tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11354975280069926012024-02-20T19:03:59.873-08:00Bittersweet Design StudioMy work and my life - the two appear to be inseparable!Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-84058406898529631802016-04-30T04:31:00.001-07:002016-04-30T04:55:44.841-07:00Faking Cronuts<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the self proclaimed Doughnut 👑 Queen. Although technically a purist, (glazed, plain, powdered, sugared), I will have to say I have never met a doughnut I didn't like. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It has been years since I have made cheater doughnuts. When I did, I usually made them from Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk Biscuits. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I've been pinning too many donut recipes on Pinterest lately and that got me thinking about my newer obsession - Cronuts. Since Cronuts are a cross between Croissants and doughnuts - and layers are the key - then how would the flaky layers Pillsbury Grands work? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It would also figure - just like in the oven - a hot, quick rise would do them best. I used a tiny biscuit cutter to cut the holes, and then plopped the doughnut into the hot oil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Drain them on paper towels after you pull them out of the hot oil. Then dip them into a cinnamon and sugar mixture or glaze that you have made from milk and confectioners sugar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I glazed the 'Cronuts' and cinnamon sugared the holes. Bob ate two of the Cronuts before I got a chance to snap the picture!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVQu_Uri7ohOxFQfi9XW2M88JXjufqHfxLvCjEyuhHzcb6BK361TjNf7Bc7Tveb48EBDkMScWxGU8raiQHDsoFkwxAsvhGpMIkoNYmKk4MPezc84HtABvTxomPjxdD-ZjJre1FNJDzWU/s640/blogger-image-858207647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVQu_Uri7ohOxFQfi9XW2M88JXjufqHfxLvCjEyuhHzcb6BK361TjNf7Bc7Tveb48EBDkMScWxGU8raiQHDsoFkwxAsvhGpMIkoNYmKk4MPezc84HtABvTxomPjxdD-ZjJre1FNJDzWU/s640/blogger-image-858207647.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So - how did they fare? Not too bad! They definitely don't match up to a doughnut shop's Cronut, but for an early Saturday morning treat, they were pretty darn good!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Until later, xo, Liz</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Doughnut 👑 Queen</span></div>
<br>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-25594247215365669682016-04-17T15:52:00.001-07:002016-04-17T17:12:38.401-07:00A Garden gets a Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Fifteen years ago two other women and myself created an LLC and started a Gardening Magazine. We knew that we could not do the hard, physical labor of planting gardens late into our lives. We wanted something else that would potentially take us into old age and we came up with the idea of a high end gardening magazine. The covers would be color, and made of heavy stock, the interior pages would also be of heavier paper stock than many magazines. The articles would be in depth, varied, and include photographs and illustrations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I was in charge Advertising. It was my job to cold call anyone that I thought would be interested in putting an ad in the magazine. A pretty tough job. How would you like to throw money away at a fledgling magazine? However, I did make it happen. Not only for the first - but managed to get people to re-up for the second issue as well! Somewhere in between the second and third issues, I was told I wasn't 'holding up my end of the bargain' and was 'fired'. I'm still not sure what happened - but this really isn't where I was going with this story...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The above is an article Ginna wrote (with my help) when she was 8. I built this garden for her when she was 6. At that time she wanted to do anything I was doing. I had been obsessed with gardening since the death of my second daughter, Callie in 1996. At the time, gardening somehow connected me with the earth - and kept me from falling off into outer space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Ginna selected all of the plants for her garden - we arranged them, put them in and watered. Ginna loved the paths, the flowers, and watering her garden, but didn't care so much for the, bugs, weeding and the upkeep. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I kept it up for many years, then let it go. Some of the plants were still there - one - the garlic chives, had done a swell job of taking over - including tearing up some of the brick path. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">17 years later - I need a place to seriously grow some lavender. My lavender wands have been selling like crazy at the Corner Store in Waterford, VA - and I need a ready supply of lavender stems! This area seems to be the perfect place to plant herbs. It is sunny all day and well drained. I started the clearing a week or so ago - and then Bob gave me the big push today. When it comes to gardens - we work together like a well oiled machine. It is wondrous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Today we rediscovered the path, Bob cleared away much of the garlic chives (the thugs!), I reset the brick edge between the lavender plants and the brick walk. Bob dug the holes for the lavender, I planted them Bob set the large stone at the head of the path, and put the beginnings of the mulch down. Now I need to go out and buy some more herbs for this newly redone garden! A final photo will follow. The garlic chives tore up so much of the path right in the center of the garden, that we had to tear up the bricks to get at all the roots. I will reset this part of the path tomorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy all of this lovely weather! xo, Liz</span></div>
Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0Paeonian Springs Paeonian Springs39.148956 -77.617487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-75340780700928954552016-02-25T10:35:00.003-08:002016-02-25T10:35:13.788-08:00Missed Connections part 2<div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I had to call my Aunt Terri - to find out how late in the evening that she could pick me up. Then, after calling AA and being patiently on hold for 22 minutes, my call is dropped. I call again, and I am rebooked once more. I won't be getting into Gainesville until <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3">10:30pm</a>. But I'll be there! Hooray!!</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Except by this time the severe weather had traveled further north - and my third flight was cancelled. I had now spent 6 + hours in the airport, waiting...</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">It was quite obvious to me that American could do nothing about the weather, other than take the precautions of keeping their passengers safe and cancelling flights.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">My only hope then is to see if I can get an early flight out the next morning. The agent I finally talk to is very helpful, senses that this flight is very important to me and without asking, gets me the last seat on the <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://4" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="4">7:00am</a> flight the next morning. Done. The weather is supposed to be clear, surely nothing will prevent me from getting to Gainesville by <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://5" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="5">10:30</a>. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Fortunately I live about 20+ minutes from Dulles - because I was never offered a hotel room for the night. My husband came and picked me up, and I spent the evening at home in Virginia - instead of with my new family in Florida.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Morning comes early, and I am on my way back to the airport. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I get on the plane, and everything is on time. So much so, that we arrive in Charlotte 1/2 hour early! </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">The pilot is told to wait, as soon as the assigned gate opens up, we'll be deplaning. The connecting flight the agent set up for me allowed just enough time for me to get off the plane and walk directly that gate. I presumed because he booked it - it would no big deal. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">But it was, because <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://7" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="7">at 8:34</a> we were still sitting on the plane and no closer to being assigned a gate. I still had faith that AA knew what they were doing. But I guess not...</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">We deplaned using the stairs, luckily my suitcase was one of the earlier ones that was unloaded. I grabbed it, walked inside the terminal, went directly to the flight board. The Gainesville flight was in time and just a few gates down. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Wow - I thought - it must be not very full - there was hardly anyone waiting.</div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Then as I wondered where the check in agents were, as well as all the passengers, I looked at the plane through the window once more - and the jets had started up. I don't fly very often, but this didn't look good. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I grabbed a service employee and they went out to the tarmac. The plane was closed and I had indeed missed my connection - because my arriving flight was early? Are you serious AA? </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Next step. Do I cry? I couldn't believe this. No, not yet. I hold it together and go to customer service. The agent there incurred a bit of my wrath while I was simultaneously apologizing. There were 4 ridiculous, circuitous options for getting me to my final destination. I said I didn't care - just get me on the earliest one you can. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Miami was the winner. They were boarding now, so she flagged down a cart for me and off we go. Upon reaching the escalator, an employee grabbed my ticket, flagged down another cart on the upper level and off we went racing down the terminal. Finally there, I was one of the last passengers to get on the plane. We are approaching the airport now. In Miami. It is <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://8" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="8">11:30am</a>. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I should have been in Gainesville an hour ago- trying to piece together 56 years in my missing life. But instead, I am in Miami. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Now I have lost TWO days, 24 precious hours of time with this new family I have. Who have taken time off from work - to spend with me. My aunt has been waiting for this day for 56 years, 2 months, and one week. The 2 days that I have now lost - are an eternity all because my flight from Dulles arrived early in Charlotte. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">I am slayed. </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">A very sad American Airlines customer, </div><div style="color: rgb(69, 69, 69); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Sincerely, Elizabeth Pickett</div><div><br></div>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-67751689042454795602016-02-25T10:35:00.001-08:002016-02-25T10:35:00.988-08:00Missed Connections<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Dear American Airlines,</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I am on my way to Miami now. Is that my destination? No, but I digress.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Let me tell you a story. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In December, 56 years ago, I was born. Out of wedlock. I was officially adopted on February 2nd of the following year. I was raised in a loving and wonderful family. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Both of my adoptive parents are now dead, making me think that perhaps I should go in search of my birth family. Which I did, last August. Within 20 minutes of sending out an email to my 'new' aunt in Florida, I was greeted with a joyful response. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I wrote a blogpost about the beginnings of my search on www.bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com and called it My Big Wow. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">An 'original' cousin, Kathryn Romano, was so touched by these unfolding events, that she offered me her airline miles to travel to Florida - when I was ready. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After arranging things with my 'new aunt' Terri - involving her taking days off from her job, I contacted Kathryn in early January and asked her to book my flights.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I would be flying from Dulles to Gainesville, via Charlotte on Feb 23. I was so excited!!