Quilt Therapy

Every Fourth of July my MIL hosts a family / friends reunion up here on the hill - sweaty kids running rampant, adults yelling over everyone else, dogs barking and tents galore.  Now, let me tell you - the citi-fied people who show up here endure just a touch of culture shock when they camp - so much so that my SIL bought two window air conditioner units, and she plugs them in and puts them in the DOOR to her tent!!!  There’s some redneck camping for ya!

This morning, as everyone was still asleep, I snuck around my office shed and took a pix of the campgrounds, just because it was all so peaceful and quiet and reminded me of days long ago when I used to camp (before the skin allergies) as a kid in one of my foster homes:

Happy Birthday America!  Hope you and yours enjoy it as much as mine and ours are going to!

In this family I married into, birthdays are celebrated for days, weeks and even months at a time!  It’s a novel idea, and one most of us can get used to pretty quickly

Yesterday was my MIL’s *actual* birthday, and since the extended family hadn’t shown up yet for our annual family reunion weekend and July 4th celebration (where we’ll celebrate her birthday at least a time or two more)…we took it upon ourselves to celebrate Mama Lu *ON* her actual birthday (an original idea, I know).

First, we took her to lunch at a local establishment, where she really loves their chicken salad sandwiches:

Mama Lu with 5 of her 6 grandchildren

Mama Lu with her son, my hubs

Mama Lu with me, her DIL

Then we took her to the next town, to a hardware store, where we let her pick out an extremely practical gift - some type of gadget that you hang on your garage wall, to store your brooms, shovels, etc.  They were just tickled to death to find a 40% off coupon at the checkout, so we really got a bargain on that gift!  She was elated, and said in the future, those were the types of gifts she wanted - practical ones!  Well, except for the special things her grandchildren make her.

Then, after nap yesterday, DD#1 made brownies … and I added some cheesy decorations to them and we went up to her house, after dinner, and presented her with her brownies and sang the usual birthday song and enjoyed a sweet treat before bedtime:

oops, I ran out of another cheesy letter “A”, so made do by shortening her nickname!

And a great time was had by all!  We made her birthday last nearly all day, and we all enjoyed ourselves doing it!

DD #3 had to sit by Boca Beth, had to look through her camera, had to have Beth walk her to the bathroom and had to try to have Beth be her very own, private conversationalist.

But, the rest of us did get a word in edgewise, a time or two.  Or, if that wasn’t possible, got so goofy that someone had to pay attention to him (and Boca, of course):

The food was luscious, the company even better.  Is always wonderful to meet someone you’ve known virtually for so long - and Ms. Beth was just as lovely and sweet as she comes across via eMail!

As a gift for a great client, we presented (a surprised) Beth with my “Snow Smores” quilt:

And then the two girls just had to have a Volcano - that was passed around the table because it was HUGE!

Beth, thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to meet me and for your kindness toward my family.  SOMEDAY, we’ll make it to Florida!

Beginning on Wednesday, our Christmas in July 2009 at www.BOMquilts.com will kick off, with a brand new *free* BOM quilt pattern! 

On Saturday, the kids were exhausted from a week of VBS, so all they wanted to do was to veg out in front of the television with a movie, so I took the opportunity for some serious quilt therapy, and knocked out an entire BOM quilt before midnight (and I also had lunch & got a nap, too)!!!

Pinwheel Snowflakes of Winter Joy

BOM Individual Blocks

Check out www.BOMquilts.com on July 1st for the first block installment … and if you want to purchase your fabric ahead of time, please do so at AbbiMays.com.

You have just THREE (3) more days to register and/or completed the “Junebug” Quilt Dash!  Here’s a sneak peek at the free quilt pattern that we’ll be giving away, to all who complete the Quilt Dash:

Ya’ll may know that I’ve been Boca Beth’s webmaster for … wow, 3 or 4 years now.  I’ve known her virtually and helped her with some marketing for even longer than that.  I feel very strongly that a child should have the basis for a second language before they even get in school, let alone being immersed in a second language while at school.  Thanks to Beth’s videos, music and all the rest of her fabulous products, my kids have ALL had some of her jingles running through their heads since they were toddlers.

