Dear Log Cabin friends:

Life changes & we change with it. I’ve always heard that the only constant in life is change and believe it to be true. (And there have been more changes this past month than I care to have.) But each day is a new day & we all go forward.

What motivates us to make changes? Age, family, the changing seasons, a simpler lifestyle – all of these things & more! After more than 25 incredible & phenomenal years it is hard to say goodbye & move on, but the time has come to realize other dreams in life. As I’ve told many, this is semi-retirement. My groups still keep me going strong.

As I gaze out my kitchen window viewing the beautiful flowers this morning I think back over my journey.

When I was growing up I never thought I’d be an antiques shop owner one day but life evolves & we do not know what our destiny is. I believe after having my first born & trying to fill out the baby book & not knowing who these ancestors were, it started me on the road. I began asking my parents who great, great grandma was, what was she like, do you have anything old of hers like her apron or rolling pin, a remembrance – something I could connect with? The dialogue, history and a new life began. When my 2nd child was born, after being bedridden for 3 months, my neighbor Karen D. took me to an antiques shop. And the bug bit me hard! I couldn’t sleep & have hardly slept since! History, time eras, & ancestors were made real for me. (My son was 6 wks. old & daughter was 4 yrs old) I started collecting a few things on my small budget. My first big antique was an ole red painted child’s push sleigh, with stenciling, made in Paris, Tenn. I put $5 down & paid $5 a month for a year. It sits under the Christmas tree holding packages & held the newest niece or nephew when they were born.

Since that first kind antiques shop lady helped me own my sled, I understood the value of helping others purchase their antiques too. We have always offered long term layaway, making it easy for others to furnish their homes with antiques too. I became a student of the business learning what it would take to be successful. My shops always were more than I ever dreamed possible. I have lived the dream of doing what I loved in life.

My first shop was The Little Red Schoolhouse on an acreage just south of Lincoln. We bought an old l872 schoolhouse & moved it onto the property. I had many ideas for it. Soni C. taught me & others how to rug hook there. From that small beginning we leased a 10,000 sq. ft. building in Lincoln & the “jitters” began as I wondered if I could fill that huge space. We rented booths to over 70 dealers from 3 states & called it The Antique Market (at 48th & Old Cheney Rd) until 9 years later the city decided to widen the road so we sold the property. Our children had helped with the Market & learned about being an entrepreneur in the process (having a dream & making it a reality). I moved back to my little schoolhouse shop in the country.

The children grew up, left home & were on their own when we decided to realize yet another dream of living in the mountains. We sold everything & built a shopping plaza in the tourist town of Estes Park, Co. with my shop as the anchor. Once I opened the doors to the large antiques, gift & rug hooking shop, nothing happened for 6 months. But after that it seemed like everyone found out about it & we were continually busy for the next 9 years. The Colorado shop was more successful than we ever imagined it could be. But success is spelled W-O-R-K.!! During this time a friend helped supply the shop with many antiques. Our children were married & we came back to visit them often & even more often once we had grandchildren J. After 9-11 happened & the world changed we sold the shop, & the plaza & moved back to Nebraska to watch the grandchildren grow & to help where needed (we believe it DOES take a village to raise little ones) . We still love the mountains but grandchildren and family are our first priority.

The rest is history as you know it --- we renewed acquaintances after moving back to Nebraska & made many new ones. We lived in the little cabin while our home was being built & it is now the B&B. I had planned to retire when we moved back to Nebraska but after awhile I decided that little cabin was just too cute – it had to be a shop & it was a cute but very small shop. Three years ago we moved the shop to the courtyard level in our big basement – complete with a wool studio & great lighting.

It has been a most wonderful journey – and Dave & I want to thank all of our family & friends for making it so. Without you it wouldn’t have happened, & I was & am continually thankful for your encouragement, support & interest in The Log Cabin. Many of you have become family to us. Thank you again from my country heart!

And now the journey continues – a new chapter in our Book of Life. We have no idea where it will lead. The shop has closed & the groups still meet. I still buy antiques here and there. I’ve been asked so many times – “what will you do”? Knowing me, you know I have many interests & loves in life. We have the grandchildren & they are growing so fast, helping my mom more as she ages & needs more help, we helped our son’s family build their home, & now we are helping daughter’s family build their home. We’ll build a 2nd home in Kansas (a cabin in the woods on 10 A. we will call Hidden Hollow)- it will be next door to our 2 youngest grandsons so Grandpa can fish with them & grandma can bake the cookies (we’re on a watershed lake) – we’ll spend a week a month there to begin with. My daughter wants my help in starting a shop of her own also.

