Just a Simple Day...

I've been busy, busy, busy... Just working on getting the yard done, getting needed shopping done, and spending some time at the flower shop. I've been keeping Miss Alice company in the afternoon while she works on orders for Memorial Day. In between all of that, I've been working on getting the house cleaned for the weekend.

I'm not taking the sleep inducing muscle relaxers anymore... and I am waking up with DH in the morning, once again. And... I'm not having to take a nap these days! Yay for that... having endurance again to get through the day. I am tired at night, but that's a good thing.

I've been sitting out on the patio in the evenings, to help me cool off with the heat and humidity. Last night, I was treated to the first fire flies of the season! They were down by the water in the lilac bushes and went fluttering down the stream edge. All the while, there was amazing heat lightening flashing across the valley sky. It was a fabulous evening. I am headed out there soon to see if there are any fire flies tonite!

We are staying home this weekend... don't have too many plans, other that having friends over on Sunday after church for lunch. I'm looking forward to that... bbq chicken, freezer slaw, ambrosia salad and hot rolls. I'll probably add some deviled eggs and a veggie tray too. Sounds good, right? Better go and walk Punky and Nolli and enjoy the cool evening air.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Random Bits...

It's been very hot... like "record setting" hot. I find it hard to blog when it's that hot. (I am too worried about my electric bill with all the fans and air conditioners going, trying to keep me comfortable.) So... I am doing the Random Dozen today!

1. Would you rather host party or simply attend a party?
I like to do both... it's fun to plan and have a great party, and it's nice to attend a great party.

2. Tell us about the most memorable party you've been to.
That would be my wedding, which we had at a friends house almost 2 years ago. Good food, great friends, lots of laughter and a crazy thunder storm at the end just before we left. (Good luck, right?)

3. What is one thing you hope for in the after-life?
Besides knowing that I actually made it in... seeing my Mom and then getting to ask all those questions I have to Mary.

4. What do you enjoy most about sunshine?
That it warms me to the bone and makes my flowers grow.

5. When you attend a bridal/baby shower, do you prefer to bring your own gift or chip in with others to buy a larger gift?
I like to bring my own gift... I enjoy wrapping it so that it becomes a wonderful present that is remembered.

6. Would you rather have a FREE week of having your house cleaned or all of your meals cooked for you and your family?
Oh... No hesitation on a free week of house cleaning.

7. What song describes your mood today?
Actually, it would be more the Glee 3 album... and Kelly Clarkson's song "My Life would Suck"... lol

8. What is something you received for your own bridal shower/wedding that you still own or use? (If you are not married, feel free to sub a gift you received a long time ago.)
From my first marriage... most of it's gone, I do have some black skillets and a vintage colander from my Nana, and a small roaster pan.

9. Your favorite flavor of ice cream is?
It's a toss up between anything with carmel, cookie dough, or mint choc. chip.

10. When was the last time you felt "tested?"
I feel tested almost every day.... because of the expectations I have for myself that I often don't meet.

11. "[Fill in the blank] is a food that once I start eating I find really hard to stop."
Buttered popcorn with sea salt, or tortilla chips with guacamole! (I miss Chipotle!)

12. "-----" is the best motivation.
Running out of time.... most people put fear, but for me it's having the clock wind down on me!

There you have it... the Random Dozen. We're going to do our best to stay cool today. The 95 degrees we had yesterday was pretty brutal on me. We did have a nice bbq dinner outside once the sun got far enough west for us. We are looking forward to having a wonderful 3 day weekend with company coming on Sunday. I have to decide what I want to serve with grilled chicken. (We've had lots of potato salad lately, so that's kind of out.)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY (May 25, 2010)...
Outside my window... it's sunny and pleasant this morning. It will be quite hot today, at least 85 degrees!
I am thinking... of shopping that needs to be done.
I am thankful for... my wonderful DH, he worked so hard to get my flowers all planted last night!
From the kitchen... there are brownies to be baked, and more potato salad to be made.
I am wearing... shorts and a t-shirt and cork sandals.
I am creating... a fun barbeque for DH's coworkers who are in the area for the week.
I am going... to the chiropractor 3 times a week still. Planning on going to a new nursery I heard about from my neighbor, even tho I don't need any more plants!
I am reading... my daily news paper... that's about all I have time for!
I am hoping... to get all the items on my to-do list done!
I am hearing... fans going through out the house, keeping things cool for now.
Around the house... I need to list my coffee table on Craig's list and finish getting everything put away from rearranging the living room last week.
One of my favorite things... my whiskey barrel at the corner of the driveway, filled with Cosmos, lobelia and johnny jump-ups.
A few plans for the rest of the week: barbequing with DH's coworkers, and getting ready for the weekend and 3 days of yard work!
Here is picture thought I am sharing...


