This question was asked the other day @ Quora.com, a forum to which I belong, where people ask questions, make comments, and others *myself, for instance* post responses. I thought it was worth sharing here in my Blog, since it's all about me anyways, soooo....here ya go ~ "What does it mean when someone is in their “own little world?” My friend said this about her son, who’s a teenager, and I don’t understand what she meant." Here is my reply: "Speaking as someone who has 'been in her own little world' for nearly 70 years now, I guess I’ll take a stab at this one. My own mother, for as far back as I can remember, had a favorite saying *when describing me, her 4th child*: 'Jennifer is always on CLOUD NINE.' By this I always assumed she meant that I was a daydreamer…which I was. Big time. (But I have a favorite comeback to this, which I will relate in a minute.) I am an artist. I am ~ have always been ~ super-sensitive to others’ remarks, to Nature around me (I follow butterflies, if that gives you any idea), to the stars at night (I could gaze at them for hours), to anything that touches my senses. I am not ~ nor have I ever been ~ practical, left-brained, down-to-earth. I cry at the drop of a hat. I laugh every day ~ at least twice. ;) I don’t judge a stranger. I have in my mind CONSTANTLY my next creative endeavor. I have eight children, who are all adults, yet I still wish they all lived with me. So. Now that you know a little bit about me, maybe this will give you some idea of a good example of someone who, even at the ripe old age of 68 years, has always been, still is, and will forever be 'in her own little world.' It hasn’t always been easy being this way…I don’t think my Mom ever understood me. And if she were alive today, I still don’t think she would. It’s just the way of the world ~ some of us 'have our feet firmly planted on the ground' while others (like me) would much rather interact with the Angels."

Back in the Day...

This is my house. Or rather...this was my house. Back in the day when I was small. Two stories, 3 bedrooms, probably about 1800-2000sq ft, all told...as if anyone even cared ~ back in the day ~ about square footage of anyone's house. Back in the day, it was more about life inside that house. Family life. Father, mother, children, pets. Normal, everyday life. Back in the day, fathers went to work, mothers stayed home, children went to school and played outside without a care in the world. Summers were hot and sunny; the days were long and carefree. Winters came in their turn, the snow fell in huge mounds, the ice crystals shone from every tree branch, every telephone wire. I lived in this house for the first 25 years of my life. Truth be told, if I hadn't met my future husband Michael, I might never have left it, but deep down I knew it was time to strike out on my own. And growing up to marry him was the best thing I've ever done...but when I look back on this house, I think, "Those were the days of my life ~ when I was small. I can never get them back. But I can remember them with fondness; I can remember my family with love." I have a treasure-trove of memories from back in the day...that I can call to mind whenever I want. I can remember the woods at the end of the street, where we would go to hunt those tiny little toads. I can remember the candy store a block away, where my Mom would give each of us a nickel to spend on anything we wanted, as long as we were very good. I can remember the toy store just a short walk from there, where I picked out paper dolls (a bride and a groom) for my 7th birthday. I can remember the year my parents had our old broken-down garage towed away and a new one built (the one you see in this picture)...and we had so much fun playing in the backyard which had been filled with sand (to ready the ground for laying down new sod and a new driveway), that they decided to keep a huge portion at the rear for a giant sand-play area! I can remember the gazebo my Dad brought home and set up in the back of the house, where I would sit for hours on my favorite lounge/lawn chair, lost in my faerie tales, or drawing in my sketchbooks. And how well I remember ~ back in the day ~ my Mom telling me and my sisters that it was time to freshen up the flower beds, and oh! how we hated that! But back in the day, children helped with the chores and that included pulling weeds. We complained under our breath LOL, but we knew, deep down, that helping out was just part of growing up...back in the day. The years went on, we all grew up. All six of us. We all got married, had our own families. As time went on, we all went back to this house, over and over again...family gatherings, sitting with Mom and Dad over a beer, this home where we all had become big, the cares of the world invading our play hours with grown-up routines. And I'm sure that my brothers and sisters ~ if they are anything like me ~ can all remember those wonderful times we had here. All those many years ago. Back in the day.

Wired...

I was just sitting here, thinking...it's been a couple of months since I last posted; alot has gone on in that time!
One major development has been the end to a 22-year reign of the braced teeth! All eight of them (the kids, that is) have had a run-in with one or the other of our family orthodontists ~ from Paul's nighttime retainers (which he barely wore) to the last tightening of the screws in Stephen's poor sore mouth!
I had to put up with wires myself for nearly 6.5 years ~ Christmastime in my fourth grade year all the way up til Eastertime in my tenth grade year...and boy, did I feel great when THAT was over with!!!
Now, I see all of my nearest and dearest going through the same things ~ pretty much for the same reasons, give or take ~ and I have to wonder how did we ever get through it all?!?

(NOTE TO READER: This post was actually written several years ago, as my kiddos are all well past the age of having to wear braces, but when I came here to renew my blog, I saw that it was never published. So I am presenting it now, just to "clear my cache," as it were.)
#movingon  

Wow...it's been a LONG time...

It certainly has been a long time since I've posted here @ my General Blog...I miss it alot & things have been so busy in my life since my last post that I hardly know where to begin. First of all, dearest husband Michael is a huge inspiration to me, with all of his health problems over the years ~ and yet, he continues to hang in there, offering it all up, never complaining about any of it...except of course, lol, an occasional comment here & there about those in the health care profession who don't appear to know what they are doing. But hasn't that always been a source of amusement to anyone with health issues, at least anyone who refuses to dwell on the negative?!? Staying in the hospital, visits to all kinds of offices (he has at least 10 specialists that he sees regularly)...etc....
And of course, the family. :) Having eight children, all grown, with two grandsons & a granddaughter on the way, it is ever-expanding! Never a dull moment around here, nor is one expected to hit anytime soon. So, I continue to be a very interested spectator of the show that is forever being played out before my very eyes. Keeping up with all of this has certainly taught me alot about life, most interestingly, about my own...and it will always be like this, I'm afraid. But I would not have it any other way, as I think back to my own childhood, all those long years ago, never having dreamed of what lay in store for me!! And now that I can see from the other side, so to speak, I understand more fully than I would have thought possible why God planned my early years the way that He did...it did so much to prepare me for what I have come to understand as my life's journey...and I am forever grateful for the preparation, lol.
Every mother who has ever gone through a miscarriage can attest to the fact that, having lost a baby, there is a part of you that is never the same after that...and I am no exception. I myself have lost two, one of which would have been my second-born & the other, the ninth. Sometimes I think of these two little ones, knowing that my family would have been so-o very different had they been allowed a chance to live, and yet I can't help but be curious about how that would have been, too...I know that they are both in Heaven, watching over us ~ probably sharing a good laugh at it all ~ and waiting patiently for the day when we will all be together. But I wonder about what they would have looked like, what they would have liked to do with their time, and how they would have gotten along with their brothers & sisters... I had an Aunt who was the mother of eleven children & she used to tell me that she was waiting for me to "catch up with her," lol...and I used to tell her that I was only one behind. :) These two babies were never named by us, as we gave that privilege to our Most Holy Mother Mary in Heaven...telling Her that we would be happy to learn of the names that She chose when we get there. And I have never forgotten this. I miss these two & I cannot wait to meet them.
Other than that, my life has been very complete & happy...I continue to do what I love to do ~ that is, be here spending my days & nights with the people whom I love the most, enjoying the never-ending parade of antics that they are so kind as to put on for my amusement. And I hope & pray that this never ends ~ during my own lifetime, at least! :) xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Do you ever...

