Scattered Random Thoughts

My life.
1.  Have you noticed that I do not post much anymore?  Probably not, but it is only because I tend to do the same things over and over, and although I do not find that to be boring, I can easily see how anyone else would.  Boring is the art form in which I work best.
2.  Since mostly I see the grand kids all at once after school on Wednesdays, it can get a bit too crazy here to post about.  And, the older ones do NOT like having their pictures taken.  I understand that, but it is always hard for me to post a ton of pictures of a few of them, and none of the camera abhorrent ones.
3.  Although I DID take a picture of Jonge and Pake back to back today.  It looks like they are pretty close to the same height now.  At the moment, Jonge looks like Prince Albert from the series "Victoria".  Today when I saw him, that theme song started running through my head and has been playing nonstop since.  It's not Wednesday, but since it is conference week we picked them up today, stopped for hot fudge sundae's and brought the four of them here for awhile.  Next week both sets of grand kids will be on spring break, two of them headed to Florida by plane, and four of them road tripping to St. Louis and Atlanta.
4.  Today after breakfast THGGM and I did some antique shopping in Spring Lake, and then drove to Grand Haven.  Of all the days NOT to bring my camera!  The sky was an intense blue (thggm thinks it seems more intense to me only because i can now see the brightness of color now) the water was still, but very blue with white ice burgs bobbing along, and there were a pair of loons in the channel.  I cannot remember the last time I actually saw a loon, so that was exciting.  An interesting bird to watch, for sure.  And one would think that was enough bird excitement for the day, when over head appeared a pair of bald eagles!  They are always a thrill to see, but especially against all the bright blueness of the sky and water.  A camera would have been nice to have, but at least I had the enjoyment of the moment without trying to focus a camera on moving objects.
5.  Lasts week Thursday we went to the school down the street from us to see the play "The Diviners".  I tend to only like plays that I know something about, with actors that I know, and that was not true with this one.  But it was EXCELLENT, and we truly wanted to go see it again the next two nights.  Acting talent amazes me, especially in the form of high school students playing difficult parts involving extreme adult emotions - and doing it so well!  Oldest son knew the director, and also one of the lead actors, from plays he had directed or performed in, so he invited us to go with him.  So glad he did!  Did I mention that we loved it?  Because we did!
6.  When we exited the school to walk home there was the bright full moon shining on us.  Does it get better than that?  Walking home under a full moon?  I think not.
7.  After reading everything I could get my hands on about Queen Victoria, et al. and a slew of books on Clementine Churchill, I quit all that English history for a bit and started reading "A Users Guide to the Brain".  It goes without saying that I have learned a ton, and I'm sad to admit the book has been around for almost twenty years and I'm just getting to it now.  There is an ever so slight chance that I'm annoying people by throwing out my new found knowledge, but whatever.  It's what I do.
8.  It might become necessary for someone who loves me to put a lock on my computer at right around this time of night.  I've been known to be surprised in the morning at what I have ordered from Amazon or other reputable online stores at this time of night.  Apparently, the night time me thinks I need to own sweatshirts, cardigans, and tunics in a variety of clearance colors that the morning me would have sense enough not to purchase in multiples.  Maybe there will be something about that in the book I'm reading?  I will let you know.
9.  Every evening when I let the dog out there are two LARGE bunnies in our backyard.  Why do bunnies choose to live and breed in a yard with a dog?  This makes no sense to me.  Are they not afraid of dogs?  Sometimes Zeke will chase them, sometimes he almost seems friendly to them, which I find shocking as Zeke is not even all that friendly to me.  Anyway, I'm quite certain there will soon be more bunnies just staring off into space in our backyard soon.
10.  Last week, as THGGM was heading to his office in our basement some movement outside caught his eye.  This would have been just before four in the morning.  At the end of our neighbors driveway, which is directly in front of ours, there were THREE deer!  There are a few parks and wooded areas around us so it isn't unusual to see them occasionally in those places, but there are no parks or woods or ponds close to us!  I wish he would have woken me up to see this rare sight, but he is thoughtful and kind and thought it best not to.
Well there you have it.  My relentlessly thrilling life.  Everything has seemed so different in the past months that I've yet to feel at home in my own life.  I'll get there, but I can't say that it has been easy.  Hope life is treating you well!

Randomness

 It's been awhile since I have done this, hasn't it?  Well, today seems like a good day for it.  I have a couple hours before the first two of the four arriving grandchildren for today get here.  I may as well be all random, as anything I focus on around here will soon enough come undone!  Oh, and later I will post more family pictures, because you KNOW I have MORE.

1.  On the way to have our family pictures taken I grabbed this shot as we were going down the highway.
Did they put a lion on top of this?
Yes.  Yes they DID put a lion on top of this.
Hmm.  I just do not know what to say about that.  Occasionally, I have thoughts that cannot be properly articulated.
2.  For anyone who may have been wondering if on Monday I still make things, I will tell you that I do!  This week Monday I made a rather worthless closet in my kitchen usable again.  It was mainly filled with a large bag of dog food, craft supplies that interest no one anymore (with the exception that i found my three missing heart punches!) and bags and bags of bags.  Plastic bags.  Under the plastic bags I found the missing dust pan.  Well, to be honest, I found a total of FIVE dust pans.  There were also small appliances and a plethora of odd pans and large bowls.  I am happy to report that now I have a nice clean closet filled with all the things I actually use on a daily basis.  Sigh.., but seriously, it took all day.  What's left is to drop off a rather large box to the thrift store.
3.  I'll spare you the count of how many MORE toilet paper pumpkins I have made.
4.  The big news around here is that Jonge made the A team for middle school basketball!  Last year I couldn't make it to any of his games.  This year I am hoping to get to some!  Yay!  Basketball!  It's played INSIDE!
5.  When I'm not being annoyed by political ads, I'm searching for resources that I can trust.  Mostly though, since I love to read history, I am becoming more and more alarmed by how history repeats itself.  Presently, I'm reading a book about Clementine Churchill.  Where I currently am in the book is the period leading up to and at the beginning of WWII.  OH MY!   So much we ALL could learn from that.
I love this Lewis quote, which seems fitting now.   “I feel a strong desire to tell you – and I expect you feel a strong desire to tell me – which of these two errors is the worse. That is the devil getting at us. He always sends errors into the world in pairs – pairs of opposites. And he always encourages us to spend a lot of time thinking about which is the worse. You see why, of course? He relies on your extra dislike of the one error to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not let us be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between those errors. We have no other concern than that with either of them.” - C.S. Lewis 'Mere Christianity'
So much truth.
6.  Next on our list of things to get done around here is new kitchen floors.  I'm already so stressed out about this that even I am finding myself unbelievably ridiculous.  It comes as no surprise to anyone else that we have a lot of "stuff", but it does always seem to surprise ME.  Ugh.  Sometimes I am so me that I wish I could just get away from myself.  But if I did, I would just come home with more stuff.  It's what I do.  I AM Madame Blueberry from Veggie Tales.  Although I would never go to Stuff Mart.  Just thrift and antique stores.  (because i'm cool like that.)
Anyway.., don't want to dwell on THAT for too long.., as I've given myself a year to get it under control.
7.  Although I can see golden bits of trees out my window, our trees are still mostly green.  I'm hoping there will be color to enjoy soon, before any dreaded snow falls.  Not that I dread snow.  What I DO enjoy is a distinction in the seasons.  I love fall.  It's my favorite season.  My favorite color combinations appear all around me.  I also like the smells of fall.  With the exception of this week, when our entire neighborhood smells like some major maintenance needs to be done at the water treatment plant.
8.  Doctor's appointments.  I suppose those deserve more thought than "random", but good grief, how does anyone afford to stay alive anymore?  Lately, I've been having trouble seeing. especially out of my left eye.  My eyesight has never been good, but when THGGM and I were out shopping on Saturday I found myself wondering of seeing eye dogs will ever be trained to read.  I would like one that could read the prices on teeny tiny stickers that seem to be in vogue at thrift and antique shops.  I can NOT see them anymore.  And seriously, there are a few things I do NOT want to stick my nose into to SEE.  Martha, the dog from Martha Speaks would be fun to have.  But she's only a cartoon.  (hey.  i can dream, can't i?)
9.  For years I had become extremely excited the minute pumpkin spice coffee came out at the very end of summer.  Sadly, by the end of September I never wanted it anymore.  This year, the year I turned 60 and became wiser and all that, I waited until the beginning of this month to purchase a bag of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice coffee.  I only have it once a day, which means I am still enjoying it.  Live and learn.
10.  And I am off to find some Fall-ish books to read with Hertsje and Broeder when they arrive!  Because once Kado and Feintsje get here, I will only exists as someone who cuts up apples for those with wobbly teeth.

