Friday -my body says it is too pooped to pop

This is one of my favorite quilt shops. They have lots of juicy fabrics and lots of examples to inspire you.

Of course I immediately fell in love with this kitty quilt. Even though I do not quilt - it really makes me want to quilt! :)

Just look at all these beautiful , vibrant , lucious colors. Just the colors are enough to make you think Spring ahs sprung. These are some very lucky ladies who either work or play or have classes here!

This is one of their classrooms. I wonder if they would consider "renting out a bedroom'????? :)

As you can see - lots of perfect examples to win over hearts! But 3 years ago I fell in LOVE with the kitty - If you could see it up close the kitty is looking down upon you and there are threads all raveled in a mess to make it look like kitty is using her claws where she is not suppose to. I am like a magnet - I just zoom back there to view this one each time. :)

I don't think I know which is prettier - the works of art or the beautiful bolts of fabric?

This is facing toward the front - it is just eye-candy everywhich way you look. YUMMY

I really loved this piece also -up close the beautiful colors sparked and made it look like stained glass.

Yea, I know you have already seem this one, but I was attempting to sneak up on it closer. It was a little difficult because of SOOOO many bodies. It was like bees to a beehive! :)

So much fun and soooo much talent - all under one roof. I forgot to mention they were having a contest for uses for yo-yos! It was so neat - they gave each person a button to drop into a jar for your vote. I loved all of them. I did end up getting a butterfly yo-yo after I saw what they looked like all made up. I always love to point yo-yos out to Lynne so she can give me "the look" that says too much work for too little to show for it. I guess I am a pain in her "backside"?  :)

Our weather here was HOT - 80degrees

Quilt Ralley Day

What a wonderful , wonderful happy day. Isn't it so much fun when friends get together and just laugh and run your hands over beautiful fabrics and let your imagination go wild. I had So much fun-If only my "can do" -could keep up with my "want to do"! :)  This was our first stop in the morning . Can't you just "smell" excitement in the air???

This was in the back of the store where they have their classes and of course their beautiful displays. I have 3 favorites -there is a small quilt block kitty in the center and a different pink block on the top and then you bear to your left a tad and it is a chicken quilt which I fell in love with . But you can just imagine working in this environment would be enough to spark anyones' creativity and of course let's not forget the wonderful camaraderie ?

Being an only child the one missing element was always someone to play nice with - so it always totally amazes me what a group of talented fiber artists can pull off . The only one I have ever had to play nice with is Lynne and I truely believe that when you share with another human being of your talents - is one of the greatest gifts of all. That is what she has done for me and words can never pay her back.

A picture is worth a thousand words -this is just along one wall.

This was just the number 1 shop and I am pooped , so I will post the second one tomorrow because it is one of my favorites.

I hope each of you have had as wonderful a day as I have had , full of laughter and and fun.
Bye to one and all.

Weds already gone

The day just ran off and left me and then I had counseling . I checked on the critters and then a few house things. I am on the run because Lynne has offered to take me to a Quilt Ralley - where you travel to different quilt shops and see all the pretties and have refreshments and have drawings  - and just have fun. Getting a chance to see all the lovely fabrics and meet good people  and spend time with a great friend - how much better could it get??

So, I will leave you tonight with good wishes for all . Maybe I will have good stories tomorrow.
love to all.

The Best of Plans Often Go Astray?

I was so excited this morning when I got up late because I had trouble going to sleep last night.(I hate when that happens ? I will close my eyes and tell my body to go to sleep-but my eyeballs will fly open and laugh at me! They can be so rude at times! LOL)

But my excitement wore off mighty fast when I discovered my DH wanted me to ride with him to see some more junk. He said the company would be nice. (If only he knew of the visions of sewing machines that ran through my head! :) Gosh, it was slow - we had to sit in a line of other vehicles for an hour and a half! So I could understand how he would want company. ? And it rained all day , so we just made a day of it. We needed dog food anyhow . And we did make it to the park to walk  - this was the first day we have made it up to a mile! Yea! Amazing how much you lose in th winter-time and have to start all over again. Last summer we actually got up to 3 miles and lost weight and felt so much better! Here comes winter and my body thought it was cold , so it packed weight back on - just to help keep me warm! That's my story and I am sticking to it! :)

Well, it was my intention to add some pictures, but everytime I click on insert image it takes me to pictures from the blog already????? I think there is a little imp hidding in the case of my computer who toys with my "hard-wires"!. I am too tired to fight with him at the moment-so I will let him win this round.We are still having lots of rain and it sounds good on the roof. I was enjoying all the beautiful colors today . IF only the colors did not have to go away and turn green? I guess I must love colors too much ?