Do you ever sit & wonder about things? Like, I have this Blog. What to write about? What is going on in my life today? Why does anyone care? Do I get any readers? or do they think to themselves, "O my goodness, get over yourself already?!?"
lol...
Well, I am not so conceited to think that there is anyone out there who gives a flying fig about what I think or how my life is going, day to day, other than my husband *God love his heart*, my children *ditto that* or hopefully, my grandson ~ someday.
Again, lol...
Well, for anyone "out there" who cares, my life is going just fine ~ and thank-you so much for asking, for caring, for giving a flying fig. The birds are still in the sky, freezing their tail feathers off probably. But do they seem bothered by it? Of course not! God created them to enjoy the vast big blue that is their home. And, believe me, they do! Every inch of it.
And as for the ground creatures ~ too much to keep track of, so I will simply dwell on one, for an example.
There is a gray squirrel who lives in the blue spruce in our front yard who scampers about the place like he owns it. He is perennially digging, burying, digging up what he buried yesterday...and his cycle goes on, day to day, just like mine does. Just like yesterday. And does he worry about the birds flying over his head? Of course not. He, like them, is doing what he was created to do. And there are a million other squirrels *of all colors* in the neighborhood doing exactly the same thing he is doing.
Every day. I say, good for them.
lol...
They don't care that I have things to do, places to go, people to see. We let each other live our respective lives, just as God intended. But when I sit and think, "What would my life be like without them in it? How would I like it if God had never created my fellow creatures?" I know it seems silly to be wondering about things like this, but things just come to me & I cannot stop it from happening...so I don't try.
I am told all the time *by those in the know* that I am not like most other people. And I am happy about that. I am what God made me. I try to live each day, each and every moment, as I would hope He would have me live. I don't care if others do as I do, think as I think or say as I say. It is enough for me that I do, think, say.
lol...
And for any of you "out there" who may give a flying fig, thank-you. But you needn't worry about it, if you have your own life to live. I won't try to stop you from it, I promise. Just once in a while, give a thought to me, to our fellow creatures, and thank God for all that He has done.
And try to give a flying fig.

A Good Start...

Well, well, well... It's been forever since I posted here, but I think it's about time for an update. My life has been going along, day by day, much like it always has...nothing really too new here, no big problems, no life changes, all is well.
But I do have this video of Dr. Laura S., whom I greatly admire & to whom I listen as regularly as I possibly can. In this particular tape, taken from her account @ YouTube.com, she counsels a young wife & mother who, sadly, is not happy with her "nearly perfect" situation, and wants to know: should she try to get a nanny to help with her children? She would just enjoy them so much more, she is absolutely positive!!!
Oh, puh-leeze!!! give me a break!!! Here is Dr. Laura's "take" on the situation which is very much to the point & "motherly": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJVW0Vlnbss .
I have a signed copy of this book, A Salute to Stay-at-Home Moms, which I read from cover to cover & I must say that I couldn't agree with her more! Dr. Laura is, herself, a stay-at-home Mom to a now-grown young man, stationed overseas in the military...and she waxes eloquent every chance she gets about the trials, joys & blessings of her vocation ~ not as a doctor of Psychology, not as a radio talk-show host, but as a MOM.
And I couldn't agree with her more.

A Kiss for Sharing...

Yesterday my family and I got together to inter our Mom's ashes alongside our Dad's in their vault @ the cemetery. We had put this off for a few months (and I admit this sounds unusual), because some were unable to stay long enough to do it after the funeral last January.
So, as we all gathered before the Wall of St. John the Evangelist and Apostle, we talked, laughed and prayed with our memories, stories and feelings.
My sister Anne brought a bottle of water holding two peonies to place into the vase on the front of the vault. Linda and Sue brought other items to place inside...and I was surprised at this, since it never occurred to me that I could have brought anything for them!
So, while the others were putting things into the vault, reminders of things that our parents had shared and collected in their 60+ years together, I was left standing there on the sidelines, wondering what I could have brought with me.
And it suddenly occurred to me that there was nothing I would have wanted to place inside.
Their lives are over and done. The memories they left behind will be enough to sustain my heart and make me smile, whenever I remember the little things that they did for me...or the things we did together as a family. Thinking of these things, these are thoughts and feelings that the three of us shared, just us alone.
I have had Masses said for the two of them, as they make their way to Heaven, if indeed they are not there already. I have no idea ~ God alone knows that! But if they are still in Purgatory, these will be helping them more than words can ever say...until they reach Home for all eternity.
Anne went on to tell me & Mike that the peony bush which had yielded the two flowers for the vase had been the same one that had grown in our maternal Grandparents' back yard, having been planted over a hundred years ago. That bush had been uprooted and transplanted into our parents own yard after Grandma broke up her housekeeping. Then, when Mom & Dad's house was torn down ~ after we had all gotten married and moved out ~ that same bush was moved to Anne's yard. When she & her Dave moved their family out of state, it was finally moved to her friend's house, where it blooms to this day.
There were several things that were put away into that small space on the wall, I don't even know all of it...but suffice it to say, thinking for myself, that my heart left a piece of itself there, too.
As I stood there trying to come up with something, I decided to do what was left to me, the very least, and yet, the very best thing I could ~ I kissed the tip of my fingers and pressed that kiss into the floor of the vault, with a prayer asking that they be allowed to share that kiss forever.
As I sit here now, at this moment, thinking of that moment, I don't think there was anything better I could have offered to my parents than to wish them togetherness for eternity.
Yes, the memory of my own small gift will undoubtedly be a part of my final touch to the two people in all the world who gave me my life.
Remembering my years growing up under their watchful eyes, planting "a kiss and a hug" on each of them, every single night of my life, until the day I moved out, with "wishes for pleasant dreams and a safe awakening"...
And I would only hope and pray that someday I will be able to give them each a kiss in Heaven.
Sometimes a thought will come to you that you wonder if it was by chance or if it was truly meant to be, only yours, only one time, but that one time in all of Time...
Yes, I did what I was always meant to do. Leaving them nothing material ~ they can't take any of that with them, anyway. No, what I would want for them would be eternal bliss in our Father's House. A bliss meant for a married couple who were meant for each other from the very beginning of Time, left by a daughter who loved them very much.
A wish for "a pleasant dream and a safe awakening," together, in Heaven...and a kiss for sharing...until we meet again.

