Creative Heart at Home

Starting New

2011-12-31T21:07:00.000-06:00

We will soon be ushering in the New Year 2012 and I look forward to its potential for new beginnings. One of the things am doing to start off the year is taking an online class with Stephanie Ackerman called 'Scrapbook Life Journal 2012.' She has a blog called Homegrown Hospitality and I have followed her for quite some time now. I love her style of blogging and also how artistic she is. I have taken other classes by her and have enjoyed each one. I am part of a group of 134 people that will be interacting together as we go thorough the year on this scrapbook/journal journey and I look forward to each month of creating. I also look forward to writing once again on my blog that has sat silent for a year. I am personally glad to have 2011 behind me.
Happy New Year to all of you.

Still here!

2010-10-19T09:27:00.000-05:00

Hello to all, no I haven't left the country or fell off the face of the earth. I will be back someday soon to post once again. It has been a busy and long summer. It appears that the 'fall season' it is upon us and I love the cool days and the smells that belong to this time of year. Many good things have happened this summer and there is lots to share. Blessings to you all and enjoy the sights and smells of this season. :)

Beauty from the back yard.

Glorious maple and burr oak tree by the pond in the back yard.

I so love this time of year and all of the colors.

Birthday Celebration For Mike

2010-08-08T15:38:00.000-05:00

Our daughter Katie and her husband Chris came home yesterday to visit. They live in the big city. I always love to have them come and this time I did not have to cook one meal. (how did that happen?) Chris is an excellent cook and he had Mike's birthday meal all planned down to the dessert and the wonderful tasting root beer to drink.The menu was as follows:

Marinated T-Bone Steak with grilled mushrooms
Pesto Chicken Breast (made with Picholine French olive oil)
Garlic Parmesan Green Beans (fresh beans from the garden)
Grilled Red Potatoes with basil vinaigrette
Corn on the Cob (grilled in the husk)
Fresh sliced garden tomatoes smeared with Pesto Sauce
Strawberry Custard ice cream
Pecan Custard ice cream (and each served with a hot fudge sauce and mixed nuts)
Hank's Gourmet Root Beer

Oh my goodness, it tasted so good. I think we all ate until we could not find any more room to hold it. (well I did save some room for dessert.) They also brought presents and we watched as Mike opened his birthday gift bag. Katie made her dad a very creative box to hold extra cash for a 'windshield fund.' His work car needs a new windshield and they made a nice donation to Mike's box to save for one. I loved the added touch of using a real map for the paper and the little semi-truck for the front. (imagine that) :D It was a nice evening of visiting and watching a baseball game.

This morning we drove to my mother's house and picked her up and then we met Mike's parents at a restaurant in town. Katie wanted to see all of her grandparents so it worked out well to meet for breakfast. It was a very nice morning and we got caught up on all the news of everyone's life. Family means so much and it seems that everyone gets so busy that time passes quickly and before you realize it you haven't seen them for awhile. We hope to do this again very soon. Everyone had a blessed time.

Happy Birthday Mike! Wishing you a great day!

Windshield fund can made by Kate.

Mike's mom, step-dad and Katie.

My mom and Katie.

Our son-in-law Chris and Mike.

Mom, myself and Katie.

Kittens and Pheasants and Kids. Oh My!!

2010-07-29T21:02:00.002-05:00

Well today my daughter-in-law sent me photos of the animals at her house today. One of them is a new sweet kitty that my son Scott brought home from work. A guy he works with found a cat in a dumpster and brought it home. He put it in the garage with a litter box, food and water. A month later he ended up with babies. He talked Scott into bringing one home for the girls to have as a pet and to be a friend to their cat Sam. I don't think anyone asked Sam though and so far he isn't happy. Hopefully he will get over it. The girls were so surprised, especially Emma. She had no idea that when she came from shopping with ma-ma that she would find a new pet. Everyone is weighing in on a name. I wanted to name it Me-Me but no self respecting male cat would want that name. Emma wants to name him Hunter, Toes, or Tiger. Chloe wants Fluffy or Cutie. Their ma-ma weighed in with Bruiser, Max or Dex. (she said she has a thing about x's) It sounds like the jury is still out as to what we will call him.

The next animal I received photos of today was 'Blue'. He is a beautiful pheasant that lives in the next door neighbors back yard. The neighbors Roger and Wendy feed him cracked corn. Today they let Emma, Chloe and other neighborhood kids feed him in the Dowd's back yard. It is quite the sight to look in the yard and see a tame pheasant surrounded by neighborhood kids with handfuls of bird feed. There is always a lot of activity going on at my grand-daughter's home...never a dull moment.

Emma's happy face when she found out she had a new kitten.

Sweet kitten awaiting a name.

Chloe making friends with the new baby.

Look at the beautiful feathers, hence the name 'Blue".

He walks around like he owns the place.

Hour of Glorious Peace

2010-07-16T21:25:00.002-05:00

For the last couple of days after I get my mail, I have been stopping by the BP gas station for a cup of coffee and a cookie that I take with me as I walk up to our local park. I love it there, sitting by the water. I was the only one in the park except for the care taker that was mowing the lawn. I made my way to the the bench in the shade that I love to sit on and gaze across the pond. Today's mission was to pray for my children and grandchildren after I drank my coffee and ate my snicker-doodle cookie. (it was a tasty one too!) I no sooner sat down when four huge great blue herons flew across the pond right in front of where I was sitting. It was so awesome! In a very excited voice, I said 'Lord, look!! Do you see this awesome sight?? Oh my goodness Lord look at them!!!' Of course I knew He seen them before I called to Him but I was soooo excited. They are beautiful and have a very big wing span. One landed in an old wooden stump of a tree across the pond that is about 20 feet tall. The other three perched high in the pines next to the stump. The three did not stay there for long, before one by one they flew to the stump, with the other one. They each took a branch and rested the entire time I was there which was a little over an hour. I spent the quiet solitude praying and worshiping the Lord in grateful thanks for all of His blessings. Later in the hour an eagle flew over to the left of the water. It too is so majestic and it is my favorite bird. As I was finishing up my worship, I looked across the pond close to the slough and I seen what appeared to be three deer swimming in the water as they crossed the pond. (yes, I did say swimming) I could hardly believe my eyes and I said 'Lord they look like deer or else they are awful big brown fish!' It was amazing to me as I did not know that deer swim. I was so glad that I took that one hour out of a very busy day to spend time with the Lord. Had I not decided to go, I would have missed out on the blessings of the day and the most important would have been the blessing of praying for my children.

Four great blue herons flying in to the pond.

If you look in the middle of the sky you can see 4 dark specks.

(You may be able to see them better if you double click on the photo)

Another photo of them flying in.

And another. (isn't the pond beautiful?)

The view in front of my bench.

Happy birthday Mom!

2010-07-09T15:07:00.004-05:00

Today's post will be a' 77th Happy Birthday' tribute to my mother. Her birthday is Sunday but we celebrated yesterday at my sisters house. We had a wonderful time. The day started out with me taking mom and Kaitlyn (the little girl she babysits) out for breakfast at the new restaurant in town. It was a good breakfast and the interior of the restaurant is beautiful. The place was 'perking' with activity every where and it was packed. (normally when you see many cars in the parking lot of a new eatery, a month after they are opened it means really good food.)
We ordered and then drank coffee and visited. I showed mom all the photos I took at our family reunion in North Dakota. She had not seen this side of the family since she married dad many years ago. It was fun to listen to stories that she knew about them at that time in their life. I enjoyed it a lot. After breakfast we drove to my sister's house for cake, more coffee and the opening of the gifts. (the best part) I think mom enjoyed herself very much and as her daughter I pray she has many, many, more birthdays to come. I love you mom and you still look young to me.

Mom and Kaitlyn

Birthday Girl with her crown.

We love to open birthday presents!!

My mom, my two sisters and myself. (I like this photo a lot).

Riddles from Sweetie Girl

2010-07-05T17:55:00.001-05:00

Today I am going to treat you to a few riddles that my grand-daughter Emma told me recently. I love to listen to her and try to guess what the answer is and I know she loves it as well. She always has a steady stream of riddles to share and I think she saves them up just for me. :D Okay...

What goes up but never comes down? (your age)

Where do astronauts store their food? (in launch boxes)

What kind of dance do teachers like best? (attendance)

What did the monkey say when he found out his sister had a baby? (well I'll be a monkey's uncle!!) tee hee

What did the beaver say to the tree? (it was nice gnawing you)

And the last one which is my favorite:
What did the frog order at the fast food restaurant? (a large croak and french flies) I love it!!

As long as I was treating you to a few riddles I decided to share a couple of photos of my sweet grand-daughter. I love everything about her!!! She has the sweetest face, freckles and all, plus the prettiest red hair that I have ever seen. I love her and she shares a special place in my heart with her younger sister Chloe. One of the best blessings in my life is being called 'grammy.'

Sweet Emma

I love this candid shot of her looking into the water.

My Town, USA Part 2

2010-06-30T21:45:00.007-05:00

I am going to share more today about my town and it's history. I went to the public library and asked if they had any history about my town. I was given a book to read that is the complete history of the county in which I live. My town was included with a lot more history than I had known about before. I am going to quote often from this publication.

A dam was built early in my towns history and a mill next to the dam. Taken from the 'History of Barron County' it states 'In the spring of 1879, Mr. Anderson (one of the founders of the village of Dallas and the builder of the dam and mill) interviewed Mr. Foster, in regard to moving the store and post office up near the mill. the suggestion was heartily received and Mr. Foster and his family, the store building, and the post office were in a short time transplanted to a beautiful spot directly across the square from the mill. All this was on the west side of the creek, which by damming had become a pretty lake. Business on the east side of the pond was started by Knute Espeseth, who started a general store.'

Mr. Anderson's mill was at first a grist mill, but later rollers were installed. In 1915 power was generated from the mill for the village electric light service. In 1880, Mr. Anderson started a sawmill, and later added planing and shingle departments.

With the dam built, the mills established, the post office located and the Foster and Espeseth stores running, the village began to grow. Blacksmith shops were established at various times by various residents. Pelton Brothers opened a hardware store, Torger Olson a harness and repair shop, Ole Christianson a shoe shop, William S. Foster, the Foster house, Martin Grannis a cabinet shop, and two more general stores were opened.

In the early days of the village, the Patrons of Husbandry was a strong organization, and a Grange was established. (like the Grange Charles Ingall in House on the Prairie belonged to.) Dallas had grown into quite the town. My grandma Lillian used to tell me that when she was a young girl if you wanted to go where things were really happening, you would visit "my town.' On Friday evenings she said there would be free movie showings.People that attended would bring their own chairs and a big white sheet would be put on the side of a building. After dark the the movie would be shown and grandma said practically the whole town would show up. I always loved to hear her stories about her wonderful life as a young girl growing up in the country.

Well, there is more history to tell about my town so I guess at a later date we will have 'My Town Part 3'.
As I have been telling this story it makes me love my community even more.

Our village dam.

The pond in front of the dam where lots of wildlife come to feed and drink.

Donated bench at the park where my husband and I love to sit and watch the wildlife and birds.

The beautiful view from the park bench.

Family Reunion Craft Swap

2010-06-15T20:20:00.000-05:00

I am leaving soon to go to a family reunion in North Dakota. It is family on my dad's side. He had 24 brothers and sisters. (12 of which are half brothers and sisters). One of the fun things we will be doing is having a craft swap. Everyone that signed up is bringing 15 items they have made to swap with the others. I decided to make hand made cards. (imagine that!) I will package three cards in a cellophane to be given away. The grand total I made in the past two days was about 60 cards. I wanted to keep it simple since I had to make so many, but I am pleased with how they turned out. As I created my cat Annie slept in the chair next to me. She loves being where I am all throughout the day and I enjoy it too except when she decides to lay down in the middle of all my creating and it is usually on top of my scrapbook paper. She is quite' the cat' and my husband says 'spoiled rotten'. I say, 'I have no idea what he is talking about'. :D

One of three cards for swap.

Card two for swap.

Card design for the third one was borrowed from www.simplicitybylateblossom.blogspot.com

She has an awesome blog and she creates cards very simplistic using white cardstock and ink.

Sleepy Annie.

Annie 'zonked out'.

My Town, USA Part 1

2010-06-07T21:52:00.003-05:00

Boy time flies when you're having fun! It has been a while since I posted. My husband has a new shift than what he has been working for the past 5 years so my time is spent different than it was. We are both trying to get used to the time change and little sleep as our routine is all changed around. We do like him being home at the different time though. :)

Well, yesterday I decided to take my camera around town and snap some photos of the place I love best...my little town. We have lived here for about 38 years in the same house. We raised our 3 children here, 2 boys and a girl and after all this time I am still in love with my town. (recognized as a village). It is one hundred and forty years old and was settled in 1870 when three men came to this area from Norway and liked what they seen. They brought their families, built homes and began to farm near a creek. The men were Ole Knutson, his brother-in-law Nels Tollefson, and his son Tollef Nelson. (do you notice anything interesting about their names?) I am going to quote from the 'Cenntennial' book. "Nels Tollefson is said to be the first Norwegian settler in the Township. He settled on the west side of Pine Creek. His homestead consisted of 160 acres. Mr. Tollefson cleared 100 acres and built a set of log buildings which he later replaced by frame structures. Supplies had to be hauled by oxen or carried on foot from the next big town which was 50 miles away. (remember we didn't have much for roads back then and certainty no interstate highways.) On trips to the city he would influence friends to come join him in his newly found paradise. Often the family would awaken to find someone camping on their doorstep, and there was wall to wall people while another home was hewn out of the woods."

"Another pioneer who came to Dallas the same year was Knute Stenseth Amundson. He took a homestead of 160 acres of wild land in Section 2. In 1903 he sold part of his place to his son, John. In 1913 the house was destroyed by fire and a modern home was built in its place. He was married to Anna Wintrone and had nine children. they were Clara, Genard, Herman, Lloyd, Wallace, Griffin, Ben, Kenneth, and Lawrence." (my friend, Judy, I think the homestead was where you live now.) There is a lot more history to tell about and I will do so in the next part of the story in a future post. I am including photos of my town here.

My photo walk started out here. This house is one of the first homes built on our side of town in the late 1800s. It has had a few add-ons since that time. It is situated along the pond. This is a nice neighborhood with very friendly neighbors that you can count on.

Our flags flown from Memorial day until after the 4th of July.

One of many stain glass windows in the Lutheran Church.

Memorial Gardens at the church.

The old Farmers Store which now sells antiques.

Old wringer wash machine planter in front of the store.

Some of the old advertising on the side of the store.

Our community garden. The boxes are what some of the children planted. They even painted them. So cute!

The old egg factory which is now a brewery.

Well that is all for now but will post more photos as the story continues. It is so nice living in a town that you love so much, you could not imagine living any where else...like my town.

Garden Almost In

2010-05-28T20:57:00.000-05:00

Well, we have been working on getting the garden planted for the past three days. we are almost done. I still need to plant the potatoes, onions and zucchini squash...oh and the pea pods that my friend told me about. I really do not like to plant garden but I do love it when it starts to grow and I do not mind pulling weeds. The best part for me besides eating what I have grown is to share the bounty with my neighbors. I like to package up a variety of produce to give away. It is always appreciated and for me it makes gardening more enjoyable.

I have been taking photos of my plants in different stages of growth around the yard. They are so far ahead at this time from others years. I just may be able this year to enjoy my roses and peonys before the rose chafers hatch out. That would make me very happy. Everything looks so good and is nice and green. Some of the baby birds are hatching out of their eggs. I watched four little baby blackbirds with their ma-ma today. They were so noisy and so cute. I love this time of year. Having the sunlight on my face as I work outside is so therapeutic for me and is just what the doctor ordered. Hope you all have a bright and sunny weekend doing something you love. Happy Memorial Day to all.

The perennial bed in the front yard.

My beautiful Mother's Day rose bushes from Scott.

He bought 3 of them for me when he was stationed in Hawaii about 10 years ago.

Ferns on the north side of the house.

The pond out back. ( I was watching a great blue heron)

Hosta garden on south side of the house.

Another pic of the front yard flower bed.

Wonderful Visit

2010-05-21T18:02:00.000-05:00

We arrived home a day later then expected as I locked our ignition keys in the trunk of the car right before we were to come home. The minute I slammed down the trunk I knew what I had done. It was a Sunday so no one could come out to try to open the car. We had to wait until Monday morning. Aside from that we had a wonderful visit. I don't have any photos to post yet (except for the ones I took of James at his house). The wedding and graduation photos aren't ready to go yet but when I receive them I will post them.
I have been working on things for the store Wisconsin Local Handmade. The opening date is May 28th. We hope to share space with at least 50 vendors this season. (last year we had 35.) I look forward to visiting with the people I met last season. There is a lot of variety in what the vendors offer. There will also be a Farmer's Market on Friday nights. I love fresh produce so I look forward to buying and using it in my daily menus.
Have any of you planted your gardens yet? We haven't but hope to this week. We should be safe to plant now without having any more frost days...well I hope so anyway.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Pincushions ready to go to the store.

James practicing his swing.

More practice.

Perfect' follow through' swing.

Showing us what he has learned on his guitar.

(Everything this kid accomplishes makes me want to stand up and cheer!)

James playing a song for us and then singing too.

(he has a good voice)

Posing with his new Peavey amplifier and electric guitar that was given to him as a gift.

(both the guitar and amp used to belong to my cousin Rick who was a steel guitarist.)

Still Creating

2010-05-13T14:22:00.003-05:00

We are leaving tomorrow to go to a wedding for my cousin Jill. She has been a widow for the last 3 years and during that time she found a wonderful guy to spend the rest of her life with. We are all happy for her and her fiance Mike...also for her children and grand-daughter. After the wedding we are driving to the next state over ( it is only a 1 1/2 hour drive from where we live) to visit our daughter and son-in-law. Saturday our niece will have a graduation party not far from my daughter's home. All of our family will be there except our oldest son as he has to work. I love it when we get together with family and have fellowship with one another. I even get to see my 2 grand-daughters for the second time this month...woo hoo! Saturday evening we will visit with our youngest son and his wife. He has been getting his garden in tip-top shape for us to take the 'grand tour' when we go. He also has been learning how to play guitar since last November and he wants to play a song for us. I look forward to hearing it. I feel like I need to get 'out of Dodge' for the weekend and enjoy other scenery. (we say we are getting out of Dodge whenever we travel...I don't know why we do, we just do and no we don't live in a city named Dodge.) It has been so cold and rainy here and I haven't been outdoors too much except to walk and get the mail down at the post office between showers, so I am more than ready to travel and see if maybe I can find the sun as it has definitely not been abiding around here. :)

I am posting a photo of a sewing journal that I made for my niece Amanda as part of her graduation gift. She loves to sew and has recently been creating many nice sewing projects including 2 quilts and one beautiful skirt. I thought 'she needs a sewing journal to put all of her drawings, photos and sewing lists in'. I made it out of a black covered, not so pretty composition journal. I love to make these and have made many in the past for gifts. Some of the ones I have made are thankful journals, everyday life journals, baby milestones, etc. They are fairly easy to make but the key is putting in a new very sharp exacto blade in the knife. The best part for me is choosing the embellishments. I made her a teacup pin cushion to go with it and will maybe buy some fat quarters to finish out the sewing theme.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I look forward to hearing about the projects you are working on.

Front cover of sewing journal.

(by the way , you can click on any photo and bring them up in a new window for a closer look.)

Inside cover and the back inside cover is decorated the same.

Back cover of journal.

New Paper Craft Projects

2010-05-11T17:59:00.006-05:00

I have been working on some new cards for upcoming celebrations. One being a wedding card for a family member who is getting married on Friday evening. We also have a graduation for my niece Amanda on Saturday. She graduates from sign language college and we are going to her party. I am very proud of all her accomplishments and some day I will blog about the wonderful things she has done, because of her love and obedience to the Lord. (she has been a missionary and shown His love to children and adults in Africa and Haiti.)

Here are some of the cards and other projects I have been working on this week.

Post-it Note Covers

Outside of birthday card.

Inside of card.

Card design that I seen on Splitcoast gallery. (I think.)

Another birthday card.

Thinking of You card.

Wedding card for cousin.

Inside of wedding card.

Hope you all are having a good week and accomplishing much. Maybe this weekend we will finally get some beautiful warm sun. We can only hope.

Mom's Day

2010-05-10T21:36:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day this year. My younger sister invited me and our mother over for lunch. I made a mocha chocolate bundt cake and brought crackers and cheese. We visited and opened the presents we got each other. They loved the handmade soap I gave them from my good friend's website business, www.soapnsuch.com. Mom gave me wildflower seeds for my flower garden and lots of very cute ornaments for the yard. I really like to have the yard looking nice in the summer especially when I invite people over for a little garden party. From my sister I got yummy dark chocolate raspberry squares that are my favorite and a wonderful stainless steel water jug. I have to have a bottle of water where ever I go so this works great to take along. I love getting together with family and the day spent with them was a perfect Mother's Day. I hope all of you mom's had a wonderful day spent with those you love the most.

Love you mom, thanks for all you do for everyone.

(my mother and I)

The recipe for Mocha Chip Bundt Cake I have made many times for different occasions. Everyone loves it and I have given out the recipe several times. It is easy, moist and has a great flavor. I will share it with you and when you need a quick cake for a special occasion this is the recipe that will bring raves.

Mocha Chip Bundt Cake

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

1/2 cup hot water

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix

1 package (3.9 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegtable oil

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

GLAZE:

3/4 cup whipping cream

1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, dissolve coffee granules in hot water. Beat in the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. In a saucepan, heat cream to simmering. Remove from the heat; whisk in chocolate chips until smooth. Drizzle over the cake. I add toasted pecans pieces on top of the drizzled chocolate. Yield: 12-16 servings. Enjoy!!

This recipe came from the Taste of Home 2001 Annual Recipes book.

Adventures in Life

2010-05-07T15:32:00.005-05:00

Well, this morning I had to make a trip to the next town to get my neck put back into alignment and visit my friendly chiropractor. I am been going to this office now for 40 years. (I first went when I was 18 years old...why does that sound so long ago?) My 'now' chiropractor was not there back then but his father-in-law was. He was a wonderful guy that was like a father figure (as my own father lived in another state). You could talk to him about any thing and he loved the Lord and did not mind discussing scripture. After he left the practice, I would occasionally see him in town he would always greet me and give me a hug. Sadly a few years back he passed away from pancreatic cancer. I still miss his kindness after all this time. His son-in-law (the 'now' chiropractor) is very comical and can always tell a good story about his children, grand-children, or talk about his farm with horses and other livestock. He has trained his 4 year old grand-son to help him feed the horses in the morning (when he comes for a visit) and the little guy is the first up in the morning to say 'Let's go and grandpa, I wish I lived on top of that hill over there then I could come every morning to help you.' (little guy lives in another state). Doc said, "He got my heart with that one". Oh how we all love our grand-children...they are a promise of good things to come. They hold the keys to our heart and spending time with them is always like going on a wonderful vacation. You never know what fun awaits you and what fantasy location they will take you to next. You could be going on a snakes adventure (like I have many times) or end up in Cinderella's garden (I have picked flowers there). I remember one time meeting my grand-daughters at Teddy Bear Park in Stillwater. My grand-daughter Emma, got out of the car and was so glad to see me. She said, "Grandma, we have to pay attention to everything around us because you never know when you might find an adventure." Sweetie Girl you are so right and it is too bad that we quit paying attention as we walk though life. We get all caught up in the world with all of its problems and stress. God has given us so many blessings to be thankful for and we can live an exciting life in Him with the Holy Spirit as our guide. He is always there for us...loving us and leading us on the path to real life. Time spent walking in His foot steps is never boring and every day is brand new. I repeat Emma's words...pay attention to everything around you because you never know when you might find an adventure.

Emma and I taken two years ago at Teddy Bear Park.

Grandparents Day

2010-05-03T18:44:00.004-05:00

We went to visit our son and his family last week because our grand-daughter Emma had grandparents day at her school. We were able to go early and have lunch with her and then at 2:00 in the afternoon the 20th Annual Grandparents Program started. There was lots of singing and my favorite songs were Day-O (with instruments) and Danny Boy. The kids did an awesome job and they were all so excited to perform for each of their grandparents. Prizes were given out throughout the program for criteria like who has been married the longest, came the farthest, has the most grand-children, and who is the oldest male and female? The longest married was 63 years (wow!), came the farthest was Arizona and Canada, had the most grandchildren attending the school was 23 (yes you read that right) and the oldest was 83 and 86. Hearing that made Mike and I feel like youngsters. After the program we went to visit in Emma's room and we looked at her portfolio that included all of the special things she has done throughout the year. She also gave us a very lovely decorated letter that she had written in appreciation to her grandpa and I (it brought tears to his eyes.) She told me later that her teacher had warned the kids that some grandparents might cry after they read their letters. It was very touching and both of our letters will be framed and hung in our bedroom. Last but not least we went to the lunch room for coffee and cookies.We sat and visited with Emma and so enjoyed her chatter. What a blessing grand-children are as they love you so freely. At the end of the day we signed Emma out and walked her home. Along the way we chatted and stopped to smell the beautiful blooming lilacs. It was a perfect day!

On Saturday morning we took Emma and Chloe to a play called 'Nick Tickle Fairy Tale Detective'. It was so funny and the actors did a great job. We all enjoyed it while laughing and eating popcorn and candy.
Our visit was wonderful as the weather was nice and we had so much fun with the girls. We look forward to our next visit with lots of hugs and kisses.

Taken in Emma's classroom.

Emma at her desk waiting to give us our grand-parent letters of appreciation.

Emma and grandpa enjoying cookies together.

Emma and I enjoying each others company.

Emma's 'fine art' (the two above her head.) The one on the left is mine. Woo Hoo!!

My appreciation letter.

Stopping to smell the lilacs.

Homeward bound after a wonderful afternoon.

Procrastination and Creating

2010-04-26T22:09:00.005-05:00

I have been multi-tasking the last few days between making cards for my table at Wisconsin Locally Handmade gift boutique and doing some embroidery for a birthday gift for my son Scott. I really should have started this post by saying...I am Deborah and I am a procrastinator. I always do this...wait until the last few days before a task should be completed then go like crazy trying to get done. I would prefer to create with less stress. My son has had a birthday on the same day every year for quite some time, so why do I wait until 5 days before I need to have a handmade present finished? The answer would be that I have no clue. So here I am working hour after hour until bed time. Well, maybe someday I will change my ways and when I do it will make my life easier and less stressful.

Embroidered dish towel for Scott. His favorite herb to cook with is basil.

Card made for my friend after her mother passed away.

Inside of sympathy card.

National Poetry Month

2010-04-21T07:45:00.002-05:00

April is National Poetry month and I decided to take the challenge from stacyjulian.com and do something that pertains to poetry including 'posting a poem on your blog'. I am posting a poem I wrote one day, years ago after I was inspired by a question that my Uncle Ron asked me. He said Deb, "What do you think the completed picture will look like when all is said and done"? I told him I didn't really know. His answer was "It will be the face of Jesus".

Portrait of Love

When the end has come and the painting is done

What is the picture we'll see?

The face of Jesus, the love of God,

Eternal life for you and for me.

He paid the price so that we could live,

A life that is free from sin.

We opened our hearts, we believed His word

We invited Him in.

We are possessors of all that He is---

Put on His armor and know---

That He is our Father, Our Lord, Our King

And is with us wherever we go.

Let's be obedient to the King of Kings,

Let's hold His banner high.

Let's love the Lord with all of our heart

And know that heaven is nigh.

"Go therefore into the world"

And share what Jesus has done.

He reconciled us who once were lost---

We have our place with God's Son.

Drawing my 8 year old grand-daughter Emma created for me and I framed it for my craft room.

Birthday Card

2010-04-19T20:05:00.003-05:00

I made this birthday card yesterday using my new Martha Stewart 'around the page' punch. She has several
designs that are a two-step process. It comes with a corner punch and an edge punch. There is a little learning curve to get it right. At first I wrecked a few pieces of paper and then decided I needed a video tutorial. I found a good one online to watch and then it made sense. You have to start with paper just the right size to have it punch evenly all the way around. The sizes are 3 1/4", 5", 6 3/4", 8 1/2", 10 1/4" and 12" square. You can use other measurements larger but must increase always by 1 3/4 inches for it to work evenly all around the page. I love using Martha punches as they make the cards look so classy. Tomorrow I have to work on a few more cards so will post them another time. Have a blessed evening.

Glorious Signs of Spring

2010-04-18T18:37:00.007-05:00

Canadian Goose swimming behind the house.

Hen and chicks growing in Army boots.

Beautiful Primrose blooming.

New tree foliage starting to open.

My wonderful rhubarb growing which is my husbands favorite dessert, made into anything.

Swallow peeking out of birdhouse in the back yard.

My medium pink peony bush slowly pushing its way up through the soil.

Potential 'fairy house' for my grand-daughters. You have to have make-believe vision for these kinds of things. (insert smile)

These photos were taken today as I strolled the acre looking for more substantial signs of spring then I have been seeing lately and I think I found them. If nothing else it made me feel better knowing that peony's don't generally show their pretty heads unless they know something is about to happen. It was a beautiful sunny day and the birds were singing in chorus. Mike was off today so the day was even more special. Scott and Tracey arrived home today after spending a week in Disney World, Orlando with the girls. They called me every day they were gone except one and I am anxious to see all the photographs taken as they were enjoying their family vacation. I talked to my youngest son today also about another milestone in his life since being healed. All in all it was a very blessed day and I am so thankful for each and every one God gives us.

What did you do today and what was your joy?

Bedroom Makeover

2010-04-14T18:32:00.001-05:00

Well I finally finished all the painting in my bedroom. It took three days and one sore back and neck but I am done. I really like the colors teal and tan together. (it is tan but looks more yellowy because of the lighting in the room.) This morning I went to town and bought a curtain rod and a new set of sheets. I challenged myself before this redo started to use as much of what I already owned and not buy new. I had all the accessories and just pulled them from other spots in the house or from storage. The drapes were in another bedroom but matched the wall paint so well, I decided to use them here. (I bought them a couple of years ago at my sister's garage sale) That saved a ton of money and made me happy. The beautiful wicker chair and the afghan laying across the top were from my grandma Lillian. She crocheted many, many afghans in her 92 years. I went through my stash and found this one that goes so well with all the other things I used. I also decorated with family photos because I love to look at them any time of the day. The lamp shade is new and was on sale for $8.00 on clearance...what a deal. I love my room and will be spending lots of time here especially in the late afternoon when the beautiful sunlight is streaming in the window. I can hear the Canadian geese and the song birds when the window is open. Doesn't that chair look inviting? Hmmm...where is my book and cup of tea?

By the way, I posted the photo of Annie just because she looked so pretty laying in the sunlight. And she loves the new bedroom and has already made herself at home in that nice wicker chair. :)

Sweet Caleb and Candy Sticks

2010-04-09T21:57:00.009-05:00

Decorated cellophane candy sticks I created.

Sweet Caleb with the handsome smile.

My sister came to visit this morning and brought her grandson Caleb. He is my nephew Matt's son. I enjoyed having them here, but at first Caleb was very shy. He wasn't into chit-chat and he stayed close to grandma. He brought a couple of planes with him to play with and visited (a little) eventually telling me about his 'planes that fly in the sky'. Towards the end of the visit he started to warm up to me and let me read him a couple of stories from the Treasury of Beatrix Potter. My very good friend bought me the entire treasury in one volume many years ago to read to grandchildren I would have someday. I enjoy that book and my favorite story from it is Peter Rabbit. My grand daughter Emma used to love hearing that story over and over again. Caleb seemed to enjoy it also.

The photo of the candy sticks are some I created today to send to my two grand daughters Emma and Chloe. I also made one for Caleb as I am going to visit him tomorrow. We are taking him to see a fire truck display at the local 'spring show'. I am sure he will love it. His favorite interest at the moment is Thomas the Tank.

Kids are so awesome and are interested in everything. It does not take much to please them as they all just want love and attention. Spending time with them brings out the kid in you and they love you just the way you are. Joyful, spontaneous, and without suspicion generally describe their personalities. They are a work in progress. God tells us to 'come to him as little children'. Watch a child in action and you will soon understand why. I believe all children are a treasure from God. I know Caleb is.

Creative Chloe

2010-04-08T19:26:00.005-05:00

I love all things that my grand-daughters create. The photos above are creations that Chloe made in Montessori school. She learned to use a needle and thread on these wall hangings and I think she did a great job. She goes 3 days a week in the afternoon and has many opportunities to learn new skills. Chloe's personality is she likes to do things for herself. She has been picking out her own clothes for a long time and she does a good job of matching different pieces of clothing. (she likes to layer.) And no outfit would be complete without a few jewels, pretty hair clips and sometimes even fairy wings or feather boas. She takes her time in picking out an outfit, and sometimes she is still at it when it is time to go out the door. :) I love her independence and her ability to be very creative in 'make-believe play'. My favorite part of visiting with her is at bedtime when I can lay next to her and listen to all her wonderful chatter about the day and what she is thinking and she even sings to me in the sweetest voice. She has a sense of humor (like many youngest siblings) and she keeps me laughing. I am blessed to be able to share in my two grand-daughter's life's. Being a grandma is at the top of my 'blessing list' that I give thanks for. What is your favorite times with your grand-children?

Wedding Card

2010-04-07T16:11:00.002-05:00

Front of custom ordered wedding card I made.

Close-up of 3D floral embellishment.

Inside of wedding card with 1 Corinthians 13:13 verse.

I worked all afternoon on a special order wedding card for my son's best friend that is getting married soon. You can't see it in the photo but the paper has a beautiful soft creme color shine to it that is part of a 3-layered design. It is the perfect wedding paper. It always takes me so much extra time for these cards because they are given on the bride and groom's 'special day' and I want them to be part of the overall gift. I enjoy creating wedding cards because you can use all the glitzy embellishments that make them special.

Today was cold again. I am so ready for the weather to warm up and stay that way. I heard that maybe the beginning of the week we could have temperatures almost 80 degrees...we'll see if that happens. I do have lots of plants coming up sooner than they normally do because of the earlier warm weather. I would love to grill out and invite our friends over. (you know who you are.) I guess that won't be until we can unload the shed that is full of outdoor furniture, wheel barrows, lawn mowers, etc. I will try and be patient until summer actually arrives. Hope you all have a wonderful afternoon and evening.

Sweet Summer Memories

2010-04-05T07:03:00.079-05:00

I love this photo of the girls and grandpa. They always enjoy spending time with him.

There was a young Mourning Dove sitting on the ground. He was paying no attention to us but just resting in the sun. We had to get a closer look and the girls loved it!

Notice the Mourning Dove sitting on the fence rail.

I know...I am still reminiscing over my photos...but these photos make me sooo want summer to start. I love summer and having my family come home to enjoy it with us. Emma and Chloe always find lots of adventure around the acre. They have space to run and play, complete with many critters to look at. Last year we had a family of chipmunks for the first time. They would run under the bird feeder and eat the dropped sunflower seeds. After a few weeks they got 'fat and sassy'. I remember one day I was out back and I had a decorative birdhouse sitting on a bench. I noticed the neighbor dog in the yard carrying it in his mouth. When I went to get it back, all I could hear is very loud crying chatter as he shook it. I had no idea what the racket was but I made the retriever drop it on the ground. I picked it up and placed it back on the bench and a little head popped out the hole...a chipmunk. Of course he became my summer friend. (well until one of my neighbors informed Mike that chipmunks are about as bad as red squirrels for chewing up your stuff and he made me quit feeding them with special goodies.) Sigh.

Mike and I enjoy living here. We say we have our own little park to walk around in. There was a time when I was a young mother that I wanted to live any where else but here. I would pray that God give me another place to live. I am so glad that He didn't answer my prayer in that way but gave me contentment right where I was and now I wouldn't trade this place for any other home. It is the perfect place for us. So...bring on summer as I can't wait to dig in the dirt, watch the birds, and see what new critters have wandered in for a visit.

Reminiscing

2010-04-01T18:47:00.001-05:00

Today I was cleaning closets and spring cleaning. I love to get things in tip top shape again after the long winter. The problem that I oftentimes have though, is I come across a box of old pictures or kids artwork and I start reminiscing. Before you know it, I am sitting on my bed with a box of photos turned upside down laying all around me. I love photos of my family. Many years ago my mother went through her photos and gave me a lot of them. She said I was the 'keeper' of the photos until such time I would send them to my siblings. One day I decided to go through all of them and do just that. It took me more like a week to sort through them all and put together a box for each one. I think they appreciated getting their photos from childhood.

The photos I posted today were taken last summer when Scott, Tracey and the girls came for a visit. It is taken out back by the pond. The girls found two sticks and decided to pretend that they were fishing. It brought back memories of Scott, my oldest son, fishing in the very same spot with a real pole. He was always so excited and had such anticipation the week before the fishing season opened in May. We had to be sure he had his pole ready, and we dug for worms. He could spend hours wetting a line in the water. He always loved the outdoors and spending 'alone time' there. When he got older he bought a fly pole and went fly fishing for trout. He even learned how to tie his own flies to use on the line. His 6th grade teacher, Mr. Mikunda taught him and his friend Stewart to fly fish and he even took them on a fishing trip one summer for 2 days to the Namekogen River. Those two boys loved to fish together. I cherish all the memories of them growing up and spending time by the water. And sometimes if I get quiet enough...I believe I can still hear the line as it hits the water.

Yummy English-Style Scones

2010-03-29T20:11:00.003-05:00

Today I will share my English Scone recipe. I made these scones for my Bible study group this past Wednesday and they were gobbled up. This time around I modified it a little by adding pecans, chocolate chips and dried cherries in place of the raisins and dates.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets.

3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup finely pitted dates
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold butter
4 eggs, divided
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon water

Put the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together. Add butter; blend with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat 3 eggs, cream, and vanilla in small bowl. Add to flour mixture; mix just until ingredients are moistened. Knead dough several times on lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half; place each half on prepared cookie sheet and pat into 6-inch circle (about 1 inch thick).

With sharp, wet knife, gently score each circle of dough into six wedges, cutting 3/4 of the way into dough. Beat the remaining egg with water; brush lightly over dough. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on wire rack. Cut into wedges. Serve with marmalade and whipped cream. This recipe makes 12 scones.

The ingredients that I changed were to use 3/4 cup of chocolate chips (and no raisins) and a 3/4 measuring cup filled half full of pecans and half full of dried cherries (and no dates.) You can add just blueberries or raspberries; what ever suits your tastes. Also I want to give you 2 tips on making perfect scones. The key to making scones very tender is to not overwork the dough. Also to get just the perfect color make sure your oven rack is in the middle position. Enjoy!

Company Girl Coffee Time

2010-03-26T18:27:00.007-05:00

Hello to the Company Girls and all my blogger friends. Thanks for joining me today. I am always glad for the end of the week as the Sabbath day is approaching and I get to rest and fellowship with the Lord. Life is always so hectic with many things to accomplish or so it seems. A day of rest for the mind and body is much needed and always appreciated. I do thank the Lord for each and every day but the Sabbath day is a special time set apart from all the others for fellowship and thanksgiving to Him. He loves our adoration for who He is...the awesome, loving, just, kind, merciful, forgiving Creator of all the Universe. (I could have gone on and on with words that describe His nature.) Suffice to say we could thank Him every day of our life for being our All and All and it wouldn't be enough. I am so glad we will have eternity to do so.

Today I ran some errands to the Country Pantry. It is a very nice bulk food store owned and operated by a Mennonite family. They have so many wonderful fresh spices, baking items, meats, cheese, nuts and many items to numerous to mention. I like their steel cut oatmeal. The wonderful thing is I can buy a big bag that is equivalent to a box from the store. The difference in price is, at the Pantry it cost $1.05 for the entire bag and at the grocery store it cost $4.50. That is a huge savings. Their spices are cheap also and a lot fresher than what is in the little bottles at the grocer. If you have a bulk store in your area, it is worth checking out to see what they carry and how much you can save. These days, we are all for saving our dollars where we can.

Yesterday I received my swap gift from my friend Ellen in Canada. She is a dear, sweet person with a wonderful husband, and a very cute baby boy named Eleil. We have done several swaps together and it is always so much fun. She has so much creativity and owns her own wedding planning business called 'About A Bride'. She wears so many hats I don't know how she gets it all done but she manages and does it well. I have posted the photos of the swap gift here. Thank you Ellen. I love every thing you made me and the extra gifts. The way you wrapped one of my gifts in fabric was so nice. I like the fabric design and will be using it for a project. I especially loved the photo of Eliel. We will have to swap again some time. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and are able to take time to count all of your blessings. See you next time for coffee. :D

Vintage Inspired Card

2010-03-25T12:54:00.003-05:00

I have been so inspired by the book "Delight in the Details" by Lisa M. Pace, that I decided to try my hand at making vintage looking flowers. This card is the results. I love how it turned out. I used a scalloped circle punch and punched 5 circles out of pages from an old worn paperback book. She has instructions in the book on how to layer each circle to form the flower. I used brown Colorbox ink to make it look even older and paired the flower with some single leaves and a vintage button to finish the look. I also sewed a zig-zag stitch across the front of the card. I will be making more of these. Hope you all have a very productive day doing what you love.

Vintage Finds For Storage

2010-03-22T18:55:00.004-05:00

I found these beautiful glass and wire pieces at the thrift sale over the weekend. They were having a sale of 50% off. The average that I paid for each piece was about 15 cents...yes 15 cents. I decided to put them to good use in my craft room to hold some of my supplies. When I work in there now, things I use are readily available and it makes me happy because it looks so pretty. I have no clue why I am on a thrift store kick these days except to say I found a new book, just published this year, called 'Delight in the Details'. The author is Lisa Pace and she is a mixed media artist. Check out her website at www.lisapace.com. She makes awesome crafts using vintage paper, ribbons, paint, jewels, etc. It has been fun to check out the thrift stores for something that could be used to make vintage cards for my store table. I can't wait to try my hand at using pearls, old wool, and ribbons in my creating. What is it you love to create and what do you use for storage that is unusual? Tell us about it.

Cupcake Card

2010-03-20T07:52:00.000-05:00

Today will be a quick post. Mike and I are going to see my mother and take her out for breakfast. I bought a new stamp set from Achievers a couple of months ago and decided to try it out. It has several cupcake designs and sayings in it. (I love cupcake stuff) Hope your weekend is a good one and you are able to find some time for rest and praise to Him for all your blessings.

Wonderful Day Shopping

2010-03-19T20:43:00.001-05:00

Hello to all the Company Girls and also my other blogger friends. Hope you all had a wonderful week. Today I went shopping to a town 50 miles away from where I live. The town I live in is only about 350 people. (or so the sign says coming into town, but that was a count from the census about 20 years ago) Because of living in a small, but wonderful little town, we have to go further away to do any serious shopping. My husband was off today so he drove me and we spent the whole day together and had a wonderful time. He is the best person to take shopping as he is never impatient and he likes to bring his reading glasses and a book. If I want to go into a craft store he sends me in to shop while he sits in the car or on a bench and he reads. We found a wonderful thrift store to go to today. It was called the Hope Gospel Mission (I love the name). It was a very big store with lots of stuff in it. I think they had a little of everything and it was so much fun to browse. I found a wonderful spring wreath and a very nice frame for $1.98. They had lots of beautiful glass knick knacks, dishes, vintage fabric, jewelry and many, many books. After we were done shopping we went to Starbucks for coffee and we visited. We talked about our grandchildren Emma and Chloe and how much we miss them. We will see them the end of April as Emma has 'grandparents day' in her 2nd grade class at school. Time spent with them is always a celebration for us. They are treasures given to us by God. We are so grateful for the life we have...our family and good friends and having peace in our heart that only comes from knowing God. I wish you all a blessed weekend.

The wreath I bought at the thrift store for a couple of dollars. When I am done straightening all the flowers and vines, it will be beautiful. I will be using it on the wall over my table at the 'artisan gift store' where I sell my handmade cards.

Tundra Swans

2010-03-18T09:38:00.004-05:00

Photos courtesy of the Wildlife Services.

I can hardly contain my excitement today to tell you about the latest migrating birds on the pond. I went out yesterday morning with a cup of coffee to walk around the acre and as I looked out I seen two of the most regal and beautiful birds I have seen in a while. They were male and female Tundra Swans. I could hardly believe my eyes as we have not had any of those stop by for a visit for about 20 years. One of the last ones to show up on the pond met his demise as somehow he got tangled in an electric wire and died. It was so sad. Even the DNR could not figure out why it happened...so seeing them out on the pond swan-tipping was soooo exciting. In case you are wondering what swan-tipping is, I have included a photo of a swan tipping into the water to retrieve his food from the bottom of the pond. I was able to watch them for about an hour tipping into the water with their heads disappearing and then coming back up with their prize. Their necks are so long that they were even able to come right up to the ice rim of the pond and extend their necks under the ice to find their food. So here are some facts about Tundra Swans. Their size is about 50'-54" long. The males and females look the same. They do not differ in color or markings like some birds do. Male and female both build their nests and they have one brood a year usually 4-5 eggs. It takes about 35-40 days to incubate and both share in this task. Their food is plants and aquatic insects. They nest on the tundra of northern Canada and Alaska, hence its common name. Migration is diagonally across North America to reach wintering grounds along the East Coast. They are often seen in family groups of up to 20 birds. (maybe these two were mad at the relatives.) The young are easy to distinguish by their overall gray color. They give a high-pitched whistling like call.

I do wish my camera was of better quality and then I could take my own close-up photos of the migrating birds. Well, maybe some day I will invest in one and until then public domain photos are nice to be able to use. I am off to pour a cup of coffee for Mike and I. We are going out back to see what birds are visiting today.

Sew Cute Pincushions

2010-03-17T17:47:00.003-05:00

I was going to post today about the new birds that flew in today to rest for a couple days on the pond, but I got busy with a sewing project and ran out of time. Tomorrow I will share that story. Today I will give you a hint about the birds...they nest on the tundra of northern Canada and Alaska and their size is 50-54" long. Does that pique your interest? Good...more tomorrow. Today I am posting photos of the new pincushions I finished today for sale at Wisconsin Locally Handmade. I had posted one photo a few days ago of my practice piece but I added a lot more to the new ones. They are made using some recycled supplies which I love to do. I also worked on some handmade cards, but that will be for another day too. Hope your day was a sunny one and that you accomplished everything you set out to do.

Bufflehead Ducks

2010-03-15T22:47:00.000-05:00

Photo of Bufflehead Ducks courtesy of Dave Menke from Fish and Wildlife Service.

Glorious Spring

2010-03-15T22:08:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite seasons has finally arrived...glorious spring. This time of year also begins one of my favorite things to do and that is to watch for migratory birds. Mike and I were walking around our acre this morning with a cup of coffee and we seen our first migrating birds of the season. It was three Bufflehead ducks. The male is a small duck with striking white sides, black back, green purple head, with large white bonnet-like patch. They were beautiful to watch as they kept diving in the very cold water to eat aquatic insects.. The Birds of Wisconsin Field Guide says they have a complete migration to southern states and Central America.

The snow is almost gone on the acre and I have a few plants just starting to come up. It seems that this is the earliest I have ever had anything sprout up except for tulips and daffodils. It is so exciting to go out each day and see the changes in the landscape and listen to the birds sing. You can tell in their songs that even they are happy it is spring. I can't wait to see what birds are out on the pond tomorrow.

Simplicity

2010-03-14T23:04:00.003-05:00

I have decided to try and make some cards that have a cleaner design and ended up with these examples. I love the looks of the embossing and the simplicity of the cards. I am so used to making cards that are layered and have more embellishments on them. It was nice to just make them more simple. They sold already so I will definitely make more.
God has been talking to me lately about simplicity in many areas of my life. It is so nice to be rid of the clutter of material things and in so doing have a clearer mind and spirit.The Good News of God's Word is always simple and He never complicates it. We are the ones who seem intent many times in complicating the message. We just need to take Him at His Word and believe it is true even when we don't see any evidence of the answers we so desire. He has His perfect will for our life and He always answers our prayer but it is done in His timing and not our own. Thank you Lord for our life and the blessings that come because of Your love for us.

My Siblings and I

2010-03-14T09:08:00.002-05:00

I really love this photo. It was taken in the early 60's and it was on the first day of school. I remember the day it was taken and even though it is black and white I remember the color of my jumper. It was a bright yellow with an appliqued octopus on it. (can you even imagine?) Why I would want to wear anything with an octopus on it I do not know. I remember my hair turned out like I wanted it to after I lost sleep the night before laying on BIG pink smooth rollers. My hair had a natural curl to it and I wanted it to be smooth and more straight. I think my siblings look so cute in their clothes. As the oldest sister I had the responsibility of taking care of them a lot as our mother worked out of the home. I guess that job prepared me to one day take care of my own kids. I did like to cook for them but at the time my abilities were lacking sorely in that department. The poor kids were my 'cooking guinea pigs'. I would try out new recipes on them and my father. I remember once being so proud of a dish called 'Peanut Butter Pork Chops'. (doesn't that sound awful?) Well, it didn't go over very well but my father was gracious enough not to tell me so at the time. It is a good thing for my husband that my cooking got much better, even though in the beginning he suffered through a few awful meals. It is amazing how one little photo can bring back so many wonderful memories (like how much you really love your siblings). I am so glad to have old family photos to look at and smile. What do you remember from your childhood photos?

A Trip To The Thrift Shop

2010-03-10T18:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Mike and I decided to check out the local thrift shop. The cup and saucer are one of my finds. The set is Straffodshire from England and it cost me a whole sixty five cents. Actually they had 3 sets of the same and I bought them all. I have been looking for cups to make pin cushions out of them and I love 'the hunt.' I found lots of other wonderful deals like antique lace, other cups and saucers, a beautiful light green pottery bowl that I am going to fill with shells. I also found a pair of pearl clip on ear-rings that I am going to use on a manila tag that I will soon create. I will wrap the tag with some of the antique lace and will also use some scrapbook paper that looks like old fabric. It is exciting for me to shop at the thrift store because you never know what you may find. I got a whole bag of stuff for under $10.00 and that included a John Sandford book for my husband. It was originally a $26.00 hard cover book for $2.65. He was very happy with this find. The next time you are thinking about an adventure, do visit your local thrift store. You are bound to come home with at least one treasure.

New Project

2010-03-07T13:57:00.004-06:00

I have started working on a new project for my little business 'Through The Garden Gate.' Viking Brewery has a second floor that they fixed up for artisans to bring in their wares and sell them. We each have our own space that we maintain and keep it stocked with merchandise. I do handmade cards, paper crafts, and whatever else interests me at any given time. Today I made this 'teacup pincushion' out of felt and wool. I am pondering if I want to add more to it...probably a cute tag and maybe a few more buttons. There is a fine line between 'just the right amount' on something and 'too much.' I tend to lean towards too much. Have you had any time to craft lately? Let me know what you have made. :)

Thoughts of Spring

2010-03-04T12:24:00.005-06:00

View of the beautiful pond, seen from the back yard.

Summer 2009

Cheery wildflowers.

My one dollar flower bed of wildflowers. The seeds were on sale and gave me so much joy for so cheap.

I seen this mushroom in the side yard and loved how it looked.

Spring, spring, spring...oh how I love that word this time of year. The weather has started to get warm and I am so ready to go out and clean up the yard and look for little sprouts coming out of the ground. I used to have tulips that would push themselves up even through the snow. I remember how excited I would be to see their cheery faces. (reminder to me to plant some this year for that very reason) I am counting the days for the snow to melt and the robins to show up. The pond in the back is already opening up so that is a good sign of the warmth to come. Mike and I love to work outside together getting the yard in tip top shape. I started a woodland garden last spring out back by the pond and I am going to add some more perennials to it this year. Probably some ferns and hostas and some shade loving flowers. The one thing that excites me the most is to see what birds migrate this year and visit us on the pond. We are relatively close to the Mississippi flyway and it is so interesting to see what birds choose the pond as part of their path to get to their destination (which is usually Duluth, Minnesota.) Last year we watched three Common Terns do acrobats in the air to finally dive down to eat fish. I researched where they come from and found out that according to the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation that they inhabit sand and shell beaches, grassy uplands, and rocky inland shores in North and South America, Eurasia and northern Africa. Their species breeds in North America along the Atlantic Coast from the northern Maritime Provinces of Canada to South Carolina and occasionally in the Gulf of Mexico. Wintering grounds are from its southernmost breeding areas on the Atlantic Coast to northern Ecuador and Brazil. Mike and I will soon start looking out over the pond for any birds that are visiting our area. What are you looking forward to this spring?

Creative Tuesday

2010-03-02T07:28:00.003-06:00

I decided today to post a card that I made for a friend as a little 'Hi, so glad to see you' gift. It is a birthday card so she can give it away to someone. She did inform me though that she doesn't give the handmade cards away easily but she hoards them...well maybe that isn't the right word...saves them might be better. So this is for my friend, 'Give them away and I will make you more.' Thank you for my friend for liking all my creations and for encouraging me all of the time. (also thanks for the beautiful handmade soap) Having good friends means a lot. Have you spoken a word of encouragement to your friend lately? Today might be a good day to do it. :D

Emmie's First Birthday

2010-02-28T14:34:00.008-06:00

Cake made by Sara, Emmie's mama.

Loving her yummy birthday cake.

It was so good she licked the plate clean.

Pretty in Pink.

Emmie and I visiting together.

Sitting in the rocker grandma bought her.

Beautiful Family

Wish Upon a Helicopter

2010-02-27T22:00:00.027-06:00

Today was a busy day. I had some errands to run and I was invited to Emmie's first birthday party. She was so cute in her little pink party dress. Her ma-ma Sara made her a Disney Princess cake with pink frosting. (of course) She got lots of nice gifts which included clothes, dolls and books. Her great-grandma was even in attendance which was awesome. It was the perfect day to take a fourth generation photo. I love spending time with Jill, Andy, Lyle, Sara, and sweet Emmie. Rick would have been proud of his grand-daughter and you sure can see the family resemblance. I think Emmie looks a lot like Aunt Millie. She is a very happy little girl, full of smiles and sweetness. :D

Tonight when I arrived home, I put all my groceries away and decided to relax on the couch.I looked out my picture window and noticed that there was a full moon. It was so bright and beautiful. I picked up the telephone and called Emma. I said, 'Hi sweetie girl, guess what? There is a full moon tonight, look out your window.' She said, 'Grandma, I see it and also the moon's craters. I think the craters are the brown marks.' In the background I could hear Chloe say, ' Emma, I see a wishing star!' After a few seconds I heard Emma say, 'Chloe, I'm sorry but that is a helicopter.' Oh my goodness Emma, I'm sure your little sister was very happy to be told she was wishing on a helicopter. My grand-daughters always give me material for a good laugh. I don't know what I ever did without them. :D

Emma and Chloe taken the first night of Hanukkah 2009.

Emma and Chloe enjoying a cold winter day.

Crafting Green

2010-02-25T16:04:00.002-06:00

I am so excited to post about today's project as it involves recycled supplies. (Be still my heart.) My all-time favorite things to create are those I would have ordinarily thrown away after they served their useful purpose. Many things are thrown into the very full landfill that could have been recycled and used for another purpose. I got this idea out of my newest publication of Green Craft Magazine. I love this magazine and all of the wonderful ideas about recycling to make beautiful, new, awesome crafts. (You need to buy this magazine.) The project I made today is a 'file folder book' that holds 'note list' papers. The idea comes from Vanessa Spencer who is shop manager at Stampington & Company. I loved her idea and decided to change it up a bit and add a little more decoration to mine and do a little more rubber stamping. Everything I used to create this accordion book was recycled except the sewing thread and the stamping ink. The kraft colored note pages are recycled Aldi's grocery store bags. I also used old sheet music and used manila file folders.
So...what are you going to recycle and use, instead of giving it to the landfill? The old adage is 'one man's trash is another man's treasure.' Oh how I love recycled treasures. :D

The front of the accordion fold book.

The inner pocket pages with list note paper.

More inside pockets.

The opened book showing all pocket pages.

Creative Heart

2010-02-24T16:57:00.004-06:00

I love creating things, especially things made from beautiful paper. I think my husband wonders if my hobby is collecting scrapbook paper as I have plenty of it. The thing about having lots of paper is this...when I create I never know where my creative mind will take me for the afternoon and I need paper for every mood. (well, that is what I tell myself.) Sometimes, I am in the 'shabby chic' mood and sometimes I like colorful 'whimsy.' One thing is for sure, I have rarely met a paper I did not like. :D My grand-daughters love it when they come to visit and can create anything they want using paper and embellishments from my stash. I never mind sharing with them and I love watching what they create.The wonderful thing about a child is they don't sit and worry if their creation will be received with accolades...they just create and they are not afraid to do so. They seldom say to themselves 'well what if I make a mistake, or what if someone doesn't like what I created?' We should all take a lesson from them and just create from our heart and not worry about how it will be received by others. I remember when I used to teach scrapbook and card classes, I would have women come in and say 'I don't have a creative bone in my body.' I would say, 'well, why don't you try and see what happens.' They would always leave pleasantly surprised when they found out they really did have some 'creative bones' but had never tried exercising them. Have you created anything lately? If not, give it a try and see what you can come up with...you might be pleasantly surprised.

Front cover of a journal I made as a birthday gift for a friend.The 'B' is for the initial of her first name. The flower is a paper rose. The button card I found at an antique store and I loved the pink background with the pretty white buttons on it. The base of this journal started as an inexpensive composition notebook. (I love those things.)

This is the inside cover of the journal.

This is the back cover that I added paper and rubber stamped.

Trying to Learn Whistling & Other Fun Things

2010-02-23T13:43:00.019-06:00

We went to visit our kids and grand-kids over the weekend. It is always a celebration for me when I get to go and visit with everyone. Chloe had a friend's birthday party to go to later in the day, so we met Tracey by the Archivers scrap store and picked Emma up early to go to Kate's. Chloe and ma-ma came later in the day after the birthday party. Emma and I played the game Sorry and we had so much fun. She also brought the latest book she was reading and she read me a few pages and then explained what was going on in the story. At one point she started whistling and then grandpa started whistling and Aunt Renee started whistling. I thought, 'not fair' I don't know how to whistle. (I never did learn as a kid.) Emma said "Grandma can you whistle? No, Emma I don't know how.' She said,' I'll show you'.....and she puckered her lips and let out a big bird whistle and grandpa did the same. So here I am trying to do the same thing they did, over and over, but to no avail. At this point they were laughing so hard...especially Emma, that I started laughing. I said, Grandpa, where should I keep my tongue? (to try and whistle) and he said 'in your mouth.' Oh my goodness did they laugh then and Emma couldn't stop. She said 'grandma, I guess you better quit because it looks like you aren't going to get it.' Probably not, my sweetie girl, probably not. :D

Ghost Cat

2010-02-18T18:51:00.004-06:00

Annie, it has been said is a 'one woman' cat. Others lovingly call her the ghost cat. Ghost cat because the minute anyone knocks on our door, she is up the stairs in a flash. If you were to go upstairs to find her, it would probably take you awhile and she would be found hiding under whatever she deemed a 'safe haven'. Sometimes all you see is a big lump under my bed spread. (as if that would qualify as 'really hiding' when everyone knows that the big lump is her.) Also she can be jealous, as cats go. If my husband decides to give me a hug and Ann is down stairs you should hear her whine and cry. Oh my goodness, what is up with that? If I pick her up and she is in the hug she is happy as can be. She has taken over my scrapbook basket, as you can see from the photo. It used to hold my scrap paper but she would crawl in it and lay on top of everything. I decided to empty it out and put an old towel inside for her to lay on. Now when I am busy working on a project or I am on the computer (that is in my craft room) she crawls in and goes to sleep. It does seem that where ever I go there she is except when she is sleeping and even then she occasionally comes down to check on me. Well, the question would have to be have I unleashed a monster or do I just own a spoiled cat with beautiful green eyes? I choose to believe the latter. :D

Challenge

2010-02-18T14:33:00.002-06:00

I decided today to take the challenge posted by Stephanie from Homegrown Hospitality blog. Her challenge was to pick a photo of ourselves and remember the details about that day...when, what, who we were with and then pick a quote to go with it. (click on Homegrown Hospitality at the right of my blog to read the challenge.) Then you decide what to create with your photo and quote. I will be creating a little scrap page to go in my journal. Take the challenge and see what you can come up with.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

Anonymous

Altered Tea Tin

2010-02-17T13:29:00.007-06:00

I had a special order from the gal that runs our post office in town so I am posting the finished pics here. She had an old tea tin and asked if I could 'make it over' for her. She wanted to fill it with nuts and give it as a birthday present. The theme she wanted to go with was 'outdoors woodsy'. I told her I would give it a try. This is the finished result and when she seen it, she loved it. (phew, thankfully) I soaked off the old tag and made a new one out of scrapbook paper. I rubber stamped some off-white card stock with a pine bough design. I decided to do a little layering, so I rubber stamped some pine cones and cut them out with a little pair of scissors to get all the detail. When I first put them on the label I thought they needed more but could not pin point what it was. I put the tin on my shelf and went up to bed. When I woke up this morning, I knew just what it needed to look better...3 dimensional pine cones. You probably can't tell by the photo but I made 2 more pine cones, cut them out, and put them right on top of the first two, securing them with foam tape.The foam tape raises them up off the label so it looks 3D. I also used a sparkly glitter pen on the pine cone detail. I love to use this pen because it gives just a hint of glittery spark. Doing just those two things finished it off and I loved the look. What do have around your house that could potentially be someone's birthday gift? It is so much fun to alter objects that you would normally throw away.

Ten Minute Card

2010-02-16T21:29:00.002-06:00

This is a simple card I made using one of the new Martha Stewart punches called floral vine. Her punches make cards look so elegant and pretty but are very easy to do. The floral paper I used on the card was a scrap from another project, as well as the scallop circle greeting. This is a birthday card but could be used as a wedding card.

My sister and I love using the Martha punches and when she comes for a visit we share our punches with each other. Even mom gets in on the action. She has made a lot of pretty cards in the last few weeks. It is fun to get together and talk crafts. What was your creation today?

More Farm Pics

2010-02-16T14:10:00.002-06:00

The bottom pic is the chickens who laid the beautiful eggs. The top is my grand-daughter Emma holding one of the new baby chicks who will one day lay the beautiful eggs. Emma came and stayed with me one week this past summer. I took her to my friend's farm to visit because it is her favorite place to go when she comes to our house to stay. We love this farm with all of the wonderful critters. (especially the donkeys) :D

Beautiful Farm Fresh Eggs

2010-02-15T16:43:00.001-06:00

Isn't this a beautiful bowl of eggs? You don't find eggs like this at a store. My friend owns a farm and every 2 weeks when she comes over for Bible study, she brings me 2 dozen, beautiful, farm fresh eggs. You have never really tasted an egg until you have had one fresh from the farm. They actually have a taste that is is rich and wonderful. I make a good buttermilk pancake recipe and one day last year I made the recipe using farm eggs. My husband said, 'Wow, these are the best pancakes I have ever had.' I informed him that they were the same recipe I had been making him for 25 years. :) That says it all concerning the taste of fresh eggs. The yolks look different too. One day, I had a few store bought eggs left and also a carton of the fresh. I cracked one from the store and one from the farm. They were laid side by side and 'boy howdy' did the yolks look different. The store bought were pale and sickly looking and it kinda spread out. While the farm egg was a beautiful dark gold color with the yolk sitting high on the whites. It was a no brainer for me to see which egg I wanted to eat.
While we are talking eggs, I thought I should share a few egg nutrition facts with you. According to an article in Sunset magazine, March 2009, several studies suggest that farm fresh eggs are 30% higher in omega-3s and vitamins A, and E. They are also lower in fat and cholesterol. The difference according to Jo Robinson, author of Pasture Perfect and founder of eatwild.com, is in the chickens' feed. "Fresh grass is a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids and carotenoids. Eggs from chickens raised on good pasture have an intense yellow-gold color, most pronounced in the spring and early summer, when the grass is at its peak." Shells of the chicken eggs can be any color, as you can see by my photo, brown, tan, blue, or white. The shell color indicates the chicken breed. Don't be fooled in the store by the different names on the cartons like organic or cage free. Those labels do not necessarily mean that the chicken spent any time pecking outside.
Go and visit your local farm, buy some eggs and do your health a favor.

Card Fun

2010-02-13T10:45:00.000-06:00

I made this card this morning using a photo my sister sent to me. She used the cardboard letters and crocheted flowers laid out on paper and took a photo without gluing anything down. I loved the looks of it so I created a card to send to my daughter. The photos I posted, are the front of the card and the inside. It has a different look than the ones you actually put the embellishments on. Notice I put little colored pearls right in the center of each crochet flower in the photo card. I like making these cards especially for use as note cards. Hope you all have a very blessed weekend. :D

Recycled Tin

2010-02-12T13:53:00.004-06:00

Today I was going to post my thoughts about the things that used to sit on my mother's dresser when I was a child but I don't have a lot of time for posting today. That will have to wait for another day. Instead I am posting a photo I took of a project I just finished for my sister. It is a painted, decorated, recycled bean can. I love to re-purpose things and make 'trash into treasure.' It seems to be a challenge I make to my self to come up with ideas to 'go green.' I save anything that even looks like it could have another purpose in life. It is rewarding when they turn out beautiful enough to be given as a gift. This tin could be used as a pencil or marker holder. I put crinkled paper in this one and filled it with candy hearts. It could even hold small guest soaps. I smoothed out all the sharp edges, painted it and stained it. Then the fun began laying on the paper and getting to use my favorite glitter glue. (love that stuff) I attached a silver wire handle on which I put small blue beads with a silver butterfly as decoration.

Look around your house and see what you can recycle. It doesn't take that much time and very little money to cheer up someone's day with a little handmade gift. Try it...they will like it. :)

Inspiration by the Holy Spirit

2010-02-10T22:18:00.007-06:00

I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this poem for my son James in June 2008 for his birthday. On October 25th, the same year, he received his healing from Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and got his life back after 17 years of illness. As each day passes he gets stronger and one day soon he will return to work. We praise God every day for His undying love and His tender mercies. King David says it all in Psalm 103:1-5.

2010-02-10T22:04:00.006-06:00

Walk in the Destiny

Walk in the destiny that is your's alone.

Walk the path God has shown.

The path of Love freely given.

The path on which you are really living.

Healing comes to you this day.

Holy Spirit is here to stay.

Fear flees and is no more.

The Lion of Judah knocks at the door.

Love says walk right in,

Abide with us to the end.

Mercy says, I'm new each morn.

Walk with me, the veil is torn.

Victory is your's every day.

Read My word and you will say,

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise God for these seeds I sow."

On the Day of Judgment it will be said,

As the Book of Life is finally read.

"Well done My son, this place is your's.

Go and live on peaceful shores."

Golfing at Mom's

2010-02-10T21:45:00.003-06:00

James hitting some golf balls a few months after God healed him of CVS.

Donkey Love

2010-02-10T07:12:00.009-06:00

My love affair with donkeys began when I was about 5 years old. One morning when I and my siblings woke up, my dad told us that he had a BIG surprise for us. We asked him what it was but he would not tell. He said we were going to get in his pick-up and go get 'the surprise.' We asked lots of questions, like what color was it and would it fit into the house? We ate breakfast then started on our trip. When we arrived at our destination, I could NOT believe my eyes. There in a field was about a dozen donkeys. Yes....donkeys, of all sizes and colors. Dad said 'well, pick which one you want.' We get to pick our very own donkey?? Have I died and gone to heaven? There weren't many exciting things that went on around our house so this...this was unbelievable to me. We picked out a gray donkey of medium size. I especially loved the looks of this donkey's ears. (I still love donkey ears.) Her ears were so soft to the touch and I knew right away that she liked me. :) The choice was made, so away we went with our donkey in tow. My dad explained to us that he and mom had put their name in a drawing and they won...the prize being the donkey. When we got home we unloaded this 'precious pet' and decided on a name. I don't remember who came up with the name but I do remember that we were all in agreement....Burrito. We named our donkey Burrito.
There are many funny stories about Burrito, one being that she liked to follow us kids to school. (we walked to a one room school house and no it was NOT in the 1800s) :) My mom got several calls from the neighbors saying, 'please come get your donkey as she just ate my blouse off the clothes line.' Mom was not happy about that, so we had to start putting her in a pen. :( I remember once, I was riding her in the enclosed area and my brother hit her on her back legs with a stick and she ran and bucked me off into a fresh donkey pie. I was sooo made at him and probably didn't talk to him for the rest of the day. We kept that donkey until we had to move to Florida. (about 2 years) We had an auction and sold her to a farmer. I remember that I was so sad and didn't want her to leave us. She was the best pet I ever had and to this day I love all donkeys.
This photo is my grand-daughter Emma, at my friend's farm, petting Abigail, the donkey. They both are very sweet. :)

Visit with Mom

2010-02-09T15:33:00.003-06:00

Today Mike and I went to town as I had a couple of appointments to go to. Between the 2 appointments, we had had some extra time so we went over and visited mom. Lynny came over for a few minutes and I gave her a card I had made. I also delivered her soap order that came from my very good friend who crafts beautiful, handmade soaps. She will be opening her own Etsy shop in March to sell her wares. (I will share her Etsy address here once she opens, so look for it.) We had a nice visit with mom while we drank coffee and ate some Trader Joe's chocolate mint cookies. Yum! (compliments of Lynny) Mom was telling us about the little Brownie troop that she helps with. Tonight is the meeting and they were going to make Valentine cards. I think she really likes volunteering her time and it sounded like the girls were always excited to come to the meetings and see what the craft would be. I remember when I was in Girl Scouts and I too loved going and having that time to make fun things with other girls. :)
Hope you all had a blessed day.

Thinking of Spring.

2010-02-08T15:01:00.001-06:00

Taken this past summer in back of the house, along the pond. I love this area of the yard and I have been dreaming lately of sitting on this bench with Mike enjoying a cup of coffee. Spring is one of favorite times of year. As I sit on this bench I think of all the possibilities of summer. :)

Where Did the Day Go?

2010-02-08T14:57:00.000-06:00

It is already 2:30 p.m. and I would like to know where my day went? It seems that there are never enough hours in the day to accomplish what I would like to get done. Mornings are spent with Mike, getting him breakfast and a coffee break snack. I have dishes to do, lunch to make, towels to fold (well Mike generally does that for me) :) Today I decided to make some brownies for my neighbor friend whose birthday is today. I got a little gift ready for her and a card. I baked brownies with chocolate frosting and pecans on top. I felt she needed an encouragement on her birthday today. She had a stroke in her middle 30s (a couple of years ago) and it left her paralyzed on one side. So every birthday is a special one as she is still here with us. All the things I did accomplish today were things that are important to take care of...it just seems like I always have a list a mile long of things that should get done too. Well, tomorrow is another day, so I will get up and hopefully cross more things off that list. Hope you had a productive day. :)

Words

2010-02-06T08:04:00.030-06:00

My silly sister sends me these messages. She lays out cardboard letters on her bedspread or scrapbook paper and sends them to me. This one was sent after I made her favorite egg salad when I knew she was coming for a visit. She claims 'it is the best egg salad she ever had', but it is hard to know if that is really true as she says that about every thing I make for her. :)

What I don't think she realizes is how much I like these little messages. It gives me a lift for the day when I see them in my e-mail. Speaking words of encouragement to others does not take up much of your time. (unless you are laying letters out on your bed.) Everyone likes to be appreciated. Kind words can be your gift to them. What words of encouragement will you speak to someone today? :)

Cleaning Day

2010-02-05T17:55:00.012-06:00

Today is generally the day I clean the house before the Sabbath. The problem is, today I got side tracked with a craft project. This seems to happen so easily. :) I did a few pages in a mini scrapbook I am creating and then decided I better quit and get busy with the 'real' work. The bathroom got cleaned and I vacuumed the floors. Dishes were washed and then I put a pot of chili on the stove to cook. I found a website today that had 44 different chili recipes for the Super Bowl.I made one of them and it was very tasty. At least I will have something already made for Mike's lunch for work tomorrow. All in all, it was a good day...except I wished I could have crafted more. :) Hope you all have a quiet, relaxing weekend. :)

One of the pages I created for my mini scrapbook.

Fun Afternoon

2010-02-04T14:59:00.014-06:00

Today, my mom and sister came over. We had such a nice afternoon. I made some lunch and coffee for them. We all had some little gifts to give each other that we had made. (My favorite part and thanks Lynny). We talked card making, scrap-booking and played around with some Martha Stewart punches. We love Martha's paper art products and especially the punches because they make every we use them on look especially beautiful. I like the elegance of her products. :) It is always fun to have mom come over and we share our stuff with her. She doesn't know it but there isn't anything I have here that I wouldn't give to her if she wanted it. My sister said, "Don't tell her that or she might want it all." :) Mom's love, in crafts, is beautiful, glitzy, romantic inspired paper. She has been crafting beautiful cards every afternoon so today we had a 'show and tell'. (like the kind we used to have in kindergarten) It is fun to be able to show others our inspired creations and maybe get a few oohs and aahs from everyone. Being creative makes my heart smile. :) What about you?

Cards punched using Martha Stewart's heart border.

Quiet Day in the Neighborhood

2010-02-03T15:54:00.000-06:00

Mike was off today so it was a pretty quiet day. We had coffee together several times and did some visiting. Later in the day, while he was watching Fox News, I did a little crafting.I made a few Post-It Note covers. They aren't anything spectacular but I was pleased in how they turned out. I used some Martha Stewart flowers that I had bought and some scrap paper. It is a good way to use up your scraps and end up with something that looks pretty. All in all it was a quiet day in the neighborhood. What did you do today? :)

Post-It Note Covers

2010-02-03T15:42:00.005-06:00

Humorous Stories

2010-01-31T13:24:00.003-06:00

I was reading the 'little book of conversations' that I have written over the last eight years for the girls. It is a book of comical and sometimes serious conversations I have had with them or other family members have had with them. It is priceless moments that I want to remember when I am 85 or so. Today I will write about two of them that still make me laugh. One day Emma had earned a dollar from her daddy to buy an 'Ice Age' toy at Burger King. When they arrived to buy it, the one Emma wanted wasn't available and those that were, she already had. She was very disappointed to come home empty handed. As she and daddy were on their way home a song came on the radio by Rosie Greer. He sang 'Don't worry, be happy, everything is gonna be alright.' After a few minutes Emma said to daddy "That song is not making me feel any better.' (sorry Rosie) :)
Another time, I had made Emma a 'toad house' out of a flower pot for her garden and gave it to her as a gift. She called me a few days later and said, 'Grandma, a toad moved into my frog house. Maybe when you come again we could build a deck on it to make the house more interesting for him.' (and we did) :)

If you want to have a joyful day, spend it with a child and listen to them as they talk to you about ordinary, every day life. Take the opportunity to see life through their eyes. It is good for the heart. :)

Sweet Fairy Princess Chloe

2010-01-30T13:32:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite photos of my grand-daughter Chloe.

Sabbath Morning

2010-01-30T09:54:00.011-06:00

It will be a quick post today as Mike just got up. I need to go and have coffee with him and see how his work went last night. It is a beautiful sunny day, still cold, but the sun makes all the difference to me.
This morning I was studying in the book of 2 Corinthians 4 (whole chapter) and the verse in Philippians 2:5 that reads in the Amplified version:

'Let this same attitude and purpose and (humble) mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: (Let Him be your example in humility.)'

If I were to only use one word (even though there are many more) to describe His attitude and purpose and humble mind, it would be the word love...pure love...because that is who He is: Love. I could expound further but will save it for another day on my other blog 'Heart to Heart...where my soul finds rest.'
Wishing each of you a peaceful and blessed day.

A Couple of My Favorite Photos

2010-01-29T17:32:00.003-06:00

A lily from the garden and the view of the pond behind my house.

What a Day

2010-01-29T08:20:00.003-06:00

I am very glad today is here...all brand new. I do hope today is better than yesterday. :) I got Mike off to work like I normally do. I then settled in to do some crafting (I am working on Ellen's new gift for swap). The phone rings and it is a number that I don't recognize but this time I answer it. (I normally don't pick up the phone on numbers I don't know.) It was Mike saying that his car broke down on his way to work and he had to walk to a farm to use the phone. He had to walk and it was 17 degrees below zero...how did that happen? :( He asked if I could come and get him? Of course I can but it is going to take awhile as the car is frozen in the snowbank. (we have no garage so the cars sit out in the elements) I quick changed clothes and put on my many layers of winter garb. I hate layering because when I am done I can't move let alone drive. I started the car, praying that it would hum right along. Thank you Lord, it did. Oh my, there was sooo much ice on everything. I was getting a little frantic by then as even the windshield wipers were frozen solidly to the glass. I thought where is the ice scraper?? I looked everywhere in the car and could not find it. Okay then what can I use? I went back into the house and got a wide pancake turner. Hey, I use what I have when I need to jump into action. I scraped and used the broom to try and move the frozen snow. Everything on me, even with layers is getting cold. I keep scraping the windows and my makeshift ice scraper broke off and I was left with the top portion of about 3 inches to try and scrap the rest. Well, I thought, that has to be good enough as I need to get going. I went back into the house to get my wallet and as I turn to go out again to the car....there is Mike. I was so happy to see him. He said a neighbor gal from down the street was coming home from the next town over and seen him standing in the bitter cold and asked if he needed a ride. Of course he took her up on the offer.
Now what do we do? Mike called into work and that did not go well. So he went down to the local mechanic shop to see what he could do to help. He was busy with other cars until 4:00. I knew that meant Mike would be pacing the floor until 4:00 arrived. Sure enough...I was right...walk around in circles. (he does not like his vehicle sitting along a lonely roadside) Finally at 3:45 he decided to see if the mechanic was done with his other jobs. They left a few minutes later with a truck and trailer to bring the car home. One hour later they are back with the car and bad news that the timing belt is shot and the cost to fix it isn't cheap. :( Oh the joys of maintaining 2 vehicles and older ones at that. Today has to be a better day and I am going to be looking for the sun to arrive. I haven't been able to get out much to walk as it has been so icy on the sidewalks. Because of that I am starting to get "spring fever" sooner than I normally do and that is not good. I think later today, I need to post a photo of some flowers from this past year's flower bed. Come back later and visit. :)

Swap Gift Pic

2010-01-28T08:50:00.007-06:00

fabric brooch and matching hair clips for my grand-daughters

Swap Gift

2010-01-28T08:44:00.003-06:00

Good morning to all. Hope you had a good night. I have so much to do today but before I start working on projects, I want to show you what I received from my swap friend Ellen. She has her own business called About A Bride. She is a wedding planner and she just started creating and selling wedding accessories too. (on Etsy) I love her spunk and her creative heart. I am always amazed at the things she accomplishes as she has a little boy Eliel that keeps her very busy. (I think she said her secret was staying up into the wee hours of the morning.) She is comical and I love reading her blog because I always get a laugh when she tells "the story". You can find her here at www.etsy.com/shop/aboutabride and at www.shimmerandtulle.blogspot.com.
Well I am off to get Mike up, feed him breakfast and see what the day brings. The beautiful sun is out so it has to be good. Have a blessed day all. :)

Chiseled Brownie Bits

2010-01-27T17:08:00.003-06:00

chiseled brownie bits and some sweet treats

Bible Study Treats

2010-01-27T16:59:00.006-06:00

Last night I decided not to wait until today to make treats for my Bible study. So I found my recipe and decided to make Brownie 7-Layer Bars. I had all the ingredients for them. I knew they would be very rich and very sweet, but good. I whipped them up and put them into the oven until they were done. They had a brownie layer, unsweetened coconut layer (because I personally don't like sweetened coconut), chocolate chip layer, mixed nut layer, and sweetened condensed milk layer. I know that I only listed 6 layers but I was out of butterscotch chips, so I added extra chocolate chips. The recipe said to let the bars cool thoroughly before cutting. I can do that. :) So I put them in the refrigerator until cool, then I cut them. Cutting them after they were cool wasn't an easy task but so far so good. I put them back in the refrigerator. Let's fast forward to today...I took them out of the fridge so that I could place them on my very pretty party plate. Oh my goodness...they were stuck tight to the pan. I tried running a knife around the edges, I tried prying them up with a metal spatula (that eventually bent) and I even came up with a few other tools, short of a screw driver to try to get them out. So much for letting them cool in the pan. :( I was so frustrated and mind you I needed to get finished before my study started. Yep, good way to start a Bible study, grumpy and frustrated. I said, "Well Lord, now what do I do?" I don't usually talk to God about my cooking abilities or ask His instruction regarding my cooking but today I DID. I heard that "still small voice" say, "put them in the oven." Why would I want to put them in the oven? Again, I heard "put them in the oven." Okay, in the oven they go. I set my oven for 250 degrees and then put them in for 3 minutes. Then out of the pan they came!! Yes!!! The 7 layer brownies are out of the pan! I know by now you are probably rolling your eyes at me...but don't do it. Tee Hee. I figured that the Lord could help me feed 5, especially since He fed 5 thousand with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. It's not as if I was asking Him to multiply the brownies, just help me, please, get them out of the pan. :) Anyway I decided to use the chiseled crumbs (from the first 4 bars I tried to get out of the pan) to put on ice cream. Yum. :) All was well and everyone loved the bars. :)

Tomorrow I am going to post a pic of the wonderful swap gift that was sent to me from my friend Ellen in Canada. Hope you all have a great evening. :)

Finally Finished the Bookmarks

2010-01-26T16:54:00.001-06:00

I finally finished Emma's bookmarks for her class. I did 30 of them. She was satisfied with the end result, so that is what is important. I used a Martha Stewart border punch, some stickers and foam hearts from WalMart, and some various Hero Arts stamps. I love making things for the girls and I like it that they can give away some handmade things instead of store bought. (easier on daddy's pocket book too.) Now I will have to come up with something for Chloe to give her classmates and she has already told me she did NOT want book marks. She said, "Grandma, I want roses and teal ribbon on my Valentine cards." Okay Chloe grandma will see what I can come up with. :)
It was very quiet today as Mike went back to work this afternoon. I miss him, but I did get more done than I have in the last 4 days.I got my Bible study finished up for tomorrow. I have to do some baking for my "study" girls....maybe some pecan brownies. Hope you all have a good night.
By the way, check out my friend Ellen's blog at Shimmer and Tulle. (link provided on the side) She has a lot of fun things going on, including an "online swap." Go visit and read what it is all about. It sounds like fun :)

One of Those Days

2010-01-25T20:12:00.004-06:00

Today was one of those days where I didn't feel very productive. It is Mike's last day off so it was hard for me to get too involved in a project. I worked on Emma's bookmarks and I decorated a glass bottle. The bottle took
longer than I thought it would. At first I was going to layer 4 pieces of paper around it.They were so pretty too, but I just could not get them glued around the jar straight no matter how hard I tried. (and I tried more than once.) So I finally put 2 layers and it was a little better but I still wasn't that pleased. I finished that project and then decided to watch a movie with Mike in the middle of the afternoon. I never watch movies in the middle of the afternoon, but we had to get it back to the rental place. Actually it was last night's movie that we didn't get to watch because the Viking/Saints game was being played and it went into overtime. I got tired and went to bed and Mike stayed up to watch all the sports talk afterwards. Tomorrow I need to get some things done including finishing up my Bible study for Wednesday when the girls come over. Have a good night.

Fun in The Snow

2010-01-24T08:43:00.007-06:00

Good Morning

2010-01-24T08:04:00.001-06:00

Good Morning to all. Mike is still sleeping as we didn't get to bed until late. We had freezing rain last night and now it is just snowing. It looks very slippery outside and not much for traffic on the road. The trees look absolutely beautiful with the snow ice on them. I love days like this when I can just stay inside and watch the beauty from my living room window. I'm sure today will be a quiet one. Mike wants to watch some football (to see who goes to the Super Bowl) and I will work on finishing Emma and Chloe's cards and bookmarks. I may even get a household chore done. :) First I am going to work on my women's bible study for Wednesday. It seems like there is always something to do and even though I like to stay busy, it is nice sometimes to just sit, get quiet, and just breath. It seems I do more of that when Mike is home for the day. I try hard to stop" being busy" and spend time with him. So, what are your plans for the day? I hope your day is joyful. :)

A Good Day

2010-01-23T19:34:00.004-06:00

Today was a good Sabbath day. Mike is home and we just hung out together. Tonight we are having movie night. (as soon as I am done posting) I made some bookmarks today for Emma to take to school to give her classmates. They turned out cute. I have some work left to do on them and then I start Chloe's. I love to do things for them. They are such treasures to Mike and I and having them for our grand-daughters make our lives extra special. :) I thank God for them every day. We all have so many blessings in life. We do not have to look very far to see them either. I see the pictures of the people of Haiti (especially the children) and I think, those parents love their children as much as I love mine. They have gone through so much and have so little. Tonight I get to crawl into my warm bed with comfy pillows next to the one I love. The horror and tragedy of Haiti is beyond words. God loves them and He cares about what happens to each and every one of them.We should care too. There are many ways to donate in order to help them and we can pray that the donations sent, will reach all in need. Hope you have a blessed evening. By the way, did you notice my new and improved blog header? My friend Ellen designed it for me and I love it. She is so talented and very sweet in giving me the gift of her precious time. :)

Finally

2010-01-22T16:49:00.012-06:00

Finally I can sit down and write a post for today. My husband Mike is off from work so we went shopping for groceries and a few other things. We also stopped at the public library to get my stash of books for the next 3 weeks. We love that place. I usually check out a book there to see if I like it and then if I do and want it in my own home library, then I buy it. We didn't get home until late this afternoon and we had a great time. We always have fun when we shop together. First we went to a store that has a little cafe in it. They serve great coffee and the best bread pudding we have ever had. After we ate and visited, I went shopping and he sat and read his book and drank coffee. It is a win-win situation because I don't feel rushed and he is taking time to relax, which he does not do often. I found the new Hero Arts coffee cup stamp that I wanted for card making. It is soooo cute. I can't wait to use it. I also found some really cute paper to make a new swap gift for my friend Ellen (from Canada). I haven't told her yet but we are going to do another swap. ( she asked if I wanted to do one for Feb.) The last one was so much fun and I enjoy having Ellen as a friend. (wished she lived closer) :) Any way maybe this weekend I will start that project. The weather for the weekend isn't supposed to be very good and so Mike and I will hibernate in, as he is off until Tuesday. (I'm doing my happy dance.) I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and stay warm. :)

Day Two of Learning to Blog

2010-01-21T13:51:00.012-06:00

Well, here I am at day two of learning to blog. I decided today, to learn how to post a lovely photo of Annie, my Maine Coon cat. I am reading a book by Tara Frey called "Blogging for Bliss." The first thing I read this morning was not to overdo posting animal pics on your blog...hmmm. Okay then, just one photo today. I only decided to write about Annie because of the way she greets me in the morning. I come down the stairs and lovingly say to her, "Good Morning Ann. How are you doing?" She talks back in loving way too. I call it "cat speak" and it is very hard to translate into English what she says to me. It sounds something like this...awowwhatwhat. I know it doesn't make much sense to anyone but me, but that's okay. As you can see by the photo, Annie has a quite beautiful face that greets me each morning. Am I a cat nut? Not really, but I sure love this cat and her company. :)

2010-01-20T14:26:00.004-06:00

Well, I did it! I started a second blog to post "creative" every day things that I am thinking about or am working on. I may even post some of my favorite recipes, pics of the grand-kids and other fun stuff. I am one that learns as I go along so it may be trial and error at first, but I am excited to start. :) So...I welcome you to join me when you can. :)