Magic Mushroom

I have not taken time to make much of anything lately. I started working out - and my extra time seems to be going to do that. I am also still reading every chance I get. I finished the Twilight series and enjoyed them so much more than I thought I would. The good thing - is that I have lost 10 pounds and I feel great, but I miss not having some project going. So I had to make something this weekend - no matter how small. I have been loving all the mushrooms I have been seeing, so decided to crochet one while I was watching TV yesterday - (I was watching "Twilight" - I had to see how it compared to the book. - also a little better than I had anticipated - entertaining enough.)

Jake seems to think it is a little weird to crochet mushrooms - what does he know? I also cleaned out my closet this weekend (the kick off to my Spring cleaning) and I found this little pocket bag that I had made. I decided to keep this - but was very happy with how much I decided to get rid of. It is a good thing when I decide to throw out.

Top o' the Morning!

May God grant you always . . . A sunbeam to warm you,

a moonbeam to charm you,

a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you,

Laughter to cheer you,

Faithful friends near you,

And whenever you pray - Heaven to hear you.

~ Irish Blessing ~

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I brought breakfast into the office this morning - scrambled eggs, a potato casserole, and green bread of course. What a great way to start the day.

Green is my favorite color!

“If you're lucky enough to be Irish,

then you're lucky enough.”

We had our St. Patrick's Day a little early this year. Our friends could not make it for dinner on Tuesday - so I made corned beef and cabbage last night. I will have to come up with another Irish meal for Tuesday.
Our friends have two young boys and I always like to give them something when they come over. These glasses twinkle when you push a button on the bottom - so we filled them up with green soda of course and let them twinkle away.

Green bread of course! This meal is becoming a tradition in our house as big as Thanksgiving. I felt like I had cooked all day - but enjoyed every minute of it. My Grandma Kubicek (who was Irish) - always made green bread on St. Patrick's Day - so I am keeping that tradition going.

Richard was also thinking green this week - he kept bringing home green candy. The shamrock dish full of green Jelly Belly's seems to have disappeared - not only does Jake like Jelly Belly's, but the green watermelon flavored ones are his favorite.

I believe these little shamrock cups belonged to my other grandma (who was German - not Irish, but hey, her last name was "Green"). So we had a wonderful evening - good food, good friends. And we still have St. Patricks' Day to celebrate on Tuesday!!!

May love and laughter light your days,

and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,

wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your world

with joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons

bring the best to you and yours!

Bella

This adorable puppy - "Bella", belongs to one of the girls that I work with. How precious is she?!
It is hard to snap a picture of her - she doesn't sit still for very long. She is on her way to the vet this morning - we don't ordinarily have pets in the office with us, but how fun it is when we do.

I finally took a few minutes to get the hair and little bloomers on my shabby little rag doll. The poor thing has been waiting for hair for some time. I like how she turned out using the old Raggedy Ann dress that I had. I took the sleeves off the dress to make her bloomers. She is shabby and recycled - poor thing!

Simply Saturday -

Another little doll that I am working on. She has been done - but I haven't taken the time to dress her. I cut up an old Raggedy Ann dress to dress her with. Tomorrow I will finish up her dress and put some hair on her.
I would have liked to be sitting on this window sill in the sun myself today. It was a beautiful day! I watched Lily for a few hours - so I took her for a walk and then sat out on the patio and read for awhile. I probably wasn't as relaxed and content as Boo is here - but it felt so good to feel the warmth of the sun.
I have always liked hemp jewelry - so every so often have to make something. My mom gave me these buttons last summer. I especially like the blue one. I have had this flying around for awhile and just never finished it. Why I do that I don't know. Not much of a bracelet really - but I do really like the buttons.
Chewy is such a character - I can't help but smile when I look at him. I swear he poses whenever he see one of us with a camera.

