Category Archives: Family memories

Phoenix

Like the phoenix which rose from the ashes, our new porch is rising from the ground up. I am sitting here listening to the pounding of hammers and the pulling off of siding and then, sudden quiet. What is going on? I go out every so often and snap a picture and talk to Bub, the contractor, and then try to go about my business pretending there are not four or five men completely changing the appearance of my house.

Here it is before the beautiful, old pillars are taken down. David is pretending to push one over and it really is about to fall in this picture and I wish he was not standing so closely to it, but, boys will be boys.

Then they dug these gigantic holes(where my flowers use to be.)

They then put cement in them. The pillars will rest on this foundation. How firm a foundation.

The pillars were set in place and then the rafters were built. I love to watch the process. These men certainly know what they are doing.

Just a picture to show that the porch is going across the whole front of the house. It looks gigantic in person. More than I even expected. They are making it so sturdy, it should last another one hundred years.

The rafters going up. Isn’t the sky so blue? I am loving these Spring days.

The daffodils are blooming all over the yard. Even the ones I had to transplant a few days ago are doing well. All that rain we had for a couple of days helped them. Thank you, God.

Maybe we shouldn’t put a roof over this. Then we could see the sky.

I took this picture this morning just as the sun was coming up.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the land, the sandbox is going to become a flower box. I’m going to fill this with Miracle Grow planting soil and grow zinnias in it.

Bub’s old wheel barrow has seen a lot of mileage. If you ever need remodeling done, Claude Wright, Jr. is the one to call. He gets the job done in record time and his workmen do excellent work. He built our addition to our house almost thirty years ago. He was a young pup then, like us and it was one of his first projects. It’s stood the test of time and he has replaced the windows so it will last another thirty years or more.

Just another view. That’s a whirly-gig we bought at Rural King. When the wind blows just right it spins like crazy.

We opened the hot tub last weekend and the grandkids enjoyed it.

Who is that scary looking man watching them? Just David in his hoodie.

These are parts of the pillars we tore down. I am going to paint these and use them to put pots of flowers upon. Or to be grammatically correct, I will use them on which to put flower pots.

This one I will paint also and put dirt inside it and sow seeds. David said when we move this, we better put it where it will stay forever because it is heavy.

Before I go, just wanted to show you a cute pillowcase a friend made for me. I love it.

She got this fabric at JoAnn’s and it is so cute. Now I can dream of chickens on my chicken pillowcase. Flowered chickens.

Here’s to builders, blue skies and blooming chickens. Bye.

Awake and Ready

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Now that the weather is getting better and the sun is shining, I am not feeling as sleepy as I have been. Being out in the sunshine is good medicine and I certainly got a lot of good medicine today.

As I have told you, we are building a new front porch on our house and we are having to move several flowers. Like about one hundred or more flowers. Flowers it took me years to plant in the front garden and now they have to be moved in a few days before the builders get here. My body has had a workout today digging up flowers, digging holes and replanting the flowers. We cut down the rose on the rose arbor because it never did very well. David planted it by the fence in hopes it will grow on it. I am going to sow some morning glory seeds at the base of the arbor and soon it will be covered with morning glory vines.

I have loved our old porch. Many people have entered our house via this porch. My mother sat on this porch and watched our children ride their bikes. David and I have sat out here and talked and watched the world go by. We’ve thrown firecrackers from here and watched our grandchildren hunt Easter eggs from here. One summer our sons and a neighbor boy sat on this porch all summer playing with Legos. I have sat on this porch and timed my children to see how fast they could run around the house. That was before we had fenced in our back yard. I have looked on the porch for packages I have ordered. Sat with my dogs and passed the time. Don’t mind me if I get a little teary eyed when they start tearing it down.

The front of our house is going to look so different. I love those old white pillars.

I don’t know how many times I have painted these pillars. They need a new paint job now, but, they won’t be here in a few days or weeks. I thought about saving one, but thought it would be dangerous if one of the grandchildren leaned against it and it fell over, so the pillars are going.

I got a package from the UPS man while I was working outside. I decided I would wait until I had all my work done before I opened it. Anticipation. I kept thinking about that box all morning and part of the afternoon. I knew what was in it, you see, and that is what made it even more exciting.

I love getting packages like this. Especially when it says this on the side…….

