Treasures

The past week I have worked at one estate sale, shopped at another one

(today) and visited our church's Treasure Sale with the Yaya's.

These 3 pieces I picked up at the church sale - I just couldn't resist them!

The water color on the bottom shelf I purchased at the

estate sale last week for $12.50! It is perfect for my newly

redecorated office (which is where all these treasures are

sitting at the moment)

The table, lamp, message board and adorable bunny candleholder

I picked up at todays sale.

Now for those of you who know how much "stuff" I already have - rest

assured I donated 6 boxes of it to the church sale! Of course then

Libby ended up buying 2 of our aunts things I'd donated..... ah well,

all for a good cause!

Spring Happenings

With Emma on spring break, we got to spend the day together

on Tuesday. Miss "no fear" turned the cat tree into her own personal

mountain and about gave Nana a heart attack!

My neighbors Henry and Polly came to play too...
...Henry and Emma making their first attempts to climb, with
Henry's dad Jason ready to help....

Sarah and I adorned the altar at our church yesterday - all ready for Easter Sunday

services......

...and last night we celebrated friend Sue's birthday. A few

of the women (and Nolan) watching Sue open her gifts.

The amazing aspect of this is that we were outside at

7:00pm on April 2nd in Michigan, and as you can

tell by the attire, it was warm outside!

The yummy birthday cake...

and because Sue and I have an agreement with each

other to post only the most flattering photos of each other

and my inability last night to capture the perfect photo....

you'll just have to trust me that she was in fact at her own party!

Signs of spring...

Mom would have celebrated her 92nd birthday this week...

I miss her so much. She loved her family and being outdoors, so

this photo captures a bit of that....

mom, Samantha, Meg, Brian and Emma.

...and with the signs of spring - crocus in bloom, the sighting of
my first robin yesterday and warm weather begging for a walk....
I can't help but think of mom. I am grateful for the appreciation
she created within me for nature and especially spring

March Musings...

Not sure where Feb went.....and the first half of March!

I've spent many hours at the hospital gift shop

playing (and filling in shifts for the snowbirds)

I really enjoy the people I work with, the customers

and decorating the shop with all the fun things

we get in.

...sometime in Feb I decided to get rid of the stark blond

I'd been wearing for 8 years or so.... took a few days, but

now I like the change!

Went one evening to watch Emma perform her gymnastics..

a joy to watch the little kids have so much fun.

Emma had quite an entourage following her around as

her Mama, Daddy, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa and of

course Nana all showed up. Let's say she knows she's loved!

...another day of cooking in my kitchen. She's wearing

an apron from her 97 year old great-great Aunt Norma's

collection. Her comment, "wow, she's almost 100" - guess

she's learning in kindergarten!

Yesterday my neighbors came over - this is Jason and 5yr

old Henry, who was pretending to be a cat, since neither

of mine would come out to play....

...and this is 11mth old Polly (sitting on mom Julie's lap)

She has a smile that lights up the room.



They brought me these pots of flowers as a thank-you for watching
their home while they were gone on Jason's sabbatical the past
couple months. Wonderful neighbors - glad their back!. Wish
you could smell the flowers!
So that sums up the past month. Now spring is arriving which will bring
time in the gardens, finishing projects around the house (I'm in the middle
of a couple...more on that another time....) and well, who knows what else!

Valentine Memories

As many of you know my mother was a "keeper"

of treasured things. This collection of Valentines

was hers and now I have the honor of being

the keeper of them in my home.

Most have gathered on some shelves in the

kitchen.....

Some date back to the 1920's - perhaps one is from as

late as the 1960's .

All of them make me smile (there are more, but these are
my favorites)

Many have moving parts....

These 2 walk with their rotating feet...

...these girls all have moving arms....

...this sweetie has eyes that disappear...

....as does this soldier, who also salutes.

Hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I

do!

January Wrap-Up

Hurray - the last day of January! It seems I've missed a month of

posting - where did the time go....

Emma got her hair cut - 10" to Locks for Love...

...Stella developed a urinary tract infection, so the day I was

to be in airports heading to Florida, instead was spent at the vets!

Her final check-up is tomorrow and I hope we're through this
illness....

The Yaya's gathered in Benzonia at Susie's cottage -

for once we all were there!



Miss Emma paid me a visit and redecorated my bedroom....

...we played outside with my neighbors Jason & his son Henry....

the "hill" between our houses is just big enough for some sledding.

...and the month ended with an overnight visit last night with Em.

I hadn't seen her in 3 weeks and was having serious withdrawal!

Of course we had to do some "cooking" - not sure what she was thinking of

doing with this jar of nuts.... We did make pancakes this morning with the

pancake mix and Pure New England Maple Syrup my friend Nancy gave

me for Christmas. She knows how much Em likes to cook! They were

delicious - Em added some Cinnamon to the batter (neither her mom, nor I

know how she knew to do that....)

Picked up a few things at the Hospital Gift Shop the other day -

do you think I might be ready for Spring? Going to redecorate

my little office. The new things are resting on the chair in the office

(otherwise known as Marsha's bed...as it opens into a twin bed....)

and I think they'll be perfect. Yesterday I bought and installed a new

doorbell. I'd taken the old one down to clean it, it has 2 brass cylinders that

hang down - has to be 40yrs old - well it didn't clean up very well! To top it

off the rubber gaskets fell apart in my hands - afraid the whole thing bit

the dust! Never did like how it was off center on the wall anyways! So even tho

the new one works - an electrician is called for to move the whole thing to a better

location. I don't do wire moving!

Hoping Feb. flies by as fast as this month did - Spring is around the corner!!!

One more thing.....

....a heartfelt thank-you to all of you who sent cards this year.

mine unfortunately are still in the box....

and to Sue who gave me 2 of these fabulous pillows and this

adorable vase! "Things" still have a way of making me smile!

I'm even thrilled with the new steamer mop I received from

my family (it was on my wish list - I know, a plug-in). Used

it already and it does the trick!!!

Thank-you one and all for your kindness and love this year!