Davey~

I love having brothers!!
Three big brothers who are each so precious in their own amazing, unique ways.  David and I have always had a special kinship and it has grown more precious as the years go by. We talk all the time, even if it's just for a minute to say hi. And he sends me the sweetest little thoughts and smiles. Today it was a picture saying " The Dogwoods are blooming" 

A few weeks back it was of a rainbow that he saw and thought that I would love too!And this one he sent of the trees changing colors....


But my favorite has to be the picture of the  lunch he pulled together with the leftovers in the fridge! My mom was famous for those!! When Dave spoke at her funeral, he shared how he was really going to miss the four course meals my mom could pull together from the trunk of her car!  And he was right. She could take a bunch of random stuff and make a fun picnic out of it. Bro, I say it all the time and I think its true for you too.....
We have become our Mother

David, You make me smile and I LOVE how you are always thinking of your sister.Even though we are separated by way too many miles I love being a part of your everyday life. You bring me more joy than you will ever know.....

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For the first time in quite a while, I have blogger block ! Life feels kinda boring  lately and  there just isn't much to report. So  I will share a few things and try my darndest to make them seem exciting
But...
We all know better...

My book club met  Wednesday night which was a perfect way to end my first day back at work.We met at a new authentic "New York Style" deli here in town and the food was terrific. Even before the lemonade and 1/2 sandwich hit my tummy I was well on my way to feeling better from the giggles and great conversation. I totally understand why Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine  met everyday to re-hash the day because you feel so much better after a little time with good friends. But just to make sure we left feeling extra terrific we split an eclair 5 ways! Ahhhhmazing !

And Oh yes the book!
We all LOVED "The Help" and everyone gave it 5 stars ! Such a easy read with really likable characters.Great story!
{ my dear friend Casey who loves to spill the beans will probably reveal this in a comment so I better beat her to the punch. The lemonade may have been a 'cocktail lemonade' spiked with a tad of alcohol. But my knee was pretty swollen, and it was my first day back. So it was purely medicinal }

Thia Mary called me Monday morning and said she was bored so she came up from the desert for lunch! We had the BEST time. She ran a couple errands with me and then we went out for fish. We ended up sitting there for two hours and had the BEST time. She is hilarious and I sometimes forget she is 82. Although she did have a few numbers taped to the outside of her phone and when I asked why, she said she ran out of speed dials and she liked to keep the numbers handy? So I asked if she knew she had a phone book in her phone?
"well no, I thought I could just keep those ten in there "
So I put in all the numbers for our family and she was thrilled!  Then I told her she had to re- record her greeting because you hear her say at the end " Peter wheres the pound ? I am supposed to push the pound key"  She had never listened to it so we called her number and I thought she was going to pee her pants when she heard herself!   So we got her all fixed up and who knows next time she may learn to text!
{I think we all forget that the world is changing so fast and seniors  don't always know how to keep up. I felt kinda sad when she said the boy at Verizon got frustrated with her so she didn't want to ask too many questions}

I also had a super fun bunco at Jackie's and all us girls were there! Sometimes one or more of us is missing so it was extra special because everyone came! It's always such a special time with such precious family  friends! And of course Jackie did a great job hosting! She made the BEST Paula Deen Coleslaw that we all loved! So I am going to make it for Easter! Super fresh and oh so delish

I wish you all a great week filled with love and giggles.
And time to reflect on the profound meaning of Easter!
"The stones been moved away and His body isn't there"    

Thats Happy ~

Something about this picture makes me smile every time I see it ~ 

And my wish for you,is that part of your day is spent in the company of a good friend! 

And lots and lots of giggles! 

Bragging Rights...

The closest thing to my heart is my family and nothing makes me happier than seeing them being  blessed!
I am so proud and happy to share such great news!
So indulge me a bit and share our joy!

