I am looking at flowers on eBay and at Lowes, some are way too early to risk now.
I ordered a couple of the large Livermore poppies, they come as plants and if they like where I put them they will multiply quickly, I had them before but now they are gone. They are temperamental, hoping this year I can devote more time to the garden.
Bobby asked what I wanted for my birthday and I said get me another poppy like this one and he ordered a bunch of them...whoopee!!!!!
I also ordered seeds of the Danish Poppy, I don't do well with seeds but for the poppies in general that is the way they like it, seed them early, they do like some colder climate to begin with. I have always the California poppies and last year they lasted till December. I am sure they will pop up again.
Ordered an Azalea which blooms all year...should be interesting and a Lilly which combines wicked colors of yellow and absolute black...
I can hear Bob telling me :"Jeannot I told you a hundred times black is not a color"
I know but this is absolutely black.
The old maple is in full bloom , the one across the street is too, looks like a orange/wine halo around the tree.
I broke the bank to get some expensive black seeds and the red cardinal brought his wife to the feeder, guess they are nesting nearby again.
My lungs open up with the joy of the smell of spring outside.
This will be good.
Some of my potted plants have eyes started .they survived the non winter!!Of course!!!Can t think of the name now for the life of me but I have about 30 different varieties.
Life is good when we can think of a garden and work in one.
Hosta, hosta hosta!!!!Dummy!!!!!!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
THE OTHER CONNECTION
I am often thinking about the connections we, animal lovers, have which eludes some other people.
My mom for example did not like pets. She was allowed one in her apartment but she never thought about it, once in awhile she'd say "maybe I should have a bird". She never got one. When I was little and my father was still home we always had dogs and outdoor cats. After the war mother refused to have any more animals and father was gone so I was alone in my begging. I did get a turtle "Nico" a little thing that I brought to the office, taped a cord on his back and let him wander in the little grass plot, at 5 PM he went into my bag and home again.
When he died I threw him in the canal with many tears running down my face. I saw my mother's relief. Then I wanted fish, her response was that we did not have money for such frivolities. A friend gave me 4 little river fish which I put in a galvanized tub outside the house. Winter came and the tub top froze and I figured I had frozen fish in there. Wrong! Spring came, the water melted and 4 fish were frolicking about.
I managed to get married to early (19) and first thing I wanted was a dog.
Joe and I saved and went to a petshop and purchased a wire haired terrier.
They are very agile, nerveus dogs. Very loyal. We HAD to tell my mother as we were living with her, we had not asked permission.
She was at her usual vaudeville matine on saturday and we waltzed in with Spooky in our arms. She was not pleased.
Spooky became my child, I could not wait to get home and hug him, he was the best dog. He was so loved. BUT we were toying with papers to get to the USA.
Our sponsor was still in Karlsruhe in Germany with the army, his wife was there too.
They had a "Spooky" before we did, I had just been a copy cat.
So when time came to have to go to Canada first our sponsor came to get Spooky and promised to take good care of him till we were in the USA.
Paperwork played a number on us again, we were 2 years in Montreal waiting for the permanent visa. The sponsors were in NJ with Spooky.
We managed to get a few days visitors visa and drove to NJ in a beat up car (Studebaker) it used more oil than gasoline.
We were in heaven when we set foot on NJ soil at Camp Kilmer , Spooky came out but did not know us until I called him and he heard my voice. He came running like a wild stallion. For 3 days he never left my side, followed me in the bathroom and sat next to the shower till I came out.
We could not have a dog in our Montreal apartment and there was an issue of
quarantine for dogs so we had to once again leave my beloved Spooky.
We had hopes to be back for keeps very soon....once back in our routine of work in Canada we received a letter from NJ with sad news.
Spooky had just stopped eating after we left and lay down and died.
He was about 3 years old by then, it was not old age, it was too much for him to separate from me again. I cried forever or so it seemed.Much later in the USA....
We had a male Lassie later and a mixed sweetheart Julie who moved with us to Spain and back to the USA, she was from a shelter. We figured we spent more on air fare for her then on anything else. She became an old lady.
Then came Toto on election day when Kerry was running...Bob decided we would call him Kerry , then we changed it to Toto and Bob called him cat the next day...
Toto's end was too dramatic and it is still a video playing in my head since I
saw the fight between him and a large dog. Devastated I was and soon came Toto who
is NEVER ever more then 1 foot away from me. He cries when I go shopping and jumps 2 feet in the air when I come to the door. He sleeps so close to me that often I can feel his little heart beat. I feel sorry that my Mom never saw such a love.
Was it that she wanted the house immaculate? That she did not want anything to bother the perfection she wanted in life?
My cousin had a Newfoundlander (sp?) he drooled, he was a huge teddy bear, kind loving, my cousin's best friend. My mother hated to visit there because he had
a couch privilege. She would tell me that my cousin would give him a steak before she would eat meat, she loved him, she made sacrifices for him. Mother could not get it.
I was more of a cat person for a long time but then we had this Himalayan who was too lazy to clean his derriere, a mouse ran in front of him and he did not budge. He was gorgeous and just sat, friendship was not in his repertoire, he should have been a show cat , just pampered. He was also not a clean cat, that I have problems with, I kept him for several years and then daughter Sabrina took care of him for some more years, walking behind him and cleaning up after him. It took a lot of patience from us but we hung on to him in turns till he went to kittyland in the sky and I hope he is clean there.
Our kitty now was affectionate until Toto came in the house, madam is still not happy with the dogs now that wehave 3. She does go to sleep in Bob's room but during the day we see little of her.
What makes us different, the nuts who go gaga over pets and the ones who do not care at all for the animal kingdom.?????
My mom for example did not like pets. She was allowed one in her apartment but she never thought about it, once in awhile she'd say "maybe I should have a bird". She never got one. When I was little and my father was still home we always had dogs and outdoor cats. After the war mother refused to have any more animals and father was gone so I was alone in my begging. I did get a turtle "Nico" a little thing that I brought to the office, taped a cord on his back and let him wander in the little grass plot, at 5 PM he went into my bag and home again.
