Catching Up...

Today's Spring storm brought with it some pea to marble size hail...

which I had the joy of driving home in...Yeah!!!

 

 

 

 

We have also been able to get the garden ready for planting,

thanks to my wonderful grandson :)  He did this 2 weeks ago,

and we did plant over the past few days.  Now concerned about how the seeds

and plants will survive today's storm...

 

And we have added ducks to the backyard mini farm!!!

Well they aren't exactly in the backyard just yet...

another couple weeks and they will be :)

Right now they just like to eat & swim.

The yellow ones are just beginning to get their "Quack",

so very cute!!

 

Haven't had time to get any sewing accomplished, but hoping to very soon.

Farmer's Market will be opening in about 3 weeks, and I'm

looking forward to that.  I have some herbs planted to sell and of course I

will have eggs and maybe some baked goods and crafts items.

 

Hugs & Blessings.

Terry



New Look for the Living Room

 

 

The living room was closing in on me...I was choking and getting  Claustrophobic...

I just couldn't take it anymore....AHHHHH. 
There was wall paper from ceiling to floor

complete with border around the middle, and it was print...

OH MY... It just had to go...it had to!!!

 

So now the living room looks like this...

 

Now I can breath...

Some think it is boring, some think it looks like a

hospital....I don't care, it's mine   LOL

and I like it - it is clean and open and bright :)

 

I must admit it was a much bigger project than I thought it would be.

It took 2 days to strip all the wall paper down.

Two days to mud all the holes in the walls and sand.

Then one day to prime it and finally, one day to paint.

If my youngest son and oldest grandson had not stepped up and helped...

I doubt it would be done today!!!

Many, Many, Many "Thanks" to them.  Love you both.

 

 

 

 



 

 

Winter Storm - January 2014

 

Thought I would share some pictures of last month's

winter storm...some called it a blizzard, but it was

not a blizzard, LOL.  Just heavy snowfall and

a little wind.  Far from a blizzard!!!

 

This looking out to our front yard.

The snow was coming down pretty good at this point.

 

 

Looking down the lane that our

driveway takes off from.

 

 

Grape arbor in the backyard.

 

 

Backyard swing, not looking very

welcoming right now. 

 

 

Pine trees in the backyard loaded

down with snow!!!

 

 

This was taken in town...

the day the roads were closed.

The day that my dear husband decided

I should learn to drive my 4 wheel

drive in snow!!!

 

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Just Couldn't Help Myself....

I'm a cat person so I had to share this one :)

Just not too sure about this!!!!

I've been to several Amish communities,

but I've never seen this.

OH Yes!!!!

That would be me :)

LOL



Yep...that's me!

I know this for a fact.

Hope these brightened your day

 and brought a smile to your face. 

 They are all borrowed from Facebook friends.

Love & Hugs,
Terry

Good Food, Great Fun, Awesome Company...

Last Saturday I was able to kidnap the husband and take one of those short, one day trips to Amish country ( Freedom & Washington Indiana, this only happens once or twice a year)...the trip included 3 of my favorite things:

1. Good Food, The Black Buggy Restaurant ( located in Amish country )...
2. Great Fun, visit to The Freedom Country Store (Amish Owned) and The Stitchin Post Fabric Shop...
3. Awesome Company, time alone with the husband!!!

First stop was the Freedom Country Store, where I picked up some noodles, bread, honey, pumpkin butter, beets, chocolate mint cappuccino mix, and a couple notepads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next was the Black Buggy Restaurant for a delicious lunch, sorry I forgot to take my camera in, so there's no pictures:(  But this is what I had for lunch: meatloaf with brown gravy, small red potatoes with butter and parsley, cooked cabbage, candied whole baby carrots, salad, and a piece of custard pie....so good:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Then on to the Stitchin' Post!  I have signed up for 3 quilt block swaps for the end of the year...so I needed some fabric:)

1. Christmas Novelty Framed Square Block Swap Fabric 

2.  Christmas Star Swap fabric along with some white on white.

3. Blue & White Disappearing 4-Patch Swap fabric.  









Then there was this fabric that everytime I walked by it, it called ever so softly "Terry, you know you want us!"  So what's a girl to do...I couldn't just leave it behind :)

I absolutely love lavendars & greens, don't know what I will make with it, but you can be sure that whatever it becomes, it has to be beautiful!!!  Lovin that fabric:)

Then I found another "Story Book Quilt" book that I reeaally "needed"... this one looks like a lot of fun.  "A Quilter's Diary" it should help me tell my own story:)

                                       I also found these adorable small quilt pattens.           

