Pictures of Sandie's Polish Pottery collection

Here's the pictures I promised...these are the canisters I recently purchased at my local TJ Maxx store, oh what I sweet deal they were too!

My Mother-in-law got me started with the sugar bowl and now look...I've been able to find a creamer, and 2 other bowls and a water pitcher in the same pattern. Picture of water pitcher is somewhere in this photo line up.

My Americana apple container- just too sweet!

This was a "different" looking pattern not what I'd call one of the usual traditional patterns.

This was just too darn cute to pass up...love the polka dots!

I got this little gem of a bowl at our base Thrift Shop (a 2nd hand store) for the bargain price of $5.00- WOW! I adore daisies and this pattern is simply adorable!

I bought this to bake brownies in- the blue and green pattern goes with everything!

This platter was a gift from my friend Susan- she bought it in on one of her marathon pottery buying trips in Poland and sent it to me :-)

Another pottery item from Susan... as Susan says-one can never have enough red white and blue!

The divided bowls came from a surprising source...my mother-in-law. She saw them at a shop in MA and realized what a deal they were (under $5.00 each) and thought that I "needed" them. Now about the Canada maple Leaf pattern, I've never seen or even heard of that pattern done in Polish Pottery-ever, until now.

Another gift from Susan from Poland. I'd send her scrapbooking supplies on a regular basis and she;s send me cool pottery pieces. I thought that was a terrific trade off and so did she! I use this baking dish all of the time!

I love the odd and unusual and Peacock feathers is pretty unusual! This teapot is in my collection courtesy of my Mom:-)

Here's that water pitcher I was talking about earlier....I love the shape! It's shape reminds me of water and wine pitchers that were used in ancient times.

This pair of huge crocks/pots was another one of my Thrift Shop buys. I'm always using them for different things. Some times I use them for untensil crocks in the kitchen and other times in the bathroom for holding bath scrubbies, bottles of shower gel and bubble bath. And yes, I've also had plants in them too!

I bought this for myself from a little gift shop when we first moved to this area.

Susan sent me this multi colored cup and saucer...it looks fantastic with my Fiesta-ware pottery!

a view of on top of one of my kitchen cabinets

The Blueberry plate is NOT Polish Pottery, it's actually a limited pottery line that was handmade in Maine. I bought that plate over 10 years ago when I was on vacation. I just thought that it blended in well with the Polish Pottery :-)

The Egg plate- this is the piece that had me falling in love with the flower motif

One year our base exchange sold holiday themed Polish Pottery. It was so seriously over priced that this stuff didn't move (sell) until the BX had it marked 75% off- and even then it took a while for it to sell.

The Cheese Lady- oh my gosh this was such a fantastic find! Again another item that I bought at our base Thrift Shop...this is one of my most prized pieces! She is just too darn CUTE!

This pair of Candle Sticks was also purchased at the Base Thrift Shop. how someone could part with these pieces was beyond me but I sure was glad that they did!

This platter was another one of my great buys at TJ Maxx...got it for a whopping $10- what a steal!

A little espresso cup from my m-i-l and a trinket box from my friend Susan.

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My Polish Pottery Collection

So there I was in TJ Maxx doing a return. I decided to look around and see if there were (in the words of my Mother-in-law) "any good buys". Holy Catfish Batman there were! I adore Polish Pottery! I collect serving bowls, platters and decorative pieces only, I'm not into collecting place settings (those pieces are too hard to come by anyway) I enjoy using Polish Pottery to entertain with. Many of my girlfriends collect the Stars & Stripes pattern, but me- I'm an eclectic collector. If it's a pretty and functional piece, then it's for me. Polish Pottery is known for it's beautiful Cobalt Blue, every piece has the color blue. There are so many different patterns out there too, I've got to start taking pictures of this stuff and post them (then again I've also got to take pictures of those cards I made the other day too). Hmm, there's something for my to do list for today...take pictures!

I'm not heavy into Red, White and Blue like some of my friends are (I've seen whole houses done up in Americana)- but I have started to set up my husbands home office in an Americana theme. I figure that we need to have at least one room done in the Patriotic since being military et all, LOL! Okay lets get back on topic...I bought these 2 Polish Pottery canisters in the Stars & Stripes pattern (for the office) to keep little nibbles in them, be it my husbands favorite mini sized chocolate treats or spicy cheese nips. I paid the incredibly love price of $7.00 for the small one and $15.00 for the larger one. TJ Maxx was selling them for $30 and $35 each and now they're marked down dirt cheap! You should see this really interesting piece that I picked up- it's a water pitcher and it an urn style- very cool! Or my Peacock feather teapot- my daughter thinks it's weird but I call it an interesting conversation piece. Platters, they had platters marked down to $10, ones that were selling for $40 each. I've got an eclectic collection of various patterns but love them all! I have to give my friend Susan credit for my Polish Pottery addiction, while stationed in Germany she had taken a trip or two to Poland with a group of military spouses for the soul purpose to visit the various pottery manufacturers. She would ask me what patterns I liked and not really knowing what patterns there are to choose from, I said "anything"! The more I think about this... I am going to take pictures of my pottery pieces today and make a scrapbooking layout about about them!

