I'm leaving on a jet plane....

Well, this is probably the last post until I return from Denver. I'm almost ready to go. My plane leaves at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning and I am finishing the last of the packing up now. Well, all except for the last minute stuff. I am anxious to get there and feeling a little apprehensive about leaving everyone here.

My older sister and her husband were supposed to drive out with one of their married daughters and her 3 children, but the daughter has been hospitalized so they have had to cancel their trip out for the Wedding Reception. They may be able to go out later in the summer but they will miss the family get-together! :( I hope and pray that everything turns out okay for their daughter!

My sandals broke just the other day and I tried to have them repaired at a shoe shop but was told that they are very old and unrepairable. I don't have time to shop for a new pair here, so I guess I will have to look in Denver for a pair and figure out something else to wear on the plane!

I printed out a map of the Denver Airport Terminal and boy, am I glad my cousin will be with me. The place is huge with several different levels. I'll be lucky if I can find the right level for baggage pick-up and passenger pick up as well! I'm sure they have signs and probably people there to answer questions should one become lost.....I hope!

Well, I guess I'll be off then....until I get back home I hope everyone has an enjoyable week.

A Meme from a couple of friends

Blazing Firebird and It's Just Me have posted this Meme and I'm joining in.


1. Are your parents married, divorced, deceased or other? Deceased
2. Are you a vegetarian? No
3. Believe in Heaven? Yes
4. Have you come close to dying? Yes
5. What jewelry do you wear 24/7? None 24/7
6. Are you eating? Nope
7. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? On occasion
8. Wear makeup? Sometimes
9. How many people have you kissed in the last month? lots, mostly grandkids
10.Would you ever have plastic surgery? Nope
11.What do you wear to bed? T-shirt and panties
12.Have you ever done anything illegal? underage drinking and snuck into a city pool as a kid
13.Can you roll your tongue? Yes
14.Pluck your eyebrows? No, don't need to
15.What kind of watch(es)? Nothing special~Accura
16.Abortion? No, I'm against them
17.Hair color? In my younger years blondish brown~now silver
18.Future child's name? I'm 60 years old..better not be any children
19.Do you snore?Yep, woke myself up even
20.If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Australia
21.What is on your feet right now? I'm barefoot
22.If you won the lottery what would you do first? Scream
23.Gold or Silver? Gold
24.Hamburger or hotdog? Hamburger
25.If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Salads
26.Beach, city or country? Country
27.What was the last thing you touched before the keyboard? Newspaper
28.Where do you eat? Table usually
29.When's the last time you cried? Yesterday
30.Have you read blogs? Hasn't everyone....of course I have
31.Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex? Only on Halloween
32.Ever been involved with the police? When I was in an accident.
33.How many times have you been married? 3 times, once widowed, once divorced and presently happily married for 16 years.
34.Do you talk in your sleep? My hubby says I do but I've never heard me.
35.Beach or pool? doesn't matter
36.What's your favorite song at the moment?Don't have one right now
37.How do you take your steak? Medium well
38.Window or aisle seat? Window
39.Ever met a famous person? Not that I recall
40.Do you feel that you've ever had a truly successful relationship? Yes
41.Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? Both
42.Ricki Lake or Oprah? Oprah if I must chose.
43.Basketball or Football? Football
44.How long do your showers last? About 8 minutes
45.Do you drive a stick? No, but I can.
46.Cake or Ice cream? Ice cream
47.Self-conscious? Not usually
48.What time do you get up? depends on when I went to sleep
49.Have you ever given money to a bum? Nope
50.When was your first crush? Grade school
51.Where do you wish you were? In a hot tub.
52.Have you ever broken someones heart? I don't think so
53.Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? Yes
54.Have you ever ridden in/on a firetruck? No
55.Last gift you received? Hubby brought home a hanging basket of flowers that he knew I had been wanting.....awwww, sweet huh?
56.Name the last three things you purchased? Summer pj's, shirt and jeans
57.Things you spend a lot of money on? Nothing really
58.What state do you live in? MI
59.How do you eat an OREO? dunk it in milk and bite into it.
60.Last wedding attended? My hubby's cousin
61.Favorit fast food place to eat? Arby's or Wendy's
62.Do you like to shop? NO
63.Most hated food/drink? Mexican food and beer
64.Last play you saw? I can't even remember
65.Can you sing? Yes, but I'm the only one who enjoys it!
66.One thing you hate? Intentional Meanness
67.One wish? That my grandchildren all grow up healthy and happy!
68.Favorite drink? Ice tea
69.Current crush? Still madly in love with Hubby
70.What is my height? 5'3"
71.Shoe size? 6 1/2 or 7

Getting anxious!

