~~ BIRD RESCUE ~~

As we were chatting on the upper terrace I looked over & saw a BIRD with his little head stuck in the hole of the bird feeder. His little body shook. I let out a 'war hoop' ... DH says 'it's dead' as he shakes the body & then the little body fluttered! I was frantic as I can't touch birds, due to allergies ... I started 'you've gotta save it, you've gotta help it ...', then 'wait a minute I've got to get the camera' & I took off running ... I had to get this captured. DH literally took the feeder down as I'm yelling 'grab his body & pull, for God's sake don't hurt him' & lots of other frantic jabber ... THEN all of a sudden as DH went to pull his little body, it jostled the little fella enough to break loose & he took off like a bullet ... as he departed I'm telling the little fella 'you need to learn to keep your head out of holes'. Scared me to near tears, but all's well that ends well ... TG! Relief!!!!! TY hubby ...

Song Banned By Some Radio Stations ~ AWESOME A Must To Hear His Word

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/las-vegas-diamond-rio-concert/3822870352
(I don't know how to make this link work except you can highlight it & then go play it, sorry!)

I hope you will listen to this deeply moving song that says 'it all'.

The group received an immediate resounding standing ovation, and continue to
do so every time they perform it!
Sadly, major radio stations wouldn't play it because it was considered
'politically incorrect'.. Consequently, the song was never released to
the public.
So America , see what you think.. If this offering speaks to your heart
and you feel you want to share it with friends and loved ones, please
do.

~~It's Time For CALORIES ~~

The exquisite aromatic blossoms soon become delicious fruit ... WHICH THEN WILL BECOME THIS ...

ORANGE BROWNIES
*** (these are the best darn brownies, light refreshing & DEE-LISH! My Dr. loved them when I took them to him on Thurs. ~ I love spoiling him, each visit he gets a new dessert creation). Here ya' go ~~~

2 c sugar
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 c softened butter
4 large eggs
2 tsp orange extract
2 tsp orange zest, divided
1 c confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp orange juice

Over 350
Grease lightly your baking pan 13 x 9 in glass bakes the best

Combine sugar, flour, salt; add butter, eggs, orange extract & 1 tsp zest. Beat w/electric mixer until well blended. Spread batter into pan, (NOTE below first) & bake for 30 minutes until golden brown or center is set. Cool to warm to touch.

** NOTE ~~ NOW WHAT I DID HERE BEFORE BAKING was pat (yup! pat) a good coating of flaked coconut into/over the top of the batter. This is NOT what the recipe called for.

In small bowl combine confectioners sugar, orange juice, remaining 1 tsp zest ( I made a double batch of this rather than the single I am giving you, as I wanted GOO-EY DRIPPING frosting); stir until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies! Then sprinkle coconut over the top of the glaze immediately. Cut into small squares.

~~ Spring Forth In Bloom~~

I got a little carried away this year, as you can see (the other 1/2 of the flats were out back) ... it took 10 hrs one day & 8 the next day to get all these little beauties into the ground. I tell you I could barely move ... it hurts to sit, it hurt to bend, it hurt to move my fingers, my toes hurt ... all I could do was groan for 4 days.

BUT, oh, the beauty that will spring forth shortly from this array of 700 gorgeous colorful flowers. I can hardly wait to show you the 'after planting' pics.

Often your tasks will be many
And more than you think you can do
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.

But always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem
And with faith in your heart start upward
And climb til you reach your dream.

For faith is a mover of moutnains
There's nothing that God cannot do
So start out today with faith in your heart
And climb till your dreams come true.
(Shared with me by a friend)

~~ I've Been Tagged ~~

Eight things I'm looking forward to:
1. Reaching age 80
2. Seeing Tatiana graduate from high school
3. 50th wedding anniversary
4. All 700 annual flowers I planted GROW
5. Reading more books
6. Winning the lottery to help children w/medical needs
7. The love of my husband forever
8. Our Lord's continued forgiveness for not being perfect

Eight things I did yesterday:
1. Going to my Dr.
2. Baked orange brownies for my Dr. (DEE-LISH!)
3. Hugging my Dr.
4. Getting good news from my Dr.
5. Having lunch out with hubby
6. Cataloging newly arrived feedsacks
7. Posting new feedsacks on web
8. Sleeping a full night

Eight things I wish I could do:
1. Sew anything besides a button
2. Have a figure '8' bod
3. Walk like a model
4. Pretend each wrinkle is a beauty mark rather than a stress mark
5. Keep my g-babies little forever
6. Bring peace to the entire world
7. Win the lottery to help medically needed children, put a smile on their little faces
8. Have inner family peace amongst siblings

Eight shows I watch:
1. I Love Lucy
2. Extreme Makeover - Home addition
3. FOX News ~ the only fair & balnaced news station
4. Jeopardy
5. Andy Griffin
6. Wheel of Fortune
7. As The World Turns (since age 15)
8. Diners & Dives (Food Channel)

Eight favorite fruits:
1. Strawberries
2. Grapes
3. Oranges
4. Apples
5. Raspberries
6. Bananas
7. Watermelon
8. Blueberries

Eight places I'd like to travel:
1. Italy
2. - 8. Been to Europe & all the places I wanted to go

Eight places I've lived:
1. Vancouver, WA
2. Chehalis, WA
3. Oakland, CA
4. Long Beach, CA
5. Hawaii (Various places)
6. Camp Springs, MD
7. Gaithersburg, MD
8. Mt. Airy, MD

~~ Diapers to Diplomas ~~

Now that Joshua is 18 ... 'he is the man'. He graduated early this year from high school, & elected to not participate in his senior graduation. This decision solely is his. (Kleenex time!) We would have loved to see our first g-son, & only child of our daughter, attend his ceremony.

Sooooooo ... following his dictum, I am sharing with you the only graduation of his that will ever be attended.

What a wonderful sunny warm afternoon ceremony ... the children all lined up like soldiers, with their little mortar boards sitting precariously on their wee heads. They were adorable marching down the church aisle to the front. Of course, it was impossible for any of them to stand still ... they fidgeted, shuffled, jabbered with one another ... untiil the teacher directed them to sing the first of 2 or 3 songs. They did a darling job, out of tune, but it was precious ... all those little voices raised to the rafters.

Then the director handed out the diplomas ... one by one they marched up to receive their reward for having endured their first experience in the world of academia.

Me, the photomanic g'ma, was all over the place getting every angle of every movement Joshua made ... along with every other parent trying to edge one another out for that one photo op moment to be captured.

To you, my beloved Joshua ... you may be taking from us all that one special moment right now, but I have these wonderfully precious images of you at your (first) graduation .. they are mine forever. I will be content in just maturing your image fast forward by 14 years ... Oops! There you are in cap & tassle ... oh, how proud of you I (we) am... Chuckle!

Love you forever, you are my (our) precious boy ... sorry, 18 year old man!
Mini & Poppy
(Joshua, Joshua w/Cari in mid photos ... Joshua & Mini Marydon in lower photo)

~~ WWII Feedsack .. Kents Cloth ~~

How great the veterans of WWII, commemorated in this vintage feedsack creation. Percy Kent & Co. made this feedsack known as Kent's Cloth of the United Nations, which is stamped along the selvage edge. It is highly collectible.