Grand Rapids Skyline

Random Randomness

So, I see it has been two weeks since I've posted anything here.  How odd.  It isn't like I haven't been around, as I have been.
But really, the weeks are much the same.  The grand kids come.  THGGM and I occasional go places and do things.  Nothing seems new, but also, nothing feels the same.  I'm not sure exactly why, except that it has been a very different year.  But then, what year isn't?   One thing that hasn't changed?  I still have random thoughts.  I know, you were worried that maybe I'd somehow ORGANIZED my thoughts into something partially coherent, but, no, that has not happened.

Random thought number one:  Today we had planned to go to the Allegan Antiques Flea Market.   As it ended up, I did not get to go (don't ask).  THGGM and Oldest Son went.  Apparently, there was a LARGE turnout for the first sale of the year.  Hopefully I will make it to a couple of them.
#2:  While they were gone, I spent my time working on some drawings.  I'd like to draw all six of the grand kids.  Just for fun, which so far, it has been!  I've got a long way to go and I know it.  I'm using old pictures, ones that I have only snap shots off.  Mostly I want to work on shading and blending skin tones.  It's not something I'm good at.  Let's hope I can stick with this until I'm finished.  There is a tendency within me to start things with a passion, then as it gets harder or I hit a bump my interest and enthusiasm wanes.

#3:  If you've read here for long, you may remember (that is if you don't have anything exciting in your own life) that we seem to attract mice at weird times and in sundry places.  This week, in an extremely odd place, I found evidence of a mouse.  That night THGGM set a trap, as one is wont to do when one's wife tells you to.  The next morning when I got up I was greeted by THGGM telling me NOT to go into the kitchen.  I figured the dog had left me a little something.  Then he said we caught a mouse.  Hmm.  In the kitchen?  That isn't were we set the trap.  So, apparently, a trap in the den caught just the front right foot of said mouse, and he was running through the house dragging the trap with him.  I did not SEE him running like that, only heard it.  We must underestimate what one agile mouse can do while dragging a trap, as THGGM thought for sure he had it cornered in the kitchen by closing the two metal pet gates at both doorways.  Except that OUR mouse was somehow able to make his way over the gate and under a heavy cupboard in our dining room.  I know this not only because of the sound, but by placing my camera on the floor and snapping pictures until I got a good one.  From this point, I fled the scene and THGGM did whatever he did to get rid of the mouse.  Frankly my dears, I don't even want to know!

#4:   Do any of you watch the Decorah Eagle cam?  I've been watching for the many years now.  This year it has been particularly heart-breaking as Dad Decorah left the nest for the night one day last week and has not been seen since.  I do like birds, and enjoy watching them and learning about them, but this up close look into how they live has been incredible.  There are three babies still in the nest, being fed by a weary yet able Mom.  If that sounds of interest to you go to https://www.raptorresource.org/birdcams/decorah-eagles/ I find it fascinating.  The grand kids enjoy watching this too.  The new cameras they added this year can zoom in for a detailed look at these birds, and also pan out to the gorgeous area in Iowa where they make their home.  Until discovering these eagles, the closest I've ever come to a nest was the year a pair of robins built a nest on the sill right outside our closet window.  It was amazing to watch the daily changes.

#5: Friday I finished binge watching (that is something that i've never truly done before!) Downton Abbey, all six seasons from beginning to end.  I had watched a couple of seasons, but not the first two, and all of the final season that I had seen was the finale.  It was interesting to see it all.  Now all I want to do is talk with an English, or Scottish, or Irish accent.  It would also be nice if people started calling me M'lady, but I do not see that in my future.  I'm more of the housemaid type. But.., I can dream.., can't I?
#6  I'm presently reading "North and South" by Elisabeth Gaskell.  I guess I'm stuck in England.  This is the first book I've read by her, with the exception of reading ABOUT the biography she wrote on Charlotte Bronte.  I'll let you know when I'm finished what I think about it, but so far I like it!  Very good before-bed reading, which seems to be all the reading I do lately. 
#7:  This morning, shortly after THGGM left for breakfast I wrote a list of possible things to write about here.  I do that rather often.  And then when I sit down to write I read over the list and think - why would I ever want to write about that?!  So, maybe someday.  I should probably start with that interesting conversation I overheard a few weeks ago at a restaurant.  I'll give it some thought. 

Time to go.., I hear an eagle in the background calling for me...

Randomness

1.  Today has been a day of cleaning.  We DID go out to lunch, but other than that it's been a stay-at-home sort of day.  The kind of day where one vacuums under and behind things that haven't seen the light of day since Christmas.  It was time.  Well, actually, it was way past time.  But it's done now.
2.  This charming book came in the mail this week.  I really like ordering from Abebooks.com.  I've been able to find everything I've been looking for there.  I saw this book awhile back on someones Pinterest board.  Since I fell in love with the cover, and also LOVE "The Bird's Christmas Carol" by the same author (also the author of "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm") I was pretty sure I'd love it. And even if I didn't (i do!) I would want it for it's cover!

IF ONLY people did not put stickers on the covers of books!  This is something I could rant about for days, but then, I have to remind myself that I've done some pretty serious damage to the covers of books myself, which quickly silences me.  And, I would not have found the book for the fabulous price I did were the cover in perfect condition, so there is also that.  Still.., I'm going to huff about it for a little while longer and then just move on with my life (i'm mature like that).
3.  This weekend we didn't do any thrift shopping.  No reason to worry, we went on Wednesday, which is senior discount day.  But on Friday THGGM and I stopped in at the second day of an estate sale.  There we found this large blue pitcher.  Everything was 50% off.  When I got home with it I remembered that I have two pieces that are nearly identical.  The flowers are a bit different, but the colors and the feel of the china are the same.  Most likely I will find another place for it, as it looks like something that would fit in better in a bedroom, but who knows?   

4. THGGM found the smaller pitcher there also.  I thought I had just the place for it in the kitchen but he really likes it here.  It does stand out more.
5. This week I'm hoping to do the second round of packing things up for the thrift store.  Yes, I did get rid of A LOT last month, but there is still more to do.  Do you know how some people have a junk drawer that they are embarrassed about?   Hmm.  I have a junk drawer in every room.  None of it is junk to me though, they are treasures I've squirreled away for years but can no longer remember why.  So, as long as there are empty boxes to fill, I'll be filling them.  Remember, I'm giving myself A YEAR to do this.  I'll get there (maybe).
6.  The black picture frame is something I found for a dollar awhile back.  It PERFECTLY fits four of the Ethel Parkinson postcards I found for a deal on Ebay last year.  There is just something about the pictures, the colors, the combination of those things that makes me want to stand in front of it everyday just to take it in.  I don't know much at all about art, but illustrations that draw one into the scene make me supremely happy.
7.  Spring has finally arrived, although it certainly does not feel like it yet.  It's been sunny, but COLD.  Presently I'm listening to the whine of a dog who wants to go for a quick walk.  He isn't "whining" exactly, more like moaning about me under his breath.  But, when I DO take him out, I'm amazed to see hyacinth, daffodils, and tulips starting to appear.  Zeke doesn't notice those.  He just smells stuff.
8.  Yesterday we also drove out to Grand Haven to do a little bit of antique "looking".  There isn't another thing we need or could shoehorn into this place, but we still enjoy looking!  I also enjoy the ride.  With no leaves on the trees it's easier to see what is in all of those woods we pass on the way there.  Both antique malls we went to are recently under new ownership.  It will be interesting to see how well they do.  There seems to be a demand for mid-century modern these days, but to me it just looks like what everybody I ever knew used to have.  I still prefer the older stuff, things that seem to have a story they are trying to tell me.  Mid-century also tells a story, I'm sure, but it's one I've heard before (and didn't like).
9.  After school one day this week when the grand kids were here, Jonge was sitting at the piano.  He is in band now, and playing percussion instruments, one being the xylophone.  One of the things he enjoys doing is learning the various team fight songs.  The Michigan Wolverine's is his favorite team, he's had that one down for sometime.  Presently he's been trying to master Notre Dame's.  Everyone was doing their own thing that day, but he mostly stayed at the piano.  I happened to notice, once or twice, that he had the front of the piano opened.  After some time had passed, he said "Do you hear that?"  I wasn't sure what it was I was supposed to be hearing, as he'd been playing for some time.  He said it again.  I couldn't figure out why he was asking me, since it sounded like he was just playing the same note over and over.  Apparently, he was.  I've had this piano for over 10 years now, and when we got it we were told that one of the keys didn't work (the piano was free), and that it would be expensive to repair   For over ten years now I've been playing this thing with that one dead key.  But, guess what?! Jonge fixed it!  Broken things bother him.  I ignore broken things and just learn to live with it.  At first I didn't believe him, as he does rather delight in fooling people.  But, indeed he had fixed it.  I asked him how and with what.  He said it was a loose spring and his only tools were the pen and pencil he had in his pocket.  I may just have to turn him loose on ALL the broken things around here.  Apparently, I give up too easily.  Also apparently, he is good at fixing things!
10.  At lunch today I couldn't help but overhear the conversation at the next table.  But, it's late and I'm tired so I'll save it for another day.  Maybe.  I might.  You don't know.

Random Thoughts for a February Day

Wow. Time has a way of hurtling one through it, doesn't it?  I'm sure it was just January first. This may have something to do with the fact that we never quite got around to celebrating Jonge's birthday until the 2nd of February. Yes. I'm sure that is the reason.
Anyway..,
In no particular order, these are the very boring things I've been up to since the last time I told you about the boring things I was doing.
1.  I'm never one to watch the "in" shows while they are happening. I'm not sure why, except that by waiting I can gather a rough idea from reviews and such if I am going to enjoy investing the time into it. Also, if I wait, I can watch them all in rather quick succession which is helpful, as it keeps me from always wondering aloud, 'now who is that guy again?'
2.  So, in January I started watching The Crown. Of course I planned to watch one episode a night, but when the next one is right there at the push of a button, and winter weather and early bedtimes come in to play.., let's just say The Crown is now a thing of the past.  I loved it.  And it caused me to realize just how lacking my education is in European history. As in, null and void. So while working to remedy THAT, I started watching... (wait for it!)...
3. Victoria.  I'm loving this one too.  Already into season two, and I have actually PAID to watch a few of them.  Even more history to delve into.  The first thing I learned from watching Victoria is that I need to go back to read all of my favorite English novels of that period and imagine everything DARKER.  Yes, I DO love the ambiance of candle light, but good grief! How did they ever SEE anything?!
4.  This reminds me of the year I was reading Tolstoy.  I made it through War and Peace, and then read Anna Karinina, which I enjoyed.  So I rented one of the movies made from it.  Hmm.  My imagination sadly lacked in forming in my mind just what Russian peasants may have looked like. Then I read Dostoevsky's  Crime and Punishment.  Hmm.  So much I don't know about history.  And I went to school in a time where history was taught.  I just didn't take it. Only American History and Government.  Maybe I should hire a tutor?
5. In January I decided that I want to read more from one of my very favorite authors, Elizabeth Goudge.  I have a few of her novels, and am always looking for more.  They aren't that easy to find.  Even on Amazon.  So, I remembered many friends having success finding books at Abebooks.com.  Amazing how many of them they have available.  Although not AS many, since I've purchased a few from them.  To my collection I have now added two anthologies, Home for Christmas and Pattern People. This week her autobiography, The Joy of the Snow came in the mail, so I am presently reading that, along with a Kindle copy of Beyond the Snow - The Life and Faith of Elizabeth Goudge by Christine Rawlins.  If you enjoy her as an author, you are sure to love both of these books as well.
6.  In  other exciting news (in MY world anyway) I found another Dutch book at my local thrift store,  I didn't KNOW it was in Dutch until a few days later when I thought I'd read it to one of the grand kids.  I was THRILLED to find it, as it is by one of my favorite illustrators, Anton Peck. The title of it is December In De Stad, so you can easily understand how that did not seem Dutch to me.  Now I love it even more!  Of course, I cannot actually READ it, but it isn't too hard to figure out.  I do recognize a few words here and there (oliebollen!) and Google Translate helps me with the rest! Let me just add here how truly amazed I am by how often things that I treasure show up at our local thrift store, because it truly is the only thrift store I go to on a somewhat weekly bases (okay. to be honest, if we miss a week they worry about us.). It does help that I live in an area of the state with many grandchildren of Dutch immigrants (three of my four grandparents) but I'm still happy to find things this way!  Although, I think my grandparents would reprimand me for spending money on thrift store finds.  I think they would be more interested in the Dutch import store across the street that still sells many of their favorite foods (but not many of mine). I only go there for Dutch licorice.
7.  This month my beloved dog, Zeke, turned 11 years old.  He would like me to tell you that he is sick of winter.  Going out into the cold and snow is not one of his favorite activities anymore (unless i go with him, and it is no longer one of my favorite activities either).  He seems to think that I should be able to open the door onto a better day, as he goes out - looks around in disgust, comes back inside  - and then whines to go back out again. Repeat this ALL DAY LONG and you would have a clear picture of what my days are like.  We play the in and out game, which obviously neither on of us ever wins.  I have no power to change the weather just by opening the door again.  Yet, he is not convinced.  Now that THGGM works from home in our basement, sometimes he asks me who I was talking to.  Apparently, it would NEVER occur to him to attempt to explain these things to a dog.  But I still try.  Occasionally in a loud, annoyed voice (okay. MORE than occasionally).
8.  For Christmas THGGM received Alexa.  Are you familiar with this?  You ask it questions, and it answers them.  Or plays music, tells you the weather, or as the grandchildren have learned makes disgusting noises upon request.  Broeder LOVES this amazing thing.  He asks it questions all the time.  I've found it good in helping children with proper diction, as sometimes he has to repeat himself a few times before it understands him.  He is appalled though, by its admitted lack of knowledge about kittens.  Broeder loves kittens more than anything else, and trusts no one who doesn't share this love.  So much so that one day after his four older cousins arrived from school, he surveyed them, asking for everyone who loves kittens to raise their hand.  No one did. So he asked them if they loved kittens.  Everyone of them said no.  Now, I have known these four kids their ENTIRE lives, and for three of them I happen to know they DO love kittens, as I used to have one they adored, dear old Uncle Barb.  But, nope, that day they all claimed to not like kittens.  This caused Broeder to break down sobbing; long, hard, wracking sobs.  I actually pleaded with them to just SAY they like kittens so Broeder would calm down, but they would not have that.  Suddenly, the four of them became the MOST saintly children known to mankind who would not LIE.  These are the same children who have no trouble at all saying that they have done their homework when they clearly have NOT, but on this particular day they would not lessen their saintly grip on honesty.  Anyway.., while all this was happening, his sister was happily drawing in the art room, as it was Monday, and on Mondays we STILL make things.
9.  I would like you to know that over the holidays I didn't gain a pound.  Wow. I did it!  So proud was I that I started adding back a few of my favorite things - things that I did not eat over the holidays, but were still hanging around my house. Of course, it was just a little bit here and there, but by last week that little bit here and there turned into three pounds,  Ugh.  I'm not happy.  So, it's back to basics for me.  Why does it seem that I NEVER learn?  I'm still waiting, at 59, to become a grown-up (although i'm not holding my breath)..
10. Lastly, this year has found me again needing to get rid of more of my growing collection of things.  I started with what I find easiest - clothes.  In the past I could not stand to wear sweaters.  I loved how they looked, but I was always uncomfortably hot in a sweater.  Not so this COLD season.  I had to actually BUY sweaters to replace those I'd given away several years ago.  But, sweaters take up room in ones closet, so I did a clothes purge.  Then last weekend I moved on to clear out all the bits of china I've been collecting.  I wouldn't dream of getting rid of all of it, but enough so I can actually SEE the things I enjoy.  Things pile up so quickly! I've given myself a year to do this.  In the fall, I will no longer have any grand kids here during the day.  This means I shall no longer need two closets and a bedroom full of toys.  Oh, the grand kids have been mostly done with the toys for at least a year or two now, but I just cannot seem to let go of ANY of it.  I'm not exactly sure why it is so hard for me.  I only kept a few things from my own children, and I can assure you that they did not have nearly half the amount of toys I have here for the grand kids.  Facing the facts, I would have to admit that I bought most of it for me.  It's too bad that selling things at an antique mall booth doesn't appeal to me in the least.  It just doesn't.  But, were I to follow my dreams, I would open up an antique mall museum and invite people to look at my vast collections of fabulous things that give me that nostalgic feeling I desire so much.  Of course I would charge admission, and no one would be allowed to touch a thing, but I would make you coffee,  hand you a lovely china plate hand painted with delicate flowers stamped "Bavaria" on the back and send you on your way.  Yes.  That's my dream.  You might also receive a hand stamped or hand drawn card as a parting gift.  For the record, this dream of mine is more interesting than my night time dreams, which lately have consisted of my needing to find a bathroom but there aren't any, my teeth falling out, or getting ready for an event I wasn't informed was happening but clearly is underway.  I wake up tired.

