BOOKS & BOXES AND HAPPY BITS & PIECES

I was thinking about what makes me happy.
Obviously the first thing on the list is

family-MyHero, children & spouses,

and grandchildren.

But there are other little things

that I don't think much about

in the day-to-day act of living.

And yet..they are a part of my life

and bring me a bit of joy.

Years ago when my Mother 

came to live with me

I brought quite a bit of her "stuff" from

Pennsylvania.

I think I thought having "stuff" from the farm

would help me remember

the farm and family as it was....

because in her state of mind

she was no longer the mother I knew.

When she passed away,

and I gave some of the "stuff"

back to my brother.

My kids, too, have some of the things

and I finally gave my youngest daughter

this treasure.

It is a little cedar "chest".
It is only about 8"x12"x4" high.

Mother told me once that she gave a man

a ride to Elmira, NY and he gave her

the little carved box as payment.

If you open it you will find

some little treasures....

hankies and an embroidered piece or two.

What else makes me smile when I see it?

These fairy books that my daughter, Mimi,

gave me.

When you open them you will find that....
They are kind of "naughty" fairy books

not the kind I can read to the grandkids.

Whoever knew fairies had boobies?

Well...they do...trust me!

And in front of the books that are

tucked into this little niche

is a rock that my son painted

GOLD

when he was just a child.
He gave it to me for Christmas one year.

That was the year he had $20.

and spent $2.00 on lei's for everyone

(except me-I got the rock)

and the rest on himself.

Yep-He was THAT kid!

Then, Mimi went to a garage sale

and picked up this pearl necklace & earrings

still in their original box.

They have aged to a beautiful cream color.I researched them online.
They were QUITE the item in their day

and a favorite of Liz Taylor.

Below is another special "box".
This one was given to me by

MamasBoy & TheSecretAgent

on my 60th birthday.

If you open the box

you will find 60 "memory slips"

tucked inside.

that I got for my 60th birthday.

Do you think they fear I am losing my mind

and hope these act as gentle reminders

of a time when I knew who I was?

Huh?

Is that what this present is all about?

A random one reads:And, last but not least..

I received this special little box

from 3 very special little girls.

It is a Fairy Catching Kit.

We had many sightings at my house

but never did actually capture one.

They had hoped to outwit them

with this kit.

Just look at all the tools inside!And to wrap up this little presentation of Joy..

I wore this...

because a special little Miss

wrapped it up in a piece of Kleenex

(which I am hoping wasn't used)

and said it was....

"The bestest present eveah"!

And, indeed...I think it might be!

How about you?

What little things make you happy?

What little joys put a song in your heart?
I hope that your days 

are filled with little joys, too,

because I am finding that..

the older I get..

the more happiness I find 

in the little things.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

FROM PRINCESS TO BARISTA~

Life is 

NOT A FAIRY TALE.

No, indeedy!

My beautiful princess,

ALANA (aka Lulu)

went from
THIS

to
THIS!

I think she is the 

cutest barista ever!
She knows that hard work pays off!
She is a 2nd generation barista-
following in her Auntie Mimi's footsteps.

She could have gone 
for the
glass slippers

source
Instead of the 
TENNIS SHOES WITH RHINESTONES~

But this girl knows that there is 
more to life than being pretty.
She's a grand girl with a kind heart
and as pretty inside as outside.

Can you BELIEVE she is working at

Neither can I!!!
Maybe I will get a free drink...
ummm--probably not!

Have a wonderful week
and upcoming
FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

A BLOGGER'S PASSING-JANET MACQUE- A POST I HATE TO DO

I am sadly relaying
this news-

I know that several

of my fellow bloggers

followed and loved

Janet (MaQue).

She was an artist

and a great gal.

She was undergoing chemo

and while her 

spirits and outlook 

were good,

her poor body just

couldn't withstand

any more treatment.

Her hubby left a bit

on her blog about her

passing.

He is heartbroken.

If you want to pop over 

and leave him a message

that would be awesome.

You can read his message

here.

Thank you all so much!
I hope you all have a 
great Sunday.
Say a little prayer 
OR
send well-wishes and 
healing thoughts
his way.

SUMMER DAYS BY THE SEA-BEST PART-WORST PART

While I LOVE being home,

I also LOVE to travel.

Recently,

I took Thing Two & Thing Three

on a little get away.

I LOVE the ocean

and so do they!

Sorry-not such great pictures

but you get the idea!

They rode thousands of waves!

They also had plenty of time to

MAKE FUN OF ME

as I jumped the waves.

After tiring of the ocean

we retired to the pool-

I made

PINEAPPLE WHIP

late every afternoon

and made all the tables near us

BEG FOR A TASTE!

This is

EASY PEASY.

Take 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks,

1 cup of lemonade

1/2 cup of coconut MILK (canned)

Add: Stevia (or sugar to suit yourself).

I use about 3 T of Truvia (stevia).

