Trashbagsetc

Umbrella...!

um.brel.la, n. cloth stretched over a folding frame at the top of a stick, used to protect one from the rain or sun.

friend, n. 1. a person whom one knows well and likes.
2. a person on the same side in a struggle; ally.
3. a person who helps or supports something

Both.... give shelter and protect!

Samples!!!

Spring has sprung up over night here. Or so it seems! Everything is turning green, pink, yellow, lavender and sky blue! I know that winter will (probably) raise it's cold head another time or two but while it's here, the warm weather is awesome! I want to talk to you about all the sweet baby calves in the pasture, my new granddaughter who turned six months old yesterday, the jonquils that grow everywhere in my country neighborhood. But, I think I'm going to go with fabric instead!

Samples! Lots and lots and lots of samples! I love discontinued fabric samples that are bound for the trash!

Why?
I can do this with them!

With more details to follow I wanted to share that I have been invited to be the bag vendor at this years Arkansas Fiber Festival in Hot Springs in September! I am beyond thrilled to be asked and can't wait! I hope to turn this...

into a booth full of bags of all shapes, colors and sizes! I look forward to seeing you there!

Good still lives!

Between the turmoil of winter weather that's been sweeping across the country, the evil and fighting that's in our world, you wonder....Is there any good anymore???

Recently, while out of town, I witnessed "good" still alive and well.

I was standing in line at a fast food restaurant. (I know...fast food and restaurant don't exactly go together) While waiting to order, I couldn't help but over hear the conversation of the people in front of me. A husband and wife and another woman. They had not come in together but had struck up a conversation while waiting. It seemed that the woman was "down on her luck", having some financial and home issues. The couple offered to buy her food. After the usual "you don't need to do that" the woman stepped up to place her order. (this part I love) She begins her order with a dollar burger and that was it...very humble and thankful, not ordering more than she thought was fair! The couple insisted that she get a full meal and then invited her to sit and eat with them!!!! Hugs and smiles all around!!!!

I then order my food and step back to wait. Apparently they were having issues with another customer that had not received his food and had been waiting a while. He was offered his money back and his food would be free! His remark back to the manager was a polite but firm, "I don't want anything for free, just my food please!" Wow!

Just like the jonquils peeping out through the snow and ice, GOOD in people and our world is alive and well! The kind of things that make you smile, make you think about your own actions, make you realize that it is possible, really do exists!

Be good. Do good. See the good and be thankful for it!!!!!

New Experiences!

When it's been a while since you've done something, do you question yourself?

Can I do it again? Do I remember how? Do I want to do it again? Is there anybody out there?

On April 8,2014, I posted a blog post! Did I determine that I would not blog again until almost a year later? No! Never gave it a thought. I had a story to share and nothing else. Sooooo, why so long between post? I can't answer that question. (Not accurately anyway.)

Why? Because I really don't know myself. Not enough time, nothing to say, too much to say, doubt, life, busy...???? I have determined that it doesn't matter.

My blog, my time, my words, my pictures, my thoughts, when and where and how and if, my choice!

Having said all that...I'm back and I hope to stay that way!

If you're new here and you read the caption that's in the heading of my blog, "Lose a job, Find a life", today has, once again, proven that statement to be true! For me at least!

I was on the last five minutes of my morning routine with the chicken houses when our son calls.
"Mom, when you're done I need you to help me"!
Ok! Sure! Always happy to be there for my kids! "What's up?"
"Got a heifer that needs help calving"
"Be right there, just tell me where to go and what to do!"

Yippee...can't wait! A new experience for me on the farm! I tell myself all the way home..." be quiet, stay out of the way and listen carefully to instructions"! (I want to get asked back)!

So far, baby is doing ok! It will remain to be seen as to whether Mom will take him or not. If she refuses, I have asked to be able to try and bottle raise him! Another new experience!

I do so love life on the farm!!!

(ps...I'm sure that those of you who know me well are shocked that this post hasn't been about our new Grand baby! Don't worry....there's more to come, at least I hope there is, and I'm sure you'll get to hear all about that experience too!)

I hope your life is full, happy, and contains new experiences!

Red, Red, Red

You speak and smile to someone, " Hello...How are you?...Pretty dress...Like that tie....Glad to see you..."etc. Just a little nicety that you were raised to do.

We had a woman that worshiped with us who wore a red, liquid leather coat. Back in the late '80's I think. One of my sister's would always tell her how pretty she looked in her red coat. (You never know who pays attention to a nicety) When the woman passed away, her husband gave that coat to my sister. A kindness passed on!

It was worn a time or two and then saved for another purpose. Here's what that purpose turned out to be.

Kindness!
An awesome and powerful thing!
Be Kind!!!!!! Who knows....you just might get a new purse! :)

Moments and Memories

You remember that TV commercial..."cotton, it's the fabric of our lives"?

