The Elves Have Left the Building

One of Santa's elves dropped their hats and walked off the job, with the other elves following suit (and that's a Santa suit)! And you know what that means...a million wishes for a Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers of my blog. I am so grateful and humbled throughout this year especially through some challenging times with love and support by many folks near and far.

So enjoy this time with your loved ones, squeezing everyone a little tighter on your greetings this week.

Merry Christmas!
Terri

Photos of Nolan Family Christmas and lifelong friends, Bill and Colleen Gawne, and my Mom with me and Olivia

Cousins at Christmas

Besides our brothers and sisters, our "other" first friends were our first cousins. And as our respective families grew, grew up and married, we always seemed to remain family. So getting together tonight with our two cousins, Shelli and Ray, and their spouses, as well as my sisters (including spouses) for dinner was a great kickoff to the Christmas weekend. I'm thankful for that lasting friendships.

BSoleille!
Terri

Say Yes to the Dress and Then

A NeedleOnFull customer, Donna Bartlett., commissioned me to turn her Mother's 1947 satin wedding gown into six heirloom pillows. This project really stretched my sewing and quilting skills, but the most daunting task was taking a pair of sheers/scissors to make that first cut into the beautiful dress. I swear I heard a faint "oh no" from the dress just as I made that first careful cut into the very long train. The second cut was not as bad, whew! And as I methodically continued to cut, quilt and sew the pillows, the significance of the legacy of the woman who wore the dress bore into my heart and soul, knowing her daughters and her daughter's daughters will each have a keepsake of that special day almost 60 years ago. I am thankful I played a small role in keeping their legacy alive.

I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out of Thanks to my go-to embroidery gal, Sheila Walker, who beautifully used the best font she had from that era to craft the bride and grooms' names and wedding date label for the front of the pillow. It all came together so splendidly, I am giddy and thankful for this unique successful project!

BSoleille!
Terri

Photos of the dress... and then the pillows.

Caps Quilts Caps

A big hearty THANK YOU to Laurie Strongin of Hope for Henry and the Washington NHL Capitals as they scored big today with a visit to kids and families at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital! The whole team came to "syringe paint", draw Christmas trees with some of the little ones, take selfies with adoring fans, and gave good cheer to the brave kids fighting the battle of cancer. Of course, Ryan Tomoff (BIG FAN), had his arsenal of items he wanted signed by the players which  included hockey pucks, a couple jerseys, and a poster. All were signed with a tender smile and firm handshake by many of the players.

But not only did we all enjoy the Caps and all their good wishes, but Ryan and I delivered two large bags of quilts from my quilt guild; the Southern Comforters of Bowie, MD. This is part of our community outreach, and one of two hospitals in the area to receive the cherished quilts to each new pediatric cancer patient. It is, after all, the season of giving...and giving back! The kids love the quilts and the families are very appreciative of all the efforts from our quilters. Win-Win!

Lastly, one of the missions of Hope for Henry is "distraction mode", making kids and families smile and forget about treatment and everything associated with cancer for an hour or two, and that was definitely achieved this afternoon for all who attended the Peds Hem/Onc Clinic. And this is really something to be thankful for today!

BSoleille!
Terri

Photos of: 1) Ryan and Ovechkin; 2) Tracy Councill, Ryan, and Denise with quilts; 3)Nate Schmidt and Ryan; 4) Ryan and Jacob Vrana; 5) Ryan with players; 6) Terri and her fav player and best skater (her opinion!) Nick Backstrom; 7) Terri, Oshie, and Ryan; 8) Team and kids! 9) Terri and Ryan with the "Great 8"!

Cat to Cookies

My neighbor Sarah Koziol hosted the neighborhood cookie exchange today, and it was lovely. Her house was decorated beautifully and the mood was very festive! But what intrigued me the most, was her Siberian cat, Monacacy, that was the "life" of the party. Although friendly enough, or, shall I say curious enough, (Sarah claimed he is dedicated to only one person, her, much to her husband's and children's chagrin), that he methodically investigated all our plates, drinks, and pretty wrapped packages on the cocktail table. He was definitely not shy about licking said plates/drink cups, and did not sit in anyone's lap, but made his presence known by hanging out with us and listening in to the conversations pinging around the family room.

Apparently, they shed about twice a year, and are really from Russia. They were introduced in the states in 1990, so they have not been around that long here domestically. They also happen to be "hypoallergenic", and that is a large reason cat people who are allergic, have been trending to obtain a pure Siberian cat so they could live with a cat without the allergies so many people have with them today. A kitten can cost up to $1000 (or more), so they are truly an investment in furry-four-legged family expansion.

BSoleille!
Terri

Photo of Monacacy - almost doglike in his playfulness and antics (loved tossing around the tomatoes on our plates), and his coloring, especially his face, looked liked it was painted on, and the Ladies of Harcourt/Harrow/Harwell!

