Random Splashes of Thought

Tomato/ tomahto , Resolutions/Goals - Let's just say, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2012-01-08T12:13:00.005-05:00

I KNOW I'm a week late, but I really truly want to wish all of you

A very Happy, Healthy, Successful
and, most of all,
FUN and INTERESTING
NEW YEAR!!
MAY 2012 BE YOUR BEST YEAR YET!!

Seriously, it's that time of year again. Time to push, pull and coax out the OLD and pull in and welcome the NEW !

Like most of you, I sit back and assess the year past and anticipate what can be better in the fresh, new year. I do not make resolutions but I do set goals. "So," you might ask, "what's the diff'?" Of course, this is just MY interpretation but I see "resolutions" as great, conspicuous, iron clad declarations of exact actions you will or will not take in the new year. Like diets, they are easy to break and, once broken, like Humpty Dumpty, are difficult to put back together, not even with the help of all the king's men!

On the other hand, a "goal" is something one aspires to attain. It is usually a long-term project and there is usually more than one road to accomplish a goal. As reaching toward a goal is an ongoing, ever evolving process, a misstep does not equal total failure but is simply a bump in the road. I keep pushing toward the target even if here are numerous obstacles along the way.
BUT, to each they own. Call them what you will, they represent a desired change for the New Year.

I basically wrote out six precise goals this time around. Perhaps sharing them here will help me stick to them. (For the record, the month is only a week old and I've already had mixed success.)

1. Start my Easter planning by mid-January. I am NEVER prepared (merchandise wise OR candy-making wise).

2. Don't just mark birthdays on the calendar but look at it each week and actually send the cards ON TIME. (If it wasn't for FB, I'd never be sending wishes to anybody on the right day!)

3. Definitely check in with "the old folks" at least every other week and visit at least every 6 weeks. (I only have 2 aunts and an uncle still with us and they all live in the same retirement community less than 10 miles from our house, so this is important. I make this goal every year and I generally lose track along about July!)

4. Get back to posting to my blog daily. I had been doing so well but I only posted once or twice in December! I drafted but never "published." I'm so down about that!

5. Do something with all those "story ideas" I keep noting in my idea book. It's been ages since I wrote any fiction.

6. Organize all my loose notes!!!!

Obviously, one of my weak follow-throughs has been the bit about posting DAILY. I'm really aiming at doing better. Maybe I should start out a little slower and at least try to post once a week for the first month! Let's see how that goes, then, maybe, I can build from there!

I have, really, done better with the birthday thing! There have been four birthdays so far this month and I've actually managed to remember to call or at least post on all of their their FB walls on the right day!!! Granted, I haven't physically sent cards but I did touch base with them on time!!

As for the others, I really must deal with Valentine's Day before I can think Easter! (I have actually listed a few Valentine items in the shop already so I'm working toward this one.) I admit I haven't taken any steps toward the rest of these - YET ! But I will, I'm sure I will - eventually.

So, who else wants to share some goals, resolutions, what have you?

It's been a while ...

2011-12-29T23:02:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!! I made a true effort to actually get things done in time to sit back and actually relax on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and on the 26th. It felt good!

I've been such a bad blogger!!! I only posted once this month before this evening. December is such a busy month for all of us, hopefully, you had lots better things to do then bemoan my MIA status. (I know I certainly did! - Have better things to do, that is.)

There were all the usual holiday demands like putting up the tree, making gifts and dipping lots and lots of chocolates. If you've followed through any past Christmases or Easters, you may recall I'm the official family candy maker. This year, I made only about 35 lbs. of dipped candies, less than half my normal volume. I just didn't have the stamina for it this time around. I keep telling the next generation I need an apprentice or two but they really do prefer eating the candy as opposed to making candy!

I did get almost all the gifts I intended to make done. The only exception was a needlepoint Barbie boutique made on plastic canvas. I actually started that one back in September but quickly got behind on the production. If you were here last year, you heard about the fiasco of Barbie's music room and I did not want a repeat this time around. By Thanksgiving, it was clear I was not going to get it done without working around the clock or dropping everything else in my life so I scratched the idea of finishing it for Christmas. I went with another much easier project for K. I hope to finish the room in the Spring. I'll keep you posted.

The Big Guy keeps joking that K will outgrow playing with Barbies before it's done. BUT - I have a fallback position on that. We have 4 more little girls in the family that have not yet reached Barbie age! The youngest is only 6 months old. I'm bound to get it done before we run out of little girls!

So, what did I get made for gifts? Painted clothing and wine glasses for some of the adults, some entire outfits with accessories for some of the children, several shopping bags of hair accessories for some of the school-age girls on my list, three black board tables, some painted kitchen decor pieces for some of the young adults and a few more odds and ends.

On top of having all those gifts to make, household holiday preps and candy making, we had houseguests, family commitments and more to take up my time - and then, there were sales. I had a steady, solid flow of sales for my business this season !

That kept me quite busy. I had not expected to be so busy producing merchandise as I didn't do any regular craft shows or boutique sales this year. I was quite surprised at how many past clients sought me out to place orders. It felt very very good but it was exhausting keeping up!!

I hope to get back to posting on a regular basis now. I was going to wait until New Year's Day but really got the urge to jump in here tonight. I've truly missed blogging. I haven't even had time to read many blogs this month!

It seems every time I get things flowing on an even keel, I get a curve ball thrown at me or hit a speed bump or something. I kept drafting posts all month but then either needed to do some editing or add the illustrations or something and then just didn't get it done so I never hit the "publish" button. I was really proud of some of those pieces and put some real thought and effort into them. I've actually considered going ahead and "back-posting" those drafted posts with their original dates on them and leaving it up to my readers as to whether they wanted to go back and read them. For now though, I just wanted to pop in and touch base with all of you.

It felt good to sit down and have this little chat tonight. Hopefully, I'll see y'all again tomorrow, too.

25 Days Till Christmas!!!!!!

2011-12-01T21:01:00.006-05:00

December 1st !!!!!

Christmas is roaring toward us like a freight train! I don't know about you, but I haven't even begun to decorate. I think I'm looking at a few all-nighters coming my way!

Then, of course, I made this silly pledge to myself to post EVERY day till Christmas. Easier said than done! I'm taking the easy way out tonight and re-running a post from the past.

I'm not just really proud of my aunt who made this jewelry tree (and many others like it), it also makes for a fantastic project and a really eye-catching, conversation starting decoration for the season. (I believe if I report this enough, for enough years, I'll get around to making one myself. I already have a bunch of pieces put away to get started with.)

A number of years ago, my aunt made what I thought was a really unique and spectacular holiday decoration for her home. She used to get it out and hang it in early November and leave it up through about mid-January (sometimes later). She now lives in a retirement apartment complex and it hangs on her living room wall year round.

She made this absolutely stunning Christmas tree from various pieces of bright, sparkly costume jewelry! This first of her trees (She's made quite a few since then.), was made using various pieces of jewelry with a family history.

Some people are "clothes horses", well, my grandmother (her M-I-L) was a "jewelry horse." She particularly loved huge, heavy earrings. (She had very large ear lobes. We all believe the weight of the earrings stretched them out!) When my grandmother passed and her belongings were distributed among the family, no one really wanted to wear those humongous earrings. Aunt M. put quite a few of them into this tree. There were other jewelry "remnants" floating about and they, too, found their way into this tree. The bigger and brighter the better!

The tree is fairly heavy and is mounted on a piece of plywood covered in velvet. I believe she used a jeweler's glue to secure the stones. Many friends and acquaintances have come to her and asked for help in making a tree to display some of their family jewels, too.

Along the way, she has made quite a few as gifts or to sell at various bazaars and such. The best places to find such jewels are yard sales, church bazaars with white elephant tables and flea markets.(Those old-fashioned brooches are true finds with this project in mind!)

Of course, you should start with the jewelry box you've been stashing those orphaned earrings in!

Fun With Oyster Shells

2011-11-30T21:05:00.008-05:00

I've been terribly neglectful of this blog lately. Life has just gotten in the way and some things had to give here and there.

I find writing here therapeutic and, boy, have I missed being here. Tomorrow starts a new month and a fast countdown to Christmas. The "Busy Season" for most of us. I'll need therapy to get through the next 25 days, believe me! So, I'm pledging, here and now, to post each and every day until Christmas. Please hold me to it. Push me, pull me, cajole me into posting. Send me notes, etc., whatever it takes. I need you, all of you!!

Well, we've now worked through most of the Thanksgiving leftovers. (Which in our case is pretty good as we didn't do our turkey dinner here until Monday! We go to another family member's home on the true holiday.) One of the "leftovers" I had from Thursday was a box of empty oyster shells. (It's a Maryland thing - raw oysters for appetizers!) So, what's a creative painting gal to do?!?

Start painting!! The shells have a natural flow with ridges and lumps and natural lines to follow. Each is different of course. I kind of let each one speak to me and tell me what it is. (Okay, a few glasses of wine helped that creative flow along a bit. I'll admit it.) Suddenly, I was surrounded by Santa faces and more.

Some shells wanted to be so much more than just the Jolly Guy's face, some wanted to include his body, some wanted to stick him in the center of a wreath, or be his sleigh. One shell aspired to be a tree and one, I think it was female, wanted to be an angel. I gave each one some leeway to become what they wanted to be.

I think the results were quite rewarding. I added some ribbon loops and am working at giving each a listing of their own in my shop tonight. Well, sort of. some are going there in pairs - you know, the old two-by-two thing!

I'm thinking of playing with some sand dollars tomorrow!

Still have that "charcoaled turkey" smell in the air at your house? Okay, so it was a little well done.)

2011-11-25T12:34:00.003-05:00

So, did ole' Tom stay in the oven just a little (or a lot) too long? Were your local firefighters unexpected guests at your meal yesterday? (Hey, there IS a reason why they work on holidays, isn't there?)

There is a silver lining to burning the bird, honest. Check out these twelve reasons to be thankful your bird was, well, let's just say, incinerated!

* Salmonella won't be a concern.

*No one will overeat.

*Everyone will think it's Cajun Blackened.

*Uninvited guests will think twice next year.

*Your cheese broccoli lima bean casserole will gain
new found appreciation.

*Pets won't pester for scraps.

*The smoke alarm was due for a test.

*Carving the bird will provide a good cardiovascular workout.

*After dinner, the guys can take the bird out to the yard
and play football.

*The less turkey Uncle George eats, the less likely he will be to walk
around with his pants unbuttoned.

*You'll get to dessert quicker.

* You won't be eating turkey sandwiches for the next three weeks.

So, simply grit your teeth, smile, and go shopping!! Shopping cures most ills!! (or so it seems!)

** Yeah, I did run this one last year but I really do think it makes you smile!!

Happy Thanksgiving to All !!!

2011-11-24T09:50:00.001-05:00

"...No one will remember the perfect Thanksgiving anyway. Five and ten years from now, family and friends will be laughing over the time the turkey burned and you had to order in Chinese food. Or the impossibly hard biscuits Aunt Beth insisted on making every year. All the perfect food will be long forgotten. ...relax and enjoy [yourself]. It's the mishaps and the funny incidents that create the best memories --Sophie"
So says Krista Davis in The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

As you rush about today, doing all those last minute preps for the big meal, keep these words in mind. They are, oh, so true. Go ahead and ask your family about their most memorable Thanksgivings (if you dare). I'm sure the ones that stand out will be the "imperfect" events. A bonus of doing this is the laughs you'll all share as a family reliving those unique memories.

Want to read some tales of Thanksgiving meals gone wrong? Check out this thread on the Etsy Forum. There's everything from a turkey flying off the tray across the kitchen and right into the dining room, to flour covering the cat just as the doorbell rings, to a miraculous diving catch of mashed potatoes. Some of these will make your worst story sound pretty good.

Now, go ahead and get that pie in the oven, today!

Then, sit down and have a glass of wine while you contemplate all the rest of that work.

ENJOY !!!

Our Fall 2011 "Southern Tour" (in pics)

2011-11-09T12:43:00.007-05:00

Could you ask for a prettier day for a road trip?

One of those landmarks that tells us "We're almost there!" (Time to get excited!)

For this Big City gal, our arrival in our destination town was like a step back in time!

Who needs pumpkins when you get greeted by this Halloween Sweetie?!?

The Big Guy auditioned a new partner for his attempt to get on Dancing With The Stars. He might want to get her some higher heels!

The colors in the Great Smoky Mountains (Maggie Valley, NC) were at absolute peak that day. We were on our way up the mountain to Cherokee, NC.

Strange looking "cloud" hanging over the mountain!

Hmmm, our suspicions were right. That IS snow on the ground - in North Carolina in October!! (Okay, so we were pretty high up in the mountains BUT it is the South and it WAS October!!!)

Lots of great food, loud music and loads of fun at the Oktoberfest in Valhalla, SC. (It was super crowded ! I didn't quite expect all those people at an event in such a small town ... and it was competing with a home game at Clemson, just down the road!!)

**Incidentally, Clemson won.

Everybody did a little toe-tapping at the Oktoberfest, even the scarecrow!!

Just one of the reasons to hate running out of time on this visit! (Although an even better reason to return soon!!)

While still colorful, some areas along the Blue Ridge Mountains had already passed their peak on our return trip.

The Tennessee Visitor's Center atop the mountain gave a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains (any direction you looked!) Trees of every color formed a true Autumn palette of color.

Had an interesting lunch at a diner about mid-way up I-81 in Virginia - an "open-face chili burger"! I really liked this one!! Basically they laid the roll out flat and placed an average-sized burger on each half and piled lots of spicy chili on top, topping it off with shredded cheddar and chopped onions. (A blob of sour cream was optional.)

The trees in Harper's Ferry, W still had a lot of changing to do!!

And that brings us back to home!!

Bits 'n' Pieces

2011-11-04T08:23:00.000-04:00

I make lots of notes when watching TV - quotes, comments, funny lines and even interesting terms that strike my fancy. Here's a few I've come across lately:

Alexis Stewart (Martha's daughter) says she "was raised with a glue gun to her head."
As a crafty woman myself, I've got to ask if that's really a bad thing. Shouldn't we encourage creativity in our children?

Commenting on noticing attractive women despite his long and solidly happy marriage, Tom Selleck said, "Just because you're on a diet, doesn't mean you can't look at the menu !"
I remember my dad referring to it as "window shopping" when sitting on the porch of our hotel and watching the girls stroll by on the boardwalk at the ocean resort.

"That Girl", Marlo Thomas, is playing a Golden Girl type character on Broadway !!! Who'd a thunk it !!
Whatever happened to that sweet young girl who tried to take over the Big City way back when? Did it really take all these years for her to get her name on Broadway?

Paula Deen announced she's coming out with her own clothing line. They're still in the process of lining up outlets. Most of what she's wearing on her book tour are from this new line.
I hope she lines up Target or Sears or such. (For better or worse, my figure identifies with Paula's. Must be her recipes I keep trying!)

Today's college grads are part of the NINJA generation according to Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) in Wall Street Money Never Sleeps.
NINJA = No income, No jobs, and no Assets
Hmmm, pessimistic view or truth-sayer?

"Mantiques" = collectibles that appeal to men (Sister Pickers)

Kelly Ripa, commenting on a gal with attitude, "Stop being a 'Jersey Girl' ! "
Kelly can get away with this 'cuz she IS a Jersey Girl (for real) - born and raised!!

Suzy Orman, giving advice on cutting out frivolous, unnecessary spending - "Don't spend money you don't have to impress people you don't know or even like !"

Rob and Laura have been around for 50 years!!!

2011-11-02T01:34:00.000-04:00

The Dick Van Dyke Show is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year. TV Land recently ran a Dick Van Dyke marathon to mark this milestone.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane - especially the episodes from the debut season - 1961. Many of you were not yet born but have watched the show in it's eternal syndicated reruns. I was there to watch way back then but I really didn't remember those segments. Guess I was simply too young and really don't recall those specific episodes being shown in the reruns.
In those very early shows, the cast and writers were still finding themselves. The Petries had not yet gotten their famous ottoman. Come on, you KNOW you all sat there in suspense each week, waiting to see if Rob fell over it or did a quick side-step as he entered the living room. What do you think was the deciding factor o that for the directors?
Laura frequently referred to Rob as "Robert" that first year. I really did not remember that in later years. When Rob was trying to sweet talk Laura way back then, he'd call her "Laurie". Again, something eliminated in later years. Personally, I found that sweet and endearing. They should've left kept those little touches in later years.

Particularly noteworthy was a bidding war between Rob and Laura. He needed her to attend a business cocktail party with him and she wanted to stay home as she felt Richie was "coming down with something." The final agreement came down to her attending the party in exchange for rob attending 2 "decorator shows" and 5 PTA meetings!! (Why did Laura think Richie was getting sick? "He turned down his cupcake!")
Watching their happy and loving escapades must've put me in a nostalgic and romantic mood as a few days later, The Big Guy and I were slow dancing to an Eric Clapton tune at an Oktoberfest. The thing is, we weren't anywhere near the band. We were actually heading for the exit when our companions jumped in a food line for something to take home. While we were waiting for them, I commented that we were leaving just when they played one of our favorites.

He responded by tucking his cane under his arm and pulling me close. This sort of thing was definitely out of character for us, but it felt so good and right and reminded me of the "old days" when our love was new and not so routine. I didn't even mind the stares as folks wandered by and - yes, most gave us a smile !

One last ocean day...

2011-11-01T01:36:00.000-04:00

Just before we left on our little vacation, The Big Guy and I made one last trek to the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland.

Back in the day, we made those one-day runs just to soak up a few last rays before the season ended completely or to catch an act at one of the clubs. Now, we love to go and simply stroll the boards, stopping occasionally to just sit on a bench either facing the beach and watching the waves roll in or checking out the sights on the Boardwalk itself. I LOVE to people watch and this is the place to see it ALL!!

It was one of the last warm sunny days around here. (Actually one of the few sunny days we've had in the last few months.) It was warm enough to be comfortable yet not so hot to run for shade. The perfect day to sit on a bench and watch kids play on the beach. That's just what we did - for hours! It just felt so good ! There was one particular family we watched. The kids just had the best time just running and flopping on the sand, rolling around it and giggling - lots and lots of giggling. One couldn't help but smile at them.

The balloon man was busy buzzing around in his power chair making balloon sculptures for any children (of all ages) he found. He simply has a little "donations" basket posted and does this simply to make folks happy.

The local police patrol the entire boardwalk (3 miles) with only a few officers now that the season is over so they bring along their 4-footed partners to make it easier. This particular team did some fancy stepping for us (a parade march) and took lots of time to let all who wished pet this magnificent creature.

For most of us in these parts, one of the summer's great traditions is eating your way along the boards. There are some foods that simply say "Boardwalk" to us . We had to take one more gastronomic walk there for the year. (We may still go there to walk but most of the businesses will close completely for the season soon.) We had our hit list in mind: Thrashers fries, a fried soft crab, a piece of fried chicken, something from Dumser's Ice Cream and, if time permitted, also some frozen custard from Kohr's Brothers. We needed some hot caramel popcorn and maybe some fudge or taffy from Candy Kitchen. Well, we missed out on Dumser's, skipped the taffy and took some fudge home for later, but we did manage all the rest!

We love it there this time of year. The crowds are thinner and you don't feel like you're being pushed along. You can stroll at your own pace and find a seat on a bench just about anywhere whenever you're ready. Since most everyone else is in this relaxed, laid back mode, too, folks talk to one another and are friendly with total strangers.

Days like this make me miss the days when I lived just down the road and could go there anytime. Makes me wonder, too, how my life would have been different if I had stayed there and opened the little shop I had in mind over 30 years ago. One of those "would'a, should'a, could'a" moments. Then I consider what I did instead and where I am now and I think, "It's not a bad life!" Of course, the sound of crashing waves and a sea breeze all the time could really make things a lot more perfect!!

2011-10-31T18:44:00.001-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Y'ALL !!!!

Not sure what has happened, here. Can't believe it's been two weeks since my last post. (Almost sounds like confession - "Forgive me readers, for I have failed y'all...")

Seriously, I do know what happened. We went on vacation and my scheduled posts just didn't post. (I generally only have about a 60% success rate with advance posting.)

Okay, that explains the first week. The second week? Just don't know where that time went! Chose not to simply back-publish the missed posts. I'm probably the only person who really missed them, anyway!!

Be careful out there tonight. Halloween trick-or-treating can be so s-p-o-o-k-y !!!

Chores and a friend's give-away, too!

2011-10-13T22:33:00.017-04:00

I've been quite busy the last few days and have had trouble finding time to sit down to post. I've been scrambling to produce merchandise, fill a few orders and keep up with our daily lives in general.

Don't you often wonder who really wears all those clothes that end up in your hamper each week? I sure do. Seems laundry takes a disproportionate amount of my time. While we're wondering, who actually dirties all those dishes, too, and where on earth does all that dust come from? And now, we need to start thinking about holiday shopping, too!!! I need more hours in my day!!!!

xxx---xxx---xxx---xxx---

Only a couple days left to enter my friend's give-away featuring NINE (yep, 9 !!) great items for both your sweet little one and Mommy, too. (Did I tell you one of those prizes is a turkey apron from my shop? You can get it to fit either your little gal or Mommy.) Just take a gander at all that loot -- (ALL of it goes to ONE winner!!)

I told you about this one a few days ago and, at last check, the odds of winning look pretty good. There haven't been that many entries, yet! Can you believe it? One of the blogosphere's best kept secrets, I guess!

Entering is really easy.

Just go to Brianna Bean's blog here and follow the easy steps to get your name in the running.

Talk about getting a leg up on Christmas shopping!!!

Hurry!!! The last day to enter the Give-Away is October 15th!!

Don't miss this great opportunity!

All kinds of goodies - coming and going

2011-10-10T14:24:00.001-04:00

So, have you all wondered what exactly was in the Mystery Gift Basket for Stitchers that Charlotte won on this blog last week?

Charlotte is one of those gals who has done just about every form of stitching out there (and is pretty good at all of them, too!) but she predominantly knits and spins. Yes, she spins her own yarn!! I tweaked the contents of the basket a little (just a little) to add some items very specific to Charlotte and her interests.

This is what she's getting:
Included in this pile of goodies are a baseball cap designed especially for a knitter, 2 fridge magnets (both about knitting), a 2012 pocket date book with a stitching quote on the cover, a plaque about stitching, 2 mini-counted cross stitch kits and a plaque I made specifically for Charlotte as a spinner! I hope she likes her prize!!

(I was prepared to specifically customize the contents to go along with the special interests of any stitcher when the winner was chosen.)

x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . . x

I, too love to receive gifts in the mail so I was thrilled the other day to get a package from my swap partner from a craft forum I participate in. The swap theme this time was "Fall." Here's a pic of the beautiful hand knit scarf Monica made for me:

Isn't it pretty? (Soft, too!)

I can't wait for the next swap. The theme for the next one is Christmas ornaments. We have different partners for each swap and most of us know quite a bit about our swap partners so the gifts are almost always designed to suit the recipients interests and style. I'm already giving my contribution there much thought.

I'm proud to belong to www.CraftBuddy.com and I miss chatting with my friends if I don't stop by often. We chat about our craft work, our family, friends, and life in general. Stop by and check us out there. You just might find a place you'd enjoy hanging out, too.

I have met some fantastic crafty friends online. Do you participate in any forums out there? What are your favorite sites?

Do you have "Family Heirlooms"?

2011-10-07T23:12:00.004-04:00

Most of the items in the vintage section of my shop have come from all the various nooks and crannies around the house. No buy and resell here. Nope! Just loot from all those corners of the basement. While the term "vintage" varies from site to site, Etsy (where my shop resides) defines "vintage" as items that are over 20 years old.

That means just about everything in our homes qualified as "vintage." A friend and I recently looked around my living and dining rooms and pointed out the items that had been with us for what seemed like "forever." She noted my Boston Rocker, stating she remembered that from my Mom's living room years ago. I declared "That's a 'Family Heirloom', not just vintage."

So, what separates Family Heirlooms from your run-of-the-mill vintage pieces?

I believe it's the emotions they evoke and the stories that bring about those emotions.

That Boston Rocker brings me comfort. It reminds me of that living room in Mom's house, too. It brings back fond memories of the family sitting around together watching TV. It was my Grandmother's seat of honor most evenings. She wasn't much for super soft upholstered seats and she really did like to rock when she sat. I can tell you exactly when that rocker came into our lives, too - Summer, 1965!

My sister was getting married that summer and was out shopping for furniture for their new apartment. Mom, Grandmother and I went along for the fun. (The groom really didn't want to be dragged from store to store so he left this up to her.) One of the big furniture stores near us had a wishing well just inside their main entrance and invited all who entered to fill in a little slip of paper with one particular piece they would love to win just for the "wishing." Every month, a slip of paper was selected and the winner was given their item of choice. Well, Grandmother didn't really want to participate but we forced her. She had commented on the beautiful design painted on the top of the rocker's back. (It was kind of a standard design back then!) She listed the rocker just to make all of us happy and dropped her slip in the wishing well. She wiped it out of her mind minutes later.

A few weeks later, Mom happened to answer the phone while visiting my grandmother. it was the furniture store. Seems they'd been trying to let Grandmother know she'd won the most recent drawing and find out when they could deliver her new chair. She'd brushed off several prior calls by telling them she simply wasn't interested in buying furniture. What can we say? She'd never won anything before and really thought it was just some sort of sales pitch.

They soon delivered it. I think it was "Love at first sit." When she moved in with us a few years later, it became a prime seat in the living room. Years later, long after Grandmother's passing, it came to live with me when my mom moved in with my brother. It now sits in my over-crowded living room where it still remains a favorite spot to sit (and rock). I must say, I always think of Grandmother as I take a seat there - and, they ARE very GOOD thoughts.

I've considered refinishing it from time to time. The arms are actually worn to the point of showing the natural wood tone as opposed to the black lacquered finish. Parts of the design at the top are faded almost completely away. Then, I think of those "flaws" as part of the rocker's story. Most of the younger members of the family were rocked in that chair, I've read many a good book there and my friends have spent many hours sitting in it chatting with me over the years. Who would want to refinish those memories? Not I.

These days we keep an old crocheted afghan tossed over the back of the chair as it sits in front of a large curio cabinet. The afghan is there more to protect the glass front of the cabinet from the chair but we've all come to think of them as a pair. The afghan is also a family heirloom, thought not quite as old. Nothing special when it was made, it is still not much to show off but it was made by someone no longer with us and it holds a special spot in our hearts.

The good news is, the next generation has already laid claim to the chair "when we're ready to give it up." D says she wants it for "all the same reasons" I love it. It's just one of the many family heirlooms around here. (She's also put "dibs" in on quite a few other items around my house. Is it a bad sign when they start making such statements?)

So, what wonderful family heirlooms do you have lurking around your homes and what stories do they tell?

Check out my friend's October Give-Away!!

2011-10-05T20:14:00.000-04:00

My friend over at Brianna Beans Boutique is running a fantastic October Give-Away on her blog The Best of Etsy! One lucky winner will walk away with a bunch of prizes from nine (9) different shops!! (My shop is one of the contributors.)

My contribution to this prize package is a Thanksgiving Turkey Apron (either in a child's or adult's size - you choose) Other prizes include a sock monkey hat, a flowered hair clip, baby leg warmers, earrings, a fancy headband, a mini hat, a pendant, and a wipes case/set.

Stop over and take a look at the loot and see how easy it is to win this one.

2011-10-02T22:30:00.006-04:00

I had pumpkins on my mind today. I guess the colder temps and football on TV for hours made me feel like Fall. So, I baked a pumpkin cake.

All the time I was working on the cake, I was singing this childhood song to myself. I was really surprised that I remembered the words AND the little hand movements that went with it ! Did you sing this one as a child?

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate, (Hold your hands up)
The first one said "oh my its getting late," (Put your hands on cheeks)
The second one said "there's a chill in the air," (Hug yourself)
The third one said "but we don't care," (Shrug your shoulders)
The fourth one said "we're ready for some fun," (Jump)
The fifth one said "lets run, run, run," (Run in place)
So woo went the wind, and out went the lights,
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight (Sit down).

I know there were a bunch of other songs we sang each Fall. I just can't remember them at the moment.

Do you remember any other Autumn songs you sang as children? Have you taught them to your little ones, yet?

Last of the BBQ ...

2011-10-01T22:59:00.005-04:00

The winner of the Needleworker's Mystery Basket Give-Away is Charlotte. Congratulations Charlotte!! I'll be emailing you privately as to shipping. (I will post a picture of the basket contents after it is shipped. I want Charlotte to be surprised by the contents.)

Took a break from all things craft related today and went and judged at what I think will be our final BBQ competition of the 2011 season. This was a second tier contest in the Sam's Club National Barbecue Tour. Unlike the regular KCBS circuit competitions, the Sam's Club events are a special tournament-style series of competitions.

Sam's held 40 local contests around the country beginning in March. The contest today, in Laurel, Maryland, was a regional event featuring winners from a number of those local contests. Today's winners will go up against the winners of the four other regional events, in two weeks in Bentonville, Arkansas for $100,000 in prize money. The entries today were first rate, as expected. A great way to end our competition year.

Mother Nature cooperated a bit in that it didn't rain until after the event. (Remember it has rained daily for the last 8 weeks or so.) When we left, it was only a light drizzle. I only hope the competition teams were able to pack up before any heavy rain came down. The temperatures weren't helping though. We suddenly got chilly here last night and it never went above 53 during the contest today. Even prepared for it with appropriate jackets, I got cold. We spent 4 hours simply sitting in the cool, damp wind so I was completely chilled through by the end of the judging. It has taken me hours to warm up.

I know in the realm of things, the mid-50s are not all that cold. They won't be once we get used to it but it came as a shock to our systems today when we were in the 70s yesterday.

I find little things like this depressing as it just tells me winter is coming and I absolutely despise winter. On the upside, I do love the smells of Autumn and when we got home, I found it comforting to smell that someone in the neighborhood had a fire in their fireplace. Now, if I just had some mulled cider to drink this evening...

This post is NOT about FB!!!

2011-09-30T18:50:00.007-04:00

Please stop making improvements. I don't care what it is that you are calling New and Improved. I'm sure I liked it better the old way!

While everybody else seems to be all steamed up over FB changes and changes over on the Etsy site and other online places, I'm even more concerned about how everything seems to be different every time we buy something. Ranging from my regular soft spread margarine, the updated version of my camera that I've loved for 10 years, the computer stationery that I use for customer thank yous, my laundry detergent and even down to my favorite undies!

Last week I purchased the same soft spread margarine we've used for years but they've now changed the formula. Supposedly it is now healthier and has a much richer taste. Who did the tasting? Straight Crisco would have the same flavor, I believe. I compared the nutrition numbers - there's so little health difference, it's negligible. (Unless you eat it by the spoonful - but then, the flavors so pitiful, who would?) The biggest difference is it is now hard and difficult to spread even if you leave it sitting out for a while. Today, I instructed The Big Guy to skip our usual brand and go back to the Shedd's Spread we used to use. It'll cost us more again but we won't be struggling so hard with it and will use less in that sense as it will spread easily.

I use some of that pre-printed computer paper that has a cute juvenile border on it for my customer thank-yous. I customize the note and give specific care instructions there, too. The new package contains the same amount of pages but the paper is now so thin you could use it as tracing paper. I'm now revamping the notes using my own stationery design that I can print on heavier paper. Once I get the stationery just like I like it, I'll print a stack of my own and it won't be any less convenient than before. I think I'll even like it better in the end.

Then, there the laundry detergent. They've made the large bottle "a more attractive style" (That's really important when it's sitting on the shelf in the laundry room !) What they don't mention is that it now doesn't fit in the same shelf space as it's new curvier styling pushes it away from the wall and it overhangs the edge, causing to fall easily. The first one we bought in that shape, fell and split!! Do you know how hard it is to clean liquid laundry soap off a tile floor? (Talk about slimey!!) Luckily, I was able to dig the old jug out of the recycle bin and now must empty new bottles into it each time.

Why not give updates on clothing designs a new style (model) number? I buy my everyday undies from one of the leading undergarment companies that's been around for quite a while. I haven't changed size or shape but their panties have. They have the same style number, the same label and are the same size but, boy, are they different!!! The cut on the hi-cut legs varies tremendously about every six months and the elastic at the top varies anywhere from 3/8" to 1" from season to season. I'm sure a man designs these and doesn't realize the differences these changes make in fit. Stop improving them!! I love the oldest ones I have but they're wearing out!! Bring back the pink-striped waistband style!! Please!!!

I'm now looking for a new camera. I want a small (pocket size) point and shoot but I need to be able to use it for everything as I don't have the budget or mind for a bunch of different cameras for different purposes. I loved my old one (a Casio Exilim) but it's over 10 years old and has now taken almost 12,000 photos. It's tired and it shows. I'd love to just get the newer version of the same camera but they've changed just about everything I liked about it. It doesn't appear to be as practical and I gleaned that fact form the many consumer reviews I've looked at. I found one I did like (a Cannon) but when I searched this 2011 design to see where I could get it, I found it had already been discontinued for a "new and improved" version that now has a pop-up flash that consumers seem to be having trouble with already. I'm back to square one on this. (Thus, no photos tonight, Gang.)

So, please, Mr. Manufacturer, please stop improving our everyday items. I want the old styles back. (I am one of those folks who purposely types in "Classic" Mapquest and "Classic" Weatherunderground. ) CHANGE does not mean BETTER.

******
Don't miss out! This is the last night to enter the drawing for the Needleworker's Mystery Basket Give-Away!!! Go here for details.

*******

Stitch ...Stictch...Stitch,,, Get those entries in.

2011-09-29T22:28:00.006-04:00

*** Just one more day!! Don't forget the Mystery Basket for Stitchers Drawing - Details here.

Just a quick note reminding you that I'll be selecting a winner at midnight tomorrow (Sept. 30). No time for a long post tonight as I'm off working on putting that basket together now.

* * * * * * *

Spent the day working on that Barbie Boutique. I could use something motivating to keep me going. Once I get all the walls and the floor done, I'll be more into it as the furniture pieces are small enough to hold my interest. It's just these large vast areas that get awfully boring to work!

What little tricks do you do to keep you going through the "boring" parts when you stitch?

Quack! Quack!

2011-09-28T23:11:00.016-04:00

*** Don't forget the Mystery Basket for Stitchers Drawing - Only 2 more days to enter!! Details here.
* * * * *

Once again, it was duck weather around here this morning ! Humans in the Mid-Atlantic region may soon be evolving into web-footed creatures with fins. History indicates species do evolve over time to adapt to their environment. Ours is WET - WET - WET !!!
Our neighborhood is now approaching 30” of rain in the last 8 weeks. Normal rainfall for that period is about 6”. Flash flood warnings are up almost daily. Folks are starting to ignore them, regarding them as “nothing new.”
There are a few good points to all this rain, though - We all now have waterfront property which should give it a higher market value. (Of course, most of the access roads are also under water every few days.) You can go crabbing right in your own front yard. Fresh fish is also cheap. Just open your door. They’ll swim right in and you can simply reach down and grab them. (What? Haven’t you watched “Hillbilly Hand fishing o TV, yet?)
Maryland farms, once known for tobacco, and recently struggling to find something new can now consider growing rice as a cash crop. I’ve even heard the water lilly may replace the Black-Eyed Susan as the State flower.
I miss being outside. There are usually so many wonderful Fall festivals around us this time of year. So, far, we’ve been to none. If they’re not held in a field, you’ve got to park in a field. We no longer have fields. We have swamps and mud bogs. The Big Guy refuses to take his car there.
Unfortunately, we don’t own an all-terrain vehicle. We did, however, try off-roading in my mini-van two years ago. I convinced him it was a nice day and we went to an annual craft fair held on a farm. We both had enjoyed this event for years, first as sellers and then as customers. It hadn’t rained all week before the fair. The field we parked in was fairly solid when we pulled in. After shopping there for several hours, many cars had traveled back and forth forming some muddy ruts on that parking lot (formerly grassy field). It had become one humongous mud pit.I handed The Big Guy the keys and said, “You’re driving.” Well, he floored it and we were off. His theory was “if we don’t hesitate or stop, we can make it.” It was an obstacle course of stuck vehicles, pedestrians plodding their way through the mud on foot and tow trucks working to pull vehicles out. We shot mud at least 20’ in the air but we made it to solid ground all on our own!

Mud dripped from the luggage racks and side-view mirrors. No one could have told you what color that van was. We pulled over long enough to scrape some peepholes in the mud on the windshield and made our way to the nearest automatic car wash. Finally, we could see out the window. There was still enough mud dripping, after that rinse, to garner lots of stares on our 70 mile drive up I-95. We ran it through our local car wash two more times that night and hand-washed it the next day. It stayed dingy for yet another couple washings after that.

The next day, the kids in the family gave us a “Mudder Award” and served chocolate pudding in our honor.

Yesterday, I looked at the calendar and mentioned, “Brandywine is this weekend.” He simply glared and said flatly, “Don’t EVEN think it!!”

I later heard him mutter to our boarder, “That was scarey that day!”

I hope to get there again someday - maybe we’ll have a drought next year.

Take 2 . . . (And don't forget the Mystery Basket drawing!)

2011-09-27T09:50:00.003-04:00

Hey, y'all, remember the plastic needlepoint Barbie room fiasco of last Christmas? Well, I'm at it again!! (If you weren't around for that tale, check it out in this old post.)Only this time, I'm doing the Barbie Boutique which is complete with glass (fake) show cases for jewelry and such, dress forms, one of those funky little stools they use for trying on shoes, shoe boxes, and so much more. (I've made two before. the last one was for a now 22-year-old.)

I know, Christmas is still 80 some days away, so I've got plenty of time this year. (I really intended it for her birthday on the 9th - of October - but I think I'm revising that plan as it means, even with Express Mail service, I'd have less than a week to finish. (The earlier reference to last year's fiasco only takes you to Part 1, here's where you'll find Part 2 of that tale!)

I'm doing pretty well, so far. I have all of the outside walls done and I'm starting on the interior ones. I honestly enjoy making these. (Just ignore that muttering under my breath.) It's like being a mini-architect and a mini interior decorator.

I've even completed the signage on the outside of the building. This particular design does call for a lot of decorative stitched details above and beyond making the tiny furniture and such.

I also like shopping for the store's stock - sets of shoes, pieces of clothing (No, I've never allowed enough time to make the clothing. My patience does have some limits!) and I'm considering making jewelry for the showcases this time.

So, what do you think?

By the way, any brilliant ideas for a quick and easy, spectacular, birthday gift for a 6-year-old ? I need to ship it by mid-week. (Check out this old post for how the Post Office got the last laugh last year!)

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

There's only a few days left to enter the drawing for the Mystery Stitcher Basket. I'll be drawing the winner's name at midnight on 9/30/11.

For more details, see this post.

2011-09-26T23:01:00.001-04:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday but I got lost wandering around the blogosphere and took a while to find my way back! seriously, I set off to visit ALL of the blogs listed in the various Blog Hops I took part in this week. Wow!! What a trip!!
First, for those of you not familiar with Blog Hops, let me explain their function. When someone does a Blog Hop, they set up a linky system where a bunch of folks with blogs sign on to share the day's post or even just their blog url in general. The idea is, you then visit each of the blogs on the list (the hop) and may discover many blogs that you probably would not have stumbled upon in your free-style wandering. Those bloggers will also visit your post. Hopefully, you will gain followers in the process.

The organizer posts the list on their post for the day and a hop button that will allow you to join in, too. Often, other participants will also post the list but, usually, they simply post the button that leads you to the list. You then simply click on the name on the list and get transported to that blog. You can then choose to follow that person or leave a comment or do both. You may simply decide that one's not for you and move on to the next blog. You are encouraged to check them all out and, hopefully, all those folks will be returning the favor.

Just one of the ongoing blog hops.

I'm not a numbers person. I am happy to know there are folks out there who read my musings regularly but I don't get upset when my numbers stay stagnant or even if I lose a reader or two along the way. I don't sell ad space or have sponsors so there is no need to boast about how many folks are reading my words. I prefer folks leave a relevant comment when they stop in and the majority do. I don't panic if I go several posts without a comment. There are those who join hops simply to get those comments. I try to leave comments on those posts that I could identify with. Now, generally, I take time to read not just that day's post but at least 4 or 5 of their most recent posts. That takes a lot of time, so I've been busy. In the process, I have found some great reads and, yes, I added some to my regular reading list.

I'd like to share a few here with you. Maybe you'll like them, too.

One of the first I discovered this week was Cranky Old Man. Now, if you're at home with infants and toddlers and your main concerns are how to get one down for a nap while bathing the other, his probably isn't your kind of blog. BUT, if your kids are grown (or nearly there), the grandkids are around with some frequency and you spend a fair amount of time simply observing life around you and often shaking your head a bit, you may just really get a kick out of this humorous look at everyday life. He had me at the name, "Cranky Old Man." (I sort of expected to see a picture of The Big Guy as an illustration!)

Then, I fell in love with Ivy and Elephants. Their blog is a work of beauty and information. Here, these two ladies, Patti and Paula share their love of beautiful and fascinating collectibles. I found this read to be very peaceful and relaxing and I had trouble pulling myself away as I dug through their older posts. I'm sure they'll be right up there on my "read daily" list from here on in. Today's post is about toleware and I certainly loved the on on the Chinese puzzle balls!

Over at Aka Gramma I discovered Tina who had a number of helpful ideas. Two I really enjoyed and will be filing away for future use are a unique but pleasant get-well gift and a recovery tip. First she mentions one of the best gifts she received during a recent hospitalization was a pack of those flexible neon (glow-in-dark) bracelets they sell at the dollar store. They brought her pleasure. (I was reminded of my cousin buying my aunt large plastic heart sunglasses last year when she had fallen and had black eyes. She was the hit of the retirement center!) I guess the message there is, think "FUN'. Tina then point out she had discovered the press and seal plastic wrap works when applied to your skin over an incision. It enabled her to shower easily before her incisions had healed completely. (I expect that one to come in handy one day.)

She also made me laugh when she referred to her humongous cucumber plant as a "pickle tree".

A pic of Gramma's "Pickel Tree".

Tina also has a ticker on her page that tells us just how close both Thanksgiving and Christmas are. Do you realize Christmas is only 90 days away?!?

I hope you'll all take some time to go out there and check out some of the blogs on the many blog hops. You just may find a new favorite read!

Fall is here!! (Or, so they say.)

2011-09-24T09:08:00.005-04:00

HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL !!!

Today's the first full day of Fall. Does it feel different? -- look different? --- Can you smell the apples and the pumpkin pies cooking?

To be honest, it all seems the same here - rainy, dreary and just sort of gray - but, I hold out hope of seeing those richly colored leaves someday soon and, hopefully, I'll get a chance to get out between the raindrops and buy some bright yellow, orange and brown mums to decorate my doorstep.

I'm starting to feel like a duck!! (Don't they fly South for the winter?) Think I'll just settle in and watch some movies today. What are you up to this weekend?

___ ____ ____ ___ ___

If you're a stitcher, don't forget to check out my Mystery Basket Give-Away. Get details on this post.

Unsolicited, Totally Uncompensated Product Review - Fit & Active Smores Drizzled Mini Crisps

2011-09-22T20:55:00.010-04:00

"Hello. My name is - Oh, just call me Ramblin Mama - and I am a rice-cake-a-holic."

There. I admitted it. No more hiding in the closet, chewing slowly to hide the crunching sounds.

Maybe I just have an addictive personality. Yesterday, I used the term obsession with regard to my tendency to overdo my love of stitching. (Don't you think "obsession" sounds so much better than "addiction"?)

The Big Guy and I both love some crunchy with our munchies - and, Oh, we DO love our munchies! I swear, he's an enabler. I purposely keep the snacks on a shelf I can't reach just to limit my access. I'm often too lazy to get the stepstool so I end up passing them by. BUT, now that he's around the house more, I've found if I mention wanting them, he'll get them down! (There's a reason to marry a tall man!)

We prefer flavored rice cakes. (Plain are a bit bland.) Long ago we discovered the ones with caramel flavoring and usually have a bag on hand. They make great car snacks as they're not messy and not subject to temperature conditions. We do a lot of roadtrips! (Incidently, cinnamon sugar flavored rice cakes are a perfectly legitimate breakfast food - and can be eaten on the run!)

We're lucky enough to have an Aldi's as our closest grocery store so we buy a lot there. I recently discovered and fell in love with their Fit & Active Smore's Drizzled Mini Crisps. I mean, what Gal can pass up something labeled "smores"? (I was a Girl Scout and smores were a standard Girl Scout treat. I think it's part of the GS Alumni code.)

OMG, I LOVE these! The box describes them as "Marshmallow Bits & Rich Milk chocolatey Coating in a Delicate and Satisfying Snack." They ARE !!!

The little 90-calorie individual packs ARE actually satisfying. There are (approx.) 31, 1-inch diameter mini crisps in each bag. The Big Guy can even swipe a few and I don't mind! (Most of those 100-calorie mini snacks on the market just seem to whet my appetite and leave me wanting another packet.)

Okay, back to the smores. Each pack is considered a full serving at 90 calories, just 3 grams of total fat, 6 grams of sugar and only 90 grams of sodium. Only bad thing about these is there are only 6 packages to a box! At $2.49 a box, I consider them reasonably priced. (Have you bought a single candy bar recently?)

Oh yeah, if you're concerned about the extra packaging (what with all the individual packets), the packing itself is made from 70% recycled materials.

Now, all this talk about these delicious morsels has made me a tad hungry - gotta go get me some crunch!

***I have not been paid or compensated in any manner for any review of this product. this is merely an item from my grocery cart that my family and I are very happy with and I wanted to share the news.

Is Stitching an obsession? (Mystery Give-Away, too!)

2011-09-22T15:14:00.025-04:00

"Such a delicate, dainty art - needlework - created with fibers twisted tight, and sharpened , highly polished steel."

Monica Ferris, Unraveled Sleeve, p.76

"Carol", Royal Doulton

Are you a stitcher? Knit? Crochet? Counted Cross Stitch? Crewel? Needlepoint? Latch Hook? Whatever. (Even tatting.) If it involves thread of some sort and a needle of any kind, it's "NEEDLEWORK."

My mother did just about any sort of needlework one can name. Her mother sewed, crocheted and did beautiful embroidery. I wish I still had some of those delicately trimmed pillowcases she made. (I think we used them until they became threadbare.) My other grandmother did needlepoint and knitted. It's in my genes.

I often say I was born with a paintbrush in one hand and a needle in the other. You might say I have a split personality - half painter - half stitcher. (It makes for a busy crafting schedule and a congested workroom!)

"Beat You to It", Royal Doulton

I believe the stitching I love most is counted cross stitch but I tend to run in cycles. For several months, I'll spend every possible moment stitching. I'll turn out 3-4 pieces (none of which I ever want to part with) and then, I'll force myself to put the cloth and DMC threads away for a while. We seem to have a shortage of space these days and nowhere to hang new pieces. I feel like a museum as I occasionally "rotate my exhibits" and change out which items I have hanging.

How about you?
Does your stitching habit outrun your wall space?
On the other hand, how many throw pillows can one house use?

"There seems to be something obsessive about needlework. I don't know it it draws the kind of person inclined to obsess, or if doing the work brings out the obsession. I have customers who seem to suffer withdrawal if they have to stop stitching for a long as a week."
Monica Ferris, Unraveled Sleeve, p. 74

So, what do you think? ARE stitchers just folks with addictive personalities? OR, Can we blame the craft itself for bringing out the all-consuming, compulsive need to stitch?

Is doing needlework a vice?
(Hmmm, maybe we can start a weekly stitch'n'chat called "The Vice Squad!")

MYSTERY GIVE-AWAY

**** Please share your thoughts on this by simply commenting on this post or posting a comment to my FB wall here. There's a surprise needlework gift basket involved! (A basket containing a number of needlework oriented goodies.) I'll do a random drawing of all comments submitted to both sites between today and 9/30/11. **Be sure I can contact you through your comment.

They kept us smiling!!

2011-09-20T19:06:00.003-04:00

Tom Wilson, champion of the "EVERY MAN," died yesterday at the age of 80. With just a few words and a basic caricature of a short dumpy bald guy with a big nose and large feet, Tom evoked our giggles, tears and empathy for a "hard luck comics page hero." For over 40 years, his creation, Ziggy, has served as "a reflection of enduring wit and optimism in the face of adversity." Ziggy's life experiences have trudged on through Tom Wilson, Jr. since 1989.

Ziggy progressed from a comic strip (still seen daily in thousands of newspapers) to include a vast array of Ziggy cards, posters, magnets, mugs and more. We had a number of Ziggy items around our home in the 70s. (Had I held on to those, I could probably fill a whole section in my vintage shop today.)

***The Ziggy items shown here today are all currently available at www.whatacharacter.com. an online treasure trove of memorabilia (mostly figural pieces) from the 40s through the 80s. Check them out for a memory tickler - I'm sure you'll find your favorite characters there.

__ __ __ __ __ __

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the passing of Dolores Hope who also left us yesterday at the age of 102 ! You may know her better as MRS. Bob Hope. (Hmmm, maybe there's a big nose correlation here - not Dolores', of course - but Bob and Ziggy are both known to have big noses, bald heads and the ability to make us laugh. Hmmm, think about it.)

Seriously, those of us who watched and loved Bob's many movies and specials over the years owe Dolores (a singer, in her own right) a huge "Thank You." She shared her man with the world by allowing him to wander the world, for weeks at a time - at the holidays, no less - entertaining the many men and women (our loved ones) giving of their time, energies and lives for God and Country. (i.e. American troops, wherever they were at that time.) When the rest of us made plans to gather our family around us, Dolores was packing her man up and sending him off to the front lines and danger zones. Bob's holiday attire included a flak jacket and helmet, not a new red tie.

I've known several Viet Nam era Vets who fondly recall Bob's tour to their camps as one of their best Christmas memories!

Thank You, Dolores, from the bottom of my heart for all the laughter you allowed us to enjoy at your expense and personal sacrifice.

__ __ __ __ __ __

Well, I'm off to see what Ziggy has to say today. Where's that morning paper?

SMILE, Y'ALL !!!!

She thinks we're just fishin'

2011-09-19T19:26:00.013-04:00

Love Those Lyrics

N. turned 19 yesterday. Where on Earth did those years go? How did they slip by so fast?

Seems like just yesterday we were heading off to the Pumpkin Patch to see the Story Pumpkin Display - pumpkins painted to resemble and illustrate story book characters, nursery rhymes and fairy tales. I remember her giggles at the Cat in the Hat pumpkin. She loved the little goats in the petting zoo there, too. I think she was 5. In my mind, she still is.

Ah, the memories...

Trace Adkins recently so eloquently put those feelings into words with:

I’m lost in her there holdin’ that pink rod and reel She’s doin’ almost everything but sittin’ still Talkin’ ‘bout her ballet shoes and training wheels And her kittens And she thinks we’re just fishin’

"Future Fish Stories"
1999, Elaine Watrus
Coynes & Co.

I say, “Daddy loves you, baby” one more time She says, “I know. I think I got a bite.” And all this laughin’, cryin, smilin’ dyin’ here inside’s What I call, livin’

And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside Throwin’ back what we could fry Drownin’ worms and killin’ time Nothin’ too ambitious She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout What’s really goin’ on right now But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She’s already pretty, like her mama is Gonna drive the boys all crazy Give her daddy fits And I better do this every chance I get ‘Cause time is tickin’ (Yeah it is)

And she thinks we’re just fishin’ on the riverside Throwin’ back what we could fry Drownin’ worms and killin’ time Nothin’ too ambitious She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout What’s really goin’ on right now But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in And she thinks we’re just fishin’

She ain’t even thinkin’ ‘bout What’s really goin’ on right now But I guarantee this memory’s a big’in And she thinks we’re just fishin’ Yeah, aww, she thinks we’re just fishin’ We ain’t only fishin’ (This ain’t about fishin’)

"These are the Days
We Remember Forever"
1998, Enesco for
The Coca Cola Co.

I just Love Those Lyrics !!!

D. and J. have done a great job raising her and I'm so glad to have been along for the ride. (She was definitely a little easier on them than D. was growing up! Much less challenging!)

By Hook or By Needle

2011-09-18T19:45:00.008-04:00

It's getting chilly out there, so that can only mean one thing - (okay, it DOES mean a lot of things to a lot of folks, but...) HERE and NOW, it means it's time to get those needles moving and whip up a scarf or two for the 2012 Special Olympics USA SCARF PROJECT.

Pic from the Project's website. These scarves
have already been submitted by Ardis Roseberry.
Kind'a makes me feel like a slacker!

The scarves, all made in the same colors, are a symbol of unity, community and support within the Special Olympics Movement. Handmade scarves will be given to the athletes, coaches, and where possible, the volunteers and families involved in this year's Winter Games all around the country.

Whether you crochet or knit, we'd love to have you share your skills by turning out a couple of scarves for this truly great endeavor. Special Olympics athletes give their all when participating and it is truly gratifying to be a part of the action.

The official yarn colors (all made by Red Heart yarns) this year are Cherry Red (0319 and 9925) and Soft Navy (0387 and 4604) . This year, for the first time, they are offering the colors in both the Super Saver hanks and in the Soft Yarns. The rules are simple: * You can work with whichever style of yarn you're comfortable with, or combine them all. * Scarves can be knitted or crocheted. * Use any pattern you'd like or go to the website and use one of the free patterns offered there. * Scarves should be between 54" and 60" long and approximately 6" wide. (Include any fringe or trim in these measurements, please.)

Last year, I was a bit late in telling you all about this project and so many of you simply ran out of time but asked me to post sooner this year. Deadlines for all States are still well off so everyone should have a chance to help out. You can find out when the deadline for your State's program is by going to the Scarf Project's website here.

The earliest deadline is in mid-December and the latest is in March. Most States are looking for more than 1000 scarves, so, please help out if you can. Directions for labeling and packaging the scarves (ziploc bags) and where to mail in each State are listed there also.

In case you're wondering, I made about 4 1/2 scarves last year from a pair of the Super Saver hanks of yarn (one in each color). AC Moore last year ran several price promotions on the S.O. colors through out the campaign, too. if they do this year, I'll try to let y'all know.

Well, I'm off to buy my yarn! Hope you will, too.

Brrrr!! Things have changed around here!!

2011-09-17T23:46:00.006-04:00

I had forgotten there were temperatures below 60 degrees!!! Until today. I KNOW Autumn has come because The Big Guy dug out his long pants this morning.

I haven't seen those since mid-April (Except for 2 formal occasions when I was able to convince him shorts just wouldn't cut it.)

As if that wasn't bad enough, I even found him cuddling under an afghan to "take the chill off" his arms! He absolutely refuses to wear long sleeves before November!!

It was cool, gray and (Surprise!) rainy here this morning!! We had planned on attending an all-day outdoor wine festival but when we considered the rather high admission fee ($30/head), the "rain or shine" conditions and the fact that we knew we didn't want to possibly sit in the rain most of the day, we scratched that plan.

Plan B was a free (outdoor) blues festival near D.C. It had several things going in its favor: 1) FREE and 2) It started later in the day so we didn't need to rush. (We would have had to leave home at about 9:30 for the wine festival.) Unfortunately, when we got ready to go at about 11 a.m., it was raining in D.C. Scratch that.

On to Plan C. It never rains inside casinos. Does it?

Inside the Elkton Diner in Elkton, MD

We wrapped the evening up with dinner in a Marilyn Monroe shrine. Well, they call it a "diner" but every inch of wall space is covered with photos, posters and such of Marilyn. There's even a life-size figurine of her in the lobby. Funny, most of the men really enjoy eating there and they don't even mind if service is a little slow. They just sit and stare quietly at the walls!

Hope y'all had a good day, too !!!

Friday Flashback Foto

2011-09-16T19:38:00.002-04:00

March 2009:

They had individual birthday cakes for the Big No. One !!!!

The Big Guy and I had lunch with them today. They've become great little dining companions and, at 3 1/2, they kept us entertained with news of their everyday life.

We loved it!!!

Kerplooey !!!!

2011-09-15T07:49:00.007-04:00

There's a reason they warn you NOT to place most glass bakeware on a stove top burner!! I blew up my beautiful heavy blue glass 15" x 8*' baking dish last night. I loved that dish!!

This is the sister dish to that beautiful
rectangular one. they came in a matched set of 3!

We were fixing a smoked turkey dinner with all the fixings (Thanksgiving in Sept.). We have houseguests this week. The guys did the turkey breasts on the smoker outside. I took the easy way out and made stove top dressing in the microwave (2 boxes full). I spread the finished dressing in the baking dish with the idea of sticking it in the oven to warm up and get a little crispy when the turkey was done and resting. (I got that together a little ahead of time and sat it on the top of the stove.)

Those birds DID look good!

They carried the tray with those beautiful golden brown turkey breasts on them in and set them on the kitchen counter. I then stuck the potatoes in the microwave and turned the burners on for beans and sauerkraut (It's Mid-Atlantic thing with turkey!) on the stove. Now, you would think after several years with this stove, I'd know which knob controlled which burner.

Within a minute or so, I smelled something burning and realized I'd accidentally turned the burner on under that glass casserole! I turned it off, touched and found the dish already warm and grabbed it off with potholders. I carried it in the dining room where the table was empty except for a wooden cutting board. I lifted the casserole and checked for damage before sitting it down on that board. (Thank goodness, I'd dragged my feet on setting the table!) I turned and walked back into the kitchen when it sounded like the entire dining room blew up! (Scarey, considering we have a smoked glass table there!)

...and glass rained down upon EVERYTHING!!!

Little square chunks of glass blew everywhere!! You heard them ping off everything in the room. (I have shelves along one whole wall full of collectibles!) Believe me, we got everyone's attention. It did break into what seems like millions of little 1/4" square pieces - like windshield glass breaks.

Everyone scrambled to get shoes on and jumped in to clean it up. (Dinner was already running fairly late as the turkeys had taken their own good time getting done. Apparently, they were very happy snuggled out there on the smoker.) They laughed at me as I calmly stood there and said "Dinner will be delayed a bit more and the dressing is now scratched from tonight's menu." (I was not calm. I wanted to throw myself across the bed and cry!)

Luckily, there were only a few chunks of glass that had bounced lowly onto the kitchen floor. Had they been high-flying, we'd have had to toss everything for fear of glass contamination. I've always wanted to take the wall out between my kitchen and dining room. Last night might be the first time I was glad we didn't. A fair amount of glass did fly through the archway into the living room, though. What a mess!!

It took SEVERAL bottles of wine to calm us down!

We all swept, vacuumed and wiped with a damp cloth and within an hour we did sit down to eat what turned out to be a great (though late) meal. Several bottles of wine were consumed in an effort to "calm our nerves." I did have one more box of Stove Top so I threw that together and dressing was back on the menu. (Of course, everyone only had a very small serving of it.)

We did sit back and laugh about it later. My friend also laughed about me wandering around still clutching both potholders in my hand while I used the broom. I had never put them down from moving the dish to the dining room! She thinks I was in shock.

Those danged shelves still have a lot of glass on them!

I guess today I need to start the very time consuming job of cleaning those shelves again. They are full of glass pieces. It seemed best to just ignore those nooks and crannies last night. We were all hungry!

Anybody interested in being invited to my next dinner party?

It's a new day.

2011-09-14T07:53:00.000-04:00

For days now (Er, make that "weeks."), I've been struggling (Actually I think it's "months" now.) to get back to my normal routine. It's been very, very hard. In fact, I began to believe it might be impossible.A wise friend told me yesterday to realize I now have a new "normal." It took me about 24 hours to believe she's right. I made a decision today to embrace this new normal and learn to work with it. I feel better already.

I needed to realize that our lifestyle change (The Big Guy's retirement) is not temporary and is not like an illness that we will get over. It's here to stay. It will change and evolve with time just like all phases of life. I just need to learn to go with the flow.

My mind mulled all this over through the night and I've given great thought to how I can make the best of all this. It's going to take some time for all the pieces to fall into place but, if I keep reminding myself of the good points, I think we'll even enjoy the journey.

I'm off to make plans for some fun days ahead.

Read this and smile.

2011-09-12T22:33:00.000-04:00

A friend sent me this on FB today. I just had to share it.

At a Special Olympics event, nine runners took off in the 100-yard dash. The leader in the race fell while he was running and skinned his knee. Then an amazing sight took place. All the other kids ran past the young man who had been out in front, but when they heard him crying, they all stopped and went back to comfort him. One of the little girls kissed his knee to make it feel better. After they helped him up, they all hooked arms. The children finished the race as one - arms linked together.

The crowd gave them a standing ovation, cheering and crying for these incredibly giving kids. Perhaps in those special moments, those kids taught us all a lesson about what it is to love one another and truly be a friend.

What can you do today to show genuine love and support to someone else?

2011-09-11T17:16:00.003-04:00

NEVER FORGET !!!

Stop messing with Mother Nature !!!

2011-09-08T21:10:00.001-04:00

I'm convinced. Mother Nature is a vengeful old biddy and someone has really been getting her goat lately! We're beyond soggy, maybe even well past saturated. I've been practicing tredding water and keep reminding myself to float on my back when I get tired.

We live about a mile from the river but I'm considering hanging life jackets on the hooks by the door - just so they're handy.

My neighbor keeps two boats on trailers in his driveway. Last night, I saw him tie a bowline over the tree limb just in case they start floating. One can never be too careful.

One of our nieces took this pic on her
street. No, that isn't a river!

Another neighbor has planned a stag party at his house tomorrow - eight guys fishing from his back deck. (No, he doesn't normally live on the waterfront.)

Our niece took this pic of the walking path near their house.

There's a rumor that the Steelers are arriving in Baltimore by cruise ship for the big game against the Ravens on Sunday. It will be docked at the West Entrance to M&T Stadium. (I've also been told those purple seats can also be used as flotation devices.)

The Ravens' practice field in Owings Mills, MD!!!!

The Ravens have been busy getting ready for that game, too. They've had to alter practice a bit though. Now when Coach Harbaugh says "Give me 10 laps," they ask "Breast Stroke or Doggie Paddle?"

Our plans for the weekend ? It's a toss up between bailing water (a new local trend), mud wrestling, or, if it's warm, just laying on a raft and floating around the back yard.

So, how was your holiday?

2011-09-06T23:41:00.007-04:00

Hope y'all had a great holiday weekend. Ours was very full and active and quite wet.

It rained most of the days on both Sunday and Monday. We're not just talking showers. Nope. We're talking pouring, hard, driving rain - sort of like a monsoon.

We headed to Johnstown, PA on Saturday to attend the annual Ethnic Festival that has become a Labor Day tradition there. Held in the historic Cambria City community, this festival is put on by the churches in the area.
At one time, there were something like 11 churches within about 8 blocks on two parallel streets. Each had their own ethnic flavor - Polish, German, Greek, Irish, Slovak, Italian, etc. Each church sold various ethnic foods and provided both ethnic and generally popular entertainment on street stages and indoors. Most of these very ornate, Old World style churches were open for tours throughout the festival, too. Many families use the weekend as a sort of family reunion time or a "homecoming," so to speak. Those who have left the area but can still make the trip home, often return for the weekend of partying and reconnecting with friends and former neighbors on the streets of Cambria City.

A few years back, the Catholic Archdiocese decided it was no longer financially feasible to support 5 churches within a 4 block area and combined all to form one. Many thought this would be the death of the festival but the remaining churches attempted to do their best to put on a smaller but successful event. Johnstown natives rallied around them and the festival has quickly recovered. Though not quite it's former self, it has grown tremendously over the last few years and provides three full days of free music, wonderful food and lots of fellowship in the streets.

Can't find a washboard to play? Why not strum a
ridged water bottle with a plastic knife?

It is still one of the highlights of our summer. We gather at a friend's home there for a kind of grown-up slumber party for the whole weekend. Often, we have as many as 4 couples and a few stray offspring staying there together.

The mountains of Western Pennsylvania usually provide a cool and comfortable respite from the super hot and humid air we experience here along the Chesapeake. This was not the case when we arrived on Saturday. It was hot (in the 90s) and very humid. (Our hostess once joked they get their share of "humid" days. They get 3 or 4 every summer!) We did, nonetheless, wander the festival, moving from one shaded area to the next. A cold beer here, a bottle of water there and a shot of AC here and there along the way as we wandered in and out of the various tents, pavilions and open pubs listening to music and sampling the foods.

Sunday started gray and only got wetter as the day went on. We didn't let it bother us - much. We eventually holed up in one of the festival pavilions where we circled our chairs near the food and beer and listened to a live band while the storms simply trained through. ("Training" storms are multiple storms following closely behind one another on the same course.) When we hit a lull in the rain, we proceeded down the street to our friend's social club where we settled in to hear a fantastic Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash tribute band. While it wasn't my chosen style of music, I must admit these folks were great and really channeled the spirits of Johnny and June.

When the rains come down,
folks entertain themselves
by challenging each other
to tests of physical skills.

On Monday, one of our "visiting chefs" rose before dawn to prepare a super spread of biscuits and gravy for the whole gang. (Another tradition he performs every time we're all together for an overnight stay.) Following breakfast, those of us who had traveled headed back down the highway. We had three separate parties to attend later in the day.

A 4-hour drive in the rain brought us home to clearing skies and a quickie stop-over at home to unload the car before heading off to our first party. The first event was at a friend's home on a beautiful quiet cove on one of the nearby rivers. They pretty much have the river to themselves there and the kids spent the day jumping off the dock onto an inflatable slide, being pulled on rafts by a motorboat and rambling around in a paddle boat. The air was filled with shrieks and laughter.

After a brief shower, a rainbow
formed over the river.
(This was the calm
before the storm!)

As The Big Guy and I both grew up whiling away many an hour doing the same at our respective grandparents' river homes, the sights brought back fond memories for both of us. So fond, that we didn't even mind the rain when it started. (It didn't phase the kids at all!! After all, they were already wet.) And, Boy, did it rain!!

Funny though, I tried to take pics showing the kids playing in the river in the pouring rain (There was no thunder or lightning so it was safe on the water) but the rain doesn't show at all in the pictures. Seriously, it was coming down so heavy, visibility was limited. That did not, however, disturb the kids one bit.

We were sitting under a small canopy eating steamed crabs when it began to pour. We scooted a little further under and all was well until the wind shifted. We got wet. Actually, that's an understatement. We just about drowned! We joked that we should have simply jumped off the dock with the kids.

When the rains let up a little, we made a run for the car and moved on to the second party. This is a family thing where we knew we'd be welcome even if we were dripping. At that point, we were running about 2 hours behind. We learned our third activity (at our neighbor's) had been canceled due to the rain so we simply relaxed and sat on the plastic patio furniture and eventually began to dry. As that crowd dwindled, we had a chance to really chat with a few folks that we really don't spend enough time with. Ultimately, it was a wonderful evening.

Much as I hate to see Labor Day Weekend roll around as it means the end of summer, I've got to say, I loved this weekend!!

The trouble with fabric painting ...

2011-09-02T23:36:00.006-04:00

Aaargh!!!

Don't you just hate it when you finish up a project and then mess it up in that last second? The trouble with painting on fabric is it is totally unforgiving!

I had an order for 2 sets of my infant's "Big Brother" onesies. They're one of the easy and fairly quick paint jobs. I spent yesterday afternoon painting them and only had the one word "Drools" to finish on the last one when we broke to go to dinner.

We came home and I painted that word in about 10 minutes and then -- just as I went to sit it aside to dry -- I smeared red paint on the leg binding!! STUPID mistake!!! Had to do a whole new onesie from scratch.

Can you say "FRUSTRATED"?

That's the offending smudge, right there to the right of the exclamation point.
I just wanted to scream. So glad I had plenty of onesies on hand.

I can salvage that one with some creative trim work but I couldn't use it for this order.

Oh well, such is our life in crafts!

Football Night In America

2011-09-01T20:04:00.002-04:00

Thursday Night - Time to watch football! Okay, I KNOW it's only a pre-season game but it's the last pre-season event. I'm getting excited.

Our house is dedicated to the Ravens and they're looking pretty good at the moment.

We dress the part, too, so I whipped up a few outfits for the littlest fans in the family. (Unfortunately, the purple didn't photograph well. It IS purple and not blue.) Check them out:

The little guy wearing this one likes it 'cuz Coach Harbaugh wears a shirt styled just like it. (Of course, his doesn't have cutesie little cartoon characters on it. so this one is BETTER!!)

His little sister is adorable in this onesie!

This one is just right for our littlest fan!! (This style is also available in my shop now. You can choose your team colors and customize the little girl, too.) See it in detail here.

Did I mention there's a football on the rump of each onesie?

Of course, there's one in every crowd - somebody who crosses the field and gets "involved" with a fan from the other side ! Yep, folks, that IS a Steeler on that onesie. (We're soooo ashamed!)

I AM aware that the Steelers and the Ravens are mortal enemies and we do plan to show them who's boss when we stomp on them in the season opener next week!!!

A return to the routine...

2011-08-30T15:14:00.012-04:00

This has been a difficult post to write. How do you ask your long-term Followers and friends to forgive you for not stopping in or calling or something for weeks, almost months? Oh, I posted a quickie here and there but that's sort of like leaving a voice mail or text that says "Call you later." Not too friendly.

At the Susquehanna Blues Fest in Havre de Grace, MD

I know true friends realize you're in the midst of a rough time and stand at the ready, waiting to hear from you when you're ready. If you're still hanging around and reading this, I guess you're one of those friends. Thank you. Thanks for being YOU and for still being here.

Family gathering at Boordy Vineyard

There are so many words I could use to describe the last few months but to summarize let's just call them bitter sweet and trying (very, very "trying"). We've had family issues, health issues, a death in the immediate family, a major lifestyle change, weather issues (historical heat, a hurricane and even an earthquake!), and so much more. There have also been good times - soothing music, great food and comforting friends and family get-togethers.

And such is life. Let's just say, life got in the way of my postings.

Ocean City, MD - a few days BEFORE Irene came through!

I know I've said it before but I think, this time, I'm back on track. At least, I hope I am. I've missed my blogs, my shop, my on-line friends and most of all, my painting and creating.

I woke up this morning, one of those few days we haven't had outside commitments, obligations or appointments, and I got right down to business on my household chores. I was hurrying so I might have time to get to my blog this afternoon - finally. That was enough to give me a push and I moved at "the speed of light", so to speak.

The Susquehanna River where it meets Chesapeake Bay only hours after the earthquake hit.

Okay, so maybe I exaggerate (just a bit). I am, after all, a heavy woman on the shady side of 50 (To paraphrase Tamar Myers, one of my favorite authors, "so shady, even mushrooms don't grow there.") with bad knees. I don't really have a turbo speed but I was moving at "full speed ahead" to "get'er done."

2011 Summerfest in New Holland, PA - a KCBS sanctioned BBQ competition

In any case, it's not dark out yet and I'm not yet so tired that I can't keep my eyes open but I have accomplished most of my "To Do" list for today and I'm rewarding myself with some time on the internet. It feels soooo good!!!

I've peppered this post with a few photos from our summer. They don't really have anything to do with this post but they're just a sampling of where we've been and what we've done. (Of course, we only photograph the good times.)

One of our little princesses turned one this month. Isn't she beautiful?

The youngest princess in the family! this was the first time I met this one!

Suffice it to say, I'm alive, relatively well and almost functional. To quote Ah-nold, "I will be back," (hopefully, tomorrow - maybe even later this evening.)

It's been a long week.

2011-08-13T21:24:00.010-04:00

It's been a long, tough week and our journey's not yet done.

As I said in my last post, my m-i-l passed away last Saturday after a long and exhausting illness. It is comforting to know she is no longer suffering and is now in a much better place. My personal belief is that her soul is now reunited with her loved ones that went on ahead - her husband of over 50 years and her parents and siblings. She was the last of that generation in her family.

The last photo I took just s few weeks ago,

surrounded by her grandson and great-grandson.

Because we had to schedule family members traveling from across country and the need to bring her ashes East, we have not yet completed the burial. That will happen next weekend and will culminate with a gathering of friends and family to celebrate her life. We will share photos and memories and, hopefully, lots of hugs and smiles. Mom always enjoyed her extended family. I think she'd approve.

The day-to-day antics of her
great-granddaughter brightened her days.
August, 2010

In the meantime, we're sort of in a state of suspended animation. We've cried many tears, reminded each other of better times and, in our space and time, have mourned her loss. We will miss her tremendously. We've done all the phone calls, planning and preparations for events on this end. There's nothing to take care of for another week now.

I know we will once again shed tears and share our grief when the rest of the family gets in later in the week. For now, though, it's time to simply wait. We can't just sit and stare at the walls so we have proceeded with many of our normal activities but have done so with heavy hearts.

Summer, 2009, the three if us at a

Friday night concert at the mall.

Yesterday and today we judged a BBQ contest. It was a commitment we made many months ago so we proceeded as planned. This morning was one of the days I set out feeling very down and wanting simply to call and cancel. We were with people we've known for several years but, for the most part, they are not close enough to our family to have been part of situation. Many were aware Mom had been very ill simply because we had been forced to miss numerous competitions this season to tend to family needs.

We dragged her to a riverfront
blues festival in August, 2010 - she loved it!

Quite a few (both judges and cooks) ran over to say hello and ask about the situation as soon as we arrived. They were genuinely concerned to find she had passed. I was amazed at the many kind, supportive and sincere words these friends shared with us. There were several truly warm and comforting hugs and I'm glad we did do the event. I am once again struck by how wonderful, sweet and compassionate our BBQ family is.

She loved a good laugh!!

It was a gray and rainy day - a bit depressing in and of itself but our BBQ friends managed to make me feel quite a bit better.

Thank you BBQ friends. I needed that!

The problem with plans...

2011-08-08T08:48:00.002-04:00

You know what they say about well made plans . . .

We thought we'd looked at all angles and appeared to have a safe little window of time to get away and have some fun. We were 180 miles from home, about 20 miles short of our destination, when we got that dreaded phone call that my m-i-l had passed away early Saturday morning.

We decided to continue on to our friend's home, rest a bit, eat something and then head home to repack the car and begin driving West in the morning. As it turned out, after a few phone calls and discussions, it was determined there would be no service in Nebraska and those family members would come East instead. (The ultimate plan has always been to bury her in Baltimore alongside my f-i-l. They were together in life for over 50 years.) We ate, rested and made many phone calls. (How did we ever survive without cell phones and unlimited long distance?) Finally, we did spend the night before driving the 200 miles home on Sunday morning.

We were comforted to be in the company of some of our closest friends who dumped all plans and allowed us to direct the flow of the time we were there. It was definitely not the weekend we'd planned. We thank them from the bottoms of our hearts for their hugs and support. Upon our arrival at home, we were again enveloped by the love and support of our next door neighbors (again, some of our closest friends).

Although it is hard to deal with her loss, we are comforted to know she is no longer suffering. It's been a very long tough haul. The last few weeks have been extremely hard for all concerned. We are glad we did have the opportunity in that time to be there with her, to squeeze in some last hugs, even a few laughs at times when she was awake and alert, and to just sit and hold hands for a while. We know she was at peace and ready to move on.

Today, we are once again in a holding position while travel plans are completed before all other details can be put together.

A Mini- Vacation

2011-08-06T08:18:00.000-04:00

We've been so bogged down, what with the extended trip out to see The Big Guy's mom, our new "lifestyle" with him being home 24/7 with me (I'm SURE we'll eventually find a routine) and obligations and commitments, in general, that we really haven't done much "fun" stuff this summer, yet. It dawned on us, summer is now more than half over!!! (It looks like we'll soon be heading West again to be with his mom a bit more, so there goes most of the rest of the season.)

We decided to try to escape for a night or two this weekend. So, we're off to the AmeriServe Flood city Music Festival in Johnstown, PA. We'll be enjoying some great music and festival foods, time with close friends and, hopefully, some cooler and more comfortable mountain air.

The car's loaded, those holding down the home front have their instructions and we're ready to go.

See y'all on Monday. Go out an have a great weekend, too. Summer's too short to waste!

Watching TV when I COULD (should) be painting.

2011-08-05T23:29:00.001-04:00

Husbands can be a bad influence. They tend to guide you into temptation. I had this great list of things I need to get done but he persuaded me to sit down and watch some TV. OK, a LOT of TV.

It started with The Today Show. Willard Scott did his usual honoring of centenarians and, for some reason, his description of one lady being The Bingo Queen of the [Rest] Home struck me as hysterical and I got the giggles. You know, those ROTF tremors that, when you think about it, it wasn't THAT funny to start with but you end up laughing at your own loss of control. I just had this vision of a little old gal like Estelle Getty's Golden Girls' character in a fancy ermine (or some such gaudy fur) cape with white gloves (for the Royal wave, of course) and a very heavy ornate crown with bejeweled Bingo cards stuck all over it!

----------

Did anybody else catch Kirstie Alley on Letterman the other night? She looked good in a fantastic plum-colored evening gown. I only wish she'd try something different with her hair so she didn't constantly have to jerk her head to see out from under it. Hair tossing lost it's cuteness somewhere around the age of 17. I mean, she looks good but she's no Farrah! She does get lots of points though for calling Dave out for all the mean fat jokes he told while she was on DWTS last season. He can be quite hurtful and should get chewed out now and then. ( One of those that she quoted was "Kirstie Alley is joining Dancing With The Stars. If you don't already own one, now might be a good time to get a wide-screen TV.")

----------

I've also spent time this week getting to know the Texas Women on CMT, catching up on The Big C and Weeds on Showtime, Four Weddings on TLC and watching some PBS, too. (Does the educational aspects of the latter dispel the shallowness of the others?)

"A right turn you must make..."

2011-08-04T22:50:00.002-04:00

Garmin has just announced you can now download the voices of Darth Vader or Yoda as your GPS navigator. I'm sure they'll be popular but I think I, personally, will pass on these.

I think Yoda could be a little confusing at times. I mean picture driving on a very congested highway in heavy rush hour traffic. This is when you need clear concise instructions, like "Turn right - NOW!!!!" not, "A right turn you must make momentarily." I mean I truly respect Yoda's wisdom but there are times when you need basic language.

As for Darth, I have visions of riding alone on a dark highway late at night when, after many miles of just rolling along without any need for direction, you suddenly hear that foreboding heavy breathing begin. Before he can tell you your exit is coming up on the right in 4/10 of a mile, I just bet you'll be stealing a glance over your shoulder to be sure that back seat is empty!

Now, I may consider a celebrity voice when they come out with George Clooney or, maybe Pierce Brosnan, or Brad Pitt, or . . . Well, you get the idea.

I'd feel safe in a dark car alone at night with one of them.

Deep Thoughts and Memories

2011-08-03T22:21:00.001-04:00

Today marks the second anniversary of my nephew, Tom's sudden death. He would have turned 44 that year.
As we weren't that far apart in age, we grew up together, more like siblings than aunt and nephew. He was away from us for several years while doing several tours with the Marines but, once back Stateside, we spent most major holidays together as well as a number of birthday celebrations and such.

There's so much to say about him: He was a prankster, a tease, funny, intelligent and a great hugger. He was childless but loved children and greatly adored by his nieces and nephew. hardly a get-together goes by that we don't tell tales about him. The kids love to have me tell them about his childhood adventures. He was always curious and extremely active and could climb or shimmy up any kind of structure, which made for some interesting situations along the way.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of him, still. He is greatly missed.

At the Track...

2011-08-02T23:34:00.000-04:00

I love to watch the races. No betting on my part, just watching. In fact I tend to have an uncanny ability to pick those entries who will come in last and maybe next to last.

What ? You don't have Goose Races where you are ?

Seriously, it's really hard to pick a winner. They ARE flock animals. If one wanders off in the wrong direction, they ALL follow. (The Finish Line in these pics is to the right!)

Actually, this is a beautiful track for thoroughbred horses - Delaware Park, in Wilmington, DE. The middle shot above shows the beautiful pond in the center of the track where many, many ducks and geese thrive. The track area is surrounded by a fantastic golf course. I love to go sit in the stands just to watch the elegant and majestic horses. They are truly gorgeous animals.

It's a great way to work on a tan, too. Fairly comfortable seating with refreshments and clean restrooms close by. No sand in your shorts, either.

While I was away ...

2011-08-01T22:36:00.005-04:00

Life, here in Blogland and Etsy-ville, went on while I was Post-Free.

Most exciting (to me, anyway) was that I won the beautiful chainmaille earrings given away by Jessica over at The Chickadee Tree. They were waiting for me when I got home. Thank you, Jessica. I LOVE them!! I've worn them several times in the last few days and had numerous comments on them. (Yes, I gave out a few cards at a family party yesterday.)

And then there were the treasuries over at Etsy.

I may not have been around but my work was getting around. Though the mention is a little late, you may still want to check these collections out for some special gift ideas (or maybe just something for yourself).

On July 15, Alorasadorables featured my Baseball Playing Fish Set in a treasury called I'm Sew Into You a collection of fantastic toddler clothing.

When I got back the other day and got busy filling orders and updating the shop, I decided to go ahead and list some Halloween items. I know it seemed like I was rushing things a bit but a lot of folks are already featuring Christmas items!!

Almost immediately, Betsytkd curated a treasury she named Spooky which featured my Halloween Dog Onesie and on that same day (July 29), Teresa Heffernan included my Crocheted Halloween Trio in a treasury she called A Collection of Pumpkins!! I guess folks really are ready for Halloween ideas!!

Tonight, Bearly Here featured my I Speak Cookie Apron in a treasury called Speak Much?

I want to thank all these folks for helping promote my items in their treasuries. Every little mention is appreciated. I hope you'll take time to check out these treasuries and the many fine shops each features.

Oh yeah, while you're looking, take a moment to check out the shops of Alora's Adorables featuring vintage and antique textiles, quilts and more and Teresa's Heffernan's Crafts where she sells handmade soaps and hand crocheted and scented hot pads.

Well, I've got a lot of new merchandise that I've been working on and I hope to get them all photographed in the next day or two so I can begin listing them in the shop.

Please stop in and see what's new over at Splashin. I'll leave a light on for you.

Our Trip In Pictures

2011-07-31T00:05:00.005-04:00

As the main purpose of our trip was to spend some quality time with The Big Guy's mom, our activities pretty much consisted of visiting with her for a few hours in the daytime, breaking for dinner, visiting again in the evening until bedtime and going home to my s-i-l's for a bit of rest before repeating the routine the next day again.

We did, however, catch a few notable moments along the way on film (or should I say, in digital images?)

The Missouri River ON the parking lot of the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. We found the roof of their garage a great vantage point to see the flooding in the area. The road we normally go into Omaha on (I-29) was closed the entire time we were out there due to the flooding. I suspect it will be closed for sometime to come as the roadway itself and its underpinnings has been damaged by being submerged for so long. It made for some rather congested traffic on I-80 which was already under major repair construction in that area.

We did manage to squeeze in an exciting sports event while we were there. The advantage to going to see a 5/6 (year old) ball game is that they keep them short - 4 innings only - no outs, no score, everybody on the team bats each inning (no matter how many pitches it may take) . The other biggie was, they played at 8:30 in the morning when it was only in the high 80s (before the day's heat kicked in!) I think she's gonna be a star!!

Sunrise somewhere over Central Iowa. (I almost slept through it completely as we got up and on the road at 4:30 a.m. that day.)

Outside temperature (on blacktop) stopped in a traffic jam (for over 2 hours) on I-80 in Des Plains, Illinois on the way home. (The "official" temp in Chicago at the time was 100.) Don't you always wonder what the problem was when the jam suddenly breaks and there is no evidence of any apparent reason at all as you move on ?

It was really WAY TOO HOT to do much of anything but sit in the airconditioning for the entire time we were away. We were in the midst of that 2-week major heat wave the Midwest experienced. (Unfortuantely, it folowed us back home and attacked the East Coast, too, just as we got home!)

So, there you have it, folks, our ENTIRE travelogue. Hope you enjoyed it while in a cool room.

Hello ?

2011-07-30T23:43:00.000-04:00

Hello, it's me. Perhaps you don't recognize me. It's been awhile. I've missed y'all.

I have NOT fallen off the face of the earth, though, at times over the last 6 weeks, I felt like I'd slipped into The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits or some such place or time warp.

They say life is what happens while you're making other plans. I'm here to say that is so, so true. I was PLANNING to post. I took pictures, made notes, drafted posts but they never quite got posted. THINGS (life) kept getting in the way.

The first few weeks we were just super busy doing fun things. I took lots of pics to share with y'all but before I could post them, July came along.

The Big Guy officially retired (completely) on July 1st. (No more of that "semi-retired" gig from last year.) We rolled right into a very busy and hectic 4-day holiday weekend, celebrating his new freedom and the the 4th of July with family and friends.

By mid-week, we were unexpectedly driving to Nebraska as The Big Guy's mom is not doing well. (She's in hospice care.) We spent two weeks there before heading home for a short respite. Four days after arriving home, we began packing again as the situation had worsened. A last minute call before hitting the highway convinced us to sit tight for the moment. (Meds were changed and things leveled off a bit.) It's so difficult being 1200 miles away at times like this.

So, here we are, in a holding pattern, living out of a suitcase in our own bedroom just so we can be ready on very short notice. We don't make plans more than 2 days in advance and worry each time the phone rings.

I hope to get back to daily posting but without warning, we may be back on the road with no internet access. (I've GOT to get me a laptop one of these days. Maybe Santa's looking for an early shopping idea.)

Please bear with me. I'll post when I can.

What a journey!!

2011-06-17T08:23:00.007-04:00

Whew!!! I thought I'd never get back!!!

A week or so ago, I set off to visit a few of my Blog Followers, and . . . (WOW !) what a journey it's been!

I tried dropping bread crumbs so I could find my way back, but then, you know, my neighborhood is full of seagulls and geese. Did you ever see the seagulls in Finding Nemo? They're the ones that cry, "Mine! Mine! Mine!..." and snatch every morsel as it hits the ground. So, crumbs weren't a great help. I guess I should take the GPS with me next time.

This time, I traveled far - going back to one of the first Followers to sign on to my blog - Jessica C at The Chickadee Tree. In addition to blogging about her crochet projects and crocheting in general, Jessica creates and sells chainmaille jewelry over on Artfire. Check out her earrings, bracelets and such here.If you like what you see, she's in the middle of a blog Give-Away for some chainmaille earrings. There's lots of ways to enter. Go to her blog for more info on this.

I'm also impressed with a huge crochet project she's taking on - a Tetris Blanket. Using 4" x 4" crocheted squares, Jessica plans to replicate a testris screen! Cool!! This one's gonna take a while but I look forward to seeing the finished project. (I've been a fan - er, "addict" - since the inception of the game.)Oh, yeah, in her "spare" time, Jessica is "Mom" to two little ones. Talk about a busy and creative lady!!!

Of course, before leaving Jessica, I needed to check out some of the sites on her bloglist - and, well . . . time really got away from me. That, and meandering from one to the other kind of headed me off in various directions and wandering around in circles and -- Well, let's just say a "momentary browser failure" helped me find my way out!!

So, if you have a few minutes (or just want to try to win those earrings) check out Jessica's blog. (You can enter for her Give-Away through June 30th.)

Hot + Hazy + Humid = Miserable!!

2011-06-02T21:38:00.001-04:00

It has been * HOT * HOT * HOT * here this week!!!!
This kind of weather is not unheard of in these parts but we usually don't get it until August, by then, we've acclimated a bit more. Not that one can ever really get used to heat indexes of 107 degrees and more. It will always be defined as HOT!!!!

Our air conditioner has been a reluctant player this week to complicate matters. It's still under warranty so we called for service. They can't get here until Tuesday!!! (10 days from the date of our call!) Fans have helped some but it has been so oppressive that I just want to flop like a rag doll!!

Don't get me wrong. There have been a few upsides to this. We don't dare add to the inside temp by cooking so we've been forced to go out to dinner each night!! Since it uses the least amount of energy, I've done a lot of reading as opposed to housework. (What a great excuse!!) I've finally finished the second of Stieg Larsson's trilogy (The Girl Who Played With Fire).

(If you haven't read these, get to it!
But be sure to start with his first book,
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)

The heat however has attacked my creative mojo. I think it melted. I've had to force myself to work on my many projects. Orders have, of course, taken the first priority. It's a little harder to keep the new ideas flowing in this hot air, though. To prove I'm not just sitting around reading and eating snow balls, I'm sharing some Work In Progress pics. Maybe that will push me on toward getting them done!

I was inspired by the arrival of cherry season and began working on a Cherry Baby concept. Hopefully, I'll get this in the shop by Monday.

I'm still stitching lace at every opportunity, too. It does take time to plan out the placement and get it pinned in place. Once I've got the lace on a garment, I'm letting the outfit itself guide me in the painting concept. This little pink dress is now talking to my paints about it's future.

Remember the Apple Jars? These were the ones I picked up at the trhift shop with D's apple-themed kitchen in mind. Then, once I'd painted them, I thought maybe I'd put them in the shop instead. Well, I guess my conscience was working on me, 'cuz they've been sitting here and I haven't been able to bring myself to put them in my shop. After all D is a sweetie and they will look so good in her kitchen. So, after all is said and done, they will be making their way to her shelf.

Now, the challenge is to fill each one up with something special (and apple-oriented). So far, some of my ideas have included apple-flavored jelly beans, sour apple candies, even apple jacks cereal.

I'm open to suggestions. Any apple ideas out there?

2011-05-31T10:42:00.018-04:00

What a busy and HOT weekend!!

We started out on Saturday with an afternoon at our local winery with The Big Guy's brother and sister-in-law and a few hundred of our "closest friends." There was a Jimmy Buffett tribute band playing, great food available, a cool breeze under the trees (Okay, a breeze moving WARM air but it was MOVING.) and, oh yeah, WINE!!!!

It was a good day for the first "UNOFFICIAL" day of summer!

I was up early on Sunday as we really did still have to make a choice between parties but, in either case, I needed to whip up a dessert to take with. We ended up heading to Harrisburg, PA for the Treasurer's Picnic, an annual party held by the Blues Society of PA. It's a bout a 2 hour drive for us, each, way, but well worth the trip. Let me tell you, these folks can PARTY !!!

They put on a huge spread of food that lasts all day from about noon to 7:30 p.m. They start with appetizers and nibbles for an hour or so and then put out a huge buffet. The grill and smoker goes all day and there are tons of salads and sides. Everybody who comes brings a dessert. They have loads of water, sodas and even a self-serve beer truck!

. . . And there's LOTS of great LIVE music!!! We had 7 full bands, each playing a 45 min to an hour long set and then 6 acoustic acts who did about 1/2 hour sets in between the bands. ALL were of the highest quality and totally enjoyable. One of the high points this time came with The Don Johnson Project. this is a great party/dance band and they really get everybody moving. This time, they had a real musical phenom with them. A young guy named A.J. who plays a mean guitar and he's only about 11 or 12 years old!!! (He's the guy in the red shirt, way to the right in the picture.) Look out, Eric Clapton!!

This is a great bunch of folks who really know how to have a great time! Unfortunately, since it is a long trip for us, we usually only get to about 4 or 5 events they do each year. Most happen in and around Harrisburg or Allentown. (Yes, we DO have a local blues society and we belong to that, too. They just aren't as much fun!)

I felt bad because we had to choose between parties. The other was just down the road from our house but we do see most of those folks every week or so. Still, we hated to miss that get-together. We just couldn't do both.

Yesterday, we only had to trek right next door but it was an all-day event. Again, great food, fantastic company and good day was had by all!!

I was pleased to find my little sailor style onesie also made it into, not one, but TWO, different Etsy treasuries over the weekend!! Katie at ktimages did it first, on Saturday, in a treasury showing how we wear our Red, White and Blue and, then, Tracy of Lucky 1724 featured it in her Stars and Stripes treasury yesterday. Be sure to check these out as Red, White and blue is still in style and we'll all be looking to show our patriotism again on July 4th!!

I think it's the backside on this one that garners most of the attention!

And the fox says...

2011-05-26T22:39:00.000-04:00

Who among us hasn't sat with a toddler and played the old "The cow says 'moo'" game? I can't imagine how many times over the decades I've wracked my brain to come up with a different critter to ask about in one of these matches of the wits. I must say, though, "FOX" never entered my mind!Let me backtrack a bit.

The other night, I lay quietly awake in my bed listening to the mysterious sounds of the night. This was unusual in that it's rare that I am awake for more than a minute or two once my head hits the pillow at night. It's also really strange that it should be so quiet at that moment. The Big Guy was asleep in his chair in the other room at the time, so there was no loud snoring beside me.

The windows were closed but the sounds from outside penetrated their way into the room. I noted a strange pattern of sounds that seemed to answer each other. A series of three "ooo-ooo-ooo", followed by what sounded like a poor imitation of "woof-woof" and then a series of three whistle-like sounds. It repeated many times over before I finally fell asleep.

The dog-like bark definitely sounded fake. I was sure it was a human creation.

Behind our house, we have woods with a stream and marsh land and a fair representation of animal-life. Only a few hundred yards across from the front of our house, however, is a medium-sized apartment complex catering to a transient, young adult population which presents a constant flow of traffic and activity. It is not unusual to see people standing around outside talking, smoking or just generally "hanging" at all hours of the day and night.

I chalked the odd sounds up to some sort of "code" being conveyed among those folks much like the signals we created as children. I mentioned it to The Big Guy the next morning but soon wiped it from my mind.

Well, summer arrived in these parts today. It was hot and sticky all day. After dinner, we gathered around the Tiki Bar in our neighbor's yard (What a great neighborhood!) for a cold beverage and some good conversation. For entertainment, we plugged in the bug zapper and watched the show. (It doesn't take a lot to amuse us!)

Before too long, the concert I'd heard the other night began again! This time, without the closed windows, it was easy to identify the first set of sounds as an owl's call. It's not an unusual sound in this area. I'm almost ashamed to admit I didn't recognize it the other night.

My neighbor was quick to identify the "bark" as that of the fox! This surprised me. I've been around foxes all my life but never gave any thought at all to what sound, if any, they made! We have a pair that live directly behind our house in the woods. My neighbor even feeds them occasionally. As if to reinforce his assessment, the fox quickly put in an appearance strolling along the edge of the yard. He stopped to pose in the glow of the spotlight on the shed but was quickly frightened by the sound of the bug zapper and fled into the safety of the woods.

In case you're wondering, the last of the sounds, I believe, was a tree frog. They have a variety of sounds in this end of the world and they are plentiful.

So, next time someone asks, "What does the fox say?" You'll know the answer to be "WOOF! WOOF!"

Have a good summer weekend, y'all!!

Huh??

2011-05-25T23:18:00.003-04:00

I am Sooooo Confused!!!!

My computer suddenly decided to do really strange things to me last night. It shut down mid-stream while I was reading a blog that I follow daily. I rebooted. It did some very strange negotiations and finally decided it would not let me access either of my browsers. I ran my security scans, finding nothing. (This took several hours.)

This morning, it gave me a security warning. Again, I ran several hours of scans. Nothing turned up. I rebooted and things moved along fine. No problems all day. Hubby used it this evening. No problems. Tonight, I've worked with five different programs, no problem.

And then....

I tried to post here. I've always approached through Firefox. Blogger refused to recognize me. I could get here through a general search but it wouldn't even give me the option of signing in. I tried to have things reset but, since you do not work with a human on the their end, it wanted me to answer a long questionnaire regarding my general G-Mail account and all other Google programs I use. I have no problems there - only with Blogger.

I'm not comfortable giving them a lot of details for programs I'm not having trouble with. I feel like there should be a box to check that says "This has nothing to do with this problem and is, therefore, none of your business." I do not see why they would need me to provide five e-mail addresses that I usually send to through my G-mail account. I do not generally send social messages through that account. For the most part, I only receive on that account.

I know this is the age of electronic communication, but sometimes, it would be nice to simply pick up the phone and speak with a live human being and explain what the problem is. Often the problem isn't one of the multiple choices they give in their list of possibilities. Often, one has to wonder who is accessing this information and why.

I spent so long getting here tonight that I've now forgotten what wanted to tell y'all !

I know I feel bad that it's been so long between posts. I have to wonder where all that time has gone. It's been a very busy week beginning with an impromptu dinner get-together with 12 of us last Thursday, house guests over the weekend, and personal and family business to take care of over the last two days. Not much painting or sewing got done here.

Hopefully, I can get back to my regular routine by morning. (Just in time for the holiday weekend!)

How on earth did we get to Memorial Day weekend, already?!?

It's been a good week so far.

2011-05-18T18:04:00.011-04:00

I finally got the rest of the first batch of vintage miniature figurines listed in the shop this week. Taking the pictures of these tiny pieces took a lot of time! I was lucky enough to make a few sales, both online and off. I've gotten some new orders, too. (Maybe one of my best non-holiday weeks of all time in terms of orders!)

'Tis the season for all things beachy and ocean-related. I've had lots of requests for my handpainted lamps and lampshades featuring fish and shells so yesterday was spent basecoating a bunch of pieces, mostly lamps. I already have a few new shades in the works. Hopefully, I'll have time to do the detail work on some of these tomorrow.

Remember the little glass canisters with the apple indentations that I bought a few weeks ago? I painted them yesterday, too. Now all they need is some cute bows around their necks. My original plan was to give them to D. for her apple-themed kitchen but I'm seriously considering listing them in the shop instead. If they're still around when I need a gift for her, maybe she'll get them then.

Poor thing! As a child she inherited all the dolls whose handpainted eyes looked a little crossed or the bear that simply didn't sell after a full season of craft shows. Now, as a grown-up, she's still a fall-back for merchandise.

Then there were some custom orders to complete, too. Since they are gifts and the recipients don't have them yet, I can't share them with you at the moment. Maybe soon. Let's just say I had fun and am very pleased with the results.

While all that paint's been drying, I've been sewing a lot of lace onto all sorts of things. Some of the lacy items should be ready to show you by tomorrow. (Most of those also have some painted details.)

On Monday night, Queen of Sienna included one of my glass paperweights in a feather themed treasury on Monday night. You can see the entire treasury here. Be sure to take time to check out Queen of Sienna's Etsy shop, too. She has a really great eclectic collection of vintage pieces.

Then, today, June over at the I Sew Cute blog, featured my "I Speak Cookie" apron on a post about baking her way through the Betty Crocker Cooky Book. Sort of makes you want to jump up and make a batch of cookies. (Or, at least, eat some cookies!)

When you get a chance, stop in and see some of the adorable pieces of resin jewelry June makes and decorates with sprinkles, glitter and love. You can see her shop here.

I think I'm going to sit back, relax and do a little reading now. I've just started reading The Girl Who Played With Fire. it's one of those books, one simply hates to put down!!

Making plans beyond Saturday?

2011-05-16T16:16:00.008-04:00

There are two subjects I try to avoid on this blog - politics and religion. Sometimes, though, one just has to comment on the world around us.

Okay, so if we're to believe all the signs around us, the countdown has begun.

This is the nearest billboard to my home
when you head North on the main drag.

If the hype is true, all the truly "good" people will be led to a beautiful life in heaven on May 21, 2011. (That's this Saturday, folks, if you don't have your calendar handy.) Those who are deemed not worthy will be subjected to "five months of torment." At the end of those five months, the world will be destroyed by fire. (Seriously, check out their website.)

***At the outset, let me say, this post today is done entirely for entertainment purposes, meant strictly to tease (or, possibly, provoke a smidgen of thought). It does not represent my true feelings, beliefs or personal opinions. I do not intend to make fun of any of my readers and their own beliefs or positions on this subject. (See, this is why I normally avoid religious topics.)

So, what are you going to do with these few last good days?

I mean, if you're in the first group, what do you need to do to get prepped for the journey? Assuming heaven is that fantastic, blissful place where all our needs are met and we're kept in comfort, what could you possibly need to carry with you? Incidentally, if that is the case, why pay any bills this week, stock the freezer or look at vacation brochures? Why make any plans at all?

Now, if you're part of the latter group (I've got to believe "the majority"), why pay your bills, finish school, get up and go to work, etc. Sure, you'll be tormented for five months but you can put up with a lot for five months. So, maybe you'll receive harassing phone calls from collectors. So what? What will you need your life savings for if the world ends in October. (You know, the day of the huge bonfire?) Why not go out and blow it all on enjoying life?

I've got to believe most folks aren't buying into this seeing as most did go to work today. Paid bills were mailed. Children went to school and plane reservations have been made for months down the road. Folks aren't out there partying in the streets, drinking themselves silly, or gambling away their life savings. (Well, at least, not most folks.)

And this is the second billboard going that way.
Want to get rid of all that cash we've been
stashing for the future?

Nope. I even bought a 20-pack of toilet paper today and a 300-pack of daily vitamins. So, I guess, I'm either believing I'll be around for at least the next 5 months or there really isn't an expiration date stamped on my body anywhere.

So, what kind of plans are YOU making this week ?

Rainy days and Saturdays...

2011-05-14T23:16:00.011-04:00

"It was a dark and stormy night . . . "

Oh, wait - that's a different story.

It was a gray and dreary morning and really didn't get better throughout the day. I had the day to myself and I had plans. I try not to do damp and dreary. I find it depressing. I don't like getting wet and my plans called for a lot of outdoor and in-and-out type errands. I really wasn't feeling it.

I decided to regroup, rethink and stay in. Heck, I didn't even get dressed 'til noon!

What I did do was take a couple hundred pics of more of that vintage stock I need to get listed in the shop. I'm getting better with the camera but it still doesn't come easy and it does take me lots of shots to come up with five good (or, at least, "acceptable") ones to post. Now, all I have to do is get my descriptions together and spend the time typing them in to the site. I try not to list all at once in order to spread my exposure out over a longer time but I do draft the copy and have it ready with the list of the pics I want to use. It all takes time.

I finished painting a shirt I was working on for The Big Guy. I've told you before he's an a-fish-ionado (Get it?) of tropical fish and fish of all sorts. He loves when I do cartoon style fishies in my work. He's also a bass player. So I combined both and made him a bass-playing blue fish (I think he's got "da blues!") He likes it!

I added some new painted items to the shop. I still have quite a few other new pieces to add this week but I'll do a few each day.

I've recently painted a few more lampshades and looked forward to getting them in the shop but, all but one of these new ones sold before I could even list them. (That's a "good thing"!) Now, I've got to get out there and locate some more bargain shades to work with.

I also added some of the new Spring potholders to the shop. Everybody can use a bright spot of color in the kitchen, can't they? Oh yeah, they make great gifts. Everybody has a kitchen. They usually come with the house!

I spent the rest of the day sewing lace on all sorts of things!! Can't wait to finish them up and post them to show you what I did with all those trims and such.

It was a full day and I am exhausted!!

2011-05-13T23:03:00.007-04:00

Yea!! Blogger's back!! I missed all of you.

That's the longest I've ever experienced problems with this site in over three years. Luckily, it looks like they've finally been able to restore all missing posts. Unfortunately, comments seem to have been lost.

Did y'all get tired of looking at pics of my Honey on yesterday's post? Hope not, 'cuz today's his birthday so I 'm showing him off again. I promise, no more pics of him this week! (Maybe not even this month - inless he does something really ridiculous and I actually catch him with the camera!)
It's a good thing they found my post from yesterday where I told you how great he was. I had written that one straight from the heart with no notes or drafts so once it disappeared, it was gone. I probably could have redone something to the same effect but, then today, I wasn't as happy with him. Anything I wrote earlier tonight wouldn't have been "sweet."

Now, hours later, he's redeemed himself and I might have been able to write something nice again. For the moment though, I'll just say "Happy B-Day, Big Guy!"

Well, I had other ideas for this post today but it took so long to get the site back up and running, I don't have it in me anymore tonight. I'll just get that act together for tomorrow's post.

Hope y'all have a great weekend planned. Have fun!!!

P.S. (I'm not sure about the site yet! The font sizing isn't working right. Thanks to all of you new Followers who have signed up this week. Welcome Aboard.

Shall I keep him?!?

2011-05-12T15:17:00.000-04:00

Today's our anniversary!!! Though he may get on my nerves, drive me crazy and totally frustrate me at times, I really can't imagine going through life with anybody else by my side.
I don't believe any two people are an absolute perfect fit, that's what keeps life interesting though, isn't it? I don't subscribe to the "he completes me" idea either. None of us should need someone else to complete us.

I DO feel he makes the journey better. We laugh together, mourn together and have compatible views on most subjects (and we'll each argue till we lose our voices on those other topics!) We comfort each other when there is need and instigate when one of us needs some good old-fashioned motivation.

I think I'll keep him another year, at least. After all, it's taken decades to break him in!!

Oh yeah, did I mention he's VINTAGE ? I think VINTAGE is really cool !!

Lace and ribbon and calico and more lace... Oh, My!!

2011-05-09T23:11:00.003-04:00

Remember last week when I scored some great buys at the Thrift Store. I finally found time today to go through my bags and determine just what I had there.

WOW !!!! I'll be trimming everything in sight!!

Seriously, there are 23 different laces and crocheted trims, some black braid, and some other odds'n'ends of ribbons, braids and such. Some of these pieces were over 10 yards long! Most were in the 2 1/2- 4 1/2 yard range. Among the bags of trims, there was also a large lace remnant (like bridal lace), a stray zipper and a couple balls of yarn. The scrap bag contained 13 fat quarters of a variety of calicos - lots of purples, so I'm thrilled with that! That bag also had pieces of various cross-stitch fabrics - seventeen pieces!!!

My mind is boggled over what to do with all of these. I've got ideas flying around my head faster than I can jot them down ! I simply don't know which project to start first!!

Of course, there are a few pieces I'm not sure what to do with.

Like the great piece of teddy bear lace. It's about 5" high and I have 4 1/2 yards of this. It's adorable and I'm stumped as to what is the best use for this one.

Any ideas for that one?

All sugggestions are welcome!

I miss my Mom.

2011-05-08T09:38:00.002-04:00

My mother left us almost 16 years ago. I miss her a bit everyday but most of all today, Mother's Day. I wanted to share her picture here today but, alas, we didn't keep pictures from that time period on computers and my scanner simply wasn't cooperating today.

I wonder if she knows what a wonderful legacy she has left behind. Does she know what fantastic Moms her granddaughters have become? Does she realize she is a part of her great-grandchildren's lives through pictures and family stories told every time we gather? (She did have the pleasure of meeting her first great-grandchild while she was still with us.)

Does she know one of her granddaughters constantly throws out to her own children those "Mom-isms" she oft quoted to us as kids? It makes me smile each time I hear her tell one of her children that "You'll eat a ton of dirt in your lifetime" or "It'll get better before you get married." In fact, the latter one has evolved into a saying by her future great-grandson-in-law to "We'll see you again before the wedding!" (No date is set and is probably still a year or so down the road.) This is said even when we only expect a few hours to pass between sightings.

She fostered creativity, both through cooking and artwork, in all of us and that talent is apparent in her great-grandchildren, too. Has she seen and appreciated N's great skill at sketching and photography or J's ability in the kitchen? (And yes, that "cooking" is often "creative"!) Does she know D cultivates beautiful lilacs and forsythia, two of her all time favorites? (None of us have managed Mom's skill at raising roses.)

Does she know we all still use her recipes and, in some cases, the special dish that was always used for that particular item? So, as I pull out one of Mom's recipes today for our "special meal," she'll be in my thoughts and I'll be sending silent kisses and hugs her way.

Love ya', Mom, and always will!! (Just in case your reading this.)