Andy Graduates!

Our last of five walked across the stage on Sunday afternoon and I admit, the tears flowed. I could not believe baby Andy was a high school graduate. I had fun taking photos, as usual and we will celebrate officially on June 12 when we host Open House.

Growing Up FAST!

The 8th grade graduation dance was last Saturday night and Catie looked beautiful and just a little too grown up for her grandmother. Wasn't it just yesterday that my first grandchild was born? I remember the first moment I held her and she actually smiled at me. I claimed the dimple as "just like mine". Now she is using my makeup. Where did time go?

The Story Blanket

I have been knitting for months on a blanket made up of all my scraps of yarn and many that I have gotten by trading with other knitters by trading yarns. Today I received a request to use the photo of my blanket for an auction to benefit a children's reading program.

The project was fashioned around this children's book about a woman who had a beautiful blanket that she spread in the park for the children to sit on while she told them stories. When she noticed a child needed something warm, she unraveled a bit of her blanket to create warm socks and mittens.

St Peter Festival Weekend

I had fun last night with Daniel and Alexis riding the merry-go-round (NOT!) until I thought I was going to barf! It was great fun watching their faces, but Grandma got really dizzy. Catie and friend helped on the next spinning dinosauer ride and they rode the train by themselves. (Grandma wouldn't fit in the little cars, as I explained to Daniel.)
It was kareoke night and I was disappointed that Laura only got to sing once. There were so many singers! After she left they were calling for her to sing. Fr. Ben and Kay did a duet.
I don't cook much on Festival weekend and the kids know the food is across the street.
Daniel jumped into one of those line dances where they are calling out the instructions and he can dance! He was wonderful and did a lot better than I would have. We ended up embarrassing him because we were all laughing so hard. We couldn't believe how well he kept up with all the adults.

What a Week!

Andy now has BLUE hair! After his purple streak to match Sam's prom dress, he headed down to change it back. It didn't work. He was at the salon for hours and hours, sent me photos of himself as they piled the chemicals on, but he came home with "Cotton Candy Blue". He says, it's not for long. Graduation photos should be interesting to look back on someday.

Catie and I spent the evening dying yarn. We wound and wound, soaked and dyed, rinsed and hung our new creations to dry. I am loving that dye set I got for my birthday!


Thursday night the St Peter Annual Festival began with a Mexican Fiesta!


Catie, aka "The Carnival Queen" has been counting the days until it began and was across the street as soon as the rides started up tonight, allowance in hand. She has been saving her money, ever since I told her I wasn't paying for FOUR days at the carnival. NOBODY loves rides like Catie!




Joe and I were cashiers for the food booth last night and he was patient as I kept getting up to take photos of so many friends throughout the night.




The Mexican food was great, the beer flowed, the Mexican band played, people danced and a great time was had by all, even Josie and Rocky who came over for a bit!

Friends and Family

After a couple of years of just not caring what the yard looked like, it looked a MESS! My back will not allow me to even begin to garden, muchless take on the huge project that it was before our friends arrived to help. My friend Tami and her daughter Megan arrived with tools and energy. They began tearing weeds out of flower beds and creating new ones.


It was work day or as Mikey called it "my day to be the Yard Bitch". Andy's friends showed up and I called Justin to get him out of bed and called in all my favors. Nobody wanted to dig the pond, but those boys did it for me!


Catie got the job of picking rock, most of the day. She removed them from the beds, washed them and carried them to pile around the new pond.


Joe and Megan got right in the dirt and worked like dogs. I brought out water, drank coffee and watched with gratitude. It didn't seem fair, but it was all I could do.


Megan's creation in the corner that used to be where the dogs dug.....


More to come.........we are still working!

Happy Birthday to Daniel

Even though it was 2 weeks later, we gathered on Saturday to celebrate Daniel's 4th birthday in a rural park. We were hoping for warm weather, by waiting, but the wind blew and the sun only peeked out most of the morning. The kids absolutely didn't care! They ran through the park, up and down the slide and made S'mores.


