Gifted Grandma

Wedding Celebration of Love

2010-07-31T16:35:00.011-04:00

What's more beautiful than a simple wedding with God's blessings, family and friends celebrating the occassion. Our wonderful next door neighbor invited us to their daughters wedding. We have watched her grow and mature for the past five years. The ceremony took place at a clubhouse poolside of a family friend. Family and friends witnessed as they took their wedding vows before God to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. It was beautifully simple. You could feel love all around them.

Surprise Find In Photo

2010-07-23T12:56:00.005-04:00

While out riding in the country we came across a body of water with pond lillies. I asked my husband to stop so I could take a photo. Have always wanted one of pond lillies. While looking at them I noticed a couple of shadows so brought them up in my photo program. The shadows that I thought might be fish were GATORS! They were headed right for the side I was standing by the road. There were two signs posted DO NOT FEED gators but we jokingly said yeah really.The shadow image behind leaf beyond the lily is a gator! There is another gator right behind it. Hubby did caution me not to get to close to the water just in case. Wow! What a surprise and heart attack zone I'd have been in had it shown its head. To see a real one and get a photo without harm would be a dream come true for me.

Simple Steps To Help Computer Run Better Disk Defragment

2010-06-10T08:51:00.014-04:00

Steps to help your computer run a little better that doesn't cost you anything but your time and labor. Here are a few steps to help your computer function a little better especially if you have never done these steps. My computer is very very old and second hand to boot.

Basic step

START, All Programs, System Tools, Defragment.

Simple Steps To Help Computer Run Better Disk Cleanup

2010-06-09T15:59:00.024-04:00

If it has to do with making my computer run a little better, I will try it if it is something that doesn't cost money. Here are a few steps to help your computer function a little better especially if you have never done these steps. My computer is very very old and second hand to boot.

Basic step

START, All Programs, System Tools, Disk Cleanup, (anything with something other than zero)OK, (are you sure you want to perform these actions) YES, Repeat these steps and do a Defragment. That step will be another blog.

Beautiful Gerber Dasies

2010-05-07T16:26:00.009-04:00

These beautiful flowers come in a vast variety of colors. Usually, I have several growing each year. Amazingly, they keep coming back like a prennial. This is a link to a site that give a lot of information on Gerber Dasies. This particular flower is in my neighbors yard. There was also one that isn't open yet that I took a photo of. What a contrast. Here is another site with information on Gerber Dasies. Seem they grow more by separating clumps. Will have to try that, I have a huge cluster that doesn't flower. But again I've had them for several years.

Cat Frustration

2010-05-06T17:23:00.005-04:00

This is a frustration post as I'm very distraught over the actions of one of my cats. They have always come to the kitchen window and scratch furiously when they wanted to come in. The calico one Shadow doesn't like to be ignored, which I do because they go in and out like children, but don't know how to open the door themselves.

Today, late in the afternoon she kept scratching at the window and I totally ignored her as I was working on the computer. Eventually, I saw both cats cross my view from the computer window. Immediately, I knew that it wasn't anything I would like seeing. Shadow was carrying something in her mouth and trotting as fast as she could, while Black Beauty followed checking things out.

I went to the door as fast as I could get to it, camera in tow to always get the proof of her gifts. She loves to bring me gifts and without realizing it had ignored that fact. When I found her it looked to be a small bird still alive. So, I told her sternly NO and let it go. She didn't like that one bit. She picked her prize up and trotted into the back yard again. When I caught up with her, I was horrified to see she had a baby duck!

Where she got it I have no clue. Trying to rescue it but it was faster than you would believe. I kept trying to pick it up, but it made it to the chain link fence between our property and a neighbors with Shadow fast following. It made it into next back yard, but I was unable to tell if it got from her reach. I have not seen my cat since.

Beautiful Clematis

2010-05-06T16:25:00.006-04:00

This beautiful star shaped flower the clematis, may be found climbing on some of your neighbors mailbox poles. Walking in the neighborhood in the past couple week I've come across some that have gorgeous blooms and can't resist taking photos of them. My camera usually comes with me on my little walks.

