5-16-2014 My Girls

5-15-2014 Pelicans Preening

...seen on this morning's walk

along the Mississippi River...

5-14-2014 Tai Chi Wheels

While on my morning walk

I came across a park

with a small 'playground'

full of exercise equipment/stations,

one of which was these

Tai Chi Wheels.

I've never seen anything like this before

but found it intriguing 

since I have studies and practiced Tai Chi 

for more than a year.

5-13-2014 Waterfalls

DH under LASALLE falls...

Me under LASALLE falls...

Tonti Falls...

St. Louis Falls...

5-12-2014 Woodland Moccasins

Started a new KAL

with a friend:

Wooly Woodland Moccasins

5-11-2014 Noah

Spent Mother's Day

'giving birth'

to my next 'baby'

from the "Little Boy Blue" KAL...

~needle-felted the face~

~assembled and sewed together all the body parts~

 

~and just as I had finished sewing him together,

the dark blue clouds that have been raining all day today

parted and gave way to a beautiful double rainbow

so my doll and I dashed outdoors to enjoy the sight!

I decided that since he was 'born'

on a rainy day

under a rainbow

I have to name him NOAH.

Now, to make him some clothes!

________

Happy Mother's Day

to my mom in heaven,

to my M-I-L,

to my dear daughter,

to my dear D-I-L,

to my dear sisters-in-law,

and many friends

who are all amazing mothers!

And Happy "Good Shepherd Sunday!"

5-10-2014 Troll In a Tree

5-9-2014 Pella Iowa Tulips

DH & I

drove to Pella Iowa today

to view the 300,000+ tulips

they plant each year for their Tulip Festival.

They were in their peak...

only 2 or 3 beds about spent

and another 2 or 3 beds not yet open

but the rest were open in all their glory!

5-8-2014 Spring Blooms...Finally!

Spring is FINALLY here!!!

The flower bulbs at our house

have begun to bloom!

 After our morning's walk at the park

DH & I stopped to smell the flowers

at the lilac garden.

Mmm...

5-7-2014 New Do

 Love my grandson's

new short haircut

and his smile...

peek-a-boo!

5-6-2014 Starved Rock

DH & I recently saw

an Illinois tourism commercial

on television

that featured a beautiful waterfall.

DH did some research on the internet,

found out where that waterfall is,

and today we went for a hike

and enjoyed that waterfall

as well as several others

at Starved Rock Park.

5-5-2014 Pie Making 101

After pulling the rhubarb from the garden,

GD washed each piece very carefully,

then Oma cut them into pieces.

Next, GD mixed in the sugar, tapioca and orange zest

with her hands,

and after playing with a small piece of pie dough

while Oma rolled the rest of the dough

she carefully placed the rhubarb filling into the pie tins.

Next, GD helped Oma pinch on, 

and poke holes into

the top crust

and

then Oma

put the pies into the hot oven.

Mmmm... 

you can taste the TLC! 

5-4-2014 What Does The Fox Say?

crochet coffee sleeve/cozy

Not pretty, but pretty delicious!!!

(Fresh Rhubarb pies!)

GS got a hair cut...

super cute!

5-3-2014 Spring Greens

I see a Rhubarb Pie

in my future!

DH planted some strawberries this spring,

so next year we can try

a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

Orange Kissed Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

5-2-2014 Needle Felting

Would love to learn

how to needle felt eyes like this

onto my next doll:

Little Boy Blue.

How cute are these?!?!?

5-1-2014 Lucky

Lucky

the horse

for Grandbaby #4.

4-30-2014 Heart Stopper!

"Clear!"

4-29-2014 Happy 3-month Birthday!

Happy 3 month Birthday to GB#3!!!

Meanwhile... GB#1...

"See painted her wips, didn't see?!?!?"

(and her hair...

and the sofa...

and her clothes...

and the walls...)

See aso read boots to

da Zamp in da wamp

and da Zwock by da cwock:

4-28-2014 Pattycake

My 'Pattycake' doll is finished!

She was created by participating in a MKAL

(Mystery Knit-A-Long)

where each week the designer gives us one clue to knit

(the head, the torso, arms, legs, hair, clothes, etc.)

and after 7 weeks, one has a doll.

I purposely left off a mouth

so that you can tell her your secrets

and she can't/won't repeat them to anyone else.

4-27-2014 Blocked

Hot off the needles

Before being blocked:

Being steam-blocked:

After being steam-blocked:

I love how blocking knitted items

opens up the lace-work patterns

and 'blooms' the fabric!

My beaded Tea-Time Serviette is finished

in time for Mother's Day!

This type of knitting 

is definitely NOT my 'cup of tea'

so this will be a

'one and done'

for sure!

4-26-2014 Watering Flowers

 I helped Oma plant these pansies

and water her day lilies

with my new "Hello Kitty" watering can.

4-25-2014 Done

4-24-2014 One and Done

WOW… this is going slowly!!! 

This is going to be a one-and-done… never again! 

I have yet to get the hang of knitting 
with cotton crochet thread. 

I am a loose knitter according to the gals at the LYS, 

but it takes me 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes 

to perform EACH and every SSK and K2TOG. 

I can get the needle tip through one of the two stitches, 

but have a heck of a time getting it through the second stitch. 

The cotton crochet thread 
has absolutely NO give or stretch to it, 

(like almost all yarn DOES). 

My German stubbornness will force me to finish the project, 

but I will never do another! 

Altho, who knows… 

I said the same thing about entrelac knitting, 
and now I love it! ha.