Can you believe I just discovered this company? A friend of

mine showed me some fabric she had purchased while in Tennessee and I fell in love with it and knew exactly what I would do with it should I get some. I searched for it online and every fabric site I went to said “sold out” of this particular fabric until I got to this site. Yay, they had it.

Isn’t it absolutely the cutest? It’s called Quaint Cupcakes. It has a little bling in the fabric.

I am loving this.

With the doilies and all, it’s just so pretty. I know what I am doing with this.

But that wasn’t all I purchased. I have a new designer I am liking right now. Michael Miller. He designed this fabric.

I love the vintage look of this. Yes, I know what I am doing with this, too.

He designed this and I really wish I had bought more than one yard of it. It is the most beautiful fabric I think I have ever seen. There are so many possibilities for this, but, I wish I had bought more. Hmmmmm.

Oh, this is going to go in several quilts. I know it. Looks like old love letters. French. Roses. What could be better?

This is one of those fabrics that can work its way into any number of different quilts and make them special. Do I wax too lovingly about fabric? I have always loved fabric, from the green cotton polyester suit with the matching printed blouse I made in home ec in junior high, to the red dotted swiss dress I wore to the Ruth Lyons’ television show, to the pink dotted swiss I kind of stole from my mother’s stash and made a bathing suit once while she was gone for the day. Oops, got in a little trouble for that!

Yes, I love fabric. Friends make fun of me for saving little bits and pieces of my fabric.

Right now I am cutting over two thousand two inch squares to make a quilt. The smallest square I will cut and save is a one and a half inch square. I plan to one day sew all those tiny squares together into a quilt and it will be a catalog of all my fabrics I have used through the years. But right now the two inch squares need my attention.

They are being sown into these blocks. I will need many of these for the quilt I am making. I love doing this. Fabric just makes me happy.

If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you probably know there is now Downton Abbey fabric. I made a skirt out of this fabric and then I put together a Downton Abbey outfit.

Complete with hat. I loved wearing this. I wish women still wore hats like this all the time and dressed up more when they went out in public. When you look at old pictures, both men and women are wearing hats and they always looked dressed up. Now people wear pajamas in public. Pajamas!!! If you are one of them, well, I will just keep quiet, but I am frowning while typing this. David says people come into the Ralph Lauren store all the time in pajamas. Really?????

Anyway, I do love textiles and have practically all my life. I remember most of my clothes I had growing up from the plaid dresses with big sashes I wore to school, to the sleeveless blouses I wore in the summer, to the blue jeans and sweatshirts I wore when I rode my horse. I notice what people are wearing all the time. I tell people when I like something they are wearing.

Changing direction a little(a lot.) Walking the other day I heard the sandhill cranes. I always hear them before I see them. Put your tongue to the roof of your mouth and hum while fluttering your tongue and that is kind of how they sound. They have a very distinct call. There was one flock and then there were two and then a third flock came from the south. They go up to Camp Atterbury where there is a lake where they land and you can go up there and climb a platform and watch them. I have never done it, but I have always wanted to. They swooped and circled above our house for quite some time. A true sign of Spring.

Can’t believe March is almost over. It’s my birthday month and it is one of my favorite months. I always hate to see it go knowing I will have to wait a whole year before March comes around again. I found this poem in a little, old poetry book I have had since I was a girl and it was old when I was a girl.

Happy April. Easter is less than three weeks away. Bye.

An Old Picture

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Here I am sitting here in my girly room in my pajamas which I have worn all day because it has been too icy to get outside and I decided why get dressed today? I am watching the snow blowing off the garage roof. There has been very little traffic by our house today. I’m not going anywhere and no one is certainly going to get out in this weather to come see me. It’s been an odd sort of day. Missed church and now it looks like the roads are getting worse as the evening progresses so I know we won’t get out. David went out long enough to check food and water for the chooks and the dogs. Everyone is in snug for the night.

I decided to dust the hallway upstairs that gets neglected most of the time and as I was cleaning out a corner I found this painting. I knew I had it, but had not seen it for a long time and really hadn’t paid much attention to it when I did. It belonged to my parents and I ended up with it for some reason and now that I see what is on it, I am very happy I have it. I have no idea how old it is nor can I see the painter’s name on it. It has a very elaborate frame around it and I would imagine it is at least seventy-five to one hundred years old. I brought it downstairs to take pictures of it, but the pictures really do not do it justice.

Now do you see why I love this painting? The mother hen is guarding her nest from the little dog. The colors are rich and the detail is amazing.

