Life's Motto

I recently found this over at Domestic Witch's blog. I love it!

I googled it to try and determine its origins but alas I could not find it. I did find out that it's been around for approximately 20 years, though. And it comforts me to know that not everything changes from one decade to the next. LOL.

Anyway, here it is:

Life's Motto
The objective is not to arrive safely in an attractive, well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, glass of wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming,
"WOO HOO what a ride!"



Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry

Faery Wish Boxes

Today I would like to share with you these little boxes that I created as Christmas presents for three of my nieces. Luckily, I had three little girls who are just crazy about faeries and the boxes were a huge success!!!

I found a pattern online for an Exploding box and tweaked it to fit my purpose. I sized it down to make a 3" cube, made the lid lip deeper, and trimmed to compensate for the thickness of the fabric. Then taking each of my nieces' personalities into consideration, I chose fabrics, colors, added lace, charms, bobbles, and other embellishments to each box.

I also added a ribbon pull closure onto the outside of the box to make it easier to close. All those parts are a challenge for little hands. The unexpected bonus to that was that since the box didn't open flat not only did the Faery Dust stay put but it created a nice little self-contained bit of scenery and fantasy. At the end of each ribbon pull I added a charm (Dream. Hope. Believe.) for decoration and inspiration.

I created little bottles of Faery Dust by using a 1/2 dram glass bottle with a screw on cap, a few drops of Grape seed oil and some glitter. And since it's really messy stuff if it gets spilled, you will notice that when I wrote the poem I tried to make it clear that the bottle must NOT BE OPENED.
This of course was done under the guise that to do so would allow the Magick to escape. I even tried to re-enforce that warning with the little sign above the bottle. But what was the very first thing my nieces tried to do???? Oh yeah - it was opening the bottle. But seriously, what did I expect? LOL .

And finally, I also tried to head off any complaints of, "My wish didn't come true!" by adding the, "meant for you" caveat. Ya gotta think ahead with kids! Here is the poem:


I am your Faery
And believe you must
When making a wish
With your Faery dust.

You can shake if you like
But leave the cap on
Or the magick inside
Soon will be gone.

Now, make a wish
Then wait to see
If what you want
Is meant to be.

For not all wishes
Will come true
'Twill be only those
Which are meant for you.

I chuckle at this because my youngest niece told me that her wish had come true. That she wished for grandma to come and live with them - and she did. Boy, did I get lucky there!!!

I really think that these boxes would be a wonderful idea for items to list in my Etsy Shoppe. I also think that the concept alone lends itself to numerous possibilities, applications, and variations. Although, they would probably be most suited to teens or adults because they are made out of card stock, after all. They aren't fragile but they aren't really designed to stand up as a toy or plaything. So, as soon as I work out some of the kinks, I'll get a few made up.

As always, click on the image to enlarge it.


Well, that's it for now. Thank you for joining me. Have a wonderful weekend and Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!


Gerry

Christmas Funnies & Stuff

(REPOST - IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THE FIRST TIME)

I have received so many Christmas related jokes, stories, etc., lately that I thought I would post them. Well, there is NO WAY that I can post them ALL but here are a bunch to get you going and keep you busy. Also, feel free to pass them along. Most came from emails, some as links in 'greetings', some from groups, and some I found archived in my own files.

Please be warned that some of the items listed will be funny, some touching, some silly, and some a little risque. Nothing 'RANK' but read and/or 'click' at your own doing. Enjoy!


Mommy's Letter to Santa:
Dear Santa, I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my daughter's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

1. I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

2. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

3. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

4. On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

5. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

6. If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

7. If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

8. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my daughter saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think she wants her crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, MOM...!

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.



CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPE (variation):
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Crown Royal/Whiskey/Rum

Sample the liquor to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the liquor again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point it's best to make sure the liquor is still OK. Try another cup - just in case.

Turn off the mixer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl. Chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit off floor...Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a dewscriver.

Sample the Liquor to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.... who giveshz a sheet. Check the Liquor Lickity.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of ar, or somefink.... whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the bottle of Liquor. Make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.


Cherry Mistmas!

