Happy New Year

 Hello Everyone,

I saw this on FB this morning and thought it was very good and easier to stick to than making actual resolutions that are so easy to break.  

If I make any resolutions this year, learning to play the piano will be at the top of the list since Mr. Joe surprised me with a keyboard for Christmas. I’ve always dreamed of being able to sit down and play a few tunes without relying on sheet music. I did take lessons when I was seven, but I hated every minute of them. To this day, I’m convinced I have a touch of PTSD from Mrs. VanAsperen’s weekly visits and her half hour of piano lesson torture. Maybe if I’d practiced during the week, I wouldn’t be carrying quite so many emotional scars.

When I was in my 40's I took more private lessons, but I didn't stick with them long enough to become proficient. The focus of the teacher was on classical music.  I love listening to classical music, but I don't enjoy playing it. 

I really want to learn how to play boogie‑woogie! There’s so much piano instruction available online that I’m exploring all my options. I’ve been trying to carve out an hour a day at the keyboard—and no, not my computer keyboard. Mr. Joe seems convinced I’m destined to become a geriatric Jerry Lee Lewis. Great balls of fire, I’ll let you know if that ever happens! I can probably sit on the keyboard the way he did, but I certainly can't throw my heal up and reach the high notes.

I hope you all have a very happy and healthy New Year!  Healthy is the key word here at my age.  Happy New Year, dear quilters and may your days be as colorful and comforting as the quilts you make.

Soon,

Lynn

P.S. Oh, I forgot to tell you Mr. Joe found a keyboard with a headset, so he doesn't have to listen to me practice! That was a smart move on his part.

Toyland......Joyland

 Hello Everyone,

I figured I’d better get my Christmas post out early this Christmas Eve. A bomb cyclone rolled into California overnight. With pine trees whipping around in the gusty winds, there’s a good chance we could lose power. It feels a bit like waiting for the Polar Express to arrive… though it’s not quite cold enough yet, and the rain hasn’t turned to snow.  This is a picture of my Toyland Tree design which I love to put on display every year.

Last night, our eldest granddaughter started a text chain that quickly turned into a sweet trip down memory lane. She was watching The Polar Express and said it always reminds her of Mike—our Santa Mike—who came to our house every year before Christmas with a bag full of presents for the grandkids.

When the kids were little, I used to read The Polar Express to them.  I cried every single time I read that story, and once they were old enough to read it themselves, I still cried—only harder.

Through the years, they took turns reading the story and signed and dated the inside flap of the book marking the year of their reading.  I need to find that book and pass it on to the kids should we be lucky enough to have great grandchildren.

As the story got to the part when the young boy could hear the bell, Santa would be standing in our courtyard and ring his bell.....thanks to the magic of cell phones which would give him his cue. There was always so much joy in the room.

What started as a single text last night quickly grew into a thread of more than twenty photos from Santa’s visits. The look of pure delight on little Kade’s face—absolutely priceless.  Little Kade is now a senior in high school and is the youngest of our six grandchildren. 

Toyland! Toyland!

Little girl and boy land

While you dwell within it, you are ever happy then

Childhood's joyland

Mystic merry Toyland

Once you pass its borders, you can ne'er return again

For a little while last night, we found ourselves back in Toyland. I miss those days of sweet innocence and wholehearted belief in Santa Claus. And I miss Santa Mike, who has now journeyed on to Joyland. This year, his Mrs. Claus—our dear friend Kathy—will be joining us on Christmas Day. We can’t return to those moments, but nothing can ever take away the precious memories they left behind.

Merry Christmas to all!

Lynn

Christmas at the Cabin

 Hello Everyone,

While getting ready for Christmas, I'm clearing out the bins of fabrics and kits I have stored in the garage and putting everything in my Etsy shop.  If you want to see the fabrics, go to my shop and select the FABRIC section and they will all display.

Maybe if I clear out enough bins, I'll be able to get one of the cars in the garage before the snow flies!  I still have to finish posting all of the Gentry's Mill fabric, Cheddar and Coal and then Laurel Ridge.  I want to have the shelves cleared so I can stock up on some of the new lines coming out from the talented designers at Marcus Fabrics.

