Yard Sale FUN!

I love the roses on this mirror. Only paid $2.

This bowl was a quarter. Has a small chip but it adds to its charm.

I adore christmas tins. Fill them with cookies and they make a great gift!

I love the fabric on these-Coscill-and these valences were only a quarter!

A quarter each!
Love Gibrans poetry. And I need all of the inspiring messages I can get!

Another view of my mirror.

A set of Laura Ingalls Wilder books for 2 dollars and a hat box to decopage for a quarter.

My finds! I love going to garage sales!

FOR TODAY … 29 May 2009

Outside My Window…junk on my patio table-stuff I am moving out of my shed to put into my garden spaces
I am thinking… that I didn't get enough done during my time off of work. Work never ceases!
I am thankful for… my job, even though it’s been crazy there.
From the kitchen… just ate an ice cream cone-well's blue bunny. Yum! I think I have chocolate crumbs on my face.
I am wearing… shorts, tank top and denim shirt. No shoes!
I am creating… Nothing…
I am going… to stay home today...
I am reading… The Bible
I am hoping…my SIL's surgery is successful today and that she will be herself again very soon.
I am hearing…my hubby breathing-he is taking a nap right now.
Around the house… dust bunnies.
One of my favorite things…listening to thunderstorms. I wish it would rain.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…mow the lawn and yard work.

I love Spring

This is my Jackmanii clematis as it appears right now. I just adore it! He seems happy on the old chain link fence with his feet in the shade and his head in the sun! I wish he would be in bloom all summer long. He is one of my absolute favs in the garden! :)

Exceedingly Prayerful

I just heard that Julie has pneumonia and the left side of her brain is swelling. The doctors are being very cautious and they don't want to put a shunt in just yet because of all of the other risk factors she is facing. It sounds very scary, but I know she is very strong. If anyone can survive this, I believe Julie can. I am praying that she has strength. I know she has the faith. May the Lord hold her within His healing arms. May He also be with her husband and family. This must be so very hard to bear. Healing thoughts, prayers and love are being sent their way. Love~Ree

Prayers for Julie

Last Tuesday, my sister in law Julie had a bad accident while riding her horse. For some reason, her horse reared up and flipped backward. She was holding tightly to the reins and the horse landed on top of her, smashing her helmet and basically breaking her. She has been in intensive care and she has a broken nose, broken ribs, broken pelvis and two crushed vertebrate. Thankfully she was able to wiggle her toes. They were going to perform surgery on her, but trauma to her carotid artery caused her to have a stroke. She can not move her right arm or hand. She is trying to form words but it unable to. I feel so bad for her. I pray she will heal and that she knows the good Lord has her in the palm of His hand. It is so sad that in a flash of an instant, our lives can be changed. I pray that He gives her and her family courage and strength and that she will lead a full recovery. Love~Ree

Is it Cinderella? It's Susan Boyle

I just love this story. Susan made a promise to her dying mother that she would do this. What a precious promise. Her mother must surely have been smiling down from the heavens on her daughter that day. She sang like an angel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

The song she chose is so sad and haunting. They touch the heart and soul. Here are the lyrics:

There was a time when men were kind,
And their voices were soft,And their words inviting.
There was a time when love was blind,
And the world was a song,
And the song was exciting.
There was a time when it all went wrong...
I dreamed a dream in time gone by,
When hope was high and life, worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die,
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.
Then I was young and unafraid,
And dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid,
No song unsung, no wine, untasted.
But the tigers come at night,
With their voices soft as thunder,
As they tear your hope apart,
And they turn your dream to shame.
He slept a summer by my side,
He filled my days with endless wonder...
He took my childhood in his stride,
But he was gone when autumn came!
And still I dream he'll come to me,
That we will live the years together,
But there are dreams that cannot be,
And there are storms we cannot weather!
I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living,
So different now from what it seemed...
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed...

It is so wonderful to see someone so deserving to see her dreams come true. May she always be as sweet as she is in this moment in time. Susan-may all your dreams come true-for now and for always. And thank you for sharing your dream with us....and allowing us to be a part of something so beautiful. God bless you. Love~Ree

Happy Easter to ALL!

These are the eggs I bought for my sweet mom for Easter. They are from my dad and me. A friend from work has a mother who does wonderful china painting and every Spring, Mary brings some of her eggs to work to sell. I picked these three for my mom. I love the colors and the detail. Mary's mom is so talented! *sigh*

I was going to place them in a basket, but I found this sweet dish in my china cabinet that I thought I would try. I think I bought the dish at a yard sale a few years ago for under a dollar. I think it is a great fit. My mom really enjoyed receiving these---and my dad did too! They are now in her china cabinet. I hope mom is around to enjoy these for many more Easters to come. She is such a blessing to me. I love you, Mom! Happy Easter from me and Dad! Love~Ree

Consignment shop finds

I love consignment shops-don't you? I went with a couple of good friends and found some cute purses I liked. This one is my favorite. I think it will look good with my brown trench coat for Spring.

