Bazaar Pics ...

This past Saturday we squeezed in hosting a booth at our annual Christmas bazaar in our small town USA. It wasn't the easiest thing to do after unpacking my MIL's house the past two weeks. It felt more of a chore to endure, rather than to enjoy. Oh well, they do say that timing is everything.
Son Josh made his cinnamon ornaments, which smelled delightful, and lured folks over by following the delicious scent.
Friend Melody created her prim Christmas things. She's a demon with a can of spray paint! She made up kits of paper bag gingerbreadman garland. Josh and I made sure that we both brought home some to make up.
I made Christmas, sassy housewife, and Domestic Goddess cards, and decorated Christmas gift bags.
The crowd was much smaller than past years. The economy has been hit hard in small towns, and it was reflected by everyone's lack of sales.
It was fun, but we all felt that we did so much better at the county's annual Herbfest held in August. We've all decided to hold out and make one big showing next summer at that event.
We all made a little bit, but after the booth fee, we did not bring home much in cash. However, we did have great fun, swapping items between each other! We all went home happy, with great stuff, from each other's tables!

(19/30)

It's been a few days, hope all of you are doing well.
We've been unpacking my MIL's possessions this week, and running errands to get her all set up to become a Hoosier.
It's takes time and energy, and strong menfolk around, of which we have not. Grrr!

Anyway, I'm thankful that the week has gone by. All three dogs get along very well, and so do my mother in law and I.
Lady Jane's grandbaby was born on the 17th, pink and healthy. Am thankful for that.

I'm thankful still and will continue to be thankful for the kids I was blessed to have, and raise, and for the blog buddies I have made since I began this venture.

November may be a wet and dreary month, which aggravates achy joints, but the warmth from "the girls" makes life better every day!

Sniffin' out a weiner...

This morning the doggies had a little chore. They were to sniff out the winner of the giveaway. Jake kept sneezing and Dolly, my MIL's 'golden' came in to help out. She started sneezing too. What was on those name tags?

Finally they seemed to agree on one, and concentrated their sniffles on one little square.

'Lo and behold, the winner, is herself, another corgidogmama!
It's Linda, from California, better known as ocmist! Congrats to Linda! Just email your addy via corgidogmama@yahoo.com, and I'll mail it out in the morning. Thanks to all who commented and jumped in to play. I appreciate your readership and friendship.
Off to unpack more boxes, have yourself a terrific Sunday!

(14/30)

Tomorrow is the day that the corgi kids will sniff out a real winner for our little old giveaway. Good luck to all who entered. It's just a little something.

Feeling thankful today that we got started on our big task of unboxing my MIL's entire life. Will take your good advice of taking it one box at a time. Thanks to all for caring enough to comment on such a mundane and dreary topic....and to respond to my whining with kindness. You guys are the best!

(13/30) Blessings continued...

The movers brought everything that Jim's mom owns in the world today. She moved from a three-level town house style to a cottage with 680 square feet. Boxes are stacked within two feet of the ceiling....you can imagine a visual, right?

I'm thankful that it's here. And thankful that she has a place to stay as those mountains of boxes get unpacked.

Not sure I can keep this thankfulness (crap) going each day as the unpacking unfolds. Maybe, I should have waited for December, he hee!

(slaps self in noggin') It's all about attitude, right?

(12/30)

Blessings..............hmmm.............it's been a tough day in little ol' Indiana. Our stress levels are through the roof.

Penniwig saved the day because her lovely wreath arrived in today's mail. That, and only that, am I thankful for today.

Ok, it was a pretty day, and we ate Chinese out for supper, that was good...but, the rest of it sucked, big time, and I'm not kidding.

And THAT is the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Amen!

(11/30)

Sunny days! Jim's mom is breathing easier in Indiana than in Colorado. Can walk around some without the oxygen on! Made a great pot of soup, that I call clean out the refrig soup. (Leek, onion, carrots, celery, wild rice, lentils, V8, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, broccoli and cauliflower, bouillon, garlic, pepper, bayleaf, cumin, and butternut squash. It made a huge pot, and was yummy! Thank you to our veteran's. Blessings, blessings, everywhere!

(10/30)

Jim's mom and her Golden, Dolly, arrived mid-morning from Colorado, safe and sound. She is moving to our town, in fact, right behind us, across the alley. We will be back door neighbors. We're thankful that the trip is behind her. Now we're waiting for the moving van to arrive on Friday. Keep your fingers crossed....anyone want to help unpack boxes? Surely, someone, out there, likes to unpack......?

Josh's Night Out...(9/30)

Josh and his gal Jenny haven't seen each other for five months, so a Wendy's supper and a movie was long overdue. She lives in assisted living, and a staff person brings her to a town midway between where we live, and where she lives. I'm Josh's ride, and mama, and encourager in the dating scene. Mostly I collect giggles for myself, as they are both so darn cute!


They meet every June, as they have now for the past fourteen years at their special camp. That camp is the highlight of their year, and I've written about it before, and what it means to them. They don't smooch, they hug, and smile at each other a lot.
It's just the sweetest thing!

We try to get them together a couple times a year for an outing such as this. They saw the new Christmas Carol movie tonight, and I just realized that Josh didn't tell me a thing about the movie...just about Jenny during the twenty-six mile drive home.
In between visits, they send cards, letters, and make phone calls.

A meeting was held quite far from Earth!
It's time again for another birth.
Said the Angels to the Lord above
"This Special Child will need much love."
His progress may be very slow,
Accomplishment he may not show.
And he'll require extra care
From the folks he meets down there.
(He may not run or laugh or play;)
His thoughts may seem quite far away.
In many ways he won't adapt
And he'll be known as handicapped.
So let's be careful where he's sent.
We want his life to be content.
Please Lord find the parents who
Will do a special job for You.
They will not realize right away
The leading role they're asked to play.
But with this child sent form above
Comes stronger faith and richer love.
And soon they'll know the privilege given
In caring for their gift from Heaven.
There precious charge so meek and mild
IS HEAVENS VERY SPECIAL CHILD
Edna Massimilla

(8/30)

Got lots of chores done today. Jake saw a young buck in a newly combined bean field and it made his ears perk up. We shared a crisp, tart apple tonight, mine had a little caramel sauce. Temp was in the 70's, so the house is full of the orange lady bugs tonight; somehow they know that the temps will drop tomorrow!
We're thankful for the Sunday that we had, that family and friends are well, and Josh and his Jenny have a movie date tomorrow night.
Tomorrow, I'll have pics!

(7/30)

What a glorious autumn day we had in northeastern Indiana today! Folks were out and about in shorts and tees, and motorcycles were everywhere. At our house, I had the lawn mower gassed up and running for one last time...at least, it better be the last mow of the season. (I'd be very thankful dear Mother Nature if this could be so!) Anyway, if ever there be an Indian Summer day, today, surely, must have been ours!
My mother-in-law's house is empty now, and all of her belongings are in the moving van. She's leaving the Colorado mountains, and coming to our small town, as she needs the lower altitude due to some breathing problems. She'll move right across the alley from us, so we will be back door neighbors! We're all looking forward to this, and having family close by will be a treat for us. (I'd be real thankful if their trip East was safe and not too grueling please.)
Josh came over for lasagna and fresh green salad with pomegranate seeds and green onion, and yeast rolls. It was delish, and he went home a happy camper with a full belly, and a dish to heat up for tomorrow.
I got the screens off the windows and windows washed, and I'm thankful to have had the energy today to make the food, mow, and do windows too. The corgis played chase and ball in the backyard, enjoying the sun. My daughter flew home safely following a week in Portland, Oregon, for her work.
We're all thankful for the lovely Saturday that we had.
It could have gone another way...but it didn't. Thankee!

(6/30)

The corgis want a moment of your time tonight, so I'll step back and let them whine. Bored, bored, bored....oh, the tough life of a corgi. Is it too much to ask for a tad more excitement? Sure, we go out and herd sheep daily...from the open car window...one bark sets off the whole herd. Y'know what they say about sheep mentality, well it's oh, so true! Follow the leader is how they live their lives!
We go run in the open field behind the high school too. We run and jump and empty our colons there. It's great fun. Mom says 'run to the woods' and our short little legs make us look like weeble wobbles as we cut muster through the high grass.

They're cute, they're short, they have chubb-butts, they scarf food down as if they haven't eaten for a week. They bark at the mail man, and when the phone rings, but lordy, I'm thankful to have 'em.

If you haven't already, don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

300th Post....and third year of blogging...

Well, three years, huh...who knew it was opening a door to meeting some wonderful blog pals. We began traveling in the RV in November of 2006, and I wanted to document our road experiences and share them with family and friends. I didn't have a clue how to do it, and daughter April told me about blogger. The rest is history. We're landlocked at home now, at least I am, as Jim travels via semi these days rather than the Winnebago.


Anyhoo, 'tis time to share glad tidings and a little giveaway. What we have here is a trio of tags. Two with a woman/gal pal theme, and one Thanksgiving one. I send tags to friends often. They use them as bookmarks, or put them up on their refrigerator. They're usually sassy, and full of mirth.
These are more neutral. Also there is a Christmas card, one of the many I have been making for our local bazaar coming up in a few weeks. A box of Ande's creme de menthe candies will sweeten the pot.

