birthday wishes...

to danielle

with beauty

from jenny's garden

.

flowers are the sweetest things

god ever made

and forgot to put a soul into

-henry ward beecher

i'm in trouble...

...like serious

middle

of the gut...

.

trouble

see i have this addiction

it has been steadily increasing

as the number of

paneras

in our neighborhood

has been growing

there is now a

convenient location on just

about every street i drive

today

my son had a ballgame

right next to a panera

he wanted a cinnamon roll too

so i ran over

and then left them in the car

while he was playing

the hot, hot car

when we opened the bag

they were in the most

amazing

delectable

gooey

moist

state

of just perfectly melted

heaven to the tongue

simply to die for

with this new discovery

my middle an i

are

really in trouble

stir crazy

i woke up early

this morning

feeling euphoric...

.

i was to meet the landlord

to sign the lease

for the new quilt store

by early afternoon

the negotiations

were heading south

like deep, deep south

as

in the tanker

i left to get my hair done

brassy red

fitting for the day

i went back

ready to pull out

of the entire building

including our other business

which has been addressed there

for thirteen years

my husband offered

to take me to dinner

we ended up at

stir crazy

i love scooping fresh vegetables

then watching them saute

in the wok

therapeutic in a creative food kind of way

just the energy i needed

to head back for round two

ding

we picked up painting

she picked up snow plowing

rent sealed until 2013

deal done

time to dig in

to the old fashioned fudge

we impulsively purchased

at rocky mountain chocolate factory

hmm...crazy and rocky

describes the day perfectly

thanks for the date honey

i love u

it's beginning...

to look

a lot like

christmas...

.

for the first time

in my life

i am actually sewing

with

christmas

fabric

in

june

i even got

my red cd case out

the one with all the

christmas music in it

this is fun

stay tuned

oh want to see a little more

click here

daddy's little girl

lots of talk

about trains

the last few days

.

and then i went searching for a pic

of me and my daddy

when i was a baby

and

this is the first one i found

of us

in full color

no kidding

happy father's day dad

honest...the train derailed

plain and simple

i hate excuses

so now what...

i'd been working for weeks

to get this special birthday gift finished

i ordered a new album

in plenty of time

yet it was not here

on the day i expected it

this has never happened before

then i opened my email

Dear Joyce ,

We are writing regarding your recent order 11146181. We wanted to inform you that, on Friday morning, June 11th, a train moving through Nebraska was derailed due to bad weather affecting roughly 1,000 Stampin’ Up! packages. Your order was on the train. We have been advised; however, that this order has been recovered and is back in transit. We apologize that we were not able to provide you with an update sooner. The tracking number for the order should provide you with an updated estimated delivery date. If, when you receive your order, items are damaged, please let us know so that we can send replacements. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Stampin' Up!®

now that's a new one

as you can see

thankfully the box arrived

in perfect condition

your book is on it's way karen

it wasn't my fault

honest

funny though

there is a page

with a reference on it

about a train

remember the night you and sarah spent in the hotel

next to the train tracks

happy(belated)25th birthday!!!

the miracle of life

it was a

picture perfect

autumn day

.

i was walking across the ohio state campus

noticing the beauty of the

colorful fall leaves swirling about

it was a thursday in two thousand seven

november eighth as i recall

i had been in a meeting all afternoon

now i was preparing for a group of

friends to meet me in town

a girls weekend had been planned

as i got further from the crowd

i could hear my cell phone alarm

a message was waiting

from my father

my mother had fallen in a parking lot

and had been rushed to the hospital

thanks to the quick actions of a stranger

she had a massive brain bleed

and there was nothing that

could immediately be done

because of the blood thinner she

takes for her heart

i better come quickly

he stoically advised

the first twenty four hours are

the most telling

i dropped off the weekends

football tickets to my son's dorm

then drove across the state

not sure what i'd find

as i walked into her room

i didn't need a doctor to explain

her life was in danger

it was truly in god's hands

for days

she laid in the icu

the marvels of medicine

had somehow kept her alive

an empty shell she was it seemed

my face she didn't recognize

she was transferred to a rehabilitation center

where they worked to give her hope

at first it was the basics

her name, the day of week

then slowly they moved her out of the bed

a walker above her feet

for hours and hours they worked for days

my father by her side

he cut her food and fed her bites

until her strength returned

one hundred days is all you get

the medicare directives say

then home you must go

she wasn't quite ready

i was afraid for my dad as i'm an hour away

but home she did come

with many modifications and assists

it was nearly a full year

that my dad cared for her

much like a babe

then slowly we saw progress was being made

i never would have imagined

in two thousand ten

she would be standing

at the top of our steps

a full thirteen count

next to her grandson

on his graduation day

a miracle indeed

.

the therapy often had her

writing him letters

the first batch is barely legible

still he saved every one

as a reminder

i suppose

of this miracle of life

we are mightily thankful

and very truly blessed

what a feeling...

