Today One Of My First Friends Is Here

If I told you how long Sally and I have known each other you won't believe me because she doesn't even look as old as that many years.
It was so good to get together for lunch and a visit as it has been far too long.

Ladies Who Lunch At B D Beans

It is hard to find time to get the girlfriends together as retirement is so much busier than when we were working! Pat Brodsko, Marilyn Kosmider and Lynn Maher. Sorry Lynn, I couldn’t get a clear view to take the picture.
Today was a beautiful day so we ate outside in the garden.
The food here is delicious and unique. The decor is the funkiest.

Remember I said the décor was funky. This is one corner of the ladies room, The décor of the entire restaurant is constantly changing to keep it up with anywhere from the 30's to the 50's! 

Washington Park High School, Racine, WI Class of 1957 class reunion and McKinley Junior High school Class of 1954 class reunion

Today we had a class reunion in Florida before we all head back to WI.
Members of the Park 1957 Class are Pat and Ron Brodsko, Kay Koeper Sorensen, Pat Davidson Maranger and her husband John (Union Grove High School graduate). We met at the Players Grill Restaurant for Brunch. It was delicious.
Pat and Kay were also members of the McKinley Jr. HIgh School class of 1954.
Just as we were looking for someone to take the picture Chuck Odders, Park High School class of 1960 walked in so he was our photographer.
We had a great time reminiscing and catching up. I also shared the news about some of our class members I reconnected this week with on Face Book: Karen Levandowski Shumaker, Doris Clickner Bryant, Carol Smalancke Holbus and James Rutherford.
After brunch it was back home to work on getting the house ready for the house sitters. John and Lynn Maher were their usual helpful selves. I sure picked a good Florida brother to adopt.

Rignt about now I wish all my furniture was Formica or painted as I spent a great deal of time oiling the furniture today.


Since it was such a beautiful day I decided to go for a joy ride in our convertible - otherwise known as our metallic purple and turquoise golf cart. It was a real joy taking it for a 3 mile ride around the development. The colors were chosen to coordinate with the decor of the house!

So that you can feel the wind in your hair as you ride with me in our convertible I'm using it for tonight's puzzle.

Dinner and cards

Tonight we met at my house for dinner and cards. Here are Lynn, Dorothy, Mary, Marion and Pat. I thought I wouldn't be in the photo but the sliding doors not only are reflecting the view to the west but also I'm there! I have known Pat since our first year of high school. We hadn't seen each other in years until we decided to become snowbirds. You've seen Lynn before and we are long time friends. Even though I met Mary only about 4 years ago we have a connection that goes way back. Dorothy and Marion are friends I have only known about 5 years. We are enjoying appetizers and drinks here with a lively conversation.

We each bring part of the meal. Tonight's menu was Pizzaburgers, a wonderful fruit salad, delicious coleslaw, chips and key lime pie. Everyone always out does themselves since they only have to make one thing.


I have to apologize to the handsome men here as I caught them off guard and they are really much better looking that this photo! Ron is standing and then we have Ed, John, Chuck and Pat. Ron was another high school classmate and I've adopted John as my brother in Florida. Chuck is also someone I met here but with that connection that goes way back. Ed and Pat are also new friends I've only known for 5 years. They seem to really be enjoying the food!

The women played a lively game of cards at the dining room table called Shanghai. Pat was the winner. Poor Mary had a really bad night as she never got a good hand but I sent her home with something I had two of when she asked where I got mine. Gives me one more empty drawer and gives Mary a place to store some things in her pantry.

The men adjourned to the lanai for their game of cards. We asked them what they played and got several different answers. I suppose they couldn't see what they were playing since it was dark out there and they didn't turn on any lights.

A great evening with a great group of friends.


This Mariner's compass quilt is something I started a while back. The center is too large and out of proportion so I am waiting until I decide how to resolve this issue to finish it. It is also tonight's puzzle.

My hometown friends came to dinner!

