A couple of weeks ago, while on Holiday, Larry took me to afternoon tea. We always take the opportunity to enjoy tea when we are out of town. It is another way to discover a new part of town, meet people and enjoy afternoon tea in the city that you are visiting. (Larry has come to enjoy it too, knowing that Champagne is included upon request.) Haha.
We had afternoon tea at the Four Seasons George V while in Paris. It was heavenly. I will post a few pictures below, no comments because none are needed.
Photo : George V Hotel
It was a wonderful afternoon with Larry. Christmas decorations were up and the food was perfect. The Four Seasons, George V serve a lovely afternoon tea. I cannot wait to go back.
I have always loved Halloween. It was that one holiday where I could become someone different than who I was in reality.
When my sweet Libby pug was alive, I made costumes for her. She would pose, I would photograph her and both enjoyed the process. You might see her photos other places. Some of the photos are leased and many people have stolen them, BUT I own the copyrights.
Photo: Libby as Pugcasso
Pugcasso has always been one of my favorite costumes that Libby wore. When Libby was alive, we would attend the annual Pug-O-Ween for the Dallas Ft Worth Pug Rescue and would compete in the costume contest. It was a wonderful event and they still have it each year. I miss Libby so much, it makes me sad to attend to Pug-O-Ween.
BUT……Larry and I have a few plans for this weekend….it should be very interesting!
Larry and I wish you a happy Halloween weekend. Please stay safe and enjoy the special moments of the holiday.
On Tuesday night, Jimmy Kimmel had Charlize Theron on his show. She had hired Michael Bolton to sing Happy Birthday to a friend at the celebration party. Jimmy asked her, who would SHE like to sing at her birthday and she said Patsy Cline. I loved her choice.
It made me think…who would I like to sing to me on my birthday? Without a doubt I would like Peter Nero to play happy birthday to me on the piano. I have been aware of Peter Nero since I was a child. Mother had a few of his LP’s and his music fascinated me. I still adore his music. He is my favorite Jazz Man. The Best Of Peter Nero1965 is below. Please enjoy. There is about 40 min of music, the entire session is amazing……. *excuse the space below to the music..
Peter Nero is about 80 years old now…and has continued performing and is a talent whom I admire…
Who would YOU like to sing (or play) Happy birthday to you?
It has been a long week. I just cannot seem to get past DRs appointments and tests. My phone just beeped with a reminder about an appointment, NEXT Friday. (It drives me MAD!)
This week I had a diagnostic mammogram. It is an extensive mammogram for people like me. Each year I am nervous as a cat getting breast cancer tests. Being diagnosed twice is enough…The anxiety during this time, is off the charts.
Photo: Nervous cat
During and after my surgeries and treatments….no one ever suggested a Breast Cancer Group to me. I found out recently that that every patient should be informed of “groups” where you can share difficult things that you have in common. I believe that every woman going through this needs someone to talk to. ( I found a DR on my own and went to see her often)
The good news is, I am breast cancer free. The mammograms from this week have been read and I am done for ONE YEAR! (Remission is a happy word) I am happy, but still nervous, not sure the dread will ever go away completely.
The point of sharing all of this is..
Please get your mammogram, for me.
If you know someone who has gone through breast cancer treatment, is going through treatment or just in remission, reach out? It would mean the world to both of you.
I would like to thank the friends who stuck by me and supported me when I was struggling. It meant so much to me then and means the world now.
Yesterday, I received a fun text message from one of my favorite cousins. She asked how we were doing and then asked if she could send me an email. (she did not have my address as they were “out of town”…The email was for a zoom meeting…. a zoom wedding!)
I love the idea of a wedding for immediate family and zoom in others. I would have considered it in 1977 if it was available.
Photo: Jami dressed in the ladies room of the Rockwall Courthouse on her wedding day.
Many years ago, I managed a flower shop in Tennessee. When a bride came in, I always sat with her for hours as we prepared her order. I was also the wedding director for the shop. That meant that I would go to rehearsal, then follow up on the delivered flowers and stay for ceremony. Managing a wedding party was not an easy thing then. From watching TV shows now, it looks even worse.
Weddings are very personal and says so much about the bride and groom and their families. I still adore weddings, everything about them. I’m not sure if that is a woman thing, a floral designer thing or just a Robin thing……I love how weddings are unpredictable and filled with joy.
Photo: Lauren’s veil flew away during the ceremony
Larry and I are thrilled to be included today via ZOOM…we cannot wait to experience our first zoom wedding….now what to wear? (JK)
Team Believe is ten years old and has gathered many members over the past years. Team believe has walked 100’s of miles in PINK walks, quarter marathons and has also auctioned off paintings and raffled quilts. It has been my honor to be part of TEAM BELIEVE.
