Monday, November 12, 2007

Boo

I didn't even know I had this picture of "Boo" - found it looking through photos on my computer today. Luke must have taken it. He is a part of our home and family - yet seems to at times keep himself a little distant and private. When he wants to be - he is truly lovable. His original name was Foster - but we now call him Boo.
"It is difficult to obtain the friendship of a cat. It is a philosophical animal . . . on that does not place its affections thoughtlessly." ~ Theophile Gautier

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Jake - always texting.

This is how Jake looks most of the time - eyes on his phone - always texting.

"Cell phones are the latest invention in rudeness." ~D.H. Mondfleur

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Another Halloween

Time to store away all my pumpkins and spooks until next year.
When witches go riding,and black cats are seen,the moon laughs and whispers,‘tis near Halloween.~Author Unknown





Friday, October 26, 2007

Sunflowers and Kisses



My first attempt at making some paper cones. I made these for the ladies that I work with and decided to make them at the last minute - so I was a little rushed, but I think they turned out sort of cute. I have a wonderful support group in the women that I work with. I don't know what i would do without them some days. Today is Friday!!! - It took a long time getting here this week.
"I get by with a little help from my friends." - John Lennon

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

October Mugs.


Halloween is probably my favorite holiday and I have a thing for coffee mugs - so I have collected quite a few mugs to use this time of year. When I say I have a thing for coffee mugs - I mean that I pick a mug to use each day that goes with what I am wearing. (yes - OCD I know - it does bother me if my mug looks bad with what I am wearing). I figure if I am going to use something everyday - then I should have fun with it. The people at work think this is a little weird - but then we all have our own little quirks.
"Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with." ~ Drew Sirtors

Monday, October 22, 2007

Bag for Kasey

I had to stitch up a bag tonight for some "girl stuff" I bought for Kasey - (nail polish, brush, files and those toe things - all pink.) Her favorite color is pink - I love that! I love it when my sons have girlfriends - it gives me a reason to buy all the cute stuff I see. And I love making little gift bags.
This is not a very good pic - and not a great bag - but at least I got something made, no matter how small. Jake was waiting to leave and I wanted to send it with him - so I only had 5 seconds to snap a picture. So this is as good as it gets.
Think Pink

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Dad and Jack


I love this picture - especially their hands. It is of my dad and my newest great nephew. Since I am nearly always a little homesick - it makes me miss my dad and wish I could hold my nephew.
"What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories." ~George Eliot

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Osage - way back when





I found this photo online of my home town -back in whatever year it was. Some of these buildings are probably still there. I will have to notice next time I am back there.


I am having a nice relaxing weekend. We went to a cigar show yesterday and then have a birthday barbecue for a friend of my sons. It was a good day. It was a hot day!!! - but a good one.


Friday, July 27, 2007

Hogwarts




I am just now taking an interest in the Harry Potter books and movies. I've started reading the series and watching the movies as I finish each book. It is perfect reading for the last two weeks of my summer. Jacob has read them and wanted the new book when it came out - so when he came home with it and after listening to all the hype about it's release - I thought I should read the series. I read the first book then watched the movie - and am now reading the second book. They are just what I need for the end of my summer. I can be a part of the Harry Potter craze before I go back to work in a couple of weeks. I am enjoying them - and Jake will stay up and watch the movies with me. I found this picture of Hogwarts - I think my favorite part of the first movie is the castle/school. So I am off to read and finish book two so I can watch that movie. I can see myself becoming a Harry Potter fan.
Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. ~J.K. Rowling, "Dobby's Reward," Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999, spoken by the character Arthur Weasley







Thursday, July 26, 2007

Summer Colors

There is always some small thing that makes me happy and I try to enjoy all the small stuff. Life throws all sorts of things at a person - and the big events and happenings are obvious (both good and bad). But so much of life is made up of small, everyday things that are so often taken for granted. I figure if a person can find some joy and happiness in all of the small everyday stuff - they will spend a lot of time feeling a little happier and overall more positive - which can only help you deal with some of the not so pleasant things that happen.
So I have been taking time to do a pedicure every week and using some of these fun summer colors. Plus they look great sitting out together. My husband just shakes his head when I make him come and look at the nail polish on the shelf and how pretty it looks - but I tell you - finding joy in all the small stuff really works. I even get a smile out of him when I carry on about silly things like lime green toe nails.

"I feel like a tiny bird with a big song." ~ Jerry Van Amerongen
"Joy is not in things, it is in us." - Richard Wagner

Monday, July 9, 2007

Beautiful Sadie



Isn't she lovely? I can't get over how much I enjoy this dear dog. I love this picture of her!

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." ~ Josh Billings

Friday, July 6, 2007

108 degrees


When it is this hot - Baskin Robbins seems like a good idea. I went for the pralines and cream in a waffle cone. It is supposed to be well over 100 for the next few days - I believe I will be spending a lot of time in the pool.
"Summer has set in with its usual severity." ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Clothes Pin Bag



I made this clothes pin bag to send to Jennifer's friend in New Zealand. Jennifer saw the one that my mom had made me and mentioned that Marna would like one - because she always hung here clothes out to dry. Adding the buttons really made it cute. I am going to have to make some more of these - it was so simple and after putting the buttons on it - I want to make some in other colors.

"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." ~ Thomas More

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Tomatoes From Over the Fence

Homegrown tomatoes from my neighbor. They are the best. One of the things I miss out on living so far away from my parents is my dad's garden. (He works miracles in his garden and any plant thrives if he takes care of.) These taste so much better than anything from the store. I may have to make BLT's tonight - not my families favorite, but I love them!
“It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” ~ Lewis Grizzard

Monday, June 25, 2007

Laundry - Everyday!!!


I have wanted a clothesline for sometime. But we just never seemed to get around to putting one up. Hanging out laundry reminds me of home, I love the smell of sheets when they have been dried on the line, and on top of that it saves money. So we finally got one up this weekend. Richard came home with the decorative caps - which really makes it look nice - more than I expected. But I love it! I do so much laundry it amazes me and this is definitely not a time saver and I honestly do not like doing laundry - especially since it never seems to end. But I can get joy out of some very simple things - this being one of those simple things.
" We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry." ~ E.B. White









Monday, June 18, 2007

Cemetary Angel

One of the photos that Luke took while we were in Monterey. Whenever he is with us - he seems to have the camera. I don't get to take as many pictures as I like - but I always love to see the ones he takes. This was taken at a cemetary he found when he went for a walk. Where was I - at the ballpark. An angel can be a symbol of spirituality and they guard the grave. I also found: Angel - Flying it would mean rebirth or resurrection; Trumpeting means resurrection; Weeping symbolizes grief and mourning. An angel is the messenger between god and man.
For He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. ~ Psalm 91:11

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Baseball

Luke watching - Jake playing. These are a couple more pictures from Monterey last weekend. This is how we spent most of our time. It felt great to be at a baseball game again.
"I keep my eyes clear and I hit 'em where they ain't." ~Willie Keeler's famous explanation for his .432 average in 1897.



Saturday, June 16, 2007

Monterey

We were in Monterey last weekend to watch Jake play baseball. Luke took this picture of Cannery Row. We were only there for a couple of days - and spent a lot of that time at games - but you can't help but enjoy the atmosphere of Monterey.
"A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ." - John Steinbeck.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Rasta Hat

I've been wanting to crochet one of these hats for Jennifer. I thought it would be fun to give it to her when she gets home tomorrow. I have to make some more of these - they are so fast and easy and I think they are great. Since no one was home - I had to rely on the bear to model it for me.
"Leave everyone wondering which is the more interesting piece of work...you or your hat." - Author Unknown


Saturday, April 21, 2007

Saturday Morning

I was up early this morning - but I am not up and on the move necessarily. I am taking my time and enjoying my Saturday morning. It is just myself and Sadie as I enjoy another cup of coffee and the quiet of the house. I should probably get moving - Richard and I plan on going to a cigar show and then head out to Vintage Days. I would also be content to just stay home today. I have some sewing I want to do and I want to crochet a hat before Tuesday. I guess I can do that after we get home.
Sadie is great company this morning as always. She follows me around wherever I go and seems interested in whatever I do. I am finding the companionship of a dog can really be a wonderful thing. Having never been much of a dog person - it is something new for me and I admit I have gone somewhat silly over this dog. I never would have predicted I would be so attached to her when Jacob brought her home.
"Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear." -- Dave Barry

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Jake and I


Here is a picture of Jake and I - taken when he was home at Christmas. I had forgotten all about the pictures he took when he was showing me the camera on his laptop - until he shared this with me today. It makes me happy to see a picture of us together. He will be home in about a month and I am really looking forward to him being home for the summer.
"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings." ~Hodding Carter, Jr.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Bee Happy!

"If you want to be happy, be." ~Leo Tolstoy

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Trip to the Fabric Store

I went to the fabric store this afternoon to buy some black cotton to line a bag that I wanted to make for my friends birthday. But I found fabric for $2 and $3 dollars a yard and thought that it would make into some cute bags. The monkey print I am going to use to make place mats to go with the cute monkey plates I bought at Target. They will be great out on the patio this summer. So much for using what I already have. So I walked out of there with this....
.... and this book that I looked at the other day. Some great ideas - and very easy to make.

.... and this chair that was on clearance for $50. I know Richard will think I am crazy for dragging it home - but I thought I had to have it for that price. Now I just have to find a place to set it.


And I did get the black fabric to line the "Pink Lady" bag for Gwen's birthday.



Somewhere Over the Rainbow

" We're off to see the Wizard." ~ Luke sent this picture to me - after I was looking for a version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." When the kids were young we used to watch "The Wizard of Oz" quite regularly, but I haven't watched it in sometime. It is a cold and rainy day - so I think after I get back from the fabric store and settle in to sew - I will put it on. Things are much different than when I was young and we anticipated the one time of year when the "Wizard of Oz" aired on tv. It was a big thing - I remember being frightened by the scene where the monkeys carry Dorothy to the witches castle. I always enjoy this movie - no matter how many times I watch it - so today I am off to see the wizard.
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." ~ Dorothy


Saturday, April 14, 2007

"Big Hat Day" Cat

We went to Big Hat Day last weekend and I found this wood cat. I think it is great - and it will perfect at Halloween. Being that it is sort of tall - I was surprised when the cats and Sadie reacted to it. They weren't quite sure what to make of this beast in their house. Sadie had to bark a few times to make sure it was harmless and the cats had to take the long way around it for awhile.
"I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul." - Jean Cocteau

"Hippy" Bag






It has taken longer than I expected to get this little bag done. I started it the last day of my vacation and didn't get back to it until later in the week. I finally finished it last night. I used this old fabric because this was sort of a practice bag - I think it turned out great. I don't remember why I bought this tye-dyed fabric in the first place. I have had it for years - the kids made pillow cases out of it once and it has come in handy with some last minute hippy costumes for Halloween. When trying to decide what to sew on the bag I remembered the beaded buttons I had cut off a sweater that I had years ago and the heart on the ring is an old earring. I guess there are some positive things about keeping everything - because they were exactly what I needed for this bag. I really wasn't trying to make a little hippy bag - but I love the way it turned out.
"Feelin' groovy" ~ Simon and Garfunkel

Saturday, April 7, 2007

Corks & Quilts

The finished cork board that I made - it took a couple of days for the glue to completely dry. I have to figure out where I am going to hang and get some cute push pins for it.
I started to fix an old quilt of Richards. It is really in bad shape and the fabric is so thin. I would almost say it isn't worth fixing, but his grandmother made it for him. I may have to make it a little smaller because some of the pieces are so torn.

This used to be the batting. It has been washed so many times over the years that there was not much left. I am going to fix what I can - get some new batting and I will have to get new fabric for the back. I really like the colors in it - I think Richard will really be happily surprised if I get it back in good shape.
"A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul."

Friday, April 6, 2007

Be Happy


as you grow up, you learn that even the
one person that wasn’t ever supposed
to let you down probably will. you will have
your heart broken probably more than once.
and it’s harder every time. you will break hearts too,
so remember what it felt like when yours was broken.
You’ll fight with your best friend, you'll blame a new love for things an old one did,
you’ll cry because time is passing way too fast,
and you’ll eventually lose someone you love.
so, take toooo many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you’ve never been hurt -because every 60 seconds you spend upsetis another minute of happiness that you'll never get back.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Uncorked


I decided to do something with all of the corks that I've dropped into a jar over the years. I had seen a bulletin board made with corks and thought it would be fun to make one. I think another frame would have looked better, but I just used an old frame that I had. The idea was to make something out of what I had. I thought about cutting the corks in half - so they would lay flat, but decided that I liked the way they looked without cutting them - and that just seemed like way too much work to cut eighty corks in half.
I have one cork from a "Vampire" wine that I bought one year for Halloween and I stuck in one black cork - the wine was called "Little Black Dress" and has a hanger on it. The wine was terrible, but it is a cute cork. So I just need to let the glue dry and find a place to hang it. I will have to look for some neat push pins to use on it.

"Who took the cork out of my lunch?" ~ W.C. Fields

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Polka Dots

I love buying coffee cups - and I love polka dots - so I could not walk past this one at Starbucks yesterday. My personality being what it is - the coffee cup makes a difference. If you are going to drink anything - be it coffee, soda, or a glass of wine - it may as well be in a great cup or glass. So this is my newest coffee cup. I will enjoy every cup of coffee I drink out of it. The aroma, the taste, and cup - all make for a great cup of coffee.
"No coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odor to the nostrils." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Bracelets


Richard cut out some more baseball bracelets. I have so many people notice this bracelet when I wear it. I think I need him to make about twenty of them - so I can give them to everyone who wants one.
I had the strangest day yesterday - I just felt off all day. I am not sure what it was. At the end of the day I noticed I had not put earrings in - so I will blame it on that. I'm sure it was hormonal - but the earring thing sounds a little more whacky and I like it better.
"The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love." ~ Bryant Gumbel

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Little Black Bags

I love small black bags. My collection is small - but growing. The one in the middle here is one I found a few weeks ago in an antique store. The clasp is a round cluster of rhinestones. They have always caught my eye for some reason - for as long as I can remember. I often wonder when I find one that I like - what the history is behind it - who it may have belonged to. I think that is one of the main reasons that I like antiques or anything for that matter that belonged to someone else before me. There is a history to them - and although I do not know what what that history is - it is connected to those items. Something about a bag that I like may have been the same thing that caught the eye of another woman years before me who picked it up, turned it over in her hands, deciding whether or not she was going to purchase it. A small - but a connection to the past.
"The past is not a package one can lay away." ~ Emily Dickinson

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Beanies

 

I have made more of these beanies than I can count. I think Luke used to lose them faster than I could make them. I made these for a friend to send to his son. I started out making them for my boys - then their friends. I sold quite a few to a local skate shop. It seems like someone always wants them.

I have just two more days until we are off for Spring Break! I am so looking forward to a week off. No special plans - but it will be great week no matter what we end up doing.

"I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Sunday, March 25, 2007

For Mom

Posted a bit late for Valentine's day, but I was going through the pictures on my camera today and saw this one of the valentine that I sent my mom this year - made with an Altoid tin. I had forgotten I had taken a picture of it. That is me in 1962 - I thought my mom would enjoy the picture - which I believe she did.
This project started with my cleaning out and organizing my "stuff." I admit to being a pack rat, and keep every ribbon, button, tag, etc. that I come across because... " someday I may use it for something"." More often than not - I do use the things I keep, but over the years it has really turned into quite a lot of "stuff."
It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire” ~Robert Louis Sevenson

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Sadie


This is Sadie. We have had dogs in the past, but more for the sake of Richard and the boys. After putting our dog Kirby to sleep, I did not plan on ever getting another dog. The boys are grown up now and I have always preferred cats to dogs. Then along came Sadie. Jacob mentioned that a friend of a friend that someone knew - or something like that - had a basset hound that they were wanting to give to someone. Did I mention that I did not plan on getting another dog - ever? The next thing I knew Jacob brought the dog over to show us - and I was at Pet's Mart acting like a grandmother shopping for her first grandchild. We have had her about a year and a half now. I was hooked from that first day, but since then she has found a way into my heart - something I did not really expect.
She got out of our back yard one day this winter, and she was missing for nearly 2 days. I was not prepared for how I felt thinking that I may not get her back.
"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'My God, you're right! I never would have thought of that!'" ~ Dave Barry

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

crochet therapy


One of my little girl hats. Crocheting hats seems to be something I like doing more than anything else. I think because it is sort of a therapy for me. The patterns are easy and I can make them without even thinking about it. Making things has always been sort of a therapy for me. If I go for a period of time without making anything or being creative somehow - I tend to be a lot more stressed. Which may explain the way I have been feeling lately. So - maybe I should crochet a hat tonight.


It's not that some people have will power and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not.~James Gordon, M.D.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Grandma

This picture of my grandma and me was taken nearly 48 years ago. I love her polka dotted dress and boy did I have some pudgy legs. She was the same age in this picture that I am now. We lived in this big red brick house until I was 14 and she lived in the apartment upstairs. She was such an important part of my life. She taught me how to embroidery, knit, and crochet. I still have the first little sampler that I embroidered with her help to earn a girl scout badge. I will have to find that and make something out of it. I can remember sitting in her living room learning how to do each stitch and making a row of each one on a piece of linen. She was always very patient and caring with us kids. I think she enjoyed children - she babysat for years even after she retired. She would get off work at midnight from the hospital and I would wait up for her. We would go up to her apartment, watch tv, have a snack - then go to bed. She may work on a crossword puzzle or we would say the rosary. I used to love to sleep under a baby bonnet quilt that she had.
And this picture of my grandma and me taken 48 years later. I usually go visit my family in Iowa during the summer, but last summer I did not get back to see them. I decided in October that I needed to go back instead of waiting until this summer - this was the last time that I saw my grandma. She passed away in January and I look at this picture and I am so glad I made the decision to go back to visit. She was 95 years old - and her mind was still so good. It was always fun for me to go visit her. I have so many great memories of her growing up and one of my only true regrets is living so far away from her and the rest of my family the past 25 years. I know she is with me still. I miss her, but I smile when I look at this picture - because we had her in our lives for so long and I do have so many great memories. She was always a very strong willed, independent woman and she did not like being in a nursing home at all. She made that very clear to everyone. She seemed sad this last time I saw her and I hated that. She could not see well enough to crochet, read, or do crossword puzzles anymore and I know she missed those things. But I think she was happy this day and when we took this picture. She was so very special to me.
"Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent." ~ Donald A. Norberg