The year without dresses

 I tried to watch a little of the Oscars last night.  It was just too blah.  There were no dresses I was interested in....at all.  There were no movies I was interested in....at all.  Actually, I'm shocked that they held the awards at all.  So......

Let's look at what has been interesting me lately when it comes to style and design.

Gorgeous Indian textiles have been catching my eye.

pushpanjalitrading.com

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I stumbled upon Sara Fitz's needlepoint designs and that led me to her wonderful website.

Charming notepads, wrapping paper and totes. Gorgeous prints and wallpaper!

Sara Fitz ....EVERYTHING

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And just for fun, if I was a stylist, this is what I would put my client in.

Lovely Princess Charlene of Monaco.

Happy last week of April!~

I am enjoying the sun being up after dinner so much.

Lots of love and beauty dear ones.

Donna Elsie

Wontons with Katie

 

The Wonton recipe

One package Wonton wrappers

One package cream cheese

One teaspoon sugar and One teaspoon onion powder.

One scallion.

(one egg for egg wash to seal sides)

Mix cream cheese mixture.

Spoon a teaspoon of the mixture in the middle of a wonton wrapper.

Fold up. Opposite corners to opposite corners.

Fry in oil for a little bit.  Shorter than you can believe it!

Serve with a dipping sauce.  We used duck and sweet and sour sauce.

Thank you, Katie, for coming over to make these great treats and helping me get over my fear of frying!

Bon Appetit

Donna and Katie

aka 

#easychef and #babychef

Full hearts

 Patrick, Katie and I went to Omaha for Easter.  Emma and James come up from Missouri and Patrick and Shelby now live in Omaha very near to Matthew and Melinda.  So we were ALL TOGETHER!!! 

It was just wonderful.  We had an Easter egg hunt outside and Melinda cooked a delicious dinner!  We went to the zoo and Patrick and I nearly died.  The children ran circles around one another as we panted and whined and worried about the huge crowds.  Actually Patrick did not whine...until we got home.  I whine in real time.

We celebrated Emma's birthday out at an air bnb that Emma and James stayed at.  River seems most interested in Silas.  Babies are funny like that.  

It was a beautiful weekend!  I taught Asher how to play HORSE and he promptly beat me.  We gave Matthews family a corn hole game for Christmas and they pulled that out to play on the driveway!

I look for benches.  That is what I was on the hunt for.  

We went to the Henry Dorling zoo on Friday.  Melinda said she has never seen it so busy.  

It was just a gorgeous day!  

Cocktails with Katie.

It's a thing.

River enjoyed toddling around with all the activity.  She likes to stay close to Emma and James.  But we were able to pick her up from time to time.  She loves when we sing to her. And she loves to oink!

James with the babies. Silas and River.

Lorelei had tons of fun with her cousins!!  She is a sweet, happy girl!

Our four.  2021.

So special!!!

Zeke has his dad's exact cowlick. What a doll he is!!!

Special cake for Emma's birthday!  Melinda wondered if she should just have a half a piece, and I stated emphatically, "You deserve to have your own piece of cake."

You can quote me on that.

It's hard to pin this busy gal down!!! Bright, funny Dottie!!  

Loves blueberries, does not love to have her face wiped.  haha

I took family snaps of each family. I will have something for Christmas cards this year! 

I didn't think to get a picture with all the grandchildren until it was too late.  So here I am with the first three ;o)

We are so happy you are in the area!!  

Hello smiley Silas!!!

Emma and James just celebrated their third wedding anniversary.  

In which, I take pictures like a goof.

 

Happy Siblings Day!!!

Encourage one another,

Donna Elsie

What remains

I was looking for a quote online and I stumbled upon this blogpost from long ago. I thought it was worth sharing again.  Aug 27, 2009

Last night I finished reading Anne Lamott's book Plan B.
I found some of her stories engaging and some hilarious, some were so sad and some were irritating.
But they are her stories told with her remarkable way of putting words together. She is self-deprecating and honest.
She is all about the love, baby. It's important to her to love.

It's just that....she has a real hard time loving her mom. She loves her by taking care of her when she is sick and dying.
But she really resents her for being the person she is. For her flaws and weird ways and inability to be a more normal/better mom.

It made me wonder if my children would only see my stupid flaws and weird ways and focus on those when I die.

And I suppose they will. At first. Parents have a way of hurting us when they are not perfect.

My parents were not perfect. But time has rinsed the pain away. What is left is the love.
I let those bad memories fade. I let them go. Way far way...into the fog.
The good memories, I draw near. I embrace them. I cherish them.

