Going to the Greenhouse

we go to each Spring to get our bedding plants (me and my mom) we whizzed past this piece of art on the side of the road, but didn't really 'SEE' it until we past it. Then we both looked at each other and said, "Huh?".

We continued up the road only to find our favorite nursery had gone out of business :( Very sad about that. So, we turned around and I said, "I've got to get a picture of that!"

So we pulled over to the side of the road, and I did!

Liver Cancer has entered our lives ...

Well, I had sure hoped to have a better Post Title than that when I arranged for this blog makeover. During the course of it, my husband was diagnosed with liver cancer, inoperable and untreatable. This has been very difficult to work through, as I'm sure you can imagine. We returned home from St. Louis, MO last night. We were there for almost a week, while he was in the hospital having tests and being diagnosed. We are home now, and ready to face what comes our way.

His boss (i think it was his boss, I'm not sure who started this page) set up a Team Mike Gass page on Facebook. Some pretty awesome comments about him :) 

In the meantime, I want to give kudos and a HUGE recommendation to Karen Valentine, who re-did my blog and made it Beautiful. If you like it and want one too, you can find her at Valentine Design and she is amazing to work with! We had some phone conversations and she was an expert at picking up on what I loved and what I didn't want. Very reasonably priced, and such beautiful work. I can't recommend her highly enough.

You may also notice that I now have my own domain, Cotton Spice. Depending on how long you've been following my blog, you may remember my own Cotton Spice Quilting Magazine. I published it for 3 years and then had to give it up for various reasons. But, I do intend to re-publish some of my own designs from those years, onto this blog, as freebies. I had some great patterns (if I may say so) in them, and I'd like for you to be able to use them.

We are still on for my 300th post giveaway - stay tuned for details. 

My 300th blog post gift to us all

My 300th post is coming up quite soon, and one thing I knew this blog needed was a facelift!!! Oh my gosh, it's needed a spring cleaning and a new look for a long time.

Well, I have hired an awesome blog designer. I'm not telling who until after the Big Reveal, because if you go to her site, you'll have  a pretty good idea of what it's going to look like! And I'll have no peekers behind the curtain!!!!

The other giftie is for one of you! I haven't mentioned this yet, so it'll be news to everybody - but I've started dabbling in Mixed Media! The first piece I made was not a quilt nor fabric related. Here is a picture  of my first piece -

6 x 8

You can click on it to see it larger.

The other thing I've been doing is Artist Trading Cards! (ATC) I joined the group at Stitchin Fingers and have had SO much fun!!  Here are some pictures of the cards I've received -

January 2013 card, the theme was Love

February card, the theme was Elements

April card, the them was Look! 

I love them, and feel so honored to have them!
Here are some pictures of ones I've sent. I've sent more than I've received because I joined the Birthday swap late and had to catch up.

This is the very first card I ever made, and it was for the Jan swap Love

This is the one I made for the April swap Look!

And this is one of the late birthday ones I sent. 

So, I said all that to say! The winner of the drawing will have their choice of a 6 x 8 piece of MM art, or 3 ATCs. If you win, just let me know your favorite colors, subjects etc and I'll make it to your own taste!

More later,
Karen 

Other Peoples Grocery Carts

Disclaimer: Not sewing related 

Do you ever look at other peoples grocery carts to see what they're buying? Am I the only one?

For some reason, I find it fascinating to see what other people are buying for their pantries and then comparing the contents to ... well, what they look like! I'll just be honest and say that straight out!

Do the baskets with healthy foods always match the healthiest looking people? NO!!!

Do the baskets of junk food and frozen dinners always match the unhealthiest looking people? NO!!!!

But it's still interesting. I actually find it interesting when I come upon  a left behind grocery receipt in my cart. I know, I'm strange, what can I say? This morning I went to get groceries (the Sat. morning Walmart run) and found a receipt in my cart. I just grabbed it and put it in my purse. Thankfully Mike didn't see me :) I haven't read it, but will share it with you now.

