congrats grads!

'Tis that season again!

This year I may be more on top of it than others.

I spent a few minutes making some cards. My printer won't feed heavy card stock no matter how hard I try. Seriously irritating, but there is always plan B. Cards were made and ready to roll.

Although we can't make it to every party, we have made it to a few so far. This one for our godchild, Emily, who graduated nursing school!! A girl after my own heart.

Lindsey, another special godchild and niece, who graduated high school! So waiting to see where her life's path leads her.

Gods richest blessings to both of these young women in their life's path .... and to every other graduate embarking on a new journey!

blessings

moms day

This spring has been so unbelievably beautiful in the valley. The air still cool that I'm nearly at the "pinch me ... is this real?" point. Mother's Day was that kind of day.

Feet that have quickly reached the ground. One week they don't. The next week they reach with sandals on and then voila! bare feet on tile!

Just a little drool going on to complete the day.

Bocce ball in yard that is large enough to present an occasional challenge.

And what little boy doesn't need to make his own little game to rival the big boys? I didn't have a little white ball to complete the game which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment.

Cool enough for warm blankets on cool patio floors?

The most beautiful flowers. Ever.

Over this past weekend I went to hang them to dry them and made an amazing discovery. There are sprouts coming from every rose stem. Whaat?? I have never seen that! Now I don't know what to do. I can't seem to grow anything right now other than pointsettia plants ... roses?! Maybe I'll take the dead heads off and let some sit in water. I recently got rooting hormone ... maybe it is time to try it! If you have any great ideas ... please, please, please share them with me!

Being as I never manage to post anything on time anymore and am always running weeks behind anything ....

Happy Memorial Day! Special heartfelt thanks to those families who have made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms.

happy hump day!

monday might be my favorite

Last week was a hailstorm.

No, I'm not sitting in a hospital bed or incapacitated.

It just was a week.

I think Monday has become my favorite day of the work week.

Who would have ever thunk?

Thursday use to be a 8 hour day and is now long which is distressing.

I'm not really complaining, but it has taken some getting use to.

Monday my boss told me she is quitting. 

We played hot potato with her position all week. At this point, no one is holding the potato.

Not one person wants her job .. including, and especially, me.

Money won't buy any of us. Do you find that interesting? I hope not. It says an awful lot about the people I work with and for. Some of those I work with have held management positions before and flat out refuse. We all have lives outside the time clock. It should be very interesting. Come June my days might just get longer, but they won't involve meetings where I need to have a game face. I don't have one, have never had one and don't intend to start taking ulcer medication at this point in my life. I've enough ulcer causing situations in my world as it is.

Other than bosses quitting on Mondays, I have a few hours to play in the late afternoon. Maybe I should be doing things like mopping and dusting, but really?

Give me crafty to start my week.

This one is an advent "calendar" sort of thing. It is going to be downright darling.

Pulla baking for the dear hubby. There is nothing like the smell of cardamom and yeast in a kitchen.

A little yarn time and an attempt at making feathers. They are still in attempt mode.

After our family excitement on Wednesday while I was at work, I headed to the other campus. I hop campuses Mondays and Wednesdays. I learned that I had an ACLS class on Friday.  I mentioned ulcers earlier ... this one is PTSD on steroids. I seriously think about a hospice career every two years when this is due. I detest. I would typically spend some time refreshing, but Wednesday included a turn serving coffee at Bible Class in the evening.

Thursday a full day at work, I had time to get the prestest done for the for the class and went to visit my dear friend Gwen who was still in the hospital after giving birth to twins a little earlier than planned. They are doing well and so is she. Thank God for miracles.

Friday was this blasted class. I survived and am done for another two years.

Friday night visiting a special friend who was in town. Oh, but I do love those visits of the heart.

Saturday a little market shopping in the morning. My mornings typically start with a plan and a bang. When they don't .... the whole day just seems to go stagnant and nothing seems to get accomplished. I finally gave up and sat at the table. Actually, it might be more like following doctors orders without intent. He will be pleased. I'm suppose to be taking it easy .... I think this counts.