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The day finally came. My husband drive me to the airport and I boarded my flight to Charlotte. We sat on the tarmac for two hours waiting to take off. Unfortunately a terrible storm was making its way up the east coast. Charlotte was not letting any flights in or out. Eventually we ended up back at the gate, and I was trying to make new plans to get a flight out. I was taken care of by a very competent agent and rebooked through Miami with a connecting flight back to Gainesville. They ticketed me and I was ready to go. The flight was leaving shortly and we had not gotten the severe weather yet, it was only lightly raining at this point. I waited about an hour (?) when it was announced that my flight had been canceled. To be continued...</span></div>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-4953786287118769212016-02-23T18:44:00.000-08:002016-02-23T18:44:02.576-08:00My Big WOW Part 2<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: large;">I have had a lot to absorb over the past 6 months. I still walk around with the bubble over my head and yes, when it pops, out comes:</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5w-tMcoH0FCspWDHdPXUfRYmhay1maxgLL1kapx8JrPLmaA2aWCi23gS9m2PEx5oMKiFQavIN8QYDKE37LgMDhwPsaJHPjneyBJw3YRLhnoDrjFtTSl8P4WfSmT9GiY-yvQpSZ3wmD4/s1600/wow+speech+bubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5w-tMcoH0FCspWDHdPXUfRYmhay1maxgLL1kapx8JrPLmaA2aWCi23gS9m2PEx5oMKiFQavIN8QYDKE37LgMDhwPsaJHPjneyBJw3YRLhnoDrjFtTSl8P4WfSmT9GiY-yvQpSZ3wmD4/s320/wow+speech+bubble.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wow bubble by http://dryicons.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Relatively soon after I posted My Big WOW, I started to connect more pieces to my Birth Family Puzzle. My Aunt Terri messaged me some photographs and I noticed other 'cousin' connections on Facebook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What I had overlooked - was while I was bemoaning the fact that my Aunt and her family was in Florida, and another cousin was in North Carolina, another out in Arizona - was that I had a cousin Mary - who lived really close to York, PA - where I grew up, and now visit my brother and friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I could actually meet her! Happy Dance!!! About a month later I was messaging back and forth with Mary, trying to find a good date for us to get together. As it turns out the best time for us to meet was when I was up in York for St. Mary's Holiday Bazaar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In Mid November. :( </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At that moment I felt like that was the </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~~</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">12th of Never</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">~~.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When we started messaging back and forth, the first thing that Mary said to me was "I just want to be where you are". Followed by "I love how you're freaking. So am I". </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Before I get too ahead of myself - and confuse you totally... here's my </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Birth Family Order - in <span style="color: #741b47;">purple</span> are my Aunts and Uncle - their children (my cousins) are listed below their names. The dates next to their names are when I first met them online or by phone.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Marian ~~~(dec'd)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Phyllis (me - Liz)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">John David (half brother - dec'd)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Catherine E. (half sister - dec'd)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;">My Aunt - Louise ~~~(dec'd)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Mary - Aug. 21</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Kitty - Oct. 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Louis - Jan 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Therese - Sept. 17</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My Uncle - Tommy ~~~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Salisa - Jan 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">JD - Nov.7</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My Aunt - Terri ~~~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Diana - Aug. 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">About a month after I started talking to Mar(y), Terese, her sister messaged me and we started to get to know one another. During our first conversation she asked if I wanted to have something my mother made. I was astounded. Of course I do! And, my goodness, thank you! Turns out that something was a Greenware pumpkin. Greenware was very popular craft with house wives in the late 1950s into the 60s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Another month goes by and cousin Kitty chimes in. Facebook has been such a wonderful way to get to know the personalities of everyone. Then it's Jd's birthday - and I contact him to say hello. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It's almost time to meet Mary. She is going to come to St. Mary's on the days we are pricing and setting up in Mid November. And the day and time are here. And there we are. I am crying like a baby. In complete love with her, overwhelmed, joyful, amazed - WOW!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46woh9dnuazqPhtB1_JsMjwkGs2DLz57sUDVNmt0QqH1ELYRau0WtWkGwJDq8Hfe1a5wT58NLq4kvYGia11oMg6qumhaxrxs56_LdrBVZUhqiy6nV2MekBD_Stqo4SiAMi9j3bxrT3D8/s640/blogger-image-1618098872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46woh9dnuazqPhtB1_JsMjwkGs2DLz57sUDVNmt0QqH1ELYRau0WtWkGwJDq8Hfe1a5wT58NLq4kvYGia11oMg6qumhaxrxs56_LdrBVZUhqiy6nV2MekBD_Stqo4SiAMi9j3bxrT3D8/s320/blogger-image-1618098872.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meeting my birth cousin for the first time.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUlBv8Uli7FqzzzWN-RAQJbbCYWr40nu0hUEmcGAg9MBXx2vqFOGL_ARQJxQ_lGQYqMEs7lGN4_FREhZZqdZlcANuHFpmVJOVwf65USCT_XXIcVf9UZnwtpPXDQwtpaybKYNSRZf2Otk/s1600/blogger-image--341938823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUlBv8Uli7FqzzzWN-RAQJbbCYWr40nu0hUEmcGAg9MBXx2vqFOGL_ARQJxQ_lGQYqMEs7lGN4_FREhZZqdZlcANuHFpmVJOVwf65USCT_XXIcVf9UZnwtpPXDQwtpaybKYNSRZf2Otk/s320/blogger-image--341938823.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mar, me and one of my 'original' cousins, Joanie.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd14sgahsrorkU-95YDIB0fCXCHHxOMGCYuO9VyQZkvKSrderRdDcyd7vd7iD-sD4CidIjtmav2Fp4ivRtlyudzb3ObWhoAlp1atlKrJoH8hwBnqfJ59tkKMOK_9VxEhBiF1JY1SO1L4/s1600/blogger-image-1050732112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd14sgahsrorkU-95YDIB0fCXCHHxOMGCYuO9VyQZkvKSrderRdDcyd7vd7iD-sD4CidIjtmav2Fp4ivRtlyudzb3ObWhoAlp1atlKrJoH8hwBnqfJ59tkKMOK_9VxEhBiF1JY1SO1L4/s320/blogger-image-1050732112.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mar with me holding the Greenware pumpkin that was made by my birth mother Marian.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mar was sweet enough to help both days setting up for the bazaar - and we had time to visit. She even had me over for dinner and I was able to meet her husband, mother in law, daughter and grand daughter. It was lovely! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">December comes and with it, a wonderful surprise. My husband and daughter coordinated with a dear friend, Janis, and my cousin, Kitty, for me to fly out to Arizona - to not only visit with Janis who had just moved out there early last year, but also to meet Kitty! January 22nd couldn't come soon enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">December also came with some difficult news. The man that had married my mother and was the father of my two half siblings, died on the 19th. This is now someone I will never get to talk to, nor ask questions of. His memorial is held on January 16th.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After I had posted my first <a href="http://www.bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-big-wow.html" target="_blank">Big Wow</a> - I had a cousin (another 'original'), Kathy, contact me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Lisa, I read your blog. I am so thrilled for you. You can never have too many people to love you. I travel all the time for work and I have a ton of frequent flyer miles and hotel points. If you would like to visit your birth family, I would be privledged to cover your flight and hotel room".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So this is my next adventure - tomorrow I fly to Florida to meet my Aunt Terri, cousin Diana and her husband Michael, and their little girl Charity. I have also been told that two Uncles - Lew (by marriage) and Tommy (Marian's little brother) are planning to travel from other locations in Florida to visit with me! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My Big Wow - Part 3 will be coming shortly. I have all sorts of stories to share with you about the memorial service and my visit to Arizona. Then of course - there's this trip and Part 4!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'll be sharing some high lights on FB - but until next time...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hugs, Liz</span></div>
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-1100335162889455652015-08-19T18:00:00.000-07:002015-09-27T21:58:18.802-07:00My big WOW.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have had a lot going on this past year - but this amazing piece of news takes the cake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have found the beginnings of my birth family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It is my birth mother's birthday today - August 18th.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Where to begin...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have know my birth name for years - I asked my mother while I was in labor with my first daughter, Virginia. She told me that my name was Phyllis Marie Serijack. However - that was 20+ years ago - and searching the internet was a whole different story back then. Plus - I didn't know at the time how my last name was spelled. All that my mother knew, and who knows if this was even so - was that my mother was a college student in Philadelphia when she had me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dead end.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxpu2q138_El6fJvIYQJR_c07pb4dzlJgSWkwAnJhp3a9yW93vHjKafgcVxu_sZe4Mx9_CLMc7cIbg6PSSTbIBQNNUkAWSqvXE7lQYmu_KJWTwQlfjob_zZuqeJJQRDtqg4kGldfGnD8/s1600/IMG_8754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxpu2q138_El6fJvIYQJR_c07pb4dzlJgSWkwAnJhp3a9yW93vHjKafgcVxu_sZe4Mx9_CLMc7cIbg6PSSTbIBQNNUkAWSqvXE7lQYmu_KJWTwQlfjob_zZuqeJJQRDtqg4kGldfGnD8/s320/IMG_8754.JPG" width="240"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My adoptive parents Bruce and Ginny Nolin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">While my adoptive mother was alive, I did not actively search for my birth mother. My Mom was amazing in so many ways, but one thing she did not have - was self confidence. I had absolutely NO desire to undermine her motherhood by doing a search for my birth mother. She was an amazing mom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">My only feeling of 'lack' within myself - was that I didn't look like anyone. No one in 'my' family looked alike - my brother Matt was also adopted - 2 years before me - from a completely different family.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaD9VcX9WzBaSxrgNoN-7-I1vmeOJf5zR5txbVAzsgJUmbQE1ZX50xNMw01oqBCuUY9Ml-b1YF8-OBgl-ZUq51SMxbsVbORnVMB80EbEcWmT37PaWkaVIGfJjXHagKbsN1G0iEFNySmVA/s1600/1969+linda+lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaD9VcX9WzBaSxrgNoN-7-I1vmeOJf5zR5txbVAzsgJUmbQE1ZX50xNMw01oqBCuUY9Ml-b1YF8-OBgl-ZUq51SMxbsVbORnVMB80EbEcWmT37PaWkaVIGfJjXHagKbsN1G0iEFNySmVA/s320/1969+linda+lane.jpg" width="311"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Me and Matt</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Very sadly - as you can <a href="http://bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2014/02/i-had-plans-mom-had-different-ones.html" target="_blank">read here</a> my adoptive mom passed away in 2014. Ensue the grieving. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">She was my everything and it took all of this time to start to feel like me again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Within the past 2 months, while searching for some important papers, I came across my adoption decree and it scared me. Not only was my birth name on the decree - but so was my birth mother's - Catherine M. Serijack. Known quantities are good right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I kept it out - and would give it a sideways glance now and then, thinking I would 'do something' when my daughter was home in September. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">She ended up coming home a few weeks ago - and I showed her the decree. She immediately said - let's see what we can find. So we did. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eHD03kYYzcyirbSkORTPecdZ74g5GHsKBNe9lXdkpm7q_tFr102kZ7ozxQhsLCVrFe3_tdKkgD1x5Bdqw3YWaAperQBJ87ednZNj3HX-QzuGBw52tiU3HPwE4LNODeu2lHrJ65orr_o/s1600/birth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eHD03kYYzcyirbSkORTPecdZ74g5GHsKBNe9lXdkpm7q_tFr102kZ7ozxQhsLCVrFe3_tdKkgD1x5Bdqw3YWaAperQBJ87ednZNj3HX-QzuGBw52tiU3HPwE4LNODeu2lHrJ65orr_o/s400/birth.jpg" width="312"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sadly we found this - my birth mother</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> and this - my two half siblings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">We found this information via Google on the </span><a href="http://www.findagrave.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Find a Grave</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> website.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not only was my birth mother dead, but so was my half brother (5 years younger) and my half sister (10 years younger). Wow - this sucks! Now it felt like I lost them all over again...ugh. I am still trying to wrap my head around this loss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thankfully, survivors were listed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Theresa Mycoff was listed as a sister to my birth mother, Marian. Ginna immediately looked for her on Facebook - and found her! Sweet Jesus! I might be related to this woman. It is getting more and more real. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My Aunt Terri</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then we found her daughter - my cousin, and her daughter on Facebook. Wow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dianna and her daughter</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ginna in Kindergarten</span></td></tr>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-2a76f907-4863-3e80-640e-182b99400144"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I think we could be related... </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So then - what's next? </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Well - we probably have done enough stalking for now. </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next morning, a Sunday, my dear, sweet, daughter has already Googled 'how to write a letter to someone you do not know'. She outlines some key points in a word doc and we work on crafting a sincere and convincing letter to this person - that may be my birth mother's sister. We send the letter off via a business email - we don't want to be too intrusive - just in case.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Within 20 minutes I receive this reply "You have indeed found more family. This is Terri's daughter Diana Adams. My mother would love to talk to you. Her number is xxx-xxx-xxxx". </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And I burst into tears. </span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That day is already filled. I am taking my daughter up to York/Lancaster to catch the train back in to Philly. I ask if I can call Terri in the evening when I get back to York after dropping Ginna off at the train.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We talk for 2 hours and I think much of the time we both are in disbelief. Terri is the youngest of her family. Marian (my birth mother) was the oldest. When I was born, Marian was 21 and Terri was 2. Terri only found out about me when she was 18. By then, Marian was married and had the 'first' of her children, John. Catherine was born 4 years later. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Very sadly, in 1986, my half brother and sister, John Miller (age 21), Catherine Miller (age 17), and her husband-to-be James Carl (age 24), die in a house fire.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Some how Marian and her husband </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">managed</span><span style="color: red; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">get out of the house and survive the fire.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The thought gives one pause. I am my mother's only surviving child. And she knows nothing of me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Marian dies 4 years later, on Nov. 26th at the young age of 52. Her death is attributed to a heart attack. Having lost a child myself, I suspect that it may have been a broken heart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 1.38;">These new losses do not overshadow the fact that I now have more family. Family members that were excited and happy that I found them. How cool is that?! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately we have 800 miles that separate us. Thank goodness for the internet. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ginna and I are now friends with Terri and Diana on Facebook</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 17.3333339691162px; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We talk via Messenger, email, and phone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">And everytime I stop to think about my good fortune, a "WOW" bubble pops in my head, and I might have a happy cry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">SO - to my adoptive family - the family who has cradled me in their love for all of my 55 years - I love you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">To all of my Aunts and Uncles - you have been second parents to me and my brother - scolded us when we needed it, and loved us like crazy all of the rest of the time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">To my cousins - we were a tribe when we were young! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You were my brothers and sisters - loving, scrapping, laughing, swimming, hide and seek, and capture the flag. You treated me and Matt no differently than the rest. I have seen most of you marry and have children, then your children marry and have children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have seen some of our parents die - as well as some of our siblings. A cousin who was adopted out as a baby - has found us - and we welcomed her and her children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please say hello to and welcome my birth family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My family - the four of us - Dad, Mom, Matt and me (Lisa) were the smallest of the families - among both the Trulino's and the Nolin's. But this never dimmed the shine. My mother loved us fiercely, loved her family fiercely and taught Matt and I to do the same. We learned that family isn't about blood. Family is about LOVE.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23.9200000762939px; white-space: pre-wrap;">One lucky girl, Liz</span></div>
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com2Virginia, USA38.959408792454248 -77.60742187535.807547292454245 -82.770995875 42.11127029245425 -72.443847875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-37893692169493876712015-05-26T17:30:00.001-07:002015-05-26T18:44:47.494-07:00Quick and Easy Jewelry Display<span style="font-size: large;">Because my mind just works like this...Whenever I am taking anything out of a package - I think of using the packaging in another way. Interesting printed card stock that might have been a background for some charms or stickers will normally be punched out into a few tags. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGudN2074ENz_BxDval4L_ZX2Uyc7wzhyAQcxs6MEcMEEewb9Biu_NE1uUt7XJVNLtL7gB75meix5yhmDkX4Yl4POM9iPfKw67eXvuSsT3R2DDSexz286clWmcdvWuocCiN_dkqdsp3cM/s640/blogger-image--702881490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGudN2074ENz_BxDval4L_ZX2Uyc7wzhyAQcxs6MEcMEEewb9Biu_NE1uUt7XJVNLtL7gB75meix5yhmDkX4Yl4POM9iPfKw67eXvuSsT3R2DDSexz286clWmcdvWuocCiN_dkqdsp3cM/s640/blogger-image--702881490.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Recently I have gotten bored with the standard jewelry displays out there. Of course I have altered them, but I am always looking for a way to change things up. These clear tubes held Washi Tape (one of my faves). I looked at them and thought, these would make great bracelet displays/holders. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_RteituUcc03mqXodfYToDqJZsjqdpdBZVeeq3k4hiM5e_HCzz8Ox4Zn2l5OWGNx9IiWhdK_ksxyjlU70kitFPWUPcvEoAVwV6nTzydAU8tqfH-idLYr0kJnbMztBvb2_45Og7HNqS0/s640/blogger-image--1890030276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_RteituUcc03mqXodfYToDqJZsjqdpdBZVeeq3k4hiM5e_HCzz8Ox4Zn2l5OWGNx9IiWhdK_ksxyjlU70kitFPWUPcvEoAVwV6nTzydAU8tqfH-idLYr0kJnbMztBvb2_45Og7HNqS0/s640/blogger-image--1890030276.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You may have to go out and purchase some of these supplies (or not). I had everything at hand. Yes, my kid was the lucky one growing up. Whatever she needed, for whichever project, it was probably up in my workroom.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqEvHiRYbXjYWDOh_KUu_eNt1fRs0FW2NCPLFmRKj1-fT-9HsIZR50FmM4JKLuHDG5E83ELm_nAKs1RBcO5DC-XnBPDJYPbj7PzMArUaJM1jNpqcqmbvnUpr0P8jYewKNiFz8WApd-0Y/s640/blogger-image--512956893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqEvHiRYbXjYWDOh_KUu_eNt1fRs0FW2NCPLFmRKj1-fT-9HsIZR50FmM4JKLuHDG5E83ELm_nAKs1RBcO5DC-XnBPDJYPbj7PzMArUaJM1jNpqcqmbvnUpr0P8jYewKNiFz8WApd-0Y/s640/blogger-image--512956893.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">First I stuffed the clear tubes with tissue. Yes it is pieces of a sewing pattern. Because I was concerned that the label on the tube would show through the burlap, I took the time to peel/pick it off. That was a waste of time. Don't lose 6 minutes of your life doing this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I cut the burlap 5" wider than the tube and twice the dimension around. I also cut both pieces from the selvage end of the burlap so that I would have a finished edge on the long side of the bracelet display.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I sprayed both pieces of burlap with the Spray Mount. Do this where you have a drop cloth or over something that you don't care if it gets sticky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Line up your tube with the edge of the fabric and roll it with equal tension, smoothing the fabric to the tube. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrWpL_CXySUfammMpHvvq6I97HXt5PwgDWZaYLnQUZNL2f1Wahx0-DKOmqWFVreLqcNwNFf6rUmmHEggE3wLoxDOMXx9AawZdrD6lkVA3E6xcR_lh3onzW8gdCtIMwCcCZxiGo87fpbU/s640/blogger-image--1112614159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrWpL_CXySUfammMpHvvq6I97HXt5PwgDWZaYLnQUZNL2f1Wahx0-DKOmqWFVreLqcNwNFf6rUmmHEggE3wLoxDOMXx9AawZdrD6lkVA3E6xcR_lh3onzW8gdCtIMwCcCZxiGo87fpbU/s640/blogger-image--1112614159.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Crimp the ends with your fingers. You can use anything to tie the ends off. I used some burlap 'threads' to finish the ends off. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NLq6sKU0Dqo6BP1CGdImkETFR2XwZfxRs7iIrFTx-vHalQDFxLd1WlLgVdAw61v90qi1I6bss0u-wN7bWtYIhGoRebv3IVXW5nGoBhkgIbpiAAfuXIPEUFUcOBFPKoC2RjmHknlHcQ4/s640/blogger-image-1110452070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NLq6sKU0Dqo6BP1CGdImkETFR2XwZfxRs7iIrFTx-vHalQDFxLd1WlLgVdAw61v90qi1I6bss0u-wN7bWtYIhGoRebv3IVXW5nGoBhkgIbpiAAfuXIPEUFUcOBFPKoC2RjmHknlHcQ4/s640/blogger-image-1110452070.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They blended in well. However, you could use a ribbon that coordinates or contrasts with your fabric.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RkYMt7Fcm-YBOuNG7mqnL7n1QXUzTftjhOpw3SDxMWIToQDiMbMVRLfWQ1O2xehXoAtq4G5H6YktmNtv3fZTnOmO-dOw7fVWQ7hmbCrqnHMrAhkASCGzUm5HfH6yu7Fhb9Ueyuz1kBM/s640/blogger-image-748287235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RkYMt7Fcm-YBOuNG7mqnL7n1QXUzTftjhOpw3SDxMWIToQDiMbMVRLfWQ1O2xehXoAtq4G5H6YktmNtv3fZTnOmO-dOw7fVWQ7hmbCrqnHMrAhkASCGzUm5HfH6yu7Fhb9Ueyuz1kBM/s640/blogger-image-748287235.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because the edges were square, I fringed them just a bit and gave them a little of a trim. Didn't I tell you?! Easy Peasy!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EgDR69A4IVMWoSCSJh5NoSb_v5NkgSbPV4cFMr3CvfB7HP9UVmk5dMkjmYucpNi_GBZ-Y10ndXozTxhpWPw4NRQ7pBVb4_uBdh57-0F2qSZfWARAC3q7s07JVhFJbgGoS6J88jiJeVU/s640/blogger-image--329002034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EgDR69A4IVMWoSCSJh5NoSb_v5NkgSbPV4cFMr3CvfB7HP9UVmk5dMkjmYucpNi_GBZ-Y10ndXozTxhpWPw4NRQ7pBVb4_uBdh57-0F2qSZfWARAC3q7s07JVhFJbgGoS6J88jiJeVU/s640/blogger-image--329002034.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And look at how nicely they display these bracelets!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ56iI5Y395jOI6aDWI4tcJpUVgYVcyHwn-o-LTj_BM-a0PYHGMp3aTuxK2XN7N6onxG5UvqKDzNUutgkqC2IcTEzbVwfSpq1JOX3qxDQu8jVpNGyYEjNZLQjBWGzInHUeWr1II8f-J4M/s640/blogger-image--1461358489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ56iI5Y395jOI6aDWI4tcJpUVgYVcyHwn-o-LTj_BM-a0PYHGMp3aTuxK2XN7N6onxG5UvqKDzNUutgkqC2IcTEzbVwfSpq1JOX3qxDQu8jVpNGyYEjNZLQjBWGzInHUeWr1II8f-J4M/s640/blogger-image--1461358489.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can see the reverse of one of the rolls and how nicely that selvage edge finished them off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These will be going to </span><a href="http://www.56urbanprovisions.com/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">56 Provisions</a><span style="font-size: large;">, York, PA to display some of my Arm Candy that is for sale in the shop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Post your questions below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy crafting! Liz</span></div>
