The Guessing Game

Hmmmm.... did anyone else lose their posts this morning?  Mine disappeared and can't be found.  Oh well, here we go again....

I think this picture was taken by my Aunt Terry, but I'm not sure.  Do you know what you are looking at?

If you guess correctly (just write it in the comment or e-mail to onlythemanager@yahoo.com) you will win an e-gift certificate for 30% off an entire order from http://www.etsy.com/shop/wyomingrose .  It's not hard, really.  Just leave a comment or e-mail me because it likely really is what you think it is.  Be sure I have your e-mail so I can send you the code for  the 30% off!

Praying

This has been a hard month already, with a lot of bad news.  We are all fine, but people we love have been affected by death and illness.  We are feeling the pain of four families.  So, we pray.... and pray.... and pray... and pray.

For the four families we know who are dealing with pain and worry and sorrow, God is there.  They are all families of faith.  It makes me wonder, though, how do people get through the hard times without faith?

I'm focusing on Jeremiah 29:11, "I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for harm, to give you a future with hope."

Again, I thank God for HOPE, hope for a time when death and illness and worry and sadness and misery are no more.

Sam, Crazy Fiction Writer

Our son, Sam, is about to graduate high school.  It is such a strange feeling!  When I was expecting Sam, Mike and I realized that by the time the baby I was carrying graduated high school, we'd  have been raising children for 30 years!  That seemed like it would be such a long time, but here we are already.  How did that happen so quickly?

The other night we attended a senior awards night at his school.  Sam didn't want to go but that was no surprise.  He also doesn't want to go to his own graduation.  We are still parenting, though, and we aren't offering options in these two situations.

We'd forced Sam to attend a similiar ceremony when he was finishing his years at Jr. High.  We'd known he was being honored with one award then, but it turned out he was called up to the stage 5 times!  The award that night that was most special to us as parents was when he received the "Kindness Award".  This was a position voted on by parents and students alike.  Before they announced the name, as they were giving the description, I remember thinking that it sounded like an award Sam should win!  Sam had been out of school the day they'd done this voting and knew nothing about it.  He seemed a bit distressed by it, probably thinking this award lowered his "cool" status or something.  We loved it!

So, we went to awards night.  Mike and I graduated from a class of 13.  We knew everyone, their families and their friends.  For us, it was rare to attend any school function and spot a stranger.  At this ceremony for the seniors, there were hundreds of people that didn't even look familiar.  I wish our kids could have attended a smaller school.  No, I don't say that just because these ceremonies would've been a LOT shorter with fewer kids to honor!  Well, maybe that is a little bit of that wish...

Sam had to make the long walk to the stage to receive recognition for a scholarship he was receiving.  We'd known about that ahead and were grateful for it.  The fun was when they started to do "in house" awards.  A presenter would tell the name of an award and a bit about how the decision was made as to who should receive the award.  In most cases it seemed to be the teachers who chose the recipients.  There were quite a few awards for things such as "Spirit" and "Quiet Inspiration".  Since Sam didn't like to join extra-curricular activites we weren't expecting him to receive any of these awards.  They were rightly going to the kids who were in all the plays or helped out at various functions. 

However, as they started to read the description of one award my instantaneous thought was, "Sam is going to win that!"  He did!  It was the award for Outstanding Fiction Writer.  Sam has really shown talent in his writing and had won a similiar award way back in grade school.  He is a kid with interesting thoughts and he is good at expressing them in compelling ways.  Usually he instills a fair bit of humor into this process, making it fun for the reader.

Sam received a certificate as well as a journal.  Unlike me, he was surprised that he was given this award.  He'd never noticed that he'd impressed any of his teachers with his writing.  He was most pleased when he read what was written in the journal as it was written by his favorite teacher.  I thought it was an interesting inscription...

I think Sam was proud to be thought of as having some craziness!

Congratulations, Sam!

The Shy Tulips

My daughter's blog is titled, Little Things Are Big ( http://maria-rose.blogspot.com/ ), because she wanted to acknowledge all the small things that make up for a great life, things that we often take for granted if we even notice them at all.  I've learned a few lessons from her.

You know how tulips usually smile out their bright colors ridiculously early, often while there is still snow on the ground?  Well, mine were really shy this year.  For WEEKS they looked like they were about to open but did not.  Other flowers were blooming, but not the tulips.  Last week I decided to take their picture everyday and FINALLY I got what I was hoping for.  Here are the pictures from last week.  It took me until about Wednesday to realize the dandelion was stealing the show and had to go.  Although it took all week to reach full glory, you'll see the tulips really had a surprise waiting inside!


A Great Day

WOW!  I had a great Sunday/Mother's Day!

I love Sunday mornings anyway because I get to go to church.  It is a solid spot in the week.  It is a time to refuel.  I love our church family so it is also a time to be with friends.  Best of all, it is a time to sing.  I just love singing!  I wasn't given the kind of voice that sounds all that great by itself, but I enjoy singing in a group.  Our Worship Team sings such great songs with talented accompaniment; it is a highlight in my week for sure.

Anyway, before church one of my Sunday School Students presented me with 2 gifts she said were a late Easter present.  One was a chocolate cross (I can't show the picture because I ate it right after church) and the other was this beautiful bracelet featuring lots of angels.  It is pretty, huh?

Then, after church, Mike and I went out to eat with Sam, Maria & Eric & Cordelia, and our family friend, Laura.  I only have pictures of Cordy as my camera was in need of charging.  We were at a Chinese restaurant and Cordy was showing the best way to slurp noodles in order to get the most fun out of each one. 

Later, Cordy saw a Buddha statue and saying, "Tummy!" stuck her finger in his bellybutton.  No pictures of that because it kind of creeped me out.  I don't really want to talk about it anymore...

On the way home I called Ben.  I'm so grateful for all the ways to communicate with him and Sara (cell phones, Facebook, Skype, etc.) as they are in North Carolina.  Ben asked what I had planned for my day and I told him I was planning on a nap as soon as I got home.  Don't worry, Mike was driving so this was not a dangerous conversation.  Anyway, Ben asked if I was going to go for a bike ride.  I told him no because I really didn't have a bike anymore.  I then went on to tell him about a bike I'd seen this past week that reminded me of my childhood bike that had NO gears, a big seat and fat tires.  I concluded that conversation as we were nearing our house.

Mike pulled into the driveway and opened the garage door, using the magic opener.  He just sat there so I figured he was letting me out without having to negotiate the tight garage space.  FINALLY, I realized that he couldn't continue into the garage because there was a BRAND NEW BIKE sitting there!  It was the bike I'd just finished telling Ben about!  Mike and the kids had got it for my Mother's Day gift!  It had a big bow on it as well as a perfumed lotion I'd recently admired at Bath and Body Works!

My goodness!

I came on into the house and on my bed, where the planned nap was to take place, was this beautiful plant.  Sam had bought it for me.  It is called an orange star and I think it is beautiful!  Orange is my favorite color and this plant really appeals to me! I admit, I'd pointed it out to Sam a few days ago.  I drop hints because I know my boys would feel bad if they forgot.

So, I postponed the nap.  I dusted off the old bike helmet and went for a ride around the block. then I just kept going.  I went down to the river and followed a bike path for awhile.  It was a BEAUTIFUL day and I felt like I was in 2nd grade, riding my new bike.  What a lovely gift!  I am a bit sore today but it is the happy kind of sore.

I am so very blessed.  My family is really the true gift.  To be loved by such a group of people, it is more than I could have ever hoped for!

Her Name is Grace

My Mom's name is Grace.  I don't know how her parents could have known who she would become but they gave her the perfect name.  I looked up the word, grace, and found this meaning... elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.  It is as if the dictionary writer's knew my Mom!

This picture is her in the mid 1980's.  To her right is a photo of some of her grandchildren.  Does this woman look like anyone's grandmother? 

