Snow and Christmas tree

Hello again. I don't blog for days and then twice in a row! How is that? Well, I thought I would post a pic of the day after the snow storm . This happened during Christmas, it was snowing hard when I brought Hubby home from the hospital. The roads were bad and parking lots were awful. Next is one of the ways I decoate my tree. You take those lovely picks that Michael's or Hobby Lobby has and just put them into the branches of the tree. Lovely! I have 2 Christmas catus plants. One is very old and original to me. The other I inherited from my sweet mother some years ago. For a while that catcus would NOT bloom. I told it that it had better bloom or it was to the trash pile! Well, it bloomed. Both plants actuallt bloomed for Christmas this year. Amazing. One is still in bloom, the other decided not to bother. Maybe it will after a while......
All from the bush
ME

Winter decorations

Here are 3 of the arrangements that I have picted up over the last few years. The one on top of the mirror, which is a very old mirror by the way, I got at a small but charming floral shop in a very small town west of where I live. Actually, I think the arrangement over the painting of Bete Degris is also from that shop. It is Victor, IA. If you blink on your way to Des Moines on Highway 80, you will totally miss the turn off. The bottom arrangement I have had for a number of years and use it every Christmas/winter season.
My husband had surgery 2 days before Christmas. He had his tonsils out and some other throat work done. He spent one night in the hospital and I stayed with him that night. He has done well in his recovery and has been at work this week. Have not done much in the way of sewing, but I did cut out somethings--does that count? I have to make up a couple of bags for the grands and will post them when I get them done. I will also get some photos up of "before" and "after" of our kitchen cabinets. Took off the gold and put on some dull finish knobs and handles. This a cheap (well, sorta) way of remodeling a kitchen. Hopefully there will be a before and after of the sink and faucet....all in due time, as the man of the house recovers and has time!
All from the bush
ME

trip south continued

This is my new McMansion! Not! Seriously, you might recognize this as one of America's finest mansions. It is, of course, Builtmore of Ashville, NC. Originally the home of George Vanderbuilt, now a museum but still owned by the Vanderbuilt family. It was all decorated for Christmas and just amazingly beautiful. Several of the rooms were not open to the public, rooms that Jerry and I saw about 2 years ago when we went through in January. Emily, the MFA, is a "card holder" so I got in at a better price, $10 off. It was overcast and a warm 70-ish when we left Greenville, only to arrive in Ashville to 56 degrees and rain! We walked from the parking lot to the house, then all through the house and decided to take the shuttle back up to the parking lot, as it was coming down pretty good. We then had dinner in Ashville, then home to Greenville. The next day, we had to get up early to travel to Charlotte NC to catch the 6:30AM! flight. That flight took me to Atlanta, for a 2 hour layover til the flight out to Moline. Then home in freezing drizzle --what fun!. It was good to be home and have Thanksgiving at the home of some friends from church. Although I did miss being with family. Well, enjoy these pics. All from the bush ME

Trip South

Good Morning: At least it is morning at this time of writing---er, typing. Here are some photos from my recent (before Thanksgiving) trip to the warmer south. At this typing, however, the south is almost as cold as the north! Well, not exactly, but close. I have a couple of cute photos of my lovely granddaughter, Lilly. She is 4. I tried to get a photo of her brother, but ended up with videos instead. Just can't read those little settings--the digital camera I use has a switch and pictures of where that switch should be switched to, all in BLACK!! How is one to "read" that! Lilly and family live outside Atlanta. The joke about Atlanta is that when the Lord comes to call us home, we will all have to go through Atlanta first! From Atlanta I took the train to Greenville. OK, just to let you know about the times of this trip, here goes: Wed I left the house at 3:30 AM! to catch the 6:30 AM out of Moline, IL
Moline is a cheaper airport, however, it an hour and 3/4 away. So I get to Atlanta airport around local time 10:30-ish. Get picked up around 11:30. Then go to the school where Drew teaches and Landon, who is in K-5 are. Stefani is also subbing that day so Lilly is with her. I go to Landon's class--all 4 of them--should have taken a pic! They are sooo cute. One little girl looks just like the Disney's cartoon of Tinkerbelle! No lie! She is just adorable--and tiny! Just like Tinkerbelle. So we leave the school (after going to lunch twice!--only eating once....fyi) and are home for a couple of hours, then take off to meet some people from Drew's church for the before church on Wed night dinner. Zaxby's has this special for kids meals on Wed nights. Then we go to church, then home and chat for a while.....finely getting to bed after 10PM! Got up early to make sure I see Landon before school. Stef is So organized! Landon knows exactly what he is wearing everyday as she has his daily clothes in separate bins. It helps that the school requires uniforms, which are very nice. Landon looks great in red, with his
white blond hair and big blue eyes. Then Stef went to school to sub and Lilly and I played outside and I picked leaves (sorry no pic) much to Lilly's horror! How dare I do that! Then, after lunch Lilly and I went to school to watch the high school do their choir, band, speech competition. Then home and out to Olive Garden for dinner and then to the train station. Here is a pic of the Atlanta train station. Reminded me of an old movie. Left Atlanta by train around 9-ish. Got to Greenville at midnight.
But was greeted by a sweet and lively 2nd child, the MFA. I will close, but add more pic.
All from the bush
ME