When he died I threw him in the canal with many tears running down my face. I saw my mother's relief. Then I wanted fish, her response was that we did not have money for such frivolities. A friend gave me 4 little river fish which I put in a galvanized tub outside the house. Winter came and the tub top froze and I figured I had frozen fish in there. Wrong! Spring came, the water melted and 4 fish were frolicking about.
I managed to get married to early (19) and first thing I wanted was a dog.
Joe and I saved and went to a petshop and purchased a wire haired terrier.
They are very agile, nerveus dogs. Very loyal. We HAD to tell my mother as we were living with her, we had not asked permission.
She was at her usual vaudeville matine on saturday and we waltzed in with Spooky in our arms. She was not pleased.
Spooky became my child, I could not wait to get home and hug him, he was the best dog. He was so loved. BUT we were toying with papers to get to the USA.
Our sponsor was still in Karlsruhe in Germany with the army, his wife was there too.
They had a "Spooky" before we did, I had just been a copy cat.
So when time came to have to go to Canada first our sponsor came to get Spooky and promised to take good care of him till we were in the USA.
Paperwork played a number on us again, we were 2 years in Montreal waiting for the permanent visa. The sponsors were in NJ with Spooky.
We managed to get a few days visitors visa and drove to NJ in a beat up car (Studebaker) it used more oil than gasoline.
We were in heaven when we set foot on NJ soil at Camp Kilmer , Spooky came out but did not know us until I called him and he heard my voice. He came running like a wild stallion. For 3 days he never left my side, followed me in the bathroom and sat next to the shower till I came out.
We could not have a dog in our Montreal apartment and there was an issue of
quarantine for dogs so we had to once again leave my beloved Spooky.
We had hopes to be back for keeps very soon....once back in our routine of work in Canada we received a letter from NJ with sad news.
Spooky had just stopped eating after we left and lay down and died.
He was about 3 years old by then, it was not old age, it was too much for him to separate from me again. I cried forever or so it seemed.Much later in the USA....
We had a male Lassie later and a mixed sweetheart Julie who moved with us to Spain and back to the USA, she was from a shelter. We figured we spent more on air fare for her then on anything else. She became an old lady.
Then came Toto on election day when Kerry was running...Bob decided we would call him Kerry , then we changed it to Toto and Bob called him cat the next day...
Toto's end was too dramatic and it is still a video playing in my head since I
saw the fight between him and a large dog. Devastated I was and soon came Toto who
is NEVER ever more then 1 foot away from me. He cries when I go shopping and jumps 2 feet in the air when I come to the door. He sleeps so close to me that often I can feel his little heart beat. I feel sorry that my Mom never saw such a love.
Was it that she wanted the house immaculate? That she did not want anything to bother the perfection she wanted in life?
My cousin had a Newfoundlander (sp?) he drooled, he was a huge teddy bear, kind loving, my cousin's best friend. My mother hated to visit there because he had
a couch privilege. She would tell me that my cousin would give him a steak before she would eat meat, she loved him, she made sacrifices for him. Mother could not get it.
I was more of a cat person for a long time but then we had this Himalayan who was too lazy to clean his derriere, a mouse ran in front of him and he did not budge. He was gorgeous and just sat, friendship was not in his repertoire, he should have been a show cat , just pampered. He was also not a clean cat, that I have problems with, I kept him for several years and then daughter Sabrina took care of him for some more years, walking behind him and cleaning up after him. It took a lot of patience from us but we hung on to him in turns till he went to kittyland in the sky and I hope he is clean there.
Our kitty now was affectionate until Toto came in the house, madam is still not happy with the dogs now that wehave 3. She does go to sleep in Bob's room but during the day we see little of her.
What makes us different, the nuts who go gaga over pets and the ones who do not care at all for the animal kingdom.?????
excitement for the day
I have a brand new washing machine.
Can't remember when I had a new one last.
It seems that the kids ,mostly Rhonda, was moving all the time and we inherited her or Bobby's washing machine.
The last years of Bob's illness she worked like a slave, every day , every day large loads of bedding, she did her best.
So she gave up these past weeks , left the laundr4y quite wet and seemed to need a Depend diaper for her leaking.
I now have a brand new Maytag with new gadget like water saver and soap saver etc...I even get a $100 visa card from the state because I am energy efficient.
Love the darn thing. I washed stuff today which did not need washing.
What other excitement do I have in life?
Just keep the house rolling as best as I can with my budget and my best of health!!!!Thank you, Maytag I love you.
Can't remember when I had a new one last.
It seems that the kids ,mostly Rhonda, was moving all the time and we inherited her or Bobby's washing machine.
The last years of Bob's illness she worked like a slave, every day , every day large loads of bedding, she did her best.
So she gave up these past weeks , left the laundr4y quite wet and seemed to need a Depend diaper for her leaking.
I now have a brand new Maytag with new gadget like water saver and soap saver etc...I even get a $100 visa card from the state because I am energy efficient.
Love the darn thing. I washed stuff today which did not need washing.
What other excitement do I have in life?
Just keep the house rolling as best as I can with my budget and my best of health!!!!Thank you, Maytag I love you.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
New machine
My grandfather used to order his three piece suit from the tailor and say:"This is the suit I will be buried in so make it nice".
He wore out 4 suits before it was his last one.
I bought a Maytag washing machine yesterday which is ultra modern in comparison to the old lady in the semi basement.
This one "weighs" your laundry and adds just the amount of water needed to wash the load, all automatic. Lowes had 10 percent off and State of N C had 100.00 off
if you buy ecology responding items.
So right there I had a great discount and they deliver for free and pick up the old one. Sears always charges for delivery!!!!
So I said to my daughters : "This is the last washing machine I will buy".
