Memorial Day, a Day to Honor the Brave

On this weekend of remembering those who served our country and gave the "ultimate sacrifice" I am remembering special members of my family who served, yet didn't give their all in the field of battle.   My Father-in-law was a Marine in the Radar Battalion during World War II. He earned the Purple Heart and is very proud of his service. He joined the Marines for a six year tour of duty in 1939, before the Bombing of Pearl Harbor. He never speaks of his experience in battle, choosing, as he has long said, to remember good things in his life. He served in the South Pacific and his mother told of her letters from him that arrived censored, with holes snipped throughout, making it difficult to read. He is a very strong man with courage that I admire. He met his wife, my mother-in-law in the Bremerton Shipyards in 1946.  They married six weeks later after a whirlwind romance. Today we are having a party to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary. It will be an honor to see the many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren all together again. A testimony of their love and courage to make a life together that is an inspiration to their children. My husband was a Marine during the Vietnam War but was not selected to fight in that war. I was happy he was not called to serve, but his service, nonetheless was very important to the strength of our country. I am proud of him and the strength, dignity and most of all discipline he learned in the Marine Corps.    

Weighing in on Wednesday...

I have progressed into my third week of my journey to a healthy weight with a nutritionist.  I am happy with my progress so far, having gotten past that initial period of hunger. I was so used to eating just about anything any time I wanted. The more whole food I eat, the more intentional I am about my choices. Inspiration comes from many surprising areas. I came across this little pearl of wisdom on a random google visit:

"Your stomach shouldn't be a waist basket." ~Author Unknown.

Who knew?

Sleep...Elusive Sleep

"Not being able to sleep is terrible. You have the misery of having partied all night... without the satisfaction." - Lynn Johnston

Can anyone else identify with this?  I have trouble getting enough rest and cannot remember when I last slept for a full  eight hours.  I have finally learned though that it is better to get up than lay awake running a tape of the days events that will meander back and forth among my other thoughts.

When my seven year old grandson spends the night he is awake one moment and the next he is out like Grandpa and the light! What a good thing for them both!

I am going to start a sleep journal to record my progress and see what I can do to improve my rest.  Has anyone else been successful at finding a good way tot get some rest?

Pondering Life on a Thursday

"A garden is always a series of losses set against

a few triumphs like LIFE ITSELF" – may sarton

Fun Loving and Spoiled....Our New Kittens



Ginger Joe and Emma

About ten days ago we went looking for a new kitten.  The grandkids went along to make sure we picked just the right one (or, as they hoped, two). Our daughter reminded us that two kittens would keep each other company.  At our second stop we found Emma, an adorable little Tabby, our favorite breed of cat.  Jumping about the cage was little Ginger, her brother.  My husband requested a closer look and once out of the cage, Ginger Joe found the sweet spot of snuggling in his neck and creeping up so slowly to give him a good lick on the ear. That melted my husband's heart!  After knowing we couldn't leave Emma behind and seeing how well they played together, we decided to bring both kittens home.  Oh my we have not regretted it yet! They are such a source of entertainment and do get on so well.  While they do get rambunctious over all they are well behaved when it comes to being trained and quiet at bedtime and patient in the morning. It is their energy and fun loving spirit that is so enjoyable.  

We have taken them to the Veterinary Clinic twice.  Initially to the clinic contracted by the pet store and learned as confirmation that they were both healthy.  Yesterday we took them to our regular vet and just about everyone had to come in to see the babies.  Apparently it is so refreshing for them to see healthy young pets for a change.  They were so well behaved for their tests and shots the vet complimented us a lot.  Actually, all the good behavior is our good fortune in choosing two very good little kittens. 

On a side note, when hearing that our kittens were litter mates at the Pet Shop, our oldest grandson said "Oh good Grandma, you will have kittens if they are mates...." Ah, a different kine of mate but, his thoughts are ever so tender.

