Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Masks, Goodie Bag, Ham Bone, Debris, Campfire and a Chalk Painting......

Summer posted this pic to my Facebook page today!


I love it!!!
And I love being able to DO something!
It's not much but it's SOMETHING!


And I love it when my loved ones send me pics of them wearing the masks I made for them.
Chandy is in a high risk pregnancy to start with so I was really glad to see her taking every precaution.


Good job, Sweet Girl!!
We are so looking forward to when we can travel again and make our way to Big Spring to see her and the family! She is due in August. Piercyn has his birthday April 30th and we were in hopes of being there to celebrate with him. That's not happening now but I am starting a denim quilt for him.


The fabric stash I am making masks from was given to me by my friend, Louise.
She's the mother of the twins we love so much and the son whose wedding anniversary we celebrated right before everything shut down! Who knew that would happen??
If I run out of all she gave me - I still have lots of light weight denim to use.


Pam scored another card of eleastic bands for me!
Normally I sew for at least 2-3  hours a day but I was only at the machine for about an hour this Wednesday. And speaking of days. I lose track of them sometimes but this week I seem to be a day ahead. And when I wrote on the blank pages of my kitchen planner - which is usually covered in appointments, plans and things to do - I wrote down what I did on Tuesday on Thursday's spot.
I think I will just turn the page next week and try again to keep up with the days.


I made this mask from a State Farm shirt Brenda donated to the cause.
She will pick it up tomorrow. I got three other adult masks and three children's from the one shirt.
Plus the one for Brenda using the State Farm patch.


I have plenty of masks lined up and ready to sew.
Today I mailed a few off to a friend in Alabama and it made me feel so good to be able to share with her. We are truly in this together and I feel so much closer to my friends when I can physically make and share something with them.

If you need a couple of masks, please don't hesitate in letting me know.
 I will count it a blessing to be able to sew and send them  to you.
There are several groups on Facebook who are making them by the hundreds and sending them to nurses and health care providers. I can't sew that fast so I decided my mission would be to sew and send them to friends and family. So far I have made about 80 masks. I've picked up my speed as I went along and now I can make one in about 10 minutes if it's already cut out.


Kimmy came by yesterday and picked up the masks I made for her and June.
She left behind a goodie bag for me that they put together back in January when I was recovering from knee surgery. That seems like so very long ago.....


They had flu and sickness so didn't want to infect me and waited until they were well ....and then the Coronavirus happened. Or Covid 19. I was texting Amber this afternoon and called it Clovid 19!
She said I made it sound like a plant! We had a good laugh over that!

I think their timing was perfect! I needed this pick me up more now than I did then!
Thank you, Kimmy and June for always thinking about me!

In other news today......


As soon as I woke up good I started a pot of beans with that delicious meaty ham bone from Stephanie! I cut enough ham off to serve for a late lunch for Louis Dean along with a sweet potato casserole I made yesterday.
Tuesday was a good day even though I didn't make a journal entry of it.


I watched Harriet......
and it was excellent!
Harriet Tubman has been  Summer's life long heroine.....
and we studied her life when homeschooling with Amber and Benjamin.
She was such an amazing woman and my heart swells with all that she achieved.
If SHE could do what SHE did.....surely we can shelter in place and do what WE need to do at this point in our history. It kind of put things in perspective for me.


I finally hauled the spring and summer decorations down from the storage building.
I am seeing them with fresh eyes just as I did with last year's fall and Christmas things.
I piled a tub full of things that I don't love and pulled debris off of several wreaths.
Then I hung them on the short fence that covers our AC unit.


This is the back wall I painted a few days ago.
I know it's neurotic to decorate the outside walls of a house just as you would the inside - but I am the first to admit I have more than a few neurotic tendencies.


My motto has always and forever will be - more is always better!


That's real ivy growing under the shelf and I am so enormously pleased about that!
This ivy came from cuttings from my son Jesse and Leigh Ann's first home.
I thought I had lost it all when the elm tree was cut down and all the ivy was trampled and died but this remains and I smile every time I see it.


I washed down this wreath and garland tonight and will decide what to do with it tomorrow.


The trash cans hold bark from that elm and Louis Dean uses it to start his campfires.


Tonight, though, he used a big chunk of the old elm and added a topping of pecan shells!
He spent over three hours sitting in the gazebo shelling pecans tonight!


I close this journal entry with a photo my friend Carol from North Carolina shared with me.
Her grandchildren did this chalk painting for the Easter weekend to share with their neighbors.
That sweet dog just added to it!

I sew masks. Carol's family makes chalk paintings. Some share food. Others run errands for those who should not get out. Notes and letters are being written and put in the mail. 
Bags arrive on porches. Prayers are being prayed. 
We are all doing what we can with what we have where we are.




21 comments:

  1. I think of the two of you often and am so glad you are both doing well. Making masks is such a good thing to do. Joe found some masks in the store and was able to get 20 of them. I am hoping and praying that we come out of this virus shutdown soon. But it just looks worse for us every day.

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  2. Your wreaths look so beautiful lined up on the fence! And the fire picture is beautiful. Your goodie bag looks so nice and varied! Well...since you are offering, I will take you up on the masks!! They are really lovely and fancy. I do not have a sewing machine. Tried to make a no-sew mask, but cannot breathe thru it. Made one for Phil, and he can breathe a bit. So I would really appreciate it if you made one for me! Gosh, you are really helping so many people! And I have done almost nothing, except making my Deacon calls. Phil & I are both extremely high risk.

