I mentioned a few posts ago about Julie at Another Chance Ranch taking part in "Testify Blog".   A recent post on "letting go" made me think about a lot of things.   I have a tendency to carry a big load on my shoulders, in my heart and mind.   Part of the post  said "....I can feel the tension that I carry across my neck and shoulders and up into the back of my head. When I carry that pain and tension too long it makes me short-tempered and not very nice.   And I feel God walking up behind me, taking my heart in His gentle hands, and whispering, “Let it go!”...

What a lesson I should take to heart...

Here is hoping that you can "let something go" today...give yourself a break from carrying so many burdens.  We all do it, and we all can "let it go"...to God. 

Fun TImes

Brooklyn got to spend the whole day Saturday at our house with his buddy, Bailey.  They had fun playing games, running, riding bikes,  just about all the fun stuff boys like to do!  They had some good kids' food for lunch together, and later enjoyed brownies fresh from the oven.  It is so great that Brooklyn has a good friend right around the corner at Grandma's house!

 He also challenged his grandpa to a game of Wii.   Grandpa wasn't much of a challenge!

Sammy Sighs

Remember me?  Sammy?   

I have been under the weather...not really sick, but Mom noticed I haven't been myself..kinda sluggish, dry nose, weight gain, thinning hair, etc.   So, Dr. Colleen ran some tests and found out I have a low thyroid.

I am now taking medicine and Mom thinks I seem like a whole new guy already! 


Sunday, Brooklyn and Mom took us to the Dog Park.  We had a great walk and then had fun playing at the Dog Park.   I even ran and played!   Mom was so happy! 

We had a really good time.  It was a great Sunday! 

Happy Birthday!

Today is my mother in law's 88th birthday.   You may recall we celebrated recently.   She is a very special person, who treats me just like a daughter, never an "in-law".  We are blessed to have her.  Here she is pictured with the kids...that's hubby in the middle back (brown Wyo shirt!)

Happy Birthday!!!  We love you!

Thoughts...

I usually don't post twice in one day, (so please don't skip my everly so informative post below about my cute little antique spice bottles!!)   but I just got this email from my aunt, and it so so worth repeating:

We often get a "Thought for the day".  How about "Thought for a lifetime"?
They are like the ten commandments to follow in life all the time.

 
 1]  Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

2]   So a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large and the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on.

3]   Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary.  If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever.. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

6]   Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!"

7]   When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8]   A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today's PEACE.

Weekend Recap #2

Last fall when we were in Dubois for Thanksgiving, I found this great buy at the little shop there-antique spice bottles on a little rack.   I didn't do anything with it because I then decorated for Christmas.  Then, I kinda forgot about it.   So, I got it out this weekend, and got it revamped and on display.  Here you can see how it looked (with one of the bottles)....they had painted the lids yellow to match their shelf, at some point.  Of course, the lids are originally red. 

There was a story behind the spice bottles, but I can't recall it right now, and these bottles are very old.  I couldn't decide whether to take the bottle lidss back to the original red, or repaint to match my own kitchen.

There are twelve spice bottles.

Funny...some of the bottles still had spices in them!   Took me a while to "dissolve" some cinnamon in one and get them cleaned up...and I had to scrape the homemade labels off too!   A couple even have the "shakers" in them:

I had this can of paint in my "paint" cupboard...it is a Martha Stewart color that looks like my green fire-king dishes.

 

I had previously used this paint to spruce up an antique kitchen cupboard:

Anyway...

 A little bit of work and I ended up with this:
 

Weekend Recap #1

Tina (daughter) shared a blog with me with some great, fun ideas.   So, I tried a variation of one of the ideas.

Start with this:

And you end up with a hanger on your wall:

The blog we read showed this idea and hung soup mugs on it.   My rake didn't really work for mugs, but I liked this idea.  I also thought I could have put it at another spot and used it to hang aprons on! 

Can't beat finding the rake piece in the garage....project cost $0.00.

Duh Moment...

So, for a while now, I have thought the little carts at Safeway were perfect, except for one thing...when I throw my purse in one, it takes up all the room:

So, a friend of mine was working today and pointed out that there is a little hanger on there to hang your purse on.   Duh!

Ok, laugh if you must...but the lady behind me never knew either! 

Movie Review

I watched "Life as We Know It"  last night.  It was cute.  I've seen a couple other movies with similar stories, but it was cute nonetheless.

I'm not into watching all this basketball on tv right now! 

Horoscope for Today

You'll really feel like sharing all your thoughts and feelings with just about everyone you meet today, but you may be feeling a little opinionated as well. So just be careful that you don't get so wrapped up in yourself that you forget to listen to what other people have to say.

You ought to be quite confident and optimistic at the moment, and this should turn out to be a very good day for you. If you’ve been feeling a little restless lately, you’re bound to want to keep yourself as busy as possible today. You should also be feeling pretty sociable and you really shouldn’t hesitate to get out and have a good time tonight while you can. Mantra: Loyalty.

Well, I must say...I better keep my mouth shut.   Oops, the day is over!   Ha!   I have felt restless...think it is spring fever! 

"Too Blessed to Be Depressed"

As you may remember, I follow Julie at Another Chance Ranch.  She and a couple other gals have started a Christian blog that they all write on.    Today, Julie shared this post:  "Too Blessed to Be Depressed" 

This is definitely a pay it forward post!

Please take a moment and read it!   And, pass it on!  

Favorites

What is your favorite Nursery Rhyme? 

Have you noticed that Nursery Rhymes are not being passed down through generations nearly as much these days?   It's kinda sad that our wee ones may not learn them, so I do make a point to do nursery rhymes, and songs that we have sung through the generations and share them with my grandkids.  

So...tell me ... do you have a favorite nursery rhyme?

A celebration...

...was held this weekend.    We surprised my mother in law with a  birthday party honoring her 88th birthday....and the youngest guest is shown here with her....

 

Mom Ibarra, 88, holding great granddaughter, Kallie, 5 days old!

So...

...it turned out to be about four inches of snow.  No closures, no big blizzard!   Then, the following day, another couple inches of white fluffy snow!


Brooklyn is here to visit for his break.  We are having a blast.      Guess he had to work for his stay...ha!

Snow?

They are predicting the "snow storm" of the year here....so I am wondering...will it?   First I heard 18 inches.  Then I heard 6. 

I will go with my usual way of weather watching...just look out the window and see what's going on!

What's the weather like at your house?

Brooklyn is here for his break, so I've been teasing him about how he'll have to go out and scoop!

Favorites

Sometimes we do a family email "go round" where we all write a special memory or favorite song...favorite memory...favorite food.   I think I'll do a regular post (not sure how often) of favorites for us to share.

Today, how about a scent?  Is there a special scent that just reminds you of something or someone?  Do you sometimes get a whif of perfume, and think..."that reminds me of my aunt"?

Two of my favorite scents:

Mountain air
Safeguard soap (reminds me of Grandma Elsie)

I have a lot of favorite scents, so this may need repeating at a later date! 

Tell me your favorite(s)!!