WISHING YOU & YOURS A BLESSED NEW YEAR

1907 Times Square

We have not gone out for New Years Eve since.....I can't remember when...maybe 1992?

We usually stay home with family & friends, eat sushi, play games & watch the ball drop


This year we are breaking tradition & heading to The Martin's house, for what sounds like our typical New Years Eve. :-)
Maybe it is because we are about the same age or maybe it is because we grew up in the same neck of the woods, who knows?
I am happy to bid goodbye to 2008 and I look forward to 2009 being a year of blessings & dreams come true.

We started planning out some of the next few months events yesterday.
We look forward to more camping, meeting up with old friends along the way and spending more time with the kids & watching Gavin grow!
I hope to see you here, on facebook or maybe in person finally in 2009.

Whatever this New Year has in store I know GOD will bring us through it just as HE has this last year and the many before!

BLESSINGS 2 U FRIENDS

Tuesday Surprises!!

Tuesday morning, DH left earlier than usual without my goodbye kiss. When I awoke the pups wanted out (at least Emma the rest wanted breakfast)
So Emma bolts out the door around the the house to the driveway out of sight with me running after her in my Grinch P.J.'s.

Thank GOD she wasn't chasing something like the squirrel or fox because she was right next to my Suburban, sniffing up at the wheels and circling the car. I walk over & look under

Nothing. . . .
but wait was that a sound?

Sure was some kind of scratching so a critter is in my car body somewhere.
I figure it is the squirrel and round Emma up for breakfast, thinking it will come out with her gone.

Around 10 am I tell Tyler to grab the broom & come with me...a puzzled look was on his face ( usually is when I ask him to do anything )
I also told him to put on pants and tennis shoes not shorts & flip flops (standard attire in Florida)

After he is properly attired I told him something was in the car & it might be a rabid squirrel, opossum, raccoon or Skunk Ape....snicker...snicker

I just didn't want to frighten what ever it was & have it bite one of us. I brought the flashlight since I couldn't see it under the wheels or undercarriage earlier I am going to pop the hood and he can swing if it jumps at me.

Of course I pop the hood & he is crawling under the Suburban instead of protecting Mom....GOD help his future wife!
Well the latch doesn't release all the way at first and I had to push it a little...

Well in the engine of my car (mind you it is in the sun now at about 88 degrees) is a little kitten, who freaks out & crawls down behind the block. I exclaimed in shock & joy it's a little kitty and Tyler fly's out from under the car & says where?
Because of course by now it's out of sight & MOM must have been drinking Mojito's and hallucinating.

Can you find the kitten?


So after snapping a picture I point it out to him....well now he wants the kitty and since GOD put this one here (in my engine) how can Dad refuse another critter....right?
Look carefully under that cable that looks like it ought to be plugged into the other cable



We got a plate of baby food (meat) and tried coaxing it out to no avail, which was not good as I had to leave a little later.
So we all went inside to leave it alone after it crawled down onto the frame.
It eventually ran off but we didn't see where and yes I thoroughly checked the engine and undercarriage before leaving.

We ended up at the VERY last minute around 7pm taking all the kids to dinner at Outback.
This was after we went to drop off some things at Tim & Brittnay's and they still weren't ready to leave, I stole Gavin and headed to the restaurant.

We were seated pretty quickly since Jess met us there and of course speed dialed for call ahead seating.
I was so preoccupied I walked right past my good friend Cathy & her youngest daughter, little Jessica.
She is little Jessica because my daughter is big Jessica & they even share birthdays!
Cathy even text me but I didn't have my phone out since we were all busy talking & watching Gavin.

His first big dinner with the entire family...he was pretty good and fell back asleep.



His father however was a wee bit obnoxious!






Tyler carving is name into his take home box

The little family .... aren't they cute?


NO STEALING THE PHOTO'S BRITTNAY!

Well I have got to get a few things listed on my ETSY site tonight so
BLESSINGS 2 U FRIENDS may you have a wonderful surprise this week too!

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.

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.

Time with some friends

We spend way too much time rushing to get things done these days. I know I have mentioned this before, even have a song that was featured a while back on the subject (which if you haven't heard click on Running Just to Catch Myself on the playlist)...

There is something to say about spending an hour or two with friends...not just your best friend or the girls you normally hang out with but friends you don't seem to get together with as often as you used to or you should!

Yesterday our Church hosted it's annual Corn Roast at the Sun N Fun Fly-In , I haven't attended in years past because I am volunteering the entire week in the Ladies Pavilion. This year the Pavilion didn't have that many people & I wasn't called. So I was able to attend. We host this big cook out in one of our Members private hangers to thank St. Stephen's for allowing us to use their facilities for our Sunday Worship, see we are a small Mission Church, a Church Plant.

This is 1/4 of the folks that attended there were more to the right, to the side & behind me. Click on a photo to enlarge.

