The Story of Arthur and Lucy

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Our daughter wanted a dog, after she graduated from high school. Her brother had gone away to college and it was just her at home. I never let our children have a pet when they were growing up. Yes, I can hear you all sighing and shaking your heads. But I didn’t want the responsibly (and head aches). Hey, but we did have a goldfish. That counts doesn’t it? I think it should.

Kimmy looked a short time and found THE dog of her dreams, in a pet store. She knew it was the right puppy because he was being picked on by his cage-mate, the wiener puppy.Kimmy's dad was all for it and helped her out with all the details. In other words, he said, “Yes” to her request for this puppy. The puppy came home and melted our hearts. Kimmy decided to name the puppy King Arthur Fonzarelli, Arthur for short. Kimmy took on the responsibility of caring for him. Things were fine and very going well. My husband, Tom even took Arthur for daily walks, around the neighborhood. He was now part of the family. ~Sigh~

After about a year, Kimmy decided that I needed a dog. What was she thinking? Me? She found just the right puppy from a breeder. “Mom, you have to see this puppy”, she told me. Well, I did go and see this cute female puppy. Her mother looked just like Arthur, only smaller. Wouldn’t that be fun! But, NO.., not another dog!

The next day Kimmy brought home the little puppy. I got a phone call while I was at work. “Mom, I have a surprise for you.” The famous “EEKKKKKK” was heard all around town!
Well, Princess Lucile Ball, Lucy for short, has been with us for about 5 years now.

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Kimmy moved out, got married and Arthur stayed with us. Tom still walks Arthur every day. Lucy sits on my lap when ever she can. We each have a dog. Our son and daughter-in-law have two huge, beautiful dogs and a cat. But Kimmy still doesn’t have any pets. Just wait until her children get old enough to ask their mom for a pet.
Do I have a story for them!

Saturday in the Garden

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.~ Emma Goldman

In friendship's fragrant garden,There are flowers of every hue.Each with its own fair beauty And its gift of joy for you.- Friendship's Garden

He who wants a rose must respect the thorn. Persian Proverb

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.- Abraham Lincoln

Where flowers bloom so does hope.~ Lady Bird Johnson

The world is a rose; smell it and pass it to your friends.~ Persian Proverb

A flowerless room is a soulless room, to my way of thinking; but even one solitary little vase of a living flower may redeem it.- Vita Sackville-West

Tips for a better life...

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, and almonds.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, wills this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals everything.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

Thanks Stephanie for sending me these pictures!

A Blogger Award

I won my first Blogger Award from Deb Kennedy over at Hummadeedledee http://hummadeedledee.blogspot.com/.

I had been visiting blogs for a few years but with her gentle approach, I started my blog. And now she has rewarded me with the Kreativ Blogger award.
YYYY Thanks Deb!

The Rules:
1. List 7 things that you love.
2. Link to the person who has tagged you.
3. Choose 7 more bloggers to give the Kreativ Blogger Award to.
4. Comment on those 7 blogs to let the recipients know you chose them.

Well here it goes...

1. I Love God
2. I Love my family. I wouldn't be who I am without each and everyone of them.
Husband; Son; Daughter-in-law; Daughter; Son-in-law; Granddaughter; Baby #2
3. I Love my friends. They add such a gift to my life.
4. I Love being outside on a sunny day, sitting on my "grandma" swing.
5. I Love going to work and having the students appreciate me.
6. I Love doing new things that take me out of my comfort zone.
7. I Love the first sip of hot coffee in the morning.

Seven isn't enough but that's the rule!

Here are the Blogs that I would like to have receive this award.

The Gahan Girls at http://gahangirls.blogspot.com/

Lidanjake at http://gahangirls.blogspot.com/

The Domestic Designer at http://www.thebendintheroad.net/search?q=

Joys of Home at http://joysofhome.blogspot.com/

The Bend in the Road at http://www.thebendintheroad.net/search?q=

Homespun Living at http://homespunliving.blogspot.com/

Glimpse of my World at http://wwwglimpseofmyworld.blogspot.com/

Now don't forget to visit these blogs.

Home Church Today

Today's Reading

Matthew 21:22

And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and (really) believing, you will recieve.

Someone has been eating my cupcake

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Dinner was done.Presents opened. Now the cake & ice cream.

Someone ate all the pink dots off all the cupcakes.

Why not, after all it was her birthday!

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Celebrating the # 2

I love my Granddaughter.

Our Granddaughter is turning two years old on Friday and we will be celebrating at our home. Her story didn't start the day she was born, oh no... it started a long time ago.

Little girls love to play house and want to be The Mommy. Not me! I have always wanted to be a Grandma. Don't get me wrong, being a Mother was a dream but I also wanted more. I wanted to be a Grandma. To me, it meant, that I had done the best I could raising our children. Now it was their turn to pass on all the love that was given to them. Being a grandparent is the crowning glory. I take this title very seriously and with so much Love.

So now, let's fast forward to the summer of 2006. Our daughter and I were planning to visit Paris. Spring Break 0f 2007 was the time and we started preparing. Then one warm summer evening ,"K" called us all over to their home for some watermelon. This was not unusual. I'll never forget, we sat outside and the sun set behind the trees. "K" gave me and her dad, each a box to unwrap. I thought it was something about our up coming trip. The first one was a baby bib, that said, 'Grandpa Loves Me'. The next one was a bib that said, 'I Love Grandma'. I didn't get it at first. It took several minutes. Then I realized that I was NOT going to Paris but I was going to be a Grandma! It's funny how one minute you're going down one road and then without knowing it, the road changes.

Our daughter asked me to be her Doula. I had no idea what a Doula was. I knew I wanted to take this very seriously but what was a Doula? I researched the role, took a week off from work and enroll in a class. That winter I became an official Doula.

We had prepared, rehearsed and waited patiently. Tuesday, April 17th came and I was more than ready. I watched our first grandchild come into the world, that morning. Now I know I was born to be a Grandma, and a Doula! That Tuesday my life changed to Pink!

Today, I'm called Gamma! We have sleepovers, with cinnamon toast for breakfast; we have a Children's Garden with all kinds of plants; we talk on the telephone; we read lots of books; we go for walks to find treasures; we sing every song we know and we cuddle.

I wanted to let everyone know that I celebrate her, and not just on April 17 th. So for the past two years, every Tuesday, I wear something Pink. I even have a sign in my office that reads, Pink Tuesday. At first everyone thought I was a bit odd. But now on Tuesdays, everyone in the front office, (even some of our students) wear pink on Tuesdays.

And just think, our daughter asked me to be her Doula again, for our next grandchild.

I'm more then ready!

Our "Daycation"

You've heard of a Staycation or how about a Daycation? Well, Tom & I went on a Daycation. Spring Break was coming to an end and we had worked hard at home. So we decided to go and do something for just the two of us on Saturday.




Our destination was Snoqualmie Falls, about thirty miles east of where we live. Before we got to the Falls, we had lunch in Fall City. The Cherry trees were so beautiful.

At the Falls, you could hear the roar of the falling water all the way from the parking lot. The Falls were absolutely beautiful and powerful.




The weather was overcast and a bit chilly. That didn't stop us from enjoying every minute of the view. This is the Look Out Pavilion.











Afterwards we followed an old railroad train to the city of Snoqualmie. We were so intrigued with this old, rickety train, that we watched all the people get on board and waited until the train took off down the tracks. There was even a small museum with the history of the area, the logging industry and how the old train was used to support the growing city.

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Then I tried my hand at playing with my camera by using black and white pictures.

This is the Engineer waiting for everyone to get on board.

This is the Conductor getting ready to yell out,


"All- a- Board".


When the train took off, the steam whistle blew! Just like you would imagine. And the train chugged down the tracks.

We finished our Daycation with more scenic views and more Cherry trees.

Spring Break, no break here

When someone says Spring Break, most often, I would think of warm sunny beaches. Enjoying the tropical breezes and those pretty drinks with little umbrellas.


My Spring Break has been go, go, go!


Our gardens are beautiful and ready for planting. Thank goodness the weather held up for most of the week. We actually spread all the bark and had to go back to get more.

We also moved things around in our home. We moved our office back into the spare bedroom. I painted the ceiling and walls. Tom shampooed the carpet. The computers are set up and now we are back in business. It had been completely empty for about a month. So this feels great.

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The only two who will miss the big empty room is Lucy, our dog, who would love to sunbath on the warm carpet. Then there is our two year old granddaughter. She would spend hours playing in the open space. With all the play things around here, the empty room was the most entertaining for her and us!

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I have enjoyed my Spring Break.

See you next week.

We are taking the rest of the week off to R &R.

Happy Easter!

Blog Challenge

God said to Serve One Another

This challenge comes because of what Wendy had to say over at The Bend in the Road (http://www.thebendintheroad.net/search?q=). Her daughter had an accident and was touched by the kindness of a neighbor, when she came by with daffodils. So simple, yet so powerful.

I thought since it is the Easter Season, I challenge who ever reads this to do something for someone else. Either with flowers, cookies and your own unique way.

Money is tight for us but I know I will come up with a way.

Go and serve God!

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Spring Break Projects

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

-- Margaret Atwood

Well, I do smell like dirt! I worked outside in our yard most to the day. It is still pretty cold but the sun warmed things up. I'm waiting to see when I can start planting my seeds. So most of the day was spent cleaning out flower beds and picking up tree branches from all the wind storms. The lawn was mowed and the smell of grass being cut filled my soul.

Wow, maybe it will stop snowing and we will have Spring!

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This is what I have planned for part of this week. Now that the flower beds are cleaned up, I will be spreading this.

The Rose Garden is coming along. I think I lost two of them because of the harsh winter. I'll wait a little bit longer to see if there is any sign of life.

I can't wait for my first rose to be cut! Should be sometime in June.

More Spring Project to come....

I'm a busy girl this coming week!

A Must Read

I read this book and have passed it onto several.

If you haven't read it, read it.

If you have read it, pass it onto someone else.

You can also watch Randy's Last Lecture on U-Tube.

The book is his lecture plus so much more.

New Project - Tea Lights

It's Spring Break for me and I already have started the projects.

I was asked to come up with decorations and help set a mood for an upcoming Wellness Class. They want dim lights, candles, herbs and soft music. But we couldn't use real candles so I went and got these battery operated tea lights. But how do you dress up them?

I came across a web site and it had step by step instructions. They were so easy!
http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/03/02/diy-thread-led-tealight-cover/

Cut some thin cardboard for the tube, the size of the tea light. The tape it closed.

Wrap string or thread around and around the tube. I bought this spool at the thrift store and use it for everything from trying up my flowers to, well, now this project.

Soak the string with stiffing product. I used starch.

Put into the microwave for several minutes. I cooked it for two minutes on high. It came out dry!

Slip the string off the tube without damaging the string form.

Now you are set to decorate the outside or leave it plain.

I plan on adding something to go with our theme. But you could do just about anything.

This project was so easy and cheap! I didn't buy a thing. I used recycled and thrift items. And it took longer to post this, then it did to make the tea light luminary.

Spring Break is going to be so much fun!

Update: I am now using empty toliet paper tubes instead of making my own tubes - faster!