What a Spring and Summer I am Having!

I have not posted on my blog since February!!  Where does the time go! 

Here are some things that have kept me busy this Spring and Summer:

1.  I am going to share with you something I found out in April.  I had a lump on my neck and went to the Dr.  The short version of this story is they surgically removed the lump and I have B Cell Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.  I was so taken by surprise because I have felt well and I really didn't feel sick.  I am in the first level of this cancer.  So the Dr. told me right now they are just going to monitor me, which means blood work every 3 months and Lymph Node checks.  No chemo or radiation right now.  I was a little skeptical of that diagnosis at first but then I did some research and that is what happens.  So I keep praying I stay in this level.

2.  I quit my horrible job that I endured for 1 year!  I started working in May for GCI Construction.  They are a multi-family,  family-owned construction business here in Charlotte.  I am a Project Accountant there.  I am settling in rather nicely!  Atleast there is no more screaming and yelling like at the last job!  That woman there really needs to get help!!

3.  In June I had a horrible kidney infection along with sciatica issues.  This had nothing to do with Lymphoma and I was really scared something was going on with that because the pain was almost unbearable!  I rested and got better and now I do stretches every day for the sciatica.

4.  April 19th my cute little grandson, Jack turned 3!  Where does the time go!!  On July 11th, Owen my oldest grandson will be turning 5!! YIKES, I feel old!!  They are both so cute and John and I really enjoy being with them.

5.  Saturday I was talking to my Mom on the phone and half my crown fell out!! Of course, it was a holiday weekend so I couldn't see the Dentist until today!  Well she was going to make a new crown and she has a very expensive machine that makes the crown while you wait, so no temporary crown and then 2 weeks later coming back.  Sounds good right!  Well today when they went to make my crown the machine broke.  So I now have a temporary crown and have to wait 2 weeks for the new one.  Oh well, atleast that sharp edge isn't cutting into my tongue anymore!

6.  I have been reading alot.  I have read these books:
     1.  The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Green
     2.  Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
     3.  All the Single Ladies by Dorothea Benton Frank
     4.  The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews
     5.  All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank

They were all so good but I especially like The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews.  I think it is her best book yet!!  I went to a book signing she was having at Park Road Books here in Charlotte.  I got to meet her, she signed my book and she chatted with me for a little while!  I even had my picture taken with her.  She is so down to earth and funny!!

So as you can see this is how my Spring and Summer has been!  I still would like to get to the Beach before the summer is over.  John and I might go for my birthday (July 23rd) or our anniversary (8/11).  It would just be an overnight trip but it is just what we both need!!

I have missed you all and I hope to be on here more often!  I really miss posting and chatting with all of you!

02.15.16 Valentine's Day a Day Late

Happy Valentine's Day everyone a day late.  I have had the flu and I have just started to feel a little better.  I have been sick since Thursday night with fever, chills, aches, major fatique, congestion  and upset stomach.  This is going around and I hope I don't spread it to someone else.

Last Wednesday my husband, John had a huge bouquet of flowers sent to my office and they were just gorgeous!!  He always orders flowers from The Blossom Shop here in Charlotte.  They have such wonderful ways of arranging such fresh, stunning flowers.  Here are a few pics:

This is the arrangement from the top

This is the arrangement from the side.  The dark cranberry flowers in the center of the hydrangeas are miniature calla lillies!

 I can truthfully say John did good :)!

Yesterday he ordered a heart-shaped pizza from Jet's Pizza, which was yummy!  I think I'll keep him!

On a sad note, our Golden Retriever, Teddy who is 9 years old has run into some medical problems.  His mind is fine but the vet says he has a tumor on his spine.  He has lost all control of the right front leg.  He cannot even stand on it, his elbow won't lock anymore.  His muscles have atrophied on that side of his body.  We rescued Teddy when he was 1 1/2 years old.  So he has been with us most of his life.  It looks like we will have to put him down this week because he is in alot of pain.  We really wish there was something we could do for him, but there really isn't. 

This is Teddy yesterday.  I had to help him up on the ottoman.  He loves to lay up there and sleep up there.  He also goes up there to get away from Joy.  He really cannot handle her right now.

Well that is all the news I have right now.  Sorry to end with such a sad note :(.

01.06.16 Amaryllis and Makeup

I am so excited my Apple Blossom Amaryllis is blooming!!  Here is a picture:

There are 3 of these beautiful blossoms blooming right now with a 4th to open!!  I used to have so many amaryllis in NJ when we had our farm, but one by one they died off.  I am going to buy some more next Fall and start a new collection.  That is a goal for me for 2016!

