30 Days of Thankfulness: Thank You to My New Blogger Friends!

THANK YOU TO MY NEW BLOGGER FRIENDS
FOR JOINING MY BLOG!
I ENJOY READING YOURS SO MUCH.
I AM THANKFUL TO HAVE JOINED  THE
ONLINE COMMUNITY AND AM IN AWE
OF THE WONDERFUL TALENT THAT IS OUT THERE!

Newest Member to the Christmas Nutcracker Collection

It's time for a day of Down Time (aka A Good Movie!) From looking at many of my Blogger friends blogs (does that sound right?), I can see that they have already gotten their trees up, etc., but seriously y'all, I have got to find some energy from somewhere! I've got to put away all of my fall decor, wipe everything down, and dust off the shelves to make way for Christmas.  

I found the newest member to my Nutcracker collection at
Dollar General. I simply couldn't resist him for only $5.25!
Love the tall soft Russian hat. 

This candle from WalMart smells REALLY good.
I let it melt on my coffee warmer.

Now, to find some of that needed energy..., it's on to CHRISTMAS

Baby Flannel Play Quilt from Recycled Materials: Part Two and Finishing

So, I finally have gotten around to finishing my granddaughter's flannel play quilt. It's not easy to do in 80+ degree weather. When I started it, it was just going to be a "quick" quilt, but as I was sewing the squares together (please see Part One, click "baby" under my TAGS section) I kept thinking of things to add to it that would make it super cute.  I cut flowers and hearts from the left over parts of the backing (a twin flat sheet), and stitched them as appliques, before attaching the backing.  The small top square is a special hand stitched message to my granddaughter, noting the finishing date of Nov. 2011.

I left a 2 1/2 inch border from the backing material,
which I folded over for the binding 

I used a square template as a guide for attaching the backing.
I noticed two of the square's bobbin threads was loose, so
I did zig zag stitching down and across the rows.
An extra step but it turned out great!

It was fun to cut out the flowers and hearts from the scraps

Although the spray adhesive has a strong smell, it was a real life saver!
It held the backing nice and secure, even through all the turning and twisting.
I do recommend doing this outside, if possible.


I really enjoyed making this quilt! And not just because it was for
someone special.  It feels nice to see a project, any project, come together
when all the pieces are put into place.  

I'd love to know what you think about it! 
Your comments or questions are welcomed. 

Happy Quilting!
JoAnn  

30 Days of Thanks Day 23: God, Make Me Worth Feeding

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 22: Thankful for Humor and Laughter Jeanne Robertson

Nov 22nd: Today I am thankful AGAIN for the humor of Jeanne Robertson. Sometimes laughter can pull me out of a dark mood. Sometimes I just need to sit back and have a good laugh, just because. Jeanne  provides good clean humor. I do try I say TRY, to look for the humor in every day happenings.  I just love her term of endearment for her husband, "Left Brain." Here's her bit about bungee jumping. Enjoy!

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 21: ALH has her first tooth!

Fingers make the best 'chew toy'

Nov 21st: I am thankful today that my granddaughter has her first tooth! 

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 19: Thankful for Stephanie's Christmas Home Coming!

 

Nov 19th: Today I am thankful that my daughter, Stephanie, will be home from Spain in time for Christmas, arriving in Atlanta on December 24th! Talk about a sweet gift! We will also be meeting her boyfriend, Jorge, for the first in person face to face, not counting the Skpe messaging.  We are praying for their safe flight and are looking forward to spending a lot of time shopping, cooking, and just being together.  This will also be a terrific time for Stephanie to spend a bit of time with Anna Lynn, our granddaughter, her brother John's first baby, who is 6 months old.  Anna Lynn has been "talking" with her Aunt Stephie on Skype for the last few months, so it will be interesting to see how she acts when the REAL Aunt Stephie talks AND holds her at the same time :)  It will be a wonderful time for everyone.

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 17: Thankful for Friendship & Caring Friends

Nov 17th:  Today I am thankful for Friendship.  A very special lady I know (let's call her Miss J.) who is a very dear friend to me and seems to always find a way make me laugh. Just a simple phone call from her can brighten my day.  She has the funniest stories to tell!  She is one of the most caring individuals I know, who truly cares about people and how they are doing... IF they need, WHAT they need, HOW they need. The kind that bends over backward to help in any way she can. So, Miss J., today I am especially thankful for you, and all that you do!

