We're Cooking!

If you read this previous post, you will know what I mean when I say "Bead Soup."  It's not a recipe or any kind of kitchen concoction; no, it's a concoction of some creative minds.  I've been hopping around already to the different blogs where bead soup is being stirred, and I am excited to see the final creations.  For that, I will have to wait until September 17.  Until then, I've got some bead soup of my own to throw together.

If you recall, last week I showed you a skewed picture of the beads I sent to my bead soup partner, Christa Murphy.  I am really enjoying getting to know Christa, as we are emailing back and forth about our bead selections.  Here are some pics of the beads I sent to Christa.

The Bead Soup Mystery Pic

The Bead Soup from me to Christa... revealed

We both wanted to challenge each other with colors we don't normally work with.  We both like blues and greens, so those were "off limits!"  I sent her peachy pinks and Vintaj brass; and she sent me yellow and copper.  I love the beads Christa sent me!  Here they are, this is my bead soup I will use to create a piece or 2 for the blog hop...

I will remind you, but be certain to come back on September 17 to see the final reveal.

Special Visitors

"Wow, Mom, it's like the queen is coming!!"  My youngest son said, as he watched me pull out my "good" plates and the "fancy" glasses.  My oldest son was catching the excitement too, taking pictures of food and tidying his room.

bruschetta    (photo taken by oldest son)

Youngest son...waiting for the visitors to arrive!

Well, it wasn't a visit from royalty...but it was an eagerly anticipated visit nonetheless.  We were preparing to host Anneliese, a friend from Canada whom I knew only from blogging and emailing.  More about that here.  She and Lovella, who blogs here, traveled together on a book tour to promote this cookbook:  Mennonite Girls Can Cook.  They both came to our house last weekend for dinner.

Yes, that's right....the authors of a cookbook came to my house for dinner...only slightly intimidating!  But Anneliese told me "not to fuss", but of course I fussed!  If I don't bring out the good plates and fancy glasses for them, just exactly what event am I holding out for? 

My family was all excited to meet these ladies.  I had met Anneliese and Lovella already the night before our dinner, so I was now eager for my family to meet them as well.  It's kind of a difficult concept to explain...yeah, see I met these people on the internet, and they seem really nice, so why don't we invite perfect strangers into our home? 

As it turns out, we have made friends for life in these two women.  Wow, what a fun and wonderful time we had with them.  So fun, in fact, that we decided to go out with them again the next night as well!  They had a book signing at Barnes & Noble that we attended. 

Anneliese and Lovella, you weren't here nearly long enough for my liking.  But I am grateful for the short time we had together this past weekend.  A suspicion that I had was confirmed.   Yes, it's true, we would be friends if we lived closer.  But since we don't, we will continue to be friends across the miles, and I'll be forever grateful that a google search for "Russian Mennonite recipes" several years ago led me to you!

Bead Soup Blog Party

Anyone notice the Bead Soup Blog Party button on the right side of my blog?  I'm taking part in something that, before now, I only admired from afar.  I am taking a risk and climbing outside of my comfort zone. 

This blog hop is hosted by the fabulous jewelry designer Lori Anderson.  In a nutshell, first you get paired with another beader.  Then you send each other a mixture of beads ("bead soup", get it?) and create something from it.  Finally on the blog hop day, you post a picture of your creation and then hop around to other designers' blogs to see what they have created. 

I'm excited!  For now, this is all I can show you.  These are the beads that I am sending to my partner, Christa Murphy. 

Yeah, I know, sorry about that.  I'll see if I can get the photo to come out more clear next time!  HA! 

You will have to wait until September 17 to see what Christa makes with these mystery beads I am sending to her!  When I get my beads from Christa, I can show you a picture of them.  BUT I cannot reveal what I make with them until September 17 as well. 

Stay tuned...

My Imaginery Friend

How many of you had a pen pal when you were little?  I did, and her name was Kris Weaver from St Paul, MN.  Do you know how many Kris Weaver's there are on facebook??  Believe me, I've tried to find her again, but to no avail.  I also had a pen pal from France, Cyril Salvagnac.  Last time I heard from him (early 1990's), he was putting together a band and thought he might visit sometime.  Hmmm....

All of that was before the internet.  Now with the internet, it's lots easier to stay in touch with people.  People you know and then people you don't know too.  I mostly keep in touch with people I know, it's safer that way! 

Meet the exception:

This is my modern day pen pal, Anneliese.  She is a contributor to the popular blog called Mennonite Girls Can Cook.  A couple years ago, I started reading the MGCC blog.  I noticed that the cooks also had their own personal blogs.  I started reading Anneliese's blog and immediately sensed a connection with this woman who lived in a different country.  She struck me as a person with whom I would be friends, if we lived closer.  I began leaving comments on her blog, and at that time, I didn't have a blog, so she emailed me with her replies/comments at times.  Time passed, and our friendship grew.  I still crack up that, at first, she wondered who this man was leaving comments on her blog!  My username is "Menno Jeweler" (more on that here), and she thought my real name was Menno.  Funny!

So, anyway...this is a long story because it needs an explanation!  Anneliese and I began to joke about visiting each other someday, actually meeting in person.  I could only hope!  Then one thing led to another, she and her fellow MGCC bloggers wrote a cookbook, which was published by Herald Press who just happened to move to an office near..... my hometown! 

So guess who's coming to visit me tomorrow??  I can hardly believe that I will finally get to meet, in person, my "imaginery friend" Anneliese!  It's surreal, and I realize, a bit strange and difficult to grasp.  As if that's not enough, another one of the MGCC authors is coming with her, Lovella!  I will meet them both!  AND they are coming to my house for dinner on Friday night!!   

Lovella is on the left, Anneliese is on the right
(both pics borrowed from Anneliese's blog)

Needless to say, I am eager and excited and a little nervous.  But mostly I'm just thrilled to finally meet my friend Anneliese, who will no longer be imaginery!

If you live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, you too can meet Lovella and Anneliese!  Go to this blog for information on a schedule of book signings they will be doing.  The cookbook will be sold at these locations, or you may bring your previously purchased book to be signed.  They will also be traveling to Lancaster, PA for a book signing before heading back up to Canada. 

New Designs

True Blue Love - bracelet

All About Pink - necklace

Meet Biz

Meet my young and very beautiful niece Elizabeth.  Most who know her call her "Liz" or "Lizzie."   To some of her family, she is simply "Biz."  Her younger brother Josh used to call her that when they were little...the name stuck. 

I have had the pleasure of knowing Biz for most of her life.  I married into the Alderfer family when she was just 3 years old.  I was smitten with my newly inherited niece! 

Over the years, she has grown and blossomed into a beautiful-on-the-outside-as-well-as-the-inside young woman. 

She is very outgoing and loves to laugh.  I love it when she laughs!

I have many memories of Elizabeth, but one of my favorite ones was last year when I was doing a photo shoot with her at the beach for senior pictures.  She was a natural and so photogenic.  But my favorite moment of the night was when her mother decided to make an appearance and wanted to be included in the pictures.

It was hilarious, and my very favorite picture of the evening is this one where Biz and her mom are laughing together about her mom's antics.

She graduated from high school this year and provided me with my most proud moment of her to date.  She earned the honor of being valedictorian of her class and delivered a phenomenal speech in the midst of an emotional week when tragedy and celebration were colliding in their small community.

Biz is on the brink of adulthood, heading off to college.  Fortunately, that means she actually will be living closer to me now!  Good luck to you, Biz!  I love you!!

What's Blooming?

Summer is truly in full bloom around here...and I love it!  It's my favorite time of year, partly because of the beautiful blooms that surround me here on our property.  But I'm also a big fan of summer because there is so much light and, therefore, less darkness.  Light is good, yes? 

Day lilies are in their glory right now.  We have many different colors, only 1 of which was already existing when we moved here.  The others have been lovingly transplanted from my parents' and my in-laws' gardens. 

Did you know that day lilies get their name from the fact that each individual bloom is open for just one day?  Their beauty is so fleeting, as are these long summer days. 

What's blooming in your backyard?