Bad hair day

We recently returned home after spending the holiday with Carrie, Matt, Lissy and the girls. Of course, we have to board our dog, Finn while we are gone. When we picked him up on Sunday afternoon, it was very clear that he needed a bath. This is actually not unusual when he goes to the "resort". Anyhow Leon gave him a bath. Once we got him all dried off, his hair was, how do I say it, temperamental! I tried everything I could think off to try and get it to lay down and it just wasn't happening.

I love Finn, but this was not his best look.

Christmas Day

We had a wonderful Christmas at Carrie and Matt's house. This was the first time that Carrie and Matt have hosted Christmas and it was wonderful. We drove over to Indianapolis on Christmas morning. Unfortunately Matt had a touch of something and so was not feeling up to snuff, but we managed to party around him and he entered in when he felt well enough. The girls were appropriately spoiled and we all had way to much to eat. All in all, a good Christmas. The only negative, other than Matt not feeling well, was that Chad had to work. We missed him. I had a special exchange gift just for him, but maybe I can re-gift it next year. Long story!

Abby got a game that is a bit like Twister that we all had fun with. It was called Hullabaloo and players had to stand or do other things as directed by the game on little plastic shapes on the floor. For example you might have to sit on a shape or hop to a shape, etc. Little Lily didn't have a clue how to play, but to watch her mimic everyone was hilarious. Especially when the direction was to put your nose on a shape (unfortunately I didn't catch that one on film).

Family photos

My husband is such a wonderful, creative person and is always doing wonderful things for me. The latest thing that he did (I did ask him for it) was to make me a photo rail. He did a wonderful job and I have all kinds of ideas for it.

As soon as he put it up, I filled it with family pictures. One of the additional things that I wanted to do was put our grandbabies first pictures up, which I finally got accomplished this past weekend.
My goal was to hang them with blue and pink ribbon as befits the individual child. Of course, as you all know, we have just two granddaughters at the moment. But in this season of preparation and waiting, we also are waiting for our new little grandson. Oh how excited I am! Well, I decided that he needed to be up there as well, so I hung up a picture of him as he is right this moment. Of course I will replace when he makes his entrance into the world, but what a fun way to have him here right now.


I have more ideas that I will share once I get them done. It will definitely be after Christmas.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

Well, it is that time of year and we got our first real snow this past weekend. Yes, I am the freak that loves snow and winter. It is just so darn beautiful and peaceful.

Now what I need is a beautiful woods behind my house so that my pictures of the snow have a background, but alas, I live in a subdivision.

Joy to all!!!

Max decided

Remember when I posted my snowman quilt and the fact that I could not decide where to put it or how to display it. Well, I am still struggling with that, but I really wanted to be able to see it, so I took it out and threw it over the couch (quite fashionably, of course) so I could decide whether to leave it there or think of someplace else.

I often will see a beautiful afghan thrown over a couch or chair in a magazine and it looks so homey, so, I thought perhaps I could mimic this design idea. Of course the bad part is that then, no one can sit there, as my husband so willingly pointed out.

Anyhow, I left it there anyhow, since there are only two of us and continued on with my day. I looked back later and there was Max sound asleep. It seems that he made the decision for me and I must admit that he looks quite cute and at home there. I think I will leave it there at least for now.

Shoe sense

I have some shoes that I bought just a year or two ago. However, one of them squeaks and it is very annoying at work, when I walk around with a squeaky shoe. I have had them too long to return them and they are fine shoes. Nothing fancy, just good work type shoes. They are comfortable and go with most all of my clothes. The only problem is that one of them squeaks.

Okay, so here is the point! Back in the "old days", we took our shoes to the shoe shop if they needed a new sole, or if they needed a seam sewed, etc. ,(or if they squeaked). I haven't heard of a shoe shop, since I lived in my little home town many years ago. Is there such a thing now? Or have we become so materialistic that now we just go out and buy a new pair. I guess that is what I do now, but I also think it is a bit of a shame. I guess that shoe shops are just one of those things that have gone by the wayside in our progressively modern and consumer driven society.

