Our New Patio!

We finally decided what we wanted to do for a patio in the backyard. We contracted out the work to have a Stamped Concrete patio put it. It looks like it's flagstone but it's one slab of concrete and they then "stamp" a design in it to make it look like individual pieces. We wanted one slab to keep the maintenance down and to keep weeds and grass from growing in between.

I kept going back and forth between wicker and wrought iron. I love the wrought iron look but everything we saw just seemed too large for the patio. We settled for this lovely wicker set with a Hawaii-ish pattern on the cushions. Since Hawaii is my paradise, I have a lot of things to spruce it up a bit!


The grass is growing around the edge quite nicely. I can't wait to landscape it a bit!

Happy Birthday, America!

God Bless America
Land That I Love
Stand Beside Her
And Guide Her
Thru the Night
With the Light
From Above

From the Mountains
To the Prairies
To the Ocean's
White with Foam

God Bless America
My Home Sweet Home

God Bless America, My Home Sweet Home

Have a wonderful, safe and Happy 4th of July everyone,

Let Freedom Ring!

Tuesday's With Michael - June 24 2008

Welcome to another "Tuesday's with Michael" post. I didn't have any day trips planned for today, I just wanted to hang around the house a bit. Michael and I played hide and seek and other games in the house. I think Holly would be a great tracking dog - she finds Michael every time! However, since she's such a velcro dog, she gives away my hiding spot every time too! We were playing a little Star Wars and needed another body to be Obi Wan...what do you think of Obiwanholly? She looks thrilled, doesn't she.

Outside I pulled out the slip n' slide - Michael wanted me to do it with him - can you imagine. If I did, I probably would have to be in traction!




After all of the strenuous activities out in the heat, what better to cool you off than a - - - CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE! Here's what you need. First, some vanilla ice cream - we like Fieldcrest. Scoop out your ice cream into a blender.



Then you need to add some milk..also Fieldcrest (but now marked as Jewel's)


Add some Hershey's Chocolate Syrup to the blender

Oh come on...add some more chocolate syrup! ...turn that puppy on for about 25 seconds, adding more milk or ice cream to get to your desired thickness.


Smile for the camera...


Pour in a cute milkshake glass and...


Enjoy!

Lookin' Out My Frontdoor

I thought I would show some of the flowers in our front yard and on the porch. Here is my little rack with various flowers.

This is my awesome Lilly. This was started from some seeds that my former next-door neighbor gave me. I think I need to split it up this fall but I love that Orange POW!


This is my lovely Clematis. This is my second growing season and it's doing pretty well.

Here's a close up...aren't they pretty?

Show and Tell Friday - Bunnies!

Happy Friday, Everyone! It's been a long, long week and I'm ready for the weekend.
My thanks again to Kelli at Kelli's Place Kelli's House
for hosting Friday's Show and Tell. Please visit her page and check out all of the other Show and Tell's posted.

For this week's Show and Tell Friday, I'd like to show you a little collection of figurines that I've picked up here and there. I found one in Michigan, one in Georgia and the other's here in Illinois. They are not signed or stamped or anything. Does anyone know anything about them? I'd be curious to find out.

This first one is cute, but I don't think they are Bunnies...but this is definitely the same type as the next 3 I'm going to show.



Isn't this one adorable?


This one kind of reminds me of "Goodnight Moon".


This guy reminds me a little of Peter Rabbit.


I can't wait to see what everyone else has posted. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Change of Scenery

I made a new photo for my Blog Title and changed the background color. Do you like?

I've been trying to post a photo for my background but am having a heck of a time. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

Have a great day!

A Wild Sort Of Devil...

but dead on the level, was My Gal Sal

I'm not sure if any of you have heard of that song, it was one that my Dad used to sing to us many a time. Kind of how he did the Three Stooges "Niagara Falls" skit.

My Dad. What a character. He's lived an amazing life and has so many wonderful stories. We keep asking to get him to write them down, type them or record them in a tape recorder.

I'd call him to wish him a Happy Father's Day but he's volunteering at the U.S. Open this weekend. He's always been a great golfer and still golfs once or twice a week. Arnold Palmer, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Lee Trevino have been his favorite players. In my teens, he put in a putting green in our yard. He got it from a little 9-hole course that was losing some holes due them widening a road. I have to admit that I'm a pretty good putter myself. I used to go out and horse around on the putting green to kill some time.

I miss my Dad and wish that we lived closer to he and Pat (my step-mom). But we go out there as often as we can.

I hope you had fun at the Open today, Dad! I love you!

The Washtub

I dodged the rain storms on Sunday and went to the montly Antique Fair held at our county's fairgrounds. I found this old galvanized washtub on a stand and it has the original hose as well. Now I'm not sure what to use it for. I thought about -planting flowers or herbs in it; using it as a rain barrel or using it as a cooler for assorted beverages (children and adult) when we have company. What do you think I should use it for?

Tuesday's With Michael

I haven't posted on this subject in a while. We have either been on vacation or I switched days with Ron but mostly because the weather has been so awful that it always seems like it was cold and rainy on Tuesday's. Well, not today - it was a glorious day!

We left the house at 9:45 a.m. and got home at 5:30 p.m. - what a day!

We did some errands first - post office; a little Kohl's shopping then we headed to Lamb's Farm in Libertyville, IL. Founded in 1961, Lambs Farm is a premier non-profit organization serving adults with developmental disabilities. Lambs Farm has grown from a small pet shop in Chicago to a 72-acre campus located in Libertyville, Illinois where opportunity flourishes for the more than 250 men and women served.