Next lets talk makeup ladies!!  I used to sell Mary Kay cosmetics (well I still can get some for myself, I'm just not having parties anymore).  I have fallen in love with 2 quads, one is called Sandstorm and one is called Chai Latte.  I love them both!!  I also use almost every day 3 different mineral eye shadows.  They are Sweet Cream, Ballerina Pink and Precious Pink.  I also put a little bit of Chocolate Kiss in the corner of my eye.  I love these colors together.  Here they are:

Chai Latte Eyeshadow

Sandstorm Eyeshadow

Sweet Cream, Ballerina Pink, Precious Pink Eyeshadow

I have every color mineral eyeshow that Mary Kay makes and I love mixing and matching these colors.  Here is my palette:

I love Mary Kay's Whipped Berries Lipstick and Pink Lustre Lipgloss.  Here is a picture of the lipstick and gloss:

Whipped Berries Lipstick

Pink Lustre Lipgloss

Hope you like my choices of makeup!  I think all these colors make me feel a little brighter in the Winter.  I also use these colors in the summer but I feel like in the Winter you need a little boost because everything is so drab and colorless. 

I hope everyone is having an awesome beginning to 2016!!

January 2, 2016 Thoughts

Happy New Year Everyone!  I hope you all have a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!!

I didn't have a very good ending to 2015! The day after Christmas, I fell on our wet patio when I was taking the dogs out.  I broke my thumb on my left hand.  As I was falling, I whacked my hand on a planter.  I highly don't recommend doing this!!

New Year's Eve wasn't much better!  I was walking into the kitchen to put salt on my popcorn and there was a little puddle of water on the floor (from an ice cube that melted).  I slipped on that and fell again.  This time I busted open my 2 toes on my right foot!  I started to go into shock.  John some how got me to the loveseat in the living room and covered me with 2 blankets.  After about 30 minutes I started to feel better.  John got the bleeding stopped thank goodness!  He put Neosporin on both cuts on my toes and wrapped them up.  I have been resting ever since.  Needless to say I am expecting 2016 to be a much better year!!

John will be taking the Christmas decorations down this year, probably tomorrow.  I will be able to sit and wrap up some things, but it is pretty much up to him.  I have been nursed by Joy, our lovely puppy.  She must sense something is wrong because she cuddles right up against me on the couch and sleeps with me while I mend!

I don't make resolutions but I do have some goals I would like to accomplish this year.  The main one is losing weight.  10 years ago I had a discectomy and I have just never got back into exercising the way I should.  I really hope I can get back into a routine after I recover from my falls.

John and I would like to plan a trip.  Hopefully to somewhere we have never been.  One of the places is the Pacific Northwest.  I had gone there as a child but haven't been back since and we really would like to do that.  We would also like to make it to the Beach more this year too.

We would also like to landscape our yard some more.  We are thinking of saving up for a fence across the back, linking that fence with both of our neighbors on either side (of course, we will ask their permission) and then put fencing up across the sides.  This would really help with the dogs and the grandkids!  We would like to put up some large trees in the back, evergreens.  Our neighbors behind us cut down all their trees in the back of their property and now we see their house more than we would like to.

I hope everyone had a wonderful start to 2016 and that it continues!!  Enjoy your journeys this year!!

Christmas Decorations 2015 and Puppy Joy!

I haven't been on here in a while, life just gets in the way I'm sorry to say.  We also have a new puppy we rescued named Joy.  Very appropriate I think for this time of year.  We rescued Joy from South Charlotte Dog Rescue.  She was in a high kill shelter and SCDR rescued her and we rescued her from them.  She is a black Lab mix.  They say she is mixed with Great Pyrenees, not really seeing that.  More black lab I think. She is a cutie!!

Joy

 

 

 

John and I decorated the house inside and out the day after Thanksgiving and the Saturday after.  The only thing left is the Christmas tree.  We have a live tree and so we are not going to put it up yet. 

Here are a few decorations:

Christmas Angel

Snowmen in the wooden bowl my Dad made.

Candle in my office at home.

Angel I made in 1991 on linen.

Christmas decorations on end table in Living Room,

Our Fireplace in the Living Room.

The Christmas runner I wove on my loom.

Our Nativity scene.

My 1st Stocking.  My Papa bought this for me. It is 56 years old!

