White Lilacs On Blue

This is another card I made only with white lilacs. Carolyn, I didn't press them flower by flower...lol. I press them in little clumps, and then rearrange them on paper. It isn't very hard. Actually, the blue card makes them look quite a bit whiter than they really are...they are sort of an off-white. Still and all, it's the first time I've had white lilacs since we sold our farm.

I haven't been out to pick anything in the past couple of days. We've had rain showers quite a bit. I need to get out when the sun is shining. Some of my roses are in bloom and I need to get them pressed.

Bob came home early today. He came in the kitchen and his hand was all wrapped up. He had gouged his hand open while at work. It was pretty icky, and so he went to the E.R. to have stitches. As long as that takes, he probably won't be home for awhile. I offered to go with him, but he knows that's a strain on me....but I would if he'd wanted me to, that's for sure. I would do anything for him. He's the love of my life.

I guess we had some excitement in the neighborhood this morning. Our neighbor across the alley had police cars, the FBI, reporters and drug-snifing dogs at his home. He is a really nice guy, and I'd lay a bet that a lying neighbor, who has reported him before for noise disturbance set this whole thing up. It is so ugly when people don't get along, and the two have almost built up a war between themselves.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Love to all....

Lavender Blue Lilacs

This spring, I finally had all my lilacs bloom. It's taken years for the three in the front to come to life. I had this lavender-blue, a white, and a pink. The pink hardly ever press well, but the lavender-blue and the white did. It's too bad that I didn't get too many of them before the rains came because they were shredded by it, and the wind. Oh, well....such is life, I guess.

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I couldn't get any images to upload. I don't know if it was a Google glitch, or if my pictures were too large.

Not much going on with me. I've been really been tired, for some reason. I have hardly been able to do a thing. I took naps during the day, which is really unlike me.

I hope everyone has had a good day!

Love to all.....

Hydrangea and Astrantia Wreath Card Topper

I finished this yesterday. I hope it isn't too thick to be laminated, as I do the rest. I completed a full 5.5 x 8.5 card, as well, and will probably show it tomorrow.

Haven't heard a lot from C or S. I know C is visiting her son. Wonder how S is doing?

Today is the first day of summer....or, at least, at 6:59 pm. It's going to be pretty hot at almost 90, and with uncomfortable humidity. The rest of the weekend is going to be cooler, and just in the 80's.

Bob has today off because the shop he works at is closed for the day. His bosses decided to go to the races...where ever that might be. Still and all, it's good to have him home.

Not too much else is new, as usual.

Hope everyone has a good Friday, and a wonderful weekend.

Love to all...

Just Another Day

Thursday Afternoon....

I don't know what these flowers are, but I have to thank Sue Morris for sending them to me. She lives in MN, and is the nicest person. Anyway, I did this arrangement a few days ago, but forgot what I had named it. I know now I called it "Wildflowers." They sort of look like a form of Salvia, I think.

Yesterday, I worked on two cards. One, I finished and will show tomorrow, probably; the other one is still in a working stage.

I guess I'm sort of starting from scratch in making these little card toppers. I had that long dry spell, so I'm just doing designs that come easiest to me. I still haven't figured out what to do with the giraffes I worked so long and hard on. I hope something comes to me...and, sometimes, it never does.

There's a chance of showers for the next three days. The percentages are low, but every time they forecast that, we have storms with a vengeance. This will put a further burden on those south of us who are being flooded. My heart goes out to them.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Love to all....

Fish School

Wednesday afternoon:

Here is a card topper I finished yesterday. I think it's rather unimaginative, but what the heck, right? Anyway, it was just an urge I had, and they come few and far between.

Yesterday, I went out and picked and pressed the small amount of flowers that survived the deluge of water. Pressing is really tedious, however, I'd rather not have to buy flowers. I just don't have the money for that, anymore.

I've, also, been working on three giraffes that I made from fungus (bought on KC's site). I haven't figured out any backgrounds, yet, although I've looked at enough pictures.

I went to S's blog site and saw two really gorgeous cards she made. Wow, she is so talented! I'd like to be her when I grow up. She has such imagination and creativity.

Tomorrow, we have our first garbage pick-up in about three weeks. It will be such a relief. Bob and I are "paper" people, and thus, accumulate a lot of that type of crap. Needless to say, things have really been piling up.

