Stablemate Abby & Two Socks!

 A couple of months ago, Betz Everitt contacted me and explained that she was working on a little gift for me and hoped that that was okay. I was surprised and excited when she explained what she was doing. Of course it was okay if she wanted to paint my horse! And Two Socks, too!

A hobbyist and artist from Virginia who chronicles hobby happenings on her blog, Equiden's Plastic Ponies, she also posts about her artistic creations on Painted Potoo Studio. Betz has kept me apprised of the progress she was making on her gifts, and they arrived earlier this week.

The portrait model of Abby

and the one of Two Socks! (These pics and the studio pics were taken by Betz.)

Inside the box were two wrapped packages.

I opened Two Socks first.

The Scrambling Foal mold was perfect for that cheeky little girl!

And for Abby? Breyer's Indian Pony mold has been a favorite of mine since childhood. So, when Breyer shrank it down to Stablemate scale, I was thrilled.

Its pose is very similar to the photo of Abby that is the header for my blog and it is the mold I would've picked for Abby, too. 

See that cheek spot on Abby's head? That is my favorite marking on her. 

I was delighted to find that Betz had included it on Mini Abby.

But that wasn't all that was in the box she'd sent.

Two Stablemate Friesians and four Mini Whinnies were in there, too!

Wondering if that was a mistake, I emailed Betz and asked her if she'd known that the extras were in the box. (They were at the bottom under some packing materials and I'd almost missed them.)

She responded that they were part of the gift to me and that she'd thought the Pony Pals and Cowpokes might enjoy them. They sure would, and I will get them to the kiddos, Betz!

Betz also emailed me some progress photos of the painting process for both pieces.

Having struggled to paint Sultanna and Hokey as NaMoPaiMo projects a few years ago, I knew that painting Abby was way beyond my capabilities. Her coat pattern, spotted and roaned and speckled and silvered, were for those with more talent and experience than me. I never dreamed that someone would do her for me as a gift.

Thank you so much for your kindness and for sharing your talents with me, Betz. To have someone do for me something I could not do myself is a treasured gift. I am so happy to have two custom portraits of horses that I love. 

Tomorrow is December 1st and as usual, I will begin a daily, end-of-the-post something. Recipe? Christmas Card? Something else?

Stay 'tooned!

Stitching for the GLC Show, Family, Friends, and a Headless Llama

Saturday's Great Lakes Congress show is just a few days away and the L bag is getting full.

It is crammed with Mercantile orders and donations that Barn Buddy Kelsey is taking with her to the show for me. (I still have a model that I sold to put in there but I am not sure it will fit.)

What's the L bag? It's a tote that was gifted to me by a student during my teaching career.

Of course, the L stood for Lynn. (I is a difficult letter to find so the student settled on my first name.) Liz Cory and I use it to carry things back and forth to each other which works nicely since her name begins with L, too!

Yesterday I finished this Hamilton sized Traditional haversack in Jockey Caps as part of an order that is being delivered to the show.

It may be traditional sized, but the Hamilton mold has a tail that requires a wider haversack to accommodate it. I've had to create a category of haversacks just for that mold!

I am just about finished with all the ornaments I've been making for family and friends. Now that my family has opened theirs, I can post a picture of what I've been embroidering.

Gingerbread ornaments! I am so happy with how they turned out.

Yesterday I made two Naught/Nice/I Tried aprons, one of which is a GLC donation.

And I finally finished this tea towel for Hawkeye Sarah. This pattern is absolutely the MOST difficult I have ever embroidered - it took four attempts and several weeks to finally get a finished towel that had no errors.

Sarah is a wildlife photographer so this pattern is perfect for her.

After the aprons and tea towel were completed, I went back to stitching up the last six gingerbread ornaments that I needed to make. A friend of mine who also has an embroidery machine calls hers "the moody teenage girl."  Well, mine chose that moment to join the moody teenage girls club.

It was skipping stitches, breaking threads, and not cutting the jump threads as it should. That can lead to what is called "birds' nests" where the thread balls up and looks like a bird's nest (a bowl of spaghetti might be easier to envision.) I only got one small bird's nest on the back, but the stitching issues on the fronts of these two ornaments ruined them and they had to be thrown away.

And while an embroidery machine is not quiet while it runs, it should not sound like this. That occasional ratchety sound is the bobbin holder.

I pulled it out to check it, but I cannot see any reason it is rattling around while it works.

I had to shut down the last of the ornament work and am going to have to take my machine to a repair service in Kokomo. Those who were going to get an ornament from me will get a mini loaf of pumpkin bread or something instead. 

