The Merriest of Christmas Wishes

Hoping that Christmas brings you peace, love, joy and all of the things that fill up your heart and make you smile.

 Thank you for being my friend.  It means the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvWfHIo5-kU

 

Saturday's Mail

So you managed to make me cry.  I'm sure that wasn't your intent. Rest assured it was a good cry. 
Just knowing someone who's so kind and thoughtful is the greatest Christmas gift of all. 
Thank you.

Home from Hospital

Long story......but I'm thankful for a pretty good prognosis.

Home Again

Unfortunately I didn't get too far on this trip.  I made it as far as the Burlington Airport.  I'm home and glad and thankful to be here.

Weather :)

I think I can handle this. 

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/key-west-fl/33040/daily-weather-forecast/332323?day=4

 

Wish you were here enjoying this special little island.

You REALLY will!

But have a wonderful trip!!!

The Day After

The dog, Sammy, couldn't help herself when Steph crawled into bed yesterday.  Dog therapy whether you like it or not.  She's doing well....swollen and a bit sore but not bad!  The worst of the swelling will be 48 hours after the initial surgery.   Quote of the day from her while she hugged me this morning.  
"Do you know what it's like in Stephanie's world?   I got my wisdom teeth pulled out and my period at the same time." 

 

 LOL little girl, that's life!

 

Off to the dentist in a few minutes.

Here's the little one...at 3, terrified by the baby tiger, and her graduation picture.   Time does fly by!

Since there's a couple of evenings that I'll have to wear more than capris and t-shirts to dinner, I want to be comfortable and this is how comfy I'll be on at least one night.  After dinner it will be off the a show or the casino.  Or both! 

P.S.

I got the letter that I was hoping for in today's mail.  God is so good to me.

Some of my Favorite Things

I love white Mc Coy pottery.  I've loved it since I was a child.  I've been looking for the hand vase below for a long time.....looking for it at a reasonable price that is. I think I may have sent you a picture of the hand vase a long time ago when I was "actively" hunting for one.  Finally, I found one on E-Bay and it arrived a few minutes ago.  I'm so thrilled.  The large vase was my mother's.  I don't ever remember being without it.  The other smaller vase on the left was in the attic of the camp we bought in the 1990's.  The little white swan I found at an antique shop and loved it because it's the identical shape as the green swan that was given to me by my first grade teacher, Sister Mary Presentation. I've had that one for 60 years. I thought it was beautiful when I was 6 and I still do.  It's one of the few treasures of mine.
These are the little things that make me happy and appreciative of all the blessing that have come my way.

 

Sometimes I Just Need.....

 

to curl up next to you and feel safe.

Letting Go

Here are some shots of the lamps.  When I first took them out of their boxes, I wanted to keep them.  But, seeing them out now in my own home and realizing that I just don't have a spot for them is making it get easier to let them go.  Just like the last time I went up to the lake and stood by cottage by the shore.  I knew it was for the last time.  I said goodbye and walked away. No regrets.

 

 

Hopefully, someone will use and enjoy them. That will make me happy. Good things shouldn't be hidden away in attics.

Some things shouldn't be left unsaid.

My gift to you.
A tribute to our friendship.
A theme song.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvWfHIo5-kU

 

 

 



Thunder Shirt

Serenity Now! (from Sienfeld)

So here's Sandy's post on my Facebook page.  She asked me to post the pictures so she could share them and here's what she wrote:

Sandra:  Had a really great time, however, when we ventured upstairs to the banquet room we were stunned to see cracks, dirt & mold. Upstairs is just a plain sheet rocked room. The Dungeon smelled real musty. There was mold growing on the ceiling in main floor restroom. Although they said they were handicapped accessible for the main floor there was no handicapped parking & had some difficulty moving between tables & chairs. Our servers were excellent! The food was terrific! The main floor truly felt like you were in a castle, the outside was beautiful & the grounds were lovely.

Beardslee Castle in Little Falls

I can't even begin to describe this little adventure but here are some nice shots of the castle and my friend Sandy and her  mother.

 

 

 

Goin' To The Castle

Tomorrow is our big birthday trip to Beardslee Castle with 90 year old Erma.  I'm actually looking forward to seeing the place again.  I'll bring the camera.
That's Erma on the right.  Home Bureau picnic tonight!   Too much food!

 

 

 

 

 

Hermaphrodites - Who Knew?

Click on the link and read everything you ever wanted to know about worms. 

http://www.worm-farming.com/worm-life-cycle.html

Also:

Q. Can earthworms survive freezing?

A. If frozen, they will die. Earthworms fall into the category of freeze-avoiding invertebrates. Some adults survive freezing temperatures by going below the frost line in winter to "sleep." Earthworm cocoons, however, are much more tolerant to freezing and worm eggs within a cocoon survive deep in the soil over winter to hatch in the spring when conditions are right.

Q. What do earthworms do when it gets too cold, too hot, or too dry?

A. Earthworms escape by either burrowing deeply into the soil (up to about 6 feet or 2 meters), or entering a reduced metabolic state known as estivation. Estivation is a form of hibernation that takes place when temperatures get too hot or too dry for earthworms. When conditions are favorable, the worms will emerge and resume normal activities.

 

 

Sugar Free Kamp 2013.

Sugar Free Kamp 2013

Team photos - Red Team, Green Team, Blue Team, Yellow Team w/teen leaders and nurses.

 

 

Group Photo

 

 

MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY

SUGAR FREE CAMP

 

VERY HOT, VERY HUMID ALONG W/AFTERNOON STORMS

(All ingredients for very long days)

 

UGH!

I just couldn't decide what to send you for your birthday. 

I thought and I thought and I thought. 

This is the best I can do for now.  

I hope you have a wonderful, happy day!

You're the best and that's a fact.

Therefore, you deserve nothing but the best, today and always.

 

 

 

From what I've seen, you're a super Dad! 

 

I hope you have a wonderful day on Sunday.

 

 

I Gotta Crow!

It doesn't take much to fill my heart w/joy....and seeing Peter Pan again with a young child did the trick on Sunday afternoon. 

"Clap your hands if you believe in fairies."

 

 

 

It's been years since I've looked in my rear view mirror and seen this beautiful sight. 

 

Good memories.

Here you go!

Easter Dinner Favors

These are the edible favors that I'm making for our Easter table.  Should be yummy!

Antique Quilt and Quilt Blocks

Here they are....and I see one is a little higher than the others.  It's going to stay that way since that's how they've lived happily in my dining room.  The blocks look unbalanced because they aren't squared up and the the bars of fabric are uneven.  That's the beauty of antiques, flawed by some standards but beautiful none-the-less.  I'm almost 100% sure these were made from discarded undergarments...gotta love it!  The yo-yo quilt was given to me in by a friend at work who was going to throw it away.  It was in tatters but I loved it.  It was most likely made in the 1930's so it's 80 years old.  I started restoring it about 14 years ago.  I worked on it while sitting w/my mother while was recovering from breast cancer surgery and again when she was recovering from brain surgery. See seemed genuinely interested in the progress I made each day, even though I was only able to spend a week's time with her. Needless to say, I have good  memories of the time spent giving new life to this old quilt while sitting at my mothers bedside, even though I was unable to give new life to my dying mother at the time.  Unfortunately the human body wears out and can't be held together with tiny little quilting stitches.

Thinking of you today

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TK6oRC_HtE

My Latest Projects

I finished crocheting the purple scarf on the bus yesterday and made the black and white one this morning. What an easy project.