Thursday, December 20, 2007

Merry Christmas!


We're hurrying to get things done for our trip downstate to see Vanessa and Andy, Chloe, Ellie, Landen, and Leah. My precious daughters and grandkids and Son-in-law. We also get to see my special sisters Janice and Kathi and their families. My niece Beth is there from Washington state with her hubby and three kids. I hope to get lots of pictures of everyone and will post about Christmas after the holiday is over. At home its work, work and more work before leaving. So much to do and not enough time. I've been baking cookies, writing out a few cards, wrapping the gifts. I'm happy to hear that my packages arrived in Washington to my two son's and families already a week ago. My boxes sure went fast, I mailed them on Thurdsay and they arrived by Saturday, (from Michigan). Sure cost alot--almost 50 bucks!!


We had our party at work. It was nice! We got a turkey and a card with money from the residents of The Pines, a very nice lunch and exchanged gifts between the employees. I brought my flavored popcorn and have gotten calls for orders to make more. Must deliver tomorrow before my last shift. I have to do everything today on my day off, to get ready for the trip. We are leaving Saturday---weather willing! John heard that we have a storm brewing from the west. I hope we can avoid it. We are taking Grandpa with us and of course Charley (our dog). The kids can't wait to see him. Charley lived at daughters house for three months before moving in with us.


I'm also trying to take an online test for work that has to be done before the end of the month. Of all times--its so time consuming and long!


I did not anything Christmasy out this year. Its so different when you've got the empty nest and plan to go away for Christmas. I put up a couple of candles and table clothes and runners. We had our Christmas dinner here on Monday night with mom and Archie, and my aunt Norma and Uncle Ray. I made meat pies, mom brought cole slaw and we had pumpkin pies, cookies and kept it simple. It was so busy on the weekend. I worked Friday, Saturday,and Sunday, long hours. Yesterday (Wednesday) I took mom out Christmas shopping and we went out for lunch. I'm happy that my shopping is completed. Now its clean, pack, bake, and a hundred little things to do on my list. I'll be back posting about our holiday festivities in the city! I pray to God we have a safe trip down and back and that everyone has a Blessed Christmas. A happy and healthy one to all our families and friends!


Friday, December 14, 2007

Beautifull snow!

This is our neighbor's house. Sure looks cozy in the snow!


The snow is here to stay!

This is the front of our house, hubby is plowing the snow after a big storm a week ago.
This is a typical Copper Country winter. Only it is a bit early!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Little Santa Landen

Isn't he just the cutest baby!!! I just can't wait to hug him and hold him. Gee, I have not seen him since July. Sooon... we're going downstate to see our grandkids! We get to spend Christmas with my two girls and the kids, son-in-law, my sisters and their families.

I've been so busy with work that I have not had time to post on my blog. Not even any time to put up Christmas decorations, or bake till tonight. I made two batches of cookie dough. I will bake them tomorrow. It's hard to believe that its December 9th already. I hope to put up some pictures of our big snow tomorrow... I'm getting tired and gotta get to bed!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks to God for all our Blessings. We have so much to be thankfull for. I have a short moment to send greetings here. I have to go to work night shift tonight and then go on my day shift home health care job tomorrow. We will be taking my lady out to her brother's for Thanksgiving dinner early in the day. Tonight I will be at the brother's house. Hopefully he will get some sleep, so I can rest. So then we can all be rested for the big Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. It is also my home health care's clients birthday. Lots of their family and friends will be there. Then when my shift ends at 4:00, I head over to mom and Archies for our dinner. John and his dad will meet us there. Yesterday I made my two pumpkin pies at one job, today I made two apple pies at the other job. Luckily I get to bake during my shift. I'm saving an apple and a pumpkin pie for dinner at the clients home and the other two for my mom's. I'm getting hungry thinking about my favorite meal--turkey, stuffing, cranberries!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Sweet memories of summer days...



Since my blog is rather new, I have many pictures to post from this past summer. And maybe even older pictures I'll be showing here. Brings back a longing for the warm summer days, now but a memory.

Ellie and I

Ellie, Chloe, Leah posing here!

I'm in the far background, a few doorways back. I just love this picture! It was such a fun day. My grandaughters were staying with us for a week, so we took them exploring.

Is this war torn Iraq?


