Sewing Up a Storm, a Real Storm, and the Legacy Video

During the night we had a terrible thunderstorm with lightning cracking right overhead. Pepper moved up from her usual position by our feet and cuddled between Craig and me, seeking our touch. (That's very unusual for a Seeing Eye Dog - they are trained to tolerate storms and usually she does, but this one was a doozy.) Tammo got off his bed and curled up on the floor next to Craig - clearly both dogs were bothered by the storm.

I was, too. Normally storms don't bother me, but I lay there wide awake and thinking of Abby. Listening to the loud noises outside. Watching the constant bright flashes of light through the blinds. It was a rough night and no doubt I will take a nap today. (Most likely Pepper and Tammo will, too.)

I am spending most of my time in the sewing room preparing for The Feast of the Hunters' Moon. I've been productive, so productive that I needed to run up to Leslie's farm and get more block print fabric.

I have a Facebook page for my business, and I posted the following finished items yesterday. Within twenty minutes, I had a sale.

This block print bed gown was purchased by Brooke, the leader of the Feast sewing circle and Leslie's successor as director of the Feast. She sews all her period clothing by hand and is a better sewist than me.

To say I was surprised is an understatement but as Leslie pointed out, with the Feast just seven weeks away, Brooke  has so much to do, she doesn't have time to sew any clothes for herself. 

A red hip length cloak with single faced silk ribbons. (Yes, real silk! LOL) Why single faced silk ribbon instead of double faced? Because it is historically accurate - silk is slippery, and double faced silk ribbon does not stay tied shut like single faced silk ribbon does. 18th century folks knew that and wanted their cloaks to stay tied shut so they used single faced ribbon. (Your history lesson of the day. Haha!)

A men's voyageur shirt. Again, I used hand blocked fabric and often there is evidence of that hand blocking. Look at the two blue bands. You can see a vertical line down each of them. That's a place where the printer did not align the wooden print blocks quite true. Look at the top red band carefully and you can see not one but two small misalignments.

Blocking errors were common during the 18th century so this fabric, misalignments and all, is very true to the time period.

A woman's apron made from osnaburg, a very heavy, unbleached type of muslin. The drawstrings are twill tape.

A second osnaburg apron. Aprons sell well, so I try to have four on hand at every event - two from osnaburg, and two from bleached white muslin. (I also sell pinner aprons but I haven't begun those yet and will share more about what they are when I finish them.)

Finally, just when I think I have nothing more to share about the wedding, I discover that that is not true.

Mountain Mama Jessica has put together two wedding videos - one that was so our family could all enjoy the day's memories, and then this one that's posted here. Her purpose for the second one? She made it for Craig and me to show us our family legacy.

I'd wondered why she'd kept filming us throughout the day, but I sure am glad she did. The ending made me tear up. Thanks, Jessica. I love it and I love you. xoxoy

(By their own admission, my kids "sure can have fun together." Yep, they sure can!)

The August give away will be announced soon. Stay 'tooned!

JC & Jayci's Wedding: The Journey Home

The wedding over, it was time to go home. But we had a problem. My car had begun having trouble with the heat. I'd seen that trouble last year here in Indiana when we had temps over 100 for a few days - the car would not go into gear and would sit frozen where it was parked. Eventually I would be able to coax it into gear, and the problem went away when the temperatures dropped. I forgot all about the issue.

Well, with the same 100 degree temperatures in Utah, it began happening again. We'd finally get it in gear and be able to go, but we became more and more concerned about the 25 hour drive home. Would we get stranded along I-80  in one of those long, lonely stretches where help would be far away?

After talking it over, we cut a day off our trip and decided to caravan home with Sarah, Cole, and their families. That way we'd have help and two other cars with us should a problem arise. That proved to be a very good decision.

Things started off okay. Aside from heavy traffic and some road construction in Utah and western Wyoming, we were doing fine until this happened to Cole and Emily just past Green River, Wyoming.

A flat tire. On I-80 with trucks and traffic whizzing by. Cole got the spare out and onto the car (having to totally unpack the car to do so because the spare was under the seats) and limped into Rock Springs.

The spare went flat by the time Cole got the car to a tire store and since his other tires were pretty bald, he had them all changed out for new ones.

We ate at a Cafe Rio while we waited.

Cole, taking the photo, back table Sarah, Julie, Todd, Trinity, and Susie, front table Emily, Kate, Lisa, Craig, and me.

