A Quilt to End All Quilts

Several years ago I saw this ad in a magazine about getting a picture transferred onto fabric. (Now days you can do it yourself on the computer). 

That gave me a brilliant idea!! I'd design and make a quilt about our life. 

So, I designed each square, depicting a place we had lived. We moved around a lot because Elbert was in the Navy but in order to make the quilt rectangular, I had to add more squares. So, I did some of our hobbies on that last row. 

I had no idea about who would end up with that quilt when I was GONE. And, each of the kids started saying it was THEIRS. What to do?

I still haven't decided. I don't quilt anymore so I can't make three more identical quilts so each would have one. Maybe my will administrator can hold a drawing. Who gets the shortest straw? Who gets their name drawn outta the hat? 

But, here is my quilt.... and at the bottom I will tell you about each square so if you want to miss that part you can just look at the quilt and move on! hehe.

Joining with Thankful Thursday and Little Things

1. Jasper, Alabama ....The house where I was born. 

2. Columbus, Mississippi..My and Elbert's marriage license and gold rings. A tiny cake, too

3. Jasper, Alabama where our first child was born. See I appliqued a cut-out of the state represented
     on each square that the children were born. Baby Marie is in a bassinet.

4. San Diego, California, our first home. (The Mexican influence displayed on that square)

5. Panama City, Florida... a duty station where we enjoyed palm trees and the ocean

6. Panama City, Fla. our second child, Steven, was born. He passed away at 3 months. This square
    shows the state and a cross with a crocheted bootie hanging from it.

7. Seattle, Washington... And, Mt. Rainier and a totem pole from the park where we visited

8. Seattle, Wa.. Baby Shirley came along. This square has the state and a rattle.

9. Havre de Grace, Md... Elbert was attending school at Bainbridge Naval Base nearby. 

10. Honolulu, Hawaii... Diamond Head 

11. Honolulu... and Michael was born. This square has a miniature flower lei attached.

12. Midway Island... The sand, the birds, the scaveola bushes

13. The center square is my and Elbert's wedding picture... what started this whole thing

14. Bainbridge, Md. again. This time I appliqued Michael sledding behind our apartment

15. Bainbridge, Md. Susan was born. A black-eyed susan, the state flower

16. Concord, Calif. A mt. I could see out my kitchen window

17. Annapolis, Maryland... perfect duty, my family complete. The Naval Academy Chapel in this pic.

18. Norfolk, Virginia... Elbert was stationed on the USS Boxer. He retired off that ship.

19. Jasper, Alabama... our farm

20. Wakefield, Virginia... our last home together.

last rows: hobbies of fishing, painting, genealogy, quilting and foxhunting. And, I'll have you know I embordiered that foxhound myself. 

A Look at Rye, New York

I so enjoyed my visit with my daughter and her family in Rye, New York. I have always loved that small, intimate town, so charming, so easy to get around in. Tall trees, rock outcroppings, flowers everywhere. You should visit there sometime. 

Me outside La Panetiere French restaurant. 

The streets lined with flags and flowers.

Square House, built in the early 1700s. Serves as a museum in present day.

The oak/acorns on the pebbly sidewalk

And, a one eyed monster of a tree. 

I am linking with Our World Tuesday

A Trip Of A Lifetime

Recently I began posting a memory of mine on Facebook every Monday Morning. My friends/family are enjoying reading my memories and one day I thought... "hey, maybe I will use that for my blog as well". So, here goes. 

Memory Monday....

Oh boy, we were an excited bunch of kids. The Walker County High School Band was going to Philadelphia to march in the American Legion Parade. We'd also be making stops in Washington, D. C. and New York City. Big time for most of us little country kids.

The band director got us our own private train car which would be pulled off to a side track while we did our thing in each city. Then we packed our bags and away we went.

Our first stop... Washington D. C. where we did some sightseeing. Our tour bus passed President Truman out for his morning walk. But, I couldn't get a picture. Yes, I was taking pictures even back then.

Then on to Philadelphia...It was August I think. I do remember it being very hot and our uniform jackets weren't made for summertime marching. People along the parade route would pass us paper cups of water so that we might have a drink as we marched.

Next... New York City. We stayed at the Governor Clinton Hotel, toured the Bronx zoo, some went to the top of the Empire State Building but those of us who weren't ready for such heights got to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. 

One night we were turned loose in the city. Imagine that!! But, we all made it safely back to the hotel.

It was a trip I will never forget. Thank you, Mr. Merck, wherever you are, for making that trip possible for us.

************NOTE: come back every Monday for another memory of mine!

Dismal Swamp Five

Yesterday was Flag Day. I meant to put my flag outside but I never did get it done. Just a small one in the house. Nobody to see it but me!

The photo is not mine... I stole it off Pinterest. 

Not too long ago my daughter Shirley heard me say I'd love to go to the Great Dismal Swamp and she just wheeled into the place and we enjoyed seeing something that I live very close to and had never visited. 

Here I am on the walkway down to the Underground Railway Pavillion. Not much down there but it was good to get out in the woods and walk.

As you can see I am never without my camera. And, when I am walking on unfamiliar ground.. I have a cane for support. So, I was good to get some fantastic pictures.

We saw Lake Drummond. It is named for one of my husband's ancestors. He discovered it back before North Carolina was a state.

So, that's my five for Willy Nilly Friday Five

Old Brick Church

Back around 1960, when my husband was stationed at Bainbridge, Maryland, my Mom and step-dad came up from Alabama to visit us. Most of my family are of Primitive Baptist faith and so one day we drove up to an old historic church in Jarretsville. It wasn't open but we could peek inside through the windows. It was most impressive.

(my family standing in front of Old Brick Church)

Just lately I researched this church online. It is even more impressive now than it was to me back then. 

Old Brick Baptist Church was constituted on the first day of November 1754. The church was built in that year. In 1787 it was repaired, adding wood floors and other improvements. The church itself was constructed of Flemish bond brick. Some say the brick was brought over from England, other say not. The original yellow poplar seats that were put together with wooden pegs were still intact (at the writing of the article online). 

However, in recent years, someone painted the exterior brick with a brick red paint, a true travesty to the integrity of it's historic nature. 

I hope that the proper people take charge of the care of this fabulous old church. It deserves to be preserved. 

D-Day Memorial

           One stop on my recent bus tour trip was in Bedford, Virginia at the D-Day Memorial. 

I had passed the sign several times but had never stopped. It was truly an emotional journey to recall that historic and deadly day back on June 6, 1944. The Memorial started out as just a statue to honor those who died that day and the project took off by leaps and bounds. The original location was to be Roanoke, Va. but it was later decided that Bedford would be the most likely place. Bedford has long claimed to have had the most killed that day per capita than any other city in America. 

Our tour guide walked us over the three plazas, a goodly little walk for us older folks, I might say. 
The first plaza denotes the planning stage for the Invasion at Normandy. There are bust statues of the men involved and a covered life-size statue of Gen. Eisenhower who was the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. 

Plaza 2 reflects the landing and fighting and features the 'invasion pool' and sculptures of soldiers struggling to reach shore and also to crest the high cliffs. There is intermittent burst of water in the pool as 'bullets' are fired. 

Plaza 3 celebrates the victory of the invasion, who had the code name OVERLORD, with a 44' tall arch and the 12 flags of the Allied nations that served in the Allied Expeditionary Forces. 

The site was dedicated on June 6, 2001 by President George W. Bush. One of the biggest donors for the project was Charles Schultz who gave one million dollars. Steven Spielberg was also a large donor. 

If you are ever in that area, please go by and pay your tribute to those who fought and those who died on D-Day. 

Linking today with Willy Nilly Friday and Five On Friday

A Visit From My Daughter

I am having a lovely visit with my eldest daughter, Marie. Most of you know her from her blog, A Colorful World. Due to circumstances 'belong our control' we hadn't seen each other in some years. So, we've been doing a bunch of catching up. 

After years of not driving far from home, I went to the airport two hours away to pick her up. So, I was very proud of myself. Of course, the GPS helped!! 

We've done some fun stuff so I just wanted to share a bit of that with you.... and we have two more days left before she has to leave. 

On Saturday we took a drive into the countryside, swinging through Smithfield where we knew we'd have photo opts. The town has a lot of historic and interesting houses. It's the home of Smithfield Foods (all that ham and bacon, you know). Here's Marie taking pictures of a home for sale on the Pagan River. Oh how we wish we could buy it! 

