WOW it's been 10 days since a POST

I can't think of any good reason that I haven't posted anything except that I lead a pretty boring life.  I'm typing this in Large print and after I'm finished, I convert it all to normal print.

I'm having a bit of an issue with my eyes, so I'm not able to see the type on the computer screen unless I've got my nose about 2 inches away from it.  I'm a "Veteran" and I need cataract surgery. It's been scheduled 3 times since last Feb 2013. In Feb. it was scheduled for May 21st, 2013. On May 20th, I got a call that the surgeon went into labor and had to cancel.  They then scheduled it for Nov. 7th, 2013.  Due to bad weather and really poor driving conditions I called and cancelled the appointment.  I didn't feel two females traveling in a 1995 car on snow & ice was a real good idea. I called and they rescheduled it for May 21st, 2014.  On May 20th they called and cancelled for the surgeon's emergency. It is now scheduled for July 23rd, 2014.

After the big "to do" over the VA mismanagement, I'm thinking I might be one of those that keeps getting pushed back further without anyone reporting that they have cancelled twice for the surgeon's convenience (although labor, if it's real, was a legit excuse). It seems that there is only one surgeon in the Northwest region qualified to do these surgeries at the Spokane VA Medical facility. And there is only one GYN clinic for all of Washington, Oregon etc and it's in Seattle at the VA Hospital there. For female Vets that's a pretty unreasonable drive.

And I'm not happy with Medicare either but that's for another day!!

On to happier things. Little Aayden is with us today and tomorrow. That's always a good day. He's such a little, I mean Big joy for us. We get to watch Little Einsteins, Disney, and Choo Choo Trains. He's 2 1/2 and making pretty big sentences these days. Last week he spotted the picture of me in my Navy Uniform on the dresser. He asked who that lady was and I said that's Nana.  His answer "I don't think so!!". I still haven't convinced him it's me and he's not at all impressed by the medals. The only one I show off is the Sharp Shooter Medal. To the loud mouths and drunks I invite them to view my medals and point out the Sharpshooter one. Usually earns a little more respect. Most people know with the cataracts encroaching, I probably couldn't hit a barn from 50 feet away.(lol)

Here's a couple of new scrapbook pages. I lied...here's a bunch of pages.

Gr-grandson Aayden this spring

Gr-Grandson Dominic in his Karate Class.

Another of the Karate School.

Dominic's first day of school last September.

Gr-nephew on the left...Joseph Stephens in Texas for His Honor Awards.

Gr-Grand daughter Kadence (Kaddie) for her school picture.

My daughter "Charlie" and her friend Michael at one of our Thurs nite potlucks. This was taken before he fell out of his wheelchair and got 2 black eyes and a broken leg. I need a ramp on my front porch to accommodate our friend Michael. 

The Tribute wall at my Gr-Grand daughter Olivia's school in 2011 where she posted my picture, her Gr-grandfather, 2 gr-gr-grandfathers, and several Uncles. Her's was the largest group I think. And the kit I used was entitled "The Greatest Generation by Over The Fence Designs.

Two of the youngsters who come to our Thurs or Sat BBQs and have a great time.

That's definitely enough scrap book pages for one day. I try to remember to name the designer of the kit I'm using for each picture but sometimes I get more from unknowns than from one of my faves. The bottom picture was Carina in the Forest by Carina.

It's Saturday and the Weather is terrific

The lawn is mowed but I didn't do it. Charlie's boy friend did it. Thank goodness he's such a gentleman. He even opens doors for us and that's not something you see every day.

I've been playing with Miriam's Scraps, wedding Kit putting together an album for my Grandson's anniversary in August. I've made 41 actual scrapbook pages and a cover plus an intro page all from her Giahugic kit. I might have tossed in a couple of odd items that weren't in her kit but the major work was hers. I just put the pieces together. I'll share a couple of the pictures here.

David & Brittany saying their vows.

David's children plus a friend making their way down the isle.

David dancing with his mother.

The isle, & two other tables set up.

David & Brittany are joining the reception after the ceremony.

David with his Mother and Step-Mother.

The "Clan Gibson" are really into Bow shooting and hunting.

The Groom and his Groomsmen.

