Tuesday, December 1, 2009

after Thanksgiving

Good morning. Bet you all thought I had forgotten about this space! Not on your life.
Here are just a few of the photos from out trip to Atlanta and Greenville, SC the week before the
week of Thanksgiving. We had Christmas, passed the Thanksgiving thing altogether. I had bought
poppers last year and then forgot to bring them with me when we went down for Christmas last year.
So, I took them this time. Poppers are an English tradition. They wrap little toys, trinkets in a tube
much like a toilet paper tube and then wrap the tube in Christmas wrap. There are little metal thingys
that snap when you pull the ends out away from the tube, and voila all the little trinkets burst out, plus these
cute little paper hats. My daughter-in-law looks like something from one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, with her lovely dark coloring, her dark eyes and hair. Drew and his family are at the top, Landon being 4' at 5
years old! Lilly is 3.5. They have a dog, a puppy. Lucky. Hummmm, I call him Unlucky.
Here is a photo of Landon taking Lucky for a walk......or is it the other way around??
Then of course, the lovely MFA in the lower pic. Any one know of a great  single Godly guy, late 20's , early 30's...
OK, so. The weather was great until we left Greenville on Sunday after the services at Emily's church.  It rained and was downright cold, after experiencing 70 degrees most of the time.  I had to drive in the dark through the mountains, and in the rain.  The Angel Protection Services were very, very busy with me at the wheel.  Back to the church......
Her small congregation is just a great bunch of wonderful Christan people. They love us because they love Emily so much. How refreshing. Drew's church is much, much larger and so they just have a small group that they interact with most of the time. I think that happens a lot in larger churches.
Tonight is ASG program so I have to get ready for that and wear the top and jacket I fashioned out of that crazy material that I have a photo of on this blog. I will look festive, and I am glad it is going to be warmer today! Last night I got most of the church decorated for Christmas, with the help of a a gal from church and Jerry, doing the manly hanging wreaths and such. Forgot to photo the fall table! Arg! And I wanted to do that for this blog. I will get a photo of the Christmas-look....I promise.
I do that a lot don't I??? I am too much like my Mother. Procastinate--a way of life!
You all have a great day. Thank you so much for reading this blog. Please leave comments. I love them.
Thanks Deb, in advance ;-)
All from the bush.
ME



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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

fall # 2


Hello! Hopefully the pics will hold today! Here are the apples, some fabric with the patterns that will

get sewn and a velvette shrug I made for a 10 year old and yours truly with a Vogue, Marcy Tilton

pattern and some cheap knit
. I hope to make this out of some better knit as it is a fun top, most edges are raw
edge. I have a sister, who also is a quilter, who detests raw edges!
We are going to be going down to Georgia and South Carolina to visit the grands and the MFA.
Both visits will be all too short, especiall with the MFA as we will be sharing the time with her with others.
There was a small group of people who came down a year ago to help rebuild a house in the flood-ridden village
of Palo. The town of Cedar Rapids had been hit badly (and we are still recovering from) by flooding in June, 2008
Anything along the Cedar River got flooded, and Palo was basically under water. At any rate, this group will be
gathering for dinner and we will be there, too. Hopefully the MFA will not have to work!
Oh, also, I got new glasses. No one has noticed.....even hubby took a long time to figure out what was different
and he knew I was getting new glasses! I am so vain! BFA would notice, I just know!
OOPS, I just noticed tha the foyer pic is not in the group, I will have to get that to you all yet.
Later....
from
the bush, me
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Friday, October 30, 2009

Good Morning all. Here are several photos that I wanted to share with you all. The top is my bargain scrapping stuff from my fav store: Target. Then the big apples that I bought the other day. The candle smells sooooo good! It is Coming Home from Yankee. The rest are photos of my fall decorations. The foyer and dining room. The painting is the Pat Bjornseth that I bought some time ago, of Bete Gris, MI. The cards on the foyer table are from my BFA, I save them for my decorating, the winter ones also. The are displayed on a frog! The frogs I buy at antique shops for small prices. Going to one of my fav antique shops today, and gift-y shop. On Highway 1 (on the way to Kalona) you have to stop at Sister's Garden and Bloomers. Also the Rug Cottage. Then there is another shop along the English River. Never been, but am calling to see if they are open this year. OOPS! I think I just lost the apple photo! Why does that happen???
I will try for that later. BUT in the meantime, check out the Coming Home scent. I got it from the new display at Target. They are also carrying Papryus, something we do not have here in fly-over country.
All from the bush.
me

