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!

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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!

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.