In fact, we even put this video together for her website:

Well, we’re FINALLY going to MEET!!!  My kids, especially the two younger ones, are head over heels excited about seeing Boca Beth (they have no earthly idea that her real name is Beth Butler), and my son got all blush-y when I told him it was a DATE.  Then, DD#3 did a cheerleader jump, feet spread waaaaaay out, while gifting us with a great big SCREAM that reverberated clear through the house and up the hill.   And I didn’t even have the chance to tell them that we’d be eating at one of their favorite restaurants in San Antonio, the Rainforest Cafe!!!

My kids are meeting a “hero”, to them, one who has walked and talked in English and Spanish with them, through their childhood.  I think that’s so cool.  For them.  And for me to witness.

Once again, Father’s Day was a grand success.  The kids are finally at the age when I just have to remind them that it’s Father’s Day, and they can make their own cards and gifts for the dad-person.  Yeah me!  Yeah them!

This year, the adults had Smoky Grits and Shrimp for lunch after church, then we let the dad revel in his special attention, with handmade cards, special memories and gifts from his kids.  The mom just sat back, enjoyed the love and took photos!

• “Glory” designed by Kathy Schmitz from Moda Fabrics
• “Cozy Night Throw” designed by Thimbleberries from RJR Fabrics

http://bomquilts.com/Free-Patriotic-Quilt-Patterns.php

• “Aviary” designed by 3 Sisters from Moda Fabrics
• “Beach House” designed by Blackbird Designs from Moda Fabrics
• “Cottage Patches” designed by Kaye England from Benartex
• “Everything Grows” designed by Susan Branch from RJR Fabrics
• “Grand Colonnade” designed by Marianne Elizabeth’s Classically Home from Benartex
• “Haiku Boxes” designed by Janet Page from Benartex
• “Portobello Market” designed by 3 Sisters from Moda Fabrics
• “Provence Polka Dot” designed by Lisa DeBee Schiller from Benartex
• “Salt Water Taffy” from RJR Fabrics
• “Summer Breeze” designed by Robyn Randolph from RJR Fabrics
• “Trip to the Country” designed by Fabric Expressions from RJR Fabrics
• “Tweety, I’m Home” designed by Kathy Schmitz from Moda Fabrics
• “White Nights” designed by Jenny Beyer from RJR Fabrics

http://bomquilts.com/Free-Quilt-Patterns.php

My DH teaches Sunday School at church.  Since we are Lutheran, he totally and completely agrees with the Lutheran principals of our denomination - those set forth by Martin Luther in the late 1400’s to early 1500’s; when his so-called blasphemy got him in hot water, and led to the reformation of 1516-17.  

Lutherans base moral thought and action on the Bible, the foundational doctrines found in the Book of Concord, and on the historical example of Martin Luther. (http://www.patheos.com/Explore/Library/Lutheran/Ethics-Morality-Community/Principles-of-Moral-Thought-and-Action.html)

Some may, today, call him the radical of his time.

The Latin derivitive of “radical” is RAD.  Hence, because my husband is such a “by the book” type of teacher; his small, but mighty, group of Sunday School participants have gleefully been coined the RADISHES.

Ms. Mary, one of the radishes, was in a car accident last week.  She and her husband are ok, and are home recuperating.  So, during my nap yesterday, DD#1 took the time to paint Ms. Mary a little get well gift….from one radish to another:

On Monday, I got a HUGE box in the mail from Linda at www.AbbiMays.com - and I just LOVE me some fabric surprises!!!  This time, it was a box FILLED with fabrics for me to use for:

Gee, guess that means I’d better get busy designing and making some projects for everyone!!!  Here’s photos of the fabrics, as I stashed them on the shelves: