Loving Maggie!

Maggie will be four yrs. old this Dec. She is our cockapoo puppy. We got Maggie when she was eight wks. old. I remember Kristen and I going into the puppy shop and looking at all the cute puppies. We saw Maggie and thought she was sooo cute. Kristen carried her around holding her and I said "better not put her down cause many are in here looking for a special puppy!" I ask a man there , "how do you know if your getting a good puppy?" He said turn her over and see if she stays pretty calm , if so she is going to be a pretty good choice. Well, we tryed what he said and wonder of all wonders it worked, she stayed calm. So we didn't put her down the whole time while looking at all the other puppies cause we thought someone might just take her. She was cute and people looked at her but didn't ask us to give her up. We said we were thinking!! Now, I did get attached to our little puppy Scruffy when the kids were small and cried like a baby when she passed. Now here I am getting attached to Maggie and can't ever imagine losing her.. Again for sure my heart would be broken! A cute tale of training Maggie:
I remember staying up late at night with her. We kept her in our bathroom right off our bedroom with newspapers on the floor and she would whimper but I couldn't let her out of bathroom till she got potty trained,well we would take her outdoors now and then. now this is funny- I stayed sitting by the door at night so she wouldn't whimper and she was ok as long as she saw me, but the minute I leave she would start whimpering again. She would curl up and sleep if I stayed where she could see me. The minute I tryed to move ,she would open her eyes and whimper again. Finally I decided to fool her. I propped my pillow against the bathroom door and pretended to be asleep, she kept looking up and seeing me would lay back down. Well I decided to made a dummy of myself out of a pillow with what looked like my head and my nightgown halfway over the pillow. She thought it was me and settled down to sleep and I crawled out and into my bed! Yes! Maggie now is a joy in our lives and so sweet and is pretty obedient also. Dad is so attached to her. Very much so that he boils her chicken now and then. Dad spends tons of time with Maggie and she watches as he works outside. She is my lap sweetie and goes for rides in car with me and to the park. Dad says:
"No sweeter dog ever lived!" Kristen has a new puppy now of her own named Sadie, but I can't help but think Maggie will always have a special place in her heart!
"Until one has loved an animal, part of his soul remains unawakened." mama

OK, about these health check-ups!!

Miracle of all miracles!!! Dad and I finally went to get check ups after much probing from our children. I had had a little bit of discomfort in my chest. Doesn't happen often but when it did it hurt!! So ok, dad and I sign up with this insurance and decided to go the whole nine yards, getting a complete overhaul! ha. Now for the moment of truth.
I actually felt it accomplished nothing!! Dad felt more or less the same way I did. He learned he had a little high blood pressure so he started taking these pills and now says they do nothing. I had a Sonogram and the E.K.G.and the blood work ,and NOTHING!!! We were shuffled around to this doctor and another. Actually most did nothing at all except listen to your heart, take blood pressure and ask a couple questions. OH! almost forgot the most important one , pee in a bottle! ha,ha! I have personally started taking a aspirin a day and guess what, I feel terrific! I truly believe that one doctor sends you to another and everyone gets a little share of the wealth! $$$$$$. So now how do I feel ? Speaking for myself, I personally believe its a conspiracy!! ha. mama

Signs at the Coop

Enjoy my signs:

1 An Old Rooster and A Young Chick Live Here!
2The Rooster may crow, but the hen delivers the goods!
3 You Can't Scare Me, I Have Children!
4 No Hen Pecking Allowed!
5 A Family is a Gift That Lasts Forever!
6 My Henhouse was clean last week , sorry you missed it!
7 Raising kids is like being pecked to death by a duck!
8 Sit Long-Talk Much!
9 Life is Good!
10 Within this home, love abides!
11Hen House Rules: relax, relax,relax!
12 Dust is a Country Accent!
13The Simple Life!
14 I'm The Mommy, Thats Why!
15 Everyday is a Fresh Beginning!
16 Celebrate Every Day!
17 Mom's Kitchen, Always Open!
18 Don't go the bed angry, stay up and plot your revenge!
LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT!!
19 Rules of Life: be kind, share, listen, wash , flush , floss,
recycle , pay your bills , say your prayers, and CALL YOUR MOTHER! Love ,mama

