In Memory of My Dad

I have been out of the loop for so long that I wonder if anyone remembers me? If you will recall, my Dad moved into our home in Arizona the beginning of October. We were blessed to have him here for three months. He had his problems with oxygen and breathing, moving about, and so forth. He always maintained his positive attitude and his sense of humor. He passed away very quickly on January 3. He kept us laughing til the end. That morning he said to me, "Do you think it is worth it to get another haircut?" I looked into his sparkling clear blue eyes and we both laughed. Who knew that he would be gone that evening? 

Because of my faith I know that when my father reached the final rung in his ladder of life, he kicked off that weary old body and stepped into eternity to join our mother Louise, and other loved ones.This is what takes the sting out of death. While we mourn his loss, we find joy in our faith in eternal life and eternal families. I feel like Dad is kicking up his heels to be rid of his failing body. It's funny, but no matter how old he was, I always saw youth in his eyes. That spark of who he really is was always shining through. We all loved him for that and for the love he gave us as family and as individuals. He made it his business to stay close to his friends and to each family member, including his great-great-grandsons who were here recently.

This photo is from Dad's 90th birthday last February, 2013. That's me on top, Granddaughter Becky, my daughter Polly, and Micah and Grey, Dad's great-great-grandsons. Five generations! Becky wrote a lovely post about Dad that expresses who he was and how much he loved us.

Dad's full name was Wallace James Winspear, Jim to his friends. He was born in Buffalo, New York in February 1923. He left behind five children, 23 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. 

We are so blessed to have had him in our lives and for the love and example he has given us. We cherish our memories and hope we can reflect his attributes in our lives. 

Until we meet again dear Dad!


 "Maybe I should talk about my future, but I don't know what will happen there. 
Actually, that is pretty exciting -trying to figure out what will happen in the future. What is it like? What do we do? How will we eat, love, move, breathe?  On one hand I can't wait to get there. On the other, I don't want to leave the ones I love here. So, I guess it's all the hands of our Heavenly Father and he's done a pretty good job of me so far. My life has had a lot of really good stuff happen so we'll see what the future brings. 
As for you, you have your whole life still stretched out in front of you and that sounds pretty exciting to me too."
Excerpt from a letter from Grampa Jim to Becky

Lifetime Achievement Award goes to my dad!

I have been gone so long from my blog that I feel like I am quietly slinking back and pretending that I have been here all along. I feel like I have been, as I keep thinking that I need to write about one thing or another. Those of you who are kind enough to keep up with me may recall that I have been in Arizona since before Christmas. I delayed coming back to Virginia because my Dad was about to celebrate his 90th birthday and we were planning a big party. Two weeks before his party he suffered a stroke. It was not a really bad stroke, but bad enough that it jarred us from our reluctance to admit that he was really that old. He has been, for the most part, very healthy and active. The stroke did slow him down, but by the time his party rolled around he was doing very well, thankfully. He is not up to speed on his former energy level, or his reflexes, or his memory for that matter. But he still does very well. We are so grateful for his good health and his wonderful attitude about life. My brother presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award! Isn't that neat?

 My Dad, Jim Winspear, surrounded by grandchildren and greats!

His party was amazing! Family came from all over the country to celebrate with him. We paid him tribute in words and in song and dance. It was so much fun. I wrote more about it HERE on my family blog.

 This is my darling granddaughter Becky (mother of the twins). She is wearing a dress that my grandmother made for my mother when mom was about 16 years old, I am guessing. This is such a darling cotton dress and looks so cute on Becky. So it was made by Becky's great-grandmother! What a treasure!

I have hardly sewed a stitch this year. I am in desperate withdrawal. I worked on a couple small things in January, but left them in AZ. 
I am doing crazy things, like trying to start the microwave with my ATM code, and things like that. I still recognize the improbability of that, but let's face it, I am spacy in the morning. Later that afternoon we went to the Social Security office to apply for benefits. Do you think there may be a connection? I'd like to warn you young 'uns that the years between 45 and 65 go quickly and do not end up with pretty results! But you can find happiness at every stage of life and for that I am grateful. My dad is the best example!

Pilgrim's Pride

I was thinking this morning about my ancestors and the great heritage they have left me. I am pretty sure that most Americans can say that they came from families without much money. I know I can. My family tree consists of paupers and Pilgrims, pioneers and patriots. Maybe even pirates, who knows? Yes, Patchs for sure! But no where on my family tree do I see dollar signs. They were salt of the earth, working class people. They did what they could and what they had to do to take care of their families. My grandfather went to college in Chicago to become a chiropractor. He never got to practice. Instead, the depression came along and he drove trucks. My grandmother didn't have a job outside the home, but what a worker she was! Though she was raised on a farm, she ended up living in the city of Buffalo, NY with a garden in her backyard. My grandparents rented out rooms in their home to make ends meet, and their children slept in the attic. Trust me, this was no bed and breakfast! At one point my father's parents lost their home and could not find a place to move into as soon as they needed. My mother's parents told them that if they got desperate they could stay in their cellar. Well, they actually did become that desperate, and for a few months they took up residence next to the furnace in a very small room with only a bed. This must have been in about 1947 because I remember (and I was only a year old) calling down the radiator grill in the floor to my grandfather and hearing him call back to me. A sweet memory for me, not so great for them.

Another family of mine lived on the plains of Alberta, Canada. They farmed their land and fought the elements and whatever else life threw at them. They were Mormons and from them I got my faith and my fat legs. No, not all Mormons have fat legs, I just happened to have been blessed doubly. 

My Great-great-grandfather Davidson died from an accident while chopping wood with an ax. No doctors were in the area and one of the boys rode as fast as he could to Lethbridge to get a doctor. The doctor wouldn't come. He said it wasn't worth the ride as grandfather would be dead by the time he reached him. Turns out he was right. 

When it came time for the crops to be harvested, neighbors came from all around, bringing their own harvesting equipment (whatever they had back in 1897) and they harvested all the crops for Grandma Davidson. I suspect there are many, many stories like this across America. Communities pulling together to take care of their own. 

Granted, this story took place in Canada, but the community spirit is the same. My grandmother used to love to sing Oh Canada.I love to sing America the Beautiful! I love this song! It is emotional and stirring and full of wisdom and inspires us to be better people, better Americans! It unites us! Click on the link and read the words. They are amazing. 

 America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea! 

 My heritage was built on the backs of my ancestors, and they came from many different countries to build this nation into something great. They were paupers and Pilgrims, Pioneers and Patriots! I bet yours were too!

Twice Blessed

Time for some twin talk! To update new readers, my grand-daughter delivered twin boys on March 4, 2011. 

She has been keeping us posted daily on her own blog with photos and info. Her mother, my daughter Polly, has been staying with them for the past couple of weeks, along with her sister, Kathryn, shown below.  

(Becky's sister, Polly's daughter, my granddaughter and now aunt to twins!) 

As you can see, Aunt Kathryn gets her turn taking care of her very own Bitty Baby! 

 Isn't this the cutest little bundle? But wait, there's more!

 Hey buddy, you awake?

Here are the boys, each with their own quilt. The boys are identical, the quilts are similar but different enough that they will someday be able to tell them apart. It remains to be seen whether we will be able to tell the boys apart.

Here is Aunt Kathryn keeping a diaper tally. Wow! 24 per day!!

 This lovely lady is Travis's grandmother. She has four grandchildren who have identical twins! Can you believe that? And they say the splitting of the egg is just a fluke. 

Makes one wonder.

 There are more photos of these beautiful babes 

than I could possibly share, but I have to leave you with one last image that was created last weekend after it snowed in Utah.

 SNOW BABIES!!

Kathryn and Travis had some fun!

Come back and see us again. 

My OCD

I have edited this post from its original form as I was trying to line up photos and that didn't go so well. I have been working on new pattern covers, and that has taken up some time. But they are coming along nicely. I have always loved this little log cabin design! Just a normal LC, but the border makes me happy. You may have noticed a trend with me and two ended borders. Don't ask, I have no answer. I just get a kick out of that.
I seem to have a touch of OCD when it comes to certain things. Quilting for sure, and then my second passion is family history, or genealogy. Like  sewing, I became involved in this at a young age and the interest has stayed with me. Since I was a child I began writing down names and dates and bits of stories. Over the years I have compiled quite a lot of family information. I have had the pleasure of interviewing people who were distantly related and ended up forming wonderful relationships. I think old people especially love to share family information and to know that someone cares. You reach an age where life spins around you and it is nice to know you still have something of value to share. I am not quite there yet, but I can see it approaching! (The old thing is chasing me down!)