I sat next to a very funny lady, whom I have known for 9 years but only spent a few minutes chatting with between Sunday School or after service, at a ladies luncheon over that time. Her husband is a jokester and he & I have the same dream to be in the Mountains. Yesterday Barb & I talked between airplane stunts for a couple hours, I was trying to finish a pincushion so I could list it yesterday (hopefully tomorrow) and she and I talked about stitching, fashion and lots of other things but she is funny! At one point a stunt plane was about 25 ft off the ground and heading right towards us, not pulling up...She stood up and was ready to run, she thought it was going to crash.

We watched the Thunderbirds fly over doing maneuvers.









These were all taken with my iphone, can you believe it?!!!!

Tonight I hosted a Princess House Party and it was another fun evening with friends, 2 other ladies from Church who are funny & I do talk with often were here, 2 co-workers who I talk with but haven't had a chance to just hang out with in a long time were here, a dear friend & loyal customer brought a good friend whom I had only heard stories about & saw pictures of were here, my hooking & dyeing buddy Susan joined us, Ed the Consultants friend that helped her 2 years ago made the trip over from Tampa *he is a riot*, and my eldest daughter arrived early and lent a hand with last minute preparations.
Then my DH stopped at the Grocery store on his way home from work picked up a few goodies for the ladies and even baked them Strawberry White Chocolate Scones.

It was truly and enjoyable evening...it is a shame we have to have a 'special' occasion to get together with friends these days, because it is time WELL spent!

Invite some folks over for dessert even if it is a workday, don't say your too busy or too tired because everyone is and spending time with people you care about, talking & laughing is the BEST CURE for a rushed life and a long day!

Blessings 2 U Friend

I can't believe it I actually finished something today

I finished a stool order.
I also washed up some of the NEW wool that arrived this afternoon part of it will be dyed for a friends custom order...

Washed/hung out/ fluffed & folded 3 loads of regular laundry

Narrowed down the paint swatches by two (only 20 to go) for the living room.

and fed the kids dinner.

Back to my stitching project....
more later....

What's Hanging?

Monday afternoon, about 5 ish, after my darling son calls to inform me he is having friends over for a cookout dinner...
I start cleaning like mad & had to finish dyeing up 3 yrds of wool.

Here are the results.....
Aged Plaid

Dirty Fushia

The other pieces were in the dryer...

And here at our house it's Every Dog for Him/Herself....


If the best seat in the house is taken....no problem just sit down anyway

Blessings 2 U Friend

Never ending FUN!!!!!!!!!

Today started out fairly uneventful....walked down the street to let Bogey & Birdie out and feed them breakfast...
Beautiful sky as usual on the way home.....



OOOOOOHHHH SORRY REWIND those are yesterday's photo's!

Today was another beautiful morning, the air was clean after this mornings early rain...the colors all seemed brighter and sharper. Strolled down the street to feed the dogs and let them out, strolled back up the road.
Started load number 2 of laundry, made the bed, unloaded the dishwasher and rousted the kids out of bed at 9am
I finally headed out to the Lanai with a cup of coffee, my devotions and a few of the critters. I have to be honest I had missed a few days so I spent a little longer than expected out there. After 2 more loads of laundry, breakfast & lunch I asked Tim to take his brother & sister to piano so I could actually get something done while they were gone for the hour.
Tyler headed out to check the mail as our eldest dog was coming back around the front & I hear MOM COME QUICK THERES A PROBLEM, so immediately I think OH LORD the dog is dead, stung by a wasp/bee, he has severe allergic reactions to something biting or stinging him & we don't know what it is just that I have to get liquid Benedryl in him immediately and rush him to Dr. McDaniel.

Well the dog is walking up to the door & looks fine, Tyler is down the driveway by the mailbox & I see a stream of water running down the edge of the drive....

Apparently the MAIN PIPE was leaking...so I try to open the main shut off cover and it is overgrown with sod, mind you our sod has to be cut with a machete or saw it is so dense. I leave Tyler to continue to work at it while running into get Tim to help. He assumes it is the sprinkler head broken, but I know better we haven't had the system on in months so of course he continues to tell me shut off the sprinkler system DUH... I grab the shovel to start digging around the bottom of the golden dewdrop bush to find where the leak is coming from. Tyler has the cover open & Tim shuts off the valve.

Sure enough after a bit of digging the pipe that my hubby repaired a few years back, when the gentleman came to get the "FREE OLEANDER" bush broke while digging it up. Mind you instead of digging more to repair it properly this is what happened & it was now leaking like a sieve.

My hubby is not a plumber by trade, he just does his best to fix things himself & save us the money...LORD knows we need it after this years dental expenses...however in the past his attempts at outdoor plumbing have not done so well...the pool pump still leaks & occasionally a sprinkler head blows off...

After digging through cabinets in the garage looking for the plumbing repair parts & pieces, finding lots of other things, I had to call and ask the secret hiding place. We look for the pvc glue hmmm nothing, so off to the HOME repair shop I go to get the "blue stuff" after 2 or 3 attempts to 'mend' the elbow that is leaking and having it blow off each time. We decide it is time to do this right so Tim takes the Burb to pick up a piece of pipe en route to work while Tyler & I dig out more of the pipe so we can do this right, and of course one of the shovels breaks off at the handle base because the grass is so thick!
He has to take my vehicle mind you because he doesn't believe his mother when she tells him the pipe comes in smaller lengths now not just 10ft increments. Dad is supposed to pick up the pipe on his way home...but wait he is going out to dinner with folks from the office....oh & it's Jessica's 23rd Birthday & she wants us to join her & Gabe for dinner out.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESS!

