Wednesday Rambles....

 ~ Hello and Warm Welcome to my Blog ~

I'm stalling people....

I don't want to go up and work. These are the days and weeks of the year where my cup runneth a little dry. I've chased myself all year finishing and after a plethora of finishing, with little time to myself to do what I want to do for me creatively...well I'm just dry, parched, a dessert. 'Tis the season for lots of begging, wailing and gnashing of teeth for those that want finishing to be done before they ever contact me...I don't have elves that come out and help me at night and there is only so much I can do. I'm not magical, not a magician, and although we have two beautiful rabbits - Cinder and Mocha - they don't like to be pulled out of my hat. 😆 For someone who genuinely tries - with all their might to please every single person (even though some might think I do not try hard enough) believe me, I do and it can be mentally exhausting. BUT good news is: I am nearing the end of my finishing for the year and I will survive...I always do :)

One month ago...

I woke up and couldn't walk. Legit, could not walk. It was my right leg/knee. After hobbling around in pain unable to bend or put any weight on my right leg. I finally got in to an orthopedist. Come to find out: I have bad osteoarthritis. Really not shocking, I guess. I am 52, both of my grandmothers suffered from it in their knees and hips so hello arthritis! Turns out I've apparently had it for years, I just had a bad flare, that will not go away. Xray and MRI shows: severe bone spurs behind my knee caps as well. Awesome! I actually know my orthopedist, he is a member of our church and he is genuinely kind and extremely good at what he does. He put me on Mobic and I am much better after 3 weeks. Today I saw him for a follow-up. I am to stay on Mobic for one more month, then go off of it to see what happens. If I can manage without it, then fine. If I need to go back on it, I fill my prescription and go until I have pain again and then we will go from there with shots/knee replacement. He told me I'm young and active (I mean I walk/ do elliptical every day) that I MUST keep doing that to keep my arthritis at bay as best I can. He told me I will be looking at knee replacements in the future, but hold off as long as I can tolerate. Hello old age. Boo! I feel honestly like I'm much younger than 52 and this knee thing has me walking like I'm 90 - honestly I'm scared I'm going to hurt it. 

How would you like to see what's been going on creatively,  here's what I've been up to the last few days....

Katie had made this antique window for her wedding venue as a welcome sign....

she purchased a large print of her and Austin and we framed it behind the window for her memory wall at home: 

Didn't that turn out fantastic?!

You all know I've taken up painting....

well I really do enjoy it, but I didn't have a good system for paint storage so that I could see the colors I had. So I had a brilliant (to my mind) idea in the middle of the night for paint storage. I bought floating shelves (typically used for picture frames) and Keith hung them to store my entire set of Americana Acrylics. SNAZZY!

Decorative Painters would call me a "Bottle Baby" yes I know I could mix colors, but if it calls for a color I just want to pull the bottle and use it. I don't like mixing and then I can't replicate it if I walk away. Having the colors are easier for me. (and I'm not the only bottle baby around....that's why they have all the colors available!)

I have - for 20+ years.....

wanted a Willow Tree Nativity set. My Sister in Law has one - got it for a wedding gift 20 years ago - and I fell in love with hers. I have yearned for one ever since. I collect Nativities myself and this month I took on some extra work. I did said work after "hours" on my "off" time. I took what I earned and did something for me for once. I put it toward this Nativity and bought it when I had: a $45 coupon (I am a Gold Crown Member and it isn't hard to gather points by purchasing cards/ornaments during extra points days) - well anyway I earned enough points that I could cash in enough for $45 off and then I had a 20% off coupon total purchase - well let me tell you that helped tremendously on this set because I don't care who you are Willow Tree sets are expensive. 

I'm going to leave my set out all year long on my Great Grandmother's bureau that I was given. This sits right outside our bedroom and I walk past it several times a day going to the bathroom as my studio is right behind this wall it sits on. 

I do so love it....

(that's an antique copper boiler/wash tub from my Great, great Aunt Kate - she cared for me my first year of life and she called me: "Aunt Kate's Dolly")

Do you see the little ninja?

climbing my chairs....

ripping my paper towels....

acting innocent.....

always hungry....

She's the reason I can't have anything nice around here (ha ha ha!) 

Sophie the little princess! I have never had a female cat in my entire life - I have owned a lot of cats, all Toms. I know now I will never be without a female again - she is a doodle and I love her! (even though I'm not her Mommy - Ellie is her Mommy - I am her Granny)

Let me leave you with some finishing I've done in the last couple of weeks....

still no stitching here....I tell you people, I'm dry...parched...when it comes to stitching!

