Friday, August 17, 2012

Yoyos (and Yayas)

The adventure continues ...

Mima went for a walk today with our dog Miley. I was busy doing paperwork and it took me a while to realize she was gone for a little longer than usual. She normally just walks around our house.

I went out to look for her and she was waaaay up the road, heading back. She told me she got a little lost. Thank goodness we live in a very small gated community (only about 40 homes, there's only one way in/out).  I'll have to be more alert next time. She was only gone 20 minutes, but it was still scary.


On a happier note ...

Doug and I had a lovely time in Florida the last two weeks. We spent the first four days at a church conference on Evangelism and Church Growth. The conference just happened to be on St. Petersburg Beach ...



Not bad, huh? We also had the next week to spend with family and friends. A great way to end the trip, and we skipped out on a couple of 100-degree plus weeks in Texas.


The Yayas:

Anyway, while we were gone my sister Lydia and her daugher Livie took care of Mima. They are a little wild and crazy (and I wouldn't have it any other way!). Since neither one could take the whole two weeks off, they had to do a kind of relay thing, with one leaving just after the other arrived. I am so thankful for them! If my family were not willing to share in the caretaking, there's no way we could keep Mima at home for as long as we have.


The Yoyos:

All through these comings and goings, Mima kept on making her yoyos. It's what she knows.




Lydia with Mima, working on more yoyos:



And here's the (sort of) finished product, soon to be a throw for Lydia's couch:



There are so many things you can make with yoyos - and it all starts with a little scrap of fabric. When I was growing up (hey - it was NOT that long ago!), we had to cut a template out of cardboard or a cereal box. Then, we traced the circle onto bits of fabric and cut them out. Then, we basted all along the edge of the circle, leaving a little thread at the beginning and end ... when you pulled both ends of the thread tight and tied them together, they made the cute little ruffly circle yoyos.

Now you can buy a nifty gadget by Clover that makes the process so much easier. I got one for Mima about three years ago, and she's still able to use it. No tracing or cutting out circles - just pop a square of fabric in the plastic guide, trim, sew around the edges, and tada - a yoyo! Pretty cool. The hardest part is threading the needle.

Next time around (and I don't make any promises on how soon that will be) I will show you my version of a hand-work project that involves small bits of fabric.

Until then, may God bless you and keep you.