There are two or three places that have been damaged through the years. I have no idea where my parents kept this painting as I don’t remember ever seeing it hanging in our house. It must have been kept in the attic which makes it even more amazing that it is in as good a shape as it is. The little dog has a collar with a bell on it. He seems as startled to see the chicken as the chicken is to see him. That chicken means business!

These flowers and leaves are all around the frame. It almost looks like gold leaf, but don’t believe it is.

This is definitely a brooding hen as she has four eggs underneath her. I wonder whose blue shoe that could be and how was it lost in the barn? Perhaps it is something the dog brought out from the house. I really wish I knew who the painter was. Maybe it’s a long lost painting by a famous painter. There were no artists in our family’s history that I know of although some of my children and grandchildren have shown an artistic bent.

I just love all the detail, the shadows and all. If anyone recognizes this artist’s work, please let me know.

And in other news:

Glad we have Netflix as there is not much I want to watch on regular television. I do like to watch ID with all the investigating of murders and other crimes. I think I would have been a good detective because I always figure out who the murderer is before they tell us. Jack Frost, a BBC series is fast becoming one of my favorites. David and I also watch All Creatures Great and Small. It’s about a small village veterinarian in England, James Herriot. He also wrote books about his adventures taking care of animals and dealing with their strange owners. We are really enjoying it.

I’ve been making ironing board covers. I hand quilted this one one evening. Now I am making one to fit my old wood ironing board. I just finished piecing a small one for this:

My little ironing board I had as a child. I am so glad I saved it. My daddy made it for me many, many years ago. I use to stand beside my mother while she ironed and did my ironing with this little iron.

I could actually plug it in and it would warm up. It never got very hot, but I thought I was really ironing just like mother. Can you imagine children getting an iron that you could plug in now? Way too dangerous! Ha.

The hens saw their shadows last week which evidently meant six more weeks of winter. Ouch. It seems Old Man Winter is enjoying staying around. Spring will be so loved this year. Come, Miss Spring, Come. Kick Old Man Winter away. Bye.

I’m a Believer

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Today I am going somewhere completely different from what I usually write about. There are things going on in this world that cannot be explained. There are portents of things to come in what is happening all around us. Those of us who have studied the Bible are not surprised by what is happening. Did you know the Bible mentions ghosts? Not the Holy ghost, just ghosts.(Perhaps I should clarify that yes, the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Bible.) When Jesus first appeared to some of the disciples, they thought at first that he was a ghost.

There are some things I believe in. I believe there is a God, that Jesus died for me and that He sits at the right hand of God right this minute. I believe in angels and I believe there is a devil and his demons who roam the earth wreaking havoc on all people. I believe in heaven and in hell. I believe there is a battle going on all around us that we cannot see between angels and demons. I believe there are many things we cannot explain. I believe God does not want one of us to perish. He sent His only Son after all. I don’t think I could love that much to give up one of my sons to die for everyone. But God did. But this post is not about that. I hope you will know I am being sincere in what I am telling you. I couldn’t make up things I am about to tell you.

There are many things that cannot be explained through science or through practical knowledge. We are all spiritual beings whether we are believers or not. Some have just shut off the spiritual side of themselves and I believe they are missing a lot of what God has planned for them. But I am not talking about this kind of spirituality.

I have never believed in ghosts. That said, I have some really strange ghost stories to tell.

Years ago, our family went on vacation and we stopped at this park where there was a fire tower that we wanted to climb, but our daughter was too little. So David walked up with the boys taking the camera with him. He took a picture of my daughter and me standing beneath the tower. When we got home and had the pictures developed, we noticed something odd about the picture of my daughter and me. It appeared there was another figure standing beside us. A very distinct shape of a person. There had been no other people around us that day.

We live in a 100 year old house. From the very beginning of living here I began to see a cat running in the house. Up the stairs usually. We had cats later, but at the time, we had no cats. Then a few years ago I was sitting in our living room and saw a cat run across the room right into the wall. The hairs went up on the back of my neck. I called to David in the kitchen and said, “You are not going to believe what I just saw.” I don’t think he did.

When my father died, a few nights after his death I was lying in bed and heard who I thought was David walking into the room. I lay there with my eyes closed. Suddenly, I felt a presence standing over me and felt the most wonderful feeling of love. I opened my eyes and David wasn’t there. He was downstairs. I have always thought it was my daddy coming to say good-bye.

