Trying to catch up and a Give Away

Ok this summer has been a wild one. First I want to post a couple pics of eye candy. This first quilt belongs to Neva. I had to get this one done before the parents came. You may remember my ribbon quilt and one that ReJena did. We all did them at the same retreat.

The while getting the room ready for the parents I managed to get these two done

This is Jean's. She won the fans at her Local Quilt Clubs raffle. Lucky Jean! She made a wonderful choice in how to set them. I was honored that she brought it to me to quilt to do.

This one is Kathy's. If I am not mistaken this one is for a friends daughter. They were leaving to go on a missions trip in just a few days so I had to rush rush on this one so she could get the binding on it in time.

The summer then brought my parents, they are from SW Missouri, and I was happy to see them. Even tho getting them a bedroom downstairs forced me to clean out the junk room and totally exhausted me for weeks I was happy to do it for them. We had a wonderful time. I do hope they did too.Now I know it was trying for my hubby and a bit boring for my Dad. Dad being a carpenter all his life likes to still dabble in and is always doing something around their house. He just built them a garage and a front parch in the past couple of years. So for him taking a vacation is almost like a punishment. Well he found a wall in his room that wasn't finished so that became his project. I will get a pic of it sometime, but for now it is done, and he seemed to enjoy his stay l little better with something to do. The last weekend that my folks were here my sisters, 2 from SW MO and one from SE KS all came up then we met my sister that is in VT at a lake in SW MI. We (including mom) ( no guys allowed)stayed in a nice (big) lake cottage of my BIL  at a small lake just inland from lake MI . It had been a long time, (actually never) since we had all gotten together and done something like this. We had a great time. Well I did and they seemed to too. I think we are going to try to do this every year. NOTE spend as much time with your family as you can.  The hubby and I took the parents back home to SW MO. I decided it was time for him to see where I grew up Erie, KS. Now there is not much to see but at least now he knows where my love for old houses comes in. I took him by our old place and it still looks a regal as I remember. Mind you in is not a grand old house just an old big house. Some one was walking in the door she saw me gawking and I should have just jumped out and talked with her. Maybe I could have seen the inside again.   AAAHHHHHHHHH the memories it would have held.We then got together with a couple of high school classmates of mine. Love ya Sheryl and Melody, so glad to have seen you after all these years.Hubby and I then jumped over to Pittsburgh KS. We had seen the food war  on TV's travel channel about the two chicken places their. I had eaten at one or maybe both growing up and I thought it would be great for him to try it. BUT they were closed due to being the 4th of July. Shucks! We did stay at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast called the Himmel House

the people that own this beauty should be proud. They are delightful and very helpful. Will stay there again if they let us. No I really didn't cause any problems. Beautiful place can't say enough nice things for that overnight stay. We sat in their 'garden patio' and watched the cities fireworks display through the trees. this was after walking the neighborhood and drooling over the other beautiful homes, and watching the locals shoot off fireworks just above our heads. What a 4th to remember. So back home to Indiana. Computer had crashed while we were gone. Still don't have everything back as it was but am thankful that I got the puter back. I don't know what happened but the computer was blown up while gone then hooked the laptop to the router and it went out on us. So it was not the best homecoming but life goes on.

 Trunk show in Ohio and class to teach. Boy I think I may have scheduled them a little to close together but they got done and I think everyone had fun. I had Mom's quilts to do then. She left a couple of them for me to do and since I was going back down in a couple weeks I wanted to get them done so to save on shipping.                                                               

She had made this quilt from a pattern she had gotten from me a couple of years earlier when they were here. The book I remember I got a Christmas present at my Local Quilt Club. Fat Quarter Quilt Blocks, published by House of White Birches here in Berne, IN. So I guess that is one Christmas present that I can say has now been used.

Now this second quilt was left over batiks from the first one. I love scrappies so both of these are just right up my alley.

I then went back to Kansas the first of AUG for (I know this will shock some of you) my Army Reserve Reunion. Yes I was in the Army Reserves. I wish I had never gotten out but at the time I thought it was best for my family if I did. These are some of the people I love the most, think the world of, cherish highly, honor to no end, and just generally glad to have met, are the men and women I served with. I have pics of that too,

There weren't many of us here this year, I think that they heard that I was coming and stayed home. Last year they had over 30, this year 14. Two are missing from photo. I think that the heat, yes it was over 100 and very humid that weekend, kept alot of them home and in the air conditioning.

I took my sister that lives there and had her be my photographer. Another great weekend except the hotel pool was closed. So no swimming but then I don't know when I would have found the time. I met up with high school classmates (different than those the month before) and spent small amounts of time with each. My sister and I decided to go back to Pittsburgh to eat,what else but Chicken. Oh the hubby will be mad. But as the meal went on I decided that I could take chicken home from both places for him. My room had the lil fridge. So left overs and a to go order. We both picked Chicken Annie's, even tho Mary's won on the Show but we still think that the chicken we had in Miche Tavern in VA was the best. Sorry Annie's and Mary's.

So life has slowed down now and pretty much back to normal. The computer is back out of the hospital even tho I lost a bunch of stuff, I am sure I can live with out it. The mystery that I wanted to do on here is gone, but maybe someday I will get the directions wrote back up. That is if I can remember what all the notes and marking on the rough draft mean. So to make it up to my faithful followers that were looking forward to this mystery, I am going to do a give away. I have two leaflets Quilting Toppers for Every Table. Has 7 seasonal Table Runners NICE!  Second is Quilting Bold and Bright Kids' Quilts features 3-D Designs

The rules are leave a comment to this post and gain one entry. Either state that you are a follower or become a follower and get 3 entries. If you blog and you link to this post (and not a follower) than that is 3 entries also. If you blog and are a follower and you link then that is 5 entries. I will have a random drawing on the 1st of SEP. Good luck and hope every ones Summer has been as hectic and wonderful as mine!!!