a new car.
dinner at Olga's.
MacArthur Park.

goodbye to my silver 2007 G6

and hello to my navy blue Malibu LT

a quick dinner at Olga's with Becky

and on the ride home...trying to find a radio station....I stumbled on MacArthur Park

time stopped for a moment....to when MacArthur Park was new and it became one of my all-time favorite songs

at that time I was driving a brand new 1969 Cougar

yes....I have to admit....I have a thing for cars

before I ever owned a car, I always wanted a navy blue one

and now, after all these years, I have one.  my first one   ♥

life is good

and this is definitely a happie

last week I finished 'Annie's Ghosts' by Steve Luxenberg
I took my time reading it - saving its reading for bedtime

books touch people differently
they aren't defined by one description
I like to read a book that makes me think
and that is what 'Annie's Ghosts' did
it made me think

I am in awe of Mr. Luxenberg's passion to unearth a family secret
his research had to be exhausting, facing disappointments along the way
discovering twists and turns more often than he could have imagined
his dedication to learn more
to examine family choices
to put pieces of the puzzle together was nothing short of remarkable
I never imagined he would have gone so deep into the stories within the story
he gave me the need to think more of my own family
where my family has traveled from - Poland/Russia - Pennsylvania - Michigan
their hardships, their survivals
who were these people that came to America and what were they in search of?
escape?  a better life?  hope?  love?
did they find their American dream?
I am proud of my Polish heritage
I would like to learn more about these people that are my family
too bad the ones with the stories are gone
but there are stories to heard, even if they can't come directly from those who they belong to
perhaps much will go unknown
but what can be shared - our stories - and the stories that we remember from our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles
it is up to us to pass them on, not just tell them, record them
leave stories
someone will be interested

I enjoyed sharing Annie's story - and the other stories that made up this book
there will always be a story worth reading.....when someone is passionate enough to share it

June's quilting project (or should I say, my summer project?)

referring to my Jelly Roll books, I decided on a combination of two quilts that appeal to me
I'm a little Bohemian at times, I think, because I like doing my own thing

for me, quilting in the summer is a challenge with my gardening
and always having at least one book close by
and taking care of my little grandson whenever I get the chance

I love fabric, I love to sew
and quilting for me is relaxation
this quilt has no deadline - although, I do stress with deadlines sometimes

my choice of colors links to my recently-painted living room
which means this quilt is for me  ;-)

to be continued    ♥

Keegan loves bananas

truth for mature humans

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail.. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?
29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.
31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

I don't want to brag or make anybody jealous,

but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.

we share on our blogs some of what goes on in our lives
what we choose to share with those that stop by is up to us
some share lots of things, while others share pieces
when I visit my favorite blogs, I get caught up with whatever they are posting about
my heart smiles when there is a picture of a new baby - being a mom and grand-mom - I know those feelings
reading about parents....grandparents...especially warms my heart.....because mine are gone
and I kind of latch on to these stories and happy that they are lucky to still have them in their lives because I know what I am missing
and my heart breaks when there is a sad story being told
I look forward to trying a new recipe - because there are so many scrumptious ones posted
seeing a beautiful garden, a pretty quilt completed or in progress (because anything we create with our own hands is special and has to be worth our time)
a home, before/after...or something new
a great find at a flea market or garage sale
or just a little something the blogger decides to share
it doesn't matter what the posts are about - I get caught up in them
sometimes there are long gaps in posts and I wonder if the blogger is ok and will be back
we all seem to be connected here in one way or another
sharing is fun
being brought to reality from time to time happens
being inspired
making us realize that we might not 'have it all' (whatever that individual 'all' is) but what we have is a lot
and as long as we can be inspired
as long as we can feel
not to envy others - but to be happy for them because they most likely have worked hard for what they have
to appreciate what each of us has
even to learn more about ourselves as we read about others
when we gather here, we are not alone
we are 'one of the crowd'
blogs are doing something special
for me
and I am sure for you
hope you are having a wonderful day      ♥

One day a man's wife died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the husband was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say, "I love you."

So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage (especially)...and old cars...and children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep - like a best friend who moved away or a sister-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special...and so, we keep them close!

with time, women gain weight because we accumulate so much information and
wisdom in our heads that when there
is no more room, it distributes out
to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't
heavy, we are enormously cultured,
educated and happy.
Beginning today, when I look at my butt
in the mirror I will think,
“Good grief, look how smart I am!”

a short work week has passed
and it is Friday evening
with a soothing, soft rain coming down
totally my idea of comfort

I hate to admit that I live for weekends
not having structure feels soooooooo good
I'm not ashamed to feel this way
after hitting the alarm clock for 44 years gives me the right

so when I go to bed tonight
and I grab my book (Annie's Ghosts)
it won't bother me when I drift off to sleep
with the light on and my book having fallen somewhere close
because that is what I can do on Friday and Saturday nights
it's a little silly something that feels so good
because anything goes on weekends......no deadlines.....it's my time