68 today

Today is my birthday.  I always look forward to my birthday, but when it arrives, it's a difficult day for me.  I don't know why, it seems like it's always been this way.  Do I build up the day in my mind and it doesn't "measure up"?  Is it harder cause my kids don't live close and I miss them?  Is it harder cause I'm getting older?  I dunno.  Maybe it's the "after Christmas blues".  Regardless, it's a hard day for me and I hate feeling like that.

Anyway, to look at the bright side...which in my mind makes much more sense than being any more bummed...we got together with friends last night for dinner and martinis!  I took the martini-makings and we had pistaschio martinis; they were delicious.

This is a photo of me and one of my best friends.  She's Portia and we have been friends since the kids were in elementary school.  They have 5 grown children and all of them (except one) live nearby.

And then there was dinner tonight at Texas Roadhouse with Portia and her hubby.  Sangria for me, sangria margarita for her.  Cheers!

Christmas Day 2017

Merry Christmas

Rejoice in this day and know you are blessed

Frank's poem

I have a friend, Nancy, that I met through her blog, "Blogging, Near Philadelphia".  She is a friend of my neighbor to the west and both of these women are wise beyond their years.  Nancy posted this poem and I MUST share the message.  (Link to her blog is below.)

Remembering Frank

The Birds

It's that time again.

An important part of Christmas for me since I've become a blogger is to publish my friend Frank's poem that he shared with me many years ago. I've shared it each year with my readers, and -- God willing -- I will do it again next year, and the next and the next.

THE BIRDS

IT WASN'T THAT HE DIDN'T LIKE CHRISTMAS

HE ENJOYED THE HOLIDAY FUN

ALL THE BRIGHT COLORS AND SUDDEN GOOD WILL

AND THE CHILDREN'S HAPPY SUSPENSE


BUT HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IN CHRISTMAS

IN THE INCARNATION I MEAN

GOD LIVING A MAN-LIFE LIKE HIS? WHAT FOR?

IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO HIM



HE SAT BY THE FIRE

WARM IN HIS HOME

ON CHRISTMAS EVE ALONE

THE FAMILY GONE OFF TO MIDNIGHT MASS



HE HEARD A THUMP AT THE WINDOW

AND THEN ANOTHER

SOME MISCHIEF BOY OUT FOR FUN HE THOUGHT

HE WENT TO THE WINDOW TO CHASE HIM WITH A GLANCE


BUT FOUND NO BOY

BUT A SPARROW FLOCK

LURED BY THE LIGHT AND SIGHT OF WARMTH

HAD TRIED TO COME THROUGH HIS WINDOW


THEY HUDDLED NOW IN THE SNOW

WITH NO PLACE TO GO

AND HE FELT COMPASSION FOR THEM

HE PUT ON HIS BOOTS AND JACKET AND SCARF

AND OUT HE WENT TO OPEN THE GARAGE

TO GIVE THEM SHELTER


BUT THEY WOULD NOT COME

SO HE TURNED ON THE LIGHT

BUT THEY WOULD NOT COME


HE WENT AND GOT BREAD

AND THREW IT MANNA LIKE UPON THE SNOW

A PATH TO FOLLOW

BUT THEY WOULD NOT COME


HE TRIED TO HERD THEM IN

SHOUTING AND WAVING HIS ARMS

BUT THEY WOULD NOT COME


I'M SCARING THEM HE THOUGHT

I'M SO BIG COMPARED TO THEM

AND DIFFERENT


IF BUT FOR A MOMENT I COULD BE A SPARROW

I COULD LEAD THEM THROUGH THE DOOR

I COULD LEAD THEM THROUGH.....THE DOOR

https://nancynearphiladelphia.blogspot.com/2017/12/remembering-frank.html

More Christmas prep

Yesterday cookies were packaged with love to give to the neighbors. 

I delivered cookies to the  Edgewood neighbors, I'll finish delivery today.  The one Willow Street neighbor I delivered to yesterday was Jim.  He's 86 and I've known him almost all my life.  He was one of my math teachers when I was in junior high school.  He has an eye disease and is no longer able to drive.  He's at the point in his life where he is no longer "in charge" the way he used to be.  Time marches on for all of us.  He doesn't drive anymore and has gotten rid of his car.  I've given him our phone number(s) so that if he needs something and his children aren't able to help when he needs, we are here to help him.

