been awhile

Hello again...it has been way too long since I updated this blog. Things have settled into normal & Laborie , Grenada is becoming our home. We have been pretty busy lately...with Ben working at the church/school, helping teach woodshop, other misc. maintenance work and of course studying & all that. This past week the poured concrete at the school, making a small pad out front and some steps going down the other side of the church. We also planted a small garden w/ watermelon, carrots, & lettuce. The watermelon seems to be thriving but no sign of carrots or lettuce. I think maybe they were planted to deep, so we might just have to give it another shot. Our clubs in Peterfield have been going much much better and we are working on getting all the names down pat. Been visiting some of the elderly & shut ins in the community. Makes me appreciate my health & my youth. It is amazing how a short visit can brighten someone day though too. We stopped by a dear lady who we thought was someone else. She was basically deaf, & had to carry most of the conversation which included repeating the same thing at least five times, but she kept saying she was so happy that we stopped by :) We also have quite a few children & youth that make their way by our place for a glass of water, some attention, or to play games.

"D" & Ben playing a game of Mancala...it was a hot game around here, but has now been put away due to the fact that Ben wins 99% of the games....and, really....it is not fun for anyone to win (or lose) that much



"Black Eye" & "Fuffy" playing a game of Fishing

  One of the projects that I tackled this week. Got my inspiration here  http://familyofcrums.blogspot.com/2010/09/artsy-fartsy.html  Well, yeah, I actually almost copied her, but I loved it so much & my mind doesn't work that creatively. I have to steal all my ideas from other people. ;) Either way I had fun experimenting with this project & since I had no experience what so ever with painting it was a good learning experience & a good simple project. I have another plaque with a couple layers of paint & I am trying to decide what to paint on that one. I am planning on hanging them side by side so I don't want to do anything too matchy matchy.. maybe a saying or a verse, but painting words scares me a little cuz I really don't know what I am doing. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. :)

my "I've been painting too long" face

After several coats of washed paints, lots of sanding, & the first leaves painted on

close up...

after all the painting was completed

my dear husband kindly did the last bit of sanding for me after I developed a blister on my thumb

...and the final pice of art :)...after i rubbed a dark stain on it to give it more of a weathered look...not sure if it did that or
just made it look dirty, but I am mighty pleased.

I forgot to mention that all this wood came from a pile of junk crates that our neighbor man kindly allowed us to use :)