My First Journal Block

I have emerged from my sewing space with a beautiful first block for my Journal.  What do you think?  I thought that I would start with my grandmothers favorite flower the daisy.  I have picked out the floss and silk ribbon that I am going to use on it.  I can't wait to start.

My friend Shari suggested a really complicated name for my journal "Homage to Myrtle Jane."  I am thinking of a simpler name of "My Grandmothers Flower Garden."  I am very lucky that I had the privilege of having Myrtle Jane Wagner Painter in my life up until a few years ago.  I miss her terrably.  Lucky me though my mothers mom is still alive.  I treasure her even more now that Myrtle is gone.  I will have to do another journal for LaVerne Heilscher Wallace.

I hope that you will follow this journey of love.  The love of flowers and everything that grows in a garden and the love for my grandmother.

TTFN
The Lion

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012

Yesterday I was thinking about the CQJP 2012.  WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO?  I have been trying to figure that out since the first of December last year.  I was puttering around my little quilting room I picked up the fairy fabric I bought on one of my lunch time jaunts around San Antonio.  The fabric has the flower faries on it.  I started thinking about my grandmother.

Myrtle Jane Wagner Painter she is the one that gave me my love of gardening and stitching.  I thought to myself why not do a journal with the flower faries that represent the flowers that I remember in my Grandmothers flower garden.  Wow!  Now that was an idea!

Just you wait and see what I am going to so with this project!  Did you sign up for this project?  What are you going to do?

TTFN
The Lion

Cleaning Out the Clutter

Since the fire I have cleaning out the clutter so to speak.  If I don't need it or can't use it I am either throwing it away or giving it to St. Vincent De Paul.  Being a quilter I am a pack rat.  The majority of the human race are pack rats.  Some are extreme about it and some are not.  It goes back to our dark past when we use to roam through the continents and kill our own food.

For what ever reason I have started to clean out my nooks and crannies.  It is feeling good to do this.  This morning I got into my dresser to two drawers of clothes that I have not worn in heaven knows when and threw them into a plastic garbage bag bound for the charity shop.  I did not even look at the clothes just threw them in the bag.  Making room for the clothes that I am actually wearing.  The next stop is my closet.  Not today though.  I am doing this in little bursts of "this has got to go!"

As I am cleaning out my clutter physically I noticed that mentally I am feeling better and better.  I am not sure what is going on but I am enjoying a clutter free life.  I also think that the old man is also.

Feeling a little more free.

The Lion

Wishing To All

As I sit here thinking that I really need to get up and make the greenbean casserole to go over to my grandmothers house I am looking around and thinking of all the things that I am thankful for.  This year especially the people of Bastrop have so much to be thankful for.  As for me getting right down to the point of I am just thankful we all have our lives!  This Thanksgiving we still have our home and the others around me who lost their homes in the fire?  They get to rebuild.  It will be rough going but they get to do it together.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?  What do you get to do today?

TTFN
The Lion

Crazy Quilt Journal Project

I would like to talk to my followers about a great project that is going to take place after the first of the year.  It is the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2012.  Some of the particulars are:

• Participants will complete one crazy quilt block each month.  Size and shape can vary but it should be at least equivalent to 6" square.
• Participants who want their blocks published can submit their photos to the committee email to: chairperson@cqjp.org.
• Complete rules and registration information about the CQJP2012 is at the website http://www.cqjp.org/.

I would also like to announce that the CQJP2012 is honored to have JM Michler, author of The Magic of Crazy Quilting as our Honorary Chairperson this year!  How awesome is that?

I would like to encourage all to participate in this project!  I will!

TTFN
The Lion

The Lion's Stocking Swap

Let's talk about the swap.  Is it still happening you ask?  Why yes it is!  All who follow my blog know that we have had a little excitement in these parts.  We are recovering quite nicely.  The pine woods will never be the same but they will recover in the way only nature can.

I am pushing all of our dates for the swap back two weeks for all the slow pokes and those of us who have something unexpected come up.  I cannot wait to see what everyone has come up with!  Please email me privately so that I can send you my snail mail address.

TTFN
The Lion

Some Thoughts

As the recovery here in Bastrop, Texas continues we are all wrestling with our demons that were unleashed from the fire.  Some of us have had our homes taken from us in a matter of minuets and some of us are lucky enough to still have our homes.

We are witnesses to the best that human nature is and we are witness to the worst that human nature is.  Believe it or not there really was people going into the fire evacuation area through the hot spots and stealing from the people who have lost everything.  Believe it or not, there are really people giving their homes that they have thought of selling, and moving closer to family in another part of the state or country, to people who have lost their homes to the fire.  We are also seeing everything else you can imagine in between these two extremes.

As my family and I recover from the physical affects of the stress of having been evacuated, I have thought allot of my next post to my blog.  I do want to stress yes my home was still standing when we came back but we still have been through allot of "what ifs".  You know the kind the biggest is: What if the house is gone?  there are allot of families around us that are dealing right now with that "what if" right now.

Here is kind of a description of what we all went through here when we were told to evacuate:

First they were cutting the power off ahead of the fire so your power was cut.  Then the Sheriff or State Troopers came through your neighborhood telling you to get out, get out NOW.  Okay, do you have time to grab anything?  What do you grab? Clothes? Your dog/cat?  Photo albums? What about the hand prints from Kindergarten that you got for Mothersday/Fathersday from you children?  Their christening gowns?  Your grandmothers quilt?  Your jewelry?

What stays to be fire fuel what do you get to save for the future?

What if the fire was on you so fast, you did not get the warning from the law enforcement officers.  What if the only thing you could get out of your home with is just the clothes on your back?  What if you get to the end of your street and the fire has already beat you there and you just in the nick of time turn down the road to safety?  What if you did not beat the fire out?

What would you do?


The recovery here continues.

TTFN
The Lion