Challenge of Positivity Accepted

This time of year, I hear so many people say, "I can't wait for this year to be over."
To me, that just seems to be a lack of appreciation and gratefulness for life.

Even at my lowest times, I haven't wished for a year to hurry up and pass. For one thing, this whole aging process is not something I'm embracing with love and affection. So, to have another year pass quickly - well...

A friend of mine posted a challenge on her Facebook page that I gladly accepted. She challenged everyone to start the year off with a positive post, either about your own life or about the lives of others. Mine is this entry to my blog -- my gratefulness for life and all that surrounds me.

2014 has been a particularly interesting year for me - full of growth (yes, even a 61-year old woman can grow), fun, travel, love, acceptance and change.

The year was full of trying new things and going outside of our regular comfort zones. We began by cultivating our own vegetable garden; two people who had always kept a prize-winning, well manicured yard, but had never lifted a finger (or green thumb) to growing tomatoes, green beans, corn and cucumbers. We harvested quite a few Seminole Heritage Pumpkins and enjoyed them throughout this past fall.

I was finally strong enough to go through all of my mother's things and donate her clothing and her bedroom furniture to charity, separate some photos to eventually give to other family members and make big changes to what used to be her bedroom and bathroom. ('Though truth be told, I still often smell her in there. I think she likes the changes.) This year, I'll tackle her living room. Everything in good time.

One of several highlights of the year was the surprise visit by my brother, older sister and my cousin and her husband when Mother's memory was honored at a luncheon to benefit Girl Scouts. I will never, ever be able to truly express my surprise when they arrived, nor my gratitude to them for being here to be a part of the celebration. Getting to know my cousin has helped me over a hurdle that I didn't even realize was blocking my journey, and through her, I feel even closer to Mother and Dad.

We've traveled more this year than any other I can recall. And those travels forced me to face my fear of flying and heights - over and over. (I faced them, but I didn't quite conquer them.) We were so blessed to be able to travel to Seattle, Alaska and Vancouver with our son and his wife, seeing sights I never imagined and sharing the love of the outdoors. Being with them - experiencing all that we did together - helped bring me back to life and made me feel good about and accepting of all things.



After 16-years with the same company and 10-years in the same position, I gave my notice and left to start a new career as a development director for a non-profit. This was a huge step and a decision that took me nearly two-years to make. But the very instant it was made, I knew it was right for me - the world suddenly lifted off my shoulders and I felt free. Free of deadlines, free of a 60-65 hour work week, free of the commute - free. For the first time in 10-years, I'm able to live in the moment, and not two-weeks in advance. It's unbelievable how that has changed my life. No longer am I rushing off to cover a story, but rather I spend evenings with my love. I haven't looked back for even one moment. A new challenge, but well worth it at this time in my life.

 

Our blessings continue with a daughter-in-law who understands my emotional attachment to lost traditions as she helps create new ones that have often brought tears to our eyes -- tears brought on by laughter. I look forward to more of her surprises.

 

We'll close out the year as we started it, surrounded by family and friends as the clock strikes midnight. I'm so grateful I can see the light, even if it took me 61-years.

 

Blessings to all of you and your families for a healthy and prosperous 2015.

 

Happy New Year, Mom and Dad.

Super Saturday - The Sprint to Bake, Make and Take

During the holiday season, we have Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday and now Super Saturday.

In my house, Super Saturday (the Saturday before Christmas) has always been the sprint to cook up those delicious goodies that most of us only bake, make or take once a year. (That wouldn't be me. My sweet tooth prohibits such behavior.)

This year, there's just four of us, so I'm not going crazy - just three recipes and fun crafts to share:
My son's favorite, White Trash, traditionally made by my mother;
My favorite, Chocolate Chip Cookies (Mom's recipe tweaked by me);
And one of my mother's favorites, Mexican Wedding Cakes (my little sister and I called them Snowballs).

First up -- What we call White Trash. This is a sweet treat that's so simple to make, and not just at Christmas time. When the horrendous 2004 hurricane season was deemed over, my family celebrated at our Thanksgiving dinner, where everyone had to bring something iconic to the "Year of the Back-to-Back Hurricanes." Because the streets were loaded with trash - palm frons, tree branches, pieces of window shutters, etc. for so many weeks, my mother made her White Trash and had it in little tiny trash can containers for everyone. Clever, right?

White Trash Ingredients
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips                          1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar                                           9 cups Rice Chex cereal

Put cereal in a large bowl. Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler, then add the peanut butter and melt, stirring with a fork. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and gently stir until all of the cereal is coated with chocolate. Put powdered sugar into a large plastic bag, add chocolate coated cereal and shake until all of the cereal is coated with powdered sugar. Store in an air-tight container.

15-Minute Craft -- You know those metal burner covers you can buy for gas and electric stoves? Turn one over and clip clothes pins to the edge that's turned up. The small burner cover takes about 40 clothes pins. At this point, you can spray paint it, if you want to, but I left mine natural. Tie a ribbon around it and fill it with ornaments. Call it done!

Side bar -- I just looked up and there's my God Wink of the day. My cardinal is back and she's sitting right in front of me on a low branch of one of our cypress trees in the back yard - just staring at me. Thanks, Mom!

Next are some of the best Chocolate Chip Cookies you'll ever taste. The secret to these cookies lies in the oatmeal, a little extra flour and eating them while they're fresh.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients -- 350-degrees
1 cup sweet unsalted butter                                     3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar                                        1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs                                                              1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda                                                    2 1/2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup one-minute oatmeal                                    18 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy, add both sugars and beat until creamy, then add the two eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy. While mixer is on a low speed, add salt and baking soda. Then add flour 1/4 cup at a time and slowly increase speed of mixer. Add oatmeal and mix until well blended. Then add chocolate chips by hand, stirring until completely blended. Don't scrimp on the chips. Every bite of each cookie will be filled with the sweet taste of chocolate. Note -- I hate spending all day putting cookies in and out of the oven, so I make mine larger than most, using an ice cream scooper. Place cookies on a greased sheet and bake for about 15-20-minutes. Every oven is different, and I have a convection oven, which is another secret to what makes these cookies divine.

15-Minute Craft -- Using hot glue, silk flowers and ribbon, attach a flower and a bow to plastic shower curtain rings. Viola! You have beautiful napkin rings.

We never celebrated Christmas without Mexican Wedding Cakes, and you can see why my sister and I called them Snowballs. These are best with a glass of milk. (Good to leave out for Santa.)

Mexican Wedding Cakes Ingredients -- 325-degrees
1/2 cup powdered sugar                                            1 cup sweet unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla                                                              2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans                                     1/4 tsp. salt
additional 3/4 powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. On low speed, add flour 1/4 cup at a time, then add pecans and salt. Mix until well blended. Form into 1-inch balls (again, I have no patience for this part of baking, so mine are always larger) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake 13-17 minutes, or until set but not brown. Basically, they'll look about the same coming out as they did going in to the oven. Remove from oven, and place on cooling racks for 10-minutes. Place the additional 3/4 cup of powdered sugar in a small bowl and roll cookies around in the powdered sugar until coated. Cool 15-minutes then roll in powdered sugar, again.

15-Minute Craft -- Have your children/grandchildren help you with this one. Using white copy paper, cut into shapes of the season (Christmas tree, bell, stocking, et.). Have the children color them, spread with glue and glitter, etc. After they dry, turn them over and write the date and name of each child. Poke a hole at the top and put an ornament hanger on them -- Hang them with pride. The ornaments pictured were made by my son in 1981.

What fun! That's my post for this Christmas season. Probably should have done it sooner, but with the children home from school this week, maybe you can do some of this together.

Love to you all. Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and blessings for a wonderful holiday season!


Merry Christmas, Daddy and Mom.

The Children Were Nestled, All Snug in Their Beds

I lived a charmed childhood. My parents did the best they could with what they had and what they knew. I may not have always gotten my way; I may have even been rather hateful in my teens, but the bottom line is that I never really wanted for anything, and both my father and mother loved me unconditionally (a bushel, a peck and a hug around the neck). I have such fond memories of my childhood, and of course, this time of year, I think about our holiday traditions.

For example: my  mother baked and baked and baked for days and days before Christmas, but if my sister or I or my dad tried to snatch one of those home-baked goodies, she'd slap our hands saying, "Those are for Christmas!" She baked enough to feed an army, but because we also had so much other food for our Christmas Feast, the cookies were always barely touched. She kept that up until her very last Christmas.

My little sister and I looked forward to the reading of the Night Before Christmas at the end of the local news broadcast on Christmas Eve. She and I would sit crossed legged in front of the black and white TV, our hair in sponge rollers so we'd be cute as buttons on Christmas morning, and watch as Ralph Rennick of Miami's Channel 4, surrounded by his own wife and children, read the famed poem.

Our next door neighbor, whom my sister and I called Boo Boo, dressed as Santa and came over to our house after the news was over to give us a gift for being good little girls. We'd sit on his lap and giggle and play with his beard, knowing it was Boo Boo, but never saying that we knew.

Then Mother would put us to bed, and we would anxiously await for morning to arrive. We were so determined not to fall asleep in hopes of seeing "the real Santa." Of course, we always fell asleep.

Ahh, the memory of those fun traditions takes me to a wonderful place of childhood anticipation.

Here's a fun, no-sew, no-glue project that you and your children or grandchildren can make together, perhaps creating a new tradition to share with everyone in your family. It's a Christmas pillow that's so easy to make, you can do it while watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Supplies:
fleece fabric, scissors and a pillow form

Lay whatever you are using as a pillow form on top of two layers of fleece, and cut the fabric about 5-inches larger than the form. (I used some old pillows that needed to be recovered, anyway.) And then cut away the corners, about 4.5-inches deep.

Once you have your two pieces of fleece cut, leaving them together, begin cutting the fringe. There's no measuring or worry here. Just cut them about 3/4 of an inch apart and about 4.5-inches long. Cut the fringe all the way around. This is what will be used to hold the two pieces of fleece together as a pocket for your pillow form.

 

Being careful to match the two sides together and using a piece of fringe from each of the two pieces of fabric, begin tying the fringe into knots, tied twice. Tie around three sides of the fleece fabric, leaving one side open for the pillow form.

Now you can push your pillow form in between the two pieces of tied fleece, and then begin tying the rest of it together to hold in the pillow form.

You and/or the children have a soft, new Christmas pillow to nestle on while visions of sugar plums dance in your heads. (And it's completely washable - just untie one side, slip out the pillow form, and put the fleece in the washer and dryer.)

I hope all of you have fond memories upon which to build and help you make this the best year, yet!

 

I love and miss you, Mom and Dad.

Getting Rid of the Sh-t

I know my ‘headine’ must be shocking, but I knew it would grab your attention.

Today’s a good day to talk about leftovers. Right? After all, our refrigerators are filled with leftover turkey and ham, dried up stuffing, that traditional green bean casserole dish that everyone pretends to love so no one’s feelings are hurt, roles that have turned into bricks and gelatinous gravy.

Because of all the baking I do, my fridge often has leftover chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch chips, maybe some little mint chips and an assortment of nuts – never enough for a full recipe, but together they make what my mother used to call “Leftover Cookies.”

After celebrating a holiday that’s completely based upon eating, eating and then more eating, you probably think I’m crazy to share a cookie recipe now. While most of you are likely thinking of ways to get rid of the 3-5 extra pounds put on during yesterday’s gastric-marathon, I’m looking ahead to the four Cookie Exchange parties I’ve been invited to and thinking about how I’m going to bake to impress.

I had actually forgotten about these cookies, until I cleaned the fridge to make room for my own turkey and fresh sides. I came upon some very small containers of those chips and nuts and suddenly remembered Mother making these cookies for my son’s bake sales at school.  So, there I was, once again side-tracked by a memory and had to go find her recipe. (I swear, I’m like a dog chasing a cat and then he sees a squirrel; so easily distracted.)

Here’s the recipe, but keep in mind that she didn’t use any measurements for the chips, nuts and cereals – just small amounts of all kinds of leftovers. But these cookies are delish, and baking them in my new convection oven made them even better!

 

Julia's Leftover Cookie Recipe:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
and any small amounts of chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc. chips you have, along with Rice Krispies cereal, nuts - whatever you want to throw in.

Preheat oven to 375-degrees
Cream together butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually beat into butter/sugar mixture, add chips, nuts and cereals and stir in. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. BEST COOKIES EVER!                      

So what about other leftovers?

Like clothes in my closet leftover from a time when I wore a different size? I took care of that this past week, too. Boxed them up and took them to a local thrift store run by a charity.

How about leftover relationships? Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, we all have them, too. Facebook sometimes makes it easy to rid ourselves of those relationships that mean little or nothing to us – just unfriend them and they’re magically gone. Or are they? I’ve been unfriended, wiped out, removed and assumed dead by someone on Facebook. I think that’s just a weird thing to do, but if it helps you de-clutter and get rid of the leftovers, more power to you. I just happen to think I’m worth the effort; I certainly think you’re worth the effort.

How about the stuff accumulated after 16-years at the same job?

 I’m a nester, so I had a lot to pack up when I left my former job as an editor, and I thought for sure I’d need it all in my new space. NOT! After lugging all that sh-t out of one place and into another, I realized I didn’t need most of it at all. Whew! That one really felt good.

