Life Get's Interesting!!

My Living Room Where I sit and sew....see the bag on the right?? My hand sewing...

And what a three weeks it has been!!

We made an unplanned trip out to Utah that was supposed to take a week and a half...

Instead 2 1/2 weeks later,

we are home.

With a mess!!

We had to go and deal with 3 storage units.

My heartfelt advice....

Don't ever get a storage unit!!

(I should have taken pictures.)

Now that we are for sure settling here in Tennessee,

it was time to go and deal with our worldly goods.

For days, we sorted through stuff,

the locals heard we were in town 

and were selling stuff and they came out in droves.

I sold...tear...tear....my midarm....

most of my antiques...

shoppe props...

quilts...

linens...

The hubby refused to haul it all across state lines.

I would like to be able to say that I got loads of sewing done.

62 hours in the car round trip!

Not a stitch!

I did however enjoy my kids and grand kids!

Taught Ashley how to make homemade bread from scratch...

Stopped in on our way out to see Mom and Dad!

Loved on my grand babies....

Made homemade  doughnuts with my darling daughter in law...

While everyone went through old pictures we'd pulled out from storage...

Had great meals with all the family....

Played family games...Of course I won!! And for some reason, I'm always accused of cheating! Go figure!

My grand kids don't think I cheat....

"My Grandma doesn't cheat!!"

"She makes sure we all get ice cream!!"

"And digs out old clothes for my cousins to play dress up in!"

"She lets me read her bible with her out on the porch too."

"She rocked me lots in my great great grandmother's rocking chair that she had rocked her in!"

This was one antique the guitar man let me bring home. My grandmother rocked my mom and me both in this chair.

She did the needlework on the chair.

She kept me for the first few months of my life because my mom was so sick.

"Sometimes I shared with my cousin. It was hard...."

I made all of the kids and grand kids get dressed up for family pics. None were too excited.

My daughter Brooke and her family.

My son Stephen and his family.

Ashley and her family.

The night before we left, Mom and Dad were driving through town and took us all out to Cracker Barrel.

And even though Tory didn't go out west with us,

her and Steven came by the day after we got home.

He deployed on Saturday again so we were so glad to go to dinner with them.

She's a poochin' out there....

Now it's back to the boxes....

linens to be washed,

quilts and bedding....

pictures to hang,

dishes to wash and find a place for.

I'm getting to old for this!

Loads of Love!

So how's the '50 Project thing going?

Oh girls, I'd like to be able to tell you how perfectly I've changed!

Ha!

I will tell you this though,

taking the time to sit down and make lists

has kept it in the forefront of my mind and has truly helped.

It has also made me aware of the areas I really need to work on.

 

These are the things I've been pretty good at:

I've kept up with my Gratitude Journal...

now that is life changing.

It makes you realize that truly you are 'living' a blessed life!

 

On the opposite side of the journal I've kept a list of things

I've done for others each day. I did this to encourage myself when I like all women feel like we don't do 'enough'.

But the crazy thing....the side of the pages where I am listing all of the great things that have happened to me or for me....

is leaps and bounds ahead of the other list. Kind of an eye opener for me.

 

I started out pretty good working on my memoirs,

but somehow it is painful to write and I find myself quitting. 

Note to self: Others will be encouraged if I will just diligently keep at it. If I can't do it for myself, do it for others.

Several times on the road, as well as in emails,

some of you have said you've wept when you read my 

About Us Page on the Website 

or have been inspired. So truly you've kept me encouraged.

 

I've done really well on my Reading Lists.

Jaunts to the library,

getting new books ordered from there.

Maybe because this is one of my favorite things to do.

 

And I've happily been playing at home!

I had my first 'company' over last Friday night.

I figured if I waited until I got everything done,

I'd never have anybody over.

The Guitar Man planted rose bushes and hydrangeas 

out beside the front walkway.

I dug around in storage and found some neat brackets I found at an antique store. Hung them and just swooped some lovely

Moda fabric over them. Tied them up with tassels...and wala...

it helped the kitchen a whole lot!

 

 I still need to paint the shelves a raspberry pink. 

(It's on the list)

The set of dishes came from an estate sale here for $35!

The glasses are flea market finds too! 45 cents a piece for the blue and a buck for the pink!

My Whimsy Lane Quilt in Pinks and Lavenders.

I also managed to get a better picture of the bread cupboard for ya...

And now for the things I haven't been good at:

Sewing in my sewing room each day...

More Blog Posts,

but I'm gonna get there!

Don't give up on me!

 

I have been working on the finishing of Buttercream Summer!

Slow go....

 

Thanks for stopping in!

 

Oh and by the way....

for 2 Days Only....

we are having 30% off Hexagons!!

 

And 20% off All Patterns

over at the Website!!

The ole man made up the final Fat Quarter Frenzy Packs too!

These are the last...so head on over there!

Hugs,

A Rainy Day For Baking Bread....(Great Recipe Ahead)

Brown Oatmeal Bread from last week...

The rain is pouring down outside,

candles are lit inside,

soft piano music playing,

and now I'm getting ready to head into the kitchen

and do my weekly bread baking.

