6-6-2015 Iowa City Arts Fair

Today DH & I drove to Iowa City

to attend the Iowa City Arts Fair.

The first thing we saw

was this rather creepy Geisha

who was standing statue still

until someone would put money in her box.

Then she would suddenly reach out

and hand a folded paper crane

to the contributor.

I found one jewelry designer,

Kathrin Schmidt,

whose aesthetic I absolutely loved

and I actually purchased a ring from her...

a first for me!

(Usually all I will buy at the art fairs

is a stoneware mug.)

6-5-2015 Baby Dumpling Progress

This is my progress so far

on my Gypsycream Baby Dumpling.

(See June 1, 2015 post.)

I wonder what (s)he will turn out like...

they are similar to the fairies I knit...

they reveal themselves as they are being created.

I love the nappy and belly button details.

6-4-2015 Rainbow Lunch and Rhubarb Bread

The rhubarb in our garden is growing like crazy!

I've made lots of pies

and now I'm switching to Rhubarb Bread:

Oma's Rhubarb Bread Recipe

Mix ingredients in order given:

1+1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2/3 c. cooking oil

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1 c. sour milk

(to make sour milk,

I put 1 TBS. vinegar in my measuring cup

and then fill it to the top with milk)

1 tsp. vanilla

2+1/2 c. unsifted AP flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1+1/2 c. diced rhubarb

1/2 c. nuts (I used pecans)

Grease and flour 2 bread pans

and divide dough into the 2 pans.

TOP the dough with

a drizzle of 1/4 c. melted butter

and

1/4 c. sugar mixed with 1+1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

Bake at 350*F for 40-45 min.

until toothpick inserted in the center

comes out clean.

6-3-2015 Zoo Day

 Sidewalk Chalk on Papa's shirt...

6-2-2015 Next KAL - Crane & Pelican - Full Moon

Today I got the yarns for my next KAL

(online Knit-A-Long)...

"Unleashed"  flip-top mittens.

It will be a nice, small, lightweight project

for summer!

- - - - - - - - - -

Also, went out to dinner this evening

at the Crane & Pelican in LeClaire, Iowa,

with my women's Bible Study group at church.

The food was pricey and overcooked,

but the fellowship was divine!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Driving home

I noticed a huge full moon

coming up over the horizon over the corn fields...

wished I had my camera with me at that moment.

Instead, I took a snapshot on my phone

when I got home.

The photo does not do it ANY justice!

It looks totally lame coming up over the rooftops.

Over the corn fields, it was STUNNING!

6-1-2015 Gypsycream Dumpling

Started a Gypsycream Baby Dumpling today...

like I need another project!!!

5-31-2015 Shhh, don't tell mommy....

 Shhh... don't tell mommy

that Oma lets us go outside

and play in the warm rain...

It will be our secret!

5-30-2015 GB#4

GB#4 is a sweetheart...turns one this summer.

5-29-2015 GB#3

GB#3 is a sweet pea...one year old!

5-28-2015 GB#2

Hard to believe GB#2 is 3 years old this summer!

5-27-2015 GB#1

Cant' believe GB#1 is already 3+ years old!

5-26-2015 68th and Final Teddy Bear

Yesterday and Today

and I have been working on creating/sewing

my 68th (and FINAL) denim teddy bear.

These teddy bears are a labor of love.

This one is for my Grandson #2.

I hope he will love it 

as much as his Oma loves him!

I made one for each of my children

when they were small

(and all our friends & neighbors 

who were having babies at that time)

and it was their favorite snuggle toy.

Here's a pix of my son

snuggling with his bear 30+ years ago.

5-25-2015 Blessed Be Their Memories

Thank you

for your service

and sacrifice!

_________________

DH & I

attended the 50th annual

Quad Cities Criterium today

to see our S-I-L race.

5-24-2015 Rainy Day

It's raining outside today

(and my Iris has started to bloom!)

so the GDs and I came up with some

indoor activities...

Monkey Bread!

Her favorite part is

licking out the sugar/cinnamon bowl

when we are done

as you can tell from her sugary brown smile!

5-23-2015 Cuteness

 Brothers

5-22-2015 Green Blob

Any guesses as to what this is???

