Celebratin'...

71st Birthday Web Image

It's official. Today I begin my next trip around the sun. 71 and aiming for 100. Women in my family are long-lived, and I hope to be among them...in time.

I'm going to share my official "71" photo tomorrow (along with my completed bluebirds) rather than today because I have a hair appointment at 4 pm, and I'm a bit frowsy right now. lol I know. It's not like I'm actual royalty or anything. Just ask Handsome.

After I complete the bluebirds, I'm going to rest on my laurels the balance of the day. When I go out for my hair appointment, I intend to return with my actual Birthday cake, too!

I'd love to stay and chat, but bluebirds are impatient. I'll be needle dancing this morning, and then slow dancing with Handsome to one of our favorite songs later this afternoon. If you share my birthdate, let me know! I'd love to celebrate you, too!  See you tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Mum...

Mum  2025

 

Happy 88th, Mum!

I hope you have a great day.

Happy Birthday, Carly!...

Our sweet Carly turned FIVE yesterday!! Both Handsome and I were home all day, so we could spend the day pampering our girl. She got a great workout in the yard in the morning, and finished the day with extra treats. In between were snuggles and a few other 'triever-approved snacks.

She had so much fun, in fact, that she's already looking forward to Number 6. Us, not so much. Time passes much too quickly as it is, and we're content to slow time down for our pups. The more time we have with them, the better.

I'll share more photographs tomorrow from the weekend, but today it's all about our pretty Carlita Puppita Mamacita. That's my nickname for her. She likes it, too!

I'm working today to fill in for a co-worker who's already given her notice and now can't make it to work today. Nice, huh? I don't mind at all, though. Then, I'll have my regular hours tomorrow and Friday evening. I'm planning to get some "bluebird time" in mid-week, but for now I'd better get moving. Don't want to be late for my "Donna to the rescue" hours!

Seven Decades...

Brynwood Needleworks - It's My Birthday

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this just about says it all for me. Our daughter-in-law snapped this photo over the weekend. She loves the blue wall backdrop and is working on a series of pictures of family members - either serious or cutting up - in front of it. Although I also gave her a serious, happy pose, this was (one of) me being silly, and it's my favorite.

I think this perfectly captures how I feel about this Birthday. Being 70 is a blessing, and as most women in my lineage reach their late 90's and even 100's, I'm happy to be right here right now. 

So, even though I'm working my six hour shift today, I'm going to celebrate...and I'll continue the partying right through the end of this month. Handsome and I will do something special after I get past the show this weekend. Then I'll take a short, celebratory breather before I start making the annual Grammie's Jammies.

If you're friends with me on Facebook, you'll know that I'm sponsoring a fundraiser for Critter Junction Pet Rescue, LLC of Fond du Lac, WI the rescue that gave me so much help with Claudette and Crystal when they had their litters of kittens.

When both of my little girls were pregnant with litters of kittens - and then Claudette came up with an injured paw - Renee at the rescue helped me with advice, and then took in both cats until after they weaned their litters. Once the kittens were weaned, both mamas went by transport to a clinic that spayed both of them. The kittens were all placed in loving homes and while Claudette immediately came home, Crystal came back after escaping her adopted home. All of the medical help was done at no cost to me, even though I donated the costs for the spays back to the clinic. I also take bags of food to them when I'm able. They're a great cause, and I thought giving back to them would be a great way to celebrate this Birthday. They rely solely on donations, so if you're so inclined, any amount helps them take care of other homeless animals. If you're not on FB, you can click on the name of the rescue above. I made it a link right to the donation page.

Gotta run now. I don't want to be late for work and get hollered at on my Birthday. I'm looking forward to the best of all days. See you tomorrow!

Birthday 2023 In The Can...

 

Saturday was a beautiful tribute to my sister. So many friends and family attended her funeral, and we all shared many happy memories. 

When we got home, I changed my clothes into something comfortable, and while I fed the cats, Handsome took care of airing and feeding the dogs. Just as it got dark, it began to snow. I went upstairs and took a two hour nap. I was gassed. 

By the time I woke up, the snow had stopped. Handsome and I had a bite to eat and went to bed at our usual time.

