Mountain Musings

Spring and Early Summer Happenings ~ Part 2

Part 2 ~ Grandchildren, Birthdays, and Birdhouses

Can you think of a better birthday gift than having this crew show up on my doorstep? The holiday/birthday weekend was wonderful! Aren't they growing up?!

Sarah, Eric, and the five children drove in from Georgia; and Hannah and Christopher drove in from Michigan! Fun times!

When I was growing up, my parents worked at a company that gave their employees the week of July 4th off every year, so we celebrated my birthday all vacation week in the Smoky Mountains and Gatlingburg, TN...every year!

Little did Tom know when we got married that I was accustomed to celebrating my birthday for a whole week! LOL! He does a great job of stretching out all the fun....

 

Sarah was in the kitchen making a mini 6-inch birthday cake...aaah so special to have her in the kitchen again!

Just perfect having both girls working together. I miss scenes like this!

 Here's the cake all finished and decorated and ready for me to blow out the candles!

While everyone was here visiting, Jonathan wanted to have us all over to his house for a meal. So we all loaded up and made the trek 25 minutes south of us. There's his house in the distance:

Here's Chef Jonathan performing his magic!

What he fixed for us:

Seated around his table for a nice meal!

The red/white/blue S'more trifle! Oh my goodness!

 

Christopher and Hannah relaxing after the wonderful meal. So good to see them together:

One of the special activities Tom/Grampa planned for the kids was building a birdhouse in Grampa's Workshop (lots of pre-visit prep!). All the kids were super excited!

Here's the master woodworker with the newest member of the family looking on:

Grampa had plenty of helpers directing the little ones...much needed! It was a hubbub of activity!

Hannah watched little Miss L play with her birdhouse pieces:

The kids loved using the drill:

Almost done! Her dad helping her drill:

Everyone lined up with their finished birdhouse projects, complete with their favorite color and their initial. Even the littlest munchkin got his own birdhouse! 

Thank you, Grampa, for an exciting productive activity...now Daddy will have to find spots in their yard for 5 birdhouses!!! LOL!

 
What July 4th visit would be complete without some slip and slide water fun:

Or a trip to the ice cream shop for some birthday ice cream:

Or some fireworks:

And sparklers:

The weekend came to an end sooo quickly!  We loved it all! Here we are saying goodbye to Sarah...until next time!

~ Deb

Next up: Spring and Early Summer Happenings ~ Part 3

Summer Visit from my Sister

Christmas Memories Part 4 ~ The Quilts!

Is this not the sweetest picture??  This is the puppy quilt I made for my grandson for Christmas.We were not with them at Christmas this year, so I especially loved seeing this photo!

He's pointing to the one puppy who has blue glasses just like he wears! Sarah told me that the kids were pretending that the puppies had stolen Andrew's glasses! So creative! I think he likes it!

Pattern is by Elizabeth Hartman and called The Puppies. Quilting is by Snowbird Quilts. Quilting pattern is called Puppy Love with hearts and paw prints. So adorable!

If you scroll Snowbird Quilts Instagram link, you can find photos of various stages of the puppy long-arm quilting on her site (scroll through), and you can better see the Puppy Love pattern.

Special thanks also to my friend Cindy who appliqued the blue glasses on the puppy for me...her skills are far better than mine when it comes to applique!

The backing is flannel from JoAnn Fabrics, and this is the personalized label I sewed on:

And this is how I packaged the quilt in the box before wrapping it up. Here's looking at you, Andrew!

This is the flower quilt I made for Hannah for her new home in Michigan. Maybe all the spring flowers will help her forget about all the snow she'll be seeing this winter!

I think this is the first quilt I've made with a colored background, and this charcoal fabric really does make the flowers pop!

I think she was surprised when she opened this quilt because I amazingly kept it a secret that I was working on it. Plus she knew I was busy making the puppy quilt. Great surprise!

This pattern is called Walk in the Park by V and Company:

The fabric is Ombre, also by V and Company. The quilting pattern is called Bloom and Plume. It was quilted by Snowbird Quilts.

