Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on August 20, 2011

My grandangels, Harry, William, Vincent, James, Shirley Anne and I went to Huntington Beach for the day while I was in CA.  OH OH OH WHAT FUN WE HAD!  Harry drove (he is still at the permit stage but he did a WONDERFUL JOB….very calm, cool and sensible…….I was SO IMPRESSED!)

When Harry was four years old he said,  “Grandma Shirley, you have been so nice to me ALL OF THESE YEARS. I am going to take you on Harry’s Day out!”  Then he looked at me with those BIG EYES and asked me, “Grandma Shirley, can you drive?”  Then he promised to buy me a prize!  AGAIN…the big four year old eyes looked up at me, “Grandma Shirley, do you have any money?”

I had to wait 12 years for my Harry’s day out, but it was worth the wait!  And this time Harry had his own money!!!  🙂

I used to live in Huntington Beach – and my son, Rob, had his first job at this snack stand on the beach.  I thought it was fun to take a picture of Rob and Lil’s five children in front of the place where their dad had his first job!

Rob had his first job here!

We had so much fun riding the beach bicycle!  I sat in the back with James and Vincent.  That was GOOD EXERCISE…….it really was fun.  We had to stop for ice cream along the way…..you know, to keep our strength up!!!!

We had so much fun on the BEACH BICYCLE!

I loved being at the Pier and letting the waves splash on my feet!  OH HOW I MISS CALIFORNIA!

The beach was wonderful

Harry helped me watch the little ones!

Doesn't this look like fun!

Shirley Anne is only 6, but  is SO BRAVE and loved jumping over the waves!  She went out with her two older brothers and jumped into the waves!

JUMPNG THE BIG WAVES

Shirley Anne laughed all day!

And….of course I had to take my TRADITIONAL picture – the circle of feet!

My traditional foot picture!

I love my FEET PICTURES – but, oh my, the kids’ feet are growing….at least I don’t THINK my feet are shrinking (I am the one with the ankle bracelets and toe ring.)

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Posted By drsao on August 20, 2011

I have landed in VA!  Since mid July I have been  all over the MAP!

I went to Kansas City, MO in July to visit my family

In August I went university shopping with three of my six STARK GRANDANGELS……..we visited University of VA, George Washington U, U of Penn, Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Harvard, and Brown.  So we were in Maryland, Delaware, PA, Mass, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and then we landed in CA.  So how many states did I visit this summer?  I think TEN!

I am sharing some of the pictures from our tours of the universities……I absolutely felt like swooning over the architecture of the ivy league buildings.  YALE was my favorite – hands down…..I could hardly breathe because of the beauty of the campus.  Caden liked Brown and U of Penn the best!   It sure was fun to look.

Category: SAO's Grandangels, Shopping for universities | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on August 20, 2011

While I was visiting in CA I got to go to Sonic.  Now you might be saying to yourself – why is this a BIG DEAL?  Well, it is because my 16 year old grandangel, Harry, works there.  It is his first job and I am SO PROUD OF HIM.  He works hard and he made my diet Cherry Limeade (with added strawberries!)   With tips he makes more working at Sonic than I do substitute teaching…..now what is WRONG with this picture?!!!  LOL

LOOK!  I am simply amazed.  I could not possibly deliver food and drinks without spilling everything….and he did it on ROLLER SKATES!  Way to go Harry!!!!

Category: Harry's 1st Job 2011, Life Comments, SAO's Grandangels | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on August 14, 2011

I am in CA visiting family – such fun – so my DESIGN WALL for this week isn’t in VA – it is in CA.  Since my DESIGN WALL is VIRTUAL (in my suitcase) I am knitting instead of quilting!  LOL.  August 15 we start our ASSIGNMENT #3 from CAMP LOOPY (see the LOOPY EWE blog if you are interested!)  I failed the second assignment which was to knit a pair of socks using a cable pattern.  Since I haven’t finished a pair of socks with PLAIN KNITTING, I didn’t accomplish this one (but I did pick out a pattern!)  Assignment #3 is to knit something that uses 800 yards of yarn…….so stay tuned for pictures!

While I was THINKING about knitting cable socks I knitted an afghan.  I made up my own rules.  It is knitted with 5 skeins of yarn at once and has WAY OVER 1,000 yards……TA DA….it is finished.  I really like it – it is SO SOFT.  This was made in the wee hours of the morning when I should have been sleeping!  LOL

5 Skein Afghan

Before we flew to CA last week two of my grandangels, Collin and Jannae, helped me make bean bags.  Actually we stuffed them with rice – so theoretically they are RICE BAGS!  Collin told me that he could not quilt or even cut a straight line.  He assured me that this was true and a recent teacher said that if he went back to kindergarten he wouldn’t pass.  So at age 15 this grandangel amazed himself by CUTTING A STRAIGHT LINE and by QUILTING A STRAIGHT LINE!  I knew he could do it (but I did say a little silent prayer as he used that rotary cutter!!)

Collin cutting his FIRST STRAIGHT LINE EVER

Quilting the fabric for a bean bag

Grandangel Jannae, who is only 7, not only cut a straight line with my rotary cutter, but she also quilted up a storm!

Jannae can cut a straight line too!

TA DA - a quilted bean bag

OK – so that’s not all – I have other quilty news.  Grandangel Caden got his high school graduation quilt……..since his favorite team is the Green Bay Packers, I made it in green bay colors (SUMMER JEWELS PATTERN) and Karen Murray quilted it with FOOTBALLS and other FOOTBALL EXPRESSIONS (like #1 and GO!)  Thereoretically he doesn’t graduate until the spring of 2012 – but I wanted to give it to him while I was with him.

Caden's HS Graduation Quilt

Grandangel Lacy graduated from Berkeley this past spring so she got Augusta Cole’s Design – CONFETTI QUILT!  The really neat thing is that I made this quilt for her – but then at the last minute I gave her a choice of this one or two others.  I NEVER TOLD HER that this was the one that I made for her.  SHE PICKED THIS ONE WITHOUT HESITATION.  That makes me so happy!

Lacy's University Graduation Quilt

If you want to see want is on the design wall of quilters around the country – go to Judy Laquidara’s blog at www.patchworktimes.com – she posts this EVERY MONDAY!

Happy sewing everyone!

Category: 5 Skein 2011 Afghan, Caden's Green Bay Quilt, Confetti, Design Wall, Knitting, Quilts, SAO's Grandangels | 2 Comments »
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Posted By drsao on August 7, 2011

I will be launching myself toward the West Coast (CALIFORNIA) shortly so part of the DESIGN WALL (DESIGN FLOOR – AIRPORT SCENE) will be hexagon production.  I am going full strong on my SCRAPPY VERSION OF GRANDMOTHER’S FLOWER GARDEN…..remember this?

I am thinking of putting a border on this one similar to this one (I got this online from My Sunshine Cottage and I really really like it!)

GMG with BORDER

Before I am launched into the skies I may make a few more bean bags…..I am enamored with the Bal A Vis X program and need some bean bags for school!    GOOGLE BAL A VIS X if you haven’t heard of this….it is a great RIGHT BRAIN LEFT BRAIN program  – and fun for KIDS OF ALL AGES!

And TA DA….this is something new I am playing with….not sure where I am going or what I will call it – but it uses my 1 1/2 inch squares.  Scrappy Postage Stamps seems a little boring for a name of a quilt…..but that is what I have so far!!!

Have fun sewing everyone!

Category: Design Wall, Quilts in Progress, Scrappy GFG | 7 Comments »
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