Going Upstate

We have moved on from the City to Upstate New York. There is family here related to my husband for us to see for the first time in about 8 or 9 years. We spent yesterday afternoon and evening with them and had a lovely time. 

Today will be more of the same but we will visit while going out and about to places Jim spent time at when young. We will also be paying our respects to long gone family members at 2 different cemeteries. 

Back with more again soon. 

Take care and stay cozy! 

New Challenges for My Son

I got some worrying news last night. My son ended up in an emergency room. His blood sugar was sky high. I didn't know it, but he had been having some classic symptoms for diabetes. So, know he knows why he has been feeling so bad and struggling with fatigue and thirst. This has set his life on a new, but manageable path.

He didn't know it, but this runs in our family. Grandmother, aunts, uncles and siblings all have this disease. I have been told I am prediabetic for more than 20 years now. I would love to stay in that stage and avoid all the testing and medicines for as long as I can. 

He was told yesterday that he will be in the hospital a couple days so he can be treated and started on his new regimen. Of course, he is not happy and is facing a life going forward looks much different to him now. He, however, is a smart guy and will figure this out. His wife is a good partner for him and together there is not much they can't do.

So today, no cheery silly post, but rather a bit of serious news that I wanted to make note of here.

Back with more again soon. 

Take care and stay cozy! 

The Things You Do For Love

There are many things I do for love day in and day out. If I didn't have Jim and our shared home to care for my life could be so different but definitely not in a good way. I know that I would easily slip into being a Netflix binging, knitting and/or crocheting, popcorn for dinner night owl. So for him and my own sanity and health I try not to slip into those ways.

Another thing I did for love is going to the post office tomorrow. A granddaughter asked for a cow. We looked on Etsy at patterns and she chose this one. It is made with Bernat's Blanket Yarn. For someone who thinks of worsted as a thick yarn this wasn't my favorite thing to make. I like shawls and afghans and other projects that do not have lots of pieces that need to be attached to finish the project. But for her I did it and it is boxed and waiting for a ride to the post office in the morning.

Next family project is for a niece who asked for ear warmers. They will be used by her through Colorado winters. The pattern we found for that is on Ravelry, is crocheted, and uses sport weight yarn. I am looking forward to shopping for yarn to make it and then getting started. I do need to remember she said any color but green.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Wednesday

The middle of the week feels so strange when it starts your week at home. We spent Sunday through Tuesday in Utah and now we are back home on a Wednesday that feels like a Monday. Jim went off to work this morning and I got caught up on laundry and other things that pile up even when you are away a little while. There is still no magic housekeeping fairy here to do things while I am gone. 

We did have a good time with those that we were able to see. Don't tell Hilton Hotels but we had three stowaways in our room on Sunday night. They think it is a special thing to come to the hotel and spend the night with the grandparents.

Art In My House

Today I am continuing to show you the handmade things I have around me everyday. The 2 pieces today are watercolors and hang in my bedroom.

The pictures to the right shows a forest scene that I bought for my husband one Father's Day. I loved the colors and beauty of the trees and he did too. Unfortunately I do not know the name of the artist and the piece is not signed. I bought it at a Quilted Bear store in Murray, Utah.

The painting on the left is one I have had since my high school days. We had a family friend named Claude Lepine who painted. Our families would get together sometimes and during one of those visits he told each of us we could chose one of his paintings to take home. This was my choice that day. I like the shades of spring greens mixed with the brown of the cattails. It looks to me as if a slight breeze is just barely bending the tops of the tall grasses.



Do you have handmade things surrounding you in your life? If you have posted about them leave a link to your post in the comments for others to see.

Happy He Is Not 30 Yet?

However he only has one more year to go from today. My son, the poor middle child, is having a birthday today, his 29th. I am rather infamous for putting up pictures on birthdays that my adult children don't like. I am sure that today this photo will keep up with my currently low standards of picture choice.

Happy Birthday to You Jimmy!

Beautiful Spring

I got this picture and a couple more in the email today. Looks like this pair is already for spring!

Excuse me but this is a shameless Grandma plug for the cutest grandkids in the world. That is along with my other four.

AZ to UT to CA to UT to AZ pt 2

Part 2 and the final part of this trip. I got to spend a day in Utah with all my kids and grandkids before heading back to Arizona on Saturday the 23rd. The grownups in the group tend to be more serious and sometimes downright grumpy when I come around with a camera. The grandkids however are not a problem. Playing with them and taking pictures is a lot of fun. The point and shoot camera I was using gave me a lot of problems with red eye and without a tripod focus was sometimes an issue. In these snapshots I am collecting memories rather than trying to be a great photographer.

In case you can't tell below are the grownups not wanting their pictures taken.
Now on to more cheerful faces and examples of the joy of visiting in Utah.
Kaleb, the youngest, born in October and doing just great!
Kaycee, the oldest, hard to believe 4th grade already. She keeps busy with school, gymnastics, basketball soccer and now piano lessons.
Posey who lately has decided that anytime anyone is going anywhere she should be going too.
Jordan who is doing fantastic his first year of school.
Hunter, also known as Buddy by his parents and sister, who loves all things about trains.Tristan with one of the sweetest smiles and attitudes of the bunch. He loves to play with anything with wheels and of course makes the appropriate engines noises when doing so.

There you have it. A fun trip with lots of food, visiting, miles in the truck and coming home to a warm place with dog and husband that I was really starting to miss.

So Peaceful

I don't think there is anything on this earth that looks more peaceful than a sleeping baby. Of course we have a new person in our family to show off with a picture to illustrate this theory of mine. I hear he has lots of hair under that hat.

Comments are welcomed, appreciated and looked forward to.

Grandma Kathy

Jason's Birthday

Happy Birthday Jason!

(my son-in-law, married to oldest daughter Tammy and father of Kaycee and Tristan)

Jason is shaking hands with Kasey Kahne. He also got him to autograph a car. This picture was taken at PIR, the Phoenix International Raceway in November of 2005. Jason came down to Phoenix from Utah to go to the race with my husband Jim. This driver is one of his favorites. He and his family are racing fans. I, however, am not and had to look up the driver's name so I would know for writing this up.

I was able to build a treasury list today on etsy.com. I used the images of nests, birds and eggs for this one. The direct link to this treasury is here. There are always beautiful, shocking, funny or thought provoking treasuries to look at and enjoy.

These images make me feel safe, secure and peaceful. Nests are a place to start a family and safely get young ones ready to face the world. Right now my nest is empty of young ones but I still try to do my part to help Jim be ready to face the world.

I wish you all safe, cozy and nurturing nests.