Thursday, December 28, 2017

I Like #11

First of all, thank you to LeeAnna for hosting these each week. I write one a month, but I snap photos and make notes all month; putting my month-long gratitude into one post is just my way of cutting back on computer time. I love the new people I've met through this, and I like that there is a place for us to share. I used to write these posts a couple of years ago, but felt like an island, so this is truly wonderful.

1. I like magazine surprises.

I cleaned up (okay straightened up a wee bit) my sewing loft and one of the things I did was stack together any magazines partially read or not read yet (saved for Christmas Day) and tucked them in the bookcase. A few weeks later I pulled the three of them out, and decided to visit another shop in Quilt Sampler. I savour these reading about a shop a week or so. Well, Rumpled Quilt Skins was the shop I opened to...wait! I've been there! Shortly after it opened. :-) I purchased a panel and fabric for matching valances for my then sewing room to make. I think I should make the valances for my loft at the very least! The wallhanging will have to wait because I have no wall space until we do some renovating, unless I rotate wallhangings...

The second magazine surprise is turning the page in the one I still subscribe to, American Patchwork & Quilting, and seeing a pretty quilt in an advertisement. As I always do, I look for the designer's name, and who was it buy Lisa Ruble! She is the editor of Modern By the Yard, and also the Paintbrush Studios contact. I've gotten to know her through doing my Freefall QAL, and through having my designs published in the ezine.
Isn't that a fabulous quilt?

2. I like cardinals.
That would make the most perfect Christmas card wouldn't it? If I could photoshop out the upside down patio chair legs, that is LOL. When I posted this photo along with two others on Instagram, Tish reminded me that cardinals can be seen as a visit from our loved ones.

3. I love the sun...
Here in its crystalline cold beauty, setting over Lake Erie,

and a thousand miles to the south in its tropical glow, setting over the Gulf.

4.  Although I do not like this Arctic cold one little tiny bit, I do like being cosy, and cocooning.
I also like these two minis hanging on the stairs wall of my sewing loft.
I love the fairy lights along the window ledge, and the little Christmas touches

5. I love making all the Christmas food.
Not pictured: the salad and the squash.

A few things on the go, but to the left are the Baby Christmas Cakes being iced with marzipan and then icing, a recipe surprise shared with me by Jean of All Points of the Compass. Delicious! I ate one while I typed part of this post. ('part' because it took me so long due to interruptions, good ones, like company popping over, and not so good ones, like Airdrop not working for a couple of hours!)


6. I like this ornament I sent to Brady.
Yup, I scribbled with a tool on my phone to erase MacGyver's face; he likes his anonymity.


7. I like the architecture of the old buildings in Detroit.

and these Christmas decorations, subtle and beautiful

8. I like my new planner, same company as 2017's, and I like that again, I got it with a $5 off coupon at Bealls Outlet in Florida. :-)

Speaking of coupons and sales and saving money, just sneaking this in, so plug your ears if you aren't going to take advantage of any more sales this year. Go to #10, no judging here. I got a couple of emails, and I checked them out (didn't buy anything...yet) but Craftsy is having quite the year-end clearance. Connecting Threads is also having a flash sale, 40% off books (and they have some terrific current titles) and up to 50% off select fabrics. Those are affiliate links, and let me also say how very grateful I am to those of you who DO click through on my links. Basically 10% of a sale, sometimes less, sometimes more, comes back to the affiliate. I like ways to support and help others that don't involve digging any deeper into my pockets than I already am, right?!

