Catch up Blog

A week ago Saturday a couple of David's cousin's put on the 1st Annual Dewees Family Reunion. Rain or Shine they said and Rain is what we got. Thank goodness they had a good size garage.
Darla and Pam had a pretty good turn out for their first reunion and there was an abundance of food. I think we could have come back on Sunday to graze again. And everything was really yummy. This is David's Mom's side of the family. It seems that the only time we see anyone is at a wedding, showers or funeral's. 
So the girls thought they'd change that and they did a great job. Hopefully next year the turn out will be even bigger and more of the kids can come. My Pamela had to work so she didn't get come down for it. Pam C. wasn't present after all her hard work. She was home sick. I think it was because her husband had been doing all the cooking while she's recovering from foot surgery.  That's what he said. I wasn't passing judgment. Honest. 
Direct Dewees decedents present at the time of picture taking. Some had already left.

 Just the guys... in-laws/outlaws, offspring and decedents whatever. 

Just the girls... in-laws/outlaws, offspring and decedents. 

It was a nice afternoon. Rain or not.

 So my boss Kim and her husband have been fostering 3 boys for the last 2 1/2 years with the intention to adopt and it finally happened..  My co-workers and I decided to give her a surprise shower. We decided a money/gift card tree would be the most appropriate since the boys are 6 and 11. Not exactly baby's.
Had a nice layout of food.  More food showed after Samara took this picture.
Kim was totally caught off guard. She had her tablet in hand ready for a meeting. Good thing we had the director send out a request for a meeting because she was ready to go out to lunch and run some errands. When she mentioned leaving I asked if she'd be back in time for the meeting and she starts looking at her calendar saying I don't have any until the next day and then she sees the fake meeting the director set up. Whew. Thank goodness.

 As she walked in she was like what's all the food for. You could see she was confused.
We yelled 'surprise' and it still hadn't clicked in for her what  was happening.  


Jay took her tablet and told her he didn't think she'd need it for this meeting.
 She never suspected a thing. I figured she would have guessed since I kept getting up and down from my desk and girls were at my desk gathering some things but we did good. Thanks Samara, Ashley and Cassie for helping get this set up and arranged.

Last weekend David and I went to the Waller County Fairgrounds for the Vintage Days Market. First we stopped at our favorite hole in the wall place for breakfast in Waller. In and out for about $15. Plenty of tasty food. David loves their migas and I got pancakes.
At the Fair we only spent about $40 which is pretty good for us. They had a little of everything there like refurbished furniture and new furniture that looked vintage, clothes, Christmas deco, etc. You name it and it was probably there. It wasn't real big so we were done by 12:20pm and headed back home.

Once home I proceeded to start unloading shelves and my desk so we could move them to Pamela's old room so I can have my office/quilting room be solely for quilting/sewing. 

With my desk, printer shelf, and corner shelf unit out of here I will be able to put my design wall in there and move my cutting table out in front of my fabric shelving and books. Things look like a bomb exploded so this semi make over will help me sort thru and organize. I took this picture. EGADS!!  I have lots and lots of debris.  The other side of the room is full too but I get this side looking good before showing the other side. LOL. I'll have room to move around soon.

Okay I had to share this picture. While my Niece dances all the time in competitions and recitals her Dad not so much but he has a blast at the annual Father-Daughter dance. Kevin is a natural ham so it doesn't bother him at all to get on stage and show off his moves. This is not the kind father dance that David went to with Pamela in elementary school. I'm not sure if he would be prepared to do this or not. I guess we'll never know now.

Okay so Pamela is loving her new house and slowly finding things to help decorate and complete rooms through out the house.  

Her Christmas list in the past 3 years has changed slightly from wanting video games, movies and purses to house hold kind of things like a vacuum, a blender etc... this year she wanted a china hutch for the dining room. She found one she really wanted and we told her that we would buy it for her Christmas present and she was totally okay with that... So this now sits in her dining room with a bow. She has already started placing items in it. She opened her Christmas present... Bad little girl.  

Went to book club last night. Our Hostess made some yummy chili with all the fixin's. Our up for discussion was The Dog Who Saved Me: A Novel by Susan Wilson . And everyone loved the book but I had to admit again I had not read the book. I'm still trying to finish our book from last time The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein. I'm enjoying the book but I've been on a roll and making some progress on my unfinished sewing projects list so reading got put on the back burner.

