More on my birthday -

Sure wish I could "do" the pictures as I want to -- -! But anyway - messy as it looks - all those precious Great Grands are represented.
It's a beautiful day! Sun is shining - ! It's cooler this week - almost cold enough to convince us that it's winter - but I'm looking out at red geraniums and purple petunia's and various other green vines -- and flowers and sunshine, always make me happy! :)

It seems I continue to be lax in my blogging - somehow - Christmas has come and gone - WHOOSH!

The season was beautiful - and while I would say I cut down quite a bit on my decorating - -not yet quite enough. :)

We enjoyed individual visits with each of our great-grandchildren families - either at their homes or ours -- to give them their Gifts. It was fun-

And now a new year! 2009 !

We enjoyed our annual N.Y.'s eve get-to-gether with our friends , the Petrini's and the Willmons, at Petrini's home. (above right)

Now it's February - and our annual Superbowl gathering at Willmons has passed -

And today is the 10th -! My birthday! (How come I feel so young inside?)

I woke up , forgetting this was my day --and came out to a wonderful handwritten "greeting" on our pass through- after which Ralph instructed me to go further into the kitchen - where there on the island was waiting a waffle - with pecans! Strawberries! Whipped cream! my favorite breakfast when I veer from my usual "coffee with protein powder and Irish cream Splenda" breakfast. It was yummy! (why can't I insert a picture HERE? instead of at the top?) grrr

So - - a birthday is, I suppose a time for introspection -- which in my case isn't what I'm in to today -but rather my realizing all that I have to be thankful for -- The first being that I have lived this long - in good health - ! (74! years!) Next - that I have been blessed with a kind and loving husband who demonstrates his love and loyalty , daily! 56 years!

We have 4 healthy offspring! Three who have produced 10 wonderful grandchildren , and many of those, have produced 10 incredible Great-grandchildren for us to enjoy and watch grow.

I think I will add here - that I'm glad to be an Arizonan - after my first 41 years being in Buffalo, N.Y. - because my birthday month in Buffalo was often surrounded in slushy, brown/gray snow - gloomy skies and not much sunshine all month - sunshine that I NEED!

So thank you God and Western Electric -- for giving me wonderful sunshine and flowers in February! :)

Autumn??? I don't think so - -

Thanksgiving is just four days from now! And still!!! our temperatures here in Mesa, AZ. are hovering between 76o and 880! Thankfully, mornings and evenings are much cooler --!
There is a football game going on , on our tV - so it must be Fall!

We're looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with Debbie and her family - We don't see Courtney and Hayden Tramundanas real often, now that mommy and Daddy aren't living together any longer :( - so it will be fun to see them for the first time since last early summer , when I took them and their mommy MIchele, to lunch.
RAlph will make two kinds of trifle -- our regular "Grandma Jamieson" kind that we all grew up with -- and then a newcomer to the family -- a pumpkin trifle! Yum!

Johnny won't be home for Thanksgiving this year - but says he'll be here for Christmas.
He is loving North Carolina -

Kathy and Ricks family keeps growing and growing - and they will most all be together - Six grandchildren now! It should be a fun gathering over there!

And so - no matter the weather! or the economy! All of us, together in our several gatherings, will continue to be thankful for so many things!
"Each day is a gift!"

Since I'm done with "Facebook" -- I think I had better get some updated pictures on here - -especially a few from the picnic we had with Jenna, Jonathan, Noah & Eden - when we met them in Payson in October.

Pictures from our morning! Isaiah's 4th Birthday!

A "catch up"

It's been too long -- it's now summer/fall of 2008! The family have mostly changed their blogs or album spaces - - so it's hard to keep up. it seems many are going to Picasa - - should I , I wonder? I have some posted on Kodak , some on Snapfish (Most) and some on Picasa. And probably a few others too - Shutterfly maybe? photo bucket? maybe.
Anyway - we are up in our park model in the relative "cool" of the White Mt.s of Show Low - -and the Mogollan Rim. While we miss Round Lake, Ontario - and our friends there - we are adjusting and enjoying.
Made a few new friends -- and have enjoyed some who have come to visit us on occasion.
We only have room to sleep 2 on a hideabed - -so there are limits to our "guests" -- for overnight - however , we have served up to eight on our screened in porch - or inside on TV trays or end tables, etc. Lack of space has never left us hungry!