What are Platelets?

Drawing of Platelets

Blood platelets help our bodies form scabs. When we have a cut or wound these sticky platelets gather around and help block the flow of blood . The calcium, vitamin K and protein help form the clot when the blood hits the air.

Today I gave platelets. I started giving blood when I was in high school but for about 10 years now I have been donating platelets. When I first started with platelets, it was very hard because I had to use both arms. The blood went out one arm and back into me through the other. Now it is so much easier, just one arm. It takes time but I feel it is part of my Service of helping and giving back to others.



Now I look forward to this special time because I can pick out and watch a movie. Today I chose Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman. I have to be careful not to watch movies that make me cry or laugh out loud. I did that just once. I was laughing so hard I made the machine light up and make it's own noise. The staff all came running to see what was wrong. Ooops!

Please consider giving Blood or even Platelets. It is for a good cause.

For more information on Platelets click this site. http://www.psbc.org/programs/platelets.htm

~Tidbits:

To remove decals and price lists from window, simply sponge with plenty of white vinegar . Allow vinegar to soak in, and sticker should come off easily.

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Memorial Morning, yes it was!

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We got up early and went out for coffee and a view. Carillon Point is one of my favorite places to spend time. The view is beautiful, the grounds are pretty, the memories are great. Carillon Point is a marina park with a hotel and restaurants. It's a great place to watch boats, and weddings. It's a busy place and there is always something going on.

Tom and I ordered our favorite morning drinks and headed to "our" bench.

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We were the only ones this early! We had the place to ourselves!

Except for this little girl! She was collecting our crumbs and kept coming back for more.

Perfect morning to enjoy the view, or anything else.

The Woodmark Hotel is the perfect spot for a 25th Wedding Anniversary or to spend your Honeymoon!

Tom and I spent a weekend for our 25th Wedding Anniversary here. We celebtated with a suite and had a party! We were treated like royalty.

Both of our children spent their Honeymoon here also! My Aunt always takes me out for my birthday lunch at one of the restaurants. Lots of great memories have been made here at Carillon Point.

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~Tidbit:

Storage - Inside the medicine cabinet, glue small magnets to the door to hold nail files and cuticle scissors.

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You know it's almost summer when...

You know it's almost summer when "grandma's " swing is out in the backyard. Over the weekend we took the swing from the covered patio, out to the back part of our yard. This is where you can find me on sunny afternoons. After working inside all day, I love to deprogram by looking at all the flowers and listening to all the birds. And what is really great about this swing is that it folds down into a flat bed. Oh the naps that will be taken on this during the summer.

But right now the rain is coming down so hard and the wind is blowing. No naps today!

At least I don't have to water the plants today!

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~Tidbit:

Keep a new, clean chalkboard eraser handy to wipe the inside windows when moisture collects on them.

Syttende Mai

17th of May, commonly known as “Syttende Mai,” Norway’s Constitution Day

I was raised to be proud of my heritage. My father was born in Ballard, which is a community that has a high population of Norwegians. I grew up in a neighborhood of Scandinavians who's families fished for a living. I was surrounded by all the traditions and memories from the "old country". It was a standing joke that my dad would question me, when I gave blood, "Did you give some of your good Norwegian blood?".

So today, I will again celebrate with all my friends and family.

Out comes all the colors.

If you look carefully, you can see that the back of these napkins were made in Sweden!

Don't tell my dad.

~Tidbit:

Shoelaces constantly coming undone? Dampen them before you tie them.

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New Thrift find

I found this book while visiting our Goodwill Store the other day. What a find! I'm going to be sharing the wealth of information that is in it with you at the end of each of my posts. So look at the bottom of each entry for a new tidbit.

Tidbits:

~ Place a piece of chalk in your jewelery box to prevent costume jewelry from tarnishing.

~Paint handles of your rake,shovel, and other garden tools with bright color of paint so you can see them at a glance if they are left somewhere in the yard. Also, if you lend the tools to anyone, they will be easily identified as yours.

~Freeze coffee in ice-cube trays. Add the cubes to iced coffee for an extra-strength brew. Or whirl the cubes in the blender with ice cream for a coffee slush. You can also enrich meat gravies with coffee for a robust flavor. Coffee in cake frosting makes for a luscious mocha cream.

Stay tuned for more...

What a day...

Baseball in the afternoon. Sunny skies, sunburns, cheering and our high school team is off to play for State. Tom and I don't have any kids in high school. We are just big fans of high school events. It is easy when you work at the school. We know so many of the participants.

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We hurried home to have pictures of Prom! These are two of my TA's who help me at work. They came by to show me their dresses. What a night for a Prom!

School is almost over.

Time to say good-by to all "my" seniors.

A bitter sweet time.

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Have you ever...

Have you ever gone back and read the very first post, for some of your favorite Blogs?
I have. I find it very interesting. Each blog has its own personality that reflects it’s author. It is fun to see how some blogs have grown and matured. Some have gotten more complicated. Some have changed altogether.


What I have learned from my blog is that I’m not a very good writer. I misspell words all the time, sometime my point doesn’t get across very well and I defiantly am not sophisticated. But beyond all that, I love expressing myself.


I started out writing because I wanted my friends, who live far away, to know what I was doing. I thought it would be a great way to communicate with them. But then I realized that it was more then that. I was writing my own autobiography, in away. If my grandchildren wanted to know more about who I was, it is all recorded for them.


Today, I know there are a few of you who log on and who I consider my friends. Never in a million years would I ever thought I would have so many friends, all around the country.


So with all this in my mind, I will continue to share, write my thoughts, show pictures and give back to those who read all the things I have to say.

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Happy Mother's Day

This was sent to me through an email and I thought is was appropriate for Mother's Day

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.'The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.'They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated.

Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?''Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said.'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?

'She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Then, she began to cry, and walked away.

They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them.To all my friends and loved ones, I PRAY YOU ENOUGH.......

Laundry Day (finally)

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I had to said good-by to all my friends at the local laundry mat. For Mother's Day my husband bought me a washing machine. (No,this isn't the one we bought.) We purchased one from a Recycle Store, so it's not new but it does a great job. Actually, it is better then the one we had before and it was a new!

We gave our broken washing machine to the same place that we bought the "new" one. What goes around, comes around.
So, no more laundry mats. No more trying to find enough quarters. No more lugging dirt clothes out of the car. No more embarrassing mistakes.




Did I ever tell you, that the first time I went to wash our clothes, I put them in what I thought was the washing machine. The employee laughingly shouted out to me my mistake. Beat red, I quickly found an empty machine.




We are having so much fun washing clothes. We have run out of dirty clothes and now we are washing clean clothes! Oh, there's the beep...more clean clothes.

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McCall Paper Dolls

Do you remember Betsy McCall, the paper doll? I remember spending hours cutting out her outfits each month. Even her undergarments were so cute.

Each month a new set of outfits and story. I would glue her onto cardboard and make a stand for her.

After awhile I started creating and designing my own fashions for Betsy.

No wonder I enjoyed sewing and dressing my own little girl.

Here is the web site so you can reminisce:

http://tpettit.best.vwh.net/dolls/pd_scans/betsy_mccall/1960.html

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Home Church Today

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

- Proverbs 3:5,6

May Day

"You are as welcome as the flowers in May."

- Charles Macklin