Another skirt from left over fabric- this time with a patriotic theme.
And the back
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Skirt from Scraps #2
Another skirt from left over fabric- this time with a patriotic theme.
And the back
Friday, March 27, 2009
Hope's New Skirt
I started a skirt for Hope last night and finished it this morning. It is made up of bits of left over fabric from her new quilt (still in the process of being quilted), two previous Easter dresses, her pillowcase, and the green (which hasn't been used in any previous projects but I had it stored away).
The front
And the back
Hope likes it and I have less fabric scraps laying around!
Hope likes it and I have less fabric scraps laying around!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
When Hannah was a baby and we went to Arizona to visit Brian's folks, they brought out a box of old photographs for us to look at. I found a series of photos of young ladies having fun at what appeared to be a summer camp. I asked who they were and Brian's mom thought they might be of her mother-in-law, Brian's paternal grandmother, Charlotte (pictured above).
I loved these pictures so much that Brian's mom let me have them.
They are so different from the photos one usually sees of the past- of somber looking people in their best clothes.
Hannah and I estimate that these were taken around 1910, based on the style of clothing.
Don't these girls look like they are having fun?
I wish I could go back in time and see their adventures!
I wonder what became of these ladies. They most likely married within a few years of these photos and began their families.
Did they tell their children of their youthful adventures?
How I wish these pictures could tell *all* of the story!Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Around the House
Progress is being made on Hope's quilt. I wanted to do a little design in the center of each square and proceeded to try to do this on the machine- with not so good results. I asked Abby if she would mind hand quilting the designs during our group reading time and the darling child said she would! I'll still need to do something in the border area, but I'll think about that later (a la Scarlett O'Hara...).
Hope received a little paintable dog in Sunday School for six weeks of memory verses said. She loves memory verses so much, I don't think she is motivated by prizes. But she was quite proud of her painted pup!
Sunny Saturday afternoon working on more spring paper flowers. Hopefully I can post a picture of our newest project using these flowers soon- our Spring Tree.
And the boy burning twigs in the back yard. Paper flowers just aren't his thing.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Welcome, Ethan Robert!
Breaking news from Jon- Ethan Robert arrived half an hour ago, weighing in at 9 pounds, 5 ounces and 22 inches long.
Congratulations! Hopefully we'll have pictures tonight!
Congratulations! Hopefully we'll have pictures tonight!
Looking towards Spring
Abby received a card making kit for Christmas but has been too focused on school and knitting to make use of it.
That is, until Hannah became interested in making cards for friends. Yesterday they spent the morning by a sunny window cutting out flowers.
The cards look like Springtime, which is nice since this morning we woke to a winter white world outside!
The cards look like Springtime, which is nice since this morning we woke to a winter white world outside!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Interview with Grandma J.
When Hannah and Abby were just babies, I would spend a couple of hours every Saturday talking to my Grandma. On one of those days, I grabbed my pen and jotted down the things she said and her memories of growing up. Since those memories came in a very "free form" style, I have tried to organize her thoughts into the paragraphs below. Grandma went to be with the Lord a few years ago, but her memory is still fresh in my mind. I'm so glad I wrote down these things before her dementia set in!
Alvin, Grandma's father
Grandma remembered her father as a very loving man who had a good sense of humor. She recalled him riding the children on his knee and his affectionate ways with them. He was also a good carpenter and made furnishings for their home, as well as adding on to the home itself. He was a farmer who grew all the vegetables for the family including sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn and wheat. He also raised tobacco.
The above picture is the only known photo of my great-grandmother.
Grandma's mother, Alta, died of tuberculosis at the age of 44. Grandma was sixteen at the time. Her memories of her mother centered around her home duties, which were plentiful with such a large family. Alta raised turkeys and geese. She used the money she received from selling eggs for sugar, coffee and laundry soap. She sewed all of the family's clothes and Grandma had a lot of memories of seeing her mother sewing on the treadle machine. They used feed sack material for their underwear which went to the knees with elastic. There was an iron kettle in the yard to heat water for washing and they used two irons for ironing- one heating up on the stove while the other was in use.
Alta dried a lot of apples in the sun to make the fried pies they ate in the winter. They also ate pork, white beans, corn bread and potatoes.
