Showers of April Crafting

This peachy-colored Sweet Pea bloom appeared in the first week of April out on my back patio. The vine it grew on had been buried under a huge snowdrift in February! Such beautiful determination deserved my admiration and care.  In earnest, I looked for a sturdier trellis than the wooden one I had used last year.  My youngest daughter spotted one she thought would work in a store near her. I drove to the store and agreed.  I bought a trellis for each of the two planters I have on the back patio.

On the way home from the store I saw one of my favorite views of Mt. Hood.  There is a plant nursery shown below Mt. Hood in this photo.  I have shopped there but resisted stopping there that day.  I was eager to get home and construct the trellises around the planters.

By God's grace, I was able to follow the wordless sketched assembly instructions.  In this case, a picture really was worth a thousand words!  The metal trellises surround the planters and should be a stable support for the Sweet Pea vines on the left and the Clematis vines on the right.

A few weeks ago Teresa inspired me to start knitting some more Grandma's Dishcloths.  In her post she showed the dishcloth she was knitting for her friend, Shirley.  I knit this little one for a dear friend who just had her 85th birthday.

I knit this one for a friend who has red as an accent color in her kitchen.  She is also fond of pink, so I hope she will enjoy using this...a simple gift stitched with loving thoughts of her.

This dishcloth flew off my knitting needles on the West Coast USA and landed safely on the East Coast USA to help my since kindergarten friend celebrate her 70th birthday.

Showers of blooms have been bursting out around me!  Currently, these Bleeding Heart blossoms by my front step are my favorite.  In our neighborhood, we have Azalea bushes blooming in red, pink, lavender, purple, white, yellow, and orange.  There are also Dogwood trees blooming in pink and white, Magnolias in pink and white, and Cherries in pink and white.  What varieties of blooms do you have around you in your season of Spring?

 In this last week of April, some of the ladies at church brought the beautiful crafting from their hands to gift folks who are patients at a nearby hospital.  While our focus has been producing blankets and hats for babies who spend time in the NICU, some of the ladies have been knitting and crocheting larger blankets that have been given to older children who have had to be in the ER.  The church also received a thank you note from a Hospice patient who found comfort in the blanket given to her from the ones the ladies made in the last collection of blankets we donated.  The hospital volunteer coordinator said that especially in this last year since hospital visitors have been so limited, they have been glad to have the homemade gifts to give to patients to encourage their healing...which encourages us to know as well!

Have you been enjoying showers of crafting in your life?

Gracie ((hugs)) 😃

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.                               I Thessalonians 5:18

Five on Friday: Camping!

For quite some time I have been enjoying viewing posts published by bloggers participating in Amy's Five on Friday gathering.  Since I find myself creating posts about once a week, I am going to have a go at joining Amy's link up and share five highlights of my past week.

One: Forest camping between Rock Creek Reservoir and Wamic, Oregon, on the east side of Mt. Hood, for the last ten days has been wonderful! Some of the roads my family traveled on to go camping are part of what was the Oregon Barlow Pioneer Trail.  Although we set up my tent, my youngest daughter and her husband invited me to sleep in their camping trailer which was very comfy.

Two: Fun was had by all who came with me as well as those who just visited for a day. Our campsite was right alongside a manmade irrigation creek.  It was so relaxing listening to the water ripple past although we ventured away from our campsite nearly every day for a bit. One day we drove to the nearby lookout over the Tygh Valley and it was lovely to see the farm land below us. Another day we played a round of miniature golf, and then my son and son in law played 18 holes on the beautiful, nearly deserted golf course in around 100 degree sunshine! On Sunday we visited the local log cabin Wamic Community Church and enjoyed their Pot Blessing lunch after worship.