My favorite old chair with spring flowers and the view of the back yard of my neighbor... it's so wonderful to sit out in the evening... last night we were able to watch the deer feed in the thicket... which is one of the reasons we love it here!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Struggling...

It's Saturday... our favorite day to do so much. I want to go to the Farmers Market, I want to go to Danville and explore. All kinds of wants...and needs, like needing to finish all the flowers, and needing to buy more potting soil and containers.

The real story behind it all is my back. It's just fine as long as I am sitting "just so"... but if I move wrong or get up to walk, the pain races across the center of my back. It's not fun and stops me in my tracks. I took 3 tylenol before we left to go to Bloomsburg this morning. We went to the jewelers to have my ring inspected (it's a semi-annual contracted deal) and then to have breakfast at Cracker Barrel. (Where else would we go! lol) By the time we got back home, I was a "Miss Cranky Pants" and wanted nothing to do with anything. I just wanted to sit still and not move.

I've since taken another tylenol... and will be watching my dosage count so that I don't tax my kidney's too much. We are working on flowers, reorganizing all the stuff in the living room, and doing laundry. Somewhere in the midst of that, DH wants me to make potato salad... I think he's going to get schooled on how to do that.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Hello??? Are you still stopping by???

I do apologize for my absence, yet again!?! I'm still going north to the chiropractor... but I've graduated from using ice packs to getting to use heat! (I'm no longer a Popsicle! Yay!) It's still a challenge to do everyday things that involve lifting or leaning forward. My only chore lately has been loading and partially unloading the dishwasher... DH still has to lift out the plates. That and going up and down the stairs 20 times a day to walk Punky as she adjusts to new kibble. (Poor Girl has such a touchy digestive system!)

Some of the things that did happen in the past few days... we shopped alot on Saturday, making several trips to Lowes. Sunday was spent by DH pulling all the furniture away from the walls, followed by heavy cleaning and vacuuming, and DH replacing all the outlets with new polarized ones so we don't blow up any of our electronic devices. We also reconfigured the furniture arrangement and opened up the living room now that the sofa is on a wall and no longer floating in the middle of the room. It also makes for great air circulation as well! (That makes me very happy!)

Oh... and I am writing this post... sitting in my New Chair! Given that my desk chair was over 4 years old, and that I bought it at T@rget for like, $60... and it's gone through several moves, it finally gave up the proverbial ghost. DH pulled a spare "task chair" out of the basement and it soon became evident that it was banished for a reason. So... DH insisted that we get a good chair and off to the office supply store we went. This new chair is a shiny model with a mesh back, lumbar support, a head rest, adjustable arm rests and a cushioned seat large enough to keep my backside comfortable. It could probably make coffee for me if I asked!

We also played in the dirt, getting all the flowers I recently purchased in to containers and placed about on our little patio. I can't wait for the sun to start shining so they can grow and I can enjoy all the colors and fragrances... along with all the bumble bees and butterflies! We still have a few more things to plant in the coming days... it's wonderful to see things growing again. And... my neighbor called me last night to say that as she pulled in to the back of her driveway that she spotted 4 deer across the stream, moving across the back of our house! I am so glad to know that we will have fun and entertainment in the evenings during the summer. (I also can't wait for fireflies... they won't be out for awhile yet!)

Finally, I went to the salon today after getting all the errands done. I left with new highlights and a very short summer haircut! I am again very blond on the top and have left the back third dark... I love that look and can't wait to see how it grows out and I can have the back part done with a bubble cut! The top is still slightly spiky and I can use dry wax on that... an easy summer cut! That's about it for what's going on around here.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Just A Regular Week...

Just thought I'd let you all know what I've been up to this week. I've been seeing the chiropractor 3 days a week, and thiss week was almost no exception. I recieved a call on Tuesday from a different plumber about our bathtub faucet leak. He told me he was coming down the hill on Wednesday morning at 8:30. He actually did make it on time and I was able to keep my appointment with the chiropractor. The plumber wasn't able to do anything about the faucet leak and would get back to me. The chiropractor not only adjusted my back, but also adjusted my sternum on both sides. It actually made me cry and I spent the rest of my day being an ice pop... with ice on back and sternum.