Because my primary job is helping with our chicken houses, (we are Broiler Growers for Tyson's), I get a two week "time off period" every eight weeks or so. (My favorite part of the job) That allows me to catch up here at the house or go on a trip. Last week I traveled to Bastrop, LA. (Place of my birth.) Mom and I went to my Aunt Marcile's for several days of catching up and photo looking.

What I want to share with you is our time with the quilting club!

Every Wednesday, at 9:00am, this group of women gather to hand stitch a quilt. They quilt for themselves and for anyone that wants to pay to get their heirloom finished by hand. The money raised is used to send children with cancer to camp in the summer! They take a sack lunch or plan a day of pot luck.

Normally, I don't have a problem with the sin of covetousness. However, I must say that as I sat and enjoyed all I witnessed, I wanted what they have! The day, the place, the time, the people. It was awesome.

My Mom is the one on the right side with her knitting. They offered for her to quilt but she declined. She felt it had been too many years and her stitches might not suffice the scrutiny of such a group of experts!

Look at the detailed work in this Calendar quilt. Each month meticulously hand appliqued.

You notice all of the tubs organized on the walls? Their "place of quilting" is the "barn" of the homeowner. It was her husbands work shop and when he died she converted it into a crafting/quilting spot. She decorates her entire house for every holiday and these tubs hold her collections. I have to tell you that I just kept walking around with my mouth hanging open at the stuff! The antiques and treasures she has are just jaw dropping! And the organization is a story all by itself!

This is my Aunt Marcile! She is eighty-five years young and still going strong! Her husband was my Dad's brother. We have always been especially close to her and her family and it is always a joy to go spend time at her house.So many of my special memories involve her!

What did I do that day?

The best thing of all. I sat in the middle. Between two quilts. Between two groups of women. All with years of lifetime experiences. And I listened, to the beautiful hum of voices. I heard tales of everything from gout to cooking, children, Grand-children, who went to school with whom, where and when. I heard their voices and voices from the past. Women that are no longer with them in body but in spirit.

It was an awesome day and I am so very thankful for it!

Is 75 the new 50?

As a lot of you know, my Dad died two years ago this past Thanksgiving. He and Mom lived on a small farm west of town. That place was his pride and joy and he loved being outside, working on the fence, messing with the cows, raising a garden. Doing any of those "honey do" things Mom had lined out. After Dad died, Mom told us girls..." My life will be different now, but I will have a happy life."

My Mother has always been a hard worker. The women in her family just do that. If it needs to be done....figure out a way and get it done.

Because I have a job that allows me to be at home most of the time, I am privileged to be able to help her now and then. And so, when she decided that "we" (she and me) were going to take down and replace the fence that runs along the front pasture, I just said, "yes mam".

The first day we worked it was still Christmas break and so my sister, Lisa, came over to help and also provided a terrific lunch. (We ate like ranch hands too). That first day we took down and replaced 160' of fence! Whew!

Work day number two was me and Mom. We worked our way across the creek and got one panel up on the "other side".

Mom on her tractor

Mom, taking down old fence!

We finally made it to the other side of the creek

Fencing across the creek

Tiny bloom despite the fact it's January and cold


Proper foot wear

Mom turned 75 December 5,2013. Think you need to plan on slowing as you age. Ha....if you don't use it you lose it! My Mom is living proof that this statement is so true!

When I asked her if she thought we were putting it up right, her reply was..."doesn't matter, we'll just do it our way! And we did.

Because Monday is a holiday and all the gang is off work, we will gather and get it finished in time for her spring calves to be delivered!
(hope they don't push on our fence too hard!)

Needles and Thread

Hannah used needles.

Hannah used thread.

Yes, yes, yes....I got my wish...socks knitted just for me by my beautiful, talented daughter!
I knew Hannah was busy knitting. She's always knitting or spinning this or that. I have wished and hinted ( Oh...I'm not above hinting or begging) for a pair of her beautiful socks. This was my year! I am so very proud of her, her talent, her kindness, and all that she means to her Dad and me.

I love to watch her work. What she does with tiny, little, "sticks" is amazing to me. She's seems to think it's no big deal and that anyone can do it! Ha! I know better. It's not as easy as it looks, nor do we all have the patience for it!

Now....when should I start the begging, (I mean) hinting for a sweater?????

Confidence

On a recent jaunt through the woods, my sister's Granddaughter lost one of the work gloves she was wearing. After a careful search the glove was not to be found. Here's the conversation that followed;

Mimi..."one glove will do you no good you might as well throw that one in the trash"!
Bekah..."Oh No....we need to re-purpose it. We can give it to Aunt Tammy and she can add fabric to it and make a bag!!"

Sister throws gloves in the trash and then tells me the story.

When you find out that a six year old has faith that you can do something then....you do it!

I had her dig the glove out of the trash, wash it, and get it to me. Here's what happened next...

I added a little bling and Wa La...a bag for Bekah!

Look out

I am blessed with family and friends! Both of these groups are so good to help me with finding the occasional clothing item or piece of vintage/free/cheap fabric to be used in a bag. They will ask me if I would like to go through their thrift store or garage sale bag before disposing of the items! My answer is always "yes".

