Finished!

Here is Joyce with the quillow all tucked up into a pillow.

Joyce ties the quillow

Joyce used embroidery thread to tie little knots through the quillow. This is both decorative and practical as it keeps the three layers of the quillow from sliding or bunching up.

Hand sewing the pocket shut

The pocket

The pocket was the last machine sewing phase of the quillow, It was a bit tricky- the fleece side did not seem to want to stay in place.

April 25

Today, Joyce finished her quillow. Well, almost. She still has a few more ties to put in, but that is all. The quillow was a challenging project. Joyce worked very hard on it and did quite well. She will be entering it in the Butler County Fair.

The cards

These are just a few of the cards made today!

Logan

When Vince and Logan arrived they got into the act too!

Joyce, Molly and Lauren

This was obviously a very artistic group!

Making cards

After our tea and lunch, Joyce read two poems about Spring. Then we got out the papers, fancy scissors, rubber stamps and some spring flower photos and got to work making cards for some of our church family who do not get out much. It was great fun!

Molly and Joyce

Elizabeth and Lauren

Marilyn and Elizabeth

The centerpiece

Joyce put the centerpiece together. She brought her chick basket, dyed the eggs and selected the flowers. It was stunning!

Making cookies

Our tea party had a spring theme, so Joyce made bird nest cookies. They were delicious!
The eggs were jelly belly jelly beans.

Joyce dealing..

Joyce won nearly every game!

April 24, 2006- The Tea Party

Today was the big day! Elizabeth, Lauren and Molly were our special guests. Joyce and I have been baking, cleaning and decorating for several days in preparation for the event. Of course we have also been playing Uno and Rummy and generally having a good time.

Ain't she sweet...

We picked lots of flowers to decorate the tea party today. The boys helped-especially P3.

Let's go fly a kite...

April 23,2006

It was a beautiful day. I went to church with P2, Amy and kids. Afterwards, we stopped to see Marilyn and Wendell in the afternoon. Wendell seems to be doing well. The kids loved being in the big yard and running.

Peach blossoms

This one makes me want to sing,"Zippity-do-dah, zippity-ay! My, oh my, what a wonderful day!"

Redbud

Mum loved this tree! It was definitly a favorite.

April 19, 2006

I got up very early today to do laundry. I got most of it done. Perhaps I can finish tomorrow. Daniel came later in the morning for a phonics lesson. He is such a dear little guy! We went for a short walk after the lesson..over to the dumpster and down to my mailbox. On the way back to his house I stopped for gas-what a shock! It is now $2.95!!!
Later,in the afternoon, I took another stroll around the yard [and around memory lane] where Charlie lives. It is such a gorgeous day! Even more beautiful than yesterday - if that is possible!
Today is my sister, Marilyn's birthday. My birthday wish is that you have a happy healthy future and that your frayed nerves heal.
Yesterday, Marilyn, aka Blaze the Red Hot Mama, got fired up -some say in anticipation of today's celebration. You can read all about it in her own words by clicking on "Marilyn,' in my links column.

Daffodils

"Daffodils" (1804)

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

Hyacinth

The heavy scent of hyacinth can be overpowering indoors. Outside, however, it is a delight!

Violets and a dandelion

Violets are so tiny and so beautiful! These two flowers were our favorites to pick when we were kids. Mum always put them in little vases or bottles and put them on the window in the kitchen. Dad used to make garlands for us to wear.

Daffodils

Mum always quoted that poem about "A host of golden daffodils!" I will have to look that one up.

Cinnamon

The cinnamon is beginning to flower. The scent is delicious! Do you remember how Mum always made sure we stopped to sniff it?

Forsythia

It is a fountain of color spiking higher than the trailer.

April 17, 2006

Today I walked around the garden where my mother lived for nearly 20 years and where my brother Charlie still resides. It is Spring and everything is springing to life! I remember the joy my mother had in each new blossom as it appeared. She would phone me to announce, "The crocus is up!" When I arrived she would exclaim, "Yesterday there was nothing but dirt here- today, a purple crocus!"
There is something about a glorious spring day- it puts a song in your heart! Today I was singing Psalm 118. "This is the day that the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it!"
I found myself marvelling as my mother did every spring, that out of dead twigs and brown dirt God brought life and beauty and color. Even more wonderfully, God gives life to us when we are, as scripture says, "dead in our sins." Not only does he give us life, but purpose and so much good that we should find it easy to rejoice and be glad every day of our lives.
"I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord."