Retirement Lane

Well, here we are, the time sure passed fast! been retired three yrs. now and dad eight. These are called your" Golden Years " but frankly I can't understand why? Your money is gone, your body is GOING and your kids have flown the coop! Now what in the world do you with rest of your life? Well let me think! here is what I do. I love hitting the tiny shops here in Eustis, love going to the theater here, love reading good books, decorate my home, I help with ladies program at the church, visit and take trips to see the kids , spend time with my sisters, take Maggie for walks and to the park, enjoy blogging, watch some good movies, care for a eldery lady on the block now and then, go to flea market, and want soon to join Curves.. That's about it for me. Now for dad, he does yard work , here at home plus for two ladies here in the neigborhood. He also does my sister Frankie's yard, and also there are four ladies here in the neighborhood who ask for his help around their homes when something falls apart , WOW! One of them the other day ask him if there were any more like him at home! I told dad he has his pick of the ladies here in the neighborhood when I'm gone. ha!
Talk about busy! He is! Now got to tell you this, so funny! Jackie across the street said " We three hens sure keep this man busy" ha. so funny! she even had a good laugh. Anyway when not doing yards and homes, he watches movies , does genealogy{ which he said is why he is here } , goes to flea market and best of all his favorite, SLEEP! ha. thats about it! Happy Retirement Everyone!

Here comes SUMMER!

Well, here comes the sun! Another summer with" how am I ever going to take the heat!" Then we get around to why isn't my grass as nice as the one across the street and then I go over to the neighbor Frank and he says from his side my grass looks better than his." So thats where they get the saying the grass always looks greener on the other side." ha! anyway, then the questions come up "Do I need to buy more fertilizer?" Do we need a few more pieces of sod?" "Is the Air Conditional working right ?" It's sure hot in here!" "Where are all these bugs coming from?" Love bugs, chinch bugs, mosquitoes. OUCH! "Did you water the grass today?" "If it gets any hotter I'll!" "We need to plant some flowers."
"So you think its going to rain?" "Where is the sunscreen?"
and with that said did I hear HURRICANE?!!

Our Five Adorable Grandbabies

Here they are:
Ander, Soren,
Aidan
Finn and Scout.
What cuties!















Did Jacob, Lindsey , Marc and Kristen the older grandkids on a different post.

HAPPINESS / WHEN ?

THE GIFT!

We tell ourselves that life will be better WHEN we get married, make more money, better job, more friends, nicer car, when another gets their act together, have better home, and on and on.

The real truth is there is no better time to be happy than right now! If not now, WHEN? Your life will always be filled with challenges. Yes it will! It's best to "admit this to yourself "and decide to be happy anyway.

Every moment that you have is the treasure of this day and more more so because you shared it with someone , a person special enough to spend your time with .... and remember that time waits for no one! THE CLOCK IS RUNNING !! Make the most of today. It keeps ticking away!

Yesterday is history. its Gone! Tomorrow is a mystery...... if we make it till then. But today, today is a GIFT! Thats why its called the present!! The real truth is , it is a gift, and there is no better time to be happy than WHEN?.......RIGHT NOW!! lOVE YOUR GIFT OF LIFE!

love you all, mama

My Sisters, My Friends

When dad and I decided it was time to leave the old neigborhood in PINE Hills, I began to think of where would be a good place to live.

Of course it was no big question really cause I always wanted to live near my sister Donna! For years and we have been close, going places together, having garage sales together, going to movies, getting together on all the holidays, you name it!

So needless to say we moved to Eustis, Florida and downsized to a much smaller home in a nice neighborhood. It's full of friendly people and it just happened to be not so far from where Donna lives. As it turned out, Aunt Frankie, also wanted to get away from the Keys so she moved here but she got here a few years before we made our move. She and Damon moved in the near by town of Tavares.

Now all three of us sisters get to spend time together and will likely each grow old together. ha. We each enjoy the others company and try to get out to a movie together now and then or go to eat out. Donna still works, she will pop into the house on her way to work or stops by on her way home from work. Always, always ,watching the time! ha. Frankie is busy caring for her sick hubby these days who is pretty sick . Uncle Damon is a sweetie and we all love that guy! Get well soon Uncle Damon! Dad is maintaining their yard these days since Damon is not up to it anymore.

