Madly scrapping (scrap booking like mad)

There's a lot to scrap about in the fall. And that's coming from someone who scraps about everything.
My schedule has been particularly hectic of late and I've fallen behind. Contemplating the upcoming events of autumn, followed as they are, swiftly by the holidays, I decided I had some serious catching up to do lest I get so far behind I never catch up.
Our scrapbooks have become dear to me, I hope the books I make for family and friends become dear to them so I am determined to stay at it, however busy I might be. Like this blog, it takes no small effort for me to keep up .
That's why last weekend you could have found me scrapbooking like mad. By that, I mean, I was madly scrapbooking. It was fantastic. The results weren't bad either, if I do say so myself.


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About some spiders

We've been watching a pair of spiders spin intricate webs outside the tall windows of the breakfast room at our house for a while now. It has been fascinating.
For a while, the webs resembled smocking. I joked that they must be grandmother spiders with grandbabies young enough and cool enough to wear smocked things.
As time has passed, their work has gotten more detailed and interesting. Now, I am not a fan of spiders. At all. Whatsoever.
I can't say that I've ever really watched them before. Not even on tv or at the movies. In the third Lord of the Rings movie "Return of the King" I could not bear to watch the attack upon the character Frodo by the giant spider Shelob. So that I would spend long hours watching real spiders in real time right outside my window is strange. Yet here I am, standing transfixed...



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Naps under a buzz fan

I am a serious fan of naps. By that, I mean that naps are among my favorite things in the history of ever. I can't recall that I ever had to be made to take a nap. Usually, in fact, it is my idea.
I take one almost any time I can.
I love to take naps, most of all, under a fan. I learned to love napping that way as a child when my sisters and I would adjourn during the heat of the day to the big screened porch at the back of my grandparents' house to snooze under a buzz fan that looked a whole lot like the one below.

We were warned that the thing would bite our fingers off if we got them too close. We couldn't resist putting our faces up as close to the blades as we dared to make our voices buzz along with the whirring fan. We were careful to do this outside adult detection though, for napping would not have been the same if they'd followed through on the threat to take it away if we got too close. Napping then and and napping now, just wouldn't be the same if it were not under a fan.
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You raise me up

I would guess that my grandbaby has written hundreds of miles on the shoulders of her granddad. Since she outgrew the  babe in arms stage, that perch has been her favorite way to travel.
This summer I have noticed just how tall she has gotten as her long, lanky legs now reach his waist. He recently had surgery and has not been able to lift her, much left tote her around in a while. They both have expressed frustration that, even though she is now 7 years old, he can't carry her right now.
It makes me think of a song I love recorded a while back by one of my favorite recording artists. I am posting the link to the official video here for your listening pleasure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxrX42WcjQ

More of the Rockies

I am including some more pictures but very little text for this post. The beauties below are all law students, entering their third and final year of law school this week. They are all good students and excellent people. They will make their mark on the world in ways I can hardly wait to see.





They flew to Colorado last week for a bit of rest and relaxation. Throughout the week, that one in the middle, who happens to be my baby daughter, texted me videos and pictures. I am sharing some of them here.


They stayed in the cabin of one of the other girls' parents in Silverthorn. They were all over Summit County during their week there. I doubt any of them were ready to leave the beauty of the Rockies when it was time to head back to Tulsa and to their last year of law school.



My baby brought home tshirts for everyone. She brought a book to her niece that was written and illustrated by a Summit County author. She also brought home many happy memories and stories to tell us about her adventures with her friends and classmates.
Oh, and apparently she made some new friends, as you can see above.
Nothing about that surprises me.
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Dog lover