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

My BFA says :more photos, girl!" OK so here are 3 that I found recently. One is our crazy Himilayan names "Gizzmo". We didn't name him! He came to us as a skinny 2 year old. Now he is a fat 7 year old. Can't believe that we have had him that long. The MFA wanted a cat when she lived at home after college. So after days of looking in the ads, her dad said "OK" and we purchased Gizzmo. Or Gizzy, or Mo, as in "you are covered in Mo-hair"
The second photo is the back side our our house in the winter. The bottom photo I downloaded from the pasty.com site. I am sorry I do not know who took this one, but isn't it just beautiful! It is my fav lake: Lake Superior. I think I know the beach.
One of the paintings in my foyer is of Bette Gris (pronounced bay degree). I found the painting here in town, but I KNEW it was of a Lake Superior shore! Hubby had told me I could buy one painting at this show, I kept coming back to that lovely watercolor. Eventually I asked the artist about the painting and she told me Bette Gris! When you know, you know. Like colors. I am very good at going to the fabric store, forgetting my samples at home and coming home with the exact colors I need. My Grandmother (who died well before I was born, always used to say "back to the bush", that is why I say "All from the bush" Enjoy the photos. me

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Ramblings

Today hubby is home to do some home work....you know, when you decide to take apart 2 windows, then go away for the weekend and it rains.....so you get the pic.  Poor guy.  He ordered a new window, just like I asked him to do first.  Some men it takes them a while to figure out that wife may be correct about some things.  But at least he can do these things, and for that I am so thankful.
Got my hair cut on Monday.  Why do stylists, who are much younger than the client, assume that the client wants a buffont??  No I do not do the '60!  Been there.  Done that!  Thankfully, it looks ok when I do it myself  hehe.
Need to photograph the display that I did at church.  We have a ledge between levels and usually I have a very tall vase and tall grass-like stuff coming out of it, on that ledge.  But with fall, I bought 3 bails of hay (smaller ones) and added the fake pumpkins that I bought last year and a couple of swags of leaves and low and behold it looks nice.  I was able to find a nice vase/grass arrangement from Michael's on Labor Day for the big sale they always have and so that is on the communion table.  Photos really tell the story better.
Got my 2 skirts done and now I am working on getting things organized to go on a sewing retreat this weekend.  I will post those things next week.
My BFA sent me a lovely package of a fall hankie and fall dish towel!  I love it--and of course, a trading card that is too cute.  She is sooo special.  xxoo to Deb.
I took an altered picture frame class a couple of Sat. ago.  Using Tim Holtz's distressing paint and grundge paper.  Never heard of the later and didn't know how to use the former, now I do!  The paint (in a very small bottle!) is 2 steps in one.  With acrylic crackle, you need to paint a base, a color and then the crackle.  With the Ranger Ink, you do a base (on wood or canvas) and then apply the ink/paint and that is all.  The globbier the larger the cracks, the smoother (less) the smaller and finer the cracks.  Does this make sense??  We painted the wood frame, that had already been base-coated and then stamped on the grundge paper.  The paper is almost like a leather, heavy weight and flexible.  You need to use a stayz-on type of ink for stamping  and then  we used the Ranger distress inks to ink the flowers on the paper.  The paper can be manipulated to some degree.  Check this paper out at your better craft store, you have got to feel it.
Well, I have got to do some work in my sewing room.  Soo all for now, dear friends.
me from the bush