My Operation Christmas Child Shoe box for Samaritan's Purse

This is my second year making a box for the 

Samaritan's Purse project, Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

First I grabbed an old shoe box, wrapped the outside 

with cheery Christmas paper and filled it with goodies 

for a 5 - 9 year old little girl. Here's how and a look at the goodies!

I didn't want to hand over a plain looking old shoe box!
So I dressed it up a bit by wrapping the outside and
top lid, taping it well. This way the lids can be removed and
contents inspected without wasting wrapping paper.

I think every little girl needs a Mermaid doll :)

Color crayons are one of my favorite childhood memories. 

I remember tracing the lines in the book, then coloring inside them. 

I love the smell of them!

Let's not forget about BUBBLES! My kids loved 

the bubble stuff when they were little. 

Add in a little candy, toothbrush and toothpaste,

soap and a hairbrush, and we're set!

Don't forget to tape on your label, indicating the age range,
and put inside the envelope the $7 for shipping charges.
Put on the lid and secure with a thick rubber band.

You can find your area's local drop off point

by logging on to the web site:

www.samaritanspurse.org/occ

or call 1 800 353 5949

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 14: Faithful, Loving Bulldog Family Pets

We found an almost identical ornament of our faithful and loving bulldog, Mister Vic

The Real Mister Vic
(uck-hum) I meant, Big Bad Bulldog (yeah right)

When he's not chasing wild country "wabbits" or other varmints, Mister Vic greets us with his tail a'waggin' and his tongue a' floppin'. Then he just sits down... and waits for US to go over and pet HIM.

(Who's got Who trained?) After a pet or rub on the head, down he goes, rolling on his back, just knowing he'll get his belly scratched. Then he's up on his feet, runs round and round in circles, and just takes off running! You think he's gone, then he zooms back by your legs and heads straight for his food dish.

He loves - LOVES - Walmart's Ol' Roy canned Cuts'n Gravy

(beef, to be specific) poured over a scoop of dry food.

(DRY dog food? BAD dog-parents! BAD)

Seriously, bulldogs are some of the sweetest, most loyal pets, esp. the Boxer bulldog. We had one, years ago. We loved her so much. And then she was gone. And we cried. I swore I'd never get THAT attached to another pet. But some have a way of wiggling their way inside your heart, like the above

pictured 'big bad bulldog'... who's literally scared of a KITTY CAT... but we love him anyway!

I'll add that bulldogs, like any other dog (or animal for that matter), will give you

THEIR lifetime of love and kindness, IF you give them the same.  

DID YOU KNOW

Helen Keller had a bulldog

Picture from Google Images

Picture from Google Images

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 13: Thankful for My Husband

Nov 13th: I am thankful every day for my husband, Ted.  This picture was taken on our 30th wedding anniversary, July 17, 2011. After 30 years, he's still the one! 

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 12: Proud to live in Georgia, USA

Nov 12th: Today I am thankful to live in Georgia, USA!  Here in Georgia we are within reasonable driving distance to lovely sandy beaches - Tybee Island, Jekyll Island, (and I'll go ahead and include our close neighbor Saint Simons Island and Hilton Head in South Carolina.) Our North Georgia mountains mark the Southern most point of the Appalachian Trail with the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. And then to the west, we have our own "Little Grand Canyon," official name, Providence Canyon. Although we are officially known as the Peach State, we have vast tracks of pine tree forests, grown both commercially and on personal property, like our little patch. And pecan trees... say it this way, PEA-CAN and not PUH-CON. They've been pea cans all of my life ;)  Not to mention we have some of the best Southern hospitality and fried food, and that includes chicken, shrimp, pork chops, oreos... That's right! Fried Oreo Cookies - THE BEST!  We have grits, both to eat and to brag about - Girls Raised In The South :) And with my husband sitting right beside me whilst I blog this, I cannot end this without including our University of Georgia Bulldog College football team. GO DAWGS!

And our choices are Dusty or Muddy, Out in the Country

I know, I know... WASH ME!  well, I did. 

It's the morning dew that makes the dust stick.

I'd go broke if I ran my truck through the car wash, 

even on an "as needed" basis,

which, in my case, would obviously be every other day.

Better stick to the weekly routine.