I remember the shoe shop from my home town. It was a little narrow shop on Main Street. I remember walking in to drop off some shoes and seeing the rows of shoes waiting to be picked up or waiting to be fixed. Used shoes, comfortable shoes, brown, black, white and red shoes. Men's shoes, women's shoes, but rarely childrens shoes - (they get outgrown before they wear out). The smell of leather is still a memory. This particular shop was run by an italian man and the shop was dusty and dark, but he was a pro at what he did. The prices were reasonable and it was like getting a new pair of shoes. He could fix all kinds of shoes with all sorts of damage. Ahhh... those were the days!!!

Unfortunately none of this helps me now. My shoe still squeaks. Anyone have any suggestions??

Our Snow Baby

Our Finn loves the snow as much as I do. We make a great pair. We had our first noticeable snowfall this morning, so when I took Finn outside, he was so excited. He runs back and forth and just acts like a crazy dog. He loves to put his nose in the snow and then throw it up in the air. He is truly in his element. I can appreciate that.

Life is good!!

Fun at the zoo

We had everyone over a couple of months ago and decided to go to the zoo. We love the zoo and although we don't get there as often as we would like, we have a membership which just about pays for itself in one visit.

Anyhow, you know the photo ops that are set up throughout any large zoo. We decided to snap a picture of the girls at the Pepe the Penquin stop. Big sister Abby was in position and posing before we knew what was happening and of course Lily could not be left behind. She had a slight disadvantage being younger and less agile. But that didn't stop her. Here she is scrambling to get up with sissy.

Oh yes and here is mommy, afraid that she will fall and attempting to help her a bit.

I really hate to peel potatoes

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings and everyone was able to be here. It was delightful!! Games and little ones, football, pumpkin pie and lots of noise. It all goes with the territory, I guess. Unfortunately I did not get pictures of the meal or the guests or the fun afterwards, but I did get this picture of the potato peeling duty. Who would have thought that potatoes would be more interesting than the people and other Thanksgiving delights. Well, really they are not more interesting, but I did realize why I really am not fond of peeling potatoes.

What easier task in the kitchen than peeling a potato. Not difficult at all, right? Similar in difficulty to washing a dish, oiling a pan, chopping an onion, making a sandwich and many many other things. All of these other things are things which I do routinely and don't even think about, but peeling potatoes is a job which I just really do not care for. I never even thought about it before this weekend. It was like one of those things that I am sort of aware of, but just have never articulated or taken the time to give much thought to why that is.

However as I was peeling potatoes this year, it became clear to me that this dislike comes of the nightly ritual of peeling potatoes in my childhood, many years ago. We never had rice or noodles or other starchy products. It was always potatoes and guess who got to peel them. Yep, me!!! We had potatoes every night and I peeled them every night. So although they are not difficult to do, there is a certain trigger that goes off each time we decide to have potatoes that comes from many years ago. I might mention that my dad, who raised me, was very particular about how I peeled the potatoes. So it really became a job that I did not look forward to. However one positive thing remains -----I just love mashed potatoes!!

I'm baaa-aaack - with snowmen quilt

Boy, has it been a long time since I blogged. I just spent a couple of days with my sister and we were talking about blogging. I decided I was really more involved with life when I was blogging- experiencing, taking pictures, cooking, on and on. So though I did get a bit burned out on it, I am now back. I think I got to a point where I didn't think anyone was reading it, so I just kind of lost interest. But here is what I say to that.... OH WELL!. I am doing this for me!!

Don't get me wrong, I know my family is reading and that is important to me. Please send me a comment if you are. But I am blogging for my own satisfaction and because it is just plain FUN!!

I have a project to share that I just finished. I started this quilt probably two years ago and got stuck on the snowmen. So I put it down and didn't finish it until... ta dum, drum roll please ... this fall. I love this pattern and it turned out pretty good. I'm pretty happy with it. The problem is that I don't know where to put it. I think it will be seasonal through at least January.

Dipping dots - I get it now!