. . . Chew in a Box

I have been working on a few things this past week - when I am not reading or working out. I made this journal out of my birthday cards and envelopes (not a very good picture - it will be fun to fill up and write in) - and I am nearly done with one of my little dolls. I simply need more hours in every day - something I say over and over. I tend to make the most of my time - I always have to be doing something. I just have too many things things I want to do. I used to just stay up late and get by on 4 hours sleep - (probably 4 days a week). I can't seem to do that anymore. I try every so often - I love staying up to the wee hours of the morning working on a project - but I feel much better these days when I stay a bit more rested. I guess - one of the ways that I face the fact that I am not as young as I used to me.

So hopefully I will find the time to finish my doll tonight, read a few chapters of "Eclipse", go to the gym, make dinner, and do some laundry . . . like I said - we could use a few more hours in every day!
I love this picture of Chewy - he cannot walk past an empty box and leave it empty.

Ladybug Girl

Richard found this book at Target this afternoon - of course we had to get it for "Lilybug" - especially since Ladybug Girl has a basset hound. How could we pass up such a cute book?

I am already thinking about a costume for lily.
This little girl thing is way too much fun!
Flower petal headband - $1.00
Ladybug beanbag - $25.00
Spending the evening with Lily - priceless

With a butterfly kiss
and a lady bug hug
Sleep tight little one
Like a bug in a rug

Sadie Loves Weekends

We laugh at Sadie during the week when we get up early and get ready for work. She is usually sleeping at the foot of our bed - and she completely ignores us. I guess she remembers one of the few times she had to go outside and is afraid that unthinkable situation will happen again - or maybe she just doesn't want to get up so early herself. Whatever the reason she will not even acknowledge a scratch behind her ears. If she could make herself invisible - she would.

Weekends are completely different. Richard usually gets up first - and after awhile she will follow him out to the kitchen. She doesn't seem to mind getting up if it is her choice. Then . . . she decides I need to be up too and she comes back into to wake me up. After that she usually follows one of us around the house or yard - with an occasional nap somewhere nearby.
Today she has settled herself on the bed near me as I am cleaning the bedroom and working on taxes. I really do enjoy her company.

Reading Every Chance I Get

I need to post something - just so I stay in the habit. I have had my nose stuck in a book every chance I get this last week or so. I am always reading something - but I am in one of those moods where that is all I want to do. - My crochet hook sits untouched, I have a doll that I made that needs to be dressed, and a bracelet that I simply need to find a bead to finish it off.
I am just starting "Eclipse" by Stephanie Meyers. I am enjoying this series much more than I thought I would.
This is a picture of my new Scentsy wax warmer. These are wonderful!!! Jennifer just started selling them. There are small cubes of scented wax that you melt in them. They smell so good and I think there are 80 or more scents, and . . . they are so much safer than a candle -(there is a small 25 watt bulb inside.) They sell a huge variety of burners. Then as if that isn't enough - this particular one when turned on gives you these hearts on the wall - how happy is that!!! (I get excited over small things.) Check out Jennifer's website to see what they are all about.
https://www.scentsy.com/21124
It is my lunch break - so I better take advantage of the time and read.

Up and Ready to Go!

Saturday morning and I have been up since 6:00 - I have already been to the gym to work out, done two loads of laundry, and finished a page in my journal. What is wrong with this picture? - I don't usually sleep in much later than 8:00 on the weekends - but up at 6:00 and I worked out??? I was supposed to have watched this little pixie this morning . . . (She reminds me of a little flower bud in this picture.) . . . as it turned out - Jennifer did not have to go into work. So I am up and ready to go and no baby to watch. It does feel good though - to have a head start on everything this morning. Although - I just sat down with a cup of coffee - and if I pick up a book - that may just be what I do all day.

Where did this week go? I have been reading every chance I get - and I tend to lose track of time when I do that. I finished "Edgar Sawtelle". It was OK. It took sort of an unexpected twist that kept me interested enough - but there were times I felt like it just went on and on. After that I was in the mood for some easy reading. A friend had recommended "The Shack" - which is an easy read. I have talked to people that did not like it - but I did. And now I have to see what all the talk is about. I started and am just about finished with "Twilight".

