Virginia

Just returned from a trip to Virginia & DC with my favorite travel companion - John! He keeps me calm, safe, and headed in the right direction. Even though I tease him about his maps with dots and circles all over it, he plans a good trip and we see a lot of things. If I travel alone, I'm more apt to sit in my hotel room and hope I don't get lost or abducted.

This time we went to Harper's Ferry... it is a quaint little town with lots of history. The scenery was gorgeous with green everywhere. I'm sure the fall colors will be amazing (but that would mean another trip)! This is wine country, so there were rows and rows of grape vines.

We ate lunch at a little cafe in an old house. The cafe only had 7 tables of 4 so it was very small. The food was delicious and homemade.

John is a walking history book, so he fills me in on all the historical details of the area - I didn't like history in school, but I love my personal history tour guide! The old train station was unique and we enjoyed looking at it from many angles.

The church of course was an old ornate building with a tall steeple. Set on the highest hill, it overlooked the village below. Very picturesque.

Of course I loved all the buildings with their many colors. Reminded me of a patchwork quilt!

The laundry hanging on the back porch was fun too... or are these ghosts?!

The town was unique because two rivers came together here. It worked well for the early settlers to move their wares.

Of course the big history of this town was the abolitionist John Brown and the events that took place just prior to the civil war. He did what he thought was right and gave his life doing it. Gotta love a guy with that much determination and love for others.

These steps were well worn and warped from so much use by people long ago.

I'm glad we were able to visit such a historic place and enjoy the remains there. It was time well spent to see this area. That's it for now, but I will share some other pictures of our trip later.

Garden Party

I took some time to have fun just for me today. It turned out to be quite a lot of fun once I found the address on how to get to the location. A month ago, I bought a $5 ticket to a garden party. Wasn't sure what that was all about, but I knew it included lunch. If food is involved, and I don't have to cook it, I'm all over it! Turns out, the lady hosting the garden party is a master gardener and lives on a small lake. Her yard is filled with gardens she has created.

We (about 20 in all) arrived at the appointed hour. Most people just sat on her deck and chatted. There were 5 of us who roamed through her yard and marveled at all the plants and beautiful gardens. I was really impressed with how she added little pots, ceramic figures and water baths for interest. She also added height to her gardens using trellis's or climbing vines.

 

The lunch was served buffet style and we sat outside - most folks stayed on the deck, but the same fabulous 5 sat on the back lawn surrounded by the gardens.

I bought a new hat to wear for the party - sorry I didn't get a picture of that;) All in all, it turned out to be a lot of fun for only $5 (plus the cost of the hat)!

Another Finished BOM

I love it when a big project gets finished. This is my BOM - Block of the Month from June 2010 to May 2011. Our group met at Fish Lake Lutheran Church in Harris and had breakfast, followed by speakers, then show and tell. It was a great time and I really enjoyed it. The ladies are terrific, especially my dear friend Barb Sauer who organizes all this!

A sample of our delicious breakfasts!

Eggbake, banana bread and a beautiful orange flower.

The name of this finishing pattern is called Butterflies in the Garden.... can you see the butterflies? The 12 blocks in the center of the quilt were completed one per month, then the sashing (butterflies) and border were all added in June & July of 2011.

I love the colors and think it really does look like butterflies surrounded by the floral fabric borders.

Well, on to my next project that needs to be finished... I have several to choose from!

Hello Again

Hello it's me and I'm still alive! I know it has been forever since my last posting but that's okay. Not much has changed, just life goes on. Our house is being shared with Shawna and family while they purchase a new home. It's fun to get lots of hugs & kisses from the grandchildren each day. And Jenna walks into the house and calls out "Grandma" - that warms my heart!

I continue to sew, but at a slower pace. Here are a few things that have been completed.

Two quilts:

An Easter table topper:

A colorful table runner:

A pillow for Jessica because her closet is full of shoes (my mom did the embroidery work):

And finally, I can share this quilt now because it was a gift and I've presented it. This quilt was made for Karrine because she loves music and performs so well on the piano. She graduated from high school last week and had her open house on Saturday. John and I have enjoyed watching her grow up and become such a super young lady with many talents and a kind heart. She will be a delight at college.

Until next time - don't hold your breath!

Cupcake Creations

I found a new cookie pan with shapes of a daisy, tulip, lady bug, watering can, lamb, chick, basket with eggs, Easter egg, and butterfly. Decided it would be fun to make some for Easter. John really got into coloring the cookies. I just did one color on each cookie, but John used many colors. He found it to be very relaxing.

The colored cookies are then put on top of a cupcake frosted green (representing grass). Here are some of the final cookies & cupcakes. YUM!!

Success!

I love my work as Director on the Connexus Board and MREA Board, but there is one big downside. These are elected positions. My stomach churns when I have to "sell" myself and beg others to vote for me. I guess it goes against my beliefs of being independent.

My three year term was coming to a close so I needed to apply, be interviewed, and then campaign over the last three months. Many sleepless nights and stress filled days later, the winners were announced at our annual meeting yesterday. I was so nervous, but had to appear calm and give my two reports in front of the attending audience. When the announcement came, I just wanted to crawl in a hole and not hear the results. I mean, most people (all politicians) have the pleasure of being alone when the results are announced. This gives them time to "compose" themselves before appearing before the media, supporters, etc.

My fear is that if I lost the election I'm not sure how I would react. Would I remain calm? Would I go into denial? Would I be gracious? Maybe my emotions would take over and I would cry or something... in front of all those people!

I'm just not sure how it would all go down, and since I'm a control freak that causes a lot of stress for me.

Thankfully, the results yesterday were quite the opposite. When all was said and done, I received the most votes and a four-year term was the reward. I'm so excited! Not only do I get to continue to do the work I enjoy, but my stress level regarding elections can remain low for four years! What a blessing!!!

Final March Creation

I finished out March completing a project that has been a year in the making.... yes, that is pathetic! I'm happy to have this done and off my "to do" list. It is cute & functional, so that is a plus. Now whenever I carry a casserole or other dish somewhere I can put it in my new carrier:

Sweet & simple!