Ice-abella

A Bard Rock Chicken, like Ice-abella

It has been freezing cold  in our part of Oregon, with the temperature getting down to 5 degrees this past Sunday morning. Since the roads were icy that day, Stephen decided to take me to work. As we were driving down one of the streets in downtown Dallas, Oregon, we noticed a bard rock chicken huddled up close to a sidewalk. Clearly, it was way too cold for her to be out in the open, and she was definitely not where she needed to be.

Stephen stopped the car, hopped out and scooped the hen up. We looked around for houses in the area that might have coops in the backyard but she was right in the middle of town, with no houses in sight. The chicken sat in my lap until we could get her up to the hen house on our farm. Her feet were bleeding from the cold and she was very quiet.

Today, Ice-abella is sitting in a nice clean nest, lined with fresh straw, right under the heat lamp in our hen house. Now that she's warming up, her feet are healing, she's up and eating, and she's settling in with the rest of our chickens. Except for a tiny bit of frost bite on her comb, she seems none the worse for wear.

Believe me, it was very odd to find a chicken in the middle of the road in a downtown area. Thank God we found her before she froze to death.

Memorial Day

Vintage Memorial Day Postcard

My grandmother always called Memorial Day by its former name, Decoration Day. This is probably because Decoration Day originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who had died and my grandmother was a big Civil War buff. Her own grandfather had actually served as a soldier during the Battle of Pea Ridge.

Every Memorial Day we gathered up the many roses, peonies, iris and other flowers that grew in her garden and headed out to the cemetery to decorate graves. My grandfather died when I was six years old so we always decorated his grave first, then progressed to other graves of people she had known who were buried there.

Now that my grandmother is resting next to my grandfather, I find myself at the cemetery each year armed with my own flowers, both from the garden  and purchased. Last year, I came to the realization that I am now decorating 11 different graves, a sure sign that I am getting older and beloved elders are slipping away. 

Melissa and Michael's Wedding

Our youngest daughter, Melissa, got married to her long time beau Michael on July 21st of this year. The ceremony and reception were held at Chatoe Rogue Hop Yard in Independence, Oregon--a beautiful setting for the occasion.

5th and 59th Photography did an outstanding job capturing the occasion and I absolutely love their photography. Unfortunately, this company has since gone out of business. If you would like to see more photos, let us know and we will direct you to a facebook page.

The day was perfect and  beautifully memorialized in pictures.

Stephen's Chickens and an Egg Recipe

April 2nd is "Chick Day" at our house. That's when Stephen will go to the Feed Store and bring home six to ten new baby chicks to add to his small barnyard brood. We didn't get any babies last year. This year, he says that the 13 chickens he has are not getting any younger. And since those "old ladies" are getting up there in years, he says it's time to bring in some new little chicks.

When he brings the babies home, he sets up a special box that he built for them. Then he adjusts a heat lamp, and provides food and water so they will be well fed, warm, and ready to grow. And when they get old enough, they will start laying eggs.

Stephen's chickens lay an average of six to eight eggs per day, which means that when they're laying, he's got as many eggs as the Easter Bunny. The chickens come to him when he calls them. They know he's going to feed them and follow him anywhere he goes!

We have a hen house for them with a fenced-in outdoor area for keeping them safe. On most days, though, he opens up the coop and let's them wander around the farm for a while. No matter how far they wander, they always manage to put themselves to bed when the sun goes down. Then Stephen goes out and shuts the door to the hen house and locks them in all nice and safe from predators.

We have different types of chickens on the farm. Right now we've got buff orphingtons, bantam cochins with feathers on their feet, Rhode Island reds, and Plymouth Rocks (the ones that look like they're on a prison gang in their black and white feathers). I'm sure we've got other types as well, but I must admit that I don't keep up with them as much as Stephen does.

The eggs they lay are absolutely fabulous. Nice big eggs with brilliant yellow yolks that look just perfect when poached and sitting on the breakfast table. And speaking of breakfast, here's a fabulous breakfast casserole recipe. You make it ahead; then refrigerate until morning when you pop it into the oven for a yummy start to your day.

