Inspired Stitches - Ramblings of a Blackworker

Well, as you probably guessed, we did get back in one piece from vacation. Well, at least most of my body did… Last day we were in Memphis, I decided it had been too long since I turned my ankle, so I stepped off the curb, and proceeded to twist the heck out of my foot. Boy, it hurt! Anyways, a week later, I’m still wearing an ankle brace, and am still dealing with the pain. Having had weak ankles since my middle school days, it’s not too unusual for me, but just isn’t very much fun.

Therefore, this week between that and the “gremlins” working on the web server, I haven’t been in the mood to blog. Sorry about that!

I finally have been able to get the camera hooked up to share a couple of quick pictures with you from vacation. Almost as soon as we got to our in-laws house, my father-in-law pulled out his Model A, and took our friends for a ride. Here’s the proof:

How cool is that little car! He hadn’t had it running for many months, so as the smile on his face tells you, he’s having a good time also!

Then, the “Graceland trip“. Now, I do like Elvis, and his music, but… A trip to Graceland is definitely like a trip to Mecca for TRUE Elvis fans. Everything Elvis - all the time… This was my 3rd trip to that hallowed ground, and boy - what can I say. Heading out, I told Joan that my fun in the trip (since I’ve only seen the place 3 times now) was making sure that we had a picture of her in EVERY SINGLE ROOM of Graceland, so that she can prove she’d been there. It actually was quite entertaining to me, as I wasn’t looking at each room, I was scoping for the next shot. We did it. I have an SD card FULL of her tour, and look forward to getting them all printed out for her. Need proof?????? Here she is taking interior design notes in the Jungle Room, so that she can go home and shag carpet the floors, walls, and ceilings of her own house…

Good news for me is that they’ve actually added a new room since I was last there, so I got to ogle the lovely couch / bed / white-long shaggy-with some sort of a canopy thing from his dressing room, and got to see the duds he and Priscilla wore when they got married. At least I saw something new! Thank ya - Thank-ya-very-much…..

Well, I’d better run along. More updates tomorrow…

Well, hello from the Blues City - Memphis, TN! Sitting here high above the downtown trolley lines, resting my feet after a long day, and enjoying a nice bowl of ice cream. MMMMMM, nothing better.

We came in town with friends for our church’s national yearly General Assembly. It just so happens that Jim and I spent about 5 years living in Memphis, so it feels as if we’ve come home. What a wonderful vacation it’s been!

We started by taking our friends to stay at the in-law’s lovely home in the country, and treating them to 24 hours of wonderful country living. We ate too much, trotted around the tiny town in my father-in-law’s old Model A, sat around and chatted, and just plain relaxed. I think they enjoyed themselves, which means that we may never leave Richmond for La Grange again without having 2 stowaways in our trunk. Rodney not only got to play around with the Model A (with a rumble seat by the way), but also played around with lots of big farm equipment and tractors. You just can’t beat that!!!!

Darn-it! Just realized that I forgot the cord to get pics from my camera… Sorry, no Model A pics until I return.

Tomorrow Joan and I are going searching for Elvis at Graceland. They say he still lives, so we’ll let you know!

Boy, it’s been that typical week before vacation… Work has had me jumping, and somehow I actually still have my brain after it was spent entirely on my customer. Of course, in the middle of this type of week, that’s when I get hit with the fierce creative juices, which then make me work like a mad-woman at home also. This Saturday morning, I’m bleary-eyed and spent.

I’ve been playing around with some ideas that I’ve had in development for a couple of years now. The funny thing about creativity, is that there’s no way to control it. Snippets of ideas come, I start getting them down on paper, and then the juices end… just like that. Right when I think that I’m on to something, they dry up, and those partially worked ideas get shelved until they come to life. Looking back, and looking at my current designs, I can see the weird trail that they’ve taken. I also have learned, that these partial ideas that tend to hit me, usually make ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. Jim will come in, and mistakenly ask me what I’m doing. After about a 30 minute tortuous discourse from me, which is making no sense, he finally collapses under the desk in pain. Well, not really, but that’s what the look on his face looks like. These types ideas definitely have to have incubation time for them to germinate, then come back for a little air, then more germination time. Eventually, they’ll be completely born, and become designs. Hopefully, I can do something with my current inspirations, so that I can share, but until then, I’m not going to bore you with the insanity…

Well, busy day getting ready for Memphis! I’ll be touching in during the week, so talk with you then!

Boy, do I miss gardening this year!!!

Don’t know why it all of a sudden decided to hit me, but I missing gardening. We’re in a rental house, so are not at a place that we want to “make our mark” in the garden. Now, we’ve been here 5 years, and this is the first year it’s hit me.

Since Jim and I bought our first house, we’ve always enjoyed getting in the dirt, and making a mark. I’m also a water garden junkie, and actually love the acrid smell of the water garden the beginning of every season. Call me weird! Back in our Atlanta days, I’d come home from a hard day, and play in the garden until dark. Jim worked late into the evening, so it kept me sane. My fish and I got to be great friends, and I think they’d actually play games with me while I cleaned the pump.

Anyways, I think I started getting the bug when I rambled through the Oxford Botanic Gardens while we were in England…

Of course in March they were in the preparation stage of the year, but I still started feeling the bug hit. Our trip out to Brandon certainly didn’t help either.

Well, whatever the source, I want to play in dirt!!!!!!!

Anyways, in the meanwhile, I found this link, and discovered what I might be planting in this garden of mine… What are you?

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  I am an Echinacea What Flower Are You?

Well, guess I’ll see about figuring out a way to play a little in the dirt this year. I’ve never been a big container gardener, but maybe I’ll give that a try.

Have a great rest of the day!

As I write this, I am being attacked by the smell of brownies cooking in the kitchen. Boy, I’m starting off my day healthy, aren’t I? I was supposed to make brownies and a salad last night, but after a day of getting the June releases out, grocery shopping, and playing with my spinners, I just couldn’t look an egg or oil in the face. Our church is having a church picnic today to honor our graduates, so it must be made.

Other than the brownies, which might end up being our breakfast (LOL), I’m making one of the easiest, and most tasty salads, in my repertoire. Wish I could remember where I found it, but it’s my Mexican Corn Salad. Here you go with my “recipe”:

1. Open up how ever many cans of corn you need to feed your crew. I prefer using the mixed cans of white and yellow corn - it’s so pretty and sweet. Just pour this corn into a mixing bowl.
2. Find your favorite salsa, and add enough that makes the salad pretty, but not too red or runny. I love the black bean salsas, but you can choose whatever hits the spot.
3. Chop fresh cilantro, and add as much as you feel finishes off the salad. I like the flavor and freshness that the cilantro adds, so I add a ton of it. I also don’t mince it, but just roughly cut it. I like the look of the leaves.
4. After mixed, put it in your favorite serving bowl, and take it to the table.

How’s that for easy? It would be great even adding a few fresh veggies - green peppers, tomatoes, whatever floats your boat. But… having a husband who’s not a fan of anything resembling salad… I tend to stick to the basics - which he will eat a little of.

Well, the brownies are out of the oven and are perfect! Whoo-whoo!!!! Off to get ready, and get going.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. Our’s will be wet, as good ‘ole Barry will be shooting through Richmond. At least he’s just bringing us rain - which is much needed.

Happy stitchin’!