Not really. This was taken last summer on a day of exploring our area. This is the ruins of the copper smelters in the Copper Country. It is an interesting place to see. A real piece of history from a long time ago. This is my daughter Leah standing amongst the ruins.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Busy time of year


Life is so busy right now. Its time to start Christmas shopping, baking, get ready for Thanksgiving, deer hunting for hubby, bazaar and craft sales to hit, sewing projects
for gifts, long work hours, anniversaries--Mom and Archies, my son Chad and Chelsea's,
two birthdays--grandson's Jeb and Will. Also got to clean my house, shampoo the carpet,
new dog takes up time, days are short, vet, doctor and dentist appointments, and on and on!
Wish things would slow down so I could take a breather and enjoy a lazy day with a book, or
a long walk with the dog. Oh how I'd love to take my camera and go out into the woods, or
take time to pick some stuff for fall and Christmas arrangements. Oooh yes, I still have to get
into the garden and pick more carrots, beets and I believe I have a couple of purple cabbages
that I hope are still good. I'd better get out there today. Where does time go?
Right now, at least the snow has melted. I think we are having a touch of an Indian Summer.
They say that after the first snow fall, it melts--then we have a couple of days of warm summery weather. Well, today is not exactly summer feeling, but its warm and very windy, and a little cloudy. It was hard to walk against the wind this morning with the dog. Charley gets a little nervous in the wind. It felt good though, to have a warm wind and not have to wear gloves
to keep warm. I love a warm wind. Soon the cold winds of November will be settling in and the snow will start flying.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Last year on Christmas Day.

In this shot we have another one in the picture. She is Jen, Vanessa's mother-in-law. What a gem she is! We all look a little tired after the big Christmas dinner and cleanup. So often we take the pictures at the end of the day when we are all frazzled and worn out after the long day of eating, visiting, and opening gifts. I think I'll work at getting some great shots taken again this year.


Here's a picture of us gal's taken last Christmas at my sister Janice's house. From the left: niece Holly, sis Jan, sis Kathi, me, and daughter Vanessa. We sure had a wonderful day and Janice and John's. We often drive down to the Detroit suberbs for a few days during the Christmas season. My John has close to two weeks off at that time, as Mich Tech closes campus. I'm looking forward to going again this year.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Friday, November 9, 2007

Comfort food for cold weather days!

I absolutely love coconut! So I made this pie with coconut milk instead of milk. It is an Impossible Pie with eggs, sugar (I used xylitol) flour, butter, coconut oil and coconut. Its
called an Impossible Pie because it forms its own crust on the bottom, after you mix it in
the blender and pour it in the pie pan and bake. Its neat how the flour settles to the bottom
of the pie pan. The top is browned and a little crunchy. The middle is custardy. Mmmm... good!



Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Wall displays

I've added a few pictures of my purse display shelf in our bedroom and my apron collection in my kitchen. The last one is looking out the window of Leah's bedroom, showing the last of the fall colored leaves last week. Wish we could hang onto the gorgeous color a little longer!




How can I fix my posts?

I don't like the way the words are running along the pictures. When I preview my post it shows up differently and looks nice. When I publish the post it comes up running along the picture all broken up. I've got to figure this out...

Charley




Here's Charley! We've had him now for about 4 weeks or so. He sure is a good dog. Today I took him to the vets for his shots and a check for worms. I found he had a problem with his anal glands. Poor thing was so miserable lately. They were drained and now he seems much happier. We took a long walk at my mom's house and I spoiled him with some dog treats and new high quality dog food. I've been so concerned about the dog food scare in the news. I got the vet to recommend a good brand for him. He sure is beautifull after a bath and a daily brushing. I love the fluffy look of his fur after he's been brushed. Now that we've got a cover of snow on the ground I think I'll make him a nice warm fleece coat to wear.



The kids bake sets that I made for the bazaar were a big hit for mom's with children in the 8-12 year olds. I had alot of fun making them. I found homeade mix recipes on the internet and mixed them up, printed the recipe card along with baking tips for kids and directions. I added a cookie cutter, spatula, wooden spoon, and the neat rolling pin my hubby made out of a wooden dowel. I can't wait to get creative and do brownies, cakes with frosting, along with the added bake pans and mixing bowls in kid size. I made some last year and they were a big seller.

Sunday, November 4, 2007




These are some of my things that I made for the bazaar. Tote bags, kids purses, pin cushions, tooth fairy pillows, kids bake sets, decorated glass blocks, etc.

Show now, tell later...


I've got to hurry off to work. Another 10 hour night shift. Our craft bazaar was great! I can't wait to fill in the details here when I have a minute. I wish I could have taken pictures of the gal's house that we held the third annual Well Kept Home Bazaar at. It was set up just like a shop for one day. The house was loaded with talented ladies arts, crafts, and bakery. More later...

Friday, November 2, 2007


I just love this one! Can't you tell dad is just itching to get Landen on this bike!

Coming home!



This one is of Vanessa and Andy leaving the hospital with Landen and big sisters Chloe and Ellie back in May. What a happy day that was!!

My sweet grandson


My son-in-law sent me these pictures of our grandson Landen. Aren't they just beautiful? I'm so proud. He is only 8 months old and has been through alot in his short life. He was born at 2 lbs. 10 oz. He was in the hospital for many weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. Thanks to God Landen had no major setbacks and is healthy now. I just wish I lived closer to see him often. We hope to make a trip downstate for Christmas to see him and his two sisters.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

A favorite poem of mine

Attitude(written by Charles Swindoll)
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company; a church; a home. The remarkable thing is, we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...We are in charge of our attitudes.

My heart sings with a patriotic spirit!!


I'm so thankful we live in a free country. I never want to take our freedoms for granted. Things are changing rapidly in our time, and surely not for the better. I pray to God to keep us safe and free from danger. We are so fortunate and full of abundance, thanks be to God. I hope I will always count my blessings, keep a humble heart, and stay strong in my faith and morals. God Bless my friends and family.

The season's change


We went from brilliant color, to this frosty morning, a few days ago. We actually had some very large snowflakes falling furiously this evening for just a short while. I'm not looking foreward to braving the cold, walking our new dog Charly, or driving in the snow and icy roads.

I love Fall!





O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!


Thursday, October 25, 2007

On a Roll....


Today I really moved. I actually flew through the day! I made six tote bags, some kleenex holders, kids purses, and some pin cushions. I'm learning to get more acclomplished in less time with the sewing machine. I am very impatient though and make my share of mistakes. I need to have five stitch rippers within reach at all times, along with a few pairs of magnifying glasses, and scissors scattered all around me. Thats because in my hurry and scurry of getting things done, I'm constantly misplacing things. I'm constantly saying "Oh shoot, where did those scissors go? Oh, way over by the iron board, or on the floor by the cutting board." I really need them right near the machine, but they keep hiding on me.

Anyways, halfway through my projects I ran out of the pellon interfacing. So, I had to run out to Wallmart at 10:30 at night. And thats no short trip. Its almost 30 minutes away. I had to stop at my friend Kathy's house to see where she was with her projects. WOW! She's super woman--way ahead of me. I'm green with envy! She has made boxes and boxes of her broken glass candy, 400 wooden knives, wool table scarves, 100 wood slices of a tree with words--love, hope, dream. Let's see-- what else knitted pot scrapers--dozens, also pillows and a ton of dried weeds and branches. She is such a whiz!

I've still got to work on my popcorn, my kids bake sets and a few other ideas I'll be showing here. Can't wait!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Charley and John


It's been awhile!!


I've been away so long and have not been able to post on my blog. Life sure is busy!!! The last 4 weeks I've been working between 72 and 76 hours a week. And in that time I'm trying to get ready for our annual home bazaar. I'm hoping to post some pictures soon of the things I'm making for the craft bazaar. Right now I will show of some colorful pictures of our beautiful fall colors and our new dog. His name is Charley and he is a Bichon Frise and I believe part poodle. My daughter Leah brought him up to us from downstate. We love him and he is so smart, cute and no trouble at all. I sure hope to get back to writing here on a regular basis!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Remembering 9/11

Another year gone by since the tragedy on 9-11-01. Dad passed away that year shortly before the terrorist attacks on that day. I often think how it would have affected dad, how sad he would have been and what a patriotic spirit he had. I started a memory book dedicated to dad shortly after the attack. Lots of patriotic things collected for it. Inspirational stories and poems, pictures and keepsakes collected over the years. It is one of those ongoing projects that gets worked on once in a while on a dark cold winter night, when there is nothing else going on. I love those kind of evenings. Times to reminisce.

Today was that kind of day. You think about this day 6 years ago and you remember everything about it. You remember where you were when you heard about it, you remember what you ate, what you did, who you spoke to that day. It was a time that stood still for everyone, a time of tears and a closeness, and a time for deep prayers for our country and each other and those who lost their lives and for the mourning families.

Today was also the day mom and Archie flew to the west coast (Washington). My prayers were with them. They must have made it ok, I did not hear, but knew the plane should land early in the afternoon our time. Before noon- west coast time. I think that security is tight today and more precautions are taken on this anniversary of the twin tower tragedy.

Friday, August 31, 2007


The days spent with our grandchildren!





Humor for the day!!!

I sure chuckled out loud when I read this email from a friend!


RETARDED GRANDPARENTS (This was actually reported by a teacher)
After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their holiday away from school. One child wrote the following:
We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Florida. Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass. They ride around on their bicycles and wear name tags because they don't know who they are anymore.
They go to a building called a wrecked center, but they must have got it fixed because it is all okay now, they do exercises there, but they don't do them very well. There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and down in it with hats on. At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in it. He watches all day so nobody can escape. Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their golf carts.
Nobody there cooks, they just eat out. And, they eat the same thing every night --- early birds. Some of the people can't get out past the man in the doll house. The ones who do get out, bring food back to the wrecked center for pot luck.
My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his retardment and says I should work hard so I can be retarded someday too. When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house.
Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren.
...... PRICELESS....

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Berry picking season is over early this year!

Here's a sampling of our wild blueberries. Wish I could have taken a picture of the beautiful pie I made, or the blueberry muffins. Someday I will post it and the recipe also. I have a blueberry cookbook I've been working on. Its actually an ongoing project with new found recipes that come up continually. Sad to say, this was a very dry summer and the poor berries dried up like raisins in a hurry, for lack of rain. Instead of getting ice cream buckets of berries, we only got a few quarts for the freezer.


Tuesday, August 28, 2007