Oh my aching back! I have shoveled more snow today than I have in years and I’ll be seeing my chiropractor asap. Naturally Rick is running the tractor and I’m running the shovel – is there a different way in other households?
Regarding Civil War Modern:::::
I will get this drawn up this coming week and it will be available ongoing. I have to admit there’s nothing for me to instruct you about except the measurements and a few notations. The block has lots of pieces but it’s worth it. I love it and would make it again. Can’t wait to hang it up after the Christmas quilts come down.
So the rules are the same – Civil War Modern $5.00 and a SASE to Mary ETHERINGTON, 2345 Palm Ave. Garner, IA 50438. Cash or check only. I will post this on Instagram and Facebook.
I’m in love with your Civil War Modern quilt. Exceptional!!!
My back can’t do any shoveling. I keep a number handy of a younger man who will do it for me. For$$
Now that I don’t drive it’s not an emergency. The snow we’re getting tonight will stay for a while as colder weather is expected.
I’m glad all your barn animals are warm tonight. I know my dog likes to run in the snow, but he was ready to come in quickly tonight.
Hi, Mary and all blog readers. Lovely pictures of your farm today! We have about six inches of snow in southeast Michigan but it really depends on where you are in the state as to how much snow you got this weekend. My husband went to snow blow our driveway yesterday and on the first pull, the cord broke so we both shoveled the driveway. My hands are sore today from gripping the shovel. Good news is that he researched it and watched you tube videos and put the cord back on today. Even tested it and the cord worked. Thank goodness!
My chickens are not liking the snow. I got 9 additional chickens last month, or maybe in October, so I have 20 total. I call them the olds and the news and they are separated because the olds were pecking the news from day one. They are very entertaining though.
The Civil War Modern quilt is beautiful!
Take care everyone. 🌻
Sunflower- typical of getting new chickens which I hope to do this spring! What kinds are your chickens? Fancy or layers?
So glad to hear from you!
I love the Civil War Modern. I’ll save the picture.
Boy, you got a lot of snow! We got about 1/2”. But the wind blew most of it onto my driveway. I use a shovel.
When it gets bad, my wonderful neighbor comes over and does the driveway. I thank them with custom coffee.
There was not one ad I could click on today. Until I win the lottery, I will click ads!!!
Jo – I’m glad you mentioned saving a picture – I meant to post that. And who knows where the ads go or why the comment box doesn’t appear – glad readers think to use a prior post to leave a comment!
I agree with everyone. Your Civil War Modern is gorgeous. I just paged through Civil War remembered and Beyond the Battlefield. I love them all! I’ ll make a decision and start it in January. I have Christmas gifts to sew. We had around 12inches of snow. It is snowing right now. We ‘re to get another inch or two. I put up my tree yesterday and the it fell over today. The base of it is not the best. I redid it making sure I had heavier ornaments more evenly spaced. Be careful in all the snow.
Diane – I asked Rick to help me secure the tree well because I’m sure Mortie will be climbing it!
Luckily, Boo and Toby ignore it. The tree is still up today.
We got about 1.5” of snow late Saturday night then another 2.5” overnight. My husband always blades the driveway out with the tractor and either we both shovel the sidewalks or he does it himself. My back couldn’t handle doing it all myself anymore. Today our son is here so he and husband are shoveling the sidewalks.
Hank is having a hay day in the snow. So fun to watch him chase snowflakes and run circles in the yard through the snow.
Love the photos with the snow. I always enjoy the quiet peacefulness of snow in the country-when I don’t have to get out in it! 😊
Also love the civil war modern quilt. If I could only live long enough to make all of the quilts in my head!
Love The Civil War Modern quilt! It’s just my style and color palette. Expect an envelope with $5 and SASE soon, Mary. 🙂 Be careful shoveling the snow. Although I understand the exercise and fresh air part of the chore.
Jan
The pictures of your farm in the snow are lovely; it looks so peaceful. But I’m glad I don’t have to deal with shoveling snow or attempting to drive in it.
Civil War Modern is stunning! The color and fabric choices are perfect.
Hi Mary,
The quilt is gorgeous! Wow I love the placement of all the colors.
Sorry to hear about your back, saying a prayer for you.
The pictures of your home and snow could go on postcards! It’s simply gorgeous absolutely stunning all that white snow!
Wish I could beam over like Star Trek and have some coffee and meet all the critters!😁
Keep warm!
Bea in Boca raton fl
Please send snow
You can have ALL of the snow over here in CO! It has been so bitterly cold that the snow is very light, and if you can possibly imagine it, it’s airy and dry. Yep. Dry snow LOL If you begin before the sun hits it, you can actually just sweep it or if it won’t annoy your neighbors, use a leaf blower. The spring snows are heavy and wet and really hard to shovel.
