MAY ROLLED MERRILY A LONG

MAY has moved right on!  I was hustling to finish a couple sewing projects so I could go outside and work and it preoccupied me.  So now I'm seated in my easy chair waiting for the Belmont Stakes race, time to Blog.

QUILT READY FOR QUILTING
Tutorial said "tape back panel to floor before pinning"
Prevents wrinkles on backing.

Using Walking Foot I quilted each block.

Wonder Clips-No pins now!

Hand Needle Threader
Toys!

I used Walking Foot to sew a Serpentine Stitch
around white border.  May add more in rails!  Quilting has lots of terminology!

I went to a class to learn Binding.
Instructions to finish joining so there is no folded under material.  You measure opening, extend pieces, sew them just like any other joining and replace on edge, walla, it fits.  Tricky!  Kit included fabric for three placements; who uses just three? 

Getting a little braver, I wanted to learn something new.  So I made a pillow cover from a pattern in a magazine.

Flying Geese Pattern

In the meantime,  waiting for me and nice weather; Bob worked on a few things.

My old Mantis Rototiller wouldn't start.  Bob tried many things,  made several phone calls for advice and finally watched tutorials to see how to find and clean carburetor.  Success!  I really don't know how we grew up without these tutorials!  He also tore the lawn mower apart and sharpened the blades.

Here's a little of his wood work.  I wanted a candle holder without glass for the pool area.  
(One in background was purchased)

He sprayed painted it black and I want a wisp of bronze put on it.  Maybe when Betsy has time.

A Robin built in the new box but a black bird went in and tore it up.  The Robin never returned.

Trimming a bush so we could see bird feeder.

We stopped trimming when this was discovered.

A big event for our family!

ROCCO, REV. JOSEPH LEVESQUE,  CHRISTIANNA

Our oldest granddaughter, CHRISTIANNA, went back to earn her four year degree from Niagara University.  So proud of her!   Her diploma was presented by (her Dad) Rocco as he is on the Board of Director's at NU.


Now all six of our grand kids are college grads and we attended the graduation for them all.  Three of the kids have Master's and we watched that presentation on the TV.  Stream or something like that...  One, our Annalynn is working on her PHD.   Talking Proud!

FOUR GENERATIONS
MYSELF, CHRISTIANNA, DEBBIE AND
GREAT GRAND BABY, LORENZO

Another milestone, our grand son, ALEX, who is in the Air Force, went on his first flying mission.  He and others escorted five jets to Hawaii, Guam and Okinawa and return.

David and Donna had been out to Wichita for a visit with Alex and Erin.  They toured the big "gas buggy"-KC135 refueler plane.

David climbing up.

Alex's Office...
Lots of buttons on dash!



Bob and I enjoyed a "shake down" cruise  in the motor home to Pennsylvania.  We attended a Memorial for his Uncle in Crossingville and visited many relatives.

We had cool travel weather.  That evening Bob drained the anti freeze out of the washer and dryer, but not without trouble.  The door wouldn't open.  That was a puzzlement to solve.   Saturday we drove toward Erie to check out a fishing camp.  

Uncle John's camp-small but very nice, it's right on a creek which exits to the lake.   After checking out that place, we drove to Presque Isle Beaches.  Bob wanted to go out to Perry's Monument and he came back to car drenched!  A cloud burst!  

PERRY'S MONUMENT

That evening the weather had changed,  thunder, lighting, and wind.   The waves on the lake changed directions and white capped.  The camper rocked in the strong wind.  Bob went outside to put up the awnings before they tore off.  So much for lake front parking! 

Well, the horse race is over and American Pharaoh made history by winning.   What an event.

Time to close and post.  I have a cute little good by photo.




Great Grand Son Lorenzo




GOOD BY KISSES

GOOD THING HE DOESN'T BITE YET!


Thanks for stopping by.