For me, Christmas is all about carrying on the traditions that shaped our family. My grandmother always made frosted sugar cookies, and that sweet ritual has now been passed down to me. On Monday, I baked a double batch and tucked some into the box of gifts headed to my granddaughter and her fiancé. I still use my grandmother’s old cookie cutters, and I know she’d be so happy to see her legacy continue.

I know myself, and I know that if those cookies were sitting in the cabin, Mr. Joe and I would polish them off long before Christmas. So, they’re safely tucked away in the freezer up in the garage, which at least makes me think twice before sneaking one. And yes, I can confirm from personal experience that they taste just as good frozen!  To get to the garage, I have to walk up a steep driveway to get there, and sometimes it's the only exercise I get all day long.

The tree and cabin are all decorated and we've been enjoying the twinkling lights of the season.  This is the view from my recliner where I'm happily and firmly planted every evening.

I have to wrap the presents this weekend which I always do during the Sunday football games the weekend before Christmas.  I actually love to wrap as to me it is part of the gift. 

The first of many storms rolled in yesterday, and we stayed tucked inside, warm and toasty by the fire. An atmospheric river is settling in through Christmas, and they’re predicting 9–11 inches of rain in the coming week. Sounds like the perfect excuse to bake another batch of cookies… just in case the ones in the garage mysteriously disappear into the paws of a passing bear!

Soon,

Lynn

Hobby House Quilt Works

 Hello Everyone,

I'm thrilled to share that this California gal will be heading East next May to Victor, NY where I’ll be teaching at Hobby House Quilt Works!

I'll be teaching my new Timeless design.

This is an image of the fabric called Timeless Stitches for Marcus Fabrics.  I'm anxiously awaiting my sample yardage so I can start creating!  My poor brain is going a thousand miles an hour thinking about additional designs using this fabric. The design are popping in my head faster than I can sketch them!

You can learn more about this weekend workshop HERE.  Just think, we can spend the entire weekend together beginning Friday night for the meet and greet trunk show.  Then we hit the ground running Saturday morning when the 2-day class begins making this beautiful medallion quilt which measures 90" x 90".  

You will learn so much while making the quilt as I teach the math behind the components.  I'm sorry, I don't call it math anymore, I call it Finessing the Figures which sounds less intimidating and more approachable. I'll demonstrate my methods of easy construction of the quilting components.  

Head on over to Hobby House Quilt Works and check out the retreat center, their shop, and if you love wool and cross stitch you will be in heaven!

Soon,

Lynn

Happy Thanksgiving

 Hello Everyone,

I feel immense gratitude for the wonderful community of readers who share this journey with me.

On this day of gratitude, may your table be filled with delicious food, your home with laughter, and your heart with joy. Thanksgiving reminds us that the simplest blessings....family, friends, and community are the richest treasures. Wishing you peace, warmth, and abundance today and always.

Soon,

Lynn

Coziness Tabletopper

 Hello Everyone,

I know many of you are juggling the same whirlwind I am—preparing for Thanksgiving while sneaking in a few Christmas projects, too. Amidst it all, I managed to finish a table topper I’m calling Coziness, designed to pair perfectly with my Cozy Country Christmas pattern.

I’ve been squeezing in time here and there to work on the directions—spare time, what’s that? HA! My goal is to get this on the long arm next week so I can quilt, bind, and finally show it off on my dining room table. Coziness will finish at 24" x 24".

Also, in my spare time, I put quite a few patterns in my Etsy shop which are available for DIGITAL DOWNLOAD.  Click HERE to access my Etsy shop.

On the home front, we’ve made countless trips to the Bay Area for Mr. Joe. Since mid-June, he’s been battling severe shoulder pain that eventually spread to his wrists, hands, hips, and knees. He had to give up driving and spent most days bundled in his recliner, cocooned in an electric blanket and heating pad. Despite x-rays, MRIs, blood tests, and a variety of medications, nothing brought relief. At my urging, we finally saw a rheumatologist, who diagnosed him with Polymyalgia Rheumatica, an inflammatory condition. Last week he began treatment, and we’re already seeing encouraging progress—he can now squeeze a tube of toothpaste and dress himself. These may seem like small things, but to us, they’re major victories, and we’re deeply thankful for each one.

