Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all!  We had a very peaceful Christmas season this year...very welcome after the year we have had. 

Our holidays began with Thanksgiving and a welcome and wonderful visit from Russ, Meg and Aylen.  Grandad also made an appearance and we were grateful to have him with us.  He enjoyed seeing Aylen. Meggie is with child but was cleared to travel...she was three weeks from her due date of Dec. 18!  I loved seeing them but was very happy she made it back home ahead of delivery!

Two days later we had another Thanksgiving dinner with two of Mark's kids and their families...our tiny house was full but happy!  It was a welcome addition to the holiday season for us and great to see them.  The traditional family card game of  "Double/triple/quadruple, etc, etc. Solitaire" was requested by Stacy.  We had 7 decks of cards going at once!  Tawsha played with us just to humor us but stated that she hated cards.  We got her hooked though...she practiced single solitaire all the way to the Christmas card game at Stacy and Rob's house!

We then shared a lovely Christmas meal and weekend with all of Mark's kids in Lincoln on Dec. 18.

My loving son, Will and his dear friend Molly, came from St. Louis this past weekend and stayed with us through Christmas.  My lovely daughter Laurel and her lovely daughter Annabelle...AND NEW BABY-TO-BE also came for the Christmas weekend.  What a wonderful time we had with family here.  No one seemed to mind the tight quarters and only ONE bathroom.  What a wonderful family I have.  Grandad was here with us for Christmas day.  My brother, Mike and his wife Mary, made it to Nebraska from Belize for the day after Christmas with Dad.  I saw the sparkle in Dad's eyes again after a very long and sad several months for him.

I managed to get my jewelry order finished up and shipped out in time for Christmas.  I will post pix soon.  It was just what I needed to get my jewelry mojo started up again.  Dad has been making funky glass beads lately and once I am back to part time work (3 weeks!!!!  YEA!!!) I plan to start on some new collaborative pieces with Dad.

My friend, Char from Mississippi, is opening an art gallery/gift shop and has asked me to send whatever pieces I desire.  I plan to send her all of my current pieces first and as new items are made they will make their way there also.  So fun working with other artists!

That is it for now...waiting patiently by the phone for news from Colorado about our newest little family member.  Hope Meggie is feeling alright and has a good birth....they have been having false labor for days now and even spent one long night at the birthing center waiting on this little one only to have to go home in the morning!  I am grateful her parents are with them in Colorado right now. 

And then...news this past weekend that my precious Laurel and Dusty are expecting another angel baby, too!  I am so blessed with such wonderful family.

Will is in the midst of finding a new apartment and thinks he has secured a nice place in St. Louis.  I know he will be happy to get moved and settled.  I thank his wonderful friend's in St. Louis who are there for him. 

Pix later...

Colleen

Working on jewelry again

Hello my friends, I am back to work on jewelry again thanks to the confidence of a lovely friend from Georgia.  Got me out of my slump with all that has been going on with Mom and Dad.  She ordered 15 custom necklaces and 4 sets of earrings and 3 men's pieces if I can come up with something interesting.  I have completed seven necklaces and three sets of earrings and am thrilled to be back at it.  I cannot post photos yet as these are gifts for her family and I would like to wait until she has given me permission to post photos.  She has sent me some lovely pieces from her family, some vintage, some not and asked me to turn them into new art-to-wear for her to give her family as gifts.  What a lovely gift to her family!  Pieces of love!

Dad came for brunch today...taking everything just one day at a time.  He is finding that he has far too much time on his hands...spent every waking minute caring for my mother for the last 10 years and now is a bit lost.  I am confident he will find his way to his "new normal."  Bless him.

Thanks for coming by...Colleen

My mother, Kathleen, died the day before yesterday

My mother, Kathleen, died the day before yesterday.  It is something that is profound in my life.  I am just trying to get through the minutes.  I am with my precious granddaughter, Annabelle, for the weekend and this is a lovely and wonderful distraction.  She is so lovely...very sweet little girl...and BUSY! 

