Always up for a PARTY....

This little guy....our "too-far-away-grandchild" that lives in Michigan, LOVES party hats!!! I guess if one is good, several are GREAT!!!! His Mommy sent me this picture today...it made me smile!

I am in the desert southwest "eeking" out a few more days of warm weather before I head back to WINTER....it was 86 degrees today, fantastic!!! :0)

How times have changed....

Many years ago when our children were young, one of the most exciting and anticipated days prior to the Christmas season was the day that the "Sears Wish Book" arrived!!!

One catalog always arrived in the mail, and if I was lucky I was able to pick up a second catalog at the Sears store. The pages in that catalog provided hours and hours of enjoyment for the kids, and it was "dog-eared" and totally worn out by Christmas.

Yesterday "K" was over for a little while in the afternoon and I snapped this picture of her checking out the American Girl doll website...one of her Christmas "wishes." It reminded me of many years ago when our kids would lay on the floor pouring over the pages of the Sears Wish Book! I think it's great that our grandchildren are growing up so technically "savvy!" It's definitely the way of their future!! They can pour over their Christmas wishes right there on the computer.

Wow, times have changed. (I wonder if Sears still has a "Wish Book?)

Looking out our front door....

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon,

my soul expands in worship of the Creator”

~Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Halloween...

Oh my goodness....when I came across this picture a few months ago I knew immediately that I was going to use it for my Halloween post!!! This is "trick-or-treat" ala 1950's! In stark contrast to today, I think our costumes probably cost us less than $1.00!!

Our Mom and Dad bought us those black "Lone Ranger" type masks and we rummaged through the closets in the house for some old clothes that would complete our "get up!" (I have no idea what we were dressed up as, but it looks like we were having a great time!!) And, to carry all our loot we had some paper shopping-type bags with a ghost on the front.

On this Halloween we were joined by our cousins from the "country", they lived on a farm--not a neighborhood--so they came to the city for "trick-or-treating!" (Notice, our country cousins just had to use brown paper bags for their candy, they didn't have the much cooler Halloween bags with handles that my sister and I had!) Oh, speaking of my sister, Jean, that's her in the beard and white thing on her head, and I'm the one in the middle with the ghost bag! :0)

Wow, great memories of times when life seemed so much simpler!!

One day...

One day your

LIFE

will flash before your eyes.

Make sure it's

worth watching!

I love my everyday life....as you know, these 5 help to make every day a special day!!

For Today...October 17, 2009

Inspired by "A Simple Woman's Daybook"

Outside my window...a beautiful, warm "Indian Summer" day---lots of colorful leaves, bright blue sky and temperatures in the 70's

I am thankful for...Jim's quick recovery from his surgery. I was planning on having him home for a couple weeks, at least, and now it looks like I'm going to have to try to convince him not to go into the office on Monday

From the kitchen...stuffed chicken breasts, multi-grain bread from Costco, and broccoli

I am wearing...black sweats, "Russell School" sweatshirt and socks (no shoes)

I am creating...ABC scrapbooks for J, J and J's families for Christmas. They are turning out so cute and it's fabulous to be able to use some the the "many" photographs that I have piled all over my scrapbook room

I am going...to watch a movie with Jim after dinner..."The Station Agent" an independent, Sundance movie from NetFlix

I am reading..."Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout...a set of linked stories about a gruff, 60-something school teacher in a coastal town in Maine, the work that has won it's author the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

I am hoping...that all the weather predictions for this winter are correct---warmer and drier than normal---we have been buried in snow the past two winters and I'm hoping this year will be different. I'm also hoping to squeeze in a trip to Phoenix this fall!

I am hearing...the Yankees/Angels baseball game on television

Around the house...there are tell-tell signs that two little girls were here today: PlayDoh scraps on the kitchen floor, markers and papers spread on the table in the TV room, "Candyland" pieces on the living room carpet...we loved having "K" & "R" here this afternoon while their Mommy and Daddy went to the college football game (we stayed home...Jim is re-cuping, you remember :0) )

One of my favorite things...curling up on the couch and watching a movie on Saturday night

A few plans for the rest of the week...Jim's post-op check up in CDA, and a trip to Spokane to visit the "Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Clinic" to keep our hearts on the right track so we can live long (er) and healthy (er) lives. Jamie's good friend, Amy Doneen, helped to develop this program and we couldn't think of a good reason to NOT do it! :0)

A couple of pictures to share...

Baking Halloween cookies with "K" last week

"K" & "R" are sooooo anxious to carve these pumpkins!

Through our front door....

....it is looking like fall!! The colors are beautiful, the air is crisp, our football team is winning (woo hoo!!) ...autumn is definitely here...

A fallen leaf is nothing more

than a summers wave good bye!

Movie Night...

Papa and the girls had a great time last night watching a 3-D movie!! Wow, 3-D glasses have been around forever and they still look just like they did 40 years ago!!! I also "donned" these attractive glasses, but someone had to take the picture, so I couldn't be "in" the picture---darn! :0)

Here comes Santa Claus...

...well, not really (quite yet, anyway!!)---but, I had fun today playing with some Santa pictures using these new double-sided cardstock papers from Paper Pals!!

BIG WIN FOR THE VANDALS....

After WAYYYYYY too many years in a football victory "drought" we are having a FANTASTIC start to our season!! We defeated Colorado State tonight AND, to make it even sweeter, we were on ESPN...the most fun we have had at a Vandal game in many, many years!!! GO VANDALS!!