A group of Wisconsin hometown friends got together here for dinner tonight.
Vaughn and Eileen were on their way back to Wisconsin from their winter home in southern Florida.
They are spending the night at Jean and Ralph's so I offered to have dinner here.
From left to right: John, Eileen, Vaughn, Lynn, Sandy, Ralph and Jean.
We had a great time reminiscing about all those things we experienced in Wisconsin as well as catching up with the latest. There's nothing like long time friends.

Lynn took this photo so I could be in it. You remember Lynn and John since I just talked about them. Jean and Ralph are the first people we met when we moved back to Wisconsin from Ohio. They live in The Villages. I know you can't see the chairs John and Ralph are sitting in but they were Jean and Ralph's kitchen chairs. When they remodeled their kitchen in Wisconsin 40 years ago they gave us their table and chairs. When we were repurposing things to furnish this house we refinished those chairs and 3 similar chairs for the kitchen. We subsequently found another one of them in the basement in WI but it has not been refinished yet. Sandy also moved to The Villages about the same time as Jean and Ralph, neither knowing the other was moving there.

Who'd a thought 15 years ago we'd all live close to each other in Florida? We all had a great time and a delicious dinner. Of course we had key lime pie for desert!

I feel like tonight's puzzle should be a photo from years ago of us but the only one of those I have on my computer is one someone would not want me to share so tonight's puzzle will be Apple Blossom Time. We sat on the lanai where Apple Blossom Time hangs having appetizers and drinks before dinner.

Guess who's coming to dinner tomorrow?

I'll be spending some time in the kitchen getting ready for dinner. I'm only responsible for the main course. The shopping is done. I've got to get the house back in shape after quilting today. If you're not busy you can help me cook or you can sit at the counter and watch.

One of my good friends said "Who else but you would have those spatulas color co-ordinated to your house?" And then she noticed I didn't have a purple one. It took me three years to find a purple one but I finally did.
The wood spurtles are hand made by Margaret Wolf's son Henry. Margaret is the chef extraordinare at Nancy Crow's barn. I hope I got her son's name right. The last time I saw her he was not currently making these. I am so happy I was smart enough to buy 3 when they were available.
You might also notice I even have a lime green wisk in my tomato pitcher. I bought it when I was on a lime green shopping expedition.

Finding a bakers rack that was the right size to fit in this corner was a real challenge. I finally found one on the internet. It holds the rest of my tomato collection. When we moved to Ohio years ago I gave away my mom's tomato teapot she had given me. I was always sorry I did. I started going to flea markets and found one that was exactly like the one I gave away. While searching for this I also found other tomato items. On the lower shelf you can see my pear puzzle gourd that I used for the puzzle last night. If you look real close you'll see one of my "tasteful" flamingoes as well as a frog that reminds me of my grandchildrens love of frogs.
There is also another gourd sculpture - the chicken on the second from the bottom shelf.
The bowl and plate are from Santa Fe, NM.
If you'd like to see details just click to enlarge the photo.

Tonight's puzzle is the replacement I found for my mom's tomato teapot.

Commission quilts

I was asked to do 2 small commission quilts for an office.
I find it very hard to work in this scale.
Each quilt was to be 4" square and only 3 1/4 inches of the quilt would show when they were put in the frames.
These 2 were my first design I came up with for the quilts.

As I worked on them I also did a second set.
I sent both sets and now that they are in the recipients possession I can show them to you. I couldn't before since they follow my blog.
I did an all over meander style quilting on both pairs. After quilting I mounted them on that stiff interfacing stuff you use to make baskets and boxes so they can easily be placed in the frames.

They were a good thing to do as it got me back into quilting after I arrived in Florida.
As you have seen there is a lot of socializing and company when I am here in Florida.
I love that aspect of my life too. It provides balance. I also feel there is nothing like long time friends and so many of my long time friends are within a few miles of me here. I am also fortunate that other long time friends are able to visit me here.

