Friday, August 18, 2017

A quilting friend’s husband passed away recently and a Celebration of Life service was held for him today. I met Richard Perez in June of last year. He and his wife Sherrie are members of the same quilting group I belong to — Loose Threads. I wasn’t aware of it, but they typically offered their home for the group’s annual pot luck and get together. I had only recently joined the group so didn’t really know many of the members by sight.

When I was introduced to Richard, he was manning his Tregar Smoker, cooking the meat for the group. Richard made me feel really comfortable and welcome. The fact that he had the same smoker as our son gave me an opening to start talking to him. I soon discovered that he also baked, made killer beef jerky and quilted some amazing quilts.

Several funny quilting anecdotes were shared at the service and many, like myself, found themselves laughing at his eagerness to create. Nothing scared that man — from paper piecing (which most quilters abhor) to tackling “Y” seams (I had never heard this term before, but after seeing the quilt he created that had Y seams, I decided I was better off not knowing more about Y seams).

Recently, Richard convinced his wife and several quilting friends to attend a paper piecing class together. The king-size quilt that he began in that class wound up being finished by his wife and some of those same quilting friends. Owners of Thimble Town, offered their quilting services so Richard’s completed quilt could be displayed today. I wish I’d taken a photo of the quilt. It was THAT beautiful.

After viewing this man’s life in photos and hearing family and friends speak about how knowing him had impacted their lives, I thought to myself, “What’s important in my life?” If there was one thing that I knew I wanted to do or accomplish before I died, with no financial restrictions, what would it be? Because if you’re dying, money will be the least thing of importance in your life.

We need to be grateful for each day of our lives. Be aware of what’s really important to you. Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

This is the latest addition to my Queen Bee of the Month Fat Quarter swap. I love railroad fabric because I can use it to make things to sell in the Tehachapi Railroad Depot Museum’s gift shop. I spoke with the gift shop manager yesterday and she says that everything I’ve made has sold! She said she wasn’t pressuring me to make things, but wanted me to know how very grateful they were that my things continued to sell and bring in funds for the operation of the museum.

This warms my heart, and I really do want to sew like crazy, but my eyesight just isn’t what it should be right now.

I see the opthalmologist next week and will get my eyeglass prescription then. Hopefully, I can take it to a Lenscrafters shop and get my new glasses within an hour!! OMG… the thought of being able to see and sew again… <sighs here>

Robert is improving, day by day. He has no pain and is sleeping easier. He still doesn’t feel comfortable leaving the house, so we won’t be going to breakfast in the morning.

I have errands to run today — photos to be printed out for a display I’m putting together for the Museum, and a package of fabric to be mailed to my friend, Mage. I need to get going so will close this with a wish for blessings for you today and always. Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Enjoy your life, and be grateful. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them. I have to add that I am so pleased that our weather has cooled off. I opened up the bedroom window when I went to bed last night. The cool air was sooo comforting. Not too cold, mind you, but cool enough to relax and have a good night’s rest.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

The first train of the day — it’s 9:05 a.m., the trains are running and the temperature is in the 60’s! I have Robert settled in his chair, fed him and gave him his first meds for the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday was a rough day. We were supposed to report to the hospital in Bakersfield at 5:30 a.m. for Robert’s kidney stone laser procedure, but we didn’t hear the alarm go off and woke at 4:50 a.m. I called the hospital and they said to come on in, but to drive safely. We arrived half an hour later than we should have and then had to sit in the lobby for 20 min. waiting for other patients to arrive and check in. The procedure took place at 7:30 a.m. and he was in recovery at 8:55 a.m. They installed a stent and it’s causing some pain and distress, but hopefully, it will ease the passing of the kidney stones.

We were back home at 11:30 a.m. and he spent most of the day sleeping off the anesthesia. Today is a bit better, and I imagine each day forward will be an improvement. We return to the dr. in one week.

This whole scenario seems to be a never ending part of our lives–living between doctor’s visits. I feel grateful that we live in a place as beautiful as Tehachapi is because we need the serenity and beauty to offset the stress of living days like yesterday.

There’s another train coming up so I’m going to close this and go watch it. Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Know that you are loved and each new day will be different. We are all blessed. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

Sunday, August 13, 201

The only thing better than the first issue of a new quilting magazine is receiving free fabric in the mail at the same time! This month, I’m the “Queen” in a fat quarter swap. There are 12 members, myself included, and each month we send a fat quarter to that month’s ‘Queen’. Going to the mailbox to check the mail has never been as exciting as it has been this past week, for the odds are quite good that there’ll be a bit of fabric in the box for me.

