The One About Allegra...

Today is the 8th anniversary of the death of Allegra.  

She was truly one in a million.

Allegra was my joy.

And, I miss her.

Always and forever...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

The One About Meeting Up With a Special Friend...

While on vacation in Wisconsin, I was able to spend time with some of my friends.  Course, there is never enough time.  And, never enough time to do everything one wants to do.  Right?  I am definitely going to plan my trip differently next time so that I am able to include those I wasn't able to see this year.  

So.  I promised a blog post about meeting up with a special friend while in Wisconsin.

Her name is Donna.

If you will recall, I met Donna back in 2013 through an online strawberry swap we were participating in.  If you don't recall this, click here and then here.  We have maintained an online friendship since then.  

This is the same Donna I commissioned to make a mug mat featuring a chocolate Labrador.  I wrote about it here.

About the time I was moving out here, Donna and her husband bought some property in Wisconsin and moved from Florida!  So, I was hoping that I would get to meet with her on this trip back home.

Thankfully, everything worked out...we met up in West Bend at the Omicron Family Restaurant, where we had a wonderful lunch.  We sat and visited for a very long while after we were finished eating.  Apparently, we both like to talk.  ~grin~  I felt very comfortable with Donna...as if we really had known each other for a very long time.  Once we left the restaurant, we decided to visit a quilt shop (always in need of quilt fabric, you know).  So, off we went up the road where we found Royce Quilting.  Gotta say...it is a lovely shop!

Over the years, most of the fabric shopping I do is done solo.  Whether buying online or at a LQS, I shop alone.  Why?  Because I've never had sewing/quilting friends who lived near me.  So, you can imagine my delight at shopping with a friend...one who knew what I was talking about and who helped me get what I needed.  We had a great time together.  I am so very glad that I made the time to spend time with Donna.  My friend.    

Looking forward to the next time I visit Wisconsin...



PS  Donna and I exchanged gifts...I gave her some acorn-headed straight pins (she is acorn crazy!) and she brought me homemade canned pears and pesto.  LOVELY!  Thank you, Donna!!

  





"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

The One About That Vacation Blog Post...

Two times.

TWO TIMES!  

That is twice.  Yup, on two separate occasions, I had a lovely narrative detailing my vacation to Wisconsin!  With a gazillion photos to boot!!!

Both times, I went back in to edit the post and somehow, someway, managed to delete the entire thing.  Seriously?  This isn't my first time around the block...and certainly not my first rodeo.  Ya know?  I have been doing this blog thing for several years (10+ to be exact!).  So, what did this latest experience teach me?  Well, of course...to save this post about every other word.  ~grin~  

But, seriously.  I am no longer in the mood (and you probably don't care THAT much) to write a narrative.  But, I do want to show you some of the photos.  I promise it won't be boring.  

Ready?  Here you are...

Trees gone, different siding, but this is the house I grew up in.
My Gram lived in the upstairs apartment, which was the best thing ever!

Pontoon ride at sunset on Lake Mendota with Kim and Brett.  Beautiful!

I had a purse made for Kim...like mine that I showed a few posts back.
Except, her purse has a Golden Retriever.  She loves it!

Princess Kaylynn and I spent a night together in a motel.
She is 12 years old now.

Paul (Kaylynn's Dad) and Rachel came to visit us in the motel.

My  boys.

Matt's son, Conlan...now 14!

Ferry ride across Devil's Lake.  That was fun!

These are just a few of the photos I took.  (If you are my friend on Facebook, you have already seen all of the other photos I took.)  It was a wonderful vacation!  I will need to plan differently next time, though, because there are some people I wanted to spend time with that I didn't have time for.  

You know, it was almost more difficult to leave Wisconsin this time than when I moved out here because it really hit me how much I miss everyone.  

My next post will be about a special friend I met up with when in Wisconsin.  Hopefully, I'll get it written very soon.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11