Lost My Marbles...and Everything Else!

Here I go, feeling like the new kid on the playground again. Jumping back into the blog fray isn't as simple as it ought to be, after a...what?...3 week absence. Jiminy Cricket...can it be that long??? "Where have you been?", my one or two very patient (remaining) blog friends might be wondering.

Moving! Doesn't make a bit of difference that I only moved 6 minutes down the road. Moving is moving. For anyone who has ever packed up and moved 43 years worth of accumulated stuff, 'nuff said! For you fortunate friends who haven't, I have one bit of advice: DON'T! Not terribly realistic, so here's some follow-up wisdom: do not....I repeat...do NOT do it in bits and pieces! Coral as many friends/ neighbors/ random strangers as you can and just do it in one fell swoop: Bonsai-style! Packing and moving a few boxes at a time may seem like a good idea, but it makes the process interminable and utterly unbearable.

Finally, though, my computer is up and running. I even managed to find my camera and take some pictures of the mass of boxes/ bins we are trying to call "home". It felt so good to snap pictures of my mess, knowing that...in a matter of minutes...I would be merrily sitting at my now functioning computer to share them with you. NOT SO MUCH! The cord that attaches my camera to the computer is lost in the moving abyss, along with my cell phone charger (still), most of my underwear, the remote to the dvd player and a plethora of assorted necessities. Yes, yes...I know I'll find it. I'm just growing weary of having my full-time job be that of a professional lost & found artist.

I have missed you all and can't wait to spend time catching up on your blogs. That is the dangling carrot that will inspire me to keep on, keepin' on :-)

Hugs to you all!!!

I Can Handle 8!

I know, I know...I haven't posted in FOREVER, but today is my baby girl's 8th birthday and she deserves some blog love! It's funny how specific birthdays "hit" you more strongly than others. With both of my children, the 6th seemed like a HUGE milestone and I felt the acute pangs of their youth moving too quickly. I was fine with 7...and 8 is manageable...so far. Although...Caroline has already started negotiating an appropriate age for dating. DATING?????? I can scarcely stand the fact that my 14 year old son likes some girl and he won't tell me her name!
I digress. Today it's all about my feisty, independent, sassy daughter. Before she (technically) entered this world, Caroline had her own agenda and had me jumping through hoops to keep up. I had some pre-term labor issues, beginning at 25 weeks. I was more prepared the second go-round, as I'd gone through the same with my firstborn. Still, it was a daily effort to keep my legs clamped tightly shut...lest she slip out too early...and follow dr's orders. That, coupled with dozens of false alarm trips to the hospital, made for a very long pregnancy. Naturally, when we were out of the danger zone time period, she settled right down and made herself comfy cozy. As my due date approached, I tried all of the ridiculous, labor-inducing old wives tale tricks: rose hips tea, spicy foods, bumpy car rides...and yes...castor oil. NOT something I would recommend to anyone, regardless of how high your level of impatience might be. The result certainly feels like the beginning stages of labor, but...how can I put this delicately...your body expels everything but the baby! Not so delicate, huh? Sorry 'bout that :-) In spite of my best efforts to get to the "meet and greet" portion of motherhood, it was between Caroline and God as to when that would happen. My ob/ gyn had warned me, repeatedly, not to wait too long to get to the hospital, after labor started. Because of the pre-term labor and the fact that she was all but poking a hand out to wave hello, he was seriously concerned that I would birth her during the 3 minute ride to the hospital. When my labor started, her dad and I did heed his warning and scooted off to labor & delivery at a rather speedy pace. No need to rush, as it turned out. My little imp kept us waiting another 23 hours before she decided to introduce herself in person.
And so it goes....that's my Caroline. The old "apple doesn't fall far..." adage is about as accurate as you can get with my sweet girl. I only pray I can manage to stay one or two steps ahead of her as she grows up. Better put my running shoes on!
The pictures I am sharing are older ones because I have lost my camera! We are in the process of moving (across town) and I can't find my camera anywhere. I'm sure it's buried in a box somewhere...along with my cell phone charger, my son's history book and numerous other items of great importance.

More "Out of the Mouths of Babes"...

I picked my 8 year old daughter up, after school, yesterday and the following conversation ensued...
Caroline: "Mom, do you think I will be a woman of knowledge when I grow up?"
Me: (trying to stifle my giggles) "Oh, I'm sure you will, Carly. What made you think of that?"
Caroline: "I don't know. No reason. No offense, Mom, but I think my dad is a man of GREAT knowledge...and you are a woman of wonderful imagination".
Me: (no longer able to contain my laughter) "I'm not offended, Honey."
My daughter is SO intuitive and 100% accurate with this assessment of her parents. I'm thinking Caroline must, somehow, share bloodlines with Anne Shirley ("Anne of Green Gables"). Side note: I'll take the wonderful imagination over the great knowledge any day of the week!

Where's the Tooth Fairy???

Apparently, she skipped right by my house and sent the tooth trolls to create some mischief in my mouth! I have been M.I.A. due, in part, to 5 days of complete agony caused by a "bothersome" tooth. Bothersome, my Aunt Fanny! That was the dentist's sugar coated term for my evil tormentor. I would far rather birth a rabid elephant...sans epidural...than go through the pain I was in. The dentist finally got it "under control" (add to the 4-letter word list: R-O-O-T canal) and I'm beginning to feel human again. I'm running a fever and my jaw feels like I went a few rounds with Mike Tyson, but they're nothing in comparison to how I felt 2 days ago. A hefty course of antibiotics with a side of Tylenol with codeine should take care of the residual discomfort. I'll be back when I'm feeling more perky!

Self-Restraint

Okay, I've been itching to show some updated pictures of the kittens, but have held back in order to avoid boring everyone into fur ball oblivion. I backtracked and realized I've been sufficiently patient...at least according to my standards :-) I can also justify that two of the four babies will have a new home in 2 weeks. We are keeping Gray and Grunt (my daughter couldn't remember the name for the "runt" of the litter, so she called him/ her Grunt. He/she is no longer the little one in the family, but the name has taken hold). I was fortunate enough to have a good friend tell me that she's been wanted TWO black kittens for a long time, so the siblings will all have some familiar faces to grow up with! We escaped near catastrophe two nights ago when we couldn't find Gray anywhere. We turned the house upside down for two hours. I searched outside, in the dark, fearing that he/she had slipped out somehow. My concern mounted to astronomical heights when I heard hawks screeching nearby. With all the pet trauma my kids (my daughter especially) have endured lately, I thought I would sacrifice myself to the winged carnivores before I would try to explain that one of our kittens got carried away by a hawk! Still trying to maintain optimistic for my now hysterical daughter, I pulled the kittens' blanket out from under my bed...which I had checked no less than 25 times...and there was Gray, wrapped up all comfy cozy. PHEW! Catastrophe averted!

Mortification!

I'd love to blame this gigantic faux-pas on the Blogger poltergeist, but this time I have to fess up and own my mortifying blunder. A few weeks ago, I was THRILLED when LuLu (Coastal Sisters) contacted me about winning her Pomander Ball give-away. I am a HUGE admirer of LuLu's creations, so this was an extra special treat. When the pomander arrived, it far surpassed my wildest expectations (the pictures didn't begin to do it justice) and it matches the colors, in my bedroom, perfectly. I meant to (and seriously thought I had) post about it immediately. As I was just "window shopping" on LuLu's website, I came across a lovely magenta pomander she is selling and had that sinking "Ohhhhh Nooooo" feeling, in the pit of my stomach. I poured through my older postings and realized that I had, in fact, written a post about LuLu's beautiful gift....in my own head! I had to make a public confession and am now off to chomp on a massive slice of humble pie, in a private email to sweet LuLu.

Mother's Day Continues

My "baby" girl forgot to give me the Mother's Day gift she made in school. Like many moms, these handmade gifts are my absolute favorite and I cherish every treasure my children has created for me! To back up...last year, my daughter was very reluctant to hand over the gift she'd made in school. When I had sufficiently assured her that I would love whatever she'd made, she gave me the wrapped present. As soon as I opened it, I understood the reason for her hesitancy. There, in a carefully painted terra cotta pot, was....a bunch of dirt. Evidently, Caroline's were the only seeds that failed to grow. The teacher tried to convince my stubborn offspring to swap plants for one that was showing signs of life. Caroline, apparently, refused and stood her ground. The teacher (who was a beastly woman on a good day) told my daughter that it was "stupid" to give someone a container of dirt for a gift and she should be "embarrassed" to do so. That was all my will-of-steel girl needed to dig her heels in harder and deeper. Those were the seeds she had planted for me and those were the seeds I was going to get...end of discussion! It took a few weeks, but the seeds did start to grow and, by the end of the summer, we had mutant sunflowers and marigolds the size of cauliflower heads taking over my side garden! I, of course, took several pictures, mounted them on poster board and marched them in (myself) to my daughter's classroom. I had stencilled, in huge black letters, "HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!". I insisted that the teacher hang the poster in the front of the class and my baby was vindicated.
No such drama surrounding this year's gift. Caroline used beautiful, vibrant fabric scraps to decoupage the container of pretty yellow marigolds. She made me a precious "My Mom..." book and all is right in our world!

Mother's Day Bliss

Still in my Pooh jammies as I write this...at NOON! Today has just been full of wonderful surprises, which is not always the case on holidays. I'll say it "outloud" with hopes that 1.) it doesn't make me sound like a selfish shrew and 2.) there may be other ladies who have similar experiences. As a mom (and when I was a wife), I have always believed in making a big deal out of holidays. Perhaps it is because I am a "let's celebrate" kind of girl, but I scarcely need an excuse to make a fuss over the people I love. When I married my daughter's father, I instantly inherited 5 step-children, a step-daughter-in-law, a step-grandson & his two ex-wives. Yes, the ex-wives were part of the package :-). With such a large family, I shopped (Ohhhh, the hardship of it all) year-round for birthday and Christmas gifts. Whenever I came across something that would suit one of the kids, I'd pick it up and toss it in my gift closet. The result: I was overly prepared when the special occasion came around. It actually wasn't as haphazard as that sounds. I put a great deal of thought into each gift, while trying to stick within the parameters of our budget. Took time and creativity, but I thoroughly enjoyed the outcome when gift giving time arrived!
'Tis better to give than to receive...absolutely...and that's what I tried to keep in mind when I was the gift recipient. Because I was never the sort to make a wish list, that left the decision making up to my kids and ex-husband. I probably should have done some steering in the right direction, but I love surprises. At the risk of seeming ungrateful, suffice it to say: there are good surprises and there are not-so-good surprises. This Mother's Day, my ex-husband outdid himself beyond measure. He took the kids shopping for cards and a lovely rose scented candle (my favorite) and brought fresh out of the oven bagels & bream cheese over for breakfast. That would have been sufficient to put a lasting smile on this Mom's face. Inside the gift bag was a dvd/ cd (I wasn't sure which, at first) that he insisted we pop in the dvd player right away (that answered the dvd/ cd question). He had compiled a 10 minute slideshow of pictures that chronicled the lives of both of my children...many taken with me. The slideshow was set to music that he composed and recorded digitally. From the first picture, I was reduced to a quivering puddle of tears. My daughter quickly followed suit and my teenage son swiftly exited the room, but not before I caught a glimpse of a bit of suspicious moisture in his handsome brown eyes. My ex-husband kept his sunglasses on, throughout the viewing, but I'm fairly certain he wasn't immune to the reaction of my daughter and myself. This was, far and away, the best Mother's Day gift I have ever received. I so wish I could share it with all of you! I did ask him to make copies that I will send to my siblings and parents. I'm blessed and incredibly grateful...more tears, so I'll end with that. The picture, for this post, was taken several years ago. My daughter and I were on a ride, at an amusement park. I just love the expression on her face.

Happy Mother's Day

I feel a little guilty that this post isn't going to focus on the joys of motherhood...or be chock full of amusing anecdotes...or sage advice from a Mom whose been round the block a few times. Sorry folks...perhaps at the end of the day. I woke up early this morning, per usual, and saw telltale signs of a sunshiny day. After, what feels like, months of off and on rain, this was truly a sight for sore eyes. I grabbed my camera and (literally) ran outside to see what I could photograph. In spite of the rain, my garden hasn't produced any new subject matter, so I trotted down the driveway...in my jammies...to take a look at the azaleas. They are in full bloom...perfect! As I was snapping pictures of my smiling bushes, I noticed that my lilacs are starting to come out. I love lilacs, which is a bit odd because purple/ lavender is not at the top of my favorite color(s) list. The fragrance of lilacs is quite another matter. That is at the top of my list of favorite scents!
After taking, what I deemed to be, a sufficient number of pictures (and realizing how silly I looked running around my driveway in Winnie-the-Pooh pj's), I found my clippers to make a Mother's Day bouquet to share with all of you. "What?", those of you who are familiar with my cut flowers issue, may be asking. There is a caveat to that: cut flowers, from trees or bushes, are just fine.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you...moms who have birthed children, moms who have adopted children, "moms" who have no children of their own...but have, nonetheless touched the life of a young person in some way!

