With Gratitude - Thankful Round 2!

 It has been another Thanksgiving come and now gone, and though I was relatively healthy for this one -  we still chose to stay home and skip all the driving, bring dishes here and there, and going to loud places- it always feels so chaotic!  I did however, find ways to be thankful and to have peace while remembering that I love to cook, bake and definitely love to eat the good food! 

This was our Thanksgiving dinner - low pressure Mac n Cheese, Corn Pudding and some New Yorks that needed to be used.  The Hubby got to try a new meat rub he made up, and the corn pudding/casserole is as close to his mothers recipe as we have been able to make!  I am thankful we have her recipes to go through (at least some of them), and that we can try to remember some of her favorites too.  I am thankful that Reed and Keyona were ok with us having a quiet day and that they were able to enjoy the day with her mom and family.  One of my hardest things is to try to juggle the Holidays without melting into a heap, or trying to live up to the expectations in my head, and trying to balance loving the here and the "there".  I am thankful for the kids here and their grace, and their love.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year - I had a successful hip replacement that has taken the pain level down by 1000%.  For the past few years I have been in pain 100% of the time, and doing anything very strenuous was out of the question.  Being in that level of pain is exhausting and I didn't even realize how much until it ws gone!  Over the summer it all came to a head and I was hardly able to walk, much less do yard work or greenhouse things!  Hence the very reduced garden posts!  I should be healed enough to do some (or most) of it next spring and I can't wait!

These guys did some trimming this fall of some of the trees and berry bushes in the yard and I shudder to think what they will look like by next spring, but Im also thankful to see these Moose in the yard as there has been a sore lack of them  this year!  The winters have been hard!

Ike really would love to go and play with the little guys!  He doesn't realize they are 10 times even his size (he weighs 150 pounds now)!

I made a new sourdough recipe that the school nurse gave to me and it is delicious!  It uses Sourdough Discard so theres really no waiting, except I do recommend that you let your discard warm up before making because otherwise it takes forever for the rolls to rise! You can get the recipe here.

Sourdough is really not as hard as it is made outto be - it is a little bit time consuming, and takes some planning ahead but its really a worthwhile endeavor!  More on that later - future blog coming about all things sourdough!  I am thankful that I have a fantastic Sourdough starter and friends who share great recipes! My Mom and my Daughter in Love are both into it even - they are both kitchen Goddesses, which I am also thankful for!

We all went to Moms for a game day for Black Friday and that was really fun!  Pictionary is always a fan favorite, and I am thankful that I was on an artsy team and we won.  I still get worn out fairly easily since the hip surgery so I have to pace myself.  I did do some shopping at one of my favorite places - I don't usually Black Friday Shop but Spunky Monkey is so much fun and I have lots of friends with spaces there - its a co-op sort of store with lots of vendors under one roof!  And there's coffee - not "home coffee" either - its the good stuff!   I'm thankful for good coffee and tea! 

Check them out here - Spunky Monkey- you can shop online too!  I got some Christmas things that I can show you later - after they have been gifted!  My girl from the Spooky Bling Blog - Wanderlust Gems - has space at Spunky Monkey too!  And so does my Cousins Daughter - Dash of Ash! She makes amazing things too!  I am thankful that I have a local shopping spot to get some fo my gift items for people on my list and that they are so friendly!

I am still missing my Rye and Granny for the Holidays, and it has not gotten easier but I am finding ways to navigate the days and not fall so hard down the dark holes of grief.  Writing still helps, and quilting still helps, and hanging with the Reed and Key helps too.  We march some more! Thankfully!

I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that our Holidays will be too.

Be Thankful and Blessed Be!

A Halloween Dog Experience!

 I love Halloween!  Its the favorite here over all of the holidays!  All the spookiness, the Halloween Bling (and the candy), and all the joyous, costumed kids (and grown kids) enjoying it!

This year for the Pumpkin - I grabbed some cookie cutters - namely a fish and a star and used those as the guide to help me carve the pumpkin!  It worked amazingly well!

I am one of those people who, without guidance, will totally destroy the eyes and the mouth of any pumpkin face - always just a knifecut too far!

I was thrilled with the outcome this time - and the fish are a fun homage to my kid who was a fisher of men and a fishing guide for a bit!

Ike thinks that a bite of pumpkin might be a great thing!  He dont care that theres fire in there!  We have to do the pumpkin thing for me - not because we get any trick or treaters - which we dont!  We live down a long dirt road, and then a long dark driveway, and we arent event the spookiest house on the street!  

We are also right in the middle of a snowstorm that dropped about 6" of new snow on us today - after we had school cancelled on Tuesday because we got 13" of snow!  Ain't nobody wanna try to drive out here today!  It's all good though!  I have Ike the excited about the pumpkin Dog!

Brix on the other hand is not so sure about the whole thing!  He might like a toasted pumpkin seed but keep that orange ball of weird flaming pumpkin away from him! He does love the pumpkin dog treats that I make with the guts and the "pumpkin leavings" though.  Those are his favorites!

You can get the recipe for my special dog treats HERE!

I hope that Halloween is more treat than trick, and that you have lots of everything you need to make it joyous - including your furry friends!

Blessed and spooky BE!

