Saying Goodbye

A very dear friend lost her mother this week.  Well, to be honest, she lost her mother little by little over the last few years.  Her mother suffered from Alzheimer's. 

But as I learned over at Bossy Betty's yesterday, it's now time to celebrate life.  And Fleming wouldn't want it any other way. 

Auntie Flemmie loved crossword puzzles.  She enjoyed playing scrabble.  She loved Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy.  She shared a recipe with me and it's the reason I make a pretty decent pasta sauce.  It was her home that welcomed us during her family parties.  It was her most beautiful smile that just made me feel all was okay in our world.  Not that age matters, but she was 92.

This was the prayer that was on the back of her prayer card:

One gift, above all others

God gives us to treasure

One that knows no time and place

And one gold cannot measure.

The precious, poignant, tender gift

Of Memory...that will keep

Our dear ones ever in our hearts

Although God gives them sleep.

It brings back long remembered things

A song, a word, a smile

And our world's a better place

-- because

We had them for a while!

(Author unknown)

Rest in Peace, Flem.  Thinking of you fills me with serenity.  I pray the same for your kids and grandkids.

Taking Life's Side Trips

Don't you just love spontaneity??

In my two weeks off, I've been working at simplifying my life.  That means boxing up and bagging up all the things that really don't need to be in my home anymore.  And some of the toys and books I've "found" have been here since my oldest grandson was a toddler.  They'll have a better home elsewhere.  So some of them seemed appropriate for my daughter's home or for the daycare her kids attend. 

My intent on Sunday was to drop off these toys and books and get back home for more boxing and bagging.  What a wonderful surprise when my 3 year old grandson invited us to the River Trail Nature Center.  Although it was windy enough to be bitter outside, they do have an exhibit room and playroom.  We were able to play some games, sit in a fox's den, use my new camera to take some pictures of sparrows and woodpeckers and turtles, OH MY!! 

  

"This is a cardinal.  It's my favorite bird."



Cheating at fishing game.  (I'll get him next time!!)



Coming in for a landing.
Hope there's room at the feeder!





Turtles sunning themselves under the sun lamp.



That's a woodpecker hanging upside down. 




Who's watching who??
SIL says that sparrows are boring.
I think they've got some magnificent colors!!

 

In the Fox Den with another visitor.



Watching for deer and coyotes.



Today, Ali Edwards' post is "Long Live Spontaneous Adventures."  I happen to agree. 

Life is Good!!

My 2011 Word

As I mentioned yesterday, my 2010 word (Serenity) wasn't as successful as I'd hoped.  So I did some soul searching on why it was harder for me to embrace and I realized that my life has too much stuff in it. Call it disorganization, call it clutter, call it my past!  But it's time for change. It's time to declutter. It's time to SIMPLIFY.

sim pli fy  verb

a.-  to reduce to basic essentials

b.-  to diminish in scope or complexity

c.-   to make more intelligible; clarify

Yep, that's my word for 2011 - SIMPLIFY. What's so funny is that as I say the word, I experience an AHHHHH moment. Have you ever had one of those? Where just one word fills you with serenity and peace? Where you feel all sorts of gratitude?? Wait, what's this? A connection with ALL of my words??  Hmmmm.... interesting. Maybe that's the way it's suppose to work!

I started to approach my blog buddy/Scrap Cellar Chick Leanne to help me out with creating a visual for my word. Then it dawned on me (don't you just love/hate those "duh" moments?)...KISS! Keep It Simple, Superstar! (yeah, I know it's usually "stupid" and not "superstar" but I'm not about to call myself stupid!!).
And so, this is my first step into SIMPLIFY!  Can't get any simpler, right??

And here's my plan for 2011...There are so many people in this world who need things. And there are so many things in this place I call home that it's time I get the two of those situations to meet up. It's time for me to SIMPLIFY. And it's not just my home. It's my diet, my scrapbooking, my relationships. I don't believe we were put on this earth to lead complicated, cluttered lives. I believe we serve God best by simply being our uncomplicated, uncluttered, simplified selves.

Funny thing about these one little words -- once you pick the word (or it picks you) you start moving in that direction.  You start wanting it in your life.  Every day, all the time.  How cool is that?!!??

I'm headed over to Leanne's.  She's got a linky thing going for our words for 2011.  And, of course, a thank you to Ali Edwards on starting this revolution.

