Coming from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1233012/
New year. New start. Hope it's a great year for all. For me, I say good riddance to '11. Crappy year in many ways for me. Math geeks and number people say birthdays with perfect squares - 16, 25, 36, 49...are good luck. Hopefully they are right!
Any hopes or plans for the new year?
I plan to be alive just 365 days from now...am I too optimistic?
Happy New Year to All !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here, we're still spreading a wide net for college searches, because you never know where the offers will be the best. Mom and dad are spending money on home improvement. As the kids get older, the need for storeage gets greater, not less, so building a storeage/washer/dryer/entertainment sink area, and otherwise finishing our house gets a higher priority than before. It wasn't practical to do this earlier, when we also had a bigger influence on where our kids went. Much better to be busy than to worry about teenage adventures.
For any of you who knew ladygardener1(Chris) spent most of her time over on the MA forum, just found out she lost her battle with breast cancer this past Sept
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/erietimesnews/obituary.aspx?n=christine-ann-first&pid=153628498
No posting in memory garden yet
Oh that's sad, she was a fighter for sure.
No major plans here, just waiting for my grandson to arrive end of February and getting some more of the house done, Upstairs bath needs renovating bad!
We are going to put on a back porch off the new kitchen and fence off a part of the yard for a bigger garden that the dogs can't enter and will keep them from the neighbors dog.
Hopefully we'll get some of the renovations done that we've been planning since we moved in...time just seems to be flying and no time to get anything done.
I def am trying to scale down all the stuff we have, with a great nephew on the way this month I'll be able to get rid of all the baby boy stuff in the attic including all the toys....YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Been giving the girls clothes to my other nephew and his wife for baby Leanna but with them being stationed in Germany they don't want a whole lot of stuff to have to be shipped.
Going to go thru even the bathroom closet and give away to a shelter all the unopened bottles of shampoo, soap or bath gels I don't use
While doing a walk about today...noticed the fairies had been out riding...bike was no longer parked by the tavern but over by the cottage....
and the lamium was blooming
How super is that? Hope everyone had a happy New Year's Day.....No resolutions....just happy to wake up breathing!
Happy New Year everyone!!!
Happy Birthday Victor!!!
May everyone's lives be full of love and joy.
Jan, I LOVE to sew. Your ideas sound fun. Have you heard of the websites Craftsy.com or Craftster.org ? They post great ideas regularly. Trish, Dave's wife loves sewing too. There's a whole sewing forum in that "other" website...
Debi k, if Jan doesn't want your fabric - or no one does... There are groups of people that get together and quilt for poor people, soldiers and third world countries. If you have quilting fabric, I could direct you where to donate it. If it's not quilting material, the local library may have use for it with children's projects and things like that.
Harper
Sorry to hear about ladygardener1, Jen. What a shame. I did not know her that I'm aware of. Might have "chatted" with her before, but don't remember.
It's Victor's birthday? Well Happy Birthday, Victor!
Hoping there will be less sadness here in 2012. My sister is still fighting, and I think most of you are familiar with her story. I have been pretty depressed, but I keep busy. I would love to get more gardening done this year. There's just so much I want to get done. I sure wish I could cut back on my hours at work.
We will be getting money soon through Adult Family Care for our father for being his caretakers. We'll be getting about $750 a month. First priority will be to get the property taxes caught up, and get the lawyer paid (estate planning for Dad). Then we can concentrate on getting some repairs done on the house. Bathroom needs to be finished, roof needs fixing, siding needs to be replaced, etc. A little at a time.
My sister and I have been cleaning out our attic and getting rid of a lot of hoarded stuff. Eventually we want to make it into a nice upstairs.
Karen
Happy New Year!
Thanks, Harper, I'll check those out. I made a request for yarn known last winter at church and got bags of yarn. I made 24 lap blankets and when the kids choir sang at an assisted living place before Christmas they handed them out. Pretty cool how they picked them out.
Karen, you and yours have been in my thoughts and prayers. Glad to hear you are going to be acknowledged as caregivers. I couldn't think of the word I wanted. :)
Glad to hear about the perfect square years, Victor! I was not into math, and it wasn't big on me either, but I'm in a perfect square year too, so that may explain my sense of contentedness with life these days. On the other hand, it could be the meds! LOL.
Rosemary, Ronnie and Jen - it sounds like some good plans for each of you. Very cool. Karen, you are due for some upbeat news, and the caregiver funding is a great start.
BA and Marilyn, the same to you! Marilyn, how was the Mayflower Inn gathering?
Harper, it's great to see your smiling face shining through your post! Happy New Year, and may it bring you into our path at an RU this summer!
Hi Jan and Happy New Year to you! We'll be seeing you very soon now! Looking forward to it! That is so lovely that you made that many lap blankets and gave them to the residents. That must have taken quite a bit of time! I hope your kindness gets returned to you immeasurably!
Puppy snuggle time/nightly reading hour for me now! Good night to all!
Bless you, Louise. It's returned every time I get on DG.
I am soooo excited. Yep, I leave on the 11 th. Be back on the 23rd. Then a week in FL.
Wowowwow!!! I have been checking out craftsy. It is v e r y interesting!
This message was edited Jan 1, 2012 10:41 PM
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers Jan. It's really appreciated.
