Reading to Learn

2024

Feasting on the Words of Christ

Just one more Sleep

The Perfect Retreat

2023

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Call of the Wild

The Flame and The Flower #1

Glucose Revolution: The Life Changing Power of Balancing your Blood Sugar

The Joy Luck Club

Naked in Death #1

The Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo

Misery

Britt-Marie Was Here

Peach Blossom Spring

The Poisonous Solicitor

Coming of Winter #1

It Ends with Us

The Lincoln Highway

Atlas of the Heart

Boundaries

2022

Around the World in 80 Days
Jane Eyre
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz; The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Threads West: An American Saga #1
Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight
The Hunger
Made in China: A memoir of Love and Labor
Josephine's Guest House Quilt
American Dirt

Daisy Jones and the Six

Unmasked

The Summer Seekers

100 Ways to Create Wealth

How to Stitch an American Dream

Robinson Carusoe

Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2021
Persuasion
The Stand
Educated
The Forgiving Quilt
Man Eater
The Nest
The Queens Gambit
Eleanor Oliphant
The Secret Garden
The Midnight Library
Unfinished Business

2019 
The Good Earth #1
Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West
Roots
The Color Purple
The Bell Jar
The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank
The Cross and the Switch Blade
The Bridge to Terabithia
The Guardians
One Day in December
Year One - Chronicles of the One # 1
Quilts Thier Story and How to Make Them
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Oysterville Sewing Circle
The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party
Cottage by the Sea
Into the Wilderness #1
Sarah's Quilt #2
The Home for Unwanted Girls
The Alice Network
The Reconning
More Sewing to Sell
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Maid
Echo
The Nightingale
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up

2018 & Prior
Prisoner B-3087
One Thousand White women
Outlander #1
The Divide
These Is My Words
Where the Heart Is
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Giving Tree
Moving On
The Traveler's Gift
The Present
Green Eggs and Ham
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
A Light in the Attic
Rhinoceros Success
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
On Becoming a Leader
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Cat in the Hat
Love you Forever
Ross Poldark #1 
The Four Agreements
Alicia
The Goal
Follow the River
One Minute Manager
The Poisonwood Bible
The Five Love Languages
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Simplify your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things
The Freedom Writers Diary
The Things They Carried
The Outsiders
Following the Light of Christ into His Presence
One for the Money #1
The Notebook
Are Your My Mother?
If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries What Am I doing in the Pits?
The Secret #1
Go Ask Alice
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban#3
Rumors of War (Children of the Promise #1)
The Shack
The Gurnsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society
Our Heritage: A brief History the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Christ
The Hunger Games #1
Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix #5
Uglies #1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows #7
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire #4
A Christmas Carol
Gospel Principles
Twilight #1
Dear John
Lonesome Dove #1
Flowers in the Attic #1
Who Moved My Cheese?
Eat, Pray, Love
Gone with the Wind
Children's Songbook
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The Devil in the White City
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone #1
The Help
Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets #2
Utah Atlas
For the Strength of Youth
Marriage and Family Relations
Safe Haven
Young Women Personal Progress
Wonder
Wild
Daughters in My Kingdom
A Man Called Ove
The Boys in the Boat
Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens
My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She's Sorry
Zucchini Pie
Quilt As You Go
The Girls on the Train
Deseret Recipes
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince #6
Sewing to Sell
Iris & Lilly #1
Lovely Little Patchwork
The Radium Girls
The Forgiving Quilt: East Parry County Series Book #1
The Quilt Block Cookbook
Mercies in Disguise
Come, Follow Me - For Individuals and Families
The Chemist
Hardcore Twenty-Four #24
Quilt As You Go Made Vintage
The She Was Gone
The Flying Sewing Machine

Books in Review ~ Roots by Alex Haley

One of my top books read of all time. Alex Haley is a genious with words, feelings and allowing the reader to be in the story. I not only read the book, but I felt the book. This is a book worthy of reading a second time. Roots: The Saga of an American Family is a 1976 novel written by Alex Haley. It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent, sold into slavery in Africa, transported to North America; following his life and the lives of his descendants in the United States down to Haley. The release of the novel, combined with its hugely popular television adaptation, Roots (1977), led to a cultural sensation in the United States. The novel spent forty-six weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List, including twenty-two weeks at number one.