 

Handsome woke me up yesterday morning with a "Happy Birthday", and "you might not want to look out the window". He was right. Mother Nature snow bombed our area of the state - and it was still snowing. We had Birthday plans in Milwaukee, and this weather threatened to cancel everything we wanted to do.

After checking our weather apps, it appeared that most of the weather was north of us, and that we would likely drive out of it on our way south. We decided to go for it, and we're really glad we did.

 

 

Handsome had purchased tickets for us to see a screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 at the Riverside Theater. Just like The Prisoner of Azkaban four winters ago (I saw with our granddaughters), the Milwaukee Symphony performed the music score along with the movie. The maestro encouraged audience reactions, and they weren't disappointed.

The program began at 1 pm and ended around 4. We'd originally planned to stay in town for dinner, but we left the dogs in their crates at 10 am, and felt it was getting to be a long stretch for them, so home we went. We had a joyfully unfancy dinner of hot dogs, tater tots, and homemade applesauce. A perfect meal to end a perfect day. 

 

Of course, you know I'm still going to stretch our my celebration as long as possible, so this is just the beginning. I'm looking forward to seeing what will be next.

The Big Night Came and Went...

Reunion night finally arrived! We  all had a blast. I've been getting messages in our classmate group or on my own page on Facebook, and all of them are complimentary.

This photograph was taken later in the evening. We had grade school groups from each of the schools gather, and this is ours. These are all students who shared the same classes, became friends and went on to junion and senior high school together. We've been friends since as early as 1961. My BFF, Cyd is in the yellow shirt, and as usual, I wasn't too far away from her in our school photos. (Why change a tradition now?)

 

 

Our whole committee gathered Saturday morning to decorate. Our Decorating Committee members really outdid themselves. Most of the planning committee was there to help, along with a few others who just came to help. We had individual floral arrangements, candles and "remember when" cards on every table. We even had an archway for everyone to pass through that night. Here! Take a look around.

Look at how they outdid themselves on the entrance to the venue! People felt welcome from the moment they headed toward the front doors. We had two registration tables set up, and each classmate received a current printed classmate directory and a class mug that we had produced by 4Imprint. People were surprised and impressed.

 

My decorating committee worked overtime to create a welcoming and beautiful atmosphere. By the time folks started to arrive, the candles were lit, '70s music filled the venue, and people were ready to party.

 

Every table in the entire venue was decorated. We had two cash bars, and even those had decorations. It really was so pretty by the time people started to arrive.

Nearly three hundred people attended and there was plenty of room for more. The pep band performed, and they were a big hit. They made their exciting entrance, playing as they marched in from the hallway. Lots of grins and people were surprised and happy to hear the performance.

 

This is the last photograph I'll share. My friend, Julie - in front - is holding a print of all the students who went on the senior trip to Washington, DC. We decided to take a photo of the group members who were at the reunion. 

Take special notice of the couple in the back. They fell in love on that trip. They were married after graduation and have made a happy life together all these years. I made sure to say, "I knew you when..." and we had a great conversation afterward.

All in all, the classmate assessment was that this was a rip, roaring success! I'm so happy that I was a small part of that. Our goal to have a memorable event worthy of our class, and I think that was achieved. Now, I'm going to take a nap...again. lol

Mark Your Calendars...

                        

March 15, 2023

14th Blog Anniversary Giveaway! 

 

Hard to believe it's algready been 14 years since the first post I ever wrote here. Since then I've written 5,039 posts, and received over 1,529,589 comments that were left for me! I try to tell you often how much your stopping by to visit means to me, and Number Fourteen seems a good time to put together a little drawing.

 

I'm going to launch the Anniversary giveaway period on March 15th, and close it on March 22nd. Mark your calendars. You won't want to miss it!

 

I'll see you again in seven. 'til then... 

"Be A Good Dog."

 

PS. Not as an afterthought. Always in my heart and on my mind. Today, Dad would have celebrated his 90th Birthday. Instead, he's celebrating Birthday #3 in Heaven. I miss you, Dad.

 

A Bear, A Baby, and A Perfect Day For A Party...

I spent more time outdoors and busy making this little bear than working on bags last weekend. It's okay. I'll be back at that today. For now, I thought you'd like to peek into yesterday.

