Saturday, May 7, 2011

Happy Mother's Day & Other News

You know, you think when you retire that you'll be living a peaceful, stress-free life, but the reality is that we're as busy if not busier than when we were working! But at least the busy-ness is of your own design.  Yesterday I went swimming, I wanted to show you my salt water pool at LA Fitness.  I just love my hour of swimming and the feeling of weightlessness in the salt water is pretty neat.  I push off underwater and propel myself under the water and it's kind of like flying... whoosh...
I pulled in the driveway and went *WHOA* the red azalea had bloomed out since the first buds the other day.. isn't that a gorgeous sea of color?  Our flag pole comes out of the center of it.
While I was off swimming, hubby was showing the gorge to my middle son's wife and their roommate from Taiwan (she met her in college).  She moved in a few months ago and will graduate and return to Taiwan soon.  Beth my DIL wanted her to see the gorge before she left.  I gave him my camera and this is what he brought back.. Vista House and the Columbia River Gorge with the pretty new green of Spring.
From the upper viewing deck at Vista House.
Multnomah Falls with all the pretty new green leaves.
He photographed a train going over the railroad bridge blowing it's whistle..  hubby was a Railroad Engineer for Southern Pacific RR for 25 years and then Union Pacific bought SPRR for his last 8 years before he retired.  Before he was a railroad engineer he was a helicopter pilot.
He got a great shot of Multnomah Falls Lodge.
And the falls with those incredible neon green new leaves, ferns and mosses.
Last night our DIL Kristi called and invited us to come to dinner, she made homemade turkey pot pies and was very proud of how they came out.  But we begged off as too darn tired.  So guess what?  They brought dinner TO US and we enjoyed a visit with them and the 2 grandbabyboys.  Look at that face! :-)
Today our daughter brought out our two granddaughters for an early Mother's Day as she is staying home tomorrow to celebrate her own MD.   Below are the girls playing with *my* Playmobil Farm. LOL
And below they had so much fun with a Fisher Price "Sweet Streets" village I bought on eBay - a huge collection of houses, shops, hospitals, schools, fair, with all the little parts and peoples and cars, etc.
My favorite one is the little country store with real light up lanterns and a twinkling fire in the wood stove and if you press the welcome mat it plays sounds of birds singing and owls hooting and frogs and crickets.  :-)
Lastly - I'm crocheting a string of pennants, or what some call "bunting".  I got the inspiration on dottie angel's blog .  It's easy to do, chain 22, double crochet into the 3rd chain and on across, turn, double crochet across skipping the last chain 3 (which is how you decrease it).  Keep going, until you get to 2 double crochets on the bottom and finish off.  I'm going with patriotic colors of red, white and blue.  It's FUN!
Tomorrow we're going to youngest son's house for a combo party - his birthday and Mother's Day.  We're looking forward to that.

I lost my Mother last year at this time and I just want to tell those of you who still have your Mother to spend time with her, love her, let old wounds heal, ask her to tell her stories.. and appreciate her.  I know she's not perfect, but neither are we.  Love her.

And Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are celebrating it tomorrow and to those in the countries who celebrated earlier.  Where would we be without Mothers?  ((hugs)) Teresa

13 comments:

  1. Happy Mothers Day - You deserve it :) x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Mother's day Teresa, your children are lucky to have such a caring Mum and Gran to your delightful grandkids. We have yet to experience the joys of grandparenting but I am lucky enough to be able to see my own Mum (and Dad) on a regular basis. They are both heading towards 80 and still as bright as buttons and yes I do love her very much.I agree that we should all live for the day as we have no idea of what is around the corner. Have a wonderful day,
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love this post Teresa. You are a wonderful Mother, look at the love that surrounds you every day. I will be thinking about you today as you mourn your Mom and as you celebrate with your family.
    Have a lovely Mother's Day,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great post! I loved all the pictures. I think I'll ask for one of those little stores for my birthday. Hee-hee. It looks like fun!

    Love those curls in the first grandbaby's picture. I want those too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Mother's Day, Teresa! You are such a lovely mother and grandmother, how lovely to have lots of family around to celebrate it with! I so agree with you about being glad to still have my own mother (and father) - I told my mother so on our (British) Mother's Day last month! I loved all your pictures in this post too - and the azalea is looking sooo wonderful!
    Have a happy week. Helen x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Have a happy Mother's Day Teresa, you have such a wonderful family and the love is evident from your pictures and words. Sadly my mum died 9 years ago at the young age of 52. I think of her always and especially days such as mother's day. She passed on to me her love of knitting and crocheting and making things. I think she would be very impressed with my progress in crocheting as I used to always say 'mum, will you start me a granny square please'!

    Have a wonderful day

    Joanna xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wishing you a very Happy Mother's Day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy Mother's Day! It looks like you had a wonderful day!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi..l'll second that one don't know how l had time to go to work lol
    Happy Mothers day..hugs Suz x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Mothers day Teresa!!! Your pics are amazing! How lucky of had enjoyed the grandkids on this day! Keep enjoying!
    xxx
    Shanti

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lucy, thank you and you do too!

    Jane, you are so lucky that your parents are doing so well. Mom had Alzheimers and it was an awful way to go.

    Meredith, you are so sweet.

    Pammy Sue, it's called a Fisher Price Sweet Streets "General Store". You need one! LOL

    Helen, you are so lucky to have both your parents, hubby and I lost all of ours over the last few years. It's hard.

    joanna, that's neat you got your crochet skills from your mom, I was taught by my mother-in-law.

    Thanks, Stitchy!

    Thanks, Melissa!! I did, hope you did too!

    Suz.. isn't retirement wonderful?

    Thanks, Shanti - I do adore the grandkids!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi It sure is lol
    'Bertie' is a '72 (I think) VW Beetle...Being totally resurrected by Phil..had a very lacy body when he got him....but more car than lace now lol
    Phil and my dream 5 acres...lucky you
    One day may be it's our next property lol...we hope something with a bit of land
    Hugs Suz x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello Teresa - belated Happy Mother's Day wishes to you. Here in Uk we celebrated a while back. Photos are stunning as always. I agree that retirement is busy,busy, busy but a lovely busy. We have just returned from a few days in leeds vsitinf my eldest son an family. We got to take our grandchildren to school and pre school. It was lovely walking hand in hand with them on two lovely sunny mornings. Love Anne x

    ReplyDelete

I absolutely love comments and thank you so much for taking time to leave me a note. :-)