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Sunday, May 29, 2022

Just a Jammin' and a Sweet Freebie

Good morning, sweetie pies and welcome. It seems like it has been forever and a day since I have visited with you  even though it has only been  just over a week. I hope you are doing well and have been enjoying the warmer weather.  


A few weeks ago I was telling you  a tale about a big ruckus going on in the backyard. I was hoping the noise was wild and wooly raccoon in a brawl with a scrawny  flea bitten coyote. But if you remember, Mr. Pinker was pretty insistent that the noise that I heard was "Miss Reliable" aka our good ole'  Central Air / Heating unit  going on the brink. 

Well, Mr. AC Guy came for a visit. He sauntered up to Miss Reliable and gave her a thorough check up and then said poor Miss Reliable had bit the dust- that she had cooled and heated this homestead for the last time. Boy, had she been a good one having cooled and heated this home for 30+ years with little to no complaints. But it was time  to send the ole'girl to the rusty gates of the recycling center . Boo Hoo! 

 After giving the choice of unit brands  that he  worked with,  we jumped when Mr. AC named off Miss Reliable's brand. The decision was made;  a new unit would be installed! 

 After hearing the OUCHIE  of having to purchase a new unit, the next OUCHIE hit us like a ton of brick ! Yikes ! We were going to have to remove all of that country clutter out of the attic!!! 

Oh, my what to do! My mind started racing !!! And then an evil , may I say diabolical plan was hatched.


 First , call the youngest daughter whine and cry that she needs to come in for a visit. Check! She was on her way. 

Second, call the  oldest daughter who just lives a hop, skip and jump down the road and invite the whole family for a cook out. Check.

 Eeeh !  My plan was working!( Insert evil henchman twirling his long curly mustache here!  Heee! Heee ! Heee! ).  

When all of the kiddos  arrived, we enjoyed the nice cool breeze outside as Mr. Pinker tended to the grill. Soon their bellies were full.  As evening rolled around, I lured them inside with the promise of strawberry pie.( I know , I know you are screaming to the kiddos! No don't go! Hee! Hee! Hee! ) 

 "Boy it is hot in here! " my oldest daughter exclaimed as sweat began to pour down her forehead.

 All pitiful looking , I said" Yeah our AC is out; Mr. Pinker and I have  been sweating like stuffed pigs. " I swear I mustered up a little tear, and then I said "I think I will go up in the attic and start pulling boxes down so Mr. AC Guy  can come soon. "

 And by golly those sweet youngins of mine took the line hook, bait  and sinker!!!

 Soon the attic door was pulled down and boxes were a flying through an assembly line of hands  like nobody's tomorrow, and then POOF the  attic was cleaned out!!!!

 After the house was packed from floor to ceiling with boxes of tinsel and this and that, my youngest daughter came over and wrapped her arms around me and  said. "Now mom, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to come up with elaborate plan just to get boxes down".  Lol what fabulous family I have!  

So to make a long story short. That is what I have been up to this week - swimming in a sea of boxes . Now that Miss Reliable #2 has been installed do you think I can convince the kiddos to come back to heave all of those boxes back into the attic? I sure hope so. Otherwise I am lighting up the grill! πŸ”₯πŸ˜‚

LOL what a tale - just to say that we got our AC in. But you know me- I like to spin a good yarn . πŸ§ΆπŸ˜€πŸ˜€

πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
Strawberry season is wrapping up. Now it is time for the family to pick so the other day. I hustled down to the field and picked a gallon of berries. Strawberry Jam was on my mind.

  
Do you know how one project leads to another? Well to make strawberry jam that meant I had to get to my jam maker. And to get to my jam maker that meant I needed to clean the pantry. Lol Sounds like the book "If you Give the Mouse a Cookie". 



Well anywhoo. Soon I was jammin' away.


 Berries were sliced and crushed. 


I made 3 small batches in my Ball Jelly and Jam maker for a total of 7 pints. Mr. Pinker is quite happy .

