All Things Andrea

All Things Andrea

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Memorial Day...



For as long as I can remember, on the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend, my parents would make their annual trek to the local cemeteries to place flowers on the grave sites of close relatives that had passed on.  This rite was especially important to my father in later years.  So, this evening, the PA siblings carried on the sacred tradition in honor of our parents.

My favorite stop was this especially lovely old cemetery in Mercersburg, PA.  It was a spectacular spring evening and there was breathtaking beauty to behold in every direction, especially the enormous old trees...




















Our final stop was my parents' burial site.  
So very bittersweet....

Friday, May 23, 2014

This Week's Loveliness



Love this pile of goodies I acquired this week!  


These "Old New 30's" fat quarters came in the mail from Shay's Etsy shop, Simply Sweet Fabric.



This embroidered piece and floss are from my weekly thrift shop browsing.  It's not like I needed any more embroidery floss, but I couldn't pass up the lovely colors, especially when the thrift shop's proceeds go to a good cause.



And, this sweet piece...



... and vintage twill tape are from my latest discovery, the Lancaster Creative Reuse, basically a thrift shop of sewing and crafting supplies - love it!!

:)  :)  :)

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Farmette Farewell



My dear friends Elma & Leo are moving to a retirement cottage next week, so this was my last opportunity to photograph some of my quilts on their property.


I love their out buildings....






I've taken pictures of their property in the past as evidenced here and here.

Click here for more photos of the quilt photo shoot!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Monday, May 12, 2014

Contemplating Pansies



I never get tired of looking at this pot of pansies sitting on my patio table...



This pot was from last fall.  But then winter hit us early, fast and hard.



These pansies would have normally have ended up on the compost pile, but that never happened with the early snow and frozen soil.  So instead, I stuck the pot in the garage, planning to dump it in the spring.



But this fellow survived the cold garage with no light or water.



Come spring  when I went to dump it, I discovered it was still alive, even though very pale and leggy.  So, I gave it some water, moved it into the sunlight, and added some fertilizer. 



It's just now hitting its prime.
It has way more character and form than a 6-pack of pansies fresh from the greenhouse.


Makes me think about how God so graciously and miraculously restores and redeems our sickly lives....
I wanna look just like this some day!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day



Isn't this a lovely pitcher?  I picked it up at the thrift shop last month with visions of exactly this.



Love the detailing....







Lilacs remind me so much of my mother....  Her birthday was May 6th, and I would often pick a bouquet of lilacs from the enormous old bush that we had on the farm.in celebration of her birthday or Mother's Day.  She would have turned 85 this year.


My mother is gone - almost 11 years now.  That old lilac bush is gone too.  But, I love Mother's day, even though I no longer have a mother or grandmother who is still living, or have a mother-in-law, or children who can honor me.  But, I can honor and celebrate the day, the memories, and the mothering I enjoy doing to the children in my life.




Happy Mother's Day!



Thursday, May 8, 2014

Smile!



Just purchased a new camera (a Cannon G15).
:)




Pea Shoots





Click here for info on how to grow them.
I haven't tried cooking them yet - they are surprisingly sweet and tasty simply eaten raw!



Garden Glimpses