A Small Thing

I got this in the mail today - as did a number of other people, I'm thinking!

Just a tiny rectangle of paper. But so much hard work and smartness and prayers and sacrifice and more hard work made it possible.

She loves the clinic and says we can have some pictures soon. There is a new website here.

Wonder if her patients know her "other side."



And it begins --- with a stack of papers to be filled out and signed. Then the sign will go up, and this house will officially be for sale. Panic time. The carpentry work is finished, the carpets are cleaned, 4 doors are painted. Almost there.

She's ready to go... Me? I'm just weary and needing a few more hours in my day.

This is What's Going On Today

Tony and Chris doing some good things to that back door area.




They're funny. They stayed until 7:30 and almost finished - just a few pieces to do tomorrow. They seem to love what they do and aren't satisfied until everything pleases them.

Between them, they have 4 children, and I heard a good bit of homework help going on.

My leisure activity lately.


Darby is banished to the bathroom while all these doors and gates are being opened and closed,

Another Surprise

When I found this heavy package on my front porch, I couldn't imagine what it was. I had ordered a small book, but this was clearly not it. Besides, the return address was from Sherry. In Ooltewah, TN. I just like seeing and saying that name. Oo-ta-wah, I think it is, according to the natives.



A friend of hers, Vista Anne Mahan , had written a chapter in this very interesting-looking book on Georgia Quilts. When Sherry was looking at it, she was surprised to notice the nice article on mill village life in Georgia, especially Trion, GA, not only because we spent most of our lives in Georgia in textile towns, but Mike's first job was in Trion at Riegel Textiles. She knew how much this would thrill us both, so she even got Vista Anne to autograph her chapter.



I haven't had a chance to more than skim this section, but it will be such fun to read. I miss Georgia, and it will be nice to revisit familiar names, not to mention the quilting articles. I can't wait to get started.



Such familiar names. Just thinking about how they're pronounced by the people from that area. Chattooga (the name of the county and the river) a lot of people pronounce Chat-tooga instead of Cha-tooga. Trion is Trine. Summerville is Somersveal. We had never lived anywhere but South Alabama, but it was surprising to us to encounter a slightly different accent. We had to rent a trailer for a few months while our apartments were being built, and our landlord who lived next door kept inviting us to an "oxen sale," saying that we would enjoy it. Being new in town and with nothing on our social calendar, we did go with him one Saturday night (right around the corner). Much to our surprise, there were no farm animals for sale but lamps and dishes and furniture. Turns out oxen was actually "auction." We still enjoyed it!

Riegel is now Mount Vernon and is going strong, one of the last of the denim-producing industries. CNN recently had a segment on them. We met Don, the president, when we were all in our 20s. A long time ago. He and Mike still talk pretty often.

Trion was the first town we lived in as independent "adults." Mike had graduated from Auburn, and we had money for the first time in our lives, both of us working at Riegel. We had new friends and new activities. Football-watching parties on the weekends. Exploring the mountains of N. Georgia and Tennessee. Playing a lot of bridge with our friends in the apartment next door. I think Mike did some fishing, and since a free country club membership came with the job, we played a lot of golf. Well, Mike did. I took lessons but never managed to get the ball into the air much. More like croquet. No children, no parents, and all the freedom and energy in the world. Seems like ages ago. I guess it was.

We learned our way around Rome and Chattanooga and went to Trade Day in Collinsville, AL, once where I begged for a beagle, played in the snow a couple of times a year, and drove our friends and acquaintances crazy trying to get them to take all those kittens our Nadine had every few months. I took my first and only motorcycle ride there (Sherry will remember - Mike won't). We were only there a couple of years before we were transferred to NE Georgia, but it was a fun time.

We went back through there once, and it was so changed. The pink trailer was there but smaller and more rusted. The first apartments were in the same place but sad and run down. It was still a pretty little town, though, with lots of fun memories.

Jacob the Cow

Beautiful creations by Lydia - the costume and that cute little face.




Small cows can never have too much security.

Bits and Pieces

This made me laugh.


I feel like this has been a great week even though it's pretty much the same as always. Maybe it's because I got the carpets cleaned yesterday after putting it off for - years. When we moved here the carpets were stained and awful-looking. Since I always clean my carpets before I show a house and sometimes after selling it, I figured the former owners had done the same and that this was the best it could look. I sort of ignored them and planned to replace them if I stayed here long enough. But with the plans to sell the house, I decided to do what I could to spiff them up.

I called a company with a name that makes Mike flinch: Peaches 'N Clean. I have to admit I picked them because of the name (I had seen the truck a lot in the neighborhood) and from a recommendation from someone. Mike worries about the poor guys having to tell people where they work.

