Gayle’s Gallery

Tyvek, siding and shingles.  All in a day.  OH MY!  These guys are my heroes.  They work so well, so hard, so quickly.

Anybody need a piece of Tyvek?  I kept all the pieces that were cut out for doors and windows.  And they cut a whole roll down to size that they handed me too.  They just did not understand why I would want that.  Then I took out my triptych piece that DebL made and showed it to them.  They were so surprised that it was made of Tyvek!  And gathered up even more for me!  How much should I send you Deb?

We were SO SO happy to see the original crew back today.  The 2nd crew we had on Mon and Tues were terrific too…. and yesterday  all the crews worked elsewhere.  But the fact that the original guys were back meant that the family hit by the drunk driver was doing better.  All 4 kids are home now.  The 2 boys are doing well.  The 2 little girls will be recovering for some time with broken bones to heal.  But home is good, right?  Their Daddy is still in ICU, but improving.  The Grandpa is the foreman of the original crew.  How wonderful to see him.  How wonderful that he is feeling good about going to work after days of sitting in hospitals with family members.

Doesnt that picture above look like they are making a mess?  They were kidding about the mess today.

So after their mess was cleaned up, they asked Steve to clean up HIS mess!  He had a bunch of little bark and wood smut stuff from his firewood pile that needed to be cleaned up.   Where Steve is raking, is exactly where the pile of gravel goes.  Then they will move the gravel inside with the skid steer.  Concrete floor gets poured on top of the gravel.

Above is from the street…… looking west.

One below is looking south.

The most fun thing today was that the building crew came inside to see what we do.  They were just amazed at those BIG sewing machines!  All of them have wives or Mothers that quilt….. but one of them has a wife that quilts alot.  And is quite good at it, according to her husband.  He could not keep his eyes off the machine while I was stitching.  He was totally mesmerized.  They had watched Steve quilting a pantograph (following a pattern with a laser light) and were shocked that I was quilting (freehand)  with NO pattern.  One said he marks the cloth for his wife…. but he had no idea anyone could quilt without that pattern marked on there.  One also was discussing with Steve how the machine worked, and how to hook it up to a gas engine!  I think we all amused each other across our cultural differences.

My dreamer……..

We are going to have a roof over our heads.  That’s a good thing!

From the road, looking west.

Looking mostly south…..

Looking east

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American Idol:  I know it wont happen.  But David Archuleta gives me the heebiejeebies.  He needs to be voted off.  He does the most revolting stuff with his mouth.  And David A…. open your eyes damn it!  I dont mind listening to him, but I cant stand looking at him.  And really David A… dont even try to dance.

Now David Cook?  You should win.  Really.  Dont know if you will win, but you deserve to win.

From the moment you know youre going to be a Mom, it never stops.  You are always and forever changed.  In mostly good ways.

Neil is 30something.  He called to tell me Happy Mother’s Day, which was delightful.  I usually talk to him once a week or so, but it is still nice that he thought to call.  We talked for a few minutes, then he needed to get off the phone in a hurry.  William was having an allergic reaction to yogurt and needed to go to the ER.  Then I waited.

And waited.

And waited.  for what seemed like forever.  Of course this is true when you have no clue what is going on far away.  You only know your grandson is sick, covered in hives…. and coming from an allergic family…and knowing all the possibilities…. well, Grandma can think all kinds of things.  And one of the things I was thinking about was how my little baby boy was feeling the pain of HIS baby boy being sick.  See?  You cant unring the bell.  You cant undo the Mom thing.  It just happens.

William is ok.  He went to the allergist again today and was tested for more than he was prior.  This time it was a blood test, since he had had IV Benadryl in the ER.  Now all 4 of them… Neil, Yvonne and both kids have their own epi pens.  Scary.  Scary that they are all 4 so allergic to various things that they need their own.

So for Mother’s Day, my gift is that the kids are fine.  That my grandchildren are relatively healthy, growing and beautiful.  Take a look for yourself!

Elizabeth…. the big sister at age 4…..

And happy boy William, 9 mos and wanting to walk.

