Living, Loving, Learning

Our weekend was so wonderful! Deep connections being revived, family bonds growing stronger, traditions being kept. Dean and Gabriella arrived on Friday afternoon and we got right down to the business of properly celebrating Gabriella's birthday. She was sweet enough to let Griffin help blow out the candles and share her wish with him. Thanksgiving day was wonderful....we feasted, we laughed, and laughed, and laughed, And we even napped!! (Well, some of us napped!) Griffin has taken to calling Dno and Gabriella "the parents" so, not sure what that makes Bruce and I, but...I think he would have gone home with them to Michigan if they would have taken him. Especially, if they promised him snow in his near future! Miss Lu was not a very friendly girl, although she would allow herself to be on the receiving end of a few kisses and was eager to call out for Gabriella - after she had left the room, that is! We had a great time on Friday going on outings. The guys did...

This is a book that we borrowed from our local library and are LOVING right now. We are reading it everyday to prepare our hearts and minds for our Thanksgiving celebration. I would like to share the poem here with you. Giving Thanks To be a human being is an honor, and we offer thanksgiving for all the gifts of life. Mother Earth, we thank you for giving us everything we need. Thank you, deep blue waters around Mother Earth, for you are the force that takes thirst away from all living things. We give thanks to green grasses that feel so good against our bare feet, for the cool beauty you bring to Mother Earth's floor. Thank you, good foods from Mother Earth, our life sustainers, for making us happy when we are hungry. Fruits and berries, we thank you for your color and sweetness. We are thankful to good medicine herbs, for healing us when we are sick. Thank you, all the animals in the world, for keeping our precious forests clean. All the trees in the world, we are thankful fo...

My pal Katie and I took our girls to the park yesterday. What an amazing November day! I keep thinking this is the last nice week, let's make the most out of it. And then...the next week is amazing too and I think the same thing! Well, in the end, we have had a whole season of gorgeous weather and we have made the most out of each week. Katie and Phoebe were nice enough to bring lunch over AND a dozen eggs fresh from their coop....Delicious!! We had yummy farm fresh omelets this morning and were so thankful for friends who share. Although there is a year age difference between the girls, Lucy is hot on Phoebe's tail and it won't be long until she is keeping up. I am loving that the women I am really connecting with have daughters around Lucy's age. Surely reinforces my belief that the right people will show up in your life at the right time if you remain open. I think openness is the key. That is something I am always trying to remember. Be open to receive ...

Even Lucy is starting to enjoy Family Movie Night. Now showing, Playmobil's The Secret of Pirate Island. The story line was a little thin and it felt like a long drawn out commercial for Playmobil toys (they are truly preaching to the choir in our case!) Griffin said, "That was the BEST movie EVER!!!" so I guess that tells you what he thought. He liked that it is an interactive movie where every 10 minutes or so you get to choose what the next move will be. That format is excellent (I remember LOVING those choose your own adventure books when I was a kid) and hope that this is a new trend in movies for kids. Also, with pirates, dragons and an army of skeletons, it was just scary enough to thrill a five year old. It's been kind of a quiet week around here - not so much to blog about. We've all been struggling with colds (not Bruce though, with his super-human immune system!) Just kind of taking it easy, enjoying the last few beautiful days of fall (we are still ...

Bruce and I were lucky enough to get THIRD ROW tickets to see our favorite musician, Buddy Guy, last night at The Centre in Evansville. First of all, what a great date. Bruce even bought me a gorgeous purple phaleonopsis orchid plant - what a romancer!! Secondly, man, what a show!! I have seen Buddy maybe 5 or 6 times in concert (Bruce has seen him about a dozen times) and we both agreed this is one of the best Buddy shows we have been too. He was HOT and having a blast, and everyone in the room totally jived on that energy. If you have never seen Buddy and have even the slightest interest in the Blues, than you have got to go...do it now, while he is still touring cause it won't last forever!! He not only plays his own amazing music, but he always gives you a lesson on the old blues masters. He'll say, "Mr. Muddy Waters would have played it like this...." or "Eric Clapton will lay it down like this..." He is incredibly interactive with the audience and ever...

Hope you are all having a GREAT weekend!!!

So, this is my newest creation. I saw a friend's child with one and thought it was a brilliant idea. It's great to throw in your purse, diaper bag or seat pockets for entertainment in a pinch! You can spread them on your child's lap and then the crayons are not rolling onto the floor or across the table! I have not set a price on them yet, but let me know if you want one, we can figure something out. They come with 16 crayolas and (with a little time) the fabric can be customized to fit your child's interests or personality. A great stocking stuffer! I still make bibs, burp clothes, drawstring bags and wallets if you are looking for a special gift. I am now also willing to make baby quilts (machine pieced, hand quilted) for custom orders. This blog is not going to become a vehicle for me to sell stuff, so I will not mention it often, but if you ever see something on here that I've made, it (or something like it) is probably for sale. Take care, y'all....

Wow, teach a boy to read and.....well, he will try to read just about anything. From road signs to the newspaper (yeah, we are old skool like that!) Griffin's appetite for reading has gone from barely anything to wanting to sound out everything. It is an amazing metamorphosis, just one more way in which he is becoming his best self. We had such a great day with him yesterday. Of course it was soupy Sunday, but this time he helped me decide which soup to make (potato), what goes into that soup (potatoes!!), helped me shop for ingredients and even learned to peel potatoes. Bruce spent some alone time with him, teaching him to play crazy 8's with *real* cards. It is so fun to see his voracious hunger for new information, new challenges. He certainly keeps me motivated to find ways to challenge my brain, to keep learning.