Surfacing For Air!

I think the Lord must want me to learn how to sew...... and do it well that is! The past two Mondays' I have spent cutting out and making several skirts from material that I had forgotten that I had. The rest of the past weeks' were spent doing some sewing for a friend.
Now, the only thing is that I go into Greenville every Thursday for a Horn lesson and to clean several houses. Now, the reason that I think the Lord wants me to learn how to sew is that the past two Thursdays have been cancelled due to one thing or another and I've been able to got a TON of sewing done with this "extra" day now open!!!! It's been great!

"Almost Done!"
This skirt pattern is my all time favorite! It has a yoke instead of a waistband and drapes so gracefully! It's full and allows me to curl up on my bed or in the sofa without being immodest!
I've made it out of corduroy, flannel, and now this "slick" fabric with success!

"Next on My To Make List"
I aquired this pattern over the weekend and am eager to make it!

"Which Shall I Make?"
Well, I want the pin tucks but I'm not so sure about that ruffle...... I'll probably make View A without the ruffle for this first time around. I'll confer with Momma about using a short sleeve pattern piece from another pattern next time (Hancocks has some beautiful rayon fabric that would look terrific in this pattern!!! I'm just waiting for a coupon!)

"The Fabric"
Momma bought me some "dull satin" (on sale of course!) several months ago and I think it will work well with this pattern! Oh...... writing this is getting me excited!!! I think I'd better quit before I ignore my conscience and begin work on this blouse!!

I must finish my current project......

Waiting for Spring

Last Years Garden Drew Many a Butterfly!
If you were to have observed me the past few weeks, you would have found me with my head in a nursery catalogue, garden magazine, or a butterfly book. It seems that this time of year is when the nurseries decide (or plot) that their catalogues need to be delivered to our doorstep, thus inducing "spring fever" on many a poor soul. I am among those who have this fever creeping up on them. At least I live in the south and can do something to try and abate this "illness"!

A Primrose!

Now, nursery's' aren't the only places that put out their plants for all to see (although they are in catalogues).... NO, Lowe's also happens to think that we need plants.... NOW!
To make a long story short, Mama and I went to Lowe's two weeks ago for curtain rods and came home with nine primroses for our gardens (in addition to curtain rods!)!

Delightful!
I have a real weakness for cheerful looking plants especially if I'm in a garden center! This is why I buy through nurseries!
I've been planning my garden around drawing butterflies and birds this summer, so I've neglected to plan for the spring flowers. Thankfully I got four primroses that will bring a little color in for quite a few weeks! The one we bought will form large clumps, bloom through the spring and possibly into early summer, and are so cheerful that they make me smile each time I walk past them!

"Poise and Serenity"
Right now the primroses are being kept inside as we've had some very cold weather. I'm hoping to put mine out in my garden during the next week or two. They like full sun while the air is cold and part shade when it gets warm. They are very tolerant of being transplanted which is a good thing because there is always the possibility that I will be moving them around!!! :o)
Did you know that Primroses signal the start of spring? They are botanically called "primula" as they are the first flowers to bloom in the spring!
Oh my....... how much longer till I can be found with my hands in the dirt and the sun on my back..........

Guest Post

Since I have finally succumbed to the sickness that has been making its' rounds through our family, Sayre kindly agreed to do today's' blog post! He took all the pictures and is doing this himself so that I can run to the Post Office and then go "take it easy"!
So with out any further ado....... here is his post!

He has fifteen rabbits and they are all mini Rex except unless otherwise stated.

This is Stormy. She is the rabbit Ashley gave me for Christmas a year ago. This is the rabbit that started my colonies. She has had two litters in the past year. She LOVES to eat and likes boxes in her cage so she can sit on top and get away from the babies.

This is Stormy's' second litter (there is a brown one missing). Their hair doesn't lay flat and adds to their already funny looks! They are very friendly and will greet you at the door!

This is Ruger. He is the Daddy rabbit. He is shy but likes to sniff everything.

This is Maxy Mag- she was Ashley's' rabbit at one time. She has had two litters but the most recent one didn't survive due to the cold weather. Her hair is long and soft. She likes to be held and is very friendly.

This is Maxy Mag Jr. and she looks and acts like her Mom. She's adventurous and likes to be with small dogs. She likes follow her sister around their cage!
This is Teddy and is Maxy Mag Jr. sister. Her fur is white on her stomach and chin, and has a cotton tail. She LOVES to explore and is funny. She really like to jump out of the cage so that she can get out and explore!
This is Doe-Shot. She is the from Stormy's first litter. She like to run and loves to be pet.
This is Smokey and she is a Lion Head. She likes to greet you when you come up to the cage. She's easy to scare though. She likes to jump out the cage door whenever it's left open.
This is my un-named rabbit. She is a Lion Head mix and looks like she could use a haircut! She is shy and likes her hay in her food bowl.

