so truly blessed and thankful

I have spent the last six days in absolute bliss.  We have been so busy with all the preparations for our very special holiday.  Wednesday we got hit with some awful weather, but it was all good, we just needed to go out for a few little odds & ends.  My Mom and Dad had their first visit to Whole Foods and they liked it a whole bunch.  Mona, my Mom, thought that the store was absolutely beautiful, it was crazy busy so much so that you could not really enjoy it, but that they had some really great products.  My Dad could not stop joking about the "cage free" eggs or the "free range" chickens.  Mona purchased shrimp and chocolate, while I bought milk and brioche bread.  It was fun, people shopping, pushing, shoving, and all.

Thanksgiving Day was.......wonderful.  There is so much to be thankful for.  We have our family.  We may not have all been together, we regaled one another with stories of past stories and exploits.

I took some really crappy pictures.  Some extreme close-ups.....

Thanksgiving can be summed up in one picture....

We truly are blessed.

 

can you walk the line

l am getting so excited.  I have so much to do, but for quite possibly the very first time I am not worried or stressed.  It does not matter whether everything is perfect or not, I don't have to impress anybody, I am who I am.  My Mother loves me as does my Dad.  My Sisters are my sisters and we are sisters.  My Brother is who he is no matter what, and I love them all, because they are my family.  My Children are my crowning achievement and the best thing I have ever done.  They are the bows on my strings and Andrew is my knot. 

and face the ties that bind

just because

 He called on the phone to make sure I was home, he said "just because".  No more, no less.

I am.  I truly am.

The star is for you.
 
The fruit was as sweet as you.  You made me feel loved.  You made me feel good.  You made me smile with tears. 

Thank you











Did you ever know someone that you have never met in person, but you know you would be able to give all your troubles, insecurities, and fears to they would take them, wipe away your tears, and tell you that it is over, it is all gone, no more hurt, no more. 

You take the old

I have heard it been said that most things are made to break, not be able to be repaired, tossed out, and new bought.  Well, this is really not that good for me because I have the "black finger of death".  I kill everything, I am equal opportunity killer, from electronics to shovels to plants.  Nothing is beyond my periphery, if I can touch it....  So in this modern world of disposable devices and me with my curse, the deck is stacked.  There is hope though, a bright shining light that comes through for most everything, Andrew fixes, he fixes everything I break, except for my truck's radio, I had help with that, Country Music, it's broken beyond repair.  Everything else does stand a chance, because he follows me, fixing all that I break.  Our son has his gift of repair.


A few years back, the Discovery Channel was doing a special on the builder, Jesse James, and he had said that handmade items were a dying art, especially in metalwork.  Metal gas tanks, fenders, and oil tanks were machine stamped and welded.  He purchased an English Wheel, he taught himself how to roll and form his items, making things one of a kind.  Jesse said that it gave him self satisfaction.  I can understand that.  When Andrew fixes things that I break, I can see that he too gets satisfaction out of a job well done. 

While we were out on our last adventure to Delaware, we were able to purchase two copper mixing bowls from the manufacturer for a fourth of the price because they has dents in them.  Andrew told me not to worry that he would make them perfect for me, what more can one ask for and I was not even remotely guilty for the damage, just saying....

Of course there were pictures.  While he was working his magic on the bowls, I had to have a funny quip, because that is what I do.  Andrew is most ingenious, he was getting the dents out with.....a bocce ball...yes, a bocce ball.  Jesse James may have his English Wheel, Andrew has his Bocce Ball.

 With the dents rolled out, Andrew finished up his cigar, putzed around for a bit.  We washed up the bowls and then he polished them up to get all the fingerprints off.  That's when he got a little carried away and I was so very glad to help, I brought over to him the two  copper pots and copper core pots we have, just so everything was done.  I reached up, gave him Mor's copper whisk. 

Some might say that it is not a very exciting way to spend a Saturday night, but there is truly nothing that I would rather be doing, and besides all the shelves have liners.



you make it new, we'll be all right

it's just you and me

A long, long while ago, Kathy and I went to a fantastic sale on Talmage Road in Edison, there was a woman with the most fabulous cut and color.  Red, beautiful, glorious red.  Her hair was amazing, I pointed her out to Kathy and she agreed, the cut complemented her face and the color against her skin was all that.  I just had to tell her, so I made my way over.  She shocked me by saying "you too can have this", then pulled up on her bangs to reveal that she was wearing a wig.  I was blown away, I would never have guessed or even thought it.  Yes, I could have it too......NOT.  I tried to twice to have red hair and failed twice miserably trying to pull it off.  The first time I tried it was to make my husband happy and smile after his Mom passed away, I don't remember why I did it the second time, maybe for the same reason, I don't know.  After each try we had to dye my hair dark, I can't pull that off either, before being able to go back to being blonde.  I am a blonde, that is what God, my parents, genetics, and Clairol, now Redkin have made me.  So I wear red, I love red, have quite a few pairs of shoes and boots in red, and of course, my favorite shoes of all time were these red sling-back pumps that I bought on Lexington and 42nd, NYC back in the day.


