Ginny

Laura at ice-skating show

2011-08-18T04:45:00.000-07:00

Our little star! We were afraid we'd have to have the Zamboni sweep her off the ice, she wanted to stay.

Marietta Merchants & Artists Walk

2011-08-18T04:40:00.000-07:00

Heather & Joyce at their booth. "One of a kind"

Amy horse-back riding

2011-08-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

Quilt machine

2011-08-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sheryl assembling long arm quilt machine in preparation for starting my own business.

New haircut

2011-08-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

Home again, home again. Got hair cut and donated 10" for cancer patients wigs.

Amy turns 30

2011-08-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

Amy takes riding lessons; therefore--a riding trail

She asked for an all-vegetarian spread

Making a wish and blowing out the candles. Happy birthday to my baby.

The End of the Road

2011-08-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

I-80 Truckstop: the largest in the US

Arlington to visit Max's grave

Atlantic Ocean: toes in both oceans on either side of the continent. Sun, surf & sand. Nice day.

Nauvoo IL

2011-08-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

Square dancing band

Tartan kilts & bag pipes

Young girls in long dresses around an electric fan, quite comical.

Working on a comforter

Temple in Nauvoo. It's easy to see why the early saints settled here.

Utah

2011-07-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

Temple Square

Pattie's little dog Pepper

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Visited with DeAnn and Pattie; so great to catch up after all these years.

Oregon

2011-07-31T08:34:00.000-07:00

Our cabin on West Coast

Sam liked to play in the sand

Phil & J on the boat

Whale watching with Sam. We saw a gray whale several times.

Pacific Ocean very cold

2011-07-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

Bec had strawberry shortcake waiting when I arrived in Oregon. Yummy. She is such a good cook and showed off her culinary talents while I was there.

At Silver Falls in Oregon with James, Sam and Lizzy

Fourth of July: James didn't care for the fireworks Phil was setting off and had to be in mama's lap.

Liz, Sam,Bec, J

J likes to drink from the water hose outside. So cute.

Road Trip Summer 2011

2011-07-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

Ankles swollen when arrived in Oregon after cross-country trip; sure wish the car was equipped with cruise control. Very nice drive, though--loved to see this beautiful land. Took 3 days from Ohio to Oregon.

Spending time with grandkids this summer

2011-07-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

Spencer's birthday

Julia

Alec ball game

NQA Quilt show

2011-06-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

Sarah Y & Joyce

Wonderful quilts, great workshops and lectures, fun time with friends.

Cars 2

2011-06-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

Watched Cars 2 at the theatre with Alec. Very good. I love Pixar.

Columbus Zoo and Olentangy Indian Caverns

2011-06-20T00:48:00.000-07:00

This leopard and dog grew up together from babies.

Union had family day at the zoo. Before that, a friend and I went to the caverns. Interesting.

XOXOXO Hugs & Kisses baby quilt

2011-06-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

For baby Sebastian. Mary loves elephants. Matches his room.

Retirement here I come

2011-06-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

The office had a breakfast party for me. My gift was a beautiful aqua necklace. Love it.

Laura

2011-06-14T06:20:00.001-07:00

Laura was the color Orange in her kindergarten program. I love these things. So cute.

Spencer & Benton

2011-06-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

Spencer bridges from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts in Mansfield. Spencer and Benton play baseball.

Scarecrow

2011-06-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Farmer up the street changes his scarecrow frequently. Wonder if the birds are fooled.

pillow case dresses

2011-06-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Made for Julia and Laura. Julia is using hers as a swimsuit cover-up. These are pillowcases my grandma Clara Palmer embroidered and crocheted. Lovely. Upcycle at its best.

Earth Day

2011-05-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

Julia at Earth Day celebration. Amy won first prize in the "ttash-to-art" contest with her pet bed made from half a hard-sided suitcase and recycled quilt.

