January Surprise!

Primroses are the best! Just when you think that the days couldn't be darker or more grey, they surprise you. The other day I saw them in pots (4 for $5.00) at the grocery store and thought to myself, "It's that time already?" Well, had I just looked outside more closely, I'd have seen these peeking through the leaves in OUR garden! Their cheerful colors drive away the gloom, that's for sure.

Music Ministry Abroad

Linda just sent us a link to her photo album from last summer's MMA choir trip to Russia and Finland. Sadly we had to cancel out due to our mutual health issues, but we did participate in a small way by sending along some quilts for the Russian children's hospice.


This was the fourth trip for our choir, and we participated in 2001 (Croatia, Slovenia, Budapest, Venice and Como, Italy) and again in 2004 (Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic). The most memorable experience in 2001 was singing during a Mass in St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. In 2004 it was singing Psalm 23 at Auschwitz standing on the train tracks at the entrance. It was a holy moment in a place where unspeakable evil occurred, one none of us shall ever forget.
Nothing I'd ever read or seen prepared me for the vast expanse of this place.

This is a photo of a friend and me in front of a poster advertising one of our concerts.


Here we are waiting to enter the church to sing in Mikulov:

Now I find myself wondering where our choir will go next

Christmas Memories

On Sunday when I was putting away the Christmas ornaments, I stopped a while to look at this little handmade stocking. It's only about 4 inches long, made of felt, and embellished with stitching and beads. Sadly I have no recollection where we got it, probably a local craft fair, but it sure is cute, and someone put a lot of time into making it.

And then on Monday, just when I thought everything had been put away, I found another ornament I made a long time ago from a pattern my friend Jane gave me. It was fun to make, and next year perhaps I'll make some more.

Here's the back view:


It seems as if each little ornament has a story to tell, including the little glass apricot that hung on our tree years and years ago back in Wisconsin. Hopefully it will survive after we're gone, and someone will hang it up, wishing it could talk, too.

David's Grown!

In searching through some old photos, I found this one of David wearing last year's Christmas sweater. My how he's changed? He's a little boy now, not a toddler.

In my other searching and thanks to Ulla, I found a very nice source of cross stitch patterns from Ute in Cologne, Germany. This city is special to us because Catherine spent 3 months there in 1992, studying German, and we have visted Monika, her host mom, several times. I also like Pam Kellog's designs and have joined her Valentine mystery stitching but haven't yet started it. (I am the great procrastinator, remember?) Now I must get serious and work on some of these projects, but first I'm off to Pilates.

Still Christmas at Our House

Despite the fact that the stores all are featuring Valentine items, we still have our Christmas decorations up. They won't come down till tomorrow, Epiphany, and who knows when the train will be put away? (I always hope by Easter!) This is one of the few cross stitch projects I've done and kept; most have been gifts. I fell in love with this pattern at first glimpse because the snowmen reminded me of our choir....one of the most fun musical experiences we've had.


After posting the raccoon photo, I realized we didn't have a good photo of Ginger. (She's the black blob in the confrontation photo.) So Dick took this one. In looking back at old pictures, it's very apparent she's now a full grown kitty! And a tough subject as she won't pose in a way that shows her pretty coloring. She's a tortie, has 3 dark legs with a dark stripe down her face, and most photos make her look black, but she's not. When we adopted her last year, we promised to keep her inside, and as you can see on the raccoon picture, our backyard is filled with dangerous critters, lots of them!

Jill's Scarf

During the various football games yesterday, I finished this scarf for Jill. It's made from a fun yarn called Little Flowers by Crystal Palace. I love the sparkle, which doesn't show up, and think the leftovers might just work for CQ embellishment as well. Then I started another scarf for Catherine using another colorway of the same yarn. Stay tuned....

New Beginnings

Last night we had an interesting confrontation at our house. Ginger was running back and forth in front of our patio sliding door and making strange noises. When I finally got up to see what was bothering her, she was nose to nose, protected by the glass in between, with a raccoon that was being encouraged by 2 more raccoons. Dick tried to get a picture, but it turned out quite dark. We've had as many as 7 noisy raccoon visitors at a time out back, but this is the first time for this kind of encounter...a good thing the glass was there, I'd say!



Today is the first day of 2008 and time to get started with new projects. I did, however, finish one last thing yesterday: some socks that were worked on each day enroute to radiation treatments last June. Thankfully, that experience is over, and I am sending them as a birthday gift to my friend Linda who admired them in their half-finished state during their visit then.


Susan's posting today reminded me of a photo Dick took last spring in Sisters, OR. We had yet another visitor, a much friendlier one. Dick kindly takes photos of all my finished projects, but he also takes lots of other great pictures on our trips and of our family.