Happy Thanksgiving

What a glorious day - to be thankful for all that we have in our lives. We will have a big family dinner with our daughters and their families - and talk to our son and daughter-in-law in West Virginia several times during the day.

I am thankful that Don and I have been married for 45 wonderful years -
they go fast - and are full of such wonderful memories.

I'm thankful for Don - and that he survived the ordeal of open heart surgery this summer - and that he is doing exceptionally well and is completely back to normal - with even more energy than before.

I'm thankful all the family photos did not burn up in the fires. (me - age 2)

I'm thankful for growing up in Alaska where a girl can have adventures every day . . .
(I'm wearing the white blouse)

I'm thankful for my big brother Jimmy - I miss him terribly!!!! He was my protector.

I'm thankful for my little brother, Jeff - he left us this past summer and we all miss him.

I'm thankful for family pictures!!! (me on the far left)

And I'm certainly thankful that we don't wear our hair like this anymore!! (4th grade)

I'm thankful for Don's parents - what a wonderful gift they brought to this world.


I'm thankful for a little girl frosting cookies (Beccy - 3 years old)


I'm thankful for the wonderful teen age years . . .

I'm thankful for a daughter who grew into a wonderful, thoughtful and clever woman, a superb mother and a sweet auntie.

And I'm ever so thankful she found her wonderful Jason . . .

I'm thankful for a little boy who can still charm the
socks off just about anyone. (Rusty - age 1)

I'm thankful for the wonderful and super talented man he grew up to be . . .

And I'm thankful for the wonderful Jamie that he married
(and that we got to go to WV for the wedding)

I'm thankful we have photos of Rusty and Jamie when they live so far away.

I'm thankful for our youngest daughter (Lori), one of the cutest babies you have ever seen . . .(of course all my babies were extra darling)

I'm thankful for a silly child who could lick the frosting off a cake and look you straight in the eye and say - yes it was very good, when asked if she had eaten the frosting . .

I'm thankful that she grew up into such a fine creative woman, a good mother to Jahn and a fun auntie for Ben . . .

I'm more than thankful that she found her fabulous Jason . . .
who brought Jahn with him into our family

I'm thankful for three children who would dress up and sing christmas carols
for us when we lived out in the country on a farm in Kansas.

I'm thankful for Don's aunt who treated our kids like they were her own grandchildren .

And grandsons - I'm extremely thankful for grandsons . . . (Ben - 1 year old)

Who grow up fast and wear bobbly hats . . .

And play with Miss Kitty . . .

And sing songs . . .

And ride bikes . . .

And do important things on the computer . . .

And laugh in the summer . . .

Yes, grandsons - I am extremely thankful for grandsons!!! (Jahn - age 2)

Grandsons who love bridges . . .

And ride bikes . . .

And run the bases at the Bellingham Belles Baseball Game . . .

And bake pies with Grandma . . .

And paint their faces with Grandpa for the Super Bowl Party. . .

Our favorite christmas gifts - two fabulous grandsons to play with and adore!!!!

I hope your thanksgiving is as wonderful as ours -- and give your family a hug - they are the most precious thing you'll ever have!! And to our friends across the world - a wonderful weekend too - as we here in the US celebrate our Thanksgiving with family and feasting and good times.

We got a new Santa

We used to have a big plastic light up Santa for the front porch. He lit up the porch in CA when we lived on a hill. He lit up the front porch when we lived in a big farm house in WA, way out in the country. He lit up the porch when we moved in town into a cute little 1920s Craftsman cottage - yup, you heard right, Craftsman - like the Sears tools. You could order a whole house from Sears, they would deliver it to your site and you put it together by number and with an instruction sheet. But I digress - then one night - no Santa - no light - NO SANTA?????? Where could he be? Did you see him running by? Was he kidnapped? Did he want to go back to the North Pole? No Santa - we looked up and down the street - no sign of him - we walked around the neighborhood, hoping to find him - no Santa. (Did we really think that whoever stole him would just put him out on their porch?)