Have you ever stopped at the dipping dots stand at some event, theme park or zoo that you have been to. I once tried dipping dots many years ago (like college days - many years ago). I was definitely not impressed. As you may know, I received a cup full of BB sized balls of ice cream. Anxious to try this new novelty (at the time, it was pretty new), I spooned them into my mouth. They were cold and they were sweet, but not creamy and not anything I thought I might try again. I was never tempted to get them again.

However, I heard someone say the other day, that they were going somewhere and wherever it was, they had the best dipping dots, ever. Now personally, I thought they were all the same, but at any rate, it got me thinking about my dipping dots experience. I realized that the dipping dots are everywhere and there must be something I was missing. The demand was there, so there were people buying and eating and liking this product.

Fast forward to yesterday when Leon and I went to the zoo to see the new polar bear exhibition. Side note - It was very cool and I can't wait to go back again. It was very busy, though, so maybe again in the fall. While we were there, however, we passed a dipping dots stand. With the thought of that comment in my mind, I decided to try it again, so I stepped up and ordered a small "birthday cake" flavored dipping dots cup.

I spooned the little dots into my mouth and really worked on savoring the taste, trying to figure out what the heck the draw was. I held them in my mouth and the longer they were there, the more flavor there was. It just sneaks up on you!!!! You have to be patient and not just scarf them down, or you lose the experience and more importantly, the flavor. I made them last as long as possible, so that they had a chance to soften and the flavor to come out.

The end result was that they aren't half bad. I still prefer real ice cream, but I get the attraction now. The other negative was that they were a bit pricey. My little 1/2 cup serving was $3.95, although I did make it last longer. However, an ice cream cone lasts me longer for the money. So ultimately, I am not a dipping dots lover, but I appreciate now the novelty and fun for others. They have several flavors, which is great too.

So if, like me, you don't think you like them, it might be worth another try - but be patient and take the time to let the flavor unfreeze and come out.

Stacks of books

I had to go to the library yesterday, or put another way, I got to go to the library yesterday. I had some overdue books that needed to be returned and I was picking up some books for Leon. Now in this day and age, when you can renew books online, there is really no excuse for having overdue books and worse yet, overdue fines. I have no valid excuse, but I do have a reason. I joined the many people, including my daughter, who have bought an e-reader (specifically, a NOOK). I was so excited with my new purchase, that those old musty books (tic) fell by the wayside; and before I knew it, I had a week and a half of fines racked up. AARRGGHH!!!! I immediately renewed online and finally went to the library yesterday to return my books.

Back to my new purchase, I really do love it. It is easy to use, light, doesn't get hot, you can read it outside in the sun and the selection of books is endless. When I go somewhere I can take all of my books with me, not just one or two. On the downside, you do have to pay for the books that you download, although there are free ones. The whole technology revolution has turned me into quite the e-toy addict. I did wait til the price went down, for what it is worth and they do continue to provide updates to current owners - my rationalizations!. But I am a reader - seems like the perfect fit for a reader.

So I told Leon that we could share it, which really is difficult to do, because we tend to read at the same time. I went to the library to get both of us books, so that we could share the nook and still have reading material.

The point of this blog is this. I STILL LOVE THE LIBRARY!!!. Once I go through the library doors and step into the stacks, I am just absolutely in my element. I can never give up going to the library and reading real books - they are too precious to me and although, I love my new nook, I love a good library book even better. I wander through the stacks, picking up a book here, a book there. I check random pages to see if it is a book I think I would like to read. No one rushes me, I can stay all day if I want. It's quiet and peaceful and I can sit and just reflect if I want. I hope that the libraries do not suffer from the explosion of e-readers. The readers are wonderful, but oh my, a library full of books is an institution that I hope NEVER goes away. The libraries are doing a good job of keeping up with technology - but remember to patronize your local library. My library card is one of the most important things in my wallet.

PS: A little side note. I am really into the author of the book shown above, right now. Mary Alice Monroe writes mostly about the barrier islands and includes the wildlife as well. She was the one that got me interested in the sea turtles in Swimming Lessons.

Fun Fact

Did you know???????


that Worcestershire Sauce has anchovies in it? Hhhhnmmmmm!!