                             We stopped by Smithfield Foods Corporate Buildings and Gardens. 

On to Surry Seafood Company for lunch. We ate on the patio overlooking a beautiful scene with a slight breeze blowing. The food was yummy and we enjoyed all that so much.

Oh, while on the way to the restaurant we swung in for a 'drive by' at Bacon's Castle. Both of us had done the tour before so we just wanted pictures. This is the site of Bacon's Rebellion in which Jamestown was burned and in which my husbands direct ancestor was hung for his participation. 

                         And, the cotton was ready for picking in a field at Bacon's Castle. 

So, it was a fun day. More to come later on. 

An Old Cotton Gin

I grew up in 'the land of cotton, ole times there are ne'er forgotten' (song "Dixieland"). In my early years before school age I played along the cotton rows while my aunts, uncles and Mom picked cotton. They even made me a sack to hang over my shoulder and I'd shove a handful of the white bolls in ever now and then. 

For Tom's Treasures I want to share a couple pictures I made last year when I was visiting my son in Alabama. He took me for a drive and we discovered this old, abandoned cotton gin. Now, that is a real treasure! 

I liked seeing the building and the machinery but my favorite part was these bales of cotton sitting against the building, just going to waste. 

Hudson River Valley excursion

After wishing for quite awhile, I got to take a drive twice this week up the Hudson River Valley. I posted about the first leg a couple posts ago.

Today my daughter, Susan, drove up hwy 9N, me in the passenger seat, camera in hand. We had a great time. The road was two-laned, not much traffic and there was lots to see. More hills,

mountains, valleys, the river,

 The Palisades rock formations, some cute little towns, fancy houses than I had figured on.

In Rockland County, there were a lot of rock quarries (do they mine rock?) Whatever!! This one is located in Haverstraw, New York. 

Nearing West Point, we came to Bear Mountain State Park. Lots to do there but we'll have to come back some time to take all that in.

 and Bear Mountain Bridge. This bridge was finished in 1924 and at that time was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Nineteen months later it lost it's title to a bridge in Pennsylvania.

Then there is the Army's military academy. We drove around, did no tours (I am lucky these days to drive around, not so great at walking). 

This statue is of Thaddeus Kiseluszko. He designed the West Point garrison defenses during the height of the Revolutionary War. He also wrote the manuel about horse artillary which became an academy textbook.

Of course, I had to have my picture taken. 

This is one of the many military statues found on West Point grounds.

The cadet cathedral is of Gothic Revival architecture. It has the largest chapel pipe organ in the world.

Doing what I love to do.... take pictures.

Some cadets doing military exercises. 

Susan said this building reminded her of 'Hogwarts' in Harry Potter.

There is an Amtrak service that runs along the Hudson River. What a view you would have on that train. This is the same train line as featured in the movie "A Girl On The Train".

And, Michie Stadium.  All I can say is Go Navy, Beat Army. (sorry all you army folks) 

I am linking with Thankful Thursday today for I am always so thankful for our military!!

Going to The Hudson

* I woke up with vertigo this morning. I had it about 3 weeks ago and this time it isn't as bad. Thank you, Lord, for that. With me visiting my daughter in New York, it isn't fun spending my days (and nights) in bed. Today I will link to Willy Nilly Friday

* I wanted to link up to Paint Party Friday today. We went shopping a couple days ago and I bought watercolor pencils. I'd never had any and was very pleased with my first try. This is a shrub/tree in my daughter's backyard. I did it on 8x8 watercolor paper.

* we made a little jaunt yesterday. Went to Sleepy Hollow, New York, and found the cemetery where Washington Irving is buried. The cemetery was so huge and we got lost just driving around the winding roads, over the hills and in the valleys, alongside a stream. My daughter joked that we had to find our way out of there before dark, else the headless horseman would get us. You all have read 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" haven't you? 

* I wanted to go to the Hudson River Valley and so I got to. The park at Crotan on the Hudson gave us some great views of the River. 

*I have enjoyed watching the two dogs here at my daughter's. The big one is Ranger, a Chatham Hill Retriever, very smart and well behaved. He has just become the 'baby sitter' of little Snickers who joined the family recently. They have a great time together and Ranger gets to play parent to the pup. 

I will also be linking this post up to Sunday Sketches when Sunday rolls around.