Oh My.

Is this photo too big?
Maybe.
But I have a Big Announcement, so I wanted to get your attention.
http://calinsheilahalfwaythere.blogspot.com
Baby Girl has started her own blog!
It's about time, I say, ferheavenssake......:D

I won't keep you....Go ahead and read about BG's adventures.....

Summer Visit

Summer visits are a different breed from other seasons.  Winter visits are cozy and close.  You tend to gather, grab a quilt and settle in for a spell.  Summer visits are breezy.  You tend to come and go, inside and out, walk around, sit and perch, then up and exploring.

Baby Girl and Her Hubby stopped by on the way to their Camping Adventure with Her Hubby's Fam for the Fourth.  We were to be a Luncheon Stop, a quick 'You Gotta See How Big I'm Getting or You Won't Believe It' stop.  And like all the visits, luncheon or pregnant bellies otherwise, I cook and clean like the Queen Mother has scheduled a trip here.  Why is that?  These children have seen me and my house at it's worst.  They know my Visitors Tricks and Hospitality Preparations.  Who do I think that I'm fooling?  They know that my house does not always look company ready.  Nevertheless, I putter and adjust and put away things, excitedly anticipating my grown up time with them.  Just so you Young Mama's know, this is the piece de resistance, the thing you look forward to on the Hard Day's of mommying.  And it is glorious.  Worth all the diapers and short nights.  Worth the frustration and craziness. Visits with your Adult children.  Bliss.

And how sweet is this moment, captured quickly before Her Hubby and his quick ways, moved on to another activity? I believe I shall tear up each time I see this.  Another Goal:  Adult Children finding their soul mates; their completers; their life sharers.  Grand.

And a day pleasant enough, physically as well as meteorologically, for the Hubby to venture out, albeit with foot propped up.  For a visit with his Adult Children, he would have crawled out to the porch.  Lovely, lovely weather; true Porch Day.

Baby Girl's Hubby is a reflector, a thinker, a Busy Boy.  I had given him my copy of Mary Jane's Farms, full knowing that he would take it all in and ruminate...a long time....Here he is after perusing the whole magazine.  Do you know that his current cause is to become Cell Phoneless?  The closer to the soil he becomes, the happier he will be.  The less reliant on corporations, the more content his life.  We shall see.  Do not bring this up with His Wife.

Perhaps you cannot see her, but Stella the Ditzycat is taking full advantage of the Brilliant Day as well.  She has proclaimed the pergola as her domain and was ever so glad that Editor Friend donated her well used wicker to the Pergola Branch of the Endless Wicker Collection.  Not only do I love it but Stella has comfied in for the summer.  Good spot, Stel, ol girl.  Should we rethink her ditsy status?

Summer visits also leave room for chores during visits.  I don't think during the winter that I would excuse myself to care for laundry, but in the summer, I think nothing of making an exit to utilize the day's solar drying.  Surely, BGH would not complain.  The cerulean blues and bright grass greens will stay in my brain till way into winter......

Summer Visits.....intoxicating and refreshing.....

Adorable. Seriously.

I haven't been to visit Miss Viv lately....In person.  But oh my, this morning...!!
Haven't embraced technology this warmly for a long time.
This morning, The New Walking, New Signing, New Jabbering Miss Viv and I, virtually played, talked, sang, and admired each other abundantly.
This pretty cool piece of technology was installed an uploaded to Skype via The Renaissance Man's fun, fun visit this week.  Thank you, thank you. Again.
This morning, after Baby Girl, RM and Yours Truly, trekked to the local donut shoppe after a raging storm, I sought refuge from them leaving (sniff) by utilizing my swanky new camera and calling Eldest/Admin and chatting AND seeing each other for the first time in a bit.  Miss Vivien was napping while we caught up and adapted the camera.  At first, the setting was...er..'off' and according to the gales of laughter from EA, I sounded like Alvin of the Chipmunk Fame.  She was in stitches. And I laughed hearing AND seeing her crack up.  Priceless.

Then She Woke Up and her sweet little presence entered my library where my computer dwells.  I silently gasped at the wonder that is her.  She had so much to show her Grammy.  She has a little gathering of curls in the back of her strawberry blond hair.  She showed me the sign for mama, papa and ball.  She walked and danced and giggled at her Grammy parading a flock of little animals her Poppy had bought for her.  I showed her the shirt with the monkey and gleefully responded when she made the monkey noise.  I watched her hug her mama.  I watched her as she tried, tried to figure out Grammy's appearance without all the massive hugging that usually goes on.  How my heart yearned to gather her up and kiss her sweet little dimpled cheeks, but despite that, this Virtual Grammy Visit was golden.


 I Promise To No More Complain About Computers.  I will laugh at their irritations, as long as it brings me closer to My Little Sweetie Pie on a regular basis.
Thank you, thank you , Most Inventive of Inventions, for my little online visit today.....
Grammy needed it......

Having Yes Men(women) Around You...

Baby Girl and Her Beloved Hubby made a pit stop while they were in town yesterday for a family celebration on his side.

And this is why I love to see Baby Girl:

1. Oh, mama, the house smells so good. (really fear having a smelly house and with having a dying cat, long haired cat that is allergic to herself AND a busy puppy, one's concerns are not unwarranted)

2. Oooh, mama! I love your new haircut! Looks great! (one thing you can say about my kiddos, they can deliver a great compliment!)

3. Beloved Hubby says, 'you guys look great! How are you??!!', followed by big hug.

4. Baby Girl watches me in the kitchen where I am preparing their enchiladas, 'Mama, are you losing more weight? Your legs look so thin!' (of course, the only place I lose weight is in my legs, thanks to Miss Dixie)

5. Baby Girl says,'Look at you and your thin little waist! My, don't you look good, mama!' (by this time I'm giddy by the lush praise in so little time, without any of the usual prompts by me.....)

And this was in less than 15 minutes in the house....

Man, I miss having this girly around more often.....

Snow Day Diversions

If you were to wake up to the glare of winter light being reflected of a bank of brand new snow, what would you do?

I don't know about you, but I high tailed it to the sewing room to begin a day of productive creative,activity! No stopping to put on make up! Forget washing the hair! Whose going to come out anyway? Yay!
Nothing like a forced homeboundedness to make the most creative urges realistic.

Good time to Think Spring by creating some summer bankies for the childbirth conference booth next month...
These useful little lightweight blankies, a brainchild of Most Loving/Interesting Friend, have always been a huge hit with mommies with summer babes...Just a little cover for those night breezes or too much air conditioning...
Thank you, MLI for such a fun, useful gifting idea for new moms...!
Hmmmmmmm...Isn't' there a birthday coming up for Baby Girl?! Oh yes! And even though she has already received her gift, as promised, a mama's collection donation should reach her via snail mail close to Her Day on Saturday...
Happy, happy birthday Baby Girl!

Another belated birthday gift for Faithful Friend's baby girl; inspired by the 2G's mama; a Wristlet of the Crocheted Kind! Fun to make; the first crochet pattern I ever made on my own!
Ah yes!
Defy the stuntedness of weather imposed exile!
Get crafting!!

A New/Old Idea!

Coupons.
An old idea gone contemporary.
It all started with that Couponing Workshop in Dayton that Eldest/Admin and Lavendar Becca went to months ago.
Then they had to start proving it so cool by the scores of bargains they were making to reel me in.
Then I found myself stowing a few coupies here and there in my ample mama's collection's bag pockets.
Then it got out of control and coupons were cluttering up my life.
Some I needed for the weekly trek to good shopping in Bloomington so I didn't want to go giganto on coupon organizer/holder.
While perusing some options at Target one day, I slapped my forehead with my hand and said, "you goof! Just make one! You know you won't be happy till it is just the right material and size."
So I did.

Left over fabric from RP-New Friend's new bag.
Quilted left over when the dinosaurs walked.
A piece of random plastic found in the trunk of Hubby's car. (hope it has nothing to do with operational efficiency.)
Cutting it out to fit my size purse.

With the fabric still hot from the zoom of sewing machine, I immediately stuffed the New Coupon Holder with all my necessary values for the next northward trip.

Dress up the velcro closure with a rakish little vintage button and I am set on saving!
In more ways than one!!
Don't you need a protective holder for all your coupies??

A Christmas Story

Thirty one years ago this Christmas season, my life looked pretty overwhelming.
Two months before the holiday season, I was told by my daughter's orthopedic surgeon, that there was a very good chance that my daughter would never walk.
Mistakes made to correct severe hip dysplasia, deemed her small, under one year old bones, to atrophy in the process of 'healing'.
Not any news a new mama wants to hear.