Breakfast Casserole

1 pound ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Night Before: Crumble the sausage in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned; then drain. In a medium sized bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese. Stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

Next Morning: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover casserole dish and bake 45-60 minutes. Uncover, reduced temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until set.

Serves: 8 (377 calories per serving)

Happy New Year!

It's now 2011! That's 1-1-11 to be exact and, it seems to me, a great time for new beginnings. I'm sharing with you a few of my favorite quotes in the hope that they will inspire you to new projects, new dreams, and new beginnings.

"Whatever you do or dream you can do--begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832 --

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." -- Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962 --

"Never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself." -- Florence Nightingale, 1820-1910 --

"You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream." -- C.S. Lewis, 1898-1963 --

"Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true."
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

The Grand Cats

From time to time, our daughter Melissa asks us to babysit her "babies," two of the largest cats in all of pampered captivity. Here's a picture of Carly Kitty. Carly Kitty is about eight years old and has been with Melissa since the day she was born. Carly is a very sweet cat who loves to play with her toys and eat.

Here's a picture of Michael with Boo Boo. Michael says this is the latest in fashion accessories--the cat purse. Boo Boo had a rough beginning. One snowy afternoon some years back, the girls mentioned to me that they thought they had heard a cat crying from the side of the road near our house. This road has a series of "S" curves on it and is on a hill outside of town. Someone, thinking that they were "way out in the country," tossed a cat out of their car and drove off.

The girls decided to investigate so they drove slowly down the road calling for kitty. Sure enough, there was a little gray striped kitten. Melissa opened the passsenger door and Boo Boo quickly jumped in. It must have taken all of his energy because when they got back to the house, Boo Boo was so emaciated he could not even lift his little tail. He just dragged it behind him for the rest of the evening.

Boo Boo has grown to be a very large cat. He is a treasured member of the family and loves to hide in bags. He also enjoys chewing on flip flops if they are left out where he can find them.

When Michael and Melissa are on vacation, Stephen and I have cat duty. We go over to their house to feed the "grand cats" and play with them. Both of these kitties are happy and healthy. And bless his heart, Boo Boo never gets very far away from the food dish.

26th Wedding Anniversary

Tuesday, July 13, was our 26th anniversary. We decided to drive over to the Oregon Coast for the day. The drive is beautiful; it's not that far away from where we live; and the cell phone reception isn't very good in the Van Duzer Corridor. The Corridor is a highway that has tall, Douglas Fir trees on either side. Ah, the peace and quiet! We had a wonderful drive all the way to Lincoln City.

Once we got over to Highway 101, we traveled south to Boiler Bay and stopped at the wayside there. This is an excellent place to watch the ocean-going birds. There are shearwaters, jaegers, albatrosses, grebes, pelicans, loons, oystercatchers and murrelets. It's also a great place to watch the waves come crashing up onto the rocks, and to see gray whales. The bay got it's name in 1910 when an explosion sank the J. Marhoffer. At low-tide you can see this ship's boiler. Visiting here is always relaxing. The weather and the wind seemed just right. Stephen walked around the area taking photos. I watched the birds and the waves, but I didn't see any whales.

Afterward, we drove to a Chinese restaurant for a lovely lunch. Like every other wedding anniversary, Stephen and I talked about what we've managed to accomplish in our lives over the past year, five years, 10 years, etc., and shared our hopes and dreams for the years to come. Looking back helps us plan for the future. We concluded that we are both grateful for our friends and family, and are looking forward to a bright and shining future both at the Quilt Shop and the farm.

Mini-Vacation in California

In June, Stephen and I left the Quilt Shop in the capable hands of our employees and headed down to California to visit our daughter and son-in-law, Dannielle and Isaac Stahly. It was really close to their 2nd wedding anniversary, they had moved to a new apartment, and we hadn't seen them for a while. So we packed up the car and off we went.