Civil War Modern is a beautiful quilt! Just love it. I agree that you have a wonderful color sense. We haven’t gotten shovelable snow as yet here in southern NH. In fact, my husband is golfing today. He has played in every month except January and February in 2025 right here in NH. He’s getting his money’s worth out of his clubs!!!! Love little Mortie. Thank you for the blog Mary. I also love to hear about happenings in other parts of our country. I am fascinated by midwest farm life.
The Civil War Modern quilt is so pretty. I may have to get out the book this winter and give it a try.
We don’t get a lot of snow in our part of SW OH. We were right on the edge of this recent system and only saw flurries. There is potential for some tomorrow. We have a smaller city lot, so don’t have a lot of shoveling. I am disappointed when I don’t get to shovel. Many in our area don’t shovel at all and just pack it down and wait for it to melt. Those IA roots make me want to get out there and shovel it,, both for the fresh air and exercise. We’ve been known to shovel out several in the neighborhood.
Brisk temperatures today! The wind adds to the chill of course! We have a snowblower with heated handles, several shovels and my hub’s additional tool…his DeWalt leaf blower tha also can blow snow! Larry’s middle name should be DeWalt..love all their products! Going to the Y this afternoon and am signing up for the Holiday celebration at the local senior center this is on Dec 4th, should be fun as they are having a great group called the Holy Rocka Rollers! I have seen them a couple other times…one was at a 9:00 am performance at the ClaybCounty Fair in Spencer IA a few years ago..they’re great!
I am total agreement with Charlotte your Civil War modern is magnificent. I could just sit and look at it. I wish we lived closer Mary, I would love to meet you and learn colour choices from you. Your quilt is stunning and the colours call to me.
When we lived in Port Coquitlam and got snow we had a neighbourhood that all came out and helped each other, especially the two neighbours ladies who had lost their husbands, one was in her nineties and one mid eighties. We won’t have that here but thank goodness our son and partner live here too and they are young and can help. The tractor could do the driveway it’s just the deck that will need clearing and clearing a path to the barn.
Thank you for sharing the snow and quilt pictures. Take it easy with that snow removal. It always looks so pretty but is so much work clearing it. Our weather warmed up. We were just below freezing for a few days, our above ground pool even had ice on the top.
We are decorating for Christmas now. It’s fun to have different rooms to decorate and to put my things out in a different way than before. I’ve always been a creature of habit, we lived in our previous home for 32 years so the decorating was just the same each year.
We still have a lot of organizing to do because we are still for the kitchen cupboards we ordered to be installed. I will be calling the kitchen company today as it has been at least 6 weeks and she said they should be in and installed by now.
Mary, thank you for this blog, with the blog it is like we have so many friends from all over the world as we share our day to day lives. I look forward to reading it everyday and go back to read all the comments many times.
Teresa – I feel the same way! Like I kind of know what’s happening in other parts of the world! And friends?
I’ve never had so many good friends – I’d love to meet each and every one of you in person.
If you like the colors in Civil War Modern, enlarge the picture so you’re looking at an individual block and pick the same colors – it doesn’t have to be reproduction – I have many current fabrics included . See what happens!
Thank you for that hint Mary. Great idea. I have a niece that is due to have her first baby in March so need to start a quilt for her before starting another for me. I also have a chicken quilt and another Alaskan pattern ready to be layered, I’m hoping to get that going in the spring. Our guild has a challenge this year. We listed ufo’s started before last January. You paid $2 per quilt. As you finish them your name goes in a draw to win money. I think there are 4 or 5 prizes of 200 or 100 dollars each. I’d really like to finish one of the two I listed.
I’m feeling overwhelmed with stuff to do here and now decorating while still organizing and I need to start some Christmas baking. We will be having 12 for Christmas dinner or possibly 14. Only a third of my husband’s family will be here, it’s really a blessing and everyone brings something so that helps.
The kitchen company will be installing the cupboards on Dec 18th, Yahoo. I was hoping it would be sooner but at least I have a date. I did have a great day and accomplished getting rid of two more boxes out of the house.
Mary, Jay has a small snow blower that is about 12”-18” wide that he uses in front of the garage and sidewalk and then gets the rest with the tractor loader. It’s not heavy, but lately he uses his Milwaukee leaf blower and that is easier. He goes out every so often to get the areas cleared off before it is too deep! You would really like that thing, it has roaring good power to blow leaves out of the rocks too!
The modern civil war quilt is so beautiful and I love the picture of Mortie trying to figure out how she could be on it! She is quite the cat! Love her!
We had 7” according to accu weather. And 13 degrees. That feels like 3 degrees. Stay warm!
Joy – I have a pretty high power blower that I use for leaves, etc. but what I don’t do is blow the driveway off as it snows – that goes for our sidewalk ramp, too. It looks like I’ll get a chance to try this out in the next few days. Ugh
That pattern is awesome but I think I will use Lucky Stars for my project I have planned.
