First Snow ~ Baad Foto

Sorry no pics of frozen precipitation but believe me when I tell you my front yard is the premier magnet for snow in NW Indiana. I had to bust out the snow boots to get to my truck to find the snow brush so I could clean off my car. Heavy wet stuff and it aint even Halloween yet.
I suffered a bit of ridicule at work because apparantly I came in looking like Nanook Of the North. No snow on the way to work or anywhere near the building.?!
I will be prepared though...last winter the old truck blew a tire at 04;30 am and I had to walk back home on the coldest day we had yet.
so don't even start with me.
We had an ISO compliance meeting today. Nothing exciting but since I was shipped off to a different department today , I went to it before the rest of my usual coworkers.
You would have thought I had come back from some secret SPY mission...some people need to get a life.
Speaking of just that... highlight of my day? : homemade pizza at lunch and ice cream!
Lowpoint? Tack welding brackets for braces for 9 hours.C-O-M-A !
Several weeks ago the entire workplace had their pics taken for new ID badges and security system. There was an expensive looking camera on a tripod and a backdrop and everything. It looked like a real photo shoot. Today we get our new badges which look like they were printed on a home printer set to the rough draft setting. My head looks like a pumpkin. A better shot could have been made by my freakin cell phone.
Speaking of Halloween........
So.Very. Bad. Everybody was complaining about it and tomorrow should be very entertaining checking out the casualties.
I threatened to paste a pic of one of my chickens over my head shot.
(Scroll up and down quickly. See! We all look a LOT alike!)

Seriously! Who could tell the difference ??I'm so sure.
We're all a lovely golden orangey ...

Silk Scarves Commission

Earlier this summer I was approached by my Aunt who asked if I would be interested in creating a piece for her.
She had been wearing and collecting silk scarves for most of her professional life, purchasing from artists and when she had an important event or occasion to commemorate.
Unfortunately her home sustained a water leak into the basket which contained almost every single scarf she had amassed. The scarves were ruined by the dyes rubbing off on one another ,but were saved in hopes of salvaging to another purpose.
As a quilter I am, of course, familiar with this concept of converging disparate parts of textiles into a newly useable form.
This will be the first time I have constructed a piece from mostly silk and also the first time I blog about the project process from start to finish.
I have a simple design idea to start out with, but am open to the prospect of the inevitable evolution of the finished product.

Laura Armeta Barnes 1923-2008

Christmas 1964 and 2006
Last Wenesday evening my Grandma passed away. She had been in the Alzheimer's unit at a local nursing home for the past 16 months.Our family had hoped and prayed for a peaceful passing ; she had diminished to a confused whisper of herself both mentally and physically. My Mom ,myself and Grampa were there when she left. She was probably waiting for all family members to come say goodbye, somehow. I couldn't visit on a regular basis, fearful that this newer memory of her would be unbearable and somehow override all the fond childhood memories. I was the first Grandchild ,born on their 22nd wedding anniversary.
after the initial shock of seing her so close to the end of her life,I felt a stange sense of calmness and accepting. Appropriately enough, my Mom and I were with her at the end ,pulling threads through on a quilt that needed to be done by that Friday for our Quilt Guild show that weekend.I don't think she would have thought it was a pretty quilt, but she would have been helping us finish it just the same.
My Grandma was the pure definition of the word. My Mom's Mother, full of kindness,generosity,grace and warmth.She was an accomplished seamstress, tailoring and sewing countless garments for her children and grandchildren. Always there to hem or alter a garment when we were growing up. Her love of "material" was passed on though my mom and myself. I have many fond memories of going to the fabric store with her and spending time in her sewing room which smelled like emeraude perfume and spray sizing.My sister and I laughed at our too long dress pants for the funeral. She was trying to hem hers, I gave up and had brought the painters tape.Our Grandma had spoiled us with her willingness to sew for us.
The funeral service infortunately , in my eyes, was an unfortunate dis-service. I had not been to many funerals but I thought the whole idea was to give a happy snapshot of that person's life. The pastor told stories that were for sure out of context for they were given to him by family members. Somehow they were reduced to the dogmatic delarations of the consequences of Sin ....etc....blah blah.
I was so very offended by this man's proclamations that had I known , I would have gotten up and (as my Aunt Kathy so perfectly stated "Sit down buddy, I'm telling the stories,I'll let you know when I'm done!") given a more accurate portrayal of the love ,kindness and grace that was my Grandma.
My Grandma was 40 years old when I was born on their wedding anniversary.She would have been 85 this December 11,2008.
Myself at 44, I hope to continue to remember how my Grandma lived her life, and to hopefully somehow follow her example.If I live to be the same age I have 40 years more to strive to live my life to the fullest .
As she would say "I'd better get busy!