Had a dental appointment today to fix a broken bottom front tooth that I chipped opening a pistachio – that was expensive little snack and the last pistachio I’m ever going to crack with my front teeth!
Very cold again and it’s been lightly snowing all day which doesn’t matter unless the wind comes up – then we’ll certainly be snowed in.
Last night Hazel insisted I empty the lower cupboards and like many toddlers, I had to keep emptying because she was just sure she heard something. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t but it entertained her for quite awhile.
Put this pink and gray quilt on the machine yesterday – tonite I’ll bind it.
I also started cutting out Jill’s quilt Farmer’s Daughter so I’ll have it for her in August when she’s here from California.
I started this new Kristen Hannah book last night and the very first morning it came downstairs with me! It’s already hard to put it down.
Here’s the quilt show:
And that’s a cold day in February in North Iowa!
Today’s eggs – the dark brown one is from one of my new hens.
I just got Kristin Hannah’s book also!!! Can’t wait to get started.
Oh, I love that pink and gray! My two favorite colors. Gee, now I have to start another quilt…
Do not usually make comments but must say, truly enjoyed your playing old hymns. I played the piano in the early Sunday morning Sunday school service as a teenager a long time ago)
and this brought back fond memories. Loved playing “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” and the audience would really get into it. Thank you for sharing. Carolyn, Fayetteville, GA
Love Hazel 💕. She sure keeps busy. Love the quilts. So pretty. Batten down the hatches…looks to be our coldest weekend of the winter. A lot of variety in the eggs 🥚. Be cozy everyone.
I had to go read the review of the book cause I usually know the books Jenna Bush recommends but I missed this. I will have to read this. I generally do read most that Jenna suggests as I like her taste. As always a great showing of quilts so thank you. Pink and gray is one of my favorites together so love yours too.
Isn’t it wonderful to have so much activity to keep us happy at home….and I am namely thinking Hazel and your latest sewing projects ! She keeps you active!
I loved The Four Winds too
I love the straight line quilting you do!
Stay warm!!
Ordered Four Winds – can’t wait to start reading. Love the pink and grey combination! Stay warm🔥🌝
Hazel reminds me so much of my Bailey! I don’t know how old Hazel is, but you called her a “toddler.” Bailey will be four years old in May so she is more like a teenager. But she keeps me busy and that helps keep me young-at-heart!. First she wants outside; then she wants to come back in. That goes on all day. She finally “crashes” about 6:30 or 7 PM each evening and that is the last I hear from her till next morning. Today with all of the snow and the wind, she spent a lot of time sitting in the window, looking out at the river, the trees, and the snow.
Lois Ann Johnson – actually Hazel was 4 last month but she acts like a toddler!!!!
Pulled fabric today to make a bulls-eye quilt. I have 13 of your books including Quilts from Aunt Amy, as well as a few separate patterns. Love them all!
Rhodylvr – thank you so much for being a Country Threads follower! Hope you enjoy making the Bullseye quilt!
Ooops, forgot to mention that several of the oldest books are autographed!
That Hazel is so cute but she does keep you busy! I enjoy Kristin Hannah’s book. I’ll have to get that one too. I really like the pink and grey quilt. I got sidetracked making a quilt coat. It’s going to have a hood. It’s taking me quite a while to design the pieces but I got the back finished and quilted today. Tomorrow I’ll start on the front. Then the two piece sleeves. And at some point I need to work on my DD to get another project finished.
It’s amazing the colors of the eggs. Such pretty colors.
It’s cold here and some parts of North Texas got ice overnight. It’s dry at our house. There was a huge wreck in Fort Worth (30 miles away) this morning of over 100 cars and semis with 6 deaths so far. It took them hours and hours to get to everyone stuck in their cars and semis.
That accident has been in the news all day. It looks terrifying.
I have a cousin in Holliday. I hope they are warm.
Jo.. Holliday not far from me..COLD.. my high today was 23..high Monday supposed be 10 & low -4….NOT our normal by any stretch….,snow forecast for Sunday-Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday…
Susan, I have a daughter who lives in Rowlett. They too had ice and so she was told to take the day off. Grandson was also home from school. Sounds like snow is in store for you. Stay safe!
Rita from Iowa
Funny Rita in Iowa. I have a son in Bluegrass Iowa. I guess we traded our kids. Yours came to Texas and mine headed up to Iowa.
