Solar Eclipse...

The weatherman said it could be either rainy or too cloudy to view the solar eclipse, but at 7:40pm some friends gathered in my driveway. They came prepared with sun glasses and a camera. I had a small telescope and a piece of paper taped to some cardboard. I was scared to look at it. I said I was too old to go blind. Ha!

This is how it looked in the beginning when I was using the telescope and paper. It made it look upside down.

This is about 3/4 of the way

and unfortunately the weatherman's prediction came true. It dropped behind the clouds and we weren't able to see the full eclipse, but we felt fortunate to be able to see it at all. It was beautiful and

left the sky a magnificent shade of blue.
Have a great week!!!

Death of a White Buffalo...

Last year on May 12th, 2011, Lightning Medicine Cloud was born in Greenville, Texas. It was cause for celebration. Lightning Medicine Cloud was a sacred white buffalo.

 According to the Internet white buffalo are extremely rare; the National Bison Association has estimated that they only occur in approximately one out of every 10 million births.

 Experts estimate that there are less than 50 white buffaloes in existence.

While people were gearing up for Lightning Medicine Cloud's first birthday evil was lurking in the shadows. Someone singled-out Lightning and his mother and killed them both and skinned Lightening. The reward is up to $45,000.

I'll never understand why someone would want to do this.
Have a good week!!!

 

A Zebra In The Mix...

It's been forever since my last post. Things seem to keep edging out my blog time. Things like work, funerals, trips, lack of Internet... imagine that, but today I saw something so remarkable I just had to blog about it.
I had to go out of town for work and as I was driving along a county road I saw a white mule standing out in the pasture with, of all things, a zebra. I made a u-turn to check it out. Sure enough there was a zebra standing with a mule and over in one corner of the pasture under some shade trees were several longhorn cattle. Now I live in rural Texas, so the mule and longhorns are no big deal, but a zebra, that made me do a double-take. The only camera I had with me was my I-phone, so the pictures I took are not very good. In fact, the picture of the zebra is awful, but it's all I have so am posting it anyway.

The horns on these bulls are almost as impressive as the zebra.

Have a great rest of the week!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Here is what I saw on the porch when I looked out the window of the front door. I tried to take a picture through the glass, but with the glare it was impossible. All I got was a picture of my door. It was so comical I had to share. Excuse the artwork, but you get the idea. The cat was about 2 feet from the skunk. This was my angle and obviously I couldn't open the door.

Have a great tomorrow!!!

Ouch...

The week before Christmas I was taking a crock pot out of my pick-up and broke the lid. At the time I thought the broken pieces fell into the pot, but today as I brushed my hand across the seat I discovered I was wrong.
It wasn't much worse than a large paper cut, but before I could see what happened I had blood on the seat, on my pants, and running down my hand. I went inside, washed it, checked for glass and reached for a band-aid. Being the grandmother of five grandkids all I had was-Winnie The Pooh. Ha!



Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful week!!!

Natural Born Artist...

Today I was sitting in my husband's office talking to him while he was on his computer. I looked over at some pictures we had leaned up against the wall and saw this one. My youngest daughter drew this when she was five years old. I thought it was so good and cute that I took it and had it laminated. I have kept up with it for 20 years. For all it's 5 year-old imperfections it has so many perfections.

Look at the table legs and how the cat and fish bowl must be sitting on the side of the table and the sun peeking in front of the curtain. It makes me chuckle out loud, but then look at the cat's face, and the fish bowl. There are actually little objects inside the bowl and how about the bookcase with what I guess to be a plant sitting on top of it. I remember thinking what a wonderful picture for a five-year old to have done. So, naturally, I had to laminate it for posterity. I think I am going to frame it for my sewing room. You know the catch-all room that needs to be deep cleaned before I can sew in it. Yea that one.

She can thank me for her crooked bangs.

Well she didn't turn out to be an artist, but she does have a very good job, has started to graduate school, bought herself a new car this week and this mama is very proud of her. I just wish I had her and the five-year-old too, but time flies on.

Have a great week end!!!

Mother Goose...

I found this treasure at a yard sale for $2.00. When I looked it up on Amazon turns out it really is a treasure. Copyright 1913. This edition published in 1985 by Chancellor Press in London. (The used ones started at $38.00).

There are 12 beautiful color illustrations

and many, many drawings like these. This is a favorite of mine. How many of us have wiggled our baby's toes while reciting "this little piggy"?

As kids we used a variation of this one while stirring the doodle bug hole with a tiny stick.

"Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home:

Your house is on fire and your children will burn."

Sure enough that little doodle bug would come wiggling out.

Some of the illustrations are a little scary, but most are adorable like this one,

but then on the end page of the book comes the sad part of my story...

How could anyone part with this. It's a family heirloom.

I know there was a divorce, so that explains it, but every time I read this inscription I want to anonymously mail it back to the grandmother. I can just feel the love that was sent with this gift.

Crazy Quilt Purse...

My youngest daughter asked me one day if I would make her a purse that looked like a crazy quilt. I was working on a crazy quilt at the time and told her I would try. She wanted it to be an over-the-shoulder bag with a flap. Here is the end result.

 It was a lot of  fun choosing just the right embellishments to fit her personality.

Her name begins with a D

and they say every crazy quilt needs a spider for luck

and of course, a fan and some grapes.

My personal favorite-two little bees buzzing around

near a nest of blue eggs.

A row of birdhouses perched on a fence.

I lined it with a soft, blue cotton calico. Her birthday is in October, so I gave her a little row of jack-o-lanterns in the bottom corner.

 I am thinking of starting another one soon. I think I'll make the next one smaller and come up with a different style. I'm thinking no flap.

Have a great Thursday!!!

A Simple Saturday...

Today turned out to be nice and relaxing. Hubby took me to Abilene to the Historic Paramount Theatre. It was built in 1930 and was restored in 1986 and is a nostalgic glimpse into the past.

I love this old theatre. There are clouds projected on the ceiling with twinkling stars. A man with a suit on comes out and introduces the movie (just like in the old days). Then the red velvet curtain is opened and it's showtime. There is an intermission halfway through the movie with concessions available in the basement. We like to sit in the balcony (middle of the front row). It makes seeing these old movies a real treat.

A Happy Fuzzy...

 

Have a great weekend!!!

Easy Five Minute Candy...

This candy is so quick and easy to make you will want to keep the ingredients on hand for emergencies. An emergency might be:

1. I need a chocolate fix.
2. I need to take something somewhere with absolutely no time to go to the store.
3. I need to take something somewhere and absolutely don't want to go to the store.
4. Unexpected company is on the way.

Other reasons:

1. It looks so good people will think I bought it at a candy store, so why would I want to go to the store.
2. It looks so good people will think if I made it I must have slaved all day, so why would I want to slave all day.
3. It's really good.

Ingredients:

1. Bag of Rolos candy
2. Bag of Pretzels
3. Pecan halves or pieces

Turn oven on. Lay Rolo's in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper.

Set cookie sheet in warm oven for a few seconds.

 Take cookie sheet from oven when Rolos are soft and glossy. Lay a pretzel on top of Rolo and press down.

 Press pecan half or pieces into the top (I didn't have any). Place cookie sheet in refrigerator until candy is hard.

 Place on plate to take to event or leave in fridge and eat one every time you pass by.

These are great inexpensive treats to make with the kids or grandkids.

Happy snacking!!!!  

A Room With A View...

"It isn't possible to love and part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal."

A Room With A View

This Edwardian social comedy explores love and prim propriety among an eccentric cast of characters assembled in an Italian pensione and in a corner of Surrey, England.--Goodreads

Published: 1908

 Author: E. M. Forster

Purchase at: Amazon

REVIEW

I read this book because the title kept drawing me to it. "A Room With A View" sounded intriguing, almost mysterious. What was someone going to see from that view? The book wasn't at all what I thought it would be and not really my kind of book, but I enjoyed it and think some day I might like to read "Howard's End" another E. M. Forster book.  I give it three stars for it's humor and vivid characters. I can't wait to watch the movie.

