Crazy summer!  I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Rochester Minnesota to Mayo Clinic.  I left a week ago today with a tumor in my head to drive there, saw the surgeon on Wednesday, he sent me for a day fill of pre-op then scheduled my surgery for Thursday, got to the hospital at 8:30am, by 6:30pm Thursday evening the tumor was out and I was in my hospital room.  We left the hospital Saturday at 6:00pm, went to LaCrosse WI to see an international garden, drove down the highway until we found a little inn to spend the night, and left there Sunday morning about 10:30 drove through the day and landed in my own bed at 1:30am.  WOW!  God is amazing...and fast!  When it's right it just is right.  The surgeon did a wonderful job, the service from every part of the hospital and clinic was so professional and efficent!!  I was going to upload my 'mummy' picture, but cox doesn't seem to be functioning well today...probably best, it's not extremely flattering (lol).

With the ending of the school year, there are always a few to thank who help me throughout the year and an inexpensive gift for my kids (21 of anything is not cheap!).  Well who would I consult for ideas but Pinterest!  I am absolutely addicted!  So many ideas, so little time...because I spend all my time looking for ideas and pinning them.---On a side note, I think I'll need to limit my pinterest time for the rest of the summer so I can produce more projects!---Anyway here are the projects made:

This was a 'Thank You' for parents who volunteered in my classroom.  (behind the design is a water)

This was my little gift for all the kids in my class.  Almost straight from Pinterest.  In fact the note was available for a free download.

The next project was for my husband to give to people he volunteers with who are behind the scenes.  This was another pinterest project with my own little twist on it.   I started with this note printed on my computer, then lined up and cut out with my cuttlebug.

I made the jars by cutting a trapdoor in the middle which would later be covered by the band.  Print the bands, mine were 2 3/4" x 8 1/2" and 3 1/4" X 8 1/2".  I printed 3 bands on one paper.  Glue printed label to background piece.  Stuff the bottle, then tape the opening shut, cover with the band around the middle of the bottle.  Tie the tag on with an assortment of ribbon.

Tips: shred paper in your shredder to stuff in the middle...lots more choice of color, not to mention less expensive!  Look for thicker bottles, these are tea bottles.  To put mints in, start by putting a layer in facing out and as many as you can until they are falling over like you are wallpapering the bottle with mints.  Add shredded paper as the 'core' of the bottle.  I went to Sam's Club and bought an enourmous jar of mints, ate several as I worked and still put 24-29 in the bottles (count them first, I made a bottle for a friend with money in it...lost track of the ones as I wallpapered the bottle with it---she got somewhere between 22 and 28???--- The bottle on the right was done haphazardly adding paper and mints with a shake give.  The left is where I purposefully placed the mints.

Hopefully lots more to come this summer after life settles down...tomorrow I'll know if it is going to settle a bit or go totally crazy!  Wish me luck...better yet keep me in your prayers!
PAM

Losing a child:(

We are not supposed to outlive our children!!!  I have a friend who has lost her son from injuries received in a wreck yesterday.  Our hearts are all breaking for her.  As mothers and fathers we can't imagine how we would ever deal with such a loss.  Give your kids an extra hug today, let them know how important they are everyday!!!  As Aibileen Clark in The Help tells children “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”  Tell your kids today, They are kind, smart, important, and loved.

PAM

Dinner started courtesy of my sweet husband!!!!!!

The beginning and end of school is always so hectic,. and my sweet husband knowing this fixed our main course (saurkraut & weiners...a childhood favorite of mine--I know, not normal:)

This was about 3 weeks ago, when I had no time to post.  But I look at the picture and remember how it was so nice to arrive home from a busy day to have dinner started...and notice he designed it.  His quote is "The eye's feast first".  Love this man!  I hope everyone has a spouse who is so considerate!



Wow, a sick kinda month!  Projects are at a minimum at home since I'm back at school...well mostly.  After being gone for 4 months I seem to catch every bug brought my way, and it's hitting me a lot harder.  Couldn't be because I'm getting older, nah!  I did finish a card today, forgot to take a picture before I sent it off...maybe I'll get it later.  Even with catching every germ coming into my classroom, I am feeling so blessed!  God is providing all our needs in a difficult time.  We even have a group of friends from church who are having a garage sale to raise funds to help with my sons needs!  Amazing friends to donate time and stuff.  Well, hope to be back soon with bragging rights to fun stuff, in the meantime I'll just be surviving the end of school, classroom moving, respiratory illnesses, a root canal, and legal battles for my son.  All in a days work with God's help:)

Spring Break then back to teaching...wow I've been busy, and tired!  Most of my free time I've become hooked on pinterest!  I don't know about you but I can't get enough.  I find one good thing, that leads to another, and another, and another; then I see on my home page where my friends have found great stuff...until I can't look at the computer screen for another minute.  It's my new obsession, with projects to do in the future.  Now I must stop looking and start the projects!

I have finished a couple of projects I haven't shared!  I made this cowl for my daughter-in-law, but my granddaughter had to model it =)  A little bit of a camera hog (lol).  I saw this at a knit shop, sent the picture to my daughter-in-law to make sure she liked it and proceeded to pick out the yarn, until I looked at the price!!!!!!  I'd love to use some of the fun yarns they have, but really!  One small skein was $65! and this uses 3 different types of yarns.  It would have cost me $140 for the yarn.  I know it's wonderful yarn out of exotic fibers, but I made this for 10% of that cost! 

Here are knitted dishclothes I discovered the pattern online. I heard they were really good to use...I love them! After making the beige one, I made one a little larger with the brown trim, I have a 3rd in process right now.  They are made from cotton threads and scrub dishes really well!

Today I finished my first doily.  I've always loved doilies...a bit old fashioned, but there you go...I'm old:)  I'm not sure if I'm keeping this one or giving it away.  My youngest sister has laid claim to it, but then she does that to almost everything (huh, Kat?...love you!)  I found somemore patterns I'd like to try.  I remember when I was growing up all my mom, grandmothers, and all my aunts had doilies on their tables...is this too 1950's?  I don't care, I may try a tablecloth soon!