A Bit About Me: I grew up in Northern Illinois, in fact, my side of the street was Illinois and the other side of the street was Wisconsin! I still live in it, but I am living a whole 5 miles from my childhood home! My husband and I both went to the same high school(as did his mother and father), and 3 of our 4 children also went there. Only 2 graduated from there as the community has grown alot and a new high school was built.So child #3 finished at the new school and child #4 did all 4 years there. I ddin't grow up in a quilting family, but I always knew I loved fabric and quilts. As a girl, I always had to have my Aunt Mary's quilt on my bed, even when it was old and worn. A few years ago, my mom gave it to me as a gift and told me the story of why she got it from Aunt Mary. I was so glad that she told me the story, and it will always be a treasure in my heart. I think that quilt is what made me want to make quilts of my own.

I finally got a chance to learn how to make a quilt in high school Home ec-Remember home ec? I don't think they even have such a thing anymore!Our project was to make a log cabin pillow. This was back in the days of cardboard templates, tracing on the fabric and cutting with scissors! Don't worry- we did have/use sewing machines! Well this girl was not about to stop at a pillow. No way! So while all the other girls spent a month making a pillow, I set out to do a full blown quilt! I worked and worked on it!I wasn't allowed to work on it at home. They wanted to ensure the work was our own, and not mom or grandma's help. Ha-That wasn't going to happen in my house! Anyways, I spent free hours in the home ec room, after school in the hom ec room and worked away. The quilt was finished 2 days after the due date. I lost 2 points, one point for each day late it was. That was funny, since I did a whole quilt, and we had girls who didn't even finish the pillow. But, I loved my quilt and a quilter was born. I still treasure my quilt, the center block and the backing were from old sheets from my Grandma(Anunt Mary's sister), and I'm so glad now I put them to use like that.
Today's quilting is my stress relief. I do it purely for the fun and enjoyment. I dabble in all styles of top making and like to work on whatever I feel like. My true love are antique quilts from the late 1800's/early 1900's. I love to make reproduction quilts, and civil war fabrics are my favorite. I love hand quilting, but don't do it often because time just doesn't allow.

This weekend is the Seafood Festival in Dunfanagy. As part of the festival, there is an event called busking, which is street entertainment. Many performers perform in the streets and a prize is given to the best performance. Then in all the restaurants, pubs and hotels, there is free seafood given out and live music sessions.

I made a Mariner Compass Quilt where I did a combination of machine piecing and embroidery work with my embroidery machine. I will be using it for our dining room table. I decided on a Mariner Compass Quilt , and luckily found the perfect pattern in a book I had. I picked colors to match our decor and added a bit of a Celtic look with the machine embroidery. I machine quilted it, so hopefully you can see that.

The weather has been really cool, and we are skipping spring it seems. Hopefully, the summer will bring some warm days. Anyways, Joe and I are off to Letterkenny to go food shopping. At least the weekend is almost here.

Enjoy yours!

This morning, the Queen again placed a wreath, but this time it was at the Irish National Memorial in Islandbridge. It really symbolically showed the reconciliation between England and Ireland. It was a very moving ceremony. The memorial primarily honors the Irish soldiers who served and died during WWI , and Joe's grandfather's name is listed there.

Then the Queen and Prince Philip went to the Guiness Storehouse where she was poured a pint of Guiness by a master brewer. If you have been to Ireland or plan on coming, you must have a pint of Guinesss.

As I am writing this post, the Queen and Prince Philip are at Croke Park. It is a controversial visit, as this is where the first Bloody Sunday occurred, but also so important and significant to the reconciliation of the two countries. Croke Park is where the Irish show their pride in their Irish culture and where many sports events are held. It's a great place to visit if you ever come here. If you can see a game, you will feel the excitement that is always there at Croke Park.

The security again was very high and the public was not allowed near the event. I think that even though the streets of Dublin are empty because of the security lockout, it is not because the Irish people do not care or couldn't be bothered about the events. Most Irish are watching it on tv as it is virtually impossible to see the Queen in person. Yes, there have been peaceful protests against the visit, but I do feel that most Irish people feel it is very important that the Queen honored the dead who fought for Irish Independence , and that she is recognizing the many who died in places like Croke Park. It is definitely an important step in the healing process of many. Most Irish want to see peace in their lives, and this is giving them hope that they may see it in their lifetime.

As for myself, I find it historically significant that Great Britain and Ireland came together, recognized their differences, and broke through their barriers and obstacles. I know the feelings are mixed here, and many feel that England should have done all of this much sooner. However, I do believe that it is time to move forward.

Today, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the Garden of Remembrance where the Queen laid a wreath at a monument honoring the Irish who fought for independence from England. Needless to say, there were mixed feelings throughout Ireland concerning the event, especially when they played both the English and Irish National anthems there. Some groups were protesting the visit, but most Irish just watched their tv sets in amazement that the events were even occurring.

As I write this, Queen Elizabeth II has just arrived in Ireland. She is beginning a four day visit to Ireland, and she is the first English monarch to visit our Isle since Ireland's independence from England. She and the Duke of Edinburgh are disembarking from the plane now at Casement Aerodrome, and she is planning on having lunch with President Mary McAleese at the Presidential Mansion at Phoenix Park. There will be a 21 gun salute at the Presidential Mansion, where the English National Anthem will be played first followed by the Irish National Anthem. By the way, the name of the Presidential Mansion is Arus An Uachtarain. They are waiting for the Queen to arrive at the mansion.

Then this afternoon, the Queen will carry out the most significant engagement of the trip when she visits The Garden of Remembrance, where she will lay a wreath at the memorial for those who gave their lives to Irish independence.

It is quite the event! All the highlights of the trip will be on tv, so I will be watching it all. There is a very high security arranged for the trip, as you can well imagine.

Anyways, Joe and just got back from our long walk, and it was so nice. We walked around the Famine Graveyard, which I think I have mentioned, loops around our village, and the sea is in view all the time.

Enjoy your day!

Here is Terry's interview, and do enjoy getting to know a really talented and lovely person.

Name: Terry Straubel

Ireland doesn't celebrate Mother's Day today, but I did...Hey, I am American, so I got this celebration and the one in March, but I already told all of you that before.LOL

Hope your Mother's Day was also wonderful too! My mom is not with me anymore, but she was remembered.

Joe and I took a lovely walk to Tramore Beach. It's a long walk over the sand dunes, but it is well worth the walk, as the beach is just lovely. It is a very private, secluded beach, and most times is empty, as not too many people want to take the long trek over the dunes. We had lunch on the beach , and it was so romantic. As you can see, Joe took some pics from the last sand dune we climbed, and the scenes are breathtaking!