What are the odds of that happening?
Hi Mary, yes we are in the sub zero weather too with a little snow for the next 3 days. I love winter but not this below 0 stuff. It’s too cold to play with my dog. She is so board. I try throwing the ball in the house for her but it is certainly not like playing outside.
I have a pistachio tip. Almost too stupid to write but I just heard this a couple years ago. Crack the first one open and use the shell to pry the rest of the shells open with a little twist of the shell.
Save those teeth!
Linda from Oconomowoc – I can’t wait to try that pistachio trick – wow! I’ve never heard it before!
Have you read, The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah? It’s a book you can’t put down. Hard to read at times, but wonderful. It’s about one family moving to Alaska back in the last century when it was still a real frontier and people were living off the grid, an abusive father, and a love that was not allowed. Her description of Alaska puts you there. I guess Hazel helped you clean out your lower cabinets!
Kate – it’s one of my top 10!
Other Kristin Hannah fans! She is my favorite! Just finished The Great Alone. Ordered the Four Winds. All of her books are excellent! Always enjoy the quilt pictures. So many talented ladies out there!
I love your pink and grey quilt. I would never have thought of using a big print for the background but, I love the way it looks in your quilt. I’m going to have to give it a try. It was 25 below zero here this morning in far Northeastern Wis. We’ve had 20 below zero or more for three days this week. (That’s actual temperature not wind chill.) I’m ready for spring.
I love the pink & gray quilt. What is the pattern?
Other Kristin Hannah fans! She is my favorite! Just finished The Great Alone. Ordered the Four Winds. All of her books are excellent! Always enjoy the quilt pictures. So many talented ladies out there!
Hazel is so cute! Send her over. I need to clean out my cabinets too! I love the pink and grey quilt! So pretty. Love all the quilts! Such talented ladies. I finished my #12 today but it’s a small table piece so I think I’ll make my daughter one too.
We had rain today. Supposed to rain every other day until Tuesday. We sure need it. 🌧🌧☂☂
So what does Hazel do if you don’t empty the cupboards? Just curious. That pink and gray is so soft and pretty!! I’ve read a couple of Kristin Hannah’s books and think the one you’re working on is on my ‘books to read’ list (along with approx. 400 others! YIKES!)
Sherrill – Hazel stands there and barks which I can easily walk away from but that barking drives Rick nuts!!! So I give in to her to keep the peace!
I am about half way through that book. As good as it is, I struggle with reading it because of the gut wrenching day to day survival those people went through. I can’t imagine living through that.
I can’t wait to read that book. Have you read Nightingale? Your pink quilt is beautiful!
Bobbie Casey – yes, Nightingale is also on my top ten list!
Oh Hazel! What sweetie she is. She sure is busy and keeps you too, Busy! Then cuddles with you in your chair! It doesn’t get better than that!
Sorry about your broken tooth! Our parrot loves pistachio nuts. I’ve seen shelled pistachios at the market… he needs the shells on. 😊
Hazel is such a great pup!
I Hope you don’t have the snowed in problem…I’ve lived in the East as a kiddo, here in So California, near the beach, it has been in the 50’s and 60’s. Today it was high 70’s on the patio.
I’ve been x stitching this past year more than quilt making. Have another great hrandson coming in a few months, so I will be making another little quilt… I want to tell you I always read what is going on in your life. You are quite a gal!! God bless you!
I enjoy hearing what you are reading. I borrowed Next Exit from the library and had to keep putting it down and walk away for a while as it really had me on edge. Guess I’ll look up this one now.
You have inspired me!! A friend gave me Kristen Hannah’s Home Front when Justin was deployed in 2018 and I still haven’t read it! I will pick it up and start it this evening!
I just finished The Choice by Dr Edith Eva Egers. It had been recommended to me as a book everyone should be required to read in their lifetime. I’m going to agree. I finished it in a weekend and these days, that is a record for me!! Highly recommended!
You eggs are just beautiful, Mary!! Have you ever considered a quilt of solids to match the colors of your eggs? It would be gorgeous!!
That Miss Hazel is bossie, but she is so cute!
I made Farmer’s Daughter (Do I have to gather the eggs again?) back in 1992. To this day, I don’t know which star color combination I like the best. The next one was Barn Dance. That was my after supper, everything done project. My husband built a barn, I built a quilt.
