Wishing I was HERE!

We spent a day at the beach last weekend. It was lovely. The above photo is a shot of where we sat as we gazed out over the ocean. Nope, it doesn't get any better than that!

There was a wicked rip current, so playing in the water was dangerous and difficult even in the shallows. After getting exhausted fighting the pull of the currents, my youngest and I contented ourselves just hanging out at water's edge and letting the water gently wash over us.


Here's what happens when teenagers get a hold of my camera:



We walked around a lovely, old historic seaside town and enjoyed the sunset there.



(((sigh!)))

One day was not enough. I want to go back!

And for your viewing pleasure, here is a short video from our day. (Sorry, I can't figure out how to center the silly thing!)

Valentines!

I bet we are the only household still making Valentines on February 15th.

It's a pretty messy business.


I know my hubby (who loves order and neatness) will be thrilled when we are done and the coffee table is once again visible.

My 8 year-old's book club meets this afternoon, and she wanted give them hand-made Valentines...all ten of the other girls! It has been a lesson in perseverance for her. There are quite a few hand stitches in each of these little felt pouches. Handmade gifts are fun, but they are also a lot of work.



It saddens me to think that most of the recipients will probably be more excited about the little Hershey bar and the pencil inside the handmade Valentine. But I guess that's okay.

Wearing a red poppy.

Memorial Day is coming up. Today, I am wearing a red poppy. It is to honor those who have given so much of themselves, including their lives to protect and defend our country. Remember? That is what Memorial Day is supposed to be about!

In our community, the American Legion Ladies Auxilary sets up tables at local shops and hands out red paper poppies that are made by disabled vets. One of my daughters and I donated a few hours today manning one of those tables. The flowers are free, but donations are welcome (and all the $$$ goes to help disabled vets.) If you get the opportunity, take one of those poppies and wear it, or twist it around your rear-view mirror or your purse strap, or somewhere to remind yourself and others that our liberty has been very dearly bought.

I think I will wear my poppy all weekend long.

A belated Merry Christmas!!

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was nice, but exhausting! Between filling orders, making gifts, cleaning house, hosting friends, baking, wrapping, etc., I've had no time to spend on the internet. Sorry for the lack of blog posts. I am sure you have all been on the edge of your seats, waiting to read my next update! (grin)

We did not have any family commitments for Christmas Eve, so a week before Christmas, we decided to invite a few friends from church to come over and visit. Well, our invitation to a few friends snowballed into having "open house" and basically inviting the entire church. We ended up with about 40 people coming over in addition to our own 9!!! (And no, I do not have a big house.) It was really fun. My daughters and I baked and cooked all day Saturday. I made lots of food since I had no idea how many would show. I wanted to do luminaries, but I feared there might be kids in the yard and that the candles in paper bags might be hazardous. So instead, I wrapped votive candles with wire in all sorts of odd and funky shapes and swirls and hung them from the trees in our front yard. It turned out soooo pretty! We decorated the table and house with live greenery and fruit, brewed up lots of coffee, hot spiced apple cider and I made my own punch recipe (cranberry juice, pineapple juice, orange juice, ginger ale, and soda water). The table was spread with rolls and ham and turkey and lots of goodies. Good food, good friends, good fellowship...what more could a person want? I wish you could have been here! After the vast majority had left, a few of the teenagers stayed and played games with my kids for a while. Later our whole family just flopped in the living room and hung out until after midnight.

Yesterday, I used a little Christmas money I received and bought myself a present: Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. It was tops on my Amazon wishlist, and when I saw it at my local Barnes and Noble, I had to have it!


It is a lovely book. The pictures are all taken on location in England. The projects are all scrumptious. It is full of useful information, not only on technique, but also on the history of Victorian knitting. I can not wait to get started on one of the projects! Of course, that may require that I go out and buy MORE yarn, and the necessary double-pointed needles...

The joys of the season...

I don't know who coined the phrase "The luck of the Irish," but I would like to punch him in the nose! I have good strong Irish blood running through these veins, but as my mother says, if I didn't have BAD luck, I wouldn't have any at all!

I have been married for almost 19 years, and I can not think of one, single Christmas (or anniversary which is the 20th of December) that has rolled around when we have not had some sort of major car repair or household repair come up. Well, maybe our first Christmas, but then, we had only been married 5 days! One year recently I got a water pump on my van for Christmas. Woo! Hoo! Another year, the washing machine died. Oh thrill! It has been like that repeatedly. So, lest we break tradition, this year is bound to break the records! So far, in the last week, I have had to order a $70 part for my computer. Thankfully, my son is a geek extraordinaire and will be installing it for free. Then there was the hot water heater that had to be replaced yesterday. That was over $700. Who wants a hot water heater for Christmas? And today??? Well, I found out my car needs $1000 worth of repairs!!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

I guess it is a good thing that we have never wanted to get sucked up into the commercialism and lavish gift-giving that goes on at this time of year. We couldn't, even if we wanted to! I wonder if there is a way that I can wrap up some hot water and give it to my kids as their Christmas present? Hmmmmm...

Can't talk now!

My entire family will be at my house for Thanksgiving. That means I will have somewhere around 22-24 folks at my house. YIKES!! Needless to say, I am running around like a chicken (ahem! Make that a turkey) with its head cut off! I am trying to find places to sit them all, clean house, and prepare mounds of food. So, I really can't talk right now. I have WORK to do!!!

I hope you will have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I know that I do! I have a wonderful husband and 7 healthy kids, food, shelter, and the greatest gift of all--forgiveness of my sins and eternal life because of what Christ did on the cross. Who could want anything more??

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Don't eat too much! ;-D