Posy

Love...continued

Do you remember this post many years ago? April 2006 to be precise. Well, the love is still there..

 

..nothing's changed..well perhaps the presence of sparkly green eye shadow and a dozen bracelets!

Ahh...

The 14th birthday

 

Here's the birthday girl yesterday, looking rather..er..old. Our conversation went like this...

Me: "Alice while we wait for Daddy to come home from work, I would like to take your birthday portrait (family tradition) while it is still light."

Alice, shouting from upstairs: "OK, I'm just getting changed."

Alice then appears dressed in her favourite dress which has been taken back out of the dirty washing basket. The large food stain was at my eye level as I sat on the sofa. Her black cardigan covered in cat hair as one of the cats had been lying on it. But as I went to meet her gaze to point this out I became distracted by a more obvious feature and in doing so I miraculously turned into my mother.

Me: "You can go back upstairs right now and take that make up off. Your face is orange!"

Alice in complete surprise: "Really, oh, I didn't really notice." (Meaning - make up what make up?!)

A few minutes later. She appears back in the room; face less orange but her eyes ringed in heavy black eyeliner.

Me: but my mother somehow speaking through me: "Absolutely no way. Go and take that off!"

Alice: "But I have!"

Me: "It's that black eyeliner. Go and take that off, please."

Alice: "I can't, oh please don't make me, it looks alright I always wear this, all my friends wear it..etc"

Incredibly, I give in.

Me: "Well, I don't know what Granny will say."

We go outside and she sits on the wall.  As I look through my view finder I catch my breath as I see my 14 year old self looking back at me. Eye liner or no eye liner.

           

She is blossoming into such a wonderful young woman. She has the best attributes of both Anth and myself and for that we are truly grateful.  Though does this mean I had better make friends with the eye liner - or will I always sound like my mother?

Too Much

It was after I had wandered into Alice's bedroom to get some pillowcases from the linen cupboard - glanced at the walls and then went straight into Lucy's room that I realised that we 3 Goble girls have a little problem with excess. Just a little.

 

First, we will look at Alice's obsession with the Jonas Brothers, Zac Efron and High School Musical and yes, if you look in the bottom left hand corner of the photo you will see 2 empty fromage frais tubes stuck to the wall! Why, I hear you ask has she stuck half eaten tubes of fromage frais on the wall and not put them in the rubbish? Because they have pictures of High School Musical on them..hmm. Nearly every square inch is covered with these boys and at Christmas poor Tom had to sleep with an enormous poster of Zac Efron hovering above him on the ceiling.

Now, onto Lucy bedroom.

 

She, sometimes aided by her mother, is amassing a rather large collection of necklaces, mostly vintage I'm happy to say and in the most part extremely pretty. This means that her dressing table is awash with necklaces of every sort; some muddled and in knots; piles heaped onto glass cake stands; some hanging from the mirror and some on hooks.

     

And then we have the handbags hanging from every door handle. Each Goble girl is guilty of handbag-love.

And finally the last, and indeed worst Goble girl. Me. One of my many obsessions is my love of bedlinen and especially vintage pillowcases. That once tidy and ordered linen cupboard is not as it should be...brace yourselves..

        

..ooh, it's so bad you can't even see the wallpaper at the back. What a dreadful muddle. It's not all bedlinen I hasten to add - there are tablecloths; cushion covers and all manner of lineny goodness in there too. But it is in bad need of a sort out.

 

And then we step outside the bedrooms and onto the landing where my collection of handiwork graces the walls - I have others waiting to be framed but we are almost out of space.  I won't show you the books (me)and shoes (Lucy and Alice) but you can get the picture I'm sure.

So it looks like my daughters have inherited my hoarding gene, bless them. And I think I should come clean and confess that if Chris Martin's picture was on some tubes of fromage frais they just might find themselves on my bedroom wall..empty of course.

Thank you again for your encouragement and kind words about my craft club. This week I even had 2 boys ask to join so it looks like it will be expanding but as it is just me I am going to expand slowly. Your book suggestions were great and I will try our library for the Lucinda Guy books.  I loved reading about your favourite soaps - again I found I hadn't even heard of some so will try and hunt some down. Isn't great when we swap ideas. Do have a joyful weekend wherever you may be.

He's gone!

