It was so wet outside – icy, wet, melting off the trees and they had a great time rolling in it. My floors and rugs don’t matter – I love to see them playing.
The quilts were given away in North Carolina over the weekend and I’m working on getting the pictures to post here. It was simply wonderful to hear Barbara tell the stories about the people and how amazed they were to receive such beautiful quilts for their kiddos.
Here is the tv interview with Barbara on the local FOX station: see if you can open this.
https://www.foxcarolina.com/2024/12/14/mom-daughter-team-offer-handmade-quilts-helene-victims/
I’ll let this go for now – Barbara and I will sort it out tomorrow.
Mary,
Love the table topper in the first picture. Very beautiful! All the Christmas decorations are so nice. The minnow bucket reminds me that my husband has one or two of those! Wonder if he’d notice one missing from his fishing equipment?! I do have a small pine tree ….
The book pillows are for my great nieces and great nephews, ages from 1-12. I had fun picking out a book I thought they would like. I got them at a local used book store. Thanks for the comments. 🌻
Thank you for the pictures and posting the link to the news article about Barbara and the quilts that were donated. Quilters are a very generous bunch that is for sure.
OMG. Barbara, you had your hands full with this wonderful project. It was an added bonus to see your story live. I am thinking daily about all those still in need. There were so many quilts and goodies. Immensely successful. Blessings to you and yours. AND. I saw my quilt.
So glad you saw your quilt. Saw many happy tears. They just couldn’t believe our group did this just for them. The stories they told me about their hardships since the storm. Rest easy tonight you really helped someone who needed it.
Thank you Mary for the link to meet Barbara and her daughter. It’s a great story. Quilter’s have Big Hearts!
Good morning! I tried to send an email to you,Mary, but I failed. Just suggesting that you check out Nora, South Dakota for the Christmas celebration….it’s about
3 1/2 hours from you, probably much closer for some of your other followers.
Once again, the readers’ photos are wonderful. Lots of busy people! I did read Patti’s comments in Saturday’s post. That lady is just so inspiring. Nothing slows her down. And, her group of quilting friends has accomplished so much.
I watched the video and was amazed. Barbara and her daughter did such a wonderful job displaying the quilts. How very generous of them to reach out to fellow quilters who, not surprisingly, responded wholeheartedly. Thanks to you, Mary, for posting her request in your blog.
I enjoyed the pics today. My favorite part of my morning with coffee.
We have a heavy frost this morning as the fog was dense last night. But will be in the 40s today. I promised myself a walk today. I have the quilt quilted and ready for binding. Not using the fabric that came in the kit and settling for boring black binding. But I am happy because the quilt is that far along. If I had not come home from retreat on Friday I would not be this far along as the last two retreaters had to stay until Sunday because of the ice over that way.
Fran – I look forward to chatting with everybody in the morning, too – with my coffee. I just wish there were more comments to read, don’t you? Glad to hear you missed the bad weather by leaving early.
So glad you chose to leave early and are safe and warm. Ice is the worst.
What a wonderful news article on the tremendous effort to get help to North Carolina! Congratulations to all involved!
A great big thank you to Barbara and all the quilters who sent quilts. What a great news piece!
I love the first picture with the quilt/centerpiece. I need a pattern to make a small quilt for my mother in law for Christmas, that will be perfect.
That one from the UK was clever, appealing, and looked to be good sized. Lot of work in all of those tops.
Mary I love your centerpiece and table topper. So super cute! Just brightens up everything!
Hank and Keeper are so funny! Love them!
It was a sheet of ice in the parking lot at church. Yikes!
Cleaning lady is coming today! Yippee! Love her!
Have a good day!
Joy – my cleaning lady is coming tomorrow morning – and I love mine, too!!!
I love the book pillows. I even enlarged the picture to see what books were tucked in for giving.
I encourage those who enjoy the comments to go back to the Gloomy Days post (previous post) and read Patti’s reply comment to mine. What a testimony to a wonderful group of quilters who still get together today for the good of others. I would so much more enjoy being with a group of quilters if this was their agenda versus going through a lengthy meeting with discussions on how to spend a treasury. And I’m so happy to know Patti still keeps the fabric economy going buying what she wants. For a home bound person, the mail and packages ordered are such a joy.
Kathy, I did go back & read Patti’s comments on her quilting! So awesome! Patti, I so admire your outlook on life & giving back! We can all make a difference. The last retreat I attended one quilter has a connection to a NicU & asked if we’d be willing to make a quilt top to donate. We made 18 quilts tops. The hospital has a sewing dept that uses sheeting to back these. No batting is used due to possible allergies. We had a wonderful time making these baby quilt tops, too! And I love the quilt project created for the Ashville area! Love the news report on it! Such a wonderful way to give back! I no longer belong to the area quilting guild mostly due to too much money in their treasury ( it’s a non profit) & dues kept increasing. And Patti, I’m so sorry you are in constant pain. Hopefully your Dr can come up with a helpful solution. Back pain is just awful, & I sure understand!
Alice- that is another amazing accomplishment of a good group of quilters helping out NICU at the hospital. I’ve never heard of one having a sewing department and adding the backing. So nice to have a colorful comfort of love from your quilter friends. Thanks for sharing that story for us as it is so heartwarming to see so many efforts to wrap people in warmth. Just as Patty makes all her scraps of fabrics into pieces people and pets can certainly use. I so admire her.
Such lovely photos!!! Makes me feel even more of the Christmas spirit! Thanks Mary!
The video — WOW!!! Goes to show you what a difference we can make out here in this crazy world!
Mary, I hope you are feeling better every day.
