Hugs and "Hi, Miss Puff!"

No, Christian, Great Grammy Polly has NOT had her hug today!! 
Somehow the day never goes quite the way it needs to without a good hug.  A hug from anyone will do, but that hug from someone special just puts an oomph in your day that nothing else quite does!!!  My grandchildren give the best hugs in the world, at least it seems to me they do. 
I am positive it IS just me and that every grandma thinks her grandchildren have hugs as sweet as honey, but I swear when I get those big bear hugs from the boys, I just feel like asking, "Okay, now, Lord, what can I do for you today?" 
Michael is a teenager now and has always squeezed me so tight I could barely breathe, and I always tell him how I miss those big bear hugs when I don't get to see him for a while!!!
How I got from 'hugs' to this is a mystery to me as well as you, but I am thinking of the time Michael told me once when he was quite small that I reminded him of Miss Puff.  He had to go into a long explanation of how Miss Puff was on Sponge Bob!!  I thought it was so sweet ... Miss Puff!! 
AS I walked through the living room one day where he was sprawled watching cartoons he said, "Wait, Grandma, Miss Puff is going to be on here."  I was so excited and sat with him till my namesake made her entrance into Sponge Bob's watery world. 
I was shocked speechless when I saw Miss Puff was a big fat blow fish!!!!  I had envisioned her as an angelic little creature with such a sweet little name!  I was not about to let my little guy see my disappointed face as I exclaimed cheerfully how cute Miss Puff was and anyone worth their salt should be honored that their grandson was reminded of her when he saw Miss Puff!!
We still laugh about that and just a few days ago, I had a Facebook message from him that said simply,
"Hi, Miss Puff."

Be sweet!

Sunshine Award

Mary Anne Gruen of the Starlight Blog gave me the sunshine award!!!  I love this award!!  It is so colorful and to me also full of meaning.  I am happy to receive this award and feel very honored that Mary Anne chose me as one of her recipients.  If you have not been to visit her blog, I hope you will and I can guarantee you will find a gorgeous blog loaded with great pictures.  I have to tell you this ... Mary Anne has a dog named "Virginia".  Don't you just love that?  She has posted a picture of Virginia sitting beside a branch that had fallen from a white pine.  I just love the story in that post and now I love her dog as well!!  My name is(are you ready for this?) Virginia Paulette!! 

Now, most people wonder how in the world anyone ever got "Polly" from that!  My mom told me that my grandpa started calling me "Polly" when I was only a few days old and soon everybody followed suit.  I have lifelong friends who don't know my name is not actually Polly.

When I was a child, my dad would call. "Polly" and if I didn't answer or come right away, he said in a voice that could not be ignored, "Paulette!"  You better believe when my dad called me Paulette, I knew for sure I had best get moving!! 

My sweet little daddy stayed with me the last 2 years of his life, because he was so lonely and almost grieved himself to death when my mom died of a massive heart attack.  They not only were husband and wife, but best friends.   He came to my door one day, knocked (which he never did) and I asked what was he doing out there knocking, to get in here!!  He said, "Sis, can I stay with you for a couple of days?  Every where I look I see 'my buddy' and my doctor says I have to be out of the house a few days, because all I can do when I am home is cry and think of your mama."  I said , "Why are you asking?  I love you and you will stay as long as you want or need to." 

He could not even go back to get his clothes.  Bless his sweet little heart.  I went to get his clothes and whatever else he needed and he never went home again!!!  He stayed with me until he went to Heaven to be with 'his buddy'. 

I said all that to say this ... even when I grew into an adult with children of my own, when my daddy said "Paulette!"  I got moving!!  When he became very sick and needed something, he would call me and if I didn't hear him or respond the first few times he called me, I will never, ever forget, he would say in that voice that simply could not be ignored, "Paulette!" and you better believe I went running!!!

All this because Mary Anne has a dog named Virginia!!  Now I know why I tell my kids I haven't lost my marbles, but they are pretty well scattered now!

Thank you for the Sunshine Award.  That has quite a ring to it ... a Sunshine Award from the Starlight Blog.

Be sweet, all!

Mama's Gonna' Be Grandma

This is my youngest, Brent ... our little "surprise", and what a pleasant one he was!!  He is the youngest of 6, so there's no need to go into all the details of how his older brothers and sisters had him walking and talking at such a young age even they were amazed!!! 
The fun really began when I learned not only was I going to be a mom again, but also a grandmother for the very first time!!  Yes, my daughter in law, Carol, and I were pregnant at the same time!!!  I was both happy and embarrassed.
I found my oldest daughter giving me sideways looks, laughing, looking away, back again and saying, "You ARE kidding, aren't you?".  I will never forget the first time I wore maternity clothes!!  The kids and their dad were going to a ball game and one of them asked, giving me "that look", "Mom, are YOU going?".  It was such a wonderful, delightful time looking forward to a new baby and so excited that I was going to be a grandma too!!  I had stopped coloring my hair, but told my doctor the first thing I was going to do after leaving his office was go buy some hair color!!  My baby wasn't gonna' have a gray haired mama!! (Actually I started getting gray at age 16, by the time I was in my 30's I had salt and pepper hair!!)
After I learned I was going to also be a grandma, I couldn't decide what to do about the hair color, but the vanity won and I put that color on my hair and always told everyone my color came straight out of a bottle and as long as I could bend over to wash it out, that is how it will stay, no bones about it.
Brent is still my baby, just like the rest of them ... they are all my babies, he is just the youngest .
The happiest days of my life was when I was raising my children, I thought I would fall off the face of the earth when they started growing up and leaving home, one by one they grew up and made lives of their own, which is the way it is supposed to be.
Debye, my oldest daughter, had moved to Texas and we would talk on the phone till the wee hours of the morning.  Once, I was still on the phone with her when the first light of day began coming through the window. She told me, "Mama, you've got the 'empty nest syndrome' baaad, Honey!"
I cherish those days, treasure the memories that I am ever so grateful to have.
Be sweet!!! 
 

Easter Belles

 

I think of the garden after the rain;

And hope to my heart comes singing,

At morn, the cherry blooms will be white

And the Easter bells will be ringing!

