Our Helen

It has to hurt...losing your right arm.  Whether you were lovebirds or crankpots, losing a spouse after 67 years has to hurt.   My father-in-law passed away two days ago and we're reeling and dealing with the many to-do's.  Family and company heading this way, arrangements to make, pictures to sift through, words to put to paper. 

There are three siblings and each is mourning differently.  Then we have our Helen, the widow left behind.  In the space of three and a half minutes she asked her daughter:  "Where's Don?"  And that was only three and a half minutes of the day.  My Guy was asked a number of times where his dad was.  Me too. 

Our Helen has changed so much since 2004 when she and Her Guy informed us she had the beginnings of Alzheimer's.  She has the nature of a sweet young girl.  She smiles often and enjoys the human touch.  She was a reserved person before the Alzheimer's.  It seems there is a silver lining in everything, even in aging.

At 2:30 am My Guy and I found Our Helen in our bed.  Smiling.  She crawled in by her son and patted him.  And smiled.  My heart ached.  My Guy is gentle with her now, but we all are because she deserves it. To see him tenderly give her cough medicine was a precious sight indeed.

Life for my mother-in-law has not been easy.  She is from the old school and waited on her man like he was king.  As an outsider speaking, uhhh, there were times when he didn't deserve such royal treatment.  Yet, she rarely complained.  It was what she knew.  And what she did.

Although we are honoring the life of Don and will miss him terribly; I think it's time to honor Our Helen.



She's always been in the background you know.  It's her time.  Time to treat her like a queen and wait on her.  Not that she craves, expects, or wants such attention.  All she wants is Her Don.

i LoVe LuCy!

Allow me to introduce you to LUCY!
...only a kindergartener and her life is already story-bookish.  Her mom has a fab blog.
Lucy's mom and I are fans of Tracy Porter.  That's where we "met."
It seems Lucy loves Tracy too.
And now TRACY has LUCY's fashion video on HER blog!
Please visit Tracy and leave a comment!  :)
She has a video or two on YouTube too.  It'll make YOU want to be jazzy & funky!
There is a campaign stirring:  "I LOVE LUCY."  I'm thinkin' she needs an agent!
Have you ever seen such a Plum Blossom? 

Be still my heart...

Around the house...

A blog I follow, Views From My Kitchen Sink, is always a good read.  That Pam has great posts and so today I'm linking up with her. 

WHAT I'M EATING

Above you'll find my morning ritual.  It never varies....been drinking protein shakes now for 7+ years.  It started for the ease of it.  I knew I needed breakfast and this was slam, bam EASY!  And then a visit to an MD who was also into holistic stuff...took my cortisol levels.  Yikes!!!!  Yes, I WAS addicted to sugar and ate far, far too much.  She informed me by starting my day with protein, my cravings for sugar would diminish.  Coffee is a no brainer although my Keurig is new.  I've been a loyal fan of the Toddy for twenty years and will stick with it for iced coffee.  Nothing better - smooth java. 

WHAT I'M DOING

I'm waiting on My Guy to finish organizing enough ski paraphernalia to open a shop.  Bless the man...he's just returned and does have a full time job.

WHAT I'M DECORATING

No pictures...yet, BUT I am one excited girl.  "The" sofa has been ordered and it's GREEN!  Little did I know how versatile it shall be until a friend pointed me to "Colour Me Happy's" blog post!  Can't wait.

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO

I'm a music NUT...and with DirectTV, there is quite a menu!  My Top 3 show that not only will my sofa be versatile, but my music taste is too!

#1 Choice:  Channel 826 "The Spirit" (Contemporary Christian)

#2 Choice:  '70s Hits (when I need that pick-me-up)

#3 Choice:  Light Classical (this is brand new.  One of my how-to-speak or how-to-write authors insists "baroque" music helps one think.  I need all the help I can get...)

My Guy came in from work last night to #3 blaring throughout the house.  It was NOT his #1 choice!

WHAT I'M READING

1. Beth Moore's is our current Bible study.
2. "Palace Walk" was recommended by my stepmom a while back.  I've just started it and hope I can get through it. 
3. "Speak Up with Confidence" was recommended by a friend who DOES speak and knows my desire to do so. 
4. "Get Lucky" is by a friend of a friend.  Haven't opened it yet....
5. "Sundays at Tiffany's" - heard it was light and an easy read.  Will see...
6. "Little Bee" - well, everyone in Blog Land has read it, so I hope too as well.

 And so what are YOU doing, reading, decorating and listening to?

Footnote

WHAT I JUST DID

I had to force myself outdoors....and am so glad I did.  God created a symphony for me!  Took the Lake Walk...

