Bag Lady...part two

Yep, I succumbed to another bag purchase. But it's sooo pretty. And red! And made from Italian leather. Yes, I feel a bit strange about it...me, a vegetarian, purchasing a leather bag. But the cow's already dead and I didn't kill it. I'm just appreciating it's sacrifice. Andrew gave me a hard time about it. He teased me mercilessly and continues to. But I'm ok with that. Frank says the bag looks like a Volkswagon Beetle. I'm ok with that too. Wouldn't you endure the teasing for such a beautiful bag???

Advice From a Country Song

Be a best friend.

Tell the truth.

Overuse I love you.

Go to work.

Do your best.

Don’t outsmart your common sense.

Never let your praying knees get lazy,

and love like crazy.

Bag Lady!

Ok! I admit it! I'm a bag lady. I love bags! All shapes, sizes, styles. I love purses, wallets, tote bags, suitcases, overnight bags, duffel bags, really cute shopping bags, vintage luggage and I even appreciate those darn plastic walmart bags. (they do come in handy to line the trash can).

I don't know when the bag lady fever started. As far as I can remember, I've always had a penchant for purses. I remember a favorite purple purse from my teen years. I had it when I got married and accidentally left it in a Dairy Queen one time near Richmond. Fortunately, there was a sheriff's deputy in the store when some teens found it. He confiscated it and kept it safe until hubby could drive back the next day to retrieve it. Whew!

I remember what was probably the first brand new purse I ever had. It was a small leather clutch that my parents bought for me at a little store in Elkins. That bag would still be in style if I had it today.

One of my favorites was my first Aigner bag. I begged my new husband to PLEASE let me buy the Aigner bag! I promised I would never buy another bag as long as I lived, if I could just have that one Aigner bag. He caved...I got the bag.... and then broke my promise. He knew I would, though. Because with an Aigner bag, you can't use a cheapy wallet...so I got an Aigner wallet. Then an Aigner cosmetic bag. Then an Aigner checkbook cover. Then Aigner fever was over. I still have all of those pieces and I have used them until the seams are torn and they need repaired.

Through the years there have been many more bags...mostly kmart or walmart versions. Lately, I've discovered Vera Bradley bags, Kathy Van Zeeland bags and Miche bags. I love a nice Relic or Fossil bag too. There's even an earlier post about my Baggalini bag. Still one of my all-time favorites.

I'm not sure where the bag fever came from. But I do know that my sister is a bag lady too! I think my mom has bag lady tendencies but she has more self-control than I do. I don't remember my grandma having an abundance of bags. I think she was more the "white bag for summer---black bag for winter" type bag lady. Not me! I like bags of every color! Although, I do have the standard black bag and white bag.

Here's some pics of just a few of my favs:
Baggallini Urban Tote


Vera Bradley Wallet in Hope Garden



Miche Bag with Pink Cori Shell


Vera Bradley Emma bag in Make Me Blush



Kathy Van Zeeland Pretty Pleats satchel

Common Thread...I mean Yarn

I drove 2 hours yesterday to attend a World Wide Knit in Public Day Event. The event was to be held in Milton, WV near Charleston at the library. I was expecting a big crowd, banners...basically a knitting party.

I found the small town of Milton. Then I found the library. No banners. No party. Just one woman in a lawn chair knitting away. Oh boy! I thought.

I considered driving past and calling it a bust. Instead I parked, grabbed my knitting basket and walked up to the lone woman.


We talked and knitted for an hour. Lynn works at the library, has two sons...one in the Army, the other is a chef. Besides working at the library, she transports dogs for dog rescue organizations and she loves to knit!


The librarian, Georgina, came out the second hour while Lynn went to lunch. She and I knitted and chatted for an hour. She's originally from Johnstown, PA. She met her hubby (who's from WV) while she was in the Peace Corp back in the 70's in Swaziland, Africa. The young girl I sponsor through World Vision is from Swaziland. I got a lot of info about the culture and some ideas for gifts to send Nontokozo. It was a very interesting conversation. And, of course, Georgina loves to knit.



After leaving the library, I stopped at the Kanawha City Yarn Company in Charleston. There I met, Sarah, the owner and operator of the yarn store. It's a beautiful, roomy shop filled with yarn of all colors of the rainbow. We spent a some time chatting while I browsed (and shopped).

It was a long drive and most people think I'm crazy for running after knitting events. But it was worth it to meet these three interesting women that I normally wouldn't have met.

Knitting brings people together....rich, poor, young, old...it doesn't matter. Once you're together with some yarn on your lap and needles in your hands, all barriers are gone. You're just people with a common thread...uh, I mean yarn...knitting.

Decoration Day... or... Living the Dash

Does anyone still call it Decoration Day??? I know that's what my grandma always called it. The day at the end of May when we take time to remember the fallen soldiers and give thanks for their service. The day we put flags on the veterans graves and flowers on the graves of loved ones.