You can't wait can you? :)

 

The problem is the abbreviations! Can't make out some of the things but I know they got carrots, bananas, apples, cheese, turkey, waffles and Dr. Pepper. Sounds like lunch to me! 

Was it one person or a family? A couple on a picnic? Or just one hungry guy? 

This is where you find stories - in the oddest places. You can also notice they paid cash - who carries cash anymore? I haven't had cash in my wallet for years - just ye olde debit card! 

Well, maybe I'm the only person who finds this interesting - we'll see. Anybody willing to 'fess up? :)

Karen

My book is selling!

Morningshine

I'm so excited - I've sold 12 books since I put it up, and already have one 5-star rating :) How awesome is that? When I checked my sales today - and yes, I check them about every hour lol - and saw 12 there, well, I was just too excited to sew! And for me - well that's never happened.

And something else exciting is happening - I'm coming up on my 300th post! Hard to believe I've had that much to say!

So, I'm going to celebrate both events by planning ... well, something. I haven't had time to actually think about what it will be - but I will. If you've got ideas, let me hear them.

I will definitely be giving things away - but what? I'm open to suggestions! Please don't ask me for a new car ... just sayin' is all :)

My book is LIVE on Amazon!

I'm very excited to announce - my book, Morningshine, is finished and available on Amazon as a Kindle version! If you don't have a Kindle, not to worry. You can get a free Kindle app for your computer HERE, or for your SmartPhone and many other devices HERE.

Here is my 'official' description and a somewhat short (kinda long) excerpt :)

Morningshine is the story of a group of women. Some live near each other and a few others live hundreds of miles away. These are ordinary women, such you and I. They do laundry, cook dinner, make quilts, and care for their children. But one day, God decides to do a work – using them in His plan. Morningshine proves the point that God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. By being open to what God has shown them, these women make a huge difference in the lives of one of their neighbors, changing both the takers and the givers. Quilting is a large part of this story, as well as getting to know these women – Carrie, Eleanor, Connie, Lydia, Martha, Esther and Gert – intimately. Their struggles, their defeats, their triumphs, all come forward, making them perfect vessels to be used by Him. Morningshine is both sad and funny, it’s the kind of book that wrote itself. When I started to write the book, I didn’t have a clue what was going to happen or how it would end. Here is a short excerpt to give you a small picture of this book:

Carrie pondered the situation at the end of the street. It was indeed the most humble of abodes; one could barely call it a home. The children were unattended and dirty, rarely having their hair brushed. There were several cats coming and going, one mangy looking dog and a goat. The adults – two men and one woman – never seemed to go to work. They stayed around the house most of the day, doing what, Carrie couldn’t imagine. She wondered how they did keep food on the table. Maybe Gert was right, and they were selling drugs. There was often yelling and screaming among the adults, and the children were worse. The police had been called several times. Carrie wondered why God had brought them into the neighborhood. And as soon as she wondered that, an incredible thought occurred to her. One she could barely think about herself, let alone tell the others. 

Gert was saying, “Well, I just bet you the farm they’re selling drugs!!!! Somebody has to do something. They are a disgrace to the neighborhood, and an embarrassment! I’m sure they’re bringing down property values, and …well, I think someone should go talk to them and tell them how decent people live.” And with that, she set her mouth and everyone knew that she had decided – something had to be done about those low-class, good for nothing, and dirty to boot, people.

The others had said little other than a murmur of agreement here and there, or an, “Oh my!” a few tsks tsks, and shaking of heads. They were appalled at the conditions as well, but had no good ideas for dealing with them.

“Well, maybe we should call the Welfare office.” Connie offered.

 Gert gave her a withering look. “I’m sure they’re already on Welfare.”

And nobody said anything else after that.

The lengths were finished, and one by one each lady reached for her ice tea or a raisin cookie, flexing tired fingers and necks. It was time for a small break. Eleanor excused herself to use the bathroom, and Lydia got up and went to the other end of the porch, looking over Carrie’s yard and commenting on the primroses that were doing so well. 