Oh, oh oh. It was horrible. Just horrible. Yesterday was the first day that I haven't cried. I cried before he went when the girls hugged him goodbye. I then cried when we got to the Campus and saw his grotty little room and the look on his face; I cried when we had a last cup of tea together; cried when we said goodbye, cried on our 2 hour journey to Bath, cried just a teeny bit in Cath Kidston the next day, and then sobbed on Amanda's sweet shoulder at Shepton Mallet, and finally on Monday when I went grocery shopping and realised I didn't need to buy his Muller Rice. It has been much, much harder than I ever thought it would be and I am wondering if it is because it is bringing back memories of the times I have been overwhelmed with homesickness. Who knows - but either way I don't like it.

Between the tears though I have had to smile at Alice. She is very excited about moving into Tom's bedroom as she has always shared with Lucy. I don't think we had been gone half an hour before she had put her 'touches' onto her 'new' space

     

His Play Station complete with crochet doily.

       

His vintage, wooden crate (i.e his bedside table!) transformed with my a (inside out!!) embroidered tablecloth and pillows.

 

His handmade CD box draped, again, with doily love and the all important 'High School Musical' in a prominent position.

Bless her for making me smile, and as Anth reminded me, she is being creative and doing what I keep hoping my children will do - have their own individual style and be that little bit different than the rest. Oh, I love my children.

Hello & Goodbye (well, just for a week!)

Hello dear friends. I'm just popping in to say hi and to say that we will be going to Ludlow for a few days. We have had a lovely time this week as we have had Anth's sister and husband visiting us from New Zealand. It has been wonderful to see them especially as they are the last of the family to visit us in the UK.  Unfortunately the weather has been bad but we haven't let that stop us going out and about.

Yesterday was a big day in my children's life as Tom and Lucy received their A level results. Tom has been offered a place at the lovely university we visited back in March. He is doing a different course but I think it is a more interesting one. Obviously we are so, so pleased for him, and enormously proud of him.  It hasn't been an easy year for Tom and we're sure this will be a wonderful start to his adult life. Gosh, my first-born will be flying the nest at the end of September..ahh, I feel ..mmm ..old!

Lucy also did a A level Maths module (a couple of years early as she is still only 15,) and she got 94/100...! A child of mine got an A in Maths. Maths isn't one of my strong points or Anth's either so where she gets it from who knows.

Alice has been staying in Salisbury, with Granny and Poppa for the last 2 weeks. She has been doing a Acting Summer School and tomorrow we will go and watch her perform in King Arthur. We have really missed her and hear that she has been working really hard. Then it's up to Ludlow. I will definitely be opening my shop when I return, and no it isn't a real bricks and mortar affair which some of you have thought, it is only another page of my blog which you will find in my sidebar. I'm sorry if I have confused anyone, perhaps 'shop' is not the right word for it! Oops.

So, I hope the following week is everything you would like it to be and I will be back soon. Go well..

Our, a little bigger, little star

I'm so sorry for the unexpected blog intermission.  A wonderful weekend in Ludlow (more tomorrow) was slightly marred by waking up last Sunday with a migraine. I decided to try not to take my normal medications (apart from pain relief) as as though they work extremely well they cause me to have rebound migraines and then I'm onto a never ending cycle of medicine/headache/medicine/headache etc. So I started school on Monday with very good intentions. I lasted until 3.40am on Wednesday and took an injection; got to school late, burst into tears and had to go home. Thursday was indescribable and I was worried it was going to be another 14 day cycle but I slowly improved and, joy of joy, felt better by Friday evening. I just can't believe it, even now!

It meant that I was able to fully enjoy watching Alice last night in her latest TAF Gold production Aladdin.  She was an narrator this time and Anth and I could hardly believe how much she has matured from last year's performance. She even won an award...for the Blondest Arabian!

Poor Alice,  I apparently even managed to embarrass her whilst sitting in a darkened theatre.  She overheard people saying when they left the stage,

"Who's that lady with the enormous camera?"

Knowing who that must be she replied,

"Oh that's my mum and if you wait you'll hear her scream after the flash and bang of the Genie's lamp...3..2..1"

 BANG! FLASH!

.."Ah!"  I leaped into the air and even managed to scratch Lucy's face as my hands flew up.

Apparently there was a lot of sniggering behind the curtain..

Wednesday: Things I'm Loving Right Now

My changing relationship with my children.  I'm not sure when this phase started, but I'm so loving the time we are spending together. I have noticed that now they are older and don't have to, or need to be with me all of the time - they each choose to do something different with me.