 

The jars are all sealed and ready to be stored away. 

 
Later in the evening , I lounged on the front porch with my strawberry quilt. 

I worked on appliqueing a few more strawberry blocks.  I believe I will continue working on it this week. 
 

How is this  for a bowl full of berries? Lots of sweetness and no calories. Yum! 


A couple of weeks ago I stitched a piece dedicated to my sweet baby sister, Amy. It has been 9 months since she received her angel wings. For the last couple of years , Amy had helped pick strawberries on days that she did not work. She loved being outside and always enjoyed her days on the farm.  So I stitched up Amy Lou the Berry Picker.

 By profession, Amy  was a hair dresser so she would often sport different hairstlyes and colors.  This time I gave my sweet Amy blonde hair. She always looked so pretty in whatever color hair or hairstyle she chose.  


Lol now Amo did not wear a dress to pick berries. Berry picking is hard work so it was shorts and a tank top for her, but in my stitching, I dressed her up a bit. I think Amy would be ok with that. πŸ˜ŠπŸ˜’πŸ’“.  Sweet memories of her picking strawberries do make my eyes swell. 

If you are interested in stitching Amy Lou the Berry Picker, please check out the links to the jpgs below. I can not promise that this chart will remain on my blog . It all depends on my ups and downs with the grieving process. I am sure you understand. But I know what my sister would  say.  Amy is one of the most giving people  that I have ever known. 

Many of you know , but I always like to leave this little disclaimer.  

I stitch my little designs for fun and to decorate my home. I feel very blessed by this community and love sharing my little charts, but I am not a professional designer. And I do not have professional software. Thank you for understanding that I  have to put each page on separate links because of the devices I use. I apologize for that.  These are images of the chart  or JPG s and not downloads.   I am always grateful for your kind encouragement , your visits, and for stitching my little designs. 


Click here for the instruction page. 
Click here for the Colored Chart. 
Click here for the Black/ White Chart. 


Goodness! I have talked your ear off. I do apologize for being such a windbag  and for jumping from one subject to another. But a whole week without blogging,  WheW! I got a bit carried away with my goings on.  

Thank you my friends for taking the time to stop by for a sweet visit. That truly means so much to me. I hope that your Memorial Day is a blessed one. As always...

 Happy quilting and stitching ya'll

Melisa

Cherish every moment with the ones you love. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!πŸ€—πŸ§΅❤
Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . I love and miss you so much. Stawberry season is not the same . 

I am with you always


 I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.  

      Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday
Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Beth at Love Laugh Quilt  for Monday Making

Judy at Small Quilts Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday
Lynette at What a Hoot!  for BOMs Away Monday
Linda at Texas Quilt Gal for To Do List Tuesday - Tuesday



36 comments:

  1. Amy's cross stitch is a lovely tribute to her, I'm glad you have happy memories. Strawberries?! Not here in northern Indiana yet but I'm enjoying having asparagus every other day. Happy stitching!

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    1. Aah thank you so much, Gretchen. It was comforting to stitch this piece in her memory. Asparagus sounds quite yummy. I love it roasted. Have a wonderful week. Happy quilting.

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  2. I love all the strawberries!! Amy is beautiful. Your ac story was cute— here’s to 30 more years of COOL!! 🍷

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    1. Aah thank you so much, Penny. The berries have been quite yummy this year. Lol it has been an ordeal but so glad that we finally have air now. Have a wonderful week. Happy quilting.

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  3. Melisa, I am sorry your A/C bit the dust, but she gave you many years of heat and cool. Glad to hear that you have had a replacement installed and hopefully, she will give you many years of coolness and heat. What a beautiful picture of your sister you shared! Thinking of you.

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    1. Thank you so much, Robin. We feel very fortunate to have had such a good AC unit . I am hoping the new one is just as reliable. The cool air feels wonderful and the unit is running so quietly. I sure do miss my sis. Hugs.

