June 26, 2026 - It's Friday!

 Well Hello!

I disappeared....again....

I am blessed to have a very FULL life and a bunch of people that love and need me. 

That often leaves me with very little time for myself, however....

I'll get right to my database dump. Last update was the day of our 30th wedding anniversary on April 27, 2026. Since that time....

Maisy turned one month old...look at her grinning already!

then....she got Baptized...

Her Godparents are Ian and Kamdyn

and here is the parents, godparents and our beloved Parish Priest, Father Dennis...

we love him! 

Granny had cooked all day and we had a big feast with all of our friends and family because if there is one thing that Granny believes in, it is celebrating the most important day of our life - giving ourselves to Jesus!

I served about 60 people and I had: 

Fried Chicken

Mashed Potatoes (I mashed 20 lbs!) and milk gravy

Green Beans

Corn Pudding

Green Salad

Homemade Bread with choice of butter or cinnamon honey butter that I made

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Angel Food Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Fresh Fruit Salad 

Lemonade

Water

It was a beautiful dedication and wonderful time of good food and great family and friends!

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Maisy and Cora took Poppy and Granny to the Indianapolis Zoo...

we buy year round tickets to any local attraction for the grandkids and their parents at Christmas.

The last two years we've purchased zoo tickets for them and the lucky part is:

they have a Family + 2 option and that means occasionally Poppy and Granny can go "free" too!

That was a busy and fun day!

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Uncle Jake got his professional headshots for his brand new job at Eli Lily!

And he is loving every minute of his new job and thriving! 

Jake has struggled in many ways his entire life. I have prayed and prayed and prayed for him. 

I never gave up. 

I STILL pray for him and give thanks too because - boy oh boy, the Lord came through for him!

 There is NOTHING like the peace a mother feels when she sees her baby, who had a rocky road to walk his entire life, settle into a fantastic life. He loves living alone - and think about this - he is 26 and never lived alone. I am so very, very thankful for the blessings showered on us. So thankful. 

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Maisy is two months old now - almost three months come July 4th - and Granny has just completed her 3rd week of full time babysitting. 

Can you say - exhausted? 😂

My day begins at 4:30 a.m. I have found that sitting in the hot tub therapy chair for one 30 minute cycle helps my joints tremendously.....

so it's up outta bed, into my swimsuit and down to the hot tub by 4:45 a.m.

Out of the hot tub by 5:15, into the shower to wash off, then my morning absolutions. 

I am hopeful to have my coffee and in my chair by 6 a.m. at the latest. Then it is drink my coffee, morning prayer and then 6:30 hits and it is HELLO GIRLS!

I've gotten them into a pretty good routine....

breakfast...

load up for our mile walk around the neighborhood...

back home for a little tv time for Cora...

while granny gives Maisy a bottle and settles her for her morning nap...

then it's educational games with granny for Cora...

- we are learning our numbers and colors -

Maisy usually wakes up within 30 minutes or so, so then it is time for our play time outside on our deck that granny has all fixed up for Cora to play while granny rocks Maisy...

by this time it is usually time for granny to fix lunch...

so back in the house for lunch...

then - this is the time granny waits for each day 🥳 - nap time!

Cora has a Tonie box and I put sleepy time bunny on it and it plays relaxing music while Cora cries that she has to take a nap (really it only lasts about 30 seconds because I brook no arguments). 

Baby Maisy drinks her bottle and it is off to sleepy time land for her too and granny will read her book!

a few minutes of peace and quiet. 

When Cora wakes up anywhere from 1-2 hours nap....

it's "Chockly" Milk time with her afternoon snack...

Some reading books time...

more play time...

then about 4 p.m. I let her watch another tv show until her parents pick them up at 4:30-5 p.m.

Whew....

*******

Now to the cross stitching....

I haven't stitched much lately because....well time....I also have been reading constantly on my Kindle. I go through spurts with reading....and I'm in a spurt (I've read 32 books since April 22 - I have been a voracious reader since the age of 5 and I read rather fast). And frankly after the hubbub I have all day some evenings I just want to sit quietly and stare at the wall 😁 

and since I get up at 4:30 a.m. I go to bed at or before 9 a.m. because - TIRED!

Anyhow...I am being completely monogamous to "The Wedding" by Marilyn Leavitt Imblum of Lavender and Lace.

Here's what it will look like (well similar to what it will look like because we changed some colors), when it is finished:

I'm sure you recognize it - as it is iconic and well known

I was this far the last time I posted:

Here's some progression pictures over the last weeks....

