The quote above is from Edward Abbey
“Some dogs live for praise. They look at you as if to say “Don’t throw balls… just throw bouquets.”
Jhordis Anderson
“A watchdog is a dog kept to guard your home, usually by sleeping where a burglar would awaken the household by falling over him.” – Unknown
“Never judge a dog’s pedigree by the kind of books he does not chew.” – Unknown
“Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear.” Dave Barry
You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, “My God, you’re right! I never would’ve thought of that!” Dave Barry
“A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk.” O.A. Battista
Filed under Amazing Animals, sculpture
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We just finished a conference call chat with our son.
Chatting with him on a conference call, where we can SEE him and watch him smile is the next best thing – a true gift. He stayed up late in order to talk with us and I’m still smiling. THE most wonderful Christmas gift for us. He is safe, healthy and happy. I told him that while I’m not biased in any way, being his mother, I am truly proud of the man he is. I don’t know where he got all the kindness that simply oozes out of him. I feel lucky that we value each other as people.
I hope that you, too, had a love-filled, happy Christmas.
I’ve always dreamed of white Christmases. I was born in Chicago, but we moved almost immediately to Brooklyn, and then to Long Island. We moved to Oklahoma before I was 5, and I’ve lived in Arkansas for over 30 years now. I don’t remember much about my very early life in the Northeast, and it was almost unheard of to have a white Christmas in “tornado alley.” That didn’t diminish my love of everything Christmas.
I remember a Christmas when my brother and I both received 3-speed English bicycles. Neither of us even dreamed of such a present. My parents were amazing to keep the secret. This was a gift that kept on giving for many, many years of bicycling around our neighborhood.
The first time I ever MADE a Christmas present for anyone I was about 11 or 12. My mom was VERY good at making clothes and knitting. She altered all of my dad’s shirts, sweaters and sports coats because he had damaged his left arm falling off a horse when he was three. Back then, they didn’t know as much as they do now, and they were only able to save his arm and hand, leaving it shorter than his right and his hand was almost completely useless. I didn’t realize as a child
I knitted a scarf/muffler for my grandmother that Christmas. It was really terrible, with lots of missed stitches and places where I got too tense and jammed all the stitches together. Other places, the stitches were really large, warping the whole thing out of shape. My grandmother’s favorite color was red, and so I knit her a red muffler to keep her warm when she walked the ugliest dog in the world, a pug named, “Unkie.” That Christmas we had traveled to Nevada, Missouri, to spend the holiday with her and my grandfather. He was bedridden with Multiple Sclerosis. I don’t remember him ever standing, but I have pictures of the two of them, looking amazing, all dressed up in the latest style of the day. (Sorry for a bit of rambling – the memories are swamping me.) My grandmother unwrapped the muffler. She sat, holding it in her hands. Then she cried. I’m tearing up as I type this. She GOT the love I sent with the muffler. She GOT it.
Sometimes I find things, particularly online, during the year that I think people I care about might really enjoy and I send them. Sometimes I wait for Christmas. Sometimes I can’t. Most Christmases I still try to make things for people. I hope they GET the love that is sent with them.
Filed under Family, Friendship, holidays, memories
Filed under Amazing Animals, drawings
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” Norman Vincent Peale
“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.” -Mary Ellen Chase
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Charles Dickens
“Let the spirit of love gently fill our hearts and homes. In this loveliest of seasons may you find many reasons for happiness.” ~ Unknown
Filed under Family, Friendship, holidays
Twice-Blooming Iris – these usually bloom in April and then again in October. To have these throwing open their arms on Christmas Eve is such a delightful surprise!
And this is a pot of wave petunias, One of the most beautiful flowers, I think. Such happy flowers.
I think you can guess what my favorite color is…. :0)
Filed under Favorite Things, Gardening
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“Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart… filled it, too, with a melody that would last forever.” ~ Bess Streeter Aldrich
“From Home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.” ~ Emily Matthews
“Let the spirit of love gently fill our hearts and homes. In this loveliest of seasons may you find many reasons for happiness.” ~ Unknown
“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” ~ Burton Hillis
“A hug is a great gift – one size fits all, and it’s easy to exchange.” ~Author Unknown
Filed under Family, Friendship, holidays
Filed under Art From Found Things, metal art
Today is a quiet day for us, and I’m really enjoying it.
I’m going out later to our shop. I’ll try to repair the pot I made for my friend, Kay. One of the stones fell off the mosaic design. I should be able to fix it. I really want to because she really seemed to enjoy the gift and I want it to last a long time for her.
Yesterday we rushed around doing lots of errands and tying up loose ends before Christmas, so it’s doubly good to be able to simply enjoy the pretty day. My husband and I had a celebrational lunch yesterday, eating French fries for the first time in a year. Absolutely DELICIOUS, and I’m already looking forward to eating them again NEXT year. :0)
I’m still doing my old lady yoga stretching, but I’m finding it harder to do my elliptical trainer now. It is in the garage, the only place with a hard, bare floor. It’s 38 degrees F. outside right now. I’m TRYING to do my elliptical in the afternoon, when it warms up a bit, but am not having much luck convincing myself yet. I’ll keep trying.
Right now my ‘moving more’ efforts are concentrated on cleaning up planters in the yard before winter settles in. I’m going to try to do one planter each day. (We have 14 brick planters around the yard, plus pots on the deck.) Once these are done, “I’ll get more serious about the ellipitical,” – (she said…. :0))
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I hope this finds you healthy and happy.
It’s a nice day here – sunny and 38 degrees F. It’s supposed to get to 58 this afternoon. I’ll take it!
My husband and I are going out to lunch today – celebrating being alive and ornery by enjoying a cheeseburger and French fries. I haven’t had a French fry in over a year, so it will be a real treat. We’re also going to stop by and see my friend Kay, who fell recently and still is in a lot of pain. She had an MRI Monday, so we’re hoping to get some information and treatment options for her soon. We will do our errands and then settle in for a quiet Christmas together. I will deliver a last present to a friend while we’re out.
Our son is in Thailand, so it will be my husband and I, our dog, Amber, and our cat, Abby here to celebrate. I had a nice chat with our son this morning. He is well and happy – the most wonderful gift.
I’m not sure what the rest of the day will bring, but am open to possibilities. :0)
I hope your day is a happy one.
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Highs in the 50s today here! Woo HOO! And lots of pretty sunshine. I’m hoping to spend some time outside this afternoon. I have lots to clean up and winterize in the yard. It looks like I’ll have a GREAT week for it. :0)
I go for a haircut this morning, so Michael will make me look like ‘someone-had-a-plan.’ My hair is thin and fine and ONLY does what it wants to. Michael understands that and works WITH it. He’s wonderful.
Nothing exciting going on today – that I know of – so I’ll look forward to getting the planters around the yard in better shape when I get back.
Have a wonderful day!
My efforts to lose the lard are more of a challenge lately. I’m maintaining the 30 lbs and about the same inches off, but haven’t made more progress. Other health issues and ‘life’ are getting my attention, so I’m basically just trying to keep my mouth shut, rather than caving into emotional eating. Also concentrating on adding the foods and drink I found that may help dissolve plaque, so am doing a bit of juggling, trying to plan my eating better.
One of my friends who loves me gave me a tin of chocolates for Christmas. hahahahahahahahahaha :0)
Filed under DIET!
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