Finally...Trippin' Three!

I know, I know; it has been ages since I presented the other two posts about my Spring Break Trip. Mama is now doing better and here you see the last part of the trip as I headed home.

My sister Margy is famous for her sense of "Let's Go!"

First we visited Fabric Depot for quilting and apron materials. You can see below the vigorous prints I picked up for aprons when school is out and I can set up my sewing room again. Buttons will accessorize the new aprons.

And, I have new hair now. I just wanted to keep you updated.

Of course the hair below is the what the hairdresser arranged. I cannot 'do' it that well!

Also my sister Margy made some fabulous b'day gifts for me.

Spotty Hen is stationed above the archway in the new kitchen.

Isn't she darling?

Margy made a cute cowboy potholder that holds a special place beside my tin hatbox girl.

I do NOT know what happened below!

Another of the same and another picture of my new hair. How do these blogs work??????????

I wanted to show you a close-up of the potholder and, in fact downloaded it here.

Where is it?

Okay, I'm moving on.

Thank you, Margy, for the truly remarkable gifts of Spotty Hen and Cowboy Potholder!

Trippin' Two

After seeing to Mom last month I travelled south to the homes of my children and took in the deliciousness of grandchildren which you will see below. Kelly's youngest, Marcus, was very anxious to show me his very own new tool. The small 'Leatherman' was used for "projects" while I visited. Project Number One: The cutting of his hair!

He proudly came out of the bathroom telling us that it not only looked good,

but that he didn't even cut himself!

We got such a kick out of his pride in this project that no one objected, however Melissa DID take him for a buzz cut later in the day. We went to my favorite ice cream place, Big Jim's, where Kelly called us from Afghanistan, and you can see Marcus talking ever so casually to him.

Brianna is growing into a lovely young girl who is not only beautiful on the outside,

but beautiful on the inside too!

And Christina is Melissa's right-hand girl!

She is supposed to be going to school, which she is, and spends HOURS a day on facebook.

She's a darling thing too.

At Kimber's I had the pleasure of babysitting Dante for a bit while Kimber went to pick up Isabella from school. Dante had disappeared for a LONG time, so I went looking for him.

This is what I found. I love that he is already a reader!

We went to Isabella's school to have lunch with her, Kimber, Dante, and I.

Is he not the cutest, curly-headed little boy you ever did see?!!!

We also went to the school library where Kimber takes him every week to interact with other pre-schoolers with a librarian who reads them, leads a craft with them,

and lets them dance to music.

Kimber told me she hates craft time because Dante just wants to tear up all the other kids' pictures and then throw the crayons at them. He thinks it is P.E. time, I guess.

And Isabella comes home from school. She loves the brown dress wtih pink circles on it so much that it is now a long shirt over her jeans. She cracks me up!

So, these pictures are not only for your pleasure, but are for my Kelly-JellyBean's too;

he called this morning from Afghanistan wanting 'the rest of the story'.

Here it is kiddokidoke!

Trippin'

My mother became seriously ill last month with fluid collecting around her heart, maybe even in her lungs. I cancelled school, something I'm NEVER sorry about, and drove the 9 hours to where she lives with my youngest Sister, Barb, and her family. You see below Barb blowing on her 'Shofar' which was a gift from her husband for her Bat Mitzvah. She embraced Judaism when she married, so the Bat Mitzvah was part of how she wanted to continue on her spiritual path. She's a darling thing, and she takes exquisite care of my mother, and Barb's son Jacob loves to go downstairs for his first breakfast every morning with his 'Tita'. Mom struggled getting enough oxygen, so you see her hooked up to a machine providing it. She cannot go very long without something of value to do, so her knitting was brought to her. She is famous for her baby booties which she began knitting after I was born, I think.

The fluid around her heart has been drained off, but she is pretty weak. She is in good spirits and quite perky for an 87-year old who's been hospitalized three times since the beginning of the year!

I had lots of fun playing with Jacob while I was there. He is a very bright, active, and darling 8-year old. I'm sorry I couldn't stay long enough to see and hear is piano recital.

Barb, exhausted from all the faldeerol of taking care of mom, having me as company, fixing Shabbot dinner, and participating in Saturday night festivities merely laid back to catch her breath. I traveled on to my daughter's and to the home of my daughter-in-law also, but those pictures will follow.