Church Key

Happy Monday to you dear friends!  How was your weekend?  How is the weather in your neck of the woods?
On Saturday I went to a women self defense class in the morning-it was so helpful and also fun.  The class was taught for the women in my church and the teachers were a husband/wife team who teach martial arts.  I came away with a "church key"-aka old fashioned bottle opener for my keychain.  It is a great weapon for self defense-specifically using the sharp end to inflict damage in the event you are being attacked.  However, I'm not sure I'll leave it on my keyring, due to the fact if there is an accident etc it could cause some serious damage to my leg.
Yesterday was really good-church first thing in the morning and then the afternoon was pretty quiet.  WE have a new pastor joining the church and so I got to hear him preach~I really liked him.
Today I'm walking and also waiting on a call from my doctor about an ongoing issue I have and testing for it.  I will also be sewing, plus household chores.
I hope your week starts out perfectly and that January draws to a close finding us with a heart of gratitude.
Hugs,
Noreen

What A Beauty

Happy Thursday to you! I have to say I am so very thankful to be able to share this Singer Treadle Sewing Machine from 1910 that my hubby bought and refinished. He did such a wonderful job and I so appreciate it. You might remember that I have my mother's and grandmother's Singer Treadle that was manufactured on March 6, 1903; initially I thought it was just my mother's, but in hind sight realized my grandmother would have gotten it. Mine doesn't work and hasn't worked for years, but it is the sentimental ties that binds my heart to it. The new machine does work and has the original boxes(as shown)with attachments and is in good working order. When we bought it, some friends asked if hubby would restore it to sell. These friends don't value antiques like we do! What is nice is that now we have two antique machines with stands that can be passed on to our granddaughters-with the understanding that Grandpa put a lot of hours of work into them and they can't be painted. Our new Treadle sits downstairs in the t.v. area where we can see it and appreciate it; the other is in my sewing room.  Along with this machine and base, we also received another Singer Sewing Machine that runs off of a motor, but that was also made in 1910.  I have the series numbers for the machines and how many were made.
Many of my quilting friends have 3-5 sewing machines and I guess I'm catching up-not that it was planned.  I have my Baby Lock that I love and also our beginner Baby Lock for our grands-plus now three antique machines.  Life is good.
I am thankful for this life, the beauty of where we live, being able to get together with friends to walk or sew and the Grace that saved me.
How about you-what are you thankful for today?
Noreen

Good Afternoon, Here are some graphics for all you dog lovers out there about breed compatibility.

I will say that Puppyspot looks like a site to find breeds and puppies. I have not used them or don't know much about the site, but thought this was good information.  You can find the site here:
https://www.puppyspot.com

So friends, go give your pup a big hug!
Noreen

Prairie Falcon

Good Morning to you!  Yesterday afternoon I got a call from my daughter asking me what to do with a wounded Falcon that was in her yard and couldn't fly; immediately I told her to call-but before I could finish she said "Oh it just flew, it's not hurt at all".  I was thankful to hear this~she and the kids were in the yard when she spotted this beautiful bird just standing on the grass. She walked over to get a better look and got within 5 feet of it, it didn't take off-thus call Mom, she'll know what to do.
What she found out after it took off was that it was eating a wild bunny in the yard.  So she got the kiddos inside, lest they investigate to closely and waited for hubby to get home to clean up the mess.
The falcon did go to the top of their roof-maybe to wait it out until the humans left, so it could finish its meal.  I haven't heard whether the carcass was still there when our sil got home.  Great science lesson.  Well Done Kim!!!
We got a light dusting of snow last night, but the roads are all clear this morning.  Yeah.  I'm going to be working on some sewing this morning and not sure what this afternoon holds yet.
I hope you have a fantastic Tuesday!
Hugs,
Noreen

Until We Meet Again

Many of you know that one of ours Kathy Porter, a dear blogging buddy and quilter, passed a week ago from Ovarian Cancer.  She was dear to many of us, an encourager to all, a wonderful mom and Nana to her 4 T's.  