First go over to Carter and Cook {click on colored text for link} and peek at what my darling, talented, and oh so creative daughter in law has been doing.  Ashlyn amazes me with everything  she does at both of her jobs, all the while taking such good care of her home and adorable hubby. I often wonder how she finds the time to be so creative, but it comes naturally for her. And it  sure shows in all the weddings she has pulled off beautifully ! They  were recently featured in their first bridal magazine and we are so proud of her!  Their business is booming and getting such great press.  Good job girls !
We are cheering for you with all our hearts.......

Our other amazing news is about my brother Dave,sis Sandy and the gang at "Our Thrift Store"  They were featured on the local Nashville news station about their work with the thrift store and the special needs kids they provide jobs for! They are  so humble and would never want to draw attention to themselves, but they LOVE getting the word out about the store because that means more jobs for more kids! They were recently blessed with a HUGE donation from Wyndham Hotels! Poor Dave has been exhausted the last few times I spoke to him because of all the extra work loading and unloading the trucks. But he never complains and you can hear the pure joy in his voice as he talks about the blessing it is for the kids! Promise me if you are ever in Franklin,Tenn you will go by and see what Gods doing! You will leave forever changed !
{and seriously have you ever seen a cleaner, more organized thrift store? They are so devoted and  work so hard!  }

God is good and I am  giddy as I see such blessings poured upon such deserving people! 

I won I won!

A while back while "Googleing"  "how to change your blog layout"  I stumbled upon a really fun new blog! She has the BEST tutorial on how to add photos and change your layout. So after my successful blog makeover using all her tips, I bookmarked her site and have been going back ever since. It is such a uplifting and fun blog and I learn something every time I visit. She had a little give away last week and I won! I was so excited to hear the news. She has a darling Etsy shop with banners and homemade lovelies. She gave away two of her cute key chains and I won one! You know how much I LOVE mail  so I am super excited to get this one. If you have time visit her blog {click on the colored word} and say hello!  It's kinda fun to have a new blog friend...
Thank you Christy for visiting my blog and for the darling gift!   In the words of my Momma "What a fun serendipity" !

Today...

Outside my Window…it is crisp and clear! Yesterday was one of the most beautiful days EVER! So I am hoping for more of the same today! 

I am thinking…This is my last week off before returning to work! Crunch time to finish up some projects! I have three bags going to the Good Will today and hope to gather even more!

I am thankful for…SO much ! Chads safe return, Travis had a BLAST with his work guys at a four day ski getaway and came home safely!  My honey Steve, my sweet pup laying at my feet, my geraniums blooming like crazy, and always thankful for
Gods amazing grace~  

From the kitchen…Not much going to happen in there today.I did clean out the pantry, fridge and freezer and loaded Chad up with lots of food when he left yesterday! So I am going to grocery shop and maybe make chicken stir fry for dinner. We are hooked on the stir fry packages of veggies! So easy and so good! 

I am wearing…Still in jammies but am showered and ready to go.

I am reading…" The Help" and loving it! I heard it is going to become a movie so now I am trying to figure out who should play the leading roles.

I am hoping…I can stand on my feet for 8 hours without my knee swelling up! I have started walking everyday and it's slowly getting easier. I am amazed how long it has taken me to heal from such a freak accident.

I am creating…Cute online invites for Easter Sunday! I know the Greeks are all coming but like to send a little invite. Pingg  has some really cute ones and they are free! 

I am hearing…my new clock in the laundry room. I found it at Homegoods and love it! It runs on one little battery but has the sweetest little tick tock sound.

Around the house…I bought the cutest jar for my laundry room and filled it with powder soap. I have an antique scoop so I laid it near it. I got some cute new hooks at Ikea and Steve hung them this weekend. One in the laundry and one in the kitchen for my aprons. I love to putzy and add new touches to my house.Adds a fresh touch without spending a lot of money.

One of my favorite things…MiMi's Cafe for breakfast! I went last week with the book babes for Nancy's birthday and then again Friday with Chad. I love starting my day with good coffee and conversation! It's so homey in there with fresh flowers and checkered tablecloths. If you ever want to meet for breakfast call me!