Friday, September 25, 2009

ramblings

Oops, this is the photo that didn't make it to the blog for some reason. Cut out 2 skirts today, went to Weight Watcher's (why??) then to church to decorate, didn't have camera with so don't have photos yet.....then out to the Ben Franklin's in Iowa City with a girl-friend and then dinner rather late, at a Mexican place...so much for any weight loss!
I made this really neat skirt, cut on the bias, from a Great Copy pattern. Just have to put together a little jacket from the pattern. I will get photos up soon. Funny how I forget about that important part of my life. Hubby is at a men's retreat through tomorrow afternoon. I am taking a class at a new stamp/scrapbook place in town tomorrow afternoon and I will do photos of my creation....
all from the bush
me
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Monday, September 21, 2009

Good morning. I never know quite where these words will show up! Now I know just why some dear friends have given up their blog. Maybe they don't have Picasa. Our verse for today is: Job 6:8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Jo's grief was great and he longed for relief from his woes and the answers to his questions. But God was good to him. ALthough, some would say that Job's wife was Satan's doing as he didn't have her "done in".
Had a quiet weekend. Entertained the College and Careeres from our church with a cook out and fire in the firepit. Then breakfast on Saturday with my friend Angie and later mimi-golf and pizza with the Barnabas group from church. Those are the ones that don't fit the college and career group, or the young marrieds. In other words: the old people!
Photos today are of the grands when we were down there (Atlanta area) this summer. Everyone needs a pirate, don't you think? The St.Louis landmark was in view while waiting for the traffic jam to clear and then one of the gardens (NO, this is NOT mine! I wish!) that we visited on the garden walk this summer. Landon went to a birthday party and Lilly came with the grandparents to lunch and shop. She did so very well for a 3 year old. Entertained herself with watching us in a strange grocery store and singing "It's a Small World Afterall".
I didn't get to take a photo of the backyard today, all foggy and misty. Really nice. Reminds me of the land of my growing up: Upper Penisula of Michigan, along Lake Superior.
This is all for today.
As always from the bush, me.


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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Old photos

Good morning all. Sorry for the delay in writing. Hubby loaded the best photo program for blogging just for me, isn't he the sweetest? However, we are still without sound on the computer, so don't send me any YouTube stuff:)
TOday's photos are from last year. The top are the lovely and talented and smart grands at their other grandparents community pool. The middle is the MFA, looking very pensive, and her daddy. THe blanket on the couch is Landon's, I "made" it. ALl too easy, just cut the fleece along the selveges and cut 4"x1" strips along all 4 edges and tie together. I used a solid green on the back. Landon LOVES John Deer. My blue-eyed grand tells me his eyes are " green, Grandma. John Deer green" The bottom is last Christmas time at Stone Mountain. Yes, Jerry is a lot taller than me, by almost a foot! But I am smarter, so that counts more.
I am going to go to 4 sister's in a cottage today as Amy's shop is only open for a few more weeks. I hope to find a treasure there, I always do.
I hope I can get some newer photos up soon.
Verse for today: Psalm 111:1 Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. If someone asks you why you go to church, here is your answer. PTL
All from the bush. me

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Sunday, August 30, 2009

on-line once more

Good afternoon. Yes, I am finally getting back to the computer after a LONG dry spell. This is the story (and isn't there always one): the day before we left to take the MFA to Greenville, I turned on the computer and voila a blue screen. This blue screen was a new thing to me and I figured out quickly that is was a bad thing. I at first thought that it was due to a virus, or something that hubby had done as he had been working on the MFA's rather sick computer. Come to find out, it was "just" a bad drive and this drive wouldn't read anything. Now, what I truly know about computers and the hows and whys of these things you can put on the head of a pin, so I won't bore you with details, just this: This working on getting it fixed cost a bit, more than a song in my estimation. However, it is mostly fixed. The BAD news is no Picasa program ie no photos!! And I wanted to show off the grands and how cute they are. I will have to wait on that. ARGGG!!!! OK, on to more pressing matters. We are OK. The rain (over 6" in 2 days) didn't affect us, just a bit of traveling around the flooded creeks...and the constant rain. It is cooler today, but the Lord is good to us is He not? Do I have a witness? Ps 118:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: because His mercy endureth for ever. Wow.
All from the bush. (My Grandmother Bergh used to say that)
ME

