A Little Of This And A Bit Of That....

I wish you could smell this candle! Just so mood lifting and soul warming....yum. This is a photo of one of my constantly changing "tablescapes". I love to futz and putter and dolop and shiffle (And yes, those ARE the actual decorator terms. One must be a card carrying member of the Artistically Challenged, Color Blind, Overly Cluttered Room Adoring, Tchotchke Loving Amateur Decorators Of America Union to actually USE them. Ahem.) around the house when I can. Let's see. I can move this over here...and that over there...and take this one down and add a bit of that to this...you get the picture. I think we all do that don't we? Of course, I do it so often that it has become a family joke. Sometimes even *I* forget where I put something. Okay, what was on that table and where did it go? Hmm....nope. Not under there. How about in that drawer? No....okay. What WAS there? Ah...this looks better anyway. But then, maybe if I added this....or, what if I shiffled that around and....

It was a day to do just that. Cloudy and cold. I also cleaned and re did my closet today. Ah...I always love the feeling that re-arranging a closet can give. I have a bundle of things to donate and a neat and orderly space. Okay. NeatER and a bit more ORDERly. Anyway....um....

Yesterday afternoon I went with my Mother to a small luncheon with some of her fellow Roosevelt High School alumni. (My mother is on the right in the photo above)

All graduated in 1942 and what a sweet group they were. All had braved the snowy and icy streets to attend. The number was lower than usual due to the weather but it was a lovely group nevertheless. I love listening to folks that are older than me and hearing their stories. It is also a bit of fun to be the *baby* of a group. Believe me, at 50, that does not happen often! Okay, NEVER....but then....

You know? I graduated from High School in 1974 and the stories that these folks tell are not too different from my stories. Okay, so they did not have Led Zeppelin and Vietnam but they did have Benny Goodman and WW II. Right? The music and world problems are all tweaked a bit through the years but teenagers are teenagers...we all shared some of the same concerns and insecurities and happy times. Just did it all in a slightly different way, and with very different hair styles!

That afternoon I visited with my hairdresser and her twins. Mom and Gracie went too. They are the cutest girls, just turned 3 months old and are truly gifts from Heaven. It was a long, harrowing road to their arrival but arrive they did. Healthy, happy and pure joys. I was so excited about playing with them that I did not take a picture! I know, hard to believe. I will get one next time I promise.

Grace had her best friends over this afternoon and they had such a lively and happy time. All dressed up in various tiaras and gloves and dresses. Oh the stories they can spin together. I love to just sit and quietly listen to them. Each giggle is music to my ears!

Dan took my mother out to dinner this evening and then brought home some goodies for us too. I had been out so much on Monday and Tuesday that I needed to stay in and get all the house chores finished. Mom and Dan have a good time together and I love seeing them share some special times. When he returned, he took out all the trash, hung a tray above the dining room window for me, did a little shoveling and put down some ice melt out front. Then he did 3 loads of wash for me. That was a huge help I can tell you! Hmm....now, let's see. What could he possibly want? Nah....there are actually those days that he is a pretty great guy and this was one of them. I will commit it to memory so I can retrieve it on a day he is a total poop. Aw gee Mom...

Tomorrow I will begin my regular babysitting duties! I have had Mallory here but not on a regular basis. Her Mama goes back to work tomorrow and I know it will be difficult for her to leave this tiny treasure. I hope that she will be comforted by the fact that I will treat her with love and care and she will be safe in our home.

And the best thing to report? Bill is home tomorrow, albeit just for a visit. Still, he will be back for good at the end of February. It will be such a relief for all of us when he puts his suitcase away for good. Well, until we ALL go on a trip that is!

I was just thinking about how my day is not complete unless I pay a visit to all of YOU via your blogs. I do not always leave a comment (I should I guess and will make an effort to be better at that!) but I am there. I think about you all and celebrate your joys and keep a warm thought or say a prayer about your concerns. I love seeing your families and your homes. I cherish each and every one of you. I can not express that enough....you all are just a joy.

Hugs,

Suzie Q