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  4. You create such pretty stitcheries. Too bad you couldn't just stitch up a new A/C! We're getting our unit replaced the week after next. We'll all be cool this summer! Love the picture of your beautiful sister.

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    1. Oh , Susie wouldn't that have been nice and a lot cheaper too. Lol. Thank you so much. I hope that all runs well with the replacement of your AC unit too. Ours took a few hours to install. Stay cool , my dear and thank you on the kind words about my sis. Hugs.

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  5. Aww... Melisa, your latest post made me laugh and made me cry. How you must miss your sweet Amy. I can't imagine... The piece you designed of her picking the berries is just the sweetest. Thank you for sharing it with us. And I hope your AC works perfectly for the next 30+ years. Enjoy your Sunday and this last bit of May ♥

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    1. Aah thank you so much, Carol. I do miss her so much. I know you are still in the grieving process yourself from the passing over your dear mom. I do not know if it will ever get easier. Stitching this brought back lots of fond memories. Have a wonderful weekend. I hope you are able enjoy it with your sweet grandbaby

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  6. So sweet and what a tribute to your sister! Hugs!

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    1. Aaah thank you so much, Shelly. Working on this piece as well as the numerous quilts that I have been working on in her memory brings me a lot of comfort. I hope you have a wonderful and joyous Memorial Day and a fabulous week. Hugs.

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  7. Welcome back my sweet blog friend! Your AC story is one that I can relate to and hopefully not have to do again for a long while. Yum, yummy, fresh strawbery jam, so beautifully red in the jars all ready to enjoy! I am now craving something or other with strawberries!! Your picture of your sister, Amy is so beautiful, and you brought a tear to my heart. The stitchery is a wonderful tribute to her and to you with the love that is generated from your words. Enjoy this last tiny bit of May and June will soon be upon us with all that comes with summer. Sending you much love and many hugs from Arizona.

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    1. Good afternoon, dear Mary. I hope you have had a wonderful week and weekend. Lol I am with you. I do not want to experience a new AC unit again. What an ordeal.Thank you so much for your sweet words about my dear sister. I miss her more and more each day. I bet it is getting hot in your area. I hope that you are staying cool. Have a wonderful and blessed Memorial day. Love and hugs.

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  8. Your tribute to Amy is lovely, Melisa. Beautiful picture of her.
    Thanks for sharing.
    The strawberries bowl and jam pots made my mouth water.

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    1. Aaah thank you so much, Ivani. Working on cross stich and quilts in Amy's memory bring me loads of comfort. The berries were very yummy and the jam has been quite tasty on biscuits. Have a blessed week, my friend. Hugs.

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  9. I think your sister is smiling down at your new design. Our AC bit the dust too and DH has had a few companies give their bids. At least we 'll get it done before the hot humid summer hits us. Hope you get yours soon too.

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    1. Aah thank you so much, Vicki. I can almost hear Amy's words about her stitching now. She would love it. I am so sorry that you are having to face AC problems too. I hope yours is installed very quickly with no problems. Warm weather will be here in no time. Sending hugs

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  10. You can definitely tell a yarn LOL! Glad the AC is up and running for another 30+years....let's hope so! Those strawberries look delicious. Beautiful picture of your sister too.

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    1. Lol thank you so much, Sarah. I was so grateful that the kiddos were able to help get all of those boxes down and that the installation went smoothly. Fingers crossed the new unit will be just as efficient and well built. I so appreciate the kind compliment on my dear sis. I miss her with all of my heart. Have a wonderful and blessed week. hugs.

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  11. You have caused me to smile....so, so funny. I love your diabolical intrigues to get the attic cleared. I can just imagine how many boxes there were. You have a wonderful family. I suppose an air conditioner in tip-top condition will be needed soon to blast away all the heat. The piece you made in memory of your beautiful sister, Amy, is lovely; a beautiful photo of her. Strawberries.....yum! The strawberry quilt you are stitching is fabulous! Love all those sweet, patchwork strawberries.