One night I was in my bedroom in bed and heard David come into the room and when he didn’t get in bed I opened my eyes and he wasn’t there. I got up and called downstairs and asked him if he had come upstairs. He said he hadn’t.

Something happened that makes me think we have something going on in our house. Our grandsons stayed overnight one night and the next day going home one of them said he didn’t want to stay overnight anymore because a bad man came into his room. That sent the hairs on the back of my neck up because our daughter had the same experience once when she was small and had screamed from her room one night waking us all up from a deep sleep saying there was a man in her room. We searched everywhere. She doesn’t remember it now. Now when I ask her about it, she says it was bees in the window, which did happen once, but not that night.

Well, this week two things happened that were really strange. Okay, more than strange. David and I were in the kitchen when out of the corner of my eye I saw a man in a white shirt with dark hair coming into the kitchen. He seemed to be surprised that we were there and backed out immediately and disappeared. I said, “David, there was a man there just now.” He just laughed. Soon something strange would happen to him.

Yesterday I was out in my shop and David was in the house. He came out to the shop and said,”Were you just in the house?” “No, I said, why?” ” Someone whistled at me at the back door and I whistled back. It sounded just like you.” Okay. Ummmm. I don’t know what happened, but he definitely heard someone whistle. So we have a cat owning, white shirt wearing, whistling ghost I guess. As long as he’s friendly, I will be okay. Sometimes I think someone is standing right behind me while I type here. I feel nothing scary about it. It just is.

The husband of a friend of mine is a doctor and he ran into a ghost with no feet floating down the hallway at the hospital. He smelled gangrene. He said the ghost was just as surprised to see him as he was to see the ghost. I’m not the only one seeing them.

When my grandfather died, my mother said she saw him at the foot of her bed just standing there looking at her.

Do you have a ghost? Do you believe in ghosts? I really don’t believe in them, but what is happening at my house? The explanation must be supernatural.

I saw a show on Netflix about a guy who one day started to see angels, demons and dead people. It was causing him much angst. He was really having a horrible time about it. He went to a psychiatrist who said he was mentally stable. He went to many people to have his brain studied. Everything was fine. What makes one person see these things and another doesn’t? He did say that angels are very tall, beautiful creatures with large wings and they sparkle. That is what I think angels would look like.

I believe there are things going on all around us that most of us cannot see. There are battles being waged. I have heard that all time is going on at the same time, just in different dimensions. Could it be that someone or something gets caught in the wrong dimension? God sees it all from the very beginning of creation to the end of time as we know it. We only see a very tiny bit. Hope I haven’t scared any of you because I’m not scared. Much. Bye.

A Short, But Busy Month

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February, the month of love. It’s a short month, but so much seems to be packed into each and every day. The days are getting longer. Thoughts of gardening and flowers and the warm sun on my back as I work outside are on my mind.

I planted some tomato seeds this week. Each day I check on them to see if the seedlings are coming up. The promise of juicy, red tomatoes in our future makes me happy.

The chooks are laying fewer eggs right now, but we still cannot keep up with them. Egg salad sandwiches have become a staple at our table. I never tire of egg salad and it’s so easy to make and almost free.

We have had some crazy weather this month. We have had so much snow this year.

We go from this and then a few days of sun and then snow again. It is suppose to snow tomorrow again.

We have frosted dogs looking in our windows. Doesn’t Belle look like she has been sprinkled with powdered sugar? She is telling me here that it is time for her to go into my warm shop. I think the dogs have forgotten they have an insulated dog house in the back yard. They refuse to go back there. But that’s okay. I like them in the shop with me while I sew and craft.

Speaking of crafting, I have made several needle cases in the past few weeks and this in one I made this week.

I liked making it so much, I made two.

You see, I have this bag of luscious wool felts that are calling to me to make something. I have it in my head that I would like to try hat making. Wouldn’t any of these felts make a pretty hat? I watch Downton Abbey and see the beautiful hats the ladies wear and I wish women would wear hats like that again. I wore a hat to church a few weeks ago and then I saw another woman wearing a hat the next week. We women need to start a revolution and start wearing hats again and getting dressed up when we go out in public. I am so tired of seeing people in their pajamas when I go shopping.

My mother always wanted us to look our best when we went out in public. In those days, girls would wear those huge rollers in their hair and go out in public and my mother thought it was TERRIBLE. My mother taught me to take pride in myself when I went out. If I don’t have nice clothes and lipstick on, I don’t think I should be seen by anyone. I like to dress up. Always have.

