Happy Birthday, Sister Goldenhair...

Yesterday would have been my sister, Lyn's 70th birthday. This is her second celebration in Heaven. I know she and Dad celebrated with the rest of our loved ones who went before, but those of us she left behind sure wish she could have celebrated with us. 

This photograph was taken just after I turned 50. I'd like to think we would have celebrated this birthday with another photo shoot. It wasn't to be, but I wanted my daily diary blog to reflect that she was in my heart and on our minds, today and every day. Love never dies...

Happy Birthday, Lyndy.

 

So Much Fun...

I went to town Saturday afternoon to spend time with family, and friends who are family. We were celebrating my second-eldest niece, and my eldest niece's daughter who both had birthdays this month.

One flew in from Colorado and the other came from Minnesota with her mumma. Also in attendance were my sister Lyn's widow, and her ex who essentially raised her two daughters. (Yes, the guys do get along well.) Add two aunties, a nephew, dear friends, and besties, and we had everyone we needed to have a great celebration.

I stayed about four hours and then came home. I was so happy to see everyone and share in the celebration. The girls were staying at my Mother's so it was a short visit for me. I hope next time we can have them here for an overnight. It was a great start to our holiday weekend.

 

Happy Birthday, Carly!...

Liljegren's Suncoast Carly

Happy Sixth Birthday, Carly! Six sure looks great on you. You're a source of laughter and pride in our household, and we're so glad we get to share our corner of the world with you.  

Carly Puppy

From the moment we chose you, we knew you were something special, and every day you prove us right. 

We love you bunches, and will make today extra special for you, Carlita Puppita Mamacita (Mom's nickname for you)! 

Brynwood Nantucket Table Runner - Front

Time to share my completed table runner. I'm happy with how If turned out. It finished at 16" wide x 64" long.

Brynwood Nantucket Table Runner - Reverse

I was such a smarty pants that I thought I didn't need to read all the pattern instructions. I was wrong. By the time I figured it out, I had two completed blocks that were wrong. Note that there was no green or black anywhere on these blocks.

I started frogging my stitches, but ended up thinking I can cut and resew faster, so I set those blocks aside and recut the lighter colored fabrics. In no time I had all the blocks sewn for the front, and would have chosen a whole cloth backing...until MA (Magpie Mumblings) suggested I make the runner reversible.

I grabbed the blocks I'd set aside, made two more, and sewed them together for the back. Once I added the batting, I quilted the front, batting, and back together  I added the binding, and by 11pm Thursday night, I placed the last stitch in the binding to complete my table runner.

It appears schedules prohibit us getting together with the Birthday Girl, so I've boxed it up and will mail it off.

Today is Craft Day, so I'm in Portage this morning. I have no idea what we're making today, but I'll have photos to share on Monday. Gotta run. See you later!

Nantucket Table Runner Top...

Nantucket Table Runner Top

I completed the top for the table runner I'm making as a gift. There are two more blocks just like these that make up the entire top. Each block is 16" square, for a length of 64", which will be perfect for their large table.

I'll finish the putting it together today. I'm going to use black for the binding, but I'll decide what will be on the back side when I do the assembly.

I'm going to get it quilted today, too, so it will be ready to wrap and gift. I hope she likes it!

 

Table Runner Time...

One of our daughters-in-law celebrates a birthday next week. She uses table runners all the time on their main dining table, and I've gifted her seasonal runners in the past to adorn it. So, I think it's time to make a new one for her. I'm leaning toward one of these.

I'm also going to be seeing a dear friend, Judy (from Tennessee) this weekend, as she's going to be in Wisconsin for a competition event. Her corgis run in FASTCAT, which is a timed running event. Each dog individually chases a lure and is the only one on the course. I'm not sure of all the rules, but I think they get two chances to achieve their best time. I'll tell you more about it after the weekend, and there will be photos!

I'll be a spectator for her two dogs, plus get the added  bonus of visiting with her. When I'm home, I'll be sewing. I may do one of these patterns, or I may decide to do a pieced runner. Either way, I'll quilt it when it's done (by mid-week) and finish it in time for our DIL's birthday. I'll definitely share what I decide with you.

