





We’re celebrating my daughter Laura’s birthday today. It’s been an entire happy week of excitement as August first was the arrival of grandson Roy Samuel (weighing in at exactly six pounds) I’ve been fortunate to be here with the family this week.
Happy Birthday, Laura. ❤️ love, Ma
Laura texted me the pic she took of Oscar, the Labradoodle.
❤️Heart sweater knit by my friend’s mom, Karlene Cooley ❤️
Photo on left: Grafenwoehr, Germany
Photo on right: Columbus, Ohio
“I’m glad it’s your birthday”
From the smocking period of my life.
These photos are from May 1987, taken in Kentucky. Sent by my good friend Joanne. We were so much younger then, we’re older than that now……
And a tribute to Phyllis George who passed May 14th.
Ruth – you and I reconnected as Army wives in Fort Knox, KY in 1986 after we both moved there from Germany, where we first met. You taught me the art of smocking and we spent a lot of time together stitching beautiful outfits for our little girls. Then we decided to make it a “cottage industry” and created our business Handsmocked in Kentucky. We took special orders and sold our work in the Kentucky Arts Council In Louisville … where we attracted the attention of Phyllis George (then wife of the Governor of Kentucky!) .
We had such fun and dreams with our little business, and then all of a sudden we were invited to Phyllis George’s home as a vendor for her Kentucky Derby celebration which featured Kentucky based artists! What an adventure ….33 years later I still have a lot of memories and a wardrobe of smocked dresses to hand down to some special little girl.My memory of Phyllis George was a gracious, giving woman who cared deeply about Kentucky artisans. (And she wrote us a check for a handsmocked dress for her daughter.)
Joanne was able to go into her boxes of photos which are all labeled and put her hands on these photos.
Happy Birthday dear DIL Erika. I’m glad I get to spend it with you this year.
You are a wonderful mother to four of my grandchildren.You remind me I’ve much for which to be grateful.
I love this photo of you.
Here you are in the apple orchard (2008) with Anna and Michael, Jack was home napping and you were carrying Maura, due to arrive the next month.
Happy happy Birthday. ❤️Your MIL