Butterflies and Sympathy

 

Yesterday was a full day of catching up on all the things I hadn't seen to while life was put on pause to be with my Mom. Laundry, dog brushing, vacuuming, grocery shopping, and card making.

It may seem silly, but I wanted to get this card made so that I can get it in the mail on Monday. 

Catherine Pooler's Mom also passed away last month, and I've been wanting to send her a card. I pulled out CP stamps, inks, dies and sequins for this one.

I did a splotchy background by applying ink to a plastic baggie and smooshing watercolor paper on top. I like the effect. Then, I did some splattering and stamped images on top of that.

I chose colors from the garden...pinks and purples and greens.

My butterfly bush is blooming now, and I'm starting to see some visitors.

Church, library, cups of coffee, books. It will be a quiet day today, and we need that for the week ahead.

Sabbath rest.

My Sweet Mom

 

My sweet Mom went to her heavenly home yesterday. She had been moved to hospice care this past week, and they took wonderful care of her there. 

God allowed me to be there for her last breath, which feels like holy ground. It was peaceful and beautiful, and I am so happy that she is now with Jesus.

She was surrounded by so many loved ones this week. We prayed with her, sang with her, and shared wonderful stories together. I'm so blessed to have my siblings and nieces and nephews in my life. They are such special people. We talk and laugh so much that I'm sure they thought we were having a party in Mom's hospice room. 

The days ahead will have many challenges and blessings. No doubt it will be exhausting. 

Thank you, God, for our sweet Mom, Ruth. She was such a blessing to everyone who knew her, and now she joins her Savior and all the saints in heaven.

For all the saints, who from their labors rest, all who by faith before the world confessed, your name, O Jesus, be forever blest, Alleluia!

The Gifts of Summer

 

This summer has not been especially wonderful for our family. Lyme disease, bike accidents, my mother entering hospice care. Smoky skies, produce warnings, career changes.

But you have to look for the goodness in each day, and today I am looking at this.

A half peck of Red Haven peaches from my local orchard.

I wish you could smell the photo above!

I made a really delicious peach cobbler last night. We topped it with vanilla ice cream. So good.

We have some farmers at our church who often bring fresh produce on Sundays, free for the taking. So kind!

I took two small zucchini this week. I found a recipe for a healthy version of zucchini bread that uses Greek yogurt and honey. I think I will try that later today.

Each day comes with some new challenge, but it also comes with the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 16 kept popping up for me last week, and it was a good reminder.

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy." (Ps. 16:11)

Lettuce Plague 2026

 

The Cyclospora outbreak around the country has us all a little leery when it comes to buying produce.

I'm a big salad lover, so this has been tough. I'm sticking to greens I can cook (like spinach) and fruits I can peel. I'm also buying local.

I decided to try some salad bowls. I had the seeds, I had the soil. I figure it can't hurt to give it a try.

I'm starting to see some sprouting. My only problem is the silly squirrels that have been digging in my pots this summer. I'm hoping they will leave this alone. Hopefully, with Jemma on watch duty, I can keep them protected.

In the meantime, I'm mixing up our veggie offerings now. Green beans, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, corn on the cob, zucchini. Cabbage salads and cucumber salads. It's time to get creative.

Stay healthy, friends!

Roundabout Rules: What My Husband Wants Everyone to Know

 

Here's an image I never want to see again.

Roundabouts seem to be going in everywhere. They are installing a lot of them in Michigan, and don't even get me started about Indiana, where Carmel is the roundabout capitol of the world.

I'm burying the lead here, as the journalists say. 

My husband was out riding his bike yesterday and was hit by a car in a roundabout. Yikes! He had the right of way, as he was the first to enter the roundabout. The driver of the car either didn't see him or didn't obey the rule that the first one to enter the roundabout has the right of way. The bike took the brunt of the hit, and impact knocked him to the pavement. Police and ambulance were called after witnesses stopped (bless them!). The driver was cited, and I do feel bad for her, too, as she was probably pretty shaken by the incident.

My husband has a Garmin device that lets me know where he is and if any incidents take place, and it notified me right away. Luckily, he was only 5 miles down the road and I was able to get him and take him to urgent care to get checked. Nothing broken, but he has some serious road rash and will no doubt have some big bruises and aches and pains.

He'll have to get new prescription sunglasses (they broke) and his bike's rim needs to be fixed, but other than that he's okay. I think a new helmet is in order, too. So thankful, as it could have been so much worse.

It's bike season. Watch out for those bikers, everyone!

Summer Reading Swag

 

Summer Reading 2026 is in full swing. Thus far, I've read 13 books!

Last week, I claimed two prizes: gift cards to my favorite local cafe and my favorite local bookshop. Yay! I also received a coupon for a free book from the library's Friends book shop.

