Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Christmas is almost here!

It's an exciting and busy time of year, isn't it?  I think I'm almost ready for Christmas.  Mailed Christmas cards last week.  Got the gift shopping done.  Have all of the ingredients for any and all food I might want to prepare on hand.  Got the gifts wrapped this a.m. and put them around the Christmas tree.  (Still have one to go, in transit.)


It's a beautiful, sunny day here with snow on the ground (see that glare on the floor by the tree?) and it would be a perfect day for "Christmas" ... but the weatherman says that it probably won't be a white Christmas for us this year in my part of Indiana.
  
I have lots of hopes and wishes for the season, including that my brother Don and his wife Nancy make it safely to Green Valley and aren't impeded by any storms.  That Wendell gets through his procedure tomorrow with no incidents.  That my family gets to meet for our get-together with safe trips by all (and that Wendell will be able to attend).  That all the folks I know with colds and flu get well enough to enjoy their family time, too.  (And that includes me.)  That friends and family hosting parties and family meals get to enjoy the meeting time as much as the attendees.  And that we all can forget about politics for just an afternoon or an evening, acting our appropriate ages, and showing our love for our friends and family.  That's pretty simple, isn't it?  Hope my dreams come true and that a week from today I'll be putting cookies out for Santa and kicking back with a coffee/Baileys!  And you too.

Here's a little of what I've been doing lately, just to catch up.

Found this really cool little oil painting in Spencer at the gallery on the south side of the square.  I love, love, love wall art and wish I could decorate better; I have LOTS of stuff in closets and drawers and not a lot on the wall!  But I put this little gem right up in the kitchen.  Unframed!  It's my Christmas present to myself this year and I paid more for it than I probably should have -- but I'm worth it!  😊

On the way home from Vincennes a couple weeks ago we saw some white specks in a field down by Beehunter.  I made a quick turn-around and we cut out into the country.  About a mile off the highway we found these Whooping Cranes!  Wish I could have been closer and/or that I'd had my camera with me and not just the phone.  But here's what I got.  What a treat; first time in my life I've see Whooping Cranes!  God is good!

Here's my latest rug.  It's almost done here ... I'll put a photo on here when I have it done and steamed. I'm liking it but it's not my favorite of all time.

Recently I bought some carrots and thought, 'what could I do different with carrots?' So I Googled it and found several recipes for simple pickled carrots.  Surprisingly it was a definite YUM!  Good on the side with a sandwich. And, hey, you can do the same with green beans ...

Last, but not least, I've spent some spare time (while terrible TV programs are on) crocheting hats and scarves for Project Warmth.  So, ta-da!  I so enjoy doing this and my hope is that some person who needs to keep warm will be wearing them this winter!

"May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmas's be white!"  
God bless you and yours!


Monday, November 25, 2019

The Holy Hookers ATHA challenge!

The group of women I hook with in Worthington revealed their challenge mats last week at our regular daytime hooking get-together.  And what fun!  We started with lunch at the Route 67 Diner, then adjourned to the library for the big show n' tell.  What a great afternoon!  It was gloomy and rainy outside, but warm and sunny inside the Worthington-Jefferson Public Library that day!

Let me back up just a bit.  Last fall I gave this pattern to each of the hookers.  It was a free pattern from a back issue of ATHA magazine ...  I said 'make this your own'!  I didn't show them the article it came from or the picture in the magazine -- I just wanted to see what they would all came up with.  It's relatively small, about 12"x16".  


Some of these women have been hooking for 20+ years and some only two or three years.  

So here's mine. I purposely decided to make mine very close to the magazine picture in colors and in following the pattern, but I left out the 'dots' in the middle.



Here's how the other hookers interpreted this pattern!  AND I LOVE IT!

Anne
Char
Cheryl



Jan
Jane


Laurie
Margo

Nancy


Sharon

Sue


Okay ... here we are as a group.  I should probably award a prize for the first person (not present) who emails me with the difference between these two pics.  😂😂😂 (jaf1944@gmail.com)

Hopefully I can get this all sent in to the ATHA magazine, along with our story, and they'll want to share it with their readership.  It was fun.  And rest assured, everyone got a participation award!

More later ...


Friday, October 11, 2019

Three-quarter century club ...

My brother Don informed me this week that I've officially joined the "3/4 Century Club".  Oh, yeah!  Thanks Don ... (I guess).  I knew it was my birthday but hadn't thought too hard about that particular fact.  But there it is -- I'm officially "old".  

