Author Archives: Snickelfritz

About Snickelfritz

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, quilter, walker, reader, gardener, painter, knitter and Jill of many trades. I have two of the sweetest Labs and a wonderful husband who aides me in my addiction to fabric.

May Days, an Author, and a Lightning Strike

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We are in the merry month of May. One of my very favorite months of the year when the flowers are in full bloom and I can plant even more. I just went to the grocery this morning and this particular grocery has had the best perennials I have ever purchased for sell again this year. I came home with three new lilies and some Gerbera daisies. Now to find a place to plant them. My garden is quite full. I asked David the other day if he thought I would ever have enough flowers and he said, “No.” Simple as that. He knows me too well to think I will ever stop adding flowers to my garden. I did take some flower starts to my oldest son this weekend who is trying to cultivate a small garden by his front door for curb appeal. I took lilies, lambs Ear, irises and Shasta Daisies. Now, I hope he plants them and doesn’t let them die.

The crabapple has bloomed and gone. It was so beautiful and now I have to wait a whole year to see it again.

Begonias and some sweet flowers on the front porch.

Look! Aren’t these the sweetest little flowers? I don’t know what they are called, but I love them.

Oh, I wish you could have smelled the Mock Orange this year. It grows right by our driveway and just walking by them one can smell their lovely fragrance. They are thick in the Tiny Woods and since we cut the big tree down, they seem to be expanding, which is fine with me.

David’s grandmother’s snowball bush is so lush and lovely this year. I just want to stand and stare at it. We have a smaller one in the back yard and one I just planted in the front yard. It’s such a beautiful bush. Molly tried trimming it so we had to put wire around it for a time until she got over the urge to do so.

My little garden in a cup that I plant every year. Just some grass and little birds and a bird house I found at a bird store.

Don’t ask me what this plant is. It is ferny and in the Autumn it’s branches are a bright yellow. This is the first year I have seen flowers on it which makes me very happy. I don’t even remember planting it, but I must have as it sure doesn’t look like a weed.

I simply love Irises because of their simplicity. They are the easiest flower to grow. You almost can’t kill them(as if I would try.) They can take over my whole garden if they want to. One day when I am too old to go out and divide and weed and plant, these Irises will grow all over my front yard and I won’t care a bit.

This little girl loves my garden too.

Besides gardening, I have had a seven week Bible study at my house. It was called “What Are You Afraid Of?” By David Jeremiah. It used Biblical references to show us why in any circumstance God is with us and will not forsake us. It dealt with the death of loved ones, loneliness, fear of financial collapse, fear of natural disasters and other things. We all have certain fears in life and life deals out some pretty rotten things sometimes, but God is always there in the midst of it all to help us and give us peace though the worst times. None of us gets out of this life without something horrible happening to us or our loved ones. I can tell you some pretty sad stories, but I don’t like to dwell on the sadness in life. I’ve had some knocks and bings and bangs, but I have always felt like God was right there with me through them. I know you are probably asking why God would put any of us through bad times. He doesn’t. we live in a sinful world and God gives us free will. Things don’t always go as planned. People we love die. People we love go through tough times. We go through tough times, but remember this, If you put your trust in God, He will see you through the worst times of your life. I can vouch for that.

At the last Bible study, we had a British tea. Or at least our version of a British tea. The ladies all pitched in and we had a feast.

Actually, the table was fuller than this and another table besides and we had so much good food to choose from. I had made cucumber sandwiches( which I am now addicted to) and egg salad sandwiches. I baked a sponge cake and had strawberries and real whipped cream with scones. I am now a fan of scones also.

These are some of the ladies. I didn’t show their faces as we all were eating and no one wants their faces on a blog with their mouths stuffed full! It was a wonderful study and I love all these ladies who are my sisters in Christ.

I am still knitting socks. I love the process. I still have to tear out once in a while, but I don’t get all upset about it. Just look at it as more practice. I have taught myself a new way to pick up the stitches down the heel and around and up the heel again using one double pointed needle and my little circular needles. It has become quite simple for me now. The only place I really get hung up is using the DP needles to decrease the toe, but it is coming easier as I continue to knit socks. I have several skeins of sock yarn I am looking forward to making into socks.

I have purchased three circular needles and these cute stitch markers. Little sheep on the end of them. I like them better than the plain rubber circles I was using. Makes knitting more festive somehow.

This Mother’s Day weekend, David and I went on an adventure. We took a road trip to Cincinnati to see some special people.

We drove along a road in southern Indiana that follows the Ohio River.

The Ohio River is so beautiful and mysterious. The road we were on was not heavily traveled, so we enjoyed the drive.

Indiana roads have so much beautiful scenery. David and I like to get off the beaten path and discover new roads. But finally, we got into the towns near Cincinnati, Vevay, Rising Sun and Aurora. Aren’t those pretty names for towns? Then into the bustling traffic of the big city. Who were we going to see?

If you have any of her cookbooks or her first two books in this trilogy, or read her blog, you know of whom I speak.

The Joseph Beth bookstore in Cincinnati. I got to see Susan Branch!!! I love her books and could not wait to see her in person. I have seen several authors in person and it’s always been fun.

We all waited with excitement for Susan to appear.

Suddenly, there she was right in front of us. She told us she was uncomfortable speaking in public, but she was wonderful. She told how her books came to life and took questions with so much patience. You know, when you meet a well-known person, you usually have expectations of them, rightly or wrongly, that they will be as you imagined them to be. Susan Branch did not disappoint. She is every bit as charming, sweet, kind, nice and interesting as I thought she would be. She is a very pretty lady with a very sweet smile and she had us all laughing and it felt like we were her girlfriends.