Babysitting assignment completed. (Pshew!!)

Well, we had our first experience at dog sitting over the past week. Despite some unanticipated issues, we managed to return Nelson to his rightful owners fairly intact and unblemished. I did get sick during the week, which reduced my energy and the ability to fully execute my duties in a meaningful and conscientious manner. But all in all, he got good care (oh yeh, and I'm fine too).

The other thing was a little tif between Nelson and Finn. Okay, it was an all out teeth baring row, and SCARY, although it was brief and very typically dog-like. We gave them each a treat (Chew-eez) and Finn finished his first and thought he would be nice and go help Nelson with his. Naturally Nelson wasn't too keen on the idea and he let Finn know how he felt in no uncertain terms.

But they played and they played and they played the whole rest of the time.

Abby's Birthday - July 1

It is my first granddaughter's fifth birthday. Oh my - it is just not fair that they grow up so fast!! But I guess we (or they) wouldn't want it any other way. Please stop over at http://wishingclouds.blogspot.com/ to take a look at all of her birthday pictures.

Here is a picture of Abby at the first grandparents day (she is the one in the navy blue) that I attended this spring for her preschool. Their class did some songs and we listened to a storyteller. We had a treat that her class made especially for their grandparents. Abby was an absolute love!!!

Most importantly, though, is our fun relationship and the opportunity that I have to go to her events. I was not able to have that priviledge and my girls were not able to have their maternal grandma, either. I am loving being a grandma!! It is all fun and no pressure! Happy Birthday little one -- Grandma loves you with all of her heart.

A Peck of Pickled Peppers

I think that produce can be some of the most beautiful natural items in the world. I actually think that in some cases they surpass flowers. Imagine yourself in a beautiful produce department at the grocery store, with all the beautiful colors; or at a farm stand in the fall, with the squashes and pumpkins.

I have loved the stoplight peppers for ever and have been meaning to get a picture, so I finally took the time to do that. Aren't they the most beautiful thing? I absolutely love them!

I snapped another picture when I noticed someone else admiring them too!!!

From snow to beach....

Wow, I guess it has been a while since I blogged. Not sure why, just not much happening. When I opened my blog and saw that the last time I was on was in March with pictures of snow, I couldn't believe it.

Anyhow, now it is nearly summer officially and we are on vacation at St. Simons island in GA. Of course, it is a bit warmer here than in central Ohio, but wanted to share the difference between the last blog and this one.

More personal trivia, quiz style

I found another "who are you?" quiz. It seems that in this technological age of social networking, people keep coming up with all kinds of games, quizzes and other ways to keep us all engaged while online. I am not particularly a games person, unless they are real games played on the kitchen table with a bowl of popcorn; but I do occasionally get pulled into these little questionnaires which sort of 'check in' on your reality and what you are doing and who you are. Just another little way to spend time in cyberspace.

I have been home from work for 2 days with migraine issues, which skews my answers. I will take it again in a week and see the differences. In the meantime, have at it! I am putting some pictures of our neighborhood in the snow from several weeks ago - since it is one of my favorite times.


Time of Day? morning - 6 am
Your Cell Phone? Blackberry

Your Hair? colored

Your Mother? at peace

Your Father? at peace

Your Favorite Food? Pizza

Your Dream Last Night? Headache dreams

Your Favorite Drink? unfortunately, soda

Your Dream/Goal? Create art

What Room Are You In? Living Room

Your Hobby? Crafts

Your Fear? Snakes

Where Do You See Yourself In 6 Years? retired (but on to something new)

Where Were You Last Night? Home

Something That You Aren’t? Dishonest (or thin)

Muffins? Cream Cheese or Cinnamon

Wish List Item? not one thing comes to mind

Where Did You Grow Up? Northern Indiana

Last Thing You Did? Sleep (it is 6am)

What Are You Wearing? Flannel

Your TV? Off

Your Pets? dog and cat

Friends? Loyal

Your Life? Quiet

Your Mood? Still sleepy

Missing Someone? Always

Vehicle? Hundai Sonata

Something You Aren’t Wearing? Shoes

Your Favorite Store? JoAnns

Your Favorite Color? Blue

When Was The Last Time You Laughed? it's been a day or two

Last Time You Cried? Wednesday

Your Best Friend? my sister

One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? grocery store

Facebook? tired of reading about farms

Favorite Place To Eat? Panera - bagels

Oscar Goodies

Everyone is talking about the Oscars this weekend. As I was surfing, I came across these absolutely darling treats and had to share. Aren't they cute?