I bid you all fare-well and hope you have a perfect day or night - which ever it might be?????

A Tired Monday :)

This week is already off and running -but I don't feel like running -maybe being drug behind? This was my critter chores day and then we had to run to town to pick up the parts for his atv engine. He really misses his atv since it is torn down and waiting for its new parts. I was so tired when we arrived home that I did not think I could drag myself in.One way I can tell this  besides the exhaustion is - my cheeks will turn red and I know I have reached my limit. But I have managed to fix hubby's coffee for in the morning and then fixed him his favorite chocolate smoothie.

But , I did manage to get a picture of one of my bird houses for a couple of friends .

Both of these were made by our brother-in-law and I dearly love them both. I could never have too many birdhouses. One day last summer I was admiring them because a family of chickadees had moved in the bottom house and I was laughing at them as they tried to push twigs in the house.

Then all of a sudden a pair of blue-birds arrived and I was so tickled to see them come  - from where -ever they stay in the Winter.Normally they occupy the yellow house , but they were busy checking out the brown house and as one of them poked her nose in the door - the couple who had already claimed it poked their heads out the door and the bluebirds tumbled off backwards and regained her flight before she tumbled into the pond. I put them near the pond so they would have a source of water and it would help protect them from cats. But it was such a funny sight to behold .

It has been very cool here today and the wind has really whipped around - I got tickled at our outdoor wood stove and the smoke rising up to the sky - making me think  of a chu-chu train. We wanted one outdoors after having them in the house for all these years-we thought it would be nice to keep the mess outdoors - and help with the smell, but it is hard on my DH keeping wood cut to keep it burning. It really burns more wood than the stove in the house- but I have stayed warmer this past winter than I ever have. That was a nice tip. :)

I will bid one and all a good farewell as I hope to head to bed. : )

A New Start of the Week and a New Chapter

Just when I think something is going to be so enjoyable - I find out different. :) I headed to the sewing room and pulled out another shirt that was cut out ! (That part was good)  I had already unfolded it and laid it out on the embroidery frame to start to work on it. So , I folded back my pattern piece to see which name was on it ? and it was Mine.

Gulp! I had not thought about a shirt for me and I had not picked out a design for me? I already remember that shirt that I made last Fall -the green one that I loved the color of , but instead of an animal design - I had gone with a flower design and it is still hanging on the back of the door in here. I think I am plum silly - I love flowers too - so why is it that I discovered if it was not an animal - I would not even wear it???  I mean - that is just silly to my practical side - but the way my heart hears it is different?

Well anyway, I had the shirt on the frame and I was too stubborn to pull it off to do the other shirt that I had already picked out a design for - so I started looking through my designs -or I meant to . The next challenge was the computer - it did not want to recognize either the flash drive I had the designs stored on - nor would it recognize the CD's that I had stored them on???? Why in the world does projects always seem to be such a challenge.

I had one friend tell me that was the reason she did not like machine embroidery - because it always wanted to mess up and cause so much drama and she did not need that. (My practical side agrees with her) Sooo- time just ticks right on by and I am on the computer for 3 hours - just looking???? Finally I take a break and fix  some oatmeal for us for a snack and then I pull out those little bookmakers that I had made a while back.Turned out they were like having a catalog to study. So, I narrowed it down to 3 which helped clear the field and made it easier for me to pick just one????

Just when I had gotten back to my project I heard such a commotion and I went to the door to see that it was hailing ! It doesn't show up so great in the picture but there really is lots of white balls ! Big time hail!I don't think I have ever seen it fall like that -DH came to the door and looked too. He did say that he hoped it would not dent the car. Me too. All of the excitement lasted about 5 minutes and then the rain started to pour down until there was a little stream running down on both sides of our house. Neither of us had realized when we were so young that we had put our house is such a safe location.(but I know who was looking out for us.)

I did try my hand at enlarging this design and I have high hopes for it.

