A May Mish Mosh

 Geez Louise, does life ever slow down?? Although, truth be told, I am glad that I have things to do, things that I find worthwhile and even fun. But, every once in a while I cry "uncle," you know? LOL

Here is a mish mosh of things that are keeping me busy or that I'd like to share.

The Quiet Book's Progress

The JCs^2's quiet book is underway, and it is a huge project. 

It is the 22nd quiet book I have made and incredibly time intensive. Everything I've ordered to make this book has arrived except for one appliqué whose tracking has been stuck at "Label created" since April 23. 

See those bright pink glasses? My optometrist gave me those - it is starting to get difficult to see all the tiny pieces close up. The joys of getting older, right?

I have a binder of all the planning pages from past quiet books. It is super helpful when I plan another one, helping me to remember what extras I might need to get for each page, the order I put the pages into the book,

and the measurements for the pages and how to cut them. Sounds easy, but it is more complicated than it sounds. I finished the first page of twelve yesterday, so I am making slow but steady progress.

Tempting New Block Prints

I told myself I would not order any more block print fabrics for a while as I have a closet full already.

Of course, then my favorite company announces a slew of new block prints.

Leslie ordered a lot of them for this year's Feast and she has been sending me tempting photos of what is available.

Ack! The temptation is real! So far I haven't bought any, but...

Lukie Scores!

Together, Curt and Vanessa are coaching Mila and Lukie's soccer teams.

Lisa filmed Lukie taking a penalty shot and scoring last Saturday. Yay, Lukie!

The Musical Mitchells

Jessica sent me a video clip of her family's performing activities in April. I pulled these screenshots from it to share.

Titan spent time in the recording studio

and then he and Cambria filmed another music video for composer Angie Killian called Be a Little Better.

Jessie couldn't share info or pics about this next activity for a while but now she can.

They auditioned as extras for the film Salt and Honey and all made the cut.

A Christmas film, it is being directed by Amy Redford, Robert Redford's daughter

and filmed in Helper, Utah. I am not sure, but I think maybe it is a Hallmark movie? Hallmark and other companies film a lot of shows and movies in Utah - there is a thriving music and film industry in the state.

Finally, they auditioned together for a summer production of Prince of Egypt and all made it into the cast.

I'd like to go out and see it, but it will depend on the timing of the performance. Fingers crossed!

Nash Update

The big boi continues to spend each weekday with us while Lisa is teaching. 

Doesn't that look like trouble just waiting to happen??

"Hey, stop hogging all the toys, Nash!!"

She reports that he is VERY happy to jump in the car with her every morning and come over to visit us. For us, it is clear that he is happy to have Pepper and Tammo's companionship.

Lisa is planning on getting another dog when school is out and that will help Nash feel less lonely and allow Lisa to run to the grocery or go on other errands without worrying that he is home all alone.

Ella - Noise!

In high school, Curt was captain of the boys' soccer team, and Ella Masar was the captain of the girls'. They have been friends since 6th grade, were Homecoming King and Queen together their senior year, and were especially connected through their mutual love of soccer.

Ella went on to play soccer for the University of Illinois and, as a hometown girl, the crowd would go nuts and chant, "Ella-noise! Ella-noise" repeatedly while she was on the pitch. 

Ella has gone on to a professional career, playing for several US teams including the Chicago Red Stars. She once invited Curt, Craig, and me to come watch her play and it was fabulous.

Curt and Ella after that game.

As a professional soccer player, Ella has played on several teams in the USA and in Europe, played for the US Women's National Team, and then turned coach. A few months ago Ella was called to help out as an assistant coach to Emma Hayes, the current US Women's National Team's coach.

She has had a very storied career and just moved to Germany to take a coaching position there.

This spring, the University of Illinois' 2026 Hall of Fame athletes were announced, and look who is now a Hall of Famer. 

Ella-noise!!

Goslings!

I am not a big fan of Canada Geese, but I do think their goslings are cute. We currently have several nesting pairs at our neighborhood lake.

This pair has five goslings they are caring for. They are good parents and scold Craig and me for playing frisbee with Pepper and Tammo. According to them, that is NOT allowed anywhere near the lake while they are raising their brood! 

Finally, Happy Cinco de Mayo! 

Mish Mosh Time!

Time for a mish mosh post - I have lots of snippets to share but nothing that is really an entire blog post in and of itself. 

Blackened Beeswax Ornaments

Thanks so much to all who ordered ornaments from me. They are all packed and on the way and you should have received a tracking notice from me. Last call if you want any - I will be packing them up for storage tomorrow.

More from Miss Mila

I'm back in the sewing room and working on a custom order. Yesterday I picked up a stack of fabrics and found another note from Mila stashed underneath them.

