We are blessed

This is a photo that was taken (not by me) last night in our county. The tornado was about 2-3 miles from my sister Debbie. Houses and farms were hit, thankfully no lives were taken. What a bad way for Bedford, Indiana to make CNN. I am thankful for all my out-of-town and out-of-state friends who called, texted or wrote me checking on us all. Love my friends.

I am blessed. ~Angela

So sad

and just plain sick to my stomach. I left my camera in the hotel room Friday morning. I went Friday evening to download pics and it was not in my purse. This camera was gifted to me 5 years ago with a HUGE memory stick. It held hundreds of my precious memorys. I have called the hotel, begging them to say they had it. I have offered a reward, even for just the memory stick, no questions asked (although I really want that particular camera back). Miserable. I realize I was careless. BUT I also know it was left in that room. No funds to replace it. I had just taken some memory making photos and had not been able to print or download them. Oh I am crying as I type this. Sorry folks, just me "keeping it real". Carelessness stinks.

I am blessed (reminding myself here). ~Angela

I'll be back soon

I have been making memories with my family and friends. Our Farmer's Market is also starting back up this Saturday. So much happening! Will play catch up soon.

I am so blessed. ~Angela

The start of my homestead :o)

But first you have to see this cutie patootie. Precious baby, Cooper Stone. Isn't that the coolest name? His mommy Ashley, has a lovely family in the mountains of Utah. I just had to share a baby hat with her. I do not get to make many boy items. Was hard not to add a flower! She shares more pics of him on her blog.

 Now onto my "homestead". A worm farm for composting and my veggies and flowers. :o)

I used a large plastic tote with a lid. Made a few holes around the top of the base for air holes using a nail and hammer. Mark has hid the drill or something. He wasn't here to ask about it. I created a mixture of shredded paper (thank you Penny), grass clippings, garden dirt and compost. All this was moistened well. I will check it tomorrow to see if it is damp enough. I was cautious about over watering it today. Boiled egg shells were added also. AND some of Penny's yummy bunny poo. That stuff is pure nectar for plants. I bought red wiggler worms. You are not supposed to use earth worms or night crawlers. For whatever reason. Then I popped the wormies into their new home and said "go forth and populate". :o) Supposedly the egg shells and the bunny poo make the wormies frisky and they reproduce more and faster. Interesting TMI huh? The more wormies, the more compost. So this is my first adventure into having a "homestead". Will keep you posted...on if I kill them or if I conquer being a Worm Farmer! yeeehaaaaaaw

I am blessed. ~Angela

Birdies and a new family member

 This sweet lil pincushion I stitched with #8 red variegated pearl cotton, on mottled blue woolfelt.

Meet Charlotte Rose. Our newest family member :o) I always feel like when I make a batch of any kind of starter, I have taken on a dependent! All the feedings and changingstirring. She is a lovely batch of sourdough starter. I have had a craving for breads. I do love me some carbs you know. I had a batch going for several months, 2 years ago. BUT let it "pass away". I was on bunches of antibiotics at the time and got the worst of worst yeast infections in LOTS of places besides THAT place. Not a good combo. Took me two forevers to get all straightened up. Kinda did me in for a bit on sourdough. Well, I have taken my last infusion hopefully for a very long time 2 weeks ago, so we should be good to go.

After I come home from our annual quilting retreat, I plan on making a batch of Amish Friendship Bread starter also. Like I said, we do love our carbs! Speaking of retreats....woooohooooo it is coming soon, May 11th-15th. Cannot wait to see my friends! Such a great group of ladies from all over the US. We have a splendid time. Lots of sewing, laughing and catching up.

I am blessed. ~Angela

My favorite two little girls

 My sweet nieces, Jaidyn (3) and Shayla (7).

 Shayla lovin' on Timmy. Check out her crazy bangs! She gave herself a trim job on the school bus. Said they were in her eyes. Silly kid.

 This is what an indoor eggie hunt looks like. More rain! And again today also :o( Blechityblechblech! We hid, if you can call it that, their goodies through the living room, the hall and the computer room. They had fun. But outdoors is so much nicer!

 We were watching The Wizard of Oz before and after. Good backrgound music for romping through my dinky little house!

I thought it was funny that the digital photo frame was on a pic of Toby, right beside a photo of him, when I snapped this. I didn't notice til I was downloading the pics.

Hope your day was good.

I am blessed. ~Angela

A bit of decorating around my house

 The candy basket is ready for the family tomorrow. Peggy gave me the chickie years ago (it is a pincushion) and Lizzie sent me the precious card. Both girls made these goodies. So talented!

 My girls are guarding the eggies. Shhhhh don't tell them they are wooden. The chick figurine is a giftie from Penny. It represent her, me and Debbie.

 One of my punchneedle designs. I love this old crocheted pansy doily. The crockery bowl holds ceramic cookie stamps.

Toby wishes you a Blessed Easter!

We will be having our family party tomorrow. It is a combo for Easter AND Debbie Jo's birthday which was Monday. The menu is awesome if I do say so! Turkey breast, cheesie potatoes, rolls, cottage cheese, carrots, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, baked beans and broccoli. Apple salad and pumpkin pies with whipped topping for desert. I am really looking forward to our family time. 

I am so blessed.~Angela

Jesus Appearing To Doubting Thomas in John 20:24-29.

(24) Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. (25) So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (26) Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”(27) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”(28) Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”(29) Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Shows and sheepies

 Are these the cutest things ever? A vendor at the fiber show had 2 bottle fed lambies with her. They were adorable in their matching nappies (diapers). Cry babies too. If they were not in the mood to be fawned over and petted, they let you know very loudly. But gosh, you just had to touch them!!!

I am still trying to recover from the long weekend. It was a WET and cold show. Very wet. Very cold. And packing up was a muddy treat! Did I mention wet and cold? If we decide to do this next year, we will be better prepared. A second set of warmer clothes including leggings, winter jacket and fingerless gloves. We were indoor, but the building was unheated and the doors were left open to make it look more inviting.

The storms have continued this week. I have spent my nighttime sleeping hours manning the outdoor sump pump to keep my playhouse and our backyard from floating away. The playhouse (which is my studio) did get some water along the outer wall, but nothing major or near the problems I have had in the past. Thankfully our electric stayed on. That was my prayers answered. Cause if it had gone off, everything would have been bad. Very bad. Penny's girls had a tree come down on their run. :o(( The sun is shining now and you can hear chainsaws all over town working on the wind damage. I have not heard of any injuries or deaths, so we are a blessed community.

I will post some pics of our booth next time. Everyone stay safe.

I am so blessed.~Angela

Thursday crazies

 Here is a pic of my room. Everything is stacked and ready to be packed into our vehicle. Penny and I will be vendoring this weekend at the Fiber Event at Greencastle, Indiana. It is the largest fiber show in the state. Debbie is riding shotgun. So it will be a great sister weekend.

 Here are four of my lil' mousie pincushions. I wanted to get more made, but glad for these being done! They turned out cute. A tad fiddly, but fun. The mousie is wool, the tomato is lightly stained cotton polkydots. I know some of you love you some red polkydots. The tails are black wire.

 And since I haven't posted pics of my boys lately. Here is Timmy sleeping (but mommy disturbed him) with his puppy. So cute. He loves it.

And this is our good boy. Toby is such the best doggie. Except when we eat pizza. He goes nuts! He recognizes the word even. Whimpers and acts out a sight, even barks! And Toby does NOT bark. Ever. Unless he reallllllllly has to go make a potty and we need to go quickquick (as Jaidy says). So yes, we have decided his freakishly long legs comes from a long lost relative who was an Italian greyhound. :o)

No pic for this, but praise the Lord the roofing is over. Our house and detached garage both had to be replaced due to hail and wind damage. They are cleaning up outside even as I type. So yayaya for that. And a thank God for Farm Bureau Insurance. They came through for us!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I hope to take some good photos to share with you next week from the show. ~Angela

Relay For Life

Cancer is a very real thing in our family. My mom, daddy and myself are all survivors. Daddy and I are still dealing with it. In June, our local Relay For Life event will occur. This is the first time I have participated and sought donations. Shame on me. But this year, I am getting it in gear! I honestly do not know how much I will be able to walk, however, I can do my part with YOUR help. I have joined a great team. These people are dedicated!! To the max. And I can be there for support and encouragement.

You can go HERE to make a donation in my name. I have set a goal of $250. Any amount helps. No matter how small. It all adds up. Thank you so much for considering this. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me. If your own community is hosting a similar event, I encourage you to "get it in gear" also. :o) It is going to take all of us to beat this thing.
EDIT: I was asked about accepting PayPal. You can go here to make a donation through PayPal.

 

Have a sweet day. ~Angela

So busy here

Busy time. Working towards our 2 day show next weekend. Today Penny and Heather came over. We did this last Friday also. Heather helps Penny wind her yarn and today helped me also. She shaved some of my felted bags. It really helped us both. Penny and I were both working also. I took time to work on a lil Easter craft for Heather and made extras so I could send gifties out to a few of my "peeps". So..no pics to ruin the surprises.

This was the first week in forever I only had to go to the doctor once. I had a phone consultt, but that was in my jammies so totally did not count. I need more weeks like this. 

