Great-grandchild # Twelve

Oh, the marvels of modern science!  We used to wait for the mail to come to receive family pictures - and they weren't often taken so easily nor so quickly as the one above.  Now, we get a phone call from our daughter, Dorothy, the proud grandmother, who lives clear across the country, and a follow-up e-mail from an also-proud grandfather, Ken, sending this picture of a very new-born baby, who has been named Jet Andrew.  On occasion our grandchildren do choose very original names for their babies.  Anyway, congratulations to Sara and Phillip, as well as all of the proud grandparents.  This newest member of our family is very welcome into this world.  Who knows what contributions he will make to the world?

Posies for Pop

Flowers serve many purposes - in this case, a bouquet for Ron for Father's Day.  We have enjoyed having flowers in our house over the years.  It's nice to have enough outside to clip for our bouquets, but it's also very kind of children to send them for special occasions.  Ron is always the one out clipping flowers in the yard when we go to see people, or when he visits in the retirement home.  He tries to pull me along on the projects.  In Olympia, I was taking a parenting class as a pre-requisite to becoming a teacher, and the instructor (Les Gilbert, for those of you who knew him) made the comment that men did not think to give flowers - and then he looked at me and said, "Except for Ron Gage".  True words spoken.  So flowers can have a language of caring for the recipient.  Thank you.

It's in the Bag!

 Reverse sides of the bag

 Little purse to go inside the bag

 The frogs are dancing because I finished the bag.

Not in order, for sure - The inside of the little purse to go into the big work of art tote.
The bag is finally done, and I can go on to other things!  Ann used her influence to help me discover the fantastic web site of Crabapple Hill Studios, located in eastern Washington State.  She made a quilt top last winter, called "Over the River and Through the Woods." that had lots of embroidery on it.  We are re-discovering this relaxing art!  Anyway, this tote was pointed out to Judy and me, and I asked Louise to check it out.  She opted out of the project, but Judy and Ann are making their own version of the tote.  I went first, and wish that mine were bigger, but I am finding out that it holds more than I thought it would.  What satisfaction to finish this project successfully and end up with something that you couldn't buy.

The Beautiful Flowers of Spring

Who can resist?  I love flowers that perform so faithfully as the iris and the Johnny-jump-ups.  The fragrance of the iris is not to be forgotten.  Certain smells evoke memories of places and events that are special.