Old Friendships...

Today I spent three hours with old friends.  You know those friends that you laugh so easy with, that you reminisce about old times with and that you never want to leave.  Twenty five years melted away and we were young again, reliving those happy, overwhelming, and loving days.

Together we raised our kids, sang around campfires (one even melted a tennis shoe that got a little too close to the campfire), went to family camp, taught Sunday school together, wrote Vacation Bible School curriculum (from scratch), shared recipes, made crafts except for Carol (now she's scrapbooking!) and supported each others dreams. 

Today family pictures were passed around and new ones were taken at the restaurant halfway between.  I miss them already...it was difficult to say goodbye.

Stay in touch and cherish your friends,

Bonnie

Reporting on Shopping Saturday!

Shopping on Saturday with my two friends, Pam and Lynn, was so much fun!  We were off to St. Paul to find a little quilt shop tucked on the side of one end of a strip mall.  Pam is a creative, clever long arm quilter who loves to create contemporary quilts.  Lynn and I are more conventional quilters...Lynn likes the Up North theme with darker, richer colors in her quilts.  I tend to like 30's and floral prints for my quilts.  So to say that Pam was in her element is diminishing the smile on her face as she entered this quilt shop.  Faye is the owner of Twin Cities Quilting and is also a long arm quilter.  Long arm quilters take our pieced tops and with the batting and back make our quilts come alive!  Well - not really breathing alive but they sure do look more lovely when the quilting is done.

Lots of samples of quilts hung on the walls and we were awestruck with the designs, colors and quality quilting.  We each found our niche at the shop and here are the fabrics that I will be working on.

I'm making the bottom one with the Baltimore Oriole

I love poppies and this will be a table cloth for my kitchen

After a great Mexican buffet lunch, we were off to another quilt shop.  Rosebud's Cottage in White Bear Lake where I had to have these fabrics.

I'm not sure what these fabrics will be when I grow up.

It was a very full day - full of laughter, food and shopping!  I got home, made supper and then took an unscheduled nap.  After which I finally finished my second locker hooked journal cover.  It is made of muslin and red pillow ticking -  nice and plump and feels good as you carry it around to record important stuff.

I added yo yo's and a large pearl button as a closure.

I had a great time and found such wonderful treasures!  Spending time with good friends is priceless...

Have you taken the time to enjoy your friends lately?

Take care,

Bonnie

Stitchin' Chicks Quilt Camp

Spending four days quilting in January is the best...13 women with 13 sewing machines and a bizillion projects. We all arrive with full vehicles..whether they be a HHR (mine). a pickup truck, a SUV, or regular car. We bring way more than we can ever finish or hope to even start.


I have the same problem when I go on vacation...I make a list, revise the list, sort the list, reduce the list and dream about the list. The day I'm leaving on vacation or to quilt camp, I start adding things to my bags. At least for camp, I can bring 1000# of stuff unlike going to the airport. And no security at camp...sometimes maybe there should be like when one participant brought in the cutest miniature cow through the back door and then the manager walked in. Whew! No accidents either...my biggest fear.

This camp was a little different...a little less jovial. The husband of my good friend was having heart problems. After many phone calls back and forth, he ended up in the emergency room and had to be transported to another city to a larger hospital. My friend left early and the situation left us subdued.

News today is his problem is ongoing but hopefully not as dire as first suspected. We shared mutual fears at camp - some of us have experienced similar events and a few experienced the loss of a partner. One quilter said - Life is tenuous. It's also precarious and precious so we go home and in prayer and gratitude look at our relationships in a new way. We tend them with renewed love and more patience.


Winter is still here reminding us on almost a daily basis throwing down another layer, another blanket of snow. We try to be patient and careful while we fight the icy, snowy roads carefully peering around the snowbanks that build up at each corner. Camp in April will be warmer and the beginnings of spring will be evident...we hope!


Here are some pictures of camp and projects. I have a couple more that are almost done so I will wait and show you those soon!

Bad dog pillow!

Big conference room where we set up our sewing stations!

One of two Spiral Zipper bags I made!


The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched,
they must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller

Take care,

Bonnie



Women Who Meet and Sometimes Remember

Do you belong to some sort of a women's group?  Not a formal women's group but a group of women who meet?  I do.  We speak a different language when women are with women.  Sometimes we don't need to complete our sentences...and then again sometimes we need help to finish them.  

A couple of days ago after exercise, there were about 10 of us at coffee at our favorite bakery that has the best coffee in town.  With that many women you can tune in and participate in at least 4 or 5 conversations and we do...or try to.

In recalling part of the hour or so that we were socializing, there were any number of us telling a story and then we were suddenly perplexed because a mind went blank and usually it was a name that couldn't be recalled.  It could have been the name of a movie or TV show or wife of a TV show creator.  Sometimes we get the answer and sometimes no one remembers.

It was me that couldn't remember the name of the wife of David E. Kelley, creator of the new show, Harry's Law, starring Kathy Bates.  It's my new favorite show - who couldn't like an older, fluffy, sassy woman?  I could describe her to a "T", see her on Letterman or in a scene from a movie but her name just wasn't on my tongue or in my mind. And no one could help me!

These are moments where we share a laugh while we all try to remember whatever it is that is momentarily forgotten.  We all have had our time in the barrel so to speak.  This is part of our bond...we share so many discrepancies!

So we discuss our loss of memory on a regular basis.  Wondering if we are in the early stages of Alzheimer's.  Actually we do worry a bit because one of our friends is in the early stages of that dread disease.  We worry about her and wonder about her now that she doesn't join our merry group anymore.

There are a few who linger after an hour or so, not wanting to leave the comfortable atmosphere with people we like with stories that interest us but one by one we make our way to our cars and to our homes or we'll meet again at the grocery store to share yet another laugh or two along with the night's menu or recipe.

When I was almost home, about a mile down the snow and ice covered road from my house, I remembered her name - Michele Pfeiffer!  But I did remember on my own this time and after a while.   

Today was exercise day but with the temps at -28 degrees early this morning, I decided to curl up under one of my quilts and stayed home and out of the weather.  I miss my friends when I miss a scheduled coffee day.  I am anxious to tell them that I remembered her name...

Bonnie

Defining Friendship

It's difficult for me to put my finger on what makes our friendships work so well.  Not sure I can define what it is that bonds us together at this point of our lives.   Maybe we really need each other.  Whatever it is - it is strong, vastly important and unconditional. 

Some have been friends for a long time and some friendships are new.  We are inclusive and welcome everyone to come to coffee after exercise.  There is no membership criteria and no dues.  If you don't have money for coffee, it will be supplied.  If you forget to pay, we will cover your debt. 

Most of our group of 15 -16 women meet three times a week at Curves in our small town.  Monday, Wednesday and Friday is on my schedule for Curves and coffee afterwards.  On very rare occasions, I have to schedule something else on those days at that time but only under emergency circumstances.  To meet with my friends is that important.  It is a constant in my life.  Some mornings it is why I get up and get going and get happy.

There is no gossiping, backbiting or other evil doing.  We are witty, crazy and laugh a lot about  anything.  We are caring, thoughtful and loving.  We are forgetful, inquisitive and empathetic.  We share ideas, knowledge, and experiences.  We come from every background and nationality.  We have multiple personalities...in the best sense of the words.  We are mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, great grandmothers, great great grandmothers and friends.  We are the best of friends. 

I am so lucky and thankful that I am part of this group at this time of my life.  After world peace, I wish this kind friendship for everyone everywhere.

Bonnie