If you go to her Instagram link, you can scroll through and see the quilt in various stages of long-arm quilting and also pictured on a queen bed. Quality quilting!

 

Well, I think my sewing room needs some January clean slate cleaning before I decide what my next project might be. But I'm looking forward to starting something new and fresh later this month.

~Deb

Christmas Memories Part 3 ~ Jonathan's First Christmas Goose!

Our second wave of Christmas guests came in after Christmas to celebrate with us.

Our son Micah and his family spent a couple of days here. Sooo glad they could come!

It was great seeing our 14-year-old grandson, whose birthday we celebrated during their visit. Grampa played guitar and led in singing Happy Birthday:

The newlyweds, Christopher and Hannah, were also back home at the same time! It was great having their visits overlap! They especially enjoyed Virginia temps in the 60's on their walks around the property!

We got the distinct impression that they are enjoying married life!

One of the highlights of the visit was a special meal prepared for us by our daughter-in-law while they were here...excellent beef tenderloin with Apple and Cheddar Crisp Kale Salad, which was absolutely delicious! She also baked the birthday cake we all enjoyed! Thank you, thank you, Kerri!

Jonathan invited everyone over to his house for a meal again! He is becoming quite the exotic chef! And this time he served...Christmas goose!

On the menu: Roasted Goose with Five Spice and Honey, Pink Peppercorn Lemon Thyme Spiced Potatoes, Spiced Pears, Tossed Green Salad, and Chocolate Coffee Babka Wreath.

Hannah helped with the potatoes, which were cooked with some of the goose fat instead of olive oil:

Waiting for the meal to be ready...I am in the far background...just relaxing and enjoying all this special treatment of other folks fixing three of the meals for me! Amazing!

Exploring Uncle Jonathan's property before time to eat:

After the successful meal...we played Five Crowns card game and took photos again for Jonathan's guest book, although the younger ones needed to get back early for bedtime and missed the guest book photo:

All too soon it was time to take the traditional grandparents-and-grandchildren-on-the-sofa photo before Micah and family left headed back to their home! These times don't come often...so we enjoy them when we can:

Then we got down to the business of celebrating Tom's birthday. We were thankful for the warmer weather since his birthday meal request is usually Grilled Pizzas with Diavolo sauce. (To simplify, we use Greek pitas for the personal size pizzas which are sturdy and hold up great on the grill.)

The next day everyone wanted to do an outside activity before the rain began, so these four hiked the Blue Ridge Tunnel and sang the Doxology in the darkness before finishing up the hike.

I stayed home--using the much needed extra time with no one in the house--to finish working on the quilt label and sewing it on before I gifted it later on New Year's Eve. Whew! Washed and dried and finished in the nick of time!

New Year's Eve I received more help in the kitchen for chopping Sunday's veggies. I am grateful for everyone pitching in!  I thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas visitors....we just missed those munchkins in Georgia being here this year!

This post almost wraps up this blog series of our Christmas guests and the fun times we had together.

I do have a few more photos to post about the two quilts I made for gifts....stay tuned for a final Christmas Memories Part 4 ~ the Quilts!

 

~Deb

Christmas Memories Part 2 ~ An Invitation to Jonathan's House

Long time blog readers know that Jonathan has been building his own home over the years in his spare time on weekends and whenever his job doesn't demand his time and attention.

This fall he has gradually been moving his furniture and belongings over to his new place about 15 miles down the road and has moved in. Congratulations, Jonathan!

He wanted to host us this Christmas for a meal when my sister visited, so he did all the planning and cooking....keeping the menu a secret until we arrived.

The house was smelling delish when we walked in, and it was cozy and Christmas-y with candles and the tree's sparkly lights as we awaited the meal:

He had even wrapped and arranged "host gifts" on the counter for each of us. Now that was a special touch to welcome his guests! And that certainly did my momma heart good!

One of the gifts was a bag of sweet treats which we were told was a forerunner of the special dessert he had prepared.

