Odds and ends.....

I was looking through some old issues of "Birds and Blooms" magazine recently, and this article caught my eye....


Butterflies add color and motion to my yard.To keep them coming back, I offer watermelon. (above) I cut the melon into four pieces and leave it on a picnic table in my yard. The fruit is covered with butterflies for days. Even hummingbirds are attracted to it. Every few days, I gather up what's left of the melon pieces and add them to my compost bin. The butterflies sometimes come along for the free ride, covering me as well as the rinds!

Ruth Ledbetter, Joshua, Texas

The above article was from the July 1998 issue of "birds and Blooms"magazine.

I have a leftover slice of watermelon in the fridge. . . I think I'll try this!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This was written by an 83 year old woman to her friend.

I’m reading more and dusting less. I’m sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I’m not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I’m not sure what others would’ve done had they known that they wouldn’t be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, or for whatever their favorite food was. I’m guessing; I’ll never know.

It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn’t written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn’t tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

"People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don’t need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there."

I don’t believe in miracles, I rely on them~~~Author Unknown

Have a wonderful weekend!!!
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Where the buffalo roam....



Alex and I went over to the County Park a while back to feed the ducks and just spend some time in the sun.




Before we left ,we stopped to see the buffalo. . . . . . . .

Did you say buffalo?

Yes, buffalo in Pennsylvania. We have had a game preserve with buffalo in our County park for as long as I can remember. Not a common sight to see in this part of the states !
As a little girl, I always look forward to the County Fair in August. There would be buildings full of exhibits from the local farms.


Massive pumpkins that weighed 100 pounds, canning goods and fresh pies with first place ribbons, and a chance to see the buffalo.

Enjoy your day....we did !!!

This week's theme is " Hobby" .....

Webster defines the word " hobby " as any subject or activity pursued for pleasure. This can take in a wide range of things.
I guess sewing would be the longest running hobby that I've had. When my children were small, it was clothing. Later my interest turned to decorating. . . pillows, curtains etc.
















Then I went through my cross-stitch phase, making samplers and wedding accessories.

































I've dabbled in a wide range of crafts (I worked at Michael's crafts for 7 years!)
Lately, I've become interested in antiquing and visiting thrift stores, looking for tea cups and pots, which I collect.
Of course, most of my free time is spent blogging.....with occasional stops at the book store.
and then there's gardening, jewelry making, ceramics and don't forget photography and there's so much more !!!

Soon in another post, I tell you about a hobby that has turned into a small business for Hubby and me!














To check out more "heads or tails"........click here.

Check out my Slide Show!

Where's the dressing?

Last Saturday, Hubby and I were out in the back yard, cutting the grass and weed-wacking the hill above the flowerbed....


Alex: Grandma, I'm going to help you rake and fill the wheelbarrow.


Gram: That would be o.k...... I'll take all the help I can get.


Alex: If you mash it all down, you can get a lot more weeds in here.


Alex: Hey!...I think this is how they make salad!

One happy boy !!







Saturday Photo Hunt ~ Theme is "Happy"















This was taken last year when Alex had "Wild Hair Day" at school !
To check out more "photo hunters " .....click here....

~Show and Tell~


Last Tuesday, Sarah ask if I had time to get together for some "Mom and Daughter" bonding time...maybe we could have a late breakfast and stop at the "Half Price" book store.

Well, she didn't have to ask me twice...I just love that place :)















Especially the back corner in the clearance section. Lots of books for a dollar or two!!



I











Inspirational and self -help books are my favorites and got an arm load (8) plus 3 Veggie Tales Videos for Alex for a total of $17.00

And speaking of inspirational, Janice over at "Wildflower Cabin" has started a new blog called ~Sunshine Hill~. Stop by and see what it's all about!

For more great "Show and Tell Friday “ click over to Kelli's blog.

Wordless Wednesday......



Queen Mary

1,019 feet long

1,001 Trans Atlantic Crossings

Over 2,000 portholes

First voyage - 1936

For more W.W. visit http://wordlesswednesday.com/ and join in on the fun !!!!