Thursday went by in a blur... cleaning carpets as Punky had gotten sick during the night... at least I felt better! I had taken a flexeril the night before and I was fairly relaxed and free of pain. I even drove out to my favorite little potting shed and found some great things to finish my wall grouping in the kitchen now that DH has put up my antique plate rack. I will post pictures soon!

I recieved a call late in the afternoon yesterday from the plumber that he had heard back from the landlord to go ahead and fix the bathroom and he was coming in the morning. That meant I needed to cancel my chiro appointment. I managed to get everything out of the bathroom this morning only because DH removed all of his things before he left for work early this morning. (He is my Hero!) The plumber installed a new auto-adjusting faucet and now we wait for the tile contractor to come next week sometime. I really didn't do too much today other than go to the post office and work on paper work and take the dogs in and out all day. We did have some wild thunder storms and crazy rain that made the stream really rise quickly. I lit the lanterns and candles just in case... and held Punky on my lap to calm her down.

Tonite, I wait for DH to come home... he's working in Princeton, NJ and he was called out on an overtime call... no telling when he'll make it home. We were going to do our usual Friday night fish fry date... but we'll try and do it tomorrow~ after we get some flowers planted!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

To Honor My Mother

Today is Mothers Day... I want to wish all those Mothers out there... blessings, and warmth and love for today. I recently lost my mom... and I was asked by my family to write some memories to share. What is written below is what I sent to be shared... my memories of growing up with my Mom.

Memories of Mom…
Some of my earliest memories of Mom… was that she was very, very busy… always.
She would spend hours with Nana and Auntie or her sisters… or she would be involved with something at church… and I would spend my time at Nana’s or Auntie’s. I have fond memories of stories in the front bedroom at Nana’s and lots of laughter coming from that room when Mom and Titi and Carolyn would get together to have girl talk… and the sunlight streaming across the hallway as we sat outside the door.

Our house on Douglas Street, was actually quite small for a family of 6… there was really only one bedroom and 1 bathroom… the girls were in a converted garage and Brian was out in the sunroom and I was tucked into a cove between the kitchen and the sunroom. Mom had an old singer sewing machine with a wood cabinet and flip-top table. She kept it tucked into a closet just outside the bathroom and across from her bedroom. She would let me play on the sewing machine while everyone else was getting ready, to keep me out of the way. (I got carried away one day and ran the needle across my thumbnail, she took very good care of me, but would only let me play on her machine when Dad wasn’t around.) That was also the house where I discovered that little kids cannot climb on nightstands like stairs… I was only 5 when I tried it… and broke the globe on her bedside lamp. I don’t remember my punishment… but I felt bad about that a very long time.

When I was a little kid… we went to Hollywood to the Pantages Theatre to see a matinee of “The Sound of Music”. It was a really big deal… and it was even more special since she bought us the soundtrack… and she would play that for me on the stereo on Sunday afternoons, so I could dance and sing in the living room. I was around 6 because we lived on Panorama Drive by then. Robbie told me that recently Linda and Preston had played that soundtrack for Mom and that even as she was in her own world… she still kept time to the music and enjoyed it so much. We did a lot of Disney movies, when we got to go… and we loved to watch Walt Disney every week after we all got baths… and she made popcorn and lemonade for us. (That was a special treat!)

When we moved to Mt. Shasta, she found life was quite different than living in So. California. Mom always took pride in how she dressed for church. It was hard for her to be in a small town in the 60’s where Ladies were supposed to wear nylons and she found “gals” who wore bobby socks and housecoats to church. She had a favorite dress that is still one of my favorites of hers… it was a black sleeveless sheath dress with a rolled collar. It had beautiful bright flowers in the print… yellows, pinks and red geraniums with green leaves and a few little bright blue flowers for accent. She had the most amazing enameled pin and clip earrings that went with that dress and black patent pumps. I can still see it hanging on the door of her closet at that house.

