COLD COLD COLD

We don't mind snow ( hate ice though) but we have had several days of really cold weather with some moments of below zero Fahrenheit usually at night. Luckily we have loads of leftovers and a wonderful gas fired insert in the family room fireplace which adds to the natural gas furnace.

I went out today to go on a round robin trip... first to an estate sale , then Aldi's for fresh groceries and then Hobby Lobby to see if there was any tissue paper left.  Success at the estate sale and success at Aldi's ... not at Hobby Lobby... oh well.

I found some really cute very small Steiff animals ... monkey, duck, turtle, elephant and a squirrel. I may have to go back on Sunday, when the prices drop, to see what's left!!

Now is the time to thaw my very cold feet...walking on the cold cold ground sure didn't help!!
ps... will add photos later

Here they are !!  I think the tiny elephant is my favorite!  The little turtle is named "Slo"! Someone at Steiff had a sense of humor!!

Merry Christmas .... or Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays  !!!  However you celebrate, may the day be joyful and full of good cheer!!

Christmas Past

I was just thinking about the first Christmas I remember . We were still living in London so it had to be before 1950. We had a little green tree which stood on the dining room table covered with glass prisms from some chandelier and white candles.  I remember the fireplace with its warm coal embers... and having gone to some department store where I saw Santa and received a tiddly winks game... I remember walking outside the store and seeing elaborate Christmas store windows...

Not too long afterwards we were off to the US.... this is a scrapbook page I made with a picture of our first American tree.

AnnaLee Felt dolls

I started collecting AnnaLee Felt Dolls when we lived in St. Joseph, Mich. back in the late 1970's. I would add one or two a year. Some were given to me as gifts. I think I have enough now ...LOL! These  are on the mantle... Santa and Mrs. Claus and an elf with loads of reindeer!! Even one with a red nose...Rudolph.
There are others displayed around the house... lots of mice, little and a really big one I found at an antique mall. I also have angels... naked, pink and with white wings. Everyone has one, even the grandchildren!
Every year I have to figure out who should go where!!

When Christmas shopping yesterday I found another fawn to add ... very small, all spotted with a wreath around its neck!

Four women

I finally have a picture ( whether it is a good one is debatable ) of me, my two daughters and my granddaughter!  We are all stuffed with Thanksgiving turkey and ham .... no room, till much later, for pie!
Thanksgiving was good... a few hiccups... but nothing that couldn't be over come.

Next time I'll try and corner my DH, son, two sons-in-law and grandson for a five men picture.

Interesting Thanksgiving

We all ( Bob and I, children, spouses and grandchildren) managed a great Thanksgiving dinner at Robb's!! Lots and lots of food which meant lots and lots of leftovers for people to take home.

One interesting part had nothing to do with Thanksgiving dinner....
as I was getting things from Robb's cupboard one of the shelf supports let go!! Managed to get things down and try to find SOMEWHERE to put them in a kitchen already full of stuff for the holiday dinner. Added good thing ... nothing was broken. Bob and Robb removed the broken part and replaced all 4 supports today.
Thing #2 ... when I got the thawed turkey out of the cooler to get it ready to roast, I found Robb and I had read the label wrong. It wasn't a 16 - 18 pound tom turkey BUT a 26 pound behemoth turkey. Luckily we had enough time to roast it . It fit in both the roasting pan and the oven and TASTED great.
Thing#3 ... the ham was too tall for Robb's smaller oven ( the turkey was in the bigger one). So Robb had to cut some of it off!!

So Thanksgiving was not without hiccups!!

Trying out the tree ( Tigger - orange - and Jack -Tiger striped) ... here's hoping they will have tired with it by the time we add the ornaments !

How MANY BEARS ???

I keep track of all the bears I make... logged into a book. Well, many books.  This one is number 6700 !  If I was making as many bears yearly as I used to ( the years when bear sales paid for extras like flute lessons, weddings and so on) I would be up to 7,000 by this time next year. I never thought I would make this many!  But even at my current rate, 7,000 is in the near future!!

My youngest still has number 1!!

Singer Featherweight

Bob fiddled with my Featherweight yesterday.... and didn't put things back together quite right!! I tried sewing... no go. Loops on the bottom, snapped threads etc. I tried adjusting the tension. Tried re-threading and on and on. Bob and I finally discovered that when he has taken out the ring holding the bobbin in place to clean and oil the area but he hadn't put it back in quite right.  The ring wouldn't hold the bobbin firmly ... When he fixed that.. it started sewing like a dream. This little machine was made in the mid 1930's... that means it is over 75 years old!  The gold decals show the machine was well used. I have the case and all the accessories too!
And I now have another bear ready for stuffing and accessorizing for the Bright Star show in December!!

Another Singer sewing machine

I know that old sewing machines are hard to get rid of in parts of the world... but old black ( or green ) metal Singer machines are still a sought after item her in the US.. Today Bob and I made a trip out to the library (  we needed more !! reading material) and decided to stop at the Habitat for Humanity Restore store. For those of you unfamiliar with this, its a great place to find all sorts of used building materials, tiles, lights, tools etc and some furniture and household items... all donated. The $$ made goes to help Habitat for Humanity build new or revamped homes.
I found a Singer 99K with table and  thanks to Bob's online search ... we found that this machine was made in Scotland in 1957. The 99 model is a smaller version of the well-known 66 -

the quilt makers favorite machine.
I does need oiling... cleaning of the side that was up when closed in the table and a new belt.
Best of all... it was only $30.00.
It will join my Featherweight, a green 15, my Mother-in-law's square top 301 ( left it to me in her will) and several others.  Luckily my husband is a great one for refurbishing things plus I have a local sewing machine repair person when Bob is stymied!!
Think I will check out eBay for a case so I can take this one when we are away from home!

Today Bob has all the little accessories out... plus the sewing machine oil. Soon it will be "up to his standards"! Plus he is looking online for a new belt!!

Home and tired

Bob and I just spent a hectic weekend at the Prim Folk Fest Teddy Bear show up in Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines is about 200 miles north of Blue Springs ... all interstate 4 lane road through farmland . The cows are still out. The soybeans are drying in the fields and the corn is almost all harvested. Large trucks passed us full of corn going to granaries where the corn waits to be taken by truck or train for processing.
The bear show was small but it was great to see all the other bearmakers and the bear collectors (of course). Edinburgh Imports was also there with tables full of mohair, alpaca , wool and synthetics. I had a wonderful time stroking the furs, choosing colors and so on... and brought home some wonderful new stuff!!

Pamela did not find her "forever" home ... but I am sure she will soon!
We are both tired but we had a really good time!

Here's my table...

SSL enabling -- Secure Sockets Layer

There has been lots of talk about SSL enabling .... making people secure in purchasing from your website. It used to be optional but no longer.  Since I have a website ( not this one) that I use for online shows , I have been watching and waiting. Weebly.com finally added this option to their free websites. Hurrah !

Fall is upon us...most of the time. Leaves are falling without much color changing. It was in the lower 40's this morning but the highs are going back up to the 70's this week. Still going up and down in cycles.

Robb's ginger cat (Tigger) actually came and sat next to me yesterday... a first!! Since it was a first I didn't move for quite some time... sitting in front of a window and "freezing".  BTW ... he wasn't unhappy just another of those who doesn't like his picture taken!! Especially with a flash.. the other pictures gave him the cat version of "red eye" which cannot be photo-shopped.

We included a new recipe in our Sunday night family dinner... pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese filling. Very good.  The recipe called for "boiled cider" which we had to order. It's like a very intense Granny Smith apple liquid ... thickish like syrup. The bottle is about a pint of liquid... so more muffins or search for something else??

Quilting group tonight

My quilting group meets here ( at my house ) tonight....Actually only two quilt ,the rest do something else such as jewelry, bear making (me), crochet, and more. So we really should be called a" stitch and b***h"  group plus we eat!!
So today has been a tidy-up  and cook day. I found a recipe that I am going to try out on my group ... won top wrappers filled with cheese, bacon, peppers, sour cream and cream cheese.  My fingers are crossed.. hope they are as good as they sound.
Funny enough I was talking to one of the produce men in the grocery store... about peppers. I wanted ones that aren't as hot as jalapenos. Mentioned was I was making and he told me he had seen the recipe. So I will have to tell him how they turned out.... we chose anaheim peppers BTW.

