Coming Home *What makes a home?*

Two more days!!! My daughter and her son will be home for two weeks. How does one prepare a home? How do we create the love & warmth? It is so much harder when this is not the childhood home of my children ... they were all military kids. I try to put things together that I think will invoke memories of their lives, pieces of their grandparents and of course ... cookies in the cookie jar.

Is it having a home that is immaculate? It is having that basket full of lotion, magazines, favorite foods in the frig?

I've put her favorite quilt, that was my Mom's on her bed. Her pillowcases are handp-embroidered by my Grandma -- the little touches my Mom would always do.

Just seeing my daughter everyday, my first born and her first born .... no words to express the love I have in my heart.

Someday I hope that she'll (and the others) will look at my home as their home. We used to say "Home is where the Marine Corps sends you". Now it is ... "Home is where Mom is..."

I sincerely believe the love of a Mom, the special things only a Mom knows ... those are part of it. A basket full of M&Ms, scrap magazines, a fun book, Cosmo, pretty lotions and a few other tokens. Staying up and visiting. Sharing "Mom" moments together. What a difference from the last time she visited ... she was a single woman with a wonderful partner. Mark is still the wonderful partner and now she has a son.

To be continued ... with love & of course, lots of pictures!

Coming Home

Two more days!!! My daughter and her son will be home for two weeks. How does one prepare a home? How do we create the love & warmth? It is so much harder when this is not the childhood home of my children ... they were all military kids.

This Grandma is Bragging ... again

I'm soooo excited. My daughter and her son, Grandson #1, will be here next week. They'll be spending a couple weeks with us. Did I say I was excited??? hee hee Been working on the grocery list for about a week now. You know how it is ... coming home means Mom makes favorite foods, keeps the cookie jar filled (my better half likes this part) and does special things. Just about have GL's room ready and am making Missy's room special for her.

My girls are great about sending pictures over snapfish. Love it because I can then order & download what I want.

Here are some of the most recent ones of GL at 3 months old.

Scrapbooking Retreat

I've have been wanting to go on a scrapbooking retreat for the longest time. One of the gals over at CMK has a place that she posted on her blog. You'll need to check it out. I want to stay in the Pink Room ... obviously because I'm a wanna-be Rodeo Queen! hee hee

Here is here blog .... she also has a RAK listed

http://creativejourney.typepad.com/creative_journey/2009/02/lovely-friends-2-sketches-4-you-rak.html

Circle Journal

If you haven't noticed by now, I enjoy writing. I could just ramble on all day long when you put me in front of a keyboard and tell me to 'take off' with my words.

Over at Create My Keepsake I'm getting a circle journal going. Right now we have three people and are looking for a few more. If you'd like to participate, check out the thread at http://www.createmykeepsake.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28583

Charity Hassel wrote this great article on her blog about Circle Journals -- I invite you to check it out. http://meaningfulmenagerie.blogspot.com/2008/01/circle-journals.html

I'm excited to combine my love of writing with my love of scrapbooking. Sharing my book with friends is a bonus ... having their thoughts, emotions & creativity in MY book is a treasure.

Have you participated in a circle journal? I invite you to post your link here of your circle journal.

The Most Kissable Lips & Honey's Cookies

When I worked at a retirement community they would have a most kissable lips contest. The women would put on their red lipstick, plant a smacker on a piece of paper and then the men would vote on the 'most kissable lips'! Isnt' that a hoot!

What do you do for Valentines Day? Are you a hopeless romantic? Do you own stock in Hallmark thus you see it as a commercial made-up day?

Me -- hopeless romantic. Eternally hoping & wishing for the ultimate V-Day.

Let me back up here. I have had the ultimate Valentine Day many, many times at different times in my life. As a little girl and having gone to an all girls school until 8th grade -- well Valentines from my classmates were fun, but they weren't the ones. I remember Mom helping make my Valentine mail box, creating Valentines for my classmates and teachers. And of course Mom always baked her special Valentine sugar cookies with a maraschino (sp?) cherry filling. I remember when she would send them to me later in life, I'd hide them in the freezer because I didn't want to share them with my family. I've tried to imitate the recipe, but it just doesn't have Mom's love in it.

Ultimate Valentine Days after children: Helping the kids make their Valentines for classmates & friends, and also their special mailboxes. Sharing their giggles when they came home and read who they got Valentines from and maybe what that Valentine 'meant'. I have always cherished the memories fo the kids making me homemade cards, special gifts, and as they got older -- tasty food. Those were definitely true love days for me. The kids also looked forward to Honey's (my Mom) homemade cards & of course, the above mentioned cookies. Honey would always write a poem just for them .. something to the tune of 'Roses are Red, Violets are Blue ........'

Being the hopeless romantic that I am I like to make a big deal on Valentine's Day. Candles, music, a special meal .... a day out of the year that I purposely give an extra emphasis on how much I appreciate and love the man of my life.

I love the unexpected and I look forward to the unexpected. If you are part of my special circle of friends you are probably thinking ... "is this the year?" Well if I knew the answer that would be expected .... so lets all wait for the unexpected.

I'd enjoy hearing about a memorable Valentine Day you've experienced.

Just wondering about the big picture.

Do you ever wonder why you do what you do? Do you stop to ask yourself 'why' do I have this hobby, this job, my partner, and so on? This weekend I participated in a YogaFit training workshop. I went in with the intention of learning how to better myself as a yoga instructor and came away with the intention to commit to being more selfish with my self-care. Somehow I get lost at times in the big picture of things. Not getting lost as in how the heck did I get here. But lost in the sense that I forget to take care of me ... after all I am in the big picture.


I've recently downloaded a book by Elizabeth Lesser Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow. Driving here & there I will put it on and listen. As I was listening last night she spoke of going through hard times, fear, and other emotions/life events to get to a place of happiness. As she was speaking my mind began to wander and I realized where this recent feeling of 'funk' has come from. 12 years ago this week my divorce was final. This next Friday, if we were still married, it would have been our 27th anniversary. Is a divorce really final? In my opinion and what I've experienced ... no. Yes the marriage is over legally but the emotions and so much more continue for years to come. There is a grieving process of a great loss. There is a sadness for what as a family we will not share & experience together.

As I look back I would have never believed at the time that ...

there was light at the end of the tunnel
I would find happiness again as an individual
I would experience happiness, love & joy with another person
I would put one foot in front of the other
I could grow spiritually & emotionally
and I would be able to look back with happiness & sadness vs. hate & a gripping, painful sadness.

Recently a friend shared with me her pain of divorce and what she is experiencing. I listened, hearing the pain & sadness of my own experience. I listened. I listened. And, I listened. I wanted so much to say ... "Hey, you're going to get through this .... really." I didn't. I don't know how her road will look. I didn't know how my road would look. I didn't believe others when they would say "You'll get through this". Each of us walks the path in different ways ... one thing I have learned is that none of us walk that straight ahead on that path. I took many detours, walked in circles, sat down to rest, cried, held my head high, slumped, was held up by my faith in God, held hands with friends, laughed, journaled, did nothing, slept, and loved. What do I tell my friend? I tell her that I am here for her. I hug her. I share my past hurts while letting her know she will have her own experience. I remind her to take care of herself and not let herself get lost in the big picture of life.

As I continue to wonder about the big picture in life I will continue to walk one foot in front of the other. I will continue to live, laugh & love. I will remain open to opportunities & possibilities in my life.