Garage Sale Give Away!

On this rainy, rainy day I would like to send prayers out to everyone affected by the terrible storms and tornadoes.

 I would also like to announce a give-away of some garage sale goodies I have acquired over some time and would like to share. It's a surprise box of this and that so if you feel lucky take a chance! All I ask that you be a follower and leave a comment with your name so that I may choose a winner on Monday, May 5th! If you are not a follower already, you can follow and then enter. Let me know if you mention my give-away on your blog and I will count you in twice! Good luck gals!

Its Been a Rough Two Weeks

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It sure has been a rough time for our family. First, I want to wish you all a happy belated Easter. I am not one to post sad events in my life as I like to keep blogging light hearted and cheerful but we've suffered a loss that has been devastating. Our much loved cat Robin, whom I have posted about many times, passed away last Thursday at only ten years old.

It's been such a difficult time. Robin was like a child in our home. He was born here when my son was four and he meshed himself into our lives in such a way that  words can't explain.I think because he grew up along with Billy and then Caitlin was born two years later in 2005 that he really became the middle child. He was the sweetest and most loving cat ever. This is the first day I can even look at his picture with out sobbing. Cancer robbed him of his life and it came completely by surprise. He was fine. At least he behaved fine. Then one morning he had some labored breathing and wasn't eating. We brought him to our animal hospital and they concluded he had diabetes.It was treatable. But then he was getting very weak and the doctors were surprised at how quickly he was deteriorating. Almost over night. They did all kinds of tests but still he would not bounce back and they were shocked. With all the treatment he was getting, how could be failing so? Nine days of hospital care and he was declining but we had hope--after all, I was prepared to give him insulin or any other medications. Then suddenly in one night he went blind and couldn't stand. A specialist  was called in and it was discovered he had a rapid growing lymphoma that destroys your kidneys, liver and pancreas and then goes for the brain---in a matter of days :(   It masks itself as diabetes.
 And he was gone. Our Robin, who was named by my son after Batman & Robin--was a little super hero after all--and now he's gone. He tried so hard to live and come home to us again. In his last breaths at the animal hospital he tried to stand and crawl to my son. My son said he feels like he lost his brother.  What is so hard to accept is that two weeks ago he had movie night in our family room with Billy, Caitlin and our best neighbor friends--the three little girls who also have grown up with Robin. He sat in the middle of them all watching "Frozen."  Robin viewed them as his friends too. He loved everyone.

But I hate to leave you sad like me. When we thought he had a treatable ailment and was about to come home, we went on with our egg coloring for Easter on the Wednesday before with our neighbor friends. It's the tradition since my Billy and neighbor Genny were toddlers. We colored eggs and had desserts.

the gang

Julie, Jackie & Billy

my love bug

Genny & Caitlin

We were all smiles and had fun. On Easter, we were preparing for Robin to be released the next day. Then he started declining Monday and he never came home :(  But here is my Caitlin on Easter Sunday:

Robin passed this last Thursday night. Our house feels so empty without him. We have Dixie and Red Cat whom we love so much but we are lost without our Robin. We decided this weekend to throw ourselves in to our outside work. It's very healing and Robin would not like us to be sad; he was such a joy filled pussycat.

Billy and my son decided to build beds around the chicken coop and add some blue stone so it doesn't get muddy when it rains or my sprinkler system goes off. The beds are going to be filled with mulch and I like to fill the beds around it with herbs and plants such as mint, catmint, parsley, and pretty flowers. Next weekend a truck of mulch is coming for the property both front and back. More work! But that's a good thing. We love our property, our yard, our pets, our house, our neighbors and working together. That's what heals us!
And I thank God for allowing us to experience the special joy of having Robin. I've had many cats in my life and I have loved them all sooo much but Robin was a little different. He embraced people and he embraced other animals. The kindest disposition you can ever imagine. He had a huge heart and brought out the best in all of us. So for the ten years we've enjoyed with him I am grateful and I also know that there will never be another quite like him. He was that once in a life time gift.



this is the rear/the bunkhouse for chickens & bunnies

bunkhouse area nice and clean

After our hard work that day, Caitlin and I made a roast beef dinner and we had the first corn on the cob of the season.  It was delicious and it made us smile :)

Easter Countdown!

It's Friday! It's Friday! and it is also the last day of school before Spring break! Woo Hoo! I'm so happy when the kids are home with me. I think I get more excited than they do :)  Although Billy has been home with me receiving the home tutoring cause of the stomach issue, we have no tutors next week and no schedule for anything except fun stuff!We have our party, two events at Church before Easter Sunday, and the we plan to go to the movies. Today, Caitlin's class is having a Spring party, and it is retro dress day as well so she is dressing as a 60's girl. I wanted her to wear a bonnet and a long dress and go as Laura Ingalls to which she replied "No."......oh well...she's very excited that her class is reading "Charlotte's Web". I'm wondering if Easter Bunny can find the cartoon for her Easter basket...Speaking of baskets...I went to Dollar Tree the other day and saw these adorable eggs:  

 SO sweet. Dollar Tree really has lots of good stuff for the holidays and for the outdoors. I sure love going there. Today I'm off to a few stores to complete my purchases for the "baskets" ....I have a few ideas for them to make them special. I still have my original Easter basket from when I was little. These are the candy containers Easter Bunny left me:

The first one he ever left at my house was the one to the far left and that one is my favorite. I received it when I was seven. I don't open them anymore because the plastic is wearing a bit. Easter baskets were always so much fun. I would receive two chocolate bunnies--one chocolate and one white chocolate, chocolate eggs, fuzzy chicks and the candy container filled with jelly beans. Oh yes, there were M&M's too, I believe....

The other day I was cleaning my bathroom and I accidentally knocked over a glass Easter egg decoration I had displayed on my bathroom sink...Sadly the lid of the egg broke. I am somewhat klutzy. I managed to salvage the bottom part of the egg and recreated it:

Then it joined the pack with some other bunnies:

Proving once again that new friends are easy to make!

Happy Friday!!!!!

Spring is Here! I Think!

Good Afternoon! We've been super busy here, and I'm a bit behind posting. Also a bit behind with other things but I know I'll get caught up. The doctors handling my son's inflammatory bowel disease issue extended his home tutoring until May 30th so he will just be returning to school for regents exams in June. He has good days and some pretty darn bad ones. We are supposed to begin a new medication at his next appointment so we'll continue to pray that he gets much needed relief. We go back and forth on different weeks for testing or treatment at hospital so I haven't been home as much as I usually am plus I care for my Mom. Some days are crazier than others but it's all good. I get everything done eventually!

This was the weather here a week ago today--3"of snow! Then by Wednesday the temps went up to 60 degrees and it all melted! I think Mother Nature is finally moving on. I surely hope so. I have lots of buds on my plants and bushes and sprouts coming out of the ground. Crocus are blooming! We took advantage of the nice weather these last few days and really worked hard outside. I have my herbs and flowers picked out for around the chicken coop and my son and husband have seeded the lawn. Carol & Frankie took advantage of the sunshine too. They celebrate their first birthday this week!

Carol the rooster

Frankie our prissy girl

They pecked around and followed me outside while I did some cleanup of the garden
Here they are last June--only two months old!

Look Below!
How about some of these chicks? These are chicks I had growing up. Perhaps igniting my passion for all things chickens/roosters ? :) My Mom crocheted them! I treasure them because I only have a few and my Mom can not crochet anymore due to her arthritis.
Aren't they adorable? I love the 70's crafts. She got this idea from a 1970's Better Homes & Garden magazine, I'm thinking around 1975.....love it.

And Carol and Frankie aren't the ONLY ones with birthdays in the Spring! My Caitlin turned 9 on March 28th!

She celebrated with best friends at Chuck E. Cheese and we also had a small house party.

A fun, fun, fun weekend. I can't believe my baby is nine. She's helping me plan our annual Easter Egg Coloring Party. It really isn't a party but in my house if we have a few friends, desserts and a theme it's a PARTY! Since my son was an infant--seriously an infant !---I would invite my friends over to bring their little ones and we would have desserts and color eggs. As the kids got older, we branched off into MORE desserts, and MORE kinds of coloring egg kits. A simple little get together that has become a tradition for 14 years! We have so much fun coloring eggs and eating! We do the traditional PAAS colors, sparkle eggs, tie dye, ...you know them all! Stickers and writing on them with wax...all that fun stuff...Last year Caitlin and I made our Easter Bunny cake that came out looking like a cat! And that's okay! wink, wink   :) because we had so much fun making it! Lets see what happens this year.

We are planning some new treats this week. There are some great ideas on the Kraft Foods  and Spoonful
websites. Pinterest of course too!

