Nice Little Crop

Hubs insisted on buying one of those upside-down tomato planters last spring. That crazy little thing is really turning out the grape tomatoes. And they're about twice the size of the ones in the supermarket.

But why do they have bellybuttons?

Aprons for Mommy and Me

I found this pattern-an old-fashioned apron sized for little girls. I couldn't resist making one for Gracie, in pink of course.


It took two packages of double fold bias tape to bind the thing. Also about five hours of work. I can usually turn out an apron in less than an hour but not this one. The bias tape did make for nice detailing, though.

It has buttons in the waistband with two buttonholes on each strap.


I bought all the fabric on the bolt and had enough to make Mommy one too.

Gracie wanted to go right home and bake a birthday cake for Sam-never mind it's 11 months until his next birthday. Her mom explained that they could bake other things before then.

Then I cut these out:


I have a high school reunion this weekend-dress casual-but of course I want to look classy without anybody knowing how hard I worked to achieve it! I cut out two blouses and a new pair of black capris. The black and white blouse is done, and now that I have thread (a 20-mile drive) I can do the lavender one. The capris will take no time, I can sew this pattern with my eyes closed. Actually the pattern is one I created to make better fitting pants. The black and white top pattern is also my own freezer paper creation. I really only have tomorrow to finish them so wish me luck!

What A Hectic Life!

Sorry I've been so behind in posting lately. We've had one thing after the other occupy our time and my blog went by the wayside. Hopefully soon I'll have the swiffer duster tutorial done, and I have a couple of aprons cut out that I'm dying to share. I was going to make this old-fashioned little girl's apron for Gracie for Christmas but I can't wait that long, so as soon as I get back from town with the right colored thread I'll get going on it and take lots of pictures. I have another Memory Bear to do out of leather, so that has to happen this week too. Add all that to the fact that Saturday is Belgrade Fall Festival and my 40th high school reunion, WHICH Stan and I are catering. Whew!

He's 14-Can't Believe It!

Nine years ago next April, we met a little boy. He was 5 1/2, small in stature, with bottle-bottom glasses and old eyes. He was Christopher's biological cousin, just three weeks older than Chris. Jim and Millie had been asked to look after him for a couple of weeks. After a day or two we all knew we couldn't let him leave-we had all fallen for him.

Isaac was a lonely troubled little boy, left to mostly fend for himself in a scattered family. We needed him and he wanted us. The day he arrived, he became one of us and never looked back.

He's smart, frugal, loving and a hard worker. He had been in kindergarten when they got him, but he was so very young, his parents decided to keep him out and let him start with Chris. He did much better the second year.

Celebrating his dad's birthday at the Crab Pot in Seattle. He and his dad ate a whole order of crab boil-he can eat his weight every day.

He loves animals, money and his little sister and brother. He's so responsible that he has been babysitting the two little ones for almost a year now. He makes the honor roll most of the time-he's loved by his teachers. When Chris teases him for being a "geek" their mom says, "Be kind, someday a geek will sign your paycheck!"

About 8-9 years old with cousin Sydney.

Our lives would not be the same without this smart, serious, conscientious young man. He'll be a man soon and the world will benefit for him being in it.

Happy birthday, oldest grandchild-we are so happy to know you. Oh, and Grandpa and I don't mind you being a Broncos fan one bit!

What We've Been Up To Lately

That nasty hailstorm did a real number on our roof, so we have builders making a mess for us.


There are benefits. I always wanted a tubular skylight, so we seized the opportunity to buy one and have the guys install it.



What a nice thing to come home to tonight! It's amazing how much light those things let in.

My kitchen and dining room, formerly kind of gloomy, feel very happy now.

Irregular People

Millie this is for you.

Back in the 80s there was a movie made for TV called "The Summer of My German Soldier," based on a true story about a small Southern town that held several German prisoners of war during World War II.

The young girl in the story befriended one of the young German men who had escaped his captors. He was a sweet boy caught up in Hitler's war machine. Her father was hateful and authoritarian. The only person in the household that treated her like a real person was their old black housekeeper.

When they found out that she had befriended the boy and had been bringing him food, clothing and blankets, her father disowned her. He said she could live in the house until she was 18, but he would never speak to her or acknowledge her existence. She was dead to him.

She ran sobbing to the housekeeper. The housekeeper said, "Honey when I go shopping, and I see something that's an irregular, I expect to pay less money for it. You only pay top dollar for top goods."

"You have irregulars for a Mama and Papa, but all your life you have been paying top dollar for them."

Millie, you have been paying top dollar for irregulars. God will heal your heart and keep you safe, but your "irregular people" will always be unhappy.

I'm there for you.

Fibbing Contractors

Our house was built in 1981. Our builder assured us that we were getting only the best materials-the plywood was 5/8" and so was the sheetrock. Some of the sheetrock was, but not all, and when our roofers uncovered our roof yesterday they found 1/2" plywood instead of 5/8" They had to fix several water-damaged spots. The builder got early delivery on our windows and left them lay in the mud for two weeks in a rainy April. Nothing fits right, the patio door wouldn't slide, and the windows steam up between the thermal panes. And a month before the house was finished the builder went to New Mexico to help his brother build his house, leaving us with the company owner, who charged us about $5000 more that what the original guy had quoted. Just gotta love it when they do you over. Wish I could tell the world the name of the contractor to keep other people from being burned, but I have ethics even if he didn't.