Grandma's memories of her grandmother were that she made sweet potatoes, fried apple pies and made molasses candy. She wore long dresses ("to her ankles") and an apron around her waist. Grandma and her family visited with her grandparents almost every day.
Bonnie J.
Because they did not have a full time minister, the traveling minister would come once a month for a church service. They did have Sunday School every week, however.
It was after a church service at the "Beautiful Home" church when Bonnie met Carson, the man who would become my Grandpa. After a party at a neighbor's house, Grandpa walked her home. They dated on and off for three years and the "dates" consisted of times at Bonnie's home or when Carson would walk her home from church. Grandpa had a yellow roadster with a rumble seat in the back where Grandma's twin brothers would ride, with Grandma in the front seat.
Grandma was 19 and Grandpa was 21 when they married in 1938. They married at the pastor's home with only Grandma's brother Hardie and the pastor's wife and daughter as witnesses.
Grandma wore a navy blue skirt and sweater and Grandpa wore a navy blue suit.
Carson J.
Parenthood quickly followed. Carson and Bonnie had four children- a son, Cecil, twins Cleo and Cleola (Cleo died at seven months gestation due to a fall on the ice when Grandma was fetching water in the Spring), and Clarice. Grandma said that she wanted to name my mother Carolyn, but Grandpa couldn't pronounce the name, so Clarice it was.
Bonnie with Cleola and Clarice
Grandpa worked as a farmer, first as a farm hand, then for himself raising corn and tobacco. One of my funny memories of Grandma was when she assured me that tobacco wasn't harmful- it was the nicotine they added to it that made it bad for you!
Above picture of Grandma (center, with the dark belt) and her siblings.
Grandma and Grandpa lived for a time in Indiana and Iowa, but returned to Kentucky where they lived the rest of their lives. They were divorced for several years when my mother was in her teens and twenties, but then they remarried.
Bonnie and Carson at home in Kentucky
Grandma spent a lot of her time in retirement sewing, cooking (everything she cooked had *at least* one spoonful of lard in it to "season" it) and gardening. She loved attending church and reading her Bible. She was very concerned for the spiritual condition of her grandchildren and I know she prayed for them often.
After my mother died, Grandma sewed several things for me so I would be properly outfitted for Bible College. When Brian proposed to me, I was wearing a skirt my Grandma had made (without a pattern, from a description given over the phone). Later, she helped sew my bridesmaids dresses. She showed me how to make buttonholes by hand, since she could never figure out how to use the sewing machine to do it!
My Grandma was a special, unique person. She was loving, generous and hard working. As she grew up poor and uneducated (she dropped out of school in the third grade to help her ailing mother), she was always insecure and did not trust her own opinion. She depended on her children and grandchildren to help her make decisions. She loved her family with her whole heart.
Grandma had an incredible memory for all the details of her family history and the family histories of all her neighbors. She had a soft southern accent and I still chuckle at her use of the words "checkardy" (checked), "stripedy" (striped) and "flowerdy" (floral). She had the most beautiful light blue eyes and soft, clear skin. She hated to have her picture taken and would grab your cheeks and squeeze the daylights out of them when she greeted you.
I'll close with the advice Grandma often gave to me while I was a teenager (and this is a quote from the interview that day): Don't jump into marriage. God has a special one for you and God will bring you together. Being faithful to one another is what makes a family. Also, don't jump into things without praying about it first.
Love and miss you, Grandma J!
My maternal Grandma, Bonnie, was born at home in October, 1918, the seventh of thirteen children. Her great-grandfather, Jesse Yateman, was born in England in 1782. He came to North Carolina and married a Cherokee/Native American woman. It was Bonnie's grandfather, David H. who moved the family to Monroe County, Kentucky in 1875, the area where many of the family still live.
Alvin, Grandma's fatherGrandma remembered her father as a very loving man who had a good sense of humor. She recalled him riding the children on his knee and his affectionate ways with them. He was also a good carpenter and made furnishings for their home, as well as adding on to the home itself. He was a farmer who grew all the vegetables for the family including sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn and wheat. He also raised tobacco.