On this day, please remember & pray for the men in uniform who served & presently serve our great nation ... & for the souls of those that have gone before us. May His grace be blessed upon them, & their families.

~~~

Teresa of Electic Pink Rose asked where we got our feedsacks from ~ here is the reply ~

We search constantly for our feedsacks. We also have several people ('pickers') who look for them at auctions & yard sales & thru contacts they have, to find them for us. We used to attend auctions weekly & then when we opened so many shops we didn't have all the time to be on the go so we started using 'pickers' & searching internet avenues. We have 2,200 right now. Our first batch of feedsacks we purchased for 33 cents each, approx. 200 that day at auction ... presently they range from $10 to $24 each. People contact us thru the internet & our website, also. We have a top NY designers who uses our feedsacks for her logos on her creations, a Japanese designer of multi-creations, a woman who creates children clothes ... not to dismiss our vast clientele who have fabric shops overseas & quilters in the USA. We store our feedsacks on bookshelves in the basement ... I love every single one of them & continue to be amazed at how many in each new arrival that we have never had before. We have sold close to 10,000 over time. TY for asking.

~ History Day @ Darnestown Elementary ~

Every year Harold, my dh, goes to the Darnestown Elementary School, in Darnestown, MD to give a history of the flags throughout our country's history to the 4th grades. A whole cadre of volunteers speak/teach various aspects of the history of the Civil War, local history/heritage/culture, tour the local cemetary. Harold takes some Civil War & national flags that are owned by the Colonel William Norris camp, Sons of the Confederate Veterans. The school & children really enjoy this day, & have a potluck lunch for the volunteers. Every year they present Harold with a plant for our gardens, which is really nice.

The first 3 pics are of Harold giving his speech to the students. The last picture is our flag garden, little tiny flags surround the outter edges.

May God continue to hold His loving hand over each military personnel that defends each of us & our beloved nation. They are truly appreciated for the wonderful jobs they do to continue giving us freedom & safety. May our Lord bless the souls of those departed that have given their lives for us & our country ... throughout the history of time since the birth of our nation.

~~ TY Flowers To All ~~

TY all for the heart rendering thoughts & prayers for me. The surgery went well, it isn't the heart that is the problem, it is my Crohn's disease. This will be handled by other Drs. in the next 2 weeks. You all really moved me, more than you can ever know ... I send you puppy flowers of deep gratitude.

Have a beautiful & safe holiday weekend.

I thank my God, the Lord above
For all His blessings, His deep love
He carries me when in need
I bow to Him

~~ God's Recall ~~

Jackie sent this ... too good not to share. (If you look closely to the center of image it looks like a child-like angel image)

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically
termed 'Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality,' or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion
The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, Jesus, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component. No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control
Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.
WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, all on Jesus.
DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility.
Thank you for your attention!
- GOD

~~ I'll Miss You Blue Monday ~~

Double duty message, my friends ~

I may not be able to blog for a few days. I am having to take a med prior to surgery on Thursday that affects my vision & a lot of other body functions, we all take for granted. I can't even drive my car ... yuck! BUT, I have the will to live so I will do as needed to accomplish this goal & pray that surgery will be good.

NOW, here is hubby in the middle of our construction mess. We have completely redone the upper 2 floors of our home, some I have shown you. We are now focusing on the basement & in Harold's office. All trim/moldings & stair railings will be replaced, the walls are repainted white, but the bar area is a gorgeous Civil War gray, the entry side door is what Harold is working on. The door was to be a simple storm screen door replacement but once he got into the project everything had to be torn out & replaced, it had some wood rot. I am painting all this trim/molding you see ... still have a long way to go before the construction man can come back & get started. I will be so very glad when this is all over.

For anyone interested ~ tankless water heaters ... we had one installed and it is absolutely fabulous. Worth every penney of savings.

Catch y'all as I can ... I enjoy & appreciate every one of you. Have a beautiful week.
TTFN ~ Marydon

~~ The Seed ~~

~~~~~ ((Too good not to share with you)) ~~~~~

A successful business man was growing old & knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down & choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one
of you. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued.

"I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, & come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, & the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day & he, like the others, received a seed. He went home & excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil & compost & he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it & watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds & the plants that were
beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant & he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees & tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however... he just kept watering & fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by & all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other
executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes.

Jim put his empty pot on the floor & many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room & greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, & flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, & then announced to the
young executives "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!"

Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, & bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was no possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees & plants & flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage & honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.

Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

*If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. * If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. *If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
*If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
*If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
*If you plant hard work, you will reap success
*If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later... "Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"

~~ And I Shall Comfort You... ~~

True stories shared with God's special touch ~

Marydon: Now I have a story for you. My mother loved tulips.....every spring the deer ate her tulips to the ground...she would rant and rave.....'fuss' and quarrell. Well, the spring after my mother passed away I went to her grave on Easter and would you believe...there was 2 tulips as big and beautiful as could be. Neither my brother nor I planted them......She finally got to see tulips bloom........D (true)

Another story ~
When Mother passed on Christmas Eve I kept her ashes for 5 months, then returning her to the family cemetery in WA ST. I kept a small jar with her 'heart' in it to take to Ireland at a later date (which we did) to the family graveyard in her Mother's hometown ... Mother left her heart when she was there, but could never return. The cemetery was full as Mother's friends & family gathered. Mother had a hard life raising 5 children alone, but she did it well. It was a typical dark dreary dim day, as usual in WA ST. As Fr. John started to recite the final prayers, God lifted the clouds in Heaven & literally the sunlight shone down upon Mother's grave ... almost as if He was lifting her spirit. At the end of the prayer, the clouds immediately closed. It was very emotional ... & this occurred/was on our wedding anniversary.

This same exact thing happened when we buried our 3 yr. old son ... gave me goose bumps when it happened again at Mother's graveside service.

