Holy cow, almost three weeks since I’ve posted anything on here. The entire fall season has been crazy busy but I’m seeing a slow down coming even though we’re heading towards Christmas. Odd, but I’ll take it. More posting to come in the next few days.
Have a great Monday!
This picture doesn’t do it justice but we had the most beautiful orange harvest moon earlier this evening.
I have a love/hate relationship with Daylight Saving Time. I leave home in the dark in the morning and return in the dark in the evening – not a fan. I only see my house in the daylight on the weekends this time of year.
But the other part of me likes the cozy, snuggliness of cooler weather. So if it has be dark so early at least this moon was something nice to look at.
I couldn’t hardly believe it when I looked at the last post date and it’s been two weeks since I’ve blogged.
It’s been a whirlwind two weeks for sure.
A few highlights…
A bloggy friend get together at Tanners Orchard in Speer, Illinois. 
From left: Shelly, you know me 
Most of the these ladies I get to see on a regular basis, but Michelle and Debbie are special occasion friends due to the distance between us. It was a fun morning of shopping, shivering, eating, shivering, and chatting and shivering. Yeah, it was a mighty cold morning. The table we’re sitting at in the picture above was right under the heater.
The morning after our get together, DH, myself and 3 others left for Hackleburg, Alabama, where we served doing tornado cleanup back in May (you can read about it here)to work with the organization Eight Days of Hope. 
In the span of 8 days, they expected to have 1400 volunteers on the ground in Hackleburg and Smithville, Mississippi rebuilding homes and churches. We participated for three of the eight days and were able to help on a new home for the Galloway family. 
The Galloway family worked alongside us in May on the church even though they had lost so much themselves. True servants.
We arrived home in time to attend our annual church conference and so happy we did. What an encouraging time, as well as a few well deserved proverbial kicks in the spiritual pants.
Sunday was a day spent catching up around the house.
Doesn’t everyone dust the tops of the cupboards with an air compressor? No? You ought to try it sometime. Just make sure you’ve done no other cleaning first because you’ll have to do it all over again once the dust settles. :/
This week it’s back to my real job to rest!
In honor of family members and friends who are battling breast cancer and are truly Survivors in every sense of the word, here’s Martina McBride’s new video – “Love you through it”.
It really touched my heart so I wanted to share it in case you haven’t already seen it.
I can finally show you this finish as the recipients now have their gift. I put together this Twister table runner for my nephew and his wife who were married Easter weekend.
Twisters are so much fun to make. I used fabrics from a charm pack of Fossil Ferns on this one. I’m really pleased with how the bright colors turned out.
I’ve never been in their home as they don’t live close to us so am hoping it works out well for them.
Congratulations to Jason & Mary!
We had planned to go away on a mini-vacation with the motorcycles for a long weekend but as the time neared we decided that we really didn’t want to be gone more than a day or two right now and to get a hotel room on a Saturday night during prime leaf looking is next to impossible, so we stayed home and rode out from here.
It worked out great. Joe & Kristen(son & daughter-in-law and riding companions) came home late Friday night so we could head out right away Saturday morning. We rode all day Saturday and came back to our house for supper and sleeping. How nice it was to relax like a vacation with no packing and no nasty hotel bed! I could sleep in my own bed which I knew had been laundered recently. I try not to think about those things when we stay in a hotel but sometimes I do wonder. Ok, so I confess, I’m Lori and I’m a tad bit of a germophobe but that’s a story for another post.
On Sunday we rode most of the day as well. We didn’t very far from home but sure added up the miles. We have some beautiful riding roads within 30 – 40 miles of our home. Here’s just a small sampling of what we saw over the weekend.
I love autumn!
It’s been a bit quiet on the quilting front around here. I’ve have a bunch of projects in the works but didn’t have anything finished to show you. I’m finally to the publishing point!
When we were at the Madison Quilt Expo, I found this cute pumpkin table runner pattern. I needed something different for our table as what we’ve had the last few years has seen it’s better days. Then I decided that there were a couple of special women in my life that needed one as well, so these were created assembly line style. 
The pattern called for a patchwork pieced background but I think I’m just as please to keep it solid.
I found this whirligig pattern a couple of months ago at a wonderful little quilt shop in Belleville, Wisconsin (see this post).
The colors are a bit deeper than the pictures shows. I thought I waited long enough into the evening for a bit less brightness. Guess not,
The pattern used prairie points for the whirligig blades giving it a dimensional effect and I loved the idea of the buttons in the middle!
And to give credit where credit it due, the beautiful quilting was done by Mrs. So & So.
I have one more finish that I can’t show you as the intendeds haven’t received their gift yet. On the chance that they read this or their mom does (yes, this means you, Sandy
I have a number of other projects either started or planned but most of those you won’t see posts on for a long time as I’m working on Christmas presents now. Only 81 more days til Christmas you know! ugh!
Sunday was the start of a gorgeous week here in Northern Illinois. We are even predicted to hit 80 a day or two!
Even though we’re experiencing Indian Summer, fall is marching ahead. Compared to last weeks ride, we saw soybeans being harvested
and the corn is getting close.
Some farmers have started on the corn as we saw empty fields and heard & smelled the dryers running. I would guess most will let it stand a bit longer to dry naturally though. It costs a whole bunch less $$$ to do it that way.
Just look at the miles of fields waiting to be combined!
We checked out a couple of old railroad bridges. DH has a fascination with those kinds of things.
Just look at how much the color has changed from last week’s ride.
If the weather holds we’re hoping to get away this weekend for a couple of days a bit further north. It’s been a bit crazy and stressful lately so I’m excited. I think a couple of days away, riding and relaxing, is just what the doctor is ordering for me.