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0Paeonian Springs Paeonian Springs39.149099 -77.617557tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-44876342620095579542014-12-17T18:45:00.000-08:002014-12-17T18:55:07.121-08:00On this day 55 years ago<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was born, three weeks premature, to a young woman, an unwed mother, a student at university, in Philadelphia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This wonderful young woman made the ultimate sacrifice. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYx929q_WJE9-CXhbM6wDSRVxI1L5XXNCHN8ktFeLTA8-1vNk_9JgQowb7SIgZ342J3FdaC3xSxm-DqU73lVNPUKh7SCVLf52ZzaFPozhpl_uyiNfVwCI38MFzbtLZA2lOtbGuw3AyqXY/s1600/090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYx929q_WJE9-CXhbM6wDSRVxI1L5XXNCHN8ktFeLTA8-1vNk_9JgQowb7SIgZ342J3FdaC3xSxm-DqU73lVNPUKh7SCVLf52ZzaFPozhpl_uyiNfVwCI38MFzbtLZA2lOtbGuw3AyqXY/s1600/090.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Despite the social mores of the day, she chose to carry me for 9 months (well - almost), and then do the unthinkable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">She gave me up for adoption. It resonates with me often, this incredible thing that she was doing for me, her child. She wanted me to have more than what she could give me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was adopted into a home with a beautiful mother and a handsome father. I had a two year old brother waiting to tease me (and he still does). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0umM_LUpRqjGZf6_YVoayCWuyGhaYA1eQ2X0JLwidCzra0NK7QU_HY8GlmFig6jqRBKVsaZz4T4UHoDL2FDVu4gmymjEnEUnIGguX_gypzePqdB5ftzP52kvRp2xHeB6VJYuj9QJ_45o/s1600/077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0umM_LUpRqjGZf6_YVoayCWuyGhaYA1eQ2X0JLwidCzra0NK7QU_HY8GlmFig6jqRBKVsaZz4T4UHoDL2FDVu4gmymjEnEUnIGguX_gypzePqdB5ftzP52kvRp2xHeB6VJYuj9QJ_45o/s1600/077.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our mother called us her adopted darlings when we were younger. We are not related by blood, but by love. Matt will always be my beloved brother that I look up to. As much as he wanted to ditch me as a kid, he was always the first one to stick up for me when I needed him. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFlXvxg9e_bCKwdE1Xq-P2A-mFULCQt2l8lJjog-URBXxUylkt9vKI9cv2hb2ON4d8UPqb-jJq_nnMlXjGfQLP32tUJkw8WyXLN7oqXZYd3GNyj5OekffscmLViPOZr85BHbgMF01_Bk/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFlXvxg9e_bCKwdE1Xq-P2A-mFULCQt2l8lJjog-URBXxUylkt9vKI9cv2hb2ON4d8UPqb-jJq_nnMlXjGfQLP32tUJkw8WyXLN7oqXZYd3GNyj5OekffscmLViPOZr85BHbgMF01_Bk/s1600/071.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My mother loved us fiercely. Both my brother and I have now celebrated our first birthdays without her. Matt was adopted just a few days after he was born, but because I was premature, I didn't 'come home' until February 2nd of the new year. Mom and I always considered that our special day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But on this day, I think of my birth mother, and the incredible sacrifice she made for me. God Bless her, where ever she is. I hope she knows that I think of her, and love her too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Merry Christmas,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Elizabeth Mary</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-7159140675740750862014-06-24T18:03:00.001-07:002014-06-27T08:30:18.543-07:00This time of day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamaZHjLvMLWdJlf8MeUkSigcD7H9akIysA6Khz4U6qc7Ktel-4EqrtZ_uJvtFZwESu2zr45X27im3UqvrOMLFzyZO1NRCTh63-vgl3IRgLCWrP5TPV5U4xbPUiksnB1qMXobVJsd5Qyk/s640/blogger-image--353980340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamaZHjLvMLWdJlf8MeUkSigcD7H9akIysA6Khz4U6qc7Ktel-4EqrtZ_uJvtFZwESu2zr45X27im3UqvrOMLFzyZO1NRCTh63-vgl3IRgLCWrP5TPV5U4xbPUiksnB1qMXobVJsd5Qyk/s640/blogger-image--353980340.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">was MAGICAL.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was after dinner, our tummies were full, the</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">ice cream man might have been by. We had our baths and were snug in our jammie's. This is where the magic starts...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The heat of the summer sun was gone, the sweat & grime washed off our little bodies. Now was the time. We were allowed to go out on the front porch in our jammies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A breeze would gently blow, the birds were still chirping and chattering back and forth. The light would get just the littlest bit dim & you could see the first of the flashing fireflies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We would call to our friends who were in their jammie's too and also call to the neighbors. The older kids were back out at play - kick the can, flashlight tag, we would be joining them someday soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The fresh air would fill our lungs, make us yawn, rub our eyes, time for dreamland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I still miss my mother,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was a magical time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With love, Liz</span></div>
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-26919369976388625992014-05-01T16:24:00.001-07:002014-05-01T16:24:51.044-07:00Sewing with my Mother<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">listening to my daughter's music. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEwx8ROkh6zbCgiSCoPLa1dKZ3M_vXsfpcKRq3tTOOAECejix3DnpFspJyAYGsWYIjUeaVpKjE_XpJXXNLA0O9DO0LJXhkfE2JZ9lCkS8QpyGbcHSpfG4KfXAjkYV92Tv-oBO-smi_1g/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEwx8ROkh6zbCgiSCoPLa1dKZ3M_vXsfpcKRq3tTOOAECejix3DnpFspJyAYGsWYIjUeaVpKjE_XpJXXNLA0O9DO0LJXhkfE2JZ9lCkS8QpyGbcHSpfG4KfXAjkYV92Tv-oBO-smi_1g/s1600/001.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They are both here with me - even though they aren't...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">one is gone - 3 months now since she left this world behind, one is away - crafting an incredible and amazing new life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I listen to the hum of the sewing machine and it is like a cat's purr; comforting, reassuring, reminding me so much of my mother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I listen to 'Sondre Lerche' Radio on Pandora. Regina Spektor is using her voice in that wonderfully crazy way she has. I see my daughter - sharing time in our shop, doing dishes, getting ready for school, studying - all to her own unique playlist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They fill my heart, surround me, make me ache, cry and smile.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">with love from, Liz</span></div>
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-43031461605001634572014-04-12T18:47:00.001-07:002014-04-12T18:59:15.826-07:00I truly enjoy my Creativity<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Can I just say that my mom would have loved Etsy if it had been around years ago?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There were SO many times that we would be working on something together and needed a particular 'special item' to finish off our project. Of course, we would probably end up creating it ourselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At the time, you could only get what was sold in the stores - you know - the normal stuff - not the really awesome stuff - if there was awesome stuff somewhere...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am currently reworking a linen suit I purchased at Unique Boutique, 402 3rd Avenue, NY, NY on 3rd between 28th and 29th.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's adorable. But. I have never understood the theory of lining a wonderful, breathable Linen, with Polyester. Really??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Certainly I have been sewing long enough, and sat at the foot of the master (mom), to know that lining a piece of clothing gives it support, shape and structure. Ok - I know that...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Back to this cute little suit...I have now taken the lining out of the skirt and the jacket. As you can see in the photo, it looks a bit raw. Wait no longer - this is where that crazy imagination of mine (mom) comes into play. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am a great believer in the idea that clothing should be fun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">{Maybe this is where my daughter gets the idea that I was perhaps a clown in a former life. But really - I'm ok with that observation. It was said after much thought and said with love}.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But I digress... I want to finish the raw seams and was considering my options. I wanted it to look pretty inside. Fun when you opened the jacket. My first thought was Patterned Seam Tape. SO CUTE! I could make that. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">However, sometimes it just pays to get that 'something special', the awesome stuff, from the experts. SO -l</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">et's look on Etsy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Bazingo! Ask and ye shall receive. Ok, maybe this isn't really what Matthew 7:7-8 was referencing - umm - patterned seam tape? But - Heh - it works :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Needless to say my mom would have loved this score! I am off to shop. I'll let you know what I chose and show you pictures of my finished 'creation' when my project is completed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What have you found - that was the 'perfect ending'?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Post your comments below!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Talk to you soon, Liz</span></div>
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-37476149841534227682014-04-12T06:58:00.001-07:002014-04-12T19:04:26.930-07:00My mother's hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It promised to be the spring day that I had long been wishing for. My arms lifted the first towel into the air and pinned it to the clothes line. I burst into tears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was struck with the image of my mother as a young woman, hanging sheets on the line at our Wynwood Road house. I was little and would have been found playing on the swing set or in my hide-away under the arching branches of the forsythia row at the edge of our property - reading one of my coveted Big Little books. I would watch her as she went about her task. This woman who grew up with orange crates as her bedroom furniture derived so much joy from her home and all of the daily tasks that kept it running. She especially loved the smell of sheets dried on the clothes line. After a hard day at play, my brother and I were guaranteed a night of sweet dreams as she pulled up those sheets smelling of fresh air and sunshine and tucked us in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To this day I'm sure there is nothing better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So when my arms rose in the air to pin that first towel onto the clothesline, I burst into tears. I cried through the hanging up of two loads of laundry as I remembered my mother's hands at work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy each moment,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Liz</span></div>
Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-28065635280926470252014-03-30T18:21:00.001-07:002014-04-12T19:05:04.738-07:00Grief Weather<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mantle of winter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">swirling and wrapping around me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">piercing my skin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Chill that holds my heart</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">within its firm grip</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Blaze of warmth </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">does not touch</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">the nether reaches of my soul</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mantle of winter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Please release me</span></div>
<br />Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-2653097306392970882014-03-02T19:53:00.000-08:002014-04-12T19:07:25.035-07:00Until Tomorrow<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">was what I said in my last post. That phrase could mean 'until tomorrow', in this case 'in a month', or it could be 'goodbye'. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was goodbye. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Me and Bobbi</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Pheasant Run Farm Bed and Breakfast</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">January 2014</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My friend Bobbi came by on Sunday evening, around 7:30. She brought her guitar and we all kept company with Mom in the family room.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Bobbi played, my</span><span style="font-size: large;"> brother Matt, daughter Ginna, and I joined in, laughed, listened. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At 9:00 Bobbi was getting ready to leave. I walked her into the living room. We talked for a minute and then my brother poked his head in the door. He said to me "I think you better come in to the room". Bobbi opened her guitar case and went back into the family room with me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Our last family portrait with Mom</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Thanksgiving 2013</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">She played her guitar softly, I climbed into the bed on one side of Mom, and Ginna climbed in on the other. Matt held Mom's hand. We hugged her, kissed her, and loved her into the Arms of God. Ginna gently removed the holy medal from around Mom's neck and fastened it around her own. Mom died at 9:15 pm, 54 years to the day that I was placed in her arms from Catholic Charities. It was the perfect ending.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Bobbi was blown away. I think, at that very moment, she understood what I have felt for a long time. That it is as important a moment seeing someone pass into the next life as it is welcoming a newborn into this world. It is a true and sacred privilege. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r_sBRWFrt7ae5fnltNny86__1M6aU4l098DuZw6ry-vVwqvbbMlwMSL0w96q9rnSxjX5UA_DD2oOJvY35x81uGs9BdRT4HVr7CWUJNgHqdL2G8G6cQ-AH9r3RWeTUsjKfh_VjH1a90s/s1600/DSCF5983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2r_sBRWFrt7ae5fnltNny86__1M6aU4l098DuZw6ry-vVwqvbbMlwMSL0w96q9rnSxjX5UA_DD2oOJvY35x81uGs9BdRT4HVr7CWUJNgHqdL2G8G6cQ-AH9r3RWeTUsjKfh_VjH1a90s/s1600/DSCF5983.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Mom, Geneva (my cousin Suzanne's adoptive mother), and my Aunt Jo, Mom's older sister.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Of course Mom brought along a hat and scarf she knitted.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">In Harrisburg.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRnxZXjql-8uVmEBFZ5Sj1yHNsTWYOwAQ0Qe1NLUGdfzH9449zCGVMW6xXc1VmWvh0KYicBWHLB2fHRxYSKv2-KzoOIVUZGTT91Nrvz9wP6kqpoFF27Ex0bg9AUkdZ1oX58tMsNez-Ho/s1600/DSCF7808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRnxZXjql-8uVmEBFZ5Sj1yHNsTWYOwAQ0Qe1NLUGdfzH9449zCGVMW6xXc1VmWvh0KYicBWHLB2fHRxYSKv2-KzoOIVUZGTT91Nrvz9wP6kqpoFF27Ex0bg9AUkdZ1oX58tMsNez-Ho/s1600/DSCF7808.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Mom doing one of the things she loved best - holding babies. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">This is Lily, my niece.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Mother's Day, May 2009</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Mom with great granddaughter Elise.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Mother's Day, May 2009</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Patty, Lesli and Mom. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Ginna and my friend Lin were there too</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Surprise 50th birthday party at Patty's house</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">December 2009</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> As usual Mom was clowning</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">These rings were in Mom's 'memory box'. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">A silver one with flowers, and a gold one with hearts. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">When she gave them to me a few years ago she couldn't remember where they came from</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">She also gave me her engagement ring many years ago</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Because I live 2 hours from 'home', whenever I wanted to 'channel' Mom, I would always wear these. It was sometimes difficult to talk to her on the phone, so for me - this was my connection. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> Her charm bracelet </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">A sliver cross bracelet </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">We added some of Mom's holy medals to the links in between</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My friend Kerri and I made them into necklaces, by attaching another bracelet chain. I have other pieces too. Some that I had made for her over the years. I have been wearing something of hers every day since she has been gone. Now instead of them channeling my Mom, I consider them my Armor. They are a way to have her with me to help me fight this battle of grief.</span></span><br />
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A sweet remembrance from cousin Jim Drager:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">I'm so saddened by the loss of Aunt Ginny. In my mind, she will always be the most positive, loving and kind person--consistently, that I've ever met. I still remember her at my first Holy Communion, giving me a hug and kind words. She was always that way. What a beautiful person.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">In a way, I celebrate her by trying to emulate her. I can only hope to be a fraction as good as she was.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">I'm so blessed to have her and you all as part of my family. I am thankful.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">I'm sorry that I could not be at the services. Know that I am with you in prayer and thoughts. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-size: large;">While we were waiting for Hospice to come I made this wreath for Mom. It now hangs on her front door. She would like it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have tried to write this post many times in the past month. There is more tell.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">with love, Me</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-56796053869164007932014-02-02T16:12:00.001-08:002014-03-01T17:29:16.547-08:00I had plans, Mom had different ones<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nEGngBChTsjuCzMDwVig7eczqsTtpkPpbjUtFIs66LIkkO_VHPoNVW4w_aQEHWkMrYi__n5DAeMoGtvl1Q8oyFtxi66BOOpMYx1eVuWjXCSKTLkDgfa6luY7aYoIpamwqPUZhV42fDE/s640/blogger-image-828813556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nEGngBChTsjuCzMDwVig7eczqsTtpkPpbjUtFIs66LIkkO_VHPoNVW4w_aQEHWkMrYi__n5DAeMoGtvl1Q8oyFtxi66BOOpMYx1eVuWjXCSKTLkDgfa6luY7aYoIpamwqPUZhV42fDE/s400/blogger-image-828813556.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I thought we had more time. Ha! Who am I? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But I had plans. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The first of many: super girl was going to redo Mom's family room. I was going to find places for most of the furniture in the room, then move some of her bedroom furniture downstairs. I wanted her to be able to sleep in her own bed. She loves her bedroom. And really, her bedroom is so pretty. Isn't it?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My brother called me yesterday morning. "I think you should come up". </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But I had plans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was going to come up on Sunday. I was going to take Mom to bingo. She was going to get a chance to see some nieces that she hadn't seen for awhile. And she loves people. I was going to show her some fun. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">On the way up to Mom's, I called some people to let them know more of what was going on. And then I did something - only God knows what - and the phone's screen went black. I couldn't get it to come on, charge, anything. I had more people to call. Get Ginna on a train, have her picked up and delivered to York.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had to make plans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When I got to the house, Mom was sitting up on the sofa. Her breathing was labored, even with the oxygen, and she was agitated. She couldn't acknowledge me. I sat down next to her and put my arm around her. She relaxed into my body. The hospice nurse had just given her a low dose of morphine and lorazepam. The hospital bed was on its way. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But wait, I had plans. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My cousin Patty was coming by on Monday. We were going to talk about Volume 2 of the Trulinos Family Cookbook. It had been discussed for so long, we were finally going to make it a reality. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My mom made the first family cookbook. It was while she was still working. This was before computers were in widespread use. Wait, is that what BC means!? She asked all the relatives for recipes. But that meant hand copying all those cards for everyone. It was a lot of work! On her lunch hour Mom would type up the recipes that my brother and I gave her, as well as her sisters and nieces. She had it printed many times over, (there are a lot of us). Every morning before she went to work, she did 9 laps around the dining room table, collating her cookbook pages. In the evening after work, same routine. When mom presented her project to everyone at the next Trulinos Family Reunion, the family was astounded. Needless to say the cookbook is a staple in many of our households. We definitely need a Volume 2! And I had plans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In the evening Ginna and I climbed into bed with mom and we made a Mommom sandwich. We snuggled her, petted her, talked to her and kissed her.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had plans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was going to have my girlfriends to the house every other Saturday. Mom was going to hold court in the living room with the fireplace roaring, (after all Punxatawney Phil says we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> We were all going to knit, crochet, have tea (ok, and maybe wine), talk, laugh and just have fun! When it got warmer we would do the same - on the screened in porch.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had plans.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's February 2nd. 54 years ago today, I was delivered into my mother's arms courtesy of Catholic Charities. I was born in December, 3 weeks premature. When I arrived at 320 Wynwood Road, I was 6 weeks old and weighed just over 4 pounds. My paternal grandfather took one look at me, then at his daughter in law and said "Ginny, she's not going to make it". That's exactly why Catholic Charities chose my mom. They knew she would take on the challenge, and succeed. My brother Matt is adopted too. My mom use to always called us 'her adopted darlings'. She would often recite to us:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Not flesh of my flesh</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not bone of my bone</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But still miraculously my own.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Never forget for a single minute</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You didn't grow under my heart</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But in it".</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now her oxygen tank pulses and beats, in the living room, while she breathes. We give her morphine to keep her from being "air hungry", and the other drugs to keep the unexplained anxiety down.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But it's our special day, and I had plans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have now made many phone calls. Family and friends have started to visit. The neighbors came over with their little girls. Abby and Sarah love Ginny, and vice versa. Abby was concerned about seeing mom, but Sarah is still young enough not to know. She giggled and had her little bear give mom kisses.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Anne (mom's childhood friend/best girlhood pal) and her daughter Joanne were looking at pictures with us. We were reminiscing and laughing at Ginny and Anne's childhood antics. If you know Mom, you'll realize that she was the 'nix nux' or the mischievous one.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Nancy, her caregiver stopped by, we looked at more pictures and laughed some more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mom was in the room with us when our first daughter Ginna, was born. Because she was unable to have children, I wanted her to have a birth experience.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8kEHLFh444xiSkJ8j2sSZnX_PHAgqeHNiQCH3OeghzD4njKhuFVfFT7ko3Y0kV0yM3svNY8Tiq247cvyHBfJ_uxoqdTR7WOF5FhTDosKmbLGwpshqTYPIPeJvQ9uw5uVHIOucb7g42g/s640/blogger-image-689942292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8kEHLFh444xiSkJ8j2sSZnX_PHAgqeHNiQCH3OeghzD4njKhuFVfFT7ko3Y0kV0yM3svNY8Tiq247cvyHBfJ_uxoqdTR7WOF5FhTDosKmbLGwpshqTYPIPeJvQ9uw5uVHIOucb7g42g/s640/blogger-image-689942292.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ginna's midterms are this upcoming week, so she is working on projects that need to be submitted. I am getting ready to make dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It is quiet now, and I have to make plans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Until tomorrow,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Much love,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Me</span></div>
Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-71050936201399425522014-01-29T18:03:00.000-08:002014-01-29T18:06:00.572-08:00For my family and friends because it is part of life<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's been a year and a half since mom got sick. She was diagnosed with MDS in July of 2012, soon after this photo was taken. You can read more about that <a href="http://bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-day-is-it-and-where-am-i.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bR0W25uZzNOTjA6s5ueLq4QeosMXO6uXkI3i2ViWHwoJFqj8xIOAGUkxtoRwUBwFJDPC59epLm4eQIINXLu2GFEzwVHZYtlHr5clvJjXBUywP2152IQdH5fxL6zd77S8DIz7yzZ7VCI/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bR0W25uZzNOTjA6s5ueLq4QeosMXO6uXkI3i2ViWHwoJFqj8xIOAGUkxtoRwUBwFJDPC59epLm4eQIINXLu2GFEzwVHZYtlHr5clvJjXBUywP2152IQdH5fxL6zd77S8DIz7yzZ7VCI/s1600/046.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Needless to say, this past year and a half have had it's ups and downs. You can read about that <a href="http://bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-wished-i-had-gotten-help-sooner.html" target="_blank">here</a> and then <a href="http://bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2013/08/remember-last-summer.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">During this time, mom has had two 'rounds' of chemo. The first round consisted of 7 successive days per month for 6 months, the second consisted of 5 successive days for 6 months.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03tM8fy7T9C4wzzc60Vf66VhavLP_OTMPV1K9cONfE5ca69d_9wwQx37WRISX9AJHSk_CJsbLWUeHoJOV-wC336xcn2gikvmCgCtzY5391GMRva2iD7xp0xjsjRjxa-czyHyc0YAluig/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03tM8fy7T9C4wzzc60Vf66VhavLP_OTMPV1K9cONfE5ca69d_9wwQx37WRISX9AJHSk_CJsbLWUeHoJOV-wC336xcn2gikvmCgCtzY5391GMRva2iD7xp0xjsjRjxa-czyHyc0YAluig/s1600/004.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">October 2012</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Each of these rounds were followed by a bone marrow biopsy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Christmas 2012</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Mother's Day 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">The last bone marrow biopsy told us that the chemo wasn't working anymore. This was in June of 2013. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">July 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">One of Mom's favorites - a hot fudge sundae</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">September 2103</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Just before she went into the hospital with pneumonia</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I wasn't ready to tell anyone about the chemo stopping - at that time. In many ways I was relieved. It seemed like it wore her out more than it helped her. Anyway, I kept thinking I would let everyone know - and then I didn't. And the months went by.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">September 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;">At rehab</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">October 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mom with her amazing care giver Nancy</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">October 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Working on her exercise with Nancy and Toni</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> We were very happy mom was well enough to come in and help us get ready for the St. Mary's Church Bazaar.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> December 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Modeling one of my Jewel Box Bracelets that converts to a necklace - she wasn't sure she wanted to give it up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Christmas 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Enjoying the fire</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">During this time she has dealt with dementia, battled infections on her face, gout in her joints, increased pain from her arthritis, and has fallen more than once. We now have more handles in doorways, transfer chair in the tub, arm supports by the toilet, support by the bed, motion sensor lights, and a sound monitoring system.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My brother lives in an apartment attached to the house. He takes care of all of her meds, bill paying, waking her up in the morning, getting her clothes out, making her breakfast, and getting her settled before he goes off to work. When he gets home from work he cooks her dinner and later, gets her to bed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He is my hero. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In between morning and evening, Nancy takes over. She takes mom to all of her appointments, washes her laundry and cleans the house. But most importantly she makes mom happy. Nancy is kind, loving and most of all trustworthy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Do I realize how blessed I am? living 2 hours away? You betcha!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's a new year and now there's a new story. She just visited her geriatrician who told her that she thought it was time to consider getting hospice involved. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hospice through Medicare will pay for a lot of things that are and aren't covered right now and won't pay for items that are considered 'curative'. They will have someone come in during the hours that Nancy isn't there. They will help in other ways as well, being mostly concerned that mom is safe in her home. This help will cost mom nothing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My brother Matt will take mom to see her oncologist on Tuesday. We should know a little more then. Maybe, I don't know. Matt has recently talked to more than one health care person who has told him "No one holds the God card". </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'll keep you posted here. Because this is a new story.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I love you all, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lisa, Liz, Elizabeth - most importantly - daughter of Ginny.</span></div>
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-87247339143889805992013-12-31T19:18:00.000-08:002013-12-31T19:18:38.171-08:00My favorite Ice Cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You know how particular items, images, scents, or tastes take you back to a certain time and place? And it is usually instantaneous?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is one of mine - peppermint ice cream. It it usually only available in winter and Baskin Robbins was the first place I tasted it. I was hooked. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Later in the evening - after putting in some tough hours studying, some of the girls on my floor (9th Kelly Hall, Drexel University), and some of the guys from the 10th floor would get bundled up for the trek west to the Baskin Robbins ice cream store up on Penn's campus. Many times during this trek, it was snowing. The cold flakes would fall on our faces, the quiet street was devoid of cars and our raucousness sounded louder than normal in the soft and snowy quiet. We would slide on the slick snow that was laying lightly on the sidewalks or streets, throw snowballs at each other, and generally blow off steam. Because of the cold, the walk was usually brisk. It was always great to 'escape' outside for a bit and have a much needed break from the latest design project.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Since my freshman year at Drexel - I don't believe I have gone one winter without having at least a serving of peppermint ice cream. OK - there may have been one or two missed years in there - but definitely more years of peppermint than not. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Peppermint ice cream will always remind me of my busy, but happy years in school at Drexel, friends come and gone, and snowfall. Magical, wonderful snowfall...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What were some of yours?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">tell me, Liz</span>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-73434278279327072312013-10-04T07:15:00.001-07:002013-12-31T18:36:45.128-08:00Pay the people that work for you<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When I had the 'opportunity' to work as an Interior Designer at an unpaid internship in NYC for my second Co-op program at Drexel University - I declined. How was I to live? Were they nuts? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There were a few of us that turned down large NYC design firms that year and by doing so created a bit of a 'stink' in the Co-op Department.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Where do these companies get off? They want young blood working for them - flexible, creative minds to mine for ideas. Why shouldn't they pay them? They pay everyone else don't they?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I run a small, sole proprietor business. I have had young people working for me for 21 years and I always pay them. I say I - my husband is self employed as well and pays his 'kids' too. We consider them 'family', and many of them come back year after year until they have graduated from college and embark on their new career. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So what prompted this 'rant'? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I saw this post on <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/looking-for-a-career-to-support-your-life-and-future-be-sure-you-dont-fall-for-one-of-these-5?c=ufb1" target="_blank">UpWorthy</a> , agreed 100% and wanted to spread the word. People deserve to get paid for their work. Even if they have no experience. Why don't these selfish employers turn their greediness around? Teach a young person some skills, while paying them, rather than stealing their 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">On the other end - if you do want to work somewhere - talk to other interns, make sure the company you want to work for is truly ethical. You deserve to get paid for your time, and when you do - learn something and give it your all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So what did I end up doing after turning down a high powered Interior Design Firm in NYC? I got hired by an architectural firm just outside Philadelphia in Bala Cynwyd - Hamilton, Murphy, Garrison Architects. I worked there for my entire 6 month co-op and continued there part time through my senior year at Drexel. I thought I was worth something and they did too. Believe it or not - I got paid!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Have you had a similar experience? Share it with me in the comments below - I'd love to hear from you! Liz</span><br />
<br />Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-50477539991438415622013-10-02T13:36:00.001-07:002013-10-04T06:11:59.631-07:00Giving Back - making the communities we live in, better - a few hours at a time<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As I drove down Clarkes Gap Road (Rt. 662) today, I heard the satisfying *pop* of a black walnut under my tires. It is October now and the leaves have started to fall. My trip through Waterford, VA down the road to where I live in Paeonian Springs is a pretty short jaunt. The first time I ever saw Waterford was when I traveled there from WVU with my graduate school adviser, Emory Kemp, in 1987. He is an eminent Civil Engineer and Historian of Technology. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was working under him with the goal of getting a Master's in History/Historic Preservation. At the time, Emory was a consultant working with specialty contractor Rod Dias to restore the Hague Huff House that lies to the north of Bond Street (see top/center of map below) and I got to come along for the ride! </span><br />
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History Map of Waterford Virginia</h1>
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<a class="redcolumntext" href="http://www.waterfordvillage.org/maps.htm" style="color: #cc0033; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none;">Map home</a></div>
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This is a map drawn by <a href="http://www.loudounhistory.org/history/eugene-scheel.htm" target="_blank">Eugene Scheel</a>, a<em> </em>Waterford historian and mapmaker.</div>
