Hi Friends,

I don't know about you, but for me May is about my busiest month. There is just something about the last month of school that brings everything into chaos. Fun chaos, undoubtedly, but chaos just the same. The difference between my 2 boys is very evident this time of year. When Peter was in high school, I never received any information about anything. I either heard about concerts, awards programs, etc. the next day from friends wondering where Bob and I were, or Peter would leave me tiny notes in my car to say that there might be something going on in 5 minutes at the school. Pete always seemed to be where he needed to be, but often forgot to share that information with his parents. Christian, on the other hand, always has a daily and weekly list of where we need to be and when. He is funny, and this has been one of those weeks, and I have loved every minute of it. Mostly. In between times, I have been stitching like crazy getting ready for the Columbus Market. Teri is spending the day out in the front hall packing the trunks to send. Sooooooo I thought it would be a great time to get this note written. I hate trunks. I think she does too, she is just better disciplined.

A welcome respite from our self-imposed market regime came Tuesday night when our stitching group took the train to Salt Lake for dinner and shopping. Only Lynnette and Teri and I had ridden on it yet--as it is very new--so it was quite an adventure. The trip was perfect, dinner great, and most people went shopping for charms for their bracelets. Teri's elementary school field trip chaperone training came right back to her as she seemed to need to herd us along. When there is a train to catch, there is no lagging or disappearing with her in charge. We had a great time, and have decided that we want to go on more outings in the future. The Frontrunner--train--has been so much fun. Last Saturday we had a bunch of people in who had ridden up on it and had walked over to have lunch and come shopping. We also had one group hire the pedi-cab pedaled by a charming man named Peter--not my Peter, although he would probably like doing that, too--who brought them on a little tour, dropped them off at the shop, and waited for them to go shopping. I think Teri has some pictures at the end. Lucky you.

I also think that she has the picture of the Patriotic Baubles up. It is truly so darling, you will love it. Yikes!!! Patriotic means summer and 4th of July. Can it really be here again so soon. We have several new things stitched and framed in the shop, but I am going to tell you about them next week--hopefully earlier--because I don't want to wait for Teri to take pictures for this one. Something to look forward to.

In the meantime, have a wonderful week. And--have a safe and lovely Memorial Day
Weekend.

fondly, Tina

Nancy, Judy and I are stitching on our Frontrunner trip.

Linda and Tina are enjoying the scenery.

Ready to go on our trip, I have my stitching ready, Trudy and Lynnette where is yours????

Away we go. This is a first time trip for both Loree and Linda. We had a blast and came home late. Frontrunner is in the background.

Dear Friends,

In Utah, Spring comes tentatively. It appears to creep its way along slowly and silently all too often giving way to continued snow showers. It seems like one minute we are wearing winter coats and the next minute a sweater is more than enough. I am still grateful for flannel sheets right now, but almost every day that I have opened my bedroom windows, I have had to get up shivering in the night to close them. The tulips in my garden have been slow in coming this year and have lasted forever. The iris are still tightly closed, and every day I tell myself to be patient. The garden is so orderly and fresh right now, that I just watch in happy anticipation for each new prospective bloom. This year, even the trees are slow and sleepy to awaken. One of the last things to come back to life is the Virginia Creeper. I know--I am one of the few souls who loves that plant. I love it in every season. All my grown-up life I have lived in a house covered with its magnificent foliage, and every spring I watch in worry for its first leaves to begin to unfold. In March, I circle the house checking signs for green on its apparently lifeless tendrils fearful that this is the year it won't make it back from the long winter. Just this week, as I opened my bedroom shutters, I saw the first tiny leaves appearing. It made me happy. Then I know that winter is truly over. In our back yard at the shop we have several lilac bushes which my mom planted for us 24 years ago when we opened. The starts she planted are double old fashioned lilacs which she took from my grandparent's home almost 50 years ago and planted in her new yard. Now they have grown into the most splendid bushes outside the back door at the shop. Teri gathered an enormous armful yesterday to put in a vase by the front door, and they are so heartbreakingly beautiful. There is just something about spring flowers which is both unexpected and miraculous and always reminds me of my mom who filled our home with nature's offerings. Happy spring wherever and whenever yours arrives.

This week has been busy at the shop. We are crazy working on the retreat and getting everything ready for the Columbus market the first part of June. We finally got the patriotic Baubles back from the finisher, and I think you will love it. We do. Watch for the picture below. Have a good week, and in the midst of everything, may your weather be gentle and mild.

fondly, Tina

Here is the Patriotic Bauble....
We have used the design from another one of Patty's ( Sam Sarah) patterns to stitch this great piece. We have the conversion, buttons and the threads. Fun!!

Charland gave us this marvelous lamb. We love to fill it with seasonal flowers. Today our lilacs fill the shop with such a wonderful scent.

A bouquet of lilacs from our back makes me so happy. I love them!!!

Hi Friends,

Teri and I are taking a computer class. We bought a new Mac at the end of last year because our printer can no longer read the files from our beloved ancient Mac and wants us to learn a new program. It has only taken us 4 months to get going on our class and we have to travel to the Apple store in Salt Lake to take it. We can go once a week and you just wouldn't believe how fast that class rolls around. Basically, I think it is a good idea to take classes, because in spite of the fact that I work on both a PC and a Mac all the time, I just do those things I need to and most of the computer remains a total mystery to me. It does remind me of another computer class I took once with Teri and Bob a hundred years ago in Community Ed. I was so bad at it. I just simply didn't get one thing about it. The whole class was oohing and aahing and congratulating themselves--Teri and Bob--included, and I just sat there for 2 hours staring at the screen unable to do one single thing. Now that I think about it, I am not sure I could even turn it on. Every now and then one of them would ask me how I was doing and I would cheerfully answer "Perfect! I can do everything." In reality, I could nothing. Our class this time around is a bit of deja vu for me--except that the people at Apple are so nice and patient. Teri just flys in and gets the computer set up and ready to go and she absorbs everything that the fellow happens to show us. Like, it actually makes sense to her. I do a lot of smiling and pretending. My newest plan is that I drop her off near the store because the computer is pretty heavy and the parking lot is a long ways away. Then I spend quite a long time finding just the right parking place. Once I even had to return and change for a better place. Then I take a quick look in Old Navy on my way to class and glance longingly at Barnes and Noble. By the time I get there, the class is moving quite nicely along without me, and I take a stroll along the I-pod row as I go. (Teri might be catching on, though. This last time she "forgot" to save me a place.)

This week Teri and the girls have been working on the new Baubles. July is just darling for summer. I think we have a picture of it at the end of this letter. It is flip-flops and she has matched it up with the most adorable Mary Englebreit fabric for a pillow. All the little buttons are so cute. I think you will love it. We have had a lot of people who also want a patriotic Bauble, so we have adapted another one of Sam/Sarah's patterns to fit perfectly on the fabric like the other Baubles. We are just finishing it up, so next week we will put it on the blog.

Sorry, I have to go. This is Christian's night at Civil Air Patrol, and I have to get him out to Layton. Have a great week, and I will talk to you next week.

fondly, Tina

Here is the July Baubles... It is so darling!!! We have finished it off with darling Mary Engelbreit fabric, and adorable buttons!!! Do not despair if you were wanting a Fourth of July pillow. We have adapted another one of SamSarah's patterns into a flag bauble. We will put it up next week. Let us know if you would like either or both.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008--this is the day I started this entry

Hi Friends,

Yesterday was my Christian's birthday--15 years old and I can hardly believe it. We had so much fun and we were so busy that he was opening presents at midnight with me chiding him to hurry and get on to bed. But today, I am feeling sort of blue. He is my baby and he is growing up too quickly. I hate that he's 15 and pestering me to take him to get his driver's permit. Peter was 4 when I found out that I was pregnant with Christian, and I remember wondering how I would ever love another child as much as I loved Peter. Well, everyone else knows the answer to that one. Christian is definitely a child who keeps us hopping. A little like Teri in that there is usually a big plan or a crisis. But always a lot of fun. He had decided long ago what he wanted to do for his birthday. We have a brand new train which is going from Ogden to Salt Lake City, and its first day was Saturday. Chris wanted to take the train down to meet Bob and Peter for dinner--and then I thought that we could ride home with Bob. Well, it turned out to be one of 3 free days for riding the Frontrunner, and 30,000 other souls had the same thought. Yikes!!! Going down to Salt Lake wasn't too bad in a claustrophobic sort of way. It was exciting and entertaining. Christian never stopped looking out the window and Teri entertained various toddlers in her inimitable way. After dinner, Chris--a train lover from the day he was born--was determined to take the train home again and Teri kept reminding me that it was after all his birthday, so away we went. Bob make it home in 45 minutes and we made it home in 3.5 hours. At one point he called to tell us that the train he just passed looked like the India Express. He was right--people practically hanging off the windows. I will be glad to pay for my next ride.

It is a huge thing for us and very exciting. Bob took it to work yesterday and I hope that he will do it often. And for any of you coming to Salt Lake and not wanting to rent a car, we are such a pleasant and easy shot on the Frontrunner. If you were staying in downtown Salt Lake, it is a quick ride on the public transit to the train and a fun ride to Ogden. We are an easy 2 block walk from the station. It is going to be great.

OK--here it is Thursday, and I have yet to finish this. So I am going to send it off and move on. Next week we have some fun new things coming that are just being finished. 2 new Baubles. The retreat is overflowing and Teri and I are very excited. We spent all last weekend working on a project for it and it is very fun. You will all flip--well if you are coming to the retreat that is. Have a great week, plenty of calm and lots of accomplishments. That is also what I hope for myself. I think I am chaperoning a band trip tomorrow evening and I am too scared to call and find out.

fondly, Tina

ps--still snowing.
pps--not kidding.