family – Page 6 – Karla's Cottage

A holiday surprise

By Karla Nathan / December 16, 2023

Yesterday I returned from another quick trip to Indiana.

This time it was to surprise my family at their annual ornament exchange party.

It has been too long since I’ve been to one. The last Christmas I remember being there was when it was held at my mom’s. And that was before Sugarwings was born.

Holidays with grand babies took over any free time I would have during busy Decembers. I had lots of weekend craft fairs to set up back then too.

Then not too much later, my sisters and started our Sister Trip traditions and we’d typically get time in Florida together each fall. My drives to Indiana came to be made for other occasions, not the holiday party.

I’d missed Christmas time with my extended family and was so glad I made this trip. The weather was ideal for driving, and for making lots of antiquing stops along the way, I got to see Sissy’s new house all prettied up for the season, and had a week full of hugs from people I love.

Also, I’d hoped to be of help in getting Bobbie to some of her medical appointments while I was there.

Bobbie’s health had some hiccups and instead of helping with the drives, I was keeping her company in the ER and ICU. Since I’d driven, I was able to have my car filled with craft supplies, and I could bead and sit quietly while she slept. I didn’t want her to make efforts to talk, she needed her rest, so I sat with her and made bracelets.

Lots of bracelets. With mostly genuine stones, along with vintage crystals. With only two visitors allowed at a time, I also made a work station for myself in the lounge and crafted there while others had their turns in her room.
All of us wanted to be there for her, she is so loved.

During her Thanksgiving hospital stay, doctors would always be surprised to see such a large entourage in the room. She was in a different (and closer to Pendleton) hospital this time and that made it even easier for guests, two of her kiddos work at this one and could drop in throughout the day.

But we mostly had to gather in the waiting rooms because of the two at a time limit.

Overall, it was such a pleasant hospital to spend time at. Great people, excellent care, comfortable surroundings, tasty food. I liked the spacious rooms they put Bobbie in, and how attentive they were to her.

Is it wrong to say how much I enjoyed being there with her, even though she felt so miserable? That sounds wrong.

Of course, I’d rather be anywhere else with her, healthy and strong, anywhere at all!

I guess I mean that even though I’m devastated, worried, and terrified about her health, I loved my time there with family and being able to be part of their holiday tradition, and to sit with everyone while Bobbie was getting the treatments she needed to feel more comfortable.

Instead of flying, I drove out, leaving my time open ended. Once she was moved out of ICU, I needed to force myself to head back to my own holiday traditions and be with my grandfairies, no matter how much I hated to tear away. Oh my gosh, it was so hard to leave. I wish I wasn’t so far away, and could be one of those daily visitors that pop in to hold her hand and ask her about her appetite or tell her a story about their day.

She has a big crew of loving people around her. I also wish I could be helping them out, with all of the extra jobs they have taken on to be of service and get our Bobbie feeling better.

Now, I am hitting the ground running, getting things ready for our own Kansas Christmas, looking forward to seeing the grandfairies open gifts, play reindeer games, and decorate cookies.

But I’ve left a chunk of my heart back home in Indiana.

Happy 55th, Bobbie and Doug

celebrations, family

By Karla Nathan / December 13, 2023

While my sister was in the hospital, it was her 55th anniversary, and a nurse wrote a congratulatory greeting on the board. Doug was so touched, he mentioned it to everyone who came in to the room that day. So when I ran into that same nurse in the cafeteria, I was pleased to be able to buy her lunch as a thank you. Any little cheery moment is a plus when you are with a loved one who is ill. I wanted her to know we appreciated the gesture.

I added a vase of flowers to the board, and made all of the buds heart shaped. Bobbie and Doug’s last name is Valentine.

Did you notice the heart shaped balloon covered in sparkly, rainbow hearts? I’d been watching it all week, stuck up in this lobby tree. Shaking the branches wouldn’t free it. So, on their anniversary, I had to try something else.

That balloon was meant for them! I was on a mission.

I looked around for someone with a cane to borrow for a minute, thinking that would be easy to find in a hospital. But nope.

I did find a sign on a pole in the entryway, and took it apart to use the pole, then climbed up as good as I could, hitting the branches with it.

Still no luck. But a nurse on her way out stopped to help me shake the tree while I swiped at the balloon string with my sign pole. Between us, we snagged it and I was able to take it to the love birds who had spent the day adorably holding hands.

I wish I could’ve thanked that nurse with a lunch too.

Pretty Pendleton for Thanksgiving

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / December 10, 2023

Last year my home town, Pendleton, IN, had a fun FB trend of people photographing their cars, tractors, mowers, etc in the lights of this beautifully lit bridge. The joke started as serious pics of cool cars shining under the lights and turned into photoshopping weird, silly things.

