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December…

06 Jan

Apparently, December was not the month for me to blog. My daughter’s recovery from surgery lasted 6 weeks instead of the 7-10 days the doctor told her to prepare for. We got through it, and she was finally released from the doctor’s care on December 30. It was an interesting month, plus as you are all familiar with we had the usual holiday preparations and activities. Whew! I am really glad it’s over! I do have a few favorite cookie recipes I will be sharing soon, and as in November we had another successful Turkey roast for Christmas day as well.

December Sunset

December was actually a lot of fun. My friend had a wonderful open house early on for the holidays, and it was absolutely fabulous! She and her husband have had this event for several years, and we ended the night by playing games for hours. Had a beautiful snow on Christmas day, which was a real surprise. We haven’t had a white Christmas in these parts since 1963. Got to spend lots of time with my family. One daughter and family live close enough to be with us on Christmas Day. Grandkids and presents and food, what a great combination! My son and my dad were snowed in, but I go to see them on New Year’s day. Another day of Grands and food and fun, oh my! New Year’s eve is also my birthday, and we had a blast with some close friends for that too. So there was a lot going on and we did get to enjoy a lot of December.

I also spent a good deal of time contemplating some things. I lost a friend last year right before the holidays, and since she had been in my life for more than 20 years I was thinking about her some this year. I have a wonderful friend that is in France for 1 or 2 years with her husband’s job. We use to talk every day or two, but now I leave her a message or she leaves me one, and we’ve only been able to talk twice in about 3 months. She and I touch base on Facebook and it’s nice to share their adventures that way, but I do miss talking with her. I am very happy and blessed with my friends here too, but seems we are all going through ‘stuff!’ right now. Sometimes it’s just hard to talk. I guess that’s why I didn’t blog more. It’s written talk, and I just didn’t have it in me to talk much lately.

I still have a quilt to finish, and will post pictures when I have that done too. It’s a brand new year and I’ve got lots of great plans for it! Hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season with your friends and loved ones. I also hope and pray for you to have the best year of your life in 2011! Talk to you soon, Angela

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Posted in Family, Friendship, Ponderings

My Thanksgiving….

25 Nov

This is a pictorial review of my Thanksgiving, beginning with the Turkey I roasted myself! This is the first Thanksgiving in a few years that my family and I have been able to be together, and I am very excited! I knew I was happy about it, but didn’t realize until today how excited I was!!!!! Yay! For those of you that may not know, I AM NOT a cook. So, with that statement hopefully you can understand my bird excitement! It was really easy to do too. I defrosted it in the fridge since Monday, and then took it out this morning and took out the giblets (yes, I did remember that ) and stuck him in a 350 degree oven for about 4 hours. I started checking him at 3 hours, but it took a full 4 for him to look like this. I started out with him in this little disposable roasting pan, and stuffed an onion inside for flavor and rubbed a little butter and salt on the outside. Then I covered the pan with tinfoil for the first 3 hours and took the foil off for the last hour. I hope it tastes as good as it looks! We will find out at 4 PM.

I also watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, for the maybe 44th time in my life. Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without me watching that parade! Here are a few of my favorites for you to enjoy too….

First, my favorite of favorites!

Second, their turkey. I think mine is better Alton Brown from Food Network was the pilgrim on top….

Third, another favorite, Kermie!

Next, Hello Kitty! Another big fav in my house.

The last few are:

Yep, Horton hears a Who with his little Who clover, the Pillsbury Dough Boy and The Smurfs.

Santa of course ended the parade, but sadly I wasn’t able to take a pic of him in time. But I’m sure he’ll show up again, probably about December 25th.

The last picture I have to share is of the pecan pie Daughter number one made for us. I can’t wait to take a bite…yum! She’s an old pro at them, she has made 3 or 4 now….I’m so excited! My Daddy is coming too….we are going to have a wonderful meal!

