Sunday

Happy Sunday. I hope you had a good day! It was mild and sunny and a pleasant. Our daughter Angie brought us donuts and we had coffee outside in the sun. We stayed 6 ft away but it was such a delight. Otto was with his dad. I think soon we can have him over and just keep our distance but that will be hard.
It's a new week and so we shall see what that brings our way. 

Resurrection Sunday

Happy Resurrection Sunday! It was a beautiful day in many ways today. The virus canceled church services which is something that has never happened. I whole heartedly agreed with this decision, as we are still staying home to limit the spread of this virus. Some people were upset but I feel it gave people a chance to explore different types of Christian services via the internet. I joined several programs this week. This morning I watched a sunrise service at Arlington Cemetery. I didn't know that services were held there. I live in the Pacific North West, so I have never even been there. The chaplain was fabulous and what a joy to view this service online. Later this morning, I joined my friends Paul and Angelia for their home church. They live in Alabama and I visit this service often.
Yes, it was a very different Easter but Easter Sunday was not canceled.

Last January, someone in a tea group I belong to, posted these adorable tins. I was able to order a set. I don't even remember the name of the company. The larger tin is for cake. Isn't it pretty?

The smaller one says Tea Time Treats! Oh, how I dove that tin.

Jimmy likes sugar cookies. I had a roll of dough in the fridge, So I decided to bake some cookies for him. I LOVE cookie cutters. I used some of the red plastic ones from my youth, some Hallmark ones that my girls loved growing up and some I have picked up along the way. Yep, I still have my Tupperware sheet for rolling out dough. I have had it for about 40 years!

Jimmy doesn't like icing on sugar cookies, so I just used colored sugars to decorate them a little.

This is one of my spice cabinets. This was a Mother's Day gift long ago.

I have very small cookie cutters in some of the drawers. I used to use these to make cookies for my daughters when they were little.

I picked out a few to make some cookies for my dollies. I just love these tiny cookie cutters.

The finished project! I will have to share them with my dolls.

I also decided to make one of our family traditions for Easter. They are called Blarney Stones. They started out as cakes for St Pat's Day by my maternal grandmother. She cut a sheet cake into squares, frosted the cake all around and rolled it in coconut and chopped walnuts. My mother changed the process a little. She made them for Easter and frosted them with pastel colors. She made cupcakes and that made them easier to handle than cut cake squares. We still call them Blarney Stones.

Chopped walnuts and coconut ready to go.

These are so yummy and pretty, but they are messy to make. I frost the top and sides and then put it in the coconut bowl. I finish frosting the sides and bottom and roll it the coconut. I've done these many years and I will tell you, it takes some practice to get it right.

The coconut ones are the favorite in my family, but they like some nut ones too!

Don't they look like spring? These are full size cupcakes, but I have made them smaller for showers or teas. I like to make white ones with coconut for Christmas or winter...they look like snowballs.

I let them sit overnight with a layer of plastic wrap loosely over the pan. They need to dry a bit before wrapping them individually in plastic wrap. The look great in the new cake tin.

My friend Michi Ball made this rabbit. She is an artist and sells wonderful things every month. I just love him.

My Jimmy was so ready for a nice Easter dinner. We couldn't share our meal with anyone, but we have each other. I had fun planning the menu....ham, balsamic vinegar asparagus, pea salad and fresh fresh fruit salad. I'm not supposed to eat ham due to my low sodium diet, but I did have a bit today!

Jimmy loved the pea and bacon salad...something new for us.

I didn't get out my Easter dishes this year so I used my Johnson Brother's Old English Countryside set.

Angie had Otto and her step daughter over night this weekend so she drove over to see us and drop off a few things. We can't have the kids over now but we got to see them as they stayed in the car.
Otto was SO SAD that he had to stay in the car. In the first photo, you can only see his hand. He wouldn't even look at us for awhile. It just made me so sad. We haven't seen him in person for a month!I tried not to cry, but the tears just came. Jim got sad too. Brave Angie just keep saying it was alright. This is the hardest part of this separation stuff for me.

Well, here it is bedtime. It was a full and busy day. We both found a lot of JOY, even with the sadness. Stay home and stay safe. 

December!

Hello and welcome December! I love the last month of the year. It is filled with busy days, joy, music, church, birthdays, shopping, friends and lots of family fun!  I spent the days after Thanksgiving decorating our home. I have the house all decorated and today I will go over to my dad's to decorate his apartment. Once that is done, it's on to St Nicholas Day and my birthday celebration this weekend.

My daughter Angie always gives me tiny gifts wrapped up like an advent calendar for each day of the month of December. It is my birthday gift every year. I really don't know when she started this, but she has never missed for years and years. It is so much fun and I just look so forward to it and love it. Even the years when she was really broke, she gave me the same gift. Yesterday was December 1st, so I opened my first treat! How cute is this! It's a Cinderella slipper filled with Jelly Belly candies.

Thank you my sweet Angie.

Time for one more cup of coffee and then I need to get ready to go over to dad's. Let the decorating continue!