Anyway, I have become reacquainted with my cousin, who became interested in family history, and she is driving down here from Buffalo, NY this week so that we can share family information. I am so excited. Thanks to the internet we re-united and have each been searching ancestry.com, etc. 

 Now to clean up my house so it is presentable for company. Too bad I am not a bit more OCD about that!

 

MIXED NUTS

This little granddaughter of mine always keeps us laughing. I have to share her latest remarks. I was talking to her mother on the phone the other day and she commented that there was a deer lying under the tree in her backyard, and then she saw a couple more lying there. She said to me, "I wonder where the babies are? We usually see babies by now". My little Plumpkin pipes up and says, "Maybe they grabbed their stomach and said, ugh, I have to lay down".  Plumpkin just turned five years old. Many of you have seen little bits of her on my blog over the years. Thank Heavens God invented children! They bring such joy into our lives!

After meeting so many big designers in the business, I have to say that this may have been my biggest thrill! This is Monica Patch and her mother, Karen Bennett, of Nellie's Needle. They design patterns and had a lovely booth at Market. Monica handed me a brochure as I passed her booth on the last day of market. When I saw the name Monica Patch on the flier I did a double take! When I saw her 801 area code (Utah) I knew we were related. We had a wonderful visit. Our husbands are first cousins and I have always loved her husband who is the same age as my kids. She and her mom came over to my SIL's where Joan and I were staying, and we got to know them a little. Great people, great patterns! Check them out!   

This is one of Monica's darling quilts. You have to take a close-up look at it. It has yo-yos all around the inner border! She shared her secret construction methods with me, but you need to buy her pattern for all the info. What a clever girl! (I just looked at their website and couldn't find the pattern!--Sorry. Hopefully it will be out soon).

This booth was so adorable! Riley Blake is a fabric company out of Salt Lake City. If their booth is any indication, I would say that they will be a noticeable force in the market very soon. 

If you read all the way to the bottom of this post, you deserve to know that I plan to have a give-away very soon! Come back again!

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

The past few weeks I have been watching as my living room has been transformed. We took out old sliding doors and windows and replaced them with french doors and more attractive and more efficient windows. The man doing the work also added wider trim around two doors and another set of windows in the living room. The painters came in and everything became whiter and brighter! We haven't got the furniture and decor all back in place yet, but what an improvement! We actually thought we would rebuild the fireplace at a different time, but a couple coats of white paint and it is a huge improvement there also. Oh, and I painted the front door red! I love that too! (I forgot to put a grid between the photos so they kind of blennnd...but you know!)

We have more work ahead of us. Now we are dealing with the issue of wood floors. There are so many types that we are overwhelmed. We want really dark floors, kind of distressed or handscraped wide planks. Any advice from someone who has done this with happy results? I want brands and colors! Solid, or engineered? I am grabbing for a life-line here! Too many choices!

In the course of cleaning and refreshing my surroundings I decided to hang these wonderful old photos of my grandparents in my bedroom. I wish I could get a photo of the effect of how they look in the room, but that didn't work so well. I had to take quilts of the wall to make room, but I am pleased with the results. My mother always had both of these hanging together and I loved that, but space would not permit in this case. Above is my grandfather, Celo Chambers, and his little brother. They lived in Punxsutawney, PA. 

This photo is of my grandmother, Mary Payne (Chambers), and her brothers, John and Billy Payne from Mt. View, Alberta, Canada. Aren't they delightful! These three have their names on my Ancestor Quilt that I have discussed in previous blogs. It is difficult trying to get a picture of a photo behind glass. these are both large photos and I didn't want to remove them from the ancient frames. I was able to get good shots by taking the picture from a bit of an angle so the flash didn't glare off the glass.

Thanks for stopping by, and come back again for something quilty, if that is what you are after!

COMING TO AMERICA

One thing you should know about me is that I am nothing if not obsessive-compulsive. I dive into quilting and cannot pull myself away. The same is true of family history and genealogy. I have not been involved in the genealogy for quite a while, but recently have been drawn back into it. Maybe it is the upcoming family reunion in Utah in August, and the ancestor quilt I am making. (You see how nicely I drew two of my compulsions together?) Yesterday I decided to re-type a short history of my great-grandmother's. The photo copy that I have is old and beginning to fade, so I now have it typed in a folder on my computer. The history is very brief, and some of the details are heart breaking.