When I was a teenager, out with my Mom, we were often mistaken for sisters.  Maybe that should have bothered me but instead, it contributed to my pride in her.  It also made me hopeful and grateful for genetics! 

But more than her physical beauty, my Mom lives by her faith.  I don't think many realize this, but she's really the one who came up with the slogan, What would Jesus do?  Really!  When I was little, I remember her telling me that I should always try to behave how Jesus would.  She didn't just say those words, though, she lived them.  That was her greatest gift to her children.

This woman has been dealt some pretty harsh blows in life.  She's had more than her share of disappointment, but she always came up smiling.  During rough patches she displays more character than anyone I know.  She really, truly puts others first and she does so without a hint of martyr. 

Don't get me wrong.  My Mom is also a woman of strength and determination!  She is very, very smart and can accomplish anything she sets out to do.  I will tell you she can make most any shack into a beautiful home.  She infuses beauty into corners of the world that seemed to have none.  That is one of her greatest talents.  She could make her children feel secure during the most tumultuous circumstances, and she could breathe kindness into the worst of situations.

My Mom mothered more than just her own children.  All of my friends wanted to be around her more.  One of my friends referred to her as Mommy #2, not displacing her own mother but showing what my Mom meant in her life as well.  I ALWAYS knew I was special because I was HER daughter.

So, here's to the best example of womanhood I have ever encountered.  I am so very grateful for this woman who raised us and loved us unconditionally, this woman of talent and compassion, this woman of true grace... my MOM.

I love you, Mom

Back to Sewing!

Yesterday, as I worked on my room some more, I kept turning green!  No, I wasn't sick.  I mean, literally, I kept turning green.  Remember that I was spraypainting the dresser the day before?  Apparently you really should do it outdoors or in an open garage as the can says.  Although I couldn't see green anywhere, it kept showing up on my hands!  It seems a green dust had formed on some surfaces.  My computer was in there (Netflix kept me entertained as I worked) and so everytime I use my computer yesterday, I got green fingers.   It was weird.

The important thing, though, is it is all back in order and my dream room is again being used to create!  No carpet yet, but that will come.  I also haven't had the guys move my new/old sewing machine and cabinet up from the basement yet.  I'll tell you more about that someday but it will stay downstairs until the carpet is in.

Here is a picture of two of my shelving units.  The one on the left has fabrics, patterns, etc.  The one  on the right has jewelry-making items as well as beautiful yarns.  I don't know what it is but I just love looking at all that potential there, especially the fabric and yarns!  It is kind of like I have my own craft store!

This is where I sew.  I was so excited I had to start a quilt already.  I've been watching the series Eli Stone on Netflix as I worked so I just kept watching it while I sewed.

So, I am going with Kate W.'s suggestion of calling it the Paisley Room.  I just love paisley fabric and I love saying the word Paisley.  I looked it up on Wikipedia and found that the design we know as paisley is from India and Iran.  The word, paisley, is from a town in Scotland.  I have some Scottish roots; maybe that explains my love of that word!  I even like Brad Paisley!

Lucky for you all, I just backspaced over an educational lesson regarding paisley.  I decided to leave a little mystery, meaning I didn't want to get tooooo boring.

You probably can't see it but that quilt top has some black and white paisley in it.  I noticed that a LOT of my fabric is paisley.  I'm going to move my paisley giraffe in there for inspiration and I think I will make a paisley wallhanging for decoration!

Kate, I thank you!

Dora Has Left the Building!

I've been BUSY working on the room where I do my projects for Wyoming Rose Boutique.  (See here... http://onlythemanager.blogspot.com/2011/04/good-bye-dora.html)  I still haven't settled on the name for that room but I am considering some of the suggestions I've already received.  Any more ideas? 

Every smidge of Dora and the castle is off the walls and they are now painted a soothing color called "Timothy Tan".  That's kind of a weird name but I really enjoy the calming effect of "just enough" color. 

I ripped out the lavender carpet and plucked a lot of staples out of the floor.  New carpet soon!

