Big and Little Cats

One of my older patterns by Hickety-Pickety. I used the little black safety pins that Barb found to decorate the apron. Hope everyone doesn't think I was too lazy to sew, but the pins are so cute. Happy Saturday to ya!

Excerpt from "The Outside Boy"

"There was always something about walking into a glowy barn at night, like a church. there was the strong, sleepy smell of the gathered animals, of their skin and breath. The spiky odor of the kerosene in the barn lantern, hanging from a rafter above, with its wick trimmed tidy and low. The feed sacks, the neat's-foot-oil, the saddle soap, the clean straw underfoot, all blending their scents together. Like summer and heat and sunshine and sweat on your neck, and a full belly.

The lantern cast a blush around the soft, splintery wood of the stalls. Oiled saddles gleamed from their racks on the walls, and I gleamed from the inside out, like I always did, walking into a barn. Because the barn was that matchless balance of all things, where the indoors came inside--comfortable, without getting stifled or restrained. Or maybe it was the other way 'round, maybe it was really the indoors coming outside, leaving plenty of space in the planks of the wood, the packed earth underfoot, so's you nearly couldn't tell was you inside or out. It was a harmony I never seen nowhere else on earth, like walking into a place that God carved into the world, just to accommodate the shape of me in it. A comfort and exhilaration, both."

The Outside Boy, Jeanine Cummins


"Ireland 1959: Young Christopher Hurley is a tinker, a Pavee Gypsy who roams with his father and extended family from town to town, carrying all their world possessions in their wagons. Christy carries with him a burden of guilt as well, haunted by the story of his mother's death in childbirth.

The wandering life is the only one Christy as ever known, but when his grandfather dies, everything changes. His father decides to settle briefly in a town, where Christy and his cousin can receive proper schooling and prepare for their first Communions. But still, always, they are treated as outsiders.


As Christy struggles to find his way amid the more conventional lives of his new classmates, he starts to question who he is and where he belongs. But then the discovery of an old newspaper photograph and a long-buried secret from his mother's mysterious past change his life forever......"

Some friends asked about this book that I read, so I am posting this sample that I liked and the recap on the cover.

Goofy Snow People

Might as well have fun with what has to be done. We had lots of hockey games, some pork roast sandwiches, some nascar, apple pie and lots of snow. Nice weekend. It was a very pretty snow as long as your car wasn't stuck . Rebecca took the picture.

Things finished....

A very good book, chosen for me to read by my nice librarian, Teresa.

A little girl bunny with tiny feet and hands. It was a freebie pattern from Prims-by-Kim, how nice of her.
a red chair, painted at last, had given up all hope.

I'm looking forward to seeing Charlie's hockey games this weekend and seeing Rebecca ! Winter is coming back to us on Sunday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Fried Pies...

I'm sure Emma and Altie (my mother and grandmother) have had a big laugh this morning, seeing me try to make their famous fried pies. Dorothy Roseberry was no slouch at making them either....

You have to have some canned biscuits, just the regular kind, and roll them out thin and some fruit filling, I used the cans. I'm sure Mammy sniffed that I didn't use dried fruit, cooked ahead.......
Then you just fry them in some good oil, I'm sure they probably used bacon fat. Turn them over and drain them really well. They are smaller than they look in the picture.


I have apple, peach and cherry, about 40 (well they had to be tested) to take to our monthly dinner at Blessed Hope Church. This is down-home fare for sure. Hope they will like.

New doll, sorta...

I made this doll and used an Olde Country Cupboard pattern for the body, however I did change the face for this one. I liked the dogwood fabric and the old lace with her.

An Oz-ism for this day.

However, three things I am excited about...

Today is my afternoon with John Michael....

A movie has been made, opening soon, Water for Elephants, and you still have time to read this good book before seeing it.

Whimsical Vintage Doll Designer, Pat Beam Kildare, has a BLOG. I have been buying her patterns for a very long time. Check her out at www.offthebeam.blogspot.com. I ordered a pattern this morning.

Happy Tuesday everyone. Be excited today.

Felting, Crocheting and Yarn Hair...At Town Peddler

I like these felted water bottle holders, I don't know how to felt but I love things that are felted.
Stella's stash of afghans, she had a birthday last month, 98 years young!
Valentine Annie with yarn hair, by Jackie, she is my competition and my friend.

I hope you have all the chocolate you want today. I had my share over the weekend. Happy Valentine's day to all you.

The Grandma Test...

"I was out walking with my Grandson. He picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in his mouth. I took the item away from him and I asked him not to do that. "Why?" my Grandson asked. "because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's dirty, and probably has germs." I replied.

At this point my grandson looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Grandma, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart." I was thinking quickly and said to him, "All Grandmas know stuff. It's on the Grandma Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Grandma."

We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but he was evidently pondering this new information. "Oh, I get it!" He beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the Grandpa". "Exactly," I replied with a big smile on my face."

This was an email from Barb. Are you smiling?????

It was my intention to....

make a full size sock monkey someday. I bought a pair of red heel socks at Tractor Supply last summer and the thought crosses my mind every time I see them. This pattern from Sweet Meadows has a pattern for a small sock monkey included so I used one of them finally.

He of course doesn't look like hers, but at least I can say I have made a sock monkey. Have you ever? Or even wanted to? You could buy one, nicely made, imported from China, for probably less than the price of a pair of red-heel socks . But then you couldn't say you had made a sock monkey.

That's enough for today. Happy Thursday everyone.

Happy Birthday V!!!

V is lots of fun to shop with, how about this little number at Flea Market to Fabulous? She's always ready to go "junkin".

We don't get to visit that often, this day we all went to the Farm and the Morning Star tearoom. I wish we could go today! Happy Birthday V!!

Town Peddler on Friday...

People were shopping on Friday ...saw a friend and fellow dealer and we took a tour of some of the aisles while we talked. Julie arranged these cute little pin cushion shoes and I took this to show you all.

My picture of Carolyn in her snazzy vintage sweater (from the antiques side) went amiss so I will have to take another. Just want you to know you can find neat things to wear and decorate yourself too.

It's snowing to "beat the band" (a Mammy expression). Did you ever hear that?
Happy Saturday everyone.

Dolls that love us..

We hope to go to Town Peddler tomorrow!

We are a pattern from Olde Country Cupboard, the one with the big candy cane that I couldn't get exactly right. But I like them by themselves too.

Mr. One-derful....

The picture is from September but it was one of my favorites. Happy birthday Kyle!

A Barbara pick......

From a show, Barb picked this piece to give me. It is perfect, every stitch, felted and signed and dated by the artist. I love it.

Our snow will be arriving tonight. I sometimes get things (words) misconstrued. They were talking about a "historical" snow I thought, but now I think the word might have been "hysterical". As Mark has explained to me, sometimes my filters don't work right.

Well, I hope, wherever you are, you are safe and warm on this very first day of February, twenty eleven. Happy Tuesday.