O NO! After sewing decent most of the evening - Brother wants to misbehave. First it starts breaking the thread  and you can hear the cutting blade nashing. I had just started to sew on another project too- I bet you money this machine has "eyes" in its head. I stop it and attempt to untangle it. GRRR!  For the next 15 minutes I thread and rethread  -even down to pulling the project and checking the bobbin which has started to make a nest . I clean all of that out and put everything back . I know the machine sees it as a challenge to upset my "apple cart"! So it locks the machine up and says the "safety device has been activated.OK, this is a New one on me. I pull out the knife that I have robbed from the kitchen to cut the whole mess off of the frame. I am just so grateful that this project is mine-I have learned to wear several boo-boos. :)

The longer I work the more tired and unhappy I become. I had to take it apart and find some kind of gunk in the race, so I clean that off and put her back together - just knowing it is going to work - now that everything is clean! But the minute I turn the hand wheel  it immediately Jerks the thread from my hand. I hold the upper thread again while I turn the wheel and still it wants to Jerk it from my hand -even though I am going so slowly -trying to figure out what is going on?  SO, I take it apart once again and turn the wheel so I can see the bobbin and when I lower the top thread it is snatched by the bobbin piece and pulled UNDER every thing. I want to take a break -but  I do not want to turn the machine off and lose my project's position.

Well, I finally did walk away for a while . It boils down to go back in and wrestle with it some more - OR- shut it down and lose the top for my shirt??????????

I would never say that I was not stubborn - so I put my mess back together and tell it Please sew like you are suppose to and this will be our last project for the night?????????????? Well, would you believe - it takes right off like it is suppose to do! Or course the damage has already been done -where it yanked and pulled the threads at time and distorted the design and the fabric - but I am just happy to still have it in one piece YEA!

Well, it is almost midnight , so I am going to run and jump in bed !
Good nite to all! And to all a Good night! (see - still working on my Santa gig! LOL) 

Let's See What Saturday Produces?

O Boy, another day playing in my sewing room Just knowing that I have a few projects cut out makes it seem so much easier. OK, first on the top of the pile is the XXXL  and I have to figure out which embroidery design to use to make it more special. Also , one of the lessons I have learned is that this piece of double knit does not have the massive stretch that some of the knits do. I keep trying to stitch these important lessons in my head.:)

The design comes from EmbroideryDK I believe - IF - I filed it right. This is the first time I have used it. Just keeping it for the perfect project at the perfect time and I think I have arrived.

Well, feed husband and back to work? Right off the bat I have a misstep. I put my bobbin in to run another batch . I don't know what happened but when I start to put it in the machine I notice all kind of nests of thread?? Well, what made it do that?

So, I put it back on a rod and hand pull to see how far this mess goes? Hum? Down to half of the bobbin and still a mess - just not poking out all over the place. I think I will test it and see how it acts?

Jeepers , did I get lucky! At least with the bobbin -but when I went to put my design in the embroidery machine I had not paid attention to the size and it is TOO big. Shoot! Now I will have to resize it and sometimes that gives me a fit.

Well, it went better than I thought -only took about 15 minutes -but it is amazing how time flys by when you are working on these designs. Most of my average designs will take approximately an hour to do so you can see where time goes to. But , to me the design is like the icing on the cake.

My second design has to do with cows and friends. The friend I am making it for has ALWAYS wanted a farm and she thought that would make her hubby happy because he had always worked on dairy farms when they were younger-but after they finally got a little home and some land ???? Let's just say that was NOT in his plans at all.He was one of those people who was always looking over at the other side of the fence -thinking that everybody else had something better.

I am really happy with my little Brother PE-700II tonight . It is plugging along like it is suppose to do.  Humm- I better go knock on wood! :)

I just had an interesting thought - My sewing has been so much more enjoyable this Winter up till now and I owe it all to you all. I believe that any hobby or passion is more enjoyable when you have someone to share it with. So, thank you so very much.

Another thing I am noticing about working on my Christmas gifts early is that you have more time to enjoy the process. It is a wonderful feeling to actually LOSE yourself in what is going on.You know-like when you was a kid again and you had that wonderful imagination that could take you anywhere!  I think that is when you are in "full creative mode".(until I discover that I made a bo-bo and that sure does let the air out of my sails Really Quick. :)

Sheez - I am getting tired.These two designs have wore me out for some reason . I believe I will stop after this one finishes and start on evening chores . Then I can sit down and have a couple of oranges for my Treat!