Our name for our Santa was Giant Tacky Plastic Santa - and we loved him so. Everyone is the family has been searching for another Giant Tacky Plastic Santa. We had bought him at KMart in CA and had never seen another since then. Until later that same season we saw one sitting on a deck, far, far from our house. Don offered them a princely sum for their Giant Tacky Plastic Santa - even throwing in our sob story - but they loved their GTPS too much to part with him. GTPS owners are that way - they love their GTPS.

You know I love Santas - I have Santas with sticks . . .


A Santa that is a teapot and cup . . .


Santas that are small and light up and live indoors at christmas time . . .


I have painted wooden Santas . . .

Teeny tiny Santas to wear on your ears . . .



I have a quilt with Santas on it . . .

Rolly Poly Santas...and friends . . .

And a Santa that Rusty made when he was in grade school -
made from a candle jar . . . we put Chex party mix in this Santa every year,
his hat lifts off for filling . . .


Here is Don's dad's Santa, used in place of a christmas tree when Don was 12.


I take photos of Santas when we travel . . .
There are Santas that I want to make someday . . .


And my cousins even made Santas out of pine cones -
like old timey ones (and I don't have any of those!)

And even a picture of Don with Santa when he was a darling little boy - dressed up in his fancy duds - but no more Giant Tacky Plastic Santa. Our son-in-law searched for another GTPS and if he can't find it, it can't be found.


So now I am a little happier - I have Medium Tacky Plastic Santa - although it is tempting to call him Medium Giant Tacky Plastic Santa. He is about 3 1/2 feet tall, GTPS was 5 feet tall. I hope that where ever he is - he is happy - and the ones who stole him from our house on Broadway feel very very bad about it. Don't you think that is a dandy Medium Tacky Plastic Santa - or MTPS? I especially like his friend the reindeer. Now Christmas can begin - I have a good Santa.

Hey - that's not a swan!!!

We are driving down the dike road south of here - looking for Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans - when we were attacked!!! And I mean attacked.


Heading straigh for our car!!! Running down the road faster than most dogs - here they come!!!! The three mad turkeys!!!


All three - coming at us fast - Don slams on the brakes - we don't want to masacre them - poor dumb turkeys. We've never seen such big ones!!! (taken through the windshield)


They came around to Don's side of the car first and looked in - I was laughing so hard I didn't get a picture - then they swooped around to my side and bobbed up and down - still laughing I finally got a picture of one of their heads - and lots of pictures of the ground and the dike.

This one is looking in my window!!!!!

This one is on the dike - looking down at me threateningly - yes, that is a threatening eye if ever I say one "Give me your bread, your sandwich, your chips, your cookies, your coupons for a free loaf of bread - I don't care what you have - just give it up!" - and making a loud turkey noise - these things can really set up a squawk!!!!

Look at the pretty feathers - but who is going to get any closer - not me -these things were threatening and if we had the windows open I'm sure they would have tried to climb in.

As we were driving away - after making sure none of them were in front of us - they started chasing the car like dogs - faster, faster, hurrry up, they are gaining - faster faster!!!!!!! Watch the curves in the road - stay away from the dike - faster, they are gaining on us!

Whewww, finally another car came along and stopped to look at them - Don't Stop!!!!! They'll get you - they are ferocious - they want to get in your car. They are attacking - they are trying to climb on top of the car (those talons could really mess up a paint job!) Oh well, that is not our worry - we are turkey free and continue on down the road, looking for Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans. No one is going to believe this anyway!

Today I met Linda Bylsma

Shopping away this morning - up and down the aisle at Walmart - and I saw a familiar face - at least I thought it was familiar - trying to remember - hmmmm could it be? So I passed by - but then again we meet up in the fabric department - ok - it MUST be her - so I ask if she is Linda -a nd she says she is. A little bit of confusion and we finally get it figured out who each other is.

What a sweet lady - you can visit her at her Alpaca and wool and quilting and farming site - she is busier than a bee at a honey convention. We had a nice little chat and soon we will get together to swap out some blocks for a birthday swap Linda is running. We only live 20 miles apart but hadn't had a chance to meet before. It was fun to discover her shopping in the same store.

