Sewing Not My Strength!-Day 165

After cruising on Pinterest last night for baby shower gift ideas, I found the "easiest" idea in the world, and planned throughout the wee morning hours about the fabrics I would buy to make these simple but cute burp cloths.  A morning trip to JoAnn's Fabrics was a success in that I discovered cute flannel and terry cloth for my project, and two colors of thread.  Lunch was a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and then on to more exciting things.  I found my Singer Featherweight in the closet, pulled it out and set it up on my table.  After reviewing the blog I had pinned last night, I carefully cut the fabrics and was ready to SEW!  Unfortunately, I could not remember how to thread my machine after ten years of not tackling any sewing projects.  Can I just say I was so frustrated and then I could not find my manual either!  Fortunately, my mom only lives a few blocks away so I placed a quick call to her for HELP!!  Thankfully, Mom is very good with sewing so, within a few minutes, she appeared on my front porch with a decent pair of sewing scissors, some pins and her knowledge and expertise about sewing!  After much trial and error, she was able to thread the machine and complete one burp cloth.  So CUTE!  Because she knows me very well, and knows I'm a failure with sewing projects, she suggested that I go to the store to buy some for my shower gifts!  Well, she had a good point but you see, I was determined to complete this simple project I started this morning!  I'm so happy to report in my "show and tell" that I successfully completed a second burp cloth after she left me alone to sink or swim with my trusty Singer!  Now I'm wondering if I should add sewing classes to my summer to-do list!  Or should I accept the fact that this is just not something I'm EVER going to be able to do on my own?  I would really love to be able to sew as well as my mom! 

Key West Cemetery-Day 164

David has this fascination with visiting cemeteries when we travel, and I usually do not join him on his stroll through them.  However, while in Key West, I decided to tag along to see what was so attracting or intriguing to him!  In some of my reading about being a writer, a suggested activity was to study names and dates on grave sites as an exercise for future character development.  With that frame of reference, I must admit that I actually enjoyed our drizzly morning walk through the Key West Cemetery!

Twins at 14 Months-Day 163

Oh my goodness, how much fun we are having with Noah and Adrian this summer!  As 14 month olds, they are:

•  walking/RUNNING
• playing hide and go seek all around the house
• fighting over each other's toys, and then making up with sweet hugs
• pointing to objects around the house and verbalizing "this"? or "that"?
• waving bye-bye
• dancing and rocking to music(they love Aaron Watson and birthday songs!)
• signing "more" when they taste something yummy
• exploring behind cabinet doors for treasures
• loving to have books read to them(YAY!)
• pulling off their diapers and running around in the "buff"

Twins are definitely DOUBLE the FUN!!  Praising God for them each day!

One Unknown Soldier-Day 162

David and I hovered under our umbrellas during a slow and steady rain one morning while on vacation, respectfully standing in a section of the cemetery dedicated to fallen soldiers.  The questions circling around in my mind were about his mother and the rest of his family, his fellow soldiers, his duties he upheld during his service, and his demise.  I trudged away from this young man's gravesite with a heavy heart, and visually embraced all of the other unknown soldiers laid to rest around him in every direction.

Street Scene-Day 161

Oh, the beauty surrounding our home away from home while vacationing in Key West!  I loved the comfortable Southern homes, the white picket fences, and the lush greenery, not to mention the vibrant colors of flowers.  I fantasized about buying this one until I learned about the cost of real estate on the island!  Not in my lifetime!  Oh well, I can continue to dream about what life might be like here in this home!

Some Good Eating!-Day 160

I highly recommend Sloppy Joe's on Duval Street for anyone visiting Key West.  They had the BEST sloppy joe's I think I've ever had in my life, and of course, we had to try some of the local flavor in conch fritters with our drinks.  The beverages shall remain nameless on my blog but they were definitely refreshing!  We also enjoyed the live entertainment with some guitar and singing of some wild and crazy lyrics!  The funniest activity I observed was a man who brought his dog in to sit next to him in the bar area, on a bar stool.  Now that's a loyal four-legged friend!

Lunch with Key West Friends-Day 159

Gena and Emily Parsons came by our B&B on our second day in Key West to take us to the neatest place to eat!  Very quaint little Cuban restaurant with lots of character and some terrific food, but the best part of our lunch together was the conversation with these two friends.  Emily and her brother, Hayden, were former Ross students when I was principal there, and they stole my heart from the outset!  Emily has grown into a beautiful young woman full of a genuine interest in others, a passion for adventure, and a contagious love of life itself!  Although I did not get to see Hayden during our visit, Gena shared some heartwarming stories with me about his life.  I have so many fond memories of this young man during his years as an elementary student under my care.  David and I were very thankful for the time Gena spent over the past few months sending us recommendations for things to see and do on our vacation.  We had a terrific time, Gena!!  I am so grateful for this family and their friendship!