Well - you would know -just as I was getting down the finish line  - my bobbin thread runs out! :) This is going to cause me trouble. So I have come down to the lettering and the bobbin thread is showing on the front. First, I stop and take out the bobbin and pull some thread off the bobbin - then put it all back together and test - more white bobbin threads showing. Next I take the top thread off and rethread it - still more white bobbin thread showing - but it really doesn't look bad  because of the black and white spotted cows? Hum??? This might be an accidentally boo-boo -gone good. I will check it out in the ending to see if I like it - if not , I can take a black permanent marker and color it in? I believe I know what caused it - I think I made the bobbin thread too tight . Leave it to me! O Shoot - Now the top thread has broken . :) Such is the life of the embroidery novice.

It is absolutely pouring down rain here - I hope that will make for some good sleeping.
Nite to one and all

Tired Friday

I am just so tired that my mind does not want to concentrate . Wish I could just whip it into submission! You know - like - "GET WITH THE PROGRAM"!!!!!!!! Sometimes when I feel like this I can walk outdoors and appreciate Mother Nature. A friend gave me this liliac bush a few years back and I love the scent. It took it about 5 years to bloom for me and I had read that when you moved them that they had a tendency to pout. But, it was worth the wait for me.:)

Well, I might know that when I am dishearted that would mean trouble for me Immediately. My first project to cut out will be for my #2 daughter-in-law who is so beautiful with her sweet smile and jet black shiny hair.And of course this first project would be the one to start off this session with a new lesson. I had managed to get the back of a tee shirt cut out and ready to hop on the front side??????? Well, a new problem I had not encountered before ??? As I laid out the material one end looks nice and even - but the other end is NOT!  The little ridges that run through the fabric look perfect on the left hand side - but on the right hand side they look all stretched out and hangs way over the cutting table. My first impression is that I will never be able to make them come out even and OF Course I really want to give my daughter-in-law a whoppy-jawed shirt. GRRR! As my muddled mind attempts to figure this one out and I am running my hands over it I decide all is loss anyway so if I ruin it , so be it. I grabbed hold of the bad , bad piece of fabric and Stretch it like you would an accordian(boy that feels abusive). Then I shake it all out and start again - now that I have put "fear" into the fibers -it acts like it might want to co-operate with me?

I have  written on the pattern  that the neck is too large for Meagan so I regroup and cut the neckband just a tad shorter - hoping that will pull the neck a little smaller when it goes together?Well, at least there is one project cut out. That will take some of the stress off when I can get started sewing

Now to figure out who will be number two project?? Hum? Let's see? AAAAAAHHHhAAA! Since my goal is to eventually have ALL of my clothes created by me - for me-:) I think I will cut a one of the shirts for me and see how this orangey color will go with my orangey silver??? LOL OK, now my shirt is cut out and lined up just like kids at school.

Who will be next???? Let me think???I think I will work on one for one of my oldest surviving girl friends???(I mean that she survived the friendship and lives to tell about it?? ) LOL She is a short little thing and she has worked so hard all of her life-time. She normally always stays hot , so I hope she has not changed because I was hoping to make this shirt short sleeved. That way she can wear it for longer seasons of the year.The projects are piling up for me and since I have discovered that I really do not like cutting out projects - I will be better off when I have them all cut out! This is some more of the fabric from Fabric.com for 1.95 a yard and free shipping when you purchase 35.00 worth. That makes it cheaper than anywhere around my neck of the woods and I really appreciate it.

Aahhh! I have just enough fabric for another shirt ??? I believe this color will work good for my e-buddie in Tenn. who has been there when I needed a friend for the last few years. How I got so lucky - I will never know ,but I am so very grateful , as I am for each of you.

As I was laying one project down I accidentally looked out my peep-hole of a window and I knew that I had to go capture a picture of this beautiful Spring.

The yellow thorneless rose was what captured my attention. This is known to be a very old timey rose and a friend had to give me 4 starts before one decided to live for me.

This is the  first time my little cherry tree has ever bloomed - so I am having some high hopes. Yummy!

