Hello to everyone reading my blog. I've been so busy with both of my hand surgeries that I've slipped away from my blog. But wait until this weekend. I'm going to re-do my blog and insert all kind of pictures and things that have gone on in the last months. I also want to make some crafty things and show some thrift items that I have purchased. I hope you will enjoy

Five Weird things about me:

1. I have a bad habit of checking the alarm clock more than once to be
sure that I have set it. I check doors twice and also my purse to make
sure that I have my keys. I'm trying to break my habit of this.

2. I start too many things at once, I had the garland to make for
Christmas, working on a hook rug, have a pillow top that I'm
embroidering, trying to write my children's book and get
illustrations done. I want to do all these things. Where does
a person find the time. At least I finished the garland.

3. I have boxes of pictures of people I do not even know, they were up
in the attic of my 2nd cousin's house. Some are from the late
1800's or early 1900's. I wish they had written on the back so I
could know who they were. I will probably use them in my shop.

4. My artistic skills used to shine and I used to look forward to drawing
Right now I've got a artist block. I need to get outdoors with my
sketchbook and let it rip. Get my old self back. My fiance bought me
these wonderful watercolor pencils and a expensive set of markers
This year I will get my book done.

5. I have never weighed 150 pounds and now I do. I'm 5'4 and for the
ideal weight I'm supposed to be about 110. I've started doing
crunches and with perserverance I will lose 30 pounds by August.
Willpower please kick in!!!!

I've been tagged!!!!

Now it's my turn to make my list. My daughter-pink rocket is just like me.She likes lists too.

10 things you may not know about me:
1. I'm left-handed(now that I'm a adult I've found more people that
are left-handed too.)
2. Sunflower seeds are my favorite snack
3. I love old books, matter of fact I collect them.
4. Green is my favorite color
5. Writing is a passion of mine, I just never have time, my goal for the
new year is to finish my children's book and get it edited.
6. My brother died when I was 16 and he was 22. He died from injuries
in a car accident. Still miss him.
7. Love to bake, my fiance usually cook together. He is a better cook
than I am.
8. I get along with my future mother-in-law. She's very creative too.
She paints ceramics, mostly holiday items.
9. Maine is my dream vacation
10. I call my Mom every day just to tell her that I love her.

10 things that make me happy:

1. Flowers in bloom
2. My fiance
3. My children and grandchildren
4.Our two cats, Spirit and Durango
5. Saturday mornings
6.Bubble baths
7. A clean house
8. Going out to dinner with friends
9. Great co-workers for 10 years so far
10.Being in love-oops I already said my fiance

Places I would like to see:
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Hawaii
Greece
New York

Places I have been:
California-Los Angeles,San Bernadino,Hollywood
Utah-Salt Lake City, Bountiful
Nevada-Las Vegas
Arizona- Phoenix
New Mexico- Carlsbad
Ohio-When my grandson was born
Oklahoma
Germany
Holland
Belgium

Things I want to do before I die:

Open my gardening antique business
Take my Mom to New York at New Year's
Travel to Washington D.C.
Take my grandkids to Disneyworld
See a broadway show

Happy Holidays

When do you start decorating for the holidays?? I believe there should be no set time. I usually start right after Thanksgiving and keep the decorations up until after New Year's. The blue icicle lights are hanging outside and the tree is up with the lights on and now is the time to hang the ornaments. I still need to finish the garland that my fiance's mother taught me to sew. Here is the directions for the garland:


Cut circles out of fabric including christmas design fabric using a small coffee can lid, flip a small edge around and sew a running stitch around the circle. Draw up into a little cup and fill with polyester fiber and sew shut down the length and both ends and using the same thread attach to each other and keep one side the one you want to face out so you do not see any stitchery. I've finished the top and middle of the tree. So now I need to finish the bottom before Christmas. Yikes!!. We are leaving Friday for our trip. I'll see how much I can get done.

Now, back to decorating. What do you do about pets at Christmas, my cats like to knock the ornaments off the tree and I hope while we are gone that they do not knock down the tree. Maybe next year I will think about one of those trees that you hang from the ceiling.

EMBRACE BEAUTY-LOVE GOD-LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST

The above title is to the sermon that a minister in our area was going
to give after he performed a baptism. But sadly to tell you, he was electrocuted as he reached for his microphone and died instantly. Here is a excerpt from his sermon and even if you are not religious something in this little passage will touch your heart.

Live. And Live Well.
BREATHE.Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT.Do not be past.
Do not be future. Be now.
On a crystal clear,breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and
FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun.
If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to
FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.
Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time.
If you bike, pedal HARD..... and if you crash then crash well.
Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done-a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed.
If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old's nose, don't be disgusted
if the kleenex didn't catch it all ... because soon he'll be wiping his
own. If you've recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And Grieve well.
At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you're eating and
laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke.
And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your
day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the
oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce
of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a GIFT.

What is a Vacation? In Webster's Dictionary it states: time of relaxation;
rest;respite. I'm definitely ready. We are going on a week-long journey
to the Southwest. This is my old stomping grounds. First we will head to the Grand Canyon and stay there one night and see all the sights in that area and then off to Las Vegas for four wonderful days, seeing great shows, eating great food and a little gambling. Then off to Phoenix to visit my sister and brother-in-law and stay two days and the last stop will be El Paso my hometown. I'm in the process of learning how to post
pictures so I will show when we get back. This will be our first vacation
together as a couple, one night in San Antonio does not count when you are there to visit a aunt. Wish us luck, we pray for a safe trip with no
problems along the way.

This is my future logo for my business. My daughter who you know as
pink rocket drew this for me. I have a older daughter and that is her little girl and of course the little boy is the son of pink rocket. I love this picture

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO EVERYONE!!!! I CAN TELL IT'S LATE
EVEN MY CAT IS SNORING, SO OFF TO DREAMLAND I GO. I
TRIED POSTING PICTURES, STILL IN LEARNING PROCESS.
MAYBE TOMORROW. GOOD NIGHT !! SLEEP TIGHT!! IF YOU
HAVE A CHILD, READ THEM GOODNIGHT MOON. THAT IS
SUCH A WONDERFUL LITTLE BOOK.

Next year's flower garden:
1.morning glories-I will have a trellis
2.lavender--to make wonderful bath salts and sachets
3.rosemary-to add to meats when grilling, yummy!!
4.roses-just for the beauty and great scents
5.hollyhocks-because they are just so cute
6.irises-they remind me of my grandmother
7.butterfly bush-it attracts butterflies like crazy
8.mint of any kind-great for hot or cold tea
9.coreopsis-just because i love those yellow flowers
10.and a small crepe myrtle with purple flowers

10 things to know next time you plant a garden
1.Wear gloves when you pick okra or you are anywhere near okra, it
will make you itch like crazy. Also wear long-sleeves and for sure no
shorts.
2. Plant just a few squash plants, we had a overabundance of squash, so
much that most grew to the size of a watermelon and that was even
giving some away each day to work.
3. Never think that you can carry the veggies in your arms, they always
end up on the ground. Always take a wheelbarrow or your favorite
person with you to help.
4. And to kinda go along with #3, plant the garden closer to your house.
Our last garden is about 3 acres away from us and we have 5 acres.
5. Separate the watermelon plants from the cucumber plants, what a
jumbled mess. I was constantly tripping over the vines.
6. Always plant tomatoes separate from all other plants, they
definitely need their own space. And please use cages or you end up
with these weird-looking tomatoes with black spots on them
because they have fell to the ground. All I can say is Yuck!!!!
7. Plant lots of black-eyed peas, nothing is better than those peas and
some cornbread. Plus you can freeze them and have them when it
really gets cold. If anyone from up north reads this blog, I have heard
that in that region they feed black-eyed peas to their hogs, what a
waste.
8. Never freeze over 4 bags of watermelon that you have scooped out
with a melon baller, we will never eat that much, now I need to clean
out our freezer. Yikes, all I can see in there is red balls, hey that's
funny.
9. Also never think that your dog will eat those leftover veggies, our dog
Cinnamon, who is 16yrs old looked at me like I was crazy,
farted and walked away. Oh yuck, she just farted again. Hey when
your that old you have privileges. She gets a hot dog every day and
she carries it around like it is a big cigar.
10. And last but not least you can always buy everything at the grocery
store. But who wants to miss out on all this fun. I really did have
fun with my last garden but my next one will be a doozie. Next
year will be simplicity-Right!!!!!!!!!!!