Celebrating Mother Earth

Courtesy of www.usp.nus.edu.sg

Think about what this means.  Holding the earth in your hands. Sort of like you hold a child's face in your hands.  Lovingly.  Tenderly.  

I've been doing some reading about the foods we eat.  The chemicals that are in our food.  The pesticides and herbicides that are not only used as our food grows, but that are engineered to be within the seeds.  Imagine that.  A seed that has the ability to kill off something before it even attacks the plant.  

Doesn't that make you wonder what you really are ingesting?  

Nine months ago, I had this vision of the new look to my garden.  It would have plenty of perennials.  It would be magical.  It would transport me as I walked thru it.  But the more I read, the more I realized I wanted to have more say in what I eat.  So now, the plan is to expand my garden to grow more vegetables.  I picked up seeds that don't have pesticides engineered into them.  Heirloom seeds.  Organic seeds.  Raising the plants in raised beds.  

I would love to see our village start a community garden.  I have the perfect place in mind.  I think it's time I started being a little more vocal about things like this in our community.  

My grandkids will be on this earth for a good many more decades.  I want to do my small part to make this earth a safer place for them to live.  

Courtesy of the Northbrook Tower 4/16/13

 Thanks for stopping in.  Eat healthy!!

Post-Easter Catch Up

I have a friend who recently moved to Evanston (IL) and lives about 3 blocks from Lake Michigan.  We've had a few conversations about the beauty of the sunrises she gets to enjoy as she leaves for work.  So very early on Easter morning, I took a ride to her place so that we could photograph the sunrise.  Most of you already know I have this thing about sunrises.

Unfortunately, there were clouds on the horizon so we didn't get to witness the sun popping out of the water.  But fortunately (and unexpectedly), we had an opportunity to capture a different view.  A congregation had gathered for an Easter sunrise service.  They even brought three crosses to symbolize the three crosses at Calvary.  It was beautiful to witness.  Talk about God's glory!!  And as we stood back and watched, one couple arrived late.  Thus, the name given to the picture.  

"The Stragglers"
Easter Sunrise Service 3/31/13
Evanston, IL

Here's your bit of trivia for week.  It came up over the weekend, in a room full of Catholics.  We had to get the answer from the internet, because no one was certain.  The question came up as to why Easter is not on a set date.  It moves around each year, sometimes early, sometimes late.  Y'know why??  It has to do with the spring equinox.  Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox.


Little Miss had her birthday party this weekend.  Daddy put together a game based on one of her favorite characters, Dora the Explorer.  This kid has expressions that just go on and on!!  (I swear she knows that this makes us all laugh!!) -- Thanks for the pics, Aunt Colleen!

Courtesy of Colleen Buti Awbrey

"Oh MANNN!!
Courtesy of Colleen Buti Awbrey

Happy Birthday, Ava Clare!

Three years ago, I watched the movie "Up" with my grandson as we waited for his little sister to arrive.  A cute little animated love story!  And an adventure story!

I got the call early in the morning.  My daughter said that there was no hurry, but that I should start getting ready to come over.  By the time I got there, she was ready to leave for the hospital.  My grandson was not all that happy that she and daddy were leaving, since there seemed to be quite a bit of activity in the house that morning.   But once Mom & Dad were in the car, and I suggested going downstairs to watch the movie, he started a little march with the words, "Hey Ho, Let's Go!!"  (Not sure where that came from, but this Gram laughed her ass off!!!)

It wasn't long after the movie was over that we received a call asking us to come and meet the little sister.  Didn't even know her name until I was introduced to her at the hospital!

And today, we celebrate her turning 3!!  And we celebrate what a sweet little girl she is!

Happy Birthday, Ava Clare!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

How I miss you!!  So many times I look at my kids and wish they had gotten to know you!!  


Today is my Dad's birthday.  Today, he would be 99 years old. So today, I rerun one of my favorite posts.

Today, I'm celebrating. I'm celebrating my outlook on life. I'm celebrating friendships. I'm celebrating laughter. I'm celebrating family. Today, I'm celebrating my Dad's birthday. He would have been 96 99 today. And although he passed away in 1975, I do celebrate his birthday every year. Because I strongly believe my love of life, my love of family, my friendships and how dear they are to me, have all been influenced by my Dad. The way he lived his life serves as a beacon to guide me in the way I live mine. So today, I celebrate...

I celebrate Dad's love of family.

He worked as a shipping supervisor for a pharmaceutical company. You can imagine the pay wasn't that great. But he managed to proudly support his family of 7 kids with that job. No handouts from the government. He was the sole breadwinner for many years. As I've been digging thru old documents and pictures, I see how he managed it. I find budget envelopes. I find bank books with weekly deposits. Simply amazing to me!!!

I celebrate his love of country.

Dad proudly served in the Navy during World War II. Even though he was married with a child on the way, he did what every proud American did back then. He joined to protect our nation and our rights.

I celebrate his love of life.

See that twinkle in his eye? I was lucky enough to experience that most mornings after I graduated high school. Dad and I were early risers. So many mornings, we sat at the kitchen table chatting over our first cup of the day. And I would love to look into his eyes as he talked. They would twinkle, the same way you would think of a leprechaun's twinkle. It actually set the tone for the day. And I honestly can't think of a time it wasn't like that. He just loved life.

I celebrate his love of laughter,

whether it was he who laughed, or he who made others laugh.

When we were lucky enough to have Dad join us for dinner (usually it was only Sundays and holidays), he would always come up with at least one very corny joke. Of course, I usually laughed my butt off, because I saw the sillier side of Dad. And, again, watching his face I could tell the punchline was going to be a silly one. So I was ready for it. And I think I enjoyed it all the more because of it. He just loved to make people laugh. I have no idea what he was trying to say in this picture, but I can tell you it was in the early to mid 40s and clearly he's clowning about being a sheik or something. But I have no doubt he entertained those he was with.

I celebrate an all around good guy.

When my Dad worked for Montgomery Wards as a Santa one year, all I could think about was how perfect he was for the job. After all, we know Santa has a twinkle in his eye, right? He really enjoyed this gig. Once again, he just really enjoyed life.

So that gives you a little glimpse of my Dad, who would have been 96 99 today.

One final note: When my Dad passed away, his wake was not a somber event. I looked around the room at the funeral home and listened to the chatter. It actually had a party atmosphere to it. And I remember thinking, This is exactly how Dad would have wanted it. Celebrating his life, not mourning his death. The procession of cars from the church to the cemetery was at least 2 miles long. It really spoke to just how many lives this wonderful man had an effect on. And I was lucky enough to call him Dad. 

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Hello Again!!

You know when you just don't feel just right, due to a cold?  You just aren't hittin' on all cylinders? That's me lately.  Not that it's any excuse to not post on my blog, but it's all I got!!!

Last weekend, I ran to Menards to stock up on birdseed/bird products.  I'm figuring if I feed them well now, they will continue to show up in the spring and summer.  Didn't take long before my beloved cardinals found the sunflower seeds and stale cornbread.  The males are the brightest red I've ever seen.  They visit in the morning and at dusk.  I love cardinals!!

I made some pretzel bread this morning.  This is my absolute favorite with my chicken noodle soup.

As requested, LT!!!

I'm hooked up with Instagram now.  My dear friend, Leanne, over at From Chaos Comes Happiness, posted about doing a memory album with her Instagram pictures.  I was absolutely sold on getting it on my Android.  When I'm with the grandkids, I don't want to have my camera get in the way of the fun we are having.  So now, I can just pull out my phone and take a picture of the event.  Yeah, I'm still new at it, but I'll get there.  My only issue is I don't know how to get them from Instagram to my blogger.  So, those cute pics of my grandkids will have to wait.

Never fear, I'll find others...you know I'm a sucker for posting those pics!

The Academy Awards are on now, but they just aren't keeping me all that interested...so I'm heading to bed.  I'll check in the morning on the winners.

Oh, and I went to a purse party today.  One where you pick the fabric and purse style.  Once that comes in, I'll post a picture of that, too!

Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King

A repeat from last year's post about a great man.  I was telling my PG that I grew up thinking very differently about him, because of what was talked about in my home.  It makes me sad to think about how my parents thought back in the 50's and 60's.  It makes me grateful to know I didn't continue to carry on with that thinking.

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday.  He had a dream.  A dream that certainly couldn't be fulfilled overnight.  A dream not just for himself, but for mankind.  "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but the the content of their character."  Isn't that beautiful?    

I'm glad that I've witnessed in my lifetime a shift in how people/races interact with one another.  One man spoke up to voice what others felt in their hearts and moved us to the healing that humankind so sorely needed.  You see, as long as we hold those prejudices and hates, we are not free.  We are shackled by those hates; that anger.  And until we decide that what's on the outside really doesn't matter and that the only thing that matters is what's in someone's heart, we will never be free.  He said it best when he said: 

..."Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring -- when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children -- black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics -- will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Whether or not you have the day off today, have a wonderful day!  And just send a quick note of gratitude to your higher power that we were blessed to have heard the words from Dr. King's heart. 

This is my 200th post.  It's taken me forever to get here, and I really would like to post more often.  I'm just still looking for the voice!  Thanks for hanging in here with me!!

Just a Quick Post...

I know I've been MIA for quite a while.  Leanne over at From Chaos Comes Happiness addresses the why, because she's in the same place.

But I wanted to share with you a feel-good.

A friend of mine was lunching with one of her friends who is dealing with a lot of issues, and she was trying to talk her through solutions.  After her lunch, I received an email from my friend and this is a part of what she said: "...I told her about you and how you always have a positive slant to everything that happens in our lives.  Amazingly, she agrees - I'm lucky to have you as a friend!!  Thanks for being you!"

Amazing how such a simple acknowledgement made my day.  And I realized...it's easy to give that gift to anyone, anytime.  Doesn't cost a thing, yet it's priceless.

Try it.  Find the exceptionality in a relationship you have and tell the other person.  Make their day.  And notice the smile on YOUR face because of it.

And thanks for stopping by!!

2012 Wrap-Up

Here we are at the end of the year that was suppose to contain the end of the world (at least by one interpretation of the Mayan calendar).  I've been a naughty little blogger this year.  It turns out I've only posted 31 times (this makes 32).  I still have 9 drafts sitting in my queue for 2012.  That's at least 9 times I started some thoughts and couldn't wrap it up enough to post.  Actually, there were more times that I started a post in my head and it never made its way to my fingers.

So let's review 2012 according to Peggy:

Family - Enjoyed my grandkids beyond anything I can describe.  I am so blessed!  I'm sure most of my posts in 2012 included something about them.

Work - Got a new position at work.  Perfect timing.  I was ready to be done with that last position.  

TV - Downton Abbey -- LOVE it!  Looking forward to the series' return (I believe that's in January 2013).
Got hooked on The Tudors and will likely continue to watch that in 2013.
Sherlock - It's a BBC show (is there a pattern here?).  Unfortunately, I read it won't be back til 2014.
Big Bang Theory - My fave network show.  Excellent writing and acting.
Hobbies - Didn't work on any of them too much this year, and not sure why.  But I've got my bucket list going for 2013 and the hobbies play a prominent role.
Garden - I drew out plans to recreate part of my backyard into a bigger garden area.  Lots more perennials. Should be interesting and fun and will likely take up plenty of time.  I'll also include a whole lot more in the composting arena.
Photography - Ordered a book that will help me understand my camera better.  Got that tip from Ms. A over at Sarcastic Granny about the book, so I ordered it immediately.  I really want to take better pictures!
Word of the Year - My word was TRUTH.  To be truthful, I don't think I took enough time for it to develop into anything this past year.  The word came to me very strong, definitely choosing me, but I just didn't do anything with it.

And now I'm waiting for my Word of the Year - 2013 to show up.  I suspect one of my old words will resurrect itself.  It keeps showing up in ways that make me sit up and take notice.  I'll have to see if that holds true or if another word finds me.  I will keep you posted on that.

That's my mini-wrap-up for 2012.  I hope you have had a great year, and that you are looking forward to 2013 as much as I am.  With that, I leave you this picture of the funniest little girl I know.  This was a photo shoot where Mommy was trying to get a "school" picture of her just like her brother's school picture.
 

What a ham!!

Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2013!!

Ava, Dirt, the Cayda...and Other Stuff

My granddaughter loves nature.  She gets that from both of her parents.  This week my daughter posted this picture on Facebook with the following information:

"Among other random sentences, C (this is my 5 year old grandson) typed this morning:  DRT IS MIY LIDOL SISDRS FAFRIT THING TO DO.  And here's a picture to prove it."

He phonetically spelled it out and, in my humble opinion, did a great job.  Can you figure out what it says??

This little girl has always embraced a curiosity about life.  And I couldn't be happier.  Here she is trying to tell me about the cicadas that come out each summer.   

Ava telling Grandma all about the "cayda" she's holding.

Subject:  Movies -
I run hot and cold with movies.  Sometimes there are tons that come out that look to be outstanding.  Other times, I couldn't care less.  Right now looks like a good time to have movie date nights with my PG.  Last night we went to see Flight.  You know how when you see the trailers on TV and you tell yourself that's going to be a good movie, and then it turns out the best parts of the movie are what they put in the trailer.  Well "Flight" isn't one of those.  "Flight" took me by surprise.  I was uncomfortable, I was shifting in my seat. But it's a good story.  And hell, it's got Denzel.  'Nuf said!!

Also want to see "Argo" and "Lincoln."  I'll report back when I get around to seeing those.  Maybe this week...on one of my vacation days!!!!

And now I'm off to an open house at my friend Leanne's from From Chaos Comes Happiness.  This girl's got talent.  And she's channeled it into some amazing Christmas gifts!

Catching Up (seems to be my Middle Name!!)

Time to catch up on things.  It's been a busy couple of months.  New position at work.  Trying to settle in with the timing of things.  Nothing specific or highlight worthy.  Just busy!!  The post previous to this was one I started six months ago and has been sitting in my drafts.  It finally had a good example to tack on to make it all come together.  That's kinda how things are going in my life right now.

So let me catch you up with things.  Halloween.  If you are a regular visitor, you might remember from last year that I don't stay home to pass out candy.  Instead, I go to my daughter's house and pass out little cans of playdoh, while she takes the kids trick or treating.  This year, when my son-in-law got home, he put on a lion costume.

Gotta love how Ava looks at her brother!

Katniss and the Lion

Ava still not sure of this big ol' silent lion!!

Ava was a bit afraid of the lion when she got home.  She didn't want to react to a lion that wouldn't talk to her.  At first, she climbed in my lap and buried her head.  (Don't think I didn't enjoy the cuddling!!)  But eventually, in the safety of mommy's arms, she was a little more willing to get a little closer!

We've started on pulling everything out of the garden.  It's bittersweet, to be sure.  But seeing things cut back  makes me look forward to the planning for next year's garden.  BIG plans...need to start with the visioning now, so that it doesn't slip away!!

We took a ride to Michigan yesterday.  A one day trip to a botanical garden.  Just a getaway that was very much needed.  And very much enjoyed!!  Including lunch at the cafe on site.  Outstanding Harvest Pumpkin soup.  Very rich!!  Oh, yeah, side trips are definitely going to be happening more often!!

Taken thru a window at the cafe, so it's a little cloudy looking!

I've already started my Christmas shopping.  Things picked up at craft fairs that I think some of my favorite people might like.  It's always a good feeling when I start Christmas shopping early.

And today, I'm jonesing for some Mariano's Chicken & Dumpling soup.  Hmmm...I'm seeing a pattern with the soup thing here!  Must be fall!  Time to get back out into the garden to finish cleaning up.

Lastly, for now, I wanted to share with you a video that my boss has been working on.  It was a challenge presented to him by a colleague in another state.  But I love that he used so many students in this video.  And some faculty.  If you like the song, and haven't heard it ad nauseum elsewhere, then you'll probably enjoy this.

I leave you for now, but have a great week.  I really will try to post more often.  In the meantime, call me...maybe.