I’m not sure whether or not I have mentioned, in all that I have shared with you about my Mom, that she was a rabid reader. My mom had book shelves in every room of her house but the bathroom, including the hallway and stacks in the garage. All totaled, she had a library of just about 20,000 books that she had collected from the time she was a young girl.
Going through my mom’s books to pick what we wanted for our personal collections was delightful. She loved murder mysteries (which I do not) and loved reading everything about Hollywood, focusing on the actors who were the contemporaries of her time. Anytime we wanted to buy something for my mom, a book was always a good choice.
Just before Mother’s Day of 2003, Doris Roberts released her autobiography, “Are You Hungry, Dear?”

which included recipes that she used for Marie Barone, her character on “Everybody Loves Raymond”. Mom was a huge “Remington Steele” fan and would have run away with Pierce Brosnan had he only had the courage to show up on her doorstep ; ) so I knew that Doris’s book would be perfect for mom. I have to admit that I had an ulterior motive in buying the book. I quickly looked in the Index to make sure that “Marie’s” recipe for Steak ala Pizzaiola was in the book – as I remembered it from an ELR episode.
I picked up the love for reading from Mom, and Doris’s book was one that I kept for myself in the division of Mom’s things. I read it about a month ago and when I was finished, I made Steak ala Pizzaiola for my family — it’s a winner!

Ok, so what’s the purpose of this blog entry, Annie?

Another book that I was interested in was Maureen O’Hara’s book of memoirs, “‘Tis Herself”.

It is a good read, filled with all kinds of things that *I* never knew about some of the people in Hollywood! One thing in particular that drove me to write this blog is an entry that I read as I finished the book today, which is applicable now (her book was published in 2004, so, recently).

This blew my mind! Call me gullible or un-informed, but, (are you ready for this?!):

Maureen talks about “Only the Lonely”, the movie she did with John Candy, where I hated his mother which she portrayed beautifully. She says:
“Right away, those around me brought up the possibility of an Oscar nomination.
I was told that times had changed and the actors now had to *campaign* for Academy Awards. It would cost $30,000 (!!!) and there was no guarantee I would get one. I called Roddy McDowall and asked for his advice. He was on the Academy board and would know what I should do. He talked me out of it. He said, “If you have that kind of money to throw around, then put it in a nice interest-earning CD.”

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! $30,000 TO **CAMPAIGN** FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD??!!

And that was four years ago. I’m sure that amount has gone up.

So — anyone who you thought deserved an Oscar for their stellar performance in a movie, bought the opportunity for the contest. LOL

That goes right up there with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy for me.
In the past, the thought that it was a popularity contest has been voiced, but who knew that they had to pay to even be in the running?!

You learn something new every day. Sounds like a fun idea for an Art Quilt, doesn’t it? Any takers?

There is a man whom I revere more than any other man, except maybe my husband ; )
We got news on Sunday evening that he passed away at the age of 97. I knew it was coming but every time I think about it, I shed tears for a man that I never had the privilege to meet – and yet, regardless of his age, his passing broke my heart.

You may not even know who he is, but he has been a recipient of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given a United States citizen.

Photo by Scot Facer Proctor

His family just knows him as “Dad” and “Grandpa”. When he was given the medal, he didn’t realize that it was meant for him as an individual — that’s just the kind of man he was.

Gordon B. Hinckley is a man among men and will be sorely missed by all who ever heard him speak to us about “Standing a Little Taller” and encouraging us to be better people. We will miss his wit and his wisdom, but we will have his words of love, care, and encouragement as a legacy.

If you want to find out how this man truly lived his life, and why he was such an influence and beloved leader, you can tune in to his memorial service via cable tv on BYUTV channel, Saturday Feb. 2 at 11:00 a.m. mountain time. You can also visit LDS.org to understand a little better who this man really was.

God be with you til we meet again.

Thanks to listener, Lauri, who sent me this link of Glenn Beck’s tribute to Gordon B. Hinckley; heartfelt and simply said: Glenn Beck.com.

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Thanks to all of those who have contributed to Quilting Stash. If you haven’t contributed recently, please consider doing so by clicking HERE.

I will be featured on Alex and Ricky’s “Quilt Show”, show #209 airing April 28th!
While you’re visiting the Quilt Show website, check out the “Bouquets for a New Day” Block of the Month designed by Susan Garman

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Heartfelt thanks for all of the donations to Quilting Stash. Your donations are the fuel for Quilting Stash and to make video-casts possible!

Websites, blogs and podcasts to visit:

Shop LizzieB! and don’t forget “Let there be Chocolate”.
Ann Fahl– Her article about folding quilts on the bias can be found in the Quilter’s Newsletter magazine, December 2006 issue.
Jennifer Worick’s website, author of “The Prairie Girl’s Guide to Life” and other gems.
“Never Check Email in the Morning” and Julie Morgenstern’s website
Alison Luff’s website and podcast
Allison Rosen’s blog and podcast
SewInspired blog
Sarah London
Material Mama podcast

Guy’s Sweater

Here is a picture of Guy’s Aran sweater, in progress. I got the pattern from a Vogue Knitting magazine – whose patterns I love. I have to say that I was inspired to take up knitting again (that, and the fact that I had the yarn waiting for me for two whole years!) by Cheryl Winslow of Starshine Quilting who makes the coolest socks, and you have to visit her website to see the gorgeous quilts she does. She has a blog too!

