Happy Thanksgiving (a few days early)

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. This year has really flown by!!! I am heading up to the cabin tomorrow and Thanksgiving with Joe's mom. Since we married, we alternate the major holidays with our families. This year Thanksgiving with Joe's family and Christmas with my family. I love spending the holidays with family, but sometimes wonder what it would be like to spend a holiday in my own house. I'm not really complaining, I am so thankful that we have family to spend the holidays with. I really have a lot to be thankful for this year, my mom is in good health, there is no sign of cancer, and she is adjusting to living alone. My brother has a wonderful woman in his life who makes him extremely happy, my niece increased the family by one, there is finally a little girl in the family. Anna was the last girl and she is 30 now. My aunt is doing well while dealing with ongoing hearth issues. Joe's family is in good health. But, what I am most thankful for is my wonderful and caring husband. I don't know what I would do without him. Sharing my life with him is "simply the best". Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Thimbles Weekend

It seems like forever since we have had a Thimbles sewing weekend. Of course I probably feel that way since I didn't make it last month. I had a great time. Our fearless leader started the day describing two of the quilts for our next quarter. They are both stunning. You can see them in the background. The one on the left a Hunter Star pattern and the fabric is from Moda. The one on the right is a scrap quilt from the book 40 Fabulous Quilts. The quilt for March will be a surprise.

I really enjoyed catching up with fellow Thimbles Becky and Kristie. Becky was working on one of Pat's patterns, White Chocolate. Kristie is definitely into applique, and was working on a Bunny Hill pattern featuring Scotties. I was trying to finish up a Bonnie Hunter quilt that was started in the summer. I already had all of the blocks together, managed to get them sewn into rows and got the first border on. I plan on getting the outside border on this afternoon.

There were some great quilts for show and tell, the star quilt above was one of Pat's. The blocks were a swap in her sewing group. I really like star quilts

The redwork quilt was rescued from a garage sale. It was absolutely beautiful, it was from the early 1900's and still in great shape. I would love to do a quilt like that someday.

The stocking quilt is another one of Pat's block swaps with her sewing group. Seeing hers finished makes me want to get my stocking blocks completed and sewn into an actual quilt. Maybe a goal for next winter.

Bull Riding Anyone??

Where else would the Quilting Cowgirl spend Friday night but at a Bull Riding Competition? You don't get the chance to do this very often in Atlanta, this isn't exactly the bull riding capital of the world. This weekend, the PBR came to Atlanta for the weekend and hubby and I went last night. It was a great time. We had great seats, right by the shutes. There is an event tonight and tomorrow night that I would have loved to have attended, but Joe left today for Virginia and I didn't want to go without him. I got hooked on bull riding several years ago when we went to Cheyenne Frontier days for vacation. We have been several times now and are talking about going back next year. I would love to live out west, maybe someday.

Raffle Quilt

Have you ever made a quilt that you weren't quite sure why
you made it? Unfortunately I have. A couple of years ago Pat Sloan was doing a block of the month pattern on her book club website. I decided to go along not in one color way but in two, this is the batik version that I did. I used fabrics out of my stash except for the cornerstone blocks and the small outer border. After I finished it I though wow, it is neat, but not at all my colors and what on earth will I do with it? This week our annual Relay for Life Silent Auction was announced at school and I thought my quilt would be the perfect thing to donate. It will help raise money for a good cause and get out of my house. The bidding starts the week after Thanksgiving, I am anxious to see how much it will bring. I will keep you posted.

Faithful Quilter Giveaway

Check out Elaine's blog at Faithful Quilter for her Thanksgiving give away.

One success, one failure

Yesterday I tried to catch up on all of those things that I had not done all week. When we have our book fair, I don't do much of anything when I come home in the afternoon. I went shopping yesterday morning, I think I am finished with my Christmas shopping, I still have to go through everything, but if my lists are correct I am done. I still have some birthday shopping to do, Joe, my mom and my great niece all have December birthdays. After shopping I raked leaves, the trees have almost dropped all of their leaves. After all of this I decided to try out two new recipes. Joe found one in Field and Stream, (yes, Field and Stream has recipes) for Venison and Pumpkin Stew, and I had one a teacher had given me for Topsy Turvy Apple Pie. I don't eat venison so it was hard for me to tell how the stew was going to taste. I didn't really think it had much taste, Joe was of the same opinion. That recipe was definitely a failure, what he didn't eat went in the garbage. The pie on the other had was a success. This recipe is definitely a keeper. As you can tell from the large missing piece, Joe really, really liked it. The one thing I wanted to do yesterday was some sewing, but it just didn't happen. The only sewing I have done all week was to seam up a pair of pants for a teacher. Hopefully this coming week will bring some sewing time.

Fall in the mountains

What a difference two weeks can make. Two weeks ago when we were at the cabin all of the trees still had leaves. Saturday morning there was probably about three inches of leaves on the drive way, there are very few leaves still on the trees. Joe and I had dueling leave blowers, he did the driveway while I did the porch and around the house. We shouldn't have to do it again.

After leaf blowing Joe took a nap while I finished a hat that is one of my mom's Christmas presents. Her hair has started coming back after the chemo but not enough that she will be able to go without a hat this winter. She wanted one that would go with her red coat and her green coat, so I thought navy would work. Hope she likes it.

After Joe's nap, he decided to go hunting. I think I saw more looking deer out of the window at the cabin that he did in the woods. The whole time he was gone there were three to four deer behind the cabin. I managed to get a photo of a couple of them. I love to watch them and Joe loves to eat them. All in all it was a very relaxing weekend, now back to the reality of an elementary school book fair.

Yikes!!!

This afternoon I had to visit the dentist for my annual cleaning. We were chatting and right before he stuck his hands in my mouth he said, Oh, did you know there were only 50 more days until Christmas. It was a good thing they had already taken my blood pressure. I laid there and thought about all of the things I needed to get done before the big day. I guess I need to kick it up a notch and get busy.

Trying to get out more

Do you ever feel like you are stuck in a rut? Lately I have definitely felt that way. I think part of that comes from an even that will take place in a few months, a birthday - the big 50. My hubby and I try to get out and I try to get out with friends but sometimes I am just too tired after work or with the economy the way it is you don't want to go out and spend a ton of money. Well last night I had the best time and it was free, yes free. As you know I love to read, and I found out that one of my favorite authors, Kate Jacobs, was going to be in town promoting her new book, Knit the Season. I couldn't find anyone to go with me, so I went by myself. I had the best time. It was at one of our local libraries, sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book. I really enjoyed listening to her. Her new book, Knit the Season came out on Tuesday and we were the third group on her promotion tour. She is a wonderfully warm and funny lady. I had taken my copy of her book, Comfort Food, and while there I purchased a copy of her new book to give my mom for Christmas. The Georgia Center for the Book has wonderful authors scheduled for the next few months, you can bet that I will go listen to some of them.

How many days until Christmas???

This year has just flown by, they seem to do that on a regular basis now. I never understood when my parents would talk about how quickly the year went by and that the older you got the faster it went. I now know what they were talking about. I love to make Christmas gifts and like to get a head start. I have two gifts to finish for this year. Yeah!!! I like to think ahead, so when I read about this Christmas Blog Hop on Melissa's blog I knew I had to check it out. Sounds like there are going to be some cute ideas. I can't wait to see them.