Stay tuned for pictures!

Quote of the Day

Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.
~Francesco Guicciardini

run run run, go go go

And do it all FAST! These seem to be words I chant to myself latley. I've got 1001 things going at once and of course some things are circling around me much like airplanes that are in a holding pattern waiting to land.

I had a return to do today, I thought that it would be a quick in and out of the store...until I saw them doing markdowns- this can be good or bad depending upon who you look at it. Of course I found a few items at prices that were just too good to pass up! More on my great finds later.

Quote of the Day

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!
~Theodor Geisel

Quote of the Day

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.
~Abraham Lincoln

my morning coffee

There's nothing more satisfying than having my morning coffee, reading the news on line and my cat on the computer desk trying to get me to pet her. But alas, my kitty is sleeping in today, LOL! So it's me, a mug of my favorite coffee (Dunkin Donuts) and the news.

As you know one of my goals for the year is to take classes to gain knowledge in a craft or to participate in workshops. Today I'm going to a card making marathon workshop. Our goal is for each person participating to make 25 different birthday cards. I'm bringing my camera and will be taking pictures throughout the event. I anticipate all of us having a blast and laughing our socks off!

Quote of the Day

A picture is worth a thousand words.
~Napoleon Bonaparte

Scrapbooking...here, there and everywhere!

I've been looking for inspiration, something that's not what I've been seeing around me. I joined UK Scrappers a couple of weeks back and I tell ya, this place is full of inspiration and new perspectives. And I think that is what I was lacking...new perspective, a different point of view so to speak.

So here I am, feeling pumped and ready to get scrappin! Tomorrow I'm going to a card making marathon at my friend Peggy's house (her blog is listed under blogs of note). I'm going to bring my camera and introduce you to those ladies I talk about from my paper crafting group...Peggy, Sarah, Donna and Ellen :-)

I'm ready to get my Cricut warmed up and ready to cut out some letters...or will I brush the dust off of my Sizzix and use it? Hmmmm choices, choices, so many choices! But I'm ready to make a dent in my stash!

what My Scrapbook Nook looks like today

Here they are in no certain order...pictures of my downsized Scrapbook Nook
My little work island

8½x11 paper rack and my MM paper paints

Everyone needs to know the time right?

Storage space runs crazy in this room! Here's some more!

this is what is on top of my little island (look down) This sign says it all!

here's my Kitty, she likes to hang out with me.

There's Sponge Bob sitting on my monitor telling me that he's ready eddy eddy for the move to England! You can not tell me that this does not make you laugh!

snow

more snow

and I wonder why I had a headache for days? Too much glare!

Yup, I dare say that I have enough cardstock for my 3 years in England

yes it's more paper...this stuff is patterned paper

some layouts on display

Fabric Basket

here is the process...I took my little ¾ Janome sewing machine to the class (everyone though my sewing machine was "cute"). Wrapping the 100% cotton rope with fabric was the most tedious work I've ever done. But once you get a systen down that works best for you it's a cinch!

My sewing/quilting area...

a peek at my fabric stash

a peek at the new fabric in my collection

the basket that hides my new "stuff"

The pictures are in reverse but what the heck...this is my sewing cabinet, sewing machine is tucked inside on a lift. See the big yellow bowl on the top? That's the basket I made in class the other day.

women in the military

Nothing pisses me off more than when men try to act as if they are better than women and this is still prevalent in the military. There is one woman who has more gumption and grit than any man I've known. She didn't get to be a full bird colonel in the Air Force just for being a women- she earned it the hard way by taking her lumps and returning them just as hard! They say that stereotypes no longer exist, but they do and I see it near daily There are women that are passive and others that are go getter's. I've been blessed in having some of the best be MY examples of what a woman who has chosen a career in the military can be. Ones that define excellence and are there to promote the best in their people. Margaret Thatcher says it best...If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. She was one kick ass woman who besides being a wife and mother was also Prime Minister of England- go Margaret! To me, she was the queen of multi-tasking!

Quote of the Day

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.
~Maya Angelou

Moments in time...

It's day #5 of my headache. I do believe that it's been with me ever since my trip to California, but for now I'll date it from Thursday. I hope that I'm not coming down with anything.

Our weather here is just off the wall! It was warm and windy when we got back from our trip and now it's snow everywhere! It's been snowing off and on for a few days. I've been puttering around here in the house this weekend and now I need to clean up my crafty messes that I made in the formal dinging room and in the family room. I've yet to get the pictures from my camera onto the computer that I took with making my groovy new basket. I'm telling you, this is a hoot and everyone will want to make at least one of these groovy things! I want to make one with a lid from red, white and blue fabric for our guest room/home office. It's just a nifty little hand craft that has handmade with love all over it!

Our weather has been very cold, snowing just a little every day. With weather like this, I like to keep busy indoors. Last night we watched movies together as a family- I had my husband and daughter watch the 2d half of Wuthering Heights with me (Master Piece theater on PBS). Oh my word it's just as good as the book! The acting was superb and it's something to watch with a box of tissues near by :-) I think that they both should have watched the first half and then I would not have had to do as much explaining of the characters and what was going on. I love Master Piece Theater, all of my favorite books coming to life- what s not to like about that? :-)

So now I need to get the Kirby out and get those thread bits vacuumed up. I need to put a call into my husband and have him tell me how to get these pictures into the file I want them in. The Kodak program was so much easier but dang if it didn't drive us nuts at the fact that it was always running behind the scene making the computer super slow.

Quote of the Day

One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.
~Maya Angelou

Busy busy busy

For the past few days I've been incredibly busy. If it wasn't because of taking care of a good friends 7 month old daughter 3 times this week, or the awards banquet that my husband and I attended or answering questions for home owners when they called, then I was busy with things here at home.

The basket making class at the quilting store was fantastic! Talk about FUN!!! I want to encourage others to get out and take classes on everything and anything that interests them! This is a great way of getting out and meeting people PLUS building your own mental library of knowledge. Did I take this class with a friend? No, but I made 5 new friends while there. Looking at the fabric that I bought to work on in the class and what the others brought in well it made us all look at fabric in a whole new light. From subdued blue plaids to earthy colored fabric of greens, yellows, oranges and browns to bold primary colored stripes- all of these baskets were going to look great no matter what! The three hours was just too short! I came home ate lunch and then quickly got working on my basket as I was determined to finish it by dinner time. I made a large basket and I'll get pictures posted today.

Quote of the Day

Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others.
~Ellen DeGeneres

I have class this morning

So I won't post until after I get back. I'll have pictures and everything!

Quote of the day

Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?
~Richard Bach

Fabric Baskets

This the book that tomorrow's fabric basket class is from. I've got my rope, thread, glue stick, needles, pins and all of my fabric has been pre-cut into ¾ inch strips and stored in zip-lock baggies. I've got my ¾ size travel sewing tucked into it's hot pink tote bag ready to go out for a few hours of sewing FUN!

When I saw the bowls on display at the quilt shop last fall I wanted to take the class but alas, my schedule and the class schedule just did not chime. This time when I saw the the bowls yet again on display I enquired and I immediately booked myself into a class seat! When I talked to one of the shop owners she was telling me how this was a great way to use up fabric scraps plus it's also a great way to use those fabrics that you bought for some project and now you look at them and say to yourself "why did I buy that?". Those kinds of fabric are perfect. For me, I'm using a seersucker fabric that is yellow & cream plaid with red cherries. I had bought that fabric when Hannah was 5 years old (she's now 13½) and I had planned on making her an outfit from it. For what ever reason, I never made the outfit but obviously I still have the fabric. Since I'm pretty darn sure that I'll never use that seersucker fabric to make either Hannah nor myself any kind of a clothing item, I decided to make a bowl. While I'm at the quilt shop I'll look for pattern to make a cute apron with the remainder of the fabric, it'll go quite well with my Mary Engelbreit themed quilting corner :-)

It's cold...again

Alright, I'm sick of crappy weather! Current temperature is 8ºF and with the wind-chill it's -14º F the wind is blowing at 28 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Did I mention that it's snowing? Oh yeah and with the wind blowing the snow all over the place,it's almost blinding. Oh yeah, nice weather to go out in right? UGH! I do need to run an errand but will hold off on it until tomorrow. I have no intentions of going out in this weather.

Quote of the Day

If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.
~Margaret Thatcher

The Barrage of Realtors

I think that I did well in handling the barrage of Realtors that came through my house. I answered their questions and they filled out the survey. Our realtor will get back with me on how the others thought our home/house "showed". I can handle constructive criticism and I work well with it, always striving to make my home the best show place it can be. What I don't care for is rude snippy people who come through a house thinking that they have the right to criticize everything just because they can.

