Have you been to this blog?

This is about one of my very favorite blogs and I don't understand why everyone in the whole wide world isn't over there reading it. Jill takes us on walks through pastures in and around Devon - shows us flowers and animals, rock walls and castles. Talks about ghosts and birds - takes us along on her walks on her lunch hour and on her days off. You'll see interesting trees and ducks sitting on nests in the water - and oh so many other things. I alway feel like I've been right there with her - enjoying the scenery and the animals and the sea and the flowers. I am always excited whenever I see her blog on my bloglines list of new posts - I can't wait for the next adventure.

You might see photos of sheep like these . . .

Or lovely flowers . . .

And always castles if there is one anywhere near . . .
(This castle is actually in the family line of one of our grandsons)

So come with me to Moon Daisies and enjoy one of the greatest blogs around, and say hi to Jill for me when you are over there!!!

Another fundraiser - notecards and other stuff

Many of you have responded to our first fundraiser - a donation quilt - to help with Don's open heart surgery co-pay (approximately $25,000.00) - Click HERE for our first fundraiser.

And here is our next adventure.

Have your heard of CafePress? It is a great site where you can make photo objects - calendars, buttons, t-shirts, etc, for your shop. Here is the link to my first CafePress Shop - Country Days.

So far I have notecards and postcards - different sizes and different amounts of the cards, mugs, coasters, aprons and much more - come on over and shop awhile. The profits from these sales will go right into the savings account for Don's medical expenses.

This is the print I'm using - three vintage quilts on washday - they make wonderful gifts or use them for yourself - you know you want some.


My second shop is Country Days 2 - featuring this photo of mountains near our home. They are called the Three Sisters and are magnificent, winter and summer.

The reason I have two shops right now is that CafePress won't let you put more than one of each item (one set of note cards, one set of post cards, etc) in your shop - so in order to use two photos I have to have two shops. The proceeds from both shops will go towards Don's open heart surgery fund. If there is something you would like to purchase with the photo of the three quilts on washday - or the mountains, and I don't have it listed - just ask and I'll have one made up just for you.

Thanks for shopping - here's the link again to Country Days. And Country Days 2 - And you can even shop in your jammies - what fun!! Order something for yourself while you are there - and don't forget Auntie's birthday - and cousin Joe - oh and the dog sitter - she'd just love the mountain note cards. Enjoy!!! And thanks again.

Some fun fabrics and stuff from the thrift store

I seem to have a backlog of trips to the thrift stores - this one is mostly about fabrics and fabric related items - treasures I've found that no one else seemed to want - and they are all happy once again in my house.

I found bags of buttons on cards - flower buttons - some tiny flowers . . .

Some medium flowers . . .

And some large flowers . . . now to decide where they need to live. I think some of the big ones will go on the umbrella girl blocks that I'm making for a swap of blocks that remind us of Washington. Don't you think that umbrellas and big rubber boots are great for Washington?


I think a flower button would be perfect - now to sew them on . . .

This piece of pansy fabric just had to come home with me - it is so bright and springy and there must be a quilt somewhere just waiting for this wonderful piece of fabric.

Quilt labels - springy labels, holiday labels, fancy labels, plain labels. There were four pieces of fabric with these printed labels on them, all in one bag for 49 cents - total. I took them to a sew-in and shared with my friends - everyone cut out the ones they wanted - and I still have dozens left.

Well - this isn't a piece of fabric - it is a darling ladybug insulated bag - just the thing for packing picnics in - or for carrying cold things home from the store (hmmmm, need to put ice cream on the shopping list) - and each time I use it I'll think of our wonderful daughter-in-law - first because she is so wonderful - second, because she loves ladybugs and third, because she is a champion thrift store shopper (along with our son who can hold up his end quite well in their thrift shop adventures).

The bag still had the tags on it - and obviously has never been used. It has lots of compartments and a little bag inside for your credit cards and cash.

