A visit from a friend…A tour

This past weekend I had a house guest from Pennsylvania – Linda flew in on Friday morning very early…early enough so that we could use the day to have some fun…but she didn’t expect that we’d be driving directly from the airport, for about 1 hour 45 minutes to a shop!  Yep…all the way to Ripon to A Simpler Time.  I guess I thought as long as she was here we’d go – mainly because she probably won’t be back this way again for ages.
And on Saturday we took her over to Delevan to Millie’s Pancake House to visit some shops there and see the area.
Then a ride through Lake Geneva…tons of people already in this little resort town…we drove through and headed on out…too many cars/people.
Then out to the Northwind Perennial Gardens to see all the gorgeous planting, ponds, water falls and things.
We put on lots of miles in two days!

We had a wonderful visit…and then Sunday Doug left on his golf trip and so it was just the two of us…and what did we do…NOTHING!  I think we were both bushed and also not much is open around here on a Sunday, so it was a lazy kind of day. Caught up on some things and ate – goodness did we eat this past weekend!  Yesterday I took her to the airport to go back home – I imagine she was rather glad to be getting back home where she could stay put…lol

One of the most wonderful things we got to do was visit Dan Dipaolo’s place…I kept it a surprise for her….I e-mailed Dan earlier in the week to see if I could bring her out to the farm/studio/shop while she was here. His place doesn’t open up until this next weekend but he was so sweet and generous to say yes, we could come on out.  If I didn’t know him like I do I wouldn’t have been so brazen to ask!
Well let me tell you he gave us a wonderful tour of his gorgeous home – the atmosphere and feeling you get when you are in his home is so warm and inviting – like you belong there – very comforting feeling.
Not only did he show us his home but a tour of his gorgeous log cabin studio.
The main floor is used for meetings, guests and relaxing. Upstairs is his studio…I was in awe just seeing how he created some of his beautiful work – he even described some of the process and we got a sneak peek at his newest projects.

I took just a couple photos inside his home…we were too busy taking it all in to take pictures !
 

This is Ruth…she had some burrs on her nose!

I only got pictures of the entry and dining room area

His studio log cabin

If you are in the Wisconsin area his opening weekend is May 26, 27 from 11 to 5
Check out the dates…maybe you can attend one of the fun weekends

See the sofa in the picture below…it’s on my list of things to look at on Saturday!!!!
When we were out there on Saturday it was all covered with packing paper and plastic…

Check out Dan’s blog
http://dandipaolostudios.blogspot.com/ 

Goodness I almost forgot…my brother is cleaning out my aunts house after she passed and he gave me a doll she had.
Well, the doll itself isn’t important and it could use some tender loving care BUT…the hair on it is important – it is made from my grandmothers hair.
She had very long very red hair…she was very Irish (Rook/Minick) !  She always had her hair in braids. Well one day she had them cut off…still in braids – and she put them in a drawer where they were for YEARS!  One day she was cleaning out the drawers and tossed them away…my aunt saw them and couldn’t believe she would do that – she kept the braids and had the hair put on a doll…MY BROTHER GAVE ME THE DOLL…needless to say I cried!
Isn’t that the prettiest red hair ?  She had the same color when she died at 88.  Never had it colored and it didn’t turn gray.

Guess that’s all this week everyone – lots to do so probably
won’t be on again for awhile.
I have a swap package I need to get finished and sent out to Tammy from
http://aprimitiveplace.blogspot.com/

Blessings…Karen

Met a fellow blogger!

Tina and I have been trying to set up a lunch date for quite some time now and yesterday was the day we finally got to meet.
She and her husband have relocated for the time being in our home town and so how convenient is that???
We met at a wonderful restaurant and had a great visit.  Tina is as sweet as she looks and we exchanged gifts too – I had something special I wanted to do for her but didn’t have the items I needed but she liked what I made for her regardless and she gifted me with an adorable Pillow Tuck she had made especially for me that morning…what a lady!
Now I’m sure most of you know Tina from her blog:  http://earlyamerica1815shoppe.blogspot.com/  and author of An Early Christmas…of which I have her book and I know many of you do too.  She’s working on a new one right now – and I am so anxious to see what it will be – but it will be awhile yet she said.  Best of luck Tina – we’ll all be waiting again.

