Saturday, June 5, 2010

Mother's Prayers Sampler Finished


Mother's Prayers
designer The Sampler Girl
32 count Antique Ivory linen
DMC colors
Buttons from Boston
fabric from The Sampler Girl Webshop



started out with a finish and a happy dance at the ironing board


Stuffed and then hand-sewed the bottom


Thought about using these mother of pearl old, old buttons.
I didn't order the star ones in the model and I really wanted to finish it today.



Then remembered I had these from Boston and I liked the gold.



Decided the gold instead of the mother of pearl



attached the little cross with some thread


Then birthed a pillowkeep hanging.



My first curtain panel--a simple sewing project


For Summer,and to basically play with my new sewing machine, last week made my first pillow case. Easy, no pattern, no measuring....just used 3/4 yard of remnant from the quilt shop that blended soooooo well with my quilt in the bedroom. I loved it!

Being an amateur machine seamstress is  at the very least the ability to finish the backs of pillows after stitching samplers or simple, simple stuff.

I found this vintagey-looking piece of remnant for .75 cents about 3 months ago at a thrift shop and decided this morning to make a curtain panel for the kitchen. As the colors of red, white and blue with the daises are so Summery, I became giddy even though it's so basic  project.

The fabric, of course was not big enough for 2 panels but that was ok by me because I like to see out of my kitchen window and not cover it up, so here's a pic of my panel. I used some red rick-rack to tie back. It perked up the kitchen for the summer. I didn't line this on purpose for more sunlight to peek through.
I added my flag in the kitchen flowers, the one I waved to Brandon as he was coming home at 4am in the morning in March. It's a special little flag.

I love old-looking rick-rack.



And Sweet Annie


Here is a Dutch sampler I stitched in 2007. I really like it. It's graced our kitchen since then. The year 2001 for when we moved into the house. The fiber was Weeks Charcoal, coffee stained linen by me and framed by me and thee.


I'm trying to rejuvenate my African violets right now. They are definitely wimpy but a little African violet food and maybe a birth control pill in the soil and they usually come back good.
Yep, you read that right birth control pills make flowers thrive alot.
A secret among the GYN providers over the years.  LOL

My simple homey kitchen, definitely not modern but we like it this way.


Hope your Saturday is full of sunshine too!!!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Today


Today I~~~~
  • saw another thunderstorm, fiercely hanging over the mountains in the distance, late evening tonight
  • saw many black and white cows in a pasture huddling together by the trees--smart cows, lightning near
  • tried to solve many problems that were .......sometimes solvable, and sometimes not.... by me
  • answered a letter to another army mom
  • worked through lunch, ate a candy bar and a vitamin instead
  • drove the short way home and got "take-out" for supper
  • thanked God it was Friday
  • sat on our back porch and thought about many things after the day
  • watched BG cut flowers outside, and put them in a vase to cheer me up--prettier than any florist could do
  • wondered what color blue in Crescent Colors would my flowers be named?
  • completely frustrated because the electrician did not "show up"
  • realized not everybody will like me in my lifetime (a revelation I've wrestled with for awhile) There...I said it.......it felt good!  I'm just me.
  • realized I may not like everybody either but I will try to love them
  • realized too many rainy days leads to too much introspection for me.......way too much
  • on a spontaneous decision, Body Guard and I went to an empty 200 year tiny church in the country and the door was unlocked, open for free walk-in. We walked in it for the first time and felt the presence of many emotions all at once and had a very peaceful feeling in the quiet.
  • took the long way home
  • ate an Oreo blizzard for dessert
  • had to stop on a main highway near our house to wait for an entire family of geese to cross it. Mama, Papa, and 3 babies.....very cute......wished I had my camera!
  • realized I haven't cleaned up one poop accident on the floor today!!! YIPPEE!
  • saw someone with striped color Bell Soie Raspberry silk color...........hair.
  • Drove by a Strawberry sign by the side of the road and remembered that exactly 22 years ago this month I was quite bloated, pregnant, bare-foot, bed-ridden, and ate every strawberry in sight!
  • Followed by a giddy laugh, that she has a "strawberry spot" on her neck in the hairline.......probably caused by too many strawberries......NOT!  but funny anyway......
  • Decided I ramble too much and probably just lost a hundred readers through this post but decided life is not a marathon of one thing, but a complex bundle of sometimes just......stuff

