Norman Sawyer's Benefit

HOLY COW...how time flies, eh??

Today is the benefit for my neighbor, Norman Sawyer. So I am BARELY able to get a post up here on my own blog. I've been so busy doing THAT JOB....lol...

Keep your fingers crossed. It's been raining all week...and our signs melted away after the first five minutes. But the FACEBOOK page has been lively and I am hopeful. The darn thing had over 2500 hits this week!!

Here's the LINK...and I want you to take a look at the list of auction items...(it's at the top of the page, under NOTES.

WOW OR WOW OR WHAT???  We started off just wanting to raise some money to help Norm and Lorna cover some of the extensive handicapp-accessible changes to their home...






But the way it's ended up is that the is one GIGANTIC WELCOME HOME PARTY for Norman -- who has been living in hospitals and rehabs for nearly a year (the accident was April 19, 2012).

So -- WELCOME HOME, NORMAN...

New Moon Room

Mary was coming to visit. And since Ross officially lives in the room that USED to be our guest room -- Mary would be staying in Lillian's room. It was time for a few changes. In the last year or so, it had become STUFFED with Princess paraphernalia. The changes weren't drastic. The theme is still I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK...


I don't think I'll ever change the moon light on the wall...

But I decided the bed would work better on the opposite wall...

I didn't even realize that this valance was made out of fabric that GLOWED IN THE DARK...Wow...Mary is in for such a treat, eh??

The move allowed me to put that HEAVY gilded mirror in a safe place, where I don't have to worry about it falling down...

I hung the moon shelf low enough so that Lillian can arrange her own little knick-knacks...she has always loved lining stuff up...

Did you notice the special pillow cases??

Ronda's Rag Quilt

My sister Ronda is the QUEEN of ragged edge quilts. I think it's safe to say that NOBODY IN AMERICA has made more of them than she has. She loves doing them -- and can complete a full size bed quilt, start to finish, in about two days. AMAZING.


Of course, like every worthwhile thing -- there are many stages involved. She seems to especially enjoy the SHOPPING FOR FABRIC part of this hobby. For example, she has spent many happy hours filling her cart with bolts of flannel and then standing in line at Joanne Fabrics on Black Friday -- stocking up for the WHOLE NEXT YEAR.

The second stage of the process is picking out the coordinating fabrics. She LOVES going to her enormous stash and choosing fabrics for a "welcome-new-baby-boy" theme. If a friend had an operation, Ronda will make a "hope-you-feel-better-here's-your-favorite-color-green" quilt


Ronda also seems to enjoy the cutting-out-the-squares of fabric process. And then she lays everything out BEFORE she starts to sew. After she lays it out, she stacks it in a particular way so that when -- Finally, she gets to the SEWING part of making the quilt -- it all goes together in the right order. If you've ever made one of these -- you know the hardest part is the actual CUTTING of the edges so that when the quilt is laundered, it will have that ragged look.

Ronda also pieces the BACK of every quilt and she plants a signature square of flannel. Can you see what it is? OF COURSE...it is always a pig. A longtime avid collector of pigs -- Ronda lands a pig on the back of every quilt...

The quilt pictured here was made specifically for the Norman Sawyer benefit. Our neighbor Norman broke his neck in a farm accident last year. Norman's family owns and operates Sawyer Beef -- and he will LOVE the fact that she chose a cow theme.

My sisters are amazing. Ronda, Debbie and Deena will ALL be a part of Norman's benefit. And most of our donations center around sewing. Totebags, quilts, pillowcases -- even a little Janome sewing machine, along with a basket of notions AND sewing lessons.

And this little town is amazing. This week, I am especially proud to call Princeton, Iowa home.

Library Easter Egg Hunt

I didn't even know there was an Easter Egg hunt at the library Saturday. So, there I was, (paying my usual fine, of course) -- when Emily walked in with Lillian and Warren...


Lillian picked out her outfit that day -- wearing a poncho I made for her as a skirt (how creative is that??)

As you can see, she was really excited to see me -- and completely jazzed about the Easter Egg Hunt...

Here's the really big news. WARREN IS A SMILER....

