Back on line

 I took some time away from the blog...vacation, illness (bloody shingles), not bloody per say, but irritating, and just plain time away.  I am finally finding time to post and a friend and I are finishing some projects that have been sitting unfinished for years, one being this birdhouse I have had for about 8 years in this primed state.  It is still not completed, but is getting there.

I have much more to do, but it will get done!  I have also been working on a baby quilt, which is on it's way to the gramma, my sister.  In addition, I have been purging!  I have been cleaning cupboards, shelves, closets, chests, - anything that is storage for "stuff".  Who in the world needs 25 wine glasses?  I do not like clutter or trinkets sitting around. I have a few things that I collect, but my tastes gravitate to primitive and simple and I really like to repurpose rather than buy new.  So yesterday, after lunch, the Mr. and I worked over two dining room chairs that were given to me last year along with a table in pieces.  The wood was really pretty.  These chairs have been sitting in the crawl space after I took the backs off to use in another project.  We needed some small stools to put at the end of our beds so that our little fur babies could access them.  (yes our dogs are allowed on the beds--it is what we do)
So we cut off the legs and remaining back support and I recovered the seats and that will be my next post.

I have still been going to quilt with my pals on Mondays and it has been so rewarding.  We are nearly finished with our row by row quilt strips and they are really wonderful.  As we, the baby boomers age, I see those who have little energy, become "older".  They have no hobbies and not much contact with the outside world.  I learned so much from my father and I remember that as he aged, he and my mother stayed busy, went to coffee, played cards, went to rock shows, etc.  On the other hand, my husband's father retired and never left the house.  There were 20 years difference nearly when the two passed. Thankfully, the Mr. and I have been fortunate to have our health and are able to "get out and about" and are trying to keep our youth as long as possible.  With all that is happening in our world today, we are also thankful that we live in this little isolated part of the world where our power comes from small co-ops and we are not on the national computerized grid.  (That is another story.)

" 'Tis the gift to be simple. 'Tis the gift to be free." ~ Old Shaker Hymn