I enjoyed every post and had to drive by and see this pretty backdrop in person when I visited over Thanksgiving. Maybe (if I ever get a free moment) I’ll do some photo magic with it myself.

We had hospital cafeteria food in the guest lounge for Thanksgiving dinner. While I felt bad leaving my husband and out of town guests back at my house to turkey wrangle, and the reason for my visit was not a happy one, I still had a wonderful time with my sister’s family while eating grilled cheese instead of a more traditional meal.

My sweet boy hadn’t seen his aunt Bobbie in a while and hadn’t been able to drive all the way to Kansas from North Carolina for the holiday, so he took the opportunity to meet me in Indianapolis. Much closer!

I rarely get time with my son, this was precious to me. It’s been a good year for spending days with him. In August, Rich and I saw Adam in NC and I got to go rock and mushroom hunting with him. Then in September, he came to KS to put in a studio floor for me. Now, an Indy trip too.

And soon, he will bring Dewdrop for Christmas!

He and I weren’t Bobbie’s only visitors, by far. Every time a doctor came into the room, he’d do a double take at the size of her entourage.

The room was always so full, that seating was scarce. You know that Netflix show, “Is it Cake?” I was always playing, “Is it a Chair?” in the hospital room. We sat on many non seats for seating. Bobbie one time mentioned we could use the beeping from her machinery to switch seats in a musical chair game.

My witty, kind hearted sister is keeping good spirits through her illness. I admire her for that, just as I have always looked up to her and learned so much from her all of my life.

I adore my sissies, what wonderful friends they are to me.

Magic time with family

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / November 14, 2023

My Florida trip was a week long, divided into three separate adventures that each went by too quickly.

After a spectacular Guncle evening, Terry and Holly picked me up in Jax to drive to Orlando. And you know what happens there, right?

Disney Magic!

They treated me to the Grand Floridian, and its reputation is well deserved. So many subtle, understated and sweet nods to Disney classic movies while keeping its Grand and classy ambiance.

A grown up trip to the parks can be very laid back and comfy. I had two mornings on the balcony with my coffee to relax and simply enjoy being there. Very different than my typical trip, trying to squeeze in as much as I possibly can from the crack of dawn til I fall in bed after midnight.

Although, our first night did go pretty late, but we didn’t get started til evening, and once arriving at Mickey’s Halloween party, we ambled about and took our time. We managed to eat some of the special goodies, do some trick or treating, and practically walk on to every ride we wanted to go on. Lines were minimal, the weather was perfect, friends were delightful, it could the most ideal night at Disney that I could have. (Even though I missed the grandfairies.)

We had discussed Halloween costumes, but that frizzled out, Terry was moving into a new home, I was redoing my studio. Then I thought I’d order Sleeping Beauty Fairy shirts with our names, but instead of Merriweather, Terryweather.

Ran out of time, though. So I looked around town the day before leaving to find Hocus Pocus matching shirts, no luck.

When Terry arrived, I was happily surprised to see that she’d found a trio of cute Sanderson shirts for us!

Terry and Holly are ideal partners at the parks, both love the place as much as I do. They’ve been multiple (zillions) of times, so aren’t rushed, or worried about missing anything. We can check out attractions we’d like to see, or just snack at Epcot Food and Wine and chill out.

I got to see the new, Moana area, and can’t wait to take Sugarwings to it.

And we lucked into a walk up reservation at the new space station restaurant.

We were seated in the lounge, which I discover was another lucky break. There, you have a view of the entire room, and the astronauts working outside the windows. Plus the menu options are better, no set choices.

Holly and I were able to split a meal. And look- a Mickey shaped fillet!

Our time together was as wonderful as the dessert. Thank you, Terryweather and Holly for such a treat of a visit. You guys bring the magic with you!

Venice Beach seashell fairy

fairies, family, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / November 8, 2023

My trip to Florida was just the best. It was broken up into segments, a Guncle visit with crafting, Disney with Terry and Holly, then beach time with Sissies, Aunties, and sweet nieces.

We stayed at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key, and while I loved the company, I wasn’t thrilled with the beach, my shelling was limited until we took a day trip to Venice to hunt for shark teeth.

Hey, I do not mean to sound down on Turtle Beach, it is a lovely spot. I had just never stayed there, and expected a similar experience from further north on the island where we usually stay. It was so nice to be directly on the water and to walk right out on the sand.

Venice just happened to have more shells. And Shark Teeth, too! I found a couple but was more interested in making my beach fairy there.

And I found a treasure trove of broken shells to use. I think the wings are some of the nicest I have ever found. I was tempted to pocket them, but I like to leave my Faye behind as a thank you to nature, and pulling off her wings did not feel right at all.