Louise, yes I'm due for some upbeat news. AFC is a good program that MA has, and the funding comes from Mass Health.
Karen
happy new year all
Karen, I have been keeping your sister in my thoughts.....glad you are able to get the money needed to care for your Dad......my stepson has some weighty decisions to make concerning his wife....she can stay in the rehab center until next month, but that's it....then it's home in a wheel chair or into a nursing home.....Mike wants her home, but the state of Maine is only offering 30 hours a week in home health care, and their home will have to be made handicap accessible....he has no money, & can't quit his job....just awful.....Louise, the Mayflower Inn was wonderful....it was so warm on the sunporch for the kiddies......here they are having a great time.....the middle child is my great niece, Ella...
Another....the third from the left is Ella's sis, Tess.....
My brother, soon to be 97 year old Mom, my sister on the end....
Nice pictures robin, ESP your mom!
Great photos...age 97 !?!
I'm impressed!
me too.. that's fantastic.. and she looks great
Thank you Marilyn. I will keep your stepson and his wife my prayers as well. Would be nice if his wife could come home, but that sounds like it might not work, especially if he hasn't the money for upgrades for handicap accessibility. I hope things will work out in the end. Love the photos. Can't believe your Mom is 97!
Karen
We have shameful health care on this country. I would never choose to live elsewhere but that drives me crazy!
How functional is she, Marilyn??
Still lives by herself, Victor.....does a little cooking....will not buy instant oatmeal! Does her laundry, washes her kitchen floor, goes to church every week, out shopping & to lunch....she is very deaf.....& when I speak loud enough for her to hear, she wants to know why I'm yelling......her short term memory is good, long term, not so much....she will have to move in with me within the next year, but she's fighting it.....
I understand that. They want their independence as long as possible. I think my mom was wise, cuz she knew her eyesight was not the best, so she took herself off the road in 95.
wow 97 and active - that is great marilyn
That really is amazing.
I was referring to your step DIL, Marilyn. What is her prognosis?
Guess we may be around on Dec 22, after all! ^_^
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/111220-end-of-world-2012-maya-calendar-explained-ancient-science/?source=link_tw20121202news-maya
Love Marilyn's family pics. Looks altogether like a wonderful family.
Missed hearing from Karen. Glad you're back. Know it must be terribly hard right now.
I hope we hear about Jan's visit to see Louise.
We saw Mayan ruins at a museum in Mexico when we went to see an aupair married. Tour guides did nothing to educate about what the end of a cycle really meant. Thanks for letting us see that Nat'l Geo is on the job, Victor.
Not sure how much weight to give that because I heard Nostradamus predicted the end of National Geographic in March, 2012. ^_^
Hee hee. We're doomed!
Here's the link to Chris'(ladygardener1) Memory garden
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1235626/
Don't worry, Rosemary, you'll hear all about the trip. I won't see the snowbirds till the last week of January. I don't know the exact date yet. Needless to say, I am super excited, first about the cruise, but more importantly, to meet L and H in person.
Lady gardener had such a sweet spirit.
DIL in Oregon has just been diagnosed with spondylisthesis. Probably will need an MRI to determine how severe the slippage is in her back. At least she knows it's not in her head, but very real.
Thanks Rosemary.
Well, I'm glad we don't have to worry about the world ending. That that I actually was.
Karen
Jan, we cross posted. Sorry to hear about your DIL. Is she in much pain from it? I will keep her in thoughts and prayers for you.
Karen
WOW Robin...97? Holy Cow!!! Would never have guessed by her picture!!!!!
Very sad about Ladygardener, you would think in this day and age we would of found a cure by now. :(
Praying for your sister Karen, and your DIL Jan. and if you all would say a prayer for a DG member who recently lost her son. He was 27 and suffered from CP, caring for him from birth to the very end, I as a Mother of a handicapped child can not imagine the pain she is going through. I found this poem and it is so fitting....I cry every time I read it because it's the plain and honest truth.
I’ll Lend For You
“I’ll lend you, for a little while, a child of mine,”He said
“For you to love while he lives and mourn when he is dead.
It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three, but will you
till I call him back, take care of him for me?
He’ll bring his charms to gladden you and shall his stay be brief,
you’ll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, as all from earth return
but there are lessons taught down there that I want this child to learn.
I’ve looked the wide world over in my search for teachers true,
and from the throngs that crown life’s lanes, I have selected YOU.
Now will you give him all your love not think the labor vain
nor hate me when I come to call to take him back again.”
I fancied that I heard them say “Dear Lord, Thy will be done.
For all the joys thy child will bring The risk of grief we’ll run.
We will shelter him with tenderness, We’ll love him while we may—
And for the happiness we’ve known Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him Much sooner than we’ve planned,
We’ll brave the bitter grief that comes And try to understand.”
Written By: Edgar A. Guest
Beautiful words for an almost unbearable situation. Unfortunately, someone I know might need the comfort of them soon.
Aaahhh, dear Pixie, that is a tear jerker for sure. Praying for her and her family. Then my thoughts turned to my niece whose daughter has Downs and my grandson who has Weavers syndrome and may be their forever son and then another grandson who has autism and praying that our family will enfold them and LOVE them.
Jeff is back to school, so today I'll start undecorating.
