Little Celebrations

Hello you.  Thank you for stopping in.  
This morning Bill and I were drinking our coffee and talking about what holidays look like and how our lifetime celebrations, family gatherings, change over time.  In the almost ten years that we've been grandparents we have had MANY meals with our family.  We hold them loosely, trying to allow for changes that have and will occur.  This discussion got me thinking about how we might make the ordinary day get togethers more celebratory.  I'm wondering and dreaming about small touches that say to the people gathered under our roof, "I wish to celebrate YOU!"  For example, when the book club ladies come in September, I am going to scrub the scruffy bathroom that guests use and place two big pots of chrysanthemums in the bathtub.  I think the surprise of flowers in an unexpected place might bring a smile.   

 Many brides these days like all white dishes.  One of my nieces said that she likes the way food LOOKS on white plates.  That makes sense but I like colorful dishes and I like the idea of choosing a cup or plate for a child and saying, "I am happy that you are here and I put your cocoa in this cup because I wanted you to know how special you are to me."  I must get my bunny mugs and my Winnie the Pooh mugs from high shelves and start using them more before the grands get too old.  Time flies.

I usually have candy around for the adult kids and the grands.  Sometimes the grands gorge and their parents have to step in and move the basket to a high place, but I keep filling them because a sweet is sweet and THEY are sweet and they are SO "my favorites" and Bill's favorites, these precious ones.

So many of things we do are considered "productive" or "worthwhile" and sometimes this causes us to forget to play.  Even if nobody reads our words, it's still fun to play around with our imaginations while writing.  Creating characters.  Creating scenes.  Why not do it just for your own entertainment?  I think I'd like to have this kind of a discussion with my friends and family.  We could all dream up a unique character that only we could create since everyone brings their own diverse mind to the table.  What does this character only you can come up with LOOK like?  What does she think about when she's waiting in the grocery store check out line?  What are her favorite things to eat?  What kind of a birthday cake does she want this year and why does she like that kind?  What goes through her mind the minute she wakes up?  How does she feel about order and disorder?  Instead of focusing on ourselves (absolutely essential in light of the inner journey) doesn't it sound fun to create a fictional individual and then to go back and analyze your own creation?  This thinking definitely causes me to have more awe for the Creator God. Everyone is SO different and fascinating.  I guess I'm thinking of ways to celebrate our own ideas, others' ideas, all the originality around us, and ultimately to revel in the beauty of the human personality.  I realize that this quest demands extreme attention to detail (always useful).

 (This relates to the photo below) My friend Gigi told me about a range of yarns from ElmTreeYarns on Etsy.  It's called Beatrix Potter range/Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.  Gorgeous!  When I was at the quilt shop buying a gift, I popped an image of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle up on my phone and then the nice lady at the quilt shop helped me put together a little pile of fat quarters that matched her clothes.  It was VERY fun!  I gave them to my neighbor (her birthday).  The flannels below were a pile I bought a few years ago for a quilt for Miss Bug.  Aren't they gorgeous? 

 Well, anyway . . .  back to little celebrations.  I think we should light and blow out candles on ordinary days as well as birthdays.  Little gifts given throughout the year are also appreciated. I might ask the grands what they consider to be celebration food.  If and when I make a podcast I think I might dress up (I rarely do this) and wear a few of the things I have that were purchased for celebrations of some sort.  Hmmmmmmmm.

Random topic: crickets.  The other night after three grands left I walked into our bedroom quietly (Bill had already gone to bed and gone to sleep) and I heard a very loud cricket chirp!  I found the cricket behind my cleaning bucket!  It'd definitely almost fall.  The crickets are singing up a storm! 

Do you have some unique ideas relating to little celebrations?  Maybe you like to iron a tablecloth when people are coming to dine with you.  Maybe you brew a special variety of ice tea.  Maybe you place a small vase of flowers in the refrigerator.  Maybe you rub a back or cup a lovely face in your hands.  Maybe you ask a question nobody has ever asked before.

I hope you have time to think some smaller thoughts today even if your life lends itself to big expansive plans and absolute necessity.  It's always life giving to pay attention to the little things. 

Katy Returns

I did go walk, walk, walking today but this photo is from another day.  The katydid came back.  Now, I know it's not the same katydid that came last year, but why does only ONE katydid visit every year and why is she always crawling along in the same place?  Hmmm?
It's very nice to see you, Katy!

 This morning while I was listening to our Brad's sermon on Youtube, I clicked over to find out whatever happened to the singer Raffi.  Do you remember him?  We've been listening to him in the car.  Sam and Plum call him "that nice man" and they know all of the songs on the one album we listen to.  He's still around!  From the website it did not appear that he is doing shows anymore.  He is a goodie, that Raffi.  I bought Bananaphone so I could listen to some different songs on my walk.  

 Look at the funny crows hiding in the branches!  I like crows better than magpies.  Magpies travel in huge crowds and they sound annoying.  I'm sorry but I do not like them.  I DO like crows because they have a nice shape.

It was warm outside and my flip flops were squeaking.  I thought about calling Bill to bring the car and give me a lift.  Well, my camera was getting heavy, too.  I didn't.  I kept going.  

This summer we do not have as many flowers as we have had in the past.  Next year we will have fewer cucumbers (none) and more blooms.

I made some soup and it's meant to be for dinner but I think that I need a bowl of it right now.  Three grands are coming for dinner and their mother is bringing some leftovers from a dinner they had a few nights ago (pork roast, roasted potatoes) because I feel sure the vegetables in the soup will not be tantalizing to them.  Ha!
I'm going to walk the trail with a friend in the morning and I have a bit of clerical work to do, but I'm hoping the urge to clean strikes me or the urge to write letters.  But then, I have a few good books I'm reading AND some very fun knitting to do.  
Thank you for popping by again so soon.  
Happy Sunday!  Happy walking! 
I'll be back here very soon.

Sunny Days and Knitting

 I have the knitting bug and I'm so happy!  I've decided to delve into Ravelry and Craftsy. I'm watching more podcasts and I have a huge urge to frequent the local yarn store.  I love it when a resurgence of enthusiasm occurs!  

When I drive out to Kelli's I always hope that the neighbor's mini-horse Snickers will be taking a escapee stroll long the road.  She often is doing just that!  Isn't she cute?

 James came this morning and insisted on doing more harvesting.

 April shares photos of the Ft. Collins grands' adventures.  I THINK this was one of their outings with a very kind member of their church.  Rose loves their family.  Don't you love people who love your people?

Bill is taking a nap but when he wakes up we are going to the grocery store.  We are out of coffee (how horrible, right?) Pot roast is in the oven and I would like to make soup this afternoon.  A friend of mine suggested adding a tiny bit of 505 salsa to it and I'm ready to give it a try.  

Oh by the way, book club was great.  The ladies are so lovely.  They are very nice to each other and always very nice to me.  I'm the newest member. They had interesting things to say about the book, insights and observations.  They always do and they are all excellent readers, so it's the best book club I've ever been a part of.  Next month it's at our house and the book is A Man Called Ove.  I did have to repark my car in Annie's neighbor's driveway and it WAS raining, but I really should stop anticipating problems.  LOL.  All this to say, I'm glad I didn't opt to stay home.  Everyone came and that doesn't happen every month.

James found a grasshopper this morning and the other day a katydid visited us.  A big one!  A raccoon was out sniffing through the sunflowers early one morning.  We saw a coyote in our driveway yesterday at dawn.  The world is alive even in suburbia.

I might take a different stroll tomorrow and blog again.  

Thank you for peeking in!  

Shelves, a Selfie, Socks, and Flowers

 I've been tidying up book nooks in my office.  Wouldn't you love to sit a while with a few of these?  Brambly Hedge especially, I bet.
Below is the "devotion" shelf.

 Every now and then I must insert a selfie.

 My neighbor shared some sea lavender again.  Isn't it delicate?

 Pickles in waiting . . .  argh.

 I haven't decided where to PUT all the pickles.  Many are refrigerator pickles, pigging a good bit of space in the ice box.

 The sock knitting bug has bitten.

I've been adding to my Rule of Life board.

 One day the children and the grandchildren (well, just Birdie) were making comments about my wall pictures.  "That looks like you've had it forever."  "Why do you have pictures of snow scenes when it's high summer?"  Hmmmm.  I guess I had become "what's in the frames" blind.  I printed art from my Pinterest boards and placed them in the frames.  Yes, I am a real art snob.  Yes, indeed.  I don't know ANYTHING about art.  I just know what images I like.  So there.

 I know I've said this before but when I move my laptop to the table in the living room, I blog more.  So, I'm planning on blogging more because . . . it's fun.

 The sunflowers are as high as an elephant's eye.

 "Pick me!  Pick me!"

I have lots of marigolds again.  They like it here.  My neighbor told me that she read somewhere that the Japanese beetles like them, too.  Yikes.  I know they liked eating my roses.

Today I have book club.  I'm not very excited about going.  The hostess is having her road paved so we have to park and walk (whine, whine, whine) AND I didn't like the book they chose because I'd already read it and didn't really like it then so I did not reread it.  Oh well.  I'll still go because the ladies are fun to listen to and I don't want to be a flake.  I'm taking my knitting.

I should hurry up and shower, go to the grocery store, get the office mail, do my work BEFORE I go to book club, but I often refuse to hurry. Do you?

Thank you for stopping in today.  I'm glad you stop in regularly.  You're nice.