Isn't it wonderful how warm memories can be given to us ... 'and I shall comfort you in your darkest moments'.

~~ Simple Gifts, Many Joys ~~ (Can be found at Best Buys ... it is Logitech)

I ask of nothing, I expect nothing. After a wonderful dinner for our anniversary DH had to buy some computer 'stuff'. When I saw the PINK mouse ... I HAD to have!! Simple gifts, many joys ... nice touch to end of day.

We have been so blessed over the years that it doesn't take much to bring a gentle smile or make a happy heart ... TY Lord for all the blessings we have been granted thru you.

IF you haven't read my post MAGNOLIAS, please do. It is a must .......

~~ MAGNOLIAS ~~

written by..........By Edna Ellison (Sent to me by my dear friend Ann Williams)

I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute
trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty
miles away.

As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man,
I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle . .
So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was
away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister
down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years
before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she
was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large
magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green
leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood
inside the church.

After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked
the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before
midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding
any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and
especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her
bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiance Tim walked with me to
the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush
of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful
white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the
night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot
summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown,
gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.

Tim turned to me. 'Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away
these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements.'

I mumbled, 'Sure,' as he be-bopped down the hallto put on his cuff
links..

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in
the arched ceiling. 'Lord,' I prayed, 'please help me. I don't know anyone
in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a
hurry!'

I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white
magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that
may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I
asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance.. I
approached a house...No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an
older man answered. So far so good. No shotgun.

When I stated my plea the man beamed, 'I'd be happy to!'

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to
me.

Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said,
'Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today.'

'No, Ma'am,' he said. 'You don't understand what's happening here.

'What?' I asked.

'You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I
received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday....' He
paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. 'On Wednesday I buried her.' He
looked away. 'On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back
home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left.'

I nodded.

'This morning,' he continued, 'I was sitting in my den crying out
loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got
worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who
needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry
louder. 'Nobody needs me!'

About that time, you knocked, and said, 'Sir, I need you.' I stood
with my mouth open.

He asked, 'Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head
into my dark living room...'

I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. 'Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those
magnolias?'

'No.'

'I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a
flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral
home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I
have lots of them. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to
hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to
do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!'

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding
day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would
have said, 'Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness'
sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today.'

But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

'Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way
you cope with it is what makes the difference.'

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing. If you have
missed some of my emails, you may have missed a laugh.

But, if you have missed knowing God, you
have missed everything in the world.

~~ TTFN ~~

To answer everyone's question about my signature TTFN


In England it is common to say Ta Ta For Now as you bid them goodbye, usually said TTFN

In my language I one day decided to me it meant Thank Thy Father Now, how appropriate. I have used it for a ba-zillion years now.

So in essence I am doing you a double 'bid' with my signature sign off

There ya' go ~ TTFN ~ Marydon

*** He Loves Me ***

... he loves me not. This vintage FEEDSACK says it all ~ it is one of my very favorite. I remember as children how we were FOREVER picking daisies & saying this little diddy ... what fun we had daydreaming about 'forever' ...

~~~ The WINNER Is ~~~

SURPRISE! ... Happy Cottage Quilter Jocelyn, AND Christine won the gift basket. We had a double drawing ... chuckle!

Tatiana & Ansel had a great time with this drawing.
TTFN ~ Marydon

***** Love Minus the White Stallion *****

Once upon a time the charm of a prince rescued this damsel, whisking her off to a new world.

They met on a Weds night at his Mom & Dad’s by accident … a couple hours later he leaned over & asked her to go to a Ham Radio Club meeting with him. She quickly replied ‘yes’. Shoot! at age 18 if you weren’t engaged or married, not much of a chance you were going to find that white stallion & get out of town. A week later on Friday he presented this gorgeous perfect ring … her heart is flying with excitement.

So, anyway, 4 weeks to the day later they got married because he didn’t want to wait for 4 months to come back & get married like she wanted to … as he had to report to the US Navy for his second tour of duty. He whisked her off to another world from her confined little city nestled amongst the valleys & mountains of WA ST.

Awed of the ‘new’ world she was viewing on their honeymoon to CA, the rushing waterfalls & trickling streams, breathtaking coastlines, the staturesque majestic redwoods, the ‘orange’ Golden Gate bridge & her new love.

They nestled into their life & new world in the $85 3-room apartment on a $200 a month military salary, the honeymoon continued, but reality settled in … it wasn’t an easy life, he was gone an awful lot & family was very, very far away.

Traveling far & wide, moving many times was a challenge, with 3 blessed little ones in 2 yrs., in tow. She loved being a Mother, he was busy going to every school the Navy offered … the children were her entire life. And, then a few years later another little prince arrived to only be with them for 3 ½ yrs.

The bumps & bruises of the loss of their son was a roller coaster no one should ever endure. You comfort one another, but it is hard to grieve together. Faith floundered, God was questioned, the craggy road was nearly insurmountable.

Eventually, they were able to meander down that lonesome, empty, sad path back to the castle, filling it with love together, once again. This period brought faith & trust in the Lord back into their lives, not to question ‘why’ but ‘I accept’.

They raised their 3 children with great pride in each, loving them without question, praying job done well & they would be stalwart adults. We are grateful for the blessings they have bestowed upon us … we have 3 beautiful loving g-children that are the loves of our lives. I never thought that we could love as much as our own children, but these 3 little ones are our great joys. Hubby says they are the reason we didn’t kill our kids. Chuckle.

Through thick & thin, with a quiet & inward deep faith, our life moved along, nothing spectacular, just common ordinary living.

Our love has been through many crooked roads & deep crevasses, we survived each. We are like water & oil, but they blend well. This boiling pot is filled with respect & deep love, we are good friends, we thank God for all He has done to assist us in the path we have traveled … we only hope we haven’t displeased Him in our sometimes less than perfect ways. Without Him, we’d be lost … we bow before Him as we know He will forgive when we err.

I thank my prince for rescuing me from that little town, the white stallion must still be at the Kentucky Derby.

Happy 48th! Love you, honey … Just, Me

~ GIVEAWAY FOR MOTHER'S DAY ~

Mother's Day we will notify the winner of our basket giveaway.

****HAVE A HAPPY DAY****

Happiness is something we create in our mind, it's not something we search for & so seldom find.

It's just waking up & beginning the day by counting our blessings & kneeling to pray.

It's giving up thoughts that breed discontent & accepting what comes as a gift heaven-sent.

It's giving up wishing for things we have not & making the best of whatever we've got.

By completing what God gives us to do that we find real contentment & happiness, too.

** Through Him, In Him ***

You say 'it's impossible'.
God says 'all things are possible'.
Luke 18:27

God is right! He gives us choices, we can make the best of everything before us, or we may stagnate in the mode of 'it's impossible'. Oh, how disappointed He must be when we 'expect things' rather than to 'create things' for ourselves. We may stumble or have obstacles placed in our paths ... our choice is to make the best out of circumstances.

Happiness comes from within ... something as simple as an ice cream cone can be a joy rather than 'we deserve it'. No one owes us anything in life ... today we should take the time to appreciate the wonders that surround us, with gratitude for them ... a home with a roof, a bed to rest in, a love in our lives that brings us deep joy, food to sustain us ...

Another gals blog made a profound statement ... all the things we clamored for in our younger days, we now have & then some ... & yet we now linger remembering & yearn for those simpler days.

Everything is possible ... believe!

~~ For ALL Special 'Mother's' ~~

~~MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY BELOW ~~

There are parents & there are 'special parents'. A lovely lady on our blog inspired me to THANK all the wonderful loving women (& men) who are childless whether by choice or because God had a special path for them in life ... BUT ... give selflessly to children who may, or may not, have an empty spot in their little lives. The joy their gentle touch & hug, soft words, flowing love brings to a child, can be life changing.

