BLOVE and GERANIUMS

 

My blogging friend Nanna Diana has coined this new word-

BLOVE. I bet you can figure out it's meaning, but if you

can't, it short for Blog Love. Diana has had a friend create

a button for her newly coined word and is happy to share.

Just pop over to her blog and learn more about BLOVE

and Diana. I've enjoyed her blog for quite a long time and

I think you'll learn to BLOVE it too.

The weather is saying winter, but my geranium is arguing for

spring. I think I'm going to get a new summer blouse pattern

and some spring floral fabric and start whipping up a few

blouses for myself. You see, I'm keeping the vision before me!

As I repeat to myself, 'Spring is coming, Spring is coming!'

Happy Monday Friends!

Unexpected Company

  When unexpected company shows up I'm usually running around the house picking this

or that up and throwing in a bedroom and shutting the door. You know, like my laptop

that's perpetually sitting on my dining table!

Not the case with this unexpected guest. When Mr. Bobcat arrived I went running

for my camera!





We have seen this fellow/gal's foot prints around the yard for some time. They were right

under my MIL's camp kitchen window two days ago.

Yesterday I just happened to be looking out the side patio door when he came out from

under the deck. I wish he hadn't gotten so far a way before I was able to grab my camera.

Here are his/her prints as he came out from under the deck on his way over to the shed.

Earlier Tim had hollered at me to look out the front window, and there was a wolf

running through the yard. And I do mean running, so there was no chance of my

getting a picture. So you can only imagine how thrilled I was to be able to snap the

Bobcat!

That's all of the excitement I have to share.

Have a great weekend-Kimberly





Weekend Plans

 

I don't know what your plans for the weekend are, but I just read our weather forecast and

it is going to be dreary with light snows here. So my plan is to put my feet up in the recliner and

finish reading this book I received from my daughter and her family for Christmas.

Emily seems to think that I have an adventurous spirit, but let me tell you it is nothing

compared to this lady who built cabins, did her own plumbing, and guided people

on outback camping trips-Well, I could go on and on. She is one amazing

lady! Having been to the Boundary waters in the US and Canada both, I truly

appreciate reading  Justine Kerfoot's story.

And Tim & I have been to Grand Marais MN many times too, where the

Gunflint Trail begins.

This book my son and DIL bought for me. As you can see it has very detailed

information for gardening. I love it! So I'm going to read and dream it this

weekend too.

Now because I know you're all going to want to see a close up of my moccasins and have

questions about them (wink), I will tell you that these are not the $260.-$320. ones we sold

in the gallery I managed in the NWT. Our gallery moccasins were hand scraped moose hide

that was smoked by the Dene peoples, then sewn and beaded. I bought mine in the Yukon three

years ago for $80., which was a really good price for them.

This was our moccasin case in the gallery. I had one mother from Toronto tell me that she

couldn't come home without a pair for her daughter last winter. The big fashion rage there

was to wear moccasins all winter and the 'Canada Goose' parka's. We had to laugh because

we couldn't imagine it ever getting that cold in Toronto. After all, Canada Goose, is what

people in the Sub-Arctic and Arctic wear!! Well, it was great for our sales anyway. Now...

A Very Important Announcement

We all know that after Feb.29th any of our followers who

do not use Google (blog spot) will be dropped from our

followers widget on our sidebars.  Because of this I chose

to offer a Linky Follower for my friends who do not use

Blogger. If this pertains to you, please become a Linky

Follower now! It is very easy and because I appreciate

having you as a blogging friend, I would really miss you!

I'm going now to search the friends I follow that are not with Google and become a Linky

follower on their sites.

I hope you have a great weekend-Kimberly







Wawa Blueberry Coffeecake

 

As many of you know my DH and I drove to Wawa last summer to pick blueberries. This

was great, but since my husband never eats sweets I don't get an opportunity to bake much

with them.

But last weekend my SIL & MIL were here, so I whipped together this Blueberry Cream Cheese

Coffeecake. To me, everything taste better with cream cheese in it!! Don't you agree? The recipe

was  found at allrecipes.com. It was yummy, but  I have to admit, a little dry. If I make it again

I'll check it 10 minutes earlier than the recipe calls for.

