April Gathering

Spent a few hours playing 

in the studio this week and 

created a nest for the porch.

Tucked in bits of moss, feathers and 

textures and dangled a wee primitive bird

 from the top to swing in the breeze.

I had so much fun I thought a few

of you might want to join me to make one 

of your own.

 Gathering at my house:

April 21st from 10 am - 2 pm

All supplies included

A light brunch will be served.

$45.00

Email to register

Only 8 seats available this time.

Hope to see you.

Tomorrow I choose the 2 winners 

of my 8 Away Giveaway! WoOt!

Good luck and thank you my friends

for always supporting me.

z

My Two Boys

Life gives us unexpected gifts.

I was hoping Dearest Son

would be able to visit a few days this week and 

  a text came at work Wednesday around 11 saying, "I'm leaving now."

He arrived late afternoon and grabbed a coffee 

with his Dad and 

then we were going to dinner.

While waiting for him to return, 

my phone rang and my "other surrogate" son Ivan

called saying. "I'm in town for a few hours,

can we get together?"

I squealed "Guess who else is here!!!"

So last night at around 6:30 I had both boys here on my porch

sipping wine and chowing down some great 

Capriotti's sandwiches and laughing and catching up.

Heaven.

Ben and Ivan became best friends in jr high

and the two spent nearly every school weekend

and summer day here at my house,

because, well, Ivan needed to be here 

with us and we wanted him here.

So birthed by someone else but

a part of this family forever nonetheless.

Insert big contented sigh here

________

now, if only baby girl could be here.

This distance crap sucks, 

sorry,

but it does.

I want to be 3" tall and be able to

 travel along in their pockets

now and then. Not forever,

just a little bit,

just to fill me up with that goopey

oh I love them so feelings to tide me over

until the real big hugs come.

Mom? Dad? I am so sorry I lived so far away,

even though it was beyond my control.

I am so sorry that I never came home enough.

This distance crap has always sucked.

I get it now.

Additions

Still stuffing the 1st Giveaway Box

(just about full).

Made a bunch of tags and threw in some fun 

crafting ephemera.

A weekly planner, address book, paper craft kit,

felted balls and roses etc.....

The 2nd Giveaway gift has unfortunately sold out.

Seems the word got out somehow about

"the bucket"

Did I cause that?

Am I the all powerful OZ of cleaning choices?

An alternate gift will be sent instead since they 

could not determine when the bucket will return.

Equally cool and equally a favorite of mine.

So I added a couple more mags to this group

(I know can you believe it? and yes

that is the WWC Cookbook under the pile)

and all the stuff in the first pic

and that should do it.

I passed the follower milestone, thank you my friends,

 and now have 6 more posts until the big 500.

So 2 names will be drawn on April 1st.

Will yours be one of them?

enter HERE

Also Tanya sent me this link and I am 

passing it on to those interested in the whole

Pinterest discussion.

VERY interesting reading.

Dearest son coming in this week for a quick visit from LA,

WOOT to the 10th power,

and the garden is being tended bit by bit,

in between work and everything else

so it is busy here at OGM.

Seems everyone is busy with all the early

luxurious Spring weather.

makes me a mite nervous though..

What is our planet up to now?

and my final musing:

Is anyone else as thrilled as I am to have Mad Men back on?

jeez louise..about damn time!

8 AWAY GIVEAWAY

So the deal is..

I am 8 away from 2 milestones.

In 8 posts (now 7 posts I guess),

I will have posted 500 times.

NO WAY - NO HOW

nuh uh!

Yeppir, I've done it.

So I'm gonna stuff a box with goodies

and mail it off to one of you gals.

I already have a few items...
but plan to add soooooooo much more, so stay tuned.

The other milestone is another big bunch of followers,

so I am also going to 

order and send one of these beauties. 

to one of you beauties. 

If you missed my love affair with 

the blue bucket read here.

You know the routine:

Leave me a comment on this post for one entry.

Post about it, link back to me, or use this pic and link it to 

old grey mare in your sidebar and let me know in a second comment for another entry.


WHOOPS someone just reminded me...
Follow me or remind me that you follow
 in a third comment for a third entry.
You'd think I'd know by now how this works : D

Two winners will be picked on April 1st.

