~Thoughts and Thanks~

Dear friends,

I have some fun things to share with you! Once again, not a stitching post but I've been productive in other ways. I will soon have my "Texie" sampler finished - by next weekend, I hope, so I'll show you that then rather than bore you with a pic now and another later. It is pretty though and I'm thrilled with how it's coming along.

Remember the movie "A Christmas Story"? Who can watch that movie and not laugh? Nobody in my household, that's for sure. Anyway, my boss just retired after 34 years and I thought he needed a special gift. We had a mannequin in our office, dressed as a soldier, that had seen better days. He had fallen over a time or two and was broken and not really repairable so, what to do but... make a lamp? A military version of the Christmas Story lamp seemed appropriate since we work for the Army (as civilians). We presented it to him at his luncheon last week and it was a big hit. They will take it to live in their cottage up north and will, I'm sure, get a "kick" out of it for a while. My boss is moving into a new role as a contractor working for the government and we wanted to give him a gift that would give him a "leg up" on his competition. What do you think? A little glue, a lamp kit, some cammo fabric, a thigh high stocking and combat boot and well, here you go:



This week was extra special because DEB and I finally got to meet our dear friend ROBIN who was visiting her parents. We spent the day together on Saturday and drove to a couple of quilt stores where we all found some things we just couldn't live without. I don't quilt or sew but couldn't leave without some fabrics anyway. Then it was off to the Antique Mall for more shopping. We didn't have a ton of time in there but we all managed to find a few things. We had a great time getting to know each other better and laughed a lot! Robin brought Deb and I lovely pincushions she had made for us and mine was of course, in my favorite red!

Isn't it beautiful!? Thanks so much, Robin! It was amazing that we had so much to talk about - not a dull moment, lull in conversation or any awkward moments, at all. I think Robin's husband was a bit worried we might be evil people and was worried for her safety with Deb and me. But, we kept her safe and returned her to our starting point safe and sound! She is as as cute as a button with a wonderful, bubbly personality and we all just had so much fun. We were so busy laughing that we didn't take many pictures but we did remember to get one just before we left the antique mall.
This is a pic of Robin and me:

What a fun day!

Finally, let me leave you with this picture. A couple of weeks ago, when all the crabapple flowers were falling, we woke up to see our sidewalk covered with red petals. What a pretty surprise!


Tomorrow is Memorial Day in the USA. A special day to remember those soldiers that have fallen in the defense of our country. My favorite soldier (my dad) is still alive and living the good life and I am so thankful for that! He served multiple tours in Viet Nam and as a family, we lived all over the world. As an adult, I am most honored to work for the Army as a civilian, and all of us do our best to ensure that our soldiers have the best equipment on the planet, when and where they need it. Thanks to Veterans everywhere, those fallen and those still with us, for all that you've given in service to this great nation!

Peace,
Terri