I wasn't the only one frustrated with the state of my stitchery; Local Son Curt sent me this text he'd received from Pony Pal Mila.

She was so upset that they FaceTimed me so she could show me the problem and ask if I could sew the head back on. (Because, you know, that glue gun just won't fix her llama! LOL)

Headless llama is coming over today and has been added to my list of things to do. Repair work is becoming a bit of a sideline for me -  I fixed two of the dogs' favorite toys and two stuffed bunnies for Mila and Lukie yesterday, too!

Today I will finish up the last of the GLC donations and transfer the L bag to Kelsie. (There's a thank you surprise in there for her, too.) The llama will get its head back, and then I have a basket of cut out and pinned haversacks to work on.

Nashie and Molly are coming to spend the day with us, and I will get to see if my repair holds on the toys this time. (It's the second time I've fixed them.)

Nash waiting at the laundry room door into the garage for Lisa to come in.

I'm going to work on Christmas shopping, too. Some of it is done, but there are still a lot of people to buy for.

Speaking of gifts, I received a very special one from a hobby friend on Monday that I am excited and very touched about. Stay 'tooned.

Odds & Ends

 We have had our first snow of the season.

It wasn't much, but the dusting on rooftops and lawns was pretty.

Pepper refused to let a little snow keep her from her morning frisbee chasing!

Although she did take the opportunity to warm up afterwards in my lap when I was trying to read. 

I found a few photos I'd meant to include in the other Thanksgiving blog entries - here they are.

Kate taking a reindeer ride as she "pulls" her sisters in the sleigh at the Christmas tree farm. 

Twinning with Curt and Vanessa - they are wearing their new holiday pajamas while Craig and I wear our winter vests. (Gussie knows I have treats in my pocket.)

On Saturday, Craig and I went to Indianapolis where he performed the marriage of our friends Kyle and Adelina. He has married many people, but these two are dear friends which made their wedding all the more special to us. 

Cole and Emily got a puppy yesterday - their first dog as a family. Both had dogs growing up, so Henry is in good hands.

The Pony Pals (Puppy Pals? LOL) are over the moon with happiness - they have been asking for a dog for several years, but it wasn't until they moved into a home with a fenced back yard that Cole and Emily felt comfortable getting one.

All tuckered out. It was a big day for Henry as well as Cole's family!

After over a week away from the sewing room, I got back to work yesterday. 

I finally finished this pattern on the embroidery machine - it is the most difficult pattern I have ever tackled and it took four attempts to finally finish one without errors. The tea towel I put the pattern on looks great, but sadly I don't think I will use the pattern again.

This pattern was MUCH easier and I put it on two aprons. One will be a donation to Saturday's Great Lakes Congress show and the other is a Christmas present for a friend.

While the family was here, I received eight new fabrics in the mail from an early Black Friday sale. Someone ordered a haversack from this piece yesterday for delivery to the GLC show, so I got that cut out and pinned. Completing it is one of today's sewing goals.

Wondering about Abby? She is fine and going into winter in excellent shape. We tried three different times to go visit her as a family during the Thanksgiving holiday, but sadly it never worked out. 

I did get out once by myself to see her, but she was way out at the hay feeder in the west pasture, too far for me to walk out. (I'm having balance issues and am often pretty wobbly.) Knowing Tim was checking her daily and feeling a need to get back home for some family activities we had planned, I headed back home. I miss my girl and hope to see her today or tomorrow.

There is lots going on in the hobby world, and I am looking forward to getting back to that, too. Breyer packed in a lot the last week or so - they announced  Winter Fest, an online event running December 1 - 10, the opening of the 2024 Premiere Club for memberships, and more. I have so much catching up to do!

That's a wrap on all the Thanksgiving posts. I have more horsey things to share, so stay 'tooned!

 

 

Thanksgiving, 2023: Goodbye, Kids (A Very Personal Post)

It's over.

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, our kids have all headed back to their own homes and lives, and it's just Craig, me, and Pepper in the house again. Oh, and leftovers. Lots of leftovers. (We always cook way too much!)

It's so quiet. 

No one is popping in on me to chat as I write, no sounds are coming from downstairs as folks fix themselves breakfast, and the showers are all open and available. All I can hear is Pepper snoring softly as she snoozes at my feet.

Part of me is enjoying catching up on sleep and returning to routine. I am looking forward to getting back to my sewing and embroidery machines and continuing to work on Christmas gifts later today. Heading out to the barn to see Abby and the herd. Running some errands that have been put off so I could be with family.

Sarah, Kyle, Jessica, Curt, Lisa, Cole, and me in Salt Lake City, 1989.