I have been getting ahead of the holiday season bear-wise. I have two actual shows and two online shows coming up. My first actual show is the 20 - 21st of October up in Des Moines, Iowa. It takes us about 3 hours to drive there... all expressway but a nice drive. We even go past Madison County ... where the book "Bridges of Madison County" is situated. There is also a very nice little winery there and I am planning on buying some wine!!

Bob is going to be missing tonight ... off with our grandson to his Boy Scout meeting. Dominic's father will be at work and his mother here for quilting... so Bob stepped up !

The won ton wrapped appetizers were good!

Luxuriating

I have been luxuriating in the revival of the dishwasher.... no more dishes in the counter waiting to be washed ( now tucked neatly into the machine waiting for a full load) ... no more racks of drying dishes ...and so on!!
Hip hip Hooray for Bob's repair abilities ! He is an electrician, plumber, painter, plaster repairer etc. I have even loaned him out to friends whose husbands aren't as talented!!

Fixed... at long last

Our 2 1/2 year old dishwasher sprung a leak where the pump attaches underneath .... after only 30 months!!!  A new one would cost more than we wanted to spend as would a service call plus parts to fix it.....Yuck!!  Bob found the right pump  ( $190.00) and ordered it.... It sat in its box "like forever".  And we washed dishes by hand.
Today the slight nagging finally worked and he struggled all day to put the new pump in. He undid everything and pulled the "machine" out of its hole and in the course of things turned the dishwasher up side down etc.  He had watched the YouTube video on replacing the pump many times but the "videographer" left some essential steps out!!
However by the end of the afternoon Bob managed to get around the missing directions and THEN put everything back together!! We ran an empty load.... no leaks!!  Hooray!!

what happens with a new router

Well... this day didn't turn out like we expected!!  The wi-fi router bit the dust.  AT&T decided we needed a service person not  a new router.  We don't know what the telephone person thought the problem was... evidently he/she didn't think sending a new router was the answer.  Luckily the service person did!  He actually installed it...
Then Bob's work began.... having to change all the devices to the new Wi-Fi network and change the passwords..... that meant two Kindles, three computers, a chromebook, 2 smartphones, the TV and the XBox ... and then the printers.  All easier "said then done" with the new long complicated password!!  At long last it looks like we are all updated!!
Boy do we have a lot of stuff...

In between all that I have been working on winter-time accessories for my bears and friends. Things like hooded jackets, Santa hats, Christmas stockings, polymer resin candy canes and cookies and so on. Kind of fun!
I have three shows coming up .... Prim Folk Fest in DesMoines,  Bright Star's online  Holidays Stars and the Kansas City Local Exposure.  Getting ready should keep me out of trouble!!  LOL

does he have fleas???

Looking out the office window, which is on the second floor, I could see this little squirrel sitting on the birdhouse roof.... scratching  away ... all over.  Does he have fleas or have the oak mites gotten to him!!

Pumpkins.....

I have been having fun making pumpkins.... these are embossed microfiber 7 inches in diameter. I dyed the fabric orange for the lower one!! Wasn't sure the dye would work on a non-natural ( wool cotton, silk etc) fabric but RIT has a dye that worked!!!!
I have an online bear show next month and wanted to do something a little different... so pumpkins it is...
I did make them smaller too!

Today ECLIPSE!!!

When it started pouring rain this morning I thought there goes our eclipse watch....but the sun came out and the sky was blue and cloud free just in time for the start ! We, family and neighbors,  all sat in our street's circle with our special glasses and watched! The sun disappeared... stars came out...and the corona was fantastic. So glad not to have missed it...

More accomplished

Well... we accomplished quite a bit!!  A batch of concord grape jam, brandied cherries and more tomato sauce!!

We had tomatoes left so I took them home and spent today turning them into spaghetti sauce.... 5 quarts ! At this point, I don't want to see any more tomatoes unless they are in a salad or on a BLT sandwich...

