Mother's Day.....

It's Mother's Day and since the last time I've posted I've been blessed to see ALL of my children, their wonderful spouses and my adorable grandchildren!!!! What more could I ask for????

Gina, Rita, Lora and JP....you and your father.....my husband, make it all worth while. Thank you for being who you are for me, your dad, your spouses and your children.

YOU are the reason I celebrate Mother's Day.....thank you from the bottom of my heart......I love you all.

Something to think about.....

Today I wondered why I bought and collected some of the things I have. I hope as you, my children, are dividing these things you speak kindly of how these items were used or displayed. If you haven't seen some of these things lately it's probably because they are hidden in some remote place.....but I am vowing that they will be unpacked and used....all those table cloths and napkins from Panama, the Chinese plates will be brought out again, the teapots will be used (please ask for your favorite teapot next time you're home....I want you to enjoy using it, I want to see the joy in your face when you select it and take it home as a memory of something your mom or great-grandma used and enjoyed).


Why am I thinking about this??? I have helped Mary pack up her mother-in-law's, Margaret's things, to be sorted, given away or stored.....some of these items were so encrusted with oily dust that if you didn't dig or wash you missed the beauty it held. Some were never used, some still in their original package, some weren't used and enjoyed with family around so the item holds little joy when the item is picked up and looked at. There is no caressing it with love and care and a story to be told of the time it was once used. I found this sad for Margaret, for the family.

Selfishly I want all, if not most, of my things to have special meaning to you.....because for some reason they hold special meaning to me....I find joy in them.....I want you to find joy in my things too. Tell a story about them....the thrill of the hunt for them, the way they displayed cookies, cakes, dips, foods, set the table, whatever.....just find something special about them.....maybe I'll take pictures and write a story of each?????? what do you think????? Selfish,..... silly,.... sad,......I know. There is a story with each, all I need to do is write it down. Granted there are some things I have that were needlessly bought or acquired.........I'll try to get rid of those before you are given that duty.

I brought home one of Margaret's teapots, a white one, with it's matching coffee pot.....I hope she used it, I want to think she enjoyed her favorite hot tea from it while she sat in the family room quilting.........a memory I'll create and keep.


Anyway, I felt I needed to tell you this......a little bit of mortality whispering in my ear!

So much for resolutions!!

Last day in January and you'd think that I would have kept more of my resolution than I did!! Oh well!! I have tried....six times in one month IS a record.

We had the Rossini children on the only rainy weekend in January....hoping we could go to the coast or the ranch, we could do neither.....played Wii, colored, played with little people, Legos, watched "How to Train Your Dragon"......learned a lot about each other. :)

Yesterday we celebrated Tony's birthday....we had a houseFULL. I was most impressed with the fact that my uncles came in from Brownsville for this....all it took was an invite. Tia Rosie was already in SA, nevertheless, they made it a point to come celebrate with us....this meant a lot. Mary and Billy brought mom, she was delightful when she arrived (except she didn't recognize me) but as the afternoon progressed she remembered that Michael wasn't here to enjoy the company of the tios and tias. She ended up crying most of the afternoon and telling everyone that her children did not love each other..... FYI Michael & family was invited .... he chose not to come! Sad that she didn't mention Esther or Manuel!!!??? As the weeks go by we recognize that she is becoming more frail and forgetful....her illness is progressing more rapidly than we would like.




On a lighter note....Mary and I have scrapped several times this month. I helped her finish Margaret's card book and began Mort's....maybe this isn't such a lighter note. But the thoughts and prayers that were put into that scrapbook were beautiful and what a tribute to two very beautiful people.



We've had a day and a couple of evenings together to "play" with the computer learning new techniques and experimenting with different ways to showcase our photos. This has been fun.





On the left is a rubber stamped photo of Carlos on paper that I used and removed most of the color.....all experimental but I liked the look! Above, I used the photo to create the "paper" as a background....a plaid.




The bluebonnet picture above is white on white...fun to do.


I can't wait to share ideas with my girls!!!

Other things that have kept me busy...sewing! Skirts, jumpers, pj's, and aprons (for a friend's daughter's birthday party)......loving it! I also took a serger class last Friday....lots of things my serger can do and consequently I hope to be able to do more. We'll see what fun fabrics I can find in my stash or on sale. :)

Okay, tomorrow is the beginning of the second month of 2011 and hopefully I'll do a better job of keeping my resolutions....one should only hope and TRY!!!

It was a good day!

In the background I hear Maybee whining because she is having to stay in her new "bigger, better" kennel, Tony making popcorn and the tv about to start so we can catch up on some programs we have missed.

