Our "Sister" Jo and her sister

On June 19th Katie, Mandy and I attended my daughter-in-law Johanna's dance recital. Her sister Rachael was also in the recital. They (along with several others) preformed a tap routine to a couple songs from Sister Act.  It was (in my un-biased opinion) the BEST number in the show!!

Here we are with the "Sisters" after the show.

From the left ~ Mandy, Katie, Johanna, me and Rachael.

Here'e a look at the number ~ enjoy!
Johanna is the one (at the beginning) on the right side with the white sash.

Water Babies

I'm still resting....

...but the little ones sure aren't. Take a peek here to see all the fun they had ~ you'll also get a peek at my lawn ~ lovingly known as "field of straw"!

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Today is a very special day!

It's my sweet Mom's birthday!

She lives in Michigan and I live in Maryland and life just doesn't seem to allow us to get together as often as I'd like to.

Mom ~ I hope you have an extra special day!

God made a wonderful Mother.

A Mother who doesn't grow old.

He made her a smile of sunshine,

And a heart of pure gold.

In her cheeks he placed fair roses,

In her eyes, stars that shine.

God made a wonderful Mother,

And that wonderful Mother is mine.

Happy Birthday to you!!

One Little Word ~ Rest

I took this photo in April of 2006.

Goofy & Mickey just chillin' in the Animal Kingdom.

Goofy sure looks like he's taking it easy ~ taking a little rest!

Rest ~ that my "one little word" for 2010.

I intended to spend a bit more time focusing on that word

and how it applies to me and to my life.

But I really haven't been doing that ~

because I haven't had time.

Because I haven't been resting!

I really need to rest right now.
My body is demanding that I do. So's my soul.


"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
2 Corinthians 12:9

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30


Christ will carry the load of life’s burdens, physical and spiritual, for the believer and He will provide rest and healing for the believer. He is not stressed or bothered by the things of this world, because He is in control of this world.


I need some rest ~ physically and spiritually.
I have a couple posts scheduled but other than those I think I'll be "postless" for a week or two. But I'll still be visiting you!

And when I return I'll be closing in on my

second blogging anniversary.

That must mean a giveaway the first week or so of July!!
"Cause that's when I'll be two!

'My Dad' sung by Paul Petersen -- 1962

Happy Father's Day!

In memory of my father, and in honor of my father-in-law, my husband, and my sons and son-in-law.

I'm grateful for each of them.

Where Bloggers Create II

It's time for the party and you're invited to take a tour of over 450 studios, craftrooms, and workspaces. 
My space isn't quite ready this year so I'm not part of the tour but I sure can't wait to take the tour.  I know I'll get TONS of ideas for transforming my crazy space into something wonderful.

I have managed to get almost everything packed up in preparation for painting the walls and shelves.  Then the fun begins!  Hopefully Where Bloggers Create III will happen next year!!

Transforming this space has been slow going ~ but I can't wait to show you how it turns out.  It's going to be great!!  Really it is!  Because, after all,

fairy tales do come true! 

Don't you love the sign I bought for the door to my space!!

Make sure you click on the badge at the top of this post ~ you'll want to visit everyone!!

Prepare to be inspired!

Don't worry ~ take your time ~ Karen will make sure we have plenty of time to visit everyone!

How cool is that! How nice is she!!  Very!!!

Eggspectations

My son-in-law's "Mum" is visiting from England. We try to get together for dinner out at least once while she's here ~ and we try to go somewhere she hasn't ever been to.

On Wednesday we enjoyed dinner at Eggspectation.

I love their Mission Statement:

"Our Mission begins with a commitment to innovation and “eggcellence”. Meeting our guests’ “eggspectations” is an integral part of our everday “eggsperience”; our commitment to surpass them is what makes us “eggstraordinary”. Our goal is to maintain the highest standards of food quality and service possible within a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere."

There are only four locations in the USA.

We're lucky enough to have one nearby...and we've eaten there before.

Check out the wine rack & the door handles. I love the industrial look of the decor.

Our friend Gail and her husband Bill joined us. Gail loves all things England ~ so of course she loves Brenda too! That's Brenda (in green) and Gail up above and Bill with Charlotte down below. My father-in-law enjoyed his Corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, & grilled potatoes.


After dinner we stood outside and visited for a little while. Charlotte, her Daddy & her Nana loved the flowers ~ isn't that Hibiscus beautiful?! Isn't that little Charlotte beautiful too?!


We had a great evening and look at this wonderful sunset we got to see on the way home.

Sweet Friends...

I Smile Just Thinking Of You......

...and " I thank my God everytime I remember you."

Philippians 1:3 NIV

Photo Fun

Want to have some fun with your photos?

Visit photofunia.com.

Dream a Little Dream

Answer phones, process payments,

quote insurance, sit behind a desk,

file a little ~ it's my job.