 

Lucy chooses to join me on the sofa to watch our favourite TV programmes.  She is a wonderful companion and enjoys the same programmes as me.  We settle down - she at one end of the sofa and me at the other and work our way through our Sky+ planner. Current favourites are; Big Brother (yeah I know I shouldn't admit to that one); Britain and America's Next Top Model; Brothers & Sisters; & Tribal Wives. Mmm.. a large clutch of reality shows in there. Before leaving the house in the morning we discuss what we will watch later that day so we have something to look forward to. Ha! And I'm admitting to this...aren't we sad!  I know it will change soon and she will be off doing more exciting things so I'm enjoying every programme pause (with Sky+ you can pause and rewind live TV - pure brilliance) to discuss plots, nasty behaviour, dresses, houses and hairstyles. She and I also 'do' tearooms but that's another story.

Tom chooses to spend time with me last thing at night just as I am about to turn off my bedside light. He will suddenly appear at the side of the bed and I have to try and unpick his man/boy worries/thoughts as they are being hesitantly told to me without being tempted to say, "Could we have this conversation in the morning?"  We share the same sense of humour and he often seeks me out to show me something funny on YouTube and it brings me great joy to watch him laugh which I wish he did more of because it suits him.

Alice is my supermarket buddy. She enjoys coming to Sainsburys with me and chooses do it every week. I took this photo in 2007 whilst she browsed the Valentine's cards and it made me smile as it was the first time she had shown an interest in Valentine's Day. I can't get over how young she looks and it was only last year. She is a big help to me and is capable of doing the weekly shop herself though we would end up with a trolley of junk food if she had her way. Gosh that girl likes her food, especially sweets. Again, it's lovely to spend the time with her especially if we go to the cafe first.

So while I do miss those babies of mine I am enjoying this part of my motherhood journey, despite the pick-ups at 1am. I learn a lot from each of them and am grateful they seek out my company to do those different things.

Tomorrow, Anth, Lucy and I are heading up to the Ludlow Festival and on Friday night will be going to watch Shakespeare's Richard III performed in the Castle grounds  - fingers crossed the weather will be good. I'm hoping for some good treasure hunting too. Back on Sunday. Go well my friends.

Fairy lights and Fairy cakes

Hi everyone, Alice blogging today!

Well now that it's half term i've had alot of things planned. Unfortunatly all my fun begins tomorrow (Thursday) so these past few days have been very dull and boring for me. It doesn't help the fact it's been terrible rain!!

I was so bored yesterday that i decided to go to Sainsburys with my mum. We walked through the cooking ingredients aisle, and I thought it would be a good idea to make some fairy cakes; so mum and I bought the ingredients (you'll never see mum in the kitchen as she says she has many other things she wants to do that the finished result will actually last longer than 5 seconds!).

Today as you've probably guessed i've been spending the past hour making cakes!

It's been alright apart from the fact Mum and I have both got headaches, Mum's got it worse than me, so i thought it would be a nice idea to do a blog for a change.

So here i am making my cakes, with the fairy lights of course. Quite a bad picture of me unfortunatey; but Lucy took it, so as her sister, I will blame her!

Finally my cakes were done, and they came out.....well.....they could've been better!

The worst part remains, which is doing the washing up afterwards!! Oh well I better do it now so i don't have to do it later.

Hopefully i'll speak soon and thank you for reading,

Bye xxxxxxxxxxxx

The week gone by

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I've last posted.  Tut tut, hope you haven't noticed.  I've been a busy bee. A very, very busy bee with an 18 year old son but more about that later. Well...do you like it?  My wall of flowers. I'm thrilled with it especially when every picture has been bought from a car boot or charity shop and cost from 25p to £3; oh with the exception of one that sweet Amanda sent me as a gift. Thank you, Amanda!

It is a work in progress as I'm expecting to add to it.  I did repaint a lot of the frames, and I'm glad I did as they all sort of 'blend' together now. 

Summer arrived last weekend with gloriously sunny weather which brought out many, many sellers at my regular car boot sales - in fact almost too many! I found some treasures though, one being this..

..a sweet nativity picture which seems to mean I must be officially collecting anything with a Mary theme. (You know when I was a little girl my dream was to play Mary in our Sunday School's nativity play but I was always an angel, year after year. It still stings!!)