I will be putting up some beautiful pictures of him -- SMILING -- and it is such a different experience.

On this day, my friend Lenora came over to see the baby...and as soon as she started cooing to him, his face broke into a big smile. At barely three months, his personality is coming out already...he makes eye contact and listens to everything you say. Lenora said it best, "this is the perfect age. They're interactive yet completely immobile..."
SO TRUE...and it's just a nanosecond in my life...so I am enjoying it to the hilt...

Playing Games

Growing up, every home we visited had a deck of cards. I played Gin Rummy with my Grandma, and King's Corner with my Aunt Glad. I'm pretty sure the reason I dropped out of college was because I was playing 500 until 3:00 AM every night...As a young married couple, John and I would get together with my parents or my sisters' -- and we'd visit while we played a few hands of Pinocle.

So I'm a big believer in playing games. But nowadays -- kids play games all by themselves on their I-Pad or DS -- so, there is no involvement with another real person. Instead of laughing and talking while taking turns, learning the rules, INTER-ACTING with each other -- they are sitting in a chair, lost in the zombie game zone.

The thing is -- for little kids -- games don't take much...I realized that AGAIN -- at Lillian's 4th birthday party. I paid $1.38 for this Pinata -- and Emily filled it with candy.

All we needed was a wiffle bat and some made-up-rules...



It's Clayton's turn -- and Myla is so happy for him -- (this picture wants to go sideways -- just turn your computer screen -- she is really, really cute...)

The BIG kids had to patiently wait until all the little ones had their turns...then Landon blasted it open....to shrieks of joy...(Lillian is protecting Oliver in the background -- or is she keeping him from scooping up all the candy??  Hummm...)

I'm just saying there is value in playing games. Making memories, having conversations...I'm afraid we're losing all that.

And -- speaking of rules -- did I mention that DEENA WAS HOGGING THE BABY???

Lilly's Birthday Party

Lillian is four years old now. I know this is not going to be news to any other Grandmother out there -- but the time just FLIES BY...I really can't believe it. Since she was born, it's like the days move at warp speed. Emily decided to have Lilly's party at the local community center. Here's my sister Deena -- HOGGING THE BABY...

Just kidding...Deena is a wonderful mother, wife, sister, Aunt, Grandmother. To give you an idea of her incredible bag of tricks -- she BROUGHT A BOUNCY BARN to the party...


Which was SUCH A GREAT THING to have...and the building was so large it just swallowed up the barn, the kids.

When Emily did the inviting, she told the other kids it was a BYOB party. (Bring Your Own Bikes).  Which was the PERFECT THING at the end of a long cold Iowa winter...

I am telling you -- these kids were all so well behaved...

And there wasn't a single fight...no whining...no crying...

They were just thrilled to be playing together...

You can't go wrong EATING CAKE AND OPENING PRESENTS???!!

Oh, yeah, there were some noisemakers and party favors...

The party was such a smash hit -- are you ready for it? LILLIAN COULD NOT STOP SMILING...

You are off to a great start, kiddo. The first four years have been a blast...KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK... LOVE, GRANDMA RITA

Norman KWQC-TV update

It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve on the Princeton committee working on the benefit for my friend Norman Sawyer. I can see that many of you are actually following on the Facebook page we set up for the benefit. My niece, Kelcy Hanson, has been invaluable to the committee -- using her mad Photoshop skills to work up the beautiful graphics AND setting up the Facebook page.

There are so many people working on the benefit -- gathering the auction items, organizing the entertainment element of the event, planning EVERY detail...all of us are just trying to help Norman.

Two weeks ago, Norman came back to the farm. His home is a very different place. To meet Norman -- here's the link to the story KWQC-TV did. Morgan Ottier (the young reporter who reminded Norman of his daughter Sarah) did a wonderful job.

http://www.kwqc.com/story/21885631/norman-sawyers-road-to-recovery



So -- if you are going to be near Princeton, Iowa next weekend -- the benefit is April 13 -- starting at 4:00. Please come help us help Norman.

Since this happened to Norman, I live each day differently. Because now I am completely aware that everything can change in a blink. Norman's best advice?

DON'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT....