Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, totally worn out and screaming,
"WOO HOO, what a ride!"

Showing posts with label my stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my stuff. Show all posts

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Stuff happens

I've been a bit behind here but sometimes life gets in the way. My youngest kid started a new job this week(yay!) but it's two hours away and he has no place to live yet (boo!). We have family and friends nearby so he has places to stay and we will figure it out. He's enjoying a few days with his favorite cousin in his college apartment. I'm glad I'm not a fly on one of those walls! A little bit of illness and family stuff has also kept me out of the loop. Now I need to catch up a bit. I have reviews coming right up and a giveaway or two. I really need to clean my shelves and share some of my books. They are piling up! And I need to visit my friends here in blogland.

We had a long winter and a few weeks ago we suddenly had beautiful hot days in the 80s. Some of my flowers finally blossomed and I had my annual "ceremony" to put out The Hammock. (I really need to name that thing, it's like one of my children or maybe just a really, really good friend.) We apparently skipped right over spring and jumped straight into summer. For a week. Then last weekend it got cold again and we had SNOW for a few minutes. Ugh. Yesterday spring came back and we have sunshine and sandal weather. I'm reading a great book and I'm heading outside.

I hope you had a very happy Mother's Day! All of my boys and the grandkiddos were here for a casual day and Hubby made a terrific dinner for us all. I also have the very best mom in the whole world! I'm a lucky lady!!
This is how we set the table at my house! The Princess and Monkey Boy helped Grandpa with dinner.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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 Last Spring my mom had to have her beautiful Golden Retriever, Mickey, put to sleep after he developed cancer in his back leg. He was a sweetie and we were all broken-hearted. I was thrilled that she wanted to get another puppy because it was just too quiet without him. In July she brought home another Golden Retriever fluff ball, Moe, and he's a sweetie too. He's also quite the ham and has let me photograph him to record how fast he's grown. You can almost see his body stretching!
Little Moe  (July '12)
Big Moe (April '13)
First time at the new pool (early Aug. '12)
Butt is already too big for the pool (mid Sept. '12)
Boy walking the dog or dog walking the boy?


Saturday, March 16, 2013

Saturday Snapshots

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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My friend is a Harry Potter fiend and I had fun making her some recent Christmas crafts. The creative ideas are endless so I've had fun making some more. I've been wanting to try painting mugs and saw some terrific ideas on Pinterest that I modified a bit. My new Sharpie markers are so easy to use but not as effective as paint markers. I got one package of markers as a gift and bought another on sale and had a coupon so the total for 30 Sharpies was $1.00!! Each mug was also $1.00. Isn't that a terrific deal? And it's fun too! I'm still playing with the idea (there are a few kinks to work out) and have made two more since these.

I also made her an invitation to Hogwarts (Harry Potter's wizard school). I copied it from the book and typed it in an appropriate font, soaked the paper in tea to age it then pressed it between heavy books for several days to flatten it. I made the envelope from brown paper and added address labels that I also typed up on my laptop. The wax seal, owl, train ticket & ID card were designs I printed from various places on the internet then glued to stock card and trimmed. This was all made from materials I already had. I was very happy with the results and I left them at her house on two separate days. After some stressful weeks at work she loved them even more!

Total cost for both projects:
2 mugs = $2.00
Hogwarts invitation & extras = $0

Harry Potter references on the front
Fun designs on the back
More fun on the bottom
Front of the envelope I made (delivered by owl, of course)
Back with "wax" seal
Train ticket & Gryffindor ID card
Invitation and school supply list
All the goodies from the envelope

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day!


Wishing you a special day with a special someone!

Satisfaction.com

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Cold, cold, cold...

When I woke up this morning it was 4 degrees outside (feels like -2 with wind chill) and 54 degrees inside. On the coldest day of this winter (so far) our furnace quit working! Fortunately, Hubby is a manager at a heating/plumbing/lumber store and was a carpenter before that. He is extremely extraordinarily handy. He figured it out in no time and although it took a little longer than that to fix it, fix it he did! It's getting warmer and almost downright cozy in here. I've even been able to take off one of my coats. Is it wrong that watching Hubby restore heat to our cold, cold house is a turn on? Thank you to the sexiest man in the world!!!

*Update - The furnace quit again! Hubby had to come home from work for the third time today and put in a new motor. Luckily my youngest son had just gotten home from his job so he helped. I'm pretty handy but not that handy.  Fortunately all three of my boys are like their dad - they can fix vehicles, build things, weld stuff, etc. I never could get them to pick up their dirty socks but they are incredibly handy too! It's getting warmer now and I think I can take my coat off. Fingers crossed that this does the trick!
Awesome grandpa!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Neglecting my blog

It seems that blogging has fallen towards the bottom of my list of things to do. December is always hectic and I seem to add to my own chaos. My unfinished projects are scattered about, I have shopping to finish, baking and other related tasks to do. And unbelievably (to me anyway) my oldest son will turn twenty-four tomorrow. I have a pile of really good books that I'm just itching to read but they are waiting patiently for now.

Of course these are trivial and minor inconveniences. My heart is broken after the devastation that happened in Newtown, CT. I can't even wrap my brain around it. I am so sad and overwhelmed with a feeling of helplessness. My thoughts, prayers and love go out to all.

In the meantime I will finish shopping with hubby's help. I will pick through my house clutter and make red and green cupcakes with my granddaughter. I will let my baby grandson pick ornaments off the tree. I will bake my son's favorite cinnamon coffee cake for his birthday. I will try a new recipe for Christmas breakfast for all my boys and our expanding family. And I will hold them all a bit closer and a bit longer - as much as they will let me.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Birthday boy!


It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed since this special little guy, our first grandson, came into our lives! He has brought joy beyond measure. Happy birthday, Lukey!

First photo (11/20/11)
Most recent photo at doctor appointment
First car!
First birthday cupcake!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election Day!


I don't consider myself a political person by any means but I do care about, appreciate and love my country more all the time. When I was younger I never experienced a war or depression like my parents and grandparents had. I didn't pay much attention to government and politics and I didn't always vote. I was blissfully ignorant and didn't really realize just how lucky I was. After September 11, 2001, that changed dramatically. I had young children and remembered the fear that morning, wondering what was happening in my state and country. I felt scared and helpless. I didn't even know if I should go get my kids from school. I was glued to my TV and telephone. I was shocked that an attack like that could happen here.

Since that time I've learned a lot. I still don't care for politics or discuss them much but I do try to pay attention so I can (try to) understand the issues and make (better) informed decisions. My three sons are still young but this year are all old enough to vote. I've stayed neutral and just encouraged them to go vote but I'm afraid only one of them will. They are all employed, hard working young men but they are frustrated like so many people. I've always been a "glass is half full" kind of girl so I reminded them to count their many blessings and make a difference. Don't bitch about it if you're not going to do something about it.

Whatever happens today, I hope our country can come together, choose a good and effective leader, and work to improve our future. It takes time, focus, hard work, cooperation, compassion and sacrifice, but I know we can. I know we will. We do it all the time. I have children and grandchildren and I want them to have a chance to be blissful like I was, but not as ignorant.

And hallelujah, no more political ads! At least for a few weeks - until it's time to start campaigning for the next election. Ugh.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Storms and stuff

It was a busy week of just "stuff" - doctor appointment, babysitting the grandkids, working on Halloween costumes (we made a Raggedy Anne wig), and being annoyed by a head cold that we are all sharing. We also had two days of gorgeous weather with temperatures near 80 but I feel like I wasted them. I should have been outside every second that was possible, enjoying the weather and putting away lawn furniture but I wasn't. I got a few things done but not enough.

Now we have this nasty storm heading for the east coast. We know how to handle blizzards but we don't experience much hurricane weather in western NY state. We are trying to stock up on supplies and prepare just in case we lose power for a while. Hopefully it won't be too bad and we can celebrate Halloween with lots of trick or treating. For those of you in harm's way, stay safe and take care. I'll be saying my prayers this week that Sandy fizzles out in the ocean and leaves us all alone!
My granddaughter picked out tiny pumpkins and arranged them together on the porch
My poor grandson was "forced" to try on a Halloween wig!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Technical difficulties - please stand by...


*?&@#%!

Argh! I've been having internet problems the last few days. It seems to be fixed, or better, at least. Maybe now I can get back on track here! I don't know what my excuse is going to be for everything else that isn't getting finished around here...

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Gone fishing!

I really planned to get more done before now but Saturday Hubby and I got to go to a Yankees game that he won tickets for (long, long day but very fun!) and Monday we are going to the lake with family for a few days. No TV, no internet and hopefully lots of sunshine! I have plenty to do when I get back (contests and reviews coming up) but for now, I'm away from the "office"! Have a great week!


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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I had planned to show adorable photos of my mom's new golden retriever puppy but I'll have to save that for another week.  If my kids can all stay healthy! (knock wood)

Oops he did it again...
Remember this photo from Father's Day? My youngest son had a mishap while he was racing his 4 wheeler. Guess where we were this week? Back at the ER! And not just one, but two!
ER visit for Father's Day injuries
I got this text from my youngest son Tuesday afternoon. "Don't freak out. I cut my hand badly" (Is there a way to cut it goodly?) I calmly wrote back "I'm not freaking out but I'm going to call you"  He told me that he was on his way to the ER because he had cut his hand at work with a carpet knife. (like a utility knife) When we met him there and talked to the doctor, she was concerned because he had cut three fingers quite deep and it was hard to control the bleeding. She was also pretty sure that he had injured tendons so they wanted to send him to a hand specialist at a large hospital two hours away. When I asked if we would be driving him ourselves she said we should let him go in an ambulance because of the bleeding and the IV. So hubby ran home to grab our stuff in case we needed to stay overnight while the transportation arrangements were made. We even got to request his buddy who is an EMT and who also rode with him the last time. (We have become frequent flyers of the ER.) We met our son at the next hospital (he got there much sooner since he got to ride with lights and sirens!) in much different surroundings. We went from our dinky little ER with six curtained off beds and a few private rooms to a much larger, city ER with security guards and multiple rooms. We were in bed 48! My brother lives nearby so he came to wait with us while our boy was assessed. To make a long story short-ish (so sorry for the length of this post) he didn't damage the tendons but does have nerve damage that will hopefully regenerate. He needed 18 very loose stitches (to allow for drainage) across the palm side of three fingers, an antibiotic, pain meds, lots of gauze and a splint. We got home at 2:30 a.m. I have disgusting, yet interesting photos before, during and after the stitches but I will spare you those details.

So to sum it up, that's three ERs and two ambulance rides for the same kid in one month. And those weren't even his first trips in an ambulance. Or obviously to the ER. Or my only kid to ride in an ambulance. Good grief... My three boys sat around one evening this week comparing scars, stitches (they've all had them in the last year) and stories of other accidents. It sounds like they're clumsy but that's not the case. They've all played sports their whole lives including college, all have jobs and sometimes they have dangerous hobbies. They work hard and they play hard. They are males.

A friend of mine made the comment that we never seem to catch a break. On the contrary. We definitely caught a break. Again.  My kid got to come home with us from the ER and I feel we are very fortunate. I count my blessings every-single-day.
ER visit for cut fingers
The little bandage he wore home

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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I hope you had a happy and safe holiday! 
We had a lazy day of fun in the sun!

Little Lucas :)

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Wonderful idea!


In today's Shelf Awareness Pro (7/5/12) they included a story about an empty Wal-Mart that was converted into a new public library in McAllen, Texas! It's the length of two football fields!! How nice to see something built up instead of torn down.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Saturday Snapshot

 Saturday Snapshot is hosted by At Home with Books. To participate in this meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.
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We thought it was going to be a quiet Father's Day since our kids had come over the night before. They all had plans for Sunday and the younger boys were going to race their 4-wheelers. Since it was three hours away and the track was through the woods, hubby and I didn't attend. Our middle son (age 21) has raced for two years but it was the first race for our youngest son (age 19).

It was definitely a quiet day and one of the longest of my life. We got a call that son #3 had wrecked and was going to the hospital by ambulance. Fortunately a friend who is an EMT (emergency medical technician) was there and offered to ride with him and call with updates. We agonized over jumping in the car or waiting for the initial evaluation to see if he might be lucky enough to be treated and released. As the results of the first x-rays and CT scans slowly came in and there were no broken bones, we finally felt some relief. It was four long hours before he was taken off the backboard, the neck collar was removed and he was allowed to go home. They returned at 1:30 a.m. to some very grateful parents. I can't even express how thankful I am to the friends and his big brother who were there for him, the medical professionals who took care of him and for the protective riding gear that did it's job and saved him. He has had a long, sore week but it's a miracle that's all he suffered. And this isn't even our first ambulance ride but that's another story...

This was the scariest and best Father's Day ever!

Son #2
Son #3
His riding jersey after being cut off him in ER
Photo sent home to parents to prove he was OK

Monday, May 28, 2012

Happy Memorial Day

Thank you to all of the servicemen and women who have 
protected us and fought for our freedom. 
And to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, 
you and your families will never be forgotten.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Family Illness Update

My 93 year-old grandmother is getting better and has moved from the hospital to the nursing home for rehab and physical therapy. Hopefully she won't be there long and it's right next door to the assisted living facility where she lives. One pleasant surprise is that she is sharing a room with her sister-on-law who is also getting rehab for a broken hip from January. They are enjoying each others' company and we are so grateful for that. We are the family members responsible for their care and the last couple of years have been rough but we do the best we can. Thank you all for your concern and kind words. It was a scary week and we spent a lot of time in the hospital.

To top it off, my poor mother who was already stressed to the max, had to put her only dog to sleep last Thursday. Mickey, a seven year-old golden retriever, has had a leg injury for six months. The vet told her that at some point he had developed bone cancer and it had likely spread throughout his body. She made the decision to do it now rather than when he was in agony. That was such a sad goodbye but we were lucky to have him in our lives. Run with the bunnies my furry "little brother".

Mickey (2005-2012)