This is Lila and she is Ashley's Dog. She likes to play and is not obedient when she's happy and wound up! She waits for me to come into her pen and get the rabbits water every morning!

I look forward to doing another post whenever Ashley lets me!

Just A Note

For the past week a cold has been making its' round in our family. Yesterday was my turn to feel awful and so, I made a nest to curl up in and went to grab my book. This is what I found on my return two minutes later!

"Ni-Ni Asseee"......
were the words that greeted me on my return! Sawyer had claimed my nest as his own (never mind the fact that he had gotten up from his nap half an hour before!) and he was to cute and innocent for me to "displace" him.
He plays "Ni-Ni" after each nap; he spreads his blanket out, grab the pillows off the sofa, lays down, and start "snoring"!

It's great fun having a two year old in the house!

In the Sewing Room

The past several days have found Momma and I in the sewing room sharing the sewing machine, iron, and chairs while listening to "In Freedoms' Cause" by G.A. Henty. It's been delightful!

Momma has been working on several little outfits that she's making for someone and she's just about done with them! She would really like to start on the curtains for the sewing room next but that isn't going to work, as the fabric isn't washed and the washing machine is broken!
I was able to get a skirt cut out and made yesterday which I find amazing as it usually takes me two days to do complete!

Momma just recently moved into her sewing room and yesterday she started the decorating process. Plants will love this room as it receives bright light all day!

Today I started making cooling cloths for a friend. She needs four in the next day or two, so that's what I'm going to be doing tomorrow! The cloths are PERFECT for draping of fresh-from-the-oven breads and are so cute!

I got the material this afternoon and I have most of it cut out already!

There's allot of measuring and "figuring" to do as it has been quite some time since I last made one!
Believe it or not, there was a time when I absolutely positively despised sewing. I haven't quite done a total three-sixty on this subject, but I do find myself enjoying more and more! Especially if I don't make silly mistakes!

And Finally,
We've had our share of wet and cold weather lately, BUT, the daffodils are insistent on springing up! We found last spring that we have several different kinds of Daffodils that bloom all through early spring up until April or May! They are planted all over and we love being surprised at where they come up! The varieties are amazing too!
I can't wait till spring!

Catching Up on the Past Several Days.

The past several days have gone by like a whirlwind. I still can't believe that it's the beginning of a new week already. Where do the days go?

As you can tell, all the snow that fell during Wednesday night had begun to melt by Thursday morning. You couldn't even tell that we had had a "winter storm" by noon on Thursday!

I love watching the snow fall........ I love how it muffles all the noises around you and makes you feel all alone in the world. I love how it covers all of the imperfections and makes things look beautiful.

"Saturday Sewing with the Cat"
Moppet gravitates toward anything you are doing in the sewing room! Every time I turn my back to check the instructions, she decides to "take up residence" on what I'm working on! She'll even sleep behind the sewing machine WHILE you're sewing.
I did manage to get the "catch all bag" for my purse cut out and put together without "Moppey- Pussey" (pronounced mop-pay-poo-say) claiming it as her own.

The Finished Product! I'm rather proud of it at the moment!

Momma chose the fabric as I was having a really hard time deciding what to get and what went together.

Momma and I each bought an Amaryllis from the Jackson Perkins Outlet store on Friday, and Mommas' is starting to bloom! It's beautiful and adds so much to the entryway!
Have a blessed Sunday!

Guess What????!

Friends~ What has seemed impossible to the kids/young adults in our family is happening!!!! It's SNOWING in Abbeville county!!!!!!!!

It started around 6:30 and snowed off and on for about two hours. It has really picked up and has been snowing steadily for the past two hours now!! We're so excited!!

I hear that Greenville, which is forty miles "north" of us, has about an inch already! I'm hoping that the Lord will hear our prayers and cause us to be snowed in tomorrow, so that Daddy doesn't have to go to work (which is in Greenville).
So, we have a pile of fire in the back of the truck for a fire (you must have a fire each time it snows!) and we're hoping to wake up to an inch or so of the white stuff! Hoping but not counting on it for we know what can happen to snow in the south...... it melts.... fast!
Well... goodnight!

Picture Post

Dear Friends~I recently invested my money in a digital camera! I've been using the family's' camera for quite some time and it was time for my to get my own. The camera now stays in my pocket or at least someplace near by so that I can attempt to capture those moments that are so special in a family. I thought I'd share some of the pictures from the past two weeks and give you a glimpse into my life! Do Enjoy!

"Red Neck way to produce kindling?"
Sayre is usually the one to go find kindling for our fires, but apparently Trevor didn't want to wait that long! Board scraps work great and as the boys tell me, "you can't do anything with it so you may as well burn it"!

"Professional fire starter"
He should be a pro at it! Trevor was the main "build a fire man" at our old house, and has probably built a hundred fires in our fireplaces!
What is it about a cold night inside, curled up in front of the fire with a good book that evokes a sense of peace and tranquility?

"A Lesson in Balance and Agility"
A week ago yesterday, our dear friends dropped in on us as a surprise for both my Mom and her dear "Friend" (Friends husband concocted the plan and then let me know what was going on). The ladies had a wonderful visit, the boys (both big and small) had a ball, and the girls..... well....... lets' just say they like to laugh at me!
"See, this is how it works Victoria"
It was interesting to see Sawyer and Victoria interact with each other. They liked mashing the buttons on this old radio and following each other around.
"Jasper"
Mmmm..... yes, that's my dog. This is the kind of stuff that shows up on my camera when the boys use it. Sayre staged it all and somehow coerced Jasper into staying still and holding a hairbrush.......
"Pansy Time"
The pansies that I planted last fall are finally showing signs of visible growth! I can't wait to see them in bloom when spring arrives!

"Lila"
Yesterday was perfect gardening weather so I was out spreading mushroom compost, pulling weeds, and setting up a bench. Lila spent the afternoon tied to a bench near-by and every time I would look at her or just glance up, her tail would start wagging and her body start vibrating! Sadly, she's not much help in the garden....

"Mission Accomplished"
My garden doesn't look to good in the winter; I've been going through seed and nursery catalogues attempting to figure out what all I'm going to plant. I want to attract butterflies so I'm looking at plants for this purpose.

"Sound Asleep"
These two are like two peas in a pod! "The Boys" had been naughty and run off on Sunday night, and as a result I was unable to let them in. They slept all day yesterday!
This picture was just to cute!

I'm off now. There is more gardening to be done and brothers to chase around!

Going Back in Time, Part 2

Friday and Saturday of the Jamestown Quadricentennial Celebration was spent at Fort Pocahontas. Everyone gathered here for lectures, games, children's parades, the dedication of "The Children's Monument", and many other activities that took place during the two day period.

"Fort Pocahontas from the water"
When we took the boat tour on Tuesday, we actually left from Fort Pocahontas. In this picture you are literally looking up the hill to where the Children's Monument and the accompanying time capsule were placed and dedicated on Friday.

"Balloon Rides"
Hot air balloon rides were offered all week long and seemed to be a hot item! It was neat to actually watch the balloon and to hear the hot air being "pumped" into the balloon!

" Waiting in line"
On Friday, I took the kids on a "lets-find-out-what's-here" tramp over near the games and such. We found a "battle" going on that the all the kids took part in and was by far the "funnest" game of Jared and Davids' day!

"On Guard!"
Then we found a "game" where a young man would teach the kids how to sword fight. The boys were in "hog heaven"! Jared and David are all about swordfights, cowboys and indians, or just sneaking up on a person!

"Family Photo"
I've noticed that whenever a good "family photo" is taken, at least one member of the family happens to be missing! Here, Trevor, who had had to return back home, and Collin were missing.

Saturday:
Well, both us and our friends got a rather late start this morning. So by the time we left for the Fort it was probably after 1:00.
While us kids were waiting to leave...........
"The Hispanic version of Soccer"
No, the gun is fake! Don't ask me what's going on because I don't know!

"Ham-bone"
Isn't he cute???!

"Cutting out Labels"
Yes friends, I was working while on vacation! I had brought at least one hundred labels that I needed cut out and had found the perfect time to work on them!

" The Picnic Dinner"
My Mothers' Friend and her daughter, Bethany, told us not to worry about dinner as they wanted to "treat us out"!

"Mixing the Dressing"
Bethany has come up with a mayonnaise like concoction for sandwiches that is delicious! (Bethany, I need the recipe! Can you include it in the next letter?)

"Concentration"
Haviland did all sorts of things that were a help to her Mother. She's a sweet little girl that has a so much potential! I love it when "Havy" comes up and holds my hand as we're walking.......

"Our Fellow Picnickers"
I only know this lady as "the lady who holds Jane Austen balls", but she is a hoot!!! She, Mom, and Friend we're trading Jane Austen quotes all evening!
"Costumes"
Here again, Momma went nuts with all of the costumes that we're being worn! Ideas, Ideas, pictures, and Inspiration were what she came home with!
I'm glad I bought a bigger memory card before we left home!

Our family and Friends family parted ways on Sunday morning. Fond farewells were said and hugs exchanged among the ladies. We had a delightful week and a half with them (the first few days was spent at a home school conference) and it felt odd parting ways. They'd become like family.

I'll leave you with the quote on one side of the Tercentennial Monument:
"Lastly and Chiefly the way to prosper and achieve good success, is to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country and your own, and to serve and fear God the giver of all goodness. For every plantation which our Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out.
Advice of the London Council for Virginia, to the Colony-1606"