Certainly the gift that keeps on giving!

I have put all her notes in an envelope and will save them with my most special treasures.

An Eddie Emergency

You may remember that I said that there was an emergency at Kalamazoo the second day of the event and so our packing up was haphazard and as fast as we could go. That emergency was actually for Leslie and Rick.

Their vet had called and said that their dog Eddie had a temperature of 106 and was very, very sick. Leslie dropped everything and headed home, while Rick stayed in Kalamazoo to pack their trailer and truck for home.

Over a week later, Eddie is still sick and has been hospitalized three times. An abscess that began under his chin, ran down his neck, and then curved to the middle of his chest turned out to be the culprit.

Once that was discovered, drained, and cleaned, he did a remarkable bounce back.

He even came out to play for a bit during the family Easter egg hunt.

Eddie is not out of the woods yet. The abscess refilled yesterday and had to be surgically drained, but this time it was mostly water and not infectious material. His temperature has remained low and antibiotics are taking care of the infection. 

Keep your fingers crossed, say a prayer, wish for good karma, or whatever you feel most comfortable with for Eddie.  It would be very much appreciated.

 

The Family Easter Egg Hunt

An annual tradition, we always gather at Leslie and Rick's farm for an Easter egg hunt and dinner. This year, due to Eddie's health, we still held the egg hunt but then ate at our home.

There is an Over 18 and an Under 18 division and the winner of each gets a golden egg with a prize inside.  The Under 18 was full of candy, while the Over 18's gift didn't fit inside the egg.

There are some T-Rex fans among the adults in my family, so when I found this T-Rex wind chime, I bought it even though I knew it was too big to fit in the egg.

Mila won the Under 18 egg,

and Craig the Over 18 egg. (His face when he discovered it was empty! But then I handed him the box the T-Rex was in and all was right in his world. LOL)

We all piled into cars and headed back to our home for a midafternoon snack of Hershey pie, cheesecake,

cake pops,

assorted candy,

and Chex Mix.

We hung out the rest of the day, playing games, and watching the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

More KZoo Pics

People are still posting their pictures from Kalamazoo on social media. Here are the last of them. (I think...)

This family had stopped and asked about the pockets I have for sale. I am sharing the story behind them and how the earliest pockets were tied around the waist and not incorporated into the garment itself like they are now.

A nice photo of Rick at his booth. Taken before the emergency call about Eddie that upended the day for us.

My travel buddy Gretchen talking to the man whose wife makes my maple cakes. Gretchen is wearing a bedgown and I recognized the fabric because I had it in my stash. Turns out that my mother had made it for her.

Puppies at the Park

We are dodging raindrops now instead of snow and ice, but when we can, we take Pepper and Tammo across the street to the park.

Lined up and ready for their frisbees to fly.

"Here comes mine!!"

"Oh, never mind the frisbees."

"There is nothing like fresh spring grass for a good roll."

Have a good day, all!

Catching Up on Life Before the Event

Time for a mish mosh post!

It's Spring in Indiana, but being Indiana, you could be having a blizzard or you might have a heat wave.

Yesterday we got the heat wave. And severe thunderstorms. And then (no surprise), the tornado sirens began wailing.

Earlier this month the tornados were north of us. Yesterday, they went south. Curt and his family live south of town, and were sheltering in their basement after having (as he put it), "...pretty violent winds." Curt isn't one for hyperbole, so those must've been some very strong winds.

Severe thunderstorms and tornadic activity are not unusual in our part of Indiana. But I do get a little jittery when they are down by Curt's.  I've written before about the tornado that hit the kids' schools and badly damaged them. That has stayed with me ever since.

Ian's Spring band concert was just before Kalamazoo, and Craig and Lisa attended.  

This is the infamous wall that peeled open like a banana in that tornado. I cannot go into that gym and not think of that. 

Video footage from security cameras inside Southwestern as the tornado hits:

https://www.indystar.com/videos/news/2013/11/27/3767855/

And a news story showing the damage outside of both schools:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwolRjqW0Hg

Craig and I had to split duties - the very same evening was Grandparents' Night at Mila and Lukie's school, the other one that was hit by that tornado. While he and Lisa went to Ian's concert, I joined Mila and Lukie.

We played a giant Candy Land game along with their other grandmother, Nancy. It was a clever idea and we had fun together.

Also just before Kalamazoo, Lukie chose to be baptized.