Yesterday I was ready to finish it all up.  I drug all my supplies and junk out into the hallway.  It looked like the hallway of a hoarder! 

Sam got up and made a comment that he hoped DFS (Dept. of Family Services) didn't come and take him away.  That puts a funny mental image in my head.  Sam, at 17, is probably 6'3' or more and I pictured a little petite social worker coming to his rescue.

My plan was to arrange the furniture and then move everything back in.  The new carpet is probably a month or so from happening so I wasn't going to wait for that.  I have sewing to do!  So, I started to move things around to see how I wanted it to be.

One of the pieces of furniture there is an old dresser of Sam's.  We'd got it when he was a baby but somewhere in his younger years he'd started putting stickers on it.  He was so pleased with himself, I left them there.   

It then became kind of a joke.  He'd add stickers on it all the time.  By the time he was a teen-ager he was adding things like the long sticky strip that comes on a new t-shirt that says

medium

medium

medium

medium.

I looked over all the stickers and it was kind of like a little tour of Sam's childhood.

     

My favorite was the "Hello My Name Is" sticker from a church event.  He'd written his name and below it in paranthesis he'd written (catman).  That made me smile because for years he referred to himself as Catman.  He still really enjoys our cats but I'd not thought of that nickname in awhile.

After that nostalgic moment I decided that instead of just putting the dresser in with plans to clean  it up later, maybe I'd better follow Nike's advice and "Just Do It".  So, I got out my little bottle of Goof Off The Miracle Remover and started scraping.  I felt like I was being watched... 

... but I kept at it.  It took a long time to get them all off.  I was pleased when I stood back and looked at it.  But, there was another problem.  The drawers didn't all close properly.  So, I took out all the drawers and identified the screws that were prohibiting closures.  I got that problem fixed but one drawer didn't close right still.  So, I played musical drawers until I found that there was just one drawer that fit in one of the spaces.  This was not ever a top quality piece of furniture but at least it was now usable.  I'd used most of my morning just scraping stickers!

THEN, I got a brainstorm!  I remember a can of green spray paint I'd purchased for another project.  I opened the window for fresh air and started spraying.  I was so excited!  Unfortunately, I ran out.  By now it was early afternoon so I jumped in the car and went in search of matching spray paint.  It took 3 stores until I found the match, across town of course.  I finished up the dresser and liked the result.  What do you think?

THEN, I glanced at the old Christmas Popcorn Tin I'd been using for my trash.  I know, I know, classy.

So I just kept spraying...

FINALLY, I was ready to move into the room.  That seems like a simple thing until you know that I had FOUR big tubs of things such as quilt squares, jewelry parts, patterns, old clothes that may become quilts, and lots of things difficult to identify.  Much of this was from my Grandma Rose's home and I needed to sort and organize.

Grandma Rose died just before Christmas.  She was the original Wyoming Rose.  She did everything crafty and saved left-over bits and parts for potential future use.  She also seemed to have the same problem as me, starting a new project before finishing the previous one.  This results in a lot of half-completed treasures!  When her house was cleaned out and things were being taken to thrift stores, craft things were saved for me and my cousin, Diahann, to add to our own craft supplies.  I was a bit overwhelmed by the bulk of all this but it is so precious to me.  I opened one tub and the smell of Grandma's house come poofing up to my face.  I just stood there weeping.  I miss her so much!

I never did completely clean out our hallway before I crashed into bed.  Luckily, DFS hasn't shown up but rather than risk it, I'd better finish up the job.

I'll show the final pictures of the room soon!

I am a Hypocrite!

So, did you read yesterday's blog? 

Well, I'm a big fat hypocrite. 

Yesterday I took Maria and Cordy to the mall, a tradition we seem to do about once a week.  Our husbands met us at the food court at noon for lunch.  After lunch we all went to pet puppies at the pet store, then the guys left.  Maria and I often go drive around after our mall lunch, visiting until Cordy falls asleep.  We then get fancy coffee for a little treat...great tradition! 

Yesterday, Cordy was really worn out and as we left the mall, it was obvious she was getting very tired.  This picture isn't from yesterday but it gives you the idea...

