Happy Birthday Party Day to you!

I woke up Steve this morning by singing "Happy Birthday party day to you!" and he said "oh you're cute" and went immediately back to sleep. Hmmmm....

So, I am off and running at before 6 am! It's gonna be a jam-crammed day and the first thing is getting groceries followed by an early soccer game for Riley (the last of the season)

And then... I'm off like a rocket to get everything done for (hopefully) a wonderful party for a wonderful man!

Allie, if you read this I'm taking some time out to send some prayers of support and comfort your way!

My eyes are heavy

but my heart is happy. It was a wonderful day spent with wonderful people. The sky has been gray and overcast and Steve and I have both been loving it!

Joanne and I spent the morning with Beth in her beautiful home set high atop a hill overlooking Ron's old log home. The sky was filled with gray and white, the gardens were scrumptious, talking to Beth is always peaceful and evocative.

Joanne and I wandered all over on the way home talking the whole way and then I ran to Joans for a quick visit to see Addie.

Steve and I then headed up toward Wooster to meet Terri and John and Francie and Gary! It was a wonderful meal shared with wonderful friends. Gary has the funniest stories, John is such an intelligent fascinating man and I never seem to find enough time to talk about everything I want to with sweet Terri. Francie is just as feisty as when we met up with her a few days ago in Kidron at Lehmanns Hardware.

It was just so much fun! Steve and I drove back and detoured through Hanoverton to admire the old brick buildings there and then headed back to the Lake.

I don't want to go home tomorrow. I just don't.

I want to steal the grandbabies and stay here forever.

sigh.

So far...

...here in Ohio I have not turned on the TV, not read a newspaper, have barely read a really, really good book I brought along and have not looked at a clock (none in the house where we are staying - although I have asked Steve a time or two to look at his watch)

However...so far I have walked in the rain, walked in the sun by a lake, laughed, hugged, celebrated, cuddled in bed talking for hours, admired flowers and landscapes, shared meals, laughter and tears with silver and gold friends, celebrated two birthdays, talked philosophy and book ideas, sat on the porch for hours watching herons and cardinals and sunshine sparkle on water. I have cried tears for two cousins who are both suffering and gone a far way down memory lane and back only to discover that I love my life. I love my friends. I love my family. And I love Ohio.

O H TEN

As my Dad says....Ohio! We're off! I'm excited! I'm soooo excited! Oh and BTW did I mention???? I'M EXCITED! AND HAPPY! Jessie and Kevin will be here in less then an hour so I need to get my rear in gear which is hard to do when I'm jumping up and down with excitement. Sorry you can't come!

Faith

"Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark."

Here little birdie...

Awww.... look at the little finch getting seeds from the batchelor buttons.

A company with a heart!

Ummm.... I want to tell you a little story that may seem a bit like a big fat work of fiction but it's true. I swear it on ... well... ummm.... my ex-husbands grave? Oh wait, he's still alive.... so... ummm... OK, it's just true.

A while back I got the Reds some rocketdog shoes:

http://www.rocketdog.com/

...which aren't super cheap. Definitely not K-mart but they were adorable and so are the Reds, of course, so what could I do.

But they were junk. Truly. Julia's little toes wore through the fabric before the third wearing perhaps so quickly because she was wearing them for the whole day at school, but still.

Anyway, I wrote to the company some time back because I was pretty annoyed that a pair of 7 shoes from K-mart holds up longer then their almost-30-dollar-shoes (but shhh.... don't tell Steve I spent that much, I probably fibbed a bit - ha)

So I had an e-mail from them today and they are going to honor the shoes and replace them and the girls are really excited.

And I am really excited that a company actually stands by their products!

If you need shoes go here first. It is an awesome company and I highly recommend it.

And now I want to tell you about going to the dentist this morning... ahhhh... I'll wait. Why ruin a feel good blog with tales of terror and besides, it'll give you something to look forward to.

But remember... go to:

RocketDog if you want to see some cute shoes!

Happy Mothers Day!

