Life... it really happens, so does grace.

Because I like blogs that are beautiful, but that are also true, I write today.

I saw these flowers earlier this year on the very same day as Beth's 60th birthday party. I thought that they were so beautiful that I wanted to see them always. Some things are so nice and special that you want them around always. Her party was so fun. I took pictures of everyone and got a lot of silly shots. We all danced. We all celebrated. Beth looked just radiant. It was a wonderful evening.
This evening we are getting together to celebrate her again and to wish her a safe journey in to the next life. I share this to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during her illness but also to bless her daughters and husband as they go on, in to tomorrow and the day after. I picked this picture of Beth holding Mango because I love her eyes in it. She was so happy to meet Mango this day. She just held her and smiled. I like to remember her holding my baby girl.
I like this picture because it reminds me of the dancing at her birthday party. I remember laughing as my sister and Beth danced round and round square-dance style. They looked so sweet. We need to do this sometimes. When we don't know what will be tomorrow, we just have to dance a bit today, not to deny what is happening, but to have the joyous memory to draw upon when it gets really hard.

I love this family. I hope today, that with all of our prayers and support we all can say good-bye to Beth. That when it gets too hard to breathe that we can hold each other's hands a little tighter and know that we are not alone. Beth blessed us all with her life. With love, a droll smile, a really good story, and a welcoming home... things that everyone should know. I am glad that I did and do.

Peace be with you this day

JMB

When you go out in the woods today...

Real life has been too real lately, so I went for a little walk in the garden today. There were two little eyes peeking out of the parsley...

What a sweet little Hedgie made from a formerly loved sweater.
Look at his little sweetie. These were made with this pattern. The base was a little long for my hedgie's body, so I let one of the points hang out as a little tail. I think that I need to make some more. Cute handwork is a salve to the soul.

JMB

Well... I do have to ensconce myself in beauty, because what is the alternative?

I decided that last post could not be what today is about. I have been working very hard to be healthy and to lose weight in a sustainable way. Big Daddy and I were talking one day about incentives, non-food incentives and so OF COURSE, I thought FABRIC! The first three pics are my "I lost 10 pounds and it is STILL GONE!!" (even a month later!) I was so lucky to find the turquoise farmdale flowers, I had to get a nice chunk of it. The Paris map is so fun, I like it next to the squirrel's treasure map (sometimes you just have to laugh.)
I liked these creepy little owls peeking from behind the new Anna Maria Horner, there are a couple more that I would like to befriend. That may wait for the next 10 pounds.
I am such a sucker for bees and those scissors.... I am crazy about the scissors. I really need to cut in to them and put them in a project to use... another mug rug?? I saw the purple bunnies used as a sash on a little girl's olive green dress, it was smashing...little Mango might like some little rabbits. (These were bought here, here, and here.) I love doing some fiber shopping while in Portland.
The owls... I am still crushing on the owls. Rumor has it that someone in my fair city has bought 2 bolts of the larger print... 2 stores are out of it, I want to see that project when they are done!
My favorite local shop, Piece by Piece Fabrics, was purging some of the "older" fabrics...I got deals, deals, deals! Some of these are saved for a Mango dress, or smocky type garb. The color, I am needing these colors during this grey Oregon weather. I bet these would look nice on some pillows for my grey couch. This quilt is folded over the back of it and it greets me with a smile EVERY morning.
Looking at these two like this makes me happy. It sounds bad, but this morning I did buy myself a little bit of happiness. They are in the wash right now, I want to cut into all of them before they become too precious.

Here's to blogging your way out of the dark!

JMB

It is dark right now... but I feel I need the catharsis.

I had something beautiful to share today, because there is so much that is beautiful in this world of ours. That will have to wait for another day, I just really have to get something off my chest.

Dear Cancer,

I really hate you. You are a mutant, creepy and disgusting. I am sick and tired of you making people around me sick. My friend Beth is saying good bye to her family because you just couldn't leave her alone. When I think of the hole that is going to be in this world when she dies it just makes me weep. She will be free of this earthly body AND YOU, but we all will miss her so much. Her grandchildren will never feel her hug or get to go to the Country Faire with her in the summer. That is WRONG. I will miss her silly face that she makes when the "B.S." in the conversation gets a little too thick, her style, and her kindness. AND YOU?! Cancer, you are one rotten piece of crap!!

I am so very pissed that you now have chosen to inhabit my mother's breast and lymph nodes... I am very upset about it. I am angry that we can't just cut you out and throw you away, but that she now has to poison her body to try and kill you. I am so very pissed that I am going to have to explain this to my children, answer their questions the best that I can, but also to say that I DON'T KNOW what is going to be, how long you will stay.