I'm Such A Twit, lol...

Ok ~ I cannot believe how long it's been since I wrote an update in here! How could I let it go like that!?!
Well, I am here to report that I am finally an official "Twit" and I will be logging in there as often as possible to let anyone who cares to know my daily thoughts. This Blog will continue to be home to my longer musings, as it was always meant to be...but it will be fun to catch others' quick doings as they happen! The link can be found on my sidebar to the right...
I love this little blue bird; he looks so happy to be here, doesn't he? :)
I am by no means abandoning my Blog ~ no NEVER that!! It's just that I find that many times I want to write an entry & lack the time to do so...so this will keep my "fans" updated, lol.
And it will keep my hand in the proverbial Internet "pot," so to speak.
So, onward and upward, as they say, eh? And let the fun begin!

Overstuffed...part 2.

This is Fuzzy Bear. Cute, huh? Well, as cute as he is, there is a sad story attached to the way he first entered our lives.
It all started one day, late Spring, as beautiful a day outside as anyone could wish for. A day when the children want to be "out there" from dawn to dusk...and so, as any self-respecting mother of eight, I should be happy to report that my own would prove that they were no different than any others.
That's all fine and good, right?
Wrong.
If I had my 'druthers, I would have skipped this day entirely, Fuzzy Bear notwithstanding. If I have the youngest two in the house with me, safe and sound, and the other six are "out there" making their own small marks upon the world, as near and as far as their own neighborhood, why would anyone suspect that this day would be any different?
But even tho' it started out typically enough, never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted that one of my own nearest and dearest would end up spending the afternoon in the hospital Emergency Room, carrying on about a small scrape on her small finger, of all things ~ and that I would be grateful that she was!
Let me start at the beginning:
Mike was at work, had been since early morning. I was home, as usual, taking care of the house and children. It was a school day. And it is what happened after school that day is so entrenched upon my mind and heart that I will never forget it as long as I live.
It was after school hours, and the kiddos were all outside playing. Theresa, Laura & Clare had gone across the street to play at a friend's house. Sometime during that time, Theresa had decided that she wanted to come home to get something. Carrie B., the mom of their friends, stood in her front yard, watching T cross, making sure the way was safe. I had received a call that she was on her way home, so I was at our door, watching and holding onto Julia so that she couldn't escape into the yard, as I could not leave the house with Stephen crawling around.
Well, as T was half-way across the street, our young Clare decided that she wanted to accompany her sister, so she ran out into the road without warning, leaving Carrie grabbing after her, and myself pushing J back into the living room, screaming to T to grab C's hand, but too late!!
As she was turning to go back for her younger sister, C was in the middle of running out to her, not giving a look to either side to check for oncoming traffic or anything.
Well, as you can imagine, "enter from stage right" here a neighbor's newly licensed daughter, driving at about 5 mph, coming around the bend, blissfully ignorant of what was about to take place. Thankfully, as this teen confided in me later, she was doing only a crawling speed; she was always absolutely paranoid of children in the street, and so she never went above 5-10 mph. If it had been anyone else, who knows what would have happened?!?
The next thing we knew, Clare was lying on the street, crying her eyes out ~ but happily, safe!
Of course, the police were called immediately, the ambulance soon followed, and the driver was soon giving her side of the story to an officer who told us that he came as fast as he could, thinking of his own grandchildren and how he would feel if it was one of them...he didn't give the girl a ticket as it turned out; she was crying worse than Clare was!
We got C into the ambulance, taking her to the hospital to be on the safe side; by the end of her little adventure, the worst injury she had suffered was a scrape here and a bruise there...the most painful of all being the sidewalk burn to her little finger. (This was the thing that caused her worst anxiety all the while she was in the ER ~ and the nurses told me that this was a good thing, let her worry about such a small thing! It will keep her mind off of anything worse...)...but this was the worst, thank God!!!
Poor Michael, having received an emergency call at work from our older son Paul, was literally flying home along the freeway from 30 miles away, imagining the worst had befallen one of his little girls! It wasn't until he arrived home that he was able to reach me at the hospital and relieve his mind that all was well.
And now, on to the entrance of Fuzzy Bear into our lives.
Our neighbor down the street, Kathy G., heard all about Clare's misadventure and was, as usual, all helpfulness and sympathy. It was she who gifted this small bed friend to my injured daughter, and it is she who is remembered as being the "neighbor who was always there for us."
Fuzzy Bear went on to become a favored playmate to Clare (who was only four at this time) ~ and to this day, he ranks with Clown as a bed friend extraordinaire...
Many bed friends have come and gone in my children's lives, but there are a few, special ones that remain close to our hearts. And for the adventure of Clare on that day, in gratitude for all of her non-injuries, I can only say that Fuzzy will hold a special place in my own heart, as well.

Overstuffed...part 1.

