Golly, here it is the middle of April already - where has this year gone. Justin is getting ready for the Prom tomorrow night - his Senior Year. He's planning on attending Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas and majoring in Engineering. He was down there today and talked to the Dean, so he was happy. He said there are only 18 more school days until he graduates - don't know if either of us is really ready for that occasion. We will have a reception for him following the graduation ceremonies, so if you're in the neighborhood, stop in and say "howdy".
I really wanted to write something each week, guess what - didn't happen. I have been sewing a little though. I made a mystery quilt project the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. I just got it home from the machine quilter yesterday so now will be putting the binding on it and I'll have a completed bed quilt. I also had sent 3 wall hanging size quilts and they were also completed and they have to have bindings as well. I can see I'll be busy with hand work for a few days at least.
Hopefully I will get the queen size quilt and the wall hanging that goes with it (both are utilizing a sunflower pattern) done before it's time to enter them in the Marshall County Fair in June. I think it's necessary to enter things, whether I win a ribbon or not, just to keep enough things to show out there to keep the building open. Seems like each year the entries are fewer and fewer, sort of sad. I can remember when I was a kid, they had all sorts of entries, booths were filled and it was really exciting. Now, however, they have empty spaces with nothing entered in a specific category.
Well, have a great day and I'll try to keep you all up on my activities a little oftener.

Ending 2008 and beginning 2009

Seems like it's been a long year and I really haven't gotten all that much accomplished! Today, however, I did begin (and WILL finish) a mystery quilt project. This one is so much fun. The directions were so clear and concise and I'm doing it in some of my favorite fabrics - Sunflowers. I thought this would really bring me out of the doldrums by casting some bright summer sun into my life.
I spent New Year's Eve here alone as Justin was out with friends after the KU football game. So my evening was spent sewing, sewing, sewing and it was so much fun.
I did go out to supper with some good friends who will be leaving in a few days for a well deserved vacation to California to visit her family.
For so long, quilting projects have been referred to as "UFO's - Unfinished objects" Well, today, I learned a new name for these things from a friend in South Africa. From now on, I think I'll refer to them as Ph.D's or Projects Half Done! That sounds more my speed.
My wishes to all my friends and family is to enjoy life, live like there will be no tomorrow, and believe that the Saviour has given his greatest gift to this world, the gift of forgiveness. All we have to do is listen to the words in our hearts and always strive to live the best way we can in order to shine the glory of God from ourselves to others.

God

I've always been a believer. I can see God in everything around me. I feel the warmth of His breath when the wind caresses me. I can see how lovely things are when I look at the beautiful flowers and the magnificient mountains. No human hand can ever begin to create what Heavenly Father has created.

I feel so sorry for anyone who does not have a belief in a creator. How lost and lonely they must be to think that there is nothing after this life. I lost my dear husband four years ago the 10th of December and not a day goes by that I don't think of him but know that his spirit resides the other side of the veil of life and death and believe that some day we will be together again. He was not my first husband, but he was the one I will always treasure. We spent nearly 30 years together and of course weathered storms. He lost nearly all his family within a two year period which was devastating - but his faith never waivered. His handsome 17 year old son was the first, then his mother, his dad and lastly his brother and sister-in-law. Without faith, I'm not sure either of us could have made it through that period.

I try to live my life in a way that shows honor and reverence to God. I know I don't always get that job done every day, but I do try. It's hard to walk the pathway that goes to the right. So many choices, so many pitfalls. I guess all that a Christian can do is try to stay on the right path and make the right choices. But, it's hard to know which is the right choice when those come to us. No one said that living would be easy, no one promised a life without making wrong choices or having bad things happen. That is when the true test of Faith shows up. I do have faith that no matter if I make a wrong choice, I have the opportunity to correct it and steer myself towards the right way again. This was promised with the death of the dear Savior on the cross. The reason He came was to save all who believed in Him. That much I am sure about!

Quilting, A Passion

I have always been a creative type person. One of my passions is making quilts, for myself and for others. It all began one day about 20 years ago when a dear friend, Betty, and I were having tea and talking about things we wanted to do. She said what we should do is make a quilt for our grandsons (then about 5) for Christmas. I thought that would be a great idea, so I went home and started an Overall Bill quilt for my grandson. I worked feverishly and with the help of my dear husband, JR, we actually got it all hand quilted and ready for his Christmas present. Betty never did finish that first quilt, but she made many others in the following years, as did I.

My favorite thing is hand quilting. I piece quilt tops just so I will have something to quilt. I'm not saying I do them all by hand, because I have a wonderful machine quilter in Topeka, Kansas who does a lot of them with her long arm quilting machine and does a beautiful job.

Of course there are several Log Cabin quilts, Boston Commons (by far my favorite), Lone Star, many wall hangings and I'm still making more quilts. My children each have one of my quilts as do my grandsons, but I continue making them. Some day my closets will be stacked to the ceiling with quilts. Like they say, all this fabric I've purchased helps with insulating my house, and I continue to buy more fabric. It's an obsession, I guess.

I Am Who????

Years ago, 66, to be exact, my parents were driving around Kansas City looking at all the darling little babies suspended in trees waiting to be adopted. "Look at that little girl," my soon to be mother said.
"Oh, she has pretty curly hair," responded my soon to be daddy.
"Let's take her," said my mother!

Well, that's how I went from being Kathleen Kelley, born at the Fairmont Maternity Home in Kansas City, Missouri on May 4, 1942, to Lindsay Bachelor, new daughter of Albert Benton and Florence Beckstead Bachelor of Belleville, Kansas.

At two weeks old, I was taken to my new home and my life as I know it now began. Of course, I know who I have become, and I rather like that person, but the State of Missouri, in all their infinite wisdom, says I cannot learn who I WAS! Now, isn't that silly?

Since 1999 I have been instrumental in having legislation presented to the Missouri Legislature which would allow all adult adoptees the right to request and receive, in the same manner as non adopted adults, their original birth certificates. With the help of others who joined me in Missouri Open and Missouri Adult Adoptees Rights Coalition, we are still trying to get this legislation passed! Of course we run into the same old excuse, "birth mothers were promised confidentiality," and the bill seems to die either in committee or on the floor, providing it ever makes it that far. We will once again present our bill in 2009, and we hope it will finally be passed and sent to the Governor for signature.

Of course their excuse of confidentiality is bogus, as no where in any adoption papers does that exist. In fact, the current Missouri Statutes say that the records can be opened for good cause. It's just there doesn't seem to be any "good" cause, including severe medical problems such as cancer, where family medical history is desperately needed.

In another statute it states that "an adopted person, regardless of age, is considered a child." Now, I ask you, at 66 years old, do you really think I'm still a child? I still would have to petition the Juvenile Court for access to my own birth certificate. As an adopted adult, I can vote, I can drive, I can be a member of the military, I can drink, BUT I cannot have my original birth certificate. Sounds really silly, doesn't it?