Most of them have been in beautiful shades of purple. Some are white with huge star shaped heads and buzzy centers. There is an official site for Clematis that has a fee to join. This Clematis site discribes the plant and caring for them.

Blossoming Magnolia Tree

2010-05-05T15:36:00.006-04:00

The magnificent magnolia tree has the most beautiful huge blossoms to display. Most years I haven't been able to take a decent photo to show, but this seems to be a better year. Yesterday while walking the neighborhood just before it began to rain I discovered one in bloom. Knowing it was going to rain I didn't take my camera, so knew I would have to return to take the photos. Some came out well others not. The one I was really hoping for didn't. It had four bees buzzing through a blossom.

But, I will take what I'm blessed to get. It is a huge tree that towers in the space it occupies. The sun was bright and beating on me, so wasn't sure any would be of good quality. Here are a few shots to display a bit of the beauty.

A Kept Woman

2010-03-06T10:37:00.004-05:00

I Am a 'Kept' Woman?

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, But GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)

There were times when I thought I could go on no longer, But the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, But the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough, But GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up. When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me! I'm blessed to be 'kept.'

Are you...or do you know a 'kept' woman ?

If so pass it on to her to let them know they are 'Kept'

I'm Kept by the Love and Grace of God!
I am indeed a 'kept' woman and praise God for it!

Hope you can share this with other 'kept' women!

Chunky Pages New Creative Idea

2010-03-05T13:10:00.012-05:00

Going through a newer phase of creating. Chunky pages that measure 4 inch by 4 inch. The first one is "End of a Perfect Day". So far they are consisting of collage mixed media. For some reason my mind sticks with realistic things not to wild. Each card so far has the a vintage card scene as the background. I came across card I had received as samples in the mail many years ago. Decided they were to pretty to cut into ACEO/ATC's. So here is a preview of my first ones.
Wonderful World

Harmony and Hope

Love Protects You'r Home

Reflections Of Beauty

Smile Sunshine Through Windows Reflection Of Beauty

Happy Valentine Day

2010-02-14T11:36:00.003-05:00

For God so loVed the world,
That He GAve
His onLy
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish,
But have Everlasting life."
John 3:16

Our Cat Shadows Behavior

2010-02-03T16:25:00.013-05:00

Anyone owning a cat know that sometime their behavior can be very weird at times. Our cat Shadow has been like that lately. Going into places she doesn't belong as well as seemingly unlikely to accomplish.

She has jumped from an end stand in the family room to the top of the china cabinet which is a good almost five foot jump. Watching her do it was incredulous, if we hadn't seen it happen we wouldn't know she could do it.

One evening we kept hearing a banging sound. Similar to a door trying to be opened and it closing first, then nothing. I got up to check what it might be and a cabinet door in the kitchen was partially open. When I opened it guess what I found sleeping in the back...yup...Shadow.

I heard another strange sound one day and went searching to see where in was coming from and discovered her curled up in the printer opening. I removed her four times..you read right..four times! She kept coming back. The last time she got mad and wanted to go outside. She does that when we have a disagreement. Yes, I have three printers. They all only do something different that the other won't, because mine died and each was given to me. Thankfully, all use the same USB cable and I just rotate to the one needed at the time.

Recently, I couldn't find her so went looking for her again knowing how well she likes to irritate me. Went walking through the house. Happened to glance into the bathroom and see the door under the sink partially open. Yup..there she was sleeping in the back corner. Went and got the camera just to prove she opened the door.

There are times when we have found her on top of the kitchen cabinets that is a four foot jump. Over the past going on five years I have taken hundres of pictures of the crazy things she does. Our neighbor gave us a sign that Dogs have masters, cats have staff. With them we totally belive it! My husband has decided that they came into our lives exclusively to irritate us. They came to us when they were older kittens about 12 weeks old as feral. The other one is Black Beauty which she is, but extremely irritating with her behavior. She is another total story by herself.

Gorgeous site

2009-12-22T14:14:00.002-05:00

Can you imagine a more gorgeous site in your yard? This is from a lady on BirdsAndBloom site.. she was feeding peanuts to them and they just kept coming!