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We had a different Amish crew today.  The foreman’s son in law and 4 grandchildren were in their buggy Friday nite when a drunk driver hit it.  All 5 are in the hospital.   I bet they are all crazy with worry.  I know I would be.   This is the second time in less than a week that an Amish buggy was hit on the same stretch of road.  The other man hurt was from the same Amish community, same extended family I think.

The crew today did a great job.  Part of the time it rained and they just put on their jackets and hats and kept moving.

Trusses tomorrow.

Here is what I have been doing.

A little “woods walking”, checking fence and enjoying the day:

And a sneak peek at the quilt I have been working on:

The construction crew was here by 7:30.  A quick little conference first…. like are you sure you want this door here?  and that one there?  And the window here?  Those things were ironed out and they guys were quickly drilling holes.

Our builder is Mennonite I think.  I never asked, but I am guessing.  His crew is Mennonite and Amish.  I tried to be respectful of them…. and even was dressed before they got here.  (Which is a stretch for me on a gray day to be wearing something other than jammies, but hey, its ok!) I also asked about taking photos.  They seemed surprised that I asked, but thanked me.  They really dont like their pictures taken….. for religious reasons.  If I got them in the photo, it wasnt on purpose.  And only from a distance, so you cant really see their face.  Speaking of accomodating….. Steve fixed them a little make-shift privy in the barn.  They absolutely do not want to come in the house with muddy boots to use “modern facilities”, although that would be fine with us if they did.  Hey, whatever works!  If they are happy, I am too!

This is post construction, not a method I have witnessed.  Since Bobby (my late husband) was a carpenter and contractor, I am familiar with regular construction methods.  But this method is different in lots of ways, and fascinating to me.

They drilled the holes.  They had to be a little over 3 feet deep.

Some of them were right next to the foundation of the existing structure… right outside the living room door.

The bags of concrete next to each hole.  A bag was dumped in each, then water.

Poles set into holes.

And a few hours later all the posts were set with stringers.  Squared, measured, checked multiple times with levels, strings and transits.

Looking toward road.  (looking East)

Looking South

Looking West from road.

Close up …. facing West.  I think this little patio area is going to be my new coffee hangout in the morning.

And just for Sammi….. in all it’s glory.  The best it has ever looked in the 15 yrs Steve has been here.  First time the buds didnt get a hard frost.

No more construction till Monday.  Maybe I can show you some quilty stuff this weekend.  Or not.  Will wait to see how far I get with the one on my machine.

This first picture is for you Neil.  Can you see the posts?  (click on photo to enlarge)  Those are the corners of the garage.  Maybe if it had been spray painted it would have been easier for you to get a perspective.

Here….. let’s see if you can see what I see:

The yellow is the garage.  With windows on all 4 walls… altho I didnt draw them all in.  And the orange lines are where the breezeway/mud room/transition room will be.  And a door between.  Fire door to be exact.  And a firewall on that side of the garage….. on the house side.  The sliding door will become a French door.

So these pics were taken today, after Ron spread the gravel.  Tomorrow morning they will be here to drill post holes and set the posts.  This is a post construction garage with 9 ft ceilings when done.  The ridge of mud room roof will run N/S like the one on the house, the ridge of garage roof will run E/W.  The mud room is only 12×12 but they will pour concrete all the way out to edge of house/garage on both sides.

Hopefully this makes more sense today?  If not, hold on a few weeks!

Ok, so that title is a “Steveism”.  He loves to play with words.  Dont evacuate the premises, excavate them!

Note….. trying photos a little bigger.  You can still click on them for the larger size.  Trying to accomodate those with slower internet connections.

As it was this morning, before work started.

Concrete cut in pieces, then picked up…..

……. and moved to fill in a deep hole in the road through the pasture.

Mike and Steve waiting for Ron to pick up the next piece.

Ron making his first pass of excavation.

That was quick!

Later, the gravel truck arrived.  This shot is taken from my living room sliding door that will later become a French door.  Hey Connor, this is the view into the studio!  like it??

And now it is full of gravel.

S’posed to rain the next few days, not sure how much will get done this week.

