Three is the number of college gals we are supporting this year. I have asked all what their dorm room colors are going to be so I can start the creativity. I am going to start the first of the season college care packages.
One is going to a Bible College in Oregon, has chosen Black and Lime Green.
Another to Stanford in California, has chosen Black and Brown. Maybe with a tiny accent of blue or pink.
The third is going to WSU in Washington, has chosen Brown.
Is it just me, or do these seem sad and down and well quite frankly "old lady".
Now, I am all for a charming little black dress. I myself have a couple. I have some rather sweet sparkly dress up black pumps as well. Okay, I have five pairs of black pumps, ....oh yes, and some sweet shiny black slip on loafers I forgot about wearing. I am getting those out today! (getting older is fun, you constantly surprise yourself with things you forgot you had!)
What happened to being silly and sweet in college? What happened to bright tangerine or sherbet green or shocking scarlet?
A bride planning a wedding has chosen Black for her wedding with a tiny bit of red.
My friend is helping to set up her son's bachelor pad. He has chosen Black Fiesta ware.
Yikes, where have all the colors gone?
Oh that's right, I am looking at a riot of hot pink on my deck! I have on a pink and green fun peace sign necklace today. I am sharing the computer desk with a bouquet of deep purple and white with purple tips dahlias that Mr. Right brought home last night. Our sweet dog is laying on a green blanket with a silly lime green pillow case with dogs marching across it wearing cowboy boots, galoshes and pink ballet slippers.
I am headed to the sewing room to sew my brand new turquoise and gold pajama pants!
"Life is a great big canvas. Throw all the colorful paint you can on it!"
ps. yes, I have black swirls on this blog page right now, I AM an old lady, it is befitting me! ha
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
half a cup of lemonade
Yesterday, it was hot here. Oh not as hot as most places, however, 87* for the Pacific Northwest is hot.
After work, Mr. Right was dropping off a gift. Easy enough.
He called a bit later to say, it cost him $3.00.
I asked how that was. Well you see, there was a lemonade stand and three kids. They were selling popcicles for 25 cents and cups of lemonade for 75 cents. So he thought the least likely to melt in the car would be the lemonade. He told the small business person to not fill the cup too full, so it would not spill in the car.
So to sum up...... Mr. Right paid $3.00 (three one dollar bills) for a half a paper cup of lukewarm lemonade.
...that my friends is why he is my Mr. Right.
After work, Mr. Right was dropping off a gift. Easy enough.
He called a bit later to say, it cost him $3.00.
I asked how that was. Well you see, there was a lemonade stand and three kids. They were selling popcicles for 25 cents and cups of lemonade for 75 cents. So he thought the least likely to melt in the car would be the lemonade. He told the small business person to not fill the cup too full, so it would not spill in the car.
So to sum up...... Mr. Right paid $3.00 (three one dollar bills) for a half a paper cup of lukewarm lemonade.
...that my friends is why he is my Mr. Right.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
friends first
Yesterday, a dear friend stopped by to visit. She brought me flowers and her sweet smile. No reason, really, I think she just knew I had made it through a rough and bumpy week. She didn't judge that I was not looking my best. I was not all gussied up for company. I guess she really isn't company. She is part of our family.
She brought kitchen towels made from towel yardage which she had sewn different fabrics bands upon. She wrote out lots of her favorite recipes and tucked in a sweet crocheted flower hot pad. All of those items were for our box
to be sent to the gal we are sending a surprise to. She is the gal for whom the tornado changed her and her family's life forever. My friend (ever and always thoughtful) also tucked in some moola to help with the postage.
She came over in a pair of sweet jeweled black flip flops (she got on sale, woohoo). She always looks put together and fresh. Her nails are always done and she always looks like she has taken care of herself.
We visited for a bit, we laughed and talked seriously too. We chatted about the "younger generation" of using text messages and phones during special events. We talked about three cell phone ringtones going off during a funeral I had attended on Monday. Then something of perfect timing happened, our home phone rang, loudly.
