Fall is Lovely

Hello friends!  Happy fall or spring (for my friends in the southern hemisphere).  I wanted to show you my pumpkins because I think they are so beautiful.  I can't believe one older envelope of seeds and a small space yielded such a lovely bunch of pumpkins!  

We celebrated my birthday yesterday.  I had quite a bit of cake! One of my sweet friends gave me a fleet of Squishmallows!  I love them! Do you?

Another friend took me to breakfast and the waitress gave us an extra birthday pancake.  Yum! My sister gave me a big gift card so I ordered a soup maker.  Have you heard of a soup maker?  It makes quick smooth or chunky soup.  I saw it on the Stitched by Mrs. D vlog.  She made it look like such an efficient way to make smaller batches of soup.  I'll let you know how it works when it comes.

I went to Bill's yearly conference up in the mountains and it was so beautiful up there and the friends there are so inspiring and so loving.  Pure joy!

We've had three lovely granddaughters staying here while their parents are in Europe.  It's been so much fun.  Bill and I both love every encounter we have with our kids and grands.  Brad and April came down here for a birthday dinner early in the week and we enjoyed their family's company very much. I go to Jeff and Christie's next week to stay with the boys while they go away for their anniversary.  I will love spending time there!

We are savoring our grandchildren as they grow up.  Sam and Liz go to homeschool/art school nearby and it's a huge blessing.  

Millie helped me move all my art stuff BACK upstairs and I would like to sort out my sewing and my ironing.  I have quite a few fun domestic tasks to do.  I'm grateful.

I have more birthday celebrating ahead of me (I love it when birthdays last a long time!)

I hope you are well and feeling encouraged about your daily doings.  Is there any specific project you are going to partake of this year?  Are you cooking or baking anything exciting?

We (the girls and I) are going to watch The British Baking Show on Netflix tomorrow night!  It's the first one of the season!  Yay!

God be with you, sweet visitors.  Thank you for stopping by! xoxoxo

 

Hello to YOU!

Hello!  Do you have some ironing for Mrs. Tiggy Winkle to do?  Kelli brought her back from England.  They enjoyed a two week trip and she brought me lots of sweet things.  She said, "Mom was born in the wrong country! Everything I see I know she would love!"  So true!
 

Do you like this blouse I bought from Walmart?  I do!  So cheap, too!

I've been painting some friends.  Do you like their clothes?  How about their hairdos?  😂

 

One day I ironed for a long time.  Yay!

 

I also made more pants.  The ones I made around the time of my last post have been worn and worn!  I love the pattern (Pants #1 from 100 Acts of Sewing).

 

And yesterday our Jenny had to go to the ER because she stumbled on her porch steps and tweaked her knee.  Poor Rose!  We are praying that she heals fast!

I love August even though I have been thinking I can't bear to wait for fall.  Everything grows in August and I know I am going to have so many pumpkins! We've been enduring such hot weather.  I know a lot of people have in this hemisphere.  

Soon I am going to go up north and see my mom.  I can't wait to see her!

Have you had a nice summer (or winter if you live down under)? 

A Soft Friend and Creativity Suggestions

Hello everyone!  Look at the peonies!  They pop out so fast!  Many ants traverse their leaves and buds so they really aren't allowed inside.  Tim likes tipping over vases so . . . 

I finished the dolly for the cute big baby who invited me to her birthday party.  I had taken a thirty year break from doll making, so I labored over her for quite some time.  She's cute, isn't she?  The recipient was nonplussed😂 and stared at Birdie the knot head doll with a confused look on her face.  Her brother buckled Birdie into the doll bed I found and then we concluded, "Okay, she's gone to bed." That was the end of that!  It was fun to sew, so yesterday I sewed a pair of linen pants and I really followed the directions and now they fit perfectly.  

The other day I was buying a Bundt cake from the fancy cake store and I had to wait for them to frost the cake (15 minutes) so I went to the doughnut store and had the doughnut below.

 It's already ten o'clock and I'm meant to be out planting.  I wonder if it will be fun 😂.  It's a wee bit exhausting hauling hoses and filling water cans.  We'll see!

I received a impersonal email that was about furniture, but it contained 5 ways to foster creativity and they are:

1.  Spend time alone

2.  Create every day

3.  Surround yourself with inspiration

4.  Stay organized

5.  Keep a creativity journal

Do those sound doable or interesting to you? They sound very nice to me.  

Thank you for stopping in to see my dolly make and I pray today that you recognize eternal peace and love.  I hope you can touch something pretty and experience refreshment.  (BIG HUG!)

A Bite on the Snout

Hello friends!  It's May and almost June and I have definitely had the garden guilt for not weeding more.  The peonies haven't bloomed so I figure I'm still okay.  Have you noticed how expensive plants are at the nursery and even at the grocery store?  Yikes!  I might just plant old seeds that are still in my gardening bucket, left over from last year.  

Anyway, Winnie is Kelli's dog (pictured above) and she had a scary thing happen the other day.  She was bitten by a rattle snake!  Kelli and her family are out of town and their house/dog sitter saved the day and took Winnie to the emergency vet.  I think the baby rattle snake had short fangs and wasn't able to get a good grip on Winnie's snout but it still swelled up a lot.  I went to see her at the ER and she panted, but also ate so she was okay.  The rattle snake was on the pool deck.  Yikes!  So much for swimming.  We have to get over the creepy snake fear first.

Do you like this sweet bowl?  It has a hole where you put in the little ornament.  You can change it when you want to.  I love it. I filled it with cherries and then I ate them.

What do you think of my new chair?  It's called a lazy chair, I think.  Jenny had one so I shopped for one, too. 

If you ever make a salad like this, find a good dressing.  I used a bottled dressing and it sort of ruined the taste.  I have two small boxes of strawberries that came in my veggie box that I shall eat for dinner.  I might share some with Bill. 

I MIGHT dabble in some cross stitch.  I have several "Animal Crackers" patterns.  Isn't Maggie Mae cute?

 What have you been up to? Are you excited for June to arrive?  I usually feel like June lasts a long time, so other than our anniversary, I think it will hold quite a few long days for playing in the garden and taking walks.  

I am knitting a hat for a friend who is having chemo therapy and I am going to make a doll for a baby (she's turning two and I'm thrilled that she invited me to her birthday party!) I'll show you when the dolly is completed.  I want her to be very soft with a cotton print dress and bloomers.  I might knit her a red petticoat like Tasha Tudor wore.  

I hope you are surrounded by opportunities to connect with others.  We ARE meant to love others and it is what is best for us.  

"I believe every single person deserves to be acknowledged, however simple or small the greeting." ~ Howard White

Thank you for coming by and reading my words.  I appreciate it.

April Stuff or Stuff in April

Hello April!  April showers bring May flowers!  We haven't really had showers, just a bit of snow and some wild wind.  At Noah's lacrosse game the wind was cold!  Christie and James bundled up!  We did, too!  Isn't Christie beautiful?  She's so beautiful inside, too!

Did you have a nice Easter?  I hope so!  We had a funny one because Kelli and her family got pink eye and the flu! Jenny and Sam came and ate with us (Scott and Plum were at a basketball game having gone to church on Saturday). Poor Kelli! 

I found two fat chicken toys at the grocery store for James and Noah. Isn't this a fine hen? 

I've been reading some books about how fairy tales inform our story minds so I've been dabbling in fairy tales.  Do you have a favorite?  I really like The Gingerbread Man and The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

I'm also knitting a chicken. The pattern is called The Emotional Support Chicken.  I am at the part where you increase and wrap and turn to make her breast.  I sort of stall when I have to keep count of rows and pay attention to the pattern.  😂

😂

Look at these silly Crocs.  One of my friends asked, "Do you buy shoes for comfort or because you like the way they look?" 😂

I don't think I showed you my big print Bible (I found it at Sam's Club) and the way I made collages in the front of it.  I do love to collage.  It's my favorite artsy thing, I think.

Are you excited for summer?  I used to be so excited for summer to come, remember?  Now I am less excited about hot weather  I usually buy some new summer clothes because I fear being too warm and then I spend most of my time in our air conditioned house and I really don't need island/resort wear!  

I am going to go take a walk, maybe to the grocery store to buy Cheerios so the preschool kids at Bible study can make necklaces.  

I'm trying to eat a low carb diet (boring info, I know) so I might look at nuts in the snack section! Do you like to eat nuts?

Thank you for stopping by!  It's always nice when you do! xo

 
 

The March Wind Doth Blow

We've had a snowy morning, not the kind that piles up and requires shoveling, but the small wet sort of weather that reminds me that it is MARCH, not May. The daffodil painting was given to me by my sweet friend across the pond, Betty.  She is very talented.  I love it and I find it especially appealing this time of year.   We don't have things growing just yet.  I have not seen daffodils in the flower department at the grocery store.  

Easter is just over three weeks away and I am behind on my daily Lent study.  Lent seems to have gone by faster this year.  The book I've been using is titled, From Death to Life: 40 Days of Dying to Self and Living for Christ.  It's beautifully presented and I'm learning some important truths again and feeling so loved, so saved.

I made the bracelet below over five years ago. My friend Sondra was organizing a craft for a Bible study group I was going to and I jumped ahead, went to the craft store and made my bracelet.  Everyone else's bracelets were delicate and shiny, unlike my rather bold and simple version.  I do like it.

 

There is NO Irish soda bread at our grocery store.  Why?  I think the people who run our local store are not happy.  I get the feeling that they are all sort of tired and there is no creative vision evident in the displays.  We rarely see hot cross buns either.  I shall make some.  I've done it before and they did not turn out beautiful, but I think they might be prettier this time around.  Have you been in any happy shops lately?  I love yarn shopping but most yarn shops I have visited are not welcoming or cheerful.  Why is that?  Other people have said the same thing, so I know it's not just me.

