Through the years I have made these dolls, I made them for my daughters, a friend and I made some one year for some kids that needed a comfort doll. I have enjoyed doing them and have worn out at least two sets of patterns . In case you don't know about them they are the rag dolls with yarn hair, She has a pinafore and he has a sailor type hat and overalls. These dolls have been around for probably 75 years.
When I worked for IRS one of our appeals offices, a gentle giant of a man , was known to mumble about things ending with ' I'm going to rip their face off". As I said he was gentle giant who stood about 6' 8". he was always willing to lend a hand at anything from moving furniture in the office or help others work in the yard, move furniture, whatever. When he accepted a transfer from Sacramento to San Francisco, I wanted to give him something that he could always remember me by. So I made him a face ripping doll. You start with an ordinary Raggedy Andy doll, Then you make an extra face. Sew strips of velcro on the head and on the back of the extra face. Be sure to add eyes, nose, and mouth to the extra face. Presto a face ripping doll. My grandson Joe had a friend who didn't beleive there was such a thing. So I recently made him one.
Joe also works as a therapist for autistic children. One of his clients needs to learn to do buttons,he asked me about how to get one or where to get one. Now I know there are learning dolls, that have buttons to button, zippers to zip, shoe strings to tie. But from what I have observed is that clothes now days have zippers for them to learn to use, most shoes don't have strings to tie.
So out came the pattern and I have created another in the line of fun dolls for kids and adults.
I think Joe will post them on the face book for me .If not I'll try to do it. I made pockets that can really hold things, tabs that button over the pockets, belts that button and snaps that can be snapped. All of this to encourage small muscles to work better.I had a lot of fun doing this Hope you will enjoy seeing them The clothes come off too
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
TIME OUT
My friends;
When was the last time you took some time off just to smell the roses, the lilacs, the new mown grass and view the world thru the eyes of a small child and actually played like you were a small child. If you are like me it has been a while, because it is too cold, too hot, too much to do . I will look silly. It bothers my allergies, Oh! My! the list goes on and on.
Today was my day to do just that I had reached the end of my rope, couldn't and didn't want to hang on any longer. What difference would it make if I didn't do any of those things. Would any one really notice . Then my adopted great grandson, who is five called and asked me to pick him up from school today. He called last night. I said yes and since I never break a promise especially to a child, I went to pick him up. He had the class mascot with him, This is a monkey named Bananas. He must go everywhere with the student.So he came home with us, went to McDonald's and played on the play structure, he sat on a chair as Shane and I made a lake and creek/river in the side yard. We added water to the lake and creek/river. I explained to my friend that cornmeal will kill ants, which we both dislike. So we made a cornmeal trap by an ant hill. Much less caustic than bug sprays. You cannot buy little amounts of cornmeal and since I had some in the frig, just setting there waiting for another occasion for cornmeal. Besides it makes a cool looking road. We were just two kids having fun. how wonderful it felt. Later my other friend , Hunter , my other adopted great grandson came over. We drew pictures with magic markers, ate pretzels, talked about the sand box. Ate crushed ice with a spoons.
Thank God for kids, they always seem to bring out the best in me.
When was the last time you took some time off just to smell the roses, the lilacs, the new mown grass and view the world thru the eyes of a small child and actually played like you were a small child. If you are like me it has been a while, because it is too cold, too hot, too much to do . I will look silly. It bothers my allergies, Oh! My! the list goes on and on.