Hope your day was good.  Ours was great!

I bet some people who read my blog dont know that I do trunk shows.  What?  What is that?

A trunk show is kind of like grown up quilter’s show and tell.  I schlepp all my crap fine art quilts (and a few traditional ones too) to wherever I am invited, and show them.  I also tell about my journey down this quilting/artistic road.  Hopefully, by the time I am finished, they have learned something….. or been inspired…. or at least felt that it was worth it to pay me the little fee I ask.  (heck it will barely cover gas expenses now)

Tonite I will speak at the meeting of the River’s Bend Quilters in Chicora, PA.  We have never been to Chicora, so we are looking forward to this evening’s jaunt.  Steve is going too, he is the night time driver.  He stays home sometimes, it all depends on what we are each doing that day.  Quilt groups are always delightful.  Fun, interesting and interested people.  It should be a relaxed, nice evening.

Tomorrow I will speak at the Mother Daughter Banquet at Faith Presbyterian Church in Hermitage, PA.  I havent been there either.  Ive been to Hermitage lots of times, but not to that church.  I am really looking forward to speaking there because it is a different kind of audience, with a variety of ages.  Picture it…… Gayle speaking from the pulpit.  What a visual!  I would have Steve take photos….. but he isn’t going.  You will just have to suffer with your self made images.

So today was pack the suitcases day.  I dont have a trunk to make it a legitimate trunk show.  Should I call it a suitcase show?  Guess not.

It wasn’t planned, but today was a day for recharging our batteries.

After several hours in town buying groceries and running errands, we both were tired.  We had had a busy busy quilty week and I think we both needed a day of down time.

We ate lunch while watching a travel channel show about the Colorado River and then I was ready for a nap.  I made a pot of coffee instead and went to the studio to start my postcards for the May exchange.  I got about half of them done.  I also did a few “May Flowers” quilted art postcards for doorprizes for the next 2 trunk show speaking engagements.  Those events are Monday and Tuesday of this coming week, so it was about time I got that done, huh?

I came into the living room about 6pm and couldnt see Steve.  Oh, but I could hear him!  He was upstairs “fiddling” with his new steel guitar.  It was music to my ears.  He was figuring out what all it needed and how to tune it.  I have not EVER seen him this happy and relaxed.  He had been up there playing for the 2 hours I had been sewing.

We really need to do this more often.  Recharging batteries is so important.  How do you recharge your batteries??

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Here is a quilt I finished this week:

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This is a picture I took from our bedroom today.  (bedroom is upstairs)  It was storming and the sky looked like the world had a gray wool hat on it!

When I went to Mercer the other day to get my dishes, I noticed a music store that I had never seen before.  I stopped in, just to see what they had.

Steve has been interested in buying either a Dobro or some kind of console or lap steel guitar.  He was in a band for 20 years, playing some lead and mostly rhythm.  He also sang…mostly lead singer.  (The rest the time he sang backup or was a doowop girl he says)   And then a backhoe bucket crashed down on his hand on the job.  It forever changed his life.  He was no longer able to play the 6 string Spanish guitar.  That left hand has 2 permanently damaged and bent fingers.  He is lucky they were even able to save those fingers at the Cleveland Clinic.

So… the last few months he has been seriously talking about a Dobro.  When I went to the music store, it was to see if they had any.  Nope, but they could get one.  And when I turned around, there in front of me was a console steel guitar with no pedals or knee levers.  I hadnt seen one like that before (I know virtually nothing about music, other than what I like and dont like to listen to) and asked the owner about it.

Today Steve went to the store to check it out.  And came home with it.  He is beyond thrilled, and is already talking about all he needs to learn about tuning it, playing it and so on.  He has several lifelong friends that play, so I know he will be going to visit them for advice and pointers too.  It is SO fun to see him charged up like this.  It’s a bit like seeing a little boy at Christmas when he opens that present that he had hoped for ALL year.  Except for Steve has been waiting 15 years.  About time dontcha think?

This is a 1952 Gibson Console Grande steel guitar.  I love that it is older than I am!