In the beginning, there was Clown, given to my unborn son Paul on that Christmas Eve, two months before his arrival. A gift, from my sister, his future Aunt, for her future nephew to look at from the confines of his crib?
Or maybe once in a while to cuddle...
Little did she know, Clown would one day go on to be the favorite playmate of a small boy, newly born, already creeping to the head of his crib, to be found with the foot of this bedfriend in his mouth, that very first time up from his very first nap in his new home.
My son Paul has been on the move since the day he was born. From the very beginning, he was able to creep around in his crib, never one to stay still under his covers.
Since his Aunt Linda had kept a nearly-identical clown for her own unborn son, due four months later than Paul, placing it on the shelf in his room ~ and most likely never letting him play with it, let alone, sleep every night with it by his pillow, holding the handy foot (bet you can't guess which one), mostly chewing it to bits, shredding its outfit, loving it to near-death.
Not so with my Paul. My son had an understanding with his own highly-favored Clown, from the very first moment of acquaintance. And that friendship lasted (and grew daily) for years, until the day he moved out to his own house, preparing to marry his Kristy. For many years, of course, it sat on a special shelf in his room after he had long outgrown that small boy stage, but always under his watchful eye, nonetheless.
Clown, as of the day he left, has been lovingly put away by me, his sentimental mother...safely tucked away until they move into their permanent abode, in a couple of years, so he can finally be put in a safe resting place, never to be moved again.
You see, when Paul was little, he carried Clown all over the place ~ mostly keeping it in the house, thank goodness ~ but a couple of times actually braving it out in the big world.
Which really made me nervous...
Since I had spent many hours searching garbage pails, basement laundry baskets, car back seats, you-name-its...so my little boy could sleep at night, I had no way to relax unless Clown was in the crib, or at least in his room.
Now, there he sits, in his hiding place, known only to yours truly, until he is once again reunited with his Paul, bringing to a happy conclusion that joyful and lifelong friendship that only a small boy and his Clown can share.

Woo-hoo! An Upgrade? ;)...

So, I went and did it this time.
Yep, I got me a BlackBerry! ha! to all those who said I would never do it, to all those who said I was just copying others who had "fancy-schmancy" phones with doodads 'n' gadgets ~ flip-out key pads for texting, a hundred ringtones from which to choose, multiple functions ~ who needs all that, eh?
Well, as it turns out...I do!
I carry in my purse at least four items of some weight that could easily be converted into one small piece of no small consequence at all...which is the reason I decided to go with the BlackBerry that I chose.
Two days ago, Mike & I went to our local Sprint store & I finally gave up the ghost: my 5-year-old flip-top cell, the one with that adorable little polar bear screensaver. You know, that cute little guy who comes out wearing the Jack-O-Lantern headmask, turning somersaults, reading his book, sitting & playing games, strolling while whistling, eating a hamburger, etc. I never knew what he was going to do next.
And now he's gone. For good, probably, since the old phone has been disabled. May he rest in peace...after all that time he spent entertaining me with his antics ~ he was so-o cute! O well...
Time for me to finally go high tech, hit the big time, take it a step further & do what I have been destined to do for a while now.
And now, I'm at a total loss.
My new phone/palm pilot/computer/mp3 player/TV-radio ~ yes, all this and more ~ I don't have the foggiest notion what to do with it!
This wonder of wonders comes with all kinds of attachments as well. Some things are pretty basic, like a home charger, a car charger, a set of earphones for listening to music or watching the TV...
Wait just a minute, there! Did I just say, "watching the TV"?? Why, yes, I believe I did! Will wonders never cease!?! My iPod has this feature, but only for purhcased movies & videos, not an actual TV that receives signals from the outside world.
Amazing!! I like that!
It also has the usual set-ups for connecting to my laptop, an extra leather case ~ and of course, I just had to have the two extra cases, didn't I? The black & the clear...
Not to mention the bluetooth earset ~ buy it now with the other gadgets & you get this amazing deal ~ if you wait til next week, buying it separately will cost you alot more! How could I say no?
But like Mike says, once you buy it, you have it...so I did! :) And if I have to talk while driving, which I hate, then at least I can do it without holding it to my ear, keeping my hands free to control the car! I believe that was the whole point?
But the absolute BEST part of it is ~ are you ready for this? It has no less than 3 how-to booklets ~ yes, 3! ~ one of which has 80 pages! I can't wait to sink my brain into that baby!! And a CD!!! Wow...life doesn't get any better than this! I am over the moon with rapture, with ecstasy, with pure unadulterated joy!
The only thing that would make me happier than I am at this very moment is if someone were to be scratching my back as I write this, lol.
But enough of this complaining...
I registered it with the company to enable my email account to be accessible right on the screen, without having to go through the web browser every time, and now, every time I get an email (which goes on all day long, for Pete's sake) it rings, buzzes or chimes. So, I am constantly picking it up to answer a phantom phone call, which turns out to be a sales email from Amazon, or my book club, or a friendly "hello" email from a friend. But phone calls? On a telephone? You're kidding, right?!?
So, this morning, since dear daughter Clare had a repair issue with her cell, I went into the store with her to have it checked out, maybe disable the email function, since I can go through the browser to check if I so choose ~ without all the bells & whistles ~ and I got the sales tech to show me a feature or two of how to use the Internet on this darned thing. But he didn't disable the email function! Maybe later, eh?
O yeah...and then there were the messages to the kids' phones, telling them that Mom got her new toy & she is still learning the ropes, so if anyone gets a mixed-up message, a missed call or anything meant for someone else ~ or if they simply want to call me & I can't seem to answer correctly ~ then they will know what is going on!
It took me forever just to figure out how to answer it without losing the call completely & even at that, I was dialing other people by mistake, whom I never even meant to call! My brother-in-law Tony is probably still laughing at me...he actually thanked me for the warning, saying he needed a good chuckle at the time. "Happy to oblige," was my response.
Meanwhile, my son-in-law Nick, who happens to be a whiz @ this sort of thing, has graciously volunteered to give me a crash course on BlackBerry handling, since he has had one for some time now. I trust him with anything technical; his advice has always been spot-on & he will be the one to get this all wrapped up nice & neat in my head.
Then, maybe if I'm lucky, I can leave at home my iPod, my Palm Pilot, my old cell phone...get a lighter wallet even ~ and not cripple my shoulder every time I have to pick up my purse to leave the house!
We'll see...
At least, not until they come out with something newer, better or shinier that catches my eye & my imagination!

Stuffed...

My kids are all grown now, as anyone who reads this Blog regularly knows. But there was a time, years ago, when it seemed that they would never get to this point. The house was completely run over with Legos, Little People, crayons and bed friends.
One of the best bed friends that any of them possessed, in my humble opinion, was the "favorite animal." You know, as in Theresa and her elephants or Paul and his dragons.
Yeah, those bed friends...the ones that completely took over each and every bed in the house ~ except the one where Mike and I sleep. And that, I am sure, was just mere coincidence...if we had let them they would have taken over our space, as well.
Every year at Christmastime I would scour the toy stores and catalogs looking for the perfect additions to each collection, and sometimes it seemed to take months before each new member of the various menageries was found. I even had my sister Linda in on the act, for a few years, as she was totally into gathering Beanie Babies for her own daughter Amy. She would find extras for me and I would pay her back for her trouble ~ more than once driving over to her house, just to pick up that perfect turtle (Clare) or pig (Julia).
And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Beanie Babies, fortunately, were relatively small, as bed friends go...there were many many that took up completely the corners of the beds to which they were assigned.
One year, when they were really young, I spent many late nights in a row, sitting up til all hours, stitching together two Care Bears (for Paul and Mary), because when money started getting tight, and the chosen characters were nearly impossible to find in the stores, I bought a pattern that showed all ten of the then-known "tummies" and went to work. Let me just say that "Birthday" and "Cheer" Bears never looked better than they did on that Christmas morning all those many years ago...
If I had a chance, I would love to go back in time and see just how many bed friends (and how much money, lol) I had spread about the house. I would be willing to wager that it would be at least a couple of hundred of them ~ when you multiply eight children and add up all the years they spent collecting them ~ yep, that's alot of animals!
Yesterday, Mike & I were walking through the grocery store & I paused when we came to a display of short, fat little animals ~ and wouldn't you know it, right up front, there were elephants & penguins...perfect for Theresa & Laura. Mike said, "Aren't you going to get some?" to which I replied, "They cleaned out their 'stash' a while ago, but if they were still collecting, I would absolutely do it!"
Now, as I move about, occasionally I will notice something that will bring these critters back to the forefront of my mind...as in the bunnies that live in our backyard, scurrying across the lawn, reminding me of Stephen's penchant for rabbits as a young boy. He has long since stopped getting worked up over every mammal sighted in the yard, but I still remember his reaction ~ and I always will.
When Mary was a baby, her Grandpa Andy bought her her first lamb ~ because as we all know, every Mary has a little lamb, right? And to this day, that lamb (even tho' she has acquired dozens of them since) holds a place of honor in her own home. This is the one that had fallen out of her crib one morning (as I recall @ about 7:00 *yawn*) and she climbed out of her "confinement", toddled into our bedroom, where I lay there fast asleep, and woke me up, angrily demanding why I had let "Lambie-Poo" sleep on her floor all night! Why wasn't I up already, putting it back into her crib?!? What was wrong with me!? So, of course, I dutifully crawled out of bed, went to her room, replaced the errant critter & then put my daughter back to bed, where she promptly fell back to sleep & I, her drowsy parent, was left wide awake, back under my own covers, staring at the ceiling ~ wondering why, if she had been able to crawl out of bed, was I forced to retrieve it? I guess a two-year-old has no sense of the obvious...
And then, we can't forget all the picnics & parties in the living room, now, can we? ...blankets spread everywhere, monkeys (Andrea), polar bears (Laura), you-name-its & every animal under the bright yellow sun, all there in that one space, dozens upon dozens of them...having a real jolly time...and of course, the kids enjoying it even more, lol.
There are so many memories of our little "zoo" here that I cannot put them all to words in this one simple post...but if I could, I would happily recall each and every moment as I sit here. I guess it only remains for the kids to take up their own individual favorites and keep their own recollections in their own hearts...and far be it from me to spoil the fun. ;)

A Quick Note...

I don't know what is going on with Blogger lately, but it seems that comments are being posted to my Blogs (all 3 of them!) without my knowledge. I have only found them later, and been able to respond to all of my friends here...
I just want to thank one and all who have posted comments to me over the past month or two, when this first seems to have started. I don't know how it is, as I am shown on my Account pages as moderating all comments! It is not that I don't trust you all to leave kindly remarks ~ or at least polite ones, lol ~ but please bear with me if I don't answer in the first day or two.
Sometimes I come to my Blogs only a couple of times in a week, as I get busy with other things, or I might not be feeling especially inspired to write.
I do love each and every one of your observations, and I love to reply.
As soon as I can get this fixed, I intend to, believe me! I like to know when comments are being left for me, as I find it rude not to answer someone when they post a remark or question!!
Thanks for your patience... :)...and I send my Greetings to your Angels.

The Simplest of Beliefs...

My grandson Andrew is nearly 10 months old, and a more beautiful, happy-go-lucky baby you will never see. Ever since he grew out of his colic (about 6-7 months ago) he has become so sweet & playful ~ always a joy to have around, learning new things every day, funny to a fault.
Here, he is pictured about 1.5 months ago, @ Andrea's house, right after cake & ice cream.
It's been so much fun being a grandparent, watching everything he does (or tries to do) and loving him to pieces...without the work of a parent, which I have had now for nearly 30 years.
He had the flu the other day, poor thing, but is now back to himself...so at least that's over! He was supposed to come over for the day, but wouldn't you know it, just when we get a chance to babysit, he gets sick! Of course, Paul had the same bug, so it must have been going through their house; Kristy had it just two days earlier.
But it did get me thinking: what about the other things in life, aside from the occasional flu bug or head cold, the things that loom and threaten in a more powerful way?!?
Remember when you were a small child & the whole world was a good place? ...where nobody was "the bad guy", ...where every day was a new adventure, a chance to play, discover, learn? ...where everybody was a friend to be made?
Remember when the worst things to worry about were getting home after dark, but there were no child molesters out there, no rapists or muggers? I can recall my Mom telling me that she felt entirely safe letting us play half a mile down the street, as long as "we stayed together"...but just "be home before the street lights go on!" The purity of the neighborhoods back then will probably never come back. The way one could trust a neighbor to look out for each other's property or children playing out on the front lawn, even ~ the simplest of times for the simplest of folks.
Of course, I worry about Andrew in the day-to-day goings-on of his life, but even more so do I worry about the grand scheme of things in his future. I worry about his education, his safety, his happiness ~ and any future goals he might have. Will he go to college? Will he find a "nice girl"? Will he stay true to the Church? Will he live to a ripe old age, enjoying his own children and grandchildren?
The simplest of beliefs "back in the day" was for parents, and then their children, all about getting a good job and "getting ahead"...but now, there is so much more, even than that!
Even tho' Andrew is my grandson, not my son, I still think about all these things. I hope and pray that he becomes exactly what God intends for him to become, keeping His will first in his life...and staying close to Him always.
Even besides all that, I hope for him also, on a more down-to-earth level, that he will do all the things that he sets for himself to do. Get a good job, find a nice girl, raise a family, enjoy his grandchildren someday, after I am gone...
The simplest of beliefs, to my way of thinking, still hold true even today. Altho' the world has changed in some ways, we still want the same things for our families that our parents wanted for us back then...happiness, health, love of God and others, a good life.
For Andrew, I wish nothing less...xo...

A Time to Mourn...and to Celebrate...