And last but definately not least, a few items that will become gifts at some point for Secret Pals, friends, or family:)

       

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you have a blessed day and find time to sew a stitch or two...

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry

A day hemmed in prayer

seldom unravels.

~unknown

I'm Baaack........

I cannot believe it has been 8 months since I blogged!!!!!

I'm not even sure what happened...life just got in the way and out of control.

Seems the older I get, the faster time goes, and I'm not liking that at all!

Well, we did have a wonderful Christmas last year;

I've turned a year older; and my garden is all planted :)

And the best thing of all - I have found a wonderful church

that I now call "my church home!'

My creative juices dried up for quite awhile,

but I'm forcing them to flow again.

So hopefully I will be sharing some pics soon....

not of completed work, but more like "works in progress."

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

"Happy Father's Day" to all the Dads out there.

The picture on this post is of my Dad and me many years ago.

Like 1961, Oh My!!!!

Hugs & Blessings,

Terry

Autumn, Oh Yes!

This morning when I woke up it was a brisk 49 degrees outside, I'm loving it!!!
Opened my windows and sat in front of them with my cup of hot tea, just the way I like to start my mornings.  Looking out my back door I noticed that it not only felt like Fall, but it is just beginning to look like Fall...

And over the weekend I needed to go the small hometown hardware in a nearby town; to get a real broom, you know made from straw, not the stuff that sends what you have swept up sailing across the kitchen!!!!  I really hate the new brooms.  Any way in front of the hardware they had this beautiful display:

And "Yes" some of these came home with me for a centerpiece for the dining room table.  Which I haven't put together yet, but they still looking pretty just sitting on the kitchen cabinet.

More pictures to follow on another post of our weekend drive:)  Found lots of old barns in the surrounding area:)

Hugs & Blessings,
Terry

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.  
                                                                                                              Ecclesiastes 3:1

It's Been Awhile...cause I've been BAD!!!

Well, well, well, it has been almost a month since my last post, and I can't say that I have been very productive in that time:(  As a matter of fact I have only made 4 quilt blocks and 10 -12 cards.  So I have a confession or two to make...

#1.  I found a new love, NO not to replace my dear husband, he is a one of a kind keeper!  The new love is a new to me site...Facebook!!!!  I swore I would never be there, but I am (hehehe). The good thing is I have found some old friends and connected with some family, too.  The bad thing is those darn games on FB...you know, Farmville and Frontierville.  They are soooo addictive.   But I'm geeting better at organizing my time... kind of :)  Oh, and you should see my farms, they are coming along quite nicely!  (ROTFL)

#2.  I have been getting out of the house more and taking pictures.  I will be sharing those in a later post.  Found some old barns, houses, and oddities of nature.

#3.  I have started a new crafting hobby.  Crocheting!!!  My dear sweet sister-in-law gave me my first lesson yesterday.  Let me tell you, she has the patience of a saint :)
We had a lot of laughs; my fingers just did not want to cooperate (aaarrrggg). At one point, I told her that this could be the craft that could cause me to (#@*+"~@#) learn a "new" language, OMG!!!  But this what I managed to get done yesterday:

We also have a new addition to our furry four-legged family.  Her name is Buttercup and she is a rescued kitty:)



I have lots of other things to share, and I promise I will do that throughout the week.
I shall spend less time on Facebook....well, I'll try to spend less time there (LOL)

Hugs & Blessings,
Terry

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
                                                                                 Psalm 3:5

Trouble with a Capital "T"... YIKES!!!!

Trouble with a Capital "T", Yep, that's what I'm in :(

No doubt about it...

I received this email today (long sad sigh)

Subject Line:  Blogless

"Hello!  Somebody hasn't blogged since March 2nd.

I wonder if a new sewing machine might be the cause.

Don't forget to eat and sleep now and then."

Love, Mother

I still hate to be called down by my Mother.  Especially when she is right!!!!

I can just hear the disappointment in her voice (sniff, sniff)

So I am blogging a little tonight.  I do have quite a lot to catch up on...

But, I did get a new sewing machine.  A Janome Memory Craft 6500P.

I have never had a machine like this before :)  I've always had inexpensive machines.  And I still love my little Brother XR65 machine.  He is only in semi-retirement...we've made many, many things together :)  And we are not done yet.  Lots of memories, there!

This "bad girl" can do just about anything!!!!  Most of which I'm

still learning about (LOL).  So here are some pics of my new girl....

Isn't she just beautiful?????  I have done a lot of sewing over the weekend and I am learning lots of new things that I can do on this machine :)  So many stitches, and I am suppose to be able to quilt on it, too!!!  OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  I hope I  can master this machine.  By the way, her name is Miriam Bess, after my two Grandmothers.  They had a lot to do with my love for sewing and quilting :)  No, I take that back, they had everything to do with my love of sewing and quilting:)  My love of drawing, painting, reading and music came from my Mother.                      