Lots of shells do come home with me, but those haven’t been used to create my little friends yet. I did gather up a lot of potential fairy shells last year to make resin shell fairies at home, but they are still packed away, waiting their turn to get Pinocchio-ed into being.

KC Renfest and unique hearts from Ryan

Dew Drop, fairies, family, Ryan, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / October 3, 2023

Renfest season is here! Sugarwings and I snagged a little getaway time and spent a couple of hours wandering around the grounds.

The kiddo isn’t such a kid now (17) but still my partner in adventures.

Both of us are more into exploring the sights than being fairies now.

There are still plenty of laughs and silliness though.

I have always loved the art and architecture that makes this place special.

The details, big and small.

And the characters.

We even saw a couple of the Sanderson Sisters.

It’s the first year that Sugarwings wasn’t into dancing around the maypole with the fairies. Although we did do a dance together along the sidelines.

We were nostalgic, talking about when Kya worked as a henna artist, when Sugarwings’ daddy participated in building the stone castle and sold his art there, when we’d come as a big family group, all fairied up in glitter and wings.

And we talked about the year Ry Guy came along to help me when I was on my own with two tiny grandfairies. He was never a person who did well among hoards of people, but he loved those little princesses and was a trouper that day.

It was extremely crowded, and extra hot that afternoon. The kids were great, we did have fun, but it was past nap time and past Ryan’s crowd quota. So we headed out before we became too overrun with heat and frayed nerves, leaving at just the perfect point, when everyone was still in good moods.

But then, oops.

Where on Middle Earth did we park?

Years ago, I had a car that I simply never recognized. I lost it quite often. Once even getting into the driver’s seat of someone else’s car as they were loading a baby into the back. We both screamed like that scene in ET when Drew Barrymore saw the alien for the first time.

Anyway, my car was lost in the over full, giant parking lot, and we slowly slid past the time when everyone was “still in a good mood.”

After 40 minutes of trudging through heat and dust, pushing a stroller and wanting to leave, we realized we’d walked right on by that car many, many times. Over the years, that became one of those jokes Ryan and I had between ourselves that we would reference and laugh about. Uhm, not that day, though.

Sugarwings didn’t remember that part of it, but we laughed together when I told the story.

Then my little sprite, who is always looking for glimmers from Ryan, pointed out these hearts. My horror story loving boy would have loved those!

Guncles in Kansas

cottage, family, Food and Drink, guncles

By Karla Nathan / September 13, 2023

We had a Guncle-riffic visit last week. They spent half the time with us, the other half with close friends in KC. Their last night in Lawrence included a birthday party for that couple, who are family to the guys.

Now, down on Sweet Cherry Lane in Jax, the tablescapes and delicious food are legendary. Randy keeps his dining table set on a regular basis and then goes even more all out when guests arrive.

And the food, oh my.

So while they were visiting, I had Randy help me set my table.

Our big craft project had been to restyle some violins.

So we incorporated those along with some violin sheet music.

We had a small group at a large table, and only needed to decorate half of it. Kevin makes the best German chocolate cake, so that got center stage on the other half.

Dinner was a luscious lemon chicken. And the company? The best!

I’ll have some close ups of the violins in my next post.

The cutest company

dogs, family

By Karla Nathan / August 9, 2023

A grand fairy came to visit from NC last week and brought not only the sweetest boyfriend any grand mother could ever wish one of her kids could fall for (I call him her “Care Bear”), but this darling pup too.

He was only 8 weeks old, they picked him up on their drive to spend their week’s vacation bonding with him.

The original plan was to get him on the way home, after the trip. But I convinced them that traveling with a fur baby was an excellent time to get to know each other. The week off of work meant they could work on his potty schedule and not be rushing off to work and leaving him alone before they had a chance for him to know who they were and that he belonged with them and would be okay.

No worries on that point! By the time they got to Kansas, he was firmly attached to his new folks. We babysat for him a few times and he asked me quite often when they’d be back.

We have the perfect yard and house for dog watching, and I was so happy to have him around. Little Bear is a smart fella and learned Sit right away, and is doing well on Come too.

It was such a nice visit from them all. On our trip to NC last month, we missed getting time with these guys because of the truck accident. I was lucky to get a do over, and even luckier to meet Bear.

Stopping along the way- the journey is an important part of getting there

antiques/junking, family, Food and Drink, Travel

By Karla Nathan / August 4, 2023

Asheville is about 13 hours from our house and Paducah, KY is halfway. We often stop there when traveling with our camper, but don’t get out to explore since the trailer is hooked up and it’s a hassle for a temporary stop to undo the hitch.

This time, we didn’t have the trailer so with two drivers wouldn’t need the break. But since we were taking two vehicles, we thought an overnight stay at the half point was a good idea.

