~Bwana Vicki & Crazy Mike~

Yawning peacefully before the gator story.

My dearest, sweet friend Vicki sent me these pictures! Isn't she just too funny! Everytime I look at these pictures I just have to laugh. Vicki is THE ONE and only person that I know who embraces aging, and does it so well. She has always been an old soul, and is just growing into her season. Isn't that marvelous! What a wonderful attitude! She is on the left, her brother Mike ("doesn't everyone have a brother named Mike?"), is on the right. She was visiting him in Florida and he talked her into a trekk down a river bird watching. It was only AFTER they were canoeing that Mike told her the gators were everywhere down this river. She doesn't really know if there were gators there as she didn't actually see one, but she was terrified the entire time! And that's the story of Crazy Mike and his adventurous sis Bwana Vicki.

~When the Scrap Basket is Full...Go Raggin'!~

Good Morning All! As I was packing up my sewing room for this move, I found that I had so many scraps of fabric that were way to small to use for quilts or pillows...but big enough to keep! Oh yes, I'm a fabric hoarder! (wink) I organized all of the scraps into a big basket that my dear friend Vicki made for me. Everytime I make something and have little cuttings of fabric leftover..into the basket they go! When the basket is chock-full, it's time to make a rag rug! This rag rug will be tied and locker hooked with a pretty pink & white carnation in the middle. I love rugs, and it is so hard to find pretty, rugs that don't cost a fortune. This is a wonderful craft to use up scraps and create something unique, excersise old Arthur, and easy to do while watching a good movie!
What do you do with your scrappy's?
Blessings~

~....Cupcakes From Scratch!!!!!~

Yesterday was a quiet day, very peaceful and relaxing. I watched a movie, played with the doggy and worked on a new rag rug. Then I really got creative! I found a new recipe from that GREAT site Mennonite Girls Can Cook for Pineapple Cupcakes...I must confess, I am the world's worst baker! Even store bought cookie dough that you slice and heat don't come out for me. Hubby usually does all of the baking around here. He makes wonderful fudge, and an "Out of this world" apple pie. Blonde brownies are his trademark. Anyway, before I begin salivating...I decided to bake these cupcakes as a surprise for my prince charming when he got home. They are baked from scratch, AND they came out Delicious!! Light..fluffy, and I just love that cream cheese frosting. With bits of crushed pineapple, very refreshing! Hubby was so surprised!!

~The Mighty Cloud

The Cloud Appreciation Society » From Jacqueline Mai.:

"The Might of an Ephemeral Cloud "

Standing on a hill’s summit
In high summer’s heat
All colours below seem flattened to a pastel palette
Faded and deadened by searing sunlight.
But it takes just the passing of a cloud
For village colours to waken and blossom,
Trees to stretch and breathe,
Rivers and hollows, mounds and forests
To leap into a life of abundant greens
Refreshed by the cloud’s shadow
Which is sliding down golden fields
Vaulting over tangled hedgerows
Chasing flocks and herds and boys on bicycles.
Nature’s dimmer-switch – the cloud -
Turns down the glare, the heat
And as its shadow runs and rises, soars and clusters
It caresses the earth’s miraculous face
And I see the might a cloud possesses."

~My Mom is Coming to Visit!!!~

My Beautiful Mom is coming to visit! I am so excited to see her, as she lives in Texas and our visits are few and far between. We see each other only once or twice a year, but we cherish each moment spent together. She is 81 years old, and still just Amazing! She exercises 3 days a week, and is a Christian Mental Health counsellor 2 days a week. At approx. 75 years old, she received her masters degree from SMU in Dallas, Texas.
She is the bright light that has throughout my life..kept me from the darkness.
She is fun and giggly, and will explore all the nooks and crannies in this new town with me! I can't wait until she gets here!
God has blessed me so!
I would like to introduce you to my mom..the Reverend Colleen Baldassini..
I will take tons of photos of our explorations and post them for you.
Blessings for a teriffic Tuesday!

~Nature's Fury~Calm, Damp Aftermath~

Yesterday it rained so hard that I could barely see these trees in the front yard! Bent and swaying in the gale force winds, I was sure that one of them would go down. Thunder rolled, with such might, that in the house you could feel the vibration under your feet, like an earthquake. Lightning bolts Cracked, dancing across the sky like giant double jointed stick men, one after another heading east with a pole vaulters stride. Pea sized hail loudly tap tapped against the window panes, covering the ground in white.

Every once in a while the storm would subside giving a brief respite from the noise and it was during this time that I felt safe to look out of the windows and assess the damage. As I did, in a flash, a doe and twin fawns ran right passed my window and into the backyard. I stood watching them for several minutes in awe and wonder. How beautiful they are! The doe was quite nervous, the fawns seemed calmer, but alert to where mama was at all times. They stood around, as the doe looked for a safe harbor, and I realized that I had only moments to take a picture before they would be gone. Our house is full of windows, and the doe spotted me as I ducked down to try to sneak into the other room to retrieve my camera...Off they went, quicker than the blink of an eye into the corn! All of the day long I was grateful to have witnessed this incredibly beautiful scene, the doe and her freckled little baby's.

