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Our Tuesday field trip was to Gatlinburg! 

We stayed in Pigeon Forge- got a great deal on a hotel- right across the Parkway from The Apple Barn,

where we ate dinner (starts with D :)

Your meal starts with apple julep, apple fritters and apple butter, soup and salad.  After our last trip, I found a recipe for apple julep.  It's quick, easy and very refreshing, perfect for Memorial Day weekend.

Stir together 1 quart apple juice, 1 cup each pineapple juice and orange juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice.  Refrigerate, then serve over ice.

We visited Dollywood Wednesday.  The weather was perfectly spring-like.

Favorite things:
1. Two water rides, River Rampage and River Battle
2. cinnamon bread
3. just walking around, being there, the music...
if you haven't been, you need to go
4. the train ride.  There's something about riding behind a steam locomotive and train whistles that make me teary-eyed.  Our engineer was a WW2 Veteran, perfect for this week.

Finally, we shopped at outlet malls.  Got my dad's birthday and Father's Day gifts.

As many of my first-graders end their paragraphs, "It was fun."

giveaway!

This post is brought to you by the letter C.

Before my mailing my Craft Hope (starts with C :) apron, I went to the Haiti by Hand blog.  They have another way to help- C is for Clean-out for Quilts.  There's a short list of sewing needs for a group of local ladies to make quilts for people in Haiti. 

C is for Cutting charm squares.

I included just a few 5-inch squares from favorites in my stash.

It was an excellent excuse to play- fold and unfold my fabric.

While I was at it, I cut an extra set to share with you!

For a chance to win 16 pretty charm squares, leave a comment with a guess where today's Tuesday field trip will end up.  I'll randomly choose a guess (right or wrong) next Tuesday, May 29.

Here are a couple hints:

1.  Starts with D.

2.  My car is packed with a suitcase and snacks.

*Edited- Since you know where we ended up, just leave a comment about your summery vacation.

Have fun!

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B is for Blogger's Quilt Festival

  There's not much of a story about this little quilt except
 I used my latest favorite block

and four of my favorite colors.

Here it is relaxing in my gravel bed. 

After watching Jinny Beyer's free Quilt Legend video on The Quilt Show, with her amazing lesson on choosing colors, I tried to arrange each block going around light to dark.  The scrappy border was fun to make, too- just made strips, then cut them across.  There are hand-quilted squares going round and round. 

 

Here's another picture- the quilt hard at work on the front porch.

Thanks for visiting!

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B is for Best Boy in the World

Colton waits patiently each summer for a hot day to have his Lemonade Stand.  He takes it very seriously, offering curb service.  B is also for best neighbors in the world- a husband returning to buy another drink for his wife, and one sweet friend shared $10 and said, "You drink mine, okay?"

B is for yet another border.

This little quilt top makes me smile each time I look at it.  I added the skinny black border, then the white.  The ricrac was my inspiration piece from which I pulled the colors, so I had to add it, too.  Black polka dot for the binding? 

 What do you think?



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Friday Night Sew In

Summertime Alphabet

B is for blocks and borders

Finished this top.  The final Things That Make us Happy blocks are dogs, playing outside, horses and Nintendo DS.  While working on this, I decided to make it an I Spy activity.  The lower right block is a pocket that will hold a laminated card with the various items listed and probably a little stuffed animal.  I love how it's turning out.  and yes, those are little bits of selvage on the top.

I'm linking up to the Rainbow Challenge this morning.  Go see what everybody's working on this month in yellow.

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Summertime Alphabet

During the school year, my first-graders are expected to think up an interesting topic to write about each afternoon.  This summer, I'm challenging myself to come up with an alphabetical list of fun summer projects, places and activities.

Today's post is brought to you by the letter A.

A is for apron.

Craft Hope Project 17 Aprons for Haiti.

I used Maureen's pattern which went together so easily- just some hemming and straight seams! I basted the two front panels in place to make it easier to add the waistband.

Here's the side view so you can see the pink polka dot ties.

We studied Galatians chapter 6 last night at prayer meeting.  Here's verse 10:

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,

especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

How are you gonna use your opportunities today?



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On Tuesdays this summer we plan to take field trips, preferably close to home and preferably free.  Today, after playing in the yard/ lying in the sun we made it to the library.  Our main branch has an outdoor water sprinkler area that's lots of fun on a hot day.

  We also donated a bag of books for their sale.  Which reminds me...

do you know about paperbackswap?  You post books online for people to order- in return you order books you like- all for the cost of shipping.  I've been a member since 2007 and can almost always find  books that I want for school or crafting.  Most of the time, swaps go smoothly.  Once, I went a little hogwild and sent some teacher books missing some pages and had to return credits.  And like everything else, there are a few dishonest swappers, but for the most part it's been positive.

  You should check it out. 

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School's out! 

Kinda happy and sad- I've had a lump in my throat for the last two weeks.  During a group hug on Tuesday, from underneath we heard, "Don't worry, I'm okay!"  We had squashed a first-grade friend.  Very thankful for my class and job. also thankful for 12 whole weeks off.

A kindred spirit mom gave me these as an end of the year gift:

 So pretty!  They'll keep me busy for a while.

Three of my Bingo items were called this week.

Kentucky, smoothie and cherries.

My rhododendrons are blooming:

and my coleus are repotted:

Life is good!



give!

Pat Sajak wasn't there!

That's the answer and that's the truth.  Not that I ever thought he would come, anyway.  There is a "traveling Pat and Vanna."  Who knew?  They did an excellent job of getting the crowd going and keeping the excitement high.  It was really fun.

And we have a winner!

Barbara guessed the correct answer first. 
Her fabulous prize will be in the mail tomorrow.

Thanks for playing along.

My Bible in 90 Days plan is stuck on Romans chapter 8.  I've reread it several times.  There are so many great verses.  For example:

verse 5 "those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires,"

and verse 18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

verse 26 "the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."  So often, in the middle of the night, I worry about my son's future.  What will he do if something happens to me?  I'm not even sure what to pray and ask for, but the Spirit is right there, filling in what I can't explain.

which leads me to verse 28

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,"

I'm gonna read chapter 8 once more this evening and then get on with it.

Happy Thursday!   

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Coming right along...

_ _ T   S _ _ _ _   W _ S N 'T   T H _ _ _

One H for Barbara, a W, then a N for Deb.

I've come up with a fabulous prize for the first correct guess of the puzzle:

A thrifted copy of Quilt magazine, Oct/ Nov 2006!

and that's not all...