Answer came" "well they last about 20 years so that will be about right!
"Say what?"
I am excited, this old machine served me well, bought it at some estate sale years ago and the last 3 years of Bob's life I had to wash ALL the bedding of our Queen size bed ,every, every day!!! The girl worked hard.
Thank you Maytag you deserve kudos for that old lady and I will enjoy the new one.
He wore out 4 suits before it was his last one.
I bought a Maytag washing machine yesterday which is ultra modern in comparison to the old lady in the semi basement.
This one "weighs" your laundry and adds just the amount of water needed to wash the load, all automatic. Lowes had 10 percent off and State of N C had 100.00 off
if you buy ecology responding items.
So right there I had a great discount and they deliver for free and pick up the old one. Sears always charges for delivery!!!!
So I said to my daughters : "This is the last washing machine I will buy".
Answer came" "well they last about 20 years so that will be about right!
"Say what?"
I am excited, this old machine served me well, bought it at some estate sale years ago and the last 3 years of Bob's life I had to wash ALL the bedding of our Queen size bed ,every, every day!!! The girl worked hard.
Thank you Maytag you deserve kudos for that old lady and I will enjoy the new one.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Flags and the law.
I thought that Whitney was a power house singer with a voice so pure...I can't truly say that I was a big fan who followed her career because I did not know that in her last concert people had asked for their money back.
I did not know that the fall had been so enormous on her vocals , I read about the abuse now and then and shook my head hoping she could stop the down fall.
Not another Presley was my thought.
I watched about an hour of the funeral, no question about it, this is a different culture that I am not familiar with. The singing tributes never stopped and I hope that this would help her Mom and her child. It was an impressing lot of talents and expression of love.
I am just very puzzled about the flag at half mast in New Jersey.
What are the rules about that?
Do we have laws, suggestions, rules, put down somewhere on how to treat the flag and when to put it half mast???
My personal opinion is that NJ did go a bit over the top on that one.
I did not know that the fall had been so enormous on her vocals , I read about the abuse now and then and shook my head hoping she could stop the down fall.
Not another Presley was my thought.
I watched about an hour of the funeral, no question about it, this is a different culture that I am not familiar with. The singing tributes never stopped and I hope that this would help her Mom and her child. It was an impressing lot of talents and expression of love.
I am just very puzzled about the flag at half mast in New Jersey.
What are the rules about that?
Do we have laws, suggestions, rules, put down somewhere on how to treat the flag and when to put it half mast???
My personal opinion is that NJ did go a bit over the top on that one.
Friday, February 17, 2012
WOMEN AND THEIR RIGHTS
I am beginning to wonder what in the heck is happening with our politicians and
how they stand on understanding our rights.....
I have experience in this matter ....October 28 1956 I delivered full term twin boys, healthy babies in all aspects but they arrived still born. I had an Xray 3 days before I delivered (on their due date) , first of all the xray did not even show I had twins, Dr. did not know I was having twins. BUT I stopped feeling life right after the Xray. Next day I rushed to the dr. and told him something was wrong. His answer was that just before birth the baby is quiet....did I believe him? Absolutely NOT.
I KNEW, I just knew something was wrong , this baby had been extremely busy (of course with 2 of them!) now the large expanded stomach felt like a rock, heavy and not moving.
This was my first pregnancy. The American child I wanted so very much.
Not much after this I read in the paper that John Hopkins had announced that Xrays were damaging to pregnancies.....I knew they hit it on the nail. I knew from experience.
Then on April 28 1960, 4 years after the loss of the twins I was expecting and in pain in the hospital. The baby was just not wanting to see this world.
Push as hard as I could, no baby.
The same dr. who had delivered my twins (and in the interim my first American girl in 1958) said he just needed an xray to see the position ...I started to tell the dr. that he just was NOT going to give me an Xray. Do a C section, do whatever but NO X Ray....he turned to my then husband and asked :"Joe, what do you think? You can sign for her, we do not need her signature!". Joe signed.
I screamed all the way down the hall to the Xray room and twisted and turned
when they wanted to do the work. I just KNEW I would loose this baby too and I was not going to give in.
But they (the MEN with their rights) won.
Lucky my Sabrina was a fighter too and she decided to come and join us, she had yellow jaundice but was OK after a few days.
For the young ones: they did not have ultra sound in those days and Xrays were common....the women had no say so or rights about their bodies.
I even picked a Jewish doctor because I knew the doctrine of the church , I was still a Catholic then, a Catholic Dr. then would have to save the child before the mother. I was not a selfish human being but I just did not see how my irresponsible husband who was still a child himself was going to take care of a baby without a mother.
My best friend and I often laughed at that time because she was Jewish and she
picked the Catholic Dr. The two OB-Gyn's were the best in the town.
I am not sure of the laws updates at this point, I would truly hope that in ALL cases the woman has a right what should be done with her body.
I would never have been able to have an abortion that is not in me but that is not to say that one should not have the right to choose. The church can dictate what they want I am my own person, I have to take responsability for my actions.
I listened to priests in my youth only to find out that they did NOT follow
the rules of the church ....they did not lead by example. Why tell me what to do,.. furthermore why should a government tell me what I can do about my personal life.
I am on a soap box and have a hard time telling what I feel but I will never forget the birthday of my daughter when 2 men took over and they won.
how they stand on understanding our rights.....
I have experience in this matter ....October 28 1956 I delivered full term twin boys, healthy babies in all aspects but they arrived still born. I had an Xray 3 days before I delivered (on their due date) , first of all the xray did not even show I had twins, Dr. did not know I was having twins. BUT I stopped feeling life right after the Xray. Next day I rushed to the dr. and told him something was wrong. His answer was that just before birth the baby is quiet....did I believe him? Absolutely NOT.
I KNEW, I just knew something was wrong , this baby had been extremely busy (of course with 2 of them!) now the large expanded stomach felt like a rock, heavy and not moving.
