Wednesday, July 28, 2021

CELEBRATING ANNA BELLA'S HEAVENLY 16TH BIRTHDAY

 Today our sweet 

ANNA BELLA
would be
16 years old.

WHERE have the years gone?
We held her for moments
in our arms but she is
forever in our heart.

Would she get her driver's license today
and take her friends for rides
one by one?
Would she have a special "boy" 
in her life that would make her
shyly smile and say
"No, Nana!  He is NOT my boyfriend"....

Would she be bucking 
Mom and Dad
about curfew and screen time?
Sadly, we will never know.

We do believe that she is
in Heaven with other
angel babies sharing
sweet, happy moments.

That is what keeps us going. 

On earth
she would be nestled in between
three special girls
The would champion her causes
and fight over who used the
last bit of shampoo.
You are loved and missed,
ANNA BELLA!

Hold every child/grandchild
tightly because you never
know how long they will
be yours -they are just
in the world
on loan.
~Blessings~
your photo name

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

THINGS YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO KNOW---BUT YOU ASKED ME ANYWAY....

 Grab your reading glasses

and a whiskey coffee cuz
this is one
LONG POST.
It is the longest post I have
ever written!

Background-
One time years ago 
I told people to ask me anything!
I was asked these questions
and I don't think I ever answered.

I stumbled across the questions 
I had saved and realized that
while so much has changed
so much has remained the same!

So---here in all my foolish loquacious-iness 
are my answers to eight questions I was given.
If you aren't feeling like reading
(and maybe laughing a bit)
you can move right along and 
come back another day.

Ready---
Here we go!

I have been asked to tell you

EIGHT things about myself.  

 (yes I said 8-who picked that number

as the criteria to decide if I was fit to

be in Blogland-I mean why not 5 or 7..but 8?

Hey-did y'all know 8 is my favorite number?)

Nevermind...

I am supposed to tell you EIGHT

things about myself I think you

would like to know....

Well, that's a joke...

Who really wants to know 8 things

about me?

 You just come to Blogland to see

pictures of what life should be like, right?

Well, I am never one to cringe from the truth..

which is NOT always a good thing-

trust me on this.


Ready? Here we go...

Question #1 Why did you start blogging ?

I took an idiot pill 

and it said blogging was good for

 allergies...Huh?

Oh..no...You want truthful answers..

okay then...don't get snotty about it.

What made me start blogging?

My friend, Jettie is to blame.

(Hey Jett-she's Southern..

they all say HEY instead of Hi)

Isn't Jettie a cool name? 

It's her real name...yes it is!

Anyway....

Jettie blogged for books back then. 

I thought that was pretty cool..

So...I asked Jettie about blogging..
.
She said even YOU (idiot was implied)

can figure out how to blog..

and she gave me some basics...

Like..okay...the button on the

right will make your screen light up..

Yeah...that's just about where I started...

And then....

I thought it would be fun to blog 

for my grandkids

so they could read about themselves

 someday

You know - because as a parent, 

you don't have the time/energy 

to jot it all down..

Grandparents are supposed to have

a whole lot more time--which--

let me tell you is a lie.

I thought it would be fun. 

I thought maybe my kids would read my blog,

or maybe a couple of friends would read it..

or maybe my brother (Lordy-how I miss him)

would read it.

I had no idea that anyone I didn't know 

would read it..
.
so..it ain't real purty..
.
and it's just kind of a hodgepodge.

 No real theme...if you get my drift.


Question #2. While working outside what

do you think about?

I think about God's goodness in my life. 

How blessed I am.
.
I also think about projects 

I WANT to do..

Like the one below...

Sorry I stole this from someone's site.

If it's your own pop in 

and take credit for it...cuz it is

so darned cute I want to copy it.
I also spend some time thinking about 

the little granddaughter we lost 

and wonder what it would be

like to have her in the family mix.

She would be a BIG GIRL now-

I think about the brave struggle

MyHero endured in the past few years

 in his fight(s) (and win(s)) against cancer

and his current fight against the unknown....


Question #3. What is your favorite vacation

 destination and why?

I have two places...

depending on the time of year.

In  summer I love to go up to 

the UP of Michigan

I love Lake Superior. 

There is nothing like the

wild, rugged beauty you see there.

We usually stay in Munising..

 it's a little off-the road, by-passed by time.

I like it because I totally relax there 

for some reason.
That time frame would be..

anytime AFTER

July 1st and BEFORE July 6th

because that is about when summer

"happens" in the UP~

yeah..those are random dates 

but close to the truth.

BUT...in the winter...

I love Florida.

I love the ocean.

I love the balmy breezes.

I love it all...from St. Augustine to the Keys.

You can't go wrong with Florida..

I even love DisneyWorld..

Yeah...I'm kind of GOOFY like that!

I love it because I feel like 

I am "connected" in Florida.

The ocean draws me in and 

soothes and refreshes me.

And~ I am always in awe of the beauty

and lushness of it all.

I especially love New Smyrna Beach.

Did I mention a lot of old people 

drive around in Florida?

Yeah...Not on my list of favorites.

Sadly, I am becoming one of THEM...

but I still drive pretty good...uh-huh...

#4- Do I like sunrise or sunset?

Now THAT's a poser!

When I am on Lake Michigan,

I love the sunrise as it 

comes up over the lake.

I like to sit outside and watch the sun weave

it's fingers across the sky.

I love the sound of the early morning gulls

 and I especially love the fog horns 

on a overcast, foggy morning.

But when I used to live on the bay,

I loved the sunsets...

I especially loved sharing them with family.

It is like the sun kissed us all goodnight..

and we had made it safely through

another day.Question #5. Are you beginning to think I 

will never be done?

NOPE! That's NOT the question...

Here's the REAL question..


Question #5. What is my 

favorite Season/Why?

Ohhhh! It is Fall...glorious, wonderful Fall.

I Fall in love with 

all the wonders of Mother Nature

as the nights turn crisp and cool.

I love hunkering down by a fire 

in the fireplace as the

Fall winds blow round the eaves.

I love pots of stew...and apple cider...

and pumpkins...and the leaves that burst

into rainbow colored tree flames.

I love Thanksgiving and turkey and..

well...Yeah...I like Fall.
Question #6. What is the wildest thing I've 

ever done?

Hey! Do I LOOK Stupid? Don't answer that...

Do you think I am telling

YOU the wildest thing I've ever done? 

Ha...not on a bet-your-life

give-the-kid-a-sucker 

am I ever telling that!


Question #7. What is the biggest surprise

 in my life?

Hmmm...I think it is how fiercely 

and deeply I love my grandchildren. 

I mean...I KNEW I would love them...

I heard other grandparents

tell me how much they loved their grandkids...

and I thought...Yeah...okay...

only 33 more photos to look at 

so you can tell me how cute they are...

But NOW? Yeah...

Well, NOW I get it!

I would do whatever it took to protect them

as best I can from the world's harm.

Here's some pictures 

only 26 more to see!
There are more grands 

that I don't have pictures of

on my computer.

 #8- TAH-DAH...Last question!

Where do you go to be alone?

Well, this oughta get a smile 

out of those of you

that DON'T know me!

I get in the car...

and I drive..and I drive.

and I drive.

It is restful, peaceful 

(well it used to be before I 

had SCRUFFY)

 and I listen

to music and talk to God..

and I am free.

While I am traveling

I am free.

I can forget about laundry

and projects that await me

and daily chores.

I am free for a breath of time.

If I am feeling a bit stressed or want

to decompress..I take a Starbucks..

and a book and I park somewhere..

anywhere...and read..and read..

so..if you see some crazy blond 

sitting in the middle of a parking lot

looking down into her lap...

she is reading.

Don' t bother her.

And..even if she has a

Honk If You Love Jesus sign

on the back of her car...

Don't honk..

Cuz it won't be me anyway..

I don't have one of those signs.

I don't even wish I did.

Did you ever pull up behind two

cars and one says

Honk If You Love Jesus

and the other one says..

Honk For Clowns-

also known as

Candidates Running For President?

Yeah?

Don't honk..

It just confuses too many people.


This life list wouldn't be complete

without the new little love in my life...

SCRUFFY

also known as Satan some days

He appears to like profile pictures

the best!



SO

Thanks to all of you that have 

followed along with all my nonsense

today AND over the years.

I owe all of you big time...

 my readers...

my kids...

. MyHero..

and all the 

"little people"..

Thanks for stopping by...

Thanks for reading..

Thanks for being.

And as my

friend, Jettie would say...

Y'all come back now, ya heah.
your photo name