Now to have a cup of tea and relax.

my life...

The quotes I post in some way do reflect my own life but are also put there to inspire others. I know that I am not the only person in the world that has a parent with Alzheimer's and advanced Parkinson's disease, but there are times when it feels like it.

Quote of the Day

He who has faith has... an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well - even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly.
~B. C. Forbes

a picture is worth a thousand words

I have a handful of pictures from my trip that I want to make into a scrapbook layout. Again I will be dealing with the issue of Alzheimer's. The last time I did this it took me many months to do the layout. I was looking for a way to come to terms with how to do a respectful layout when writing about such a sensitive topic.

On this trip my Dad did not recognize me, it's not that I wasn't able to deal with that, I had fully expected something quite along that avenue to happen. What does bother me is that my Mom didn't realize that my Dad didn't recognize me or my daughter. Now in retrospect, maybe that's for the best. How do you tell someone you love them and they mean the world to you when they don't remember who you are? This is such a terrible disease, it robs you of your memories...and what do you have in old age to comfort you but your memories?

So for now I look at the pictures and think of what to write and how I will design a layout that I think is fitting.

Quote of the Day

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
~Bob Newhart

It's good to be home!

Many years ago I made my choice of what "home" is to me. Granted I did spend the majority of my life in California but have lived in 2 different countries and many different states across the USA. And yet, to me "home" is where ever my husband and children are be it in Maine, Texas, Virginia or South Dakota.

Being in my childhood home and sleeping in my old bedroom made me very aware how much I appreciate my own home. Heck if anything, it made my daughter appreciate what she has as well. There are the little comforts that we have learned to take for granted, such as soft cushy pillows, cuddly soft sheets and carpeted floors. My mom still uses bed sheets that she bought over 20 years ago, as you can guess they are 100% polyester and are as scratching as sandpaper. What makes me laugh is that my daughter said to me- "Mom we HAVE to treat Grandma to some new pillows and sheets for her guest room". I look at her and reply "So tell me how new bedsheets and pillows for the guest room is a treat for your Grandma? For a bed that she never sleeps in and is smaller than her own?" We both laughed at that one because we knew that it was a treat for us. Did I buy new sheets and pillows? You know I did! I had to replace the pillows that were thin as crackers and as hard as rocks- no one can get a decent nights rest in such conditions.

Funny thing about my old room...it still looks the same as it did for the past 10 years at least- in desperate need of being painted. Same items hanging on the walls, but at least there's a pillow top mattress for the bed now :-) There's no carpeting in my room (never has been) just the same tile flooring that has been there since my mom bought the place. And is that tile ever a cold shock on your bare feet in the morning! I located a rug and put in front of the bed in the guest room. Carpeting; another item very much taken for granted.

It was good to see my parents, but there's the heart ache of seeing them grow old. Of seeing my dad and how he's losing his battle with Alzheimer's. Of seeing my mom and wishing more for her. This ties in completely with my Erma Bombeck quote today. I know that I shouldn't feel guilty for the life I lead, but when I look at my parents and the way life is for them I do. My mom tells me of how proud she is of me and how I've become everything she's ever dreamed of for me. It makes me cry.

My mom is a woman with many strengths, who is stubborn but always giving. Who has many it through many difficult challenges in life with perseverance and her dignity intact. It's because of my mother that I am very much the person I am today.

Quote of the Day

Guilt: the gift that keeps on giving.
~Erma Bombeck

I'm back from CA- what a trip!

It was a whirlwind kind of trip. Catch phrase for this trip has been...

"you've got to be kidding me"

My daughter and I started our journey in the wee hours of the morning (3 am mountain time). It's been a long 4 days and I'm glad to be back in my home in South Dakota.

I was on a mission to get some things done. Although my main goal was to visit the folks, I was also on a mission to get myself some fancy dress up clothes. I tried on some items but I really didn't care for the clothes out there. They we're "me". I figure that I can always buy fancy dress up clothes after we move to England...clothes are clothes, right?

I did manager to spend 4½ hours in the ER with my mother and daughter. You see, my mother hand cut her finger (when? I do not know) but damn if it wasn't infected! It was something to see, eeew! In the end she had to have her finger cut open and the puss drained out (nice huh?) and now she has it all wrapped up with surgical gauze packed into the wound. Hannah was a trooper though all of it and my Mom pretty patient with the nurses and doctors- it was me who was pinging off of the walls. I hate hospitals with a passion! I'm also not very good at waiting. I'm one of those people who likes to go in, get it done and leave.

