While I've enjoyed blogging the past few months, I'd like to feel that this area of my life has a little bit of organization and purpose. So after some thought, I've decided to post on specific days, with these thoughts in mind:
Monday Musings- just anything that comes to mind, reflections, quotations, etc.
Tasty Tuesdays- recipes, hopefully some that will be new to you
Wordless Wednesdays- those photographs that need little or no explanation
Thankful Thursdays- blessings in our lives
Friday = Family & Fun- grandparenting, celebrations, travel, friendships. etc.
Sewing Saturdays- posts about projects I'm working on
Will I post about all of these things every week? Heavens no, I'm not that organized! But, hopefully, you'll check in frequently to see what's going on at Googoo's!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Granny Quilt!
Don't you just love coming home to find a package by your front door? One day last week, I found this one waiting for me on the front porch.
I was so excited because I knew my "granny quilt" had arrived! If you don't know who Granny is, you can read all about her on her granddaughter Valerie's blog. Granny is a precious 96 year old lady who makes at least one quilt a week. Can you believe that? What a blessing to be so active at that age!
I tore my package open and spread it out on the sofa to get a good look...
Isn't it beautiful? Granny's quilts are all machine stitched and machine quilted. She says they give her a reason for getting up in the morning. I wonder if she knows how much people enjoy her quilts and if, while she's sewing, she thinks about where they might be going and how they might be used.
I'm going to send her a copy of this picture because I think Granny would be very happy to see this little boy all snuggled up under her quilt!
Thanks, Granny and Valerie!
I tore my package open and spread it out on the sofa to get a good look...
Isn't it beautiful? Granny's quilts are all machine stitched and machine quilted. She says they give her a reason for getting up in the morning. I wonder if she knows how much people enjoy her quilts and if, while she's sewing, she thinks about where they might be going and how they might be used.
Thanks, Granny and Valerie!
Friday, February 12, 2010
A Dallas Winter Wonderland
After a full twenty-four hours of snowfall yesterday, we are now enjoying this...
Remember the picture of my neighbor's backyard? This is how it looks now. I'm not sure those palm trees will survive!
That's my car under there. Good thing I'm not planning on going anywhere!
The mailman is going to earn his pay today!
Oh no, I just saw a big chunk of snow fall from a tree! It's already beginning to melt. So, back to reality.After all, this is Dallas, and like I said yesterday, soon we will all be asking "Did we really have snow?"
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Finally......A Snow Day!
Yes, it's finally happened! After months of viewing blog and facebook pictures of snow all over the country, we finally have our very own snow day in the Dallas area! I had to hurry outside and take some pictures to post because by tomorrow it will probably all be gone. But at least, for today, this is my view.....
And do you know what the best thing about a snow day in Texas is? Tomorrow we won't have piles of dirty snow all around our light posts because............because........it will all melt away and by Saturday the temperature will be in the fifties again and we'll all be saying, "Did it really snow just a few days ago?"
our snow-covered house....
the neighborhood...
our neighbor's backyard (notice the snowy palm trees around their pool)...
and snow-covered branches!
And do you know what the best thing about a snow day in Texas is? Tomorrow we won't have piles of dirty snow all around our light posts because............because........it will all melt away and by Saturday the temperature will be in the fifties again and we'll all be saying, "Did it really snow just a few days ago?"
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Giving Thanks for Courageous Kids and Those Who Care for Them
Today I'm featuring a very special guest post from Teresa at nanahood.com .
I am so very blessed that sometimes on Gratituesday it’s hard to know just what to give thanks for. That isn’t the case today.
Approximately two years ago a medical camp for seriously ill children was built in Scottsville, Kentucky. The facility is located on 168 acres and it’s about 45 miles from where I live. The camp is called The Center for Courageous Kids.
The mission of the camp is this: To uplift children who have life-threatening illnesses by creating experiences year round that are memorable, exciting, fun, build self-esteem, are physically safe, and medically sound.
When you take a closer look at what went into building this facility and the people behind the scenes that care for these children, you realize that a one sentence mission statement is just the tip of a very, very large iceberg of dreams.
The first thing I noticed when I drove through the gates at The Center was how beautiful the white buildings with the blue roofs were. They were even more beautiful on the inside.
The Communication Director, Stormi Murtie, met me at the door and gave me a tour of the facilities.
Because this is a medical camp for children with serious disorders and health issues there are exam and critical care rooms. There is a place for a helicopter to land, an infusion therapy room, and a hospital right down the road. The picture above is the T J Samson examination room.
There are eight gentle, noise-proof horses for the children to pet, ride or just enjoy watching.
Bowling Alley with bumpers and adaptive devices
One of my favorite buildings was The Fun Center. There were ping pong tables, pool tables, and much, much more.
Indoor pool with zero grade entry, aqua lift and warming room
There was an indoor pool, a rock climbing wall, basketball court (with adjustable goals) an art room, beauty salon and a lake for boating and fishing and that’s not all, but because this post can not accommodate pictures of everything there is to see and do, you are just going to have to take my word for it….it is awesome!