Oh before I forget Kathy has asked about the little Barbola mirror.

I found it at a jumble sale and bought it for a £1.  Only problem is that it is missing it's mirror so I have temporarily placed another mirror against it (even though it's too big) and am on active look-out for a smaller one.  And finally, there was celebration in the Goble household on Wednesday as our firstborn turned 18.  But being a grown up boy of 18 does not mean you're too old for kisses from your mother...even if you are taller than her!

The Good and Bad

The Bad ~ Oh dear friends, I have just experienced one of my 'Top 10 of Worst Days.' On Monday afternoon Tom was mugged on his way home from town. He had gone to buy Alice a birthday present and was followed and cornered. The culprit demanded his beloved ipod, mobile phone, wallet (complete with our front door key and address.) Thankfully he wasn't hurt but he thought the thief had a knife and was told that he would be shot or stabbed if he told the police.  He duly handed everything over and came back home very shaken, shocked and angry.

For the next 36 hours we have had numerous phone calls and visits to the police station. Incredibly, the culprit was identified, caught, and is still being held in custody. Tom's belongings haven't been found (I'm sure we will never see them again) and he is devastated to lose his ipod which he had worked hard for and saved to buy.  As his mother my emotions are all over the place. I feel incredible anger, not only with the culprit but with his parents for whatever is lacking in their child's life that made him think that this was acceptable behaviour. I'm also angry with society that makes it unsafe in a sleepy seaside town to walk home at 4.30 pm in the bright sunlight. But mostly I am grateful. Grateful that my beautiful boy is safe and that the police found the perpetrator. I'm trying to stay positive and think about what he will learn from this horrid experience but I feel I could cry as I re-live the scenerio everytime I close my eyes.  My peace of mind has been temporarily damaged and I feel my family is vunerable.

Now to the good ~

Alice's 13th birthday was slightly overshadowed with the previous afternoon's events but she was very understanding. We all went out for dinner but were a subdued group sitting around the table.

She's 13 now, and how my baby has grown and she is turning into such a lovely young woman with a kind heart, and a ready smile from a sweet mouth that is rarely quiet (so like her Mother - the noise, not the sweetness!)

She's also very keen at singing, which the neighbours could probably confirm, and unbeknown to them they will probably be hearing her more clearly as she got High School Musical Sing Star for her birthday, complete with 2 microphones. Mmm..well a star has to start somewhere doesn't she?

Miss Lovely Legs

Occasionally, over the last few weeks I have found myself gazing in wonder at my oh-so-grown-up daughter's legs. When did they turn into these long, evenly tanned things? Perhaps it is because she is spending lots of time at the beach with her friends. I don't know, but she tells me they are not tanned compared to her friends; but I know they really are compared to me!

Yesterday, it was her 15th birthday. Anth took the day off and we all went to the cinema and later had takeaway pizza and a DVD. I wanted to have a 'vintage picnic afternoon tea', with gorgeous china and cake stands, but that idea was quickly shot down with cries of protest and rolling eyes. Hmm, I have no idea why but I'm still the official holder of the 'Saddest Mother' award...

She did agree to one vintage cake stand photo, which looks remarkably like last years birthday, but never mind.

Happy Birthday, darling Lucy - and may those beautiful legs carry you towards a wonderful year ahead..

Little Star

It's nearly over, just 3 more shows. We all went to see Alice on Tuesday night. There was 13 of us to watch the understudy show of High School Musical where Alice was playing Sharpay.

I felt terribly nervous as our friends had paid to come and watch her, though I needn't have been because she was great. More than great. Anth and I shared that wonderful parental moment when you squeeze each other's hands and smile at each other with your heart bursting with pride.

Though we had to laugh at her trying to teeter across the stage in my only pair of high heels! I can't really do high heels but she did better than me! Anyway, we are going back on Saturday for the last show and then it's freedom! I'm so excited because this freedom means a one & a half day trip to London for Anth and I at the end of July and a certain green crochet blanket! Yes, I'm going to buy it. Yesss! I am going to use my supermarket reward points (i.e I've already got £85 already so at the end of the year when I use them for my Christmas shop I'll then say with the money I've saved using my points, that has 'bought' my CK blanket!) All rather complicated but it makes me feel so much better, as I shuffle up and down the aisles week after week, to know that the 'reward' for doing so is folded on our bed looking gorgeous!

