Marriage

I believe in marriage.  I have a happy marriage and love my husband more every day.

When we talk with young couples about marriage we tell them our three secrets to a happy marriage:

1. Take turns loving each other "more".  On odd days my husband loves me more.  On even days I love him more.  On special days like birthdays or anniversaries, we love each other equal.
2. No matter how far apart we are (hubby travels 150,000 miles a year) we always tell each good night and say I love you.
3. We celebrate being married every 100 days.  Yup, you read that right-every 100 days we celebrate being married.  Sometimes we go out for special dinner, sometimes we buy a special item for the house.  If it's an annivesary for a 1,000 day milestone we often go away for a long weekend.

How do you celebrate being married or in a committed relationship?

Sweet P

Laughter

Yesterday was a day full of laughter in our house - it was a Disney Junior 4th Birthday party for Mr. E.

Everyone was greeted at the door by Mickey & His Friends

 There were pirate hats to color, a Cars training manual and a pirate chest full of treasures.

The treasure chest is a recycled box found on sale at the store.

We painted it brown and filled it with treasures.

It's next life will be somewhere in my craft storage.

Cupcakes were required.

As were presents

Three of the cousins stayed all the evening.

We ended up playing cards in the Man Cave.

This photo was taken at 10 pm and Mr. E was still going strong!

He finally fell asleep at midnight and is still sleeping at 8 this morning.  It was a long and laugh-filled day!

Sweet P

Kitchen

I love my kitchen!  It's not big and fancy. It's on the small side and the perfect size for me.  It helps that shortly after we moved in, we had our handy man build out the one closet on the main floor into a pantry for me.

The main part of my kitchen is ready for big time party prep in a couple hours.  There are cupcakes, fruit salsa and snacks to be made for a party filled afternoon and evening in our house.

What are you doing this weekend?

Sweet P

Jammie Day

Not today, but tomorrow is a Jammie Day for me.  I have a previously unplanned day off, the weather is going to crappy and I have a party to get ready for on Saturday.

It will be a perfect Jammie Day for me!

Do you ever have a Jammie Day? What's your perfect Jammie Day?

Sweet P

Insomnia

Insomania is not what I am dealing with today.  Instead I'm off to an early bed time

Good night!

Sweet P.

Happy

I'm happy the sun is shining today.
I'm happy there was a thunder storm early this morning.
I'm happy the temps were in the 60's this afternoon.
I'm happy to have a birthday party to get ready for this weekend.
I'm happy, that after two plus ears, I have learned how to blog from my iPad.

Are you happy?

Sweet P

Always Going

I am always going somewhere - to work, to home, to bed, to the store.  I never seem to stop going.  Today I am taking a break from going.  Instead I'm parking myself on the couch with:

A birthday boy next to me:

My crocheting (with my repurposed yarn) in my hands:

Watching this:

I hope you're having a wonderful day!

Sweet P

Food, Fun, Frugal

Unlike "E", "F" gives me many ideas to write about.  The three best ones are:

Food

I love to cook.  I love to cook anything with this in it:

 I took that and made it into a steaming bowl of stew

Food goes along well with Fun

First the first time in his young life, Mr. E had milk on Froot Loops.

I gave him a straw to slurp up the milk.  He loved it!

Mr. E is always full of fun.

Recently they had circus day at day care.

He came home dressed up as Super E!

Fun goes with being Frugal

My father taught me to always shop for a bargain.  Today I found a great bargain.  I cleaned the $1 papercrafting bins at the store.  I came home with all these goodies for papercrafting fun.

Now I'm off to enjoy my favorite Food: hubby cooked Rib Eye Steaks.  Then it's an evening of Fun while I start a new crochet project using Frugal (i.e., repurposed) yarn.

I hope you have a great day off tomorrow from blogging!

Sweet P

Brought to You By The Letter E

Mr. E would be the obvious choice for a post about E.  However, I'm sure you will see more of him popping up over the next few weeks.  I struggled with finding the right "E" word to write.  Instead I'm only going to list a the "E" words that floated through my brain.

Excellent
Enthusiastic
Emphasize
Eschatology
Envelope
Exciting
Emotions
Everyone
Ecru

The End

Sweet P

Disney

With a very soon-to-be four-year-old grandson it should be no surprise Disney is my "D" word.  Ethan loves Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Little Einsteins, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and even Princess Sophia.

