Bread and Headed to the Ranch

March 21, 2024March 21, 2024 Wild Rose Quilter2 Comments

I have never had great success making bread. Except for quick breads, like pumpkin, banana, etc. I tried making a whole wheat sourdough yesterday from some starter gifted to me by a fellow quilt guild member, and it’s the best bread turnout I’ve ever had. Not that I have tried very much. I was always so discouraged after less than delicious results that I quickly gave up that endeavor. This round was encouraging, though!

Since my last post with anything to do about the ranch was 4 years ago, I do have some catching up to do about things there. I’ll start with the most special one today. My Mom had always told us that when she passed away she would like to be cremated and buried under her favorite hackberry tree. My Dad would always say something different and my brother and I would go back and forth trying to decide what to do, the Hackberry tree or the cemetery in our hometown. When my brother, cousin and I did the surface division of my grandparents’ ranch, I got the part with the hackberry tree. One day I just had a very strong feeling of “I have to take her home”. I called my brother and told him and he agreed, as well. My Dad always got the last word on pretty much all decisions, but this time, we were making sure Mom got what she had always so strongly wanted, and we knew that wherever we decided, they should, and would want, to both be together. I love that they are in a beautiful place that means so much to me, and someday, I will be under the tree with them. We currently have a large rock from the ranch marking their gravesite, but today we are headed to Granite, Ok to pick up their headstone we had made, and finally get that set over them. I can’t wait to see it and get it placed.

I can understand why she wanted to be buried in this place, under this tree. It’s one of my favorite views at the ranch, as well.

This is the first quilt I ever made for Mom. She was so proud of it. I didn’t have a longarm then, so the quilting is all by hand. Mom’s quilt, Mom’s tree.

Have a wonderful day!

Casa de Ortega · favorite things · Life after loss · quilting · sewing · wild rose quilter

My New Sewing Space

August 13, 2017August 13, 2017 Wild Rose QuilterLeave a comment

We moved into our new home in January, and I only recently got my sewing machine set up and going in it’s new location. At my old house, the only place I had to set my sewing machine was on our dining room table. Thus, not a lot of dining went on there. I almost always had a sewing project, or several, scattered all over it. The plus side to that was that I wasn’t isolated from my family while I sewed, although I’m sure they would have enjoyed watching TV more without the noise of my sewing machine competing in the background. Also, I had a nice view to the outside from our dining room bay window. Now, at the new house the dining room is used just for dining, and we use it for that almost every day. 17353118_10208851062339519_8319086372177014617_n

This house has an office, that has a large built in book shelf with cabinets underneath for more storage, and is plenty big enough to hold my desk, computer, filing cabinet, etc. that I need for to do our business paperwork, and still have a whole corner for my sewing/cutting table. I can put all my quilting books and magazines in the bookcase, and my old dining table and bench is what I’m currently using for my sewing table. There’s also a window in front of it so I still have a nice view to the outside while I sew.

When I’m standing up and cutting fabric, I can watch the bunnies that frequently come to visit and often nibble at the little goodies I have left under the trees for them.

If I tire of sewing and the weather is nice, I can slip out the front door and enjoy a few moments in one of the rocking chairs on the porch. I am very much enjoying having a nice covered porch that wraps around from the front to the south side of the house, as well. My little mom likes sitting there with me on the days that I have her with me. She isn’t doing well these days, so any little thing that gives her some pleasure is a gift to be savored. The window between these two chairs it the one at the end of the dining room, and the office window is over to the left. As I sit here and type, I am starting to hear thunder outside. Time to wrap it up. I’m going to go sit in one of those chairs with my handsome prince and listen to the thunder and hopefully watch some rain falling down. Thanks for stopping by and have a Marvelous Monday tomorrow!

Blended family · Casa de Ortega · grief · Life after loss · quilting · Widow · Wife

Oh Boy! Good Mail Day!

August 19, 2016August 19, 2016 Wild Rose Quilter4 Comments

The rest of the fabrics I ordered to go with the ones I pulled from my stash for soon to be Baby Z’s quilt arrived today! I have to get these washed and pressed so I can get started cutting my squares! I’m so excited to see how this comes together!

If you’ve read the previous post, you know I’m planning to make a chevron quilt. The light gray print on bottom will be the background for the zig zags in the other colors. Then there may or may not be an appliqué added on top in the darker gray in this next photo.

Either way, I can’t wait to work on it! I absolutely adore this next piece of fabric. I only ordered one yard to use in the light blue zig zag, but now I think I must get more because this fabric just needs to be the backing also!! I was going to make the backing from the light gray print, but I’m just too in love with this blue and all the sweet sayings in it.

I needed a dose of pretty fabric “medicine”. A dear friend passed away yesterday. He was like a brother to my late husband, who passed away five years ago this past May. I think a wonderful reunion is happening on the other side.

And, my new Prince and I took his young prince back to the airport today to fly home to his mom and stepdad. We really enjoyed the past two weeks with this sweet young man. I’ve only known him for two years, but our relationship has come very easily. We seem to have bonded well. I already miss having him here. I know Efren does! I wish he didn’t live ten hours away from us, so we could be together much more often. I snapped some pics of him and his dad before we left. Love these guys and I’m thankful to have them in my life now.