McDonald's Salt Packets and the Shelby Tree

 

 

The blonde one in the middle with the brown sweater used to come to our house

after school. 

Somewhere along the line, I think possibly prompted by JWS, 

she hid salt packets all over my house,

and I mean all over. 

It’s been two years and I am still finding them.

They sightings are getting farther and farther apart

and unless she reads this, 

she is not going to know how much 

I have enjoyed finding them!

 

These four, 

always fun. 

Thrown together as sisters, 

20 years ago, 

ups and downs, 

they are still there for one another. 

 

 

 

 

 

That brings us to the Shelby Tree.

This little tree that stays decorated 

 

and has stayed decorated for many years,

 

through many moves 

to many houses, 

has always had Shelby’s preschool picture on it.

We have always called it 

The Shelby Tree. 

It is always a source of conversatiom

as to why 

ONLY SHELBY

has a tree. 

 

 

 

Every year on Thanksgiving, 

sometime during the festivities, 

things happen to my trees.

This year, this happened. 

 

Shelby is now on a lot of our trees. 

18 years of school teacher pictures are appearing.

 

These are a few, 

I don’t think it is over yet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Shelby, 

she normally makes the pies for Thanksgiving. 

 

Imagine my surprise  when last night, 

for our Thanksgiving, 

without warning, 

we had no pies. 

 

So this morning, 

I decided we had to have pies. 

 

And...

we had no pumpkin! 

 

No problem here. 

 

I recycled the leftover 

sweet potatoes. 

 

Dont ask my for a recipe. 

 

I don’t have one. 

 

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Eggs

Half an Half

Spices

Some Sugar 

and whien they were too sweet...

JWS suggested mashed potatoes. 

 

 

India - The Food

 

Food plays a big part in travel for me. 

I love to find local foods to any area. 

The pizza above, while it was Domino’s, 

certainly had an Indian twist with the chicken on top. 

This little boy seemed to enjoy it! 

 

 

 

 

The vegetable, picked from the tree could not have been any fresher! 

I don’t remember what it was called. 

 

 

 

And momos! 

Not enough good can be said about these little dumplings! 

These were from a restaurant on our return from Darjeeling.

 

Then we made our own! 

And these eggrolls filled with vegetables, including beets,

were amazing. 

 

 

 

 Chili Chicken from the restaurant was great, 

but then Mridula made her version and it was heavenly! 

I don’t have any pics of hers, but it was one of the BEST things I ate. 

It was similar to General Tso’s Chicken, 

but with a lighter, cleaner taste.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a late night session of making momos. 

I was not good at making them pretty. 

 

I am about to try them again tomorrow for our church community group. 

Stay tuned for that event! 

 

 

 

 

 

India - The Women

I often think of Lydia in the Bible.  

I think of her working to provide for God’s church, 

of her entrepreneurial spirit. 

How God used her and I am sure other women’s

Spirits, gifts and experiences to enrich 

His church.  

I don’t know the stories of all these women, 

but I could easily see their work ethic. 

I am sure many of them were providing for their families

and I know that some of them were working 

to care for God’s people. 

The first one is of women running a stand at Darjeeling. 

Food for the tourists. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A teacher at the school that I visited who brought her baby

to work with her every day.

Here she was cooling her down and washing her up on break time 

between classes. 

 

 

Nepali women at the Himalayan Zoological Park

selling corn snacks.

A young girl running her own tea stand

in the tea fields of Darjeeling. 

 

 

There were so many of these women sitting along the railroad tracks 

at the Batasia Loop of the Himalayan Miniature Railroad.

They were all crocheting hats and sweaters as they waited to sell their wares. 

 

This beautiful, peaceful Nepali woman took the time to show me

her craft.   

Although we couldn’t speak to one another, I felt such a kindred spirit

with her when she began carefully showing me her stitches. 

I so wish she would have had one finished for me to buy! 

 

 

 

The tea workers were like a painting!   

They were so surreal in the fields harvesting the tea. 

It struck me that they wore such Western clothing to go out and work in. 

The same women wore kurtas and saris the rest of the time,

But out here is was button down Western looking shirts. 

They allowed me to even pick tea with them! 

Such an amazing experience! 

 

 

The final worker is my friend, Mridula.

She was my host for two weeks. 

She opened her home to a virtual stranger

and later shared with me how nervous she was about me coming. 

She works so hard,

cooking and cleaning and teaching at the school. 

I so admire her for all she does. 

She and her family provided a 

once in a lifetime experience by opening their home 

and allowing me to become family in such a short time! 

…even if they did make me wash the dishes. 

 

Proverbs 31:10-31

 

 

The Start of the Florida Trip

It was time to escape the snow.

I know that I had enough.

I always hope when i get home that its almost over.

We pulled out after church on Friday night 

drove to Clarksburg, West Virginia. 

Saturday brought us 

Skeeter’s Hot Dogs in Wytheville, Virginia,

for lunch

and

Sunday’s Soul Food in Walterboro, South Carolina

for supper. 

Spent the night in Kingsland, Georgia. 

 

Sunday was spend wandering around Ameila Island. 

Traveled down A1A and rode this ferry across the St. Johns River.

Found this amazing shop!   The art and creativity of the vendors was amazing! 

Then we went to supper at Safe Harbor Seafood.

 

The line was so long that we opted for takeout and a tailgate picnic along the river. 

 

 

Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a huge bird fan

and JWS knows this well. 

 

So Why? 

Why would he choose to feed the rest of the seagulls his French fries right over my head? 

 

We ended up arriving at our destination in Daytona yesterday! 

Now its time to rest. 

 

How Many Projects Can You Have Started?

 

 

 

In my case, apparently a ton or 

seven to be exact!  

 

In my defense, I started a prayer shawl for a friend

who is going through a rough time right now. 

I felt that it would help me to remember to pray for her daily. 

I didn’t like the yarn.

(see the mint green)

I bought white.

(not soft enough)

I finally got to a Hobby Lobby and bought the blue variegated.

Perfect.  

To be fair, at least I prayed through all the ones I didn’t like. 

They will still be fine for church donations, 

just not quite special enough for my friend. 

 

Then there is this stash above. 

I found this great little yarn shop in Punsxutawney Pa. 

Autumn House Fiber Works    

The owner was so helpful finding me great yarns that were not wool

and so many were on sale.

I am learning new stitches and trying to expand my skills.

 

Then there is the

Annie’s Kit Club

that shows up every month and teaches me more new skills.

 

Plus, my hands work better if I vary the projects!

 

Enough justification for the ADD mess I have here?

 

That’s my story and I am sticking to it.      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before, No After...Yet

 

First of all, 

I have lived in this house 19 years. 

That is officially the longest i have lived anywhere, ever in 63 years.

I guess that meant that I never lived anywhwere long enough 

to change what I had done. 

I might have repainted but never had to strip my own wallpaper. 

I guess I should apologize to all those people that bought houses

that I had gone wallpaper crazy in over the years. 

 

And I really loved wallpapering. 

 

This was my last place I had wallpapered.

19 years ago, when I moved in. 

 

I am not as young as I was then. 

 

And this is kicking my butt.  

 

After an entire day working on this yesterday, 

and not being as far along as i thought 

I would be in my mind, 

I am almost too sore to go back to it this morning. 

 

Full disclosure:

My mind might think my body is a little younger than it is. 

 

…update, tomorrow! 

 

 

The Possessed Hutch

So, the saga of the hutch.

I beleive it is creating a history of it’s own. 

 

My mom and dad moved last July to a smaller house. 

Mom had all these beautiful cobalt dishes that she displayed in her old (larger) house

on a plate rail that ran all around her dining room. 

 

The new kitchen has a place for a hutch and we started to look for one. 

A woman walked in the shop one day with a picture of this one

for a great price.  

I would have to go and pick it up. 

 

The problem was...

I was on crutches and non weight bearing. 

But the hutch was perfect. 

So, a quick call to my grandsons

and a suggestion to draw straws 

over who gets HAS to go with gramma. 

 

Logan draws short straw and off we go. 

 

First of all, the man at the house insists, vehemently that it won’t fit. 

I calmly tell him it will. 

He gets out a tape measure and begins to measure. 

 

I tell the woman and Logan to just load it. 

and while he is still measuring, 

they load it, we pay and leave. 

 

Excited, I tell my mom that I have the hutch, 

and she says that she has decided she wants a bigger one. 

 

 

 

 

 

I painted it Dixie Belle Silk Tide Pool 

and 

it found a home holding paint. 

 

And I had to have help to move it into that shop, 

still on crutches. 

 

Then Mom decided that the size of this hutch was actually what she wanted. 

We started shopping for another one, 

but none were as nice as this one. 

 

 

That shop didn’t work out.  

We won’t even go into those reasons. 

Sometimes God closes doors. 

 

So I moved out.  

And I had to have help to move it again. 

 

At least this time I was part of the help. 