A few interesting things

I found this MeMe over at Somerset Seasons - a fun blog from England, with interesting posts about nature, gardening and her animals.


1) My mother once: took the baseboards off and vacuumed under them (did you know she was a neat freak?)

2) Never in my life: will I fire a gun


3) .When I was five: I lived in California on a chicken ranch, had hepatitus and then our family moved to Alaska - in that order.- quite a year.

4) High school was: from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. - in the winter we went to school when it was still dark, and it was dark again before school let out. I loved school!!!

5) I will never forget: waiting 7 1/2 hours while Don had open heart surgery - and then the joy of seeing him being wheeled down the hallway to ICU - and our son was with me - what rejoicing!!!

6) I once met: a family with one child, and then twins and then triplets. Then no more kids.


7) There's this person I know who: has about 200 vintage baseball gloves, well, the last time I asked, he did.

8) Once, at a bar: I've never been in a bar - so I guess I have no stories. I used to walk past the Pioneer Bar and Ernie's in Sitka when I was a kid, and smell the awful smell coming out the door.


9) By noon I'm usually: doing housework or working on a quilt, except on Mondays and Fridays - then I am waiting for our four year old grandson, Ben, to come for the afternoon of fun.


10) Last night I: I finally finished part of a border on a quilt.

11) I hope that: people learn to get along, learn to admire the differences in each other and learn to care for those less fortunate.


12) If only I had: a clue - oh, maybe I'd better wish for something better, how about more time?

13) Next time I go to church/temple: would be for a wedding, can't think of any other reason to go.

13) Terri Schiavo: wow - that makes me sad just to think of her.


14) I like: our children and grandsons, who could ask for anything more?


15) When I turn my head left, I see: my Featherweight sewing machine and a stack of pretty fabrics.

16) When I turn my head right, I see: my "in" box and papers I need to keep close at hand,so I just keep looking left. (oh that my inbox could just one time be empty)

17) In junior high school: no junior high school in Alaska way back then - just grade school and right smack into high school.

18) If I was a character written by Shakespeare: I'd want to be in a Midsummer's Night Dream, saw it one time with Don's aunt and cousin, we were the only three people in the whole movie theater - we changed seats often and ate hugs boxes of popcorn.

19) By this time next year I: plan to have a deck and ramp on our new house.

20) A better name for me would be: Samantha, or Trudy, or Penelope - pick one.

21) I have a hard time understanding: meanness.


22) If I ever go back to school, I'll: study fun subjects, like archeology and art history, pottery making and languages.

23) If I won an award, the first person I'd thank would be: the person handing it to me, that's only polite.

24) I hope that: you are still reading this, and are not too bored.

25) Take my advice: follow your bliss. Well, it’s Joseph Campbell’s advice actually. I’m just passing it on, and good advice it is too.


26) My ideal breakfast is: biscuits and gravy - good gravy made with whole milk, not that sappy stuff they serve in restaurants made with non-fat milk. Might as well make it with water. blllegggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

27) A song I love is: Anything by Paul Anka. Don took me to a concert of Paul Anka's a couple years ago - it was like being in high school and going to Marcia's house to listen to records!!

28) If you visit my hometown, I suggest: you enjoy nature - by the way - it is Sitka, Alaska so you have to go by boat or plane, but it is well worth it.


29) Tulips, character flaws, microchips and track stars: hmmmm - silly soup?

30) Why won't anyone: pick up all the trash on the roads - let's each pick up some as we pass and it will look much better.

31) If you spend the night at my house: you will get to sleep in the "toy" room - we will move the bears off the bed for you, but it is your job to keep them off once you are in bed.

32) The world could do without: most politicians, I think they should be limited to two terms, one term in office and one term in jail.

33) I'd rather lick the belly of a roach than: nothing - I'm not lickin' no bug!!!

34) My favourite thing is: family get togethers


35) Paper clips are more useful than: baggy pants, wet dogs, melted popsicles, rotten food, need I go on?

36) And by the way: you’ve spent a bit of time reading this, did you realise?