But really, all in all I'd have to say I have a pretty good life!

Random Thoughts from Judy

1. It's been an interesting couple of weeks here. Something has been up between my two cameras. One camera will only download to my computer, and the other will only download to THGGM's computer.  I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating this has been for me, so I won't even bother to attempt to do that. Then, once I figured out a way around it, I could only access my Simply Thrift blog from THGGM's account (you know, the one I had to stop using because I could no longer get into it from my computer?!) but I could not gain access to THIS account. Well, somehow I just figured out a way to circumvent that. Now the questions remains, will I remember what I did just now for next time? Only time will tell. So, if you don't see a post here for awhile, you can be sure I am at the other end of this muttering under my breath about my obvious learning disability when it comes to all things computer related. End of rant (for now, anyway).
2. I had a lovely Mother's Day weekend, if you are a mom, I hope you did also! Oldest Son and DiL1 took me out for breakfast at one of my favorite places, Little Lucy's. After that THGGM and I went to the Downtown Market where they were having a monthly vintage flea market outside.  I was able to make two purchases for myself. One was a vintage white enamel towel rack with an attached soap holder. I've been looking for something like that for years, but they have always been priced out of my range. This one was so affordable we didn't even dicker with the price. It will go in our blue and white half bath. The other purchase was the small wooden shelf in the picture. This is the wall I see when I'm reading in bed at night. It needed something. I moved a mirror, add two oval pictures, and now I am rather pleased with the outcome. It's not the complete picture, as to do that would have required that I put away the pile of clothes on the bench at the end of our bed. THGGM asked me way I haven't put them away. Simple. The pile is made from the new/newly-thrifted clothes I have gotten and if I were to put them in the closet I would forget that I had them! Ugh. Yup. I would do that.
3. Well, NOW all of my pictures have gone out of order! Ugh. Anyway, in the bottom picture is a close up of the shelf I got. The black book on the far right is a Dutch Bible I found recently. It is Dutch on one page and English on the other. It was published at the beginning of the last century. I bought it to remind me of my grandmother, who taught herself English this way. Not sure if I have enough brain power to learn Dutch this way, but it is a lovely reminder of her, and how difficult it must be for anyone to move from one place to another while also having to learn to speak another language.
4. Another Mother's Day gift I received was a gift certificate to Michael's Craft Store. They had beads for sale. I used to make beaded jewelry, but gave my collection away years ago when Daughter mentioned to me that her college dorm RA made and sold jewelry to support a child in need that she was sponsoring. All that to say, I have never looked back, nor had much interest in jewelry since those days. But goodness how a gift certificate and a 50% off sale will spark an old interest! So, I spent a total of four dollars on beads, and now have three new bracelets with enough materials left to make at least a couple more. Stringing beads on memory wire is at best mind-numbingly boring. But, that seems to be about what I can handle these days, and I was rather pleased with the results.
5. Last Saturday Famke did a 5K run! She has been involved with Girls On The Run this year, and Saturday was their big race day in downtown Grand Rapids. Going into the race she wasn't so sure if she wanted to participate again next year, but afterward, once she discovered just how fun it was to do, she is ALL IN for next year. This year Daughter could not run with her due to having a months long procedure on her legs, so Oldest Son was invited, and he enjoyed the chance to participate in the race with his only niece. Two weeks before, he had run in the 5/3 Riverbank Run 10k. For that race he took off 10 minutes on his time from his previous 10k. It just amazes me to have runners in MY family. I couldn't run even if someone were chasing me. So, yes. I AM proud of them! Extremely proud!
6. Monday night THGGM and I spent at the ball park. Feintje had a 5:30 game, and Jonge had a 7:30 game. Wow. I have a new-found respect for parents of multiple children who make the effort to get their kids involved in the child's passion. It truly does show on the field which children want to be there, and which children's parents want them to be there. Especially with the youngest ones. So many of those kids appear to wish they could spend the evening picking dandelions and rolling around in a sandbox, clearly not having a care whether a ball is being hurtled towards them from space. Anyway, I'm sure I am biased, as Feintje is one of those little ballers with a clear passion for the game. Kado, on the other hand, could care less, so he is totally free to actually roll around in a sandbox at the field. His passion right now is roller blading, and that boy has SKILLS.
7. Speaking of Mondays, yes, we are STILL making things on Mondays. Hertsje and I have been drawing a nice variety of paper dolls. She loves to make different cloths for them, mostly skirts, which she then cuts out and glues to the different dolls. I absolutely LOVE to watch her creativity in action. She would love to be a basketball player, like her Mommy and Mimi before her, and seeing her with a basketball I could clearly see that happening!
8. And then there is Broeder. His passion right now is all about police, handcuffs, bad guys, and jails. I have a Lego catalog here that he loves to go through. He gets sooo excited when he finds the page that has the jail on it. Not sure that Lego makes Lego handcuffs, but if they do, I will buy him a set. Last week while all the grandkids were playing outside on our driveway, the police pulled someone over right where they were all playing. I think Broeder was sorely disappointed that no guns were drawn, no handcuffs put on, and no one was put under arrest. Just a routine ticket. I, on the other hand, was not disappointed by that AT ALL.

9. This past Saturday THGGM and I did a lot of thrift shopping. Usually, we make one stop at one place on Saturday. But this time, we actually went to the usual place TWICE, and to two others of our favorite places also. Both of us hit the thrift jackpot on name brand clothes in our new sizes. THGGM has dropped 40 pounds so it has become necessary that we do this. We would do it anyway, but with it now being necessary and all that, we are enjoying it even more!
10. Finally, after owning it for months, I finished reading "Go Set A Watchman". I had been reading a lot of non-fiction, and this was a nice switch for me. I really enjoyed it. Since I bought it in hardcover (for a dollar at a thrift store!) I took it outside to read in day light. At night I read on my Kindle Fire. I have so many books going at one time simple because when I go to bed I choose to read what "feels" right at the time. This is new to me. I used to read books by charging through them one at a time from beginning to end. I kind of enjoy doing it randomly, as it really is true, some nights I just want to disappear into something and other nights I feel the need to actually LEARN something new. One of my favorites right now is "The Road Back to You" which is about the Enneagram. It's very interesting if you like to understand yourself and the people around you in a more complete way. Of course, I have HUNDREDS of books on my Kindle now, so my choices are rather endless. Book Bub is GREAT for finding affordable books that can be delivered to you in just a click, many of them for free. Free. I like free.
Well. That's all for now. Time to make breakfast and clean this place up a bit before the next round of kids arrive later this afternoon.