Dad and I have alot of time on our hands these days but we keep pretty busy! Dad does yard work for a couple of the single ladies here in the neigborhood which brings in some extra money and that helps our budget. I keep an eldery lady down the street when her daughter goes out of town which is also a great help. Life is pretty peaceful for the most part.

I really wish Frankie lived closer to Donna and I. For sure we girls would have even more time together. But most of all I am just happy to have two of the best sisters anyone could ever have living so close by.

I love you gals! Dottie

My Faith / My Church

Just a short thought on my church which is a big part of my life. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Growing up, my dad was so excited over his new found religion. He tryed to get everyone in our home to listen. Most of the kids just called him a religious fanatic! I was young and wondered why was he so excited and felt bad that no one wanted to listen to him and some of my siblings showed disrespect towards him. I remember feeling bad for him but like many siblings you don't want to be left out and I was no different, wanting the approver of my older siblings. But I knew it was more than just words that my dad was speaking. I never forgot dad's excitement over the B.of M. but my siblings never embraced it. Today Frankie , Donna and I are the only one's who attend the church. I felt just as my dad did all those yrs. ago when I finally picked up the book one day to read it and find out for myself what all the excitement was about that my dad had had. I read and read and couldn't put it down. Day after day I read . Now I knew why my dad had been so excited and yes when I finally closed the book, I knew it was TRUE, and just as my dad had gotten excited , I also was excited and on fire with my new found truth! Seriously, I wanted the whole world to know! I was a great missionary back then. That was many many yrs. ago and something was added to my life that day and I would never be the same again!! mama

My Five Beautiful Daughters

I wrote about my two terrific sons and now will give you some info on my five terrific daughters! In order of birth they are: Valerie, Angie , Leslie, Stacey and Jenny.

Here are some of the outstanding attributes of my girls. Girls please don't feel that I don't see lots of these in all of you, its just these POP out as I think of each of you. You all have some of these traits but these just POPPED into my head!!

Valerie is the oldest of the girls and one of her standout traits is alot of compassion . She has no problem with giving you the shirt off her back as the saying goes. She doesn't judge others by what they might wear or where they live or what they have or don't have which is a awesome trait to have. This compassion flows over to a deep love of animals and her pets, she has five cats, one rabbit , one dog , and would take in any stray if it came to her house in need of shelter. I gave her a sign that once hung on the old front porch of our old home " OUR HOME A SHELTER FROM THE STORMS OF LIFE" Val has that sign now and I think it is perfect for her home and all those little critters. love you Val. mama

Angie, the word for her is ENERGY! she has lots of it! if I could just pocket half of it , Wow! I used to say Angie was my "Ann of Green Gables." I loved that show! Angie was somewhat of a tomboy growing up. She would rather be in jeans climbing a tree than being made up to look pretty in a fancy dress! ha. Now, Angie is still running around, a go getter, organizer, planner, and just as when she was young, she is out there loving LIFE!! If you want it done, go to Angie! She is the one that got me started blogging. tks. Angie! I think I am addicted! She holds down a job, cares for her family, and still finds time to throw extra special birthday parties for her boys and connect with her friends. Angie also has this great love of people. what a great gift to possess!! I think she gets that from her mama. love you Angie, mama

Leslie is my next daughter. She has come to the earth with this beautiful musical talent and has shared that gift of voice and song wherever she can. She had a short music career that lasted a couple years. The group was called REAL using each initial of the girls first name in the group. It eventually ended but those girls had talent!!! They traveled around entertaining quite alot. I feel this is a gift Leslie was born with! She has been singing since three yrs. old! Leslie is a sweetheart. She has tender feelings and when she loves she gives her all. As a teenager it stood out to me that of all the children. Leslie would always give you hugs, and as a parent it meant sooo much! This was really a special trait she had. She also was a beautiful baby! Not just a mother's opinion. All parents think their babies are beautiful, but we couldn't go anywhere without someone telling us what a beautiful baby she was. Now, she is a beautiful young woman and the mother of two beautiful little boys. love you Leslie, mama

