Tag Archives: hamilton-school

Good Things and a Trip to the Mendota Library

Hi! Did you have a great Christmas? Mine was quiet, but it was exactly as we thought so I wasn’t disappointed. We stayed at home with our Luckie dog as she continues to wind down 15+ years. And, after 30 years, Mike is learning that Christmas is a great time to buy your wife something she would not buy herself. He went to Shoozie’s and got me a very nice gift.

Brighton

Shoozie’s is a locally-owned store in Bristol and Kingsport. When you walk through the door, you receive that wonderful leather smell that only a small shoe store can deliver. They have purses, wallets, jewelry and shoes.

And…a funny thing happened last night. We made our weekly trip to Chili’s and following that, I ran into Walmart. It’s the first time I’ve been in Walmart in several months, and it was still crowded with after Christmas returns and Friday night shopping. I went to the self check-out counter, and when I attempted to start my transaction, it spit out $14.16 at me! Was I ever tempted to grab the money and run! I’ve always wondered if ATM or self check-outs ever had these types of gliches. The check-out person said he’d never seen anything quite like this. He said he’d seen excess $1 bills come out but never such a specific amount.

Last night, I dreamed about going to the library, so I went this morning! It’s Food for Fines month, and I had fines on both mine and Mike’s library cards. Earlier in the week, I’d bought a bunch of canned stuff. It went with me this morning in exchange for a clean slate. I went from being a library felon to a good patron. I had two bags (in the far right in the picture below) full of food. I love the Mendota Library. I used to work there eons ago. I spent more paying everyone’s library book and video fines than I made.

Library Table

Don’t you think you can tell something about a person by the books that they read? Ok….I like pop culture and dogs according to these selections.

Two books

I’m a sucker for anything with a train so The Clinchfield No. 1 came home with me. Debbie Macomber writes the Blossom Street series which I like. The other book is on quilts (like I’m going to make one any time soon).

Books 1

This is a special piece of art for anyone who attended Hamilton.

Hamilton Schools

Hope your weekend is going well. Thank you for going to the library with me!!

Fall Garden and Pictures of Mendota

Before I start…if you are interested in learning to quilt, please see information on our upcoming class by going here.

I’ve been off my blog for a few days. I’ve really been off kilter for the same number of days. The days are getting shorter, and I have to work on not feeling “the yucks.” Do you get them?

Mike is working to get our woodboiler in working order for the winter. If you have a woodboiler, you know a side benefit is that it provides hot water, but our hot water feature did not work last year. As of today, that is fixed. Yeh!! While he was working on this, I took the doggies for a ride. Our granddaughter’s birthday is coming up, and I wanted to make sure her gift arrives before the weekend, so the doggies and I headed out to see Patsy at the Mendota Post Office. Here’s a few things we saw along the way…

First, a favorite barn of mine. My parents hung tobacco in this barn. Do you know where it is?

Ruby's Barn

And a friend, Judith, asked for a picture of churches in Mendota. I think I know the church she’s wanting to see as it was her family’s church. The members of St. Peter Presbyterian now own this church and worship there, but at one time it was the Mendota Bible Methodist Church. I have spent many summers in Bible School at this church as well as quite a few Sunday nights. I still remember Patsy and her sister, Mary Alice, singing “He Touched Me.” I’m surprised I remember anything, because there was a lot of note passing, nudging and “looks” going on the left side, back two rows of that church at one time.

St Peter

I like this little door plaque that someone made for the church. Wayne Hays is Pastor of St. Peter. Pastor Wayne has earned the respect and affection of our community.

St. Peter Door

And what would be better than a small, rural school at the base of the mountain? That was the story once, but that was a long time ago. The building is old, but if Washington County’s leadership saw the building today, they would be shocked. It is Spic-and-Span clean thanks to Wanda Riner, Bill Porter, and the MCA. If you were one of the ones privileged to attend this little school, you’ll like this picture.

Hamilton School

Here’s another…

School Again

And I came home from my little drive with the doggies, I walked around the yard and went over to where some green bean vines were hanging around left from a day in August when I stuck just 16 beans in the raised beds. I never watered them and it quit raining, so I thought they’d just do nothing. A few came up…I believe these are Mountaineers.

Green Beans Climbing

I could not believe it…there were beans on these vines and two others not pictured. Perfect, tender green beans.

Green Beans

Guess what I’m eating while I type this?

Mendota Cemetery Quilt Progress Report

Hi! I have not been on the RiverCliff Cottage blog for a few days. I couldn’t find my camera cord! Tonight, I found it in the car, and I was so happy! Grabbed it and…here I am!

On Wednesdays, a group of ladies meet in the afternoon at the Mendota Community Center. It really should be Hamilton School because our Mendota children that attend public school shouldn’t be put on a schoolbus in the dark and returned home in the dark, but there are others that must answer to that poorly made, badly thought out, disgusting and selfish decision. Can you guess my opinion on this?

Anyway, back to the quilt. Do you remember the name of it? I’ll Fly Away. We sing this at church. Some glad morning when this life is over, I’ll fly away. To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away. I’ll fly away, O Glory, I’ll fly away. In the morning…

Months ago I posted about a trip to get the fabric. Here’s the post, but here’s a picture of the fabric that was selected.

There’s been steady work on the quilt since that day, and I stopped in and pinned eight squares and checked on the progress.

Here’s what the quilt currently looks like…there’s been a lot of cutting going on. In my mind’s eye, I see all of the ladies jumping up on the table singing.. “There’s a Whole Lotta Cuttin’ Goin’ on!” Jerry Lee Lewis on the piano, the Mendota ladies singing into their scissor mics.

Check out those little squares that have been pieced together.

Here’s a test. What do these squares have in common? Scroll down for the answer.

The answer is that the blues always face the upper lefthand corner! Did you notice that? That is one of the things I learned Wednesday. Here’s some more squares. The ladies who are leading this quilt project have a firm vision of what the completed I’ll Fly Away quilt looks like.

Here’s Margie…sewing up a storm. Yep…she’d definitely be up on the table singing.

Mendota hands working at putting pieces together. I love this.

And…more Mendota hands sewing away on this vintage Singer.

This quilt will be “coming out” on Friday, April 26, when Dale Jett & Hello Stranger return to Mendota for the second annual Mendota Cemetery Benefit.