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Heads or Tails....

There's a new meme over at Skittles' place called " Heads or Tails " and I think it might be fun to join in, so here goes...

This week's theme is "luck "

I've never believed in luck and I think that everything happens for a reason. But I have been fortunate in a few ways.

My husband has been in sales for many years, and worked for a company that offered sales clubs according to the amount of product he sold. We won 7 of those trips, for his high sales scores, over 16 years.

Phoenix

San Diego

Boca Raton

Orlando (twice)

Honolulu..... And Maui

These trips were all expenses paid and first class all the way! I wouldn't say we were lucky, but that I have a smart hubby that is very good at what he does for a living!!

~ Words for Life's Journey ~



  • Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.


  • Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your talent.


  • Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

  • Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

  • Be forgiving of yourself and others.

  • Be generous.

  • Have a grateful heart.

  • Commit yourself to constant improvement.

  • Understand that happiness is not based on possessions or power but on relationships with people you love and respect.

And finally...Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.


" Hitsville U.S.A. "

Any of you that were teenagers during the 60's, are familiar with the Motown sound. Names like Smokey Robinson, Martha and the Vandellas, and The Temptations, take you back in time.... to a place where old memories of collecting 45 records and going to Friday night dances at the American Legion Hall were the most important things in your young life!

Hitsville, U.S.A. was the nickname given to Motown records in Detroit, Michigan. The building was purchased by Barry Gordy for $800 in 1959. The business grew from a small start-up business in to the largest independent record company in the world. Gordy took local kids from the neighborhood and turned them into some of the biggest singing stars of that time.


Last summer, hubby and I took a road trip and visited Motown Historical Museum. We had a chance to sit at the piano where Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye wrote their greatest hits.

We stood in the recording studio where the Supremes and the Jackson 5 were discovered.
It was worth the trip!




So, check out the Motown website for more interesting facts about Hitsville U.S.A.

P.S. I know that "midlifemom" likes anything Motown, so this post is for you !!

Show and Tell Friday....

Simple pleasures ~

On our last trip, we stopped at an antique co-op and I found this cream antique-looking plate holder and a little bird votive that matches.
Kelli, it also matches your tea cup stand in your Show and Tell post!!

I also found this china cup and saucer for my collection.



At the co-op, I also found this little amber hobnail vase. It matches this shoe that's very old. It was my Grandmother's.



For more great "Show and Tell Friday “ click over to Kelli's blog.


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" More " things that make me smile ~

warm summer evenings
painted country mailboxes
relaxing day trips
beautiful butterflies
line-dried bed sheets
climbing morning glories
inspiring quotes
homemade icy lemonade
chasing fireflies
old tattered books
wooden screen doors
tingling wind chimes
collecting sea shells
colorful hummingbirds
wooden porch swings
rustic birdhouses
Queen anne's lace
Stained glass windows
sunflowers and grapevine

. . . . . and laughing till it hurts !!

See it Sunday....

Gateway to Freedom ~ sculptor Ed Dwight ~ Detroit, Michigan
For more "See it Sunday " photos ...click here.

a little inspriation motivation....

"Kind hearts are the gardens,
Kind thoughts are the roots,
Kind words are the flowers,
Kind deeds are the fruits.

Take care of your garden
And keep out the weeds,
Fill it with sunshine
Kind words and kind deeds."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow




The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You don't blame them on your Mother, ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.

Albert Ellis
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Pineapple Cookies

Our first house was a duplex. We rented the other apartment to a sweet English lady who spent her days baking and sharing the goodies with us.

I always taught my kids that it wasn't proper to call older adults by their first name, yet the came to love her like family, so they called her "Aunt Smith ".
Here is her recipe for the best pineapple cookies you've ever tasted :

Pineapple Cookies

Blend together:
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup of sugar
add 2 eggs

add 1/2 cup of well-drained crushed pineapple

add:
2 cups flour
1/2 tea. baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Drop mixture by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes.

