Popping In With Some SAD NEWS About Beth Marie

I am still away from blogging

but have had several people ask me

about  Beth Marie.

This just came to me this morning:

Beth DeShasier

Obituary Guest Book Be the first to share your memories or express your condolences in the Guest Book for Beth DeShasier. View Sign PEKIN - Bertha Marie "Beth" DeShasier, 79, of Pekin passed away at8:24 a.m. Monday, May 4, 2015, at the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria. Born Sept. 25, 1935, in Bloomfield, Mo., to James and Madge (Harty) Maloney, she married Jim DeShasier on Dec. 2, 1955, in Macomb. He died Dec. 1, 2006, in Chicago.  She also was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, James Ruben Maloney and James Robert Maloney; and three sisters, Cora Matteson, Christine Wholey and Mary Evelyn Rakestraw. Surviving are one daughter, Marcia (Mike) Gazza of Pekin; one son, Jim (Brett Schlenz) DeShasier of Chicago; one sister, Rae (Hugh) Dean of Kenova, W.Va.; and one brother, Bill (Karen) Maloney of O'Fallon. Beth retired and finished her career at the Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, where she worked on completing Officer Performance Reports. She also had previously worked for telephone companies in both Macomb and Paxton. Beth enjoyed blogging and, in earlier years, belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary in Paxton. She also was a room mother for her children in their elementary school days. She was of the Methodist faith. Her memorial service will be at 5 p.m. today, May 6, 2015, at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. The Rev. Gary L. Ford will officiate. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Private burial will be in Glen Cemetery in Paxton. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society , 4234 N. Knoxville Ave., Peoria, IL 61614; or the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home, 8630 Illinois Route 91, Peoria, IL 61615. To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com.

I am so sorry for her friends and family.

She was a wonderful lady and I will miss her.

Sending love up to you, Beth Marie. 

YOU AREN'T GONNA LIKE THIS- NEW WORD WEDNESDAY!

I hate to do this!

I really do!

You are NOT gonna like this

NEW WORD.

It is a word from ME.

Ready?

The new word is-

GODDATAKEAREALBREAK

That is:

Gotta take a real break!

I have several irons in the fire right now.

A couple I can share today-

I have SweetCheeks, Ria & Lulu

here for a few days.

Daddy is out of town and Mama is working hard

so I am picking up a few pieces for them.

Wonder if I can make that watermark any bigger?

(that is a joke)

THEN-

NEXT WEEK-

I am going to Milwaukee to babysit

my other three grandchildren so that

their Mom and Dad

can go find a house in their new hometown.

I need to get a bunch of stuff done 

besides all that.

So---an early---

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO YOU !

I will see you in a couple of weeks-

PINKY PROMISE!

AND- I just might have a nice surprise for you then!

I have my fingers crossed that I 

have something special to share with you

when I come back....

and No- I am NOT pregnant!

Have a wonderful couple of weeks!

GETTING ON MY SOAP BOX

You know- I could have 

SWORN I posted this before

but it is still showing in 

DRAFT status so here it is

just in time for

MOTHER'S DAY!

It's a LONG POST 

and I am

GETTING ON MY SOAP BOX

Seriously,

Did you think I was 

going to stir up trouble

and controversy?

Not me!

I don't like that~

 although

I will stand up for what 

I think is right.

Not always a 

GOOD THING,

as our friend, Martha Stewart,

would say.

Nope this  

SOAP BOX

is about

making laundry detergent.

I wanted to give my girls 

a little something fun and

different for Mother's Day.

What to give them?

Hmmmm...

Something sweetly scented?

Something wholesome and clean?

Something to make their lives easier?

Something to save them money?

Yep, Yep, Yep And Yep.

Here is the sweet little package.

Here's what is inside.

There is a long handled 

1 Tablespoon measuring spoon

tucked inside.

Don't you love it?

It smells amazing.

It cleans better than anything

I have ever used.

Here is what you need to make it.

I'll post the recipe at the end.

Here is what you need to stir it with.

Do child labor laws prevent this

in your state?

Not to worry.

As long as you give regular breaks

you will NOT be arrested.

She chooses to ride bike rather

than smoke during her break.

Works for me.

I can't afford those cigars

she likes- bwhahaha.

(We moved from bucket to

Rubbermaid container for

stirring purposes).

It takes a lot of stirring,

and grating the bar soap

is the worst part of it all

to make this wonderful

concoction.

Here are the 3 bags all

set to go to my 3 girls

on Mother's Day.

I also put another little something

in each one that was geared just

to the recipient.

Here's the recipe in case you

are interested.

You can also use

FelsNaptha (which most people use)

 Ivory, Castile or PINK Zote bar soap.

I used the Pink Zote because 

I love the smell

and looks of it.

(The pink Zote soap is in an odd place

in most grocery stores-it is not with

the soaps or with the laundry detergents-

it is usually in the Mexican food section)

Home made Laundry Soap

and Softener

2 bars Fels Naptha (or Zote) Bar Soap

4 lbs. Borax

4 lbs. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

4 lbs. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

1 container OxiClean

1 container Purex softening CRYSTALS.

Grate bars of soap and mix into

all other ingredients.

Mix and store in airtight container.

1 to 2 tablespoons per load.

This is perfect for ANY type of

washer-including front loaders,

top loaders and HE (high efficiency ones).

This makes a LOT of soap

.

I gave away 4 large containers

of it and 1 small container.

 I have enough left for

several months worth of

laundry.  I think it averages

out to about 6 or 7 cents per load.

REMEMBER it makes NO SUDS but 

does a super job of cleaning!