“Joe said this summer he was going to put up some ceiling fans for us…out here on the porch!” Carrie smiled, proud of her husband and his thoughtfulness. “Won’t that be great?”

They agreed it would be heavenly to have a breeze on a hot summer day. No one considered for a minute going indoors to stitch, until it was too cold and fingers became numb.

Brushing cookie crumbs off themselves, they reassembled at the table. They stitched each length of blocks to each other to complete the top. Carrie breathed a quick prayer for wisdom and broached the subject of her incredible idea.

“I have a suggestion for who gets the next quilt,” she stated quietly.

A few mmms and Eleanor ventured a quiet, ‘Good’…it meant she didn’t have to come up with an idea. Needles flashed and scissors snipped.

“Ok…out with it!! Who is it?” Connie finally asked after no more information had been forthcoming. She smiled to soften her words, wondering if they had come out harsher than she intended.

Taking a deep breath, Carrie said, “I think we should give a quilt to the lady at the end of the street.”

Needles stopped in midair, Martha dropped her scissors on the floor making a clattering sound. Gert’s eyes popped open so wide Carrie feared they might pop out, and her chin dropped nearly to her freckled chest.

“You mean…you mean…that ‘woman’, those ‘people’?” Gert said disdainfully, looking like she’d swallowed a lemon. “She wouldn’t know what to do with a quilt…she’d lay it out in the dirt for the dogs and the goat to sleep on…she’d, she’d…’ now she was sputtering with righteous indignation, not believing what her ears had heard.

“Yes, those ‘people’, ‘that’ woman!” Carrie said. “I think we have a chance to minister to her, to make a difference in their life.”

“What in the world gave you that ridiculous idea?” Gert snorted.

 “Well,” Carrie hesitated, “I think God gave me the idea.”

Well, that shut up Gert’s mouth for a few minutes. Carrie knew that Gert loved God, but Gert believed that God should be kept in church where He belonged, and she was supposed to go visit Him once a week, which she dutifully did. It was the least she could do.

The other ladies were beginning to grasp this idea and wonder about it. 

“Carrie,” Connie said, “what good would it do to give a quilt to these people? I mean, we don’t even know their names! Are we just supposed to walk up to the front door and hand over an heirloom quilt?”

Eleanor was looking panicky at the thought of this completely new situation and looked to Lydia for support.

Lydia said, “Carrie, I don’t understand. What would this accomplish?” She didn’t seem to be against the idea, she simply didn’t understand it.

“I think we should minister to the people God brings to us, and He has definitely brought this family here, under our noses. Maybe they don’t know the right way to live or how to take care of their children…but why can’t we at least reach out to them? Have any of us said as much as, ‘Hi’ to them? No, we just walk right on past, not even looking left or right, not putting ourselves out one bit. We act to them the way Mrs. Truesdale acts to us.” Carrie said.

That thought hit home. Mrs. Truesdale regularly snubbed everyone in the neighborhood, not believing they were as good as she was.

“Well,” Martha said thoughtfully, “I guess you’re right about the way we treat them, and of course, I agree with you that we should be nicer…but give them a quilt?” Martha’s voice rose just a tad nearer the end of her sentence.

Work on the blue and white nine patch had come to a screeching halt.

“Wait, I’m going in to get my Bible, I just read a verse about this very thing, this morning.” Carrie went into the house. In her absence, the remaining five women looked at each other, speechless. Even Gert.

“Here it is, in James…” she riffled pages, “– If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled. But you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?’ That’s what I’m talking about!”

“Fine,” Gert said, “Let’s bring them a cardboard box full of food, but how in the world you can fit a handmade quilt into that verse is beyond me! Crimany!!” She snorted again.

“I think a box of food would be lovely, but a quilt speaks to the soul, and after all, isn’t that eventually where we want to reach them?” Carrie said quietly. “They obviously don’t know Jesus; they seem to live without hope. We have hope and we know Jesus…if a quilt can open the door for us to bring them eternal things…then why not?”

