The World According to Maiden Fair

Do you ever feel like your playing catch-up. Kind of like your life is going on without you and you have to run after it. I’m sort of feeling that way right now. It has been a difficult year, but I tend to block out the worst of the events in any given time space, so here I sit, it’s the 18th of November - Thanksgiving is next week, and I haven’t figured out where the rest of the year went. It’s one of those, it seems like it’s just yesterday that it was Christmas - but if I really stop and concentrate on what has gone on it seems like it’s been a hundred years. All this to say - I’m not ready for Christmas - or even Thanksgiving - AT ALL!! I did get groceries yesterday - including a 22 lb turkey - they had 26 pound ones - that was new I don’t ever remember one that big in the stores. WOW!!

I’m also starting on my herb classes. I’ll be making a tincture this week (actually it takes 6 weeks for it for be ready) and a healing salve. I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve been blending herbal teas for several month but decided it was finally time to take it up to the next level. Wish me luck!!

Books I have read - September was a little thin on reading but there were a few:

Mayhem in Miniature by Margaret Grace
2nd Chance by James Patterson
Mrs Jeffries and the Best Laid Plans by Emily Brightwell
Nightshade by Susan Wittig Albert

The miniature books by Margaret Grace and right up my alley since I love miniatures and granddaughters who love to help and get involved in your life. The Mrs. Jeffries books are always fun and I like James Patterson’s ladies of the Murder Club. My all time favorite is of course China Bayles, Nightshade being her latest adventure - with more to come.

October was a bit thicker on the reading:

Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings
Greedy Bones by Carolyn Haynes
Goose in the Pond by Earlene Fowler
92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber
The Third Circle by Amanda Quick
Born in Death by JB Robb (Nora Roberts)
The Helium Murder by Camille Minichino

With some of my very favorite authors like David Eddings, Carolyn Haynes and Debbie Macomber. I’ve found new friends in Earlene Fowler’s Benni Harper and I enjoyed the Helium Murder very much. Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krantz) is always good for a romantic, spooky, psychic adventure. I can’t say I was wild about JB Robb’s Born in Death - but it just might be because so much reference was made to books in the series that I haven’t read. - I’ll take that under advisement.

Went to a quilting class on Saturday to learn about English Paper Piecing. It sure makes creating hexagon shapes - like for the grandmother’s flower garden quilts a whole lot easier. I want to make a Christmas tree wall hanging using the technique - since I won’t be able to use my sewing machine for a while after surgery it should work out all right.

I’ve been quiet for a long time and I’m truly sorry about that. It has been an extremely difficult time in my life. I lost my mother back in September. On the same day we learned my Mother was in the hospital we got a phone call from a hospital in Philadelphia that my Sister-in-law was in a coma and unresponsive. I went to California on my own as Hubby had to wait to find out about his sister. He flew to Philadelphia the day of my Mother’s Funeral. I got home on Saturday and on Monday he called and needed me with him, so on Tuesday I drove east for two days to get there. During all of this I was supposed to have surgery to replace my knee, but as of today that has not happened yet. We were in Philadelphia for at least 2 weeks - She died on the day after I got there, and we had to take care of everything as she had left no instructions - no will, no power of attorney, nothing. It was truly overwhelming - especially since we had no idea she had been that sick. She kept telling us that everything was fine. But everything wasn’t fine and if things hadn’t been overwhelming us here for a different reason, we might have realized it. I wanted to go visit her this summer for a few days, but things just didn’t work out. At least with my mom there was all of my siblings there and my cousin came from Ohio. There was love and support from all around. I could not believe that anyone could so totally reject family who loved them and choose to live so totally alone.

It has taught me a few lessons - 1) don’t reject those who love you just because someone else in your family may have upset you. Draw close to those people who truly care about you and let them help you as you can help them. Life, family, love - it’s all a two way street. 2) don’t leave everything for someone else to do. Make the plans you want and see that they are financed - write a will and make sure the people you want to have your things actually get them. 3) don’t leave your next of kin hanging without the authority to make decisions for you. A power of attorney - a living will - and a will - plus access to certain funds and knowledge of safe deposit boxes and the value of items in your collections - make an inventory and an appraisal - and have it accessible. 4) Get rid of old papers and junk. You do NOT need to keep 50 years of tax paperwork, you do not need to keep every receipt or insurance paper that ever crossed the threshold of the apartment. You can say no if someone wants to give you something that you have no use for.