I loved the outfit she had on. Very classy. A pretty linen blouse with a scarf. Her hair was done up in a knot on her head and she just looked darling.

Her husband Joe, of whom she writes, was there by her side. Her partner in crime like David is with me.

He and David took pictures of each other. Give a man a camera……..

I just want all of you who read Susan Branch’s books or blog to know, she is for real and not a fake. She is just exactly as she appears on her blog. A beautiful person.

And then, I got to shake her hand and she signed my book and put David’s name in it too, because I asked her to.

I’m not at all happy to be there!

I think I was just looking at her with adoration here.

Look how cute she is. I could move to Martha’s Vineyard and become her friend in a second. I’d even make her a quilt if she wanted one. Am I starting to sound like a stalker? I hope not.

I had made a new purse to take to the book signing and on a whim, I asked her to sign it and she did! Now wasn’t that nice? Oh, and see that top I have on? It was new and I wore the store tag on it the whole time and didn’t know it! David told me after it was all over. Wonderful. Hope Susan didn’t see it.

I had so much fun at the book signing. Met some nice people in the audience. People who loved Susan as much as I. Anyway, it was a wonderful time and I am so glad I got to go.

On Mother’s day, we went with our son and his friends to King’s Island for the day. We hadn’t been to King’s Island for probably at least twenty years. There are a lot more scary rides there which I would not go on. I went on one they promised me was not scary and I was crying before it was over. I am not a fan of scary rides. There’s enough scary stuff in the world without purposely putting yourself in danger! Security was high that day for some reason. They were searching all purses and bags and wanding all of us as we entered.

At the restaurant in which we ate, there was a live show where they sang songs from the movies. It was so good and had me singing right along with them. We got some really good fudge just before we left the park. I didn’t get any pictures of the day because I didn’t want to carry my camera around all day. It was fun and I enjoyed watching David go on all the scary rides with our son. He’s got a stronger stomach than I do. It was so nice to spend time with out son also. He makes me laugh. A lot.

I haven’t been here for a while because our house was struck by lightning a week ago Sunday. David and I were in bed and suddenly there was the brightest flash of light and the loudest boom I have heard that I nearly fell out of bed. It woke David, and I said, “That hit something.” It surely did. We lost two televisions, our microwave, the dryer, our Direct tv, our internet, a sewing machine(I was so thankful all the rest of my machines were unplugged at the time,) our pool pump surge control, and the circuit breaker on our hot tub. We got everything replaced except our internet, which we just got back today. I couldn’t wait to write my blog.

Now that all is back to normal or what I consider normal I can write more often. Or at least I will try.

Here’s to books, wonderful authors, sons and daughters and flowers. May they all be blessed. Bye.

Rainy Day

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See that beautiful redbud and bright blue skies above? That is what we had a week ago. Then rain, sleet and snow came and we are back in winter weather. It is suppose to warm up again and none too soon for me.

During the cold days there is potato soup making. (This is actually broccoli soup, but I did make potato soup also.)

There is yarn winding. Here’s my very patient husband helping me wind a ball of new yarn.

There’s outdoor fires and sitting around the fire with friends.

This is one of the friends. Ha. Look at that toothy grin.

Despite all the problems she has caused us(David), I love her so much. She is definitely my dog. Looking at me with her doe eyes. Trying to pretend she wouldn’t do anything bad. No, not at all.

It rained all day today. Looking out the window it looked so misty and mysterious over in the now empty lot beside us. Still getting use to not having a big house there.

That muddy place is where the big, beautiful house once stood.

David says he would love to buy this lot. I sit and imagine planting hundreds of flowering trees and flowers and making our own park in it. The grandkids could really have a great Easter egg hunt there. I see wandering paths and benches for people to sit upon. I already have it all planted and landscaped and it isn’t even for sale!

Our back yard is coming to life. It looked so awful just a few weeks ago and then the miracle happens like it does every year. I never stop being amazed at the change in such a short time. David has mowed the grass once already and it needs it again. Note to self. Plant more flowers and trees and get rid of more lawn this year.

The garden is in its pink phase. My very favorite. First there’s the yellow daffodils. Then all the pink flowering bushes and trees burst into bloom.

Love it.

Rain pouring off my shop roof. I haven’t been out there to work on anything for a few weeks. Knitting socks has been consuming my time.

I do have this pretty, Spring like fabric that I will be using to make a skirt.

So cozy sitting in a warm house looking out on the rain. It’s really beautiful in its own way.

See the rain pouring from the gutter? It really came down hard for a time. They say rivers are going to flood around our city. A few years ago we had a major flood. Our hospital was flooded, patients having to be evacuated. Many people lost everything when the water came up to their houses. We have several friends who lost everything and had to completely redo their houses. I can’t imagine how horrible that was. We were not affected at all. In fact, I didn’t know it was that bad until a day later. Our town is surrounded by rivers and a flood can really devastate. Hope it never gets that bad again.

But the garden loves this rain. It’s true. April showers bring May flowers or in this case, April flowers.

I planted grass for my chickens. Yes, my chickens like grass and crack. What can I say? Ha. Actually, I am growing lawn grass and when it gets tall enough I will put these in the chicken yard so that they can have a salad.

So hopefully glorious Spring will return tomorrow.

Bye.

I Did It!!

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If you have been reading my blog for a little while, you know that after Christmas I ordered this book.

