Remembering Priscilla

Priscilla Dyte Pfenninger

24 January 1948 - 13 October 2011
Buffalo, New York USA
My dear sister
May she find peace and rest and freedom from pain.

While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil. ~John Taylor

Christmas Memories to Share

Mom with my niece, Debbie

This year, I wanted to share this with you in the hopes you recall some of your own memories of family at Christmastime and share them, too . . .

As I sat wrapping presents tonight, I was thinking about my mom and the way she wrapped presents for us when we were little.
I was trying to add just a bit of her style to my gifts tonight, but I know I am not even close to meeting her exceptional standards.


If the item was clothing and if it was wrapped in a box from the store, she would line the box with tissue paper first, and then the gift was placed inside. She folded over the tissue paper, surrounding the gift and then sealed the tissue paper closed with little festive holiday seals - yes seals, not stickers. They were the type you would have to lick to get them wet so they would adhere to the paper.

Then she would wrap up the box, surround it with curling ribbon, and then tie a bow from the curling ribbon. She would make tons of curls with the ribbon and the package would be almost finished.
Usually, she would also add a small gift to the top of the wrapped box, too. It might be a candy cane, or some other trinket to add more fun the the gift.

And if the gift were a 'soft' item like socks, she would do all the same steps for it, too, only adding the curls and ribbon to each end of the tube, making it look like a Christmas Cracker.
She filled our stockings with walnuts, treats, coloring books, small gifts, and of course, the traditional orange in the toe of the stocking. After all of the commotion of opening gifts under the tree, we knew we could count on our stockings to extend the thrill of the morning.

It is important to remember she worked in the 1950s when most moms were home all day with family. She worked at night, so she could be home with us during the day, and she must have been pretty tired. And with six children to shop for and each with a small pile of presents to wrap, she had her hands full, to be sure. But she wasn't a slacker when it came to wrapping - oh no!
She baked, too. Not just two types of cookies like I do, but whole plates of gorgeous cookies in all sorts of shapes and flavors.

I don't know how she did it with all the rest she had to do. I wish I could say I am keeping up with her legacy, but I don't hold a candle to the way she could multi-task - way before the term was invented. I hope though, that by sharing this, her legacy of love and care and attention to detail will live on. Long after what was in those gifts has been forgotten, I still remember the way she wrapped them with so much love for each one of us.

The light-up Santa was on our tree when I was a child. The angel on the moon was also on our tree - purchased in Toronto when I was a teenager, this one is a replica of the one I gave my mom and also bought for myself. My daughter has my original.

I am wishing you all the same love and care this year for Christmas. I hope your memories are vast and that you are making more for your own family, to share for generations to come.

Love,
Maggie

It's A Boy!

Tasty treats all in a baby boy's honour

PETE!!!

Lots of lovely pressies!

Elizabeth and a baby play mat with Maureen looking on

Hello patient and faithful readers!
I can't believe it has been months since I have written and the only excuse I have to offer is that life has bends and twist and I have been on a twisting path finding it difficult sometimes to find home.
Where do I begin?
Summer - where did it go? So many things to discuss and so little space.
Planning a visit to the US and preparing for it took a lot of time. Applying for jobs and interviewing took more time. Then the day was here to head to America for a very special event!

My eldest daughter, Elizabeth, is expecting her first baby, our first grandchild! (Although, Jim and I have grandchildren already on his side of the family, this will be our first American grandchild)
Elizabeth is expecting a baby boy in late December or early January. Michael already has more clothing than I have not to mention a fully decorated room and toys and so much more, too.
They are quickly running out of space in their Brooklyn flat. It is all very exciting!

Elizabeth sent me a plane ticket so that I could join her, friends and family in Wilson, New York (just outside of Buffalo on Lake Ontario) at the home of a dear friend, Maureen, for a baby shower in her honour.

You know you are in Buffalo when you see things like this

Needmoore Farm was the setting and it was spectacular!
Maureen was the perfect hostess, planning and preparing everything, and also providing shelter for me during my stay with her.
She is so talented! She hand-made many bits and pieces of infant couture and also made a gorgeous baby quilt for Michael to coordinate with his little bedroom. Where would we be without her? Thank you, Maureen!

