Angels

I wanted to share with you this rubbing that I have above the dining room window. We were all going through a time of unrest at the dinner table. I wanted to put a saying up there and thought this was perfect. We all want peace no matter where it is. Things seemed to calm down after that. The saying maybe just reminded us to stop. I ordered this through Rae O Sunshine and the font is Majestic.

I seem to be drawn to Angels. The first is one that I created recently. I just love her lips! The Jim Shore angel my sister Linda had given me. The vintage birthday month angel my Mom gave me at least 45 years ago. The poinsettias have taken a little beating. The Precious Moments angel Kevin bought for me at a garage sale. The last one is a crosstitch Harvest Angel that I did 20 years ago. I coudn't believe that it had been that long but I signed it in 1990.

Friends and Gifts

Our friends Bob and Nan came over last night. We usually get together at least once a week to bounce the happenings of our lives off each other, solve the problems of the world and enjoy some friendly libations. During basketball season our bar is very active. Tom and Bob finished our basement together and since the bar occupies a small corner It was named this. The name also stems from the idea that both men call each other "Coach". Being avid fans of Bob Knight I don't remember when they started calling each other this but it has stuck for a long time. We are very happy to have the gift of their friendship as we all have been with each other through the highs and lows of our lives.

Nan works for cancer treatment doctors and this week is daffodil week for cancer. I was the lucky recipient of a bouquet of daffodils, because there were some left over. My daffodils haven't bloomed yet in the yard and was overjoyed to get these beauties. A beautiful thing for a serious illness.

This great little needlepoint picture I had given to my friend Theresa for a housewarming gift for her new home. I think that pineapples are wonderful and especially since they mean "welcome". I picked up a second picture to keep for myself, because no matter where you move that is home.

When Sam came along my friend and coworker Mary Lou gave me this picture that she had her neighbor make. That same neighbor had made that picture for Mary Lou also when her children started to come along. I think of it often when outside activities start pulling and calling.

It's Saturday

And approximately 2:00 p.m. Saturdays are the days to get the house back in shape from the whirlwind week. The temp. outside is the lower 50's but Tom and the boys have mowed the lawn twice before April 1st. Here is Kevin mowing now. Sam is missing today, he and a group of scouts are staying overnight in a submarine in Michigan.

The neighbors may think we are a little looney but the lawn is looking nice, don't you think? Tom wants to keep the outside looking well kept since the house is for sale. I went out to take these pictures and the smell of freshly mown grass is heaven. It is a Simple Pleasure!

Shown is our Pin Oak, and it has just grown up so nice and straight. It's a good tree and doesn't lose the leaves until spring. I need visuals to draw trees because it's good to have different shapes, this will go into file of "good trees to draw".

The other pine tree is called our "Judy O'Bannon tree". Tom is a retired State Trooper and he was driving the First Lady of Indiana around and they were taking trees to state parks. She had some left over and gave 3 to us, this one survived. It is a special tree.

The cats are taking the day off from watching the house when we aren't home. All that responsibility wears them out as you can tell.

Found Items

I have started cleaning out closets and have found some things I made that I had forgotten about.

This little quilt was a challenge quilt from a quilt club I had been a member of, The Hoosier Favorite Quilters. We were given the 6 inch block patterns and also the floral fabric to incorporate into the quilt. This is what I came up with. I love to do all hand piecing and quilting. I do sew the borders with a machine though.

These tiny quilts I had forgotten about. I enjoy hand embroydery also and applique and these were just fun to make. I have lots of neat buttons and used a few in the quilts and the and the little door knob hangers.

Winter Garden

My Laundry room was getting a lot of use (like everyones) and I decided to perk it up and stencil a garden on the walls. This was three different templates layered on top of each other. It's fun to come into that room.

Here is also a watercolor I started of our cat Sebastian. I feel that I got his expression right. The start of our new house adventure is right here. This shows our empty lot or blank canvas being ready to be painted on. We will have a really nice view of the pond. Water is such a soothing element in life.

It Has Been One Busy Weekend

That is why I haven't gotten to post till later this evening. Here is how it went. I was so lucky to realize that I got to get off of work at noon on friday because on saturday I was working a registration at my University. So I decided to go get a fill and a pedicure (very much needed and oh so important)! Got home and then Tom, Sam, Kevin and myself met some friends (the Sovines) for dinner and then went to their house for some friendly talk. Got up early Saturday morning and met (co-workers) Beth and Toni for breakfast at 8:00 at Panera Bread which was fantastic. I had a strawberry organic yogart parfait, a cinnamon roll and milk. We all then worked registration and during that time Tom decided to have an open house on Sunday. He saw there was another in the neighborhood and since we are selling our house by owner he decided to take advantage of the realty companys advertising cost and put our sign by theirs.(He is so smart) So that meant I had to come home and get the inside of the house together. We then went out with (Dave and Nancy) our friends and also neighbors for dinner then drinks. On sunday got up early for 7:45 church and then out to breakfast. We got home and still of course had to get the house ready, print off some more flyers and open up at 1:00. We had only two sets of people come through but they may be possibilites. We were really happy with that since the sign only went up on saturday and it didn't cost us a cent! I finally did cook a meal though, baked pork chops, rice, pillsbury french bread and green beans. There is still nothing like a good homemade meal. I was very lucky this weekend that we got to dine out so much and spend time with good friends. Oh yeah, I went to the grocery after dinner. Oh and while I was waiting for people to come through the house I was studying for a test in my history class-Hitler and WWII, always an enlightening subject. Another thing, Tom and I took a walk around the neighborhood for a bit. I bet if I thought hard enough I could eek something else out of the day but off to another subject.

I always enjoy talking with the new students and this year our family will have a college freshman too. He will be getting registered in April, not for Saint Francis but for a technical university in the same city. Here he is when he was nine months old, so so soooooo cute and here he is all debonair and handsome. We are just very proud of him. He is going to be a computer networker and I am sure a darn good one.

I received these pretty stacks of fabric a few years ago from some fellow quilters. I have never been able to bring myself to untie the ribbon. The are so pretty this way and I get a lot of pleasure looking at the stacks. Someday when I need a special piece of the fabric I will break them open.

This is a lovely little dresden plate I made in blue and yellow. It is so happy and I put it in my office at work. It just reminds me of summertime. Another thought of summer time are these pictures. Tom, Kevin and I were able to borrow a cottage on Lake Erie and the woman who owned it had very sweet flower gardens. To thank her I painted these two pictures of her flower pot and garden. She paid me such a complement by having them framed, matted and put on the wall in that same cottage. I so appreciated that and hope to be able to see them the next time we go.

Every Quilt, piece of fabric or black clothing has fur on it because of this little fella....Stonewall Jackson. He is my constant companion. When he was just a wee kitten he would crawl up and sit on my shoulder. He is a stinker, always keeping the other two cats in line and thinks he owns me. Everyone should have a friend like this.

Todays simple pleasure....Turtle Chex Mix...YUM!