My friend Judy left this morning to return home to Wisconsin but we will both have wonderful memories of her visit. We'll look forward to repeating it next year.

I'm looking forward to more houseguests in a few days.

I've resized and combined two of these quilts for tonight's puzzle.

Quilt & clay on St. Patty's Day

This quilt made from hand dyed fabric incorporates 2 pieces I made from polymer clay. The top clay piece is Mokume Gane. The lower piece is a rolled and twisted long bead. I find it a challenge combining these two art forms I enjoy.


Every 2 weeks I get together with a group of my friends I call "The Village People".
I call them The Village People because they all live in The Villages which is not where I live! They are all originally from Wisconsin. We have appetizers and drinks and someone's house and then we go out for dinner. Every one was in the St. Pats spirit tonight. The men were also attired in green but I didn't get their picture.

I am sure you have heard people say "Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day".
Did you know every quilt is green and Irish on St. Patty's day even though it started out black and white? So with that I'll leave you to solve the St. Patrick's Day quilt puzzle.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!!!!!

Quilter blogs is a site that features posts from many blogs.
I went to check it out the other night and found my blog. Then I scrolled down and found a photo of someone who looked familiar. No - it couldn't be - it had been at least 10 years since I had seen Cyndi Wheeler. It couldn't be her because this lady didn't look any older than she did the last time I saw her. I continued to scroll down and this is what it said:

Today was my guild's Christmas coffee. I am so thankful to be a part of this group. I learn something from other members constantly. And they are so giving!
Of course I saw many beautiful Christmas sweaters, vests, sweat shirts, t-shirts, and jackets on members this morning, but this one really caught my attention. This is Cyndi Wheeler modeling her creation.
She sewed antique button on the shirt and drizzled metallic paint around them. What a lovely Christmas tree!

I immediately emailed Julia at: http://greenquilts.blogspot.com/
Cindi and I have only kept in touch through occasional Christmas cards since I last saw her. Julia forwarded my email to Cindy.

This was Cindi's story on Julia's site the a few days later:

Yesterday Julia Wood took a picture of me and my Christmas tree sweatshirt that I had on and posted pictures on her blog.
A friend of mine in Wisconsin (who actually introduced me to quilting in the 70's and that I've really not communicated with except through Christmas cards over the years) was on Julia's blog yesterday, saw my picture, said, "That looks like Cyndi Wheeler!", read the blog and found out it was me, and then wrote to Julia to get her to say hello to me (because she didn't have my email address)! What a small world. I promise that I will communicate with her and try to be a better friend!"

Julia said: Isn't that cool? It's wonderful how the internet brings us closer. I read blogs from around the world now, and I've had people from approximately 40 countries read my blog. It is a small world, indeed.

If you'd like to see a close up of Cindi's clever idea visit Julia's blog. I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit.

Yes, I woke up the next morning to a lovely email from Cindy along with photos of the projects she has recently finished. I also sent her an email and we've promised to keep in closer touch.

When I started this blog I never dreamed I would connect with long time friends who I had lost touch with. The world is getting smaller every day. I think I could write a second blog with all my small world stories!

I should have a puzzle with another reunion with friends and family but I don't have photos on the computer.

So I will close with this photo from several Christmases ago. We made ice luminarias to hold candles in our yard. It was the coldest Christmas season I can remember so it was perfect for this project. We filled 5 gallon buckets with water and put them on the deck to freeze for 16-24 hours. They were ready when there was a thick wall of ice with water remaining in the center. We poured out the water and ran hot water over the pails to release out luminarias. We put a candle in each one and lined the sidewalks in both the front and back yards. We made at least 50. When you are a fabric dyer you have a LOT of 5 gallon buckets! We had a lot of snow so it made a picture perfect winter wonderland in our yard. The only problem is when it snowed a lot we had to scoop out the snow from 50 buckets before we could light the candles each evening.
I wanted to let you see the full size photo so you know what you are putting together.