A beautiful basket filled with gifts of love from Maureen

Members of family and friends were all there with gorgeous gifts that included the necessities as well as some fabulous vintage-styled toys and some modern day ones, too.

Thank you to all who joined us on a gorgeous September day in an outstanding location. It was truly perfect seeing all of you again and having you share such a special day with us. Thank you for sharing and your generous gifts, too.

Following the shower we traveled back home to Brooklyn, driving a totally crammed car, filled with baby gifts! Elizabeth has it all worked out - she has driven the route so many times. It takes about 5 - 6 hours to travel by car from Lake Erie to Brooklyn across New York state. Probably about an hour of the journey is just getting through the New York City area.
But Elizabeth has driven the route so many times, she is expert! She knew just where the last stop on the Thruway is where you can load up on Tim Horton's coffee! She also knows how to fill all the cup holders so with many, many cups so that once home, you can still enjoy the coffee for a few days! Excellent!

While in the US we went to some sales in the NYC area to look for vintage things to bring back to the UK. I found some lovely items to treasure and sell. Watch this space for more about them!
And I also got to meet my new 'granddaughter' in the form of a Jack Russell mix.
Ya gotta love this dog!

Avery in the Prairie Dog pose

Upon my return to the UK, I had a happy discovery! I have been hired for a job that begins on November 1st. I am so happy to return to work after such a long sabbatical! Wish me luck!

The wait for news won't be this long again, I promise!
I will be visiting your blogs again, soon! I've missed reading all your entries.

xxx
Maggie

It's All About Katie

Yes, that's right, it is all about Katie today. Why you might ask and who the heck is Katie???
Katie is my beautiful daughter and today she is 24 years old. And I continue to be bewildered as to where the time has gone.

Okay so it's a bit cliche but it seems like only yesterday I was pushing her along in her buggy, or watching her tumble from room to room, or, play with her dolls, or dress the cat in doll clothes and hold him while he and she played Monopoly on the living room floor.
I remember fondly how she put herself to bed at night. Pleading to remain up just a bit longer was not her style; when she got tired, she took herself off to bed without a fuss. She was such a unique child and still remains so today as a fabulous young adult with her bright future all set out before her.

Katie's friend Mary and Katie

If you knew Katie, you would know that she has many fine qualities and so many things that interest her. And how she loves to talk! She is in the right field at university studying Media and Communication - she will go far as long as she keeps on talking!

Things Katie Loves
Click on the image to see it larger and see the many things Katie loves!

I can remember when she wanted to be a pediatrician. My I was so proud. She had decided that herself. I wasn't a parent who suggests career goals as my children's dreams to them or to other parents - oh no! I used to hate those parents who told you that their two-year-old child was going to be a doctor (or substitute any other well paid profession here please) when she grew up!
How on earth would they know that?
But my little Katie, at about the age of seven or so, decided she wanted to help make children well as her life's goal. Wow!

Now I was a struggling, worked-to-death teacher with no life of my own and I knew how hard it was to teach and how many personal hours were spent doing the planning and paper correcting, et all. So imagine my surprise when one fine day Katie announced she had changed her mind and was now going to be a teacher! Uh oh - what happened to the pediatrician???

But eventually she came round to her new career choice and announced to me - "I want to be famous." and as simple as that she was on her way to becoming just that. And again, if she only keeps chattering she will be famous one day. But for now, she is 'famous' to me. And I adore her.
As do all in our family and her many friends and all who get to know her.

She is a perfect daughter; a wonderful humanitarian and all-around good person. She gives of herself to others and makes people feel good about themselves. She has a fabulous sense of humour and a giving heart, though she hates to admit it - that would be too fluffy and over-the-top. We are proud of her accomplishments and her desire to do well at school and to be the best she can be.
Here's to you, baby Katie: Wishing you a fabulous birthday with many, many more to come.
Wishing you all the cake you can eat!
We love you, little Goo.

xxxooo

Mom and Jim

Katie and Jim on her birthday last year

Happy Halloween!

