Soupe du Jour

Has anyone been traveling along with Rachel of Not so Plain Jane ? She has us dreaming of European getaways...well, I 'll blame my title on that anyway.

Look at this pretty teaset she posted...!

My last class has wrapped up, it was a great experience for all. I tried to get these students to focus on more on similarities, than our differences.

I was blessed with working with a great group of people, too. Joyce Zhao, business leader and California Representative for the Summer Camp (aka my boss), myself, Dr. Lee, the Head of the Company from EZGO Guangzhou, and my church's children's pastor Craig Wilson.

Remember our poor car situation? Well, here is the "new" car replacement ~ it is a joy to drive!

Here is what's on the frame today, and hopefully when we return from our little retreat I'll finish it up and share a bigger view. This is my friend Ginny's first quilt, and it is adorable!

Yes , I need to run and finish packing for a few days of hanging out with these guys. We pack our food, swim suits, sewing machines, Uno cards, and boy, do we have fun. See you soon!

Oh, and now you know another reason for the title, this is just a day in the life....

Happy Quilting,
Pokey

Week Two of Chinese Students

"Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge"
Proverbs 12:1

Two new friends, Chloe and Yo-Yo

Another great week of school with my ESL students. This was Friday, and we were finishing our class time with some of America's in-class games.

We played "Heads Up, 7 Up"...
The students put their heads down on the desks, eyes closed, with their thumbs pointing up on the back of their heads.

The few selected up front then quietly walk among them, touches someone's thumb, then returns up front. (When the thumb is tapped, that student puts the thumb down so it isn't touched twice.) We call out "Heads Up, 7 Up",

and the 'touched thumb' kids stand, and try to pick which person it was that touched them. They get to be up front if they guess correctly.


...and "Four Corners".
In this game, "It" stands in the middle of the room and counts to 10, while the students make their way to each of the 4 corners of the room, as quietly as possible.

Then, "It" points to the corner that he last hears a sound coming from. Pastor Craig encouraged "tricks" during Four Corners,

the kids were tossing items to make noise in other corners than their own, with all having a great time! We then played with 3 corners until the last person. This is the out corner, getting into the fun.

This class was a smaller group than the first one, but as enthusiastic to learn as the others. Really, it's a joy to have students with the desire to gain knowledge!

Creatively, let me share a quick project. My version #1 of a decorated tee shirt. This ~

became ~

this!

Happy Creating!
Pokey

My First Summer Class of E.S.L. Students

click to enlarge

How do you approach the unknown? Do you jump in, excited for the challenge and looking forward to the adventure to come? I was very unsure of this past week's "job". I was approached to teach a group of Jr. High Chinese students English as a Second Language for the week. I've taught children for about 30 years now. high school, preschool and all in between. I've even taught an adult ed. quilting class. (Rudimentary quilting, just to share the joy of it.)

43 in the classroom, can you believe it?

I knew that teaching Chinese speaking students was something I had never done before, and, I knew Jr. High is a miserable age (sorry, but this is my experience) to be responsible for. All those hormones, I guess. You would have to know so many events that led up to this, but, I knew God was in the opportunity. I knew that, and I was still nervous to do this.

Until I met the kids. And I realized, they are just kids. You know, the kind of little people I have spent a l-o-n-g time working with. This was one great week for me. I hope for them, too.
I've said to friends, once I got the first group taught, I'd either breathe a sigh of relief and feel more relaxed facing the next two groups, or I'd be crying, dreading the next two weeks.

Well, Whew! (I'm smiling, too!)

Basketball: this is what they would do during any free time they had.

On our last afternoon, we had a BBQ with the students and their host stay families. It was a fun time for all.



Yummy food on the grill, and the girls were having fun cooking!

...and here are the hungry boys!

Thanks to you friends for your prayers, and thank you kids.
The week was a memorable one for me, too.

On the creative side, here is a better picture I took while visiting in Nebraska. This is the little table topper quilt I made for Mom's birthday last year. I love squares, and this was a fun floral four patch.

It's still a favorite of mine...

...and this one was cotton florals, with 2 layers of cream flannel. I quilted this with hearts stitched on each triangle.

Lastly, I gave this purse as a kit; I purchased the pattern and chose the fabrics, and my Larry helped with the stylish B (for Barb). I didn't get it done, so I took it to her, and she finished it - beautifully, too!

~ Oh, you may want to go enter this giveaway, Cath has some great wool designs ~

That's how it is here this week. I'll be looking in on you!
Happy Quilting,
Pokey

Happy Friday

What have we been up to at the Davis household?

Well~

• a four patch swap with Bingo Bonnie of Nap Time News, 200 finished squares!

• Lydia's finished a few more of her coveted pillowcases! The applique ones since the Southern California Quilter's Run last week, and her first attempt.
• She has a new appreciation for what she has seen done for years, but she has a great "eye" for cuteness. Look at that pirate pillowcase with the eye patch!

• Lydia is crocheting a purse from a tutorial at Attic 24, I'm loving this one!

• And look at this cool item that Papa made for her while we were in Nebraska! It is actually a re-purposed "Banana Tree", you know, the ones that are supposed to help keep your bananas fresher by hanging them up. Well, he used a fishing lure hoop attached to a dowel. She winds her yarn on an empty cone thread spool, and her yarn feeds off, without twisting or tangling! C-O-O-L!!!
  

• some studying for my next week's teaching. 43 Chinese Jr. High exchange students, in a week's English class with yours truly. (Yikes! Pray for this, please, I have 3 weeks of teaching this July. I'll have a different group each week, so I'll breathe easier after the first one.)

• Cleaning, uh, I should be!

Admiring the RED additions~

Admiring the orange additions~

• working up a Snowman, no, a Snowlady! for a class swap.

Love the snowy background prints we found this week.

• I'm making a charity quilt for my BIL Preston. He's a Chaplain for a men's prison in Colorado, and this will help (hopefully!) him continue the "Good News" to the guys that need it~as do we all :-} Hey, Annie, I found missing squares!!

A couple of wins~Thank you Amy, for the sugar free dessert!



~and thank you, Cara, for my lovely notebook cover. Lydia is trying to lay claim, it is so neat!

Now, I've been admiring these cute little pincushions that were given to some fun ladies at a little retreat this past week. I bet some of you have seen them, too~

I Know, I Know! Too cute, huh?!?

Well, Lori of Bee in My Bonnet has a sweet tutorial and a giveaway for one of these cuties, and you know you want one, too! Go sign up, her giveaway ends July 7th, midnight.

Well, Hope you all have a Happy and safe 4th of July~
remember to pray for our servicemen and women overseas !

Happy Quilting!
Pokey