My Grama's Soul

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PHRASE.....AND IT ALWAYS WILL BE! MERRY CHRISTMAS xo Jo

Brad and I have a lunch group that meets on the third Friday of each month.  We rotate turns on picking the place.  Today it was Indian food. Here are we girls being silly in our Christmas cheer. xo Jo

I certainly don't do as much Christmas decorating as I used to when I was younger.  In fact, since my son passed Christmas is always a bittersweet time for our family.   But this year it has been easier to get in a festive mood, so we got out all the old Christmas things and tried to use them in new ways.  The above wreath is decorated with clear bulbs that my sweet grandson and I tie-dyed to be pink in color.  They turned out lovely and I was able to use them in this old wreath.  I have it mounted on an old bird stand and it is proudly displayed in our living room. Our tree is only about three and a half feet tall and it sits on a desk and the end of our main room in the house.  My sweet sister in law gave me a Christmas book a few years back with all kind of handmade papers and cards.  This year I took it apart and used it to decorate my little tree.   When you retire and live on a fixed income it is not possible to go out and buy new each Ch

HAPPY TURKEY DAY..... xo Jo

I have had a grand time celebrating my birthday this month.  Since I am now a lady of a certain age....I always buy my own gifts.  It lets my wonderful husband off the hook and lets me get exactly what my heart desires. This year.....it is the beautiful Suzanni in the  pictures both above and below.  I chose this one because of the magnificent colors.  It was made in 1988 and I purchased it from a vendor in Morocco.  It is actually a wall hanging...but I will use it for everything from a chair cover to a table cloth.  I actually remove it each morning when we have our coffee while reading the paper.  I love colorful textiles...in fact I have numerous Kanthas I have collected over the years.  You can see an example of these on the orange cover on the chair and the gold Kantha on the desk in front of the window.  They are so versatile and you can change the feeling in a room in an instant.   We also are planning to take a little trip down Tucson way to a sweet

O.K......shuffle on over here on your pretty little feet and hear about my most recent blogging dilemma.  I have only the most rudimentary technological knowledge.  I often refer to myself as a Ticonderoga #2 in a word perfect world.  For those of you who are too young to know what a Ticonderoga #2 is.....it is a simple pencil. Anyway, the other day I attempted to log into my blog and alas, I could not get into it in my usual manner.  Brad, my husband, was out golfing so I could not ask the computer wiz for help.  Anyway, after feeling totally helpless....I started clicking on things and somehow ended up at Google having to sign in with a password.  Of course, couldn't remember my password so I entered a very old one from years ago.  Alas....that event made even more of a mess of things.  I created a whole new blog....WHICH OF CORSE I DID NOT WANT.. Frustration set in as I had to leave for an appointment and could not fix the MESS. Decided to leave it anothe

You can never go wrong with flowers! Have a beautiful weekend. xo Jo

I am always doing something around here to spruce up our little place.  Since I seem to have accumulated a lot of little cans of paint, I decided I would paint a wall mural.  Now mind you......I AM NOT ANY KIND OF ARTIST....but it is always fun to see what I can come up with.   This is still early days on this project but I do enjoy working on this kind of thing. It started out being something completely different...in fact I was going to do a large face...but that went "south" in no time at all.....LOL LOL.....  So I decided to fill this spot with flowers and birds and foliage.   I decided to paint on this wall as you can see it when you come into our lovely little spot.  We also have a wonderful piece of art that I plan on hanging here when I am finished.   I have become fearless when it comes to paint....as I tell my husband.....IT IS ONLY PAINT.  YOU CAN PAINT OVER IT IF IT IS GASTLY. Now that you can buy those little sample cans of

It always amazes me how little one actually knows about  living life.  I believe, if you are wise, one will actually slow down enough to really examine how things are. I, for one, spend quite a bit of time re-examining past events and their outcomes.  Perhaps this is a result of growing old gracefully not necessarily about feeling guilty or regretful.   Often I come across sayings or quotes that I believe would have been meaningful to me in my earlier years.  There are a million of them out there...but two seem especially relevant  to me personally.   FIRST:  "BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND." SECOND:  "LOVE MANY, TRUST BUT A FEW, LEARN HOW TO PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE." Unfortunately, my parents were too busy just surviving for the majority of their lives....so little was said about the future of one's life.  The day to day existence of managing events far outweighed any wisdom that would have been  imparted to me or my brothers.  I know they

O.K.....so you might ask.....what is bimbelling?  Came across this word somewhere in my reading.  It is akin to putzing or puttering around one's home or property.  I'm ALWAYS doing that. Thought I would share my  latest adventure into the bimbelling world...covered Brad's dad's old bench in an old scarf I have had for years.  While I was at it I decided to also cover an old cream lampshade with the same fabric.   We also hired a friend to help us hang this gigantic mirror that has been sitting on our floor for the last four years. Little projects being completed with little or no cost to us. Next on the list: This pillow remade with fabric from an old tote that was falling apart.    While I was at it, I used the pom poms on the tote to embellish a favorite jacket.. Also used a strip of the African print on the edge of the pillow above. Added part of an old scarf to a Euro Sham on our bed to fluff up the room a little.

I am always tickled when I see yet another post in social media about collecting plants....as though THAT was a new thing!   I have always had plants once I had my own home.  In fact...in my early twenties and thirties I had as many as 150 of the little friends living with me and my family. I do admit that number became little over-whelming as I had my children and life became more complicated....but I never disposed of my friends...I just became more selective in which ones I was willing to nurture.  Actually, that is kind of like life....you only keep friends you REALLY VALUE.     Anyway...my plants have been with me through thick and thin...in fact they used to travel with us when we would leave AZ for the summer. But...due to time and age factors (both mine and my plants) I have cut my numbers significantly....(the plants..NOT my age)  haha.....  My next several posts will be about amusing plants stories...yes...they can make you smile once in a whil

It seems as though there is nothing positive that is being shared in the news of the world as of late.  This can cause one to pause and reflect on our situation. Music lover that I am, I often seek solace in song.  Yesterday I came across one of my favorite CD's....THE PRAYER CYCLE.   It really does not matter who or what one prays to...I think it just matters that we PRAY.  When you pray...you believe there is hope....and all of us need hope. This particular piece is about GRACE...I want to share it with you. Father won't you carry me For the ocean is wide Father won't you carry me For my boat is so small Father on this moonless night Help me cross the stormy sea Out here in the darkness Help me find my way back home Father won't you carry me For the ocean is wide Father won't you carry me For my boat is so small When all appears lost   and hope is on the wain......just Pray.. Me thinking out loud today. x

Part of celebrating Memorial Day...is having memories. Sophie we will ALWAYS miss you!! Jo

Mother's Day is always a bittersweet day for me.  I lost my own beautiful mother many, many years ago and miss her still. However, I had been fortunate enough to have many other wonderful women in my life who have filled this need when necessary.  My beautiful Aunt Ruth, my best friend Jan, my sister-in-law Sandy, friends Mary, Lainey, Marilyn...just to name a few.  All these women have been there for me when needed and helped me tremendously through happy as well as difficult times. The other side of this coin is my son....SCOTT.  Scott was born on Mother's Day...51 years ago.  He is no longer here and on this day I can remember with complete clarity his birth and all that it entailed.  I MISS HIM....it is just that simple! Not trying to be maudlin or sad, it just is what it is. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOTHERS AND THE OTHER MOTHERS OUT THERE. Here is sending all of you a big smooch. xo Jo