So, as I depart to put the finishing touches on this fabulous family gathering, I will share with you one of my favorite ditties:

May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump, may your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious and your pies take the prize, and may your THANKSGIVING dinner stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Let me know how much you are enjoying your day as well! Angela

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Posted in Family, memories

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

12 Nov

Yesterday was Veteran’s Day. I always remember Memorial Day, but somehow forget Veteran’s Day. My Grandfather served in World War 1. One of his battles was in the Black Forest in Germany. He loved to tell us stories about some of the places he traveled, but would never talk about anything that happened during the war to me. I know he was in Germany and Italy, probably France too but I don’t remember specifically. I loved my Grandpa. He passed away when I was 12. I have a tiny little picture of him in his Army uniform somewhere. Sorry I can’t share it now, I will be glad to when I find it. My dad also served in the Air Force, but not during any wars. Thanks for protecting us, both of you. That’s kinda what dad’s are suppose to do, and you both did it well. I’m proud of you both and love you lots! John Wayne said: “Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.” I’m sure every veteran we have ever had hopes this too, that wars would not be the means we had to use in this world, but I’m thankful for those brave enough to put themselves in harms way to protect us and our freedom. I’m not an advocate of war, and I hate some of the things that come from it, but I will never forget the sacrifices that my Grandpa suffered to protect us with his service. There are many service men and women who are sacrificing for us still today. When you see them, thank them for their service. The least they deserve is our thanks.

Today is Friday. It is a strange and wonderful month for me, all at the same time. The month of Thanksgiving with all the food and trimmings a small army could eat! We’ll be celebrating at my house this year because Daughter Number 2 will be recovering from surgery, and I get to have them home with me. I’m looking forward to it! Turkey with stuffing, dressing for my Daddy, twice baked potatoes for Daughter Number 1, other fixin’s to go with those and cheese cake by Daughter Number 2 for dessert. Yum!

Several other things have also happened during this month as well. This is the month of my marriage, and the month of the beginning of my separation. It seemed so strange that first year to have separated from my husband the same month we had promised forever to each other. The first year was horrible, somehow I got through it and got to the new year and new spring and summer. Now we are a few years past it all and I”m glad things have turned out the way they have, really very grateful. I enjoy my life now and wouldn’t have it any other way. I am also glad my marriage produced my wonderful children and grandchildren, can’t imagine life without any of them! Speaking of children, that brings us to….

Ole! Happy Birthday Daughter...

Tomorrow. It is my baby’s birthday. My BABY is gonna be 25! Just doesn’t seem possible for her to be that old, then again my oldest child is my son and he is 30. Time flies people! Time flies and things change, and you really have to learn to enjoy where you’re at and drink in every moment you can. So tomorrow we will celebrate my daughter’s birth, going out to dinner and see if we can get someone to sing Happy Birthday to her like last year. That’s what the pic is from, the Mexican restaurant we took her and the family to. She declared it lots of fun even with the hat on . Good sport she was! We’ll have cake and presents, and maybe even watch a movie after if she wants to. It is also the month of several of my friends birthdays so it is a month of celebration. Happy Birthday to all and to all a good night! Ole!

Do you have any thing to celebrate other than Thanksgiving this month? I think I have at least one reader who is one of the friends with a birthday this month, right? Hope you have a happy everything everyone! Angela

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Posted in Family, Friendship, memories

Don’t Make Get My Flying Monkeys….

08 Nov

Flying Geese quilt block

Well, you don’t know this, but I do. I’m a little behind on my quilt blocks and procedures. Let me present my last and one of the easiest quilt blocks I have completed to date: Flying Geese. You use triangles to put it together. In my case, you sew one smaller purple triangle to the larger multi turquoise one, iron, and add second purple triangle. That makes what I called a flying goose. . Then you make a second goose and attach the two for geese. Easy Peasy. No Flying Monkeys required.

I really enjoyed this one, it went quick and easy, no complications like the 9 patch variation and the friendship star. I must say the star looks much better than I thought it could. I blogged about it last time. I almost called those pesky Flying Monkeys out on that one to get it finished, or ripped apart . Thankfully, the color in the material I used for it blended so well it hides my imperfections pretty well. I really enjoyed the ease Flying Geese went together with. I made zero mistakes with it as far as I can tell, so that makes it and the Rail Fence my most successful blocks so far. I think my Sampler is going to turn out great though. Since I had to bring up Flying Monkeys, I’ve got an awesome Halloween card from Boyfriend that I want to tell you about. . . . . .

Wicked Witch of the West

This card made me laugh! I love the Wizard of Oz. It is one of my all time favorite movies. I love Dorothy’s parting words to Scarecrow: I think I’m going to miss you most of all. I love how all the characters develop and become friends and love each other. It is such a great movie. The card reminded me how much fun I have when I watch it. I didn’t watch it for Halloween, but maybe I should have! I may have to start a new tradition next year….

