Happy Birthday....

....to the love of my life.

Photo by Ryan Gwillim

bestfriend
devoted father
patient son-in-law
terrific grampa
awesome son
beautiful soul
unshakeable believer
wise
faithful
thoughtful
diligent provider
helpful
willing sidekick
trustworthy
constant companion
creative
dependable
strong
generous heart

My Siblings

This set of photos hung on the wall above my parents bed from the time it was taken until my mother moved into the care facility, 45+ years. When my momma moved into the care facility she wanted it to hang on the wall above her bed as well but last week she indicated that she wanted it where she could see it during the day...so I moved it for her. (her room is too small for me to have gotten a good shot of it, sorry...IIWII)

Isn't this is a great photo? I have absolutely love this pic, I can't look at it without smiling. I always tell my momma that her kids just got cuter and cuter until the last one...then they stopped having kids. OK OK that is lame but it makes her laugh and you already know I will do most anything to make her laugh, smile and be happy.

Here are close-ups of each child.

Lanny

Gary

Nancy

Ricky

Yesterday I posted the picture of me.

My sister is the only one of my siblings who reads my blog...that might change after she sees this post, today might be the last post she reads LOL. None-the-less, I love this picture of my siblings and me.

Someday I will post a picture of my family (or not), including my parents. It is a picture that we kids refer to as "that picture" because we all HATE it...LOL I think I am about 5 or 6. It is dart board material...but it too always hung in a prominent place in my parents house and they loved it...for the life of me I will never know why!!! Currently it is hanging in my mothers room...right where everyone who walks past her door can see it! UGH!!

Ain't She Sweet???

That is ME...wasn't I just too cute? I love this picture of me...
partly because it is just too cute
but mostly because it is the earliest (youngest?) picture
of me that I have ever seen.

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday Dear Momma,
Happy Birthday to you.

Today is my beautiful mothers 80th birthday...WOW!

Yesterday my sister and BIL arrived and the 5 of us celebrated Momma's bday with a silly string greeting (I keep telling you she is going to get kicked out of there~~silly string was my sisters idea!!) which was hilarious as the 4 of us walked in her room, each of us with a can of silly string and covered her with the slimmy stuff in a variety of colors....It was hilarious...and she loved the surprise, of course she was sleeping when we arrived, therefore she was really really caught off guard!

Today, after worship, Ed and I will take dinner up to her as we do each Sunday. I asked her yesterday what she wanted for her very special 80th bday dinner...which is always an interesting conversation since she always answers "no" to any question you ask her...and finally she was able express that what she really wanted was a PBJ sandwich. Not sure that is what she will get but it is what she indicated she wanted. Ed is thinking Chinese....I am thinking clam chowder....we shall see.

Happy Birthday Momma...I love you so much.

He Just Loves to Buffalo Me!

Ed has been telling me for weeks that a rancher just out of town has added a few head of buffalo in with his cattle. "Yes, dear...Right, dear...No doubt, dear." So, off we would go, time and time again, in search of said buffalo. "No, dear, I don't see buffalo...do you? Are you sure you saw buffalo?" On and on it has gone. This has been going on for weeks, probably months. Nothing...no buffalo. I finally told him to knock it off, he was just pulling my leg and I wasn't going to fall for it again, I knew the difference between a cow and a buffalo and each time the field was full of cows....cows...not buffalo, so just leave it be! (Retired husbands can find more things to occupy a working wives time!!!)

Yesterday Ed had an errand to run in the next town over and yep, you guessed it...he came home telling me that he saw the buffalo again. OK, now I will admit to being gullible, I will admit that I will fall for most anything that will make me laugh, I will admit I am a kid at heart and am willing to jump in the car and go see just about anything unusual...(part of that is from living in a teeny tiny town for 30 years the NEED for hunting up the unusual).

Today I got off work a bit early and as I walked in the door I told Ed: "OK I'm ready, let's go on a buffalo hunt!! And if there are no buffalo in that dang field YOU can buy me an ice cream cone." He said, "Fine, let's go...but if there ARE buffalo in that field then YOU can buy me a rootbeer float!" We shook on it and off we went...this time with camera in hand because IF there were buffalo in that field he wanted proof, just incase I sorta forget down the road. (I think it is because he wanted gloating proof....LOL)

Off we went, blue sky above us, camera in hand...and ice cream money in HIS pocket so he could make good on our bet.

This is what we found in the field....
...and he said it was the best rootbeer float he has had in a long time! Dang it, hate it when I am wrong!!!

And then there were three....

January, February and July are complete (minus the embellishments which I will do on all 12 at once). Aren't they cute?

I think I may have a problem on my hand once this is a done done project...you see...when I finished January I took it to show momma...she wanted it pinned to a wallhanging where she could see it. No problem, I thought, I will pin each one up there as I get them done and she can keep up on the progress and encourage me along the way. Last night I took July up to show her and pin to her wallhanging. She ooh'ed and aah'ed and yakked about it, giving it her stamp of approval. I was almost done with February so worked on that until it was finished but didn't leave it because I wanted to get a picture of it...OH NO....NOT ON HER LIFE was she going to let me out of her room with February...it was to be pinned to her wallhanging where she could see it, end of story! Man...I had to do some major fast talking to get it out of there. I think this is going to be a shared quilt~one month for you...one month for me...one month for you...one month for me. LOL Not a problem...if she enjoys it, it can hang in her room as long as she wants it to.

The following three EQ drawings are my top 3 choices (in order) for setting these darling snowmen blocks. I like them all but the first one I really like for all the lacey white space it offers, like the airy-ness of snowflakes falling...thus far it is the setting I go back to as my favorite, but the other two settings are calling my name as well...just not as loudly LOL.

And just to keep up todate on antenna balls...this is is currently on the car....no, I don't consider myself to be a princess....yes, there is a story behind it...KatieBug gave me this antenna ball because "Gramma, I don't have a car, but I wanted this antenna ball. Can you save it for me until I get a car?" She was 4 years old at the time LOL...Kids say the darnest things! Art Linkletter would have found a challenge in our precious granddaughter!

Yes, you read that right!

LOL My email box has been loaded with "Are you sure it was $40/day?" "I've NEVER heard of machine rental so low."

Yes, we paid $40 for one day (Saturday) of quilting machine use. We arrive as the shop was opening and left at 4 p.m. We could have stayed for another hour but that isn't hardly enough time to get a quilt pinned on, quilted and removed~and besides, it is over an hours drive home and we didn't want to drive past sunset.

We paid $45 for Friday, which included the orientation and supplies and were allowed to use the machine through the rest of the day until she closed.

I know that seems impossible...and I would be in a bit of disbelief as well, but since I was the one paying the bill...well, I do know what I paid. LOL.

I also bought a new little something over the wknd but it hasn't been delivered...I'll post a picture as soon as it arrives~~~I think I will just leave it at that for now.

A Whole New Appreciation

After what I have been doing the last couple of days I have a whole new appreciation for all those who are long arm machine quilters!

Bright and early yesterday morning a friend of mine and I drove to the valley to have a lesson on using a long arm quilting machine. It was fun! We had a blast! For the first couple of hours the shopowner took us through the steps of loading the backing, batting and quilt top. How to thread the machine. How to roll the quilt when you have reached the end of the row. Amazing! We were soon left to our own devices and readily agreed that it was going to take both of us together to get the job done! We were having a great time but there were so many things to learn and so many things to remember...#1 being BREATHE!!! LOL My favorite part was the meandering that I did with a heart, star, flower or word tossed in here and there..."a day at the beach", "lemonade", "smile"...etc. it was fun to adlib here and there while quilting. The quilts we did are by no means gonna win a ribbon at the fair, but they were fun to do and the children who recieve them will love them!

The shopowner was very gracious and forgiving...and has the patience of a saint, she had to have to teach the two of us anything!

Barbara, trying to remember to breathe!!

I had 8 tops with me, 3 of Jeanne's, 5 of Nancy's. After getting our sampler, a.k.a. practice quilt, done we were ready to roll...we loaded up one of Jeanne's worked until we got it done...then loaded up another one and began working on it but didn't get it done. So left for the night, returning bright and early this morning...finished up the second one and managed to get 3 more done today before calling it quits for the day.

Oh my, my legs, feet, shoulders, neck and back all ache. I have sung the ABC song and Happy Birthday (to keep my stitches even) more times in the last 2 days than in all the rest of my life put together. I can honestly say I appreciate the gal who has been doing my quilts all these years 100% more than ever before.

We had so much fun and got so much done that we have already reserved the machine for a wknd in February as well. This time we will be more prepared with battings and backings cut to size, which should save us some time (and money as we purchased batting from the shopowner at a price I was not too thrilled about).

I have heard horror stories from many people who have rented time on machines: cost is too high, shopowner too controlling, required purchase of batting, etc etc etc. But that is not what we found with this shop. The rental is $40 per day...if you arrive when the shop opens the machine is yours to use until the shop closes that day for only $40. The shopowner gave a lesson on how to use the machine and then left us to do as we wanted, she was there to offer advice and help out if we asked but other than that she did not stand over us and watch our every move. We didn't have batting with us (both of us have plenty of batting in our stashes but there was a mix up in communication about batting so neither of us had any with us) so we purchased a kingsize Hobbs (that we got 5 quilts out of!!), next time we will have our own batting cut and ready to load on to the machine.

A very fun weekend...a pleasant exprience...a great friend...far more laughter than any two people should be allowed...lots of good conversation...playing cards until we were too tired to think...talking until waaay late into the night...finding out I'm not too old to learn something new...and six quilts ready for binding, one step closer to wrapping children in love.

Pictures as soon as the bindings are done! Barbara took 4 home with her, I have 2 here....more handwork for me!!!

Can you feel it????

....Spring is just around the corner and I have the proof.This crocus bud greeted me after work yesterday, poking his little head up and showing of promises of a pretty yellow blossom real soon. DH and I always race to see who finds the first bit of color, I won this year...well, at least I think I won...I think sometimes sees the first color but lets me think I do! This happy little guy entertained us during my lunch today. He was hunting for his lunch out in the back yard and having a happy time of it! Even though the Western Meadowlark is the Oregon State Bird we don't see too many of them here. (and there is one less for us to see and enjoy....the neighborhood cat terrorist deposited one on the sidewalk this afternoon~~~good thing Meow was sleeping inside or he would be in big trouble!!)

Spring is around the corner folks...and now you have seen the proof.

Snowmen, snowgirls and more snowmen...

By now you would think I would be getting pretty tired of snow...well, I guess I might be a tad tired of snow...but it is pretty much impossible for me to ever get tired of snowmen.

This is the snowman the kids made this on Saturday....
Here he is again, taken Sunday afternoon, Rex titled this picture "Death of a Snowman"....
Here is my momma with the snowgirls we made this afternoon...hey, if momma can't get to the snow...the snow will get to momma!!
Here is my PURPLEwork snowman, January is done minus the embellishment, which will be snowflake charms. It is hanging up in my mothers room because I will be working on these while visiting with her, she didn't want me to bring this one home, rather she wanted it to be pinned to her MOMMA wallhanging. That's ok with me, she can watch the progress and keep me plugging along should I get lazy about it. (sorry the pic is fuzzy...). LindaJ is to blame for this new project of mine, and Norma was right in there with her, pressuring me...tempting me...giving me all kinds of hassell and frustrations until I caved, those two will get you in trouble in a blink of an eye! I hear there are rumblings of others joining the crowd.

So, there you have it my Snowman Post of the day!!!

Here is another pic of my mother. We had told her that IF it snowed we would fill a container and bring her some snow...I think she forgot because when she took the lid off the container and ...well....a picture is worth a thousand words, don't you agree?? She laughed and laughed. There was enough snow to make 2 snowgirls (a momma one and a little girl one(*¿*) ) and a couple of snowballs to keep close by just in case one of her not-so-favorite nurses should happen to step foot in her room...which they didn't! LOL I love to see my momma laugh! There is basically NOTHING that I won't try to get away with if it means bringing even a teeny tiny amount of joy to my mother. Yes, there are rules at the care facility she is living in. Yes, we have been "versed" on these rules (and versed again!). Yes, I know those rules are meant for a purpose. But~~ HELLO ~~ this is my mother we are talking about! And I do love to spoil her!

Ok, I'll play along....

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

What's Your Personality Type?

I took this test three times, came up with three different answers of who I am...I guess I will remain a mystery to myself as well as others. As for the politician...don't vote for me...I'm not the one for the job!

I had a plan for the weekend~really, I did!!...actually, I had lots of plans for the weekend...I even had 5 days off to get those things done...and did I get any of it done? Nope, not really....Did I have a great wknd anyway? Yep!! Rex, Katie, Gpa and I had a great time...mostly being slugs but we were together and had great conversation and laughed a lot...the best way to spend a wknd, wouldn't you agree?

The house is back to normal...which is almost too quiet. I got up at 5 a.m., and have enjoyed ME time even if I could have stayed in bed longer. The NYSE is closed, so my office is closed as well.

We continue to have icy roads and due to that fact I have not seen my mother for a few days, today I am going in to town alone and will spend as much time with her as possible. We both are in need of a manicure so hopefully she will be agreeable and I can cross that off my list. I will also need to do some errands while in town.

I think I have come up with a solution in regards to Gramma's Aprons and the outside border...I am going to do some marking and see where it all comes out, it won't be like I first planned, but as you have already heard about me "You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules." and if the marking doesn't pan out, well...you have also heard this about me... "You use lots of colorful language and expressions."

And in regards to Mr. King...thank you.
My world is a better place because you took a stand for what you belived in.
Thank you, Mr. King.

Progress and stuff

I am continuing to work on Gramma's Aprons...there is a faint light at the end of the tunnel!! I have set a goal of having this done-done within a short while and will continue to plug along.
There are only 2 sides left to do and but I have run into a bit of a calculation problem. One side and a corner spaced out evenly and I am very happy with the outcome...the spacing on the second side has gotten off and for the life of me, I cannot find where or how...I decided I could "do it my way" and make an adjustment, which is what I have done...the top, one corner and one side are done. I am not sure how the spacing got off, but it did, the quilt measures out right...but the marking didn't!!! I need to mark the bottom and see what I come up with...maybe a need for some more creative marking...hopefully not!!!

Monday you will find me in MCM getting backings ready for 9-10 quilts. I may have already mentioned that a friend and I have reserved 2 quilting machines for January 19-21. The shop owner will let you use her machines FREE if you are quilting for charity, which we are. Reservations are hard to get, we made these reservations back in September!!! I am hoping we can look at her books and get another reservation in sooner than later!

Ed and I have two grandkids with us this weekend. Rex (14) and Kaitlyn (9). We're having a blast, as always! Katie and I cooked dinner last night: Baked Ziti, cheese bread, green beans. Sometimes I forget how much a 14 yr old boy can consume!! Today we went to town (drove on icy roads!) where the guys went to see Pursuit of Happyness and us girls went to see Charlottes Web. I had thought we were all going to Pursuit of Happyness but Katie said she didn't want to see a sad movie...HA!! at the end of Charlotte's Web Katie and I were both using our salty popcorn napkins to mop the tears off our faces and blow our noses when Charlotte died! LOL we are so silly!

I wanted to share a couple more snow pictures. I love snow...(oh, I said that earlier, didn't I?? LOL) This pic was taken at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday as I was headed off to the office. At 11 a.m. I left the office and did not return...it had continued to snow and we had gotten quite a bit more, plus there was a nice layer of ice under it. Before I left the office I rescheduled appts, no reason for anyone to be out in that! We still have plenty of snow on the ground, roof tops are still covered with snow. Temps remain in the 30's so it isn't melting and if it should melt it just freezes into ice. The kids were given a "Yahtzee" weekend...5 days off in a row!

This next pic is of Rex and Katie's snowman, it was waaay too cold to be outside (22!!) so they made a quick snowman and came inside...they made a snowman because they wanted Ryan to see the snow. They raided the jar on the kitchen counter that is full of odds and ends of toys and etc since Mr. Snowman needed a few friends, a pet or two and some wheels...his hat is a cupcake paper, his nose is a toothpick....no eyes because the cheerios wouldn't stick on him, Rex said that was ok because he is sleeping...actually, he is lucky to have a head at all since his head kept falling off!! They had a good time and both came in with RED hands, cheeks and noses!
This pic is of JackFrost on my dogwood tree, isn't it beautiful? I should have played around with the settings on the camera before taking this pic but I didn't...all of the trees and plants in our yard were covered with frost this morning, it was just as beautiful as the snow has been.

Here we go again....

....I was chatting with a couple of friends last night when one of them mentioned that her dad had a coin collection...my dad did as well...I think it was very common for people of our fathers age to have extensive coin collections...and they didn't keep them in safety deposit boxes, safes, vaults, rather, they kept them in shoe boxes, coffee cans, cigar boxes...just about anything they could stuff in a drawer or under a bed. Many collections were stolen or lost or suffered some other such horrible ending. Makes me shutter to think about those expensive collections just tucked away somewhere but it was just the way things were done.

For most of 2000 my parents were park hosts at the county park just outside of our little town. They had "moved into the job" for a variety of reasons, some of which were:

1. They were looking for a piece of property to purchase so that they could finally move near the ocean. It had been a life long dream of my mothers.
2. It was our youngest sons last year of high school and they wanted to spend more time with him before he was off to uncharted territory, the next phase in his life.
   
3. Our oldest son's wedding was scheduled for early October and they came to help us paint the inside of our house, work in our yard and do some minor re-decorating while I worked on making Naomi's wedding gown (9 months of sewing beads on lace..the dress was beautiful if I do say so myself!!).

They had moved their motor coach into the park host spot, putting out a picnic table, momma and I planted flower baskets, daddy and Ed put out a pin to keep the dogs in (which the dogs were NOT happy about!!!) and built a wind shelter. We did all we could to make it a nice home away from home for them. My parents were used to living in their motor coach for long periods of time...they had traveled to the East coast for months on end...this was old hat for them - just another one of their life adventures. Momma had set up her sewing machine and she worked away at this and that project. Daddy and the dog would go for walks, ride his bike and there was always someone for him to talk to...I don't think my dad ever met a stranger!

The park they were hosts at is a nice county park with a boat ramp, camping spots, picnic area, ball diamonds and playgrounds, but when night comes you never know who is going to be around. There is a bridge that crosses the river and during the warmer months there are always a few people who live under the bridge. The park has a $5 overnight fee for campers so it is a favorite place for travelers to pull into in the middle of the night to get off the road...they never knew who or what would be parked there when they got up in the morning. There is a railroad track that runs along side the park, within 20 feet of where they parked. My dad worked for and retired from the railroad so he was always aware of who might "jump" the train and then get off where ever they wished. In spite of it all, it was a great place for my parents to set down roots, even if only temporarily.

