Unexpected Trip to the Midwest

On January 14, Hubs and I loaded the dogs and a suitcase into The Tank and headed west to St. Louis.  An unexpected trip back to Hubs' boyhood home was in order as his mom had emergency surgery.  We stayed on for ten days until Hubs' brother could come to stay with Maxine the Great.

Genealogy is one of Hubs hobbies.  He took the opportunity to scan some pictures of his ancestors.   

This is a picture of his maternal great grandmother, Irene Jane Collins.

She lived from 1868 - 1949.

Maxine the Great wanted me to look for this quilt that Irene Jane, her father's mother made.  It is not known when she made this quilt, but it is thought to be about 100 years old.   

A close up view shows that the appliqued pieces were created by folding the fabric in fourths then cutting out a quarter of the pattern.  While the applique was sewn on by machine, the quilting was done by hand. 

 Here is a picture taken just before we left Hubs' mom's home.  Maxine the Great is moving a little slower and still gaining strength, but she is doing well.

It has been a while since I have joined other vintage lovers for Vintage Thingies Thursday.

Winter Blues

What is your weather like?  Here in upper North Carolina, we have had cold and ice.  I have been home for the last two days and I have been a little more restless than usual.  Not really depressed, but feeling like winter has gone on way too long and it is only January.  

Since I am from the midwest, I have no problem getting out in a little cold and ice, but there is no place to go as every thing closes when the weather is like this.  The big problem about driving in this weather are the other drivers.  Southerners just do not know how to drive in weather like this.  Heck, they really don't know how to drive in good weather...  

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions?   It is almost mid-January.  How are you doing with those?  I don't do resolutions, but am continuing to build strong, post-menopausal bones and a healthier heart. 

 from Get Religion.org

Today's date has intrigued me.  

1/11/11   

Do you know that

11111 X 11111

is

123454321?

Cool, huh?

Thinking of the number one lead me to thinking about these guys...

I wore out this album.

My mind has been bouncing around like a BING.com commercial...

I think I need some sunshine...

KC and the Sunshine Band...

File Under "Bizarre"

Hubs has a pair of shoes he wears outside.  He leaves these shoes at the back door on the porch.  When he went to walk the dogs first thing this morning, this is what he found.

Just the left shoe...

Is there a one legged person on a crime spree?
Maybe an animal carried it off?

What do you think happened to the right shoe?
 

Toss It Out!

Did you get one of these for Christmas?

Does any one give fruitcakes as Christmas gifts?

 

Why, yes, they do.

 

Hubs and I received a Sear's fruitcake via USPS from his brother and sister-in-law our first Christmas.  Sear's?  Really?  Can you find those next to the snow shovels and Ice Melt?  Hubs and I got a good laugh at our gift.  The fruitcake went into the freezer (I think they last forever without freezing!) and we sent it back to his brother and sister-in-law the next Christmas.  We've all heard stories of families passing the same fruitcake back and forth for decades.  It was a big disappointment when we didn't get the fruitcake back the following holiday.

 

 

This question begs to be asked.  What did they do with the fruitcake?  Maybe they still have it and are using it as a doorstop or bookends.  It might have kept them warm that winter if they used it as firewood.  Oh, I know!  That was the year Hub's brother was into working out.  Bet he used it as a free weight...

 

 

Or maybe they just waited until January 3, which is Fruitcake Toss Day.  Yes, the day when every one who received a fruitcake over the holidays gets the opportunity to toss it. Just be careful not to toss it AT some one.  Those thing could cause bodily injury.  And if you still have fruitcakes in laws mooching visiting, toss them out too!