I've doubled and even tripled this recipe for the holidays.
Enjoy!


Wordless Wednesday....

Ice Sculptures - Mountaintop, Pennsylvania



Hope these photos help you cool off from the Summer heat!!!
For more ww visit http://wordlesswednesday.com/ and enjoy the day!

I'd like to thank.....

“As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.”


My friend "midlife mom " passed this blogging award on to me! ... I've never had an award before and when I got a comment today congratulating me on my award, I had no idea where it came from. I have only been blogging for 6 months and I've enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people. Thank You " Midlife Mom " for the award, you made my day!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Heartprints
(Author Unknown)

Whatever our hands touch--
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture,
On doorknobs, dishes, books,
As we touch we leave our identity.
Oh, Lord, please where ever I go today,
Help me leave heartprints!
Heartprints of compassion Of understanding and love.
Heartprints of kindness and genuine concern.
May my heart touch a lonely neighbor
Or a runaway daughter,
Or an anxious mother,
Or, perhaps, a dear friend!
I shall go out today
To leave heartprints,
And if someone should say "I felt your touch,"
May that one sense be...
YOUR LOVE, LORD Touching through ME.

Thanks again to "MM" for thinking that I'm a " Good schmoozer " and now I will pass it on to my friend Myrna over at cherish... the word!

100 things about me.....

As tradition in bloggerville goes, when you reach your 100 post (time sure flies, doesn't it) to write a post of 100 things about yourself.....so here they are....some common...others oddball, but that's me!!!
  1. I'm a wife, mother and grandmother.
  2. This is my second marriage. 1st time - 6 years...this time 31 years and counting.
  3. I have one sister and one brother, each 5 years apart.
  4. I have 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl...each 5 years apart !
  5. When I was born, I was named Judy.
  6.  Two days later, my Dad renamed me Suzy.
  7. I skipped school in the first grade and got caught. (more on this in an upcoming post!
  8. I've never had a cup of coffee...love to smell it, no desire to drink it..yuk.
  9. I accepted Christ at age 7.
  10. I can whistle like a guy.
  11. I've always loved thunder storms, the louder the better.
  12. I like all kinds of music.
  13. I hate cold weather....brrrr
  14. My favorite color is blue.
  15. I never liked board games of any kind....boringgg
  16. I have a cowlick!...but don't know any cows personally.
  17. I don't like to go barefoot.
  18. I'm very sentimental.
  19. I cry very easily, especially at Hallmark commercials.
  20. I enjoy bubble baths.
  21. My middle name is Faye, after my mother.
  22. I worry too much.
  23. I never had a dog or cat.
  24. But I do have 2 talking cockatiels, Cookie and Muffin, age 15 and 16.
  25. I love flowers, especially perennials.
  26. I'm a so-so gardener....
  27. But I'm excellent at growing weeds.
  28. Mosquitoes really, really like me.
  29. I like things organized.
  30. I'm fair-skinned and sunburn easily.
  31. I had three really bad burns when I was younger.
  32. I've never played an Instrument.
  33. I fell and broke my nose at age 50.
  34. I love chocolate, especially dark.
  35. I've never gotten a traffic ticket.
  36. Hubby and I met on a blind date....
  37. after 6 months he ask me to marry him.
  38. I did, 2 years later... best choice I ever made!
  39. Because of Hubby's job, we moved 9 times in 11 years.
  40. I can wrap, pack and tape moving boxes like a professional.
  41. Our first house was over 100 years old.
  42. I've researched my family tree back to 1870.
  43. I'm afraid of big dogs.
  44. I don't believe in luck.
  45. I collect teapots, teacups and plates.
  46. I'm glad I'm short.
  47. I'm an evangelical.
  48. I graduated from high school 40 years ago...wow, has it been that long?
  49. My grade school friend, Diann and I have kept in contact for over 50 years.
  50. We both became grandmothers on the same day !
  51. I pierced my own ears when I was 15.
  52. I believe everything happens for a reason.
  53. I love to sew.
  54. I love the quaint villages of upstate New York.
  55. I enjoy having time to myself.
  56. I drive with two feet...weird, I know.
  57. I collect cookbooks...
  58. I'm just a so-so cook.
  59. I can't stand to waste anything.
  60. I've been a Sunday School Teacher.
  61. I'm addicted to carbs.
  62. I don't like to talk on the phone.
  63. I really miss the sunshine in the winter.
  64. I detest bigotry.
  65. Did I tell you I have a wonderful mother?
  66. I also have a great mother - in - law!
  67. I volunteered at a homeless shelter for several years.
  68. I've also worked at the local food bank.
  69. I wear glasses to drive.
  70. I don't like beets, eggnog or lima beans...or coffee.
  71. A massage at a spa was one of the best Christmas gifts I ever got.
  72. I can talk like" the chipmunks".
  73. My Grandson Alex can too! (I guess he got the gene from me...
  74. I was quite a dancer in my younger days.
  75. I'd love to improve my photography skills.
  76. I won't leave home without make-up.
  77. I'm definitely not a liberal.
  78. I have no interest in sports.
  79. I've always been artistic....
  80. I would love to be a tattoo artist.
  81. I once owned a resale shop.
  82. I went to cosmetology after high school.
  83. I've had every color of hair there is !
  84. I've never had surgery.
  85. I'm left -handed and write with the paper up-side down..weird again.
  86. Hence, I can also read up-side down...
  87. I enjoy doing floral design.
  88. I've been to the Grand Canyon.
  89. I spend way too much time on the computer.
  90. I was on the gymnastic team in high school.
  91. When I was a girl, I wanted to be a missionary.
  92. I have to make my bed immediately after waking up.
  93. I have all my wisdom teeth.
  94. I should be a lot smarter, huh?
  95. I won a synonym contest in the 4th grade.
  96. I have a sweet tooth...ok, maybe several.
  97. I've been to Hawaii 3 times...2 of those trips we won and were all expenses paid!!
  98. I've never had a bicycle.
  99. I'm not afraid of dying.
100. I love Jesus more than life itself.

