Reading and Spending Time with Kids

 Ava spent the day with us yesterday. A cold front came through earlier in the week and school has been out since Tuesday. We loved having Miss Ava stay and play. We did some sewing that I have posted on my other blog. She discovered this chalkboard in my sewing room and had fun drawing a picture.

Ava loves nature shows and asked to watch some National Geographic animal vet videos. I made cookies while she ate her lunch and learned about animals. 

Later Mr. M picked up her brother Kenton from preschool that Kenton calls 'camp'. Ava and I played Guess Who. Of course, brother wanted to play, too. He helped me ;-) lose. He likes dressing up and playing with little cars.

Jessie sent this photo of him dressed up in the super hero outfit I made him.

I finished the book I bought a couple of weeks ago at Square Books in Oxford.

I am hooked on this author. The books have been made into a series that is streaming online.

It is called "Three Pines". Check it out.

That's it for now.

Have a good week.

January Books and Outings

These are the books I have read this month.

All of these are by authors I enjoy. 

The Darling Dahlia stories are fun mysteries set in south Alabama in the 1930's.

Time trip to small town America.

Where the Crawdads Sing

I watched the movie and then read the book. 

The movie was good but the book was better.

Below is a favorite book from my childhood.

It is falling apart. I know it needs to be recycled but it is so hard to part with it.

I can remember mom reading it to us.

When I learned to read I enjoyed reading the stories by myself.

Mr. M and I took a Friday field trip to the Dixon Galleries and Gardens.

It was too cold to wander the gardens.

We had fun viewing this show.

The black and white cat reminds me of Liam and David's cats.

This is the entry area of the gallery.

Wow!  A famous sculpture right here in Memphis.

Last Saturday we headed to Oxford, MS for the Fiber Festival.

I took a class in how to crochet a sunflower block.

After my class we ate yummy Greek salads at Opa!

It was a lovely sunny day.

Then after lunch we walked up to Square Books.

We both found books that needed to come home with us.

It was Mr. M's first visit to Oxford.

Quick trip - only 70 miles away from home.

2022 Quilt Review

After reading Wendy's quilt review of 2022 on Wendy's Quilts and more, I decided to look through my posts and review the quilts I finished this year.

It is easy to focus on the unfinished projects and feel unproductive.

Here are my finishes in the quilt category.

In January I took a class with Gyleen and finished this pineapple quilt. 

I made this mini quilt to honor my mom who taught me to sew and encouraged me to quilt.

It was entered in an exhibit at the Cotton Exchange Museum in Memphis, our new home.

I finished Sally, Dick, and Jane/Primer quilt.

I made it for my teacher friend who retired this year.

Hey, June quilt along was finished. 

I called it Which Way Up.

Machine and hand quilted.

A quilted project bag.

Some charity quilting - placemats for a senior center.

This one was an impulse project.

Celebrate! The plan is to hang it for celebrations.

Machine quilted with beads embellishing the candles and cupcake tops.

I tried paper piecing and finally understood the process.

Made a little mug rug.

Flannel rag quilt - another detour quilt.

I was gifted the flannel and saw a rag quilt hanging in a quilt shop.

My brain wouldn't stop thinking about it.

Here it is.

My new exhibit space.

I use C clamps to hang the quilts from the upstair railing.

Ready to celebrate the new year.

Have a great week.

 

December Books

December has been busy with concerts, sewing projects, super cold weather, and Covid for Mr. M & me.

After I finished The Cloisters I read All the Broken Places recommended by Mr. M.

It was written by the author who wrote The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Interesting, disturbing, sad but I had to see how it ended.

As soon as I could get to the library I found this new book about the Darling Dahlias.

It takes me back to the time of my mother's childhood. A very comforting read.

I hope to get to these two before the year ends.

I have a new sewing book.

I successfully made two blocks.

More about sewing on my sewing blog.

Two new sewing books.

I'm trying a new technique that I thought I would never try.

One final book.

I made this cloth book for Kenton for Christmas.

That is it for 2022.

Looking forward to a great new year.

 

Just read The Cloisters/Sharing photos of recent visit to the Cloisters

I just finished reading The Cloisters by Katy Hays.

It was a great read. Not a traditional mystery with a detective but several mysteries were revealed.

In October Martin and I visited the Cloisters for the second time.

Photos from our visit follow.  

There may be more photos added later.