A little Spooky Bling to make your day!

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday!  Christmas is fantastic but Halloween allows us to be exactly who we want to be - no matter if we are feeling spooky, chilly, super, or villianous!  I can't always dress up in a costume at my work however, so sometimes the next best thing is the accessories!

I had hip replacement surgery recently and it as been really hard to get literally - back on my feet!  My creativity has taken abit of a dive, somewhat because im tired since they cut me leg off and reattached it, and partly because doing anything for any time at all wears me out and makes it ache!  So Im using some friend sources to get my Spooky Mojo going at the very least!

A few years ago I had the great fun of ordering some super cool jewelry from my friend Brooke,  a young artist who had been friends with Rye and who is now a friend of Reeds - her husband atually works with him!

Broomsticks earrings that came in an awesome coffin box!  

I also got some hanging bat earrings....

and they all fit in the coffin box for storage when I want to put them away for a minute!

Sporting the cool broomsticks earrings!  When this picture was taken I only had one set of earring holes open.  When I had one of the surgeries I had to take out all my earrings and I didnt get them back in before the other holes healed up.  I will be able to wear multiple pairs this year as I have been working on getting the holes back open and healed again since my hip surgery!

As if that wasnt enough - I have these amazing Ravens with black stone hearts and the silver moons with beautiful pink quartz hanging in the centers!  The creativity of all of these designs is really amazing!  I also have a wonderful cauldron necklace as well but the pictures of it are not available in my darn cloud for some reason!  Ill update when I can find those again!

The gifts come delivered (to me at least) in these super cool gift bags!  I live close enough and know the artist that I sometimes get "special delivery".  You can check out her newest designs here at her Etsy store WanderlustGemsAK or on her facebook page Wanderlust here!  She has new stuff all the time - I covet most of it greatly! 

 

And then there is this..... you know I can't be all the way out of the hockey world, even though I am mostly out now that our lives have taken a different direction and since I had a hip replace and can't go far at a time right now!  All my hockey moms know what this means! Also, since its a hockey shirt - its not breaking any Spooky rules! Brooke did not make the shirt but everything else you see on this blog is her creations! Check her out!

I hope you have wonderful friends to help you celebrate your favorite holidays in a way that works for you (and your bosses), and that you have creative friends to help you get through times when you might not be feeling the create from the Universe!

Stay tuned for a spooky gift blog coming up later this week - Goddess willing and the hip don't hurt!

That Gently Urgent Reminder - Love Your People! The Eighth Year.

 Some of you may have heard that I had a total hip replacement a couple weeks back.  Hence another long distance between posts.  I wasn't able to sit up well and do any of the things!   I did it on the Angelversary of Rye.  I thought it would be the perfect day for me to be knocked the "f" out for the day.  I talked (sort of) with the hubby and he ws as ok with it as we get for anyting on that day and I m pretty sure Rye didn't mind.  It is self care after all.

Getting in the car after surgery.  Went home day one! 

Feet up and stockings on!  Had to wear them for two weeks and no showers - only sponge baths!  I was so glad to get those off!  It seems that I had an allergic reaction to the adhesive used to put me back together and the best thing that I coulld use for a while was "paper tape" and guaze bandages which were also not really my friend right now.

This is a small sample of the blistering rash like issue I had!  SO healing has taken longer than I expected and by also not being able to lift anything right now - I have been relagated to binge watching and book reading - doesnt break my heart a lot.....unless I have too much time to think about ALL the things!

Hubby washed my hair for me!  A few times!

I have had lots of folks check in, bring food, visit and loan me items to use while I heal - at least from the leg.

Brix and Ike are less then impressed with this new blockage in their way of getting what they want and getting under my desk as close as possible!  They also are not impressed about beinglocked out of the bedroom - but I cant have them flopping on the broken leg all night when I cant move good!  They're getting used to it!

This was our 8th Angelversary and although Ike never knew you, I feel like Brix knows and remembers with us!  Being knocked the "f" out only put off the inevetible of remembering and grieving and some smiling this year.  Your Brother got married and has had his one month anniversary already!

Not my photo - wedding friends photo of the happy couple!  Beautiful!

We have moved a little forward with it now it seems, and we can talk a little more about you and memories of you.  The surgery day was not a "hard greif" day but it was only a small respite for all the rest of the days.  

There are still what I call "memory bomb" days where we are bombarded by memories and big, huge feelings, and emotions and ...... ALL the things.

Hockey speech you made - I think 2011.  What I wouldnt give for a recording of that - my only voice recording of you is you saying "Yeah!  YEr and A**hole!"  It does make me smile and laugh though too!

Today is also 9/11 - that terrible anniversary that also brings up a plethora of memories, memorials, and emotions from all over the world really as people make remembrance of the lives lost there.  I am lost in emotion myself because although I did not lose anyone in that disaster, I am reminded all day to remember the losses - you are included - my biggest loss.

We will march on into the 9th year - we already have.  We will remember ALL the things and we cherish the memories.  We will find a way forward and still keep you close.

I hope you have people to help you get through whatever life throws at you!

Today is only only one day.... tomorrow will be another... and on every day I hope you Love Your People no matter where they are in the Universe!

Blessed Be!