I’ll continue to do the appliqué projects, hook the rugs, garden & preserve the food Mother Nature helps us grow. I’ll read more. ( I’m reading Lincoln author Mary Pipher’s “Seeking Peace” & next I’ll read “Black Elk Speaks” , by another Nebr. author). I want to continue my study in herbs & their medicine. And we’d like to travel a little. I’ve often heard that retired people are the busiest – I have a feeling this just might be true. So we’ll keep on keeping busy – we’re happiest that way.

The newsletters will continue for awhile or perhaps a blog. And my groups will continue with 75 women coming into the shop each month –I’ll not be lonely!.

Thank you once again for your friendship & encouragement along the way. It has meant so much.

Summer Blessings of Peace, Love & Abundance, Twila at the Log Cabin

**We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone & whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life & all the weavings of individual threads from one to the other that create something – Sandra Day O’Conner

SHOP IS NOW CLOSED

Yes, I heard the moans and groans. But all good things come to a close. You’ve been the best! Our customers became our friends & family. You have asked “How will I get more soap, lights,etc. that only we carry?” – The answer: Once a month, the 3rd Friday of the month, for 2 ½ hours following our UFO, I will be open (4-6:30 p.m.) to those that need to stop by to pick up a bar of our wonderful herb goat soap, little light bulbs for your window lights, a candle, a layaway, etc. or need help with a question on country decorating, planning a rug etc. It will be a busy time. I’m still carrying some “needful” items as my groups meet here on a monthly basis . So remember, the shop is now closed, please pass the word around. But if you need to stop by, make a note to on the 3rd Friday, late afternoon 4-6:30 only, until the end of this year.

MAGGIE WOOL QUILT OPEN HOUSE – June 18, Thurs. 1-3 p.m. & 6-8 p.m.

Open to ALL interested in doing the project

Settler’s Pride wool quilt (which we refer to it as Maggie’s quilt since she designed it & we are familiar with her) will be on loan to the Log Cabin on June 18th ONLY.

We will host the “Quilt Gathering” Open House here at the Log Cabin on June 18th, Thursday, 1-3 p.m. & again 6-8 p.m. We’ll have it a short time but I have to tell you – you MUST see this, whether you do it or not. A picture or my description is totally inadequate to describe this – it is beyond wonderful. I don’t think I’ve EVER seen or WILL see something so inspiring! Truly this will be a keepsake & heirloom & I can’t wait to start my own. There has been so much interest in doing this. I’ll have more details at the showing. You will have the option to purchase a pattern only, the entire kit, or a block a month. If doing the block a month, we will meet here monthly if you wish to do it that way (cost is the same), otherwise you can do the block on your own time. There will be no charge for the block a month groups. (Since there has been so much interest doing this wool quilt as block a month it will take the place of appliqué club for awhile). Orders for the new wall hanging/quilt pattern & kit are through the Log Cabin. (You can order what you want to do on the l8th). Remember, if you buy it here, we’ll HELP you when you have questions & also offer the monthly groups to help you with it (as long as there is space). This is open to all. Sign up soon. Seeing is believing, & you MUST see this !! Refreshments too!

SUMMER TIME CALENDAR FOR LOG CABIN
(if there will be changes I’ll notify the individual group by email)

JUNE
June 15 – Newbies, 6:30 p.m. (will show my Adam & Eve rug) ref: Julie & Becky L.
June 15 – EXTENDED Deadline for recipes for rug hooker’s cookbook (my students). Last call!!
June l8- Maggie quilt Open House, Thurs. 1-3 p.m. & 6-8 p.m. (see details below)
June 19 – UFO – 12:30 -3:30 p.m.
OPEN 4 – 6:30 Needful Gatherings ( light bulbs, soap, wool etc. stop by
June 22 – Oldies – 6:30 -9 p.m. Ref. Carolyn H. & Marty
June 23 – Herb Study Group, 6:30 p.m. Topic is Bay by Cynthia & ref. are Marty & Carolyn H.