Fall, 2010

Hi all, hope this fall been for you all. Here in the upper midwest, it has been beautiful. Oh, except for the HAIL!! Had a horrible hailstorm about a month back. Our house got hit badly, but Husband says we will repair the damage in the spring. I am surprised it didn't break the glass table and the windows, as it damaged some of the window screens.
The first pic is of the chandelier that I got at Amy's Four Sister's In A Cottage. Had been eyeballing the chandeliers that she has in her shop for some time, when she had her sale I scooped this one. It is pink! It hangs above the MFA's grand piano and looks beautiful.
I made a covering for the wire. You can see the shadow on the wall of the crystals sparkling. It really is a fun light fixture and will go with me to the retirement cottage, whenever that will happen. The bottom pics are of the cards I made at the local scrapbook/stamp store. We have ONE in our town....besides Michaels. This is locally owned and really fun. We were to make a dozen cards in 2 hours, but that is wishful thinking. I think I finished around 9 or 10 of them in 2.5 hours. Husband has taken a new job. Yes! Changing jobs at his ripe old age (60); and here I thought we would be in the retirement cottage in about 3 years, now it looks more like 5 plus. There are some things that I am not sure I can stand for that long. The BFA knows exactly what I mean. But God knows all about the future as He holds it in His hands. I just need to trust and obey.
I am planning a short trip to visit the MFA and the grands, taking the AmTrac between the two cities, which should be an adventure and fun. Flying into Atlanta via Moline, Il, then back to Moline from Charlotte, NC. Hubby can't take the time as yet, plus he has plans for his Christmas plant shutdown.....more of that later. I know I took a pic of some things that I have been sewing and actually finishing! Will try to get those up later. Remember it is not what we have done, but what Christ alone is doing in and thru us. Later, dear readers.
ALl from the bush.
ME

What we did this summer

Nothing like summer pictures when the temps are, at least today, more like late fall than early fall, end of summer. These are the lovely grands at the pool. This pool is in the gated community where their other Grandparents live. Yes, the kids get to have one set of grandparents locally. Landon started school this fall (actually early August!). Still loves school. Told us that his favorite subject is lunch. We also asked him what he did his first day of school. Answer: we had recess, nap time and lunch. So much for the full day at school. His class is very small, only 4 kids. Miss Lilly misses her brother, but I think she has a great time with being with Mom alone. Althought that will change in Feburary when they welcome another little being into the family. The MFA wanted more pics, so here they are girlfriend. This is the girl that stops traffic when she jogs! She is training for an 8K coming up in a couple of weeks. She is busy with her piano teaching job--with 33 students--and part-time AnnTaylorLoft job and pet sitting. If you live in Greenville and see a lovely blonde in a beautiful blue Toy Solara, that could very well be her. She is in the lower pic, with Landon and me. I have yet to get a really great haircut. Do I hear an Amen! This last one was at a good salon, I believe I will go back--the head rub and shouldar rub is worth it!
But the cut hasn't worked out. Thin hair is tricky. Not like the easy to do thick hair. That is no big deal--cut style Voila! BUT thin hair is a challenge and I don't know a lot of stylists that like a challenge. And I don't know a lot of stylists that actually know what to dowith thin hair. All of the books on hair show models with THICK hair! There should be a book with models that have thin hair. Maybe they are hard to find. Sigh. I trust that you, dear reader, will have a terrific day. Psalm 30:1 I will extol thee, O Lord; for Thou hast lifed me up, and hast made my foes to rejoice over me.
All from the bush.
ME