What A Load Of…

This is the view from my back deck at home.

We have an acre and a half – bordered by woods with a creek that you see in the drop-off area in the back.

The creek is the dividing property line between us, and our neighbors behind us.

I LOVE that there are no fences.

It reminds me of when I was little, living in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and there were no fences in the neighborhood I grew up in.  I still remember the name of the street – The Strand, near Groveland Elementary where I attended kindergarten, 1st and part way through 2nd grades.

In my neighborhood of “no fences” the kids were able to run free from yard to yard to yard, kicking balls, playing on each other’s swing sets or digging in sandboxes, even so much as picking rhubarb straight from the garden, dipping the ends into the sugar bowl offered by my mom from the kitchen, and we’d munch away, dipping and chewing the sour goodness in a world without fences.

I never knew a fence until I moved to California when my dad was transferred in his job.  Luckily there was a park across the street where we could run and play, and there was an open, undeveloped field behind us, ringed with walnut trees that we could climb and build forts in.  The world was still our playground.

When we found this place, I knew it was the right one.  NO FENCES.  Please don’t fence me in!

My house from the top of the driveway.

Even though I love to travel and appreciate the beauty of where others live –and nature’s wonder takes all different shapes and forms, this is home for me.  Tall trees, 4 seasons, room to breathe, and by all means – NO FENCES!

Are there things I don’t like about this house?  Sure.  It’s always a compromise.  It’s actually in the WINTER that the house is lighter and airier because all of the leaves are gone, the shade is gone, the sun can shine through.  While I love my little front porch with its porch swing, the overhanging roof makes the front room very dark.  Did I think of that when I bought this place? No.  Because it was November and the leaves were gone, like right about now. 

The front door opens right up to the staircase that goes to the two upstairs bedrooms.  Does it bother me?  Well, sometimes moving things in or out of the house make that staircase just a bit of a pain.  It’s RIGHT THERE as soon as you open the door, with barely clearance to open the door.  But its a small inconvenience for everything else this house has that I have grown to love over the past nearly 9 years.

It hit me this morning that this is the LONGEST I have ever lived anywhere –MY ENTIRE LIFE.  I’ve put down roots.  Even with weird things about this house, I have become attached.

And I smiled to myself as I did a quickie “Christmas switcheroo” to celebrate that I am home for the next month.

Kitchen Cupboard, MOST of the year.

Everyday plates on the bottom.

Everyday bowls, second shelf.

Christmasware – TOP SHELF!

SHIFT HAPPENED!!

Christmasware on bottom

Everyday dishes moved to top.

I’m READY!!

My Christmas tree! LOL!

My mom made me this hanging Christmas tree several years ago, mostly recycled fabric from things like shirt cuffs.  This is all I need for a Christmas tree because we spend our time between two places, and I don’t want to have my time home taken up by copious amounts of over-decorating, only to have to take more time to put it away again before I travel right after New Years.

I have a few fun things that will come out in the next few days – stockings can hang on the mantle.  Floral arrangements and poinsettias can bring color and add a festive touch.  Candles.  Potpourri simmering, and the smell of yummy things baking.  This is all I need to bring Christmas into my home.  Oh, and music.  Don’t forget the music.

Quilts with a holiday feel will be placed on beds and on sofas and chairs.

I’ve learned to love SIMPLE.  And simply being together.  This is what Christmas is for me, and I feel like I can’t breathe in a space that looks like Hobby Lobby exploded the whole holiday department into a small space.  Less is more for me.  This leaves me more time to sew, to bake, to spend time with those I love.

I have something exciting to share:

These are in the manufacturing process!

I have a shipment of Quiltville personalized 2 1/2’’ x 6 1/2’’ creative grid rulers coming soon!  I love this size for cutting 4 patch and 9 patch strip sets, for trimming paper piecing units and other small jobs.  It’s the right size tool for the right small job.  I’m not sure when they will get here, likely NOT in time for Christmas, but we’ll be ready by the first of the year for these.  I’m not ordering huge batches, I’ll put what comes in into the Quiltville Store and when inventory gets low, we’ll order more and they will be in stock when they are in stock.

Last night’s shipment pick up!

It rained most of the day yesterday.  And I am grateful for the rain with the forest fires we’ve had close to the cabin, and all of the other fire devastation in this corner of the country.  My prayers and thoughts go to those in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN.  Please, we need MORE RAIN. 

But the rain stopped long enough last night for us to run down to the Yellow Freight Depot and retrive 4,000 copies of the Addicted to Scraps Book! This is 3,000 lbs of books!

One pallet in the back of the pickup!

The second one on the trailer, and away we go.

Sadie supervising!

There would have been no way to transport this if it were raining.  And we made it home dry.  My thanks to son Jeff who helped me unload all of the boxes into the house while the Hubster ran off to make his tennis match in time.  We moved 3,000 lbs of books into my stockroom!  Who needs a GYM!?

The next big shipment should happen in the next couple of weeks.  My fingers are crossed that the 4,000 Essential Triangle Tools  also show up on time so I can get them out to you.  The manufacturing process is out of my hands, and I know you are as anxious as I am.  Hang in there.  They will come.  We will get them out!

I have “cherry picked” through all of the remaining orders, and everything that does NOT include an Essential Triangle Tool was either shipped by post office closing time yesterday, or will go today on the way to the dentist.

After the dentist, I’m heading to the cabin for the weekend, and HOPEFULLY some sewing time!  The cabin is now listed on Realtor.com and you can check it out HERE  Please share the link with someone you think might be interested!  Part of our weekend will be adding the trim and baseboards to complete the re-do of the basement family room.

But there NEEDS to be sewing time.  I am in serious withdrawals!

Oh, and before I forget!  TODAY is the LAST DAY of 25% off of all Digital Patterns in the Quiltville Store.  If you haven't gotten yours yet, remember to use code DIGITAL25 in the coupon box at purchase.  Coupon must be used for discount.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Vintage double wedding ring quilt shared by Kevin H.

Our relationships are worth far more than any object that we desire. Who remembers the song 'One Tin Soldier'?

The best gifts in life are people, not things.

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