Cloudy Week..

It's been cloudy all week... I've been waiting for a sunny day to get a pic of the Redbud tree and the greening meadow... Finally sunshine and a lift in my mood..grin

We got a large box full of "dues paid" that DH had to update the data base with, so I went through and pulled off the unusual stamps. Some I recognized, but some I had never seen before. I think the colors of these could be worked into a quilt or needlework project. The blues, reds, oranges, taupe and even the brown of the cardboard box would work well together. I was even thinking of copying them and then printing them onto fabric to be used in something that might involve travel or communication...fabric postcards, ATC's, crazy quilting.

It's been a bit of an unfocused week with many things to do, so PLOS was a bit on the back burner. This was done last night with the muslin backed with an acrylic painted fabric sheet, then the buttons attached and the embroidery around them. The idea was for the thread to show a bit of raveling loose as the square around the buttons grew.. then loose completely with the idea of the buttons sliding out... Did not work that way. I think the hole in the bottom needed to be bigger with perhaps a broken button sliding down the open area... hmmm

PLOS Sampler and Fruit Trees

I started this sampler to incorporate the stitches as the weeks go by with the Personal Library of Stitches. It is actually 28 inches long. This part is approximately 16 inches and stitches are added each week. Since DH's favorite color is blue, this is done in ... you guessed it... shades of blue.

I haven't started the usual small picture using the stitches and design elements yet... It seems that every time we think the LRRP Ranger Newsletter will be a snap.. it's almost done... someone comes up with a wait a minute..we need to get this in..grin So, the rearranging of pages and columns begin. But, I will have it done by Tuesday.

The trees in the meadow continue to green up and it's beginning to look very inviting out there. Across the bridge, the nectarine tree and pear tree are both loaded with blossoms. The pear tree and apricot tree on the south side of the house are also covered. Now if we can just NOT have hail and DO have rain, there will be a good crop of them all.

Newsletters and Blossoms

It's that time again. The LRRP Ranger Newsletter is in the beginnings of being started...with a bang. I lost my master and was in a panic that I would not be able to start without coming up with the layout all over again... Thankfully I had saved the pack n go file from the last trip to the printer, so I was saved... Yesterday I got 5 of 16 pages done, so it shouldn't take too long this time.

We had a couple of showers yesterday morning, so between times when the sun broke out, I took my camera into the side meadow and back yard to get pics of the redbud, pear and another that I'm not sure of. This pic is the one I'm not sure of. It is blossoming on a smallish, shrublike plant that reminds me of a newly planted peach tree... kinda spindly. But lovely... I almost looks like one of the apricots off the our tree may have sprouted and started a new one... Wouldn't that be lovely!

Signs of Spring

The apricot tree is blooming full force this year and is beautiful...as are the pear trees, the redbud tree and finally my one tulip...

I had my camera on the wrong setting, so these are a bit blurry. As for the tulip, I'm not sure it is a tulip, but for lack of a searchable source to find out for sure, that is what I'm calling it...grin

We sat on the porch yesterday and could almost watch the leaves bursting out on the trees in the meadow. What a great time of year...

PLOS..Week 3

Well, it's been quite a couple of days. The Highway Dept. is working on the road about 1/2 mile from us and as a result, the utilities all had to moved...that means water too. So we spent yesterday and part of today using water that we had drawn up in every pot and pan around..grin. The water came back on some time during the night, but then it was off again by about 6am.

I finished the small piece I was doing for PLOS Week 3. It started as a random line drawing in my journal, then was drawn off using a chalk pencil.

Of Dish Cloths and Christening Sets...

Had a couple of great visits yesterday.... youngest son (who let me know really quickly that he is NOT...and I repeat NOT... 35 years old! grin Only 34... see this post..) and his very talented wife (see her quilts at Black Cat...click on Handmade and enjoy her wonderful quilts). She brought me one of her crocheted dish cloths that I have heard about but never seen. I love it! It is about the size of a scrubber, but is actually single crochet back loop only, then folded and edged with single crochet... so wonderfully simple. Done in an acrylic yarn, it cleans dishes, pots and pans, cabinets.. so beautifully... with no danger of scratching. I must make a pile of these.

Later in the day a dear friend from around Joplin, MO stopped for a while. We had a lovely visit sitting around the kitchen table. Just doesn't happen often enough. His daughter is having her first baby soon ( a little girl), so this Christening Set that I crocheted a while back will be sent to her with the best of wishes. Don't you just love little girls?

Acorn Top Huts..

The object of this weeks lesson in PLOS is point. Using points to guide the eye around your work. I was working in the yard with DH and since we have a 100+ year old oak tree in the side yard, the ground was covered with acorns and acorn tops. I looked down and there were several tops just sitting in a group looking for all the world like a small conglomeration of tiny huts. Wellll.... I gathered up a handful and found a tiny drill bit and began making small holes in the sides. After couching down the twigs, the acorn top "huts" were put in and the wonderful little stick men that fiberdabbler came up with. It was love at first site when I saw them. The glass beads on the "ground" , the position of the "huts" and the directional movement the little guys hopefully guide the eye around the block. I do like this one.

Round Robin Letter Update

I talked to the busy son via phone a couple of days ago... He still has the RR Letter and says that since he has begun his new job (12 hr. days) plus college courses at Midwestern University, time is not being very cooperative right now. He thinks he will drop off the list for a while until things slow down a little.

PLOS..A Little Better Now

After going through the Week 2 Lesson, I fell in love the tiny butterflies that Sharon had outlined in the stitches section. These were just what I needed to take the blah edge off my Muslin Flowers. It's still conservative, but better. I like it better now.

What's With the Rock, Mom?

I have 5 children and my DH has 2... that makes 7 children. The youngest is 35 years old, so it's been a long time since all the wonder of new experiences and childhood delight was experienced as a matter of course. The shining eyes while talking about new things found or something exciting at school... it's been a while. I miss it desperately.

A couple of years ago, DH and I took our first train trip and visited our son and daughter-in-law in Michigan. At that time he was 37. We were awed by all the work they have done on their 100+ year old home. It was a wonderful visit...

So what's up with the rock, you ask.

As he was showing me around their property and telling about the work done to clear old falling down sheds and scrub, pointing out where the flock of birds had landed and eaten all the grass from a large part of their lawn, telling me about the pool and putting up the fencing around it I could see the pride in his eyes. We walked around the deck and looked at the small flower beds that ... in the middle of winter ... had nothing green showing in them, when I heard " Hey, Mom. Look what I found ...!" My heart fluttered so hard I thought it would jump out of my chest. I barely heard the rest of the sentence. It was all I could do to keep the tears from flowing. As I turned around, he came up and handed me "The Rock".

I know he has no idea why I asked if it would be okay to take the rock with me when we had to leave. His face had a trace of bewilderment, but he said "Sure." Now "The Rock" sits on a shelf in our den... where I can see it every day.