Potent Quotable

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong.  Because someday you will have be all of these."

Toy Story

I have amassed quite a few toys, books and crafts in the 12 years of the grandchildren reign.  I got them at second-hand stores, mom-to-mom sales and some of them were given to me.  As mentioned in a previous blog, Joy Boy as officially become a "big  boy" now and his sister is even bigger so I have been going through the toys to see what is no longer appropriate for use. I am keeping in mind that we have some little girls that just moved back to Michigan.  
I have several bags of toys to get rid of (we were talking garage sale with Karen-can't believe I am thinking of that!) Karen and Riley even helped late yesterday afternoon while Joy Boy wanted to play with the toys. Of course we are keeping "Thomas The Train" stuff. 
Today is "clean out the crafts" day which includes multiple sets of crayons, playdough (the ice cream shop has to go!), paper pads and many other do dads (don't you love that word?)  
My sister Magnolia claims my Hallmark Merry Minitures might be worth some money, but Riles informed me that her and Meg still play with them. I opened one big box and behold there were Beanie Babies-going to finally get rid of them.
I have to get back to work now and finish this project.  Won't it feel good when it's done?!


P.S. Anyone having trouble making a comment on my blog?

A Few Pictures Of Summer

Well, I am a little behind on posting, and I have lots of pictures from this summer.  I thought I would start and just share a few and add some more in the coming days. 

This is my first hummingbird picture.  I will keep trying to get the "perfect" one

My favorite view from the deck

A beautiful day at GFV with my daughters and their kids

My best friend since junior high school.  She lives in Florida and talked us into getting the hot tub last year.    Boy are we glad!

My Birthday cake-Taramisu and chocolate.  From Joe's Produce.  It was delcious!

I love this picture of the cousins watching America's Funniest Home Videos 

Way Back When-sday Hodgepodge

Thanks to Joyce from this side of the pond for supplying these questions.  Boy!  I haven't done this in a long time!

1. The summer Olympics officially begin this Friday night...will you be watching?  If you could see just one event in person which one would you pick.  


I would pick gymnastics because I NEVER could do anything like that in my life; even when I was young.  I love the precision and the balance and the nearly impossible looking poses they do.  My second favorite would be swimming.  I might watch the opening Friday night; at least part of it.

2.  Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?


They make me feel mostly unproductive although I am getting better at letting it all go and just doing what I feel like doing.  I don't like to sit and do nothing it's too depressing.  On a lazy day, I would read a good book.

3.  July 25th is officially "Threading the Needle Day...can you sew?  On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being Betsy Ross-like, how would you rate your skill with a needle and thread?


Ha ha Betsy Ross, yea right.  That would be my sister Magnolia.  I, however, can sew and used to sew all the time. I would have rated myself as an "8" twenty years ago.  Sometimes I would need help in getting some projects done correctly.  I never could put zippers in very good.    I would love to sew again.  Which brings up another thing, I still have my new sewing machine from a year-and-a-half ago that I still haven't used :(

4. "Threading the Needle can also mean to walk a fine line between two things or issues (think awkward social situation).  When was the last time you had to 'thread the needle' figuratively speaking?


I walk the line in relationships in my family with my brothers and sisters.  Some of our relationships are a bit fractured and since I am a "people pleaser" I used to feel like I had to be the glue to keep everyone together. This was especially true after my mother died.  I have learned I cannot do this, I just have to deal with my one on one relationship with each sister or brother.  I don't I want to be mad at anyone so I am generally forgiving.   I do not like people to be mad at me, but I am getting better at letting that feeling go and just say "whatever, it's their problem."  I decided not to be the "go between" for everyone else.

5.  Kidney, pinto, black, or navy....your favorite bean?

That would pinto beans.  I only like kidney or navy in Chili.

6.  Have you every hosted a garage sale?  Was it more success or bust?


Oh boy, this house has had a lot of garage sales, going back to when my mom and dad lived here.  They are ALWAYS hugely successful.  I think we have a good traffic pattern.  I haven't had one in a few years...so much WORK!!!

7.  What makes you roll your eyes

When people pull out in front of me which they do all the time coming out of the Kroger parking lot.  Do they think I am going to stop for them just because they pulled out??  It is just annoying and sometimes dangerous.
I also have been noticing lately when police officers ignore the law.  If they make an illegal left turn, they should have their lights on.  Last week, a police car went down our street 90 miles an hour- with lights, but no siren. Anyone backing out of their driveway would have gotten hit.  There is NOTHING that would make them drive that fast down a residential street.  Sorry.

8.  Insert your own random thought here


There are several reasons I like this picture.  We were the first two of six children and it was an innocent time in our lives.  We look very cute together and I love the color of our jammies.  I love my one-piece pj's.  I think we called them bunny suits.  I love my hair.  Did my mom put rags in it to make the curls?  She always cut my bangs too short.  Don't you just love the crib?  I love the white with the little animals on it.  It is unusual that the picture is in color, which makes me think it was a slide (remember those?) first and someone got it printed.  Honestly, I picked this "way back" picture because it made me happy.

The Long and Short Of It

Do you know how you look in the mirror one morning and all of a sudden your hair is too long and there is one inch of roots showing and you JUST HAVE TO DO SOMETHING NOW??!!  
I swear, I have come close to cutting my own hair sometimes.  Today was my lucky day.  I got in to my hair dresser and while my hair was coloring, I looked in some style books.  You know, the styles that look good on the models but NOT on you?! So, I wanted something shorter but not all-over short.  I picked out a style out of the book and sat nervously while she cut away...and away.  I was getting nervous because it felt like she was doing a lot of cutting and shaping and trimming and texturizing (okay spell check says that is not a word).  
When she was done, everyone was oohing and aahing over her creation.  I kind of liked it.   
My regular hair dresser moved to Brighton and I had to give her up and I am hoping this one works out.  Anyway, I had Donaldo take some snapshots of the results because I needed a new picture on facebook; so here they are:

I always have this little tail thingy going on when I cut my hair short in the back.  It just grows there

                    I definatley  feel "lighter."

Last One

Joy Boy is growing up....he is a big boy now; this seventh and last grandchild of ours.  After 12 years, I have changed poopy diapers for the last time.  It's kind of a milestone when a child is potty-trained and Joy Boy reached that goal in record time.  It's kind of bittersweet really to think there won't be anymore babies, but I am kind of ready for it.  We have been blessed with seven and it is a full house when they are all here.  
Since Joy Boy is now going on the potty, he has moved out of his baby bed and into a big boy bed.  Now that, is hard to believe!  I don't know where the years have gone, but I have plenty of pictures to prove where they have gone.  Too bad they aren't all in scrapbooks :(  
It's hard to let go of the innocence of babies, and toddlers and little boys and girls.  We want to hang on just a little longer and savor every minute.  Somehow the mistakes I made as a parent seem rectified when I am with our grandchildren.  I am older and wiser and have the experience behind me.  Riles loves the little sign that I have up "Grandchildren Welcomed-Parents By Appointment."  So goodbye diapers and crib, hello Thomas underwear and big boy bed!

Still Mommy's little boy

Going to Costco to get gas

                  

Potent Quotabe

"Slow down, you're moving too fast.  Ya gotta make the morning last."  
Okay, enough of the "back to school" sales and "Christmas In July" on QVC (I kid you not!!)  I don't like seeing all the fall decorations at Michaels and hand towels at Kohls.  Life is going by fast enough; we don't need to pushed and shoved into the next season.  
Now that I have found out what is wrong with me; SIBO which stands for small bowel intestinal overgrowth, and have a treatment for it,  I would like to salvage what is left of the summer.  That big black cloud that has been hanging over my head has moved just a little bit more in the last couple of days.  The probiotics, the digestive enzymes, and METAGENIICS ULTRA INFLAM  X 360 PLUS, all seem to be helping a lot more than the drugs they have given me. Don decided I needed to go back to the holistic M.D. and we got in on Thursday morning and I am so glad I did.  So lets enjoy the rest of the summer and not think about fall or Christmas yet!  I started by buying some "on sale" flowers yesterday to replace some that don't look too good from the heat.  It's nice to freshen up the flower beds a bit. Happy rest of the summer!