I have always wanted to knit socks, but didn’t know how to start. Lucy from the blog Attic 24, who is a very talented crocheter, had never knitted before and after getting this book and following the instructions, she had knit a pair of socks. Well, I thought, since I already knew how to knit, it had to be a piece of cake to knit socks if a novice could do it. Was I ever wrong!

I started on my sock with some yarn I had laying around and it looked pretty good for a time. Then it all went downhill and I had to rip it apart. The sock was way too big for me anyway, so I could never have worn it. So then I went to JoAnn’s and got this grey yarn and began knitting another sock. Then I ordered more yarn, because of course I believed I’d be whipping out socks with regularity.

And right in the middle of the grey sock which I had ripped out several times, I started another sock with this beautiful sock yarn. I love how it looks so far. I am getting really good at knitting the top ribbing and the leg of the sock.

When I’d get really frustrated, I’d put down a sock and pick up a scarf. Knitting in my sleep, almost. I am trying to use up all my old yarn by knitting scarves that I will give to someone or to Samaritan’s purse or Goodwill. I might even give some as presents to family. I don’t know yet.

I finished this scarf. It saved my sanity sometimes.

Meanwhile, David thought he was going to have to have an intervention for me to get me away from the socks for a while. I really didn’t know what a black cloud hung over me because I could not finish a sock. But, I kept plugging on and learned how to knit a heel flap, turn the heel, pick up stitches for the gusset and finally, the dreaded Kitchener stitch, which wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be. I find while I am knitting it is easier for me to know where I am in the project if I keep a sheet of paper and pen by me and mark every row. Then, when I make the matching sock, it will have the same number of rows. I also used this method while doing the Kitchener stitch, writing down every single stitch so I would always know where I was. It really helped me.

It’s not scientific, but it’s worked for me. So……..

This morning I got up and said to myself, “Self, you are going to finish a sock today.” I was at the Kitchener stitch. Something I have never tried before. I read horror stories online from people who had tried it and failed and were never seen again. I really had to psych myself up to do it. I even knit on a couple of double pointed needles enough stitches that I could practice upon. But this morning I just said, “I’m going in,” and started finishing the toe. Stitch by stitch, keeping them recorded on paper less I be interrupted and lose my place. My pulse rose as I neared the last couple of stitches. Then all of a sudden, I was weaving the yarn into the toe to hide it and I was done! I tried it on. It fit!

Every single part of this sock is impressed into my mind forevermore.

The ribbing. Oh, how I love to knit ribbing.

The gorgeous heel flap. Oh, I love it.

And last, but not least, the grafted toe(Kitchener stitch.) Lovely. Looks just like in the book. Joy, joy, joy.

But then, because this was supposed to be a practice sock, I hadn’t got enough yarn to knit another one. But I found the wrapper from this sock, and went to JoAnn’s yesterday and found the same yarn. Not the same dye lot, but close enough in color that no one will notice.

There’s another sock waiting in this skein of yarn. Hope it wants to come out.

Of course, while at JoAnn’s I couldn’t resist buying even more yarn.

The grey yarn and this yarn is made of wool and acrylic. Reminds me of the yarn in the rag socks I use to buy from Eddie Bauer. Now I can knit my own!

This is yet another sock I have started.

I find if I put the ball of yarn in this little pot it won’t roll all over the floor, under my chair, under the couch. It stays put. I have found with knitting socks, as with any hobby, you start to accrue the tools of the trade. I’ve bought wooden double pointed needles, steel DPNs, two small circular needles, stitch holders, row markers and little rubber things to place on the end of your needles to keep the yarn from slipping off. Believe me, that has happened so many times for me and meant either trying to pick up stitches or ripping out the entire project again.

Am I happy about my new, grey sock?

Yes, I am.

Remember the old house that was torn down by us last week? David noticed when he was over there talking to the man doing the tearing down, there was a little pitcher laying in the dirt, so he went over after everyone was gone and got it for me. I had mentioned I wish I had something to remember the old house and our neighbors.

White enamel with chipped green paint.

When I look at it I will remember Doc and Mrs. McCullough and the beautiful house that once was.

Here’s to knitting socks and to many more. Bye.

A New Day and An Old House

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We celebrated Easter this past weekend. Resurrection Day for Christians all around the world when we celebrate the resurrection of the living Christ who died on the cross for every single person on earth. Took all our sins upon Himself so that no one would perish. All one needs to do is accept Him as your Savior and you are saved for all eternity. How wonderful is that?

I love Easter and all it means. But I also love all the renewal in nature with the trees budding, the flowers growing and the birds nesting and making new families. I love to be with family on Easter and have a big dinner and an Easter egg hunt for the kids. We had seventeen at our table this Easter. Friends and family and I felt so absolutely blessed.

We had a big Easter egg hunt. We put money signs in some eggs and candy signs in others and the children had to turn their eggs in for money or candy.

They were all excited about the money. Yes, money wins over candy, but not by much.

Here they are ready to start the hunt. We made it a little harder to find the eggs this year as they all found them way too fast last year and they are all getting bigger so we wanted them to be challenged. One hundred and seventy eggs to find.

And the race was on for the eggs. We hid them in the front yard, in the back yard, in the side yard and in the tiny woods next to our house.

When the hunt was finished, they all lined up according to age and Grandpa counted their money out and they picked out their candy and I think they were all excited and happy to receive their prizes. I told David that next year I want to make it bigger than ever.

And as in past years, we had a contest to see who would get in the pool first. It was 54 degrees cold. All the boys(and that big boy) jumped in the pool. Immediately they all ran for the hot tub.

Fifty-four degrees to one hundred and one degrees in five seconds. I think these two were numb from the cold.

