Hello my friends.

I would like to thank all of you for your kind words, thoughts, cards, and flowers.  Terry's sister, Joan, was taken from us too soon at the young age of 59.  She was loved by many and will be missed so much.  Our trip to Ohio was bittersweet.  Joan's graveside service took place on a gorgeous sunny day and was attended by more people than I have ever seen at a graveside service.  There were many wonderful things said about how she touched our lives while she was here with us. Memories of Joan will be with us always.

I am still playing the "catch up" game since our return.  It has been downright HOT here day after day which makes it difficult to get plants in the ground and running errands miserable.  I hope this is not a prelude to what the summer will be like.  The yard looks beautiful and I enjoy our flower gardens so much.

 The hydrangeas are just now turning color.

 The azaleas are pretty much done for the season, but a few blooms are holding on.

 My lavender is spreading, much to my delight.  

 The lilies are gorgeous.

 Even a small sliver of the moon makes me happy.

 You will find dragonflies in many of my flowerbeds ~ both living and not.  This one changes colors all through the night.   I love watching it.

 This one is shabby chic and has been laying on this rock for about 5 years.

This one is of the rusty type and watches over the shabby chic one day after day after day.....

Memorial Day ~ 2012

This is the longest period of time I've been away from my Blog since I began in 2008.  Once we returned from Ohio, I was overwhelmed with things that needed taken care of.  I am still behind on many things and see no end in sight.  But, I could not let this day pass without saying a few words about Memorial Day.

Simply put, I am a proud American.  I still get teary-eyed when I hear anyone sing The Star Spangled Banner, and when I see a military person in uniform, I silently thank them for the service they provide.  It is hard to comprehend all the wars and all the lives lost because of those wars.  The turmoil never seems to end.  I took some time today to think about all those men and women who fought for our country and those who still do.  I can only hope that God is rewarding those who have died fighting for our great country.

I hope everyone who celebrated Memorial Day today with picnics, boating, swimming, and such, remembered the meaning of Memorial Day.  

Hello Friends.
Terry and I will be heading off to Ohio this morning to spend some time with family and to say our final farewell to Joan at services on Saturday.  Thank you all so much for your kind words, sympathy, and love.
I have company staying at our house and I will have a lot of catching up to do next week, but I hope to be back to blogging soon after that.
♥ Audrey

Joan with her two sons, the lights of her life:  Mike and Dan

RIP

Joan Pfeifer Artino

5-7-1953  ~  5-12-2012

Spring Cold

I'll be away for a little while.  The Spring Cold Monster has gifted me with a doozy of a cold - stuffed up, watery eyes, sluggish, sneezing, and coughing coughing coughing kind of cold.  I've not been sleeping well and just pretty much feel yucky.  I started meds from the Dr. yesterday, so I hope they set me free soon.  So, I'll return when I feel like a whole person again who has the energy to lift her fingers to type a post.  ♥

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Joan !!

Wishing you a day filled with magical memories surrounded by loved ones (and good cake).  I wish we could be there to celebrate with you ~ one of the downsides to living in another state.  We'll be thinking about you.  Happy day!! 

Saturday Morning

I happened to see this little guy peeking out of his house, so I thought I'd take another look inside.

 They are growing fast and looking happy and healthy.  Mom must be giving them good eats.

 We had to transplant Patrick's rose bush in the Fall.  It was in Mom's flower garden right by her door and it grew so well it became way too big for that area.  We hoped it would be ok.  Voila!!  First rose on his bush this Spring.  I knew he wouldn't let us down.  It is comforting to see the roses everyday.  When I think about him now, I can smile without tears falling every single time. I miss him like crazy.  He was a great brother!

 

Good News ~ Bad News

The Good News

While painting a piece of furniture outside yesterday afternoon, a car pulled in ~ much to my surprise and delight, it was Casey!  He could only stay for the night and left at 6:00 this morning.  We went out for dinner and I snapped this photo.  He thought it was much too close, but I love his smiling face.  It had to be a record for short visits, but I'll take that kind of surprise any day!!!!

The Bad News

I spent the afternoon in the Emergency Room today.  Mom and I went out for lunch and I had only finished about 1/4 of my meal when I began to experience an uncomfortable feeling.  I was having a difficult time swallowing and was having discomfort like something was stuck midway down. I sat and waited for this to pass, but it was NOT going away. I packed Mom up in the car and decided I needed to have this checked out as it was not only not going away, it seemed to be getting worse and I could barely talk and couldn't even swallow my saliva.  So, off to the ER I went.