Do you see my pink poodles in the background? Those I found at a yard sale last summer. I got them for only a quarter a piece! I had to have them since they remind me of the pink poodle bubblebath my grandpa bought me when I was about 6 years old. A sweet memory I will have to share with you all at another time. I hope you enjoy my consignment shop find. More to come!

Is Spring Here Yet?

These sweet little flowers were blooming in my yard just a few days ago. I thought I should take a photo since there was snow in the forecast. I don't even know what these little guys are, but I know I planted them years ago.

Right now, we have a mixture of snow and rain. I don't know if these will still be there when it warms up later this week. Aren't they sweet? How is the weather in your neck of the woods?

My Heart Hurts Today

My heart hurts today. Have you ever known someone who you grew to dearly love and then you know you are soon going to lose them? That is how I feel about a dear sweet friend of mine-Darlene. Darlene is my neighbor. She and her sweet husband live right behind me. We have shared many special visits over the garden fence and over the last 21 years, I have grown to love them both very, very much. They are such a special couple who really seemed to enjoy being together. They have been married around 55 years.

Darlene is my mother's age, ~81, and like my mom, Darlene was diagnosed with Alzheimers a few years ago. Darlene was so supportive when I spoke with her about my mother's illness and then a few years later, Darlene and Melvin became aware that she too had this affliction. At first there were small signs. She would forget little things or she would have trouble completing a thought, finding the right word, or completing a sentence. She and her husband worked together out in their yard-and they had the best yard in the neighborhood, tenderly tending their flowers. Darlene would see me and call out my name in a sing-song little way. She always gave me a hug and a kiss and told me how much she loved me.

This sweet lady had a special affection for cardinals-"red birds" as she called them. Everytime I see one, I can't help but think of her. I loved looking out my kitchen window and seeing her walking near the fence line with her crowning head of glory-her hair was snowy white and glorious. (Melvin always made certain she went to the hairdressers once a week and also had her nails done. He really loved this woman and you could tell because he always took such good care of her). She would call my name and I would go out to the fence to get my hug and kiss and visit with this sweet woman.

On football saturdays, she would be dressed in her Husker shirt, wearing her cornhusker earrings and bracelet. She looked elegant in the simplest of accessories. Darlene was grace personified. She would be all excited at the prospect of another football victory for her favorite team.

When I came home from work and see the light in their kitchen window, I would always wave to it. Melvin said that many times, Darlene would stand at the kitchen window and watch for me. If she saw me out in the yard, she would go outside to find me-singing my name. There were even a few times she would wander the neighborhood looking for me. Melvin would have to go out and bring her home.

We shared many days and evenings filled with laughter, tomatoes, tuberoses and lavender. We watched the birds together and listened to stories about one another's families. During the winter, I would get a call from Melvin and I would walk over to their home and spend an afternoon filled with laughter and homemade cookies and coffee. Those were some wonderful visits that I will always cherish.

Slowly Darlene started to have difficulties. Melvin was doing all of the cooking then because Darlene no longer remembered how. She started not remembering how to write or read or watch television. But Melvin never complained. He was her helpmate and companion, and he seemed to enjoy doing things to help her. She was still able to talk on the phone or listen to her favorite gospel hymns. When she would hug me, she would say "I-I-I-I-l-l-l-l-l-ooooovvvvvvee-yyyyyooooooooouuuuu, hhhonnnnneeeyyyy". It was getting hard for her, but she would work so hard to convey her feelings.

One day last summer, I noticed Melvin out in the yard and Darlene was sitting in a chair, facing the house. She had her head down. She did not seem to be aware of what was going on around her. The next time I saw her, Melvin walked with her to the fence and we picked the cherry tomatoes that he had planted. Darlene was smiling and she looked beautiful. She struggled to speak, but she seemed so happy to be there. Again she hugged me and kissed me and told me she loved me. My heart felt a sudden sting. I knew she was really slipping. Melvin gently led her back into the house.

The next few days, the house behind me was dark. There was no light coming from the kitchen window. I felt that something was terribly wrong. Then when I saw Melvin again, he told me he had to put her into a nursing facility. The constant caregiving was overwhelming. Melvin was losing weight and not able to take care of himself. Her needs were much more than he could fulfill. It was time. I could tell how hard this was for him. He seemed at a loss without her.

I went to visit her on a beautiful autumn day.When I walked into her room, Melvin was there with her. She was so happy to see me and she hugged me and kissed me and held my hand. After a short visit, they had to leave. They were going with a group to a pumpkin farm for the afternoon. The fresh air and the sunshine would do Darlene good. Before I left, I noticed that in her room was the doll I had given her. That made me feel good to know that she had something there to remind her of me.