( last night my grand daughter and I went back to school clothes shopping!! With all the sales going on, we came  back with two large bags fulls!  Good time was had as well!!  My grandson is next after I recuperate from canning!)

More canning

Robb wants to can more tomato stuff so ordered more canners from the veggie stand...Picked the tomatoes up this morning so we will be canning again this weekend. 
I was tempted by the idea of plum jam and  asked if there would be any later this summer. The answer was "yes, next Wednesday!". Will have to do some searching for a good recipe!!!

Summertime canning

Robb and I are planning a canning session for this weekend!!  He did a search and came up with a new tomato sauce recipe... one where you roast the tomatoes and veggies ( onions, peppers, garlic ) first. The roasting time is quite long and at low temperature and should shorten the cook down time!!

We are also planning on strawberry and jalapeno jam and blueberry jam with maybe some spices,  real ginger , lemon and lemon peel.

I had thought to include peach jam but we still have some from last year.

I went to the Raymore farmers' market for " canners " and veggies.... lots of samples were available and I came home with a yummy loaf of bread and lamb brats from  Hi Ho Sheep Farm .  
I have bought their lamb products before but not brats .  Plus all the produce we needed..

Now  I have to get all my "equipment" together and jars and lids and.... to take to Robb's . Then add all the stuff he has.

Our canning session is small compared to my sister-in-law's Mother. Rose was from a large Italian family in Geneva, NY.  Her garden had 150 tomato plants each year and she had a second kitchen in the basement where it was cool and "boy, did she can!" And cook!!

Will try to add pictures next time!!  Well... the pictures didn't go where I planned but here's our first of 2017's canning... blueberry, strawberry jalapeno and tomato sauce.
I had 10 tomatoes left so this morning I did a quick peel, cook, immersion blend  etc.  I ended up with 2.5 pints of spaghetti sauce with onions, peppers and garlic !

Eclipse!!!

It seems like everyone and I mean everyone is excited about the upcoming eclipse. We live in a great area for seeing it and many will be taking a half-day at work !!!
One of the Missouri wineries we visited earlier this spring gave us eclipse glasses which I have been careful not to loose!!
Many towns... many wineries... a dairy etc. are planning eclipse events.... Not sure if we will do more than sit on the deck and watch it get dark!!! 
Blue Springs is just east of Independence.. so maybe  a little jaunt north and east would get us a better viewing???

Robb's bucket list finished??

No... his sabbatical is over  ( 3500 emails awaited his arrival back at work!!). We did get a lot accomplished but not everything!! His new IKEA wall is done and lots of stuff moved into it... freeing up lots of other spaces. His fence to match the neighbors is done and they will be staining both his and theirs ...so that's done!!
   One thing he organized that wasn't a project was taking everyone to Kansas City's Starlight Theater where we saw "Jersey Boys" ... I told my grand daughter and grandson that this was my music ... Frankie Valli !  Everyone had a good time even if I was afraid that we couldn't find the right parking lot and our cars in the dark!!
   Now that he is back to work... we have GOT to get going on some long put off stuff. So today we brought in the ladder and got back to removing wallpaper in the entry way. Luckily we had done a good job priming before putting on the paper, but with the stairs and two story heights it is a major task!!  We are almost finished with the removal.... next is washing to get the glue off...then patching and sanding!! Then picking paint....

Busy busy week...

Our son is on what QuikTrip calls a sabbatical. He's worked for them for 25 years and so gets a paid one month vacation. He assembled a bucket list of things he wants to get done ( after going to Biloxi and meeting up with friends for a weekend).
This is the first thing....

A wall of storage units from IKEA.... Getting everything to his house from the store was a project in itself. Except for the butcher block counter top ... it is done. My husband and son are pooped! IKEA instructions are non-verbal and cryptically graphic!! And cover more than one version at a time. Making things more difficult!  But we all think it looks great and will be very handy. The butcher block counter top will be where the crock pots simmer away and serving done. There will be electricity!!