And I also got this box of embroidery thread FREE with the machine :)

I will be back tomorrow to post some more, but tonight, I have got to get all our tax stuff together for the accountant :(

HUGS & BLESSINGS,

Terry

P.S.  I love you Mom, hope this makes you a little happier with me :) Remember the grin that I use to give that could melt your heart....well that's the grin I'm grinning now.  Is it working????? (PEEP) giggle, giggle, giggle

Christmas Gifts :)

My Dear Sister-in-Law made this wonderfully, beautiful, warm quilt for me for Christmas. She used my favorite colors and some of my favorite blocks. Is she AWESOME or what??? This quilt has already kept me warm on many a cold night :) And, "NO", I haven't shared it with anyone.

And just to prove she really loves me, here is the signing on the back of the quilt...No denying it now...I'm her favorite! (LOL)
She also made a matching pillow case.

And just in case I get out from under the quilt or leave the sewing room, and venture into the kitchen...she crocheted dish rags for me too :)

Yeah, she makes me feel pretty special.

OOPS!!! Gifties to Blog :)

I took pictures of these wonderful gifts I received during November & December last year; then in the hustle and bustle of the Holidays I forgot to blog them. So while cleaning up my computer tonight, I came across them again. And I decided it's never too late share good things with friends...Right???


The placemats are a Pay It Forward from Rosa :) These wonderful placemats are the beginning of my new kitchen. Chickens & roosters...tooo cute!!!!





The fantastic giant pincushion is a Christmas gift from a penpal in Australia. Let me tell you I have used it and used it. Love the size. Now I have one at the sewing machine (my cute little flower from last years secret pal) and this big one on the cutting table, PERFECT!








The hot pad and coaster set are from another Aussie penpal. I think they are just so very pretty. The coasters stay in my sewing room. No, I don't share very well. *grin*

I just love homemade items :)

My Goals for 2010...Well, Maybe!!!

Well maybe Goals isn't really the correct word...more like Hopes, Wants, or Wishes for 2010.



1. Get ALL my swap block quilt tops together, that would be a total of NINE!!!



2. Keep up with the BOM Calendar from Michigan Quilts (Caron Mosey).



3. Finish quilting my Names of Jesus Quilt.



4. Keep up with the blocks for the Quilting the Psalms group :)



5. Make the time to write in my 2 journals. One is a "Treasures of a

Grandmother's Heart" and the other is just an everyday journal.



6. Make sure that I make the time and take the time to read my Bible everyday and stay up to date with the Bible study I have chosen for 2010.



7. Start much earlier on the Christmas gifts for Christmas 2010 :) Yes, I have already began planning them!!!



Wish me luck on these Goals.



I am looking forward to a Blessed, Peaceful and Creative New Year, and I wish all of you the same.

The New Back Door Project :)

Yet another re-do project for our house. Time for a new back door :) Just a problem or two...do you see anything wrong with this picture??????

Well for starters there is a new backdoor laying on the ground outside, not in the opening in the wall of my house. Next...no husband around completing this project, ahhhh!!! And guess what he isn't even on the property, oh no, he left and went to town for a coffee
break!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a good ending, the door did get finished and my husband is still allowed in the house (LOL) . And this project only started last Christmas, that's when we got the new door...it only took him 9 months to get the door installed. I can conceive and grow and birth a baby in 9 months!!!! ROTFL

Craft Room Reorganize!!!!! OMG

This project of reorganizing, or should I say "let the FUN begin", my craft room actually started in August :) This could be the beginning of the most horrific nightmare ever *grin*

My crafting supplies were strung out in a kind of organized fashion in 3 rooms...then I got the "brilliant" idea of getting everything into to 1 room! (LOL) Did I mention that it is not only my stuff, but also my daughter's. This is going to be fun! So this is what it looked like once I brought everything into the 1 room. Now mind you my daughter and I both sew, we both scrap book ,and we both do all kinds of rubber stamping & paper crafting, so this is not just one craft/hobby...oh noooo, it's 3 hobbies times 2 people!!!! And this is the room where both of our computers are, AND the Wii game system. So are you getting the picture????

Well after, 1 full week of work, this is what the craft room looks like now, *sigh of relief* I can now work in the room on any of my addictions :) And everything is quite handy, being all in 1 room, when I can find it!!! That's the hard part, remembering where I put my stuff. (lol) Anyway, there is still a little work left to be done, but for the most part it is done!