5 Years

My brother celebrates 5 years tomorrow.
5 years since he had Triple Bypass Surgery.

It happens to be my youngest daughter's birthday too.

I warned my brother before surgery he better not leave me on that day because her birthday would be ruined forever.
I'm glad he listened.

I'm also glad a friend had reentered his life at that time.
I truly believe her being there saved him.
She cared enough to insist he have the procedure.
She was very persistent.

So to that friend I'd like to say ... Thank you for your persistence ! !

To my brother ... Happy 5 !
Thank you for not leaving me....especially on that day !

And to my daughter ... Happy Birthday Eve ! ! !

:)

Training Camp

I Love Football.
Love Love Love It.

Chicago Bears Training Camp begins today and I'm so happy !

Football is back.

Yay ! ! ! ! !

I'm embarrassed to admit this but, there was a time when football really didn't matter to me.
Ouch.
That hurts.

The games were on the tv every week.
I would ask the score and pretend I cared.
I really didn't care.
Shame on me. 

I'd go to an occasional Chicago Bears preseason game.
I'd drink my beer, eat my hot dog, cheer when everybody else cheered.
Yeah...it was fun... but ...eh ...not really...
That's so wrong.

But then one glorious day I went to a 'real' Bears game.
Regular season.

My life was forever changed.

There are no words to describe the joy of a tailgate and the excitement of a game when the score really matters. 

It is awesome ! ! !
&
I love it ! ! !

Love. It.

And it all begins with Training Camp.
And that's today.

Yippee ! ! !

BEARS BABY !!!!!!!!

I Love It !!!

:)
 

No Better Sound

I've been visiting family and watching my 4 month old grandson these days.

We live in different states so we see each other every other month instead of every other day.
It's a bummer.
But I treasure every minute with him when I am with him.

The first day of watching little boy was an adjustment for him and me.
Gramma Jacki did not do things quite like Mommy and Daddy and he told me so.
But, we have found our own little groove now and it's wonderful.

The joy of a fed, diapered and napped baby never gets old !
It is pure happy.
And when his mom and dad get home ... it's even happier !

Seeing my son play with his son melts my heart.
The giggles out of that little body when Mommy and Daddy get him giggling  =  Priceless.
He bubbles over with love and glee.
There is absolutely no better sound in the whole wide world.

If you are lucky enough to hear a baby / child's laughter today consider yourself blessed.
You've just been handed a little piece of Heaven.

:)

The Toy Room

Walk in the back door of my childhood home and head straight downstairs.
Take a left.
A curtain separates 2014 and time stopped.

It's the Toy Room.

Shelves layered with games, gadgets, dolls and such.
Items that have been played with and loved by a few generations of happy children.

Barbie is there.
She might be a bit tired and worn.
She could use a new hairdo.
But, her salon is there too.  Problem solved.

The Weebles ?
Yep.  They still wobble.

Fisher Price people, school and houses call the toy room home.
Imagination lives there too.

There are more than toys in the toy room these days.

A stereo, an old tv.
Hunk posters, ice skates, train tracks, a Benji  lunch box. 
It's an antique lover's dream and a wonderful trip down memory lane.

My family and I had so much fun in that room.
Before it was the toy room it was the part of the basement used for birthday parties.
Before we had an air conditioner, if a summer day made it too hot upstairs, we'd have dinner in that part of the basement.
We once got a trampoline for Christmas and it was set up and jumped on in the toy room.

Eventually, Dad added a bedroom downstairs when our upstairs became too occupied 
Yes. The intercoms are still there.
Yes. They still work.
Oh, the conversations that were had on those ' for emergencies only' intercoms.

Friends who know of the toy room occasionally ask, wonder, reminiscence.
Newcomers who have never experienced look around in awe.

I know one day we will have no choice but to clean, organize and part with the toy room.
I don't want to think about that day right now.
Right now I'm thinking memories.

Happy.
Pure happy.

:)

Hearts

I've been seeing hearts everywhere lately.

A heart shaped paint chip in the corner of my bathroom.
A heart shaped moth on my window screen.
A heart shaped leaf in my car.

While sitting in the shade yesterday, I looked up to see tree branches shaped like a big heart.





It's wonderful !!

This happened one other time with smiley faces.
That was wonderful too.

Lovely little signs.

They are everywhere.

I hope you see yours today...!

:)