I have yet to download (or it it upload?) the pictures from my camera from our trip.

We did manage to squeak in a visit to my Dad amongst all of the craziness that happened over the weekend. It was too bad that on this visit that he didn't recognize me or Hannah. He refused to open his eyes and my I put my hand on his shoulder he got very upset and turned to my mother and said "Tell her to stop pushing me down, tell her to get her hands off of me". It's understandable that he's like this. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease and I don't wish for anyone to have to have a parent go through this. He refused to open his eyes (another sign of him being frightened when he doesn't recognize anyone). My daughter Hannah was such a champ with all of this going on. Alzheimer's is a lot to comprehend for a 13 year old, but she followed my lead and did remarkably well.

I did manage to get in a visit with a very dear friend. Robin looks terrific! We had such a great visit and she promised that she and her husband Kevin would come to England to see us!

I've got 1001 e-mails to look at and I desperately want to take a nap. I've been up since 3 am and am I ever tired!

Quote of the Day

Home is the nicest word there is.
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Change

Maya Angelou says it best "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude". I'm an odd bird, mainly because I openly welcome change in the same manner as if welcoming an old friend. Maybe it's the moving every few years that has made me so open to change.

I'm looking forward to the big move and trusting all of our belongings, household goods and my scrapbooking, stamping and quilting supplies doesn't give me the pain in my stomach that it used to. I tell myself- THIS is why we have insurance on our belongings, to rid ourselves of these kinds of stresses- things we have no control over.

Change is good- and to be better adapt in my new environment I joined a scrapbooking group in the UK called UK Scrappers . They are a lively energetic bunch that enjoy scrapbooking and paper crafting. Me being me, I'm going to want to get together with people once we get into our new digs, and what better kinds of people to get together with that scrapbookers and quilters? They are all so openly warm and inviting. Now for me to work on finding a quilter guild to get together with :-)

The cold snap we're experiencing (again) has got me motivated in the paper crafting department! I've got my Thank You cards done, oodles of birthday cards and Thinking of You cards made. Now for me to tie some ribbon on them and file them away :-) I'm pulling out my Cricut and will cut 20 or so hearts for my Valentine Cards.

Having our house up for sale has posed a few challenges...such as quick clean up, and keeping my crafting areas clean and tidy. I'll say it out loud- I'm messy when I'm crafting. Paper snippits everywhere, I need to have the stick-vac right there in the room with me for quick clean ups.

I know that we've not been in the house all that long (will be 2 years in March) but God has a plan for us. I know that our house will sell, we've been good stewards and know that the next family to live in this hose will love it as much as we did. If you know of anyone moving to the area please direct them to seeing our lovely home.

now for me to get with getting out a suitcase and packing for my trip.

Quote of the Day

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
~Mohandas Gandhi

Card Making Marathon

When I looked out the window this morning, I saw that everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow. Good thing I have a card making marathon planned for myself today. From Birthday and Thank you cards to Thinking of You and Valentines Day cards. I noticed that my supply of greetings cards was um...rather low. And with our move to England, I feel the need to get stocked up again on the essentials.

Quote of the day

And I'd like to give my love to everybody, and let them know that the grass may look greener on the other side, but believe me, it's just as hard to cut.
~Little Richard

Laughter IS the best medicine

It's in the company of friends when I'm most at peace when my world seems to be going a little nuts. Yesterday I got together with the women who make up our crafting group- oh did we have fun! It's through them that I gain strength, laughing and joking with one another it's a sisterly bond that we've all developed. These women have some of the funniest stories and also ones that will melt your heart.

Ellen is a huge resource for military life and she and her husband will soon be celebrating 50 years of marriage-WOW! She's a spouse who has done it and seen it all and is here to tell you about the good things a military career can offer. Ellen is a 9 year Breast Cancer survivor and until yesterday I didn't realize that she knew my friend Tonya. They were in the same support group together- it is a small world! I have the utmost respect for Ellen, having been through the heartache that separation brings with a deployment back in a day when there wasn't access to the means of communication other than a quick letter now and again- not like today with cell phones and e-mail.

Through Donna and Peggy I've gotten to know so much more about the Box Elder and Rapid City communities. Those two ladies seem to know everyone! So to those that thought that I knew a lot of people- HA! I'm a drop in the bucket in the sea of life. I've gotten to know all kinds of history about the area and about
various groups and organizations that I would have never gotten to know about if it wasn't for them.

Sarah is a quirky crafty sort of person who loves to try anything and every at least once. I think she'd be great as an artist with a multi-media crafting shop in a kick back community like Santa Barbara. I could easily picture her in those overalls that make me smile, her pant legs rolled up with her granddaughter in hand picking up sea shells on the beach.