Random Thoughts from Judy at Anybody Home

Oh goody! Another post of random thoughts!
These random thoughts are happening on account of the simple fact that I am SUPPOSED to be cleaning my house for entertaining 20 for Easter Dinner and an egg hunt on Sunday.
I was more diligent about cleaning my house when my mom was coming over. She attempted to raise me to be neat and tidy, and to NEVER go to bed or leave the house with even ONE dirty spoon in the sink. I don't know WHAT happened. I used to think I was rather organized, but apparently it was early conditioning that I have of late outgrown.
So, my first random thought is this: I would not mind cleaning at all if things stayed clean! No more on that one, because things do not EVER stay clean and I will just have to learn to deal with it. So far, that isn't going so well...
2 - I have developed a spring cold. I had no intentions of doing that, but it hit me rather hard yesterday. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch while attempting to stop my nose from running. But Hertsje was here and she had wonderful ideas of things for us to do. Watching TV was not one of them. So, I let her go crazy making individual doll/stuffed animal beds ALL OVER my living room. She had a blast, and entertained herself very well why I sniffed and snorted and whined. What I lack in tidiness I make up for in my ability to whine like a pro. I'm fun like that.
3 - But so far, I have not gotten the flu which turned into a severe sinus infection that THGGM had a couple of weeks ago. It was awful. He missed four days of work in a row, which has NEVER happened in his entire working life. The man just does not get sick. That's always been my gift. But, I did not get it, and this cold better not be the start of it! Because it is FINALLY spring and I intend to enjoy it! Oh, and yes, just two weeks before THGGM got the flu, I said no to a flu shot, but yes to the pneumonia shot. I pretty much thought when THGGM got the flu that I certainly would too, but I did not! Although next year I can assure you we will be among the first in line to get a flu shot!
4 - Look, I never said I was going to post INTERESTING random thoughts. Nope. So, in light of that, I'd also like to note that I have not dropped any more weight. Even though I spent nearly two weeks fighting off some weird sort of intestinal bug. I'd think that my symptoms might have been caused by my total change of eating habits, but Hertsje has had this for awhile too, and I've heard of other people suffering from it also. It's nasty. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. Well, except for that guy from N Korea.
5 - Anyway.., the first day that it hit me, I had FIVE grand kids here on the first day of Spring Break! And I was feeling exceptionally well, even ready to have lots of fun with them. But then it came on SUDDENLY, SEVERELY, and UNRELENTINGLY. If I had been out in public, I would have just laid down and died. I am not kidding you, I would have, but most likely someone out in public would have killed me first to put me out of my misery. Of all the things I learned that day the one I choose to remember is how Jonge came though in an emergency, because there is no other way to describe this than as an emergency. First I had to get his attention, as he was playing a video game by himself while the other four kids were playing an intense game of Dad, Mom, Big Kid, and either Puppy or Kitty. I know this because I had to settle a fight over who got to go first being either the Puppy or the Kitty. Five year olds can be stubborn little souls about things like that, and we had just agreed to terms of taking turns that seemed to please them both (slightly). So, they were off in a different room. Thankfully, no children were witness to the horror going on in their grandmother's life at the time it was actually going on. I was able to alert Jonge by pounding on a wall.  I told him the very least he needed to know to get help. He brought me clean clothes (i will never speak again of what actually happened, but your guess could not possible be bad enough), they didn't last long though. Ugh. Anyway, I also needed to have him call his mom at work. The wonderful thing about 11 year olds is that they are capable children. He came through in my crisis like a champ! Not only did he need to LOCATE my cell phone, he needed to locate the charger, CHARGE IT, and know his mom's cell phone number, which like any bright child, he has memorized. To make a really long gross story short, he called her, she called her brother, and all five kids were picked up by responsible parents who removed them to a much less germy environment.
6 - So, lest you think that was ALL that happened. Haha. Welcome to MY world, where the interest is compounded when it comes to disasters of epic proportions.While dancing an odd sort of dance to my bedroom to look around for ANOTHER set of clothing, I thought it might be wise to change bathrooms, to one closer to clean clothes. This seemed wise. I noticed that it did look like the last person to use this bathroom did not flush. Oh, they had. It was just CLOGGED. And by my flushing it the pretty pink toilet in my pretty pink bathroom with the pretty pink tile on the walls and floors FLOODED! And I mean FLOODED GOOD! It did NOT want to stop running, and in my ill and addled state I stood on an icy cold pink tiled floor while the water rose about my ankles! All I could manage was to wiggle the handle, pray for mercy, and throw down every towel I could reach to sop it up! Then, I retreated back to the other bathroom, you know, where the plunger lives and wondered if things like this only happen to me, or are there others also this lucky.
7 - Well, I felt really weird for the rest of the day. Slept most of the next day, and felt GREAT after that. Back to normal. Or so I thought. On Sunday afternoon, it all repeated itself! Ugh. You should know that I haven't left my house since Sunday. I'm more than a little afraid to go anywhere. Actually, terrified sort of sums it up.
8 - Oh, I also have developed a horrible rash. That seems to be from eating two eggs everyday. So this week I have been staying away from eggs. That isn't too hard to do, as I don't even like them, but they are a main component to my low carb way of eating that I'm running out of things to eat! Hopefully I will be able to add them back, just not two a day.
9 - I do realize that nobody wants to know these things. But really, in my world this has been all it's been about. I am boring. I like to draw. I like to make stuff. I'm afraid to go places.
10 - Thankfully I am surrounded by loving family. Jonge, who while he was waiting for his mom to show up last Monday gathered all the kids into the living room to play a lively game of Hang-Man so they wouldn't get into any trouble while I was incapacitated. THGGM who goes places by himself until I get over this fear of exploding in public, and my dear brother-in-law, who told me he saw a box of Depends at a thrift store and would be willing to go back to get them for me! That's love, I tell you.
I probably won't keep this post up for long. I cannot imagine that I will EVER want to relive this sorry episode of my life.