Noel banner and wooden angel on my painted cupboard in the Dining Room.

Pinecones from our yard and the star is one my husband's family put on their tree each year.

Some more decorations on my sofa table in the Living Room.

Sled with skates on the front porch.  The sled and skates were mine when I was little.

Our Star of Wonder picture by Trisha Romance hanging int he front hall.

Waterford angel I bought in Waterford Ireland in 2004 on our 25th wedding anniversary trip.

 

 

My antique wooden spools, antique beer bottle, salt glazed Santa and Beleek Irish Cottage in the Dining Room.

Our house all lit up at night.  It's a little hard to see but you get the idea.

I love this time of year!!  Just brings wonderful times to mind this holiday season!  The grandboys are 2 and 4 years old now, so this Christmas season it is so nice to enjoy it through the eyes of a child. 

I hope everyone can enjoy this time of year and remember the reason for the season!  BELIEVE!!

Today is my Dad's 79th Birthday!

Dad and Jack

Dad and Owen

Today is Halloween and it is also my Dad's 79th birthday!  My Dad and I have had ups and downs over the years but I do love my Dad.  Sometimes he can be prickly and other times he can be really understanding and a kind person.  I called Dad today and had a really nice conversation with him.  I can't believe he is on the door step of 80!!  He was telling me about all the things he is working on around their farm and all the projects he wants to accomplish.  The pictures above were taken this Spring at my parents.  Owen, Jack, Jenny and I made the trip North to visit.  My Dad had three girls (me being the oldest) and now he has 2 great-grandsons.  He had both of them riding on his John Deere tractor and Owen even drove his Farmall Cub tractor. 

My Dad was a residential builder his whole work career.  He started doing masonry work but almost immediately went into building.  He built houses for 54 years.  I remember going with him to the cinder block supplier or the lumberyard.  He had a green dump truck that he loved and we would ride everywhere in it.  He built 2 homes for our family and my parents are still living in the last one he built.  He was and still is a hard working man.  He was always a little gruff and never showed his love for us by hugging us or giving us a kiss but we always knew he cared.  I think he has really mellowed with age and even tells me he loves me every once in a while.  Last June we all had a scare.  He was hospitalized in June and almost passed away.  He got bit by a tick and got some bacterial infection that was horrible.  We are also so glad he had good Drs. and they saw him through.

Happy Birthday Dad!!  Love you :)!!

Autumn Decorating and the Grandboys 09.26.15

This morning Jenny and the boys came over for a few hours.  The boys had so much fun playing with Nana and Papa!!  Jenny doesn't like the mess Play-Doh makes, but at Nana's house you can play with Play-Doh and the boys did!! 

Jack loves Play-Doh so much that he was hugging it :)!!!

Mama telling Jack all about Play-Doh.

Owen and Papa making Play-Doh logs to building something.

Owen was teasing Papa while playing with Play-Doh.

The last time the boys were here, Owen asked me to make a garage for him and a road.  I took all the couch and loveseat pillows and made a tunnel-like tube and then draped one of the throws over it and then I folded 2 throws in half and put them end to end coming out of the "garage.  They loved it and of course, we had to repeat that today!!

Owen and Jack outside the garage/tent.

Jack resting and watching TV outside the garage/tent.  So cute!

After Jenny and the boys left, I decided it feels like autumn with the rainy Saturday we are having so it's time to decorate for Autumn and Halloween.  Here is what I accomplished:

Dining Room Table decorations

Candle arrangement on the kitchen counter

Front door wreath.  Megan made this for me last year.  Just love it!

Living Room Mantel

Left side of the mantel

Right side of the mantel

My swan is swathed in bittersweet (Not real bittersweet but it sure does look like the real thing!)

The stained glass Jack-0-Lantern I made 25 years ago.

So now all the decorating is done, hubby is taking a nap upstairs, Teddy, our Golden Retriever is alseep on the oriental rug outside the office where I am typing and I am enjoying visiting with all of you drinking my Vanilla tea and burning a pumpkin spice candle!

This is one of my favorite mugs made by a potter in Seagrove, NC.  The gallery is called Dirtworks.  I have had that mug for about 12 or more years.  I just love!!

I am now off to read a mystery I have been reading (Ming Tea Murders by Laura Childs) and have some "me" time!  If you haven't read any of Laura Child's Tea Shop Mysteries, I would highly recommend them.  They are quick reads but great books for a rainy afternoon (or really any time). 

Enjoy your weekend everyone!!

Sherri