DId I mention Tim called to let me know they DIDhave smaller lengths of pipe? WOW IMAGINE THAT?!?!!!
Didn't get the 'you were right' more of a surprise tone....GEE aren't I usually right if I tell you something?!!!!

Now it is 8pm and guess who is finally home & might actually repair the pipe? If not his morning shower might be a dip in the 64 degree pool!


The pile in the drive.

NEWS FLASH, he repaired it that way because he didn't want a hole in the front overnight & that was all we had on hand...and it's not the main water to the house it's the main water to the sprinkler system....who know you had two main shut off boxes?

Blessings 2 U Friends

SERIOUSLY FOLKS !!!!

Sunday night that tooth was hurting so bad I had my hubby call the Dentist & ask for pain meds.
If you have been a 'regular' reader of my blog you will know that I try to avoid any narcotic, thanks to my mother's addiction.
I have joked that a lifetime prescription of Valium should be written upon giving birth and I might still stand by that since I have another Teenage Mutant living in the house now and a twenty something mutant back at home. However this would be just to prevent me from strangling them and committing a sin.

So after getting a hold of him I say let's go get it, hubby says...It's only 10 minutes away,
me-yeah 10 there & 10 back and 30 more to start to kill the pain, if I go it's 10 less that I am in pain..>DUH
We get there at 9pm and of course every snowbird in the county is having their rx's filled at THIS pharmacy the line is halfway around the store. So hubby whips into a parking space & runs in....tic toc tic toc tic toc....10 minutes later the drive up is empty...tic toc tic toc....out he comes 5 minutes later...nothing in his hands.......PANIC

Dr. Chris still hasn't called it in, do you have his emergancy number?
UH NO I am sitting in the car in the oversized t-shirt I plan to sleep in, no shoes, my purse (I think) and a bottle of water so I can swallow that pill.
I start rifling through my purse, no business card, no phone (it's in the charger at home) no number. . . tic toc tic toc
He sits there trying to figure out the number (he's not real good at short term memory games, heck he's not always good at long term memory games) I say gee doesn't your 'cool' phone have internet access? Yeah..GOOGLE his name & call the office the emergency number is on the machine! tic toc tic toc
So he gets the number tic toc tic toc gets Dr. Chris on the phone, says no he is outside but he will run (and he does) back in...
tic toc tic toc 9:30pm....

9:45 he comes out with the bag YEAH.... Dr. Chris said he would call back & hung up before Hubby could get to the pharmacist with his cell phone....he had to wait another 10 minutes for him to call the pharmacy.
I was just contemplating going in & looking for a pair of pliers so I could YANK the Darn thing out myself!!!!

So longer story short....I had to take another pill at 1am before it dulled the pain enough for me to doze off at 3am...
Of course I am awakened at 7:30 by one of the dogs, hubby dear was busy & didn't notice the dog wanted out to go potty, so they came to get me up since they know Mom will let them out...
Another temp crown was put on at 10am after novocaine to dull the rest of the pain!

More on the Grandma adventure tomorrow after the DENTIST appointment!!

What!!!!! it's MONDAY????

I had grand intentions of updating this site before the weekend was over.....The best laid plans of mice & men....

Where did the time go?
Oh I remember Wednesday I worked at the wool shop, Thursday was Dr. appt & errands, Friday chores & piano lessons, Saturday Primitives Class at the wool shop & home to paint the cubbie wall units for the shop, Sunday was more painting and was nabbed by a dear friend/customer as I was getting dressed.
She took me to see her new home that is almost finished. Her husband is a hoot! He brought a bandana up to us as we were leaving all twisted up in a pouch, wanted to know if my friend wanted his gift. Well she was on the cell & I felt the bag (it was a small snake & she HATES snakes). She kept telling him to get rid of it but he wouldn't & I got to see it finally. Poor thing was getting ready to shed so he was going to protect it until it finished. My daughter & I offered to let it free in our yard but he wanted it to stay on their land (much to her dismay).

Before bed last night my almost 15 yr old tells me he has a sore throat. Well my kids are not ones to complain about being sick or having pain (I think they get that from their parents) so after finding the flashlight he indeed has a bright red throat & uvula.
Of course it didn't hurt Friday when the youth group had their masquerade party, nor did it bother him when he went to church or his youth prayer meeting last night. UGH!

So after calling to get him in today and our 13 yr old male cat (he has a sensitive bladder & crystals the size of sand irriate him) to have his bladder irrigated today, I still have to drop off a circle maker, power sort box on the other end of town and finish painting two 7ft cubbie units by tomorrow. Anyone have some free time to help today?

So this Monday has already started off in a chaotic rush....and I don't see and end to it until next Monday waahhhh.

Blessing 2 U my friends!