Just right for visiting! Really, in the house in the morning – rain began to clear and we – Mike, our daughter Melanie and I too off for lunch, a little shopping and then home again to continue talking – of which we do almost non-stop when we visit. She with Petite Point – stitching on a homemade frame – work is done on fine canvas or linen?– hmm guess those old frames come in handy huh.
I with my applique for “Floral Fantasy” purple done now on to the red pieces.
Melanie is changing over from dyeing vintage fabric to Petite Point I thought she was doing counted cross stitch at first and never knew the difference – I think she might have found the craft she likes now – it sure is occupying her spare time! Instead of dying fabric she is dying her thread organically instead.
Off to quilt group this morning – I think the rain will be gone sometime this morning – good thing – everything got watered very well with rain on Wednesday evening and off and on Thursday.
I do hope none of my readers were near that terrible tornado in Texas on Wednesday evening – it sure looked like horrific damage to a small town on the news last night.
by Karen on November 22, 2012
in family
I’m not sure if we have had a Thanksgiving with just the two of us since our very first. We weren’t sure. In a way it didn’t even feel like we were by ourselves though. I had just gotten done exchanging a few messages on the computer with elder daughter who has to go to work this evening – I put a curse on shopping on Thanksgiving it should be outlawed – and sat down to eat and younger daughter started to text message us. Texting while we ate 
modern age – it felt like she was in the room with us – even sent a photo on the phone of granddaughter and I one back to her of our table – LOL
The table before we ate,
Pumpkin pie and cherry/rhubarb/cream cheese - Rhubarb from our Wisconsin daughter’s plant there was still some left when we visited in September and I chopped some up and froze in ziplock bags to bring home with us – I have memories of rhubarb and Wisconsin from childhood. The wine was from Wisconsin too – we have a favorite that we like from a winery there and always bring some home from our visits.
Food on the table – well not all of it – left the turkey sitting on the stovetop – and still will have leftovers for tonight and tomorrow – and pie will last through the weekend == I hope!!
Hope everyone here in the states had a good thanksgiving and to any of you out of the country that celebrate also – like Debbie in Paris – you lucky person!
by Karen on October 6, 2012
in family
Some last photos from my daughter’s house – these sand hill cranes are actually over near the campground. Big birds!
Jessica and Ciera – windy day!
Our grandson Utah
Our granddaughter Ciera – 10 next week
We do have a wonderful son in law as well and I only got photo’s of him the first day we were there, he was on a business trip for part of the time we visited – wasn’t around much. I see I have gotten no pictures of me and the kids – oh well – next time.
by Karen on October 5, 2012
in family
We spent part of a day with our grandson and had the chance to do the same with our granddaughter and our daughter today (Sept. 21) – Ciera’s birthday was going to be a week after we left Wisconsin so we needed to pick out a present – she is 10 on Oct. 1.
First thing in the door after school is sit down with her book – she loves them!
Eating out before shopping and goofing off with part of a lemon in her mouth! (taken with camera on phone so not real clear)
Trying on things to decide what she want – the hat and scarf pictured here is what she decided on – she looks so cute in it. This is what she decided she wanted for her present. This was the second time we had went shopping and she had tried them on the first time also. We did wander around the mall looking at other things – but this is what she came back to. She sure looks cute in them!
Trying on sunglasses and things at Claires
Jessica and Ciera trying out scents.
We got our supper for free that night – we had went to a Red Robin and the place was really busy so we expected slow service, after about 30 minutes the manger came out with our food and said it was on the house – the ticket had been lost and it took them a little bit to figure out who had ordered the food! Never have had that happen before – nice!
by Karen on October 5, 2012
in family
Just a few photos here – bear with me – I only see my grandchildren once or twice a year – our granddaughter was busy with activities on this day so we took our grandson (12 yrs) out for awhile. He is really getting into photography and borrowed his dads camera. We went to a botanical gardens and got busy. It was funny watching him copy his grandpa a bit although he was really into doing his own thing as well.
He insisted he had to carry that big camera bag with all the lenses in it with him – I’m glad he realized I wasn’t going to carry it! I do fine with my little camera – I don’t want to carry a big bag with me.
One on each side of the fountain – Utah sitting and concentrating on settings and Mike on the opposite side which I didn’t notice until I got the photo on the computer. Utah says the Oriental Garden is the one he likes the best – it is fancy glittery gold.
by Karen on October 4, 2012
in family
you know how it is when you are traveling and trying to blog about things – I have been trying to continue my blogging on a almost daily basis to keep up with the massive amount of photos I take – but it is hard.
A days drive over to Lake Michigan – chilly about 60 degrees and so windy – but we ventured out for a short walk anyway.
birds flying south – they got the right idea – while I enjoy fall weather I rather go to it gradually, when we left home last week it was in the 90’s here mainly in the 60’s – a little weather change to get used to.
The lake is pretty and so big!
The kids have been in school and the adults busy so we had the day to ourselves. We didn’t get back to the campground until evening. It stayed chilly all day and rainy off and on.
The next day we were back over to Jessica’s house after the kids got back from activities. Ciera is in basketball this year as she was last year and had practice – still in her practice uniform here. You will notice off and on that she is wearing two socks of different colors – she does this on purpose and is trying to set a trend I think 
Showing her moves -
Ciera and Jessica getting some pumpkin milk shakes made for all of us. Jessica loves all things pumpkin and I think the kids do too – they were good!