Ten Random Thoughts for a Gloomy Saturday

Look. I've got nothing. No pictures from this week, not even one. And it was a GREAT week! This weekend it was Jonge's turn for a sleep-over. He is 11 now, nearly as tall as I am, and seems to have more in common with Pake than with me. They went to dinner together, went to a movie, and came home after my bedtime. I did stay up to greet them, which I thought was rather kind of me, don't you? Of course, they both humored me by tagging along with me on my regular Saturday morning adventures, but Jonge didn't find anything that interested him. When we got home, he and Pake headed to the basement to watch a movie based on a book Jonge just finished for school. They both LOVED it. Of course, being the well-brought-up guys that they are, they DID invite me. I just have no affinity for anything dystopian, so that is on me.
In an effort to post something to this blog, I'll have to go with random thoughts.
Random Thought Number One: I am reading ANOTHER interesting book about Laura Ingals Wilder. This one is called Libertarians on the Prairie. From this one it is becoming more and more obvious that Rose actually did the writing of the books, using Laura's stories Not that it isn't obvious to most people already, but it is interesting to read things that back it up. Anyone who has read the series, and then that last book at the end that Rose wasn't a part of, it's notable that that writing isn't at all the same. I'm just over half-way done with the book, and it is holding my attention. I ordered it through Book Bub for $1.99. It is a well-researched book which answered questions that I had from reading other books that touched on this topic.
Two:  March has been a month of doctor's appointments for me. Last year we had made an unfortunate mistake in our insurance. Not much at all was covered and the co-pay was ridiculous. Thankfully, we made it though 2016 in good health for two old people born in 1958. (Yay us! We were born in '58 and we turned 58!) So, in January we both had doctor's appointments and blood work. My blood work showed a few wonky things, one of which resulted in my getting an ultra-sound of my liver, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder and right kidney. It all came back good, so hopefully my next blood test in two weeks will reflect that as well. Oh, and I also had a completely different ultra-sound at a different location earlier that morning. That one came back good too! Yay!
Three: For lent (which i follow every decade or so) I gave up refined sugar. Yes, I know. I am diabetic which means I should have given it up years ago, but it crept back in like the horrible addiction it is. So, if that had been effected negatively in my blood work, I would have understood. But that was in the okay range. Hmm. Anyway, good to know that my metformin is working. So, I gave up sweets, which truly wasn't as hard to do as I thought it would be. AND when one's blood work is questionable, it never hurts to have a slightly anxious tummy to remind you to keep a close account of what one puts into one's mouth. Yes. I'm sure that had something to do with it also. And then it got easier to give up other refined foods. Like bread.
Four: While I was giving up things that aren't good for me I also stopped drinking my one can of Diet Coke a day. I thought that would be harder to do too! Instead, I'm just adding lemon to my water, and drinking waaay more water than I had been. Which was pretty much just enough to swallow my pills. Look at me, doing the right thing and all that!
Five: THGGM is out doing the grocery shopping right now. His list looks TOTALLY different than the last grocery list he shopped from. This one is filled with things that will require me to actually COOK. I really don't mind cooking, I just hate how daily it is. So, apparently in this new lifestyle we are attempting to live, the question of "What's for dinner?" Will no longer be followed by "I don't know, what places do we have coupons for?" Anyway, I'm actually not dreading this at all. Don't tell ANYONE, but I am almost enjoying it. Almost. I said ALMOST.
Six: Just after I finished with number five, the groceries arrived! Have I mentioned how much I appreciate it that THGGM does the shopping? He is good people. And he HATES shopping with me, as I tend to take too long looking at everything. His idea of shopping is to hurry in and  get out of there as fast as possible. I like to look at stuff. Most weekends he drops me off at Michael's so I can look at stuff while he gets groceries. This arrangement works out quite well for us.
Seven: So, I just noticed that since we shall be eating like this forever, it would be nice if our crisper drawers were larger. Hmm. Another thing to note is that only ONE item needed to go into the pantry. My spice drawer did increase some too. I shall be sure to let you know how much I like Tumeric. That came from Penzey's. I get my good cinnamon from there also. There is a very noticeable difference, in my humble opinion.
Eight: On Monday, Hertsje and I did not make things, or I would have had pictures to post. She has become more interested in reading, and I am ALWAYS okay with that! I did spend some time drawing with Kado after school a couple of days this week. He is very excited to write and illustrate his own books. You can learn a lot about a child by reading the books they write! Maybe someday he will let me post one to my blog, so you can enjoy them too! We are kind-hearted people like that.
Nine: Since I haven't yet mentioned what I purchased on our shopping foray this morning, I will tell you. I bought two pink and white plaid napkins which now reside in my pretty pink bathroom, a lovely paperback retelling of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - which I think Hertsje will enjoy, and a really pretty shirt by Bechamel in an interesting color which also has a lot of tucks and tone on tone embroidery. At Michael's I used my 50% off coupon to buy a cute pair of 18 inch doll pajamas which also came with pink slippers and an eye mask.  Oh, and two more packs of white card stock, which I will cut in half to use for drawing paper (it also works well for making books!) Please DO keep in mind that I tell you right off that I am boring. Remember?
Ten: Do you give to PBS when they have a pledge drive? It's been awhile for me. This is the THIRD Saturday in a row that they have interrupted my viewing pleasure of Keeping Up Appearances and As Time Goes By. This is hard for me. They are getting to me. So many good causes, so little money.
Well. There you go. Ten, count them, TEN random thoughts for a Gloomy Saturday.
I'm done now.
(THGGM just informed me that he has already lost EIGHT pounds. Eight pounds in one week! How does that happen? My wedding ring isn't even loose! I'll just go now and be happy for him. My mom told me that life wasn't fair, so I'll cope.., somehow.)

Random Thoughts for a Saturday

1. I still occasionally have a deep thought, but rarely are they worth sharing. If I ever have one that I think share-worthy, I will tell you. No one seems to be asking what I think about anything anymore so I've been on a bit of a mental vacation.
2. Most of my thoughts lately have revolved around what I can do to earn some money. I'm not coming up with much. I have no marketable skills. I used to, but they have gone the way of the dinosaur.

3. Sometimes I like to sit around, looking out my window, wondering where exactly I went wrong. But that isn't nearly as fun as thinking about where everyone else has gone wrong. Maybe I could have people pay ME to tell THEM where they went wrong. That would be a fun job.  Then, and I have no doubt about this, those people would tell me where I went wrong and quite possibly I could do something about it. But right now? I have no idea where I went wrong. Seems like I was on a good path, headed somewhere when suddenly the path changed, the scenery changed and all the guidelines disappeared. I do not enjoy this.
4. Soon I shall try my hand at selling on Ebay. This scares me, but then everything does. But, I have a lot of "stuff" and most of it I don't need anymore. Hopefully someone else will want it. I've been told that people will buy anything. One can always hope. Because I pretty much have all the anything there is to be had.
5. My computer has been acting up lately. For a few months now it won't let me down load pictures from my camera. So, I have to use THGGM's computer to do that. But recently his computer does wonky things, things like freezing up when I am altering pictures. Due to the constant flipping around of computers rarely do I feel like posting pictures. Except for today. Today I decided to stick it out until I got a few posts on here. Tens of people want me to do this. And besides, this has become my memory. If I do not post it, it didn't happen.
6. And how empty would every one's lives be if they didn't see what I made on Mondays? Or mine, if I didn't post and a Saturday went by where you did not know what I found at the thrift store? Well, let me tell you, last Saturday we drove to a couple of different towns and returned home with nothing. Of course I found something at my local thrift store, but not at the others. But since I did not post last Saturday, I no longer remember what things I bought. Now that is driving me crazy. Well, that and a bunch of other stuff.
7. All too frequently, I use the words "but", "well", and "so". Among others. I do try to stop, and I try to use "and" less and not start my sentences with "I". But, so far, that isn't working out so well.
8. I get tired and cranky in February. Mostly I thought it was because of the lack of sun and all the snow. Maybe that is part of it, sometimes. But today was sunny and warm with snow only in huge dirty parking lot mountains. Yet I still feel all February-ish.
9. This week I finished reading "The Romanov Sisters" a very good book if you like history and don't worry about history repeating itself. Because it does, and reading history is scary. Certainly there must be SOME happy history SOMEWHERE that I could read.
10. Wednesday of this week I removed every evidence of winter from my house. I brought up the empty bins from the basement, filling them to capacity and beyond. I dragged them out to the porch for THGGM to carry back to the basement for me. It felt good to put it away. I made myself a cup of coffee all while congratulating myself on all that hard work. Then, I got up, walked into my pretty pink bathroom, and noticed a highly decorated aluminum Christmas tree sporting a plethora of Shiny Brite ornaments, and I swear, it laughed at me. How did I NOT remember this? Well, it made me that weird sort of angry that only I get at myself. I made myself another cup of coffee while deciding that it could stay there til Spring for all I care. Instead, I took it all down and put it away on Friday, when it actually did feel like spring.

11. I ordered new glasses this week. I also was ordered to have my retinas and my corneas checked by a specialist in those areas. Just for fun, I think. And because the people in my family have had trouble in those areas, and my pressure always runs high. Since it always does, it would seem that I could save myself the trouble and the money by saying that the doctor will tell me that mine always runs high. See what I mean about being cranky in February?
12. But for the most part, like if I avoid ANY and ALL news and remain home humming happy tunes to myself and carving rubber stamps out of pink erasers, I am fine. Totally fine. Happy to be alive fine. Then, right around 9:00 every night THGGM listens to Bach on his favorite CD and  Bach adagios have the ability to make me want to stuff cotton in my ears and loudly hum to drown it out. Bach adagios are SAD. I recall reading somewhere that the Dutch were listening to Bach in the days before the German invasion and my fears of history repeating itself goes into high gear. So I go to bed to read about the Romanov's, because that ends so well.  Yeah. February is a tough month for me. My mom told me it would be. She didn't know why either.
13. Tomorrow it is supposed to again be sunshiny and warm. And I shall attempt to be the same.