-Edna Dean Proctor-

I love this vintage graphic.  I like to call it "Easter Friends", though I do not know if it even has a title or name.  It is such a sweet picture with the girls peeping at each other around the egg and the old fashioned bunny hopping merrily away!!  I hope you enjoy it as I do and remember, it is Easter, so be sweet!!

                                                  

How to Bake a Cough Syrup Cake

Okay, there is a contest going on at Mayhem & Moxie to give away a great mixer they have named Bertie!! I want (and, let's face it, NEED) that mixer so much I can hardly bear it!!
It is bad enough that, despite all my recipes for cakes that should melt in your mouth, my cakes have disgraced every grandmother in America!!! I have not one cake wreck to post about, but enough to publish quite a large volume. I have wasted the entire morning deciding which one deserves a spot on my little ole' blog. I can cook anything except cakes and I just know that mixer holds the magic key to baking the perfect cake!! Besides, I have never owned anything other than a hand mixer in my life!!!
More years ago than I care to think about, my oldest son had a number of his best buddies invited for birthday cake and ice cream and a night of staying up late watching scary movies and eating popcorn since the weekend started the next day and the little party goers could sleep in as late as they liked.
I had to make a run to the store for cold medicine for my daughter, so I picked up a few special ingredients for what I hoped would be a birthday cake the kids would never forget.
I set my few purchases on the kitchen counter, grabbed the flour, sugar, eggs, butter and whatever else goes into baking the perfect cake.
I retrieved my trusty hand mixer from its spot in a kitchen drawer, my large mixing bowl and began what I knew would be an award winning cake if it were to be in a contest!! I had everything mixed, lastly adding vanilla and melted butter. I was always in a hurry, considering I had 6 little ones, a husband to feed and never knew how many kids I would find here and there each morning!! I swear, they would be in sleeping bags, on the couch and any other place a tired child could curl up comfortably and sleep. I never minded. I loved it, wish I could bring back those days, but ... oh, well, enough of that!! Back to the cake!! After the pans were safely in the oven, bowl and beaters properly licked and put into soapy water, I set about putting everything away. To my great shock I discovered in my rush to get the cake baked, I had poured in cough syrup instead of vanilla!!! I was absolutely horrified!! Another perfect cake, destroyed again!!!
As I sat quietly, confused about what I should do, I heard sniffles and then ... yes, there it was again!! Coughs!! Most of them had colds anyway and I knew a little cough syrup never hurt anyone. With all the extra special ingredients, plus the fluffy frosting I had planned, they would never know the difference, in fact it would do them good!! And so it did, not a cough was heard for hours after our feast of cake and ice cream!!! I don't think I ever told anyone ... no need to. Now, after all these years, I've told everyone!! So good to get that off my chest, guys!!
Be sweet!!!

Ten Simple Sayings

1. Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. Other people’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality. ~Les Brown
3. The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” ~Scott Hamilton
4. A true friend is someone who holds your hand in difficult times ...
5. The secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art." -William Morris
6. Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see.
7. All things grow with love.
8. Cherish the Simple things.
9. There's no better place than your own back yard.
10. Don't ask what the world needs- ask what makes you come ALIVE and go do it! Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. -Howard Thurman

I love reading words written by others that are so simple yet so full of meaning I am taken aback!!  Such simple truths ....

Be sweet ...

Chocolate Cherry Bars and a Tiny Chubby Cherub

All children and lots of us older children have a sweet tooth, a craving for just a bit of anything that has that touch of sweetness ... we know it's not good for us , but does little harm for a child or a grandma to have an occasional "something".  Doesn't seem to matter too much what it is, just as long as it is sweet!!!  This is a perfect little recipe for just such an occasion, when we can't go another day without that special little treat so loved by grandmas and little ones!!

This is perfection at its best:

Chocolate Cherry Bars

 

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cup graham crackers crumbs

14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

12-oz. pkg. milk chocolate chips

10-oz. jar maraschino cherries,

     drained and chopped

 

Spread the melted butter evenly in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  Stir in the graham cracker crumbs.  Press down to form a crust.  Pour the condensed milk over the top.  Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and the chopped cherries.  Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.  Cool completely.  Slice into bars.  Makes about 2 dozen bars

 

These are wonderful as a special little treat.  The combination of the chocolate and cherries is sooo good!

 

Think I better check my pantry, hoping it doesn't look like Mother Hubbard's and maybe just whip up some of these guys!!

 

Oh, I went to see little Morgan yesterday and she is getting sweeter and prettier by the day!!  She is a perfect chubby little cherub!!!  Her mommy had put her in a tiny little red thingie with a strawberry on the front that said "I am berry sweet"..  Her little feet had white socks on them and except for the curl on top of her head, she looked like a tiny teenager ... She nuzzled around for a while making those little sounds, then settled down, became still and went fast asleep in my arms!!!  I love that little bitty girl so much!!  I can hardly wait till she is big enough to really play with me.  We will make the chocolate cherry bars, sit on the deck in the shade and eat our sweet treats.  We just will not tell her mommy because everyone knows that if grandmas let little girls have candy, great grandmas just can't be trusted!!!

 

Be sweet!!! 

That Sun Just Keeps On Shining

I tried!!  That's all I can or will say.  I was unable to help the young man and knew deep down I couldn't, but nevertheless felt I had to try.  This morning when I awoke, pillows were stretched out on the sofa and a quilt thrown over them as if someone was sleeping there and my son's X Box was missing!!! One of my boys said I had used bad judgment, to which I replied, "If there is anyone in this world who has never used bad judgment, they can tell me that!!"
Anyway, even though it hurt me to do it, I had to track him down with the help of our local police, not just to retrieve my son's X Box, but to also let him know this is not how you treat people who have helped and befriended you!!!  At least not me!!  I tried the best I could and expected the same from him and I had to let him know!!  You DO NOT treat other people like this, illness or no!!!!  There are consequences to every action, good or bad and you should choose your actions carefully..  They were unable to help him at day treatment, I was unable to help him.  I had no intention of pressing charges against him, although I was urged to by both police and day treatment staff.  The only way he will get the help he so desperately needs is for the state to take over and force him to go to a hospital for treatment.  I was trying to make the right decision when it was taken out of my hands (thank you, Lord, that I did not have to be the one).   He lied about everything and did so until the police handcuffed him and he finally admitted taking the game console.  It was hidden behind some iron gates on the university grounds and he was planning on selling it when game stores or pawn shops opened.  They had to run his ID some way and, of all things, he had a felony warrant in a neighboring state.  So, it was taken completely out of my hands.  They had to take him to jail for extradition.

