March Birthdays

March is a month full of birthdays for my family and today brings me to remember my father.
This picture is the day he retired from the United States Coast Guard. His birthday is today and he is no longer here so I may share it with him. But the memories of those years with him.
Now 60 years ago, he was out on a ship, when my mother contacted him from Crisfield, Maryland.
She was excited to tell him that he was a father~! I was born the day before my Dad's birthday and began his journey of fatherhood. Mother had followed him to Virginia then to Maryland where I was born at a hospital that sat on the Chesapeake Bay. Crisfield was known as the Seafood Capital of the World. Needless to say, my father was out to sea on a U .S.C.G ship keeping the fishermen safe, unknowing his wife was headed to the hospital. Mother's neighbor drove her to the hospital ,as she said, "hurry the tide is coming in...and my baby is coming faster!"
Yesterday, I celebrated my own 6Th decade of birth. Thanks to my family and friends. I received wonderful phone calls and many FB Happy wishes. The UPS man even deliver some treasured gifts...



These arrived yesterday from DH. I had been wanting to start a collection of Flash glass. (Early American Cut Glass} I only had one piece on my shelf. Terry's gift to me was a collection. Now I need a new shelf ...Terry to display these beauties.

This next picture shows another box I received from my dear SIL, Barb. Another treasure box that had some great looking beads. I will anxious to place on a textile piece. She is my partner in my stitching world so love that we share it together. She even has a sweet needle book from Savannah and look at the bee items she found! Bath bees and bee stamper. This I can also use on fabric! Don't you love the butterfly container everything was carefully placed in?

The evening finished off with daughter Rebecca bringing my favorite chicken casserole dinner with fresh green beans and rolls and finished off with her homemade banana bread.

Also a mini potted yellow roses. The table was sit also with a lovely bouquet from my other daughter Kristin.

Thanks everyone for a great birthday. It is not everyday you get to celebrate a decade birthday so think I will continue through the weekend. Don't you think?!

Happy Feet

How was I, to know at my birth my grandma Lillie Belle would hand down her DNA of unhappy feet.

Throughout the years, 26 bones of those feet took alot of standing, walking, jogging, dancing. They uncomplaining took what all I had to give them. The years passed and finally said, "ouch and more ouch."

It came to a point for me that in order to continue this life i lead... I must address the problem of my ugly feet. I began to see Lillie in my mind... everytime I tried to stand on my feet. The difficulty, she had when she stood. "Oh dear, I need my shoes..." as she came to the door to let a guest in... heaven forbid that anyone see those feet. No fit flops for Lillie!

Lillie was a housewife~ when women always stayed at home... luckily no worries of constant weight bearing jobs.

I am 9 weeks post surgery of 3 different procedures to help my left foot. My youngest sister, whom had these procedures~ continues to champion me that the end is very much worth the long recovery.

In fact, those wonderful Bee sisters had been great encouragement. Actually sending me a walker to get around easier and a beautiful paisley cane.

This week's goal is to move those toes~ you are getting ready to bear weight. You need to walk again and hold that body up for at least a solid 8 hours! Is it possible again? Yes! My they are stiff from healing will they like the abuse? Yes~ happy happy feet!

Success will come with good exercise and faith in myself.
Looking forward to a pedi and spa time!?
Yes and ....
Dancing is dreaming with my feet!
~Constanze




So ~ from Lovelace in this great movie
"I must retire now to my couch of perpetual indulgence."

Smiles

Everyone smiles the same language....

Happy Birthday Joella we celebrate your coming of age...

I always love your smile.
Our youngest member The sweetest smile...
We so enjoyed hearing you this weekend. Your sweet talk and heart warming smiles.


This lady ready for Spring but she needs a smile.
"today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day~
from the movie..."P.S. I love you"

It was a joy to sharing in celebrations for Joella with family.
The time spent watching little miss Laura. How fast they grow...
Joella was singing her little songs to us just yesterday.
Also thought i would share a smile from an
auction find from last summer... I believe it may of been created for drying.. I love that it was a printers drawer and had possibilities to house some treasures and show through my logs.
My daughter got one also do not believe she has placed her up yet.
Enjoy a smile today.

