Blue Skies...

I'm so glad the rain moved out and left sunshine and cloudless skies in its wake. If there's such a thing as a perfect day for a funeral, this would have been it. There were so many people there to support Adrienne; the kids were all surrounded by loved ones; and the service really was lovely.

After the service, A invited everyone to her home for a light lunch and a bit more time together. She was strength personified. Mostly family went to the house, and I was able to visit a bit before leaving to come back home.

From the funeral home, I could see two of my old apartments, so I decided to snap pictures to share. This first picture is of the smallest apartment I ever rented. If you look to the second floor on the right side of the building, you can see the windows that were my living room. My bedroom was an interior area, so it didn't have any windows. I remember how stuffy it would get in there at night during the summer. I frequently slept on my sofa because of it.

                        

One block over was another of my former dwellings. This was a remodeled church. The young owner and his mom lived in the back section, and I lived in the front. My living room windows are the arched ones seen here. 

I had a living room, bath and kitchen downstairs, and a bedroom upstairs. There was an open staircase across the back wall of the living room. It was a nice apartment, located right down the street from the police station. I felt safe, but I admit the church had a spooky vibe, so I didn't live there long.

By the time I got back home I was pretty tired, so I took a short nap, and stayed home while Handsome went to watch our granddaughter's soccer team win another game. They’re advancing to the next stage of their playoffs, so I'm planning to see the next game.

We have people coming to help weed out my gardens today, so I'm going to have a quick cup of coffee and then head outside to make sure the good plants don't get pulled. I'm so grateful we'll have help to get this job done this year. I'll be running to get mulch for the garden, too. Lots to do today. I'll share photos tomorrow.

Poppa's Girl...

 

Here's the project I just completed. A young tween is missing the grandpa she lost within the past year. Her grandmother asked me to make a wristlet for her. Granddaughter is more a tomboy than the type who likes ruffles and frills, so this design was more appropriate to remember her Navy-vet poppa. It's in the mail today, so she'll have it soon. 

I'm going to be away most of today. I have a very sad funeral to attend in Portage. You'll remember Adrienne, who hosts our monthly craft days. Her 48 year old husband passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. He leaves behind Adrienne and their three young children. We're all devastated, and I need to be with them as he's remembered by loved ones and friends. 

I'll be back home later today, and ask that, if you feel so moved, please lift prayers for his family as they grieve, and try to come to terms with his untimely passing. I'll be back with you tomorrow.

Flowers and Jam...

The "Flower Garden" Strawberry Sachet is already on its way to its new home, but I wanted to share one more set of photographs before putting this project to bed. It's the most densely embroidered sachet I've done to date, and I must say, I'm quite taken with the final result.

I'm offering more of this design (not exactly the same, of course) in my Etsy shop now, so if you'd like to treat yourself or someone else (thinking Mother's Day), you can place an order from the listing.

Yesterday, Handsome helped me put up a batch of Driscoll strawberries. They were on special at the grocery store (Florida strawberries), so I decided we needed to restock our jam supply in the pantry. Ten cups of gorgeous fruit turned into three pint jars, twelve half-pint jars, plus eight ounces "for the cook" (that wasn't a full jar, so it got a plastic lid and put in the fridge). 

After we finished with the jam, I helped Handsome mow the yard. The weather was perfect today. We'd  had two days of rain, with another day expected today, so we cut down the jungle before the next downpour. The yard looks great, and I know the grass will appreciate the rain. We won't have to worry about it growing up over the windows while we wait for the grass to dry enough to cut again.

We completed our outdoor work, I fed the barn girls, and Handsome went back inside to feed dogs. We made dinner together, and then watched a baseball game. By the end of the game, I realized I was completely gassed. Sleep came easy, and I start the day well-rested and ready for the next thing. 

I received a special request for a gift for friend's granddaughter. I'll be making it today, and share that project with you tomorrow. You know the drill. Time for coffee and my breakfast of fruit (more about that soon!), and then off to the studio. Hi, ho...Hi, ho...