Daniel had been shopping at Meijer with me a couple of months ago and when I told him I would buy him a toy, he led me right to a Diego bike. After I explained that bikes were special presents for birthdays and Christmas, he quickly recovered and picked out another toy. Little did I know that he would remember and talk about that bike every day until his birthday. The worst part.........the store ran out!!!

Joe and I searched the internet, called every store we could think of and found the last Diego bike in the world. It was worth it to see his smile!

Senior Prom Night

I love seeing these kids on Prom night! The day was absolutely crazy, as Mike was sick and I had to stop midway to run to the store for meds and juices. Andy volunteered to take them to his brother and then got stuck in the MSU traffic on the way home to be ready for photos.

So Justin came over and got his photos taken without Andy first. We got them together later, by going down to the boat, since the Prom was a cruise down the Grand River on the Michigan Princess.

The weather was rainy, the girls were cold in their beautiful dresses, but Troys Mom and I took photos of all the boys first when the sun peeked out for a few moments.



Then we headed to the Island for photos under the gazebo.



We made a stop at Sam's house for her Mom and Dad to take their pics, then went to eat while we waited for everyone to arrive at the boat. The next call from Andy was that he forgot the tickets! He had to run home, but still made it in plenty of time to board the boat.

Catie got her first glimpse of Prom, as we were invited to board the boat and enjoy taking photos. Just watching all the couples as they boarded was fantastic. They all looked wonderful.


Andy and Sam danced so much he came home with blisters on his feet, so I would call it a good Prom.




Everyone arrived back at our house before 1am and the boys spent the night. I am thankful for a safe and happy Prom Night. These boys have been friends so long that it was very special to watch them last night. I can't imagine graduation day. I will need a box of Kleenex!

Thank Goodness for Mike O!!!

After our tractor being down since last fall, our yard looked like a farmer's field. I had been cruising Craig's List for used mowers, after Joe had tinkered with it last fall and again this Spring. As we were about to load it up on our neighbor's trailer to go to the local repair shop (hoping it wasn't terminal) I called Mike O and asked it he would PLEASE come up.

It was only a few minutes before I heard the mower roar. I was ecstatic! The next thing I knew I saw Joe go by on it and Mike following him on his own mower. He had hauled one up to mow, just in case. Within a half hour my yard looked wonderful!

Crossing Off Stuff on "To Do" List

When I woke up this morning our neighbor was already pushing dirt with 1 of his 3 tractors that eventually ended up in our yard today. The huge hole from the pool is finally being filled! Now unfortunately since we had a rough year, he ran into first our deceased cat, Sam and then he found Andy's dog Spike. Both were reburied and the work continued.

Our yard has been the playground for moles for the past couple of years. I swear it started when Fr. Ben had mole exterminators over at the church! Today the kid were all yelling and I went out to find some little babies that had been disturbed by the tractor.

I told Andy to get a shovel and chop their heads off. He wouldn't do it. I had been trying to get rid of those moles forever! I have tunnels all over the yard and now I had them and he wouldn't kill them for me. We finally found a wildlife sanctuary and they delivered a box full of moles to be released into the woods. I didn't care as long as they were GONE!

Unfortunately I couldn't save some of the trees in the yard. The yard had to be leveled and the roots were all over. I looked out the front window and watched my favorite tree go by.



I was consoled by my friend Tami who helped me take shoots and put them in water to root. I will regrow that thing, I swear. I started it from a shoot 14 years ago and I will miss the purple blossoms each Spring. Come on roots!

Joe trimmed more trees and bushes for hours, worked on our mower for hours, ran errands and even cooked dinner. He didn't finally relax until 11pm. when he fell sound asleep. Well, he did take ONE break while he watched Andy haul brush.