Here's my latest gift! ( Oh yes...to me they are as good as any gift with a bow on top )

A friend picked up vintage curtains at an auction. She was kind enough to call me before throwing them in the trash! Yes....the trash! When she opened the bag all I could say was...Oh Oh Oh....Bless her, she was concerned, was it a good Oh? You bet! I am now the proud owner of seven panels of this awesome fabric! I can not wait to see a purse/ tote/ weekender made from this fabric.

Thanks Dee, for thinking of me.

It's funny. I've noticed recently that when I compliment family and friends on their clothes they tend to hug their bodies and say NO!

Road Trip

I love road trips, family, fun and fabric finding! Most of all, I love when all four can be thrown in together even if it's just for a very short two days.

Because my mind is almost always on bags and what to make the next one from, I am constantly on the look out for fabric. I've recently begun making bags from discontinued fabric samples and so a stop at a local furniture was a must. I've been a day late and a dollar short with most of the stores. However, a stop on this trip turned into my lucky day. They had a box of samples headed to the trash! You'd have thought the man gave me a million bucks. The squealing, hand clapping and hugging were (probably to him at least) crazy! I was soooooo excited.

Sister, Tracy, was with me on this trip. She had no patience to wait until we arrived at our Aunt Marcile's to look in the box. She climbs in the back and begins to look through the box!

What followed was;
Oh! Look look...
love this...
You should do this with this one...
This would make a great...
Wow....I love that one....

And on and on, until...I hear...
.Stop the car! Stop the car now! Stop the car and get the box out! Stop the car now and get it out quick!
At the first"stop the car" my first thought was "JACKPOT" we've got some leather samples...yippeee! And then when the "stop the cars" didn't stop I realized she really meant STOP and quick! And so I did!

Did we have leather? NOPE! Just a big, brown, roach scurrying around in the box and trying his best to find a way out! After stopping the car and getting the box out I disposed of both box and roach!
And so Tra went back to looking, sorting and stacking.

Fun, Family and Fabric....Happy, Happy, Happy!

Four little words

There are four words that my Hubby Honey hates to hear. He says that they make him "just draw up and shake"! Ha!

What are they?

"Honey...I've been thinking"!

These words are usually followed by;
I need, could you, do you think, I want you to, please build, re-do, make me, etc.

We've been needing bar stools. They're not cheap. And so....I started thinking! We had old, handmade stools at the shop that his Mom designed and his Dad made years ago. We had already used them before but they had issues. The seats are made from old tractor seats. Which is cool except that they tilted just enough to the front to make you want to slide forward. Not fun to sit in if you are constantly pushing your self back. I had asked for repairs to be made long ago, back in the day. Answer to that question was..."no"! And so we stopped using them and stored them away.

It's amazing what you can do when motivated by saving cold, hard, cash!

Before....

After $20 in paint, new stoppers for the legs, time spent fixing the seats.

I think they are lovely. And I realized today....

We use Fiesta dishes. All those pretty colors! I love it.

And so...what do I have to say now?
"Honey....I've been thinking...."

Orange and Black

I've told you before that I have sisters. Three to be exact. Two school teachers and a nurse.

One can help me if I'm wounded, one can proof read my writing and the least in age can add a row of numbers for me. All three are better cooks than me. ( I can cook, it's just not my favorite thing to do) Sometimes, if I'm not careful, I'll start to feel a little inferior to all their talents and smarts. But, occasionally they need a talent that I have. And I love to be able to help! The following is a creation for the youngest sister! Our homecoming at school is this week and today was Orange & Black day! She brought over a collection of their Scrapper T's and here's what came of them!

From what I hear she was a huge success today! Fun, fun, fun! Truly a one of a kind.

I wish I could tell you that I'm the only sister that sews. I can't. My nurse sister sews like a dream. Has won contest more times than I can count. She's our "do it all" sister. Deer slayer, carpenter, knitter, crocheter, seamstress, cook and on and on and on....Oh...and she's our "skinny and can eat anything" sister. It's a good thing we love her or else....

It's another girl

You make a casual comment. (maybe more than once or twice)
You think Hubby doesn't really listen or pay attention.
You think maybe someday.

I recently learned that Hubby does listen (sometimes) !
I also learned that someday is now!

My comment?
" I want the next dog I get to be a German Shepherd. I want a dog that will bark and protect. Not one that just wants to lick everybody that comes along."

I have a birthday this month and look what I got...

She is not a German Shepherd. She is a Belgian Malinois. Her Grandfather is our local K-9 unit drug dog. Her breed is in the top ten list of smartest dogs. They are very family oriented and very protective of them. She will take a lot of exercise and work which will be good for me too!
And so now at our house you will hear...
Hey Girl
Good Girl
Pretty Girl
Big Girl
Sweet Girl
Come Girl
No Girl
Stop Girl
Bad Girl
Back Girl
Momma's Girl
Girlfriend
And what did I name her??????
Girl