March Book Club

Kate Morton's pic

It was a beautiful evening to be out and about and at the lovely home of Brenda B. She always has such detailed compliments to our discussions and Delicious food.

I hope she will post the recipes on her blog soon. Her beef noodle soup hit the spot and apple crisp with yogurt ice cream. So ~share with us.

Our book discussion this month was "Distant Hours" by Kate Morton. She is a young author from Australia. I love her insight and reflection of how childhood memories affect our adult life.

She weaves a story from a fairy tale that hide the secrets of her characters.

To write a novel with such twists and turns. How she keeps the reader involved is always amazing to me.

In Kate Morton's blog she states, that on a rainy night of looking out into the mist from her cabin she saw a vision of a little girl seeing peeking out a window and climbing onto a bookcase in a castle. She then rush to her computer and began the tale of the mud man.

Everyone in the book club did enjoy this tale and agree that it is a book that needs to be read in a constant time period. If not it is hard to keep with authors portrayal of characters.

The OMBC did continue to make her book the "Forgotten Garden" their favorite.

www.katemorton.com/synopsis/

We did enjoy " Distant Hours" also ~ Write us more Kate Morton!

Thanks to Brenda B. for a great Book club night and I was thankful to be with everyone once again.

Snow Memories of Past

While watching the freezing rain, seeing lightening, hearing thunder and then snow flurries it brings memories of past youth days. I have spent over half my life where the 4 seasons are very abundant and always changing. yet growing up my father was in the U.S.C.G. and moved his family to a new location every 2 years. We of course, always close to big waters of this United States. Both of my parents grew in southern Iowa, so always remember seasons changing. This family were not a family that spent many vacation trips but we lived vacation spots. Dad always made sure his family experienced the area that we lived.

We walked between the redwoods of California and camped by the rivers and streams at Yosemite. I remember being awestruck by the beauty of half dome in the above picture. Panning for gold in the those streams... alas finding many flakes i knew were gold. But Dad quietly saying you have fools gold... I still found a small to tube to save these treasures carefully putting them in my pockets. Hiking to the top of the mountain with Dad and sisters, resting on a rock and hearing a sound of a shaking rattle. Hurry back to Dad who was holding hands with my youngest sister. Mom, you kept the campfire going and entertaining baby Byron.

Those snow memories must of remained strong for my Dad. During the winter season living in warm places... He would do his best to recreate the winter season for his family. I remember driving high into the mountains to Squaw Valley so we could play and feel the snow. While living in Hawaii during Christmas he used a spray can of snow and filled our windows with beloved winter scenes.

Dad even though I dream of those warm places of sand and sea... I cherish the winter now and feel the 4 seasons you always placed in our hearts.

A red cardinal sitting in the white snow brings warm memories of my Dad who created these in my heart.

Snowstorm.Gone?

Snowstorm has blew it's way through and gloomy today hear they are predicting more for tomorrow.It can not last as this is the end of February! Spring has to be coming soon.

That is what my calendar says anyway.

Still enjoying that warm woodstove in my cozy cabin. But I am looking forward to time spent on the deck.

Have a good weekend everyone and enjoy sunshine.

An Outing from the Cabin

Gypsy Corner

I felt the need to leave the cabin and venture somewhere... My dear husband help hobble to the car and we headed east to Centerville. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Sonic drive-in. Love those onion rings and large fountain cherry coke. they hit the spot. We then went just off the town square to check out Gypsy Corner... I had been reading about it from Simple Pleasures.. Brenda B. I even ventured into the store. You see it was my first day to try out my lovely cane and begin heel pressure on my new foot. I was a bit ginger and just not confident to get too frisky but must say it was good to get out!
This is a new store opened this week by Debbie & friends. They took a vacant old parts store and cleaned the old brick. It by the way, looks amazing. They will fill it with beautiful vignettes . They started this week, by having an all out garage sale to clean out items. Then they will begin setting up all those lovely vignettes. Looking forward to seeing those soon. Check out about this adventure...

http://simplepleasures-bb.blogspot.com/2011/02/gypsy-quarter.html

My weather radio is going off... oh no another winter storm coming this afternoon! Glad I went out yesterday!