SWEET CHEEKS CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

Is it too early for a 

Christmas Wish List?

This is too good to keep to myself.

My daughter called spur-of-the-moment

yesterday to see if I could 

pick the girls up from school,

feed them and make sure they did their homework.

No problem.

It is always fun to have them here.

SweetCheeks LOVES SCHOOL!

Can you tell?

Homework is finished.

Dinner is done.

What next?

Why!  We must listen to the 

CHRISTMAS LIST.

Of course we must!

This is something I 

HAVE TO SHARE!

Ready?

I listed these in the exact order

she listed them in.

1- A writer's kit (hmmm...paper and pencil?)

2-  A math book (seriously?)

3.  Tshirt with a DOG on it (as close to a pet as she'll get-Mom & Dad both have allergies)

4.  A SPY KIT

5.  Science goggles

6.  A Taylor Swift CD with a BOOM BOX 

(have you seen any boom boxes lately-do they even make them anymore..and WHERE did she see one?) 

7- This might be my favorite!  

Instruction book for the Hello Kitty clock

I got last year from Santa and can't figure out how it works.

And-there were two additions...

FAKE CRUTCHES

(which her sister Ria also wants-WHAT is wrong with these kids?)

and

A FAKE EYEBALL

Seriously....

What 7 year old do you know that wants a

WRITER'S KIT and a MATH BOOK?

I was laughing so hard I could hardly write this down.

and she wanted to know...

WHAT'S SO FUNNY?

I gave her the standard Nana answer...

"Nothing"....

There you have it!

Can't wait to hear what YOUR KIDS want!

ps.  And just so you know- she was 
DEAD SERIOUS about this list!
THAT'S what makes it so funny to me!

ps-I had sporadic internet last night
so if I didn't visit you it is not because
I forgot!

Sunday Farmhouse Memories

Sometimes it is bittersweet, isn't it

to remember the days when 

people in our lives celebrated

special days with us?

The family unit I knew as a child 

is all gone now.

A father, a mother and one younger brother.

We celebrated 17 years of Sundays  together 

before I left home. 

17 years out of a lifetime isn't much but

 0h! the memories created then..

My parents were not religious people

but they were believers.
I grew up right next to a Catholic church
but never attended there.
This was taken from the road in front of our house
before the road was paved..

I don't remember my father ever 
going to a church service.

My mother took us kids sporadically over the years.

When I was a young teen I 
started going on my own

with some cousins.

A little country church with a marvelous pastor,

Melvin Shultz.

His wife, Thelma, had the voice of an angel 
and I loved

to sit as close to her as I could on a 

Sunday morning..

My father always pared the farm work down

to a bare minimum on all 
Holidays and every Sunday,

doing only the chores that were necessary to 

get by for the day.

My Grandfather, dressed in his Sunday suit,
 would stand here by the
road on a Sunday morning to greet people
on their way home from church.
He lived with us for about 5 years
until I was 6 or so.
I remember when my father planted
the elms on the left hand side
to give some shade to the front yard.
They were mere saplings then.

The big barns are long gone now.
The house burned to the ground 15 years ago or so.

The shed that you see in the picture above 
(that is hidden behind the trees)
is the only building that remains 
of the original farm buildings.
I remember when my Father and two neighbors
built that shed for wood, storage and butchering.

Going the other way, down the hill,
the road makes a sharp curve then leads down 
 to my Aunt Bessie's house.
She, too, is gone these many years.
 I spent a lot of time in the woods
that grew along the road..

Sweet, sweet memories this morning.

Memories of coffee percolating 
on the kitchen counter-

Watching the sun rise and flood the East facing kitchen with light.

Bacon sizzling in the frying pan-

the sharp crack of eggs against the side of the pan-

Biscuits with home-churned butter and honey

from the bees from the hives 
down past the little pond.

Sunday Memories-
Sharp-
Strong-
Stored Forever-

And----just so you don't think I have gone
all smarmy  and  sappy on you
here is what I plan to serve MyHero 
for breakfast this morning if he
doesn't shape up. 
It will go great with a side of
poisonberries boysenberries.

.You can order your very own 
SKULL EGG SHAPER here..

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

We are on our way out of town 
for a cousin's wedding.
I will share details when we get home.  

THE BABIES ARE HERE- I Am Away For The Day

Have a wonderful Saturday.

I will be watching

"The Babies"

today.

Oh....she is gonna kill me one of these days!

I have to get groceries, too.

I need bananas.

I wish I had an outfit like this one

to wear when I shop for bananas.

Have a great Saturday!

Finish It Up Friday- Five Random Offerings

Thank you all for sticking with me

as I go through my files and try to 

clear them up with my 

Finish It Up Friday posts.

Living in Green Bay, Wisconsin
means that a lot of life revolves 
around the bay itself.
We are lucky enough to live on the bay-
just a couple of miles out of port
so we enjoy all the water has to offer.
Everyone loves being on the water-
although I am content BESIDE it and not on it.
I don't have very good luck with boats.
I am known as 
The Boat Jinx.
Seriously.