Anyway, I would like to make a hat or two or three if I can find out how to make them. I’ll look online where I find out how to do everything else.

I have been knitting like crazy. In the past few weeks I have made three hats, one turban and a scarf. I am working on another turban and another hat. I had forgotten how much I love to knit. Only problem is, when I am knitting, I am not quilting.

I am training for a 5K race/walk in May. Actually I walk a 5K several times a week when the weather is nice. I walked one day before yesterday. There use to be Volksmarches here in our city and my daughter or my husband and I would walk them and get medals when we were through. I am really looking forward to the walk in May. It sounds like it will be fun. It’s called Color Blaze and they tell you to wear white. I don’t know if they spray you with color or what, but they do something to make everyone colorful. We shall see.

We celebrated the Beatles’ fifty year reunion. Well, Paul and Ringo. The show was kind of sad for me as I remember how it was when they first came on the scene.

Here they all are with Ed Sullivan. We need another Ed Sullivan to find good talent again. He brought the Beatles to the United States.

Now I have to say something about Shirley Temple who passed away this week. When I was growing up, her movies were on television all the time. Wee Willie Winkie, The Little Colonel(one of my favorites) Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Heidi. Who can forget when Heidi was being taken to the gypsies by her evil aunt and her grandfather running through the snowy streets trying to find her? Who can forget Shirley’s sweet voice singing “Animal Crackers in My Soup,” “When I Grow Up,” “Try a Little Happiness?” Her movies just made you happy. They were wholesome and fun. And her dancing. When she danced up and down the staircase with Bill “Bojangles” tapping each step. Captain January where she lived in the lighthouse with two old codgers. I could go on and on.

Shirley was a big part of my life. I still watch her movies when they are on, but sadly, they aren’t on very often. I know I can watch them on the computer, but it’s not the same. I wish some movie theater would show them on the big screen. I would pay to go see them.

Thank you, Shirley, for making us so happy. For being a lady at all times. For having class in a sometimes classless society. For bringing joy to so many around the world. We love you and you will be missed, but I am sure you are exactly where you should be now. God Bless. Bye.

She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah Yeah

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Has it really been fifty years? Fifty years when I was fourteen and heard about this group from England who was taking our land by storm? The new British invasion?

My family watched the Ed Sullivan show every Sunday night. That’s where all the new entertainers and musicians would either make their mark or flounder. Ed Sullivan seemed to have the knack to pick winners. That night four young men, some teen-agers, would perform in front of a live audience of screaming girls and the rest is history.

I waited all day that day for night to come so I could see this group. My parents thought it was all silliness, but they sat right there with me and watched as I went berserk when the Beatles finally came on the show. I literally screamed myself and my family were laughing at me, but I didn’t care. I Want to Hold Your Hand. How simple were the lyrics, but to a teen’s heart it was total rapture. If only lyrics today were so innocent.

Soon the soda shoppe was carrying teen magazines with the Beatles plastered all over the front of every one. Then they started their American tour and I just knew I had to get tickets. In those days, you sent away for them and I bought two tickets, one for me and one for my best friend. They cost three dollars each. The cheap seats. The seats next to the last row in the big coliseum at the state fair where they were coming in August. I didn’t care. I was going to see the Beatles.

All summer I waited in anticipation of the big day. Finally it came and my brother, Andy, drove my mother, my best friend, Carol, and me to the state fair. We did all the state fair things but when it was almost time for the show Carol and I got into the mob that was waiting outside the coliseum. Girls were screaming. Someone would say, “Is that one of them?” looking in the doors. Of course, it wasn’t but it just made the crowd more unruly. Girls vomited. Ugh. Carol and I were squashed int the mob and could not move left nor right.

Finally, they opened the doors and everyone flooded in and ran to their seat. Mother and Andy would wait for us outside. Little did I know at the time, but Andy got a ticket from a scalper outside and got a seat way down in front. When I learned about that afterward, I was so jealous.

Anyway, Carol and I climbed Mount Everest to our seats waaaaay up in the high altitude seats. Wooden chairs. Every single seat taken. The opening act came on. I don’t remember who it was. There was so much screaming, you couldn’t hear it anyway.