They became comfortable with their space, spent lots of time searching the coastal towns for property to purchase, helped us work on our house. Life was good! I loved having my parents close by for the first time in my married life.

Around 2 a.m. one summer night, they were awaken by a pop and a loud noise! The dog immediately started barking his head off!! Dad jumped out of bed (in his tighty-whitey's), grabbed his hand gun and started hollering to whoever it was that was shooting at them. They had a cell phone but it was at the front of the coach and daddy wouldn't let momma get it because he didn't want her shadow to give any one a moving target to begin shooting at. He went to the door and hollered out but no one answered. Momma was still laying flat in bed trying to get the dog to stop barking. Daddy pulled on a pair of jeans and went out to see what was going on, oh my momma was madder than mad at him, she was livid!! He took the flash light and out the door he went: jeans, no shirt, no shoes ~ just his gun and a flash light. Momma was instructed to lock the door behind him and not unlock it unless he said to. He walked around outside but didn't see any thing, momma could hear him cussing something but since his voice was low she figured he was just muttering to himself..and besides the dog was barking so she wouldn't have really heard him anyway.

He didn't see anything nor did he see anyone. No one came running from under the bridge to see what was going, no one wandering around out in the park...nothing. When he got back in the coach momma called 911, the patrol officer showed up right away, he took a report, then he and my dad walked around outside near the coach and up on the train tracks. They didn't find anything unusual but the officer said he would follow up when it was daylight. Momma and daddy spent the rest of the night sitting up at the table, knowing they would never get back to sleep ~ coffee cups, cell phone and a gun close by.

Later that morning, before his shift was over, the officer showed up again...this time with the chief of police along as well. They did a thorough search but nothing turned up. They did tell my parents that they would be beefing up the patrols during the night time hours.

Momma fixed breakfast, then straightened up the coach, trying to get back to "normal" but she was so uneasy and daddy was like a cat on a hot tin roof ~ going over every inch of the side of the coach looking for the bullet hole or a spent casing. Daddy took momma on a long drive to get away from tension, they came to our house for dinner that night. When they went back to the park and unlocked the coach something smelled horrible! Daddy said it smelled like a winery gone bad. They checked all around but again found nothing out of place. But this new thing, the smell, just added to their anxiety. Momma called and we invited them to spend the night at our house but daddy didn't want to leave the coach all night without someone in it. He was encouraging her to stay with us but she was having no part of leaving him alone.

Night came and once again it was time for bed, even though they both knew sleep would be hard to come by. Momma turned down the bed but it had been such a hot day and the coach had been shut up all day so it was extra hot in there. She decided to take the spread all the way off the bed and fold it up, it was much too warm to need it. As she was folding it up, she noticed that it had a wet spot, which seemed so strange to her and with all else that had been going on it startled her, everything was just so unsettling to her. She checked the platform that the mattress sits on, it was wet as well...and stinky! With great unease she and daddy pulled things away from that corner...the corner where they had heard the pop and loud noise coming from...things were wet and stinky...and becoming more and more unsettling to them both.

Momma followed the stinky, sticky trail back to the closet... she opened the closet door and burst out laughing having found an exploded gallon container of apple cider....it was dripping everywhere. Evidently the cider had gotten hot and started heating up in the closet and at some point during the night the lid popped off, shooting up and hitting the ceiling of the closet with a bang! As they followed the path of the exploded (and now fermenting) cider they found that during the day it had emptied out onto the closet floor...then dripped into a storage space....then seeped between the storage and the bed...under the mattress...and finally accumulated in a drawer under the bed...right into a shoe box, where part of my dad's coin collection was!!!

LOL Ed, Ryan and I spent the next few days "laundering money" as we worked to get those coins de-cidered...while my momma spent several days cleaning up the sticky mess left behind in the coach...and I believe my daddy spent those days still looking for a bullet hole!

Just remembering this story last night made me laugh until Ed asked me what was so funny...when I told him we both started cracking up, laughing until we both were crying!!! LOL....it wasn't funny until there was an explanation, but at that point it became hilarious!!! And yet another thing to rib my dad about, he was always good for a laugh!!!

I miss my daddy.

Treadmills and Tetris

Laurie over at Quilting Rush posted about her new iPod and a run in she had with a treadmill while using her new iPod...which reminded me about the run in I had with my treadmill...

...let me back up a few years...

I am not a fan of exercising...in any way, shape or form. Hate it, don't have time for it, but I do it...ugh...just because I know I should, double ugh.

Now, because of my great distaste for this awful necessity of life I will go to great lengths to make it a bit more appealing to me....Walk with a friend (can't walk and talk!). Walk with the dog (he marked the whole town while I stood and waited on him). Swim laps (ugh, our town only has an outdoor pool and lap swimming is ONLY at 5 a.m.!!!). Go to CURVES (I loved it, the Dr said NO WAY!!). Use an exercise bike (oh my aching bottom!). Sweatin' to the Oldies (Richard and I parted company because he kept yelling!!! I don't need anyone to yell at me. And besides I don't think I could have done one more workout while seeing him in those red and white shorts GROSS!!!).

My friend had an awesome, and I do mean awesome, treadmill that she was no longer able to use (CHF). It has every bell and every whistle a treadmill could possibly want....inclines up to 20 different positions, safety clip to turn off in case of emergency, lap counter with little lights that light up as you walk your way around the track, speed control, heart beat monitor, counter to count your burned calories, blah, blah, blah....so we traded a day bed I had for her treadmill, we both came away thinking we had each gotten the better deal and I had totally found my exercise calling! I love my dream machine treadmill and it is the only thing I can honestly say I have stuck with all these years later, no I don't use it every dayn but I do get on there several times a week. It is set up in our guest room with the TV right in front of it. Oprah and I have a date several times a week and while she enlightens the world on various topics (did you see her show on poop? do you now wear the correct bra size?) I walk and walk and walk.

Every now and then Oprah has the nerve to broadcast a re-run or a topic that just isn't to my liking! So, instead of skipping the treadmill (which is my first inclination!!!) I dig out the Nintendo Tetris game...OH I LOVE TETRIS...I could play it for hours and hours and hours.

Nine or ten years ago I was playing Tetris while on the treadmill but the game was going faster than my walking and coordination was becoming a problem so I gave the speed button on the treadmill a couple of taps to get me walking a bit faster...I won that level on Tetris and was moved to a higer level and I was watching my lines disappear and my score go higher and higher...tapped the speed button to keep everything insinc, everything going smoothly...both my feet with the treadmill AND my mind and hands with the game.

New level...blocks dropping faster and faster, music playing faster and faster....the game was going better than any I had played in ages....keeping up with the treadmill...things are going good!

New level...oh my...things are speeding up...the music...the falling blocks...my feet and my mind...and now the controller in my hands is flipping here and there as I try to keep the game going .... oh gosh...I wish I could stop the treadmill so I could finish the game....faster ~ faster ~ faster...

All of the sudden my feet went out from under me...the treadmill is still going at a pretty good clip and I have just fallen on my knees...the back of the treadmill is up against the wall and my feet are caught between the end of the treadmill and the wall so I can't get off...the dang thing is moving fast...how in the world could I have walked that fast I will never know!

Here is the hilarious thing...the game is still going and I knew it was going to be my bestest of all bestest scores so I just kept on playing...I couldn't give up!!!!!....I just couldn't!!! So I continued to play with the skin being torn off my knees, elbows and just about everywhere else where there was exposed skin...

Ryan happened to be in the house at the time, heard me hollering and came to my rescue. I will never forget his young (16 yrs??) wisdom...."Mom, that is why they put this emergency shut off clip on there, so you can attach it to your clothing and if you should stumble and fall it shuts the rollers off."

For the longest time I wore my skinned knees with pride, after all I HAD beaten my best Tetris score ever!!

Like a Kid in a Candy Shoppe!!!

That would be me! We went to bed knowing that snow was forecasted, it was a wonder I could even get to sleep!!!

Ed got up at 2:30 a.m. ~ no snow....I woke at 4 a.m. thinking our elderly neighbor had left a light on in her bdrm or bathroom....nope...this is what was brightening up our neighborhood.

Of course I had to wake Ed, he got up and we ooh'ed and ahh'ed for a few minutes, took a few pics and then went back to bed~ What was I thinking going back to bed??? I couldn't sleep, it was snowing outside and I was missing out! I tossed and turned for a while and then got up and have been enjoying watching the large flakes fall.

We live at sea level...it seldom snows here, and if it does snow it usually doesn't stick. I have no doubt that schools will be closed or at the very least on a delayed schedule. That will make the grandkidlets happy! The local news has reported an additional 2 inches today with freezing fog this afternoon and evening. A good reason for the buses not to run.

I have appointments scheduled for this morning, otherwise I wouldn't be going to the office, I would be playing with the kids!

Sounds like a good day for a cup of snowman tea...(I made several of these "tea for one" pots one year for Christmas...snowmen, penguins, and ME designs...they were fun to do!)

Cleaning up my blog....

I have a list as long as my arm of things I never seem to find time to do, so today I hope to get a few of those things crossed off my list in order to free my mind up a bit. Near the bottom of this list is "clean up MCM blog", which means...delete old drafts, "fix" the banner, blah blah blah...While deleting old drafts I ran across this post...not sure why it didn't get posted, most likely because I am just not into the meme things (I can usually find plenty to say on my own!) But I read this and decided to just post it anyway and move on...so, here you go...

The ABC's of Pam

• Accent - American, when my grandmother was alive I would speak just like her if I was around her for more than a few minutes...hard to describe, kinda mid-western if you know what I mean.

• Booze - Hubby's homemade Irish Cream...or a good bottle of Kahlua

• Chore I hate most - Dusting

• Dog/cat - Cat who thinks he is human, and since you asked....11 hermit crabs, 4 Koi and 3 gold fish

• Essential electronics - Digital camera, laptop and cell phone - not always in that order

• Favorite perfume - Vanilla Fields

• Gold/silver - For years it was ONLY gold, recently some silver has worked its way into my jewelry box, including my grandmothers wedding ring that I wear as my own wedding ring all the time

• Hometown - Portland, Oregon - Other than college (Seattle) I have always lived in Oregon

• Insomnia - yep....its the pits!

• Job title - BOA= Branch Office Administrator

• Kid(s) - Two "homegrown" sons (27&25), 1 daughter-in-law(26), 1 "heart grown" son(35), 1 "heart grown" daughter(35), 1 "homegrown" granddaughter(4), 1 "homegrown" grandson(3), 2 "heart grown" grandsons(14&11), 1 "heart grown" granddaughter(9)

• Living arrangements - Happily married to and living with hubby of 29 (almost 30!) years in our 1928 bungalow that has recently gotten a long overdue face lift both inside and out.

• Most admirable trait - Finding a silver lining in every cloud-yes, they are out there, sometimes you gotta look harder than at other times, but you most likely will find the silver lining if you try.

• Number of countries visited - 3 - USA, Canada, Mexico
  

• Overnight hospital stays - I can think of 12 off the top of my head, but let's just say I've had my share and a few other peoples share as well.

• Phobias - heights...and falling, I have nightmares about falling from roof tops, windows, ferriswheels....and usually wake up in a cold sweat

• Quote - "Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." and “If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” and “If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever.”Gotta love Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh
• Religion - I prefer "Relationship" - Believer and follower of Jesus Christ

• Siblings - 3 older brothers, 1 older sister....yes, I am the baby of a family of 5

• Time you usually wake - 5:15 am even on the weekends when I don't have to be at the office by 7:30 am

• Unusual talent/gift - Compassion, it is surprising (and sad) how many struggle with this

• Vegetable I refuse to eat - cooked spinach~~~bleck!!!!

• Worst habit - Starting but not finishing a project....can you say UFO???

• X-rays - Please See: "Over night hospital stays" LOL
  

• Yummy foods I make - we can a lot of our food: sweet hot mustard, salsa, hot pepper jelly, apple butter, various fruits and vegetables, turkey soup, tuna...etc...nuthin' better than knowing you have a well stocked pantry, full of yummy home canned foods to share with family and friends all year long.
  

• Zodiac - Aquarius

Back in MCM again....

OK, so it has been a while since I have spent any length of time in MCM...but tonight I bit the bullet and headed back in there to see what kind of trouble I could get into.

I didn't even sit down at the machine but I did manage to:

• get a bunch of strips cut and into a tote...and...
  
• cleaned up the strips mess from working on Nancy's and her father's Heart String Blocks...and...
• put away the bolt of thermalamb that was sitting behind my sewing chair...and...
• re-stacked the quilts under the window (Meow jumps up there and had knocked them over)...and...
• packed a box of this and that and that and this to send off to LindaJ and the BamaBelles...and...
  
