Finishing March 2019...

Saturday, March 23rd was a pretty busy day. 

I took these two picture of a rock and board that Claude has painted. This rock and board were picked up by Jake when he lived in Utah. He brought them with him when he moved to Michigan and they have been stored in our basement ever since. When Jake was home at Christmas, he went through his things that are stored here to pare them down a bit. He gave two items to his Dad and Claude went to work. He researched the place they came from and the years and found accurate information. Then he painted the rock and the board with that family history information. We will  keep the rock in our yard. Jake wants the board back to hang in his apartment. So happy to have these two bits of Claude's family history that Jake found and kept.

Both items are from Uncle Joe's cabin on property that is now owned by Thiokol. The building that the wood came from is now gone. Such treasures. Here is the bush by our driveway that we have put the rock under. I took these pictures of the bush this week when I noticed it produced little yellow flowers. I found it interesting that the flowers grow on the underside of the branches. 

Also this day, Claude added a luggage rack to the Jeep. We use this Jeep like a little truck. Claude has several projects that require long pieces of lumber. With this rack he can now strap them to the top of the Jeep to bring them home from Lowe's in Georgetown. I think they look very nice.

Claude has finished one other really nice project. Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Sadieville had a nice bell on top. In an effort to protect this historic building, the bell was removed and a new roof put on. Claude brought the bell home to clean it up and restore it. He has now finished that work. He made a sturdy wooden frame for it and ordered a plaque with a description of the bell and where it came from. The Georgetown Scott County Museum would love to have it. Claude is waiting for the new Mayor and City Commission from Sadieville to determine if they want to keep it or to give it to the Museum. Claude worked very hard and did an excellent job on this project.

This Saturday morning I drove to Lexington to attend the Lexington North Stake Relief Society Service Project. The project was to make fun hats for young children in hospitals. These were pre-crocheted caps. We took a kit with the hat and yarn. We attached the yarn to the hat and then styled the yarn hair. I was able to get the yarn attached to one of the caps before I needed to leave to spend time with Papa at the nursing home. It was a very fun activity.

After a nice visit with Papa, I returned home to change clothes. Claude and I were headed to Georgetown for the wedding reception of Victoria Alexander and Brandon Holt. It was a very nice finish to a very full day.

Debated whether to post this one or just keep it to myself. I have decided to record it in this Blog. I visit Papa everyday in the nursing home. On Monday, March 25th, I found Papa curled up under his blanket sound asleep. He is often asleep when I get there. I usually quietly sit beside him or put away his laundry or clear up around his bed till he wakes up. This day I just stood there for a good long while watching him all curled up in what is truly his only corner of the world. It is so hard to watch this. We spend our lives accumulating and building our own nests full of the things we like, want, need, enjoy, treasure, etc. When it comes to the end of our lives, we will take none of those 'things' with us. Our experience and learning, the type of person we have become, covenants we have made and kept with our Heavenly Father, those are the kinds of these that will go with us. Papa had all those things. Now he has this little space, pictures of family, a few books, a television and a few clothes in a closet. He treasures his walker that still lets him get around some. As I watched my father sleep, I was reminded of the reality of what is most important in life and what is really just to make life a little nicer for us to live. I will continue to visit him every day and try to fill his world with a little of those nice things until he takes the things that are really important from living his life with him when he graduates to the next step. This is real life folks, real life.

Okay, I'm headed into Kroger. As I left my car to walk across the parking lot, this is a car I past. I had to pause and take a quick picture. Sent it to my kids labeled "the worlds most awful job". Goodness. I could see parents using this as a poster for why one needs a good education!!

That same day was Nissa's birthday. This year I posted pictures of her when she was the ages her kids are now. In the first picture Nissa is Aubrey's age (her youngest), in the second picture she is Paul's age (her middle child) and in the last picture she is the same age as Katelyn (her firstborn). 

The next day was Paul's birthday. I just posted on Facebook these fun pictures from our Paul's life. In the second one I happened to catch his very first steps. In the third one he really wanted a donut but he didn't want to be sticky. Andie, his aunt and Nissa's sister, got some baggies and covered his hands. He was one really, really happy little boy with that donut he wanted so badly. Paul is on the sofa with a headache. Michael, Andie's hubby and Paul's uncle is sitting with him. We got him a baseball mitt for a birthday in the next picture. Then he is having a moment with Bo, the Marx family cat. Finally is a picture of Paul today with his beloved dog, Molly. Cute kid!

On Thursday, March 28th I was asked to help judge an activity at the nursing home. It was called 'Chopped'. Three of the residents with the help of three of the staff prepared desserts. There were a few mandatory ingredients and the rest was up to them. We judged them in three areas and each contestant won a trophy for one of those areas. The first two pictures are for Best Presentation. The second two pictures are for Best Flavor. The last two pictures are for Best Texture. This was a fun activity and well attended by other residents. 

Whew! We made it through March. So many other things happened but these are the ones I chose for this Blog entry.

Tidbits to Remember...

We have had two birthdays so far this month. 

Aubrey Anne was on the 14th of March. Aubrey is our middle grandmonster. I posted these pictures from 2000 on Facebook on her birthday. I chose these because Aubrey now has a little one of her own. He looks a LOT like his mother. 
 
 
Andie's birthday was on the 17th of March. Andie is our middle child. I posted these two pictures on Facebook on her birthday. I chose these because she is 12 in the first picture and 14 in the second picture. Her two children are now these ages. Andie's comment was: "Well, this firmly establishes that they are better off than I was in terms of a middle school hairstyle!"😂🤣😂

 

The other two things I want to remember are about my sweet Hubby. 

Thing 1)
One night I was watching television with him in the evening. A commercial about Hershey's chocolate came on. I said to Claude, "That just makes me want chocolate." Claude quietly got up and went to his office. He returned with a Hershey's milk chocolate bar. We each had a laugh and then enjoyed that candy bar. I don't know when he purchased those but he waited patiently for just the right time and I loved that gesture. 

This last week we were watching the television show "Madame Secretary". Tia Leone is the Secretary of State. She is frantically searching in her kitchen for something. Her hubby, played by Tim Daly (who is also her real life love), is watching her and listening to her tell about the current trial she is dealing with. He finally says to her, "What are you looking for?" To which she replies that she knows they have a secret chocolate stashed somewhere in that kitchen and she can't find it. He quietly goes to their kitchen table, reaches under it, and removes the chocolate candy bar taped under it. Thought Claude and I were going to split our sides laughing at that. 

Thing 2)
On March 8th I received an eMail from my Hubby. It simply said, "I'd like to go on record that I think you're a pretty hot gramma and I like hanging out with you...XXXOOO Claude"  On be still my heart. Doesn't every woman who reaches 68 with gray hair and some extra cushioning on her body want to hear that from the guy she is sure is still the most handsome creature on the planet? I mean, really. Claude is truly a keeper.

Now, on to that mountain of sewing before I go spend the afternoon with my father.

Crafting Complete...

It Is Finished!!! So many hours. My thumb has a hard time holding my pen to write my name now. But, it is finished. This puppy afghan is for our soon-to-be third great grandmonster. Katelyn picked out the one she wanted for their baby-on-the-way and I have been working since November on this beast. Happy it is done. These are really to be keepsakes for the kids. I am sure Raelyn will totally enjoy it before the baby does. 

This is a receiving blanket and burp pad. When we visited Julie and Cordell in February, Julie was making several of these blankets and burp pad sets. She knows a lady with a machine that stitches around the edge so the flannel will not ravel while also pocking holes around the edge through which your crochet hook can easily enter. All these years I have been poking my crochet hook through the fabric by hand. Didn't know anything about this machine. Anyway, Julie gracious sent me home with the prepared flannel and the yarn to crochet these items for the Roper's baby due to arrive the end of April or early May. The crochet thread is a fun kind that comes out looking like velour after you have crocheted with it. Simple single crochet all the way around each item is how Julie did it. So I did the same thing. Our soon-to-be baby will love these soft items from Julie and Cordell. 

Now I have a bunch of sewing projects on which to work. It really never ends...just like dusting!!

Josephine Sculpture Park...

Saturday, March 16th, I spent the morning visiting Papa. As the morning wore on, I sent a text to Claude and told him I really wanted to be outside in the afternoon. He could pick what we did but we really needed to be outside that afternoon. 

When I got home from visiting Papa, we decided we would visit Josephine Sculpture Park. It is just south of Frankfort, Kentucky off Hwy 127. I heard about this place on the news last year. It was on the news because once a year they craft festival on the grounds. That is the only time you must pay for parking. There is never an entry fee. The grounds have mowed grass paths through the natural landscape of trees and shrubs. You just walk through these paths and find big sculptures with plaques telling you the artist, the name of the artwork, and a bit out what it is depicting. 

Claude and I parked the Jeep and started walking. We have had so much rain that the places where the grass is thin were a bit muddy but we never really stepped in mud during all our walk. It was also still only in the low 40's so there were not many people there. This made for better pictures without having to wait and work around other visitors. You can take your pets but you must keep them on a leash and you must pick up after them. There were two couples with big dogs. 

Here are some pictures of the sculptures we enjoyed during out afternoon stroll. The first is me in front of some tree sculpture. We don't get tons of pictures of me because I am behind the camera. But Claude did get two of me this day and this was the first one.