Well, here is ONE boat I won't be jinxing because
this baby won't be going anywhere soon.
That being said- I love the way it looks here 
on the rocks by the shore.

I love the mornings here.
The sun rises on the front of my house 
so that the front rooms are bright and warm
But the magic is on the back side of the house.
I can see the sun's progress as it comes up
over top of the house  
and hits the shore across the bay from us.
It is peaceful and lovely.

This time of year the last of the big ships

come in and go out of  port
before the channel shuts down for winter.
This is one of last few ships of the year.

See this "thing"?
Can you guess what it is?

It's a floating duck blind.
There is a boat underneath that and several
decoys flocked around it.
I always feel awful when I hear the guns go off
and know they have shot some of  the ducks.

Know what else is big in our area
that is also connected to the water?
FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FRIES.
They are held at every tavern, supper club 
and restaurant.
This is the offering from
Bourbon Street in Green Bay

Most places serve the same menu.
Deep fried perch or haddock, coleslaw, fries,
a slice of onion and buttered rye bread 
with tartar sauce on the side.

You can also buy fish 
for your home aquarium, too, you know.
However,
you won't get any FISH at WALMART today.
Nosirreebob!

Guess there is 
NO DINNER tonight!

You all have a great Friday and don't take 
your fishing pole to Walmart today...just sayin.........

BITTERSWEET - A Poem About A Different Kind Of Bittersweet

~Bittersweet~

Sometimes things just come to me 

and I jot them down

in poem form.

I never agonize over the words-

they just flow out in a matter of minutes.

(kind of like the way I blog)

I rarely go back and change a word or phrase.

Such is this piece.

It took me about 10 minutes to jot it down.

I wrote this the year I turned 50.

That was really odd because it was the same year

I was presented with this painting

that I showed you the other day.

 But this is not about the kind of bittersweet 

you see pictured here.

It is about another kind of bittersweet.

I went down and dug this out 

of a box in the basement

and typed it into my Word program 

on my computer

so I could share it with you.

Bittersweet

Life is just a journey

Down an unknown lane,

Sometimes touched by laughter,

Often tinged with pain.

How often in my wanderings

I have met a kindred soul,

Who by their very presence,

Has made my spirit whole.

I have been so very blessed

Though the path’s gone up and down,

I entered the Arch of Motherhood

And found four jewels for my crown.

The road has had some twists and turns

Some days were full of strife.

But always in the distance

I could see the Star of Life.

Some friends walked with me but a mile

And left me richer still,

And there are those that bolster me

When the road seems all uphill.

Yes!  I have had my sorrows,

But my joy is full, complete.

For life is but a journey

And it’s often bittersweet.

copyrighted by D. Diana Kosmoski/2000

You know what ELSE is bittersweet?

Losing your hair!

I think I am going to send MyHero

in for a tattoo like this one.

And here you thought you'd never

see any nice hairstyles at Walmart!

Thanks for reading.

Hope you have a day that is full of love and joy!

HAPPY (Very Belated) BIRTHDAY TO BIG J-Our Son-In-Law

Please help me wish our 

Son-In-Law, BIG J,

A VERY BELATED

Happy Birthday!

His birthday was November 1st!!!

Sorry, BigJ, it has been

THAT KIND of Fall!

He is married to our youngest daughter, Mimi.

They live in Milwaukee,

about 100 miles South of us.

We didn't know him when he was young

so I don't have early pictures of him

but he grew up to be a pretty handsome man,

didn't he?

You are a good dad

and were blessed with one more

little baby to love on this last year.

You now have a lion, a skunk

and a monkey to complete

your family zoo.

How lucky can you get?

THIS lucky!

Thank you for sharing 

your family with us-your in-laws.

You are a good provider and dad

and we are proud to have you as a

 

Son-In-Law!

Happy Happy Birthday, Big J.

We love you!

from your most wonderful monster-in-law

GIVEAWAY WINNER WHOOO HOOOOO SWEET CHEEKS DONE GOOD!

Yes, Yes, I KNOW.

It should not be 

SWEET CHEEKS DONE GOOD..

It should be..

SWEET CHEEKS DONE EXCELLENT...

ha-had you there, DIDn't I?

I met SweetCheeks after school in a 

PARKING LOT

so she could do this drawing.

I took the hat full of 

OVER 100 NAMES!

So..

Who (or is it whom) did she pick?

See for yourself!

Drumroll....please....

Unfolded and 

HERE IT IS!

Here is our little Gappy...

Smiling away.....

No way to cheat now that she can read!

Guess what?  I wouldn't cheat anyway

because I have discovered that

cheating does not pay!

It always comes back to bite you...or me...

Now she is old enough to read the names herself.

Wow!  How in the world did she get so BIG?

She's still little enough to like dressing up.

Here she is at Halloween.

Can you guess who she is?

It's Snow White, you goofball!

Sorry- got off track there for a minute.

You know- It is really funny how things work out.

Lisa, as many of you know, lost her husband, Ken,

a few weeks ago.