It's being with friends like these ladies that enriches ones life and gives you a sense of self worth. It's loving and being loved that makes a person feel whole.

Quote of the Day

America is a Nation with a mission - and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace - a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman.
~George W Bush

brain overload

My head is full of all kinds of things this morning. Does our son Andrew have a broken wrist? how about that pain in his chest area? Could it be a cracked rib? Next time he says something about ice skating I'm just going to have to say NO!How's Charlotte doing? Should I put her in contact with Robin or would that just overwhelm her? Will my flight on Friday take off as scheduled? How does my cat feel today? Will she be able to eat some kibble today or should I just continue to give her canned cat food? How was my Mom's 75th birthday? Was she able to visit with my Pop yesterday? How's my Pop doing with his new medication for his Parkinson's Disease? How's he doing since his emergency hip surgery? How will he react when he sees me and Hannah this weekend? Will Andrew and Lucien be able to keep the house in order while I'm away? My head is going off in 1001 different directions this morning.

Quote of the Day

We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.
~Mother Teresa

Breast Cancer affects us all

Yesterday I found out that yet another friend had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. My friend Charlotte is an outgoing giving kind of woman who loves her family and takes care of Air Force Spouses. Her husband is career Air Force like mine. Breast Cancer does affect us all- even if our own blood relatives are not stricken with cancer then we most likely know a good friend who has.

My friend Tonya Waters died from breast cancer in 2003 about a month before we got out here to Ellsworth AFB, SD. I remember being so heart broken upon finding out that she lost her battle.

My mom's next door neighbor Belinda was diagnosed last fall with breast cancer and has since had surgery and radiation therapy.

My friend Robin is a 3 year Breast Cancer survivor and is doing well. I can't wait to see on on Saturday!

My friend and crafting buddy Ellen is a 9 year breast cancer survivor. I get to hang out and craft with Ellen on Monday (I can hardly wait).

All I can say is to get yourself a mammogram! Early detection is the key!

Quote of the Day

"Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand".
~ Saint Thomas Aquinas

organizing your space

Every other article I've read lately is about "getting organized" but I've seen very little on staying organized. Some of the organizational ideas I've seen/read on line are borderline ridiculous. One article I read recently was about hanging up sheets to divide a room or to hang up sheets to hide shelving that was placed against a wall. Are they serious? Sheets? The best idea that this so called interior designer could come up with was using sheets? Come on! Lets see some of your ideas on better organization. Lets not cover up our mess with sheets but openly display out organizational skills!

Quote of the Day

Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car.
~E. B. White

reality hits home

I suppose one can say that for our son it never really seemed real to him that we are indeed moving, that is until he came home from school today and saw the "for sale" sign that our realtor stuck into the lawn. He sat out there in his car for a good 15 minutes, then I went out there and told him to come inside. Our son is obviously upset about that sign being in the yard. I'm sure that in his 16 year old mind he's convinced that we're trying to ruin his life. He's still trying to find a way to be able to stay here- I don't think that he quite understands that this family stays together no matter where the military sends us. I couldn't imagine having our son stay behind just so he can have one more year of high school here when an opportunity to study abroad for a year, to travel all over England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland is right there in front of us. There's no way I'm about to let him miss out on living in England, it's a chance of a lifetime kind of thing!

Please keep us in your prayers as we try to convince our son Andrew that our move to England is a wonderful once in a lifetime opportunity.

Friendships

I'm looking forward to my trip home to see my parents. I'm very excited that I'll be able to get together with my dear friend Robin. We met and quickly became good friends back in 1990 when we were all stationed in Maine back then our husbands were flying the B-52 bomber. Both of our husbands did cross training and went on to have careers in the B-1 bomber. We were lucky enough to all be stationed together in Texas and we even bought houses in the same neighborhood. Lets fast forward 18½ years... Robin and Kevin are living in California, Kevin has since retired from the Air Force and is currently teaching AFJROTC-how cool is that?!!! The very thought of being able to visit with my dear friend Robin makes my heart fill with joy!

Quote of the Day

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.
- Hermann Hesse

Our house is up for sale!

Its amazing that I can be so happy when it's so darn gloomy looking outside. I've gotten 12 loads of laundry washed, folded and put away in the past 2 days. My house is company ready- well minus the stove top I do need to clean that again. Bring on the house hunters!

I've worked on my crafting project for a bit, but now I have to put it away, while we get the house ready for picture taking. The Realtor will be taking photos and getting them up on the MLS and his company websites. Just thinking about it makes me giddy with excitement!

