Friday, July 28, 2023

Wow ... It's been three months !

Didn't realize I'd neglected to write here since April!  Actually, I've not been journaling as frequently either.  Life changes though, doesn't it?  My life is different now and not as interesting to me.  So it probably isn't to you either!  😄  Well, nevertheless I thought I'd drop some photos of things I've seen and done this spring and early summer. 

Just wanted to mention that today I attended the funeral of a church-family member and friend.  She was such a cheerful person and the pastor mentioned that in his wonderful eulogy.  There were lots of folks in attendance!  Wonderful meal following the service, which I helped with in a very small way.  What I will remember about Anna (but we all called her Duck) was her beautiful smile.  Even when she wasn't feeling like it she would give you that smile which, was a real gift you know.  My mother was like that; she had a great smile.  Sometimes I wonder have I earned such a ringing eulogy?  It was an exhausting day.  But how much more so for her family!

My sciatic nerve problem seems to be a thing of the past (thank you God) and I'm still doing those stretching exercises!  Who wants to go through that again!?!  I go for drives and see new country around here and check out any interesting shops I come across (fabric, antique, thrift, etc.).  I've been known to stop for an interesting looking garage sale.  Been crocheting at the Farmland Senior Center on Wednesdays.  Returned to Geri-fit for senior exercise twice a week.  But still I battle the weight.  For a while I did Keto and it worked but when I got down with the nerve pain I quit and guess what? .....  I've always said, when I die the first thing when I get to heaven and they have question and answer time, I'm going to ask God, why did you want me to be fat?  Is it my thorn in the flesh (like Paul)?  Is it a test that You know I'll never pass?  I told my brother Don once, when I die people will say "well you know, she was overweight" and even if I might loose weight some time in the future (LOLOLOL) and am not so heavy when I die, they'll say "well you know, she had been overweight for years".  I know.  You're laughing at me.  Good!!!

Well, here's some pictures of what's up with me:

I've made some more paper beads.  It's fun and really easy.  Made this bracelet for my DIL Jane.  Once I get started on the bead making it's hard to stop.  And now I have all these beads ...

Back to needle punch, too.  This little pouch will make a good gift for someone.

More needle punch waiting to be finished ... (and some beads that need to be put away)

Here's a little tote which I punched the rabbit piece for.  I find these totes and pouches at Hobby Lobby in several colors and I like using them to attach my punched pieces to.

I've been working on this bed runner for about 3 weeks now.  I hope I don't get tired of it before I finish it (I still have that king-size bed [sigh]).  


My sister and I went to Lewisburg and Verona (Ohio) a few weeks ago and my fav place there is the Little Shops in Verona.  She has the neatest stuff her shops, which are behind her home, are amazing to me!!!  I envy her talent to select, collect, arrange and display.  Plus she is a wonderful primitive painter!  She will paint on anything!  And the day we were there the turkey and chickens were out and about.  If you're into primitives, this is the place!
This is the back of her home.  Besides the two small shops near the house, there is a big barn full of primitives.  Every spring she has a plant sale which is a big deal around there.

My sister went home and duplicated this clay pot stacked thingy!  Way to go Teresa!

The Little Shops have three buildings to visit and this is the porch of one.  Her hubby has a furniture shop out back which I have yet to visit ...


When in Lewisburg Teresa and I stopped in a flower shop and for some reason this display of vases in all the colors of the rainbow struck me that day as just beautiful.  The two ladies working there were fun to visit with.  There are several nice shops in Lewisburg and this was one of my favs.

I found Annie Oakley's grave one day when I was out wandering the back roads.  It's on a little highway not too far into Ohio, north of Greenville.  As a matter of fact, this weekend is Annie Oakley Days in Greenville.  That's where Annie was from.


Well, I'll leave you there at Annie's grave.  It's a lovely spot and looked to me like it is well-loved.  God bless you and hope you keep safe and cool this summer!

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Back in time for Spring ...

Well.  After that three-month hiatus I'll try to do some catch-up here!  My life is much slower now.  And I had some little hiccups recently but I'm thinking I can expect that more and more as time rolls on.  I gave up on getting a painter to come paint the inside of my garage so I did it myself.  Followed closely by some major sciatic nerve pain.  Sigh.  Lost most of March.  Did the meds followed by physical therapy thing (and still doing the take-home exercises they prescribed).  After that incident my right knee seems to have further deteriorated.  Another sigh.  I see knee-replacement surgery in my future if I want to walk much .....

Been keeping busy though with things I enjoy doing such as reading, crocheting, needlepunch and 'finally' back to rug hooking pretty regularly!  Since I've moved here I've really missed hooking with kindred spirits.  It's difficult to stay motivated if I don't have a group to meet with! That's just me.... There is no one I've found in this immediate area who does real rug hooking.  (There is one person about an hour away but she is more of an "artist" and we just don't share the same style.  I sort of feel for the people who take classes from her if they think that that style is what rug hooking is all about.  I'm more of the rug-on-the-floor type of hooker.  Just sayin.)  And I've asked around about others who might hook, contacting the local homemakers club and also my crafty friends at knit n' crochet.  Like most of us, those knitters and crocheters also dabble in other interests to some degree.  Some lots more than others.  And they're always interested in seeing and hearing about what's going on outside the yarn world.  

Speaking of that group (called A Good Yarn), we're just starting a new project for Life Stream, crocheting 100 small baskets for their Christmas project.  Last year we made 800 hats, but they've contacted other like-minded crafters in the 5-county area now so we only have to do 100 items and not 800.  Shoot!  We'll have that knocked out before the end of May!  So I've been making little 4" diameter by 4" tall baskets.

Let me look at my photos and see what I've been doing ...

On one of my many drives I stopped at the old Ceylon covered bridge just north of Geneva.  It's in the heart of Amish country and as I was stopped in the small park to take this picture a couple buggies went through.  I respect their desire to not be photographed.

Came across this historical marker just last week as I was coming home from a shop in Ohio.  Wandering the back roads again.  This 1860s building is just inside Randolph county Indiana about a half mile from the state line on county road 600S.  This was an old two-story brick school house called the Union Literary Institute.  They took students without regard to color or sex.  Classes were on the first floor and housing on the top floor.  The sign says that notable attendees included Hiram Revels, the first black U.S. Senator and James S. Hinton, the first black elected to the Indiana House of Representatives.  It also claims to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.  I wish someone would repair this building before it falls down!



Was wandering around a few weeks ago, coming into Albany from the south out in the country, and I accidentally found these shoe trees just outside town.  There are four large trees just loaded with shoes!  I saw some Chuck Taylors for goodness sake!!!  You just never know what you're going to come across.  And folks, found out later that this "place of interest" is actually listed on Google Maps ... 

Someone told me some time ago that there was a flowing well east of Spartansburg.  Well, I was wandering around in the southern part of the county, headed for Ohio, and came into Spartansburg from the west.  I remembered about the well and went out of town headed east and there in a nice little park was this well.  The water is very tasty by the way.  Spartansburg is just a little crossroads town with no side streets...

Well, I'll sign off for now.  My sister and I went to Lewisburg, Ohio a couple weeks ago and I'll share some photos I took on that shopping trip next time.  Lewisburg is a nice little town and it was just our style!  I'm still exploring this area and sure there's lots more to find.  Just wish my sweetie was here to "discover" with me.  Some days it's difficult for me to believe that he is not in this world anymore.  

God bless you all and take care of each other!