Arkansas,Oklahoma, Texas and Tennesee...man am I bushed!

Grandbob with our Little Ballerina "princess"

Been gone for quite a while... and happy to be home. Saw all of our grandchildren and was that wonderful!First we saw

the Princess...and she loved the tutu...it was the first thing she put on in the morning, as she grabbed toothbrushes!

Then it was on to Oklahoma and three other grands! Not sure how I managed to not get a close up of my gorgeous Elisie-Pie, but she is in the soccer picture. We watched soccer practice and movies! Gave out a few "just because we love you" things...( not the water pistols or water balloons...as I promised DDIL) I know some people, think their grands are smart, beautiful and

talented...but MINE really ARE!!!!We so en

joyed seeing each of them...and the little boys, carried on the long standing tradition of playing with Great Grandma's curlers.... when we drove over to see DH's mom. I loved driving back through Texas, seeing the Texas flag flying everywhere along with the USA's of course and especially to see friends from long ago...and look what my buddy Dodi had hiding in the spare room. I am so jealous!!! Loved this old machine. It is a very old treadle...think she said it was her grandma's. LOvley.

Then is was on to Tennessee to see the "Wee one" while his folks went to a concert. Isn't he getting big????

We had some great times this past couple of weeks...but I did manage to do a couple of really cute college quilts this week, one Alabama and one Divided between Bama and Mississippi State.I so have to do one of these. Have a stack of other quilts waiting to jump on the longarm ..so better get off this computer.

Have a great day!!!

More South Africa photos.... Another good day... snow in Mississippi

First a wonderful photo taken in Africa, showing how many people travel...to and from work, or to the grocery store...to town. They just cram into the backs of a bakkie( pickup truck) and they actually pay someone for this privilege. I always got a laugh when I spotted one of these crowded vehicles. They usually waved and smiled when I grabbed my camera. You will note that they drive on the opposite side of the road from us... a difficult thing to learn... and then relearn when I arrived home for good. I only drove on the wrong side of the road a few times here....but thankfully no one was coming... so all was well. Next up, I had to share a photo taken from the game reserve at the edge of Queenstown, where we lived. The little round mountain...was just behind our house..a couple of blocks away.The reserve had some wonderful giraffes and zebra. They also had several Rhino there. Always fun to see.

On the local front, we had a wonderful change of pace this morning.... woke up to snow... ON THE GROUND! Which isn't a common occurence here. The first we have had since we moved here last summer. And although we have had some wonderful warm weather, it actually snowed enough that it stuck. What a treat... and it had melted by this evening. So can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Its a good thing it happened yesterday evening...as I have quilt guild in the morning... hope to get some wonderful pictures of those talented ladies quilts! I also practiced more feathering on a customers quilt.IT is a darling Sunbonnet Sue quilt. She is an amazing embroiderer and appliquer. And let me quilt for her. I don't think she has ever had a machine quilted quilt before. I did feathers, SID( stitch in ditch) and outlined each little sunbonnet girl in blocks. My talented DIL, of Reannalily Designs, is launching two new quilt patterns...and I tested one for her. I did "forget" to cut all of the circles... I think I left out 6.... but this was a pretty quick quilt to do. I sewed it in an evening....and a couple of hours on the circles. She has a very cool technique to use, for the applique circles. I machine stitched mine on. and haven't added the border that she recommended ....YET, as I am thinking of putting another fabric, that I have to go and buy. But this was quick and easy to sew up. It makes a twin size with the border.

Africa memories, Cape of Good Hope, Cricket... quilts and a gun toter too!!!

One of my favorite memories from a little over two years ago.... all part of a fabulous trip to Cape Town.... we had to go to the Cape of Good Hope with our dear friends, Frank and Jayne. And another photo of one of the wonderfully natural mountainous regions in the area we lived in for 4 years. This was taken from the veranda on the game reserve... it was a lovely place. This was Winter but so much fun to be there with friends. Then the beautiful giraffes we saw up close at the Kruger Park over the Christmas break..... Some very good times. Of course there has to be at least one humorous photo of the Professor in his Sport gear.... he wore this at the cricket match between Australia and South AFrica.... SA won huge..... at the Newlands Cricket grounds... What a match!!!!