The family's name was Scow. They left Denmark in 1866 to immigrate to Utah to join the other Mormons who had gathered there under the direction of Brigham Young.Their five children were ages 1, 9,12,14 and 18. First they traveled by steamship to Hamburg, Germany. Then on May 25, 1866 they boarded the sailing vessel Kennelworth and spent fifty-two days on the Atlantic Ocean before landing in New York on July 18, 1866. From there they boarded a train to carry them northward through New England. In Canada they had to travel on dirty and uncomfortable freight and cattle cars to Michigan and then on to Chicago. The heat was unbearable this time of year.  Finally reaching Quincy, Illinois they boarded a steamboat that took them to Wyoming, Nebraska. Oxen teams pulled wagons that carried them the rest of the way to Salt Lake City, Utah. The wagon carried their family of seven plus three other women, provisions and furniture. Considering the way we travel today, can you even imagine what this might have been like? 

Nine year old Sam became ill with malaria fever and still had to walk most of the way. Grandmother prayed for his life and for four days they expected to have to bury him. They even had burial linens prepared. Finally Grandmother retired to a quiet spot and asked the Lord to forgive her for presuming her child should be saved while she had seen so many others buried by the side of the trail. She said, "Thy will, not mine be done". Sam began recovering and by the time they reached Salt Lake City he could walk by holding on to things.  

As they approached Salt Lake City they were met by people carrying baskets of fruit which were freely distributed among them. I imagine they wept with joy.

Their trials were not over, but this part of their journey was. I feel fortunate to know this much about them and what they endured. The personal history was written down as my Great-Great-Grandmother, Catherine Scow Davidson, told it. She was 12 years old during this time. I was able to find other information on line that discussed the very group that they traveled with, both on ship and by wagon. What a thrill for me to be able to add more details to this story! I am so proud to be a descendant of these people and so grateful for their sacrifice. I know they are not unusual in their struggles, they are just mine! 

A WEEK IN PROVO

Yes, a week in Provo, not Provence, but we loved it!  We got home from Utah late last night and we are still recovering. After sleeping most of the day, I just showered and am now pouring myself a Diet Coke. Ahhh.

We spent a delightful week with my son Renn, wife Keira, and baby Isaac Michael! Isaac is three weeks old and we loved every minute of time we had with him. He coos and gurgles and squeaks and even smiles sweet little baby smiles as tho he is having the best dreams. Sometimes when his daddy starts laughing at something he appears to laugh as well. A good omen, as we laugh a lot in our family. This was their first Christmas together as a family and it was wonderful to be able to share it with them.

I will try not to overwhelm you readers who are looking for quilt-action here, but having just returned from what is facetiously called Happy Valley you must forgive my exuberance in baby sharing!

More later on my visit to The Corn Wagon Quilt Shop in Springville, Utah.

It was snowing in Utah yesterday and we were afraid our flight would be cancelled. Son Renn drove us to the airport, and it got icier as we progressed. We got there by 10:15am and found our flight had been changed to leave at 1:00, an hour later. We watched out those big airport windows and saw the snow stop and the ground visibility clear. What a relief! We caught our connection in Dallas with no problem and got home late, but happy to be home again. Sigh. Yes, Dorothy is right, there is no place like home!

And I really should add Happy New Year to all!

Oh Happy Day!

The wedding! It was Saturday, October 10, 2009, at the LDS Mt. Timpanogos Temple. It is a beautiful temple nestled in the foothills in American Fork, Utah. The bride, Rebeccah Froelich, is shown here with her beautiful mother (my daughter) and her sisters, Lisa Tsang, Kathryn and Mary.

Oh these pictures are all scrambled, so I will try to give you some details of the past week. Above is the quilt I made for Becky's wedding. I actually made it a few years ago and never had it quilted. When she announced her wedding I decided that this would be a lovely wedding quilt. Rosemary Skinner, a local quilter, did a beautiful job on the quilting. I got a lot of compliments on the quilt at the LQS, and I am happy with the way it turned out. I hope Becky loves it too. The pattern was in a magazine, I think McCall's Quilting, a few years back.

