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May your Halloween be filled with spooky treats!!

A Slow Return ...

My double knee replacement surgery is now 2 months behind me and it has been a very slow journey to full recovery. In an attempt to move forward I decided I would take a stab at returning to my blog! With the "unofficial" launch of the holiday season beginning tomorrow with the "celebration of the dead" ...

Halloween, I am sharing with you just a few snaps of the Halloween sites around southern California.

A very popular attraction in So Cal is Knott's Berry Farm during Halloween. They feature something called "Knott's Scary Farm" and it is SCARY!! I will not go there, it's to creepy for me. This hearse is parked in the center of a major highway to remind "creepy seekers" to visit the farm. Check out the skeleton resting on the roof of the hearse!

Around the corner from my house is this usually adorable home. For now is is crawling (literally) with spiders! Look at the giant one on the roof!!

Along with the numerous spiders is a cemetery full of ghosts! Seriously, isn't that the cutest house ... if you can look past the creepy critters!!

Inside my family room I have hung my Scardy Cat quilt and a few other fall colored quilts. This is about as scary as I like my decorations.

The newest member of my pumpkin patch! This was given to me this morning by my friend Debbie. Using a spool if heavy string, ribbon, a chunky piece of wood for the stem and a sprig of berries I now have a pumpkin that will last as long I like!

 Thank you for stopping by today and sharing with my my Halloween experience. I hope to get back into the habit of blogging more regularly!!

Happy Birthday Paula!

It's been over a month since my last post and I feel like I have been drug through a knot hole backwards. But, I have survived a bi-lateral knee surgery and will share that story another time.

While I was home and recovering a dear friend of mine celebrated her 65 birthday! Since this is a milestone year I felt the need to share a quick post in her honor.

Paula and her hubby Darrell have been in Southern California for most of the summer caring for Darrell's mom who has had a life changing stroke. While here she has made me uber trays of food, chocolate chip cookies, baskets filled with assorted goodies and to top the whole thing off she was here today setting my house up for my fall open house scheduled for tomorrow.

However, last Saturday while my life saver friend Amy was here we hosted a small birthday celebration for Paula!

We had a delicious quiche', salad and cranberry walnut bread! So yummy. For dessert we had a pumpkin crisp pie to die for! 

Here is that delicious pie!! And a close up of her birthday tiara!!

Amy and Paula with their lovely tiara's

Paula with her bag of birthday treasures!!

And finally .... me! Still wearing my pajamas and my very own tiara.

 Paula, I hope your birthday time spent with Amy and I was as fun for you as it was for us!

 

A Bit of a Respit ...

I will be taking some time away from my blog for a bit. After many years of struggling with my arthritic knees I have finally decided it's time to get them replaced with a new set.

Tomorrow morning at 6:00 am I will check into the hospital for an important date with my surgeon. It's going to be a long road of healing etc. but I'm ready for the challenge. 

Today my dear friend Paula brought me a wire basket filled with all things necessary for recovery!!

So many goodies .... movies, magazines, treats and even Chicken Noodle Soup!

My son in law was the best. He brought this bed down stairs and moved the recliner into my sewing room. I have my own little recovery/rehab room complete with a TV, phone and my ever faithful laptop. 

This morning I did my pre-op ...

I've got my wrist band, now they know who I am.

 So, for now my blog will go silent.

Americana Doll Quilt

Yesterday I taught my final class for the 2014 year. With my double knee surgery just around the corner and rehabilitation to follow I felt sure I won't have the "umph" to create and teach any classes for the next few months.

Yesterday the ladies made a 14 x 14 Americana Doll quilt that will double as a checker board game.

Penny is helping one of the gals pin her borders on to hand sew them. Notice the Country Living magazine article below Penny's hand. It's a 1989 Longaberger Picnic basket with a red gingham ruffled liner. The article is in the "What is it Worth" section. This basket was purchased for $59.95 and today's value is estimated at $150.00!

Each of the ladies received this Longaberger Sisters lunch tote filled with their quilting fabric and supplies. Hanging on the from of each bag are 24 wooden game pieces for their finished game boards.

My daughter Tiffany stopped by to check out what the ladies were up too! Susan, sitting next to her is busy at work.

No one actually finished their quilt today as it was all done by hand and takes time! However, with a little perseverance I'm sure they will have them completed soon!

Betsy, my ever faithful blog dog is napping with one eye slightly open and one me. She's making sure I get my job done. What a life ....

 

Nothing Like some New Paint!

My sewing buddies were here today for our monthly sew along. Rita has been gone traveling what seems like forever so it was good to catch up with her. She had a very exciting new paint job for us to preview!

 

I bet you thought it was a car!! Fooled you, it's even better, a new paint job on her feather weight sewing machine. When she left it was black and now it's a beautiful shade of blue!!

 

 

 We weren't just celebrating a new paint job ... we were also celebrating Penny's birthday. Yep, she is just about to turn another year older!!

 

A birthday lunch is ready ....

A pretty rose in an 1868 glass jar ...

A yummy birthday dessert and a happy birthday girl!!

 A wonderful day with great friends!

Things you Don't Usually See ....

A good friend of mine recently celebrated her 60th birthday. We finally coordinated our calendars and were able to get together for lunch and to catch up on life.

I chose a beautiful restaurant in Fullerton known for it's 5 star food and beautiful views. When I pulled up into the parking lot I was expecting to see the parking valet ... instead we were greeted with this ...

A HUGE oil drilling rig smack dab in the center of the parking lot!

I am aware as well as anyone that we are experiencing a fuel shortage ... but drilling for oil in the middle of a parking lot is crazy! It was very loud and very smelly! Fullerton as well as Brea, a neighboring town are known for their crude oil. In it's "hay" day gallon's of the liquid gold were pumped from the ground on a regular basis. 

A wider shot of the drill, it's hard to see but their is an American flag waving in the air high above the rig.

Fortunately were couldn't hear the noise of the drill or the aroma it produced from inside the restaurant!

This English Tudor style restaurant has a stunning view of the above picture.

 After a delicious meal of melt in your mouth Suka Bay Salmon salads we were served these beautiful deserts.

These were both served to Debbie! English Trifle and ice cream filled Pi federals. OMG, they were so yummy!

This one was packed up and taken home with the birthday girl.

 Such a lovey day with a wonderful friend.