Wonderful Fall Giveaway

Hi ladies,hope that your evening is going well.I have been working again today in the craft room.I am making progress as you can now see patches of the floor.LOL! 

I wanted to share a wonderful giveaway being hosted by Blessings in The Country .It is certainly an awesome blog and the giveaway will blow you away.Jessica is offering a wonderful Autumn cross stitch , a tea stained muslin bag with sweet annie,two grubby candles and some awesome Halloween melts.Told ya it would blow you away. If you are not familiar with the blog please check it out.Hugs,Jen

Hooked Rug Tutorial

Hey ladies if you are like me and interested in learning how to rug hook then I know just the place that you need to head to...Hungry Hook Primitives. That sweet Margie is doing a tutorial on rug hooking  and if that is not enough she is doing a fun giveaway. So come ladies what are you waiting for ...go and visit Margie.She has already posted the first installment and it sure is interesting .I 'll see you there ! Hugs,Jen

Hey there blogging friends!

I just wanted to drop by and say hello.I know that I have been missing a lot  here in blog land but I have tried to stay off the computer so that I can work on my craft room.I did not know that there was so much crafting junk   supplies in that room.That is what happens  though when you like to do a bit of everything.My true passion used to be painting gourds and  while I still love it ,I haven't done much of it in the last few years . There has been something that has seem to be missing in my life and it is my crafting I think...I used to spend hours everyday painting or creating things.  I let other things slowly push that part of my life to the side.Once that room is organized that is going to change.It is going to be good to be able to find things when I need them and not spend hours searching for this or that .I do not like clutter and want everything to have a home and my crafting room has been such a mess for a long time. It  is slowly coming together and when it is finished I will post pics,it is nothing fancy but it brings happiness to my life.LOL!( most days)

Below are a few pics of some of the gourds that I painted a few years ago .I am going to be putting them up in storage as they are what were left from my last show .If you should see something that you would be interested in please email me or leave a comment and I will give you a price and the dimensions. The price will not be expensive ,I promise, everything is $25.00 and less . I have many more than those pictured below if you would like to see more just let me know.

Weekend Road Trip

Hi friends ,my goodness but it is a beautiful day here in the bluegrass state. The sun is shining and the temps are really nice and comfortable. 

My nephew had decided to move to Texas about 5 weeks ago and for a while it was fine ,then he became homesick .Friday my hubby and I were working in my craft room ,when my BIL called and asked hubby if he would go to Texas with him to pick up my nephew .Hubby agreed and  a short time later it was decided that hubby and I would make the trip. My BIL is not in the best of health.This was going to be a drive straight there and back trip as my husband had to be home for work on Monday. We googled too find directions and a time line it said that it was a 13 hour trip.Okay no problem we can do that with a break or two planned in the schedule.Boy was the internet wrong!It turned out to be an 18 1/2 hour trip making it  37 hours round trip.We left our home Friday at 6:30 pm and basically did not stop driving until we returned home  on Sunday around noon. Exhausted does not cover how we felt ,LOL! My hubby had to do all the driving ,poor man. My nephew has had it explained that if he should decide to move away again ,that he better pick someplace closer to home .That this aunt and uncle team was not making this a habit.Move that far again and you are on your own.Do you think he bought it ? LOL! 

Here are a few pics that I took while we were driving ,so they are not the best.Texas is a big open place but it is having an extreme drought.I was shocked by how dry things were there. While we were there, my SIL drove up and we did get to have dinner with her.It was a real treat to see her and it made the drive  worth it for hubby to be able to see his sister.

No fair ! My nephew slept most of the way home.Hehehehee!

My hubby and his sister.Sorry about the quality .I was sitting on the sidewalk ,not feeling the best.


While it was an exhausting trip it was fun .It may have been our first time in Texas but it is not the last  .We are planning  on returning when we can have a more leisurely time and take Gretchen.She was in quite a snit when we got home.Have a wonderful week friends.Hugs,Jen

Another Awesome Giveaway Win

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Millie

Hi blogging buddies.I have been trying to get this post up all day but we have had server problems.This is going to be short and sweet because I am afraid that we will loose service once more.LOL! As many of you know that I recently was one of the winners of OLM's giveaway. Yippee! Yes, I was very excited because the winners got one of her handmade dolls. What can I say except that Marie is one very talented lady ! Millie arrived home yesterday after a hot day of traveling.She was everything I thought she would be and more.She smelled so nice and I  can't wait for Fall .I would love to show you pics of how nicely she was wrapped but I was excited and forgot that I even own a camera! Sorry! I will show you were I have temporarily placed Millie.I love her and Marie you have my heart felt thanks!!! I am so honored to have one of your dolls residing in my home.

I am blessed to have won this awesome doll and I am blessed to call you all friends! Have a wonderful weekend...may it be filled with many blessings! Hugs,Jen

A Birthday Wish and Memories

August  is here already and I am wondering what happened to  July . Wow ,where does time go anymore? I warn you that this is a long post and may be a tad rambling.Today is a bittersweet day for me ,it would have been Daddy's 76th  birthday . Three years ago today, we were told that daddy would not see another birthday as he had a malignant brain tumor  located in the center of his brain.We were shocked and saddened by the news.We had noticed  that in the weeks prior to this diagnosis  that he had not been himself. I was washing dishes and looked out my  kitchen window to see Daddy  face down in a row of green beans.His legs were sticking up in the air and that was all I could see, scared me silly !This was the first evidence that something was off with him.No amount of pleading would get him to go and be checked out by his doctor. On Wednesday of the following week (from his first fall) Daddy fell in the bathroom and cut his arm deeply and we finally convinced him that he had to go to the ER  ...this was after telling him that I would not stitch his arm.Then on Friday we were told the awful news,Daddy was never aware what was wrong... he thought that he had just got to hot . He passed away on Wednesday morning so we had 6 1/2 days with him before his fight ended.What a blessing to know that he passed away without suffering as much as he could have with his illness.He did not seem to be in much pain and I knew it was prayers being answered. Daddy had not been able to see or speak for the last few days of his life.For a while on the morning he passed,we were alone and while I was holding his hand he turned his head toward me to say, going home and I love you.I thought he was telling me I needed to go home as I basically  had not left his side since he went into the hospital.Those were the last words he ever spoke.This had to be a gift from Daddy and God as he passed only a few hours later.

This is  a picture of daddy doing what he loved most...farming. This man was my father ,my friend ,and my  teacher.He may not have been a perfect man but he was the perfect daddy for me. Growing up I was blessed with the fact that he and Mom were always home everyday. There were very few days in my life that I was not able to see my dad and talk with him. Watching the way he treated Mom taught me how a husband should treat his wife. Having him as a father showed me how to be a parent to my own son.We were a close family and if there was work to be done on the farm then we all pitched in and helped. He taught me that if you were going to do something then do it right or don't do it.He always told me that there was nothing you could not do if you wanted it bad enough. As a schoolgirl he was my hero, as  I grew older  and I saw his faults  he was still my hero.

After my marriage I still lived by my parents and continued to help them on the farm .If Daddy was working outside ,I was there and if  he saw that I was doing something then  he was there to help me.To be honest no one was able to make me as mad as quickly as he could.LOL! We always spoke our minds,angry or not  and continued to work side by side. There were many times when  I was sick that  I would see him coming across the yard caring  a plate of food for me. He was always here for me and I miss him terribly but I  rejoice in the fact that he is no longer in pain. One of the things I remember most about Daddy was his hands. As a child they seemed so big and as an adult they were so work worn but I always loved his hands.I have seen him catch a wasp to  keep it from stinging me and I have felt those same hands gently wiping my brow while I was feverish.Daddy was as tough as they came and afraid of nothing ,other than a frog.LOL! That one fact has always amazed me ,how could you catch snakes, or a wasp and be afraid of a frog? There were many times in my  life  that Daddy  rescued me from a spider and never told me I should not be afraid of it.

I know that this has been a longish post and may seem sad but I don't mean it that way.I just wanted to give you some history and to introduce you to him. Daddy lived his life in the way he chose and he did what made him happy , not many have that luxury.I choose to remember the good days we had together and not be sad.Even though he may not be here ,I still talk to him daily and feel he is still watching over me.While going through his death ,a close friend  asked me this question ... did you ever wonder why you had him so long? That struck me hard and made me realize that even though he had died I had much to be thankful for in the blessing of having had him so long.Thank you for taking the time to read this post ,and I  hope that you will join me in wishing him a happy birthday. Happy Birthday Daddy! Hugs,Jen