Quilt Therapy

I sent out an SOS the night before last, asking my buds in our little quilt group if any of them had some time to come save me from myself.  I had the “You May Go to Hell, I Will Go to Texas” quilt all ready for binding – but, with the shape of my hands, there was no way that I could finish the project.  And the young man graduated tonight (Friday) and his party is Saturday.  EEEEK

But, thanks to the kind and loving souls that I attend quilt group with, two showed up today (though six offered), and we whip-stitched our way to completion! 

The only thing I have left to do is to print a tag to press onto the back, and then I can wrap it and it’ll be ready to go tomorrow night!  woooottttt

A huge thank you to Theresa and Donna for driving out to the hills for some quilting fun – oh, and don’t forget the delectible brownies, too!

My youngest brother, Jed (not his given name, but it is his real name cause we made it up for him when Jed Clampett was popular – and that’s what siblings do, make up names for each other — mine was Bird, in case you wondered) sent me a very excited email this morning.

I am divorced !!!!!! Everything worked out GREAT !!!!

I’m happy for him.  It’s been a long haul to get this far, and there were many factors involved that should have left their noses in their own business.  But, it’s done.  And he can move on with his life, with his new love.

p.s. My hands ARE better — but, I still can’t get my wedding ring off.

We have a beautiful, huge 36′ x 12′ deck on the back of our house — built with our own loving hands, on Memorial Day 2008:

And a few flower pots with pretty plants, waiting to grow and share their beauty:

And this morning, I woke up to this:

And this …

And this …

I totally forgot that the treated lumber had formaldehyde in it – one of the three major things that I’m allergic to.  Oh hell.  And my new derm won’t be back in town until tomorrow.

These hands are on so much fire that when I drop them into a bowl of ice, the ice literally sizzles.

Ow.  Double Ow.

Our family celebrated Memorial Day 2008 in our own way, by working our fingers off building a deck, by watching the kids run and play, by not getting involved in crowds, by getting sunburned, and by flying our flags at half-mast until noon and then raising them sky-high:

Now, before anyone starts hollering at me because we are not flying the usual flags that American’s fly, please remember that I’m married to a very passionate Texican.  The first flag (on top) is the original Confederate States of America flag, which first appeared in March 1861.  Please don’t confuse this first flag with the flag that many think of as the confederate flag that folks interpret as not nice.  That other flag has become a symbol of something that most of Texas that I know, want nothing to do with.

The second flag (lower) was known as the “Burnet Flag” and was used to represent Texas from 1836 – 1839 as the national Flag of the Republic of Texas.

Ah yes, my Texican is extremely loyal to his roots – and to his country.

As Memorial Day approaches, there will be a little American flag flying next to my brother Mike’s grave.  I saw his headstone this past week, for the first time.  I tried not to cry that day because DD#1 was already nervous about being in a cemetary (and she wouldn’t even get out of the car), but over the years, the tears have come easily when I think of him and all that he meant to me. 

Mike died on Father’s Day in 1997.  Mike was never a father, but he died of the same type of brain aneurysm that our own dad died of. 

And this part below, it’s the most special part, to me, on Mike’s headstone:

Because he was a loving husband and brother – and his sister’s best friend.  And I still miss him terribly, every single day.

FINALLY, we were able to catch up with Karen, the editor of Cotton Spice quilting magazine!

As you may have heard, we were supposed to meet up on the first Wednesday of our trip to Missouri, but, ummmm, somehow my blondeness mystically migrated to Karen and she temporarily lost her mind. – she got the weeks wrong and needless to say, we were hunting for a hotel room at midnight that night because Karen wouldn’t answer her phones.  It did occur to me, only for a minute, that perhaps Karen didn’t want to see me – but, I quickly got over that when I received her embarassed, apologetic emails the next morning. 

After all our fun in north central Missouri, we planned on returning to Joplin, and perhaps the second time around, we’d be able to meet.

