What a difference a day makes or a week!

My last post it was sooo cold plants died. Today it was perfect and I was able to lay out on the lanai catching some rays.

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me how to get something out of your head!!!
The last week bf #1 kept me laughing. However Wednesday I had a few things on my mind that I really didn't want to think about, dh is in Chicago, BF #1 on holiday, so I really needed distracting.

Otis tried to help in the Morning we went for our jog/walk & I had the headphones in and the iPhone blasting tunes.
Later in the day two other bf's helped out by texting & calling trying to keep my mind off things.
Friends on facebook were great too they posted on my wall, emailed and in general did what they could.
Then I got a brief text from bf #1 before Lost which of course was more than enough to distract me for the evening.

Today was much better, got a call from BF#1 then I had appointments until 1 then BF#2 called on lunch.
Gavin was here until 6:30 and while we were walking the last bf called to check in.

Have been chatting with friends on facebook again tonight. Now mind you Facebook can be addicting so enter at your own risk.

My suggestion to get something out of your head...call, email, text, chat or spend time with good friends!!

THANK YOU Anna, Monica, Lisa, Lori, Janine, Ashley, Cheryl, Lori, Melissa, Donna, David, Tom, Davidand of course Tyler, Sahara & Gavin, your the best!

Blessings 2 U Friends!

Today is Christmas Crafts Day ... YEAH

First off Gavin is holding his own, he still vomits up some of his daytime feedings and is on the NG feeding tube & pump at night. Every other day he is yanking out his tube so we have to hold him down & reinstert it.

Saturday's prim class fun we mostly shopped and talked about the 2nd Annual Hookers Christmas Party next Saturday. Susan was so sweet, she brought me a Birthday gift of Primitive Potpourri and a beeswax Belsnickle in his own wool bag.

Helen gave me two pieces of Monks Cloth to draw out another "Blue Moon" for the shop and any other pattern I choose....any thoughts ladies & gents?

Saturday afternoon/night was babysitting Gavin time and my dh left Sunday before dawn to head to Microsoft in Seattle for a few days then to Chicago. I think they are finishing his Microsoft brainwashing. :-) We packed as many Christmas gifts as we could in his suitcase for my bff Cheri & Denise along with some things for Rachies birthday. On the way home from church I received a text message that he forgot to pack his dress shoes since there was no room after the gifts. :-) Sorry hun!

Yesterday we spent the day watching all the taped episodes of "Whatever Martha" and just laughed the entire afternoon. Alexis & Jennifer are a stitch!
Check them out on the Fine Living Network
Today we are going to get some of our Christmas Crafts done that have been piling up so tomorrow I may have some photos to post of the fun. Southern Snowballs, Vintage Tin Tiles, Gavin's Christmas Present, Snowball Bath Salts are just a few of the things on the list for today.

Blessings 2 U Friends


Just wanted to add this wonderful giveaway from Crazy Ladies Primitives & Piney woods Primtiives are giving away a$10.00 Web Gift Certificate.
just log onto Crazy Ladies Primtives Blog on the right under my links of Fellow Artisans & Friends .

TGIF....ya I know that is ssooooo old

But I feel old today. . . I am really THANKFUL GOD that it is Friday!

DH is due home this evening after being in Chicago (northern suburbs anyway) since Monday.
I have been working at the shop every day this week....the kids have done minimal school work because they know Mom is toast by the time we get home & drag our stuff in the house, feed the dogs, clean up puddles, grab a bite before making lunches, cleaning up, rotating laundry and falling into bed.

Now I REMEMBER why I like working from home, for myself....I AM TOO OLD to do the 9-5 thing anymore. . . Although my 9 - 5 thing used to be more of 6 - Midnight and I honestly think I used up the 'reserves' I should have saved for my 40's.

So I hope you ALL have a relaxing weekend, don't try to do it all you may need that energy reserve for another day!

Just a quick snapshot of Little Bunny Foo Foo who has become like another family member here.

The Saga continues (in photos)

While at Dick's Last Resort I signed the table for the last time I was there, 10 yrs earlier with Cheri & David after the band played somewhere downtown.

This was after the drive thru viewing of MOSI, which the kids were very disappointed that we had to leave so quickly but Tim had a plane to catch.

Here was the side of a building somewhere near North & Ohio Streets.



The kids in the car en route to Cheri's for a visit after leaving Dick's





Okay time to clean up the Mother's Day mess!

Happy Mother's Day to all you women, you are a nurturing & loving person to someone in your life and that is a part of ALL women.


Blessings 2 U Friends

Home at last....

Well that may be a little misleading...

Home where you reside now ...no
Home where you long to be ....no
Home where you grew up & spent your childhood ...YES

Friday we started out VERY early after grabbing a cup of coffee at the Burger King next door.
We were able to watch the sunrise & I snapped a few pics while we drove out of Kentucky & into Indiana.

I forgot that the my iphone changes time zones automatically as we drove back into EST and I called and woke Tim up. I wanted to make sure he didn't lock our two cats Calvin & Tinkerbell in the bedrooms. OOPS!
We won't go into the details of the conversation or sms messages that he had with Dad & Me while at the airport, suffice to say our Security here isn't as overzealous as you may have heard, THANKFULLY!! However I think he may have been TRYING to get detained. :-)

We made it to O'Hare thanks to the Prayers of Pastor Dave & multiple friends as we were watching the radar. The awful storm front was due to hit the same time we were due to arrive on Chicago's south side & while Tim's plane was coming into the area.
Praise GOD as I watch this front completely dissipate over the south side and push off through Lake County, where Jess was already.

We stopped at the O'Hare Oasis and waited for the call that his plane had landed. In the meantime I walked the dogs & tried to update The Queen over the roar of the traffic & wind as to our progress.

We arrived at Denise's' home at 3:30 pm after an emergency pull off on the 4ft of emergency space on the tollway, it is TORN up for construction, we didn't make the other drivers very happy but the car wouldn't move again.

Quickly,setting up the camper, feeding the dog, & showering 6 people in two bathrooms we managed to get dressed and arrive at the funeral home at 5pm. We signed in and saw Grandma. In the 40 days she was in Utah she lost quite a bit of weight, she barely looked like my Grandma.
Uncle Don, my sister and my cousins didn't arrive until 6pm. We visited with family that I have not seen in 10 or more years, my BFF Cheri and Larry's brothers & sisters all attended and I am eternally grateful as I know it would have been very difficult to be there without their support.

My family went to TGIF afterwards and Larry's family went to Avalon...gee where do we go? AVALON!!!!

We were able to laugh and enjoy the company of loved ones & grab a bite to eat without being rushed thanks to Denise & Rachel who were caring for our dogs.
We returned home to find a bouquet of red & pink roses on the table in the camper, fresh fruit in the basket, donuts, chips, juice & salsa all tucked away out of the pups reach. Denise could teach others how to be hospitable & make what truly were strangers feel at home, loved & welcomed!
Romans 12:13 (NIV) Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

The funeral services and luncheon afterwards were bittersweet, highlighted by my cousins son Matthew who spoke from GODS living word and shared some of the characteristics that made my Grandmother, his Great Grandmother, the wonderful woman we all knew & now will miss. I only pray that all those things she instilled in us and taught us will continue to be passed down to our children for eternity.

We all went to The Museum of Science & Industry which my two youngest had never seen nor had Denise & Rachel. When we had attended MOSI in Tampa I was astonished at how small it was & told the kids we would see Chicago's MOSI. The one in Tampa would fit in an exhibit area of the Chicago Museum. Then we invaded my BFF'S house for dinner & conversation. Cheri is another woman who could teach Hospitality, always welcoming to friends & strangers, making sure there is food to every ones liking or dietary needs. Giving gifts that are above & beyond what could be repaid here on earth.

We visited with her entire family since Ashley & Jen, who are now married & have children of their own, all came over to visit & spend their Sunday evening with us. They have grown into such beautiful women & mothers I can only pray my children are such loving parents.

Feeling like the Christmas Goose we finally gave her back her home & departed after many hugs & kisses, bags of food to take with us, Christmas gifts Larry was unable to bring back on his last two trips and special items from Ashley that I think I will keep for future use at my home.

This morning is going slow...still in my jammies and trying to get moving so we can visit the Milwaukee Zoo, Uncle Big Bob (who said he would look at the Suburban) and clean up Denise's' house from the mess we made all sleeping in *except Larry* because we are Floridian whimps and didn't want to sleep in the camper in 35 degree temperatures with colds.

Blessings 2 U Friends

PS please excuse typos & mis-spellings as I am just trying to get this posted, not proof reading. :-(

Pray for us PLEASE!