Needless to say, we are working on clearing out the things that have no value and continue to clear out the paperwork as it comes in. Computers are wonderful for this chore - taxes on the computer that can be called up on demand - and really you only need 5 to 7 years of it anyway - if you aren’t trying to cheat the IRS - what’s the real problem. Most of us are taking the standard deduction on wages, interest and unemployment. It’s all there. Those who run a business have a different set of problems. But this woman hadn’t worked in 9 years, she had no income beyond some savings and she payed no income tax but still we saved it all. It took days to go through everything - never finding what we really needed because those things didn’t exist. It made something so sad into a real tragedy - for her and for us too.

It has been beautiful here the last couple of weeks. Sunny. Warm. Dry. Perfect in a word. I’m trying to get out everyday and enjoy the lovely time - one day at a time. Yesterday I met my daughter in the park for a quick picnic and some conversation - it was an enjoyable time. Today I need to go pick up some things at the store and I hope the get a short walk in - very short - as my knee permits very little of that. I have decided that if I want to have a life, I really need to have this knee surgery. I’m not at all sure I’m looking forward to the surgery or the immediate aftermath - but I’m looking farther down the road - to being able to walk 3 or 4 miles again - to be able to go letter boxing and hiking with the girls and to go on Photo shoots with by DH and maybe go to the Grand Canyon or back to Yellowstone. I’m tired of being limited in how far I can walk - not being able to browse the quilt shop easily or even get the groceries without the aid of an electric cart. It’s time. Probably beyond time because for a long time I refused to even consider the possibilities. But De Nile is only a river in Egypt - it isn’t going to get me on with my life. So I’m working hard at building up muscle in my leg and eating iron and calcium rich food right now - I can’t take iron supplements as they make me sick - and preparing for my surgery on the 29th. I’ve been to joint surgery boot camp and the hospital, seek all my doctors and done all the lab work. I just need a visit to the Physical Therapist to learn to use the walker safely and I’m all set. I need to sit down one day soon and read all the paperwork and prepare my mind for what is to come.

In my research, I’ve found that oatmeal and nuts have a large amount or Iron along with pumpkin seeds and spinach. Now I hate cooked spinach but there is no reason to not put raw spinach on my salad in the evening - along with some nuts and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. I will get through this in some way. Going now to look for a good used treadmill. Don’t want to have to walk outside in the snow and ice.

Have a great day.

I can hardly believe that it is September - where in the world did the summer go. I just realized in the last couple of days that there are no robins about any longer - they much have all left for more southern climates. I’m not really ready for winter to come yet - I lost my summer somewhere along the way. I know it was a very stressful time, but it must have been harder than I realized for me to have lost the memories so quickly.

At any rate, I have finally broken over and scheduled the surgery for a knee replacement. After 8 years of on again off again pain - lately far more on than off, and the diminishing of everything I enjoy doing - it is time to take back my life and at least make a try to grab onto what I can of it. I want to go hiking and letterboxing again. I want to go on Photo-shoots and take trips and go sight seeing. I want to walk up and down the stairs without struggling and actually maybe enjoy going shopping again. I want to go on picnics with the girls and not have to worry about will I be able to make it back to the car. It is going to be a lot of work and probably painful - but there might be a light at the end of this tunnel - there was none at the end of the other one.

I have been busy with the quilting - working on my piano cover and my challenge quilt and a pumpkin wall hanging. I also made two tote bags. One is mine and when my granddaughter saw the finished one, she just had to have her own!! LOL

This one is mine

This one is my granddaughter’s

I also wanted to catch you up on my reading list for this summer - Since I write these down I do remember them - the problem is sometimes I don’t remember the story when the summer has been stressful. At any rate - Here’s the list.

April Book List

The Crystal Rose by Rebecca Brandewyne
Ghost At Work by Carolyn Hart
Trouble in the Town Hall by Jeanne M. Dams
The Crossword Connection by Nero Blanc
Almost like being in Love by Christina Dodd
Cold Pursuit by Carla Neggers
Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

May Book List

The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs
Kiss the Moon by Carla Neggers
Mr. Darcy’s Dream by Esizabeth Aston
8 Sandpiper Way by Debbie Macomber
The Cinderella Hour by Katherine Stone
Blue Dahlia by Nora Robb
Cover of Night by Linda Howard