 

 

A shot of another grand-kitty, this is Katie and Austin's Charlie....isn't he gorgeous?! 

Those Eyes!

And here is one of my old geezer's Red - who just turned 13

he loves his Mommy, sleeps with her just like this every night.

And there you go peeps! 

I hope you have a fantastic day....

here I am channeling my inner Linda from Bob's Burgers

Until Next Time....

SMILE BIG!

Love in stitches, 

Vonna xxxx

PS: YES! I do plan on doing the days of Christmas again - people have been asking :) Yes I plan on doing!

Autumn flying by....

 ~ Warm Welcome to my Blog ~

I hope each of you are well and enjoying your little slice of the world, no matter where you are. I have been...well busy. And today I'm extremely tired, but I have miles to go before I sleep :)

Here is a sweet photo of our Miss Sophie, laying on my new antique Singer Red Eye 1906 machine. It is in good working order and fabulous, it was Keith's grandmothers and I sleep under quilts made by her on this machine. It means a lot to me to have her in my care now. My Mother in Law (her daughter - gave it to me) - Thank you Bernie!

I made the little unfinished quilt top - it is a log cabin and a pattern from Jo Morten who makes little quilts. I have so many big quilts that have been made by me and others that I decided I'll just make little quilts when I get a hankering to piece a quilt. 

We traveled to St. Meinrad, Indiana a couple of weekend's ago for the Pfeiffer Family reunion. I always love to stop at this St. Joseph roadside shrine each year. This year I snapped a photo. 

I'm so busy finishing, I have had ZERO desire to stitch so I pulled out my paints and painted this cutie, designed by: Lynne Andrews

When we were on the way to St. Meinrad, I always ask Keith to stop in Ferdinand, Indiana at a quaint little antique/junk store. I found - to the pitter patter of my little heart - a Bartholomew Company Teddy Bear Express Buckboard wagon....don't my teddies look right at home? 

 I paid more for it than I wanted to....BUT I don't care, I have wanted one ever since the 1990's when they were quite popular. Score!

Here is a better photo of my Red Eye machine :) LOVE HER!

During Katie's wedding I had a friend from church help me. She MORE than helped me, she basically washed every piece of china, ran the kitchen and cleaned it before the night was over so that I wouldn't have to stay afterwards and do it. Her son got married last week and I made (as a surprise for her son and soon to be DIL) and a huge thank you for helping me, 150 wedding reception cookies as "thank you" tokens for the guests for coming. 

Here they were as they were drying after icing:

What the whole presentation looked like after putting them together:

Assembly line packaging at 3 a.m. in the morning (for real): 

packing them up so my friend could come get them to drive to the venue:

My husband "testing" the wares (ha ha!):

I took this picture of our sweet old geezer Chatty (16  years old) but in there you get to see another sweet thing my Mother In Law gave me: her childhood play ironing board that her Uncle made her. Isn't that darling? I think it looks sweet in the corner next to our kitchen cupboard desk. 

Mr. Cat Whisperer rubbing it in that Sophie chooses to sit on HIS lap....

Sophie watching me write my blog....she's a beautiful cat and for only being her about 6 months, she sure rules the roost and has us all wrapped around her finger! HA HA!

Tonight is "Free Food Friday and Game night" - 

this is the invention of my husband and I - I cook downhome good food that my kids were raised on, they come visit, for a family & game night - The adult kids are tired and don't want to cook, so they come to Mom's house and we eat and laugh, make smore's on our fire pit then play games. BEST invention ever! 

Tonight we are having my Chicken Gnocchi Soup and Garlic Knots. I make everything homemade that we eat because I don't want any preservatives or things I can't pronounce in my food. 

I think the recipe has been shared here before on my blog too...if you care for them, they are on the tab above under: RECIPES

Well my Garlic Knot dough has doubled and its time to tie the  knots. So I got to get going. 

All my best to all of you...thank you for sharing this space with me, caring about me, my family and what I do....I am closing in on less than 15 packages for Christmas/end of year finishing. 2023 will be the year Vonna REALLY slows down on finishing for others. I'm not closing, just slowing the number down. I'm 52, I have worked hard and long hours my entire life. Keith got a new manager's job, he's making more money, our kids are mostly grown and on their own except Ellie and I think that is God's way of saying: slow down Vonna and let the manager take care of you! LOL! So I'm going to do as He suggests. 

Until next time.....

All my love to you all, 

Vonna xxxxx