The biggest boy of all had to get in also.

Yes, it was a blessed and fun Easter. I am so thankful we can have this time together to make memories.

And in other news. I love old houses. Our house is over one hundred years old and I love everything about it. Yes, it can be drafty and hard to keep dusted and it’s not open concept like so many people want nowadays. Yes, it’s a lot of work and we have spent a lot of money through the years to make it up to date and liveable, but we would rather have this old house than any new one.

We had a beautiful older house right next door. It belonged to a doctor who had his office in it. When we first moved here, his office was a bustling business. People in and out all day. He was an OBGYN and everyone I met through the years knew of someone whose baby had been delivered by him. He and his wife were nice neighbors. They let us use their yard when we were building our pool for all the equipment needed to build it to come through their yard. They even gave us flowers for a gift for our pool. Then he closed his office and retired and they moved to a house not far away, but kept this old house. Every week they would come and mow the yard and clean up around the house. They would pick up their mail every day. But the house stood empty for years. One time some kids broke into the house and David went over and caught them and we called the police, but the doctor and his wife let them off. They were nice people like that. So through the years the house stood there. David and I wondered what would become of it. Would some family buy it and bring it to life again? Would it become a business? One time David offered to buy it for our quilt shop, but it was the family home so it wasn’t for sale.

It was a beautiful old house. Notice I wrote, “was.”

For the almost thirty-nine years we have lived next door I could look out any of our southern facing windows and see this beautiful old house. There was something comforting about it. Knowing it had stood there for years sheltering families and a doctor’s office.

A grand old home with a big front porch. But then…….

This pulled into the side yard the other day. David and I speculated what was going to happen. David thought they were going to dig a new sewer system. I had a premonition that the old house was going to be torn down. Sadly, I was right. It seems the house was uninsurable and had to be torn down for liability reasons.

So yesterday I woke up and heard a noise next door I wish I would never have heard. The sound of an old house dying.

Piece by piece, it was torn apart and the pieces put in a huge dumpster. It would take eight dumpsters to haul away all the pieces.

I get tears in my eyes just looking at this picture and realizing this house will be no more.

How quickly decades of living and memories can be all wiped away. A house is built and families come and go in it and it holds all the memories. Where do the memories go when the house is gone? Who will remember the things that went on in this house? Who will remember the people? I know I will remember Doc and his wife for as long as I live.

Finally the last vestige of the house remains. But it can’t withstand the machine pushing it down.

A final push and it’s over.

While watching the house going down, David and I noticed all the things left inside. It was almost as if Doc just up and left everything in it and locked the door.

Clothes hanging in a closet upstairs. Some look like army uniforms. Probably from the second world war. Why did no one want them?

Painted cabinets and beautiful woodwork and wallpaper. I wish I could have gone through this house before it was demolished.

A coffee pot and medical records. David found one that blew out and it was dated 1932.

A sign on the wall about the first year’s growth of a baby.

An old wooden cabinet. Someone could have torn this out and used it.

I saw this old door and really wished I could have gone in to save it, but in the dumpster it went.

Beautiful old wallpaper.

The old house sat in a big yard. A yard my children and the neighborhood children played in years ago. Doc was nice about letting kids play in his big back yard. Baseball games, kite flying, walking dogs. There was even a “secret” gate into the adjoining field that my grandchildren loved to look for and go through. Yes, many memories surround this house for our family. My daughter played under a big old mulberry tree with two neighbor girls. Neighbors met in the field to talk. Now most of the neighbors are gone and now the house is too.

I don’t want to remember the house like this. Just like a person I have loved who has died, I want to remember them in the prime of their life. That is how I will remember this house.

Beautiful and stately with redbuds blooming around it. Good-bye, old house.

Here’s to the hope of Easter and dear old houses. Bye.

Merry Month of Many Memories

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March is one of my favorite months. Probably because it’s my birthday month and I kind of celebrate it all month long. I had a cake.

I got to eat out with some of my favorite people and I got some gift certificates. Always love that.

David and I took a weekend off and just did what we wanted. Ate out, relaxed, saw three movies and had a very nice couple of days. We think we enjoy that as much as we do taking a long vacation. We will probably do a few more of these weekends this year. We have one planned to go to Cincinnati in May where I am going to a book signing of one of my favorite bloggers. If you read Susan Branch’s blog, you know what I’m talking about. I love her blogs especially the ones where she wrote about Downton Abbey.

I bought myself some new fabric. Seems like every March I do this.

Love getting new fabric. I don’t have a clue what I will make with this yet, but it will be used, I am sure.

Love these little flowers.

Decided to complete this child’s quilt I started last winter.

Each block has a picture of a child playing.

Among all the getting ready for Easter and company Sunday, I did get this pinned today. I also made potato salad, cleaned the chicken house, mulched some of the garden, did two loads of laundry, did the ironing, fed the dogs and chickens, moved bags of mulch, prepared supper for David and myself and then I collapsed on the sofa and have not gotten up since! Oh, yes, I mixed up a batch of sugar cookies too.

Meanwhile the dogs want me to play with them. I try to give them some play time with me every day, but today, not so much. Sorry girls.

‘”Then I just won’t look at you, Mom.”

The hens are finally laying again. They went through a few weeks that we were fortunate to get an egg a day. But now, we have them coming out our ears. The eggs taste like butter, I’m telling you. So rich and yellow.

They have been fertilizing my garden area all winter so I should have a great garden this year. I think I am just going to plant pumpkins and tomatoes. I have about fifty tomato plants started with some ready to plant outside when the weather is warmer.