June Book List

The Tale of Hawthorne House by Susan Albert Wittig
Mrs Jefferies Appeals the Verdict by Emily Blackwell
Sew Deadly by Jean Hagar
Just the Way you Are by Christina Dodd
The Cat. the Quilt and the Corpse by Leann Sweeny
Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen

July Book List

Goody Goody Gunshots by Sammi Carter
The Darcy Connection by Elizabeth Aston
The Black Rose by Nora Roberts
Nobody’s Angel by Patricia Rice
Wish Bones by Carolyn Haines
The Silver Needle Murder by Laura Child
The Blessing by Jude Deveraux

August Book List

Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown
A Taste of Innocence by Stephanie Laurens
Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman
The Matters at Mansfield by Carrie Debris
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Dyer Consequences by Maggie Shefton
To Catch a Thief by Christina Skye
Knock Out by Catherine Coulter
Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn Hart

I also had a wonderful surprise a couple of weeks ago - I entered a contest sponsored by Carolyn Haines who writes the wonderful Bones mysteries (not the bones on TV - but books titled Wish Bones and Splintered Bones). I love her books and I entered the contest - and I WON!! I won a copy of Greedy Bones and I am so looking forward to reading it!! Did I tell you the book is autographed!! So of course it is going on my book shelf with my other autographed book by Jacklyn Reding.

Anyway, have a lovely day - the weather here is awesome!! Sunny, warm but not hot, no rain, no humidity - great days to sit on the deck and do your own thing.

I received this from my sister last night and decided to post it this morning:

(x) Gone on a blind date
() Skipped school.
()Watched someone die
() been to Canada
() Been to Alaska
() Been to Europe
(x) Been to Las Vegas (Just as a stopover on a plane flight)
() Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been on a plane
() Been on a cruise ship
()Served on a Jury (Was called for jury duty but didn’t get chosen - thank goodness)
(x) Been to Washington,DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(x) Played cowboys/girls and Indians
(x) Recently colored with crayons
() Sang Karaoke
() Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
() Made prank phone calls..
()Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose.&nb sp;
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain.
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x ) Been kissed under the mistletoe-
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone.
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
() Gone snow skiing
(x) Camped out under the stars.
(x) Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away?
(x) Are or have been married
(x) Children?
(x) Have a Pet? (Had several Pets)
() Been skinny dipping outdoors
(x) Been fishing
(x) Been boating
() Been water skiing
(x) Been hiking
(x) Been camping in a trailer/RV
()Flown in a small 4 seater airplane
() Flown in a glider
() Been flying in a hot air balloon -
() Been bungee-jumping
(x) Gone to a drive-in movie
() Done something that should have killed you
(x) Done something that you will probably regret for the rest of your life

1. Any nickname? Muleskinner, Kat, KD
2. Mother’s name? Anna
3. Favorite drink? Herb Tea
4. Body Piercing? None
5. Tattoos? none
6. How much do you love your job? since I’m “retired” I love it
7. Birthplace? Tarentum, PA
8. Favorite vacation spot? Great Smokey Mountains
9. Been to Africa ? No
10. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? No
11. Ever been on TV? Yes
12. Ever steal any traffic signs?No
13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? one of each
15. Favorite number? don’t have one
16. Favorite movie? Don’t really have a favorite - a few I wish I hadn’t ever watched!!
17. Favorite holiday? None
18. Favorite dessert? Strawberry Shortcake
19. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? - I never plan that far ahead.

Today my granddaughter had her first day of sewing camp. She LOVED it!! She has been learning to sew here with me, so she is somewhat familiar with the maching and sewing a relatively straight stitch, but we thought she would like to learn more. Today she made a book cover and started on a schrunchie (a hair holder for those of you who have no idea what a schrunchie is!) Tomorrow she will finish her schrunchie and start on her shorts/pants/skirt whichever she wants to make, and Thursday she will complete her project. She’s now talking about taking another class to learn to make slippers - guess what we will all get for Christmas!! LOL.

It is amazing to me how with my generation, we learned to sew for the most part, but our daughters simply refused to learn. Now our granddaughters want to learn and their mothers can’t teach them, so they are learning from us. They are the ones who will carry on the old traditions of quilting and knitting and needlework that their mothers rejected so many years ago.

