Ready to use

Aaaah the chairs.... Wait a minute! That should read, Aaaah, my back!

This catalog picture is the reason for my aching muscles. It opened our eyes to the wonderful possibilities before us. Really... after seeing this, would you stick with a wood tone?

And I know you have guessed - whether you actually commented, or not - as to the color we picked.

Well, it is time for the unveiling.


Technically, the color is cinnamon brandy - but Cherith had it right... orange. I wanted you to see how beautiful the color is against all the green of the back yard.

Can't wait till they are dry enough to sit in! Thank you Shaws!

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord... Psalm 1:1,2

Our new chairs

On the Fourth of July we received two adirondack chairs. The final finish was left for us to choose, so for a couple of weeks, we deliberated... should we pick a color to match the house or some knock-your-sox-off bright color that would never be forgotten?

Finally the decision was made. The prep work was underway - a light sanding, a thorough dusting...


...and then the primer.


What color do you think we chose?

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

The menagerie

It is a balm to the soul to find evidences of visitors long after they have returned home. Often, my Band of Little Artists (BoLA) leaves creations on my work table for me to enjoy.

This is my latest discovery...


There was a sparkly little angel overseeing this menagerie, but she lost her head while I was sweeping up fuzz on the table. I did observe an appropriate moment of silence...

Thank you BoLA members! Life needs unexpected joy.

Blest is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. Psalm 89:15

Male and female

Notice the difference between boys and girls...

Say "picture time" to a little boy, and he wants to flex his muscles, conquer the world, or move!


Say "picture time" to little girls and they sit, smile and pose!


So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them... And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold it was very good... Genesis 1:27,31

Big city shopping

This week I enjoyed a change of scenery. As Rod was leaving to go on a business trip to the Chicago area, he asked me to go... dangling the promise of a Portillo's chopped salad and some big city shopping in my face. I couldn't say no.

Fortunately for our budget, I'm pretty frugal, so setting me in the midst of big city stores is more about treasure hunting than spending money. I came home with three treasures.

1. A craft book $17
2. A cookbook $5
3. The Good Book $2


The craft book is all about making fabric art journals. It is filled with how-to for altering and embellishing fabric and turning it into books. I plan to have fun with this book.

The cookbook is for crockpot cooking. I already own one book written by this by this lady (Mable Hoffman) and I love it. This one is even more complete and has a spiral binding. (Very practical for a cookbook.) Now I can have a scrumptious, healthy dinner ready to go even though I have spent the day in my workroom creating fabric books!

The Good Book is my real treasure - on sooooo many levels. We discovered an estate sale in Tinley Park. We love estate sales! While searching through stuff in the basement, I came across a Bible, still in the box. There was a card in the box...

To my dear friend Charlie: Please accept this token of my appreciation for our many years of friendship. Kindly read this book every day for it will serve you through the rest of your life. Bob DeYoung 12/1/70

I am so thankful to have this Bible. I have never owned one this nice - French Morrocco leather, 23k gold edges, India paper, self pronouncing (you know, for all those strange names in the Old Testament?).

Charlie had a good friend in Bob DeYoung. Bob's example is now ever before me because Charlie's name is stamped in gold on the front of my Bible. I thought about trying to remove it, but I decided to leave it as a reminder to share my faith the way Bob did.

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:6

Let them eat... marshmallows!

I had company on Monday and Tuesday. My favorite kind - grandkids and their parents! We shopped and ate and played and ate some more.

But the best moment was when Grampa lit his bonfire. The air filled with flames and smoke and bits of ash that made us feel like we were caught in a blazing blizzard in August. Then came the mouthwateringly yummy part...


marshmallows! Toasty or black... gooey and sticky... on our fingers and chins and noses!

Isn't summer great?

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

Picnics and purses

Yesterday was our Sunday School picnic. It's an annual event with lots of food, fresh air, and outdoor activities for all ages to enjoy. Yesterday, the activities were varied - ladder golf, croquet, and of course, the usual swinging, jumping, and climbing.


What? You thought I meant swing sets? C'mon! This is farm country!

Over a plate full of food, I was introduced to a new family that has been attending our church - mom (Martha), dad and two young kids. In the course of conversation, a few of us got on the subject of purses - handmade, homemade and brand name - and my new friend told us that she recently attended a party where the hostess gave every guest a purse.

"All the others were squealing with delight at the name on the purse, but I don't know who it is," she said. Between bites of lasagna and taco salad, we tried to guess who the maker was, decided it must be Vera Bradley, and the conversation drifted to other things.

This morning, Martha arrived at church carrying her purse. The same group of picnic-purse-lovers gathered around her to admire her ... ta-da ... April Cornell purse!

Tonight, after the evening service, Martha walked up to me, held out her purse and said, "I want you to put this on your shoulder." I thought she wanted me to feel the weight of it (she knows I make purses), so I did as she asked. It felt light as a feather.

"I want you to have it," she said. "You know about it and will enjoy it far more than I do." I couldn't believe it. She barely knows me, yet she hands me this prize possession just because it will make me happy.

I am humbled by her generosity.

Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over... Luke 6:38

Clouds from both sides

If you are allergic to sunshine, you should live in Michigan. We don't have a lot of clear sunny days. We have clouds!

In years past, the dreary skies really got to me. I wondered if I suffered from a mild case of the Seasonal Affective Disorder - Isn't that funny? The acronym is SAD! - but I have since discovered that clouds are a wonderful promise - just like the rainbow.

There are two verses in I Thessalonians that tell about the role of clouds. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout... and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

So now when I go into the backyard and see these...

or even a dreary, gray version of these, I remember the promise of heaven to come and I wonder, will it happen today?

Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thessalonians 4:18

This case is closed

Finally... the computer case is finished. The pickup date is August 7. I only made one mistake that jeers at me every time I see it... but there are so many parts of it that I love that I have decided to let it go.

The laptop sleeve slides right into the outer bag. The fit seems just right - wide enough to slide the sleeve in easily, slim enough to hold it in place.


One thing I love is the little vintage button on the front pocket flap. Between the design, color combination, and the single visible opening, it was the perfect touch for this bag.

And now? I am ready to take on a bag... purse... anything that doesn't need tweaking!

Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path... Psalm 27:11

Meeting new friends

I don't think of myself as a person who puts on airs. I'm down to earth, wysiwyg... basically, humble and very proud of it.

A few days ago, I met some friends of my daughter. They were passing by our small town and told my daughter that they wanted to have lunch with me and another good friend of mine.

It was a request slightly out of the ordinary, but hey, my friend was doing the cooking... all I had to do was show up and enjoy the food!

We met on Wednesday. The group that arrived consisted of mom and dad (50-ish) and three daughters (20-ish). They were very nice, the food was good, the visit was short (they had an appointment) and I was halfway to the outlets at that point, so I got to go shopping when it was over.

Today I talked to my daughter. She told me that the "mom" raved on and on about me.

You know how your mind leaps ahead in a conversation, determines the direction of words yet to be spoken, and finishes the sentence? You don't? Hmmmm. Well, that's what I did. Surely she was amazed at my brilliant conversation... or perhaps my charming wit... no, it had to be my warm personality. But, let's go back to reality

"Mom," said daughter, "She loved your skin!"


My skin! Are you kidding? Apparently I didn't have the expected number of wrinkles and that was what made the impression. All my brilliance, wit and charm... outweighed by my lack of wrinkles. Pride is a cruel master.

When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2