Artful Blogging with Photos

I know you thought I was perfect......uuuhhhh, ya didn't?!?! Well, spank my bum and call me Red!

I've been wanting to do more artful blogging so I decided to practice with my new Canon PowerShot SD990 camera with 14 mpx and I loooooove this camera. However, I thought I was pretty savvy and a little "too full of myself" recently and just went about shooting pix. Well, I was humbled when I downloaded the pix to my iPhoto and saw them. I just stared at them and wondered what in the world did I do wrong?!?! It was humiliating to my esteem, I tell ya. ;-) I may need some psychological therapy for this, chicks! It took me a while to realize that my finger must have clicked and moved the little button on the back of the camera and put it on a different setting than what I wanted. They came out blurry because I didn't have the correct setting for distance on. So I'm showing you the first pix I took and then went back after changing the settings back to AUTO and let the camera work for me. Quite an embarrassing revelation but I'll admit anything if it helps someone else.

This one was a fluke probably and looks a bit decent actually.

Here is where I re-shot them and got up close and personal on each of them. I still need to do better at doing artful blogging but I'll work on that also in the coming weeks.

Here I played around with the "temperature" for an unusual color effect. I like it actually—different.

So play around with your cameras and email me to let me see what you've done to get better photos and different kinds of looks...........that is if you want to, but it can be habit-forming and FUN. I truly would like to see what you all can come up with.

Creating and Creative Women

Probably the only woman who didn't know about Where Women Create until just a couple of months ago, I finally found a used copy on Amazon. I love creating my own office and my craft and sewing room, but mine pales in comparison to most of these. I'm guessing most of yours do too. So let's talk about that today. I've posted recently about where I create and why I blog but I'm giving it a bit more attention today. Come listen to my ramblings............

A tiny space but it has lots of character and serves its purpose magnificently. She even has a spot for her faithful dog and to some of you that's especially important. (We have no animals at this point in our lives.) So the dog is ever present to keep her company. But more than that, it looks like this miniscule space serves this woman well. Very organized with a vintage table to hold her sewing machine, colorful curtains lusciously draped across windows into her yard and all the necessary accoutrements needed to do her "job." I love the coziness of this room. Small, cute and does the trick quite magnificently, in my opinion.

A full size ferry boat is his woman's domain! Yesssssss, a full size ferry boat and do you KNOW how big ferry boats are?!?! HUGE! How lucky for this woman and her hubby to have all that to themselves. She has oodles of space to do just about ANNNNYTHING she wants. Windows and water to look at. Bright and shiny cases to store her items and a LOT of desk space for any number of computers(!!!!) and crafting. Sigh...... Oooh, and this is one of the few that I've put 2 photos on here. I only wanted one from each woman but some just didn't show enough and had to have 2—only a few though.

This is a large space with bright golden walls that have been ragged or sponged and then stenciled on. Beautiful and almost ethereal. A vintage table for a work space makes me almost cry! I like this room a lot.

Another large room with lots of pizzazz for this woman. Lots of cases in which to store things and lots of room to create her stuff, but amazingly it doesn't really look cluttered.

I believe this is a crafter's dream—a humongous room with sections for doing different things. I believe this is a converted garage. We use our garage for our cars and Love Bunny's train room so it wouldn't work for us but I'd give just about anything to have this kind of space! Yesssssssss, I would!! Do NOT doubt me on this!!!

Not a very large work area but certainly adequate and much more than I've got. I love her counter top and that would be very easy to do in just about any space. She's very well organized for her space and that says a lot. I can't even get organized in my TWO rooms yet.

This woman was working off her bedroom in a sunroom but her hubby built her a studio in the back yard. Love Bunnyyyyyyyyy, are you listening or reading this?!?!?! But not all of us are lucky enough to have the space to do this. But it is the quintessential room we'd all love to have. Roses! It is one of my favorite rooms and I doubt it's very big either.

A very neat, tidy and very well organized small space belongs to this crafter. A window to look out and enough light makes it wonderful for a tiny office. See what can be done with very little space.

Her home is full of that marvelous northern California light. She does all her work on her dining room table—much like most of the women across this country do.

Another woman in a small apartment who does her crafting and art work on her dining room table. She and her hubby don't use their dishwasher so she uses it to store her craft supplies! How ingenious! But if the "space" (appliance) doesn't suit your purposes then make the purpose fit the space (appliance). Nuuuu, not for everyone, but it works for this woman and her hubby.