Candy Bag Zipper Pouch Tutorial

The Decade "Looking Back"

The year is 2030 and another decade has past, Scott and I are celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary and I am 67 years young.  I am remembering a time when trying to obtain every other weekend visitation with Scott's youngest child Amanda, was an endurance race any thoroughbred horse would have had difficulty keeping up with. 

My life as a stepmother to many was easy. My life managing visitation for one child was nothing short of a terrific and tumultuous situation to work through. My heart still feels deep love and gratitude for my relationship with Amanda and I am thankful for her in my life.  During the quiet nights, my thoughts drift to her and I wonder if she will ever truly know or understand the great lengths to which her father went through to even have a chance to visit with her, know her and be a part of her life.

Amanda was moved several times away from her dad in an effort  for her mom to reduce or eliminate visitation.  This hurt Scott deeply, as his visits were given away and everything possible was done thwart his relationship with his daughter. Contentious texting wars and unkind remarks were immanent and anticipated bi weekly. 

There were four separate court appearances and an annual year of college education money was paid to lawyers to keep the visitation awarded during the original divorce proceedings. A solid decade of arguing to gain simple visitation only to have it continually taken away with no regard for Scott's relationship with Amanda or Amanda's relationship with her Dad. 

There were times I wanted to give up and walk away.  LOOKING BACK, I ask myself, what did I learn from this decade of the lengthy and exhausting situation?  

• I have learned to listen with my heart and react slowly.
• I have learned to love Amanda for the daughter of God she is. 
• I have learned to respect Scott's enduring dedication towards his daughter.
• I have learned to have faith and believe in the end things will work out they way they are meant to.
• I have learned my opinions are not always wanted or needed.
• I have learned to calm my inner spirit and act with kindness and respect to all. 
• I have learned to have love for those who may not love me in return.
• I have learned to trust in the God, as only he knows the path before us. 

And these lessons learned may be the point to the trials and hardships endured for more than a decade. Or was there more to glean?  

• I have learned my husband has passion for fatherhood.
• I have learned people can only do the best they can do with what they have learned.
• I have learned good people can act poorly in any given situation. 
• I have learned to wholeheartedly work towards becoming the the woman Heavenly Father meant for me to be. A woman full of temperance, patience, forgiveness and an ability to love.

As I continue learning lessons, I can appreciate what the Lord has put in my path.  He's helping me earn the right to return to him knowing I have done my best, given my all, trusted in him and loved with all my heart.

 

  

A Perfect Solution For Binding

In my search for methods to make bias binding for my quilts and seamlessly attaching it has led me down rabbit holes to many solutions, tactics, videos, instructions and methods to get the job done. When bias binding is prepared and applied to a quilt it fits around the corners and lays beautifully on the back of the quilt.  A miracle method has alluded me and has become a dreaded part of quilt making, until NOW!  

The miracle method to make bias biding is explained in the YouTube video by SewVeryEasy,"How to Make Bias Binding - The Easy Way". The video explains how to make bias binding without folding, sewing or putting pieces together.

It starts with a single piece of 1/2 yard fabric. By cutting off a 45' degree corner and using the new straight edge to cut 2 1/2 inch strips of fabric. The strips will fit together when sewn with 1/4 inch seam allowance. After sewing enough strips to round your quilt, press the seams open and fold the strips wrong sides together. Begin attaching the binding to the quilt by leaving a generous tail on the bottom left side of the quilt. Sew biding to the quilt with Bernina Foot #97.  The #97 foot has a metal piece that keeps the 1/4 seam exact. Making Bias Click Here  

When you are ready to attach the binding ends together, this miracle method is explained in the YouTube video by Michelles Patchwork, "Joining a Binding". Woot Woot!  It's so easy to use a piece of the binding to measure where to make the perfect cut, then simply sew the last few inches of binding to the quilt top. Joining Binding Click Here  

Now, it's time to hand sew (or machine sew) the binding to the back of the quilt. In my humble opinion, hand sewing is the most relaxing part of the quilting process. The stitches are almost invisible and it gives a personal touch to your hard work.