Stacey is next in order. What I see as Stacey's greatest trait is her love of children! When Leslie was here visiting Stacey was forever wanting to share and give things to Leslie and her little boys. I remember as a young teenager Stac would take all the grandkids into the pool and teach them to swim . She has such patience with them, cheering them on and letting them know how well they were doing. they loved it ! We have videos of them in the pool today. It was during this time that Stacey took a big load off my shoulders around the house helping out with family chores and such. thx. Stac! Stacey spent lots of time helping with Jacob, Marc who spent lots of time at grandma's. I recall once when one of the grandkids yelled at me. Stacey was quick to let them know immediately that they "don't talk to grandma that way." I have never forgot that Stacey. I ask myself today" what makes children so drawn to Stacey" and the answer came so quickly to my mind. Its her love of children. They feel it. Yes, this is "Stacey's greatest trait!"
Just as she loves children she also has a soft spot in her heart for the elderly. She had a elderly neighbor across the street from her called Nana and she would visit her and spend time with her and help her not to feel so lonely. Nana recently passed away. Stacey said she wanted Nana to know she was there even if she only could hear her voice or feel her hair. I know Stacey has a heart for it was broken that day! So with all this said, last but not least we can't forget the girl with the long beautiful blond hair & blue eyes. Just another of the traits that makes Stacey very unique! love you Stacey, mama

Jenny, without any thinking at all , Jenny greatest trait that stands out to me is her ability to make people laugh! She has the greatest SENSE OF HUMOR!!! Little does she realize what a Great Gift this is! She and I will talk on the phone and often times laugh into the night and it comes at a time when I really needed it for ME! just makes me feel better.

All the grandkids really enjoy being with Jenny, she lives close to Angie so her boys get the pleasure of having Aunt Jen around more so than the other grandkids. For sure she is a great Auntie! Her sense of humor is such a important trait to have in this world today, for sure it makes a real difference in all our lives ,without a Sense Of Humor we would all be sure to die in sadness!!! tks. Jen for your gift because many a day has it got me through.
Jen lives in CA not far from Angie. She has a job that she doesn't like much. sorry Jen. But I tell her she is blessed to have any job these days with the way the economy is going. Jenny is my youngest and my child of my old age. ha. Now I am trying to have a sense of humor. ha! But without being funny, I do thank you Lord for Jenny! Good things can come even in your old age. ha. Jenny is smart, good looking, and the tallest of all the girls. In school Jen was a really good student and always made really good grades! A's in school as I remember and I remember going to a play she was in once and she blew me away. This girl can act, another good trait! Another thing that comes to mind is Jen was always a good athlete - has always been good at sports. I would go to her games when she was younger and yell GO JENNY!

I remember once she took off running and said she would be back after she made a run and told me the trail she was taking. Time passed and no Jenny! I begin to worry and eventually started crying. She couldn't believe that it would upset me so when I couldn't find her. I drove to where she was suppose to be and she wasn't there. That was all it took. I started to cry and as it was, she had taken a side route. I don't think she realized how much a mother can love a child till that day. {sniff}
But yes they can Jen, a mother's love goes on forever! Keep your sense of humor Jenny, keep making me laugh, and even laugh at yourself. We all do it and it's necessary. Life goes fast as Ferris Bueller once said and" if you slow down, you just might miss it. What a gift worth keeping!

p.s. Today Jen still makes me laugh even if she is "seriously too serious" about life!!! But none the less, I love you my Jenny, mama

My Son's

A picture will be put in here also.

I have two of the world's greatest son's! Randy is a network engineer for the Lake County Fl. Library System. He went to school , learned his trade and loves what he does. In fact he is often known to take his work home with him and work late into the night. now thats loving your work!
My younger son Todd works at Lockheed Martin and also enjoys his job. Todd worked hard putting himself through college to get where he is today and he has been rewarded for his efforts as well. His work is often classified. Both boys are sooo blessed!

Randy lives here in Tavares, not far from us. Todd lives in Clermont. Being Randy lives near by, he comes to our rescue when our computer fails, or dad needs his help with something around the home. In our old age this might be a good thing! not to worry Randy! ha. Todd is also so very good to us, he has also helped us out in our hour of need , so tks. Todd. Having son's like Todd and Randy , well what can I say, they are Terrific! But seriously, to know both boys will always be there for dad and I when we really need them means so much.. tks. guys! We love you !

Both our boys are married. Todd is married to Heather and has beem married just eight months . He will be a daddy in late Oct. or early Nov. Todd and Heather are looking forward to buying a new home soon and anxious to settle into family life.

Randy is married to Sherry and has two children. They brought a new home a year ago and are happy campers these days. I know these boys are special and will always be there for their dad and I. I know we have raised son's that are good husbands , good fathers, good workers, and good providers for their families. Both are all of these! What more could a mother ask for!

Thank you Randy and Todd, you have made your parents proud! love you guys, mom & dad

The Old Home Place

This is a picture of the old house I grew up in. At one time in life it was beautiful but my dad let it go and never could afford to keep it up. So sad. We lived in this two story house which was in the part of town they called the Pear Orchard. As I think back I do remember there being a few pear trees around the neighborhood. Joey laughs and makes a joke that he was brought up on Bunker Hill, and I in the Pear Orchard. ha! Both being not so high class neighborhoods but lots of fun !
So, as well as my memory serves me I remember those were hard times for my parents. My dad actually came from a pretty well to do family but mother on the other hand , well they were not as well off. I remember spending lots of time at my mother's family home. Grandma was a sweetheart of a old lady , we called her MA! I reckon she was in her late eighties back then. My mother was somewhat of a defiant pre-teen and married young. The marriage had its problems and mom being young had alot of growing up to do I reckon. My dads parents I don't remember. His dad had moved away and left the old home for dad to raise his family in. Guess he felt dad needed it, felt sorry for him likely cause he and mom had lots of children, eleven to be exact! Three died while young. that had to be rough. Anyway , my dad promised to send his dad some money each month. I was told his dad was living in Fort Wayne Indiana. Dad told me this story before he died. He was quite sad and his eyes would water up cause he felt he had lost his dads trust. But the fact was, he just didn't have money to send his dad, it just wasn't to be had. I feel certain his dad must have understood cause times were tough , they were also hit with the great depression era .
Well , our home could have been a landmark today but as the yrs. went on , and because of lack of having money and hardly enough to care for his family dad let the house go into a state of disrepair and eventually they tore it down. I remember Bump {my brother}and I had fun hiding in the secret cubbies that the two story home had and sharing the loft together. As bad as times were back then , being a kid we had our fun and made our memories! They don't make houses like that anymore!! mama

Eldina/ friend

Eldina is a dear sweet lady who is 84 yrs. old and lives four doors down from me. She goes to the Seventh Day Adventist Church and is very faithful. The only station she watches on her tv is her church channel. I teased her one day and said she better be careful or they will beam her up. she laughted! Not sure how we came to meet, but think she was moving into her home when I stopped and chatted with her & her husband a few mins . He is now gone. She says he is resting. Well today she will call me sometimes and ask if I want to go walk with her. Often if time permits, I will go. She often calls and when hanging up will always say "I love you." Although we do not always agree on certain things as far as the gospel goes, I tell her thats ok, the Lord loves all his children just as we love all our children and we can be sure he will work everything out. I told her Jesus has the same love a parent has for their children, Unconditional Love! She gave me this warm smile. When her daughter calls and ask if I will keep watch over her mom while she is away on one of her trips, I say sure. She said she gives her a choice of a couple people and she always says she wants Dottie. so Dottie it is! I try to show her a good time by getting her out of the house now and then, I think she has a pretty good time! will try to add picture of her later.