All in all it has been a good day! Christmas decorations are put away....as much as I disliked only putting out 1/12 of what we have (2 out of 24 boxes) I really enjoyed putting it away :)

I spent time with my mom which is always a good thing.....but it was at 2 p.m. and she had just gotten out of bed and had not had anything to eat...not a good thing! I stayed and visited while she had a bowl of cereal and banana. Hopefully she stayed up longer and saw the girls come home. I know with inactivity she does not want to get out of bed.

I made the bottom part of a pair of pajamas, fixed dinner, and then scrapped with my sister. Showed her how to change papers on her digital.....I think she is getting the hang of this. Fun times!!!

Today's cup was filled!

I attended my once a month Spirituality class this morning and our director began with a quote from St. Augustin....."Our hearts are restless until they rest in God". Quite a profound statement especially since last night when we discussed the "health" of our individual relationship with God. I mentioned that there was something missing and didn't know if it was me or just the place I'm in or the situations that have presented themselves. But something is missing! hmmmm...restless heart indeed!

But then on top of that she asked us "Who has been your God for you today, yesterday, last week or last month???? This was hard to answer until I thought of Marianne's nurses who have cared for her.....they have been God for her and if we "trust", they have been God for us who sit on the sidelines and are not with her on a daily basis. So thank you to the NICU nurses, the Special Care nurses who watch over the tiny lives they are charged with.

We watched a great video....."For the Love of It"
It spoke to many of us who do things just to do or because they have to be done or because they pay!!! The message was to "work for the love of it....not for the $$" Find joy, inspiration, ignite your passion, follow your bliss. Find a new way of looking at the job you have to do. I didn't gather this was just for those who work for a living but for any of us who live, are alive and are doing "things".

One of the challenges mentioned in the video was to write five things that brought joy.........and write the date of the last time you actually did it!!!! Something to think about.....perhaps within my "journaling".

Another important factor in this "for the love of it" was to come with a full cup....can't fall in love with work unless you come with a full cup...realize how essential it is to fill our cup~~~~when we take time to do this~~~~it spills over to everything we do.

Fall in love with everything we do. There were two men working on a project, when asked what they were doing the first man responded "I'm chipping away at the stone". The second man responded by saying "I'm building a cathedral." (They were indeed working out side the site of a new cathedral) The second man loved what he was doing......full cup!

Say 'thank you' ~~~a factor determined to increase your happiness was gratitude....so be grateful.

I'm grateful I went to my class today.....easing my restless heart!

#1 joy~~~~my husband~~~~I spent time with him today, just watching a basketball game!!

It can be done!

Just finished 5 pages in 2005 scrapbook.....good feeling. Will begin my marathon sewing tomorrow after class in Boerne. I also have a ton of wash to do and would like to visit with my mom.



We bought a new crate for the dog, hoping she would have more room to stretch when she needs to be kenneled.....she whinned and complained. Needed to give her some calming meds so she could settle down. I guess we'll have to do this until she accepts the fact that she must sleep in kennel.



Left the condo this morning, we're glad to be home, attended our SCC meeting and now Tony has been writing cover letter and application....so I've spent time with my computer and pictures.

Just Do It!

I find this difficult to do.......writing everyday, I mean. Three days into the new year and I'm already whining........


Taking a walk, having a great cup of coffee with my honey, digi-scrapping, going shopping for more fabric, taking a donation to Goodwill and coming home to fix Calabacita......seem so insignificant and ordinary, yet when I look at the list of things done, that, oh, by the way, included taking a short nap and I thank God that I was able to do these things without difficulty. So I guess writing on a daily basis is not too difficult to try to accomplish! I should include prayer in there too!

Thanks for a great day, God!!

New Beginings for a New Year

At the beginning of the new year we have been working hard at preparing our place for us and for those who visit. We've changed dishes, cleaned out pantry, the kitchen, changed faucets in both bathrooms and in the kitchen, thrown out items we haven't used in 4 years......nostalgic at the fact that Margaret brought these things here and now that she is gone it felt wrong to get rid of "her" things yet they had not been used and someone else may find comfort in them. I feel I've kept the important items....a hanging quilt, sea gull mobile, country pictures, barometer, clock, a couple of signed watercolors......these were the items that felt right for "our" place. These items will always hold a special quality about them and the previous owner of the condo on Laguna Madre. This place very much enjoyed by our entire Patino Pac and their families.

On another note, Tony has OD-ed on football, watching Masterpiece Theater now....I have cut out 21 patterns for skirts, pajamas pants and shirts, dresses, jumpers, and aprons. Wonderful time reminiscing the times I used to do this for my girls and son. Now for the grandchildren :). The patterns are different, the fabrics are fabulous and colorful and the feeling doing this is just GREAT!!!! Can't wait to get home and start sewing.

So, okay I was a day late in "journaling" but I did meet my week deadline....hopefully I will be able to keep the daily or maybe bi-weekly "journaling".