I found this in a bag of oranges I purchased!

Not sure how I didn't notice it at the store

before I bought it?!?!

5-21-2015 My Grandbabies

My fave pix from the Mother's Day photo shoot!

5-20-2015 Will You Marry Me (Again)?

As DH & I were eating the salads for lunch today

(which I had prepared yesterday)

he found my wedding ring in his salad!!!

And he walked over to me and asked,

"Will you marry me, again?!?!"

We were both sooooo excited to have found the missing ring!

We had actually thought about it maybe slipping

off my wet fingers as I prepared the salads yesterday

and had checked in the garbage disposal and drain

for the missing ring, but did not thing to look in the salads!

Thank you, St. Anthony!!!

5-19-2015 Lost My Wedding Ring

Sometime, somewhere,

during today's busy schedule

of doctor appointments, a mammogram,

grocery shopping, dining out

and other errands around town,

my wedding ring

which has been on my finger

for 42+ years

accidentally slipped off un-noticed.

I am heart-broken!

I took this photo last weekend

to show my Jamberry Nail Wraps for the 

Mother's Day Photo Shoot,

and it shows the ring...

so I printed off this picture

along with all my contact information

and retraced my steps to all the locations

I had gone today

in hopes that someone had found it

or will find it.

I am so sad.

I've never seen another wedding ring

remotely like mine.

It was very unique

and holds lots of sentimental value.

I cannot allow myself to get too upset

or grieve too deeply though

and risk my health (heart)...

I will try to remember that it is "just a thing"

(that can never be replaced!)

which I have enjoyed for 42+ years

and now it is time to "Let it go"

and see what comes next.

Still, the tears keep leaking from my eyes

and probably will for days to come.

5-18-2015 Ready to Walk

Grandson #2 is almost ready to walk solo!

He can stand behind a walker and push it around.

You go, big boy!

5-17-2015 New Bed

DH & I bought a new king-size bed this weekend.

When company comes, we give up our master bedroom

and go sleep in the guest room's Queen-size bed. 

It takes a full days work to take off door hinges,

move out chairs and lamp tables, 

and move in youth beds and cribs and such)

to make these arrangements.

After sleeping in a king-sized bed for many many years

DH & I get little sleep 

in the guest room's smaller Queen-size bed.

So, we decided to fix that problem.

We are moving our current king-size bed into the guest room

and buying a new king-size bed for the master bedroom,

so both rooms will now have a king-size bed

and we will not have to move out of our 

master bedroom when company comes!

5-16-2015 Chillin'

Love this pix my DD took of the GDs

playing in the water on their back deck yesterday.

I totally stole this pix off her FaceBook page!

5-15-2015 Tribbles, Fairies, and Shoe Racks

Started knitting this "Tribble" today

(a dish scrubbie)

to use up some leftover cotton yarn scraps

from other projects.

Also, starting to design some clothes

for the 2 fairies I'm making 

for my GDs...

The yellow one on the left is going to be for JP:

Ember Reedfilter 
She plays reed pipes and sings spellbinding songs. She lives where fireflies mate and breed. She can only be seen on midsummer’s eve. She wears dresses that glow with fiery colours and has deep green butterfly wings.

The red one on the right is going to be for DE:

Cherry Pepperwand 

She plays tricks on small children and old folk. She lives in fruit orchards and vineyards. She can only be seen when the seeker holds a four-leafed clover. She wears red, cerise and purple berry colours and has autumnal brown wings, like a butterfly.

And, check out the awesome shoe rack that DH made

for my daughter's entryway!

He is so talented!

5-14-2015 Yo Yo Ma

Tonight

DH & I attended

the final concert of the 100th Season

of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra

with guest soloist, Yo Yo Ma.

To celebrate the 100th season
and Yo Yo Ma's coming,
the QCSO decorated 100 cellos
and distributed them around town
and auctioned them off tonight.

5-13-2015 Ouch!

Minor mishap with a drill

sent my DH to the emergency care clinic.

Poor Babe!

5-12-2015 Lucky Girl

My knitting friend

(she is in the first 2 pix of this post)

got to meet Chris, the Bachelor today in CR.

Lucky girl.

They talked about DWTS.