Younger Days

Can you ever believe I ever looked like this? My hair was long and dark , no dye ,no grey hair , no wrinkles, and seventy pounds lighter, oh my! So now I'm in what they call the Golden Years! humbug! And here is a saying for you, "Youth Is Wasted on the Young." now I can see that but then they say "You are only as old as you feel." Well got to admit, here in the past two yrs., I am feeling a little more like time is catching up to me. Now that brings me to another saying "Time waits for no man" so guess that means old age will eventually catch up with me ready or not! Younger here, {alot older now} but thats life! I will have to find out about when this picture was taken and see just how old I really was. hmm??
Anyway, today I feel a little younger. I went to the downtown Eustis theater called "Bay Street Players" to watch the play "Come Blow Your Horn." It was a Mother's Day gift from my daughters Jen and Angie. It was great! Dad was suppose to go with me but backed out so that means I have a extra ticket for the next showing coming up in late July or first of Aug. Thats ok with me. I love these plays! Nice way to spend a evening or afternoon. tks. gals! Just maybe dad will go with me the next time. Won't hold my breath! ha.

Younger Days/ Energy

Here I am in younger days when we lived at 5819 Elon Dr. No gray hair as yet ,

kids were in school and I was busy busy! Life was good and I was busy trying to keep up with the housework , doing washing, running kids to and from school, attending functions and grocery shopping and cooking, all this filled my day. If I had to do it again would I ? Of course! Busy is good ! No time to be idle. And as Ferris Bueller said in the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off "

quote:

"Life moves pretty fast and if you don't stop and look around once in awhile you just might miss it!"

Energy! was the key word in those days for me. Want a good laugh , just watch this movie.

Marriage

Dad and I will have been married forty nine yrs. next month and I think at times it
just seems like yesterday when we met and fell in love. I, unlike a lot of my brothers and sisters, gave it alot of thought before I married. Growing up in a house with several siblings I saw the example of poor choices when it came to marriage. I know that dad and I are in that category of the few marriages that make it in this lifetime. After dating for six months we got engaged and six months later we were married. Coming together to share the ups and downs of happiness, joy, sadness, and all the other feelings that go with any marriage union that lasts this long. In our marriage we have been blessed with seven beautiful children that we love with all our hearts. We were married in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints just a block from my home in Vincennes, Indiana. I was a bashful bride of 19 and dad a hopeful young man of 20. My mother let me know right off I had made a good choice. I cheerfully took on the role of homemaker , seamtress , cook and eventually mother. We had the joy of raising seven healthy children and we both worked hard together , helping each other as much as possible, each sharing the responsiblities of taking care of children and giving our all to this union. We did all we could to make the other feel special and felt we were blessed. Those special memories have helped make this a lasting relationship. Sounds a little like Little House on the Prairie right? ha. Well, maybe so. We haven't been without challenges along the way, but for the most part its all been worth it! mama

QUILTS

I don't quilt but sometime in this lifetime I want to make a lovely quilt. It is something I have always wanted to do. As soon as I find the material I love I will go and have someone to teach me. It is a lifelong dream and now is the right time to start! Aren't these beautiful!! mama

Here is a picture of my Jenny with our puppy Maggie. Jenny lives in Ca. so I don't see her too often. She is my youngest child and she was born just two months after I turned forty. Wow, so glad that I had her. She like all my children have something unique that sets them apart from all the others. With my Jenny, its her wonderful sense of humor! She can always make me laugh. Another of her great talents is that she can do needlepoint. She did a rooster for me for Christmas a couple yrs. ago and I absolutely love it! It took her a year to finish it. how special and what patience ! I love this picture of Jenny, she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside! love you Jen, mama

Sleep Overs At Grams

Every so often my grandaughter Kristen who is thirteen now comes over to spend the night with me. I always enjoy it when she comes. Not for the fact that she will bake cookies , clean up around my home or give me a pedicure, but just cause she brings LIFE into our home!
Kristen wants to be a cosmetology person when she grows up. Loves doing makeup , hair , pedicures , nails, the whole works! She is a beautiful girl and knows how to enhance her looks. I set back and let her go to work on me, I being her guine pig. ha! I have even let her dye my hair believe it or not! I am brave! While she works on my toes I try to be very calm and not to say ouch too many times. I certainly don't want to discourage her from getting the job done. ha! I really miss that she and her family doesn't live close by us anymore. She used to live right around the corner. She is not so far away now but I just can't walk over or ride my bike there as I did before. Kristen has always been a big part of our life since very young, I took care of her as a baby and now she is growing up before my eyes. Such happy memories! tks. Kristen. love, grams
will add a picture of her as she looks now as soon as I find one.