Mixing It Up!

Down to the wire, last day to enter Betty Crocker's "Mix It Up with Betty!" annual cookie contest. I experimented with two recipes and entered Peanut Butter Snack Pies and Get Up and Go Cookies.

In March I'll find out if I'm a finalist, I'll let you know.

Wish me luck!

Craft Night - Beaded Bracelets

Our 3rd Craft Night had a Valentine's Day theme and was all about the glitz and the glittery!

We first feasted upon homemade Cheese Puffs hot from the oven and delicious Chili Cheese Dip (yummy, thanks Jen!), followed up by salad, Beef Stroganoff, and Citrus Cupcakes.

Mom and I opened up our bead stash as well as newly purchased baubles to the bead novices. Our eager beaders (ha ha!) could make two bracelets one in red for Valentine's Day and another in any other color. The novices made interesting and bold selections to create their masterpieces.

The bracelets were quickly strung on stretch cord or tigertail and I assisted by doing the knotting (sometimes not too well, oops!) and finishing.

The dining room rang with lots of chit-chat, laughter, "oohs", and "ahhhs" as finished bracelets were proudly displayed.

Thanks everyone for another great Craft Night, Mom and I had fun and hope you did too!

Middle Child

Welcome to the world
baby girl!
Diane and Jerry welcomed their fifth child on this day in 1968, Lisa Ann.

Our little cutie at 3 months old.

Lisa is the middle child of nine, she is also the middle girl--a double whammy! My fun loving sister, pictured front and center in 1971 in the brown dress, had to deal with four older siblings trying to tell her what to do and in turn had four younger sibs to boss around. I think here in her formative years is where Lisa developed her outgoing nature, her ability to multi-task, and her competitive streak.
My Aunt Patsy, who has a mind for details of people and events, as a child created a newspaper of sorts with all the stories she overheard her adult family discussing. Much to my grandmother's dismay, young Aunt Patsy then distributed copies to neighbors (what else do you do with a newspaper!). Lisa has inherited this detail-oriented mind and can remember soooo many things, even from early childhood--it is scary! She could definitely give our Aunt Patsy a run for her money in the memory department and would have made a wonderful co-contributor of the newspaper.

Lisa, loyal friend, generous sister, and devoted daughter,
Happy Birthday!

One last thought, please note in the above 1981 birthday photo, how I seem to be the only one singing, Glenn has covered his mouth to prevent himself from blowing out the candles, and Renee seems bored by the event...Hmmmm?

Song in my Head

Today, I woke up with a song in my head..."precious and few are the moments we two can share"...I don't know how it arrived it my head. I don't remember hearing it on tv yesterday, I don't recall hearing while I was in the car, and I didn't turn the radio on this morning. "Precious and Few" accompanied me all while I played and walked with the dog. I kept wondering why am I playing this song in my head. My own personal elevator music continued as I ate breakfast. Anytime I wasn't actively thinking, the song merrily bounced around my head, why!

It is not an anomaly only to me, getting a song stuck in your head happens all the time to all of us. But why was my brain torturing me with this particular song on constant replay. I finally decided it must be a message! I'll probably sound as syrupy sweet as the song, but I think the message is to appreciate the people around me more, that the moments we have together truly are precious and few. It is not a new thought to me, I am reminded of it as I care for my parents, or spend time with a friend or relative that I don't see often enough.

I take so many things in life for granted like electricity, clean water, good food, etc. If challenged I could live without many of those things, but what a sad, empty life I would have without my family and friends. So, here's a pledge to my dear ones: may our moments always be precious and never be few. Love to all!

New Year's Gift

I am going to focus on enjoying life more, all the good, funny, happy moments. I am going to worry less about what has happened and what might happen. Instead of losing myself in negative thoughts, I will try to be more positive. This is not so much a resolution as an awareness of wanting to be a better person--to love more, to laugh more, to enjoy all the truly wonderful people in my life.

My New Year's Gift to you is to

Enjoy the Moment!

I will.