My Daughter-My Hero

With a much sought after blood type,

my daughter was a regular blood donor from HS, on.

Unbeknownst to me,

as a college sophomore,

she registered as a Bone Marrow Donor

during a blood donation at a local blood bank.

Fast forward 17 years and one random phone call later.

Today, my daughter is donating her beefed up stem cells

in a last ditch attempt

to save the life of an anonymous recipient,

not much older than her,

battling a rapidly progressive form of leukemia.

This is the third attempt.

While prepping for the donation two times previously,

the recipient became too sick to go through with it.

As soon as he went into remission this time,

they wasted no time.

Let's hope the third time's a charm!

It hasn't been a pleasant experience.

She has been quite sick all week,

after receiving injections every day to stimulate her stem cells.

But, bless her heart, 

she knows that one week out of her life

could very possibly mean 

the difference between life and death for another.

She'll kill me if I post the picture of her
all hooked up,
so...

She who hugs and kisses whales,

also saves lives.

Heck, I'm going to go for it...

...if her beau can post this picture on FB,

then her mom can put it on her blog.

She's trying to smile, but I can see she's not

too sure about what's she's gotten herself into!

Both arms are hooked up to the machine,

but one is covered.  It's probably chilly in there.

I'm so proud.

For more information about becoming a donor,

please visit Be The Match

today.

It's Official

October is a very busy time of year for me.
This is when I try to do too many things at once
because not only is the nice weather waning,

One last hike on a barren beach.

These errant Semi-palmated Plovers our only companions.

but it's time for me to finish up everything started,

My 'airfare quilt'.  Every year I make and sell one
to pay for my airfare to Texas.

Baby Fynn's Daycare Quilt, 24"x24"

button down the hatches outside for winter,
which includes

helping The Ranger finish splitting

and laying in his winter wood supply,

and tromping through the meadow

to clean out all of the Tree Swallow houses 

without squashing the cranberries.

I have to prepare my hand work for travel, too.
This year I decided to do a simple applique project.
I found 9 scrappy nine patches
left-over from a past leader/ender quilt
and decided to make the Honey Bee Block at long last,

Tutorial

so I'm prepping them for my 'to go' bag.
Of course, I had to finish at least one!

It goes without saying
that I have to sneak time in to practice my FMQ!

And sometime in between all this,

I have to pack up all of my sewing 'mess' 

for the winter.

I'm going to miss my Janome!!

Last, but not least,
September was my birth month.

Patron Saint of Hexies

I am now officially

a hexie-genarian.
I'm still not to sure how I feel about that,

but the Patron Saint of Hexies

is clearly

watching over me!

My last 'to go project' is getting it's finishing touches.

Have a funderful weekend!!
~karen

Reach for the Stars

My grandniece,

Anora,
just turned two.
Now, she needs a big girl quilt!

Alphabet is compliments from Victoriana Quilt Designs.

My mother passed away in 1982

at the young age of 51.

My daughter was the only grandchild 

she ever had the pleasure to meet.

Like all grandmothers, 

she delighted in having a little one underfoot.

When my sweet girl was about the same age as Anora, 

Mom used to play

"Reach for the Stars" with her.

They'd raise their arms up as high as they would go,

then laugh and laugh and laugh.

This one's for you, Mom.