He asked me to speak at the service and share about my own baptism which happened to be 50 years ago to the day of his. Lukie knew that, did some mental Math, and piped up, "So, Grammy, you must be 58 years old now." Not true, buddy, but if you say so, I'll take it! LOL

Any college basketball fans out there? I prefer basketball over football, and my three teams are Illinois, Purdue, and Iowa. I took time out of my Kalamazoo preparations to create a bracket and enter the family's annual NCAA tournament bracket, The Bitter Bocce Losers. (That's Cole's sense of humor right there on that name. LOL)

I'm pleased to say that I am second in the family bracket and that those three teams are all in the Elite Eight! Seven year old Susie has been in first place until just recently. I think her strategy was to pick her teams by mascot, or so the family rumor mill says. Whatever it is, it has been working for her! Haha!

It took me several hours, but I have almost everything from Kalamazoo inventoried and packed away.

And I was able to keep the window open for Tammo so that he can watch the world go by and maybe see his buddy, Salem.

Pepper slipped into her bed under the table while I worked, taking advantage of the extra shelter provided by a shawl hanging over the side.

Kalamazoo is almost in the books. I need to send my sales taxes to the State of Michigan, file my records in my event binder, and put away some sleeve buttons and I will be done. 

Oh wait, order maple cake bags and ornament bags for the Feast, pack up an order, and...

Good thing I enjoy this, right? 

A Mid February Mish Mosh

The weather has warmed up here and the snowpack that's been on the ground for over a month has finally melted. Reason to celebrate!

So, here's a mish mosh of some things that might also make you smile - they sure did me. And a couple other things thrown in because, you know, mish mosh!

Gesundheit, Molly!

Mama had a sneezing fit the other day and Lisa was able to catch the very last part of it on video.

In case the video doesn't work, here's a link to it on YouTube. 

https://youtube.com/shorts/Grb4pYpglBU?feature=share

Sweet girl, no one sneezes like you do!

A Letter Blitz from Titan

Pony Pals Kate, Cambria, and Titan are my penpals. I love getting letters from them and I save every one of them.

Sometimes those letters sit for a while after they've been written while waiting for a stamp or a parent to take them to the post office. When that happens...

I get a letter blitz! 

Which I don't mind at all. I grab a coke, settle into my cozy reading chair, and enjoy opening and reading those letters.

All three kids draw me little illustrations on their letters, and almost always one of them is a horse or pony.

Western Earthquakes? Should I Worry?

The west has been having a lot of minor earthquakes this year. Sarah has felt them in Montana, and Jessica in Utah. The epicenters have not been close to either of them so I wasn't too concerned until Jessie sent me this map.

The red lines are fault lines and they pass very close to her home. (The brown portion of the map indicates that that land is actually elevated and part of Dry Mountain.)

Their home is up on Dry Mountain and they have a retaining wall surrounding their back yard to hold the mountain back. The two fault lines are just beyond that sagebrush covered rise.

Honestly, I haven't ever worried about earthquakes for Jessie's family. Wildfires? Yes, and with good reason as they have come very close to her home in the past.

But now that I am aware of how close those fault lines are to her and that the area has had some shaking, I do feel a little trepidation.

Gimme Some Elsie Mae, Please!

The western part of the Isenbarger clan gathered in Idaho this past weekend to celebrate Elsie Mae.

Gimme was thrilled to be holding her first grandbaby and it looks as though Elsie Mae was equally thrilled, too.

The occasion was Elsie Mae's baby blessing. 

Andrew, Titan, Jessica, Cambria, Dondao (Todd's Grandpa name), Jayci, JC, Elsie Mae, Gimme, and Kyle.

Great Uncle Kyle holding his sweet great niece.

Thanks to a Zoom link, we were able to be there for Elsie Mae's blessing. We hope to meet her at a family gathering later this year.

Now That's Service!

Our local Bob Evans has really good food. And Friday night, we had a server who topped all other servers.

Lisa ordered a breakfast plate and asked if she could have a little more syrup. 

When our server brought that extra syrup to her, it was three pitchers! And, she'd brought us all fresh biscuits and extra butter. "These are hot and just out of the oven, so I thought you'd all like to have some," she said. Yes, ma'am, we sure would!

Giddy on Up and Into History!

I don't know who these people are, but when this photo appeared on one of my living history social media sites, I had to take a screen shot.

Full marks for keeping that living history vibe going! And how wonderful that, despite their need for assistance to attend, they found a way AND did it with smiles!

Hmmmm... I wonder what I could do to my walker to make it horsey...

It's Wednesday, so Mama and Nashie are coming to spend the day. With the warmer weather, we will be able to be outside with them more today. 

I'll be sewing the very last trade shirt for Kalamazoo when its my turn to be upstairs, and cutting out bedgowns when I am downstairs keeping Molly company.

Should be a great day; hope yours is as well.