Treasures Unboxed!

Yea! Blogger likes me again! Has anyone else been having trouble down-loading photos? Anyway, here's a few of the treasures I found in the box that was labeled "baby clothes" ! Of course the one piece of baby clothing that I have been looking for was not in the box, but there were several pieces that brought back a lot of memories. Then there were a few that I don't know why I saved especially in the condition that they were. After close to twenty-five years in the box, every little stain has taken on a new life. No photos of the baby clothes. I'll let the kids have a chance to go through them and reminisce.

But what I did find were things I didn't even know I had. Chances are that they were stored with the baby clothes because we moved shortly after my MIL passed away and these were in her cedar chest. When I opened the box, the first thing I saw was this unique appliqued dish towel. In fact there was a whole set of seven - one for each day of course! Does anyone embroider pillowcases anymore? These are beautifully done. I'm not sure who made them, they might have been a wedding gift. There were also two other sets, complete with matching sheets.
How about a set 0f crocheted potholders? Cute but not very functional. In the right kitchen, these would be adorable. I'm thinking there might be a way to frame them but still, I don't know where I would display them.
This was the most interesting piece of handwork in the box. A tablecloth, card table sized, with each corner embroidered with square dancers and a square dance "call". Maybe my FIL or SIL can confirm that they used to do some square dancing "back in the day". It's an unusual item and one along with several of the others that I'll have to find a place to store for future generations to discover one day!

This was a big box, big enough to even get a few toys stashed in amongst the linens and baby clothes. The Fisher-Price Barn is well worn. I think just about every kid of the seventies and eighties had one of these. I don't have any idea where the animals are! The train was supposed to ride the rail of the crib and play a tune. I don't think it will fit the crib that J & J got for grandbaby #1 though. Then there was Uncle Timmy Turtle! He was one of my toys, so you know he's probably classified as an antique now! He's in really pretty good shape for an old guy, just lacking the string.

Beamer couldn't believe all this was in the box. There's nothing like an empty box to fascinate a curious cat.
You didn't think I'd do a whole blog entry and not mention a motorcycle ride did you? We didn't venture too far from home this weekend. A short ride over to a nearby state park scared up this deer and her two babies. She stood in the road quite a while, probably to let her little ones escape then hopped safely out of our way.
Hope you enjoyed my treasure hunt! I'm off to Missouri later this week - baby shower time again - but hope to get a post in before then. Have a great week!

Stay Tuned for Treasures!

Okay, Blogger isn't playing nice tonight.

I was going to show you some treasures I found this weekend. When we moved to this smaller home, we rented a storage unit for some things that wouldn't fit in the basement until we built shelves etc. Well, we've been here over two years and though we probably could find room here, it's just been too easy to leave them in the storage unit. We really need to make the effort to get that cleaned out! Anyway, I've been looking for this box and another. Beamer was so excited to see a new box to explore. He could hardly wait for me to open it. Unfortunately, the one thing I was looking for wasn't in here :( But I did find lots of other things. I guess you'll just have to wait until Blogger decides it likes me so I can post the photos. Stay tuned !

A June Day in the Life....

