My Grateful Summer

When you allow yourself to marinate in gratitude your moments in life will be nice and juicy...AMEN!

Well...I am trying...because really...you only have the present moments in life...might as well make them nice and juicy.

Take a gander at recent moments that made my little ol' heart sing a happy tune~o~la!

When the ice cream man drives by the park you are at...

children of all ages smile...

My handsome first born chatting with Dad...

These two make my heart smile everyday...

Cutie~pies!

Every house has a dog in a robe...right?

I am so grateful that we do...

My six foot tall Daughter with her six foot...EIGHT inch Boyfriend...

Such a charming pair!

We spent a wonderful evening on the Willamette River picnic~ing...

And...the locals were very friendly...

Even posed for a snap shot...

This was one of the most grateful moments all year...

All four of our children are in the same place at the SAME TIME!

This moment took my breath away...

And you just have to be grateful for one of the funniest moments this summer...

Two 13 year olds...sleeping in the powder room because they told each

other too many scary stories...

And my Son home from Afghanistan...

Holy Gratitude...sweet, sweet  Holy Gratitude!

Love...

Love...

It is no wonder that my Etsy shop has been flowing with

needle craft painted with L O V E...

And a few weeks ago....autumn was the farthest season in my mind...

After such a long and wet Northwest spring....

All I wanted was lots and lots of summer...

But lately...a harvest~y mood seems to be sneaking into my sewing room...

I love me a good burlap pumpkin...

I have found myself...while living in gratitude...but not exactly living in the moment...

looking at really, really green oak trees....and wondering when they will drop their acorns...

And finally...for the best example of gratitude...I look to the family pooch...

Look at her...that face...any moment someone might throw something for her to chase...

Complete gratitude....that something might fly her way and the playing will begin...

This is all she lives for...all she needs...all she wants...

And when all else fails...

Just hang your tongue out the side of your mouth and smile...

Gratitude...

Smiles ~ Ramona

Summertime Putt~er~ing

 So on this lovely and warm summer afternoon...I offer, for your consideration, my To Do List...

1. Think about writing a blog post ~ check

2. Write a blog post ~ check

3.  Paint an up~side~down tomato cage topper ~ check

4.  Chase dog to retrieve black paint soaked brush used to
      paint up~side~down tomato cage topper  ~ check                   

5.  Stick some old plates in pots for garden interest...
     and cuz it fun~ner than folding laundry ~  check

6.  Defrost hot dogs for dinner ~ check

7.  Tell 5 different people that those dogs are for DINNER ~ check

8.  Run all over my porch screaming like a lunatic because a spider crawled up my skirt ~ check

9.  Remind myself how much I LOVE SUMMER...BUGS and ALL ~ check

10.Putt~er the afternoon away ~ CHECK


Wanna see what putt~er~ing looks like in my neck of the woods?

Any self respecting day of puttering must include festooning your pots with burlap...

Don't you agree?

And securing it with clothespins that you paint with polka dots...

I'm just saying...

I am notorious for leaving the hose here and there and everywhere...

I'm a busy, busy puttering fool...I don't have time for such details...

Have you heard...burlap is the new must~have...all the best dressed pots are

wearing burlap this Fall...

Moving right along...

I found time to paint some up~side~down tomato cage toppers...

My daughter and I agreed that it looks a tad Halloween~ish...

But what the who~ha...if trick~or~treaters come to our door today...it will be

some "trick" finding candy in our cupboards....

I guess I could offer some hot dogs...or maybe a paint brush stealing dog...

Once again...I'm just saying.

And no afternoon of puttering would be complete without painting our

street address on a drop~cloth pillow case....

PUTT~ER~ING GONE WILD!

Chicken feet!

Still!

I hope that you are enjoying many puttering filled Summer

afternoons.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Sunscreen on my Uggs

Yes....I think I dripped sunscreen on my Uggs....and it is no wonder....for it has been the drippiest Spring and early Summer known to man here in the ol' Northwest.  I actually don't mind that much but it would be wonderful to have it be a tad warmer and show off the pedicure that I just had to have.

I hope that everyone is having the merriest of holiday weekends.  I am.

Why?

Because this time last year our youngest Son was deployed to Afghanistan and today he is on the way back home to us.  Slowly but SURELY he is making his way home.  Our Son is with the Stryker Brigade out of Ft. Lewis, Washington.

His Brigade was hit harder than any other in Afghanistan.  These men have really been through it.

God Bless them and the souls of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Good Men.

Brave Men.

U. S. Service Men.

It has been a year filled with many, many extraordinary moments.

Moments of prayer, and of tears, worry filled days, times of gratitude,

times of despair and always, always immense feelings of pride.

I recently asked my Son....

"How will this country every thank you and your fellow troops for your service?"

He said, "That is not why we serve, Mom."

Now that is sacrifice.

That is honor.

That is my Son...and I am very proud.

Sure does give this 4th a new feeling and new respect....and I am telling you...the 4th has never made me this darn giddy!

This happy, happy pooch joined our family last year around the 4th....

and I am here to tell you...she is the HAPPIEST dog on the block...

maybe even the planet.  When I say "happy"...she comes running...like it is her name!

Happiest dog...right?

She is quite fancy too...just check out this la~di~da pose she struck for the camera....

Fancy....right?

I wish everyone the best hot dog roasting, marshmallow toasting, firework popping,

lounge chair rocking 4th of July ever.

Ain't America Grand?

Darn tootin' it is!!!!!

Smiles ~ Ramona