Ecclesiastics

     The third chapter of Ecclesiastics is well-known for its recitation of "seasons" - "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven........"  In fact, when Reverend John Peter Muhlenberg preached from the pulpit of the Woodstock, VA Lutheran Church, just before revealing that he was a colonel in the Virginia military, he used this chapter.
     Verse 2 says, "a time to be born and a time to die", and verse 4, "a time to weep............a time to mourn........".  As such, it is now a time to weep and mourn in our household.  The older I get, the more often these verses are thought of, and not just for our human friends.  And regardless of whether the friends are human or four-legged, it still hurts.
     When Roy and I first started dating, part of his household included not only the old cat, Pete, that we had to put down earlier in the year, but a big lummox of a dog, half Great Pyrenees and a quarter each yellow lab and German shepherd.   Even more than Pete, Duke, short for Marmaduke, totally accepted me and was my shadow so much of the time.  And that big of a shadow (about 90# worth) was sometimes a challenge, to say the least.
     Duke was not Roy's dog - he had been a gift to our son from his then fiance some 15 years ago, so had been a part of our grandson's life from the get-go.  In fact, Robbie learned how to walk hanging on to Duke and used to ride him.
      We never worried about anybody trying anything because his sheer size was intimidating, to say the least.  I still have to laugh about an incident four years ago, before we got either one of the little dogs.  At that time, the gate on the south side of the front yard did not have a latch and therefore, swung back and forth easily - which he quickly discovered.  However, the only time he would get out was at night and he would go make his rounds, then come back home and stay here.  That particular summer, there were several residential break-ins on the mesa where we live, so we were a little leery anyhow.  One night, I didn't get to bed until after midnight and Duke was sleeping outside in the yard under the tree.  I had barely gotten to sleep when I heard Duke just literally come unglued, so I knew something was up.  About that time, I heard, "Oh, sh*t!" and steps, very rapid steps, running down the road to the south and the dog right behind, barking!  I don't know how far Duke chased the person, but we didn't have any more problems!

     We have known since last winter that our time with Duke was limited and considering he was going on 15 years old, rather unusual for as big a dog as he was, knew that the time would come when he would make his last trip to the vet.  That came this morning.  I suspected he had congestive heart failure, and his back was fragile enough because of the vertebrae fusing that the vet told us a couple of years ago he would treat Duke like fine china from then on.  About three o'clock this morning, he was outside and I heard him give a couple of yelps and when I checked on him, he was having problems even moving.  It took him at least five minutes to move maybe 20 feet.  He did finally make it in the house, but wouldn't take any medicine cloaked in cheese, so.........  When Roy took him up, the vet said he would have died sometime today anyhow, as his lungs were at least half-full and confirmed that he had congestive heart failure.  So, as hard as it was, it was very much the right decision that he didn't have to suffer any longer. 
     So, farewell, big, sweet lummox.  You will be so sorely missed.

Play Time!!

Actually took some time to do some stamping.  This has been such a busy summer.  Our Patriots' group has really been busy.  We put on a Vacation Liberty School in July, which while it was only a week long, it took a lot of prep time.  Held in on the third floor of a church, air conditioning didn't work all that good and wore a colonial dress all but the last day.  Very thankful it's over, but the kids enjoyed it, so that's what counted.
Had offered to help with the card ministry at our church, but hadn't had a chance to do much, so got with it last week and got several done.  Now, I just have to get them to the gal who is in charge of it all!  But here goes:
 I really like how this one turned out.  I don't normally use patterned paper, but had this piece and it was just dying to be used.  The quote is a stamp from a set called "Inspirational" by Stampabilities.  It is really a versatile set, as you can see!!  

This one has the flower stamp from Stampin' Up.  The "Faith" stamp is also by Stampabilities.

I love the framed look on a Cuttlebug folder embossed card.  This is the dotted Swiss folder, then used Spellbinders to make the frame and tag.  The stamps are from Stampin' Up.