I am getting so anxious. I am already having trouble sleeping at night and I'm not leaving for another week. Once I decided to go, I didn't realize that waiting would be so very hard. Maybe as I age I'm losing more of my patience!

I went shopping today to buy something to wear to the "Evening Garden Reception". I went thinking that I wouldn't be able to find anything that I liked. Naive went with me. Much to my surprise I was able to find a skirt that I liked and was lucky enough to match a tank and cardigan sweater set to go with it. And it didn't even cost that much. It's casual and yet dressy enough for the occasion. I'm pretty happy with it.

My granddaughter, Naive's daughter, received a special honor. She has been invited to attend The Congressional Youth Leadership Council in our state capital this coming January. The only way to get the invitation is to be nominated by one of your teachers and then you have to be accepted by the Congressional Board. I am so very proud of her. She is only going to be a freshman in high school this coming year and she has so much savvy already. More than I ever thought of having when I was her age. But then, having a mom like Naive, it is no wonder she is awesome. Okay, the proud grandma will now change subjects! Sorry, just had to brag a minute!!
Thanks for putting up with me!

SUCCESS!!! Update to Denver trip!

Man, I am sooo excited. I was able to find a flight to Denver. It wasn't as reasonable as I hoped the cost would have been and I have to leave earlier than I really wanted to and stay longer than I wanted or should. But, I'm not complaining...at least I have the ticket and I'm able to attend.

I will fly out of the airport in a nearby city and fly to Houston first and then on to Denver. Same thing on the way back in reverse order.

I am so lucky. Naive helped me find the ticket and booked it online for me and also helped out financially. It seems like she always comes through for me! She is an awesome woman and one of the best daughters anyone could ask for. She's the kind of daughter that all parents want to have. And I was lucky enough to get her! Thank you, God, for my lovely, caring daughter!

One Hundred Things About Me

So, I guess I should be celebrating. This is my 100th post. Everyone seems to do the "100 list" and I guess I will too for lack of any thing creative roaming around in my little brain.

1. I turned 60 years old last month.

2. I don't remember getting older.

3. I have 14 living grandchildren; 15 when I count Owen (a precious grandson who was stillborn)

4. My parents both were dead by the time they were 49 and they died 3 years apart.

5. I have an older sister and a younger sister.

6. My hair is silver.

7. I was widowed, divorced, and am now married for the 3rd time. Not many know about my 2nd marriage and I try to keep it that way.

8. I live in Michigan and I love the "Big Lake".

9. I love the upper peninsula too.

10. I have 5 children, 2 girls and 3 boys....3 of them are birth children and 2 are acquired through my third marriage.

11. I hate Lima Beans and Liver and onions.

12. I love hot fudge sundaes.

13. I love CHOCOLATE!

14. Cashews are my favorite kind of nut.

15. I have two very good friends that I met 37 years ago. I'm lucky to have them.

16. Sometimes I get melancholy for no reason.

17. I am afraid of spiders and hate them with a passion and yet am fascinated by them.

18. I love the outdoors and fresh air.

19. I prefer spring and summer.

20. I don't like winter as much as I used to.

21. Fall is beautiful because I like to see the trees change color.

22. I need to lose some weight! A lot of weight!!

23. I wish I were taller.

24. I would like to be independently wealthy.

25. I love my husband but don't often tell him how much I appreciate him.

26. I have a LOT of trouble sleeping.

27. I AM going to Denver. I fly into Houston first and then on to Denver. I leave on the 21st.

28. Sometimes I'm grumpy and even I don't know why.

29. I wish my grandchildren could stay young for a longer period of time.

30. I love watching birds.

31. My favorite birds are hummingbirds

32. My favorite flower is lily of the valley.

33. I miss my parents since their deaths.

34. I love salads.

35. I love a medium-well steak and a baked potato. Mm-mm!

36. I am very proud of the person my oldest has become.

37. I'm sorry I was sick when Clew visited Naive and I didn't get to see her.

38. I had a quadruple bypass heart surgery 4 years ago.

39. I got drunk "once", and decided the morning after really wasn't worth the night before.

40. This year marks the 42nd anniversary of my graduation from high school. (Yes, they had high schools back then!)

41. I don't keep in touch with anyone from my high school years.

42. My sisters have become my friends instead of just siblings.

43. Telling my children that their Daddy passed away was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

44. I wished I had had more children. (I know, I'm a crazy woman!)

45. My shoe size is 6 1/2.

46. I was a cheerleader in high school until a car accident forced me to quit.

47. I hate shopping for clothes.

48. I need some new clothes to go to Denver with.

49. My computer died a while back and Hubby bought me a new one. Bless his heart!

50. My oldest son is bilingual.

51. My oldest daughter can build a house! I find that amazing! She and her husband built their house and she designed it.