2010 Word of the Year Review

 Hard to believe it's been a year since I selected my Word of the Year.   Inspired by Ali Edwards, and nudged by my friend Leanne, I began this Word of the Year journey in 2009.  Ali E. says it like this: "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow...One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities." Tangible, intangible, feeling, thought, emotion.  It can be any of those.

 

Charm by Lisa Leonard Design

 My first word was Gratitude.  That word and the gift of a word charm from Leanne helped make it a gratitude-filled year.  What's nice is that this word had such an impact on my life, that I literally saw a shift in how I look at things, how I react to things.  HUGE impact!

Found at a little out of the
way place in Arkansas

My 2010 word is Serenity.  I had a much more difficult time searching for serenity in my life this year.  Mostly because I didn't focus on the word as I should have.  Oh, there were spurts.  And how wonderful those were.  But overall, not so successful with increasing the serenity in my life.  

So here we are, just a few steps away from entering 2011.  It seems like only a couple years ago that we went thru the Y2K craziness.  It's now time for me to choose my 2011 Word of the Year.  I've got it and will share it with you before we wrap up 2010.

So what will your One Little Word for 2011 be? 

Believe

Christmas 2010

Don't you just love when song lyrics keep playing in your head?  No, I'm not talking about the haunting feeling you get with "It's a Small World".  I'm talking about songs with a message that resonates within you.  


One of my favorite Christmas songs is a song that can be played 365 days a year.  Although it is the most popular song in the Polar Express soundtrack (sung by Josh Groban), it really isn't JUST about believing in Santa.  Here is the part of the song that stays with me, playing over and over in my head (and heart).  

Believe in what your heart is saying

Hear the melody that's playing

There's no time to waste

There's so much to celebrate

Believe in what you feel inside

And give your dreams the wings to fly

You have everything you need

If you just believe  



I hope your Christmas is joyful, restful, reflective, and filled with love. 

May it be the Christmas of your dreams.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Christmas Traditions

When my brother was an infant, my aunt and mother started a tradition that lasted until my aunt passed away.  My Aunt Marge found the Christmas card that my mother had sent her the year before, and because she liked the picture of the cherub on the front she put a new date on it and sent it to my mother.  So it went, back and forth each year, with maybe one year when the card got "lost." 

In 1985, a similar tradition started with my siblings.  But it wasn't a card...OH NOOOO.  You'd have to understand how twisted the sense of humor is with some of my siblings to comprehend how this ever kept going.  You see, we gift a pig's head. 

2007

It started off as a doll, then it lost its body, then it lost one of the eyes.  It was just ugly.  In 2003, the nieces and nephews pleaded with us to end this bizarre tradition.  Nah...that's not gonna happen.  So I gave him a bath, fixed his eyes, gave him some hip sunglasses (aging, y'know), added a little color to his cheeks.  (Chicagoans, note the box...Marshall Field's!).

2008

When this tradition first began, the recipient of the pig's head one year was able to decide who got it the next year.  But now, we just have a white elephant gift exchange and that's one of the gifts.  So there's no telling who will end up with it each year.   

2009

(Clearly my daughter was not thrilled to be the recipient last year!)

This Sunday is the family Christmas with my siblings and their kids and grandkids.  Can't wait to see who gets to bring home the most prized Christmas gift ever!!

Do you have any bizarre traditions?  Share!!

I Hate the Cold!!

Here in the Midwest, we are in the middle of winter.  Yes, I know the calendar says not yet.  I know the official start of winter is December 21st.  But Mother Nature has a different idea. 

And as I sit and look at the temperatures on Weather Channel, I can't help but shiver!!  You see, I really hate cold weather!

You will never find me on a ski slope or an ice rink.  I will go out and shovel snow, but I'm not gonna be happy about it.  I will even go out and help my grandson build a snowman.  Not for long, but I'll do that.  There's nothing about being cold that I find appealing.  I can actually get creative with chattering teeth!  Yeah...I just hate the cold!!

So how ironic is it that when I make my Christmas cards each year, the theme is LET IT SNOW! 



Let It Snow 2007-2010

These are some of the cards I've made over the last few years.  I enjoy making them, but there have been times that I made 'em but never mailed 'em.  Don't ask me why.  I have no idea!!

So why do I make let it snow cards when I hate the cold?  Simple...I love the beauty of a snowfall.  I love how quiet the streets get when there's about 2 inches on the ground.  It's one of the most peaceful moments I know.  