Then it was our turn to have trouble, a new trouble. The car was going into gear, but an alarm began chiming saying that the parking brake was on. 

Todd knows a lot about cars and car repair and he checked everything out. The parking brake clearly was off. Turns out there was a short in the motherboard that said differently but we were safe to continue driving. We cautiously got back onto I-80 and resumed our drive.

Accompanied by this lovely sound. Constantly. For fourteen hours the first day and another ten the second.

All. The. Way. Home. Never stopping, unable to be drowned out by playing music. Making conversation difficult. Driving us absolutely bonkers. 

(Five days later we are still waiting for an appointment with Ford to get it fixed. I am driving Craig's car in the meantime.)

The third car in our caravan, Sarah and Todd's car, had no trouble on the way home. It actually was a good car to switch into and get a break from the constant chiming in our car. Lisa, Sarah and Trinity had some fun while they drove together.

But Todd and Sarah were not unscathed by the bad luck we were having with vehicles. 

They discovered that Trinity's car was dead when they got home, despite just having a new battery put in before they left for the wedding. 

In the end, though, everyone got home safe and sound.

A few other things not mentioned yet...

The bride's brother was late to the reception. Why? Well, when a LARGE sign is posted in an elevator that says it is touchy and DO NOT JUMP IN IT because it will stop and then off-site tech will need to be called to get you out, FOLLOW THOSE DIRECTIONS. I think a couple of young men learned a hard lesson. They were in there for an hour or so.

The JCs Squared were unable to go on their honeymoon to Sequoia National Park. They had both been pretty sick before their wedding and what with the heat issues and being so sick at their reception, they just did not feel up to driving out to California.  They spent a few days in a friend's Vrbo in Salt Lake City and then drove back to Rexburg, Idaho where they are students at BYU Idaho. Their plan is to go on their honeymoon later this fall.

The wedding trip turned out to be quite a saga for sure! But despite the challenges, all is well. And best of all, Craig and I got to spend time with all our kids and their families, the people we love the most.

JC & Jayci's Wedding: Part 2

Illness, heat, thin air, hot sun, heat exhaustion, car not starting... This is that post.

A luncheon was scheduled for us in a reception hall after the JCs Squared's wedding, but because we'd arrived early due to the heat canceling the outdoor photos, they were not ready for us. No worries - we could mingle and chat.

Mountain Mama Jessica played some games with some of the kids in attendance while we waited. (All but two of those are Pony Pals and Cowpokes.)

I was so glad to get back inside. Even with my walker, I was struggling with the heat and all the standing. (Which is why I will probably never make it to BreyerFest again.)

After cooling off and eating lunch, the bridal party headed back outdoors with the photographer for more photos. Even in the shade, the heat was oppressive, especially since we were very high in the mountains and the air was thin.

Soon the bride was feeling ill despite the attentions of Mila, Whitney, Melissa, and Cory.

The groom was in trouble, too, and much worse off than Jayci. He got the fan treatment, ice, water, and more, but he had to be brought inside and be attended to by three nurses who were in attendance. (His mama, his sister, and his other grandmother.) 

The venue began putting out large jugs of ice water for everyone and, while JC Squared (and a bridesmaid who fainted in the heat and was receiving medical care, too) were all in a back room recovering, the decision was made to scratch the outdoor ring exchange and bring it into the air conditioning.

Pony Pal Cambria was thrilled to be a flower girl.

And Cowpoke Titan (on the right) was "ring security" with another boy. Each of them had a black security box with one of the wedding rings in them. They were pretty funny.

Craig was the REAL ring security - he held onto the boys' ring boxes before the ring exchange so they didn't get misplaced. (Vanessa, Craig, and Lisa)

Trinity was a lovely bridesmaid (and a major help as we brought the ring exchange indoors and got it organized.)

The bride and groom said some sweet things to each other, ring security brought up their rings, and ...

both the bride and groom needed to sit down again. They both had been sick for a couple days before the wedding, and were already not 100%; add to that the stress of a wedding, the heat, and more - they were pretty worn out.

Luckily the fan brigade was ready to go and believe it or not, that was very helpful! (That's Pony Pal Addie next to Lisa.)

The wedding photos were finished indoors so that the JC Squareds and those in attendance did not have to go back into the heat.

Me with my grown up girls (and JC): Jessica, Lisa, me, Sarah, JC, Trinity, Vanessa, and Emily. (Plus Kate blowing bubbles on the far right.)