Cutting, clipping, soldering,

collecting, sewing, gluing,

creating, creating, creating ~ it's my dream job.

I took this photo at Luckett's.

"All our dreams can come true,
if we have the courage
to pursue them."

Walt Disney
~~::~~

Happy Birthday to my husband Bill!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Flag Day

I am the Flag

by Ruth Apperson Rous

I am the flag of the United States of America.
I was born on June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia.

There the Continental Congress adopted my stars and stripes as the national flag.

My thirteen stripes alternating red and white, with a union of thirteen white stars in a field of blue, represented a new constellation, a new nation dedicated to the personal and religious liberty of mankind.

Today fifty stars signal from my union, one for each of the fifty sovereign states in the greatest constitutional republic the world has ever known.

My colors symbolize the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizens of my country.

My red stripes proclaim the fearless courage and integrity of American men and boys and the self-sacrifice and devotion of American mothers and daughters.

My white stripes stand for liberty and equality for all.

My blue is the blue of heaven, loyalty, and faith.

I represent these eternal principles: liberty, justice, and humanity.

I embody American freedom: freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the press, and the sanctity of the home.

I typify that indomitable spirit of determination brought to my land by Christopher Columbus and by all my forefathers - the Pilgrims, Puritans, settlers at Jamestown and Plymouth.

I am as old as my nation.

I am a living symbol of my nation's law: the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

I voice Abraham Lincoln's philosophy: "A government of the people, by the people,for the people."

I stand guard over my nation's schools, the seedbed of good citizenship and true patriotism.

I am displayed in every schoolroom throughout my nation; every schoolyard has a flag pole for my display.

Daily thousands upon thousands of boys and girls pledge their allegiance to me and my country.

I have my own law—Public Law 829, "The Flag Code" - which definitely states my correct use and display for all occasions and situations.

I have my special day, Flag Day. June 14 is set aside to honor my birth.

Americans, I am the sacred emblem of your country. I symbolize your birthright, your heritage of liberty purchased with blood and sorrow.

I am your title deed of freedom, which is yours to enjoy and hold in trust for posterity.

If you fail to keep this sacred trust inviolate, if I am nullified and destroyed, you and your children will become slaves to dictators and despots.

Eternal vigilance is your price of freedom.

As you see me silhouetted against the peaceful skies of my country, remind yourself that I am the flag of your country, that I stand for what you are - no more, no less.

Guard me well, lest your freedom perish from the earth.

Dedicate your lives to those principles for which I stand: "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

I was created in freedom. I made my first appearance in a battle for human liberty.

God grant that I may spend eternity in my "land of the free and the home of the brave" and that I shall ever be known as "Old Glory," the flag of the United States of America.

*************

"America will never be destroyed from the outside.

If we falter and lose our freedoms,

it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Abraham Lincoln

I was born on June 14, 1955, and I hope that makes it a special day to remember for my family and friends.  But even more special is the birth of this beautiful flag 233 years ago.
I pray we always remember what it stands for.

Re-post - August 31, 2008

I was going through some old posts and I thought I would share this one again.  The "good old days" reminder is a timely one for me.

The Good Old Days

I got to spend some time cleaning and sorting in my craft room this weekend ~ some day it will be cleaned and sorted enough to earn the name studio ~ for right now craft room is probably a stretch. Storage room would be more accurate.
But, I'm working on it...and I'm rambling.  (UPDATE - Yes, 22 months later and I'm still working on this room ~ sad but true!)

While working I came across this old Good Housekeeping magazine. It's from November of 1948 and the cost of it was ~ 35 cents! Of course the sorting and cleaning stopped because I had to browse through the magazine. Great stuff!! Did you know that "DUZ does EVERYTHING"? and that you should "use SPRY with cake-improver". (future posts may tell you more about DUZ & SPRY and who knows what else)!

This magazine is full of the neatest, sweetest ads, wonderful stories and all kinds of fun images. The little bits I had time to read had me thinking about the good old days, a simpler life, a slower pace, a time when you got free glasses or dish towels in your box of detergent!
Those were the days...those were the good old days!!

I finally got back to the task at hand and after a bit I came across an article I wrote for the newsletter at my church. I wrote it in 1995, at a time in my life when circumstances drove me straight to God and right down to my knees.
He was who I thought of first and who I needed more than anything else.
As I read over the article I again began to think about the good old days, but in a totally different way.

In the book of Revelations (2:4) Christ shows His displeasure for those believers who've lost that fervent desire they once had for all things God. The excitement wasn't there, they became complacent and indifferent. They did things out of duty rather than out of love for the Lord. They had lost their first love. I think that must happen to a lot of us. Probably more than once or twice. Sometimes we may not even realize it. But more times than not I think we know.
I think we begin to experience that longing for a time when each day had joy because each day had Jesus.