The above picture is the only known photo of my great-grandmother.Grandma's mother, Alta, died of tuberculosis at the age of 44. Grandma was sixteen at the time. Her memories of her mother centered around her home duties, which were plentiful with such a large family. Alta raised turkeys and geese. She used the money she received from selling eggs for sugar, coffee and laundry soap. She sewed all of the family's clothes and Grandma had a lot of memories of seeing her mother sewing on the treadle machine. They used feed sack material for their underwear which went to the knees with elastic. There was an iron kettle in the yard to heat water for washing and they used two irons for ironing- one heating up on the stove while the other was in use.
Alta dried a lot of apples in the sun to make the fried pies they ate in the winter. They also ate pork, white beans, corn bread and potatoes.
Grandma's memories of her grandmother were that she made sweet potatoes, fried apple pies and made molasses candy. She wore long dresses ("to her ankles") and an apron around her waist. Grandma and her family visited with her grandparents almost every day.
Bonnie J.Because they did not have a full time minister, the traveling minister would come once a month for a church service. They did have Sunday School every week, however.
It was after a church service at the "Beautiful Home" church when Bonnie met Carson, the man who would become my Grandpa. After a party at a neighbor's house, Grandpa walked her home. They dated on and off for three years and the "dates" consisted of times at Bonnie's home or when Carson would walk her home from church. Grandpa had a yellow roadster with a rumble seat in the back where Grandma's twin brothers would ride, with Grandma in the front seat.
Grandma was 19 and Grandpa was 21 when they married in 1938. They married at the pastor's home with only Grandma's brother Hardie and the pastor's wife and daughter as witnesses.
Grandma wore a navy blue skirt and sweater and Grandpa wore a navy blue suit.
Carson J.Parenthood quickly followed. Carson and Bonnie had four children- a son, Cecil, twins Cleo and Cleola (Cleo died at seven months gestation due to a fall on the ice when Grandma was fetching water in the Spring), and Clarice. Grandma said that she wanted to name my mother Carolyn, but Grandpa couldn't pronounce the name, so Clarice it was.
Bonnie with Cleola and ClariceGrandpa worked as a farmer, first as a farm hand, then for himself raising corn and tobacco. One of my funny memories of Grandma was when she assured me that tobacco wasn't harmful- it was the nicotine they added to it that made it bad for you!
Above picture of Grandma (center, with the dark belt) and her siblings.Grandma and Grandpa lived for a time in Indiana and Iowa, but returned to Kentucky where they lived the rest of their lives. They were divorced for several years when my mother was in her teens and twenties, but then they remarried.
Bonnie and Carson at home in KentuckyGrandma spent a lot of her time in retirement sewing, cooking (everything she cooked had *at least* one spoonful of lard in it to "season" it) and gardening. She loved attending church and reading her Bible. She was very concerned for the spiritual condition of her grandchildren and I know she prayed for them often.
After my mother died, Grandma sewed several things for me so I would be properly outfitted for Bible College. When Brian proposed to me, I was wearing a skirt my Grandma had made (without a pattern, from a description given over the phone). Later, she helped sew my bridesmaids dresses. She showed me how to make buttonholes by hand, since she could never figure out how to use the sewing machine to do it!
My Grandma was a special, unique person. She was loving, generous and hard working. As she grew up poor and uneducated (she dropped out of school in the third grade to help her ailing mother), she was always insecure and did not trust her own opinion. She depended on her children and grandchildren to help her make decisions. She loved her family with her whole heart.
Grandma had an incredible memory for all the details of her family history and the family histories of all her neighbors. She had a soft southern accent and I still chuckle at her use of the words "checkardy" (checked), "stripedy" (striped) and "flowerdy" (floral). She had the most beautiful light blue eyes and soft, clear skin. She hated to have her picture taken and would grab your cheeks and squeeze the daylights out of them when she greeted you.
I'll close with the advice Grandma often gave to me while I was a teenager (and this is a quote from the interview that day): Don't jump into marriage. God has a special one for you and God will bring you together. Being faithful to one another is what makes a family. Also, don't jump into things without praying about it first.
Love and miss you, Grandma J!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
School Days
Working on math- addition, subtraction, time and measurement.
Jacob comes in for help with his math.
How do you divide fractions, again?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Musings of an Old Lady
I've never paid much attention to my birthdays. The only one that stands out in my mind as having any importance was my sixteenth- I felt like I was pretty grown up then.
However, this year is very different. I am turning forty tomorrow and I guess all this ignoring of the passing years is catching up with me. I examine recent photos and I don't recognize the person I am becoming. The wrinkles and sagging that weren't there the year before. Realizing I look more like my grandma with each passing day. I wouldn't ever consider plastic surgery, but I increasingly understand why some choose that option.
It's hard to see myself as "older" on the outside when I feel just the same as I did at sixteen on the inside. Only wiser and more worn down with the cares of life.
When I look at pictures of my parents, grandparents and people I care about, I see their wrinkles and sags, too, but I love them- it is a part of who they are. Those evidences of age give them character and endear them to me.
Why can't I see myself that way? Why can't I look at my hands as being the instruments of caring for my family, the part of me that enables me to cook, clean, give hugs and loving touches? Why do I only perceive the imperfections? The wrinkles that are the memories of smiles and laughter- that cause me to turn away when I look in the mirror. The sags and bags that are the evidence of bearing and nourishing my children. I see only the "old" and not the person behind it all.
I wouldn't want to be forty and still look sixteen would I? (Maybe in some ways, the answer would be "yes!", but I digress).
My children certainly seem to accept the me I am becoming. My husband still loves me ( so he says...). My family still calls and visits. Perhaps God will give me the grace to accept the older me as well.
Good-bye, youth. Hello, middle-age. How grateful I am that you are here. It is an honor and a privilege to have lived long enough to know you. There are many aspects of growing older that I do not look forward to, but I believe the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Forty, here I come! (gulp!)
However, this year is very different. I am turning forty tomorrow and I guess all this ignoring of the passing years is catching up with me. I examine recent photos and I don't recognize the person I am becoming. The wrinkles and sagging that weren't there the year before. Realizing I look more like my grandma with each passing day. I wouldn't ever consider plastic surgery, but I increasingly understand why some choose that option.
It's hard to see myself as "older" on the outside when I feel just the same as I did at sixteen on the inside. Only wiser and more worn down with the cares of life.
When I look at pictures of my parents, grandparents and people I care about, I see their wrinkles and sags, too, but I love them- it is a part of who they are. Those evidences of age give them character and endear them to me.
Why can't I see myself that way? Why can't I look at my hands as being the instruments of caring for my family, the part of me that enables me to cook, clean, give hugs and loving touches? Why do I only perceive the imperfections? The wrinkles that are the memories of smiles and laughter- that cause me to turn away when I look in the mirror. The sags and bags that are the evidence of bearing and nourishing my children. I see only the "old" and not the person behind it all.
I wouldn't want to be forty and still look sixteen would I? (Maybe in some ways, the answer would be "yes!", but I digress).
My children certainly seem to accept the me I am becoming. My husband still loves me ( so he says...). My family still calls and visits. Perhaps God will give me the grace to accept the older me as well.
Good-bye, youth. Hello, middle-age. How grateful I am that you are here. It is an honor and a privilege to have lived long enough to know you. There are many aspects of growing older that I do not look forward to, but I believe the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Forty, here I come! (gulp!)
I've been attempting to work on the quilt I started for Hope a year and a half ago. I just used the quilt top on her bed for decoration, but Hannah has been getting on my case about sewing quilt tops without ever making them up into "real" quilts. So, I'm trying to do better.
In family news, I haven't heard anything from Jon and Christy regarding their new baby. She went over her due date with Jackson and needed to be induced, so I'm not surprised she is a few days over her due date this time, too.
I'm hoping she has the baby tomorrow. I'd love to share a birthday with a cute niece/nephew! Jackson's birthday is the day after Brian's. Wouldn't it be funny if their new baby came the day after mine?
In family news, I haven't heard anything from Jon and Christy regarding their new baby. She went over her due date with Jackson and needed to be induced, so I'm not surprised she is a few days over her due date this time, too.
I'm hoping she has the baby tomorrow. I'd love to share a birthday with a cute niece/nephew! Jackson's birthday is the day after Brian's. Wouldn't it be funny if their new baby came the day after mine?
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