My Mom, who passed away this past Saturday, 10 January, 2009, was a wonderful lady.
She will be missed by everyone who knew her; sadly, we cannot hold those we love in this life...they all must move on to that eternal destiny, which is called Heaven.
My Dad, who died on 8 November, 2001, was also greatly mourned by friends and family alike ~ and, I daresay, he still is. He & my Mom were married for just over 61 years. They had 6 children, of whom I was the 4th ~ 1 older son, 2 older daughters, 1 younger daughter & finally, 1 younger son.
We all grew up a close-knit family, with extended cousins and family friends to fill up any picnic area at any neighborhood park...Our family reunions took up any and all available space; favorite places included parks, beaches and even a couple of family summer homes.
My husband likes to tease me that whenever the family gets together, it takes up to an hour or more just to say "good-bye" at the end of any gathering...and I always respond with "Of course! That's just an extended part of the party! First, we say 'hello' for at least half an hour, followed by the party itself, and then, finally, the 'good-byes' start and can last up to any extended length of time ~ there is no limit to the gift of gab that has been bestowed upon my family, starting with my parents and their generation..." It has just always been a part of who we are!
There was no end to the good times enjoyed by my parents and their close friends...and I have no doubt that the fun continues in Heaven even now, as we who are left behind on Earth, grieve in our hearts for the ones lost to us. Of course, my parents brought us all up in the Faith of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, keeping us in parochial schools all the while, and showing a good example @ home of a life grounded in morals and sacrifice for others, but that always included a good word, a good deed and a good time ~ all was a blessed gift from God above! And they took full advantage of it, believe me...
I know we will all meet again one day, God willing, and our joy will be unbounded. There will be no end ever again for any of us, as we rejoice in lives well-lived and family well-loved.
God keep us all...

Lighting Up The Night...

Every year, we have the same tree...this too-sparkly, too beautiful-for-words evergreen confection with loads of lights, icicles and hand-made ornaments that graces the corner of our living room. As a rule, I am in charge of the final touches, but the kids do all the rest ~ and that's just the way I like it.
So, on the first Sunday of Advent, Nick & Andrea came over before dinner and helped to bring all the tree parts, the boxes and the wreaths up from the basement ~ and by the time I arrived home after some running around, the tree was completely erected, adorned with white lights and garland. All we needed to do was add the fun stuff...and for a few days afterward we were busy adding all of the ornaments and jewels.
Today being the Feast of the Epiphany, or Little Christmas, I expect that soon we will be taking down this lovely creation and storing it away for the next Christmas Season. Oh, how I hate that! I do love my Tree and the way it lights up the entire corner of the house...
This year we even kept it simple and only put up the Tree, the Wreath that adorns the side wall over one of the sofas(pictured in my previous post below), and the Manger in the kitchen. This one is extra, having come to us from Mike's parents after they had passed away, so it is of great sentimental value; our main Manger scene ~ the one we bought for our own first Christmas ~ is on the shelf to the side of the living room, and every year there is a race to see who gets to lay the Babe in His crib @ midnight on Christmas Eve. Keeping it simple is fine, but I do regret that, for the first time in recent memory, nobody thought to add the frost to the mirror over the mantel...so that will have to go up as a reflection of the Winter outside the window, having nothing to do with the Season of Christmas itself.
And now, before we are beset with the onslaught of Spring showers, I do have to say that I am anticipating a good ice storm, just for the chance to prolong my love for the Winter sparkle and take my camera over to the park for some unforgettable Kodak moments.
To every Season, there is a reason for loving it...

Peace and Joy...

I would like to post here a heartfelt "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!" to all who come here...
May the Peace and Joy of this holy Season of the Birth of the Savior shower great blessings and grace upon everyone!

A Time for Flakes...and the Man Who Loved Them...

I sure do love the snow. Even the kind that sticks to the ground everywhere, so much so that it takes two days to get back outside and go anywhere... There is just something so Nature-ific and majestic about it all, y'know? We had a real doozy of a storm around here last night ~ one that didn't actually end until this afternoon, somewhere between 3-4 pm. Lucky for me, I had a couple of errands to run that would not wait, so with the girls shoveling and scraping, I was able to venture out into the wild unknown...and it wasn't as bad as I feared it would be! So, all in all, as a die-hard snow bunny myself, from way back, I am pleased to announce that it was actually fun being out there... I read a book about a month ago about a man who was known the world over as the Snowflake Man, Wilson A. Bentley. He was a farmer in the late 1800's-mid 1900's, living in Vermont, sharing a house with his brother's family.
He did many things in his lifetime, not the least of which was play several musical instruments (mostly the piano), and work the farm with his brother. But his true love was the snow ~ from his earliest childhood days, all he really cared about was being out in the open air, collecting flakes on his photo-micrograph plate and taking pictures of his collection, as quickly as it would land, before it had a chance to melt.
I would love to post more about Bentley here, but for now, suffice it to say that he was a man after my own heart.
I can certainly empathize with someone who loves so dearly to be out, surrounded by Nature and all her magnificence ~ even to the point of tying a grasshopper to a flower overnight just so he could photograph it in the morning, covered in the dew!
Who else would have thought of such a thing?!?
By the time he died, Bentley was world-famous, but he never got rich from all of his work...not from his raindrops studies, not from his rock collecting and research, not from his musical ability...and most of all, not from the love of his life, snowflakes and all the finery of Winter.
He once said that he had spent more thousands of dollars on his passion than what he made (something over $4,000) but his true joy was sharing the beauty of Nature with as many people as he could possibly reach.
This he did, and he continues to do so even to this day.
As time goes on, I'm sure I will be posting about this man, all of his findings and most of all, his truly quirky character...he was surely one-of-a-kind. But for now, I am content to revel in the glories of my own personal Winter wonderland ~ and all the joy that goes with it!

Maybe, Maybe Not...

Ok, so the winner is...tada! me? huh?!? According to the powers that be @ http://www.typealyzer.com , I am a "performer"...but maybe I'm not.

The analysis indicates that the author of http://jenn39.blogspot.com/ is of the type:

ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

stronger on feeling/sensing side than thinking side

Why do I get different results on different blogs?
That means that you are not ABSOLUTELY stuck in a box (blink-blink)! How we write are affected by how we are feeling at the moment and how we see ourselves. We might think it is important to sound “serious” or “personal” - we might be under a lot of stress or feeling relaxed. This text analysis gives a snapshot by looking at the communication style of the text. Looking on the results over a period of time will give more confident results about how a blogger “normally” prefer to communicate.

Funny how every one of my Blogs says something different about me; at least two of them do ~ the third agrees with the second!

