What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

In August I had the privilege of two Girlfriends volunteering to get my studios in shape.   Katrina and Cindy came over and weeded through the studio paraphernalia and got me to a state of Nirvana.  I don’t have much in the way of before photos, but here are a few from the first 4 months in our new home:

Front Studio

Front Studio

Back Studio

Front Studio

Back Studio

We had no plan of attack other than to get it done.  Katrina arrived that Friday afternoon and we started emptying all of ...

After the record-breaking blizzards in February 2023 in Southern California, the mountains were still snow covered more than a month later as seen from below near Ontario, CA.

For those who follow me on social media or here on my blog, you may have noticed it’s been a little quiet from our corner of the world in recent weeks. So many of you who have written, texted or emailed to check on us and I sincerely wish to thank you for your concern. Your notes of love and support mean more than you could ever know! I’ve tried ...

There’s a Jeep Patriot buried underneath all that snow.

We sincerely want to thank you all — so many people have reached out through Messenger, texts and emails to check on us. Part of the reason for writing this update is to let you all know the status of things and how we are doing. Its difficult to respond to each person individually, so please be patient if you don’t hear from me immediately. We’re dealing with a lot at the moment.

To say the snowstorms that rocked the San Bernadino mountains in Southern California were truly historic ...

Cheeto popping in to say hello!

It’s been awhile since my last post so I thought I’d take time to share some photos and provide an update. Let’s start with some new quilted wall art I made:

Last Christmas, Kent sent me four aboriginal-inspired fabric art panels he found here in town. At first I wasn’t sure how to use them but I quickly decided to hand embroider blocks of Australian animals I might meet on our travels using variegated floss. I used Solid-ish fabric strips to sash the blocks to the panels. I just love ...

 Memorial weekend, family, and reading, and quilting…

We are at home for the weekend but some steak and watermelon will make it special . When we lived on the NC coast, we left on holidays to avoid the crowds and usually asked friends down so they could enjoy the beach. Now, we still like to avoid the crowds . My sister and brother-in-law are visiting on Saturday. They live in a neighboring small town where we hope to move before long. Family is important to us and every one who was here when we moved back home has since died or moved ...

 Feed my sheep… John 21:17

Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep and I’ve been meditating on this for a while. 

1. What does this say to me?

2. How can I do this, more?

3. I need to listen daily to hear .

4. Where are the sheep He places in my life?

I’ll have to report later on this area of growth in my life.

✝️

This past month has been a whirlwind and I finally feel as if I’m coming up for air. So I invite you to pour yourself something to sip, find a comfy chair, and let’s catch up!

Last views of the Lake Arrowhead area the morning I left.

Saying goodbye to the cabin was more emotional than I thought it would be! A few tears were shed.

Three weeks ago early on a Monday morning, I said goodbye to our cabin and drove to Las Vegas to help launch the fabulous new Janome top-of-the-line, combo sewing machine; the CM17 ...

I guess this is slightly out of order but I wanted to thank everyone for taking such good care of me!  My family has been amazing.  My husband has be feel very blessed and humble to know that so many people care about me.I want to share a few little things my friends and family have sent.  My friend Paula, made this adorable pillow and sent it all the way from Kansas!  Check out the bling on the

A quick selfie with Danielle (c) and Anne (r) to kick off our “Janome Girls’ Sewing Retreat!”

Last week, I experienced the restorative power of friendship and laughter with two dear friends who came for a sewing retreat here in my mountain studio. Words are simply inadequate to express how much this gift of time and the safe space to open up, be silly, creative, and truly authentic meant to me. We talked, we laughed, we sewed, and we visited the quilt show, Road2CA for a day in nearby Ontario, CA. 

In the booth at Road2CA, Sam Fung showed off ...

I’ve been away from posting on my blog and and I’ve missed sharing updates. But there has been a good reason for my absence: we’ve been making some life-changing decisions about our future. 

Four years ago, my sweet husband was offered the opportunity to take on a new challenge with a large defense contractor and we moved from Northern Virginia to Southern California. At the time, we hoped we might be able to stay here until it would be time for him to retire (8 years from now) from his full-time career as an IT specialist. We ...

 As in:

• Here and accounted for; 
• Being in the moment; 
• A gift.

“Present” will be my word for 2021.

Because I wasn’t present for the bulk of 2020.

A lot of that is due to the pandemic, but I need to take ownership of part of it due to my own struggles. I ...

Our Christmas decorations are almost all put away for another year, but I wanted to share one of the most lovely, thoughtful and meaningful gifts I have ever received. 

Tim and Bill

You may or may not remember that my oldest brother, Bill, passed away from cancer in November 2019. After his death his husband, Tim, and I reconnected in an amazing way and have since become quite close. Tim is incredibly talented, creative, and a jewelry designer, among many other things. But I was caught by complete surprise with the gift he sent me for Christmas.

Do you remember ...

Yesterday was one day to reflect on what we're truly thankful for, to give voice to the blessings in our lives. We gathered with family around our son's table and did just that. My greatest blessing is the love of this one man. We've been together since high school; the span between these two snapshots in time is almost fifty years. We are thankful to God for health, for family and for blessings

Yesterday was one day to reflect on what we're truly thankful for, to give voice to the blessings in our lives. We gathered with family around our son's table and did just that. My greatest blessing is the love of this one man. We've been together since high school; the span between these two snapshots in time is almost fifty years. We are thankful to God for health, for family and for blessings

The Southern Pacific Dogwoods which bloom in Lake Arrowhead in spring are spectacular!

Blooms larger than your hand!

How are you doing through this COVID-19 event? I pray you and your loved ones are healthy and well. If you have been affected by this terrible pandemic, I pray things improve quickly and you’re back to feeling as right as rain very soon.

As for me, I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. Several months have gone by in a flash. But it didn’t start out this way. While we were lucky to return from an ...

Forty five years ago we said " I do";  and today, I'm blessed to be dancing with the same partner. I'm thankful every day for this man, for our shared faith and commitment to God and His church, for families that have supported us along the way, for two healthy, loving children with families of their own, and for a lifetime of shared memories. Thanks be to God! "Love is patient and

Forty five years ago we said " I do";  and today, I'm blessed to be dancing with the same partner. I'm thankful every day for this man, for our shared faith and commitment to God and His church, for families that have supported us along the way, for two healthy, loving children with families of their own, and for a lifetime of shared memories. Thanks be to God! "Love is patient and

After a particularly trying and frustrating few days (for a variety of reasons) my sweet husband suggested we take a ride to the beach to see the sunset. It was cold and crisp and windy….”Good for clearing the soul,” he said. We drove to the beach and all the parking lots, parking spaces and even the beaches were closed because of the pandemic which made it difficult to find any good spot to watch the sunset. Rather than give up, he drove up the Palos Verdes Hill and we found a spot on a cliff overlooking the ocean where ...