The air is crisp and there is a smell of pumpkins and candle wax in the air tonight.
I love Halloween!
In America, it is a night to go haunting your neighbourhood and visit neighbours you do not get to see every day.
As you walk with your little ones, who run haphazardly up sidewalks in order to be first to the door, you recall the times when you were young and the excitement you had doing the very same things your children are now experiencing. Ah, the memories!
As an older adult, we now see our grandchildren reliving those days as our grown-up children walk with them. And so it goes.

I can recall one Halloween night I was out alone with my younger brother. We were very young - maybe 9 and 11 years old, or younger. But in those days, parents allowed kids to go out alone - it was not unsafe. Some older kids grabbed my brother's treat bag and ran off with it. He stood there in shock not being able to say a word and then when he did, he simply let out a yowl and cried.
I insisted he remain right there and ran after the kids who took it. You know what they say about adrenalin in times of need? I cannot believe how fast I ran. It was like I had the wind behind my back. I caught up with the kids, and tore the sack from their hands and ran back to my brother who was still in the exact spot I had left him.
I marvel at how I had the courage to do that. The kids were older than us and much bigger. I think I surprised them, too, and they were caught off-guard and so hadn't the reaction time to do anything about it.
Tim and I headed back home after that. We had had enough excitement for one evening.

My first year in Birmingham, we had dozens of children come calling at our door and I was thrilled to see them. I had been led to expect not-too-much in the way of ghosts and goblins, being told this tradition was not as big in the UK as it is in America.
But last year and this year, we had only a handful of children calling out, "Trick or Treat" and I am wondering if the kids who were here the 1st year are now to old to come round, or if they have moved, or if parents are too afraid to allow them out with so much bad out there these days.
I do hope the tradition continues to live on. It is so much fun for the kids and so much fun for the adults, too.


Katie carved our pumpkin for us today and we made up treat pouches just like my mom made when we were little. I didn't have the same candies in them, but the meaning is the same; traditions carried on from mother to daughter, generation to generation.
Make your traditions memorable and all the best to you, too.

Boo!
Maggie

Busy as a Summer Bee!

Hello everyone!
Where has the time gone?
I have been remiss in not writing more but it seems the more I am doing the more I still have to do.
What is that old saying, "Ask a busy person to do something because she is the one who will get it done?" Or something like that. I am reminded, too, about goldfish growing in proportion to the size of theri bowl! The more complete in my tasks, the more there seems to be to still finish.

Sooooo here is the brief:
Katie left to spend the summer in America. It is a well deserved visit with family and friends, as well as to try to get some time in on a placement for an internship she needs to complete for university.
She took with her my hastily finsihed wedding invitations so that her sister woulf have them to mail out before July.
They turned out nicely and Elizabeth was pleased, so that is a job well done!


No sooner were th invitaiotn completed, then I was asked to work on revising and editing a manual for a new company my brother-in-law will be opening. Most of it is finished, but I still have more to do, and have been working on that feverishly so that they will have it in time for an upcoming audit.
I have been adding vintage items to my Etsy shop, EnglishPreserves, and when I can, I have been trying to add things to my handmade shop, SweetScarlett.
Recently, I had a request for a custom order, personalised, Wee Lucky Penny Book, from Julie, for her friends who just had a new baby girl.
I had a lot of fun making the book for her and the results are fab!
Here are some of the images . . .

The cover of the book

The end paper with the Queen Victoria Penny and the title page

The inside pages personalised with baby's name and unique message

The last page and end paper

There have been a few orders for custom printed business or calling cards, too, so that has been keeping me busy, too, and my printer gobbling up ink!
And finally, I have added a new design to my bookplates - it is from an illustration from a French nursery rhyme book from the 1920s - so sweet!

Let's face it, although the handmade shop is more rewarding, the vintage shop is where the sales are these days. So more of my time gets spent listing things in EnglishPreserves.

Which brings us nicely into an adventure my husband and I have had.
We attended our first local auction several weeks ago.
What fun!
We bought two boxes of vintage and antique linens and have been selling them on etsy and on ebay.
It is a lot of work - so much laundering and ironing - but allows me to keep a few for myself and sell the rest to get my money back, and it is so much fun to go to the auction, too!
I have no photos of any of them yet, but here are a few things to be found in EnglishPreserves, soon!

A darling little wooden box with carved lid

A fabulous little miniature teapot

My sister is slowly improving slowly - baby steps for her - and although her situation is quite serious, we are all thankful she is still here with us. And we thank all of YOU for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers for her. Bless you.

Until next time . . .
xxx
Maggie

PS - what books are you all reading? I am afraid to admit that Oliver Twist is still about 20 pages from the end!

Tell Someone You Love

My eldest sister is seriously ill from a stroke and is in hospital as I type this.

I am thousands of miles from her and all I can do for her right now is pray for a miracle.
Although I would love to be with her right now, even if I was there, there is little I could do for her or even for her family.

But oh, how I wish I had been able to be with her and other sisters and family members when they visited in Florida this past Easter. That would have meant so much to her then, and to me, now. Why did I not find the resources to be with her then?

So my message is clear: Don't wait; go see that person you love.
Visit an elderly relative who longs for company, yet, no one seems to have time to visit.
Call a dear friend you haven't spoken with in ages.
And most importantly, tell someone you love how much he or she means to you.
Tell her why she means so much and how much she has influenced you all of your life.
Tell him the difference he has made in your life.

And don't forget to tell anyone you love that you love them.

Jim, This One's For You

Jim and Maggie June 1, 2005

Jim came upstairs this morning carefully carrying cups of tea and plates of toasted bagels.
He had already been out, driving Katie to university at 8 am, fighting morning rush hour traffic, something he really hates. All the while I was luxuriating in bed, being allowed to sleep in late while he did was up and out of the house.
We sat in bed eating our breakfast and chatting about our history.

Jim and I were married four years ago today, after a whirlwind courtship, having 'met' on the Internet. Some of you know the story, but that is for a different post. This one is about Jim.

Jim and Maggie, December 2004

I like to think about the things we have done, places we have visited, new experiences we have shared. It has all been an amazing experience for both of us.
Scotland, Ireland, Canada, United States; planes, cars, and ferries; road trips on winding country lanes; one lane roads in Ireland and Scotland; beach views and cottage stays, it has all been a new world and like living in a fairy tale for me. And I know this is all the beginning. We have many more experiences to share together.

Jim is a fabulous man.

An exemplary father to his two sons and their families, as well as to my children, Jonathan, Elizabeth, and Katie.

Jim and Katie on her birthday last November

He is loving, caring, sincere, funny, and kind.
And he does the most loving things.

I was babysitting our little granddaughter, Hannah, recently, and the time was getting late.
Hannah was asleep, and I was working on some little books while she slept.
I had forgotten about the time, well past lunch time, but Jim hadn't.
Suddenly, I saw his car pull into the drive, and my sweet husband emerged with a familiar bag in his hand. He had arrived with luch from McDonalds for me.
He realized I hadn't brought a lunch with me and so he went out to buy me a surprise I hadn't had in ages!

Seeing his beautiful smile, and realizing he was so thoughtful and caring made me realize just how much I love him. Marriage isn't about the big things, it is the small, every day, thoughtful, caring things that matter most.
And every day we are together, I realize more and more, just how much this man means to me, and how much more I love him.

We have agreed to not exchange gifts this year. No cards, flowers, or dinner out, either.
We both agreed instead, to exchanging little notes.
Mine was waiting for me early this morning.
But I explained to Jim, that since we were married at 7pm EST, he would have to wait until midnight our time, before I would give him his note.
So this post will be waiting for him when he comes online in a bit. A wee surprise to let him know how much he means to me. And just how pleased I am being married to such a wonderful man. And how I want to share that with the world.

This one's for you my sweetheart.
I love you.

xxx
Maggie

Happy Easter!

The Easter Bunny arrived last night, bringing baskets to hide and jelly beans to scatter in baskets and candy dishes.


Jim and Kate had to search for theirs in the morning, (you are never too old to have a basket!) as did the grandchildren when they stopped by in the afternoon.
It was so much fun watching them all hunt for the little baskets filled with treats.


Libby found her basket first, and the look on little Ethan's face, was priceless!
He was so dismayed at not being able to find his!