The Center hosts Summer Camp and Family Weekends throughout the school year. Some of the illness groups served include: asthma, autism, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, spina bifida, and many, many more. My tour was wonderful and I so appreciate Ms. Stormi for taking the time out of her day to show me around. What’s missing, of course, from these pictures are the children themselves.
Hand prints (and heart prints) of campers
When I stopped to look at this wall I imagined all the little faces that made these prints and the people who helped them. Not only are the kids courageous but so are their parents, the medical staff, camp volunteers and folks who run the camp are heroes as well.
After my tour I drove home lost in thought, my mind literally spinning with all the wonderful things I had seen. I couldn’t help but wonder how such a great organization could exist for two years practically on my back door step and I had never been to see it. I thought about the founder of the camp, Elizabeth Turner Campbell, and how much I admired her for dreaming the dream and then using her passion and resources to turn that dream into a reality. And finally I began asking myself, “What can I do to help?”
What follows is what I thought of on the way home, but thoughts are still pinging through my brain like bolts of lightening.
1. I can tell friends who have children with disabilities and health problems about the camp. There is no cost to the families and the whole family can attend one of the weekend camps if they so desire.
2. I can make The Center for Courgeous Kids NanaHood’s Charity of Choice. As soon as Char (my friend and web go-to girl) can I have asked her to place a permanent link from NanaHood to The Center’s web site.’
3. I can donate to The Center and ask others to do so. They have a long list of needs and suggestions for volunteering on their site.
4. I can pray for these courageous campers, for their families and for all the folks who donate their time and talents at the camp to help a sick child have a fun, safe, camp experience. Thank you Lord, for the blessing of this camp and for all those who help these precious children and their families!
Please visit the camp’s site at http://www.courageouskids.org/ and help me spread the word about the wonderful work these people are doing. There are families (probably near where you live) who have children who would love to spend time at this exceptional camp. I am sure there are parents who could benefit from the comraderie of other parents going through similar experiences.
Note: Being the grandparent of a special needs child, I am so thankful for wonderful facilities like these that meet the needs of so many special children and their families. Thank you, Teresa, for sharing this wonderful post!
I am so very blessed that sometimes on Gratituesday it’s hard to know just what to give thanks for. That isn’t the case today.
Approximately two years ago a medical camp for seriously ill children was built in Scottsville, Kentucky. The facility is located on 168 acres and it’s about 45 miles from where I live. The camp is called The Center for Courageous Kids.
The mission of the camp is this: To uplift children who have life-threatening illnesses by creating experiences year round that are memorable, exciting, fun, build self-esteem, are physically safe, and medically sound.
When you take a closer look at what went into building this facility and the people behind the scenes that care for these children, you realize that a one sentence mission statement is just the tip of a very, very large iceberg of dreams.
The first thing I noticed when I drove through the gates at The Center was how beautiful the white buildings with the blue roofs were. They were even more beautiful on the inside.
The Communication Director, Stormi Murtie, met me at the door and gave me a tour of the facilities.
Because this is a medical camp for children with serious disorders and health issues there are exam and critical care rooms. There is a place for a helicopter to land, an infusion therapy room, and a hospital right down the road. The picture above is the T J Samson examination room.
Stables and Equestrian Center
There are eight gentle, noise-proof horses for the children to pet, ride or just enjoy watching.
One of my favorite buildings was The Fun Center. There were ping pong tables, pool tables, and much, much more.
There was an indoor pool, a rock climbing wall, basketball court (with adjustable goals) an art room, beauty salon and a lake for boating and fishing and that’s not all, but because this post can not accommodate pictures of everything there is to see and do, you are just going to have to take my word for it….it is awesome!
The Center hosts Summer Camp and Family Weekends throughout the school year. Some of the illness groups served include: asthma, autism, cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, spina bifida, and many, many more. My tour was wonderful and I so appreciate Ms. Stormi for taking the time out of her day to show me around. What’s missing, of course, from these pictures are the children themselves.
When I stopped to look at this wall I imagined all the little faces that made these prints and the people who helped them. Not only are the kids courageous but so are their parents, the medical staff, camp volunteers and folks who run the camp are heroes as well.
After my tour I drove home lost in thought, my mind literally spinning with all the wonderful things I had seen. I couldn’t help but wonder how such a great organization could exist for two years practically on my back door step and I had never been to see it. I thought about the founder of the camp, Elizabeth Turner Campbell, and how much I admired her for dreaming the dream and then using her passion and resources to turn that dream into a reality. And finally I began asking myself, “What can I do to help?”
What follows is what I thought of on the way home, but thoughts are still pinging through my brain like bolts of lightening.
1. I can tell friends who have children with disabilities and health problems about the camp. There is no cost to the families and the whole family can attend one of the weekend camps if they so desire.