I decided not to wait until we go to London to buy it incase they don't have any in stock and I would be devastated and a extremely rare and romantic trip would be in danger of being ruined. So I ordered one over the phone only to discover that they were out of stock until end of August. That's OK. Even better really because that gives me longer to work myself up in to more of a frenzy. Oh the excitement - might even have to paint the bed again if my green doesn't blend with the blanket's green. Crikey, I've never even seen this blanket in real life so I hope I will like it!!

So my dear blog readers if you know of shops in London that I might like please let me know: meantime I'll just keep working on my frenzy!

A chip off the old block!

It finally happened - one of my offspring showed a interest in creating something! Here is Alice making a tote...

..and here is Alice modeling her tote! She was so pleased with it and has taken it to school where it was very well received. Then there was no stopping her and it was on to make her first trifle..

...let's hope this might be the start of something that may last a lifetime...hope so!

My birds!

Indulge me please! I have just been looking through my photographs - on my incredibly super laptop - and I came across this photo taken last Christmas. I had forgotten all about it as I am very 'click-happy' due to the wonders of digital and now not wasting film. This means that I have hundreds of photographs and sometimes the odd 2 or 3 slip by unnoticed.

So... this is for all our family in New Zealand and for anyone else who is interested in seeing how quickly these 3 are growing. Are you wondering about the 'birds' thing? Remember this list? Well #17 explains my habit of changing loved ones names and calling the children 'the birds' is just another eccentricity. I have a distant recollection of it starting with Bambi - you know when he tries to speak and says, "bird!"

My sweet birds they are and they are doing just fine. We are very proud parents. Just trying not to think about them flying the nest!

Birthday Girl of 12...

This was the moment that Alice had been waiting months for. Months. Maybe even a year. No, not her actual birthday, which is today; but whether she had been chosen for Taf Gold. Taf, which stands for Torbay Acting Factory, is her acting class that she goes to every Wednesday and every year her teacher chooses her 'best' students to do a big performance. This year is High School Musical (which by Christmas I was already tired of hearing the endless sing-a-long songs - I can't even escape it at school as the older children are always singing them in the corridors!) a huge favourite of hers so her longing to be part of Taf Gold was heightened. Anth and I received the letter on Friday and decided to keep it until today, her birthday, to give it to her. Bless. It has made her day, and mine as I have to confess that I shed a tear when I found out on Friday as I knew how much it meant to her.

It wasn't just Alice who had a good time..

..umm naughty kitties. They even ripped the paper.

It's been a very busy weekend. Mum and Robin joined us today and I seem to have been running around constantly with no chance to sit and certainly no chance to blog but I intend to go and put my feet up now.

On second thoughts maybe it's a lie down I need...if you look very carefully and count the candles on Alice's cake this tired Mummy only put 11 candles on the cake!! Oops. They were a mixed odd bunch anyway but I'm sure I counted 12!

Oh, and before anyone asks, no I didn't make it myself (me, make a cake - that's saved for my special friends who then promptly drop it in the road, hey Fe?) it was a good old Easter carrot cake from Sainsburys. Happy 12th Birthday darling, we are so pleased for you and hope you have a happy year ahead.

Warmest Wishes

Here is our family Christmas card to all my blog friends wherever you may be. I wish I were able to send you all one personally but this will have to do! For 15 years, Anth & I have always photocopied a picture that one of the children have drawn, and this year it was Alice's turn. (It cut off the bottom of the card but I told her that no-one would notice!)

Here are some more..

..these are some of the earlier ones (circa 1990's) though there are a few missing. The very first one Tom did was a circle with legs, eyes and mouth who was meant to be baby Jesus! I've searched high and low but can't find it.

The pink 'Mary' card was last year's, drawn by Lucy, inspired by a vintage tag she found. We sent it with ribbon to hang and I think it is my favourite (sshh, you didn't read that!)

I am always surprised when we hear that people keep them year after year and one or two people have been inspired to start their own card making tradition. I like that!

So, please accept our Christmas greetings from our home to yours.x

Poems

I happened upon this the other day when everyone was out, and it made me smile! It was beautifully edged with my new lace border punch, and was lying with a lot of 'mess' on our dining room table.  With a bit of tidying I then came across the next 'masterpiece!'