I decided not to bother with those circulars that clutter the mailbox offering so many rooms for $99 and just go all out - not even ask the price. Nice professional receptionist who even called again the day before to remind me of the appointment and to put up breakables and again an hour before the appointment to say they would be running about 15 minutes late. I just now got a followup call, making sure I was satisfied.

The guys walked through the house and didn't shake their heads discouragingly or develop facial twitches when they saw the stains. They said they would "do their best

While they worked, I cleaned the oven, mopped the kitchen floor, and painted a kitchen door.

Mama didn't get her pecans, but she sat in the sunroom and read every word in the newspaper about the Birmingham Mayor's comeuppance (which I don't know about but will trust her that he got what he deserved). And napped. *Spellcheck does not like the word sunroom, but it didn't say a word about comeuppance.

One of the guys even changed a light bulb for me - and it wasn't easy for him, even with a ladder and him being tall. I could just reach the bottom of the fixture but was afraid of it falling when I unscrewed it. So I asked him if he would help. When you get to a certain age, you get to play the elderly - or short - card. He had no trouble reaching it but did have trouble juggling the 3 pieces. I felt guilty. A little. But mainly grateful that I didn't have to paint in the semi-dark.

When I walked through the house after they left, I nearly cried. It was spotless! I should have done this when we moved here. I keep walking around admiring every room. There was a place in front of my dresser that I had tried every combination of cleaners made and figured it was permanent. Guess what? Gone. I would run to a remembered spot and marvel that it was gone. I especially like the little plastic furniture shoes.

This was the worst room - the guest room - and it looks great.

I had three conference calls in a row last night starting at 6:00 and lasting until 8:00. The same person led them all, and since I do all 3 accounts, I pretty much stayed on the line the whole time. Beffie and I became very close. I even got some free advice about another account and about changes in general while we waited for others to join. We learned about weather in Minnesota, Michigan, Virginia, and Colorado, heard about another's vacation in Cancun, learned which husband won't get on a plane, voiced our frustration with bad dictators (who expect perfection), and stopped short of exchanging recipes. It's good to touch base with co-workers who are usually just names in email and IM. Recently one of the coordinators posted a picture of all five of them and asked people to write in and guess which was which. None of them looked like I thought they would - and I had even seen a picture of one of them. I picked right, but it's funny how you imagine someone looks just from their voice. Now I have to go use some of that knowledge I picked up from the calls - work knowledge.

My friend Lydia has a new blog in addition to her Etsy shop. She does the most beautiful work. I've told her how amazing I think she is, having a little one and working part time and still finding time to make all kinds of things. I'm going to pretend that the way we met wasn't because she emailed me to say she had gotten a sewing machine and wanted to ask some sewing questions. I guess I can take credit for giving her good advice, huh? I'm going to order a baby gift (when I find out his name), and I'll post a picture of it. She has grownup things too - take a look.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. I believe Mike might want to give his opinion on hotel coffee-makers soon.

Searches

Monday it was the flu shot. Tomorrow it's pecans.

We struck out on finding a place for Mama to get her flu shot until I heard that Target was giving them. I really didn't even know they had a pharmacy. I called the Montgomery one, and they were out but directed me to the Prattville Target. It was a nice little drive up I-65, and she got it with no trouble.

I spent my time poking around in the pharmacy section, mainly looking for a fever blister medication because, although I've never had a full-fledged fever blister, I recognize the lip tingling that means one is about to start. I think Abreva is the medication that's supposed to magically clear it up, so I thought I would get a tube just in case. I found it and seeing the $16 price tag certainly healed it on the spot. This is for maybe a one-inch tube. The package was big though, about the size of my hand. I figured I would take a chance on it doing what it usually does and getting better by itself.

The pecans we can get closer to home. The problem is when there will be some. We went last Thursday downtown to Tucker's Pecans, and they said to come back next week. I'm going to call today and see if they're in because Mama has her day planned tomorrow. The carpet cleaners are coming, and we're going to be banished from most of the house after 12:00, so she wants to sit in the sun room and watch her soap opera while she picks out pecans.

My trip(s) downtown yesterday are funny now, but I was seriously worried about myself for awhile yesterday.

I love having several hours of my own during the middle of the day. Normally there's some piddly little errand that eats into my 5-hour break. But yesterday was library day, and I was really looking forward to it. I tried to go Monday on the way from Prattville, but time ran out, and I didn't like to be rushed with Mama sitting in the car.

So I started down Atlanta Highway - it's a long way to downtown - and stopped by the bank first and then was driving along thinking my own thoughts, happy to be alive and looking forward to getting some new books and CDs.

Then I happened to glance at the seat beside me and saw my library bag. It looked a little flat laying there, but it took me a few seconds to realize there was nothing in it. I even looked, but I knew there was nothing in it. I knew I hadn't made a stop by the little counter in the breakfast room where I keep library books.