We're finally having a dry-out period. It's been three of the first days this week. It's been lovely, with the sun shining and everything. The rivers and streams are still out of their banks, and it will be awhile before everything is back in order. I so pity and pray for the people that lost everything. While their immediate needs are being taken care of...food and water....there will be no money to repair or replace everything they lost, despite being declared FEMA disaster areas. If I ever hit the lottery, I would help those people out.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Love to all....

Iowa Flooding of 2008

I just saw the news at noon, and they said that 83 counties out of 99 have been declared state disaster areas. That is so not surprising. I'm sure it will be more since the rivers in Southern Iowa haven't crested. It's going to be declared a FEMA emergency. I can only hope that they don't handle Iowa like they did in New Orleans. Of course, this is a state rather than a city.

The Waterloo/Cedar Falls rivers have gone down a little, so that is a relief. Today...for a big change...it's not raining, and, hopefully, we will have a dry spell.

Yesterday, I spent some time going through my presses. I had flowers from last year that were still in there. I was so disappointed that so many of my roses were discolored. Of course, they were moisture saturated last year, too. There doesn't seem a way to do anything about it, unless I color enhance them. I don't think they are worth the effort, though.

Today, we have to take the dogs to the vet so they can get booster shots. Even if we don't get medical treatment, we make sure the dogs do. Bob gave them haircuts, and we both gave them baths, so they are fresh and clean. Dabby, our oldest dog, hates being clipped, and bathed so it's a real struggle to do him. Cookie has a more nonchalant attitude about it, thank goodness.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Love to all......

The Floods of 2008

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather

Bob turned on the washing machine to do some laundry, and the water was black. Obviously, the water system is bad. They haven't put any announcement on the news, yet, but we won't be using tap water for awhile.

It's been raining all day, and the forecast looks like more heavy rain for the days to come. The whole of Waterloo zone...City Hall, and many more blocks...has been evacuated. The loss of our storage shed is so small compared to what the rest of Waterloo/Cedar Falls is going through. Please keep the people who have lost homes in your thoughts and prayers.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

Love to all....

Zinnias and Montebretia

This is a picture I just finished. I started it as the first quilt patch. Unfortunately, I ran out of zinnia and noticed it was getting way too thick. I really didn't do a good job with this.

We just got some bad news. As you know, there is major flooding here, and in surrounding areas. We had a storage shed, which held all our furniture and antiques from my grandmother, mother and step-father's mother. The shed is completely underwater. We had all that stuff up at the farm, but had no room here when we moved. I am really devastated. We didn't have any insurance on the storage shed, either....so it looks like we'll have to take a total loss. Who would have thought that the waters would get this high? Flood stage for the river in our town is 99 feet. It's predicted to crest (if we get no more rain, and that isn't likely) at 103.5 feet. No one around here has ever seen it get this bad...it's broken all records.

Well, isn't that dismal news? Wish I could think of a happier topic, but basically, I write whatever is going on at the time.

Hope you're having a good Tuesday!

Love to all....

Quilt Square #2

Saturday Afternoon....

Not much going on with me today. It is 87 and extremely humid. I had to turn on the air conditioning for the first time this year. Hot makes me cranky...lol! There's a 50% chance of more rain today....and rain every day for the next 7 again.

Bob and I went out for a drive, yesterday, after I had my doctor's appointment. The amount of flooding is amazing. Corn fields look like the oceans. It looks like this years crop is ruined. Corn and soy beans will be at a premium this year, as much as anything else, wouldn't you know.

The quilt square above is made with bits of QAL, coral bells and fern. The pot, itself, is of banana skin. I sort of like the color...to me, it looks "country."

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Love to all.....

Quilt Square #1

Thursday afternoon, 6/5/08

This is one of the two 6 x 6 projects that I made for support of the CA 2008 Conference. If they were going to be judged, I don't think I would have done it.

I don't know what the flowers are, but I used buds, flowering, and older blooms. It's supposed to show diversity, since the Guild has young to older members. It probably won't make sense to anyone but me, though...lol!

Another day of dark skies, and rain. I don't even remember the last time I saw sunshine.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Love to all.....