For example, I don't know how entertaining I am, but I do consider myself friendly, albeit still somewhat shy even from my childhood. I do plan ahead, but thinking about my plans can sometimes give me an over-stressed-out headache! Just ask my husband Mike...recently we switched our cable/Internet/phone service from Comcast to AT&T, and the entire "plan" kept me up for two nights, worrying about "all that hassle, is this the right thing for us to do, yadda-yadda..." but after it was all done, it was the easiest transition I have ever seen! The Internet is fine, the phone is fine, the cable TV, altho' new channel numbers are never fun to get used to, is fine!

But in light of this recent experience, I guess you could say that, to a point at least, I do NOT like to plan things ahead. Change makes me nervous, even sometimes depressed. Switching carriers is not exactly a cause to be depressed, but still...after nearly fifteen years?!? Definitely nerve-wracking...

I do have to admit that I enjoy being helpful; being a Christian I am a firm believer in the virtue of Charity ~ and I hope I practice it often!

As far as confrontation is concerned, I leave that to the more erudite among us...I hate an argument! With my asthma, I am fond of saying that life is too short and I refuse to waste my limited breath on fighting! Let the next guy take this one! Nope, not for me...I am much better at words on paper, or talking calmly to solve a disagreement ~ that is more my style.

So, all in all, even tho' this site tells me that I am "not stuck in a box, nor am I the same every day, with every Blog I write," I have to say that it is still me, nevertheless...so maybe this is me, and yet, maybe it is not!

A Family Gathering...

There are many Sundays, especially lately, when our family gets together for an afternoon of dinner, visiting and simply enjoying each other's company...even more so now than when the kids were small, since when a family lives together, they go their separate ways after gathering @ the table, but once they are "out of the house" they visit purposefully for hours.

This past Sunday, for example, I had not seen our grandson for two weeks ~ and I was in serious "Andrew-withdrawal"...with all the symptoms that go along with it. I finally got to hold him to my heart's content and I enjoyed every minute of it!

He is nearly crawling now; no longer does he use his head as a fifth limb, but he does scoot from his tiptoes, or he will drag himself on his tummy. Either way, he gets where he is going...I can see it's time to baby-proof the house!

It seems that Sundays are also the perfect excuse to break out my camera ~ new family poses come to the fore at every turn. There are many hams in this group, lol...so there is plenty of fodder for the camera's eye. 

Now that three of our children are out of the house, it seems that we look forward to Sundays more and more ~ it was never my favorite time of the week; after Mass, there was usually nothing too exciting to do. So, as a child, I found the greater part of the afternoon quite boring, actually.

But not anymore. 

It seems that the day is now filled with more than our share of excitement ~ with weekly "company" arriving and staying for hours at a time ~ and as they leave, I find myself wishing they could stay for just a bit longer.

When they were small, Sunday dinners were a bit more "gathered" than the rest of the week, but still there was that time afterwards when one or more would have someplace they had to be, someone they had to see...

Now, I find that our house is the place that they have to be, that we are the ones whom they have to see, and it makes me remember years past with my own parents and how I was always looking for a time to visit with them.

Now, my Dad is gone and my Mom is in a home, no longer remembering most of her own family members...Oh, she does remember years ago, but to remind her of what she did or who she saw last week or even yesterday, she will gaze at you with that "look" and tell you that she has never done such a thing! I don't think she remembers all the Sundays we gathered at her table and visited for hours on purpose.

I wonder how long it will be before I am in her place? Will I remember all the times I hugged my children "good-bye! See you soon"?!?

It is hard enough these days to remember, without feeling a teary-eye, all the times when they were small and a simple hug was a daily ritual...when I would read them stories, tuck them in and close the light, peek in just before turning in for the night myself, rolling over with a groan when they came running in at the crack of dawn and jumped on the bed, waking us up too early? 

How many times?!? I have no idea...I don't remember. I hope that I don't forget, however, that they did it in the first place.

And now, when I serve the vegetables at Sunday's family dinner, I am brought back to those days when just a couple of them (who shall remain nameless, lol) came up with the most brilliant schemes to get out of finishing their greens, just in time for ice cream! Of course, I would later find dried veggies stuck under their chairs or thrown away in the garbage when my back was turned.

I hope and pray that when I am in my mother's shoes I can remember that...it would be a shame to miss the memory.

As I look around the house I see all kinds of artifacts that were left here by those who have created, gifted and moved on. 

I hope and pray that I will always remember who did what, who made what and who gave me what. That memory would also be sadly lost, if I did lose it.

Every time my family gathers for any reason, Sunday dinners being only one, I can feel the house picking up on the laughter, the tears, the hugs and kisses, and all the rest of the happy times ~ and sad ones, too ~ that are typically shared by a family that has been together for thirty years (and counting).

Yes, there is a great deal to be said for family gatherings. My family, for one, gives a real example of that reasoning every day.

I hope and pray that when I am old, gray and alone, I will always remember these times...it would be a great shame to miss all the memories ~ and all those family gatherings.

A Wife? or a Plaything??...

When I was growing up, most children were taught morals and values ~ in other words, to become pregnant before marriage was a reason to feel shame, to be arrested was a cause of embarrassment.

Today, however, this is often not the case. And I can't help but think that it will get even worse before it gets better.

Celebrities in Hollywood are forever touting their illegitimate babies on their arms, boasting in the tabloids of how they are "so in love" with their significant others and that to be held to a "piece of paper" is the way of our grandparents, but not the way of the modern-day thinkers.

Horse manure.

The "way of our grandparents," Ladies and Gentlemen, is the "way of civilization" and by far the best way to be.

My husband is always telling our children (especially our six daughters) what a man looks for in a "plaything" vs what he might want in a "wife."

And, believe me, there is a world of difference.

When a young lady presents herself to the public eye as someone who is out there to get what she can from a young man, that young man who is attracted to her, thinking of all that he can get from her, finds a young lady who deserves exactly what she gets. And it is not often pretty.

Nowadays, fashions are more revealing than in days past because that is the way we are told by the designers that we must have them...but there really is another way! 

A girl who wears low-cut and high-cut fashions is putting out the message that she is "easy" and wants nothing more than to be noticed by men as a "plaything"...and much to her surprise, she is treated as just that! Then, when she ends up hurt or pregnant, or many times in even more trouble, it can be too late. 

Girls like this are often abused and forced into situations that they would have been better off escaping ~ but not always able to in the end.

When I see how my own daughters present themselves to the world, I am really proud to be their mother. Each and every one of them had taken to heart the lessons that their father and I have worked so hard over the years to instill into them ~ and it shows.

