off the wall part 19

I like hanging pictures of my family in my home.

Me and hubby

Our kids

Our kids

The graduation and wedding pictures of our kids. 

 A family picture from the summer of 2009

  

The extended Eleveld clan from the summer of 2009

An updated family picture that is already out of date

there are five more we will include on the next one.

 A picture of Martin and me with 

Laura and Jeffrey Wright

and George and Susan Wright.

off the wall part 18

A poster selected years ago. It is by Monet

and the title is the pond at montgeron 1876.

It, in large part, started my love of art and my appreciation for Monet's work.

I like it because it reminded me of the forest behind our house in Caistor Center.

It hangs in our family room and spent a brief repast hanging elsewhere 

because of the mocking that was heaped upon it.

The mocking was in large part to a non-credible interpretation of the figure to the right.

It was returned to it's rightful place when I decided that, 

mocking aside, 

we best live life when we display what we truly are.

Interpretations will have to be left up to the individual.

The framing cost multitudes more than the art.

And it seems to have faded over the years as the jpeg below attests to.

off the wall part 17

Made by one of my children in woodworking class in high school.

I think it was Karen.

Don't think it keeps time too well

 but then again it just may be a battery that it needs.

The face also doesn't sit straight.

Still it hangs in the office over Martin's desk.

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Below is the Jesus clock that graced our walls for a month or two.

I received this clock years ago 

as a reward for turning in a lost wallet to a variety store owner from Brantford.

I was in the nursery during the evening service and 

during the Korean service earlier someone left their wallet with 300 in cash in it.

I had a hard time locating the owner

 as the names and phone numbers in the wallet were all in Korean.

I finally tracked them down through a hospital blue card

and we drove out to their variety store.

She wanted to reward me with something from the store but I declined.

I saw the clock on the wall and was looking at it 

with well concealed horror which she must have mistook for appreciation

and she removed it from the wall and handed it to me.

It came into our house with a story 

but even the story was not good enough to keep it on our wall.

It was donated somewhere 

where I hope it now graces the wall of someone who does appreciate it.

off the wall part 16

 Some cross stitching masterpieces

The one below is a sampler of sorts 

made by my daughter Shirley

She used to make little framed cross stitches

similar to a Christmas ornament size

some were Christmas themed and used on our tree.

These are just a variety of patterns that she found somewhere.

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Another by Shirley

I really do treasure these works of the hand and the heart.

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Made by my sister Jennifer

A poem about a piano and a child

It is lovely

 

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I made the one below one years ago. 

I am particularly fond of family trees and family history

so enjoyed making this one.

I didn't have a pattern and 

I started with a piece of cloth and a little design in the corner. 

When I just go with the flow with no pattern it does not usually work out well.

 

This time I think that it did.

off the wall part 15

This owl sits atop of a bookcase in the office.

 It guards the pencils that I have sharpened.

It was created by a dear friend - Lynne Hogeterp.

Karl and Lynne have been friends of ours for umteen years. 

Martin has known Karl from the early years of grade school. 

We don't get together as often as I would like 

but when we do it feels we haven't spent all that time without seeing each other.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for them both.

 They are people who you just want in your life because they make you a better person.

Lynne is very creative and she made a number of these owls 

and a whole lot of other crafty creations.

My owl makes me happy because I think of them when I see it.

off the wall part 14

On the topic of artists that we know. 

One high on the page in my books is my cousin Arlene. 

Multi-talented in a variety of mediums 

Arlene has always been able to capture beauty and replicate it . 

Whether she works with a needle or a brush 

I am always impressed by her craftsmanship.

The item above is our home painted onto an old saw 

that came from the Boven cottage

It is a Christmas gift I will always treasure.

 Arlene works with rocks and trees and sticks and things and 

she turns them into a thing of beauty.

 Below is some needlework that we received 

the first year we were married.

Being the recipient of a number of her creations I truly count myself blessed.

off the wall part 13

This is another CCS bazaar find.

I believe we got it in the auction.

It was made by Bill Prinzen who goes to our church.

He is a most skilled wood craftsman. 

And I am happy to own anything  he has created.

It hangs in near our back entrance and 

used to hold coats and jackets that 

do not make it all the way to their hangers.

Since our main entrance is not located by this door 

anymore, the coat rack gets less use.
Still, the occasional hat or flyswatter will dangle from the wooden pegs.

One winter day a goodly number of years ago it held Laura's scarf 

and when she picked up the scarf 

she noticed it was heavier than before. 

After examining it closely she discovered a bat clinging to the wool. 

Quite a shock for a cold winter morning.

The white object on the shelf is a mitten drying rack. 

It is presently July and extremely hot but I left it there - what - just in case?

I also once found perched on the shelf 

a used punch cup from our last party.

Problem is that the last party when I served punch

 had been 2 months earlier.

Maybe I should try cleaning a little more often.