Tatting again at long last

I've been gone so long I probably need an introduction! Laura Blanton is tatting again!

Sora's Quest

Hello Tatting and Blogger Land, I would like to recommend "Sora's Quest" by T. J. Shreffler if you have not read it. It is a great fantasy book well worth several hours of your time. I was hooked from page one and disappeared into the story. I downloaded to to my Kindle for free and I think it is still available. Go check it out!

WHAT HAS HE GIVEN ME? He won’t come home with roses and boxes of chocolates are not his thing. Expensive dinners and movies are as likely as big diamond rings. For years I wondered why I was not honored on important days. Then I saw how our money was growing and decided I would try it his way. With two daughters growing and needing support, we passed up tickets to sit on the court. No football tickets or concerts downtown. More fun to pack a picnic and eat on the ground. There are lots of free concerts in parks and malls. Bach and Beethoven beat games with balls. We don’t run to theaters for opening nights. I haven’t yet seen the last Twilight. The dollar menu was our best friend. You could have a meal out with little money to spend. It’s the company that counts with the one you love. We are blessed to have each other by God above. Why pay more and have less to eat? Food at home is better and steak is a treat. We mistakenly think we are entitled to all things. Young people must own homes before they exchange rings. A new kitchen, new bathroom, the old must go. My parents were in their 40’s before home ownership they would know. What did I receive for Christmas, time with boys and girls. He gave me this gift of two girls with golden curls. One Christmas Eve night after candle light service, he asked me to share his life, to be part of his world. The girls gave us three boys of utter delight. Our lives are so full and all is right. My niece and nephew are more gifts from above. There is also a great-nephew to hug and love. One brother is still a part of my life and his friends are my brothers and for sisters, their wives. Though my parents are gone, I have a mom indeed - a mother-in-law with no malice or greed. No jealousy or resentment, no guilt or coercing. She takes only what we offer and understands when we are working. What has he given me over the years - a house full of joy, though not without tears. He has given me companionship, love, laughter and teasing – some bossing, some nagging, but happiness without ceasing. You see, the best things in life really are free. So what if there is a great big world we’ve yet to see. Not one cruise or long trip have we made, but the table of our life is heavily laden. Our family is well and there is food to eat. We are not rich, but life is so sweet. It is sweet with loved ones and the security of salvation. It is sweet with little debt and the comfort of home. Sometimes we look back and say we have sacrificed much to be where we are, but where we are is a very good place. The best place by far! Laura Blanton Copyright February 1, 2013

• Create your own travel map.

Bill and I said a temporary goodbye to a dear friend Friday. Karl lost his battle with Leukemia early Tuesday morning. He is free from suffering and gone to rejoice with his Lord. We will miss him, but we rest in God's promise of a reunion in Heaven. His funeral was the most beautiful and meaningful I have ever attended. We are blessed to be so close to his wife and family. They are special people. One of the grandsons, a preacher in Texas, gave the message. Karl's son read the obituary and spoke lovingly of his dad. One granddaughter read scripture and gave a prayer. Another granddaughter sang a chillingly beautiful acapella rendition of Amazing Grace. What a blessing to have a loving, Christlike family left behind to share their memories of Dad and Papaw. If there was even one person in that chapel who needs to know Christ as savior, I feel they must surely have been touched and a seed planted. Goodbye, for now, Karl. We love and miss you. We will join your children and grandchildren in spending time with your lovely bride of 58 years. She will not be alone unless she wants to be. Thank you for sharing your life, your family, and your faith with us.

I have no proof, but I'm pretty sure my car a/c was shouting obscenities as I snapped this photo. I was in the car 30 minutes with the a/c cranked all the way up and it never got very cool. As a good Southern girl, let's just say, "I was glistening". I know I live in Alabama, but 105 at the end of June? Please!

WARNING!!!! I understand some people in my address book at getting spam emails from my yahoo email account. Sorry. I have done all I know to do for right now. AVG says my computer is clean. We are going to keep trying. In the meantime, don't open any emails from me unless there is something personal in the subject like. Again, sorry.

Hydrangea Aspera

 

Another beauty in the new garden.  I'd never seen a hydrangea with flat blooms before.  Much less one with two different kinds of flowers!  Whether or not you choose to believe in God, this is a wondrous work of nature.

Mignonette Hanky

 

 

Proof that I really am tatting!  This is the first tatted row and I have really disappointed myself.  Note the 2nd picture and the very obvious missed placement of a ring.  How often does this happen to my fellow tatters?

Another mysterious flower

 

My garden continues to reward me with new, mysterious blooms.  Any ideas?

Boxes are the best!

 

I don't know if my cats love this box because it smells of Gevalia coffee or if they love coffee because it comes in these boxes!