As we got closer to California, we realized that it wasn't raining! If you live here in Oregon, you know that it rained 19 out of 30 days in June. Everything was green, green, green--and wet! Was summer ever going to get here? As you can see from the photo, though, it was sunny in California. We are both sporting sunglasses. (My children HATE my sunglasses, by the way, but they keep the sun out of my eyes quite nicely.) In fact, in Redding, it was HOT by mid-morning.


We weren't in Redding very long before we decided that we should visit the Golden Gate Bridge down in San Francisco. I had never been there before and, for some reason, I actually had it in my head that the bridge would be painted gold. And, of course, it isn't. When construction was originally proposed, the United States Navy wanted the bridge to be painted black with yellow stripes so it would be highly visible to ships. Instead, it was painted with red lead primer and a lead-based topcoat called orange vermillion, or international orange. The paint protects the bridge from the high salt content in the air, which rusts and corrodes the steel components.


Isaac totally knew his way around San Francisco. We were very thankful for that. Where Stephen and I live, three cars stopped at a traffic light can be considered a traffic jam. (And that's assuming there is a traffic light!) Driving in all that California traffic seemed to me like it could be very nerve-wracking. Hey, check it out. Isaac and Dannielle are also wearing sunglasses! They are standing at a viewpoint above the bridge. It was absolutely beautiful there.



So here's what I learned about the Golden Gate Bridge. Work on the bridge began on January 5, 1933, and was completed in April of 1937. Although every safety precaution was taken, eleven men actually died during construction. The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge that has two main cables which pass over the tops of the two main towers and are secured at either end in giant anchorages. The main cables rest on top of the 746-foot main towers in huge steel castings that are called saddles. Each main cable has 61 bundles of galvanized steel wire. The total length of the bridge, including all of its approaches from abutment to abutment is an amazing 1.7 miles! The bridge itself is 90 feet wide and 4,200 feet long from tower to tower. Each of those anchorages weighs 60,000 tons.

I also discovered that at the time it was built, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world; however, when the Verrazano-Narrows bridge in New York City was completed in 1964, the Golden Gate Bridge lost this distinction. Today, the longest suspension bridge in the world is the Akashi-Kaikyo in Japan.

We had other adventures while we were in California. I'll write about them soon!

Amelia Comes For a Visit

Meet Amelia, an exotic shorthair that my daughter Leah adopted at the Humane Society. Being a cat person, I think Amelia is just the sweetest thing. She's inquisitive but polite, and I swear to you that when you ask her to do something, she totally understands what you want. If she feels like it, she'll cooperate--move off your quilts, come say hello, let you pet her. If she doesn't, she will hop over to a comfy chair and dare you to ask again.

Because Leah was having major repair work done to her apartment, Amelia needed a place to stay where she wouldn't be in the way or freak out over loud noises. We didn't want to take her up to our house at the farm because Amelia is shy and we were concerned that the "cat politics" there might be too much for her--especially since our Edward is a little brat. We didn't want him beating up on her or calling her names because her face looks a little "pushed in." Being an exotic shorthair, Amelia is a cross between a Persian and an American Shorthair. She is very dainty and has a gentle personality. Edward, on the other hand, is a spoiled rotten gray tabby who thinks he's the omnipotent ruler of anywhere he happens to be.

So while the old heating system was torn out and a new heating and air conditioning system was installed, Amelia stayed in the back office of the shop. Within no time, she was "helping" me. If I was working at the computer, Amelia wanted to play with the mouse. If I was sorting quilts, Amelia wanted to take a nap. If I talked on the telephone, Amelia wanted to join the conversation. And because she's so darned cute, all of us had to stop and play with her. This proved to be quite distracting when there's a lot of work to be done!

Here's a photo of Amelia attempting to process the mail order. Her version of processing is to sit on the orders. Amelia and Leah are both back home now. If it ever quits raining here in Oregon, I know they're both going to love that new air conditioning unit.

