One World One Heart

~ OWOH 2010 ~

There are some things that simply make January and February better...chocolate, warmth, afternoon naps under toasty throws, a juicy orange. I'm sure you've got your own list and, probably, our lists overlap a tad.

Lisa Swifka is hosting, for the fourth year, One World One Heart and that's something that makes January and February better. The OWOH location has changed to her wonderful blog, A Whimsical Bohemian, and that's a good change. I love wandering around her blog, seeing her art and what's she's doing; she's incredibly talented and there's always inspiration to be found.

The primary purpose of OWOH is for kindred souls to find each other and, I believe, in the finding of each other, to encourage, uplift and, when you find kindred souls, to follow each other. The world is a frosty place but OWOH makes it a warmer place and the world a more comfy place. That's an enviable, but reachable, goal and last year more than nine hundred bloggers from twenty-eight countries took part in OWOH...WOW!

This is my third year and I'm proud to be a member of the OWOH community. It's true that not everyone always plays by Lisa's rules, nor does everyone always say "thank you"...shame on you, your Momma raised you better!...but that's okay. I'm only responsible for myself and my part. There are a few rules to form the OWOH community, to make it, hopefully, a better place for all involved. The event goes to 15 February; a good long time to visit everyone's blogs and see what's being given away.

God willing, at noon, EST, USA on 15 February, I'll announce Thistle Cove Farm blog winners. If something prevents me from making that announcement at noon, it will be made before midnight.

So...here's the giveaway list:

 

~ three emery boards with Frida's image - international

 

~ one mini-art quilt inspirational wall hanging - USA

~ two hand made felted, to be further embellished mug rugs - USA

~ one pair black pearl pierced earrings - international 

~ one pair purple and silver pierced earrings ~ USA

To enter my giveaway, please leave a comment. That's all. You don't have to follow but if you choose to, know you'll always be welcome and appreciated; you don't have to jump through hoops, you don't have to sign up for anything or visit a shop. You don't have to do anything...other than leave a comment and a way to contact you should your name be picked by the random  intgenerator.You have until noon, 15 February to comment. 

Thanks, Lisa, for One World One Heart. Thanks, Visitors, for coming by and hope you're inerested in winning one of my gifts. No matter how cold, snowy, icy, windy it is outside, OWOH makes it toasty warm and inviting inside. Welcome, all!

Until next time,

Blessings ~ Lisa Swifka ~ One World One Heart ~ visitors ~ Frida Kahlo ~ goodies to win ~ giveaways ~

Blog Land

~ every day, a new beginning ~

We're at that awkward time of year, the week between Christmas and New Year's when things are either piling on and we're scurrying like mice trying to finish out year of end projects or we're working on some serious down time. Funny how there never seems to be an in-between yet I'm trying to do both - finish projects and work on down time as well as get ready for my January adventure.

I've not mentioned the studio and haven't because it's seriously gloomy. Boscoe Mancat now lives in the studio, healing from God alone knows what, and he's doing much better. His paw pads have completely healed, his coat is looking better, his eyes are bright but he still acts like the spirit has just plumb gone out from him. He shows no interest, whatsoever, in heading back outside and that's fine with me. I still need to do a bit of housekeeping studio keeping in order to place his food and water dishes and litter pan where he can get to everything but I don't have to keep stepping over them and must be easy to swoop up when the dogs enter the studio. The dogs show a most unseemly interest in not only the cat food but also the litter pan. The studio is only 12x12 so it's going to take some pondering to place everything and still keep the dogs bed in the corner.

~ Thistle Cove Farm studio ~

Earlier this month we had some torrential rain storms and I showed photos of the flooding in the valley. What I didn't show you were photos of the studio when the rain blew so hard it soaked the wall, the rug, materials and other things. I'm still not ready to take photos of the interior, bear with me. sigh.

Enlisting help, the wet rug was pulled up, taken to the barn to dry and then we placed a small heater in the studio so, hopefully, the floor wouldn't warp.

It's best to never become too cocky or overly confident, eh? It all happened again The Very Next Week..."deju vu all over again" as Yogi Berra once said. BTW, if you're not familiar with Yogi Berra, please do visit the link; the man was a true wit as well as being an outstanding baseball player. Yep, torrential rain storm, studio flooding, rug/wall/materials soaked...again..., another rug pulled up and taken to the barn...sigh. So, between the rains and the eye injury, I've not been in the studio the entire month of December. I have, however, been amusing myself, most recently, on the i-net; visiting interesting blogs where people are doing some beautiful work. I've also been reading Somerset Publications, Interweave Press and going through my personal library; the county library has been getting some serious use as well.

It's stinkin' cold here, temps is hovering...and none too well...at about 20 above and the wind chill is flirting with zero, below zero actually. It's almost not worth getting out of bed especially as the bedroom temp was a frosty 47.7 degrees F above zero this morning. But I did crawl out of bed and I've finished morning chores and there are many, many things I should could ought to be doing but I'm going to spread some cheer so, please, visit these blogs. It's only a small sampling so enjoy!


KC Willis, Lipstick Ranch, had a fabulous 2009! She's discovered how much she enjoys teaching, she spreads plenty of joy, she's been published in many publications and made teaching DVD's. She's in Colorado and one of my goals is to take a class from her in her studio; what a blast that's going to be! Visit her, via the link above, and see what she's doing and, as importantly, where you can take a class. The Guardian Angel is her gift to anyone who spreads the news...so go ahead...check it out.

Vicki at Field Trips in Fiber is drawing to a close on her December challenge. Somehow I missed it and just found it today. Brave woman actually posted her 2010 goals! Go thou and do likewise and I'll think about it -grin-!

Jude at Spirit Cloth is always doing beautiful work; it's a visit that will spark your creative juices, to be sure.

I just found Bee Creative and have enjoyed my visits. Each year, she "adopts" a word to explore and then plans her projects with that word in mind. Her word for 2009 was "intersection" while her word for 2010 is "direction". It's an interesting concept, one I'll consider.

Jo, Where Women Create, has a visual stimulating blog and publication. She also has dozens, if not hundreds, of links to other visual stimulating and creative blogs and sites.

Beth's blog, Sew, Mama, Sew! appeals on a variety of levels and to a variety of people. Her Handmade Holidays III had tutorials, recipes and a plethora of give-aways; those daily links will keep me busy for months!

Purl Bee is far more creative than I'll ever be but I enjoy visiting, just the same.


Hand Eye ezine is a wonderful publication; very informative and well written.

K. Baxter Packwood is a serious artist who says, "the quilt is the medium, not the subject!" Hmmm, how interesting, I like it. I like it a lot!

Alicia, at Posie Gets Cozy, has a cheerful blog, full of wonder, smiles and good things to make.

Pam, Pam Warden Art, is a gifted woman whose art makes you h-a-p-p-y! It's worth a visit just to stretch your face.

Jenny Doh, former Editor in Chief and Director of Publishing for the Stampington and Company Publications is starting a new venture called Crescendoh and will certainly set the arts community on its ear. Again. She's one of those women you just know would intimidate the socks right off of you yet is, more than likely, as kind and down to earth as is possible. For certain, she has more energy than Superwoman and I'm looking forward to Crescendoh as well as the new Editor in Chief ??? for all those wonderful Stampington magazines.

Lisa Swifka is hosting One World, One Heart, for the fourth year, and that's always the highlight of any year's beginning. It takes place 25 January to 15 February; this will be my third year of participating and what FUN! There are always new blogs to visit, new things to learn, new people to meet...come and join Lisa and the rest of us; you'll like it, I promise! There are only a few, but necessary guidelines, to, hopefully, prevent unhappiness. Last year I gave away four gifts  and am pretty sure those gifts were received. I believe so 'cause the woman I didn't hear from was the same woman who complained her gift "was late" -smile-. Oh well, it takes all of us to make the world go 'round, eh?

My sidebar, Cozy Visits, has a list of interesting, informative, fun, creative, faith inspiring blogs to visit. In looking at the sidebar, I'm reminded of the babies...and the foals...born in 2009, of the saints gone on before, of jobs lost and jobs gained, of families divided and reunited, of wonderful meals, excellent projects, new homes, marriages, beginnings, endings, trials and tribulations...in short...I'm reminded just how small this ole world truly is. When I count my blessings, each of you are included; when I say my prayers, your name is on the prayer list. Yes. You are.

~ light the candles  ~

These dark, winter days keep your candles lit and the blankets piled on the beds. Stay warm and cozy, make plans and goals but save make time to enjoy the experience of now.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ you ~ me ~ excellent publications ~ fun blogs ~ quilts ~ candles ~ good memories ~ goals ~ plans ~ beginnings ~ endings ~ a new year ~

 

Thistle Cove Farm Studio Tour

~ Studio at sunrise ~

My studio started life as a curing house; it's where we would cure bacon, middlin, hams, jowls and such. Each Thanksgiving holiday, we'd slaughter hogs, a community event, and, as they say in the South, it would all be used 'cept for the squeal. That lasted about the first four or five years and then I had enough of "good ole boys" showing up to "see what was going on" and it was easier to stop hog killing than continue going up against their attitude of "what's it to ya?" when I'd ask their reason for walking willy nilly on our farm.

The studio is beautiful, to me at least, in all weather and at all times of the day. It's 12 x 12, has a couple of rugs on the floor, electricity, heat and air conditioning. Electrical outlets are on every wall, either side of all windows and about 36 inches from the floor. As I've aged, I've found it's much easier to plug something in when I don't have to crawl around on the floor. Having the outlets higher, makes it easier to unplug iron, sewing machines and heavy usage equipment before leaving for the evening. The ceiling fan and lights add additional light as do the smaller "true light" floor fixtures. The roof is tin and is a joy when there's a rainstorm! Generally, the door is propped open so the dogs and cats can come and go. It's important this space be shared as a family so I wait until frigid weather...and the dogs coming inside and staying... before shutting us inside. The windows are left open until that same time so we enjoy the very last smidge of good weather and all windows have those little "put in place" screens.

~ Studio in mid-day, spring, before the flowers were full flung ~

~ propane gas heat, air conditioner, open window, cutting table, iron ~

As I enter the studio, the cutting table is on my left. As you can see, it's piled high with finished baby quilts and baby quilts ready to be put together. I usually cut out a bunch of quilting projects and then use the table to layer material and batting, use as extra space, iron, etc. The iron is handy close to the right of the table.

~ an embroidered umbrella hangs from the ceiling ~

I enjoy embroidered things; they act as inspiration and a jolt of added color. When I want, or need, to rest my eyes, of course I look outside. God's creation never fails to bring peace and calm, even if there's a storm brewing or rain beating down. I figure when it's lightening, that's just God taking my photo -smile-.

~ shelves on every wall make sure there's plenty of storage space ~

Dave is constantly amazed at the way the space is utilized; there's a space for everything and, most times, everything is in place. Yes, I do re-arrange to make it work for me and that's on an as needed basis. Every wall has shelves and these shelves are between the sewing machines and the work table; just to the right of the Singers and hold cones of thread and yarn used for machine and hand sewing and embroidery.

~ 1971 Singer, left and 1953 Singer Featherweight, right ~

There are weeks where I sew daily; other times, I'll go for a week and never touch a sewing machine. When I do sew, I use both these machines; the 1971 Singer was a gift to myself from me upon high school graduation. It's a sturdy machine, made of good, solid metal and while the cabinet has seen a bit of wear both it and the machine are still in excellent shape. The 1953 Singer Featherweight is a workhorse and having the small table designed to hold that particular machine is an added bonus.

Both sewing machines have floor lamps and the newer Singer also has a small lamp clamped to the shelving. Various resource books and magazines line the shelves to the left as do small jars holding beads, buttons and other small items. The wreath in front of the window is made of bird feathers.

The blue and green wall vertical shelving behind the Featherweight holds Quilting Arts; Cloth, Paper, Scissors and Stampington magazines. Hanging overhead are a couple of dowel rods where I store ribbon; it's handy and easily pulled and cut from the roll.

~ Material obsession -smile- ~

To the right of the work table, just visible center, is the material collection. The material on the wall shelves is for bed and baby quilts while the material in the small white case and white hanging baskets are for mini-art quilts, textile books, textile post cards, etc. The desk is used for all projects except quilting and, sometimes, I'll take my laptop to the studio and write magazine articles, etc. When I leave the door open, the dogs come and go as they see fit. At various times during the day they use the studio and outside to play, nap and chew on their "cigar chewies" . The dogs sleep so much better when they've had a busy, exercise filled day and when the dogs sleep better...so do I! -smile-

~ Eves are used for bolts of fabric used for quillows and quilt backs ~

There is a fair amount of storage space in the eves. The studio is only ten feet from rafters to floor so I had the "attic" space left open and added a couple of pieces of plywood either side so heavier, bulkier fabric bolts could be stored high. I have a footstool that's used to access this space when necessary.

~ Batting rolls are stored on the other side ~

As anyone knows who makes things by hand, it's horrible to find yourself missing "something" to continue working on a project. By buying batting in bulk, I ensure there's never a point at which I have to stop and make an emergency run to Joanne Fabric...a round trip of about 75 miles; that's so inefficient both in terms of vehicle costs and my time!

~ Metal door used as a design board and memo pad ~

One of the best things we did was put in a metal door and a screen door; the metal door acts as a memo pad and a design board and is always in use. The screen door keeps out moths and flies although I've found leaving the ceiling fan on all the time, also helps keep out flies. We're in a rural area, surrounded by horses, sheep and cattle and flies are a constant nuisance.

The studio is in constant use on a weekly basis. Textile and fabric art projects, quilting, card making, felting, jewelery making, beading, spinning yarn, knitting and more are ongoing projects. Right now I've got several baby quilts I'm hand quilting, several more to put together with batting, a couple ready to sew. There are also earring and necklace projects in the making, felted pins, mini-art quilts and quilted book journals in process. A small boom box and MP3 player make sure I've got audio books, music and sermons to keep my mind busy while my hands are busy.

It's true this small studio doesn't have the space to teach classes but we do have other buildings on the farm that can be used for teaching. The farm office building has heat as well as hot and cold running water. It also has work bench tables with stools, chairs and padded mats for standing. I've not taught in a few years but am leaving that option open; who knows what the future brings?

I'm a firm believer in having a space where one can say, "this is mine". It's important to make time and space for things that make our hearts Zing, that allow us to be creative, employ and enjoy our God given talents. We all have talent for making things by hand but sometimes we need time and space to figure out exactly what that talent might be. I do sell my things but find greater satisfaction in finding a need and filling it. God has blessed Dave and I by meeting all our needs and a fair number of our wants; I try and pass along those blessings when directed. Time spent in my studio is time well spent both in terms of being creative and using my time wisely although I've never allowed not having a studio to prevent me from making things. Before the studio, I used wooden boxes and cloth bags to carry around various projects and set up my sewing machine in the hall. As a wise woman once said, "it's just as easy to do something you enjoy doing as it is to do something you don't enjoy." I should add, "and probably more productive!"

Tempus Fugit; may you live life with joy and significance.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ my own studio ~ material ~ enough projects to ensure I'm never bored! ~ a well oiled machine ~ good lighting ~ a life well lived and well loved ~

Studio Open House

~ Studio issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine ~

Yes, today is Studio Open House per Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine. However, Dave and I are traveling home today so won't be able to join intil Monday. As you know, Sunday's are reserved for Sabbath Keeping and not even for such a good time as Studio Open House will I neglect Sabbath Keeping. I'll just have to be, as they say in rural areas, the cow's tail and post on Monday. -smile-

In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers for safe travel.

Until tomorrow,

Blessings ~ Cloth, Paper Scissors ~ Quilting Arts ~ Sabbath ~ Sabbath Keeping ~ safe journey ~

Friday Feature

~ Vicki's beautiful hand crafted textile post card...sent through the mail! ~

Vicki, from Field Trips in Fiber, sent me this beautiful hand crafted textile post card. She made these as part of a swap and, kindness itself, sent me one of them. Textile post cards amaze me. I've made a few but, to my eye, they aren't ever as beautiful as the ones I see others make. Notice the edges here...so neatly machine sewn. She used the zig-zag stitch to sew down the yarn but I'm not sure about the edges.

Vicki lives in Richmond and it's been a pleasure getting to know her; hopefully, we'll met in person one day. I travel to Richmond to visit family and friends and am always glad to add another name to the friend list. Vicki, thank you for your delightful gift; it goes in the studio where it can be enjoy full time.

To another topic...if you would allow me to give a bit of advice...if any of you use Picasa as your photo storage, you can also put a "watermark" on your photos. A watermark is what you see on my photos; simply, it says www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com and allows people to know from whence they "lifted" the photo. I know my photos, before watermark, have been "lifted" and put on other people's blogs and other than carping about it, what can really be done? Probably nothing can be done but when I started putting a watermark on each and every photo, I felt a lot better about downloading photos to my blog. There's a hefty fine, $10,000, for stealing photos but who has the money to go after someone? Not me so I do what I can do and that's put my blog name on each one. At one point, I put my name but decided the blog address is better. Another thing I do is keep the resolution very low, around 300 dpi so the quality isn't going to be good if someone takes the photo and increases the size.

~ This would be me ~

~ And, this would be Dave ~

For the first time, Dave and I have vanity license plates. It's silly but also fun and, perhaps more importantly of all, it allows me to remember to play nice. Oh yeah. It's a lot more difficult, and dangerous, to rant and rave at another driver cutting me off when I've got vanity plates. I do not want some geezer showing up in my driveway because I've, temporarily, forgotten my Christianity. I need all the help I can get and vanity plates have proven to be, yet another, source of help.

Who knew?! -smile-

~ Dandy, my "in your pocket" gelding; he loves people second only to his Mother. ~

So much for trying to be clever -smile-. I was trying to get these photos of Dandy Man side by side but it's not working out so you'll have to use your imagination. I took them separately, of course, but when they were downloaded, I was struck by how well they seemed to fit.

Dave and I are running away for the day; enjoy yours and be safe. Until next time,

Blessings ~ Vicki ~ textile post cards ~ Dandy ~ help ~ running away ~ coming home ~

A Stack of Quilts and Books

~ A Stack of Quilts, Fleece Throw and Scarves ~

It's been mentioned before I've begun an exercise program. Some friends asked, "don't you get enough exercise on the farm?" and the answer to that is, "yeah, but...it's not aerobic exercise, it's not continuous exercise and it's too varied to do much strength building on a continuous basis. So, for the past two months I've been doing aerobics, some swimming and yoga and it's killing me. I figure I'll be as good looking a corpse as the next older woman standing beside me -smile-. Twice a week I do two hours, one after the other, of Zumba aerobics, then yoga. Once a week I do purely weights for strength building and then yoga to end the week. Why am I telling you this? I'm not really sure except that, right now, I'm sucking air like a guppy because I've just finished both classes. I didn't grow up with exercise, I grew up with work and even though exercise is good for me, I rather bemoan the time taken away from doing "something productive". To close out this thought...please, give me your thoughts? Encouragement? Support? Words of advice?

Something productive, for the past while has meant quilting. When the computer had to go to the computer doc, I went on a quilting and reading binge. I read a few really interesting books and then some "cozy mysteries" for the shear enjoyment. One non-fiction book was "In the Footsteps of Marco Polo", the adventure of the two young men who, in the 1990's, "retraced the same two year Silk Road journey traveled by Marco Polo seven hundred years ago". I'm envious, of their journey that is, not the young men. Frankly, there were a few times, when reading their book, I was embarrassed by the fact these two men were representing "me" in the form of an American traveler.

Only a few pages into the book, they say something akin to, "...perhaps he was one of those knuckleheads who doesn't believe in global warming...". Is it me or does there seem to be a not so thin layer of sheer rudeness in that remark? It used to be gentlemen and gentlewomen could disagree without resorting to rudeness or ill mannered remarks. Not so, anymore. It used to be folks could have differing opinions and what happened was rather interesting and, perhaps, erudite conversation, not the diatribe that some attempt to pass as conversation.

A very few pages later, they announce they were "rolling around, fighting, in the lobby of a hotel because they had a disagreement". Sheesh, boys: Grow Up.

One other annoyance was toward the last third of the book. They again brag but this time on how well and how liberal the number of curse words they taught a man. Perhaps the man was Tajikistan...I can't really remember but think it was one of those "stan" countries. BTW, "stan" is generally accepted to be a Farsi , or Persian, word meaning country, nation, land, homeland or place. For example, Afghanistan would mean "homeland of Afghan people".

My point is...these men were bragging about how well they curse and how well they taught someone else to curse. They might as well have been bragging about being raised by wolves. Wait. I'd find that more interesting. I'm not taking away from their accomplishment and, as mentioned before, am envious. I'll never have that opportunity as I'm the wrong gender to be traveling in the wilder regions of Muslim countries; even in a chador I wouldn't be safe.

The PBS program, "In the Footsteps of Marco Polo" has been nominated for an Emmy and that's fabulous news for those involved. I've not seen the program but am eagerly anticipating viewing at some future time. In doing a bit of research, I find those who claim these lads did not travel in Marco Polo's footsteps and, in fact, totally missed 2,800 miles because they did missed most of Iran and Afghanistan. Harry Rutstein says O'Donnel and Belliveau, the authors, went instead to
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan where Marco Polo did not visit. Rutstein says he was the first...and apparently only person...to travel the actual route; he also founded the Marco Polo Foundation and wrote of his travels in The Marco Polo Odyssey.

Another excellent book, Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa by Mark Seal, "tells the mesmerizing story of the captivating life and shocking death of world-renowned naturalist Joan Root". If you've enjoyed the stories of Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall and even, Karen Blixen, ...aka Isak Dinesen... you'd, probably, enjoy "Wildflower".

So, here's where I talk about quilting and about time, you say! Perhaps you've seen the Deere quilt before but I've not seen the person for whom this quilt was made so the quilt is still in the studio. The quilts, fleece throw and scarves were hung on the line and took up all the clothesline, from left to right. Even I was pretty impressed -smile-. Four of the quilts were quilt panels that only needed to be hemmed but those are cute panels. Two are Thomas Train and two are the nursery rhyme, "Hey Diddle Diddle, The Cat and the Fiddle...". I've already given away the third Thomas Train quilt panel and hope the little boy liked it.

~ Quilts, throws and scarves crowded the clothesline. ~

~ A stiff wind made photographing the quilts more difficult. ~

~ Thomas Train, back ~

~ Hey Diddle, Diddle quilt panel front ~

~ Two scarves, autumnal colors, to be worn as scarves, shawls or throat coverings. ~

~ Fleece throw, print front with solid brown back ~

I'm still hand quilting some of these, have about four to finish and will then start on Christmas gifts. I've got three of the "little girl" quilts to give away and have to sit down and consider who else has been born; I tend to forget and try to keep a list in the studio. We've been having coolish weather and I've enjoyed quilting but then, do it all summer long anyway. There are about four months until Christmas and if I don't make lists, things simply don't get done. I tend to accomplish a lot more with a list than without.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ quilting ~ good books ~ good authors ~ the studio ~ sturdy shoes for aerobics ~ Silk Road, have always found it fascinating! ~

Friday Feature

~ The lovely Christmas cactus hangs at the studio, blooming on God's time, not man's time. ~

Ahem...clearing throat. By now it's apparent I am not very good at group blog entries and, for that reason, I'm giving up the Friday Fiber Arts Carnival. I'm the weak link, have been from the start, and every Friday, to do a group blog entry is not something my brain is hard wired to do. Okay, perhaps you're thinking of Sabbath Keeping on Sunday. That's different for two reasons - it's my baby and I've made a deliberate choice in my life to keep the Sabbath. To have a "mini-vacation" at the end, and the beginning, of every week; to keep the Sabbath holy by allowing myself to renew, refresh, restore and focus on God, church, family and, sometimes, friends. That's God's gift to all of us and my gift to myself and my life would crash and burn should I neglect to "Sabbath Keep".

So, on Friday's I'm starting a "Friday Feature" where I say thanks to someone or introduce a blogger friend or talk about fiber folks. Perhaps, some Friday's, I'll include, or combine, all three.

Today, please meet KC Willis of Lipstick Ranch. Maybe you remember KC's name from another post or perhaps you've run across her on the i-net. She's a gifted textile artist who has, recently, discovered how much she loves teaching and has flung herself into teaching with the wild, but controlled, abandon, also evident in her art. KC sold me her first teaching DVD and I've used it extensively as both entertainment and for learning. Like all great teachers, KC is free and easy with her methods and holds nothing back; if I'm not learning, it's because I'm not paying attention.

She also gives stuff away! I missed out on her 53rd birthday package; mainly because I wasn't paying attention...note to self...MAKE NOTES RE. IMPORTANT STUFF!...and let her deadline get away from me. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She's given me, and you, another opportunity to win; this time a $300 shopping spree at her Colorado Lipstick Ranch but hurry, the drawing is September 5th.

BTW, other teachers will be teaching, specifically Joanna Pierotti and Sarah Fishburn, both gifted artists and instructors.

~ Another section of the Cove, where we live. ~

On my way to exercise class, I took the above photo of another section of the Cove. The morning light is beautiful as it pours across the hills and vales.

~ The southeast corner of our alfalfa field. ~

Tuesday, we baled dry hay...Thank You, God!...and I love this photo. The hay wagon is stacked almost as high as possible while the hay rows stretch out before and after. What a blessing, to have so many dry, square bales of excellent quality hay! On top of the 363 bales, we also baled 6 round bales.

~ Abigail, Von Rotten the Terror, ready for her close up ~

~ Maggie Mae curls up next to Sadie, but keeps a watchful eye on Sam. ~

~ Sadie, Maddie Lou, Maggie Mae, Sam, Granma Gracie ~

Most mornings begin with dogs and cats and me, seated on the sofa in the sun room, listening to Alistair Begg and others on XM radio. Usually, it's Abigail, Sadie, Sam and me but, sometimes the kittens want in on the action. Especially if they think the dogs are getting too much attention.

~ Keniba Thistle Cove Sadie and Sam P. Spade, Secret Agent Man, play roundabout chase in the front yard. ~

Being simple folks, Dave and I enjoy sitting on the porch watching the dogs romp and play. With frost just about two weeks hence, there aren't too many more porch sitting days so we enjoy them whilst we can.

~ Abigail and Sam P. Spade, Secret Agent Man, enjoying a "cigar" chewie ~

By choice, our lives are full yet, relatively, peaceful. We spend enormous amounts of time on the farm, in the company of each other and our animals. My time is spent in the studio where I quilt, spin, make mini-quilts, or in the kitchen where I bake and cook. I also tend to all the animals and almost every morning is spent in the sun room, watching the sun awaken the valley while I listen to XM radio preachers. Thursdays nights are my quilting bee nights and, generally, the only day of the week spent in the company of other women. Sundays are church then back home to enjoy peace, quiet and calm. Then, there are times of havoc...such as now, getting the house renovations accomplished before cold weather. We still have a ways to go but are getting it done, one step at a time.

Until next time,

Blessings ~ the Christian i-net family of artisans and crafters ~ morning light ~ preaching on the air waves, what a mystery! ~ a full life ~ God's timing ~ each other ~

Give-away, Kittens, Farm Life, Cherie

~ The Cove, photo taken earlier this evening. ~

Matthew, computer doc, brought my power pack back...all fixed. Yadda, yadda, yadda is what he said was wrong; all I know it's working now -smile-. Thanks, Matthew! He's a great young man, steady, dependable and is quite concerned with how government is being so intrusive in our lives. He told me he goes on demonstrations with great regularity and let our Congress rep know exactly what he was doing wrong and how to correct his direction. GO Matthew!

Deanna responded to the note saying she'd won the mini-quilt wall hanging so that will be mailed...perhaps tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then first of the week. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to break loose like a big girl's girdle and take off like a shot. We're still working on the house renovation and I think the guys will be back tomorrow. I sure hope so as they haven't been here in a couple of weeks and I'm a bit READY to have the house livable. Also, hoping our neighbor comes to help me with horse's feet; the horses need their feet cleaned and one of the mares is a trifle lame. I picked her feet tonight and noticed she needs trimming so need to get the farrier here as well. It wasn't a good time for any of us...horses, dogs or me as we got into a yellow jacket nest and were all bitten rather soundly for our troubles. I put vinegar on my stings and then stuff specifically for stings; the pain has lessened a bit but I think I may have developed a bit of an allergy. I got light headed, broke out in a cold sweat, dizzy...'course, that could just be the blonde talking. Sadiekins was stung as well which upset her apple cart; I think Abbie and Sam escaped the torment.

~ Maddie, posing like she's the Queen of the Household. ~

Remember the kittens rescued from drowning a few months ago? Well, Maddie, the gray tabby, and Maggie, the darker kitten, have been brought into the house to be house cats. This makes Miss Emma Really Happy as she headed outside every chance she got so she could play with her friends. This also meant Miss Emma was taking Forever to recover from her cold, even with meds given twice daily. This morning I brought Maddie and Maggie into the house and they have shown every intention of never wanting to go outside again. Miss Emma ran outside this morning, looking for her playmates, having forgotten they were inside. In a few minutes, she was back at the door, asking to be let inside and here she has stayed all day. It's nice to have kittens again; both Dave and I have really missed our cats. Miss Jenny went to live with someone else and she's much, much happier being the only cat in their household. She had really become a problem, attacking both other animals and humans and causing havoc in the household. She's been gone a couple of weeks and, within the first 24 hours, adjusted quite nicely to her new home.

~ Maggie, hiding under the table and not happy to be surprised. ~

But, with Miss Jenny gone, that left us with no house cats. Earlier this year, TC, 91, Bandit and Miss Kitty all passed away and the house was really lonely without cats or kittens. Maddie, Maggie and Miss Emma have filled the silence very nicely and kitten joy reigns once again.