Precious Pictures

 

This picture is my dad, Robert Jason Slaughter, approximate age five and his sister, Eva Slaughter.  I will have to look at my ancestry records to see how much difference there was between their ages.  They were born in Columbus, MS, Daddy in 1927.  Eva's youngest daughter just shared a lot of photos with me that I will be editing and inserting into Ancestry.  I will share a few if anyone is interested.

Scincidae

Skinks are of the family Scincidae. They have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs. I am so glad they chose to live in my yard and come out to see me for a visit when I call them!

This is a picture of my latest, male conquest. He is a Broad-headed skink indigenous to North America. This one is about 14" long, but they can grow to 17", (including the tail), with the female being the larger of the two. You can see his lady in front of him. They are raising young under our storage shed. Hubby discovered them and called me out to see them. When I walked up and started to talking to them, as I must admit I do to all creatures, they moved towards me instead of away! In fact, they probably moved to within 3' of where I was standing. I seem to have this effect on reptiles. Go figure. When I started singing softly, they moved even closer still. I must remember not to sing if I see a snake!!! He was very protective of his lady, but was not at all concerned that one of their young came out to see me. Some men are just like that I guess. That was our excitement for the day and my excuse for not tatting. Sorry.

Good Monday morning, or evening, to you all. I wanted to say I am still working on my mignonette tatting handy. I need to make a picture of my progress, but it just looks like messy loops right now! Hope all of you are well and enjoying lovely weather.

I would like to introduce a very new tatter and his amazing interpretation of my pattern, "Georgia's Rose." Christopher is but 18 years old and has been tatting for about a year. The pictures are a little fuzzy, but you can see he did a beautiful job, and in a very short time. I think he must have tatted around the clock for two days. It's my pattern, and I couldn't tat it in two days! He made a few changes to the stems and turned it into a wrist corsage for a young lady. He is smart, he can tat and he is romantic. I look forward to watching his tatting develop during the coming years. Starting at such a young age will enable him to do great things if he stays in love with tatting. Congratulations to Christopher!

Hello tatting friends. Remember me? I still can't repair the background on my blog, but I have news. I am tatting - a little at a time, but tatting. I'm making another Mignonette tatting hanky like I made for Candace's wedding. I have no call for one, but wanted to make it anyway. I will post pictures when I get further along. I hope you are all well and happy.

Lala's Little Men

I know I haven't been here in forever, but I really miss you guys. I miss my tatting and sharing with everyone. Besides, Grandma Lala has to brag about her babies!

I have been practicing my tatting this last week. I am trying very hard to get healthy and improve my mobility, including my fingers.

Happy International Tatting Day everyone!

The View From My Window

The view from my window is a lovely dream.
Colors are popping, blue, purple, white and green.
Spring adds new colors and the promise of life.
Though problems exist, Spring is oblivious to the strife.

The view from my window shows me new and old.
Some trees are still bare of leaves and look so cold.
The old barn is empty except for storing hay.
I love looking at it and imagining better days.

Where horses once lived, now two cattle abide.
So interesting I find them, with their black and white hides.
I watch them often roaming over new grass.
New has overtaken old with blooms in mass.

The view from my window is one that I love.
I am happy and settled thanks to God above.

Hey everybody!

Check out the Lep blog. Oisin and I have visitors!

BIG, HUGE, ANNOUNCEMENT!

Isaac is going to be a big brother! Of course that means Bill and I get one more grandbaby. We are all so excited, for our daughter's family and for ourselves. We will have one new baby at the end of December and this new baby at the first of February. God's blessings are bountiful and so appreciated! Get ready to hear much more about these babies, and big brother/cousin, from now on!!!

Isaac and his guitar

This link is for diehard Isaac fans only! The rest of you might be bored to tears. These pictures are of him showing off with his new guitar. He is our never ending source of joy! Hope they make you smile!

Isaac and his guitar

Lovely gift from Faizon

Not often do you find a friend as good, caring and selfless as our Jon. She sent me these beautiful snowflakes last week. In the card she says that she knows I haven't been able to do much tatting lately and that she doesn't want to miss reading about my rainbow tree. So, here are three to get you started. And, she made them with precious hand dyed thread - the two big ones by Tatskool and the smaller one by Lady Shuttle Maker.

It is amazing the friends we all have made, some of them from the other side of the world. What a wondrous age in which we are blessed to live. Even with all the problems of the world, we are able to reach out to each other and create bonds that will last a life time.

Thank you so much, Jon, for your love, friendship, talent and generosity. You are a good sister indeed. Maybe soon I will be better and able to create acts of kindness for you and others. I miss you all very much.