Living in Mt. Shasta, she was involved with the youth group and would spend weeks planning for all the kids in the “district” to come for a weekend of playing in the snow. She would cook and make casseroles so that everyone would get fed well while they were staying at our church. She even ended up playing nurse when one of the kids was injured and they stayed at our house. She also worked, very hard, for many of the wealthy people in that little town. She worked for doctors, dentists, publishers and mill owners. She did what ever she needed to do; to provide the things she felt were needed to keep her family together. She always worked hard. She sacrificed for her family… always putting us first.

Earlier memories:
The dining room on Douglas Street… how the chairs were curve-backed and round seated with little pleated skirts and brass nail heads. They were perfect for making forts and playing racecars… Mom would let us drag them into the living room and play on them all day and into the evening. I also remember Thanksgiving there with Nana and Papa and the Aunts and Uncles gathered around her table with candles and her cornucopia filled with plastic fruit, we all loved to take the grapes and squeeze them.

She also let us drag the cushions off the sofa and lay them on the floor so we could tumble on them. She would let us disassemble her living room after dinner and she always put it all back after we went to bed. We never woke up to a messy house. There was also a huge bookcase in the foyer between the living room and the kitchen. There was a Worldbook encyclopedia set that we all used… I loved to spend hours going through the Atlas and looking at the maps.

The kitchen on Douglas Street seemed huge to me… and I loved sitting at the bar to eat dinner but was always afraid the partition that separated the 2 sides would come crashing down. Mom always seemed to have a woodstove in every house we lived in… and that little dining area was no exception. It had a little woodstove in the corner and during the wintertime… it was the only heat for my little nook or Brian’s area on the sun porch. She would stoke it up at night and sometimes it would still have embers left in the morning to heat up the kitchen while she made breakfast.

I remember breakfasts at the little bar… plain omelets on toast, French toast and applesauce or everyone’s favorite… French pancakes with melted butter and sugar. We would get up on New Years morning and she would make waffles while we were still in our jammies watching the rose parade on black and white TV. And one of my most favorite dinners sitting at that bar was her homemade tostadas. She’d fry the tortillas and put the meat and refried beans on them and place them in the oven to stay warm. She’d place a large brown grocery bag on the oven rack to help absorb the oils from the tortillas… I can still see the bottle of La Victoria taco sauce sitting on the bar and remember how good it tasted with the fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cheese served on her lazy susan so it would reach all of us.

Mom loved pretty clothes when she was younger… and she always loved shoes. One of my first memories of playtime was the huge dress-up box she had for us. There weren’t just girl clothes in there, but also police uniforms, cowboy outfits, farmer clothes… she had lots of great stuff. She also gave me a pair of high heels that I wish I still had. They were stiletto style with an open toe and brass nail heads on the sides. They also had fabulous rhinestones and sequins in a floral pattern across the top. I loved those shoes… and would wear them constantly. I was also fascinated with horses because of Robbie’s friend, Joyce. I learned that if you took those shoes and placed them inside golashes and ran up and down on the street, it sounded just like horse’s hooves. I also found out that if you did too many times, you would put holes in the heels of the golashes. Mom never got too mad… she usually was too busy to be mad long and if she grounded you… it also meant she couldn’t do anything either.

She was an amazing woman with many talents… she was a good mother and a fabulous grandmother… she had a way with each grandchild that made them each feel so special… and nothing made her happier than getting to fix them their favorite breakfast while sitting at her round oak table with the little red lantern lit in the middle. She loved to watch movies with them on Friday nights with a huge bowl of popcorn… that popcorn tradition is still carried on through the generations even now.

As the youngest… I did have some time as the only one left at home… and Mom and I were left to our own devices… and I discovered that she could be very funny. We would spend time sitting on my bed talking and suddenly, we would be laughing and not be able to stop. We would just look at each other and crack up, and start all over again. Mom liked to sing and I remember singing in Christmas Musicals with her… and she would bring warm lemonade for us to sooth our voices in rehearsals. She loved to sing. She loved music and she loved to dance.


Even in her later years… she was always a worker. I recently shared with (DH) that my first Christmas at Leather Loft, we had a big break in… I got a call at 12:30 in the morning to go and oversee the clean up. She came down to the store at 3:00am to check on me and bring me “Charlie-dog” to protect me as I waited for the glass crew to finish up. She worked tirelessly at the Love-Inc clothing bank… in the cold… taking Dottie-dog with her to keep her company and be her second set of ears to alert her if someone was nearby. She was so upset when Dottie-dog ate rat poison that she didn’t know was being put down… and rushed her to the vet. She saved my little dogs life. But we all know… she was just doing what she always did… taking care of all of us.



