what to give?

So my baby got a new-do.....all for a good cause.

A few weeks ago we had a Relay For Life event for Cancer in our home town. We have a very successful event every year.

This was the year...."Mom I want to do my donation at the event." Really?

We attend the event each year, we walk the path and read all the honors of the survivors and the memorials of the ones we have lost. It is a wonderful event and it is very heartwarming and touching. Our home town Senior class organize it each year along with a dedicated teacher. He also happens to be the Mayor and he is inspiring.

Teams are formed, money is raised, and they walk all night. The event fills the park with events and festivities. We are all reminded of the importance of fighting and having the strength to not give into cancer.

This year was Belle's 3rd Locks for Love donation in her life time and I couldn't be more proud. If there's one thing we can grow it is hair... As night time fell and she was told that her donation would be on stage. Stop right there. Up there in front of everyone! Me! I don't want to. Well,

needless to say we made it on stage, but you can see the fear. Not about the hair we're good with that it was all about the crowd and the spotlight, that made it's way on her. Oh to be 11 again and have things seems so big.

As I walked the path this year I am grateful, that I am not on a luminary. We came so close and we thought for sure it was cancer. I pray each day and give thanks for my family that I was strong enough to overcome and my body didn't give into cancer. I pray each day that something later doesn't turn up. To every family living with cancer you are in my thoughts and prayers. You are in my heart.

Today I am proud and grateful.

I give thanks to everyone fighting to learn and find the cure. -L.

make mine diet

Make mine diet.....caff. free diet coke with lemon please....on the rocks....

I scrapped this weekend, I know shock and amazement....

I stamped a water stain on the paper, cause we all know what those are this time of year.

Journaling reads: Make mine diet- Pour me a tall cool one- on the rocks with lemon please. caff free diet coke with lemon. My addiction, my vice, my go to, my must have before 10 a.m. --my soda, pop, coke.... 1/2 full ones everywhere got warm uck!! really it's all about the ice!! The ice the fizz, the sound on the glass the bubbly greeting the 1st chilly sip the cool ahhhhhhhhhhh---I'm thirsty!!!

Thanks for checking it out!! Got to go it's almost 10!!

-L.

173 days........

173 days......
wowow, that's alot of time gone.........
what you ask....173 days since I've been in the studio.......since I've had my hands dirty with the goods.....since I sat at my desk without crying.

173 days it has taken to get creative. So much has happened since then yet I find it difficult to Speak of the changes.

Thanks to Studio Calico goodies to inspire me...
This is Charlie, he always knows to stick his nose where it belongs. "Nose 4 Love"
He is one of my Happy....

Yummie...-L

there are some things.........

I am a farm girl....I often have a hard time admitting it. But it is true and when you meet me you just know. There are things, I just am surprised about and other things I look at people and think "You got to be kidding where have you all been?"

I am plain and I am simple. I am cut and dry. I am meat and potatoes. I am not fancy and not girlie. For the most part. For me, life is what it is . Things will just be.

Then, once in awhile, I go to my in laws for a dinner, and discover something new. A few years ago I attended this picnic thing, and found the broccoli salad. OMG!

Note I don't like potluck. I think it all started with all the church potlucks I grew up with. The mystery salads, the hot dish, the hot dish and the hot dish. Or the fancy ones were casseroles. It wasn't until I was older that I realized that jello didn't come with floaters. Oh, you know, what I'm talking about, a little something to jazz it up and keep up with "Betty" the salad queen. Did you realize that yes, jello can be plain and swooshed thru your teeth without anything getting stuck! I know you have done it when no one was listening.

Potluck can be a deadly adventure that I am not often willing to take. Because you know, if you take it you got to eat, cause it might be from the gal next to you. We wonder which hot dish was made by the "cat lady" or the one made by the lady who didn't want to bring anything, that one is sure to have mystery meat....I shudder at the thought. I realize every one's one hot dish standards vary, but don't you roll your eyes. I am at least willing to say it out loud.

For food, sometimes plain is just plain good. Then along came this salad. I was in my 30's before I tired it, I had to have it. Who made it? My mother in law stated "She brought it". Okay good I am safe there, I know where her food comes from. In a pretty dish, I am set. Then I ask for the recipe...."Well it comes from the deli." But I thought being in the pretty dish you made it. Everyone makes their salads right? Wrong. Buy it. Move it. Pretty Dish...... ok well, there we are back to the farm girl thing.

Deli here I come.......this salad is yummie, I hate the raisins. I can pick those out. Salad forgiveness. Much like the carrots in the jello thing. Pick them out.

Deli love.....they make it and I get as much as I love.....no wait, on a budget here.....that salad is "HOW MUCH A POUND?" Wow it needs to come with a golden bowl, and if I buy a big tub a golden spoon too. Realize, I can eat alot of broccoli and then there's the, I have to share thing.

So often times I go without.

Then along comes my sweet friend and shares her new cookbook. You know the kind, the one where all the ladies of the town get together and celebrate a 100 years of cooking for 100 citizens. We read the cook book, just see what Betty put in. Sadly you know she not sharing the good stuff with us. Stop......there it is ...........the broccoli sun has shined down upon me and I learn that, someone really does make that salad.

It isn't deli magic, okay a bit of let down.....it can be made by humans.....then joy again, it can be made by me. I told you farm girl, slow sometimes...But now, I have to follow a recipe. Another bit of information about me, when I cook, you never get the same thing twice. I truly cook from scratch. I might adapt to a recipe, or read it once and remember the ingredients and cook from there. My poor hubby. Well, he doesn't look like he is starving. Just saying.

Here we are, I made broccoli salad (with no raisins) for the very first time in all my years. I even made the kitchen smelly with bacon. I was committed to this salad.

It is delicious, I could eat it all day, had some for breakfast and then it hit me.

Something was missing. I am planning to stop at the deli and see if they will sell me a deli dish and label, then I think it will taste just perfect.

Funny how a simple salad can be so complicated. Well tomorrow I am back to meat and potatoes, I just have to dig up some potatoes. So just meat, meat is good, as long as it fills the plate.

Sending out the salad love.-L.

life's resilience....

life's resilience.... It's all about the Grackles!!!

Friday afternoon we made our way to our backyard...only to find this little guy....

This baby Grackle fell from our pines at least 40 or 50 feet.

To imagine the amount of things he must have hit coming down, because we can't even see the nest he fell from. We can only hear them in the other nest. Poor thing...

Okay so rewind, just a little bit. I love to bird watch, feed my birds, and listen to them flit and sing among my yard. I don't love grackles- it's a fact, so all you grackle lovers I apologize and we will agree to disagree. They poop everywhere and they eat everything (EVERYTHING!!) and they are plain mean, mean, mean. Finally their song is not pretty. I say if they have something to say you'd think it could at least be pretty.

Time comes, the bird out of the nest. Mama bird is down on the ground feeding him, he is too small to fly. Mr C. arrives and looks at me puzzled. "You want me to do what?" I want you to save him. I want you grab your gloves, and climb in one of our other trees, get down the nest of a robin who abandoned hers, put it in this feeder I hung under the tree where it fell. Okay now make it cozie. " Cozie?" I got the roll of the eyes. Then he carefully placed the baby bird in the nest. Shrugged his shoulders and says in his loving tone, "Anything for you honey", and then he states she'll never return, we handled him. Well not only did she return she fed him like crazy, she rearranged the nest and kept it clean. Life is amazing.

Mother bird fed and cared for 2 nests. Way wonderful.

We enjoyed watching this family for 4 days. We see her feeding him and I'd make my family admire this every time. They would smile and shake their heads. Mr C. then reminds me of my dislike for the grackles, and talks of natures way. I simply smiled and stated that for every one time someone gets involved it could change the course. Karma.

Although I may not be a fan of the blackbird it was her baby, her family she worked so hard to care for.

STAY WITH ME THERE'S MORE.......

So come Monday I think we should take a few more photos. Mr C. is tall and he can get a camera up there. Right? Well bird jumps out......so here we are again bird on the ground. Oh for crying out loud. Maybe he was right and he belongs on the ground. Get the gloves! Can't catch him. Get the butterfly net! Mr C. is seen chasing this baby bird around the yard. Okay! Caught him!

Back into the nest. Safe and sound. Mama still returns to feed him! I know...what your saying leave well enough alone.

I can't, I got to try. We go about the day and enjoying the bird safe and sound in the feeder.

We leave to visit the cemetery, arrive home about 1 hour later and he is gone.

Just like that he's gone. This little bird fell into our lives on Friday and left me on Monday. Not even a goodbye. I can't tell what happened to him, but I am sad and lonely for this crazy little bird.

Mr C. reminds me that he will return and eat all my food and poop everywhere. I tell him no, that this bird will be the one to change the way of the grackle. I got to believe, that good will have come from it. I believe he will return and sing a sweet tune just for my yard.

Girl's got to dream and hope, I made a difference.

I say farewell little grackle, may your song ring sweet and may your poop fall across the road.

Just trying to be neighborly.

Life is strong. I was in a yoga class the other day and the instructor stated "LGO" life goes on...so true......

-L.