Today was my day to do just that I had reached the end of my rope, couldn't and didn't want to hang on any longer. What difference would it make if I didn't do any of those things. Would any one really notice . Then my adopted great grandson, who is five called and asked me to pick him up from school today. He called last night. I said yes and since I never break a promise especially to a child, I went to pick him up. He had the class mascot with him, This is a monkey named Bananas. He must go everywhere with the student.So he came home with us, went to McDonald's and played on the play structure, he sat on a chair as Shane and I made a lake and creek/river in the side yard. We added water to the lake and creek/river. I explained to my friend that cornmeal will kill ants, which we both dislike. So we made a cornmeal trap by an ant hill. Much less caustic than bug sprays. You cannot buy little amounts of cornmeal and since I had some in the frig, just setting there waiting for another occasion for cornmeal. Besides it makes a cool looking road. We were just two kids having fun. how wonderful it felt. Later my other friend , Hunter , my other adopted great grandson came over. We drew pictures with magic markers, ate pretzels, talked about the sand box. Ate crushed ice with a spoons.
Thank God for kids, they always seem to bring out the best in me.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
OFFICAL FOOD TESTOR
In my branch of the family, I am the official testor of all new types of food, snack, main menues, new drinks, juice, soda, tea. I have been the go to person for the grandkids. In fact my kids have often used me to test or encourage their children's eating habits. This is a very honorable job and one I have taken great care to ensure that I never lead them astray. Of course when we were throwing newspapers during the nine years that I did this and they visited we sometimes had some strange things for breakfast. but be that it as it was. We always went to the store to check out new main menu things.
But when Shea posted the picture of the sweet potato and how the boys loved them, I had to think if we had ever tried them. I quickly did a survey among the grandkids and they informed me we had not done them as fries , I felt duty bound to try them. So I bought some frozen ones and have now tried them. they are delicious. I would definitely give them a two thumbs up .
See you never know how your blog may change the world, even if it only a small corner at a time
But when Shea posted the picture of the sweet potato and how the boys loved them, I had to think if we had ever tried them. I quickly did a survey among the grandkids and they informed me we had not done them as fries , I felt duty bound to try them. So I bought some frozen ones and have now tried them. they are delicious. I would definitely give them a two thumbs up .
See you never know how your blog may change the world, even if it only a small corner at a time
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
medals and memories
I hope you will bear with me while I wander down memory lane. When I saw Shea's blog about the boys and their surgery. I felt so bad for all of them. I remember when James, my youngest was five. He had been a sickly child all the time and he had Pneumonia. something we had been warned that could be very serious for him. The doctor decide it was time for him to have his tonsils out. Of course with a family the size of ours, five of our own and two nieces that needed a home there was always something going on. We were temporarily living in Ogden because we were in the process of moving to Fresno. Now two of my daughters also had problems with their tonsils ,as did one of my nieces. My doctor was already aware of these problems and said we should take them all in at once. Because I only wanted my kids to be well, I agreed. Never thinking about what that would involve. My mother in law, who was a little intimated by me and my kids said she would go to the hospital with me. Her son would go to work and the other three kids who were in school, they were in Junior High.
Well, the day came, I picked up grandma, with the four kids and we went to the hospital.St Benedicts in Ogden. They had a room with 4 beds and we were set.
It was a long day, but my best memory of all that was my dear sweet mother in law who helped all of the kids with ice, hugs, kisses what ever they needed. Finally around 6:00 pm , she said quietly. "would you mind if I went home? " She was in her sixties, had been up and going with us since 5:30 or 6:00 that morning. we were about to go home so I called her son and he came to take her home.Next day she came over on the bus and stayed with the kids while I took Tammie back to the hospital for a check up.
So when I said you deserve a medal, I really meant it because it is hard to deal with things like tonsils. Been there done that. glad the boys are well
Well, the day came, I picked up grandma, with the four kids and we went to the hospital.St Benedicts in Ogden. They had a room with 4 beds and we were set.
It was a long day, but my best memory of all that was my dear sweet mother in law who helped all of the kids with ice, hugs, kisses what ever they needed. Finally around 6:00 pm , she said quietly. "would you mind if I went home? " She was in her sixties, had been up and going with us since 5:30 or 6:00 that morning. we were about to go home so I called her son and he came to take her home.Next day she came over on the bus and stayed with the kids while I took Tammie back to the hospital for a check up.
