JOY . . .

I truly believe that you can find JOY in every day . . . and in doing that life is a bit easier.

Still working on this - (the painting and doodles - not finding joy) . . . I do that every day!

We celebrated my mom's 90th birthday this past weekend.

Not exactly as we had planned - but it was really nice.  My brother decided to make the trip to celebrate her birthday even though we postponed the full party.  (We now have to find a date where we can use the taco truck we had arranged . . . maybe we will use that to celebrate the day we can get everyone together again.)  We were able to get most of her grandchildren and great grandchildren to participate in a "Zoom" birthday party?   We all sang Happy Birthday and she blew out her candles.  I had baked pie for her birthday, but Avery she had to have a birthday cake - so thanks to Avery - she had a cake also.  

Talk about JOY . . . it was the kind that brought tears to our eyes.

Clay being Clay - he didn't stay long, but it made the weekend so special for her.  

I asked people to send mom birthday cards.  This was really fun!

She ended up getting more than 70 cards!  It took her awhile to go through them all.

There were fancy cards, old cards, handmade cards, recycled cards, photographs, cards from family, cards from old friends, new friends, and people she didn't even know.

JOY!

I love this photo of Mom and Dad on their wedding day 70 years ago

April 15, 1950

A lot of life lived in 90 years.

The secret to living well and longer is: 

eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.

May 1st

I found myself sitting quietly by the table late this afternoon - feeling more than a little sad.  It was four years ago today that my dad passed away.  I thought about him all day . . . fighting back tears one moment, then smiling to myself the next.  I think about him and picture him with a smile on his face when he teased me about something . . . or when I said or did something that he got a kick out of.  He was a man of few words . . . but I knew when he was happy, I knew when he was upset with me, and I knew that he loved me - even though I can only remember him saying it one time.  I can remember holding his hand when I was little.  I remember the last time I saw him . . . knowing it would be the last time and feeling lucky that he was my father. 

 He may not have said the words . . . but I did. I know it made him feel uncomfortable, but whenever I told him goodbye I would tell him that I loved him and give him a hug.  He would shrug his shoulders, respond with an short "yeah", and then make his exit. 

Not long before he got sick I was home visiting . . . and helped my parents with a few things that needed to be done.  When it was time for me to leave for the airport - we got through the awkward hug and I was walking out the door and looked back at him.  He thanked me for helping them . . . and he looked at me differently that time.  It was one of those moments that touch your heart.  I loved him so much . . . and even though I always said the words . . . I hope he knew how much. 

So . . . as I was sitting there feeling sad and missing him . . . I looked out the window at my little garden and felt better - because it reminded me of him . . . He would probably get that little smile on his face if he could see my little garden and he would probably tease me about it.  His garden was big and full of everything that just seemed to grow because it knew it was supposed to.  I loved to walk down to his garden lot and see him there . . . there he always seemed a little more at ease.  I miss you Dad!

I'm going to have zucchinis, tomatoes, hot peppers, and lots of giant sunflowers

 . . . and more hydrangeas. 

Boxes . . .

Little did I know that cleaning out our garage yesterday would get me feeling all sentimental.  Then again . . . it doesn't take much to make me sentimental . . . just the way I am. 

I found this box up in one of the cabinets in our garage.  I was probably about 8-10 years old when I covered it with patches of fabric.  This was before ModgePodge . . . I think I just used Elmer's Glue and cut out little pieces of fabric with a pinking shears.  The original box was a Birdsall Ice Cream box.  (I probably remember that only because my first husband's last name was Birdsall ). . . (I'm rambling) . . . but I'm in sort a rambling mood tonight . . . my apologies.  So often I have thought about throwing this box out - as I did this time, but I find something to fill it with - and it finds a place on a shelf in the garage for another year.  My Gramma would laugh if she saw it . . . anyway - that got me thinking about a post on  boxes . . .

I think I have mentioned in an earlier post that I have a thing for boxes . . . so I got to looking around (like I did with the pillows the other day) . . . I really have a lot of boxes.  If they are cute or vintage - I just can't seem to part with them.  Kasey gave me this bar of soap a couple of years ago . . . I think I was more excited about the "Believe" box.  Richard could probably give me diamond earrings - and if the box they came in was something special, I probably would be just as excited about the box as I was the diamonds.