Enjoy your weekend, friends. I'm sure looking forward to mine!

 

Onward, Birthday Girl!...

Me At Seventy One

I spent the day in the studio (Big Reveal tomorrow!), and then Handsome and I went to Wendi's for my hair appointment. By the time we got home, the temperature had dropped into the 20ºs and it was windy. I was freezing, and so were my newly-uncovered ears! lol I went straight upstairs and changed into my warm, comfy sweats!

Handsome had gone out in the morning to the butcher shop up the road that sells local beef, and chose two tenderloin steaks for dinner. When I opened that package to grill them, they were huge! I cut one in half and then butterflied the halves for our meal, freezing the other for another time. 

While I was with Wendi getting my hair cut, he went to the grocery store and bought a birthday cake for dessert. So, I was telling everyone we were having steak and cake for my birthday dinner! 

I finally started to warm up after a steaming hot cuppa and dinner, and the sweats didn't hurt either. Before bedtime, I asked Handsome to "take my picture" and this is the result. This is who I am most of the winter. Of course I dress up to go out, and there's my work uniform, but at home, I'm most comfortable in this attire. Function before form, right?

I'll be debuting my completed bluebird project on Instagram, Facebook and here tomorrow. I can't wait to show you! For now, I'm making my list of Christmas projects so I can get started on those next. 'Tis the season!

Celebratin'...

71st Birthday Web Image

It's official. Today I begin my next trip around the sun. 71 and aiming for 100. Women in my family are long-lived, and I hope to be among them...in time.

I'm going to share my official "71" photo tomorrow (along with my completed bluebirds) rather than today because I have a hair appointment at 4 pm, and I'm a bit frowsy right now. lol I know. It's not like I'm actual royalty or anything. Just ask Handsome.

After I complete the bluebirds, I'm going to rest on my laurels the balance of the day. When I go out for my hair appointment, I intend to return with my actual Birthday cake, too!

I'd love to stay and chat, but bluebirds are impatient. I'll be needle dancing this morning, and then slow dancing with Handsome to one of our favorite songs later this afternoon. If you share my birthdate, let me know! I'd love to celebrate you, too!  See you tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Carly!...

Our sweet Carly turned FIVE yesterday!! Both Handsome and I were home all day, so we could spend the day pampering our girl. She got a great workout in the yard in the morning, and finished the day with extra treats. In between were snuggles and a few other 'triever-approved snacks.

She had so much fun, in fact, that she's already looking forward to Number 6. Us, not so much. Time passes much too quickly as it is, and we're content to slow time down for our pups. The more time we have with them, the better.

I'll share more photographs tomorrow from the weekend, but today it's all about our pretty Carlita Puppita Mamacita. That's my nickname for her. She likes it, too!

I'm working today to fill in for a co-worker who's already given her notice and now can't make it to work today. Nice, huh? I don't mind at all, though. Then, I'll have my regular hours tomorrow and Friday evening. I'm planning to get some "bluebird time" in mid-week, but for now I'd better get moving. Don't want to be late for my "Donna to the rescue" hours!

Happy Birthday, WMBBD!...

Here's our beautiful girl, Bella on her tenth Birthday. There's nothing more sweet and dear than an older dog...especially this one.

She recently rebroke her foot from an old injury before Carly was born, so she's fully retired now. She was simply running to make a retrieve and came up carrying her foot. Of course, we immediately packed her into the truck to the vet's office where the diagnosis was made. 

We aren't no longer allowed to throw retrieves for her anymore because the "push off" force she uses to get to the mark could further injure her. She loves nothing more in this world than to retrieve to Handsome or me. It's always been so much fun to watch her work, but now Bella will only be able to run on her own which doesn't have that same force as with the effort to retrieve.

Her foot is healing and doesn't need a cast, splint or bandages, so we're very careful not to over stimulate her which might cause her to relapse. I guess it's a hazard of her getting older, so we have to curb her activity, as she won't. She'd happily fetch until she dropped.