 

I brought it home and yesterday decided it was time to paint it white. 

i was able to get the top unloaded, 

and the drawers. 

 

And JWS was willing to help with the base. 

However, one of the drawers must have hit the lock button 

and 

I locked the keys in the van. 

 

So, yesterday, I start painting. 

 

I don’t normally paint anything pure  white. 

It is fighting me. 

 

Three coats so far.

 

It might be driving me crazy

 

The van got opened today. 

 

Now tomorrow to pin someone down to unload the base. 

 

 

 

 

I am sure there is more to come, it will have to be 

Reloaded

Delivered to Ohio

Unloaded again. 

 

Whew! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Brown Singer

Back to the basics.

 

That is what this machine is. 

 

I learned to sew on an old brown Singer in the late 60’s. 

My mom’s was fancier than this one. 

It actually made some fancy stitches 

and 

this is just a straight stitch. 

I could not wait to get a new fancy sewing machine, 

it was what I asked for when I graduated from high school. 

I researched and chose a JC Penney machine. 

It served me well for years,

while my mom kept using the old brown Singer. 

Eventually mom’s machine was retired. 

Where it went is actually sketchy.  

Mom moved on and has had several new machines. 

I have had a couple of newer Singers, 

a Brother that worked hard for many years, 

but always on the lookout for an 

Old Brown Singer. 

I found this one and another at yard sales. 

They are sisters. 

The one sister needs a little help, but this one keeps plugging away.

I also have a newer Singer

that does some fancy stitches, but

for straight, regular stitching, 

I always return to this little girl. 

She is a workhorse.   

 

As a side note, 

I will buy one like my mom, and my grandmother 

had if I ever find one. 

 

Because, you can never have too many sewing machines.  

Scrappy Quilting

 

I found this pattern in a quilt magazine that I had never opened.

Truthfully, I was looking for paper to start a fire.

Fire started, I was browsing and found this pattern 

and could not wait to try it! 

I had a few oops, well really five oops before

I went back and read the directions!   

Sometimes I like things "not so precise" 

and this quilt fits that so well.  

For more of her patterns, go to 

www.beaquilter.com

So, stashbusting is happening at my house! 

Moving Paint

The last two days have been consumed with

moving all this paint. 

 

I closed one location

and

combined it all into the other. 

 

I packed and moved one location in an hour and a half. 

 

Carried the boxes out and loaded them in my van.

 

I must have been on some type of adrenaline rush

because when I got home, 

I could not lift the boxes! 

 

I had to cut them almost in half to get them out of the van. 

 

But this evening, 

they are all in place!

 

Whew! 

 

Now to pack all the remaining Christmas items in my booth! 

 

Anybody have a new paint project? 

I can ship! 

 

 

One Crazy Year

Retirement

A surgery

Giving up some responsibilities

Taking on others

Surviving the crazy

 

Looking back to this time last year,

I had no idea how much 

would change in a year.  

For the better?  Absolutely! 

I have sold the shop, 

resolved some issues with managing my time, 

and had a foot injury fixed. 

 

With retirement came extra time to spend with my parents,

which included a long overdue move to a smaller home.

What I did not expect was ANOTHER hobby! 

 

My mother’s friends have corrupted me! 

As if I needed help in creating another crafting obsession! 

 

Above is my most recent FINISHED project.   

I guess this obsession is a lot like my other ones.

I like to start things, not necessarily finish things.  

 

More on that later. 

    

Happy New Year everyone, 

I will be in the sewing room…or painting studio…or art room…or in my chair crocheting or knitting. 

 

Notice how I don’t mention the kitchen or vacuum?  

 

 

Waiting for the slowdown.

Waiting on the January slowdown and it’s not happening. 

I know the time, 

less shop traffic, 

home in the evenings, 

slower days to recuperate from the holiday rush.

Where is it?

Every evening, I drop into my chair, throw a few stitches in this

and

promptly pass out. 

Everywhere I look,

something needs my attention

and 

I don’t know what to tackle first! 

Ever have a time like this in your life?l

New Year’s Visitors and a Shop Change

We had these four for New Year’s Eve.

Make your own pizza, games, a puzzle, lots of laughing and giggling.

The only one that didn’t see the ball drop was JWS.  

Typical though, he usually goes to bed long before midnight.

They are all still sound asleep. 

I might need a nap today.

Changing some things around in the shop.  

I have been painting these cupboards the last few days. 

I am upgrading my paint line to premier and elite status.

Doesn’t that sound fancy ?

Happy New Year to all!