The next project was one Lili ( my grand daughter) and I accomplished... the front beds. We trimmed the bushes, weeded, trimmed the beech tree and so on.... The final touch was loads of black mulch. Luckily Lowe's put it on sale the day we  finished!!

Lili's uncle made a financial contribution to his niece.... teenagers always need money.  Lili has a return work day this fall.
BTW... black mulch leaves one's hands black ( washable) and one's nails grungy gray. Soap doesn't help!!

The rest of the list is more "fun"....

I have been getting ready for this show....

Fuzzy Frenzy starts Sunday at 11 am Eastern ... Here is the

link

Prim Folk Fest ... W Des Moines Iowa

The Prim Folk fest is this Saturday ,,,,  It is being held in the Decades Event Venue in West Des Moines, Iowa.  I am expecting to see chain saw carving.... lots of bears.... steam punk items... prim things and so on!!  It should be fun.
   Actual, physical, shows are getting fewer and fewer in the MidWest so I am looking forward to reconnecting with other artists and vendors.  And looking forward to hearing what collectors have to say!
    I have been knitting up a storm... lots of little sweaters made from leftover sock yard.  Here is Thomas wearing a sweater and beret surrounded by more sweaters!

The balls of leftover yarn aren't really enough for large sweaters... I have combined yarns for some. When I run out.... that won't happen for awhile ... I will buy yarn and knit sweaters for bigger bears or bear friends!!

Summertime busy-ness

Bob and I and our daughter and granddaughter signed up for a wheel throwing class!! We signed up through UMKC  ( Univ of Missouri Kansas City) but the Kansas City Clay Guild does the classes.
We went to our first class last night and all tried making our first pots... What we made weren't save-able but are trying to master centering the clay and opening it up.... Fun!! I came home the dirtiest of us all!!
Next week we go again and I will try to get a few pictures.

Still working on getting things ready for The Prim Folk Fest and the online Furry Frenzy shows. Looking forward to both

Bob and I are going to Des Moines the day before The Prim Folk Fest  show's sale day.... usually we do Des Moines in a one day driving extravaganza, but not this time. We have plans for some antique-ing etc.  So no leaving here at 4am on the show day... doing the show... and getting home by 7 pm... hooray!!

After these shows, my son has some "tasks" he wants help doing during his "vacation"...

backward...

The heat just came on.... seems like we are going backward. Our nice though sometimes wet weather has been in the 70's or so.... but last night the temperature went down to 41! Blech!!!

I have started working on the Furry Frenzy online show ( June 25th and 26th) and the Prim Folk Fest
( June 16 -17th) an actual physical show being held in the Events Center, West Des Moines, Iowa!!
I am looking forward to this one especially since it will mean bear makers will be gathering and we will have a chance to meet and greet bear collectors!

Plus Bob and I will have enough time to antique and explore !!! I remember a "reality" show where an upscale "antique store" upcycled and reformatted all sorts of items was in West Des Moines...maybe we can find it!!

Spring Stars

Bright Stars "Spring Stars" online show opened this morning at 11 am Eastern!

These  boxes are waiting for my mail person!!! For USA recipients I can leave a note in the mailbox telling her that there are boxes on the front porch to be picked up.  Outside of the US I have to go to the Post Office....

If you would like to see the rest.....

Here is the link ....
 http://www.bright-star-promotions.com/OnlineShow/SpringStars-May2017TeddyBearShow.htm

look for Cooper

to find my page.... but do look at other people's bears as well!!

Super soaking

Last weekend Missouri was rained upon big time.  My area wasn't badly hit but other parts were!! So the excursions we planned with my sister-in-law were curtailed.  We did make it to Bushwacker's bend Winery in Glasow... enjoyed our wine tasting and the rolls and coffee we had around the corner at the bakery.
The Missouri River was high and flowing fast.  One our way too and from we saw smaller rivers out of their banks...plus signs indicating closed roads. (  I44 which took the place of Route 66 and goes from OK to St. Louis was closed in sections due to the rain.)
Today was a busy one... off to pick up my son ( he lives 45 minuted southwest of us) ... then off to the first farmer's market of the season! Asparagus, greens, mushrooms, radishes, plants, home raised beef, pork and lamb ( all frozen).
Then we headed to the Brookside part of Kansas City to see the annual Art Show!!  I found a hand blown glass sea urchin and Bob found a wonderful hand thrown pottery vase. I found the artist I had bought a print from last year to tell him how much I enjoyed it . Also just had to tell him the tale of Bob trying to hang the print on our brick chimney wall. Drilling holes in brick is not an easy task! There was lots to look at and lots to wish for.
Then back to our son's home to drop him off... and a quick trip through an estate sale on the way home.
We are all exhausted!!
Tomorrow is a family grill out .... loads of food and visiting!

