MURDER MYSTERY FRIDAY

MURDER IN THE MANSION

Chapter Three

LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN

When Mother Bingham died,  Wood Haven had had an air of relief about it.  There was laughter in 

the rooms again.  Millie's illness took a tole on 

everyone who lived or worked there.

She had a bad heart, so she thought.  It was all in her head.

Nothing was organically wrong with it.  She had

a series of fake heart attacks. Real enough for nurses and doctors and round the clock help. People were coming and going all day and all night.  A regulator Grand Central Station.

It was one of those days when things didn't seem right.

  She had her vitamin shots late in the afternoon.  She had them twice a day.  Morning and at bedtime.  But on this

particular day the morning shot late in the day.  The evening shot not at all.  By the next morning she would be dead.

Who would kill a hateful old woman like that.  She was, to her friends a loving old lady who would do anything for them.  But to the family, her sons and to me, Millie wouldn't give us the time of day.  Did I say she was hateful,  a penny pinching B___H,  who would listen at key holes for fear someone was cheating her.

But I'm not bitter.

The morning of her demise,  her nurse went in to wake her.

Finding her dead wasn't on the program for that day.

We all got to thinking was it nature causes or was it MURDER.

I just can't imagine who would kill her.  Though I could name three including myself.  And for what??

Maybe about 250 million.

But for now,  as Shakespeare wrote

"Leave her to heaven."

(Thank you, Curtis for letting me tell my story.  Janet)

copyright 2013 Curtis Boehringer Mysteries 

Till we meet again,

If you are reading and quilting along...This weeks
block for chapter three is a four patch.

Each patch is made up with a solid red and a
blue and red print.
Each block should measure 9" x 9".
9 1/2" x 9 1/2" with seam allowance.

Make six.  Iron up and set aside.

We are making a scrap quilt of many colors.
13 in all.  See you next Friday
with Chapter Four.

NEEDLEPOINT ON A WEDNESDAY

MORE ANTIQUE NEEDLEPOINT

The more I look through what I have photographed

the more I find.

The beauty of these old canvases are 

truly wonderful.  Pre civil war??

Who knows.

I love the old bouquets.  Forever

stitched in wool standing the test of time.

You don't have to change the water.  They are 

always fresh, no bugs.  Just loving stitches

put together to make a seat cover

more inviting to sit upon.

Having worked at an antique shop,

one gets to have the first look at these 

pieces when they come in.

Romantic wool gardens to collect 

and enjoy for years to come.

Sounds a little like pressed rose leafs.

So much for romance today!!!

Till we meet again,

MURDER MYSTERY FRIDAY

MURDER IN THE MANSION

Chapter Two
THE ARRIVAL

It was a grey and rainy day when I first come to
Wood Haven.  Christopher had brought me home to meet
his Mother.  He told her over tea that we were to be married.
I thought she was going to kill him.
On the spot. But she didn't.

She had looked at me all afternoon in a funny kind of way.
That 'my son is to good for you' way.
She asked a ton of questions about my back round.
Who my people were, what religion was I,
where was I educated.  I told her "Smith."
She said under her breath "Go to Smith you could
even spell it."  The afternoon kept getting worse.  I did not know that someone so kind looking in the painting, could be so evil in real life.  Then she showed me her paintings.

Now at this point I was so hurt.  Nothing I said had pleased her.  When I took a look at
her pictures I was in tears.  I started laughing so hard I had to leave the room.  The tears were pouring out of my eyes.
She was a bad artist.  A very bad artist.  That old lady
couldn't paint her way out of a paper bag.

That made me feel great!  I am an artist,  better than she was
and I had her son...So there!!

She would always hate me for taking away her first born.
I did not care.  Chris loved me and told his Mother to back off.  It wasn't till years later I found out that she tried to stop the wedding.  That B___H!!!

I'm sure she hated me because my husband had control over the estate after she died.  A little something his father put in his will that his mother could not change.  And that it was going to make me a very wealthy woman.  God Bless Father Bingham.

Mother Bingham was only with us three very short years before she was murdered.


(Thank you Curtis for letting me tell my story here.  Janet)



copyright 2013 Curtis Boehringer Mysteries


If you are reading and quilting along...the second block
for this quilt is a shoo fly pie patch.
(That's a nine patch with half square tri angles in the corners)

Each block should measure 9" x 9" when finished
(9 1/2" x 9 1/2" with seam allowance)

Make six shoo fly blocks in a blue print and a
white print with blue in it.
Iron and set aside.

This will be a scrap quilt made in many colors.

See you next Friday with Chapter Three.
13 in all.  Happy sewing!!

Check out my blog on Mondays and Wednesdays, too. 

Till me meet again!!

  

MY NEEDLEPOINT SANTA'S

PAINTING ST. NICHOLAS

One of my favorite themes to
paint in needlepoint is Santa or Father Christmas
or St. Nicholas or Mr. Christmas.
I thought it would be fun 
to show you how I get going.