Well, I needed to run into Walmart for an item so Maria took Cordy out of her car seat and we headed in.  Just as we were making our way through the parking lot with the sleepy little girl, I remembered that I'd just blogged about my irritation with people taking their little kids shopping when they needed to be napping!  I busted myself!

Luckily, Cordelia rarely throws a fit.  She just sagged into her Momma and blinked long slow blinks.  I promise you, we did NOT talk mean to her!  Once we were back in the car, though, we'd gone maybe 2 blocks before she was out!  Poor little girl with the thoughtless Grandma!

Even though I felt guilty, I still enjoyed my cup of flavored coffee.  I went with butterscotch yesterday.  Yum!

One day, when returning my shopping cart to the little corral place, someone walking by offered to take my cart.  Such a simple offer but it made me feel just a little bit better about the world.

Truly, it only saved me a few steps but it really did more than that.  

You know how sometimes a little event in a store can put you in a bad mood?  Maybe someone races to get in the check-out line before you or they talk real loud on their cell phone while blocking the aisle?  One of the worst for me is shopping in the early afternoon, hearing all the little children crying their way through the store while their parent talks in a mean voice to them.  I really want to just suggest they take naptime seriously and plan their shopping trips around that.

Oh, wait... this post is going in the wrong direction and I'm getting kind of down again!

OK, back on track!  I wanted to just talk about how one simple little gesture can  brighten someone's day.  I'm not talking about changing a life, but you never know how far that one gesture could go.  Perhaps by offering to return a shopping cart for somebody you put them in such a good mood they go home and speak more kindly to their child, who then loves up on the puppy instead of pulling it's tail.  The puppy grows up more calm and doesn't bite the mailman.  The mailman then has a brighter outlook on life and smiles at a group of teens as they drive by.  The teens then feel valued and instead of joining a gang and spraypainting grafitti, they go to college. While at college, one of them develops an interest in medical research and eventually becomes world-renowned for developing a cure for cancer...all kinds of cancer! 

Whew!  Good thing you offered to return someone's cart to the cart corral!

I AM A WINNER!

I won! I won! Yay for me!

I was bouncing around the internet one day, reading blogs, and I happened upon http://yellowrosegiftscompanyblog.blogspot.com/ .  I'm not even sure how I got there but it was a nice blog.  This blog is about a home based business and they make scented candles, one of my favorite things!  They happened to be having a contest to name a new fragrance.  That sounded intriguing!  If you are interested, check in on their blog now and then as they apparently do these contests from time to time.  You, too, could be a winner! 

They listed the main scents in their formula... "I am a blend of pine, apples and cinnamon, bayberry, a touch of holly and a hint of vanilla."  Doesn't that sound yummy?  So, I just tried to imagine where I'd be if I were smelling those scents.  My winning entry was FOREST BAKERY.   I'm kind of proud of it; can you tell?

I don't enter many online contests.  The truth is, I don't enter unless it is something I really think I'd like.  This contest was meant for me!  Mike sometimes calls me "the nose" because I really, really like to smell nice scents.

This is not a picture of my actual nose.  This is a picture of my dream nose! 

Apparently, this is a legacy I've passed on to my children.  One of my children, who shall remain nameless, used to say to me, whenever we were in a mall, "Momma, do you want to go smell stuff?"  He enjoyed it also but now denies that and won't go with me to smell stuff anymore. 

Luckily our grandaughter, Cordelia, is now a willing participant.  About once a week Maria and Cordy and Mike and I meet at the mall for lunch.  We have a whole routine of things we do with Cordelia there and one of those includes a stop at a scent store to smell stuff.   The staff there knows us, or at least they know Cordy!  I'd better make it clear that we stop at that store BEFORE Mike joins us at the mall for our lunch.  He only goes into that store long enough to buy me a gift card from time to time.  That's true love, huh?  Apparently, most people who shop at those types of stores are estrogen producers.