Well here it is another Friday has finally made back around. Thank Goodness. I'm off to Pamela's to help help with a baby shower for her x-nursing school roomie and then I'll head up to the Rockin K Farm Mini Mansion. mmmm could get a little chilly in there tonight. I'll pulling out my space heater at the house to take with me. It's only suppose to be 35 degrees Sunday morning..  I'll let you know how this turns our.

Until then....“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present”  ~- B. Olatunji

Making headlines and the Rockin K

So while I was out having fun Friday my Tiny Dancer Niece was at the National FFA Creed Competition in Louisville, KY. Almost every state had an entry. My Dad told me this was the first time my hometown of Trenton, Missouri had ever had a representative. Emily had won state and moved on to Nationals. I thought it very impressive being that she's a freshman and a new member of FFA this year.
So she made the cut to semi finals of 16 then Friday she made the cut to last 4 finalist. Okay so maybe I'm biased but this little lady is smart, pretty, talented and humble. Don't get me wrong I believe she is all teenager and has her moments of silliness (quite often) and her mood swings like us all but when she gets down to business she's poised and confident.

While she didn't win she did get 3rd which I think is totally awesome.

In her own words "Sure, I didn't win first, but I got on that stage and most people can't say that about themselves in all of their years going to national convention. I got the privilege to be a competitor at my very first. I may have gotten third, but it definitely wasn't last, and nothing to hang my head about! Watch out National Convention, Emily Kasinger hasn't made her final mark yet!"

So Look out world.

Here's Emily and Grandpa (my dad). He's probably her biggest fan. He's lookin good and he says he's feeling pretty good for the most part.   Anyway Congratulations to my niece on a job well done.

 Speaking of FFA. Meet one of my neighbors to the west @ The Rockin K Farm. If the Mini Mansion had windows on the back side I could look out to see either cows or bulls. The past 3 weeks it's been bulls. This guy wasn't sure he liked me taking his picture. 

 I wish I could say that brownish color was fall color but it's dead color. We got so much rain in April-May- and a small time in June and then Nothing until the last couple of weeks. Many trees are struggling.  This was the first time that I've been at the Rockin K and not been worried about getting home to Lilley for a potty break and food.
I had dropped Lilley off at Pamela's so she could play with Sophie.

 I had fun watching the various stages of the sunset from different angles on the property

More of our westerly neighbors.

 Final stage of the sunset.

Prior to leaving David Sunday nite he and I put up a half wall to give a bit of privacy if you need to use the potty. We have no running water or electricity set up in the mini mansion yet but David built me rustic potty and while I was taking sunset pictures Pamela helped him build our wash basin. Pamela decided she would go behind the wall and see how it worked.  She wasn't so sure she'd be using it. LOL but it was fun photo opt. Goofy kid.

 David stayed Sunday night. This night was better than the night he stayed and the humidity was up and stayed 99 all night. He had to admit it was rather chilly Sunday night. He was ready to crawl into his sleeping bag at 9pm.  He texted me Monday morning to say the cabin is definitely not sound proof he could hear the highway noise and the cot was not made for someone who likes to sleep on their side. Oops

Well thank goodness for this cool weather because I went home to a house with no AC.

David also texted Pamela and I a picture of our finished rustic wash basin. And he set it up in the make shift bathroom.  It looks pretty cute.  Eventually it will be a really bathroom but it will do for now.

Last Friday while I was at Quilt Festival a power line across the street fell, split in half and burned up which left the neighborhood without power for a couple of hours. Best scenario is that sudden power lost helped burn up the compressor. Who knows. David called the AC company and they came out today. Never a dull moment in Homeowner Land. By 6pm tonight we had AC and the checking account was drained.  Geez.

Until next blog...The earth has music for those who listen.”  ~ George Santayana

Houston International Quilt Festival Fun

I have arrived!
Yesterday was one of those fun painful kinda days. LOL So much fun I ended up hurting by the end of the day. Went to the Houston International Quilt Festival at George R Brown. That place is huge. So many quilts and vendors. Oh my it's overwhelming to the senses. It's always fun to hear the first timers comments. They are in awe. I got there at 10am and left at 5pm. My feet, legs and back had had it. 