Oh!  Our grandchildren are almost grown ups. Yikes!  That happened very fast.  They are LOVELY and smart and faith-filled, but Noah is our youngest and he is SEVEN years old.  I could be a great grandmother within five years possibly!  I guess it's okay to look like an old granny now.  LOL!

Thank you for stopping in, friend.

I hope your March holds the promise of spring!  Let's not forget to buy kites.  No, the grocery store doesn't have kites yet!

I might drop a suggestion or two in the suggestion box (maybe I'll make an old fashion suggestion box and leave it on the service counter, with a few of my ideas inside).  Ha!

Sending love and cheer xo 

 

Nice February

Hi February friends!  I'm still working on the Beekeeper's Quilt, so I sewed the hexagons together and now I am more aware of how long it takes to make ONE hexagon because I have been attaching them as I go.  Oh well.  

Here is my basket of dollies.  When I am ironing I often pick them up, one at a time, and admire them.  Jenny said, "Your generation likes dolls."  Hmmmmm.  So?

This little sweetheart turned 15!  Now she has her learner's permit and can get behind the wheel! She was so little when I started this blog.  This blogging thing has gone on a long time!

 Bill is doing well.  He feels so good and he is very willing to go to all of his follow up appointments.  We're so grateful he's on the mend.

I have been sitting around a lot.  I've been reading and studying.  I have been knitting.  I even bought a log book to record my walks but I only have one walk recorded.  Yesterday it snowed so much but today is better - the snow is leaving. 

Remember we got a new mattress?  Well, it isn't a dream mattress at all.  It's foam, but it's hard.  Sometimes I wake up in the morning and groan.  Ouch! I'm not sure why I can't get it right. Bill doesn't complain, but I didn't want to choose too soft of a mattress so we have a mattress that is too firm.  Do you have this problem?  I think I could sleep well in the softest mattress there is available.  Jenny and Kelli have purple mattresses and they are very soft, but also very expensive.  I don't even like to sit on hard chairs.  I am always on the lookout for booths at restaurants and cushy chairs at other people's homes. End of complaint.  😂

I have soup in the crock pot.  I put in sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, onions, bacon, orange peppers, chicken broth, a can of cream of mushroom soup, almond milk, a little cheese, and salt and pepper.  Do you think it'll taste weird?  I'm going to go upstairs and taste it.  We might have to go fetch burritos for dinner!  LOL!

I dropped my apple watch and it cracked.  It doesn't work now.  I have had it a very long time and I have decided that I am fine without being tethered to 🍎.  Free!

I hope you have a happy love month!  I used to want to buy new heart things but I am over that now.  I might make heart cookies.

I hope you know you are loved by quite a few people.  I hope you know that you are loved by the King of kings.

Talk soon.

And Now it is January!

Hello friends!  I disappeared in December, didn't I?  It was full.  We had grand kids stay for two of the four weeks and I was knitting something special (more about that later).  The time went by so fast!  I know it was a long time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but next year I would like to be less busy. My friend Sondra gave me this lovely waxed bulb.  No water or anything!  It produced four blooms!

My friend Kim sent me lemons.  Oh, the are so yummy!  I have a few left - savoring them!

My neighbor Reve gave me this adorable felted bird.  I know! So CUTE!

April made me an Advent box with sweet little knitting supplies in each sack.  Isn't this marker fun?

 

 

Here is Mary.  Yes, I started knitting a Nativity scene.  Mary definitely looks like a traveler, doesn't she?  It's fun to knit dolls, but it takes a lot of time, looking at the pattern quite often and changing wools.

Kelli gave me this kitty doll.

Tim is hanging out on the heating pad!  Silly Tim!

We had a health scare.  Bill had a very bad head cold and then developed shortness of breath. We went to the emergency room and found out he had blood clots in his lungs!  We're so thankful we got right in to see the doctors and he had a procedure for ridding lungs of blood clots that very day! We are so grateful that God guided the physicians and gave us peace.  He was in the hospital for three days and has been home six days now.  He feels so much better!  We're so grateful for all of our sweet friends and family who made meals for us, checked on us and most importantly PRAYED for Bill.  Jenny stayed with us at the hospital and that was such comforting support.  Bill has been strong and a good sport.  I'm so glad he's okay.

My word for the new year is the same one as last year.  It's work.  I am not finished with this word. I like to think about what I do, how I can do what is in front of me and I want to do what God has for me with all of my heart.  Sometimes I see that what I did in a day could be talking to people.  Some days I clean or tidy.  Sometimes I go for walks. I like to pay attention to what I spend my time doing.

Thank you so much for stopping in, long time friend.  I really like it when you do (BIG HUG!)