Yard work

2011-05-11T04:08:00.000-07:00

Neil fixed the mower and helps with the yard work.

2011-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Laura trying on the dress I made her.
This is what happens when Laura is around: stuffies take over the exercise equipment.

Cannery

2011-04-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

My first experience volunteering at the cannery near Columbus. Working with a group of friends; was hard work and fun at the same time. Thanks to Sarah Y who did all the organizing and kept us on track.

in Cleveland

2011-04-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

Traci & Alec joined me at the hotel while I was in meetings in Cleveland.

How come the Easter bunny deliver eggs???

2011-04-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

Amy and I made up these cute baskets for the grand kids. Home-made egg cozies in the shape of animals.

Easter eggs

2011-04-19T17:52:00.001-07:00

Creative endeavors with Holly & kids. They made me a "special" colored egg which holds a place of honor in my Easter basket.

Autism awareness month

2011-04-05T02:09:00.000-07:00

April is autism awareness month. I feel so blessed to have some of these special children in my life to give me a fresh perspective on life with marvelous insights and a sense of wonder.

The Family Von Trapp? No--The Family Drake

2011-04-05T02:05:00.000-07:00

Laura
Benton
Spencer getting ready for piano recital next week. The kids all performed the pieces they were working on; what a great concert!

Risk

2011-04-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

Spencer & Katie

How about a two-day board game? The "version" Spencer was playing was not the "real" rules as Katie found out so we had to learn the strategy for the game of Risk. We played in between sessions of conference. Katie won.

Quilt Show

2011-03-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

National Quilting Association show and workshop in June. Getting together a group of friends to attend in Columbus. FUN!!!

Fairy tale ball

2011-03-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Cosstume judging
Mary's friend Jessica
The big bad wolfe
What a super great time Amy, Julia and I had at the Fairy Tale Ball sponsored by The Parkersburg Art Center and the Parkersburg Actor's Guild. Julia was thrilled to dress up as Little Red Riding Hood because as she said "I have red hair!" but was perplexed when Amy told her I was going as the granny because "But she already is a grandma." Very well organized with kids games, activities, dancing, and adult activities upstairs--Amy and I wanted to stay with the kids. Julia won first prize for best costume. She was so pleased.

Arlington

2011-03-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

Visisted Max's grave on the way to Baltimore this week.

tato's quilt

2011-03-21T19:36:00.001-07:00

Eddie loves his quilt. At first he said it was too nice to use but we talked him into it.

Two cuties

2011-03-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

Lemon Meringue & her sister Hannah

She's BACH

2011-03-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Laura and Dr Crane at piano lessons.

Real Sugar Shack

2011-03-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Making maple syrup at an Amish farm in northern Ohio. Went with Katie, Robert and the kids. It was muddy but very interesting to see a real "sugar shack" the smell was marvelous. We came home with maple syrup at less than retail cost. Sweet deal.

Spring Fling

2011-03-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

Alec
Benton
Spencer
Laura
Traci won a "family game" basket and a cooler full of goodies. Alec's school carnival was a lot of fun. He is on the school council so he had to work one of the games. We had a great time. Laura won more prizes than I did; they made me stand farther back for the cornhole toss, bowling and other games. How is that fair???

for Tato

2011-03-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

For my cousin Tato. Ted said "I hope he likes bright colors". It's mom's first quilt. The quilt top was a joint effort but mom did all of the hand quilting. Good job!

ROAD CLOSED

2011-03-11T17:36:00.000-08:00

Flood March 2011. My deck is submerged now. I think there are logs caught on the deck, it will be a mess to clean up. The river is about a foot from the road and still rising. A lot of Marietta downtown businesses have closed.

yum-yum

2011-03-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

Monday's bachelor dinner for my neighbors was Bec's recipe of chicken pepper pasta. It was a hit even if it was a bit labor intensive. Made home-made tiramasu also. with ceasar salad and italian bread. Chet said he's never had a bad meal at my house. ringing endorsement.