Because Katie is here with us this Easter, we had no one to send us our Buffalo Easter treats of Niagara Candy chocolate rabbits, Merckens foil eggs, & Peeps. (also look at the peep show - it is unbelievable!)
But we did find some rather pleasant substitutes, so all was not lost.

Calls came in from our son in North Carolina and our daughter in Brooklyn, New York. It was so good t hear their voices.
We found out that Jonathan has found a new job, so we are pleased and happy for him and his girlfriend Stephanie, as they begin their lives together in a new city.
Our day was calm and easy-going, filled with family visits and laughter food and a bit of baking, too.

But my special Easter present actually came yesterday and during the week.

My sister sent us a lovely card, bringing some of the Florida sunshine with it.
And two dear friends sent us Easter greetings via snail mail, which were totally unexpected, and such a nice surprise.

Our friends, Maria and Frank, sent a fun Hoops and Yoyo card along with a gift. Their squeaky, high-pitched voices drive our Border Collie crazy, so there is an added element of fun for the dog, too!


And my dear blogging friend, Natalie Jo, sent me a darling kitty card with a special kitty fabric inside, too!
She said the card reminded her of me after she read the piece on Sugar Mice so she had to have it for me!
I am humbled by the generosity of others.
It is nice to think there are people out there who care so much about us and are thinking of us.
The true blessings of Easter are the friends and family we cherish and hold dear.

Blessing to you all,
Maggie

For the Love of . . . Peanut Butter!

Being an American, living in England, it is sometimes necessary to explain our love of the peanut and all of the derivatives thereof.
Trying to explain the joy of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on fresh, preferable squishy, white bread, gets to be quite the challenge! (Most Brits crinkle up their noses at the description.)
Not to mention the deliciousness of peanut butter cookies, and oh yes the all-time-favourite: the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.

Now here is the rub: you can buy Reeses PBC here on this fabulous island - you see them right there at the end of the counter as you wait in the queque in Morrisons, but sadly, they are not the same as those in the US. In fact, they are made in Canada, do not taste the same, and often are stale, probably sent via surface mail in a boat right up the Welland Canal, to the St. Lawrence Seaway, to the Atlantic Ocean!
Mind you - when you are deprived of them for ages, they will do in a pinch as a substitute, but nothing beats the joy of a tasty, fresh Reeses Peanut Butter Cup right from the good old USA.
And it gets even better at holiday time.

Each holiday brings with it the tasty cups in new and lovely shapes: the egg at Easter; the pumpkin at Halloween; the tree at Christmas. These are particularly good because the have more of the filling and less of the chocolate.
They come six to a pack and are gone in a flash!
Because once a bite is taken from them, you only want to have another and another!

Now here is the point of all of this: You know someone really loves you when they send you these special treats in the post all the way from America. Postage costs are astronomical and probably are more than three times the cost of the product, so it is true love when you find the postman at your door, first thing in the morning, holding a package that bears one thing and one thing only- the coveted Reeses Peanut Butter cup, in egg form, in a MULTIPACK of INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED eggs!
I have been away so long I didn't even know they were sold like this!!!
Complete with an Easter 'Cat' card, and creatively shipped in a cereal box, what more could someone want?
A huge 'THANK YOU' goes out to our son, Jonathan, and his girlfriend Stephanie, in North Carolina for thinking of us and treating us to such a wonderful tasty delight!
We love you and miss you!!!

It's Groundhog's Day!

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Don't you just LOVE this day? What could be better on a gloomy winter's day than to celebrate the passing of seasons with a furry little creature? In this case, a weather-predicting groundhog!

I love the folklore associated with this day, and would love to see its status elevated to that of a National Holiday, if anyone would just agree with me!
I know many of the enlightened readers of this space will be familiar with the movie, Groundhog's Day, with Bill Murray and Andie McDowell, but how many of them have actually gone to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for a personal visit with Phil the groundhog?

Many years ago, on a dark February night, I packed the van (people carrier) with blankets, pillows, snacks, and beverages, in preparation for the long journey from Buffalo, NY, to Punxsutawney, PA.
I didn't get much sleep that night, more due to excitement than anything else, and 'woke' at about midnight to ready the coffee and to wake my sleeping children.
They were allowed to remain in their pajamas during the long evening's ride, but had a change of clothing in the car, so they would be warm and properly dressed when we arrived at our destination.