I am getting more and more excited about this quilt everyday! I have a a piece of material with scenes from the farm of the Wizard of Oz I may try my hand at next. Tomorrow I will show you have far Candy’s quilt has come, and a beautiful one that our instructor Stephanie is working on. In the meantime, hope you have a fun day, without too much trouble. But if you get in trouble, just remember to blame it on those pesky monkeys! Talk to you tomorrow! Angela

Don't Make Me Call Them!

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Posted in Friendship, sewing

Yard Sales Anyone?

28 Jul

I mentioned I enjoy going to yard sales. Apparently I have also infected my boyfriend with this virus as well. Here are a few things we have picked up recently.

Vintage Diva - 1974 Cher Album

I absolutely LOVE this one, a circa 1974 Vintage Diva LP, that’s Long Playing Album to you youngsters out there. I use to put one of Cher’s albums on my little portable turntable and kick back and put my feet up and enjoy the groove. I was all of 13 or 14 for some of this . Ahhhh, youth!

Summers were long and hot then, no air conditioner for us. We had big roll out windows and fans, and the fans ran all summer long too. Thing is, it was only unbearably hot a few days out of the year. Nowadays I don’t know how I would live without air conditioning. I regularly thank God for giving some one the ability to invent it. It’s not ALL hot flashes you know!

Cute Little Purse

Next on the yard sale find list is this little goodie, a made in China number. The little tag hanging off the side says ‘hancrofted,’ I think someone was going for ‘handcrafted.’ It made me smile, and I like the colors, so a couple of bucks later it was mine. It’s so small though that it won’t hold all my necessities, so I haven’t used it yet. It’s still pretty….

I enjoy looking through things at the sales and bartering with people, friendly stuff, I’m not into the rough haggling some do. My boyfriend, being new to all this, is just learning how to barter. He hasn’t actually done it yet, but he is taking notes. He also knows I am not going to get up early to hit said sales, but around 9:30 or 10 he will say, “Doncha want to get out there honey? I saw some signs about yard sales in the neighborhood, you never know what we might find….” It works. We get out the door and find a few good things even late in the morning. Don’t be surprised if I post some OMG! pictures later, there are quite a few interesting things to be seen as well as the good stuff.

Tray and wire Basket

Last but not least are these two, a nice tray and a wire basket. I apologize for the quality of the pictures, I couldn’t find a good angle for this one. The tray is a nice group of flower arrangements which look nice together. We also bought another tray not pictured with birds on it. My daughter and I love to use trays, it helps keep the mess contained. I had a coffee pot overflow one time and run all over my counter, and I mean ALL OVER! I still don’t know how that much coffee got in the thing! A friend suggested sitting it in a tray, with sides, so at least if it happened again it wouldn’t cover my 10 feet of counter. Sounded like I good idea to me, and it worked well with a later coffee mishap. Point to note here: I got rid of that coffee pot and got a new one. Haven’t had any overflows since then.

The reason for the wire basket in all of it’s utilitarian glory? The one year old granddaughter can now pick up 5 lb. bags of things….like apples….and potatoes…..she loves to move them around the house so we can play hide and seek with the vegetables…..not my favorite game . Have you ever smelled old, rotten potatoes? Not pleasant is all I’ll say. Actually, I’ll say more. Gag a maggot is more like it! So, I got the basket, which should hold about 5 lb of potatoes, although I haven’t bought a new bag to try yet. My daughter has already found a use for it though, it has some squash in it currently.

A new addition is this dvd I really like: Pinky and the Brain. Their cartoons make me laugh my head off!

So, hope you enjoyed my romp through the sales! Let me know what you find, ok? See ya, Angela

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Posted in humor, Yard Sales

Lightning, Thunder, RAIN!

26 Jul

Rainbow from another storm

Wow! Did we have a storm tonight….some of the biggest lightning strikes I’ve ever seen, and I have seen a bunch! We got lots of needed rain, but it came down very fast and hard, so not much time for soaking I’m afraid. Oh well, we are in a drought in the South, so hopefully it will help.