I met up with 3 of the girls that go on retreat with me. We met up at the photo opt tree then split up to do our own thing and then we met back up for lunch. We all went different directions. I stayed in the quilts and spent the whole morning there looking at all the beautiful and artsy quilts. Some I would love to aspire to and then others are like no way. They may be beautiful and intricate but I don't plan on even trying some the ones I've photoed.

In a corner of the festival you'll find the husbands corner. Normally the TV is on with football or racing but it was a little early in the morning for football or racing. 

Walking thru the quilts I ran into several folks I know. In fact one comment on my face book my friend Carla H. (yes her name is Carla also) anyway she commented that she'd see me there.  We both thought oh yeah right but sure enough we did see each other and she was able to direct me to this quilt that was amazing and the most amazing part was that it was this woman's first quilt. Would you look at this quilt. There was 2000 colors and 10,000 pieces.
FIRST QUILT!!? Are you freakin kiddin me?  
My first quilt was big square blocks. Sometimes I still revert back to basic squares.
I'm still not ready to attempt this quilt but I'm in awe of the woman who did.
Here's some pictures of the quilts I saw.












This one cracked me up!

Can you imaging coming home drunk and seeing this?  It almost made me dizzy looking at it but it was amazing,

And this quilter wasn't happy making just one big quilt... oh no she made 5 little quilts to hang on the clothes line on her big quilt. So cool.
Can't see the cloths line but its there if you close closely.
Well at the quilt festival you'll never know who or what you'll ever run into.



 Such as this gal with her hair up in curlers. LOL. 


She even posed for me. 


I didn't get her name as she moved on down the hall.

I ran into many other folks I knew and some that were just as  entertaining. 
Thanks to Donna Lynn we left the GRB to eat a yummy lunch. 

At the festival a sandwich could cost $15 or like a baked potato cost $12. Ridiculous!

 Our lunch cost was $15 with tip @Pappasitos and we had a full meal not just a sandwich.
Here's a few pictures from my adventures at the quilt show.  



And here's the girls as we head back to festival to walk some more. There was so much more for us to find and see. Maybe even touch. I'm off to see the vendors since I spent the entire morning in the quilts


Click HERE to see all the pictures I managed to snap.

So that's it for now.
Until next blog....Quilters hang out on the "seamy" side of town.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Closing down October with Music, girls weekend and quilting.

A week ago Wednesday David and I went to Puffabelly's to see Mike Blakely and Davin James. Like Main Street Crossing it's more of a listening venue. You can eat and drink but there's no dance floor. So Wednesday there was a small crowd of 19. Sixteen out of the 19 people came to listen . I'm all for having a good time but don't laugh and talk over the singers. It's just rude. Mike Blakely decided he saw a trend so when they requested a certain he said nope that's a listening song. 

Right after the break Davin got on stage and goes "I'm trying to think of a loud song. Davin really gets into his song Sweet Tooth here. 
Okay don't criticize my video. I messed up but....you'll get the jest of it. LOL    Our 3 rowdy folks didn't take the hint this time either.
And the funny part of it was the one guy was a huge fan and was requesting lots of songs but I don't know he could hear any over all the their talking and loud laughter.





This Friday I headed up to Bryan to have a girls weekend with Pamela. I think David was ready to get rid of me. He quickly said yes when I asked if he minded if I went up. And of course to make it complete I took Lilley. Girls weekend right? Mom and Daughter both furless and furry. LOL 
Pamela was pooped so we didn't play too hard last Friday night. She didn't get home until almost 8pm. We visited, ate a bite, came home visited till about 10:15. She was ready for bed and actually so was I so she didn't have to convince me.
The girls played really hard. And if you play hard you sleep hard. 

Sophie cuddled up with her stuffed puppy

Lilley on that quilt I made for Pam's guest room

At 6:15am last Saturday this is what I saw. Plus She was pawing at my arm telling me to wake up it's time to potty and eat. Lilley's alarm clock goes off early every day. She doesn't understand weekends yet.  We got up and opened Pamela's door to get Sophie. Neither one was impressed with going outside in the rain.  Grrrrr. I tell them let's get this over with and get back inside. Finally business done and then I fed the girls and then they were ready to play hard again. I was able to sneak in a couple more minutes of sleep while they played.