This was a place I’d been wanting to spend time in, not just because it’s such a pretty place but because on of my favorite Top Chef contestants has a restaurant there!

Sara Bradley took second in World Allstars this summer and I was perplexed as to how or why such an acclaimed chef would be in a small, rural area. Once we settled into our hotel and took a walk through this Kentucky village, it dawned on me that this was a tourist town. That explained a lot. Her eatery wasn’t just dependent upon the locals, she had people from all over wanting a break from cabins and campers on the lake, who’d come into the little city for some night life.

Even with the traffic from the tourists and locals, we had no issue getting a reservation. The place was full, but with the week’s notice we had, we were golden.

The food was spectacular! I pretended to be at the judges table and had a blast, not just with the meal, but with my imaginary status.

I felt like I was dressed the part too. I’d just bought this from Angie at the last Good Juju sale for $8, and loved the dress. I love most clothes from Sundance catalog, but rarely can afford them even in the 40% off clearance area, so was thrilled to get this one for less than a Goodwill priced dress.

Here is a version in the current catalog.

Yep, I was feeling The Gail Simmons, Top Chef vibe in this outfit. There was no need to tell anyone to pack their knives and go, the meal was great, the price about what we’d pay on any normal dinner out, and the ambience was inviting. The staff was friendly and down home, no pretensions there at all.

My other stops were Midway Antique Mall and Artichoke Annie’s on I70 for some shopping in Missouri. I didn’t have much luck with any other antiquing across Kentucky or Tennessee, though. Durn it.

I made a pit stop at a legendary Buckee’s in TN, my first time at one of these out of this world gas stations.

Impressive.

But way too much for me. Crossing the parking lot was like the Thunderdome. I felt as if I was running the gauntlet while walking across it, and the line to even turn into the lot was crazy, as was the one for the pumps. Not to mention trying to leave and get back on the road.

But I have to admit, the bathrooms were some of the best I’ve ever seen. Not good enough to tempt me to go again, it took a big chunk of time away from the road. When I stop at junk shops, I can zoom through, in and out, seeing if there is anything I want. There is no zooming at Buckees.

While stops are needed to breakup my drive, I’m in a hurry to get to this.

I had loved ones waiting for me to explore the mountains with!

(Please ignore the sour face, my son is a sweetie, he just hates photos)

We had such a good time, and I got so many lessons in mushroom hunting. And how often does a mama get to wear matching shirts with a grown up son? ( My friend, Sam, is the artist who sells these at Juju).

The best found heart, ever

family, Hearts, Travel

By Karla Nathan / August 1, 2023

This could be the best heart I have ever come across.

I’d walked on this road across from the Hawk and Hawthorn a few times and never noticed this pothole.

On my last evening, after a rainstorm, I took another stroll, and found this perfectly formed heart reflecting the clearing clouds above it. It is large, too, at least a foot across

Perfect timing, perfect heart shape! At that moment in time, I was just where I needed to be. A little less rain, or a single car driving over it, and the best found heart would never have been found.

There were a few more finds during the week. My boy took us up to Mineral Springs to look for garnets. See the polka dots in this heart?

Garnets!

These two are mica and garnet in granite.

And this one has some shiny quartz.

We parked ourselves at a little waterfall in the stream, then sorted and sifted through the water and stones to find treasures. I could spend hours looking at pretty rocks, and we did.

The first few times, I gathered lovelies to take home. I wanted some for my garden and also larger ones to add my mushrooms to as well as smaller ones to put in the moss at the base of my schroomies.

But then, there was the accident.

We had driven two cars across country to get one to my son. He had been driving Ryan’s Jeep and it needed a transmission. So, we were to haul the Jeep back to KS for repairs.

But, oops. We were also in NC to help Rich’s mom after a fall. He had just left her side and pretty wrecked himself, so when the truck also got wrecked mere blocks from the hospital, it was very understandable. It left us with no vehicle at all, so my 2-3 tons of rock souvenirs needed to be left behind.

We bought a suitcase, booked a flight, and rented a car in KC. Now, I’m in the process of car shopping while hoping the truck isn’t totaled and that I won’t be shopping for a replacement for that too.

So our truck and my rocks are out east. We are home safely, Rich is fine. Rich’s mom is in her rehabilitation center and he will be heading back to see her when he is no longer truck-less. Then he’ll haul the Jeep and my mountain of shiny stones back to Kansas.

The reasons for being there, as well as the accident did not make for what you’d call an ideal vacation.

But we managed to have lots of family time and a peaceful visit to the retreat at Hawk and Hawthorn. Throw in a few hikes and spectacular dinners with the fam and we decided that it was going to work out fine.