I want to draw your attention to this sweet tableware set.

I bought the four piece table setting at Value Village for only $1.99.

I'm always whining about how high Value Village is these days.

I can imagine in my mind some nerdy fellow sitting in far recesses

of their warehouse surfing the net to find the highest possible prices

they can put on their merchandise these days. It kind of takes the fun

out of  shopping there . But every once in a while I do find a

steal, so I keep hunting. I figure even Mr. Nerdy has to sick once

a while!

Here is another photo from Saturday. We have had more snow these last few days than we've

had all winter. It's not deep, but it is putting a pretty coating on everything again. Now that

is how I like my winter! Is anyone else out there getting some lovely winter weather?

Well, better late than never, I say!

Blessings-Kimberly

I'm partying today with:

Lisa@Two Bears Farm

Delightful Order

House of the Hepworths

It's A Very Cherry World

The Old White Rug

When I was twelve  years old my folks built a new house and I chose pink walls and red

carpeting for my  bedroom. It sounds bizarre, but it was cute. Above is one of the two

white rugs my mother bought for the floor. It had a fringe around it, but over the years

it began unraveling and rotting. So I cut it off. It wasn't very pretty after that. I saw a

rug very similar recently on another blog where someone had crocheted a scalloped

edge around the rug.



It was so much fun making these scallops. And it turned out just the way I had hoped it

would. I really don't have many things that I've saved from my childhood, and had I realized

years ago this was stuck in an old box, it probably wouldn't have been here either. It's silly

but this rug brings me joy whenever I look at it. One, because of all the memories attached

to it from my teens years at home, and secondly because it's the first time I've ever tried my

hand at scalloping and it actually turned out not looking too bad.

Simple pleasures-Sometimes we find them where we least expect them!

Today I'm partying with:

Coastal Charm

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Today's Creative Blog

Crafty Confessions

Sugar Bee Crafts

Sassy Sites

Today's Creative Blog

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Girl Creative

Northern Cottage

Cozy Home Scenes

Back in the Game

    Hold on to your hat girlfriends, because this lady is back in the game! What do I mean by, 'back
    in the game'? I mean no more digging into the darkest dungeons of my photo collection to try to
    find something that I've never showed you before. I mean no more 're-visiting' trips down
    memory lane hoping and praying (well, almost) that none of my faithful followers will drop me
    because I'm no longer fresh and interesting anymore. This all came about because an angel    
    totting  a camera came to visit me! 

    My SIL brought my MIL back home from her visit down south. The above photo is of  Janie,

     myself, and my MIL- Carol.

    A sweet photo of Mother and Son.

    What you are seeing here is what in the summer is our rocky beach. The ice/snow cliffs are even
    higher than they appear in this photo. And just having the sun beat down on them for a short
    time has caused some sections to begin cracking and developing holes. Eventually more cracks
    develop and big hunks of ice break off, and float around on the lake, until the sun melts them
    away. It is still too early for that yet.

                                                  Here is a close-up view of the sink hole. I love the way the snow sparkles in the sunlight. It looks as if God has taken a bottle of glitter and shaken it all over

the snow. It always makes me think of the song, 'Our God is an Awesome God'.

And that sizes up my weekend. I hope yours was as enjoyable as mine was!



       Blessings,                                                                                                                                                 



Projects Revisited

 

While browsing through my stored photos, looking for something fresh to share, I came across

my quilt pieces. You can see by the green trees it was still summer. I'm sure I probably told all

of you that I was going to work on this project and get these pieces put together into a quilt

this winter.

It might have looked like this, had I done it! This Sue Spargo pattern is still a favorite of mine.

 And I love working with the wool. You have no worries of it unraveling. You  just apply

it with a decorative stitch, making it as fancy as you choose or simple as mine are. My

pieces are all from second hand wool coats I'd bought on the cheap at re-sale shops.

Now it's hardly fair to show my wool quilt pieces and not show the lovely grandmother garden pieces. I even went to my quilter friend extraordinaire, Trish,  to get advice on how I should proceed

with this one. But have I done anything with it? No. In all truth, I put it back away and I'm not

even sure where it is now!

You might remember that this was put together with antique scraps that were left in an old

house we had bought in the 1980's and then some from the baby clothes I had made for

my daughter who just turned 31.

So why am I beating myself up over not getting these finished now? Who knows? Maybe

it's just winter doldrums trying to set in. Anyone else catching this 'cabin fever' yet?

What are you doing to remedy it? Maybe I should concentrate on all the other projects

I did get finished, and not look at what was left undone. Or I should just get off my

duff and finish one of them.I do, after all, have plenty of winter left to work on them.

I am getting off my duff, right now,to pop over and join Deborah at

 Deborah Jean's Dandelion House

to join her Farm girl party. Yes, I'm a wannabe farm girl!











Corn Sheller Revisit

 

Back in the early days of my blogging life I ask my followers to guess what this contraption

was. And if you remember this post, you've been a faithful follower for a long time! Thank

you! For my newbies who weren't around then, it's a corn sheller. You put the whole cob

in and turn the crank, and out comes your corn kernel.

I sure wish my grandpa had had one of these on his little homestead. I remember helping

him shell corn, and let me tell you, it made for some pretty sore thumbs afterwards.

My grand father was one of those men who could do anything. I suppose with nine mouths

to feed during the depression, one had to take work where ever one could find it, and either

raise ones own food or hunt for it. He was a fisherman, a hunter, a gardener, a butcher,

a wood carver, artist, and musician. But what stands out the most in my memory is that

he was a 'piano' man.

Yes, before Billy Joel appeared on the scene, my grandpa was playing piano in the bars of

rural Missouri. When my dad and his brothers were at home they, along with Grandpa

and my great uncle, had a singing group. They were tailored after 'The Sons of the Pioneers'.

They sang on local radio stations and traveled around the communities to the fairs and

auditoriums performing. But when the boys left home, grandpa was on his own, so that's

when he became a 'piano' man. He had never had any lessons, he played by ear only.

Which is really a blessing when it comes to songs requested by folks.

I don't really know how I got off on that whole story! Oh yeah, the corn husking memories.

You know how one memory leads to another, than another.

Well anyway, I'm joining Lisa at Two Bears Farm  for Rural Thursday. Please pop over

and see what her other rural friends are sharing today.

Have a good one-Kimberly







A Fun Weekend

  I had a wonderful weekend with our daughter Emily's family. The very best part

of it was that she got the test results back and she doesn't have cancer! She had

a cyst on her ovaries that had burst and that was why she was suffering all the

symptoms similar to ovarian cancer. I hope I've  finally learned my lesson with

WebMD. Although, I doubt it!! But 'thank you' again for praying on her behalf.

It was blowing snow and cold, so we stayed inside. We played lots of games, baked

together, drew pictures, and I even taught Emily and Starlet to crochet. Which, as

you know, I barely know the basics myself! But it was still fun. Emily says now that

they know how to make scallops, they are making a scarf for Rosie. Rosie, their cat!

Sorry there are no photos today. Not only is my camera out of commission, I

discovered when I tried to upload a older photo that my Picasa space is full.  I've

bought more space, but it takes 24 hours before it is processed, so......tomorrow.
Until then, enjoy your day. It's dreary and snowing here.

Happy Valentines Day

 

Happy Valentines Day!!

Spring & Success

  I don't know about you, but I am so...ready for Spring! We've had no real winter to

speak of here. So being the fair weather friend that I am, I'm turning my snooty back

on Winter and beckoning my lovely friend, Spring, to come and visit soon.

I would also like to share a poem that I have about success with you, along with

some photos of gardening inspirations that I 'dug-up'.

Success

Success is speaking words of praise,

In cheering other people's ways,

In doing just the best you can,

With every task and every plan.

It's silence when your speech would hurt,

Politeness when your neighbor's curt.

It's deafness when the scandal flows,

And sympathy with others' woes.

etsy.com/thedustyraven

It's loyalty when duty calls,

It's courage when disaster falls,

It's patience when the hours are long,

It's found in laughter and in song.

It's in the silent time of prayer.

In happiness and in despair,

In all of life and nothing less,

We find the thing we call success.

I am on my way over to Emily and Ryan's to spend the weekend

and have fun with these two cuties of mine. They just lost their

dog yesterday, so it's a pretty sad household. I'm hoping I can

bring a little sunshine to them.