Today, Frank and I took the kids to the cemeteries where our loved ones have been laid to rest.

First, we visited Mt. Vernon. We saw the graves of my Grandpa Winans, Grandma Josephine, and Elma (my step-grandma). We saw the graves of Great Grandma and Grandpa Murphy and Great Grandma and Grandpa Winans. I shared stories with the kids of what I knew of the great-grandparents and Grandma Josephine (she died before I was born...I'm not sure what to even call her...maybe Grandma Jo? That's what I call her in my mind) And memories of Grandpa Winans and Elma.

Next, we went to Mt. Zion. This is the first church I remember attending. I must have been about four years old. It was a traditional Methodist church. I remember the hymn books and putting my nickle in the collection plate. I remember sitting with Grandma and Grandpa Wagner. We visited their graves today. I didn't remember to bring flags. This little cemetery doesn't get all decked out like Mt. Vernon. Mt. Vernon is glorious in it's patriotic splendor. Flag poles line the drive-way and small flags are placed on each veterans grave. My Grandpa Wagner was a veteran but he didn't have a flag on his grave at Mt. Zion....next year, though. I'm so thankful that Amber can remember my Grandma Wagner. Amber was five years old when she passed away, so she has a few memories of our visits to West Virginia. And she still has the baby doll that Grandma gave her. Unfortunately, Andrew was only two years old and doesn't remember. We saw other Wagner graves and the names were vaguely familiar. I remember reading them in the family tree but I don't know anything about them....who they were or what their personalities were like or even their occupations.

Our final stop was at the cemetery on Gum Mountain. This cemetery is like Mt. Zion...there were no flags for the veterans. Frank and I have several family members right beside each other on this plot of land. His dad, Pappy, Frank's grandma, Aunt Patty, and my little cousin Diane. We left flowers and shared stories with the kids.

One thing we noticed about some of the graves is there is a "birth" date but no "death" date. Sometimes it was because the folks had purchased their tombstone in advance (like my parents) and are still "living the dash". Sometimes it's because one spouse has passed on while the other is still "living the dash" (like Frank's Mom).

Frank told the kids that he and I would be buried at the Veterans Cemetery near Pruntytown. But I'd rather Jesus come back first. I'd much rather be caught up in the sky with the Lord than be put in a hole in Pruntytown.

Amber said she didn't care if she was put in a cardboard box as long as she had a pretty headstone. Such conversation!

We ended up singing a song we used to sing from Calvary Chapel in Florida. The chorus goes like this:

It don't matter where you bury me
Cause I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away.

Hammock Time!

I had no idea the healing powers of a hammock! Let me tell you about it. I bought Frank a hammock as part of his father's day gift. At least that's what I told him. It was actually a very self-serving gift. One of my friends has a hammock and really enjoys it. I thought Frank might enjoy a hammock too. I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. We've been laying on it at night and looking at the stars and the clouds. We listen to the train in the distance and dogs barking. We hear crickets and frogs. And watch lightening bugs. Frank points out the satellites in the sky. And we watch airplanes criss-cross high above us. We talk about our day and solve the world's problems. Everything is good and right while lying in the hammock. Even the kids have enjoyed the hammock. Andrew and I plunked down on it after working in the garden the other evening. It was only for a few minutes but it was enough for us to catch our breath and go on with our evening. I know Amber is just waiting to sneak her turn on the hammock with a quilt and a good book. That actually sounds like a pretty good idea....catch ya later....guess you know where you can find me....it's hammock time!

The Perfect Tree

Amber and I have a thing about trees. We love 'em! We love 'em when they're green and full of life. We love 'em when they're bare and vulnerable in the dead of winter. We love 'em in all their glory of their fall colors. And we love 'em when they're just starting to come to life after their winter snooze.

We love scraggly bare-limbed trees with an odd shape. We love the big, full round tree that exudes a robust and healthy life. We love the tall majestic pine pointing towards the heavens. We love 'em all. They're all different. And they're all perfect just as they are.

Kind of like people. Sometimes we're full of life. Sometimes we're bare and vulnerable. Sometimes we're just full of glory and sometimes we feel like we're just coming back to life after going through a hard time. We're all different but we're all perfect just the way we are. No matter our shape, size or season of life.

My Aunt Patty used to say a certain tree in the curve near Johnstown Road was the perfect tree. It was one of those beautiful, full, round green trees....not sure what kind it was. It was the perfect tree shape. It's not there any more. For some reason someone felt the need to cut it down. I think of that tree and Aunt Patty every time I travel that way. Just like that tree Aunt Patty was beautiful and full of life. And just like that tree, she was cut down way too soon. I was a teenager when she passed away. But I do remember her and her love for that perfect tree. And I wonder if that's where Amber and I get it???