This was my first pregnancy. The American child I wanted so very much.
Not much after this I read in the paper that John Hopkins had announced that Xrays were damaging to pregnancies.....I knew they hit it on the nail. I knew from experience.
Then on April 28 1960, 4 years after the loss of the twins I was expecting and in pain in the hospital. The baby was just not wanting to see this world.
Push as hard as I could, no baby.
The same dr. who had delivered my twins (and in the interim my first American girl in 1958) said he just needed an xray to see the position ...I started to tell the dr. that he just was NOT going to give me an Xray. Do a C section, do whatever but NO X Ray....he turned to my then husband and asked :"Joe, what do you think? You can sign for her, we do not need her signature!". Joe signed.
I screamed all the way down the hall to the Xray room and twisted and turned
when they wanted to do the work. I just KNEW I would loose this baby too and I was not going to give in.
But they (the MEN with their rights) won.
Lucky my Sabrina was a fighter too and she decided to come and join us, she had yellow jaundice but was OK after a few days.
For the young ones: they did not have ultra sound in those days and Xrays were common....the women had no say so or rights about their bodies.
I even picked a Jewish doctor because I knew the doctrine of the church , I was still a Catholic then, a Catholic Dr. then would have to save the child before the mother. I was not a selfish human being but I just did not see how my irresponsible husband who was still a child himself was going to take care of a baby without a mother.
My best friend and I often laughed at that time because she was Jewish and she
picked the Catholic Dr. The two OB-Gyn's were the best in the town.
I am not sure of the laws updates at this point, I would truly hope that in ALL cases the woman has a right what should be done with her body.
I would never have been able to have an abortion that is not in me but that is not to say that one should not have the right to choose. The church can dictate what they want I am my own person, I have to take responsability for my actions.
I listened to priests in my youth only to find out that they did NOT follow
the rules of the church ....they did not lead by example. Why tell me what to do,.. furthermore why should a government tell me what I can do about my personal life.
I am on a soap box and have a hard time telling what I feel but I will never forget the birthday of my daughter when 2 men took over and they won.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
BIJOU SHOP
After Bob passed I felt so lost, no one to take care off anymore but myself and that was boring. In a foolish moment I remembered how in the 1970's we did a loot of beading, actually knotting beads of all colors. We sold them in Bob's shop.
It was the age of Acquarius and hippies loved beads!!
Bob and I even went to Venice and came back with a suitcase of Venetian beads.
They were gone as soon as we came home. We laughed and thought to make it a career to fly to Venice and come back and make necklaces.
The scenario came back to me and I figured I could do some "knotting" for my own jewelry which needed a lot of work.
The thought did not end there. Jeannot has retail veins. My first adventure being that I sold chewing gum in school from the soldiers who came to our house
and gave me the gum for free. I hated chewing gum. So I became the "dealer" in school for a bad habit.
My francs bought me chocolate.
Anyway....I started to visit bead shops, they are in every town, even in our small town, I looked at the necklaces for sale and the wheels started to turn.
I actually thought that I had the talent to put some necklaces together in the style of today. A friend recommended Fire Mountain Gems and I started to buy stones like jasper, onyx, agate and smaller glass beads.
I sat at the kitchen table gathering all these goodies and could hardly sleep anymore. Beads came into my dreams and I decided I would sell them at Etsy or eBay.
Then Sabrina heard of a shop opening up as a craft/antique mini mall on her town.
She said she'd help set up if I wanted to try. I doubted myself, I started to do some simple necklaces and got more and more adventurous. By Feb 1 2011, I had a space of about 9 x 10. Furniture for display was acquired at the thrift shops and
I was in business.
Being so in love with my Maltese named Bijou, I decided to call my shop "Maison Bijou". It rattles my french side of the brain a bit. Bijoux with X is plural jewelry, Bijou without the X is simply "Jewel" but I am still going with that as
I had my little friend Bijou in mind.
As summer came along I got braver and started to buy large quantities of vintage jewels, I repaired, renewed some stones, clasps etc...and started to sell them
as 3.00. I figured I was not going to go for BIG bucks , this is a recession and women do like to get a new "bling" or two. With 3 and 5 bucks they can find something in my shop which is better that the junk now on the markets made in...whatever.
I did well. I was not going to buy a yacht or even have a Belgian trip but I was so busy and so dedicated that even my own health did not bother me so much as did me breaking my back. That put me to rest for awhile. The cancer and kidney was just a quick thought.
By end 2011 we found out that the store was going to get bigger adding another wing. I have no idea what my BP was doing, I was not going to check it, I was doubling my creations and gathering other stuff from my storage. I was ready for shop 2.
Opening was last Saturday but I could not make it due to bad weather but here is a bit of an idea of the second "Maison Bijou shop"
It was the age of Acquarius and hippies loved beads!!
Bob and I even went to Venice and came back with a suitcase of Venetian beads.
They were gone as soon as we came home. We laughed and thought to make it a career to fly to Venice and come back and make necklaces.
The scenario came back to me and I figured I could do some "knotting" for my own jewelry which needed a lot of work.
The thought did not end there. Jeannot has retail veins. My first adventure being that I sold chewing gum in school from the soldiers who came to our house
and gave me the gum for free. I hated chewing gum. So I became the "dealer" in school for a bad habit.
My francs bought me chocolate.
Anyway....I started to visit bead shops, they are in every town, even in our small town, I looked at the necklaces for sale and the wheels started to turn.
I actually thought that I had the talent to put some necklaces together in the style of today. A friend recommended Fire Mountain Gems and I started to buy stones like jasper, onyx, agate and smaller glass beads.
I sat at the kitchen table gathering all these goodies and could hardly sleep anymore. Beads came into my dreams and I decided I would sell them at Etsy or eBay.
Then Sabrina heard of a shop opening up as a craft/antique mini mall on her town.