Family

This little group of four is certainly a FAMILY! It's a rainy Sunday morning and I'm just thinking about my daughter Angie and her family. It is such a blessing for me and for her father to see her become a family, after so many years of praying and just hoping.

She helped me on Friday take down all Papa's Christmas things. My sister is sick and the job fell on me. I have just had a time this January getting things done and getting back to normal. Ang was so sweet to offer to help me. Grandpa Jimmy kept Otto. Our family had retail stores for years and the girls and I always had fun working together. It felt like old times! Angie works quickly, much quicker than her old mama! Thank you Angie!

So my SIL kept calling and wanted us all to go to dinner after he picked up Miss Ava. So we ended up at Wong's King Seafood Restaurant. The food is superior and Chris just knows what to order...yum.

The VERY PROUD mommy and daddy. Otto is just easy to take and the little guy just goes along with it all. He's growing  and changing every week!

I just love the way Chris loves his children...it just shows on his face! Ava is so good with her little brother. She is a good big sister.

Grandpa Jimmy with his grandkids. I don't think this guy could be much happier either! Miss Ava was being funny with the bunny ears.

Ah yes, Grandma Linda was in heaven with the little ones. I just love them both! Sweet little blessings of the perfect kind. Being with the kids and grandkids sure makes the January blues disappear.

Road Trip!

On Friday, Jimmy and I picked up Angie and Baby Otto in the morning and headed north to Seattle...ROAD TRIP! We were excited to see Eric and Gina's new home and they were excited to spend some time with Otto. We had a nice drive up and stopped at the Country Cousins restaurant for a bite and a chance for the baby to stretch a bit. He is so good and he's a good traveler too! Grandma was loving it!

Eric and Gina have been in their new home about two months. It is just a beautiful crafted home, very mid century. It's all on one level, it's big and spacious, so it is perfect for our Eric. Eric has his roll in shower, cupboards are lower as are the appliances, and it's so open with wide haul ways and all. We are so happy for them both to have found a home that fits them so well.

This is our little tour around the outside of the home.

The home has been landscaped so well ....several different types of fruit trees too.!

Auntie Gina, Baby Otto and mama Angie....precious one and all! Don't they look happy?

The men folk having fun. They have been having fun together at the Expo shows so they are used to hanging around with each other a bit....funny guys.

This wonderful window is a favorite of Gina's.

We went inside to the party room, complete with a second fireplace. Such a cozy place to entertain.

Time to eat! This is a darling picture of these two, getting to know each other again. Gina was there with Chris when Otto had a difficult time getting out, so the bond is pretty special.

This is the rest of the party room. It has a mirror at the end so it seems like the room is bigger than it is.

Auntie Gina put on her Cookie Monster hat and Otto was enchanted. So cute.  My daughter is a very good mother. I'm so happy for her.

We had to put it on Otto too. He thought it was pretty funny. Cutie pie.

Kissy Kissy.....adorable. Can you tell we were having fun? Proud papa and grandpa there in the back.

A short time ago, my sister Debbie sent out an email to see if either of my girls would like to have my mother's china. Angie is the oldest granddaughter, but she has lots of wonderful dishes and really couldn't take it. Gina was delighted to take it. My dad's boss went to Japan on a buying trip for Woolworth and was able to get this china there for my mother. I think it was about 1958, so it's very mid century. The china is Nortake China and the pattern is called Sheldon. It's trimmed in silver and is a light turquoise, very nice. The girls had it unpacked before dinner!

Gina bought this china cabinet a few weeks ago, so she was anxious to have the china arrive.  She will take good care of it and it hope someday she will be able to pass it on in the family.

Jim and I drove home that night and left the young folks to enjoy the baby and each other.  Looks like they were having a grand time. We will be having Christmas in Seattle this year, so I hope to share more pictures of their home so everyone can see more of the house. Thanks you guys for the wonderful visit. Love you all lots!

Two Month Check Up for Little Otto

Yesterday Grandma Linda picked up Little Otto and Angie for a visit to the doctor. It was really neat to be able to go with them for his two month check up. I sure felt like a grandma. He wasn't too happy to have to take off his clothes and be checked out. Poor little monkey man...he can scream! He had a good check up and had to have 5 shots. He didn't like that at all!

What a blessing to have the doctor tell you your baby is just fine.

After the check up, we decided to go over to see my dad. We couldn't get him on the phone so we just went in and found him at the puzzle table. He was so happy to see us and we were happy to spend a little time with PAPA. Otto just snuggled right down with his great grandpa.

We said good bye to Papa and went to get a bite. I let the new mama decide where she wanted to go. She chose Mexican food and Otto just zonked out. Yes, we did have a margarita to celebrate his good check up. He is such a good little baby and easy to take. It was so nice to spend the day with my daughter and her baby. I waited a long time for this and boy, am I enjoying it!

Sleepy boy...isn't his hair a riot? The back is dark but is falling out and the new hair is a light reddish brown. He has very long eyelashes.

What is he smiling about in those dreams? So cute and so funny. Angie said he was pretty sleepy but did fine with his shots. Gotta keep our little funny bunny healthy.