On a piece of cut 18 mesh needlepoint 

canvas, I start drawing out

St. Nicholas.

This time I'm thinking green and red paint.

Red for some detail and apple green

for the flower design and dots.
It's coloring like we did when we were younger.

Now for the swirls! 

Hundreds of them.  This is a

trademark of mine.

Some needlepointers stitch them and some not.
They are a nice detail.

copyright 2013 Curtis Boehringer

Before you know it I'm done.

The classical music I listen to always helps.

Thank you George Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra.

He measures about 11" high.  The colors

apple green, red and medium green

work well together. 

Hope you had fun with me today!!!

Till we meet again on Friday!

P.S. The Murder Mystery is only on Friday's.

FROM MY DRAWING BOARD

BLACK & WHITE

On a colorful day like today, I'm drawing in

black and white.

I am illustrating the flowers in the garden 

and from my imagination.

For a new series. Flowers and vines, English Ivy,

a pumpkin or two...Drawing beyond the season of

Spring and Summer.

Thinking about Autumn & Halloween,

Winter & Christmas,

on a hot humid day like today is sort of funny.

Even a big black crow came to visit

must put him in the an All Hallows Eve picture.

That's the life of an artist, designer and illustrator.

We are always out of season!!!

copyright 2013 Curtis Boehringer

Till we meet again on Wednesday!

MURDER MYSTERY FRIDAY

MURDER IN THE MANSION

Chapter One

WOOD HAVEN ESTATE

Millicent Elizabeth Bingham was 96 years old when she died.

The picture of her here was painted in the 1920's.

She was a handsome woman. Very stately.  Millie, as 

her friends called her, was the apple of her fathers eye.

Every one loved her.  She was married to her husband

for almost 50 years when he passed away.  William Harrison Bingham left his wife 250 million dollars.

She was the richest woman in town...in the state... Oh hell East of 

the Mississippi!!!

Mr. Bingham had made his money in the refinement of oil.

Mrs. Bingham raised their three children.  She gardened 

and painted.  Spend his money.  Studied music and sang a little opera.

She was a great patron of the arts.

While her friends in the neighborhood  were building

museums to house art, she was painting it.

(Needless to say she was a very bad painter).

I married into the family in 1967.

When Millie passed away, the estate Wood Haven

was left to my husband Christopher and his two brothers

Gordon and Thomas.  The house had 45 rooms. 12 bedrooms,

14 bathrooms, seating rooms, dinning rooms for breakfast and dinner.  Beautiful views of the river.  179 acres of land in the Hudson river valley of New York.

It was like winning the lottery. And nobody had to 

buy a ticket!

But soon all of the happiness we had, turned into mayhem 

and murder when we found the dark, dark secrets of 

Wood Haven.

(Thank you Curtis,  for letting me tell my story here.  Janet)

copyright 2013 Curtis Boehringer Mysteries

If you are reading and quilting along...The first block

for this quilt is a nine patch.

Each block should measure 9" x 9" when finished

(9 1/2" x 9 1/2" with seam allowance)

Make six nine patch blocks in a red print and a 

white print with red in it.

Iron and set aside.

This will be a scrap quilt made in many colors.

See you next Friday with Chapter Two.
13 in all.  Happy sewing!

Check out my blog on Mondays and Wednesdays, too.

Till we meet again!!

ANTIQUE NEEDLEPOINT

In the basement of an old antique shop 

the hunt was on.  Looking for this and that,

and nothing in perticular.  But as I looked around

a bit I could not help looking at all the

beautiful flowered needlepoint.

Needlepoint chair seats and the fire screens

from a different era long ago.

Thinking of all of the women who spent hours

and hours needlepointing this lovely pieces 

and now they were in a basement shop

waiting for someone to rediscover and buy them.

One right after another. 

The cabbage roses, lillies of the valley and daisies, 

the bouquets were beautiful.  The workmenship of

the needlewomen excellent !!  Turn of the last 100 years.

I wished I could have bought them all.  In our hunt

we counted 16 wool creations just seating and waiting.

Many an old needlepoint still has life in it.

Great to decorate with.  Makes a home

looked lived in.  I have over the years I have been collecting 

and loving all of the family needlepoint. 

The history and the stories that each piece has is amazing.

Next time you go antiquing you will see what I mean.

Till we meet again,

On Friday I will start another Murder Mystery.

Murder Mystery Friday's...If you are a quilter

please join us...free patterns to make the quilt.

IN THE SPRING GARDEN IN THE RAIN

The beauty of the Mountain Laurel 

in the front yard is taking one's 

breath away.

The green of the ground cover

in that amazing shade of apple green

always reminds me of the freshness 

of the season.

The old urn in the backyard planted

with pink and red flowers

of summer.

And a stone friend hiding 

in the leafs is making this spring

very special.

Now if I can only keep up with the weeds...!!!

Till we meet again,

Curtis