What I Got for Mother's Day

Traditionally, on Mother's Day, a mom can expect her older children to show up with flowers, and cards, and maybe even get taken out to lunch or dinner. And while the kids really did do all those lovely things for me for this Mother's Day, they also made the mistake of asking me what I would like to have.

Silly kids! They should have known I would come up with something that would require them to do just a wee bit more than purchase flowers, and cards, and take me to dinner. What I asked for (and received) was a remodel of parts of the quilt shop! And to take it even a step farther, I asked Amber and her children to help us out. Stephen helped out too.

It was total chaos at first! I wanted peg board hung up on a wall that was solid concrete. (Don't bore me with the details--I just wanted it done!) I also thought it would be nice to add a wall over near the books and blenders--something that would show off our patterns a little better. By that evening, the pegboard and walls were in place; the furniture had been rearranged; and the fabric was ready to be moved back into place.

Autumn painted pegboard and cupboards and a little bit of the back of one leg. Seana and Leah hauled fabric around until we got it put back "just right." Michael, Melissa, Kyle and Jeremy showed up to help out too. Amber sorted, and stacked, and lifted, and climbed up on the ladder. And then she climbed back on it again when I changed my mind.

I spent most of Monday making everything look pretty again. Kyle has promised to take some photos so we can add them to the blog next time. But for now, if you can possibly make it in, you should come and see what all we managed to accomplish in two short days.

I love the way the shop turned out. It's brighter and more open, and generally more "user-friendly." One thing is for sure. Next year, no one will ask me what I want for Mother's Day. I'll go back to receiving flowers, and cards, and dinner out, and I will love that too!

St. Patrick's Day Recipe and Blessings

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To celebrate the occasion, I am posting a tasty recipe and some Irish blessings that you might find uplifting. The recipe is for Corned Beef and Cabbage. I can't remember when the last time was that I actually prepared Corned Beef and Cabbage. Just typing in the ingredients was pretty inspiring though. I wonder how far back in the cupboard I've buried that Dutch Oven!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice pack
10 small red potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Place the corned beef brisket into a large pot or Dutch Oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender. Add in whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are nearly tender. Add the cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest for another 15 minutes. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much of the cooking liquid as you have reserved in the large pot or Dutch Oven as desired. To serve, slice meat across the grain.

Irish Blessings to Brighten Your Day

May you live as long as you want,
and never want as long as you live.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
the blessings that come each day.

May the saddest day of your future be no worse
than the happiest day of your past.

May the Lord keep you in His hand
And never close His fist too tight.

May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
and heaven accept you.

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.

That Dreaded Inventory

It's that time of year again when we take a day to conduct a complete inventory at Grandma's Attic. That means we have to count every single thing that is in the shop--a feat that could take forever if we didn't ask our family, employees and friends to participate. This year, Georgeann served as our team leader. She broke us up into teams of two and sent us to various areas in the shop to get the job done. This first photo is a picture of Georgeann at the front counter. She stays available so that when we find an item without a price, or have a question about something, she can remedy the situation.

I also asked Michael and Jeremy to help me in the back room organizing and counting all of the Calico Hills Farm patterns and putting them into new storage containers. This is a picture of Michael with his clipboard and sheets for counting all the patterns. He's still smiling so the job must not have been too bad!

Out front, each team was given an area of the shop to count. Charlotte and Cheryl got the task of counting all the skeins of DMC Floss and spools of thread. Tiffany and Kelly were over in the notions department counting buttons and rotary cutters and other notions.
Teams that worked with fabrics, including Melissa and Carly, had to count all of the wraps on each bolt. This photo is a photo of Melissa recording fabric while Carly counts it. The best way for a team to count fabric is for one person to count and the other to record the results. When you are counting fabric wraps, it is always a good idea to use a knitting needle to help separate each wrap. Every two wraps is a yard of fabric. This is also good information if you are purchasing fabric and want to know if there will be enough fabric on the bolt for your project.


