A lot can happen in a day

A Christmas Quilt ,the Wonder dog on Vacation and my first look at my grandbaby…

Sunday I spent the day doing my borders on my quilt and cutting out the 12 days of Christmas words. I like how it is turning out. It felt good to be creating something. My cousin started her vacation and I decided I would chronicle a little about where Jax the Wonder dog goes. Lol

I was able to finally see Baby Jack Steven at eight thirty last night. Baby is still in the nicu . So it was one grandparent at a time. Grandpa Jack saw him first and then I patiently waited.I felt the baby was named after him so he should go first. Of all the babys he was by far the cutest in the nicu. Of course I didn’t look around at the other babys but headed for his spot like a new grandma .Lol! It is such a wonder to see a new baby! No pictures yet but hopefully sometime soon. I didn’t get to hold him because they were monitoring him. Baby Jack already has a personality he doesn’t like being fussed with. Lol

This is Jax at Chula Vista RV park. That Jack Russell is such a natural poser .Maulie my shitzu would demand a dog cookie before she lifted her little paw off the ground. Cheri




  

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What Memorial Day means to me

He would never feel the breeze of a Iowa cornfield on a hot summer day or the sound of the train as it went
through his small town. Instead my Uncle Joseph would be a Pow during World War 2 and die in a foreign country. My mothers brother Joseph was a Pow that died long before I was born. I never knew him yet heard about him all my life. Uncle Joe was taken prisoner when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. General Macarthur left behind thousands of men that had no where to go so they were sadly captured by the Japanese. Some of these men were on the Bataan Death March and others like my Uncle were sent to Pow camps on other islands in the Philippines‘.


Because my Uncle Joe was a strong young man he along with a couple hundred men were taken to an island and worked constructing an air strip for the Japanese. He slaved away with the other American Pow’s.

The war was coming to an end the Japanese were losing. My grandmother in Iowa was notified that his camp would be one of the first to be released. A sad change of plans occurred and my Uncle was one of the men to be killed at the Palawan Massacre. I won’t go into details but I will say what happened was part of the Nuremburg war crime trial. Because of this war crime the United State realized they had to get the Pow’s being held by Japanese out or their fate would be similar.

There was book called Ghost soldiers written by

Hampton Sides It tells the story of what happened on Palawan and what the United States did to save the other POW’s in other camps. It’s a part of history that you rarely hear about.

So this Memorial day I realize with so many American’s that my freedom comes at a cost by others. So many Men and Women like my Uncle Joe have sacrificed so much for me.

My family is not the only family that sacrificed their best and their brightest for this country. I never knew my Uncle Joe but I knew what he gave and I am truly thankful. My Uncle along with 123 Pow’s were returned to the United States in 1952 long after the war ended and is buried in a mass grave in Jefferson Barracks Missouri.

I reposted this story for Memorial Day The pictures I took today are Fort Rosecrans where boy scouts place a flag for every grave.

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Sunday Blessings

The power of a prayer

Baby is doing better thanks for all the prayers. Baby’s Mom is leaving intensive care and their both going to be reunited . Since my daughter was sent to another hospital to be in the intensive care Baby sent to the nicu they have little time together. So today they will meet each and Jack and I are glad to let them be this new little family. Once I knew my daughter was getting out of intensive care I could actually start being normal. I could not even do anything my head was like being on pause. So today I cut out my borders for a quilt I am doing and did some dishes and just felt blessed. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t have vented a little on my blog. I didn’t want to see friends which is not me. The worry of these weeks and her being in the hospital was overwhelming at times. I felt like I had all these blogger moms and grandma’s giving me support during these last weeks. Thank You so much for your prayers it has meant so much to me ! Cheri

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Waiting for Baby Jack today



 Mekenna and Hallie in the morning.

   This morning

I don’t know how I slept last night. I was up late watching a true crime murder story on the T.V I  just ended up scaring myself. Lol! The one good thing about having Megan’s dogs here is they bark and I feel safer alone because what criminal is going to come into a house with three dogs barking at them. I have to stop watching crime show's Lol!

I am so restless for this day. Being a mom never ends and Megan will soon learn about the love for a  child and how overwhelming it is.When you look at that face wow it's a miracle.
 I have never seen my husband such a softy. He came home from the hospital thursday talking about vag deliverys, c sections and the baby pictures on the wall of the hospital floor. As he talked about the babys that were so small and how healthy they are now he got little small tears. I think when he sees this baby he is going to lose it. Lol
 I woke this morning with a couple of tears and I know I am going to shed some today. I fed the dogs and I think my daughter is going to be annoyed how fussy  those two have gotten about having to have shredded cheese on their dog food.  I cannot imagine what being a grandparent will be like. I pray that everything goes well today. Tick tock tick tock……..