Flat tire

2011-03-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

What a surprise when I got in the car and it went thump-thump on the way to work. VERY flat tire, had to get two new tires and rotate from front to back the old ones.

The Pageturners Book Club

2011-03-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

It was so good to see the girls; we discussed "The Girl Who Could Fly" and dressed up as the characters. I was the cricket. Morgan was the hostess, she dressed up as Violet. Sierra was a great Dr Helliion, Adelaide looked like Conrad. We voted to extend an invitation to Gracie who has asked to join out little book club. Also suggested was a mother-daughter discussion. Thanks, Bec, for some titles. Maybe "Ella Enchanted" would be good for that.

One less tooth

2011-03-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yep, now I can say "I need that like a hole in my head" because I have one in my mouth. Hole, that is. Molar pulled, it was very painful and difficult. Because the roots were curved, dentist had to cut it out in pieces. Not sure whether to do implant or bridge.

No photos

2011-03-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

What a blast! There were about 8 of us at last week's "Girls Night Out" at Holly's house. No pics, though; I would be tarred & feathered this time. The theme for shared food was "healthy". I brought home-made granola bars with peanut butter & honey. I suggested we do an all-chocolate theme next time.

What's UP?

2011-03-08T15:37:00.001-08:00

The river is up! This pic was taken before the river crested. It'll be a mess to clean up.

Traci's New Pad

2011-02-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

Alec's room
Traci's room
Kitchen
Living room
Kitchen/dining area; notice Amy & Penney outside on the porch. We went to help with the move.

It's birthday time

2011-02-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

Birthday party for Kara & Ian while they are spring break; Bruce brought them down from Boston.

I AM HIDEOUS

2011-02-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

Infected tooth; this is not the worse my face looked. Root canal (again) scheduled for this week.

Julia's tea party

2011-02-21T01:38:00.000-08:00

Julia's tea party. Six little girls who love pink had luncheon, decorated cupcakes and made bookmarkers. It was a lot of fun.

home again home again

2011-02-21T01:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome home note from Julia.

Little Seb

2011-02-21T01:34:00.000-08:00

Previously unpublished pictures. Notice the blanket Katie made.

Sebastian blessing day

2011-02-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

Me, Mary, Seb, Luis, his parentsSebastian
Sebastian's special day. I made the smocked outfit, Katie made crocheted booties, Luis' aunt made the saque and blanket.

My new love

2011-02-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

Reading a bedtime story:Feeding time:
Little monkey:
Taking it all in:
Sucking the thumb:
A day in the life of Sebastian.

When God Created Mothers

2011-02-04T02:27:00.000-08:00

Remembered when Pattie, DeAnn, Sharon and I traveled to Columbus to hear Erma Bombeck speak; we had read her books and were huge fans. This is an piece from one of her books that I enjoy:

"When God Created Mothers"

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of "overtime" when the angel appeared and said. "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And God said, "Have you read the specs on this order?" She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts...all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair. And six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head slowly and said. "Six pairs of hands.... no way."

It's not the hands that are causing me problems," God remarked, "it's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."

That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. God nodded.

One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, 'What are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say. 'I understand and I love you' without so much as uttering a word."

God," said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "Get some rest tomorrow...."

I can't," said God, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger...and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.

But tough!" said God excitedly. "You can imagine what this mother can do or endure."

Can it think?"

Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.

There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model."

It's not a leak," said the Lord, "It's a tear."

What's it for?"

It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."

You are a genius, " said the angel.

Somberly, God said, "I didn't put it there."
— Erma Bombeck (When God Created Mothers)

Our Little Groundhog

2011-02-04T01:24:00.001-08:00

Welcome to earth little Sebastian Manuel. You are well loved.

Newest family member

2011-02-04T01:10:00.001-08:00

Mid-wife and student mid-wife

Sebastian Manuel De Bastos arrived 2/2/2011, at 7 lbs 10 ozs 20.8".