The shanties I saw every time I delivered a box of books to the township Library in Ezebeleni as they were across the street from the library.

The man holding the machine gun...crouching in the parking lot of the mall... very scary the first time we saw this..but after a while.... you just get used to this ... kind of a "funny/crazy" thing!

I can not believe the crazy weather. we are experiencing here... yesterday.... we were cuddled under quilts... as in multiples of quilts in order to keep warm, then today.... it was shorts and 77 degrees...with another cold front coming in tonight...so back to coats and sweaters tomorrow. I wish we could have 8 months of todays weather...then some really hot...and some cold weather. Just not changing every other day. I shared some scrapbooking tips at our bi monthly quilt guild this week.... and what fun. Loved watching the ladies stamp on their pages...to enhance some of the quilt journal pages they are saving. They also shared some lovely quilts as well. I missed a few of the especially wonderful hand quilted ones that were there. The president of the guild is an award winning hand quilter. The quilt was pieced by someone else..but it hung at the Houston quilt show. It is stunning. I have never quilted a quilt like that one...so gorgeous. It was just published in a book.I can't remember the name...but think the quilt was called midnight in the garden. I really liked the Notre Dame T shirt quilt... It is really cool. ANd I adore hex quilts...this one is in progress... She does beautiful work.

I also had to include this navy,red and gold quilt that I had the privilege of quilting. And this super bright quilt that a friend made and permitted me to quilt for her. It is so vibrant... I don't think the photo does it justice. She also made this adorable table topper.... and I quilted it for her as well.

She also made this adorable table topper .... and I quilted it for her. I completed a UFO.... but it is already hanging at the fabric store...so will have to post a photo after I get a photo. I have one loaded on the frame now for a friend...Hope to finish it off tomorrow evening. I seem to be behind on all my projects at the moment. Just sewing step 3 on the DD mystery...but here is the stack of completed part 1 and 2's. I am doing a smaller wall hanging...Only committed to doing 1/2 of the blocks. So will be a throw for me. I am hoping to finish a new pattern of my DD in law. She is launching on March 1st. I am lucky to be a tester. I have only committed to 4 new projects this year...still determined to finish some from last year...and or past years. The professor has asked if my sitting under a quilt...with a sewing machine perched on a lap tray...sewing while sitting in bed has become the norm for me in the evenings. It has been some nights! On really cold nights I am hand quilting my "When oh When" quilt..... those pictures will be coming soon. Maybe when I finish the when oh when.... showing the progress I am making.

WOO HOO!!!! Just counted...and have finished officially 10 UFO's...

Ok, I just counted through several of my finished UFO's and I have officially finished 10 UFO's....unfortunately ...not the 7 I had initially planned. Shame. Now I did complete.... 5 of the original 7, but it is sad to think .... I found about 5 more, while digging for the bits to finish these 10! I also did my first Paid longarm commission! She only wanted a simple pantograph, and I had already practiced it on my bedspread from previous posts...so I did hers.... and it was a little twin... turned out very nicely...if I do say so. I didn't think to take a photo of it... so may have to ask for another chance to do that in future. But did

get a photo of the recipient of the houndstooth I made for a local college fellow. He wanted a cozy lap quilt for his girl at the game. She loves brown and gold. And I am working on another UFO, which was started before the Wee one was born, these very bright blocks, have now been pieced together, but have to add borders to the top,as it is just under a double. Hope to have it finished over the weekend. I am planning on practicing on my DD in laws quilt...to get straight line practice, then will attempt the customer quilt. So may have a few photos to share after the weekend. If all things go well. My ship DID NOT come in this week, BUT I have been assured that it is LOADED on the truck to arrive late next week! Now I am leaving next weekend to go see the lovely little Princess, then on to see the Wee one, and will be gone until election day...so no unpacking if if arrives too late. It really may be Christmas before I get to open the boxes! AT this rate!!! Hope you all are having a lovely weekend. Its going to be a good one for me.