The Christmas Gift

My BFF, Jean, and I sat on my back porch this past summer.

We made our "Bucket List".

Today, I am able to cross another "to do" off the list.

Find Jason & Kyle

When I got Jean to join Facebook a few months ago, I thought we would have fun but I never imagined the good that could come from it. Christmas night, I found out; Jean made contact with the sons who she was seperated from 10 years ago! Faith has seen her through these past 10 years; she has never given up the hope that they would reunite someday.

A mother's love for her children will always overcome the heartaches, hopelessness, and despartion felt when those children are taken from her arms.


Jean, I am so happy for you and I hope with all of my heart, that this is not the last of the answers to your prayers.

Jason & Kyle, I hope that you can know how happy you have made your mother, simply by answering her prayers.

Just when I thought I knew everything about my mother....

Last night I saw something that really touched me. I wasn't really surprised; just kind of taken back a little.

I drove my mother to meet a group of her friends whom she sees about once a year. The trip necessitated driving North on I95, so it was a nice long drive (if you consider hearing gasps every few miles, and having your arm clenched and scratched by long, perfectly manicured fingernails, nice) with some good conversation.

We reached our destination in about 1-3/4 hours; a little over an hour longer than it should have taken. The holiday traffic was crazy and I changed my route several times so that we wouldn't be late.

She had a good time catching up with her friends and we had a "so-so" dinner at a restaurant that we had high expectations of. I think that may have been because we used to live right near the restaurant many years ago when it was one of the best in the area. The dinner was actually a huge disappointment. Perhaps that is why we took more than half of it home with us; something I rarely do.

On the way home, we have to go through the edge of the city to get to the bridge to cross the river. When we reached the underside of the bridge, we were stopped by a red light at a spot where it is not uncommon to see people hanging around. I must admit that I have gone past this spot so many times that I must have become oblivious to it. This night, there was a homeless man standing in the middle of the street with a sign that read, "Homeless, Hungry, Disabled Vet. Can you help? God Bless."

From the passenger seat I heard another gasp; this time it was not due to my driving but from the sight of that man in the street. My mother started to reach for her handbag, hesitated, reached again.... Then I reached in the back seat to find our carefully secured doggy bags (actually, they were nice styro containers, holding in the heat). When I came up with the box, the man was already standing at my window, as if he knew what I was doing. When I looked at him, my heart sank. I opened the window and he took the box from me and said "Thank you very much and God Bless You."

When the light turned green, I pulled away and as I looked back in my rear-view mirror, I saw the man in the car behind me, also offering something. I turned the bend and headed over the bridge, and out of sight.
We go to the city for the theater, dinner, shopping, fun times. We are so busy that we never look around us. Maybe seeing the city at night, in a different light, makes us more aware of things. Things I didn't realize. My mother had never seen a homeless person!

The crossing was silent. When I reached the other side of the river, I looked over at her face. She was crying. I think it really shook her, actually seeing, first hand, someone so down, so alone, so desperate. My mother was a young child during the Great Depression, still, she was touched.

Seeing my mother so vulnerable is what touched me.

They're dropping like flies!

Here I sit, on Thanksgiving Day, blogging my heart out. You are probbly thinking I A) Have nowhere to go, or B) Am going to someone's house for dinner. WRONG! I had place(S) to be! I am NOT going to someone's house.

Yes, I am cooking on Thanksgiving and have time to sit, wine glass in hand (half empty- or is that half full?- bottle sitting nearby) aimlessly surfing the web. We turned down 2 invitations in order to have dinner at our house, and we did include the "inviters", who became the first flies to drop. That's ok, we still have my parents (whom I only last week found out that they were not going to the sibling's, as usual; what's up with that?) and my other "spawn with family".

My daughter always attends the "Command Performance" at her mother-in-law's; wouldn't dare suggest otherwise. That's ok with me because I get them for the entire Christmas celebration, beginning on Christmas Eve and ending somewhere after Christmas dinner. This is something which I came to accept early on. I learned how to pick my battles with the in-laws!
Another last minute game call-The Kid's mom has to babysit her younger brothers while her mother works, and she refuses to bring them here. Can't say I argued too hard on that one.
So, we are down to 5. That's fine with me-I still cook for 100. I have never, even after 36+ years of marriage, been able to figure out how to cook for 2. BUT, wouldn't you think that everyone could be a little bit early to watch some football or something? My mother has a long history of lateness. I remember once, when I was first married, having Thanksgiving at my Grandmother's with the whole family. Of course Big Daddy and I were there way ahead of time so that we could visit and have fun with my cousins before dinner. I know it was a 4 hour drive, but if I could do it, couldn't my mom? No. They arrived about an hour after dinner was set. I still can't figure out why she was annoyed that we had eaten without them; we did save them some. She complained that they left the dark meat (she likes white), the potatoes were cold, and there weren't any rolls left. Oh my!

I would never start without her but, she had better get here soon because I don't do this often and I want it to be good. Not only that, I am really hungry and I refuse to eat anything now and miss the pleasure of gorging myself intentionally later.

Besides, she has the pies!

I've been busy!

Well, I had some major technical difficulties last week but I am back and in full swing!

Today was really busy and the day flew by.

I had some towels to monogram for a Bridal Shower,

Taggies for a Baby Shower,

Custom blanket for the same shower,

Christmas

bib

And this is just too cute NOT to show.

I had a bride ask for something for her Flower Girls; This is what I came up with:

While You Wait

I don't know about you but, I hate waiting. I am impatient and I must have instant gratification. I had lots of that today.

I had to take my embroidery machine in to fix a self induced problem. The repair man told me to give him at least a few hours. No problem; I was in my old neighborhood (an hour away from home) so I planned to meet a friend (Just An Old Fashioned Gal) for lunch and maybe do a little shopping.

While I was shopping in Home Goods, I found a basket full of items, each one was right there waiting for me. I found a beautiful tablecloth and then found exactly 2 packages of 4 each, napkins, in the clearance aisle! Then I walked over to the toy aisle and found the perfect toy for The Kid--a balance board with a picture of his favorite thing, a duck!

After that, I turned around and there was my friend (she said she was tired of waiting for me)!

No waiting continued at the checkout line (no line). While I was paying, my phone rang and it was repairman letting me know that he had finished and my baby was ready!

We were pretty hungry so we jumped in our cars (yup, you guessed it; right in the first space) and went to a restaurant just down the street. Table for 2? Right this way! 12:30 and no waiting? Our food came out before we even had a chance to catch up.

This is what happens when you try to take a picture of yourself!

So in all, my day was great. After I left my friend at the restaurant, I was driving toward home when I saw the funniest thing. Well, it may not be funny to everyone but, it struck me so funny, I had to take a picture with my phone. I hope you can see it. Ok, it's too far away to see but here is what it says:

(Whoever)'s Art; Tattoos while you wait!

Since I hate waiting, I won't be going there anytime soon!

Oh, Yeah!!!!!!!! World Series, Baby!

No words needed!

Family Tree?

Many years ago, I was really into Geneology, tracing my mother's family back to 1700's Switzerland. I learned a lot, such as the difference between second cousins (the people in your family who have the same great-grandparents as you, but not the same grandparents), and cousins twice removed (there is a two-generation difference). It is all very confusing but eventually, you get the hang of it.

There is one family relationship that can't be explained, however.

My daughter-in-law's first child gave birth so that would be my "Great-grand", right? So far, so good.

Now, here is where it gets tricky. My mother adopted the little girl, so that would make her my "little sister"?!?

Yeah, my mom took on the responsibility under protest by my dad! He said, "absolutely not!" when they discussed it. He thought that it was too much trouble, and would take up a lot of time and effort, and they would lose their freedom. But once her saw her, he fell in love. So they became proud parents. They dote. They fuss. They spoil. They adore her! (All ad nauseam, I might add.)

However, my parents like to travel and sometimes it is not possible or appropriate for my great-grand/sister to accompany them. When that happens, they slyly ask if she can stay with us. Of course I say, "Yes"; she is no trouble at all. She practically takes care of herself and she loves the cats (We have 3). Plus we have a big fenced in back yard to play in and I can sew little clothes for her.

When they arrive, so does her little bag containing her washcloth, towel, toothbrush, hairbrush and hair accessories, and special toys. Her pillow also comes along, as well as a thermal bag filled with individual daily servings of pre-cooked oatmeal (I gag thinking about cooking the stuff).

She sleeps with Big Daddy and me; she loves to snuggle. My mom is a little annoyed about this because now she won't stay in her own room at home. Oh well!

She's so cute with curly black hair and black eyes. One can't help staring at her; everywhere my parents go, people remark how cute she is--even with the rather dominant underbite. Oh, would you like to see a picture of her?

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I think she is the best thing that ever happened to them; she gives them another reason to get up every morning, and is going to keep them young.