I could see the little yellow tulip peeking from the bottom of the cherry tree , so I wanted to give it attention all of its own. These were the lacey tulips and I absolutley adore them.

So we will count our blessings and enjoy the time with Mother Nature and her beauty.

Thursday just flew away :)

I would like to thank all of my blogging family for all of the kindness bestowed on me. It really does mean so much and helps to ease the pain -because you have someone to share it with. Thank you, thank you ALL.

I was almost scared to get out of bed this am - but a new day is a new adventure - and I really do try to raise to the challenge and accept all of my blessings along the way.

Hubby's sister and her husband came from W.Va. and took us out to eat  They have a favorite place to go and the food is always delicious. I had to laugh because for YEARS -we would pass by this place and the parking lot is Always full and we would never stop and go in and check it out . I was so sure that for that many people to be there -then the prices for their meals would be beyond our finances! LOL - Now we know the truth as it is one of the most nicely priced and the food is to die for. All of the  others load their plates with meats of all kinds and I head to the salad bar and then my desert is a plate-full of strawberries! YUMMY!

Doug said he had learned that strawberries and oranges are two of my most favorites and that he knows I will never eat my fill of them! :) Then blueberries and raspberries - yummy! I used to just think that they were treats , but now I have read how good they are for you - can you imagine a medicine that is good for you!

This will be the first year that my plants have survived AND I have outsmarted the deer! They cannot get in my covered wagon design cage we built over the two raised beds! I see them after dark with their little eyeballs shining in the dark and pouting because they cannot get to the fruit!

UTT -O! I just have to share this - as I was typing I hear a crunching noise-crunch-crunck-crunch! I slowly turned my head and our next oldest pooch is a male sheltie named Mac and he reached into a plastic feedsack that we had carried potatoes in -from the basement - AND - he pulled him out a raw potato and he is crunch-crunch - crunching . Well- he actually  ate the first one and now he is going on his second one! Have you ever seen a dog eat raw potatoes????????????????  Last summer I caught him stealing raw tomatoes - you should have seen him crunch and tomatoe juice fly everywhere?????????  I guess my beloved pets are a little bit "quirkey " - like me!  :)

Since it was almost dark when we got home and I ran outdoors to do some chores and I could not help but notice that my beautiful colombine plant is blooming!  I snapped these pictures to attempt to show their beauty, as I did not know if it would show up after dark. Pretty neat ! I had never even heard of the colombine plant until 2003 when I met my first one working with Ruth and she had a yard full of them. After I discovered that they come back each year and they usually bloom all summer - they had won my heart! I also adore the pretty colors . Since I was unable to post sewing - I had to post beauty! :) There is an old saying that " A thing of beauty is a  joy forever"! -and that is the way I feel.

Finally, I am determined to get to sew tomorrow and see what kind of trouble I can get into! LOL - That is the easy part for me. I am a very experienced seam ripper for sure.! We all have talents - unique to each of us . I believe that our blog family is a gift from our Father and that is why it is so special. I have always told everybody that when my Father picks my friends - I have REAL friends for sure! 

I will bid everyone a good-night - or a good-morning ! Hope to be here again tomorrow with some "sewing adventures!"
Nite-nite! :)

More challenges

Hello , My Dear Virtual Family,
     I am so blue today so I won't bug you too long.After losing PeeWee yesterday am , I turned around later and Lassie our collie was barfing up in the living room -so I grabbed her up and went out side and laid her on the grass in the warm sunshine. I think she liked that because she was lifting her long collie nose and smelling all the scents.I decided to let her lay there for about a half hour while I was doing dishes ,  running the vacuumm and cleaning up the barf.
     A short time later DH came to the door and asked me to help get her back in the house because it was sprinkling rain. We brought her back in the kitchen and laid her on her rugs , where she lays while we are on the computers. I went over and stroked her beautiful head and then our male sheltie came over and laid down beside her. DH said they were good to keep each  other company. They were snoozing and I left them for about 20 minutes and came back to check on them and I saw Lassie take her last breath. I could hardly believe it.
     WE had her to the vet about 3 weeks ago and they were pleased that she had lost some weight -to make it easier on her joints and the arthritis . I know PeeWee and Lassie had a love -hate relationship. If they could fuss they would and if she could sleep together - they would . Makes you think of some of the things we people do? :)
     But , I am suspicious of the dog food ? When the vet had said that was good Lassie had lost the weight and I was thinking in my head - the only reason is because she hates that new bag of dog food?That was approximately 3 weeks ago and just a little over 1/4 of a 50pound bag is gone?? I wish I had some way to test it.
     Then today was hubby's birthday and we were suppose to meet his sister in a town 30 miles away. We got there but they did not because we got our wires crossed somehow. I was so disappointed because that could have been a day I could have finally sewed!
     Also, I had ordered some new fabric from fabric.com and they emailed to say all of that fabric had been sold??? I must have good taste??? :)
     So , I will not take so much of your time? Maybe at least some of you have escaped to your sewing rooms! I am just so tired I am about to fall over and I miss my babies. I am glad they are not in pain anymore -but my heart has two empty spots that will take a while to heal.
 Love to all