Here's Michael and Jeremy counting the Calico Hills Farm patterns. In all, there were 22 of us taking inventory. We got it all done in just one day, even though we stopped mid-way through to enjoy six large pizzas from the local pizza parlor. Yummy!

Now, all that's left to do is to count up the inventory sheets that were created and do a little straightening of shelves. We're good to go for another year!

Wedding Anniversary

Stephen and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary on July 13 with a trip down the Oregon Coast to Eureka, California. The weather had been so hot here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It was a welcomed relief to go over to Highway 101 and drive down the Coast in sea mist and cooler weather.

We made various stops along the way to view the sites. One was at the Cape Blanco Light Station, near Port Orford, Oregon. This light station, built around 1870, houses the oldest continuously operating light in Oregon. At 256 feet above sea level, it is also the most westerly lighthouse in all of Oregon. We learned that Oregon's first woman light keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton, signed on in March of 1903. While Stephen climbed the 63 steps up to the top of the lighthouse, I chose to stay on solid ground enjoying the stillness of the air that day and the spectacular view.

Cape Blanco Light Station near Port Orford, Oregon

We continued driving south and stopped at Crescent City, California. The Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park is near Crescent City and we decided we wanted to take a closer look at some of the world's largest trees. Believe me, I have been around trees all of my life. I thought I had seen tall trees before; however, redwood trees are so magnificent it just takes your breath away. These ancient trees, native to the northern California coast, are the tallest trees on earth and can grow up to 367 feet tall. They can live up to 2,200 years and are resistant to insects and fire.


Trees in Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park

There is no way to adequately show you what the Redwood Forests look like because the camera simply does not catch their enormity or the feeling that you get when you walk among them. If you are anywhere near these trees, you owe it to yourself to see for yourself.

After spending a few days in California, we drove back up the Oregon Coast to Newport where we spent another day or two relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Ocean environment. Then it was back to work for both of us. The vacation was the perfect respite from the hurry of every day life and we both enjoyed it very much.

Highway 101 Bridge at Newport, Oregon

Now that we are back home, I am busy working on this next year's Grandma's Quilt Club and the Fall 2009 Patchwork Party and Stephen is working on a new sun deck for the chickens. We saw a giant coyote lounging in the lower field by our house so Stephen wants to make sure that the deck keeps his "girls" safe from predators.

Winter Wonderland

Just before Christmas, we received 20 inches of snow and then an ice storm came through. It coated the trees with thick ice causing many of our oak tree branches to snap completely off. The Douglas Fir trees seemed to fare pretty well, but the sound of trees cracking and breaking apart at night is heart wrenching, to say the least. Fortunately, nothing landed on the house or outbuildings. As a result of all the trees falling, our road was closed for several days. We also lost electricity.

On Christmas Eve, the hard working crews of the power company managed to turn our electricity back on and we had power again. What a wonderful Christmas gift that was! Believe me, there is something totally eerie about being without electricity living on a road that is closed and nearly impassable.

I had planned to work on Block of the Month and other quilt projects at my sewing machine. Instead, I alternated between doing hand embroidery work and trying to keep myself and the dachsunds warm. We huddled together in the recliner under warm quilts. And believe me, you know it's cold when the cat climbed under a quilt to join us.

Now that the ice has melted, the electricity has come back on, and the roads are passable again, I've been busy working on those same quilt projects I intended to get to earlier. There's a Block of the Month quilt, a shop hop quilt, and several other smaller samples in various stages of development in the sewing room at home, plus calendars and other end of the year items to attend to at work.

On New Year's Eve, my husband and I were so tired from all of the outside clean-up projects that needed to be done, we decided against staying up late. Instead, we turned on the television, and watched Anderson Cooper usher in 2009 with the crystal ball drop in New York City. When it's midnight in the Big Apple, it's 9:00 pm in Oregon. We called it a night and decided the New Year could get here without us. I spent New Year's Day filling mail orders at the shop; then retreated to the sewing room again. Sewing is a great way to begin the New Year, don't you think?