They were written by Alice. "Where does she get this from?"  was my question to her father! Obviously poetry was the school's literacy topic but she writes in such a child-like but wise way. Mmmn.. the spelling...I see that I need to spend alittle time with her - though that part she definitely gets from me! She had written these for fun and now I have shared them with you they will be dated and put into my special box to bring out and enjoy many years down the line.

Fourteen

When did my little, difficult, strong-willed, noisy daughter turn into such a self-contained, quietly strong, extremely modest but beautiful, young lady?

Today is Lucy's 14th birthday which she chose to spend quietly at home with us. Granny and Poppa joined us at a local pizza restaurant for dinner. Between you and me I was rather glad that we didn't have to do the usual sleep-over for 6! She got some lovely presents - mainly green clothes and some lovely cards - mainly cat cards..but I think the card we gave her has to be the best, ever for serious cute factor! It has to come with a health warning because when I look at it it makes my head hurt! Are you ready...?

Awwh - don't you just want to squidge it and cover it's little head with kisses?! I'm desperate for another cat but that's another story for another day..

Anyway it's getting very late so I must finish. We have had a lovely time in Ludlow and I managed to find some wonderful treasures which I will post over the next few days.

I'll leave you with a few pictures of the birthday girl  - especially for our much missed family in NZ.

Happy Birthday, darling girl - you are such a sweet, wonderful person and the whole family is so very proud of you.

Never change..

August so far

Hee hee..this picture never fails to make me laugh though I know I shouldn't! Here are my poor, neglected,bored children waiting for me to finish browsing (or should I say, drooling!) in a shop in Shaftesbury that sells mostly Green Gate. Just look at Tom's face - what a poor chap sitting amidst all that loveliness!

I hasten to add that no children were harmed in the taking of this photograph and very soon we were on our way to Granny & Poppa's where the above children were spoilt rotten. They stayed in Salisbury for 5 nights (the longest A & I have ever been without them!) and Anth and I went home via Bath to do the rest of the painting.

I will post my pictures later next week as I should be packing now to go to Ludlow for a few days. I have spent all day making curtains for the dining room.

You may have noticed that they are the same as our bedroom -- Laura Ashley were having a huge sale so they were the cheapest option (which appeases Anth somewhat..phew!).

Well, here are the painted floorboards -- a long time in the thinking, planning, sanding and painting. I think the house looks good, it has certainly 'opened up' the rooms; but time will tell I suppose as to whether this was a good idea. I'm not sure if I should paint the doors now! Gee it never stops!

Stop, I must. We will be back on Sunday or Monday and then I promise more posting, more frequently and fingers crossed for more treasures to share with you too.

Cousins

This week we had some very special visitors -- the cousins! I should actually state that it was the English variety and not our much missed New Zealand cousins. My mother and Rob brought them down to spend part of the week with us and to do all the things you do at an English seaside town. You know, shelter from the brisk wind blowing from the sea...eat sandwiches..dodge the seagulls..get lost in the vast crowd of tourists with their 'Kiss me quick' hats! No - we did have fun and yes there was much frolicking to be had by young and old. It was lovely to see the cousins together again. I am the eldest (and only girl) and have 3 younger brothers and it is my middle brother William who has the other grandchildren. They have the whitest hair and are 4, 6 and 8 years old. We stopped all painting and instead enjoyed McDonald's, the beach, open topped bus rides, and the funfair at night! Though I think the biggest hit by far was little Posy who endured being brushed every couple of minutes and her vintage mouse stuffed under her nose at all times!

The painting is s l o w l y coming along. We (or should I say I!!) am having to do 2 coats and we have the diningroom, hall, kitchen, Tom's room,and landing still to do but the children are going to go and stay with Mum and Rob on Tuesday so Anth and I can crack on with it then...that is after we have done a bit of shopping in Shaftesbury where there is a shop who sells a little Green Gate, Ikea, and an overnight stay in Bath (whoo hoo!) where my brother Steven lives with his lovely lady Annie. There is, in Bath, a shop called Susannah's which is out of this world..vintage floral heaven (very seriously pricey though) which is good for inspiration and hopefully photos - if nothing else! Thank you for all your comments - I do so love reading them and am grateful that you take the time to read my blog. I have been so bad about reading all my friends' blogs these last few weeks, but hey, the holidays will be over soon and it will be back to school and then on to CHRISTMAS! I must admit my thoughts have already been dwelling on cards, presents..but more about that later!

I will leave you with some pictures of the 6 grandchildren on our frolicks.