Blog Break

I'm taking a blog break while I care for my mom's dog Kerry.  Kerry was diagnosed with cancer last week (on her third birthday).  My husband and I are providing hospice for her at our home.  She is not in pain and enjoying what time she has left with us and her (our) many dog friends here.

Kerry 6 weeks ago.

I'm trying to keep up on my Pennsylvania Piecemaker blog but for right now, I need to take a break from the 3 poodles blog.  

Thanks a bunch for understanding.  

Have a safe and happy day.

I Like Thursdays: August 10, 2023

 

Good morning and happy Thursday!

I hope you are having a pleasant week!  It's time for another edition of "I like Thursdays" when bloggers share happiness and fill the internet with positive energy.  For more happy posts, be sure to visit our hostess LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color!

This week I like the power of love!  Many of you know that we are avid Phillies baseball fans.  This year has been a rollercoaster of emotions as our team surprises us at various times and other times falls short.  But there is a new member on our team, Trea Turner, who joined the team this year.  I told my husband I wasn't impressed with his work early in our season.  My husband retorted with Trea's stats from last year like I didn't know what I was relaying.  But hubby had been on the road and not able to watch the games.  As he recovered from surgery, he admitted, "Turner is the biggest disappointment this year."  The sentiment was echoed by our Phillies-loving friends.

And then something happened during last Friday's game.  The announcer relayed that the team had come together to give Turner support.  Someone (I think Bryson Stott) made Trea t-shirts and the team worked with him before the game commenced.  When Turner came up to bat, the whole team stood up and clapped and then the fans followed; the stadium (packed to the brim) began to clap; fans expressed love in a huge way (imagine about 39,000 folks there). 

 

Things didn't change much for Turner that night but the love continued.  My husband and I wondered if he felt even more pressure.  I have since read that fans even donated to Turner's cancer charity as a sign of support.

But Saturday, Turner came back.  He hit a home run that scored 3 points for our team.  The fans when nuts!  The standing ovation was so loud, we couldn't hear the announcers; the manager made Turner take a curtain call. and he waved his hat at the fans to thank them.  EVERYONE HAD GOOSEBUMPS!  Turner had a spectacular evening and it was so apparent from his body language and his facial expressions that he was a different man.  His game has been on point since then!

And Turner responded as well, posting huge billboards of his appreciation:

Sometimes things like this happen and it reminds me of how strong and important the power of love is.  It may have been just a baseball game but it's an excellent lesson for all of us.

I hope you have a week filled with the power of love!

I Like Thursdays: August 3, 2023

 

Good morning!  

It's "I like Thursday" and time to celebrate the good in life!  Each Thursday we try to post happy things on Thursday.  If you are in need of some positive energy, look up more of the posts by visiting LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color!

Things I like this week include residents in my garden.  I have a few baby bunnies living in the front and back yard.  My backyard bunny is smaller than a softball.  

My husband and I  love watching the hummingbirds and butterflies out back these days.  

We even had a very young hummingbird (no, not a hummingbird moth--we know the difference).  Anyway, the young hummer flitted about while Brad and I enjoyed watching it.  It was about 1.5 inches tall.  It was wonderful!

***

I took a day off....from everything last Saturday.  I can't remember when I had a day like this.  I didn't see my mom.  I didn't walk the dog (who is back at mom's).  I didn't even worry about cooking or cleaning.  I just stayed at home and didn't rush to care for everyone as I normally do.  I stayed in my pajamas for an hour longer than normal.  I said "yes!" when my hubby asked if he could make me breakfast.  I played in the sewing room and didn't make anything important.  I just played.   And then...I got another day off unexpectedly on Wednesday when my husband attended mandatory safety training at his company.   After we gave my stepson my car, we decided to only have one car and this is a benefit.

***

Every year we go through a summer ritual of cleaning debris off the back patio.  At first it is needles from the Cedar tree in early summer.  When then ends, the Arborvitae starts depositing seeds everywhere.  Either time the house becomes full of garden litter that is tracked in by us and especially my mom's dog.  It takes about 25 minutes to sweep the mess off the patio and 15 minutes later it doesn't look like we did anything at all.  My brother was over one morning and said, "You need a blower for this patio."  So I bought one and this week it arrived.  It's such a wonderful tool!  The patio is cleared in 3 minutes and I don't have to vacuum a few times a day.

I LOVE IT!  We call it "little Bess" because we love it so much!

***

Wishing you a safe and happy weekend!