The Little House Out Back

2012-01-14T18:06:00.000-08:00

I’ve had this metal/silver/pewter? pick for years and years. It was a gift from my brother George who recently passed away, something he spotted at a yard sale, brand-new, still in its little plastic case. Every now and again he’d ask me if I still had it. I use it every single day.

He was definitely king of yard selling and flea markets. Once in a while he’d find what we dubbed a screamer, something extra cool he’d find like a lady pin (of which I have many from him) or something Wizard of Ozzy. He’d say, “Dot, I think I have a screamer for you,” and when he’d give it to me, sure enough, I’d let out an operatic “ahhhhhhhhhh!”

He called me almost every day; it’s weird not hearing the phone ring so much.

2012-01-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

This is a wall of mostly Easton Press books at Cal's Books in Redding, California. Isn't it beautiful? I would very much like a wall just like this, pretty please.

It would also be cool to have a library so enormous as to have one of these in order to reach them all.

The shelves in this books store dwarf even the tallest of humans. But bundle up cause baby it's cold inside!

We can't wait to go back!

2011-12-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

L-R: My daughter Dawn, brother-in-law Larry,
my daughter Valerie, my sister Martha and husband Dennis

A smaller feast than usual, but at least we had one! On the menu: 24-pound turkey, 10-pound spiral-cut ham, candied yams, green bean casserole, and mashed ‘taters with turkey gravy. (Ignore inappropriate place setting, and yes, those are kitchen tongs you see for the meat; practical and unrefined, but the real cloth napkins make up for that, right?)

Dessert was store-bought red velvet cake and a tiny lemon pastry, homemade fruitcake given by a friend, and orange jello made by my sister Martha! (She has come a long way, yay!)

Missing was my fried corn, clover leaf rolls and banana pudding, just didn’t have it in me.

Yes, I’ve already had one turkey sandwich today and might have another for dinner. Best part of the dinner is leftovers! And, oh, yeah, the vintage Chistmassy tablecloth was this season’s Goodwill find. I have several, but I can’t resist picking them up when I see them.

2011-12-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

And then there were five...

My second to the oldest brother, George, passed away today (on my husband's birthday). He was 63. Two siblings in one year *sigh*

2011-12-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

Quilt made from my mother's clothes; scrap afghan I crocheted many years ago

My daughter made my sister and me lap quilts from several pieces of my mother’s clothing, and I absolutely cherish mine. When she gave it to me, I rubbed my hand along each square, remembering how she looked when she wore that particular outfit and it made me feel close to her again. But when it came to the squares made from one of the last hospital gowns she wore I wasn’t sure how I felt. The hospital stay was a 24-7 vigil for us for a solid month. It was tough and it was exhausting.

Then I started thinking about all of the conversations we were able to have before the cancer (and fentanyl) took its toll. I cannot count the number of times we said “I love you.” It was the last lucid thing she ever said to me.

Yep, I like those squares after all.

2011-12-07T13:41:00.001-08:00

So I'm doing this every day until Christmas!

One of my daughters bought this advent calendar cabinet a few years ago (she loves, loves, loves Christmas). She and her sister have taken turns filling it up for one another, and this year they told me it’s my turn to be surprised!

We’re all crafters, so I was tickled to discover the first three days were filled with velvet trimmings and a spool of twine. I don’t mind admitting that I’m very excited about opening the rest of those tiny doors. See my Flickr for images of what's behind the little doors.

2011-12-07T13:39:00.001-08:00

Married 33 years and I didn't even know the man could bake!

2011-11-29T11:37:00.001-08:00

I hit the jackpot on buttons at Savers the other day, $1.99 a bag! Each bag had about a dozen or so smaller bags full of buttons, sorted by color and stapled shut. My daughter and I sorted through them all, both of us taking what we liked best. (I’m going to add a bunch to the stash of things we’ve been gathering for a future give-away on Craft Discoveries.)

My daughters and I used to sort through stuff with my mom, like bags of jewelry she’d find at yard sales or thrift stores (the good ol’ days of great finds), or go through one of her many jewelry boxes filled with the same. Sometimes she’d have us fetch a box of glassware she hadn’t seen in eons, and we’d unwrap each piece, oooh and ahhh, maybe set aside a piece or two for this person or that person, then wrap them back up and put away the box.

If you don’t collect anything, that might sound kind of crazy, but if you do, you understand the fun and conversation that ensues once the seal on a box full of finds is broken or buttons are poured from an old tin…a little bit of heaven right there.

2011-11-27T22:19:00.001-08:00

Tonight Dawn made mini bagel pizzas!

Last night Valerie made brussel sprouts (I didn’t even know I liked them, everyone else found out they didn’t), rice and chicken. Neither one of them cook, so I’m beside myself with munchie joy!

2011-11-19T23:41:00.001-08:00

"Velma's Sheets" quilt, made with love by my friend Sherry

The other day was, mmmm, long. In the middle of it, though, sitting there in the doctor’s office (not for myself), waiting, I got a text from my friend Sherry telling me she and her husband were passing through town that very minute. They live down south a few hours away and were on their way to a funeral up north, and had spent the night in Monterey. We rarely have the opportunity to see one another, so we tried to meet up for lunch earlier, but it just wasn’t in the stars. So when she texted me, it made me a little sad to think they were so close yet so far. A couple of minutes later, I look up and happened to catch a glimpse of her husband at the wheel, pulling into the tiny parking lot of the doctor’s office! They said they couldn’t just drive by without at least stopping long enough to give me a hug. A few of those and “you’re so awesome, you guys” later, they were gone.

Close-up of one of the squares, look at those lovely, even stitches!

When I got home my daughters brought me a quilt my friend had dropped off at the house on their way out of town. She made it out of tiny squares cut from vintage sheets that were her Aunt Velma's, a long-time friend of mine, whom we lost a few years ago to cancer (and momma to Patches, our dog we put to sleep this week). When I wondered why she would go to the trouble of bringing it to my house instead of giving it to me when she saw me, my daughter said, “Because she wanted you to open it when you were home where you could enjoy it and be happy.”

I have no words that describe such a gift as this.

P.S. Sherry very cleverly names all of her quilts and dubbed this one “Velma’s Sheets.” I ~~did a crappy job of scratching out~~ edited out our last names, not so much for my privacy, but for my friend’s.

Patches

2011-11-16T13:17:00.001-08:00

Well, as if yesterday’s news about Gibbs (my daughter's dog but my baby boy) wasn’t sad enough; we just got home from putting Patches to sleep. :-(

We inherited Patches from a friend who passed away a few years ago, and she quickly became enamored with my husband and he with her. She was his baby. A rescue, she lived a long (about 18 years), happy life and left this world very peacefully. We’ll miss her silly sneezes, her insistent talking about how we should give her a treat NOW, and her adorable fluffy ears. Rest in peace, Punkin’ Patchy.

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UPDATE 11-28-2011: We brought Patches home today

2011-10-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Our windows are OZsome!

2011-10-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

Happy 33rd Anniversary, Babe!

2011-10-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

Valerie, kidney donor, and Martha, October 14, 2011, 7:40 p.m.,
just a day after kidney transplant

Valerie Is Home!

I can't believe it, but after only 3 days, Valerie was released from UC San Francisco hospital and is back at home. She is sore but happy to have the transplant over with, as are we all.

Larry (Marty's hubby, a true unsung hero) and I don't know what we would have done had we not had Dawn (Valerie's identical twin) and Leslie (Martha & Larry's daughter) by our side. Their doting and patience did not go unnoticed. The four of us together made a pretty darned good tag-team, keeping one another grounded and held together emotionally.

My hubby couldn't do the trip because he is recovering from his 4th back surgery. It was a difficult time for him not to be able to be with us, and it was just as difficult not having him to lean on, but we muddled through. Having him home, though, gave us all peace of mind that our four dogs were being spoiled, the mail taken in and the house safe.

Martha is still at UCSF, but she is doing pretty well. She still has a way to go in getting herself back up to par to where she was a couple of years ago. She is so grateful to Valerie for her new kidney and keeps saying thank you to everyone she sees. It is wonderful to see Martha's color return and the light back in her eyes.

We'll be going back to San Francisco Thursday morning for Valerie's follow-up. The view from the 7th floor of the kidney unit is breathtaking, so we will concentrate on that positive to make the drive up there more pleasant to anticipate.

Giving thanks to the Lord for putting in our grasp some of the best transplant surgeons in the world and top-notch nurses and staff. Our God is an awesome God!

2011-10-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Photo via http://nurseweb.ucsf.edu/www/as-v.htm

A Random Act of Kindness, Just When We Needed It Most

We have two rooms booked for next week, one double bed in each one (none available w/2 doubles), and one with an extra fold-down for 6 people for the 5-8 days we’ll be at UC San Francisco for my sister’s kidney transplant. One is for my sister and her hubby (they need this night alone before such a serious procedure), who will be heading up to SF in the afternoon after her dialysis treatment on Wednesday. The other one is for my sister’s daughter, my two daughters (one being the donor), and me. We plan to be there early afternoon on Wednesday as my daughter has to do some prepping for the early morning surgery.