O, I have to share with your a beautiful give away at :
yes ,this would be one that I wish I could win - you know how you love something because it personifies itself with your essence- well - this one does that for me. But I will be good and share it for all  - so if you win it - I can still enjoy it. :)
http://sewusefuldesigns.blogspot.com/2010/04/debut-in-homespun-and-giveaway.html Good luck to all.

A Sad Tuesday

It was a terribly sad Tues. becasue my Little PeeWee finally crossed over to the other side. After having her for 20 years -now it feels like a piece of me is gone too. She was my constant companion and the best baby-sitter in town and I adored her.

DH had some things he had to do , but he would not let me stay home alone. As we were pulling out of the driveway I spotted our sheep . There for a while I was spinning their fleece and I wanted a black sheep so badly because I was using the roving to spin into yarn that I was using to make a rug. It was really neat and I was using the log cabin quilting design. I needed another color and I wanted black. I got lucky and found a beautiful black sheep that I loved so much - she was perfect. It was almost time to shear her and dogs came from a cove across the lake and killed her. I was so broken hearted.

Time passed and then one day there appeared a black lamb in our little flock. Talk about joy!She is the larger one in the back.

The one you see in the front is a new baby that came just this week.

On our way heading out this very old bridge has been transformed into a trail  for bikes and horses and hiking.

Can you tell I am afraid of heights? That board on the bridge runs all the way across and it is suppose to help protect everybody and I am too scared to even get close to it.But this is the New River , coming from N.C. . It is the only river that runs backwards in the U.S.A.

As you can see, DH is much braver than I am so I handed the camera off to him. People live up and down on the left hand side, but this river can get mad and jump out of its banks , so people have started putting some beautiful homes on stilts??? I would be scared to death .

I know it can get very angry because one time a friend and I were going to a fabric store in that direction so we decided to take the scenic route(and not the interstate) The drive was lovely until we came to this part of the ride. It lasts approximately 2 miles and as we arrived at this point the river was rising. It came on up till it was in the road. Somebody had got smart because above the road is a small trail for hikers and they had cut a path that you could jump up on this trail when the river gets mad.  It was scarey to look down just a few feet and see nothing but water. Believe me - that was one day trip that I have never forgotten.

And this is me heading back to the safety of solid ground. LOL There was a very stiff wind blowing  because the rain was coming in for a visit. It was good to get out in nature, but it was sad to come home. Yes, I know there are others at the house and I love them dearly , but my heart will still miss the little black pup that shared  a third of my life with me.

Monday and a new week !

Today was a lovely day . Our weather is perfect and everything is coming to life. We had to go to the feed store and we had a strange experience. We had to go to the gas station because DH was running his truck on empty. We made it to the gas station and he put the nozzle into the truck's gas tank and No work?????? So, he walked over to the store and the doors were locked ??? No sign or anything? A couple pulled in beside us and DH told him nobody was there. So, we loaded up and went across the road to a Shell station and all the pumps were tyed up ? The couple were following us and now there was a third truck following us . It felt really strange, but we got lucky at the third gas station and finally all of us got gas. :)

My picture did not turn out as well as I wanted it to, but the sign says Fancy Gap Fabric Outlet and this is a reall neat place to go look at fabrics!  The buidings make me think of an old timey fort as there are two buildings that are long with cement floors. The fabric Used to be across the road and you could just wander through it as it ambled kinda down a down hill grade and they also have pottery and crafty items. Then they moved All of the fabrics across the road to this building and it has a big variety which they attempt to keep very reasonable prices on.