But another part of me is feeling old and wondering where the time has gone. How did my babies grow up so soon? When did they get old enough to become parents themselves? 

All of us together on Jessica and Andrew's wedding day, 2012.

I'm so proud of the people they have become and the lives of service and giving that they are living, but there are times when I wish we could turn the clock back and they'd all still be at home with Craig and me.

This picture hangs over my dresser in my bedroom. 

I miss them and I love them so much.

Goodbye, kids, and thanks for taking time out of your busy lives to come home for Thanksgiving. 

Godspeed. XOXOX Mom (XOXY for you, Jessica! LOL)

 

Thanksgiving 2023: More about Thanksgiving Day

 Second Post of the Day

Thanksgiving Day Craig and I were both up and hard at work early. I still had a lot left to do plus I was waiting on Lisa to bring her folding table and some of the cheeseballs. 

Lisa had said she and Frank would be there around 9:00 to help get things set up, but she didn't come. By 9:30 I was starting to wonder why - that was not like her. But, I figured she was just running late because she had the dogs, table, chairs, and food to pack up, plus we had been up very late Wednesday night. I moved onto the next thing on my to-do list while I waited for their arrival. (In retrospect, I should have texted her.)

Well, I've given birth on Thanksgiving Day, but never have I had a family member hit by a drunk driver that day. 

She was late because Frank had been hit by a drunk driver at a four way stop as he drove to our home. Fortunately, despite being very drunk, the other driver had had some idea that he needed to stop at the stop sign and had slowed way down. But he didn't stop in time and rolled through the intersection as he turned, hitting Frank head on.

The drunk driver backed up, drove around Frank, giving him a peace sign as he blew past, and took off at a high rate of speed. Luckily, Frank wasn't hurt and he'd had a dash cam going. 

Thanks to that, Frank was able to give the sheriff the license plate number and the guy was apprehended at his home ten minutes later. Lisa and Frank had to spend time with the sheriff, giving statements and showing him the dash cam and phone footage all of which contributed to them being late.

We were all dismayed when we heard what had happened and very grateful that no one was hurt. (Frank's car did not sustain any apparent damage, either. Grateful!)

We got the dogs, table, chairs, and food unloaded and began setting out the appetizers.

Jessica's cranberry and cream cheese spread.

Jessica also made caprese while Lisa got the chocolates at Meijer - I am fond of all things cherry, and the cherry chocolate red candies were amazing!

Lisa's chocolate chip, beef and green onion, and cheddar garlic cheeseballs.

A tray of cheese, crackers, salami, and beef cheeseball from my brother's wife, Cindie.

We snacked on these before, during, and after dinner!

We got all the tables set up and even served dinner on time despite the car accident.

The kitchen table and stove were covered with a variety of dishes (you can see Cole in the kitchen filling his plate) and the feasting began.

It had been a mammoth challenge to get everything ready, but we did it!

 

And while we were missing Sarah, Kyle, and their families badly, we still were grateful to be together. 

After dinner, everyone helped clean up, take down the kids' table, and get the living room ready for Dirty Santa by setting all the chairs in a circle and the Dirty Santa gifts on the coffee table.

Gag gifts have always been a part of Dirty Santa, but last Christmas had gone to new heights. Between Sarah's Merman ornaments and Steve & Cindie's mystery bag topped with two black bananas in a ziplock bag, this year several of us were trying inspired felt challenged to top those.

Rick opened Jessica and Andrew's gift of a tortilla blanket. It was round and supposed to make you look like a burrito when you used it. Looks like it fooled Nash!

Like last year, Curt picked Steve and Cindie's gift. The first thing he opened was a head of broccoli.

A can of chili beans.

Some Gas-Ex to counter the effects of those beans.

And a can of something that had been opened at the bottom, washed out, and filled with $2 bills.

Pretty funny, but in my book, Jessica and Andrew won this year's best gag gift with their other gift. 

A zippered pouch that was made to look like a man's hairy stomach, complete with a navel and tiny hands with which to scratch it.

Bizarre, a little gross, and hilarious, all in one. 

Dirty Santa over, we hung around, ate more, and talked the rest of the afternoon.

Some of us were so tired they were able to sleep despite the commotion,

while others of us did crafts and walked around showing people what they'd made.

My siblings left around 4:30, but my nephew Eric stayed with us and we sat around the dining room table playing Bank and Code Names. 

There is always an open kitchen after the big meal is done, and people continued eating late into the evening.

It's Sunday morning as I write this, and the last of our family hit the road for home this morning. Thanksgiving is over, my house is quiet, but my heart is very full.

I have so many things to be thankful for, and my family is at the top of that list.