TIRED DOG.....

  An older tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.  I could tell that he had a home and was well taken care of.  He calmly came over to me.  I gave him a few pats on his head.  He then followed me into my house ...slowly walked down the hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.
 
  An hour later he went to the door and I let him out.  The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and returned to the spot in the hall and again slept for about and hour.  This continued off and on for several weeks.

  Curious, I pinned a note to his collar,  "I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful dog is and ask you if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."

   The next day he arrived for his nap with a different note pinned to his collar.   "He lives in a home with 6 children....2 under the age of 3.   He's trying to catch up on his sleep.  Can I come with him tomorrow?"

TOP 11 WAYS TO KNOW YOU ARE A CANCER SURVIVOR!

1. Your alarm goes off at 6 AM and you"re glad to hear it.

    2.   April 15th is still a great day.

    3.   Your Mother-in-law invites you to lunch and you just say NO.

    4.    You're back in the family rotation to take out the garbage.

    5.    When you no longer have the urge to choke the person who says, "all you need to beat cancer is the right attitude."

    6.    When your dental floss runs out and you buy 1000 yards.

    7.    When you use your toothbrush to brush your teeth and not  your hair.

    8.    You have a chance to buy additional life insurance but you buy a convertibile instead.

    9.    Your doctor tells you to lose weight and do something about your cholesterol and you actually listen.

    10.    When your biggest annual celebration is again your birthday, not the day you were diagnosed.

    11.    When you use your Visa card more than your insurance card.

                            I AM A SURVIVOR!!!!!!   ( 5 YEARS IN APRIL)
                                   Praising the LORD for this!

POLICE CARS.........and KNEES

I wish I had made a picture.  Yesterday morning when I stepped out my back door, there were three police cars parked in my driveway.   I just about had a heart attack.   I knew they were there to tell me something had happened to Gary....(my son)...but where were they?   Then I decided they must be at my front door, so I walked around the house (in my PJ's)  to find no one at my front door.  My heart was about to jump out of my chest.   Then I walked out into my back yard and I could see three policemen in my neighbors yard talking to the girl who lives there.  What was going on I wanted to know, so I stayed outside until the police came back to their cars....which was about thirty minutes.   Here is what the police told me.   The girl had ran her car into the river and swam to the shore and then ran.      I imagine when they pulled the car out they found the owner, and came to her house.(No drivers license and no insurance)  The police thought they were in HER drive way.  I told them they just about caused me to have a heart attack.   They apologized so I turned and went in the house.  Just as I did my knee popped and it took me forever to take a step.  I couldn't walk.  I stayed in the bed all afternoon with an ice pack and ibprofen.  It is swollen really big.  Today, I can walk.  I went to church, but it is really sore.  Maybe a pulled ligament.?    Any way....that's what's going on in my world......NEVER a DULL Moment!!!!!! 

Blooming In My Yard This Morning.......

Grecien Wind Flower

 Daffodils

Weeping Cherry Tree.....

Monday At The Yarn Shop!!!!!

We have a group of ladies that spend their Mondays at the yarn shop.  I am one of them.  We take whatever we are working on and work our little fingers off and always have to have lunch there.  Most of the time we order our food but ever so often someone will bring something homemade.   I make brownies more than anything.  (Like I need brownies)   Bur we have a good time.  The little blue outfit is what I worked on today.  I am finishing a hat the matches the outfit.  It belongs to my sister when I get it done.  She has a "reborn baby" doll that looks so real.   Well, that's what is going on in my neck of the woods.  I'm trying to stay active with my blog.....Hope I don't bore anyone.....my mind doesn't always know what to write about!  See you again soon!

THE MIDDLE OF MARCH???????? NO WAY!!!!

I've been as busy as a bug in a rug.......Knitting and crocheting and painting my kitchen cabinets.  I'm sorry to go such a long time without posting.  I.ve also had several visits to the dentist with an abcess tooth and then I had six teeth pulled at one time and two new denture plates  made. But I.m doing OK with that and everything else as far as I know.   It's been a very mild winter here...in fact we had snow one time that barely covered the ground.  I.m anxious for spring ,  Everyday I see it becoming a reality.   I hope all my blogging friends are still on here... I will try to catch up with you in the near future......I PROMISE!   Have a wonderful week-end.......  (The above baby poncho is what I finished knitting a week ago.  I just thought it was cute!