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<a href="http://www.waterfordvillage.org/href"><img alt="history map of Waterford VA" border="0" height="400" src="http://www.waterfordvillage.org/graphics/maps/map-waterford-history-schel.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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<span class="smalltext" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">Map </span><span class="smalltext" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;">Copyright © Eugene Scheel</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">*Map taken from www.waterfordvillage.org*</span></div>
<span style="background-color: #fcf2d3; font-family: Simonetta, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> For me - there is nothing like the thrill of seeing a house restoration in the works. To see </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">the organic growth of an old house with it's rooms cobbled together, </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">the studs and lath under the plaster, to read the history of a room in the shape of a stove that was painted around - it is all a puzzle to me just waiting to be solved. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Yes I did get that degree - thanks to Emory and the Public History Department at WVU. I had an almost custom made graduate program to follow during my years there.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And as fate would have it - a few years later my first husband and I purchased a sweet 1909 house just down the road from Waterford in the little Victorian village of Paeonian Springs. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The grass outside was 6 feet tall, the house had 2, 15 amp fuses, and 'supposed' cold water to the kitchen sink. There was no source of heat, however it boasted a two seater outhouse. My friend Gary Geiselman said that if I restored it, the place would look like a doll house - and in fact, it does! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Years passed, I started Bittersweet Design Studio as an all encompassing umbrella to my Interior Design work, Historic Preservation consultation, hand made goods and vintage wares. I applied to and was juried in to the venerable <a href="http://www.waterfordfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Waterford Fair</a> for 5 years in the mid 1990s. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now, as life seems to do, it has come back around and I will be at Waterford again. This time as volunteer docent for the James Moore Steer house - now know as Old Acre. This house is on tour this Friday October 4th. You can read more about it below. Proceeds from the fair, benefit various preservation programs throughout the town of Waterford.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #5f5f5f; font-family: Cambria, Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px;">"Old Acre</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: small;">James Moore, Jr., probably constructed this house between 1815 and 1838, when he sold it to his nephew James Moore Steer (1810-1874). Steer and his brother-in-law Reuben Schooley operated a series of agricultural manufacturing shops behind the house along Factory Street, giving that street its name. Exterior brickwork indicates that the northern block of Old Acre was built before the southern end, originally a single story."</span></div>
*Info taken from the website www.waterfordfoundation.org*</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: normal;">I am currently scheduled to be in the kitchen at Old Acre. Come and see me if you get a chance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Where do you volunteer? Do you have a favorite cause? Tell me about it in the comment section below! Regards, Liz</span></span></div>
Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-80437921097641589622013-08-16T17:29:00.000-07:002013-08-16T17:29:50.404-07:00Remember last summer?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Remember last summer - if not - you can read about it <a href="http://bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-day-is-it-and-where-am-i.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-wished-i-had-gotten-help-sooner.html" target="_blank">here:</a> - wow that was rough. But I am here and I survived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Selfies on Mother's Day</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">She got a huge kick out taking these pictures</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">and loves pranking for the camera.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I call my mom every couple of days - but she rarely answers. So I had to come up with another solution to staying in touch. Now, I get Nancy (her caregiver extraordinaire), to call me when they are having lunch. Problem solved!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I got a call the other day - and it made me smile all day long - ok, I admit, I am still smiling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mom's appointment to get her <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darbepoetin_alfa" target="_blank">aranesp</a> shot was cancelled!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This means that her Hgb was above 12 - which means maybe, just maybe, all that she has been through the past year is finally paying off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But the best news I had that day was that she felt strong enough to go upstairs on her own, shower and dress without help, do all of her ironing, and look for buttons to put on some scarves she had knitted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All. Before. Lunch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My heart is happy. I know it won't last; she will have more doctor's appointments, need more transfusions, and be tired once again. But for now - she has been more like MY mom - the mom I use to know. And that is just the best!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I hope you have had news this week that made you smile, if not I hope this bit of news will do it for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">xo, Liz</span></div>
<br />Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-66152571488049555022013-08-02T18:06:00.000-07:002013-08-02T18:08:40.486-07:00Shipping Counter and other thoughts **revealed**<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's been a few years coming... I have been selling online since March of 2008. I was determined to keep doing what I was doing, but I could no longer count on the the steady income from my *once a month* open houses. So then what? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I had already put my time in re: shows. Shoot, the year Ginna was 1 1/2 and I was pregnant with Callie, I did 35 shows. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I loved my shop and the gardens surrounding it. There is a lot of great history in this little building. It was built in 1928 and as far as I can tell it was used to repair cars and motorcycles. I was pretty excited the weekend that I came home to find my neighbor, Francis Peacock, pushing gravel inside with his tractor. It had been hard packed dirt up until then.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When I decided to expand into the bigger room for my shop I hired a dear friend, Irvan Groff, to put a plywood floor down. He managed with little to no room to move around. The man was a marvel. His sought after whirligigs were exhibited in the <a href="http://www.avam.org/" target="_blank">Baltimore Museum of Folk Art</a>. Both of these men, farmers, are now gone. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I opened shop here when I was pregnant with Ginna, she grew up here, and went into business with me here. My husband Bob helped me put the second wood floor down, then helped me tear it up years later. We replaced that with colored concrete - the four of us, me, my bonus son Nate, Bob and Ginna stood knee deep in concrete as it poured in from the concrete truck, all the time raking it into place. I marked the date and all of our initials by the back door.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I loved opening the doors on Open House days, candles burning, scenting the air and greeting my customers. Depending on what time of year it was:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Winter - I was serving hot coffee/tea, homemade mini muffins, and rosemary cream cheese. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Summer - it was lemonade, sugar cookies, scones.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wanna talk about - cozy? happy? fireflies? welcoming? snow?fun? Well let me tell you - <i>this was the place! </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It has taken me 4 years to wrap my head around the fact that eventually my shop doors (in their current form) would have to <a href="http://bittersweetdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2010/02/breakin-up-is-hard-to-do-open-house.html" target="_blank">close</a>. This saddened me to no end. And I suppose it continued to sadden me. I couldn't seem to get out of the "I want to run this as a retail shop" trap. I kept thinking that maybe, just maybe I would open the doors again. In the ensuing years I tried to organize the space better - but I suppose my backward thinking was holding me down. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This summer, I was ready. I have now had over 800 sales online, in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bittersweetdesign" target="_blank">handmade shop</a> and my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/missingheirloom" target="_blank">vintage shop</a> and I had finally gotten fed up with marginalizing my working, storage and shipping space. I love this building and all that it has allowed me to do. Now we are going through another transition and I realize everything will be alright.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Now that the 'hard' work of getting the shop reorganized is done, it's time for some extra fun organizing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Organizing that will pay off instantly - the minute I make that next sale. I will need a place to wrap it, write the note that goes inside, a box that it gets sent off in, a return address label, etc...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyknn7e5I5sUnO-0QTT4tGBduCuAIvT0LSAPoCFLzgKNrOpuP3aiALQXtysIgpWvTaS7zC5lG64-cSgBJi_2MEVww1PIhLioFG3YNn5KsaxP7UAE1Bz8kgqhIj8L6x9bEnSqggjfWVl20/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyknn7e5I5sUnO-0QTT4tGBduCuAIvT0LSAPoCFLzgKNrOpuP3aiALQXtysIgpWvTaS7zC5lG64-cSgBJi_2MEVww1PIhLioFG3YNn5KsaxP7UAE1Bz8kgqhIj8L6x9bEnSqggjfWVl20/s400/006.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> The counter doesn't usually look like this - honest (okay maybe sometimes it has...) During our organizing, anything we came across that was shipping related got piled here. Now it's time to get it assimilated!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLv34ML6H2GdItzhhKqW2SWNhzhCZg6X0EZ5mMfoA1iYMiTwdf7u25Il1FlpVa7fNFOxa4RmbaWJAwcDcc26CqFQMBnsUGYj8R6SmRdKIDzPohSpMoprProB-yyX_balqLOphkO3JizM/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLv34ML6H2GdItzhhKqW2SWNhzhCZg6X0EZ5mMfoA1iYMiTwdf7u25Il1FlpVa7fNFOxa4RmbaWJAwcDcc26CqFQMBnsUGYj8R6SmRdKIDzPohSpMoprProB-yyX_balqLOphkO3JizM/s400/003.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's getting closer - but it is still a mess...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2QMVQdqmnWdGNvnwH1xWhruKLA-QyvgMyzsdEMsFaFYacky-u1BoGnBBCoZwrP0x1iu8qWMLmD-sAbirojVsvo1C-BT1fJDNGo7okT8RUwopQNj8uEsnpkaHwxyp08Lc_FySAO0ca9k/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2QMVQdqmnWdGNvnwH1xWhruKLA-QyvgMyzsdEMsFaFYacky-u1BoGnBBCoZwrP0x1iu8qWMLmD-sAbirojVsvo1C-BT1fJDNGo7okT8RUwopQNj8uEsnpkaHwxyp08Lc_FySAO0ca9k/s400/004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here is the pile of stuff to get 'worked' in. Kristin was here to help me with this. I was supposed to be inside repairing jewelry. However, anybody that knows me - knows I have a tough time sitting still.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCgj1ZM9QsTMsFV0f7oGXOzk-BEY6D-lxql5HQt-ynL19NNqAeZFaN1JhOKM7Aj4zmT4ecJnPdPt7kZX7J_nOGG4vxYrpz12iXD3x0BCOzWWGUT0EqOaCCCYPT50M9Yl9g0jrHXU8WAk/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCgj1ZM9QsTMsFV0f7oGXOzk-BEY6D-lxql5HQt-ynL19NNqAeZFaN1JhOKM7Aj4zmT4ecJnPdPt7kZX7J_nOGG4vxYrpz12iXD3x0BCOzWWGUT0EqOaCCCYPT50M9Yl9g0jrHXU8WAk/s320/013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here is the left side of the display case - no longer prettily displayed with lovelies - it now stores bubble wrap and tissue paper.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTEqlXwPMiHVquWj9ny3tpMNnGezDPy3yhNsrSpgSO-xhKWuKoOS-rTONhPvBKo1dVUpcotzLwiTJ2WhjWCU2VuZM7GpmeXvSzM7qWyojWWDdhqMdFvorVL2LYzd3HUf64uU0bpLKUXY/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTEqlXwPMiHVquWj9ny3tpMNnGezDPy3yhNsrSpgSO-xhKWuKoOS-rTONhPvBKo1dVUpcotzLwiTJ2WhjWCU2VuZM7GpmeXvSzM7qWyojWWDdhqMdFvorVL2LYzd3HUf64uU0bpLKUXY/s320/014.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The right side is filled with small boxes, padded envelopes, and bags.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZvzNafNFzD_ddAbPFBdgEq-Li5Ida9njDKipVgHRFKtB96bvWqgE8XoPA3hsowymmHA9qrIoMvjQahF_Ki7-CX_EB5TPWn3-dkdfTYl9zIxzlyjQOIK6sbiH3B3COacjD8fDMWNpVWE/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZvzNafNFzD_ddAbPFBdgEq-Li5Ida9njDKipVgHRFKtB96bvWqgE8XoPA3hsowymmHA9qrIoMvjQahF_Ki7-CX_EB5TPWn3-dkdfTYl9zIxzlyjQOIK6sbiH3B3COacjD8fDMWNpVWE/s320/016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> A bird's eye view, and yes - sometimes when I have the doors open - I do get a bird inside!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTrVWra1SdOv95ZNkuZNGs7olefXqsZjI4i-08xHVUJzzp7mnDqbesHK-hT8fdL5TsZbvEaf1tbSk0c66LZeZuMUOGUjUtESwNOgeyjrhN3r_ZAGJyo02QP9fq4v-RHVOEWjFBDgG06g/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTrVWra1SdOv95ZNkuZNGs7olefXqsZjI4i-08xHVUJzzp7mnDqbesHK-hT8fdL5TsZbvEaf1tbSk0c66LZeZuMUOGUjUtESwNOgeyjrhN3r_ZAGJyo02QP9fq4v-RHVOEWjFBDgG06g/s400/018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here it is - fully functional, and pretty too - which makes me immensely happy! Pretty is important. If your work space is inviting, your work will be more pleasant to do. In the past two days I have shipped three items off of this counter. It was a breeze. </span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A place for everything and everything in it's place.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Next on the agenda - my box storage room, and my online storage room.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stay tuned! Liz</span><br />
