Happy 4th (yesterday though -- how very like me to be a day late)!!!  I stayed up to watch the fireworks last night on TV.  I started with the ones in Jacksonville, FL because those were the ones my grandchildren were watching with their Dad but there were so many commercials I switched to something else until the Boston Pops came on and watched that instead.  I love the orchestra.  I used to play the clarinet in my high school band and I took piano lessons when I was a child.  Listening to music is one of the great joys of my life and I still peck around on the piano when I have the chance and when my hands don't hurt too bad.  I have RA.

I worked on my latest quilt while I watched the show with my Mom.  It was a quiet evening which for me was just right.  My cousin and her son came over to visit for a little while and we cut one of the watermelons we bought earlier.  It was really good. 

I took her (Mom) out earlier in the day to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and we both loved it!  I highly recommend it to everyone, no matter what your age.  The cast members were all veteran performers and the writing was great.  I laughed and cried in all the right parts and left the theater wishing it had been a longer movie.  See it if you get the chance and let me know how you liked it.  A movie now and then is good for your sanity.

Bet you thought I'd moved to another planet.

Well I didn't but I have been away for a long time.  It is now June 27, 2012 and a lot has happened.  I am not sure where to begin, but I will just start talking and finish when I run out of things to say. 
   I have stopped job hunting.  I am taking care of my Mom because she fell and broke her shoulder and her doctor said she should have live-in companionship.  It feels very strange not to get up and go to work someplace else.  Plus, now I am living in her house.  I am sure I will get used to it but for now, it feels very odd.  I love her very much, so together we will make it work out. 
   It turned out that even though I am not old enough to retire, and draw retirement money to live on, I was able to have access to my late husband's retirement because I am over 60 and a qualified widow.  That sure makes a difference in my lifestyle.  Indeed, something is better than nothing when it comes to income to live on.  I still have to buy health insurance through a private policy though because I am not yet old enough to apply for Medicare.  So that is very expensive.  Such is life -- it's only money -- no man is an island -- etc. and so on. 
   Well, its after midnight and I'm feeling pumpkinish. Goodnight for now.  More later.

May 1 2012

I have decided to try writing a blog about my crafting habit to see if I can connect with like-minded people out there in the wide world.  I've just set this up on Blogger.com and will have to learn about how to use it.  Meantime - I love to Quilt, Crochet, Paint, Sew, Cross Stitch, Sketch, Cook, Read, (Blog??), and more!  Perhaps I am not the only one?

Craft your way to a great day.
Jane

Hello Tuesday

Hi. I've been lax about getting my postings on. A lot has happened -- Colton (my grandson) had his birthday party and I forgot my camera, but my daughter said she would send me the ones she took so I can share them with you. Ann (my daughter) also had her birthday last week and we went to the Seabreeze Restaurant in Cedar Key for dinner again, because it is one of her favorite places.

Cedar Key is a really neat little town on the west coast of Florida.

The palm salad at the restaurant is really wonderful, and its fun to walk out on the deck and shop the waterfront shops. They have a great arts and crafts festival coming up in October. I hope to go.

Hooray Discovery and NASA

Happy Sunday. Well the launch went off without a hitch last night and it was beautiful. Here is a link to the official NASA shuttle site that includes video and more info. I love the space program and all it has done to make our lives better. I used to dream of going into space or walking on another planet, but I think it will probably be my grandchildren or their children who will have a chance at that. Guess I'll just have to reincarnate.

Today is Colton's birthday party so I will upload photos tonight. Everyone take care.

Vacation 2009

Needed a vacation.

Spent a week at Daytona Beach Shores. Beautiful place. Had the grandchildren along and they had a blast. Nothing soothes my soul like the beach. I love it.

It was over too quickly.

Our last day we ate lunch at the Conch House in St. Augustine.

Lots of fun for all of us. I highly recommend vacations. They are a necessary part of life and if you can spend them with loved ones, they are even sweeter. Don't put it off, just go! You'll be glad you did.

Family Reunion Time

My Dad’s side of the family (the Williams folk) like to get together each year in the summer to see each other. Usually at one of the springs here in Florida (like Hart Springs or Poe Springs), but this time we met at a park just outside of High Springs called Camp Kalaqua. It is a beautiful place with a water park for swimming, a small zoo, and tons of other things to do that appeal to old and young alike. It is quite large though, so there is a lot of walking. My Mom and I rode with my daughter and son-in-law and the grandchildren in their van, so it was a comfortable drive to get there—about an hour away.

We have a pot luck lunch, with each family bringing a dish (or two) to share and we all sit down together at long tables to eat. It was great to see everyone. The grown-ups have a chance to visit and see the newest family additions, and the children get a chance to meet each other and see some relatives they may not see at all except at these once-a-year get-togethers.

If you have family that is spread out so far that regular face-to-face meetings are difficult, the answer could be a planned reunion. It’s a bit of work but the photos, conversations, and memories are priceless gifts you take home to savor in your spare moments. I highly recommend it.