Jim walks to the store often.  One day I saw him coming home with a reusable shopping bag from the local grocery store.  It looked a little worn and I had an idea...Make Jim a new shopping bag!!  I perused patterns online. (This Great Big Tote is from Sewing to Sell by Virginia Lindsay.)  When I went to visit Jim to make my delivery, he was tickled to get the cookies, but he actually broke down and cried when I showed him the bag.  It's dark blue denim with a gold S which is the first letter of his last name.  He hugged me and held on tight for a while.  He was so touched and grateful.  Made my heart so happy, yet a little sad.  We need to spend a little more time with Jim; he's a good man with a huge heart who is coming to the end of his earthly time.  Maybe not real soon, but soon enough that we need him to know how much we treasure him.

The basket is a gift for my husband's (and my) friend, Pete.  Rick and Pete have been friends for at least 40 or so years.  Pete owns a bar and Rick goes every Friday to shoot pool for about an hour and keep in touch with Pete.  Each year we put together a basket for him and his family.  The last few years we have gotten together with them for dinner and conversation.  Pete loves Sophie and even Sophie is invited to dinner.  It was a nice evening, no special food, just takeout, but time spent with friends is such a wonderful thing.

WHEW! Pooped out!

I couldn't even post last night, I was so tired.  Yesterday was a busy day, but we got it all done.

Sophie had a grooming appointment at 9 am and I drove her to that, then picked up a socket at Lowe's because the one in the basement came apart.  Who would have guessed...it was original to the house and our family moved here when I was 5 in 1955.  Hope the new socket lasts as long.

After that, I stopped at Walmart to return a toy that wasn't the right toy!  Off to Petco to find a new collar for Sophie.  I got a leather one this time. I wanted one with some bling, but when I looked at them (and the high price) I decided a plain one could be dressed up when I wanted that.

Hope with breakfast for Rick and me from McDonald's.  Once in a while we really enjoy a sausage mcmuffin with egg.  This one was really good!

Decluttered the kitchen so we could make cookies and sang a little song to post on FB.  Hope it will post here for prosperity!!!  Oh...I don't think this video plays here, but if you check me out on FB, you can hear me singin'!!


When I went to pick Sophie up from the groomer, I went to Duma's Meat to pick up ground beef and ground pork.  I'm making meatballs to take for Christmas dinner at Kelly and Scott's house.  I was going to make lasagna, but the kids can be a little picky and having spaghetti and meatballs leaves more choices for them.  You know, plain meatballs, meatballs with sauce, spaghetti noodles with sauce OR butter OR butter and Parmesan cheese!   I'm going to make some cabbage rolls to put in the freezer.

Cookies!  Cookies!  Cookies!  Now I took the easy road and bought cookie mixes and ready-to-bake dough from the refrigerated section at the grocery store!  (I know, it was a lazy thing to do, but we need to choose our priorities, right?)  Truly, no one cares if you make your cookies from scratch or not, unless there is one favorite cookie that you remember your mama making when you were a child.  These cookies are gifts for the neighbors.  We are taking either 8 or 9 plates of cookies to some of our neighbors.  They appreciate the gesture and we like giving them a treat.  We have two neighbors who are elderly (lost the 3rd elder this year).  Jim is 86 and GB is 90.  Love taking them treats.  GB seems to really enjoy the cookies and she has family that comes to visit, so I try to give her a larger plate.  Jim doesn't eat much anymore, so I don't go overboard.  The rest of the neighbors we give to are able-bodied folks, so it's just fun to share with them and no extra worries for them.  We will plate and wrap those today and we will deliver later this afternoon or tomorrow...maybe even as late as Saturday, depending on our schedule.

Glasses, Rick is sick, Pickleball and Christmas lights

Goodness, it's been a while since I've posted.

Busy trying to get ready for the holiday and all the other stuff that happens in life.

I'm healed from the cataract surgery but still need a laser procedure to get rid of
the crinkle in my right eye.  I don't see well with the right one, even with the new glasses.  I picked up my glasses yesterday and am trying to acclimate to them.  Not easy.  I find myself taking them off like I used to do with reading glasses cause my distance vision is strange.  I think it hinges on the right eye.  Doc said the earliest he could do the laser procedure was March unless it was driving me nuts.  I'm going to give it a while, but I might just call and tell him that I AM nuts (of course the nuttiness is caused by the wrinkle/crinkle!).

Rick has not been feeling tip top for a few days and last night he came down with a good dose of a stomach bug.  He was nauseous but didn't vomit.  He ran to the bathroom all through the night and all morning.  I doctored him with Imodium (which we use with care, since it can be a difficult medicine to recover from for us) and it seemed to do the trick.  He's been a good patient and has been drinking as much as possible to keep from becoming dehydrated.