Chickens still love their “crack.”

They’ll follow me anywhere when I have a bowl of this in my hand.

I got this quilt pinned this month. I’m going to quilt it on the sewing machine.

I just got a brochure in the mail this week for a quilt magazine and this very quilt was in it. All finished. I hope I get this finished in a few weeks.

I’m still knitting. When I get frustrated trying to knit socks, I knit another scarf. I’m trying to use up all my old yarn.

Speaking of socks, I got the heel flap knitted on this sock and then something horrible happened and I ended up tearing out the whole sock. That makes about six times I have tried to make a sock.

I’m almost afraid to tell you about this sock because it’s the farthest I have gotten on one. I knitted the heel flap, turned the heel, picked up stitches(Oh, that was horrendous) and am knitting the gussets now. I am seeing a very dim light at the end of the tunnel, but until I get a sock finished I am not going to crow. Even with all the ripping out and starting over, I quite enjoy knitting socks. I just have to finish one. When I do, you all will be the first to know besides David, as he has been keeping up on my progress and encouraging me when I get all flummoxed. When learning to knit socks, you need an encourager beside you so you don’t give up.

Spring has sprung in Indiana. It takes me by surprise every single year. One day it’s all grey and dark and the next tiny green leaves are sprouting from the ground and on the trees and bushes.

The Nanking cherry bushes bloomed first and early this year. They are already almost gone, boo hoo.

Our two dwarf magnolias are just about to burst into bloom. The magnolias around us and in town have already been blooming for a week or two.

Daffodils blooming everywhere. I have planted hundreds of them through the years and they really are beautiful this year.

One of my top five favorite flowers. It’s a shame they only bloom in Spring, but I’ll take them whenever I can get them.

I really need to divide these flowers. August Lilies or Magic Lilies. They won’t flower until August after all the foliage has died. Looks like we will have a lot of flowers in August.

My Spring angel by Jim Shore.

Holding a bird in her hand. The birds are nesting and singing their hearts out.

Happy Spring and have a blessed Easter. He is risen. Halleluhah!! Bye.

Love, Joy and Sorrow

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This past weekend was my birthday weekend. David and I had planned a getaway to northern Ohio to visit my brother and sister-in-law and go antiquing and sight seeing, but life got in the way.

Two weeks ago one of my favorite aunts passed away and she didn’t have a funeral so this past Saturday there was a memorial for her. Most of her family got together to remember her. There were pictures that made me cry. She was my mother’s sister and my mother has been gone for a long time so to see her in pictures with her three sisters was a little sad. Her two sons and daughter got up and spoke about their mother. I don’t know how they did it. I would have been a basket case to do something like that, but they did wonderfully and I learned things about my aunt I didn’t know. It was a day of nostalgia and remembering the good times and visiting with family I haven’t seen in years. Two of my cousins were born about the same time I was and we always have felt a little close because of that even though we hardly ever see each other. I met a second cousin who was named after my great-grandmother, Kate Driggs, just like I am. We spoke for a while and she told me things about Grandma Kate I had never heard before. I wish people would write their family history down because once people are gone, it’s lost forever. As I get older I realize there are fewer and fewer people who remember me when I was a child. I remember going to grandpa’s when the cousins were there and when it rained my cousin, Cathy, and I would put on bathing suits and stand under the rain gutters. My cousin, Tim, and I would walk all over town talking and getting into trouble(not really) and having fun together. It was always a special time at Grandpa’s when the cousins were there.

Sunday we were with family once again. We went to eat at Scotty’s restaurant. I have never eaten there before so was looking forward to it. As we got near the door, two little boy bodies came bursting out of the door and enveloped me in hugs and as I tried getting into the door, my other three grandchildren came up and hugged me. Nothing makes me happier. It was so nice having them all together. We had a nice meal and spent two hours talking and it went so fast. The only thing I had against the place was they had these tall chairs and I had a dickens of a time trying to get up on one with my sore, short legs, but I finally made it with much coaxing from family members!

After a weekend of doing absolutely nothing but visiting and resting, I decided today to try to get some work done. As it was nice outside, I raked the yard and tried cleaning up all the things the dogs had scattered around the yard. Our back yard looked like a junkyard dog lives there. And she does! Molly had brought up a few pieces of wood and chewed them up all over our back deck, so I got that cleaned up. I transplanted some tomato plants I am growing into larger pots. I did some ironing and made soup beans. I fed and watered the chickens and gathered the eggs and cleaned up the garden area where the chickens play. It felt good to get a few things done after such a lazy weekend. I don’t do well with lazy usually. I have to be doing something.

Last night I watched the last episode of Downton Abbey and it was like getting a wonderful gift wrapped in a big bow and sent with love. I loved every minute of it. Sure am going to miss it. How can anyone top Downton Abbey? I don’t think it’s possible. Just like no one could make another Gone With the Wind. Things like these only come around once in a great while.

Hope you had a nice weekend. Bye.

Cozy and Content

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The last few weeks of Winter are quickly passing. I was looking forward to Winter, surprisingly, this year as I had a lot of projects I wanted to complete before warm weather. I have finished three quilts since the beginning of the year which is good for me. Small quilts, though. Not king size like I have been making. I have managed to clean out drawers that haven’t been touched in, gulp, years and found a boy scout flashlight that belonged to one of our boys. It’s surprising what you will find around our house if you look. We have closets full of old stuff from the sixties and seventies. With three children growing up in this old house and me as a collector, things have managed to pile up. I’m not a hoarder, though. Everything is put away and has its place. I just have to find it!

