Just a Little Move

A little over a week ago, we had some neighbors here to help us move a garden shed. To us it seemed like such a monumental task, but to neighbors with the correct equipment, it was an easy hour's work.

Daniel and his son Harlan came to our rescue with an industrial-strength forklift. Our shed is close to 30 years old, so worn, but still functional. It was serving no real purpose in the location above - other than to house a lot of stuff, aka junk.

DH wanted it emptied and moved to the other side of the back yard so that it could be put to use for wood storage. We have had a wood-burning furnace for about five years, and have not had the best system for wood access. A different nearby shed, not nearly close enough, and a wood pile covered with a tarp - these worked, but it was definitely laborious.

So we emptied out the junk. Trashed some of it; sorted and repurposed some; gave some away. We still haven't dealt with it all.

 Then we scheduled with Daniel and Harlan to come over with the lift. It was quite a sight to see.

We leveled it as best we could, but some adjusting still needs to be done. We need to get a few more blocks to put under the corners, so that work awaits us. For now, we are thrilled to have a shed near the wood burner to make the job of heating our house this winter an easier task.

Our neighbors are just the greatest. I told you back in May about Daniel's wife making me that angel food cake, and I have shared quilts from two daughters Kathaleen and Betty. We couldn't ask for kinder folks.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Neighborly

Ross County, Ohio, boasts quite a large farming community, especially here in Buckskin Township. Over the last 10-15 years, a significant number of farms around us have been bought by Mennonites coming from their very crowded region of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. A more neighborly group of folks you will never meet. Cordial, kind, considerate, resourceful, helpful, and giving - they demonstrate their simple ways in every encounter I've ever had with them.

We have come to know them pretty well because DH drives their children to and from school (our group is a horse-and-buggy group). I have been asked on occasion to drive a neighbor woman, Kathaleen,  to her job when her regular ride is unavailable. I love doing it, and look forward to visiting with her on our short ride to Frankfort - about 6-7 miles. Sometimes I get the bonus of her sister Betty needing a ride, too, which doubles the fun. Just for the summer, I am driving Kathaleen to work every Thursday morning.

I offer all these details as background for you to properly understand the tale I am about to tell. The neighborly nature of these folks can be summed up with the following little story.

A week before the Frienzies luncheon, I mentioned to Kathaleen that I would like to put in an order for 4 quarts of strawberries from her parents' berry patch, to be picked up the morning of the luncheon. She said she would be sure to make note of it. I also asked if I could pop in to the market where she works (The Old Homeplace) and buy an angel food cake to serve at the luncheon with the berries.

Problem! She wasn't going to need a ride on that particular morning, as she'd taken the day off for the Ascension services at their church. She had a solution, though, for a way I could get a cake - she would bring one home with her on Wednesday and it would be at her parents' house (across the road) when I picked up the strawberries.

Perfect!! Thank you! I was set for getting my berries and cake - dessert for the Frienzies.

I drove over early Thursday - they live just about a mile from us - and gathered up the berries and cake. A younger sister brought this gorgeous cake out of the house - it was the tallest angel food cake I have ever seen! While I paid for the items we made small talk, and I ended by saying to be sure to give Kathaleen my thanks for delivering the cake. The sister said, hesitating, there was a little story behind that. It seems Kathaleen had forgotten to bring a cake with her after work as she'd planned! When she realized it and told her mother the dilemma, the only solution they could come up with was to head to the kitchen and make me a cake!

Look at the height of that cake! Kathaleen's mother made it and oh-my-gosh! That cake was heavenly! I cannot even imagine thinking I could make an angel food cake. And for Mrs. Rhodes to go to the trouble of making it! I could have easily popped over to the store that morning to get one. For her to take the time and effort, when she surely had a thousand other things to do, was totally unnecessary, and so very much appreciated. It was definitely as delicious as it looks - and a huge hit with the Frienzies.

I am grateful for such kind and thoughtful neighbors as these. I hope I am as good a neighbor to them as they are to me.

A related post: Kathaleen and Betty shared some of their quilts.

I have been sewing! And I have a quilt on the long arm machine, too! Whoo-hoo! You know that is big news! I have plenty to gab about in upcoming posts - hope you'll come back tomorrow!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Two Mennonite Quilts

Each Wednesday this summer, I have been driving two neighbor girls to their job at a nearby "Amish" market. The girls are our neighbors and are Mennonite. Odd isn't it, that the store is owned and operated by Mennonites, yet everyone refers to it as 'The Amish Store'?

Anyway, the girls - young women, actually - Kathaleen and Betty, are sisters, and have been nothing but delightful to chit-chat with as we drive to work each Wednesday morning and back home in the evening. They have heard me prattle on about my quilting endeavors, and have shown such an interest. At one point, I even took a stack of my basket blocks with me to show them.

Last Wednesday was my last day to provide their transportation due to my university semester beginning this week, so they asked if I had time to stop for a quick peek at two of their quilts, made by their grandmother, one of which is a basket quilt.

Seriously! How could I say no? *grin*

This basket quilt is Kathaleen's. The block size is larger than mine, so I estimate hers to be 8 inches. The work is entirely hand-done. The quilting in the alternate blocks is strikingly beautiful.

Betty, left, and Kathaleen hold up the quilt for a picture. I could tell they were very proud of their grandmother's handwork. The fabrics are a variety of scraps and to Kathaleen's knowledge had not been remnant of dresses - just a lot of scrappy calico prints.

Interesting coincidence discovered through our weekly chit-chat to and from work - Betty knew the workers from the Ashland quilt shop I visited in May. Small world! Click here for that post.

Betty then invited me to see the quilt on her bed, and well, yes! So, here is another handmade quilt by their grandmother; the pattern is called Periwinkle. The quilting is not as dense, but still looks very attractive beside the pieced blocks. And speaking of the pieced blocks, all the periwinkles are made with checks, plaids, or stripes, which I find to be an interesting departure from the typical calico I would expect to see. I wonder if these fabrics were from discarded shirts or dresses.

I noticed that soft pink was used in both these quilts. I wonder if the grandmother did this with all the quilts made for the granddaughters, and, likewise, used soft blue in ones made for the grandsons. I wish I had asked. I will surely be seeing them again, so I will try to remember to ask. I also want to ask how many grandchildren there are, as they told me that every grandchild did get a homemade quilt from Grandmother. How nice.

Isn't it great to have friendly neighbors?

Today, Sharon was here for sewing. We both made good progress on our Roman Holiday quilts. I will show you Sharon's first, as her top is now put together. She will next be adding borders. I have about half of my vertical rows stitched to together with the sashing, and will continue plugging away on them this week.

Come on back for the Roman Holiday update!
Happy Quilting, Friends!