Got a busy Saturday planned. Hope you have a great evening!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

In reflection and the day after


Today after the lightening hit we did get back online. We have contacted the insurance and there is quite a bit of electronic damage. I can't online go into detail all the damage but we do have online and one laptop....mine ....YEAH!!! working. Two other computers fried, one completely fried (of course the newest one), and the other one is snowey but working well enough to see. The first electrical check was done but someone is coming tomorrow to do a thorough check as it charged with such force through the basement level and kitchen.



These are a few pics of the power that blew off and melted wires and plastic, peeled back the surrounding wallpaper........very scarey thing to happen. Let's put it this way, I was standing in a bedroom with the phone in my hand almost to dial like I said before. I literally thought a plane struck our house and that is possible as there are small planes that fly over here alot. The force knocked over bronze book ends on a table and I hit the floor faster than fast and laid there with a ton of thoughts running through my head, wondering if it was an airplane on the roof burning, or someone was shooting through the window.......etc. I then panicked when the phone was dead. Then got up and went to the security panel for emergency button....all blown up...... with cell phone in the car, way down the drive, I finally braved the storms running to call on my On-star car phone system through the rain and more lightning. I literally ran around looking for fire for an hour or more until help arrived. I didn't touch anything else.


They think it hit a tree, hit ground, into the house through the phone, cable line and then surged through all the electrical. Even things that we though had grounding did not protect it. I did learn a lesson. I didn't realize lightening can hit things and fry them even if they are not turned on.

We have one snowey functioning TV for right now until the cable guy comes back in 7 days to bury another line......
Fried two of BG's computers and other stuff.......I didn't really appreciate all these gadgets we have until that happened! ;) Now, I'm soooo thankful for my laptop and TV.

But, insurance is taking this seriously and having  a detailed interwall and attic inspection of all wires tomorrow as the power was with such force and melting electrics. The funny thing was that the overhead kitchen lights were the only thing that stayed on, with the stove that I had on cooking some beans on low. Everything else went out.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!
Thank goodness I have internet and all my computer was saved....data, pics, etc.
Thank goodness for alot!!!!
Thank goodness you have stuck with me through this non-stitchy post and also thank you for the support.

As far as stitching, I haven't been able to stay still enough to stitch anything.
 But I have just sat down and watching Nancy Grace and will pick up my stitching as I watch and hope we get back to normal.

And ironically, the piece I'm working on........


The rest of the quote says....."they have clung to me all my life"
I definitely need to finish this one up!!!




And when I finish this pattern, I know exactly where I'm hanging it now......
Right where I was standing.......


Here's hoping that your week is going well and may God shelter you from these Summer storms!!

Till later,
Jennifer

Lightening struck our house last evening

No pictures to share but just to let you all know I'm ok but still a little shook up today. Went back to work.
Long story and will post pic tonight.
Short form of story, about 3pm yesterday I was about to use the phone when lightening bolted through our house, knocked me on the floor and the phone out of my hand, and blew the kitchen sockets off the wall and burned and melted wires.
I stayed on the floor in shock about 15 minutes before I got myself together and had to go to my car to call for help. The dogs were petrified. I kept smelling burning wires and ran up and down our 3 story house watching for fire for 30 minutes. I'm sore today from all that running but was scared our house was going to burn down. We have had 2 houses in our little community of 20 there that have burned down due to lightening in the past 5 years.
So, it was definitely a scarey afternoon and night. Will share more later. I have no fax, computer, TV, phone, etc at home as of right now. When I get home, I'll see what's been fixed and if I can get back online, I'll send a note.
So stay safe in all these thunderstorms. I was in milliseconds of dialing a number on the phone. The electrician told me I would have been electricuted if I had just dialed within seconds. So, there must be a reason I'm still on this Earth, indeed.

Till later,
Jennifer

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Midnight Progress



Although it's small, I'm on the homestretch with this one.