The whole ordeal has been a little unsettling, but if nothing any worse than that ever happens, I guess I am in pretty good shape!  The sun will still come up in the morning shooting rays of sparkling light ... the earth will keep right on rotating ... roll with the punches ... if you should trip and fall, get right back up and keep on going, one day at a time!!  I do not feel I failed ... I do not recognize failures, only learning experiences.  I learn something new every day and have found the saying "you never get too old to learn" to be true!!!!!

You know by now I just gotta' say it ... be sweet!!!

Life Blessings

I have had a life filled with blessings!! The latest and newest blessing is little Morgan Lynne, my fifth great, great grandchild, so tiny, chubby and sweet, so perfect. She has a little curl on top of her head and makes "Miss Piggy" sounds when she nurses!! I love her so much, I wanted to pick her up and just run with her! HAH! As if I could run anywhere any more!! Lots of pictures were made and my daughter, Debye, Morgan's Nana, will email them to me. I will post them here so I can look at her and play with her in my computer until she is big enough to really play with me. She has a big sister, Abigail, who will love little Morgan so, so much. I can hardly wait to see the two of them together. Sisters have a special bond, so I am told. Brittany and Nathan are her proud parents. Brittany is my sweet grand daughter and Nathan is very sweet and good to her, for which I love him dearly. I would hate for someone to mistreat her, for they would not want to deal with me!!!

I have recently made a decision I had to consider at great length. I took in a young man who has a major mental illness, lost touch with his family when his mother died. He had wandered aimlessly. living in shelters, alone and afraid, delusions and hallucinations often tormenting him. My heart ached for him, for I have two adult children with schizophrenia and some people would say I have given up everything for them, but I have gained far more than I have given up.  I wanted them to have a home, to feel safe, to be protected and cared for, to know they were loved unconditionally.  It has not been an easy road to travel, but so many blessings were along the road side, seeming to be waiting just for me. I have two more adult children who are disabled by an anxiety so crippling it is often impossible for them to function, I lost a son at the young age of twenty.  I am very thankful my oldest is healthy with a wonderful family. I was afraid for  him when cancer was discovered in a kidney and doctors removed the kidney, but had been unable to remove all the cancer cells. He was scheduled to begin treatment with chemotherapy when the Lord saw fit to reach His loving hand down and heal my son, for the cancer had disappeared with no explanation after world reknowned doctors had seen it there!!

God has been so good to me, despite the heartaches. I like to say, here I am with 6 children, those beautiful grandchildren and now, FIVE great grand children. Some people do not have any and I feel especially blessed that God saw fit to let me be a mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
I do have a sense of humor, maybe not as much as I once did before I became so sick, but it is still there, just not as close to the surface.

For some weird reason I always have to end everything with these two words .... Be sweet!!!

GRAND DAUGHTERS (and daffodils in the snow?)

Aren’t’ they the spittin’ image of me?  I sure like to think so.  They are the daughters of my oldest son, Keith and his little wife, Carol.   They also have one son, Eric.  My grand daughter, Brittany is due to give birth to a new GREAT grand baby next week and I am as excited as if I were giving birth myself!!  I have to be there when the baby is born!  They will get her all settled in and come get me!!!!!!  I said half heartedly that I would wait till the baby was born and let the new mom, dad and nana have time with her before I take over, but they still said I have to be there right when she is born.
Kristi, in the scrapbook page above, has two children, Anna and Christian.  Brooke says she is not having children, but she stays busy with her little step daughter, Jordan, and her nieces and nephews.  She is like a mother hen taking care of everyone!!
Can you believe they are saying it may snow this weekend??  Spring is almost upon us and Brandon (my grandson) picked a daffodil for me today.  I put it in a glass bottle with a small neck and it looks beautiful.  Wouldn’t it be the neatest thing if he could see them peeking out from the snow by the end of the week??  They are saying “flurries” but usually when they say that, it “flurries up under the window sill!!  If it does, we will just wrap up, watch old movies and make homemade caramel popcorn.  I won't mind at all.
Be sweet!!!

Strawberries In A Cloud

It will soon be strawberry season and if you are anything like me and love the taste and appeal of a good ole' strawberry dessert any time of the year, then this one's for you!!!  Easy peasy with a melt in your mouth goodness and you will have guests or family members coming back for more!!
When fresh strawberries are available, you may use those instead of the pie filling and tuck a few in the Cool Whip and it is absolutely heavenly. Just pour a little sugar over the berries first to bring out their natural sweetness.  I can almost taste it now.  Think I will check for ingredients and if any are lacking, I'll make a quick trip to the grocery store and make this baby tonight!  Boy, it's so easy to fool everyone into thinking you are an awesome cook when all you have to do is follow a few instructions.  Give me a recipe and I can make anything!!
Here it is.  I hope you will give it a try.  I promise, you will not be sorry!!  Personally, I remove the calories from mine before refrigerating!!LOL

Strawberry Cloud

2 boxes Twinkies
1 large box strawberry gelatin
1 large box instant vanilla pudding
1 can strawberry pie filling
1 container Cool Whip
Pecans

Line a 13 x 9-inch pan with Twinkies. Mix gelatin according to package directions and pour over Twinkies.

Prepare pudding as directed and pour over gelatin. Cover with pie filling and then top with Cool Whip. Sprinkle with pecans. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

Be sweet, Dearies ... with one bite of this dessert you don't have an option!!

Sunshine And Smiles

This is a little poem that I love and wanted to share with you.  It is so true, the few words of these lines.  We love our family, no matter what and, no matter what, they love us back.  Words said in anger or frustration can never be taken back, but we have to remember the words spoken are not who that person is and, more often than not, they grieve more over their hasty remarks than we do.  It is easy to forgive and forget ... it does remarkable things for us as well as those who have hurt us.  Such a toll is taken on our mind and bodies when we carry a grudge, energy that could be spent enjoying the moments of happiness in our lives.  Life is short. Kind, loving words along with a bright, sunny smile make us happy as well as those around us.  What you give will come back to you ... love and you will be loved, laugh and others will laugh with you ...