Saturday, July 25, 2009

findings

Hello. I have been busy with the MFA who is home. Tomorrow she will play the piano for all of the church services and choir, special in AM and PM services and the offeratory! Boy am I glad she is home! It would be me if she were not.
Here are some new photos, the top two are soem of the things that I bought at 4 Sister's in a Cottage. Amy was not there but her charming daughter was. Amy is having a great sale so I bought these items for aaround $5 total. I would say that is a great deal. I am sure that my friend Deb would think so, too. Got to close this out for tonight.
me
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Hi, found some of the photos that I had wanted to put on the blog. These are just 2 of the
alter table decorations that I have done. One is simple, anytime. The other is
for Father's Day. This is a fishing theme. This past father's day, I did a golf theme.
Usually I change the table after the evening service. Sometimes it is hard to do the vertical as
well as the horizontal lines. As you see, no flowers for Father's Day.
Enjoy.
me
Did I just lose a photo???
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dresses

Good morning. Here are several photos of the little dresses that I have made recently. This pattern is from a new pattern company called Portobellopixie. This dress reminds me of the dresses that were popular when I was a teen! That peasant dress! Remember?? Those dresses were mostly the same pattern and color, so today's update is fun. I usually go to the store and select a collection of fabrics from one line and then mix and match. The pattern has one other view that I will make for my lovely grand daughter soon, and then make a matching blouse as the view is much like a jumper in the fall and sun dress in the summer. The pattern is pricey ($16.00) but the sizing more than make up for that. It goes from 6 mo. to 8 years.
The top dress is a size 1 and the bottom a 3. The top went to a little girl from our church and the bottom to my lovely granddaughter.
Many of the independent patterns are more expensive than the big 4. However, they would all be expensive if it were not for the 99 cent specials at Hancock Fabrics. The Vogue patterns are very sxpensive. I also like the Burda line and you can find that at Jo-Ann Fabrics.
Today I clean as tthe MFA is going to be home for a week plus. Then we take her back south and visit with the rest of the family. Cool and rainy! Can you believe it is summer? Tomorrow it is supposed to be summer. One day a week........
me
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Monday, July 20, 2009

threads and serger tails

Good Morning. Got back last night from my great time in Albuquerque. First time I had been there. Two words: HOT and DRY. My roomie, Suzi (a former regional rep with ASG) said I lived in a swamp and wasn't used to the dryness. Well, I don't actually think of Iowa as a swamp, but she might be on to something being the exact opposite of NM. My luggage is supposed to arrive sometime today! The perils of 3 stops! Well, I am off to chime practice and will most likely update then. No new photos, forgot the camera! But being an English Major (I belong to the Society of English Majors, listen to Garrison on Sat. nights) I should be able to write so exquisitely that you will get the picture, so to speak....later
me

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Hello, The photo on the bottom is the one deleted (who knows why!) from the blog yesterday. Lilly is 3
and a princess, don't you agree?
The other photos are of our daughter, the MFA in piano, Emily and her Rag Doll cat,
named Arwin. Arwin is my next oldest grandchild! She is 4 and I haven't met her yet.
Will do so in a couple of weeks.
Getting myself together to fly out to Albuquerque , got some sewing and packing to do.
All for today.
Hope everyone had a blessed time in God's house and with His own today.
mary-ella
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Saturday, July 11, 2009


These photos were taken last December at our son's house. This is our lovely daughter, the MFA in piano! The next photo is of our lovely little 3 year old granddaughter and below her photo is her dad . I am only 5'2" and he is 6'3"! The final photo is of the note that I received one morning when I went to Weight Watcher's. Hubby had dropped it off the day before! This was the final clue to where we were going to spend our anniversary in June. I will have to put this under "random thoughts!" as this is just what this is.
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Here we are in Galene at Durty Gurt's
View from the top of a ski run on the Mississippi from Galena .
















Jim Post as Mark Twain. He was really good!





















Our strawberries were very good this year.
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