Three:  Firelight and heat was our friend for some daytime cookouts and in the cool evenings.  We enjoyed playing Scrabble, Pegs and Jokers, Bannangrams, and, Five Thousand here and there during the days and evenings. I finished knitting two dishcloths and crocheted three little round face scrubbers. During some days my youngest daughter had to use WiFi at a local cafe to complete homework assignments for her Master's in Nursing Informatics.  While she did that I colored some more pages with watercolors, and fiber tipped pens and sketched and watercolored a view of our campsite. Some of the time I spent reading, too, from the "One Year NLT Bible," and Jan Karon's  pastoral but driving Father Tim novel, "In the Company of Others."  

Four: Feathers were a highlight of our days. We visited Rock Creek Reservoir frequently and gathered many goose feathers and a pretty little orange and black feather that I think may have come from a red winged black bird. On one of the near 100 degree days we went swimming in the clear cool water.  Ahhhhhh....  While we were out in the water  without our cameras we were thrilled to watch a Bald Eagle swoop down to the water, catch a fish and then fly directly overhead so that we could almost see the scales on the fish! Family members and friends also went fishing, but unlike the Bald Eagle, no one caught a fish.

Five:  Flowers were a delight to see tucked here and there in the green grasses and bushes around us.  When four year old grand Joy visited for a day she picked a sprig of Queen Anne's Lace for me which I brought home with me although it is a bit worse for the wear. The photo of the Thistle I took with Jennifer of Thistlebear in mind.

Now that I am home and unpacked and reconnected to more reliable internet connections, I look forward to visiting with and finding out, "what is new or old with you?"

xx
Gracie

Meandering

My youngest son, Tim, visiting from NJ, and I started meandering  from  Vista Point along the Columbia River in Oregon,  where Tim took this photo with the Washington shore pictured behind us.

We meandered by Multnomah Falls, and up Mt. Hood,

and along the Sandy River at Dodge Park,

and then to Blue Lake Park where you can see Joy and Molly splashing,

and where Uncle Tim and Rosie had a serious consultation,

and Uncle Tim gallantly guided Joy balancing on a log.

Meandering around our home after Tim flew back to NJ some of the family picked the first of our crop of apples.

Hayley asked for help learning how to crochet a blanket for her mom.

I knit some dishcloths for my friends, Teresa, Betsy and Taci, and my oldest daughter picked some of her lavender to share with them.

Then I meandered south to Crescent City especially to visit my dear 83 year old friend, Donna, and my wonderful friends in the Windy Weavers group.

Donna and I ate dinner here and played a game of Scrabble, too :)

Right after I left Donna in Crescent City, after a delightful visit with her, she suddenly had a heart attack and then a stroke and died...a shock I am still processing while celebrating her beautiful creative life filled with teaching, playing piano, making and appreciating art, and being a champion Scrabble player who trounced me nearly every time we played.  We shared faith in God, both graduated from San Jose State University and had a loving friendship that made light of the 20 years that separated us in age.  I am so grateful to have known her.

From Crescent City I meandered further south to Sonoma, CA, to pick up my oldest sister, Carolyn, and we then drove north to the high desert land of eastern Oregon.

Just south of Bend, OR, we saw this fabulous sunset at Waldo Lake.

We had hoped to go swimming with Teresa and Dayle in Waldo Lake and see 140 feet down in the clear water, but thunderstorms prevented that :( and Carolyn had a migraine headache so was not able to enjoy the delicious dinner of baked potato, corn on the cob, and filet mignon that Teresa and Dayle fixed for us. I also got to meet and enjoy a visit with Teresa's brother and sister-in-law, and one of her other sisters.

The next day, Carolyn, who felt better, and I meandered further north by the three Sisters Mountains, had lunch in the charming Western themed town of Sisters, OR ,and drove back to my home in Gresham.

We meandered out to eat several times in the next few days, and my youngest daughter, Elisabeth took this interesting photo at Tad's Chicken an' Dumplins along the Sandy River where we had  memorably yummy meals.  Then tomorrow we meander to the Portland, OR, airport PDX, so that my sister can fly home to Sonoma, CA.

Where have you been meandering?

Gracie xx