Today it is raining and the house feels so cozy. I wish you could hear the rain beating on the metal roof of our front porch. I love the sound. I told David if we ever built our little house in the woods I want it to have exposed beams and a metal roof so we could lay abed and listen to the rain overhead.

The weather has been topsy turvy the past few weeks. First we have this…….

Then we have sixty degree days. On those warm days David and I have been cleaning up the yard. It’s nice to get out and work in the sun and clean up debris in the yard and find all the flowers that are starting to peep through the ground. I think we are going to have a beautiful Spring this year with all the daffodils, magnolias, azaleas, and other plants blooming. We planted two more flowering trees last year so I am looking forward to seeing how they will look.

I am already planning my garden and what more flowers I want to plant this year. More hydrangeas, I think. Another tree, perhaps. Pumpkins and tomatoes are all I am planting in the vegetable garden this year. With just David and me, it’s too time consuming to put up so much food that we won’t eat. I have fought the critters who come and eat my beans for years and when I can buy a can of beans almost as cheaply as I can put up my own, it seems silly for me to waste my time. I really don’t think home canned beans taste much better than store canned beans if you cook them with a little bacon fat and onion and I always put garlic salt on ours and they are very good.

I have been sewing some dolls for Samaritan’s purse. Samaritan’s purse is an organization headed by Rev. Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son, that fills shoeboxes for Christmas for children around the world. The boxes are filled with toys, school supplies, candy, clothes and anything that can be stuffed inside them. These boxes are handed out to the children at Christmas time. Our church has been filling shoeboxes for years. Here are my little dolls.

I designed them myself and each has his or her own personality.

For instance, Rose, who wears her floral hat quite beautifully.

Mary, who is so proud of her new glasses.

Frankincense, Frank for short.

I hope some children will find them fun. They all come with their own little quilts too.

I finished quilting my chick quilt. I love, love, love it. It’s so darn cute and I could make another one.

Oh, I did.

This one is ready to be quilted. In blacks, reds, greys and pinks. I love how it turned out. It’s a small one.

These chicks were so much fun to sew. They can become addictive to make.

Lori Holt, who designed the pattern, really came up with something entirely too cute for words.

This is the third quilt I made and it is completed. I hand quilted most of it.

Looks so nice on the back of a chair in my girly room.

Yes, you may come and sit on this chair and visit.

With the days still chilly and needing comfort food, I baked this week.

Apple crunch. One of my favorite desserts because it is so easy and quick to prepare and David loves it.

Cracker Barrel biscuits with dried beef gravy. I don’t mean to brag, but my biscuits are better than any I have ever eaten at Cracker Barrel or anywhere, for that matter. I make them extra thick and they are so good. Definitely don’t last long around here which is why I only make them occasionally. They are wonderful with strawberry jam or blackberry jam on them. I am making myself hungry.

Hope your days are filled with comfort and contentment. Remember it’s the little things that really do count. Count your blessings. You may have more than you realize. Bye.

Paper Dolls and Valentines

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A friend posted on Facebook the other day, “do you remember paper dolls? ” Do I remember them? I was the paper doll fanatic in my day. I grew up in the fifties and sixties and during that time I cut out my share of paper dolls.

When I was a little girl, I would go to the grocery store with my mother. While there, she told me I could pick out a couple of comic books. Back then the comic books were on a revolving rack and there were so many choices. While my brothers went for Superman and other Super heroes, I went for the comic books that had paper dolls in them. Veronica and Betty and there was another one who was a model and there were always several fashions to cut out. My favorite by far was the Katy Keene comic books. Katy was a model and while I read her stories, what I looked for were the paper doll cutouts of her in its pages. I have not met anyone who remembers Katy Keene comic books. (Note: I looked up Katy Keene comics for sale and they are bringing up to twenty-seven dollars or more. Comics I use to buy for ten cents or a quarter.) But every week I would look for her comic books. Sometimes there would be extra thick comic books that cost twenty-five cents instead of the usual ten cents. When those would be on the rack, I would be in heaven. Through the years I gathered quite a few paper dolls. They were really one of my most favorite things to play with when I was little. One time I even designed a paper doll complete in her bra and panties and designed clothes for her and I gave my creations to my best friend at the time in second grade. She was happy to receive them. I wish I could see that paper doll now. At the time I thought she was really pretty, but being a second grader, and her artist, she was probably pretty primitive. My creative juices were flowing even back then, though and continue to this day.

I was cleaning out a drawer the other day looking for Valentines when I came across some paper dolls I had been collecting. Several years ago there was a magazine called Home Companion created by Mary Engelbreit. There was always one framing quality picture Mary had drawn and always a page of paper dolls. These were not simple paper dolls, but bright, detailed, beautiful dolls. I began to look through them.

Ann Estelle was one of my favorites. I think she was Mary’s, too.

If you have seen pictures of Mary Engelbreit, you will notice Ann Estelle looks a little like her. I remember the first time I saw Mary Engelbreit in a magazine telling how she was given a closet in her home, when she was a little girl, to go into and create. How neat was that? Her creating turned into an empire of paper dolls, calendars, greeting cards, fabric, dishes and much, much more. But I loved her paper dolls. Sadly, Home Companion went out of circulation a few years ago. Wish it would come back.

As you noticed, I didn’t cut out many of the paper dolls. I just couldn’t bring myself to, but I did cut out one Ann Estelle and some outfits for her. Here she is in her Halloween costume.

Dressed for a rainy day in London.

As far as I know, Ms. Engelbreit only drew one boy paper doll. Tommy.

I’m sure she copied him off someone she knew. He was so cute. And he got several pages in the Home Companion through the years.