Your timing sucks. Sometimes, I think that if I just had to say good bye to Beth right now, I could deal with that. But having to say "hello" to you, right now, and having some idea that, for the very least you are going to be around for a while... well, you are not welcome here, not at all, I hate you. Stay the hell away from my body.

JMB

Tonya... you did it!

My life as a quilter would be SO much less interesting had I not stumbled across this blog, oh SO many years ago.
Tonya's OPUS arrives TODAY!!! Congratulations, I am a more excited and inspired quilter for knowing you.

This trip of "projects past" brought to you by "the UnRuly Quilter"... all of them (and MORE!) inspired by Tonya's unique style, enthusiastic encouragement and great taste in movies and tv shows.

Thanks! I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

JMB

Today, why I love flickr...

1. Mug Rug Received, 2. thrift store note, 3. Big Bang Theory, 4. figure.8.6, 5. MUG RUG SWAP, 6. Holiday hexagons, 7. collectors pails, 8. Santa Postcards, 9. Trim The Tree Handmade Ornament Swap, 10. Flashback ~ Christmas 2007, 11. framed, 12. Bird Embroidery

If you haven't tried flickr, you should. So much to see!

JMB

A lot has been going on here... is it REALLY December already?

Hi,

Long time no blog here... I have been blogging over here, but it is mostly the nuts and bolts stuff about starting a group (Eugene Modern Quilt Guild). I was driving in the car today and thinking..."wow, our little guild has come so far" and "what was I thinking when I threw this together". We have had 2 meetings and 2 sew-in sessions... and I have met SO many great people, right here in my own back yard. It feels good. Oh yea, and I have also been getting ready for this. This year is my "building" year apparently, or "attempting" year at least. I have done a number of things that TOTALLY scare the poo out of me, and I have lived... and even liked it.

So in the interest of "attempting" things... I whipped up this SWEET advent calendar (if I may toot my own horn...) The best part was IT WAS ALL STUFF I HAD LYING AROUND! Oh my goodness, I have SO much crafting stuff. I like it all! PAPER... GLUE... STAMPS... ZIPPERS... AND THE FABRIC, "my [gosh] Putty" THE FABRIC! GLUTTONY THY NAME IS JESSICA (a.k.a. jmbmommy) I could go on and on, but what would the point be? Getting ready for the Cuppajoy sale has been a blessing, because I now have a better handle on how much stuff I have. I need to use it or lose it.

Using it:

To make this calendar I just did these few things,

1)Brainstormed with the boys about things they might like to do for the holiday season (I did write down "Go to Chucky Cheese" because I do love those boys.

2)After they went to bed, I punched out 24 circles and glued them to 24 tiny clothes pins (big ones would work too, but tiny things are so cute)

3)Wrote down 24 different things to do on little green papers. In years past, my OCD might have made me make these all the same size... but I am being CRAZY, and they are ALL different!! (I did try to plan some of the bigger activities for when they both are out of school. There were some small activities too, like "crazy hair day")

4)Assembled it all together on a piece of museum board that I had cut for a different project that never quite panned out... LUCKY ME!

5) The middle looked rather Large and Black and Blah (you know, LBB?!) So I just stuck a piece of fancy schmancy paper there. I even USED some of my fancy schmancy scrapbookery-type letter stickers (I can't be buried with them... they are 2 years old!) I added something simple and classic, kinda catchy.... Merry Christmas... on top of that and VOILA'!

Another advent calendar DONE! And I only started it a day late!

There was ANOTHER flickr swap... yes, My name is Jessica and I am a flickr swap addict. BUT, this one was small, just a mug rug (translation: smaller than a placemat, bigger than a coaster). I was stricken Thanksgiving week with a MOST HORRIBLE strep throat... I did not want THOSE cooties anywhere near my rug, so I finished it just in time AFTER I took the antibiotics. Phewwww...
You make... but also you receive.... here is my beautiful new afternoon coffee friend! I love it!!! The little deer is such a dear and it makes me smile when I look at those backwards letters. Thanks!! It was from this nice new friend.

That is the short wrap up... I have so much to share. I believe that if I just make a plan that I will be able to blog all the things that I want to... we will see if I can make that a reality too. Thanks for sticking with me... I was just thinking, if you too forgot to make an advent calendar this year, you could always adjust it and make it a "12 days of Christmas" calendar. Your kids will still like it.

Peace in this Season

JMB