Holidays are Coming

With assertive Mars presently moving through your money zone and angling toward lucky Jupiter on Monday, you might be tempted to pick up the bill for all your friends, which could be a lot. Before you do, check to make sure that you really can afford it. If you can, great. Your generosity will be rewarded. If you can’t, don’t. Your friendship zone sparkles this week and for some time to come. With the holiday season getting underway this week, it seems you have plenty of invitations and opportunities to mix and mingle. The sun moves into this sector on Thursday for a four-week stay, and this could encourage you to consider how you might make things even better. With a full moon in your leisure zone on Thursday, too, Thanksgiving could be a particularly memorable occasion. If you’re out and about celebrating, there will be a real buzz in the air and a chance to make many new friends.
Above is my horoscope for this coming week.
"the sun moves in.....on Thursday....could encourage you to consider how to make things even better."
Timely, since the work on my sewing room will be completed today and we will be moving things back in.  I've told DH I don't want to rush doing that, even though Thanksgiving is Thursday and we need the dining room back.  Want to make it better!
Next up will be addressing the attic leaks over the dining room and our bedroom.  That will certainly make things better!

Where Does the Time Go?

This past Saturday we had the honor and the blessing of being able to help my brother celebrate his 70th birthday.  To make matters even better, our middle son and his daughter we able to come from VA to join us.  We had the most lovely time together!

Sister Carol, me holding my baby brother Chickie.

With our mom

Serious "little mother" (me) with "her babies", Chick, Carol, Gwen and Billy.

Paper Dolls

As a kid I always loved paper crafting.  In those days it was pretty much all paper dolls.  Even as a young teen I adored creating wardrobes, including shoes, gloves and hats for my self made dolls.
Now days it has become card making.
I started scrapbooking back in maybe the late 50's.  I have the first couple of years of my marriage in a scrapbook and some of my kids have gotten a kick out of that.
Then, about 10 or so years ago I began to scrapbook for my grandchildren, for my hubby and me and even for one of our sons.  But it got overwhelming!  I'd kept every little drawing the kids had made for me/us, I had photos by the thousands, and I came to realize that pretty much no one was all that interested in what I was doing.  So I asked myself, for whom am I doing these?  Will they just go to the curb when I'm gone?
And then I realized just how satisfying cardmaking was.  Wait for the creative inspiration, (or the need!), sit down, make it up and it's DONE!  And the best part?  Send it off and it's GONE!
So little by little I began to accumulate a little of this, a little of that...slowly because I am never one to go over board and spend tons.  Also, I had to take from what was already a pretty healthy budget for quiltmaking.
And then I made contact with a man who was interested in selling (read that "almost giving away") his late wife's cardmaking stash.
Wow!  Won't go into the entire stash here, but let me just say, I'd never have gotten all this by purchasing it from the shops and dealers.
This has led me to a personal challenge.  I've been trying to make a card a day, utilizing the things I have.  That way I'll know which of the items I really enjoy using and perhaps weed out some I don't need/want.
Going to share here some of the results of the past month or so.
Valentine's Day for Grandchildren, 2019

Get Well for a Friend

Get Well for Granddaughter

Front of card for lifelong friend

 Inside of one my first shadow box cards, for Grandson

First attempt at shadowbox card for dear friend

Inside shadow box...I made a dozen mistakes/missteps and still like it pretty well...and sent it off.  She will understand the learning process!

My idea of color pencil on black cardstock and butterfly thinlit

Card a day for inventory

Welcoming card for new neighbor...quilt theme

More card a day for inventory

Thank you card for a friend with new jar thin lit

Birthday for dear friend

Attempt at chalked leaf with Versa Mark.  Didn't like it

 One of my favorites...multi layer stamping, embossing in Gold.

Is There a Sadder Sight?

Is there a sadder sight?
Not if you are a sewist/quilter.
And especially not if it is a week or so before Christmas!

Have a stack of about 10 items to be sewn and embroidered for Christmas gifts.
However, had three charitable events to sew/embroider for during the last 3 months or so.  They had to come first.
And then, I handed in the last item and began my own sewing.  I got three table runners sewn together, and two embroidered.  Good.  Next up, quilt the first one.  I had two short seams left when there arose such a clatter!  It was, frankly, a bit more like a scream of pain.  Upon close scrutiny I realized I wasn't the one in pain.  It was my Ruby!  She was dying.  She wasn't quiet about it either.  I asked her forgiveness and quilted the last two short seams and saw her off to the variegated thread bridge.
She is in the shop now.  She awaits a heart (motor) transplant and I've little hope of completing any more of the stack of Christmas gifts.
The one completed runner got off to Australia in time to arrive before Christmas....after all, what good is a Christmas table runner in January.
I don't mind giving the adults on my list an IOU...but what to do with the 6 youngsters?
Believe me, that picture above is very, very sad to me.  
But....there are some very real problems in the world, and I don't have any of them.  For that, I am deeply grateful.

27, 28 August 2017 Day at Sea

We had two days that gave us a chance to kick back and enjoy our time at sea.  It was amazing how big the ship was and how packed!  It was pretty much impossible to sit near the pool, in fact, it was almost impossible to simply find a comfortable chair anywhere!

We had discovered upon boarding that the crowded conditions meant that we were even unable to make excursion reservations for one of our days - our day in Portugal....very disappointing.  But we knew we could make the best of it..and we did.

Cruise Day 2, Tour day 28, 26 August 2017

This was the day the cruise was for.  Going to Normandy.  Larry has wanted to get me here in honor of my dad's landing for many years.  It was such a meaningful day.

 Le Havre - France

 We were booked with an excursion for the full day.

 Bomb crater

 Bunker

 Wanted a "selfie" from the location, but the sun sure makes it tough.

 Our guide

 Some of the cliffsides the landing troops were faced with.

 Homes that once housed Nazi officials

 I brought home a small bottle of sand to share with some folks we knew would appreciate

 One of the most profoundly moving places I have ever visited.  No one raises a voice, everyone seems to feel the same overwhelming sadness and need for respect.

KNOWN BUT TO GOD

 A bit of a story on this one.  I was standing behind this cross and had no idea of the name engraved on the front.  Suddenly it was as if the cross was demanding, "take my picture."  I had to call out to Larry to wait for me, this...of all the crosses, was asking to be noticed particularly.  I walked to the front and was surprised - shocked, even, to see William E. Davis, Jr.  Pennsylvania.  I keep meaning to try to find out something about him.  But here he lies, and I know he wanted to be singled out.  God rest his soul.
Added Note:  Found this:  http://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=106996 and
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/9170/42861_647350_0538-01966?pid=6305&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D9170%26h%3D6305%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DIjr1155%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Ijr1155&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

 Tears flow easily (man and woman) in this field of remembrance.

 There was a common theme to the day...thankfulness for the hand America (as well as others) leant in the liberation.

 Back aboard ship, to relax and mull over the emotions of the day.  It was a truly wonderful excursion, and we would highly, highly recommend it.