This Will Be A Surprise....

  This is my grandson Brock. He's a gentle boy with a sweet heart. He just graduated high school. As soon as he graduated and got  a job, he moved in with his girlfriend. They plan on being married ...but they have put the cart before the horse.  Not my favorite way for things to be done. But God has blessed us with a "baby" !!!! Brock's daughter was born Thursday morning. This is the joy, I was talking about.  I have been quiet about this , hoping they would marry first. LOL

 I have no pictures, although I have seen her pictures. Her name is Layla Rose. She was 8lbs 10 ozs.
 Lots of dark hair...can't wait to comb it. I am just busting to hold her and kiss her. As soon as I can get some photos, I will post them.
 In the agony of what my family is facing with my brother Mark...I feel God sent me this baby to love. Brock's been working and saving...good thing . His fiancé is Emily. Which Brock's sister Emma just loves. :)  So we have all cried tears of sadness and tears of joy.
  I am sending thanks to all of you. Your kind words and prayers have helped me. To know that people can care for others, can send hugs and prayers when they are needed, means so very much to me. Bless you. XO

Emotions....

  Sorry, it has taken me so long to post. As many of you know my brother Mark is in a coma. We have spent  hours praying and visiting , as our family has gathered at the hospital. This is a photo of my brothers.  Mark's in the red sweats. This was at happier times when the brothers could get together and golf.

 Mark's sons are in denial of their father's condition. The drs. have told us, they will remove Mark from the respirator on Tuesday.  He has had many more strokes. Although he is not brain dead, our brother is no longer with us. This has been an emotional rollercoaster.
  Thank you for all who prayed and sent well wishes. Your caring has touched my heart.  As heart breaking as this is for my family,God has ways of lifting us up.  Tomorrow, I will tell you of how our Lord has reached my heart with his love. Hug your loved ones today. XO

Don't You Wish ???

 Don't you wish there were flowers in your gardens? Oh I sure do.

 Yesterday, I went to the Methodist Hospital in Indy. That's where my brother Mark is.  It was shocking, all the tubes and screens. He is no better and I did not get any more news of his condition...being it was Sunday. One nurse said  his general health was against his condition as much as anything else.  He has not taken care of his health.  Makes me so sad for him and his sons. His sons are in their twenties, not babies....but not so grown.
  Thank you to all my blog friends and family. I appreciate all of you more than you will ever know.  Your kind words and prayers have touched my heart. I have passed them on to my family members too. Bless all of you.  XO

Mean Old February....

    This photo is yesterday evening. What a cold day it was. You can see the flag straight out from the wind. But the sky looks nice.

  This photo is this morning at 8:00.  4-5 inches of snow already.  More coming down. I know everyone in the east, no big deal , right. Just when spring is so near though. At least the wind has died down.

 Oh yes, I had to clear a path to the mailbox before 7:00 this morning. It's getting covered again. I am not going anywhere today. More waiting.  Nothing new to report on my brother.   I will call the hospital later. They gave us a code, as family, so we can check on Mark.
  Hoping all of you are safe. Use caution when going out. XO

Waiting....

     Waiting is so difficult. Waiting for news of my brother. There is nothing new to report . While waiting, the lilies in my valentine's bouquet bloomed.  So did the snap dragons.

  This is a colorful bunch .  I have enjoyed this bouquet.

  This is a little bouquet I bought before valentine's day....it finally bloomed out, and it's so sweet. I have had flowers in the house now since Jan. It  helps when it's so cold out . Keeps me thinking spring.
   28 more days till spring. That's just for hope. It's been bitter cold as all of you know. More in the forecast for next week. It surely can't last much longer.
  Once again I want to thank everyone for the prayers and well wishes for my brother Mark. I appreciate all of you so much.  Please stay warm and safe. XO

Thank You Beautiful People....

  Thank you, to all who prayed for my brother Mark.   The up date is iffy. He has swelling on the brain. The Dr. said the stroke was in the center of his brain. The swelling may go down in 3-4 days.  My siblings are going to the hospital today. They will call me with any news. 
 I felt a bit lost yesterday. Waiting is hard on people.  I prayed a lot and praying still. Even when it doesn't sound like much hope. I can never give up hope. I just pray more. :)
  I can tell you a little about my brother. He was what was called a "player".  Loved the women but could never really commit to them... He married a younger woman and had 2 sons... Then it was a repete of our own childhood. Drinking, fighting, screaming. There were times it looked like things might work out, but they never really did.
  When Mommy was alive she would almost hand lead them into better ways. But she babied Mark a bit too much. She loved us and didn't know how to say no to some. If you are parents you know some times "No" is the best thing you can say to your child.
  Then Mark divorced and things got ugly...you know, Dr. Phil show ugly... Myself, I stay away from all that drama...it makes my tummy hurt. LOL. I think everyone in my family has had their days of woe. You just have to grow from that. But Mark's life style was more bars again, so his health has truly suffered.  I didn't like his ways, but I love him, he's my brother.
  Sorry, I think I am nervous and just prattling.  Bless all of you. Bless all of us. XO

Prayers Needed...