Flock of Blue Jays

Posted to BirdsandBlooms by hazel erikson on December 13, 2009

Click to Play | View Details

Autumn Pleasures

2009-10-30T19:43:00.003-04:00

With changing seasons comes Gods magic hand in turning our green environment to a spectacular show of an array of colors. All the shades of colorful wonder are displayed to see his wondrous work before our eyes.

It seems like a dream world of wonder and splendor, but when you know him personally you realize you wouldn’t expect it any other way. With his great love for us he wants to have the best of everything wonderful.

The changes come a little at a time, like our relationship with him as we grow and mature in his spirit and bathed with his love.

Walked Mile High Bridge

2009-10-20T13:45:00.004-04:00

Went to see the foliage in the north western part of NC a couple of weeks back. Watched my diet and medications for days. It was a hard trying drive but we made it.

I climbed the 50 steps to the bridge that spans 80 feet 1 mile 5280 feet photo taken at the middle of the bridge from cliff to cliff on a very windy day! This is a major accomplishment for me as I have been very leery(scared) of heights since being pregnant with my youngest child who is now 30 years old. I did not look down either side of the bridge crossing either way, stopped long enough to take the photo of the sign in the middle of the bridge only and hubby's foot in the site as well. Hind site should have let the lady behind us take the photo with both of standing at the middle for more proof that I actually did it! But hubby said no, but thanks.

The sites were breathtaking and we couldn't get enough photos. I ran out of memory on my camera.

Hubby Preparing for Procedure

2009-09-13T14:11:00.002-04:00

Today is a beautiful day weather wise. Sunny and not too uncomfortable, unlike dear hubby is going to be. He starts his preparing for a colostomy real early Monday morning. For him to just drink clear fluids with no food is really hard. He LOVES food.

I eat to live but he really loves food especially peanut butter. So far today all he has had is apple juice, ice popcicles and soda. Soon, he will be taking the laxative and three hours later the Gatorade with the other preparation solution. Don't envy him one bit. I went through it for my surgery in November of 2008.

He has already been sitting on the toilet with cramps. I am fairly sure it has a lot to do with all the citrus and sugar. Sorry to say his worse is yet to come. Sitting in the bathroom with his system cleansing itself. Two thirty in the morning he has to get up and finish the drink solution every fifteen minutes until gone.

We will be there most of the day :O(

Hot Humid Week Without A/C

2009-08-30T17:14:00.003-04:00

We went through a few days of misery last week. Our house air conditioner was working fine until Tuesday night. Hubby said it was getting warm in the house and I said things were fine. Went to the thermostat and sure enough it wasn't working.

The house had quickly warmed to the 80's. We opened the windows and had the ceiling fans all going. I suffered through the next day. When hubby got home we check things out. Testing the fuses by the unit itself they were blown. We replaced them. I crawled (yes me hubby is to big) under the house to check the circuit breaker. It tested okay, so I flipped it back on.

The air conditioner came on but didn't COOL the temperature in the house still rising. So the major decision to call the air conditioner man. When he came the next day. Low and behold our compressor was shot once again (replaced 2 years ago) no warranty on it now. The wires were burned black. He said must have been a huge power surge either from lightning or from a big power line during a storm.

Ordered a new one to get the next day. Well everything went wrong. They gave him wrong sized fittings and then it began to rain... so it didn't get finished until Saturday. Four days later.

You quickly learn to appreciate things when you no longer have them. Our whole house fan helped but the temperature still didn't get below 83-84 degrees and very humid. We were very thankful when it got fixed.

But ooooh the huge bill to pay!

The azaleas are what our front yard looks like in the Spring!

No ARMS, No Legs What a Awesome Blessing!

2009-08-21T11:53:00.002-04:00

This is absolutely amazing! Oooh how it shows what we can do when we just trust in God and follow his guide and NEVER give up. Enjoy...

When the Creative Mind Strikes

2009-07-16T15:00:00.008-04:00

I know it has been awhile since posting here...this happens when creativity hits. I have been making silly dolls, ACEO's and painting's.

Working on a patchwork quilt for my youngest granddaughter. It is going slowly, but will be real cute when it is done.