I've spent many an hour,

many a recipe,

many ingredients,

to come up with my favorite bread recipe.

Today I thought I'd share it with you all!

John'aLee's Brown Oatmeal Whole Wheat Bread

Mix together and cool until warm: 

2 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal uncooked

 2 cups Boiling Water

2 Cups Scalded Milk or Warmed Buttermilk

Dissolve 1 Packet of Yeast in 1 Cup of Warm Water

Let Sit for 5 minutes or until bubbly.

Add to above cooled mixture.

Also Add:

1 Cup of Honey (Molasses or Brown Sugar will do too. Each will vary the taste.)

1/4 Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Wheat Gluten (From King Arthur's Website)

1/4 Cup Artisan Flour (From King Arthur's Website) 

 2 Tbsps of Salt

4 1/2 Cups Unbleached White Flour

Slowly add the following flour until a dough forms that you can

handle with your hands.

(Too much flour and you will end up with a dry and crackly loaf)

Approximately 4 1/2 Cups Wheat Flour

Knead for 10 minutes by hand or in a mixer.

I put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl,

slosh it around,

put the dough in it,

turn it over so there is oil all over it.

 This keeps it from becoming dried out as it rises.

Let Rise until it doubles in bulk (About an hour)

Punch Down and form loaves. 

(At this point I also pour more olive oil over the top of loaves. It keeps them from cracking during baking.)

Put in 4 Bread Pans. Let Rise for 25-30 minutes.

Bake in a 375 Degree Oven 40-45 minutes. 

I have learned that my end product is only as good as my ingredients!

Duh!! Right??

Thus, I've been ordering from 

King Arthur's Baking Catalogue

They have a fantastic website and make sure to go in and request their free catalogue.

It's always inspiring when it shows up in the mailbox.

I had to show you the new Baking Table we found at a flea market 

for my bread baking....

 I took a better picture but I can't get it to come up for some reason.

Anyway....
company tonight...
cleaning,
baking,
cooking...

Toodles! 

 

Lost Soldier Boy Quitls

Another quilt is finished ladies!

 This one is for Chris' mom.

I love what Marla did in putting this together.

And look at the block she put on the back for a label....

She also put the tops together for the two brothers.

I forgot to get a pic of one of them before I sent it off to Karen in Pennsylvania who is quilting it...

but they were pretty close to the same.

For those of you new to the blog,

my daughter lost her fiance last September

in Afghanistan

just days before they were to be married.

(Christopher John Scott)

If you'd like to read about it,

Click Here!!

There are several posts about the project and about us losing

our darling soldier boy.

I still weep as I do this post almost a year later!

Thank you all for your generous support

in this great endeavor!

And especially for your prayers.

A huge hug to Marla for helping me get these quilts done,

and for the two sweet ladies finishing the quilting.

You are the best!!

Hugs,

 

Project Update!

Parisian Summer Final Border

Click Here to Order Pattern!

This is what I've been up to the past few weeks.

Now I need to make 3 more to go on all sides of Parisian Summer

below.

And as far as my 50th Year Project...

this is what the first week has been like.

First of all, I am amazed at what 'writing things down'

does!

I have a journal my sister gave me for my birthday that I 

am recording two things in each night.

On the left hand side of the page I am writing down at least one thing I did nice for someone that day.

On the right hand side I am using it as my Gratitude Journal and am listing 5 things that I am grateful for that happened each day.

I have also been working on my Reading Lists.

I started this several years ago 

and truly it has changed my 'Reading Life' in a positive manner.

As I am reading a book,

if there are any references to a book the author has found uplifting or life changing,

it goes in my own "Reading List Journal".

And I always love going to the back of books and reading their

Recommended Reading Lists.

I add any books that look interesting to me.

Then I order these from the library.

I've been able to get 99% of these books from there.

I know to not put a title on the list that has a copyright date less than a year old.

They usually aren't at the library yet.

And then while reading these books

if I find a lot I want to underline in the book and mark it up in a 'John'aLee' kind of way,

I go order it online at Barnes and Noble.

This year I am adding 'audio' books to my list

as well as 'movies'.

Try it ladies....and let me know what you think.

This one thing over the last few years has brought great enjoyment to me.

I love creating the lists,

I love going through and picking a topic,

and then ordering just those books.

I love seeing the books that have changed other people's lives,

I love seeing the books that have helped an author to create 

their own book.

Now my other goals....

like writing 'my' book,

has not been very successful this week. 

I'm going to rectify that starting today!

It is softly raining outside,

I am alone,

I am headed out to my back stoop which is 3/4 covered,

and I am going to sit and read and write....

Thanks for popping in!

Hugs,

And Let the Journey Begin....

I usually spend a lot of time in December with my journal,

writing about what I've learned the past year,

the mistakes I've made and what I want to do differently 

in the coming year,

recording things that have worked,

ideas  I've come across that I want to try.

Well, seeing yesterday was the big 50,

all week long I spent hours writing about

what I wanted this year to be.