His menu consisted of: Slow Roast Leg of Lamb, Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots, Roasted Potatoes, Toasted Bread, and for dessert a Wreath Cake (with Candied Fruits).

And here are some photos he took and captioned:

Christmas Sweet Treats for the Wreath Cake:

And more goodies:

Colorful simmering:

The cake with all the goodies added:

Well, that was a feast! Thank you, Jonathan, for all your hard work and hosting!

Afterwards he took photos of us for his new house guest book...like he's seen his mom do sooo many times!

1 - 2 - 3 - GO!

My sister, Aunt Bet:

To conclude the evening's activities, we played a couple of rounds of Password...always a fun vintage game!

What a very fun Christmas gathering! Thank you, Jonathan!

~Deb

Best 9 of 2022

Repost from my Instagram....Best 9 of 2022

I think this pretty well sums up our year!

A new grandson, an engagement followed by a wedding, a 70th birthday, special times with my Shug, and quilting.

I couldn't ask for more!

Happy 2023 to all you faithful blog readers who stop by here! ~ Deb

Thanksgiving 2022 ~ Friends and Family Together Again!

We sure hope you had an enjoyable and blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends as you gathered around your harvest table! We wanted to update you and share some photos from our holidays.

We absolutely enjoyed our time in Georgia with Sarah and her family and with her in-laws, who invited us into their home to share their Thanksgiving meal.

Hannah and Christopher drove down from Michigan to join us--our first time seeing them since their wedding! It was wonderful to all be together again!

On our way to Georgia, we split the travel up and stopped to overnight with friends in Tennessee.
They are well-known for their sweet hospitality and welcoming signs, and this sign delighted us as we approached their home:

Our friends treated us to a delicious pre-Thanksgiving feast around their beautifully decorated table!

We toured their home and property and were better able to visualize their swim academy after seeing their pool and hearing success stories of the children who take lessons at their home.

Here I am with my friend Lynn around a warm cozy fire:

I always enjoy seeing how friends' homes are decorated, and these quail on the chalkboard and the saying definitely caught my eye above another fireplace near the kitchen:  "Lord, prepare me for what You are preparing for me."

After we left our friends in Tennessee, we arrived in Georgia with great anticipation for the days ahead!

Then the newlyweds arrived, all the way from snowy Michigan! So good to see them!

First thing on Thanksgiving morning, we started preparing the dishes that we were to contribute to the meal. Here I am making the cranberry relish:

And Christopher and Hannah peeled apples together for the apple pie Hannah was making:

Rolling out her homemade crust:

Quietly reading her Thanksgiving book, dressed in her pretty Thanksgiving outfit:

Grampa found something to do with the boys. He repaired Sarah's cutting board and re-oiled it for her. The boys enjoyed watching and helping:

Arrival at Sarah's in-laws and getting some conversations in before the meal. There were 20 in attendance!

This is the young adult and married couples' table below:

Holiday scenes throughout the evening

Sarah, admiring sister-in-law Abby's newborn daughter:

Brother and sister, Jonathan and Sarah, sneaking in a hug:

The grandchildren loved watching the Georgia Grampa's trains:

And, of course, the evening ended with music!

Christopher played piano:

There were violins and flutes and whistles:

And, of course, an accordion!

And they sang Christmas carols while the grandparents listened, with a kiddie xylophone chiming in:

The day after Thanksgiving was a decorating day...lights, trees, action!

The finished product...looking good!

One evening we had game night..a new one to us called Code Names. Very fun!

After such good food and being inside over the holidays, these three decided to get outside for a much-needed walk in the fresh Georgia air:

This was the very first time Christopher had been in Georgia and his farthest travel down South. But he sure made a good impression on these four kiddies. "Uncle Christopher! Uncle Christopher!"

Uncle Jonnie is a definite fave too!

