Just 3 Things | #30

This week seems to be full of blossoms and blessings! My pink African Violets have been blooming their hearts out! About a month ago I had that promise from one and it has burst forth with those promised blooms. This is one of the baby plants that I separated and moved the pot to my office. That linked photo really didn't have me anticipating that it would become this beautiful. Granny's eyes would be twinkling with smiles if she could see it now.

The parent plant has also bloomed and both of them are really beautiful right now. It is hard to believe that the original plant was just a little thing that was part of a basket with several plants that was delivered to Granny's funeral back in 2014. That little violet has brought a smile to my face many times over the years. This past week had several sorts of flowers bring me smiles.

- What I've Been Loving -

Last weekend saw me counting my many blessings. I spent a couple of hours visiting with my Mama. We got caught up on what all has been going on in the small town where she and her husband live - a couple of their favorite Mom and Pop restaurants have closed. One had a bit of gossip attached to it with the mother-in-law holding ownership of the building but the daughter-in-law and her son were divorcing so that meant the end of the Meat and Three. Then, there was a fire on the last day of business and it seems somebody went to jail. While the story was eyebrow raising, I do hate that the joint closed as the food was good and it was close by to Mom's house for a quick and delicious meal. Maybe a new operator will occupy the space soon. Fingers crossed.

Then, on Sunday morning, the grands who live next door made a delivery of a beautiful pot of flowers and stayed for about a half hour to sit and chat. I learned about their upcoming field day and rewards day and a field trip. I also learned who thinks they know all about things and who thinks about all the things and who really knows about all the things. We chatted and enjoyed our front porch rocking and visiting for a good twenty minutes before the eldest remembered that he had left the ATV idling in the back. Whoops! They scrambled around to the back yard and piled into the ATV and off up the hill they rode. I'm still smiling when I think about all of that!

My daughter and most of her family visited after lunch. They also came in bearing blooms. Their terra cotta pot held a beautiful and vibrant red geranium. Their visit revealed that the two younger girls still have the dregs of school to finish out their year. Then, one will start her summer job as a concessionaire at the local pool and the other will wrap up softball season and have volleyball camp. The eldest was working hard for her money at their local Tractor Supply Company. So, I'm guessing the days will not be a big change for her grown up self. The Mister and I enjoyed their visit and catching up on all that they have going on. 

The next crew through the door was my son and his family. They delivered a beautiful floral flag and then, we got the down low about the baseball tournament that the eldest had played in on the previous day. We also learned from him that having dad as a coach is not always a bad thing - other coaches can be harder to play for according to his insight. We also got to see a picture and hear a bit about the newest girlfriend. We learned that she, "checks all the boxes," and even has little sister's stamp of approval. The youngest let us know that she had achieved high scores by reading loads of books during her school year and she had to show me her newest book series that she is working through. The concession stand at the ball park had suffered for business the previous day, I'm sure. She had opted to stay with her Granny and they took flowers to the cemeteries to honor loved ones that had gone on to their rewards. Granny's snack supply might have a big dent in it, though, because she was chillin' with a coverlet, a book, and something to nibble and something to sip when she was picked up to go home. The Mister and I were glad to have the shared time and get all the updates from their busy lives as well.

Like any self-respecting parent and grandparent, the visits are cherished and their time for us is really appreciated. There is nothing as precious as time spent together and the opportunity to see and visit with family. 

- What I've Been Reading -

When I read The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club, I made a mental note to see if the author had something else I might want to read. Then, one of my lists that offers reading suggestions and discounts listed The Summer Before the War as a suggestion. I've barely started this one but I already recognize the author's style and why I enjoyed that first period novel. I will warn you that I can already tell another of her books will soon join my want-to-read stack. I visited the author webpage and read the About page and I think I can understand why I feel a kinship to her. Simonson states, "If you are looking for overnight success, writing may just be the slowest possible route – but as a woman who did not publish until the age of forty five, I hope I am living proof that it is never too late to follow your passion, or find a new vocation." 

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I've always been a reader and a writer. As I told my children last Sunday, I don't think I can ever remember a single day in my lifetime that I didn't yearn to read and maybe not a day when I didn't read as well. Like Simonson, I also started my career, that of an educator, later in life. So, maybe that has made us kindred spirits, as Anne of Green Gables might say. 

- What I've Been Working On -

I wouldn't really call it work but I guess it took the place of work I could have been doing... I played with my new sewing machine to try out the different embroidery motifs. I ordered some cup towels and some hand towels and thought that might make good gifts. The cup towels are the very basic kind that have a blue stripe woven in that runs down both sides and the fabric has a sort of flour sack feel to it.

Blue E Monogrammed Cup Towel

I started with the same alphabet that I had used for the napkins that I began my learning journey with. It is a beautiful alphabet and looks really pretty on something simple like these cup towels. I used the primary colors that I originally bought as my crayon box of thread colors. This project became a Mother's Day gift for my Mama. She is the one who taught me that even practical things can be pretty.

E Monogrammed Cup Towel with Flowers

The second cup towel that I did for her used a different alphabet and I think it just looks like something she would love. She has always loved and nurtured flowers in her yard and she has always featured floral designs in her home decor. This one just looks like a bouquet. I used the guide that came with the book and those recommended colors. I love how it turned out and that really helped me to see that a variety of colors could be used with this alphabet to show off different seasons or different room colorways.

Erwin Cup Towel with Fall Flowers

I liked this flower motif and used the recommended colors suggested by the guide that came with the machine. I think it looks sort of fall-ish but those colors would be pretty in any season. I learned to move the design around within the hoop. I scooted the design down near the bottom of the hoop. Then, I moved it up an inch or so. That left me room to use one of the simple alphabets and add the name below the flowers. So, this project was a fun teaching tool as well as a creative outlet that I could share with my mom.

Tone on Tone E Monogrammed Hand Towel

For the hand towels, I figured she might use those in one of her bathrooms. So, I kept the colors very basic and simple to work in any of the baths in her house. I am a lover of white towels with an ecru or tan monogram. However, Mama tends to like tans and ecrus. So, I got some tan terry cloth towels and used an ecru thread for the stitching. This is the same alphabet as the first cup towel. I just stopped and didn't add the flowers.

Basic E Monogrammed Hand Towel

For this second option, I used the alphabet that I had used for writing out the name on the cup towel with the lilies. I learned to enlarge the lettering. So, when writing a name, I used the pre-programmed letter size. However, for this hand towel, I bumped up the size to the largest possible size. 

Block Letter E Monogrammed Hand Towel

For the final hand towel, I used the block alphabet that had all of the flowers interwoven like the cup towel with the turquoise letter and multicolored flowers shown above on the cup towel. Again, I just stopped the machine and didn't add any flowers to this one. The simplicity of it, yet, the boldness of the block lettering seems to capture a classic look to me.

Practicing on these towels helped to build my confidence and taught me several different things about my new machine. I probably could sit with it every single day and create something different using the simple pre-programmed designs. Plus, it is so fun to just touch the buttons and watch it go to work stitching something that turns out beautiful! So, I wouldn't really call this work - maybe it fits into that old saying, "Find something you really love and it won't feel like work."

The Mister has brought home a beautiful pink geranium, some Cilantro and Rosemary plants, and a bag of potting soil that I requested. So, I'm off to the back porch to begin filling some of my empty pots. My gimpy leg has made me have a late start on planting this year. I have sowed some Zinnia seeds in an old trough near the basement door and I noticed that several of them have green leaves that have surfaced. So, I'm excited about that. 

I hope your weekend is blooming with good things that bring big smiles to your face. Happy Friday!