Fay your pictures are so wonderful, thanks for sharing them. I hope to learn to paint with some skill someday, I've taken an intro class at a rec. program, but have a lot to learn yet.

Thank you Lori for all you do for this swap. And thank you for reminding what is required and what isn't. Your turtle quilt looks really cute.

For all who think everyone "should" do what they do I'd like to mention a few things. If you have a full time job outside your home, you will probably not be able to be on the board as much as others, and if you aren't on the board for a day or two there can be 10 to 20 pages to go through to catch up. It can be fun to read about what everyone who does post is doing or thinking. But if you don't have time to be on, or have so many pages to catch up on it can be overwhelming.
In June I received my package from tumrub. She doesn't post on here much. But she included a 2 page letter in my package, telling me a little about the things she gathered, and herself and her hometown. So I learned a lot about her and her area, and enjoyed it.
Another thing to remember about posting. When I had dial up connection, and the board upgraded in Nov. it took a long time for pages to load. I was able to get a faster connection eventually. But there may still be some on here that are on dial up, or they may have only one access and have to share the connection with others in their home. Or they may have to go to the library for their computer connection because they don't have one at home. And if others are waiting to use a computer there may be a time limit.

I was able to post a pic this month, but it took me 40 minutes to get it posted(I was trying to use Picasa). One time I posted something and it went very smoothly, another time I spent almost an hour, and I couldn't even get the picture to down load onto the computer let alone get it on the board.
It can be fun to get to know each other with posting, and it might be fun to see what people received and may give ideas. But if it isn't required please don't complain that someone isn't doing it, and don't expect everyone else to do what you do. If participants are doing what is required, let's just accept everyone where they are.

You can easily make freezer jam without sugar. The problem is that many fruits do not have natural pectin in them so you need to use a special low-sugar pectin, but you still have sugar. You can add some apple juice to the mix and that should do the trick ... or just grate in some apple. Be sure to squeeze in a little lemon so your acid content is high enough, too. I am picking blackberries and popping them into the freezer until I have enough for a good sized batch of jam and will put them through a food mill to get rid of the seeds then cook down slowly with apple and can with a BWB

IrelandDragon, I love that little bird in a basket. And if I hadn't been able to see it, I wouldn't know that I wanted to ask you if there is a pattern!
That said ... I too am staging my own protest.
If you can't express an opinion without people jumping all over you .. well, enough said.
Bye!

I love it Fay. Congratulations!!!

I love those bird pincusions and have been collecting some small bird nexts, etc. to sit them in. Can I ask where you found the pattern, I would love to get it. TIA Wonderful packages everyone.

Thank you starshine, for saying what some of us are thinking, I don't have a lot of time to post very much or chit chat,but I like to check in and try to keep up with what every one is doing when I can, and post pictures of my swap packages. Some people have more time to spare and that's ok too.

Just wanted to say hi and Iam back and Ill see you on the august swap, iam feeling better but moving slowly.Iam so glad to see that faye has some awesome art , think she sent me some watercolors but ill never be as brave to show. well just alittle update that I missed you all and i missed saying hi and seeing all the fun times we all share about our lives and our familys ,I consider al the board friends and wanna say thank you for the nice cards. jess.

Fay, great art work
Lori, love your quilt that you're working on
I went out today and walked around a very short block for 5 mins today! Hooray.

I received a wonderful package from CarolinePaj today. I'll post a photo later on.
LindaC

Yep, me too. I'm over 60 and don't like being called names and having things I say or suggest misinterpreted and blown totally out of proportion (again). If you have sarcastic or negative comments, pm them and let's clear up the misunderstanding before my comments are publicly twisted around into something they are not.