Working hard... upcoming show

I have been working hard so that I will have everything made by the time my sister-in-law comes to visit from Florence, SC !  My page from the Spring Stars show has loads of new bears and bear friends ready for May 12th.  As usual these will be kept secret until the show!!

I've also been busy accumulating "ideas' for Ellin's visit here.... There is a huge flea market held twice a year up in White Cloud ( North of Kansas City up near Nebraska).  Hamilton, Mo ( the home of JC Penney and the Missouri Star Quilt stores)  is worth another trip.  There's the Brookside ( Kansas City) Annual Art Show.  A chance to look at Glasgow, MO 's Bushwacker Bend winery, the town's stores and lunch overlooking the Missouri River.  
Guess we'll keep ourselves busy!!

back from Branson, Mo.

We made it back... all in one piece from our weekend jaunt to Branson.  No we weren't there for the shows... nor to go on the 55 mph zip line. My husband wanted to attend a ham radio convention and do the kit build... so off we went.
We took Route 13 to Springfield and then  65... most of the way is quiet with little traffic. The Lake of the Ozarks season hasn't opened yet. We stopped at a few antique places. We were going to stop at Lambert's- the home of the throwed roll - but the line wrapped around the building and tour buses were in the parking lot. So  we went next door to "taste" wine and cheese... and bought some of both!
We got to Branson and even with map and GPS  made a misstep and got lost. Through pure luck we actually found out hotel!
Bob enjoyed his kit building and ham stuff... I enjoyed meeting the wives. Thanks to one of them, a few of us went out into the "world of Branson" for lunch, site seeing and Andy's Custard ( YUMM!). All the locals were saying that we were lucky ... that we were in a quiet time etc. If this was quiet... I'm not going back when it's not!! We did not go to the Titanic Museum... on the huge ferris wheel,  or the zip lines which are reported to hit 55mph!!
Our trip home was completely uneventful... unpacking the car was a high light... followed by crashing in the recliner!

Eliminating my Tripod website

I hadn't updated my tripod site in a billion years... it had gotten to be a hassle with all their changes and I couldn't add a PayPal button. So it sat there .. costing me $5/mo. and generating some traffic to etsy and elsewhere. Then my credit card's (to pay the $5/ mo)  expiration date was fast approaching and I decided it was time to close things down.  Easier said than done.. I finally had to use their chat room.  It's gone ... http://g_dragon_teddy_bears.com  no longer exists. Somewhat nostalgic. 
So I will think about starting another site that I don't use for online show purposes....

Final eye checkup for both eyes ( post cataract surgery)  is done... passed with flying colors.  I can see again!!  I have a friend who comments that she is not used to seeing me without glasses!

Day out on the Missouri River Wine Trail

Yesterday we spent the day exploring mid-Missouri on the Missouri River Wine Trail's Picnic Pairing Wine tastings... we decided to go on the back roads ( for the most part) and avoided I70 until the end! Our first stop was in Glasgow at Bushwacker Bend Winery. The little river town definitely deserves another look see! Bushwacker's has a great back deck overlooking the Missouri River ... almost close enough to throw a rock into it! The river is low right now since Missouri is way down precipitation-wise. Then it was off to Higbee and Cooper's Oak Winery. Followed by Serenity Valley Winery which is East of Columbia on the edge of the Mark Twain National Forest. Boy does this winery have loads of events planned, including a chance to watch the eclipse next August 21st. Missouri is one of the best places to watch!! Then it was off to Les Bourgeois Winery in Rocheport. It is also on the Missouri River and a great place to catch the Katy Trail.
On our way from Serenity to Les Bourgeois we were on I70 and spent over an hour traversing 2 miles thanks to a major "incident" involving a semi truck ... even on the outer roads around Columbia cars were stuck in traffic.
All the wineries did a great job pairing their wine with picnic style nibbles ...going to do it again since we didn't have enough time or energy to visit all of them. We traveled over 300 miles in one great and wiggly loop!! Never hit the same road twice. 
Missouri's middle runs the gamut from rivers with small river towns to forested hills to large farms just waiting for planting at this time of the year .... and nothing was boringly flat!!