She said she'd help set up if I wanted to try. I doubted myself, I started to do some simple necklaces and got more and more adventurous. By Feb 1 2011, I had a space of about 9 x 10. Furniture for display was acquired at the thrift shops and
I was in business.
Being so in love with my Maltese named Bijou, I decided to call my shop "Maison Bijou". It rattles my french side of the brain a bit. Bijoux with X is plural jewelry, Bijou without the X is simply "Jewel" but I am still going with that as
I had my little friend Bijou in mind.
As summer came along I got braver and started to buy large quantities of vintage jewels, I repaired, renewed some stones, clasps etc...and started to sell them
as 3.00. I figured I was not going to go for BIG bucks , this is a recession and women do like to get a new "bling" or two. With 3 and 5 bucks they can find something in my shop which is better that the junk now on the markets made in...whatever.
I did well. I was not going to buy a yacht or even have a Belgian trip but I was so busy and so dedicated that even my own health did not bother me so much as did me breaking my back. That put me to rest for awhile. The cancer and kidney was just a quick thought.
By end 2011 we found out that the store was going to get bigger adding another wing. I have no idea what my BP was doing, I was not going to check it, I was doubling my creations and gathering other stuff from my storage. I was ready for shop 2.
Opening was last Saturday but I could not make it due to bad weather but here is a bit of an idea of the second "Maison Bijou shop"
My Valentine
Bob and I married on Valentine Day 1969.
He was my everything and I was his.
We were attached at the hip and when he became ill with Alzheimer it devastated our life.
He never understood it nor acknowledged it.
I closed my antique shop and started to sell on eBay.
For awhile he was my mailing manager, he did a good job too, with the exception that he used o9ur bath towels packing the fragile stuff. I figured that out when people wrote me thank you emails. Then noticed the closed getting very empty!
He did not understand my objections, he thought this was what he should do.
I bought cheaper rags!
In 2002 on our anniversary, I hugged him with best wishes and kisses all over his face, he looked strange, I repeated "Anniversary"! "Marriage"!
He smiled ran to his mail room and came back with our label and his message,
he was so proud ! I glued it on my kitchen wall, I see it dozens of times a day.
Then I am reminded that he loved me so much and if he could he still would.
I miss him more every day and I thought it was going to get better but I am mistaken.
I love you and I always will!!!!
He was my everything and I was his.
We were attached at the hip and when he became ill with Alzheimer it devastated our life.
He never understood it nor acknowledged it.
I closed my antique shop and started to sell on eBay.
For awhile he was my mailing manager, he did a good job too, with the exception that he used o9ur bath towels packing the fragile stuff. I figured that out when people wrote me thank you emails. Then noticed the closed getting very empty!
He did not understand my objections, he thought this was what he should do.
I bought cheaper rags!
In 2002 on our anniversary, I hugged him with best wishes and kisses all over his face, he looked strange, I repeated "Anniversary"! "Marriage"!
He smiled ran to his mail room and came back with our label and his message,
he was so proud ! I glued it on my kitchen wall, I see it dozens of times a day.
Then I am reminded that he loved me so much and if he could he still would.
I miss him more every day and I thought it was going to get better but I am mistaken.
I love you and I always will!!!!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Elderly parents and kids...
I write to several of my peers and the daily emails I get are mostly about problems we are having with children.
Now our children are mostly in their 40's or 50's or later but are having problems either with spouses, money (that especially) emotions, changes in the hormones,friendships, health for sure, and the list goes on.
We are near the end of this journey and are not able to help.
Most of us are on limited income, have doctors who are retiring on us and can't advice on the new load of MD's and gadgets to get us alive and stay alive, our journey's into matrimony were quite different and when we bought a house we thought it was the best investment we ever made.
Decades ago my mother in law who was then 83 years told me that she was
happy to be near the end of life as she could not keep up with the changes.
I try to keep up but I am exhausted when I hear their problems.
Life goes on with different challenges.
It is how we can deal with them without 24 different Life Masters and Guru's.
If these Master planners are doing so very well, check out their household when the doors are closed, is everything perfect there? I doubt it.
If a financial advisor is so good, ask him how his portfolio is doing? Does he need an advisor too?
100 years ago both my grandmothers were beaten on a daily basis.
The husband was King, the supporter of the family, the man who could have mistresses and the wife look the other way.
How much has changed???
In every town in this country there is a shelter for battered wives....
say no more.
Now our children are mostly in their 40's or 50's or later but are having problems either with spouses, money (that especially) emotions, changes in the hormones,friendships, health for sure, and the list goes on.
We are near the end of this journey and are not able to help.
Most of us are on limited income, have doctors who are retiring on us and can't advice on the new load of MD's and gadgets to get us alive and stay alive, our journey's into matrimony were quite different and when we bought a house we thought it was the best investment we ever made.
Decades ago my mother in law who was then 83 years told me that she was
happy to be near the end of life as she could not keep up with the changes.
I try to keep up but I am exhausted when I hear their problems.
Life goes on with different challenges.
It is how we can deal with them without 24 different Life Masters and Guru's.
If these Master planners are doing so very well, check out their household when the doors are closed, is everything perfect there? I doubt it.
If a financial advisor is so good, ask him how his portfolio is doing? Does he need an advisor too?
100 years ago both my grandmothers were beaten on a daily basis.
The husband was King, the supporter of the family, the man who could have mistresses and the wife look the other way.
How much has changed???
In every town in this country there is a shelter for battered wives....
say no more.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
party time
Rhonda had a party for her birthday / Chinese New Year.
We had a very good time, ladies only and all the Chinese food enough to open a restaurant.
It was quite pleasant, I was the only old bird among ladies on menapause.
Guess that is why we all had fans on our plates.\Chinese fortunes were read and it seems that I will make money this year...how about them apples...said so also last year and I did have a great start with my shop.
On to pricing and beading enough with the chit chat.....there is work awaiting this old gal...
PS MY quince bush is starting to bloom..usually in March...