(really only a few days as there were several weeks I did not touch it)

So there you have it....

I'm doing everything except the white (yes I know I did the white up top a little - but that was to get me oriented and centered on the fabric correctly...) then once most everything is done sans the beading and the metallics....I will wash it and then put it back on the frame for the gold and beads. 

But....that's a long, long, long time away. 

*******

I entered two pieces this week in the county fair....yeah just two....my stitching the past year has been dismal and my finishing of my projects about the same. Anyway I entered Maisy's Stocking and a ornament. I won't know how they did or the turn out to the fair until next week. I am hopefully going to do a post because I love to share what I see at the fair. 

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Today is a Vonna day!!! Last night I did the weekly flowers at church so that today I could sleep in, stay all day in my night gown and stitch! I've already made lunch (we only eat one meal a day and I eat lunch) so that's done, and the day - after I get this blog updated is - is spread before me as a veritable stitching feast!

I'll be stitching solely on this piece until July 1st and then I'll switch to my grand-daughters' Christmas ornaments - which will be their yearly fun ornament that I choose to reflect what they like/or what age they are plus I always do a Santa for each of them because I want them to remember that their granny loved Santa when I'm gone...

*******

We are just  slightly less than one full year away from Ellie and Joseph's big day.... June 12, 2027.....

here are a couple of their engagement photos:

They are darling....

Joseph bought a Condo for them to live in once married. They close on it July 10 and it is....wait for it.....8 houses from us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe he will live in it until they are married, but if he chooses to stay at his parent's home then Ellie will move into it. That's all open at this point. I don't know who is moving, but someone will live there to keep it occupied because it has been empty for sometime and as we all know a home lived in is better than one that sits empty. 

So folks....

that catches you up on Vonna and family!

This coming Monday the whole family is going to Cincinnati to go to the Newport Aquarium for Cora's upcoming birthday!

I'll try to be back sooner next time...

I just get so involved in everything and everyone around me that I never take time to stop and connect with others. I've almost been off social media for a year. I can say this: I am at peace with that, while I miss to a certain extent having immediate contact with people I shared common interests with, I do NOT miss the hate spewed about on the daily. And I'm learning that people that want to stay up with me, find a way and if they don't well....they were just using me for free tutorials - which I knew was the case and I am finding was about 95% of those that called me their "friend". 

Until next time....

lots of love and big hugs!

April 27, 2026

 Hello!

Long time no hear from me....

I've been a whole lot busy and it's all been good, good, good!

First off....

Our Maisy Kate was born on April 4

8 lbs 7 oz. 

Cora wasn't so sure about little Maisy at first, but being a big sister for 3 weeks has grown on her!

Maisy looks almost exactly like her Mommy when she was a baby....

and like I said, Miss Cora is thriving being a big sister...

Three days after Maisy was born...

my son, Jacob, was notified by Eli Lilly that they wanted to formally interview him for a job. That was exciting news! In fact, they were giving him the two formal interviews that typically they space...back to back on the same day! 

He did the interviews and less than 24 hours later he had a job offer!

He will be starting full time with Eli Lilly in Indianapolis on May 4. He is doing exactly what he wants to do, in his field: Engineering Technician - Process Control. He will be programming and trouble shooting robotic arms. 

Lilly is a fantastic place to work for. I am so proud of and happy for him! 

A technicality for his job was: 

he had to move closer to Indy. Bloomington was considered outside the area for people who would be on call. So...two days after his job offer, we toured an apartment in Greenwood, Indiana. It was perfect, quiet, clean, the apartment that he would rent was just refurbished, it was modern and close to the office/clubhouse. It's well lit and I felt it appeared to be very safe. Three days after his job offer we were renting a Uhaul and moving him up there. 

Here I thought I would die before Jacob would ever move out and in a span of 4 days he had gotten his dream job, secured the perfect apartment and we had moved him out! 

That is HOW FAST life can move and change in the span of such a short amount of time. 

Not only has Jacob received his dream job....but Ellie

(who still will have 2 years of school - she changed her major from Informatics to Computer Science), received word OUT OF THE BLUE, that Crane NSWC wanted to interview her (this is where basically our whole family works for the Navy). She had a 30 minute interview and apparently knocked their socks off because one week later, in a no hire situation, she was offered an internship position that will transition to a full time position upon completion of her degree! She is studying Computer Science, with minors in Math, Data Science and Informatics. Crane has been very good to our family. They have excellent benefits and work to life balance. 

Ellie and Joseph...

also during this time frame has hammered down a date for their wedding. 

