Spring Living

Hello my friends.

Today's post is some Spring decor.

Unfortunately we are unsure today if 

we will get more snow, freezing rain,

or rain today. Am hoping for the latter.

Hope you enjoy these pics. 

One lil Spring display in the bedroom

my mom stays in.

She will be back tomorrow,

and will stay thru Easter Sunday.

We plan on going out again one evening,

and then enjoy some home cooked meals with her.

In other news,

My granddaughter Mikayla finally chose

the college she wants to go to.

Michigan State University.

Or MSU to us Michiganders.

She wants to major in Forensics,

and they have the best classes here

of the 11 colleges she applied for.

She was accepted at all 11 by the way.

Now I will be honest...we have always

been a Michigan University) U of M Family,

so this is going to be an adjustment for us. LOL 

They are the rival colleges here in our state.

Bob and I went up to Port Huron

yesterday to do a bit of shopping.

I went to Hobby Lobby to pick up some

stuff for a Christmas project...yeah I know...

complaining about snow yet I want to 

make something for Christmas.

Then we went to Kohls for a few things.

Finally went to Comcast...our cable provider.

We got our monthly bill lowered by 75.00.

That's $900 for the year.

So glad my son told us to go.

Then we came back home,

let Tundra out for a bit...then went 

to the meat market and grocery store.

Mailed out our checks to both

the IRS and the sate for our taxes yesterday.

It hurt writing those checks this year,

since we owed double the amount from last year. 

Today I am going to just sit and stitch

while watching some tv.

Bob has to work the store so I will be solo.

Mid April Blessings To All!

Janice

Friday Finish

 Hello my friends.

When last I showed you Mary Jane Kerr,

this is where I left off.

This pattern I was stitching in remembrance

of my grandmothers.

This was the top of the sampler.

I replaced the bird with the chicken.

Changed the flowers from purple to blue.

Kept the dog the same but chose my own colors.

Once again had it framed at Hobby Lobby.

However this time did have to go back

a second time.

Did not like how it was laced...

lots of highs and lows and just not straight.

When I went back two days later,

it was then messed up at the bottom.

Since I live almost an hour away,

I asked the girl if she could fix it while I was there.

It was not Debbie whom I usually work with.

She obliged with no hesitation...

and agreed it was not good.

After about 20 minutes, it was perfect to me.

I even made it a point to tell

the store manager that I love the framers.

It now resides on my cupboard and I

finally hung Mary Catherine

This one was for my maternal grandparents

with their parents.

It is at the top second to right.

On to the finishing Viola Martini,

which will be for all of my great grandmothers.

Am already planning  on my next one 

 Just have to order the floss, as I have

the pattern and linen already to go.

In other news,

Thursday we woke up to snow once again.

Spring showers are suppose to be rain...

not snow. EGAD Mother Nature.

Tundra was just loving it though. 

He was laying on the ground taking it all in.

Bob finally made him come in.

He was a very wet dog...and when Tundra

came in I told him it was daddy's fault he

ruined your fun in the snow. LOL

I am on vacation next week.

Looking forward to some relaxation...

sleeping in a bit and not having 

to get up before the birds do.

Michael's MRI did not reveal anything wrong.

His doctor said he most likely broke his tailbone.

It will have to heal on its own.

He goes back to his doctors next Friday.

He is hoping they release him to go back to work.

Believe it or not he is stir crazy at home,

He wants to get out.

A big thank you to everyone who wished him well.

I have the best blogging friends.

One more thing.

The bunny from my last post was a pattern

from My Primitive Saltbox.

She use to have a blog years ago,

where she sold her patterns.

You can find her now on Etsy,

however the patterns are now PDF.

Well have to get to work.

Hope everyone has a marvelous weekend.

No More Snow Blessings To All!

Janice

Maker's Monday

Hello my friends.

Hope all is well with you 

in your neck of the woods.

 

Bob pulled out a bunch of

bins from the garage for me...

and in one of them I found these

bunnies which I had stitched, 

painted and coffee stained.

They were not put together...

so I did that.

Kept one and put the rest in the store.

Isn't he just adorable in his sleeping position.

Then I decided to get out my crochet hook.

Crocheted these eggs with the 

yarns I had leftover.

I had fun crocheting these.

I only had enough blue for one egg though.

Both these items will re-appear

in my Spring displays.

Stay tuned.

In other news,

Michele took Michael to ER on Saturday.

He had developed a very large bulge

in his stomach area and was hard as a rock.

It was found that he had a hematoma.

Am sure his many bruises from the accident

caused this internal blood clot.

He will be alright...but once again am mad

that this drunk girl who hit him is probably

going about her business, while my grandson

is still feeling the affects.

Over the weekend I also saw my tulips

popping out of the ground.

YAY Spring is finally here.

My neighbors Forsythia is also starting to bloom.

My mom will be here on Wednesday.

She is bringing soup for her and Bob 

to eat for lunch.

I am taking both she and Bob to their

eye surgeon appt. on Thursday.

My mom will stay with us til Friday,

so we will take her out to dinner

both Wed. and Thur.

She wants Chinese, so that will be one dinner.

Well my friends, have to get ready for work.

Hope you all have a marvelous week.

Monday Blessings To All!

Janice

Splint Baskets

 Hello friends.

Today I wanted to share with you

the various splint baskets I have.

You may wonder what the heck is a splint basket.

A splint is a thin strip of wood.

These splints were mostly made from 

oak, ash and hickory trees.

Native Americans in the Eastern tribes

first brought these well made baskets into fruition.

They came in all kinds of sizes.

mostly square, but there are some round ones.

This is my biggest one.

This one someone whitewashed.

This one has seen better days...

but I still love it.

Large splints.

Smaller splints.

I love them all.

In other news,

Carla asked about my daughter.

She has not even mentioned 

her headache issue to me lately

 since Michael's car accident.

Maybe her focusing on him has made

them go away.

I will have to ask her.

Bob put the antique store up 

for sale again.

He had an offer....a dumb one.

This guy wanted to purchase our building,

have Bob sign a 10 year lease and continue

running the business.

Say what?

Why would we do that when we dont

pay rent now, we own the building 

with no mortgage and we want to sell.

The nerve of some people just amazes me.

Yesterday morning we had freezing rain.

Bob told me to come home because it was

getting bad...so I left work before lunch.

Drove in it for a few miles,

but by the time I reached home it was raining.

Thank goodness.

The thunderstorms rolled in the evening,

and then another round early this morning.

Sunday night out towns tornado alarm

went off just before a thunderstorm arrived.

We were not sure why because it was

really not that bad....I have seen worse,

and also been in a tornado before.

Crazy weather.

Well  have to get ready to go back to work.

April Blessings To All!

Janice

Sunday Starts

 Hi my friends!

Well I just have two new starts today.

Decided I better start working on my saltboxes.

I actually gave up on the Winter one.

Did not like it and felt it was way too small.

So round two working on the Spring ones.

Starting with this one first.

This time I chose a 28 count fabric

instead of a 36 count.

Am loving this stitch now.

Will have to decide if I am going to stitch

all of that white.

It is meant to look like and old 

Polaroid would have looked like.

Next up is Spring Delivery.

This is the sister pattern to

the other bunny am working on. 

Have two chicks stitched.

Then started on the bunny.

Will backstitch the tail as well as the other one.

Just not sure what color yet. 

In other news,

updates on Michael.

The gashes on his legs have become infected.

He is now on antibiotics for this.

The doctor wants to see him in two weeks.

The ortho doctor put his foot in a boot.

He has to go back to see him in three weeks.

He started having another issue.

It is very hard for him to sit and stand now.

Appt has been made to see a back doctor.

Michele received the police report.

It stated that they did take the little girl

by ambulance to the hospital.

She does not know anything else,

so we hope she is alright.

The drunk driver was driving someone else's car.

Does that surprise me...not really.

She is out on bond, but am guessing since 

she already had warrants out,

that she will skip this hearing as well...

and have another warrant out.