Some of the sculptures are just to look at, some you may touch, others the kids could climb and play on. This was a kids climb and play on sculpture.  

This is a 'lodestone'. It is a place in Kentucky where True North and Magnetic North meet. It is made up of limestone rock that is already a part of the ground with a big piece of iron resting on that rock. Evidently they are putting these sculptures in places that fit this criteria around the world. Cool! 

We saw many uses of rebar in the sculpture world. This was one of them. It is actually a dome like structure that Claude is standing inside of. Hanging from the top on the inside a colorful wine bottles. 

This is actually a metal drum with items on the top that are turtle'esk. I do love turtles. 

And this interesting piece was titled Kentucky Fire Chicken! The cardinal is the Kentucky State Bird. Never heard it called a 'Fire Chicken'. But I like that name. 

The next four at the graphicologyhenge. Graphicology because it has to do with letters that people like to paint on buildings and train cars. Henge because the walls are formed in a circle, kind of like Stonehenge. The cool thing about this is kids are allowed to bring in paint and paint something on these walls. Claude quickly found that Harry Potter had been here. 

There were several trees that had to be cut down to make the park with its many paths. The trees needed to be removed to make way for other types of trees that needed to grow for whatever reason. The trees that were cut down were given to one of the artists. This artist carved the wood from the tree and it was placed in the tree that remained as a sculpture. We saw this type of sculpture in several places in the Park. The object in the tree branches is really a carving from the trunk of the tree that was cut down. It really looked like a concrete object nestled in the tree branches but it really is wood that is carves. 

This eagle is a large replica of much smaller carved eagles used in Native American rituals. My hubby is a regal eagle!! 

This was probably our favorite of the sculptures. It is beams that are like railroad ties that have been covered with strips of old tires. 

The solid inside cube is suspended in the outline outer cube. You can turn the inside cube around inside the outside cube without touching the outside cube. 

This is a boat and you can imagine it in water or in the air. When we were in Ireland there was a monument that had boats in this shape. Looking at this sculpture took me back to Ireland. Nice!

I cannot remember what this dress was to represent. Something ethereal. The thing that fascinated me was taking real lace to trip it and the coating the entire piece of artwork with something to keep it firm and able to without the outdoor setting,  

Okay, when we walked up to this I thought it might be a turtle. This made me happy because of my love of turtles. However, as you stand over it, it appears to be a snail. Hmmmm... The label just said it is to let you use your imagination. I stand with the turtle then! 

Claude trying to see if this one speaks to him. The post is all rock shapes stacked on each other. Then there are the things hanging from the top. No description of what the artist intended. I'm thinking he/she intended to have Claude pause and stare for a long time.

Some type of metal boat. 

These guys were title "Herb and Clarence". So, of course, our thoughts went to a "Where's Claudo?" picture. 

Every so often you would find a bench to sit on. We never sat on one but we determined Claude needs to make one of these for our back deck. Then we would let the grandmonsters paint it any way they wanted. They could paint it differently each time they visited. Sort of like our bench version of the graphicologyhenge.

This is an ox. It is made so that kids can insert plant starts that would grow in it.  

These two pictures are of an art object made with old tractor parts.  

A butterfly throne for Sandi. 

The next two pictures are the same sculpture. Actually there were 2 or 3 little sculptures that fit with it in the setting. I took the first one trying to imagine what it will look like as all this grass greens up this spring. It will just pop out over the top. Cool.  

This was another movable sculpture. Rectangles suspended in rectangles. They just spin around inside of each other. 

The most political statement made into a sculpture. That is a green dollar symbol hanging inside the frame base. The name on the sinking ship is the US Diplomacy. 

The cutouts on this object reminded me again of Ireland and the Celtic graphics that just weave inside of each other and never end. I love those patterns. 

Don't have any clue. The last sculpture and it is really out there. When I was a child, my parents had a set of encyclopedias. In each volume were several illustrated stories. One of these the people were portrayed with skinny bodies and lots of bubbly shapes on then, kind of like this sculpture. Don't remember what the story was even about. Just remember thinking the artist really reached to draw bodies like that, and, lo and behold, this sculptor did the same thing! 

We made a donation to keep this place going. Great walk and would recommend it to anyone. Now it was time to feed our tired bodies. Claude wanted barbecue. I wanted to find a new place. Googled barbecue in Frankfort, Kentucky. Found one place named Staxx on Hwy 127 in Frankfort. We found it and had a really good meal. Would go back there in a heartbeat.

As we left Frankfort, we spotted this guy advertising for a mattress store. It was a little windy and we both marveled at his ability to stay upright inside of a mattress costume. At least he is working to earn his money. 

We had a wonderful Saturday afternoon. Amazing the things you can find in your own area to visit and enjoy.