Well that's what is going on in my corner of the world today! How about you? I would LOVE to hear!          
Hope your day is filled with love and giggles!

A look back..

When I drove to LA to pick up Chad from the airport I arrived in the area about 2 hours early { just a bit excited to see my boy } So I decided to cruise around our old neighborhood! It was such a bitter sweet time. I was so thankful that the Lord laid it on our hearts to leave our life there and move to a small town to raise the kids.We literally left jobs, friends, and church to move to an area 2 hours away that we had visited once! But it was clearly the hand of God because we knew it was the right thing before the kids started school.  The area has changed so much and kinda felt like a concrete maze. I drove down the street where we bought our first home and where the boys were babies. It's still such a beautiful tree lined street and I remembered walking up and down countless times with the boys in their double stroller. It always smelled so good and was cool and homey.We were nervous first time buyers with a mortgage that seemed daunting and less than a month after signing on the dotted line we found out Chad was on the way.  But God in His goodness always took such good care of us and made it all somehow work. Travis's first birthday was in the backyard combined with our housewarming party.

On the corner leaving the housing tract  there was a convalescent home and we used to walk by and I would lift the boys up to wave at the people inside.They always smiled and waved back.This trip I was so tempted to pull over and wave again. My Daddy would stop over to see the kids on his way home and my mom came for coffee most mornings while we were starting our day. So many memories for sure...
I loved our first house and felt so blessed to have it! It was yellow then but still looks the same.



That front window is where the boys would stand and watch the trash trucks come by and get excited when they saw Steve's truck pull in. The Catholic family next door had 8 kids when we moved in and when we left they had 12! They still live there so I had to fight the curiosity to knock and see what the total count was!  
 It was fun to cruise around, swept up in such great memories. But all the while so thankful that after picking up Chad we were headed back to our T-Town  HOME. Memories are so precious and I'm so thankful to have been able to revisit such sweet  ones for an afternoon!

Good Morning~

My new breakfast addiction!

 I have been loving this new treat  
Berries with non-fat, plain Greek yogurt!
The sweetness of the berries mixed with the tartness of the yogurt is divine. And if you drizzle just a tiny bit of honey on top....ahhhmazing.  If you don't have fresh berries Trader Joes has wonderful frozen ones that I just defrost overnight. But the fresh ones have been really sweet and always available. You can even sprinkle a few sliced almonds on top for crunch!
How about you? How do you start your day?

Sunday Six...Moments for which I am grateful

This has been a wonderful week filled with thankfulness and fun!

1- Ashlyn and Travis hosted a brunch with all her family and invited us down too. It was so great to see her sweet sisters, folks, grandparents and family. She of course did a beautiful job with yummy french toast casserole,home made whipped cream and berries,potatoes, fresh fruit and bacon.  Fresh flowers ,cocoa and coffee made it all feel extra special. That girl has such a knack for entertaining and makes it all seem so easy. {unlike me who gets moments of pure frantic before the Greeks come } I drove away again thanking God that Travis has such a sweet life and a precious wife!  { and can you see the pure joy on my face of just being with my boy! I love this kid }

2- My dear friend Marcia flew into California from Boston unexpectedly and she stopped by  with two of her four kids for a great visit. But it was not near enough time. So we made plans to meet for lunch the next day and spent another two hours getting caught up! And of course even that was not enough time. It is so fun to have friends who you can truly pick up where you left off. I miss her being my neighbor so much, but am so thankful she is living one of her dreams to be in Boston. Her kids are grown and she and her sweet hubby are having a blast living in a cottage by a lake. I only wish I was next door! Here she is with her youngest Whitney { who in my heart is one of mine too }

3- I went to see the Bonnie Hunt show again! I know its a problem...I cant even tell you how many times we have gone now. But I just adore her so much! She is the most genuine person.She shakes everyone's hand and thanks them for coming ! She is the real  deal and I still think we could be the best of friends! And being able to spend the day with the book babes is always such a blast! Her show goes off in May  so I am hoping to go at least one more time. I am really going to miss her and her fabulous staff!

