Hey there

 So, Hey. Things sure have been busy around here. We have even had our first storm. Howling winds, punishing hail and rain. Wonderful rain. That is a picture of some of the hail in the backyard...not the best shot I know. But we were all really excited and Stanley the dog was really distressed....the storm even ripped our side storm door right out of the door frame taking a large chunk of wood. So, my handy husband is fixing that today.

I also have a bit of a storm going on in my real life and I need prayer warriors. I know you all are out there and I need you. My mom needs you. about 20 years ago my mom had a brain tumor, she had surgery and after a long recovery she healed. Well, her tumor has returned and she will need to have surgery again. I am not ready for her to go yet. I still need my mother. My sisters need my mom and my dad needs my mom. I can't imagine my life without her. Needless to say there has been a gallon of tears and a sense of helplessness. I have been distracted and so has my home. When we know more I may be able to fly out to North Carolina and help with the recovery....This is the most difficult thing about being a military family. I am far away when I am needed and with my husband's schedule I can't just leave.

 Before I found out about my mom there was some happy sewing going on down in the basement. I painted the wall behind the long arm and I will add some clouds so I can pretend I am sewing outside. I can't show the quilts I am working on now because there are for a book. A fantastic book being written by a fabulous lady. Ike is helping by generally being in the way.

 School started for the kids on Thursday! Can you believe it? Already back to school. The school the kids are going to is fantastic. The teachers seem to generally enjoy teaching and actually teach subjects instead of just teach to test like they did in Texas. There is a science lab, which all 3 of my children were thrilled about and they have a real art teacher with her own room. I shall be helping out there...just hanging pictures. Oh and Emma will have her own iPad to use in classes. I don't even have an iPad. Fancy pants, huh?

 Ethan picked these big juicy caterpillars off my parsley plant and stuck them in a pickle jar. After they ate all the parsley they were given, they turned themselves into cocoons and then transformed into butterflies.Now they are free and doing their thing out in the yard.

 I also made my block for Quiltcon. Which I brought to KCMQG. I am a real member now, and I will be teaching a free motion quilting class with them next month. I can't wait.

 I used ACU as the centers for my block. It won't win, but I hope it goes into a quilt that someone can love.

 This guy is making French Toast.

 I am trying to ground my mind with quilts.

 I went to Sarah's Fabric in Lawrence, Kansas yesterday with Kelly. Thanks for hanging out with me Kelly! If you have never been to Sarah's it is a real treasure trove of any fabric you can imagine. For real. It is most definitely worth the trip, and the town of Lawrence is great. I have no real NEED for fabric, but I went looking for some of Denyse Schmidt's new line Chicopee, but when I saw the cost per yard I had to put it back. Fabric is getting so expensive. I understand why, cotton crops failing and all that, but still a dollar is a dollar and I need to save for a new computer. I decided instead to get shot cottons. I love them...I am sure I always will.

 I did get 2 jelly rolls of Chicopee from Marmalade Fabric. It is really a great collection, it is quite similar in attitude to Hope Valley, but a tad more serious. I actually have a plan for these jelly rolls already...I just need to find a bit of time.

And I have been writing in margins of books. I like to do that.

OK, so if you are still with me, thanks for hanging out. I hate to be down on my blog, but that is somehow life is. There are so many awesome things happening in my life, so many blessings and so much I want to share with you.  I am just worried about my mom.