They immediately thought it might be an Esophageal Bolus, which pretty much is food lodged in your esophagus.  They did an EKG to rule out anything heart related, put an IV in (that's always such a joy), and asked a lot of questions.  In the meantime, I was throwing up backed up saliva many times.  After some time, I started to cough and that made me throw up and I dislodged whatever was blocking my esophagus.  I immediately felt normal again.  They apparently were going to use some type of medication to make the food dislodge and go down.  If that hadn't worked, then a GI Dr. would have been called in.

After humorously thanking me for doing his job, the ER Dr. suggested I see a GI Dr. in the near future for a scope, told me to take prilosec for a week and made me drink a horrible, thick, chalky, awful tasting cocktail to sooth my throat and esophagus.  He then released me. 

It was not a pleasant experience and I hope it doesn't happen again.  Everyone in the ER was really nice but I was happy to be released with a fully working esophagus, to get Mom home, and to see Jake!! 

May 1st

May all your days in MAY be BRIGHT and BEAUTIFUL!

Babies

I've been noticing a lot of activity at the bluebird house, so I peeked inside. Yep, they've been busy!

Love

I cannot hold him close enough or get enough kisses....

 I love this!  

Thank you Suzi Whitaker and Erica Jennings.

Back to South Carolina

 Casey, Grammy, and Jake 

 Casey and I

Casey, Amanda, and Jake

I took these this morning right before Amanda and Casey headed back to South Carolina.  Their visit was sweet but MUCH too short.  Made a few memories to hold me over till our next visit.  I miss them already. 

Earth Day

Today is EARTH DAY!!  It's a day to remind us to do what we can to protect and preserve our beautiful earth.  If every day, each of us will do something as simple as recycle a plastic bottle, think what an impact that would make.  It's something we NEED to become aware of ~ something we NEED to do.  This big beautiful world is a gift from God.  Let's appreciate it! ♥

Arrival

Finally!!  Casey and Amanda arrived last evening.  They were here in December for a short while, but that seems like SO long ago.  They are staying till Tuesday and I fully intend to spend every minute possible with them.  I could go down to SC anytime to be with them, but with Mom's spinal stenosis pain, travel could be uncomfortable.
Casey has some business to tend to today, so Amanda and I are going off to lunch and to a couple of our favorite places this afternoon.  Mom is happily going to stay home with Jake.  They have formed a special bond and I love seeing them on Mom's favorite chair together.
I am really looking forward to a fun day.  I hope everyone has something fun on their agenda today!
♥  

A Thursday Thought

Dick Clark

Dick Clark

11-30-1929  ~  4-18-2012

Rest in Peace

Wordless Wednesday

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us,

but by how we react to what happens;

not by what life brings to us,

but by the attitude we bring to life.

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts,

events, and outcomes.

It is a catalyst, 

a spark that creates extraordinary results.

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

~Author Unknown

~Photo by Audrey, March, 2012

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Tired Dog

Sharing this cute email I received this morning.  Thanks, Holly.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Maria !!

May all your dreams come true...

An Unhappy Cardinal

 Hey!  What's up with the low water?

 Anybody going to do something about this?

 H e l l o o o o o ?

 I am NOT happy about this!

If I fall in, somebody is in big trouble.

~~~~~~~~~

It was SO cold yesterday I just couldn't get myself to go out to fill the birdbaths.  Wouldn't you know the birds would be thirsty?  It has warmed up some, so I'll do it today.  We don't want unhappy birds flying around. 
~Photos by Audrey

 "It's not true that 'there is nothing new under the sun':  There has never been, and never will be, anyone who sees, thinks, or responds exactly the way you do.  Whether you're revolutionizing physics or making a quilt, you must display your differences to make a difference."

~Martha Beck, life coach

~Photo by Audrey, South Carolina, 2009

Wind

The Wind of Change by Chris Buzelli

Because we have been experiencing a lot of wind for the past 24 hours, I intended to talk about the WIND in this post.  However, upon searching the web for a photo depicting the wind, I discovered a wonderful illustrator.  His work is deserving of a blog post.  His name is Chris Buzelli and you will enjoy what you find on his web site.  I've linked his site to his name ~ Chris.

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

Chris Buzelli was born and raised outside of Chicago and on the waters of Lake Michigan. Chris was influenced by his Grandfather Armondo Buzelli at a young age, painting side by side. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, Chris moved to New York City to start his career as an illustrator. His oil paintings have appeared in many national and international publications including Rolling Stone, Playboy, The Village Voice, New York Times, the Seatle Zoo, LA times, Boston Globe, and US World News & Report. Chris has also collaborated on numerous projects for design firms, advertising agencies and Broadway musical posters. Chris’ work has been recognized by AI, Society of Illustrators (Gold and Silver), SPD, Communication Arts, Society of Illustrators LA (Gold), Print and Step by Step. Chris also shows his work in various exhibitions and galleries.