Gratitude has a way of shifting our perspective. It reminds us to pause in the midst of busy days and notice the small victories, (like squeezing the tube of toothpaste) the quiet joys, and the people who make our lives richer. Being thankful doesn’t erase challenges, but it gives them context.

Thankfulness can be found in the everyday: the warmth of a quilt pulled across a lap, the laughter of friends gathered around a table, the relief of healing after hardship. Each moment, no matter how ordinary, becomes extraordinary when we choose to recognize it as a gift.

This season, may we celebrate not only the big milestones but also the little ones, the ability to do something we couldn’t yesterday, (insert toothpaste tube again!) the comfort of familiar traditions, and the joy of sharing life with others. 

Soon,

Lynn

Christmas in the Making

 Hello Everyone,

I’ve been easing back into the swing of things after the retreat, unpacking supplies, sorting through the accounting, and carving out a little time to rest and recharge before the Holidays roll in. I had a generous pile of leftover scraps from Cozy Country Christmas, so I put them to good use in a 24" x 24" table topper. Of course, that means writing and testing a new pattern too—but the four log cabin blocks are already stitched and looking festive!

Thanks to EQ8 software, I’ve mapped out how the table topper will look once it’s finished. I have to say, one of my friends nailed it when they said it resembles the view through a kaleidoscope. I couldn’t agree more! 

On the home front, Mr. Joe is still suffering with constant pain in every joint in his body except for his jaw.  His doctor has tried many different medications, physical therapy, MRI's, and X-rays.  The pain started in his shoulders and now extends down his arms to his wrists, hands, hips, and knees. He has a video appointment with a rheumatologist on Tuesday, so we are hopeful to get to the bottom of what is going on.

I’ve been keeping a close eye on his diet and put him on an anti-inflammatory plan. While I was away at the retreat, things seemed to slide—he wasn’t eating well and spent far too much time curled up in his recliner under an electric blanket, rotating the heating pad between his shoulders and hands. When I’m home, I make sure he gets up and moving, and it really does seem to help. I keep telling him 'motion is lotion'.  I had to hide my surprise the other day when he vacuumed the great room and even fired up the leaf blower before the rains came—but sure enough, the next day he was worse than ever. So much for my motion is lotion theory.

Winter has rolled into and over the mountains.  We had 3.74" of rain in 24 hours with a lot more on the horizon.  The rain makes Mazey's trips to the powder room a little more challenging. 

I'll keep on quilting and caring for Mr. Joe.  He sleeps so much that I've gotten a lot of quilting done!

Soon,

Lynn

 

Sew'n Wild Oaks Retreat Day Four

 Hello Everyone,

The Sew’n Wild Oaks retreat wraps up today, and we’re sending it off with a final flourish—a mini quilt show filled with quilted treasures. Today’s gallery includes snapshots from our last show-and-tell, along with candid moments captured around the room as creativity bloomed. Leading the lineup is my Prairie Flower quilt, beautifully brought to life by Sharon’s expert hands.

This is Sarah's quilt on the front.....

.....and then she has this wonderful back which she created making a great 'turn down' on her bed.

Cozy Country Christmas blocks.

This is a block from my Country Sampler pattern expertly made by Mary Sue.

An array of Calico Cottages.

Here's Alice's Country Diary made by Melinda.  The blocks were drop dead gorgeous!

A Lucy Boston block in the making.

A block from my Simple Elegance pattern which I will be putting in my Etsy shop next week.

This is Gwyneth's beautifully made center block for Laurel Ridge.

Yesterday we had a delicious bagel bar for breakfast.  Every morning, we have a large serving of fresh fruit.  Every evening, we have a large salad with our main dish. 

Yesterday morning the sky painted a pink glow over the forest.  Red sky at morning sailor's take warning.....and then the storm rolled in.  We spent a very comfortable day inside, and quilted the day away.

We have a half day together today before we have to clean up and leave Snowflake Lodge until a retreat next year.

Soon,

Lynn