Traveling from Mississippi

My friend Pat says I should post pictures, but I don't have any for today's post. Friday I went to Columbus, Mississippi because my husband's sister had surgery. She was able to go home on Saturday and is doing well.
Today I came home. It reminded me so much of 3 years ago when my husband and I were coming home from Gloria's house (my SIL). Cars flying by us - most with Louisianna tags. Those were the few people who were fleeing Katrina. Today was the same way. People with what belongings they could gather, going to where they did not know, and not knowing when they could go back home. My prayers are with these families this weekend - waiting for Gustav to do what Gustav will do. As I drove along alone I saw RV parks filled with campers trying to get in. Motel parking lots were filled with cars, with still more going into them. People in the small towns in the area were putting up signs and directions for shelters.
When I checked out of my motel in Columbus this morning the phone was constantly ringing. The poor young lady at the desk couldn't check out those who were leaving for having to answer the phone and say "I am so sorry, we are booked solid for 3 days. We don't have any rooms." I ask her if they had a recording for her to use. She told me that Best Western firmly believes in customer service and that they only want a person to answer their phones. What a wonderful concept. She also said that they do not believe in No Vacancy signs, so she would have to turn people away all day. Bad though it was for her she said she always tried to remember - especially the people who would get angry with her - that in their cars were their families and their few belongings. So she tried to be as nice as possible - no matter what. What a wonderful person she is. May God bless her.
Not meaning to get "heavy" with my blog, but sometimes you just have to remember that it isn't always about "fun".

The Treasures That Find You

I have already told ya'll that Friday was a good day and that my friend Kathy and I found lots of good treasures. The 3 items in this picture were found at a place called SAVERS. It is like a Goodwill, but they price their items a little higher. The 3 items in the picture above are a little tin with flowers, a little purple pig and an orphan quilt that was on a miniature stand.
The tin I thought would be cute to put sewing items in and use the embossed lid as a texture for doing a paint rubbing later. The little pig has already found a home with a friend at church. She loves 2 things besides God and her family - pigs and purple. You just don't see both real often in the same pig. It called to me from the shelf when I walked by - I swear I heard it say "Take me to Lisa - Lisa is looking for me". How can you deny a purple fancy pig.

Now the little miniature quilt was the prize of the day. Made in love for someone named Sue in 1996 for her birthday by Terry. The tiny pieced triangles in the miniature flying geese pattern are done so well, they all have their pointed little heads. It is hand quilted. Now I have a friend Kelley who loves making these little miniatures and if she ever made me one I would treasure it forever. But this one from an unknown person has a good home now and will be displayed with care.

You know treasures are everywhere and when you go with you friends to look, the treasures will find you.

Searching for Treasures

One of my favorite things to do is to search for treasures. Friday I took a break from Gianni (her Daddy was in charge on Friday) and went to look for treasures. I took my friend Kathy. We love to check out the Goodwill and there is a place called Savers, which has bargains. On the way we saw a sign that said Garage Sale. Being a rainy day there weren't many and not many people out. Above is what I found at the garage sale. A purse, which is always a good thing. Now let me explain the bug picture. It is Kathy's fault. It is a Green Nymph Stick Insect. Now the plan is to take this apart and put insect buttons around it. I hope it doesn't come alive when I open it - kind of scary. And the quilt is a wonderful lap quilt. It was made for someone by their aunt and they were selling it. On the back it says:

To: Name ( I won't publish it)

From: Name (ditto)

"A heart full of love

And wings on which to fly"

May 20, 2006

The colors are bright reds, pinks and the back is a batik. It appears that some of the reds have faded onto the whites, but it is still a wonderful little orphan quilt that now has a home. It makes me wonder what will happen to the quilts I make years from now. Sold in a yard sale?? Oh well - you have to look at how much enjoyment you got out of giving the gift -not the final home of the gift.

We found a lot more treasures that day and I will share them later. Don't want anyone to go to sleep while reading my post you know.

Knot Krazy - Beaders

Yesterday was the monthly meeting of a wonderful group of people who mean a lot to me. We meet once a month in one of our homes - now on the 3rd Thursday of the month.

This is the month that we met at Kelley's house - her picture is the one below (I hope). She is a dear friend and we try to see each other more than once a month. Going left to right is Sherry, Jim, Marylou, CarolAnn, Susan and Jean. Keri was there also, but somehow I couldn't catch her in the camera. Our dear friends Pat and Bibi were absent. We are a multi-talented group. Some of us quilt, bead, embroidery, creative mixed media, creative quilting, knitting, crocheting and anything else we can think of to do. Jim has a website http://gatling.gotmeonline.com/ , CarolAnn has a blog at http://quiltbythemile.blogspot.com/ and Pat has a blog at http://www.birdsnestontheground.blogspot.com/ . We love to share with each other. This group has been together since 9-11-01. What a date to remember, that days events happened personally, as well as internationally and will always be in our memory. We have one member-at-large. Her name is Nancy Eha at http://www.beadcreative.com/ and she started it all.

9/11 was a beautiful day. We had just finished a retreat at a beautiful facility on the outskirts of Little Rock, Arkansas called Ferndale. Nancy was our out of state teacher and she taught us the joys of beading that weekend. A dearly loved friend Sharon Heidingsfelder and her friend Marylou had already left that morning. Pat, Kelley and I were going to get Nancy and join them for a day of fun and site seeing before Nancy had a flight out that night. As we were carrying suitcases to the car we saw everyone sitting around the T.V. You know what we saw and as we sat there in total disbelief we didn't know what to think. Nancy, being a stranger realized that there were no planes to fly her home, didn't know when there would be and could not drive herself all the way to Minnesota alone. She had no idea what we would do. Well we bundled everyone up and went to Sharon's house to make decisions. We decided to get Nancy home - of course 4 women traveling together would be perfectly safe - ????? Nancy finally got in touch with her husband who was waiting to hear from her as he was packing his car. We agreed he would drive until he was tired, let us know where he was and we would make the rest of the journey to him. The next morning he called from Fayetteville and off we went to get Nancy home. We realized coming home together that life is too short not to spend it with friends and loved ones, so we formed our group and have been meeting ever since. It is - for the most part- a top priority in our lives. Some dear members have come and gone, but as a whole we are still together. Still having fun and still sharing it all!!!!

Harmony

Harmony - I love that word. It is a good start to what I want in my life. I thought it was a good start to my having fun by playing with a word. This may (or may not) be a series of words beginning with "H". I found this (when I first decided to challenge myself) picture and quotes on the last page of a Woman's Day magazine. Since my photography needs a lot of work here is the quote:

"I always try to balance the light with the heavy - a few tears of human spirit in with the sequins and the fringes" - Bette Midler

Not all things in my life are harmonious right now, but whose is? There is always a place for change - nothing is final until we die - then it is only final here on earth because I believe in eternal life in Heaven. Now I am not preaching - we all have our beliefs and that is mine.

This week I am watching a lot of the Summer Olympics 2008 and here we see a lot of the human spirit and the harmony of nations working together even in competition.

This is a small paper piece. The background is from copies of fabric I have in my quilting stash. The heart is glued on piece of scrapbook paper. Around the edges is part of my yarn stash. I also collect buttons and the buttons represent what I collected before I knew I was a collector. This is a very simple way to start your journey to fun.

Having Fun with Grandchildren

This is for all of the grandmothers out there. An idea to share your art with your grandchildren. I needed a picture(s) for my foyer. My DIL Megan suggested that Gianni and Will paint something for me. What a great idea!!!! Now let me explain (and so you can know me better). We only have 2 grandchildren and according to my husband Bill - that is all we can afford!!! You know the grandparents job is to spoil the grandchildren and personally I take my job seriously! Anyway Gianni is 6 (almost 7) and will is 4 1/2. They are cousins but if you see them together they look like brother and sister.

Being the control nut that I am - the pictures had to be coordinated. I have their individual art hung in the foyer, but this was for a special time. I got 2 inexpensive blank canvas, chose a color to paint the canvas - my color was cocoa brown. Over came the kids. Megan and I put painters tape on the canvas, gathered the colors I wanted, squeezed them out on paper plates, handed out brushes for them to chose from and let them go. This is the results and I am really proud of having a "work of art" from my grandkids.

Let's Get Started - My first Blog

Okay - my Blog is "Nevertoolatetohavefun" and thanks to a dear friend, Pat at Birds Nest on the Ground. She is also at blogspot.com and if I ever figure all this out I will link you to her. Her blogs are so inspiring - therefore - I have been inspired. This is my first foray into doing anything artistic that doesn't come with a pattern. Sewing, quilting, embroidery, knitting, crocheting - they all have patterns. Painting and doing mixed media has ideas and then you fly. My goal is to allow others to spread their wings and fly - have a good time - even if you never have before. This is a little ATC card that I started last year in a response to my friend Pat's request to trad. This is one of the 3 I made that is left. Pat got hers last month (no one said you have to rush to have fun). The other one my 6 year old granddaughter Gianni wanted. After explaining to her that she had to make me one to get one - I got one from her entitled "The Red Sea"(upper right). That was the story I told teaching her class in Bible School, so she made the Red Sea with hearts for love. My ATC has a lot of purple, green and feathers because it relates to my fascination with Mardi Gra. I can't tell you how I made this one because mine and Pat's friend Kelley and I worked on them a year ago. I do know that I love to collect feathers and I painted them and used them to press onto the page to give it a little interest.