52. I hate taking medicine.

53. Some days I spend way to much time on the computer.

54. I love bubble baths.

55. I dropped out of college. I wanted to be a teacher.

56. I like most kinds of music.

57. I play the piano (not as well as I used to though).

58. I sing in the car.

59. I moved into my house almost a year ago. I love it.

60. I wish I knew more about computers.

61. This list is harder than I thought it would be.

62. I love to watch lightening.

63. My dog hates the thunder and hides when it storms.

64. I love animals, but dogs are my favorite.

65. I love watching my little grandchildrens faces as they discover something new.

66. I love to go for quiet rides with my husband.

67. Sometimes I wonder why I am here.

68. I have a "favorite" sister-in-law!

69. I wish I had more energy.

70. I always have way too much month left at the end of my money!

71. I love being a mom, grandma, sister, friend and wife.

72. Sometimes though I feel overwhelmed with all of it.

73. I sometimes feel lonely even when I'm not alone.

74. I like to feel "connected".

75. I always wanted to have a brother.

76. Now I have 5 brother-in-laws. Not the same though.

77. I wish my parents had lived to see my children and my childrens children.

78. Did I mention that I'm flying to Denver!!!

79. I love a clean house but hate housecleaning!!

80. I love to eat out.

81. I don't mind cooking.

82. I love making our annual Christmas Cookies with the grandkids.

83. I hate clutter.

84. I've decided I don't like lists!

85. I love waterfalls and have seen many. Most of them in Michigans Upper Peninsula.

86. I've seen Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.

87. I've been to 23 of the states in the U.S.A.

88. The only country I've ever been to is Canada.

89. I love John Denver songs.

90. I love Gordon Lightfoot songs too.

91. I love to watch white tail deer in the woods when they haven't seen me.

92. I hate blogger. I finished this post and was doing a spell check on it and it disappeared and I lost the last 4. AARRRGH!!!!

93. I love to watch my oldest grandson play footbball and my oldest granddaughter cheerlead at games.

94. I guess I just love watching any and all of my grandkids do anything.

95. I love sitting around a bonfire in the fall, drinking hot cocoa and watching the fire and chatting.

96. I hope it takes me a long, long time to get to the 200th post because this list has been hard and blogger has been "hormonal"!

97. I wonder if blogger hates me?

98. I love to read.......almost anything.

99. I love to have a grandchild fall asleep in my arms.

100. And, I love accomplishing what I set out to do. Like this list!! ;)

A little of this, a little of that!!

I tried to post earlier today and something was wrong with blogger "again" and it's gone. And being pressed for time lately it is a big inconvenience to have to redo! Arrrgh!!


I'm having great difficulty trying to book a flight to Denver for the dates I need to be there. Well, that isn't entirely true. If I don't mind spending over $500.00 for one round trip ticket I wouldn't have any problem at all. But, being of "Dutch heritage" coupled with my bank account the answer isn't hard for me to figure out. Find cheaper tickets or stay home! I was able to find one airline that will sell me a ticket for under $300.00, but I have to change planes 3 times and stay overnight in an airport in a strange city, alone. I'm finding I'm not quite as adventurous as I used to be because that has absolutely no appeal.....not even for a chance to see my family!


On to the baby robins. They have all flown away. I was on my way out the other day to take a new picture to show you all how big they had gotten and the last one was sitting on the edge of the next and when I approached, that one flew off too! : ( At least I know they all made it and my wonderful pet and companion didn't eat any of them!


The newest grandbaby is doing well. Already I can see that he has gained some weight. Big brother hasn't asked to send him back yet either, which is a real plus!

Today is my oldest sisters wedding anniversary. Forty-two years for them. That's a great accomplishment in today's times. Also the 42nd anniversary of my graduation from high school. Man, I don't remember getting THAT old!!

Tomorrow, my little 4 year old granddaughter in Kentucky is having her tonsils out. I hope she does well. I will call her momma tonight and request that she call me tomorrow after the surgery to let me know how she did.

My next post will be my One Hundredth. I will have to finish that list soon!!