Do you have leftover/unresolved issues? Be honest. We all do. Purging my refrigerator is one thing, cleaning out my closet is another, but changing jobs has been my catalyst for major change in attitude and life. You know the saying “Change your head, change yourself?” Well, that’s for sure what has happened to me in one short month. I haven’t felt this good about my life, my health, my love and my relationships in a very long time. The new job has removed me from constant deadlines, the pressure of always having to be somewhere else and managing three emails accounts that received upwards of 350 emails daily. Instead, I find myself realizing how wonderful it feels to live in the moment and live it with the man I love.

We have been so fortunate this year, traveling to Washington, Alaska, Canada, New Mexico and Colorado, being surrounded by loving family and friends and keeping ourselves in good health. My son and his wife, my brother, my cousins and my 'sisters' here at home have all helped lift me to new heights. Before we reach the end of the year, take the time to clean out your leftovers and then realize your own fortunes. It will change your head, your heart and your life.

I love you, Mom and Dad, and miss you every single day.

A Bushel, A Peck and a Hug Around the Neck

"I love you to the moon and back."
That seems to be today's popular saying by parents and grandparents to their children and grandchildren.
"I love you a bushel, a peck and a hug around the neck" is what my mother used to say to me and to my son when we'd say "I love you" to her.
I recently saw that quote on a hand painted sign at a craft show, a subtle reminder of days gone by, and I found myself frozen for a moment. Isn't it funny how the simplest of things can take your breath away at times? More than two years have passed since she left this earth, and although I'm 61-years old, I still miss her like it was yesterday and expect her to walk in the door any day now.

That being said, my recent visit to Colorado to see my cousin was just what I needed, and I'm so grateful for this new-found relationship that has come from my mother's passing. (This is the cousin that surprised me by visiting us here in Florida back in May. http://alwaysonmymindforeverinmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/discovering-family-good-better-best.html )
While we were in Colorado, they had their first snow of the season. The morning began with a hard and loud rain hitting the car (the largest drops I'd ever seen), but it soon turned to the silence of snow. I've seen and been in the snow, but I've never experienced the deafening silence of rain to snow. I had to get out of the car and play in it for just a while (well, long enough to build a little snowman).

From the top of a mountain, I was able to capture the surreal-ness of looking down on Silverton, Colorado, which took my breath away.

The next day, we took a drive over to Mesa Verde and visited the cave dwellings. My cousin kept wondering how many children fell off the edge of the cliff back in those days of nakedness and short life spans. Did they have leashes? From our vantage point, the dwellings looked like a child's attempt at building sand castles like those we see on our beaches here in Florida, and it was hard to imagine living in such harsh conditions.

My cousin and I spent so much time together, talking, looking at old photos, describing our mothers to each other, and hugging. But not wanting my husband to feel left out, I was also very grateful when my cousin's husband (a pilot) offered to take him high above the clouds (so to speak, because the sky was actually completely blue). They took flight and my husband took the helm at 10,000-feet; how thrilling for him!

Although I do have siblings, I have two cousins who connect me to my parents in a way no other person can; one living in Indiana and the other in Colorado. One is the daughter to one of my mother's sisters and the other is the daughter to one of her brothers. They are two of the kindest and most level-headed people I know - AND - they each carry keys to the 'locker' where family tales are stored. I learn from them, far beyond anything I can learn from my siblings. So, the connection is vital, but also warming.
The short trip was exhilarating - coming between a job I had for nearly 16-years and a new position I'm just starting.

With that feeling of renewal, I'm ready to tackle the pressures that will inherently come with this new job and do it with hug around the neck.


I love you, Mom and Dad - a bushel, a peck and a hug around the neck.

Thank You for Your Inspiration

Ten years ago, I helped give birth to a weekly publication that has changed the face of the non-profit world in our community.

I say "helped," because it took many people to push that first, and every other, edition out on time. We had page designers, production people, advertisers, sales reps and, of course, us writers and photographers. I most certainly didn't do it alone. But it was like giving birth; being there to grab the first copy of Luminaries as it came off the presses was a magical moment for me. After a successful career in banking, I never imagined being a newspaper editor.

I say "changed the face of the non-profit world," because until that day 10-years ago, there wasn't a place for charitable organizations to tell their stories, to shout their successes to the mountain-tops, to show their appreciation for their donors and volunteers or to invite others to join the cause.

Tonight I had the sheer pleasure of sharing some very exciting-to-me news with 24 women who have supported me and Luminaries, who have impressed me, who have become a part of my life and helped make me who I am today - primarily because of their own passion for making our little slice of paradise an even better place to live. All of the women, each in their own way, is working for the greater good and I am inspired by them everyday.