I'm looking forward to 2009 as a year filled with beautiful quilts and fun projects. How has your New Year begun?

Leah's Brain Surgery

Leah had her brain surgery October 22 at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon. This surgery was to remove a portion of her brain (right hippocampus, amygdala, and surrounding area). This is the part of her brain which was severely damaged in her car accident 11 years ago. It was also the part that was responsible for her subsequent seizure disorder. The seizure disorder was getting worse and her doctors said if she continued to have uncontrolled seizures she would deteriorate to the point where her quality of life would be severely affected.

As scary as the thought of surgery was, Leah decided that she wanted to go through with it because she was so tired of having seizures. Her surgery lasted a little over five hours. The team of doctors said that they were able to remove almost all of the affected area. They said they were “very aggressive” and took out an area of the brain approximately the size of a small kiwi fruit. (They weren’t expecting to take out this much.) Since Leah has already been functioning almost exclusively with the left side of her brain, they were certain that there would be very minimal deficits. They did say that she might lose some peripheral vision in her left eye and might have trouble “finding her words” for a while.

It's been about two weeks since Leah's surgery and I am happy to report that she is doing just great. The home health care nurse said Leah's recovery is "a miracle" and we are totally thrilled to report that she is herself, knows who everyone is, and is oriented and cognizant of her surroundings. She's getting a lot of sleep these days but otherwise recovering well.

I’ll keep you posted on how she is doing. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, concerns and good thoughts. I know that she is very encouraged by them all. Leah has made many friends here at Grandma's Attic and enjoys talking to our mail order customers on the phone. Hopefully, she'll be back at work at the beginning of the year, only this time she'll be seizure free!

Where Does the Time Go?

It's been AGES since we posted a message; however, we've had a very busy spring and wanted to tell you all about it. First, as you can see from the photo, our daughter Dannielle got married on June 7th. We haven't received the proofs back from the official photographer yet; however, here is a picture that Michael took of Dannielle and her husband Isaac with famiy members. We'll put "official" pictures up for everyone to see as soon as the proofs are back and we have more to share.

The wedding took place at a Lavender Farm near Mt. Shasta, California. The setting was breathtakingly beautiful and so were girls--as you can see in this picture that Michael took of Melissa and Dannielle just before the wedding.

After we got back from the wedding, we had time to work on our new shop remodel and to review all the items we picked up at Quilt Market in May. If you live close enough to visit Grandma's Attic, you'll want to come in and our shop make-over. We closed over Memorial Day weekend and took the shop apart--right down to the walls--then put it all back together again. The brick and mortar store seems so much more roomy now. We moved the cutting area up closer to the front and arranged things in a little more logical manner. We kept all the contemporary fabrics and items on one side of the shop, and the reproduction fabrics and goodies on the other side. You'll have to come and take a peek. And yes, pictures of the remodel will be posted soon too!

So now you know why we were silent for so long--Quilt Market, a shop remodel, and a wedding all in the space of a few weeks. It kept us more than busy. We'll start posting items from Quilt Market really soon!

It's Snowing Again!

We live in the middle of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Everyone knows it rains and rains and rains in this area; however, lately it's been snowing and snowing and snowing.

This is a picture of our barn. You can see that the sun came out briefly and the snow started to slide off the roof, but then it started snowing again. Pretty soon, we had over a foot of snow and it was hard for Stephen to get back and forth to check on his chickens. It was even harder to get the car out of the driveway and get down to town.

Even though we're only 3-1/2 miles from town, we're up in elevation. That means it can be raining in town and snowing here in the foothills of the Coast Range. I can call work and say "I'm snowed in," and they will think I'm making it up because it's only raining where they are.

Fortunately, it hasn't snowed as much here as it has in other parts of Oregon. I heard that they had 150 inches of snow in Idanha and Detroit, both of which are in the foothills of the Cascade Range, approximately an hour's drive from here. That translates to about 12-1/2 feet of snow. I can't even imagine it!