We were just going to muddle through because at $88 plus tax and whatever service charges will be incurred, it’s all we could swing. A little fridge and microwave are included, yay, so we’re packing groceries to save on meals. Daughter #1 (I have twins) and I may be switching off spending the night in Daughter #2’s hospital room the night of the surgery and the few days that follow.

The RAK: A member of my sister's church, who insists on remaining anonymous, has donated some funds to be used for an additional room the first night (which I just booked with 2 single beds, whew!), gas, parking, meals and whatever other expenses come up. I cannot tell you what a difference this will make.

Additionally, and this is a biggie for me because I have claimed this responsibility, help with transportation to UCSF in the coming months has been assured. As with her previous transplants, after the transplant, my sister will have to go to UCSF once a week on one of their two clinic days for blood work, other labs and check-ups for at least 6 weeks straight, then taper to every other week, then to once a month as she stabilizes. It means getting on the road by 5:00-5:30 a.m. (to be there to find a parking spot in the humongous underground arena, get in line for labs, then head to clinic to see the doctor), and then heading back home anywhere between 10 a.m. and Noon. We are looking at a long few months ahead, but because of the kindness of others, it might not seem so long.

Consider doing a random act of kindness. Be it a few bucks in the pocket of someone in need, paying for the person behind you in line, sending a note of encouragement in the mail, or telling someone how awesome they are, whatever it is, big or small, it can make all the difference to the one(s) who receives it.

2011-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

The article about my sister Martha's 4th kidney transplant made front-page news! My daughter Valerie is donating her kidney on October 13 at UC San Fransisco. Please keep everyone in your prayers.

2011-09-02T23:48:00.000-07:00

I am ~~addicted to~~ a huge fan of Tumblr. One of the people I follow had to put her cat to sleep recently. Although I'm more of a dog person, photos of her cat is one of the things that drew me to her Tumblr in the first place. She has a unique way of looking at her subjects, and her cat was one of her favorites. She would have humorous conversations with her cat as well and let us all in on them. I couldn't help but get attached and a bit emotional when it came to an end.

I wanted to let her know I was sad for her loss, so I made her a sympathy card. Using photo-quality paper, I printed out a photograph she had taken of her cat and fancied up the corners with a pretty punch. She loves pink and green together, so I layered those colors onto a blank card I picked up at Michael's (one of a package of 8) and then glued a metal "remember" embellishment under the photo. My Tumblr friend was very touched by the gesture.

I hadn't made a greeting card in forever, and although it was a sad occasion, I very much enjoyed making it. With the price of cards these days, I'm looking forward to doing this more often.

And I'm happy to report, my Tumblr friend became a foster mom to a little dog through her local animal shelter. Within a week or so she made it official by adopting the little guy and has begun posting photos of him and his sweet self. I love happy endings!

Happy 28th, My Duplicate Daughters!

2011-08-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

If anyone were to make me choose the best thing in life that ever happened to me, it would be Dawn and Valerie, my identical twin daughters. They have brought unmeasured love and joy into my life and continue to do so on a daily basis. I did not expect to be such great friends with them at this stage of our lives, so, BONUS!

I must comment on the Easter outfits they're wearing in this photo, the only ones I ever made for them. It was quite the undertaking to make one dress, but two, well, that was that. They were a bit roomy, but that's okay, they got that much more use out of them.

Call me old-fashioned, but, growing up I wanted to be a wife and mother more than anything. It even trumped wanting to be a secretary, at which my best friend, Lauri, and I played on a regular basis. That, and being scientists (we found out talcum powder and water don't mix), airline stewardesses and piloting rockets (made in the sand from rocks, ice plant and anything else we could find to create a dashboard).

I am a wife and mother, which may sound like an everyday, ho-hum thing to many. But it was my dream, and I'm still living it!

Onions

2011-08-21T01:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I chopped up 4 onions for one meal. I think that's some kind of record.

I cut one chunky for the kielbasa, which I sautéd in a bit of olive oil. I needed two smaller chopped onions for the potatoes I cut up into bite-sized pieces which I put in foil with olive oil and butter and baked in the oven (oops, no picture).

The last one I chopped up very small to make fried corn, something I used to make only around the holidays. I don't know why I didn't make it any other time, but I found myself making it several times this year. Go me.

The corn must drain for a bit before trying to fry it or it takes way too long to start that yummy carmelization. I put a bit of olive oil and butter in the pan, let it melt and add the onions. After they get going really well I toss in the corn. I've never timed it, but I would say it takes about 15 minutes to start seeing that nice brown color that lets you know it's ready.

The sweet Vidalias weren't overpowering, believe it or not, they just sort of melted into the food, especially the potatoes and corn. My daughters aren't crazy about onions, but they sure are crazy about that corn.

2011-08-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I'm getting to be quite the foodie, aren't I?! I was feeling kinda bummed, so...I baked a cake. I tried out a recipe for a banana cake only I added nuts. The icing wasn't creamy at all, was one big lump, so I added milk and saved the day. (I'm thinking this ingredient was inadvertently left out of the written recipe.) It turned out quite moist and I liked it, but I've had better. I think it needed another banana for a punch of flavor. Oh, well, everything I cook can't be fantastic. Like my biscuits and gravy I made the other day.

Even though I cheated and used canned biscuits, it was still a hit. Now I want them again.

2011-08-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

The sample lady at Costco was passing out little cups of salad made of cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese. That’s it, no salt, pepper, salad dressing, nothing but those three ingredients. I bought this wonderful trio, brought them home and made it right away. You know how you hear people call something “refreshing”? This.

I wasn’t sure if my family would like it, but I was asked to make another batch of it today. A new dish everybody likes, yay!

2011-07-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Twenty-seven years ago today. I don't miss him any less.

2011-07-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is me (the gal w/glasses) standing next to my brother John who gave my sister a kidney many years ago, and my sister Martha who is awaiting another transplant. My daughter Valerie has completed testing to be a donor, and a tentative date has been set for late October at the University of California, San Francisco.

In the meantime, my daughter is having a procedure next week which requires a 3-month healing period by UCSF before they will set the transplant date in stone.

As both a sister and a mother of these fabulous women, my emotions are all over the place. If you are a believer, we sure would appreciate it if you would keep our families in your prayers.

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old

2011-06-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Silly goofers

I love making new friends, but the old ones, well, they bring comfort just being in their presence. We had a gathering of old friends this past weekend and had a blast. We stuffed our faces, talked about old times and caught up on the new things that are happening all around us.

From this picture you wouldn't know that Phyllis (in red) is a 3-time cancer survivor, Debbie (behind her) has undergone major heart surgery, Twila (in purple) is traveling 250 miles each way on a regular basis to tend to her elderly parents' needs, Susan (in brown) is starting over, Martha has had 3 kidney transplants and is gearing up for a fourth, and that I am still struggling with the repercussions of a stranger's suicide by car (mine).

We don't get together as often as we should, and it had been a long while since our last get-together. The hours passed much too quickly, just as the years have, but it was so comfortable, it was like not a minute was lost between us.

We needed this. And we will always need each other.

52 Reasons Why I Love You Book

2011-06-05T02:41:00.000-07:00

If you’re having a tough time finding something to do for that special man in your life this Father’s Day or any other special occasion, here’s an idea my daughters inspired me to do for mine. I made this little book for my man using an entire deck of vintage cards. (There are 8 photos included here to show you that it isn’t a difficult project, but it does take a lot of thought and time. Mine is a couple of years old, so it’s a little wonky.)

For the front and back covers, I painted a couple of pieces of lightweight scraps of packaging material and embellished them with an old glass heart earring, paper sayings from chocolate kisses and glitter. I Punched a couple of holes along one side of each card and the cover boards and put them together with large binder rings (smaller ones wouldn’t allow for the book to open properly). You could also use leather, string, ribbon, or whatever else pleases you.

Thinking of 52 reasons why you love someone is not as easy as you might think. I know in my heart why I love my husband of more than 32 years, but actually putting thought to paper challenged me to be creative while expressing it in this way. Writing each sentiment by hand directly on each card would have saved a lot of busy work, but I chose to write mine on the computer, print them out, cut them to fit the cards then glued them in place.

However you decide to share your 52 how-do-I-love-thees, have fun with it!

A Great Day

2011-06-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

On the subject of our trip to UC San Francisco this past Friday: It went much better than I fretted over, yay! Traffic at 4:30 a.m. was light, my daughter’s testing (she is possible kidney donor for my sister) went very quickly and we were back on the road by 9:30 a.m. Great company made all the difference. A wonderful lunch at Gino's was icing on the cake!

On the subject of a significant milestone: I hadn’t driven “the spot” of Highway 101 since the night the guy walked in front of our car. Going by it on the way up in the dark wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, but one of my daughters quietly cried through it.

On the way home, while driving by the exact spot, white-knuckling it, I looked over and there was a CHP to the right of me in the next lane, just enough ahead of me to make it seem as though he was escorting me, even though he didn’t know it. It was a good reminder that I always have a co-pilot anyway. Thanks to everyone who said they were praying for me, I could feel it the entire trip. Whew.

Peppers!