Jello Melon Wedges

I found this recipe in Woman's Day magazine and was dying to share it. Of course, when it came time to post the recipe, I couldn't find my magazine. I did find the recipe on the Kraft foods website. The only difference between the two recipes is the Kraft one mixes fruit into the jello. I actually like the presentation without the fruit mixed into the jello...the magazine picture looked so crisp and clean...perfect for a summer picnic...but it's up to you.

CUT 1 melon (about 3-1/2 lb., either cantaloupe or honeydew) in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Scoop out melon, leaving each half with a 1-inch-thick shell. Chop removed melon; drain well. Cut thin slice off bottom of each melon shell to allow it to stand upright.

STIR 3/4 cup boiling water into 1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jell-O Brand Gelatin in large bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved chopped melon and 1/2 cup fruit to each melon shell.

POUR gelatin evenly into melon shells. Pour any remaining gelatin into small bowl to enjoy later. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cut each half melon into four wedges to serve.

Chandelier Help!

Okay, I got sidetracked trying to find a solution to an in-progress, chandelier makeover. I'm just stuck, so here's my official S.O.S. I've had this chandelier for years and was never crazy about the pewter color. I attacked it with spray paint last night and am loving its new black, matte finish. I've also had these adorable toile lampshades and thought I could somehow make them work with the chandelier. Because the lights point down, however, the shades look strange...at least I think they do. I've tried turning them both ways, but something still looks odd. I'm being rather stubborn (surprise, surprise!) about making these "work", but am beginning to have my doubts. Any suggestions/ comments? I could just scrap the idea of pairing the two and look for more appropriate shades or glass covers. Seems such a shame, though, since I have 5 shades already. What to do, what to do?

Projects Nearly Forgotten

This morning I realized that the majority of my recent posts have been about flowers, kids and/ or kittens. Lest ye think my creative juices have dried up, I will share some projects I've been working on the last few weeks. An aside: for me, creating is something I must do, in order to maintain a semblance of serenity, in my life. If I am feeling "off", it is most likely that one (or both) of two things have been put on the back burner: 1.) spending time with God and 2.) spending time crafting. As soon as I remedy those missing pieces, my topsy turvy life rights itself. Now, if I could remember that lesson before I get all turned inside out, it'd be smooth sailing!
Okay, projects...
I've been really into making tags and collages. Both feed my need for immediate gratification. I work on several, at a time, and am able to move freely, from one to another, as I complete specific steps. Idle hands just don't work for me...and waiting for pesky, but necessary, things (drying times, etc.) drives me batty! My pictures are not up to par today...sorry. It's gray & gruesome out, so I had to use the flash. Oh NOOOO, the dreaded flash!
I'm thinking this is going to be a multiple post day. I'll attend to mundane chores, then reward myself with some blog time. A good plan, I think. I'll share my vintage sewing/ knitting stand revamp after I put the laundry away.

Beating the Monday Morning Blues

My (nearly) 8 year old daughter doesn't exactly wake up like Little Suzy Sunshine...especially on Monday mornings. I have tried every trick, in the book, to make the process more pleasant: gentle cuddles, cajoling/ begging/ pleading, sticker charts, removal of privileges...I have even resorted to bribery ($1/ day if she gets up & gets dressed, without arguing). Each of my best attempts might work for a few days, before she goes back to her Grumpy Gertrude routine. Fortunately, my 14 year old son is up & out of bed as soon as I open his door. This morning, I tried something new with Caroline. I gently put the kittens in bed with her, then I woke Sleeping Beauty. The result: immediate giggles and a few minutes of happy playtime. It's a good day and can only get better!

Kittens!

I don't know what makes me think that I have the "right" to bore y'all, to tears, with my silly kitten pictures. I wasn't this bad with pictures of my own kids, when they were babies. Maybe it's because I realize that 1/2 of the "batch" will be moving on, to new homes, in a matter of weeks. That works as a plausible justification. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Gretel, by the way, is none too pleased now that the kittens are mobile and in her face. She might be more receptive if they didn't see her as another potential milk source. That was one picture I was unable to capture...and would have given anything to have!

Pink Saturday Perplexity

I went out to my garden, this morning, in search of something pink to take pictures of for Beverly's Pink Saturday. I was semi-shocked ("shocked" being too strong of a word, perhaps) to find that my white tulips had turned pink overnight! These are the same tulips pictured in my post on April 29! Now, I'm fairly certain there is some horticulturally sound explanation for this phenomenon, although I choose to believe that even the flowers wanted in on today's pink celebration! I realized, as I went to add the collage to this post, that the tulips look more lavender than pink. They are pink, pink, pink when you see them up close & personal!
Thank you, Beverly, for hosting another Pink Saturday Party. To find out what other blog friends are participating, this week, hop over to Beverly's blog (How Sweet The Sound)!

Sorry Gentlemen!

Okay, I've gotta do it...my son, James and my nephew, Ben, were born 8 days apart. James turned 14 last week and Ben's birthday is today. Happy Birthday, Ben...don't hate me for this :-) Although Ben is a bit younger than James, he was always so much bigger...and far more "advanced". I remember being so proud, when James was 2 or so, and he had just started putting together two word phrases: "big ball", "want juice", etc. Right around that time, James' dad and I took a trip down to Tupelo, MS to visit my sister and her family. Shortly after our arrival, we were watching the kids play in the driveway, and "Macarena" came on the radio. I started bopping around and Ben (remember: he is 8 days younger than my boy) looks at me and says, with perfect articulation: "You really like that song, huh, Aunt Kim?" So much for stringing two words together! Stop by my sister's blog, Savannah Gourmet...Ben is now a solid 8" taller than James and, I'm sure, has a vocabulary that would put him/ me to shame :-)

Pink & Green Goodies

Earlier this month, I joined Sarah's (Blue Castle) Pink & Green swap and was paired up with Katie (Katie Crocker). Katie and I exchanged emails and I was so excited to find that we appear to enjoy many of the same things...makes gathering goodies, for a swap, much more fun! Katie's package just arrived and I am "tickled pink"...and green! The box, itself, was beautifully wrapped in vivid pink & green paper. Inside were some lovely "shabby chic" cloth napkins and dish towels, a Yankee Candle "Cottage Breeze" votive candle and an adorable bunny cheese/ butter knife. Katie added a decorative jar with FUN ribbons, which will probably never get used because it is so cute on display! Inside of the jar, I also uncovered a hidden treasure: a pair of funky green earrings (good thing I opened the jar). My favorite part of Katie's package was a beautiful teacup & saucer with pink roses, which I have already added to the collection in my china cabinet. I really do love swaps and a big thank you to Katie for picking out such thoughtful gifts...as if she doesn't have enough going on right now (she is expecting a bundle of joy on May 6th) :-) A special thank you to Sarah, for organizing this swap!

Why Didn't I Think of That?

While I don't harbor any resentments against folks who make a gazillion $ inventing/ creating something ingenious, these shoes have me a little irked. Given my love of fashion and my outside-the-box thinking, I'm fairly certain I would have thought of something like this.....if some other early bird didn't already snatch my worm. That analogy didn't quite work, did it? Ah well...stick with me friends...I'll try to get back on track.
The concept behind this shoe design is simply brilliant. They're called "Onesole: Many Mates". The shoes I have are a wedge (the only heels I can walk safely in), but they come in various styles. You can buy different tops that are interchangeable. They have a huge selection of tops and they just snap on/ off. I bought these toward the end of last summer and wore them all the time...so comfortable and absolutely adorable! Why didn't I think of that???

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE spring??? Aside from the reasons I've already mentioned, in previous posts, I, personally, am just more acutely aware of things. Today, as I was kicking some pesky weeds out of my front garden, I happened to glance at the of the inside of my white tulips. I don't know if my pictures captured it, but the insides were so cool! My senses all seem to be in overdrive and I pay closer attention to details like that. I suppose it falls into the "take time to smell the flowers" suggestion, which I heed willingly. Every morning, as I walk my daughter to the bus, we take a few minutes to study our gardens: in search of new signs of life. We do the same thing in the afternoon and are rarely without a new discovery, during these warmer months. I was never what one would consider a nature girl, so this Pop-a-bonnet-on-my-head and let me tiptoe-through-the-tulips feeling is very new & exciting to me :-) Okay, I know my sister is reading this...you can stop laughing now!

Fairy Garden

I hope you all are having the same beautiful weather as we are, here in SUNNY CT! Seems, once again, we catapulted from winter right into the dog days of summer. You won't catch me complaining. A few of you left comments/ questions about my fairy doors (two posts back). The store, at which they were purchased, closed...broke my heart! I just did a search on GOOGLE and came across a fabulous website for fairy garden doo-dads, Enchanted Gardens. WARNING***this site could be hazardous to your wallets! The prices are reasonable, but they have SO many cute things. I browsed their selection of doors very quickly and the ones they carry are significantly smaller than mine...FYI. The ones I have are approximately 6"H x 4"W and theirs are about 1/2 that size. Happy fairy hunting :-)