We had a very good time, ladies only and all the Chinese food enough to open a restaurant.
It was quite pleasant, I was the only old bird among ladies on menapause.
Guess that is why we all had fans on our plates.\Chinese fortunes were read and it seems that I will make money this year...how about them apples...said so also last year and I did have a great start with my shop.
On to pricing and beading enough with the chit chat.....there is work awaiting this old gal...
PS MY quince bush is starting to bloom..usually in March...
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Absence
I have been AWOL ....because...I am so damn busy with the new shop opening Feb 1 and grand opening the 12th.
Purchased a large lot with heart jewelry , over 258 pieces, they are still to come.
Meanwhile I fret over lights and display cases....yesterday between dr appointments rushed to thrift stores...found 2 nice lamps at Hospice (thank you Celia who works there as volunteer) found some old beads there too. Locals should try the stores in Asheville, they are nice too.
Dr said his tests are fine and now on to the scan again.
Then we will also have a complete check up and that I do not like they always find something. After that I should be MD free.
Have neglected my friends very sorely and hope they know I am rushing in head and on foot to find what I need.
Meanwhile also making more necklaces and stuff....Bobby has been neglected my cooking is anything I can put together in 10 minutes.
Fast food on Valley St.
I will come bck to normal (did I say normal?) in a few weeks.
Today we celebrate Daughter Rhonda birthday she has a Chinese New Years party and
it is all ladies, should be fun.
Dr. Cargill, the urologist, and the best, gave me a "You go girl" when he found out how busy I am.
Nick, grandson, and I decided this week that I should try for 90.
A year ago I would have said:"NO WAY" I did not want to live beyond 83.
Today in my frame of mind 90 sounds pretty good but with conditions:
I have to keep all my marbles, and be able to walk, I will even take a
cane, have done that and wearing the T shirt.
Nick said I will make it, he should know he will be a dr in 1 1/2 years.
Enough said I need to get dressed for a party!
Purchased a large lot with heart jewelry , over 258 pieces, they are still to come.
Meanwhile I fret over lights and display cases....yesterday between dr appointments rushed to thrift stores...found 2 nice lamps at Hospice (thank you Celia who works there as volunteer) found some old beads there too. Locals should try the stores in Asheville, they are nice too.
Dr said his tests are fine and now on to the scan again.
Then we will also have a complete check up and that I do not like they always find something. After that I should be MD free.
Have neglected my friends very sorely and hope they know I am rushing in head and on foot to find what I need.
Meanwhile also making more necklaces and stuff....Bobby has been neglected my cooking is anything I can put together in 10 minutes.
Fast food on Valley St.
I will come bck to normal (did I say normal?) in a few weeks.
Today we celebrate Daughter Rhonda birthday she has a Chinese New Years party and
it is all ladies, should be fun.
Dr. Cargill, the urologist, and the best, gave me a "You go girl" when he found out how busy I am.
Nick, grandson, and I decided this week that I should try for 90.
A year ago I would have said:"NO WAY" I did not want to live beyond 83.
Today in my frame of mind 90 sounds pretty good but with conditions:
I have to keep all my marbles, and be able to walk, I will even take a
cane, have done that and wearing the T shirt.
Nick said I will make it, he should know he will be a dr in 1 1/2 years.
Enough said I need to get dressed for a party!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
busy busy
opening new section of store Feb 11
just bought 254 vintage heart pieces, necklaces, earrings, pins, watches, yikes...keep pricing Jeannot do not sit here.....
just bought 254 vintage heart pieces, necklaces, earrings, pins, watches, yikes...keep pricing Jeannot do not sit here.....
Friday, January 6, 2012
Vertigo day....
I am thinking that the way I walked Bijou this morning my neighbors peaking behind the curtains must have been thinking that I was hitting the bottle a bit early.
Damn vertigo! As I tried to just concentrate in front of me, not turning the head,
(I can't hear cars behind me, good luck with that J.) and walking a straight line, I started to giggle I had a picture in mind of a cop stopping me and ordering me to walk a straight line. That would be a hoot.
Think my choice of day will be to sit still or just go to sleep all day if I can.
Darn crystals in the ear, I have necklaces to make with real crystals.
Damn vertigo! As I tried to just concentrate in front of me, not turning the head,
(I can't hear cars behind me, good luck with that J.) and walking a straight line, I started to giggle I had a picture in mind of a cop stopping me and ordering me to walk a straight line. That would be a hoot.
Think my choice of day will be to sit still or just go to sleep all day if I can.
Darn crystals in the ear, I have necklaces to make with real crystals.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
new collection started for 2012 and second shop:
I thought I had more pictures but that is the beginning anyway.....
Had my saints mixed up on last post
It was St Simond I think or Simon or whatever but not St Thomas Island.
Yikes...I am getting old.
Yikes...I am getting old.
2012
Holidays gone, done, over with.
They were not as bad as I had thought , I had not made any plans at all and everything that was needed came in perfect order.
Sabrina has a lovely Christmas party, her house decorated to the max, felt warm and lovely. Rhonda and grandsons invited us all for the Christmas eve dinner, her new apartement is charming and the table was darn right gorgeous, the meal spectacular.
We all had a nice calm evening and I was asked to read my last story about Red.
I felt uncomfortable but then got into the swing of it and finished it with some tears. Tears of great memories of the ones no longer with us.
Christmas day was calm for both Bobby and I. He has had some set backs and Shannon could not come just yet until he is calmer with new medicine.
He missed all the parties but he is better that way without commotion.
Boxing day Sabrina and I took off for a few days at Jekyll Island.
If I cant be on the Hawaiian islands then I want to be in Jekyll.
It is quiet, one road around the island so to speak the rest is closed with some strategic parking lots among the giant old trees decorated with tons of
Spanish moss. I love Spanish moss, so do the chiggers. I did not tell Brie that as I made her take a photo with a moss wig.
I will post photos too.
We went to the other well spoken about St Thomas island but I like Jekyll better.
The best meal was at 31 latitude, I had Alfredo sauce with plenty of shrimp and
(can't find the word) the round white oh! scallops.
It was delicious, sauce no doubt made with pure cream, back on the hips I'd say.
We returned the next day for lunch so Brie could have her crab legs.
What we had not planned or knew is that L and C were there for Christmas and leaving the day after we came. We planned to have dinner together on the Monday but the traffic had other plans. From Columbia on 26 to 95 the Florida route it was
bumper to bumper, what usually takes 7 hours took us 11 hours so we had to cancel our engagement. L and C visited us in our room (they had the same hotel too) and brought a bottle of fine wine, I was also drunk from swaying in the car one yard at the time.....never again on Dec 26 will I leave the house...unless I fly somewhere...years ago Bob, young Bob, and I flew on Christmas day and the plane was virtually empty, we went to Belgium, of course.
The island trip was a jewel for me as it was quiet and the shops had nothing to make me spend money (that is rare) so it was all about walking the beaches and between the fantastic houses built around 1886 to 1900.
J P Morgan came there on his yacht and decided they need a club there.
They being the Astors, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers.
The club house is now a gorgeous hotel, we had lunch there and I watched the all white clad gents playing croquet on the lawn. My imagination took me to 1900 and I saw the ladies mix with the gents in gorgeous white lace dresses and big hats....oh what a sight it was...then I had to open my eyes again and settle for what was there now still enjoying the good life.
I did not find out what the rate was at the hotel, besides that I always want to be on the beach and ours was indeed right next to the beach and dunes, only 10 steps from our room. The rates were do-able but I am sure that when we left they went up as there was a Blue Grass Festival this week end and the hotel was filling up very fast.
It was a perfect get away, Brie drove a long distance to give me this thrill.
New Years week end, Shannon came but had to go home yesterday on Dec 31st.
Bobby at long last had a friend to talk with about all the latest in their lives.
Shannon gave me a gorgeous portfolio and in it I found most of my stories neatly typed and sorted. She called it "a work in progress". It was very sweet of her to
think so much about my stories.
Life is good....
2012 lets keep it good!!!!
They were not as bad as I had thought , I had not made any plans at all and everything that was needed came in perfect order.
Sabrina has a lovely Christmas party, her house decorated to the max, felt warm and lovely. Rhonda and grandsons invited us all for the Christmas eve dinner, her new apartement is charming and the table was darn right gorgeous, the meal spectacular.
We all had a nice calm evening and I was asked to read my last story about Red.
I felt uncomfortable but then got into the swing of it and finished it with some tears. Tears of great memories of the ones no longer with us.
Christmas day was calm for both Bobby and I. He has had some set backs and Shannon could not come just yet until he is calmer with new medicine.
He missed all the parties but he is better that way without commotion.
Boxing day Sabrina and I took off for a few days at Jekyll Island.
If I cant be on the Hawaiian islands then I want to be in Jekyll.
It is quiet, one road around the island so to speak the rest is closed with some strategic parking lots among the giant old trees decorated with tons of
Spanish moss. I love Spanish moss, so do the chiggers. I did not tell Brie that as I made her take a photo with a moss wig.
I will post photos too.
We went to the other well spoken about St Thomas island but I like Jekyll better.
The best meal was at 31 latitude, I had Alfredo sauce with plenty of shrimp and
(can't find the word) the round white oh! scallops.
It was delicious, sauce no doubt made with pure cream, back on the hips I'd say.
We returned the next day for lunch so Brie could have her crab legs.
What we had not planned or knew is that L and C were there for Christmas and leaving the day after we came. We planned to have dinner together on the Monday but the traffic had other plans. From Columbia on 26 to 95 the Florida route it was
bumper to bumper, what usually takes 7 hours took us 11 hours so we had to cancel our engagement. L and C visited us in our room (they had the same hotel too) and brought a bottle of fine wine, I was also drunk from swaying in the car one yard at the time.....never again on Dec 26 will I leave the house...unless I fly somewhere...years ago Bob, young Bob, and I flew on Christmas day and the plane was virtually empty, we went to Belgium, of course.
The island trip was a jewel for me as it was quiet and the shops had nothing to make me spend money (that is rare) so it was all about walking the beaches and between the fantastic houses built around 1886 to 1900.
J P Morgan came there on his yacht and decided they need a club there.
They being the Astors, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers.
The club house is now a gorgeous hotel, we had lunch there and I watched the all white clad gents playing croquet on the lawn. My imagination took me to 1900 and I saw the ladies mix with the gents in gorgeous white lace dresses and big hats....oh what a sight it was...then I had to open my eyes again and settle for what was there now still enjoying the good life.
I did not find out what the rate was at the hotel, besides that I always want to be on the beach and ours was indeed right next to the beach and dunes, only 10 steps from our room. The rates were do-able but I am sure that when we left they went up as there was a Blue Grass Festival this week end and the hotel was filling up very fast.
It was a perfect get away, Brie drove a long distance to give me this thrill.
New Years week end, Shannon came but had to go home yesterday on Dec 31st.
Bobby at long last had a friend to talk with about all the latest in their lives.
Shannon gave me a gorgeous portfolio and in it I found most of my stories neatly typed and sorted. She called it "a work in progress". It was very sweet of her to
think so much about my stories.
Life is good....
2012 lets keep it good!!!!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas eve 2011 and the future
It's that time of the year but I am already looking forwards in 9 weeks,
to be exact, when I will turn 80!
There is something magical to me about becoming 80.
I just never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever see that number.
When Bob and I first dated we both had this idea that most of our lives were
already lived. I was 36 and he was 42.
I do not know why we both felt this doom hanging over our heads for a short life.
We decided that no matter what the remaining years would be heavenly...
they were until he became ill. But, we had 42 years together, so much for the negativity of our youth.
Bob read palms in his spare time away from astrology charts.