 

For starters, I made this wee bear for my niece - who turned two last week. The party was Sunday afternoon, and in pure Donna fashion, I waited until Saturday evening to figure out a gift for her. This pattern is from DeerDarlingDolls on Etsy. 

 

I always follow patterns and recipes to the letter...the first time. I make adjustments to suit my taste after that. The tummy embroidery is my own design, but the next time I make this pattern (which is simple, by the way), her arms and legs will be "beefier". Turning these out after sewing nearly killed my hands, and they're still sore as I write this.

 

Great-niece loved her new stuffie, and she toted it around in her new little shopping cart - another gift form another relative - the rest of the afternoon. It was adorable.

 

Great niece is my sister, Diana's great-grandchild, so she and my brother-in-law came down from MN to celebrate, too. Her grandson, Ethan is the Birthday Girl's daddy, along with her older sister and this new, precious, little boy. He's only a month old!

Of course, this great auntie held him for more than a little while, and he was alert, strong (lifting his head up to look around quite often), and content. He's a true pleasure to be around. Of course, I needed to get a photo of him with his "GiGi".

 

This last photo is of me, with Di and my youngest sister, Jan. We had such a nice visit, and it was great to spend an afternoon with both of them. I'm the eldest of all my sisters and brothers. I have one more sister, who is closest in age to me, who couldn't attend. She's been very ill this past year and has been on and off the recipient list for a donated lung. We all pray that that will happen soon for her, fully understanding the loss of a loved one in another family that would make that possible. For now, she stays safe at home, rarely attending family functions anymore.

I got home around 5, and the critters were glad to have me back. It was past their dinner time, after all. I was glad to be back, too. I'd spent an hour and a half clearing snow with our yard tractor before getting my act together to travel north to the party. When I got back home, I took care of the dogs and cats, changed into a comfy set of sweats and made my evening tea. I dozed off in the chair shortly after.

All in all, it was a very great day and I'm so glad I went to the party. Tag will visit with you tomorrow, and I'll be back on Wednesday with more inventory progress.

By the way, I realized that I neglected to write a post on Saturday. I guess I got so busy making that little bear, I completely lost track of time. I actually didn't finish her until 2 am, and then went straight to bed. Two demerits for the neglectful blogger. giggle I know you understand and will give me a pass. Thanks!

Family Sunday...

Yesterday was a Family Sunday Fun Day. I began when we met up with our elder son and his wife to watch our grandson play college football. 

Handsome Grandson had already taken off his gear when he met up with us, so of course, this grandma commented on his muscular "guns". He takes working out and healthy diet very seriously, so he appreciates that we notice.

The game started and ended with overcast weather, but the sun shone during the second and third quarters, and our team won! 

We were gathering to celebrate Son #1's Birthday next week, so Son #2 and his family joined us at a favorite restaurant near the college campus. We managed to pull everyone from earlier activities on their schedules.

Granddaughter #1 (sitting next to Handsome Grandpa) is a freshman attending the same college as her cousin this year. She came from work to join us. Daughter-in-love #2 is a realtor who had an open house, so she came after that was over, and Son #2 and Granddaughter #2 arrived from home. In this photo, Grandson had to duck out for a 15 minute team meeting at school, but he surprised us by coming back before we left.

Standing in the entrance to the restaurant probably wasn't the best place for our final photograph. Folks on the left side of the group were standing on the staircase. Even so, this is a nice way to remember that we were all able to gather together for a most wonderful Sunday meal and Birthday celebration. 

We're already off to the races (metaphorically speaking) this week. It's going to be a busy one, but I'll be getting in more needle dancing in an effort to complete the embroidery portion of my Winter Song piece by Friday. Once that's finished, I'll be cutting and piecing fabric for assembling. 

Tag will visit with you tomorrow, and I'll be back soon. Have a great week, and I hope you can make time to do something you love with someone you love.

More Wedding Memories...

The bride, coming across the lawn escorted by her dad and stepdad

As requested, I'm sharing a few more photos from my nephew's wedding last weekend.

Most of them are photos of my family members. You'll notice lots of smiles and laughter.