Piper Enjoying A Lie-down

And not to leave you with only one picture… here is a precious picture of the Piper, the quilting dog, taking a little nap with her bear and blankie. Wait a minute — who let her up on the couch on top of my quilt?!

Happy Quilting!

copyright 2008 Annie Smith All Rights Reserved

I woke up today, knowing that I owe you a new podcast. I have the production notes all ready — and no voice. My family has succumbed to the flu that is going around; sore throat, congestion, cough, antibiotics.
I had the brilliant idea to take a really beautiful picture of a Kleenex box with my Rx and pink slippers with the little ribbon rosebuds on them, so I had a nice rosy picture for you. It’s dinner time and I still haven’t done the photo – and I am zonked, too sick to bring everything together and take the picture.

So you get this: a lame apology for a new podcast. Hopefully, I will feel better tomorrow, and have my voice back, so I can do show #110. It will be a good one, I promise! I have some cool new stuff to talk about, including a certain friend’s new fabric line for a new compnay that I’ve been dying to tell you about ; )

But for now, I just wanted to let you know that I am alive, albeit barely, and that I will return soon to bring you a new Quilting Stash installment!

Soon, quilters…soon!

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I can’t believe the year is over, I still have so much to do! And, I couldn’t let the year end without giving you the last interview from Quilt Market, with Jenny. She is so fun, sweet and talented, it was such a pleasure to speak with her.

We had the chance to get some pictures, so here is one of Jenny’s new quilts:

Initial name, Fuzzy Wuzzy , uh, Jenny – what did you name it? It reminds me of that game “Simon”. It will be in the next Quilter’s Newletter “Quilt It for Kids” magazine. Congratulations, Jenny! This quilt is so soft and warm, I’d like one myself.

And here we are, happy to finally have gotten together to do the interview for the podcast!

You can read more about Jenny by visiting Jenny’s blog WildCard quilts. You’ll be able to find out what she’s doing next, which will be delivering a brand new member of her family shortly!

Congratulations and best wishes to the Wilding Cardon family!!

I just have to do this today, since I can’t pick up the phone and call my Mom. I was reading one of Laura Gunn’s friend Libby’s blog – Crunchy Peas (cute name, beautiful website), and she had done a memorial blog entry for her Mom. She said:
“There are times when I look in the mirror and it is as if I am seeing her face, and times when I say something and it is if I am hearing her voice. The pain of losing her is both soothed and yet still fresh.”

Wow, how I can relate to that! I never want to forget my Mom, or “get over” her passing – as has been innocently suggested by someone who has not yet lost a parent. Something, anything, will come to mind and I have a warm, sweet feeling that she is near — and then the tidal wave of loss overcomes me. I still feel that way about my Dad and he has been gone for over 30 years!

I decided yesterday that it was time for me to go through the boxes of my Mom’s memorabilia. I have been putting it off, and off and off. As you know, if you are a Quilting Stash regular, I talk a lot about my Mom and draw from the culture that she raised me in a LOT — (lemon cake recipe, Apron Strings quilt, Tunnel of Fudge cake recipe in the January newsletter).
But my Mom’s birthday is today, and I just can’t take flowers to the graveyard one more time right now. It drains me so much emotionally, and I start thinking about all of the family members who are there in the same cemetery, and then I just sit and cry for the missing of all of them.

So, I’m going to share a couple things about my Mom with you – funny things that I have found. My Mom kept everything — and I do mean EVERYTHING. I found two items that will illustrate that for you:

The ad for the trailer that we owned in 1964! We took one family trip in it before my Dad got tired of having it parked in front of our house and sold it. It was so fun playing in the trailer though – my sister, Judie, and I played “camping” in it.

How about a collection of nuclear threat brochures? Not that we ever had a family evacuation plan, but it’s so indicative of life during the sixties. I looked through them and there is a lot of common sense stuff in there. The illustrations are priceless.

Ok, so there you have it. I have a lot of wading to do in those boxes, then I have the family pictures to catagorize, scan, and digitize so my siblings have copies of every picture. It’s fun to see what was important to my Mom and read things that others wrote in cards and letters to her that give me a little closer insight to my very private Mom. And a lot of questions that she isn’t around to answer.

Here is a little scrapbook of pictures of my Mom — my favorite pictures of her that capture the essence of who she was.

Little Joyce, about 4 years old, with her dog, Skippy.

Isn’t this picture precious?! All dressed up for her part in the Portuguese Fiesta, about 6 years old.

Joyce, at about 16 years old, in a dress made by her Mom, who made all of my mother’s clothes.

Just two years later, a beautiful bride. No wonder my Dad fell in love with her — she was simply beautiful and had so much class and style.

With my Mom, when I was about 6.

My parents, Floyd and Joyce, on New Year’s Eve in 1964. What a pair!

The last picture taken with my Mom, at my first quilt retreat in Cambria – with my sister, Susan, and her daughter, Beth. If we had only known what was to come in two short months… ah, but we never do. I do have precious memories of the time spent with my Mom in Cambria, a place that she loved to visit.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little peek into my Mom.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!