Valentine Surprise

These beauties arrived on my doorstep today.

Thank you Sweetie!

 

Love you!

xoxoxo

 

 

“Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”

~Franklin P. Jones~

 

 



Whoo had a birthday?

My oldest granddaughter turned two recently!  Wow, seems like just yesterday that she was born...she is so much fun...talks up a storm...and loves to sing and dance...and have parties..."come pay Nana" (translated "come play Nana--dinner will make itself")...so we play!

Her daddy is building onto the second story of their house which means she will be getting a new bedroom...it will be decorated in an owl theme...for her birthday, I made a few things for her room...

 Some hoop art for the wall...

 

A mama owl stuffed toy with a baby that fits in her pouch belly...made from cozy flannel so she's nice and soft.

So whoo else likes owls?  Please share...

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You may find me linking up at:

The Scoop, That DIY Party, Knick of Time Tuesday, Linkin' with Lil' Luna, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Wow Us Wednesday, Frugal Friday, Frugalicious Friday, Fabulously Creative Friday, Flaunt It Friday, The Marketplace, Blog Shop, Motivate Me Monday,
No Minimalist Here, The Shabby Creek Cottage

Week in review...

Hi all!

Just wanted to check in and share a few things that made my week special.

For starters, I spent Mother's Day with my two sons, their wives, my M-I-L and wonderful hubby. Hubby and sons made lunch...with a little assistance early on from me. Son #2 had provided a turkey that he bagged on opening day of spring gobbler season. So I had to help hubby get it oven ready before I left for church. I also had made yummy oatmeal rolls on Saturday and made the stuffing Sunday a.m. Son #2 made dessert--not just one, but two--pudding with fresh fruit and whipped topping and angel food cake with strawberries and whipped topping. The guys handled the rest of the meal...salad, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy...It was yummy--all the more so when someone else makes it (well, at least most of it.) And I am getting better at sitting and letting someone else wash dishes and clean up without feeling guilty!

Son #1 and wife made me a neat planter from old lathe from our old farmhouse (see my previous post on his prim creations). Here is a pic of it--how do you like it?
I love it!

And Son #2 and wife gave me a gift certificate to a local greenhouse so I can shop for all the veggies and flowers I need to fill my raised beds...gotta find time to get there before the goodies are gone!

On Tuesday of this week, Son #1 and d-i-l went for week 20 ultrasound. (I guess I haven't previously shared the news that we are going to be first-time grandparents in September!) They emailed us pics, a 3-d pic, which was cool, and a video clip of the baby moving! How cool is that!
I think I am going to like this grandma thing!

Weds. was my day off, so amidst errands, I stopped by a local thrift shop...check out what I found...and check out that price! Can you believe it?

Next, I cleaned up the cradle that I used when my boys were babies. My uncle had made this for me and it has been stored in the attic of the old house for the last 25 years. Since Son #2 and d-i-l are remodeling that house to live in, we had to reclaim all of the leftovers in the attic that never made the move to our current house. This cradle was stored up there, the boys' old crib, old Tonka toys and more of hubby's, and a few more odds and ends. Soon I will have a use for the cradle and crib! And we'll see if grandbaby is allowed to play with hubby's toys that our boys were never allowed to play with!

Below is a pic of my sweet woodruff just starting to bloom. It looks so lovely blanketing the ground in a puff of white--too bad the blooms don't last longer. :-(

And lastly, check out this pic of my winter wreath on the old springhouse door I have leaning in one of my planting areas. I was thinking I needed to get it changed out for spring when I discovered Mrs. Robin had taken up residence in it--can you see the nest? No eggs yet, but I don't have the heart to tear it out. I can't wait to watch for eggs followed by baby birds--although baby robins are pretty homely!

Well, that was a brief look at my week in review.
It was a good one...hope yours was too!

Love...Love...Love...

...flowers from my Sweetie...

"Love of man for woman--love of woman for man. That's the nature, the meaning, the best of life itself."
(Zane Grey: Riders of the Purple Sage)


November 7, 1981--"I do."

November 7, 2009--"I still do!"



Even though we didn't get to celebrate our special day (due to my Antique Sale this weekend--talk about bad timing!), that doesn't change the fact that for 28 years, through all that life has handed us--good and not-so-good--our love has proven true!

I would choose no other to walk this path of life with than my love, my "Sweetie".


Thank you, Sweetheart, for making life worth the ride!


"So, she leaning on her husband's arm, they turned homeward by a rosy path which the gracious sun struck out for them in its setting. And O there are days in this life, worth life and worth death. And O what a bright old song it is, that O 'tis love, 'tis love, 'tis love that makes the world go round!"
(Charles Dickens: Our Mutual Friend)

God is good!