One year(2003) Mary Engelbreit came out with this paper doll calendar. Now I am going to expose a deep, dark secret I have held inside for years. I bought this calendar to give to my only granddaughter and just couldn’t give it away. I’m so ashamed! But, it is still around and it would probably be gone by now if my granddaughter had had it because she would have probably actually played with it. Now I can look at it and enjoy it once again.

Each month had a different outfit for four different paper dolls that were also included in the calendar.

Really cute outfits. With accessories.

Yes, I love Mary Engelbreit paper dolls. They sure brought this “little girl” a lot of pleasure.

Another paper doll I collected when I was a girl came in the McCall’s magazine each month. My mother subscribed to McCalls, but I was the first one to look through it to look for the Betsy McCall paper doll.

Yes, I saved some of them. Not many. In fact, I forgot I even had them.

Betsy came ready to dress with a story about her adventures.

There was a game on the page.

And a crossword puzzle. So much fun in such a little space. Some magazine needs to bring back paper dolls in its pages. I believe it would sell them even faster.

I found these paper dolls in my stash. I really don’t know where I got them, perhaps at an auction or in an antique store.

Clothes to color and cut out.

Besides paper dolls, Mary Engelbreit has designed some really cute Valentine’s Day cards.

I can’t show them all because some people I love will be getting some for Valentine’s Day.

Valentine stickers by Ms. Engelbreit I love them. I love stickers anyway. If I can stick a sticker on something, I will.

These are especially nice.

I’m still coloring in my adult coloring book I got for Christmas. I ordered a tin of seventy-two colored pencils. This is half of them.

The tin is really nice to keep them in.

A picture by Mary Engelbreit. Since this Sunday is Valentine’s Day, I want to wish you all a happy day. You are loved by someone. And you are the apple of Jesus’ eye. Just wanted you to know. Love you all. Bye.

Where Did Last Week Go???

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Where did last week go? For that matter, where did the month of January go? January use to be my least favorite month, but through the years I have grown fond of long winter days, making things in my shop, sleeping in late in a toasty warm bed, baking and cooking comfort foods, and feeding the birds. January and I have grown rather fond of each other.

but January sped by this year like every month seems to speed by nowadays. This was what happened at our house last week.

I gave our living room a fresh coat of paint. Through the years I have painted every room in our house at least three times or more. I love to paint although climbing up and down the ladder is a little harder than it use to be.

The room was a light sage green and now it’s a sort of pinkish brown. A few years ago I painted our bedroom and wanted a soft, darker pink. It turned out Pepto Bismo pink. We lived with it. While painting with this color, I got some on my arm and looked at it and thought, ‘Ah, calamine lotion.” So now I have a calamine lotion painted room, but I rather like it. It looks really well alongside the grayish diningroom. We shall live with it.

This painting looks really good on the wall.

The fireplace mantle stands out better. I am getting use to it.

We had the wolf moon. I almost missed it, but I got up earlier than usual last Sunday and saw it just before it set in the west.

I love full moons. They say people go a little crazy during them, but they have never bothered me.

I have almost knit to the heel of another sock. Now I will have to change to double pointed needles to knit the heel flap and then the dreaded heel turn. I will have to try this when no one is around, all phones must not ring, the light must be just right, I must be well rested and alert, the moon must be in the right phase and nothing, but nothing must disturb me or the stitches will fall off the needles like they did the last time and I tore out the whole sock. How did someone figure out how to knit the very first sock ever? How did they teach themselves to turn a heel? It boggles my mind that someone did it for the very first time without any instructions. I have instructions, and it still boggles my mind!

Finished piecing my chick quilt top. It turned out even cuter than I though it would.

I could make another one of these, it was so much fun. It will get quilted soon.

Today I finished piecing a basket quilt. This was another really fun one, but oh, so many little pieces.

I love every piece of fabric in this quilt.

Of course, I continue to feed the birds. They are a continuous source of joy for me. Every time I see a titmouse or chickadee I just have to smile.

Today I was keeping an eye on this cardinal in the crabapple tree. She sat there for the longest time watching the other birds at the feeder.

I kept trying to get a good picture.

This is the best I could do. The sun was shining on her making her feathers seem to glow.

Walking around the yard I noticed that bulbs were starting to sprout in the garden.

This little bush has stayed this color all winter.

I’ve been doing a little coloring in this book.

I have ordered a tin of seventy-two colored pencils to make my pictures more enhanced.

There is something rather relaxing about sitting down and coloring a picture. I loved coloring when I was a little girl. So glad that adult coloring books are in vogue right now. I love working with the colors and shading and trying to pretend I am an artist. I saw in Sam’s Club the other day there was a Donald Trump coloring book. We had our grandsons with us and one of them wanted one, but I said his mother would kill me if I bought him one! But I thought it was funny. He got a book, instead.

I’m beginning to write stories about my two younger grandsons called “The Adventures of Tristan and Foster.” I have several ideas for stories. They always want me to make up stories about them when they visit, so I thought I would try my hand at writing some for them.

We lost Abigail this week. David went out to make sure they were in the coop and she was laying out in the garden. No feathers around, no blood.

We had been getting these really long skinny eggs lately and I was thinking one of the hens must have something wrong with her egg canal. Since Abigail died, we haven’t got anymore of these eggs so I think she got bound up with an egg. So sad. That happens sometimes with chickens. They can look really healthy, but have an egg stuck inside them and it kills them.