Another small office/craft area whittled out of a tiny home. BUT she has made it neat and tidy and organized with what she has—antique desk, flowers, wood blinds and a message board. Not plain at all, just lovely.

We have some serious crafting going on in this space. It is beautiful and very colorful. Flamboyant, actually. It's a large room and she uses every single inch of it.

One of my favorite rooms in the book—not too large but large enough for me actually. A large table to craft, cut sewing patterns out and just perfect for me. Large windows looking out over a yard. Lots of light, good storage. I'd love to have this room!

Oooooooooh, don't we wish, chicks?!?!?! A beautiful old barn to have alllll to ourselves to craft, sew and while away the hours. It would be hard to heat however. I'd love it but it isn't practical for me.

Another room with glorious windows looking out! This could also suit my purposes for sewing, office and crafting.

This woman has almost an entire building to do her artistic work in. Much too large for just home crafters but it works well for her. I like it but not as much as some of the others. But she is a professional artist and must have this kind of space. Looooove her little belt though! *Wink*

Since this woman works with earth elements she must have a room to put it all in away from her home. I'd love to have this much space but it would serve a different purpose than making pottery. But it's certainly large enough, has windows and a sink! I'd love to have a sink in my crafting area. Luxury for sure.

Not a humongous space but certainly adequate for several work areas. She has it decorated in a french provincial style and it is lovely. There is a rest area with chairs and a vintage settee, tables and lots of color. She's very fortunate to have it big enough to section off areas for different purposes. Lots of storage also.

This room is also one of my favorites. One reason is the cove ceiling. I love the white of it sprinkled with periwinkle color in the trash can and blotter. I love periwinkle! But her work station just seems to hug her and that's a feeling I love in my work space also. Hers looks bigger than mine though. She also has all the essentials right within arms reach for her. Plus the red flowers on her desk. Squeeeeeal! And she uses colorful file folders just like me. Mine are pink! Aaaaah, a kindred spirit. This room is doable for just about any one of us.

Can we scream and cry here? Vibrant yellow walls, windows surrounded with lights and wood shutters, colorful fabric arranged in substantial shelving, great desk area, swivel around to the crafting area and that tile floor that will be here after all of us have died! I like this room a lot. Not my favorite but this woman did a magnificent job in here. This is also 2 photos on one page. The bottom photo is more of her storage. This looks kind of like a garage to me. Maybe that's what she did—converted a garage into her studio. Beautiful.

Another one of the few where I took 2 of the photos. She has what looks like a redone bedroom and made 2 areas for herself. An office area and a sewing area. There is also a sofa or relaxing area in that room also. That could definitely be done in a mid-size bedroom.

The last one is probably the most famous one. I have seen this room in magazines I think. I don't think it's very large but she has made it stupendous with the kind of style I personally love. Roses, froufrou and pink! I use old suitcases for storage just like she does. I have so many pillows that if I fell I'd never touch a hard surface for maybe 2 years! Yep, this is one of my favorite rooms!

Now, after all of this is said and done, you are all probably lusting after at least one of these "studios", right??? Well, don't. Some of these women make a living doing their crafting. You might not so you wouldn't need a huge room. Just look at them all and get ideas of what you can do with the space you have. Now, you can't put 5 kids in a bedroom so YOU can make a room for sewing or crafting but there can be a way to carve out your own little niche in a room of your home or garage. You could use a little privacy screen to hide some things. Think out of the box.

And speaking of boxes, camouflage stacks of boxes with a throw or lace or tablecloth. I DO! And no one is the wiser unless I choose to tell them. Even your bedroom area can have a niche to make your own. You could take a stack of boxes, cover them with old lace or tablecloths or just some remnants, place an old door (maybe even one you have in the garage, I DID once) over the top of 2 stacks of boxes, put your computer on it or your craft supplies and you have "instant" office. You can even use shelving on the walls for visual eye candy. See? How easy was that now, I ask you?!

Do you have a closet that isn't being used? Then empty it out and put a desk or craft table in there. Shelving would be a snap in there. Close the doors and it's hidden or get creative, take off the doors and add a curtain to hide it. Just look at things with a different eye. Sometimes I get stuck in this journey also, but then I'll run across a blog with something I've never even thought of doing. I then make a note to myself and things just balloon from there! Oooooh, how I love getting ideas from surfing the blogs or magazines. You don't have to do the exact thing they offer, but can adept it to your own circumstances. Trust me, it can be done.