He kept showing me that he was going to live till about 50.
He made it till 84, he did not want to read mine afraid to see
when I would leave, he was serious about it.
Made my chart before he took the notion seriously about dating me.
"dating" was just going and have some coffee in a coffeehouse full of hippies. It was the late sixties after all and neither of us had money to pay for a dinner.
My mother read palms, she was serious about it too and told many in our office about what would happen, she was on target too. I begged her time and time
again to read my hand and she would just take a slight peak and refuse.
She would have tears in her eyes. I thought "Its that bad!".
So my hands may have told a story but no one would tell it to me
and surely I thought I would be gone by age 50.
Now I am telling every living body that moves and speaks to me that I am going to be 80 soon. It is like a trophy!!!Well, I did have a brush with cancer, suffered years in my twenties and thirties from rhumatoid arthritis. Some times I could hardly walk with the swollen feet.
So this past year I started again to make jewelry, I had done some in the sixties with the hippy craze. I opened a booth in a small mini mall and to my surprise people liked what I did. So come Feb 2012 I am opening my second shop.
It keeps me extremely busy but that is what I want.
I often try to just sit and relax and read a book, love to read, so the problem with that is that I fall asleep. Fault of the writer? Maybe. Fault of the thyroid? Possible. Fault of 79 3/4 age? Perhaps. Having to be busy and counting beads and trying to find a 1mm hole is a challenge which needs me to be very awake.
I love the result because I only make what I would love to wear.
That the whole female population will agree with my taste is impossible but at least a percentage of them will. Besides that I do not overprice.
If I counted my hours I would say that I work in the red BUT most crafters work in the red. It goes with the territory.
My only problem with being 80 and semi retired is that I love to travel, love it, no matter how close or how far I like a suitcase in hand. Now I have the time and a tiny budget but no HEARING. I am very deaf. Yet to find hearing aids which are even 80 percent giving back my hearing. I cant take long trips. I can hear the blaring announcements in airports nor the waitress who wants to know if I like a, b, or c on my salad. I often say the first one and have no idea what I will get.
I am tired of telling people that I can't hear.
I am tired of my kids telling me that I am yelling at the table in the restaurant and people around us just found out what was left in my account.
I am grateful that my eyes are good , thanks to the cataract surgery I can see without my ugly thick glasses. Just need reading glasses...when I read.
The skin is shriveling (is that a word?) and the wrinkles multiply overnight.
For some reason that does not bother me. So I look 80, so what ? I am 80.
I am no longer looking for a mate or to win beauty contests, I am looking to see how long I can stretch that 80. Do I think I will become 90? Absolutely not but
83 would be nice or maybe 85. With the condition that I have all my marbles and can walk on my own and continue to make necklaces.
The world needs more necklaces!!!!
to be exact, when I will turn 80!
There is something magical to me about becoming 80.
I just never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever see that number.
When Bob and I first dated we both had this idea that most of our lives were
already lived. I was 36 and he was 42.
I do not know why we both felt this doom hanging over our heads for a short life.
We decided that no matter what the remaining years would be heavenly...
they were until he became ill. But, we had 42 years together, so much for the negativity of our youth.
Bob read palms in his spare time away from astrology charts.
He kept showing me that he was going to live till about 50.
He made it till 84, he did not want to read mine afraid to see
when I would leave, he was serious about it.
Made my chart before he took the notion seriously about dating me.
"dating" was just going and have some coffee in a coffeehouse full of hippies. It was the late sixties after all and neither of us had money to pay for a dinner.
My mother read palms, she was serious about it too and told many in our office about what would happen, she was on target too. I begged her time and time
again to read my hand and she would just take a slight peak and refuse.
She would have tears in her eyes. I thought "Its that bad!".
So my hands may have told a story but no one would tell it to me
and surely I thought I would be gone by age 50.
Now I am telling every living body that moves and speaks to me that I am going to be 80 soon. It is like a trophy!!!Well, I did have a brush with cancer, suffered years in my twenties and thirties from rhumatoid arthritis. Some times I could hardly walk with the swollen feet.
So this past year I started again to make jewelry, I had done some in the sixties with the hippy craze. I opened a booth in a small mini mall and to my surprise people liked what I did. So come Feb 2012 I am opening my second shop.
It keeps me extremely busy but that is what I want.
I often try to just sit and relax and read a book, love to read, so the problem with that is that I fall asleep. Fault of the writer? Maybe. Fault of the thyroid? Possible. Fault of 79 3/4 age? Perhaps. Having to be busy and counting beads and trying to find a 1mm hole is a challenge which needs me to be very awake.
I love the result because I only make what I would love to wear.
That the whole female population will agree with my taste is impossible but at least a percentage of them will. Besides that I do not overprice.
If I counted my hours I would say that I work in the red BUT most crafters work in the red. It goes with the territory.
My only problem with being 80 and semi retired is that I love to travel, love it, no matter how close or how far I like a suitcase in hand. Now I have the time and a tiny budget but no HEARING. I am very deaf. Yet to find hearing aids which are even 80 percent giving back my hearing. I cant take long trips. I can hear the blaring announcements in airports nor the waitress who wants to know if I like a, b, or c on my salad. I often say the first one and have no idea what I will get.
I am tired of telling people that I can't hear.
I am tired of my kids telling me that I am yelling at the table in the restaurant and people around us just found out what was left in my account.
I am grateful that my eyes are good , thanks to the cataract surgery I can see without my ugly thick glasses. Just need reading glasses...when I read.
The skin is shriveling (is that a word?) and the wrinkles multiply overnight.
For some reason that does not bother me. So I look 80, so what ? I am 80.
I am no longer looking for a mate or to win beauty contests, I am looking to see how long I can stretch that 80. Do I think I will become 90? Absolutely not but
83 would be nice or maybe 85. With the condition that I have all my marbles and can walk on my own and continue to make necklaces.
The world needs more necklaces!!!!
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