It is a pattern with her it seems.

Michael's boss told him to take 

care of himself and not to come back

until he is fully ready two.

At least he has a nice boss.

Friday we had a round of thunderstorms

come in the afternoon. The first time this Spring.

We had rain off and on yesterday.

Looks like more rain today.

Well you know what I will be doing.

First need to make some breakfast.

Omelets with some spinach,

sausage and cheese.

Dinner tonight will be bbq pork sandwiches

with a salad.

I made some homemade 

blueberry vinaigrette dressing last night.

Made a salmon salad with it...

so I want to use it up as it only lasts a few days.

Sunday Spring Blessings to All!

Janice

 

Whippy Wednesday

 Hello all my friends!

Today am showing my 

WIP's (Work In Progress) for the month.

This was my start on Viola Martini.

Am doing this one to remember

 my great grandmothers for

my heritage wall.

Making a lot more progress.

Stitched all of my maternal great grandmother's.

Now just starting on my paternal ones.

Then either I finish with the last row of alphabets,

or I decide to start the motifs at the bottom.

The pic also shows a border, however 

the pattern did not.

I do like that border, so may stitch it in at the end. 

I did not really mind doing this all in red.

It was a variegated cranberry...

which is hard to tell in my pics.

The fabric is a mottled grayish green.

Next up is Sarah Casey Unwin.

This one I decided to do for the verse.

It will not be for my heritage wall.

This was my start.

I work on this one most Saturday's.

Finished the flower in the middle.

Was not a fan of the peach which was called for

in some of the petals.

I opted for a different shade of pink.

The birds were done in peach.

I almost frogged them out, but will leave them.

The pattern repeats on the right,

so will make the other birds peach too...

but this will be the only peach I will stitch.

Then there is Lucky Ewe.

Originally chose my own colors.

When I got to the basket,

I must have tried a dozen different colors

to stitch that shamrock in the middle.

Nothing I chose worked. UGH

So back to the drawing board I went.

Started all over on a piece

of 28 count Green Sapphire linen.

Went and bought the called for floss,

instead of the colors I chose.

Started this time at the bottom,

then worked my way up.

I know St Patrick's Day is over now...

but will continue to stitch

thru the end of the month as much

as possible...then save the rest for next year.

This is more of the truer colors of linen.

Am much happier with the results...

and as they say...when mama is happy,

everybody is happy. LOL

Also hooked a bit more on Potted Plant.

I used two different wools for the leaf.

Hard to believe these were the colors.

A cream wool for the stem.

In other news,

my grandson Michael was in a

car accident Sunday night.

He was hit by a drunk driver who also

had her 2 year daughter in the car

without being restrained in a car seat.

He was taken to the hospital.

God was with him.

He has big gashes and bruising

all over and only a broken toe.

I don't want to show the pics,

because the huge gashes even disturbed me.

They kept him overnight at the hospital

for observation.

The drunk driver was alright of course,

but thankfully as well so was her daughter.

His car is totaled.

When my daughter got to the scene and saw

his car she thought the worst.

The police officer pointed 

to his car and told Michele that was 

the person who did it.

This had been her 5th DUI now.  

Her blood alcohol level was .20

Anything over .08 BAC 

(blood alcohol content) here

in Michigan is considered drunk driving.

She was screaming to get out of the car.

At this point I think her little daughter needs 

to be taken from her for her own safety.

Michael is on meds for pain now.

We hope the gashes heal without getting infected.

He is very sore as well.

Please say a wee prayer if you can 

for that little girl.

She needs to be in a home that will 

truly take care of her.

Michael is still in pain and trying to rest.

He has a good job and will be getting 85%

of his pay for being off on disability.

They are also giving him a food allowance

of $20 per day which I though was nice...

even though my daughter will be helping

with his meals.

Once he starts feeling better, he will

need to look for another car. 

Cars can be replaced, but lives cannot.

The girl who hit him is already out on bail...

hopefully she will not kill someone 

as I am sure it will happen again.

She truly needs the book thrown at her.

 Blessings To All!

Janice