HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ ~ ~

To me!! Yesterday was my 64th birthday ~ I hate to admit the number, but it's hard to hide!! It was a great day! More than a dozen cards came in the mail (and a really nice one from Sonny was waiting for me when I came downstairs in the morning!) ~ the phone rang all day with birthday wishes from our kids and friends ~ happy birthday song sung many times by grandkids and friends (some lovely tunes, might I add)~ text messages from kids who were traveling and friends of our kids!! And this beautiful bouquet from my Seattle son and family (his wife and I share the same birthday)!! I couldn't have asked for more!! I received a beautiful pottery pitcher, hand delivered by my friend, Gwen and her daughter, Wendy, from Indiana! They came Monday and were here till last evening! Gwen and I have been friends since we were 13 years old ~ that's a long time, Girlfriend!!

Gwen ~ pictured here ~ and Wendy announced they would like to hook ~ we didn't start till Tuesday at dinner time ~ had I realized how serious they were, we would have definitely started earlier in their visit!! Monday we spent the afternoon lunching, catching up and drinking wine until it was time to eat dinner, catch up some more and drink some more wine! Tuesday afternoon, we went to Holmes County Pottery, where they had a great time looking over Cary's handmade wares and then a nice lunch on the way home!

When we arrived home, we headed for the hooking studio ~ I drew a couple of patterns for them, helped them pick out wool and try out hooks and away they went!!!! Wendy really got into it quickly ~ Gwen says she's a slow learner but that's not true ~ Gwen is very artistic and will do just great!! Wendy wanted a chair pad with some funky swirls ~ most of the patterns I have or draw are more primitive so I had to come up with something that appealed to them.

Here they are ~ my two students and their very first rug hooking projects!! Gwen has a little bench she wanted a mat for (she called home and hubby measured it for her!) and Wendy with her chair pad!! I think they will both be very nice pieces and I hope they will be proud of their first efforts!! Before they left, they bought frames, hooks and wool for two more patterns that I drew for them! Wish they were closer so they could come for the finishing class here on Monday!! I may have to travel to help them with that!! When they send finished pictures, I'll be sure to post them ~ we really had a wonderful time and I value their friendship so much ~ they made it a great birthday for me!

Not only was this a busy week, but last Friday and Saturday, I attended wholesale markets in Columbus. I just love going to those things and gathering merchandise to sell at shows in the fall. It was very encouraging because shop owners were really buying a lot ~ they seem to be anticipating a good selling season ~ the wholesalers had to be pretty happy!! I don't really buy a lot of Spring items but I always find an interesting item or two to add to my stock! And I found some nice heavy wool that will be great for purses and a square of paisley for hooking ~ oh, happy day!!

Last evening after our friends left, Sonny asked if I wanted to go out for dinner but I just couldn't face getting dressed to go out ~ so he picked up Chinese take-out and we opened a bottle of the wine that Gwen and Wendy left with us, and had a quiet dinner in front of the television ~ "TV dinners" maybe?!! Birthdays are not about presents for me ~ but all the phone calls, emails, cards, flowers and spending this time with my friends meant the world to me!!! Thanks everybody for making my day!!!!

I hope somebody makes your day today ~ Alice