  My brother Mark needs your prayers. He was in the hospital for tests , because of vision problems and headaches...they say he stressed and had a stroke. He is sedated and on a breathing tube. When the tube is removed later , they will know the damage. I would just truly appreciate any prayers you could offer up for him. Thank you so much. XO

Let's Go To Horton's.....

 One of the many displays at the Horton's hardware store/emporium. Banners, wreaths, ribbons and china.  I like the old candy jars with colored bias ribbons .

 Small drawer from a sewing machine cabinet, filled with sweetness. Tags and laces.

 I love the teacups, creamers and sugar bowls hanging from ribbons. Swags of old lace curtains.

 Creamers in big tarnished silver containers. There are pearls in many displays also.

More pink things. I like this pink pitcher. I have one myself.  Little milk bottles  and many candles.  The more I look at these photos, the more I want to go back to Horton's and buy some things. I really am trying to wait till the spring market, when there will be much more. Their greenhouse will have some spring plantings then.
  Today is cold and some what windy here. I used to work with a fellow who would call this weather balmy. I told him he had balmy confused with blustery. :):)   Let's enjoy this day , whether balmy or blustery. XO

The Weekend.....

  This is my hazelnut cappuccino and two delicious chocolates .  The chocolates are from Lynne at Dreams on 34th Street.  Thank you Lynne.

 This is the bouquet of flowers from Teddy. It was a mixture of many different kinds. Bright and pretty.

 Ted gave me the sweetest card. This was a total surprise , because we never do any thing but go to lunch for Valentine's day. Flowers and a card !!

 Today the sun is up and it's still very cold. But at least it's not snow.

You can see the skies are clear. I know we are lucky.  Praying for the east coast, to keep their power and find a place for all the snow. 
   This will be a nice day. Half of February is over. Just getting closer to spring.:):) If the wind lets up later this week, I am going to be cutting down all the mums from last year. Clearing out the flowerbeds if I can.  Try to get a head start on  gardening .
  Today, I have to fill the bird feeders and put out some suet cakes ....my birds probably think I have put them on a diet. I will dice some apples and oranges for them also.
   Enjoy this day and be safe. XO

Sneak Peek.....

 I dropped in at Horton's yesterday.  They had some valentine's love going on there. Paper roses and love banner.

 Really old teapots with pink tulips. I like the looks of the tarnished silver...but I try to keep mine polished.

 This old heart shaped cake pan caught my eye. It was not cheap, but very sturdy.  A cream colored basket of red tulips and laces. Striped dish towels too.

This display had aqua colored glass ware. A small suitcase of dishes and fragrant soaps. Mr. Horton running the store.  I always ask to take photos. He was talking about the up coming Spring market, it will be the 21st of March.  He said the pansies will be in by then also.  I'll be there for the Spring market and also to pick up some pansies for the porch containers.
  I have many more photos, I'll show them thru next week. I will show you the gift from my Teddy tomorrow.:):)
  Please pray for all the people in need today.  We need to think of those on the east coast getting another snow storm, blizzard conditions.  I feel so blessed , our winter so far has not been a snowy one, just cold. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. XO

Roses For You....

 Here's some roses for all of you on this Valentine's day.

 This is in my yard. It's the rose bush, my daughter Kathy , wants me to keep for her.

 It has the prettiest salmon color.

 This is my sister's yellows roses. I'd love to have one of these.

Oh I am just throwing in one of my favorite sunset photos for all of you. I like to share them with my blog friends.  Wishing all of you a safe and happy Valentine's day.  Sending prayers to our friends on the east coast.  Let's enjoy this day. XO

Wind Chills....

 Such a pretty sunset. this was this week.  Today we are getting snow and cold...with wind chills. Oh I know it's nothing like Boston has.  Bostonians are shoveling their roof tops. That is scary. It's for safety.  Some roofs are caving in from the weight of the snow.  Wishing them , no more snow.
  Today Ted and I are planning a nice lunch out. This will be our valentine's celebration.  We will also do a bit of shopping. You know how you try to squeeze in everything you can while you are out. Make the trip to town count.
 I am ready for some rest and relaxation. I am a bit tired of cleaning out the fireplace and dusting so much from burning wood. I think my arms are a bit longer from carrying in wood.  Our heat bills are very low, because we do burn wood. That is a plus. Today as I went out for the paper, it is cold out and I had to sweep snow off the steps and walk.  But upon coming back into the house, it was toasty warm inside , from the fireplace heat and  the smell of coffee and the house was quiet.....just wonderful.
  Hope you are enjoying your day. That you can have a nice cappucine this afternoon for your break. Stay warm. XO

New "Snakeskin" Belt....