When she or other friends have been visiting, the phone has rung before and I have done the exact same thing each time.
I didn't even flinch. She was in our home. She was the most important thing in my life at that moment in time. The phone rang four times prior to going to voice mail. (yes, it could have been Publishers Clearing house, yes it could have been Mr. Right or yes the kids) She didn't look at the phone. We just kept on talking. We talked about flowers and a beading class she is taking. We talked about the new granddaughter. We talked about the Christening gown. Oh, we have known each other for over 32 years, we can talk!
Off she went to have dinner with a couple of friends. I went back into our home to make dinner for Mr. Right. Both of us smiling and waving. A brief moment in the day brought joy to each of us.
After a day of baking, I was not thrilled that I did not look my best. I was not in top form as a gracious hostess after the week I have had. I was not happy that I did not present myself as perky and happy as usual. However, I am proud of myself for having the grace to put my friend first before the interruption of the telephone. She knew. She knew in an instant, just how important she is to me. No amount of Hallmark cards could convey that message.
I like living my life (most of the time) guided by Grace. I wish for the "younger generation" to learn how good it feels to put your real life friends and experiences first. Save the texting and phone calls for another time. It will still be there.
I want my friends to feel honored to be with me, not second fiddle.
She brought kitchen towels made from towel yardage which she had sewn different fabrics bands upon. She wrote out lots of her favorite recipes and tucked in a sweet crocheted flower hot pad. All of those items were for our box
to be sent to the gal we are sending a surprise to. She is the gal for whom the tornado changed her and her family's life forever. My friend (ever and always thoughtful) also tucked in some moola to help with the postage.
She came over in a pair of sweet jeweled black flip flops (she got on sale, woohoo). She always looks put together and fresh. Her nails are always done and she always looks like she has taken care of herself.
We visited for a bit, we laughed and talked seriously too. We chatted about the "younger generation" of using text messages and phones during special events. We talked about three cell phone ringtones going off during a funeral I had attended on Monday. Then something of perfect timing happened, our home phone rang, loudly.
When she or other friends have been visiting, the phone has rung before and I have done the exact same thing each time.
I didn't even flinch. She was in our home. She was the most important thing in my life at that moment in time. The phone rang four times prior to going to voice mail. (yes, it could have been Publishers Clearing house, yes it could have been Mr. Right or yes the kids) She didn't look at the phone. We just kept on talking. We talked about flowers and a beading class she is taking. We talked about the new granddaughter. We talked about the Christening gown. Oh, we have known each other for over 32 years, we can talk!
Off she went to have dinner with a couple of friends. I went back into our home to make dinner for Mr. Right. Both of us smiling and waving. A brief moment in the day brought joy to each of us.
After a day of baking, I was not thrilled that I did not look my best. I was not in top form as a gracious hostess after the week I have had. I was not happy that I did not present myself as perky and happy as usual. However, I am proud of myself for having the grace to put my friend first before the interruption of the telephone. She knew. She knew in an instant, just how important she is to me. No amount of Hallmark cards could convey that message.
I like living my life (most of the time) guided by Grace. I wish for the "younger generation" to learn how good it feels to put your real life friends and experiences first. Save the texting and phone calls for another time. It will still be there.
I want my friends to feel honored to be with me, not second fiddle.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
son number two
25 years old today, yup, our "baby". Amazing really. He is a great guy.
He is intelligent and funny and adventurous and athletic and curious.
He loves animals. He genuinely believes people are good. He puts others first.
He is extremely artistic and creative. He loves corn on the cob.
He makes you smile. His conversations are interesting and sometimes silly.
He makes GREAT roasted sweet potatoes and his BBQ orange salmon melts in
your mouth. He is honest and trustworthy. You just feel darn lucky to hang out
with him. When he was little he wanted us to call him Joseph?
