Tuesday, January 7, 2014

~HEADACHES AND HAPPINESS...and WEATHER..~

First the Weather!
The news is filled with tales of freezing cold and deep, deep snow!  PH and I have family and dear friends in the New England states.  Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine.  My brother, PH's brother and dear friends.  My dear friend, Lilly, in Canada too.
I was chatting online with a wonderful friend in Iowa.  I was chatting away about having coffee on the front porch, etc. etc..  Her next line made me FALL on the floor laughing!  She said "It's too bad you don't live close."  I said "...why?"  She said "IF YOU DID I WOULD THROW YOU INTO A SNOW BANK!!"
I roared with laughter...it just struck me funny!  I am 5ft. tall and and I think Erma is about 5'10" or taller.  She could do it!!  Needless to say I shut up about "sunshine and coffee on the front porch in the mornings!"  :)

Header headaches!
I've been driving myself nuts trying to learn to make my own header.  I must be dense because so far it's a muddle in my head.  Of course I always try to do it late at night before I go to bed...end up turning off the computer...until another day.
Finally I turn to Diane @ The Blue Ride Gal  and she always bails me out.  I tell you, that woman is GOOD at such things!
******
Happiness is what these photo's represent.
Christmas was neat.  What a crowd!  Looking around that table at all those precious faces, remember the ones that are missing..and praying with all my heart and soul that 2014 brings happiness.   Best of all two of the little first cousins met for the first time and in spite of their age difference they had an absolute blast.  Roman got his first trike and Emily a beautiful bike.
It was like they had known one another forever.  These two were amazing together!  Watching them is a memory I will always cherish.
17 months old and acts like a five year old.
You can see the wheel of her new bike from her grandparents (my eldest son and his wife)
OH the JOY!
Emily and her grandmother, Cheryl.  (My daughter in law) I don't think I've seen Cheryl so happy in a long, long time.  She had the world in her arms!

Just before Christmas my daughter's family got together and made this little gingerbread village.

 The Christmas things are all packed away for another year.
Today I got out a bit of Valentines Day things.  Does anyone have any idea's what clever thing can be done with old Valentines Candy boxes?  I keep mine.  They are so nicely padded..and the delicious perfume of chocolate is still in them.  I just can't ..THROW them out, people! :)
Surely there is something I can do with them.  Anybody?

It's been an emotional time, these last weeks.  Not just for me but for many of my dear blogger friends out there.
My love to all of you,
Mona

22 comments:

  1. Hi Mona Happy New Years to you and your sweet family!
    I have been catching up with you tonight.
    Sending love and hugs, Elizabeth

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  2. Hi Mona, You have such a beautiful family.
    I had a wonderful Christmas with my son, daughter in law, grand daughter, her partner and their little one year old baby girl all staying with me for about 3 weeks. It was stacks on the mill in my little home.I am like you the cousins in my family are like best friends. I cherish that. Here is hoping 2014 is a good one.
    Hugs Kay

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  3. YAY! Love your header! Dynamo Diane we will call her.
    I loved hearing about your greats, seeing the photos . . . what fun you must have had during the Christmas days. Joy feels wonderful, doesn't it!

    Hold close at heart your tender memories . . .
    Love and hugs,
    Lynne

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  4. Good Morning my sweet cyber friend.I have been checking to see when you would post again, I have to say I was getting a little worried, I guess you are to post everyday so I know tyou are ok,lol
    Still waiting for your email addy, mine barbarad@aol.com
    Have a great day.
    Barbara
    xoxo

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  5. Hi Mona...glad to see you back! Such cute kids. You are only 5 ft tall? Gosh, I would have thought you much taller. I am more like your friend..tall! Use the candy boxes in your decorating and you could put some goodies in them as well. You know re-do the chocolates. Some of the boxes are really pretty. I have a wooden candy box from my mother. Daddy gave it to her a long time ago and she used it on her dresser. It has a mirror inside and plenty of room for chocolates. I think maybe it was Whitman. The top is carved and much worn but I love it. Do you have one of those anywhere?

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  6. throw out those candy boxes... i keep nothing...so that is my only advice.. we like you are blessed to be southern enough to escape all the nasty weather and freezing temps. that is to funny about throwing you in the bank of snow...i have never seen the ginger bread village, that is really cute... your family photos are screaming joy joy joy

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  7. I've thought of you on that sunny porch this week. We've officially been COLDER THAN ANTARCTICA---their temps on Monday were -11 with Wind Chill of -35, and ours were -14 with WC of -36!