Then, then, then the BEATLES!!!!!!!!!!!! Four tiny figures came on stage and we knew it was the Beatles because the roar was so great the roof of the coliseum almost came off. At least that is what mother told us when we came out after the show. She knew exactly when the Beatles came on stage because the screams were so loud.

The girl next to Carol and me jumped up onto her wooden chair and proceeded to jump up and down until the chair broke. Carol was not amused. In fact, I think she was wondering what she was doing there. Flashbulbs flashed continuously. The screaming never ceased. The Beatles played and every time another song started the cacophony rose higher. It was totally the most fun I have ever had. Ever. And I have had a lot of fun times. If it hadn’t been for the screaming I would have heard the Beatles singing.

When the show was over, Carol and I, sweaty and exhausted from the constant screaming and jumping up and down, came out with big smiles on our faces. We had seen the Beatles. Live.

It was a moment in my life I will never forget. I got many of the Beatles’ albums and listened to them until the words were worn off. Years later, my son took the covers to school for a history class. History. Yep, I lived through some pretty neat history.

Which Beatle did you like best? I loved Paul. I think he was the oldest. When the Beatles played on Ed Sullivan that night, they scrolled their ages on the screen and I believe it said something to the effect ” Sorry, girls, he’s married” when Paul appeared. (It was John who was the oldest and married.) Next I liked George and then Ringo. I never really liked John and I am going to say something almost sacrilegious, but I simply hate the song “Imagine.” Hate it.

The year I was a senior, David went off to boot camp and one day my mother, sister, Joanne, and I were shopping and they actually had loud speakers playing outside the stores and the song, “Michelle” was playing. That was one of my favorites. So romantic and I was into romance. Still am.

The Beatles were a big part of my teen life, but as all things go, you grow up, move on and other things become more important, but last week on Laura Ingraham’s radio show she was asking people what their favorite Beatle song was and playing them all and it brought back such a feeling of nostalgia. The Beatle’s songs wove themselves in and out of my younger years and I don’t think any other group has ever been so popular. I heard that at one time on the top billboard songs the top five places were taken by Beatle’s songs. No other group or person has ever done that before or since.

I still have my Beatle’s ticket stub. I still have all the albums I managed to buy. And I still have a place in my heart for the group that sent teen-age hearts aflutter fifty years ago today.

Later the group split. Paul continued to write and sing. So did George. One of my favorite’s by George was, “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You,” in the eighties. John was killed by a mad man and left his wife Yoko Ono. Ringo had a popular song or two and I think he may have been the most grounded of them all. You never heard anything bad about him.

Thanks for the memories, John, Paul, George and Ringo. We loved you, yeah, yeah, yeah. Bye.

Happy Birthday

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I met my husband when I was sixteen years old. We have been together ever since. Actually, I met him when I was twelve years old, but that’s another story. We both knew we would get married one day, but it was three years later until we could wed. My mother wanted me to go to college at least for a year before I got married, so I did that for her and it was a nice experience, but what I really wanted to be was married and to raise a family. I know in this day of women in the work place and families seeming to take a back seat to many, I still believe I did the right thing.

David and I got married right in the middle of the women’s liberation movement when the ERA was being pushed and some believing that women should serve beside men in the military. That is actually one thing I wish I had done when I was younger. Join the military when David did so that we could have shared the experience together. He keeps telling me I would have hated it, but I am not so sure. He served for thirty-six years and was away from home at least two weeks out of every one of those years, plus we could never plan anything on weekends until we knew when he would be having drill. It was just a part of life. Our daughter even had to change the date she wanted for her marriage because her father had drill that weekend.

Speaking of the ERA, it was a time when everywhere a woman went she was asked, “what do you do?” As if being a homemaker and raising your own children wasn’t enough. I was often made to feel inferior because I did not work outside the home. Of course, later when my children were almost grown, I did work in our store, I cleaned our church and even worked in a pizza shop for a short time, but my main interest was my home. It still is. To make a comfortable, welcoming home has always been important for me.

But this isn’t about me today. It is David’s birthday. Yesterday we ate out with our daughter’s family and had cake and ice cream. Today David is doing just what he wants. And what is he doing? Cleaning his office and doing taxes. What??? Not my idea of fun, but, oh, well.

I cannot believe the time has gone so quickly. We have shared many birthdays together since that first year of dating. David gave me a surprise birthday party at his grandparents’ house for my seventeenth birthday. How nice was that?

I can never surprise David, it seems, but I will one day and when I do, it will be a doozy.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, darling, wonderful husband. May you have many more. Love you to pieces.

