Weddings

I love weddings.  I love the ambiance and happy people.  I love the decorations that reflect the time of year.  I love singing YMCA and tossing my hands in the air to make the letters...  

The dancing, the food, enchanted children, and the hope for a future of living happily ever after for the new bride and groom... I love it all!

Today my friend Christie got married.  Good times.

Late to the church.  Hurry, Christie!

Is this the same seventeen year old that used to come to my office for advice and to read her horoscope in my newspaper daily? (I made her read the Bible Digest first... it was our agreement.)  

No...  It's thirteen years later.  Did we lose a few years along the way??

She used to say I was her second Mom.  

I liked that title. 

 One day she brought her best friend Vickie to my office, and then Vickie started to come to me for advice as well.  I was more of a listening ear than anything.  I was a teenage girl once myself, so I could relate.

Now Vickie is married with a little girl of her own.  Brooke was the flower girl.  

Beautiful Brooke

Every good deed or kind word that we speak today can make an impact on a life.  I'm thankful for a chance to be there for the girls at a crucial time in their lives...  when they needed someone.  And I'm thankful that these beautiful girls include me in their lives today.

I am truly blessed.

Finding A Fix

I blew another Friday off.  

Put a 'Closed' sign on the office door

... and headed West.

I won't bore you with my numerous yard sale finds.  Let's just say it was a good day... Really.

And though the yard sales were great, the antique stores were better!!

Around each beautiful corner is a memory. 

My mind wanders back in time to a simpler place. A sweeter time.  A slower pace.

But wait, what is this?

Something so wonderful, 

I can't believe my eyes!

  The one thing that will sustain me and get me through the dark days-the gray skies-the cold, wretched winter months.

S.A.D. be gone.  

It's going to be one happy winter!!!

Surviving the Seasons

October is not my favorite time of year.  It gets dark too soon.  There.  I've said it.  Sorry, but that's the way I feel.

Last year while strolling through Amish craft shops in Berlin Ohio, a lightbulb went off inside my head.  I was feeling all warm and fuzzy as I glided past the soft twinkling lights, fall flowers, scarecrows and smells of pumpkin spice. So I thought... I can do this.  I can have this same fuzzy feeling right in the comfort of my own home.  It will help me deal with the blues I get this time of year.  

So I started spending the money that (up until then) I had been hoarding.  

I collected a lot of Autumn stuff... 

I'm thinking my fireplace might be a little too cluttery, what do you think?  Rissie likes to play with the stuff so maybe I went overboard.  Also, does anybody know how to get the sooty area of the fireplace clean?  Open for suggestions...

These things make me happy.  Even on short dark days.

And, oh my!  There's my dried wildflowers...  They found another home.  

This is a Peanut Shell Pumpkin.  He looks like he might need Pro Active.  Rissie supervised my carving him into a being...   He needs a name. 

These froggy's make me happy.  Yard sale find.  Ten cents.  I almost lost them Saturday when I agreed to let Rissie take them home with her.  She forgot.  Shhhhh....

Toasted Hazelnut...  Smells so good!

*Happy Face*

Pumpkin Spice of course....

At night I am at peace watching the soft lights and leaves...

And though this fall basket is pretty...

It's even prettier when the lights are down...

More stuff that 
makes me happy:

But what's making me really happy right now is Gracie's face as she "Questions" why I'm in the mud room taking pictures of smiley faces on the wall.....  

Everything has to be routine.  Every word has to be ones she hears every day.  Everything has to go according to her plan.  Otherwise...

She's confused.