Happy Birthday to my Son

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TO MY SON LUCAS who is celebrating his 23rd birthday today.....

 

What if today,

you could see yourself

the way that I see you?

 

I wish I could

somehow take you back

and show you for a moment,

the beautiful baby boy

who won my heart forever

the first time I held him

in my arms.

 

of the mischievous toddler

who never stopped

for more than a minute -

so full of life and curiosity

about the world

around him.

 

What if I could

somehow take you back

to that very first day of school,

or show you

the kind and generous man

I now see standing before me?

 

what if you could see yourself

the way I see you?

 

then you would know

how much I have loved

watching you become

the special kind of man

I always knew you would be.

 

I love you honey with all my heart and I hope you have a FABULOUS day!

 

Sending many hugs and kisses.

Mom

 

Homemade Printed Pillows

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Fabric, pictures and pillows.  That is something I have been working with lately.  Being just a tad bit behind on my homemade Christmas gifts, I started with the easiest of them all.  

I have been checking out Pinterest and other blogs that have been using the trick of printing pictures on fabric.  There are a gazillion tutorials out there and trying to find just one that was easy to follow and cost effective was an enormous task.

All I wanted was to make a pillow out of this picture ...

I had taken it this summer when I was visiting with Lucas and Sarah.  It was Sarah's first time in a lake and she was quite apprehensive.  I think the shot is quite touching. 

So I continued with the hunt and found a tutorial that Monique posted over at Pocketful of Whimsy a year ago!  Here directions were clear and simple and the best part was the only item I needed to buy was the freezer paper.  Therefore it was quite frugal. 

First I searched through my stash for some plain white cotton fabric ... found some.  Then for a suitable homespun fabric that would match their decor ... found it.  Now for the scary part.

Ripping off a piece of freezer paper .....

 

I then ironed my piece of freezer paper to the back of my white cotton fabric.  The fabric was roughly 10 inches by 12 inches.  I didn't measure it but made sure it was larger than 8 1/2 by 11 inches.

After the freezer paper was ironed onto the fabric, I then trimmed them to fit into my printer.  8 1/2 by 11 inches .... a standard size piece of printer paper.  Taking a deep breath I placed it face up in my printer so the picture would be printed onto the FABRIC, not the freezer paper.  After two tries ( the printer did not seem to want to grab the fabric ), I gently guided the fabric through and it then worked great.

Watching the fabric come through the printer and looking good was exciting.  It actually turned out better than I expected!

Peeling off the freezer paper was easy and I had my picture for the pillow printed on fabric! 

Cutting the homespun cotton I had chosen to a generous size of 15 by 18 inches, I carefully trimmed the photo portion and sewed it all together.  

Being short of time, I didn't piece the fabrics together, instead I ironed over the edges of the picture and sewed the picture to the center of the front piece of fabric.

Adding a blanket stitch to the edges of the photo fabric in a coordinating thread color and choosing a vintage button, finished the pillow off nicely.  

I think it will be cute addition to their little living room.

I enjoyed doing this project and can see limitless possibilities that I will be playing around with in the future.  If you like sewing, give this a try.  You won't be disappointed.  Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Homemade Soup, Falling Snow and my Son

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Yesterday, I made the trip to pick up Lucas from school for a Christmas visit, albeit short visit since Sarah is unable to make the trip with him.  This time of the year, the roads can be less than desirable to drive on with snow, ice, limited visibility and with my eyes getting older each year, well lets just say I am glad we made it home safe and sound.  I was suppose to pick him up on Sunday but a blizzard hit the area which prevented any driving that day ..... the highways were closed.

This next week will be spent baking cookies, catching up on news that only college kids can tell, exchanging gifts and just enjoying each others company.  A few games played perhaps or the old tradition of watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" 

and "The Muppet's Christmas Carol"

 .... two of our favorites that just HAVE to be viewed with a big bowl of popcorn and hot chocolate .... or maybe he is just too old for these ... I truly hope not.  I hope he is never too old to cuddle under the quilt with me.

For today, well today will be spent making homemade soup while watching the snow fall gently outside the frosty windows.  Today we will make homemade bread and sit around the kitchen table enjoying good food and each other's company.  Today I will be thankful for the fleeting moments in time that I have with him.  Today I will thank the Lord my God that I was given such a wonderful gift of a son.  

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Beach Time!!

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I have a picture of Lucas hanging in the hallway at home from when he was about 10 years old at the beach.  He is sitting with a buddy with their backs to the camera and the lake in front of them.  It is one of my favorite pictures with the two of them enjoying the serenity of the water while discussing the complications of life.....well, it was probably more like the strategies of a video game but a Mom can hope right?

While Lucas and Sarah were here, we all headed to the beach on the first of July to enjoy the festivities but instead found a deserted stretch of water.  Around here most people own cabins and head up to them with family and friends which has greatly reduced the amount of people at the public beaches and parks.

Lucas and Sarah didn't mind.  They enjoyed the quiet.  Sarah had been wanting to go swimming for a long time and this was her chance.....however, she doesn't know how to swim.  She still had fun playing in the water in-between some sketchy swimming lessons from Lucas.  

