Gifts of Love

I received two very special gifts for Christmas.

Both of which filled my eyes with tears...

one was a picture frame necklace with

a picture of my youngest son...Blake...

when he was very young...

It is one of my favorite pictures of him...sigh

The other was a poem my parent's found and

put it in a frame with pictures

of Blake with our family...

My son Blake is a special needs child

who has cerebral palsy.

Blake was born 3 months early...

he weighed 1lb 3oz...

he is the heart and soul of our family,

our greatest inspiration and

 a true gift.

This is the poem...

Heaven's Very Special Child

A meeting was held quite far away from Earth.

It was time again for another birth.

Said the Angels to the Lord above...
"This child will need much love.

His progress may be very slow.

Accomplishments he may not show.

And he'll require extra care from

the folks he meets down there.

He may not run or laugh or play,

His thoughts may seem quite far away.

So many times he will be labeled

different,helpless and disabled.

So let's be careful where he's sent,

we will want his life to be content.

Please Lord, find the parents who

will do a special job for you.

They will not realize right away the

leading role they are asked to play.

But with this child sent from above

comes stronger faith and richer love,

And soon they'll know the privilege given

in caring for their gift from heaven.

Their precious charge, so meek and mild

is heaven's very special child.

Oh...couldn't even type that without crying...

I am so grateful for all of the

extraordinary people in my life...

my family, my friends and my blog friends.

I am the luckiest girl alive!

My Wish For You

As Christmas approaches...

I remember all those I love

that have gone on to heaven...

I reminisce about Christmas' past with

my children when they were young

and I even think about my own childhood

and all of the lovely memories I have.

I wait in joyful anticipation as I will

be surrounded by my family

during this wondrous time of year.

And I will enjoy the blessings that

I have been given.

I also think about the birth of our savior...

who was sent to save us all.

My wish for you is simple and sincere...

may God surround you with his love

and may his peace be with you

this Christmas and all through the year.

From my heart to yours...

Merry Christmas!

Makin' A List

Oh...did I ever tell you how much I love

to cook and bake....well I do...very very much so.

I love food...and it loves me back just a

little too much...my middle section is proof.

I would rather have a brand new cookbook,

kitchen gadget, pot, pan or bake ware over

anything else...even jewelry! Yes...I know...

it may be hard to believe but it is true!

One of my favorite sites for online shopping is 

 Sur la table  

It is a cook/baker's dream!  

Here are a few things that caught my eye today...

Crown Porcelain Platter

Chef Hat Ramekin for Souffles.

Eiffel Tower Cookie Cutter

Spanish Paella Pan

And my biggest pick... this wood fire oven.

Well..I'm definately ordering the cookie cutter and

the chef hat ramekins for now...

the rest...I'll put them on a  list for another time.

Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays

Christmas Is Coming

Finally....I finally have some Christmas decorations up...

I'm not done by any means but...

at least it looks like Christmas is coming

to the "Z" House!

I still have some craft projects to do to fill in

the tree with as well as some other areas
that need a little something...

And I ran out of  lights...some of them didn't work...
Sound familiar?

It's amazing what some greenery, lights and shiny stuff...

can do to make your spirits bright...

Merry Thoughts and Glad Tidings to You!

Childhood Christmas Memories

I have many vivid Christmas memories from

my childhood...from my Dad dressing up as Santa

to my siblings and I in matching outfits. 

But one of the things I always treasured was a small
white tree adorned with vintage ornaments and
bright colored lights that my mother and I
decorated together for my bedroom every year.  

Sadly, the ornaments and tree disappeared over the years.

 I stopped by my mother's the other day...

she had a surprise for me...

it was a box of ornaments like the ones from my childhood.

A little teary eyed...I told my mother how much I loved

that little tree and the ornaments when I was a little girl...

and how much I loved her for always making me feel special.

She hugged me and said she remembered...

and I felt like that little girl all over again...

Me at Christmas Time when I was 4 years old.

Christmas--that magic blanket that wraps itself about us,

that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance.

It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may
be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be
a day of remembrance--a day in which we think of
everything we have ever loved. --Augusta E. Rundel

Do you see what I see?

I know that it's December....but someone should tell

the plants in my window box on the gate to my house!

I have long since cleared out the plants in the planters

 outside which shriveled and turned brown...

but these beauties cling to life...

Every time I pass through the gate they

bring a smile to my face...

They refuse to give up...

they are beautiful in spite of what is

happening around them...

and they stand tall in the face of adversity....

Inspiration is everywhere...
sometimes right before our eyes! 

Happy December! 