Quote of the day

The interesting thing about being a mother is that everyone wants pets, but no one but me cleans the kitty litter.
~Meryl Streep

crafting

It's quite interesting how much I want to do and the time I'm allotted to do it in. There's also that little thing of cleaning up after myself at the end of the day and not leaving any kind of crafting supplies out and about. That's why I only cut out a handful of items, it was a quick clean up.

The chicken potholders are going to be a laugh riot! I may even put some up for sale on my Etsy site when I'm finished.

It's me and my cat- she was up early this morning and needed a 3:30 am snack. My poor kitty, she's on canned cat food all this week and isn't allowed any of her Iams kibble. She looks at her kibble container everyday. I had to put away her kibble bowl because she would just sit by it and not move- I know that she was waiting for me to put a scoop of dry cat food in it- poor thing.

Kitty and I will hang out at home, clean the kitchen and work on the next stage of the chicken potholders. We may even sew today!

Part of my New Years Goals is about taking classes to learn more about something. I signed up for a neat and truly unique sewing class at one of the quilt shops in town. I have my supplies and I even bought the book that the class is going to be taught from (it is too cool). I looked at the pictures and LOVE all of the projects! I can hardly contain myself- this is going to be one fun class!

I'm off to make coffee and to start my day...as if it didn't already start at 3:30 am when I got out of bed to feed the cat.

Quote of the Day

"Pets have more love and compassion in them than most humans".
~Robert Wagner

this that and what ever else...

After taking our kitty to the vet yesterday to get her blood titer done, her teeth cleaned and what we thought was going to be one tooth pulled ended up being several teeth pulled. My poor kitty! She's on antibiotics and pain medication and has to have soft food for at least a week. I love my darling kitty and will do what it takes to get her feeling her best again. So many people out there don't take proper care of their pets. I'm making sure that my kitty receives proper medical treatment just like my children.
So I was up in the middle of the night trying to comfort my cat. I finally got her to get comfortable and to rest by 2 am. This was exactly like comforting a sick child, sometimes all they need is to be held by someone who loves them.

Today it's been me and kitty working on some sewing projects. I'm trying to piece together some chicken shaped potholders (these are a laugh riot). I've got 2 body's cut out and 1 set of wings cut out. I've got to get the other parts cut and the insulated batting and regular batting cut. I also managed to cut out an apron.

With our move to England coming up fast, I bought airline tickets to California yesterday. Hannah and I will be flying out to visit my parents. It's nauseating to think about how much I paid for this quick weekend trip PLUS I had to rent a car. I feel queasy!

Now I'm off to see how much 4 round flight tickets to Boston will be, plus another rent a car add in hotel and kenneling costs for our cat. You can only expect a realtor to do so much...feeding your cat and scooping her litter box is pushing it. Our kitty will stay at the vet clinic, they'll take good care of her there.

I need to take some Excedrin, my head is pounding.

Quote of the Day

Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.
~James Cromwell

busy busy busy!

I'm busy being creative today...I'll be back later hopefully with a completed project to show you.

Quote of the Day

Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water!
~Eleanor Roosevelt

thinking out loud

It's cold outside, how cold- oh right around " zero". Cold weather always makes me want to cook. Of all things, I'm wanting to make/bake scones this morning and serve them up sweet (salt free) butter & some seedless blackberry or boysenberry jam and a pot of tea. So who's with me? My recipe for scones comes from a friend who actually lived in the UK (a fellow military spouse).

My house was clean yesterday- I wish that the realtor would have taken pictures then, LOL! It's not to say that the house wouldn't be clean today, tomorrow or next week, but I think that he should have taken pictures yesterday to have on hand to show to any prospective clients. But that's just me...thinking out loud.

Have you checked out my cooking blog lately? I added some tidbits about the many uses of Olive Oil. I love the stuff and have used it for as long as I can remember. EVOO extra virgin olive oil- it's yummy! I like to buy mine at Sam's Club because they have the best price on it! Yes the price is even lower than at our commissary and you get almost twice the amount. In case you're wondering, the answer is yes- it's even the exact same brand! Same goes with Parmesan cheese- why pay $22.99 per pound for it at the commissary when I can pay less than half of that at Sam's Club? And no you don't have to buy an entire wheel of cheese or anything crazy like that, you can get a wedge and pay the same price you pay at the grocery store or commissary and come home with a wedge that is twice the size! Make sure it's from Parma Italy, that's the REAL stuff! Oh it's so yummy, it's great for nibbling! So much so that I have a hard time keeping my kids out of it, LOL!