Random Thoughts for a Fall Saturday

I truly must confess that for the past week, hardly any of my thoughts have been random.  It would be more in keeping with honesty from me to admit that my thoughts have been incredibly specific this week.  But in keeping with the light and somewhat cheesy tone of my blog, I shall only give you my random thoughts.
1.  Well, it took WEEKS to do, but I think I finally have the majority of THE MAIN FLOOR of my house in order.  There are still a few closets and cupboards that will need to be purged and reorganized, but if you dropped by, I would (okay, i MIGHT) let you in!  And, I may even open up a closet here and there to show you what I have done in those.  Seriously.  I have been busy.
2.  We shall not talk about my rooms in the basement.  The main parts are okay by any one's standards, but my crafting rooms?  Ugh.  I am telling myself that by the end of winter, even that will be done.  Yup.  That's what I'm telling myself.
3.  Today being Saturday, THGGM and I went to the thrift store!  Of course we did.  I did very well too.  I found another very lovely vintage picnic basket for only FOUR DOLLARS.  For that price, it is mine now.  But, mostly I'm looking to rebuild my fall wardrobe on the cheap, and I did nicely in that category too.
4.  And were you to wonder if I am still working to USE UP WHAT I HAVE ON HAND, yes, yes I am!  Yesterday I made a Christmas tree out of wooden spools of green thread.  Hmm.  Maybe I will post a picture.  This is that time of year when I get ideas, make things, and then by Christmas I wonder what on earth I was even thinking.  Do other people do this also?  Or, is it just me?
5.  That reminds me, three months from today will be Christmas Eve.  I'm not kidding here, it seems like Christmas was just last week.  Time flies.
6.  Speaking of flies, there is a rather large one buzzing around in here.  Ugh.  But even worse, my dog seems to have picked up fleas from somewhere.  He never goes anywhere, so it's really weird for him to have them.  I treated him in the spring, even though he hasn't ever had them in the six years that we have owned him.  I am blaming them on the large rabbit in our backyard.  Yes.  That must be it.  It just boggles my mind that a rabbit would take up residence in a yard with a dog!  How stupid are those things?  Apparently, very.
7.  All of the grand kids seem to be fairing well at school.  I'm thankful for this, as I do have some strong feelings against all the testing that goes on these days.  Why can't kids be allowed to think, act, dream, move around, create, and LEARN like kids?  Do NOT even get me started.  I have views on these things.
8.  In my cleaning out and purging of closets, I have left the "toy closet" for last.  The truth is, I'm not ready to face it yet.  I have it on my mental list of things to tackle this coming week.  I have drawers and bins filled to the brim with tinker toys, potato heads, Winnie the Pooh, Lego, Little People, plastic animals, blocks, assorted Happy Meal toys, musical instruments, trucks and cars, games, cards, puzzles - you name it, I probably have it.  BUT, there are still times during the week when there are kids of multiple age groups here.  This makes me want to hang on to it all.  It's just ONE closet (maybe...) and I've been working to add to these categories for over ten years now.  But, to be fair to myself, quite a few heavy boxes have been dropped off at the thrift store.  That should count for SOMETHING!  (please say it does.., please!)
9.  Had I written this post yesterday, I would have added a random thought about how I decorated my house for fall without buying ANYTHING for it.  Until TODAY, I was only using things I already have.  But, today at the thrift store (of course!) I found a clear glass pumpkin with a lid!  I have always wanted one!  I almost passed on it, but I showed it to THGGM, who had also found a few treasures, and he thought I should get it too.  That's all it took!  So, I've always wanted to fill one of these with candy corn and peanuts, a favorite fall treat around here.  Then I thought that since I have diabetes, that would not be wise.  My next idea was to fill it up and GLUE THE LID ON.  That way, it would LOOK like a darling fall decoration, but the sugary bits of it would not be accessible to me. But then I remembered exactly what kind of a person I am, and a little thing like glue wouldn't keep me from it.  It would become my personal pinata and I would smash that thing and just pick around the glassy shards on my way to a certain coma.  I heed the advice of Socrates.  I know myself.
10. Have I mentioned that I love Fall?  I am sooo grateful that it is FINALLY here!  I've been sprinkling cinnamon in my coffee, slicing up apples to dip in peanut butter (i can fool myself into believing that it tastes like a caramel apple) although I am yet longing to pull on jeans and a sweatshirt, that hasn't happened yet.  I hate to wear socks, so there is that

I made this!

to dread.  I know that winter comes next, and I am not a big fan of snow covered roads, but summer was icky hot and I am ready to move on to whatever is next.  Is there an election or something coming up soon?  Yes.  I believe I've heard a thing or two about that.  Yet even so, I LOVE FALL!

Random Thoughts on a Saturday

Things are going on as usual here in my little world.  It did take me awhile to readjust after our wonderful vacation to Traverse City two weeks ago. Then, school let out and now it is HOT.  So, therefore all I have are random thoughts.  Actually, I DO have a plethora of extremely deep thoughts, but for the sake of my sanity, I shall post just the random ones tonight.
1. I still have one more day of vacation pictures to post.  On our way home we drove down the Lake Michigan coast, beginning at Sleeping Bear Dunes.  It's so beautiful there I can never decide which pictures are the best.  But fear not, I SHALL post them.., some day.
2. I've also taken a hefty amount of pictures of the grand kids and of Jonge's baseball games.  And flowers in my backyard.  And all the construction happening all around us.  But for tonight, here is just one picture.  It is Hertsje and Broeder sporting the origami crowns we made yesterday.
3. Presently there is one week of summer vacation behind us.  If I weren't so tired, or overwhelmed by all the horrible news I think I would say I am enjoying it.
4.  A few weeks ago I promised Famke that she could have her girl friends from the neighborhood over to play this summer.  In her neighborhood there are no kids, but in ours their are two little girls just down the street.  So, I'm doing my BEST to let this happen.  I know it is good for her, and these girls love doing crafts as much as she does.  Sometimes, there are A LOT of children in my house.
5. It's been a bit harder for the boys.  The school at the end of our street is getting a complete overhaul and expansion.  In the past they could go down to the field to play in a wide open space. Soon, those wide open spaces will be gone, and I do not want to take ANY chances of the boys getting in the way of construction.  They had a little bit of trouble believing me about this new rule that is messing up their fun, but I am not playing any games with this one.
6. Oh, and speaking of construction, it starts early, that BEEP BEEP BEEP of vehicles backing up.  ALL DAY LONG.  Before too long we are going to be immune to that sound.  But, the construction is at the school my oldest two graduated from, and we are all happy to see it grow!  Still, there is the odd occasion when I want to yell at the top of my lungs, "Shut the BEEP up!"  But, I don't.  Because that wouldn't be prudent.  And it wouldn't help anyway.
7. Kado had a birthday this week.  He is now seven.  Last night was his birthday sleep-over.  He and Pake went to see the new Ninja Turtle movie.  I'm not a fan.  I stayed home and listened to the quiet.  I had nearly forgotten what that sounds like.
8.  In my spare time I've been reading "Charlotte Bronte, A Fiery Heart" by Claire Harman.  I'm just over half-way into it and am already planning to read all of her books again. Then back to Anthony Trollope. I have finished Dr. Thorne, after watching the Julian Fellowes interpretation of it on Amazon Prime.  The book and the four episodes are excellent.  I'm planning to have a summer FILLED with reading.  And making things.
9.  And yes, I have been busy making things.  The crowns in the picture above are one example.  Hertsje is totally into princes and princesses.  I think you can tell from the picture that Broeder isn't.  I've also made a few bird necklaces from beads and felt, and am working on a fairy light using a silhouette I made from a picture of Hertsje.  When I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, I'm on Pinterest pinning cute ideas of things for us to do this summer.  And if this summer where 600 days long, I might get half of them done.  Oh, well.
10. Thrift shopping much, you might ask?  Why, yes!  Today we went to our favorite thrift store with Kado.  He found a Ninja Turtle for a mere 25 cents, and was THRILLED.  I found a box of Jenga blocks for a dollar.  And a Frisian flag, the flag of my people.  That was the first thing I saw when I walked in the door.
Well, that's all for random thoughts on a Saturday.  It's still hot.  I'm still tired.  Time to go read more about Charlotte Bronte.

Random Thoughts On a Snowy April Friday

1. It is snowing.  I am done with snow.  There wasn't all that much this past winter, so one might think there should be no complaining.  But April snow is hard to take, even though it is pretty.

