My Dad

  I thought I was ready to post again but maybe not ----- Our Grandpa Sparky, my dad, passed away Oct 26th.  (I type this through tear filled eyes)  We celebrated his 93rd birthday Sept 19th, he got sick the first week in Oct, was in ICU and rehab and ICU again. Dr. S pulled him through the first time in ICU, but gave him 2 units of blood to perk him up.  The second time he got sick his body was too tired, the Congestive Heart & Kidney failure was too strong.  Dr S couldn't get the water out of his body and he slipped peacefully away from us.  We all know he's in heaven but miss him terribly.  Mom is doing ok -- she's a strong woman, a survivor and has such a zest for life.  He always said the prayers at family meals and on Thanksgiving she did that,  -- she did a great job, thanking God for our Sparky.

A blogging friend said I'd know when I was ready to start writing again, and that it could be a healing place.  She's right-- thanks for listening..

Making Cookies

   Every Christmas for as long as I can remember we have had "Special Raisin Cookies" made by my Grandma or Mom. 

Mom has started teaching  Miss K how to make these special cookies.  It's a family secret recipe and she was tickled to death to learn how and is looking forward to Christmas when she and Mom present the cookies to the family.  We only get them at Christmas and we all haggle over any that is left --- Mom divvies them up, putting 5-6 cookies in everyone's baggie so you better not lay your baggie down --- they're up for grabs then !!!

"The cookies have to be rolled out to a certain thickness - almost so you can see through the dough" (and that's all the secret she told me).    
Miss K is going to be the "Chef" of the family.  She loves to cook (unlike me -  one time she asked her dad  why I just cooked "plain".-- I don't add lots of spices or "extras" like they do..)  and enjoys setting a pretty table. She gets excited when she gets cooking presents.
Maybe when she grows up, she'll be my personal chef ........and bring me goodies to eat.....

Weekend News

 There is a pecan grove near our house, and it looks like there will be a good crop this year.  The limbs are so full they are almost on the ground.  I'm surprised because we've had such little rain.

 It a pretty sight to see the trees are full but it's also just as nice to imagine sitting under the trees - cool in the 90 degree weather.

 We had family yesterday, DH's parents.  The new puppy on FIL's shoulder is the latest addition to our family -- like we actually needed another animal.  She's a tea cup, smaller than the cat, and follows DH's every step.

That's what he wanted --- a shadow.....

Lil' Miss Sam is used to being the only one in grandpa's lap and was a little jealous........

I did get some sewing done today,, I'm trying to finish something so I can link up to Blackberry Creek's UFO's.

Random thought for the day!

This is the conversation my daughter posted on FB":

    Mom: "Sam, what do you want for supper?"
    Sam: "I don't know, but how do snowmen walk?"

 LOL!!!!  What !!!  where did that thought come from?  It's 100 degrees outside and she's thinking about snowmen.   I never  thought about it - and it was a pretty good question.  If it snows this year, we will have a snowman with legs...  

And Sam is 3 years old --- do you remember your children coming up with  such questions?  I don't..

The long awaited Wedding......

Heather and Matt finally set a date and were married this past weekend. Robbie,her biological father is on the left and our son, her step-father, is on the right. This picture was taken shortly after she had a "nervous" crying spell.

Her Uncle Jason, from Texas, is on the left and he officiated the wedding.
The flower girl and ring bearer said they would walk but not touch!!
Miss K and Grandpa, she was one of the bridesmaids.
The flower girl showing her mommy how she was going to pose in the piccies.
My mom and dad, laughing at the festivities -- agreeing the flower girl will do as she pleases...

Our daughter, the wedding director, and the bride-to-be, trying to decide on where everyone should stand.

Heather, Matt and the flower girl, Sam, being so shy....

The setting was a beautiful Southern plantation type -- with the ceremony outside, gnats and all...if you're not from South Ga, gnats are little bugs that fly around your head, and you try to swat at them the whole time you're outside. Fortunately, the bridal couple had the cutest fans made with their and the wedding party's information on them. And the barbecue, potatoes, slaw and extras made a marvelous supper...

All is well in the Southern state.....

Peach season....

Saturday was a gorgeous afternoon, hot, as usual, but good times and its always great to be with the grands.. my dad looks forward to getting the homemade peach ice cream. They make the most delicious ice cream but the lil' girls wanted vanilla !!

Ice cream dripping on her shirt and toes, and trying to lick the ice cream off her cheeks..

Grandma, Samantha, & Kristen standing by a peach tree. and me, wth the girls..

Grass, grass and wonderful grass...

While reading some blogs, my DSIL, Keith, started cutting the grass in our yards. We've had enough rain, that the grass has begun to grow, or at least turn green and not brown..

The cloud of dust around him still shows we could use more rain but we're all grateful for what we did receive. The fields around our house are still very dry and if the farmers aren't using water irrigation, the crops won't make this year.

We're going tomorrow for more peaches and tomatoes. I'm going to try canning the first batch of tomato sauce, attempting to use my friends recipe.

Keith doesn't know I took this picture and he'll be so surprised when my daughter reads this blog to him.!!! haha YAYA, Keith.....

Mom's Birthday

Today is Mom's birthday - she's 83. I can tell her age because she doesn't read my blog...lol...

Saturday night we had her birthday dinner with some of the family. Two of our grandchildren live out of town, so it's hard to get them all here at the same time.

She reminds me more and more of my grandmother every time a picture is taken of her. She continues to loose weight - sometimes trying, sometimes not. When she was younger she weighed 300 pounds and it was difficult to even know she was pregnant with me. After loosing the weight she has always been careful of the amount and kind of food she eats. She didn't indulge in french fries or fried foods and still ended up having high cholesterol. !! Sometimes the hereditary just kicks in no matter what you do..

The 2 youngest grands made some cards for her, which she always enjoys, and they could hardly wait to give them to her.

The disaster for the day was the ants getting into her cake (which I sat on the table) and Miss S finally today has stopped telling everyone how the ants "ruined Grandmas birthday cake - they know better than to do that!" They both are growing like weeds - getting so tall. Miss K is in the blue shirt - she looks just like her daddy, freckles and all...


The last piccie is our DIL, Miss S painted a chicken for her - that's a long standing joke between the kids.. she really doesn't like chickens (her decor is Tuscan) and when Miss S saw it in Wally World she told her mom she had to paint that for Auntie R.. "she'll be sooooo surprised" "she can put it in her bedroom to look at every day"..

And so goes the latest days of our lives !!

UFO Bust !!

I actually have a UFO to report this week.. My mom's birthday is next week and I decided as one of her gifts I'd make an old fashioned tea towel. I won't be much of a surprise - she was with me when they were bought -- telling me how my grandma had tea towels in her kitchen. It's embroidered and then colored with crayons. That's the first time I've used the technique so I hope it washes well.

Sewing at Grammie's

Sam: "Can I sew?"

Grammie: "be careful, the pins will stick you"

Sam: "make the noise, make the noise"

Grammie: (humming, making motor sounds)

Sam: "I'm almost through"


Grammie: (still humming, trying to pin a piece of fabric)








Sam: "Look, mommy, I'm sewing!!!!! Not really, Grammie made "the noise"."

Santa Swap

My Santa Swap bag arrived today. It sure is pretty!! I've shaken the small packages and tied to guess what's inside - one feels like a towel or a piece of fabric. The other one just rattles a little.
And, of course, Jill taped them shut.... Thanks Jill, I can hardly wait until Christmas..

Bounty from the Garden

How did you spend the 4th 0f July?

I canned tomatoes, peaches and froze okra. The few tomatoes on the left are from our garden but it did so poorly we still had to buy vegetables to use this winter.





















A local farm, about 30 minutes from our house, is where we bought the veggies.
The peaches and tomatoes will drop to the bottom of the jars after they cool completely.

Don't look to close, the last piccie is sure to help you gain 10 pounds!! For lunch we had stuffed
bell peppers, lady finger peas, fried squash and okra.

Well, back to the grind, my DD & SIL just brought more jar lids!! My DH said I should add piccies of the peaches and tomatoes.....

UFO Report

I'm linking to Susan at Blackberry Creek Arts. I've mailed my 2011 Santa Swap bag to Utah and can show it next week after my partner receives it on Tuesday. The picture on the right I finished last year for my daughter as part of her Christmas. I enjoy embroidering while my DH is watching TV. If you've been reading my blog - you know I couldn't post without a piccie of a grandchild !! Both of the youngest ones enjoy sewing....

Rain !! Rain !! Rain..

We finally got some rain, so DD, SIL, and lil' angel played in the puddles!!


"You have to hold out your arms and run to the next puddle."















As you can see, when they got finished, their pants were completely wet.





I know I've said this before- but they are doing such a good job raising her. She's very well rounded for a 3 year old, able to hold an adult conversation, and is compassionate for others.

Last Sunday, we had our Father's Day celebration and she helped her mom clean house. Her job was to dust and clean the glass coffee table and end tables. They were as clean as if an adult had done the job. When DD was home she said I worked her like a Hebrew slave, now she's teaching the lil' angel.
A little while ago, I was at their house and she was mopping the floor. She likes a clean house but hasn't exactly learned the tact of telling others they need to clean their house, which has caused her mom some unsettling moments. LOL... (DD ALWAYS tried to embarass me, either in fun or talking to loud. -- what is it -- you reap what you sow...)


















I mailed my Santa Swap bag today -- my partner lives in Utah. I took a picture but will have to show it next week after Jill (appleavenuequilts.blogspot) receives the mail.

Happy 4th of July to my blogging friends -- have a safe and blessed weekend.

The first tomatoes

The first tomatoes of the season ----- don't look too hard at our pitiful garden. The southern drought hasn't been good for gardens and we've had to use well water every day just to sustain the plants. Just look at the lil' Angel, she's cuter..



" Look, Grammie, it's red.....there's 2 of them !!



"There's more, not red yet...almost"

Now she's checking all the plants..






















Looking for watermelons...."they're not big yet.."