Merry Christmas

Whether you are wishing for

The newest electronic toy....or just a toy

World peace or just peace in your life

Beautiful new leather boot or boots to keep you warm

Health & wealth or to be healthy and be able to pay your bills

I wish you true peace and joy in each and every day in your life

God Bless

Common Sense

Several years ago at work I had to contact one of our distributors and well more or less smooth over an error that had been made.. Long story short, the gentleman was very understanding and all went well. 
He finished our conversation by telling me the following.

“My grandfather once told me …..Common sense isn't so common.”   

Well said grandpa!

So next time you hear something that just makes you shake your head and wonder what they could have been thinking???? 

…remember Grandpa Baker’s saying.

Choices

One day when I was particularly whiny at work about this and that and well probably everything I ended my conversation, with our very matter of fact Warehouse Manager, "Z", with "what choice do I have"!

THEN he proceeded to put me in my place.

He said we all have choices, all the time, every day.......we just don't always enjoy the outcome of them but we always have choices.

 Hmmmmmm........I just hate it when he's right.

 

Mark made some choices and has moved on to bigger things and warmer climates and I miss him terribly. He was always the voice of reason (as he saw it!) and giver of unending information! 

From left to right
Heather, Mark, Me
Just in case you were wondering which one was "Z"

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to take time to wish all of you Happy Thanksgiving. For those that don't celebrate the holiday I want you to know how thankful I am that you take time to share my thoughts.
Take time during the holiday season, or by years end, to sit back and be amazed with what you've been given. When I climb into bed at night here are a few things that I think about and am grateful for. Is my life perfect and carefree....not by a long shot but I choose to do what I can and let it go.

My faith in God

My family and friends

A bed. A comfortable warm bed at that.

 I am employed in a safe clean environment

 I have clean clothes to put on in the morning

I have a home to come home to every day

My 10 year old car that starts every day

(and a dear husband who faithfully maintains it) 

All you dear people who stop by faithfully.

 

This is the tip of the iceberg for things I am grateful for.

I could literally go on for pages so I will continue the list in my head!

 

 

Christmas Cactus

Keep in mind that this plant started as a very small plant about 10 years ago. Once it started to grow it seemed that I was re-potting it in a bigger pot constantly.

So…. my mind was telling me that since it was a cactus it might like to be outside in the summer heat…..not in the scorching sun….but outside.

Well since I have started doing that the picture below is my reward for lugging it in and out every year.

However my "Christmas" Cactus booms profusely for Halloween and then again at Easter. I know that if I did the light/dark thing it would probably bloom at Christmas but it's happy...... so why rock the boat!

It takes a long rest after all that work.

Stained Glass

How do you take those small pieces of glass and make them into such amazing art?

Stained glass windows are a work of art that I find hard to comprehend.

What a gift to be able to have that vision.  



Picture from friend Susie

 

Notre Dame Paris

 

What amazing photography!

 

 

Mother of God--Covington, KY.

 

 

Love this one!

 

This one would look lovely in my hallway octagon window!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Afternoon

In an attempt to keep an active 4 year old happy today I decided to walk over to the park. We stopped at the playground where my son Adam joined us for trips down the slide and a few trips crawling through the tubes to get over the wiggly bridge. Since my grandson still had 10 times the energy of both of us I decided a walk was in order. Adam and I started talking about how the park had changed since he was little and I asked him if he remembered (which he didn't) the piece of farm equipment that had never been removed and had literally sunk into the ground.

It was a mission....I had to find it!

And then there is was still sitting there 30 years later. Exactly as I remembered it.

The barn and out buildings are long gone but a lot of the foundation remains. He actually found the spot where the silo stood. We have no idea what this John Deere equipment was used for though.

 

 

 

 

 

So after getting stuck by thorns and climbing over branches and through brush this was our reward when we got back to the park. Adam looked up and we all took a moment to revel in a beautiful Autumn sky.

The grandson, uncle and grandma were ready to call it a day.

Dear husband was home making ribs and homemade latkes.

 How nice was that!

 

 

 

 



Welcome to Holland

I'm sure that many have read this essay but I know many haven't and I wanted to share with you this profound story. When our grand daughter was born this was one of the first things given to me to read.

 In reality it could apply to so many areas of life but of course more poignant when thought of in relation to a special needs child.  

 WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Dolce & Gabbana Flower Dress

 

Maybe it's just me.... but is this pretty just because it Dolce & Gabbana??

Or is really just....ummmmm...unusual?

 

 

Now this is classy, flirty and fun!

Wrap this one up for me!

 

 

 



Front Porch Vintage

I was at dear Peg and Mark's house last weekend.
Here is a peek at how she decorated her front porch.

Really????

So vintage cute and of course the apples are from their tree!

 

PS. The inside of their house is just as charming!

Vespa

I have often wondered why I'm attracted to scooters in particular Vespa's.
It is truly an mystery. I'm not a motorcycle person but there is something oddly attractive about flying around on one of these little machines.

They're cute, the colors attract me, it makes me feel so European

and I think riding it would make me laugh.

Something I don't do nearly enough these days.

 

 

AND I could get a puppy to ride around with me

I would get a basket for him (and of course a seat belt)

You can never be too safe

I'm not sure I could get him to laugh with me though

 but I know he would if he could.

 

Slide on Down

 

Yipee!

Wheeeeee!

It's my turn next!

Here I go!

Watch out...!!!

Can I make the dog go down?

 

Abundantly Blessed

Getting away always gives me a new perspective on life. It renews my enthusiasm to accomplish things like finishing up projects and starting new ones. It also reminds me not to be so insane about what I don't or can't get accomplished.

It also reminds me how abundantly blessed I am...everyday.

103th Post

Holy Cow! When I started this blog, even though I was well aware I had a bucket load of things and thoughts running around in my brain, I never imagined that I would ever find enough to write as much as I do. And never in my wildest dreams did I think anyone would be interested enough to read them.
Going back to my post of  "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandburg I remember reading this line and jumping in to start writing.
“ So please ask yourself: What would I do I weren’t afraid? And then go do it.” 
I intended to use this as my 100th post but you know.....I got busy....and one thing lead to another! So better late than never!
 

Thank you to all who stop by and share this with me.

Less is More

I was talking to friend Susie today and we started talking about cleaning out....which both of us seem to be determined to do. She commented that she gets tired of things and likes to change. Her house is lovely and tho she changes there are some things that remain constant. In each room there is something that is classically Susie.

Sheep 

lovely pink vintage dishes 

wonderful pictures of her family 

beautiful paperweights.

 

I on the other hand just want less....a lot less of everything.

I find as time goes by I what things gone....never to come back.

I haven't missed one little thing I have gotten rid of.

Maybe it's as simple as having less to clean!

I am so tired of all my clutter

It needs to be this clean....my goal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate Spade Purses

I think I'm in love with Kate Spade purses!

How does anyone ever decide which one to get?



SASSY

CUTESY

LL BEAN-ISH

STYLISH

MINE-ISH

BEACHY












 

 

 

 














Happy Birthday Miss Zoe

One year ago we were blessed with an amazing granddaughter

After 5 sons & 4 grandsons you can just imagine we were totally unprepared for a little girl, overjoyed but unprepared!

However……
There were early heath scares and concerns beyond our comprehension. She was born with Down Syndrome.
I read “Bloom” by Kelle Hampton
I read all the literature that came flooding in including "A Trip to Holland"
We talked with kind Dr. Grandpa (who really is her grandpa!)
I talked to dear husband and friends... and then more friends
And through it all I prayed she would be healthy and wouldn’t be taken from us
And here we are one year later with a healthy happy 1 year old
She’s a mover and a shaker
She is a giggly girl
And she rocks the coolest of outfits
Did I mention she’s a girl after my own heart….she loves chocolate!!!!!

Mom and Dad love her to the moon and back

and we do too!

 

 

 

Tiara for Miss Zoe

 I was looking for a Christmas ornament for our new grand daughter Zoe last year.  I had the picture in my mind what I wanted but I couldn't find anything remotely close. So necessity being the mother of invention, I put my mind to making one.

And Voila`...... behold

 

 

Take a peek at my Etsy shop!

ohsweetlulu

 

Here is our Princess Zoe

The girl of many faces!!

What a cutie patootie--slice of sunshine she is...right?!

 

Wrought Iron Gates

As I walk I am always looking at the beautiful iron fences in Covington KY. I have picture after picture but I never stopped to look at the gates until friend Linda pointed them out. It’s these moments my Kindle daughter in law shakes her head and says I am still one of the most unobservant people she has ever met.

Many of these gates I have seen before but a few are new. Maybe my fascination is because it's so rare that I see them where I live.

Aren't they just lovely!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natalie's Slide

I don't think now would be a good time to go play on your slide Natalie!

 

Balance

I am amazed by the balance I see in everyday life.

Your bank account to cheerleaders 

High wire walkers to landscaping

Flower arrangements to toddlers taking those first steps

Building blocks to walking on stilts

Dreams to reality

We all need to learn to find that balance in our lives. Work..play..family..friends

 when we don’t balance things out

life has a way of taking care of it for you

 

 

Paris Eatery

Of the hundreds of pictures I took in Europe this is one stands out in my mind.

If I had never gone this is exactly the type of scene I would have imagined.

I wish I had included the name of the place in the photo tho.

 

 

Anticipation of Autumn

This has been a fabulous spring and summer. Overall it has been cooler than normal which is right up my alley. My flowers have been amazing, my first garden in I don’t know in how many years has over all been good and I have enjoyed sitting outside on my newly refinished vintage chair more than I expected I would.

But the best is yet to come……

Fall is around the corner. I am longing for the colors and smells of autumn. It is by far my favorite time of year. Everything is crisp, clear and it seems more settled. You’re not rushing to get everything you wanted to do in the warm weather done. Kids are lining up in the mornings for school buses, all the yard work is winding down, routines become part of life again. I begin to think about the comfort foods for dinners that in the heat don’t even sound appealing. It’s time to pull out The Pioneer Womans’ cookbook and try a new recipe of hers. ALSO…..this year I will make Julia’s Beef Bourguignon.

 

 

Behr & Muralo Paint

My downstairs bath is finished and fabulous. I purchased some things and just revamped others.

Twilight Gray, Soft Black and Dove White

Vintage lace at the window.

Scalloped Mirror

Sometimes I go in there, close the door and just take it all in

I simply love it….

Kind husband did all the work! I offered to help…really I did….

 

Twilight Grey

 

 

 

Bee Sting

Well I can no longer (silently)gloat that I have never gotten a bee sting. Or in this case wasp, so two stings. I was expecting it to hurt more than it did but it was pretty darn uncomfortable. Since I couldn't even see them, because it was on the back of my leg, kind husband put the wonderful home remedy of a baking power and water paste on it. Added a little ice, a bendryl pill for good measure and it's feeling better.
I have to say  that since I was outside when it happened I was tempted just to rip those pants off to get rid of it. Common sense prevailed and I went inside the house and I stood in front of the open door and got them off.

I guess I need to get rid of the common sense part, right?

 

 

 

Pumpkin Juice

I’m not a big fan of super sweet drinks. I will generally put lemon slices in lemonade just to “unsweetened” it a bit when I can.

HOWEVER Pumpkin Juice (think Harry Potter) is one of the best things I ever tasted.

Eyes roll back in your head wonderful!

Speechless good!

I found the word Yum being said…multiple times.

Addictively delicious.
Capable of inducing a sugar coma!

Thanks heavens that I can’t just go to the store and buy it!

Stress

Stress seemed to be the topic of the week. So many people I talked to were over the top with it in their lives. Whether it was work related or on a personal basis they all just seemed so frustrated. Then of course they didn't feel good or thought they were "losing it" and some were just feeling angry.
I know we can't chalk up all our physical problems to stress but I honestly believe that a lot of things can be traced back to it .....or at the very least how we handle the stress.
Despite the hundreds of things I need to do this weekend I hope to allow myself the time to de-stress. Find time to do something for myself which is something that a lot of us don't make time to do.

So I wish you some peace filled time this weekend to do things you enjoy doing.

Take time to breath deep, to clear your mind and relax your body.

 

Wisteria

~~Wisteria arbor in Mariemont, Ohio~~

I fell in love with wisteria when I was in Kentucky visiting.

Maybe I love it so much because we don't have in in my neck of the woods.