GOLDEN GRAM






   
   

MARCHING ON INTO APRIL

MONDAY: A couple weeks ago!
What a relief it is!  NO SNOW! I can see some green grass and the top of the swimming pool! Yeah!   Hundreds of  geese are back in the field; I heard a Robin but haven't sighted one yet.  There is lots of water backed up in the field too.  One of our neighbors has water in their basement but so far we are high and dry.  Ahe, spring!  
We walked around outside to inspect the winter damage and what awaits us for repairs.  

THESE JUST POPPED UP YESTERDAY

PORCH BACK OF HOUSE 

WE HAVE SEVERAL BOARDS THAT NEED REPLACED

SOME SETTLING TOO

BOB IS CHECKING OUT VINYL SURFACING PANELS.

It looks like a big project for summer.  Then Bob has an idea and he is drawing up a plan to move the windows lower and fill in so the rain and snow can't fall in.  Okay Bob, keep busy! 

Middle of March and "MARCH MADNESS" IS STARTING UP.  Annalynn has posted her basketball tournament to support Leukemia.  We are not followers of the teams so Bob just uses the quick picks so that we are in there and supporting the cause.  Ya have to be in it, to win it!
We are real happy for the Buffalo UB team that's earned a chance to be in the contest.  They play West Virginia first off.  Hope they get lucky.  Bob is looking for their schedule so we can watch the game.  (Would you believe it?  Bob won the contest!  He told Annalynn to put the winnings all on RIDE FOR ROSWELL which is coming up in June)  

A couple weeks ago when we were at the Apple Store we were advised to change our Internet provider and email.  They recommended Gmail as our previous provider did not "up date" as much as Goggle.  So this week, it came about.  Bob and Betsy went to Time Warner and requested the change/up grade.  Now we are learning all the changes on TVs, computers and phones.  I am sending out notices of our new e-mail addresses.  Bob is happy that he can record shows now.  

CELEBRATING ANNALYNN'S 5TH YEAR SURVIVOR BONE- A-VERSARY!
DEBBIE AND ROCCO HOSTED A SMALL GATHERING
I LOOK AS BAD AS HILLARY CLINTON-I NEED TO CALL FOR A HAIR APPOINTMENT!

Annalynn and I enjoyed a day together making Easter candy.  

IT IS SO GOOD MIXED WITH NUTS, RAISINS, COCONUT OR PEANUT BUTTER MIX!  

OTTO CAME TO VISIT TOO!

FREE WOOD
MAKING ROBIN NEST BOXES 

Bob hung the  three Robin nest boxes on the shed.  No tenants yet!  We lost several shingles on shed roof during a windy day so Bob has repaired that already.

BOB WORKING ON CHAIR TO REUPHOLSTER

REMOVING DIRTY PURPLE COVER

FINISHED
THERE IS SOME PURPLE IN FABRIC
KINDA WILD BUT IT WAS EL-CHEAP-O! 

All I want to do is sew.  To heck with house work!   Cutting my own 5" squares, my back is aching, I can see the value to pre-cuts now.  I'm getting my squares a little more precise now.  I saw on a tutorial that the ladies wear "gripper gloves" to do the quilting and I thought why not for the cutting.  So I went in the garage and found a pair of gardening gloves to try.  Works for me.  The rulers don't slide as much.

STILL WORKING ON QUILT

Just as I was celebrating the small success a huge thread problem happened and made a huge thread bird nest in the fabric and went up inside the sewing machine.  Call Mr Fix it!  Bob worked on it and thought he had it fixed but we couldn't regulate the tension.  Something must have bent inside.   One thing and another; and I'm the owner of a brand new BABY LOCK machine.  Bob says, "you deserve it for putting up with me!"  Ha, I wasn't about to let that opportunity go by!

MORE COMPUTERIZED FEATURES TO LEARN
THIS BABY EVEN THREADS AUTOMATICALLY

AT SCHOOL TO LEARN FEATURES

I started this after Christmas and had it all hand quilted but I didn't like the looks of it.   SO RIP AND TEAR!  