Pickleball is doing well!  We had a little Christmas/holiday party on Friday to celebrate and I came in 2nd place for the costume/dress up!  Christine came in first place and she really worked hard on her "get up"!  She's a competitive gal (on many levels) and she's fun, but she is seriously after me!  LOL

Starting with the top photo on the left and moving right:  Chris Lee & Me, Chris Lee, Me,
2nd row:  Rhonda Kerzie & Me, Cris Belknap & Rhonda Kerzie, Mary Elizabeth Kennedy

3rd row:  Joyce & Kelly Brannon, Boyd (manager of the tennis club)
4th row:  Jane Warner & Chris Lee, Rhonda Kerzie & Jane Warner


We got the outside of the house decorated with Star Shower lights and Star Shower Slideshow lights.  We like them a lot and have had a lot of people tell us how much they like them!

Telling on myself

This event happened on Sunday night.  Thought I'd blog about it so I can remember that even though I'm very experienced and usually know what I'm doing, that's not always true!

I'm working on a project for some of the grand kids.  Not going to say what it was now, cause if my daughters read this entry there is a chance the kids might see the post.

Anyway, I went upstairs to sew.  As always, Rick says as I'm heading up the stairs, "Be careful, honey" and I respond "I will, thanks honey.  Love you" and I go upstairs.  I had part of my project done and as I started working on those pieces, I was unhappy with them.  I decided that chucking that part of the item would be the best option.  Ok...not a big deal, I just put those pieces in the trash and went about re-creating them.

I was doing appliques.  I was adhering Wonder Under to several pieces of fabric and several times I didn't adhere the Wonder Under to a large-enough piece of fabric.  SIGH.  Oh well, keep "plugging away, Helen"!

Then...yep, I did IT.  I adhered a piece of Wonder Under to my ironing board cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh, no!!  I worked to get it off while it was still slightly warm and pliable.  Got some of it off, but a lot remains.  Now, I'm really annoyed with myself.  I swallow my annoyance and trudge one.  (I'm

working on a large gold lame star.)  I try it again and yep, I've got it this time.  BIG HAPPY FACE!

I cut out my star (I'm so pleased with myself) and go to layer it with my other part.  OH MY GOSH, it's perfect EXCEPT one point is ON THE SELVEGE!!!!  How on earth can I be so dense?  Really!  I've been sewing for over 60 years!  Ok, now I'm pissed mildly angry/defeated/annoyed/etc.  That's it!  I toss my beautiful gold star into a pile of scraps that might be used for future projects and turn everything off and go downstairs.

I truly thought about my debacle like this...It was a horrible night to sew.  I got absolutely nothing accomplished, but all in all, the world remains the same.  I came downstairs because I truly felt it was time to stop before I did something that would result in injury to me.

Monday morning, I got up and had my coffee.  When I headed upstairs to work on said project, all went well!!  A clear head is such a blessing.

However, there was a glitch on Monday, too.  I was pinning my project for the next segment and my pincushion fell behind my ironing board.  As I went to retrieve it, I see my small Rowenta iron was on the floor.  I have no idea when it fell to the floor (it is plugged in) but there was a "scorch" on the linoleum and it was very hot.  I unplugged the iron, got a paper towel and folded it so it was very thick and drenched it in water.  I put that on the floor to cool it so I did"n't set the house on fire.  I looked my iron over and it is broken.  However, when it fell and broke, I believe it overheated and it took over 30 minutes to cool.  I will throw it away today so I don't risk forgetting it's broken.

All in all, it was a topsy-turvy time.  All turned out ok, but it's worth writing about.

Creation can be a messy, frustrating and rewarding experience!!

"Love yourself, it's one of the most important things you can do"

50+ on December 3???

What a beautiful day!!  The sun is shining and the temperature is warm.  What a delightful day.  This day, 52 years ago, my sweetie and I went out on our first date.  We went to my high school basketball team game then to a movie.  I guess it was "meant to be"!!!  We will go out on another date tonight for dinner...just as soon as we can figure out what we would like to eat!!

I ran a few errands and was working in my sewing room.  I kept making stupid mistake after stupid mistake, so I thought I should stop before I did something even more stupid like cutting myself with my rotary blade or running over my finger with my sewing machine.  I don't know what my problem is/was, but I'm done for today.  Hopefully tomorrow my head will be clearer than today.

Jennifer got her wall hanging.  I gave Kelly hers on Thanksgiving.

I was so tickled that they both like them.  It was a difficult project as I was making the first one, but once I did that one, I learned enough to make doing the second one SO much easier.