2011-05-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Stuffed peppers is another of my dad's dishes I wished I would have liked growing up. I acquired a taste for them long after he passed away, so my brother shared the recipe with me.

It's a fairly simple meal to prepare, but it does take some time. Especially if you consider the cooking time for the rice, but you can cook that ahead of time, even a day or so. A bonus is that the peppers are very portable, so they make for a great bring-your-lunch-to-work meal.

I Wish There Was Smellavision

2011-05-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hubby sneaked these into the bedroom while I was gone and I smelled 'em before I saw 'em. Wowie-zowie!

A Note of Thanks

2011-05-08T00:43:00.000-07:00

A note I hold close to my heart.

My mother never failed to let her seven children know how much she loved and appreciated us. When she was in the hospital, she told me she wasn't afraid to die, it was leaving us behind that bothered her the most. She didn't want to say goodbye. Neither did we.

Yellow Rose of Texas...er, California

2011-05-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hubby brought me the first rose of the season, even put it in a "vase"!

Leftover Stew

2011-05-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

Stew, always better the next day, or day after that. Joy is being able to get a piece of meat, onion, carrot and ‘tater all in one bite!

It was delicious!

2011-04-24T21:01:00.001-07:00

As the stone was rolled away....

2011-04-23T18:55:00.001-07:00

As the stone was rolled away...., a photo by wvgasguy on Flickr.

Patches

2011-04-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Above: Patches, on the ride home from the vet. Ever heard that song, “Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high-yi”? Yeah, just like that.

Patches is 16, so things are wearin’ out, I guess. She was put under so that two of her teeth could be removed. While she was out, the vet discovered a mass on the left side of her mouth, way in the back behind her molar, running down her throat. Her throat was so constricted they had to use the smallest tube they had to put down her throat (for whatever reason they have to put a tube down the throat during surgery). The good thing is they obliterated the growth, she’ll be able to breathe with more ease. We’ll find out the results of the biopsy in a week or so.

She is one tough little dame.

My Camera

2011-04-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

Photo by titancia

My Nikon Coolpix P80. Best camera this novice has ever had.

Before this I had an Olympus C700, which got me through my eBay days fabulously. I loved it so much that when it quit working I bought a used one. I'd probably still be using it if not for the batteries, man, it ate AA’s like there was no tomorrow.

Good Ol' Fried Cabbage

2011-04-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

I made some fried cabbage the other day, first time in a long while. I was the only one who ever ate the stuff, so I try not to offend the noses of those who don't. Then Hubby told me it smelled so good he had to taste it, and, hey, Mikey! He liked it!

My recipe is sort of fly by the seat of your pants because that’s how my dad cooked everything and he’s the one I learned from. But I think that’s what makes it easy and also gives you the freedom to make it your own.

Fry up a few pieces of bacon in the same lidded-pot you’ll cook the cabbage. Set bacon aside, leaving the drippings in the pot (a Tablespoon or two should do it). Add a chopped onion (whole or half, up to you, as big or little pieces as you like) and saute for a couple of minutes. Add chopped cabbage (mine end up looking like squares), but if it won’t all fit at once, put the lid on it and let it cook down for just a minute or two. Keep stirring while adding the cabbage until it all fits. Add some granulated garlic powder (about a teaspoon or so, you don't want it to overpower the taste of the cabbage), and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, stirring occasionally. When it’s almost done, crumble the bacon and toss it in. Finish cooking to your liking.

Cooking time is less than 10 minutes. That said, I like my cabbage with a little crunch to it, but some prefer it more on the mushy side, you just have to play with the cooking time a little. Also, I buy my bacon in those already cooked packages at Costco, so all I have to do is zap it for a minute. Since I don’t have bacon grease on hand, I just use a splash or two of olive or canola oil instead. It doesn't require much fat, just enough to flavor it, because the cabbage will make its own juice which actually steams it. Good stuff, Maynard.

Found Objects

2011-03-29T01:52:00.000-07:00

We had an unexpectedly gorgeous day, yay! In need of Vitamin D, I grabbed my new garden tools and went to work. I'm not a gardener in any sense of the word. Yard work is work. Period. But today I actually enjoyed playing in the dirt. I was grumbling to myself about how much work it is to get down to the roots of those weeds and get them out once and for all, and feeling old because nothing works as it used to (I really have to think about getting up and down off the ground!).

Then I thought about the devotional I had read that morning, about praying with a thankful heart. Instead of griping about the work that needed to be done, I thanked God for giving me the good health to be able to do it. I thanked God for the blessing of being a home-owner, for being able to be out there on such a beautiful day, safe in my own back yard, working to make it more attractive.

Pretty soon I wasn't minding being on my hands and knees, getting my hands dirty. I was sincerely appreciating the new set of tools I picked up at Costco the other day, especially the yellow cushion that padded my knees so they didn't hurt near as much as usual. And that nifty container to toss the weeds in, way better than making piles all over the sidewalk and then having to scoop them up and put them in the big ol' yard waste container that I would have had to drag, kicking and screaming, into the back yard.

And then little unexpected surprises began to appear as I dug deep into the soil. I knew there would be earth worms or possibly a salamander or two, but what I didn't expect was the tiny plastic Barbie shoe, the opalescent glazed piece of ceramic, the pretty green chunk of glass, a tiny pumpkin garland or my favorite find, a tiny white button!

Pretty soon I found myself turning the soil not only to get to the roots of the pesky weeds, but in anticipation of another surprise. Hmm...now that I think about it, it's kind of like the way we live our lives, getting through the muck and the mud in order to enjoy the little discoveries and joys we uncover along the way. I'm very thankful for it all.

Cover Tune Grab Bag - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

2011-03-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Rock & Worship Roadshow 2011 presents "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" featuring MercyMe, Jars Of Clay, Matt Maher, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Afters & Lecrae.

My new favorite music video!

My Mother's Hands

2011-03-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning out a drawer when I came upon this, a tracing of my mother's hand one of my daughters did. It kind of took my breath away. I remember the day this was drawn like it was yesterday. I don't know what prompted me to date it, but I'm sure glad I did. I'm even happier my mother signed it, "Grandma."

My mom was always a good sport about stuff like this. When my girls were about 2 years old, one of them was bringing her Cheeze-Its crackers made into tiny sandwiches. She would eat it and then my daughter would be gone for a bit and return with another. Pretty soon I heard my mom say, "Wait a minute, what is this stuff in the middle, anyway?" and then she just laughed and laughed.

Turns out my daughter was chewing a cracker, spitting it out onto another one and placing another one on top of that, wha-la, cracker sandwiches!

The thing that really says it all about my mom? She knew how much fun my daughter was having, so she kept right on eating them.

Thift Shop Haul

2011-03-21T01:23:00.000-07:00

Individual miniature bouquets

I'm not sure what the pretty little purple blooms are made of, but it looks like yarn. At first I thought they were dried flowers, but they're even more nifty now that I've had a chance to look them over.

There were several bags at Savers for $2.99 each, so I bought two. Now that I see how well-made they are, I kinda wish I had bought them all. If you know anything about them, tell me, pretty please?

Buttons!

I picked up several little bags filled with sewing stuff such as buttons (yummy!), dress maker straight pins, thread, an old measuring tape made in West Germany, a very long-big-eyed needle with a rounded end, and lots of brand-new sewing machine needles, jackpot!

And a good time was had by all at Savers.

A PLEA FOR HELP

2011-03-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

A PLEA FOR HELP

This is me with my sister and best friend Martha (she’s the one with the short hair). She has had 3 successful kidney transplants throughout her 59 years, all donated by siblings (2 brothers and sister). She is in need of another transplant and there are two possible donors that have been waiting in the wings SINCE OCTOBER 2010, one is our brother, the other my daughter.

We believe Marty is also on the cadaver list, but we can’t be sure because clear, concise information has been so difficult to obtain from the University of California at San Fransisco (UCSF).
Marty is very ill and on the cusp of going back on kidney dialysis, but she doesn’t do well on it, so I don’t know how long she can keep on keepin’ on.

Does anyone out there in Tumblr-land have any contacts at UCSF, anyone we could discuss her case with? Brick walls are what we have been hitting, we can’t even get vials sent to Martha to be tested for antigens, a very basic step in the transplant process. (Actually, Marty did send UCSF vials back in October, but since they have dragged their feet, they are no longer viable. They have yet to send more.)

Martha has great insurance. She is able to maintain the medications required after transplantation and has always paid her medical bills. But we are discovering that the finance department at UCSF is telling her she needs $30,000 upfront before they will even talk about a transplant, let alone begin testing. Her insurance gave her a $2,000 deductible quote, which we can take care of, but we don’t understand where the $30,000 number is coming from.

Marty was also told that if the possible donors do not match, then their insurance is required to pay for all testing that was done. That’s a new one on us and a sure killer to the donor program if I ever heard one. We are hoping that we have been misinformed and that someone will step up and correct it.

Going through 3 transplants you learn the ropes, but it looks like the rules have now changed. We are appalled that this financial requirement, if it is indeed required, will ultimately take Martha’s life. If you can help in any way by providing contact information with someone who is willing to listen to our plea for help, please let me know as soon as possible. Every day that passes means a tougher time for Marty.

Nom

2011-03-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

Made a double batch of bruschetta, threw it on some pasta. Nom.

Thrift Shops = Mini Vacations

2011-03-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

I don't get to my favorite thrift store often enough, but when I do, this little book section becomes a black hole of time. It doesn't look like much, but I have found some pretty nifty reads here.

There used to be two small rooms set back in a hallway, away from all the other stuff. And other people. One held clothes, bedding, purses and shoes (and a couple of bins of pretty grodie-lookin' used makeup and lotions), the other was dedicated to books, magazines, records and tapes.

Then one day I walked in and all the walls were gone. POOF. I was vewy, vewy sad. I spent many hours in the middle of that tiny room, perched on an old stool, drinking in that old book smell, building a stack or two to bring home with me.

I still enjoy going there, the owners are genuinely good people, and the prices are certainly always right. But I still wish I could get lost in the quiet of that little room down the hall where nothing else mattered for just a little while.

My King-Sized Bed Cozy

2011-03-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

I stripped my bed of the bedspread and pillows so you can see that it

covers the entire surface and then some of my California King bed.

A gazillion years ago, my sister Martha and I were on a kick of making scrap yarn afghans (a great way to use up all those left-over skeins!). At the time, she lived in a mobile home, so as her blanket grew she would refer to it as her trailer cozy. When she completed her SINGLE CROCHETED masterpiece, I was thrilled because she surprised me by giving it to me, and I have slept with it ever since. My sister is an awesome possum!

Remembering A Friend

2011-03-03T01:41:00.000-08:00

Remembering our friend Velma on her birthday.

She was a part of our family for over 20 years. We will be forever grateful to Velma for her friendship and for bringing her niece and extended family into our lives.

We're also thankful for Patches, (Velma's baby girl) who has turned out to be my hubby's new best friend! We don't know Patches' exact birth date, so we gave her her mommy's...happy sweet 16th birthday, Patchy!

IT SNOWED! IT SNOWED! IT SNOWED!

2011-02-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

Our neck of the woods hasn't seen snow in over 35 years.
Imagine our surprise when we saw this today! Woot!

And The Winner Is...

2011-02-15T00:33:00.000-08:00

Meandering around the Monterey County Fair back in the 1990s, on a whim and with much prodding from my hubby, I entered an arm wrestling contest. I’m still surprised I did it, but even more surprised that I took home one of those tall trophies! That’s the gal I beat (on your left), she was really nice and we had a lot of fun up there. The next one put me down rather quickly, and that was the end of my arm wrestling career.

Crafting

2011-02-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

I heart Making Stuff (by suzy tolen)

I fell in love with this crafty poster, so I added it to the que of our Craft Discoveries blog. Last night my daughter surprised me with the real deal…gah! Thank you, Titancia! It’s pretty dang awesome seeing something on-line that comes from the imagination of a crafter and then holding it in my hands.

One Year Ago Today

2011-02-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

Letting go of the things that are weighing us down is key to recovering one's joy. I’ve been working on getting through a certain sadness for almost a year now and I believe I have made a breakthrough.

I’ve mentioned before that my daughters and I were in a pretty horrific accident. It was a year ago today, but it sometimes seems like yesterday, or even a moment ago. Reliving that man’s suicide when he walked in front of our car (while I was driving almost 65 mph, in the dark, on a major highway) is a difficult thing to NOT do, but I realized I have been making it worse by carrying around a constant reminder of it.

The other night I was cleaning out my big ol’ purse, and there they were, the photos of my car we took at the junk yard, wrapped in a copy of the police report. I’ve been lugging those things around for a year, everywhere I went. I rarely looked at them, but still, there they were, like the proverbial monkey on my back and I didn’t even realize it! *slaps forehead* I made the conscious decision right then and there, even announced to my daughters that it’s time I put them away, let it go now. So although my daughters and I are trying to move past the tragedy, we will never forget that night. Another person's choice to die will forever be a part of our lives, but we can't let it ruin it.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please, seek help, 1-800-SUICIDE, that's 1-800-784-2433. Killing yourself may end your pain, but it only creates more for those left behind.

The Happy Wonderer

2011-01-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

The Happy Wanderer sung and produced by Ollie aka Doc Mustard (via olliesongs)

My oldest sister Mary (who passed away a couple of weeks ago) taught me this song when I was a little girl. We've always sort of teased my daughter Valerie singing her name instead. What wonderful, happy memories this brought back. Right. On.

Double Rainbow All The Way!

2011-01-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

Can you guess what this is?

Neat, eh?

Taken with my Nikon Coolpix P80

After opening up the blinds in my living room, I fixed myself a cup of tea and headed back to my bedroom. I glanced over to the window and saw all these pretty fantastical colors reflecting off the glass lamp base onto the vertical blinds. I went shutter-crazy, but posted what I think are the best two shots here. I likey.

Transfixed

2011-01-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

I have been sitting here for the last couple of hours looking at one site, sarah.wondering. I can't stop. Oh my goodness, there is so much on this site to absorb! Go there. Now. But be sure to grab a cup of tea or something because once you start you won't be able to stop. Srsly.

There's No Place Like Home

2011-01-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Valerie!

I Lost My Big Sister Today

2011-01-04T00:11:00.000-08:00

My big sister Mary passed away today, much more peacefully than did our mother. She was number 3 of the 4 sons and 3 daughters born of our parents, and she was the first of the sibling to die.

L-R: Martha, Mary, Dorothy

Three sisters, taken a few weeks before Mary's death

When my mom had to go to work to help support our family, Mary was like a second mother to us younger brothers and sisters . She cooked, cleaned, drove us around, worried about us, was my Brownie scout leader and the best piggy-back ride-giver, ever. She carried me around until my feet just about dragged the ground, she spoiled me so. She loved our sister Martha so much she donated one of her kidneys to her (as did my brothers Burt and John before her), which has lasted now for well over ten years. For all of that goodness we enjoyed, there were some equally rough years relationship-wise, but in the end we put them aside and just loved one another.

One of my friends, Jane, said my post about our family's loss on Facebook, "No longer 7, we are 6," brought to mind " 'We Are Seven,' by William Wordsworth, one of innumerable recitations my grandmother memorized as a child. She could still recite it word for word at age 100." Jane was so right.

Caller ID

2011-01-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

I get a kick out of our caller ID. I am easily amused.

Music: Sleep Away, Bob Acri

2010-12-31T22:56:00.000-08:00

Have an OZsome 2011!

Happy Birthday, Deni!

2010-12-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

My hubby's San Jose Sharks birthday cake was AWEsome!

2010-12-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

Such a good Christmas morning!

Ahh...the afterglow

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

Clouds

2010-12-12T23:32:00.000-08:00

Photograph by Dawn Walker

I have a childhood memory of looking out the window of an airplane and being in awe of the clouds. We were on our way to Panama (my dad was stationed there in the early 1960s), and I had a very vivid dream of scooping up clouds with both hands and putting them into a bucket so we could make ice cream.

One of Dawn's cloud photos got me to thinking about my 3- or 4-year old self and that dream. I remember not wanting to leave my grandmother and pitchin' a fit. Telling me we were going to make ice cream out of clouds may have been a clever way for one of my older siblings to bribe me onto the plane, who knows?

Funny how I can distinctly remember coming to the realization that it was only a dream. It reminded me of the moment when I discovered my mom had a first name, it wasn't just "Mom."

I have very few of these types of memories, but I'm glad for them, and I would love to hear about yours.

Life

2010-11-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

Before...

After...

And That's Why There's A Christmas Day

2010-11-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

When I was, oh, about 8 or 9 years old, I started attending church with my new best friend, Lauri. Her mother would haul any or all of us seven kids that wanted to go along with her own four. Well over 40 years later, Lauri is still my bestest friend in the whole-wide world and I love her mom as I loved my own.

I have fond memories about that time in my life, and one of those was a Christmas program I was part of. My Sunday School teacher's name was Edith Darling, and on the printed program we were listed as "Edith and Her Darlings." I have never forgotten the song we performed, even sang it to my girls when they were little.

Each of us was assigned a letter (I was T, Lauri was R) and held it up as we sang our verse:

C is for the Christ Child, born upon this day
H for Herald Angels in the sky
R means Redeemer
I means Israel
S is for the stars that sine so bright
T is for three Wise Men, they who traveled far
M is for the manger where He lay
A's for all He stands for
S means Shepherds came

And that's why there's a Christmas Day

Jim Reeves sings it best.

Turkey and Clover Leaf Rolls

2010-11-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

I actually did what I set out to do, get the turkey in the oven so we can get it carved and ready for tomorrow, and make two batches of dough for our traditional clover leaf rolls, go me! Or, I should say, "go us" because my hubby was at my side the entire time! I wish I could have gotten photos, but we were both elbow-deep in dough, so I did the next best thing.

Bagged and in the oven, breast-side down for the juiciest turkey, evah!

There are actually two bowls of dough rising, hubby did one and I did one. I can't wait to taste the first one, fresh out of the oven. The recipe I use is the closest I've found to my dad's, which was filed away in his head, a flavor that brings me close to my father's memory. We'll be making my mom's sweet potatoes, one of the triggers that brings her memory closer to the surface as well.