Merry Christmas Sisters!!
THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT - Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you, or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins and extended family all bless our life.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead, nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful. I just did.

There are more than 20 angels in this world; 10 are peacefully sleeping
on clouds, nine are playing, and one is reading her email at this moment!

Happy Holidays!

The Grinch That Stole Mommy:
By Jenny Runkel

I hate the Christmas season. Ok, maybe hate is too strong a word. Being an English teacher, I have to be careful with words; they often come back to haunt me in one way or another. I should put more thought into this. Which word really pinpoints my feelings about Christmas?

Bitterness? Melancholy? Cynicism? Dread? Hmm, that has a nice ring to it. Yes, I think that just might be it. I dread Christmas. Like my students dread report card day, I dread "the most wonderful time of the year."

I should be traipsing around town spreading cheer and drinking Peppermint Lattes, but I just can't. To tell you the truth, I feel more like curling up into the fetal position and trying to sleep my way through the craziness. There is just something panic-inducing about the month of December. I have never sat down to try and outline what makes me so anxious whenever I hear Bing Crosby dreaming of a White Christmas, but with another yuletide quickly approaching, it's high time I did just that.

Maybe it's the catalogs that arrive before I've even finished sneaking the KitKats out of my kids' Halloween bags. Those things are relentless. The catalogs, I mean. They clog my mailbox daily, promising lifetime guarantees on 'gift solutions that make life easier.' Let's think about that for a moment. Does a chocolate fondue fountain really make my life easier? What about a hand-held gnome that repeats phrases you give it in a 'silly gnome accent?'

You know what would really make my life easier? Not getting any more catalogs! Maybe it's the supermarkets. I went to the grocery store on November 1st this year to do my weekly shopping. I expected the Halloween candy to be on sale and I knew Thanksgiving trimmings would greet me at the door and stacks of cranberry sauce, perhaps even rows of Indian corn.

What I didn't expect was to be hit in the face by Christmas. Literally. A gigantic inflatable Santa smacked me in the head just as I walked down the greeting card aisle. On November 1st! The clerk hauling Jolly St. Nick to his appointed spot apologized profusely, saying that she didn't see me around the corner, but I know better. I saw the look on Santa's face as they headed down aisle 14 to meet up with the candy canes. He was definitely smirking.

Maybe it's the magazines lining the checkout counters. While I'm wrestling my kids away from the Skittles (and remembering that one of them hasn't had a dentist appointment in ages), I'm faced with photos of darling children in precious Christmas sweaters making their own ornaments and baking cookies while Mom is scrapbooking the moment as it happens. AUGH!!!!

And then it hits me. I don't really dread Christmas itself. It's the pressure of the Holidays that make me woozy. All the glitz and glitter that the stores and commercials try to sell us has left me feeling empty and small. Real holidays, at least the holidays I've experienced, usually involve hurt feelings and awkward conversations.

The catalogs, stores, and magazines don't show you that side of things. They show the plastic side of Christmas. It's not the decorations or shopping that make me crazy, it's the expectations that I've attached to those things. I've been listening to my inner "Child" without even recognizing it. This voice tells me what I'm supposed to do, how I'm supposed to look, how my children are supposed to behave.

Apparently, it doesn't stop there, though. It also tells me what the Holidays are supposed to be like. It tells me that I should bake cookies and put up Christmas lights. I should get the perfect gifts for my kids' teachers, crossing guards, and coaches (not to mention friends and family). I should decorate the house and create a warm, cozy environment. I should write the perfect holiday letter and take the perfect holiday photo. I should catch up with all my long lost friends who send those same perfect letters and photos to me. I should record all these fantastic moments for eternity with pictures and videos. And I MUST do it all in precious Christmas sweaters.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. I am paralyzed by the sheer volume of things that need to be done. What am I doing to myself? To my family? This is Christmas, not the Mommy Olympics. Although sometimes it feels like it, there is no one watching my every move and waiting to give me a score. The loud echo of "The You Should" doesn't have to govern my actions and attitudes.