This is my first two fat quarters–in one of my favorite colors–teal! I’ll receive another nine fat quarters over the next week. I have my shopping all done for the other members of the swap, and the envelopes are all addressed and ready to be mailed out each month. I hope the other members are as happy with what I’ve chosen for them as I am with what I’m receiving.

Meanwhile, I’m still working at pressing and trimming up the scraps I received from a woman here in town.  These are very usable scraps, and I’m grateful to receive them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Got a heads up call this evening from one of our friends — a heritage unit was on the point and if I wanted to get a picture I needed to get out on the deck and have my camera ready because it was moving fast and coming my way! I managed to get this shot of it… nice!

We’ve been busy going to dr’s appointments this week. Robert and I both had various appointments, most of which were in Bakersfield, where it’s hot as the dickens, so I haven’t felt like writing at all. Heat gets to me something horrible. It doesn’t seem to bother Robert at all. I think it’s because he was raised in a place where it was really hot for most of the year, and the other part of the year it was really cold. Whereas, I was raised in mild mannered San Diego, where the temperature rarely varies more than 10 degrees higher or lower than 70 degrees.  I just don’t handle extreme temperatures well at all.

I’ve been doing some photo-taking of the construction of the garden railroad. It’s coming along nicely. Robert got the second tunnel installed a day or two ago. Nice…and today I found the photo album for the first Sunset Pacific Ry. and have scanned and uploaded a lot of the photos. A friend suggested that I move the Sunset Pacific Ry Facebook page from its profile style site to a regular page. I’d received a couple of notices from Facebook that suggested I do this, so I finally decided to move everything over. I was afraid I would lose access to the site and all of my photos. As it turned out, I lost all of the comments/discussion, and the photos. <sigh> Ah well, I knew it was a risk.

So now the page for the garden railroad is an actual page, not a profile, and I have a separate album for photos for the first Sunset Pacific Ry. If you want to see the railroad(s) go to http://www.facebook.com/SUNSETPACIFIC

Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Be grateful… and be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

It’s been a long day today. We drove to Sierra Madre to pick up a Southern Pacific Caboose pot-bellied stove that was donated to the Depot Museum (http://www.tehachapidepot.com). The “crew” consisted of Dennis Storms, Doug Pickard, Mike Massee, Robert, and yours truly.

After four hours of driving–two hours there and two hours return trip, (thank you, Robert for driving, and our son Paul for the loan of his truck), the stove is at the Depot and ready to be unloaded. I got busy helping to get it out of the back of the truck and onto the dollie, so this is the last photo I have of the stove move. When we get it all cleaned up and black again, I’ll be posting photos.

Back to the quilt, I gave in and took it down to the living room floor. I taped down the backing, got Robert to help me lay down the batting and top, and proceeded to pin the layers together. It’s going to look good. I’m thinking I’ll use black for the binding. I’m also going to go ahead and order some fabric labels to be put on things made for the Depot.

That’s all I have to report for now, other than the new fence has been keeping the majority of the squirrels out of our back yard. I worried a bit whether the bunny rabbits would be able to come in, but after last night, I have no more worries. I watched a bunny flatten out and try to go under the gate back end first and when he couldn’t make it in that way, he turned around and went right under the gate, lickety-split. A second bunny followed suit, so that answered that question.

 

Be safe, be well, and please be happy. Know that you are loved, and you’re never alone in this life. Be sure to tell those you love that you love them.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

We’re that pleased with the new fence. The height is perfect and doesn’t interfere with our view of the tracks. A bonus that we hadn’t expected is that the construction of the fence has kept the squirrels away. There are still squirrels in Mike’s back yard, but they stay over there, which makes me one happy camper.

There’s 2″x4″ welded wire attached to the inside, and I plan on adding some Concord Grape plants or possibly a miniture Creeping Fig vine that will stay small, but will cover the wire. We shall see. I have two Concord Grape plants in the planterbox out front and may transfer them to the back (that was my initial plan when I bought them). I don’t know how fast they’ll grow. We shall see what works (or doesn’t).

I’ve been working on a quilt for the Depot gift shop and I’m having a difficult time of it. It’s an odd size and I’ve putzed with it to no end and still haven’t got it together so it can be pinned. I think part of the problem is that my batting is still way too big. I asked Robert to bring in the two banquet tables that I’d used previously and he informed me that I no longer had two tables available as he took one of them down below to work on track for the railroad. <sigh> ce la vie… I’ll have to re-measure everything, trim down the batting again and possibly take it all to the living room floor. Ugh! I don’t enjoy being down on my hands and knees, but if that’s what it takes…

Be safe, be well and please be happy. Know that you are loved and that if things in your life are difficult right now, they will change. Nothing in life stays the same except our love for one another.