Hope your day is full

of sunshine and freshness

I'll be hanging sheets on the line

this morning...

freshly washed with this soap.

And if anybody gets smart with me

I can wash their mouth out

with soap and not leave any

evidence....just sayin'....



ps- Off to the VA, dentist and coffee with a friend-you'll see me when you see me unless I decide to run away with Ronald McDonald in which case you will see me on billboards everywhere anyway.........

PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR RONDELL @ SOMETHING NICE & PRETTY

Sometimes as I am writing 

kind of a nonsensical post

I wonder 

WHY DO I BLOG?

I tell myself I blog because I want a record of life

for my grandkids to read someday.

I know I blog because it keeps me focused 

and I get more things done

(believe it or not).

But lately I have been thinking that

SOMETIMES this BLOGGING

has been taken out of my 

earthly hands and is being directed

by 

SOMEONE BIGGER THAN I!

I get emails asking for prayer.

Now why is that?

Let me tell you- it is NOT because

of anything I do!

It is from a power beyond mine

that makes

people like my sweet blogging friend, 

RONDELL

from 

Something Nice & Pretty

contact me to ask for prayer.

She said I could share as much as I wanted to

about what is happening to her.

Here is an email from her.

Hi Diana, I'm emailing you because I need prayers from my friends in blogland, I hate to ask for help that's why I'm just now asking. I just got home from the hospital last Friday

after a week being a patient there, I had a perforated gallbladder which really took a toll on me, thank God I quit smoking two

years ago or I wouldn't have made it. As it was I almost died late last Saturday, the surgeon wouldn't operate because I ate that day, my blood pressure took a nose dive & I woke up to about eight nurses in the room and five blankets on me and still shaking so hard I couldn't stop.

I need prayers from my sweet friends to heal and keep a positive attitude to get well, I'm so sore:)

She is a lot like me.

She hates to ask for help from others but 

SOMETIMES 

that is 

WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.

So, if you will, please send up a prayer 

for Rondell to be returned to full health.

If you don't pray please send her 

warm, good healing wishes.

I know she will love you for it

and I love you, too.

I will give you an update on Rondell

when I get one.

Prayers going up-Rondell- 

Prayers going up!

Pick Your Favorite PLAYHOUSE WINNER...and ANOTHER WINNER of Another Kind

I love that you all play along

with the 

PICK YOUR FAVORITES 

that I put together.

I am a couple of days late getting to this

because our friend Dr. Ball passed away

and we have had so much going on.

SO

WHICH ONE  Of THESE WAS THE WINNER?

First place with the most votes is:

GAZE AT THAT GAZEBO

Coming in at a close second is

THE LITTLE HOUSE THAT GREW

Coming in THIRD PLACE is:

SWEETLY STONED

I LOVE all THREE of THOSE!

~Thanks so much for playing along~

Here is another kind of 

WINNER!

We sat at Dance Competitions all day yesterday.

You have watched me brag as Ria won in 

every competition she has entered.

She got a Lightening Gold Trophy

(the highest she could get)

and came in FOURTH OVERALL!

That is huge- she is dancing 

with girls that have been

doing competitions for years and this is only her

FIFTH competition.

BUT THE SURPRISE IS!!!!

SWEET CHEEKS

in her 

FIRST EVER PERFORMANCE

got a 

HIGH GOLD

and SIXTH OVERALL!

I might or might not have teared up a little bit.

Little Miss Personality

came "alive" on stage!

It was so fun to watch!

Have a great Sunday.

We have another competition today!

Romantic Homes- May 2015 Review

ROMANTIC HOMES

is still one of the

PRETTIEST MAGAZINES

out there!

May has some pretty things, people!

Look at these 

GILLY FLOWERS

by  Jennelise Rose

She has a beautiful blog, too, 

and is now on my side bar.

You know this caught my eye!

Jo-Anne Coletti- of course

Photography by Hulya Dincel/no link found

And the LAVENDER LEAPS off the page 

here for me.

-Also by-Jo-Anne Coletti

The next picture is one out of a 

ten page spread.

The home belongs to  

Francis & Trevor Halliday.

The whole house has a fresh, 

crisp blue & white scheme.

Styled by Ros Connellysamderson-no link available

Robert Sanderson

This beautiful home belongs to 

Lucia Broertjes

Devlin Smith/ Peggy Janssen-photographer

A closeup of the urn 

on the coffee table 

that you can't see above.

You can find it on any newsstand.

Here is what the May cover looks like.

It has has several beautiful 

PARTY IDEAS, too!

I'm ready for a party, too!

Aren't you?

Here is what 

MyHero looks like 

when I ask him if hewants to 

PARTY!

image

Yeah- Welcome to MY world!

Finish It Up Friday-FUN WITH THE FAMILY

THE BABYSITTER

Lulu is just getting old enough to babysit.

So, while she was here last weekend,

we had CJK come over so she

could practice.

Here is how it went!

Lulu is trying to read her book for school

and keep an eye on CJK.

He is VERY INTERESTED in her book.

He is SO interested that he says he can read it--

and starts with

Once 'pon a time....

She is not getting much reading done because

Bucko drops her book on the floor 

and gives her a 

GREAT BIG HUG!

That hug did not seem to get enough of a response-

Let's try 

ONE MORE REALLY BIG HUG-

along with the 

CHIN GRIND!

Ah- yes--perfect response...

Now- Let's just move along

to balancing on the 

Hairy Headed Sisters!

This is what they call an 

ACTION SHOT

in the movies.

Free of charge for you, of course-

And now that you have had fun with 

everyone else it is time to have

FUN WITH POPS!

 Yeah-That's they way we all feel, kid!

Sorry----