Off we went on a road trip that took us driving around mountains in the dark while huge semi trucks passed us in a very scary way! There was no TomTom in those days so we were on our own with map-reading and sign-following.
Of course, the children were really small, and fell asleep quickly when we began the drive, so it was really me alone in the 'cockpit', saying a prayer that the roads ahead in Pennsylvania, would be kind to us.

After what seemed to take forever, we found ourselves in the usually sleepy little town, that was abuzz with the excitement of the day. Cars and people were everywhere and we soon found our way to a parking lot where we waited for a bus to take us up to Gobbler's Knob, the site where Punxsutawney Phil would be waiting to announce how much longer winter would last.
On the bus we were riding, the people who had come the furthest for the event, was a couple from Hawaii, followed by another from New England.
The ride was not that long, we were suddenly deposited in just about the coldest place on earth, aside from the Antarctic!

Yes, it was at the top of a barren hill without much in the way of trees, or anything else there, to protect us from the bitter wind. The few trees that were present, seemed to be full of partying college students, who had spent the night there waiting for the big event. I think only blood-filled with alcohol kept the from freezing to death!
We, with feet standing on solid ground, quickly discovered that the ground was frozen solid with ice, and it didn't take long for us all to be chilled to the bone.

But we had timed everything perfectly so it wasn't long before we saw our little furry friend in the 'flesh'. How fun it was to bear witness to Phil as he 'spoke' to his handler and then to hear his proclamation read aloud! My children were in awe and if I am honest, so was I.
It was so pure and simple and fun.

We remained behind as the crowds began leaving, even though we were frozen almost as solid as the ice beneath our feet, and waited patiently for our turn to give Phil a bit of love.
We were allowed to go right up to the stage and pet Phil while his handler held on tightly to him.
He never even gave a nip - he was that gentle.

We made our way back to our shuttle bus, and then back to town, where we enjoyed a late breakfast in a small diner in town. We left the diner's bakery, with a dozen or so cut-out butter cookies, featuring none other than our hero, Phil. He was quite attentive in a standing position, covered in frosting, and seemingly not minding a bit. Of course, we had to also purchase a cookie cutter, too, in order to make more for those years when we would not be able to return to Punxsutawney, but needed a bit of a reminder of our fun day there with Phil.

And tonight, my son called me from North Carolina, to wish me a Happy Groundhog's Day.

His call reminded me that the special moments we create with our children are held close to their hearts, no matter how old they grow to be.

Back to My Roots

Guidance counselors expected you to make life altering decisions when you were a mere 14 years old. And, I was just ambitious enough, that I thought I was up to the challenge.

With the entrance examinations passed, I had been accepted, enrolled, and my first tuition deposit paid, to a private, Catholic, all-girls high school.
I thought it was what was expected of me and what I wanted, but then . . .

The lure of being one of the first girls accepted into a previously all-boys school, that had, as a major, Graphic Arts and Photography, was just too much to pass by.
And therein the first fork in the road appeared, taking me on a journey I might otherwise have missed.

For one thing, had I attended Nardin Academy, I would never have met my husband-to-be.
And although the outcome, many years later, was divorce, I wouldn't, today, have my three beautiful children if not for that very first fork in the path of my life.

My decision to attend public school, with boys, photography, and art, instead of private school with girls, church, and nuns, was a good one.

The things I learned at McKinley High School have remained part of me, and have kept me in good stead throughout the intervening years.
The many elements of graphic art and photography have woven their threads into the very fabric of who I am.

A teacher there once said something like: ' as you travel through life, you might think you have left art behind, but you will always come back to it because you love it and it is part of you.'
How right he was!

I have worked as both an amateur and a professional portrait photographer; my home makeovers have allowed me to rekindle all sorts of elements of design; when I had my classroom, I used art to motivate little ones using fabric, paint, and photography to ensure quality outcomes for their work; with the introduction of computers in the classroom, new vistas were found to expand on the traditional, classroom-contained lessons, allowing for publishing to a global audience, that included web design for on-line college applications.

I developed a course for teachers to help them make better use of the websites they had, drawing on information I learned in high school, about print advertising.

