Treasures From Pat

"Love is the true means by which the world is enjoyed;
our love to others, and others love to us."
T.Traherne

How did I ever get to be such a lucky girl?
I was supposed to pick a birthday gift from Pat's shop back in March but wanted
to "save" the fun for a special time .
The other day was that special time and in the blink of an eye ~
this Treasure arrived at my door!

AND this absolutely amazing cell or card case and charming "Shop Till You Drop" pin

AND all of these other treats including her hand dyed silk ribbon which is the best you will find.

PLEASE DO double click on the photo's so you can see up close the details!!!

The best part is the love that pours out of her work. It makes me cry every time ~ which my husband thinks is very funny ~ in a good way.

Teddi starts to lick me like crazy ~ not knowing they are tears of joy.

One of my favorite quotes reminds me very much of my special friend ~

whom must be rich in all the very best ways ~ if this quote bears any truth ............

Life begets life.

Energy creates energy.

It is by spending ones self that one becomes rich. s.bernhardt

Thanks you Pat Winter for making my life richer by your friendship.

Road Trip to Virginia ~ Tappahannock, Fredricksburg, Rappahannock River

A few weeks ago ~ I was thrilled to take a road trip ~ just me, myself and I ~to see family in Tappahannock, Va.
I wish I could have traveled by sea but instead ~

it was via the New Jersey Turnpike.
Of course I am used to the usual 1 hour back up ~ always around Exit 8 for some reason.

I only wish I had not been so absentminded about my gas.

I was on empty and miles and miles of traffic ahead in a dead stop.

I did what I always do ~ prayed and asked the Lord for some extra grace for not having filled my tank.

One hour later ~ I made it right to the pump.

HE never lets me down!

I arrived at Tappahannock, Va ~ 9 hours after leaving Connecticut.

I had never been here but could feel I belonged.

Many of my ancestors from both sides of my family were from this area ~ fishing the Rappahannock River and raising their family's up and down this stretch of Va.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Tappahannock.

This is a very small town and I didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised!

It was spotlessly clean ~ many offerings for free including breakfast, pool, gym and computers in the lobby area.

The little Historic District was lovely.

This is the Rappanhannock River ~

I stopped my car under the bridge and tried to picture my ancestors going up and down this river.

It felt so wonderful to be here ~ kinda like having a dream of a place you loved when you were a child.

I felt like I was revisiting instead of visiting for the first time.
I had a wonderful visit with my family all day Saturday.

They are wonderful folks ~ down to earth, country through and through.

I left at dusk for the hour ride North to Fredricksburg, Va.

I arrived at dark so it took me a while to find my Inn ~ The Kenmore.

Many of the streets are one way so it was hard to find at night.

I was starving when I arrived but the only place that was still open to dine was the bar.

Oh darn ~ I felt funny going to a bar alone but hunger ruled. I remember thinking at 50 ~ I can do anything!

I ordered a salad ~ leaving my glasses in my room so the bartender had to read me the menu to me ~ how embarrassing.

After I ordered ~I noticed my glasses were hanging out of my shirt the whole time!

It was a very nice place and what interesting people !

I will start at one end of the bar and work my way around ~

- there was a woman who's Dad had been a pilot for many of our presidents.(Nixon was his favorite)

- A well known 80 something year old piano player and his attractive wife, (on his way out of the bar ~ he played a short but beautiful tune on the bar piano)

- a young couple who were celebrating there 1st wedding anniversary ~ both lawyers,

- a young cute curly haired kid who seemed to have consumed one to many energy drinks,

- a man who's brother in law almost beat the the Iron Chef on the Food Network.

We all had SO much fun and such lively conversation ~ I didn't get back to my room till midnight!

It was the most unexpected end to the most wonderful day ~ back where my life had began generations before me ~ I was home.

Now if only this could have been my house!

This was the chandler above my bed ~ (pic's of the room didn't turn out)

The dining room where breakfast was served ~

The front porch of my dreams ~ (I thought of my pal Pat Winter when I was sitting here)

After breakfast ~ I checked out early ~ left my car at the Inn as parking is difficult ~ and walked to the downtown area.

The homes along the way were beautiful......

with beautiful gardens to match.

I walked around for 2 hours in the 100 degree heat ~ waiting for the museums and shops to open

(it was Sunday)

...and ended up with a case of heat stroke!

I made it to one museum when I had to find an air conditioned restaurant and sit there for over an hour until I was up to driving.

I still had to drive to Lancaster, Pa that day so headed out on the road ~ ton's of traffic as I was in the Washington DC area ~ and prayed once again for God's grace and help to get me to my destination.

Here are a few other pic's I took in Fredricksburg before I got sick ......

gorgeous magnolia's.....

lovely alley ways ~ so common in these southern towns.

Even the trees are steeped in history.

