Well, my web host is in the process of upgrading the server my website resides in, so gremlins are at work. They say the upgrade should be complete some time today, so things will probably continue to be a little strange until then. Yesterday neither the Blog or the Stitchin’board were working, and today they are, but my e-mail is downloading the 4th copy of all my vacation e-mails – yippee!!

I thank you for your patience through all of this.

Just found this blog entry this evening, showing an idea for finishing your Needlework Building Blocks needlework stitch. Beautiful work and great idea!

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!

I did want to take a few minutes to share with you the important reason why we’re in Memphis. Yes, we’re going to have fun, but our main reason for being here is the meeting of our church’s General Assembly.

Once a year Ruling and Teaching Elders from all over the country gather together to worship together, and meet together. As this is Jim’s and my first time, we had no idea what to expect. We just returned from the first evening worship service, and let me just say how awesome it was. Here we were in a room with hundreds of our brothers and sisters in Christ, all worshiping and learning together. What incredible things our Father does for us, and to be part of such an inspiring worship service is definitely an honor. As we all took Communion together, I couldn’t help but get a tear in my eye, realizing once again what our Father has done for us, by giving His OWN Son that we may live.

While the “boys” attended meetings and such, Joan and I spent today taking tours of some incredible things happening in the Memphis area. As Jim and I lived in Memphis for several years, I was familiar with some of them, as our former church supports these missions. What fantastic progress they have made.

We started our morning at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. If you’re not familiar with the work that this hospital, stop by their website to find out. This organization, started by Danny Thomas, helps thousands of children every year. They come through their doors, having been diagnosed with the most terrifying medical conditions, and are met with loving doctors and nurses, fighting for their lives. Not a single patient of St. Jude’s ever has to pay a cent – for either their treatment, or for their housing. Our tour guide noted that when St. Jude first opened it’s doors, there was only a 4% survival rate for one of the medical conditions (I think it was leukemia). Today, if a child walks through the door with that same condition, they have a 94% chance of surviving. Please, stop by their website to learn more. I do suggest having a box of kleenex near by, as these children will grab at your hearts.

From there we headed to the Church Health Center of Memphis to find out how churches across the Memphis area have joined together to support the health and welfare of those in need.

Finally we went to Streets Ministries, which is one organization I had been familiar with when we lived here. This ministry serves one of the poorest areas in the United States. Their ministries reach thousands of children every year, and provide them with the opportunities to be successful in their own lives.

Tonight, as I look back at all we saw, how blessed we were by having the opportunity to learn about them. Please say a prayer for these ministries, as well as those across the world, who daily fight the fight against Satan, and who give of themselves, so that those in need may be given the opportunities we ourselves have been given.

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!!!!!!!

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”:

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.

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.

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.

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’!

…at least in our household.

For some unknown reason, I’m sitting at my computer at 7:00 in the morning of a Saturday, typing away. Well, it’s really not “unknown”. You see, our lovely 4-legged boy Jack loves to get up bright and early on Saturday and Sunday mornings. During the week, when the alarm clocks go off at 6 and 6:30, he grumbles and complains that it’s too early. But come Saturday morning – IT’S PLAY TIME! Yes, 5:30 this morning my little black alarm clock began his pestering, ever so slightly waking me up so that he could go outside and see what all the birds and squirrels were doing. I guess you can see who runs our household – and they don’t have 2 legs.

One thing about Jack, though, he plays at 200%. Even at 11 now, I’m still waiting on our little Lab to calm down. Friends had promised that he’d slow down at 2, but we’re still waiting…..

Have you ever watched a Lab at play? In many ways I wish that I could live life like Jack lives his. When he wants to do something, he puts every single bit of energy into it. He just lets loose, and doesn’t hold back. Ever watch a dog “wallering” in the grass?

As he’s gotten older, Jack’s really perfected the technique. When I see him wallering, I have nothing but envy about how he just goes for it, and doesn’t worry about form or modesty. He just plain enjoys himself. If only I could attack life like that.

Well, as he’s now decided it’s time for him to take a nice weekend nap, I’m wide awake and getting my list together. Go figure!!! Today’s plan is to get a few model kits out to model stitchers, and finalizing and releasing the new June designs and Needlework Building Blocks. Yeah!!!!

Have a great Saturday! I’ll be back in after the releases are ready.