This photo shows Becky and Travis Pitcher in the center, with Becky's parents, Polly and Chris, on each side. Everyone is glowing with happiness! It was a good day!
The photo above shows Becky with her two short grandmothers! Me, and Mary Brandt of St. Michael, MN, both quilters! I know Mary made Becky a quilt also, but I haven't seen it yet.

There are more photos, but this gives you a quick view of the big event.
This photo shows my husband, and my pregnant daughter-in-law, Keira, and her husband, my son, Renn. They were married earlier this year and are expecting in December. Look at those beautiful bright mountains. That is the view from my son's backyard. I haven't pent any time in Utah in many years and it was really nice to be there. The weather was lovely--sunny and cool, but not cold. We enjoyed seeing friends and cousins that I haven't seen in a very long time. Everything was lovely and I am happy that it is over! Now I am at my son Matt's house in Mesa, AZ. It is beautiful here this time of year and I have more relatives to visit. The fun never stops!

Thank you to all you nice friends and your kind words in my last post regarding my husband's sister. I haven't had a chance to visit everyone yet, but will begin trying to do that. Michele's comment about sunshine and shadows certainly describes what life is all about. We know quilts that follow that plan, but I never applied the term to life's joys and sorrows before. It is so applicable. More later!

FLYING INTO THE WESTERN SUN

Joy and sorrow have taken their measure this week. First our sorrow at the passing of my husband's 51 year old sister, Liz Armbruster, of Simpsonville, SC. It was a shock to all of us. She suffered a brain aneurysm and quickly left us. She and her husband had six children, two are seniors in high school, two in college, two working and not living at home. We are suffering from the shock of it, as she seemed to be in perfect health. You just never know, and that is the truth. I won't dwell on this, as you don't know her, but there is no shortage of reminders to cherish each day and love those around you. When this type of shock comes into my life I am like a mother hen and I want to gather my chicks around me, for their sake or my own I do not know.

Now for our regularly scheduled program before I share the good news.
Saturday night I took a class for this quilt, Western Sun. I signed up for it three weeks ago, and at the time I thought, "what are you thinking?" (Do you ever think, "what are you thinking?"?) The class was from 6:00 to midnight. I figured I would leave early, but wouldn't you know it, there was a magnetic pull to my sewing machine, perhaps brought on by the Western Sun as it dropped out of sight. I stayed till midnight and really enjoyed working of this project, as well as visiting with everyone.

I first saw this design in Barbara Brackman's book, Butternut and Blue. I loved it! I always hoped to make it one day. That is why, when it was offered as a class, I jumped at the chance. Well I ask you, could you have resisted?
Above is our delightful teacher, Sue Troyan. Sue teaches lots of different classes and is always a hit. She works magic with reproduction fabrics, and this quilt surely demonstrates that. Sue also has unlimited skills and techniques up her sleeve and energetically shares them in class.

So now you see I have succumbed once again to diving into another project. If you ask how many I have in the works I could not honestly tell you. But this one I could not resist, and if I could I would sew madly on it for a couple weeks, BUT, I have other news!

My darling granddaughter Becky, (remember Becky who stayed with us last summer?) is getting married Saturday, October 10, in the L.D.S. Mt. Timpanogos Temple in
American Fork, Utah. I am leaving tomorrow, flying into the Western Sun, for Utah! We are all in a tizzy getting everything lined up for the big event.

So I am ending this post on a happy note. We live, we love and hopefully we find happiness and share it with those we encounter along the way. I will be back in a week or so with photos!

BIG WEDDING

Here is our beautiful bride and new daughter-in-law, Keira Patch! The pictures were taken outside the Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka: Mormon) in Las Vegas, Nevada. My youngest son, Renn, finally snagged this darling girl after a long search! We couldn't be happier with his choice, and also hers, of course! They will continue living in Provo, Utah for a while as they are both working and going to school there.

They both look so happy!

For those of you who follow my blog and have become my friends, I hope you enjoy a few of our family photos. Below, Renn and Keira, of course; and Renn and his nephews, and Grampa Jim, and our little Plumpkin with my husband--isn't that the cutest photo? She is also pictured with her dad, aka: the pharmacy student who may or not love me (see previous post).

We were so happy to be able to come from all across the country to celebrate Renn and Keira's wedding. I love my family so much and enjoy their company and affection when we are able to be together. Usually when the group is this large it is difficult to get enough time with each individual, and of course that one on one time is where we are best able to forge intimate bonds of love and friendship. We look for more of that in the future.