Eleanor, quiet Eleanor, spoke up, “Carrie, I agree with you. I’ll work on a quilt for them with you.” 

Everyone looked up in surprise. Eleanor was as quiet as a mouse, hardly ever saying two words to anybody, even though she’d been quilting with them for years and years. She was, for some unknown reason, very uncomfortable with new people or places. She dressed very quietly and modestly, mostly in browns and grays, as she tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. It was as if she didn’t want anyone to notice her, or…horrors…speak to her!

But now, she had a look of quiet resolve on her round face.

Connie and Lydia both agreed they would work on the quilt as well, and so Martha and Esther said they wouldn’t go against the flow. They were willing.

Gert stood up and began packing her quilting bag. “I will NOT, no…NEVER work on a quilt for white trash. God gave me a gift in quilting and I will not squander it on people such as those…it’s to be used for people HE loves!!! Those who deserve it!” She threw things in her bag willy nilly, not stopping to wind her thread or cap her scissors. She was going to have quite a mess when she got home. “I won’t be a party to this foolishness!!!” She threw the straps of her quilting bag over her scrawny arm, hitched up her sagging elastic waistband with the other hand and stomped off down the porch steps.

“Wait!!!!” Carrie called, and ran after her. “Gert…please don’t go. Let’s talk about this! We don’t have to decide today, we can all go home and pray about it! What do you think?”

Gert snorted, “Not on your life. I don’t bother God with things like that. He’s got important things to do. Don’t call me, Carrie Barrister!!! I know you, you think you can wear people down by harping on things and praying about things…but don’t CALL ME!!!” And she continued her stomping down the sidewalk, causing one sock to fall down over her shoe.

Slowly, Carrie walked back to her seat. Eleanor’s face was white. Tears fell down Martha’s face, and Esther was patting her back. Connie was dumbfounded and Lydia was unaware she still had her needle in her hand.

“Oh, Carrie,” Martha said tearfully, “what are we going to do? Nothing like this has ever happened before. We’ve always gotten along so well… what are we going to do? Should we forget this project and pick another person? Is it worth it if we lose one of our group?”

 ------------------------

And that is the end of my excerpt :) I hope it interested you enough to hop on over to Amazon and yes, purchase my book. It costs 2.99! Yup, that's all - just 3 bucks. And, just so you know, a sequel is now in the works! And I'm getting another story I've already written, ready to go onto Kindle - pretty soon you'll be swimming in my books! 

I appreciate you taking the time to read my excerpt :) more than you can know! I'd also love to hear anything you have to say - and if you like the book, maybe you'll leave me a review! That would be SO awesome :) And tell your friends! Am I asking too much? lol I hope not, I hate to presume on you, my wonderful readers, but I am just so very excited about this book!!!! Everyone who's read it has loved it, and I'm just hoping you will too :))) 

More later! 

Writing Books

Most of us crafty type people do more than one 'thing'. We usually have our favorite thing to do, (the major hobby) and then a few minor ones. They may even change now and then, or we learn a new one and develop a passion for that.

Sometimes I wonder if my blog is too unfocused, because I Love to do so many things. Well, I'm getting ready to add one more! See my new tab at the top? My Book(s)? Yes, I also love to write stories.

I wrote Morningshine in 2003. But I never could find an ending for it, and I really wasn't eager to take up the search for a publisher and all that. But now, with Kindle, they let ANYONE be an author! So, in the last week or so, I've been getting my manuscript formatted for Kindle, and writing the ending. Not quite 'ended' yet, but it's closer than it's ever been before! I've let several people read it, and they gave me rave reviews - and reasons for the good reviews. Not just a 'Great book, Karen!' but they pointed out the characters they loved and the specific incidents they liked the most. So, I do feel pretty good about it.

I'm hoping to have it available at Amazon via Kindle in a week or so. Need to build the cover, and write the end. The middle is done :)

I'll keep you posted! Thank you Margaret Bucklew for alerting to me the possibilities of publishing via Kindle!