Now, what else to add to the box?

Green and Yellow St Pat's

Supposed to be windy tonight and tomorrow.

Wanted to snap a few before the nasty 

winds empty the branches.

They've already put the rooster askew.

These Banks Roses all burst out in the last two days.

Every year without fail, they put on their best show

just for me.

All so fleeting though... it is sad..

and I am always careful.....

Alas, they vanish quickly but

 they give me such joy for a few days...

I have been out on the porch restringing lights and 

washing all the furniture and shutters down.

Another simple pleasure that 

just brings me joy.

I also popped into the library yesterday after work 

 and grabbed a tote full of novels.

Finished an Elizabeth Berg last night.

What more could a gal want?

johnny depp

ice cream

to be a size 2

to be 3" inches taller

jude law

a new purse

a maid

robert downey jr

a cook

new shoes

johnny depp

ice cream...

ahem

focus z focus

It Is Friday

It is Friday

I am Happy

I am Tired

I am digging the Spring Weather

I will be Digging in the Garden

this weekend in between Raindrops.

Until then, store Tulips will have to do.

They do, just fine.

Happy weekend everyone!

Z

I'm In Love

Tall

Gorgeous

Broad Shouldered

All the "parts" work

Hot

Cold

Clean

Shiny

White

Blue

huh?

This might seem silly,

but to me, this is a banner day.

After 16 years my badly working fridge died.

After an hour of negotiating at Sears last week,

 I purchased this new beauty at a great price, 

and it was delivered today.

The ice and water work (after 8 years without) 

and it's all bright and shiny inside 

with so much more room!

I cannot even fill it today.

I am beyond thrilled!

it's not sub zero, it's not stainless, etc

but to me it is gorgeous and I feel so fortunate.

Then there is this baby.

I waited till it was a "today's special" on HSN

 with free shipping

and then I snapped it up after 

watching it for about a year.

My budget is such that spending $40.00 

has to be carefully considered,

so know that I thought awhile on 

this amount for a bucket.

But it is worth every penny.

Go to the link up there

and it will explain how it works,

how you spin it clean, and spin it dry....

you can even watch the video,

but I've got to tell you

I love this thing, 

and enjoy mopping.

Seriously!

So nothing profound or inspiring today,

just a Saturday at Z's house.

I am mopping and listening to my new ice 

dropping down... I know I have to toss the first dispensings,

but a few hours from now you can bet

I'll be enjoying a great iced tea,

checking my reflection in the fridge door 

and shiny clean, tiled floors.

again...

 simple pleasures....

happy weekend all.

I have two blog milestones approaching soon,

so I am collecting a box of goodies

for two winners..

Stay tuned

Z

Poofy Pinterest

Not quite "poof" I'm gone,

but only a faint shadow of my former Pinterest self.

Here is the conclusion I came to

 that works for me, for now, time allowing.

I kept the two boards of my stuff, because I

 have my permission, and so do any of you.

I also kept tutorials and recipes because duh...

people do want us to 

use them ( I hope) and (hopefully share).

 I still have some

residual guilt about these two,

 but for now this is where I am. 

I removed my link from my sidebar 

so as not to promote Pinterest.

Eventually when I have time to go through the DIY

and libations and bookmark it all I will be able

 to remove it all, and THEN "poof".

But it is Sunday afternoon, and I have scads to do

 including tax stuff and I'm just too cranky to 

worry anymore about this, but there are things I do 

want to be able to locate, so only 3/4 's poofed.

Everyone do what you 

think is best for you. 

I can now stop fretting about 

hurting anyone in any way.

whew!

now shall we talk politics?

just kidding....

Seeing The Light

I awakened long before sun up this morning,

and was not a happy gal....

figured I might as well haul my

keister out of bed and make some coffee.

As I came down the stairs,

I saw this.

No retouch, this is exactly how the 

light was coming through the transom window.

My photographer friends keep talking about

"the light" and I listen with one ear but it flies right back

out the other side, and I never seem to focus on 

conditions, or grab the camera like I should.

Today, I saw the light...

Happy weekend all,

and to my dear friends in the path 

of the storms, please be careful, I

need you in my life.

much love,

z