She really didn’t like a lot of fuss… she really enjoyed the simple things in life. She loved ice cream on cold nights. She loved chocolate and Mexican food. She enjoyed a good shopping trip to Goodwill or Salvation Army… always happy with her “good finds”. She loved her kids… she adored her Grandkids… and was thrilled with her Great-Grandkids. She wanted nothing more than to be in a simple little log cabin in the woods with a wood stove, her round oak table and her family to make good, wholesome food for… everyone feeling loved and happy.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne



I love you, Mom... hope you're having a great time up there with Lizzy's Mom, and Sandy's Mom and Julie's Mom too! I miss you... please come visit in my dreams.

Random Dozen

1. What was the last thing about which you procrastinated?
I am a huge procrastinator when it comes to doing housework... I hate it and hate that I have to constantly pick up after my DH.
2. How long does it take you to fall asleep, and do you sleep through the night?
I can go 50/50 on that... for years, I'd fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Then thyroid cancer entered my life. Sleep only comes with assistance from Ambien these days... and if I don't take it correctly, it won't work. But when I do, I sleep all night long.
3. Which decade would you choose to exemplify your favorite fashion styles?
That would be the 70's... love my jeans, flowly loose tops, and birkenstocks!
4. What is your personal best dish to feed a crowd?
That would be my mac and cheese, or bbq beef and potato salad.
5. Are you an impulse shopper? What was the last thing you bought on impulse?
I can be... I love shoes and handbags and accessories.
6. What is one wish you have for your own funeral?
Pink Roses.... good music and great party after!
7. If it's true that joy is in found in the simple things in life, what does your joy look like today?
















8. What is your favorite type of bread?
A sweet yeast bread that makes fabulous dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls!
9. What trait do you fear developing the most? (Laziness, greediness, grumpiness, etc.)
I think greediness... I have all that I need, really... and I would hate to feel that I would need "more" to be happy.

10. What trait would you like most to develop?
I would like to develop my trait of hospitality, to be a more confident hostess.

11. Which room in your house best reflects your personality? Why?
All the rooms in my house reflect my personality, but it would be a toss-up between the living room and kitchen right now. (Both are undergoing changes and updates right now!)
12. How do you maintain balance in your life regarding, work, family, church, other organizations and activities, and blogging?
My life is actually in balance right now... I choose what I want to do, after spending time with my husband... he's my top priority.

Back Update...

Today was my 4th appointment with the chiropractor. I was feeling a little more like myself yesterday and did a couple of normal things... like grocery shop and cook dinner. Today... my back felt as straight and stiff as a well-ironed starched white shirt. It was tough going to get my spine to manipulate in any direction. (kind of like being put in cement!) When my visit was done.... (after going on the table, the massage table and having "combo" electro shock therapy) the doctor checked on how I was feeling. I told him I was glad not to feel like I was encased in cement and could move again. He grimaced and said he couldn't handle it if I were in cement... to which I answered that I thought he was Superman! He laughed and said he wasn't Superman but he did own a jack hammer!

So... I'm back on my schedule of icing my back and resting as much as I can so my back can heal. My loving DH is doing all he can to help me in between his working and doing paperwork. I am still navigating going up and down stairs, tho quite slowly... Punky is running circles around me as I go down the stairs. I am hoping that soon my back will feel better and I can get busy with flower planting.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Pardon My Absence!

It's been a rather strange week for me, having DH gone to New York and having discovered that my rib is dislocated. I've been spending my time either taking the dogs in and out or laying on ice, in between trips to the chiropractor. This isn't going to be an easy process of getting the straying rib to go back into place. It's also been causing me great chest pain... but at least I know why! Next week I will see the chiropractor 3 times... and from that, we will see if I need to stay at 3 times a week or cut it back.

My doctor prescribed flexeril for me... the first 2 days it didn't work too well... I kept waking up. But last night it knocked me out cold and I'm still a little groggy. It worked very well.

DH came home last night... we will have to deal with all the unpacking today and tomorrow. He's gone to enjoy the beautiful weather we're having and do some much needed fishing. I'm thinking that we may have to plants some flowers later on in the evening hours, if I am up to it. For now... I will follow doctors orders and ice my back, yet again. (We all know how much I love to be cold! Not! Brrrrrrr!)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne