A Fun Weekend...

The Birthday Girl

I had a great weekend! Did I do any canning? Nope. Did I do any stitching? Again, nope. I did, however, attend a Birthday party for a certain six year old great niece. 

I'm not cleared to drive yet, so Handsome manned the wheel to drop me off at the party. Once there, I met up with my sister, Jan, and we enjoyed our family until it was time to leave. We had made arrangements before I got there that she would drive me back home, in spite of the fact that she lives about a half hour in the opposite direction from the party. We chatted and visited all the way home, and then she turned around and went back north.

I was extremely grateful that she made it possible for me to attend the party, and spend a little time with family.

I hardly saw the kiddos, as their Mom and Dad had installed a bounce house and swimming pool in the back yard. I only saw the Birthday girl when she came in to eat dinner and blow out the candles on her cake. Her sister and brother never did come in while I was there! They were having waaaaay too much fun.

Eldest and Youngest

Yesterday, I heard from my little brother. He was going to be in the area (he lives about an hour and a half away), so he came to spend a little time with his eldest sibling. We don't get to see much of each other, so Handsome and I really enjoyed his visit.

Beyond that, I spent time resting, doing my pt exercises, taking an occasional nap, and spending time with my dear husband. Canning and needlework will be there all week, and I'll certainly get all my work done, but it was a holiday weekend, so I went on break. I'm glad I did, too.

I hope everyone had a restful or equally fun time with family and/or friends. Sometimes we just need to kick out of gear and enjoy our wonderful lives. That's exactly what I did. See you tomorrow.

Oh, and Happy September!

I Bailed...

This is a Christmas photograph of me with my younger brother. Here we are - the eldest and the youngest of the "kids" in my family. This is the best pose we could get of the silly guy. The other photographs are mostly of us giggling and cutting up. He really is a hoot. For the record, he's seventeen years younger than I am. I'll let you do the math. The picture was taken at our mum and stepdad's home yesterday evening when he was in town.

In other news...and in full disclosure...I bailed on sewing this years' Grammie's Jammies. I started cutting them out on Saturday and found myself trying to find anything else to do than work on them. I just didn't have the mojo to sew them. 

I went downstairs and sat in the chair where Handsome was watching a football game. He asked me if I'd finished any pjs yet. I looked at him and told him that I really wasn't enthusiastic about sewing them this year. He looked at me and said, "Then don't. Let's go shopping." He gave me the permission I needed to release me from the task this year. Plus, he gave me a reason to go shopping. I went back upstairs, turned off the iron and the studio lights, grabbed my jacket and off we went. An hour later, I'd found the perfect jammies for our three grands and we were on our way back home. 

Rather than spend the entire weekend and probably Monday in the studio, we were able to get everything done together, and then do some fun things. I told him that I'd finish cutting out the pjs, and I'll sew them up later in January. I'll be waaaay ahead of the program for 2025. I'll sew, wrap, and then set them aside for next Christmas. I'll just put a note on my computer to remind myself where I've put them away until then.

When I had my needlework shop, I'd occasionally have a customer come in and tell me they really didn't want to keep working on their current project. They just weren't thrilled with it, or they we sick of looking at it. It no longer went with their decor, and they'd lost the enthusiasm for working on it. I always counseled them to set it aside. If they looked at it three months from now and still didn't like it, they could donate, trade with a needleworker friend, or just toss it. Our pursuits are meant to bring joy and calm. If they don't, it's okay to set them aside. Apparently, I'd forgotten my own advice. I needed to hear that affirmation from Handsome - and he gave it without hesitation. He's one of the really good guys. 

We both have hair appointments this afternoon, so I'll be wrapping gifts, and getting ready to spend tomorrow and Wednesday with family. I'll put up my holiday verses and greetings up for the next two days, but I'll be back on Thursday to catch up with you. 

Merry Christmas, dear friends. 

May this week - and the coming year - bring you happiness and good health. From our home to yours.

I Have A Plan...

Handsome's brother is flying in for a long weekend today. I'm working tonight - and I just realized tomorrow, too (for a co-worker), but the rest of the weekend will be to myself as the guys hang out and visit with each other. 

I'll be playing in the studio. Now, don't get all excited about how tidy my studio looks. As I told MA in yesterday's comments, it currently looks "post apocalyptic" and chaotic. I'm not going to spend a lot of time cleaning it so I can play. I'm going to mostly work around the piles to concentrate on sewing a purse for a little girl. I can clean next week after I've finished making a new mess.

So, that's my plan and I'm praying I can stick with it. I'd planned an "extended Birthday" for Miss Ellie, but I don't want to get too carried away. After all, she's only five. There's plenty of time to teach her how to really stretch it out! I'll share more tomorrow before I go to work!

Tuesdays With Tag - A Dog's Life...

Hi, everybody!

I'm sure you've heard the term "A Dog's Life" before.

Now that it's gettin' warm around south Florida again, I thought we

should revisit my favorite part of this dog's life...my daily pool time!!

Every afternoon now, I bug Mom or Dad until someone finally gets the

message to head to the pool with me. Unlike Fezzik who I'm told didn't 

mind going swimmin' on his own, I prefer the company of my "peeps".

Before I can go in the water, there's the mandatory Mad Dash around the

 pool...two laps minimum. I gotta run as fast as I can and get jazzed to jump!

When I get a really good "lean" on the curves, Dad calls me his "Racin' 

Pig". He says that's how the racin' pigs in the State Fair races make turns!

So I run and run like a fool until my tongue hangs out...

and Dad or Mom start to laugh and then...

BAM! I jump in the pool and jump off the edge of the shelf.

You gotta give me points for style, right?

I don't need one of those goofy life vests either. 

I've got the dog paddle down to an art.

I can swim super fast when I need to keep up with Dad, too!

(It's just another one of my super corgi powers. hee hee)

Finally, there's my fine form exitin' the pool to start all over again.

I think it's a really good thing we don't have a divin' board. 

I might be an Olympic Corgi then!

I know. I got it rough. Reeeeeal rough. 

Actually, I know what a Lucky Dog I really am.

I want to tell you somethin' serious before I close this week.

A few of you have asked how my brother, Trip is doing.

I thought you might appreciate an update.

This is Trip from last summer. 

Trip's leg is healin' and so are his abrasions. That's all really

great news, but there's one thing that I'm a little worried about.

Because of his head injury from the accident, and the dangerous amount 

of anesthesia he received while in the emergency clinic, he's deaf right now.

Mom, Dad and I are prayin' that this is only a temporary condition and that 

his hearing will come back again when he's healed. My Aunt Marion is so sad 

thinkin' that he might never hear her voice or other sounds again. 

We would like to ask all of you to say a little prayer that he heals completely, 

including his hearing. I want him to be able to hear me barkin' my skull 

off next time we frap and play around at his house in Michigan together.

We believe in the power of prayer and just know that all our prayers can help.
Thanks.

I'll be back next week with more adventures and I'll update more about

my brother as I get news. 'til then, please give your pets an extra hug and

remember...

"More Waggin' and Less Barkin'!"

Memory Lane Monday - A Box of Photographs...

 This is the house where I grew up. When I was five years old, we moved into 184 E. Division Street in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. It was a large two-story home with three bedrooms upstairs, and one more tiny room with a closet that I convinced Mum to let me move into once I became a teenager. (I mean, who wants to share a room with their sister for-ev-er?) If I close my eyes, I can still walk from room to room, seeing every little nook and cranny, as though it were yesterday. (This picture was actually taken to showcase our shiny, new station wagon out in front, rather than the house. Just make believe it's not there, ok?)

See those three windows behind the balcony on the second floor? Well, the two on the left side belonged to the bedroom that I shared for many years with a messy, younger sister. Being more of an anal OCD organized person, I constantly picked up after her so that Mum wouldn't trash the room empty closets and dresser drawers (that we shared) in her ongoing efforts to teach us how to be tidy. Ah, yes, how we spent many a Saturday morning...but, I digress.

What I really wanted to share today was this photograph. A family photo taken on the front porch of that old house, with all the memories that well up inside me when I look at it.

I see my grandparents (my beloved Grandpa with his arm around me in the front row), little cousins, my younger brother next to me and that messy little sister (she still is, by the way!) right in the middle of the group with our grown cousin's (her godmother) hand on her shoulder. I see my Uncle Larry (right behind Grandma on the left with his arm on her shoulder) who passed about eight years ago. He was only five years older than me and the closest I'll ever have to an older brother, and I think of him often. My father (Don't smile at any cost!) in the shirt and tie on the right. Aunts and uncles smiling for the camera - and Mum (up in back) looking down the stairs to be sure her kidlets were being good little angels.

I have a special fondness for these old group photos. Between Handsome and me, we have a lot of them. Memories of days when families took the time to travel to be together. When they cared and looked out for each other.

Many of the people I love(d) in this picture have gone. But there are still people who shine in my life like brilliant stars in the night. I'm grateful to still have them to share some of these precious memories.

Life goes on. Change is inevitable, but those memories of meals, laughter, happier days spent with people I loved are seared in my memory - and will last forever, thanks to a box filled with photographs like these.

Thank you for letting me share another Memory Lane Monday today. I apologize that it's late, and thank Marydon from Blushing Rose for reminding me. (Ah, yes. Senior Moments. I've come a long way from that picture, Baby!)

I'd love it if you'd like to share a memory, too! My link will be open until a week from now, so just write your post and add it back here. See you with another memory next month.