Hello Again

 

Happy "I like Thursdays" to you!

It's been a long blog break due to family deaths, illness and other things that needed to be addressed.  I'm back and hope to visit all my favorite blogs now that things are slowing down.

I like Lucky.  We adopted a puppy from the local shelter.  He's a miniature poodle.  My husband named him "Lucky" because no one can believe he survived in our city without being hit by a car or attacked by another dog.  He's a handful and a little wild but during the last nine months, he's been a real comfort to the family.  I adore him and love being able to pick him up and pet him on my lap.  My mother and brother also love him and are always asking to babysit him.

Lucky at the pound, matted and underweight.

Lucky, master of the garden and anything else he wants.

Lucky's favorite person is my brother Jim who taught him how to play with toys.  Once Jim is around, Lucky ignores everyone and follows Jim everywhere--always prancing as he walks with a big smile on his face.

It's funny how such a little puppy can bring so much joy to an entire family.

Now for other things...

LeeAnna's prompt this week is do I feel as if I have to do anything all the time.  Do I have a problem relaxing?  

Well I'm older now.  The energy isn't what it once was and I've learned to let some of my standards slide as I get older.  The house is still acceptably clean and the garden chores are getting done.  But I'm taking things slower these days and giving myself more leeway.  

I like naps and Lucky tend to take one each day around 2 or 3 in the afternoon.  All I need is 30 minutes of a nap and I'm ready to go again.

Here is a saying I like very much these days:

Have a safe and restful weekend!

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!

I Like Thursdays: July 27, 2023

 

Happy Thursday!

Time for "I like Thursdays" hosted by LeeAnna.  Be sure to visit her for more positive posts!  We all need good energy these days!

Happily....

My husband and mother are both recuperating from their surgeries/procedures.  That alone is worth celebrating.  My mother says she is exhausted and so Kerry the poodle is still here for overnights.  It works out better; it's the first day of our latest heat wave and I want to walk Kerry at 6 a.m. before the heat really sets in (it's already so hot and thick outside).  Kerry LOVES being here.  She's made a bunch of friends in our neighborhood and has settled into our routine nicely!

I like rain!

The heat may be upon us but we've been getting regular rain and that makes life easier (for me and the garden).

This week I actually got a few minutes in the sewing room!  I'm not working on any major project.  Life is too chaotic these days.  But it's the perfect time to piece some placemats.  Our guild donates them to the local Meals on Wheels organization.  It's also a great way to use up scraps and leftover backing.  I figure even if I only get one placemat done a day (and sometimes that is all I can fit in), it's better than getting nothing accomplished.

I like things that remind me of happy times in my childhood.  My one grandmother loved dogs and had one until she grew too old.  Another grandmother had a great sense of humor.  She had a rubber dog in the living room on the floor and used to say that was her pet.  I have one just like hers (plus a smaller version).

Edward Mobley animals were produced in the late 1950s/early 1960s.  I gave one to my brother and he was so delighted.  It reminded him of fun at Nana's too.

Well it's time to take Kerry for her morning walk in the park.  Wishing you a safe and happy day!

I Like Thursdays: July 20, 2023

 

Welcome to another addition of "I like Thursdays"!  Today we celebrate all that is good in life.  You can read more positive blessings by visiting LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.

It's been a week...

Brad is still recovering from surgery.  Mom had to be taken to the ER on Saturday.  She has another procedure today and hopefully this one will go well.

While she's in the hospital, her dog Kerry is vacationing with us.  It has been nice to have a dog in the house again.  Kerry has pretty much fit in to our routine. 

When I'm not at the hospital or caring for hubby, I walk her and she is enjoying socializing with folks and pups in our neighborhood.  She keeps hubby company while I'm at the hospital and leaving her mark in the house:

Other good things:

The lovelies in the garden.

Italian Ice, perfect for a hot and humid day and not too heavy to eat.  I like the lemon flavor:

Catching up and editing pinterest boards and other quilt related ideas on my tablet (at the hospital).

That is my life this week!

Have a safe and happy week!

I Like Thursdays: July 13, 2023

Happy Thursday!

It's "I like Thursday" and time to celebrate the good in life!  Please check out other happy posts by visiting our hostess LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color!

Today's best news is that my husband is finally feeling some relief.  He's been suffering with gall stones for a few months but it had been acute during the last three weeks.  Our doctor had advised us to take him to the ER if he had more acute attacks and he went on Tuesday.  The mere fact that he would agree to go illustrated his discomfort.  Anyway, they removed his gallbladder yesterday and he came home last evening.  As he put it, "I'm sore from the surgery but I feel 50 times better than when I went to the hospital."

Today's prompt is about county and state fairs.  I had shared about our Kutztown Folk Festival here but the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage recently did an article on the auction at the festival and you can read about it here.  Some good photos of quilts too!

Obviously, it's been a week of mainly caring for my husband.  I'm hoping to get some sewing in this week!  

Have a safe and happy weekend!

 

I Like Thursdays: July 6, 2023

 

Happy Thursday!  It's to celebrate the good in life and fill the internet with positive energy.  "I like Thursdays" is sponsored by LeeAnna; visit her blog for more wonderful posts!

This week I'm grateful for air conditioners.  It's high summer, the temperature and humidity are in the high 90s and I'm so grateful for the blessing of air conditioning.  I do remember that no one I knew had this blessed invention when I was a kid.  You had to go to a fancy store or a theater to experience the blessed breezes of relief.

This week's meme is on what kind of fair food do we like?  I suppose as a kid I liked ice cream and cotton candy.  These days I can't bear to eat anything heavy.  I am appreciating Italian Ice when I want something sweet.  I bought a box of the little cups at the grocery store and it hits the spot on these balmy days.  I also wonder if you ever were served french fries with malt vinegar at your fairs?  We loved that and never put ketchup on our fries.

I wish I could post more photos but my phone doesn't download onto the computer anymore.  I can't carry the camera everywhere :(

Wishing you a safe and happy day!

Happy Fourth of July!

 

Have a safe and happy holiday!