Life

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Attitude of Gratitude

THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE WE HAVE
BEEN HAVING THE LAST COUPLE
DAYS!!!

Having the ability to make something
old, new again

Even though I am not working at the moment
and am collecting unemployment
I have been able to sustain myself
and make what I have work for me

Did I mention the BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE?

Have a wonderful upcoming week :)


Saturday, January 29, 2011

Saturday afternoon project

I picked up this chair at one of my GW shopping trips.


My granddaughter thought I was nuts because she said it was UGLY. Well it wasn't exactly pretty but it was comfortable, lightweight so that I would be able to move it around as needed, I knew that I could recover it and the price was one I couldn't pass up. The chair cost me a total of $2.75. I bought it and brought it home. I didn't have any material yet to recover it but I would keep looking and in the meantime I sat it in my living room and covered it with a fleece blanket that I had, it would do until I could change it. On another of my GW shopping trips I found some material that I liked. Well actually I found 4 pieces of material that I liked and there was enough of each to cover the chair and they cost me a whole whopping $.70 each. There was at least 4 yds on each piece of material I found. So now to get on to the change.

I went to my mothers this afternoon and she helped me recover this chair. It was hard to decide which material to use. When opening up one of the pieces of material completely I found that I couldn't use it to cover the chair as it had a border on one side which wouldn't work for what I needed done. So I gave that piece to my mother as she said it would make a nice pair of curtains for the back bedroom. Can't wait to see when she gets those done. Anyway now onto the project at hand.

It took us about 3hrs total to recover the chair. Took us about 30 min to take out 6 screws. And of course you know 1 had to give us issues. It was stripped and was a bear to get out, but we finally did. Then of course the material I decided to use was the stripe material so that had to be matched up. We did a good job in matching the back to seat and trust me that took some doing because it seemed every time we thought we had it lined up it would move when we started stapling it on the back. But we got it done and I love the chair. I don't think its to bad for something that was less then $4. Now just need to get the rest of my projects done and then I will be set.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Attitude of Gratitude

Smiling at someone may just make
their day, you never know so
why not just go ahead
and do it.

Making a phone call just to say Hi, especially
when someone keeps coming in your
thoughts could really help
someone.

Just think of little things you would want
to happen to you and then go out
and do them for someone else.
The blessings will come in more
ways then you can possibly
imagine.

Blessings in our lives aren't always physical
things, just look around, you will be
pleasantly surprised at how much
we actually have.

Think of others before ourselves

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Bling

My great granddaughter loves her Bling. She is always wearing her necklaces and her oversized rings. She also carries around a purse when her hands aren't full. She has a princess crown but won't wear it, carries it yes, wear it no. And heaven forbid I put it up so it doesn't get broke, she must have it easy access where she can get it when she wants. When ever I get the camera out she is right there in front of me for her closeup. You would think that cameras were only made for her and her closeups. I swear she can be in another room and let me get my camera out or even move it for that matter, and bam she is right there waiting for her picture to be taken.


She loves to be dressed up. This soft fluffy feather like vest she got for Christmas is so cute on her and boy does she know it. She runs her hands over it and goes "mmmm" and then smiles. Or pulls up the bottom and runs it over her head. My mother, her great great grandma got this for her and I just may just have to find some material like it and make her some. She will love it. Very much a fashion Diva.
She also loved her tutu I made her for her Princess 1st Birthday recently. This was so easy to make, just cut up strips of tulle and tie them on a piece of elastic. I also added some ribbon for some extra flair. She loved the way this felt and loved scrunching it up in her hands. I definitely will have to make her some more. I can see so much dress up in our future. Her mother just groans and tells me I am making a girly girl out of her. Well yeah...that's what grandmas do even great grandmas like me.

I am so enjoying spending time with her. I love all the new things she finds, explores, learns and just everything else that comes up. She makes my heart smile (stole that from my bff Deana :) )

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Attitude of Gratitude

Waking up after a snowy night this week to find that
the gentleman that plows the rental
unit next door to me had so graciously
plowed the bottom half of my driveway
where all the heavy snow was.
THANK YOU

Not getting the Lake Effect Snow that
was predicted for our area all
week.