Had a wonderful weekend in MI with our youngest son, his wife, and our one and only grand, Veronica.  And she truly is grand.  We love her so.  And are so proud of her.  It was a good way to celebrate my birthday.  The weather was just perfect (to me).  And the long drive was uneventful.  Did stop in Kokomo on the way home Monday and Jeff came to spend some time with us at lunch.  So except for our Jane, we saw our entire family this past weekend.  That should hold me for a while.

Let's see, what else have I been doing?  Well, I have this new computer.  I love it except for some reason I'm undoubtedly dragging a finger or thumb over SOME KEY that either wipes everything out or moves the cursor to the top of the page or the beginning of a paragraph.  Or SOMETHING.  I need to practice more I guess.  Maybe raise my chair to get a different angle on it?  But I'll get the hang of it.  And really, I like this new laptop.  And thank goodness for that undo key that brings back everything I unintentionally wipe out ...

Well, here are some photos that I've taken along my way:

We stayed in a really nice, new motel in Kalamazoo and look what was parked next to me?!  Yes, that's a bullet hole.  Sort of shocking to see, me being a back-woods girl from Greene County, Indiana. (Maybe they were from Chicago?  LOL!)

While in MI, Wendell and I went to eat at the Walldorff Pub in Hastings ... what do you think of the outfit?

Couple weeks ago we went to Moonshine, IL for a world-famous cheeseburger.  Worth the wait and the company was interesting as always.  Perfect day weather-wise.  Highly recommend if you're into hole-in-the-wall type of funky out-of-the-way places.

Laurie brought these cute table decorations from a banquet at ATHA-Denver to show us at hooking.  Just another use for quillies!  I love this and and see the possibilities of other projects using quillies!

Finally made it to Vendor's Village in the Honey Creek Mall in Terre Haute.  And guess what?  My favorite local artist has a booth there!  I won't bore you with all the pictures I took but here's the back wall.  You go Steve!

I showed you my mother's wedding dress in my last post.  Well, here's my Grandma Lee's (Margaret Grace Fleming Lee) wedding dress.  I feel so honored to have both of these dresses.  And Grandma made this dress.  She was so tiny.  I would love to have Veronica try this dress on; she would fit into it I'll bet.  And she's the only person I want to pass this dress on to someday.
My good friend Judy Mason Habegger lost her husband last week.  Took that long drive to Bluffton (one more time) to see her and just be there.  What a sad day.  But also positive and confident in the knowledge that John is in a better place now.  Transitioning to a life without your best friend, the person you've spent 57 years with, will be difficult for Judy, but I trust in her faith in God.  And her lovely family to step up and be there for her.

Well, I'll close for now.  You know what -- I don't feel nearly as old now as I did when I first started writing this post!  Writing is cathartic for me.  Life goes on, doesn't it?  You can't stop it.  Just LIVE with it!

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Sooooo over summer ...

Are you tired of sweating?  of the hot, humid weather that makes you feel like a wet blanket was thrown over you when you walk out the door?  of your flag drooping and damp, like it just rained last night (but it didn't)?  Are you over the bugs and poison ivy?  of mowing the lawn every other day?  not being able to sleep with the windows open and feeling like a prisoner in your home?  of the constant battle with your husband about what temp is comfortable for the AC to be set at?  Well ... you get the idea.  I'm getting worn out by the heat.  And I heard on the news last night that there's no break in sight for the next few weeks!  YIKES!  And our family reunion is this Saturday, with lots of bugs and sweating to look forward to!  But enough of that, right?  Sorry!!!

Well, our laptop is almost dead.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  I've taken it off of life support (unplugged it).  And I'm getting a new one next week because I can't stand to be out here in this man(smelling)-cave for very much longer.  I think W. thinks if this drags on long enough he'll get the entire garage cleaned up ... think again Buster!  Not doing it.  I don't dwell with lizards and maybe snakes ... and an old computer that has sticky keyboard keys.  (If I make some typos, be gentle.)

Here's what I've been up to lately ... but not all, been too long to put all of the pictures on here I'd like to.  I promise, I'll do better when I get a new snazzy laptop!  😂  At least, I'll try.  