A special Tribute to the ones who are no longer with us but probably watching from Heaven.

After I picked out some to put up I noticed it was more than a couple. Oh well, at least I didn't put up the whole 41 pics. I was so pleased with this wedding kit that it inspired me to do all of this.  And I think my Grandson David is wanting me to add some more pictures that were taken by other members of his huge extended family.

That's enough for today. Please visit Miriam's Scraps to see the beautiful things she creates. and also my other favorite is Russian-Dutch Heart Designs. Both of these ladies are listed on the side of this blog. Stop in and see the beautiful work they do!

All for now!!

A short post to show off.

I'm getting ready for Thursday nite Pot luck so this is going to be short.

I've been having such a good time with Miriam's Scraps Wedding Kit and I can't seem to stop. Two or three pages each day and then I rest. It was such a huge kit and so many things to use that I may not get through them all but that's OK. I can save some for another wedding, if there is one in our family's future.

Here's one from this morning.

The Bride with her Maid of Honor

Mother of the Groom with her friend.

Have to run and straighten up my room for the party tonight..

Sshh it's a secret!

I'm in the process of making an anniversary gift for my Grandson and his bride. They were married in August of 2013. I've made several pages for them of the wedding using the pictures taken by my daughter and some of their friends. One of my favorite designers has made the most gorgeous kit for weddings so it inspired me to make them one. It's a huge kit so I can make at least 30 scrapbook pages. Then I'm going to purchase one of those gizmos that you have a slide show with a light behind the moving pictures. Hopefully I can put some music on it as well. I'm not that "tech savvy" but someone will be able to help me from my Thursday Nite gang. The youngsters that come with their parents all come with a lap top of some other device and they line up on the couch and we don't hear a word from them. My internet is wi-fi equipped so they just log in and play games or whatever they do all day long. 

Here's a couple of the pages I've done so far.

Great-grand

son Aayden who wasn't very pleased with all the fussing.

My daughter "Charlie" with her Grand daughter Kadence and a friend of Kaddie's named Sydni.  What a lovely trio of beautiful ladies.

"Charlie" with her Grandson Aayden.

All of these pictures were made with a kit  "Wedding Kit" by Miriam's Scraps. You can find a link to her web site on the side of this blog. Be aware, the kit is HUGE. 

That's it for today.

Families and Trees what a combination!

I didn't have any idea what was going to come rambling out of my brain this morning. It's been 6 days and I've been a little busy.

I'm getting one of the Family Trees ready for a member of that family to take over. I'll still pop in on it now and then but I think Terri will be a good one to give it off to. It does get a bit cumbersome when you start getting back to an era without Birth Control Pills.

Of course in the 1700's we were a land of farmers and a little manufacturing or "mills", so in order to work a few hundred acres you really needed 'free' labor and that could only come from your sons. But with the lack of 'electricity the House Frau needed some help in the washing and cleaning area of keeping a family together. Mostly sewing their own clothes fell to the older of the girls and the middle girls got dishes and washing clothes and making beds. I can relate to a lot of those chores. I was raised without the rest of my siblings in the same house except for a year with my older brother.I remember the washing machine was electric but the rinsing machine was a set of rollers on the end of a tub and it was cranked by hand. It really was a neat way to get the water out of the clothes before carrying the basket out to the clothes lines to hang them up. I've often thought it'd be a great way to roll out Pie dough but never had the courage to do it. My step father's wrath wasn't something I went looking for. That's enough of a history lesson.

We had a lovely Easter Sunday. I went to the 11 o'clock service and then back home. Sunrise service was sort of out of the question.  We went up to Bert's house for cake and she had all of her children (at least those that lived local and her sister-in-law to tell them she was moving in with her daughter Jackie in Idaho/Washington. Two towns that have sort of melded together. Most of us knew already but she wanted a formal announcement.

We didn't see any of the gr-grand kids this Easter. They were at their other grandparents houses for annual egg hunts. I gleaned a few pictures of their events from the facebook pages and I've made some interesting pictures. I'm not completely finished with the pics yet but it's close. I'll have a couple more after today. Here's a good start.

Youngest Great Grandson Aayden looking either ready to cry or just confused! Either way it's a cute face.

