AVVA Cookbook

When the VVA meets for their meetings, the AVVA meets with them (or separately if we have something we need to discuss). Last night the AVVA requested approval from the VVA Board of Directors to go forward with a plan for a VVA Cookbook to sell as a fundraiser. We got the go-ahead. So now we will be gathering recipes from the VVA members and perhaps some others for a 200 page cookbook. Guess who will format it for the printers??? grin

If you have any favorite recipes, we would love to have them...

Memorial Day

This is my father (WWII) and grandfather(WWI). And then there are the uncles(WWII, Korea) , a brother and my DH (Vietnam). Today there are a son and 2 grandsons (Iraq). It seems that every generation has been effectively immersed in the sorrows of war.

I know Memorial Day is observed in memory of our young men who have died in service to this country. And the sadness of all that vigor and life that is gone is sometimes overwhelming. But never forget that the memories of the ones who survived and came home are often debilitating... remembering those they lost.. their buddies, their sons, even others that they didn't even know but had to watch die.

This Memorial Day please take a moment to remember these young men also...

Don't Bet On It!

Did you ever have one of those projects that you look at and say.. "We can do that... it won't take long!".. Well.. Don't bet on it! grin Last fall we agreed to make new membership cards for DH's LRRP/Ranger organization to be send with an opt in letter for a roster and a membership dues form.. There's only about 500 to do.. That won't take long... HA! Add to that .. your's truly messed up about 50 of them, so new address labels and return address labels have to be printed, placed on the envelopes and be re-stuffed.. is that called incompetence??? (of course not!) grin Anyway, it has been a lot of work, but well worth the effort. It has surely put my crafting on hold.. but that is ok..

Gail Wilson Designs

Gail Wilson offers patterns and kits for Early American, Primitive and Historical cloth dolls. This includes the patterns for clothes, with many individual patterns for things like Grandma's bonnet, Amish dolls and clothes, pinafores, etc. There are also things like an old wooden ironing board with a flat iron, furniture, sewing dress forms... take a look. When the page comes up, click on the pictures to the right side of the page and it will take you to a color photo of the finished doll, clothes and furniture... very nice!

Up and at 'em...ughh

The kids are gone and a couple of days have passed... I always sit back and think.. "but we didn't have time to sit with a cup of tea or coffee and visit"... "why didn't I ask about this or that" ... Not enough time.. So it's back to the drawing board with all the responsibilities here...

Hence the clipart...grin

We have been gently reminded of the membership cards we are preparing for the LRRP/Ranger organization (and rightfully so!). So yesterday was spent finishing up the blank card with the logo, etc.. Today will be spent typing in the 400+ names, printing them off, and individually laminating them... another "Hence the clipart"...grin (Don't ya just love Garfield..!)

Then tonight we will be with the VVA placing flags at one of the local parks... parade this weekend..

At some point, I really will get back to work on my fabric postcard... really...

Goodbyes..

Well, the kids left this afternoon. The visits are just never long enough, but as they said "Too much family and not enough time!" ... grin

Graduation's Over.. Phil is here!

We made it home from the graduation, tired but happy. Yesterday another really good thing... son and daughter in law arrived from Michigan. After the initial hugs and hellos, the "tour" around the house etc...the visiting began..grin They will be here for a couple of days and believe me... we will make the most of it since it is a looonnnnggg way to Michigan..grin

Graduation!

Remember the first time you held your first grandchild in your arms? Or the toddler saying quite indignantly " That's NOT Mylanta... That's my mama's Lanta!"? Time passes so quickly and suddenly here we are ... he's 6'4" and we are looking at Graduation Day.

There won't be any posts for the next couple of days since Graduation is out of town...

Birthday Roses...

Yesterday was my 58th birthday. What a surprise when I answered the door and these lovelies were placed in my hands! I have the most wonderful DH in the world and it just seems to get better with each year that passes....

On turning 58... I sure wish I were one of those people who can come up with "words of wisdom" at the drop of a hat...grin No way for me.. I wish I could say that "Oh, boy... I'm so glad life is a piece of cake now that I'm not only an adult, but a real bona fide senior citizen." But the truth is that nothing in life changes that much... just the way you look at it. Perhaps mellowing makes a difference. I'm just glad that today I am sharing it with a truly exception husband.

I Hate Worms!

Friday evening around 5pm something hit our computers and I have to tell you... it has been an experience. Of course we didn't realize that was what it was until Saturday morning. We thought the provider was down. When we booted up on Saturday morning, what a sight.. We called our favorite pc repair guy...who of course does not work on the weekend. What luck that Mother's Day not only brings calls, visits, and cards (from Jacque Lawson...even!) from the greatest kids around, but two sons spent much of today helping and finally we got our computers up and working properly again.. Whew!

FPC UFO Revisited

I picked this up again a few days ago to see if I could come up with some idea to finish it. To this point, I have added beads to the centers of the flowers and considered adding a handle onto the basket... but so far this little thing is just not telling me what it wants!! Any ideas anyone has would be welcome.. so don't hesitate to suggest something!

Round Robin Letter Update

Just talked to Phil in Michigan. He said he received the letter and will have it on it's way in a couple of days or so.

Teapot Gift

My friend Debbie had a birthday Saturday... She gave me this teapot on her birthday. I was fascinated with it. The high lift of the handle with the face and feet on the dragon figure.. Wow. The two faces on the spout with one of them upside down..grin I found it a whimsical, wonderful teapot.

Look What I Found!

First, let me say that our 1st Annual Spring Cleaning Sale has been a great success. Much time, stress and hard work went into it by several people and the Chapter is approximately $800.00 better off to this point. The sale won't end until 3pm this afternoon, so maybe we will hit the $1000.00 mark we were working toward. Yayyyy!!

Now to the important part (grin).... in 1964 my sophomore home economics class sold these cookbooks to make money for some project or other.. I can't remember now. My mom bought the Salads cookbook on the left in the photo. She gave it me about 4 or 5 years ago and as you can see, it has been used a lot in the past 40 years or so. I was so surprised to find the Casseroles cookbook that I grabbed it up as soon as I saw it. What a find.

Beaded Wish Finished

The Beaded Wish was finished this morning. About half way through the machine satin stitching around the edges, I realized that my machine had developed a lisp... gasp! So.... it will just have to do on this one since removing it would destroy the fabric.

I have been thinking again... Don't you think quilt block with loving wishes as the center would made a great wall hanging..??

Round Robin Letter Update

I just had an email from Aunt Betty. She said the RRL had left her already and was on it's way to Michigan. That means it has left here, been to 2 places in OK and then back to Texas and is on it's way... This has been one of the most rewarding things I have been a part of in a long time. It is a little disconcerting to find out that so many things have happened in so many lives dear to you that you knew nothing about! But better late than never...grin

Time is Getting Away!

Time is getting away from me...but to that in a minute..
I really like the way this piece of clipart looks like a quilt block.. don't you think? The textures and the way everything is fitted together is very interesting..grin (I know.. I'm sick! add a few beads and a bit of embroidery and everything looks like a quilt..grin)
Anyway, the LRRP newsletter needs to be done and we don't have all we need yet. Jerry and I are talking about moving to Oklahoma to help a bit with our taxes. The VVA Spring Clean Up Sale is this weekend and we (of course) are running into a few obstacles. Our son is planning to visit from Michigan the beginning of next month. Three of the LRRP members are planning to come early for the reunion to stay for a couple of days to visit before the reunion itself begins on the last weekend of June. We are (by the way) hosting this reunion in Dallas. And I still can't vacuum....ughhh
Maybe I need a nice cup of cammomile tea...hmmmm

Cast Iron Pots and Wash Boards

I was looking through my documents this morning and came across this email that I had saved probably a year ago. I saved it because it reminded me so much of my grandmother, Annie Belle. This is her picture taken at the old homeplace around 1990 or so.. would have to ask Aunt Betty.. she was there when these pics were made. Anyway... as I read this email I was taken back in time to days spent behind this house with the old iron pot, wash board and piles of clothes. Of course, I didn't get to help much. I usually helped with the wash cloths and pillowcases, maybe the shirts. But the one thing that always amazed me was how she could grab those big, heavy quilts and wring them out until they didn't have a drop of water dripping out of them. Amazing woman. Miss her. Here's the email:

"Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

WASHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,1 pile colored,1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence. Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs.Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings."