Tag Archives: holiday

Tuesday 11-12-2024

“Rainy Autumn” – Matt Pinner – @Matt_Pinner on X

We’re due for a perfect fall day here in Arkansas. It’s 49 right now, the high is supposed to be 69 this afternoon, and the sun is smiling. Just beautiful!

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LINDA’S CRAFTINESS- One-of-a-kind, hand-painted child’s apron. Size is 2-6 years. The apron is 19″ long and 12.5″ wide, not including neck loop or ties. Fun addition for the holidays, making kids feel festive as they help with the food. $14.99 with Free Shipping. Click on this link to see details on this and other aprons on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.

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LEWIS MAILBOX DECORATIONS –

When we were going to drive our trash down yesterday, I suggested we change the mailbox decoration. I also had my gloves and hand pruners in the truck so I could cut down some baby mimosa ‘trees’ and some other tall weeds at the bottom of the driveway to neaten up a bit.

I’m trying to convince my husband that we should create a different method for storing the mailbox decorations in the shop. Right now each is on a hook suspended from a bar that runs overhead. This has worked well for years, but now it’s much harder for my husband to stand on a ladder and get the decorations down and back up again. So far, he won’t consider any changes, so I’m now trying to choose decorations that are smaller and lighter to make things easier for him.

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Integrated Children’s Therapy

I’m frustrated because the days are whizzing past my head and I struggle to get in HALF of what I would like to do. Either the time is too short, we have other priorities, or my energy poops out at the wrong time.

I’m trying to find a balance between chores, exercising, and doing something fun each day. That rarely happens, but it IS an ongoing goal. So far, doing exercises with my 3-pound weights between things I’m doing on the computer is working out well. I do several sessions each morning in between blog posts, email, research, etc. My afternoon yoga session gets lost in the shuffle a lot, so I’m trying to get into the habit of doing that after lunch and a rest. Hit and miss so far.

I’m enjoying making some new things for us to eat. My husband isn’t picky – saying I always cook good things – unless I try to serve him many veggies we should be eating. Then we get into problems. We’re compromising in a lot of areas. Last night we had shrimp chef salad that was good. Tonight I’m trying a new recipe for a ground beef casserole that is low carb. I’m substituting broccoli for the green beans called for. Hopefully, this recipe will be a keeper. If it is, I’ll give you a link to it. :0)

No big plans for the day, unless another tree has fallen on us. Enjoy yours.

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Filed under DIET!, exercise, HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy, Thoughts on a ________

Christmas in September

I’ve been having a blast wood-burning and painting wood slices for Christmas ornaments.

They’re 3.25″ in diameter and .5″ thick. They have a red and white attached string for hanging on the tree.

On the back, they have places for personalization – one line for the year and a second for a first name to create a keepsake.

The wood-burning is done first. Then the several steps in painting. After one is ordered, I’ll personalize it and then protect it with several layers of polyurethane spray.

Each is a one-of-a-kind design. My parents gave my brother and me a Christmas ornament that was personalized each year, letting us add it to our tree. When we were grown, they presented us with a box of ‘OUR’ ornaments as a housewarming present, to decorate our tree and start a new tradition.

We are saving our son’s box, since he lives halfway across the world and travels light. When he joins us for the holiday, though, we decorate the tree together, reminiscing about Christmases past as we take out each of his decorations.

I hope that you are surrounded by those you love at Christmas this year. HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy

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Filed under HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy, Holiday Gift Ideas, holidays

Happy Valentine’s Day 2023

What is love? (From the mouth of babes)

Parade

‘When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.’

                            Rebecca- age 8 



                            'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. 
                            You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' 

                            Billy - age 4 



                            'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' 

                            Karl - age 5 



                            'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' 

                            Chrissy - age 6 



                            'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' 

                            Terri - age 4 



                            'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' 

                            Danny - age 7 



                            'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. 
                            They look gross when they kiss' 

                            Emily - age 8 



                            'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents 
                            And listen.' 

                            Bobby - age 7 



                            'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate, ' 

                            Nikka - age 6 
                            


                            'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day..' 

                            Noelle - age 7 

                            'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' 

                            Tommy - age 6 



                            'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. 

                            He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.' 

                            Cindy - age 8 



                            'My mommy loves me more than anybody 
                            You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' 

                            Clare - age 6 



                            'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' 

                            Elaine-age 5 



                            'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford .' 

                            Chris - age 7 



                            'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' 

                            Mary Ann - age 4 



                            'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' 

                            Lauren - age 4 



                            'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' 

                            Karen - age 7 



                            
                            'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' 

                            Jessica - age 8 
                            And the final one 

                            The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. 

                            Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.. 

                            When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 

                            'Nothing, I just helped him cry' 

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Filed under holidays, love

Happy Valentines Day 2021

A.A. Milne – Winne the Pooh

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Filed under holidays, love, marriage

Thoughts on a Sunday 7-5-2020

My husband and I had a wonderful celebration for Independence Day.

Chicago Steak Company

It rained off and on all day, but then cleared up. We started the grill on the deck and sat outside, waiting for the coals to be ready. (The potatoes were in the oven).  It started to rain. It was a quiet rain, though, so we held our breaths, crossed our fingers and hoped we could get the steaks cooked. (I was ready if we had to use the broiler inside, but they taste better with the charcoal flavor.)

The rain stopped, and then –

 

 

It didn’t last long, but the rainbow was absolutely beautiful.

About the same time –

Video Hive

I didn’t get pics of our own, but this gives you an idea. He – or they – (we’re not sure if we had one or two) kept coming back over and over until he/they were tanked up. :0)

We enjoyed a bird singing, and MANY birds coming and going from our feeders.  A road runner ran across the yard, and a white-tailed bunny showed up briefly.

We had two squirrels – one on the hanging feeder and the other at the feeder that has a gallon bottle in the window – scurrying around.

Amber, our 95-pound yellow lab, was happily checking out everything in the yard, playing in the rain, coming back up on the deck to be with us, and then doing it all over again.

We went in and ate our dinner, hoping our neighbors would shoot off fireworks later.

The rains came again – really HEAVILY this time – about 8:45. I thought that was the end of any chance of fireworks. But, as we were watching a movie (we are enjoying a marathon of our Jason Bourne movies), we heard the distinctive sound. We went out to the deck. The moon was coming out of the clouds – gleaming brightly. And the fireworks began!

 

BestAnimations.com

We watched them for several minutes before going inside to continue with our movie.

What a wonderful celebration we had!

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Filed under Family, Favorite Things, holidays

I Love Halloween 8

Pinterest

 

WebDesignMash

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Filed under Halloween - How Do You Carve YOUR Pumpkin?, holidays

Celebration of “NOT”

Pinterest

We are celebrating today that WE ARE –

  • NOT starting the brick laying on the second planter today
  • NOT working in the yard today
  • NOT cleaning the house

I –

  • AM posting happily on my blog
  • AM doing meal prep for our feast tonight – hamburgers, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad and deviled eggs
  • AM taking the time to enjoy a good book
  • AM enjoying being able to have front and back doors open – enjoying a wonderful breeze
  • AM enjoying playing with our animals and spending time with my husband.

I hope that YOU can enjoy a “celebration of NOT” today, too!

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Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Family, holidays