This past weekend Mike actually played guitar with a drummer and a bass player that he had never played with before.  The bass player is a promoter of a show that Mike has worked at every year for the headliner band bringing their stage equipment for them.  This year it was not needed.  The promoter decided that Mike himself and Gene who owns the production company that brings all the sound equipment would put a band together.  It was so much fun and I loved seeing Mike play again.  We got there Thursday morning and the show was that night but we had a hotel room for 2 nights.  We were down in Fairfield Iowa which is in the southeast side of Iowa.  On Friday we headed to the Dutchman Store in Cantril Iowa which is Amish and Menonite and the place was packed.  I seemed to be more of locals shopping then a tourist place so that made it more interesting.  They had groceries, hardware, cookware and of course FABRIC which I didn't buy any because I am waiting to buy fabric in Pennsylvania in October.  


On Saturday morning we decided that we were going to go to the Largest Truck Stop in the world.  This place is on I-80 east of Davenport.  I decided that I was not going to make it all the way to the truck stop so I had Mike pull over at a wayside rest.  I could not believe my eyes when we pulled up and sew all the quilt blocks.  I was so excited I didn't want to go in I wanted to look around.  I need to read more on this but I guess they used the quilt blocks as messages for the slaves traveling north looking for freedom.

This was outside and was the key for the quilt blocks.  What I heard someone saying was that different farms would have different quilt blocks on their barns as a secret message.  Here is one key:

. 

I wish I could read this better but it is the story behind the blocks and how the slaves made it thru the underground railroad as gentleman working there put it.

 I really thought this was worth sharing.

Oh my gosh look what I finally got done

Ok not completely done I still have to hand sew the binding and will ship it off.

I have to say that I spent more time on this quilt than I have any other quilts.  I don't do well with just grabbing and putting together and this quilt you cannot think about what colors you are grabbing.  I got some blues together that I wish had not happened but oh well, I know she will love it.

 

Every year on this day I feel such a heaviness in my heart like every other American.  I remember when I would hear people say that they remember where they were and what they were doing the day President Kennedy was shot.    I remember being home with my Mom and she had President Kennedy's funeral on but it never stuck in my mind.  My husband talks about being in school and the teachers crying and I never understood having that strong of an emotion for something that did not personally effect me until 9-11.  Every time I see a picture or anything regarding that day I feel this heaviness in my heart.  The National Geographic channel did a interview with President Bush (not my favorite) and I planned on watching it.  I got about half way thru and was crying and decided to turn it off for awhile.  I remember days after that horrible day I felt guilty walking away from the television because I thought I should not be out enjoying myself because these people in NYC can't walk away and go do something fun.  I felt it was all I could to help

In 2009 I went to NYC for the July 4th weekend and was so excited because I had not been there since August 2001.  I love that city and needed to see for myself what had been left behind.  We headed to lower Manhattan to watch the fireworks and where we were standing was just blocks away from where the towers were.  It was lightly raining and we were standing against a building and I started talking to these 4 woman that were standing with me.  They started telling me that all 4 of them had grown up in that building and all married and bought their own places in that building.  They told me their stories of 9-11 and how for months they walked around and cried.  One of the woman told me how her and her husband had gone to South Carolina for a month and their apartment faced the towers and for the 1st time of them leaving town she cracked her windows.  She told me that headed right back home within a few days of the attack and she said it was a war zone.  She told me how the cab was able to bring them only so far and then they had to show identification showing that they lived in that area.  She told me that it was that way for months after.  As they were telling me their stories I started to cry and they started to cry.  I am so thankful for the rain that night because of that I was forced to stand against that building and meet these 4 woman that made me look at life so differently.  When we left that night I hugged them all and thanked them so much for sharing their stories with me. 

Raychel got sick in 2006 and I have to say when you almost lose a child so many times you look at life so differently.  You become so appreciative of the little things in life but after meeting these woman I even became more grateful for everything.  The things that I use to worry about I don't anymore the people that I always knew I loved know now how much I love them now.  I never hang up my phone without saying to my friends and family that I love them.  My life lessons over the last 5 years have been very hard lessons to learn but I would not trade them for 5 years of life going on as it had.  My daughter's life is so hard for her.  She never has a day of without depression, anxiety and feeling so sick she can't get out of bed but she has every day to feel these things.  Raychel's life was going down a bad road before getting sick and 5 years of sickness has saved her from a life of bad choices.  She always says that this illness, how horrible it is and how it has robbed her life she is happy to say goodbye to how that life was. 

I guess this is a good day to reflect on many things in our lives.

I can't believe it. I WON. I am so excited. My arthritis in my shoulders and elbows has been really bothering me the last few months and this will make life a little easier.

I can't believe it.  I WON.  I am so excited.  My arthritis in my shoulders and elbows has been really bothering me the last few months and this will make life a little easier.  

 

 

WE HAVE A WINNER

Drum Roll Please.... (I'm so excited)

Cathy, Cathy where are you??? 

You my dear, are the lucky winner of a GO Baby and 3 dies of your choice.!!! Yeah!!  A big round of applause for you Cathy. 








 C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!!