There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying East and West,
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal many a thoughtless blow

To those we love the best.

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Have a happy, peaceful, sunshiny day and ... be sweet, Lovey!!
.

One Terrific Tuesday!!!

Three awards, count 'em, three from my new blogging friend, Xmas Dolly!!  I stuck them all together because I am not as savvy as some of you about correct placement, etc. I felt a little foolish when I left a comment on her blog that I wasn't sure which one was for me to put on my little ole' blog and she (calling me baby girl in the process when no doubt I am twice her age ...  that's why I like her so much) informed me that they were all for me!!  Now, good golly, Miss Molly. I was humbled, tickled and the whole nine yards.
The first means just what it says, "you're going places, baby." Recipients of this award have to tell where you see yourself in 10 years.
In ten years, I will have met a very rich old man with poor vision and given my grand kids not only a new grandpa, but every other thing their little ole' heart desires!!!

Second award I am supposed to tell you 7 things about myself so: 1. I just love twisting the tops off Oreos and eating the inside first,  2. My favorite thing to do is make scrapbook pages of my great grand children.   3.  My daughters got me purple pajamas that I am so crazy about and sleep in them all the time. 4.  I wish I had red house shoes to wear with my purple pajamas. 5.  I have gotten into the declutter thing and declutter a few minutes every single day.  6.  I am making no progress whatsoever at my decluttering because every time I throw away 3 things, I bring in 5 more! 7.  I am going to be a great grammy for the 5th time in about 3 weeks.

Last is the Sunshine Award, which must be passed on to 12 bloggers, so I am doing what Xmas Dolly did and pass all 3 awards to these 12:
Evelyn from Evee
Rhonda Sue from Craftymumz Creations
Garden Gnome from Mom's Cafe Home Cooking
Kaye from Random WAHM Thoughts
Sara from The Breathing Post
Marilyn from Marilyn's Money
Pehpot from Bee Mommy
Tammy from frugal southern mom
Loree from Stories and Scribbles
Bill from Oregon Art Guy Blog
Kirsten from Gardenvibe
Okay, guys, get these 3 awards posted on your blog and pass them on to other bloggin' buddies!!  It is hard to stop at just 12 because there are sooo many more deserving these awards .  I read so many outstanding blogs.  Lots of creativity out there.  Just remember, whatever you do, be sweet!!!!! 

Daughters Are A Mom's Best Friend

This is a scrapbook page I made of my daughter, Denny.  Her name is Melinda Denise, and she was the fourth child of four, the oldest being just four, so none of them could pronounce either Melinda or Denise!!   Their dad and I tried Melinda first and none of them could master that, so after about a week we decided Denise might be a little easier for them.  Her brothers and sister tried so hard, but the name of the new little one was a bit more than they could master.  She became simply "Sissy" until one day, they were gathered around, showing their new little sister to an aunt and out of the chaos, one word stood out ... "Denny"!!!  That did it.  She has been "Denny" from that moment on.  Even her drivers license has Denny on it, I believe.  Many of our own relatives don't have a clue it isn't her real name and have wondered aloud why on earth I would give a boy's name to such a cute, sweet little girl!!  I just smile, remembering ...

Be sweet!

Save Our Rural Schools

What are the advantages of closing a school in small towns where everyone knows everyone else, where teachers are trained exactly the same as in a larger school?  They must pass the same stringent requirements as those in a larger school, they have a greater opportunity to learn that what works with this student will not work with that one and teach accordingly.  They are much more attuned to the individual students' needs.  Smaller schools are much more personal, much less intimidating to a shy or insecure child.  I remember my own experience, attending a large school in Flint, Michigan.  I was so scared, hiding under my beds at times, crying and begging to stay home!  The halls were filled with shoving, pushing kids trying to get from one class to another or, sometimes, for the pure enjoyment of it.  I am not saying all large schools are bad.  Quite the contrary.  I am saying a small school offers an education equal to that of a larger one with the added advantage of a parent teacher relationship unmatched in a school with large numbers of students.
We must fight to keep our small schools and for our rural communities, which are quickly becoming ghost towns.
Please. please don't let this happen..  It is too important for our heritage.  We have to preserve as much of the old ways as possible for the sake of our ancestors.  We can live side by side with progress, but we simply cannot disappear.  It is too important for posterity!

Be sweet

How Not To Make Homemade Noodles

Grandmothers of America, I have let you down!!  Though I delight in my culinary skills, I have NEVER made homemade noodles ... dumplings so many times I can't count, but never noodles.  Today I decided my pantry was beginning to resemble Mother Hubbard's, so I thought, "Not to fret ... I will simply add some delicious homemade noodles to whatever kind of meat I could dig out of the freezer, add a salad or green vegetable, perhaps a pan of cornbread and have a meal suitable for a king!!

Everything went as planned as I merrily dug out bowls, rolling pin, pans, waxed paper to roll out the noodles  and, well you get the idea.  Things went downhill from that moment on.  Those darn eggs would not mix up in the flour as I thought they would, so I just added some more!!  My waxed paper was heavily floured when it began to roll up and, trying to straighten it, I slid it right off in the floor,  covering most of my kitchen with a white substance resembling snow!!  Not to be outdone, I grabbed another sheet of waxed paper and started again, threatening horrible things to it if it dared to slide one inch!!!  Much to my surprise, it stayed perfectly in place as I rolled out my noodles.  Oh, they were a sight to see, paper thin, just as they were supposed to be.  I had been so distracted by the spilled flour, I had not taken the time to clean as I went and floury footprints were everywhere, along with doughy, floury bowls, spoons and an assortment of pots and pans as I had trouble finding one they would fit in.  I grated cabbage and carrots for cole slaw, with little shreds of green and orange flying everywhere (actually looking quite colorful on the flour) as my noodles were drying, cut the beef into chunks, dropped it back into the simmering broth, seasoned to perfection!!  By this time, the noodles were ready to cut.  I have always cut dumplings with a pizza cutter and it was sooo easy, but these babies had to be rolled up and then cut.  They turned out to be every conceivable width and length.  I had skinny noodles, wide noodles, some that looked like a ribbon that had been left wadded in a drawer for years, but I gritted my teeth and threw them in the pot anyway!!!