Well, the weekend flew by! It was time for us to head back to Virginia, and the Michiganders to head north. Here's a quick pic of the kiddies just before church on Thanksgiving Sunday morning:

Christopher and Hannah decided to take advantage of their travels and stopped by the Creation Museum in Kentucky on their way home:

To sum up this Thanksgiving post:

~Deb

AND LIFE GOES ON....CATCHING UP

Where did September, October, and November go?  I'm really wondering! And what has been happening since the busy summer of wedding planning and Hannah and Christopher's wedding?

Well, it almost doesn't seem possible that Hannah has been married for almost three months! Yes, we do miss her a lot but bottom line...she is totally loving married life, setting up her home, preparing meals for her husband, harvesting vegetables, hosting gatherings at their home, making new friends, and becoming adjusted to life in Michigan!

And, yes, our garden girl found a garden away from home, ready and ripe for the harvesting. Here are Hannah and Christopher spending a Saturday gathering potatoes:

And harvesting butternut squash with Christopher's brothers:

Every time I get a photo from her, she is smiling (a lot!) and says she is enjoying it all!

In the meantime, Tom and I were left with a garden that needed harvesting with the last of the veggies and cleaning up before the winter hits. We've been doing it bit by bit, as old folks have to pace themselves! This is no joke!

 

And we did get out and about this fall to enjoy the Skyline Drive and have a picnic. The leaves this year were not very vibrant, but the day was beautiful:

Picnicking on the Skyline Drive with friends:

Other things Tom has been up to include building a brand new lectern for our church. It is definitely an heirloom...a beautiful piece of furniture! Here he is installing it so it would be ready and in place for Sunday's services:

Tom has also become a guitar teacher for our grandson who wanted to learn guitar. They enjoy a long-distance zoom guitar lesson together every Monday afternoon:

Speaking of grandkids...I can't leave the others out! Here's a picture of four cuties ready for church on a Sunday morning:

And these two sweetie grandsons live faraway too! I love getting their pictures on text!

Time to Travel.........

In October Tom and I were able to travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary from back in August...and scenes like this one below were common sights.

   photo credit: The Traveler World Guide.com

Our destination was the Sight and Sound Theater to see a presentation of "David."  Excellent production!

Lancaster is well known for Amish wood-working and quilt shops--perfect for both of us! I visited several of the shops and enjoyed looking around at the quality furniture, fabric, crafts, and quilts:

While we were that far up north, we continued on to Connecticut to visit Tom's siblings. It had been many years since we were up that direction. Here are all four siblings together in sister Ellen's backyard:

We also had a photo session one day with Tom's two sisters who were recipients of a quilt I made each of them:

Here are Ellen and her husband Ed holding the Scrappy Sunflowers quilt I made her for a retirement gift:

And here are Tom and sister Sue holding the Wonky Stars Scrappy quilt I made for her birthday:

One of our activities while there was walking Long Island Sound...a beautiful area and beautiful afternoon:

Our New England visit soon came to a close, and we made it home in time to celebrate Jonathan's birthday with his annual Turtle Cake!

His birthday also consisted of a trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. which he absolutely loved since his passion is planes! 

I told him I could understand how he would love all the planes in the museum....if that yellow plane in the picture below happened to be a yellow quilt on display, I'd love it, too!

And last but not least....Mail Call!!  Look what I received as a late birthday gift...I'll take a late birthday gift like this any day--a beautiful sunflower table runner from my quilty friend, Chris!  Thank you, sweet friend!

Just two old people wandering the streets of Staunton:

Hope you've enjoyed this catch-up post. Everyone have a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

~Deb

Songbook Hymn Quilt ~ Firm Foundation ~ Gifted!

It's time to get back to posting about life in the sewing room! I wanted to show you the quilt I sewed this spring/early summer. I couldn't post pictures until this birthday gift was given away to the intended recipient.

The hymn panels were so fun to sew and color-coordinate with the chapel frames, doors, and steeples. Each hymn was one of my favorites as I worked on it.

The fabric is Songbook created by Stephanie over at Fancy That Design House, and the quilt pattern is called Firm Foundation, written by Anna at My Wandering Path.