I hope you have a good weekend, my friends.

Kimberly



STRENGTH

 

            In January  many of my blogger friends were choosing a 'word' to be representative of 

 this new year. One chose the word 'challenge', another chose 'create', another 'inspire'.

Although, I didn't openly participate in sharing a word, I was impressed that my word

 for this year would be 'strentgh'. I truly had no inkling at that time that I would be dealing

with health issues of my two youngest children or any other issues out of the ordinary.

Do I believe the Lord spoke this word to me Yes. Audibly? No. But

I do know he speaks to me through his Holy Spirit and His Word.

I, like so many of you, have been through many trials that test ones faith. Whether it was

health issues, children issues, finances, business; I could go on and on. But you've been

there yourself, you know what I'm talking about. I've been weak at times and would

not have made it through but for the supernatural strength that God has supplied to me.

Because history has proven to me his faithfulness, I will continue to trust.

And I really can't put into words how much your prayers and words of encouragement

completely changed my outlook these last two days. I was so filled with worry and

anticipation of the worst, but I'm now hopeful  and trusting.

Your prayers have been heard. Thank you, my friends.

Prayer for Emily

I come to you again, my friends, with another prayer request.

This time it is for my daughter, Emily.

While visiting our home at Christmas time, she complained of

having trouble swallowing and nausea. My mother & sister had

both had esophagus trouble in the past, so I assumed that was

most likely what she was suffering from. Upon doing an ultra-

sound last week, they discovered a black area  around one

of her ovaries. She goes for further testing tomorrow. Please

pray with me that it isn't cancer. Many years ago I had all the

symptoms of lymphoma and was told by a cancer Dr. that I was

Stage 4. But when the biopsy came back it was an salmonella

that had spread throughout my lymph nodes. Something that

was very unusual and easily treated.

So I personally know that the Lord can take Man's diagnosis

and turn them completely to not. This is my prayer for our  daughter.



  I will be back to post asa I have any news. Naturally, I just

haven't had the heart to post lately. 

Thank you again for your prayers-I so appreciate them.

Kimberly

Pyrex Light

 

I'm not really sure what happened yesterday, but somewhere along the

way this photo that went with my post got lost. So here it is today.



Isn't this amazing? Nature showing off, for sure! My daughter, Emily, sent this to me. It was

taken from her home in December.

I'm off to town. Have a great day my friends-Kimberly

Light Mania

Today, just for fun, I went light

hopping on Etsy, and of course, was blown away by the creativity of the

merchandisers I found there. Who would've thought of using your old

Pyrex bowls for a hanging lamp shade? Not me. But I sure love it.

It wasn't that many years ago I spotted a light arrangement similar to this one

in a gift store in Minnesota and thought, "I've got to have that in my kitchen"!



  But then there's the option of a cluster of hanging teacups, as well.

Or, how about a combination of kitchen tins? You could use old coffee, lard, and

cracker tins for a more country theme here. Although I do love these floral.

Who doesn't have at least one of these items in their home to work with? I think that's

in line with the 'make-do' spirit I'm trying to develop.

These upside down vases would sure cast a romantic light in ones bedroom.

Just beautiful!

Look at the shadows cast from this hanging birdhouse. I

wouldn't have thought of  doing this in a million years.

Want to go organic? How about a beaded gourd lite?

This is just plain 'cool'! I could see this in someones family room. This was really

someone using their imagination.

And my favorite-I just love old retro fans. I remember many hot Missouri nights as a kid

with these big oscillating fans being the only means of getting oneself cooled. Don't you?

Yes, here I am, sad again. My camera is on the blink. It's been getting

temperamental lately. Some days it works, some days it doesn't. I may

have to take it to the Dr.'s to see if it's terminal!

I have been busy lately; I finished sewing curtains for my great room.

I then, used the scraps to crochet a small matching rug.

I've been practicing crocheting edgings for the bathroom rug and have

got that ready to go asa I get the white yarn tomorrow.

And, I'm almost done with a daily journal I'm making with the free graphics

I posted about last time. Have any of you been working on any fun  projects?

I'm on my way to visit you right now, so I'll find out for myself!

Blessings friends-Kimberly