Clarabelle

Meet Clarabelle! She joined our family last Wednesday. She's two. We are adopting her from Basset & Beagle Rescue of the Heartland. She's adjusted well to her new home. She is much like Jack in many ways, so we are often reminded of him in watching her. I like that. I also like that she is already housebroken. She has so much energy & Zeke sometimes tries to keep up with her. We are happy to have her in our lives!

Audrey's dress

Becky sent me these photos of Audrey wearing a dress she sewed using Mom's Bernina. I am very impressed. It looks like a fairly complicated pattern. I think I spot a zipper too (I usually steer away from patterns with zippers). I am impressed with her sewing skills & really just happy that Mom's sewing machine is having such fun. And Becky too! Good job!

Vermont

Don made a trip to Vermont last week. He was walking along these tracks & says he thought about me. Knew what I would do if I were there . . . take a photo! My hubby thinks of me now when he sees railroad tracks. How sweet is that!

Amish country

Don & I visited Austin & Yizhi this past weekend. On Saturday, Austin took us for a drive in the country. We visited several Amish country stores & I found spices, brown eggs & rice. We drove by farmsteads with navy blue dresses hanging on the lines. Don & I smiled when we spotted a Beagle in a roadside ditch. We enjoyed fresh doughnuts at a bakery. And at one of our stops I spotted this horse & buggy parked along with the cars. A wonderful spring day to be outdoors.

Laura learns to sew

I visited with my aunt, Elaine, yesterday & she told me that her granddaughter, Laura, spent her spring break with her to learn how to sew. Elaine took a few photos & sent them to me & I am impressed! I especially love the tunic top & I appreciate the attitude she put into posing for her picture. I'd be tickled too if I finished two tops in one week. I told Elaine that garment sewing often feels too overwhelming for me so I keep putting it off thinking I will find it too difficult. Then when I finally decide to do just a bit I end up working longer than I expected. Elaine said that her mother used to say that if we knew how many dishes we'd wash in our lifetime we'd never want to start on the pile but if we do it bit by bit we'll get it done. Good advice. And I have a couple of patterns I want to get started on.

light . . . and shadow

I would like to do more photography utilizing off camera flash. Daniel was kind enough to sit for a few moments for me recently & I got one photo I really liked. This is it. In reading about flash I ran across this quote more than once: To create interesting light, you have to create interesting shadows. I agree.

Rae & Nick & Maggie

I'm working on a project & want some practice photographing people with their pets. Rae agreed I could practice at her place (she thought I just wanted to photograph her dog, Maggie, though). Maggie is a ball of energy & knows quite a few tricks. (Something our Beagles were always too stubborn to learn.) I was able to get a few good shots of her before she was off running again . . .