I've come to the realization after a couple of years of trying to get this office and the craft/sewing room "just right" that I'll never ever have an office worthy of mention. It doesn't even sadden me particularly. I have what I need, what I can work in, more than enough froufrou and my walls are pink. I feel sometimes as if I am living in a little pink cake box. It makes me happy each time I come into this little bedroom-cum-home office. It delights my senses. Be happy with what you DO have and not lust after what you DON'T have! And I need to take my own advice sometimes also! *Winking at ya!*

Being Creative with Dress Making

First of all look at these shoes my daughter gave me because they were too big for her. (Shortest woman in my family but biggest feet!) Well, they fit my left foot just fine but the right one is just too big. *Sniff and sob*...... I made these adorable little bows for them and wore them to the optometrist the other day with dark blue slacks and a bright red blazer and did I turn heads!! I am not a fashion plate by ANY stretch of the imagination but I certain was colorful that day especially with a PINK shirt underneath the red blazer. But I think I'm going to have to sell these shoes on ebay!!! I've tried to find them in a smaller size so I could have one fit the right foot properly but no luck. I think I looked like a duck walking in to the optometrist's office in them but I got the royal treatment, I tell ya!! It pays to go "dressed" a bit even here in Idaho! *Smile*.......~*~

Day #1
I love this fabric. It's silky polyester in a true bright red with white polka dots. I needed 5 3/8 yards to make this simple A-line dress. I have that much.........but it's in 2 pieces. I'm going to have to get creative with it. So today I've pulled the cutting table into the living room (I still can't extend it in the craft/sewing room) and trying to figure out how I can cut it. It might be in there all day! Hubs will take me out to dinner tonight for sure as .................well, just because I'm telling him to actually! This is really taking a lot of thinking and creativity. Maybe I'll cut it off a bit higher above the knee, find another silky polyester in coordinating fabric and sew it on the bottom. I've been thinking of taking a ribbon and sewing it down the middle on a piece of fabric while twisting it as I go.

Then I found this at a fabric store and thought of using this as a ruffle around the bottom. But..........

Then things went awry and the "FUN" began! *Sigh*........

I've had this pattern for many years and it's a simple A-line dress. You can sash it if you want. Anyway, having made it several times I thought I'd just breeze through it with the modifications I mentioned above. When I got through cutting it out of those 2 pieces of fabric I had a lot left over and couldn't figure out why.

I put it aside for a day and then picked it up this morning (saturday) and began sewing. I knew I was in trouble when the 2 front pieces didn't match. I had inadvertently cut all four panels out the wrong way. No need to explain here just believe me when I say I messed it up royally! So what to do???? I made half of the dress with the right side out and the other side with the wrong side out. If you think this is easy to understand or even explain to you, I don't even wanna hear it, chicks. Try sewing all the pieces together and realizing you're using BOTH sides and......well, just trust me, it ain't easy!

Now, I hate to throw away fabric and a friend suggested making something for a child to wear and sell it on ebay to recoup my money. Nope, I love that fabric and that is all I could find. I called around to every fabric store in this area and beyond. I tried finding it on line. I went to a popular seller on ebay and websites looking for that fabric. None to be found.

Day #2
I also realized that if I used the "ribbon embroidery" fabric above it might look too weird. As if!! I had already started ripping the leftover fabric into strips because there simply wasn't enough to cut out any more dress panels. So I made a ruffle. So the right side in the pictures below (my left as I have the dress on) is the "wrong" side of the fabric and the other side is the "right" side of the fabric. Photos below are during construction.

The finished dress. I plan on wearing it to church on sunday. I'm sure I'll get stares, but I shall hold my head up high and just tell them it's a "blogging experience" or better yet a "blogging experiment"!! Trust me, I did NOT do this for a blog post but you know me well enough now that there would definitely be a blog post about this fiasco.

With the ruffle, which I like actually, I now look like a FLAMENCO COURT JESTER! I have no shame, I tell ya. Hold me back here!!! *Sigh*

Random Thoughts for Pink Saturday 3/14/09

I'm making a new dress and I love long dresses since I hate wearing pantihose anymore. BUT I didn't have enough fabric for a long dress. Well, I had enough but it wasn't in one piece but in two pieces and wouldn't work. Sooooo, I bought this fabric to add 6 inches to the bottom. We'll see how it turns out though. I have this "vision" and in reality it may not be what I'm envisioning. Hah.