2.  Last weekend THGGM finished painting the living room and dining room.  It's been months, but they are both one color now.  No more green.  I do miss the green, it worked well for us for almost NINE years.  But I like the present color just as much.  It is a relief to have it done.  Now, on to the next project.  Whatever that may be...
3.  This week we also added string lights around the front window.  It gives us some great ambient lighting, which I love.  These were one of those Amazon deal of the day thingies.  They are LED lights on a thin copper wire.  The nice thing about these as when they are not plugged in, you cannot even tell they are there.
4.  Last week I finished reading Jane Austen's Persuasion.  I LOVED it!  Best line: "You have pierced my soul."  Captian Wentworth.., sigh...
5. Now I am reading Lady Susan.  I have heard that there is a movie coming out in May based on the book, called Love and Friendship.  This intrigues me.  Lady Susan is a horrible person.  I do not like her.  Not one little bit.
6.  There is a mouse in our kitchen.  All winter we only had two mice, and caught them quickly.  This one, driven in by the snow I'm sure, doesn't seem to know how to be quiet as a mouse.  I have SEEN no evidence of it, nothing at all, but it is rocking a small cabinet where we recharge all of our devices. Ugh.  I want it out of here!  (THGGM thinks mice are cute.)
7. This week really did seem like a break for me, even though it didn't feel like a SPRING one.  On the only two days I had grand kids this week THGGM was also off of work.  I enjoyed that, and I think the kids did too.  Pake gets them things, like donuts from Marge's Donut Den.  He also takes them places, like Michael's and the McDonald's with the play area.  Of course, on a cold snowy April spring break day, it was CROWDED.  But other than how awful the weather was, I believe they had a good time.

8.  On Tuesday, after we had birthday breakfast with Youngest Son, THGGM and I did a bit of antique shopping along the lake shore.  Tuesday it was cold, but not TOO cold, and it was sunny.  A great day for driving down Leonard St. all the way to Spring Lake.  Our first stop was Depot Antiques in Spring Lake.  They have the BEST stuff.  REAL antiques.  Nothing we can afford.  But, looking is still free.  From there we went to another one of our favorites on 31.  THGGM found a beautiful Dresden pitcher with a Dutch scene on both sides.  I found a brown medicine bottle.  The kind with embossed words on one side.  I bought something else there, and now I cannot remember what it was!  I have wandered through every room of the house looking, looking, looking, but whatever it was that I simply had to have, I have NO IDEA what it was.  Ugh.  I HATE when that happens.
9. Today I began working on my AG doll bed skirt.  I almost attached it to the bed tonight, but now I am glad I did not.  I think I'm just going to put a few tiny hooks around the bed to hold it on.  But, I'm going to sleep on that thought and see if something better comes to mind.
10. Good grief.  I don't think I am going to be able to sleep tonight.  I cannot remember what the other things is that I bought at the antique mall.  I DID find a GORGEOUS tin picnic basket in a tartan plaid, but of course would not spend $38 for one.  When I got home I learned that it was Tartan Day. Is that really a thing?  Because if it were, I think I might have told myself it was a sign that I should get it.  And if I HAD gotten that, I certainly wouldn't have forgotten about it.  It just seem so odd to me that I can remember what I didn't buy, and not a clue as to what I did buy.  Sometimes, being me is extremely difficult.

Random Thoughts for a Thursday Morning

1.  It has been a lovely week here in West Michigan. Yesterday THGGM took the kids for the first walk around the block of 2016.  No wagon, no stroller, everyone on foot, well, except for the two that don't show up in this picture.  They were on scooters. It was a bit drizzly on and off, but nobody seemed to mind.
Oldest Son and DiL1 are vacationing this week in Southern California.  It's been warmer here.  When they left on Saturday there were still 8 inches of snow on the ground with more falling.  Oh, how things change!

2. This weekend will be Jonge's sleep over.  THGGM has plans to take him to see Zootopia.  I have a great Michael's coupon, and he also likes looking for sports equipment and team shirts at the thrift stores.  Fun for all and all for fun!

3.  I am reading Pride and Prejudice for at least the 4th time.  I recently watched the movie, and after this next read through I'm planning to watch the BBC series from 1995.

4.  Have you voted yet?  The Michigan primary was on Tuesday.  It was a lovely day.  I shall have you know that we WALKED there.  I shall also have you know that we vote at a church gym just four houses down from us, but still.  We walked. The weather was balmy.  We went at 4:00 and there was no line.  We were #222 and #223.  I am not at all looking forward to this year of political weirdness. I'd like to think it has never been like this before, but truly, is there anything new under the sun?  I've heard from a wise source that there isn't.  Anyway, after we voted we went to Arnie's for their buy-one-get-one free Shuffles.  And a free cupcake.  Because after the pain of voting we needed a reward.  At least that is what THGGM told me and I agreed with him.

See?  Proof that I voted too!

5.  I did well thrift shopping over the weekend.  I found a nice choice of brightly colored yarn.  I see several new pillows and blankets in the AG doll's future.  And Michael's had some cute Easter stamps in the dollar bin.    AND I had a 15% off my total purchase coupon.  So, cheap fun for sure!

6.  NEXT weekend THGGM intends to finish painting the living room and dining room.  All that is left is painting above and behind all the heavy pieces of furniture, of which we have several.  Fun times.

7.  And look what I ordered from Amazon! Loom Loops for potholder making!  I am hoping that Famke enjoys this as much as I do.  Actually, I don't believe I ever "enjoyed" making them, but now I know this is because I didn't know how to use the hook to do the weaving.  Now it seems so easy and again I wonder WHY OH WHY I never stop to study the directions. Nope, I just charge in full speed ahead thinking I'll work it out as I go.  Years later I figure I would have most likely had an easier life had I been a directions follower when it comes to things like this.  I highly doubt that I'll change though. I'm old and maybe just a wee bit set in my ways.  But surely, only a wee bit.  Teensy even.

8.  On Tuesday afternoon Zeke and I headed into the backyard for the first time since, say, November.  Well, Zeke has been there many times a day this winter, but not with me.  There will be much cleaning up to do before the annual cousins Easter Egg hunt of 2016.  Much.   Anyway.., we both enjoyed stretching out our feet and listening to the sounds of birds.  I did make a recording of the singing birds, but it was so overwhelmed by the sound of traffic that it wasn't all that pretty.
Do note my new "shoes".  One of the very first things I learned about having diabetes is that one should always wear shoes.  I do not like to wear shoes.  I prefer bare feet, even in the winter.  I hate stepping in melted snow in socks, so it's usually bare feet for me.  But, I AM always on the look-out for a type of shoe that I could stand to wear all the time.  I found these quite by accident on-line one day.  They are called FitKicks and I love them!  So much so that I would buy another pair if they came in a color combo that was pleasing to me.  But alas, this was the only color that comes close to pleasing me. I'm not into putting bright colors on my feet as they are already noticeable enough due to their enormous size.

9.  I'm thinking that it's time to put away the snowman dishes. This year I was able to add one more mug to my collection.  I now have twenty.  I'm hoping to someday have enough so that at the BIG family Christmas party I have enough for EVERYONE to have one.  I get weird ideas like this all the time.  So, I look for years to find enough mugs for that ONE DAY a year we are all here.  And then, eh hem, a lot of paper products are used. But still, isn't it the HUNT that is exciting?  And the one I found was only 50 cents.

10.  I must tell you here how proud I am of Son-in-law.  To make a REALLY looong story short, two weeks ago a fire broke out at the condo's behind their house.  It was just before six pm and in the middle of the worst snow storm we have had here this winter.  Daughter noticed the smoke first, gathered up the kids, and called 911. Son-in-law was the first to notice the flames leaping from a condo visible from their back windows.  He flew into action, knowing that Daughter had the kids at the ready and had made the call, he ran to the condos and started knocking on doors. Since the wind was blowing strongly from the north, no one IN the other three condos had smoke (four attached condos in a condo development), while Daughter's house was totally engulfed in it.  He encouraged and helped EVERYONE to leave immediately and asked those he saw already out if EVERYONE had gotten out.  He was told "yes".  As soon as the fire department arrived he returned home.  It took some time to get it knocked down.  The grand kids got to watch the fire heroes in action.  It was a terrifying night for everyone, but they learned a lot about so many different things. Since it was also the week of the mass shooting in Kalamazoo, not much was heard about this fire, as all the news sources were busy covering that, which is understandable.

Picture by Jonge

 But, it was learned the next day that a forty-something man was found unconscious in the garage of the condo where the fire originated. Son-in-law felt terrible about this, as he asked and was told that everyone made it out.  Thankfully, this man has recently left the hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation.  Two days after the fire Daughter and Son-in-law had a knock on their front door.  It was one of the couples from the condos behind them.  They came to personally thank Son-in-law for knocking on their door and alerting them of the fire.  They were able to escape unharmed with their cats.  A house fire is a terrible thing.  But good neighbors, like Son-in-law, are great to have around.