I picked this vintage book, Kitty Foyle by Christopher Morley. This novel was made into a movie in 1940 starring Ginger Rogers. 

I also found this vintage copy of Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp last week. Look at that adorable cover art!

The heat dome has lifted, the smoke has dissipated, and the days ahead are looking promising.

Happy Monday!

Rise and Shine and...try not to breathe in the smoky air!

 

Continuing on weird Michigan summer rant, this week we've been experiencing Canada's latest import...wildfire smoke. Day three, and the air is still hazy and smells smoky.

Michigan reported having the WORST air quality of anywhere on the planet yesterday. Wow. My son, Sam told me that he read that if you spent a lot of time outside yesterday, it'd be the equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes for your lungs.

I took these photos around five o'clock yesterday afternoon of one of our neighboring farms.

The word we kept hearing to describe it: apocalyptic.

It did feel as if you were on the surface of another planet.

We're hoping this will dissipate over the weekend.

In the meantime, I'm spending most of my time indoors, which means it's a good time to craft.

I found this cute sticker pack at Hobby Lobby, and used it as the starting point for my card.

You know how I love the Rise and Shine stamps and dies from Catherine Pooler! Right now, you can get this stamp set for only $4.79 at the Catherine Pooler website's retirement sale! And the dies are only $7.49. A deal! While you're at it, grab the Morning Borders stamps (4.79) and Great Start Patterned Paper Pack (7.23) to go with it, and you'll be crafting all summer!

Hope your Friday is sunny, not smoky!

Heat Domes, Cyclospora and Summer Doldrums

 

It's been a weird summer.

This week, the news feeds are all about the heat dome (it's hot) and the Cyclospora outbreak (it's nasty).

So stay cool, and don't eat the salad.

Perhaps it's a case of the summer doldrums. I decided to step away from one of my jobs this week. It just wasn't a good fit anymore. I needed to let some things go so that I can make space for other opportunities.

Maybe it's the heat, but I'm just burned out.

I took some time for creativity to recharge.

Another serving of cherries!

Is it safe to eat cherries? I hope so!

Stay cool, friends!

Sloths for Summer Birthdays

 

Our son, John, likes sloths. They move slow, they take naps, they blend in to the trees. What's not to love about them?

I had to make him a sloth card for this birthday!

I combined this sloth stamp from Lawn Fawn with the cover plate from Catherine Pooler and the banner die from Mama Elephant.

And here was the inspiration for the card...this shirt that I found for John for his birthday!

How perfect is this? I think John loved it.

We had fun celebrating with John and Rachel this weekend. We were able to attend Michigan Celtic Festival for some festival fun.

Summertime birthdays! John, you are always a great reason to celebrate! Love you!

Cherry Season

 

Cherry season is in full swing here in Michigan. I do so love them this time of year! 

I got the Cherry Nice collection of stamps, dies, and embossing folder from Concord and 9th during their inventory sale last month. So fun!

Did you know that cherries have plenty of health benefits, along with being so delicious? They have known anti-inflammatory properties, as well as helping in sleep regulation.

Fruits of the season...enjoy!

Flora and Fauna This Week

 

It's been a busy week here in our suburban yard.

We were out surveying the woods next door, as we will be having a big tree removed next week. It's leaning precariously over our roof, and looks as though there's a fair amount of rot that could lead to splitting. It has to go.

And as we were looking up into the trees, we saw these baby raccoons, chittering away.

After a while, they just fell asleep in the crook of the tree. So cute.

But you know what's not cute? Critters that destroy my pillows to steal the stuffing for their nests.

I'm fairly certain that's the handiwork of our many squirrels.

And then there's the deer who have eaten one half of my Annabelle hydrangea bush by the front garden.

It's hard to get too mad when they look this precious.

At least the turkeys just mind their own business.

Now that the heat wave has gone, I think I'll give all the flowers a good boost of fertilizer to give them a fighting chance.

Nature! It's always entertaining.

An Easy Summer Dessert for Summer Holidays

 

Happy Fourth, friends!

I made this easy dessert for our weekend cookout dinners, and thought I'd share it with you.

I'm calling these cheesecake parfaits. And here are the two secret ingredients that make it super quick.

I put about 20 Nilla wafers in a Ziploc bag and crushed them with the back of a measuring cup. Then, I mixed them in a bowl with about two tablespoons of melted butter. I pressed this mixture into the bottom of these little parfait glasses.

Next, I scooped in this Cheesecake No Bake filling.

I crushed some raspberries and put that on top of the cheesecake filling. Finally, I sprinkled some more of the Nilla wafer crumbles on top and chilled the whole thing for a few hours.

Put a little USA flag on top, and you are all set for celebrating.

And speaking of USA...

...hope your 4th is stress-free and full of smiles!