I can look at the pictures of progress and it helps me see I'm getting somewhere.




from this




All in a day's work. Hopefully will have finished tomorrow and made into a pillowkeep.

It's been on of those days of deep introspection.
Sometimes I'm slow. I'm not as of massive production as others but I have to remind myself this is a hobby not a marathon.
There will be some changes to this blog soon so that more interested stitchers may find it helpful.
I realized I have too much personal information on this blog and it's not my best friend.
So keeping it simply and stitchy is my goal.

Hang in there with me. I enjoy comments immensely. Otherwise I feel like I'm shouting in the moutains.
Any suggestions to help make it more pleasurable reading is greatly accepted.

Nite nite
Jennifer

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Time for Tuesday


Good morning!
Hope your Tuesday is a good one.
So happy that I'm off till Thursday. I needed the extra sleep at night. I've got 7-8 hours of sleep 3 nights in a row now.....WOOHOO!
Thank you so much for all the Memorial Day Sales this weekends. Those orders will be going out soon.
I hope to add some more items this week for you shopping pleasure.

The sun is out this morning and I'm hoping today it stays out. Over the weekend, we surely got alot of rain and now the hot, humid summer air is here and so appropriate as Memorial Day weekend is usually the start of summer. We live near a touristy town called Helen, Ga. and it was beyond busy. Lots of campers heading through to Unicoi State Park and this is the first weekend tubing down the Chattahoochee River starts.
That's some ice cold water, folks but overall alot of fun. I like to wait until at least July when the water warms to 60 degrees or so. LOL

June 1st, I can't believe it, is today. Almost half a year gone by.

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending  by Maria Robinson

Our Memorial Day


Made some progress on Mothers Prayers sampler



Cooked pork chops with lime pepper, green beans, and a special bread and baked potatoes for supper.
While Miss Abbie flounced around in her sundress, even though it poured rain most of the day.
She was ultimately happy playing with her new Rainbow toy on the cleaned back porch and strutted around and barked like she was one of the big dogs.
I think she is getting spoiled, I'm not sure, but I think.


Poor Ren is not doing well at all. We are hanging in there day by day with him. I just handfed him a piece of bread for a snack when he woke and he is all bones now. It's heartbreaking. I have to change and make sure he has a little t-shirt on because his little backbone is sticking out and looks like his skin is trying to break down.
But he still loves to eat if you handfeed him because he is totally blind, but definitely has dementia.
We pray he goes peacefully in his sleep when the time comes.

Didn't hear from the kids or the parents. I hope they are happy because when they are happy, I'm happy.

I'm ready to meet June 1st in the morning when I wake. I've got a couple of birthdays to plan for.
And I love planning birthday presents.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Celebrate Liberty Give-away!

Are you ready for some sampler stitching for patriotic holidays.......like the 4th of July, which is not too far away and I certainly can't believe it! These samplers are beautiful any time of year but right now is the perfect time to stitch them up.
I have 2 new Chessie and Me patriotic designs for your patriotic/primitive pleasure. I will draw 2 names, one for each. So this will be quite exciting.
I will use the random computer generator to pick so you know the rules but here goes:

1) make sure you post as a follower of this blog a separate posting for number 1 and number 2 or if you are just interested in one particular one then one post for it.

2) for a second/third chance, write a third post that you shared it on your blog in some kind of way!  Love meeting new blogging friends this way.

3) International bloggers welcome!

4) The deadline for these 2 giveaways is June 15th at midnight EST/US

5) Remember that the computer generator will be used twice as these are 2 separate pattern giveaways.

6) For an even extra chance, post your favorite, I mean, lip-smacking, summertime favorite food you like to eat on July 4th!  Mine is grilled hotdogs with lots of mustard.

7) please post for the giveaways only on this posting and good luck!

Here are the 2 samplers together. Number 1 is on the left and it is called Liberty House Sampler, very pretty sampler and this one includes the 32 count linen.
The sampler on the right is Preserve Liberty and it's my favorite!  A gorgeous primitive sampler to grace your home or to give as a lovely birthday or Christmas gift.