A little more Christmas coming up ... after another trip to the favorite Hobby Lobby for some noses.

Lovin' me some tonttus ..

congratulations!

It has been a fun several weeks.

Pictures floated around the world with unbelievable speed.

Just as my children should be allowed to share their joys first with the world before I do, so should my parents be able to do the same.

We received pictures and comments via text and phone calls and played dumb.

This picture was one of them.

This lovely young couple strolling arm in arm were leaving the courthouse after securing their marriage license.

They have been friends for years. They have been friends as couples for years before each lost their spouse several days apart last September. Their spouses were buried one day after the other in different locations. They began life alone in their respective communities and homes after marriages of over 60 years with their loved ones were ended. "Until death do you part" had left each of them without a companion for the rest of their days.

Then God saw fit to bring them together. God saw fit to bless them each with a companion for their remaining walk on this earth. Once they had decided that they wanted to spend their days drinking coffee together ... there was no point in waiting anymore. The 3 month stint in Arizona ended, in typical Pappa fashion, and the planning began.

Last Wednesday, in a private ceremony, they were wed.

 In a world that can be full of so much hate and evil, love still reigns. In world that may at times seem so hopeless, hope still lives. In a world filled with so much sadness and loneliness, there is joy.

There is a sparkle in the eye, a lightness in the step, and a joy in the living for tomorrow.

Congratulations and God's richest blessings to you Pappa and Dagmar.

clay play

My craft room is out of control. Serious.

I am trying to use up stuff but then I need more stuff to finish the unfinished stuff.

Then I head to the store and totally forget to pick up the stuff I needed to finish the unfinished stuff and end up with new stuff to make more unfinished stuff.

Did you get that?

In the past few weeks I've spent a free hour here and there rolling and cutting clay.

I've been wanting to try make some cute little houses that are lit by a battery operated candle.

Maybe I'm not a clay maestro.
Sometimes I try things just because I have to. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.
I might just get another batch of clay and try one more time.

The terra cotta clay is definitely out. I'm not sure what this is but am pretending it is hurricane season in my craft room and stuff is just falling apart as it dries. 

It's okay. I listened to a good book while I worked on this one. (insert grins)

I have this crazy notion that I should produce at least 100 ornaments in the next several months.

We have hit the 100 degree temps in Phoenix and afternoons will be spent inside when I'm home. 

It might just happen!

12 down ....

only 88 to go!

I did do something else with clay that I think is downright cute. Hoping to share that one next week with you!

Happy weekend!

makaronilaatikko birthday

Last Wednesday would have been Mummu's 93rd birthday.

In the years we were first married, and for many after that, we often dined on makaronilaatikko.

My first foray into that Finnish delicacy had to include ketchup and it continued that way pretty much forever.

Wednesday I googled (don't you just love the google?!) and found me a recipe. I seriously believe this recipe has a few more ingredients than the one I ate for so many years.

As I looked at this recipe and wondered how many dl or grams something was, I said a serious thanks for this day we live in. I think I tossed many recipes years ago when the figuring was too difficult for my non metric brain. This time ... it was a piece of cake.

I wonder what would have happened if I hit the little shopping cart next to the basilikaa? S'pose it would come via Amazon in the next 10 minutes?

Ground beef into the skillet and chopped with my favorite ever Pampered Chef chopper deal.

Cooked macaroni dumped into the skillet. Sometime in this life I am going to learn how to make just the right amount of rice or macaroni for a recipe. Someday.

A mix of milk (lactose free in this house now) and eggs (fresh picked from my beautiful hens) whisked.

Meat/noodle mix into the dish, topped with the milk/egg mix and slathered with cheese. Into the oven and enjoyed like it was 30 years ago and we were sharing the table with our dear mother.

I probably don't need this in my diet every week, but maybe I'll make it an annual birthday dinner.
I think she might have liked this version.

Happy May Day!