happy, happy, joy, joy!

Although I do love cartoons, Ren & Stimpy never really appealed to me. Nevertheless, I think saying ‘happy, happy, joy, joy’ is a lot of fun.

Today we have j for joy! There’s the joy of giving, of course, which I’ve been indulging in a bit with unbirthday gifts. And then there’s the joy of receiving – and look what I’ve just received! Sonya totally surprised me with this wonderful Act-of-Kindness package that includes a book I’d mentioned wanting, her favorite novel, many pieces of finishing fabric, a scented envelope, a handmade bag, and a terrifically funny note. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Sonya, you’ve totally bowled me over. Everyone, take a look at the crafts(wo)manship of this wee bag; it’s incredible!

There’s also the joy of stitching – we can’t forget that! Sara has enjoyed stitching The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pattern, and as you saw yesterday, she’s already finished it! Here’s another picture in case you didn’t see yesterday’s.

This means that The Sisterhood is ready to move on! Please leave a comment if you are interested in being in the drawing – let Sara indulge in the joy of giving, and make it possible for yourself to joyously leap around if you’re chosen as the winner! Anyone who comments on any post from now until Monday at 9 pm my time (3 pm EST) will be included. But please, make sure you specifically say you want to be included in the drawing!! A winner will be chosen at random.

This weekend, I’m indulging in the joy of spending some uninterrupted time with my family. We’ve snuck away to a vacation bungalow in the same region where we spent last weekend with Niek’s family (although we are in a different town). This is probably my favorite region in the Netherlands – there are some gently rolling hills and the trees are not totally dissimilar to those growing in Maine. There are also vast heather fields, which is a special aspect of the Dutch landscape. Where the glaciers left blueberry barrens in their wake as they rolled over Maine in the last ice age, here they left behind this uniquely beautiful landscape. In the autumn, when the leaves fall and the wild mushrooms come out, it’s a place of magic.

I’ll be offline till Monday evening, though my blog will continue to post in my absence. Aren’t scheduled posts the coolest? LOL! Wishing you a wonderful, joyous weekend!

PS: Have you noticed that I’m beginning to get the hang of the new WP template for creating blog entries? LOL!