The date is May 22, 2011. Elly's "very good" graduation day becomes even better when three enormous butterflies appear at her bedroom window; incredibly beautiful, almost other-worldly in their splendor. Her first thought is, "Thank You, Jesus! You know how I love butterflies." But when Elly, then her mother, then other members of the McConnell clan begin to see them in the most unlikely places, their presence begins to feel strangely ominous. And when they appear to be watching the family's every move, it's hard to avoid a growing sense of foreboding. On this perfect spring Sunday, when families across southwest Missouri are celebrating their high school graduations, could these exquisite creatures actually be harbingers of looming tragedy? Then a rare and massive EF5 tornado unexpectedly turns that bright day in May dark and deadly. As the storm of the century bears down, can the McConnell family survive? And in the midst of unspeakable terror and devastation, why are so many children of the tornado seeing butterfly people? Sandi McReynolds is a life-long resident of Southwest Missouri who found herself intrigued by the butterfly people stories that abounded after the monstrous Joplin Tornado of May, 2011; and more than inspired by the generosity and faith of her community. "Butterflies at the Window" is a novel recounting some of those stories based on true and very personal events involving family and friends.

The date is May 22, 2011. Elly McConnell's "very good" graduation day seems almost perfect when three enormous butterflies appear at her bedroom window. They are incredibly beautiful, almost other-worldly in their splendor; but when Elly, then her mother, then other members of the McConnell clan begin to see them in the most unlikely places, their presence begins to feel strangely ominous. And when they appear to be watching the family's every move, it is hard to avoid a growing sense of foreboding. On this perfect spring day of high school graduations, could these exquisite creatures actually be harbingers of looming tragedy? Then a rare and massive EF5 tornado unexpectedly turns that perfect day dark and deadly. As the storm of the century bears down, can the McConnell family survive? And in the midst of unspeakable terror and devastation, could "children of the tornado" actually be seeing "butterfly people?"

Few subjects are more appropriate for coloring than the dazzling, multi-hued butterfly. This accurately rendered collection introduces colorists and nature lovers of all ages to 16 of these lovely creatures — among them the Monarch, Zebra Swallowtail, Baltimore Checkerspot, Viceroy, and Peacock butterflies.

Stained glass artists use butterflies, birds, and flowers as motifs because of the beauty, vivid color, and texture these subjects bring to their work. In this collection of exquisite patterns, stained glass designer Connie Clough Eaton has put her aesthetic spotlight on these three motifs. Included are full-page designs of lush baskets, vases, and garden flower bouquets, as well as butterflies and birds, set amongst floral sprays and in various bucolic settings. Masterfully rendered for stained glass work, the beautiful graphics in this rich collection are also suitable for use in a myriad of other arts and crafts projects.

These 16 stained glass butterfly images soar to imaginative heights! Posed against backgrounds of sunbursts, clouds, and lush tropical gardens, the butterflies feature wings decorated with flowers and other fanciful figurative designs.

Well-known artist and craftsman Ed Sibbett, Jr., here offers stained glass workers a matchless array of 94 charming bird and butterfly patterns. Now you can brighten and animate your stained glass projects with imaginative kingfishers, eagles, jays, toucans, hummingbirds, cardinals, penguins, parrots, butterflies, and more. The most experienced glass craftspeople will find designs here to challenge and hone their skills. And even the beginner, armed with readily available general instructions, will find numerous easy-to-use patterns in this book. All patterns can be worked as is, reduced, or enlarged to suit your needs. Use them whole or in part to create a wide variety of attractive projects — butterfly lightcatchers, a window of swans, door panels of owls, mirrors, boxes, candle shelters, mobiles, and many more. A Publisher's Note offers many valuable ideas and suggestions and a list of mail-order houses dealing in stained glass supplies. If your stained glass work has suffered for want of new conceptions and designs, Birds and Butterflies is an inexpensive treasury of creative inspiration. If you haven't worked stained glass before, this book is your easy-to-follow guide to a delightful craft adventure.

Enter the world of butterfly fairies with these 16 beautifully rendered stained glass vignettes. Each of these magical creatures is pictured with a pair of wings inspired by the patterns of real-life butterflies.