Dinner was almost on time, but as I stood in the middle of all the chaos, it looked as if the 3rd World War had been fought in there!!  I seriously considered putting in a call to the governor to ask if he perhaps had the time to fly in and take a look at my kitchen.  No doubt it would be declared a disaster area and I possibly would be eligible for federal aid to assist in hiring a cleaning lady.
I only hoped the Health Department was not out and about for they surely would condemn my kitchen!!

A lesson learned the hard way is a lesson well learned and I have certainly learned this - Betty Crocker I am not and I will NEVER, I repeat, NEVER make homemade noodles again!!!

Be sweet everyone, just don't go making any noodles!!

My Little Prince

Is this not the cutest little guy you ever saw?! I know we all think that about our babies and grand children, but, come on now ... this is a great grand child!!! Christian is my first great grand son. He has a big sister, Anna, who is all of 3 and I have 2 more great grand daughters, Abigail and Carlee. I tell you, they light up my life like you wouldn't believe. My grand daughter, Brittany will have a baby daughter in about 4 weeks. My goodness, that will make FIVE great grand children!!!! I can hardly believe it. I can barely wait till Britti's little baby makes her grand entrance into the world. When she is big enough, we will play with dolls all day and have the best tea parties. It will be so wonderful to have one who lives close enough to spend a lot of time with. When Abigail lived close we had so much fun. We did whatever she wanted. We sat on the hearth when logs were burning and roasted marshmallows and hot dogs, pretending we were on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere. We had every pot and pan I owned out pretending to cook. When she went home, I sadly put everything away. I still have little scraps of paper that she scribbled her "recipes" on. I will always have them and everything else she did, like trying to draw a star and her water color "art".
Oh, I do love those babies!!!!!!
Be sweet and good!!!

Awards and Gift in a Jar

I am posting these awards which should have been done as they were received by my good friends and blogging pals. I am the world's worst at this!! Forgive?
The awards were given to me by Sara of The Breathing Post and Loree of Stories and Scribbles. I loved receiving them and am so very honored. Loree and Sara have been there since the very beginning of my little ole' blog and I love and appreciate them and so much. Everyone needs an "atta boy" and a pat on the back now and then!! It lifts our spirits, encourages us to do more and better. I have so many sweet blogging buddies it is too difficult to choose some to pass these awards to, so I choose to pass them to all. If you are reading this, please post these awards on your blog, for they are for you.
Both Sara and Loree are amazing!! I love reading their blogs. It is like a visit with an old friend and I leave with a renewed zest for living and giving. If you have not stopped by, please do. You will be happy you did and I am sure you will drop in often as I do.

Now I want to give you another wonderful gift in a jar idea. These make great gifts, especially in a pinch. We usually have everything necessary already on hand, especially if we keep a few pretty jars or even some plain mason canning jars. Home made gifts are special anyway and most appreciate the thoughtfulness more than an expensive gift that they probably didn't need anyway. Keep a stash of pretty ribbon, cords, tags etc. You can decorate the jar and attach the directions any way you like. Make it your own. The recipient will adore you for such a special gift made just for them!

Cobbler Mix in a Jar

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 cup sugar

Blend ingredients in a small bowl and place in an airtight container.

ATTACH THIS TO THE JAR:

Berry Cobbler

4 cups blueberries or strawberries
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 jar Cobbler Mix
1 cup melted butter
1 egg

Mix together together berries with orange juice and sugar. Pour this
mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. In a separate bowl combine Cobbler
Mix with melted butter and egg. Mix till everything sticks together and
drop by spoonfuls over the top of the berry mixture. Bake at 375 degrees
for 35 - 45 minutes. Cool about 15 minutes, This will serve 8 to 10.

There we have it!!! An absolutely lovely delicious homemade cobbler.
Comfort food at its best, a lingering aroma throughout the whole house
and all from a little decorated container given by a friend!!!
Be sweet, loveys!!

I Can Live Without Sex But Not My Glasses

My little daughter in law's sister (who is like one of my own daughters) sent this to me and it is just hilarious. It happens to be true, but when you actually put it into words, it is funnier somehow. No matter what your age, I think you will get a kick out of reading this!!!

Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!

01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

02.. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

03. No one expects you to run--anywhere...

04. People call at 9 pm and ask, did I wake you?

05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

07. Things you buy now won't wear out.

08. You can eat supper at 4 pm.

09. You can live without sex but not your glasses.

10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.

13. You sing along with elevator music.

14.. Your eyes won't get much worse.

15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off..

16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

19. You can't remember who sent you this list.

And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.

AND TRY TO ALWAYS REMEMBER ...

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Now, is that not just funny?!! Laughter is good for the soul, so I hope this has made you laugh and, remember to be sweet!!!!!

Gift in a Jar, a Gift From the Heart

Almond Joy Brownie Gift Mix in a Jar

2-1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1-1/4 cups flaked coconut, sprinkled

With 1 tsp. Almond extract and tossed to blend

3/4 cup coarsely chopped whole almonds

1-1/4 cups flour mixed with 1 tsp. Baking powder and 1 tsp. Salt

Layer ingredients in order given in a 1-qt. Wide mouth jar.

Press each layer firmly in place before adding next ingredient.

Be sure to use a wide mouth jar because it is a very tight fit

to get all ingredients into jar.

Attach recipe to the jar:

Almond Joy Brownies

1. Empty jar of brownie mix into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands

To thoroughly blend mix.

Add: 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, not diet,

Mix until completely blended. Spread batter in a

Sprayed 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30

Minutes. Cool completely in pan. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Makes 2 dozen brownies.

A great way to attach instructions is to write them on a brown paper bag, cut with shaped scissors or pinking shears, fold and punch a hole large enough for a length of cord or fiber to fit around neck of jar. Also, jar may be decorated in numerous ways, including cutting a round piece of country print fabric to fit under lid and jar ring. Ideas are endless for this type of gift that comes straight from the heart! It is one we took time to make and put together ourselves and that is the very best, for in so doing, we give of ourselves.

Be sweet!!!