It will be June 12, 2027. So I have a little over a year to plan and execute it.

Joseph's Grandma...who babysat and took care of him for his parents his entire childhood (much like I am doing with my grandgirls)...is 85 and has hit upon some health issues. It is very important to Joseph to have his Grandma see him married. So they moved up their wedding a year. Ellie will have to finish her final year of school married...but that's OK. She can do it. Their moving up their wedding meant that Mom had to start the wedding sampler Ellie chose. 

Which was "The Wedding" by Lavender and Lace - Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum

which looks like this:

Yep...that's a lot of white....

So I started it off and here is a series of WIP pictures:

I think, I can...

I think, I can...

I think, I can...

It's on 32 count Natural Linen....I like natural linen, it's like a painted canvas when done.

Of course we changed the colors of the ribbons from blue to purple...

The flowers we toned down to more pastel pinks...rather than dark pinks...

Her colors are going to be purple, pink and yellow gold.

OK, so I told you about all the newsy, news....

I showed you my Wedding start....

I have not finished Vervaco's Jesus because well...life and starting this Wedding Sampler which I want done before I move to anything else.

I think last time I hopped on here, I told you that I was having nerve pain in my operative hip....that (for the most part) has resolved. It took exactly 1 month to resolve and let me tell you it was not fun. At all.

My left hip is quickly deteriorating.... 

I'm likely going to have to have it replaced....sooner rather than later...my surgeon has worked up the details, but told me he would hold it until I called and said I give in. I don't know when that will be though with a wedding on the horizon and a 3 month recovery....

My knees are going too...but I'll deal with it as it comes, things could be so very much worse, you know and I'm thankful that in today's world things like arthritis and joint disease can be helped with replacements, injections and I don't have to suffer the rest of my life.

I will say this surgery has taken it out of me...

I cannot work nearly as long or as hard as I have in the past. But I'm building myself slowly. 

I walked 1 mile nonstop today! Hurray! And bird watched along the way!

Katie and Austin gifted me a pair of wonderful, fantastic field glasses by Vortex. They are the Vortex Diamondback HD 8 x 32 binoculars. I have asked for a tripod for Mother's Day. I love birding and now that I have some time, I have been taking time out each day to bird watch and Keith is even making it a weekly thing for us to go on a birding adventure date. 

Speaking of Keith...

Today is our 30th Wedding Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to us! Like I told him this morning....I hope I make it another 30 years because the last 30 years has been the best adventure ever and I know the next 30 years of adventures will be even better. We had a lowkey day together yesterday....we went out to eat - always a treat to do that because we don't do that often. Then we went birding and did some small hiking (Keith is very protective of me and my walking too much after what happened this spring with my hip and nerve pain issues which was brought on by walking and standing too much in one day). We visited a Covered Bridge we had never seen - we are trying to get to all of Indiana's covered bridges that are left. And we stopped in Brown County - Nashville Indiana to have our favorite sweet treat - Persimmon Ice Cream! Yum!

So folks...that's life...

between all these many bountiful blessings the Lord has showered over us in the past month....

I've also been doing Easter season flowers each week at church and have been averaging 4 hours each week procuring, arranging and then putting out in church the flowers for the season. 

I have decided that I am going to place orders each month at the florist rather than go around trying to find flowers myself. That's what I do for the 8 weeks of Easter season, and it makes my life SO MUCH easier. So why not be organized and do it that way every week even during Ordinary Time? 

Yeah, that's what I thought too...

Life is buzzing like the bees I see in the flowers in the trees outside my window...

And I thank the Lord for his mercy and goodness that He shows us each and every day!

Until next time...

lots of love, 

Vonna 

March 6, 2026 - early Lent Check-in

Happy Friday Friends!

It's the end of the second week of Lent, and I thought I'd swing in to chat.

I'm having a very fruitful Lent so far. I think one of the most fruitful Lent's I've (maybe) ever had.

I have a story....

the first week of Lent I received an email. I opened it and it was a link to an online Lenten Retreat on "Discernment of Spirits" by Dan Burke. 

Hmmm...

I didn't sign up for any retreats. I didn't know who Dan Burke was. But regardless, I followed the link and watched the entire series of videos probably around 6 hours worth. At the end I was...

well gobsmacked. I don't even know how else to say it, because I didn't sign up for it, but somehow I received this retreat free. Now when I first read "Discernment of Spirits" I was like, what in the world is that? Once I tuned in and voraciously watched all of the videos I realized I had been given (at the very least) a "God moment" but honestly, I think I received a miracle.

