Memorial Day is almost upon us; the year of 2019 is fast becoming halfway done, already! As if time was not short enough these days. But, even while I sit and complain under my breath about all the things I have to get done, I am always reminded that these are things I CHOOSE to do. Here in America, Land of the Free...it's all because of The BRAVE who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives: for ME. For me to be able to choose to have "so much to do and so little time". Amazing thought, huh? But how often do we go about honoring those Soldiers who gave all with more than just flowers, parades, the US Flag posted on tidied-up graves? (Not to say we should lax on any of that; of course not!) What I am asking is; how do we LIVE EACH DAY thinking of all those men and women (and way, way too many innocents in the middle of it all)? In this country, WE ARE SO BLESSED!!! But, do we LIVE like we are?
That's what was on my mind when this theme ("I Love It Because...") the Lead Designers came up with on The Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog . How on Earth was I going to choose from all the Tim Holtz things I LOVE so much to use?!? And, better yet; how was I going to incorporate all those things into ONE project?? Then it hit me that time was really running short; Memorial Day was coming up and the weather has NOT been exactly 'cooperative' here in Indiana. Let's just say that each more period of rain that comes down is helping my mud stay hydrated. NOT fun. At all. And because of the rain... it comes from clouds. Clouds, as we all know, block out the sun. No sun; no warmth. So everything has been delayed by 2 or 3 weeks this year- planting flowers, opening the pool, etc. The only thing NOT delayed is the need to mow all the higher-than-usual grass! *Using my Laurel &Hardy voice* "Stanley, that's another FINE MESS you've gotten me into!" literally.
Soooooo….all griping aside... we are finally catching up. But it all dug deeply into my Craft Room time. (Which is presently all a mess since we had to remove everything from that closet to get into the crawl under the house in case the water holding tank was bad. Thankfully; no, it turned out to be the outside faucet stuck on. We weren't able to get a shower, but the pool got totally filled unbeknownst by us!) Everything will work out. GOD always has a Plan and thanks to HIM, we are not in control! And, I was able to at least make my take for this project challenge!! No "How To" pics are in here, but I was able to at least add a couple of start pics of stuff I used, and I'm just glad for that. As for some hot glue strings you may see...well... just EMBRACE IMPERFECTIONS with me!
The first couple is my Maternal Grandparents, Odus Gordon and Isabelle Louise (Dowdy) Raymer. These are the only Grandparents I knew until I met my ChiefHubby. I was named for my Grandma with the same middle name. Yeah, go ahead; laugh. I was born Lyla Louise Daugherty and married to a guy with a last name beginning with L. To make matters worse, I was born in Logansport, Indiana. So giving all that info with all those Ls makes people think I have a LISP. My Dad had a heyday over it. (He was really my Dad from the time I was 7 yrs old and finished raising me after my parents divorced when I was 15, so his name was Rush, which I wasn't able to take on even though he tried to make possible.) This couple was young when I was born- both 45 years old, with Grandma just a few months older than Grandpa. They were married in 1939, and were married 63 years at Grandma's death in 2003. I was close to both as I basically lived with them from birth until I was in school, since my Mother was single, young (23) and had 3 older kids besides myself.
"The Farm"- one of several they bought, fixed up, and moved on, held all my earliest memories. Grandpa farmed 40 acres, worked a full time job at a local factory- designing machines and tools- and was a carpenter. He and Grandma were the reason I am a Christian, and they were the ones who made sure I got to church with them as early as I can remember. And...they were very musically talented- BOTH. Grandma could really rock her piano and organ (Grandpa always provided very well for Grandma just like my ChiefHubby does for me now), and she had at least 2 accordions that I LOVED watching her dance along with her playing when it was just Grandma and me at home! Grandpa played the guitar, banjo, and ukulele. A favorite song (aside from plenty of 'rockin' Gospel and some Country) Grandpa loved: "The Animal Fair". And it was asked for by all. So I guess you could say I got my love of music from them also- the beat is what gets me, and especially since I began going deaf at age 11. I can feel the beat to 50s, 60s, and 70s, and some fave 80s. But toss a new song my way and I am lost without the ChiefHubby or my kids helping me with it.
The couple on the upper right side became my Grandparents almost from the very day I met them. I was 16 and David was 19 the summer of '82 when we began dating June 16th. I had just started dating 6 months before and he was home from his first year at Purdue University and starting as a Manager back to work at McDonald's his 5th year- where I'd just gotten hired. (Yes, we still have our McD's 1 year class rings and both our kids had a blast showing them off in Elementary School! David's Dad had worked there for a 2nd job as a Manager, on his days off of the Fire Dept, and during summers off from Purdue...our Younger Nuke Engineer Son worked at McD's! lol!)