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    1. Oh thank you so much , Kim. The kiddos were such a great help in cleaning out the attic. I feel very fortunate and grateful. Oh yes, I do believe it will be heating up soon. Thank you so much for the kind words about my sister. I do miss her so. Have a wonderful week and happy quilting.

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  12. I really enjoyed reading the tale of your AC! So glad the family rallied round to help!
    Your stitching is a very loving tribute to your very beautiful sister. I was worrying about where you were, missed you, and so glad to see your post today.
    Have a great week.
    Barbara πŸ™‚πŸ₯°

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    1. Aah thank you so much, Barbara. Cleaning that attic took a lot of me. Plus all of those boxes! Whew! But so glad the AC has been installed before the it really heats up. Thank you so much for the kind words about Amy. It was a comfort to stitch this piece and brought back lots of fond memories. Have a great week. Hugs.

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  13. Oh Melisa, I'm sorry you lost your baby sister. My oldest sister passed 5 years ago. I'm now the age she was when cancer took her. I cried so much for the first 3 years but now I think of her with good memories and pray for the family she left behind. She loved the Lord and I know she's in heaven. Thank you for the lovely stitch. Your sister was generous and I know it runs in your family because you are the most generous lady. :) Patty McDonald

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    1. Oh, Patty. I am so sorry that you lost your sister as well. I know you have a hole in your heart. I do believe that the love , the good memories as well as family and faith will get us through this though. It is heartbreaking when they are taken so soon especially when there are children. Sending love and hugs.

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  14. That was so funny, reading about your devious plan to get the family involved to help you! Seems you got very good value from your o,d AC, hope the new one lasts thst long too. Strawberry jam, yummy.

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    1. Aaah thank you so much, Jenny. We did have a great AC . I really hated that we had to replace it. They just do not make things like they used to, but hopefully with the new unit being the same brand, it will hold up. Have a great week . Happy quilting.

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  15. It sounds like you have a wonderful family who are always willing to chip in and help! Yummy strawberries and jam, and love your tribute to your sister, too. Sweet stitchery!

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    1. Aaah thank you so much, Diann. I so appreciate your kind words about my sis. I do feel very fortunate that my family was here and able to help on the attic detail . It made the process a lot quicker and easier. The jam has been so yummy. I am thinking of making another batch. Have a fabulous week and happy quilting.

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  16. What a funny, beautiful story about family unity! Thank you for sharing your strawberry jam photos!

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    1. Aaah thank you so much. I can always count on my kiddos to help in my time of need. I am so grateful. Have a wonderful week and happy quilting.

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  17. jajaja amiga Melissa no imaginas como me he reΓ­do con tu historia para desocupar el Γ‘tico! jajja y tu familia un tesoro!!!! ahora A DISFRUTAR del nuevo aire por muchossss aΓ±os mas y bella Amy Siempre en tu corazΓ³n seguro. gracias amiga por estar siempre ahi con tus historias que nos hacen disfrutar y reΓ­r.
    un abrazo de tu amiga cubana
    Dianet del blog Parchesdeamor

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    1. Aaah thank you so much, sweet Dianet. Lol I was so happy the kiddos could help out with the attic . The new AC is working perfectly too. I hope you have had a blessed weekend and wish you a wonderful week. Hugs.

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  18. Oh I had to laugh at your evil plan to get the kids over.:) We do have one child that lives nearby. Thankfully a daughter as you know the old adage that a son is a son until he takes a wife, A daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life.:) One of my high school teachers disappeared and was gone for months before her SISTER reported her missing. It was a sad end unfortunately but I told my husband that I could be missing for ages before my boys figured it out.lol I loved visiting with you today. So many pretty things to see and lovely memories you shared.

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  19. I used to put up pints and pints of strawberry jam. My children didn't know you could buy it at the store, and wouldn't have eaten if I had. But I can no longer have strawberries and haven't made it in a long time. It was something Paul and I coordinated together getting cooked and into jars and wiped down. I miss that fun, but times and seasons, you know.

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