Category Archives: Reflections

Recent Sewing Projects

Reflections, Sewing

Before Christmas I spent many hours at my sewing machine making gifts. That trend has continued into the new year as I have made a few things for myself and my husband. Below are some of the projects I created.

I made plush wearable blankets for Addie and Jackson for Christmas. They are fully lined so they are reversable.

I purposely made them big so hopefully they can wear them for another year.

I made hoodies for my daughters again this year. I was delighted, on Christmas, that Addie was wearing the dress I made her for her birthday especially since the shirt I made for her mom was done in matching fabrics.

This wasn’t a sewing project but I made this t-shirt for my husband and put it under the tree from Ruby and Ranger. (In case you can’t see the words it says: I’m a grown man. I do what I want my dogs want.) LOL!

My first after-the-holidays project was this hoodie I made for myself. I wanted to do a trial run of the pattern, so I used pieces of fabric I had left over from other projects. Somehow I was able to find four different yellow fabrics that gave me enough to make the shirt. I do love how it turned out (especially the yellow colors) and will for sure use this pattern again. You can get a better idea of how the whole shirt looks from the picture below.

My sister sent me some fabric for Christmas. She decided to let me make my own gift.

I turned it into this striped turtleneck. I absolutely love – it especially the fabric ❣

I was planning to make a hoodie like the one above for my husband, but I needed to make a trip to the fabric store to pick up some complementary fabric before I could start the project. In the meantime, I made myself a second turtleneck with some fabric I had on hand.

I used the same pattern but added about four inches in length to make it tunic style.

Last weekend my sister and I made the trip to the fabric store, so on Monday I Made my husband’s hoodie.

Front View

I love the way it turned out and it looks very nice on him. More importantly he loves it.

He slips it on whenever he feels chilly in the house, and we don’t have to bump up the thermostat. I call it his ‘gas bill buster’ LOL!

As I finish this post my mind is on my next project – dog blankets. I show them to you when they are finished.

Thanks for visiting. Do you have any winter projects going?

58 Trips Around the Sun

Family, Reflections

That’s right, I completed my 58th trip around the sun this week. It seems my husband and I have been celebrating this since just after Christmas when he instructed me go online to Sayklly’s Chocolates website (they make the best chocolates I have ever had) and order some chocolates as a birthday gift from him. They arrived two days later and I’ve been enjoying a couple pieces each day since. (This is another reason I didn’t need the cheesecake but these chocolates have a longer shelf life so I can savor them well into the year. :)) If you are ever in Escanaba, MI, I recommend you pick some up.

Then on Monday we had our day out – shopping, then lunch at a local restaurant. It was a fun day.

I thought today would be a good day to share some of the old photos I discovered while using my dad’s old Dell computer. A little look into my past so to speak. I’ve selected just a few of the photos and most of them have me in them so you can meet a younger me. 🙂

MOM

The first photo however is of my mom.

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If the date on the photo is when it was taken, she would have been 13 years old. Back then the date on the photo indicated when it was printed so I can’t be sure when it was taken. It looks more like summertime than November in Michigan. Perhaps it was her birthday in August. People have always told me I look like my mom, but I think she was much cuter at that age than I was.

50 Years Ago

The next two photos appear to be just random photos. Not taken at any special event. I think I was around 7 or 8 years old when these were taken.

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This is me with my youngest sister, Erin.

032 From left to right: my oldest sister, Kathy, my youngest sister Erin, Me. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I don’t remember either the cat or dog in this picture.

 40 Years Ago – Family Vacation

The rest of the photos were taken on our family vacation in 1982. It was the only time that I ever vacationed with both my parents. Mom, Dad, me and my two younger sisters Jamie and Erin drove cross country to visit friends in Page, Arizona. I think it was a 10-day trip. We also visited friends in Columbus, Nebraska along the way but the only photos I have were taken in Arizona. My older sister Kathy was married at this point, so she didn’t go on vacation with us.

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The above picture was taken when we visited the Grand Cayon. Jamie, Erin and me sitting on the rim of the Grand Cayon.

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My Mom and Dad standing in Lake Powell.

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This picture was taken when we visited what our hosts described as a rock cut. This particular cut formed a path, like a tunnel, through a huge rock formation. I think the cut/tunnel went all the way through and came out on the other side. (Correct me if I’m wrong, Erin.) Pictured from left to right: Tiffany, Me, Dad, Jamie – Front: Erin, Justin. Tiffany and Justin are the children of the family we visited. Erin and Tiffany are still good friends today. 

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We visited a second rock cut. This one went down into the ground. This picture shows my dad climbing down into the cut while we kids are already down inside.

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Inside we climbed the walls. Jamie and me inside the cut. 

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Erin and me inside the cut.

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Me inside the cut.

As I was writing this post I became curious about these areas we visited on this trip so did a quick internet search. I’m fairly certain that these cuts that we visited are what is called Antelope Canyon and opened for tours in 1983 – the year following our trip. It has since become a popular location for photographers and sightseers and a source of tourism business for the Navajo Nation according to this website. (There are some great pictures on that website.)

Thank you for joining me for this trip back in time. I hope you will stick around this year to see what trip number 59 has in store.

Good Advice

Reflections

You have probably heard it said that you should never shop when you are hungry. We made that mistake earlier this week and ended up with this.

GFS or Gordon Food Service was our last stop before lunch, and it was at least an hour past our usual lunch time.

It wasn’t a practical purchase and normally I wouldn’t have even considered it because:

  • It is way too much cheesecake for just the two of us.
  • It was very pricey.
  • I am always baking homemade desserts and could make something just as good for less money.

I am well aware that my/our growling stomachs had much to do with my/our decision to buy this cheesecake and have since rationalized it by saying this is my birthday week so I will have a piece each day to celebrate. Tomorrow we will put a candle in one. LOL!

Have you ever shopped when you are hungry?

Monthly Inspiration

Inspiration, Reflections

I plan to continue my Monthly Inspiration posts this year but in the absence of a 2023 calendar (I plan to buy one this week.) I decided to share some stories that I have found both heartwarming and inspirational.

This first story is one that I read several weeks ago – a potential tragedy with a happy ending. After a plane traveling from Louisiana with 53 dogs crashed on a golf course in Wisconsin, some of the first responders who came to the rescue gave the furry passengers their forever homes. Click here for full story. Perhaps it’s because I know the impact that adopting rescue animals can have on one’s life that this story touched me so. What an incredible gift to both the rescuer and their new furry friend!

If the first story wasn’t enough to give you hope in humanity, this one certainly will. The headline, Heroic actions of ‘Amazing Jay’ who saved 24 people and 2 dogs from deadly cold is the story America needs, tells only part of the story. Read the full story here. I experienced a mix of emotions while reading this. I don’t know what kind of people would turn away someone who was stranded in this killer storm, but I found myself being thankful that they did. What a blessing he was to others in need!

The last story is about a lady in our area who turned 100 years old on Christmas Day. While I have never met Verna, she is a longtime friend of my sister and her family. This very brief news clip tells a bit about the community birthday celebration that was thrown for her. After hearing firsthand accounts of the party from my sister I was disappointed that the clip did not show any of the presentations made by community leaders, commending Verna’s contributions to the community, nor did it show the school children presenting her with the 100+ birthday cards. (My sister told me yesterday that birthday cards were still coming from around the world. :)) I was also disappointed that the reporter spent so little time speaking with Verna, but in the end, I think that these two lines, spoken by Verna, “Just happy that I can do for other people, rather than do for myself. And, if I can serve and do for other people, that’s what I’d like,” may be all we need to know to give us the secret to a good and happy, if not long, life.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and all the best in 2023.