I wish I were techy enough to play your church recording. Sounds like everyone enjoy it so much.
Stay warm, safe and still.
Love the milk chocolate color egg, what breed of chicken laid that egg? Sorry about your tooth. Hazel is too cute!
Love your pink and grey quilt!!!!
I had a cat once that insisted there was something under the chest of drawers. Every morning when I made our bed, she would run in and start trying to reach something with her paw under that chest. Her tail would switch and she would growl. Several times she had me down on the floor trying to see whatever it was. I never did see anything and she didn’t either. I think pets just like to push out buttons. lol
I loved The Great Alone too. Now I want to read The Four Winds. She is such a great writer.
Hi Mary
Love the quilt show! Glad your tooth could be fixed. It’s 82 degrees here and not much humidity. In the summer it’s 90 at least with tons of humidity so I’ve been going on long walks with Casey my boy.
I’m so happy you took in those hens they are blessed.
The eggs are beautiful.
Thanks for the quilt show!
Bea knight. In boca raton Florida
It’s good to know that I’m not the only mom who goes out of her way to please their fur babies, that Hazel, how can you deny her anything! She is precious.
I love the pink and gray quilt and can’t wait to see it finished. You make beautiful quilts and they are inspiring. After I finish some of the four or five things I have going now I may need to gather some pinks and grays.
Farmers Daughter- My favorite quilt pattern of yours among so many others. I used it just the other day when my 3 close friends and I met for garage coffee. We sit in the garage 6 ft apart and bring our own coffee. It was 45 degrees the other day so I provided them with quilts to wrap around themselves. No garage coffee for the next week as it is getting down to the teens- unusual for Memphis. All our trees are covered in ice and it won’t get warm enough to melt until late next week. So happy that I can just stay in and quilt! I have plenty of projects😁
Just finished Four Winds! It will not disappoint!
Mary, so sorry about your tooth, but glad it was able to be repaired. Hazel is a hoot!! I used to have a cocker spaniel that was exactly like that. She always thought she heard a mouse or something in the cabinets or in the vents and she would just have a fit until I would go open them and clean them out so she could investigate and then she would be happy. Usually she would end up putting one of her stuffed babies in the cabinets to keep an eye out.
Just about finished with Step one of the Bull’s Eye quilt. Needing a lot more Christmas material that I thought I would need so had to put out an SOS for some from friends and family. Also been looking on Marketplace on Facebook. May end up having a lot of duplicates. But that’s Okay.
All those eggs are so pretty. Mary, you play the piano beautifully!!
All the quilts are so nice and I love your grey and pink!!
It is raining all week and more expected for the next week. We could just float away here in SC. Hope everyone stays warm and dry.
Hugs from SC
I am absolutely enamored with Hazel. If I weren’t 79 years old I would go get a dog as close to her as I could find. She is just precious and her antics make me laugh.
I love your pink and gray quilt please show it to us when your done quilting it thank you for sharing your creativity with us.Itruly look forward to read your blog it is the highlight of my day .thank you ,Janet
Years ago, my sister’s little dog kept sniffing and sniffing at an electrical outlet in her kitchen. After about a week, they took off the cover plate to show him there was nothing there, and inside, they found an electrocuted mouse!
No snow here.. yet .. prediction of snow 3 days next week!!
Also has not been above 25 at ranch lady 4 days. Next Tuesday predict low of -2 & high of 18….We are not supposed to have this type of weather!!!!! It is Texas ya’ll !!
Friends daughter was on way to work yesterday morning ( 6 am- she is L/D nurse) & was involved in the 145 car pile up in Ft Worth..trapped in her car for over 5 hours before could be extracted. Luckily injuries could have been much worse, she had few lacerations that required sutures & broken ankle. Her new SUV was totaled, A pickup truck wound up on top of her SUV. News film was unbelievable. Texas not used to ice & people drive like idiots ! I am home until the thaw. Did get quilt bound yesterday & hope to bind another today.
Nikki m – we saw that big pileup on the news – oh that poor young woman! We are used to ice and snow and also know how to drive in it. I just mostly stay home.
The Polar Vortex is getting even with us having mild winters last 3 years. Ms Maci waits as long as possible before going out.. then runs just off porch drops pees & runs back.. funny doesn’t have to sniff or find perfect spot ! Lol…