I was told that red is the color of good luck in the Chinese community, and so I have decided that along with a lot of prayer, I should also have a little good luck.  I have taken to wearing a red strings.  The anklet and bracelet that I wear are knotted the same way a Rosary is, so I guess I am covering both bases.  I went a couple of steps more with wearing only red "shambala" like bracelets also.   I thought that with these preventive measures evil could not permeate.  Sometimes we invite the evil in unknowingly, that is when you get blindsided.  Never again, never ever again.

My friend Cathy was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of brain cancer, I got on a plane as soon as I could to go and see her, I brought along a red bracelet for her, cause I figured with all the people praying for her health, she too could use all the good luck she could get.  I guess that all was on her side, maybe not in the way I hoped.  I wanted her to remain with us for a long time, what I did not think was that maybe I was being selfish, she did not stay with us for very long, cause all the prayers were answered and she did not suffer for a long while, and I guess that was lucky for her.  I have been thinking about Cathy and her husband, Roger, a lot, and in truth I miss talking to her.

We left for our adventure to Delaware, I was wearing red all over but not limited to three red bracelets, one red anklet, red shoes hoping that luck would be on my side.  I did not think that I should pray in this instance for anything other than a safe journey to, from, and during.  I thought that I should do what I could to stir up some good luck, and yes, I got some good luck on my side.  Everything that we needed was there, and even a few things we didn't.  We were thrilled to have scored so well, until we turned our back and someone reached into the cart, lifted out the "icing on the cake", and made off with it.  I was sad, but apparently they needed it more than me, I just hope that they are happy with it, because I would have been.

They day ended with a whirl about the Farmers' Market in New Castle, DE, we had great seafood, and then played with a puppy.  That little thing was the cutest, she was a Jack Russel/Rat Terrier mix with a slight cross under bite.  Oh, oh was she cute.  We popped into the Amish Bakery for a whoopee pie.  Then went home.

It was a good day, a very good day with lots of good luck on our side.

I wore those red slingbacks to death.  My favorite was with red/white side pleated slacks, white blouse that buttoned in the back, and a white patent belt, goodness I loved that outfit....

it's where I want to be

Thank goodness it's Thursday

I'm just saying.....

If you got a hammer and a vise

Fur was flying all over the house, three dogs and one cat make for a goodly amount of fur, especially if one of said dogs is a husky blowing his summer coat.  On the upside, it wasn't his winter coat.  I think it is all about perspective.  If, I really do mean if because I am really thinking I don't want, we ever get another dog I want one that does not shed.  Yes, we would have to get the dog haircuts, but there would be no shedding, that would be a major plus.  I had to bring Buddy to Dr. Bev to have his teeth cleaned, the end result of the cleaning was a shocker.  His kidneys are not doing all that great, and yeah, he too is getting old.  We now have two dogs that are on prescription food, Chico on the WD and now Buddy on the KD.  Go figure both dogs on different food, talking about rolling with it, two of them now.  Of course there is an upside, Buddy's new food comes in a chunky variety unlike Chico's that resembles wall paper paste in texture and color.  I think flavor also because it does not t look very appetizing, and it does not smell appetizing as well.   I have to say that Chico does try to get out of eating it every night by waiting and hoping that Buddy will leave him a little something something.  Thank goodness that Buddy does leave him a morsel or two.  Of course there was some of Buddy's old food left and we gave the few cans of regular food to Mel when she and Andrew came to pick up Skazi on their way home from Clark's wedding.  Buddy is still the happiest puppy in the world, except he isn't a puppy anymore and he is always cold now, we bought him a red waffle shirt to wear, I am hoping it will do the trick. All in all we had a great weekend with lots of laughs and ahh moments...

Oh yeah, fall is here big time, I can hope for Indian Summer but I think the chances of that are slim to none.

We have figs, but I don't think that they are going to ripen in time.  I am so very happy that the fig tree rebounded.

She'll let you in her heart