I’ve often wondered how many girls learned creative arts from their grandmothers rather than from their mothers. My grandmothers died early - one before I was born and the other one before I entered school, so what I learned I did learn from watching my mother and trial and error, but I wanted to learn. It is so much easier to learn these things as a child rather than waiting until you are an adult - more often than not if the basics aren’t learned as a child, the adult won’t learn them. Sometimes I think the problem in learning from your mother is one of the mother-daughter dynamic. The idea that daughters think mom doesn’t know anything so why should I listen to her. Where with grandmothers, the dynamic is often absent - granddaughters will do things with and for grandmothers that they would not consider doing with or for their mothers. Just an observation but and interesting one I think.

At any rate I received a partially completed quilt from my sister a few months ago asking if I could complete it and return it to her for our mother. It turns out the quilt was started my our grandmother sometime prior to her death in 1945. Mom worked on it for a while, but it was still incomplete. I finished piecing it and added the borders and with the help of my granddaughter (her mother doesn’t sew or quilt) we assembled the quilt and quilted it with a version of the big stitch quilting. I’m very pleased with the result and deem it a true family heirloom. A quilt that spans 5 generations.

Just realized that I hadn’t posted my reading lists in a long time, so here’s several month’s worth, I’ll catch up the rest in another post.

December book List

The Book of the Seven Delights by Betina Krahn
Sins and Needles by Monica Ferris
Dressed to Die by Beverly Conner
The Hydrogen Murder by Camille Minichino
The Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverly
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
Cut and Run by Carla Neggers
The Crossword Murder by Nero Blanc
What Dreams May Come by Christina Skye
The Princeton Murders by Ann Waldron

January Book List

The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry
The Angel by Carla Neggers
Paper Thin Alibi by Mary Ellen Hughes
The Killer Stitch by Maggie Shefton
A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber

February Book List

Evan Can Wait by Rhys Bowen
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz
Frill Kill by Laura Child
Ham Bones by Carolyn Haines
Beyond Seduction by Stephanie Laurens
The Body in the Transept by Jeanne M Dams
TailSpin by Carla Neggers

March Book List

Skeleton Crew by Beverly Conner
Two Down by Nero Blanc
Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs
Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith
The Diva Runs out of Thyme by Krista Davis
One Bad Apple by Shiela Connolly
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
The Ghost and the Haunted House by Alice Kimberly

Today is Tuesday and I have to say it is the most beautiful day!! I went to lunch with my friend Mo and we sat outside at a really neat restaurant down by The River and talked and shared about many things. I also took my latest quilts to show her - she hadn’t even seen the completed Friends and Family quilt. Not much is going on here. I’m still really really tired - wonder if I’ve come down with a touch of something that has left me this way. I had a headache and ached all over the other day and was really tired. It’s possible I suppose - just plan on resting and getting the right things to eat.

I tested out my new bread machine yesterday and it actually worked!! I made some French Bread to go with my casserole for dinner last night and it was amazing - everything was ready at exactly the same time!! Fresh hot bread to go the with perfectly cooked casserole - that doesn’t happen very often.

I have to say that this has been one of the nicer birthday celebrations I can remember. It started last Monday when my aerobics class all went out to lunch and I received a card shower – that was a lot of fun. Then I got a wonderful card and note from a friend I haven’t been in contact with for quite a long time – it was so good to hear from her. Then my niece called and wished me a happy birthday – and then my sister-in-law called. I got an email from another dear friend that I’ve been out of touch with, and a couple of my message boards have been loaded with well wishes. Yesterday hubby gave me a new DVD I’ve been wanting and today when we took my granddaughter home, my daughter had baked a cake and there were presents. A lovely key rack from the girls and a bread machine from her. I’ve been wanting a bread machine so now I need to learn how to use it. Next week my friend is taking me to lunch so that will make a lovely ending to a week long celebration that I mistakenly wanted to avoid.

My GD and I spent most of the afternoon getting our container garden planted, and she spent a lot of time arranging the table the exact way she wanted it. Hopefully the plants will do well this year. I have the chocolate mint again and I also got some regular mint. She has moss rose and violets, and marigolds and several that I have no idea what they are called, she just liked them, so we got them.

I’m nearly finished with the Five-generation quilt. Just stitching the binding down and it will be ready for the label and it’s picture. I’m planning on making a quilt scrapbook, with a picture of each completed quilt and a little bit about it, where it is now etc. Hopefully I will be able to find pictures of all of my quilts. So far there is one that I might not be able to get as I have no idea where it is and I didn’t photograph it before it disappeared.

At any rate have a great day and stay warm and dry – or cool depending on where you are.

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