Off to the thrift store again

Well, not really - but here are more of my fun finds from past trips. So many of you ask for photos of what I find at the thrift stores - and I'm more than happy to show you some.

One of my weaknesses - little crystal vases - and this tiny one is just 2 1/2" tall.

This single rhododendren flower from Mothers' Day fit just perfectly, but you could barely see the vase . . .

Two seagulls, attached to a pretty stone by some thin bendy wires - they move with the slightest air current - I like the way they bob about . . .

A fairy kissing her baby fairy - cute beyond belief . . .

This gadget is labled - "washcloth caddy" - but I think it is just perfect for carrying my stitching projects out to the little grove for an afternoon of quiet stitching. It has holes, and cubbies and sections - I think I'll go and load it up with a project right now so it is ready when the sun comes out again - which I hope is soon. What do you carry your handwork projects in - and do you like to stitch outdoors?

Thrift Store fun

I'm way behind in showing you my treasures from the thrift store. I haven't gone as often as usual, but I've got some fun stuff to show from past trips.
Let's start with these funny "hands" - they were 99 cents and still had the tags attached, telling me that they are made of bamboo. They are super for spaghetti or for salad - or for little boys to play drums with, whichever is the most urgent at the time.

Salt and pepper shakers - silver under all that tarnish. I can barely resist every piece of silver in thrift stores. I love to polish it - and I love how pretty it is when it is all fresh and shiny. There is some serious polishing needed for this pair.

This is a tablecloth - in my favorite kind of woven fabric. I still haven't decided if I will keep it as a tablecloth for the holidays - or cut it up and make napkins - decisions decisions!!! What do you think I should do with it?

Some very pretty old silver - I told you I can barely resist it - and sometimes I cave in completely . . .

This lovely silver spoon - oh my resistance is low - has "Mother's Day 1973" inscribed on the handle. Our kids were 5, 3 and 1 that year. What could be cuter than that?

Well, perhaps this cute little hors d'œuvre forks - in their little lettuce holder - and with tiny lettuces on the handles. And to think, someone actually got rid of these - well I'm glad they did!!!

Or Ben playing with the little lettuce forks, making lunch for Grammy at his "restaurant" - yup, that is THE cutest thing.

And three peas in a pod. I just couldn't resist this darling little condiement set (I can barely resist anything in a thrift store, as you can so plainly see). Ketchup, mustard, relish - or strawberry, blackberry and raspberry jam - or sweet pickles, dill pickles, and bread and butter pickles - or green olives, ripe olives and olives with pimentos in the middle - or Russian dressing, French dressing and bleu cheese dressing - oh the possibilities are endless - these are going to get a lot of use at our house.

And I ask you - who can resist a bed sheet with construction vehicles on it for the guest/toy room? It goes perfectly with Ben's new book - "Building a Road".

It was a great trip to the thrift store - it always is! Hope you enjoyed it. What have you found lately that is wonderful??

Happy Mothers Day

It is a brilliant sunny, pleasantly warm, fresh smelling day today - just the perfect day for a get together with our family to celebrate Mothers Day. We will be gathering here at our house at around 5 to eat and talk and enjoy the day. We will feast on roasted chicken and salads of all sorts and a special dessert. The grandsons will run about and have a grand time playing and my heart will be happy. I love being a mother - and I love being a Grammy too. We waited a long long time for grandkids and it is more than I ever hoped for - and I hoped for a LOT. There is nothing like a grandson running down the sidewalk and throwing their arms around you - or a grandson telling you that your house is the most fun of all!!

My grandma holding my cousin, my brother, my mom holding me . . .

Don's mom with Don on her lap in the swing - can't you just see the love in that beautiful face?

Don as a young teen, fishing with his mom - one of her favorite things to do . . .

Mothers Day really took on a new meaning for me when our family started to grow. We have three wonderful kids - each as different from the others as you could possibly imagine - and yet there are such similarities it amazes you. All I ever wanted to do since I was 6 years old was have a big family with lots of kids!!