Tonight the temperature is suppose to drop again. Frigid, arctic air is heading our way.

The snow people have set up camp complete with a roaring fire in my girly room. Yes, they still have their Christmas tree up. It does brighten up the dark and cold winter nights for them.

Here’s to happy birthdays and snow people who want to keep warm. Bye.

An Author in the Family

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I am so proud today I am about to bust. My fourteen year old granddaughter just got her first book published and it is on Amazon for sale now. It is called “Beyond the Open Door,” by Abigail Grace. I just ordered a copy and cannot wait to read it. I didn’t even know she was writing it until she was trying to get it published. It’s one of a trilogy. A trilogy! How many fourteen year olds write one book, let alone three. And they aren’t short books either.

Abby has always been a reader. She is always saying she is a nerd, but she is far from it. She makes excellent grades in school, has performed on stage, been on mission trips and is just an all around great kid.

That’s her with her brothers and cousins. The only girl. We gave her a ukelele for Christmas and probably is playing it better than I play mine now.

Abby is our first grandchild. When she was born, I had to wait two whole weeks before I could see her because her parents lived in Chicago and we could not get up there right away. I could hardly stand it to wait that long to see her and when I first set eyes on her face, I knew I would love her forever. I have always told her I loved her before she was born and I did. I have been blessed to watch her grow into the beautiful young lady she is today and I look forward to seeing what she will do in the future. I know she will write for sure, but there is so much more waiting for that girl.

Anyway, check out her book on Amazon. I just ordered it and am looking forward to reading it just to see where her imagination has taken her.

Here’s to new authors, especially when one of them is your granddaughter. Bye.

Happy New Year Traditions

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It has been a pretty happy and joyous holiday season and I have enjoyed it all, but now it’s time to look toward a brand new year and think how I will spend my time in it.

Before I get to that, though, I want to finish up some Christmas things. We had such a nice Christmas. Low key and quiet with some rambunctious children thrown in. This year there were two gifts that were special to me. I got a camera which I am still learning how to use, but that isn’t one of the gifts I am talking about.

I was given this darling Jim Shore Santa and I love Jim Shore figurines, but if you look closely, you will see just why I am particularly happy with this one. He is holding a chicken and a basket of eggs!

That could be Freedom he is holding.

His basket has several eggs in it. How cute is that? I am wondering if this is the start of a chicken figurine collection?

The other gift I received came from my loving husband. I have wanted one of these for years. My brothers had one when we were growing up and I played with it a lot.

A ukelele!!!! Oh, how I love this. I am practicing on it all the time trying to get my fingers to make the chords sound right.

It’s so pretty, too. Green paisley. It has a really good tone and my fingers are beginning to get toughened up by playing it so much. I know I am going to get hours of fun out of this and I hope I get good enough that when some of our friends get together with their guitars and banjos I can join them on my ukelele.

Today, the first day of 2014 was a really nice day. We went shopping and I got some fabric. I haven’t bought fabric since, well, since we went to North Carolina two months ago. This time, though, I was buying to make gifts for, what else, Christmas this year. Yes, I am one of those people who works all year on Christmas. No waiting until the last minute to buy gifts for this girl. I like to spread the cheer all year and enjoy wondering how people will like their presents I give them. I have had some specific orders for presents this time and they are going to take a little time.

I came home with these treasures.

Love these wool felt pieces for which I have plans. I bought a new pattern today and it is so cute and know just the person for which I will make it.

David and I ate at Olive Garden for lunch. I got baked shrimp parmesan and it was so good.

When we got home, I grabbed Belle and she and I took a four mile walk. I wasn’t intending to walk quite so far, but the more we walked the more I wanted to. It felt good to get out in the fresh air. I let Belle loose and she ran all over like a little kid let out of a cage.

When I got back, I started on one New Year’s tradition. Every year for as long as I can remember, my mother made new pillow cases on New Year’s Day. It’s good luck, she said. I have followed in that tradition and I made a couple today.

I used this pretty pink check fabric for one.

No, this isn’t my pillowcase. I am going to sew yo-yos on the one I made today and it will look like this one when I am done. It’s going to take about sixty yo-yos I think.

I made a pillowcase for David for Valentine’s Day using this fabric. I will put a York peppermint patty on his pillow.

Here are my completed pillowcases. Here is a quick tutorial to make a pillowcase.