Been working on mending my mother's wedding dress.  It had some small seam tears.  She made this!  Can you imagine all of those buttons!?  And there's all those tiny little button loops.  It's really beautiful.  Now I have my mom's AND grandma's wedding dresses.  Wonder what will happen to them some day?  Who will want them?  Will Veronica?  It makes me sad ...
Getting ready to make another couple quillie trees!  Margo is having a tree making session at her house in October.  Looking forward to that.  And I 'think' I'm almost ready; have quillies made for one red and one green tree.  I'll put some pictures on here from our fun day in October, I promise.
Before this hot, humid weather came back, we were enjoying eating some of our meals on the porch.  It was very comfy.  But not anymore ... (did I say, I hate summer?).

If you've never been, you HAVE to go to -ISH in Graysville Indiana!  It's just south of the main intersection; you can't miss it.  They have limited hours so check before you go, but check it out ... here's a picture of some of the front porch.  I guarantee, you will love this place!!!  We were here recently on our way to Illinois.
When we were in  an antiques shop in Oblong IL we came across this Elvis on velvet.  The unbelievable thing was the "sold" tag on the side!  YIKES.  (It wasn't me!)  BTW -- When we were in Patagonia AZ a couple years ago we met my brother Don and wife Nancy at a good little pizza restaurant there called The Velvet Elvis and I 'think' they had this identical picture, only larger (shiver).
When we were at the WRVAA show last week I watched this hunky guy for several minutes (here and below) -- hubba, hubba! ... made my day.


Here's a few things I've found at antiques shops in Illinois the last couple years ... one of the reasons I enjoy going to Oblong, Palestine, and Robinson.  I found the old plant stand in Palestine and some of the green flower pots there and in Oblong.  I will say this about the heat and humidity; I may not love the weather but this fern sure does!

Finally got a run of rugs cut off the loom!  You should have seen me carry this roll/load upstairs!  Spent several days knotting these rugs in my spare time.  Got 10 rugs on this run of warp; there's a longish runner hanging around the corner.  Was getting too large to roll any more on the drum.  Now I have to wash them ... (there's always one more thing, right?😊).



Well, I'll stop here.  I've been blessed.  How about you?  And let's pray for more 'normal' weather, shall we?  I'm going to ...


Monday, September 9, 2019

The laptop died but ...

I'll persevere and post here from the garage computer as soon as I re-educate myself on how it works ...

Later, Judy

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Summer blues ...

This is a sad time for us older Schooley's; my cousin Harold Jr. died Friday evening.  He was such a good man -- so kind, quiet, and such a gentleman.  He lived in Muncie.  He had a family.  He worked hard all his life.  What more can you say?  He was such a typical Schooley guy.  This is just my small tribute to Harold Jr. (and yes, that's what we all called him all the time -- Harold Junior).


Here's Harold, front row, third from left, next to his father Harold Sr.
Here's Mom with Harold Jr. at our last Schooley reunion in 2011.

Here's all the family that was there that day (except Jeff who was taking the picture).  Left to right standing: Carl, Harold Jr., Buck, Sherry, Madeleine, Gale, Teresa, Mark, Phyllis, me, Wendell, Nancy, Don.  Mom is seated in front.  It was a good day!
*******************************************************
Now ... what else is going on in my life?  Not much but here goes:  Well, we went back to the Art Sanctuary in Martinsville and I found this studio (below) so amazing!  I'd love to work here.  Or anywhere in this building.  They had a couple open (empty) studios and I could see myself there, with my loom, rug hooking stuff, sewing machine, etc.  Wouldn't it be nice to have all of that stuff in one place?  And maybe I could sell some of the things I weave?  It's all a dream but a good one ... It would be a great sort of place to have all of those things and not here!  If only it were closer to home, I would rent a space there in a heartbeat!
Don't you love the folding screen?!
I had a weird thing happen.  Washed my NEW mattress pad and look what happened ...
This is with the agitator removed and it's still trapped under this white thingy.  ARGH!  Wendell had to come to the rescue.  And of course, my brand new mattress pad looks like a mechanic threw up a grease ball on the center of it ... I'm afraid to wash it again!
I finally finished this large rug that I'm calling (of course) Yellow Ware Bowl.  Seems like I worked on it forever.  I think it's just because I'm doing too many other things at the same time.  But I really love it now that it's complete.  The circles in the outer blackish border are not hooked; they're quillies. I had a difficult time with them but really love the effect now that it's all done.  Took this to the county fair and I might as well have stayed home.  LOL!  What do they know!?  I LOVE it!
Doesn't the center of that center flower look "too much"?!  I think I should re-hook that, don't you ... (I can see Margo rolling her eyes!)
  Here's some odds and ends that were part of my life these past few days/weeks ...

