It doesn't seem possible that it's almost August already! I've had little time for tatting or blogging this Summer. I have spent a bit of time working on documenting some of the patterns that I designed last year tho. AND doing some variations on patterns that are already written down.

I've been tatting a couple of dragonflies for the Circle City Lacers retreat, and working on a few things for Palmetto tatters to give away at the SC State Fair. I have a couple of the snowflake tatted that I'll teach at the Great Lakes Tatting meeting on Oct. 8th.

But, mostly I've been spending time with Kaleb and Dan. It amazes me how quickly kids grow up... and how young I still feel. My sister's granddaughter has a little boy, named Kayden, who is about a year old already, and that makes me a Great Aunt. I can't possibly be THAT old!!!

I've been taking Kaleb to Kings Island amusement park nearly every day, where he is working in the Salt Water Taffy booth for Coffelt's Candy Co. They make the best taffy in the world, and their fudge is to die for. You have to go to their store in Springfield OH to buy Fudge. YUM - worth the trip if you're near the Dayton area.

On my way home from dropping Kaleb off at the park one day last week I saw a sign for an estate sale, and since I'm always somewhat envious of the beautiful things K. and Donna find at estate sales, I decided to stop and see if there was anything interesting.

WOW~!!!

I got a Just-Rite tatting shuttle that twists apart, and some variegated tatting thread as well as a pair of old old old pillow cases with tatting on them. I also bought a tablecloth and placemats that are some kind of lace, but I'm not sure if they were handmade or machine made - but I like them.

Now, I thought I'd be happy to have something new to show to everyone, but instead I feel sad. The woman who had tatted these is someone I would have liked to meet. And, now she's gone. The world has LOST a tatter. sigh... I don't even know her name.

I wish you and yours a happy healthy Summer. If you have the opportunity to visit with someone special to you, tell them hello for me too. So often we don't have time to just visit, and then one day we wish we could stop by and sit a spell with them just one more time.

I miss my grandmother, she was one of my favorite people in the family. And now and then, I think I'd like to call my mom and dad and my brother to tell them what is going on in my life, but I guess that part of growing older is realizing how much everyone meant to you - after they are gone.

I did get to visit with my cousin Allen and his lovely wife this Spring on my way to Hector NY. I only remember seeing him once when we were teenagers, and once when we were about 4 or 5 years old.

My niece, Kathy, and my cousin, Kathy are working together on our family photos and family tree. It will be nice to see what they have done with the old photos and memories collected through the years by my grandmother, Rozella. Everyone called her "Zella", but to me she will always be "grandma". "Grandma, I think you'd like the dragonflies!" She would say, "Such FANCY things!!!"