We enjoyed a picnic first and while deciding if the water was warm enough, both Sarah and Lucas sat on the edge of the water .... picture perfect once again!  I quickly snapped a shot.

Now this one will replace the other....or maybe hang side by side.  There is something about this shot that warms my heart.  

And this shot, well this shot will be printed upon canvas as a Christmas present for them I think.  

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Sarah

Pin It I can learn alot from Sarah.  Patience, acceptance, peace, calm.  She wanders through her days accepting the differences between her culture and ours with patience.  She has a sense of peace and calm that quietly surrounds her.  I understand why my son cares for her so deeply.  It was a joy getting to know her better these last few days and I look forward to many more visits with her and Lucas.

Sarah in their little kitchen

I have taken them back.  It was a four hour drive each way and while the car was filled with much conversation there, it was a lonely drive back without them.  Thank goodness for books on CD!

The rhythm of my day, still currently staying with my Mother, resumes once again to normal. The house has become quiet and now it will take a few days to reacquaint ourselves with the silence.

Watching these two young adults stumble through the learning curves of living on their own is both painful and bursts the heart with pride.  Who ever said parenting would end when the nest was empty?  It is so far from the truth.

where they slept while at my Moms

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Taking them back......

Pin It Sadly to say, I am on the road today, making the four hour trip to take Luke and Sarah back.  It is a weepy day for me but will spend tonight at their apartment before heading back to my Mothers.

Have a great day everyone and remember to give your loved ones a hug!

A Surprise!

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What a surprise....Sarah and Lucas showed up for a visit!  So I will be away for a few days to enjoy the time with them. 

Remember to give your loved ones a hug and have a great weekend!

Thrifty Thursday

Pin It While my Mom and I have been here in Thunder Bay helping Lucas and Sarah move, there have been items of furniture that they needed so off to the thrift stores we went!  I am proud of both of them and how they felt about buying used.  Some young adults their age would want all new items and the best and most expensive but these two want to save their money and use it for other things.


Thunder Bay had more thrift stores than I realized and what fun we had!  Here are a few pictures of our adventures .... will have to show you some of the items they picked up at another time as the apartment is so full right now, it is difficult to take pictures!

Heading back tomorrow after taking Lucas and Sarah to pick up some groceries.  I am really going to miss spending time with them.


Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Missing in Action/Happy Birthday Bro!

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Wow, lots to mention today!  First, my brother's birthday.  

Wishing you a Happy 44th Birthday Len!  

We hope you have a great day!  .  


I will be missing in action for a few days but I do have my posts scheduled to publish.  My Mom and I are taking a road trip to Thunder Bay (Ontario, Canada) in the morning to help Lucas move from the dorm on campus to his first apartment in the big city.  He has been actively looking for summer employment.  Please keep your fingers crossed for him!  His girlfriend Sarah and him will share an apartment for the summer and into the next school year.  It will be a first for the both of them .... including living with a significant other!


Mom and I will be taking lots of pictures to show you how it all went. Let the adventure begin!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCAS!

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Twenty-two years ago I celebrated the best day of my life.  After a gruelling 28 hours, I was blessed with my son Lucas James weighing in at 9 pounds 12 ounces.

Unfortunately I do not own a scanner and cannot show you what a beautiful baby boy he was ... but here he is now with his girlfriend Sarah.  Sorry, the picture isn't very clear ... I had lost the picture off my camera and had to use the one from Facebook.  LOL

and here is a picture of the two of us together this past Christmas  .... he grew into one tall, young man .. 6 feet 7 inches.  I miss him so much while he is away at school. 

Love you honey.  I cannot wait to see you in a week and a half!  I hope you have the best birthday ever!

Bananas, Bananas

Pin It My weekly grocery shopping day is Monday.  I like to hit the supermarkets when the weekly flyers first come out so I can grab the deals and coupon items before they are all gone!

While shopping on Monday, one of our supermarkets had organic bananas wrapped in cellophane at a greatly reduced price since they were past their prime.  Great price....a little over 3 pounds for $1.34.  I grabbed some, thinking of fresh, hot, homemade banana bread.  Yummy!

Wanting to use them all up at once, I had enough bananas for four loaves.  I didn't have a bowl big enough so I had to use my stock pot to mix all the batter!

I have a standard banana bread recipe that I have used for the last 20 years and love it.  It produces a rich, dark banana bread with lots of flecks that I can switch up a bit if I so desire.

Banana Bread



Butter or margarine                                  1/2 cup
Granulated sugar                                      1 cup
Eggs                                                          2
Mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium)    1 cup

All purpose flour                                        1 3/4 cups
Baking soda                                              1 tsp
Baking powder                                          1/2 tsp
Salt                                                            1/2 tsp
Chopped walnuts (optional)
or Mini chocolate chips                             1 cup

Cream butter and sugar together.  Beat in eggs one at a time, beating until smooth.  Add mashed bananas and blend in.