Pamela and I started our fun on Saturday in the rain which is so much fun. Not so much.

 I spent most of the weekend looking like a drenched rat. An umbrella was more of a pain than help plus the wind was blowing the rain underneath.  

For lunch Pamela took me to Madden's in downtown Bryan. Mmmmm The restaurant is inside an old warehouse with all kinds of shabby chic and antiques.

The food is awesome. I had been thinking about the Southern Fried Mushroom, asparagus, mashed potatoes and yummy sauce ever since Pamela mentioned going. Maybe next time I'll try something else but I don't know. Everything is seasoned to perfection. 

Pamela tried something different unlike me. She got what they called a grilled cheese but I forgot what kind of cheese they used plus served with tomato soup and fruit. The sandwich had avocado too I think. The portions are just right.  After lunch we ran various errands and then we headed to Painting with a Twist. If you've never been you ought to go to one.  You can bring a bottle of wine or two if you're brave. Pamela brought us only one bottle to share. There was two choices of what we could paint. Pamela let me pick. I chose a cow. LOL

When we sat down the PWAT folks had already drawn the cow on our canvas. Oh boy what I'm I doing. I can't paint. Pamela's the artsy one. I was really nervous and I don't know why it was just for fun.  After the first glass of wine I calmed down.

One of the teachers came by and snapped our picture as we painted.   After we were finished with our paintings PWAT took a group picture. This was a rather large class and every single cow looked different in some way. 

David said it was a scary cow .  It's  cows on LSD. LOL  It was fun and I'm ready to do it again. Maybe this is what I'll do for my birthday next year. 

While Pamela and I was  painting David was hiding in the barn at the Rockin K Farm. It was raining so hard he didn't get to unload the truck for a while.  Couldn't really complain because we needed the rain.

When he finally got over to the Tiny Mansion he found bad news. .... Like 4-5 leaks. Grrr. At least we found them before we put flooring and furniture in but it's still a bummer. Creates more work for David. 

The trees and grass needed the rain and were so happy and now you can see a section of the water in the pond.I 'm sure the catfish really appreciated the rain. Their tummy's were probably  scraping the bottom of the pond. 

 Sunday was a day of more
errands and a manicure.  There was suppose to be a pedicure too but they messed up the appointment.  Dang! 

You know who Ree Drummond is right? The Pioneer woman who cooks up a storm on her ranch in Oklahoma. Well she has new like of pots, pans and dishes.  Well her serving platter pattern matches pretty closely to my dishes that bought from Pier One. So happy now I have more platters.  Also grabbed three ramekins to use for salsa or whatever I chose. 

This month when I went to Quilt Guild I could actually do show n tell. What few I have finish this year couldn't wait to get to their intended recipient but I got these finished at the right time.  This is the one I mailed off right after the guild meeting to   baby Wren in Cody Wyoming but I forgot to take a picture of the actual quilting. Hope it keeps Wren warm up there and wrapped in hugs. Got a card from Momma Lauren today and they loved it.

This quilt was made by my Grandmother Lorea McLallen with her neighbor Mrytle Morris between 1949-52.

All I started with was the Sunbonnet Sue top and wasn't sure how to finish the sashes because some were left kinda just hanging so I gave the top to my quilter/friend Donna @ Donna's Lavender Nest and said "help"  She completed the sashing, added a border that complimented the backing and sent it back to me quilted and with the binding attached so all I needed to do was hand finish the binding. 

This one is staying in my possession. Here's an up close view of the quilting.

 My mom teared up when she saw the quilt.  She remembered some of the dresses and bonnets being made from fabric that my grandmother, her mother used to make aprons and dresses. 

Now while my gas card is happy and it's nice paying such a low price for gas but it could eventually hurt my pocket book. The husband works in the oil and gas industry and they don't have any jobs in house because of these falling prices. I sure hope something turns around.

When it's all said and done it was time to head home in the rain and the wind.  This week has been spent cutting quilts out.

Now it's time to head to bed. I must get my rest so I'll be ready to tackle the Houston International Quilt Festival tomorrow. Can't wait. Night night.............
Until next blog...          
"Draw your chair up...

and I'll tell you

 a story..."  ~

 F. Scott Fitzgerald