A new baby at Christmas time and our family is complete . . .

More fun - as the kids grow up . . .

Oh look - a new puppy - Uncle Jeff sure surprised us with that one . . . the kids named their puppy Peanut . . .

Summer in California in the early 70s - they are saying "fuzzy pickles" -
which is what we said instead of "cheese" . . .

With Great-Aunt Dorothy - don't you love the look on Rusty's face?

Ahhh the teenage years - we certainly had fun - a New Year's Eve Party in our family room . . .

And then later the grandkids. As those of you who have grandchildren know, it is a feeling of completion when grandkids arrive - seeing the past and the future - the best of everyone distilled down into these precious little ones. Gives Mothers Day a whole new meaning.

Ben - at the computer . . .

Jahn - eating cotton candy at the fair . . .


Jahn - riding his big wheel at Grammy and Grampy's house . . .

Ben - helping fill the suet feeders with suet cakes he helped Grammy make . . .

The boys at the park - hi ho dinosaur!!!

I wish each of you readers a Happy Day - or Happy Mothers Day - whichever fits you best. May your sunshine be bright - your hugs be plentiful - your thoughts be happy ones.

And now I must go and boil potatoes and eggs for salad - cut up fruit for the fruit salad - set the table in a fun summery look and wait for the families to arrive. Our son in West Virginia already called to wish me happy Mothers Day - so this day is off to a great start!!!

Update on Quilt Give-Away

Win this quilt

All you out there in blog-land have been so very generous!!!! Our hearts are touched by the wonderful donations and the great stories you have sent us.

Several have asked for our snail mail a second time - and mentioned that you felt bad because you misplaced the first email. Don't feel bad - I've done that several time - intended to keep an email and answer it - and then searched for hours and with no results - so frustrating! Oh the fun of email - sometimes it works so great - and sometimes - well, maybe it is just me.

For those who are new - here are the links about Don's upcoming open heart surgery - and the quilt give-away.

So - for those that need my snail mail for sending donations and a chance a winning the quilt - or the other great prizes - here it is. I'm not worried about it being in public - I'm in the phone book and white pages. com will give you my address day and night. :-)

JoAnn Bayne
4000 Flynn St. Spc 86
Bellingham, WA 98229

Close up of the fabulous quilting Julie did on the Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.

We cannot tell you how grateful we are for the many generous donations - and we both wish you all the best of luck in the drawings. And what generous blog-land friends we have who have donated more items to the drawing. Hand spun alpaca yarn,a table runner, jelly roll of fabrics, a sweet koozie to keep you bottle of water cold in the summer - such generosity astounds us!!! Thank you each and every one. And a big thank you for all the good wishes and prayers - those are just as treasured. I've kept a list and sometimes when this whole open heart surgery gets us down a little we review the list of names and feel your love for us. Thank you seems so inadequate at this time - but thank you - so very much!!!!

Happy May Day

I need a break - I need sunshine - I need to be a flibber de gibbit for a while. (That was a phrase my grandmother used for times when someone was just being silly - and I need silly right now).

Sunshine through the trees over our shed . . .

Sunshine in my quilts . . .

Happy May Day to all - it is gloriously sunny here - and supposed to be 70 degrees this afternoon - now what could be better on a May Day? We will take our grandson to the park for a picnic and lots of climbing and running - well he will be climbing and running - I will be taking pictures.

The wonderful Dandelions are blooming all over the place . .

If you would like to read a fabulous blog about May Day - please visit Rowan she has done a great post. And turn on your speakers, her music just floats you away.

The fields are glorious with dandelions - and they are good for the livestock . . .

Yellow as far as the eye can see . . .

A sunny quilt - summer is coming for sure . . .

Violets are peeking out of the cracks in the big rock wall . . .

Sunshine at the beach . . . I need sunshine!!!

The little patch of Grape Hyacinth is blooming next to the front porch . . .

And here are some wishes - just for you my friend. May all your wishes come true!!!