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The longest Day




 Mekenna took my toy!





This week crawled by. I felt like a clock watcher. I had no concentration for any thing. Megan being in the hospital for a month on Sunday has been a trying time for her and us. Mekenna had a trip to the vet a couple days ago after seeing my daughter. Well the yelpy dog was because some how or another she sprained her back! She was walking fine and I just thought she was missing Megan but there was something else going on. I swear that dog is channeling my daughter . Mekenna is acting more normal and wagging her tail these last couple days.

The big day is tomorrow I am not going to be able to sleep but Saturday is the day the baby will be delivered one way or another.Hubby is up at her home finishing painting her baby room trim and I have tonight and tomorrow to be alone and try to keep my thoughts on a good healthy baby. I have been so worried and stuff I can’t even digest what the day is going to feel like tomorrow. I am so thankful for all the prayers everyone has said for Megan. The ups and downs of this pregnancy has been a roller coaster. The hospital their at has an excellent nicu and if the baby has any problems their ready. 37 weeks wow these last three weeks have crawled by and tomorrow I will greet this little baby . Well I am off to do anything to get my mind off the clock .Hugs to all Cheri

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No Comment Oh yes I Am!

You can’t keep a chatty Cheri down. I have found a quick temporary fix to leave a comment since Blogger is not letting me comment the usual way. I write my comment and where it has the comment as profile I select  Name, Url . I then type my name copy and paste my blog name in the url . It does not show my blog name but you can include it in your comment.The final step is go to preview and then it should go through. Cheri

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From my out post in Crest



My new geranium in my dye pot.




No Man is an Island . In my solitude of not being able to talk back to the world I wonder if I should grow a beard and become a hermit. . Now that I have been cut off from society with only my dogs and me. My comments being unable to be heard from the blogger world. I think I know how monks feel .I am on my own little island looking at my bloggers friends posting and realizing that my comments will just have to stay in my own little head. Poor friends can’t hear Great pictures! Great Rugs or I love your garden! I am sure you all are just heart broken that my blogger voice has been muted. Take heart some day I shall return with my poetic voice and my inspirational wit or not.Lol Cheri

                                                 What can these be?                                                                  
 
 

 
 
                                                   

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No Comment or mute button on.

I am brimming with comments but alas the mute button is on ! I thought it was awful not being to post now I think there is something worse not being able to communicate with my blogger friends. Kim Happy Birthday, I hope you had a wonderful day! Julia your garden looks wonderful! I wish my yard looked that green. Anne I love your hooked rugs what a talent you are.Hopefully Blogger will fix the problem soon…Cheri

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Mekenna, Mekenna , Mekenna,

This Sunday I barely rolled out of bed. Night seems like it goes on forever and lack of sleep is getting hubby and I loopy.Mekenna has been having a time of it and Megan suggested giving extra hugs and attention well I have! Last night I thought I’d let her lay on the bed and maybe she would be calmer and happier. Bad idea!




 The culprit

 Mekenna laid on top of the covers seemed to be doing fine. Scroll ahead hours. Yelp yelp yelping total chaos in the darkness . I don’t know why she is yelping wakes me out of a calm sleep . I flick the light on to see what happened don’t even know what happened Morris is looking at me like Did I do that? I had forgotten Morris likes to jump in bed at night! It’s three in the morning and I am looking at the dog wondering will she ever be happy unless she is back at her home.

The hospital is allowing Mekenna to visit Megan Sunday for a half hour . So hubby took Mekenna with him to the hospital. I don’t think it’s a good idea but that’s just me. Mekenna is such sensitive dog she is upset being at our house and she has stay’s here before when their on vacation.I didn't ask if  mekenna was going in the hospital or what. I will be able to tell when I see hubby's face when he walks through the gate how it went. I am hoping Mekenna will finally calm down and realize she has not been abandoned once she sees Megan and Mike.After I was awoken by crazy yelping dog I couldn’t fall asleep.
Morris seemed to have no problem.

