"Blessed"....

I became a mother 28 years ago.....
and have celebrated 28 Mother's Days.

Each year on this day,....
I am once again reminded just how blessed I am.

heidi
xo

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"Thanksgiving Day"....

Thanksgiving Day is almost here once again. For our family, like many of yours as well, it will be a cozy day at home with our immediate family. Not a houseful of guests, just those I hold most dear.
This year, my daughters & I are all cooking. Mallory is in charge of the stuffing, Holly the pies & potatoes & I will handle the turkey & fresh cranberries. I cannot tell you how much it means to me that our girls will be sharing the kitchen with me.
I also have plans for a lovely table. I am using my Spode "Thanksgiving Day" brown transfer- ware plates,... that years ago I found while antiquing. I remember them being $7 each, which at the time was crazy expensive. But with the encouraging words of my friend Angela, I did indeed purchase these gorgeous plates,....never ever regretting my decision.
I will also be adding small arrangements of"plum colored mums & deep pink peonies", which will look amazing with small chocolate turkeys running among them! The color-scheme of warm browns & deep plums is a bit unusual, but very Fall-ish non-the-less!
The family will of course be watching the Macy's Day Parade, which is a yearly tradition! I grew up watching it, with the excitement of seeing the "true" Santa" at the parade's end!....And as all traditions are, now my grandson is the "believer", sitting on the edge of the sofa as the sleigh & reindeer make their appearance....very wide-eyed & filled with wonder.
Thanksgiving is such an immensely personal day. Each of us have our own memories of Thanksgiving past,....mine being frosty, dark days, spent in a warm kitchen, with delicious scents wafting through the house & my mother cooking all day long, (which if you knew my mom was not the norm! :)....We ate early & then spent the afternoon relaxing in front of a fire, anticipating the upcoming weeks.
This year, even though we have been married 29 years, we are starting new traditions, since for many years we had Thanksgiving dinner at relative's homes. But now our celebrating is here at our own sweet home, with our girls & grandson. I love that we have three generations under one roof ( just like the Walton's, ....a family I so wanted to emulate!). I love that we are healthy & happy. I love that even though the last couple of years have brought a few challenges, we are all closer & more appreciative than ever.
I thank God for the blessings I have been given.
Wishing you a day of thanksgiving......
Your friend,
heidi
xo

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Today....

Today is.......

* having little grandson snuggling in bed with husband & I very early in the morning....

* grandson realizing it was pajama/ movie day at school, & squealing with delight into both our ears....

Today is......

* Cheerios & blackberries for breakfast....coffee too.....

* & contemplating the idea of becoming a vegetarian?

Today is.....
* checking e-mail, Etsy shop & reading blogs.....
* laundry....& more laundry
* a long walk with both daughters.....
* lunch (vegetarian) with both daughters....

Today is.....
* tidying up the sewing area.....
* more laundry
* declaration of youngest daughter to make dinner ( vegetarian).....

Today is .....
* husband coming home.....
* grandson coming home with stories of pajama/movie day....
* delicious aromas of dinner being prepared.....

Today is.....
* happy sounds of a happy family in a happy home.....

Today is.....
* feeling very blessed.......

Hope your "today" is one to remember too!......

Your friend, Heidi XO

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"Graduation Day for Our Girls".....

Today I am looking forward to a very unstructured & relaxing weekend....Last weekend it was anything but!..."everything" was going on!......and among all our activities was the graduation of both our daughters, Holly & Mallory from San Diego State University!....Needless to say we were so very proud!......
Both the girls laughed about the length of time they've been in school!.... 4 years turned into a few more when we decided to move our family to upstate New York for a few years. We learned that many college credits earned in Southern California are of no use at schools in the East.....And then there was the move back to So. Cal where once again credits were lost!.....

On top of all that, the arrival of our grandson Andrew, also added a bit more time onto the length of time it took to get a diploma in hand. Holly decided to take a year off Andrew's first year, deciding learning to be a mother, was much more important than art history!....

So between the moving... & lost credits... & a baby being born, also add in a broken shoulder, & a few other incidentals! :) .... Through it all, college studies persevered & both girls accomplished what they had set out to do.....earn their degrees.....
Holly's in Art History & Mallory's in Applied Art.

My husband Ter & I feel so fortunate to have the girls we do.....They have grown into women that we not only love,...but also admire & respect. Congratulations Holly! Congratulations Mallory!......You make us proud!......

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This Evening.....

"This Evening" was one of those evenings that turn out better than you could ever dream. After a day of running errands with my daughter Holly...& grandson Andrew, we returned home tired & feeling a bit cranky. It was almost dinnertime, with cooking being about the last thing I felt like doing. Holly suggested that the family put on their sneakers & take a walk over to the baseball fields in Old Poway, California where we live. It is a short walk....so we thought it the perfect opportunity to take a few baseballs, gloves & bats .....& have a little practice session!....So off we went!....My husband Ter, Holly, Andrew & I......

Now you have to understand that my interest in sports is small, if possibly non-existent!...So for me to commit to "pitching, hitting & catching" is simply unheard of!.....However, since the family is always looking for extra ways to fit in exercise.... & the fact that my grandson is showing signs of loving the game...& the other fact being that my husband is loving HAVING a grandson showing signs of loving the game....I decided that I too must get involved & have a good attitude.

Well, we all ended up having a "ball"!....We each took turns at all the baseball "positions".... ( is that what you call them?).....With my daughter making her dad proud!..... Who knew Holly had some talent when it comes to hitting a baseball?!

We then walked through the Old Poway Park, which happens to be something out of a Frank Capra movie, with a stream & large old trees & pathways connecting it all.....and at the far end is a darling old-fashioned restaurant called the "Hamburger Factory", where we enjoyed a delicious dinner!

And then the stroll home,...all happy, all content & all feeling very connected to the evening & to each other........I love you all.....(& possibly, maybe, could it be....baseball?)

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