Besides all of this there’s been church going, cookie baking, roll making, grandboys visiting, laundry doing, book reading, dog playing, chicken feeding, Bible study planning, David’s birthday celebrating, and much more. I haven’t been to the hair dresser for months. I need a cut and color, but I keep putting it off. I am getting so lazy in my old age. Just love staying at home and doing at home things. I feel blessed. Bye.

Cold and Snowy

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January is doing what January does. Bringing us cold temperatures and snow. We had a really nice run of warmer weather, but all good things must come to an end and we are living in a freezer now. At least we are not waiting for a giant blizzard to head our way as the Northeast of our country is doing this weekend. Up to two feet of snow they are telling them. Whoa! You won’t be able to find bread or milk anywhere up there this weekend.

With snow on the ground and not much food available, I like to keep the bird feeders full. The birds have gone through a thirty gallon can full of birdseed in the last two weeks. When someone says they eat like a bird, they are a voracious eater because birds eat constantly.

Titmice, sparrows, cardinals. juncos, chickadees, woodpeckers, blue jays and one fat squirrel have visited our bird feeders. I have seen five pairs of cardinals at one time feeding. They prefer the ground, so I always throw some birdseed there.

I am so thankful for cardinals who bring us a bright spot of color on the winter landscape.

This weather makes the house next door look even more lonely. It’s been empty for a few years and the people who owned it are gone now. I don’t know what is going to happen to this house, but I keep praying a nice family will buy it and move next door and bring the house to life again. I would hate to see it torn down, but it does need a lot of work.

On days like these my heart turns to Spring. The Spring magazines are beginning to appear and I got this one the other day.

So many pretty pictures of birds and stories about birds and what plants to grow to draw birds to your yard.

I have been having trouble sleeping and getting cricks in my neck at night. We have tried so many different pillow through the years and I decided to try one more.

My Pillow. I don’t own shares in the company although I wish I did, but anyway, I bought two pillows from here right after Christmas.

They both came in a little box and were scrunched into plastic bags.

But once out of the bag they fluffed up very well.

I especially like that they are made here in the good old USA.

So I have been sleeping on mine for the last couple of weeks and only had one night that my neck hurt, but other than that, I have been sleeping like a baby. David is still not sure he likes his, but he doesn’t take to change too well so maybe he will change his mind after a while.

I’m not advertising them or anything, just telling you how mine works for me. I think it has helped my sleeping.

I have been working on several projects this month. January is a great month to stay inside and make things.

I told you about this quilt book I got a while back. I really love this book. Lori Holt has designed some of the cutest quilts in the past and this books is chock full of quilt ideas.

I really loved this one. Wouldn’t this be so cute for a baby? If you are expecting or are a soon to be grandma, this would make such a wonderful quilt for the new baby. If it’s a boy you could just use blue material instead of all the pink. I love pink and I am making a pink one.

Look at this chick closely. The material has little ducks on it! A chick made with duck material.

Little chicks lining up on my cutting table one by one. I need twenty of them. These are so much fun to make. I got kind of obsessed with making them after a while.

Here’s the stack of twenty blocks I need.

Since this is going to be used as an Easter quilt, I chose this material for the backing. We sold this in our store several years ago and I have sold some of it at garage sales and still have enough to back a quilt or two. I really love this material.

And while I work on the chick quilt, my mind is already wandering to the next quilt or quilts I would like to make.

I want to make a chick quilt using only blacks and pinks. If you are old enough to remember, in the five and dime stores back in the fifties at Easter time little chicks would appear in all colors. Pink chicks, blue chicks, lavender chicks. I don’t know what was used to color the chicks. It probably wasn’t healthy for them, but at the time I thought they were the cutest things and always wanted a colorful chick, but since my daddy raised hundreds of chickens, my parents thought it was foolish to buy one just because it was a different color. So I plan to make a pink chick quilt.

I bought this quilt book from Amazon a couple of weeks ago for a very cheap price. Four dollars, I think. It was almost like new. I love to make little quilts once in a while because it is instant gratification and I can make one in a day or so and still feel like I have made something worth having or giving away.

I plan to make this quilt soon. I love basket quilts. I have made quite a few in my lifetime.

I’ve been going through my stash of fabric to make this quilt. That is half the fun of quilting. Choosing the fabrics you will need. I just shop my stash and can come up with a nice selection.

Every once in a while I do some work for a friend. I am not a quilt restorer, but I was asked to do a little repair work on a friend’s quilt.

Actually a comforter as it is tied, but there were several of the rectangles that had holes in them. I took material that almost matched and sewed it over the damaged piece and retied it. If you look closely you can tell which ones I replaced, but it isn’t too apparent. I hope my friend will be happy.

This is a quilt made out of double knit. Not an easy fabric with which to make a quilt. Back in the sixties double knit was the fabric of choice for clothes. I made double knit skirts, my son a double knit little sailor suit, another suit jacket for my other son, and last but not least a leisure jacket for David. When I made David’s jacket, it had belt loops and a self fabric belt. Well, I put the belt loops up too high and when David wore the jacket it looked like the belt was directly under his chest. Bless him, he wore that jacket and never complained. We have a picture of him in it and every time we see it we laugh.

Double knits came in all colors and patterns. This quilt had a lot of different double knits in it.

It’s a very heavy quilt also. I wouldn’t want to sleep under it. Kind of like the denim one David made. It was so heavy I could barely carry it.

David put up my little green house and I am starting tomatoes this week. It won’t be long before May will be here and time to plant again. Always nice to know it’s coming when we are sitting in the middle of snow and ice.

Last but not least, I hung some red and white hankies in the window to decorate for Valentine’s Day that is coming.