Summer Projects

I've gotten several projects accomplished this spring and summer and here are a couple of them.

The French doll is from an elinor peace bailey (elinor doesn't capitalize her name) pattern. I named her Anastina, garnered from an old tombstone I found years ago! My two cats think she's a "people" too--they lie in her lap occasionally. Her clothing is from a set of metallic cottons I bought some years ago and had never used. She has "b & b" underneath--bloomers and boobies.

The bag is one of two from coordinating fabrics. It was made from the pattern shown from a magazine. This one went to Kelly, my new DIL, and the other went to my sister for her birthday.

Pics of "the babies" Summer 09

Nora Cate, my great-niece, on Memorial Day weekend. She's going to

have a baby brother or sister in January, 2010!

My great-niece, Addy, 8 months, with my sister, her "Da."

My Son's Wedding

Chris & Kelly make their getaway! July 11, 2009

Saturday, July 11th, was a happy day! My son, Chris Tucker, married Kelly Warren of Rutherford, TN. Kelly also has a son, Carter, age 7, so I got a new grandson as well.

The wedding was held at 1st Baptist Church in Rutherford, and there were over 200 people there. They had to bring in chairs!

It was a great day, and we are very proud of our son's choice. Kelly is a teacher and also sings often in church.

Great Pics of Our Quilts at Knoxville Show

A few of our members got to go to the Knoxville AQS Show last weekend to see our quilts hanging. Roxane Rhoads graciously handled the submission process for us along with Dixie Berryman and we were very excited to get accepted!

So here are some great pics from Roxane's husband, Tommy, of our quilts hanging at the Show.
Thank you, Tommy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98571&id=662219289&l=c99d66eebf
(If this doesn't transfer you when you click it, just copy it and paste it in the web address line.)

Our Fifth Tuesday Trip to KY.

TOP: Here are (l.) Beth, Melanie, Michele, and Carolyn after we have full tummies at Sirloin Stockade!

BOTTOM: This picture shows some of our ladies as we entered Backyard Fabrics out of Murray, KY. Yesterday was a sterling, clear day and a little cooler and less humid. L. to r. is Aleta, Vicki, Frances, Michele, Beth, and Melanie. I actually got them to stop long enough to take a picture before rushing inside to get into the Fabric Fray!

Considering the small space, we all cooperated well to get around to see--and choose--the fabrics we couldn't live without! We even waited patiently to get our fabrics cut. Then we took off, using Judy Snyder's husband's excellent (and humorous) instructions, to get to Sirloin Stockade for lunch. It was outstanding!

The afternoon saw us just north of Murray at Batiks by Design, where we enjoyed a trunk show by owner Patti Oakley. We found more things to buy there as well!

Thanks to Judy Snider for setting up all the arrangements and helping cut fabrics, too.

There'e Going to Be a Wedding!

In late April, my son informed me that there is going to be a wedding in July! Hurrah! Chris is 31, and has found a wonderful girl named Kelly Warren. She has a son, Carter, who is 6. I'm going to be a grandmother after all! What joy!

And the rest of the story. . on the roses

Sometimes life is too much fun! When I sent Mrs. Weaver my blog address (see previous Roses story) and told her about my quilt pieces being on there, I received another email from Mrs. Weaver to tell me she is a quilter also! Quilters are such great people. . . .

A Year Process Ended. . . Success Finally!

I have to tell you this story because it has a good ending! On our CA. trip last April, we stayed near Vacaville, CA in the wine country. Driving in on a county road, we passed a lovely little farm lot, enclosed with a fence, full of beautiful roses and old farm implements. It was just stunning! So carefully tended, with a great deal of thought--such a pleasure to the eye! To an artist, it was heaven. I couldn't wait to get settled so I could go back and take pictures.

And I did that! I have to tell you that since it was up right next to the road, I didn't go find anyone to ask permission. But as I was finishing, a man came up from the barn in back, and I told him how lovely the roses were. I asked for his name and address and promised him that I would send a CD back to them.

