Monday snap...



thanks to komo-tv




...spectacular light show.  All at once, nature's fury and beauty.  We've been having many of these storms over the last few days which is a rarity here.  No damage reported though.   Have a good Monday peeps.

Pee Wee's big adventure...

...it's been a rough few weeks around here and while it is easy to dwell on all that is wrong and unjust, in my world and ours, I have been making a conscious effort to choose something different for myself.  In doing so I hope that I am helping someone else to make a choice in their day to take a moment for joy.  Embrace joy.

Last week my hubs, sensing my restlessness, pushed-pulled-dragged me out to the car.  Which in my condition is no easy feat, get it?  feet!!  O.K., sorry...moving on...we loaded up the car and went for a little drive and ended up here:

Pt. Defiance ferry dock

after which we boarded and took a little ride to the other side, about ten minutes.  Got off on Vashon Island and drove around the entire island, just looking around and checking out places to come back to when I am mobile.  Had a little lunch and drove some more.  Then:

we waited for another ferry, this time from Vashon to Seattle, about 30 minutes.  After we crossed and disembarked...turned right,  went up the hill, turned left...this is what was waiting for us!

we had to visit outside since Mimi (me) couldn't manage all the stairs to the house.  It was getting late and the little punkin' was ready to sack out.  So we loved on her for a few minutes and then headed home.  Thanks to mama for bring her out to meet us.  It was an excellent adventure indeed.   Embrace joy this week,  look for it, seek it out, count your blessings and choose joy.

Precious and few...

...are the moments we two can share.

THE best medicine ever.      Seven months.

I can't smile without you...

...thanks C..;j

Who knew...

...first of all I wanted to thank you all for your comments,  support and wonderful advice.  Obviously many of you have been in these shoes before.  That is so sad to me on so many different levels,  family should be the place where you get to be who you are without being judged.  It's a fantasy I carry in my little head...must have watched too much t.v. when I was growing up.  "Brady Bunch," "Waltons," "Father knows Best," "Donna Reed,"  all gave me an unrealistic view of 'family.' 

On to other things:

Today the hubs had a run in with the electric pruning shears.  Ouch!  He will be fine/he is fine.  But here's the funny thing.  He cut his pinky finger quite deeply and that sucker bled and bled and bled some more.  He is on blood thinners so getting any kind of cut to stop bleeding is sometimes futile and we end up in the ER.  After wrapping it up and getting him over to the ER, a long wait of about two hours with him holding it higher than his heart to slow down the bleeding, and finally getting back to see the doctor you will never guess what they did.  After unwrapping it and checking for foreign objects, then a quick clean with saline they super-glued it shut.  Yep, super-glue!  The doctor said that's how they treat these bleeder now instead of stitching them up.  Clean it up then glue it shut.  Now, there's something new to add to our first aid kit!

Have a good Monday...

Monday's **snap**...

Enjoy your holiday....be safe and don't forget to buckle up!

Paper dolls...

...I am sure that most of you are at an age where you remember paper dolls.  I can remember my favorite, Connie Frances, and trying to cut out all the clothes and accessories that went with her.  It was quite a trying time for little hands and scissors and trying to punch them out along the dotted lines was just impossible.  I had many paper doll clothes that were taped together!     As I was browsing tonight I came across this dress...made completely out of paper, for a real live person doll. Incredible...

"For her creative processes class Jolios Paons designed this paper dress from only phone book paper. A whole lot of pleating takes this unique creation from waste to couture.  She did all the cutting, sewing and pasting all by hand.  To see more go here."

I hope she got an A!  Happy Monday y'all...

Monday's **snap**...

...just to prove we had some sunshine today,

oh,

glorious sunshine!

and a few out-takes...

Monday's **snap**...

...brought to you by Maude.

The MacKenzie Brothers...

son-in-law, son, and hubs on Christmas Eve

...am I the only one who remembers the Mackenzie brothers from SCTV?  I swear that is the first thing that came to mind when I saw this picture...

There really isn't much going on here after all the hustle and bustle of last week.  We still have all our decorations up and will until Epiphany on January 6th.  We had Christmas eve at our house this year, as is the tradition I always had with my family.  It's so nice to carry that memory forward with my own family and now theirs.  We were also joined by my daughters' in-laws this year, a very interesting and thoughtful couple.