I have always been fascinated by storms. When I was a child we apparently lived in some sort of special spot. Special to lightning that is. I think the total count of lightning strikes to the house was 12 or 13. Once it knocked our 7 bricks from the outside, blew out an outlet in my grandmother’s room, blowing up her little lamp as well, then ricocheted somehow into the toilet, which was cracked. That was a very surreal experience. I think I was about 6 or 7 at the time. The boom from the strike was so loud we couldn’t hear for a while. Mom and Dad could smell something like a weird burning scent, and after about 15 minutes of searching, Daddy found a nice big hole in the back of the house. We didn’t have power for a couple of days while the electrician repaired the damage. It took a few more days for a brickmason to fix the hole, but soon the house was good as new, waiting for the next storm…

Then there was the time that lightning managed to charge the bolts on our kitchen door just as my sister was trying to unlatch it to let the dog in. She was hanging there for a while it seemed, pinned by the electrical charge from lightning that was running our main eletrical lines outside the house, the ones that come from your meter box. The lightning landed there that day, but just glanced off we were later told. Oh yeah, and my sister? She suddenly fell to her knees, a little shaken but unbelievably unhurt. And our dog was fine too.

When I was in my early 20′s, another storm blew up our way and brought a small twister with it. It didn’t touch the house, just pulled the basketball goal out of the ground and chunked it at me. I was trying to put out a small fire that had started outside, and was very happy said ball goal missed me. The storm’s aim was off that day . I didn’t get to pull a Dorothy Gayle either and check out Oz, but maybe one day!

I could go on for several more stories, but I’m sure you get the idea. So yeah, I have a little storm experience, and today just added another tale to the list. As we were closing our office, a fairly big storm started pelting rain in the parking lot, with leaves and trash swirling everywhere. Then the lightning started, big bright bolts with loud, close thunder right behind. The building slightly shook a couple of times, then the surge protector in the back office started beeping at us, letting us know it was a good thing we had shut down the equipment and were headed out the door. So no umbrella, (after it all it was hot and sunny this morning, why would I need an umbrella?) I dash to my car as fast as I can. Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

The lightning seemed to still be close as I headed up the road to go home. It would strike and I would hear thunder immediately, indicating the storm was right on top of me. I was feeling glad to be in my car with rubber tires on the ground under me when suddenly to my left…..BOOM! Lightning strikes! BOOM! It strikes again, this time hitting a transformer off to my left, and I don’t see how anything could be left of it! Quite a little sizzle and fizz going on there too, but it was far enough away that it didn’t touch my car and I hit the gas and kept heading home. Whew!

So, I hope your evening was a little quieter and more relaxing. But then again, I do like explosions, and a little entertainment never hurt anyone! I think mother nature was just putting on a great big show for me. Let me know if you ever make it to Oz, and I will be sure to do the same!

3 Comments

Posted in Ponderings

The Walking Wounded

22 Jul

Life has shot arrows at all of us. Unfortunately it isn’t some figurative bow they come from, but actual hands and mouths of people we know. Christians like to shoot their wounded, so they are gone and don’t remind them of their failures in ministry. But then…..others still open arms and hearts, like Ann Voskamp does, to try to answer questions, to help us not feel alone, to remind us we are not the only wounded soul on this planet…..sad is that, but true. Ann, I want to thank you for your blog. http://www.aholyexperience.com/ It has been a refreshing fountain for me to come and sit beside. You are a blessing to me.

A Place of Defense

I have been reading her for a few weeks now, her life is so different than mine, but still we have suffered similar things. Funny that thing of experience. Pain knows no boundaries, and we have all been touched by it. One of my dear Catholic friends once told me our pain is never wasted, God sees it as a sacrifice, sees and aches and hears our cries, so to never feel our pain is wasted. I am 4 or 5 years divorced from my former husband of 28 years, 3 children, and now 6 grand-children. Never thought it would be like that. But the nights when all I could do was collapse on my kitchen floor and cry, and ask the same questions we all have asked, “Why God? Why me? What did I do to deserve this, why are You letting this happen to me, to us, to my family?” Left for a time wondering if He even heard me, ever, at all.

But then, in a desperate night, feeling like a piece of garbage thrown away, God sent a friend. An old friend I wasn’t in touch with, who suddenly had my cell number and was calling me. Do I answer, or do I not? I answered, and then decided not to kill myself that night, not giving into the aching part of me that screamed I was a failure and it was all my fault. Because of course it wasn’t. God gave her, my friend, what I needed in that desperate hour to not do a desperate thing. And I made it through that night, and then a week, a month, almost a year…..

A place to rest...