I made two very similar ones for sympathy cards using the "Neutral Shadows" technique from the Technique Junkies newsletter.  It is so easy and looks so elegant!  The cross is from Stampabilities and the word stamp is from Stampin' Up.

This turned out to be one I really liked, too.  I used the "Blended Blotches" technique from the TJ newsletter and the flower and word stamps are from Stampin' Up.  As with everything I do, the paper is all Stampin' Up. 

Other than that, I've made seven pints of zuchinni bread and butter pickles and five pints of pasta sauce, so don't think the last couple of weeks weren't too unproductive!  Hope you are all having a good summer!

Stamping!!

Once in a while, I do finally manage to get away and do a little stamping, but it usually is only when I have a card that is due, such as birthdays or sympathy.  I did agree to do the Technique Junkies Just One swap, but didn't get my card off until the 5th, so didn't even try to join for July.  My sister's birthday was in June, too, so.........., and had a sympathy card to do for tomorrow.

This was for my sister and is the paper piecing technique.  The printed paper is from the Old World paper pack, the pot is an Inkadinkado stamp and the flowers are Stampin' Up, as is the other paper.

One of the techniques from the latest Technique Junkies newsletter is called "Faux Tiles".  It is not only an easy technique, but a very stunning one.  It also works to make a card look like a Delft tile.
This one is done in pretty in pink and chocolate chip inks from Stampin' Up, the cherry blossom and sentiment stamps are also from Stampin' Up.  The ribbon is from Michael's.

Lastly, a very simple sympathy card for the husband of a friend of mine.  He was a rancher, farmer, lover of animals and simply did not wake up last Friday.  They are holding a "cowboy" funeral for him tomorrow - his son and grandsons run the local sale barn, so that's where the funeral will be, and his hearse will be his horse trailer.  I don't know what church they attended, but do know he was a good Christian man and will be greatly missed.
Hope your summer is going well for you!!

This and that!

As much as we hate it, there are times when we must say good-bye to those we love, animals included.  When Roy and I got married, he was owned by a big tuxedo Manx by the name of Pete that had moved in with him and his last wife shortly after they moved into this house.  While he never wanted to be cuddled, after I removed a big matted wad of hair from his lower back, he was my friend and at times would enjoy curling up on my lap.  At the age of 24, tho, we knew we wouldn't have him forever and sure enough, Mother Nature took her toll in the form of a pancreatic infection.  Even though he had two laser treatments and was on a special diet, it was not enough and last Tuesday, we knew it was time.  He knew it was time, too, and rarely fussed on the 30-mile trip to the vet's, except when the deer ran into the side of us. 
Why it is that things come in groups is one of life's big questions and this was certainly the case.  It was about 9:30 p.m. and the area between us and the vet in Paonia, my hometown, is notorious for deer and elk movement.   This one, probably about a two-year-old, was standing on the yellow line and when we saw him, Roy hit the brakes and swerved, but apparently, the deer moved right at that time because our side-view mirror was completely demolished and Roy's window was shattered.  There was even glass in my hair, in the cat carrier and my "Bubba" cup, which is a covered travel cup in which I had a straw!  And the deer ran off!!
We miss Pete, but since he didn't cuddle like a lot of cats, it hasn't been quite like it would have been if he did cuddle.  He did like to be around people and would come in and let me know he was in the room, then go lay down somewhere and sleep.  He did have a habit of coming up to me when he wanted food and at first, he wouldn't say anything, so I didn't normally know he was there.  He did finally get to the place he would come in and rub against my leg to let me know he was there.  If he was hungry and I didn't respond, he would finally meow - once, and if I still didn't respond, I would get one claw in the leg, not all five, just one! 
I used to joke about how he reminded me of the bulldog in the old Tom and Jerry cartoons - all shoulders and no hips.  He would walk into the kitchen and stretch and that's just what he looked like!  He never laid down, he just dropped and you would hear a thump, even if you weren't in the room!  Of course, the one time I got anywhere close to weighing him, his back half weighed in at about 18 lbs., so..........
So, enjoy sleeping in the sun and being a big lazy boy, Pete - we miss you!