We are getting a new roof on our house and garage as the hail and wind have about ruined us. Getting the insurance all settled and the funds in our hot little hands was a bit of an ordeal. But that part is done. Hoping the weather will hold for the contractors to come next Tuesday. And no major horrible storms to blows through in the meanwhile! 

Tomorrow we are having a family party to celebrate our parents 58th anniversary and my daddy getting a good doctor's report this week. Yes, his surgery was for cancer, but the doctor said he got it all! Now just will need very frequent checks, but no treatments!! So praising the Lord. So grateful! Thank you to all those who said they would pray. 

Have a great weekend everyone! ~Angela

And the winner is...

Briarose #8. I used the generator at Random to pick the winner. Claire, I have your address already, so will be getting your pincushion out to you in the coming week. Thank you everyone that played along. Enjoy Claire!

We are having a bit of a wind storm here today. But gorgeous poofy clouds and blue skies. I had Toby put some rocks in his pockets before we went for his walk. I just threw my birdy nest treats out. I save my snippets of wool and cotton, no acrylics, in a baggie. When it gets full, I take Toby for a walk and I toss the yarn willynilly in the alleys on bushes. Today all I did was let it go and it was gone!! I love the idea of a birdy making a colorful nest from my scraps. Last year I saw a couple nests with bits hanging from them. Too high up to take a good pic of though. But they were there. Made me smile :o)

Wanna win a prize?

No hoops to jump through. No games to play. Just comment on this post and your name will go into the drawiing for one of my wool stuffed, hexie pincushions. Just a lil' somethingsomething to usher April in. So far, January, February and March haven't won any prizes in our family. We are placing all our eggies in April's basket! :o) But then again, she won't have to work too hard to be better than the first 3 months.Anyways...sorry to digress. I will draw a name sometime Sunday.

We are getting set to be in the throes of work on our house. How IS it everything falls apart at once?  New roofs on house and garage, concrete porch removed and then replaced, driveway sealed, front door replaced (Crazy people before us put the inner door and the storm door on opposite each other. I about fall out each and every time I go outside cause we also need a stepdown added. Course these are also the people who hung drywall backwards with the cardboard part showing. AND then hung wallpaper. Without sizing it. Can you say about never got the wallpaper off??) All needful things. Not being all froo-froo and spending what we do not have. We had hail and wind damage to our roofs which insurance is taking care of and the bit left over is hopefully going to cover the other projects. I don't know WHAT me and poor Toby are going to do with all the pounding going on with the roof. Timmy will be fine. I don't think anything bothers him too much. Except Jaidy! hahaha She is growing out of her tail pulling stage through. Poor Timmy, she just loves him to death! But the brain tumor momma and the nervous nellie pooch, well we are in for it I  fear. I have honestly been thinking of going to the vet and seeing what they can give the both of us! Course I will sayyyyyy it is for Toby....hopefully he loves his mommy enough to share...

Something besides crochet...honestly...

I had more pics to add, but they kept turning sideways. Do not know what is up with that. Annoying though. Oh well, this will give you an idea of what I have been doing.

These lil' pincushion tuffets took a bit of time, but I am pleased with how they came out. Hand pieced hexies on a wool base. Each one has been stuffed with wool roving. Do you see the rabbit buttons?  Me likey. The heart buttons are wooden. The crochet looking ones are my All. Time. Favorite. Button. Ever. Ever. A friend sent me several from her WalMart in a trade for one of these cushies and a different one. Thank you again Phyliss if you are reading this!!

The birdhouses are 6" tall.

The egg is 4 1/2" long. I needle felted over a styrofoam shape. Yes. I cheated. :o)/

Jelly jars filled with old buttons. Pincushion with yoyo flower and wool leaves on top.

I needle felted pincushions inside the small wooden boxes. They are about 3" long I think. Painted a needle and thread on the front.

Wooden spools with sheepies. A gourd with a sheepie It has a checkboard around the back. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Baby sweetness

Is this tooooo sweet or WHAT? I mean seriously, look at this precious, innocent face. She is one of my customer's grandsugar, in one of my hats. I have complete grandsugar envy by the way...

Things have been pretty hectic around here with family health issues, various appointments and your basic Life issues. Penny and I are working towards 2 fiber shows in April also. Being sick for 8 weeks with pneumonia did not fit into my plan. But then, no one asked me. So trying to play catch up on my crafting. I need to take some new pics. Yes people, I have been doing something besides crocheting. :o) Finished up some tiny painted pieces and working on pincushions.

Loving my spring flowers that are blooming. Stupid squirrels ate more of my bulbs this winter. Only one set of tulips came back, out of 3! Will be replanting in the fall. Thankfully they didn't take my purple hyacinths though. I would have been very sad. Stupid squirrels!

Hope your flowers are blooming and the birdies are waking you up with their chirpy songs of spring. The best alarm clock ever!