One, believing in the power of a sit-down, family meal, started a small non-profit based on that important concept and has grown it from serving 20 families to serving 800 families in just two short years.

Another, believing in the need to help children who have been abused/neglected through the court system process, jumped right in and became an advocate for children's rights. Her volunteer career has taken her from managing about 30 volunteers to more than 500 volunteers, and today she hosts annual symposiums on the needs of children - bringing in high caliber guest speakers.

Still another has dedicated her life to the care of those suffering with Alzheimer's disease and the needs of their caregivers.

One is dedicated to helping save unwanted pets from a life of foraging in the woods for food, another spent much of her life helping those with HIV/Aids, and still another is working with those who are trying to save our lagoon waters. One even travels to Latin countries to help educate young people.

Some of the women there tonight (and some who couldn't be there) have, unknowingly, served as mentors to me; one whom I met through my mother's friendship with her mother, one a former colleague, one a photographer/writer and one, like me, a former caregiver to her own mother.

Although my job as editor of a social magazine fills my life with happiness and fun, I do have a few bad days now and then, and it is some of the women there tonight to whom I turn to help me see the humor in all things.

I didn't realize it until recently, but a day doesn't go by that I don't lean on one of them for something. Life is a lot of work. It is these women who give me the strength to continue, even when I just don't want to.

I asked each of them to come and have drinks with me tonight, because each has played an important role in my success as an editor, and also because I love them and pray they will continue to be a part of my life. My toast was and is to them.

Tonight I announced that I have given notice at my place of employment and I am moving on in a new direction. Stunned by the news, many were surprised to learn I can let go of the baby I birthed 10-years ago. In  some ways, it's no different than knowing when it's time to let go of your own children.

It's all been a process through which I have needed to travel -- learning how to live without my mother has led to many changes, and this is one of them. I am honored to have been a part of the success of Luminaries and grateful for everything that came to me because of being with a company that entrusted that success to me.

But I am forever indebted to the women who shared their time with me tonight, without whom I'd have no inspiration.

One Last Kiss

Two years ago today.
Time is very, very slowly easing the pain. But I still miss her, think of her throughout the day and pick up the phone to call her from work at least once a week.

But, how lucky am I that she sent me one more kiss?
About two months ago, when I was cleaning out her bathroom cabinets, there was a crumpled-up tissue way in the back corner. I pulled it out to throw it away and it opened, revealing her lipstick mark -- her kiss.

A few weeks later, when I came upon that notebook filled with leaves I brought home from our trip to Southern Illinois in 2007, (mentioned in http://alwaysonmymindforeverinmyheart.blogspot.com/2014_08_24_archive.html ), laying right on top of all the leaves I dumped out of the notebook was the tiniest little four-leaf clover. Mother had found it during that trip at Horseshoe Lake State Park in Granite City, Illinois. We had been driving around and sightseeing all day, when suddenly she asked me to take her there, saying it was one of her favorite places to be when she was young. She picked up some dandelions and told me how her mother used them in salads, and then she picked up this tiny four-leaf clover.

Everything happening in my life right at this moment is a culmination of things begun two years ago. Mother would be so happy and proud.

How lucky am I to be loved so much!

I love you, I miss you and I want you to come home, now.

"I Do," and I'd Do It, Again

41-years ago today, I left the safety and comfort of my parents' home and married the boy who got me "in trouble" with our second-grade teacher when he whispered something to me, and when I responded, the teacher got angry with me for talking in class and put my name on the blackboard.
Back then, having your name written on the upper left corner of the blackboard for the day was devastating! I didn't get over it; the remainder of the school year, I carried a grudge, noting how silly  his mother made him look in his too-big pants pulled way up over the top of his waistline with a belt squeezed so tight it made the pants pucker and gather and exposed his ankles at the bottom. (Can you say, "Waiting for a flood?)

By the time we were in sixth-grade, we were good friends (he was clearly dressing himself), and before the school year ended, we were playing Spin the Bottle at a friend's party (a kissing game that was popular back in 'days of yore'). After that weekend of pure bliss, he asked me to go steady. In my end-of-elementary-school autobiography, I wrote that I was in love with this cute boy and that I would marry him.

Although interests (mine band and his wrestling) and attending a high school that had so many students (4,200) that we had three separate shifts pulled us in different directions, we remained friendly acquaintances. Until college, when - there he was in my Geology class. Thank goodness for a familiar face.

We went to a party, but he actually was there with my college roommate. So, when we ran out of wine (Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill - 79-cents a bottle), we sent her to the store to buy more. While she was gone, I kind of moved in on him. Shame on him for letting me and shame on me, I know, but it was the best move I've ever made.