An old cigar box (full of incense) . . . a vintage Almond Joy box (full of origami paper) . . . the flowered box was the box that held my first prom corsage from that boy with the last name Birdsall - it was an orchid and white rosebuds (full of Raggedy Ann stuff) . . . the top box is just a little box I think I picked up at the dollar store.  It holds a picture of Luke and our old cat Cinders (full of index cards).  This stack of boxes is an example of how I drive my sons crazy.  When something happens to me and they have to go through all this stuff - they will just laugh and shake their heads.

I also came across this box  . . . another one I have held onto for over 30 years.  It came from overseas . . . when Richard was in the Navy - he brought me home a tea set from Japan.  I liked the pink lid on the box so had to keep it . . .

 . . . it is full of cards and letters that we wrote to each other when he was overseas for six months.  So I sat and read some of these today . . .  (this is how cleaning the garage can get me all sentimental.) 

Some cute book type boxes (full of my Halloween ornaments) . . .

  . . . this top box holds a beautiful rubber stamp set and the green box is another box that Richard brought back from overseas (full of silly little odds and ends that we have picked up over the years) . . . again I can just see my kids shaking their heads if ever they have to look through this stuff. :)

This old box belonged to my Gramma . . . (it actually is empty - I better find something to fill it up with)

This is one of my favorite boxes . . . we made it out of a book.

It holds special cards . . . and this is where I start getting sentimental again, so bear with me. 

Richard and I have exchanged so many cards through the years.  I found the first Valentine that he ever gave me . . . . and cards from when we were first dating.  I think the most special cards are from when we were struggling with our marriage . . . I can look back at them and see how we still took the time to give each other a card and say "I love you."

32 years . . . means a lot of cards . . . I thought about sorting through them and getting rid of some of them a few times.  It isn't like I get them out at look at them very often . . . except maybe when I clean out the garage.  :)

Then I remember how after my Dad passed away and I was helping my Mom go through some things.  She sat a read the cards from my Dad . . . and it made her so happy.  So I will hang on to them . . .

A Boyd's Bear Box . . . (full of colored pencils)

Colorful hat boxes . . . (full of hats of course)

Another box that makes me sentimental.  This box belonged to my Dad.  He used to build wood boxes to hold whatever in his shop.  His shop was usually in quite a state of disarray - but he could always find what he was looking for (usually stuck in one of these boxes)  

He did a lot of work with his scroll saw and used to make tiny three dimensional reindeer.  He had small rubber stamps of the reindeer that he used as a pattern.  I love that he stamped these on this piece of wood.  Knowing Dad - he probably intending on cutting these out - but instead grabbed the piece of wood to build a box.  (This box holds pens and markers.)

Thanks for bearing with me . . . sort of a long post and quite a few pictures. 

Feeling sentimental . . . but a Happy Planet!

Dad's Birthday

Happy Birthday Dad . . . I miss you!

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."

                                                                         ~ Clarence Budington Kelland

couldn't sleep . . .

For some reason when I am adding this photo to my post - it is sideways. I have had that trouble before. Whatever I am doing wrong - I can't figure it out . . . so a sideways skull it is. Played with glitter a little more at 3:30 this morning. For some reason I couldn't sleep - so after laying there for an hour getting more and more frustrated because I couldn't sleep - I decided just to get up . . . I glittered a couple of skulls and spray painted a little witches shoe that I am going to glitter up tonight along with some spiders.

I wish had more of these skulls - I think they look so great all "a-glitter". I especially like them because they are cut outs that my dad did a few years ago. I wish I could show him how cute they look this way. I've been missing him a little more than usually lately. I miss going down to his shop and seeing his cut outs hanging up - or thrown in one of the boxes he made to hold whatever happened to fall into it. His shop was usually sort of a mess . . . but he seemed to be able to find anything he was looking for. Missing him . . . but thinking about him brings back some good memories . . . and that makes me smile. Love you Dad!

Missing Dad . . .

I had intended on posting something else this morning, but I had trouble uploading the picture that I wanted. When I was looking through pictures I found this one of me with Dad. Of course it makes me cry - I seem to do that a lot these days, but that's to be expected. I go along just fine and then all of a sudden find myself thinking about him. I didn't really intend on posting something emotional and so personal this morning - but that's what is on my mind.

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."

~Clarence Budington Kelland

Dad and Jack

I love this picture - especially their hands. It is of my dad and my newest great nephew. Since I am nearly always a little homesick - it makes me miss my dad and wish I could hold my nephew.

"What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories." ~George Eliot