9. I love dogs. A profound, mad love for these wise canines, especially those who have graced my life. Thank you for all your thoughts and words of comfort over October and November while Naala recovered overall so amazingly well from her splenectomy. She had a 2-month critical period to get through, and Dec. 8 was the 8-week mark. With basically no warning, we lost her (still cannot write or think the 'd' word about her) on Dec. 9. She was our gladiator, our mama bear, as I called her, MacGyver's adored 'little rottie puppy' and she will be forever deeply missed. Our hearts are so heavy. I said to my husband, "Her absence is such a presence..." I know it will take time, so we put one foot in front of the other and know that our memories will help us. So I am so grateful for my brain. I make jokes about my menopausal melon (melon as in head) but I am so grateful that I have my memories.
2007, age 5 months, perched on the console between us, in her beloved truck, on our Oregon trip. She was the very best, and 10.5 years was much too short, yet we treasure her presence for every minute of those years.
Linking up with LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color
Many wonderful posts are shared here, reminding us to be grateful for life's treasures, most of which cost nothing.


15 comments:

  1. #9, what a delight to see her photo there, and know the immense sadness and loss you both feel. Next up, #2, I love to see snow, any snow, a little or a lot. And #1, the pattern, another beauty to contemplate. Have a few days rest before 2018 flies in, ushering us all into the next year of quilting, QAL, challenges, and continued friendships. Fondest new Year Greetings to you and yours. XXX

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  2. I like your photos, Sandra! Especially the ones of the sun - in the arctic cold and and a thousand miles away over the ocean. So beautiful! And your words about Naala - again, I am so sorry for your loss.

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  3. Wow! It is hard to pick which photograph and like I appreciate the most! I love those wallhangings under your window! Thanks for the day's inspiration! Cheers!

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  4. Great pictures and likes. I am so sorry you lost Nala. I agree memories are something lately I am so thankful for. I shared the other day how I was missing Jeff so much...and a memory popped up, when we used to have these huge family holidays with 30 people or more. It would be so loud, and crazy. I would look up and smile at Jeff across the room, he would be looking at me, and mouth the words "I love you". I agree Detroit has some gorgeous architecture. Love your picture of the cardinal. More snow today, but at least we aren't in the sub zeroes.

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  5. Cardinals... so gorgeous... It is impossible not to stop and look when they're flitting around in the snow. And... I might just know of a way that your image could be made into a Christmas card with the chair legs edited out... he he... :)

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  6. Another beautiful thought provoking post... As always you give us gorgeous and sometimes poignant images to think about. Happy and sad times, and sometimes it seems as though there are too, too many sad things in life..but we have to move forward if we can and treasure beautiful memories..love and hugs from your friend across the pond xxx

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  7. So sorry about Naala, they sure work their way into our hearts.
    I really like the little heart quilt, would like to see a close
    up of that. Could not tell how the back ground was done. Please
    have a safe warm New year. Guess that means you'll be staying
    home too. Okay, maybe just wrap up real good and watch the other
    drivers real good. 8-)

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  8. Another wonderful post full of gorgeous photos like the cardinal and sentimental ones like Naala.

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  9. You and yours had a rough year on so many fronts. So sorry for the loss of loved ones this year. Losing Naala right before the holidays had to make it even harder. I love the cardinal photo, you could just crop and enlarge the resulting image to make a spectacular Christmas card for next year.

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  10. I like how you consistently practice gratitude. Of the many things we can choose to concentrate on, how wonderful is gratitude as a lens on the world? Even in loss, we're lucky, as you said, to have fine memories in our fine melons.

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  11. I am so sorry to hear about Naala. We lost our yellow lab Katie this year (she was 13 1/2 years old). Though it has been a few months, I still catch myself thinking about getting her dinner or taking her on a walk.

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  12. Beautiful post, Sandra. Love your cardinal photo; maybe you could just crop it close to get rid of the chair. And what a wonderful photo of Naala. They never leave our hearts.

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  13. So sorry about Naala. She was a trooper and it is so hard to loose these wonderful, mystical and comforting creatures. I do think the cardinal photo would be a terrific card. I especially love Brady’s ornament and that Macgyver doesn’t wasn’t to be seen - too funny. My hubby is a bit like that and rarely smiles in photos - so annoying - but fun that he is there! I will check this out as a practice, I like the once a month posting of things you are grateful for. Blessing for you and yours as you enter the new year.

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  14. Memories are good. You will get through this. [hugs]

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