From the start, my parents always loved him. He looked my father in the eye when they'd shake hands, and he spoke to my mother with great respect.

There's no doubt that we've had our ups and downs; hives, financial woes, trust issues, wanting one's way, serious health crisis, raising a child together, and more, but we've made it through them all - because marriage is work. And, we knew that from the beginning. It takes complete commitment to make it this far, and that's the one thing I can say without a shadow of a doubt - we are committed.

We are committed to making our lives together the best that we can do. That doesn't mean having, owning, or doing the grandest, most expensive things. It doesn't mean always winning the battles. It does mean 41-years of give and take, of respecting one another's feelings and commitment to an issue, of both listening and talking, of having fun with each other, of appreciating space, of two being one and each being two.

When my father passed away 13-years ago, my parents had been married 64-years.When my husband's father passed away, his parents had been married for 44-years. Both of our parents went through many trials, and both taught us the value of taking the bad with the good.

I look forward to 41 more years with the boy who became my soul mate. If this past weekend is any indication, there's still a whole lotta' fun in front of us, and I'm ready for the ride!

I love you, Mom and Dad, for doing the best you could with what you knew and showing me how to make it work.

In an Autumn Kind of Place

I was cleaning out a closet this past week and came upon a spiral notebook that I had completely forgotten about. I had taken it with me when Mother and I traveled back to southern Illinois for the last time in the fall of 2007. I used it to write down the stories she shared about her youth, her own hard-working mother and her courtship with Daddy. But I also collected beautiful fall leaves along the way. At each place that meant something to her, I picked up a few leaves and put them in the notebook to press. I even labeled the pages with information about where each of the leaves had come from - Dixon Springs, Horseshoe Lake, Vienna, etc.

Seeing those leaves, put me in the mood for fall and crafting.
Without a doubt, it's my favorite time of year. So, why not?
Maybe it will help make this intensely hot day feel a little less torrid and humid.

So, gather your supplies, we're going to make a wreath/photo frame that will spice up any space, and the best part is - it only takes moments to complete.

You're going to need: an old photo frame, glue gun and glue sticks, silk autumn leaves, scissors, pliers and ribbon.

I used a cheap, skinny, 8X10 wood frame I bought for $1, removed the backing and glass and then removed the metal glass holders.

There's no need to paint the frame or prepare it in anyway. Just cut the silk leaves off the plastic stems and begin hot-gluing them around the frame.

Remember, as I say every month to my Crafting Sistas, "It's your project. Make it your own and do what ever you want to do."

You can glue leaves part way around the frame, embellish it with a bow, put the glass back in, and use it as a seasonal photo frame. But for this project, I'm continuing with gluing the leaves all the way around the frame to make a wreath.

I had some little Styrofoam berries that I used to embellish my wreath by gluing them down in a few places.

Isn't it beautiful? And oh so easy. I took mine just a little further and added a big bow to the top, but I think it's equally as pretty without the bow.

You're going to think I'm crazy, but I can tell the start of fall is only a few short weeks away.
Yes, I know yesterday's high was 100-degrees and today's is not expected to be any different (which is why I'm not with my friends at the outdoor music festival in our quaint downtown).
Yes, I know that those who are not at the music festival are at the beach.
Yes, I know we live in south-central Florida, and there's really no such thing as "fall."

But every year, towards the end of August, the sun begins to cast its afternoon shadows somewhat differently than at the start of summer. In about two-weeks, I'll begin to notice a difference in the air; not cooler temperatures, but a lightness wafting through the heat that will definitely be the start of our fall. I notice that slight change every year, and I don't know if Mom also truly noticed it or if she just humored me by saying that she could see the difference, too - but it was nice knowing I wasn't alone.

For me, especially in these times of extreme weather, those not-so-noticeable changes soften the blow of the scorching sun and put me in an autumn kind of place.

In October of 2007, Mother and I traveled back to southern Illinois one last time. This is a photo of her standing next to the Willow Oak Tree that we planted in memory of Daddy back in 2002. The tree is planted

in Dixon Springs, Illinois - my father's favorite place to be in this whole wide world.

 I would love to see how this tree has grown.

 

Thank you for passing your creativity on to me, Mom. I love and miss you.

Happy birthday, Mom

Today would be my mother's 96th birthday.
Two years ago (only weeks before she passed away), she, my husband and I spent her birthday weekend camping in Winter Garden, not too far from where our son and his wife live. They were having new carpeting installed, and we had promised them we'd help rip out the old carpet in order to help them save some money. Mother sat comfortably in the living room, reading and watching television, while we helped hammer down nails that were sticking up in the plywood flooring upstairs.
That's just how she was; perfectly content sitting there for quite a few hours as the rest of us went about the business at hand.
She would have much rather been helping us, though. In fact, on of my trips downstairs to check on her, she asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
In her day, there wasn't anything Mom couldn't do. She used to love working in the yard. When she came to live with us, and she could no longer do that kind of work, she would see me out in the back yard pulling weeds, trimming the hedges and breathlessly sweating, and she'd often say, "I wish I could help you."
I know I've mentioned in previous posts how much she enjoyed ironing. Yes, it's true. She actually enjoyed ironing. In fact, giving up ironing was much harder for my mother to do than giving up driving! So, when I'd complain about all the ironing I had to do, she'd always say, "I wish I could help you," which would remind me of how lucky I was to be able to stand on two legs.

When mother turned 89, we celebrated her birthday in a big way. We had a surprise party for her at our son's house, inviting all the known family. My brother even surprised her by coming in from San Antonio, Texas.

Here she is, entering my son and daughter-in-law's house, totally surprised.

(Look at my silly Sam trying to be the first one in the house, going between her legs.)

She asked me why we threw such a big party for her 89th birthday. "Do you think I won't be here next year?" she asked.

We always celebrated Mom's birthday in as big a way as possible - except the year she passed away.
Two years ago.
We did go to a restaurant and have a nice birthday dinner with some family, but it wasn't the big blow-out we had grown accustomed to.
I wish I had known. I would have done so much more.
I just wish I had known.

The passage of time does not make me miss her less, though it has slightly softened the pain.

I carry your heart, Mother. I carry it in my heart.

Happy birthday!

 

Floating high above the treeline

I've recently returned from what my husband and I call "the vacation of a lifetime."

We aren't wealthy people, so many of our vacations include camping - which we both love doing. But this one took us by air to Seattle, by train to Vancouver, by cruise ship to Alaska and then back home by air. And, being one who is so terribly fearful of flying and heights (to the point where I must have pharmaceutical help to get on an airplane), this vacation tested every nerve in my body. But it was well worth it. We saw and we did things we'll likely never see and do, again. Out of hundreds of photos taken, I'll share a few of our highlights. I hope you enjoy them and the journey.

It starts with our flight out of Orlando.

And before you know it, we make our descent into Seattle, and catch our first glimpse of Mount Rainier. Stunning!

We hit the ground running, so to speak. We rented a car and drove up to Mount Rainier, making stops along the way to see waterfalls and views of the mountains.

Our first of many, many waterfalls is one named Christine Falls.

                                     

Being from Florida, its not often that I get to see and play in the snow.

 

I wish I had the words to describe the beauty that surrounds us. Just like the Grand Canyon is filled with vivid colors at sundown, the same is true of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains of which it is a part.

We stayed at Paradise Inn, a lodge at the base of Mount Rainier. And after a yummy hot chocolate with mint schnapps, it was early to bed and early to rise for our day of hiking.

Don't get me wrong, though. My husband and I are not trail-blazers. We love to hike prepared trails, but are not equipped for what others might call true hiking. Although the temperatures were in the 70s, we had to climb a 10-foot wall of snow just to get to the trail. And that was just the beginning. My husband and I were not prepared for hiking in the snow (no cleats), so we went as far as we could before the trek became a tad too treacherous for us, and we turned around, wishing our son and his wife well as they marched on. (I found myself wishing we had made this trip when we were younger.)

At this point, we don't know how deep the snow is, but we do know we are standing among treetops.

From there we hiked some lower trails, seeing waterfall after waterfall, and then we crossed a short suspension bridge to see some of the largest and oldest trees in North America at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

My husband finds a friend at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

It was time to leave Mount Rainier National Park and spend a few days in Seattle, where - the next day - I found myself above the tree-line, again, (or so it felt), taking the 605-foot ride to the top of the Space Needle, high above the city. After a delicious lunch, it was over to Pike Place Market where we saw the infamous fish throwing guys and the equally infamous gum wall.

It's totally disgusting, but we had to see it. (That's probably where I caught my cold.)

 

Early the next morning, we board a train to Vancouver where we then embark on our cruise to Alaska.

The train ride was beautiful, overlooking the coast of Washington into Canada. But getting to the cruise ship was even better. My husband and I had been anticipating this trip for nearly a year. That evening, we enjoyed clear skies and a full moon -- could it be any better?

See the cruise ship following us?

