Butter, flour, sour cream and memories...

Here I am once again spending about 4 hours declaring my undying love and devotion by baking sour cream rolls for my DH.  I realized today that I've had that rolling pin for 60 years.  I can't even remember why I cut the handles off but I did.  I've had many other fancy wood and marble ones over the years but this old maple one is by far my favorite.

When DH comes home I'll get a huge hug with one arm while he is grabbing for a roll with the other.  I've blog often about this recipe of his mother's.  I've often been tempted to alter it a bit with cinnamon, cardamom, icing or nuts but that seems sacrilegious.  The only change I've made is that I use butter instead of shortening.

I had the kindest, sweetest, most loving mother-in-law in the world. I adored her and so did everyone who knew her..   Every single time I make sour cream rolls I feel her presence at my side.

She often took a bus from Glendive Montana to Spokane to visit us....a long grueling trip.  She came in the door, took off her coat, put on her apron and started the dough for sour cream rolls for her "Ronnie."  She was not known for being a particularly good cook but the sour cream rolls were her claim to fame and she learned to bake them from her mother... The next time my granddaughter is here we're going to bake them together....  I did this watercolor and recipe for her descendants. My own sour cream rolls never quite measured up in my husband's eyes, but once that Mary was gone, my sour cream rolls were looking better every year.....

My favorite story about Mary is: While taking communion one Sunday, Mary found the host dry and impossible to swallow. She wrapped it in a tissue, took it home and agonized what to do with the holy bread. Finally she put it in a tree for the birds. A shocked friend scolded her for being sacrilegious. This weighed heavily on Mary so she went to confess her sin. To her relief the priest's response was "Mary, you did good!"  Sometimes I like to remember the people who have so special in my life and she was definitely one.

CQI Retreat in Kansas City

Arrived home yesterday from the CQI retreat and had a fabulous time.  It has been several years since I had attended a retreat and it was fun to meet new people and even more fun to connect with friends from past retreats... But the biggest treat was to have Lisa Boni as my roommate.  We have been online friends for years and years but somehow have missed being at the same events at the same time... I admire her work so much and she is definitely a sister in spirit.. We had 4 days to talk nonstop and work side by side.

Another friend who goes back to the very first retreat I attended was Connie Kalina.... She has taught herself to make bobbin lace and I couldn't wait to see it in progress.  Here she is giving a lesson to Carol Kramer..   It is an incredibly complex process and the end result is so delicate.

Since I had last seen Connie, she and her husband have taken up mountain climbing and have hiked several over
14,000 feet.

She gave me this small lace frame which I shall treasure and use in a most special project.

The thread is gossamer thin and the pattern is achieved by manipulating  the bobbins again and again in a very specific order.  Much too complex for me but I immensely admire that she was willing to learn.











Another treat was meeting Nancy Taber and giving the button I painted of her dog Brandy.. who is now deceased....  Most of the time special projects just go out in the mail so is was joyful for me to actually hand it to her and see her face light up.

I presented a slide program on making fabric books and had the cottage, corset, Morris and other books with me.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it. 

And an extra bit of serendipity was finding the perfect fabric to use as a base for the anniversary project.  I had a terrible time finding a moire taffeta that would coordinate even when I went to the garment district in LA with Susie a couple years ago.  I finally found a blue online but I was never happy with it... But when the stash dash was going on I saw Cathy Kizarian carrying this pastel green piece of moire that was perfect match and the right size. Being such a sweet person she gave it to me.  The blue was just too intense.   I had pretty much stalled on the project but excited now to finish.  We are leaving for Seaside Oregon on Monday and it is going with me...  Now I have to catch up at home before we leave..

Post from following and gorgeous sequins...

I learn a lot from my followers and have discovered many products I have never used before... After I lamented about my problems with getting a ribbon needle  through the beads, Lacysuzette  commented:

 "As to stringing beads on ribbon, have you tried a Big Eye needle? They are quite long, maybe 4", & split longitudinally. It's sort of like two wires stuck together at each end & when you press the ends together, the center opens wide. Release the ends, & the needle closes over the ribbon or thick thread. Available in bead stores, they are great for loading beads onto ribbon, boucle, yarn & chenille."

Well I was on Amazon in a flash and a package is on its way.  Anxious to try it...  Thanks so much...

My GP doctor's office is only a few blocks from my favorite thrift store and of course when I was there Monday I had to drop in at the thrift store for a few moments.  There was a knit top that had the most gorgeous antique gold sequins but I didn't feel I could justify buying it just to cut off the sequins...  But today I am going to my oral surgeon and his office is only about 6 blocks from that store.  And if the top is still there I'm buying it... It's the oddest coincident that my hair dresser, GP doctor, my regular dentist and now my oral surgeon are all within 1/2 mile of my favorite thrift store... only my retina specialist is miles away so I must ask him to move his office.

Last eye session did not go well at all... First one eye was not completely numb and when he stuck the needle in that eye, the pain took me about a foot off the chair.  Then I had a reaction and had to go back the next day because of the bloodshot eye and swelling.  I seem to be allergic to either the numbing medications, the dilating solutions, the antibiotics with the shots or the Avastin.  Now I'm dragging out all my precious Arch  quilts and will use them on my bed on injection day... super mojo