While Carly's features are finer than Bella's, you can tell who her mama is. I took this of the two of them and love how they're both so focused. Like mother, like daughter.

Today I'll be making some special pup treats for them, along with extra snuggles and pets for Bella and Carly. I think it will be a perfect day for a little Birthday party!

Wynter's Kitty Purse...

Wynter's Kitty Purse - Front

 

I completed Wynter's little purse on Sunday. Once I made my final color decision, it was pretty easy.

Wynter's Kitty Purse - Back

I even put a kitty tail on the backside of her bag. Claudette always carries her tail like a question mark, so that's the shape I gave the tail on Wynter's purse.

Wynter's Kitty Purse - Zipper Pull

In anticipation of some special project bags I've been contemplating, I have two different styles of cat zipper pulls in my inventory. This one seemed perfect for Wynter's purse.

Wynter's Kitty Purse - Lining

I used the same lining for Wynter's that I used for her big sister's puppy purse. Puppy or kitty paws? I don't think she'll mind either way. As you can see, I used my name label for the inside. That way she can remember that her aunty designed and created this just for her.

I'm starting a project for Handsome today. I want to have it finished before he goes to Florida, but as he's going to be flying, I'll likely ship it to him along with a few other things he'll need while he's away. 

I have another busy week ahead...work Tuesday; a doctor's appointment and dinner with my old classmates on Wednesday; work Friday; Craft day and Annabelle's Birthday party right after; and Wynter's Birthday party on Sunday. Handsome leaves next Monday, so I'll be spending as much time in between as possible with him as he gets ready. I might have to call the elves back into service to help me out. lol As they say in the movies when things get exciting..."Hold on!" as you join me on my whirlwind week.

Kitty Purse, It Is...

After reading all your wonderful comments, I decided to follow your (our) instincts and go with "Kitty Purse"! I worked on a few different drawings, and this is my final for a pattern. I'm not making the face the entire front because I don't want to have ears sticking up off bag. I will put a tail on the back though, too! hee hee

Wynter's cat is a grey and whitish kitty, so I started pulling cork colors that might work for my design. I'm not happy with the really dark grey, so I may do something else, but this is where I'm starting. I'm going to go through my scraps to see if I have a mid-grey tone, and if so, I'll change out that dark one. I haven't decided what color for the base color for the purse, so I'm still working on that.

I'll go through more of my cork scrap bins today to see what I can come up with, and will update you when I start cutting and sewing. I'm looking forward to working on it, so I'll probably do more later this week.

My Dillema...

Ellie's Puppy Purse

So, here's my dilemma...I've been planning to make the sweet dress for Wynter that I shared with you earlier this week. Then, I was reminded that I made this purse for her older sister, and had promised a little kitty purse for her.

So, now do I make the kitten purse as originally planned, or change direction? I haven't cut fabric for either yet. (Wynter does have a living, breathing, light gray kitty, so I'd use that as a base color in cork.)

Help! Feedback appreciated.

A Birthday Dress...

While attending my g-g nephew's party this weekend, I was reminded that his middle sister's birthday is the end of this month. So, I've decided that I'm going to make a party dress for her! I simply love sewing for little girls, so I'll make hers, and then when her big sister's birthday rolls around, I'll make another for her. Note: This little boy is the son of one of her parent's friends. It's not a photo of her little brother.

I had quite the lovely interaction with this sweetheart on Saturday. We were playing a mini version of volleyball with a party balloon, and after playing for quite a while, I managed to bring a few other kids into the game. I had a method to my move. As I started to walk away thinking she'd turn her attention to playing with the other kids, she stopped and protested that she wanted to play with me. Who could turn her down? Not I. We continued to play until she tired of the game.

This is the pattern for the dress I'll be making for her. I've done this one before, making matching dresses for my twin great nieces more than a few years ago, so it will be fun to do it again in new fabrics. I'm leaning toward the style in the middle, and I'm sure I have perfectly girly fabrics for the dress and pinafore.