My idea of snow is to look out the window at Mt. Hood in the distance, gleaming white in the beautiful sun, and know that if I wanted to go there, I could. It's not my idea to have to wade through it to get to the car!

Here's another photo of the trees outside our living room window that Stephen took. Even though the film is black and white, it's beautiful, don't you think? Since it's time for me to go to work, I think I'll call and say, "I'm snowed in again!" Then I can sit back with a cup of tea, relax, and enjoy the view.

Memorial Day

When I was little, my grandmother would take me to the cemetery with her a few days before Memorial Day so that we could tend to the graves of loved ones who had passed on. First, we would gather up the tools needed to clean grave stones and clip grass. Then we would select the best flowers from her garden. The back of her car would be filled with roses, carnations, sweet william, azalea blossoms and many other flowers. Irises were her particular favorite. After the car was packed, Grandma would drive us up to the cemetery so we could decorate the graves of family members and people she knew. My grandmother lived 38 years longer than my grandfather, a ship-builder in World War II. This Memorial Day observance was a yearly vigil for her; one that Stephen and I have continued since her passing in 1998.

I've noticed that there are more stones to clean and decorate as the years go by. This year, there were 10 of them. When we were through, we talked about how much we missed those who had influenced our lives, reflected on lessons learned from each of them, and how we might make our own lives more meaningful. Cleaning grave stones and decorating with flowers may be a small thing, but its become a tradition of honoring our elders and those gone before us.

Dannielle's Graduation

Stephen and I are heading down to Redding, California this weekend. Our daughter Dannielle is graduating with honors (summa cum laude) on Saturday. She has a degree in Cross Cultural Studies. She's not exactly sure whether she's continuing her education next Fall but she's been thinking she'd like to be a Physician's Assistant or Nurse Practitioner. We're very proud of her.

The Virginia Tech Memorial Quilt Block project is progressing. We are beginning to receive quilt blocks from the fabric that we've sent out. All I can say about these blocks is that they are fabulous! I hope to post pictures of them to the blog as soon as we get back from California.

I am a firm believer that every single one of us has a unique gift or talent to share with the rest of the world. Every once in a while, we are privileged to glimpse into a person's soul through the artistry of their quilt blocks. We are honored to be putting the quilt blocks up in the shop as they come in and hope to see yours among them!

To participate in this project, we are asking quilters who have been moved by the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech to join us by making a 12-1/2" square quilt block (unfinished size) in the colors of Virginia Tech--maroon and orange. We will then assemble the blocks into quilts. Finished quilts will be sent to Virginia Tech. Everyone who participates in this project will have their name listed on the quilt and included in the documentation about our project. If you would like to incorporate some of the Virginia Tech fabric we talked about in our last blog post, go to Grandma's Attic website and drop us a note in our comment section of the form on that link. While supplies last, we will send you a small piece of this fabric to use in your block.

Make your quilt block in the colors of Virginia Tech--maroon and orange. Please do not introduce other colors into the color scheme as this is a school spirit quilt. Add only maroon, orange and neutrals (white, black, gray, off white) to your quilt block. The block doesn't have to look dull and drab--just be predominantly Tech colors. Once you have finished your block, mail or bring it to Grandma's Attic at the address listed here on our website. Please note: in order to be included in the project, quilt blocks need to be returned to us by June 2, 2007.

This project is historically significant! It's a way of sharing what you were thinking and feeling at this moment in time with future generations. What could be better than that?

Tragedy at Virginia Tech

A few weeks ago, Stephen and I decided to take time away from our normal work routines and spend the day together. At the last minute, I remembered that I needed to get a few things at a fabric warehouse so I asked him to tag along. While I was picking out the fabric I needed for the shop, Stephen noticed some bolts of fabric with collegiate names on them. "Hey, honey," he said, "here's a bolt with Virginia Tech motifs on it." I sort of nodded in his direction and said, "That's nice," while continuing to shop the warehouse. When it came time to check out, Stephen loaded up the car while I talked with a sales rep about other things. Imagine my surprise when I got back to the shop and discovered that I was now the proud owner of a bolt of Virginia Tech fabric--bright orange with maroon motifs, including a football helmet and a turkey! We live in Oregon now. What in the world was I going to do with this? Stephen had apparently snuck the bolt into the cart while I wasn't looking!

