The Real Meaning of Memorial Day ~

God Bless all who have served our Country.

We thank you for our freedoms.

Wishing you a safe and Happy Memorial Day.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Townsend ~

Dear friends,

Thank you again for all your prayers and kind words. It is comforting to know so many friends were praying for Mom. I know she is at peace and in a better place, but I still don't believe it. I realize it will take time...

I have spent a bit of time today playing catch-up on the computer, and have discovered that Townsend Industries is closing. How sad. I just love my Townsend cutter. I am trying to find a #9 cutterhead, but of course there are none to be had. Does anyone have a duplicate #9 they are willing to sell? If so, I would be most interested.

Thank you again for all your support!

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Mom ~

Thank you for all your prayers, comments and emails. I'm sorry I did not have time to respond to each and every one of you personally.

Mom passed away peacefully Thursday evening with me holding her hand and her grandson Jason (my younger son) by her side.

Jason summed my Mom up perfectly. He said she was the best darned woman he ever met!

Rest in peace, Mom.

Love,

Lauren

Mom update ~

Thank you everyone for dropping by. I just thought I'd give you a quick "mom update" since so many of you have been keeping her in your prayers. After our Mother's Day outing she took a turn for the worse. She is at home with 24/7 care and will remain there until the end. She has been under hospice care since January so there are no more hospital or doctor visits, only comfort measures. She had not eaten in days and was only taking minimal liquids, but yesterday she wanted ice cream and today a little bit of coffee cake. Oh, she loves her sweets!

I spent most of the weekend with her and chose to forgo the hook-in because I did not want to be an hour and a half away. There will always be another hook-in but never another mom.

My older son Bill quickly flew in from Las Vegas. She has always had such a great bond with her grandchildren. When Bill was about 3 and 4 years old, mom was a school bus driver and she would pick him up on a regular basis and let him ride the bus with her.

This is such a sad time. Your continued prayers for a peaceful passing are much appreciated.

Here's a couple pictures of Mom when she was 19 and 20 years old. She was beautiful then and is still that way today.

Pug hugs :)

Lauren

Mommy, don't leave me alone!

I swear that's what Eema's thinking when I go upstairs without her. The stairs are not carpeted and she had taken a couple nasty falls up and down them, so now she won't use them. I carry her up and down countless times a day, but if I'm only going up for a short period of time, I don't bring her and she sits on my rug and whines.
Isn't she pathetic? But oh, so cute ;-)

Here's my dear Mom on Mother's Day. She was having an okay day and I was able to get her out for lunch. Today she was not doing nearly as well. It's just heartbreaking to see her this way. Please say a little prayer that tomorrow will be a better day for her. She does look pretty good for ninety, doesn't she?

Thanks so much for dropping by. Please come again soon.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Happy Mother's Day ~ ~ ~

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! I hope your day is spent in the way that makes you the happiest.

Here on Ohio's north coast, the weather is abominable. We've had high winds since yesterday, and last night we had some of the worst hail I've ever seen. No yard work for me! {Oh, darn!}

To brighten the day, I'll share a few blooms from my yard.

My little wisteria ~ blooming for the first time ever ;-)

Lily of the Valley ~ spreading everywhere.
Azalea ~ This bush was here when I bought the house 10 years ago. I have very little luck with them and have planted and killed at least a half dozen plants since.

This picture does not do the color of the bleeding hearts justice.

I have these in white and purple and the name escapes me.

My first iris of the season.

Thank you so much for stopping by and please come again.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Finishes ~ ~ ~

Welcome friends. Thank you for stopping by.
Just a quick post to show you a few things I've finally finished ~ and yes, Kathy (Woolfind), they are labeled ;-)
Here's a small hooked mat that's about 11 3/4 x 12 1/4. It's a design by Lori Brechlin. I don't really like how I hooked the outermost row, but it's too late to change it ;( I don't remember if the technique has a name, but I rolled strips of wool for the flower.

A couple of small punch needle pieces that did not get done for Easter.

And finally, a small redwork sampler, a modified Blackbird Design freebie. Johana Kerhin was my maternal grandmother. I initially spelled her name the American way, Johanna, only to discover it spelled with only one "n" when I went to the cemetery and found her gravestone. I didn't have a frame that would work and did not want to make a pillow. I thought I would simply turn back the raw edges and blind stitch down. I measured entirely wrong and did not leave myself enough fabric, so I simply backed it with a piece of felted wool. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but I'll eventually find a spot for it.

Thank you again for dropping by. I hope the weather in your neck of the woods is half as beautiful as the weather is currently on Ohio's north coast.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Just Jake ~ ~ ~

Last week my five year old grandson, Jake, had his first soccer practice. The coach kept calling him Jacob, and finally in frustration, he said that his name was "just Jake", so now he is known as "Just Jake".

The team had their first game after only one practice. It was so much fun to watch. They were so proud when they stole the ball from another player ~ even if it was their own teammate! So what if you scored a goal for the other team? You still scored. Oh, the innocence of a five year old!

Getting ready to congratulate the opponents after the game. I'm so glad they are teaching good sportsmanship from the get-go.
Being goofy after the game.

~ Just Jake ~

Thank you so much for stopping in and I hope you will come again soon!
Pug hugs :)
Lauren