Anyway, I see that Yellow Rose Gift Company also makes candles that, when melted, can be used as oils for your skin!   http://yellowrosegiftsco.com/massage.html  I may have to try some of that as I am always looking for help for my skin.

These people know candles and at the store site you can read interesting little tidbits of info. 

(Pictures and Candle Trivia are taken directly from http://yellowrosegiftsco.com/ )

Candle TriviaDid you know that a
candle has a memory?
When burning a candle
for the first time, it's
suggested that you burn
it one hour for each
inch in diameter.
This will allow the pool
of wax to extend to the
outside edges and will
prevent your candle from
forming a "canyon" in
the center. Burning a
candle this way will also
set it's memory.  Each
time you burn the candle
it will "remember" to
burn to it's edge.  

I didn't know that, did you?

So, you ask, how do I order a Forest Bakery candle?  Well, since you asked, go to

http://yellowrosegiftsco.com/  and scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "fragrances".   There you can read about Forest Bakery.  I suppooooose you can read about other fragrances as well.  Then, click back to the main page and click on Tureen Candles.  There you get to write in what fragrance you prefer (forest bakery, forest bakery).  As you shop around you will also see they offer bath salts, soaps, even pet shampoos!

By now you are probably wondering if this is a paid advertisement.  Nope.  I am just excited to be a contest winner!  I appreciate that they are sending me a free candle and I wanted to pass on the "nice".

I can't wait for my prize to arrive!



Sweet Morning Visitor

A recent morning with Cordelia...



We snuggled and watched Wonder Pets.  We watch this on Netflix so I can choose any episode she asks for except the one where a baby goldfish is in distress.  Maria has warned me, that one makes Cordy cry.

Cordy was goofing around with a blankie on her head.  This hairdo was the result.

Cordelia striking a pose.  Do you suppose she does yoga with her Momma?

What a lovely morning it was.

I love that little girl!

Happy Birthday, Eric!

When my children were young I began praying for their future spouses.  I prayed for those future spouses while they themselves were still children.  I prayed they would have happy childhoods and see their parents model healthy marriages.  I prayed that God would lead those unknown people to our family when the time was right.

For Maria's future spouse, that time came pretty early.  They actually first met when Maria was in 8th grade and Eric 9th.  In high school they became great friends.  Eric was at our house a lot, but Maria had told me they were "just friends".  Then, one day, she said, "I really like Eric."  I commented, "Yes, I really like Eric, too."  I wasn't really too quick on the uptake there and finally she had to say, "Mom, I REALLY like Eric."  That got my attention!

I guess that was the first time I probably realized I'd been praying for Eric all those years.

Well, our daughter chose well.  Eric fit so well into our family!  We feel like we got to see him grow up, at least the last few years of it.  We've come to know what a joy it is to have a son-in-law who loves and respects our daughter with his whole being.  We've also come to love Eric just for who he is.  He's fun and interesting, he's talented and he can tell really long, drawn out jokes like nobody's business.   He's now a great dad to our granddaughter as well.

Eric, we tease you a lot (and you know you deserve that!) but know this, we love you and are so very happy you are part of our family!  I can't really imagine this family without you in it! 

And,  I still pray for you but now it is by name.

I am a Princess!

What is it about the British Royalty that captures the attention of so many Americans?  Do we still consider ourselves cousins to the British?  I know there are royal families in many countries but it is the faces of the British Monarchy that we all recognize.

I did not get up early to watch the wedding.  In fact, until I turned on the TV yesterday I was thinking the wedding was to be today.  Deep down I believed myself to be a bit superior to those who were making such a big deal about strangers. However, once I turned on the TV I admit watching long enough to see and admire the dress and to smile when the couple came out riding in the convertible.  I'd been sucked in! 

Our son, Sam, caught me watching.  He went into a rant (this is one of his favorite pastimes so don't take it too seriously) about how William and Kate got to be so famous without having to do anything.  Even Lindsey Lohan was at least in a movie!  I agreed with him.  William became famous for just being born, something we've all done!

