~What are their Concerns?~

What do you suppose these women are visiting about? Weather, their gardens, children? Or maybe they are sisters and are passing the time together? I love silhouettes, and a good friend gave this card to me last year for my birthday. What a treasure I have in it! It sits near my bed, and reminds me to be productive in my day, to be industrious, and to never let time go to waste. Even as these women 'visit', they can still be busy with their hands. My father-in-law always reminds me that 'Busy hands are happy hands, Shanda', and mine always try to do good, create, and emulate kindness.

I have spent the last couple of days at home without running here and there, without doing any errands, and just enjoying my home. I have stripped an old 1970's Lane cedar chest and refinished it (photo in the next couple of posts), completed our taxes, and in the evenings have been watching the really long movie 'John Adams'. This staying at home thing could be really addicting! I am an incredible homebody, but still get out to see my neighbors, go for my country walks, and manage to get an early scout out on the weeds poking through my flower beds. Being at home makes life all the better!

It is Spring Break here, and life is good. This post is kind of a ramble of different various things, but indeed, life is good. Even though sometimes there may be a huge rain cloud bursting right over your head, there is ALWAYS something worse that could happen and we need to be thankful for those cards that we are dealt.

Be 'doing' today, and let life live in you. Find joy in your journey - today!!!!!

~I'm Missing Vermont and New England as a Whole!~

Red Covered Bridge, West Arlington, VT

Several years ago, my DH and I went to Vermont in the spring, and every year at this time I start missing it. We had never been to that part of the United States and decided it was high time. So we boarded the plane here in good ol' Boise and took off. During this trip we had 2 'rules' - no freeways (or tollways, which is a very foreign concept to us here in the West) and no eating at fast food or 'chain' restaurants. We wanted to experience the back roads and taste of local cuisine. Oh my, what a trip we had!! No reservations, just purchased two airplane tickets for Albany, NY and reserved a rental car. And hit the road we did! Logged 980 miles on a PT Cruiser in 6 days, took in parts of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and back to Albany, on back roads and only 37 miles of freeways/tollways, and saw the most beautiful countryside! This was our favorite place of all - West Arlington, Vermont! Oh, man! So every Spring, I revisit those roads and the fun time we had driving down little country lanes, turning corners to see the most quaint villages and covered bridges. I was in love again - with architecture, townships, and beautiful old churches and cemeteries, covered bridges........ all the things that we don't have out here in Idaho. And every spring I see it all again in my mind and feel the ache to revisit. Not only am I suffering from Spring Fever right now, but I am in 'New England Withdrawals'. Not a good disease to have......

I have an update from my 'Finish it Friday' Night with my girlfriends. This is my friend Sarah who machine quilted a baby quilt.....

And this is my friend Tracey who pieced a baby quilt..........

And girlfriend Kim who was scrapbooking Valentine's Day photos......

And then there was my quadrant of the dining room table filled with 5-6 unfinished smaller projects.........

which turned into.......

I framed two cross-stitch and a punchneedle projects that night, finished a pillowcase, stuffed a couple of pillows/pin keeps, and the stack green and gold nine-patch blocks really are pinkeeps that I sewed together, just ran out of time to stuff with walnut shells and oak shavings. So see, you really can get a lot done at Finish It Fridays. We girls hum those machines along, crop those photos, and make the night profitable. We really have a great time. We missed you working with us, so won't you come next month? Our next meeting is April 3rd from 6 - midnight. We have a potluck, so bring your favorite dish to pass, or just come with project in hand. I'm the house down on the corner, so come on over!

~ Come for a Visit! ~

I know it has been a while since I have visited with you, so I would like you to come for a visit today. The fire is warm, and even though Spring is around the corner, 'tis still cold enough for a fire. And I have a pot of soup on for us, along with a fresh loaf of bread, so please plan on staying for lunch. Bring your stitching or a project you would like to work on for the afternoon, and we will catch up.


I actually finished my punchneedle and aged it last weekend. It is a design from 'With Thy Needle and Thread', and it is called 'Have Ye Any Wool.' I love it for the rich colors and texture that it possesses. Also, my colonial brown sugar cones came out fine, first time I have ever made those.


This evening I will also be working on projects. I host a craft/sewing/project night once a month at my home called 'Finish It Friday' and it is just that - you finish or work on a project. There are about 3 ladies besides myself who come and we 'visit' from 6 'til midnight. We all bring food dishes to share, and we accomplish so much!!!! I started it last October, as a way for some ladies to get out of their homes and work on Christmas gifts without other eyes being around, and it became so popular, they all wanted to continue this tradition into the next year. I like hosting it, and it reminds me of an olde-fashioned sewing circle, although we have everything from sewing aprons/bags/pajamas, quilting, painting, scrapbooking, needlepunch, and cross-stitching going on. You can come and join us for that time also, if you'd like.

I was recently visiting with a neighbor and she was of course commenting on this economy. It was again important for me to remember and know that as times get harder, we all tend to turn inward and truly reflect on what is important. Practicing economy in our homes and lives is not a bad thing, in fact, it can be quite the opposite. It can be refreshing, humbling, and reflective. I have a sign hanging in my dining area that says:


This was a quote from Jane Austen in one of her books. I found this sign in Illinois two years ago, and immediately fell in love with it. I am never bored at home.