The Middle of January????? Where have I been?

Well, Christmas has come and gone and here we are in the middle of January.  My Christmas was good.  I went to my sister's on Christmas eve (along with Gary)  and on Christmas we both went to Bill's sister.  This is the first Christmas in fifty some years I haven't cooked Christmas dinner.   It felt different, but I enjoyed being with family and then  Lisa's family came back from Louisiana and I stayed with them a few days....then the boys came home with me.  We had Christmas all over again.   The boys stayed until Jan 6th.  I took them back home Saturday.  Now I'm thinking about Spring.  Can't you tell by the  pictures.?  The Hyacinth came from Walmart.  It was a bud and this morning I had a good surprise when I walked in the kitchen.  The violet was given to me by Ruby from New Market.  She gave it to me when I went to visit her right before she moved to Texas.  (Hope you see this Ruby)  

     The weather here in TN today is strange.  I have had my doors open.   Our Winter has certainly been mild.  I can't help but think about Spring. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From Thanksgiving to Christmas.....where have I been?????  Isn't it amazing how time flies?   The days are short and the nights are long.     It seems I couldn't get everything together this year.   I had to MAKE myself put up the tree and I still have a few packages to wrap.     Lisa and her family are visiting her husbands relatives in LA....so that means no grandboys for Christmas.  They will be back right after Christmas and will come stay with me for a few days.   Here's a picture of my tree.   The only ornaments are crocheted snowflakes.   I will celebrate His birthday  and be happy for all my blessings!

THANKSGIVING DAY AT LISA'S

I went to Lisa's for Thanksgiving. Gary joined us that day. Here is our meal. I ate way too much, but I did it with a thankful heart! First picture....Sweet Potato Casserole.

Pumpkin Dish ...layered with spice cake and real whipped cream.

Oyster Dressing

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Salad

Corn Pudding

Brussel Sprouts

Apple Tart....made in an iron skillet and then turned out onto a plate.

And The Turkey!!!!!

Here's my plate.....(the first helping) : ~ )

A LETTER TO MY HUSBAND, BILL MELVIN, NOV 23, 2011

DEAR BILL,
A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE YOU WENT AWAY.
MY HOW TIME DOES FLY!
IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY..
YOU SAID YOUR LAST GOODBYE.

I WISH YOU COULD BE HERE,
TO SEE THE THINGS I'VE DONE
A NEW ROOF, A NEW DRAIN...
BUT GOD SAID YOU MUST COME.

IT'S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT YOU...
THE NIGHTS ALL SEEM SO LONG!
I STILL HERE YOU CALL MY NAME...
EVEN THO I KNOW YOU'RE GONE.

PLEASE WAIT FOR ME FOR I'LL BE THERE...
AS I PROMISED YOU I WOULD.
GOD WAS SO GOOD TO US....
I'D DO IT OVER....IF I COULD!

     YOUR LOVING WIFE   "CLARA MAE"

A LITTLE HUMOR

This was made last night at our cancer support group meeting.  We had a great time.  Fifty six people attented.   That was good for such a rainy night. I am reminded of this poem when I look at myself!
                                                         
                   MY GET-UP AND GO HAS GOT UP AND WENT!

How do I know my youth is all spent?
Well, my get up and go has got up and went.
But in spite of it all, I am able to grin,
When I recall where all get up has been.

Old age is golden so I've heard it said
But sometimes I wonder when I get out of bed
With my ears in a drawer and my teeth in a cup
My eyes on the table until I wake up.

"Ere sleep dims my eyes I say to myself,
"Is there anything more I should lay on the shelf."
And I'm happy to say as I close my door
My friends are the same...perhaps even more.

When I was young my slippers were red;
I could kick up my heels right over my head,
When I grew older my slippers are blue
But still I could dance the whol;e night through.

But now I am older, my slippers are black,
I walk to the store and puff my way back.
The reason I know my youth is all spent
My get up and go has got up and went.

But really, I don't mind when I think with a grin,
All of the places my get up has been.
Since I have retired from life's competition,
I busy myself with complete repetition.

I get up each morning.....dust of my wits,
Pick up the paper and read the "O'bits"
If my name is missing, I know I'm not dead.
So I eat a good breakfast and go back to bed.
 
 Thanks Peggy for the picture!  It DOES look just like me!
And really my get up and go hasn't gone anywhere!

HALLOWEEN WISHES !!!!!!!

I think I posted this last year, but here it is again.   My wishes are the same!

Since this is the time for goblins and bats

Halloween spirits and ghosts and cats.

Weird happenings and witches brew,

These are the things I wish for you.

May the only ghost that comes to stay,

Be the Holy Ghost to guide your way.

May the only spirit you chance to meet,

Be the spirit of love and warm friends sweet.

May the tricks that you're ask to do

Be the tricks of making a friend or two.

And of helping another along the way,

To add happiness into their day.

These are Halloween Wishes just for you,

And may God bless you in all you do!

LOOKING FOR A BLOG.......

Do any of my readers know who writes the blog.....JourneyThroughGrace.blogspot.com?    I started reading it about a year ago and when I go there now you have to sign in.  I enjoyed it a lot.  I would like to ask the person's permission to read it again.  It seems that I found it through one of my readers.  Thanks for any help.

Memory Monday....Braids

I hated braids when I was small.  My Mother would part my hair from ear to ear and braid each side and then pin them on top of my head.  On my way to school I would take them down and then you can imagine what my hair looked like but to me it was better than braids.  The picture below is my daughter Lisa. I didn't even have a comb.  She loves braids and wishes I was there every morning to braid her hair.  I wish my Mother could braid mine again too.  I wouldn't complain now!

MEMORY MONDAY.....

Here I am this beautiful morning remembering way back when.   This post came to my mind this morning as I was cooking breakfast.  The eggs that I cracked into the skillet make me think of the chickens we  kept when I was small.  We always had chickens....and my Daddy always had a store (right in front of our house)  We would sell Daddy sggs.  About 100 times a day, we would go to the chicken house and everytime there was an egg, we took it to the store and Daddy would give us a nickel for it.  We would either save it until we had several nickels or we would buy a candy bar or ice cream.  We have been known to wait outside the chicken house (if there happened to be a chicken on the nest) until it finished with its business.   I wish I could tell my Daddy today how much fun we had doing that and how sweet he was to pay us for his own  eggs!  Happy Memories!

Two Amish children die as horse-drawn carts, SUV collide in Indiana...See My Post Below.

Two Amish children die as horse-drawn carts, SUV collide in Indiana

No Memory Monday....I'm sad today!

  I heard some bad news late last night.  An Amish family with whom I have stayed with in Shipshewana, IN.  has had something tragic to happen.   Six of the eight children were riding in a buggy...driven by the oldest one....age nine... and she pulled out in front of a truck.  She died instantly and another one died on the way to the hospital.  The rest of them are not responsive.  I cannot begin to imagine how this family must be hurting.  If you feel led, please say a prayer for them. Rose, have you heard anything about this?  I know you go to Shipshewana ocassionally.  My heart aches for them.

MY FAIR ITEMS

Crocheted Dress

I entered ten items and won ten ribbons.   Six blue, two red and two white.  I was pleased. .   I didn't make a picture of the lady bug purse at the fair...this is a picture I made at home.

MEMORIES.......

Here's a picture of antique scales I have.  It has nothing to do  with my chilehood memories, but it brings back memories of the first job I had after high school.  I worked at F. W. Woolworth  5 and 10 cent store behind the candy counter.  The scales were something like this.   I remember chocolate covered p-nuts were 59 cents a lb.  Cashews (hot) were $1.59 a lb.  There were a lot in a lb. too.  I wish they were that cheap today.  I remember cooking the cashews and when they came out of the cooker you could smell them all over the store.  My wages were $18.00 a week and I had more money than I do now.    I remember the first payday I ever recieved....I gave my Daddy two dollars and I think he still had that two dollars in his wallet when he died ....about fifty years later.  Do any of you remember F. W. Woolworth's?  I wish it was still in existence.

Follow Up on post below.....

One of the boys working on my drain pipe yesterday.    His Dad was in a car wreck and died.  (He owned the Company) I feel so sorry.  I knew they left here in a hurry.  One of the crew called me this morning and said it would be a few days until they came back to finish up here.  I said. "No Hurry....No Worry.'