~ Maddie and Miss Emma, playing around my rag rug loom. ~

This past weekend Dave had a business trip to Raleigh, NC and through a series of fortunate events, I met a blog friend. Cherie and her husband Aris, have two AAAdorable boys, Matthew and AJ and we spent an enjoyable time at the Crabtree Valley Mall food court. This was only the second time I've ever been in the Crabtree Valley Mall and found it totally overwhelming. Cherie laughed when I told her there were more people in that mall on Saturday than lived in our little county seat of Tazewell, VA. It seemed to me, most of those people were under dressed as well; I've not seen that much flesh since the last time I went to the beach!

~ Cherie, Aris, Matthew and AJ - what a Beautiful Family! ~

Cherie is a nurse and her husband an engineer; the two boys are geniuses! Bright as copper pennies, well spoken and, considering this was the first time we ever met, not all that shy. I'm looking forward to when they can visit Thistle Cove Farm and am hoping for a visit this autumn. Cherie, Aris and Matthew came to this country from the Philippines and are making their home now in NC. What tremendous courage this young couple has...to uproot, leave family, friends and homeland and move halfway 'round the world. I am in awe of their courage. The USA is fortunate they decided to move here and my life is greatly enriched to meet them and call them friends.

~ Matthew is on my lap and Cherie is holding her youngest son, AJ. ~

We stayed at the Embassy Suites and the same weekend the Black Hat Divas were also having their "first annual convention". Although, I've never understood "first annual"...how can anything be a first and an annual? It's either one OR the other, right? Anyway, this group is an offshoot of the Red Hat Society, a group purely to gather and "have fun". The Red Hatters, as they call themselves, were founded in 1998 so have been around a while and is a group for women over the age of 50 but allow "Pink Hatters" to join as well. I believe Pink Hatters are Red Hatters wannabees, so to speak. Apparently, Black Hat Divas, as they told my friend, "are Red Hatters but with more elegance and bling". They are purely and simply a social club, women who gather together to party. That's it. Party.

~ Black Hat Divas...and these are some of the more conservatively dressed! ~

Ummm. Okay. I didn't get that chip when God was handing them out 'cause I just don't get it. One woman got on the elevator with a HUGE pin, fake rhinestone costume jewelery, that said, "It's All About Me". Sheesh. I bet she passed those genes on, ya think? Don't get me wrong; I'm not against having fun. I'm not even against women playing dress up; whatever floats their pontoon. I'm not against them spending their money on fluff but what I don't understand is spending many hundreds of dollars on fluff...fake rhinestone costume jewelery, ostrich feathers, a weekend at the Embassy Suites celebrating "It's All About Me". I simply do not get it; I'm glad they had a good time though even though the rest of us were going, "WHAT THA????" Did I mention there's an entire industry built up around these groups? You would not believe the shopping area where one could buy ostrich feather hats that were three feet high or fake rhinestone costume jewelery stating "It's All About Me" or "Queen Bee" or whatever. Women showed up at breakfast in their nightclothes, for crying out loud! It was like being at the mall except the flesh was peeking out from night gowns slit up to there and plunging down to there. I'm telling you, a lot of ostriches gave up all their feathers for this crowd.

Okay, now the disclaimer. I admit I am Very Conservative, both in dress and politics. I believe in little to no government, people tending to their own business, living their own lives in peace and respectability and I dress in natural fibers. Actually, I could probably do a walk-on in a Miss Marple movie and look like I belonged. -smile- I am not saying anything against these women as individuals; I'm merely saying I don't get the "crowd mentality" of "bling"...unless, of course, it's Real Bling and then I'm all over it! I do enjoy going with my girlfriend to her Saint Martin condo every spring and hitting the jewelery stores in Philipsburg. Real Bling I can handle with aplomb -smile-.

By now, you're probably thinking, "gosh, it was a lot less to read when her computer was on the fritz". -smile- Today I'm giving away another little inspirational mini-quilted wall hanging. The proverb states, "The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism". Whew! There's a sermon if ever I've heard one and if you feel led, as the old preacher said, to "save me by criticism", please let me know. If you "get the hatters", please explain it, 'cause I sure don't. Get it, that is; I'm still shaking my head.

~ Ribbons, seed pods, buttons, charms, thread, fabric, batting, bits and pieces. ~

Blessings ~ Cherie, Aris, Matthew, AJ ~ kittens ~ travel ~ mini-quilted wall hanging ~ Matthew, computer doc ~ Deanna ~ the US of A ~