Frank's Annual Gift List

Oh, Frank, you are truly a gem! The house is beautiful- that's the style of architecture I love the best. And Brenda's studio is what *every* quilter dreams about! WOW! You cannot call that a sewing room BTW- that's most definitely a STUDIO. (My entire house is just over 1200 sq. ft. LOL!) The mat is an excellent choice- great idea. Sorry, but I have no suggestions for you. How you manage to top the previous Christmas every year always amazes me. Lucky Brenda!

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

PS: My former hubby was from Plattsmouth! I didn't realize that's where you'd settled. Small world.

Welcome back, Frank! We've been expecting you. ;) That house looks gorgeous, and I hope you'll post photos of it when it's finished -- including the inside, and especially the sewing room. I have no idea what to get her this time, but good luck finding just the right thing. :)

Frank, nice to see you popping in. The gel mats are available somewhere online besides the main webpage. I found them while looking for something else. (I'm sorry I don't still have the link) The price was almost half of the original page price. They run an ad in Sunset magazine and that had caught my attention. The edges looked like they wouldn't work with the dogs running all over but if you don't have dogs the seemed like really nice mats that are good looking. Boy, the house looks really nice. I hope things are going well with it and you all find it a wonderful home. My dad (a carpenter) built a home for my mama in '61. They only stayed in it about 12 years but I would sure buy it if it came on the market and I could afford it. Being a SO. Cal. kid I have never lived with a basement. (seems like a hole to fall in when the earthquake hits here!) Pretty important in your part of the world I bet. I'm looking forward to seeing that sewing room all set up for action! I posted on another thread wondering what you were getting for Brenda. I was thinking she needed one of these:

Frank Reid wrote:

Taria, I'm a So Cal kid too (born in Pomona, raised in Chino). I love basements. They're a great way to double the floor space of your house. I've found another gel mat made for under a drum set. I'm going over to the local music store this weekend to check them out. Frank Reid

Well, not all Plattsmouthians (?) have been kicked out the door. :-) Will try to raise the bar. Frank Reid

What fun to watch your new house take shape! We'll need some photos of that room, eventually. The gel mat is a great idea -wonder if it would also keep sm pedals from sliding. Does it come in other colors? Somehow I imagine a little floor-level light right under the sm table, with one of those comfy mats, no more worries about dropping pins and scissors. IMO you would do well to give Brenda a few of her favorite trees for the new garden. Not exactly quilty, but a nice garden with a shady spot for a lawn chair is a great place for reading quilting magazines. Roberta in D

"Frank Reid" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

I forgot. You got smart and escaped! Since we are pretty full around here (and dd says we have to evict her to get rid of her) we have added a few out buildings. Ok for storage but little else. We threaten to escape So. Cal. too but as long as my dad is alive it probably isn't going to happen. Let us know what you end up with on the mats and how Brenda likes them. Sounds like a great gift idea. Taria

Frank Reid wrote:

Well, there will be a 16 X 34 foot covered deck. We will not be planting trees as we are returning the acrage to the natural prairie habitat. That being said, as an homage to her Iowa roots, I will be putting in a 14' windmill. Frank Reid

Good luck! And I do mean that as I know "good luck" can be a bit sarcastic. It's difficult to get used to a new prairie landscaping. It looks weedy and messy for a while. But when the grasses get going and the wildflowers get established, it can be beautiful. Where in Iowa is Brenda from?

Okay, Frank- this is getting spooky! My first husband was from Ft. Dodge and went to college in Ames! Wanna try for my second husband??? LOL

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies >> Good luck! And I do mean that as I know "good luck" can be a bit >> sarcastic.

Her family is from cental Iowa (Ames and Stewart). She's an Air Force brat but she still remembers "going back to the farm." Frank Reid

Good one, Mickie! LOL At the rate Frank is spoiling his Brenda, that's about all he'll have left to give her in another year or two!

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

How about a live-in quilt teacher? ;o) Mickie, classes and booking info available on request....

Oh, that would go over like a lead balloon. Me: "Dear, I've looked at the volume of work you've done with your quilting and I've decided that you need a quilt teacher." Her: "What?! This thing is perfect. What are you talking about!?" Me: "Well, I know you could get to 22 stiches to the inch if we brought in Inga to live here. She has loads of talent." Me: "uh, yeh, uh, please put down that roller cutter, that's kinda, threatening.... No, not that! Please, NOOOOOO!!!!!"

Great idea, I think I'll pass. Frank Reid

Ah yes, the old "Inga Ploy". Sometimes it does work, but often it just leads to recriminations and pain. It sounds like my wifes offer to let these two lumberjacks stay with us, so we could have plenty of firewood. Note: this offer was made shortly after the old "Inga Ploy: was tried.

John

John

Ayh, yuh I see your point. LOL Guess she wouldn't want a new BFF either, with the Mom/Daughter thing already in place there.

Mickie

Frank, Will it be all prairie, or will there be room for a small flower bed? I'm thinking literal "flower bed". Plan one out in the shape of a quilt, study flower catalogs and order plants that will look like a quilt when they're in bloom. Just a thought. Gen

There will be a 6 foot wide, 18" tall curved berm going from the house to the corner of the lot. This will be all wildflowers. This is the backing for the front lawn of buffalo grass. The back will be 1 1/2 acres of prairie grass with wildflowers. There will be trails of buffalo grass through this and a small (50 X 80 foot) area fenced in for the vicious attack hound (all 16lbs of him). We will also put in an "island" of wildflowers in the middle of the lawn. Directly in front of the house will be areas for the "non-native" species. This will be the flower garden area. There is an area in the back that will be our truck garden, about 50 X

1. Frank Reid

Where does one get Buffalo Grass? Debra in VA See my quilts at