Here is her obituary:

Kathleen "Kathy" Ann Porter, went to heaven at 9:34 AM on January 16, 2017. She died peacefully at her home surrounded by her loved ones after a hard fought battle with ovarian cancer. She was supported by BJC Hospice Care team, who provided great care for her comfort.
She was born February 7, 1951, in Highland, IL., to Robert and Doris Koonce. She grew up in Greenville and graduated from Greenville High School in 1969.  
She married Charlie Porter on December 18, 1987. He survives. Also surviving are her father, Bob Koonce, her daughter Robin Stephens, her son-in-law Mike Stephens, her four grandchildren, Trey, Taryn, Tucker and Tressa Stephens; her two sisters, Kay Koonce Holsted (Greg Olson) and Lisa Koonce (Mark Bader); two nephews Ben and Jon Holsted. 
She was preceded in death by her mother, Doris, and an infant daughter, Melinda Rose.
As a single parent, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting at SIUE in June 1981. She worked at Cassens and Sons for seven years. She retired from SIUE, after 20 years of service, in 2008. During her retirement, she enjoyed helping others, spending time with loved ones, and working on her hobbies. She was a loyal Cardinal and Blues fan, as well as a long-time member of LeClaire Christian Church. She enjoyed reading, quilting, and traveling to the beach. Most of all, she enjoyed all the time spent with her daughter and grandchildren.
Condolences to the family can be expressed online through this online guestbook.
A celebration of life will be held from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday, January 19, 2017, at Sunset Hill Funeral Home in Glen Carbon, IL. Her funeral will begin at 1:00 PM Friday, January 20, 2017, at Sunset Hill Funeral Home with Minister Jerry Kizzire presiding over the service. Memorials may be made to: Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, PO Box 32141, New York, NY, 10087.

I got to know Kathy through blogging and can't remember who introduced me to her.  Her love of family and quilting bonded us immediately. Kathy was always there if I had a question about a technique or pattern.  Once when I was having an eye issue, she really pushed me to be seen immediately by my eye doctor.  She was also there with prayers for me when I went in for my hysterectomy, to remove an Ovarian mass.  When she began feeling under the weather and started sharing her symptoms, I pushed her to see her doctor as soon as possible.  The outcome was the same as my sisters-Ovarian Cancer.  Kathy rallied to the fight like a seasoned warrior.  Unfortunately the disease took her faster than we all expected.  Kathy fought it with courage and grace.  
I will miss this dear friend, but know that someday I'll get to meet her in Glory.
If you could, please remember her family in prayer.

Let each day we have be a blessing to others.

Noreen

In The Shadow of Denali by Tracie Peterson

Once again award winning authors Tracie Peterson and KimberleyWoodhouse have written a book that is rich in history of Alaska, intriguing and suspenseful and characters that draw you into the plot.
Here is Tracie's description:
 "Cassidy Ivanoff and her father, John, work at the new and prestigious Curry Hotel outside Mt. McKinley. While John will be expedition and wilderness exploration guide for the wealthy tourists, Cassidy has signed on as a cook’s assistant. Both are busy as the hotel prepares to welcome the president of the United States on his way to drive in the golden spike to officially complete the railroad.
Allan Brennan travels to the Curry Hotel to be an apprentice of a seasoned Alaska mountain guide. Ever since his father’s death climbing Mt. McKinley, he’s worked to earn enough money to make the trek to the Alaska territory himself. His father’s partner blames their guide for the death of his father, but Allan wants to find the truth for himself. He finds an unlikely ally in Cassidy, and as the two begin to look into the mystery, they suddenly find that things are much less clear, and much more dangerous, than either could ever imagine."

You all know that I love Alaska and have seen Denali, so this book was a winner for me from the get go.
I would rate it 10 of 10.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series.  
Bethany House has provided me this book; all opinions are my own and I received no compensation for my review.  
If you love Historical Fiction look for this new book-you won't be disappointed.
Noreen

Sewing Fun

Happy Wednesday to you! For all those quilters~I want to share a great t-shirt that I found from a quilting buddy. Back in December, the 10th to be exact, I was checking in on blog friends and happened across Debbie's post at From The Strawberry Patch with her photo wearing this shirt(not this shirt, but one just like it).

Her daughter makes them and I loved it and had to have one.  Actually there are so many friends I could purchase it for, but decided it would be better to just advertise it here.
It could be for anyone who sews on a regular basis. The shirt is a good quality and the price is $19.00
I always try to support home businesses, if I can.
If you are interested I'd be happy to pass on her email address.
It is a beautiful day today and making me anxious for some of Arizona's warmth in a few weeks.
Maybe someday we will go and stay for a month, then I could meet lots of quilting friends in the flesh.  This blogging world is so small and close knit; it's fun when you get to meet in the flesh.
Here is her Debbie's link: http://strawberrypatchquiltworks.blogspot.com/2016/12/im-here-to-tell-ya.html
Hugs today,
Noreen