Ugly Shoes and Clothes That Don't Match

Though growing old ain't what it's cracked up to be, it does have its perks. I can wear ugly shoes and clothes that don't match and no one gives it a second thought! I no longer try to impress anyone, nor am I easily impressed by others. I wrap up in a horrible leopard print coat that once was very stylish!! I LOVE that coat!! It is sooo warm and I could never part with it. When I get out in the snow, it looks like a leopard has escaped from the zoo, but I am so warm and snug, then people get a good look at me and just silently say, "Oh, that explains it." How happy I am that I no longer have to explain anything to anyone. "Oh, she's just old".
I can watch the Soap Opera channel, sit in my rocking chair and eat chocolates all day long if I choose! I can even be fat and shop in the Big Mama section of a store without feeling one bit conspicuous!!
If I don't want to answer a question, I can pretend I didn't hear it and no one is the wiser!! People hurry to open doors for me and help me cross the street.
Young boys carry my groceries to the car, smiling like they have just won the lottery. "Where do you want this, Maam, in the trunk or the back seat?"
I guess the greatest perk would be learning to accept yourself and realize it is okay to be exactly who you are.
Be sweet!!

How To Make A Ziplock Omelet

This was sent to me by a friend and it seems almost too simple to be true or good!!  Trust me, it is both.  I would just add a little bit of butter with the eggs.  It is really amazing what we women can concoct to help us along in our daily busy lives!  I urge you to give this one a try and promise it will be a keeper!!                                                                                                                               (This works great !!! Good for when all your family is together. The best part is that no one has to wait for their special omelet !!!)

Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.
Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.
Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.
Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes [we did 15 minutes]. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.
Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great

Now it doesn't get much simpler than that!  And what fun to put what you want into a plastic bag and see a delicious homemade omelet roll out!!   

You know the rest ---- be sweet!!!

I have so many goodies to share with you over the holidays I can barely sleep at night, wondering which to do next.  Do you like desserts, gift presentation, gifts in a jar?  Please let me know as this is your blog as much as mine.  We are in this together and no sense in writing something no one is interested in.  I have some gift tags that can be downloaded, printed and cut out, etc.  What do you say?  Anyone who would like to share an idea or recipe would be welcome to write a post on "Angels".  Love you all!!        Once more, be sweet and SMILE.

Thank You, Helen

"The best and most beautiful things in the world can not be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller

This is the most intuitive few words I have ever read in a quote.  What wisdom little Helen Keller had, the beauty she felt with her heart has taught us all so much.  I am in awe of such insight!!

Be sweet!!!   I can't see you all out there , but I feel in my heart you will!             Later, Friends.

Some Really Good Information Here!!!

This is soooo right!!
Now everyone remember to always, always tell the truth and above all, be sweet!

Bloggers Make the Best Buddies

Loree, of Stories and Scribbles, has given me an award!!   I am so happy to accept and post to my little ole' bloggie!!  It lifts us up when we are the recipient of an award, just adds a little more zing to the day to know someone thinks we are special enough to deserve an award.  Loree is such a little sweetie and I would encourage every one of you to visit her blog if you haven't done so before.  You will be pleasantly surprised.  It is so colorful, with the header full of beautiful flowers that I wish were in my front yard!!

The rules of the award are as follows:

1. say thank you and give a link to the presenter

2.share 10 honest things about yourself

3.Present the award to 7 other blogs

4.tell them of the award and the rules

Okay, now here are the 7 blogs to pass this award to, although it is hard to just give it to 7 when you would rather give it to 70, but rules are rules!!

1. My Creations and  More

2.The Breathing Post

3.The Rainbow Bank

4.Marie's Cozy Corner

5.New Scribbles From Glynis Smy

6.RandomWAHMThoughts

7.Momma Young @ Home

Now comes the easy part, ten honest things about me, which definitely will not include my shoe size 'cause there is no way I'm gonna' be honest about that!!!

1. I love having my first cup of coffee at dawn on my deck, watching the squirrels gather acorns, preparing for winter, watching the sun rise is awesome and I am thankful then for my sight!!

2. I become very attached to people very easily.

3. I just love giving something I have made to someone.  It makes my insides glow.  I can't see them glow, I just know they do.

4. I don't like to complain.  I sometimes do, but that doesn't have to make me like it!!  I have nothing actually to complain about.  

5. When I think of my grand children and the 4 little great grandchildren, I am filled with something totally beyond description, I feel as if I will just burst with the fullness of whatever it is ...  with love, happiness, pride ... there are no words known to man to describe what I feel, so the best I can do is just say I love them so!  They are my angels, they are my heart. Their lives all came down from mine and I look at them in disbelief ....  they are my treasure!!!!

6. Since my SCA I sometimes wake up in the morning and can't remember what I'm supposed to do.  (that was a hard one ... I really needed to share that but it is so much like complaining)

7. I love kettle corn and make it almost every night. 

8. I am already thinking of goodies to make for Christmas, both edible and crafty, baskets, gifts in a jar, that sort of thing.  I adore the decorated gifts in a jar and have many to share with you.

9.  I still believed when I was in the 7th grade that the doctor brought one of my brothers in an apple box and the other in a suitcase.  When I raised my hand to share this bit of info with my classmates, they all started laughing!  I just laughed too.  I don't remember when I finally figured out they were laughing because I was so dumb!!!  I can't even remember when or how I learned that's not how my brothers got here!

10. I wish I could learn to design scrapbook sets.

There, you have it!!   I was  completely honest about the way I thought my brothers came into the world.  Guess you can tell I led a very sheltered life!  I was a senior in high school at age 16 and lived in the country my entire life.  My mom's relatives were from the mountains of Northwest Arkansas and dad's hailed from the hills of Kentucky ... need I say more?  I used to break ice in a "washpan" to heat on the old wood stove to get ready for school, but, let me tell you, those were the days!!!!  How grateful I am to have had them.

Homemade Happiness 2

It's getting closer every day to the biggie - to Christmas!!! I know it is not quite October, but good grief, now that I have retired and have all this time on my hands I just don't see any sense of driving myself any crazier by waiting till the last minute, to say nothing of all the cashiers and employees in and near every store close to the mall!!