Three brothers...

They look like the Dukes Boys...

Church April 16, 2006

It was a beautiful day for taking pictures! Joyce looked picture-perfect dressed in purple.

Sewing Class

For the past few weeks I have had the fun of taking Joyce to sewing class. Her teacher, who works with 4H members, is "sew inspirational!" She has inspired me to get my machine tuned up and to try quilting!
Joyce is an excellent student. Her quillo project is nearly finished.The quillo, a combination quilt that folds into a pillow, is her major project, but she also made a potpourri coaster and is working on a denim purse. Joyce has big plans for future sewing projects. But more about that later...

Frog bowl brush holder...

Frog bank...

Shower curtain

About frogs...

Several years ago my niece, Becky got me interested in rubber stamping. It is an addicting hobby! Once I saw an email forward that had as its theme "FROG = Fully Rely On God." I thought it was a great idea for a card using my rubber stamps, so I began collecting frog stamps. There are so many wonderful ways to use this theme!

Last fall I began having increased health problems. My ailing back, feet, hand, and knee were making my life very difficult. December 1, 2005 a doctor told me that I almost certainly had cancer, but would need a biopsy to verify her diagnosis. On my way home , I stopped to tell my sister the ominous news and found that she was having a stroke. About the same time I had to make the decision to move from my house to a small apartment. I also had to leave my job in order to make the move. In the course of testing for cancer another biopsy was required. It was a situation that could easily be overwhelming. The hardest part for me was trying to get moved. The more I tried to do -the worse the pain got. The amazing thing to me was that through all of this God lead me patiently and surely. I was so aware of His Presence in my life. I knew I was helpless to deal with these problems. I had to rely on God for help and strength. God is faithful.When I needed comfort He was there. He gave me physical stamina to finish out my job. And when I needed physical help for the move-He sent Wendy and Cory!

When I moved into my new place I bought frog shower curtain hooks. JJ and Keith gave me a frog shower curtain as a house warming gift. I also got a frog bowl brush holder and set my frog bank in the new bathroom. They are whimsical reminders of my continuing need to Fully Rely On God!

Blowing a bubble...

Joyce with twisted colored tube...

Heating 2 colored tubes...

Entering the glass blowing place...

4-11-06 Glass Blowing Field Trip

On Tuesday we went to a glass blowing place up north. It was very interesting.The glass blower got everyone's attention when he lit his torch and threw out a flame that was several feet long! He began by melting 2 tubes of glass to make a beautiful glass dolphin which he tinted pink.
He twisted 2 different colored tubes of glass together for a beautiful effect.
Blowing through a rubber hose connected to the tube made a bubble which he did all sorts of things with. We enjoyed walking through the store and seeing all the fantastic things that can be made from glass using these methods. My favorite was the gilded train engine. It was made by pulling the glass and making bazillions of tiny loops[for a crochet look] to form the train engine and then dripping on the gold for accents.

Oops, I was foiled in the attempt.....

After the boys left, I straightened up a little and posted the pics from their visit. Soon it was time to leave for the chiro, I quickly changed clothes and packed the potato race car and cards to deliver on my way back home. BUT..at the end of Sunbury Fields Lane I was stopped. A road crew was resurfaceing Rt.308 and the entrance to Sunbury Fields Lane was completely covered in hot black tar. A man came over to me and said it would be quite a while until the tar cooled enough to drive through. He said that the hot tar would ruin my tires if I drove through it and my tires would ruin their work on the entrance. So I had to turn back and cancel my appointment for today with the chiropractor as well as postpone my delivery to Wendell and Mandy.

Time to go home....

Rubberstamping

A box was delivered to my door! It was a box of rubberstamps and supplies from Becky.The boys were inspired and decided to make cards! They went through my stash of rubber stamps and chose several to use in their first project. I gave them a short lesson in the basic technique which they mastered very well. Daniel made a card for Aunt Mandy and P3 made a card for Grandpa Blair.

Sleepover morning....