...of pride

the day

your first born

.

graduates from college

i look over to the

business section

all 828 of them

knowing he's in there somewhere

and then my cell phone rings

4th row above the eleven

aisle seat

and i was able to go directly

over to where he was located

for an up close shot

i recognize immediately

that difference in 2010

from my day in 1983

then i managed to find a seat

with some breeze

i guess i kinda look like an only child

not for long though

once my family spotted me

from the other side of the stadium
the little one came a running

good thing

the graduate was so hot

he needed a snow cone break

i love watching these two share

brings warm fuzzies to my heart

.

this kid is always eating

i can't seem to fill him up

so glad they had

the regular stadium food vendors

open today

guess with a crowd this size

on a hot humid day

they would have to

after a few hours

a commencement address

by david gergen

a truly touching and tear rendering

presentation of

distinguished service awards

to chris spielman

and his late wife stefanie

my son appears in the tunnel

with diploma under arm

the pride at the moment

is chest tightening

my heart swells again

this time with gratefulness

to watch the embrace

with a woman

a momma could only dream of

for her son
a high school sweetheart

arranged by the heavens

i believe

a father son moment

now both buckeye alums
one connection that can

never be taken
away or broken

the first moment of seeing
your name in print
letting it soak in
the culmination of your
hard work
during the past four years

tj and dave
childhood friends
percussion enthusiasts
college roommates and
now fellow grads
of the fisher college of business administration

i love this quote
business is a hybrid
of dancing
and calculations

so proud of our
magna cum laude
graduate
and quite impressed that
the ohio state university
at the 392nd commencement
is able to present
the actual
diploma
to 8,652 students
the 2010 class
being the largest ever

a bittersweet day
saying goodbye
to your friends
the innocent freedom that college offers
to this beautiful complex
on the northeast corner of campus
specifically designed for
business students

tj we are so immensely proud
of your determination
your hard work
your dedication
to both the classroom
and your family

your commitment to julie
and
your genuine belief
in all things good

as you walk forward
with confidence
dad and i wish you a bright and
amazing future
we feel so blessed and honored to
be a part of it

traditions and legacies

traditions and legacies

are sometimes

formed without knowing

.

for instance

this 1983 Ohio State grad

.

met this 1983 Ohio State grad

and lovingly created this little guy

who arrived in 1988
and hanging in the closet

was a Buckeye sleeper

we

received the adorable matching

red and white hat

from the women's auxiliary at the hospital

by definition

a legacy is born

from a predecessor

meaning a parent

in the case of one's alma mater

a legacy is created

and molded

in your image

with little TJ

it seems it was from the beginning

first quilt, first born

i started quilting

to pass the time

while i was in college

.

it was 1978 to be exact

general hospital was the main event

it had taken over the dorm

we scheduled classes

around it's viewing time

luke and laura were about to be married

for the first time

the tv lounge was standing room only

i never was one to just sit

so i searched

for a pattern to complete by hand

a paper pieced

grandmother's flower garden

was suggested by my favorite quilt store owner

funny how those little hexagons

are back once again in 2010

i chose a black background fabric

with rose and blue flowers

i kept the project going throughout my college years

packing it up

the day i graduated

with it carried

memories for a lifetime

finally i finished sewing the binding

a year or so later

neatly folded it into a square

and closed it in a suitcase

until 1988

exactly ten years after it's inception

when i pulled it out

shortly after my first born arrived

i spread it about

and watched with delight

as he played

he loved the softness

and the texture

he was gentle with it

as though he understood the

work of my hands

the love of each stitch

today

we still share that bond

an unwritten code

he often calls when i'm thinking of him

when i need

the sound of his voice

it's hard to

imagine where the years have gone

this week

from college

he will graduate

with his

own memories for a lifetime

this mom could not be prouder

tj a job well done my son

small delay...

i had to move aside

the fruitcake

to make room...

.

...for a special project

wait did i just say fruitcake

oh well

see i did just give another

little hint

but in the meantime

i am working

on a very special project

for a very special gal

who will soon be having

a

century birthday

well not a full century

but we still celebrate

them in

fractional terms

i had to distort the image a tad

don't want to give it away too soon

although i think she may be

on the high seas this week

celebrating

in grand style

another small hint

if you were confused

about me

utilizing items...

.

...from a grocery store

in a project

worry no more

there is fabric in sight

a yummy hint...

of what's next

in the project line up

.

sugar cookies, hot cocoa

maraschino cherries and spearmint

all sound so yummy

have any idea

of what's to come

i do season...

each june i gear up

for the

season of weddings

.

there was a time

i was creating

one to two

custom bridal gowns plus

bridesmaids and flower girls

a week from my home studio

while still working full time

then

child number three arrived

and i realized

i needed a break

now i do alterations for just a select few

this season

friends of my oldest son

did i just say my son

if that's not enough

to make me feel my fifty years

the need for my reading glasses

just to hem

sure is

funny that mauve is back in vogue

actually they call it rosewood

this time around

best wishes

to all the summer's brides and grooms