No more! I am a smart, successful woman. I have the power and ability to overcome the lure of "The You Should" and start enjoying the winter wonderland along with the best of them. From now on, I will listen to a new voice in my head. One that is a little more gentle, a little more wise and a lot more sane. I will call this my Maya Angelou voice. She sits on a windowsill in my mind waiting to comfort me with a smile and a nod.

When I feel the urge to deck something other than the halls, I will hear her say to me in her warm, buttery voice, "It's ok to say no. You don't need to attend all those parties and volunteer for every activity. Put your feet up and take care of you for a change. When's the last time you had some peace and quiet? You are not alone. Just about everyone gets stressed around the holidays. Be creative. There is not one right way to do everything. Revel in your unique approach. Work smarter, not harder. Figure out what you're not great at and let someone who is lend you a hand. Enjoy the little moments. You will one day miss the way your child furrows her brow when writing to Santa. Be gentle with yourself and with others. That is a gift worth giving."

My inner Angelou. She makes me feel better already. There's one problem with my plan. "The You Should" won't go away easily. It's comfortable in my head. It's been there for a long time and if I'm not careful, it will choke out Maya at the first sign of stress. I've got to think up a way to take that annoyingly persistent whine out of my head before it ruins yet another Christmas.

An epiphany! I know what I will do. I will order the Talking Gnome. I can give my "Should" another home and this time, instead of sounding like me, it will have a 'silly gnome accent.' Maybe that Gnome really will make my life easier, after all.


Christmas Story (for people having a bad day):
When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the pre-Christmas pressure. Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where. Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered. So, frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum.

When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?"

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree. (thanks Linda).

Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Gerry

STS - Summer 2009 Update

My lovely block made it home about two weeks ago and I completely spaced off posting photos - duh! In case you missed it in previous postings, Ing and I were partners for this season's block share. This is the first time that we have worked on a project together and it is so nice to now have a sampling of her lovely work. Needless to say, I am very pleased with my completed block. It is far more beautiful than I had hoped for. It's so nice to have high expectations and still be surprised. LOL.

A bit more background: When this block share was announced on CQN I naturally wanted to choose a theme that was in keeping with the spirit of the year long project, yet I longed to do something different. Something more interesting and challenging than I had done in the past. Something outside what is generally considered the seasonal norms. Something that would have a duality in purpose and meaning. Something with a more personal meaning to me.

So.... My theme is related to four Pagan sabbats. The first being Litha, which is more commonly known as the Summer Solstice. The other three blocks, in keeping with my chosen theme will be those of Yule (Winter Solstice), Ostara (Spring Equinox), and Mabon (Autumn Equinox). (Oh, I guess I just stepped out of the broom closet. LOL)

Anyway, Ing was just wonderful to work with. I had only two requests for this block: 1) to maintain a fairly specific theme; and 2) a general color scheme. Ing really went all out on this block and she absolutely came through for me. I am so thankful to her for taking the time to research this celebration, to seek out some of the related history, and for adding items to my block that are truly representative of the theme. As you can see from the photos, she was just as attentive to the color scheme, not to mention how wonderfully creative her embellishments are. She even sent a variety of beautiful threads back with my block!

Okay, enough delay.....let's look at photos.








Thank you so much, Ing for being such a good friend.


Well, I'm off to find a couple of goodies to send out tomorrow with my Mabon block. So for now, I leave you with this poem:

(author unknown)

Go about your own path.
I will go about mine.

Should we meet and agree,
it will be beautiful.

If we do not, then it too,
will be beautiful.

For your path has its own beauty
and wondrous sights as does mine.

The greatest beauty will be for us to
share our experiences and be made
richer by our differences.



Until Next time...Happy Needling!!!

Ten Rules...

For Being Human. (See below)

I received this link to Jennifer Lee's blog from Corina. Whose blog, BTW, I just recently found by browsing the members of Bloggers Who Embellish webring. Unfortunately, I don't get to check my rings often enough.

Anyway, that link took me to Kelly's blog, which ultimately took me to the source (as best I can tell) of the post at My Success Company.

So, now that I've tried to give everyone the credit due, here are the "Rules":

Ten Rules for Being Human
by Cherie Carter-Scott

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.


I don't know how you all feel about it but I truly enjoyed it. And found it to be a very interesting philosophical look at life.