Sheesh!

     I thought I had posted since January, 2010, but guess not!  Know I have a couple of drafts of postings, but they obviously didn't get published. 
     What a year it has been, tho.  I haven't done much stamping - left Stampin' Up about the first of the year because they got fussy about posting cards with non-SU stamps and said we couldn't give other stamp companies credit when the cards were posted.  Put the shoe on the other foot and SU would scream like a banshee.  So, have been mainly holding jewelry workshops, teaching ladies about OPALS embossing enamel. 
     I do have a group of ladies who were meeting on a regular basis, but having surgery the end of July kind of put a hold on that.  They are a good bunch of ladies and we need to get going again.  Between the surgery and getting involved in politics, thanks to hubby, I haven't had a moment's peace, it seems like!
     Went to Washington, D.C., for the taxpayers' march on 9/12 - something I would never have imagined doing even five years ago.  The founder of our Tea Party/9.12 group and I flew back a day early and got to do some sightseeing.  Liz had been there the year before and was also there for Glenn Beck's 8-28 event, so she has kind of learned her way around - which I was sure thankful for!  Especially catching the subway!  We actually stayed in Bethesda but were only seven blocks from the subway, so it was an easy trip downtown.  There won't be a taxpayers' march this because it's the tenth anniversary of 9/11, but they are planning something later in the year.
     Along with the trip to Washington, Liz and I, along with three members of our group, went to Phoenix the end of February for the first ever Tea Party Patriots Policy Summit.   Liz has been asked to be one of two interim State Coordinators for Colorado and I will be backing her up.  In the meantime, we have worked on campaigns and continue to do what we can to restore some fiscal responsibility and sanity to our federal government.
     I have been doing a few cards, mainly on an "as-needed" basis, i.e., whenever someone has a birthday or there has been a death of someone I've known well.  Unfortunately, more of them have been sympathy cards that anything else, it seems.  I still have a lot of Stampin' Up paper and use their inks most of the time.  Will post a few with descriptions.

Lily is from Flourishes, used Cuttlebug Swiss dot folder and Spellbinder's fleur de lis border die.

Done in copper, rather than gold, but otherwise CASE'd from Gina K's recent Easter card.  Stamps are all Stampin' Up.

This is white-on-white embossing, using a technique shown on Splitcoast Stampers a couple of weeks ago.  Used a Cuttlebug embossing folder and Spellbinder dies.  The word stamp is from Stampin' Up.

Done with the texture duet technique from Technique Junkies.  Don't remember who makes the cross and the word stamp comes from Stampin' Up.

Done with the Cuttlebug Swiss polka dot folder, stamps are all Stampin' Up.







     I have gotten to do a few "fun" cards, too, for birthdays and such:

 This was for our step-granddaughter's 9th birthday, which she just celebrated.  A very special little girl.   The technique is one I learned from the Stamp 411 blog and is called Inlaid Embossing.

 Birthday card for my aunt who celebrated her 94th birthday this past September.  Other than using SU papers and ink, I couldn't tell you what stamp set I used!  Slept since then.

 Hubby's valentine - need I say more?

My friend, Liz, is half Irish and I hadn't had an opportunity to use this stamp, even though I've had it for a number of years.  This is the "Out of Box" technique found in the Technique Junkie newsletter.  The leprechaun, from Art Impressions, is done with "penciled twinks", another TJ technique.

I'm hoping my Just One partner for March isn't reading this, or she will catch a glimpse of her card before she receives it!  The technique is called "Texture Plate Smooch".  I used a Fiskars texture plate called Irish Lace to make the background.  Stampin' Up paper, inks and stamp used otherwise.  Ribbon is from Michael's and is glittery, which you can't see from the picture.

     Will try to do a better job of posting, but with Vacation Liberty School coming up in a couple of weeks and needing to get a Colonial style dress made, plus numerous other things, no promises.  Will explain more about the Vacation Liberty School in a later post.