Put in blender and process until 

thick and creamy.

SOOOO GOOD...

but addictive-trust me....

We only had one day of rain

and spent that watching movies/shows.

MY LEAST FAVORITE PART?

Atlanta Traffic...

Sorry Atlanta-

I HATE driving through you!

Coming home I took an alternate route-

It was an hour further west BUT-

being as it took me 

TWO HOURS TO GET THROUGH ATLANTA

I figured I saved at least an hour

taking the longer route!

Who says blondes are dumb?

Have a wonderful day!

Sending love your way!

BACK FROM BREAK WITH 4 PRAYER REQUESTS & UPDATES

Hi there!

I had planned to come back today

with some fun stories about

my time away.

However, some things take

precedence over fun things.

Below are three people that 

really need prayer

and healing thoughts and

well-wishes.

The first is Erich.

You can read his original story here.

That was well over

A YEAR+ AGO.

You can imagine the angst

his mom, Carole, is going through.

That feeling of being helpless

and not being able to help your child.

Here is part of her latest email to me.

Things are not going the way I have prayed they would here.  Erich went for his usual scan after 12 weeks on maintenance treatment with the antigen since the radiation and antigen had made the cancer inactive.  They opted then for maintenance treatment for the next 12 weeks. That being completed he went for another scan and that was not good..  

The scan was done a week ago Friday, and we went to the oncologist for results a week later.  That was a few days ago.  There was reported to be an enlargement---  they type of which they cannot tell-- whether it is the tumor growing or scar tissue.  A new chemo BOTH bi-weekly and the antigen treatment again is prescribed.  Then another scan.  If that works, OK.  If not, the surgery is facing him .  If he chooses to have it as it is a horrible surgery that makes even the oncologist wince.  Hence, for this total last effort via medicines they can recommend.

Pray for her as well as for Erich.

Also, please continue praying for 

my friend, Jettie.

You can read about her latest surgery here.

Look at that baby face!

I won't tell you she is 70 and I kinda hate her for looking like that at 70! 

They think her daughters are her sisters.

Her surgeries have been rife with 

complications and this one is no exception.

She was hospitalized for several days

after she was released for an infection.

There are two types of bacterial infections

at the surgical site

and she is being treated with an IV at home.

If this doesn't work, the next step is 

NOT GOOD.

Also, Ted (same post) has had a 

rough road to recovery.

His meds are on hold at this point

because of some kidney problems.

Pray that the problem is resolved

so that he can continue on his

treatment plan.

Susie (She Junks) is holding on!

As always,

if you don't pray,

please send up healing thoughts

and well wishes.

Thank you all so much

and I will be back with some

'stories' in a day or so...

after I catch up on my work load here.

Love you guys----

You are the best followers EVER!!!!

Edited to add:
This is from Dawn P
and I do not have an email addy for her.
If you read this, Dawn, please send me
your email info to dianakos1@gmail.com

Always in my prayers - all of those with need. As all of you all have included my Mom in yours as well - she had 1st chemo, did not go well, treatment stopped 1/2 thru last Thursday, sent to ER, admitted with afib off the chart, got it under control by Saturday so they released her, and she had rough night Sat nite with some chemo side effects but as she only had 1/2 a treatment not as bad as could be ... but it is looking like her cardiologist will be putting the kabash on the chemo.. which leaves her with 6 mos, maybe a year left... - we will know more this week. So I share my prayers with ALL of you...

TAKING A BREAK WITH THING TWO & THING THREE

The time has come.

The time is now.

I'll run away

I don't care how.

I could go by bus,

I could go by car,

I could drive all night

And I could go far.

I could go alone,

I could take a kid,

I took two kids,

That is what I did.

I will be back soon,

I will come back brown,

I will drive all night

Maybe through your town.

I will miss you all.

My computer's shut down.

I will smile all day,

And I will never frown.

I will jump the waves,

I will walk the land,

I will look for sharks

And play in the sand.

I will be back soon,

As quick as a blink,

I will write a post,

That is what I think.

Sending you love,

As I walk the beach,

Don't look for a response

I am out of reach.

Love you guys-

See you in a few days~

I promise to have some 

GOOD STORIES.

PRETTY IN PINK? OR PEPTO-BISMOL DISASTER?

Ye Olde Bicycle
gets a tad weather-worn
during the winter season here.
Time for a little
SPRING SPRUCE UP!

I made  myself start using up
all the old paints that I have on hand.
This was one SweetCheeks picked out 

a long time ago.
It is not the paint I would have chosen
for this bike
but it IS what I had here.

And...don't go whining about the size
of the watermarks on these.
I am using Windows 10 and for some things
there is just no rhyme or reason
as to why these things happen
TO ME.....
trust me...

So-

What does ye olde bicycle look like today?

Feast your eyes on THIS!

