Thursday, April 21, 2016

Enjoying some time away (and other things) ...

Instead of lots of words, thought I'd show you what I (we)'ve been up to lately in pictures.  Before I start, hooking has been fun lately and here's a picture of my friend Laurie's latest completed (hooking at least ... LOL!) project.  I really love the colors she used here and Laurie says it's going to be a pillow.  She's on her way to NM as I write this so wherever you are tonight Laurie, hope you're having fun and I wish I were with you!


As for me, I've gotten a runner rug done and I'll take a picture and show you next time, promise.  Today was hooking at the library and only Margo and I were there :-( but we had a great time anyway.  Jane ate lunch with us and it was all good.  Enjoyed catching up with what's going on with both of them.


Wendell and I took a weekend trip to New Harmony.  Saw Michael Doucet with Beausoliel on Saturday night.  Wonderful Cajun music!!!!!!  Not enough exclamation points for that night.  Also enjoyed: A car show downtown.  Shopping at the antique shops with some purchases at the Mews.  Walking around town looking at the historical buildings, homes and lovely flowers.  Wine and cheesecake on the patio of the Red Geranium.  A good night's rest at the Inn after the wonderful show.  Breakfast at the Red Geranium.  Long, relaxing trip home through IL.  Cameo Vineyards in Greenup for a half-case of wine and dropped into some shops downtown.  Just a wonderful, wonderful weekend.  And did I say the weather was perfect?!


Here's some pix ...

Don't know what this tree is but I want one ...
The Roofless Church ... walked and meditated here Sunday a.m. ...
It's so quiet here ...


White bleeding hearts in the church courtyard ...

This plaque was on the exit from the church courtyard into the yard of the potter ...

Wonderfully shaped bald cypress tree in the courtyard of the pottery ...

A peek through the window at the pottery ...

Lilacs were blooming along this pathway ...

And wisteria was in bloom everywhere; this is outside the building where we stayed ...
Come into this little garden with me and sit a while ...

I enjoyed the sun and the sound of the fountain here ...
Wendell & I enjoyed a wine and cheese/crackers lunch on the porch at Cameo in Greenup, IL ...

This very interesting gallery is downtown Greenup ...
World's largest golf tee (at the course in Casey, IL) ...

World's largest wind chime (Casey, IL) ...
And downtown Casey, across from the world's largest wind chime, is the world's largest rocking chair ... (What will they think of next in Casey ?????)


Did I say we had a wonderful time!?  Hope you did too.  God is so good to us!

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

April showers today ...

Today we're having showers.  Just finished mowing for the first time Monday and finally finished cleaning the flower beds today! Whew!  Just in the nick.  I cleaned and Preened this a.m. and now this nice gentle rain is releasing the magic crystals of Preen! LOL!  Actually, I don't think Preen is as powerful as it used to be.  Probably thanks to big brother who is always taking care of us so we won't hurt ourselves ... Right.  Anyway, hopefully the weeds will be kept at bay for a month or so at least until I recover my strength to do the weeding thing all over again!


We've had a tough week or so.  Really, things sort of turned sour for Wendell with the new year.  Long story short after a wearing a heart monitor and having a stress test, they decided he needed a heart cath.  Did that last week.  They found one small blockage but inserted no stent at the time.  He's having an MRI this week to determine if a stent would help.  So more stressful waiting to see what they find and decide they want to do.  Well, really, it's me getting stressed out; he just goes about his days really relaxed.  Wish I could do that.  Today for instance, while I was doing the flower bed thing he was repairing one of the mowers and tried out his new chain saw.  I try to keep very busy -- hooking, sewing, cleaning, reading.  Some days I do better than others.  If I stay calm I can force myself to live for the day and not for tomorrow.  Wow ... way too much about this, right?


I said previously I went to the Bloomington Quilt Show in early March and promised pictures.  So many great quilts were displayed there!  I had a tough time deciding which quilt to vote for as my "viewer's favorite".  I'm in the middle of working on two quilts at the same time, rotating from one to the other.  I sort of like it that way; you don't get tired of either of them!  Just me ... So going to this show really has kept me inspired.  Hope you enjoy seeing just a little piece of what I saw that day ...


This was judged "Best of Show".  Very nice.  Tons of detail.  Better in person than in this picture.  It's wall hanging size.  Just gorgeous!

This was my favorite.  I loved all of the borders!  Just look at each layer as you work your eye from the edge into the center medallion!  And those baskets have such tiny pieces.  It's just an awesome quilt in person.  And it's bed-sized, too!  Check out the close-up below of the 3-D corner flowers!  Wow!




I really was taken with this wall hanging, too.  If you'll look at the close-up photo below, you'll see why ...


Close-up of wall hanging above ...  Wow!

I wasn't taken with the colors used in this quilt, but I love this geometric design ...  Future project?



These three little gems were my favorites of a special display of 8"x10" mini-quilts they hung along a hallway.  Just little works of art.  I think there were about 25 of them in all!  I was impressed!
One of my favorite parts of the quilt show is the vendor hall.  They had lots of quilting booths of course, but there was other fiber related vendors as well.  Sort of made me miss working with the vendors at our rug hooking guild's fiber fair (we used to have).  Speaking of which, don't forget, if you're a 'yarn person', the Fiber Event will be happening in Greencastle April 15 & 16!  It's always an interesting place to go if you're looking for yarn or roving or associated products.  So if you knit or crochet or do needlepunch or weaving, check it out.  And have lunch at Almost Home!


Wish us luck at the hospital this Friday.  God is so good to us.  Why do I keep worrying?  (It's my job!)