2. I can make The Center for Courgeous Kids NanaHood’s Charity of Choice. As soon as Char (my friend and web go-to girl) can I have asked her to place a permanent link from NanaHood to The Center’s web site.’
3. I can donate to The Center and ask others to do so. They have a long list of needs and suggestions for volunteering on their site.
4. I can pray for these courageous campers, for their families and for all the folks who donate their time and talents at the camp to help a sick child have a fun, safe, camp experience. Thank you Lord, for the blessing of this camp and for all those who help these precious children and their families!
Please visit the camp’s site at http://www.courageouskids.org/ and help me spread the word about the wonderful work these people are doing. There are families (probably near where you live) who have children who would love to spend time at this exceptional camp. I am sure there are parents who could benefit from the comraderie of other parents going through similar experiences.
Note: Being the grandparent of a special needs child, I am so thankful for wonderful facilities like these that meet the needs of so many special children and their families. Thank you, Teresa, for sharing this wonderful post!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Caught in the Act.........of Kindness!
We have the world's best neighbors! You know. The kind you can borrow a cup of sugar from or better yet, the kind who will loan you their riding mower when yours has a bent blade and craters in the middle of the front yard. We've even had a neighbor approach our unsuspecting son-in-law, thinking he might be a burglar, when he came over to the house while we were away on a trip. It's always nice to know someone has your back!
Several years ago, while I was still working full time, I would put my garbage container out every Monday and Friday morning, only to find it emptied and back up by my garage when I came home in the evening. Since we have a lot of neighbors who are home during the day, I was never sure who was doing it. And even though I no longer work outside my home, these sneaky little helpers have continued to put my garbage can away, saving me that second trip out to the street twice a week.
Well, I finally caught them in the act! When I heard the garbage truck coming last Friday, I planted myself by the dining room window with my camera in hand. And sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, this is what I saw...
This is Bob, my neighbor who lives across the street. And he's rolling my cart right up to my garage! And then, this is what I saw next.........
Several years ago, while I was still working full time, I would put my garbage container out every Monday and Friday morning, only to find it emptied and back up by my garage when I came home in the evening. Since we have a lot of neighbors who are home during the day, I was never sure who was doing it. And even though I no longer work outside my home, these sneaky little helpers have continued to put my garbage can away, saving me that second trip out to the street twice a week.
Well, I finally caught them in the act! When I heard the garbage truck coming last Friday, I planted myself by the dining room window with my camera in hand. And sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, this is what I saw...
That's Betty, his wife, driving the cart! Don't they make a cute, sneaky little couple? We're not sure of their age, but we think they might be in their early eighties. Twice a week, in the heat, rain or cold, Bob and Betty are out there with their cart going from house to house making sure everyone's container gets rolled safely back to the house. Sometimes when it's really cold or wet, Bob just stays on the back of the cart, grabs the garbage containers' handle and Betty drives them both right up the driveway!
Aren't they the best? Thanks, Bob and Betty, for showing us all how to be great neighbors!
Monday, January 11, 2010
The "Ugly Quilt" Dilemma
Yesterday, while cleaning out my closet, it resurfaced once more. The quilt top. The one thing that I can not seem to dispose of. It's been folded away in a box for thirty-seven years just waiting for the day when I will lovingly remove it, send it off to be quilted, and then proudly display it on a bed.
The problem: It's UGLY! I mean reeeally ugly!
In 1973, months before my husband and I were to be married, two sweet, little elderly sisters at my church pulled me aside and said they would like to present me with a gift they had made. They went on to describe a beautiful quilt top that they hoped I would love and be willing to finish. Being a budding seamstress, I excitedly thanked them and promised to finish and cherish their gift.
When it arrived, I opened the box with great anticipation and this is what I pulled out:
A few years later, when "country really was cool" I took it out again, tried to imagine it on the bed, on the table, on the wall, on the windows, but even in that "country decorating" decade, it was just UGLY. Oh, how I wanted to suddenly have a decorating inspiration, to make those little old ladies proud, but it just didn't happen. So I sadly folded it back up, tucked it in the box and stuffed it in a dark corner of the closet.
Over the years that quilt has moved to seven different cities and seven different closets. Every few years, usually during spring cleaning, it resurfaces. I take it out once more, hoping this will be the time that I will finally see its hidden beauty. I know it must be there, otherwise why would those sweet little ladies have spent all those hours stitching it together? Or were they just trying to get rid of a really ugly mistake? I guess I'll never know since I don't even remember their names and they'd be over a hundred years old if they were still alive.
So I've finally come to the conclusion that the only reason this quilt is still in my closet is GUILT. I'm carrying it around because I feel guilty. I made a promise to two little old ladies that I don't even remember and who probably forgot all about me shortly after getting rid of, I mean giving me, this quilt top! How sad and pathetic is that? So, this week, I'm finally going to decide..........do I take it to Goodwill,.... throw it in the dumpster, or.........just leave it to my daughters and let them carry on the burden of guilt?
Any suggestions?
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