Last weekend, while the Grandbaby was over to visit, she reminded her Grandad that he had promised to take her to pick out a price. It was as a reward for something she'd done well. I don't recall the basis for the reward and that's not the subject of this blog post, anyway.
What I am relaying here is the fact that she did not buy a toy or a game or a movie. She did not even pick out clothes for herself. Rather, she picked out an outfit for one of our dogs.
I have written before about her canine playmates and how she loves them. She loves to bathe then and brush them. And yes, she loves to dress them.
In her book, I suppose, they are not alot different from her baby dolls or Barbie dolls. She coordinates their outfits with bows and other accessories.
The necklace/collar in the photo below is one she made using her snap bead kit to go with the new dress she picked out.
Likely I would think this more odd if my baby daughter, who is 25 and in graduate school did not dress up her own dog like something off of "Legally Blonde." This has to be where the grandbaby learned it. I am categorically opposed to clothing on pets. Unless one of my darlings is involved, that is...

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Flowers

Baby daughter got these flowers on the last day of her summer job. They are not just beautiful, they smelled wonderful, too. Not only that, it seems they have served as inspiration for her wedding florals next September.
As she was describing to me what she wanted to use for her nuptials, it came to me that she was describing this arrangement.
You gotta love a bouquet that can do all of that.
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3Ls in the Rockies

There are some very smart and pretty young women lose in the Rocky Mountains this week.
They are not lost. At least so far as I know.
They have wandered but as Gandalf said, not all who wander are lost.
I have seen videos of them feeding wild birds and mammals.
I have seen pictures of them fishing and hiking.
I am told they intend to go river rafting.
They start their third year of law school next week.
I know from experience, they will need a great deal of stamina to finish.
I am happy, then, that they are having fun and doing decidely non academic things this week.
Although, now that I think about it, exploring the flora and fauna and geography of one of the prettiest areas in the country certainly would be considered a learning experience.


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Wahoo

My husband inherited his grandmother's Wahoo board.  Wahoo, for those who don't know, is a marble game. It is a game of strategy and chance.  The Hub was thrilled the board came to him since so many happy memories are attached to it. We played at least one game of Wahoo with her every time we visited.  Over the years, that board has been the source of no small amount of amusement to friends and family. These days, it is the source of much fun for the Grandbaby. There are some interesting things that came to my mind as we played the most recent game on that board. Its original owner was called "Eee." That is because her first grandchild had difficulty saying his "L's" when he first began to speak. When he tried to say "Grandma Lee" it came out "Grandma Eee" and eventually he and everyone else called her Eee. My grandbaby is called "EE." How that came to be, I am not quite sure. The two "E's" are for Emma Elizabeth, her first and middle names. Together they are quite a mouthful and obviously someone decided to shorten them to a nickname but I cannot recall who it was.  That similarity struck me even as I was stricken by just how much the grandbaby loves to play Wahoo. Just like her great-great grandmother.  One other similarity. The grandbaby also loves to win, just like her forebearer. And I mean, a lot.
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Ideallic

I did some cleaning out while I was off on vacation. I was actually looking for a hankie bonnet to give to my recently engaged daughter. The bonnet, which I was sure was in my hope chest somewhere was given to her when she was born. The search for it continues, as I did not find it where I expected. What I did find, between the pages of an old book, where I thought the bonnet might be pressed, was an old grocery ticket. A flood of memories came upon me as I looked at it. I was six and a half on the date the ticket was signed. My signature would hint to that if the date thereon did not establish it. What I picked up that cost  one dollar and sixty seven cents I could only guess at. I don't recall anything at all about the transaction. What I do recall is the place the ticket was signed. Haywood Grocery Store, Sasawka, Oklahoma. The store was just down the lane from my grandparent's house. The checkers there knew me by name.  I was allowed to ride my bike to the store to pick up what my Grandmother needed, sign the ticket, place the purchase in the wicker basket and then return with whatever it was within a reasonable time. I don't say quickly because at six I doubt I rode all that fast, even when I wanted to. I don't recall there ever being a reason to hurry much nor do I remember ever hurrying. I would meander, much the way the characters in the "Family Circus" cartoons do on the funny pages. Up and over, in and out, I went. Often I stopped by to pick up the mail on the corner where the Postmistress, Vella Carder, my grandparent's neighbor, often included a lollipop in the bundle of mail she handed me. From there I would take a different path back than the way I came. Down the street, up the ramp covered steps of a small church, by the Oliver's House where I would call out hello and if I got an answer, would stop to chat for a bit. There was no fear in my mind, ever. There was nothing to fear on my route. As long as I stayed on the sidewalks or grass paths and off the streets, I was safe.  I don't expect my grandparents had any qualms about my safety or I would not have had the freedom to come and go at my own pace that I enjoyed. They were always (seemingly) interested to hear about what I had done and seen and who I had talked to. They treated it just as I did, as a great adventure. That there is some tangible reminded of those adventures that cause me to reflect upon them is a matter of no small import to me. I am thinking of framing it...
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IXXXVIMMXV

The title of this post is the date my baby daughter will become someone's wife.
They've picked a date.
It is September 26, 2015.
I hashed it out in Roman Numerals so that I might have it engraved on a bracelet for her.
I told her that once I do, the date is set in stone (or at least in silver.)
She was nonplussed.
I think I know why.
There is a Christmas ornament that has long hung on our tree that reads "Baby's First Christmas 1980." I received it as a gift at one of my baby showers in December of 1980. It is beautiful and certainly would reasonably have fit for a child due December 8 of that year. Problem was, Christmas came and went and then New Year's. also, and no baby.
She was born January 2, 1981. Every year when we hang that ornament, we laugh about her taking her own sweet time arriving. The baby daughter has grown up hearing the ornament story. It should not surprise me then that when I said you can't change the date after I order the bracelet she said, "why not? It would be just be funny."

Miss Isenhower

A sweet little friend of ours will be teaching second grade this year.
Her classroom is all set up. She has lessons planned in her head and I am sure, knowing her, on paper.
She loves children. Is highly organized. She's creative. Smart. I already mentioned, sweet.
I wanted to do something to commemorate this time in her life.
A smash book seemed the perfect way to do that.
Not that I was anxious to do yet another one.
Actually, I was.
My grandbaby starts second grade this year but alas, at a different school. Pity that, because I would love for our Miss Isenhower to be her teacher. Making smash books for the two of them in tandem was fun since Grade 2 times two: albeit one for a teacher and one for a student just flowed easily.
The result of the teacher version is pictured below. She seemed as thrilled with it as I hoped she'd be. My hope now is that she have lots of good memories of her first year as a teacher to fill the book with.

Still smashing

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A few new favorites

I am sitting here, sipping peppermint water, purchased for me by my baby daughter at Whole Foods. I am on vacation and am making smash books for some folks I love. My new little portable fan is blowing upon me as I work.





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I pinned one too many pumpkins

The wedding is in September. Not next month. September of next year
September 26, 2015, in fact, is the date set by the betrothed.
I love the idea of an autumn wedding.
When I mentioned this to my daughter, back before the date was set, she just kind of smiled as I spoke of pumpkins and boughs of leaves. Truth be told, I was thinking October or November. at the time.
I started pinning, of course, fall wedding things. I sent her some by email. Messaged some to her. I uploaded and downloaded. I practically had the whole thing planned.
Or so I thought.
Silly me.
My baby daughter has always known her own mind. I would not expect her wedding plans to be any different from anything else she sets about.
There will be no pumpkins, saith she.
At least not orange ones.
She might let me have one (1) and only one, white one. Somewhere in the mix. Maybe. If I am good, that is. That means if I smile and nod to myself and keep my opinions to myself.
I am harkened back to her high school years when I sat on the floor in loud, dark clothing stores and rehung the garments she did not like. At some point I thought she brought me along because she wanted to hear my opinion(s). I was wrong.
She wanted my company, I think. This is good. She had such strong opinions of her own, she did not need mine.
And so it is today.
I am determined to be good company on this journey we agree should be a happy adventure.
I will let you know how that works out.


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