JULY
4TH – Fly your Flag – Independence Day
17 – UFO – Unfinished wool projects -12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
OPEN - Needful Gatherings – 4-6:30 p.m. Need a supply? Stop in during this time
20 – Newbies – 6:30 p.m. (discussion of flag motif rugs) ref. Linnea & Pat R.
27 – Oldies 6:30 p.m. Ref: Diane J.
28 – Herbs Study Group – Topic Rosemary by Joyce V (& Sue H.) ref. Dianna L.

AUGUST
17 – Newbies, 6:30 (finishing up summer & Kool Aid dyeing) ref: Jan H. & Kathy D.
21 – UFO , 12:30-3:30
Needful Gatherings, Open to shoppers, 4-6:30 p.m.
24 – Oldies, 6:30 p.m. ref: Carolyn M.
25 – Herbs Study Group, Topic is Bee Balm by Linda M., ref: Sharon M. & Carol R.

APPLIQUE CLUBS WILL MEET IN JULY OR AUGUST - I haven’t decided which month is going to work in the scheduling – stay tuned – you’ll receive a notice. (It depends on when we start the quilt)

NOTES FROM THE LOG CABIN
Needful Gatherings – I’ll have an extra time set aside each month to pick up soap, light bulbs, items we’ll continue to carry for those of you that depend on them. This will be a time to pick up wool, get a kit or a pattern or just stop by and say “Hello”. If you have questions about a rug, need to pick up a layaway, etc. just let me know or stop in. Even though I’m supposedly retired, I’m still helping where I can. We’ll try to do this the 3rd Friday of the month after UFO meets here, for a 2 ½ hour time frame.

LAYAWAYS If you have something on layaway, please make monthly payments on it. And when you are ready to pick it up be sure to email or call me first so we can set up a time convenient for you & me, & we can get it out of back room storage. Thanks.

GARDEN NOTES
The larkspur are ready to bloom & the iris are now finishing up. It has been “show time: in my “wild woman’s” garden. My garden looks a little wild but is in full glorious color right now. Sometimes I feel there is no rhyme or reason to it all so I just call it “wild”. I like it all – wherever it pops up & I let it live there. There is structure in my life but none in my garden! I believe the time around Memorial Day is the best time of all the flowers to be blooming. It’s a reminder for me to mark things I absolutely love & name them. And I do think we’ll need to clip some of the grapevine, that grows around the large window that looks out into my backyard, otherwise I won’t be able to see out of it before long, but I love it this way – a little wild & a simple country pleasure.

The big garden is planted with all the organic veggies & the rains have now come to make those little plants grow. Dear friend Sue H. called this morning to say she ordered some plants & a few for me. I’m so excited to get the New Jersey tea and Mountain Mint. We love to “talk garden.”

My son wanted a tomato plant for his home but since he’s gone a couple weeks a month, I told him I’d plant a couple more for him in my garden & he could just help himself. We love fresh homegrown tomatoes.

The lettuce has been a losing battle with the rabbits & deer so I buy at Farmers Market from Shadowbrook & love what they have. “Grow what you can & buy the rest local” is my motto. I have a gift certificate to a local nursery & have been debating what I want for sure. I believe an apricot tree would be perfect & give its gift every year with the delicious fruits we’ll eat & preserve.

I hope your garden is in, the weeding is done & you are resting & enjoying it all while sipping a glass of iced herb tea. Cheers to flowers, herbs and veggie gardening!

QUICK RHUBARB DESSERT
This is a yummy dessert recipe that came from my Aunt Maxine. Dear Hubby looks forward to it every year at this time when the rhubarb is ready to pull. I freeze rhubarb too & this can be made with either fresh or frozen rhubarb. Serve warm with French vanilla ice cream (of course!).

In bowl mix
4 c. rhubarb- cut in ½ inch pieces fresh, or if frozen, thawed & drained
1 c. sugar
1 box strawberry (or red) jello
1 c. mini marshmallows (sometimes I don’t add these if I’m out)
Mix all together & pour into a pyrex baking pan, 9x12 size

Topping:
1 white cake mix sprinkled (dry) on top of rhubarb mix
1 stick butter melted & drizzled over
1 c. cold water poured gently on top of all – Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

“May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself & others. May you use the gifts you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you to be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, & allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise & love. It is there for each one of us” - Unknown (And so it is)

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