I love that first photo — so lively & cheerful! Speaking of lively, Keeper & Hank sure look to be having a blast. Wore poor Millie out! Lol! Kitties crack me up how they can find any old box and curl up in it. Can’t say that Millie looks very comfortable though. hahaha
Hi Mary, always amazing l can put my finger on some words and see a news report half a world away! Aren’t quilters wonderful, giving such beautiful quilt to people they don’t know, the world needs more quilters!Keeper and hank have such fun together, better than watching tv! The Christmas quilts are cute, l have my wonky trèe quilt up.When l sprained my knees few years ago tha hospital doctor kept wanting to give me tramadol, but l said leave birth to 2 boys, no painkillers, so forget it! Very easy to get hooked! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Mary,
What a great news piece on the quilts. Hope you’re feeling better every day.
Great pix today! Love the sunrise photo but don’t recognize the location name. Can the reader that sent it please tell us where it is?
I crack up every time you post pix of Keeper and Hank, they have such a great time together. Maybe one day you can catch a video of them wrestling? With Hazel sticking her nose up in disgust?
Jamie,
When Keeper and Hank are in the house wresting, Hazel will usually get up on the table and ‘chirp’ at them. It’s somewhere between a little dog bark and a tomcat growl. It’s funny. Hazel wants nothing to do with the whole business and wishes they’d leave. Her stink eye is real!! LOL
Jamie,
That is in Lake Orion, Michigan. Long Lake, taken from my son’s yard.
I live next door to him but it is a four minute walk so not just exactly next door. I keep my chickens at his house so every morning I walk there and am treated to a variety of sunrises. 🌻
Mary your topper is so cute…especially with the little birds. Sunflower, do you donate the pillow books or are they for family members? The door hanging decorations are so very festive. I got a chuckle out of the Christmas tree in the minnow bucket. Very clever idea. I’ve enjoyed all the photos. Thank you Mary for taking your time to share them. Today my siblings and spouses got together and divided out my mother’s glassware, doodles, etc. I sure was surprised by some of the behaviors and comments. I’ll just leave it at that. I’m glad that part is done. Wam day in Southern MN today. I hope everyone has a restful, but productive week.
Dear Martha, Yes, when a parent dies, one might hear some pretty astounding remarks, just saying, as I still recall a few comments, sometimes things just slip out. My blessings to you and your sister if she was able to help, for going thru everything and getting it ready, that in itself is very hard work. I did my mother’s house and I helped my cousin work through her parents’s house, four floors of stuff and many, many memories. I tried my best to help her through such an emotional time. Unfortunately, or an fyi to anyone who has not been tasked with this, brothers are worthless. (in my honest opinion).
Cindy – I second that opinion about brothers!
All your photos from today are wonderful … decorations, pets, scenery, and the news link was easy to access. What a beautiful report on the generosity and kindness of quilters from near and far. Thanks for sharing it all.
I hope you are continuing to feel better each day and will be back to all your usual activities in due time. Healing is a process not to be rushed. Give yourself grace.
hi mary. great post tonight. i was able to see the info on fox news about barbara and her mission for the victims of hurricane helene. i’m sure the first hand report from barbara will be even better. such a great thing she is doing.
i laughed at keeper and hank. i knew hank would be much larger than keeper. but they are such good ‘rassling friends. i’m sure hazel is still too ‘couth’ to join in or even relish in their play.
the christmas decorations are wonderful. love the first one – looks like chickens in hats. the book/pillows that sunflower made are just wonderful. and to include a book. great idea.
i meant to mention the decorations from yesterday also. loved the snowman and clifford together.
i got my stars all built today. figured out how to lay it out and figured out all the pieces/parts i’ll need. i will need to pull from my stash for sashing. but this will not be a giant quilt. i may even make it upstairs where the flannel is to put flannel on the back. when my friend gets here, she has volunteered to run up and down the stairs for me. i am hoping to get it all laid out tomorrow. i am also hoping to baste a small table topper for said friend from her leftover fabrics from her trip to australia. it is ready to baste. would be wonderful to have it finished before she gets here. i have at least two weeks
this pain in my back and neck is driving me to distraction. it is so hard to get pain pills in florida due to the problem with overdosing on opiods. they don’t trust anyone with good pain pills these days. guess they would rather we stay in pain. makes me angry. but doesn’t help the pain. get pills that will last three days. i wish. will be exploring new options next year through new insurance. there has to be a way. i really don’t want to start sleeping in my recliner and i don’t want to be in this amount of pain til i die. i don’t believe that is what God wants for me.
bed for me. busy day tomorrow. hugs and blessings to all, patti in florida
Patti – even I take a low dose opioid for pain and I can’t get a refill till spring? I break them I half and I’m not the type to get dependent on a pain pill. It’s quite maddening when the druggies have ruined this for the rest of us. You’ll so enjoy the time with your friend. Hope your neck and back pain doesn’t ruin it for you.
thanks, i won’t let the back pain ruin my visit with rita. it means too much to me. i’ve cut the pills in half and they work half way – only have two left so may do that with these two and try to get one pill to last all day. thanks again. patti in florida
I’m so sorry to hear about the troubles you’re having with your neck & back, dear Patti. I love all the quilty pictures you share on Mary’s blog and I’m sure it is a great distraction for you. What a sweet friend you have to volunteer to run up & down the stairs for you. I hope you have a lovely day with her and get those projects moving in the right direction. Wishing you peace.
Good sleep is extremely important and really helps the healing process. My husband slept great in the recliner. So, does it really matter where you get the sleep? He slept in bed, too, but the chair was most convenient!! You should do what helps the most. Constant pain is very trying and relief is the best.
Good luck. Betty in Rapid City