    Guess there's that.

    We're still frozen in, mostly, though Chris is braving the streets today---first day we've been "allowed" to drive on them since this started on Sunday.

    Why don't you go out there with a glass of iced tea and a Verandah magazine about mid-afternoon, and send us some of that WARM in your thoughts.

    You stay warm, too, Sweetpea!

    rachel

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  8. Yep, I am 5' also but could toss you off the porch:) Just kidding, I am happy that at least one of us is enjoying some warmer weather! Sweet pictures of sweet family enjoying their time together! Sending you a warm hug across the miles:)

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  9. I love your new header! And enjoyed all your photos from Christmas. Looks like you had a lot of fun. I would never have guessed you were only 5 ft, I've always thought that you were tall!
    Enjoy your warmer weather, it's been so cold the last few days here in MissouREE, that I've been calling it the state of MisERY. Ha!

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  10. Love the new header, is is fabulous and I love the pics of Christmas. Sounds like a great time with family and that is always the best. Hugs, Marty

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  11. hi mona! i might come and throw you in a snow pile too except that since i love snow so much, that doesn't seem like quite a punishment. i am dealing with leaking faucets! i just hope my pipes aren't broken.i've never thought about what to do with empty valentines boxes. can't wait to see if you come up with an idea.

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  12. Mona- Happy New Year to you! I am so very glad you had a good Christmas. Your family is just beautiful. Those kids are darling together and your daughter-in-law is a beautiful woman.

    I hope the year brings many good things for you- xo Diana

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  13. I do not have many valentine candy boxes but the 2 I do have I include them in with my other valentine decorations. Love the gingerbread village and the pictures of your family taken at Christmas. After being in the deep freeze for a few days it is going to start warming up here in central Alabama and am I ever glad. Have a blessed day. Madeline

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  14. More than happy to be of help to you on your header woes, Mona... xox. No snowbanks here in Virginia, but still, it's too cold to sit on the porch.. xox

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  15. If I didn't love you so much I would toss you in a snowbank too! I shouldn't complain...I chose to stay in the cold East! I'm not going to talk about the weather..I'm just going to say how sweet your family looks and I bet you'll find something fun to do with the boxes! Enjoy the porch, coffee, and comfy chair! Oh, and the warm air!

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  16. Jean..no, I don't have one of those Whitman candy boxes but I used to many years ago and kept it with photo's in it. My mother also had one for years.
    Yep, just five ft..and shrinking! :)
    So far I've held to the 5' mark.
    I took out the sweetest of the heart candy boxes and used it in a little vignette on the breakfast bar..but the rest went back into the shed.
    It's interest because I thought you would be short and you are tall..and you thought I would be tall and I am short! :) It's interesting how we picture one another from our post and letters.
    Thanks for stopping by..I always love to see you!
    Mona

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  17. I was just thinking about you. It sounds like your Christmas went well. I am so glad. I do hope for you and your family that this year brings happiness. Those little ones are so darling. Happy New Year Dear Friend.

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  18. It seems everybody is talking about the weather. I guess that's because the other day all 50 states were below freezing! It has been awful here with wind chills getting to -15*. I know a lot of people have it worse than me so I am not complaining!

    Glad you had such a nice Christmas. I love seeing the pictures of your family.

    As for Valentine's boxes, I take a picture and throw them away. I'm trying to get rid of the clutter in my house. But maybe you could use them to decorate in some way?

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  19. I enjoyed seeing your Christmas pictures. Beautiful kids! They are growing so fast.

    It's been so cold and snowy here that the snow banks throw themselves on you (actually, the snow plows throw the snow banks on your car, again, and again, and again) My husband shoveled the car out three different times. There was too much snow to pull it into the driveway where the snow had drifted. It is supposed to warm up here above freezing for a few days. Yeah!

    Am dreaming of spring when I can enjoy sitting out on the porch again.

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  20. You're a very good looking family Mona! Happy New Year to you. I wish you much joy this year...

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  21. Mona, what a beautiful family! Thank you for sharing the fun, it looks like everyone was having a grand time!

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  22. Nice to read this new post, Mona, and to see the updated header woth photos of your family and yourself! Glad to read that the holidays were joyful times as you deserve much happiness, my blog friend.

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