Sidetracked.....

I was on my way somewhere.....

 

 

 (I see you, do you see me???)

 (Does this silo make me look fat???)

 

But I got sidetracked....

I never did reach my destination....

   

  ....Or, perhaps, I did....

Day Tripping.....

The past 5 months (i.e., all of 2013 so far) have been pretty stinky.  I've been struggling with some health issues and, besides being poked, prodded, x-rayed, and scanned, I just have felt like doo doo.

But, while not actually on the road to "recovery," I have finally started to feel a wee bit better....And this past week, even went on a little road trip with one of my besties....Cathy from Red Barn Rugs.

Where did we go??

Where do we usually go??

Country Freckles in Wisconsin Rapids of course!!

I LOVE going there - and this trip was extra fun for some reason.

Maybe because I hadn't been there in so long....maybe because I hadn't been ANYWHERE in so long?? Maybe because Joni had so many wonderful new things and the company was just what I needed??

In any event, it was a positively delightful day.

Since I was there last, Joni added on a wonderful little coffee shop or tea room....

I wish I had one iota of her decorating finesse....Is this just not the sweetest thing?

 

 (This is Deb, one of the beautiful barristas....)I

Of course, there was hooking going on (not by me, mind you...)

   (One of Cathy's newish designs called "Cottage Garden" - love the braided edge finish....)

And an ingenious lumbar pillow Cathy designed - oh my heck - this feels WONDERFUL on the back of your chair!!! I may have to do one....although I'm not sure my hands can handle the proddy edge.....

Kris O'Day brought along Olivia....isn't she sweet?

A couple of little appliqued book covers Cathy did:

I really thought I took more photos, but guess I was too busy shopping.  I did find a special treasure (and yeah, Cath, I know I owe ya BIG time!!!)....Hopefully I'll be able to show it to you soon (haven't told Daddy Crow about it yet, so it's still in hiding.....One thing good about driving a Hummer...it means he doesn't go in the garage....)

Happy Weekend!!!

(PS - Regarding my last post...I had some good chuckles at some of your suggestions....lizard, dinosaur, armadillo....but, actually, it is the south end of northbound SNAKE....One of our infamous "pine" snakes (Western Fox snakes).  I'd take any of the aforementioned critters me thinks over a snake.  Have I mentioned, I HATE snakes????) Yes, they're back......)

Another Summer in Nod....

You all do know what this means, right?

Summertime's off to a squiggly, wiggly, start in Nod....

:o(

Too Soon Gone.....

In the smell of a newly cut field of hay,

the taste of freshly picked, sun warm, strawberries,

the happy face of a Jonquil,

the words of a Ferlin Husky song....

...there are times when I know as surely as anything that you are still standing right there next to me.

Happy Father's Day Dad....I miss you so.

The Colors of Spring....

The colors of spring mesmerize me....

The chartreuses: 

 

(Note:  Blackish/brownish blob = bear.....)

Emerald greens:

  

(Note:  Blackish/brownish blob = humming bird....)

Glorious pinks:

Seas of yellow:

(Definitely liking the pinks more than the yellows....)

And orange and yellow:

And reddish-orange:

(RIP mailbox....)

But some of my favorite things are still black and white:

 

Wishing you all a colorful spring....and a blessed holiday weekend....

 

Remembering.....

Collections ~ Part Four (I Think???)

A long (LONG) time ago, I undertook to share some of my collections on a monthly or so basis....Then "it" happened (you know, the part where I fell into the Great Abyss, never to be heard from for months on end???)  Well, since I'm trying to pull myself back up and outta the big, black, hole of nothingness, I thought it would be a good time to revive the tradition.  

Le'see....I think I left off on Part 3....so this makes Part 4, no?

Books....

Old books....

Wanna distract me for hours and hours on end?  Plop me down in a place with old books (or an old cemetery!) and you're good to go...for a good long time.

Anywho.....here are a few of the ones in my collection.  I do have separate collections of old Halloween books and children's Christmas books - but those will have to wait for another day....

 

 

I tend to gravitate toward old bibles, catechisms, and other religious books:

 (Leather teacher's edition bible - undated)

 

 

 (Heidelberg Catechism - undated, but inscribed 1885)

I have a particular fondness for old leather bounds:

  

This is one of my oldest and very favorites:  The Christian's Manual - 1801

  It is bound in leather like a fabric covering and hand-stitched.....

 

Little red leather bible - 1852

 

I also love old school books and readers:

 

Particularly those that retain their old calico and homespun fabric coverings (hearkening to a day when books were treasures to be kept and cherished):

  

 

 

  

Old medical books:

(Gray's Anatomy Descriptive and Surgical - 1870; Maternity: A Book For Every Wife and Mother - 1887)

 

Old cookbooks:

 

 (The Housekeeper Cookbook - 1894)

 

Large books:

(Catholic Truth - 1897 - It measures 12" x 10")

It has some gorgeous illustrations:

Note crow-like bird over his shoulder.  ;o)

 

Small books:

(From the Little Leather Library Collection)

Just plain, old, good reading books:

 

Well.....uhmmm.....yeah....I guess you get the idea.

Books.

Love 'em.....

Wishing you all a wonderfully blessed Mother's Day!!