Random things

 

Hello, dear friends.  How are you?  I just realized my last post was in August...how did this happen? ~ I guess time flies when we're having fun.  And here it is fall already.  Don't you just love all the warm autumn colors?  I bought a big orange pumpkin today for the front step and yellow and red mums for pots.  

We have had quite a lot going on lately.  September is a big birthday month for us and we celebrated our granddaughter's 2nd birthday with family at Galen's mother's house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  It's a good central meeting place for all of us since Amy and Bruno and the kids live in New York.  What a great time we had!

And our other granddaughter, Maddie, here in North Carolina, just turned 15 in September. It seems like only yesterday that she was just a toddler, and now, here she is getting her permit for driving!  

Also, in September, I had my  6-month follow-up appointment at UNC Cancer Center.  Everything is good!  A little osteoporosis setting in but that is treatable.  I feel great, and this will be two years cancer free!  I am thankful everyday for my health and that I can garden and do all the things I love to do.  

And speaking of the garden, I planted kale, broccoli and spinach for the winter months, and have harvested quite a few tomatoes and peppers.  I've been cleaning up the flower beds, too.

Just to let you know, I may not be posting on my blog as often as before, but I am still here and will check in occasionally.  

Enjoy this wonderful fall weather! 

'till next time, 

What have I been doing?

Trying to stay warm, mostly.  It's been so cold the past few days I find myself (and Otis and Riley) sitting by a warm fire in cozy blankets.  I celebrated my birthday on Sunday and Galen bought me the most beautiful pink tulips!  They remind me of spring and I yearn for springtime weather and working in the garden.  

We had a bit of snow on the weekend and it was so pretty.  Big fat snowflakes falling from the sky.  It didn't last very long but it was nice to see.  My youngest daughter, Amy, and Bruno and Esmé (our NY family) are coming down this weekend to visit.  I can't wait to see my now five month old granddaughter, little Esmé!  I haven't held her since she was a baby.  We are all really looking forward to this.

So cleaning is on my list this week, along with some cooking and baking.  Isn't it funny how the house gets a good cleaning when visitors come.
Have a good week, everyone!

Another year older.....

Yes.....today is my birthday.

Another year older.

At this stage I keep telling myself, it's not how old I am, but how young I feel. Right?

February is a big birthday month in our family and we will be celebrating five birthdays on Saturday at a nice restaurant. There should be about 20 of us ~

lots of food, lots of cake, and lots of fun!

"Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most

live the longest."

~Larry Lorenzoni

Ha!

Ooops!

I was BAD, because I forgot somebody's BIRTHDAY.

That's right, I was too busy to remember yesterday, that it was Otis and Riley's big day.

But they're ok with it.......

because they both know how much I really, really LOVE them.

Happy Birthday, Otis and Riley!

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me.....

~ a nice birthday dinner tonight with hubby ~

and then on Saturday our family celebrates all the February birthdays with a dinner celebration at a nice restaurant (a tradition we've been keeping for years, we have 5 family members with birthdays this month).

Fun! Fun!

Good boys

We made our scheduled visit to the Vet yesterday for Otis and Riley to have their heartworm test. Otis was a bit grumpy but Riley took it in stride. I always feel bad for them when it comes to having this checkup because the Vet has to draw blood, and they take it from their little legs. They were GOOD BOYS though, and now we're glad it's over and done with for another year (and the test was negative).

This will be a busy but fun week. Shopping with my daughter on Thursday...fun, fun!, then on Saturday our granddaughter will be in the Christmas parade with the Girl Scouts. We also will be celebrating our oldest daughter's birthday this week....dinner and birthday cake.

So now I must get some cleaning done, grocery shopping and hopfully some Christmas decorating. We will probably get our tree this weekend.

Enjoy your week!

Happy Birthday to you, Otis and Riley!

Seven years ago today, you came into our lives and brought us sunshine, love and joy!

Baby Riley

Baby Otis


Happy Birthday, boys!

Brothers

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.

~Roger Caras

Sunshine, birds, and a birthday

Happy face sunshine rocks and colorful little birds. More art for the 4H Artisans Show coming up in March.

These painted Sunshine Rocks can be used in the garden, or outside on a picnic table to hold down napkins. They make pretty paperweights.

The Little Birds,on wires can be placed in a flower pot for a bit of colorful whimsy.



A chickadee painted on wood.




And a wooden Cardinal Birdhouse to hang outside in the tree.

Some of these items will be listed on my etsy shop as well, so be sure to check it out.

And, today is my birthday.

I'm enjoying it painting away the hours......and painting two of my favorite things ~ birds and sunshine!

Have a great day!

Amy

My daughter, Amy, the one from NY, is here for a few days. She flew down yesterday for a work conference in Raleigh and will be here untill next Wednesday. SO, I will be away from my computer for awhile, not posting anyway, but I'll try to visit when I can.

We are planning to have a birthday party for Amy while she's here ~ my other daughter, Jen and her chef hubby will be hosting the party (pizzas on the grill and birthday cake)! Plus, there will be shopping trips, more cookouts and just some good ol' family time.



I'll be back next week!

Guess what today is?

It's Otis and Riley's birthday!

Six years old today!

Brothers and friends forever.

Happy Birthday babies!

Birthday celebration!

Saturday night we had our big birthday dinner celebrating our five family birthdays in February! Dinner was at "Lucky 32" in Raleigh and there were 17 of us at a table and booth. It was great fun and the food was delish!

On Sunday (which was my actual birthday) Galen and I decided to take a road trip and spend the day at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. We took Otis and Riley along. They love to travel and you can see by the photos how they enjoy being with us in the car. Along the way we stopped to see the new Carolina Crossroads (Randy Parton Theater) aka the Branson of the East. It's a huge theater and since no one was there we stopped to let Otis and Riley run around and get some exercise. Then it was back on the road again.

This is the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (located in Richmond, VA). We had lunch when we got there in the Marble Hall Cafe ~ a shrimp caesar salad and for dessert a chocolate raspberry tart! YUM!

The exhibits were wonderful! The special featured exhibition was the French impressionist artist Eugene Boudin (1824-1898). Ah, beautiful paintings! We also saw the Faberge exhibit and the American art. Unfortunately we didn't have time to see everything and thought we'd save the European Art for another trip. I was so inspired when we left!

What a great day!

It's February!

Yea! January is over and February is here. I'm always glad when January is done with, it seems to be the hardest month for me to get through.

February is birthday month for our family. We have five birthdays in February and every year we celebrate with a birthday dinner at a restaurant near all of us and choose a different place each year. We don't exchange presents but instead buy funny birthday cards and have a great time. This year there will be 16 of us around the birthday table.

So February is not so bad, even though I'll be turning another year older, ugh! and then spring is just around the corner!

Christmas parade and birthday

Saturday was the Christmas parade. We went with our daughter and son-in-law and granddaughter. And yes, our granddaughter was in the parade on Santa's float!

After the parade we took them for a nice lunch in downtown Raleigh, actually, a birthday lunch for our daughter because it was her birthday! You can read about her birthday surprise on sunnispace! Later it was back to the house for birthday cake and coffee!