NUMBER 1




NUMBER 2



Sneak peak at the start of Mother's Prayers





Started Mother's Prayers by The Sampler Girl last night and love it. I am stitching on 32 ct natural antique white linen and using 2 DMC colors. When I first started the entire first line, I stitched in the wrong color so I frogged that out and back on track now.
I could have gotten a better picture of the vivid colors if I took it out of my stand but right now it's resting nice and cozy and calling me to work on again this morning.

I hardly ever stitch one pattern more than once but this one definitely will be stitched more than once. I can think of one friend of mine who I met whose son is in the military too and she would love this.
We were friends during Brandon's deployment.
Hope you enjoy your Memorial Day!

We have had heavy rains on our tin roof all night and last night in the evening, stretched out on the back porch where you could really here the rain on the roof. It's thundering now and raining again but lighter.
Makes good stay-in weather for me.
Miss Abbie is getting a little spoiled on these long weekends off. She has now taken to being a lap dog all the time, and even through me stitching, she snoozes under the stitching frame. So far she has not even tried to eat any more stitching patterns....LOL
Till later~~~~

Sunday, May 30, 2010

A Few To Remember that served our country

This is Body Guard's dad on the right, James (Jim)Dalenberg
Picture from when he was serving in World War II.
I think this was his battle buddy.




There is a plaque in the South Holland Library, downstairs Historical Society collection with his name on it.



I took many pictures on that trip to Chicago and I'm so glad I got these. We did get permission from the historical society to take these pictures, FYI.



The fellow in the black leather jacket......that's my hubbie looking at that uniform.

I was distracted by this:





Another family member in World War I



Of course, I couldn't help but remember our nurses on the missions. So I snapped this pic of the uniform.
This was back when nursing was really what nursing is about. I wish we could capture this dedication in this generation.


Miss Cornelia Dalenberg, BG's aunt, Jim's sister, was a missionary nurse that served many years.

Mostly in Saudi Arabia. She wrote a book, Sharifa, about her life and experiences over in the area, right where we are still fighting today. The Persian Gulf. We have a copy of this book and it's phenomenal to read because not much in their culture has changed over in the Holy Land in 100 years, really not anything at all when you read of her encounters. She served as a midwife for a King over there. What an honor.
She never married and dedicated her whole life to mission work.



And of course, here is my son, Matthew Brandon, named specifically because Matthew means "a gift from God". He just served in Afghanistan and thankfully, oh so thankfully, did not give his life there but did worry us alot. This was me taking his pic at his pinning ceremony in Columbus, Ga. --Fort Benning
Believe, me, it's a mixture of pride and complete terror, when your baby boy is in uniform.

Haven't heard from him like he said he would call us since the day he got back from Afghanistan. We are very proud of him as a soldier. As a son, who I thought loved me very much and raised, we are certainly dissapointed in his recent actions. I sincerely hope he can overcome those areas that challenge him emotionally. He left to deploy with alot of anger and didn't respond to any of his letters or packages we sent. In fact, the LT. told us finally that he wrote a formal letter that he was abandoned at birth and had not seen us in 6 years, and had been married for well over a year. The only truth was that he had been married. At first I was shocked. Then, I had to laugh as I remember quite readily our 22 years together.....from day 1 wiping butt to carrying to school and forever getting him out of trouble. I remember when he was 12 and the school called on the last day for his MMR shot which he had to have to be in school. He begged me to home school him in the back of the car while 3 of my nurse friends and I had to embrace him to give him this shot at the health dept.  Oh, my!  Where did that come from? 
 We sent plenty of pics and they were shocked and very apologetic. 
Again, we are so proud as a soldier and hope that the enotionally challenging issues certainly resolve if not only in his heart. That has to be hard to carry around such imaginations that are not real.

And this is my hubbie. He served in 2 wars being in the Reserves and retired 2003.
Our first year of marriage, he was called up for 9/11 to serve for one year.
Another frightful year indeed. But we made it through.

Maybe it was that kinda look right there that got me every time! LOL  Then,when he came back from that tour facing 2 young teens to stepfather and a  wife, his first one at age 44, he probably thought being in Reserves was better. LOL