Early Birthday Presents!

Hello from Applejack Lane!.  Next week is my birthday, but I have received a couple of early presents made by some talented friends. 

Connie made a new autumn wreath that we are enjoying on our kitchen entrance door.  The sunflowers are big and bright and make me smile when I get home...

My second early present was made by Gail and her husband Larry.  With a little help from another friend Ronda, they contacted the present owners of the farm where I grew up-Oak Grove Farm.

  Larry took part of one of the farm's fallen oak trees and made this...

Gail and Larry did not know that Dad called his property Oak Grove Farm when he signed the bowl, but he is going to add the words "Grove Farm" to the bottom.  

I have some fabulous friends, don't you agree?  Thank you!

An Autumn Mesh Wreath

Fall greetings from Applejack Lane!  Last Friday on my way back from C'ville, I stopped in Crozet to check out my niece's new mesh wreath.  She used three shades of color-yellow, orange, and green.  She added a monogram by covering a letter with burlap ribbon.  I think she did a fabulous job!

I wish I had thought of this!

Need A Favor???

Hello from Applejack Lane!  This morning the UPS man brought a package for our family reunion that is being held next weekend.  I promised to bring the favors.  So I ordered party favor wrappers from Shindigz.com. This company has lots of designs so that you can personalize any occasion.  The wrappers were fun to create, and the ordering was simple.

The labels came on a sheet...

A close-up...

Peel off and wrap around a Hershey miniature...

And eat away...

I would definitely use this company again.

A Shark Attack!

It was such an exciting afternoon for us at  Applejack Lane!  We witnessed a SHARK ATTACK!

  Come on in to Stuart's Shark den...

Stuart dressed in his Shark t-shirt for the occasion.... 

There were Sharks everywhere...

 And monkeys too in a bed of Sharks...

Stuart is a Lego architect....

This Shark says it's time to open presents...

Stuart dons 3-D glasses to read his new Shark book...

And this budding architect has 750 new house plans to ponder...

How clever Stuart's mother is to construct a fruit Shark...

This Shark even eats Swedish Fish...

Move over Betty Crocker!  Stuart's mom can even bake a tasty Shark cake...

Time to say good bye to these Shark-y revelers...

Happy Birthday Stuart!!!

Toodles and Smokey

Hello from Applejack Lane!  A few months ago, a kitten came to live on my son's doorstep.  After several days of lingering on the front porch, Dave took the kitten in, and she became a permanent fixture along with his other cat and two dogs.  Just hours before he was to go to Orlando on a business trip, lo and behold, the kitten delivered a kitten.  His laundry room became a make-shift nursery away from the other three animals.   Our daughter was preparing to move to a new house with her two dogs so we decided to take in the new family-Smokey and Toodles.

Out with the old...

And in with the new...

Smokey is slowly adjusting to her new surroundings.  This has been a stressful time for her-being a new mother and moving to a new environment.  She is so elusive.  It is hard to get a picture of her...

Toodles, on the other hand, doesn't remember her old laundry room-nursery.  She is pure entertainment...

All tuckered out...

 Until next time...

Toodles

Memorial Day Highlights

Welcome back to Applejack Lane. Family and fun were the names of the game this Memorial Day weekend.  Guy invited John up from Richmond to play in the Waynesboro Country Club Memorial Day tournament.  cousins Leslie, Ben, and Meredith along with grandparents Shirley and Hal came for the ride.  Brother Jim and wife Sandra joined us at lunchtime for a holiday barbeque.

The golfers won their flight at the tournament and brought home their spoils of victory...

Meredith and Kahlo...

 Three generations Shirley, Ben, and Leslie...

Guy, Hal, and Jim-Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil...

Sandra listens intently while Shirley strikes a pose that reminds us of her dad...

Cathy with Kahlo and new puppy Opie...

 Kahlo and Opie are getting ready to play chase...

Everybody has a smile...

  Opie looks up to Kahlo...

Ben had to review for a SOL...

While Meredith gets a back rub from her dad...

 

Shirley brought all kinds of presents.  Here is my frog bird feeder...

Cute, cute, cute...

She also brought me  my great grandmother's dress with bustle and a baby coat and hat that belonged to my grandfather.  That is another post.

We had a great day together!