Youngest Great Granddaughter Kadence (Kaddie to us) is the pretty little one in front with her two sisters.

Great Grandson Aayden with his Grandpa Erik.

I took the colored eggs from a Dye Fest party and made deviled eggs but I dyed the whites first with food coloring. They were a hit on Thursday nite last week!

I'm off to make some more pictures before I start my monthly chores. This happens the day I get my Social Security check deposited in my bank. Then I pay bills, and get the essentials shopping done..

Have a great day and enjoy the sunchine!

Another Thursday Nite!

It's another Thursday nite and the gang is coming over for a Pot Luck. Tiphony is having a Birthday so she got to pick the menu and guess what "It's Breakfast".  I had Charlie stop by our local Cash & Carry" for a gallon can of Sausage Gravy to go with the biscuits I purchased and will bake this afternoon about 6pm (I guess you can call that early evening). Yesterday I peeled some hard boiled eggs for deviling. Before I made the yoke stuff, I dyed the whites so it's quite a pretty sight. I'll make an Easter page with the picture of the egg tray.

The table where every one put the eggs they brought to the "Dye Fest 2014" and then we turned the kids loose with the cups and dyes.

Zakiah is really enjoying this coloring activity. I'm guessing he colored the most of the many dozen eggs that were on the table.

Greg  is trying to find the 6 dozen eggs he put there for dying but not all are finished yet.!

This is the dozen I took minus a few so I cooked some more for what I wanted to do. After deviling the yokes I dyed the white halves and placed them in my pretty tray.

I've finished making Scrapbook pages of the pictures and posted them on FaceBook for my friends and my family on the East Coast and some in Texas. Now I think I'll look for a scrapbook kit for my grandnephew's prom picture. What a handsome young man he is. He's been accepted at a couple of the Ivy League schools but hasn't yet made his decision. 

Until the next time. God Bless our troops where ever they are.

What have I been doing.

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything for more than a week. I know how I get when I start on a new "Family Tree". I don't want to do anything else until I get some substance to the tree. The tree I'm working on is for my Great Grand daughter's mom. I was pleasantly surprised to find the name's origins. Would you believe Skeens comes from the "Clan Skene" in Scotland? I found a lot of information and have put together a nice little book for her. Found some pictures of her gr grandfather which she has never seen (at least I don't think she has). I printed out a lot of pages with information on the families and put it together in a notebook which I will give her next week when they come for lunch with Grandma Charlie and myself (I'm Nana) and I love the name.

I've posted on FB but not very much. And I've been checking my friend Kyra, (designer With a Russian Dutch Heart) and today I was delightfully surprised over on her blog.. She told us about a group on the So you think you can dance show in Holland and she posted the links to their u-tube videos. The kids had a group first and the Dads got to thinking they could do it too. So they did.  And because I enjoyed them so much I'm posting the links here also. Well I'm having trouble getting the links to work. All I can say is go to U-tube and look for "The Daddies". They are really a hoot!

Tonight is Thursday and it's backyard BBQ night. We have a pretty good sized grill and my Grandson and my daughter's boyfriend will be doing the grilling with the help of the other guys. Two weeks ago we had a crowd of 30 people and last week it was almost as large.  The neighbors have started to ask us to have them park a little ways away from the house and walk up. Being at the tip of a cul-de-sac makes for tight parking.  We'll see how it goes. We might have to move it somewhere else but in a few weeks it'll be time for "Live at Five" which is live bands at the park in front of the Federal bldg and everyone goes there with a picnic basket. There's a beer garden and a couple of vendors for hot dogs etc but our group like to take their own picnic basket.

Well my oldest grand daughter is moving to Wyoming this weekend which is a little closer to me but then in about 6 weeks after that they plan on moving to Las Vegas. i can't figure out what's going on but I'll be happy to have my Olivia a little closer.

Here's a couple of my favorites of Olivia!

Olivia's first Birthday before we went to her party.

Olivia at the town hall. She found the dirt flower bed and climber up to get a better view.

Olivia is growing up so fast. This is last November.

This is my youngest Grand daughter when she still lived in Alabama. Now she's in college and all grown up.

That's all for today.