Children are like rosebuds, they bloom with love & tender care.

God gave special blessings to these precious folks who share their love selflessly leaving memories that these children will carry throughout life.

Thank you & Happy Mother's Day to each of you.

~~ Blue Monday Memories of Yore ~~

I was reading a blog this morn ... re pioneer women. I had to get out the diary. The ornaments take me back to the 'olden days' (much like G'ma Maggie).

It is a dismal, dark, dreary day here ... has been raining for 4 days & 2 to go ... what a perfect time to pen memories. I don't feel like cleaning anymore, but will finish later on.

When G'ma Maggie came over from Blackwater, Ireland, ca. 1908, she wore her hair like these ladies on the ornaments, & wore those kinds of long dresses. She was an absolute beauty. In Ireland she was trained to be a sales lady at the convent, Loretta Abbey of Gorey. When she arrived in this country she worked briefly as a sales lady in Portland, OR, before moving on to WA ST. There she became a cook in a mill ... her cook table is on an early post, which I treasure. G'ma met G'pa Bob at the mill (4-12-1910 wedding pic above). G'ma always wore her hair slicked back into a tight bun, she wore little prim hats with dainty flowers on the top of the brim ... I can still hear her echoing clicking heels coming down the hall at St. Joseph's.

The photo of the family in the 1918 Chevie was many cousins w/G'ma at the rear outer window side. Her children sat beside her. G'pa Bob was driving the car. Isn't that car fantastic?

G'ma Maggie was a strong, hard working woman. She had beautiful flower & veggie gardens, free of weeds always ... too often we had to do the weeding & we didn't like it one bit.

We took our wash down to her house every Sat. piled high on the little wagon, all 5 kids hanging onto the sides, as Mother pulled the wagon 6 blocks ... spending the entire day washing & scrubbing the clothes on that old scrub board ... that was hard work ... then rinsing the clothes in the tub of clear water & hanging them out to dry. G'ma & Mother worked side by side, they were very close. She made her own lye soap, we stirred that horrible stuff.

We would have fresh made jam sandwiches topped with the 'scum' of the jam (that was the best part) on that heavenly fresh baked bread ... yum. I can literally smell the yeasty aroma floating throughout the house, still. Occasionally G'ma would let us 'punch' the dough down. Even better yet, she would give us remnants of the dough to make brown sugar tarts ... we loved working in the kitchen creating our treats.

It was great fun gathering the chicken eggs from the coop ... we loved playing with the baby chicks, chased the chickens around the yard, changing the nesting straw. The worst part was watching G'ma kill the chickens ... I used to cry horribly for those poor chicks, so eventually I wasn't allowed to go out when she was 'getting our dinner'.

G'ma would occasionally whip up her apron & as we 5 kids egged her on, & do the Irish jig for us. Sometimes she would speak in a heavy Irish brogue, or sing an Irish song ... we loved every single minute. It would be a great finishing touch to a long hard day.

We enjoyed laying under the lilac bush in G'mas front yard out of the heat as the gentle breeze cooled us ... too often getting fried because we fell asleep ... hence hardly able to waddle for days from the pain. I brought back a piece of the lilac bush in 1987 & it grows in my yard ... it is a true lilac, not a hybrid. At that time I also brought back some of her Mt. Bresius bulbs that bloomed beside the back step to the sun porch. I treasure each bloom every spring.

G'ma was a sweet, loving, kind woman ... I loved her gentle hugs & silky smooth skin (she would rub lard on her hands & rub it in good, wiping it off on her feedsack apron) ... her skin always shined. G'ma is the glue that held the family together ... she worked very hard to earn money & provide a nice home for her family.

During the Depression G'ma received her family inheritance from Ireland which got them thru some really tough times.

I remember the loving touch of her gentle hands, the sweet smell of her skin, the warm hugs of love.

Thank you for all the loving memories.

Happy Mother's Day to a wonderful loving woman ... my grandmother Maggie Carty Neu. (1890 - 1955)

~~ First Holy Communion ~~ IHS

Ansel Emery received his First Communion yesterday. Ansel was so solemn & serious for what he was about to receive, his blessed gift of Jesus ... it was very emotional for me. (He's in the dark blue suit.)

The children all looked like little angels, so full of grace. They were so cute all standing in line, jabbering up a storm with radiating excitement for this big step in their little lives.

We are so blessed, Ansel makes us very proud. He is the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful & gentle little one we know (for his age).

I am the photo-holic 'Mimi', I am sparing you the misery of sitting thru my vast photos.

*** REGISTER FOR MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY ***

~~ May Showers Bring Spring Flowers ~~

*** ENTER OUR MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY BELOW ***

As children we got up early in the morn to distribute our darling little paper baskets we created w/crayola designs & glued together the night before. The excitement mounting, we filled the baskets with snippets of flowers from Mother's gorgeous spring flowers in her gardens ... running to neighbors homes, ringing the doorbell, then hiding so we could enjoy their ooooooh's & ahhhhh's as they opened the door to find the little gift we had left them.

Such glee & joy it brought to us each.

This vintage feedsack is from the 1930s -50s era. I give to you the love of friendship, the beauty of flowers & 'angel showers' to bless your day.

Have a lovely weekend.