While I do have some time before the official party, I'd really like to not wait until the last minute to make this. I'll have to make sure my daily lists allow for time set aside to work on it. 

This week, I work today - and then I added daytime hours on Friday to help out my boss. As I only worked six total hours in the past two weeks because of the holidays, I'll be adding twelve hours to my regular ten each week for the next two.  As long as I'm planning ahead, I'm sure that I won't have any trouble at all completing the birthday dress. 

I'll definitely share my progress on this project, but for now, I'm off for my regular Tuesday six hour day. I'll play with my fabric choices first, and let you see my selections soon. See you later!

A Party Weekend...

Saturday found me at a 70th Birthday party for a dear friend and high school classmate, Karen. She hasn't been able to attend our monthly dinners because she's been battling cancer, but we were all invited to her party. 

Her two daughters and two sons hosted a wonderful celebration for her, and although she'd had her treatment the day before, she showed up. When she got tired they had a rolling chair for her, but she mostly went from table to table, thanking everyone for showing up. The kids had hired a professional photographer who followed her all evening, taking pictures with friends and family.

The food was outstanding - all buffet style - so no one went home hungry, and the cake and cookies were fabulous sweet treats. The cookies came in the same colorway as the dogwood cookie above, some with her name on them, some with "70", these flowers, and hearts. They didn't miss a single detail to celebrate their mom. It was so heartwarming to be a participant, and I'm sure Karen must have been exhausted by the time she went home. We continue to pray for a miracle that will remove all the cancer from her so she can live a long life with her children and grandchildren...family and friends.

On Sunday we celebrated this two-year-old sweetheart. He's my great-great nephew. As soon as I walked in the house with his wrapped gift, his mama got all excited and said, "I think I know what that is!" She could hardly wait until later in the day for him to open it, and she was a tickled as he was. Perhaps more.

His daddy has a smoker, so there was delicious smoked, pulled pork as the headliner for lunch. His mama made her tasty macaroni and cheese, and there were lots of other sides - and cake. At one point during our meal, my nephew said, "Must be good. Nobody's talking." He was right. 

I got back home by mid-afternoon and for the rest of the evening, Handsome referred to me as a "social butterfly" because I'd been to parties both days. Then, as we sat down before dinner, I got a message from "sis" Deb inviting me to lunch today with another group of ladies. Of course, I jumped to accept the invitation, furthering the cajoling from my husband. 

I have a few things I need to do this morning. Time for my annual doctor's wellness visit next Monday, so I need to go for my lab work today. Off to lunch after that. THEN, I'm coming home to celebrate this guy's Birthday!

I've already given his gift to him, but when I get home, I'll be making a special dinner and dessert. Have I told you he loves my cooking? We'll be spending a quiet afternoon and evening here at the farmhouse, but it's going to get busy soon.

He's seen all four of his specialists who've given him a clean bill of health. All his "troubles" from this summer and fall have healed, and he needs no further treatments. That being the case, we've decided that he's healthy, willing and able to go to Florida for a little while and make music with his friends. So, he's currently finalizing plans, and he'll leave some time this month. Happy Birthday, Darlin'.

One more celebration...My dear friend, Linda shares a Birthday today with Handsome. I want to wish her a wonderful day today, too. I'll be making a phone call before the day is over. Happy Birthday, Linda Mae.

Seven Decades...

Brynwood Needleworks - It's My Birthday

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this just about says it all for me. Our daughter-in-law snapped this photo over the weekend. She loves the blue wall backdrop and is working on a series of pictures of family members - either serious or cutting up - in front of it. Although I also gave her a serious, happy pose, this was (one of) me being silly, and it's my favorite.

I think this perfectly captures how I feel about this Birthday. Being 70 is a blessing, and as most women in my lineage reach their late 90's and even 100's, I'm happy to be right here right now. 

So, even though I'm working my six hour shift today, I'm going to celebrate...and I'll continue the partying right through the end of this month. Handsome and I will do something special after I get past the show this weekend. Then I'll take a short, celebratory breather before I start making the annual Grammie's Jammies.

