Good Grief! How is a Grand-Ma to keep up?

Technology has run over me like a steam roller in the past few weeks. It all started when T-Mobile offered a BOGO sale and DH got me a 'smart phone' cause he 'absolutely had to have a new one'. (Really! I was in agreement.) So this thing connects to gmail and does everything but wash the dishes but somebody has to show me how to make it happen! Just transferring my contacts took me days to figure out so I was feeling a bit disconnected for a while.
So, I also have a laptop that has only been used for business so I'm thinking I really want to do away with the old desktop as it has become a magnet that keeps me tied to the desk, (2006 model) so while the geek kid was here I want him to 'do the deed' and transfer everything to the laptop. We were trying to do this while taking care of Gabe and Renee was grooming the dog out back. The whole process he expected to take hours but one or the other of the 2 computers would go to 'sleep' mode and interrupt (cancel) the process so I start manually moving files, i.e. the fewer files to be moved the shorter the process?
In the meantime I get an E-mail announcing the opening of the Online Quilt Museum from Karen over at the selvage blog and sign up right away! Great, all my pics are on the laptop and I'm still working off the desktop. Karen was a doll and offered to post the pics for me from my webshots album since I was in technology crisis mode. There are issues with the pics but the thumbnails aren't bad. I have to resize the pics, another challenge! Technology 'bullying' me around again. And what the heck is Windows Mail and where is my Outlook Express? Did I mention I'm determined to learn this EQ5 program (maybe before EQ47 is released!) and cannot find the disk?
OK, Windows has this cool transfer wizard but I (duh) gave it a new identity so would you believe I now have 2 users on the laptop, pics are in original owner users files and everything else is in the 'new' users identity. Alas, they can share files, yeah, technology is grand and my name ain't Grand-Ma for no reason! XP to Vista, why can't I just skip up to Windows 7? It costs how much???? Gabe, at 9 months is already playing with an IPad!

Vienna on my mind

Vienna was my DH's previous wife, they had 3 children (Chris, Brandon, Melissa), then Vienna married Kenny and had 3 more (Sarah, Frank, Amy). Vienna passed away (breast cancer) when Amy was 3. That was 5+ years ago. Vienna's first grand child was born on the same date she passed away, 5 years later.

Fast forward about 9 months....Gabriel came to Texas to see all his family! 

Grandpa is so talented....can hold Gabriel and take a self pic at the same time!

Melissa, Sarah & Amy.

Great Grandparents, Jack & Lois Weikel from Montana...

This is a group shot of almost everyone who came, Jeff is the photographer so he's not in there and George & Carol Miller from Waco, TX. had already headed home. Thanks so much for coming everyone! I had a wonderful day.

Vienna took me by the hand and looked me in the eyes before she died. She said, 'Thank you for taking care of my kids'. I didn't really understand at the time, but she did. I could not figure out what I had done that she was thanking me for. Now, I get it.

'No, Vienna; Thank You!' They bring me more joy than I could have ever imagined, so much so, that I sometimes feel guilty for experiencing the joy that is rightfully yours, that comes with nurturing them, no matter how old or how big they get. Happy Mother's Day to all women, even the one's who never gave birth.

The Airing of the Quilts

If you happened to be in Huntsville, TX. on the first Sat. in May, of any given year....you are truly in for a treat! Even if you don't particularly get excited about quilts, you can't possibly resist this display of color!

Despite the threat of rain, volunteers arrive at 7AM to begin hanging the quilts.

This one caught my eye from a block away. 'To Grandma's House' by Helen Belcher. Helen has always been a big fan of redwork but now she has moved on to black. I love it Helen, in any color!

Check out this quilt called 'Fireman's Pride', made for Houston Firefighter Captain Don Gray from shirts worn during his years of service, received upon his retirement. Made by Pam Boyle.

The photo didn't catch the number of this entry so I do not know who made it but WOW! Love your boldness with the sashing/border colors!

Last, but my favorite of all is this hand embroidered beauty. The embroidered blocks were a gift (can you believe it?) to Charlene Foerster, who assembled the blocks in order of admission to the Union. Really beautiful Charlene. Bug, are you seeing this?

I only got a few shots, so to experience this, mark your calendar for the first Sat. in May, you want to be in downtown Huntsville, TX. More pics should be on the website in a few days, (takes them a few to recover) so visit the Tall Pines Quilt Guild for more....

And look who arrived at my house yesterday......

I gotta go play now, Gabriel is up and feed and ready for his first full day at Grandma's House!