And here I am today, in the 21st century, exploring the uses of electronic means for manipulating art that might be 100 years old!
And creating new things from old and offering them to the world.

But this past week, a little bit of my roots came haunting me.
Lessons from the past, the lure of the finished portrait, and the desire to create - to make a beautiful image that will last for a lifetime, all came together to draw me out and away to photograph our granddaughter, Hannah.

And here she is.

Let's Catch Up!

The New Year has arrived and, already, I am behind in just about everything!
It is officially the 13th, although at this writing it is just a bit past midnight.
Due to the holidays followed in quick succession by a myriad of birthdays and then illnesses followed by and during a surprise visit from my daughter, nothing I had planned to have done by now is finished and I have such a backlog of projects and work, I don't even know where to begin!

Laundry is piling up; ironing can no longer fit on the back of the door; sewing projects are mere memories; and cleaning up my blog and writing more must have been something I dreamed when I was so ill with fever!

So where do I begin?
I wanted to post some holiday photos and show some of my decorations and baking but that was before the bad virus set in and took hold of my body. Seriously, it was as if aliens had arrived and taken control. It is the 13th and I still am fighting it, but at least I can sit at the computer for longer periods of time without getting dizzy or feeling a desperate need for sleep.

My best intentions for today went awry . . . and again, it was a day spent taking it easy and also a bit of caring for my husband who has now contracted the same evil virus I have been fighting.

But the glimmers of good are always with me, too, no matter what my physical condition:
Good friends have honoured and helped me with things related to Etsy; I have made some new Etsty friends; and . . .

My birthday arrived with a huge surprise: my daughter and her boyfriend arrived for a surprise visit from New York City! everyone had kept it on the QT and so I was truly surprised when she appeared in my hallway!
I don't think I have ever been so shocked and surprised nor have I ever been given such a special gift.

My dear husband took all of us to dinner in a gorgeous historical restaurant, and we were wined and dined in good company with lots of love between us.

It was a fabulous day with only a bit of sadness in the knowledge that the pair of young ones would be heading back to New York on Monday. A visit all too short but even more meaningful because of it.

Tonight, they are safely back in New York City, the events of the last few days still fresh in their memories as they are with me, too.

So amid the bugs that bite us, are the gardens of memories, and the wisdom to know what is meaningful and what is not.

Keep what means the most close, and let the rest flutter in the wind.

New Beginnings

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
Semisonic, Closing Time

So here we stand at the precipice of a New Year; our feet, firmly on the line of no return, looking at our past right into the eyes of an unknown future. And it is good.

We stood here last year, too. (And with a bit of luck, this same spot will be waiting for us in another 365 days.)
But where have our steps taken us?
Where have we walked and what have we seen?
Have we learned anything worth knowing in 2008?

Thinking back on our mistakes of 2007 and looking forward to rectifying them in 2008, did we really become better or different people this past year?
I wonder. . . aren't we, for the most part, creatures of habit making the same mistakes over and over again?
Or perhaps, 'mistake' is a bit harsh for what it really is: indecision or postponing or procrastinating?
Most every year, for some of my New Year resolutions, I pledge to:

• find a 'real' job
• begin a diet and really, really, lose weight this year
• get organized
• tidy up the ever-growing pile of paperwork
• start projects EARLY so they really do get done in time to give as gifts for Christmas next year
• sew more
• volunteer
• complete home decor projects
• write real letters to friends I love and miss

And, for the most part, I do give it a go. I try.
Little bits here and there do get done, but, there is no permanence about it.
I am still human and flawed.
I still have the same personality and character 'flaws' that make me, me.
And even though I am, by nature, an organized person, why oh why can I not find things I know I have and have put 'somewhere safe' ???

Looking back on 2008, I made some strides in my ever-revolving list of New Year's resolutions, but I am still a work in progress.
And I like thinking about Anne of Green Gables when she said,
"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

So this evening, instead of thinking about all you have missed out on accomplishing in 2008, why not focus on how much you will enjoy 2009; how much you will accomplish and achieve, living and loving, in a fresh new year, with no mistakes in it yet.

Happy New Year!
xxx
Maggie