I decided to make a joke about it at the $5.00 quilt club meeting. I told participants about how Stephen loved his alma mater, Virginia Tech. Not only did Stephen get all his degrees at Tech, but I used to work in the geology department. (What I remember about that job was that my desk was wedged in and among various buckets of rocks! Sometimes I would have to move little boulders off the desk so that I would have enough room to type--making sure to keep them labeled and in order for the professors to study.) I also told club members that it was obvious that Stephen liked this orange and maroon fabric or he wouldn't have snuck it into my cart. The kids and I decided that we would make him some "projects" for Father's Day, but we weren't sure what. I asked for and received suggestions from the group, including pillowcases, curtains for the tool room, a quilt in a pillow, etc. At the time, April 6 and 7, it was a pretty funny story.

Everything about that changed early morning on April 16. I was at my desk in the back office when my mother called and told me that there had been a "shooting" at Virginia Tech, one student was dead. I couldn't believe it! As the day progressed, the news got worse and worse, ending finally with the tragic discovery that 33 people, the gunman included, had been killed on the Virginia Tech Campus. Stephen and I were so shocked we spent the entire day glued to the television set. The whole thing was too horrific and overwhelmingly sad to actually take in and try to comprehend. I think we've continued to be in a state of shock over this. I've always wanted people to know about Virginia Tech, but this is certainly not what I wanted them to equate with the school. Can you imagine? "Virginia Tech--oh yeah, isn't that the school where that terrible shooting occurred?" I'd rather people remember Tech for all the positive things that make it special.

You see, Stephen and I met in Blacksburg, Virginia. Our first "date" was at Virginia Tech where we attended a play at Burrus Hall. We used to walk along the paths of the drill field, feed the ducks at the duck pond, visit the veterinary barns to see the cows, watch the 4th of July fireworks, and in general "hang out" together at Tech. Homecoming Parades were always a treat. The Highty Tighties marching band practiced in the streets of Blacksburg all year long, and we loved hearing them play. We loved the fact that the alumni band would come to town and ride in the parade on an air conditioned bus with the windows opened so that 80-year-old band members could serenade the crowds. We thought the alumni band always sounded the best!

We were married in Blacksburg. Two of our daughters were born at Montgomery Regional Hospital. I owned a business in the center of Blacksburg and was part of the Downtown Business Association that put on the summer festivals and raised money for downtown improvements. The business owners were special too. Shops had names like Mish Mish; Books, Strings & Things; Mainstreet Bazaar; E. Gadd's (that was my shop); College Inn, Carolee Donuts, and Gilly's Ice Cream. All of our shops were adjacent to the Virginia Tech campus, and during those years, we literally saw thousands of students come through our doors as friends, customers, co-workers, and employees.

While Stephen was busy getting his degrees, he had an office on the 2nd floor of Norris Hall, the building so central to this tragedy. He taught classes on the 2nd floor of Norris--in Room 211 to be exact. I visited him there many times. We always thought that Tech was a beautiful, peaceful campus with an energy all its own, and we think that to this day.

As you can tell, many of our fondest memories together are wrapped up in that school. Now, some of our saddest memories reside there as well. Stephen knew Professor Librescu, the Holocaust Survivor who used his body to block the door so that his students could escape.

So, needless to say, it's been a difficult week. Now, the fabric that Stephen put into our cart has special meaning. I've even called the warehouse and ordered the rest of this fabric that they had in stock. Stephen and I strongly believe it would be fitting to put together quilts for the families of the victims. We're asking others to join us in making quilt blocks from this fabric to be sewn into quilts. I'm also going to mention this project at my $5 Quilt Club. If you'd like to help make a block or two for this project, let me know.