So here I was meeting his Grandparents over at their Lake Shaffer home on the Isle of Homes, just outside of Monticello, Indiana. I walked up to the door and just about had a heart attack: the welcome mat said "The DOUGHERTYS" which was MY NAME (spelled with an A instead of O). It was another one of those "you didn't ASK" answers when I whispered "WHY didn't you TELL ME?!" to my future ChiefHubby. And meeting them was eating a full several-course meal from Grandma Dougherty- complete with cake- and Grandpa Dougherty's homebaked cookies...in the middle of JULY..."for David's Girlfriend". Pressure, much? Nope. I asked what I should call them and their answer was "I'm GRANDMA and he's GRANDPA". So there you go; fast in love, just like with their Grandson. Now, David is the first of his generation, like Grandma Dougherty was, like his Aunt Pat was. And our Older Son is the first of his also. So, talking to Gr&Gr D was not only easy, but over the years I shared many of my deepest secrets- as with my Gr&Gr Raymer. And the parallels were pretty cool: Margarette Marie (Groff) married James Albert Dougherty Sr. in 1939. Grandma was born in December- just a few months older than Grandpa born in February. And most uncanny: they were married for 63 years until Grandpa died in 2002. Grandma followed him in 2004.
And the most precious thing: my Grandpa Raymer came to Grandma Dougherty's funeral for us- because he said they had been MY Grandparents as much as he had been, and he know how much of my life had been with them as well. He'd finally gotten to see the things we did for fun at "The Lake" on most weekends of every summer.
Here's what I have...
making a 2-sided large Tag:
Things I gathered together items that I knew I'd use- most are VERY faves of mine!
The cuts and embossing done- I moved on to TH Distress Products...
The TH Distress Inks and Oxides are the ones I use the most-
again, faves of mine that get a lot of use!
The DOUGHERTYS !!!
Now you can see why I have been in LOVE with just how these frames are- as is!!
Grandpa Dougherty was a Railroad Yardmaster. So things that are TH IdeaOlogy
clockwork, gears, etc, are a HUGE FAVE of mine!
So also, is the TH Alterations Die Tattered Evergreen; taking the die cut backwards
makes a very cute tattered rose. BOTH Grandmas stayed home and raised kids.
And I got my love of flowers from BOTH Grandmas and Grandpas!
The cards are from the Alice in Wonderland Challenge- for all the Eucre games
we played at the Lake. In fact: that's where I learned to play and it definitely
pleased my Dad that I finally learned. He and I won a couple Rush family tournaments together!
The Red, White, and Blue: THANKFUL!!!
The TH paperie chosen here is a nod to my Mother- Daughter of Gr & Gr Raymer.
She has spent her life -from her teen years- designing and sewing, and is very sought out for her talents,not to mention winning many awards for her one-of-a-kind detailed work.
The pink rose is for the shared name we have:
Grandma Raymer always got me pink things, for my favorite color.
And I began my very first kitchen- which is still in the same décor here-
with strawberries. Because that was Grandma Raymer's kitchen!
We even helped each other buy the set of dishes that came out one year,
and the next couple of years, added to each other's matching pots and pans in the same design.
There's my fave die: TH Alterations Old Jalopy-
for my Grandpa's 1931 Durant which he bought the year I was born.
It took years to get it back to original shape, but the parades and car shows
I rode to with him; it continued after marriage; the ChiefHubby would run me to them
if we had the chance to go see him in one.
He added a red Ford Convertible (1967 or 69? I have to look it up now- AGE!!)
and a 1956 Packard. On a visit during his work on that, I asked why he was
changing the original greenish to a blue when he'd always kept original colors?
He went over to get a paint sample card and put it up to my eyes and said
"because it matches the color of YOUR EYES"... and it DID.
And it wasn't until my Grandpa Raymer had his Durant in the Classic Car Magazine,
I'd had to READ it that he was in the US Service during WWII afterall!
He was finally drafted, and ended up in the US Navy...for all of 4 days.
The war was over, and they were already shipping Draftees back home from Training.
When I drove over to the house to give him the 'what for' that I'd never heard of it before,
he replied "you never ASKED me before". My response to that was the same it was to
my Dad after my Sister and I listened to him telling my young Son all about
riding the Trolleys up and down the old downtown while sitting on his Grandpa's lap.
My Sister and I both looked at each other with open jaws as he'd never told US that,
and we said so. Dad said "you never ASKED".
We both gave him what he'd taught us to do very well: *raspberries*!!!
My Grandpa laughed over the ones I gave him, too. *hmph*
This was a very special project for me- as if you couldn't already tell. lol
And I am shouting out a THANK YOU! to the Lead Design Team as well as
for sponsoring the Frilly and Funkie Challenges.
Another shout of TANX! goes out to The THA Group on Facebook;
the prizes that came in the box really SURPISED me: so many Tim GOODIES!!
One of them was a package of these IdeaOlogy Baseboard Frames!!
I was blown away by their generosity- truly!! When they first contacted me about
'the prize', I was thinking it would be one small item and I contacted back that if I already had
the same; it could pass to another person who didn't have it.
But it was a BUNCH of things I DIDN'T have; I was saving the one TH Frame
that said "Dougherty Bros" and... you must really KNOW us THA ppl... we DO hoard!!
And so, here it is and I still have another to save just for , well, SAVING !!!
And, THANK YOU! for so many lovely comments,
and all the check-ins to see my takes on project challenges!
You guys and gals are TOPS!!!
You make my day!!
Until next time...
Stay Safe over this Memorial Day,
HAPPY BLOGGING, &
A HUGE SHOUTOUT TO
ALL OUR
VETERANS
and
their FAMILIES:
THANK YOU, &
GOD BLESS YOU!!!