The Weather Channel forecast
at 5 a.m. this morning



I'm not going to pay attention to the forecast for today.  Instead, I'm going to focus on the calm and peaceful feelings I get when I think about a blanket of snow covering our area.  And I'll just pretend that someone else has to shovel it.   

I think I'll go address some "Let It Snow" cards.  Maybe I'll get them mailed before Christmas!!

Oh, Those Movies of the Season!

Yep, the time has come to see those favorite movies of the season.  The movies that get rolled out this time of year to let you now how much you should appreciate the life you live.  The movies that make you see the wonder of the season in the little faces in your life.  Classics like "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" and then the more modern movies like "Christmas Shoes" and "Elf".

Last night was one of those movie nights.  Imagine my joy when scrolling thru the Comcast guide I find "The Wizard of Oz" on TBS.  Now, I know that since TBS owns the rights, they air it more than once a year.  That was never the case when I was young.  It was aired once a year, and there were no VCRs with which to record it.  You made time to see it that night!  So I turned it on.  Heck, the house was quiet, my PG was shopping, I was crafting, so why not watch and craft at the same time!?!

My PG came home near the end of the movie.  I told him if there was something he wanted to watch, he could feel free to change it.  (It was a lion part of the movie, and I've never been a fan of the lion).  But no, my PG sort of hung around watching it.  When we got to the part (SPOILER ALERT ---seriously, Peg????) where Dorothy throws the water at the Wicked Witch of the West and said witch melts, my PG says "So, the witch just melts with water?"   

Me:  (slow turn of the head)  Have you never seen this movie?

My PG:  (slight smile)

Me: Seriously, did you never take the time to see this?

My PG: Well, it was on every year, right?

Me:  You're not answering my question.  Have you ever seen this movie?

My PG:  I'm sure I have.

Me: (I think not!)

Well, this certainly clears up things in my little world.  For those of you who have been lucky enough to see Wicked on stage, you understand that although you don't need to know the story of the Wizard of Oz, it helps to further your enjoyment of Wicked. 

It opens up your mind to realize that there are two (or more) sides to every story and that you shouldn't judge things based on the first story you hear.  But I digress. You see, Wicked was the only live musical that PG and I have gone to.  And although he enjoyed the singing, I now know that he didn't fully understand the storyline.   And today, I'm told that girls enjoyed it more because the Wizard of Oz was all about Dorothy...What a guy!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is, by far, the holiday I look forward to most.  Many of my brothers and sisters and their kids and grandkids all get together at my brother's home.  The weather usually cooperates by not being so cold that it goes right to your bones (although it's questionable this year!).  Preparing the meal is half the fun of getting together, since my brother's kitchen is big enough for most of us to hang out. 

It's just such a peaceful time!! 

I am so incredibly grateful for my family.  And when they say that the longest relationship you will ever have in your life is the one you have with your brothers and sisters, it makes me glad to know I have them.  Because no matter what, I know they're there for me. 

Be vocal with your gratitude.  Tell them all how much you appreciate them in your life.  And have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

To Those Who Protect Our Freedom

It's been about a month since I've posted.  For some reason, I've been unable to come up with anything I felt was blog-worthy.  So without warning, I disappeared!!  To those few who frequented my blog, I apologize for not giving advance notice.  Who'd have thought I'd be that quiet for that long?????

Today, I have a good reason to speak up.  Because today we honor those who served to protect our freedom. 

As I mentioned back in my 2009 Veteran's Day post, my dad, brothers, and uncle who emigrated from Ireland served in the Navy, Army and Air Force.  Luckily, none of them saw combat, even though they served during World War 2 and the Vietnam War, respectively.  That doesn't make the jobs they had any less important.  Even those in the battlefield know they need the behind the line support to keep things running.  But I have to say, growing up I rarely heard any conversations that involved the time they served our country. 

I will admit I don't keep up on topics of the day.  I don't watch the news every day.  When I do hear of a loss of one of our troops, my heart hurts for the family. 

But keeping up with the news from Afghanistan is not what this post is about.  This post is meant to honor each and every individual who took a step forward and said, "I want to defend this country."  Because without them, my kids and grandkids might not be allowed the freedom to say what they think. 

I am so proud to say I am an American. I am so honored to know that millions voluntarily step up to serve to protect us. I'm so privileged to say, openly and from deep in my heart,

GOD BLESS AMERICA - LAND THAT I LOVE