow. Then the floors can go in and a lot of the mess will be cleaned up. Wish me luck!
Love Tina and Karla’s quilts, and seeing the dogs enjoy the outdoors. I wonder if all fields have so many snakes and we just don’t realize it because we don’t have a Hazel tracking them all down — lol. Nice to hear about Susannah again, and I’m glad I bought your book–so sweet. And, I agree it’s nice to hear that the card recipients are enjoying our card showers. Thanks to you, Mary.
I had to order more stamps to keep up with the card shower requests! So much more fun than “spending” them on bills. Reading the thank you notes put a smile on my face…a double blessing in the Kindness Counts column. And Angie is right about the address labels. I seem to have them for every season and some even have matching stickers. Where did they all come from? Do they multiply in the desk?
Thanks to all who send in pictures of quilts, pets, and decor ideas and thanks to Mary for continuing the blog through thick and thin.
Take care everyone. Kris in WI.
It’s a blessing to send greetings through the mail to brighten one’s day. Thank you, Mary. thank you, also, to the family members who share how much receiving the cards has meant.
Moe’s sweet face of relaxation is a great closing shot. So glad he was able to visit the Etherington Fields and visit with Hazel and Keeper.
Jan
I love to send cards. I always include a little note. I think schools nearby should include letters to local nursing homes. It’s good to learn letter writing skills. I get many texts, but I cherish letters more. I reread them.
I went to visit my new great-grandson. Mother is doing well. What a life changing moment.
My prayer list grows as my family grows.
This email touched my heart. Kindness does matter! I know I’ve said this several times but I’m going to repeat…sometimes you cannot pay back but you can always pay forward.
Mom was born and raised on her family farm and raised her family on the farm. We didn’t have goats but we had a lot of other animals. Mom loved her animals. I knew mom would love Oh, Susannah so I bought it for her. She loved it and looked at it often. I have the sweet book now on my bookshelf.
Love Karla’s Zinnea quilt. I have never seen that type of flower block. Cute!
And once again coffee is very enjoyable this morning reading along with your blog and readers pictures of lovely quilts.
I went to the local nursing home to drop off some pull on fleece pants for the residents that were donations from our clothing closet. I asked what else can we as a church family do to help out many of these residents who are on Medicaid and have no family checking in on them. I was told cards. Cards for their trays are very much needed.
You’re right Mary. Cards matter. We have our Sunday school kids, women’s Bible study and others who just want to either make a card or sign a card with an encouraging word all doing their part to bring joy to this struggling home.
Kathy – oh my goodness, yes, the local nursing homes are not a place of joy so any little distraction is welcome, even a lowly card.
It’s so nice to hear the card recipients love getting their cards. It only takes a few minutes to write a quick note and brighten someone’s day. Great pictures today. So glad you saved Susannah. My grandson loved the book.
Whomever posted the First Quilt with Sunbonnets in the center I would be forever grateful for the name of that pattern. I saw a block with the boy holding a flag that I’ve been looking for forever. Thank you.
Always love seeing all the quilts posted
I could see that “The Three Musketeers” were out and about today on another adventure. And we didn’t see a Hazel butt!!
Martha – I wasn’t quick enough to photograph a Hazel butt because she killed two more snakes before I could even reach her. Why are these snakes in my hayfield?
e quilt shown in the image features a pattern known by several names, including “Apple Pie Ridge Star”. The design is a type of appliqué quilt, which involves sewing pieces of fabric onto a larger background fabric.
The pattern is a variation of a more symmetrical fleur-de-lis design.
The “Apple Pie Ridge Star” name is thought to have originated from a nine-mile stretch of road in Frederick County, Virginia, known for its apple orchards.
The pattern has also been referred to as “Fleur-de-lis Medallion,” “Snowflake,” “True Lover’s Knot,” and “Kansas Pattern”.
The design is often created with four “quarter” sections of an appliqué, typically in a red or print fabric on a white background.
I was able to do a photo look up and this is the information I found on the top quilt.
I am glad the small gesture of sending a card makes someone day. It takes mane 5 minutes to send some joy? I can do that. I feel that all these address labels can get used (many to spare) i can’t imagine what the mail carrier thinks?
Loved the first quilt with sunbonnet sue. My Mom made one with the pattern from woman’s day and left over feed sack cotton used for our dresses. I loved mine and wish I had it 70 years later.
Angie – and just think how much joy those 5 minutes bring someone who might be discouraged.