This wasn’t my best photo day….I didn’t feel all that well so is probably shows in my face – my back was hurting like crazy but I kept going…I didn’t tell Tina this as I didn’t want to cancel the visit – so I took a pain pill on the way there and could sit pretty still during lunch.

Could this be any sweeter???  And the Red is perfect…my signature color too…how did she know?

After lunch I went to visit my aunt…she’s failing fast…my heart hurts for her – she is a fighter and I know she knows she doesn’t have long…my guess is a week possibly a tad more but only God knows for sure…I just pray he doesn’t let her have pain in the end.

I also went to Sam’s Club and they had the most beautiful potted arrangements for little money – not as expensive as the garden center that I normally buy mine from so I picked up a large potted and a hanging one.

The potted one isn’t showing up the flowers very well but there is lots of color in it like the hanging one.

Blessings to all and I’ve so enjoyed reading your blogs this week – thanks for being such faithful blogger friends.

Karen

Pottery a Play and a Purchase

Our daughter in-law Jamie has been taking pottery classes since January and is now going to start her own business and sell her products - I'd love to show you the Santa she made but they are going to be signed and numbered and then no more will be made.

Her instructor loves her work so much and has led her to this point - she has a high end Artisan's Show lined up for her and wants her to have the Santa's there - she’ll be asking a good price for them so you know the kind of clientele that comes to this show (I won't be there to purchase, but will be for support for sure).

She brought Two bowls over this weekend - she said I could have my pick and when I saw the dark Aqua Blue one I knew it was mine and after looking at the Tan one I started liking it too - so she gave them both to me - Jamie is like that...just so darned sweet.

Isn't the color and glaze pretty? This one measures 10 x 3-1/2

 

And see why I loved the Tan one too...I love how she scraped the sides of this one.
This one measures 9 x 3

Quite awhile ago when she first started she brought over 4 small bowls - Two for sauces/salsa or whatever and then Two scalloped edge for kitty dishes.

On our way to Janesville to visit my aunt we stopped at an antique/thrift shop and knew from looking that we weren’t going to find much of anything but stuffed under a small table was a stool…I really don’t know why I pulled it out but the legs caught my eye.  Glad I did because it’s wonderful…it’s old and it’s worn but quite sweet – I love the needlepoint top.  And the good part was…it was only $12.00

Friday night we went to our Granddaughter Emily’s school play.  She was one of 3 Cheshire cats...not sure why there were 3 parts to the cat but she was the middle part.
The entire cast did a wonderful job and it was a lively and fun play.  Em’s last one though as she will be graduating 8th grade in June...hopefully she can continue in high school.

Emily is in the middle in all the pictures
I love this one…

They made signing autographs fun, easy and productive!


Joe had a baseball game at the same time as her play so Brett and Heather were out behind the school for his game while grandpa and I were inside for the opening night…had to get a picture of Joe in his uniform when he got home.

Hope you are all having a great week…started out rainy here but turning out nice – the rest of the week is to be wonderful. 
Blessing to you all
Karen

Trying something new...

Normally I publish my posts through Windows Live Write and have NO PROBLEMS at all...not a single one...but...so many of my friends are having problems posting through Blogger so I thought I'd give it a try this morning.
So hang in there with me if this post is a jumbled up mess - frustration is not my friend...I give up too easily in some areas if it's a problem.


If some of you remember my last living aunt is very ill...well, she's ill, but not in a nursing home or hospital - she's living at home and my brother and sister in-law are her caregivers and basically pulled up stakes and moved in with her until her time her is done.
The hospice nurse said possibly a month - but being around Aunt Eve you would think longer.


Doug and I try and go there a couple times a week and relieve them so they can get some alone time as she can't be left alone so they are at the house either one at a time or together.


Yesterday we went for a visit and we all had a pizza supper and a good time chatting.
Normally Aunt Eve talks about old times.


Last night when we were on our way home my sil called us and said Aunt Eve said after we left that 'Ruth took the paper plates outside" - we had a laugh at that but it's really not so funny because Ruth was my mother and she has been gone for 44 years now  - the two of them were very close - the nurse said things like this are a sign of the end...relating to family members that have gone before them, actually thinking it is them there.
But we had a good time as always.

So far composing this beast of a post my line brakes did not cooperate with me I see....


That's all I'm going to post today as this is just a test.
For sure I'm using Windows Live Writer after this test as I had a difficult time getting photos to land in the correct spot.


Karen