I use Betty Crocker's recipe for Refrigerator Roll Dough

My dad used to put the entire Thanksgiving meal together for our large family (7 kids w/spouses, kids, and friends), and the first one without him took our entire family pulling together, each making something we learned from him. There will still be a few things missing as we all can't be together, cornbread dressing being at the forefront; the sister who makes it may not be with us much longer.

This will be a time to catch up with those we never seem to see enough of, for farewells and getting to know the newer members of our family (a brand-new nephew!). I'm looking forward to this year's gathering of family and friends, because through sadness and joy, gatherings such as this reminds me how very grateful I am to be blessed with so much love!

Have a meaningful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Stormy Weather

2010-11-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

Click on image to enlarge

I came across this poem the other day and it spoke straight to my heart. I snapped this picture from my back door just this morning, and when I uploaded it, I thought the two should meet.

Can't remember where I found this, but I appreciate its message...

2010-11-23T01:11:00.000-08:00

READ

2010-11-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

Cookie Exchange

2010-11-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

Photos by Dawn Walker

My niece hosted a Christmas cookie exchange last year and has announced she's going to do it again this year! We had a lot of fun putting ours together last year, so I'm looking forward to seeing how we'll top it.

My Peanut Butter Cookies, photo by Dawn

My Wedding Cookies, photo by Dawn

Both recipes were taken from my tried and true Betty Crocker cookbook, a wedding present of over 30 years ago from my life-long best-friend Lauri. I can't tell you how many recipes from this one book I've used through the years.

My daughter Dawn photographed the cookies and created recipe cards which we shared with the group.

We packaged them up in Christmasy goodie bags and attached award-type ribbons (see first photo) I bought on sale (super cheap) at Michael's.

It was well-worth the extra effort because they were a hit! We enjoyed everyone's cookies just as much (the home-made ones, anyway...it never occurred to me people would actually use store-bought).

This time my niece and I talked about including cupcakes and things like pumpkin bread. I like that idea because, really, there were tons of cookies and it would have been nice to mix it up a bit with other goodies (not a complaint, just an idea). And with everyone watching their waistlines (me, not so much, but it's coming), maybe we can even find a good Weight Watcher's recipe and provide the points.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

My Own URL and Some Organization

2010-11-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

My daughter Dawn gifted me with my own URL a while back and I never did anything with it. She surprised me the other day by pointing my Tumblr it! Thank you, Dawn, I feel all official now!

While I'm on the subject of my awesome daughters, I want to thank Valerie once again for organizing our DVDs. We pulled the set of drawers and matching cabinet from the living room and moved them into my bedroom because they seemed more at home there along side the eclectic beachy-buttony decor.

We weren't sure what we were going to store our DVDs on, so I was pumped when I came across some bamboo and metal racks at Costco. I bought two of them, assembled them and tried them out for size. Much to my delight I discovered I could actually get four of those suckers to fit on either side of the fireplace! So Valerie and headed over to Costco and bought six more, set them up and while we yacked with my sister Martha, Valerie unpacked the boxes and bins and put everything in place.

This is the shelving before it was discovered
I had it stacked wonky, but you get the idea

The shelves are nothing fancy, but they sure look hecka better than the stacks we had goin' on. We all agree, they open up the living room and actually make it look extra wide. Since the DVDs aren't very pretty to look at, we're hoping to install some type of cover, be it fabric or something along the lines of those drawstring shades made of wood, straw or bamboo. Whatever we decide we're just happy to have finally done something with that wall. Yay, us!

Plenty of Buttons

2010-11-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite thrift stores in my neck of the woods is "Class 'N' Trash," usually takes some digging around to find the good stuff. But having made friends with the owners over the years, things are sometimes put aside for moi. (I know, huh?!)

I especially like it when I walk in to find boxes being unpacked, yum. When this empty lamp was pulled out, at first I wasn't interested. But, being the great salesperson the female persuasion half of the business is she told me what a nifty thing it would be if I "filled it with all those buttons you're always buying from me!"

So I did.

32 Years

2010-10-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Married 32 years today! Some days it's a concert...

Other days, not so much...

For richer or poorer, sickness and in health, love reigns. Happy anniversary, babe.

Winnie Rose

2010-10-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

My grand-dogger...how can my day be anything but awesome when I wake up to this?

My daughter leaves for work quite early, so Winnie joins me after she leaves and snuggles down right beside me, usually burrowing amongst my piles of pillows. I never know which end of her I'll see when I open my eyes, but there she is, waggin' that tail, ready for some morning lovin'. Sometimes she'll stare me awake, get real close to my face and pounce at first blink. Most times, though, she's right there with me, zonkin' zees.

Part of our morning routine includes a song, of sorts, and I swear that dog waits for it cause she gets all excited after I'm done.

"Winnie the pooh, Winnie the pooh, silly-willie-nillie-ol' puppy dawwwwwg, you."

I know, it doesn't rhyme, but we don't care! She just knows the next thing coming is "Winnie ROSE! With the cute little NOSE!" then it's belly rubbin' time!

Even as I write this she's splayed out on my bed, belly-side up...most definitely queen of my king-sized bed.

Holy-Moly!

2010-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Dang if this wasn't too small, so I settled for a photo-op instead. These buttons are so scrumptious I want to eat them up! I love the placement of the colorful buttons, and, yes, they continue across the top of the back (yolk?). People were already looking at me strangely, so I didn't turn it around to get a shot of the back. Should have. Why do I care so much what people think?

I can't wait to give this a try sometime. There are just enough buttons to make it look cute and not tacky. Darling, isn't it?

Vlog Brothers and Nerdfighters

2010-10-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Three nerdfighters, three shirts, three kindsa awesome!

Reading In The Car

2010-10-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

I love reading in the car. It must be parked, though, motion sickness is my foe. Even though I park in public places, it's usually quiet and gives me a feeling of privacy I can't get many places. It's cozy, and I find it easy to get lost in the world of which I'm reading.

How about you, where do you enjoy reading?

Tumbling Now

2010-07-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm finding it's easier to update my Tumbler than it is to post on this here blog cause I'm lazy like that, yo. I dubbed it Usually Nerdy Things and post images I come across that move me in some way, but I do occasionally write something and include my own photographs. It makes for a quick read and a lot less work for me. I'm not abandoning my blog, I just want to hush the nagging I feel when nothing gets posted.

I hope you'll pop in over there so we can stay in touch.

Finding Joy

2010-05-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

"Joy is a heart full and a mind purified by gratitude." Marietta McCarty

I am on a mission: to restore my joy. So, I thought I would share a few images that are helping me do just that.

A silly picture my daughters took of me while we were Skyping. I look clueless, which I probably was since I'm new to the Skype thing.

My sister Martha (on your left) makes me laugh, always.

Remembering the bouquet of flowers Dawn recently surprised me with fills me with joy.

As do the Ozzy stilettos Valerie treated me to.

Winning a contest on Twitter, shiny! I have images of my very own planet named "Dawtinium", woot! The contest sponsor was @kidsneedtoread; the prize was donated by @JiminSTLouis (who won the sponsor's auction for the prize then turned around and donated it!), which was a personalized high-def file of my planet created by artist of The Verse (Serenity) poster and so much more, @BenMund. He actually did two versions, one with rings and one without!

Joy also comes along with the feeling of relief. The other day, I couldn't find Patches anywhere. I searched and I searched and was about to push the panic button and burst into tears when I found her in the back yard. Digging. Drenched in mud, but looking every bit the puppy she must have felt like well over 13 years ago. I could not bring myself to scold her. It cracked. Me. Up.

Knowing my family genuinely loves my cooking (most of the time), especially my chicken strips, brings me joy.

I am the youngest sister of four brothers and two sisters, wife of over 32-years, mother of responsible, loving, adult identical twin daughters, caretaker of the furry kind, and friend and helper to many.

Feeling joyful this Mother's Day for I am truly blessed.

Wearin' of the Green

2010-03-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

I have been decorating cupcakes for Saint Patrick's Day and thought I'd pop in here and post a photo or two. Valerie did the baking and I did the fun stuff. She took the first batch for her co-workers to enjoy and Dawn will take the latest batch to work with her tomorrow.

One more thing, happy 6th birthday to my grandogger, Clover Grace!

Party on.

This Too Shall Pass

2010-03-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

This Too Shall Pass
OK Go

Can't get it out of my head..."when the morning comes..." Favorite part, about 2 minutes into it, had to grab my hankie. Thanks, guys, for reminding me of this.

Get Help

2010-02-26T14:19:00.000-08:00

This has been a heartbreaking story to follow:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/25/growing.pains.actor.dead/index.html?hpt=T1

I have so much respect for the father of this man, to make a plea to others who might be going through a difficult time to please, seek help. Listen to him. There is always hope.

Note: I'm trying to get some of my old self back after the accident and making headway. Hang in there with me, I'm working on putting something fun together!

My Search Has Ended

2010-01-13T23:52:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting one of those sewing forms for, well, ever. I was at The Discovery Shop the other day and, guess what?! I found her, the woman of my dreams! I thought at first she was a store display, but there was the tag, dangling from the top: $25...YESSSS! This was definitely a screamer (extra special find where I get so excited nothing but a scream wants to come out).

I can usually keep a pretty good poker face, but I was beaming with delight. As I was paying for her, one of the volunteers said, "She was just too chunky for our store."

So, rather than being pissy with the lady for kind of insulting we women of substance (she was chunky herself, though, so I'm not sure she meant anything by it), I said, "That's okay, I'm chunky, too, so we'll get along perfectly!"

I must name her. Any ideas?

The Eight Irrisistable Principles of Fun

2010-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

Real Quick-like...

I apologize if I'm not following the correct protocol here (I tried to include all of the correct links), but I'm so excited I simply must share something with you right this very minute!

My most favorite tweet I've read today is from dudecraft, which will lead you to a video on Make+Meaning called The Eight Irrisistable Principles of Fun.

I encourage you to watch it and be inspired.

2010-01-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

Nifty Thrift Shop Find

Isn't there something about the 7th day being a day of rest? Well, this 7th day of the month was far from it, and from the looks of it things won't be slowing down any time soon. The day began on a high note and then struck a sour one as it went along, but by the end of it things seemed to be back on an even keel. Yay.

I managed a quick trip to Class 'N' Trash (my mini-vacation from reality) and found something pretty nifty.

I found 3 boxes of a product by Stockmar, thin wax sheets in various colors. My mind is a whirl thinking about all the ways their Web site said this product can be used, on "boxes, matchboxes, cosmetic containers, bottles, paperweights, key racks, flower pots, cookie jars, wooden crates, mirror frames, etc."

It's already been used, but there's tons so I won't miss it. I think I'll stick with trying it out on a candle the first time out, and can't wait to try it out using some of my miniature cookie cutters!

2009, bye now...

2009-12-31T23:53:00.000-08:00

My duplicate daughters have been bugging me to post, so here 'tis, the final one of the year. Talk about cutting it close! It's 10:45 p.m., still an hour and fifteen-minutes away from shoutin' in the new year. No party, just sitting in the living room with Dawn (Valerie's at work, Deni's watching TV in the bedroom), listening to her excited comments about the nifty journals she picked up along the way. She's struggling to stay awake and I'm thinking she may not make it to Midnight. Party on, Dawn.

I can't say 2009 was a great year, but it surely wasn't the worst. My family is in-tact, I still have all of my brothers and sisters, and most all of my friends. I lost a newly-discovered aunt whom I never had the opportunity to meet face-to-face, but we came to know and love one another through phone calls. I lost a long-time friend of over 20 years, but she left behind a bundle of fur who's kept us on our toes and made losing Thistle (our baby-dawg of 15 years) a bit easier on the heart. My husband was off of work for several months because of a second back surgery, but he recently returned, something I am rejoicing in because I wasn't sure he would heal well enough to make that happen.

The last major happening of the year was Valerie's surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. Although it wasn't the most pleasant of things (all went well) to endure, it turned out to be a source of answers as to why she's had such fierce monthly pain and nausea: the discovery of endometriosis. Another important positive from this negative has been the light shed on what may be the source of Dawn's health issues as well, just one of the many benefits of having an identical twin, eh?

Although a lot of other "stuff" went on throughout the year, God provided lots of ups and protected us through those downs, and I see no reason to believe life will not continue being a mixture of the two. As ol' blue eyes and Michael Buble croon, "That's life!"

I like where I am this very moment, glad not to be fretting about finding a designated driver after a night of Crown Royal and Coke (although I'll admit a little Electric Slide would have been fun!). I'm watching the new year arrive as quietly as it left, but I can't resist one more shout-out to friends and family alike...

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To Dye For

2009-11-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, I absolutely love SisterDiane of CraftyPod, and every day I am reminded why. She tweeted about a nifty tissue paper craft she spotted over on Things to Make and Do. She said she was "Ready to blow off my entire to-do list and spend the day making tie-dye tissue paper," so I knew it had to be extra-good. I tweeted back, "I will if you will," and she took me up on the deal. The race was on and I went straight for the finish line! Here is the result of all that tweetin':

Even though my folding prowess stinks; I was too lazy to put the dye into bowls and took a short cut by dripping the dye directly on to the tissue paper; got it a little too wet on one corner so it ripped;

and I have multi-colored fingers;

I would say the results were not too shabby.

Cool, eh?

Oh, yeah! The tissue paper was recycled from the packaging of a prize I won by entering a contest on Diane's mother's (Pam) Web site, Gingerbread Snowflakes. So in a way her unintended gift will keep on giving because I'll be wrapping someone's Christmas present with it.

Thanks, Diane, for getting me off my duff and inspiring me to go make some art!

What to do with those sample books?

2009-11-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

I come across these fabric sample books ALL THE TIME, and every time I do I think, "Banners, bags and pillows, oh, my!"

I have accumulate quite a few of these and only made one thing, a little bag with a handle (I'm embarrassed to post a picture). Wait, I lied. I did try a small rug once, but that was a disaster. I think the best idea for these large fabric swatches came from a woman who was shopping at my favorite thrift store. I spotted her with a couple of them and simply had to know what she had in store for them, so I asked.

She told me she was an activity director at a nursing home and likes to use the pieces to make those nifty banners everyone seems to be hanging these days. It touched my heart when she went on to explain how she puts them to use. Besides using them to spruce up the residents' rooms or to decorate for parties, there are times when the residents need to stay in their rooms temporarily, while the hallways are being mopped or vacuumed, for instance. Some of them don't have all of their mental faculties, and it doesn't take much to get them turned around to where they should be, so the banners are placed across the doorways (with tape so they easily fall away and not hurt anyone). When the resident sees the "barrier," they stop in their tracks and go back the other way. Clever.

This particular sample book measures 10" x 11", which seems perfect for banners. There is usually cardboard adhered to one side, but it can be sewn through and act as a stabilizer of sorts. Then there's the sometimes difficult task of taking the book apart. But with names such as Red Pepper, Coral Sea, Sunglow and Buttercup, it's well worth the effort!

Passing on the Crafty-Goodness

2009-10-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

I have been itching to find the time to post something so it wouldn't look like I've abandoned the blogosphere! On the contrary, I'm trying to educate myself on how to do it better. My first step was to purchase two e-books by Sister Diane of CraftyPod, the podcast & blog all about making stuff.

The first one is Making a Great Blog, A Guide for Creative People, the second is Creating a Blog Audience, An Unconventional Marketing Guide.

Since I haven't been able to read them fully yet, I can't review them for you in-depth right now. I can tell you, however, just from the sections I was able to skim over, along with the many reviews I've read, I am confident I will be able to apply some of Sister Diane's wisdom to my own thing I've got going here. She writes in such a way that it can be easily translated into just about any type of blog.

I discovered Sister Diane through iTunes by subscribing to her audio CraftyPod podcast. My job is such that it allows me to listen to my iPod while scanning the hours away, and Diane's is my all-time favorite, hands-down. I encourage you to give her a listen, I guarantee you will learn something new each time.

Really quickly, a lot of "stuff" has been going on that's kept me way too busy to blog, but I hope to be able to ramble a bit by touching on things such as the loss of a dear friend, my beloved 15-year-old dawg and, on the lighter side, the start of the new hockey season featuring our San Jose Sharks (Gooooooo, Sharks!).

That's it for now. As Sister Diane, one of THE most crafty guru-mentors-most-awesome-human-beings I have had the pleasure of knowing signs-off, "...and in the meantime, craft on!"

One of My Favorite Photos

2009-08-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

This Ozilicious photograph is my wall paper on the outside of my cell phone, I love, love, love it! Taken by my daughter Dawn, her photos never fail to impress me, she's a natural, got an eye for things others don't even notice.

For this particular photo she used a piece of fabric printed with an image of yellow bricks along with four of the little Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz dolls McDonald's put out a while back (sure was fun going McDonald's hopping for all of 'em!). She surprised me with a set of note cards she had professionally printed, all with this image on them, really super impressive. As if that wasn't special enough, she had a large print made of another of her ozzy shots and framed it herself. It's an image of the bottom of Dorothy's blue gingham dress and those fabulous ruby reds, of course, walking on The Yellow Brick Road. Again she used one of those tiny dolls and placed it on doll stand made for our Oz dolls by Tonner.

I'll get some photos taken of those, but for now I just wanted to post this one. It makes me happy to see it and I wanted to share my joy.

I'll Take Those Wooden Nickels

2009-07-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

I am happy to admit that I am a Twitter addict! Some people don't get it, which I understand because I used to not get it either. But now that I am "hip to the jive," I wonder how I ever found out about the latest craft or FIREFLY-SERENITY news without it.

Some of my favorite tweets come from fellow crafters, most of whom are way beyond any expectations of what my crafting abilities will ever be. CraftyPod's Sister Diane is one of my main sources of crafty goodness, and one of her tweets about playing with a sort of decal or rub-ons got my attention. (http://www.craftypod.com/2009/06/26/playing-with-hambly-screen-prints-ceramic-and-glass/)

I had played around with some rub-ons to make WIZARD OF OZ egg cups, so I knew the fun of doing some rubbings myself. And then I came across these: http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/2009/07/custom-wooden-nickels-poker-chips-more.html. (I believe it was another tweet from Sister Diane but I can't be positive.) I don't know why I love these so much but I do. I thought next time I go to Michael's I'm going to see if they have any or see what other shape might be conducive to rubbings.

Given enough time my daughters and I can usually find the crafty things such as fabric, yarn, thread, miniatures, books, whatever, at one of the thrift shops we like to haunt. I was at The Discovery Shop the other day and made the most timeliest of finds, ever!

I know, huh?! Most of the wooden pieces to this "Bottle Cap" game are the color of wood, but there are pretty red ones as well, yummy!

Of course the best part of the whole deal is that I only paid a dollar for the entire box! Woot!

Egg Cups

2009-07-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

This will not be a lengthy post, just wanted to share a photo I took with my cell phone. I help maintain an egg cup collector's board (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pocillovists_corner/) and a couple of the things I try and do is change the colors and Home page photo every now and again. I was feeling too lazy to go out and set up an egg cup display, so I thought I'd take a silly one.

Thistle yawned and, well, as my daughter Valerie always says, "I'm happier than a bird with a french fry" with the results.

Father's Day

2009-06-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it's already upon us! Happy Father's Day, Deni, my wonderful hubby, father of our duplicate daughters. I am remembering what an involved daddy you were when the girls were little, always willing to get up in the middle of the night, changing every sort of diaper they presented, teaching them how to play tic-tac-toe at the age of two-and-a-half, allowing them to put your hair in little ponytails (not just one or two, but a whole head-full!), helping them with their math homework, teaching them how to swing a hammer. So much of you are in them.

My own father passed away 26 years ago come the 18th of July, cancer, first of the throat then it spread to his lungs. It was difficult for an old 1st Sargent to lose his voice, yet he was humbled by this and rose to the occasion. I was blessed to be able to come home and fill in to help my mother and brother out with the foster boys while he recovered from his first surgery at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco. During his first hospital pass home, I was amazed at his new outlook on life. Instead of being depressed and withdrawn he was light on his feet and so happy to be alive! He was anxious to get back to living his hectic life, what a man. At this point, I thought there wasn't anything he couldn't overcome.

There wasn't much my father could not do for himself, which always made it difficult to surprise him on Father's Day and other holidays. So I was thankful to be able to sew him a variety of stoma covers (to cover the opening in his throat when he was out and about...he didn't want to startle anyone). It is something that sounds like nothing, but it brought him much delight.

My dad was nearing his 5th year of remission when cancer was discovered in his lungs. After the removal of one lung he was never the same. It was a tough surgery, even for an old dog-faced soldier like him. He'd had enough and went home to be with the Lord, surrounded by my mother, my sister Martha and her husband Larry. They sang hymns and prayed, and then my mom finally let him go.

When all is said and done, if I have been loved and respected half as much as my father, then I will have lived a full and honorable life. Happy Father's Day!

Mother's Day

2009-05-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

This has been a tough one since losing my mother 6 years ago. I can still smell the beautiful long-stemmed red roses my dad would send my mom and see the sheepish smile on her face as each of us discovered them in all their glory.

While browsing Mother's Day cards for important women in my life, without fail, I end up with something in my eye. By the time I've read cards for every imaginable form a mother can be portrayed, it's all I can do to make it out of the store without an audible sob.

That said, I am gratefully blessed to have women in my life who have filled the empty places that still need a mother's nurturing and/or another woman's attention: Twila, Phyllis, Carol, Virginia, Velma, Jackie and...

JOYCE, my mother-in-law, a gracious woman who has never been one of those meddling in-law joke-types people so often laugh about. When we visit, which doesn't happen as often as we'd like as she lives more than 5 hours north of here, we just about shop till we drop. We are thrift-shoppin' buddies and do a good job at attempting to make up for lost time. We fill her van with all of our finds, stuff our faces at the local Chinese buffet then head home and melt. For all intent and purposes, I am her daughter.

MARTHA, my precious sister, best friend, teacher, mentor, confidant and prayer warrior. She is a major source of emotional strength and one of my biggest cheerleaders. I need not explain things to death for her to understand. Her wisdom comes, I'm sure, from her close relationship with the Lord. She is a living example of grace under fire, health-wise. Three kidney transplants and all that goes with it (including the meds that are meant to help), well, all I can say is that something hurts every day. Her faith and belief that God will heal keep her keepin' on, and I constantly stand amazed.

LAURI, my bestest friend in the whole-wide world! Although we live in different states and are lucky to see one another every few years, we talk almost daily. It is quite wonderful to have a friend of over 40 years, very uncommon for Army brats as military families tend to move around a lot. Her mother is the closest thing to an aunt I had growing up, something Martha and I have always treasured. I admire how much Lauri's three sons love and care for her, what a great relationship they all enjoy. The fact that we both have twins still blows me away...but I had mine first!

DAWN and VALERIE, my duplicate daughters, my fountain of youth! They keep me interested in life, always pushing me to learn new crafts, make new friends, and even got me off my butt and back to work part-time. They actually like to spend time with me, imagine that. Their love for me is constant and without it, well, let's not go there. I only dreamed I could be such good friends with my own adult daughters, it's almost, I say almost, more than my heart can hold.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Gotta get this blogging thing down pat

2009-04-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

My daughters keep reminding me that I have a blog, thanks, girls!

I have discovered that blogging is like crafting, you don't know how much goes into it until you try it yourself. I so admire people who update their blogs on a regular basis. Of course, it helps if you have something to say that others will actually find interesting. My life is on the ho-hum side, witnessed by my only two followers here, and they're following just because I'm their mom. Gotta work on getting more of a life, I guess.

Other than working and piddling around the house, there's not much going on. I've done a bit of crafting for an Oz swap on Craftster (the pendant you see if from my last Oz swap, I love it!), but even that has tanked. My swap partner, who lives in Spain, flaked, haven't heard hide nor hair of her since the end of February. I was just about ready to mail the stuff anyway (because I'm like that, yo), when I decided, no, dern-it, I'm not gonna do it. So I posted on Craftster to let everyone know I was flaked on and was just gonna keep the stuff I made. The organizer stepped up and volunteered to do a personal Oz swap with me, so I'm stoked again, yet still a bit cautious about the whole thing. I'll exhale when I receive in about a month.

I had a pretty good week, made better by the fact that I was able to enjoy lunch with my sister Martha (and Dawn, too!). AND I got paid on Thursday, so that's always a day-brightener. Dawn and I attended her church's Easter service last night and I really enjoyed it. I sure miss hearing and singing those good ol' hymns from real hymn books, though. Got to see Martha again along with her hubby, who sang his heart out in the choir.

Oh! And I had a wonderful conversation with my best friend Lauri's mom who lives in Missouri. (Picture is Lauri, her mom and 3 boys.) She's the closest thing to an aunt that we had growing up, more like a second mom now that mine is gone.

Hoo-kay, That's it for now. This Easter bunny has to hop to it and find something to feed the family. I'm sure enjoying the sunshine!

GAH! I Made Craftster.org's Best of 2008!

2009-02-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

Some of you know about Craftster.org, but for those who don't it is a
place where people gather to share what they've crafted, be it sewing,
jewelry-making and everything in-between. We even do craft swaps,
where people makes things (such as Oz stuff, that one was fun) and
swap with a partner that's assigned to you. Anyway, according the
Craftster.org, there are, literally tens-of-thousands of projects posted
each year on this site, so you can imagine how excited I am about
sharing this with y'all.

The big news I'm soooooooo excited about?!

One of my projects was amongst Crafter's Best of 2008! I posted
pictures of a butterfly coil pot and a couple of pinch pots I made in
a ceramics class I took a while back, and low and behold it was chosen
as one of the top 5 projects amongst the "POTTERY, CERAMICS, POLYMER
CLAY > Pottery, Ceramics, etc: Completed Projects" category.

I'm not sure if this link will work, but here 'tis. Scroll down until you reach the pottery category and you'll see my butterfly pot. I am so excited that one of my pieces is worthy of this honor and I am giddy as a little girl!!!

This the award Valerie made for me, isn't it the bomb?! It's a replica of the little icon on Craftster and it's spot-on! Thank you, Valerie, for making me feel so special!

It Really Does Happen in Three's

2008-12-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

First it was Dawn's dog, Winnie. She was throwing up pieces of a dog toy, a squeaker ball both she and our foster dog Mister Artie love to play with (he especially liked to simply hold one in his mouth). Winnie began to look droopy and then felt like she was running a fever, which Deni discovered when he felt her furry little forehead. Dawn brought her to the vet and sure enough, her intestines were inflamed from the pieces of the ball and she was quite dehydrated. The veterinarian recommended that Pet's Mart be notified that the balls are defected so other dogs won't go through what Winnie did. She's all better now (almost $400 better!), but it was sure scary there for a while.

Then it was Valerie's turn to give us a scare. About a week ago she began feeling a pain in her lower, right-hand side and it just kept getting worse and worse. She was examined by a physician's assistant on Monday, had labs done early Tuesday morning and then was told they would call her with results as soon as they got them back. The next day she got a message from the doctor's office (she just missed 'em), said their office would be closing at Noon, so she called them back immediately (11:50) and the answering service picked up so she couldn't get the results. She called them again on Friday and was told no one was there with the authority to tell her what was wrong with her. Ugh. To make a long story short we ended up at the emergency room last night around 6:30, was brought into the back around 8:30 and was on our way home at Midnight. Yep, it was packed, but it was worth the wait. We found out a cyst was the culprit and she's feeling hecka better knowing it wasn't her appendix, whew!

The third emergency of sorts happened shortly after the girls left to pick up Val's prescription. I found a spot that looked like someone had thrown up another piece of one of those derned balls and was just about to clean it up when I noticed Mister Artie by the couch. Mister Artie's toys seem to end up underneath things like the coffee table or couch, so I didn't think much of it when I saw him on the floor, facing the couch and making a noise. It looked like he was after an Eeyore slipper (he likes to sneak out of Val's room), but when he began to make more noise than usual I ran over to him and found him in the midst of a full-blown seizure! Deni and I both began to talk him through it just as we do when Thistle, our 14-year old half-toy terrier/half-chihuahua has them. When I saw this wasn't ending any time soon I called Val and told her to come home as quick as she could, that it was a biggie and wasn't ending.

Deni told me to grab a towel, so I put one under his head where a puddle had formed from his drooling and used the another to gently wipe his face and paws. There we were, the three of us on the floor, Deni on one side of Artie talking him through this doozie of a seizure, me on the other, holding Artie's head, soothing him and cryin' like a baby. It must have lasted at least 5 minutes, it just kept going on and on, poor guy. It finally stopped and he was left looking confused and shaky. Winnie sat on the couch just over our heads, looking down on us like she wanted to help. Afterward Artie followed the other dogs (Thistle, Winnie and Clover) outside to the back yard, legs weak and a bit wobbly. He seems to be fine now, but we'll get him checked out after we speak with an AFRP (dog rescue) rep. to let them know what's going on.

I don't know if this old boy will become a permanent part of our family, but for now he's got a home where he's bloomed into a lovable mutt who's slowly stealing the hearts of those who abide within a hop, skip and a jump of the little house out back.

Happy birthday to Deni!

2008-12-21T17:11:00.001-08:00

My hubby is one of those people who has gotten a gazillion birthday gifts with a "BTW, this is for your birthday AND Christmas." Poor guy. So anyway, I always make sure we celebrate his birthday (the 22nd) separate from the holiday hustle and bustle. Since we all have to work tomorrow, two of us work swing and the other two work days with no way for all of us to be together at once, we gave him his gifts a day early.

I picked up several Hallmark ornaments from his favorite Christmas story (Rudolph, the stop-action version from eons ago) and a refill kit for his rock tumbler. The one I was really excited about giving him was the two San Jose Sharks tickets and he was mondo happy to get them! They're a set of tickets I bought from a season ticket holder a while back and I've been bustin' at the seams to tell him about them, they're fantastic seats! Since Valerie and I both have to work the night of the game Dawn will be accompanying him to help him cheer his favorite sports team on to victory, lucky duckies.

The girls spoiled him rotten with gifts like add-ons for his World of Warcraft game (from Dawn) and some awesome Bose speakers for his computer (from Valerie, they sound fabulous, dalink!). We all got a kick out of the Hallmark Star Trek ornament Dawn gave him, a communicator that makes that neat-oh noise when it's opened. There's also buttons to push to listen to phrases from The Captain, Spock and a few other cast members, all original recordings. I know, we're dorks, but it's pretty cool. Deni and I have been rockin' out to the sounds coming from those speakers and let me tell you, I'm gonna have to get me some of those, too, wow!

The weather is cold and wet, and the hot tub is screaming for me to jump in so I'm off to warm up these ol' bones.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

A Rainbow of Hope in Indiana

2008-12-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

Everyone who knows me has watched my Wizard of Oz collection grow by leaps and bounds the last few years. I collect anything and everything related to this classic movie and then some. With a name like Dorothy, how can one NOT collect such things?!

The other day it was announced that the Wizard of Oz Festival held each year in Valparaiso, Indiana (formerly held in Chesterton), had seen its demise. Throwing out the bathwater with the baby, so to speak, was the closing of The Yellow Brick Road Shop, opened by Jean Nelson (who also founded the festival), presently owned by Marilyn Zengler. I cannot tell you how sad this has made Oz fans.

Where there is rain there are rainbows, and one may be appearing soon! There is hope for saving the shop's museum, which holds many Oz artifacts relating to both the movie and books: http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2008/12/02/columnists/offbeat/doc0ddaf3307127d8658625751200629a1d.txt

The reporter, Philip Potempa, is not just any reporter, he truly loved this festival and all that went with it, and he's been wearing his heart on his sleeve when writing about this latest news. Thank you, Mr. Potempa, for being the voice of so many Oz fans throughout the world.

I've been a member of an on-line Yahoo! group, The Everything Oz Club, since early 2000, which has met at the festival in Indiana since the early 1990s. http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/everythingoz/

We live all over, California, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Alaska and even England! EO is a diverse group of friends who have gotten to know one another simply because of our love of anything and everything Oz.

I attended the festival in 2007 and was gobsmacked to meet several of the remaining Munchkins who were in the 1939 movie as well as other Oz celebs (including Jean Nelson, L.Frank Baum's g-grandsons and John Fricke), and most importantly my EO friends.

We met up again in Hollywood, California, in November of 2007, to watch the Munchkins receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was that ever a trip to remember! My husband and I drove down and spent several days with EO friends and schmoozing with celebs, something I will forever hold close to my heart.

I'm holding out hope that the Oz fest will be saved and will keep you posted.

I feel bloggy

2008-11-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

I had no intention of starting a blog tonight, but for some reason I feel, well, bloggy, so here 'tis. I don't know if I'll actually utilize this blog or not, but I've secretly been wishing I could be like one of the many who's blogs I love to follow. I especially enjoy blogs when pictures are posted on a regular basis. That said I realize how time-consuming this can be, so I'm not sure I can live up to my own expectations.

We have a little house out back that has a living room, kitchen, full bath and a bedroom. *We use it to house mine and my hubby's computers as well as a a myriad of crafts (my new sewing machine may take up permanent residence in here), books, and remnants of my eBay selling days. I'd like to clear the clutter that selling on eBay has caused and utilize the space better for our crafting. I say "our" because my daughters craft as well, more than I do now, actually. The plan is to set up shop in the bedroom but leave a bed in place for when my in-laws and other out-of-town guests come for a visit. I'll be sure to post a before and after whenever we get around to the after.

*8-21-2011: One of my daughters is living in the little house now and has been fixing it up cute as a button.

The Little House Out Back

Patches

Happy 28th, My Duplicate Daughters!

Onions

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old

52 Reasons Why I Love You Book

A Great Day

Peppers!

I Wish There Was Smellavision

A Note of Thanks

Yellow Rose of Texas...er, California

Leftover Stew

It was delicious!

As the stone was rolled away....

Patches

My Camera

Good Ol' Fried Cabbage

Found Objects

Cover Tune Grab Bag - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"

My Mother's Hands

Thift Shop Haul

A PLEA FOR HELP

Nom

Thrift Shops = Mini Vacations

My King-Sized Bed Cozy

Remembering A Friend

Remembering our friend Velma on her birthday.She was a part of our family for over 20 years. We will be forever grateful to Velma for her friendship and for bringing her niece and extended family into our lives.

We're also thankful for Patches, (Velma's baby girl) who has turned out to be my hubby's new best friend! We don't know Patches' exact birth date, so we gave her her mommy's...happy sweet 16th birthday, Patchy!

IT SNOWED! IT SNOWED! IT SNOWED!

And The Winner Is...

Crafting

One Year Ago Today

The Happy Wonderer

Double Rainbow All The Way!

Transfixed

There's No Place Like Home

I Lost My Big Sister Today

Caller ID

Happy Birthday, Deni!

Merry Christmas!

Clouds

Life

And That's Why There's A Christmas Day

Turkey and Clover Leaf Rolls

Stormy Weather

Can't remember where I found this, but I appreciate its message...

READ

Cookie Exchange

My Own URL and Some Organization

Plenty of Buttons

32 Years

Winnie Rose

Holy-Moly!

Vlog Brothers and Nerdfighters

Reading In The Car

Tumbling Now

Finding Joy

Wearin' of the Green

This Too Shall Pass

Get Help

My Search Has Ended

The Eight Irrisistable Principles of Fun

2009, bye now...

To Dye For

What to do with those sample books?

Passing on the Crafty-Goodness

One of My Favorite Photos

I'll Take Those Wooden Nickels

Egg Cups

Father's Day

Mother's Day

Gotta get this blogging thing down pat

GAH! I Made Craftster.org's Best of 2008!

It Really Does Happen in Three's

Happy birthday to Deni!

A Rainbow of Hope in Indiana

I feel bloggy

Remembering our friend Velma on her birthday.

She was a part of our family for over 20 years. We will be forever grateful to Velma for her friendship and for bringing her niece and extended family into our lives.