Andy continued to fill the hole with brush all
day and it doesn't need much more dirt, although
our neighbor will be back tomorrow morning
to finish the job.

Tami came over to view the progress and help me plan the plantings. She has offered to bring
shoots from her plants and Joe promises my pond will be in for Mothers Day. That pond has been in the box for 3 years now and I cannot wait to sit next to it and relax.

We usually try to relax on Sunday, but since we are on countdown to Open House, the neighbor is coming to work and there is much to be done, I think we are going to have to work again tomorrow. Catie is going to pick rocks out of flower beds, since she spent most of today with her girlfriend. I told her nobody escapes this time, but she said it sounded like fun!

Too Much to DO

Everyone knows the most efficient way to completion, is to have a "to do" list. Just reading mine at the moment is enough to make me want to check in at the local looney bin. It is currently 5 pages long (school notebook paper) and growing.

The kids are always saying, "Mom! Just make a list!" so I did. Joe recently said something about "If you want things done, make a list". I wish you could have seen his face when he read it. To be honest, he glanced at the 5 pages and walked away quickly. That means no more excuses from the family. The list is published!

Yardwork, (and more yardwork), painting, fixing and more fixing. It seems there has been a lot let go over the past couple years and it is all really starting to bug me. Since I am not much use with physical labor, this puts me in the role of the Slave Driver. Joe and Andy spent the weekend digging fence posts out and trimming trees, Catie raking and helping haul brush. Catie's room is empty and waiting for paint. I went to Walmart to pick out color chips. Sounds fair to me.

With Andy's Open House coming quickly, it is a motivation to get everything crossed off. I cannot imagine what a relaxing summer it could be if "The List" was empty. Does it ever get empty?

Belated Birthday Fun

Anyone who knows me, knows that when I get into a hobby, I get INTO it! I have been knitting for about 5 years, but in the past 2 I knit every day. I watched as many of my knitting friends dyed their own yarn and wondered why. It just sounded like a lot of work. Then I began to knit "The Blankie".



The Blankie is knit from leftover sock yarn, which means it is very fine yarn. The idea behind this pattern was to use up leftovers, but it turns out NOBODY has this much leftover yarn. So, instead I joined a club of sorts that met weekly to trade yarn, work on the blanket and also to buy small bits of different colors. Then I decided I wanted to try to dye my own, in order to come up with unique colors.

Cat surprised me with a gift of a dye kit that was ordered through Threadbear. I got my kit and immediately wanted to play with it. It was SO much fun! Just like a new set of crayons with a new coloring book. My Blankie is only half done and the second half is going to be filled with my new creations.

Josie is in Heaven

Valli had an extra doggy pack and wondered if Joe would use it. Are you kidding me? Josie is in HEAVEN! She will be riding around for the rest of her life this way!

Thank God It's April!

April has always been my favorite month of the year. It started when I was small and I could look forward to my birthday. I ALWAYS got spring clothes for my birthday and didn't even think it was a rip off. That is probably because my Mom wasn't a clothes freak and bought things regularly: Christmas, Birthday and School Clothes.

Somehow it just wasn't the same as the extensive Wish List I got from Catie today for her Spring wardrobe from Aeropostle. Andy has already informed me it's time for spring clothing and Joe and Mike went shopping tonight. I had a lot of fun growing up, but wasn't what you would call well-dressed.

Not much difference today either, I noticed as I looked through my closet. I had lots of suits and dresses, suitable for work or church, but the "Stay-At-Home Mom" outfits are sorely lacking. I need to rediscover my sense of style, since I used to think that a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt would suffice for the few hours I had at home. Maybe some spring shopping in my future?

It is time to dig up the yard, plant some pretty things and enjoy the spring weather. Now we won't mention the few snow flurries we have seen this week, but focus on the spring rain. Better days are coming.......SOON!

Winding Yarn

The response to the yarn collection for the women's prisoners has been overwhelming and that is a great thing. Today Joe began to unload the bags that I have been picking up this week from the area yarn stores, which were drop off points.

Catie and her friend Courtney assisted as we began to sort, wind and pack. The girls enjoyed it and sat talking about what it must be like to be in jail. I was proud of them as they chose to spend the afternoon helping.



We are almost finished and there is another shipment on the way here, as I write. I just received emails from other knitters who are shipping boxes to my house. I am truly amazed at the kindness people have within them.

I am going to relax for an hour and knit a bit, while Joe cooks us a wonderful dinner of steaks and Botana. I am feeling a bit spoiled today and I love it.

Back in the World

I received a special gift today that will remind me daily that I have a special angel reaching out to me. This angel reaching up to touch her mother's cheek is the most beautiful image. My Dad always told me I had a special Guardian Angel. Now, I know he was right. This gift also makes me remember just how many wonderful people are in my life. I am a lucky woman.

After spending too many days alone in my house, leaving only for Dr appointments and trips to the yarn store, I realized recently that it was really time to get back in the world. You can only sit alone for so long. However, nothing seemed to motivate me.

No one wants to listen to complaints about people's health, however my pain issues were really complicating my life. It frustrated me that I could not garden, like my friends, since even a ride on the riding mower left me with back pain for weeks. I could not redecorate, since the thought of a paint brush was enough to send me looking for pain relievers and nobody around here wants to paint.

Shopping wasn't much fun, since when you stay home you really don't need new clothes. I had a closet full of suits that hung there mocking me. I missed going to work, so I packed them up. The day I did that, I ended up with so much back pain that it took 3 weeks to let up.

I had to find a way to actually start LIVING again and it wasn't going to be anything physical.

I had stopped going to church for a while, preferring to sit in solitude, which was a big mistake. The day I returned it was like the sun began to peek out a bit. I really needed to be there. As I sat reading the church paper, I saw an article about a program called Restorative Justice.

A friend of ours was asking for help to collect yarn to be given to women in prison, so they could knit for charity. Hmmm......Yarn? Right up my alley! I made the call, volunteered to work on it and began to contact my knitting friends.

Last night I visited Threadbear and found HUGE garbage bags filled with yarn waiting for me! I began to receive emails asking for my address so people could ship their donations. I got a call from Yarn Garden, telling me there were MORE garbage bags waiting.

On Tuesday I will have the privilege of going with my friend to the prison to deliver the first batch. I will fill out the papers for my security clearance and be able to volunteer to teach and assist with this program. As I have explained when I appeal for yarn, I am not out to "coddle prisoners" as Arizona Sherriff Joe would say, but Jesus did have something to say about prisoners too.

I am excited about this. It feels good to be excited about something for a change. I believe in rehabilitation. I have to believe that these women in prison, who are now focusing on giving to others, instead of their own issues, are growing from this project. I know I am.

I may not be able to mow the lawn, but I am finding things I can do. That feels good.

Yep, We are all thinking about her

"The Blog" has been silent for a few days, but we all knew why. It has been a week of trying to stay busy, trying not to think about the obvious. So tonight, I gave that up and decided to go through some happy memories.





We are all missing Karen, this week a little more than all the other days, but I sat here going through old photos tonight and it was good to see her smiling face. Laura and I were riding home tonight and we began to tell "Karen Stories" and within moments we were laughing hard.

Yes, we miss her terribly, but we can laugh so hard over millions of Karen moments. After saying something outrageous, Cat often says "Oooops! Karen just jumped in my mouth!" Catie, who has a typical 14 yr old sassy mouth some days, says..."It happens to ME all the time lately!" Then we all laugh and remember.

That is what I miss the most...never knowing what she would come out with and that wonderful, loud laughter. I love this photo so much, as she was enjoying her birthday gifts from her little ones and laughing so hard with them.

Laura and I talked about Angels tonight. We agreed Karen is with us always. We have her laughter in our ears and she will always be in our hearts.