I managed to pick up some non-roll elastic for 29 cents a yard  and I ran across those pins that I will be using next month , for 59cents for a thousand. The little girl made sure I understood that they were there for that price because some of them were tarnished. She did not want me to be disappointed and I thought that was very sweet of her.

One of their rooms is filled with cottons for quilters and there is upholstery fabrics of every kind. There is crafty stuff and bins of buttons and books that are reasonable???? I really do love to visit this shop - not only for the "treasures" -but also because of the people -they are so special and kind and helpful! One of the ladies is a preachers wife and we love her to death. She will take DH aside to a seat to rest his back and she will keep him busy to let me shop to my hearts content!   I wish I was rich because I would leave her Big Tips~  I usually feel guilty -but I love it so much that I just Enjoy it!  Maybe it is that "sisterhood" thing?? :)

This is a picture of the front entrance to the fabrics and lace.Maybe it makes me think of a wild west town because of the logs .They even have logs that have been cut out in the center and then glazed for a flower pot for outdoors.

They have built a little general store this year which is really quaint and filled with goodies and they built this wooden water-wheel! It was a real treat to see it run . DH was very interested in this because he has been talking about building one on our creek. We just don't have the knowledge to pull this off -YET- but that has never stopped us from learning  before.  :) You never know until you try. :)

Sunday Road Trip

Another beautiful day and we went back to N.C. to get a refund for the defective boombox that we had purchased yesterday. I really Hated to be gone, but I told hubby that we could make it another perfect day and enjoy it .

We got lucky at the Goodwill and the lady was nice. Gave us a refund without any fuss? We did stroll back and see if any new boomboxes had come in and there were two new ones! This time we got smart and found a plug in and I found some cd's and a cassette tape to check them out with-good thing we did - we had two more duds! I just do not understand people donating broken items to the Goodwill to sell? Why don't they just put them in the trash -where they belong????

Coming back home - you have to go up a winding mountain . There is a building about 3/4 of the way up that really captures my imagination. This is another case of a structure that I know nothing about - it is just amazing to me.

Doesn't this amazing place just capture your imagination?? I don't know why - but I just love it. It is starting to really go downhill - I told DH you would have to be a rich person to be able to restore this mind-boggeling structure.It just makes me feel like I have stepped into another country. But this is just the start ?

This is a little better picture of the front door and the chimney .At the bottom is where there used to be flower beds??????????? OOOOOOOOOOO -be still my beating heart!

These extra rooms are to the left of the main house and what looks like a brown raised surface is really water rolling down off of the mountain and coming across the driveway into a really amazing hole that supports a big water wheel. DH said that the pipe in the back was stopped up and that was why it was running across the driveway instead of under the ground through a pipe system.  Aren't they just so quaint?

This is a little better -more close up. Notice the steep stairs going up to the second floor and it has no railing of any kind?? I only noticed when we got home and I downloaded the pictures that that one room on the bottom right has its door cracked! O, I wish I could have poked my nose in there to see if there were any
clues to the mystery of this abandoned place. Better that I did not because somebody pulled in and backed their truck right up to the back - kind of spooky. They did not say anything to us and they gave me kind of a iry feeling?

This is the waterwheel that stands in front of the "Inn" - it is truly awesome! I was snapping pictures and if you could look DOWN under this wheel - it is approximately a 50foot drop (very scarey-because I am scared of heights) and under there is several Big pipes with water gushing down from the mountain and running together to make a very pretty and massive gush of water .

This is one of the streams that is rushing down the mountain and falling into one of the pipes that shoot the water under the water wheel.

This is on the upper side of the wheel looking down the driveway. I wish you could see Under the wheel - it really scared me . I know it is my fear of heights - but it just amazes me how there can be such a massive drop !

This is a better view of the stream coming across the driveway and IF you look up and see the little piece of another structure? It is actually a much bigger house than these put together? This place just grabs my immagination . It had to take somebody with a LOT of money and a Lot of dreams to pull this off. I would love to know what happed and why? I hate to see something that somebody worked so hard on - to just fall on hard times and not be appreciated?

O Well - one of the joys of a day trip? :)