Dayton, Ohio Here We Come...

Claude and I had enough time we could put together to take an overnight trip somewhere for this anniversary weekend. We have spoken harshly of Dayton, Ohio for the last eight years. Everytime we drive to Michigan we drive through Dayton on I-75. It has been, is, and appears always will be, under construction. Hence the disparaging remarks about Dayton.

As I plotted where we could go for this trip, it just suddenly felt right to go to Dayton and make peace with this city on some level. Give it a fair chance to show the good things about it and leave truly knowing we only dislike the I-75 portion of Dayton. I searched for some possible tourist sites to visit, came up with four, eMailed my research to Claude, got his approval and made our plans.

Friday morning, February 15th, we awoke and prepared to head out. Breakfast was had at the McDonald's in Dry Ridge. Love my two biscuits and a Dr. Pepper to start a trip. Then on to Dayton Claude drove.

Our first stop, and subject of this particular post, was SunWatch Indian Village. We pulled into a parking lot with only one car in it. There was someone coming out to get in that car and leave. We had this neat little tourist site completely to ourselves. Well, except for the lady running the visitor's center. She welcomed us. Took our senior citizen priced ticket money and led us into the video that always accompanies tourist locations. They are a good place to get your basic information. The video was very informative and we were prepared to visit the museum that is part of the visitor's center next.

Armed with the video knowledge we were able to easily grasp the items in the museum and increase our knowledge a bit.

This diorama sits in the center of the museum's main room. It is a great replica of the way the village probably looked. It sat at the edge of the Great Miami River. That would be the foreground of this picture. There was a stockage of interwoven branches around the village. The garden was outside this stockade and can be seen in the right of the picture. The village was laid out in concentric circles. The stockade is the outer circle. Inside the stockade circle is the housing circle. Inside the housing circle is the storage and trash bin circle. Inside the storage and trash bin circle is the ring of burials (I found this interesting). Inside the ring of burials is the plaza with the center post complex.

In the museum we saw displays of pottery, tools made with available materials, an amazing drawing of a deer with his skeleton in the drawing and the bones identified that were used for everything, a replica of the interior painted walls of buildings, a replica of a family working with corn, a tribal leader starting the harvest celebration, and many more things. With this increased knowledge we were ready to head outdoors to walk the village and the buildings they have reconstructed in it.

This is the view of Sunwatch Village from the deck of the visitor's center. We would walk through the entire village by ourselves. What a treat. Now, the fun part was it snowed off and on. We were bundled up in our coats and would pull our hoods over our heads when it snowed. It was actually quite invigorating.

The Fort Ancient Indians occupied this village for 15 to 20 years and then moved on.

In the picture above on the left is the framework of a building they are beginning to reconstruct. If you carefully look just to the right of that framework and out a little you are at the center of the plaza and there is found the center post complex. The entire village is aligned with these and the seasons could be predicted by them. The house on the far right behind the tree is called The Solstice House. On December 21st the shadow of the tall center post would align exactly with the center of the doorway. The house just to the left of the Solstice House is called the Big House. Approximately April 24th and August 20th the shadow of the tall center post would align exactly with the center of the doorway of the Big House. The two building close together at the center back are reconstructed residences. Each of these homes would hold six to sixteen people.

Archeologists believe a matrilocal residence pattern existed among the Fort Ancient Indians living at SunWatch Village. When a girl married, her husband lived with her and her family. They would eventually build their home near her mother's family. One of the ways this is known is by pottery that was found. Distinctive patterns were found in house clusters. Also, certain diseased and genetic traits were found by scientist in these house clusters. Amazing.

The doorways to each of the buildings is extremely short. We learned that the men would get to a height of about 5' 6" and the women to about 5' 2". The men would live to be about 36 years old and the women about 28 years old.

With all this knowledge, let me show you some of these places in SunWatch Village up close.

This is Claude in the center of the plaza at the center post complex.

This is it Big House and it's interior and the view of the center post complex from it's front door.

From the Big House we followed the path to the two residential homes. I'll post a picture of Claude in front of the doorway to one of these homes. (Please note he is listening to the recorded information about these homes. We each got a set of ear phones and enjoyed the information given at 18 points in our walk around the village.) There is also a picture of the interior of one of the homes and the interior of the ceiling which is also the outside roof. Please remember that 6 to 16 people lived in each of the dwellings. Not a lot of space for 6 people, much less 16. Goodness.