Then again, when I needed some desperate touch from someone in flesh and blood and not just ethereal God, another friend from long ago and far away calls, warning of disaster, need to change this and not do that, real specific things she couldn’t have known without Someone giving her details. Once again, disaster was averted, and I was ok, and didn’t feel so lost, or abandoned or uncared for.

I pray for those of you who have suffered too. Suffered at the hands of friends, suffered at the hands of family, suffered from places too vast to mention here. I pray for you. For the same God who came to my desperate need and rescue to do the same wonderful things you need, and rescue you from a pit of despair, or a dark night or cloudy day. I know it won’t be exactly the same as what He did for me, because you need specific things for yourselves. I will be watching and reading as you share. Tell me how you have been rescued, how God and the universe did what you needed, and when and how.

You are not alone. If you are reading this, you are not alone. Others have suffered and survived and grown through it. You can too. That is also a prayer I will pray for you. I pray for your heart and soul to be washed in peace, to be rinsed in love and to be softened in hope. To dry and be strong, not brittle or hard, but strength of character, of honor, of justice. If injustice has been served to you, do not become the thing you hate and serve injustice to others. Serve Justice, Rightness, Quality. Do not become the thing you hate. Do not give in to it. Reach out and reach up. You can do this.

We are here together in this space and time. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I cherish each response. As always, Angela

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Posted in Ponderings, recovery

Holding On, Letting Go

12 Jul

I hold onto things. I have a hard time letting go. I think I learned this from my parents. Fine folks, my parents. Really good people. Parents raised by parents that survived a Depression, people who didn’t let go of anything because you never knew when you wouldn’t have enough, or when you might need more, or just have to have that thing you just let go of. So, I have learned my lessons well, and have a hard time letting go.

Unfortunately, I have lots of stuff I haven’t let go of yet. Bits of colored cloth I might make into something one day. Broken jewelry that needs a new clasp, or a broken bead removed, that will tarnish or turn before I get around to fixing it. A broken cup I keep gluing back together with Elmer’s school glue….non-toxic….I figure I can still use it if it’s non-toxic, right? A couple of pairs of shoes I can’t break in, they hurt my feet so badly! But I paid new price for them, so how can I just let them go?

Unfortunately too, it’s not just tangible things I hold on to, it’s many intangibles I have forgotten I hold. Memories that pop up like ugly jesters to poke fun of me in my head; “Aha! Caught you! You really are dumb, know that? You can’t figure this out, why even try?” The mocking words can go on and on, unless I think about it and stop them. Sometimes it takes me a little while to realize these words are rolling on and on in my head, like loose marbles rattling around, bumping into things and stirring up dust and cobwebs. Then suddenly I really hear them, and I stop, and think, now why am I doing this? And then I stop them. On Purpose. No, I am not dumb, I can figure this out. If I can’t figure this out, I can ask for help from my friends. I try because I can try, I have abilities and have worked hard to know and understand things, so….I might not have my answers right now, but I will….and not just my answers, but God answers, and friend answers or just because I needed it answers, an answer shows up and tells me hello. The answer will come. I just need to let go….

Let go of the anxiousness, let go of the fear, let go of the doubt and take hold of other things. Those things that are lovely, things that are pure, things that are noble, admirable and right…think and ponder and dwell on these things. Your puppy’s smiling face when you get home from work, the grand-baby that runs wide open into your arms when you pull up to see them. The day we get rain. The day we don’t. The way your significant one looks at you like you are a long tall glass of water on a very hot day. The fireman that saved the kid, or the dog, or the cat. The lost child that was found, the found treasure that was lost.

Hold on to the good, let go of the so-so. Hold onto things that are needed, let go of the excess. Hold on to the love, to the happiness, the fun and good times. Think on these things. Make a conscious effort to change your mind. Think on these things.

So, I need to take my own advice…and let go….

Let go of those things I hold onto that only weigh me down. Bitterness at lost friends, anger at an ex-boss, disappointment in myself for not being greater than and all that and better and super. Just let go, and love me and love others and love God and ….just….let….go…..and lean into that love that is there from children and grandchildren, from good friends and family. Love of color, love of fun, love of good food, and good times and all the good things I have been blessed with. So, …

Let’s learn together of the the things we need to let go of, and in return the good things we need to hold on to. To let go of mediocre because we are afraid better isn’t coming. To hold onto hope, because it is one of the greatest powers on earth. To let go of doubt, and fear because they are poison to our hearts and minds. Hold on with me, and I’ll hold on with you!

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Posted in Ponderings