Topsy Turvy

The family was all together this past weekend and a great time was had by all. Lunch out with girls together for girl time, and guys bonding over their Indian food, a little scrabble, some Olympic action, homemade pizza and two adorable little girls. I wanted to share a couple of darling pictures. In the first set, Aunt Lissy was holding Lily and allowing her to bend backward to get an upside down view of the world. Lissy would pull her back up and Lily would immediately flop back down again. Over and over again. Lily eventually got tired of Lissy pulling her back up and well, you can see how she took care of that situation. I took the pictures from the floor under the the coffee table in front of the couch where Aunt Lissy and the little monkey were sitting. Her "anchor" is the underside of the coffee table. Too cute!!!






I was especially taken with the totally wonderful fashion sense of my little Abby and just had to share that as well. I picked up a tutu skirt for her when Carrie and I went to the Carter outlet. Of course, she loved it and had to try it on as soon as we got home. On it went, over the jeans. Then she had to go downstairs to show Papaw and Uncle Chad, so on went the 'Hello Kitty' boots. That's our Abby? Isn't she darling?????

My sweatshirt

I am putting away a sweatshirt today, a very special sweatshirt. It is an ordinary hooded sweatshirt, green and gray in color, with a Bloomingdales logo on it. It is nothing extraordinary – just a common garden-variety sweatshirt. I generally liked it from a sporty warm apparel viewpoint when I bought it, but didn’t realize that it would serve an entirely different purpose as I progressed through life. I have probably had this sweatshirt for easily 20 years or more. It has been with me through the years and it is one that I turn to when I cannot face the world. It is big (oversized) and has a typical muff style pocket and a generous hood. It is the “womb” that I return to when things seem to be more than I can bear. I can pull my arms inside the sweatshirt and pull up the hood and it literally envelopes me. I have been through a tough period lately and the sweatshirt was pulled off the top shelf of the closet, to help me through. It has been my friend, in many ways. I never really thought of it this way, until recently, when I discovered how much I want to wear it when I am feeling down. As I share this in my blog, I am also aware that I would have never written these most personal thoughts even as recently as a year or two ago, but as I grow older it seems pointless to avoid and hide away the struggles that I have in my life.

The fact is that depression is a fact of life for me and when the normal everyday bumps in life hit me, they hit me twice as hard as many people. However, I know that there are many people who are also like me who just don’t have the strength and grit to barrell on ahead in spite of difficult circumstances. Oh how I wish that I had that strength and grit. But I will never stop trying to attain it! I actually think of myself as a survivor in many ways. My life has been a patchwork of dysfunctional relationships and I have worked through all of them and consider myself successful in many ways. I have raised two beautiful young women. I have completed my education and worked steadily for 30 years. I have a husband who loves me. So don’t feel sorry for me – I don’t hesitate to do what I need to do to take care of myself (I’m continuing to learn). But sometimes, I just need to put on that old sweatshirt, tuck in my arms, pull on my hood and get into bed. And that’s okay! I’ll get up again, I promise.

New sewing room

My husband has been working very hard on my new sewing room. It is now complete and I absolutely love it. Now I have to get in there and sew, sew, sew. As you can see, he installed countertops to work on and hand made the two cabinets. In addition, he framed my design board, which is not shown here. I am such a lucky girl!!!!

Oh, and Max likes it too, as you can see. I even have the shelves organized now. Sorry they are such a mess in the picture.

