Lunch on the porch

Oh my......you are early! (Big smiles)

No problem. I am so happy you have joined me for lunch on the porch today.

To be honest, I am still playing around with my dishes, lol

We are having a simple lunch:

tea room type sandwiches and applesauce.

Plates are from Home Goods.

The heart shaped pillow I have had for years from a dear friend.

It is all satin and lace.

The other pillow is from my favorite shop Somewhere in Time in Brandon, FL.

I love the effect of putting one of my pink depression glass plates

on top of the other plates.

Makes me think of "flowers under glass".

What do you think?

This way or.......

Just the pretty plate alone......

or

Like this?

I am just a simple girl.......

Wicker,

Flowers,

pretty plates,

some lace......

and.....you my precious friend

to share friendship over lunch.

This was a "trial run" on the table settings, lol

I liked the pink depression glass together with the plates, but

alas could not locate my other depression glass plates.

Let me know which combo you liked best.

(ladies this is so NOT senility of not remembering where I put the plates,

but so much more having a lovely small home, in which I must juggle what I have easy access

to at any given time)

I am linking with our gracious hostess, Beverly

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

For Pink Saturday

A little late again, as we are leaving for Lakeland again

for our granddaughter's last ball game of the season today,

but have to be back here tomorrow for the boys games.

So later this evening, once home again, I will link up!

Blessings for my son

Bobby and Erin

my son and beautiful daughter-in-law on Easter.

Safe journey and God's blessings follow you son on this furlough, once again.

Happy Easter

This where loving hubby and I will be at 6am Easter morning.

On top floor of the Pier, at St. Petersburg, looking East to the sunrise of Tampa Bay!

Praise the Lord!

Jesus is Alive!

This was the sunrise service back in 2007.

Has been a tradition for us in our marriage to attend this beautiful service.

May each of you be blessed as you spend Easter with family and friends.

Psalm 113:3 and my photography

From the coming up of the sun to its going down, the Lord's name is to be praised

Psalm 113:3

This was our view from our kitchen window when we lived in our townhome on

Lake Seminole.

Blessings to each of you.

Have a blessed day!

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. ~William Shakespeare

Courage

Courage does not always roar.

Somtimes, it the quiet voice at the end of the day...

saying,

"I WIL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW".

author unknown

I am linking with Beverly at Pink Saturday

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Please visit Beverly's blog, above, and fill yourself with PINK treasures.

Thank you Beverly for being our wonderful hostess on Pink Saturdays.

Time In A Bottle

 Ecclesiastes 3. 1-8

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

What will you do with your time today?

Announcing the winner in my first ever give-away

A winner!

Linda M from Random Creativity!

Congratulations Linda.

Linda, please email me your address and we will ship this out to you midweek.

I sincerely wish I could have given each of my precious followers a tiny gift from my

heart to say thank you!

The past two months have been very busy, first with our trip and then with all

my grands ballgames, still going on during the week and weekends.

I would love to promise I will do better......

be a better blogger....

respond to every single comment....

But, I won't lie to you.

Life happens on the way to my best blogging intentions!

I know there are many, many, many HUGE blogs out there.

I love my little blog

I like the "personal aspect" and have yet to find a way to attend lots of parties

visit, be inspired, comment, pray for the needs I find as I read your blogs.

all that goes along with being a blogger in my heart.

So while it may seem funny to someone with over 1000 followers,

I am so happy in reaching over 100.

You all are so precious to me!

Blessings from my heart.

Fifi's Book Signing in Sarasota FL April 9th and another giveaway

Oh gosh, I am so late in posting this!

But....better late than never, I always say.

The wonderful "Fifi" will be in POSH ON PALM, Susie and Mark Holt's

stunningly,  beautiful  shop at 33 S Palm Ave, Sarasota Fl

Saturday, April 9th, 5-8

Loving hubby and I have personally met Susie and Mark and can say what everyone who meets them

says: "This is one of the most genuine, warm, caring, talented couples we have ever met".

I say this from my heart because walking into what was then THE CATS MEOW in Ellenton, FL,

I was stunned speechless to see Susie and Mark casually sitting at the counter in their shop!

When I say, "speechless", I mean just that!

Loving hubby and I are not able to afford the beautiful furniture I drool over in the shop.

Seriously, I wanted to walk among the eye candy, drool, dream

and....

(did not have my camera that day, sigh)

When we left about an hour later, after talking with them

between customers,

 Susie and Mark hugged us goodbye!

We felt like we were saying goodbye to dear friends.

Then we all know and love "Fifi" and to be able to see her in person

and....

have her sign her new book for us!

What could be better!

So, if you are in the Tampa Bay area this Saturday this is a not to be missed event!

Sadly, guess who might miss it!

Yup, we have a conflict and it might not be possible to be there.

I am so bummed, but going with the flow and trying to be creative.

You can be sure if we do make it to Sarasota and I am allowed photos

(maybe book signings are different and only professionals take the photos)

I will post on my blog asap.

You won't want to miss the chance to win this giveaway!

Please see the picture on the top right of my sidebar.

http://shabbyfufu.blogspot.com/

Just hop over to the above blog to enter.  The countdown is going fast!

Playing around with my new macro filters

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

This was a tiny, tiny, flower (weed?) on our front lawn.

Memories of my parents

My mom passed away two years ago March 23.

This was the last picture taken with mom.

We left the next day, but did not get a picture....

The nurse was feeding her, she was happy, I kissed her....

and like always cried in spurts all the way to the PA state line.

(from Guilderland Center, NY, which is about 7 miles West

of Albany, NY city limits where I grew up)

I think in my heart I knew that time was going to be the last time.

Someday I will share my relationship with my mom.

Today, however, I would like to celebrate the relationship my parents had.

and my childhood home.

Please see the post I did back in 2009

http://www.wildflowersandcountryroads.com/2009/10/my-parents-wedding-day.html

A week or so ago, Debbie from Debbie Dabble, wrote

a beautiful tribute to her mother and shared her parents love story:

http://debbie-dabble.blogspot.com/2011/03/remembering-my-mom.html

If you missed her beautiful tribute to her mom, please click above.

Her mom's story, her parent's love and pictures reminded me of my parents.

About the same time, LDH from With a Grateful Prayer and Thankful Heart

http://gratefulprayerthankfulheart.blogspot.com/2011/03/magnolia-house-childhood-memories.html

wrote about her childhood home and her parents.

Her childhood home, built by her father, reminded me so much of my own childhood home

especially the upstairs dormer windows.

These two wonderful ladies are such an inspiration to me by their blogs and their lives.

If you do not know either of them, please read these beautiful tributes and I guarantee

your heart will be deeply moved, as mine was.

Please tell them Lynn sent you over.

.

Happy Birthday Kellie

This iron bathtub had been in the family since my mother was small.

Both my girls loved to "swim" in it in my parents back yard

when we still lived in New York state.

Kellie is about 18 months.

We moved to Fort Lauderdale Florida in 1980

This was Kellie's 4th birthday.

Summer when Kellie was 4.

My beloved grandmother who came down to visit with my mom and her sister.

after we moved to Florida.

Kellie love being a cheerleader.

Loved being a Brownie.

High school graduation from IB Program in St. Petersburg FL

College graduation.

Masters degree

with her loving hubby George and daugher Kaylee Lynn

Kellie's beloved grandmother and Kaylee.

They flew to NY so Kellie would have this picture of the three of them.

Kellie with her son, George on his first birthday.

Happy Birthday Kellie Michelle Deitrick!

Papa and Nannie are looking down smiling on you every day.

I love you Kellie.

Kevin, George, Dylan...last of the grands, but never least!

 

I promised to introduce you to my three youngest grandsons.

The order is mixed up, as Kevin is older than George, but you will love these

adorable, little faces no matter what order I show you,

George Patrick Deitrick, III

He will be 4 in May.

He has big brown eyes that light up and sparkle.

Big hugs!

Kaylee Lynn, last year's tournament.

Kaylee and George are brother and sister.

They live the furthest from us, 126 miles round trip!

This was two weeks ago at their home after the game.

George and Kaylee dressed in their last year's

halloween costumes for us

since we did not see them then

due to our road trip after I retired!

She was tired from playing ball and just held it up.

Because....

Prior to the halloween dress up, Kaylee was modeling her mommies

ballerina outfit she wore years ago when she was Kaylee's age.

Had no idea my daughter still had that and her ballet shoes.

Of course, little brothers have to get into the act! lol

This was Kaylee at her game earlier that evening.

My daughter's CPA firm sponsors the team.

My son-in-law is one of the coaches.

Their mommy is my younger daughter, Kellie.

Who will be 35 this coming Tuesday.

I will be doing a post on her with lots of pictures!

My older daughter, Heather, who just celebrated their

10th anniversary this past Wednesday has 3 boys.

Jacob, who you met the other day

and

Kevin, who turned 5 in January

and Dylan (our baby at the moment)

who turned TWO in January.

Heather was 37 January 17

Kevin was 5 Jan 18

Dylan was 2 Jan 28

Busy month for us, right after Christmas!

This is Kevin just last week at brother Jacob's game!

Kevin is our angel with a "slightly tilted halo".

He has huge puppy dog brown eyes,

freckles that dance across his nose in excitement

and the tightest hugs!

This is our Dylan.

Who is TWO.

Want to see what Two looks like?

With mommy.

Dylan is our happy little boy 98% of the time,

always smiling, but since he turned two he is showing his "big boy independent" side.

You can see Kevin with his bike too.

Yup we are all at Jacob's game.

This is our normal smiling Dylan.

Sorry it is blurred, he moves so fast!

This is Kevin last Saturday morning just before he started his game.

This is Jacob last weekend at their tournament.

They played their hearts out.

One game in a "sand" storm, literally.

The wind was so strong.

Blowing sand on the field made it bad for these kids

and us in the bleechers and chairs around the field.

They won that game!

however.....

Came in second in the tournament, right down to the last inning!

Receiving their medal ribbons at the end of the tournament.

Jacob is #7

Grammie could not run fast enough to get inside the field to get the front side of

the award ceremony!

(Mom has those pics, of course).

Grandmothers tend to go on and on.......

Did I do that?

I just love their unique expressions, big hugs, bigger smiles.

I love being a grandmother.