A 'baby' that almost didn't happen...

How can one not wrap up a year like this...

even though it's been hard...

with gratefulness...

when one has been blessed

with little ones like this in our lives?

This is my youngest grandson.

This is the one I fought for...

hard...

on my knees...

day in and day out.

And cried...

and begged the Lord...

and cried some more...

asking Him to help my daughter make the

right decision.

This is how it all went down...

I was at home with my daughter in law...

in my sewing room...

working away on the 'house' quilt...

when I got a frantic call from my daughter 

telling me I had to immediately come to the shoppe.

And I said,

"Yeah...right Ash! I know you don't want to work...

what is it now?"

"Mom I have to go to the doctor!"

"Are you dying" said I.

"Mom...believe me...will you just come down here?"

So I get in the car...

head down there...

wondering what could be soooooo

important.

My other daughter Brooke is sitting on the brick porch...

smoking....

Enraged I say...

"Brooke...put that cigarette out!"

Ashley says...

"Mom I'm pregnant!"

Followed by,

"Mom I am not ready to have a kid. I'm just a kid 

myself."

The Mom...

"Well, you thought you were old enough

to play grown up games...

so you are old enough to deal with the

consequences."

For days...

we went round and round.

At the bookstore,

I got a book out on pregnancy

and showed her that

IT is a BABY!

Already.

Long story short....

she and her boyfriend got married....

and the little darling "Heston" made it here.

I have never seen two people so in love

as these two.

They both are just nuts over this little one.

And oh how 'little one' has blessed our lives.

So this brings me to New Year's Eve.

Choices.

We all have choices.

We all have consequences from choices.

2010 has been one of the hardest of my life.

So I am really thankful for the little blessings 

along the way.

In January,

I made the difficult decision...

to get off all the pain med's

my doctors had me on.

They had me on what cancer patients who are dying

in Hospice were on.

No kidding!

100mg Fentanly Patches

and 8 percocet a day.

I walked into my doc's office,

and told him,

"I want you to decrease my medicine

every month until I am off it all.

Do you think I can do it?"

The doc...

"I've never had this request before,

but yes I think you can."

My friends....

it took me 6 long months...

of pure hell!

Raising 4 kids on my own 

for 7 years was like Disneyland 

compared to that!

But joy be...

I did it.

And only with the help of the Lord.

Because let me tell you...

a lot of prayers were uttered!

If any of you out there are in this same

situation.

I implore you to study what narcotics do to you...

how they leave you with a broken brain...

literally.

They CREATE pain...believe it or not! 

And then have the courage whatever it takes

to eliminate them from your life!

Now... the the way I see it..

2011 has got to be a better year!

I am back to the old me.

Yes, I still have 2 torn discs in my back...

and yes I am bone on bone at another

place in my back....

but I am 'Me' with all my pain,

and imperfections.

Just struggling through.

Trying to see the blessing in each and

every moment God gives me.

My hope is to have a 

'God' filled year...

a 'giving' year...

and a 'blessing to others' year.

Happy New Year to all of you!

My heart...

  John'aLee

Work in Progress (5th Block in Mystery BOM)

I'm working away at the latest block

in the Mystery Quilt!

This block is actually going to be named 

"Friends are like Flowers..."

This is the first block in the quilt that will have no applique on it.

I have also been playing around with layouts for the quilt...

The bolt is lying where this 5th block will be....

the plain fabrics are where pieced blocks will be.

It all could change too!

Ooohhh...laaaa....laaa....

this is getting fun!!

On to another quilting project....

I have always wanted to make a postage stamp quilt...

I pulled fabrics out of the large stash I have from

ends of bolts from the shoppe...

and have been cutting strip after strip

of 1 1/2" lengths...

How do you like my messy floor???

 

The quilt will have all kinds of pinks, greens and blues in it.

I am planning on making 2 for my twin beds in the guest room...

(Once the kid leaves...)

And another one to take to shows.

It is going to be divine....

to be able to sit and sew at the machine....

after all this hand stitching these last few months...

I know my machine is lonely...

and feeling unloved.

I'll take care of that this week!

Happy Sewing you all....

John'aLee

A Quilter's Christmas Tea....back at the shoppe!

I wish you all could attend

one of my Quilter's Christmas Tea's~

 

I put a lot of work into them...

and boy do we have some fun!!

First of all...

I had scrolls by each place setting

with a question written down

for that person to answer....

Such as...

What was your first quilt?

Who has inspired you most in your quilting life?

Tell of your favorite Quilting Experience.

etc...

Then it was on to playing  some Quilter's Bingo....

with Buttons!

Ahhh....too much fun!!

Of course....

we had to have prizes...

I read one of those poems...

where every time I said the word "LEFT"

they had to pass their gift to the LEFT...

and every time I said "RIGHT"...

they had to pass their gift to the RIGHT...

Everyone brought a gift....

and this is how they ended up with their gift for the night.

And round and round we went...

Until everyone's gift had it's final resting place...

I somehow didn't get pictures of "The Tea Buffet" itself...

nor did I take pictures of The White Elephant Gift Exchange...

which was a quite a hoot too.

