I Love You bracelets

My Kindle DIL ran across a note recently from her mom 

who passed away at a very young age from cancer and is still greatly missed by her daughters.

She had it made into bracelets for her and her sisters. 

How beautiful is this story..........

Pureology Shampoo & Conditioner

Kindle DIL gave me Pureology shampoo & conditioner for Christmas 

along with other fun things.

I love my Redkin shampoo but she has been raving about Pureology 

for about a year now so I gave it a try today. 

I will concede that my hair is much softer but still has the body I need to hold a curl.

The best part tho is that you use such a small quantity of the product.

I'll let you know how it goes and if I'll convert from Redkin!

Christmas Ornaments

Today is the day to put the ornaments on our tree. When I finally settle things down & begin it’s something I truly enjoy. The opening of the boxes & the unwrapping of each precious one opens the floodgate of memories. I have some from my mom and I think how she put those on their tree year after year. 

How I love being the caretaker of them now.

Also the ornaments she personally gave me over the years that she knew would 

be meaningful to me like the glass horse! 

She gave it to me the year I threw caution to the wind and scraped some money together & took riding lessons.

( I was the girl who always asked for a pony all year.... all the time.)

Friend Libby gave me some extraordinarily unique ones as well and though I rarely see her how I love the times when we get together.

Here are just a few of the special ones I have.

Beautiful Angels from Germany

So fragile it's scary!

 

I finally got my horse!

Whimsical x 2

"Libby Ornaments"

The Great British Baking Show

I am addicted to The Great British Baking Show! 

I look forward to being able to sit down and watch all the charming people each week. 

AND

I love Mary Berry! 

Of course Paul Hollywood is pretty great too....tho Mel and Sue regularly steal the show!

I'm in awe of what the bakers produce in what seems to me a minuscule amount of time----and these are just people who love to bake....not professionals!

You don't have to be in love with English desserts to appreciate the knowledge and creativeness the bakers show.

So "Cheers" for giving us such an entertaining show!

English Muffins to Mini Victoria Sponges
Picnic Basket Pie to Opera Cake
Then of course we can't forget Fig Roly Poly Pudding.

It's the little things in life

Sometimes it's the little things in life that make you feel so good. I finally, finally bought a lunch tote and it's so dang cute I can hardly stand it. I put it off because at my previous job I really didn't need it that badly but now working in a large company with a refrigerator the size of a small state I thought it best to get one. 

So after some searching this is the one I decided on. 

Cute right??

It makes me feel like I'm back in school tho!

Happy Thanksgiving

It's so difficult to believe that another year has rolled by and it's Thanksgiving again.

It has been a year of constant changes and a year of amazing blessings as well.

My heart is overflowing with gratitude for my family, friends and my life.  

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving take time today to go thru that mental list 

of all the blessings in your life.

I'm saying mine out loud at the dinner table tonite......

yep... 

I bet there will be snot bubbles occurring.

First Snow

Last week I was thinking to myself that it is always so lovely to see the first flakes of snow falling.

We were coming off 50 degree weather and snow was predicted. 

Well it is Illinois and it was about time for the first flake to appear

Those lovely flakes amounted to 16 inches of snow!

So much for easing into winter!

Paris....Heartbroken

Elizabeth Neacy Todd

Veterans Day & The Star Spangled Banner

 How is it I didn't know this???

 History of the Star Spangled Banner
(click here)

I imagine this is what our Armed Forces feel every day and how timely 

when Veterans Day is tomorrow. 

To my son Andrew and to all the men and women who serve or served our country

Thank you for your service and dedication.

My son will deploy for the 2nd time early next year 
and as difficult as it is to see him leave 

I am so incredibly proud of him.

                                                         

Deep Breakfast

When our youngest son was young he would always "borrow" my tape (yes I said tape) of my favorite relaxing music. Of course he never put it back but at least I knew where to find it. 

.....Fast forward.....

Yesterday we were spending the day with him in the city and though I knew he had accumulated quite a collection of  vinyl albums I was shocked when he pulled one out and it was Deep Breakfast by Ray Lynch.

 He still loves it to this day! 

I'm so glad I never took him to task about taking my tape all the time!

I think I need to put this on my wish list to own again 

but I will go with a CD!

I added a link to YouTube if you would like to listen!

Deep Breakfast

Happy Halloween~~~with Veggies

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Our HR Department decided to treat everyone with something other than candy!

If I'm not mistaken these treats disappeared before all the candy did!

Sunflower Field

I thought you could use something to brighten your day.

Dear friend Chris sent these pictures to me of her
beautiful field of sunflowers.

It made me smile & I hope it did the same for you.

Enjoy!