By the time I reach Baltimore, Maryland ~ I started to feel better.

Just as I was within 20 minutes of my hotel in Pa ~ a terrible storm hit the area.

The black sky turned everything dark as night. Since I drive a convertible ~ I was concerned about falling trees.

I passed several but those wonderful angels kept me safe.

By 7:00 pm ~ I was rocking in the wooden rocking chairs on my hotel porch ~ as the sun pecked back out just in time for the sunset.

I reflected on the last few days, it truly did feel like such a wonderful adventure.

Tomorrow morning ~ I would be waking up in my beloved Amish Country.

Breakfast at the same place we always brought the kids. Their childhood seems as though it lives on here ~

I see their faces in the children whose glance I catch.

I feel their tug on my leg and hear there excitement as a Amish Buggy rides by.

Maybe it is these memories that draw me back to this place time and again ~ as much as it is my love for the people here.

for more info on the places I visited ~

http://www.baygateways.net/general.cfm?id=138

Rappahannock River

http://www.essex-virginia.org/ta_walk.htm

Tappahannock, Va

http://www.visitfred.com/

Fredricksburg, Va

http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco/site/default.asp

Lancaster County, Pa

Waking up in Lancaster County, Pa is heaven to me.

This morning ~ I had to be headed home to Connecticut by 11am to give me time to stop at the Amish farms along the way to buy produce to bring home.
I decide to take a ride on one of the Amish Buggies before leaving.
The driver was raised Amish with his 7 brothers and sisters but left the sect when he became a man.
He has a great love for the people and land ~ paired with a very honest view of some of the downfalls.
It was such interesting conversation!

Here we are riding down the country lanes.

This is a tobacco field.The Amish are allowed to smoke pipes but not cigarettes because the "english people"do.

English is their term for anyone who is not Amish.

If you are not Amish ~ to them you are "english."

Much of the dairy produced in Lancaster County is sold to Hersey Candy Corp in Hershey, Pa.

Right now ~ the farmers are loosing money selling to them but don't mind.

They realize for many years they made a great deal of money.

They are such fair minded people.

This farm has been in the same family since the land was sold to them by William Penn in I believe the 1700's ~ according to our buggy driver.

This is one of the shops in Bird In Hand ~ just down the road from Intercourse.

My favorite pottery shop in Intercourse located in the Kitchen Kettle shopping area.

I always try to buy a tiny vase or pansy pot when I am here.

This is the front of the Best Western in Intercourse, Pa.

When my children were little ~ we always got a suite here with a kitchen but only used it to make popcorn at night!

They used to play right there in that buggy......oh the sweet memories.

Unlike most motel-hotels ~ the restaurant here is visited mostly by local Mennonite and Amish instead of tourists.

It is my favorite place to eat in this entire area.

Just fabulous local home cookin'!!!

wanna know a secret dream of mine?

To one day~ live in Lancaster County on property with a main house and 2 or 3 cottages I can rent to vacationers.

The idea of fixing a special room for guest ~ adding loving touches ~ and letting those far from home feel loved just makes my blood overflow with joy!!!

(I found out a few years ago I had Mennonite ancestors that lived in that area.I really believe it is in my blood.)

Beautiful Quilts at The Peoples Place Museum in Intercourse, Pa.

Whenever I am on my way home to Connecticut from anywhere south of the Mason -Dixon Line ~ you know I just gotta stay the night in my beloved Intercourse, Pa.
Sweet, beautiful Amish Country ~ there is nothing I don't LOVE about it!

I always visit The Peoples Place Quilt Museum and Fabric Shop ~

http://www.ppquiltmuseum.com/

which happens to be directly across the street form the Inn I always stay in.
Please enjoy these wonderful quilts that are part of the current collection ~

When you least expect it,

a common thread

~ golden, at that ~

begins to weave together

the fabric of friendship.

mary kay shanley

FYI ~ I used this cool setting I just discovered on my Canon Camera called STITCH to get the nice angle shots

Moo Cards

My Moo Cards arrived ~
and I LOVE THEM!!!
Don't know what a Moo card is you say?


It is a cool mini card that measures just 2 3/4" by 1" and is printed in the UK.
You get 100 in a set for $20.00 plus about $5.00 shipping. (try this code for 15% off ~ B9UA6R)
I purchased a cool case that goes on my keyring for $5.00 so they are handy to give out.
You download your own pic's ~ up to 100 ~ and fit them in the card the way you want.
(it's very easy and FUN!)
You decide what info you want on the back ~ here's what mine say ~

"For God so LOVED the world..." John 3:16
Terri's ThreadArt
crazy quilt artist and other thread art
tthreadart@aol.com
lavenderbetweenthecracks.blogspot.com

You can use them for any kind of marketing, business card, special event ~
hey ~ I feel like a MOO card salesman!
Check out the site for yourself ~
http://us.moo.com/en/