I am alone this year in TEAM BELIEVE, but Larry is by my side…and look what he got for me.
Photo: Front of TEAM BELIEVE shirt
Photo: Back of TEAM BELIEVE shirt
He had my design made into a 2022 baseball shirt. I have it on today and plan to wear it to all of my oncology appointments this month.
Please schedule your mammogram? AND if you have any questions or need support of any kind, please contact me? Email me at………[email protected]
Many, many TV stations show mammograms and how easy they are….they never show what it is like to get bad news from your mammogram. I know what that is like and I am here if you have questions, need support or names of my favorite DRs.
In 1995, when active in the Quilters Guild Of Plano, I hand pieced this robin bird out of fabric, It was my name tag for the meetings. Of course this photo is a lot larger than the real thing. I hand beaded the fabric and backed it with a huge pin so I could pin it on whatever I was wearing.
Photo: My name tag for Quilters Guild. Hand made by robin
After Mother passed away later that year, (1995) I lost interest in a few things including quilting and managed to get on with an edited version of my wonderful life.
So, here I am many years later and the extreme experiences that were life changing are behind me. I have re-joined the Quilters Guild again. My quilting project for this year is started and I have about a dozen hand pieced blocks complete. The next quilters guild meeting is Thursday, with one small problem. I cannot find my Robin name tag. I know that I would not have thrown it away or donated it…. Where Is Robin?
It is ironic in many ways that the name tag is missing. That Robin is long gone. Sometimes I feel jaded and a completely like a different person from the person who wore that sweet name tag. I have learned that I must follow my own heart, Let friends go away gracefully because if they really cared, they would not go, Be my own health advocate, Read a devotional every day, Kiss my husband a lot, say I love you often to the people I care about, be completely honest with myself about everything and here is the important one….always, ALWAYS make my bed each morning.
I might have lost the old Robin a long time ago. The good news is, I have found a brand new one and she is doing great.
Yesterday was a slow, lazy day. I have a little cold and allowed myself to read, nibble on goodies , watch TV and rest.
I did cook dinner for Larry. Home-made meat sauce. It is his favorite sauce and enjoyed it so much. The wine was a bottle that Jamison gave him awhile ago….Snoop Dog Wine. Unique, right? I LOVE Snoop Dog.
Photo: . Larry’s favorite meat sauce.
A spaghetti dinner was comfort food to me last night…… even if I made it myself.
It was a beautiful day. Leaves are falling onto the back patio now and I can see the shadows changing as the season changes.
Photo: On the back patio
Today is sunny and cool. There are about 12 things I need to get done around The Cottage, but I am still rather lazy. What do you do when you feel just OK and still have things to do?
I made a quilted wall hanging years ago. It is a wine bottle on the front, Mariners Compass on the back and it was for Larry. When I look at it, I cannot believe that I had such patience to envision it and then complete it. I was much younger then….I am laughing.
Photo: Front of the piece.
Photo: Back of the piece. Mariners Compass
The piece is hand quilted…and the design is “Wine Glasses”…..You can see the shadows of the stitched wine glasses in the front view.
I adore the Mariners Compass design. Its meaning exudes all things good. LOVE, DIRECTION, and CARE.
We need to be reminded that at some point in our lives, we need love, direction and care….or perhaps share love, direction and care with someone who is struggling.
Do you remember the old children’s poem, To Market, To Market? And it ends with ….home again, home again, jiggety jig? I just cannot get the poem out of my mind today.
I am sitting at my desk, hot chocolate and devotionals at my side. I will enjoy chocolate and do my reading after I say hello here. I have missed the daily blog.
Larry and I are home from spending ten days on the island of Kaua’i. Over the years it has become our home away from home. (and arrangements have been made for our ashes to be scattered there, at a certain location, when the time comes.) Is that to much information? Lets blame the jet lag. Sorry.
We had a lovely trip away. Larry did not let his work interrupt him once. The days were wonderful…balancing the art of resting and keeping busy. The perfect vacation.
Each morning we sat on the lanai and watched the sun rise and in the evenings we would meet on the lanai again to watch the sun set. Between sun events, we went on adventures.
We had the best holiday and we are glad to be home. I have about 80 photos and will share them later…for now, I just wanted to say say hello and that I missed you. Oh maybe one photo? I am always inspired by the beauty of Kaua’i….i hope that you can see it in my photos.