In second bowl, stir flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt and nuts/chocolate chips.  Add to banana mixture stirring only to moisten.  Transfer to greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.  Bake in 350F oven for about 1 hour until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and place on cake rack to cool.  Wrap to store. 

Yield: 1 loaf

I have also added pecans sprinkled on top or 3/4 cup of raisins to the recipe.  Almost anything! 

To mix these up a bit, two had chocolate chips added and two had almonds sprinkled on top....yummy!  Once baked, I threw one of each into the freezer and will take them to my son Lucas when I visit him at the end of the month.  He will love that.  It will be great for our picnic in his first apartment, right Mom?!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Funky Throw Pillows

Pin It Our local Walmart store has a HUGE selection of fabric right now starting at .75 cents per yard!  What a great price to re-stock the stash.

With alot of the Walmart's closing their fabric sections, our store is one of the lucky ones who are getting all the fabric from those closed departments.  The selection is wonderful, with many prints I had never seen before.

Since Lucas and Sarah need some throw pillows for their new apartment (mentioned in a previous post) I had been on the lookout for some fabric they would like. 

I found some that would match their bedroom comforter and since they are young, the pattern was something they will enjoy .... I hope. Their comforter is black with gold flecks ..... don't you think this will be a great addition?

I wanted the fabric to be removable so it could easily be washed and changed if they so desire or when a new comforter is purchased.  I searched the web until I found a pattern that was easy to follow and was happy when I ran across this ....   

First I needed some pillow forms.  Now in the instructions they mentioned you could even use an old pillow but I searched through my stash and found one pillow form I had picked up at Goodwill.

Notice I only paid .99 cents for it.  :)  I wanted to make them two pillows so I continued to dig through the stash and found some heavy white linen fabric .... just what I needed!  In only a few minutes a second pillow form was made in the same size as the store bought one.

Now, these 'pillow envelopes' are a breeze to make!  I had the fabric cut and sewn for the two pillows within 10 minutes ... amazing!

The pillow forms fit in the 'envelopes' just right.

Since I purchased one and a half yards of this fabric, I had enough left over to make two smaller pillows to add to the set.  These two are not 'envelopes' but I didn't want to have any of this fabric left over and figured it would be a cute addition.

I will make them some for their livingroom as well but I need to wait to find out what color their sofa will be!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Update

Pin It Good Morning Everyone. First I wish to thank each of you for your well wishes, prayers, thoughts and hugs. It means so much to us.



Lucas has completed all tests and the results are back. He suffers from IBS although the doctor is still extremely concerned about his weight loss. Nothing else showed up on the ultrasound, ct scan, colonoscopy, gastronomy and blood work.



It has been a long, worrisome process and now we deal with trying to find foods that will not only agree with his stomach but that will help him to gain weight. Since my last report he plummeted to 185 pounds but is now up to 188 pounds.



I will be back and forth but not regular for a while.

Thanks again all my friends. I will visit your blogs when I get a chance. I miss reading them so much!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

From a Grandmother to a Grandchild

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A poem for my son Lucas from his grandmother (he calls her Nanny).

My grandson is a man now

The years just passed so fast

I watched him grow but I still see

The little boy he was.

My first-born grandchild and I did not know

How deep my love would grow

I held that baby in my arms

And felt I held the world.

The time I spent with with him was precious

A beautiful little boy

So many memories crowd my mind

Of love and laughter and joy.

He grew up strong and healthy

I'm so proud of him today

He's kind and gentle and loving

And, to me, perfect in every way.

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Thanks everyone for your kind comments yesterday. Yes, I think I am ready for him to leave..... I can't be selfish even though I want to keep him home forever! He has matured alot since leaving high school and it is time for him to go. I don't know what first interested him in Norse Theology but he could tell you a bunch about it already. He has always found that topic to be fascinating and I am excited that he is following his dream.

It has been a beautiful day today...much work being done outside. We are not going to have too many more days like this so we have been enjoying the sunshine. I have been reading two very good books lately that I had picked up at Goodwill.

Living a Beautiful Life is an elegant book with delightful suggestions on how you can turn dull, irritating routines into life-enhancing rituals. It has simple ideas on how to make your home a lovely oasis of tranquility. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Simple Pleasures of the Home enhances your joy in being at home, whether baking an old-fashioned apple pie, soaking in a pine-and-bergamot scented bath, or falling into bed amid lavender dream pillows. The book includes so many wonderful recipes and how-to's that I want to try them all!

My Mother enjoys writing poetry and I have one of hers to share with you that describes exactly how I feel about my love with books....

My love affair with books

Started when I was small

A lonely child can find the world

Between the covers of a book

I'd hold a book in my hand

And be filled with anticipation

I would never know

Where I would be going or who I would meet

As I got older and my interests changed

I met Kings and Queens in foreign lands

I learned how they lived and how they ruled

The people in their realm

Rich people, poor people

Through books I learned to know them

Their lives, their pains and joys

Their hardships and their heartaches

As I grow old I hope my Lord

Will see fit to grant my wish

That my eyesight never fails me

So I can read 'til my dying day.

Have a great evening everyone and give your loved ones a hug! =)