Straddling Seasons

According to Siri, "Old Man Winter" officially begins December 21st, this Wednesday. It ends, March 19th, 2017....Fasten the seat belt if living in a region that gets a "wintry mix", which, according to my friend, Hp, is a euphemism for "really sucky weather"! And so begins the dance of inches...snow, and it's companion....ice. I am really not a fan, and do not ski, so those numbers mean nothing to me except terrible driving conditions around the Washington/Baltimore Beltways. Many regions across the country have been digging out of lots of snowy conditions, and accidents (some fatal, sadly) abounds. But for a moment today, I stopped to take a few photos of the icy branches bestowed on by "Old Man Winter", just a little early in the calendar, though trying to hang onto fall as long as possible. I think we all have to wave the proverbial white flag, and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow; as the holiday song goes, whether we like it or not.

BSoleille!
Terri

75 Years Already?

A piece of fruit goes bad after a few days sitting on the counter, and we either eat it (if deemed healthy enough to eat) or toss it, right? No question about that. So for the past 30 years we have lived with non-working casters on our dining room serving cart, something that should have been tossed years ago, but didn't. However, today I finally deemed them too inept to keep and tossed them in the trash. Those 75 year old ones were bent and scratched the floors something fierce, but we continued to live with them, because let's face it, it never entered the mind to replace them no matter how many times we got to the big box hardware store in the last three decades. I had to make it a point on my "list of things to do" to hit the radar, and I am so thankful I did. The funny thing is, I can't believe it took that long, and the new ones are a "dream" to navigate the cart without any damage to the hardwood floors. You could "dance" with this cart now, and the casters even come with brakes... all for 12 bucks!

BSoleille!
Terri
 

Hygge

Hygge is a Danish word (pronounced "hue-gah") that is a feeling or mood that comes by taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary or everyday moments more meaningful, beautiful or special. It could be as simple as a good cup of hot coffee on a super cold morning (like this week exactly), or tea for us teetotalers, including the ritual of making the hot drink, then lingering over the cup, maybe even with a book or sitting quietly in a comfy chair.  Lighting a candle at every meal is hygge. And when you realize and are aware of the good moments in your life, and making it last, now that is hygge! Apparently, there is no English translation for hygge, but think simpleness, kinship, cosiness, charm and comfort. I try to incorporate a little hygge in each day, though never "knew" the word for it, and viola', we have it now!

So as we "rush" through this holiday season, my hope is for you to find the hygge in your life; some simple pleasure every day that you own and is meaninful in your world.

My photo today is hygge; a gifted tin of Christmas cookies by a good friend, and a hot mug of tea. So simple, so beautiful.

BSoleille!
Terri

A Quilter's Christmas

A nice evening with my Southern Comforter's Quilt Guild for our annual Holiday party commenced this evening in Bowie, MD. Good food and great conversation with a simple agenda made the party intimate and special to close out 2016 with my guild mates. I am thankful for each and every one of them, especially pushing me to be a better quilter with each stitch I sew on any project. I am looking forward to a productive quilting year in 2017, and deepening already established friendships!

BSoleille!
Terri

One More Thing

Sometimes after I blog, there may be one (or two) things I forget to mention but never get back to. However, this past week, I made a comment about some new laws of soccer (that took 43 pages for the law interpretation), and I forgot to add this: Please consider the new law changes while watching the game on TV or in person, as the referees are implementing these changes...especially on off-sides!

And I wanted to add a couple more photos of my "decorated house" with Christmas quilts, but decided to take one photo with a three quilt spread.

BSoleille!
Terri

Bowling

Any physical exertion following surgery is a good sign, so it is with great pleasure I can say that Ryan felt well, and strong, enough, to throw a 9 or 10 lb. ball down the alley way for an hour of bowling this afternoon. I forget how fun it really is, and with his Aunt Stevie here and ready to "play", we were all set for some much need fun, and the goal of breaking a score of 100! I was thankful for the fun and recreation, and a smile on all our faces as we battled on the alley!

BSoleille!
Terri

Christmas Spirit

As a quilter, one of the ways we like to celebrate the season is to have every bed in the house "decorated" with a Christmas quilt. I have always like the holiday fabrics, but thought that I had too much one year (Christmas-themed fabric), so I  hammered my time and produced several quilts to "finish" my stash of all my holiday themed fabric. I did pretty well in using up all my fabrics, and only have a little bit left that I may "need" for a small project someday.

I may still may get a tree up, and decorate a little around the house, but the beds are all set for the season, and I'm thankful for that!

BSoleille!
Terri

The Badge

If you happen to be a soccer or "futbol" fan, there are 43 pages of Law Changes that began July 1, 2016. This is one of the largest law changes in many years. So due to all the changes, the referee exam included two exams instead of the typical one this year to continue refereeing the "beautiful game". The first exam was only on the new laws, and, of course, the second one, was the "normal" one we have to take each year to obtain our badge for the following year. And in addition to taking the on-line exams, each referee has to sit through a 5 hour re-certification class which I completed this morning. And based on my photos, not many women out there running up and down the fields with a referee jersey on and blowing a whistle! There were only about five ladies out of about 130 people in the class. Wow on that statistic!

BSoleille! The bright side of "earning" my 2017 USSF badge (check out the new look too!)

Terri

RyanStrong

This is not the exact update I wanted to write, but here it goes:

Dr. Robert Ord called this afternoon to both Ryan and I with the pathology results. The tumor was a wee bit larger than was originally thought (4mm), and not favorable. There is a 25-33% chance there is cancer in the lymph nodes, and most likely, a much higher percentage for Ryan based on his long history. Surgery will be scheduled mid January for their removal (lymph nodes). I realize there are no words left to say on this "new" development, but we are so very thankful to the overwhelming support of prayers, positive thoughts and well-wishes to this remarkable young man. He is truly a focused warrior and will continue to fight this battle and deepen his faith as he, and we, march forward. One. Day. At. A. Time.

#RyanStrong
#TomoffTough

Terri

Life Imitating Art

As in pumpkins and giraffes...the pumpkins being the "life", and the giraffes being the "art". So while doing a little raking lately (and I mean very little in the raking department), I noticed those same "light orange" pumpkins that I blogged about from October had one stem looking mysteriously like the giraffe that is right behind it. I never noticed it before because the stem was like any other pumpkin stem, straight, (or pretty straight) or so I thought. Never did I think a pumpkin stem would morph into a giraffe looking stem, but there are just some unexplainable things in life, and this happens to be one of them.

BSoleille! The bright side of "still life" imitating "art".
Terri

Gentler Times

Is it a sign of "getting older" when everyone seems to be driving too fast, or people are just rude, or is it the signs of the times in 2016? Everyday I try to figure that out and can only control my very teenie tiny piece of the big bad world. So I propose gentler driving, and not cutting in lines. Patience practicing at its finest. I think we all have the potential for being gentler, and maybe we need  a little more of that as a society, especially during these days of Christmas festivities.

So here is the question I used on Thanksgiving Day, going around the table of 12 for everyone to answer as best they could, and maybe use the same question at an upcoming dinner: "What's the best thing someone has done for you in the past week? And what is the best thing you had done for you during the past year? Hopefully, the answers will lean toward "gentler times!"

BSoleille!
Terri

Photo of the last vestiges of leaves leaving their trees!

Special People Award

The Special Love's "Special People Award" could not have come at a better time for cancer warrior, Ryan Tomoff, during this afternoon's Holiday Party in Franconia, VA. This is another example of "kids" helping "kids", especially for Camp Fantastic Camp Counselors and all their wonderful volunteer hours and service provided through this fabulous organization. So to be reconized today coming off the heals of a very intense week was very special to Ryan, and the entire family. So a big hearty "How How" to Ryan and all the volunteers who received this special award!

BSoleille! The bright side of helping others no matter what!

Photo of Ryan, Dave Smith and Shari Fisher and other award winners
Terri

Healing Begins

One of the best updates that I could post on Ryan is that he is HOME and the healing has begun in earnest. Catching up with some much needed sleep, and cuddling with Loo-C the pup has to be at the top of the list while Ryan convalesces.  Based on the last surgery in May/June, Ryan rapidly healed once home, so we anticipate the same this time around. We are thankful that he was strong enough and his pain mangaged to get the "A-OK" discharge!

BSoleille! The bright side of cuddling with your dog while healing...

Terri

One. Day. At. A. Time

The wait and surgery is over. Ryan did very well and "tolerated" this second tumor removal like a champ, in which he truly is, bar none! Maybe "amazing warrior" is more like it (I'm a biased parent!). I have to be honest though, it has been one emotionally challenging day for Bill and me. I believe it's almost "easier" for the patient, right? However, with hundreds of people praying, sending positive thoughts, and even lighting candles on his/the family's behalf, we are truly blessed and have been lifted in His holy grace. We all feel the love! And we cannot thank you enough!!

And remember the line I said about moving mountains through prayer?  Family friend and confidant, Sister Pat Parachini, had this message for us today: We Continue to pray with you for Ryan...have our whole Province praying:  450 Sisters and 300 lay associates of the Sisters of the Holy Names!   Take care and lots of love.

Now that is a lot of mountain moving, yes?

Ryan is resting comfortably in a step down unit,  and provided he has a good night, he should be able to go home tomorrow (according to Dr. Ord). The hope is that Ryan's recovery will be much faster than the May surgery, and fingers crossed for clean pathology reports forthcoming.

And as there were no words to describe this new cancer incidence with Ryan, and all that it entailed, there are few words to adequately convey how humbled and thankful we are to so many people near and far that Ryan (or our family) has touched through his crazy story of cancer through the years.

Lastly, a big shout of THANKS to Dr. Robert Ord (and his team of excellent care providers) at the University of Maryland Medical Center for his professionalism, kindness and compassion to Ryan, our family, and everyone he comes in contact with.

#RyanStrong
#TomoffTough

Terri