Reflecting on the pink in my life...

 

...and realizing with certainty that, "It will be gone before you know it.  The fingerprints on the wall appear higher and higher.  Then suddenly they disappear."   ~ Dorothy Evslin

So, I am treasuring the moments.

Valentine's Day 2012.

The reasons I have to smile today.

My hot cup of morning coffee with a tiny red heart on the side, was the perfect way to start the day.

My candle lit breakfast added a touch of romance.  Of course, that is a daily practice in our household.

I really like the little soft heart-shaped candies that I picked up at Trader Joe's on Saturday.

They look so good on my old rose plate.  Would you agree?

But, most of all on the this day set aside for "love", I am thankful for the guy that I have shared 38 Valentine Days with.

What an amazing thought that is for me today.

I remember clearly, the Valentine day before we were married.  I had heard him proclaim that chocolate whoppie pies are one of his favorite foods.

I baked two dozen of them and put them in a big box.  He told me years later, when he opened the gift, he felt like he would be eating them for the rest of his life(because of the amount and the size of each one). It was the thought that counted, right?  I guess two dozen was over doing it:)

The two of us in 1975 and newly married.

In 1987...looking forward to the birth of our third daughter.

In 2011.

"Love at first sight is easy to understand.  It's when two people have been looking at each other for years that it becomes a miracle."   ~Sam Levenson

We have been looking at each other for many years, and he remains... my very favorite reason to smile today.

Wishing each and everyone of you, a reason to smile today, however small that reason may be.

This rose is for you!

 The invitation said" Girl's Night Out". 

Wear pink and/or black.

Guestlist is a surprise, so no discussing this with anyone.

My youngest sister was the hostess.  She told us that this was the first time in her life that she decorated any part of her home for Valentine's Day.  She certainly did a beautiful job!  The tablescape was a masterpiece!

She purchased this foil tree from Target.  Then she took a strand of foil hearts, cut them apart, and glued them onto the tree.  It immediately dressed up her big round table(that her husband built for her), in a colorful, festive fashion.

We freely gave our hostess ideas as to how she could dress up this tree, for many holidays:)

What a fun way to add pizazz to a Valentine party.

As each guest arrived, the surprises continued.  It was so much fun seeing who was invited. 

We are a group of family and friends who spent many Thursday mornings together years ago, when we got together for a weekly Bible study.  We shared memories, laughter, stories, updates, lessons learned and blessings we gained from our studies together.  Years have passed since our times together.  We now found ourselves, a group of "almost" empty nesters, empty nesters, and grandmothers sitting together, amazed at how quickly it all happened. 

The details of this table were endless.

One of my favorite details were the glittering initials tied onto each chair, identifying where we were to sit.

I don't think I ever saw so much pink.  Pink is a happy color!

The tomato bisque was exceptionally good!  The hearts were cut out of slices of American cheese and added yet another artistic touch to the meal.  My sister credited our mother for that suggestion.  She added touches of beauty to every food she served in our growing up years, and now, we find ourselves doing the same.  Thanks Mom!

We were each given a pink, sparkly bag with a small gift inside.  We were to open them and share what was inside them with everyone.  If someone wanted what we had opened, they could take ours.  In other words, it was a bit like..."now you have it, now you don't".   You can imagine how much fun and laughter this game generated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But, the main reason for this party, was for the elegant looking lady in the above picture.  She is our dear, life long friend and is going through a difficult journey right now.

Having been diganosed with cancer this past summer,

she had one of her many chemotherapy sessions the day before this party. 

We were thrilled to have her join us.  It was a much bigger feat (to attend), than any of us could imagine, and we each felt gratitude in our hearts, that she was there.

She shared what was on her heart.  We laughed and cried with her.  What a lady!

I told her, "that she was a beautiful example of looking good through cancer".  Her blond wig was the perfect style for her.

We were all honored to have her with us, and it certainly gave the "heart holiday", a new perspective for each and every one of us.

All the ingredients were present to make this a most memorable evening.

It was a Valentine party extrordinaire!

Thank you dear sister for all you did to create this wonderful evening for each one of us.

Wishing you a good weekend!

It is snowing and cold here.  I know that "cold" is relative.  Where my youngest daughter lives, it was minus 40 degrees yesterday.  Bless her heart!

In my continuing to clean and organize, I discovered this picture that I had saved from a past magazine, using an wooden sewing machine drawer.

It reminded me of my own old wooden drawer in the attic.

I took the three old jelly jars that I had purchased at an antique mall, and decided to use them with the drawer.

In the corner of my bathroom, I sat the drawer with the jelly jars.

It was the perfect way to hold some of my needed supplies.

I find it much better than having these items loose in my cupboard.

A simple idea using items from long ago.

Do you think that the dear lady who stored all her thread and needles in this drawer at one time, could have ever imagined that someday, years in the future, some lady would use the same drawer to store items, on her bathroom vanity?

Yesterday's snow added so much beauty to my early morning hour today.

As the sun now rises, the snow continues to melt.  Like so many things in life, here today, gone tomorrow.

 

"Very early" morning quiet,  beautiful snow scenes in front of me, a cup of hot coffee, and some deeply treasured time to read... are all some of my very favorite things in life.

Just a little something from me today!

Thanks for stopping by!  Remember..."old" is good!

"Do you know what I would like for lunch?"

No, "what would you like?"

"Let's make toast with an egg in the center, like my dad taught me to make."

I was quite impressed that his dad had taught him this skill.

I pulled out my tin heart cookie cutters and two slices of frozen bread.

Carefully and slowly, his little hands pushed the cookie cutter.

Immediately, after completeing the job, he asked if he could eat the two cut out hearts?

I wondered if his dad taught him that too?

We put the eggs in a skillet and broke an egg into the center of each heart.

We(I) sprinkled some salt lightly on the bread and eggs and he asked to sprinkle the black pepper:)

We covered the skillet with a lid and waited until it was done.

I placed the finished creation on a plate and added a red candy heart.

He looked at it and asked me, "MawMaw, does that mean you love me?"  I quickly affirmed his sweet question.

Moments like these, will not last for too long.  I treasure them all in my heart.

"It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary."  ~Paulo Coelho

I know that I showed you the heart cookies my neice makes, but I wanted to share a picture of a plate of cookies that her mother brought to church on Sunday.

What a masterpiece!

One of the highlights of my "Super Bowl Sunday".

More beautiful in my mind than any of the half time features of the game.

Yes, it is the simple things in this life, that really matter.

Thanks for stopping by.

"The next time a sunset steals your breath...

or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless,

remain that way.

Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers,  "Do you like it?  I did it just for you."

~Max Lucado



~Thanks to my uncle for capturing this exceptional scenery with his camera.

Wishing you a rewarding day!

It is an old diner.  It was moved from Texas to our state, and it was a fun, nostalgic place to visit.

Recently, we helped to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday.

We all met here, my other sister-in-law and my mother-in-law.

Walking in the front door immediately transfers one back in time.

Back to the fifties, or so I am told:).

Colorful, clean, and so well decorated...making us all happy that we chose this place to celebrate.

 

It has been a few years since we have shared a time like this, and the hours flew by so quickly. 
There were no lulls in our conversation, and it was fun to sit and talk without interruptions.

The birthday girl and her mother.

Celebrating her and the kind, caring person she is, was our privilege.

My dear sister-in-law and me.

 

Isn't it interesting how the older we get, the more we treasure times together with family?

I feel blessed to have these ladies in my life.

Thanks for stopping by.