I suppose I COULD put in some elbow grease and do it myself, but... nah.

Gotta help boost the economy!  Going through the car wash tomorrow!!!

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 11: Thank You to Our Military

Nov 11th: Veterans Day: THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE IN ALL BRANCHES OF OUR MILITARY, PAST AND PRESENT, TO THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN LIFE AND LIMB, AND TO THE FAMILIES WHO SACRIFICE SO MUCH, SO WE CAN ALL BE SAFE AND SECURE.

Baby Flannel Play Quilt from Recycled Materials: Part One

This quilt top is made of cuttings from a 4-pack of baby flannel blankets,

which, by the time I washed and dried them a couple of times,

shrunk considerably. What to do? a light bulb went off in my head...

I cut each flannel blanket into four 10 inch squares, and

bought 1 yard of material, pink with white polka dots.

I machine stitched the squares together, on the 5/8" seam mark. 

Notes to Self: 

GET BETTER SCISSORS!

Get a cutting mat and a rotary cutter!!!

Do not cut using the previous piece of material as a guide!!!

Get the right size thimble - needle sticks hurt =(

Don't curse the material Buy a large seam ripper!!!

I recycled a portion of my old king sized mattress cover
to use as the batting.
I have picked out a lovely soft green print material as the backing.

Now, if I can just get my stitches the same size....  I 

need lots & lots of practice.

My goal this weekend is to finish up this project.

(if I can find the right thimble - I hate sore fingers!)

I will post pictures of the end result Monday... or Tuesday....

might better make that NEXT Friday ;)

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 10: Surviving Job Loss Thank You for our Jobs

Nov 10th: Today I am thankful for our jobs. But to say it that way sounds so hollow, and I don't want this to be one of those generalized 'thank you for my job' quotes.  I'm a part-time secretary, and I am very thankful for the good people I work for and with. (picture of my work station to follow soon) My husband lost his job early in 2011.  A GOOD job, not just an ordinary one. A job which he worked so very hard to achieve through 20 years of long grueling 12 hour shifts, mixed days and nights. It's hard to even write this, because the circumstances which led to OUR loss have not yet been resolved. However, we were blessed by God with another job, (though at a much lower salary and no benefits) largely due to my husband's extensive knowledge in multiple fields, but it's in other states - yes, plural. Still, I feel if we did not have our jobs, we would think solely of ourselves all the time. I think our jobs help us to focus on other things that need to be done and other people that need our help. A job can, at times, help take your mind off at least SOME of your problems, get you off the 'ME'-go-round.  So in these terrible economic times, if you have a job, PLEASE BE THANKFUL FOR IT, not matter what it is.

P.S. Here is the quote of the day from my Helen Steiner Rice calendar for November 10th:
"Not money or gifts or material things
But understanding and the joy that is brings
Can change this old world and its selfish ways
And put goodness and mercy back into our days."

30 Days of Thankfulness Day 9 Jeanne Robertson

Nov. 9th: Today I am thankful for the gift of laughter. And yes, I need to learn to laugh at myself most of all.  This "thanks" comes after a friend sent me the site of a female comedian, which prompted me to remember another comedian I had bookmarked in my old computer. Her name is Jeanne Robertson, (no I am not getting paid for this) a lovely, witty Southern lady with good clean humor. If you have not heard Jeanne, do yourself the honor of listening to her bit about sending her husband to the grocery store. Enjoy!

Nov. 8th: I missed posting yesterday the 7th due to a persistent migraine, therefore I am thankful to the medical and science communites that have created medications to help with this very real problem.

Nov. 6th: So thankful for the technology of Skype to be able to see and talk with my beautiful daughter, Stephanie, who is teaching English in Spain. Check out her blog: traveling girl with a suitcase heart. You can click the link under the blogs I follow list.

Nov. 5th - This morning I am thankful for the simple gifts of waking up to a lazy Saturday morning, beautiful sunshine with a nip of fall coolness in the air, and the smell of coffee brewing. Nothing beats a good hot cup of joe.

Nov. 4th - Today I am thankful for nature's beauty of Indian Summer here in the South, where we have one last burst of blooms before a winter's nap.

Nov. 3rd - My beautiful granddaughter has been very sick with a bad ear infection, and so I am very thankful she is so much better!

 Please feel free to post something YOU are thankful for.