Teddy Bear Extravaganza

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make enough bears for the Teddies Worldwide Teddy Bear Extravaganza.... but as I mentioned, my eyes are doing well!!  Such a delight to have the world be so much clearer and brighter!!! A friend mentioned that she wasn't used to seeing me without glasses!!

The show opens this Friday..... Robbie Rabbit is my preview "bear"

His basket contains some of the needle felted eggs  and "chocolates" that I made when I couldn't sew. The show has lots bears and friends... so here is the link

Eye #2

Eye #2 was done Monday.... I am not quite so much of a novice this time, so getting back to normal (?) is quicker!!! I even finished a bear on Tuesday!!
Life with two eyes ... the second is catching up to the first ... where I can see street signs and the yellow tinge is gone ... is great!!
I will need readers ( I think I know what they mean) when all the healing is complete!!

Teddies World Wide's  Teddy Bear Extravaganza opens March 17th....

eye #1

Eye #1 is doing well... one week post-op appointment today! I actually drove for the first time Saturday and finished up a little bear Monday!! I enjoyed the needle felting but seeing the bag full of unfinished bear parts really nagged at me!!!
Eye #2 is next Monday....!
BTW , my husband is a great "eye dropper".... 4 times a day with 2 or three different drops. I don't think I could have done it without him!!

Recuperation... Easter eggs... Etsy

I had cataract surgery on Monday.... things seem to be going as expected BUT I can't work on my bears or bear friends. I can't sew... can't thread a needle etc. YET!
But I can needle felt... so I have been needle felting Easter eggs and putting them on my Etsy shop . My quilting group will meet here, at my house, after the second eye surgery and we are going to needle felt eggs. My 14 year old grand daughter is so interested that she will join us.

Here is one of the etsy postings...

Lucky for me.. I found this neat wire egg holder in a local shop!!

Aren't these gorgeous??

Bob and I are celebrating our 51st wedding anniversary this weekend....  Our son sent these!!Surprise!! They are gorgeous and smell wonderful.... thanks, Robb!

Thanks

Thank you for taking a look at my "Winter Stars" page!!!

I have started working on things for the Teddies Worldwide show coming up in March!! I needed to get things going early because I am having cataract surgery ( both eyes)  shortly and not sure how much I can sew for awhile!  I am looking forward not seeing fuzzy or double ... etc.!!

Our daughter and her husband sent these

to help with the recovery from cataract surgery!!  They taste wonderful!!

working ...

Bright Star's "Winter Stars" online show is getting closer and closer.  I have been working on new bears .... We were housebound this past weekend due to a slight ice storm and this gave me time to sew with out feeling too guilty!

 

 

Finn is my lead bear....Ireland's first (?) polar bear!  I will add a link when the promoter opens the site.
show link

winter snow...

This is the "SNOW"!!! the weather people were saying we would have... about 2 inches!!!  Not the horrendous life threatening storm they were threatening!! I get so tired of the exaggerations .... the storm watchers driving all around so they can report every little flake  ( snow storm) ... possible tornado clouds ( rainstorms) and so on!!  Plus telling us how cold things are and then adding on the wind chill ... It is winter... we don't live  in Florida... we should expect winter weather and be prepared

Happy New Year

                                    Happy New Year to you all!!! 


I'm not one for making NY resolutions .... other than general ones like staying healthy...exercising... and so on.  but maybe I should try harder !  Put more art into my work.... think outside the box more often .... try some new avenues of expression..... have more fun!

Any suggestions???