Christmas brought a season over hanging with an impending surgery in January and expectations, with no guarantees, of perhaps, an alteration in her grim prognosis.
Anger, disappointment in the medical community, frustration with her limitations and just general crappy attitude, kept me grim and not nice to be around. Friends avoided me and my family got tired of being my cheerleader. Poor Hubby had his own issues. A handicapped daughter AND a shrew (nice word) of a wife. (Had to take it out on someone, right?)

One night, rocking my little girl while she was weighed down in her oddly angled full body cast, reaching for the ornaments, that she could not move to get, that I literally sighed out loud, 'No one understands this! It's upsetting but there is soo much worse,that I feel guilty for feeling so badly about this! I want to get on but I am so stuck! No one gets it!!'

Since I was raised Catholic and knew it was my 'duty' to place my creche in a visible place in my quasi Catholic grown up home. Knew it would please our parents, but had no personal interest in the whole religious thing. Especially now.

Then, as my Eldest daughter drifted off to sleep, my eyes cast to the neglected nativity scene. As I stared at the tiny manger, a very clear thought came to me. I knew enough catechism from all those years in Catholic school, that God had a very intended purpose for sending Christ into this world. And He, omniscient and sovereign as He is, knew exactly the course His relatively short life would follow. And it was grim. The Stations of the Cross at Easter time told me of the travails that Christ suffered in the hands of sinful men. Me being chief among them.

So God knew exactly what His Son would suffer. That there was a purpose for it all. And He loved ME enough to allow it all. God understood my 'little' pain. He knew ALL my dear, little 11 month old Rhiannon would go through with her cross. He knew what I would need to get through it all. And He promised to go through it all with me.

While my baby slept on me, I quietly wept tears of relief, joy, penitence and hope. I knew, for the first time in my life, that the birth, death and resurrection of my Savior was not just stories or good religion, but it was personal. It was for me. For you. Forever.

I embraced the love of Christ with all my heart and all that meant. Good and Bad. Because I now knew that I was not alone. That my Heavenly Father had designed just what I needed, no matter how I perceived it; His view of the tapestry of my life was much clearer than my muddled perspective.

How He sustained me through the days, months, years to follow, would fill volumes.
He allowed me in all my spiritual naivete, to view His amazing healing power. He showed me how all the irritations and pain in this life, prepares us for a greater work...

It is all good. With Him.

And this day we commemorate the incarnation, God becoming human, to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin filled lives.....For the hope of an eternity spent with Him..
How wonderful is that?

My prayer is for all that are reading this, that you would consider your eternity. There is a grand plan authored by an amazing God that not only created us for this earth, but has planned for our eternal life as well....How loving is that...

Ask Him to explain this all to you. He will.
And may you be blessed.....

Merry, blessed Christmas to you all.....
Love,
Deb.....

Time to Backtrack

The day before Thanksgiving, before setting the table, making the last minute grocery run and before the last of the progeny came home, it was time for a little Thanksgiving craft at the elementary school.
Once a week, I volunteer at one of the many first grades.
I love helping out the very proficient first grade teacher, making copies, cutting out, tearing out, stapling or whatever else I can do to help her concentrate at the task of stretching these wonderful little kiddo's minds.
I love observing, listening and chuckling quietly to myself over some comment made by the usually uninhibited seven year olds.
Even on a day that was a bit willy nilly, I made sure that I took the time to be there to help Crazy Dee make necklaces for the pretend Native Americans in Mitchell's elementary.
A hoot as usual.
Worth every minute of it....
I am thankful for little minds that soak up knowledge and share their thoughts and emotions freely. I am thankful that some of them have school as a refuge to their harried lives. I am thankful for skilled teachers that truly love their students and spend an inordinated amount of time preparing for teaching them.
Having homeschooled all of my kids for a great deal of their schooling years, it is refreshing and comforting to know that bastions of learning exist like this particular teacher's class.
Next to Lovely Wife, she is one of my favorite teachers....



And since I have your attention, can I just share more Vivien stories/photos?
My little girl is very discerning.
Her eyes and hands latched on to this painting, done by her doting mother several years ago.
The bright colors and thick texture appealed to her good design sense..
Interesting, isn't it, that she was so drawn to only one of my paintings of the many in my home, and it was one done by her mama?

And here she spent some time watching the outside, while contemplating a good stand up...
Her little face melts me like nothing else....

Onward to Christmas, sewing for gifts for my faithful customers, decorating and otherwise enjoying this festive season....

Adoptive Pretend Daughter

Just found out tonight that I will soon be the adoptive pretend mother of a young woman in Cincinnati!!!

Chris (Kris?) is a friend of Eldest Daughter and a follower of my blog...
And now she is applying for Daughter Status!

Of which I give a resounding YES! I love my Adoptive Pretend Daughters!!

Thank you Chris, for all your kind words.....
I will pray for you on your motherhood journey and be guaranteed that you will have an 'in' on needed sewing items on this pregnancy, baby things, and beyond....

Can't wait to get to know you better....

Love,
Your Pretend Adoptive Mama....

New Furnace Fun

In celebratory style, once again Hubby and I have decided to help our home celebrate it's 90th birthday with a new heat system.
According to our furnace people, our current system is celebrating it's nearly 60+ years as prime heat source in our abode.
Lots of technology has occurred since the old boiler system was installed,probably post coal furnace in the 30's or 40's. Fifteen hundred pounds of iron was hauled out noisily starting on Monday. As you can see from the photo, it was formidable. And the photo was taken after it's surround and shell was removed.
And it's place?
A petite, 95% efficient unit, performing the same responsibilities with hopefully less fuel and higher productivity. We shall see when our January bills come in, historically our highest of the season.
Once again, in keeping with our government's incentives to create a more efficient environment and to keep our economy more fluid, Our Home gets new heat.

All this new furnacing requires me to be at home whilst the technicians are here...for three plus days....
What an opportunity to get some work done!
Two new bags and Baby Girls bread bags for all her homemade bread that comes out of her mix master and local bakery!
But first.
I needed to keep the home warm for the fingers to work in the coolest, wettest week so far...
Stoke up that fireplace!


Here are two that got completed this week...
The first one is terribly cozy, kinda like a pillow, it has so much interlining in it! Quilted pockets, outer pocket, magnetic snap and flap over. Ample and full for whatever you need to haul. A goody.
Then we got a little more tailored.
A nice swirly upholstery fabric with a brocade lining.
Button accents and goodly pockets.
Shaped right with a comfy strap..
These bags get to go to school to be sold to Purse Needy teachers and their friends.

Then there is the twin bread bags made from a previous bag owned by Baby Girl summers ago.
Don't we just love it??

Time to stoke up the fire!!

A Visit with Mr. and Mrs. Young

First time in the official First Apartment of the Newlyweds...Yes, they lived for a few months in another apartment, but this one they got together. Picked it out before NYC then moved in there upon their return. The last time we saw it was while we were helping Baby Girl move in whilst her hubby was still in New York.
Looks a bit different from the hectic move in day.
A peaceful refuge in College City.
A haven.
A home.
And we arrived to Baby Girl's first homemade dinner for her parental units.
And it was delicious and prettiful. Nice placemats, huh?
Yum.

After the bountiful dinner, it was off to walk around downtown Lafayette.
Love to peruse the store fronts.
Oh look! A Landon Birthday Plate! We sing to him.
We end up at a quiet little coffee shop for the best chai ever and a huge, for four, piece of chocolate cake. Yum.

True to their promises, breakfast was served as soon as we woke up at the crack of ten AM.
Landon sang a sweet little wake up song then proceeded to make one of the best breakfasts that I have ever eaten. Truly.
In the tiniest kitchen ever.
The toaster was on the end table. The mix master was in the living room. And his helper had to dance around to work around his busyness..
First apartments; memorable and usually challenging...And fun....


Another first visit with our adult children in their own digs with their better halves and their own distinctive tastes.
Seeing them come into their own and become the people that we only dreamed they would become.
What a wonder and what a blessing...
Precious times; lovely memories..
Thank you God......

Sunny Bag!

Another Birdie Sling from Amy Butler.....!
(I should be able to do these in my sleep soon!)

It's really impossible to be in a bad mood sewing on this fabric!

It's really possible that I could use an inordinate amount of exclamation points just talking about this bag whose owner is Baby Girl! Should it be named Baby Girl's Sunshiny Bag?!

Sewing on this grand material made me even pull out The Rick Rack! It just needed a little complementary blue to really offset it's yellow yumminess.....!

It has been delivered to Baby Girl and pronounced 'Fab- u - Lussssssss'.......

Two Peas in Different Pods

My daughters are nine years apart.
Oldest daughter was a bit mothery to Youngest.
She carried her around when she was a baby like she was her own personal doll.
She dressed her up and did her hair.
Youngest adored and looked up to Oldest and Oldest knew that Youngest would always be her baby....

Then they grew up.

So many similarities; so many differences. Interests are the same; different approaches. Values the same; different interpretations. Similiar tastes; different expressions.
In short, they are a blast.
They are so funny.
I love hearing their takes on situations.
Both intense and purposeful and passionate.
And smart.
Man, are they smart.
I have been overwhelmed at the skill that they have directed my new business. Again, effective and productive; different approaches.

I always knew that the three of us would do well together in a business, given our combined talents and gifts and I suppose the time is now to see it start to unfold.

And maybe in more than one way.

Today, I received a text from Youngest, bearing a photo of her newest acquisition: a sewing machine!
No sooner did I close the text, than Oldest called. Our conversation went on for awhile before Oldest says, 'You know what I need, mom; a sewing machine!'
I let her go on for awhile, telling me all the reasons that she needs one; little girls clothes, toys and accessories.
Then I asked her, 'did you just receive a text from Youngest?'
She stated that no, she had not.
Then I tell her of her recent purchase.

There was the usual round of 'No way!! She did not! Really?? Too funny!!!'

My girls.
Bookends on my children line up. The sweet and the savory. The icing on the cake. The balance of it all.
Love them to pieces.......

And More Purses!

Baby Girl daughter did part of her part in the Mom's business, by photographing some more of my purses today.

Early tomorrow morning, we return her to Lafayette, so that she can set up her new apartment with her hubby. He returns next week from Brooklyn and she is hoping to have their home set up by the time he returns....

In the meantime, we are having fun, going through her old vanity drawers, finding memories of junior high and high school, finding treasures that can be recycled via Mom's Business and other things that have been 'lost' for some time, like her social security card, managed to come to light.

As I finished another bag today, she began the photographic inventory of some of my creations....And here they are....

Academia

I am currently in Grammy heaven otherwise known as Mason Ohio.

Heaven, not because of King's Island or that it is a mighty nice community. The heaven part comes from the fact that Mason Ohio is the home of my extremely important, special and idolized granddaughter, Vivien.

It appears that at least once every six weeks, I have found reasons for visiting. I manage to wangle an invite. Perhaps it is my pleading, whiny tone. Maybe it's the incessant questions about Vivie's size or updates that make my daughter feel sorry for me. Whatever it is, it's been working and I am here again.

Last night, as I lay in bed in the guest room, going over the events of the day and contemplating the wonder that is a grandchild, I noticed my son in law and daughter's college diploma hanging on the wall.

I home schooled my daughter for eleven years. I didn't say I was good at it, but I did the best I could, determined to keep her from the traveling special ed classes that our school district offered. Due to a myriad of health issues, Vivien's Mama struggled with learning. She was an amazingly brilliant little girl who struggled with the timelines of learning. Homeschool circumvented so much of the technicalities of schooling, but much was missed in the whole scheme of things. (Much was accomplished, to be noted, but much was also missed.)

Imagine my joy of her adult decision to pursue her education after high school! She was able to accomplish piece meal, allowing for moves and alterations to her and her husband's locations. A year ago, she accomplished her degree. Her father and I were so proud of all her hard work and her great grades. She truly is my hero.

And then I remembered her husband's college journey. I remember a visit during the first semester of his first year. I opened his math book, perhaps calculus, only to see squiggly lines and mysterious codes. The first page, I could not understand. This man, who had fun in college and still managed to do well, was my daughter's best tutor during her time in college. It is with profound gratefulness that I viewed his help with our daughter's schooling.

So know I look at those diplomas and all they represent. I am staying with these young adults in their lovely home with their adorable daughter. They are doing well for themselves and they alone have made it happen. Hard work and determination, the stuff that success is made of.

No wonder I fell asleep last night with a smile on my lips and a little bit of tears in my eyes.

Sigh.......Here's to my wonderful daughter and her equally wonderful husband.