Audrey's birthday!

Happy 9th birthday, Audrey! It's amazing how old these kiddos are getting! Her main gift was a compound bow. She's looking forward to a lesson this afternoon with her dad. She wants to be in Shooting Sports in 4-H next year. I'll take my little gifts over later today when it's cake time! :)

We've had a couple of monster thunder and lightning storms in the past couple of weeks. Last night was another. I could have gone next door, but by the time I considered this option the rain, hail, and lightning were at such a level that it would have been stupid to venture out. So, I prayed and wasn't really nervous. One thunderclap was so loud it felt like a giant stomped on my house, but I think everybody probably felt that. All's well this morning!

The only storm picture I got. Can't tell much, lol. 

I've gotten a few thrift items lately. The little fishing themed thingy in my header photo was one of them. I'll have to correct the punctuation on that, lol. It's bothering me. I pick up various "lake themed" items.

I'll give this to Audrey at Christmas. It's excerpted from The Wind in the Willows. Maybe she'll become a fan!

I've long been a fan of Gwen Frostic's block print art, but I didn't realize what this little packet was when I first picked it up off the thrift store shelf.

 It was full of little note cards decorated with her block print nature art! She may have passed on by now, but I think you can still purchase her art at her website. (Update: I visited her site. She died in 2001, but her site is alive and well. They have some really gorgeous notecards, calendars and the like. Worth a look!)

More thrift store note cards. I use these for mailing  my ATCs. Gives them a little extra protection.

Yesterday Della (age 5) saw that I was donating my teapot to the local thrift store which benefits the Developmental Achievement Center. She asked wistfully, "Grandma, why don't you keep it so I can have tea parties?" Who can resist such a request? I did end up donating it because I found a better one! I picked up an assortment of teacups and saucers (50 cents each). She stipulated that she needed five. Here's what I found.

GOLD!

Alice in Wonderland!

Fancy! This one was actually in my donation pile, but I saved it for her.

Kind of small, but ADORABLE! May need to make a couple of batches of tea with this little pot.

I see some broken dishes in my future, but at 50 cents a pop, we can afford to replace them. She'll have tons of fun!

Audrey and Hazel set up a table for studying and washing rocks.

 The girls decided to paint the Himalayas. They must have watched a documentary. ;)

I'm guessing this is Della's.

Hazel?

Pretty sure this is Audrey's. More detail.

Probably another Hazel creation. She's a fast painter.

 Adam finally had time to finish this gable end. There will be a garage at the other end of the house, so it will wait for now.

RUST-ic.
The white patch on the lower right is where the rock work will begin. It will wrap around and go all across the front of the house. A stone mason can't have a house without stone on it!

Adam is also running next door to help his dad build a new house for his sister and her family. These guys don't do much lounging around!

The girls found this footprint and wondered who made it. I thought it was probably the local guinea hens, but they hoped it was a sandhill crane. Their tracks are very similar, but I don't think the cranes would land this close to the house. Adam later weighed in with a vote for turkeys. We may never know.

I still think it was these guys or girls.

And this little fella showed up on my front door the other day right before one of those storms. I checked on him during the storm and he was flattened out with his arms over his head and his legs stretched out behind. It was hilarious! I hope he made it okay.

Well, I think I've exhausted the contents of my memory card for now. I hope you're all doing well. I'll be around to check on you!
Keep on enjoying your summer!
Love and shalom to all.