We went to the Pet Shop to see the puppies and to dance with Delta, a Macaw who likes to dance if you sing "La Cucaracha"...she's a hoot! Then we went to the farm to see the animals. Lambs Farm not only helps adults with developmental disabilities, but they also help animals with disabilities as well. All of the animals were so friendly, except for a Llama. Michael enjoyed brushing the goats and sheep in the petting area. They were all so gentle.






We went on a train ride, played miniature golf and had lunch at the Country Inn of Lambs Farm.



We headed back toward our home and stopped off at a garden center to pick up some veggies for the garden. It's going to be a late harvest but you can't mess with Mother Nature.

Our last stop was the new Splash Pad at Central Park in Grayslake. Michael had fun getting soaked and played on the Jungle Gym there as well.




Now, it's nappy time, nothing like fresh air and sunshine...have a good evening.

Lost and Found Show and Tell Friday

Have you ever thought that you lost something for good, something that was very sentimental to you? I have and I have been searching for this sentimental item for a long time. A few weeks ago, Ron was cleaning out the closet in the "computer" room and called out to me..."honey, I think you might want to look in this" and handed me a little wooden jewelry box. I held it to my chest first and said a little prayer, hoping against hope that when I opened the top, I would find this...


I just about cried and hugged Ron for 10 minutes or so. You see, this was my Mom's charm bracelet.

Let's look at some of the charms - first, a pretty heart with pearls and a roulette reel (Mom & Dad liked to go to Vegas back in the day).


Then a charm of NIAGARA FALLS (slowly I turn, step by step - sorry, that's an old Three Stooges skit that my Dad LOVED and it's part of my genetic makeup now).



I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss...



Love letters in the sand...



There are a couple of more but my photos are blurry so I'll have to post later.

Thanks again to Kelli at Kelli's Place Kelli's House
for hosting Friday's Show and Tell. Have a wonderful day and weekend, everyone!

One little, two little, three little ducklings...

four little, five little, six little ducklings, seven little eight little, nine little ducklings, ten ducklings in the pond.


There were 10 ducklings on Friday and I couldn't get a good count of them this afternoon as Mama Duck kept moving them. Aren't they cute, though?

Show and Tell Friday!

Many thanks to Kelli at Kelli's Place Kelli's House
for hosting this, I look forward to it each week.

I think that I got my love of rummage sales, estate sales, garage sales and antique shopping from my Mom. I remember going around in the summer to various sales and watching her get so excited from a "great find". Of course, being young then, I didn't really appreciate it. I have kept many of her treasures and here are a few more to show and tell about:

First, in my dining room I have this little plate display with 3 Wedgwood "Melody" pattern plates - I just love these and think that they look good on my red wall.





Sadly, a couple of them broke when we moved but I have found some on ebay - perhaps I'll add to this collection again!

Here are some darling collector's plates from the 60's??...from the Elephant Folio Edition of Audobon's Birds of America series. I'd like to find out more about this and add to my collection.

This first one is Passenger Pigeons:




I love the detail of the birds and foliage - wow!

Then a Bewick's Wren:





Band-Tailed Pigeons:





I put these darlings in my plate rack for a little change - I like it, don't you?

Happy AnniversarWii!

Yesterday was our 8th anniversary - look at the lovely Roses that Ron brought home for me...



I love the Waterford Vase - it was a wedding gift from my cousin Bonnie from Utah. I use it every chance that I can get.

Oh, see what else "wii" got for our Anniversary...



It's actually quite a lot of fun - I am channeling my inner "Rock Star/Super Star"...so "Hit me with your best shot...fire away"

Oh, I totally rock at Wii Golf. I'm also planning on hitting the WPGA tour in a few weeks. I talked to Annika and she wants me to take her place since she retired from the tour. Happy to help ya out, GF!

It's going to be a busy sumnmer!

As a side note, why is it that when you mention new technology gadgets like big-screen Hi-Def TV's, computers, games, etc. that husbands are "I'll get right on that, honey" but when you ask them to help paint or finish the crown molding project or ask them to put away their tools, they are the masters of procrastination...just wonderin'

Have a great day!

My Birthday!

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday! I spent 2 hours at the DMV to get my license renewed (I guess that's not so wonderful). Then I went to see Michael and Ron play T-Ball - it was much fun to watch all the 5 year olds run around like crazy! Late afternoon I dropped Holly off at the groomer's and then I got a nice pedicure, shopped a little and bought a new pair shoes. I came home and the boys had cards and a fabulous cake from "The Lovin' Oven" - they make the most delicious cakes and other baked goodies! Our next door neighbors came over for cake and ice cream.

Later today I am going to Target to get my new Bicycle - a Schwinn Hybrid!

Have a blessed day!

My Fabulous Find

I so missed posting last week at Kelli's Place Kelli's House
but since I was at Disneyland with my two most favorite guys, I knew you'd all understand!

For this week's Show and Tell, I want to show you this sweet little Ladies Spinet Writing Desk that I found at an adorable Antique place called Country Church Antiques, in Ridgefield, Illinois. I have to get back there soon - they had so many treasures but I could only fit this in the back of the Santa Fe.

I needed a "spot" just for me to get a little peace and quiet and write out cards and letters. Now I am looking for just the right chair and little lamp. I hope you like my find, I sure do!