Chai Tea Latte

Nothing, well -almost nothing, makes me happier than a good cup of Chai tea latte. I get one from the coffee house when I really want to spoil myself, or I just really need a lift (or it just sounds good). My fascination and love of Chai tea was not immediate. It took a little while to develop, but oh how I love it now!! Well, it just so happens that I happened upon a recipe for Chai tea concentrate when I was surfing the web, so I decided to make a batch and see how it tasted.

I gathered together the ingredients and started the process, which turned out to be extremely simple. Basically it is just sweetened condensed milk and spices. We buy many of our spices from Penzeys, which I will take a minute to plug. We started getting them by mail back in Indiana and when we got to Columbus ten years ago, lo and behold there is a Penzeys store here. It surely must be considered one of Leon's favorite places to go. He loves trying new spices and I love having them in the house for my use as well. So a couple of the spices I used are from Penzeys. Try them - they are fresher and cheaper per unit than grocery store spices.

So I put together the sweetened milk and the spices and here is the final result. It took a grand total of 5 miutes. The idea is to add a couple of tablespoons to your hot brewed tea. I use Earl Gray tea almost exclusively, but I think there are other black teas that can be used.
My final opinion is that it is pretty good, but you have to play a bit with the amounts in the recipe and in adding the concentrate to your tea. Here is the recipe....

Chai concentrate
1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 t granulated sugar
1 t ground cardmom
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground nutmeg

Mix the ingredients and store in the refrigerator (up to 6 months). Makes enough for about 28 cups of chai.

To use: Brew a cup of strong black teas, such as Assam, then add two heaping teaspoons of concentrate or more to taste. Stir well until concentrate has fully melted.

A great gift idea - pour into small jars with lids and tie with an attractive bow. Attach a tag with instructions to keep the mix refrigerated and how to use it.

It was a great Valentines Day

As Leon and I continue to work on downplaying some of the holidays, it is fun to celebrate anyhow. It is really just the commercialization and having to "keep up" that we are trying to avoid, or at least I am. Anyhow, I did get a very commercial and such fun gift this year anyhow, as you can see. I have been fascinated with the Pandora beads and have bought a couple of knockoffs, just for fun. Well, Leon apparently noticed and got me a real Pandora bracelet and one bead. It is very cool and as you can see, the theme of the bead is "hearts". I had a hard time getting a really good close-up, but think you can get an idea of what it looks like.(plus it is really silver, I don't know why it looks gold) .......Oh what did I get him? a package of Lindt white chocolate truffles, his favorite!!! Didn't want to look like I was trying to keep up!?!?

I do have a responsibility, however, on Valentines Day to make sure that my little ones get a surprise from Grandma. Under normal circumstances, I would/should make them something, but life has been crazy lately. So I quickly dashed to the store and grabbed whatever I could find, stuffed it into an envelope and rushed to the post office to get it to them by Valentines Day. Seems I am always running late on that sort of thing, but made it just in the nick of time. However, I thought that Valentines Day was the 12th when it is really the 14th, so all the rushing, and hurrying was for naught. It is actually my nephews birthday on the 12th. But they got their surprises in plenty of time anyhow and I wished my nephew a very happy birthday actually ON his birthday. So happy Valentines Day, little ones, Grandma loves you!!

Snow Pictures

Yes, we have deep snow, multiple inches. But I wanted to get the view from a different perspective, so I am sharing a couple of other pictures I took. We have a sculpture nailed to a tree in our back yard, of a man with a bird on top of his head. As you can see, the snow has changed the sculpture, from a summer look, to a chilly winter feel. I think he needs a hat.

The other picture is a shot up into the sky through the branches on a very frosty morning. So cool!!!! I love my camera and taking pictures!

Our little one turned ONE

The Big Day is here

yea, presents!!!!

Cute "Hello Kitty" theme with yummy cupcakes

The cleanest first birthday face I have ever seen

Happy Birthday to Lily Noelle. My darling granddaughter has reached her first birthday. We went to celebrate with her and her family. What a darling - she had a great day and so did we. She was on top of her game and dazzled us all with her smile and her little surprises. Big sister Abby was a perfect little hostess. Here is a glimpse of some of our day.

Abby and Aunt Lissy in a serious conversation. Lily just chillin'.