He won a coloring contest when he was young. He won a HUGE bright orange stuffed
pumpkin, he named Harold.
He is someone you want to share lunch with.
On my 25th Birthday, Mr. Right gave me my first multi strand of fresh water pearls.
I am wearing it today. Gee, I sure hope his sweetie gives him something different than fresh water pearls! ha
We done good. He is a good & honorable man.
Oh Happy Day! Happy Birthday, son. Love, Mom
He is intelligent and funny and adventurous and athletic and curious.
He loves animals. He genuinely believes people are good. He puts others first.
He is extremely artistic and creative. He loves corn on the cob.
He makes you smile. His conversations are interesting and sometimes silly.
He makes GREAT roasted sweet potatoes and his BBQ orange salmon melts in
your mouth. He is honest and trustworthy. You just feel darn lucky to hang out
with him. When he was little he wanted us to call him Joseph?
He won a coloring contest when he was young. He won a HUGE bright orange stuffed
pumpkin, he named Harold.
He is someone you want to share lunch with.
On my 25th Birthday, Mr. Right gave me my first multi strand of fresh water pearls.
I am wearing it today. Gee, I sure hope his sweetie gives him something different than fresh water pearls! ha
We done good. He is a good & honorable man.
Oh Happy Day! Happy Birthday, son. Love, Mom
Thursday, July 8, 2010
jumping for joy
A couple of afternoons ago, I was sitting on the deck stitching.
I was embroidering a kitchen towel to use as "wrapping" paper
for a birthday gift for a sweet daughter in law. Quietly, I was
stitching and our dog was laying in the cool grass. I was listening
to the neighbor kids. Obviously, they were jumping non stop on
their trampoline. Man, those would have been so GREAT back when
I was a kid. Get all that energy out so people would stop saying
"young ladies don't fidget". The neighbor kids use theirs all the time, I mean
all the time! One girl we call (secretly) "the little red haired girl" is
always smiling and bouncing and busy. Any way, I was listening to them
tell each other the ways of the world. Then they started singing "Ring Around the
Rosie" and then "A Tisket a Tasket and green and yellow basket"....
a few other melodies were shouted or sung. All while trying to catch their
breath. Laughing and giggling and gasping for air. It was a good sound.
Then I heard them shouting the "Pledge of Allegiance" while bouncing
up and down and up and down. Then they all just stopped and I am
guessing layed on their trampoline for a couple minutes of quiet time
and to think of more things to do on that summer day.
Kids sure know how to enjoy backyard playtime. Kids know how to
embrace life and all it's goodness. They love to play hard.
I want to capture that feeling and remember to play hard.
...just a gentle reminder that life is indeed good.
I was embroidering a kitchen towel to use as "wrapping" paper
for a birthday gift for a sweet daughter in law. Quietly, I was
stitching and our dog was laying in the cool grass. I was listening
to the neighbor kids. Obviously, they were jumping non stop on
their trampoline. Man, those would have been so GREAT back when
I was a kid. Get all that energy out so people would stop saying
"young ladies don't fidget". The neighbor kids use theirs all the time, I mean
all the time! One girl we call (secretly) "the little red haired girl" is
always smiling and bouncing and busy. Any way, I was listening to them
tell each other the ways of the world. Then they started singing "Ring Around the
Rosie" and then "A Tisket a Tasket and green and yellow basket"....
a few other melodies were shouted or sung. All while trying to catch their
breath. Laughing and giggling and gasping for air. It was a good sound.
Then I heard them shouting the "Pledge of Allegiance" while bouncing
up and down and up and down. Then they all just stopped and I am
guessing layed on their trampoline for a couple minutes of quiet time
and to think of more things to do on that summer day.
Kids sure know how to enjoy backyard playtime. Kids know how to
embrace life and all it's goodness. They love to play hard.
I want to capture that feeling and remember to play hard.
...just a gentle reminder that life is indeed good.
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