And Finally.....some GREAT news to end this post with....My little Dixie..aka Dixie Doodles aka just Doodles --has made a remarkable recovery! We truly thought she was near death. She suffered two strokes in two weeks and we were spoon feeding her as she had no strength to walk upright, let alone drink or eat on her own. The vet recommended we put her down but I just couldn't yet. I'm happy I waited....she twitches, she drools a little but she is back to walking, eating and snuggling! Praise God!
Dixie is our little rescue from 9 years ago from a big state park.We had gone to the park after dinner one night to feed the ducks and discovered her stealing our bread and hiding in a hollow log. We returned to the park for three nights trying to find her and lure her into our cat carrier and finally caught her. She had no teeth and was deaf but full of love for us. We had no idea how long she had been abandoned in the park but I can tell you she adjusted to our home and we love her. She never really grew (she's kitten size) and weighs less than five pounds but she is our Dixie and she is one tough pussycat!(who can't resist baskets) This photo was taken last year. She still looks the same. Bless her heart.

Unfortunately Red Cat is still blind in one eye but he is doing well otherwise....and Robin is always loveable Robin...all these pets...I love them like children! :)

Have a great day! 

More Crafts & Thrifting Goodies

The first Saturday of Spring promises to be a beautiful day at almost sixty degrees! I'm going to enjoy that and so will the chickens and bunnies. Carol and Frankie went pecking around the yard yesterday as my son and I did some yard work. They seemed surprised to see grass and had fun scratching through the dirt and just being chickens! I can't believe they'll be a year old next month.  I'm trying to get a head start on clean up on our property so that when I buy my plants and flowers, I'll have a clean area to work with. I hate when you still have to clean up the mess of winter while your flowers and plants are sitting patiently on your patio to be planted! Spring is in the air--- then last night we heard that we may be having snow Tuesday night into Wednesday...I'm hoping it bypasses us. For now I will just enjoy Saturday!

Here is where I put my little barnyard. I propped it on a stacking box and surrounded it with some vintage roosters. I think I had said that the barnyard was made out of a shelf that also serves as a key holder so it has a drop down bottom that I have hidden behind the box.I don't need a key holder at this time. It's so hard to get a good photo angle. It looks adorable.

I also worked on this little bench using paint and rub on transfers. I love rub on transfers! Sometimes it's hard to find good ones though. If you never worked with them they are sooo easy to apply! When I see good ones, I try to get as many as I can. These are strawberries.

I used to paint a whole bunch of these and give them away with little potted plants sitting on them. They made cute hostess gifts. I had also painted one a few years ago (see below)  in burgundy and black and I have two Amish dolls sitting on them. I love them so much.

Yesterday I also popped over to the thrift shop again with my friend Lynn. I've really only started  going to thrift shops recently, and I am so hooked. What fun it is! I got some great stuff! I didn't get to take a photo of everything but here is some of what I got:

Pyrex Amish Butterprint bowl--my first one! I have other printed Pyrex but always wanted the blue one! Score!

Five of these beautiful depression era plates. Perfect for brunch or dessert. They look similar to a print my Grandmother had. Had to get them! 5 plates for $2. Yes, Maam!

Another covered jewelry holder. Very dainty and pretty. I am going to put these in my bedroom. It seems every couple of times I go to this particular shop, I find one!

Chicken egg holders! I found a basket full of them still in their plastic marked $1.99 each. I think, from the looks of the tag, they came from AC Moore. I got them for .25 each. Kim K. will be getting some of these. They are super cute.

I also got a bunny, a few bowls that I plan to use for my pets and last but not least some vintage craft books which I treasure. This one has patterns and directions for clothes pin dolls and other types.

A fun day! Thank you Lynn! I love hanging with you :)

I can't wait for the garage sales and tag sales. Billy and I put our rockers on the front porch..I know I'm rushing it  :)  I'm not planting a big vegetable garden this year instead I'm doing container planting. I have a list of what I'm planting around the chicken coop and then I plan to add lots of potted herbs that both us and the bunnies and chickens can eat. Since my husband just built it last year, this is the first season I can enjoy it fully and I want to decorate it and landscape it the way I have dreamed of doing it. I also have to plant my sunflowers. Have a great Saturday and I hope the sun is shining!

The Little Barnyard

Good Afternoon! Finally the weather seems to be improving. Tomorrow is the first day of Spring and it is supposed to be in the 50's! Woo Hoo! I can't remember ever being so anxious for Winter to end! I think because we were pounded with snow/sleet since November. I saw a few plants sprouts poking their heads through the dirt this morning. I've been trying to clean up a little outside. We had gotten our first snow before we had all the leaves cleaned away! We also have a new tree to watch this year~~our town planted new trees on our block since we lost so many from Hurricane Sandy. Seriously, our trees and light poles fell like dominoes during that storm so it was nice to have nice flowering pear planted. I hope they do well.  I also took off the insulating plastic around the chicken coop. Let the sun shine in!  Hard to believe that Carol and Frankie will be one year old on April 10th...my little chickieboos. Anyway, I've been working on few random things and I came across a little picket fence shelf I have had for a few years. It holds keys under the little fence and is very cute but I really didn't have a place for it and didn't need a key holder so in to the closet it went. I decided to craft a little barnyard out of it.