Hubby has started calling Hallie the urinator. I guess he is pooped too!Well I can tell you by the time that baby arrives Hubby and I are probably going to take one look at it’s sweet face and take a snooze. Lol

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Friday wait and see



 Strawberry walnut bread


Distracting ourselves





This week seems like forever. Megan being in the hospital worrying about her and when she is going to have the baby is like walking around with a pit in my stomach. I wanted my blog to be about happy things like quilts,gardening,rug hooking and simple happy things but I feel like Life has stepped in with all it’s scary moments. I Spent the week with Megan at the hospital. It’s amazing how you can see how kind some nurses are and how some are good nurses but just don't have that human touch.Today is my day off and her hubby is with her so I can get caught up with everything.   So instead of having pins and needles at the hospital I am waiting for a phone call from her hubby.  Even my husband is exhausted. It’s amazing the circle of love that feels the pain of it’s family member. Mike Jack and I are so pooped. Even her dogs need extra cuddles because they have never been this long away from Megan.                                           

Mekenna is the one I worry the most about she is a very sensitive cocker spaniel and she stopped eating so I had to hand feed her. I finally added a bit of cheese and now she’ll eat her food.

Instead of hooking at the hospital every day I had heard about a book on the radio while driving.   I ordered it from the library and I am so glad I did. It’s called The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. It’s a true story about a woman and  the first immortal cells grown in cultures.  These unusual  cells that keep on reproducing have been used in many scientific research studies long after she has died. I would highly recommend it if you like history.





Second Loaf

 I then decided I wanted to make the Strawberry Pecan bread that Dog trot Farm blog had talked about. So I went on her blog tracked down Coop Keeper who had written about it and Finally the original recipe was on All Recipe.

Remember my experience when I made a cake for Hubby for valentines Day . Well this turned out better. I know my blogging friends who are bakers would be proud of me. I have to thank Dog trot Farm for spiking my interest. I used walnuts instead of pecans.

Do you ever just want a boring day. A day you can just be thinking what can I do today. A day when you can just be in a state of routine doing laundry watering running to the super market. That sounds like an odd thing but I just want a boring day.
                   
I included some more pictures from the garden tour Linda went on.
Have a nice weekend. Cheri

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Searching for Witch's Hair and the color yellow

                                    Dodder or it's other common name witch's hair.

About a week and a half ago I sent my cub reporter for some pictures of some Dodder that I was going to post about.  Hubby took some great pictures on his hike with Maulie. I later went exploring didn’t hike as far as he did but found clumps of Witch’s Hair to do my natural dyeing. Next time I am going to get more then the little I used .

 Witch's hair is a parasitic plant that uses other plants as it’s host plant. You see it all over the place in the foothills of California.  Witch's hair is from the morning glory family of plants you'll notice that texture when your picking it out of the host plant.  Now that I have found a great supply I am going to have fun making the color yellow. I stick the Witch's hair in the enamel pot with some water let it  soak for a while and  then heat up the water and Witch's hair in the pot.  Next I add some pre soaked wool . After boiling it for an hour I add alum as the mordant. I then will let it sit for a couple days in the  pot.  Next step rinse it and hang it on the rosemary bush. 

              This was the original wool color and the bottom piece is the color I dyed it.
 
 



                                 Look at the top white wool and doesn't
                                 that color look like a sweet yellow
                                 after it's dyed.




                             Next time you see your fellow hookers you can brag
                             I have a pot of witch's hair soaking.  Lol. Cheri        

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My Thursday dilemma's

                                                                          Daisys

Waiting




Some weeks fly by and you feel like you are getting so much accomplished then there are weeks where the days drag on …I have been hanging out at the hospital all week with Megan. I have been able to work on my quilt there is a lot of hand work to do. So I sit as they monitor her contractions and stitch. I was going to visit my daughter like I have done every day this week when her husband called stay home contractions 3 minutes apart. We have all been taking turns I am in the morning and afternoon then her husband is there all evening and night.

Today I thought there was going to be a baby and then change of plans they stopped .First glitch in the day Poor Megan.

 So I went to Lowes a nice outing pick up a rose bush and use my birthday gift card. It was great for some reason I love hardware stores. I love looking at the paint section the different stepping stones, and of course the garden section with the plants. I browsed away happy with my purchases a great diversion from the stress of this week. Walking to the parking lot and I thought my Suv looks lopsided. I recalled in my past experiences that might be a flat tire!

Sure enough a big flat tire. This is the second flat tire I have had in the last three years. If there is a nail in the road I’ll be the one that gets the flat. Lol

I called Hubby at work and he was at Lowes in a flash. I was relieved the tire was changed and thought I am going to post about having Mekenna and Hallie visiting when third event that stopped me in my track. Blogger was down. Three strikes today I am calling it a day. Tomorrow will be better. Cheri

                                                 Hallie is a big blood hound smelling everything!

                                      Tomorrow is better I am planting my yellow rose!

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Spring time and a garden tour

I need 

to walk out in a garden today ........

                               Let's look at the work of some fellow gardeners.

There was quite a few gardens to look at.

