a wonderfully messy arrangement

It may not be perfect, probably never has been, or will be, but it is ours' in all its glory.   In my minds eye I envision it to be like the Wiliams Sonoma catalog, all picture perfect.  I know the reality of it is that it isn't, it cannot possibly be, but there is a lure to the picture, to the idea, to the perfection.  In truth, I love what I have, my perfectly imperfect family.

Having a houseful of our people is wonderful.  I love them.....

 

 From where we came will always be ours, where we go will always be ours, and ours alone.

Each and every morning when I get up, I grab my camera to take a couple of pictures of my flower.  You can still see how much it has grown from the day before.  By the by, I think that next year I will take pictures both in the morning and the evening. 

I love, love, love hermetic jars.  Mrs. Gallo used them often to hold all kinds of things, I think one of my most favorite food to come out of her hermetic jars was her BBQ sauce.  It was not a red based sauce like BBQ sauce we have, her's was filled with herbs and all kinds of stuff from the garden.  In keeping with her tradition, we made, ok Andrew made meat/vegetable rub for gifts.  I have been shopping for different sizes and shapes of the hermetic jars for gift giving.  There a quite a few different brands of jars in the stores, I only buy the Fido, Bermoli, and La Parfait.  The other brands I don't think are as good, so I stay clear of them.   

The best part of the jars is that I get to make a label on them, I love labels....I think I have a problem.

Another year has passed in the blink of an eye, it was filled with life and death, bitter and sweet.  I am looking forward to a wonderfully happy New Year.

that is our family.

I am truly blessed.

gentle encouragement

I still haven't touched it, technically.  I have moved it around, in fact I moved it into the living room to get more sun.  Our lovely bulb is growing in leaps and bounds.  You can actually see it grow, and I am not fooling, really, from one day to the next.

It has leaves or maybe the flower growing from both sides now.  I wonder which is which.  It has been so long time since I had an amaryllis, so I do not remember what I am looking for.  

I have been getting things ready for Christmas and I am really looking forward to having our family staying at our house for the holidays.....Mor is always here with me...

 I found this online last week, I thought this would be perfect for Andrew & Mellay...

The time is now, I thank you for your quiet support, I am going to make that leap forward. 

ramping up

I have thirteen days to get ready.  I need to get moving, I really mean moving.  I haven't put up the tree, no lights, not even a tablescape.  This cough that I got is knocking me for a loop and just sapping me of all my strength.  If the cough isn't enough I just seem to always get caught outside when there is some sort of precipitation falling from the sky and I end up getting wet and cold.  So I say.....no more....no more.  I have a hot toddy, yes it is ok when you are sick to have a toddy in the middle of the afternoon,  and I am going to start first with my menu list and move on from there. 

I have not touched the amaryllis, so of course it is growing, same thing can be said for the herbs.

One of Sadie's favorite places to lie in the sun was on the back of the sofa in the family room, she would get the heat coming up from the radiator and the warmth of the sun, that little dog was always cold, so it was her spot.  I walked into the family room yesterday and I was met with this....

Sadie would not have liked this at all.  StellaLuna in her spot, in her spot, and not to mention that she is a cat no less, this would never fly.  No way, no how, no no no.  Luna is a very nosy.  I think she looks just like Toothless from the dragon movie.

Thirteen days.....moving, moving, moving