Fence Day for Us

Well, it finally is coming about. We are having a fence built at the back of our property. We already have a chain link fence but wanted to block the view to our yard from the neighbors as their dogs don't really love us outside!!!! We left the chain link and moved our new stockade fence 6 1/2' tall, forward about 5 feet so we can get behind it to mow. The dogs BARK whenever we walk Buddy or just sit on the new screened porch or water the yard. To bad we have to build a solid wood fence just to keep them quiet. Oh, well, with the barn out there and now the fence, our view is good and theirs is blocked!

Also, we have a man here patching some drywall cracks in our kitchen ceiling and bedroom. With a old house (built in 1949) and ceiling fans that must have weighed a ton, sometimes this happens but this guy really has fixed them. WHAT A MESS!!!!! Not sure we will recover for several days. I now will have to dust and wash almost everything in the house!!!! Glad we didn't clean all the wood blinds!!!! They really need it now.

On to painting the ceiling in the bedroom, the walls and we are done! Well, I do want to repaint the living room but Lynn is saying, maybe not. I need to make four valances for the living room windows and we are getting a new rug for the bedroom but that is about it.

I need to get busy on making my earrings for the Pingree Swap! 10 pair---- http://www.pingree07.com/

Can't wait but Camp Woosley is next. Going to make some T-shirts for it.

Everyone have a wonderful day.

Heavy Heart Today

A Flower for Helen

I received some very sad news this morning.

My very good and old friend, Helen Clark, Greensboro, NC passed away in her sleep yesterday morning. Way, Way tooo young!

Helen was a wonderful person who loved life completely. Her talents were so many.
Cooking was a passion, needlework, quilting and best of all making a wonderful, beautiful, comfortable home for her family and friends. Always welcoming anyone who dropped by and always had an ear to listen. Her garden was beautiful, her herbs and flowers, again, making everything around her beautiful. She cared so much for her Bob and kids, Julie and Steve and her two sweet grandsons. Helen was a teacher, thru and thru! She loved kids but had a wonderful knack for teaching adults. Many have learned quilting and needlework skills from Helen. Her work was impeccable. If it was worth doing, she did it well.

So many things and moments in my life remind me of Helen. She had a style about her, Helen!!!! When I think of a word to describe, Helen, It was CARETAKER! Always there for everyone. She will be missed by many as her friend were many. When Helen came into your life, your life changed forever. She passed away the way she lived---very gently!

You were loved, Helen, you will be remembered always. Love Marty

July is moving like a freight train!

Well, as expected, July is half over and we have been so busy every minute. I want to do better with the blog, but----- as usual, things get in the way.

We had a wonderful surprise the last week of June when our great friends, Jim and Jennifer Hamilton stopped by for dinner and overnight on their way to the DC area. They had never been here since we moved to Mineola and we had such fun gettting caught up on all the news.
We will be attending their oldest son"s wedding over the Labor Day weekend in the Mountains outside of Denver. They just celebrated their 35th Wedding Anniversary! They are such good friends, it's so easy to catch up. It was also nice the Jennifer was coming this way to pick the kids up from camp and she and Sydney got to see the Hamiltons.

Time Is Flashing By

Boy, it seems as if it has been ages since I was here. I wanted to do this everyday or two before I forgot what I wanted to write about but it just has not been in the daily plan.

Lynn and I spent time with Clint, Melody and Tess in San Antonio on our way to Corpus Christi for a two day seminar for Lynn. Buddy got to stay there for a visit with his doggie niece, Pebbles. She did put up with him but really loves her own space! I know she was loving it the day we returned and took him with us.

When we got back, we got ready for a visit from our very close friends "Mike" and Paul Wigg from Des Moines, Iowa. They flew into Dallas (well, with a side trip to Houston because of the weather) and we picked them up to come visit and pick up the 1990 Caddy they purchased from us. It is their new "Sweety Pie". Paul loves to redo older cars and this one reminds him of a hearse, he said. Black big Caddy with only 30,000 miles on it. It was Lynn's Mom's car and Wal-Mart and the Beauty Parlor was where most of the miles came from.

We have vowed to eliminate motors here at this house. One boat and one car down!!! One RV(Rialta), one Mercedes to go. No more license, oil changes and insurance!!!!! YES! And, I could park my VW in the garage last night.

The sun is shining here today. It has rained more than 60 inches since the first of the year here and boy, lately, I wasn't sure we didn't need to get our boat back. Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day!!!!!

Been Working on Our Web Sites

It is really come to my attention that if your don't use it, you loose it!

It has been ages since I have updated the websites I do and without my very good friend, Neta, I could not have done what I did, or should we say done what she did!!! Front Page is the program I use but due to companies being sold and passwords being changed, I was in deep trouble for updating. Neta and I started a little website building company for small companies and artists before we moved to Mineola. When I moved, I left the business without much experience but Neta has worked hard to build the business and is doing well.
Check it out, http://www.metrovillageusa.com/.

Thanks you, Neta, for all you do for me!

I went out last night to see my lily plants and this is one that was blooming. The evening light was shining thru the back. The lilies have been beautiful this year.



Thinking today about my new friend who is having breast cancer surgery today. Double mastectomy---stage 2. Her name is Amy Joy and I hope you will keep here in your thoughts today as she is really on my mind! Young mom with 4 girls and hubby. Positive thoughts for Amy!



We are off today for Cracker Barrel for lunch---special Turkey and Dressing, one of our favorites. Getting ready for our little trip south to San Antonio and Corpus! Our Rear Cover for the back of the truck came in and was installed yesterday! Yes---just in time for our trip. Loving this truck--- lots of good space for Buddy's stroller, my scooter and suitcases in the back!!!!!

Oh, exciting news! I won a bid on Ebay last night for a Kiln, Sierra E450. Now I can do the PMC Silver Clay and Fused Glass. As my kids say, new phase in my life but I have lots to learn before I know what to do. I am prepared for it now!!!!!

Busy Weekend

I saw a beautiful butterfly today and reminded me of the butterfly pics I took at Gulf Shores/Foley, Alabama last fall. I wish I had planted a butterfly bush this year! Maybe I still will. Nature is amazing, for sure.

Well, we decided to have a short "Barn Sale" this last Saturday. Worked all day Friday on sorting out the big stuff to sell. We need room in the barn to get ready for the July 7th Barn Sale we are going to have but had to rid ourselves of some of the "ugly" stuff we have been saving for 43 years. Lynn and I have moved many, many times but we can't seem to shed the "stuff" habit. I am the worst! We really did great! Planned to call in and advertise on the trade radio show here in town on Friday night and Sat. morning but guess what---they didn't have the show because of a Rodeo or something like that so our signs just had to grab them. Our neighbor, Kandie brought over some goodies and while we were setting up on Friday, she sold a bunch. What a great way to have a sale, just open up the barn door and drag out the stuff. We started at 7 and ended at 11----great hours. Then it was off to Dallas for our granddaughter's dance recital. Yes, I will brag on her---Sydney CAN Dance! Boy, she is growing up so fast ---turning 11 this month. Time is flying for Lynn and me.

Lynn is off to Dallas to work for three days and when he comes home, we will be leaving for San Antonio to see Clint, Melody and Tess. Then on the Corpus Christi for three days of school for him and relaxing and picture taking for me.

Omni Hotel on the water so might be a good place to shoot some fun pictures.

Working on some fabric cushions for the porch and curtains for the laundry and back hall. Been awhile since I have been at the sewing machine and I really love it and want to get back to making things and miniature quilting.

Also, working on the web pages I have neglected for so long. Little by little, our lives are coming into shape. It is such fun to work on our class site as it brings back so many memories. It all take a good deal of time. Really seems as if there is always something to do here are our home. Our Cosmos are blooming.

It's almost June, Can You Believe It?

What a way to welcome June! Our neighbor, Marcia has a beautiful Magnolia tree in her yard so after the rain yesterday, I went over and took a pic of a couple of them. They smell like citrus and are huge. We are lucky to be able to view the tree from across the street. One of the downfalls is that they are very messy, dropping leaves often and the leaves are huge!

Well, again, I say the porch is done but we still have to do the cushions and decide if we want to repaint the floor or tile---my vote is for paint and Lynn's is for tile. We have a little celebration on Memorial Day, homemade ice cream and cake. Neighbors, friends and us. How wonderful it is to sit ourside under the fan and not be bothered by pesky flys and nats. I really am an attraction for the mosquito and I managed to come inside without one bite!!!! Lynn added a little rock area for our pots to sit on and we hope to add a small fence for Buddy but we are taking the month of June off as we will be traveling to San Antonio to see Clint, Melody and Tess and going on to Corpus for three days of school for Lynn and relaxing for me.

Now we have added another room to clean and keep up but we are going to love it. After 43 years of marriage, I finally have my "screen porch".

Porch is done!!!

Well, we finished the porch today.!!! We have been waiting to finish until our guest went back to Iowa. Connie was here from Friday of last week until yesterday and we had such fun. Wish the porch had been done before she left so we could enjoy it but she will be back soon, I know and we will sit and sip and celebrate our finished project. I want to buy some pretty fabric and do rocker cushions and maybe get a small day bed. Sat out there for over an hour and would have loved to been napping!! Will fill the big pots with something pretty and sit back and enjoy. Also got my window box up on the garage. Been over a year. It is a day to just do projects that are hanging around. Boy do we have "hanging around" projects!

Buddy helped with the porch and now he can go out

and lay and enjoy the outside!

One of my Lily Blooms!
Our kitchen is finished and we love it. Great to know we are coming to the end of the "remodel road" now. The next thing is building a privacy fence and and small picket fence for Buddy.

Screen porch is started

We are thrilled that we have come to the point where we can add our screen porch. Yes, Monday the 14th of May, we started it. Will take a few days but with our good friend, Mike Perkins and Lynn I can see it is going to be what I wanted and drew out for them. It is so good to see that what was in my mind is working.
Here is the first of the progress. More to come.

Art Show Mineola League of the Arts

I entered a couple of watercolor paintings in the Mineola League of the Arts Annual Art Show 2007 yesterday and went to the reception tonight to see my y "Back Porch" watercolor got a Honorable Mention. I am thrilled. Mostly because I have a finished painting in 2007!!!!!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Well, this is my first post and I think it will be fun to add things here and keep updating my interests. Lynn and I are finishing our kitchen renovation this week and boy, are we glad. It has been a long haul but we feel it was all worth it. Pictures to follow when we are complete. Now, on to my studio and then the master bedroom. The kitchen was the major thing in this home. Oh, forgot, Monday we will start screening in our back porch! Bugs in Texas are a problem and we are going to love being able to set out at night and not be dinner for the critters! Will take before and after pics and post as we move along on this project.

Hopefully I can get back to art in the near future! Oh, entering two pieces in the Mineola League of the Arts Show this coming weekend. Always a nice show and being a member---I try to support it as much as I can.

More soon and come back to follow our progress with the house.