Thanksgiving

In this season of Thanksgiving, we are reminded of our blessings and what we are grateful for in our lives. But I believe that there is more to it than that...much more. It is more than just being thankful for what we have been given…it is being thankful for the blessings bestowed on others. And more importantly the grace to be a blessing for a soul in need, whatever or however that may be.

I truly believe that the grace that God bestows on us is not just for us to hold on to…it is to be shared…for it is not what we have that matters... it is what we give.

So let your grateful heart thank someone, show mercy, forgive, be kind, unconditional, generous…a reflection of God’s grace.

This…this is Thanksgiving.

And in that spirit…I want to thank all of you for sharing with me your souls and your hearts…I am truly grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all those you love…

Photosource: MarthaStewart.com

Merci!

There was a knock on my door this afternoon...a box arrived

with my lovely gifts from winning
the giveaway at FRENCH LARKSPUR.

I opened it up and everything was wrapped

with beautiful paper

and had the most precious seals.

I opened them up and I received...

2 Metal Letters which I selected - M and D which
are the initials of my husband and I...

2 Oven Mits with French Text on them...

And my favorite of all of these lovely things...

A Washed Flax Tablecloth with French Text on Both Ends....sigh...

I am one lucky lucky girl!

I feel so very fortunate to have received such beautiful gifts...

Tracey... you have such a generous spirit
and I will think of you every time I look

at these inspiring beauties that
make me want to redo my kitchen....

FRENCH LARKSPUR....MERCI!

Firing Up The Oven

As the climate changes I am getting into my winter nesting mode...which includes lots of baking.

I LOVE to bake...and today I chose to make something that my husband dearly loves....Babka.

My husband is Polish and since his mother has passed away this bread has been made by his sisters. The recipe has been passed down from generation to generation. They were kind enough to share the recipe with me....and I make it on days when I think my husband needs a little comfort.

To my husband - Kocham cie! (I love you!)

I am a Winner!

I had a very sweet and shocking surprise this morning....I won the giveaway that FRENCH LARKSPUR had showcasing some of her VERY fabulous wares.

I am still pinching myself...is it real....yes....

FRENCH LARKSPUR is a MUST SEE on my daily blog routine...her blog is inspirational....her shop is divine...and Tracey well she is a wonderful blog friend...a person with grace, kindness and an enormous heart!

Please stop by and see her...you will be forever changed and inspired...

Sentimental Friday

I'm feeling very sentimental today...not in a sad way...but I am tearing up at just about anything and everything. Not sure what this is all about...hormones perhaps...but I am just taking it all in and taking stock of all of my blessings...which far outweigh the incidental and inconsequential that happens as it does in life.

I am thankful for my faith
my ever loving and comforting family...
and inspiring friends...especially the blogging kind....

This is what can reach my heart and fill it with love...warm my soul when it needs comfort and give me hope...which leaves me with breathless anticipation of what each new day will bring.

I wish for each of you a day filled with the kind of things that wrap their arms around you and leave you feeling safe, loved and filled with joy.

Welcome To The World!

Today is a very special day....I am a great-aunt for the first time, my sister is a first time grandmother and the most precious thing of all is that my niece is a first time mother.

This is little Tatum...born today a very special day in so many ways..especially for her father who is in the Army and has served in Iraq...born today on Veterans Day.

There's nothing like a baby to make us stop and reaffirm how wonderous life is....Welcome to the World Tatum!

The Queen is at The Backyard

I would like to start out by saying that I am so grateful for blogging. In a short period of time I have found a source of inspiration, uplifting moments and have seen how beautiful that blog friends can be.

My friend Julie...introduced me to blogging...Thanks Kitten! But it was meeting Tricia of Backyard Candle Company through her blog and ultimately going to her shop that had a HUGE impact on me. Not only did I get to make a new friend, but she made me want to create again. She is a lovely person inside and out! Well..to make a long story short...Tricia invited me to put some of my things in her shop....so I have...

This is Tricia at her Open House last night!

If you have never been to Backyard Candle Company...you are totally missing out on a great experience. The shop is filled with inspiration from top to bottom and her candles...you can't find any better! Please visit her at http://www.backyardcandle.blogspot.com/

Here is a peak at a few things...

Thank you to ALL of you for your inspiration! Here's wishing you a weekend filled with magical moments and blessings abundant! Blog friends are the BEST FRIENDS! (Tricia said that to me last night as I left and I think she is absolutely right!)

SMACK!

Ever have something happen that makes you take a real hard look at your life? Well - I'm there!  Do I have things in order if something happens to me? What is it that I am supposed to be doing? Am I doing all of the things that are important to me or am I merely thinking about them....and are those things REALLY the most important things. I do think that it is normal to feel this way in some small degree....but I have hit the proverbial wall! SMACK!