Handmade soap- have you tried it? I've written about this before. Look under the post topic "shopping locally" you'll see what I've written about Nanny's Goats Milk Soap (I'm hooked on the stuff). My skin feels smoother and not so dry. I do a lot of crafts and I enjoy making things but I do not want to get into making soap. I'll let Bev do it and buy my soap from her, LOL!

Also on my cooking blog I wrote about the many uses of Olive Oil (Okay so I copied information I found on the Internet). This stuff isn't called "Liquid Gold" for nothing! It was used in ancient Greece for everything- from healing wounds to cooking and more!

Time for more coffee and to take a hot soak in the tub with a few drops of olive oil!

Quote of the Day

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
~Saint Thomas Aquinas

crunching numbers

Our meeting with the realtor went very well. He's crunching numbers we've got the average expenditure on our utilities ready. I'm excited to be at this stage on this move of ours. It's beginning to feel real, I feel safe saying it- we're really moving! The realtor was excited to see our home, he loved everything we've done to it. He said that it was nice to see a home with so many upgrades. Now for him to find us a buyer!

I've gotten rid of so much stuff from our house these past few months and it shows! The storage areas look large and spacious instead of feeling crowded with piles of stuff everywhere. Even my husband got into the groove and went through his things this week and pulled out clothing and shoes for me to take in for donation. I'm quite proud of all of us and the work we've gotten done. I still plan on doing more reducing around here. Stay tuned to see what else I go through and donate. There are things in the garage that need to be gone through but there's no way you'd catch me out there today! Sure we have an insulated garage, but it's still tooooo darn cold for me to be out there!

Quick, where's the camera?

As a herd of 9 deer are in our front yard that's all I can say!

Quote of the Day

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
~Bill Cosby

a new year with new beginnings...

It's hard to start a new year without looking back at the past year and wondering what you can change. What can you change about yourself? What can you change about your environment? These things are more commonly known as resolutions.

For me, resolutions are not about changing myself into a better person, but more of setting realistic goals to get things done or to acquire knowledge.

So here are my goals for 2009

*to be a better photographer, so first I'll look into getting myself a better camera and then I will look into finding some photography classes.

*to scrapbook more often. I will set myself time each week where I will work only in my scrapbook nook, taking time to create quality scrapbook layouts.

* to get back into making greeting cards. I need to set aside time each week and dedicate it to paper crafting.

*to take some quilting classes when the chance arises

*to take chef classes when the chance arises

* to post more pictures with my blog entries. I need to make a better effort at doing so.

*to be able to stay on top of the laundry and not let it pile up.

*to be able to keep my house company clean 24/7- that's the entire house children's bedrooms and bathroom included (wish me luck here)

*to go on weekend adventures- this starts as soon as we get to England!

*to continue to encourage other military spouses to become involved in their local community. This is especially important while their spouses are deployed.

*to continue to be a good friend, confidant and listener. To be able to assist friends and military spouses as best as I can with keeping a positive attitude

*to laugh every day

*to tell my children and husband that I love them- every day!

*to entertain in our home more often

Quote of the Day

"There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full".
~Henry A. Kissinger

Quote of the Day

Happy New Year!

Do you ring in the new year with special family traditions? My husband likes to stay up until midnight with the kids and watch the crystal ball in NYC drop every year. Myself, well last night I was in bed by 8pm and asleep by 9pm. My family came in and woke me up at 11:15 pm and then again just before midnight-ugh! I love that my husband and children are so enthusiastic about celebrating the old and new year.

My bit of celebrating the end of the year was changed from how I originally wanted to celebrate it. You see I had planned to cut some fabric and start a little project. But what ended up happening was that I took on a cooking project that lasted 3 hours. In the south Hoppin John is a dish of rice, salt pork or ham hocks and black eyed peas that's served traditionally on New Years Eve as to usher in good luck for the coming year. Well you know me, always looking for a "different" recipe to try and I found one over at epicurious (love that site). I love making/coking/eating Italian food and when I found this recipe, well I had to make it! I made Hoppin John Risotto Oh my word was it yummy! Of course I changed the recipe a bit and made it my own (check out my cooking blog for details). There's nothing like your family coming home from a hard day of playing in the snow to a hearty home cooked meal!

Here's how my family celebrated the last day of the year, snowboarding and snow skiing at Terry Peak, South Dakota.

Here is Andrew (he's on the ground) getting his boots attached to the snowboard and ready to play hard and take no prisoners :-)

...and here are my skiers Lucien and Hannah riding a ski lift at Terry Peak. I think that my daughter is the most beautiful girl in the world, but then again all mothers are a bit prejudiced when it comes to their children

Quote of the Day

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
~ Oprah Winfrey