Our elder son has chosen for himself a wife who keeps herself as a wife should at all times. Our fourth daughter is recently married and does likewise.

The other six have not yet found their life-mates, but I feel confident that if it is meant to be for any of them, they will find someone who respects and values them as right-thinking individuals who were brought up to present a confident and wholesome face to the rest of the world...and who is proud to be decent and self-respecting. This, I am firmly convinced, will prompt them to have happy, fulfilling relationships with others that will afford them much happiness in the years to come...and to be God-fearing adults who will go on to instill into their own children the opposite values from Hollywood and anyone else who might come along with a so-called "better idea."

The time-tested and true way ~ that of our grandparents ~ is always the best way to be. 

My Choice...

Today, I voted. Pro-life. So there.

(Pictured above is the pro-life voter "sticker" that my daughter Andrea inked on my left hand after we left the polls today; we were supposed to get a sticker on our shirts, or so they said, but my daughter Mary was the only one who actually did, lol...so Andrea & I decided that we would wear our "banners" anyway!)

I am an unabashed, unashamed, unafraid pro-life mom of eight ~ with two more in Heaven. I have been reading and re-reading up on all that I could find "out there" on Barack Obama and John McCain...also a few of the third party candidates, Chuck Baldwin being the best.

This is my platform, my soapbox...and I intend to keep it that way. I can come to this Blog and write about whatever I like, and tonight, I choose to write about being a pro-life voter.

There is really nothing more I need to say here; all you readers know what it means to vote your conscience, and as a fully faithful, practicing Roman Catholic, I voted mine today. 

Yes, today I voted. Pro-life. So there.

My story, and I'm sticking to it...

Another Memory, For What It's Worth...

I was talking to my husband the other day about childhood memories. Suddenly I remembered that I had said I would post here about more things of my own and I have not done that, so for what it's worth *lol*, here goes...

When I was about 12 years old, my parents bought a bit of land on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair, just across from our home in St. Clair Shores, MI. My Dad had always wanted his own "retreat" from civilization, where he could go to "get away from it all" ~ and my Mom went along with the idea, thinking how nice it would be to have a place where we could get all the fresh air and sunshine she was always touting as "good for the soul."

Now, don't get me wrong here ~ living where we did, there was more than enough sunshine and fresh air to go around; our neighborhood was, as I've stated before, quite rural and our house was only one of five on the entire block. The road was not paved, so that must give an idea of how often we had any traffic coming through...and the yards were huge! So, there was plenty of room for everybody and I had no complaints. 

But to be in the presence of the lake shore, 24/7...now that was my parents' idea of Heaven on Earth!

Our property was not really directly on the shore of the lake, but on a canal that came inward, about 500 feet in. The canal stretched past us, home to several other cottage-dwellers, and around to a much bigger one, where there were more cottages and "sunshine and fresh air lovers" ~ just like my parents.

All in all, there were about 15-20 cottages in this little hamlet, and my parents, being the social lions that they were, made friends with all of them, lol.

Many of these families hailed from Michigan, just like we did, but there were a few who were actually Canadian...and there was even a family whose Grandparents were from Scotland! Oh, to listen daily to that wonderful brogue...the accent of my own ancestors.

Years later, when we had all grown up, many of these families were such good friends that they were invited to attend family functions even here back home; weddings and birthdays and bar-b-q's were common celebrations and the fun they all had together, you would have thought they were family themselves!

I don't know if it was the cottage atmosphere, where we all went to relax and play on the beach, but there was definitely something magical about that place and the people who stayed there. I don't recall one single incident in all the years we owned this little bit of "sunshine and fresh air" that would qualify as confrontational, angry, depressing or anything else that would come even close to the negative.

Of course, as the years went on, we heard about this one dying or that one being sick ~ and that was always very sad but it was also life ~ but on the whole, there was nothing but friendship and good will.

My Dad started out with a little 16' red runabout, that he would keep in the water at our dock @ the head of our property, and many evenings he and my Mom would take a beer and go out to the middle of the lake to watch the sunset. Or on clear days he would gather the entire family together and we would head out to a spot where the water would be about 4' deep (Lake St. Clair has many shallow places like this, even in the middle of it) and we would swim or water-ski for hours.

I even tried to ski once myself, but I'm afraid I was not too successful ~ I have never been an athlete, I'm afraid, because of my knees...so I mostly sat in the boat and watched for them to "go down."

Other times my sisters and our friends and I would go to the beach and swim in the whitecaps; omygosh, that was SO much fun! For hours and hours, we would let the waves crash upon us, carrying us in to the shore...My Mother would be watching from the window back at the cottage and praying that nobody would swallow too much water, lol, or drown themselves in the craziness of it all. But those days were the most fun and we never wanted them to end. At night, of course, we would all sleep like logs ~ feeling the waves beneath our mattresses as we drifted off to dreamland.

As the years went by, we visited that cottage by the lake so many times, I would not be able to count; sometimes we would stay for one or two days, sometimes my Mom would stay with us kids for weeks and my Dad would commute every evening from work in Detroit, as it was only about an hour's drive away, and then he would be able to stay there all weekend ~ at his favorite place in the world.

My Dad was a sailor at heart; he was in the Merchant Marine during WWII so he was used to being on the water...and to have his own cottage where he could swim and relax was a dream come true for him. To be able to share this all with his family must have made his life complete! Even at home in Michigan, we only lived about a half-mile from the lake, so we were able to go on rides on the water quite often, but our own boat, docked at our own cottage ~ now that, my friends, was the limit!

After the runabout started to wear out, he bought himself a pontoon boat, and it was aptly christened "The Queen." Then, for years, we enjoyed this bit of unusual boating pleasure...so much so that, when they finally had to sell the property that they had loved so much, my Dad could not bear to see it taken from the dock, so it was given to the new owner, who I am sure, probably has destroyed it by now! 

We had that cottage on the canal for at least 30 years, perhaps a bit longer, but Canadian law states that anyone who owns property in Canada may pass it on to his children, but then it reverts back to the Province. Since none of us kids were in a position at that time to keep it up, my parents sold it to a very nice lady who re-furbished it and made it her permanent residence. 

After a couple of years, they went back to see it and it was hardly recognizable ~ she had added an entire second story and re-modeled the inside ~ but it was still beautiful to my Dad. 

Even tho' it was no longer ours, they were pleased to note that it was being taken care of with such tender affection ~ this woman had many friends and there were bar-b-q's held there all the time, lol...just like back in the old days.

So it was good to see that there was still plenty of "sunshine and fresh air" being enjoyed by all ~ and everything else "good for the soul."