Yes, It's the Motown Sound Baby!!

Well, I am from Detroit folks and I do believe the BEST music EVER is the Motown sound!!

This week I heard that at the Temptations and The Four Tops would be playing near our home. I checked on the tickets and didn't really know how it would work for my hubby and I so didn't bother to order them on-line. The concert was on Sunday the 29th and we already had a lot planned that day. We had our annual Freedom Service at our church (honoring our military personnel - awesome, awesome. . .just keeps getting better each and every year!) then a few other things to take care of.

Well, about an hour before the concert my hubby checked the website and told me that the lawn seats were now going for $7 - - ($7 for the great Motown sounds of the Temptations and Four Tops?) and did I want to grab the beach chairs and go? Did I want to go? You betcha I wanted to go!! Our 20 year old was going out for the evening so we told our 14 year old to gather her things we were going to a concert. Except, she didn't want to go!! She begged to stay home, not answer the door, don't leave the house, etc., etc. our usual rules. We had the most wonderful time together. . .

. . . until our 14 year old placed two calls to me, then two calls to my hubby during the concert. Of course, we didn't hear the phone ringing. We checked periodically to see if she called. (Our 20 year old was out for the night and would be home before we were.) We called home, no answer, we called her cell, no answer, we called our 20 year old's cell. . . no answer. We started to panic and left the concert. You know how a parent's mind can wander and think the worst!!

Of course, nothing was wrong when we arrived home!! Our 14 year old was calling to ask if she could go on the treadmill and she was bored and wanted to know when we would be home. Gee Whiz, why bother calling us and if she did call leave a message!!! AAAUUUGGGHHH When we called she was out taking a walk with our 20 year old so they were not home to answer our return phone calls or did they think to take their cell phones with them!! Like what do we pay for their cell phones for if we can't get a hold of them when we need to? Next time, we'll just take our little darling 14 year old with us so we won't have to worry about her!! I'm not sure if that will be her punishment or ours actually!

I think I need a mothering break - and soon!!

Blessings. . . until next time,

$5 . . . and a "little paint!!"

This is my backyard "paradise!"

I love sitting here in the AM with my cup of coffee and my newspaper *sigh* Sometimes my hubby and I will sit here in the evening when he's home with a glass of wine and "wind down."


One thing was missing though. . . candlelight in the evenings. Enough candlelight I mean. I have candles all around, but I wanted the "mood candlelight". I found a few minutes this past Friday to hit a few garage sales. Look for I found for 5 bucks!!

You know those ugly brass chandeliers that everyone has that we are all getting rid of now - because brass was so "last decade?" Well, I saw this brass chandelier marked $25. No way was I going to pay $25. The lady asked if I could use this. I told her yes, but I was just planning on painting something up for my patio, removing all the electrical and using candles - - and no way was I spending $25. She asked what price I was looking to pay. I told her about $5 - - so I didn't think this would work because she was looking to get considerably more for her chandelier. She told me to take it for $5. Cool huh? I would have never offered her $5 when she was looking to get $25, I don't like to insult anyone. Some people really think their stuff is worth, oh so much more than it really is (oh, sentimental value and all to them). But, she asked. So I told her my "budget" for an item of this type.

I came home, washed it up, removed all the electrical "stuff" - dug out my paint from some of my prior projects and there you go. I need to purchase "fatter" candles than the little votive candles I have in there now, but it all works just great.

Now, I have "mood candlelighting" in the evenings. Pretty cool, huh? And for only 5 bucks!

Blessings. . . until next time,

Some of My "Precious" Treasures

. . . and so the love story continues.

It's the love I have of bird houses!!! I have always adored them!!

See this picture? It's a Purple Martin house that my father made my hubby and I for our 27th wedding anniversary last month. Isn't is BEAUTIFUL? What to know something? This was a pattern that I got out of a book at my elementary school library when I was in just the 4th grade!! My dad has always liked working with wood and at the time they lived in a house on a nice piece of land. My dad had said he wanted to find a plan to make a Purple Martin house. . . so on my next library day in the 4th grade. . . I found a book with a plan. My dad made a bird house just like this one for the back yard of my childhood home.

What a surprise to arrive at our cottage (Mom and Dad live 2.6 miles from our cottage) and find this most beautiful Purple Martin house for us! My dad kept those plans all these years and surprised us! My husband helped my dad lift it up and bolt it down. Dad had already dug the hole and poured the cement in around the base.

Here's a close-up of this beauty. Dad cut it out and constructed it and my mom painted it.

. . . And now, into the next generation after mine. . . our daughter made this birdhouse for me in my Dad's wood shop. It was my birthday present last year. Isn't it adorable? She's 14 and took Wood shop in the 8th grade (yeah, hubby and I thought it was a joke, or because all the boys take Wood shop - well joke was on her because she was the only girl with all younger 7th grade boys - but you know what. . . she LOVED IT!!! She enjoyed that class very much. We actually had to talk her out of taking it again in the 9th grade. We told her to try another elective which would be better applied towards getting into college. She can always make things in gramp's wood shop.)

My dad thinks there must be some genetic defect in our family because my brother loves babies and cooking. Me, I love my own children, but I don't want to watch yours. Cooking? Get it on the table and get it off. I have better things to do. . . like woodworking, refinishing furniture, sewing, decorating, etc.

Yeah, in our family my brother will probably get the china and I'll get the tools : ) ha-ha.

Blessings. . . until next time,

Don'tcha Just Love Your Dog???

The older I get. . . the more I love my dog. Know what I mean????

This is my baby, Sr. Winston Churchill. *sigh* He'll be four years old on Saturday. . . so that actually makes him. . . like 28!! Happy Birthday Winston. We're so happy you're in our family!

Have a blessed day people!!

Blessings. . . until next time,

Farmer's Market - How Fun!!

I am NOT an early riser. I love to sleep. If I'm able, I like to wake up minus the alarm. But. . . if I must get up for something, I certainly can. That's just what hubby (who by the way is a very early riser) did yesterday morning. I had read about a local Farmer's Market just one town over in Rochester, Michigan. "How wonderful!" I thought. I won't need to get up and drive all. . . the. . . way. . . downtown to Detroit to attend a Farmer's Market. So, the conditions were right. . .good weather. . .kids were sleeping in. . . very close to our house.

We had the most wonderful morning!! Got up early (yes, 7:00 AM is early for me on a Saturday), got ready and was one of the first to arrive at the Market.

What a delight!! We purchased freshly gathered brown eggs, two loaves of bakery bread (a cinnamon bun bread and a cheesy pull-a-part bread), two planters of lavender (been wanting some forever for planting), some Amish roll butter for my father-in-law for Father's Day (he LOVES butter. . . long story, so he'll love this gift), radishes, zuchini and small red skinned potatoes and the biggest, hugest and most wonderful hanging basket of flowers for my front yard! In my photo, can you see that huge basket of deep purple petunias hanging on the left side of the tent?t? Well, it's now hanging in my front yard. It was only twenty bucks!!! $20, can you believe that? I would have paid $75 anywhere else.

Hubby and I stopped for breakfast on the way home and talked about our future visits to the market in upcoming weeks. Soon strawberries, cherries, blueberries will be out for purchase. Followed by apples, pumpkins, mums. Oh, I don't think I'll do much "sleeping in" on Saturdays anymore!

Yes, it was the most wonderful day!!

Blessings. . . until next time,

Kind Of Creepy!!

Life is so precious. . . live each and every day to the fullest and make sure your family knows that you love them!

I've been so busy around here the past week. Wednesday afternoon, while at work, my good friend's husband had a massive heart attack and died!! Thursday evening I took her and her kids dinner to find her not in a good state. She was definitely in shock and not thinking, or talking properly.

Sunday evening was the funeral (I've never been to a funeral on a Sunday evening, but it was a "memorial" type service and it's what he/she had wanted apparently.) I got up at 5 AM this am to take her husband's sister back to the airport. I didn't want my friend to take her alone, in her grieving state, so I offered to pick them up and drive them. We got in all the AM rush-hour traffic, but her sister-in-law made her flight in time.

On the way home my friend asked if I would stop at the funeral home so she could pay her funeral bill. We entered the funeral home, which was unlocked, but all the lights were off. No one was around. There was an unplugged vacuum in the middle of one of the viewing rooms so she wanted to "go look" around for someone. It was a little too creepy for me. . . walking around that place. . . in the dark. . . looking for someone "living!" Finally, I heard footsteps "upstairs!" Upstairs we went to find someone "living" and on the telephone!! Aaaauuuuggggghhhhhh. . . she took care of her bill and then told the funeral home "I" would be back later that day to drop off the memory board. It was a board that we used to pin pictures on at the memorial service. Sooooo, home I took her, helped her remove the pictures. . . and back to the funeral home "I" went. Of course, NO ONE was around again.

. . . I left the empty memory board laying against a chair and got out of there. I called the funeral home from my car and let the person who answered know where the board was. No way was I roaming around that place again. Sorry, stuff like that just creeps me out!!

Please remember my friend in prayer. She and her children are going to have some very rough days ahead of them. Once all the craziness is over, and they actually have a moment to breath. . .and be by themselves, it will probably all hit them like a ton of bricks that. . . Dad's not coming home ever again. Thank you!!

Now, ladies, go and hug and kiss your husband and children. . . we never know when they walk out the door if that will be the last time we will see them. Life is so fleeting. . . thank God I have Jesus!!

Blessings. . . until next time,

Relay for Life - Basket and Participation

Looonnnnggggg Day!!!

A quick post and then off for a hot shower and into bed for me!! Today was our township's cancer Relay for Life. What a touching experience.


This is the basket I embroidered items for and compiled on behalf of the 9th grade Cheer Team. We had a silent auction and everything donated was lovely. I made our basket a "French Inspired Bed and Bath Basket." I included a set of Fleur De Lis embroidered hand towels, Eiffel Tower pillowcases with a Fleur De Lis border, Fleur De Lis, soap and various other items for our basket.

Here's a close up of the items I embroidered on my new embroidery machine. I am loving that machine people!! And I am loving using it for causes like this as well!

Here's our gals. Our 9th grade Cheer Team gathering and getting ready to cheer on the survivors at the "Survivor's Walk." Very, very touching!!

I'm not one to believe that teens should sit around and do nothing. . . so I signed up the girls to scoop ice cream for a two hour block. It's so good for this age to "serve" and not always "be served." The girls enjoyed the experience and the customers loved being served by cute little cheerleaders as well!! They were very good for business actually :)

Well, I've been gone from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. . . off for a shower and La-La Land. Sweet Dreams you all!!

Blessings. . . until next time,