The sun so bright my dark glasses were a necessity.
Birds flitting about as if they were dancing.
The pine needles and trees were washed in two of my favorite colors: russet and green.
And there sat an old woman with a halo of white curls...knitting by the lake.
I stopped to talk and we both gushed on the beauty of the day.
She told me concentrating on her knitting forced her to be less thankful.
She prayed to God to forgive her for her half-hearted praise.
And she said all of this in a beautiful Brazillian accent.
He knows her heart.
And He knows just what I needed for a mid day break!



Life of Vava

I cannot help myself.  Always on the prowl to tweak or fluff.  It's a lot easier to create vignettes
than to remodel and so that's what I do...
a lot.

It's especially a "must" after receiving a FABULOUS gift!!!  The books above are vintage and entitled "The Life of ____."  (our last name!).  I squealed like a little girl and even My Guy was blown away.
They deserved a spot on our coffee table.

And often while in the blogosphere I see that certain sumpin-sumpin that I must carry out myself!  A friend pointed me to what Katie did! And then Vava did it too.  I zoomed to Lowe's for a painter's drop cloth to drape my dining table.  A cheap, chic look! 

 And then tossed a Venetian mirror (another gift from a pal) atop said cloth....and sprinkled candles around. 
My table cloth does not look as styled as Katie-did's does; so I can't post a full length picture yet.
But you see the texture - color of it????  It's just yummy!

After Christmas is the perfect time to look around and tweak a bit.  On my buffet I changed out trays but kept my "Christmas vignette" in tact.  I'll probably keep the ornaments here for a while...some are old and vintage and I {{{love}}} Christmas...so why not? 

Then there were the six botanicals in the dining room that nobody saw...
I moved them out to the foyer with a couple new lamps.  With the prints filling up the entire inset wall,
my tiny foyer seems bigger.

 
I dig change and think it's good for the soul.  A positive to having clutter collections/stuff around is I
can shop my own home!

Welcome to a day in The Life of Vava. 

 

RE-Think the New Year!

REJOICE!

This looks to be a random post....sort of all over the place.  How it started was this shot of clouds last night.  I notice the sky and clouds and have since my Mom passed away 17 years ago.  I remember shortly after her death, I was driving home from work, flying down the highway and as only Texas can offer, had a wide open view of heavenly beauty.  I knew it was a gift from God.

He's been doing that a lot - gifting me!  I have tons to be thankful for!!!

Lately I feel as if I'm wrapped in the arms of My Father.

RESTORED!

(#2 Son getting a "tie the tie lesson" from HIS father...)

And I like that feeling - safe and loved.  Who doesn't need that, right?

Day # 13 of the new year - and it may be the best start to a year in a long, long time.  My menfolk are having the time of their lives.  You might say, they're having a mountain top experience!

REJUVENATED!

Skiing for six days in bitter cold is not for everyone.  But My Guys can't get enough!

RENEW!

And I've had lots of quiet time....that I reveled in after our week in New York. 

While in New York we had the opportunity to party socialize with a younger set.  My "sister" and I are quite a bit older than our handsome nephews and their beautiful wives.  However, age matters not when one has a gusto, a zest for life!  A (younger) person commented on stories she'd heard about Patty and I.  

It seems our reputation preceded us...that we "seemed to always have fun." 

Well, of course!!! You must suck the marrow from life.

I'll be working those "re" words:  restore, rejuvenate, rejoice, renew for 2011!

HAPPY (RE)NEW YEAR!!!

Who's Like Us?

Welcome to New York City!!!!

I had SO MUCH FUN!

How CAN one girl have so much fun asked a friend..

Well, when you meet the folks I hung with for a week, you'll see. 

I love words!

I love faces!

So, I'm putting words TO these faces.

PRAYERFUL

(or perhaps here she's soaking in the reverie!)

LOUD (said "reverie")

HIP!

GLAM!

BROTHERLY LOVE

BEAUTY

ADORABLE

(more) BROTHERLY LOVE

SOUL SISTERS

SOPHISTICATES

SASS & CLASS

LOVE

COLORFUL

GRACEFUL

PARTY MODE

PLAYFUL

FANCY FEET

(and you should see their faces!)

GIDDY

FUN & GLOSSY

TOASTED  UHHH, A TOAST!

LOOPY

CAMARADERIE

GIRLS

DUDES

BLESSED

Yes, I am pouting.  I didn't want to leave...

We laughed from sun up to sun down, ran all over New York, danced the night(s) away.  Made new friends I'll never forget.  A wedding wooed us to the city and my prayer is that my nephew and beautiful wife live happily ever after.  And they will as long as they lean on one another and their families.

My father has a favorite toast.  And, so to everyone that attended, I'd like to raise my glass and say:

Who's like us?  Damn few!