And that's how the cookie crumbles....
Leave me a comment and let me know if we can still be friends.

Check out my Slide Show!

You made it !!!!!!

July 30, 2007

Sarah ~
Graduation day has finally come, and I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am !
For three long years now, you have juggled schedules, dealt with migraines, and stuffed your head with volumes of information…words that I couldn’t even pronounce, let alone define.

I know that there were times when you felt so overwhelmed that you wondered if it was worth it. Between classes, full days at the hospital, and trying to spend quality time with Alex and Frank, you had little time left for yourself.

But you stuck with it….. and we knew you could do it, and do it well.

Since you were a little girl, you have always had a soft heart and caring spirit for those with physical needs. And when you speak about your patients, I hear a genuine concern for them in your voice. I believe that God has given you a gift and this is where you are called to be. Use your smile and out-going personality to help them through a very difficult time. They will benefit by having someone so compassionate to care for them.

So now you are ready to take on the world. Give the best you have to give and reap the rewards of your labor!
I love you…..Mom

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. "~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

" be steddy and Ready "

A couple weeks ago, my Grandson Alex (age 7) and I were in the back yard and He ask me if I would pitch the ball to him. I agreed but after a few throws, he told me I wasn't very good at it!...so he said "Grandma, I'll pitch, and you hit". Well,I have to admit, I wasn't much better at hitting. So he said "I'm going to make you a practice schedule"....


I love the line that says "be steddy and ready ".

The next day Pappy was telling Alex that " little Grandma"...( that's what the grandchildren call my Mom because she's only 4 ft.- 9 in. tall ) was the neighborhood star softball player when she was a kid. Without missing a beat, Alex responded with "Maybe little Grandma could be your coach"!

I'll have to ask her for some pointers, if she can remember...... Little grandma is 89.

For more " Show and Tell "...... click here.