His birthday party next weekend will be a Disney Junior/Cars themed party.  Nearly all of the presents we are giving him are Disney-themed.

And, of course, he will be taking his fist trip to "Mickey's Castle" (that's his name for Disney World) this summer.  We will be staying on property for a full week with lots of visits to the parks and swimming and mini golfing and fun.

Here is my Windy Night work from yesterday.  I used neon crayons for the background and markers for the swooshes.  The hint of yellow and flowers in the corner are signs of spring trying to pop into the sky.

I hope you had a wonderful day!

Sweet P

Create, Creating, Creative

"Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it. And his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it "creative observation." Creative viewing." -William Burroughs

I majored in Philosophy and Religious Studies in college.  I remember many early mornings spent in Philosophy class discussing one or two paragraphs from a 15-page reading.  I didn't understand how fun or educational it was to discuss a small set of words and what their meaning was in relation to the rest of book or the author or the world.

Now, once in a while, I do like the challenge of discussing a word and its meaning.

For example, take the word "create".  Here are two definitions of create from Dictionary.com:

1. to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.
2. to evolve from one's own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention.

Both of these definitions may lead you to believe to create is a special act, perhaps by a talented person.  I maintain each person can create or be creative.  It all depends on your point of view.

Open your fridge door.  Creatively observe the eggs in their carton, the cheddar cheese in the drawer and the bacon on shelf.  Those items cannot naturally evolve into an omelet for breakfast.  You have to (using the definition) cause the omelet to come into being.  You created breakfast!

How about the pile of dirty laundry in the corner?  It isn't going to spontaneously jump into the washer, then the dryer, fold itself and put itself away.  You can be creative with the laundry by folding it in a new way or put it in a new spot.  (I know this is a stretch, but humor me.  Three is my number and I needed three examples.)

As I write this I see my bag of markers, crayons and pencils sitting on top of my sketchbook.  I am listening to the wind blowing hard, sounding more like a mid-Winter wind than a gentle early Spring breeze.  In my mind I am creatively viewing a swirl of colors across the sketchbook paper.  

Therefore, I am off to play.  Maybe I'll be back with a photo of my work later. 

What have you creatively observed today? 

PS - I missed my Blog Anniversary on Monday.  I started this blog adventure on April 1, 2006.  Wow!  I can't believe it's been that long! 

Sweet P

Boys, Boys, Boys

A perfect word for "B" - BOYS!

My life is filled with BOYS and I'm OK with them.
This is my youngest son and his fiance

My hubby, AKA Grampa, and Mr. E

 Son #2 and Mr. E

My oldest son was killed in a car accident in 1997.  He left behind a then three-year-old son who lives with his grandparents in Virginia.

Needless to say, I'm good at boy stuff: football, baseball, golf and Hot Wheels.  Dirt is no problem.  Worms and bugs are a problem.

When we get together with the family, you're more likely to find me hanging out with the children or the men than with the women of the family.

Are you more comfortable with boys or girls?

Sweet P

A is for . . .

BIG A, little a 

What begins with A?

Aunt Annie's alligator

A...a...A

Dr. Seuss's ABC

This rhyme ran through my head all night as I mused on my topic for the letter A.  When you have an adorable four-year-old grandson Dr. Seuss is part of your reading repertoire.

Where does A fit into my life?

About Me

For any new readers, let me tell you about me.  I am a 50-something wife, mother, and grandmother (or Dema as my grandson, Mr. E, calls me).  We live in beautiful Dover, NH where it snows most of the winter and the sun shines most of the summer.

 

I work for a large fabric and craft retailer as a merchandise manager.  I love my job as it allows me to work creative co-workers and help creative customers.

At least one night and one day a week, I have the extreme pleasure of Mr. E being here.  We have a ton of fun together as we play, create, garden and enjoy growing up.

I spend time every day creating something.  Which leads me to my second "A":

Art

In grade school I loved art class.  I enjoyed cutting, coloring, drawing and painting.  I was chosen to paint the Queen of Hearts on the school's library window.  I didn't pursue art through junior high and beyond.  Academics were more important to me.

As an adult I always longed to take a drawing or art class.  One morning on the way to work an SUV drove by advertising private art classes.  I quickly jotted down the number.  When I sat down at my desk I picked up the phone and nervously dialed the number.  Soon I was signed up for a weekly private one hour art class.  I started with sketching.  I practiced and practiced, but never felt comfortable drawing.  Instead we turned to painting.