Mom, thank you for everything you do for us to make and keep us a family! I love you!

Git along little dawgie

Mo: Gwamma, Gwamma, come, come, come!
(she drags me down the hall from the laundry room)
Me: What's wrong?
Mo: Gwamma, Gwamma, Gwamma.... come, come, come!
Me: OK!
Mo: (Jumps up onto a kitchen chair and points out into the backyard) Look! LOOK! Is a COWBOY!!!!!!!!!!
(there is our yard guy mowing in his straw brimmed hat)
Mo: IS A COWBOY GWAMMA BUT WHAT HE IS RIDING?

She's so darned funny!

I want to sail away...

I want to sail away...yea... Actually I want my sail to stay. Ryan started on our shade sail today over the back patio and I love it. It reminds me of a funky piece of sculpture. Wait until you see it with the shade sail actually mounted. Oh boy, I'm excited!

Pigtails, balloons and probably not coming out of the closet anytime soon

You know, I'm not really sure how those three things connect and somehow they are all probably related to Kevin Bacon but in the interest of brevity (hey, quit laughing, you know I am a woman of few, few words...and BTW I saw that eye roll) I'll just get straight the point(s) and leave you to figure out the Kevin Bacon thing (if you don't understand what I'm talking about it's truly OK, It made sense inside my head and then when it escaped onto this screen I realized the thought might need a translator) Oh gosh, why did I start this post anyway? Oh yeah, I remember now...

First be prepared for a big "awwwwww". Oh gosh, Morgan in braids just makes my heart melt.

And nothing says child like balloons. Perhaps Winnie the Pooh said it best, "Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon”.


And listen, this really isn't child abuse of any form. I have a big laundry room closet. The girls take turns taking their naps in there each day. However, I told them on Friday we will empty another shelf and they can BOTH take their naps at the same time in the closet. Oh joy. Poor Julia. Look at all the fun stuff she misses being at school.

And see, hardly any words at all here. In fact it's almost just a picture book of a post with no verbage. I'm cool like that, ya know?

And no more coffee for me today. At all. Period.

Sigh.

Happy 7th Anniversary Greg and Megan

We love you both!

All about Steve, sorta

Well, Sunday my Mom and Steve and I made the invitations for his 60th Birthday party which is on May 30. It's an astronomy party and I have two big telescopes being set up and four people coming to tell us all about the sky and let us look at cool things. Here's the invitations. Aren't they cool? Steve did the water color part. My Mom did the coloring and attaching and I did the stamping and the envelopes.

And next, this morning Steve came in from the garden. I was laying in bed. "Guess what?" he said, almost jumping up and down (his broken foot stopped that, however) My artichoke has two baby artichokes on it! Yup, the plant he put into the garden is producing and this is one really happy fella.

This is one sweet guy. And he's not even mad at me for waking him up in the middle of the night to talk. He's a keeper.

Needles and maybes

So... earlier in the week I had a call from a fairly large catalog company asking if I would consider writing a ZippyStrippyQuilt book for kids. I whipped up six page and sent it off and should hear next week. I'm nervous, excited but mostly thinking they won't like it.

They also asked me if I could write instructions for and design a memory quilt for parents to make about their children. I came up with what I think is a good idea, had my friend Roxie help me figure out the measurements, etc. drew up a watercolor board and sent it off as well. No word on that either.

Either way, this was a fun thing to do and flattering. I'm just not sure how it's gonna fly.

But it has pretty much consumed the last few days. Keep your fingers crossed for me, K?

And today I went to my next door neighbor again in my quest for anti-aging on my face. I had something called needling done on all the deep wrinkles. Ummm... well... should I have Steve take a picture of me? It might scare you. I'm very curious what will happen but for the next five days apparently I am going to look slightly freakish...like someone with some really, really bad halloween makeup on.

And now I'm exhausted. And heading for the couch. And trying not to scrinch up from the needle marks on my face.

And thinking as I do fairly often these days...

Getting old sure isn't for sissies...

Sigh.