• cleaned off the end of the ironing board...you know where everything piles up....and...
• put away my Christmas fabric stash...and...
• sorted through 6 UFO's in pizza boxes...trying to be realistic about whether I will finish them or not...and...
• pulled stickers out of my scrapbooking supplies for my calendar pages

Doesn't sound like much, but it was a start, I really want to start spending at least a few minutes each day in MCM, even if it isn't actually sewing.

Currently I am still plugging along with Gramma's Aprons. I am continuing to enjoy the handquilting process, finding it peaceful and calming. My goal is to have Gramma's Aprons completed by the end of February at the very latest.

Monday is a holiday and the NYSE is closed so our office is closed as well. I will spend that day getting backs ready for my upcoming machine quilting wknd.

Inspite of all the UFO's and WIP's and etc I have, inspite of the fact that I need a new quilt for our bed, inspite of my need to get some hot pads, table toppers and placemats made for the kitchen I am giving some (ok, a lot) of consideration to joining a couple of friends who are doing some redwork. I just can't say no...why can't I just say "no!"? I don't know and there for I have a room full of UFO's, WIP's and etc as well as projects in my mind that need doing...

Oh well...it is what keeps life interesting, right???

Behind...Catching up

Holiday Antenna Ball Catch Up Time....

Jackman


Mickey Clause


Partyman
(for some reasons Jack is always missing an eye,
or maybe he just wants to be a pirate???)

Partyman is coming off this week...hmmmm...what will be next?

And On The Flip Side....

Love is....

• putting his shoes and socks on him for 6 six months (and counting!) following his back surgery
• taking the trash out while he is taking a nap so he doesn't have to do it in the rain
• fixing his pajama pants ~ for the 3rd time ~ and not complaining
  
• watching football, basketball and baseball even when there is something else I would rather do
  
• programing his cell phone AGAIN
• watering the flower baskets
• sleeping on the couch when he is "sleeping too loud" aka snoring
• doing 90% of the driving because he doesn't like to
• thanking him EVERYDAY for making the bed
• thanking him EVERYDAY for preparing lunch
  
• cleaning the filters on the Koi pond
• leaving a love note in the medicine cabinet on his side or any number of other places that he will find it while I am at the office
• bring him home a new cane, just because he likes to use a different cane everyday and a new cane gives him another choice
  
• re-cutting his hair because he hated the way the barber did it
• listening to the rock tumbler, in the basement below our bedroom, 24/7 for 21 days straight, month after month, because it is his life long hobby to polish rocks!
  
• leaving the towels he likes most in the cupboard and using the other set
• dropping the recycling off at the recycling center, saving him a trip later in the week
• declining the last glass of milk, knowing he really wants it
• keeping the TV volume low while watching the morning news so he can sleep in a bit longer
• camping in the rain...and not whinning ;-) was hard not to whine!!!
  
• setting the heater in the car to blow hot air on our feet...even though it always makes my feet too hot but his circulation is so very bad in his feet and legs
  
• encouraging him to take up a new hobby he has always been interested in
  
• reminding him what a great father he is
• reminding him what a great grampa he is

OK, I had to do this...not because I wanted to list what I do for him, simply because it is so very important to state that love (and marriage) is a two way street.

So many times we identify how much someone loves by the gifts we get/give, not by the ACTS of love we share: Opening the car door, taking out the trash...etc. Diamonds, fancy cars, vacations will not carry us through the rough times. A surprise latte or finding a love note tucked away will go alot farther than you might imagine.

Tell your spouse what they mean to you, not only in words but also by how you treat them. I am thinking it is alot like a smile...very contagious. The whole "do unto others" really does have some validity.

Now...I promise back to my regularly scheduled Quilting Blog...but be prepared...it will continue to be sprinkled with life, how can it not be?!

Love is....

• not complaining when I paint my nails and the nail polish fumes stink up the living room
• tucking me in bed each night..yes, I am old and he is older but he does this each night anyway
• surprising me with a bowl of ice cream sprinkled with bits of York Peppermint Patties
• not sighing when I ask a stupid question about football
• washing my car ~ by hand ~ in 49 degree weather
• not complaining when I get home later than expected, after dark (he was a bit worried)
  
• bringing me a quilt for my legs just because he thought I might be cold
• surprising me with a latte at the office, just because "I was out for a drive and thought of you"
  
• not laughing when he sees that my shirt is on inside out (its been a long day!)
• getting the coffee pot ready each night so all I have to do is push the button in the morning so my coffee is ready ASAP
• sticking with a conversation even though it is a difficult topic that neither one of us wants to address
  
• buying pepperoni slices just because he knows I love them for a snack
  
• spending time with my mother from time to time so I can have a break
• giving me "Pam Night", a night home alone each week
  
• humoring me when I want to talk about spring planting in the middle of winter
• encouraging me, and joining me, in my desire to provide for those less fortunate than we are
• giving me my space when I need it most...
• ...and...knowing when those times are!
• opening the car door for me ~ ALWAYS!
• laughing with me
  
• holding me when I cry
• surprising me with a book from the library because he knows I don't have time to get to the library before it closed
  
• putting up with my "whole famn damily"
• sharing alot of my same goals
• making the bed each day, just because an unmade bed is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine, even though it is the chore he HATES the most

For many reasons it was a really rough Summer and Fall for us, but Winter brought peace and calm back to our lives. Ed and I adore each other and our marriage has always been filled with "acts of love" for each other, even during the rough times we respect each other and want only the best for each other...that is what love is!
Yesterdays sermon was on marriage, a great way for all couples to start each new year...each day really...re-evaluating where you have been, where you are and where you are going in your marriage! It was a great sermon and we have spent hours discussing some interesting perspectives, both his and mine. We are blessed and have must to be thankful for.

Just in the nick of time....

...a set of Heart Strings to celebrate Nancy's birthday~and~

...a set of Heart Strings to honor her dad.

It is 9 p.m. at my house which means it is 11 p.m. at Nancy's house which means I got these blocks done just in time to not be late!!!

OK, now I am going to answer a few emails, read a few blogs, iron my clothes for tomorrow and then lay my head on the pillow. Good night!

On a Roll

I guess I am on a roll after thinking I was in a funk...maybe confession is a motivator as well as good for the soul.

Today is "Mom Day"...after church we will take her a good meal, usually it is restaurant food but sometimes we take something homemade instead. Since we live 20 miles away from her and we leave our house at 9:30 a.m., go to church first and then see her around 12:15 p.m. it is hard to take something hot from home...during the cooler winter months she doesn't often get a home cooked meal on Sunday (sometimes during the week, after work, we take her a hot meal)...during the warmer summer months we can pack a "picnic-y" type lunch and she enjoys that as well. After a while it is sometimes hard to come up with something different she might enjoy for a change since finger foods are easiest for her. I am thinking today will be chicken nachos from our favorite Mexican food resturant...maybe...maybe not. If we take her a meal I know she is at least getting one meal that has familiar flavors and things she likes.

Last week I filled out mommas 2007 calendar, adding birthdays, anniversaries and other such special days that she will want to remember. Oh boy does momma like her calendar...she has always been one to keep an up-to-date calendar near by. This year her calendar is I Love Lucy...which made her laugh because she and I both LOVE Lucy!! This is Lucy and me at Universal Studios last summer. Meeting Lucy was the highlight of my day, of course I thought we were going to have to call an optometrist to fix my grandsons eyes with all the eye rolling they were doing when their gramma saw Lucy and just about ran over everyone in her path to get to her, were my grandsons sunburned or was it just embarrassment...we might never know!...(LOL, I am so glad - and amazed - that they don't dis-own me 90% of the time!!!) What do you think, hasn't Lucy (and I) aged well? My mother has this picture hanging in her room next to the I Love Lucy heart shaped lapel pin I brought back to her, the picture makes her laugh and that makes my heart happy. I DO LOVE LUCY!!!

Ed managed to get 14 quart jars of turkey soup canned yesterday (my lunch date ended up being an all day affair so I wasn't any *read NO* help to him). Of the dozens of jars of this and that which we canned this seaon only one jar of salsa not seal...well...guess what, one jar of soup didn't seal either ( I am blaming 2 of of chatting friends for jinxing this!!!). Tomorrow he will take that jar up to some friends of ours...an elderly-semi-shut-in couple. They will enjoy the soup with some hot fresh bread that I will get in the bread maker when I get up tomorrow.
Today is Nancy's birthday! Happy Birthday my dear blogging friend!!! She has asked us to make Heart String blocks for a group she belongs to in honor of her special day and in memory of her father who passed away the day before Thanksgiving. This I will do when we get home late this afternoon. Nancy has become a great friend to me and this is the least I can do for her! If you are so inclined, please join us. You can read all about it and follow links from her blog since she is a member of the Heart Strings group. So, that is on my schedule for later today...bday blocks for Nancy. Oh...and I get to cut into my fresh bolt of muslin that still has the plastic wrapping around it! A fresh bolt of muslin, waiting to become many and various things...just think of all the possibilities!!!

How To Waste The Day Away by Pam....

...I really have tons I need to be doing but decided to toss in a quick post...I wonder how much time I waste on the computer and what all I could get done if I would just leave it turned off for a day??? LOL Actually, please don't answer that question...I really DON'T want to know!!

I am having lunch with a friend today. We tried to get together before Christmas but both of our schedules were way crazy so we decided to wait until January. I am really looking forward to chatting with her, we both work for the same firm but in different offices, different towns...I am sure there will be lots of "shop talk" as well as just catching up with each other.

This morning I quickly made up these 2 little hotpads (first finish of the new year!!) to give to my lunch date, yes they are Christmas prints, I have had a stack of these hotpads cut out for weeks but have not done any sewing, not even the simple seam it took to get these done. Please check out the tutorial for these quick, fun hotpads...the original pattern is for coasters but I enlarged these to 8" square for hotpads. While you are visiting the tutorial, check out the rest of Jenny's blog..it is full of wonderful ideas, she is a very talented lady!

Now that I have one set of these made up I will make some everyday ones (rather than holiday) for myself out of these FQ's that my sister brought be in November, aren't they beautiful??? I love them all but my favorites are the 2 with bright colored circles and the yellow plaid...I am thinking hotpads, and am going to do my best to get a table topper out of them as well, most likely will pull from my stash for the backing so as to get the most mileage of of these FQ's. Thanks again, Nancy....I love how my kitchen has your touch all through it with red table cloth and napkins, my olive jar and now new hotpads and hopefully a table topper too! (oh let's not forget my 2 (LOL) cherry sink strainers)

Ed is canning turkey soup today...and I am sure he will still be canning when I get back from town later this afternoon, meat takes hours in the pressure cooker! I love having homemade turkey soup on the shelf...just toss in some rice or homemade noodles and you have a quick ready made lunch. He cooked and boned a 24 lb. turkey so you know how much soup we have to can!!!

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall...

...I Am My Mother Afterall

I've been reflecting on a lot of different things in my life of late....I tend to go through these seasons from time to time...something will happen to trigger a memory and off I go down Reflection Road.

So....these are a couple of the things I have found on this trip down Memory Lane.

• My mother loved spending time with her grandchildren...and since I have 2 sons I was able to see her interact with grandsons more than granddaughters. Rex is my oldest grandson, he is 14. When our oldest son, Roy, was about the same age he was in the kitchen fixing something or another and my mother came around the corner and gave him the biggest hug then kept walking through the kitchen and into the diningroom. This past Christmas day I was standing at the kitchen sink at our kids' home and Rex came through, put his arm around my neck and said "I have the best gramma in the world." Roy said that to me about his gma...my mother...after getting that special hug from her. I am not sure what prompted Rex to hug me or make that statement but I do know that I learned to be the gramma I am by watching my mother with her 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grands.
• I love holding my mothers hands...and I love it when she holds my hand...she strokes my hand, plays with my jewerly (my wedding ring was her mothers ~ my grandmothers ~ wedding ring), she pokes at the saggy skin on my knuckles ~ she has the softest touch. Almost every day that I see my mother I get a hot wash cloth and wash her face and hands...then I message her hands and arms with "stinky stuff" hand lotion that is saved just for this purpose. I love the feel of her skin and she loves getting all that attention. Our granddaughter, Kaitlyn (age 9) loves it when I message her hands or feet with "stinky stuff". She and I can sit for hours sharing conversation, reading books, watching a movie and holding pinkies. The power of touch. The picture above is my mothers and my left hands...as much as our hands look alike...my sisters hands look even more like my mothers, someday I hope to get a picture of our 3 hands together.
  