Two years into the classes, I rediscovered quilting - an art my Irish grandmother taught me when I was young.  I left the art class and focused on quilting and playing with fabric.

Fast forward to today.  I now play and create art in many ways: with fiber, with fabric, with paper.  I am starting to explore with mixed media formats as well.  Below is a my first attempt at mixed media with a cover for a new sketch book.  I used Gelatos, pens and chipboard stickers.

My last "A" word for the day is Awesome!  That's my description of my life.

Thanks for stopping by and come around tomorrow to see what the letter "B" brings to this blog.

Sweet P

Can I Blog A to Z?

My niece wrote on her blog this morning she is going to participate in the A to Z Blog Challenge in April.  Mmmmmm . . . sounded interesting.  I checked it out, mulled over it while cooking and cleaning, and decided to give it a try.

My theme is Around the House.  A little food, a little arts and crafts, a little family, a lot of fun.

For now, here is Mr. E ready for Easter morning church in his new suit.

I hope you will check back daily to see how I show off my A, B, C's!

Sweet P

A Day Off with Grampa

This past Monday Grampa had the day off and he spent it with me and Mr. E.  Mr. E was excited when Grampa hopped into the car to join us on the way to therapy.

After therapy we went to the indoor playground.

It was a busy place on the holiday.

 After play time it was off to Friendly's for lunch.

Mr. E needed Grampa's help deciding what to have for lunch

After a busy morning it was nap time.

Mr. E decided to nap in his tent.

 He's in there - somewhere!

At the end of the day, he and daddy spent time playing on their I-pads.

This week it's mommy's turn to spend Monday with us.

Sweet P

List #6 - Things I Do Every Day

 List #6 - Things I Do Every Day

1. Brew a fresh pot of coffee
2. Read Facebook, check in on Ravelry and read Blogs
3. Hug my hubby
4. Smile, a lot
5. Be happy
6. Sing
7. Create
8. Think about exercising more

To learn more about 52 Lists, check out Meet Me at Mike's.

Sweet P

List #5 - Favorite Snacks

 List #5 - Favorite Snacks

1. Cinnamon Almonds
2. Banana
3. Fruit chews
4. Chocolate of almot any kind
5. Corn chips with black bean and corn salsa
    

For more yummy snack lists, check out Meet Me at Mike's.

Sweet P

List #4 - Favorite Smells

I'm catching up on 52 Lists this week.

Here's list #4 - Favorite Smells

1. Coffee brewing
2. Lavender
3. Cookie butter spread on warm toast
4. Fresh cut grass
5. Rain
6. Hubby when he gets out of the shower
7. Onions sauteing on the stove
8. Simmering chili

Learn more at Meet Me at Mike's.

Sweet P

List #3 - Childhood Shows

List #3 -  Favorite Childhood Shows

I wasn't much of a TV watcher growing up.  I spent more time playing outside than inside.  This is a short list.

1. Brady Bunch
2. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
3. Batman
4. Lawrence Welk (loved the music)

For more lists, check out Meet Me at Mike's.

Sweet P

Mid-February Update

I wish I could get back on a regular blogging schedule.  I have many excuses for not writing posts these days:

• Working too many hours.  When I started writing this blog I was working 50 hours a week.  That's more than I'm working now.  Bad excuse!
• Sharing my life on Facebook.  This has merit.  It's easier and faster to write two or three sentences, post a photo and call it "good".  Plus more people read my Facebook ramblings than my blog.
•  My adorable Mr. E keeps me busy.
• The biggest reason of all: My free time is devoted to creating, whether it's crocheting, needlepointing, paper crafting, cooking.

What motivates you to keep blogging?


Anyway, we survived the blizzard last weekend.  The storm gave me four days off, three of them housebound with my hubby.  Here's a brief photo trip through the storm.

My car - 10:30 am Friday morning

 Same car - 10:30 am Saturday morning

Looking to the right of my car

 Hubby starting to dig out the car

I spent a lot of time creating during the storm.

I cut out hearts for Mr. E

(stupid photo won't stay turned)

 I put together a Snow Day mini album

(another photo that won't turn)

And I crocheted 18 mini baubles

We enjoyed the time hibernating.  It was the first time in years we got to enjoy snow days together!

What have you been doing lately?

Sweet P