Tuesday Treasure with maybe a hint of Made of Monday

Just over a week until Thanksgiving. Just a two days until my folks get here, and then the next day we are off!

The sound track of Thanksgiving travel is running through my head:

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go…

On the road again….

Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays….Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie…

But then home is here – not there. Oh, there are things about there that are home – the people, the food, the time together, and the sense of heritage. I find myself walking a fine line between here and there.  The older I get the less connection I have to the place, though the connections to the people don’t dwindle, or at least the desire for the connection.

I love my family, but for nearly 25 years we have lived some place far away. Not some insurmountable distance, but far enough that daily life goes on. Other family moves. Kids grow up. Life happens. I am so thankful for all the technology that has continued to keep us connected so much better than long distance telephone calls and handwritten letters!

This week’s Tuesday Treasure is called On going Home. It is all about the things that come to mind as we prepare to journey to the “homeland”. 

• ·         The pumpkin pie and sled from the songs we would sing on the way.
• ·         The Steeler’s paraphernalia that gets packed and worn with pride while we are there among fellow fans.
• ·         Tokens of the travel- Construction barrels that litter the turnpike!
• ·         Images of the places we will see along the way and visit while we are there.

If you are traveling this Thanksgiving, I pray for safe travels for you. If you will spend your time with family, I pray for peace and joy for you. If you find yourself far from home and without family, count yourself blessed! No, I pray for you, too!

Enjoy this weeks treasure!

Tuesday Treasures...Turkey!

Thanksgiving is two weeks away...I can not wrap my head around that - that and everything that has to happen before and then in the wake of our thanksgiving pilgrimage to visit family...Regardless if I am prepared mentally or otherwise Thanksgiving will arrive...and with it BIG FAT TURKEYS!

Grace has been signing all about those BIG FAT TURKEYS, as she learns songs for the school program. It makes me chuckle. I love it!

I love Thanksgiving. For years it was the big holiday for me - the time when we traveled to be with family, and family gathered together. Sometime, Christmas gifts were exchanged early. There were always crafts and shopping and TURKEY!

Okay so really my favorite part of Thanksgiving is the stuffing...but there is no stuffing without... Turkey...

So here it is...this weeks treasure is turkey in all its Thanksgiving grandness...

Enjoy!

Free Advice Friday

It is my turn ladies…looking for some free advice this Friday!

What do you do with failure?

Does it harden your resolve?

Do you try again?

Do you blame others? Do you blame yourself?

Do you move on?

Do you change courses?

Does it paralyze you? Or does it light a fire for you?

I find myself not failing, but not really succeeding either, in an overall sense. I see changes that need to be made. I see things that need improved, but I find myself unable to make the changes, unable to find a place to start and feel like “This is possible”.

 I may just be on the verge of becoming a hoarder, or worse…Maybe I am just not a perfectly clean house kind of girl, but it feels so good when the house is that kind of clean. And maybe I am just not a blog everyday and run an Etsy shop kind of girl, but if feels so good when it is happening. And maybe I am just not meant to be wife, mother and student. And maybe I am just not as organized and together as everyone thinks I am…maybe I am just not who I always thought I was…but where does this leave me? What of everything on my plate does God want for me and from me? And what if what He wants for me isn’t even on my plate, yet? Then what do it do with all of “this”?

Okay…well, ladies…any advice…

I think I might go start throwing things away!

Happy Friday!

ETC - Embrace the Camera

It was her first time playing Checkers.
The first few moves she had me worried...
I wasn't sure I could beat her!

This week embracing the camera was hard for me...yes, its hard a lot of weeks, but this week I didn't get in front of the camera. I wanted to capture the happiness of my kids, not how very alone I have been feeling this week....it was such a blessing to have friends join us for dinner tonight.

Not sure what this face is about?
He sure did like climbing in and out of the chairs.

Tuesday Treasures...32

So now that I am 32, I thought that 32 would make a great treasury...WRONG!

I really had to work hard to find things that had 32 in the description and appealed to me.

Oh it could have all been paintings or photographs or baby blankets...but i am made of so much more than that!

A few of this weeks listing were sort of pushing the 32...I included things that were 32 count or .32 or 3.2...or that were in a shop that had a listing that had 32 in the description...but 32 is what it is...

and so are Tuesday Treasures! Enjoy!

Made of Monday...Handmade love

Today I turn 32...

I remember my dad's 32nd birthday...at least I am pretty sure I do.

My mom and I had baked my dad a cherry pie. I sat down to eat my piece and lost two teeth. I was six, almost seven.

I wonder if my kids will remember my 32nd birthday.

Last night, I was showered with gifts by my sweet children and husband. Grace had made me a book. She had colored and drawn and sticker-ed. Her daddy helped her by writing the words. She was so proud.

But there was one more gift, in a blue gift bag, "hidden" at her desk...

Just before it was time for her to nap today, she was sitting on the floor next to me as I feverishly worked on an over due project. She asked me how to spell love, then asked for an eraser and then how to spell love one more time.

Soon she handed over a teeny scrap of paper with all the letters to spell out Grace, Love and my initials. Using my best mommy voice and interpretive skills I asked if it spelled "Grace loves Mommy".

Yes and it goes with this she said as she handed over the mysterious blue bag.

Do we need to wait for Daddy, I asked.

I was told it no, that it was a special mommy - daughter gift!

She had asked my mom to make me a quilt for my. Thought I knew that was not what was in the bag, I did know it was something special. And it sure was...

A yellow pillow with Grace and her brother's hand prints stitched all over it!

I don't think she could have been more proud had she made it her self.

I love my baby girl and I love my mom and husband for helping foster her creativity and the value of something handmade for someone special.

Handmade with love...is what I am made of.

ETC - Embrace the Camera

To embrace the camera, one must have the camera and the SD card!

Duh, right!?!?

Not so much!

The kids and I went on a great Corn Maze adventure with the fun folks from church this week. As, I go to snap a photo of Grace holding up her prize pumpkin, two horrible things happen.

1) I realize that there is no SD card in my camera...

2) Her sweet little pie pumpkin falls out, leaving a trail of rotten pumpkin guts running down her arm!

So in true mom fashion, I stash the camera, switch to the phone and let her wipe the pumpkin ick on my pant leg. Such is life!

Linking up with The Anderson Crew...Just the Girls: Real Beauty Blog, who is sort of ETC'ing this week...and the lovely farm where we went corn mazing!

The Cow "bullet" Train

She was so excited to sit first cow! Can we say adrenaline junkie?

Jackson and his sweet friend, who happens to be my favorite
teenager and photographer!

Is it daring and adventurous?  Yes! Than my big girl is right there!
Note the nice girl in the background helping the kids...
her name is Corn Angel...!

She wasn't all the way out before she was asking to go again!

WOOSH!