It's hard to believe that June is almost gone! This summer will be over before we know it. I meant to make a patriotic door decor but think I'll have to let this one go the rest of the summer. The girls and I have been finishing up baby shower plans. Can't say much more than that but we are looking forward to seeing everyone next week! Everything is under control but if anyone has any cute ideas for games - please let me know. I'm not a big fan of shower games, but if we find something exceptional - you never know! I meant to post this photo last week, but the MO trip took over my blogger photo stash! This is our newest book club member - Susie. Isn't she adorable! She wanted to entertain us with her tennis ball juggling skills, but her mommy insisted she sit quietly and practice her social skills instead! As anyone else seen these funny purple boxes hanging in the trees? We've been noticing these as we are riding the motorcycle and we're usually past them before I can get a photo. But this week I noticed one in a tree on the road near our house. It doesn't take much Googling to come up with the purpose of them. They are not outerspace alien observation stations as some have suggested but traps for the Emerald Ash Borer which have been causing a lot of tree damage in the Midwest. You can read about them here on the Purdue Extension Dept site.
I was going to post a photo of some of my quilting projects here - but since most everything is either a possible gift or just a secret project, I guess I'd better wait. So even though there's nothing quilty here, I am actually working on some things! In fact, I'll be delivering one project to the LAQ this evening. Can't wait to get it back! I promise a pic of that - but not until August! Notice the Cupcake Swap on the sidebar? I've signed up for this over at Sharon's blog and it's the first time I've ever done anything like this but it does sound fun. It's going to be fun to watch for (or make) something cutely cupcake related to pass on to another blogger. I think she's closed this swap by now but check her blog out anyway, always fun times there!

This is what D worked on this week (in addition to the deck!). He's changed the muffler's on the Harley. I don't know enough about them to tell you what he did but it does sound different! I don't think it's too annoying yet, but definitely louder. Maybe that van driver will hear us next time we pass him!


Thanks for reading my ramblings this morning. Now I'm off to visit Kim, the awesome nail tech, for a pedicure! (Love a good pedicure!) Then I'll stop by the gym for Pilates class. Our instructor is starting pharmacy school soon, so I'll have to get used to a new one :( Then, hope to have dinner out over in Louisville tonight. I know, I have a rough day ahead of me !!

Dodging the Rain and Stuff

My apologies for the late post. I know somewhere out there I have a fan (and family!) or two that has been patiently waiting for another post on this sometimes boring, other times rambling blog! Here we go again - yes on the road, of course!

This time we had a definite destination and a legitimate excuse to put the two wheels to the road and get some quality time on the Harley. After waiting for the rain to let up at home, we donned the rain suits and headed to Missouri. Luckily, all we faced were a few sprinkles and lots of grey clouds. We headed up to US 50 to see some new scenery as we crossed Indiana. The western part of the state in that area is quite pretty. Lots of trees and rolling hills. Of course, they have had a lot of rain in that area so everything is very green with a few wild flowers peeking out here and there. As we crossed over into Illinois, we saw that the Wabash River is still overflowing its banks and causing problems for the farmers in that area.
But the skies finally cleared and we saw lots of uncut wheat fields. Hopefully, they will be able to get the combines in the fields in spite of all the rain. Other than that, central Illinois is pretty boring. Their roads leave lots to be desired. In fact, after hitting a few of the pot holes, one of our saddle bags (which evidently someone,me, didn't latch securely) popped open and my rain suit pants are now somewhere in a field in the middle of Illinois! At least that was all we lost, and now I have an excuse to go shopping. Then there was the train track. D always slows down a little when crossing them as you never expect them to be smooth, but there is one near Olney that could be used as a launch ramp for Mr. Knievel himself! I swear I must have left the seat at least a foot and if I hadn't had the back rest, I'd been sitting on US 50! But at least we made it safely to St. Louis. Crossing into Missouri, the Mississippi River was also overflowing its banks. This is a pretty shot with the trees and clouds reflected in the water, but the river was still rising and when we came home on Sunday, it was up quite a bit more. We ended up getting on I 70 and taking that on into St. Louis instead of the back roads. We weren't sure what we'd find there so it was best to stay clear.
Our goal of this trip was for Dad to help J with the doors in his basement. He has done an excellent job of finishing it off so they'll have more living area when Grandbaby #1 arrives (in about 6 weeks or less!) He's had great help from some neighbors including T shown below. They are almost ready for carpet and then they can move things downstairs and finish decorating the nursery. He hopes to have that done by the time we come back in two weeks to have the baby shower, but if he doesn't, maybe he can get some more help from Dad!
While the guys worked hard in the basement on Saturday, J and I did some shopping. Surprise, surprise! We did the normal mall routine and then stopped by a couple of furniture stores so she could look for a new couch. This funny chair will not fit in their little house, but it did make a good resting place for an expectant mom.
After a long day of work (and shopping) we headed out to dinner at Chevy's for tex-mex. I 'm not sure that I've ever seen J eat like this! Her doctor says he'd like for her to gain 3o pounds and if she keeps this up........! No problem! The rest of us wouldn't have any problem with that and I guess we didn't here because we did our share to help! My son and I were the only ones to enjoy the margaritas. Mine was watermelon! Tart, but pretty good. Here's the food photo of the day coming up, so pay close attention because it didn't last long! The smoked steak taco was excellent - and it wasn't even my plate! I just got a photo and a bite.Thanks for dinner J! Poor guy looks tired though doesn't he? I think he's just practicing for those late night feedings!
Does anyone need a new kitty in the family? Tray is looking for a new home. He is a super friendly hefty fellow with a purr that rocks the walls. He is de-clawed, gets along well with kids, dogs and other cats, just not so sure about babies. He's thinks he'll move out when they bring that new kid home. Email me if you know of somewhere he can call home.

After waiting for the rain to pass again, we headed home on Sunday. We stopped and put on our rain suits (what was left of them) but ended up we didn't need them. Traveling the entire trip on the interstate is not something we normally do on the bike, but in the best interest of time we stayed on I-64.



Some of you who question the safety of motorcycles can now exit the blog.



What you are about to see next could possibly have been my last photo. A lot of the time I ride with my little digital camera in my hand, the cord wrapped securely around my wrist, ready for that one great wildlife or scenery shot. As we were in a line of traffic passing several trucks and this van, the driver decides to pass the trucks too, without signaling and without looking in his rear view or side mirror and certainly not double checking his blind spots. As he was veering over into our lane of traffic and as I was shouting to D (in the headsets, D said I was quite loud!) and to the driver, who of course couldn't hear me, I accidentally pressed the button and took this photo. Now, wouldn't you think that someone who was driving a van load of kids would be more careful? Anyway, D sped up and got out of the guys way and all was well. I hope he was scared when he saw us go by. You would have thought that the three lights on the front of the bike and the sound of the Harley would have gotten his attention before that. Now I know why some bikers like to have that loud exhaust system. Maybe we should be in the market for that now!But back safe and sound we are, waiting for the next big adventure! Thanks for your patience and thanks for stopping by!

More Photos Next Time - I Promise

I wasn't a very enthusiastic photographer this past weekend. Saturday morning, D worked on the deck for awhile. One day it will be completed. All that is left to do is the last few steps and enclose the sides of the stairs. However, we'll probably be short some of the material so another trip to the building supply store will be necessary. I promise there will be photos to show that we've finally completed something! Work has had D out of town off and on and now he's battling a sinus infection so the time devoted to home improvement projects has been compromised.

B, E and I will hosting a baby shower in MO for J and grandbaby #1. All the invitations are in the mail and we've been busy with "secret" plans! B was in charge of the invites. They turned out pretty cute! I promise lots of photos of the shower too! It will be time for it before you know it. Grandbaby #1 will be here before we know it too! We're ALL getting excited. Motorcycle rides for the past weekend included a trip up to Huber Farms for fresh picked strawberries. But D's sinuses began to feel better as we rode, so we ended up traveling several dozen extra miles. Next time I'll put on extra sunscreen just in case we add more miles to the trip! With on special plans for Father's Day (kids either working or out of town) we decided to travel up to French Lick and over to Jasper, IN. We had heard about a popular German restaurant there and thought it would make a nice stop for lunch on Father's Day. But, when we got there, they were closed on Sunday! Can you imagine a restaurant being closed on one of the most popular days for eating out! So we found a little deli type cafe and had sandwiches. No food photos, sorry. In fact the only photos I took on the trip were of Patoka Lake as we drove by. It was a pretty day for a drive though!
I'll leave you with a photo of one of my secret projects from a couple of weeks ago. It has been mailed off to its new home with the birthday niece. If she hasn't received it yet, well, I guess the surprise is spoiled :( I used the Mary Englebreit fabrics from Moda and the purse pattern is from Pink Sand Beach Design. This is the third bag I've made from this pattern, but I still don't have one for myself!

Have a good week everyone! Better photos next post, I promise!

Happy Dad's Day!

Happy Father's Day! A day that has been set aside to honor those hardworking guys.

Here's a couple of those here. D can attribute a lot of his talents to his dad. The best education can often be given across the dinner table, working side by side and by providing a moral compass for your children. Many thanks from your daughter-in-law passing those things on to your son!

Happy Father's Day to B and D - and a Happy Belated Birthday to B, too!

Weekly Highlights ..... and Low-lights

Not a lot going on around here this week. The highlight was that we accompanied B & D to Bike Night at a local restaurant across the river. The KingFish draws several area bikers with a live band, games and specials. There were quite a few people there, enjoying the music and the nice evening.

We ordered some of their signature fish dinners and had a good time visiting as we watched the sunset on the Ohio River.

We've heard about some other Bike Nights at other Louisville restaurants and bars and maybe we'll have to venture to another some night. But this was supposedly the "least rowdy" crowd that attends any of these events! We probably fit in better with this clientele!Today I went to check out a quilt show held by the Southern Indiana Quilt Guild. It was held in downtown New Albany at a local church. This is the parrish house where the vendors were set up. There are several beautiful old homes in this part of town. The quilts were displayed in the sanctuary. I didn't know how they would feel about someone taking photos - so sorry, no pics!There were several nice quilts, including some antique but the one that I voted for for the best of show was a new quilt appliqued with sunbonnets sues, little farmer boys and daisies. It may not have been the most technical, but it was colorful and original.

Unfortunately, there was a low-light of the week too. Remember the baby birds in the nest in the lilac tree? I think they fell out of the nest during a thunderstorm yesterday. This morning I discovered the two babies in the mulch under the tree. One was already deceased. The other was hopping around, chirping for mama bird. She was nearby, but I don't know what she could do to rescue birdie #2. I debated whether I should scoop him up and try to play the hero. But I decided to let nature take it's course. Now sadly, I feel a little guilty for that decision. Maybe he will be gone in the morning and I can imagine that mama bird was able give him enough nourishment so he could gain enough strength to fly away on his own little wings overnight.

Spring was Here!

I think spring came and went too fast! But Mama Robin had time to build a nest in my lilac tree in my front yard. I heard some chirping so stuck my camera in the branches and snapped this photo of her babies. Hope she doesn't mind! On the road in Southern Indiana again. We were off on the Harley towards Evansville, following some of the back roads. Even though it was not very sunny, it was very warm - okay, it was hot! It doesn't seem like it was very long ago that we were bundling up in our layers of long-johns, sweatshirts and leather coats to go for a weekend ride. Sunscreen and extra water breaks were our friends this time! We like the tree-lined highways much more than the interstates. Plus we can find a few interesting stops along the way. For me, the highlight of the day was this stop at The Village Mercantile in Boonville, Indiana. This is a quilt shop with a wonderful inventory of fabrics, patterns, notions and just about anything quilty you could imagine! Displayed so nicely too. Of course, I made a few purchases! I need to get to work to some of these purchases I've been collecting.

In Evansville we stopped at Bud's Harley Davidson. We were able to find the new carbon Kevlar half helmets we'd been looking for. Much lighter than our other ones, they fit better and the wind doesn't bother our necks near as much. After a late lunch at Culver's (will someone please tell them to build a Culver's in Clark or Floyd County Indiana!) we headed back on more back roads, past Santa Claus, Possum Junction and this general store on highway 62. I think they've got big plans for this tomato plant. The tomato cage was at least 7 foot tall!

