Thank You Card

A friend recently loaned me the book Ink Heart which I enjoyed very much. I had seen the movie so I was reluctant to read the book, but I am now looking forward to reading the two sequels.

Here is the thank you card I made for her. I used the cartridge Walk in my Garden to cut the flowers, pot, and sentiment inside. I also used the cuttlebug to emboss the pot with the swiss dot folder and dimensionals to raise the flowers and pot. I am really going to work on my photography skills. There is a shadow slanting through the bottom third of both photos and the color is way off. My apologies - I will do better in the future!!

Cards Again

I've really been slack about this blogging thing and I am going to try to do better!!

I made several Vday cards this year, but only took a few pictures.

This is the one I sent to Mom. The silhouette is from the Cricut cartridge A Child's Year.
I just made up the inside sentiment because I thought it was an ageless idea, spanning generations.

Today is JC's birthday.
I made this card for him and I totally lifted it from Mary at Cardz TV. She is an amazing paper crafter and I get many good ideas from her!!
Hmmmm - guess I'd better go make some cookies!!

Ghost

Our good friends from Seattle, A and G, visited with us recently. It was so good to see them and we had a lovely time. One of the highlights of their visit here was a trip to their old stompin' grounds in Sonoita, south of Tucson. It was actually a return visit for us because A had fixed us up with one of his buddies last year who gave us a wonderful day showing us the local sights.

This is Ghost. A and G had a ranch and several horses when they lived in Sonoita. When they left the area, they gifted their animals to several friends. A was thrilled to find Ghost alive and well, living with one of his former EMT partners. Ghost is a beautiful animal and we all felt sure that Ghost remembered A.

Of course, there is always the food!! We had lunch at this little cafe in Patagonia, a neighboring town. The food was very good and the small town feel of the place was delightful

G had a boutique in Sonoita and she and A were very involved with the locals. G called several friends and they all decided to meet us at The Steakout, a local eatery and hangout. We had so much fun meeting everyone!! We also had a wonderful meal!!
The guys ordered the ribs - I think all four of us could have shared ONE of those slabs!!

G had the burger and I ordered a ribeye. Man!! It was juicy and cooked to perfection. YUM!!

We had such a good time during A and G's visit. We were excited to show them all the fun things we've been experiencing. They said our life here at Palm Creek is just like being at summer camp. You know, they're right!!

Run Wild!!

Our daughters are visiting with us this week. It has been quite a while since we have all been together and we are loving every minute of it. They came to this area to run the Phoenix Rock and Roll Marathon with their daddy. Unfortunately, JC is suffering from a bum knee and couldn't run the race, but he enjoyed watching them on Sunday. We managed to see them at miles 6, 17, and 26. It is such a joy to have them here with us!!

Of course, they want to see what we old folks have been up to!! They've watched pickle ball, met some of our neighbors, and played with everyone's pets. Monday night we went to the Arizona Opry near Mesa. It is a very entertaining show. Today we went out to the Eloy airport to watch the sky divers. It seems that this is the largest "drop zone" in the world. Then we had dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Borderline in the old town area of Casa Grande.

Unfortunately, they will leave on Friday and that time will arrive way too soon!!

We also keep dragging out all my paper crafting stuff. We've made several mini legal pad covers and cards. Here are some of our creations:

I love this intricately cut mat with the embossed paper. And the inside is so CUTE!!
They have really enjoyed picking papers and playing with ways to combine patterns and textures!!

Just look at how well this card turned out from papers the girls thought worked well together. I'm afraid they may be as addicted to this as I am!! Whenever we have any free time, they want me to drag everything out!!
I think they really like all my fun tools and gadgets!!

Sometimes simple is good. We stamped and colored the image above and matted it with torn paper. Then we chalked all the edges and found a leather looking paper for the background. The inside sentiment is understated and elegant. This is fun!!!

Bowled Over!!

Heh heh - how did you like that title?? JC's at it again! Last week he took a bowl turning class at the woodshop here at Palm Creek RV Resort.

This is the result!!
A thing of beauty!!

And here are two cards that I made for him to write thank you notes to the people who helped him in his silversmithing and bowl turning classes. It just so happens that they live in the immediate neighborhood, so we've gotten to know them fairly well.
Stayed tuned - more lovelies to come!!

Hoppin' John and Greens RV Style

Southern tradition dictates we eat hoppin' john and greens on New Year's Day to ensure fortune and luck in the coming year. Often it is peas cooked with smoked ham hock, rice, and some sort of greens as separate dishes. Way too much trouble in an RV.

Here's my humble version: Peas and smoked ham hock cooked overnight in a crockpot, rice added about an hour before eatin' time, and a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach a few minutes before serving, just to wilt. Add tabasco at the table to taste and serve with cornbread, of course!! Yum, Yum, Yum . . . yawn - time for a nap . . .

Happy New Year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We are "wintering" in Casa Grande, AZ at the Palm Creek RV Resort. It is an "adult" community (just means one of you has to be over 55) and they go all out to keep us geriatric types busy. Seriously, there is so much to do here that we have to keep a calendar and often must choose between ongoing activities!! We are here with a very friendly group of retirees and a staff that goes all out to make sure we aren't bored!! JC and I are taking full advantage!!

We are learning many new skills and investigating potential new hobbies. JC's newest interest is silversmithing and this is my new pendant!! I LOVE it and I've already put in a request for a bracelet!!