"Finds"

Hello Again!

I'm heading to my "happy place" in just a few minutes but thought I would pop in with a couple of pictures of the tablecloth I found for the bargain price of 50 cents on Monday.

Isn't it beautiful? I do need to iron it again to get the folding creases out. I don't see any stains on it at all. Such a fun vintage find. I think it will have a home in my camper. The little embroidered flowers make me smile! :-)

And then I found this.

I have my grandmothers antique and I mean old, old, old potato masher that I use all of the time. Mandy wanted a similar one but all I could find in stores were those sqiggly wire ones that didn't mash anything and left lots of lumps. I happened upon this masher at the same time that I found the tablecloth. It's not nearly as old as mine, but it has lots of little holes and should work just fine for her.

A few people emailed me about reading and crocheting at the same time. Here's how I do it.

I found this book holder at a craft fair several years ago. This is for a trade paperback size and I also have one for regular paperbacks. The cover has a spring in the back that lets you lift the front or back and turn a page. Then it holds the book flat and that strip of clear plastic stays clipped over the pages to keep the book open. You don't have to unsnap it unless you want to close the book completely. This has changed my crafting life. I LOVE to read, but as you know, I also LOVE to knit/crochet. Now I can do both very easily. If you're interested in one of your own, just email me, I have the couple's name that makes them. They told me that making and selling them supplements their retirement income. I'm NOT selling anything and I really don't even know the people, I just met them at the craft fair and bought these book holders.

The painters that were here all day yesterday just left. We now have a freshly stained deck and fence. They had hoped to complete the job yesterday, but it started raining about 3:00. Both guys are wonderful Christian young men. They also painted the outside of our house last spring. We've had some great conversations. One of them was a marine with two tours of Iraq. He told me of the families he met over there and that his heart just breaks for the regular, everyday people, just like us. They just want to raise their families in peace but then war got in the way. So sad. He told me he spent a lot of time in Falujah. (I probably spelled that wrong.) While there he got close to two families that he still tries to keep in touch with. Mail delivery is sporadic at best. It was an interesting two days, hearing his stories and listening to how these two fine young men are trying to live their lives helping others. It gives me hope in this world that we still have young people like that. It seems all you hear these days is bad news.

Anyway, now that they're finished I can head back to the lake. I'll be reading your blogs while there and trying to comment. And I'll be back here next week with an update on my little life. Hopefully I'll have made some good progress on my blanket to show you.

Blessings,

Betsy