Thursday, October 23, 2014

A Delayed Hope Chest Addition

I'm afraid there's no finished item for the October addition to the hope chest.  But in between big chickens going out and getting baby chickens back in, freezing wonderful garden veggies, selling calves and wrapping up the last of the hay season, I do have something started:


paper pieced string blocks for a quilt.  Their finished size will be 4 1/2 inches, and I have estimated that I will need at least 300 of them to make a big quilt; I have 90 made.  When the chance to work on them happens, I try to piece 10 at a time, keeping them in numbered groups of ten so I'll know when I reach that goal of 300 (or more).

So, if they never get put together into a quilt by me, maybe the person who gets them will have the joy of finishing it or can give the blocks away.  It seems no matter how many strings I use, the pile never shrinks.

This morning came with a beautiful red sunrise.  The whole area was clothed in red.  We were up early to load the calves for market.


This afternoon I'm very, very sad, and SO angry!   Remember the baby calf I was feeding on the bottle?  She was growing, very healthy, and eating sweet feed and hay.  Right before noon, the neighbor's two big dogs attacked her; she was in a pen beside the barn eating grass.  The farmer saw them and ran them off, so there's no denying whose dogs they were.  Good thing the only weapon he had with him was a rock!  I took pictures, which I won't show here, but it's bad.  I know she must be in a lot of pain from the gashes.  Hopefully she will recover. 

I'll try to do better for the month of November; the weeks go by so quickly ----

Charlotte

19 comments:

  1. I'm amazed at the undertaking of the quilt. Can't wait to see that finished. I sure hope the calf gets better, Dogs should be kept at home.........mine does not wander.
    Fair game I say!

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    1. I think the farmer plans a visit with the neighbor and take the pictures with him. And to think they have dogs like this with children in the yard playing! Everyone knows how I feel about dogs anyway, with good cause; many cats and kittens have been killed here by dogs.
      The quilt may never get passed the "top" stage but I'm enjoying the process of piecing it.

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  2. Oh that poor baby calf; I'm so sorry that happened. :(

    I love the blocks you're using for the quilt. But, I honest don't know how you find the time with so much on your plate. I keep thinking I'll start one, but then I'll see a new book I want to read. So, yes I'm just plain lazy. :)

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    1. Oh no, that doesn't make you lazy! I am so picky about what I read; it has to be something really special to hold my attention.
      Yes, the calf situation has upset me very much; she was my "baby".

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  3. Maybe The Farmer needs to keep his rifle close by? Awfully brazen dogs to do that in the daylight! I hope she recovers.

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    1. A person is almost afraid to do anything to an animal now. Quite frequently we hear on the news of someone being arrested for animal cruelty even if it's something as simple as hitting the animal. What's happening to our society?

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  4. Oh dear, that is a heartbreaking story. Hope your calf survives.

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  5. Sorry about your calf it is more sad for you as you got so close to her bottle feeding and all - hope she recovers. I used to take walks years ago up and down this highway we live on and then I had to quit because of stray dogs that wouldn't leave my daughters and I alone when we would walk - we would throw rocks to keep them from following us and then just had to quit walking on the road as there were too many strays in our area. A lot of people do not seem to realize how many stray animals are in the country - if you don't want a dog or cat toss them on a road in the country I guess they must think everyone that lives in the country will feed them or something.
    - love the blocks!

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    1. With chicken houses, I wonder if people think we have free food all the time. These dogs, at least one of them, are not strays, just left to roam the neighborhood.

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  6. Your string block quilts could very well become your signature quilts...so perfectly created and so so beautiful!!! Sorry to hear about your baby!

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    1. You know, I was thinking the same thing this morning (not being perfectly created :) Maybe I like making them so much because they require little effort. The baby took her bottle and feed this morning and was standing up; good signs, if the wounds just don't become infected.

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  7. I sure hope your little calf recovers. Beautiful string quilt! I love string quilts.

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  8. Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to your calf. I hope she heals quickly. The quilt is going to be so beautiful when you finish it. That's a big project! I love the sunrise photo--so pretty!

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  9. I love what you're doing with the quilt and I'm so sorry about your calf. I sure hope she heals .. Hugs, xo

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  10. Oh, I hope the calf recovers! That is so sad. Our neighbor has cattle and we've been witnessing calves being born lately in the field in front of us. About three have been born in the last month or so. We saw one right after it was born, because the mom was licking her and the calf was very wobbly.

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  11. Hi Charlotte. I bet you have that quilt made by now and I do hope your calf is doing so much better. Thank you for all the sweet comments you leave on mine. I feel like we are kindred spirits that can reach across the miles. God Bless you dear friend. xo

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  12. This quilt is really pretty. I always enjoy your latest creation. You are very talented.

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  13. Thank you. I don't recall mothers blocks having the repeating color in them, they are truly scrappy, but I think that could still work. I have a goal to work on her blocks this winter, if it doesn't make me too sad.

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