Rest in Peace, Mary!

These are two of my favorite people at work... Mary and Lynn.  Mary started working here at the age of SIXTY...  she passed away last week at the age of 86.  She worked up until a week before her death.  Mary is the mother of four and leaves behind a husband who will be totally lost without her!  They had been married 64 years.

Rest in peace, Mary!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I have two hanging plants on my front porch... one fell, breaking the pot.  I stuffed it into another hanging planter I found in the garage. 

STUFFED.

It barely fit.

When I water my hanging plants (DAILY), water just runs out of this poor plant. 

Last night I came up with the idea of cutting the bottom off a little Coke bottle and stuck it in the planter upside down.  I filled the "vessel" 6 times!  That poor plant was thirsty!  Now that I've discovered this "trick," I think it will become my Preferred Way of Watering hanging pots!  Sure beats dragging the hose and sprayer across the lawn...

Now to see if Miss Geranium gets happier with me!

PS: I discovered cutting a plastic Coke bottle is much tougher than cutting a plain old water bottle! 

Ain't it Grand?

This is us... Bubba and Bubba at home with our four little treasures!  The oldest and youngest missed their cue to look at the camera... but it was no small feat to get the three in the chair on task!  Seluna in pink is 7½ and seems to be imitating a bunny rabbit or something.  Brody is 4 now and most likely cooperated with the promise of time on the TruckPad (iPad).  Illyria is 5½ and ready to pounce!  I'm holding Wesley. He was born on Easter Sunday - so is 11 weeks old. It's my fault that he missed the cue to look at the camera!  This was a one shot event.  That's how long I could keep everyone contained!    Considering that - an amazing family portrait!

Sock Monkey Mania

Get a Check-Up!

Ready for any emergency! Walk-in clinic was open throughout the whole festival!

 

Two (human) nurses were on duty to take care of sick and injured monkeys.  

 

Is there a doctor in the house?
















Oh Nurse!  Nurse!

This is the "Peanut Gallery" - fun monkeys (and elephant).  Young and Old!

These guys are OLD, antique monkeys... Not For Sale, Adoption or Abduction! 

They all live with the folks at SockMonkeyDreams.com!  You might want to pop in there to see what is going on in their Monkey House!

Sock Monkey Nursery

Our 2nd grandson is on his way!  His mom and dad have been busy with his room - and I couldn't be more tickled that they've chosen Sock Monkeys as the theme!  Poor kid has no idea what he's in for! :)

I've been making sock monkeys off and on for the past 35 years.  Sewing and drawing them!  This little man is a collector before he even arrives! 

.................and his momma and I are off to the Sock Monkey Madness Event this weekend in Rockford... home of the original Red Heel Sock company!!!

What About That?

My PROFOUND (ha!) words about HOPE posted here yesterday have disappeared... All I wanted to do was fix a word in the title... and I lost the content.

Who knows what I said... and who really cares.  It was a "moment" - the gist of it was there is ALWAYS HOPE... Without HOPE, we can do nothing for ourselves...

So this is the compacted version of the lost entry... :)

We do nothing for ourselves if there is no hope

Content Lost :(

JUST STOP

LaVon thought she had the flu... it turned out to be cancer.  She lost her battle a mere 33 days later... We miss you LaVon!

Mary found a lump in her arm pit... it turned out to be cancer.  Mary had surgery and is waiting to see what the next step will be in this war.  She is ready to do battle!

Nancy ran her hand across her belly and noticed a lump... it turned out to be cancer.  Nancy started treatments and is waiting to see how much they can help... we are beside her as she starts her fight...




Toony Times can't find any humor in these stories... They are close to home and painful. These three women are my friends... their families are family to me too. I can't help but think that the pain and care and worry I have for them is what so many others in this world are feeling. I am not alone, nor are they. Reports of the medical world making great strides in beating cancer are wonderful, but also painful to hear.  These strides did not help LaVon... I can only hope and pray they will work wonders for Mary and Nancy and the thousands out there affected by cancer!

To all who are seeing this monster attack people in their lives, I feel your pain too.  The only purpose this beast serves is to make me STOP.


STOP and love the life I have been given.
STOP and appreciate the things and comforts I have.
STOP and forget about things that REALLY don't matter.
STOP to tell my friends that I love them. 
STOP and enjoy the mundane.
STOP complaining.
STOP disregarding God's greatest gift to me: My health!

I will never STOP caring, praying and loving those struggling with health challenges!