Today is calm and dewy, the grass is greener and it is much cooler. The flowers and plants that were flattened by the hail and rain are beginning to stand up tall again, thankful for the bath. Well friends, have a safe and blessed week~

~.Happy Birthday to Me!!....Now Leeme Lone....

Happy Birthday Freeway!! 10 years young and going strong....well, pretty strong anyway..A little gray perhaps, but hey, aren't we all?? This little doggy came to us as a rescue dog. As a puppy, she and 2 other siblings were driven all over our small town and dumped, each in a different spot, on the side of the road. Some kind hearted animal lovers picked them up and took them to a no-kill shelter called Happy Tails.

I had wanted a dog for so long, not having had one since I was a child. So one day my ever indulgent hubby & I went to Happy Tails to find the perfect doggy. There were so many abandoned animals there, it was truly heartbreaking. We settled on an adorable male cocker-for me...it was love at first sight. He was lovable and fun, about 2 years old. The previous owner had passed away and he needed love and attention.

At the time, my husband was out of town from Monday-Friday, only home on weekends. We picked up Pepper on a Saturday. I had a wonderful week with this darling doggy, walking and taking him for rides. It was so fun!! However, the next Friday when my hubby came home, Pickles wasn't very happy to see him...in fact, Pickles would have preferred that my husband didn't come home at all!! So....he bit him! We thought maybe he was just nervous having another person in the home. The next day, my husband noticed the back of the couch..."What's this?" Pickles had pottied on the couch in several places. Yikes!! Well, poor Pickles had to go! I cried..

Getting back to the birthday girl....the next weekend Happy Tails called and told us about Freeway. Well we hurried down there, and here was the cutest, tiniest puppy I had ever seen! Nervous, jumpy, full of play, got right in my lap....and conked out! So...we brought her home. She hadn't even eaten solid food yet!

My husband & I love this little girl! And here she is 10 years later...a bit more grumpy, hates her picture taken, not too fond of animals...because of course she thinks she is human (according to my hubby), wants to sleep on the bed..with a PILLOW, and believes that every night when I make dinner...I'm really cooking for her!

So Happy 70th ?? Birthday my Sweet Ol' Girl!! Live on in Good Health!!

~If You Know...........~

Good Friday Morning Friends! Say..I was just wondering if anyone knows what this flower is? It so pretty! Lacey, open and it smells wonderful! The lavender color is just gorgeous, but it doesn't smell like lavender at all. It kind of has a sagey smell. It is in my garden, and bloomed very late, in fact it bloom only 2 weeks ago! As I am discovering so many new flowers and plants these days, I find a unique loveliness in each petal, leaf and color. Since we have moved to Iowa, I have found wildflowers in abundance! They are very pretty indeed! I love to stand back and look at the helter skelter of a wild flower garden, but I'm not able to actually live with helter skelter! I prefer order and seperateness in my garden, so that each flower stands out in its uniqueness.

When we moved in, the weeds had taken over this beautiful plant...in fact I thought it was a weed and started to remove it. My husband stopped me, he said he liked the look of the greenery. So we kept it. Because my Sweetie liked it, it has become one of my favorites! But...I don't know what it is!!! So, if you know could you please share with me? Blessings All~

~...Is It Just Me Or....~

I was out in the backyard watering this morning, as I do every morning, and checking on my little garden toad..yes, it's a real toad, the one creature on this planet that my dog actually likes!! She always beats me to the toad house and with one BIG SNIFF, and the look on her face (of course) I can tell if "Toady Fields" is home. She is getting bigger and bigger with each passing day as when I first spotted her in April, she was just a youngster. Toady has become like another pet really, and this is true with the wild birds, (which I feed everyday, to the consternation of my patient hubby). Here's my question: Is it just me, or do you feel the compulsion to feed every creature that crosses your path?? I was contemplating this as I was wondering what to feed the toad today...WHAT???? I think I may have too much time on my hands...

P.S. She wasn't home anyway!

~A Newly Made Baby Girl Quilt~Oh Sew Pink!!~

I'm pretty sure that you all know that I love Pink!! Well for this lil' sweetie I added some sage green squares with appliqued Tulips! So Sweet!

We have spent our weekend once again working around the house. We now have 4 new storm doors, a second coat of sealer on the deck, a beautiful newly mowed lawn, and full tummies!! It was a productive and fun weekend! My husband & I had such a lovely time together working and laughing and laughing. What more could a girl asking for? My hubby only gets every other weekend off now, so our time is very limited. We have learned to do the things we need to do, and make it fun while doing it!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend as well....I have been running in to my computer...looking up my favorite blogs to keep track of you...but not posting too much as I needed to get back outside and help. I will return on Monday to visit and drop you a line. Blessings & Hugs~