Notalgic November - Day 12

This day always is a day mixed with sadness for me.  This is th 11th anniversary of my mom's death.  She died at 61 from lung cancer.  We had no time to ready ourselves for her death.  She went into the hospital for what they diagnosed as a back problem.  After 10 days in the hospital they determined she had cancer.  She passed 4 days later.  To this day I'm not sure any of us knew what had hit us. 

October 1955  My mom and her sister getting ready for my aunt's wedding. At this point my parent's had their own wedding planned for November 19th.  I'm pretty sure my mom was extremely happy here! 

Today also marks a happy time for us!  Today is Chloe's 9th birthday! 

Nostalgic November - Day 11

11-11-11

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John Fitzgerald Kennedy



Thank you to those that have served in the past, serve now and will serve in the future. 
God Bless America

Nostalgic November - Day 10

This photo was taken in October of 1974 outside the student lounge of SUNY Oswego.  This is my friend L, who I met my freshman year.  We became great friends and were both in each other's weddings.

Nostalgic November - Day 9

I can not begin to tell you how much fun this was!!!  My dad took me on the tractor all the time!  I can still see myself sitting on that built in tool box and my dad telling me to be careful and hold on!  I think he let me drive by our house in this photo so my mom could get a quick picture!  When we moved fromt the farm we only moved across the field, so the farm was still a big part of my life.  Oh, how I miss those days!

 

Nostalgic November - Day 8

I only have one sibling, a much younger sister!  I was 9 years old when she was born!  Wow, was my nose out of joint!  Despite the age difference we did have fun growing up.  Since I was much older I had to babysit.  Ugh!  When my parents split I was 15 and she was 6.  My mom went back to work and I remember having to watch her.  I'm not sure how either of us survived!!  Only kidding!!!  This photo was taken the day I graduated from highschool.  She bought me that big sucker for my graduation gift. 

Nostalgic November - Childhood Pets

I have had pets all my life.  Looking back I see pet ownership was different years ago.  My dad's family ran a farm.  Pet's had jobs on the farm.  The dogs helped heard animals and ran security.  The cat's took care of rodents.  I don't recall ever seeing pets inside at their house when I was a child.  My mom's mother grew up on a farm too, but didn't like animals very much.  I recall my grandfather having a hunting dog.  He ran away and honestly to this day I've always wondered if my gram let him go!   

My mom and dad both loved animals and my dad bought my mom our first family pet.  A little cocker spaniel.  He was jet black, hence his name "Inky".  Inky lived with us INSIDE.  He passed away when I was 6 or so.  My parents believed that our cranky old neighbor poisoned him. 

Inky 1956

I had bunnies a couple of different times.  I don't especially remember this pair.  I do remember getting a white bunny for Easter once and years later my sister and I had a pair.  Mine got eatten by a wild dog and my sister's got loose.  We spent an entire Summer trying to catch that darn rabbit.

Bunnies 1960

This was our first German Shepard.  His name was Prince and we got him after Inky passed away.  He was a great dog.  He used to bring my cat back into the yard if he got too close to the street.  There were no leash laws in those days.  We lived out in the country, so people didn't worry too much.  Prince sadly was shot by a neighbor's teenage son.  It was Winter and my dad tracked him by the blood in the snow.  He was in bad shape and had to be put down.  I heard something about maybe surviving if his leg was removed, but my dad didn't believe that was the right thing to do.  I was only 6 at the time.

Prince 9-61

 After Prince died my dad bought my mom another Shepard.  We named her "Lady".  She was a beautiful dog, but the paperboy kicked her when he delivered our paper and she HATED bikes.  She would chase anyone down on a bike. 

Lady 1962

 She had a litter of puppies and her tempermant got even worse.  She never went after any of us, but lord help you if you were a stranger!  We started getting telephone calls with people saying she had bitten their kids on their bikes.  We paid for lots of ripped pants!  I remember my mom dressed up in a wild outfit and riding my bike by our house.  Lady ignored her completely.  She never chased me either.  My parents got many warnings about her behavior and tried their best to keep her inside or tied.  Nothing seemed to work.  One day the police came and told my dad, either you destroy your dog or we will have to.  My parents were devastated.  My dad would not let them take her and said he would take care of it himself.  I remember my mom crying her heart out that day and I begged my dad not to.  I can't imagine how hard that was for him and he never spoke of it again.  For several weeks after we continued to get telephone calls that our dog had bite someone.  My mom was furious!  We know she did bite, but honestly think she may have been blamed for some events that she was not involved in. 