 

Here's the quilt on our bed to display each of the chapels and hymn panels:

The back is flannel and was quilted (by Maureen at The Quiltery in Fairfield) with musical notes, which show up well against the solid backing. As you can see from the label, it's being gifted to my friend Kathy for her 60th birthday:

And here are my able-bodied quilt holders getting in on the action!  I have enough fabric and hymn panels to make another quilt, but I have more projects to complete before beginning the same exact quilt again:

So today I traveled to North Garden, Virginia, about an hour away, to rendezvous with my friend at Dr. Ho's Humble Pie...I'd never been there before...yay for new experiences!

It was a fun outing, even though neither one of us ordered their famous pizza pie!

Afterwards, I mentioned I had a birthday gift out in my vehicle for her. After she saw the big gift bag, I'm not sure I surprised her. After all...what could it be but a quilt!? :)

I think she liked it!  Mission accomplished!

Now I need to figure out my next project! Stay tuned for whenever it's gifted.

~Deb

Is That Wedding Music That I Hear?

Is that wedding music I hear?

The bride's adorned and ready to appear.

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear?

 

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

Crimson & Peach Autumn Wedding Flowers by Cristy's Floral

 

The family is preparing for a wedding;

All have been invited to attend.

The bride is standing ready

Waiting for the signal;

When the groom says

"Rise, my children, come on in."

 

 

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

 

 

Is that wedding music I hear?

The bride's adorned and ready to appear.

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear?

 

 

 

 

Soon we'll rise to leave

This land of sorrow

For that ceremony in the air

The Father then will lead us

Through the holy land of splendor

Have you made your preparation to go there?

 

 

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

 

 

Chorus:

Is that wedding music I hear?

The bride's adorned and ready to appear.

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music that I hear?

 

There's heavenly preparation

For the wedding celebration

Is that wedding music-Oh is that wedding music I hear?

 

Songwriters: Phil Cross / L. Kirk Talley

Wedding Music lyrics © Kirk Talley Music

 

 

Well, we just had a wedding! It was a great celebration and time of rejoicing! Hannah and Christopher were a happy and beautiful couple, and the ceremony was truly God-honoring.

So thankful for the many friends who attended! These are just a few...wish we could have snapped a photo of everyone!

And I'm very thankful for the friend who made the beautiful wedding cake and cupcakes! Thank you Jean, cupcake queen!

Credit: Happy Finch Photography

 

Loved seeing these family members in the bridal party, Jonathan and Sarah!

And the happy couple departs....to worlds unknown...as all the guests sing the Doxology as they make their way through all the streamers:

  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! 

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."  ~ Rev. 19:7

 

It was a beautiful wedding, indeed! May the Lord bless you abundantly, Christopher and Hannah!

~Deb

Hannah's Bridal Shower

Looks like there's a party happening!

This past weekend was a very special occasion for Hannah! We traveled to Michigan for her bridal shower, so beautifully given by her fiance's mother and sisters.

The theme of "He has made everything beautiful in His time" was a special verse for each of them, acknowledging God's working in their lives to bring them to this point....in His timing. Thank you to Christopher's sister, Grace, for her artistic crafting of the verse!

As guests arrived, they were instructed...."this direction for the shower, please!"

All the decorations were lovely, especially on this corner cabinet, and the purple hydrangeas everywhere just added the perfect touch:

Here's a view of this side of the room as we began with a Welcome and Prayer.

And if you notice that computer set up in front of the corner hutch, that's Hannah's sister Sarah and little daughter attending the shower virtually all the way from Georgia!! Sooo thankful Sarah could join in!

And a view of the opposite side of the room as we all sang a hymn to begin. You can see Hannah, the guest of honor, on the left with all the generous gifts awaiting in front of her:

Here are two of Hannah's future sisters-in-law who helped put on the shower:

Hannah and I are chatting with Christopher's Grandma, who is a delightful lady!

Beautiful and delicious dessert table:

Drinks provided were Orange-Apple Lemonade and Raspberry-Peach Tea:

Lots of fun conversations and getting acquainted with the Michigan relatives!