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  3. Maske yapman ne güzel bir davranış. Tebrikler.

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  4. You, my dear BONUS Grandmother that God blessed upon me and so many others, are such an amazing loving woman. I love reading about your day and what my silly Granddad is up to. I love yall!!!! I miss you both so much ❤

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  5. Well you are certainly staying busy. I am thankful for this time to have my daughter able to spend time with her daughter. She has worked since the grand doll has been born and she is finally able to see what a day with her is like- the good and the bad.

    I hear talk of opening the world back up and I must say that I think it is far too early. The nursing home where my daughter works has been hit hard and lost 7 residents and many are still sick. I don't think our numbers are nearly what they need to be in order to open back up.

    We are seeing so much good in humanity that I think another month would actually be good for everyone. I am ready to camp,but I think that we need a little more time.

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  6. Brenda,
    I am a long time reader of your blog but never have commented before.
    My husband and I live in Massachusetts. We both have pre existing conditions and we are terrified to leave the house. I must add that we are really, really good at walking on the treadmill and eating right. We are both in our early 70's. I order groceries through Walmart and meat from the butcher in town. So we are all set with food.
    Our problem has been getting masks. Etsy seems to be all sold out or they are coming from some country overseas, which makes me wonder if we would ever even get them after we paid for them. I tried making one from a vacuum cleaner bag and rubber bands but they just don't fit right. The bag just isn't flexible enough to bend over out face.
    So your post this morning brings tears to my eyes. Would it be possible for you to make one for each of us? I will gladly pay for them, and as a way to "pay it forward" would like to send extra money so you can purchase more fabric to help out someone else like us.
    Bless you and stay safe,
    Elizabeth

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    1. I will absolutely make y’all some! Please send me a private email with your address and I will get right on it! My email is on the side bar of the blog.....

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  7. the only thing I have shared is a woman in the senior line for Walmart this week had on a mask, we were talking about making masks and she said she ran out of elastic and could not find any. I told her about your old sheet elastic. she was estatic and said she had several sheets she could use. so your sharing led to my sharing and more masks from the lady. I have enough, 2 n95 for shopping for food and 4 homemade non sewed that I made. it is really hard to buy a mask now, and what you are doing is a blessing for sure

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  8. Looks like you are keeping safe and busy.....always love reading what you're up to...sending a distant hug!

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  9. You are always finding ways to share....what a beautiful spirit of generousity you have! It does make you feel good to give, especially when it's appreciated! Keep on being the sweet person you are! Love to you and L. D.! Take care!

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  10. Neurotic? Really? 😳 Eccentric, maybe, in the sweetest possible way. It looks like a charming outdoor room to me. I like that graphic about your Super Powers. You'd never guess what mine is!

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  11. The masks are very special and am sure those receiving them are grateful. It doesn't surprise me that your decorate outside:) Loved that movie, I saw it in the theater.

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  12. I agree the timing of your goody bag was perfect. We have masks thanks to another thoughtful lady here in our community. Thanks to all of you who give your time to help protect others. I like your outside decorating Linda. Looks very cozy!!

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  13. Those masks are a wonderful gift to give out to loved ones. One of my DIL's has made one for all of our family and I know they are very appreciated. Everyone is is advised to wear one when they go out these days and I think tht will remain a thing for quite awhile yet. Journaling the way you do does help to remember what day t is. All of calendars seem to be blank these days. We can't go anywhere and have no appointments to make. Your idea of decorating on the outside is a lovely idea. I've been trying to think of ways I could do that here at my house. Nice you have a good selection of treats. I think that's just the thing I need to put up on the front of my house. I have one I made of grapevines years ago that should do the trick.You ham and beans looks wonderful, I can almost smell them cooking. Yum!

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  14. You decorate to your heart's content, Linda... whenever and wherever you wish. Since we all need fresh air & sunshine, but can't go someplace else to get it... why not decorate the outdoor area of your home? I think it's a brilliant idea! Love, Andrea xoxo

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  15. I would love a mask.I am going through breast cancer treatment.Your blog makes me smile! my address is 2638 Oak Alley Tyler Tx75703. Please pray for me on Wed.surgery day.Thank you. R.

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  16. Bless you Linda. Your heart is as Big as all outdoors.
    The world is a better place because of you.
    Your masks are wonderful.
    Ummm, I can smell those beans right now...You have made me hungry!!
    Stay well
    Keep smiling
    Love you
    Sue

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  17. Some individuals are unintentionally spreading Covid-19. You are spreading kindness, caring and cheer!

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  18. You just never stop!! those mask are wonderful and the recipients are luck people to have you thinking of them. So the other night I made the same bean soup except we don't eat meat so i substituted the ham for vegetables but the funny thing is a gal I was riding with also made ham and bean soup. It must be that time of year or something. your decorations are so cheery and festive. Everything looks so nice!! We saw Harriet the movie and man was it good. I'm sure the book was better, books are aways better that the movie but we sure enjoyed it. She was quite the woman!
    Have a great weekend!

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