the Lola bag

Nancy started it! Last fall after she walked in the Alzheimer's Memory Walk in Hastings she suggested we make something to sell to raise money for 2010. That suggestion stuck with me. I had discovered Vera Bradley bags about this time & they name some of their purses: Vera, Maggie, Betsy. So I got the idea that we could make a "Lola Bag" to remember Mom with. And she loved to sew so it seemed fitting that we sew a bag. I finally found a pattern I loved so this past weekend my sisters & I sewed Lola bags . . . with help from more family!







Ashley got some sewing lessons from her mother, Nancy.





We kept Betty busy pinning & pressing.



Betty's daughter, Lora, stopped by with her fiance, Jonathon.



Connie put Jason to work cutting out fabric.





My niece, Andrea, stopped by to lend support.



Austin's girlfriend, Yizhi, hung out with Zeke & the rest of us for a short while. They were in town for a wedding.



Angie, my niece, had time to drop in with some fabric & do a little cutting out.



We had labels made with Mom's name on it that we sewed in the pocket seam on the bags.







The bags turned out beautifully! We are now selling them for $20 each. Contact us if you want to purchase one. The bag fabric patterns will change as we sell bags & buy more fabric. The Alzheimer's Memory Walk is September 16th in Hastings this year.

Happy Birthday, Amy!

Amy is married to Nick; mother to Hannah. I nabbed this recent photo off of Nancy's camera. The focus is on Hannah & Jayden but Amy is there too being a good, attentive mom. The vest that Hannah is wearing assists her with hearing. The doctors told Nick & Amy that it would be beneficial for Hannah to be talked to a lot. Amy said that wouldn't be a problem for her. She's a fun person to hang with. They just live far enough away that doesn't happen very often for me. Have a great day, Amy!

Happy Anniversary Ashley & Nate!

Today is Ashley & Nate's second wedding anniversary! I got to see both of them this past weekend. More of Ashley than Nate. Nate was spending time with his grandfather playing cards (what a cool kid!). Anyway, they are great together.



Photo compliments of Ashley.

sister weekend

This weekend my sisters came to Lincoln so we could help celebrate Nancy's impending 50th birthday. Two years ago we did the same thing for me when we took a road trip to Tulsa to visit family there. We had a great time. Worked on a project yesterday that Nancy wanted to spend time on (more about that later this week). It was great to hang out with them & get caught up on each others' lives. Left to right is Connie, Betty (in back), Nancy & me.

clothespins in Rome

rain

I haven't emptied my rain gauge for a couple of weeks. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that we got 3.5" of rain on Father's Day. As I write this it is raining again . . .

remembering Mike

Don & Austin made a sad trip to Sacramento, California this past weekend to grieve with family & friends on the passing of our friend, Mike. We learned by email while sitting in the O'Hare airport that Mike had a fatal skiing accident on May 31 in the Matterhorn mountains in California. We were stunned. He was only 54. Don met Mike when they worked together in the mid 1980's in Sacramento. Don knew Mike before he met me. Mike was an athletic, funny, smart guy. He spent his free time with his family hiking, skiing, climbing, swimming, camping . . . The list goes on. He traveled the world with Lise after they were first married. He could tell fantastic stories & they were all true. Three years ago Don & Austin accompanied him with his family (wife Lise & sons Bjoern & Leif) to Baja California for camping & surf. It was a trip that influenced Austin's life. Made him into an adventurer. This photo is of the guys with Bjoern (who is now 15; Leif is now 10) in Mexico (I did not take this photo or of Blackie.)




This is Blackie, Mike's dog. A stray that followed them around while on a previous trip to Mexico so they took him home with them. Blackie was with Mike when the accident happened & stayed by his side for hours until rescue arrived.



In 2005 Mike came to visit us.






These photos are from 1986. These guys always had a good time together.





I still can't believe he is gone . . .

Happy Father's Day!

Roy snapped this photo of me with Dad on May 29. I make more of an effort to be photographed with Dad, even if he won't smile. I don't have a lot of Mom & I and now I regret that. I'm heading out this morning to go see him since Don is out of town.

the Vatican

One of the biggest attractions of Rome. It's its own country. Has a wall surrounding it. We toured St. Peter's Basilica & I just stood with my mouth hanging open at the hugeness & richness of it. I must have been wandering around for half an hour before I even realized there was a Mass being said off in an alcove. It is that big. To get to the Sistine Chapel you have to hike about ten minutes along the wall to get to the museum. An incredible collection to tour before you get to the Sistine Chapel where "NO PHOTOS!" are allowed. That was the most holy room for me of them all. I made two visits to the Vatican. Still not enough to appreciate it all.





These are columns surrounding St. Peter's Square.





























Me standing in the Sistine Chapel! I didn't think they'd mind if I photographed the floor. The marble & mosaic tiles were beautiful.



This is a spiral staircase used to exit the museum. A work of art in itself.





Lots of priests! The "Year of the Priest" was winding down during our visit. Chairs were set up in the square for a special ceremony with the Pope. (We did not see the Pope on our visit.)



These women are waiting in line to get into St. Peter's. They won't let you in with bare shoulders. They probably have scarves tucked into their bags. If not they'll have to buy one or won't be allowed in.



A famous work by Michelangelo. These next four photos were taken inside the Basilica.





This marks the main altar which on the floor below is the remains of St. Peter. The catacombs are there also. We toured that; paused by the tomb of Pope John Paul II.









This is the dome atop St. Peter's Basilica. Note the people. Don made the trip up alone. There were warnings not to go if you are claustrophobic. I worried that the heat & humidity & narrowness of the stairs would do me in & there's no turning back.



This is the wall that surrounds the Vatican.



Don & I in front of St. Peter's.