Sure enough, our reservations at the Cotton Spice hotel were on the books and we were loaded for bear, once Mike (Karen’s husband) gave me directions on how to find their home.

And it’s just as you would picture it, were you trying to see what Karen is like in real life – a quilt hanging on the wall of every room …. and a lovely chef to boot!  Thanks Mike, for the fabulous meal! 

Believe it or not, we took no photos together.  Karen and I mostly sat in her sewing / knitting / computer room, yakking away and ignoring everyone else.  hehe

I was able, though, to snap a few photos of Karen and Mike’s beautiful flowers, which were enjoying a touch of sunshine after some pretty rough storms:

And meeting Karen was just like meeting and old new friend.  It was amazing.  We just picked up where we’d left off in emails, and visited like we’d been friends forever!

Just a little tease to you quilters, I got to sleep under the quit that Karen had designed and made, that was featured in the  American Patchwork and Quilting 2005 Calendar!

We saw many old friends on our Missouri adventures this past week, friends that I’ll have for life, even if we don’t stay in touch so much.

The girl on the left is my niece, brother Jeff’s daughter, Kayla – named after me (my middle name, anyways)…and the girl on the right is Cody’s (my nephew) sister Sadie.  I guess they decided, when my brother Tom divorced Cody’s mom, that I didn’t want to be a part of Sadie’s life anymore – because I rarely heard about her.  But, I’m her Aunt Tammy in my mind, and I always will be.  She’s a lovely girl and I hope to keep in touch with her, in the future, to continue a relationship:

This is my oldest daughter and Aunt Jan.  Not really my aunt, but way closer to me than most of my true aunts.  Aunt Jan was my beauty school teacher when I was 19.  Lovely, lovely lady, and so special to me!

This is Marilyn and myself.  Marilyn was getting her Master’s degree when I was getting my BS at Mizzou (way back when) … Marilyn used to come to the bar where I worked and we hit it off, she then worked for me as a waitress at the bar for a bit.  When she left and moved to take a real job, she had a baby – and I got to hold her little one when she was a mere month old.  We’ve sporadically stayed in touch over the years, and she came out to Utah to visit us once.  Most importantly, she’s one of the few of my friends who my husband really enjoys talking to – both of them are ag folks!

There were others, of course, that I visited with – but, didn’t get photos of.  But, it was very nice to re-connect with all of them.  And to remind myself that the relationships we build in this life are all we have – it’s our way of giving and receiving love — far more important than so many other ‘things.’

Got to be time to get the clan together for photograhs with the graduate.

Here’s myself, Cody and my youngest brother Jeff:

And then they made me tell the truth.

I’m the shortest member of my family, at a none-to-short height of 5′8″ — I made brother J switch sides with me, so I looked more in-line with those tall people:

There were 12 students in my nephew’s graduating class.  Yes, 12.  I begged my niece, who graduates next year from a school with a graduating class of about 1000 to change schools before I had to attend hers.  hehe

And during the part of the ceremony where the graduate presents his mother with a flower, he shyly did that …

and then he gave one to his maternal grandma…and walked to the end of the row and gave his Aunt Tammy a flower.  And his Aunt Tammy cried… 

because it dawned on me … he’s the only male child from my dad’s lineage, to carry on the family name … his dad is in prison … his dad and his uncle (my youngest brother) never graduated from high school … my older brother, who loved Cody to pieces, died in 1997 and was unable to attend this momentous event, the relatives who raised my two younger brothers didn’t bother to even show up to the ceremony or send well-wishes … he’s joined the navy, and looks SO MUCH like my dad did, when he was in the Navy.  It really hit me that I was so damned proud that Cody lived through that horrendous car accident in 2006, and was able to walk across the stage….and that I was able to travel up to Missouri with my oldest daughter, to share in such a blessed event.

Way to go Cody – you’ll always have a piece of your old Aunt Tammy’s heart!

Since we were apart this year on our anniversary, I took the time to make sure to think of you in a lot of places …. I’m sure you’ll understand these parts of my day that reminded me of you: