Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Winter Wonderland, The Sequel

It's still gray and dreary here, and the sun isn't being one bit cooperative. But I promised you pictures, so here goes ....


Yes, those dark spots you see in the snow are ducks and geese. I'm telling you, it's the watery sunlight... it has nothing to do with the skills of the photographer.

Really...



No, these are not real children... in either of the pictures.


Though I have seen plenty of young'uns running around here the past couple of weeks in short sleeves, and even shorts! YIKES!!


Maybe tomorrow the sun will be out, AND the snow will still be pretty.
For now though, I'm staying inside with a cup of hot chocolate!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Yes, I Do Intend To Maintain This Blog

It has been a week since my last post. Shame on me! But in my defense, it has been a bit busy around here getting ready for the family's arrival this weekend in anticipation of an early Christmas celebration. That is if the weather cooperates and they can all get here!

The snow from last week melted away before the weekend -- just in time for MFG and me to get our Christmas shopping finished. YAY!

But last night snow began to fall again and we awoke to a much more beautiful blanket of white than what was bestowed upon us last week.... aaahh, how pretty. I'll share pictures with you tomorrow.

The little ones whose back yards meet ours are outside romping in the fluffy white stuff. So fun to watch! Maybe I'll also have a snowman picture to share with you.

For now though I have to go brave the streets (and the local drivers) to run my errands or there won't be any turkeys to fry on Saturday! Oooh, things could get really ugly, so I'm outta here!! Bye...

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Winter Wonderland....

well, almost.

On this cold and blustery day we received our first real snow of the season. Woo-hoo! One day last week the clouds just spit a few snowflakes at us and called it good.

But not today.... no sir-ree Bob!

By about 9:00 this morning this is what it looked like in my back yard....

Of course this picture was taken from the warmth of my living room. Kansas wind, on a 30 degree day, with lots of snow thrown in.... just does not make for a pleasant outdoor photo shoot. I love ya'll -- just not that much!

The house in the background on the right? That's the snow making it look like my camera was out of focus!

At noon the landscape was beginning to take on a more wintry appearance....

And by 3:00....

And still the snow continued to fall. For about another hour. So the accumulation was a tad bit more than you see here. Not quite a winter wonderland, but hey, it's not officially winter yet. There's still plenty of time!

This has put me in the mood.

For Christmas, of course!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Mint Chocolate Chunk Quilt

One Christmas gift to check off my list.... several more to go.

I made this quilt for my older son and his wife, Kevin and Lisa. These were the colors Lisa specifically requested. And because it reminded me of Mint Chocolate Chunk ice cream, that is what I'm naming it.


I swear, I'll never eat another bite! Never!

The gal who does my machine quilting, Siriporn, is a true artist. Throughout the entire quilt she did the beautiful feather stitching that you see in the chocolate outer border. It's one of her "basic" quilting designs.

Last year I made this "Four Sisters" quilt (from Eleanor Burns' "Still Stripping..." book) for my mother-in-law (who is one of four sisters). Not that you can see it, but Siriporn quilted it with another of her basic designs that, to me, was pretty amazing. Can't imagine what one of her intricate designs might look like!

Everybody else will be getting store bought gifts!!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Enough Already!

What a weekend.... the stars must have been in some chaotic alignment. Well, now that I think about it the moon, Venus and Jupiter are jockeying into position for a "spectacular night scene" that we are supposed to be able to witness tonight. So maybe that is what has caused recent events?

Last night I received a call from my daughter. Shannon wanted me to know that she had been in a car accident the night before (now why did she wait almost 24 hours before calling her mama??? Gonna have to have a talk with that girl -- when she's feeling better.). Apparently the other driver must have been in a hurry to make a left turn and ended up hitting Shannon's car head on. Although badly shaken at the time and now sore and a bit bruised, she suffered no serious injuries -- for which we are extremely grateful, and just as grateful too that the boys weren't with her when the accident occurred. But once again she is without wheels. So along with offering up praises to God for Shannon's physical protection, please pray too for a fair and quick insurance settlement and another safe and reliable vehicle for her and the boys.

About 30 minutes later I received another phone call... this time from my older son Kevin. He had taken himself to the emergency room. For several years he has endured neck pain as a result of some accident, and for the past several months it has at times become debilitating. After various attempts to get a diagnosis and some relief, a doctor finally confirmed that Kevin has developed a form of arthritis in his neck and recommended steroid shots to help relieve the pain. The first shot was given almost two weeks ago. Shortly afterward he began to feel some tenderness around the injection sight but chalked it up as normal since the needle used was, in his opinion, a pretty big one. Over the next several days the intensity of the tenderness increased to the point where last night he was in enough pain he felt a trip to the emergency room was necessary. Kevin was sent home with prescriptions to help relieve the pain and inflammation and a recommendation to contact his doctor. While we are praying for Shannon, let's also please offer up prayers for greater wisdom for Kevin's doctors that they will find a treatment to eliminate his pain.

When Kevin was leaving the emergency room he saw his grandmother in the waiting room. Mom had brought my stepdad in because he was having chest pains again. Ken is now resting comfortably in the ICU. Once he is stabilized the doctors will perform surgery to remove blockages and do some repairs. Again, prayers for the doctors and for Ken.

Since things supposedly happen in threes we should be done with crises for a while.... right???

Saturday, November 29, 2008

In the beginning....

Okay... here it is, all rough around the edges and not very sophisticated or pretty. But this is a learning process for me, so a little patience and leeway please as I flounder through the ordeal of setting up this blog and learning how to use the darn thing.

I just read a quote (will have to find the speaker's name later) basically stating that perfectionism is a form of self abuse. Well, this is something that I am working to eliminate from my life because I have been "abusing" myself far too long now. So don't be expecting perfection here because it's just not happenin'.

What I will not do is bore everyone with my prose. This is mostly for my own benefit; an attempt to rejuvenate and reinvigorate my mind, to tap into my once creative and artistic nature (or was it more like my fantasy world?), and maybe even share "news" and pictures with family and friends.

Anyway....

This blog will be about.... well, nothing really. I'll write a little about quilting; a little about grandchildren, children, and family in general; a little about cooking, a little about gardening or the sheer awesomeness of God and nature; and whatever else might strike my fancy. Will there be daily entries? Absolutely not! I do have a life after all; and I can't experience it and share those experiences with you if I am sitting here at my computer all the time. Besides, you have a life too. You need to be out there enjoying and participating in it (or at least observing) instead of reading blogs all day long. How else are you going to share your experiences and thoughts with me???

The title Plain and Fancy may cause one to wonder if I am Mennonite or Amish, to which I would have to answer "no." Not that there is anything wrong with being one or the other, because there isn't. As a matter of fact I have a great deal of admiration and respect for both groups -- it's just that I am not, period. What it actually refers to is me: my lifestyle, my way of thinking and living, my persona.... Well, maybe as I write and share thoughts and pictures and favorite things over time this will become more obvious.

And if you are so inclined, please feel free to contribute your own thoughts... or recipes even, as I am always on the lookout for really good recipes! And good books too!!

By the way, if anyone is counting, there are 28 days until Christmas! Are you ready yet? Me neither.....