Make a comment, and that's an entry. Blog about it on your blog, make another entry. I'll collect names until Sunday, the 15th. The corgis will sniff out a name, and the wettest name wins!
Corgi humor folks. Play along, it's worth it for the candy at least!
It's been fun sharing life with you all. You're all so interesting.
It's like visiting over a back fence reading your entries.
We're all so different, but the same, in oh so many ways.
Hugs to ya' all!

Dang Thankful...(5/30)

Paydirt today! Lookee what Penniwig's latest giveaway is, and lucky (and extremely thankful too) me won this beauty today. A bottle brush wreath in such an old fashioned color and design, which will be so enjoyed in my humble household.
Now...you must...please...click on Penniwig's etsy site shown on my sidebar. She's been busy making new colonial ear bobs, which are delightful, and oh so unusual. I love 'em, you will too!

(4/30)

Day four of acknowledging blessings leads me to say that weather wise, it was a glorious autumn day. Blue sky, sunshine, and a temp of high 50's. Took son Josh to the dentist, and "no cavities, Mom!" Walmart had my med refills done in a timely manner, and actually had the supply in.
We hit Dollar Tree, and found delightful Christmas items inside. Josh had never been, and is a new found convert. I could hear him, aisles away, saying ohh and ahh over the treasures he found. (You have to know Josh, think Forest Gump with a higher IQ, but just as innocent.) Little things make him very happy. He's my angel on earth. He drives me nuts occasionally, but he's so pure of heart, and always will be.
Life happens, most days occurring in unspectacular ways, filled with small moments. No highs, no lows. Just nice. It flows. Contentment.
Yeah, I'm thankful most, for being able to feel contentment. Many don't experience that, and are in the never ending search for something...something, that they think they need.
Not me, I like small moments, and angel boys, and corgi kids who lean on my shoulder as I drive. And a good cup of joe.

(3/30)

The day almost got away from me before I remembered to make my daily post of thanksgiving.
The sky was blue, the coffee at McD's was fresh, we saw three fields of sheared sheep, the ponies were out, the corgis were happy, and I was too.
Our power went out for over two hours late this afternoon, candles were lit as darkness rolled in, the lights came back on in time for the evening news.
Overall, it was a good day. I'm thankful for that!

(2/30)

Day two of feeling thankful for the blessings bestowed upon me.
Hmmm, what shall they be today?
First off, I am thankful for waking up early this morning, sipping hot tea in semi-darkness, and being allowed to wake up slowly.
I come from a gene pool of non-morning people. My people traveled to America on a ship from Hungary, now better known as Czechoslovakia. Slavs are a dark people, in mood, not skin tone. We lean toward melancholia. My uncle said it's something to do with hexes from old gyspy women....hey, that's what he said!
Back to blessings....see, I can stay on track. It doesn't take an urn of coffee to keep my mind clicking. Well, most days it doesn't.
Second of all, I am terribly thankful for our local public library.
It is a terrific place, and hub of the community here. I peruse the Amazon listings for new books, make a list, and once they have been ordered and processed into the library system, they give me a call and say, "come and get 'em". Quite often I am honored to be the first reader of these new books. So, I do the research and they keep me up to my elbows in new titles by all my favorite authors.
Could life for a bookworm, and former library staff person, be any sweeter? I think not!
While thankful for many things, those are what I'll mention for today. Thank you and good night!

(1/30)

Today, the first of November, is often called All Saint's Day. I was raised Catholic, so it was always a day we "had" to go to mass, something hard to do after running amok on Halloween, and having a buzz left from a candy high.

Anyhoo~let's think about blessings in our lives. We have many. We have many that are overlooked. Blessings don't often jump out at us.
They are usually quiet things, in the background, most always, taken for granted.

My entire life, I have been blessed with a loving, supportive family; parents, siblings, children, and second husband. My first, was NOT a blessing, rather a curse. (giggle...but the truth!)
In my head, as a child, I thought, that most everyone had this in their lives. Adulthood opened my eyes though, to show that was not the case. So, for this I'm thankful

Hubby is working a job he despises, and he isn't home much. Even tho he was very tired, depressed and frustrated following a long week, he thought to pick up three yellow roses to bring home for me and corgis. He loved all the food I had prepared, and relaxed during his less than 24 hour stop-over. So, I'm thankful for that too.

In the upcoming thirty days of November, and host to the holiday of Thanksgiving, women across blog land are documenting things that they are thankful for. Each day we will list a few things that we view as blessings. Today is my first entry. I know that there will be plenty of things to be thankful for. We'll see what the month unfolds and reveals. Join in if you'd like to. I need to do this as clutter covers up what's real in life, and makes us not see what's right in front of us.

Disclaimer: ( I can't be cranky 24/7, and am trying to make an effort here, not to act so dang menopausal!)