I wish Dad would have physically been with us. He would have loved to see us all together again.

Rather than write a lot between the photos, I'm just going to caption them. Thanks for looking.

My niece entering with one of the groomsmen.

My youngest sister and her husband

My mum, stepfather and my eldest niece

Teaching my great-nephew how to hang a spoon. Thrilled to finally get it!

Handsome and I changed into jeans for the party

Each of my brother's sons and their wives. One brother's son couldn't attend.

Me with my youngest sister and my youngest brother.

My niece, enjoying a laugh with her son.

Eldest niece, Nephew Dan (Groom), niece-in-law, nephew, nephew and niece-in-law.
Missing other nieces and nephews who didn't attend.

The bride's sister and now future brother-in-law

The surprise of the evening. The bride tossed her bouquet to her only sister. When her sister turned around, her boyfriend dropped to one knee to propose. She said "yes", and a new celebration commenced. Congratulations to the newly engaged. 

Not all these photographs were mine, so I want to thank all the photographers who made this post possible. Spouses of some of my family members and their children were in attendance. I apologize that I couldn't find photographs of them among the myriad pictures I combed through. I want to mention them, too.

We'll all remember this celebration for a long time to come, and wish the newlyweds a long and happy marriage.

Feather Dancing...

Here's my progress so far. I've been working on the wing, but not as much as I'd hoped. This week is "Wedding Week" for our dear nephew, Dan and his fiance' Alexandria. Our house will be full, as my sister Di, her husband, and her BFF, Brenda will be staying here. My eldest niece/goddaughter and two of her three children will also be staying with us. We can't wait!

Di and her group will arrive later this morning. My niece will be here on Friday. I'll be having so much fun. There's nothing quite as wonderful to me as having loved ones close. The kitchen will be the hub of activity, as Di is making all the food for her son's rehearsal dinner. Of course, Brenda and I will be available to help.

Handsome, Brenda and I will hang out here while Di and her husband head to the rehearsal dinner on Friday. Then, late Friday night, my niece and her kiddos will roll in from Minnesota. She's working, so they won't even start driving until after she finishes for the weekend. So, I'll have lots of fun photos to share, but probably no cardinal updates until after everyone heads back home.

Anyway, I think my wing is working out the way I wanted it to. You can see I still have some felt to cover, but I'm busy trying to make the wing look feathery. My overstitching on top of the grey thread worked out well, too. Just enough showing through, but adding padding with the layers.

I'll probably get back to this on Sunday, but I'll be sharing wedding and family photos - not embroidery - for the next few days. I hope you won't mind. I'd better get busy. I still have things to do before our guests arrive.

Labor Day 2022...

 

 

As we celebrate our traditional "end of summer" holiday, we'll be taking a moment to thank all 

the men and women whose hard work and sacrifice made our country the place where we can 

enjoy our freedom with pride. Enjoy this time with family and friends, and above all, stay safe. 

From Our Family to Yours,

Happy Labor Day!

Busy Weekend...

 

It was a busy weekend. I did the gown alterations, canned six pints of pears (more will be ready following yesterday's rain storms), and went to my great-great niece's third birthday party.

I ran up the west side of the lake to my great nephew's home where a gaggle of children, friends and family gathered to celebrate this sweet child. She's very shy, so I'm fortunate to have captured a single photo of her looking at me. There were smiles, but never in range of the camera lens, and only fleeting. There was no such thing as a pose. 

Even so, she did have a nice celebration. Two baby shark-shaped cakes, and one baby shark ice cream cake capped off the party, and once all the adults and kids were sufficiently sugared, everyone left for home. I spent a little more time with my sister, Di, who'd driven down from Minnesota for the party, and then I, too, turned for home.

Another Birthday today. Our elder daughter-in-law is celebrating, too. She'll be at work, so we'll celebrate with her next time we're together.

I'll be stitching again today. I'm going to change to single thread embroidery for the cardinals. I know the definition will be better if I do. Yes. I'll be taking out the stitching I've already done to be more precise with the piece. I'll share comparison photos on Wednesday, so I'll see what I'm talking about. 

Tag will visit with you tomorrow, so I'll see you again after that. Hope you're week is off to a splendid start!