This is for a standard size pillow. If you have a King size or other size pillow you will have to adapt this to your pillow.

First cut a length of fabric 42 inches wide by 35 or 36 inches long.

Turn down 1/4 inch on one of the 42 inch sides and press.

Turn down another 3 inches and sew.

Put right sides together and sew the side and bottom seams together.

I use 1/4 inch seams.

Clip one corner where two seams meet. Be sure not to clip your stitching or you will weep and wail and wonder why you ever started this project.

Now this next step is not necessary, but I think it gives a nice finish to your pillowcase. I zigzag all my seams.

Turn your pillow right side out. Press the seams flat and then press your pillowcase. You can starch it if you prefer. I don’t, but that’s my preference. There. You have made a pillowcase. Wasn’t that easy?

Another tradition my mother had was to make something from cabbage on New Year’s day. It could be sauerkraut, coleslaw or fried cabbage. I made scalloped cabbage. I don’t have a picture of it right now, but it turned out real pretty and is it good. Even if you don’t like cabbage, you might like this.

I was going to show you another tradition I have, but for some reason my computer says no, you cannot add any more pictures to your post. Don’t know why. My husband and I have both worked on it with no luck.

So I will just wish all of you the happiest of New years. I am so happy you take some time out of your busy day to come read this little blog. I am thrilled beyond measure people all around the world are reading it. You there, in Norway, thank you for stopping by. That gal in Australia who comes here. Wish I could meet you all. The British ladies who live where I would love to visit one day. The one in Kuwait, China, France. I know I haven’t mentioned all the countries, but I just want to say I love knowing you are all here. The local girls, too. I love you all. I look forward to writing about this life of mine. It’s not a large life, but it’s a fun, wholesome, happy life and I wouldn’t want to live any other. I’ll be telling you about some of my plans on my next blog. BYE.

End of Year Frivolities

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Well, it’s the end of 2013 except for the celebrating. My idea of celebrating this year will be to go out to the chicken coop at midnight and throw the girls some chicken scratch like confetti and yell, “Happy New Year!” which will cause them all to lay an egg because they will have all been asleep.

I will also give Belle and Bonnie some bones and give David a great big kiss and go upstairs and snuggle down into my bed and read a good book.

I’m done with all the partying and trying to pretend to have fun on New Year’s Eve when really, I would rather be home with the one I love or if any of my other loved ones wanted to join us that would be okay, but don’t expect me to be the life of the party.

I use to think we needed to be out doing something on New Year’s Eve and every year I never felt like it was all it was cracked up to be. David and I dressed up one year and went to a big party at a hotel in Indianapolis. There were bands and lots of food and even a casino. I don’t gamble but this was not gambling for money. We were the oldest ones there and everyone treated us so nicely and we had a good time. At the end of the evening there was a balloon drop and it was amazing there were so many balloons. We had masks and hats and noise makers. It really was fun. We stayed all night at the hotel and the next morning they served a huge breakfast buffet with everything you could think of, even sushi, which I tried and decided I didn’t like it much, but everything else was so good. We planned to do it again the next year, but David had back surgery right after Christmas that year, so we couldn’t go and for some reason, we have never done it again

We have several birthdays in December. Our youngest grandson was born three days after Christmas and this year he had his very own party instead of sharing a party with his older brother who was born in November. It was like Christmas all over again for him.

He was one happy kid.

He licked his fork clean of all the icing.

He opened lots of presents. He does that tongue thing that seems to run in our family. My mother use to stick out her tongue when she was concentrating.

We had a nice evening visiting with my son-in-law’s family and enjoying the children. When we were driving home we passed this amazing, Christmas lighted house. We pulled off the road to take pictures.

A beautiful Nativity.

Polar bears around a tree.

This house had everything lit. It was beautiful.

Santa and his sleigh.

It was a lovely ending to a very nice day.

Now that 2013 is being put to sleep and a brand spanking new year is upon us, I want to wish you all a very blessed new year. May your year be one of health, joy and love. I’ll be writing about my plans for the new year next time. Happy New Year! Bye.

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Snicklefritz

So glad you came. Come sit a spell and read about the tale of my life.

Category Archives: Family memories

Phoenix

Awake and Ready

An Old Picture

I’m a Believer

A Short, But Busy Month

She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah Yeah

Happy Birthday

An Author in the Family

Happy New Year Traditions

End of Year Frivolities