The Front Porch Swing

[Alice28]

Times like these I'm really glad my hobby is quilting and not wordworking!  I can sit in my comfy chair with a quilt on my lap and keep snuggly warm while I get something accomplished!

Well it sounds like the perfect quilting weather!

 

[MistyMountain]

Hey hey everyone! It's been a while, but I've kept up the best I can. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Looking forward to a great New Year! I am looking forward to the quiet (and maybe a little bit to the cold) month ahead to sort of relax and recharge for the busy times to come. It seems each year it is a rush to get to this point and I can not wait for the lazy evenings where I can sit with my fuzzy blanket, mint tea, and my thoughts by the wood stove while watching my boys play. Quiet times here on the homestead, but DH has been working hard to burn stumps and reclaim pasture in the back of the property for my Valentine. I wanted to share some of the super thoughtful gifts that we got for Christmas this year. DH's uncle had taken some rough cut lumber that was in the barn when we bought this place. It had some wood bugs in it and he said he was going to treat it. He also took a big cedar log that we had cut down next to the barn. It was too big and pretty to use for firewood. His Uncle owns a lumber mill, so he could find a use for it all. Well, turns out he did. Let me toss in a little story here: As DH's Uncle was loading down his trailer with this wood… wood that I told DH that I would love to have a bench made out of… I asked him where he was taking my wood. He said "oh, it has some wood bugs in it and I am going to treat it. You shouldn't keep it in your barn near your lumber in this condition." I had a flashback then. Little Michelle, watching a man back his truck up to our garage and proceed to load our bicycles and scooters into the back of it. Mind you, these were our old bikes, too small to ride for long, but none the less, OUR bikes. I asked him why he was taking our bikes. He told me he was going to "fix them and bring them back." Needless to say, I never saw my unicorn bike with the banana seat ever again. Dad had sold them. Flash forward to present/Christmas. That sneaky thoughtful guy went and had that bug infested lumber (which turned out to be sycamore and most certainly from our property) turned into serving trays! I love trays! I was beside myself, until we got to the next gift. He had taken the cedar log, cut it in half on his resaw, and his neighbor made two benches out of it! This wood most certainly came from out back. I am still in shock!! Pics below: the benches, mirror images of themselves.

And a river rock that I painted a picture of DH's other uncle's dog on. He had passed away a few years back, but was super special to him. I think he was quite touched by the gesture!!

 

[Amberjem]

nice

 

[Blooie]

And that, my friends, is Christmas!

 

[Alice28]

Wow! That's wonderful! Sounds like a wonderful way to end the year and that bench will get lots of use in the new year I'm sure! What thoughtful gifts.

 

[vehve]

Very nice benches!

 

[LindaB220]

My mom made this blanket for Thomas. I had to put it away because it started to unravel... but he loved it very much. Blankets are our family thing.. Johnathan bought a fleece blanket for Amelia when she was a week old and she takes it everywhere. Thomas now has another fleece blanket he has worn holes into.. going to need another one. Johnathan too has some special blankets.

Blankets are love.

When my youngest DD Brandi was born in Feb '72 I had been down with the flu for days. She was 3 wks early and I hadn't packed a suitcase or anything. 'When it was time to bring her home, I asked my sister to bring me something for her to wear. She brought a really cute Red and White cotton dress. In Feb., no receiving blanket. Baby would have frozen. The nurse took pity on me and went to the reject pile and brought out the holiest bedraggled white cotton receiving blanket and that's what she wore home. I kept it for 20 years to remember humility.

This was some of the stuff that my daughter Aimee screams about.... HOARDER!!!!! I've pared it down considerable in the last two moves. Now, she's screaming about the big coffee cans that I want to keep for my storage of minerals and chicken stuff. I have to hide it and smuggle it out to my storeroom. Of course, that's why I bought the storeroom to start with. Going from a house to a small apt and then a year later to a 12 x 14' bedroom that's mine. Yes, I needed the extra space.

SIL Clint and Aimee sat me down to have a "Come to Jesus" talk (their words) about my selfishness. I think only of my chickens and if something is sitting there I say, "Don't throw that away, I need it for my chickens". And I have the audacity to say I can't do the dishes because I was cleaning out the coop. Don't I understand that the house must be run, even though my 67 yr old body is screaming. They do it. My job must be performed before I go outside to work. I kid you not. I had to say that I'd work with Aimee to try to get along better so she doesn't have to constantly be criticizing me. Sooooo, I'm doing those f*******ng dishes first and smiling a lot. She's feeling better and not so liable to scream and upset herself. To be honest, she works harder than anybody in the family and I do understand. I'll try to be not so "in your face" with her remarks. ( I don't know what emoticon to use)

 

[Tomtommom]

Hospitals load you up these days... I have several hospital blankets

I never even used the receiving blankets we bought.

With Thomas I had to return all his baby clothes to the store.. I had bought newborn size and he didn't fit

Clothing sizes are a pain in the butt anyway.. none of the kids fit clothes properly. Long torsos and little bitty legs. Thomas wears 3T-4T shirts and 2T pants. Johnathan is in size 8 shirts, size 7 pants (and they're still too long).. if they made a size 6 husky pant they'd be perfect.


Anyway.

Gorgeous benches! I just so love those. And that rock is cute! I love painting and drawing, I just don't do it much anymore... too many interruptions.

My mom had this rough cut wood bench she had been eyeing for years at a local grocer. One day they were remodeling and my mom walked up to them and said "If you're going to toss that bench out, I want it!" and she got it. I think she may even have moved it home on the back of her bike... or sweet talked some guy into bringing it home. She was always making deals

 

[tntchix]

And that, my friends, is Christmas!

x2

Misty, those are beautiful benches! You are a lucky girl.

 

[MistyMountain]

Thanks all! I am beyond excited!! Now to find somewhere to put them! They are both 5+ feet long! Everyone says we need a table to go with them! I have plans to use some cedar stumps as end tables and make a quilt ladder out of some long narrow trunks.

TTM, we had to nearly beg the hospital 7 years ago to take some home with us. In fact, it was the lactation consultant who finally came through for us. We had gotten a lot of gifts and tons of receiving blankets, but they were too small. I used them as burp cloths. You could barely swaddle one leg with them!! I like the size of the hospital blankets. If we decide to have another, I will definitely be asking for more!
I will second you on the no time do paint or draw… too many interruptions here as well. I am creative all day long for job, I am all out of it by the end of the day. I managed to find two hours before anyone else woke up to work on this. You're an artist, they say, study that in college. What they did not say is that when you do art for someone else for a living, you will rarely have the time or energy to do it for yourself. Some day, I will find the time again!