Savings and Charity

 Thursday we had a big old savings day!! We have been kicking around the idea of refinance our home while the interest rates are so low (2.01%). After checking my favorite site for savings and spending calculators we decided to go ahead. Our home will be ALL OURS in less than 5 years, way before retirement time comes along. We will be saving over $100,000.00 by refinancing. While for the most part I pay extra to our mortgage each month there are some month's that I get slack and just make the regular payment. With the new loan paying that little extra won't be an option! Ha Our payment didn't go up too much, about the same as when I added more with our old payment. No more being the slack girl when it comes to getting this sucker paid off!!!!

Here is my favorite site for figuring out interest payments, loans, credit cards and such. Long before Dave Ramsey came on to the savings scene Larry Burkett was my inspiration he has since past away but the site he helped build is still up and running as well many of his books are still in print. Check them out. Crown Ministries 

These four quilts will be wrapped around an innocent child in the very near future.

On to the giving part of this post.

 I was contacted today by a GF who passed on info that a local charity was in desperate need of quilts or handmade blankets for abused children that are sent to The Tree House Center in our area. After we checked around a bit and spoke to one of the ladies in charge of collecting the quilts I had no problem making a donation. Having a nice pile of quilts on hand was such a blessing. I was able to get the quilts in the groups hands TODAY!!!! As with many other charitable organizations they have a hard time meeting the needs of children over the summer. Quilters are the backbone of where the center gets the majority of their donations but as any of you that are quilters know working in the heat of the summer in all that fabric can be a sweaty proposition. This leaves the center struggling to make sure each and every child has a quilt to cuddle up with when they arrive. The lady shared with me just a little of some of the horrific things these sweet little ones have been victims of. There are centers all over the US that can always use and extra quilt or two or three or MORE. Here is an article I found on facebook regarding a group that made a recent donation to our local center.

I SO want to dig right in and work like a mad woman construction more quilts tonight but I know I will have to pace myself. Monday I will contact our local Linus group to see what their immediate needs are. I have a few more quilts put back for that group but if they are in good shape the Tree House will be getting what I have on hand. Of all the quilts I make and give as gifts that are admired and appreciated by friends and family, charity quilts are by far the ones that give me the greatest joy.

Off to finish dinner before settling in for a long awaited Bama football game. Ahh, football you are finally back, now we have something worth watching on Thursday night and all day Saturday. Nothing like a good game playing in the background while I ride that sewing machine!!!!!