Sometimes it just takes one step at a time to carry me outside. Then another few steps to run inside to grab the camera. The fun begins as I walk around usually accompanied by a child or my husband to talk about the beauty that surrounds us. Farm life has its pros and cons depending on how you look at things. Right now I am enjoying it!!
I have been working on a few small projects -- some with new twists for me. I made this owl pillow for my daughter. She is into this character some now as we seem to find different fabrics with owls on them lately. This is done with fusible web and then machine stitching around every edge of different fabric used, even the eyelashes and nose as pictured.
The next pillow was made as a surprise for an old schoolmate that I am friends with on Facebook. He drew this center as a tattoo he would like to get in the future and then put it for friends to see his artwork concept. I printed the black and white picture on the printer and then used my light box to hand copy it onto fabric. I then embroidered it and used colored pencils in some places. Quilted the front and back pieces and stuffed it. My friend Rolo (Danny) was very pleased. He has health disabilities and feels down at times. He told me that no one (not related to him) has ever done something this nice for him. It made me happy as well!!
What was it like? I can remember asking that question to what I considered "elderly" people when I was growing up. Granny would tell of how hard day-to-day farm life was. Mom (my foster mom, in her 60's then) would tell of her daily chores, of walking more than a mile to the one room school house. My foster dad would tell of the first radio coming to the "mountain", of moving to the "big city" of running water in the house, of the first cars, of working for the CCC's and making park trails as part of his work with them.
I got to visit the one room school house often as it was the community center years later on the mountain and we would have dinner socials there to then travel around to the small cemeteries to decorate the grave stones on Memorial Day.
What was it like? I didn't want to ask Junior of his time in Vietnam. His life and health was changed forever there. He wouldn't apply or accept diability even though he was stricken with the worst form of Psoriasis over 98% of his body. This only from his time overseas during the war.
History wasn't my favorite subject in school. I found reading about it in a book to be somewhat boring. Now I find that viewing pieces of history and talking with those that love it (my husband and son) can be very interesting. It amazes me how much my 14 year old knows. He has always loved the history channel. My husband reads constantly about past wars and can tell you time periods on most things of history.
So I am going to plug again about a wonderful museum for you to venture to if you are ever in the area of Polson, Montana. It is called Miracle of America Museum and they boast a person can spend anywhere from 2 to 6 hours there. We spent 2 hours but plan on going back some time soon to explore more. There are 5 acres and I don't think we got past 2 acres. My cameras were flashing as well as my daughters. Click here to see more pictures Miracle of America.
Last weekend my family traveled to Kalispell, Montana to attend my uncle's funeral. The weather poured like our tears did for this wonderful man. I can't remember a time or visit with him when he didn't smile or make me smile. He always made good conversation and seemed genuinely interested in whatever I had to say. That means a lot to me especially from my childhood days.
This man will be thought of and stay in my memories for years to come. I am blessed to have known him.
My aunt, (his wife) and I talk on the telephone almost once a week and I have been making it a great effort to try to travel the 4 hours one way to spend time with her (them) while the snow is off the roads. In a conversation a week or so before my uncle passed away, I remember my aunt and I commenting that we don't see rainbows in Big Sky Country like we use to. I first moved to Montana when I was 21 and everything was so new, wonderful, and different. I could not stop marveling at the skies. Now I marvel at them still, but life has become so "hurried" at times. I forget to take the time, to step out on the porches at home and be in "awe" no matter what time of day or evening.
Even so . . . on my sad travel last weekend, the rain/sleet ended after the funeral. My family didn't want to spend time in the hotel room and bother my exhausted aunt with more people so we ended up driving and viewing important lovely spots in Kalispell and Whitefish, MT.
Rainbows were found. I was able to smile. Our travel and spirits were lightened. Hope you enjoy the photos I snapped. One is on top of Big Mountain in Whitefish, Montana. The other is at Woodland Park in Kalispell, Montana.
Last weekend my family stumbled upon a very unique museum (Miracle of America Museum) in a small lakefront town called Polson, MT. I had passed by this place many times over the years that I first lived in Montana and would take road trips onto Missoula for some fun and shopping.
I fell in love with a display of Victorian Valentine cards and snapped photos. They just don't make love notes like these anymore. Glad they are in a glass case to be preserved.
Wish I had artistic talents like the ones who created these lovely pieces of history. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