(Well, except for my friend,Jettie-

She says pink is pukey-lol)

(speaking of Jettie-she has a bacterial

infection in her hip-had more surgery

and is in hospital for several days-

she has a good attitude after

her 5th surgery on that hip and

she thanks you 

for your prayers & well wishes) 

I don't have the real 

front and back baskets

attached yet.

However, I didn't want to 

keep you in suspense

too much longer-

cuz you know how YOU are!

Wanna see more?

Do you love it

or does it hurt your eyes?

Don't be counting any weeds that need to 

be cleaned up either..

Judge not lest ye be judged...just sayin'...

MyHero has been talking about 

taking up cycling.

I thought I should look for a nice

cycling outfit for him.

If he puts this on I will even let him ride

MY BIKE!

It'd be perfect, don't ya think????

I didn't show you the whole thing

cuz I didn't want to see you 

squirting your coffee out through

your nose-
It didn't leave much to the imagination
if you know what I mean.
SO-You can use

 YOUR imagination...

and imagine MyHero in it!!

Have a GREAT day!~

CONTINUING PRAYER REQUESTS-EDITED TO ADD ANOTHER PRAYER REQUEST

While I don't like that 
people really NEED these prayers
for things that are happening,
I am glad that I can do this
little bit to help.
Why this has been my "thing"
is beyond me-
but I am glad to be a messenger
for those in need.

Prayer Requests~

Please pray once again for my friend, 

JETTIE.

This is her fourth(?) maybe 5th surgery

on her hip.

Recovery from this last surgery
has resulted in a hematoma

so she has surgery tomorrow.

Right now she is  suffering excruciating pain.

Pray for a good surgical procedure

and a proper healing this time.

Then we have

Connie's hubby, Steve,

(Crafty Home Cottage)

needs prayers for health issues.

He is very private so asks

that you pray and he figures God

will know his name and know what

you are praying for.

Isn't he a handsome devil?

hmmmm...maybe I shouldn't be using

THE WORD DEVIL

in a prayer request?

We'll let God sort that one out.

Please continue to pray for

 Sandi-RoseChintzCottage' 

son, Jeff.

and-

Also, please continue to pray for

Wild Bill,

Sugar's hubby (AtRivercrestCottage)

He is bravely continuing to fight cancer

and they have big life changes underway.

I know there are many more out there

that need prayers, healing and comfort-

even though I have not named them here

please send up a silent prayer for

all those in need of a healing.

As always,

if you don't pray,

please wing healing thoughts 

and good wishes their way.

Thanks so much.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

EDITED TO ADD:

I just got a message from

Sylvia-A Grandma's Blessing

She is asking for prayer for 

her husband, Curtis.

He has been in ICU & Critical Care

for 6 days.

He has having TIAs (mini-strokes)

and he has A-Fib.

Right now he is in Rehabilitation

to get some strength back.

His condition is ongoing and

Sylvia feels helpless and alone.

Please send prayers and well-wishes

to her and Curtis.

Thanks so much!

And--another lady wrote to me-

Here is what she has to say-

Dawn Pinnataro please add my mom to your list; she is almost 84, diagnosed with 1 type of cancer, had surgery & was discovered she actually has rare cancer of abdominal wall & will start aggressive chemo jun 20th. I share my prayers with you all, please share your prayers with me. ( we lost my 90 yr old dad not even a year ago)

I AM READY FOR A LITTLE PORCH SITTIN'

Sadly, this is 

NOT

my porch.

However,

I sure do wish it was and that I

could sit out there 

and watch the world go by.

Anybody got a great porch

that I can come sit on?

I'll bring my own coffee

and promise to wipe my feet.

Oh- and I might bring

KEY LIME PIE!

You can have the whole pie-

I'll just take one piece!

because-

the more you eat and the fatter you get

the skinnier I look standing next to you-

snicker-snicker

Have a great Tuesday!!!

LIVING IN THE 1970's...WERE YOU THERE?

A few years ago I did a post

about some things from the

1960s--hair care, etc.

But-

I didn't touch on the 1970s much.

Let's take a little walk down

MEMORY LANE

shall we?

Did you grow up or 

become a young adult in the 1970s?

If so-You will remember some of these, I bet~

We had music, didn't we?

We had Elvis, The 5th Dimension, Sonny & Cher

and oh-so-many-more!

We girls wore clothes like these~

The maxi, the go-go boots & the mini-skirt-

The men in our lives wore this--oh my!

The hippie, the leisure suit & the hipster~

Some of us had these rides-

Not many of us had a ride like this....

And what did we eat?

Well, we ate casseroles-

And Jello Mold Salads

were all the rage-

We drank TAB-

We watched TV & Went Dancing & Loved Music

and I will talk about those things in another post.

The 1970s?

I could go on forever-

but right now I am going to play with my 

PET ROCKS!

Bet you wish you had kept yours.

I think I am going to do some more of these

1960s and 1970s posts!

Those were the years!!!

Whaddyathink?