But posting these pictures brings back such fond memories 

of our opening days at the Quilt Shoppe.

I miss my Panguitch Gals!!

Today I have to bake cookies...

and a Squash Casserole...

We are headed over to friends for Christmas Eve...

to play games...

have a feast...

listen to some good music...

the Guitar Man...

is bringing his guitar...

And then tomorrow

will be a quiet Christmas Day.

I hope everyone has a special Christmas!

There's a blogger friend of mine...

who just lost her husband unexpectedly

a few days ago...

Please go here to give her a Big Christmas Hug... 

in this difficult time.

Merry, Merry Christmas!!!

Friday Night Sew In Results....Finally!

Just a quick little post...

Over at Handmade by Heidi....

she has been hosting a 

Friday Night Sew In 

Here's my results...

It's the Strawberry-Li-Cious Block

in Parisian Summer.

There is still time to sign up 

for this Mystery Block of the Month...

Click Here!! 

I have been so frustrated for days...

I couldn't upload any pictures from my computer....

the dear hubby just defragg'ed the old thing....

and finally I can post. 

On the home front...
We've been on the hunt
for new places to become
our local haunts.


Findings...
Two Rivers Park...
just a couple miles from the house.
We go walking there
It's a beautiful park,
with walkways, bridges,
even one that goes under the road.


And ahhhh...
bookstores...
my favorite haunts!


Downtown...
we've found the greatest
Borders!
It is two stories...
has a Starbucks just a few doors down...
and last night we stopped in the bakery
 next door...
and had a mouth watering 
Chicken Salad Sandwich
on Pecan Cranberry Bread.
I wasn't sure about this combo...
but oh my....
I can't begin to say
how delightful it was to the 
taste buds.
(Next time we go I will get pics!)

We also ordered 
a Creamy Turkey Sage Soup
to go with it.


So what is a typical day at Borders like for me?


I first go to the magazines 
and look for any new issues
I maybe haven't seen yet.

I found a new magazine
on making cheese
that I've never seen before.
(My dream is to one day
have a goat farm...
with angora goats for
making yarn...
and Nubian goats
for milk and cheese.


And yesterday I also
sought out several new Southern Cookbooks...
as well as some foodie memoirs
and books on writing.
I'm always looking for instruction
on how to better my craft.

I came home with 
The Writer's Book of Days
by
Judy Reeves.


We spent about 4 hours there.
This is where most of our 'dates' 
end up!


I leave so invigorated, inspired
and ready to dive in at home
and work away.

Now last night....
I pulled out my hexie's

and worked some more on that project.
I cut several 3" X 3" squares...
and managed to get another elongated
hexagon in the works.


I love when these little things pile up 
and are ready to add in to the quilt top...

Tonight...

the same thing is on the agenda...

hexies, hexies, hexies!

Have a sweet Christmas week!


Hugs...
                   John'aLee

Work in Progress

For all of you out there working on this colorway with me..

Here is the second block in progress...

Strawberry-Li-Cious.

Oh I love these yummy colors!

 

Here's how it looks with the first

finished block...

 

 

And today....

this is where I am going to 

sit my little tushie down...

and stitch the day away...

The Guitar Man obliged...

and hung a quilt for me ...

in 

my 

empty...

dining room...

Oh...I can't wait to get

my stuff!

I never realized...

how much 'my stuff'

meant to me.

All of those worldly goods....

Sigh....

Now....Over at the website...

we are having a fantastic

Pillowcase Sale!!!

 

All on 50% Off..

while they last...

they are going quickly though...

so head over there 

if you want a real quick Christmas gift.

You can make one of these up in 

about 15 minutes....

because the little elves

around here....

have done all the cutting for you!

 

Click Here for SALE!!! 

The Guitar Man also managed to get some

Meet Me In Paris Kits

up on the website.

We usually don't have time

to post these here

while we are doing shows...

because they go so fast.

But seeing we are off the road for 

about 6 more weeks...

we were able to.

We have some darling ones 

in French Hat Box fabrics...

and Heavenly Peace fabrics.

Check it out HERE!!!

And now I must have a profitable stitching day...

so off I go!

John'aLee

New Mystery Block Revealed!

I'm just tickled pink over this latest block!

It was some work to get it all designed and done....

but the hard effort paid off...

in my humble opinion.

The name of the block is...

Friends are Like Flowers...

And I'm thinking of adding

another block the same length to the bottom of the quilt

with this saying....

Friends are Like Flowers....

Many Petals.....Many Layers...

I finished this up early last week...

and it is so nice when one

 has labored hours over something...

and it 'actually' turns out.

Because we all know...

about those projects that don't!

Here are some close-ups of the block...

 

And some of the pictures I took while I was working on it...

This block will go at the bottom center of the quilt before the last main border...

I can really see the quilt coming together 

and it is so exciting.

Thanks to all of you who are on this journey with me....

Feel free any of you to let me know what you think

about this latest addition...

We still have a few sign up slots available

in this colorway if you are interested...

Click Here to Order

Quilting Hugs.....

              Until Later...

                              John'aLee