We had scrambled eggs for breakfast, but Aunt Jane still does not make them quite as perfect as Mom.
The boys washed the dishes! Daniel was disappointed last night that I had already washed all the dishes before they arrived. Today he and P3 had the fun of washing dishes the old fashioned way!
An oddly shaped potato was the inspiration for a craft project--a race car to cheer Grampa Blair in his recovery from heart surgery!

Picture of campers

Boys Sleepover

Last night the boys had their first sleepover here. We had a lovely walk all around the grounds of the apartment complex. Daniel discovered a steep bank that was perfect for rolling down.
The boys were camped out in the living room. The pic is a reenactment, as I forgot to take a pic last night. We had chocolate-free smores for a snack and played Go Fish. Devotions were led by P3. He led us in Psalm 1A and read Acts 16:16ff. He reads exceptionally well! Bedtime was 9:00pm. Paul kept us right on schedule.

A blah day that turned out great...but.....

Today began rather rainy- a good day to stay in bed. I slept later than usual and woke up feeling good! Amy called to say that Paul would work on my car today after my chiro appointment. The chiro appointment took forever! I was there at 4pm and did not get out until @5:20! He was having 'bring a friend day' with party food and was really backed up.
I went straight up to get my car worked on and met Paul [and 3 kids] who was coming out of the driveway to pick up Amy [and David] who was babysitting for Sharon. Paul decided to take me home first. We got all the way to my house and I got out of the car before realizing that I had left the house keys in my car along with the car keys.AAAGH!!!
It was kind of nice for me though, because I got to go along to get Amy and got to see where Sharon and Amy's Dad live. The property is really beautiful! It is about 5 acres and not at all hilly. There is a big garden area and fruit trees. Sharon and family have a very cute looking trailer on the property just steps away from Mr. Dietrich's house. Joyce found a ball and the kids and I enjoyed kicking it around in the spacious yard.
Then they decided to go out to eat, so off we went to the Old Country Buffet!
I can't really say that my day was profitable in terms of accomplishing much, but it sure turned out to be fun!
I was just thinking about how enjoyable the evening was when Amy IMed me to say that P2 was wanting to get the car into the garage, but couldn't, because....there was no key! I forgot to give him back the key ring for the car!!! Again I say, AAAAGH!!!

The kids all like video games, especially P3. Joyce worked on an Easter card for her Uncle Charlie. Can you think of anything more appropriate than a baby chick?

Yesterday, catching up....

The kids stayed with me for a short time while Amy went to the chiropractor. David arrived asleep and did not waken until Amy was coming back up the sidewalk.
Daniel arrived with sandwich makings.

More Tea Party Pics...

More Tea Party Pics Found

Today I was feeling pretty good and the weather is beautiful, so I decided to make the trek down to the Vulhops to see what I could find.I was greeted at the front door by Wizard, who eyed me warily. He knew I did not belong in that house. He followed my every move closely. I found the cable for my camera which I have missed very much. and my sewing machine. It was missing the swing arm which contains all the attachments, but I managed to get the machine into my car. I am sure the swing arm will show up eventually. I also picked up some more rubberstamping stuff. My back was getting sore and the car was getting full- time to move on. I stopped by to say, "hello," to Wendell and Keith and then up to the Meridian PO for stamps. I stopped for gas [$2.59] and I dropped the sewing machine at Sweeper City to be cleaned and tuned up. The fellow who takes care of that is away, but will be back sometime next week. I made a stop at Aldi's and then over to Wal-Mart. I did not get all my shopping completed, but the car was overloaded and I was very tired and sore.

Joyce made a sign and placed it with her big red teddy to direct guests to choose a china cup from the cupboard.
Joyce filled the cups with rasberry tea.
We read a poem entitled, " Drinkin from my Saucer," and we also had a story about a teacup. We hated for the good time to end, so we prolonged it a little while by playing Uno. Hope everyone had as good a time as Joyce and me!

Joyce brought beautiful gold ribbon for napkin rings and she drew and cut out butterfly inserts with Bible verses for each guest. Joyce has a creative spirit! She put her little teddy in a teacup to adorn the food table!

Tea Tables

As you can see from the food table, we went all out. Our menu included fancy little cookie cutter sandwiches, chicken wings, fruit, devilled eggs, veges and cookies.
The dining table centerpiece was a bowl of floating candles surrounded by Marshmallow snowmen made by Joyce.