Edinburgh in Slow Motion

2011-01-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

Edinburgh Castle
Bagpipes are in the air all over
Phone booth
Men in kilts are everywhere no matter how cold it is:

Mary was walking verrrrry slowly this day so it was all slow-mo. We only started down the Royal Mile before she got too knackered to continue. We saw the Crown Jewels but cameras were prohibited. There was a sword nearly as big as me. Cannonballs so huge it would take three strong people to pick one up. The view from the Castle was breathtaking, we could see the ocean.

Glasgow

2011-01-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

Church:
Double decker bus:Botanical gardens:
Walking around seeing some of the sights in Glasgow.

In Scotland

2011-01-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle
Motherwell
Mary at 40 weeks & Luis in front of their apartment.

Lizzy's baptism

2011-01-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Phil, Becca, Lizzy, Sam, me, James at Lizzy's baptism.

Oregon

2011-01-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

Sweet Baby James with the dirty face.
Phil at the piano with Super Sam and Super Liz
Lizzy in the confirmation dress I made her.
Sam lets me share his beloved red blankie.

Bec and me ready for Zumba class. In Oregon having a good time with family and attending Lizzy's baptism and confirmation.

Dual birthdays

2011-01-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

Alec and Laura
Alec
Laura

Since I would be missing both birthdays (the first time ever) we celebrated Alec's birthday #9 (Jan 21) and Laura's birthday #6 (Feb 5) at Katie's house. What a lot of fun with cake, ice cream and pink punch.

Christmas afternoon

2010-12-27T03:46:00.000-08:00

Dress I made Laura She calls this her "lucky hat"
Christmas at Katie's with the kids. Love it. We played games, watched a movie, had fun.

Christmas morning

2010-12-27T03:41:00.000-08:00

wearing the new scarves Bec made for us and Brian showed us how to drape with Amy
Julia
Mom
Christmas morning at Mom's with Julia.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T03:25:00.000-08:00

Brian and Verna
Dad & me at Christmas Eve party at Dad's.

Ward Christmas party

2010-12-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

Snacks and desserts. The kids did a nativity play.

Little Elves

2010-12-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

My little soft tree.
Liz & Sweetie & Carter
Had help buttoning on the ornaments on my little soft tree. Decided not to get a tree this year but this was a good substitute.

Gingerbread houses

2010-12-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

On display at the Lafayette Hotel in historic downtown Marietta.

The Pageturners Book Club

2010-12-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

Another good meeting and discussion.

Arlington Natl Cemetery

2010-12-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Grave blanket locally made Amy and I found at farmer's market in Marietta. Missing Max today on his birthday. Went to Arlington and back on Saturday, made for a very long day driving but gave me time to think and reflect on life.

Black Friday

2010-11-28T04:32:00.000-08:00

Shopping with Mom, it was actually fun. The crowds were manageable, the sales were good, fun to hang out with mom and have breakfast with Ted PLUS got most of my shopping done. Hooray.

Thanksgiving Day at Dad & Joan's

2010-11-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

Julia has her own little tree to decorate from Joan. Some of the ornaments are ones I have been saving for her since she was born.
Julia made "chocolate spoons" for dessert to share. When we were eating dinner, Amy asked Julia what she was thankful for and she replied "I am thankful for dessert and chocolate spoons." What wonderful blessings in my life and so grateful--there are no small blessings, they are all big.

Girls Night

2010-11-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Everyone brought Mexican dish to share

Wendy & Holly each had a birthday that week.
Fun fun fun, 8 of us got together for food and friendship. Much talking and laughing and a little pina colada (virgin of course).

Trees of our heritage

2010-11-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

Americana tree
me & Mom
Inez & Mom. Blennerhassett Museum had their annual Christmas tree display and food sampling. We ate our way around the museum. It was fun.