So when I said you deserve a medal, I really meant it because it is hard to deal with things like tonsils. Been there done that. glad the boys are well
Saturday, January 24, 2009
QUILTS AND SCHOOL
Quilts are such a fulfilling hobby. It is like you have a blank canvas and a whole pallette of colors to work with. I have often envied artists who have painted even the smallest picture. They have used their imagination to create something. I have two pictures hanging in my bedroom. One is on a large piece of cardboard, painted by a young friend who used various elements to create this picture. I find it very pleasing at times because it shows that he has great potential but is struggling to tell the world what he feels, it also has a piece of tire on it. He calls it his, Hit the road piece. The other picture is of my youngest daughter drawn by her husband. the love expressed in that picture shines for everyone to see. Well ,to me my quilts are my canvasses of life. I am finishing up some tops that I have made in the last five years. It is hard to quilt them on the frame with a sewing machine because you do not have the control that you have with a regular machine. I have done four quilts now. Two were just scrolling around on the fabric. then I made one for my daughter that has oriental motif. It has bridges. I choose the material because that is how her and her husband feel their lives are. Bridges between their past life and the future .
The one I am doing now is pinwheels. It is a little like learning to color inside the lines in a coloring book. the first few rows have squiggly lines but now I am getting better at controlling the machine. I will try to post a picture of this latest quilt.
Going to work with my kids , as I call them is also like having a blank canvas and being able to help them become good people. In the four months since we started with this new class, I have seen such great strides of growth with them. Not only have they grown physically and mentally
but they are developing skills ,such as cutting, coloring, eating meals without spills. The list goes
on and on as I am sure that those of you who are just starting on this process giving birth,raising
children are well aware of.
I personally enjoy seeing the videos that you all post. It is wonderful seeing the family growing .
You should all be very proud of yourselves and your families. I know I am.
I have started school again. I am taking a class on being a teacher's aide. It at a adult education school. It is a new class, so we are guinea pigs so to speak. But then I always like to be first in line. Also going to start learning conversational Spanish with a friend of mine. Then I can talk with the kids better. It is hard on me not to be able to understand a child and unable to have them understand me. Course there again that is my desire to be first in line .
Well, I have rambled on long enough. Time to go back to the quilt frame. Write if you get work, Stop by if you are in the area, the latch key is out.
The one I am doing now is pinwheels. It is a little like learning to color inside the lines in a coloring book. the first few rows have squiggly lines but now I am getting better at controlling the machine. I will try to post a picture of this latest quilt.
Going to work with my kids , as I call them is also like having a blank canvas and being able to help them become good people. In the four months since we started with this new class, I have seen such great strides of growth with them. Not only have they grown physically and mentally
but they are developing skills ,such as cutting, coloring, eating meals without spills. The list goes
on and on as I am sure that those of you who are just starting on this process giving birth,raising
children are well aware of.
I personally enjoy seeing the videos that you all post. It is wonderful seeing the family growing .
You should all be very proud of yourselves and your families. I know I am.
I have started school again. I am taking a class on being a teacher's aide. It at a adult education school. It is a new class, so we are guinea pigs so to speak. But then I always like to be first in line. Also going to start learning conversational Spanish with a friend of mine. Then I can talk with the kids better. It is hard on me not to be able to understand a child and unable to have them understand me. Course there again that is my desire to be first in line .
