What's in the Mailbag?

There were two lovely little packages waiting for me in the mail when we arrived home yesterday afternoon! I always love surprises, and even though I sort of knew about this first one, I was just tickled to death to open it. It is from Virginia Spiegel and she sent it to me because I donated a collage piece to her Collage Mania II benefit for the American Cancer Society. I love it, and I especially love the message. I want it to read: "Prove to Yourself", because I am constantly battling with myself in the artisitic arena. I know that that is common, but that still does not make me feel any better.
Thank you so much, Virginia!! Oddly enough I spend about two hours last night half dreaming and half awake, creating a very awesome mixed media collage to send to Virginia. I wish to heavens I had gotten up and taken some notes, because most of it is lost to me now. Someday I will learn!




This is the second piece that was in the mail to me, and it was truly a surprise, and a wonderful one at that! It is from Cathie, aka "Cleveland Girlie". We "met" a few months ago and I owe her a PIF piece, which I will be getting around to shortly, I promise! Cathie is very busy with her family and her work life, so I am truly honored to receive this wonderful fiberart bookmark! And Cathie, how ever did you know that I adore bookmarks and have had to resort to using one of those subscription cards (that are forever falling out of magazines) to mark my place in my latest good read? Thank you so very much...this was one delicious surprise!!!


I have been working away on Preserve and Protect this afternoon. I won't show it to you until it is completed, but I will tell you that I am pleased with how things are going. Fiber On A Whim had some awesome little fibers (of course) that I picked up in hopes that they will add a little to P&P.

Our weather today has been gorgeous: sunny and mild. I even did a bit of gardening this afternoon: just picking up branches that have fallen in our wind, ice and snow. C, Barker and I had an early morning romp on the golf course before church and Sunday School, and then Barker and I went back for another round this evening. I'm so glad that it is staying light a bit later now, because we can actually get onto the golf course as the golfers are finishing up their holes.





What's for dinner you ask?
Here it is:
I'm in the cold weather soup mode right now, so yesterday we picked up a package of Trader Joe's 17 Bean Soup Mix: YUMM!!!! We had a leftover holiday ham bone that was begging to be used, so in it went!












I love TJ's packaging: always something to give you a chuckle...and this one is good: hope you can read it!









PEACE

I was playing around with the picture location on tonight's blog and have really screwed up. I'm not a very patient person, so I hope you have been patient in reading it and sorting things out! From now on I will stick to the tried and true photo placement!