At the end of January, Melvin told me that hospice was now helping with Darlene. They brought her a wheelchair for she has been slipping further and no longer will hold her head up. Melvin said she doesn't seem to be able to see. I knew I needed to see her.

Yesterday I went to visit my dear friend. She was sitting in a chair in her room with her head down in her hands. She was mumbling and moaning. I got down on the floor and touched her shoulders. I said hello and told her who I was. I told her "I love you, Darlene". Then I put my face near hers and asked her if she could see me. She said "yeeeesssssss-I ssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyooouuuuu." Then she spoke my name. I hugged her and kept talking in her right ear and kissing her on the cheek. I continued to tell her I loved her and she said "-I-I-I-l-l-l-l-l-ooooovvvvvvee-yyyyyooooooooouuuuu, hhhonnnnneeeyyyy." Then she would mumble and it sounded like she was humming. I rubbed her back and her shoulders and held her. I was crying so hard but I did not want her to know that I was crying. It hurt so badly to see how someone once so happy and full of life could be like this. I wanted her to know how very special she is to me. I wanted her to know how she matters. I wanted her to know how much she has touched my life and how will I love her forever. She lifted her head and looked at me. I hugged her again and as I was holding her hands, she started to get up. I stood up, still holding her hands. She took my hands- one by one- and kissed them. Then I helped her to sit back down in the chair. I knew that at that moment she knew me. She loved me. That moment will stay with me for always.

I love you so much Darlene. My heart breaks for you. I can't stop crying. I pray the good Lord comes to take you home soon. It will be a wonderful day when you are made whole again. I love you and I will miss you, but my soul will never forget you. You are always in my heart. My sweet Darlene.

When I returned home, a redbird was hopping around near the bird feeder. It was a sweet blessing and a comfort to see him. I think God sent him to me to show me He understands my tears. Love~Ree

Happy Happy New Year

Well it is finally over-2008. Thank goodness as it was a rough year for a lot of people. Here is a toast that 2009 will be so much better. I am sitting here drinking the leftover nog my hubby bought me. It is called "Mother's Original Holiday Nog" and is it ever good! I think the fact that it has 12.5 % alcohol in it doesn't hurt either. For the record, I am not much of a drinker. I will have a black and tan when we occasionally go to the irish pub, and I will drink nog during the holidays, but other than that, you won't find any alcohol around here. I save it for special occasions only.

On Christmas Eve, we took a bottle of this scrumptious nog to Grandma's. We went to the early Christmas program at church (which was truly inspirational) and then Grandma had us in her cozy cottage and fed us a comforting and delicious meal of homemade chicken and dumpling soup, chicken salad sandwiches on fresh homemade bread, tossed salad and cranberry sauce. That was soooooooo good! We topped it off with some homemade milk chocolate and toffee brownies that I made earlier in the day and a wee cup of the nog. Then we settled on the couch, admiring Grandma's tree and visited. What a wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve. It just doesn't get any better than that! Grandma is 96 and I want to be just like her when I grow up! She sent us the sweetest thank you card a few days later that I tucked into my bible. That and the memory of the day are definitely keepers!

The next day, we took another bottle of the nog to my sister's house. We enjoyed a bit of the brew after we had all of the cooking under control. We had a wonderful Christmas with my parents and brothers and sister and their families. My sister has the pix on her camera that I will have to get copies of. Sharing holiday favorites with those we love is the absolute best! What a great Christmas!

New Years Eve was fairly quiet. Hubby and I stayed home and watched a movie. I love those quiet times. And again-I had another wee nip of the nog-LOL! I still have one more bottle left. It is chilling in the fridge as we speak. Since it is the end of the season, I will savor it a bit. *SIGH* I can't believe the holidays are over. I am just like a little kid who looks forward to Santa and now I have to wait another year for him to come. LOL! I am just grateful to be home in my warm cozy house. It is icy outside and very treacherous to travel. Our pastor called and told us church is cancelled because of the conditions. I think tomorrow will be a good day to settle down with some tea and a good book and let the winds continue to howl.

Oh-one more thing. I made a New Year's resolution that I hope I can keep. I want to become more organized, spend more time with those I love, and also-keep up my appearance. It seems like when ever I am home, I slip into my dreary old sweats or jammies. I want to dress up a bit-at least in a nice top and jeans so that if company comes they won't catch me off guard. I tried this today and I must admit, I got more done around here because I was feeling better about myself. I am hoping I can keep it up! What are your resolutions for 2009? Please share!

I hope all is well with everyone. Keep warm and safe and Happy New Year! Love~Ree