WEDDING BELLS

Now all of you know what I was doing at 4:20 AM  Friday morning.  Just like a couple of billion of my closest friends we were all watching every moment of the Royal Wedding.  It really did have all the elements of a fairy tale wedding.  The prince,  the beautiful maiden (a commoner), the delightful attendants, all the parents and grandparents looking on, a beautiful church rich in antique heritage,  herald trumpets, the clergy in robes that rivaled the wedding party.  Everything you could ask for in a fairytale.  I wish this couple a long life, happiness to balance the heartaches of life, children (atleast the 'heir and a spare'), and a love that will sustain their marriage.  I think William read some of the books about his parents' marriage.  He took his time and tried to make sure (from all appearances) that he had the right partner for his life. I think Kate tried to do the same.  I know some folks have been very critical of them dating and breaking up and living together for periods.  William has seen the very worst of what destruction and heartache a bad marriage can bring, not only with his parents but his uncles and other realitives. I think from some interviews I have read of him, that he had rather not marry at all than to go thru what his mother went thru.  In my oppinion Charles should have never married Diana.  That marriage never had a chance because of him, period.  But that is another rant for another day.  I hope this couple  will change the fortunes of royality and prove that fairytales can have a happy ending.  God Save the Queen!

THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I

Once more I spent the day watching weather radar and checking ABC3340's weather blog. Then I would switch to the NWS National Mosaic to see how much was still to come from the far reaches of Mississippi that shares ALL their bad weather with their good neighbors is Alabama.  The radar yesterday reminded me of someone standing on the Mississippi river and throwing a hand full of pingpong balls across the state at us.  That is what supercell storms look like on radar.  And they just kept on coming.  I got up at 5:30AM Wed. morning and heated left over coffee in the microwave (yes I do like it that way and it also means I have coffee to drink while I am making a fresh pot). Besides waste not, want not.  About that time the tornado sirens went off outside.  I zipped over to my computer and turned it on to see the radar.  I can read a weather radar as well as the weathermen can and I know exactly where I am on the map.  I started buttoning down the house, closing windows and waking up my hubby so he would be awake incase we were blown away.  I unplug important electrical stuff (computers, tv's, SEWING MACHINES, etc) when the lighting comes.  I have seen (my brother's house) what a lightening strike can do to electronic stuff.  The only thing I don''t unplug is refridgerators and stoves and washing machines.  The radar looked like a squall line of storms and about 10 min later the power went off.  I was able to shut down my computer first though.  The storm lasted about 30 min and I read a book.  The power was off for about and hour and a half.  Then I started watching every 30 min to see how the radar looked the rest of the day.  I was watching the internet (I don't have TV any more, too expensive for the trash on it).  There was some damage from trees etc.  I was also watching when the tornado hit Tuscaloosa. Saw that monster live destoying everything in its path. 

 If you would like to see the videos of the storms yesterday go to http://www.abc3340.com/ and clik on home or weather they have about 20 of the storms themselves and the destruction.  The one thing those pics prove YOU ARE NOT SAFE ANYWHERE.  It destroyed stores, homes, court houses, hospitals, roads, EVERYTHING in its path.  Today 24 hours later they are still finding bodies, and injured, and have not even been able to search everywhere even with National Guard help.  We were lucky.  The supercells, 2 of them, one went just north of my home by a couple of miles and one stayed in the air as it went over the top us. Literally over the top.  Even the national weather service station at the airport 4 miles from my house abandoned their station to seek saftey.  Just the grace of God that that storm stayed in the air.  I was, for the first time in a long time, terrified in a storm.  Today around my home the air is clean, the birds are singing and all seems right in our world,  but not all that far from me people are worn out, hurting, trying to find their loved ones, to pick up the pieces of their homes and their lives.  They look in the pics to be shell shocked like casualities  of a war battle, and the pain won't end in a day or two or even months. They have no homes, no belongings left, just nothing but splinters and tattered dreams.  May God have mercy on their souls, and comfort them.  Please say a prayer for all of the people touched by those storms yesterday, not just the ones in Alabama.  Folks as far away as Michigan were hit by tornados yesterday.  They all hurt, physically and mentally.   

This is just a sample of the damage.  (Not near me, Thank you Lord.)  This was in Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, I am not sure which.  Wednesday April 27, 2011.  A day we will add to the other horrible weather days we remember the rest of our lives.

Be safe, all of you.   Mary

A BLESSED EASTER

On this most Holy day in the Christian world, I would like to wish all my visitors a Blessed Easter.  May God's richest Blessings bought with the precious blood shed by our Saviour, Jesus Christ, to wash away our sins be with you and your family and loved ones on this day.
Mary and Don

STORMS AND BANNERS

Well, here we go again with tornadoes, this time just a couple of miles from the house.  They just keep getting closer it seems.  On a brighter note, I am still sewing. More banners listed on ETSY. 

I have had a real problem getting a good pic of these banners. I just don't have a contrast on a wall to shoot them.  I really have had fun making these.  The banners  work fast and I am getting better. Just goes to show, use it (your skills) or lose it.  Well it is thundering again so I will sign off for now.  I always shut the computer off when it is storming.  See ya'll later.   Mary

WISTERIA AND ROMANTIC BANNERS

Well, I guess some of you have wondered if I dropped off the face of the earth.  I think maybe I have been hiding away.  There have been some problems in my little world lately, but I think the worse are getting worked out. 

It is truely spring in Alabama right now.  The wisteria has already bloomed and once again I did not get pics of the countryside and the town of Montevallo with the wisteria in all its glory.  I wish they would breed a variety that would be in bloom for more than a couple of weeks.  It does not last longer than 2 weeks down here.  That is sad, because I think it is the most romantic blooms in the world next to roses.  Here is 3 stock pictures I found for those that follow my blog from other parts of the world.
I have started crafting ~ again~ maybe this time it is going to work out for me.  I love to sew.  I am happy at a sewing machine or with a needle in my hand creating something pretty.  I saw some banners or flags or bunting on line that I liked. But most were made from printed card stock or burlap ???, I mean really  ~ burlap?? that's not very romantic to me (just my opinion). So I dug around in some stacks of rosy fabrics and trims and this is what I came up with.  These are the first two I have finished and am going to list these on ETSY today. 

 I am happy with these.  I wanted something very romantic and that would flutter in the breeze whether it was outside or just close to air ducts or a window.

I used ribbon to make the letters and attached them with hand sewn beads.  Some of the fabrics and ribbons are vintage so are the laces.  I hope these sell.  I enjoy making them.  That is important if you have to do a lot.  Ya'll be sure and check all three of my ETSY sites over the next couple of days. On Marys FabricNStuff I am going to post some fabric visors that we used to sell tons of at outdoor shows.  These are adjustable and soft to the head yet the brims don't wilt down.  And you can toss them in the washing machine and dryer and they come out looking just like when you bought them.  They are limited in supply because I can't get the interfacing I used in them.  It was like compressed quilt batting that had a firm hand and the stiffness did not was out.  I used to get it in 40 yard rolls from the manufacturer and they don't make it any longer.  It was made in New Jersey( or in that area). I guess the Chinese didn't want to continue making it when they bought them out.  Another GOOD product bites the dust because EVERYTHING has to be made ANYWHERE but in the US.  I wonder if the 'powers that be' will ever understand what that is doing to us. Then again maybe that is what they intended for it to do all along.  Destroy the US.  Guess I will get off my soapbox now and get these things listed on ETSY.
I hope all of you are  doing great and I wish God's Blessings on each of you during  Lent and this Easter season. 
Love ya'll,  Mary