Don't you mess with a little girl's dream

'Cause she's liable to grow up mean

~Poe

Little deflated Lumplings, just waiting to be stuffed! My big incredible ironstone pitcher that we found in Texas.

One day after all of Hans' doctor appointments, our friend, Don, picked us up and took us to an antique mall.

My first accomplishment there was to break a tiny child's tea cup. That is the first time in my life that I've done that and to say that I was mortified is an understatement. Luckily, I was going to buy the tea set anyway!

And then I saw this gorgeous pitcher way up high, and yay for me that both Hans and Don are way freaking tall and could reach it! I collect ironstone pitchers when they are cheap, but usually they are way pricey. This one was marked at just $32, which is a great price, but Don got this determined look in his eye that I didn't quite trust. He asked a lady if she could do better on the price (at this point, I shoved the pitcher into his arms and ran behind a display), She sighed and said that she could go to $27, and Don made a very disappointed noise at her and told her that he would give her $25 and take it today! She agreed! I was so impressed! I rarely bargain...sometimes at outside flea markets and yard sales, but never at an antique store cause the women usually look at me like I might break something ( like a doll tea cup!).

Then, wrapped in the bubble wrap and nestled in a big bag that Don and his brother, Ron gave me, I carried my lovely pitcher home on the plane. The lady at security laughed at me as I hovered around my bag when I explained what was in it.

This morning Hans took the kids to the local Farmer's Market and brought back these gorgeous eggs. The small ones are a light mint color. They are so pretty that I had to take pictures today. Hans looked a little worried about my attachment to the mint eggs and warned me that he will cook with them... and soon. He also brought a tiny gingko home for me! I tried to dig a hole for it tonight, but ran into rock and got pissed off. Then Hans wanted to try, even though he knew it would hurt his side too much..and it did. Then our neighbor, Nate gave it a try and ended up suggesting dynamite. Tomorrow I'll attack it again.

Today was hot and miserable in North Georgia, but it was still a great day to go junkin around town. We hit the thrift store where I found an ironstone soap dish for 25 cents. It's beautiful, with pretty crazing throughout.

Then, we went to an antique store that we pass a lot, but never bothered to explore. They had so much stuff, but nothing in my price range. Which, I admit, my price range is really small! They did have a great cat that tried to come home with us, and when we wouldn't put it in the car, he threw himself in front of the wheels in protest and I had to get out and chase him. That cat looked at me like I had just broken his fuzzy little heart.

Last, we went to my favorite antique spot where we found these old salt shakers (I'll put baking soda and bergamot scent in them and keep them near the sink for cleaning) for 50 cents, this old hand carved box for $10, an old metal egg basket for $3 and a mahogany table that needs work for $15. More than I usually spend, but it makes my spirit lighter and I love to clean up our little treasures so that they shine once again.

A great day for junkin, indeed! I like the scratch and dent stuff, not the fine antiques. If it has chips and crazing, I love it all the more.

Mother, Father, I think that I would rather
Stay at home with you for another year
That building is so tall
and it makes me feel so small
That I might get lost and simply disappear
~The Housemartins~

Finn is officially done with Kindergarten.

He really did learn a lot this year; from reading and writing to basic math.

I only remember coloring in Kindergarten. There was a lot of that going on in Finn's class too, and one day he came home kind of sad because a friend told him that he didn't color nicely, that he only "scribble-scrabbled". Hans and I let him know that we would much rather that he colored outside of those lines, so that his works of art are always unique. And he can draw so very well! Lots of skulls with funny little captions like "I stink" under them.

He wrote on my mother's day card that he wouldn't even trade me for a kangaroo. Hans had to put some thought into that one and asked Finn if he was really sure about that, what if that Kangaroo had a baby kangaroo in it's pouch and then you would have TWO kangaroos, he asked. Finn pondered that for a moment and decided that I was still better. Dang, it was close!

The Kindergarten program today was a disaster. They are redoing the floor where the stage is...brilliant move on the last week of school, you goof balls...so everyone was packed into the cafeteria. People were getting hot and angry, one woman passed out and an ambulance had to come get her and the little kids were fed up and crying. Only maybe the first row of folks could see the kids singing. The rest of us were sad sardines.

Ella was busy flirting with a little boy to her side. And by flirting, I mean she was telling him that she was so much taller than him and could beat him up..if she wanted to, of course. That little boy stood up on his seat and had to point out the largest man in the room to his grandmother. When his grandmother shushed him, he kind of puckered his mouth in thought and then loudly said, "Weelll...He's still so fat he could eat me up!".with the cutest little southern drawl.

We mailed off almost all of the Lumplings. And I've already started on the next herd, but last night I took the time to finish this little Cinderella dress for Ella. She was thrilled to wear it today and I'm very happy with how nice it turned out.

So it is officially summer break for us! The mosquitos are out in force and the kids are looking forward to running in the sprinklers. Finn even wrote that his mom was cool because she let him play in the sprinkler. Water Ban be damned! I get brownie points from my munchkins when I let them run around all wet and crazy!

Lumplings!

Here is a sneak peek at the Lumplings coming up

for adoption tomorrow. It's a small herd of only seven.

A couple of them have dresses and some have babies.

I'm not taking preorders for these guys...I just wanted to give a peek!

But now that Hans and I are home and his doctors think

that he's doing fine I can concentrate on sewing some more

Lumpling herds!

Hans and I will go back to MD Anderson Cancer Hospital in August for his one year checkup since surgery. He will have a lot of tests for that one and if all goes well, we switch to going every six months for tests.

Sometimes I feel really at ease at that Hospital...hell, I've wandered around there in my pajamas and striped socks when we were basically living there for almost eight weeks. The hotel staff knows us and we see people that we know in the cafeteria and halls of the hospital. You know that you are at a place where cancer is or has touched everyone there...and maybe they understand just what we are going through. The night after Hans' first surgery, I was making my way back to the hotel (they wouldn't let me stay with him when he was in icu) and a lady just came up and started hugging me in the lobby. She didn't even have to ask me what was wrong... her husband was also at the hospital, but she had the courage to smile and encourage me. But this past visit as we were in the waiting room of Hans' oncologist, a pretty lady and her husband came out and she was just crying so pitiful, and her husband's eyes were red and tearful, too. They had just gotten bad news from our same doctor and it made it difficult for me to breathe. A reality check, for sure. Not that I've been able to step away and live in a fantasy about cancer... I think about it constantly.

Whew... but anyway.. I need to sew for my sanity.

~ Hush, little baby, don't say a word,

Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

For Mother's day! A picture of my mama, in all her 1970's glory. She actually groans when she sees this picture, it bothers her so, but I like it a lot.

Look what I got for Mother's Day!

An amazing doll, made by Scott Radke. Scott has better pictures of her on his site, I took these when the light was already waning, so they are a bit dark.

Hans says that he asked Scott to make it all the way back when we were still at the Hospital. I never saw this one coming and was completely surprised by it. Hans likes to give me art featuring my much loved friend the Sheep, and this little sheep is just so beautiful! I wish I could get a close up of his eyes...they are shiny and sweet and you would swear that little lamb is looking right at you. I don't have him perched in her arms just right yet, since I keep taking him down and looking at him.

They hang on the wall, and I put them right above my favorite chair where I spend my morning time, next to our Pie Oh Pah painting by Clive Barker.

I love the curve of her hips covered in burlap love.

My neighbor has six wee kittens that will need homes soon. She brought the runt over... wrapped in a washcloth, with her baby bottle and tiny little fuzzy ears.

I'm pretty sure that I now have baby kitten Fever.

my my my it's a beautiful world
I like swimming in the sea
I like to go out beyond the white breakers
where a man can still be free...or a woman if you are one
I like swimming in the sea
~Colin Hay

Finally back from Florida. I'm so glad to be home, but on Monday, Hans and I will board another plane for Houston and MD Anderson Hospital for his next round of tests. This is the ninth month of being in remission and we will go every three months for these first couple of years and then every six months. I'll probably be the paranoid wife insisting on keeping it every three months. Even I feel sorry for the doctors having to deal with me. Hans is all easy going and I'm up the staff's butt at the hospital every chance I get.

This was our first time at the beach since Hans' diagnosis. When he was in the hospital and couldn't eat for almost eight weeks he would say again and again how he just wanted a big glass of Sweet Tea and a chance to go swimming. So we made lots of Sweet Tea and he got into the pool once and promptly froze. I had to endure the pool a few times as Ella kept begging for me to help her swim. Which meant that she just wanted to crawl all over my head and squeal. I didn't go more than knee deep in the ocean because the wind really did make that too cold for me.

We came home with about fifteen pounds of shells and I've already spread them around the rose bushes. That way we remember our trip every time we go outside and I don't have to try and dust them.

Huh? Hello?

My kids are so brave...they just slapped those shells right up to their ears. I would sit there and examine the thing for about ten minutes to make sure that whatever critter used to call it home had really vacated before it got anywhere near my head.

This slightly blurry shot I had to include because it shows how my family works so well. Finn and Hans all calm and Ella looking like a crazed monkey.

So now we pray for good test results for Hans next week...no more cancer...no more surgeries or treatments... so that his body can continue to heal and maybe we can keep shoving food at him and he can gain back some of the sixty pounds that he lost. I think that I found the weight that he lost and I'm just keeping it warm for him

Happy Mother's Day!