the crafting gene

hand painted coasters by Sarah

everyone knows granma Susan's favorite things: quilt squares

 love these hand painted coasters in bright colors!

The kids and grandkids are all being so crafty this Christmas! Making gifts instead of buying - maybe because it is much less expensive? do they know the handmade gifts are often more appreciated? For us, seeing the thought that has gone into the gifts is so rewarding, to see them think it through and plan and not wait until the last minute and run to Walmart for a gift. We are definitely loving this family crafting gene that has obviously trickled down to kids and grandkids !!!

Madison took time off from her usual yarn projects/gifts to make us very special gifts of little books which she made and did the book binding herself (thanks to college class). A bit of sewing was involved, making these very special handmade gifts, and of course the notes she wrote :

(to Susan)

Merry Christmas!

I took a class this semester that taught me how to make books. The two books you're receiving are two different styles of Japanese binding. Since they are Japanese, they are meant to be used from the left rather than the right like western styles. (The blue title strip is the top left of the book). They each had different sewing patterns to follow to achieve the design on the binding. I hope you love them and use them. Books are meant to be filled!

Made with love & just for you!

Madison

Christmas 2018

(to Buddy)

Merry Christmas!

I took a class this semester that taught me how to make books. The book you are receiving is a hard cover double pamphlet - this just means that it has two sections instead of one. I'd say you could use it to write down all your retirement projects, but it's not that big of a book!  J  I hope you love it & use it (for whatever your heart desires).

Made with Love & just for you!

Madison

Christmas 2018


Sarah has been very busy, too, hand painting the above quilt square coasters and repurposing old wood for an ornament:

salvage cedar made into ornament by Sarah

From the Labor Day remodeling project - removing the old cedar siding, replacing it with new, the very small pieces at the very apex of the back of the house were saved from the scrap pile - and made into a Christmas tree ornament. Great save, great job Sarah!

thanks for the memories

Thanks for the memories….

THANKS to grandpa Buddy's boss for the annual end of year bonus and THANKS to Buddy for sharing it for the family trip, wait, that check hasn't come in yet…. Hopefully no jelly-of-the-month club for us this year!

THANKS to SARAH for her idea, "let's have matching PJs this year" and to MELISSA (and Target) for making that happen!

THANKS to ALLISON for making the official family photos again this year.

THANKS to MELISSA and CARRIE for creating the menu and grocery list and ordering it online for pickup at the Kroger(s) in Pigeon Forge upon arrival, and thanks to the folks at Kroger for having everything ready right on time.

THANKS to KEITH and DANIEL for all the cooking.

THANKS to MELISSA for the neat hot cocoa bar.

THANKS for the memories, the baby holding, the hot chocolate, the puzzle, the music, the coloring, the laughs and fellowship around the table. THANKS for the big table and the fireplace to gather around, for the Christmas trees and décor.

THANKS to RACHEAL and ISAIAH for bringing the entertainment (baby LILI).

THANKFUL that everyone had safe travels from places near and far. THANKFUL that all of our kids and grandkids are grown and have jobs and cars and can fend for themselves, they could all go places either together or separate, whenever and wherever they wanted (after a few minutes of car Tetris to get out of the parking area). A few places visited this weekend by some of us: Dollywood, Gatlinburg Aquarium, Laser Tag, Mini Golf, GSM Foothills Parkway, Ferris wheel at Pigeon Forge. 

Thanks to Dollywood Cabins for another great destination lodging experience. Staying at DW cabins has a lot of perks but the two that stand out are the 'length of stay pass' - for $69.95 per person you can come and go to DW as many times as you want for as long as you are staying in the cabin. But the best perk we think is the free parking at DW. Yes parking costs $15 per vehicle or you could all cram into the car with grandpa who has the Gold pass, but if you stay at DW cabins every vehicle gets a free parking pass (we had 7 vehicles). But not just FREE parking in the main parking area and ride the tram, but FREE parking up at the top of the hill in the special lot G with a short walk to the back entrance.

Thanks all y'all for another great family Christmas trip!

from our house to yours

The 2017 Christmas Letter

from our house (camper) to yours... Merry Christmas!!

Dollywood family trip

Is this an annual trip? Well maybe... we went last year at this time too.

We came from different directions, Buddy and I down from Kentucky, Sarah and Matt over from California, Madison and Curren from Alabama, and the rest up from different parts of Georgia.

The porch rockers are a big draw for me, to just be able to sit and look out at the mountains for an extended period of time would be great, but it was so cold! The first afternoon was the only time the rockers were in the sun.

Then it started snowing... but it was great! Not too much to be dangerous or inhibit travel, just enough to be pretty and to cover everything with a sparkly frosting.

So much fun, so many folks - 14! So much food! Thanks Grandpa Buddy for the awesome trip!

thanks y'all

Another family Thanksgiving in the books.