Quilt for Tato

2010-11-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

Mom does the ironing
Finished quilt top. When Ted saw it he said "Wow it sure is colorful". Hope Tato likes colorful. Mom is going to learn how to hand quilt it next. We thought it would be a twin size but it turned out to be a queen size so maybe it won't be done by Christmas.

Toys for Tots Fun Run/Walk

2010-11-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Notice the no-shirt guys.
me before the race
Toys for Tots collected. It was very cold 26 degrees. Bet the guys with no shirts ran fast.

Laying to rest a fallen hero

2010-10-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

Bike escort
Nicci & Ginny. I was standing on tiptoes, she was hunkering down.
Nikki & her kids at the rally supporting a Parkersburg soldier being laid to rest.

Fairy princess

2010-10-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

Julia with wings.

Raking leaves then a bonfire & roast wienees

2010-10-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

Rolling down the hill into a leaf pile. They buried me in the pile.
My friend Wendy and her kids were over to help rake leaves then burn them, it made short work of the leaves in the yard--thanks guys!

Halloween SSA-style

2010-10-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

Party at work, we grilled burgers and had pot luck.

Ghost walk

2010-10-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hunter moon
Joyce & Jess
'tis the season to be goofy.

Mohican state park

2010-10-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

AFGE local reps. I gave a presentation on health & safety. Very dedicated folks.

Locks & dam

2010-10-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hand cranked lock system

Valley Gem sternwheeler
Locking through the dam on the last fall foliage tour of the season which I wanted to go but missed.

Bachelor Party

2010-10-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

Three of my neighbor bachelors were over for dinner. I wanted to fix lasagna but can't make "lasagna for one" so invited the fellows. They are very appreciative when they get a home cooked meal. A couple nights later they grilled out and I was invited, I brought salad. That's how we do things here on the river. The toast is "Above the damn and below the tracks, we watch each others backs."

Doll clothes

2010-10-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

For Lizzy's dolls: cheerleading outfits and "spa day" gear. Bec said Liz and a friend played non-stop as soon as they arrived. These are fun to make and much easier than Barbie clothes.

Wood Co air show

2010-10-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

F-18 Hornet

Breathtaking air show on a beautiful fall day.

"Barn" party

2010-10-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

bonfire at my friend Wendy's
The kids wanted me to go on the ride with them.
The Virginia Reel. Church activity wonderful autumn evening, lots of fun.

Grandparent's Day with Alec

2010-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

At School

It was spaghetti day at school. I did not make the "clean plate club". We both had a lot of fun; Alec said he wished they had it two times in the year.

Ramseyer Farm

2010-10-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

Go cart track-Alec
Deciding which way to go in the corn maze.
Laura & me
Spud sling-Laura & Katie
Hay obstacle course-Laura
Crisp fall day. Fun time.

Saturday Fall Fun

2010-10-03T04:46:00.000-07:00

with Traci
Laura at skating rink after lesson
Katie skating lesson.

The Pageturners Book Club

2010-10-03T04:43:00.000-07:00

Morgan, Adelaide, me, Siara
Read & discussed "Things not seen" by Andrew Clements. Next: Fahrenheit 451

Birthday sweet

2010-10-03T04:37:00.000-07:00

Gourmet apple from Mary. Caramel & pecans--yummy!

Handel's Messiah

2010-09-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

Messiah practice started already at Marietta College.

The weekin review:

2010-09-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Very boring week.

National Labor College

2010-09-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

The OSHA training class last week was great and the campus was wonderful; it used to be a monastary. I stayed in a nice room on campus.

Angie's quilt

2010-09-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Quilt Delivery Service goes to Richmond. The design is "Trip around the world"

Arlington

2010-09-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Due to traffic, I got there half hour after the gates had closed. The guards turned me away, then seeing my placard, waved me on through with "just for a few minutes". I was so grateful I was able to visit Max's grave.