Don't you just love Indiana in the summer?! This is truly nature's bounty! We are so blessed. This was taken at the Big Peach near Vincennes.

Still sewing with the women at Project Kindness.  Here's some pillow cases I've made at home this past week.  Some of these will be for the new Open Arms boys unit in Lyons.  Also, it was fun a couple weeks ago to deliver walker bags we made to the women at Autumn Trace in Linton. Just watching their faces as they chose their own bags -- we tried to have a wide variety of fabrics -- made my day.

We have a farmer on our road who has a crop duster apply chemicals annually.  It's a real treat to go out and watch his daredevil moves!  I didn't catch him right over the house this year, but just west of us ...  When you live in the boonies you have to catch the excitement when/where you can.
Well, I'll sign off for now.  That's what's going on in my life.  Remember!: God is still good.  ALL the time!


Monday, July 8, 2019

Half way thru the year! Already!

Just a few days ago I turned the page on my "Daily Devotions for Women" and it said that at noon that day the year would be half way completed.  Came as sort of a shock because I hadn't been thinking about it I guess.  Time flies!  I do know that summer's here and it's hot and uncomfortable, we're mowing every week (and could mow every couple days), I'm not feeling like being outdoors because of the humidity and the BUGS (and I like being outside), and the calendar says that I've already breezed through another half year of my life.  You know, life is so very short.  I realize it almost every day now, the older I get ...  We were talking about that very thing at Sunday School yesterday ... But I digress.  

I've been somewhat busy lately and wishing I had more time to just sit back and think.  But God is good and this is probably what I should be doing.  We went to the INUMC annual conference in Indy in mid-June and that was different.  Yes, different.  That's the word.  Just like life is so different now in this country.  More "different" than I ever thought it would get in my lifetime.  But I'm glad I went and I did my duty to my local congregation -- which I was representing.  Wendell was  a district equalization delegate, so he voted, too.  It was fun to spend a day in the city.  When we lived downtown Indy we truly enjoyed it and I felt a little tug of wonderful memories pulling me back when we were out walking to lunch.  Who knows? ...

Wendell's been to the cardiologist again recently and had all sorts of tests and they say he's doing great.  Good news!  On the negative side of that equation though, they put him on a drug that costs over $500 a month.  And we have no Rx insurance ... We'll figure it out.  We have to!

Here's what happening ...

My potting bench is looking pretty good this summer.  My gosh; we've gotten enough rain to keep everything looking good!  I love the little chicken feeder/planter I found at an antiques shop in Vincennes; put some succulents and herbs in it.

Here's my personal chef ... cooking some steaks he got for Father's Day!
We went back to Steve Meadows' gallery in Palestine IL again recently.  I got out of there with just one small purchase ...  But I'm asking for another pothead for my birthday this year [Wendell: hint hint hint].
I made this little lap quilt from left-over scraps from the military walker pockets we made this spring at Project Kindness.  I hope some guy in a Greene County retirement facility will be keeping his knees warm under it this Fall.

Benjie finished quilting these two quilts.  This one was an antique top I found in an antiques shop in southern Illinois on the way to TX last year.  I really love the old fabrics used here and wish I knew the lady who pieced this and then never got around to quilting it.  Just one of life's little mysteries ...

And here's the opposite extreme.  A very modern quilt I finished last fall.  Benjie did an excellent job of quilting it!  The fabric line was called Reel Time, so that's what I'm calling this quilt.  It's much prettier "in person" than pictured here IMHO.
We went to West Baden Spring Hotel for an over-priced lunch last week.  I LOVE this place.  Wish we had been staying there, but not this time.  We drove around Patoka Lake while we were in the neighborhood, which is way high from all the rain this summer!  Wendell was dreaming of fishing all the time we were there, I know.  Here's another couple pictures I took that day ...

(The details you see everywhere in the hotel are outstanding!)

The lobby where you check in ...
Went to the INUMC Archives at DePauw University to take some stuff from our church.  (I'm our church historian.)  After I was done in the library, it was a lovely day so I walked around the campus.  Came across this unusual rock at the corner of the oldest, and the original college, building.  Love, love, love this rock!  Is that natural?!?  That ribbing stands out.

Well, I'll close with this picture of Wendell walking ahead of me on the trail in our woods.  It's sort of a freaky picture; he looks like he's being bathed by a heavenly light.  That's my guy.  
Have a blessed summer and may your trails be full of bird song, wildflowers; may it be smooth, straight and never uphill.