Although I am a 'happy' person,

I wanted to really take time this year to find out what makes me happy,

what makes me unhappy,

and incorporate the good....and delete the bad as much as possible.

I came across this book on my quest!

The Happiness Project 

 

 

Oh my!!

What an incredible read!!

It has helped me to design my own little 'project'.

Ladies, if you don't read any other book this year,

make sure to read this one.

I think it will change your life.

And a biggie....

I want to 'do' more for others!

Again, 

I read another amazing book this year while at BandN

that struck a chord.

 

365 Thank Yous

The author was at a very low point in his life,

where truly it sounds like he had nothing at all to be thankful for.

He decided to write one thank you a day to someone for something....for 1 year~

somehow.

It changed his life.

So I've decided this year,

I am going to write a minimum of 52 Thank You's.

My 'Thank You' list comprises of people who have somehow

helped to shape the person I am today in a positive way.

And another thing,

is once a day,

do something nice for someone.

At least one thing.

And record it in a journal.

Sometimes us as women do DO a lot for others,

but don't give ourselves credit.

So this year for my own benefit

I'm going to write it all down,

and when I'm feeling despondent

go to my list!

I'll keep you posted on how this goes!

There is a book that came out around 17 years ago,

that was life changing for me.

Simple Abundance 

 

I'm sure a lot of you women read it.

If you are of the newer generation and haven't 

you must girls!

I reread it every couple of years.

A few years after this book came out I started writing my own book of essays

called

 "Mornings on the Porch"

I sat out on my porch in the early morning with my hot steaming cup of mocha,

bible, books, pens, papers and notebooks

and wrote a way.

I can't tell you the times I've heard,

"You should write a book!"

So I started!

One of my goals this year is TO FINISH!!

I've thought long and hard about posting about this here on my blog.

A lot of people don't know  I am a writer and that I've studied

the craft for over 15 years.

Now I'm taking myself to task!

I will post some of my essays throughout this coming year for all of your feedback.

You all have become like a family to me,

so this is where I'm going to lay my heart open wide.Screeeeeech....

Ooooouuuucccchhhhh!!!

I also am going to get my Book Proposal

off to American Quilter's Society.

I approached them 3 years ago about an idea I had.

They had never heard of it and were very interested.

The project always seems to get put on the back burner.

So this is the year for that too!

Another goal...

Make My Home A Haven!

I will post my thoughts and ideas on this in a separate blog post,

because there's too much to write about.

And I have a few other ideas,

to work on my 'Attitude'.

That will take awhile for me to work out and research.

A separate post alone coming about that one my friends!

Reading.......is a huge part of my life!

Huge!

Reading about others,

their lives,

their heartaches and troubles,

how they've risen above,

etc

has played a huge part of who I am today.

I have kept 'Reading Lists'

for years and years.

But this year I am going to get more dedicated to this list

and expand on it.

I'm keeping a 'Movie' list,

a "Book on Tape' list,

and an 'Author list'.

This last one....you know how you read a book and love it!

Yet how often do we go and search out other books by that same author?

I do sometimes,

but this year I am making a more concentrated effort.

More later on this....

And last but not least,

Every day....

I mean EVERY DAY....

I am going to spend some time in my sewing room!

Stitching on something of my own!

Not for work!

This might be the toughest one of all!

But if I tell you...

my blog readers....

that I will post pics.....

I will have to!

I might just show you a square being cut out...Ha!!

 

So this is going to be the journey.

If I come across some more

good ideas

I will post as I  incorporate them.

I'm also working on a format to share with you all

that will organize this project better.

Now this is where 'ya'll' come in!

I'm going to ask you guys to comment

about 'your journey'

as we go!

What has helped you,

the books that have inspired you,

the people.

Things you do to get yourself out of a bad mood etc!

I'm still working on a name for this project.

I've always loved that word "Project".

Ever since I started watching Project Runway.

It's probably why I picked up the book,

The Happiness Project 

this last year.

Any ideas on a title for me?????

Stay tuned.....

Let's grow together girls....

With a Heart Laid Wide Open....

Oh....and P.S. I'm going to really try to post several times a week!!

P.S.S.  This is the hardest post to "push" that Publish Button on yet!!

The Big 50 today....and my Mary Jane Farm Magazine Article came out!!

Wow!

A half a century old!

A pic of Tory and I taken a few weeks ago...

I was sitting in Barnes and Noble this morning....

went and picked out a stack of magazines.....

and low and behold as I was reading the new issue of

Mary Jane Farm....

there was  the two page spread on

lil 'ole me!!

I wasn't expecting it to come out until Oct/Nov...

thus the surprise.

Thank you Deb from

Deborah Jean's Dandelion House

for including me!

It's been fun to see it all come together.

I'm unveiling a 'New Journey'

for my 50th year!

I'll start posting about it tomorrow!

I'm determined to have a 'Happy and Productive' year,

and to get some things done that I've put on the back burner 

for awhile now.

I want to include you all!

It will be an "Interacting Journey"

and hopefully

we can all

be a positive influence on each other!!

Just from a lil 'ole 50 year old lady....