This is the dress that gave me the inspiration—the soutache. I thought if it could be used on a bodice, it could be used around the bottom also. I have taken precautions to remove it if it doesn't turn out like I want. I don't want to destroy 2 yards of fabric that cost $13.00 a yard. This dress is in a couture sewing book that I've had for many years. I'll show you some of them in the next few months. Beautiful sewing by ordinary people, not fashion design houses!
~*~

Yes, indeed, there are days like this one. Not a big deal but last week when I looked out the window UPS was driving up. I went to the door and received the package and he asked me if my door bell really was not working. Puzzled at his question, I answered it was indeed not working. He said he has one lady on his route that "tole painted" a sign that said to not ring her door bell. He asked her why and she said I have a baby sleeping and don't want to wake him/her. I thought that was rather clever.

Our doorbell just this very moment was fixed by Love Bunny!! I hate it when things don't work properly..........uhhhhhh, doorbells, NOT Love Bunny. He works perfectly!!

~*~

If I thought I actually looked like the photo on my driver's license and the one they now take at the doctor's office my children would be orphans!!!
~*~

Have you ever been in a public bathroom stall and "things go awry"? Well, it has happened to me a few times. Once I can't even TELL you what went "awry" that time so don't even ask. But the other day Love Bunny decided (wanna guess who made the suggestion, hmmmm?) to take me to lunch at my favorite fish house. I went to the rest room and it was downhill from there. I thought I was stuck with no papier hygiénique (psssst, that's a nice way of saying toilet paper) and almost cried. No way could I have ..........well, you get the picture. Why don't they check it 3 times a day and leave extra rolls on the top of the contraption just in case it runs out or you can't get it to work?!?!?!?!?!!
~*~

One of the advantages of growing old is that your eyes start to "go" just about the time the wrinkles start to "appear"!
~*~

Remember, I mentioned this little hand held recorder I got at Best Buy for $30? Well, I am absolutely unequivocally thrilled with it. I carry it in my pocket and when a thought pops into my head I pull it out and record into it. I don't know how I survived without this little jewel. :-)
~*~

I recently made a stop at Subway to grab a quick sandwich before going off on another photoshoot. A young adult man and I approached the door at the same time as an elderly couple was coming out. Now, I would have held the door for them as the woman was walking with a cane and I'm a kind and gracious person. But 2 things happened here. One the young man held the door and the woman sort of pushed her way out very ungraciously as if we had to defer to her. Now, pleeeeeeeease, don't get on me here. I would have and absolutely DO defer to people coming OUT of the door, but this old lady was obnoxious. But after entering I sort of stepped off to the side to defer to this young adult man to get a sandwich because I figured he was on his lunch hour and I had plenty of time and am never rushed......okay, rarely rushed to go anywhere. But he didn't proceed. He let me go first! I was stunned and honored that a MAN ( a REAL man/gentleman) would do that. Most places they'd push ahead and run to be first in line. What a sweetheart he was - and a true gentleman.
~*~

Then another thing happened there. A group of people entered together maybe 7 or 8 of them. I noticed one short kind of plumpish young woman from the back. When she and another man had finished getting their sandwiches they walked to a table and sat down. He went back to the soda fountain to get their drinks and upon returning lost control of the 2 containers and soda went flying everywhere. They were both splattered and had to move one table closer to me. That's when I really noticed her hair. She had it back in a ponytail and she took it out and let it fall down. I have to tell you she had the most gorgeous glorious hair I've ever seen. Lovely frost job, magnificent cut and it was just shoulder length but thick and just lovely. I don't think I've ever seen hair so pretty. As I got up to leave I put my arm around her shoulder and whispered to her that she had the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen. To say I startled her at first is a bit understated but when I whispered in her ear she just smiled. She was very pretty also. I think I made that chick's day! Isn't it wonderful to know you made someone's day??? Oh, she was "plumpishly pregnant" when she turned around! I'm sure like all of us when we are pregnant she probably felt awkward and I think that lifted her spirits again.
~*~

I've noticed that when we eat at home, hubs starts right in. Me? I have to put everything on the plate, arrange it all and salt and pepper before I even start. He will put one thing on and start eating just that one thing before he puts all of the food/salad on the plate. Just seems weird to me to not put it all on and then start.
~*~

We were at Olive Garden last week eating and a couple was seated near us. Now, this is becoming the typical thing in restaurants but for you younger guys and gals, men used to remove their hats in restaurants and Love Bunny still does. He would never ever eat with a hat on or in his "underwear"! He removes a hat when going into a church also. But this young adult male was kind of a slob in his attire also. But when he asked if they had hash browns, eggs or waffles IN OLIVE GARDEN I thought I would break out laughing. Duh, you came to an Italian restaurant and they don't serve breakfast, kiddo!!
~*~

A couple dining in a restaurant should never clean up the plates and stack them. Bad etiquette. It's a nice thought but strictly out of line. Leave them for the waitpersons to do.
~*~

Hubs and I were shopping at WM recently and were trekking through the girls department on our way to another department. I noticed the little girls bras and shrieked at hubs to look at this: a pink bra with polka dots and lace and padded and very sexy for a KID?!?!?! Trust me if they're that small they don't need a bra, ladies! Sheeeesh...........
~*~

Towels? Yep, towels! Have you noticed how the kitchen dish towels get dirty in the "center" while the bathroom hand towels get dirty of the "ends"? True.
~*~

For me ambrosia is pineapple juice. I could drink it all the time if allowed. But water makes the body function best. When as a kid I lived in Hawaii we'd go to Del Monte's pineapple plant and they'd have pineapple juice coming out of the water spigots on the fountains. I loved that and it was so neat to drink it out of a water fountain.
~*~

For me, life is a potential blog. Or photoshoot, much to Love Bunny's dismay. *Chuckle*....
~*~

I read a LOT. I'm talking about at least 2 or 3 books a week depending on the length and things I need to do that week. But I've noticed something recently: it's very difficult to read numbers written out, such as seven delta four zero four (7D404). When reading them my brain wants to "convert" the written number into the actual number. It slows me down when reading a book with a lot of that in it. Brains are weird, aren't they? Hmmmmmm.......
~*~

I've been surfing and reading some blogs lately and wonder about some. I truly think some want to become famous and there is nothing in the world wrong with that. But it made me wonder what some people would do for fame. What is your limit and what would you do for millions of dollars?

Well, my honest answer is this. What would I do for millions of dollars: absolutely nothing! I have sufficient for our needs and am happy. What more could I possibly want?!
~*~

I feel sorry for all the people who have tattoos because what a waste of money it is. Also the "s*x changes" men and women go through because when the Lord comes we'll be as we were "originally" with the original gender restored and our bodies will be perfect. I'm hoping my perfect body is sorta in the shape of Sophia Loren! Hey, she's one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen.
~*~

In this day and age of everyone having a cell phone it got pretty ugly around here recently when hubs and I both were on our cells in the same room. At least with our land lines (yes, I still have one and will always have one and use it 99.9% of the time) we have "extensions" and can be in separate rooms when chatting with kids, but with 2 people carrying on 2 different conversations in the same room it just doesn't work!
~*~

I think most of us have read the story of an old person going to do one thing which leads to another and then another and never gets the original task done. Well, I had one of those moments recently (I actually have them all the time but this is one that stayed fresh in my mind!) and decided to mention it. DUH!

When rearranging my office (yessssssss, again!!!) I noticed my eyeglasses were dirty and got out the windex to clean them and then noticed it was the last towel on the roll and we all know how that glue on the last paper towel will leave glue on the glasses, right? Ooooookay, so it was off to the garage to pick up a fresh roll to FINISH cleaning the glasses again and then I saw something out there that needed tending so did that and then wanted to make a note on my shopping list to pick up more paper towels and toilet tissue. Then I decided to make a bathroom call before I did that and did my business in there and then decided the toilet needed cleaning. Did that and then forgot that the mail was calling my name from the post box outside so went out and did that. Then came back in and placed the mail on the table and then noticed I never did the original thing I wanted to do. *Sigh*............
~*~

And last, but not least as they say, is this magnificent stuff here. I learned about this several years ago and this is the original tin I bought. It's for dry skin and contains lanolin. And yessssssss, that's cow b**bs on the picture. Hubs tells me they used to use this on the farm for cows when their udders got chapped. So yesssssssss, it can be used for chapped lips also. It is so dry out here in the western U.S. deserts. And yessssssss, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, southern Idaho, and of course, Nevada and eastern Calif are all desert. HOT and DRY, chicks. I had tried everything on my lips - all kinds of chapsticks, Burts Bees and a creamy nice one from pink rose pastries but they didn't do the job this stuff does. It has a pleasant fragrance but I think it's the lanolin that makes it so good. I put a small amount on during the day and a bit more on at night and my lips don't dry out the way they used to. I found this in the local WM but I'm guessing just about any drug store would have it. It's actually fantastic for any dry body part. I recommend it highly.

~*~


7 years old Sirloin!

As I've told you before when extolling the virtues of my vacuum sealer it is the best invention ever! Here is another case of it being the best money ever spent. (Okay, it was a gift from my son so I didn't pay for it, but I buy the bags for it!)

During our move 3 1/2 years ago (long story of moving 3x in 6 months) into this house our freezer meat got tossed around so much we weren't sure what we had. Hence, some of it got pushed to the back when we put it back into the freezer. We recently did an inventory to eat the oldest meat first and found this package of meat dated March 2002 had fallen down behind the shelf. Yes, that's the correct date. We ate this tonight and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. NO freezer burn from 7 years ago. Tasted great. So you'd better get one of those before long, chicks, or you're wasting money wrapping it in freezer wrap or plastic bags. Here's tonight's meal. And that little bottle of steak seasoning??? It's fantastic to put on any meat. We love it and don't cook any beef without adding this to it. Yummmmmm........

My Grandma and Grandpa

My cousin in W.V. is the genealogist in this family. Actually, she's my cousin's daughter but I never knew my cousin and have more of a connection with Vicki than her mother. But I'm very grateful and appreciative of the genealogy work she has and is so diligently working on.

She has it back to the 11th century I believe. She's found that one of our ancestors is William Wallace of Braveheart fame, but I've never seen the movie so I really don't know much about him. But recently we've had a few more "spirit of Elijah" happenings in this family.

My brother is getting the genealogy bug and his son has been doing quite a bit of it. My brother has sent me some back to the 15th century. But that's not what I'm going to talk about today.

We all have special memories of grandparents and I'm no different. But the "spirit" has been so close for several weeks now that I want to introduce you to my grandmother.

Since my father's mother died when he was 2 from the flu epidemic in the early 20s I never knew her but I've certainly felt her spirit. The grandmother I did know is Ruth and is my mother's mother.

The picture below is her and her father - my great grandfather. I don't remember if I ever met him though. I got my bosom from that side of the family! Grandma took me on train trips since my grandfather worked for the railroad as a conductor. She also told me I was her favorite granddaughter and I truly doubted that and supposed that she said it to all her granddaughters until just recently when my brother told me that she told him also that I was, indeed, her favorite granddaughter. None of my cousins will read this so I feel safe is stating that here. ;-)

That is her second from left and her husband, my grandfather, in the middle. He was tall and regal bearing and never put anyone before his kids or grandkids. Last biscuit on the table was mine if I wanted it. Kind and generous man.

This is my grandma 2nd from left and her sisters and a brother I think. I don't remember him so not sure.

My grandpa, Walter. Isn't he handsome? I think so.

We think this is them - grandma and grandpa on the left. Looks like him, but my grandma looks kinda coquettish and I've never seen her look like that. This had to be in the 1890s.

But this is where I remember staying with them once when we visited. They built this home in Ohio near Huntington, W.V. and it was in a peach orchard. My mother was so embarrassed to tell anyone they lived in a peach orchard! They loved it and the house was truly a lovely one for the early 50s. I never could figure out why it embarrassed my mother to say they built in an orchard.

That is my brother and little sister in the picture below. Maybe I was taking the picture, don't remember. But my grandpa would pluck a peach off a tree and cut it into little sections for us with his pocket knife. (Remember the days when just about every little boy or man had a pocket knife? Not anymore though.) But the juice would run down our lips and chins and we'd just love it.

Then that road off to the left side was a dirt road and we'd walk down there and think we were in a secret place. We really had good times in that home.

This is a family reunion in 1894 from my grandma's side of the family. Looks like a bunch of horse thieves to me but I doubt it. Just the way they dressed back then. But that's my "family" there. Hard to imagine I'll see them one day, huh?

And these are my grandparents pretty near the end of their lives. My grandma had diabetes in the latter part of her life and had to have her legs amputated. This is a picture of them in the hospital just before grandpa's passing away. My aunt told me many years ago that just before he died my grandmother was near him and he told her "Ruth, you're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen." There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that's a true story because it's so like him. My only wish is that hubs sees me that way with his eyes also when it gets near the ending of our mortal lives.