So what's a bridal shower without a game or two. Here's Hannah and guests writing down answers to one of the games.

The corner hutch in the photo below belonged to my Aunt Bunny and was passed down to Hannah. It is filled with antique pieces, and Hannah will enjoy it here in her new home:All the guests enjoyed guessing various things about Hannah and Christopher's preferences and how they matched up...Mexican or Asian? Stay home or Go Out? Early Bird or Night Owl?

Also in this photo below, you can see Hannah has brought her quilt ladder (made by Dad) with her various quilts displayed. The mirror over the sofa was also a handmade wood piece by Dad to use in her new home.

Hannah is posing with another future sister-in-law who is married to Christopher's brother. They will live right down the road from each other after the wedding:

Time to open some gifts...and such nice gifts were given. Hannah was very appreciative of everyone's generosity:

These young girls brought her the gifts and helped her open:

At the close of the bridal shower, the groom-to-be made an appearance; and one of the shower gifts--a striking red clock--was installed immediately in just the perfect spot! Love it!

We're back home in Virginia this week with more wedding list to-dos to tackle and cross off the list. I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into our weekend. It was definitely an encouraging time. We're very thankful!

~Deb

 

(photo credit: bridal shower hostesses, thank you!)

70 YEARS...LOVED AND BLESSED!

Well...how in the world did this happen??  I turned 70 over the holiday weekend!

All the family came to help celebrate...and that was absolutely the best gift of all! Here I am with Micah, Hannah, Jonathan, and Sarah:

Don't you think these grandchildren with "Granny Deb" are adorable...on the left is one of Micah's three boys, and the other four are Sarah's children. We definitely missed the boys who couldn't be with us!

I love when the grandchildren want to come to " 'Ginia" to see Granny:

Hannah and her fiancé, Christopher, were in charge of the decorations...inside and outside.

After they decorated, it took me forever to notice that huge "70" in the window! Wonder if I was subconsciously ignoring that fact?!

Outside....there were buntings and lots of red and blue balloons everywhere!

My sister traveled here from South Carolina to celebrate with us and brought some fresh South Carolina peaches for everyone to enjoy. Here's Aunt Bet with Sarah:

These guys grabbed a birthday breakfast of quiche, scones, bacon, yogurt, and fruit:

Tractor and wagon rides have also become a special event for the kids. They loved riding on Grampa's "Buddies & Girlie Express!"

Cousins who very seldom see each other were playing together and having fun racing trucks!

 I'm always thankful when Sarah and Eric are able to travel the many hours with all the kids to be with us:

And, here I am with Jonathan, who was excellent at entertaining the kids over the weekend:

Sarah, our long-time cake decorator, iced the Peter-Paul Mounds cake for the occasion, a cake I've enjoyed for my birthday every year since I was 10 years old, or maybe even younger:

Micah brought in the birthday cake, as everyone sang Happy Birthday to this old lady!

And, of course, lots of nice cards and gifts followed. Thank you everyone!

The next day, in honor of Independence Day, we headed to church dressed in red, white, and blue:

So we could all be together for the Sunday meal, we transformed the living room into the dining room, although a few are missing from this snapshot:

The kids enjoyed some refreshing Slippy-Slide fun on a hot Sunday afternoon, pretend airplane rides with Uncle Jonathan, and in general being the best grand-kids around! In my humble opinion, of course! :)

Grampa's fireworks were part of the celebration that evening. This is what backyard fireworks look like for us:

We had lots of fun visiting with everyone this weekend. It was the first time Christopher had met my sister and also Micah and Sarah and their families in person rather than just on Zoom...so that was extra-special.

 

Then Monday, July 4th, rolled around...and it was time to say a sad good-bye to everyone! Here's a picture of most of the family before they headed back to their homes:

These little people are some of my favorites for sure, dressed in their red, white, and blue! I had the best 70th birthday a granny could have! Thank you to everyone who made it so special!!

 

But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.

~ Psalm 102:12

~~Deb