Well, I have rambled on long enough. Time to go back to the quilt frame. Write if you get work, Stop by if you are in the area, the latch key is out.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Hidden Treasures
Isn't christmas the most wonderful time of the year. I love it? I am still such a kid at heart, I get so excited. I make cookies, fudge, Haystacks, Trail mix. Course I make sure that my Kids(?) get some of all this, then I make it for my special kids at school, my grandkids and now my greatgrand kids. I really have to thank my mom, Grandma to some of you, great grandma to some of you and great great grandma to others. when I first got married I had not seen my mom for several years and we wanted to spend time with each other and did, When Christmas came I was pregnant with my first child feeling very lonely because I had grown up in Nebraska, that was where my home had been for twenty years.But when we went to visit Mom and Grandpa Ted. It was such a great time of the year and with the snow etc, I began to feel that maybe I wasn't so homesick as I thought I was. Mom had all these coffee cans, she and Ted were big coffee drinkers, always a pot on .Back then coffee came in decorative cans, 3lbs per can, Mom saved them. (she was not a pack rat only a collector) When she started to bake cookies she figured out how many people were in each family and filled the cans appropriately. Every year she looked for a new cookie recipe to try out and give us. But thru the years Haystacks have stayed my kids favorite. They are very simple and are fun for children to make too.
Now my grandkids love them and I have to make haystacks. In later years I got the trail mix recipe from my good friend and because they love that too, I always make sure they get some.
Then earlier this year I mentioned my grandma Hayward grew Turkeys. that started me on a quest to find a picture of them. Well, I now have 127 pictures scanned on to my computer from those old days and I must say some of them are very ,very old. I have a picture of my dad,Joe Hayward that has the date of 1927 and it is still good. So my project for the next year is to put those in a photo album for all to see. I am a pack rat so. When I turned 45 a few years ago, my oldest daughter put these pictures in albums for me. Now I want to share them. I hope all will view them and enjoy them.
Now on to more hidden treasures. I live alone, I like it. I have also thru the years managed to do minor repairs on things in my house or some on the cars. I always say that it is my midwestern upbringing. Maybe so , maybe it is the stubborness I inherited from my Mom and my Grandma Hayward. Anyway a few months a go I started smelling a strange smell in my water, mostly the hot . I kept trying to get hold of the water company and be putting on hold drives me crazy, leaving messages didn't seem to help. Tues, when I went by to get my check from Foster grandparents, I remember that the water company was neighbors to my office, I stopped in .The lady was more interested in sampling the festive goods then waiting on me but finally to rid herself of this annoying older woman she agreed to file a work request, for them to check the water. I was busy all day and left for Chowchilla to be with my daughter Patti and family for Christmas and did not check messages. When I got home Christmas day, I checked phone messages. water man had called left several messages. When I called him yesterday. He told me how to flush the water heater and then the rest of the lines. I knew I could do it cause all I had to do was hook the hose to the water heater open up the line drain until there was cold water and then go thru the process in reverse. then flush the house pipes. Sounded easy ,Right Right! except the turn off valve would not go back on, I am not able to turn off the outside water, should have done it before I took the hose off. That would have been too easy. couldn't get the hose on , had water gushing. So I ran outside praying that I could get the water turned off, this was my second try. Well it worked, but I was soaked ,my garage was flooded and I was almost beside myself. I rushed to the phone and called my friend Bob the father of my adopted great grandkids and said HELP. He came, put a new faucet because the old one had the threads stripped . Well, then I started working on drying out the garage. Crying a little in flustration,
luckily have most things in plastic out there. that is the important things like fabrics. Worked for a while, said I'll work again tomorrow when it warms up. Today it is drier and I am sweeping, when I ran the broom under the dryer, out popped the hidden treasure. I found 59 cents under there. Thus the hidden treasure. I laughed and laughed.
Haystacks
I use two packages large packages of Chow mein noodles
Two large serving spoons of peanut butter.
Two 11.5 oz packages of butterscotch chips
Melt chips and peanut butter in large pan over low heat
stir chow mein noodles until well coated drop by spoon fuls on waxed paper, let set up .
Enjoy!!!
Trail mix
M&M's
cashews
raisins
Amount depends on your personal needs or wants Mix together ENJOY
This recipe was given to me by a friend who was a diabetic also a kidney transplant patient. She assured me that it was very healthy.
Sorry this is so long. just had to tell you all MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. I enjoy reading what you and your families are doing. Hope I don't bore you too much with the family history.
Now my grandkids love them and I have to make haystacks. In later years I got the trail mix recipe from my good friend and because they love that too, I always make sure they get some.
Then earlier this year I mentioned my grandma Hayward grew Turkeys. that started me on a quest to find a picture of them. Well, I now have 127 pictures scanned on to my computer from those old days and I must say some of them are very ,very old. I have a picture of my dad,Joe Hayward that has the date of 1927 and it is still good. So my project for the next year is to put those in a photo album for all to see. I am a pack rat so. When I turned 45 a few years ago, my oldest daughter put these pictures in albums for me. Now I want to share them. I hope all will view them and enjoy them.
Now on to more hidden treasures. I live alone, I like it. I have also thru the years managed to do minor repairs on things in my house or some on the cars. I always say that it is my midwestern upbringing. Maybe so , maybe it is the stubborness I inherited from my Mom and my Grandma Hayward. Anyway a few months a go I started smelling a strange smell in my water, mostly the hot . I kept trying to get hold of the water company and be putting on hold drives me crazy, leaving messages didn't seem to help. Tues, when I went by to get my check from Foster grandparents, I remember that the water company was neighbors to my office, I stopped in .The lady was more interested in sampling the festive goods then waiting on me but finally to rid herself of this annoying older woman she agreed to file a work request, for them to check the water. I was busy all day and left for Chowchilla to be with my daughter Patti and family for Christmas and did not check messages. When I got home Christmas day, I checked phone messages. water man had called left several messages. When I called him yesterday. He told me how to flush the water heater and then the rest of the lines. I knew I could do it cause all I had to do was hook the hose to the water heater open up the line drain until there was cold water and then go thru the process in reverse. then flush the house pipes. Sounded easy ,Right Right! except the turn off valve would not go back on, I am not able to turn off the outside water, should have done it before I took the hose off. That would have been too easy. couldn't get the hose on , had water gushing. So I ran outside praying that I could get the water turned off, this was my second try. Well it worked, but I was soaked ,my garage was flooded and I was almost beside myself. I rushed to the phone and called my friend Bob the father of my adopted great grandkids and said HELP. He came, put a new faucet because the old one had the threads stripped . Well, then I started working on drying out the garage. Crying a little in flustration,
luckily have most things in plastic out there. that is the important things like fabrics. Worked for a while, said I'll work again tomorrow when it warms up. Today it is drier and I am sweeping, when I ran the broom under the dryer, out popped the hidden treasure. I found 59 cents under there. Thus the hidden treasure. I laughed and laughed.
Haystacks
I use two packages large packages of Chow mein noodles
Two large serving spoons of peanut butter.
Two 11.5 oz packages of butterscotch chips
Melt chips and peanut butter in large pan over low heat
stir chow mein noodles until well coated drop by spoon fuls on waxed paper, let set up .
Enjoy!!!
Trail mix
M&M's
cashews
raisins
Amount depends on your personal needs or wants Mix together ENJOY
This recipe was given to me by a friend who was a diabetic also a kidney transplant patient. She assured me that it was very healthy.
Sorry this is so long. just had to tell you all MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. I enjoy reading what you and your families are doing. Hope I don't bore you too much with the family history.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
I am just popping in to say Happy Thanksgiving . Every year at this time I take time to think of my Grandma and Grandpa Hayward. For years Grandma raised Turkeys, She gave them to her children . Back then to have a 25lb turkey was unusual and to have white turkeys was unheard of. Grandpa said she liked the turkeys better than she did him. She literally hand feed them to hear him talk. She is part of the Nebraska State history for raising those turkeys. I don't remember much about those years except what I heard from Grandpa and saw in a book on Nebraska history. When my grandson Joseph was in the tenth grade, he raised turkeys for his FFA project. He lived in Fresno and I ,of course, lived up here. but I did manage to make three trips down there to see his turkeys and laugh. Because turkeys are the dumbest fowl there is .
Just a short history note from the archives.
Just a short history note from the archives.
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