Now I have redone quilting with "BABY LOCK" and the Walking Foot.  Perfect!  No fabric bunches!  Yeah!

TRYING A MOD APPROACH
TO IMITATE MACKENZIE CHILD'S PRODUCTS
I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THIS EITHER
I HAVE REMOVED THE ZIG ZAG OFF THE STAR AS IT DOESN'T SHOW UP GOOD.  I'LL TRY A DIFFERENT COLOR STAR AND THREAD.

Bob and David went fishing all day today.  This is usually the scene in the garage when Bob gets home from fishing.  He is usually so tired from being out doors that he kicks off his boots and waders and heads for the couch!   I think it's funny. My warped sense of humor!  This last week or so all he has caught is Suckers...which he calls garbage  fish!  

So much for our house events.  Soon we will be loading up the motor home and heading out!  I hope.

Thanks for clicking in!  

GOLDEN GRAM 


 

ENJOYING THE SOME WHAT NICER DAYS. MORE SUN PLEASE!

One day two weeks ago, Bob was invited to go fishing but due to ice covered roads they left two hours later than planned.   He caught a nice trout and was very happy.  

NICE BROWN TROUT

This week, Bob and his buddies went fishing three days.  Bob caught another the first day, and then the bait didn't produce a nibble.  (For some unknown reason)  

ANOTHER BROWN

While he is off fishing, I head for my craft room.  I have a new sewing idea.  I'm making chicken pin cushions.  There not very big but they are cute.  Perhaps they can be sold to make funds for a charity.  Using up fabric where I can!

MINI CHICKEN PIN CUSHIONS

Bob has a request for one of the family traditional Easter baskets that he makes with wood.  At one time, he had said that he didn't want to make anymore.   He hunted all over for the pattern; garage attic, garage file cabinet, in the house to no avail.  Eventually deciding he must have taken it to the shed for storage last year.  

The shed doors were buried in a snow drift so he went about using the snow blower to make a path.  He worked so hard.  The next day he was going out again to work on it so I went along as I knew he wouldn't give up until he could open the doors.  The drift needed broken down or lowered to go into the blower.  We broke the door free but not before we were soaked in the wet snow that had started to fall.  

NOT FUN!

He went for the wood while I went grocery shopping last week and as soon as it was in the garage, he started cutting up the pattern pieces.  He needed a project.  

TOO BUSY TO COME TO SUPPER!

HE FOUND SARAH'S BASKET BUT THE PATTERN WASN'T IN IT.  HE HAD  TO TRACE SARAH'S.

BETSY DOES THE ART WORK.


One of the nice afternoon's, Bob started removing the ice from roof and the down sprout.  It was frozen solid!


IT DOESN'T LEAK IN
THE LAUNDRY ROOM ANYMORE

Let's hope Friday the 13th is a lucky one this year.  Grandson Alex and his wife, Erin signed the papers for their new home on the 13th.

We talked with them using Face Time on Saturday and Alex showed us the whole house.  It's bigger than ours.  It''s more than a starter home.  Erin's Mom and Dad were still there helping them move in.   Alex is now assigned to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.  

Betsy, David and Donna, Debbie, Christianna and Lorenzo was here Saturday and we had a LUNCH MEAT PARTY.   Donna had a wood project for Bob so he and David worked on that while the ladies adored Lorenzo.

Donna is doing some new decorating and wanted this shelf.  David will finish it and put coat hooks on it.  

Lorenzo pulls himself up now.  

Betsy went to the cupboard to get toys for him.  We still had the foam blocks from when our grand kids were small.  Probably 22 years ago.  Lorenzo enjoyed them.  When Christianna saw that, she went for her phone, dialed up Amazon, and found the same thing to order to put in his Easter basket.  Amazing techie world!

He puts the blocks in his Easter basket.  

He is such a happy baby, we sure enjoyed the visit.

We are looking forward to more nice days.  THINK SPRING!

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a good one! 

GOLDEN GRAM