I'm having an internal "WAR"  and I think it's incredibly difficult to share my true self with my family which makes it difficult to talk about it to ANYONE. I do hide alot from my family...how I am feeling...things that have me a little on the edge and in tears....stuff like that....I don't want to burden them in any way. I am the one that takes care of everyone's boo boos...literally and figuratively....I am the glue.

I need to RELAX and sometimes it helps to

Take a scenic drive....

Take a long bubble bath....

Or a biggie...take a vacation somewhere like this...

But the one thing that gives me true relief of any kind...especially in matters of the heart is to pray....

It's the one and only thing I have that saves me from myself...the only thing that opens my heart and the one thing that can lead me home.....

Les grandes pensees viennent du coeur.

Translation - The greatest thoughts come from the heart.


In everything I do I try and listen to my heart...every decision I make in doing so proves to be the right one...my heart is a reflection of my faith....my values...my beliefs.

When I second guess myself....it usually means trouble in some way...regret...grief...anxiety...
I do struggle with this sometimes ....why is it so hard to just listen to that little voice....instead of the loud obnoxious one that drowns it out...

Living from the heart...that's where it's all at....letting love live in our thoughts, in our minds, in our actions and our words.

Here's to my heart...may it give me wings to fly.

I'm Back!

I'm back.......I'm much better and ready to get back to blogging. I've really missed it and I've missed my regular dose of my favorite blogs!

These are just a couple of things I have in the works...I have about 14 different things in bits and pieces...when it comes to making things I get easily distracted. I start something then get another idea and start working on that...and then I get another idea and start working on that...well you get the picture. Sometimes I have to stop what I am working on because I keep second guessing myself....walk away and come back to it. My "stuff" has been packed away and scattered...but I have been digging through the garage and gathering goodies...vintage jewelry, fabrics, trims, etc.

The things I have posted here are not done...but thought I would share them anyway...I will post items as I finish them.....I haven't made anything for sooooooo long...in about a year and a half...that's way too long. Gettin' my groove back...

To all of the beautiful blogs out there...you inspire me....you make me want to create again....thank you from the bottom of my heart....you make me want to be me!

Blog Neglect

I have been neglecting my blog....I haven't felt well the last 2 weeks. I have been to the ER twice...diagnosis..infection in my lungs. So glad it wasn't H1N1. That would be scary!

Still on the mend..better but still having trouble with being short of breath....thank goodness for breathing treatments!

Thank you to those who left comments on my blog...I hope to visit your blogs soon and check up on all the wonderful things that are happening in your lives....

Many blessings to you all!

Soup's On!

It's cold outside....and all I can think about is making soup!

There is nothing like a good pot of soup and

some crusty bread on a chilly day to warm you up!

Here are just a few of my favorite soups...

Chicken Tortilla

French Onion Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

Farmhouse Chowder

Black Bean Soup

And the old standby....Chicken Noodle!

YUM!

PhotoSource: Martha Stewart.com

Uncensored Thoughts

Have you ever been so moved by something that your emotions swirl around inside you....it swells and resonates through every fiber of your being? I get like that....there are some things that bring out this part of me. Witnessing someones selfless kindness. Music... anything from Opera to Jazz to Blues. A child's joy in the innocence of life. Awe inspiring creativity. A movie that speaks beyond words to the very heart of you...

I notice things...things that some people barely or never notice...little things...the way two people look at each other...what is said and not said....the sound of the wind while I stand with my eyes closed...laughter that is uncensored and full of life....sometimes what seems to be everything and anything.

I also see what is painful...woeful...I do notice...

What do you do with all of that....sometimes I don't know....but most of the time I am grateful for the life I have been given and I hope I use it to make a difference in some way, however small...this is my hope...

Let's Bowl

My youngest son had a practice for Special Olympics Bowling. Our local bowling alley was destroyed by fire so the practice was held in a VERY small town close to where we live. The kind gentleman who owns the bowling alley opened up just for our group of children. The unfortunate thing was that they did not have a ramp for Blake to bowl with. He is in a wheelchair and is not strong enough to handle a bowling ball. Most bowling alleys have these but this bowling alley is small and they are used to adults bowling.

In the end it didn't really matter to us or Blake...he had a great time. He was so thrilled to be with his friends he never even gave any thought to what he wasn't getting to do. He was only concerned with what he could do.....cheer on all of his friends. I love this about him....

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something from him. I have always said that I'm getting alot more from him than he's getting from me. He's selfless, positive, loving and very compassionate. His love knows no boundaries....it's endless and ever flowing.

Living and loving without boundaries...may we all have such peace.

Photo Source: flickr