Wow...I've been AWOL for a long time! Life has been rather busy...with all the regular daily stuff of work and household chores...and then all the spring chores of mowing, planting garden, etc...and in the time left over, I've still been searching the help wanted ads and sending out resumes hoping to get full-time employment...I've been working part-time as cashier/deli worker in a local market (6 days a week) while looking for something more permanent (if you've recently found my blog, here are a couple of posts reflecting on our situation "Waiting" and "Amazing Grace").

Economic times are tough all around and there are tons of applicants for each open position...I've been praying (along with the prayers of my church family) for a door to open...well, God flung one wide open this weekend! I interviewed for an office position Saturday morning and praise God, they called me Sunday afternoon and offered me the job! Full-time with benefits!

The whole story is a lot more involved--how things came about and other circumstances--but all I can say is that it was definitely a God thing--orchestrated by His hand. It has been a roller coaster ride since last year when hubby lost his job...sometimes hard to keep the faith...sometimes it feels as though we are engulfed in the fog of our circumstances but we can be sure that when we finally step through--back into the sunshine--we can look back and see how God worked for our good and carried us through it all. This weekend we had one prayer answered, now we're just waiting for a door to open for my hubby--I'm confidant that God has something great in store...we just need to continue keeping the faith! Just wanted to share my good news with you all and also share the following link...I received the following in an email and I realized it is a reflection of my philosophy on life also...choose the good!!!
Help Others.org: Choosing to Live Fully -- A Kindness Story

Hope you all have a great day--I know I will! Smiles and sunshine to you...

Smile awhile...

I came across some old almanacs that were store giveaways once upon a time. I was going to post them in my etsy shop, but then started to peruse them. I am a collector of quotes, inspirational thoughts etc. so when I found page after page of such things, I knew I had to keep them until I had time to savor the wisdom and smiles they have to offer.

Just wanted to share a few of the quips I found--in case you need a smile too!

• If you want to look young, hang around with very old people.
• Rudeness is having someone go right on talking while you're trying to interrupt.
  
• A person soon learns how little he knows when a child begins to ask questions.
• The reason ideas die quickly in some heads is because they can't stand solitary confinement.
• If you're wondering when middle age begins, it's begun.
• People will believe anything if you whisper it.
• Don't you hate to take advice from somebody who needs it himself?
  
• Smile--it doesn't cost anything and the IRS can't tax it!

Here's hoping smiles and sunshine fill your day!

Happy New Year!

A time for thanks...

I came across these thoughts about Thanksgiving yesterday when I was researching some things for our church bulletin. I really liked the message and thought I would share it with you. It has encouraged me to contemplate all the blessings in my life.

How 'bout you? How many things can you come up with that you are thankful for? I imagine if we put our minds to it, we could have an endless list, from the simplest of smiles to the grandest of loves.

Take time in the coming week to thank God for life (and all it entails), love (and the joy it brings to your life) and liberty (we are so blessed to live in a free nation).

May you find inspiration in the following words...

"Thanksgiving is a great holiday! It focuses our minds on our blessings rather than on our problems. It makes the heart glad for what we have been given, and it takes our minds off the burdens we all have. Thanksgiving recognizes the giver as well as the gift. It keeps it on the positive side. In life of plenty and prosperity we seem to take everything for granted. How appreciative we should be for our blessings and what a wonderful thing is a holiday which focuses our attention on them. Thanksgiving is therapy we all need to keep cognizant of the blessings and the beauty of living. This year let's set aside a few minutes of the holiday to sit alone and think of the many things for which we should be thankful - then this great holiday will have true meaning for us."

~ "Thanksgiving" by Robert N. Filie ~

Just add laughter...

“A cheerful heart is a good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.” Prov: 17:22

☺He who laughs, lasts! --Mary Pettibone Poole

☺Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on. --Bob Newhart

☺The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. --e.e. cummings

☺Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. --Lord Byron

☺You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. --Michael Pritchard

☺Laughter is inner jogging. --Norman Cousins

How's your day going? Is the sun shining outside? More to the point, is it shining inside? Do you know that you can change the way your day is going by choosing your attitude? Oh, you probably won't alter your circumstances, but changing the way you respond to what's happening around you will definitely change the way your day goes! Choose joy today...seek out laughter...if all else fails, find a mirror, take a good long look and smile!
Somebody will be smiling back--guaranteed!

(And if that's not enough, a side benefit of laughter is that you burn 20 percent more calories when laughing, compared to not laughing, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. You can burn up to 50 calories by laughing for 10 or 15 minutes a day. That means if you do this daily, you could burn enough calories to lose over 4 pounds in a year! Now isn't that a lot more fun than going to the gym!?!?)