There was nothing to do but make a U-turn because those CDs were due that day, and there's a 50-cents-a-day fine for them. I was seriously beating myself up, but then I figured I would just get gas (which I would definitely need at the end of this day) and the newspaper before I sneaked back into the house to get the items. I amused myself by seeing how many lights I could make before having to stop and thinking happy thoughts again - trying to ignore my forgetfulness. I tried to call Debby to confess what I had done because I knew she would sympathize, but she didn't answer.

I drove into the garage, went into the door to the kitchen, and headed for the counter. To my surprise, there was nothing there. What?!! That's where they STAY. Who's moved them? A moment of panic until it came to me. Oh...... That trip to Prattville yesterday. I had put my library stuff in the back seat in case there was time to stop.

So. I rode those library books from one end of Montgomery to the other with them sitting right behind me. I guess I'm going to have to start pinning notes to myself. I do talk to myself a good bit - pretty bad talking yesterday - but I need something else.

A good thing. The glass guy just came and replaced the French door glass, quickly and without breaking it this time. I wish the carpenters would finish up so I could paint. On my break today, I'm going to get every last weed up, blow off the front porch and driveway (or why bother?) and wash all the bookshelves in the den. I love having all this storage. I'm afraid I won't ever have as much anywhere else as I do here. I even have kitchen cabinets with empty top shelves.




On second thought, this may be a two-day job.


I love zinnias. Even after cleaning out the flower bed, the ones I allowed to stay are just blooming like crazy.

Well, it's kind of more fun to talk about what I'm going to do than actually do it, but I'm off to tackle some of it anyway. If I can remember what it was I was going to do. I did just now get up to go find the camera to take a picture of the bookshelves and got distracted and took a chair to the storage house, found some paint, opened it, washed the pet dishes, took a picture of the zinnias and started pulling up weeds when I remembered I was in the middle of writing this. And even then, I answered 2 e-mails before I got back on track.
Life is good though!

Good Day to Stay Inside

It's days like this when I'm glad to work at home. It was such a nice feeling to wake up to the sound of rain this morning, realizing the only time I would have to go out in it would be to get the newspaper. I even pushed the snooze button a couple of times.

My striped maple that we thought had died last fall, but after Emily did surgery, it did quite well.

Darby is glad to have a morning in the sunroom.

A perfect day so far. Funny co-workers, cats sleeping beside me, and Darby snoring in the next room. Oh, and a great cup of coffee.

Birthday for Lise along with more pets in clothes

Happy Birthday to Elise today - wonderful daughter, good friend, and a fun person to be around. Always the one to pick me up when I'm having a bad day and make me laugh.

We love you a lot!

After hinting around for some Washington pictures for a month now, Karen and Ryan sent me some. Ryan's I will put up tomorrow.

Rico and Jack did not want to be outdone by the Littlefield Chihuahuas or the Birmingham sweatered cat, so here they are in their nice things. According to Karen, this is Rico's "good" sweater because he is on his best behavior when he wears it. Like standing on the back of the couch!



Jack will do anything for a treat, even wear outgrown clothes.



Jack says, "War Princess."




Those helium refrigerators in Issaquah are a pain to hold down.

It sometimes makes the workers irritable with each other when they fight over whose turn it is to get down and look out the window for cougars.

Since we don't have a dress-up picture of Griff, I found this old one. Wonder if he can still do this.

I did find this one of him sporting a hoodie and thrilled about it too.

 
Had to include this one. Little bear!

I agree with E.B. White

We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry." E.B. White

Thinking of the things that give me joy, there are plenty of little things. Working and housework and buying groceries don't give me joy. I do them and don't mind them, but it takes time away from the things I like to do. And life is short. And getting shorter. I can't say how many times in my life I've been forced to do things I hate and be around people who bore me or make me angry. The older I get, the more selfish I become with my time. Things that give me joy are my family, traveling (the little I've done), any sort of needlework (even though I'm easily frustrated with it), and stormy days (just not TOO stormy). Other things please me too, but these are things I pick out as special pleasures.

I was looking for a picture of some special quilt or something to go with this quote when I found this group of pictures. It makes my heart ache to think about never seeing these ladies again. Well I might could make it happen. We'll see.

When we first moved to Columbus, I didn't know anyone else in town. Not that that mattered. I don't normally get lonely or bored and seek out strangers. But I started talking with this lady in Wal-Mart, Mary. I found out that a group of them met at a Methodist church on Tuesday nights and quilted. She invited me to join them and told me where and when. I bet she never thought I would show up and "quilt" with them for over a year.




This is Mary with Edith in the background. She didn't confine herself to quilting but did knitting and crochet too. These are some Christmas scarves she was making at the time. Her family was very important to her, and she was always taking off to wherever they would take her. I think she was a little unhappy that they didn't want her driving to Kentucky or wherever by herself anymore.