 

We spent a day at sea, and the next morning, we grabbed a much smaller boat that took us into Tracy Arm Fjord, while the ship went on to Juneau. There's no better way to experience glaciers than to get as up close and personal as possible, and this excursion allowed us that opportunity.

After going through a field of icebergs, we end up at Sawyer Glacier.

This picture doesn't do the blue-ness of the glacier justice.

This is one of the many waterfalls we encounter while on the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion.

 

The next port of call was Skagway, where we rented a car, went for an early morning hike through the Old Miner's Cemetery, took a glass blowing class and then took the Klondike Highway as far as we could into the Yukon, until it was time to turn around and get back to the ship.

The glass blowing class is phenomenal and great fun; one of many highlights of the trip.

 

Canada's Yukon Territory is nothing short of spectacular. Everything is larger than life and more beautiful than any photo we had seen online. We traveled to the picturesque Emerald Lake, Carcross Desert and beyond Carcross, before we had to make the U-turn to return to the ship.

Emerald Lake -- simply stunning!

On our drive back, we stop and do what hundreds (if not thousands) before us have done, and we build our own stack of rocks, or inuksuit as some call them (if they are in the likeness of man).

 

The next day, our ship sails all the way into Glacier Bay National Park. Wow!

I thought the trip into Tracy Arm Fjord was spectacular, but this is really beyond. Miles away from our ship stood centuries old glaciers, yet they seemed as though they were close enough to touch. The day spent in Glacier Bay was like nothing we've ever experienced. We saw whales, bears, eagles, sea otters and seals. 

Marjorie Glacier is one of only 12 out of more than 1,000 glaciers still living and thriving today.

On our way out of Glacier Bay, we pass Sea Lion Island.

The next port was Ketchikan, where my nerves would be tested, once again, as we flew a float plane for about 45-minutes to Anan Creek to see bears, eagles and more. We were not disappointed. After about a one-mile hike, we "perched" and watched as the bears came out to catch their prey - the salmon were running, and it was a field day for the bears.

Mere feet away, we watch as the brown bear catches his meal, then scurries off to play in the river. That's when the black bears come out of hiding.

A very protective mamma watches over her cub.

After one of the most exciting days of my life, it's time to head back to the ship.

We arrived back in Vancouver to spend a few days there sightseeing. Again, I found myself high above the treeline (or so it seemed), as we crossed the Capilano River on the Capilano Suspension Bridge and stayed on the 20th floor of our hotel.

This park is quite fascinating, with many more suspension bridges on the other side that take you high into the treetops and a cliff walk that literally takes my breath away.

 

Our stay in Vancouver included a visit to the Museum of Art (and another gum wall -- what's up with that?),  checking out the place of the Olympic Torch, eating a Japadog, seeing a steam-powered grandfather clock, walking the Gaslight district, biking around Stanley Park and more.

For grins, we walk around downtown Vancouver with moustaches. Fun times!

My husband shades himself under a giant leaf at Stanley Park.

I don't know how we do it, but we get lost bike riding in Stanley Park!

I come out of the woods at Stanley Park, after being lost. (We never confessed this to our son and his wife.)

 

After spending a long day at the park, it was time to end my vacation above the treeline and fly back to Florida.

In the early 1980s, my parents had planned a trip to Alaska. My brother was living there and they were supposed to visit him for a few weeks, but my father came down with shingles only days before they were to leave - forcing them to cancel the trip. They never rescheduled it, and I don't know why. This is one of those times when I wish I could get a simple question answered, but that window of opportunity is closed. So, I took my parents with me -- in heart, soul and mind.

My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary nearly a year ago, and that's when I gave him this trip - as an anniversary gift. Our son and his wife decided to also take the trip, and I'm so grateful they did.

One of the things I love most about my daughter-in-law is her zest for the outdoors. If my husband and I had taken this trip on our own, we'd have flown into Vancouver, taken the cruise and come home; perfectly satisfied. But because of our daughter-in-law's insightful planning, we jammed so much more into what became a two-week vacation. We hiked, biked, flew, took glass-enclosed elevators and crossed suspension bridges. To me if feels as though we spent our vacation floating high above the treeline, and - even though it might be short-lived - I overcame some fears and I'm ready to fly, again!

As I get closer to retirement age, I'm quickly learning how to live in the moment. I wish I had learned earlier in life. Better late than never, though.

If you're ever afforded the opportunity to travel to Alaska, I strongly urge you to do so. It's majesty, vastness and beauty cannot be truly appreciated through these few photos.

I love you Daddy and Mom. I hope you enjoyed the trip.