Of course there were lots of goodies to be had, both present wise and food wise, and we are indeed blessed to be in this place at this time with the people we love so much. 

On Friday I begin my "low-iodine-pre-radiation-diet" and I could not be more excited (sarcasm).  The diet is very limited, and I mean very.  There is absolutely no dairy allowed which for me, a child of the 50's, is unheard of!  Nothing with salt is allowed either which means no processed foods period.  Not that I eat a lot of processed foods but the amount of foods that have salt in them is staggering and none of them are allowed. I will be going to Starbucks tomorrow for a giant coffee/mocha WITH whip, and I will be eating the last of the Christmas cookies!  Cranky.  It's my word for January!

I've been strolling through blog land the last few day and noticed that many people are choosing a word for the year.  It is my understanding that the word is in place of resolutions and all the other broken promises of a new year.  This is a word to live by, to improve ones self, a positive.  I've been thinking of a word that I would like to use and have two that keep coming to mind.  I will let you know, on New Years Day just what I have chosen.  This year I tried to live my life with 'intent,' not realizing that I had chosen a 'word.'  Oh my!

Are you a resolution type person, an intentional word, all or nothing?  And do you have New Year's Eve plans?

Monday's **snap**...

...where I give you a snapshot of my wild and wonderful weekend, whether it be an actual snap or a figment of my imagination.

these are the blueberry fields near our home.  The old home and barn are empty and dilapidated and the fields abandoned.  Until recently I didn't know they were even here.  I took my chances and explored a little but it was rather muddy so I will keep it in mind for next summer and see if I can get some sweet blueberries...yum.

I feel rather 'nesty' lately.  I can only assume that it has to do with my upcoming surgery next Monday.  To say that I have real concerns about this surgery is quite the understatement.  Some of the possible complications are quite severe and have me reeling at the thought.  I prefer to be an informed patient but I think that having a medical background is not always to my benefit.   

Although I don't want this to become a medical blog, this is a huge part of my life right now and the support I get from you can make all the difference in the world.  I also have an upcoming post on this kind of cancer and the treatments thereof.

I have a doctors appointment every.day.this.week.  grrr...
by the time Monday comes I probably will be glad to get the rest!

Whenever I have a surgery, vacation or the like planned, I always feel the nesty need.  I must get my house cleaned and things in order.  Not in case I don't come home but in case I have visitors. Besides, I like coming home to a clean house.  I must get some meals cooked and in the freezer, shopping is done, laundry will never be done.  Most things are under control at this point...except me.

In an honest confession that I can only reveal here; I am so very uncertain about all of this.  I am uncomfortable with the entire situation and if I had my choice I would not have the surgery.  I realize it is cancer but I would rather take what time I have left enjoying my family and waiting for my grandbabygirl to get here.  I regret telling my children about any of this as I know they would never forgive me for being too tired to fight anymore.  I wish they could understand...I wish I could.

take care peeps, thanks for the well wishes, and PLEASE no lectures.  I'm just not up to it.

Monday's **snap**...

a recap of my weekend, in pictures:



lots of leaves

lots of apples



baby still cookin'  24 weeks



my sky






pie baking, visiting children, finding my childhood home, shopping, thrifting, and beer can chicken.

How was your weekend?

Happy Monday Peeps!

The great debate...

...celery debate that is.

I've seen this on a few blogs lately and found it intriguing.  Rather than wonder much about it I decided to jump on the bloggy-band-wagon and give it a try for myself.

Did you know you can root and grow celery from the cut-off end of a store bought bunch?  Here we go:

celery.

cut off end.

put in a dish with a little warm water and let set overnight.

plant in your garden or in a pot, as I have done.  just dig the hole about an inch deeped than the 'end,' fill the hole with water, drop in, cover with an inch of soil and et voila.  we'll have to check back in a few days and see how it goes. (don't forget to water!)

Have you tried this?  Did it work?

A day late but I still have my dollar...

...this is my family.  The guy there in the middle (?) the hubs of many years.  A very kind, generous of spirit, would help anyone, anywhere, anytime, anyplace kind of a guy.  More importantly he is the father of my three children, one of who is no longer with us.  My beautiful daughter Lindsay on the left and the handsome son on the right Jeffrey.  They would be the first to tell you that they hit the jackpot when they got this man for their dad.  And the dad would tell you that he is the lucky one.  Either way, we love him and give thanks to him everyday, but especially this day.

...daughter's hubby was unable to join us for a very rainy, dark and dreary bbq yesterday and we sure did miss him!

This lovely young lady with my son is our sweet daughter in law Lauren.  And this....this....

THIS is the belly where my grandbaby is cooking until next February when we will become grandma and grandpa!  Our FIRST grandbaby.  What a sweet, sweet Father's Day surprise.  Happy Father's day to my husband and our son-daddy-to-be!

Through the looking glass...

we had a glorious weekend here, sunny-weather-blue-skies-mild-breeze-75degrees--ahhhhh!  Translation:  get out the shorts and flip-flops baby!  We were finally able to get out in the yard and catch up on all the things that didn't get done last Fall or earlier in the Spring.  It was delicious, and sunny, did I mention that?

I worked mostly on the patio, getting it swept up and getting the outdoor furniture in order.  Got some bedding plants planted and even cleaned out the fountain.  Unfortunately she didn't survive the winter without some damage.  There is a huge crack in the lower bowl (the larger one) and I will have to go into town and check with the fountain guys to see if it can be fixed.  She is very special to me and even if it can't be fixed I will keep it, it holds some very important memories, for another post.

Recently, after deciding I was the only person on earth to not be on it, I joined Facebook.  Against my better judgement too!  I just didn't need something else sucking time out of my day.  I see why it is referred to as Facecrack, dang, I have been having fun looking up some old high school friends.  Now laundry and dusting will have to wait even longer!

I will leave you with this...this is my 400th post.  Woo-hoo, seems like you should give me some kind of award or something for putting up with me...yes you read that right.  Take care y'all and have a good Monday.

jj

Monday's **snap**...

...and a winner!

Congratulations Bunny!  E-mail me your particulars and I will get your winnings in the mail as soon as possible.

I probably won't be around much this week depending on the weather.  The hubs is off work for a few days and we have SO much yard work to catch up on and painting and planting to do.   So have a good week peeps.

Monday's **snap**...

...where one snapshot says a thousand words about my weekend!

it's planting time at my house...finally.  I have decided to plant Dahlia bulbs tubers this year.  Usually, I buy them in pots, from the nursery in July, when they are already mature and blooming.  Not this year baby,  we're starting from scratch.  I've cleared out a few rose bushes that were brown and crispy from outside my dining room window, and am going to have a Dahilia garden there.  

Then there are the wildflower 'mats.'  Have you ever tried these?  They are about 10ft long and saturated with wildflower seeds.  You roll them out, or cut them to fit a planter etc, put them down on the ground and water.  Viola...in a few weeks...beautiful wildflowers.  I'm trying the butterfly garden this year.

The crate was a 'find' about twenty years ago.  I can't remember where I had it all these years but I just came across it and decided to clean it up.  It's a "Pepsi" crate with lots of little bottle compartments. 

So, here is where all you creative types get to put on your thinking caps and give me some ideas on what I should do with this crate.  ??  Also, I will be posting something fun at the end of the week and it will include a prize...are you game?

Monday's **snap**...

 country living images

...I don't have a 'snap' from my weekend...sometimes things just don't work out the way you planned them.

We didn't have a family get-together, no celebration, no egg hunt, no Peeps or chocolate bunnies.  No ham and mashed potatoes, no dates/walnuts, no green-bean casserole or rolls, no coconut cake or sparkling wine.

What we did have was a celebration in our hearts.  The love and joy, the hope and renewal that only Easter can bring.  I hope you all had the beauty of the day whether it be in your heart or in your home.

The hubs was hurt at work Friday nite.  He will be fine but is on complete bed-rest, pain meds and heat-wraps.  He wrenched his back and neck and can not move his head from side-to-side, twist or turn in any way at all.  He's just plain miserable right now.  So I will be off for a few days here while I play nursie-nurse.  If you are so inclined to send good thoughts and prayers for us it would be greatly appreciated.  Take care peeps!

Monday's **snap**...

...my apologizes for the quality of this photo, it was taken from a moving car.  This sign sparked many a conversation this weekend.  Ben Stiller beware!