Well, you can guess that the ONLY thing I lost on that trip was that little notebook with the name and address in it. Thank heavens, I had looked at it briefly and remembered the last name. Then followed the strangest chain of events. My husband downloaded the pics but then couldn't find them. Then over the next year, I would occasionally 1) look for the pics and try to get them on a CD or 2) look on the Internet for what might be the right name and address. Finally, almost one year later, I sat down and determined to do all of the above at the same time and get it done! I wrote a note explaining the situation, and sent it off to what I hoped was the right address.

TODAY, April 15th, I received a lovely email and they received the CD and letter! Yea! It worked! I had really worried that I had made a promise and that I was going to fail in delivering on it.

So I hope you enjoy the lovely rose pictures above of the garden of Mr. and Mrs. Neal Weaver.

A Sewing Day Unexpected!

I asked to serve as Hostess of our Sewing Day this week because we usually use Judie's house. Since we all needed sewing machines for our Hobo Bag project, I thought it would be great to use the tables in the Clubhouse here at the RV Park. When I arranged it the week before, they said fine and it would be available after 11 a.m.

Things changed! When we arrived, we learned there would be a group doing Karaoke after lunch. They set us up so we would be somewhat "undisturbed" and we went to work on our bags.

Lo and behold, there came a crowd! Up went the Karaoke equipment and by 1 p.m. we were in a full entertainment mode. The good news was that they were a very fun-loving group (as are we!) and I even got up and did my "Harper Valley PTA" thing while Judie took pictures.

Well, they were hilarious! They did skits in costume (we even had Elvis!) to songs including Elvira (twice) and Sweet Nothings (remember Brenda Lee?). The guy had a fabulous Karaoke system and singalong CD's too many to count. They also did some pretty gospel songs. Turns out they go to nursing homes and do this as an afternoon of entertainment.

At full tilt, we had a packed room, with us sewing in the middle, people standing in the doors watching and listening, and others using the pool table right behind us! As Mary said, "If you were going to write a book, you couldn't have come up with this!"

Thanks to my very flexible friends, we had an enjoyable, albeit unexpected afternoon of entertainment, AND we still got our bags done! This was a sewing day we won't ever forget!

Addy at One Month!

We left when Addy was 3 weeks old, and here she is right at 1 month old. Look at those cheeks! Mommy's milk is working pretty well, it seems.

One Senator Actually Responds

I don't get into political issues here, but I have been impressed by one politician's response to my messages of concern, the most recent being the nomination and confirmation of Timothy Geithner. Senator Bob Corker from Chattanooga asked very hard but pertinent questions in the hearings about the auto bailouts AND he is the only person who has given me consistent and thoughtful answers to my communications. So I share his latest message with you, in the hopes that it can give you some encouragement that there is some politician in Washington who is attempting to use common sense and represent the best interests of the people.

"Dear Mrs. Stewart,

Thank you for taking time to contact my office regarding the nomination of Timothy Geithner to be the Secretary of the Treasury Department. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

Like you, I am concerned with the serious challenges we are facing in our financial markets, and how they are affecting our overall economy. The Department of Treasury plays a crucial role in the recovery process of our economy, and I believe it is important that we have a treasury secretary that understands our financial markets.

There is no question that having a Treasury Secretary nominee with perceived tax issues has been troubling. For that reason, I have spoken several times to Mr. Geithner, read every word of his testimony and his answers to hundreds of questions from the Finance Committee, and then called him again before the vote to ask him a number of very pointed questions. He answered those tough questions regarding his tax returns to my satisfaction. While, like you, my preference would be that we were not in the situation to even have to discuss tax issues with a Treasury Secretary nominee, I also think it is appropriate to give fairly wide latitude to presidents regarding their cabinet selections. At the end of the day, while the issues surrounding Secretary Geithner's confirmation are very important, after spending a great deal of time exploring the merits of his confirmation, I believe that he does pass the test of being qualified to be the Treasury Secretary.

Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me as I serve you in the United States Senate.
Sincerely, Bob Corker
United States Senator "