Mirror Mirror on the Wall
I am My Mother Afterall

(I am one lucky daughter!)

Kinda in a funk...

Not much going on around here in a quilty way..actually nothing, zippo, zilch, nada going on in the quilting department. I haven't even picked up Gramma's Aprons to work on the quilting lately. I have struggled getting past the accident and think it took more out of me emotionally than I at first thought.

I have Christmas gift pictures to share...

This is a set of place mats I made for our youngest son, Ryan, who loves sushi (*bleck!!!!) and eats it several times a week. I found this wonderful novelty fabric and knew it had to become something for Ryan. It was a FQ bundle and there is plenty left over for napkins, hot pads...etc. I just need to figure out what might be practical for a single guy...most likely hot pads...maybe a simple table topper.
For Christmas last year ('05) his dad made him his own sushi dinnerware. The platter says "Ryan" the bowl is the letter "G" for our last name. I figured he needed a set of placemats to go with the dinnerware.
*I have tried sushi...on one of my trips to San Diego, Ryan picked me up at the airport at 9 p.m. and decided we needed to have dinner. I had worked all day, gotten on a plane and flew to PDX, had a long layover, another (unexpected) layover in San Franciso, then into San Diego. I was tired and hungry but energized and excited to be living in Ryan's World for a week. He took me to a questionable area of town and offered me sushi for my dinner...uh..no thank you! I did try it but it wasn't and isn't for me. He loves it, so I will celebrate his love of sushi via my love of quilting...but that is as close as I will get!! LOL

OK, that is it for now...gonna be late getting to the office if I don't get moving!!!

Everyone Is OK...

We didn't get to play in the snow over the long New Year Weekend. Saturday we were following our kids up the mountain on very icy roads when their truck started slipping and then slid across the road, hitting the mountain side before crossing over to the other side and going down an embankment, when the truck finally stopped it was nose down in a shallow creek.

Everyone is ok, pretty shook up, but ok. They are sore from bumping around in the truck and Albert took the brunt of the impact on his side when the drivers door hit a tree and he has (had) a stiff back. Tristan is a bottler so hasn't said much, although today he seems much better than yesterday...he is sticking pretty close to either Albert or Angela at all times.

Watching while all this is happening, knowing that your kids and grandkids are in that vehicle...well, I never want any of us to have to go through this again. As soon as Ed could get stopped I was out of the car and headed down the embankment at the same time Angela was getting her door open (her door was the only one that would open) and we got the kids out. Later, while we were de-briefing, both Angela and I said we feared two things: fire and water, and knew we needed to get everyone out of and away from that truck.

We have much to be thankful for...and immediately were praising God for His coverage. Seatbelts...everyone had one on and they kept everyone from tumbling around inside the cab. It was not snowing nor was it raining...visibility was clear. No fire. The truck stayed upright and did not roll. The road we were on (Hwy 138) follows a river, just a few wks ago a college age couple slid off the road not far from where we were and lost their lives when their vehicle plunged into the river. The roads were heavily traveled...but no cars were coming down the mountain, nor were there any directly behind us going up the mountain when the accident happened. When vehicles did go by, they quickly inquired as to safety and if we needed help, no one caused any traffic jams or obstructions~no chain reactions, no rubbernecking. This took place on a blind corner...while we were waiting for help all cars (trucks, RV's and etc.) that came around the corner were able to stay on their own side of the road. The deputy who arrived (in about 20 minutes!) was very helpful and had a very calming effect on each one of us. Our grandkids are the best! They obeyed without questioning and did everything they were told without complaining. When Grampa turned the car around, and headed back down the mountain, no one said "I wish we could still play in the snow" (although Kaitlyn did whisper that to me while she and I made dinner later that evening).

So, there we were, the 7 of us with one small car...yep..our little HHR. We took the valuables out of the truck, then filled the back of our little HHR with as much other stuff as we could get in there (the bed of the truck was full of our "play in the snow stuff" as well as lunch and etc). The deputy told us to buckle the kids in and smoosh the adults in "wherever and however you can" to get back to the cabin we had rented (about 40 miles away). It was tight, but we managed. As you can imagine, everyone was still pretty shook up so not a word was said for the first 30+ miles of driving on ice just to get off the mountain.

After we got back to the cabin Albert and Angela took our car and went to meet the tow truck at the wrecking yard about an hours drive away (they wanted to remove all their personal property and empty the glove box and etc.) and then to get a rental car...guess what...no rental cars to be found Saturday night + Holiday wknd + Podunk town = no rental cars!!!

Saturday night, while A&A were dealing with the towing company and etc. Ed and I kept the grandkids busy playing games, fixing dinner, and trying to draw Tristan out a bit. Rex really stepped up to the plate and buddied up to Tristan a bit as well. What a great big brother he is! By the time A&A got back to the cabin everyone had calmed down a lot, we plugged in a movie and had some family time that didn't include "wreck talk" and everyone was in bed by 11 p.m.

On Sunday we weeded through all the stuff we had (clothing, bedding, food, entertainment) and loaded ONLY what we HAD to bring home. The place that we rented a cabin from was gracious enough to let us leave behind the rest (which was ALOT). Then the 7 of us piled back into our little car and came home (2½ hr drive). The car looked like a "Weebles Wobble But They Don't Fall Down" car with a very loaded cartop carrier on it!

I can really sympathize with our foremothers who traveled on a wagon train and had to leave things behind...choosing what is too valuable to leave behind and what has to be left behind no matter what its value is. We were fortunate to be able to store out things, knowing (hoping!!) that it would all be there when we went back for it but it really made me stop and appreciate those ladies who lived a much harder life so many years ago.

Today Ed and I got up and drove back to the cabin and picked up all that we had left behind and then out to the wrecking yard to get snowboards and etc that were still in the truck.

Tomorrow is back to work for Albert and I, Angela and the kids go back to school on Wednesday, Ed will get back into his normal routine tomorrow as well....we are all looking forward to normal.

Before leaving this morning I spoke to my sister, she said their was a family in a similar accident over the wknd not far from where we were, unfortunately they all 5 lost their lives. My heart is just aching for that family, the 3 children were very close in age to Rex, Tristan and Kaitlyn.

Hug your babies, call your kids and grandkids...life is too precious to let any opportunity to tell our loved ones how much we care, how much they mean to us, go by.