The Woman

When God created woman he was working late on the 6th day.
An angel came by and said, “Why spend so mush time on that one?”
And the lord answered, “Have you seen all the specification I have to meet to shape her?”











“She must be washable, but not made of plastic, have more than 200 moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all kinds of food, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, give a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart and she must do all this with only two hands.”

The angel was impressed. “Just two hands....impossible!" "Is this the standard model?" “Too much work for one day...wait until tomorrow and then complete her.”

“I will not,” said the Lord. “I am so close to competing this creation, which will be the favorite of my heart.” “She cures herself when sick and she can work 18 hours a day.”













The angel came nearer and touched the woman. “But you have made her so soft, Lord.”

“She is soft,” said the Lord, “But I have also made her strong. You can’t imagine what she can endure and overcome.”

“Can she think?” the angel asked.

The Lord answered, “Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate.”

The angel touched the woman’s cheek...“Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her.”

“She is not leaking...it’s a tear” the Lord corrected the angel.

“What’s it for?” asked the angel.












And the Lord said, “Tears are her way of expressing grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride.”

This made a big impression on the angel; “Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything. The woman is indeed marvelous!”

Indeed she is! Woman has strengths that amazes man. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens. She holds happiness, love and opinions. She smiles when feeling like screaming. She sings when she feels like crying, cries when she is happy and laughs when she is afraid.














She fights for what she believes in. Stands up against injustice. She doesn’t take “no” for an answer, when she can see a better solution. She gives herself so her family can thrive. She takes her friend to the doctor is she is afraid. Her love is unconditional.

She cries when her kids are victorious. She is happy when her friends do well. She is glad when she hears of a birth or a wedding.

Her heart is broken when a next of kin or friend dies. But she finds the strength to get on with life. She knows that a kiss and a hug can heal a broken heart.













There is only one thing wrong with her...She forgets what she is worth!



This story was sent to me in a River Songs card from my dad.

Thank you, Dad. It means a lot to me. I love you.

Another Life Lost to Breast Cancer

We returned home yesterday from a very sorrowful trip to the Mid-West. My DH's sister, Lou lost her fight with breast cancer at 66. She will be missed. She touched so many lives.

The truly sad part of it is that she was always good to have her mammograms. But somehow she missed one. And as life would have it, she developed breast cancer during that time.

She is survived by her two children, her three grandchildren, a sister, and two brothers. She was a teacher and loved teaching. She was a good Christian, and a wonderfully caring person. She always remembered everyone's birthdays and anniversaries, and would often send a card or make a phone call just to say, "hello."

As a memorial to her, I made this CQ Block for her daughter, Mindy. I was very flattered that she chose to display it with other treasures and memorial items at Lou's service. I hope that looking at it will bring a smile to her face in troubled times.

This is, of course, the naked block. I didn't have anything particular color theme in mind when I pieced it but I am very happy with how well it turned out

I chose this poem because it most suited the sentiment that I was trying to convey, based on what I knew of their relationship. The angel represents the promise that Lou is cradled in love. And I wrapped it in a pink ribbon to symbolize Breast Cancer Awareness.

The names encircled in the hearts are those of her two children. I placed the heart and key below to symbolize their love for their mother. The roses above is a reflection of how much they cherished their time together before the diagnosis, and especially afterward.

I placed the spider and web on the block in hopes that it will bring good luck and good fortune. The chain and the blue beads (at the lower left) symbolize the long and painful road that they traveled while fighting this cancer.

The flower buds (and flowers below) are meant to represent the miracle of life, and the bare branches, the promise even though life must end it is always made a new.I would like to think that the stars are angles looking down upon the earth. Watching out for those of us left behind.


The dragonfly, to me, is the perfect symbol of Spring, sunshine, and sweet smelling flowers. Of new life, of new beginnings, and of hope for the future. The three crystals attached to the heart below are meant to represent the love bond between Lou and her grandchildren.


You see it here as a complete block.

And here as it was presented, framed.
In closing I would like to sincerely thank each and every person who kept our family in their prayers during this difficult and sad time.

An Irish Blessing

LISTEN
(length 3:55)



May the Blessing of Light be upon you
Light on the outside, light on the inside.