I think we need to be gentle with those who have died.
Not for them. But for us.

Learning to forgive people for being the broken people they were is a balm to our souls.
Learning to have mercy heals our hearts.

Time heals.
Forgiveness heals.
Mercy heals.

And then what is left?
The good parts.

The good parts of them. The good parts of us.

The love remains.
Like the cat's water bowl with the hard caked on lime. That lime that will not come off, no matter how hard you scrub.

That's what you want to be stuck with. That kind of stuck on love.

It's what remains.



Love one another,
Donna

J & J vaccine

 I wanted to give you a quick update on Patrick's experience with the J & J (Janssen) vaccine.

Patrick was given the single shot at 9:00 am at a local arena.  A large tent/barn/structure was set up. He stayed in his car the whole time.  He said the shot hurt.  He has gotten flu shots for years and they did not hurt like this one did.  Patrick did not have any side effects at all.  The soreness in his arm went away in a hour or so.

He is very happy and thankful to have been able to get the J & J shot.   

That's it for now.

Encourage one another,

Donna

what's up

 Happy Friday Friends,

I hope you are enjoying some sunshine and good health.  Patrick and Katie are in process of getting vaccinated.  I'm not in a group that is allowed yet, and I think I'm fine with waiting and seeing how things are going with them.  I am a believer of individual responsibility when it comes to these health decisions...and I am okay with keeping myself safe.  We have safely gone to restaurants and spent time with our families.  

Since the beginning of all of this I have believed that washing your hands and not touching your face was the MOST important step to staying healthy.  I have also been taking a number of pills that i have researched and believe to be a good fit for me to stay healthy.  HCQ, zinc, vit C and vit D.  All the news frightens me about being overweight so that put stress on me and I chose to up the vitamins and use HCQ.

The numbers in Wis are dropping beautifully and I hope the Docs have protocols that are working for most people now and not just told to go home and do nothing.  This is something I find frustrating about this whole situation, that medical information about what is working has not be talked about at all.  Finally, Dr Drew, a tv doctor, got covid and he shared what worked for him.  I know the University in Madison was on the cutting edge of some IV treatments early on but I never heard anything  beyond the initial report.  Never before have I wanted to be a real reporter.  I wanted to go to meet with the doctors and ask just one question;  What are you doing that is working? 

Instead we just had a death count on the news.  This was frustrating to me.  

So I don't know why I felt like sharing that today......

Here is the fun news.   Cindy and I got together in Minocqua earlier this week

Cindy's word of the year is peace.

I was too busy eating to remember to take a picture of the delicious food. 

We had such a fun time talking and talking and talking.  

"

Cindy has been 'in person' teaching all year and it's going great!  She is teaching 3rd grade for the first time and really enjoying it!  Cindy is funny and friendly, she is a hard worker and has a beautiful heart! Everyone should have a sister like Cindy.  I feel so blessed.

I had to leave earlier than I wanted to because I had a hair appointment. New hair, new glasses.

Do you all get your eyebrows shaped???

Lots of love!

Donna Elsie

The things I find on YouTube

These twins listen to songs for the first time together on their youtube channel.  Here they listen to one of my faves. 

Oh Al Green.  

Adding to the beauty.

Update!  I just watched these two listen to Jennifer Holiday....so fun!!!

Encourage one another,

Donna Elsie

Read with Me

 When I was a little girl I would bring Dr. Seuss books home for my mother to read to us at bedtime because they were tongue twisters and she would sometimes stumble....and I liked that.  She would probably laugh about it and that would be my favorite thing.  Laughing together.

My three favorite Dr. Seuss books for beginning readers are;

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

One fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

Hop on Pop

They rhyme and are silly.  The Grinch even has a message I can get behind.

A few other children's books from my childhood that I find are wonderful for early readers are books by P.D. Eastman;

Are You My Mother?

Go Dog Go

and two more very beloved teaching books...

Put me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire

A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock

These last two seem to be more unusual but I just love them.  I've brought my own copies in to school to read with my struggling readers.  The stories are lively and both have surprise endings.

I love Harold and Piggie by Mo Willems...they are two funny dudes and I love Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.  

What are your very favorite beginning readers?  

Encourage one another,  Donna Elsie

Joy bringers

I always have a story.  I'm not sure if it is annoying or not.

But so much of this year has been about not doing anything so I am recalling more than usual.

Having grandchildren bring memories of our own children.

Patrick and Shelby's baby boy Silas is one year old today!  

 

Look at those blue eyes!!!  

Love you little ones.   Little joy bringers.

Encourage one another,

Donna Elsie aka Yaya