The Isenbarger siblings with the bride and groom: Jessica, Kyle, Lisa, Jayci, JC, Sarah, Cole, and Curt. (Grands Ian, Cory, Lukas, Mila, Kate, Susie, and a niece of Jayci are on the right.)

All our grands. Back row: Addie, Trinity, me, Jayci, JC, Craig, Ian. Front row: Susie, Mila, Melissa, Julie, Kate, Lukas, Cambria, Titan, Whitney, and Cory. (Missing are Braden and Isaac who could not be there.)

Some honorary Isenbargers were there, too - Craig's favorite cousin Lynda and her husband, Bill. They came all the way from Florida to be with us!

Cory brought a Breyer plush horse that I'd given her a while ago. She said it was because it reminded her of Abby, her twin horse. I was very touched because I knew that that gesture was also meant as a sign of love and sympathy for me. (Thank you, Cory! <3)

As the sun went behind the mountains, the heat lessened and the shade increased. Dancing had been set up outside on the terrace and the decision was made to move forward with that.

Ian, Cole, Curt, and Kyle out on the dance floor.

I was just making my way outside to the dance floor when Braden arrived!

We had a great time catching up. (When did he get so tall??)

And then there was another surprise.

Our two dear friends from Illinois arrived. We've known Dave and Zina since 1979. (That's Lisa's dress LOL, Emily, and Sarah in the background.)

Zina and I found it funny that we both had walkers that we were in and out of, so of course we took a photo of us together in them.

The JCs Squared left for their honeymoon with a sparkler send off (fire department approved due to the heat and dryness.)

But, just as the plans had changed all day, so did theirs. Furthermore, ours would continue to change, too.

Stay 'tooned!

JC & Jayci's Wedding: Part 1

For the first time since 2018, our entire family was together in one spot. That's a lot of Isenbargers - 27 of us! And it was wonderful.

Lisa, Craig, and I drove out together - a 24+ hour drive that we split into two days. We took my car (behind us) which had no problems getting us there. (It was the drive home that became dicey.)

Our main gathering place was a Vrbo with room enough for us all to play games, watch the Olympics, and chat.

There was a huge (and shady, thankfully) back yard with lots of room for the kids to play and enjoy themselves. (Cambria, Kate, Julie, Susie, and Titan.)

Me, Cory, Kyle, Melissa, Addie, Whitney, and Craig.

Abby is Cory's "twin horse" - I got the call that she'd been born as I was hauling Abby from Indiana Horse Rescue to Tim's place. Notice her cute horsey tee shirt.

The "twins" together in 2018. I love the happiness on both their faces.

We call Julie, Cambria, Whitney, and Ian "the Quads" since they were all born within thirteen weeks of each other. (Interesting that the oldest is the shortest and the tallest the youngest!)

The original photo from July, 2014. Cambria, Julie, Whitney, and Ian.

When they were babies, we took a picture of them like this and recreated it since we were all together.

For the life of me, I cannot find that picture but I'll keep trying.

The Vrbo was a great gathering place, but there was no way it could hold all 27 of us. Todd reserved a block of rooms for us in an Embassy Suites hotel.

The view from our room, looking across the valley. It was hazy due to fires burning in California.

The wedding day was excessively hot and it caused problems for us right from the beginning.

Combine that heat with the smokey haze and the much thinner air due to being so high up in the Rockies, and it was no surprise that we had problems.

The wedding (performed by Craig - what an honor!) was indoors and in the morning.

But when the bridal couple came outdoors, we were already wilting from the heat.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Coleman. Don't they look happy?

Walking to the site chosen for family photos. Lisa kept the bride in the shade while Whitney and Cambria walk with them.

The heat was awful and getting 50+ people organized was time consuming and tedious. Those not in the current picture would immediately head to the shade.

Some of us got a little silly. I nearly tipped myself over backwards clowning around like this. Lesson learned. 

People began wilting from the heat almost immediately and finally we decided to head on over to the air conditioned reception venue and finish there.

It was a good idea, but already the heat was taking its toll. 

Stay 'tooned.

Briefly

 We are back from JC and Jayci's wedding. It was lovely.

It was also fraught with car problems, excessive heat, and illness.

More on the wedding is coming - right now I am catching up on sleep, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and more.

And apologies for the issues with the blog posts while I was gone. I'd written and scheduled one to drop every day except for yesterday but I know at least one did not post when I'd expected it to.  I will be posting daily starting now. Depending on how much I get done as I unpack,  you may even get another one later today.

Stay 'tooned!