Well, I certainly can't go back to 1948 ~ especially since I wasn't born until 1955. I can't get back that kind of simple life or slower pace. However, there is nothing stopping me from returning to the good old days with Jesus Christ. There's nothing stopping me from thinking of Him first and needing Him most and loving Him with all that is in me. Except for desire on my part.
My desire is to follow Him ~ I don't want Him to have anything against me.

"Nevertheless I have this against you,

that you have left your first love."

Revelations 2:4 NKJV

Just Borrowing

Okay ~ I'm getting a little desperate without my camera. 

Now I'm using magazine photos.

I love this look. A nice long table and lots of mis-matched chairs.  This is what I want for my dining room...someday.

I wish I could remember which magazine I got this from.  I'll update as soon as I remember.  : )

Got Photos?

While I'm waiting for a solution to my "busted" camera problem I thought I'd borrow some photos from other family members.  Even before my camera was "busted" their cameras were better...so of course these are great photos!

Here's a photo taken by my daughter Katie (Charlotte's Momma). 

Penelope and Charlotte taking a little break on a turtle.

My daughter-in-law Jacqi (Penelope's Mommy) took this photo.

Elijah is loving all the bubbles!!

Thanks Katie and Jacqi for loaning me some very cute photos

of my very cute grandbabies!!

From My Photo Files

This is a piece of paper art I made last year.

I can't wait until I get my workroom painted and organized  ~ the fingers are itching to create!

"A bird doesn't sing because he has an answer...he sings
because he has a song."

Random Monday Memories

Art Linkletter recently passed away. I used to watch his TV show, "House Party". Included in the show was a segment called "Kids Say The Darndest Things". Art Linkletter interviewed schoolchildren between the ages of five and ten....oh oh, look out, no telling what their answer will be. Of course that was the whole reason for the interview!

During the 27-year run, Art Linkletter interviewed more than 23,000 children.

***

What are you learning at school that you can tell us about?

They teach you not to fight with your friends.

How do they do that?

They read from the Bible, where Jesus says, "Thou shalt not kill."

I'm happy to learn that they've stopped the killings on the playground this way.
But tell me, have you been punished lately?

Yes.

What for?

Hitting a kid in the face with a cupcake.

Why did you do that?

It's not in the Bible.

"Kids Say The Darndest Things"
page 115

written by Art Linkletter 

***

The popularity of this segment led to a TV series by the same name hosted by Bill Cosby. It ran from January 1998 to June 2000. I found this clip from the series on YouTube ~ Art Linkletter was the special guest ~ what a great surprise they had for him!!

There's also been a series of books called
"Kids Say The Darndest Things".

I'm lucky enough to own a copy.
It's written by Art Linkletter with an introduction by Walt Disney and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz!

It's a great book ~ sorry I have no photo of it, I'm still camera-less.
The back cover has reviews of the book on it.
Reviews by Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Bob Cummings and Lucille Ball & Desi Arnez!

Now there's a blast from the past!

"Things work out best for the people
who make the best of the way things work out.”

Art Linkletter

Etsy Love

I love Etsy!

There are so many wonderfully creative things there.

It's nice to buy something sometimes.

It's nice to browse all the time!

These items are from one of my favorite shops. I think these little dishes are so sweet and they can be personalized...how fun is that!

What a cute gift idea!

MudHutt

Do you have any favorite Etsy shops?

Do you wanna share? Puhleeze!

Charlotte's Party

As I mentioned here ~ my camera is broke, so I didn't get any photos at Charlotte's 2nd birthday party last Sunday. But her momma did!! This is one of my favorites. Please visit Katie's birthday party blog post and see the other great photos she took!

Plus I know you want to see my toothpicks too!

Thanks for that idea Libbie!

Garden "spots"

Things are looking pretty nice in the garden this year. Not only is the Clematis growing I also have some pretty "shabby chic" roses.

My lavender is doing well ~ can you tell where the sun is?!

Some new Lilies and Hostas ~ this was taken just before they were planted.

Here's the little garden area in the front yard. That's "the gardener" standing there with his hoe and Mr. Portly is holding onto his favorite acorn.

My grandbabies love to look at (and touch) this little garden.
Well at least the girls do ~ Elijah is a little too busy to be interested in flowers right now.

The success in my gardening is still pretty spotty ~ it's nice to be able to crop out stuff that isn't doing as well. But I'm actually seeing some improvement this year!
Who knows what next year will bring. I may even taken a picture of the whole yard!!

Future Stars

It's the Pee Wee World Cup!

My Joe's Jo

My daughter-in-law Johanna (aka Jo) has been making her own cards for the past couple years. She has a full-time 9- 5 job, then comes home to take care of Elijah, Joe and Azalea (their dog), but she still squeezes in time to make these cute little cards for family and friends.

This is the one she recently made for my other daughter-in-law, Jacqi.

I love this one ~ it's so sweet and simple.

You can see more of her cards (and Elijah of course!) on her blog

Hybrid Simplicity.