At that point, though, I had to admit that I wanted to watch more of the action happening in far-away England.  I like to think I am a logical person and this seemed illogical so I then tried to think up justification for this interest.

This is what I came up with... 

1) Everybody wants to believe in "Happily Ever After". 

2) Every little girl grows up hearing fairy tales of ordinary little girls growing up to become princesses.  Deep down we wonder how we would have handled such a transformation.

3) The World is full of sad/bad news, why not just enjoy this? 

Then, I heard the insinuation that as a Child of God, I am also royalty.  It makes sense, child of the King.... Princess...  Yes!  I knew it!  I AM a Princess!

Last night we went to a small gathering of friends and one of the women brought these rings for each of us princesses! 

I thought it was pretty funny!  But you know what?  I kind of like it.  I think it looks good on me.  I'm wearing it again today!

I AM A PRINCESS!

Only 1 Day Left!

My son-in-law, E.K. Wimmer, is one of the most talented and creative people I've ever met!  He can do practically anything!  He is a talented photographer, a drummer, plays base on our church's worship team, artist, comedian, and the list could go on and on.  He just isn't afraid to try new things.  I love that about him!

He's currently in a contest to be eligible for a funding prize that he could use for a future film project.  This first round of the contest is solely based on public votes (that's where you come in) and only the top 10 get to go onto the next phase of being assessed by the judges.  Right now Eric's film is in 11th place!   Oh man, SOOOOOO Close!  He hasn't lived in Wyoming that long so doesn't have the name recognition yet here. 

Can you help him?  Go to  http://wyomingshortfilmcontest.com/entries#163449  to vote.  If this is your first visit you will have to sign-up, go to your e-mail to verify, and then bop back to vote.  You vote by clicking on the stars.  I hope you'll want to give him a 5!

I thank you for taking the time to help.  You can vote today (Thursday) and again tomorrow.  I really appreciate it!

And did I mention his birthday is this week-end?  I'm just saying...

Good-bye Dora!

OK, I already admitted to everyone that I still had bits of Dora the Explorer wallpaper in the room where I make things for Wyoming Rose Boutique.  Actually, it is a border I guess, that goes up about 3 feet.  The upper part of the walls are lavender with blotchy clouds dabbed all over.  Like I said, I started peeling wallpaper the day we arrived, while waiting for the truck to bring our possessions.  Well, once the truck arrived I got involved in unloading and shaking our possessions into place (I always imagine shaking the house from the outside until things settle into place.)  The Dora room was an extra room, serving as a guest room and catch-all for 6 1/2 years.  Somehow, I never got back to it.  Maria occasionally picked at the wallpaper when they visited us, before they moved to Wyoming, but mostly Dora was ignored.

Last Fall, when it became apparent that I could not maintain my nursing job because of my digestive problems, I started sewing and making jewelry more.  I got back into crocheting and other crafts.  I'm in that room a lot now and I have to say that I'm a little tired of the Dora look.

This Winter, I received some boxes of fabric and crafts that belonged to my Grandma Rose.  I didn't have anywhere to put it all and I started making a double layer in front of the shelves where I had yarn and fabric.  It has reached the point where I can't shut the door to that room fast enough!  How did this happen?  I am a person who appreciates order and neatness!  I hated how it looked and I hated how hard it is to find anything in there now.  It made it so hard to feel creative.

Yesterday, I started!  I have removed the paper from 2 walls and have already painted the first coat on those 2 walls.  I've purchased a shelving system and I am feeling inspired!  I feel a bit of my old energy and I like it!

This picture is hard to see but I like to start painting jobs in our home by leaving a little message for Mike on the wall.  I like knowing that message is always under the coats of paint.  Weird, I know.

Hopefully, I will soon be showing you pictures of a pleasantly ordered room.  We no longer have the guest bed in that room so it is all for me and my projects.  That's really a dream come true!  Any thoughts what I should call this room?  Studio? Work Room?  Craft Room? Sue's Room?  Dora's Room? Wyoming Rose Room? Any clever ideas?

Wait....What?!

I staggered out of the bedroom this morning and glanced out the window over the kitchen sink.  I got a mug for my morning cup of decaf and suddenly, realizing it is almost May, snapped my attention back out the window.  Wait....What!?  Weren't we just outside raking and digging in the garden?

I had an epiphany!  There are really only two seasons, Winter and Summer.  The other two, Fall and Spring, are not really their own seasons at all.  They are just season wannabees.  Really, they are just episodes where Winter and Summer alternate days for a bit. 



I know, I know... we haven't had the worst Winter here.  That award goes to our friends back at our hometown of Turner, MT!  Yep, they've been slammed continually and it just doesn't stop.  I'm not sure they've even got to the period where Winter and Summer alternate days.  It sounds like they just keep getting more and more Winter!

I was thinking about some of the Winters I've experienced up there.  The first year my family moved there, my sophomore year of high school, the graduation ceremonies had to be postponed because most everyone was snowed in and we were enduring about a week with no power.  I thought that was kind of exciting at the time, but it did start to get a bit old when you had to melt snow to drink.  I was grateful we could melt snow to fill the toilet tank!

One year, when Mike and I were living on the farm, the big storm came even later!  Maria was just a toddler and we were stuck out on the farm for days on end.  School was already out for Summer break!  We had to reschedule Vacation Bible School.  After about a week of that we'd heard the roads were open and we were ready for our escape!  We loaded up Maria and our suitcases, Mike threw in his golf clubs as we were headed South to the tropical vacation get-away... Gillette, WY.

We didn't make exactly a clean get-away.  Just a few miles from home we found ourselves stuck.  We didn't have a shovel as our trunk was full of our vacation stuff.  That probably wasn't our smartest move.  I remember Mike trying to dig snow around the tires with his golf club!  That was kind of funny but I did NOT laugh.  Eventually, we were pulled out by kind neighbors with a tractor.  Yes, we did make it to Gillette and Mike did get to use his clubs appropriately.  All was well.

So, I guess I'll not whine about our little skiff of snow today!

How is the weather where you are?  Turner people, what's going on up there?



Babushka Dolls

We have had Cordelia hanging out at our house more than usual lately.  Our daughter and son-in-law just bought a house and are madly painting the interior in just a few day's time so they can move in.  It's been fun for us to spend more time with this fun little soul!

One of Cordy's favorite things to do with me is to play with the Babushka Dolls.  I looked them up on Wikipedia and found they can also be called Matryoshka Dolls or of course, Nesting Dolls.  You've seen these, right?  It is simply a set of look-alike little Russian girls made in descending sizes.  The cool thing is each nests into the size above itself.  When you put them all together you have what looks like just one doll. 

Cordy first shakes the biggest doll.  When she hears rattling, she knows there are more inside.  She likes to sit on my lap to do this but it can also be done on the stool in our living room.  We work through the revealing pretty quickly until we get to the last tiny doll.  When Cordy shakes that one (I know, I know, NEVER SHAKE A BABY!) she hears nothing and knows there are no more.  She announces, "Baby!" and almost instantly she says, "Aaaaaaagain!"  I love how she draws out that word.  I don't know why she says it that way but it does kind of add to the fun.  Cordelia has a LOT of stamina for this little game and we do it over and over and over and over and over.....

This routine is even more fun to me because the Babushka Dolls (say it out loud...it sounds cool and is much more fun to say than "nesting dolls") were a gift to me from an oncology patient.  This particular lady likes to travel and has done so sometimes when we thought she was probably too worn out to even go to the grocery store.  I admire her spirit!  She was in Russia and said that when she went into a little shop to buy these dolls, they had just run out.  Before she left the shop, though, a country woman came in, bringing a new batch of Babushka Dolls that she'd just made.  I love that some woman in rural Russia handmade these and they ended up being part of important playtime for a little girl in Wyoming!  I get the same joy when we make something for our Wyoming Rose Boutique and it ends up being sent to someone out of our country.  It just think it makes us all seem more related, more together in this experience of being human.