Losing 7# this past week without
really trying :)

Spending time with family and friends
this past week.



Sunday, January 9, 2011

Attitude of Gratitude


Being able to celebrate my great granddaughter
Randi 1st birthday with family and friends

Despite the winter weather we are having
being safe and warm in my home

Seeing the smiles on children's faces for
really no reason at all

Having many things to smile about
just because

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Nostalgic

I am not sure why, but lately I have been so nostalgic for the "old days". I have been thinking about foods we used to have for the holidays, family get togethers, family in general and so much more. I have been listening to songs from my high school days, I made a casserole, jello dish and some cookies for Christmas at my mothers house that we used to always have for the holidays. My brother really liked the jello dish and even said it was so good to have again. The casserole was a hit also and my daughters boyfriend pretty much devoured it and told me anytime I wanted to make it again he would surely help me eat it. (I made it again for our new years eve dinner). The cookies were all gone very early on also.

On Sunday night while at my cousins house we watched some old videos from past Christmas's and other celebrations from 1992. We all were commenting on how young everyone looked but yet the same. We also were noticing the people that aren't with us anymore. That was kind of a wake up call also to how many people we have lost in even just the last few years.

I understand I am getting older and I am not complaining, but with that comes everyone else is getting older also. I still feel like a kid at heart. I still remember all the good times I have had and they seem like they happened just yesterday. I look through old pictures and again it seems like yesterday that the even in the picture just happened. I also see my children, grandchildren and great granddaughter in those faces of when I was younger. I see my myself in pictures of my mother and my father.

I wish I sat down with my grandparents more and talked about what it was like when they were growing up, what their dreams were, what they were feeling and anything else they wanted to tell me. But when you are a kid you just don't want to sit and listen to the tales of the "old folks" but now I wish I had that information to go along with the pictures I look at. My paternal grandmother was born in Sweden and came here as a child. There last name was Gipson and it was changed to Freese when they came to the United States, but I don't know why it was changed and anyone who might know that answer is gone now. My maternal grandmother lived to be 93 and my mother who is the youngest has 3 siblings left who are in their 90's now and one who is in late 80's. The other 2 who passed away were in their 90's when they passed away. So on my mothers side they lived a very long life, which is a good thing. Good genes I think is what they call it.

I guess maybe a part of me wants time to stop sort of, for things to go back to the way they used to be. For me to gather information or whatever I need to pass along the information to my children and grandkids. I try and keep a good log on back of pictures so that maybe when they become my age and are looking through old photos they will be able to know what was going on. I want to hang on to the relatives that I have left. I don't want them to leave. I want my children to know who they are and where they come from.

Maybe its just that I want to remember myself all the good times, all the learning, all the things that used to be. I want the simpler times, I want the good food we used to eat, I want the good old fashioned gospel quartet music, I want to visit with family and friends just for the heck of it, I want to have family dinners just because, I want to spend a whole night just putting a puzzle together or playing a game.

This is a lot of rambling I know, and I am sure it is not very eloquently put, but it's how I have been feeling lately and I can't put my finger on why that is. If anyone has a suggestion, a revelation or whatever, please share. In the meantime I will continue to look through my photo albums and remember, look through my old cookbooks and the pieces of paper/back of envelopes with the recipes written on it and make those things I remember and just be me.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Attitude of Gratitude

My great granddaughter Randi turning 1 this week
hard to believe because it has gone by so quickly

Even though I am limited in what I can do because
of my arm injury, I manage to do the things I
need to do to survive

Freedom of religion and being able to go to church
and in this new year we are going to study from
The New Testament during Sunday School

To go into the new year with my eyes wide open,
my arms open wide and to accept and enjoy what
the Lord has in store for me

For the Love of family and friends which so enhances
my life!!!