Winters Heritage House Quilt Display

 

This was my second opportunity to display several of my quilts at the Winters Heritage House in Elizabethtown for their May Quilt show.

 

 

The highlight of this year's show were these adorable essays and artwork done by local elementary school children in response to each quilt.

 

They even gave titled their essays.

I LOVED IT!!  

 

 

 

This one was so dear too - Flying Kites - how cute is that?!

 

I have a totally new appreciation for my quilts!!

Workout Incentive!

I saw this idea on Pinterest - simply put a dollar (or whatever amount you'd like) in a jar every time you work out, then use the money to treat yourself to something non-food related.  I've been needing some motivation to keep moving physically, and this idea has helped!  Made it to the gym?  Three bucks goes in the jar.  Pilates at home?  Add another two dollars.  A few sit-to-stands out in the garden, or some wall presses against the garden shed?  Fifty cents or a dollar gets added to the stash.  My goal?  A camera!  I can't justify the purchase otherwise.  And, interestingly enough, I think twice about frittering away those dollar bills in my wallet, knowing I need to keep some on hand to use for my workout incentive jar.

I hope the motivation lasts!!!

P.S.  I also saw this quote on Pintrest:

"Don't reward yourself with food; you're not a dog."



:)

Local In Season Delights

My long-time friends Julia & Alan came for dinner on the patio last night.  They enjoy food and the in-season approach as much as I do, so it was a delight to cook for them.  In keeping with the "Local, In-Season" theme, Alan brought this fabulous bouquet of flowers from their garden - it looked like it was straight out of a Martha Stewart Living magazine (it certainly beats imported flowers from the florist!).  It's so frustrating not to be able to capture the beauty of his arrangement with my camera....  Here are a few more shots:

These dear friends were great about allowing me to try out some new recipes on them, and they even brought a few produce ingredients that I didn't have available in my garden at the moment (fresh asparagus from Julia's garden, radishes from their weekly CSA drop, and hull peas from the local market where Julia shops).  Julia & Alan shelled the peas while I did food prep.  They also brought some local wine in keeping with the theme.

The Menu:

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Sugar Snap Peas

Radish Butter Crostinis

Home-Canned Grape Juice

Roasted Chicken Salad with Fresh Peas and Mint

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Wine

Strawberry-Rhubarb Slab Pie

What an enjoyable evening!  All the ingredients (except for a few lemons!) came from our gardens or local sources; I love that concept!!  Julia and Alan were also gracious about allowing me to give them the garden tour.  Can't wait to do it again!

Garden Glimpses

Today...

Dehydrating strawberries

WRITE...

On the other side of the cancer journey
(a really fearful thing to say, 'cause what if I'm still on this side of it but don't know that yet, or what if I'll be back on the crappy side again somewhere down the road, or what if....??!),

I keep complaining to and asking the LORD,

"What was that crapp of ride all about?"

"Why in the world did I have to go through such a gut wrenchingly bewildering experience?"

"I feel like You chewed me up, then spit me out on dry land!"

"If there's no purpose on the other side of that canyon, then why am I still alive?" 

"WHAT IS MY PURPOSE???", especially with limited energy, a body that feels pummeled on every turn, and way less brain cells.

Write.  WRITE.  WRITE!!

Over and over again, I hear the same answer.

Write.

About what?  When??  How??  Are You talking just about journaling?  Blogging?  Writing therapy?  Handwritten notes in an era where no one even has stamps in their desk drawer anymore?  Why write in a day and age when there are already too many words floating around out there?  Just what are You referring to??  Is it simply writing regardless of whether anyone reads it? 

And, just how in the world am I to "WRITE"  when there's no time left in the day when my brain is sitll functioning, especially after a full day at work pouring energy into meeting other people's demands?

I don't know what I'm to write, but I'm trying to make it a priority.  TRYING.  Trying to write out of inspiration, not my own limited, failing abilities.  I have tons of posts floating in my head.  Notes scrawled on scratch paper floating all over the house.  Pictures I've snapped.  It's such a dilemma to get it out, get it written, get it posted or sent or penned.  I've been doing a lot of "retroactive" posts, kind of like a scrapbooker who's way behind in her scrapbooking.  But, I don't want to lose these slices of memories, archives of my life, glimpses of beauty I've seen.  I'm trying to send those notes, even if they are months late.  I'm trying to take that extra minute to snap a picture so that the moment isn't lost forever.

I'm trying.  Trying to weed out the tons of good stuff in my life that ends up being not the best stuff because it squeezes out what I know I'm to be doing.  Trusting that the writing is part of the healing process, part of the journey to where and who I'm to be.

Surely I'm not the only one on this kind of a crazy path....

So tell me, what are you sensing you're to be doing that you're not?? 

Today's Harvest

Garden Glimpses

Broccoli

Carrots

Knockout Rose

Today...

Today's Vintage Finds

Today I stopped by an Amish junk shop and scored...

a vintage cast iron skillet for only $1.00,

a nifty crate fashioned from an old drawer for $5.00,

and this fabulous stepladder...

... for only $8.00!

It's the perfect match for my garden shed!! I had been looking for a wooden stepladder, but didn't like the looks of the new ones, so I was absolutely thrilled to find this dear one that seemed to be fashioned just for me.

Oh, the things that make my day!

:)







Wedding Gown Redo

One of the benefits of sewing for other people is that is pushes me into tackling projects I would never have the courage to do otherwise.  This lovely petite bride wished to remake her mother's late 70's-era wedding dress.

I wasn't so sure how it would work out, plus I knew once I started cutting into the dress, there would be no turning back....

I dragged my feet in getting started, but I think it turned out beautifully!  It wasn't necessarily a cheap option for the bride since it was a little labor intensive (I had to take the bodice off and completely remake it, then lined the skirt), but it ended up being the perfect dress for her.

Best wishes on your married life, Stacey!

Today...