If you're friends with me on Facebook, you'll know that I'm sponsoring a fundraiser for Critter Junction Pet Rescue, LLC of Fond du Lac, WI the rescue that gave me so much help with Claudette and Crystal when they had their litters of kittens.

When both of my little girls were pregnant with litters of kittens - and then Claudette came up with an injured paw - Renee at the rescue helped me with advice, and then took in both cats until after they weaned their litters. Once the kittens were weaned, both mamas went by transport to a clinic that spayed both of them. The kittens were all placed in loving homes and while Claudette immediately came home, Crystal came back after escaping her adopted home. All of the medical help was done at no cost to me, even though I donated the costs for the spays back to the clinic. I also take bags of food to them when I'm able. They're a great cause, and I thought giving back to them would be a great way to celebrate this Birthday. They rely solely on donations, so if you're so inclined, any amount helps them take care of other homeless animals. If you're not on FB, you can click on the name of the rescue above. I made it a link right to the donation page.

Gotta run now. I don't want to be late for work and get hollered at on my Birthday. I'm looking forward to the best of all days. See you tomorrow!

Happy Birthday, Carly!...

Carly turns FOUR today!!!

Happy Birthday to the prettiest (she's the daughter of WMBBD, after all), silliest, and most talented little Labrador around. 

It's hard to believe she's already four. Time sure flies. As serious and driven in the field as she is, get her in the house and you just can't imagine how goofy she can be. We laugh at her nearly every day. 

Yesterday, her fixation was a rolled up sock she stole from Handsome. He took it away and set it aside more than once, only to find her sitting - alert and singularly focused on her prize. She always ended up with it in her mouth, carting it around like it was a field retrieve.

In the field, it's hard to stump her. You only can accomplish that one time for a new drill, and then she masters it as though she's done it one hundred times...with much flair, I might add.

She yodels for her meals, and talks when she has something on her mind...which is almost all the time! 

I'm sure we'll come up with something fun for her to celebrate her special day. I'm off to Portage for the morning, but the day won't pass without us giving her a special treat and letting her know how much she means to us. You know we do that every day for all our critters, but there's always something different on their birthday. As Handsome is home, it won't involve a "frilly, girly collar" like I got for Bella, but she'll be treated, nonetheless.

Happy Birthday, Carlita Puppita Mamacita!

Love, Mom and Dad (and your real Momma, Bella, too)

Birthday 2023 In The Can...

 

Saturday was a beautiful tribute to my sister. So many friends and family attended her funeral, and we all shared many happy memories. 

When we got home, I changed my clothes into something comfortable, and while I fed the cats, Handsome took care of airing and feeding the dogs. Just as it got dark, it began to snow. I went upstairs and took a two hour nap. I was gassed. 

By the time I woke up, the snow had stopped. Handsome and I had a bite to eat and went to bed at our usual time.

 

Handsome woke me up yesterday morning with a "Happy Birthday", and "you might not want to look out the window". He was right. Mother Nature snow bombed our area of the state - and it was still snowing. We had Birthday plans in Milwaukee, and this weather threatened to cancel everything we wanted to do.

After checking our weather apps, it appeared that most of the weather was north of us, and that we would likely drive out of it on our way south. We decided to go for it, and we're really glad we did.

 

 

Handsome had purchased tickets for us to see a screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 at the Riverside Theater. Just like The Prisoner of Azkaban four winters ago (I saw with our granddaughters), the Milwaukee Symphony performed the music score along with the movie. The maestro encouraged audience reactions, and they weren't disappointed.

The program began at 1 pm and ended around 4. We'd originally planned to stay in town for dinner, but we left the dogs in their crates at 10 am, and felt it was getting to be a long stretch for them, so home we went. We had a joyfully unfancy dinner of hot dogs, tater tots, and homemade applesauce. A perfect meal to end a perfect day. 

 

Of course, you know I'm still going to stretch our my celebration as long as possible, so this is just the beginning. I'm looking forward to seeing what will be next.