At last, a perfect solution to binding is just what I needed to add to my bag of tricks. 

The Why And The When

My heart aches after hearing of Gene Loveridge's passing.  Geno was my boss when I turned 18 years old (1981 until 1991).  We worked together at Loveridge and Associates, and I was the associate.  There are so many things I can tell you about Geno and you have probably heard them all after reading the obituary (below).  But, these things happened directly to me.  He taught me how to be honest, he taught me the gospel, he taught me how to pray, he taught me to expect more from myself and from others. 

Geno shared his generosity with me and taught me how to give and share all that I have.  Geno taught me to be a loving spouse, by example and how to work hard for an end result.  Geno, taught me some of his 'ism's including how he wouldn't ask me to do anything that he didn't already know how to do himself, but could be using his time to be making money elsewhere.  

He lived his 'isms, when he said, "If I have a job, you have a job".  Wow! the woman I have become is in part, or whole because of Geno.  Heck, even one of my nicknames, is Deeo as stated on my desk plate that he bought for me.  Gene treated me to more lunches than I could ever repay.  He was a great traveling buddy, while commuting from Tooele to Orem and our occasional trips to Winnemucca Nevada.  

His home was always open to me and my children and he made that sacrifice when I actually moved in.  I still use the scriptures engraved with my name, he purchased for me in Orem, Utah.  We walked together to the bookstore to pick them out.  Geno baptized me !  He made sure my children had Christmas, he never had a problem advancing my pay and understood when the Grantsville to Orem commute took longer than expected.  One Christmas he gifted me a trip to Hawaii.

Geno taught me to analyze life, spreadsheets and numbers.  He taught me trust.  He trusted me with his clients, his car, home, and bank accounts.  I trusted him while flying in his new Cessna.  He taught me it's ok to have fun,  stay up late and watch a movie, even when you should be going to bed for an early work day.

What a joy, pleasure and great blessing it was for Geno to be in my life, at a time when I didn't even know I needed him.  Only our Heavenly Father knows the why and the when, and Geno fulfilled the why and when in my life. 

Thank you Geno!

Geno 

If You Like That Sort Of Thing

We live on a dreamy one acre plot of land in Erda, Utah and it is heaven for me. It has grape vines, a strawberry patch, trees, weeds, dust and sometimes flies. My doors are always open for family and friends. The back yard is ready for a kickball game where first base is the shade tree.  The picnic table, rocking chairs and hammocks are ready for a lazy afternoon in the shade.

 A flock of chickens produces eggs for my kitchen. The fenced garden area is filled with zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, corn and flowers.  The storage room shelves and freezer are filled will fruits and vegetables to enjoy all year long. The horses graze in the pasture and the goat roams free.  

Quilts drape the chairs, stair railing, the walls and beds. My sewing room is an oasis of color and comfort. The wood burning stove in the basement is ready to warm the winter chill. My awesome husband spends time in the man cave and his newly created gun reloading room or tinkering in the garage.  

My love for old bottles is showcased on top of my kitchen cabinets. The farm house look inside and out is what we live for.  This is a place where more often than not, we are stepping over, or around a dog.   

Taking walks on Liddell and Rabbit Lane is like stepping back in time.  Cattle calls are in the crisp air and sprinklers shower the hay fields, and that is the heart of Erda.

My heart is full of love and appreciation for the world I have created for me and my family. It's a great life and it's perfect, "If you like that sort of thing".