A Saturday night phone call from some friends and we were off on Sunday morning for breakfast at the Story Inn again. The hot trip on Saturday must not have been too hard on us because we were ready to go bright and early, hoping to avoid the worst of the 90 degree temps we've been having. But we ended up spending most of the day up in the Brown County area. Maybe you've heard about some of the flooding going on in Indiana. Luckily all of the roads that we traveled were still dry, but we did get a first hand look at some of the water covering the farm fields. There are so many folks facing weather challenges right now, our hearts go out to them. As I type this, they are showing video on television of homes falling into the Wisconsin River! Makes us feel very thankful!

Hope your week is good. I'll be back again soon!

All Things Quilty

I spent last week working on "secret" projects! Now some of them are no longer secret so I can post a few pix.

This is the "not quite a diaper bag" that I made as a gift for J's baby shower. I used part of a charm pack of Moda's Prairie Paisley with a little extra for the lining and handles. This is currently my favorite fabric and I've collected several extra pieces to use in some other future (currently unknown!) project. It's kind of got an Americana look and mixed well with some cowboy fabrics that Wendy at Among Friends helped me choose for the bibs, burp cloths and diaper pouch. I'm not sure what the name of that fabric line is but it made some cute accessories for a little baby boy! By the way, I just discovered that Wendy now has a blog too. Though I haven't figured out how to post a comment on it, I'm sure she'd appreciate your visit!

The pattern I used for the "not quite a diaper bag" was in the August 2007 issue of McCall's Quilting. I added an extra pocket on the inside though.
Some of baby's accessories. The bibs and burp cloths were fun and quick. The diaper pouch is big enough for a couple of diapers and a pack of wipes for those short little outings.
I am guilty. I made B become quilty! Isn't this the best beginner quilt you've ever seen? She pieced this using a Charm pack (I don't know the fabric line - sorry) that she picked out at where else but Among Friends. She even quilted this herself on her little Janome and did a fine job! I'm proud of her! Of course she's already moving on to another project. That's my girl!
Remember this quilt? Guess where it found a home and guess who climbed onto the guest bed last weekend to claim her corner.
One last photo today. I'm not saying much about this. Only that it is progressing nicely, thank you.

What's Brewing at the Baby Shower?

Have you looked at the Grandbaby Ticker on the sidebar? Only 64 more days to go ! J's sister-in-law and future sister-in-law hosted her first baby shower today. It was held at the Delafield Brewhaus. But the only thing brewing today was coffee, root beer and yes, a BABY!

There were piles and piles of presents! I'm not sure how they'll get these all home to MO. But the little one certainly will have a nice stash of clothing, toys, gadgets and gear when he makes his arrival! J's friend make this cute cake. The from scratch chocolate cake (similar to my mother's chocolate cake recipe) with butter cream frosting was delicious. It takes a special occasion like this to banish the guilt!
There were too many photos of cute "little" things to post.
One of my projects from last week. I'll post a better photo this week for all my quilty bag lady friends out there!

I had to reach across the table to snap a photo of this yummy strawberry/chicken salad before someone dug her fork in! She's probably wondering what this crazy woman was doing stalking her salad! I had the chicken salad croissant, which was very good, just not as pretty, and E had the good old hamburger. But she dug right into that before I could get the little Kodak fired up!

There couldn't have been a prettier Wisconsin day to hold a baby shower. My favorite photo of the day! A proud papa and an anxious mama! J's been working so hard getting some home improvement projects completed - wonder where he picked up those genes! A little rest and relaxation was his goal while the ladies "showered" the mom to be.

I'll hit the road back home in the morning, battling the Chicago rush hour traffic. E and I had a great time shopping on Saturday. We were trying to see how many suburban malls and shopping centers we could tackle in one day! At last count, I believe it was six. If it hadn't been for that margarita at the last stop - I might have been able to make seven!

Have a great week and a happy June! Summer has arrived!