We were missing some folks - Kyle and Allison were in Ohio, Matt and Sarah in California. Daniel visiting with his family in Tennessee.

It was so good to see Kennon and Kay back at our table this year, and thanks to Sue for stopping by to visit, all three Tidwell siblings in the same room one more time, the oldest generation of Tidwells!

We looked at old photo albums and shared memories, celebrating together their Folks - Felton and Inez, who were married on Thanksgiving Day 80 years ago! woohoo!

missing Thanksgiving

Hyatt Regency Westshore, Tampa, Florida

Opening December 1, 1986

The job was almost done but not quite, the big hotel on Tampa Bay had rooms already booked for the grand opening next week, so no stopping work now.

The smells of turkey and pumpkin pie wafted into the big 2-story lobby and up through the tower and made our mouths water, making it harder to concentrate on work and wishing we were home with family and our own Thanksgiving dinner.

Then the word came, passed around from carpenters to plumbers to anyone with a toolbelt or hardhat, Dinner is Served.

The kitchen staff wanted to practice before the opening day, and what better way than to feed an army of lowly worker types like us. The tables in the grand dining room were covered with linen tablecloths and napkins, the china and silver and crystal were all set out. You talk about an instant boost in morale! Nice folks, those kitchen workers.

Yes, we used to build these big skyscrapers that after completion we could not afford to go into again. But not any more. Now we build truck stops, and we can go into them anytime to get a cuppa joe or beef jerky.

And we work on Thanksgiving day to finish the truck stop jobs too. Why? Because that is what we do, we build things and try to meet our schedule commitments no matter what. 

No, there are no grand hotel rooms already rented, but the premise is the same, there is diesel to sell and $$ to be made, so the work goes on. 

"It all pays the same"  "Just glad to have a job"  "It could always be worse"

Today there will be no turkey dinner provided for the workers, but my frozen turkey dinner will be waiting for me in the camper tonight.

And today working out in the cold rain and shaking my head at all the shoddy workmanship by the subs - and seeing (via Skype) my family 900 miles away back home by the warm fire eating Thanksgiving dinner, I am trying but just can't think of a worse thing. 

Retirement is on the horizon, 4 more years...

only heaven knows

It was after Thanksgiving, I received an e-mail from Melissa - telling me she thought of something she wanted for Christmas (I had been bugging her to come up with something), only it is for next Christmas:

I would like a new tree skirt either bought or made (like a present for next year). Something large, quilted, country looking.

I thought, okay that will be a fun project next year - make tree skirts. I have never had a tree skirt, never really wanted one, I just used a quilt. I looked down at my tree with the old quilt underneath, the red and green T-square.

That was the light bulb moment

She wants something large, quilted, country looking, voila! A vintage family quilt in red and green, large, quilted, country looking, and a family heirloom to hand down, several birds with one stone, right? But what about Carrie? (Got to keep things even you know) But that is not a problem because there is another vintage family quilt in red and green hanging on the quilt stand. And I have heard Carrie say before that she likes that quilt a lot. Wow, things are coming together now. A big present under the tree this year for each of the girls.

Next I decided the quilts needed labels. A quilt also needs a name, right, so I looked up and found both quilts in the BlockBase. The official names are Four T Square and Eight Pointed Star. So I christened them Christmas T Square and Christmas Stars.

Next for the labels - what to put on a label when you don't know who made it? I tried several ideas, and this is what I came up with:

Christmas Stars

family heirloom - maker unknown

Tidwell Family Quilt

I printed labels using the computer onto fabric, it is kind of faded out, which looks old, so it will do.

I decided to sew the labels onto the front of the quilts - I Googled it and it is okay :)

Next a little card for the gift box, more of an explanation of what I had in mind:

Then I found some big red boxes at Wal-Mart that had stored wrapping paper, piled up to discard...

I told Buddy that I don't think the recipients have as much fun with this stuff as I do :) 

The woman who works with her HANDS only is a laborer.
The woman who works with her HANDS and head is a craftswoman.
The woman who works with her HANDS, her head, and her heart is an artist.

flashback

flashback to 2005 - grandkids baking!

Cornflake candy

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 - 12 oz jar smooth peanut butter
6 cups corn flakes

Stir together in pot - sugar and syrup.
Bring to boil. Remove from heat.
Add peanut butter, mix until creamy.
Add corn flakes, mix until evenly coated.
Drop onto wax paper.

mmmmm good!!

Thanksgiving 2014

special kids

clean house and lots of food thanks to these two

  

green bean casserole!

we even make the guests cook

the elders

master turkey carver

grandpa Buddy please drop some

scary fried turkey breast

football of course

good times

cousins!

Thanksgiving 2014, 17 folks gathered round, a success!