37) My grandmother: made me a ragdoll when I was 6 and I still have it - she is probably older than most of you (the doll I mean - my grandmother surely would be older than any of you - heck, I'm older than most of you)! (That's my big brother Jimmy standing behind me and Bunny, my ragdoll)

Feel free to do this on your own blog - if you do, please leave me a note so I can find out what makes you tick too.

Happy Halloween???? And Ben

A P.S. added to the front of the post - as sometimes when I add to the bottom my readers skip it - thinking there is nothing new.

Here is Ben in his Zoboomafoo (you may Google now - I'll wait) costume - made by his mommy - isn't she clever?

Smiling happy boy - all ready for trick or treat!

Just look at those big eyes!

And with the hood down - because sometimes a boy gets hot. . .

And a frowning, growling lemur - because he doesn't have any treats,
and everyone knows a lemur needs a treat.

And now back to our regularly scheduled Halloween???

Just had to share this photo with you. We were taking a drive the other day and came upon this. My guess is that the grandkids helped to decorate.


Ben is out trick or treating tonight - downtown, at the fire hall and at his preschool.

Jahn is sick so we took a bag of treats and toys out to him, since he couldn't go out in his Indiana Jones costume. So sad to miss trick or treat and all the fun carnivals.

We are still waiting for our first trick-or-treater - or any trick-or-treaters - we don't get many here - maybe 3 last year. Wish we would get hundreds - I love to see all the kiddies dressed up in their cute costumes.

Happy Halloween!!!!

Old Stuff - and a drawing

I decided to have a quilt party - after seeing what Crispy is doing on her blog. She has been listing old quilts and telling the stories about them. It is so interesting and gives us a chance to see quilts that we might not have seen before. I'm putting Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post and if you have some old quilts (don't have to be all that old, can just be quilts that we've not seen before) please put your link in Mr. Linky and we'll all hop over there and see what wonderous quilts you've made. A story about the quilt would be fun too. Even if you have blogged about a quilt in the past, feel free to blog again, as some of us may not have gotten to all of your past blog posts. And most importantly - have a good time. Thanks Crispy for inspiring me to do this.

Here is my first "old" quilt . . .

I never finished this quilt top - I sold it on craigslist after it was finished. It is surprising how many people are looking for quilt tops - at least in our area - on craigslist. I had several wanting to bid up the price on this top - but I had set a price and I sold it for that - only seems fair.

An internet friend in Kentucky wanted to do a mystery quilt - I'd never done one and didn't really want to do one - but to be a good sport - I agreed. First of all, machine piecing isn't my favorite part of quilting, and secondly, I like to have control of my quilting and with a mystery you really don't know what is going on for some time. We picked our colors and I felt that the contrast of the two lighter greens wasn't contrasting enough and I never liked the quilt.

My friend did her quilt in blues - and it turned out much better. After leaving it sit around in a box for several years, and two houses later, I finally listed it on craigslist and it was gone in less than three hours - hurray!!!

Directions for joining the Old Stuff Quilt Party are below - come join the fun!! Post on your blog about your old quilt and list it on McLinky below and get entered twice in the drawing. Grab the "Old Stuff Quilt Party" from my sidebar and put it on your sidebar - get entered 4 more times. Send friends over and if they mention your name - get another 5 entries. Come on - this will be fun.

1. Publish your Old Stuff Quilt Party post.
2. Once it is published, click on the title of the post. This will lead you to the direct link for your post. The direct link is the page with only that post on it. Copy the url from your browser at the top of the page.
3. Paste the url into the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
4. Type your name in the appropriate Mr. Linky box in this post.
5. Click on "Enter."
6. Please link back to this Old Stuff Quilt Party post so that your readers can find other wonderful quilts.

That's all there is to it! It's always a good idea to then check and see if your link is working. If you have any questions, feel free to email me: joann.bayne@gmail.com Looking forward to seeing all of your quilts! Be sure to link back to this post so the others can see all the quilts we've made in the past.

Mr. Linky is working - so let's see your old quilts - well, they don't have to be real old - let's just see your quilts. And thanks for putting up with so many updates today.