Thoughtful and Caring Friends ~They Cheer Me Up ~They Make My Day ~Thank You

This showed up at our front door...

An absolutely beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Hydrangeas are perhaps my favorite.

This one is such a delicate color.

The arrangement features so many unique blooms.

And why this special delivery?

I just got home from an unexpected stay in the hospital.

On Saturday, I fell.

Was heading up the stairway and I remember only the

first two steps before I blacked out.

A trip to the ER, and several tests later,

 determined I have multiple fractures.

The very sweet friend remains a mystery.

The card was not signed.

I thought the florist overlooked that detail, so I called.

Nope, was meant to be anonymous, it remains a mystery.

The reason for my two night stay in the hospital was for observation

and to solve the mystery of why I blacked out.

A dangerously low level of sodium in my blood.

Apparently there’s a delicate balance.

I follow a low sodium diet, per doctor’s orders.

While in the hospital, I received sodium supplements

to bring it up to an acceptable level.

To my dear thoughtful and caring friend,

I thank you so very much.

You really knew how to make me feel special.

Take care,

~Natalie 

Happy Birthday in Heaven to my Daddy

Sweet memories here.

When mom made Spaghetti for dinner,

there were always a couple strands of pasta

stuck in the colander and Daddy enjoyed

 sharing them with me!

Now he and my mother are celebrating together in Heaven,

perhaps with the best homemade Spaghetti ever.

Take care, 

~Natalie 

A Happy Birthday to my Mother in Heaven

 

Today we celebrate the First Full Day of Autumn,

along with the memories of celebrating my Mother’s Birthday.

This photo was the year she was chosen to be the Grand Marshal

for our Hometown School Alumni Reunion Parade.

I’ll save you from doing the mental math.

She would be 102 years old today.

We all gathered to celebrate a big birthday with her

after she moved to the Assisted Living Center.

The women of our congregation gifted her

with this cheerful handmade quilt.

I miss our daily phone chats,

but I know she is at peace and in a much better place.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom.

Take care,

~Natalie

Happy Fall 🍁 Y’All ~What’cha Workin’ On? ~Here’s my Report ~Cats, Creations, Cooking, Self Care, The Queen

 

We’ve been home for a week now.

It is nice to get back to a familiar routine.

I especially enjoy the early morning sunshine, coffee, 

time to connect with family and friends,

and my inspirational reading.

We watched the Bison Game out in the ManCave.

Yes, Lizzie is a fan, too.

She often likes a Birdseye view from on top of my vehicle.

I checked in here for an outpatient test.

I usually carry a little hand stitching project

to occupy the wait time.

We gave our friends a ride to the airport to catch the early flight.

Look, there’s some new technology

since the last time we were there in July.

We’ve appreciated dinners prepared at home.

Tilapia & Andouille in a foil pouch out on the grill.

Fresh oregano from our herb garden for the win.

We were away from home for four weeks,

and our cat was quick to let us know that she was not happy about it.

She gave us the Cold Shoulder and found new hiding places. 

We returned home to fresh produce from

Great Grandma’s Garden.  

I set up the blanching station early.

Since Hubby retired, he helps with this process…

Together, we are twice as fast.

The tomatoes simmer with peppers and onions for several hours.

On Day Two, I add the Ground Beef, Italian Sausage, Mushrooms,

along with the rest of the “secret ingredients” for all the flavors.

It sounds labor intensive, however we now have 

16 meals of Spaghetti Sauce in our freezer.

Not a highlight of my week…

I spent some unexpected time in a couple of these chairs.

Besides a bad tooth, the procedure has taken a lot out of me.

I have felt like this for days.

I did set my alarm for 4:30am to watch

The Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

If you were watching along with me, you all know

that it was a beautiful tribute to her life of service. 

She will be missed by so many.

Take care,

~Natalie 

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jog ~Last Leg of our Road Trip ~Here’s my Final Report

 

Four Weeks Away from Home

5400 Miles Logged

15 States Explored

12 Days in the Vehicle

Hubby likes to do the driving, while I really don’t,

so it is a good arrangement (most of the time)

Our most “serious” discussions can be blamed on our

Navigation Devices, Garmin and Google Maps.

They didn’t always agree on the best route.

Riding Shotgun, it is my task to research the Hotels,

Restaurants, and Attractions along the way.

This turns out well (most of the time)

We use Booking.com to find a place to stay with good reviews,

for a good price, in a convenient location.

Oh yes, and a Complementary Breakfast.

This was perhaps the best spread…

Oatmeal with all the Add-Ins.

Scrambled Eggs and Breakfast Potatoes,

French Toast and Link Sausages.

There was something for Everyone.

To maintain my sanity (most of the time)

I have projects to work on.

I had finished the hand stitching on those Santa Pillows,

so moved on to my American Flags.

We do take a mid-day break to stretch our legs

and have a late lunch. Again, we rely on Google

to find a unique place to stop.

This Mom and Pop restaurant was a local favorite in Sandusky.

The owner came out from the back to chat with us.

He is now in his 80s.

The food was tasty, but my favorite was the top of the bar…

it was glass, showing off an aquarium.

This guy says “Seriously, your Hubby ordered Fish?”

On the road again.

It was a beautiful drive along the scenic route.

Sometimes one just needs to get off the Interstate.

This was impressive.

One never knows what they’ll see along the way.

Another notable lunch stop was in Le Claire

where we ate with a view of the Mississippi River.

And then, back in the vehicle for the last few hours.

It was a long time to be away from home and our Kitty Cat.

However, spending time with our family

and visiting good friends was priceless.

Take care,

~Natalie 

Home Again, Home again, Jiggety Jig ~How we Got There ~National Baseball Hall of Fame

 

The time had come to say Farewell to these two.

We enjoyed a big Family Feast on our last evening.

Their Daddy made Ribs in his Smoker.

Mama made Corn Muffins and the Salad.

This Gigi made Homemade Mac & Cheese.

And the Grandsons helped Mama

pick out this cake at the bakery.

After hugs all around, the boys left for preschool,

 and Papa and Gigi finished packing up.

Yes, it was raining.

Perhaps those raindrops were a reflection of my mood?

In fact it, rained all morning long.

We had planned a stop in Cooperstown, NY.

A little town of less than 2,000 folks.

However, it is home to the

National Baseball Hall of Fame.

We had decided to go our separate ways and enjoy our own interests.

So I left Papa here to take his time and appreciate all the exhibits. 

For me, it was a quick walk to the Farmers Market.

There were beautiful displays and

 I chatted with a couple of interesting vendors.

The fresh produce was so colorful and lush.

It was too bad that we wouldn’t be home for three more days,

so I couldn’t purchase anything.

A local musician was entertaining us with his banjo.

Next to the Market was Doubleday Field.

It has been used for baseball since 1920.

My walk back to the Hall of Fame, took me past several quaint boutiques.

 I purchased a couple of sweet souvenirs.

My timing was perfect, Papa was also at the end of his tour.

We found a place to have a quick lunch

before getting back on the road.

A couple of Rest Stops along the way

allowed us to get out and stretch our legs.

Then it was time to find  place to retire for the night.

Take care,

~Natalie