We are supposed to be hitting the road in a few hours.....

Sunday morning before the Rays' /White Sox game we received a phone call from my Aunt in Utah that Grandma had just passed away.
I hadn't hear back from them since they moved her out there and apparently she refused to take her pain meds and stopped eating. Sunday morning at 4am she quit breathing after 95 1/2 years here on earth. The top five songs are all songs Grandma loved!

Grandma was like a mother to me, she encouraged my creativity, she taught me about gardening, how to make do with whatever you had and in general is responsible for all my good & stubborn traits. My sister & I would FIGHT to spend every weekend with her all year long. Summers we would spend weeks at her house and I think most of those times were the best of my life. She taught me to Polka.

The last few days I have been packing up our crew and making arrangements to head back to Waukegan for the funeral services on Friday & Saturday.
We (hubby, 2 of the kids & 4 dogs) will be driving up, the older two will be flying in to Milwaukee & Chicago on different days & we have to be there to pick them up.

We are packed & waiting to hear from the RV place if we were approved for financing on a small travel trailer we picked out last night at 6 pm, since we had no sleeping accommodations when we get there. Dropped the Suburban off so they could get it wired up should we be approved so we can't even pack the car the living room is filled with suitcases & clothes hanging from chairs. Even the dogs suitcase is packed with their food, bowls, emergency meds, leashes etc.

Will hopefully hit the road by noon since we have to be in Milwaukee by midnight tomorrow.

Hug your loved ones & let them know you love them!
95 1/2 years still wasn't long enough for me to really let Grandma Schlegel know just how much she meant even though I told her often.

Spring Showers

April is supposed to be the DRYEST month of the year here in Florida. So far it has rained every day!
Today would be the perfect day to sit on the lanai & hook.... but alas I spent the entire day spring cleaning...
not my house but the PRHG Ebay Group Boards. Today Julie & I are going to be working on the blog.
Then I really need to CLEAN my house.

My bed is made though and according to Queen Sherry I will walk 4 miles this year just making my bed...woo hoo

Hubby dear was gone at the Punta Gorda air show Friday & Saturday...he looks like a tourist since he forgot he works in an office and has NO base tan therefore he should have used sunscreen BEFORE he got burned. He has packing to do & tax filing to finish before he leaves again tomorrow for Chicago. My pack mule will be taking a Large box of misc. items up to my girlfriend Cheri (wife #2) and bringing back the goodies he left without the last time he was there in December.

Sorry no photo's for now, I am on the laptop & all my photos are on the desktop or phone ....maybe after the Lightening subsides I can upload a beautful glass window in our current sanctuary that I think would make a stunning rug pattern.

Blessings 2 U Friend

Tammy

BONUS DAY!!

You all know FRIDAY is my FAVORITE Day of the week, but how about a BONUS FRIDAY?!!
Once every 4 years we get an extra day & this time it is a FRIDAY!

Today it warmed up a little more too!
Which is great because I can not seem to stay warm lately.
Seriously I went to sleep with a camisole tank top, long sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve corduroy shirt, socks, flannel pajama bottoms, and a fleece hat, Honestly a fleece hat, top that off with a blanket & cotton quilt with cotton batting, two dogs & my hubby.
Here is one of my little furnaces
along with Tinkerbell trying to scare Charlotte
out of Daddio's feeder.

Daddio is the Male Cardinal that has trained us to refill the feeder when he knocks on the window. Seriously he finds the room I am in (usually one of the rooms in the front of the house) and will land on the window & peck it.



Apparently 30 years of living through Chicago winters is completely out of my blood, it only took 10 years.

Even while watching LOST I was in front of the fire last night, I was seriously afraid this series was going to get too 'deep' for me to continue to follow. Maybe it was that I didn't eat a good dinner, or maybe all the blood left my brain trying to keep my vital organs warm....
Then I remembered Sawyer's nickname for me was Einstein so I figure if Mr. Hotty can see I am smart then I can follow where they are taking us this season.


Oh one last thing...I finished my pattern just in time to list it on ETSY right as Martha Stewart was finishing her segment today with ETSY founder Rob Kalin *who by the way looks all of 17 years old*
Make sure to check it out, it looks more like Folk Art than most of my patterns.

Back to my sign & the wool in the dye pot!
STAY WARM!

Blessings 2 U Friend