 

You see I have a problem with thinking back 20-30-50 years ago and remembering all the dumb, stupid, horrible, not so very nice things I've done all my life. 

OR 

remembering all the not so very nice things done to ME over those years. 

I also have a *pride* problem

 and a *wrath* problem 

and a *gluttony* problem 

and an *avarice* problem

There's so much more sinful about me...but these are the root causes.

I was struggling with that at the time I received this email.

Discernment of Spirits really means in simplified talk: determining if your thoughts are, from God or from somewhere else. 

Well so....

if you need a gift like I did and this interests you and you believe it will help you:

 I'm giving you the link to sign yourself up and watch: HERE

It has made a HUGE...HUGE difference in my life. 

I've bought several of Dan's books, and am reading...

watched his conversion story easily found online by searching....

 listening to his and his wife's podcast...

He has made a very, very large impact on my life. 

I hope the retreat may help make an impact on your life, if you need it. 

*******

This Lent, stitching wise, I am focusing on:

Vervaco's Face of Jesus

A very sweet friend that I made by gifting this kit to her several years ago (when I first stitched and conquered this beautiful piece) returned the favor to me after she read that I was going to stitch this again this Lent. Imagine my surprise when her sweet note and package landed on my doorstep. 

Dearest Eileen, I thank you! 

This time I was hoping to keep it since the other three I have given away. But I'm going to be honest, I don't think I will be able to keep it....

There is a person that keeps popping in my head and I think perhaps I need to give it to her. 

(It's my Mom.) 

Anyhow...we will see....I can always stitch it again....I will anyway because I like to always keep one on hand ready to give away, because - as I've said before - I just can't think of a better gift to give someone. Just give them Jesus!

Here's where I am as of this very minute.

Not that far...but I must say stitching it for the 4th time, I'm finding it less hard. HA HA...

 

I've been thinking about that fact - my finding it less hard - and I think back to the time when I was stitching it for the first time. I was heavily into smalls, definitely not full coverage pieces, so I wasn't used to a page covered in symbols. Now having several larger pieces done under my belt - Santa of the Forest, a Dimension Gold piece, a Mirabilia...I'm thinking that I've found my stride with them, trained my eyes. Maybe I've just grown up. 

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I also have finished two more quilt blocks for Cora's quilt:

Here is Merida, the Scottish Princess

I LOVE how I did her skirt...which heavily resembles the actual animated Merida. and look closely at her background fabric - they are Scottish thistles. My own granny was of Scottish descent (her last name was Campbell) and I loved her so. So this block reminds me of her. 

and I also designed and created what will be the 15th block on the quilt:

I have a couple of embroidery machines and so I was able to create it that way, by using one of them. 

I love how it turned out!

Here are all the blocks together, so far:

Here is the designer's quilt, called Princess Parade and it is a digital download in her Etsy Shop. I have a link in previous posts, if interested.

with the 6 blocks done, I have 9 blocks left....I think I can! *maybe* 

the date is on it now, so I have to.....that's why I did that block....reverse psychology, it typically works for me.

I've had a bit of a stumble on my hip...

I overdid it last Saturday evening...big time. We were going American Woodcock hunting (well looking). My son in law and myself are birders. The American Woodcock is in our area only until the end of March and they are mating right now. They do a dance/spiral flying for their ritual.

So off we went (in the dark because they only sing/dance at night) stomping through the edge of a meadow/wood line area. We FOUND them! And witnessed the ritual, but it took 2 hours - walking and standing. . . . 

 Sunday morning I could tell I had done too much the night before, because I hurt...all over. Monday morning I was having nerve pain shooting down my thigh. It felt (seriously) like someone was pushing a cattle prod on my thigh. Oh heaven's it hurts so bad. Not constant, just when I would bend - to either sit or bend over to pick something up. 

Wednesday was (what seems to be) the crescendo of the pain. Thursday it calmed down quite a bit. Friday (today) seems like it is even better with much fewer nerve pain shots down my leg. 

Man it feels like white hot lightening. My surgeon told me (I called him) that is what happens when you over do. He also said, I am just 4 months out and I may feel good, but that doesn't mean go whole hog stomping around looking for birds. And of course I'm Vonna and Vonna always goes: whole hog. 

BUT....lesson learned.

I am fasting every single day - except Sundays which are traditional days of being able to celebrate - and I'm praying and offering my fasts (which are one very light, simple meal only and water all day) up for all of you asking for prayers and for our country and world. For peace in the hearts of men...

Until more toward the middle of Lent...

may you find peace, love and joy!

All my love, 

Vonna