Life has not been easy for her and I don't think 

she has had much to smile about.

Maybe today- just for a moment-

she will smile.

Lisa has a blog, too, if you'd like to visit her.

All Things In Life

Here is her entry:

Lisa Mangold	Oct 31 (3 days ago)
to me

Lisa Mangold has left a new comment on your post "A SWEET LITTLE GIVEAWAY- FROM ME TO YOU": 

I tried this once this morning but I'll try it again. Looks like I'm not entered into your contest. Perhaps it will inspire me to see new dreams! 

Blessings, 

Lisa

Sometimes those small good things in life

pop up when you need them most.

I hope the magazine does inspire you to see

NEW DREAMS.

Lisa- Send me the mailing address where you

would like the magazine sent.

Lisa, I want to encourage you to

enjoy your day and celebrate by eating a

HAMBURGER.

HOWEVER, DON'T buy your BUNS

at Walmart....

UNLESS you are going to roll them

into a HOT DOG shape.

Can We Change The Course Of Cancer With Prayer? Prayer requests-

Can we change the course of cancer with prayer?

That is a hard question, isn't it?

Everyone will have a different "take" on it.

Some believe you should pray for a miracle;

a miracle that results in

 an immediate and full healing.

Others believe we should pray people through

their chemotherapy and radiation 

and pray for healing that way.

We all pray different ways- 

some pray to the God I know~

others just send healing thoughts up.

Whatever we do I know that we

ALL PRAY AND WISH AND HOPE

 FOR A CURE FOR CANCER.

I have two dear bloggers this week that are 

asking for prayer.

One that many of you know is Beth Marie.

Day By Day With Beth Marie.

Here is her update on her condition.

Update….

I have finished 10 of the 30 radiation treatments.  The radiation is directed to my neck and head so they are pretty tough.  The worst side effects are to my mouth.  It is raw inside.  I have been given a compound prescription that is helping a bit, numbing my mouth  and throat so that it is easier for me to swallow meds.  Eating is difficult but I have resisted having a feeding tube inserted.  So far I haven’t lost a disastrous amount of weight.  

Sadly I don’t have any extra weight to fall back on.

The radiation frizzes (burns) my hair so I look like the bride of Frankenstein. I can live with these side effects if it kills the cancer.  I will not choose to go through treatment a 3rd time though

The second blogger asking for prayer is 

Linda-Chocolate One of My Many Addictions

Linda was doing quite well on her chemo treatment plan.

They have been planning on surgery to remove the cancerous tumor.

However, her pre-op check-up shows that she has 

CHD-Chronic Heart Disease.

Her heart is only functioning at 33%.

The latest thing is that she has blood clots in her leg.

She has always been full of life and energy but she says she is so tired that she can't do anything  right now.

She is optimistic but just tired of not feeling well.

Please pray for both of these fellow bloggers.

They would do the same for each and every one of you.

They are both women of faith and believe in 

Divine Healing.

Let's pray for that!

God bless you all and I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

Thank God today for your own good health-if you are so blessed to have it.

SweetCheeks is out of town for the weekend SOOOO...

the drawing for my giveaway will be on Monday.

That means if you haven't signed up yet-

you still have time to do so  here.

Romantic Homes November 2014

I am going to get ahead of the game

this month.

Let's see what  is in the November issue of

Romantic Homes

Here is a wonderful wreath by

Melinda Graham/Surroundings by Melinda

She gives a tutorial on how to make this!

As you turn the pages you will find a 

CUTE CROCHETED WREATH

put together by our friend, 

Judy @20 North Ora

I just adore Judy. She has had a lot

going on her life this past few months.

I was so glad to see her featured here.

I hope it has been a bright spot for her.

Isn't that CUTE!?!?!!

While I do have some color in my home

I am always fascinated by those homes that

have such beautiful soft interiors.

This is from Nelly Vintage Home.

She has the most beautiful eye for things.

well, I'm sure BOTH her eyes are beautiful-

you know what I mean-

Isn't this gorgeous-also from Nelly Vintage Home

photos by Jo-Anne Coletti

This home belongs to
Lori Ressa Lavender Fields

She has a beautiful Craftsman style home.

Isn't this a cute piece?

There is a full spread of her home in the magazine.

Then there is 

The Little Jewel Box

It belongs to 
Camille Saum Interior Designer

This is just one photo of many, many of her home.

This is the dining room in the article titled

Countryside Chic.

It belongs to Kate Forman-Kate Forman Designs.

and this the master bedroom in that article.

Isn't that a beautiful study of grey and pink?

I am sure you can still buy your own copy of

Romantic Homes to see the full articles.

Tell 'em I sent you!  

That and $1.00 will get me a 

Senior Coffee at McDonald's.

NEVER thought I would be old enough to be getting a

SENIOR COFFEE!  

Seriously?  sigh.....


Gotta hunt down the SweetCheeks today
so she can do the drawing for 
THE GIVEAWAY.
I'll be back with the winner tomorrow!