Category Archives: birthdays

Nov29

The postman always rings…

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…more than once for me! I’m still celebrating my birthday 10 days later thanks to AnneMarie from the Netherlands and my friend Angela from N.Y.
Here are the surprises from AnneMarie. What a wonderful stitcher and a perfect finisher she is!

The Prairie Schooler is my favorite cross stitch designer, so AM did a black bird autumnal design for me. The book is a pretty DMC one featuring fruits. The two kinds of fabric will be well utilized. Thanks so much AM! I’ll send you off one of my special collage cards soon.

Today a package came from Angela. She had designed 3 gorgeous scrapbook pages for me! One for my birthday, one for Cosmo the cat and one with a Victorian flair. I’ll add some photos and share with you.

I am making some goodies in the form of gifts. The glue isn’t cooperating, but I plan to make 6 on these ‘items’ to start off with. I don’t want to say what they are, but I’ll show you in a couple of weeks. I put on James Taylor’s Cmas cd and went to town. That’s the best medicine. : )


I ran across this at Rocks in my Dryer. Shannon wanted to know some cool Christmas ideas. I would say the Christmas Memory Book I did about 11-12 years ago was pretty neat. I went through my mom’s photos and added many of my own to the collection. I made nice scrapbook like pages on 8.5″ x 11″ paper. I went from when my siblings and I were little to when our kids were little. I asked each family member what their best memory of Christmas was. I got some interesting answers! Everyone had their own page which I typed up and used different fonts for everyone. I got enough copied for all my brothers and our mom and put them in red plastic report folders that I decorated with sparkly snowflake stickers. I still look at mine!

Nov21

Truly blest part 2

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Tons of birthday cards! (with a few Thanksgiving ones too)
The lovely gifts I described earlier

I’m still a little wonky, though I slept 6 straight hours last night. I heard nothing. One magic pill! Too bad I have 13 more to go. I never heard from Don. This makes me so sad for mom and me. I try to be a good sister and send him goodies in the mail once in a while. I think being around us reminds him of things he didn’t like about his childhood. Personally, I try to focus on the fun memories from then.

I hope everyone who is cooking in two days is ready! I’m not. I still need a few ingredients and to get the table ready. Thank goodness for one more day!

Nov19

Truly Blest-part 1

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I really am blest with friends I’ve met over the internet in the last 9 years. This past year, I’ve met some new pals, mainly through Blogger and Cyberstitchers. I had no idea I’d be surprised with goodies time and time again over the last few days.
First ‘Pea’ (Pea’s Corner) from Canada sent me a package. I told her I’d wait until today to open it. I need to take a photo, but it is the sweetest petite perfume bottle, shaped like a heart with a faceted round topper and little jewels on the sides. The box is pretty too! Thanks Pea/C!
Barbara from The Netherlands (Mainly Stitching) and Carol from N. Hampshire (A Garden of Stitches) both surprised me with cross stitched scissor fobs they made with their own two hands. Their creativity shines through each stitch and how the fob is assembled. I borrowed their shots from their blogs. Barb also sent a nice English stitching magazine, 2 quarters of Christmas fabric and some pretty stitching fabric. I also want to thank Carol for trying to find some info on NH for Sean for a paper.
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From Carol
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From Barbara

Charlotte from Ireland sent me peach and white roses (and another kind of flower) in a blue pitcher. These touched me as I know she’s been flat on her back, literally after back surgery.
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Karin for Illinois sent me the JT Cmas CD (Bri gave it to me also), cute greeting cards with a little girl who is gardening and a roll-up case for a project.
Angela from NY sent me a lovely long scarf she made-red silk-like material with beads on the end. Also a little folk angel and a stained glass butterfly pot hanger.
Terri from Alabama sent me a Harry and David cheesecake ‘sampler’-pure heaven!
Joy from Washington sent goodies from where she works-Drugstore.com-Bert’s Bees items in a pouch, Badger hand balm and a catnip mat for Cosmo! I think she looked at my wishlist there! ; )
Sean gave me two CDS-Sarah MacLachlan’s Cmas and Bianca Ryan’s debut (I mentioned in my previous post).
Bri gave me two necklaces-a ‘D’ with a little diamond, a big ‘O’ with diamond-like rhinestones; Chocolates in a cute tin, a little teapot with bear figurine from Boyd’s and the JT CD which I will exchange. I will post more photos later.
I am going to Ken’s at 4 and hopefully all my siblings (3 brothers) will be there. Dave, the oldest, may have to work.
My mom isn’t well today with tummy problems, so I hope she’ll be better by then. I am ok today, at least my ears seem better. Let’s just say hormones can play tricks with you!
So from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate you all, not just for your thoughtfulness, but because you are YOU!!!!

Nov19

For your entertainment

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Today in History -All Events on November 19
1965 Kellogg’s Pop Tarts pastries created-is this why I can’t help but buy them all the time?
1962 Fidel Castro accepts removal of Soviet weapons
1959 Ford cancels Edsel
1919 U.S. Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations
1895 Frederick E. Blaisdell patents the pencilGeneral Interest
1863 : Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address
1942 : Soviet counterattack at Stalingrad
1969 : Pele scores 1,000th goal
1977 : Sadat visits Israel

American Revolution
1776 : Congress pleads for soldiers

Automotive
1954 : First toll machine goes into service
1993 : Chevy Cavalier becomes Toyota Cavalier

Civil War
1863 : Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address –I’m proud of this event happening on my birthday

Cold War
1985 : Reagan and Gorbachev hold their first summit meeting

Crime
1924 : The story of Thomas Ince’s death takes on a life of its own

Disaster
1824 : Thousands perish in St. Petersburg flood

Entertainment
1916 : Goldwyn Company formed
1923 : Louella Parsons joins Hearst

Literary
1899 : Poet and critic Allen Tate is born

Old West
1907 : Shane author Jack Schaefer is born

Presidential
1831 : James A. Garfield is born

11/19/1889 Clifton Webb Entertainment
11/19/1904 Nathan Leopold Crime
11/19/1905 Tommy Dorsey Music
11/19/1917 Indira Gandhi Politics
11/19/1919 Alan Young Entertainment
11/19/1920 Gene Tierney Entertainment
11/19/1921 Roy Campanella Sports
11/19/1926 Jeane Kirkpatrick Politics
11/19/1933 Larry King Entertainment
11/19/1934 Dave Guard Music
11/19/1936 Dick Cavett Entertainment
11/19/1938 Ted Turner Business
11/19/1939 Tom Harkin Politics
11/19/1939 Garrick Utley Journalism
11/19/1941 Dan Haggerty Entertainment
11/19/1942 Calvin KleinFashion
11/19/1949 Ahmad Rashad Sports,Entertainment
11/19/1953 Tom Villard Entertainment
11/19/1954 Kathleen Quinlan Entertainment
11/19/1957 Ofra Haza MusicAlso: Meg Ryan and Jodie Foster!

Nov18

Me Collage

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My life so far…


I apologize to my sister-in-laws for not having a photo of them here. I don’t store that many photos on the computer. I’ll have to look in my Yahoo photos and add them in. Can you find my mom, three brothers, my Uncle, my grandmom, and the next generation? Click to enlarge.

Oct24

Celebration photos

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We ate at the Olive Garden and both Sean and my mom had Mediterranean Shrimp pasta.

Mom and me toasting the birthday boy with peach ice tea.

The cake I made Sean-devil’s food-with chocolate sprinkles and candy corn (which he really loves) on a leaf plate.

Sean and his ‘Mom-mom’. He’s about to blow out the candles of course. The candle in the middle plays ‘Happy Birthday’. I told Mom she has two interwined orbs over her head here and there’s a big one in the window. ; )

Oct24

20 great years!

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That photo was taken twenty years ago…wow, where did the years go? He was an alert, big fella!

Here’s my Sean as Mickey Mouse-he was three years old. I made or embellished most of his Halloween costumes over the years.

And here is the most recent photo of him taken with his camera phone at Perkins.


He is really a blessing to me because he made me a mom-I always wanted to be someone’s mom. He’s been a great teenager and I look forward to seeing him mature even more in his 20s, maybe date a bit and get through college with flying colors. I like that he enjoys spending time with me and more recently his dad. They watch sporting events together now all the time. This makes me so happy.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my pumpkin and only good egg. : )

Sep24

Happy 75th Mom

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September 23, 2005
Dear Mom,
Today is a special day and I am delighted I am here to share the occasion of your 75th birthday. I am happy that most of us are here for you. Remember the others are here in spirit.
I wanted to write a cheery-remember when letter to you. Good stuff with lots of warm fuzzies to make you smile or even laugh a little. Where can I start?
How about the little performances that Don and I use to do for you and Mom-mom? He definitely outshone his big sister more than once. I like to say I made up for it by later being in the church choir and singing in front of the Cardinal of Philadelphia.
One time you and I were sitting on the sofa and I was drawing a lady who was in the TV Guide, I think she was on Little House on the Prairie. Anyway, we started to pass the drawing between the two of us and it turned out pretty good, maybe a little exaggerated, but good. I still have that drawing. And I am glad that you still draw.
The countless daytrips we made to places like The King of Prussia mall where we always got something to remember the day. Then there was the Downingtown Market-who can forget the sights and smells of that place-dust and cinnamon buns? How many paperbacks did you buy there and from Booth Corners?
Speaking of daytrips, why on earth would we take daytrips to places like Gettysburg and the Poconos? I remember the trip to Gettysburg seemed endless and it was really hot. We mainly walked around a shopping village that day. The trip to the Poconos had us tramping in the woods with Mom-mom.
Going to the shore was always an interesting experience. The time we stayed at Brownies cottage and spent the entire time driving the Rambler around looking for Monkees trading cards is a stand-out. And the 3rd floor apartment we rented in Wildwood was fun and interesting. Don dropping clothes to the open back trunk was a time saver. And then you and Mom-mom playing Bingo in your fancy dresses- well that memory will never fade.
And you made sure we all had gifts a plenty for birthdays and Christmas. We know you loved a good bargain. I know you passed that gene on to Sean and me.
Your creativity shows in so many ways, from your singing voice to the way you embellish gifts. Thanks for passing on those genes to the four of us in varying degrees. You always made due with what you had, making birthday parties and Halloween extra special.
I hope you enjoy today. Feel stronger and better.
Love always,
Dianne