Welcome, Little Levi.. ;o)

Good morning all... What a lovely sunrise this morning!  The picture just doesn't do it justice.
We had a little rain yesterday, but not much.  It's really nice to see everything green for a little longer. 

My Aunt Edna and Uncle Bobby have a brand new (their first) great grandson.  His name is Levi and he was born yesterday morning.  What a little cutie he is!  My the time does fly... I carried little Levi's grandfather around when he was tiny...walking the floor with him until he would go to sleep...

Not much crafting going on this week.  Plans are being made for the July Craft Saturday at the museum.  Nothing set in stone yet, but lots of ideas. 

I'm loving this... ;o)  This is a magnetic board from Knit Picks that my friend Marianne gave to me.  I've wanted one for quite a while... just never seemed to be the right time to order it.  And it works every bit as well as I hoped it would.  Thanks, Marianne.. ;o)

Love and Intrusion

This is a poem that I wrote in 2001... I found it in some papers that had been stashed. It was submitted to Poetry.com and I only found it when I found the letters telling me that it was to be published on a compact disc and cassette tape as a deluxe three-album set. ... amazing...

Love and Intrusion
© Linda Ingram

I sit in silence, watching the activity around me
Knowing that in the heart of my loved one
Love and Intrusion sit side by side
In the depths of his heart...
Wondering when one or the other
Will Stand
And push the issue
Of my presence.

Summer, The Class and the Crepe Myrtles...

It's hot outside. As a result there is a lot of staying inside or doing the smart thing.... run to the car and jump in..drive to point B and jump out... run to the door of said point B. Thank goodness for the intermittent showers we've had.

The class at the museum is done.. ;o) It went really well and everyone had fun. The bad thing is that I was so busy I forgot to take pictures until everyone was gone! This is my friend Marianne (in white t-shirt) and Jessica helping me put everything away. Fun day..;o) Now to come up with something creative for next month... thinking along the lines of Beaded Wishes...

It's funny that since we have stopped feeding the birds..(due to an infestation of mice in the shop where the food was kept)... it seems that now the grapes actually have a chance to fruit. I think the Cardinals were eating them and feeding them to their babies before they had a chance to grow. Personally I would rather have the Cardinals...lol... but not real happy with the mice... soooo

The Crepe Myrtles are beginning to bloom and I love it. They are one of my favorite flowering bushes of all time... and the color of ours really shines against all that green in the meadow.

As we drive through town it just make for something beautiful to see in almost every block of town.

We are expecting our son and daughter in law from Michigan next week so this will be a week of cleaning...lol I can hardly wait for them to get here. And there is a possibility... perhaps...that the beautiful tiny granddaughter will get to come visit too.

Hope you have a lovely day... and week.. ;o)

It's Friday Again...

My husband and I have decided that every day is Friday... It seems that no matter what happens, if one of us asks the other "What day is it?".. the answer is invariably "Friday!".

I am finally finished with all the things necessary for the class on Tablet Weaving that I will be teaching at the Red River Historical Museum on Saturday, May 19, 2010. I talk more about that on my blog Fabric Follies Two .

The year is slipping by but I finally did get some flowers and things planted along the front of the house. I love driving up and seeing flowers instead of an empty looking house.. amazing how flowers are so welcoming.. ;o) This is the second year for the hawthorne shrubs and the first year for the artemesia. Getting impatient for everything to round out. ;o)

It's been so long since I've blogged that a whole host of things have been happening. My sweet DH has found the joys of ebay... ;o) I now have 5 (that's five...!) usable spinning wheels, 1 flax wheel that needs a little work and 1 antique wheel that I've had for a while. Amazing.. ;o) He is encouraging me to give some classes in spinning to see if we can't build up a little more interest in this area. And that's exactly what I intend to do.. as soon as the Tablet Weaving Class is finished at the Museum.

This is the Ashford Traditional. I find that I enjoy the fact that this wheel is a little taller and larger than my Kromski, it is very stable... but is a little harder to treadle.

It came with Angora goat curls.. wow.. have not only never spun them, but have never seen them before. They feel silky and I'm going to have to find out if they need to be processed into sliver before I spin them. They are VERY clean...

More on each wheel in the days to come..


Son Phil and his wife were on vacation a while back and one day I receive this call out of the blue..
"Mom.. I'll bet you never thought we'd be in a place like this.. !" They were in Earth Guild at Asheville, North Carolina.

All I can say is "Wish I was there!" They had a wonderful time and he said they were amazed at all the things they found there. (Just so you know... none of my children had ever seen a spindle, spinning wheel or raw wool until I began my fiber arts journey. ;o) Then a few weeks later, guess what arrived in the mail... !! This is merino... and I can't wait to start spinning it.

I hope you have a good weekend... We don't have anything special planned, but am looking forward to a trip to McKinney in the near future... The antique stores and downtown restaurants are calling... I hear them clearly... ;o)

Sunday... A Day of Gratitude

It's been a long time since I blogged things that I am grateful for.... so I think today is a good day for that..

• It's raining outside... a soft, easy rain that is saturating the ground. Very good for the St. Augustine sod we had laid last month. It seems that one good rain is better than all the city water in the world.


• Ice... I can't imagine what it must have been like to have lived without ice.


• The color blue... my sweet DH's favorite.


• Flour tortillas... heat with butter in a skillet, turn 'em over and sprinkle all over with cinnamon/sugar...when light brown on that side just fold it over and put it on a plate... dig in... yum...yum..


• Memorabilia... those little things given to us that are a reminder of the thoughtfulness of those we hold dear.


• Fingers... so much accomplished with them.


• Throw pillows...comfort in a small package.


• Ancestors... good, bad, indifferent.... they made us who we are.


• Music... a gift from the gods...


• Dust bunnies... a reminder that we have a home to clean.


• Mississippi Squirrel Revival by Ray Stevens... brings out the peals of laughter from young and old alike.


• Children... always a source of laughter and joy and all things new and wonderful...

This is my late brother's granddaughter, Marli.. isn't she a jewel? ;o)

And this is Jayke... my late brother's other granddaughter... such a little beauty... ;o)

And here's a thought to ponder...

Aerodynamically the bumblebee should not be able to fly... but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway. ..... Mary Kay Ash

Hope your Sunday is wonderful. ;o)

Ebay Day and More

I seem to have spent the entire day with the new laptop sitting at the kitchen table uploading things for our ebay shop... whew... Add to that a chair pulled up along side, left foot up in that chair and an ice pack on the shin and it leads to a rather long, very cool day. But I must say that I am pleased with the amount of work done.

I think I have come up with a naalbinding stitch that I just love. Not sure yet how I will actually use it since I'm not very good at turning corners, but I will definitely find a way. It looks almost woven. I think the Hansen listing would be UOO/UUOO B1. I have no idea what the name of this stitch might be.

It rained today. One of those soft, easy rains that left everything glistening like tiny diamonds flickering in the sunlight. I took some pictures of the flowers...

These are the bluebonnets that I so look forward to every year. They bloom on the shoulder of the highway just across from our house.

This is Indian Hawthorn. I planted them last year, so this is the first blooming. I love them.

Never been able to keep a geranium alive, but this one is really surprising me. I put a little fertilizer in the water when I watered it and boy..did it ever go to town. This is on the front porch. I'm thinking that if I break off a branch it will be easy to propagate. I'll give it a little longer to just grow then you can bet at least 2 or 3 branches will be sacrificed to try it. ;o)

All in all it has been a really good day...even with the leg up on a chair.

A friend of mine put something up on Facebook today that I thought was wonderful... It goes like this....

"Your life is your garden

Your thoughts are your seeds,

So if your life isn't awesome

You've been watering the weeds."

Have to say it hit home a bit.. ;o) Working on that....

Hope your day was awesome and you have a great one tomorrow...

It's Friday ... again!

My DH and I have found that as we grow older the weeks pass so quickly that it's always Friday...lol I have committed to blog every day this week...and the week is almost over and no blogging. I will try to make up for it with reminiscences of the week...

Monday was a busy day. Photographing and editing the photos of books and things for the ebay shop... Butterfield Mercantile... Had to reschedule an appointment that I missed... so much for the memory that wandered off the lane... ;o) I remember thinking how good it is that ebay is available and we can do this from home at this time in our lives

Tuesday was appointment day. I spent a lot of the day on my feet and by evening my lower leg was swollen and uncomfortable.... Did I tell you that I fell INTO the bathtub? Banged up my lower left leg a bit... black and blue but no bones broken... And for that a thankful thought went up for the day...

Wednesday... another appointment day. I have been feeling so much better with a lift in the depression after the deaths in my family. My thankful thought for that day... and I remember thinking and pondering it... Thank goodness for the new medications of the today that actually work. And for the change in attitude about seeking out help for personal problems... so much better than even 20 years ago.

Thursday... very early appointment with Dr. Truly about my leg. I knew it wasn't broken and that it was completely soft tissue damage, but it looked red and had a considerable amount of heat (fever) in it...but no cellulitis right now. Thank goodness...

I bought a laptop computer yesterday. It has been a biggy on my list of things I would like to have for quite a long time. It was a frustrating thing for me when it came time to set it up...I didn't know that the wireless router that we had put in had the wrong time and every time I tried to set up my laptop it would tell me I couldn't do that...the time on my computer was wrong.. boy... I was about ready to spit! When I got up to walk away and re-group, I thought about the fact that I even have one...sigh... Talk about a sudden dose of humility... ;o)

And then there's today... Up early, looking out the window as I post and loving the green of the trees. I think I will plant some forsythia down in the meadow this year. It needs a little burst of color here and there.

Thought for today... families may not always ( or ever) be what we think they should be, but they are ours... and we may not agree with anything they do or say, but for the most part if an open mind is kept, they have reason for what they think or believe. And who are we to say that our way is the only way....???

Today in My Life 04/04/2010

Today in my life: the sun is just beginning to bring a little reflected light over the trees in the meadow. Not that bright, warm yellow kind... the faded gray of the day begins to show a little consciousness, stretch a bit and decide whether it really wants to get up or not.

I got up this morning: stumbled into the kitchen, made coffee and emptied the dishwasher. By the time that was done, I should have been awake... not so... still propping the eyes open after 3/4 of the first cup.

I am hearing: in my head someone say "I don't believe it!"... do you suppose if " I don't believe it" is said long enough and strong enough... it really will be "not true"? The child in me would love to believe that, but the adult says... ah well.... and smiles...

I am thinking: that I should hurry up and get a picture of the redbud with all the green behind it before it all changes... ;o(

The current book: is... ta da... drum roll... a re-read of the first sci-fi book that I totally fell in love with... The Belgariad Trilogy ...

From the family: comes these lovely plants from Aunt Edna and Uncle Bobby. I want to get what she told me down in writing since my memory took a hike about a decade ago.. ;o)

The large plant is a bromeliad that is only one of several Edna has growing in her glassed in porch. Beautiful and doing so well... I'm impressed with myself...lol The small packs are airplane plants, the wandering jew is about to bloom and the small plant in with the wandering jew is an oxygen plant...all of these also from Aunt Edna's "porch
greenhouse". That leaves the one that looks like a thick, broad mother-in-law's tongue. Long story.... in 1954 when I was about 7 and staying with my grandparents we would visit my grandfather's brother who lived in Stonewall, OK. His name was Tom and his wife's name was Etta... This plant is the proginy of Aunt Etta's plant... (Everyone used the "Yankee" Eastern pronounciation of her name... she was called "Aunt Etter"... ;o)

I am so pleased to have these plants. Thank you, Edna and Bobby...

From the learning desk: I am working hard at making examples of useful things that can be done with card weaving to show my class in June. Yesterday I began this watchband. It's turning out really pretty and I'm hoping that when I put the findings on it will still be pretty... ;o)


Plans for the coming week: I think it's about time for a trip to McKinney. It's been a while and I need to check out the Michael's store for thread and yarn.

I've been working on a handbook for card weaving, but have almost decided to do a video instead. We'll see...

Thought for today: "Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life." ... S. D. Gordon

I hope you have a lovely Easter. Hug your family close and bask in the beauty of this holiday...

March 28, 2010

I could think of no title for this post. I really like the format of a journal, but I don't like the idea of using someone else's and therefore having to link back to their site. I don't know why that is... I just don't. Probably because my memory has taken a hike and sometimes I forget...leaving me feeling like I have committed the unforgivable sin... ;o) I will keep working on it and come up with something....

The Memorial Service for my brother was yesterday and went well. It was good to see everyone and learn that Curtis and Rosalie will be moving closer in a few weeks. We will even be able to visit after being apart for the last 40 years... ;o) How cool is that?

We are considering an e-store on ebay to sell books... not that we would ever have excess books...lol Stay tuned... more on that as the story breaks.. ;o)

The office floor is fixed at last... no more loose tiles. Just hope this spring is not as wet as last spring and maybe it will stay that way. DH says that if it does it again all the concrete under there will have to come out and be replaced.

Why are they allowed to have so much bone ground up in hamburger? I just want to know. Don't they ever have teeth break while eating a hamburger... ????? sigh

Today In My Life....March 24, 2010

Today in my life: March 24, 2010

I got up this morning: bleary eyed but with enthusiasm. The tile on the office floor will be fixed today. No more fear of either breaking it more than it is or of me falling on my fanny every time I step on a loose one... :o)

I am hearing: the movement of traffic out on the highway. It's funny how it's almost never noticed any other time but in the quiet of the morning.

The current book: is by Robert B. Parker .. He's a new author we are reading after seeing Tom Sellick as Jesse Stone in a couple of "made for television" movies. Love them.




Creating: Many things over the last few weeks. One of them is a small needle tatted doily. I am so enjoying this craft. Very easy to do, very easy to carry with me when I need something for my hands to do on a trip or a visit to the doctor.













As I look out: the season is finally changing and Spring is here. I am so ready for this change. The gray days are wonderful after a long, hot summer... but it sure seemed like we had more than we needed this year.. ;o)








I am thinking: that I should be grateful for all the little things in my life...and some big ones too. In a time of sorrow it's really easy to forget all the good little things... like memories...

Plans for the rest of the week: My brother's memorial will be this weekend in the town where our family has lived for at least 150 years. At least 4 generations are buried there.


From the learning desk: Have finished 15 tape looms to use with the class I will teach at Red River Historical Museum in June. The cards (8 each) are finished and tied together. The pattern is printed off. Now have to put together an instruction booklet and cut all the yarn for each packet. Still have to make about 100 rice bags to use for weights... But it's all coming together.. ;o) Looking forward to this.



Just a thought: "A home is not a mere transient shelter: it's essence lies in the personalities of the people who live in it." H.L. Mencken