Small Project from My machine



FUN       PROJECT

    Our granddaughter recently turned 13.  To mark this special transition to being a teenager we gave her an       I-Pod nano for her birthday.  I wanted to make her a cover to protect this cute little power tool so I purchased some fat quarters in colors she likes.  I made two little covers, cozies, pouches or whatever they are calling them these days...this grandma tries to keep up with the lingo but...you understand.  The first one ended up too small after I played around with my new darning foot for free motion quilting. It was so cute though that I am going to keep it and create an American Girl doll purse. Here is what I came up with in the end.  I placed a magnet snap on to keep it secure and left a hole on the left side to accommodate the ear bud cord.

 I do like that new foot and once I get more practice in I look forward to more machine quilting.   I joined Karen at Sew Many Ways today for her Sew Darn Crafty Party.  Check out all the wonderful projects at the party.

Happy Mother's Day

Isn't this a sweet postcard advertising Puff Balls?  I can feel the grass beneath and smell the fresh air.  These are the types of days I like to remember from my childhood.  Picnics on the grass or playing in the yard and story times with Mom.  Good memories are cherished and they are always with me.  Happy Mother's Day to everyone who is making a child's memories this moment in time.  And a Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's who remember those early days of motherhood as though it were just a moment ago.

May Day, 2011 A day to remember!

May Day 2011 brought us the news that Terror Master Osama Bin Laden was dead. What a moment for freedom. I am so proud of our Navy Seal Team 6 and the CIA for carrying out this operation. Freedom is ringing at the White House gate, Time Square and of course Ground Zero. Americans are proudly singing the National Anthem, saying the Pledge of Allegiance and chanting USA! My heart soars, my faith in persistence is restored because although this took time it proves we must never give up. We are Americans and our resilience has stood the test of time. Perhaps as we go forward we will continue to fight and win the War on Terror.
Thank you God!  All things happen in Your time.

A New Venture for Me!

I love Pink!  It comes in handy as a breast cancer survivor, but long before that I loved Mary Kay Cosmetics.  I love the colors and how all of the products work together.  I decided last week that I would join the ranks of ladies in pink and begin selling this high quality product. I love the Golden Rule service, I like the 100% guarantee but mostly I like how it makes me feel and look.

Did you know you can also have a virtual makeover online?  A few years back I uploaded a photo of me without makeup (brave I know...) and found many ways to blend colors and technique, trying before buying....check it out!  And, if you don't have a consultant, you can shop 24 hours a day! Visit my  Mary Kay Web Site  http://www.marykay.com/mgrayhek

Choose to be Happy Now...not when you have accomplished your goals...

The time to be happy is now.  I am not sure who said that but now is the time to choose to be happy whatever my circumstances.  It works for me to "choose" to be happy.  I have been a slacker, on and off again successful with my goals.  The result is a slow effort and I mean slow to achieve my weight loss goal.

I have also slowed down on my exercise, which means I have lost some of the muscle I gained before. 
I can make myself miserable now for not meeting my goal or learn from my mistakes and forge a new path with manageable goals. First off is an examination of my heart and the goals I want to achieve.  Not having the right goals sets me back whether it is eating, exercising, getting enough sleep or having fun sewing my multitude of ideas that wait in the sewing room. 

Yes there is so much to do and so little time but planning and paying attention to my goals offers so much more for me to accomplish. In the process, I choose to be happy along this path.

Planning and Creating....

 I will be posting pictures of the Dinosaur Quilt later this week.  In the meantime I have been playing with techniques on my serger.  I have taken the machine down to my Pfaff dealer.  I have unlimited classes for five years because I bought my Serger from them.  They know and I know that I have exhausted that time but in the past year I have become more and more active in my serging hours!  This past Christmas my sweet husband let me order all of the extra feet and accessories still available for my model.  The wonderful Donna, who works there is as excited to teach me as I am to learn how to use all of these feet.  The time spent is companionable and I look forward to going each time.  The lesson learned are priceless.  Soon I will post some of these projects too. Pillows are fun to make and I have two in the works using techniques from my serger. 

Tomorrow night I am going to my second Modern Quilt Guild meeting.  Our group is a newer group and it is going to be fun to get to know everyone and learn from each other as we get acquainted.