25% off Thursdays

The Value Village thrift store in my area offers 25% off everything in the store on Thursday. You get a little discount card ~ and swipe ~ 25% off! I wasn't aware of this until a couple months ago ~ I got my card and I've used it three times already. I went tonight and had a great time ~ buying "stuff". That's what Bill calls it ~ "just what we need, more stuff!"

I found this really pretty vinyl coated tote bag. It's going to be another one of my re-usable shopping bags ~ "Paper or plastic?" ~ "Neither thanks, I brought my own."

I also found this sweet little outfit for Penelope. It's pink & white seersucker ~ with lace, smocking and little crocheted strawberries & flowers. It was $2.95 BEFORE the discount and it still has the tags on it. She's going to look so good in it!

I love these two pictures ~ check out the prices on them! Now subtract 25%!!


I got this old hymn book, little lamb planter and a neat wooden pedestal. I'm going to paint the pedestal black and put some kind of display on it.


One of my favorite finds was this cute squirrel ~ she's sitting in a wooden mini trencher bowl. Another little something that I want to paint. I have some apple scented candles that I want to put in it. I'm hoping to get the painting done this weekend.


I also found a great handbag, a couple old mason jars, a juice glass with cherries on it, some old silver knives and a couple silver sugar spoons. It was a good trip! I found just what we needed ~ MORE STUFF!

A Quote

I received this from my friend and co-worker Joan. It's a magnet and I have it hanging on a file cabinet right behind me (at work).

I love the colors and the quote!

"Sometimes your only available

transportation is a leap of faith."

Margaret Shepherd

Each One ~ A Blessing

Elijah

Charlotte

Penelope

Go Play Outside!

I remember hearing my mom say that ~ especially in August. You know, towards the end of summer vacation when we were getting a little bored. But the boredom didn't last long! All it took was finding a few other kids and a big expanse of flat ground and sidewalk and we amused ourselves for hours.

There was Ring Around A Rosie ~ the game where falling down became on art form.

Ring around the rosy, A pocketful of posies. Ashes, ashes. We all fall down!

Ring Around A Rosie

A personal favorite of mine was Hopscotch. My friends and I would draw our hopscotch grid on the sidewalk in front of my house. Some chalk and a few walnut sized stones and we were all set for hours of fun.

Hopscotch

Who remembers Red Rover, Red Rover, send (Marie) on over? The person called runs to the other line and attempts to break the chain (formed by the linking of hands). If the person called fails to break the chain, this player joins the team that called Red Rover. But, if the player successfully breaks the chain, he may capture either of the two players whose link was broken by the dash, and bring them back to his original team. Teams take turns calling out Red Rover and challenging a player on the opposing team. The game ends when all players end up on one team. Such fun ~ but watch out ~ you can get hurt playing this one!

Red Rover, Red Rover....

Then there was Blind Man's Bluff, Flashlight Tag, Statues, and Mother May I? We played outside all the time ~ from dawn 'til dusk ~ good times!

I found this neat website called grandparents.com ~ there's all kinds of great info about outdoor games and a ton of other good time stuff too!

Such sweet memories of my childhood ~ playing with my siblings and my friends. Memories are such a special thing to have. I'm so glad that I have so many good ones. The events of this past weekend have challenged me ~ once again ~ to make sure my children and grandchildren have good memories too! Good memories definitely help you through the bad times.

When Life Gets Me Down...

...these sweet faces lift me up!

Life's getting me down right now ~ my dear sister-in-law Sharon's sister took her own life this past weekend. Needless to say Sharon is devasted by this. I'm headed to Michigan tomorrow night to be with Sharon, my mom and the rest of my family and I'm praying the Lord gives me words of comfort to share. One of these sweet little faces (Charlotte) will be going with me ~ her mom will too. Sharon hasn't met Charlotte yet ~ so I think it's a blessing that the Lord worked it out for her to go with me. She'll be a sweet little diversion!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Brown Bag Bibs

I received some really sweet bibs in a swap I did in February. Read about them here. Kimberly, from My Brown Bag Studio made the bibs and now she has started a new blog just for selling them! It's called Brown Bag Bibs ~ and to celebrate she's having a bib giveaway.

I love these bibs and so do my grandbabies! They're soft and absorbent and just plain fun to look at. If you know any babies ~ you need these bibs. So enter the giveaway now!

Update

I went to the doctor this morning ~ I got to see my own this time and not the one on call so that was nice! Anyway ~ she said that my test results made her "cringe" ~ I told they make me cringe too! She prescribed Ciprofloxacin.

Silly me looked up the definition online ~ "used to treat severe and life threatening bacterial infections". Must be why it hurts so much ~ it's severe!
So I take the antibiotic for five days and then go back to see her. No more painkillers, just ibuprofen. She wants me to "be aware" of the pain! That ought to be very easy!

Random Monday Memories

It was thirty three years ago ~ but the memory remains very clear! Passing a kidney stone...well, it just HURTS! It was in 1976. I remember because it happened in between my first and second pregnancies...I had comparisons for the pain.

The kidney stones were MUCH more painful! Labor contractions come and go, but kidney stone pain is constant and brutal. Ladies...think a REALLY long contraction...like at least six hours long! First the doctors needed to figure out exactly what the problem was and then they gave me pain medication. By the time they did, I had decided that death would be preferable! It was awful.....

Flash forward to 2009. Deja vu!

On April 7th I posted this. I took my medicine like a big girl and felt a bit better up until late Saturday night. Then the symptoms started returning. I spoke with the doctor yesterday and he said he thinks it's too soon to have another infection and that it sounds like a kidney stone. I said "I'm thinking the same thing!". He said to go to the ER or Nighttime Pediatrics if the pain gets really bad, otherwise come to see him today. I took a pain pill (or two or three...) and opted to visit him today.

So......prayers would be appreciated. It's spring and I want to focus on decorative garden stones, I want to help my daughter envision her new patio from The Stone Store ~ I do not want to be dealing with KIDNEY stones!!

~~~~~

2 Corinthians 4:16

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day."

Long Time No See

We had a wonderful weekend reunion with Bill's sister's children. But they're not children anymore. We hadn't seen David or Lisa in seventeen years! Is that crazy or what!?

They drove in from Michigan to visit their grandfather and since he lives with us ~ they visited us too! He loved seeing them and we all had a great time catching up and thinking back and even planning ahead! (We shared our enthusiasum for Walt Disney World with them and I think we might have a "magical family gathering" in our future!)

Family is so important ~ and it was truly a blessing to re-establish a connection with the two of them! What lovely adults they've turned into!

They've promised to visit again ~ and none of us are going to wait another seventeen years!
Bill's Dad really enjoyed his time with them!

Etsy Love

I was doing a little window shopping on Etsy and found some things I like.

Seasonal Delights

Sawdusty

Rock River Stitches

stitchz

I think it's nice that my children read my blog ~ maybe they'll notice the hints!

A Thought...

I read this in "Our Daily Bread" today.

When we forget about ourselves, we do things others will remember.

Make a memory for someone today!

Baby Blessings!

Here's a peek at the babies and their Easter "bags" ~ Gramma didn't do baskets this year!

What an awesome God we have! He saved me for all eternity and He gave me these beautiful little ones to enjoy now!

A Happy Birthday Giveaway!

I was visiting Joyce at Scrap for Joy and she mentioned that her friend Mimi was having a giveaway. She's celebrating the first birthday of her blog Dandelion Wishes. Here's a peek at what she's giving away. Love this little lacey charm!

Mimi's blog is full of beautiful paper art, great photos and sweet stories. I loved my visit to her blog and look forward to visiting again soon.

Random Monday Memories

Drive-In Movie Theaters ~ do you remember these? We used to go when I was a child and this is the one we used to go to! Bel-Air Drive-In on 8 Mile Rd in Detroit, Michigan.

I remember family trips on the weekend. Mom, Dad and 2, 3 or 4 kids depending on what stage of family we were at. Mom drove and Dad rode in the passenger seat....he always fell asleep at the drive-in!

Before the sun set and the movies started
my Mom would take us to the little playground up by the screen. I remember that there was a merry-go-round type ride. But instead of horses you rode little boats and the boats were in some water. I think there was a swing set too!

We didn't get goodies from the concession stand very often...mom always packed some good snacks from home. But I remember trips to the concession stand...more than likely it was for visit to the restroom!

Now, at the few drive-ins still around the sound is heard over the car radio. But back in the day you needed one of these little babies! The speakers "hooked" over the top of the driver's window and more often than not static accompanied the movie dialog! Sometimes we had to move to a couple different parking spaces to make sure we had a good speaker. There were also some nifty little box heaters that could be put in the car on those chillier nights.

The drive-in movie experience wouldn't be complete without the very entertaining intermission commercials. Check this one out!

I think I can safely say that these fun trips to Bel-Air Drive-In were definitely a high point in my mother's life. I mean come on...2 adults (one who very easily fell asleep), and 2,3, or 4 young children sitting in a car, in the dark, in the heat or in the cold...she loved it! Thanks for the memories Mom....I loved it too!

He Is Risen!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."

1 Peter 1:3

Reflecting on The Cross

image

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Galatians 2:20-21

Warm Fuzzies

I stopped at Michael's after work yesterday and picked up a new book ~ not with a 40% coupon of course, since they don't let you use them on books or magazines anymore! This was not an inexpensive book ~ but I really want to do some of this felting and the author, Betz White, has some wonderful ideas for using old sweaters. I already have one of the cupcakes pictured on the cover. I received it in an ornament swap this past Christmas.

I LOVE this little bird and I can't wait to try and make a couple.


The leaves and acorns are cute too!



So many great items ~ blankets, stockings, children's ponchos, and I thought I had a photo of a really cute journal cover ~ but I must have forgotten to add it. Anyway ~ I'm inspired and can't wait to begin!

Princess Peony

I'm not sure how Bill arrived at Peony, but he called Penelope that many times (before her birth) ~ I doubt it will stick, but it was sweet at the time!

Our ten pounder doesn't look quite so big here! She's modeling her pink smocked dress that Grampa bought ~ it was her coming home outfit.

Such a sweetie!


Penelope is five days old in this pictures. Isn't she beautiful!
Isn't she "sturdy"!

Into The Mouth It Goes

If it's in Charlotte's hand(s) ~ it'll end up in her mouth!

She was particularly fond of this potholder ~ I got it in a swap from Melissa.


Ah! Something that's suppose to be in her mouth! This was about 1:30AM ~ in the dark ~ during her last sleepover at Gramma's house. I used the flash ~ she didn't budge!

Charlotte will put ANYTHING into her mouth! Even a drawer pull!