Quilting Post - for a change

Back in May 2 of my uncles, Mitchell {Butch} Bennett and Leo Waterman, passed away within about a week of each other.  In a note to my Aunts I let them know that I would be happy to help them make a quilt of their husband's shirts if they wanted. 

I realize now I should have sent a note as well to oldest of each of their children, as they were too overwhelmed at the time.

In November one of my cousin, Carollee Bennett, contacted me to say she would like to give her mom a quilt out of her dad's shirts.  She had seen my note and had contacted her Dad's sister who had taken some of his shirts.  She had 5 or 6 shirts to work with..  I wasn't sure how big a quilt I could make with just 6 shirts but I gave it a go. 

At a retreat I stated making 9 patch blocks, that seemed a good start.  But when I started laying them out the same colors ended up next to each other too much for my liking.  I had cut around the pockets and saved them.  A little more thought and I decided to do a barn raising with a neutral back ground I had used in the 9 patches.  I put the pockets in the center, but up closer to the top, maybe just under the pillow tuck.  Then I put the 9 patch blocks in rows of the same colors. I did use a non-woven iron on interfacing on the one flannel shirt in the batch.

 

Here it is on the quilting frame in my mother's dining room. My mother told some of her friends and some of my aunt's friends that she would have it up to quilt on it.

And so they came, including my Aunt Gert...

 

 

It starts pretty bit, but as everyone reaches the end of the comfortable stretch, it's time to roll.

 



 

 

And then after 4 hours one day and maybe 2 the next, Presto, it's quilted.

 

And that's how it's done in Portland, Michigan.  Quilting: the heritage that keep on giving.

Will pick up again on the trip post again shortly.
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Well, that's been a vacation. . .

I guess I need to back up a couple of months.  I retired on May 13.  I had a really nice going away party from the Law School.  About 80 co-workers, and professors came by to wish me well.
I and my mother had planned the next week to leave for a trip to South Carolina to see mom's sister, Patricia.  But during that week we had 2 uncles pass away.  Leo Waterman (pink shirt) and Mitchell (Butch) Bennett (2nd from right).  Unfortunately that means all my mom's surviving sisters are now widows.

Mom's bd Nov. 2015

 

 So our trip was delayed by a week. Pat came up from SC for the funerals and we left just ahead of her to go to SC.

 

I took a different route this time to stop at Mary Jo Fabrics in Gastonia NC.  A much talked about store for quilters. Only I had forgotten our altered schedule so we were there on a Sunday.  There webpage didn't have Sunday hours listed so we didn't bother with the detour.  We did hit it on the way back north and I got lots of fabrics for my veteran's quilt project.

 

It is amazing to me as I travel around how much this land changes in such a short time.  Michigan is nice rolling with lots of forests. Northern Ohio was flat.   Then you slowly starting hitting the hills.  Bit of a change for me.

 

 

 

 

We had a wonderful time visiting with Aunt Pat and members of her family.  A couple of days after we got to Edgefield, we left for Hilton Head.  It was nice but a tropical depression blew in while we were there, but wasn't much worse than some of our thunder storms.  We got to the beach a couple of times.  Here is what a couple of 80+s look like. 78 degrees in the condo and they're cold with the air on. They couldn't understands why I didn't want to cover up too.

 

 

All in all it was a wonderful visit.  And we really appreciate my aunt's hospitality.

 

Safe trip there and back, but were glad to get home.

 









Family fun

This past Christmas 3 of the four grands were able to make it to Grandma's house for Christmas eve.
And all 3 great grands were there to add to the fun.

Jack and Molly just keep growing.  And you would never know little Wren was born just a little less than a year ago with D-Transposition of the Great Arteries.  Her progress after open heart surgery has been amazing.  And then we found out she is going to have a new litter sister in July 2016.

 

Denise and Jason weeding through Dennis's stash looking for items for their etsy sites.

 

Vacation with Mom

Back in June I was off work.  I have seen a bucket list for things to see and do in Michigan.  I kept seeing photos of picture rocks and wanted to go up.  So mom and I took a little excursion.  We headed straight up to Manistique.  I had heard of the Big spring aka Kitch-iti-kipi and thought it was a good start.  Our hotel the first night have us a view of Lake Michigan.  But of course the fog rolled in about 4 pm and obstructed the view.  Next morning we headed off in search of the big spring.  It was pretty easy to find and ended up being pretty interesting.


From there we headed up to Munising for the picture rocks boat tour.  The afternoon we went out was pretty overcast and it rained a little while we were out.  It was really a pretty impressive sight of mother natures work.

The ceiling of this cave collapsed over the winter.  No more kayaking through here.

I was surprised by the beautiful green color of the water.
I had thought about going to Tahquamenon falls but the mosquitoes had been soooo bad at the big spring that I decided to pass on that.  And I had been there as a kid so it was already checked off the list.  So we decided to head home via Petosky, Charlevoix and Traverse City.  It ended up being just a 4 day trip but I think we both enjoyed getting away.

More recent happenings

My what a difference a few weeks makes.  After six years of dealing with a knee that has given me pain, had a torn meniscus, and has become just work out I bit the bullet and had a total left knee replacement on February 2.  For my surgeon I chose Dr. Brian McCardel who put my shattered right ankle back together 20+ years ago.  Surgery was very straight forward and after 2 days in the hospital on day 3 I transferred out to Ingham County Rehabilitation Services on Dobie Road, much to my mother's dismay. 

She really wanted to take care of me in the worst way but I knew what I needed was professional care and therapy.  Once the decision was made back in January to have the surgery I dedicated to doing as much as I could to improve my changes of a good recovery.  I did the exercises the hospital recommended and the exercises my trainer recommended.  I went to they Y 3 days a week to ride an elliptical bike and to build my strength and stamina. 

From the surgery 20 years ago I know surgery can really sap your stamina. But it all paid out in aces.
The first Thursday I was at rehab they did an evaluation of me and I think I kind of blew the therapists away.  Straight away I could climb stairs with no problem. I could pedal a mile in 15 minutes.  Every day they devised another test for me.  Standing and throwing weighted balls at a small trampoline.  Wandering around the gym looking for hidden playing cards (stamina).  The 2 main therapist I worked with were John and Matt.  Both were great and very encouraging. 

I was released to go home on 2-16.  A friend, Jo Lange, took me to lunch and then took me home. What a relief to sleep in my own been in a very very quiet house.  More to follow time for a nap.

Jason & Denise's wedding

This week my mom received some wedding pictures from my niece who got married in August.
So I finally have some decent pictures to share.  It was a lovely affair on a rooftop in Manhatten with the Empire State Building as a backdrop.

 

It all was very lovely.

 

Wedding shower

The weekend of June 14 my niece Jennifer, my mom, Phyllis and I put on a wedding shower for my youngest niece who is getting married in August in NYC.  We worried about how to have a shower where she wouldn't have to figure out how to get everything back to NYC.  Shipping to her residence isn't possible as items can't be left as they would sit on the stoop.  And sending it to her work address would mean having to schlep the items home on the train.  So we decided to have a gift card shower for her and Jason.  That way they can get exactly what they need/want.

We had the perfect day.  The Friday before it was only about 54 degrees and very cloudy all day. Saturday found us with clear sunny sky, and temperatures in the 70's.  So we were able to have the shower out in my mother's backyard.  It turned out very nice and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

 

Gift table

 

Refreshments were set up on the porch.

 

 

A few of the guests.  These were former co-workers of my sister-in-law.

 

 



 

Bride to be Denise

 



 

Denise with Grandma Beard

 



Chloe Centino, Jason's mom, Denise, and Rebecca Beard, Denise's mom

 

Grandma Beard with the grand and great grand daughters.

 

Pamela with daughter Molly, Denise and Jennifer

 

Big 60

So a couple of weekends ago I threw myself a 60th birthday party.  I figured surviving to this age rated a party as there were times in my life I didn't think I would see 35 let alone 60.  But as life has gone on and I have come to accept my singlehood instead of pining for the relationships/marriages that my friends have, I've grown comfortable.  Now I fully expect to see 85 at a minimum.

I had the party at SmittenDust which is a friends business in an old brick building in Dimondale.

I had fun making table runners, whose fabric will be used to make quilts for children in local hospitals through our guild's heart warmer's program.  The vases on the tables will get reused for my niece's bridal shower in June.  I had family, quilting friends and highschool friends.  And I think everyone had a pretty good time.

Quilting friends

 

 

Family



High school friends

 

Where has the time gone...

Can't believe September is already here.

The first part of August I and my mother went down to Bourbonnais Illinois to see my nephew and his wife, Darryl and Anna.  We got there about 6 pm on Friday. Saturday we had lunch with Anna's grandmother and parents.  The grandmas hit it off at the wedding 2 years ago.

After lunch we went to see Jennifer and Leif in their new apartment in Chicago.  Nice newly refurbished space.

When we headed down to Navy Pier because the tall ships were in town.  We walked the pier and found some of the ships out sailing.  We had supper outside and I was completely entranced by looking at the skyscrapers and all their lights.  It was just very magical.  I think we left at 10 am that morning and didn't get back to Darryl & Anna's until 10 pm.  Long day, but we really enjoyed it.

When the next weekend I volunteered to white glove at a national quilt show in Grand Rapids.  As it happened my roommate from Ireland, Mickey Donahue and a friend, Karen, were in GR for the show.  So I went up Friday right after work and we were able to go out to dinner and have a good visit.  Got to hear all about Mickey's extra week in Ireland.

 Following are a few photos from the show.  Dennis came down and took me out to lunch after my white glove shift was over.  On the way back to the convention center we stumbled across a small antique show where I found a few treasures,  then we went back to the show and had a look at the show and vendors.