Harriett Cooking Fly Soup

I don't eat fly soup, but I am so proud of how capable Harriett is!

Pussy Willows

I just love this cute little vase from the Salvation Army thrift store. It really

brings out the red and brown in the stems.

May Basket 2016

The May Basket for 2016 was a May Day Girl.

 Inspired by Gisella Loeffler, I designed and painted this May Day Parade picture.

There are worms and ants under the row of red tulips. 

Red is one of my favorite spring time colors.

 I got this Springerle mold from etsy and made extra lemony springerle. 

The cookies were really tasty.

 The theme began with this book I found at a yard sale.  

It is a sweet little book with pop-ups on every page.

 I added chamomile lemongrass tea, the cute table cloth seen under the painting, 

and a small pack of sweet smelling Stock. I like the cute little ratan basket too.

Like last year the activity of constructing a May basket provided a joyful diversion from my troubles.

May Basket 2015

I never did write about last year's May basket given to Valorie. 2015 had a sunflower theme.

 I found this sunflower graphic covered box.  I got a felt sunflower placemat, a vintage sunflower table cloth ...

a sunflower flower frog, a red sunflower votive holder, sunflower pail, tea, seeds and homemade sunflower bread.

 It was a fun basket to collect for and provided a diversion from my concerns and sorrows. 

The Good things I Put Off Blogging About in 2015

In 2015
Rodeo Red by my dear friend Maripat was PUBLISHED.

This is Bailey, Gwen and Mike's new puppy.

I was introduced to La Chatelaine Chocolat Co from Bozeman, MT. Gwen and Mike brought me back a box in September.
 In March I went with Nancy to the Flint Museum of Art.  I saw some beautiful objects there. I particularly like this vase with blue enameled leaves and cicadas.


 Arianna got Hello Kitty wheels for her birthday.


Arianna got her ears pierced.

My foot was doing much better and I began running again.

Joel and Jennie went to Iceland

Dominic was in a play.

I learn about the artist Giselle after finding a note card at a local thrift store.

Mekayla gots braces and had a roller rink birthday party.

I made a little origami cicada pin. It was a prototype and hopefully a step into becoming creative again.

I met my first Sugar Glider.




Jeff graduated from Ole Miss. 

We celebrate his achievement with dinner at the Taylor Grocery.  

   



I reluctantly went out west and had a BIG life changing adventure.  I saw the murals made from corn, millet etc. at the Mitchell, SD Corn Palace. Outwest I make cashew butter cookies which I call Buffalo Chip Cookies.  These cookies are only achieved with Debbie's vintage potato masher. I saw buffalo and hot pots at Yellow Stone. I saw old faithful at twilight. I saw beautiful etched glass windows at the Old Faithful Inn and I ate trout there.

I visited Fort Worth and went to the Cowgirl hall of fame.

I learned about Art o Matic Machines – old cigarette machines reimagined into art vending machines where you can buy an original one-of-a-kind work of art.

I went to Kansas and saw works by Birger Sandzen. I saw the stirring Badlands and took this great photograph of Bailey.
Jeff moved back to Michigan and landed a job at Ben Carson High School in Detroit.

I curated the Louvre Jr. at the local art festival. Children learned a little art history and collected their first work of original art.

Red shows up in my life.  Red leaves, red shoes, red dahlias, red coats, beet cake, red hats, B12 cream for eczema, a red chair for Maripat’s birthday . . .

My friend had a baby. I went to an owl themed baby shower with an enticing parfait table.

I enjoyed purple veggies.

My nephew graduated from college.

My niece and her daughter rode in style at the 4th of July parade. Cowgirls!

I became a dog sitter.

I began photographing Gwen’s art.

Arianna carved a cute pumpkin but wore a scary costume on Halloween.  Dominic wore a very cool glowing mask.

I went thrifting in Jackson and found some great books at a thrift store and I also discovered City Crepes restaurant in downtown. I made peach cream pie.

I turned a toy dinosaur into a planter.

I went to my grand daughters' soccer and volleyball games.

I had an apple cider slushie.

Mom made Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving and it was better than pumpkin pie.

I saw a deer gutted for the first time on Thanksgiving. In my brother's neighborhood a dog mauled a young doe a street over.  After getting a permit from the police to take the deer, my nephews carry it across the yard and around the pond to my brother’s house where it is gutted. Horrifying.

I met Oliver AKA Frankenpuppy.  He is the cutest and wackiest looking dog. I decorated boxes for Christmas.  I saw my first Living Nativity.  It was well done.  I took the grandkids to see it. I could see their reverence for God's holiness and his humility to become human.

Kadie and Dan announced they are expecting a baby.

Jeff bought a house.

I made Christmas cookies with Huckleberry jam! Yumm.

 Gwen and Mike gave me 44 North Huckleberry Vodka. Oh so good.
I got a job at Marshall's and I started going to Al-anon.
There were many many Christmas joys!  Including being an elf at Marshall’s.  

This is big Boy Bailey.