4- Chad will be home this week !! Yippee
He has had the time of his life and I can hardly wait to hear all the stories! And he tells the BEST stories. He got the "Greek" side there and can tell them with so much enthusiasm and detail.So it makes you feel like you were there. I am going to probably be sitting a the airport gate just waiting to wrap my arms around him. And then be grateful for the two hour drive home to get caught up! But I am thinking from the photos we might stop off for a hair cut on the way! Only three more sleeps!!!!  

5-My Dr put me on cortisone pills and I think they are really working! My knee feels the best it has been and I am praying it is not a temporary fix. I have decided to go back to work in two weeks whether it is better or not. He seemed a little surprised that I didn't want another follow up appointment but I got to get back to real life. So I am going to spend the next two weeks doing all the things I have wanted to but simply couldn't.Crazy but I am actually a little excited!

6- The kids on my block LOVE Brody and they have been coming by to take him on little walks. It only costs two quarters and five pieces of candy from my jar. What a bargain!  {Although there are usually 5 of them and only one holds the leash } But what I love most is hearing the door bell and opening it up to see such precious smiles. And he gets sooo excited to see his friends. I will have to snap a pic to share so you can see how stinkin cute it is. I think if older folks could have little visitors everyday it would do wonders for their heart. It sure does mine!

Wishing you love and giggles this week! And time to stop and think of all that we have to be grateful for! Sappy yes but sometimes in this crazy world a little sap is good.
Hugs Karen

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A simple reminder.......

I  can always feel the Lord taking such good care of us in our everyday lives. We are not rich but we sure have all we need. He has really helped me to be frugal and I have not used a credit card  in over a year! { can I get a whoop whoop } But,Sometimes its pretty tempting. We are remodeling our guest bathroom and really want to stay on a budget for it.  I go into home stores and  drool over top of the line cabinets and plumbing, but after a few minutes I really am just as happy with simpler ones. I don't need a thousand dollar toilet and being so darn practical I probably  wouldn't enjoy it even if I was rich.  
And God is so sweet to us!
I went to the Habitat for Humanity store in our town to look at what they had and as I turned around to leave I saw just the cabinet I wanted...

{the photo doesn't do it justice, it has darling little ball legs that lift it higher off the floor and the other sink is packed up inside}  It is the perfect size for our room and it was 500 dollars!! They only had one and she said it had just come in a couple days before!!  I took a picture real quick, sent it  to Steve and he liked it,so we put a SOLD sign on it right on the spot! It's perfect for our little shabby chic-cottage guest bath. "What a coincidence" some may say, but we always know " Its a God thing"  And I instantly said "Thank You"  My house is not fancy or professionally decorated but it is homey and cozy!  When I come downstairs and see the light pouring through the windows, see all my fun little flea market and Homegoods treasures,admire all Steve's moldings and the love he has poured into our house.  I smile and think "Home Sweet Home Indeed" and realize once again
I  have everything I need!

Dream a little dream with me....

I finally figured out what I want to do when I grow up! I have often thought about my "dream" job . When the kids were little I was so grateful for my part time job which allowed me to be home so much with them. But 30 years later  I am still there. It became the job that was too good to leave and after so much time in how do you walk away? These are the thoughts that go around in my head. But after seeing this picture I called Steve into the office and said  
" Can I have one" 

How fun would this be!! I could bake all the wonderful cupcakes and wear a cute new apron everyday! And if mine was on wheels I could even travel with it and visit construction sites and court houses. Everyone would love a cupcake in the middle of their day! I  know its a silly dream, but I used to dream when I was little girl of having a pink Ice Cream Truck so things never really changed!  So if one day you hear a loud air horn outside your door and see the light reflecting off the sliver .....
Come on out ! It might be ME
            What ever shall I call it?   " Buttercream"   "Carters    Cupcakes"   "Piece a Cake"....