I had the little wooden chicken coop and painted it barn red and glued it to the top of the shelf. Then I just added all the other details including those cute feathery chickens from Michaels and a scarecrow. I found the perfect spot for it without hanging it. I have to take a picture to show you. 

I also crafted a few more bunny wagons. 

Party preparations next week for us as Caitlin turns 9 on the 28th! She's been collecting the "big eye" stuffed animals. Any one else have a daughter or grandaughter collecting them? She has a bunch and loves them. I'm always  interested in what other kids are doing in their part of the country. 

Have a great afternoon!

The Leprechaun Came! The Leprechaun Came!

On this fun day, EVERYONE has a little green Irish blood running through their veins; EVERYONE is just a wee bit Irish! With tunes from music choice on our cable station, Irish music fills the air this morning! I made my corned beef, cabbage, carrots and red potatoes yesterday for a Sunday St. Patrick's Day dinner and of course some Irish soda bread to have with tea! Caitlin was putting the finishing touches on her Leprechaun Trap. She decided to use a tall box and affix a ladder to it so that he could climb in but not climb out! If you catch a Leprechaun and keep him, he must lead you to gold! If he escapes, he leaves you some little gifts as a thank you for believing. She thought it would be enticing to wrap rainbow masking tape around the box thinking "rainbows and pot o' gold" would get his attention. She also put large and small shiny clover around the box. To the inside she added shiny stones, bright copper pennies and some fake gold coins because this is what gets the Leprechauns to visit! She wrote him a short message. The trap is set. At the end of her bed is where she set it. Then to wait....

Our neighbor's daughter Jackie who is Caitlin's best friend also crafted her own trap. Jackie said the Leprechaun probably visits her house first and then opens the gate between our two properties to visit ours. Low and behold, sometime while we slept..he came!

What goodies he left! A headband, two necklaces, stickers, clover glasses, a green flashlight and more! He wrote her a note as well! He said the wee ones had visited her and that they had no gold to leave but would give her these trinkets and thanked her for believing. Then he playfully added, "You can't Catch Me!" --oh, rats! He got away! :) We'll try again next year Mr. Leprechaun! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Besides preparing for our Leprechaun visitor and St. Paddy's Sunday dinner, I did some crafting in between! I had gotten this little rocker sometime last year at a garage. It had some damage from black sharpie marker that I could not get out so after painting the rocker a brownish color and slightly distressing it (Made it look almost wood grain), I painted a black rim around it to cover the sharpie. I also added some vintage looking rub on tranfer chicks. I think it's so prim & cute!

 Perfect seat for Little Miss! I'm going to add a clear glaze to the black today to give it a little shine.

Before I go, a pussycat update:  Dixie is doing a little better. She's very weak as she has suffered two strokes and until she can gain her strength I am spoon feeding her both tiny amounts of food and water. I have high expectations she'll make somewhat of a recovery but it's in God's hands. Red Cat's eye also is improving but still likely he lost the sight. Time will tell. Thanks so much for your comments and emails of concern. I wish the Leprechaun could do some magic on them for me! I love my cats. Hugs to all!

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Book review for Blogging for Books
Receiving Books for Free and Reviewing them!
CRASH THE CHATTERBOX by Pastor Steven Furtick
Hearing God's voice above all the "noise" or the "chatterbox." This inspiring book will teach you to tune in to God's voice which sometimes is barely audible in the world we live in. The chatterbox is, as author Pastor Steven Furtick explains, is a term to represent the lies we are told to believe that keep us from accurately and actively hearing the Lord. Basically, in every form of media and in society there are those who seek to oppose all that God stands for or teaches. The enemy seeks to destroy us and does so by having us believe that stepping outside of our faith is the only way to survive in the world we live in. By scripture, example and personal reflection, the author is able to show us how to rise above it all and remember what God really stands for and preaches to us. He values us and accepts us as good, bad or indifferent. I thought the idea of tuning out from the chatterbox was a good incentive to re-evaluate what is really important and focus on what builds me up and not what tears me down. Highly recommended.