We left these two residential homes and walked across the center of the plaza to the center post complex. I've posted the picture of Claude standing there. Then we walked to the framework of a home they are going to construct next. As we walked there we noted several of the grave sites. The Fort Ancient Indians would bury their dead and then go to the Great Miami River and bring back large stones to lay over the tops of the grave.

The framework for the next building to be reconstructed at SunWatch Village is my next picture. If you look real carefully through the framework on the left you can see the two residential homes. If you look real carefully through the framework in the center you can see the Big House. The plaza area is in between the structures. All of these buildings are just inside the stockade.

We walked on the pathway between the stockade and the markers for the foundation places of other buildings to the Solstice House. The pictures below are the Solstice house, its interior (note the way the walls are constructed) and the view of the center post complex through the front door.

Outside of the village was an area we couldn't find identified in any of the recordings or signage. We asked the visitor center attendant when we returned and she said it was built by the Lakota Indians. They hold a Powwow there every June. Everyone can come and enjoy it.

This was a great start to our quick weekend trip. We learned a February anniversary means you might have to deal with weather a bit if you travel locally. We learned there are layers to the life that has taken place in this area. So many times we live and don't think back to all the history that has happened under our very feet.

This was a great tourist destination. I could highly recommend it. They have several big events when the weather is warmer. It would be fun to go back and visit during one of those events.

The Significance of 43...

A pictoral walk through time...

I awoke this morning to my hubby trying to quietly get ready and leave the house without waking me up. I did wake up, tried to pretend I was asleep in the hopes it would actually happen, but determined I really wanted to say "Happy Anniversary" to my Big Guy Clauda before he left our home. He gave me a kiss on the cheek as I snuggled back down under the covers to try again to sleep a little bit longer. Claude left and I admitted I was truly awake and got out of bed.

My 43rd Anniversary...felt like it should almost be a holiday of sorts. I have so many 'important' things to get done so a holiday didn't seem the right way to spend my morning.

I headed downstairs and wanted to post something about our 43rd anniversary on Facebook. What to post? I thought it should include a picture. I searched a bit to see what picture I may have posted in the past. Then I remembered a notebook I labeled 'Claude and Sandi Family Pictures'. This notebook has pictures taken by photographers (mostly Olin Mills) over the years of our marriage. They are a photo history of our married years.

I started scanning a few of them. Then I thought, "I don't want to have to come back and think which of these I have scanned and when I haven't. So I'll scan them all." I enjoyed very much looking at these picture and remembering times past. Once the notebook was all scanned I picked a few and posted them to Facebook.

Here, for your enjoyment and my personal history, are a few of the pictures from Claude and my years together.

First, our wedding day, Friday, February 13, 1970. We were married in the Logan Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That evening Bonnie and Evan Christensen, Claude parents, held a reception at the LDS Church in Thatcher. This picture was taken at that reception.

This picture was taken in April 1971. Nissa, our first born was born March 1971. We had a date to see "Love Story" and then have our pictures taken. Neffie, my little sister, was our babysitter.  This was while living in Shreveport, Louisiana. Claude was in the Air Force and totally pushing the limit with his mustache over the edges of his mough.

In December 1975 we went to Louisiana to spend Christmas with my parents. My mother scheduled us for family pictures. This picture was taken in Shreveport, Louisiana. We would have been living in Denver, Colorado at this time. By now we had all three children. Nissa is on my right and Andie (Andean) is on my left. Claude is holding Jacob who was born April of that year. I had been sick and my mother arranged a doctor's appointment with our old family doctor that day. I got home from the doctor just in time to quickly change into clothes for these pictures.

April 1976 found us again at Olin Mills. What would we have done without Olin Mills. No digital photography then. Not lots of people having their own photography business that take you to a beautiful setting and take natural pictures of you in that setting. So many of us have relied on Olin Mills over the years and thank heavens they exist. My mother made all the kids outfits for Easter. I made my dress and Claude's jacket. Love the kids smiles.

1997 we had this picture taken of Claude and me. I loved the outfit I'm wearing. I made it out of a solid color of double-knit fabric. This fabric was quite the rage in that time period. I made a skirt, slacks with big flared legs and this jacket and a blouse out of cotton polyester fabric. It just proves that very practical side of my nature. So many outfits from one pattern.

In 1977 Joann and John were married. Joann is Claude's older sister. She asked Nissa and Andie to be a part of her wedding. I made these two little dresses to fit with the colors for Joann's wedding. Nissa is in the middle and Andie is on the right. Jacob is sporting a leisure suit. These were very popular in that time frame and Jake had a couple of them as a little boy.

We had this picture taken in January of 1978. Jake is sitting on my lap in a suit my mother made for him. I'm wearing a jumper and blouse I made. The girls are wearing jumpers I made. All the kids seem to have the same hair cut. I was the person who cut all their hair, even Claude's. I still do Claude's all the time and the kids when they are home and need a haircut. Jake wore this little haircut all the time he was a little boy. Longer hair on men was fashionable but it wouldn't have made any difference to me. I just thought this was the perfect haircut for our little guy.

Claude and I posed for this picture in May 1981. Eleven years of marriage under our belts at this point. Again, I made my jumper and blouse and added this catchy scarf around the neck so I looked just like the picture on the pattern. Well, my clothes looked just like the picture on the pattern. Sewing was a great way to save money in our budget. Back then you could buy fabric on a great sale for fifty cents to one dollar per yard. It was a blessing that mom taught me to sew and we were able to stretch those budget dollars with that skill.

My didn't we sport long hair in this March 1979 picture. Claude keeps his beard trimmed so neatly it is hard to remember when he wore it longer and more full. He could only have a tiny mustache when in the Air Force. I do love him in a beard and sometimes wonder if he wouldn't shave it off it I didn't like it so much.

Okay, explanation is necessary!! In August 1980 we went to Utah. They had Thiokol days at Lagoon and we went with the entire Evan and Bonnie Christensen family to Lagoon for the day. Bonnie and Evan have six kids. Most of us were married at this point. As the day wore on, we would all run into each other as each family enjoyed Lagoon at its own pace. We soon learned that there was a place to have pictures taken of you in black and white with old time clothing. Several had already had their pictures taken. Bonnie determined we should all do this. Claude and I headed to the Old Tyme Picture booth and searched for clothing we wanted to wear. I love the book "Gone With the Wind". We found what we thought might look light Scarlett O'Hara and a confederate soldier. What were we thinking??? At any rate, that is the look we were going for. Bonnie took all our pictures and had a special frame made. She and Evan are the center picture in the frame. Around the outside are six places for pictures with each of their kids pictures in each spot. Thus goeth our history.

October of 1980 was time for more family pictures of our kids. Again, I made all the kids clothes. Please note Jacob's shirt. I actually got that piece of fabric from Aunt Mamie in Louisiana. The piece was large enough that I made shirts out of it for each of my children. When we went to an amusement park, they all wore these bright shirts. This helped me keep my eye on them and spot them quickly.

January 1981 our family looked like this. Kids are growing up on us.

May 1981 we opted for a different set for our family pictures. I had waited for four years to have baby number four. I had a little bit of trouble carrying Jake and was told to give the old body time to heal and strengthen a bit. So we waited four years. I got pregnant the beginning of 1982 and miscarried that precious little baby at home. So when it was time for the family picture, we decided to change it up and take a boys picture and a girls picture. I don't know why that helped, but it did. And I must say I'm grateful it did. I love these picture of Andie, me and Nissa and then Jacob with Claude. I think we should have thought of trying that some before.

I married a cowboy. He is Utah born and raised on a farm. It is part of his very being. So we opted for the cowboy picture this time. I'm actually wearing my cowgirl boots which are not visible. Claude wore this fine hat a lot. It is still in our closet those it doesn't get much wear anymore. He has one other really nice cowboy hat I purchased for him. We went to see the movie "Man from Snowy River" when it first came out. Love the movie. The young man in that movie wore a leather cowboy hat and I purchased Claude one to look like that young man.

February 1982 found us this much older. The only clothing I sewed in this picture is Nissa's outfit. My knit dress was one of my all time favorite dresses.

August 1983 found us in all store bought clothing. The age of making all my kids clothes was passing. Doesn't Jake look such the little man with his hand in his pocket and his elbow on his father's knee. 

June of 1985 we were back for the next installment. I love that Andie and Jake are having a hard time not laughing out loud at the photographer.

Later in 1985 I cut my hair and Claude and I were back for another picture.

July 24, 1989 found us at a new Olin Mills in Maryland. My kids are all growing up. Andie and Nissa on the front row were into their teen years. Nissa would soon fly the coop. Jake was in the beginning teen years. And me, well, I had a perm, and it was curly. Goodness.

July 21, 1989 found all of us back home again. Nissa had moved back with Katelyn after her divorce from Scott. We had a wonderfully full home with all our kids and our first grandmonster all under the same roof. It was a wonderful time and Katelyn (not in this picture) filled our lives to the brim. Jake would even take turns babysitting her. He would pile this little 2 1/2 year old into the car and off they would go for a day in Gettysburg to tour the battlefield. Jake loved that land and shared that love with Katelyn. Andie was working and spent some of those earnings on some of the cutest clothes for Katelyn. She purchased her first bikini and I even remember a cowgirl skirt and top made out of fabric that was spotted like a cow. Good times and memories brought back with this picture. My suit was a Danny Nicole, or something like that. It was a line of clothing style I really liked for my work clothes. I had several dresses and suits from that clothing line.

This picture was taken in May 1994. Claude and I were members of GWRRA (Goldwing Road Riders Association). That is right. We were bikers. Claude was the first National Director of Leadership Training. Many miles and hours with biking. Many friends we still keep in touch with. That was something I never would have done had it not been for Claude.  He purchased his first bike in our marriage when we lived in Denver. It was less expensive to have a bike payment and buy gas for it than it was to just buy gas for the truck we owned. When we moved to Maryland he purchased his first Gold Wing. When the 1500's came out we purchased a red one of those. The first Gold Wing we added lots of chrome. The second Gold Wing we didn't add as much chrome. We learned that all the chrome needs hours of polishing to stay pretty. One of my favorite memories was having heel spur surgery and not being able to put weight on that foot for six weeks. We still wanted to ride. Claude helped me on the bike and he let me rest my foot up near his leg with him holding it as we drove when I needed to stretch out my leg. I still remember the miles knowing he was feeling the goodness of it all as he reached back and patted my leg. Lots of good memories in this picture.

May 1996 Claude needed a good picture of him for something. We got these made of us at the same time. Please note his tie. Lots of pink flowers. He purchased his first pink long sleeved dress shirt and got this tie to go with it. He looked so handsome in his pink shirt and floral tie. He always got compliments when he wore it.

In September 1996 Jacob returned for his two year mission for the Church. We took this picture the Sunday after he got back in our back yard in Maryland. Jake is a big guy and when he came home he was so thin. Part of that was deliberate. I was so concerned. But he was healthy. We're all grown up in this one.

C

Claude and I took our first cruise for our 25th anniversary and learned we loved that kind of travel for certain trips. This was our second cruise in October 1997. It was a cruise with the GWRRA crowd and this was formal attire night.

December 2003 was our last Christmas in Maryland. We knew Claude would retire the next year. It was just a matter of timing for selling our Maryland home and purchasing a home for retirement after that. All the family came home and we celebrated one last time in Maryland. Part of that celebration was one more family picture. We also had all the kids be sure they took all the things in the house that were theirs. Lots of finals in this picture and lots of dreams for the next phase of our years together.

For Christmas 2006 we determined we should get another picture taken of the two of us for the kids. We were now 1 1/2 years into our retirement in Kentucky.  Back to Olin Mills at the K-Mart in Georgetown we headed for another portrait. My how time flies and so many things change and some just stay the same. 

Now I own a digital camera and we take most of our pictures with that. Not sure if we'll hit Olin Mills again. Probably when we determine we need one more nice picture of the two of us.

 

Tonight Claude came home from his meetings with flowers in hand. He also purchased each of us a candy bar. I stopped and sat down in the living room and we chatted and enjoyed our candy bar. Then we each puttered at stuff until time to go to dinner. Claude had reservations for us at Sal's Chop House in Lexington. We enjoyed a most delicious dinner with some of our very favorite foods. Then we headed back to Georgetown. Our purchase for our anniversary was a new television for the bedroom. Found just the right one at K-Mart.

 

It has been a fun journey through the yearsremembering with just these pictures. Lots of good times. Lots of remembering the difficult moments and how we struggled through and grew because of the working through the struggle. There is so much good in all of it, good and bad. We are so very richly blessed and I just feel a huge amount of happy tonight.

 

Happy Anniversary Big Guy!!

Love Ya Bunches,

DLP

A Mental Exercise...

I taught our Countryside Homemaker's Club that exercising our brain is an important step in 'Embracing Your Age'.  This week I got to do that without playing a computer game or working a Sudoku.

I needed some copies of VHS tapes made into DVD's. Papa is my source for this. He has the equipment and the time. However, there were issues.

A couple of weeks ago his television wore out. He purchased a new one at Walmart and got it all set up. He had to call Direct TV for some help but he got through getting it set up for his enjoyment pretty much on his own.

When I left the VHS tapes with him, we thought all would be okay for him to do them. However, he could not get the VHS/DVD Recorder to work with the new television. I went to his apartment last Sunday and tried to help him get it set up. This is really what Claude would do at our home, not an area I usually tread in at all. But Claude was busy and I figured I could work it out.

Last Sunday, Papa and I spent a long time and didn't get that VHS/DVD Recorder to work at all. Finally I told Papa I was going to take the recorder home with me and try it on my television. We were concerned that the technology in his television was newer than what the recorder could work with. We searched through his drawer full of instruction books and found all kinds of interesting things before finally finding only one piece of paper that seemed to work with his recorder. I took it, the remote, the recorder and the cabling to go between the recorder and the televsion home with me. 

This week I took one morning to stop and see if I could get it to work. It took a lot of effort. The piece of paper only addressed possibility for connecting the recording equipment to the television for several different recording possibilities. There were no instructions for how to use the record to actually record something.

I did get it set up so I had a picture on my television when I played a VHS tape or a DVD through the recorder.  This was progress. Next I needed to figure out how to get it to record. My sixth attempt I finally figured out the correct set of steps to record. I even made a recording of the VHS tape I had at home that I wanted a copy of. Yeah Me!!!

Thursday afternoon I took the VHS/DVD Recorder back to Papa with confidence our problem was in the set up and not with the television being able to talk to the recorder. It took several tries but I finally got it to have a black and white picture. This bothered me because I knew the video was in color that I recorded. I even put the DVD in Papa's computer so he could see I was telling the truth and the recording on the DVD did have color on his computer even though it displayed black and white on his television.

Back to he television and I tried some other connections with the cable and finally got the right one!! Who would have thought? Yep, I'm pleased with my 'mental exercise' and its success. Papa now can play his DVD's on this set up and also just change a few buttons and record as needed.

Papa is happy. I am happy. And...as an added bonus...I found Papa's copy of the DVD's we made last year that I needed a replacement made of three of them. Papa can do that easily on another DVD recorder he also owns. Life is good...for a bit.

Weisenberger Mill

Kentucky had a mill with a mailing address of Midway, Kentucky. It is named Weisenberger Mill. It was founded in 1913. We had heard of this place before and tried to visit it. When we got there before it was closed. Yesterday I suggested to Claude we should try going there again today. He thought that was a good idea.

This morning I called the Mill to be sure it would be open. They said they would be there until noon. Claude and I got ready and headed out as quickly as we could. We thought we knew where we were going since we had been there before.

I took my Ensign and was reading while Claude drove. I would look up every now and then to see the countryside. Fortunately I do not suffer from car sickness and can do that. Claude made our way down Hwy 25 and turned right on Spurr Road. He questioned if that was the right way. He was looking for Hwy 421. I told him some of the roads that I knew of that would take him from Spurr Road south to Hwy 421. He took none of them. We drove to where Spurr Road dead ends on another country road with a number I can't remember. We both agreed he should turn left. He did that and eventually ran into where Hwy 62 and Hwy 421 run together for a while. He turned toward Midway when the highway got near I-64. We felt good about that. Somehow we both remembered Versailles, Kentucky as a part of our previous drive to Weisenberger Mill. We got to Versailles and saw not one sign for the Mill. Doubts set in as to our going to right way at this point.

By this time I had my new cell phone out trying all the map and direction possibilities that come with this new phone. Everything I found said we should be going back the way we came. This was just not computing in our heads. We determined to retrace our steps after I finally found a map that made the most sense to me.

Now, if we had just gone through Georgetown, taken Payne's Depot Rd from there to where it turns right and runs with Hwy 421, then made a right turn on 421 and a quick left on to Weisenberger Mill Road we would have been just fine. We had a lovely drive in beautiful Kentucky horse country but we were definitely going the wrong way.

Knowing were we needed to be with this new map, we headed for our intersection. We found the intersection and Claude kept driving and passed Adams Road. I found it as I scrolled around on the cell phone. Then he passed Brown's Lane and I found it. Uh-Oh!! We were headed to Lexington and we had somehow passed Weisenberger Road. We neither saw any signs for the Mill or the road with the name Weisenberger.

Claude found a spot to turn around and back we headed on Hwy 421. I carefully watched our map and ticked off Brown's Lane, Adams Road, Hwy 62 and then told Claude to take the very next left turn he found. Sure enough we found the tiny road with no signage at all. We followed the little road a short way and there was the mill. Geez!! At least now we will not ever make that mistake again because I believe there will be other trips to this gem of a destination.

We both expected to find a little store front that you could shop in as a part of the Mill. Not so. There was a tiny office (my downstairs bathroom is bigger than this office). It has one little plastic shelf along a wall with the door into the Mill and store area. That shelf has some of the mixes on it they produce at the Mill.

We let the lady behind us, who knew what she was there for, order before us. There was one man in the little office and he took and order and then went to the back to get them to bring the order to the loading dock of the Mill.

Claude and I wanted to see if they had whole wheat we could add to our storage. Their shelf showed a place for honey but none on that shelf. We asked the man if they had whole wheat we could purchase. They did. We got two 50 lb. bags for $15 each. Yippee!!  We also had him show us the honey. There was not such a great price for the honey. It was $10 a pint. We purchased both the pints he brought out for his shelf. We also got some yellow grits (interesting) and a few mixes for spoon bread and for scones. It felt great to put this stuff in our car for our use and storage.

As we got ready to get in the Jeep, I noticed under the Mill office area where the concrete footings were for the foundation an opening through which I could see water splashing down from something. Hmmm...that piqued my curiosity. I had a camera and it needed to get a picture of this.

We paused long enough to call the Carter family and see if they wanted to join us in Frankfort for lunch. They did. Then we headed to get some pictures before driving to Frankfort.

There is a stream running beside the mill. There is a dam in the stream. At one point there must have been a water wheel there because we found the spot where one could have been set up. There is an old bridge over the stream. Claude was fascinated with it. He sits on a board that reviews and prioritizes projects to be completed in the Bluegrass Area. This bridge is one that has had much discussion. It needs to be replaced but when and should it. Judging by the number of times I had to move to get out of the way of traffic while I was trying to take pictures, I think the public needs access to that highway over that stream. My pictures are of Weisenberger Mill, the dam and stream and the old bridge.

Now, what I should really do is go back and replicate these pictures in the spring or summer when the flowers are on the trees or when all the green of Kentucky is on the trees. That would be a fun contrast.

We enjoyed lunch at Zaxby's with the Carter family. Then we stopped at the fabric store for another potential project for Sandi to make for another board Claude sits on, then a stop a in Georgetown at Dairy Queen for dessert and back to our home in Sadieville. Great day for a good outing.

Creating Cards...

Wednesday, February 6th was our Countryside Homemakers meeting. It was held at Charlotte Archer's home.

I taught the lesson this time on 'Embracing Your Age'. Ironically, one of the points I was to make was the importance of sleep. I found that the Mayo Clinic says and adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep each night. However, Tuesday night I couldn't sleep. This happens more than I care to admit. At 3am Wednesday morning I was still trying to get to sleep and thinking how absurb I was going to tell these ladies to sleep when I didn't even do that myself. Life is definitely full of ironies.

We had a nice chili lunch provided by Charlotte. Then it was time to make our craft.

Janet Preston led this portion of our meeting. She brought things to make cards for Valentine's Day. I provided the card stock.

I found myself feeling a little like one does in elementary school when given an opportunity to create something using our own brain power...stumped. I sat there and looked at that white piece of paper folded in half and pondered what in the world to create. There were ample supplies with which to work. I just needed to come up with a plan. Suddenly, I had absolutely no creative gene in this body.

After a while a thought came to my mind. I didn't know if it would work but it was worth a try. I found a strip of white lace and cut it the length of my card. I folded the long edge of the top side of the card under about 1 inch. Then I laid this lace over the top of it. The lace was actually the kind you run ribbon through. Now, the easy thing would have been to run the ribbon through that lace and glue it on. Alas, my mind went to the harder possibility.

With a pencil, I made a line where the hole for the ribbon to go through the lace was on my card stock. Then with tiny scissors I cut four holes in my card stock. Then I laid the lace down on the inside of the cardstock and proceeded to run the ribbon through the card stock and the lace. Next I adjusted the lengths of the ribbon. Then I tied a bow in the ribbon and cut the ends of the ribbon. This left a big blank spot at the top of the outside of the card.

What to do, what to do...then the flash of intellect came and I knew I would take the heart shaped cookie cutter and use it for a pattern. I drew the heart on the front of my card above my lovely ribbon and lace edge. Then I proceeded to make a little house out of that heart with a chimney.

Here are the ladies and our finished project:

I'm going to think of a fun note to record inside the card and give it to Claude for our 43rd anniversary this Thursday.

It was great fun to be that kid in elementary school again. Hope Claude likes his card!!