Lady, Prince II, dad and I 1964

Here is my first "Dusty".  Dusty was a kooky cat.  He actually slept with Lady and her puppies!  Lady might have chased bikes, but not cats!!!  Not sure how I came about getting him.  He disappeared when we left for vacation.  Our neighbors were feeding him and they told us the day we left, he left.  I always wondered if he followed us and got lost.

Dusty & I 1964

Here is Prince II.  He was one of Lady's puppies we kept.  I honestly don't remember what happened to him.  I think we had him for quite awhile.

Prince II - 1965

This is Dusty II.  It seems we weren't very original with our pet's names!  This Dusty was crazy!  He used to follow my dad out in the woods when he went hunting.  My dad swears he flushed out Pheasants for him!  This photo was from after one of those adventures!  He was a great cat! 

Dusty 1966

 When I was about 12 I had a big black cat and then was allowed to get a "show cat", a Siamese I named Sa-Boo.  OMG that cat was NUTS.  He used to hide and jump out and bite.  Anything that moved he went after.   My parents were having marital problems and sold our house when I was 15.  We moved into an apartment and cats were not allowed.  My aunt took Sa-Boo and my dad took my black cat, Sammy to live at his office.  I don't think Sammy could figure out what was going on and would not stay at the barn.  Eventually he disappeared.  I never quite could forgive my dad for that.  

Sa-Boo 1969

When my parents divorced my mom moved my sister and I into a house.  She got me a tiger cat that I named Troubles.

Troubles 1972

and my sister got this crazy little dog. 

I can not remember this dogs name at all. Not sure my sister does either. When my grandfather died my grama asked us to move home with her. My mom had to give away this little guy, but I got to take my cat.   Imagine my gram's surprise when my cat delivered kittens!!!!   Troubles got hit by a car right before I left for college.  Everyone tried to hide it from me, but my sister blabbed it. 

I am glad people are more aware of taking care of their pets.   Things have changed a lot since I was young!

Nostalgic November - Day 4

Those "generation" photos.  I'm sure most every family has them.  The first photo is circa 1967.  I was 8 years old and still an only child!  My mom was 25 here, my gram was 46 and my great-grandmother was 67.  My great-grandmother had four children, 2 sons and 2 daughters, who all settled in our hometown.  Everyone lived within 2 blocks of each other.  Growing up there were lots and lots of times together.  My great-grandmother would start her day with coffee at our house, then she'd head up the street to my great-aunt's house for coffee time with her.  My mom and I would venture up there and my grandma would come over after her housework was done.  (that lady sure had a clean house!).  This would happen day after the day!  Sometimes when coffee time finally ended everyone would head home to start dinner and we'd usually end up eatting one family or another too!  It was a wonderful, happy way to grow up. 

This generations photo moves to October of 1983.  It was taken at my mom's wedding to my step-dad.  R was 8 months old, I was 27, my mom was 44 and my gram was 65.  If you notice the mark on R's head, that morning he pulled the musical mobile down on him in his crib.  He had a huge egg and mark!  Oh, my gram was mad at me, letting "her boy" get hurt!

Nostalgic November Day 3

Oh, the kiss and tell post!  This photo is from 1958 and I was 2.  My parents lived in the carriage house on my grandparent's farm.  The farm being where we have lived for the past 24 years.  I don't have many memories of living there as we moved when I was about 4 1/2.   The boy I'm kissing?  He lived up the street and our dad's were briefly in business together.  I do recall his last name, but not his first name.  Guess that kiss meant nothing!  I do remember going to grammer school with him and how he wet his pants one day!  Oh gosh, the things that stick in your head! 

Nostalgic November - Day 2

This photo is of my mom, sister and I.  I was 16, my sister was 7 and my mom was 33!  My sister and I were in my cousins wedding.  My parents had just separated a few months earlier, so it was just "us girls" at the time.  I hadn't told anyone about my parent's separation.  Not even my best friend.  Back in the 1970's there seemed to be a real stigma with divorce.  I'm not sure why I felt like a failure, but I did.  I really knew my parents should not remain together for us kids and I told my mom that time and time again.  The real problem was that my parents married wayyyyyyy too young!  My mom was 16, my dad 20.   

So back to the photo/wedding.  I was maid of honor and the best man took a shining to me at pre-wedding festivities and asked me on a date.  My mom mentioned the "date" to my dad and he blew his stack saying I was way to young to date.  Mind you it was a double date (any one remember those?).  My mom reminded my dad that they had gotten married when she was my age.  My dad's reply was "my point exactly".  Seemed it was different since it was his daughter!  

Nostaglic November

Mom and I circa 1959 on a trip to Maine

I have always loved the Fall.  The smells, the colors, apples, pumpkins, cool clear nights and anticipating Winter.  Then in 2000 that changed for me.  In the Fall of 2000, my grandmother passed and then a few weeks later I rode in an ambulance for the first time in my life.  I rode in that ambulance with my mom.  Little did I know on that drive that it would be the last time I ever rode anywhere with my mom.  In fact it was the last time my mom would leave her house, never to return.  Little did I know that exactly 2 weeks from that day my mom would be gone.  Those 2 weeks lasted forever, yet only a moment.  If I could turn back the clock, what might I have done different.  I think probably nothing.  Because through all my sadness, I know in my heart that all things do happen for a reason and though sometimes I might shake a fist at the sky and question why, it doesn't change a thing.

My mom was a great lady and she helped me become who I am.  So for November 2011, I am going nostalgic.   "Nostalgic November".  A month of memories through photos and words.  Hope you'll join me!

Happy Halloween!!!!

May all your ghosts be smiling ones today!!!!!

Huh, what did you say mom?

I'm pretty tired.....

Kiki?  What about her?

I haven't seen her, honest.

Little Stewie

Stewie is little and doesn't have much in body fat.  He asked for his own jammies to help keep him warm!  Let's see what mama can come up with Stew!

Extra Jammie Info

Yes, the jammies are open in the belly area for potty breaks for both boys and girls, without taking them off!

The "Brrr, it's getting cold outside Pajama Sale"

• This week my special is pajamas!  $20.00 per pair with free shipping...plus I will donate 10% of every order to Pug Rescue!  Many cute fabrics available and custom sized for your furry ones perfect fit!

Harry & Lulu model their custom pajamas!

Timberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The other day we had strong winds. When I let the dogs out I glanced over by the boat and thought...where did that bush come from by the boat....opps......

The ivy on this tree was very cool and the darn woodpeckers were enjoying it too, but we knew it was only a matter of time until it came down.  Thankfully no one was in the yard when it happened!!  Not sure I could have outrun that tree!  P had me strap on my work gloves and it only took us an hour and a half to get it all cleaned up.  Now I can add "lumberjack" to my resume.

Halloween Tutu Sale

It's nearly Halloween, so I'm having a Halloween Tutu Special - All Halloween Tutus are $20.00 with free shipping plus 10% of all sales are being donated to Rescue! If your interested let me know! There is also still time to custom order a Halloween Tutu! The special runs until 3 p.m. on Friday so I can ship in time!!!

Fits 18" to 21"

Bloggy Meetup - Part III

Valle Cruces - Mast Store

Coke anyone?

Gas .99 per gallon...it's been awhile....

C-A-N-D-Y!!!!

Pouting Room!

Shanny's family mountain house

After fun times at the Mast Stores and visiting Shanny's place, Girlville's husband started us a fire, while Sandy and Girlville made us Paninis for dinner!  Yum!!!!

A fun evening with friends, fire, "smores" and wine!

Bloggy Meetup 2011 - Part II

Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the Farmer's Market in Boone, NC.  First stop was the Alpacas.  Neither one was very interested in making friends.  The black one was making some crazy noises.

alpacas

Since we were staying longer and had a long drive home, we decided fresh fruit and veggies weren't a good idea for us.  We did enjoy hot cups of coffee and C got a muffin.  We didn't stay long as we were heading back to the house to get ready to get ready to walk around Blowing Rock. 

 It turned out to be a great day!  The town was quaint and had lots of places to stop between shopping.  Some of us went and got Gelatos (my first one!) and a few got lunch.  There was a lot to look at (and buy), but C reined me in since the trunk of the car was SO SMALL! 

When we got back to the house we decided to work on the art project I brought.  Girlville and I thought painted plaques would be something simple we could work on and still get plenty of talking in! 

Photo by Alfredsmom

These are the ones C and I made

 

We had dinner reservations for 6:30, so we crafted until around 5 and then freshened up to head out to dinner at Bistro Roca