If they have been there a few years, they know me by name and I can hear them sometimes (though they think just because I am old I can't hear good and usually speak to me in unusually loud voices). They will warn newer employees when they see me. I understand clearly every word that is said. "Oh, my God!! There she is again, the one I told you about. I had hoped she would not make it through another Christmas, but she is one tough old bird and it is beginning to look like she will be here long after I'm gone. Don't let her get you so rattled you just throw up your hands and walk out the door. I promise, they are not all like this one! Fact of the matter, I don't believe there are any like this one. Get through this without going to jail and you have it made! If you make her happy, you can do whatever it takes to survive in this business and you will have a great career, possibly in management."

Well, I do have to do my rushing around at the last minute, digging through stacks of stuff, opening boxes, laying dresses removed from hangers across a rack, that sort . It is so much easier and quicker and I am in such a hurry for I have waited till the last few days. It's so Christmasy (is that a word?).

I have been known to leave a perfectly neat store in shambles in way less than an hour!! It is the only way to look is all I can say. I do feel a bit guilty that store personnel must stay late after closing to have the business presentable for the next day's customers. Not too guilty though, 'cause it sure doesn't keep me from a good night's sleep after I have separated my purchases into piles to keep as presents and piles to return because it didn't seem somehow to be what I had wanted after all. Oh well, a trip back the next day will keep me young and give the employees job security.
This will be repeated till the last store closes on Christmas Eve and you would think they'd be glad to see me as I buy and return till the very last minute, begging them to stay open just a little longer while I try to decide on the necklace I tried on and cannot get unclasped now or the cute sweater I have hung somewhere and am unable to talk one , not even one of them to help me find it!! They will only unclasp the necklace, scoot me out the door, lock it quickly behind me, yelling Merry Christmas the whole time.

How in the heck can I have a merry Christmas now? I haven't even decided who to give what for I am not really completely sure what presents I have even bought!!!

Just now the last part of September and I have time to begin to think about and plan Christmas.

Everyone knows when you retire, you are broke, so I will get to give presents of the very best kind ... gifts from the heart, handmade and homemade with love in every speck! Not a cute sweater lost on some rack in a store or a necklace I have to practically strangle myself to remove, but a gift made with my own hands, mind and heart, a treasure for them to keep and that is the best kind of gift after all. 

Ain't retirement grand!!??!
Most importantly, never forget to be sweet and always be good!

Kind of, Sort of, Close Your Eyes And You Won't Know The Difference

Almost Payday

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup marshmallow creme

1/2 lb white chocolate coating, melted                                                  

Melted caramels, for dipping

Chopped peanuts

Mix together peanut butter, marshmallow creme and melted white chocolate coating.  

Roll into sort of log shapes or into balls, if it is easier.  Freeze.  It is absolutely necessary

to freeze these before dipping in the caramel, otherwise they will melt and mix with the

caramel.

Dip each frozen log or ball in melted caramel and roll into chopped peanuts.  

These truly are so easy to make and so tasty.  True, we have the sugar, but none of the other ingredients in a purchased candy bar, most of which I can't even pronounce, let alone describe!! Who in the heck wants to eat something we can't pronounce??!  

I hope you will give these a try and let me know how they turn out.  Wouldn't this be a nice kitchen gift, each piece wrapped separately, in delicate, pastel tissue paper, bagged in quart or gallon size bags and tied with a pretty ribbon  with a handmade tag attached?

 

Oh, gosh!  I'm getting nuts now and wanting to put this in a mixing bowl with measuring cup and a mixing spoon with a bow tied to the handle.  We are limited by only our imagination. Homemade is always better.        Be sweet and be good!!!  

  

 

Great Grandson, Christian James Wilcox (and walking on streets of gold)

Isn't he a little doll?  His big sister, Anna, at the ripe old age of 3 is just like a little mama hen with him!  He is just too sweet and look at those muscles!!  His name wasn't chosen right away, for the new parents could not come up with a name that was good enough for him!  Now, is that cute, or what!!  I think he always needs to know this.  He just has to grow up knowing he was so precious to his mommy and daddy that there didn't seem a name good enough for this little boy to called.  Finally, they did settle on Christian and that does seem to fit him perfectly.  Christian Wilcox ... see, it has quite a ring to it!!!  I don't see how it is possible to have so much love in your heart for someone so little and tiny.  I love him soooooo much!!!

I have to tell you this about Anna.  First off, you never know what will come out of that little mouth when she opens it.  She is so funny.  The funniest thing is, she doesn't even try to be funny.   She is serious as she can be, turning her little head to one side, with both hands on her hips, she can keep you laughing all day long.  The other day Kristi asked her to please clean her room, to which she replied, "Mommy, my room is already clean."  Mom suggested she take a look at it, so off she went to give her room an "Anna inspection".  She stood in the middle of her room, put both hands on those little hips, turned that head to one side and said, "Sometimes I disgust myself!".  

I tell you, it is this sort of thing that keeps me going!!!  It makes not just my day, but my week, my month, even, I guess, my years.  About 8 years ago, the docs suspected I would not last much longer, maybe a couple of years at most.  I said, "Well, we'll just see about that!!"  I had recently become a great grandmother to Abigail, my very first great grandchild and I knew I had to stay to play dolls with her and have tea parties and love her.  I told them a couple of years later that I was going to be around to see her get  married.  They asked how hold she was and I said, "Two."  Well, the good doctor slapped me on the knee and said, "I'll give you this --- you are a trooper!!!"  I rarely speak of this and perhaps never will again but I had a sudden cardiac death on New Year's Day, 2008.   I was shocked back to life when I had no pulse, no heart beat and no blood pressure.  It happened twice.  Again, they gave my kids not much hope, but as usual, I have not aggravated them enough, so I am not ready to go just yet!!  I don't remember anything except one morning I was putting on my clothes and the next week I began to wake up in the Coronary Care Unit.  I didn't know it then, only that I was in the hospital for something and for the life of me didn't know why.  Well, anyway, now I had to have a pacemaker this time.  I had primacor treatments twice a week for half a day at a time for 3 years.  I have also been on oxygen since 2002.  I have numerous heart problems (it would be too simple to only have one), I have congestive heart failure, an enlarged heart and other stuff I can never remember or pronounce.  I also have COPD, degenerative disc disease and a host of other health conditions.  It is simpler never to discuss them, so now that I have, I won't again.  That is boring old stuff when we all know it is so much better to laugh and be happy.  Oh, I don't always make it, but I will always be caught trying.  I have lost my home, my savings, my car, everything I had due to the catastrophic illnesses.  My treatments alone were almost $70,000 a year, besides all the labs, doctors, hospitals and I won't even go there!!  The important thing is I don't even care, because I am rich with things money cannot buy and consider myself to be so very lucky.  I think we can choose how we feel inside.  I have riches that no amount of money can buy!!!  You can't put a price on the love of a child, you can't put a price on a gift made just for you by the loving hands of your very own daughter, you can't put a price on a hug from a grandson when he wakes up, saying, "Grandma gets the first hug."

Now, I sure got carried away for some reason, but you know ....    be sweet!!!   

A Great Kitchen Gift

This is a great gift from the heart from one who loves to cook! Any mom or grandma would be pleased as punch to receive a gift of this sort. It is one that you have spent time and thought on. There are also so many ways to vary a kitchen gift -- add a new mixing bowl, a pan for the cobbler, mixing spoons, cups , napkins, a few flowers, spice bottles, flavorings, the list is endless. You can print out this page or type up your own instructions and recipe on cardstock and cut the size of a recipe card, punch a hole in the card and tie to basket handle or whatever else you can come up with. I would love to hear some of your suggestions or pictures of what you have done. I will make a recipe card to download or a tag to personalize if you would like. Just let me know.



CRANBERRY PEACH COBBLER MIX IN A BASKET

Give this mix in a decorated basket along with canned pie filling, cranberry sauce and make a recipe card for the easy baking instructions.

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 cans peach pie filling
2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce

Place cake mix, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg in large mixing bowl and mix well, cutting in butter with fork or pastry blender. Stir in pecans if you like to include them.

Divide cobbler mix in half and place in 2 resealable plastic bags. Store in refrigerator till ready to assemble gift. This will make about 5 cups, (2 1/2 cups mix in each bags).

In each of 2 pretty or decorated baskets, place 1 bag cobbler mix, 1 can peach pie filling, 1 can cranberry sauce and the following instructions:

Cranberry Peach Cobbler:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine pie filling and cranberry sauce, and place into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle cobbler mix over fruit mixture. Bake 45 minutes or until browned.

Serve warm with ice cream.


Now be a crafty cook and make up a gift in a basket for another crafty cook!! I promise you will love giving it and the recipient will love receiving it. It's a win-win gift. Makes us feel good to give something we've taken the time to put together for another and they feel special to be on the receiving end of such a thoughtful gift.

Be sweet and get those ideas in here so we can share with each other!! Later.

Pictures of The Heart

In nothing are we as rich as in our memories; they are pictures painted by our hearts, and nothing can erase them.
-- Flavia


Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right.
Henry Ford


Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
Ralph Waldo Emerson


It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly.
-- Mabel Newcombe


A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be a different place because I was important in the life of a child.


Love from a baby. It is not a slight thing when those so fresh from God love us. Dickens


Babies are always more trouble than you thought ... and more wonderful than you ever dreamed. Charles Osgood


If you want to be Rich,
Just count all the things
you have that money cannot buy.


A truly rich man is one whose children run
into his arms when his hands are empty.


"Seek the wisdom of the ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child." Ron Wild

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory." Betty Smith


The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground. " unknown


"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. "
Jack Kerouac



"Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow!" Norman Vincent Peale


"Inspiration does not come from the quote itself, but rather the person behind it." Russ Myers


"Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. " Cadet Maxim


"Leap and the net will appear. " Zen saying


"A diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure." unknown


"Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. " Henry Van Dyke

Some of us Have All The Luck

Just got out of the hospital today and I am so far behind it looks like I'm ahead!!  I expect to be going full speed in a short time.  I love and appreciate all of you so much for bearing with me and hanging in there, despite my absence.  You know, He sure never promised us a rose garden.  (I love saying that, but I believe this is the first time I have ever written it.  Somehow it seems more real and easier by far to recall if something is written instead of merely spoken.)  

Not only have angels been in my garden, they have looked after me very well, no matter where I seem to be.  Great news to share ...... I am going to have 2 (not just 1, but 2) more great grandchildren.  We know one is a boy and not sure about the other one yet.  We'll take whatever we get and be pleased as punch with it.  I am so excited, I can hardly wait.  Little babies are absolutely the most precious, innocent little beings in the entire universe! They just ooze sweetness and softness. 

Kristi and Heath will be blessed with a little baby boy soon.  Brittany and Nathan have a while to wait on their little blessing, as she has just learned the good news.  You know I will have constant updates for I am just too, too grateful that I have been allowed the pleasure of playing with a great grandchild.  Some of us have all the luck!!  What can I say?  (except be sweet and be good ...) 

Have a Lovely Holiday

Be sweet and always be good!!

A Look At Laughter

We all need a good laugh once in a while - well not once in a while actually, but most of the time. Laughter is so good for so many things. We feel better and those around us feel better. We certainly look better when we have a smile on our face. You know, when we think happy thoughts, we become happy.
Now that just so happens to be true!!
Just try thinking about something very sad that happened in your life and before long you feel sad, so sad that often tears begin to fall. When we make a conscious effort to change our thoughts to the positive, the good things in our lives, the things we are thankful for , ice cream on a hot day, a field of yellow sunflowers, the way our grandma never talked baby talk to us .... you just can't keep that good feeling, that joy we were meant to feel at bay and soon we are humming a song, going happily about our day, making others happy along the way. Life is good!
Anyway here are a couple of little husband and wife thingies that I hope brings a smile to your face, as it did to mine. Anyway, these are too funny not to pass on!


A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and
neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs,
the husband asked sarcastically, 'Relatives of yours?'
'Yep,' the wife replied, 'in-laws.'

A man and his wife were having some problems at home
and were giving each other the silent treatment.
Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him
at 5:0 0 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,
'Please wake me at 5:00 AM.' He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him,
when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, 'It is 5:00 AM. Wake up.'
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

Are you smiling? I sure hope so. Later. Be sweet!!!!