Lots of snow here too. (The blog would not let me post anything yesterday.) We are getting light snow again this morning. I need to clear my deck and path to birdfeeders. It will be a slow process in increments.
Sewing has been scarce as the only thing II have been able to work are the pincushions I am making for gifts. (Using old canning jar lids for base).
If you would like to share, I would love to see tbem.
Thanks
Pamela
I love the Civil War Modern quilt as well. I have lots of repros I would love to use. It is cold here in PA but no snow yet. Expecting heavy rain tomorrow. If we do get snow, we don’t fret about it because we live in a 55+ community and can sit in our nice warm home and watch the landscape guys shovel the snow. We are retired so there’s no place we absolutely have to get to and no animals to care for anymore longer. Plus I have my sewing machine, so I am set as long as we keep our electricity. Many of the electrical lines are underground so outages are fairly rare or short.
Mary, I worry about you shoveling. Perhaps research a snowblower? Just a thought.
Sue – we have a walk behind blower but my hands can’t grip the handle – maybe I should try again this year.
I can totally relate to hubby being in the warm snow free tractor & me handling the shovel as that was us yesterday. We have a feed lane that is on the east side & the west side of our lots so the west side always drifts shut. And if the lane is drifted shut…so is the bunk! The bunks are my job while snow is blowing in my face or so hard you can barely lift it out of the bunk. Then the fat cattle & bulls think it’s fun to come & investigate so you have critters helping as well! However….I’m having foot surgery tomorrow so he’s going to be doing it all himself along with house stuff! This could get real interesting!!
I did buy myself a cordless snow brush/thrower that uses one of our big Milwaukee batteries. I didn’t try it on the bunks but I did on the sidewalk at the house & it worked fairly well. It wasn’t deep snow at that point or hard after the wind blew it in drifts but I think it might work well in certain cases. Still hurt my back but nothing like the shovel!
The best part of getting the shoveling done was going to the barn to have cats on my lap! Ralph is my big tough but scardey cat who hates the dog & will only come to me when the barn is all closed up & then it takes a lot of convincing it’s safe!! Scooping was worth the cat love!!
Jane – sounds like me and Tim – he’s so big with muscles and he loves me so much. The minute I come in the barn he’s waiting for me – he must hear the first door and know I’m coming. My goat/geese door is on the southwest – these geese who used to sit outside in all weather now want to go into the barn at night. Hmmm. Think of their goosey mess I’ll have to clean up! I know I’m such an anxious person and I love that everybody is inside in weather like this.
Love the Civil War Modern quilt like lots of others. My husband uses his skid steer for driveways etc. and I usually use the snow blower (electric start). Mary, I don’t know much about it but there is a very small snow blower that people use for sidewalks, patios and maybe stairs. They’re supposed to work great. Yesterday we got about 3′ here in southern Minnesota.
Have a great day everyone.
Janet – 3 feet? How do you blow that???
Mary love your Civil WAR modern. Stunning and I see Mortie was wondering why she couldn’t lay on it. Wasn’t possible hanging on the fence. We had 12 inches of snow and I do the shoveling by my choice. Good way for me to get a bit more exercise. Go to the dentist this morning to see about a tooth that is aching. May need to have a crown put on it. Be careful on the snow,
Rita – I feel somewhat the same way – keeps my muscles working – like walking back and forth to the barn and shop. It’s good for an old lady like me. I do have a walk behind blower but ……
Hi Mary, civil war quilt is wonderful! No shoveling snow here in New Zealand, first day of summer, cardigan on, very strong wind has knocked over my garden bench twice today! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Your Civil War Modern quilt is gorgeous! Wow you have a lot of snow! We got about an inch last night but it got above freezing today so it’s mostly gone. I’m glad I didn’t have to get the shovel out yet.
Love your quilt Mary great colours.
Have been sorting through a basket of loose recipes taken from magazines, to try one day. One caught my eye, saved for the next time I try an angel cake. Butter Sponge Cake, from Sherry Whalen’s Mother, you posted on 4 October 2016.! Promise to try when next I have 11 egg yolkes. Cheers
Denise – the idea is to make an Angel food cake with all the whites and then have a recipe to use all the yolks – 2 cakes in one!
Oh my! I haven’t made either of those cakes for a couple of years. Homemade angel food cake and the butter sponge cake are so good – I guess that is what happens when hubs and I try to eat less sweets lol. But maybe I will have to make them after the holidays, I know they freeze well so I can make, cut into pieces and freeze. There – I talked myself into it!! LOL
Sherry – yes, you should! Not much sugar in either cake.
Civil war Modern is absolutely stunning. Still looks Repro style to me. Love the straight line quilting too!🥰Enjoyed the snow pictures but don’t miss it all all! Hear the Midwest is in for a snowy winter!❄️☃️
Mary Ellen – lots of new fabrics in it – enlarge one of the pictures.
Civil War Modern is magnificent! Thank you for displaying it for our enjoyment!