With God's sunlight shining on you,
May your heart glow with warmth,
like a turf fire that welcomes friends and strangers alike.

May the Light of the Lord shine from your eyes,
Like a candle in the window,
Welcoming the weary traveler.

May the blessing of God's soft rain be on you,
Falling gently on your head
Refreshing your soul with the sweetness of little flowers newly blooming

May the strength of the winds of heaven bless you
Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean
Sparkling after in the sunlight.

May the blessing of God's earth be on you
And as you walk the roads
May you always have a kind word for those you meet.

May you understand the strength and power of God in a
thunderstorm and winter
and the quiet beauty of creation
and the calm of a summer sunset

And may you come to realize
that insignificant as you may seem in this great universe
you ARE an important part of God's plan.

May he watch over you
and keep you safe from harm.

~Read by Roma Downey~

May you find your pot of gold, eat too much corned beef and cabbage, enjoy your family and friends, and laugh so hard your sides ache and your eyes tear up. Wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day.

IRISH PROUD!

Something Soothing

This poem came to me in an email the other day. And it came at just the perfect time. I have been feeling pretty mopey lately. I hope you get a chance to stop by and listen to it too. It's called An Irish Blessing.

I also ran across this site while trying to find the previous one. I consider it one of those rare finds. It's called a LuvAngel's Place Of Poetry and Song (Part 2). It's owed and run by Debi Ivy. She has many sites. All of them filled with poetry and music, and are just wonderful places to spend some quite and relaxing moments. I hope you will take a look. This is one of her poems.

One Perfect Rose

One perfect rose
Frozen in time
One perfect rose
Perfect for all time
Perfectly formed petals
Caught in a storm
Not eternally to be
Neither dead
And yet not alive
Destined to be
In a seemingly endless field
Of snow and Ice
Dances a small bit of color
Perfect petals wrapped together
Holding tightly to each other
Encased in the ice
That holds its very life
One perfect rose
One perfect time
Forever frozen in time

Debi Ivy 1/1/07

Enjoy

A CQ Poem - Repost from 09/02/06

(I just really like the poem)

A Crazy Quilt

They do not make them any more,
For quilts are cheaper at the store
Than woman's labor, though a wife
Men think the cheapest thing in life.
But now and then a quilt is spread
Upon quaint old walnut bed,
A crazy quilt of those days
That I am old enough to praise.

Some woman sewed these points and squares
Into a pattern like life's cares.
Here is a velvet that was stong,
The poplin that she wore so long,
A fragment from her daughter's dress,
Like her, a vanished loveliness;
Old patches of such things as these,
Old garments and old memories.

And what is life? A crazy quilt;
Sorrow and joy, and grace and guilt,
With here and there a square of blue
For some old happiness we knew;
And so the hand of time will take
The fragments of our lives and make,
Out of life's remnants, as they fall,
A thing of beauty, after all.

Douglas Malloch
(Taken from The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America)

Susie Q's World

I got this link in an emal from a friend. This is a great site. Cetainly something that you should not miss. If you get a moment to stop by Susie Q's World you will not be dissapointed. Be sure to click on the links at the home page. She has done such a wonderful job, you will be glad that you took the time.

A Crazy Quilt

They do not make them any more,
For quilts are cheaper at the store
Than woman's labor, though a wife
Men think the cheapest thing in life.
But now and then a quilt is spread
Upon quaint old walnut bed,
A crazy quilt of those days
That I am old enough to praise.

Some woman sewed these points and squares
Into a pattern like life's cares.
Here is a velvet that was stong,
The poplin that she wore so long,
A fragment from her daughter's dress,
Like her, a vanished loveliness;
Old patches of such things as these,
Old garments and old memories.

And what is life? A crazy quilt;
Sorrow and joy, and grace and guilt,
With here and there a square of blue
For some old happiness we knew;
And so the hand of time will take
The fragments of our lives and make,
Out of life's remnants, as they fall,
A thing of beauty, after all.

Douglas Malloch
(Taken from The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America)

Quote of the Day

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Quote of the Day

"Live up to your potential instead of imitating someone else's."

Martha Burgess