Also, it is my dear kindred spirit girlfriend's birthday today, Happy Birthday, Anne Girl!!!!!! She lives clear in California, and I miss having visits with her. I consider it a HUGE treat to be able to sit with her and stitch for even a few small moments. I taught her to cross-stitch many years ago, and I enjoy her so much! Even though we don't get together very often, memories are enough at times to carry me through.

Enjoy your weekend and be content. I will be putting the finishing touches on our spare bedroom after painting last weekend and will also be doing a bit of cleaning. Spring is right around the corner. Will I see you later on then?

Blessings on your day!

Shanda

~Whatcha' Working on Wednesday?!~

I know it is really Thursday morning here in Idaho, but yesterday I worked on my colonial brown sugar cones, and they are currently drying, so there will be a photo of them all wrapped up and pretty next post. I did work on my punch needle project, and it is soooo close to being done. I need to divide my time between three things today - my quilting studio, putting another coat of paint on our spare bedroom, and this punch needle, in that order.

This morning it is raining and very windy, something that doesn't happen too often here - storm. I love rain, and like snow even more, but since it is 7:15am and already in the low 40's, I guess rain is second best. I love the coziness of home when it is storming outside. Just images of curling up by our fireplace with either a stitching project or a good book just reaks of comfort! I am in the middle of a 9 book historical fiction series about the revolutionary war and life in the colonial days of early America called 'Prelude to Glory' by Ron Carter. Like I said, there are nine in this series, and there are only five pictured here, but one I had to borrow and the others I can't find yet. This series was only published in the late 90's - early 2000's, but one of the books is over $200! That will be one I borrow! They are out of print and are very hard to find. Anyway, they describe early American life very well. I am only on the third book! Ha, but I love them.

What are you doing today? Are you doing some creating, rearranging, or beautifying? Whatever it is, enjoy it - tonight we are having lasagna soup for dinner with some "homemade" rolls, perfect for a rainy day. Thanks, Cousin Aud, for this timeless recipe!

Enjoy the moment and blessings on your day!

Shanda

~ Some Precious Girl Time in Wisconsin! ~

~ The Girls in Wisconsin ~ Cousin Diane, Aunt Lynn, Audra, daughter Sarah, me, and mother! ~

I know we just celebrated Valentine's Day, but I need to digress just a bit. Over the Christmas holidays, my daughter and I were able to take a train trip from Salt Lake City, Utah, across the plains to Illinois. Oh, my ~ how gorgeous our America is!!!! Especially all snowy and white. Over the rocky mountains was beautiful during the daylight hours, and then at night, crossing the plains, christmas lights galore!!!! Barns, silos, houses...... so many lights lit up the night. And in the morning I awoke to the most torential snow storm somewhere in the eastern part of Iowa, but my ..... it was a simple pleasure to be on that train, chugging along, listening to christmas music on my iPod and looking out the big window at the snow storm. Very soothing and nostalgic, actually. Wow!

Anyway, my mother, dear heart that she is, took a car load of us family girls and went to a dream quilt shop in Spring Green, Wisconsin, called Country Sampler of Spring Green. The shop was filled with Chistmas spirit, smells, decorations, and inspiration enough to last through five christmas seasons. This was a day of pure delight to me - I bought projects to last me for two years and met Cousin Diane, who I had never met before. We went to lunch, visited, and laughed . I shall never forget these moments. Thank you for making this day possible, all of you! These are the moments that last, these are the things that are important. These are the simplest of pleasures!

Coming up next post..... making colonial brown sugar cones!

~'Tis Sweetest Day~

'Love is not Love, until it is given away.'

'Tis Sweetest Day. Who is your sweetheart? Who makes your heart beat faster? Who does nice things for you to cheer up your day? I am the kind of person that doesn't need a dozen red roses or a heart shaped box of candy, although I am very weak with DARK chocolate. But I do have a dearheart husband that jumps everytime I need something fixed or I am struggling with a project. I love the way dearheart has suggestions to make daily life easier. He writes wonderful letters to me and is very patient and is 'long suffering' with my weaknesses. Dearheart's name is John, and he is my Valentine. We have been married for almost 22 years and have 2 beautiful children. He makes great fruit smoothies and the best scrambled eggs. He is very much in every one of my days.

On a side note - I am still working on my curtains and finishing a cross stitch. I wore my apron all day today and rearranged some furniture. I have been 'tweeking' as Linda from Behind My Red Door has been doing. I do like to tweek, and I am going to be painting a spare bedroom this next week and trying to decide which quilt to put on the bed. I will be taking some before and after pictures of the redo. The weather here is blah, and by that I mean no weather at all. No snow, no rain, no wind, no nothin'. Just ugly gray fields, grass, and sky. So it is perfect to still stay inside and 'stir the nest.'

Enjoy your long weekend, and have fun, whatever is happening. Be simply minded and love your family. Blessings on your time spent together!

Shanda