I never quite sorted out all the relationships. Two were sisters. All of them had known each other most of their lives, growing up together or going to the same church. Most were widows. The only married one's husband was disabled maybe, maybe with Alzheimer's. She usually showed up on Tuesday nights, sometimes late, sometimes muttering, but always there. I think it was as much a part of their lives as church was. A couple of them had lost children also.

At first, I don't think they knew what to think of me, some stranger coming to join their circle and one who knew next to nothing about quilting. But I have to believe they enjoyed sharing their knowledge and helping me. I believe they were fascinated that anyone could be as klutzy and slow as I was, but pretty soon they accepted me and chattered away about anything and everything. I learned more about Columbus just from sitting there listening to them. And they weren't gossips for sure. Never a mean-spirited sentence (unless it was just absolutely necessary), but they reminisced and told funny stories and teased each other and me. If I wanted to know anything about anything to do with Columbus, I had only to ask. They had opinions on doctors, dentists, home repairs, books, thrift shops, carpet cleaning, cats, dogs, grandchildren, and certainly cooking! I can't think of all the subjects they covered.

No one bragged about their quilting or their other accomplishments, but it would come out that one person volunteered for Meals on Wheels, another at nursing home. Another one took meals every day to someone homebound. They made charity quilts and helped the needy and took food when someone died. They worked themselves silly for the Christmas Bazaar in November to raise money for the church. One even took in a wayward grandson and alternately horrified and amused us with tales of his adventures. I believe that was Agnes who is not in the pictures. She had the best stories!

Someone brought a dessert every Tuesday, and we had coffee and dessert at 7:30 on the dot after a devotional reading from a quilting devotional book. They shared recipes and talked about food a lot! They shared their day lilies and quilting patterns and loved to talk about their families.

I hate that I've forgotten all their names. I remember most, but there is one that I cannot remember. The sisters were Margaret and either Evelyn or Inez maybe.

Margaret had the honor of sitting to my left, and we were always dropping things and borrowing from each other. Such a gentle lady. Clearly one of the best dressed of the group. She shared lots of things with me quietly as we stitched, and I miss her the most, I think.


Margaret with Opal in the background. Notice her red socks. I think the pattern for the quilt she was working on had something to do with goose or duck tracks. I'll have to look it up, but I loved to hear her say it. There was a long discussion one night about that pattern. Goose steps, hen tracks, turkey feet? No one could remember the name of it, but everyone had a suggestion.

Opal was working on a maple leaf pattern. It turns out that her grandson went to school with my nephew in Birmingham and played football at Alabama.

  The sister made these blue quilts. I wish I could think of her name! So sweet. She's on the right in green. Her hand quilting just took my breath away. I believe the other person in the picture is Pat. She came only once in awhile, and I didn't get to know her.

These are the hands of Edith (also in first picture).

She was the most productive of the group. I think she made a quilt a month - or more. She was best at the LeMoyne Star. I think that's the name of this star. She could really turn them out. She showed me how to do it, and I would make one to every 10 she did. Oh, all these quilts were pieced and quilted totally by hand. I loved Edith's sense of humor, and sometimes our eyes would meet across the table when something strange had been said, and she would be grinning. She had a dry sense of humor and a rapid-fire way of delivering her funnies.




Here is Edith in the background with Frances. Frances was the busiest bee I've ever met. She just kept going with something every day. I don't know how she had time to quilt, and I don't think she produced as many as some of the others. This was a snowball quilt that she pulled out every time, but I think she was there for the fellowship more than the actual quilting. She also was pretty much the spokesperson for the group too and the most outgoing. Funny lady.

The church was in a rapidly deteriorating section of Columbus, but it was their church, and most of them lived nearby. It was heartbreaking to see them selling their houses to go to a safer place or talking of break-ins in their neighborhoods. When I was early, I would hate sitting there in the parking lot by myself until someone got there with a key and we could lock ourselves in. No one left early unless someone walked them to their car. Like that would have helped! But it felt safer. What a vulnerable group of little ladies. I hope they're still quilting on Tuesday nights. I sure would love to go surprise them one night. They've probably forgotten me already though. Once when I wasn't there, they signed my name on a card as "Brenda." Oh well. What's a name? They allowed me to come in and play with them.

Sunny Afternoon

After being huddled and curled up in the sunroom all night and the next morning, the animals figured the cold was here to stay, so they were pleasantly surprised to find such a nice afternoon for basking and licking and scratching various itchy places.

Since Sheepy got sent to the washing machine, Squirrel is the new favorite. I'm teaching her to put her toys in the toy bin when she comes in (something I failed to do with children). She's not sure about that, but she has mastered pulling them out very well.
We had a visit from Gray and Stephanie Saturday afternoon and got to meet Rascal in person.

Grandmama and her grand-beagle.



Rascal is not so sure he likes Mom loving on Darby. Darby is equally sure she's not crazy about beagles.