home

Heard this poem this morning and loved it. Wanted to share.

Home, Sweet Home by John Howard Payne (1791-1852)

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain;
Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again!
The birds singing gayly, that come at my call --
Give me them -- and the peace of mind, dearer than all!
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

I gaze on the moon as I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother now thinks of her child,
As she looks on that moon from our own cottage door
Thro' the woodbine, whose fragrance shall cheer me no more.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

How sweet 'tis to sit 'neath a fond father's smile,
And the caress of a mother to soothe and beguile!
Let others delight mid new pleasures to roam,
But give me, oh, give me, the pleasures of home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

To thee I'll return, overburdened with care;
The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there;
No more from that cottage again will I roam;
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

s u m m e r days

I love this recent picture of Z. He was given this darling CARS apron over the weekend (thank you Mimi & Miss Nancy!) and when I got the camera out to capture him in it, he threw himself on the chair in hopes I'd put the blasted thing away. Well, I didn't and was able to snap a good picture after many tries like this one.

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Summer slowly moves on and that's just like I like it. Our Miss Maddy had her 16th kitty birthday and enjoyed it most purrrrfectly with treats, catnip toy wrapped in tissue paper, and attention nonstop Sunday evening. We adopted her when she was just 6 months old and can't believe all this time has gone by. She was just a little puff of fur and now ... big puff.

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No stitching going on as hoped. The mojo isn't there. Been reading lots still and currently finishing up A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay. The pool was not crowded today which was nice and I was able to read my book while Z had the baby pool all to himself. We laughed ourselves silly in a water gun fight and it was really sweet having the area all to ourselves for awhile. A day @ the pool makes for a tuckered little lad by the way so he went to bed early and fast.

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Guess that's all for now. Not much I know but wanted to pop in and say hi! Hope your week brings you something sweet to think about and cherish.

The News from Here.

I must say it feels weird to not have jot down some posts here lately but I've been Tweeting and Facebooking so I have been around but have missed my Blog reading and writing! It's been crazy busy here too and my minutes on the computer have been hurried, fast, and interrupted so it's amazing I have more than five minutes to sit and compose a thought, and get it down!

So, the news.
**Today was the last day of school for Ben. The last day of 6th grade. The last day of elementary school. Surprisingly I didn't cry, as I have done at every end of the year since his beginning at this whole education thing but I think it's time for middle school, time for the change, and it's true when the teachers told us that by May, your child will look too big for elementary school. Wow. It makes sense. He's ready for the next chapter. I feel ready ... of course September seems a long way away from now so my tune can change. I did cry at the promotion ceremony last week and especially during the sweet slide show where baby/toddler pictures were shown and then fast forwarded to the kids now. They are 7th graders now. I'm old.

Ok, more news.
**Ben made All Stars in baseball so practice for these July games has already begun. I call it baseball boot camp because when I pick Ben up, he literally crawls in the car from the exhaustion but the smile is there because he's crazy for baseball. So Mama's Taxi is still on the move these days even though school bells are silent.

**My vacuum died. My grandmother gave it to me a few months before Ben was born in 1999 and it's served us well. She sweetly got me a new vacuum today so my cleaning days aren't over. I must say the name of it is quite cool, The Shark. I've always had a cannister vacuum and this is an upright; so far so clean :)

**I've been reading LOTS. Absorbing books so fast that I'm soon to close in on my 50 book challenge for the year. Crazy I know but I was in such a reading rut for so long, it feels wonderful to be back in the pages again. One of my favorite recent reads is My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. Really good!! I don't know what I'd do without the good reads website as it's a terrific place to log books read and to read. Hook up with friends and see what they're reading and get recommendations. Love. it.

**Summer means crafts for me so I've been compiling ideas found online and in magazines for simple and fun things to make with the kiddos the next few months. I need a few for me too and saw this idea that looks like a fun keepsake. Don't know which tshits I'll use but doesn't it sound like fun? Sure would cosy with soft cotton tees used.

**Father's Day was swell. Zack was semi-awake Sunday morning pushing his card and gift in DH's face only to then sing Happy Birthday ... then realizing it wasn't a birthday but Father's Day, laughed and said, oh just open it. LOL

**I guess the biggest news around here is Zack got glasses! Still hate for him to have to wear them at such an early age of 4 but they are supposed to help his left lazy eye that wanders in to the center sometimes. It has been something to get used to seeing him wear them but I have to say, he's darn cute in them :)


So that's the news from here and I know I'm missing something because these days whirl so fast that I don't know if I'm coming or going but school's out and summer vacation is HERE. That is wonderful news and something we will enjoy to the fullest.

Till next time ...

ready, set, summer ... almost

I think I've started this blog post in my head for a week now and stuff keeps happening and it never gets posted. Not much to say and then a lot. This time of year is wrapped up with lots of stuff. I'm eager for those lazy days of summer with no alarm clocks ringing and scurrying out the door to schools and weekly activities. No reminding someone if they need to bring his trumpet to school or checking to see if shoes are on the right feet or making that mad dash to the car and forgetting sunglasses that are atop my head.

Zack has been out of preschool for several weeks and I sense he's ready for Ben to finish up already and get this summer thing started! This is Ben's last year of elementary school - here 7th graders begin at Middle School so his promotion to this big step is later in the week. I'll be sure to cram enough kleenex in my purse that day because I know I'll be a mess. When he turned 12 at the start of this month it really hit me that he's big - he's ready for middle school - I better get on the same page. So I'm almost there - almost.

I've not picked up my stitching in, well, I don't know when. I've been reading so much lately - made a 50 book challenge for the year and finished book #34 tonight. My Name is Memory by Ann Bashares was amazing. Of course today slowed me down because I came down with a double ear infection and thankfully DH worked from home so he could tend to the boys while I crashed and let the antibiotic do its magic. Why is it we always get sick at the most inconvenient times? Or really is there a good time to get sick? No.

So while I haven't been stitching, I've been seeing all the new patterns out there that I'll whip up when my needlework mojo returns. That goes for knitting too. In the meanwhile, you'll find my nose in a book and Mama's taxi still on the go. Summer, we'll be happy to see you.

2 words

Smores Pie

So maybe not the most photogenic pie but it was mighty good. If Ben eats something then I know it was good. And he's my smores guy so when I said I was making this pie, his eyes got big and he was ready to try it. There are oodles of recipes online to make your own crust and fancy up this type of pie but simple works just as well sometimes. Fill a graham cracker pie crust with chocolate pudding and top with marshmallows. Put under the broiler for just a few minutes (don't burn!) and voila, Smores Pie!

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Busy, busy here! Lots of fun at the pool, end of school events, end of baseball season games, and family celebrations. Haven't been stitching much but reading a lot and designing some ... I've been trying to figure out how to add a secret fan page to my Facebook page to add an exclusive free chart but it's like a foreign language so far. Wish me luck. I've recently been addicted to Twitter so if you tweet, look me up here! I'm still learning my way around tweet language. lol

Till next post ... stay cool and and stitch lots!

Now he is 12.

Wow. Twelve. Ben. Twelve. I just got used to him being Eleven. for goodness sake! He still loves donuts so some things stay the same. This picture at Krispy Kreme was taken when he was 4, Zack's age now. Thank you God for giving me the gift of motherhood. Happy Birthday to Ben!!! Twelve. Wow.