  Thought I would show the fake flower center piece. I put it with the silver candy dish and a candle I have been burning. I won't burn the candle with anything near, believe me.  Hey two candy hearts from Angie. Used my very old lace table cloth over the red one.

 This is my new belt...I kind of lead you all on with the snakeskin title. It's a serpentine belt for my Jeep. LOL. This is the old one , Ted is showing me how it has little cracks in the ribbing. Cost me 47 dollars and Ted put it on for free. :):)  I gave him a hair-cut in exchange.

 It was a pretty day yesterday and a wonderful sunset. I took this shot on the road, you can see a transformer in the upper right hand corner. :):) So far today is looking good too.  I have one load of laundry to get done , then the day is mine to do as I please.
  Take care and enjoy today. XO

Tuesday Morning.

 The sky is clear this morning as the sun is just coming up. You know it's cold. I love the clear skies, but that allows any heat to escape....so I enjoy the sunshine and  wear my big coat to the mailbox for the paper.

  I found my fake flower that I bought last year at this time. Got it out for a center piece. I wish I had bought all four of these...as I recall they were 4 dollars each. Would have made some nice gifts or just to have one in the bedrooms and living room for cheer.
  Where is everyone hiding these days?  Seems there is less activity in blogland. I miss seeing everyone's decorating, cooking , or just their everyday family life. Hope all of you are well. Take time to play today. XO

Thinking Of Spring....

  I am thinking of Horton's Spring Market....which will be coming up soon, I hope. I have not checked into the store for some time now.

 These photos are from other trips to the store. I love some of the decorating ideas I get from there.

I adore this little cabinet, with it's open shelving. The checked paper on the back makes it stand out also. Whenever I see this, it makes me want to paint my china cabinet and change it up.  I am not so daring to paint over good wood finishes. Although I have to say, I have seen where many of you out there have painted over finishes , and it's turned out very nice. I would never paint until I could open windows for airing. So I have plenty of time to think it over.
 Wishing all of you a nice day. XO

One Warm Day....

 This is yesterday's sunset. What a glorious day we had on Saturday. It was near 50 here. I thought it was just 38 to 40 but the news said later it was 50. Wow-wee that is spring temperatures.

 You can see the snow had almost melted, in this shot.

 This is what it looks like this morning...gone !! Water is standing in places , because the ground is not fully thawed.

The fields look like this, you saw Friday's shot in my post yesterday.   I know we have truly been about the luckiest place this winter. I am thankful for this mild winter too. I will say we have had some truly cold temperatures and more are being predicted for this coming week. 
  We had  a great day Saturday.  Going to my daughter's today , maybe we can take a walk around her neighborhood. Hope you have a good day. I know it's not going to be nice in the northeast. Keep those people in your thoughts  today, please. XO
  

Blue Skies....

   Oh yes, you know it, this is my favorite shade of blue.  It has been very cold around here but so pretty at times.  After today, it will be 41 more days till spring.  It has been a mild winter here so far. But I am burned out on it.

 This is a great view of fields across the road. Snow can make things look very pretty.  Today the sun is shining and it is to be 38, maybe 40 degrees . Some of this snow is going to melt.  Our friends on  the  east coast are to have more snow....now I know they have to be very tired of it. It's hard to find places to throw the snow if you can shovel it.
   I am going to get out of this house today. Need to see family and friends. Take care everyone. Let's be safe. XO

Happiness At My Door....

 On a super cold day, the mail carrier brought a gift to my door. We all love getting packages.. It's a gift from Lynne  of, Dreams On 34th Street (French Bread & Family).  I have been following Lynne's  wonderful blog for some time. I love leaving comments and getting them in return.

 This is what was in the package....Chocolates !! Not just any chocolates, but heavenly made from the Fran's Chocolates of the Pacific Northwest.

  I will have these as an occasional  treat with coffee ., on a gloomy days when I need a hug. I know we should not confuse chocolates for hugs. LOL  But you can see how wonderfully these are made , so they will absolutely be a treat.  Better hide them from Ted. :):)There was also a nice note .  Thank you Lynne , for thinking of me.
  I wish all of you a great day, as we start this weekend. Be safe. XO