        This time of year in Southern California it's fun to go on garden tours. I need ideas for my garden and sometimes a garden tour can give you some easy inspiration to add a new element to your garden. I have been a little busy and so my good friend Linda great gardener that she is took some lovely pictures of some gardens on a recent tour she went on. I hope you enjoy them.

Isn't this a good idea. Once these succulents grow
they will hide the cement block.

                                      Isn't this brick work interesting!

                                                             

Thanks to Linda for these wonderful pictures now go out and play in the dirt!

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Heavens To Betsy wool Give away winner! Orange Sink

I would just like to say what a nice group of comments about your Moms. I feel like I got to know everyone a little better by hearing about the wonderful ladies that raised you. Maulie picked the name this morning. I am not waiting til evening because I have a lot to do today.

      The winner of the Heavens To Betsy wool give away is  Orange Sink! Here is the pictures but their horrible have you ever tried to wrestle with a shitzu and take pictures.I was too close.  Cheri
I will contact you by email Cathy! Cheri

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Heavens to Betsy wool Give away and a baby that needs to stay put

                                       I had collected this on a hike with hubby to natural dye some wool.
                                       That's what the last couple days have been like. Lol
                                         
                                            
Well I am soon to announce the give away of the Mother’s day week Heaven’s to Betsy wool Give Away on this Friday!


I loved all your wonderful accounts of loving ,kind, intelligent, giving mothers. How ironic I am worrying as a mom today.

When I started the wool give away I thought well I’ll do it the first of May because my daughter Megan’s baby is due mid June. Well babies have a mind of their own. So a couple days ago I was zooming out to her home and her husband zooming her to their local hospital. It was crazy. I figured I would be there for a little while til they found out what was going on with her . Then next thing I know their local hospital has a ambulance arriving with a nurse and EMT taking her to a bigger hospital with a nicu unit at four thirty in the morning in San Diego. Megan’s husband arrives to their house in the morning poor Megan's hubby was rushing to get some clothes packed for himself for a couple day stay in the hospital. I am half awake half asleep . Meanwhile I am taking her dogs to my home at four thirty in the morning I am calling my husband to tell him what is going on since he is still in Crest every time Mike calls me from the hospital . I hope I make sense. Need I say nobody slept that night..

Why is it that everything dramatic happens in the middle of the night?



Megan is now safe in the hospital with contractions slowing until Sunday on meds to stop the baby from coming.I saw her last night and her Dad even got her to chuckle. The nurses are wonderful!

Hopefully the labor will stop if not she needs to get to Saturday for the babies lungs to be better at 34 weeks. Every week it’s easier for the baby‘s lungs. Please say a prayer for her and the baby .

Motherhood I have been thinking about what a job it is to be a mom you love them before you see them . You love them when their good or bad. You worry all your life about your kids and I think not until you close your eyes on this earth you’re thought will be of taking care of your children. I guess it’s fitting baby Jack is just telling his hopefully not too soon to be mom . I am going to be a new person with a mind of my own.
 Baby Jack just needs to stay put for now.
Cheri

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Mother's Day week Heavens To Betsy Wool Give away!

 I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

          Mothers Day is approaching and hopefully you and I will be surrounded by loved ones.         
          There are many women who aren’t technically Moms that mentor and influence children
          not to mention women who care for ageing family members. It's all mothering to me.
                                             So I make us all Mothers this week

 So I thought this week let's have fun with a quick Heavens To Betsy  wool give away !! Mothers 
come in all shapes and sizes kinda like wool. Some wool is bright and colorful another aged and a little bit primitive but all the wool is wonderful.There is some wool that has seen better days not Heavens to Betsy wool of course. Lol!
If you were a wool color what would you be?
I would be a definite primitive wool with lots of small checks and I would be a background color a neutral. I would be the background because you can't finish your wool rug without a background color, that completes a great rug.
      

 Sunday I thought I am going to have a quick Heavens to Betsy Wool give away this week. It starts Monday night and ends Friday evening. I know that’s quick but I thought it would be a fun week day distraction. So here we go……..Here are the simple rules.





Sorry only open to Canadians and United States wool lovers.

Simply leave a comment on Back To Larkrise blog sharing with us all a nice thing about your Mom and that you want to be in the Heavens to Betsy Give away.
Don't forget I need a way I can contact you if you win.
Also if you want an extra chance to win go to Heavens to Betsy blog  and leave a comment about the give away and mention Back to Larkrise. That’s it. Maulie will pick the winner.

My happy memory of my mom is as a little girl she made me a lovely little red and white polka dot dress  I loved it!  The dress was so puffy and I felt like a little princess! She was not a sewer but it was quite impressive. So what’s your memory? Cheri

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