Happy Reading!!!  

No words needed...

This is our great-nephew. I didn't take this picture his mother did, but every time I look at it I think of Wordless Wednesday. It is funny and sad at the same time.

I am leaving on a small trip and may not be able to take my computer, so I'll leave you with this picture.

Have a great and blessed weekend!!!

Summer Reads...

With summer upon us there will be all sorts of relaxing temptations and I plan on squeezing in as many as possible. In the process of enjoying my summer there are a few things I never leave home without. Books. So I have put together a list of some of my favorites. If you can't decide what you want to take along this summer-consider one of these. The second list I plan to read this summer-starting tonight.


SOME OF MY FAVORITES:
                                   
1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
3. Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake                  .
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers
6. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
7. The Sun Also Rises by Hemmingway
8. A Moveable Feast by Hemmingway
9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
10. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe
11. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevelier
12. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevelier
13. Any of Carla Neggers-Romantic Supense
14. Any Beverly Lewis-Christian
15. The Pelican Brief-John Grisham
16. Water For Elephants-Sarah Gruen
17. Salem's Lot-Stephen King
18. Pet Cemetary-Stephen King
19. Little Women-Louisa Mae Alcott
20. The Wind in the Willows-Kenneth Grahame

Ten that I plan on reading before summer ends:

1. Finish reading A Room With A View-E. M. Forster
2. The Trouble With Mattie-Mary A. Berger
3. The Whisper-Carla Neggers
4. For Whom The Bell Tolls-Hemmingway
5. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon-Stephen King
6. Falling Angels-Tracy Chevelier
7. Anne of Green Gables-L. M. Montgomery
8. Just Take My Heart-Mary Higgins Clark
9. Freckles-Gene Stratton-Porter
10. Emma-Charlotte Bronte

You can purchase any of these books through Amazon.com.

HAPPY SUMMER AND HAPPY READING!!!

 

The Bag Lady...

Most people have one thing or another they find hard to resist and for me it's bags. I love bags. Large or small it doesn't matter. The more pockets the merrier. Whenever I see what I interpret as a "cool" bag it calls my name. So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this Unicorn bag.

I was at Scarborough Faire and had just finished reading "The Lady and The Unicorn" by Tracy Chevalier. It was made by Gypsy Wings Tapestry Bags. Isn't it just the "coolest". 

If you haven't read one of Tracy Chevalier's books you might give this one a try. My daughter introduced me to them a couple of years ago. I have since read "Girl With The Pearl Earrings" and "The Virgin Blue". I thoroughly enjoyed all three. She takes an event from history and creates a fictional story around it. They are simply hard to put down.    

Hope you have a great week and "happy reading". 

  

My First Quilt Top...

Today I was rummaging around in my sewing room wondering where to start cleaning when I happened across this sad quilt top. I made it when I was 15. It was my first attempt at sewing-ever. I am sure my mother never in her wildest dreams thought I would finish it, so she failed to tell me a few things(like turn under the edges of your applique). If I remember correctly she showed me the blanket stitch, gave me some scraps and a pattern and sent me on my way.

I spent hours and hours on those little rabbits and carrots. The rabbits became my friends and the carrots my enemies. I hated those carrots. As I ran out of orange material Mama would return to her scrap bag and produce more. I don't remember ever thinking about the fact that it wasn't always the same shade.

Sometimes she would help me by embroidering a face or two. There are happy faces, sad faces, mad faces, funny faces and some that are down right scary.

It wouldn't be worth quilting, but I think I will keep it anyway. I have grown attached to those wild little faces and the memories they hold.

I have since made quite a few quilts and am a member of the local quilt club.

Maybe my mother knew what she was doing after all.

Thanks Mom!!!