Today is your day

Yesterday I asked where September went.

Well...

today I am asking myself where the years have gone?

 

Mr. b is retiring today.

28 years at one job...

38 years in the telecommunications field.

 

It was a good job, a blessing...we were always thankful.

 

We didn't know that two years of technical schooling

could lead to a lifetime of good living.

 

We are grateful that this job will also provide for us in our old age.

 

 

 

Thank you Mr. b

from your children and I...

you were a loyal employee, husband and father.

 

~b

 

 

 



September

Oh my goodness!

Where has September gone?

 

 

I didn't get a chance to show you

 this fleece jacket I made granddaughter #3.

Monkeys suit her.

 

 

Granddaughters #1 and #2 started writing their

second "SPY Dogs" book this last weekend.

 

 

September always means mums...

lots of them.

Mr. b and I are closely monitoring the fall leaves

as we are planning a leaves trip.

We don't want them falling before we get there.

~b

 

 

 

 

 



quilts

This beautiful throw-sized quilt is a collaborative effort

between my mother and I (and Rachael).

 

 

My 84-year-old mother still does beautiful hand embroidery.

 

 

When she finished these eight squares

 they were handed off to me to deal with.

I chose to do a lap quilt...quickly.

As you can probably tell...

my cup runneth over with projects in progress.

 

 

It turned out quite lovely

 with a machine quilted flower design

by Quilting by Rachael

in Rolla, North Dakota.

 

~b

 

 

 



vintage idea

Grandma's bowl needed a cover...

 

 

It's an old-fashioned (vintage) idea.

 

 

I think they would make the perfect 

beginner sewing project.

 

 

I will be in the city this weekend and plan to pick up

waterproof fabric to make bowl covers that will be airtight.

 

And...talking about Germans (Grandma was very German!)

I am on the verge of a break-through on (German) beer cheese soup.

 

 

I'm going to make the recipe my own before I share it.

 

 

Cheers!

 

~b

 

 

 



memories

Wishing my sister and her business partner

lots of luck today at their grand opening of  the

 "The Prairie Preservationist"

in Huron, South Dakota.

 

 

Decorating with a few of these vintage treasures

will set your home apart.

 

 

I think you could say they sell memories.

 

 

 

 

And if you need a unique gift (for yourself or someone else)

"The Prairie Preservationist"

has it!

 

~b

 



Goodbye summer...

 

 

Hello fall!

 

~b

 

 



fate

WARNING!

This is a sad blog post...

 

Yesterday our neighbor gave us a bucket

of the biggest tomatoes I have ever seen.

 

 

Naturally...

I was nosey enough to ask how he grows tomatoes this large.

He took me to the back of his garage and gave me a small vial

of what I would call secret chemicals.

 I'm not sure they are legal.

Is our neighbor the Mad Scientist?

 

 

And what's sad about this post you ask?

 

 

This huge tomato met it's fate in the chili pot.

 

~b



take me home, country roads

We were driving back roads yesterday...

fall is always a nice time to do that.

 

 

"Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood,

 and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference"

-Robert Frost

I had Mr. b put the brakes on as we drove past this cemetery.

 

 

Would you call me morbid if I told you

 I like walking old cemeteries?

 

 

What a wonderful place to be laid to rest.

Surrounded by bean and corn fields on a remote gravel road.

 

 

The only sounds I heard while I took my pictures

were birds chirping.

 

"Take the back roads instead of the highways."

-Minnie Pearl

 

 

 

It would have meant traveling by horse and buggies

 when many of these old settlers were buried here

 in the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery.

 

 

It made me grateful that the United States welcomed immigrants

when my great-grandparents came here from Russia.

 

~b

 

 



pipes

Industrial Pipe Hook Rack

made by Mr. b.

 

 

I love it!

And I have a good use for it...

 

Just out of my little sewing sweat shop -

A new Dakota Maid bag.

 



 

I love the colors in this one.

The fabric is an upholstery weight

 that will be perfect for the abuse bags have to take.

 

~b

Woolworth's

I've been wanting to show you

 this child's quilt I finally finished.

 

 

I recently got it back from the quilter.

 

 

When I decided to put Willa on it for a picture

I realized she needed pajamas.

The whole time I was sewing them 

 they reminded of flannel pajamas that could be bought

years ago at Woolworth's.

 

 

Who is lucky enough to remember shopping

 and then eating at Woolworth's lunch counter?

 

 

I still have the stuffed animal my grandfather bought me at Woolworth's.

 

 

"Don't get attached to that quilt Willa...

it's for sale."

 

 

And talking about quilts...

We may need one on the bed tonight.

I'm enjoying these cool temps.

 

~b



age

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.

 ~Lucille Ball

 

 

I loved Lucy, didn't you?

Now that was your first hint of my age today.

 

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.

 ~Jennifer Yane

 

 

There is only one birthday cake for me...

 angel food cake with lots of fluffy frosting!

 

May you live to be a hundred years
With one extra year to repent.
~Author Unknown

 

 

It's my "pheasant under glass."

 

~b

 

 

 



farmhouse

I just keep smiling as I sew away on my

Farm Girl Vintage quilt.

 

farmhouse block

Of course my quilt has to include a farmhouse block.

My farmhouse is yellow (as is our house).

 

kitchen window block

It would have a lot of big windows.

(I could live in a greenhouse.)

When you look through the kitchen window

 you would see the farmer's wife baking an angel food cake.

After all it is her birthday tomorrow!

 

 

When I am finished with this quilt

it will have lots of stories to tell.

 

~b



weekend

faces...

 

 

 

~b

labor day

We are taking a road trip for the holiday weekend...

 

 

just us and 75,000 other South Dakotans sharing the road.

 

Have a good one!

 

~b



sharing

"The Almost Lost Washcloth" pattern

 

 

I'm sure I will use mine here for dish rags.

 

 

It's never boring when you knit with variegated yarn.

The Almost Lost Washcloth:
No. 7 or 8 Needles (U.S.)

Cast On 14 stitches and knit back

NOTE: All rows start at outside edge and return to outside edge.
1. Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 2 stitches, turn work and knit back to outside edge =15 stitches
2. Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 4 stitches, turn work and knit back “ = 16 stitches
3. Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 6 stitches, turn work and knit back “ = 17 stitches
4. Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 8 stitches, turn work and knit back “ = 18 stitches
5. Cast off 4 and knit to end – knit back to outside edge (should be 14 stitches on the needle)

(always cast off the 4 stitches from outside edge)
Repeat for 14 points

Leave enough yarn to sew sides together and go around circle and draw circle together. Tie ends in a double knot

 

I am sharing this pattern I found on Ravelry.

 

~b



September

It just can't be September already...

can it!!?

 

 

Mr. b sent me these sunflower pictures

he took on his cross country drive yesterday.

South Dakota sure can grow some pretty sunflowers.

 

sunny sunflower block

 

Needless to say...

I went right out to my little sewing sweatshop and made

this block for my Farm Girl Vintage quilt.

 

How does nature inspire you?

 

~b