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New: Art, Art Ventures and Art Shows

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This sweet painting is “Lovely Lily’s Flower Crown” after our bullseye tabby Lily. I used Shiva Oil Sticks because they blend so nicely. She really does have that stare, especially when it is 9 p.m. and it is time for treats. It is on an 8 X 8 canvas.
“Jubilant Sisterhood” an artists job is to observe and I see many people especially during art fairs. I had this painting brewing in my mind and finally got it on canvas. The background has so much movement and is a fun atmosphere, with a checkerboard representing a dance floor. My goal was to show many different women and nationalities. dancing. I first drew outlines from a pictures, then traced it and traced it again onto wallpaper cut them out and adhered it to the painted canvas. I have a pregnant woman, a woman vigorously dancing, a Hispanic girl in a tutu, Asian woman in high heels, a Native American girl, a tall black woman jubilantly dancing, a Middle Eastern woman and an elderly woman and it is on an 18 X 36 canvas. No matter who we are, as women we have families, jobs, problems, happiness and are a sisterhood. I will have these listed in my store if you are interested in prints or if you would like to purchase the Originals come and visit me at the local art shows I will be at. Look at my list on the home page.

A new art venture I have added is having a rented area at the newly renovated old church in Columbia City. It is called The Shops at the Sanctuary and they also have a Facebook page The Shops at the Sanctuary. I will be putting art and also stitchery items in it. I am excited about this and now to get “makin stuff”. The Grand Opening is August 6th.

This last weekend was Art in the Park in Downtown Fort Wayne. I have never done this show with cooler weather before but it was fantastic. I was worried that it was going to rain a lot on Sunday but it held off thankfully, through teardown. My son, Kevin helps me put up the tent and tear it down, but the rest of the shows I am on my own. So I don’t take pictures. I would have liked to take some pictures of peoples t-shirts because there was such an array of sayings and it would have been great to do a collage. This was just my second show of the season and customers were generous and I met many new art lovers.

July is a busy month here at the Hawkins House, along with the art shows, we are helping our sons move and get established in a new to them home. Tom and I are going on a weeks vacation to Frankfort Michigan right on the lake and I have another show right after that at Covington in Fort Wayne. We are so looking forward to a little R and R time.

With the rain and humidity my garden is growing crazy, some things that are spent do need to be trimmed up and that will wait till that humidity floats away. The tree swallows babies have flown the nest and I think there is a new bunch of eggs, someone is sitting on it constantly. I hope that they hatch and we will have Mom and Dad and maybe Uncle or Aunt flying in and out and feeding them. We have a screen that we put down but not during this time, they become very agitated and we hate to rock the boat. I will keep you updated when we see their littles heads.

Take care till next time.

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Going Many Ways

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Things are going well here at the Studio. We as a family have many things going on this summer. I had an art show early June. It was as the Village of Winona. I had not been there before as an artist and it it was well run, well organized and it was nice to be back at it. My son Kevin, is my helper for the summer. My knees are not good and he agreed to accompany me to all my shows. We set up the date yesterday for a double knee replacement for October. So with cortisone and Kevin and Tylenol I will be able to get through the summer and have successful shows. This Painting is a new one that I finished last month. “Favorable Wind” was purchased at the show.
This renewed painting was also purchased by the same sweet customer. It is “Heart of Man”. It was great fun deciding which animals to choose to paint.
The pot of flowers also was purchased “Makes Me Happy”” is the title. Oh and Snoop Doggy original 6 X 6 is available for $50.00 plus tax.
Another painting sold at the Fort Wayne Artists Guild Pop Up Gallery. This one is titled “Under Our Feet”. I am so thankful that people get a connection with my art.
I am really thrilled that I figured out why so many of my I phone pictures were not accessible for my computer. I have so many good ones but I figured it out and will be entertaining you with this post, hope you won’t be bored.
Another exciting thing for our sons are that they have purchased a house together and will probably be moving in by late July. It is close so we can do it a little at a time and it is going to need to be painted and carpets cleaned. The thought of moving something overwhelms me, so I am kind of the organizer, which I can do.
This large painting was recently completed last month. I call it “Blooming Fireworks”. It was fun to do and is 36 X 48.
Had fun painting this rock for a confirmation gift along with the paper mache box. I will probably have a few of these at certain shows this summer.
My friend Theresa and I took a little trip to Fort Recovery Ohio this week. There was a really fun home shop that we picked up a few items at. Then we ate at a little restaurant. It looked like the town was going to shut down the Main Street to have some kind of Jubilee and they seemed excited about it. People were walking around smiling and saying it was a good day. As you can tell by the name it has a Fort and these murals are really great that they had painted on the walls of the buildings.
We also stopped at a strawberry farm that had Upick. Thank goodness we didn’t have to do that and could buy a bucket of them. I made shortcake and Theresa has made freezer jam and that is also on my agenda for today.
I am also working on a line of stitchery to sell at some of my shows. Some art shows you jury in with just the art and others an artist is able to sell other items because it is not a juried show. I love hand embroidery and putting fabrics together. Some are made from old quilt blocks and some tattered quilts. I have so much fabric and other fun items that I decided to make pictures and frame them. I will be adding some other stitched products to be announced later. I grow catnip and will be making cat toys with stuffing and catnip made with upholstery fabric. That fabric is tough and cannot be torn apart “usually”. I just signed up for a summer workshop with a favorite stitcher House Wren Studio. She is an inspiration. The workshop is called “My Indigo Kitchen”.
This is a recent picture of four out of six of our cats. I thought it was funny with them all in a row. There is usually at least one in my studio but not four at once.
This is Sophie the ornery one. She is a paper shredder. You have to make sure that any important papers are put up. There will be chunks out of them by the morning. It must just feel good. I found her on the road and she had been thrown or had been sleeping in a car body that left for work and she was thrown. Her bottom lip was bleeding because it was pulled back with road rash. She was all of twelve ounces. She has overcome her disability as you can see. I say she is just too short. This picture makes me laugh. I keep my wallpaper books in this closet and she gets in there and tears up the loose papers.
This beautiful Luna Moth stopped by on the outside of the bug zapper. I read up on them. They have no mouths and don’t eat and last just a short time, maybe two weeks? It was a pretty sight to see.
We have our usual tree swallows that have produced three babies. They are some hardworking parents. I don’t see them in the nest anymore so I think the babies have taken off. I am wondering if there will be another round of them.

So my next show is July 10 and 11 at Art in the Park in Fort Wayne’s Freiman Square. Then we are taking a weeks vacation to Frankfort, Michigan. So looking forward to this, it has been a long time. Then July 31 and August 1 will be a nice Fort Wayne show at Coventry.

I would like to get a couple more paintings completed, they are in my mind, just have to get them on Canvas. I am not a fast painter and am always amazed of the painters who are. I have some books to show but that will have to wait till next time. I had scanned them in a PDF format which is not supported here.

We are having Fathers Day dinner this Sunday, grilled steaks and chicken, Texas sheet cake, make ahead potatoes, Naan bread, fruit salad. Looks like Sunday will be warm, we have paint colors to talk over. Have a wonderful holiday and say thanks to Dad ❤💙

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Teddy Bears and Tea Towels

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Last month we got many rooms painted so, we had to move furniture in the middle of the rooms and that also meant to take things off the tops of bookcases. Then I have also decided not to put anymore up on top again. Too much dust. The bears had been up for at least 8 years and maybe dusted once. In my defense they are pretty tall , but anyways….

I just love teddy bears and before I put these away for awhile I thought they should be shared. My Mom sewed beautifully and liked to make dolls. She could sew anything and also made my wedding dress, which has been securely packed away for 40 years. I have many of her dolls and sometime I will take them out and share more.

These are three of the bears that she made with moveable arms and legs and stuffed so tightly. I just love them so.

The bear that is standing is made of mohair and I picked him up in Canada on vacation probably 30 years ago. My Mother in law loved bears and dolls too and the one in front she had given to me, he is so soft. The other one sitting was her bear, I love him because he has some kind of weights in his bottom and legs and sits very well anywhere.

This big bear I found in Gettysburg. It has nothing to do with the Civil War but he kept calling me back to him until I brought him home with me. The little white one my friend gave to me, I believe it is mohair and the the bear with the gangly legs and patriotic hat I picked up at a craft show. The one who it hiding her face I believe is a small Boyds Bear.

They needed to come down and get dusted off.

The other day I tucked a tea towel into a friends birthday package and that prompted a discussion on tea towels or kitchen towels, whatever you like to call them. Her towel was green with three big carrots on it.

I had told her that I like to pick up these inexpensive towels and just save them to give to people. I don’t like to use them to dry dishes but many other things. I am showing you the hedgehog towels I had sewn together .

We have this narrow window that certain times of the year and certain times of the day, usually dinner time the sun comes in and blinds us. I needed something to stop it but didn’t want to make anything or put a lot of time into it. The two towels are just the right width and length together and they are hemmed already. I found a small spring tension rod and hooks and clips from Ikea and our problem is solved.

These towels I picked up at the Raven Book Store in Lawrence Kansas in 2015. I had no Idea what I would do with them but the cats drew me in.

I bought two because they had different images. I got a big idea one day while the sun was beating into my studio that I needed something to put over the window for about two hours in the afternoon. The are just the right weight to mute the sun so I can see to paint. Again I used a spring tension rod and Ikea rings and hooks. To open and shut I use a yard stick and I have it higher because the cats have to look out underneath.

The next images are the towels that I have in the drawer. I picked these up at Wal Mart. I sometimes make loaves of bread and wrap the loaf in a towel to give away as a gift or to a new neighbor or friend.
I also use them to wrap around a casserole dish if we are going somewhere.
You can wrap one around a bottle of wine to give to someone.

I also use them to just dry my hands on in the kitchen or place them over food in the summer if there is a party going on.

This towel could be used to take a box of donuts to ones home. I love good donuts and coffee. Wrap this one around a bottle of liquor for a house warming. They can also be used as mop towels at the bar.

These two I have washed and need to iron to get that crisp look back. The one on the left my friend Colleen sent and the one on the right came in an order from Carrie Schmitt an artist that I know and love. I used these to put on the back of a black chair that was against the wall and would leave a mark on the wall. Having them on the back of the chair prevented the mark.

If anyone else has good ideas for these towels that you do, please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Book Review: “Open House” by Elizabeth Berg plus more

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This author also wrote the recently reviewed book Arthur Truluve which was a new publish. “Open House” had a copywrite of the year 2000, 20 years ago. There were similarities to each of the stories as that people who didn’t know each other moved in with each other. There were also spouse and parent deaths as part of the story.

So the story starts out with a woman, Samantha, trying to come to terms with the separation of their marriage that her husband, David, wanted. They were married for 15 years and had one son who was 11 years old. They were comfortable, lived in a nice home in a nice neighborhood. The husband just wanted more and she was happy with her life. She knew that he was becoming distant and wanted to go to a counselor and figure out the problem. He eventually moved out and she was playing the “what if” game in her head. She eventually had to figure out how she could stay in the home, work out the visiting arrangements with her husband for the son and she had to find a job to have an income. Still she needed more income and she decided to take in boarders.

The first boarder was a lady in her early 80’s with a boyfriend. The second was a young introverted Asian student with a very negative outlook on life. The third was a gay man. Through all these people she gained friendships. She also took a job with an employment agency where she had different jobs weekly. One was at a laundromat, another at call center that was not on the up and up and she was happily fired from it.

Through all this she had to see her husband move into a nice apartment, and have a girlfriend with the talk of marriage. She dropped their son off one day and he wanted to show his room and she noted that her husband had a white couch. She had always wanted a white couch but he knocked that idea down, now he has one. All this time she really missed him, missed the life they had, she had taken care of him, really too much. He had this yearning for something else and he couldn’t see how good his life was.

Time went on and she tried dates that her mother set up for her. Her mother was something else and thought her daughter should just start dating right a way, after all that’s what she did when her husband died. It always bothered her daughter and eventually she realized that was how her mother had coped with his death.

Throughout this book we will live the roller coaster ride of Samantha finding her self confidence that she had totally lost due to the separation. She had always given into David and he got whatever he wanted. His family had money and he pretty much got what he wanted there and had strong opinions about having things “just so” for himself.

I liked this book, it didn’t make me want to read it in one day but it had its moments. I would say, “give it a try”.

Our house is in disarray right now. We have lived in our house for 10 years and it is time to paint and update colors. We try to do a couple of rooms each year but due to covid we didn’t have any painting done and are catching up. The last two rooms are in process. The kitchen is a called peppery and the great room will be a sage green.
I had tried the color on the wall and I believe it will be great. I have had to unload the two bookcases to be able to move them away from the wall. I really loved to become reacquainted with books I forgot that I had. The garage sale pile is growing too. The refrigerator has been pulled out and swept under, things have been dusted. It has been a lot of work but needed for sure.
Pavel had to see what I was doing this morning. He is such a sweetheart. Tom and I are getting our second covid shot this friday. I also had a cortisone shot in my knees, and they feel better so still waiting to see how long it lasts. Trying to get through the summer before I have anything done permanantly.
Our newly painted foyer. I love it and the door is a deeper color. We always have a lawn service come out and clean up the landscaping. It lasts all growing season and I have to just trim up plants that grow a little wild. We had a spicket added near our well head, and that tore up some plants and uneven ground. Having that water access will be worth it. The last thing we will have done is getting our carpets cleaned. Then we can sit back and enjoy the hard work.
Here is a great picture of a morning moon that I took recently. I like to have pictures for reference and the sky was so blue and it was clear.

A quote that made me laugh.

An intellectual is someone who can listen to the “William Tell Overture” without thinking of the Lone Ranger.

If you have any questions or want to contact me send a note. I would love to hear from you.

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Book Review – The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

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Kristen Hannah is one of my favorite authors. I have not read a book of hers that I did not like. This is a historical novel and she wrote in her notes at the end that tried to be as historically accurate as possible.

I gained knowledge from this book, for example I honestly did not realize that France during WWII had surrendered to Germany early on in the war. I don’t know how I missed this but always imagined that they were in the air and on the ground in the fight.

I had read “Returned to Auschwitz” years ago and it left such an indelible mark on me. It was an awful book that told of the horrible conditions from the Nazi’s that I have never forgotten it. Not awful because of the writing, just the horrifying content. This book left the same feeling and for a day I was depressed.

“The Nightengale” spotlights the women of the French Resistance who saved Jewish children and rescued downed airmen to help them back to their country so that they may fly again to fight.

Picture Paris being overrun by the Nazi’s with Nazi flags flying everywhere. The rounding up of Jewish people and the yellow stars having to go on their clothing marking them as Jewish and the atrocities that happened to them.

The book starts out in the year 1995 in Oregon. An elderly woman is telling about her house being for sale and that she will be moving into assisted living. She is leaving a home that she has lived in for over 50 years and her husband has passed away not too long ago but her son is watching over her and he feels it would be better for her to move.

She also talks about a life she once had in France, a life that her son knows nothing about. She left it behind after the war and she and her husband and children moved to America.

The book bounces back and forth from America to France in 1939. A woman has a young daughter and her husband has been mobilized to go into the war. But they will be able to take care of the Germans and the war won’t go on long, he will be back home soon.

But the war doesn’t end soon, and French army was being beaten by the Germans and most of the country surrenders. The little French town that they live in has the Nazi army take it over and ever so slowly it keeps putting stipulations on the French people. Taking the food, taking the art, taking the furniture, learn who the Jews, homosexuals, communists and Freemasons are. Then the Nazi’s would gather up targeted people and put them on trains to go to concentration camps. Radios were confiscated so they would not have contact with the outside world along with valuables and clothes. They had to go through cold winters, and would put on layers of clothing so that they could stay warm. There would not be wood to burn for heat. They had to stand in line for rations of food daily and if you were the last in line you may not get anything. All the while the Nazi’s were eating well, staying warm, taking all the best for themselves and wasting food. The rest were losing weight and becoming gaunt, getting sick and dying.

The book centers on two women, sisters, who were very different but brave by what they went through. Chapter by chapter it would go back and forth between what the sisters were doing during the war. One stayed in the small French town and the other left for Paris to participate in the French Resistance.

By the time we get to 1944 in the book and life is just so destitute, there is hope when you read that the Allies are freeing the concentration camps and the Nazi’s are leaving quickly. This book is so well written I felt that I was living it too. Made me think about the waste of throwing away food and reusing items. It was interesting and depressing at the same time.

So, as I said before, there are two sisters. It has you guessing till the end, who is the elderly woman? Is it one of the sisters, or the daughter or even one of the Jewish children that were saved. That is where you have to read this book to find out.

I read this book in three days and it has nearly 600 pages. It had me captivated and it also made me wish that my parents were alive. I would have had so many questions to ask. My Father was a young man in the army in Italy and my Mother lived in the USA while the war was raging in Europe. My Father passed away 24 years ago and Mother 22 years ago but it would have been an interesting conversation.

If you like history, family love, romance and daring escapes I do recommend this book. War is Hell.

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Art Happenings and Spring is Coming

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We hadn’t had much snow until February four weeks ago and then there were three weeks of cold and snow. February gave a punch and then March came and……
Ta Daaaah….spring is coming!
The winds did blow during the storm that dropped 12 inches of snow. We had impressive drifts, ones we hadn’t had for a long while. If you look at the neighbors yard you can see a path that he makes with the snow blower. The have a small dog and he does it so the dog can piddle and run. How nice was that!
Now this is all that is left of that drift, fading away slowly each day. Good riddance, because now we have sprouts coming up. This is very exciting, I just love Spring!

Decided to use this large painting my friend commissioned to take an unprofessional picture of myself. Here I am, and I do love this fun painting.

There is much art happenings to report on. On my home page is my 2021 schedule, it is on the right side. I feel confident that the shows will be a go with the Covid 19 vaccine. I am happy that my husband and I have our first shot scheduled for March 12.

At the Opthalmology Consultants 10186 Dupont Circle, Fort Wayne, there are 12 pieces of my art hanging through the month of April, all always for purchase.

The Fort Wayne Artists Guild is having a members show at the Allen County Library. It is in the Jeffrey Krull Gallery Downtown Fort Wayne. I have two paintings there. It will be up through May 7, 2021. 58 artists are participating so there will be many different mediums to enjoy and purchase.

This last item is very exciting. At Jefferson Point Shopping, 4130 West Jefferson, the Fort Wayne Artists Guild has teamed up with the shopping center, Art Link and Fort Wayne Museum of Art to have an art gallery in one of the open store fronts. It is located across from Marshalls and will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 to 7. Each month there will be new fresh art to view and purchase and it will be open through August. Each artist will have five pieces and there will be cards and prints available along with other items that the artists offer.

And of course, all the health measures will be in place. Masks, distancing, and hand sanitizer.

I hope that you see a hint of spring at your house. I leave you with a few of my paintings that are hints of spring.

Pink Tulips – Mixed Media on canvas. Prints can be purchased here.
A very early watercolor work that is a good spring depiction.
Harpers Art – The pastels of spring. Prints can be found here.
Love Birds – prints can be found here.
And Then There Were Three – Prints can be found here.
Frida – prints can be found here.
Mom We’re HUNGRY – Prints can be purchased here.

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Book Review: The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg

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I had noted in a previous post that a goal for 2021 is to read at least a book a month. So far so good so on to book number two.

The Characters are:

Arthur: an elderly gentleman who lives by himself as he had lost his wife, the love of his life, six months earlier.

Maddy: an 18 year old senior, who is very much a loner with no apparent friends.

Lucille: an elderly neighbor who lives alone and just reconnected with a high school sweetheart.

Nola: Arthur’s deceased wife

Anderson: Maddy’s one time boyfriend

Steven: Maddy’s father

This story starts out with a lot of sadness. Arthur visits his wife’s grave every day at noon and takes his lunch sandwich of peanut butter and jelly. He carries his chair with him and rides the bus with his sandwich in his pocket.

Maddy visits the cemetery often while she skips class because it is a quiet and beautiful place to think. She is bullied in school for being supposedly different and has no one that she has connected with as a friend.

Her father has no idea how to be a father for 18 years and he and Maddy have no connection either. He really shut down after Maddy’s mother passed away when Maddy was two months old.

While both Maddy and Arthur are in the same cemetery they begin to talk and begin a friendship and eventually find something they both seek. Each one serves a huge purpose for the other.

Maddy finds out that she is pregnant and tells Anderson. Of course she dreams that he is going to fall all over and be excited but he says that he is not going to be a part of this and of course acts like a dick and they part.

Maddy tells her father and of course he didn’t take it well either and was telling her what she was going to do, “get rid of that thing” and they parted ways too. He hasn’t tried to have a connection with his daughter for 18 years and now thinks he is going to call the shots.

Lucille is Arthurs neighbor who bakes wonderful treats. Her high school sweetheart sent her a letter and wanted to reconnect. They found after all the years there was still a spark and after a month they decided to move in with each other. They did not stay together in high school because he ended up marrying another woman and she had passed away. He had saved the ring that he had bought for Lucille in high school and he gave it to her. Sadly he passed away from a heart attack. Lucille was just a mess and Arthur helped her out of her despair.

Then the lives intertwine and it becomes very heartwarming where they help each other through the rough times. In their own ways they give what they have and it is just right. Along with that, they pull others into the circle of help and it is a domino affect without it being a conscious effort.

I recommend this book, it is an easy read and leaves a good feeling afterwards. My sister in law sent it for my birthday and said it was a nice book and hoped I liked it and she was right.

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Book Review: The President is Missing by Clinton and Patterson

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One of my goals this year was to read more books. I have so many on my shelves that I haven’t read yet and it is like a bookstore. I will look through my shelves and come across one that I forgot….”oh…yay…gotta get to that one”. So this is my first for the year. My son gave it to me for Christmas.

This story has a covert mission for the President that not many knew what he was doing. It had to be kept quiet because there was a traitor among his close circle in the White House.

The book starts with a hearing with the House Select Committee, questioning President Duncan about why a high profile terrorist had not been killed when there was the chance, had he been protecting him? This may be leading up to being impeached.

Since this book was published in 2018, many of the groups and countries are familiar. Like Sons of Jihad, Israel, Russia, Germany, and some not so familiar but relevant to the story.

The President had been a soldier and spent several tours of duty in Desert Storm. He had been captured and tortured. His wife had passed away from cancer and he has a daughter, to give a little background on the President.

His daughter was in Paris and had been contacted by a women with information to give to her father about a terror attack that was going to happen. This was the start of the action that he had to go alone on with no one by his side. Pretty unusual for a President but made for interesting reading. He had to put on a disguise, drive a car and meet someone that he didn’t know at Nationals Park.

When everything came together, and he met the person it ended up that electricity went out, someone got killed, the Secret Service were not totally far from him and grabbed him and the young man he met at the ballpark.

They took off in the black Suburban and had people following, shooting at them and crashing into them. Someone wanted to kill them but which one, the President or the young man who was named Augie.

This led to various places that were set up with communication with the White House. The American people still think that the President is missing because the news outlets are asking where he is, plus he still has to be quiet.

The President has to figure out how to stop a virus that has been put on every computer in the US. There has been a time, programed, to set it off like a bomb on that day. It will erase every file on all computers in the country. It would affect electricity, water, banking, food supply, jobs, the military and would shut down everything. It would put America into the Dark Ages, which is the code word. It would be truly disasterous. It brings to attention just how much everything we have depends on computers.

This book contains assassins’, computer geeks, secret service shoot outs and of course surprises. It did take me a couple of chapters to get interested but I did enjoy the cloak and dagger mystery of it and to figure out who is the traitor.

It was an interesting read, especially with the knowledge of Bill Clinton who knows the inner workings of the White House and James Patterson who knows how to write a good book.

Another goal that I had for 2021 was to go through magazines that I have and tear out the interesting pages to save. I have been doing this for quite a few years and my first binder is very heavy and I have started on number two. I put them in plastic and then recycle the magazines. The spine with washi tape and permanent pen.
Recipes, decorating, and knowledge to store. I really enjoy looking through these binders and refer back to them often. I got through four magazines, which was a start. Sometimes it doesn’t go as fast as I like because something catches my interest, then I have to read it, but that is what it is for.

I do hope you had a good and healthy January. Now on to February.

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My Quilting Tools

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I have set up a nice comfortable spot to work on my hand quilting and stitchery. Being a very early riser (usually 5 am) it is a quiet area so that those who are still sleeping are not disturbed. The side table has a nice size surface for all the special items that I need. It also has three drawers on the front for supplies. The rolling thread holder that keeps the thread handy and steady so that I can easily pull out the length that is needed. It also has spots for scissors, thimble, pins and needles with a magnet on the side. Next are my little sharp scissors. Just having a regular pair is good but the decorative ones make me happy. A coaster that someone made with a nice size mug with hot morning coffee. This is one of my favorites picked up at Sagamore Hill. It lists all the National Parks and looks like a flag. A needle keeper for the quilting needles. This one I made myself. I have another for embroidery needles too. The little Altoid can holds 1/2 inch applique needles which help so much because the needle thread doesn’t get tangled on the pins. The fabric petals that I will be appliqueing onto the quilt.
Here you can see the tiny little pins that hold the petals securely in place.
I put a pillow on my lap for many reasons; it is nice to have the working surface higher to rest my wrists when sewing. It is also nice to hold the needle when I have to get more thread. Here I am getting the petal ready to applique by basting under the edge . My Mom made this pillow for me along with another I have on my chair, right after I got married 40 years ago. Some of the fabric is wearing and I love that I have found the perfect use for them. This pillow is also perfect to prop my Ipad on to make it eye level. Also learning from experience is perfect if you have a sore neck.
This is my scrap and thread disposal container. Margaret, a friend made this handy little flannel container. It is perfect because everything stays put till I clear it out and throw it away.
My sewing basket with a divided shelf on top and a deeper area underneath. A favorite Longaberger basket. It has a handle and lid.
Many of us quilters and hand stitchers have cats. I feel that this is definitely a quilting tool. This is Mama and she is thinking hard about getting under the blinds and causing some kind of havoc.
Pavel comes in every morning, looks out the door window and then proceeds to lick the window. If I don’t have the quilt out yet to work on, he will look at that area then look at me and walk out. He then will come back in and start the whole process again and settles in if I have the quilt out. Some days I have to sadly disturb his slumber to give me more fabric to make it easier to work with. He takes it all in stride.
You need a comfy chair. I recently got this glider rocker with the padding. I love it so much. Good lighting is a requirement that is right over the top of my shoulder and a smaller table lamp for more lighting.
Hinterberg floor hoop that will just be the perfect thing to use to quilt from my chair. The height can be adjusted. Unfortunately this company no longer exists but can probably be found on eBay.
Finished up the flower, snipped the threads and disposed of them properly instead of throwing on the floor. I have approximately 10 more of the flowers to sew onto this border.
This table is my tall studio table. It has a cutting mat on it. I recently had to cut out more of the petals. The cat on the chair is Mama , the one that had her back to us above. I do have to fight the cats to be able to use this chair.
This is my new taller chair that helped immensely when cutting out the petals. I believe it is 29 inches and the other is 24. With the shorter chair I felt like a little kid at dinner time and usually ended up standing. The shorter chair I sit to paint with, watch tv with and my Ipad is eyelevel too. The stool you see if for the cats to jump up to the top of the table. They have a comfy blanket so they can be with me and look out the window. If not they will find a spot on whatever I am working on. I hope you enjoyed my tour and if you have any questions drop me a line. Happy Stitching!

Stay Healthy My Friends ❤

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To the New Year

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Yesterday, on New Years we had ice/rain/ice event. Really it was a good day for it, most people didn’t have to worry about going to work., then not so many accidents. Today it is just cloudy and I went out in the yard to see if I could find a little something to take a picture of. These little gems were Iris and with the two of them and ice they resemble a heart.
Now that all the leaves are off of our pretty birch tree there was all kinds of lichen on the tree.
This stays so green all winter and in the spring it has pretty magenta flowers.
Ice on the trunk. I had to be careful, it was a layer of ice on the ground.
A lot going on here, taking the old calendars down and unpacking the new ones. I will give you a close up of the painting I did yesterday. Paint, pencil sharpener, color wheel, etc. I really may put things away on here.
Let’s Party! Images of some of our cats, former and present. I had drawn this several years ago and then misplaced the tablet. Recently I found it again and thought it was a perfect day to paint it. It is on Aquarelle Watercolor 140 lb. I have on similar that I did after I lost this one and it is in the shop now and I will get this one up soon.

When I downloaded my camera pictures this morning I was disappointed to find some images missing. I had that happen recently another time. They were pictures of the four of us at Christmas. It is time to purchase a new one. Can’t stand to have that happen again.

This is just a practice piece but I want to, along with my paintings, sell stitchery items. It is in the baby stages right now and I will keep you updated. I just really enjoy doing handstitching.
This table always has something going on it. Always have my mask nearby to grab when I am going out. Great binoculars Tom purchased for me. They are fabulous!! Matt Medium, watercolor crayons that I use to draw placement on my paintings. It dissolves when I paint over it. Pencils, scissors and rulers oh my! I have gotten two new taller chairs to sit up at these taller tables. I used to feel like a short kid at the dinner table. It will be more productive to use now.
Remember Joy. Taking down the Christmas tree today, it is always sad but life goes on. Those branches are from a redbud that I trimmed up. Couldn’t stand to just throw them away.
Sharing this ham recipe from the Kroger mailer from Christmas. It was very very good. I had not bought a ham before what had the skin that needed removed and leaving the fat on. It was so good that Kevin has requested it for his birthday.

My goals for 2021:

Read more books …..Make more art…..Finish quilts…..develop a stitchery line…..organize my basement studio (that is where my fabric is at)…..work on our pictures, loose and digital…..I have my grandmothers cookbooks that I want to look at and do something with…..strip and stain stairs and windowsills…..paint the kickplate part of the stairs…..chalkpaint tables and such…..Figure out all of the other great things that my new sewing machine does other than forward and backwards…..Read through magazines I have….tear out pages I want to keep and recycle the rest.

I don’t do resolutions, I can never keep them. Lists are my thing, then I can check it off.

I am reading a new book that I received from Sam. “The President is Missing” by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. I am just into the first couple chapters but it has been good so far. Will do a book review when I am done with it.

I have high hopes for 2021. I have been applying to art shows, and now up to four. Outdoor shows with masks and sanitizer, and distancing are good. I also think the vaccine will be well on its way to being in peoples arms.

My Anthony Fauci bobblehead. Tom ordered this right after Dr. Fauci threw out the first pitch at the Nationals game in July. I think it finally was delivered in November. He kept telling me “You are going to Love this” and I do and did and really was surprised. It sits prominently on my bookshelf with many others we have collected.

We sure have missed going to Tigers baseball games among so many other things too.
But I think most of all of the people who have lost their lives and who have lasting effects from having Covid-19.
We have so many things to never forget and are always learning.
Please stay healthy.