Ninety Birthday Cards!

Today is my Mother-in-law's 90th birthday! Mom is a wonderful woman
that has touched so many lives over the years; a loving wife, mother
and grandmother she has always held family close and requested a quiet
afternoon celebrating with us on the farm. Yesterday we took her to visit
Winget Park Elementary School, which was named in her honor, to see
the mural of our farm that I painted with my studio. The children at the
school had also made a DVD of themseleves singing Happy Birthday to
her which was so special!

Then we celebrated her 90 years of love and nurturing with the family
on the farm. Our biggest surprise was yet to come – we knew that many
friends would want to play a role in her birthday celebration so over
the past few weeks we collected birthday cards, hoping to collect 90
cards for 90 years. As the word spread, the cards flooded in from
distant family, old and new friends and past students she taught at
South Mecklenburg High School. We had so much fun reconnecting with
folks from around the country- the experience of collecting was so
dear to us as everyone shared their memories and stories of Mom
throughout the years. In the end we collected over 120 cards! Mom was
thrilled at the display and I know she will enjoy reading the cards
over the next couple of weeks. It was a wonderful way to celebrate!

Susan

Children's Bookfair

This afternoon I had the pleasure of returning to Providence Baptist
Church for the pre-school's annual bookfair. I particularly enjoyed
returning to Providence because it is the church that I grew up in and
where my mother still attends today. It was wonderful to spend time
with the teachers and meet some of the children as I signed copies of
my Tucker books for them. Currently we have created two children's
books about the lovable, curious bunny named Tucker- Tucker's
Four-Carrot School Day and Tucker's Apple Dandy Day. Visit our online
store to share Tucker with your loved ones!

http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/26013/Susan_Winget/index.aspx


Susan

Mary Beth's Quilt

Every member of my staff has their own unique talents and artistic gifts. Today one of my artists, Mary Beth, brought a beautiful quilt that she hand stitched from pieces of fabric we designed for Benartex. The patterns come from our Kansas Song collection. Quilting is a wonderful art - dear to so many families as the craft is often passed down through generations. Mary Beth used the same pattern that she learned from her grandmother years ago. Beautiful works of art are created in the unique hand of each quilter and embody wonderful stories throughout our history. Our family has old quilts passed down from both my grandmother and Al’s grandmother. They are heart-warming heirlooms as they always remind us of them. For all of these reasons, I love incorporating quilting elements and themes into my paintings. Please share your own quilts, quilting stories or other crafts with us at Winget Art, you can post a comment below or e-mail us at wingetart@susanwinget.com. We would love to hear from you!

Susan

Visit the following sites to view some of our fabric collections with Benartex:

http://www.fabriclovers.com/index.php?p=view_category&search_text=susan+winget&x=0&y=0

http://www.piecestotreasure.com.au/catalog/index.php?cPath=57

http://www.thefabricdeli.com/search.asp?keyword=susan+winget&search=GO

Caramel Squares for Sam

Last weekend my youngest son, Sam, came to visit from college. It was wonderful to have him home again! We decided to get the family together for dinner and I made caramel squares for dessert. The recipe I used is from our church’s cookbook and Sam loves them! Since I knew they were his favorite, I made plenty of extras for him to take back to school and share with his friends. Below is the recipe to try for your own family and friends.

Enjoy!

Susan

Caramel Squares:

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 Stick of Margarine

1 Egg

1 Cup of Plain Flour

1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

A Pinch of Salt

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Cup of Nuts

Directions:

First preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, melt the sugar and margarine together and let cool. Next beat the egg into the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the caramel squares from the oven and allow them to cool before cutting them into squares.

Take it to the Hoop!

My daughter-in-law, Megan, recently began a new job as the director at our church’s afterschool program through the YMCA. She loves working with the children and I know that our community is pleased to have someone of her faith and dedication to keep the program going strong. Yesterday Megan and my son, Mac, erected a basketball goal at our church for the kids. I know they will be delighted to have an area to play basketball outside this fall. I always encouraged my own children to be involved in athletic activities. They are a great venue for teaching the important life skills of teamwork and good sportsmanship. The new basketball goal will surely be a blessing to the afterschool program as playtime and learning combine!

Susan

Tussie Mussies

A couple of weeks ago I visited our local farmer’s market with my friend and co-worker, Jeannie. Our friendship started over twenty years ago when we first met as artists and we’ve been painting together ever since! Jeannie and I love attending local festivals and events together and today was National “Enjoy More Herbs” Day at the market. Walking through the market we discovered a table hosted by the Charlotte Herb Guild. They had an assortment of information on herbs and recipes to share, but one particular item caught our eye. They were called tussie mussies- lovely arrangements of herbs with cards attached. The cards were very sweet and added a personal touch as they explained each herb’s symbolism. Originally a Victorian bridal bouquet, tussie mussies are now given as thoughtful ways to show someone you care. I purchased one for my mother-in-law and she absolutely loved it! They are beautiful arrangements and give fresh, lasting scents. What a wonderful way to send a “hello” to a loved one!

Susan

Visit the Charlotte Herb Guild’s website for more information on tussie mussies, their history, and how to make them.

http://www.geocities.com/charlotteherbguild/links.htm

Appalachian’s Big Victory

What an exciting day for football! Today our beloved Appalachian State University beat Michigan University, 34 to 32. Al and I are not alumni ourselves (Go Tarheels!) but we have supported ASU for several years as it is our oldest son Mac’s alma mater and where our youngest son Sam is currently a freshman. Sam was at school watching the game at a local pizza place and from the sound of it, the place was packed with screaming Mountaineer fans! I know this because he agreed to call us every few minutes with updates, since we were unable to find a broadcast of the game ourselves. Of course Al and I spent the afternoon by the phone, anxiously waiting for the play-by-play. It was an intense game! I agreed with the newscaster who called it a “David versus Goliath” event as our boys were practically unknowns playing at the largest collegiate stadium in the country, among thousands of Michigan fans. As it came to the final minutes of the game, Al was able to find a scratchy radio broadcast of the game. The two of us gathered closely on the edge of our seats as we heard Appalachian block a 37 yard field goal attempt to win the game! We were already celebrating when Sam called to give us the news. Hoarse from cheering, he stayed to celebrate the victory with his friends and meet the team as their buses returned to campus. It is such an exciting way for Sam to kick-off his first year at ASU, I know it is a game he will never forget!

Susan