Very slowly knitting a afghan with a granny square look to it.And watching a neighbor having over one hundred pines taken down on their property. Sneaking photos of the progress.

Beautiful Grandchildren

2009-06-01T10:31:00.002-04:00

Raising children is a very trying to say the least..raising four almost single handed is more so. But the shear delight is when they grow into beautiful adults, get married and the beautiful grandchildren arrive!

We have 16 grandchildren in ages ranging from 1 year to 17 years. Man oh man are they all different. Sadly, we were not able to be at each celebrating birthday. The youngest just turned two and we have seen her only once. But fell in love the moment our eyes set on her.

Love is unconditional...there are times when you would not like it that way, but it is. My heart cringes at times to see what children and grandchildren can do unknown to our hearts. I would never tell them, just pray that God will open their eyes to understanding. For he will take care of everything in HIS time.

Let's Get This Circulating by July 4th

2009-05-20T11:02:00.002-04:00

I HOPE THERE ISN'T ANYONE ON MY E-MAIL LIST THAT WON'T KEEP THIS GOING.

Happy 4th of
July!....

................let' s get this started now,
So it will be out there on the fourth!!!!

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE
FLAG,

OF THE
UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA,

AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR
WHICH IT STANDS,

ONE
NATION UNDER GOD,

INDIVISIBLE, WITH
LIBERTY

AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!

KEEP
IT LIT!! KEEP
IT LIT!

For
All of our other military personnel, where ever they may
Be
Please
Support all of the troops defending our Country.

And God
Bless our Military who are protecting our Country for our
Freedom.
Thanks
To them, and their sacrifices we can celebrate the 4th of July

We must never forget who
Gets the credit for the freedoms we have, of which we should be
Eternally grateful..

I watched the flag
Pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine
Saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..

I looked at
Him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square
And eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men
Like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign
Soil
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes
Shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers'
Graves?
No, freedom isn't free

I heard the sound of Taps
One night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler

Play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That Taps had meant 'Amen,'

When a flag had draped a
Coffin.
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the
Children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and
Husbands
With interrupted lives.

I
Thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in
Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Enjoy Your Freedom
& God Bless Our Troops

When
You receive this, please stop for a moment
And
Say a
Prayer for our servicemen.
Of all the gifts you could give
A US Soldier, Prayer is the very best
One.

Finally Finished Angel Kisses Puzzle!

2009-05-04T15:54:00.004-04:00

After more than two years, I have finally finished my 24 inch by 30 inch 1000 piece puzzle by artist Sandra Kuck titled Angel Kisses. It has been a long hard struggle to get it finished. It had a lot of light area that blended into darker.

I must say the easiest part was the childrens features. It came together slowly, as I had a big kink in my time working with it when I had a very large chunk of my life spent in the hospital having two major surgeries last year in July and November of 2008. The first to save my life.

My dear hubby made the frame, as he does for each puzzle I decide to preserve instead of putting back into the box.

Fantastic Sand Sculptures

2009-04-13T21:10:00.002-04:00

Someone emailed me a long time ago with these fantastic sand sculptures. The details are so intricate that it seems unbelievable. They have a very mystical theme. Just imagine each one is made from beach sand. Here is a slide show of the figures.

Angel Kisses Puzzle

2009-04-02T15:23:00.005-04:00

I finally got my 1000 piece Angel Kisses puzzle finished! Took me two years, but it is done. I have got 3 sealer coats on it(will probably put some more). Now, I have to wait for hubby to make the frame for it. It was some challenge. So, relieved it is together.

Yearly Trip To Massanutten Timeshare in Virginia

2009-04-02T11:34:00.007-04:00

Each year we take a vacation to our timeshare in the Blue Ridge Mountains at Massanutten Mountainside Villas. The sight is breathtaking.

There is much wildlife. The deer roam freely, not fearing man(seems against nature) but keeping their distance.

At the entrance to the mountain there is a public water park now with indoor and outdoor features. This has become quite a popular activity. There trips with tours to DC, local caverns, plays and musicals and so much more.

Golf courses, activity pool centers, miniature golf just to mention some.

We are there a week each year. It is a deeded timeshare so it can be handed down through our generations of family.