McCafe Pumpkin Spice Coffee

I've tried coffee in many of the popular "coffee places" and I have to admit that McDonald's (followed closely by Dunkin Donuts) is by far my favorite. When I was in my local grocery store last night I came around the corner and there was a display of McCafe Pumpkin Spice Coffee. 

So I was thinking......

Should I or shouldn't I??

Should I won and I'm glad. 

I didn't even wait till the weekend to indulge myself. 

So this morning I brewed some and it was

Oh.....so.....very .....delicious!

Just coffee and spices.

It's perfect!

You really should try this....really!

Oh yum!

Lists

All of you who are list makers raise you hands...
            Woo Hoo! I knew I wasn't alone!

• I love lists
• I love ambitious lists
• I love checking things off my list as I accomplish the task
• Lists help me stay on task

And finally

Lists help me to remember what I really want to accomplish 

so I'm not smacking my forehead later saying 

"duh...how could I have forgotten that!"

However, every so often, I would love to have a list like the one below!

Back to Baraboo Wisconsin

We have spent so many family vacations at Devils Lake State Park and I have always wanted to go back just for a day trip to walk and explore with my dear husband. So off we went last week and the park was as spectacular as I remembered. 

I mean really, Autumn in Wisconsin, much less Baraboo, who could ask for more! 

Well may be Paris, Munich, Vienna....

but I only had one day off so Baraboo it was.

We hiked for about 2 hours up to the top of the bluffs and the view

......oh my,,,,

Where we parked

Then we climbed and climbed and climbed some more

Where we stopped for pictures

Where we stopped for more pictures

And another picture

And at the top where we took it all in!

The Accidental Empress

In 2014 I was in Vienna. I know....so amazing! Sometimes my memory takes me back and sometimes a book will. Friend Earlene suggested a book that she thought I might enjoy and thus my journey back to Austria began. We were able to walk through the castle where the Empress (Sisi) lived and see what compromised her daily life. There were reproductions of dresses she wore which are just magnificent. Being a seamstress I can't even imagine the work involved in the making of them. 
Well, my friend was right about the book. It was an incredibly good read. I found myself reading slowly because I didn't want the book to end. I finished it several days ago and I can only hope there will be a sequel to it in the future. 

September 16th

According to a Harvard Study this is the most popular day to be born. 

So happy Birthday to all of your born on September 16th!!!

Maine Coon

Friends of mine have a cat....well actually they have 2....
There is Vree
Sweet, cute but a little skittish
And no wonder. She lives with Tars, a huge Maine Coon.
He is no doubt one of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen seen.
He has the ability to be sweet and purring one moment and the next he is attacking your feet like prey. He can be resting one moment and in a nano second will spring unexpectedly on Vree as she is merely walking by. 

Strangely, he always seems to want to lay on my lap. 

Is he trying to win me over? 

Lull me into thinking he is to be trusted? 

I think not! 

I will keep a wary eye on this one as I tentatively stroke his impossibly soft fur.

The many faces of Tars

First Day back at work

Well it finally happened....I went back to work. 

I actually have to say that the timing was perfect. I was able to enjoy so much time at home getting caught up on things that I didn't have the time to do before. Like visit with dear friends, read alot of books and clean out areas of the house that needed to be done. AND sit and watch the snow fall, the rain bucket down and stay inside warm and dry. 

I didn't have to fight the traffic to be somewhere at a specific time. 

But best of all I was able to be outside on beautiful days.  

For all of that and more I am so grateful.

But it was time to get back to reality and the company and people  I am working for are wonderful. 

Now I know you'll be jealous but I get to wear jeans....every day!

When I came home at the end of the week here is what dear husband had waiting for me.

Down at the Farm

I can hardly wait to get back to my friends farm in Indiana. I want to sit in her front yard and watch the multitude of hummingbirds that are always there

and of course relax and enjoy the company of my two wonderful friends

Chris and Susie.

FYI--She serves ice tea or lemonade!

Scones

Today is the day. I know it's" hot" degrees outside but I'm determined to make scones. 

I have the recipe, cranberries and an orange so here I go. 

I love scones...

I crave scones

But they have to be the right texture and and definitely not smothered in frosting. 

I don't want anything to disguise the scrumptious flavor. 

Maybe a little coarse sugar on top? 

I can hardly wait to get started....fingers crossed this is the perfect recipe for me!

Looks perfect right?!?
I need to tweek the cook time in the future tho.
Thanks to friend Celine for the recipe!

Once in a Blue Moon

On July 31 of this year we were able to view the super moon. It was gigantic!!! and oh so beautiful. Even if you don't have a preoccupation with the moon and how beautiful it ordinarily is this phenom was certainly something to see!

I was out and about and people were pulling over on the side of the road to stop and look!

There was a  full moon twice in the month of July
thus the "once in a blue moon" phrase.

New York

England

Indiana

(compliments of friend Susie)

Moon rising over our local college