I hope I can be of some comfort to Dad in the days and months ahead...such a loss for him. 

I have no other words just now...

Happy Birthday, America!!

Today is July 2 and it is the wonderful long weekend of July the 4th.  I went to the annual 4th of July flea market in Fairbury this morning...managed to get a few treasures to add to my collection!  Something very fulfilling about shopping...especially in pawing through old junk and finding a few special treasures.

I spent a wonderful weekend last weekend in Michigan with my wonderful kids and grandkids...fills a momma's heart to spend quality time with her kids.  My daughter, Laurel, and her husband, Dusty, were even gracious enough to offer me a ride to and from the Michigan event.  I appreciated it greatly.  The event was the wedding of my brother's daughter, Brianna and her nice groom, John-David.  


My brother Kevin with his lovely daughter, Brianna

My sweet, sweet grandchildren, Annabelle Rose and Aylen John, had some togetherness at the rehersal dinner..

Annie Rose loving her "baby" Aylen John

I made a CQ picture for Brianna and John-David that had their picture on it with their new married name and the colors of their wedding...don't seem to find it on my camera or in my computer so I guess I forgot to take a picture!!!  Maybe I can get Brianna to take a picture of it for me!

I am working on several projects this summer but they are to be kept secret until the reveal dates so I cannot share any pictures with you!

I just wanted to touch base here and let you know I am still alive and doing well.  Pictures of my current works to be posted soon...

Thanks for coming by...Colleen

  

Time (OVER TIME!) to update my blog!

Hello my friends!  Time does go!  That seems to be how I always start my blog entries!  I am hoping to update my blog with a few of the projects that have kept me busy in my art life...

I have had the good fortune to be associated with some fantastic women who are very creative, my Artsy-Fartsy Friends...you know who you are!  We started an association in this textile art group over a year ago and decided to make RR art journals.  We each made covers for our books and then mailed them off to be handled and developed by our Artsy Fartsy Friends.  It has been a journey of true enjoyment, of creative freedom and exploration and of shared experiences with these fine women.  The journey has not always been easy...there have been times of creative block and emotional involvement when the subject matter of the journals became personal.  It has all been fantastic to be a part of and I look forward to future projects with my AFFs. 

Our first project together, the art journal, began February 1, 2010 and is to end at our HGTV retreat in Charlotte, NC April 28, 2011.  We will find a moment together at the retreat to reveal our books to each other.  We have all been involved in making these books together and have seen bits and pieces of all of the books.  We have seen other parts of the books only in digital pictures on our AFF blog and we have some parts never seen at all.  We are ALL looking forward to this grand reveal we will have.  I can HARDLY WAIT!  To have an art journal built and designed by my dear art friends for me with their hands, mind and time will be such a pleasure...a bit of them for me to keep forever. 

I have pictures of my covers to share with you now.  I will wait to share the rest of my journal until I have it home.

My art journal is to be self reflecting with the front cover (or first page if you are one of the AFFs who made the inside pages) being a self portrait of who you wish your art self to be.  The back cover (second page to be made by the AFFs) was to be who you think you really are.  I was mildly surprised and very thrilled to find that when I made my two covers...my wished for art self and my real self overlapped more than I had expected!  So pleased to find this out...that maybe I am actually, finally being myself!  Yea!

Thank you so much, my AFFs.

Time for supper!  Back later...Colleen ("axel" to my AFFs)

MDA Raffle

My friend Jean Djirlic from Wisconsin could use all of your help!  She has been a very active fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for the past several years and is currently coordinating a quilt raffle to raise funds for this worthy organization! Please click the link to view the quilts and also to read the write up about the raffle which includes the information on how to obtain tickets.

If you could help with this worthwhile fundraiser, it would be greatly appreciated!! Please let her know that you came via my blog! Thanks so much!

The Great MDA Quilt Raffle!