The weather turned damp and cold again - just like February to tease you a little bit with some sunshine and warmth - then let you know that it is still winter. I can't seem to get warm this morning - so a hot cup of coffee and a book sounds much better than doing laundry. Although . . . it would be very good for me to get some things in order in my house that have been frustrating me. So what to do with a full weekend ahead of me . . . ?
Make a list - (I am one of those people). And actually by making a list - I will probably try to get everything done on the list (including the reading)- which will probably leave me feeling very satisfied with my weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!
This is such a fun holiday - but then I think every holiday is fun. I do believe in romance - I am a hopeless romantic. But Valentine's Day isn't really about romance to me. (Oh - he has to remember - it isn't like I would let him off the hook on such a holiday). I have been married for 27 years - through ups and downs, good times and bad - I don't really need a holiday to know that I am loved and don't really like to make too big of a deal out of it in that aspect. I probably did more when I was younger, but not so much these days. I get much more excited when I get some silly little surprise from him on a random day - just because he feels like it. Valentine's Day for me is a great day to make heart shaped pancakes, watch silly romantic movies that make me cry, give my kids a little something to remind them that I love them, and if romance finds it way into the picture - I'll take that too. ~ It is a holiday made for "Ooola"

I mentioned something that was inside my Ooola coffee mug the other day - this bracelet. I love it!
"Love is what you've been through with somebody." ~James Thurber, quoted in Life magazine, 1960

All You Need is Love!

Saturday night Richard and I went to see the "Classical Mystery Tour." This band plays music by the Beatles - if that isn't obvious - and they are backed up by a symphony orchestra.

Ever since Saturday I can't get this out of my head . . .

All you need is love,

All you need is love,

All you need is love -love

Love is all you need.

2-8-1959

Dec. 1960

It feels like I have been celebrating my birthday for a week - ever since I opened the package that Amy and Sue sent me - but today I am officially 50. I have been excited about this milestone birthday - I look at pictures like this and think of everything between then and now, and I realize that life is truly a blessing - no matter what it throws you. (I am loving the little coat I have on in this picture - I am thinking that my mom probably made it.) . . . and I am holding an ear of corn? - this picture was taken at my Aunt Hess' farm. I think there are other pictures of me through the years standing by a tractor - what better way in Iowa to show how much one has grown. : )

"The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life." ~Muhammad Ali

Ooola

This was on my desk when I got to work this morning - a birthday gift from the wonderful girls I work with. There was also something special inside - but I haven't taken a picture of that yet.
"Ooola" started as sort of joke with some friends at work. Marcia had a cold and I made a comment that I hoped I didn't catch it - she sort of waved her hands around me and made a joke that I was protected. I thought it was funny and we repeated the gesture for a couple of days with others for whatever reason. A few days later I started calling it "Ooola" - but it has since come to mean a lot of different things. If someone is upset or sad - we comment they need some ooola.. If someone is in a great mood and being silly - they are full of ooola. A fun flashy ring or rhinestone t-shirt for example would be considered to have ooola. - Just a fun word I made up to cover all the kind . . . caring . . . happy . . . fun . . . silly . . . thoughtful things we all share. It even caught on with the my boss. He has a beautiful salt water aquarium in his office - the day he added some purple fish - he referred to them as ooola fish. We have a lot of fun with it. Just a silly word - but it has a lot of meaning to me. So this wonderful mug from my dear friends means the world to me.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things." ~Author Unknown

This and That

I forgot to include a picture of these button flowers with my 50 fun gifts post - I thought they were so cute that I found a place to stick them right away. My Aunt Sue made them. They are so FUN!!! I am definitely going to have to make some of these.
I watched Lily for an hour or so Friday night. She was not herself at all - she wore herself out crying - poor little thing. My friend Michelle was visiting and we took turns holding her. I loved the way their hands looked together.

What could be better when ordering Chinese food - than having it come in PINK boxes? I get excited over little things - always have.

"So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter." ~ Gordon W. Allport