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<br />Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-41442209730657642982013-07-29T19:11:00.000-07:002013-07-29T19:11:51.291-07:00We closed the doors at 12:01 Saturday WOW do I feel great!<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">More help! Going to the barn on Thursday - we had more than a couple of arm loads of vintage clothing to hang, and a few assorted boxes of items.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xN0y-V4qw7qSC96jvYPxHfMlzwkuE2pf3_UWLofjmpvbEEOkggy2goxymshyphenhyphenWqHqoWJXpIp1UfRfyDbtRjuDCE9wWo5-U97qKP_Q0HrUAXY3gzlyqr7aIPiudWSf2EKGiAWPZtB6_Lo/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xN0y-V4qw7qSC96jvYPxHfMlzwkuE2pf3_UWLofjmpvbEEOkggy2goxymshyphenhyphenWqHqoWJXpIp1UfRfyDbtRjuDCE9wWo5-U97qKP_Q0HrUAXY3gzlyqr7aIPiudWSf2EKGiAWPZtB6_Lo/s1600/009.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Ginna and Kristin were troopers again. Because it was supposed to get hot we started at 7 a.m. and then planned on finishing on the earlier side.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdq-STtvpGkrnT_m4mDXAi4nCA-nREToDVSEIhndx9z0-xzSaYZt2KZwXu5BvrT1toOhe8uuNZVsAreo-RMKy2b1e6tsPL4TfIjFoVMZU42Dip9ygO0cBQbOvazv-1H-9VkwjNjSvbzWU/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdq-STtvpGkrnT_m4mDXAi4nCA-nREToDVSEIhndx9z0-xzSaYZt2KZwXu5BvrT1toOhe8uuNZVsAreo-RMKy2b1e6tsPL4TfIjFoVMZU42Dip9ygO0cBQbOvazv-1H-9VkwjNjSvbzWU/s1600/007.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We tried out the dart board, and made piles. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_ppZDH3OQPreD4PYKwpJWAh_pbly-qb9O4-CsGdHbFQg2JEUcisO-owryN417dgypito8KeojLWiQnEE8DoMsr3FWZxNMo2hmNwVdkv75HJAGxfwhUvmg-1JXCKFi717g7eAUS1eZro/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_ppZDH3OQPreD4PYKwpJWAh_pbly-qb9O4-CsGdHbFQg2JEUcisO-owryN417dgypito8KeojLWiQnEE8DoMsr3FWZxNMo2hmNwVdkv75HJAGxfwhUvmg-1JXCKFi717g7eAUS1eZro/s1600/003.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A pile for the barn, a pile for It's Bazaar,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrQ6zVD7wXzEnkVzj8cvVLAltBYl5YB86z98W6i9D7hHV-qkgPhDKHk1r4TPqHJ7B1QojdZEHdKbfOvMHvtQZUxKFLB657lrJ-OvSxJAm_2CkdD6h8oUAjGMBvj2zcq5ns8zpC-J5nPo/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrQ6zVD7wXzEnkVzj8cvVLAltBYl5YB86z98W6i9D7hHV-qkgPhDKHk1r4TPqHJ7B1QojdZEHdKbfOvMHvtQZUxKFLB657lrJ-OvSxJAm_2CkdD6h8oUAjGMBvj2zcq5ns8zpC-J5nPo/s1600/008.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">a pile for St. Mary's Attic Treasures tables, a pile for the Town Wide Tag Sale, a pile to donate.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUYvXbm2T4FB6WXza7pwA7iEsq39tbxGCe64eM0BEqLfKiMO6lPhgdiM1TfcaK0FUHAJm31AA7qZMdAPvmiDs_YsA-B6j72z0fXsNNkSWFTb7NJDncabHdnGuK7j_Gd6IUumZkYeFp4M/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUYvXbm2T4FB6WXza7pwA7iEsq39tbxGCe64eM0BEqLfKiMO6lPhgdiM1TfcaK0FUHAJm31AA7qZMdAPvmiDs_YsA-B6j72z0fXsNNkSWFTb7NJDncabHdnGuK7j_Gd6IUumZkYeFp4M/s1600/001.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> And boxes to sort inside. We cleared off 6 or so shelves on this side of the room - those goodies went into the 'adoption' room. Now we had shelves to unpack boxes on to!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHP8u2opBqua75PQ0JsvoGBvvQi49RwZbx2uHyUP6FFOgkWjIdlNOtMAGJm8s8bV45g7MkyAURWp5ndLtIdye1GnC-x8eEnBHjw_1It6m7vfgtkmjwCWuR2a1gYPs1i1o8xo4C14L5rM/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHP8u2opBqua75PQ0JsvoGBvvQi49RwZbx2uHyUP6FFOgkWjIdlNOtMAGJm8s8bV45g7MkyAURWp5ndLtIdye1GnC-x8eEnBHjw_1It6m7vfgtkmjwCWuR2a1gYPs1i1o8xo4C14L5rM/s1600/002.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">These shelves also got cleared off - and redone. The shelf on the left is filled with garden items to be listed, the glass front cupboard is filled with an assortment - all to be listed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnMX-QHCCSbipia3wyXruuq5uB2yYqyjgwuc1GRKOEORspPAqqCy6ywr1d5N_5fOIMuZBKha5gzsmnaBFXA6sQTu-WCe8oUqGIga7BuyuaA6FZNR-ZRMXqUNRRpDvip-HhwvkNFdAytI/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnMX-QHCCSbipia3wyXruuq5uB2yYqyjgwuc1GRKOEORspPAqqCy6ywr1d5N_5fOIMuZBKha5gzsmnaBFXA6sQTu-WCe8oUqGIga7BuyuaA6FZNR-ZRMXqUNRRpDvip-HhwvkNFdAytI/s1600/005.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because we know what is going to happen in the 'adoption' room, we just shoved anything in there that was listed. This room I can handle by myself - and I will revel in putting each piece in it's place. We did not finish on Thursday as we had hoped - but we did get an assortment of smalls up to It's Bazaar. We didn't get done on Friday (it was just two of us). But we felt confident with all of our progress, that we could be done on Saturday.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The shipping counter is also my baby - anything shipping related just got piled here - I will need to tackle this in the upcoming week.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv1ONnlr3D10Mm9JlTH00r85GQ2BZ5tAvGYhNyIBzgEd700kTgNZiraaFwdUiqy0GS8xFGt2jg76dlX7kQgsxYkxaN2BE6355_RVtTns4qajVgdI_tVs62Gg9EwCkIwvp6WIJevt4GOs/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv1ONnlr3D10Mm9JlTH00r85GQ2BZ5tAvGYhNyIBzgEd700kTgNZiraaFwdUiqy0GS8xFGt2jg76dlX7kQgsxYkxaN2BE6355_RVtTns4qajVgdI_tVs62Gg9EwCkIwvp6WIJevt4GOs/s1600/004.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is what was left under the canopy at 11:35 a.m. on Saturday. What was remaining went back into the shop in a very organized fashion. Then we tackled the shipping boxes that had their own pile at the back door of the shop. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Time to bring the truck around, load it with what was left to go to the barn, the cardboard and boxes to go to recycling, and the load of items to be donated. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">12:01 - we closed the doors and took the canopy down, hopped in the truck to do our three drop offs - and a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders. Now I feel as though I have control over my active inventory versus my latent inventory, as well as my tools and equipment to work on things. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes I still have the adoption room (active online inventory) to finish up, and the shipping counter to clear off, and the shipping room (where all the boxes are kept) to organize once more - but WOW! this is a huge step and such a great transition from active, displayed shop space to a very organized 'warehouse' like space. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A huge thanks to Ginna and Kristin for their perseverance and opinions/insights as we were trying to make sense of this new space.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I felt so relaxed on Sunday I didn't know what to do with myself!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When I finish up my remaining three spaces - I'll give you another peek at all of it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">for now, good night, Liz </span><br />
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Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-50310995968351802872013-07-24T17:04:00.003-07:002013-07-24T17:05:44.257-07:00A little help and always ready to take a dare<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For the most part - I work by myself. Sometimes, OK more than sometimes - you need some help.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFcbizU0eyD2oeToCuXnmGzFacEb0MCp-n5qzKX9aHY86a7UJAUtVzg94gEKaNrspZtyroXKiTlhpTUzKlG3wF0O6poOUhU83h9cAoRgWamfs6ldMooexEFBNyLIVQiLC7NybvTQNfU0/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFcbizU0eyD2oeToCuXnmGzFacEb0MCp-n5qzKX9aHY86a7UJAUtVzg94gEKaNrspZtyroXKiTlhpTUzKlG3wF0O6poOUhU83h9cAoRgWamfs6ldMooexEFBNyLIVQiLC7NybvTQNfU0/s400/003.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because I sold a sofa table at the barn this past week (very nice of the couple to buy it - you could hardly see it for all of the vintage shoes on it...) Anyway - I had to replace that with something - so I hauled the steamer trunk out of the little room of the shop to use for display. Cali came with me to the barn for company. She loves a car ride!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sDyMYBA0oZ9PkePKuSHEtNjBspRmOWy0aJOfHy-M3hSyFt6CBIKLlBRAcH8CTbnsUfVIQW4wV73EkX9wcqd6GohP9srUXLPmxM_nXkA7i0G7P5gBRvKTBBsbZkDv57dGqDvZBThLgbo/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sDyMYBA0oZ9PkePKuSHEtNjBspRmOWy0aJOfHy-M3hSyFt6CBIKLlBRAcH8CTbnsUfVIQW4wV73EkX9wcqd6GohP9srUXLPmxM_nXkA7i0G7P5gBRvKTBBsbZkDv57dGqDvZBThLgbo/s400/004.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> One of my favorite fields - the view from the end of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LoyaltyRedBarnTagSale" target="_blank">Loyalty Red Barn Sales</a> drive. Isn't it lovely?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">One thing leading to another...getting that steamer trunk out of the way in the 'little' room meant that maybe I could get the rest out of the way. Then one of my helpers Kristen texted me and said she could work today and tomorrow. BINGO!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">I have needed a better way to control my online listed items for quite some time. My thinking was to put all of the listed items in the smaller of the two rooms of the shop. Then I wouldn't have to wade through other stuff - like new purchases, painting supplies, etc... to find them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Rr2wyv3jwA9-axn6uwkLMUQa2wtG-1dQEUshvtEgkBuYCFj7py7YtZxRXgz1zd7BLVqs_RYuYTMdJx781huHE9Z6enmPjk5lkAMq16X17KJZEnUtJQjlkDioseltUpvxdhZAvF8ntdc/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Rr2wyv3jwA9-axn6uwkLMUQa2wtG-1dQEUshvtEgkBuYCFj7py7YtZxRXgz1zd7BLVqs_RYuYTMdJx781huHE9Z6enmPjk5lkAMq16X17KJZEnUtJQjlkDioseltUpvxdhZAvF8ntdc/s400/007.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #4c1130;">The listings were all neatly organized on shelves - but when the shelves got full - then what? Items would get stacked in boxes - and then they would get mixed in - well you know. It was just an adrenaline mess when I would go out there to look for something - and I didn't have a clear picture in my mind of other items I had listed it with. So we moved everything out of the smaller room, cleaned it, emptied 4 shelving units in the bigger room, cleaned them, and put them in the smaller room.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then all of my online listed items found a new, happy home in the little room. YAY! Here are some of my pretties in the new room. Did I sell a piece of milk glass or china? No problem - it's all right here! How about a hand knit scarf - those are in the bottom cupboard.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As you can see - we still have a pile of stuff under the tent. Hopefully we will finish this up tomorrow. We got SO much done today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYALl1DQDrZs38Wfm6iYoH-4DjemPTk-f3Ii38dLt0b97Xkyc0kGqyQi44Bzn0G0t1IFC-jXzDv1m9IzuP5kcVeLMwBS7lRO9K0o9tDqXXKB5OHX1xyj2g1BbwUuUuOPxtukGJmZsrTdI/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYALl1DQDrZs38Wfm6iYoH-4DjemPTk-f3Ii38dLt0b97Xkyc0kGqyQi44Bzn0G0t1IFC-jXzDv1m9IzuP5kcVeLMwBS7lRO9K0o9tDqXXKB5OHX1xyj2g1BbwUuUuOPxtukGJmZsrTdI/s320/008.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ok now for the dare... The girls (yes I had help!), were commenting on how huge this suitcase was and that you could probably fit a small child inside. I said I could fit and my daughter said "No way, I'll give you 50 cents if you can fit in there".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs8wviRt2I7AU_phT5gV-dmxWSGgnJ9IxEYNM5urV1NdIyMatQBTDqwcFFRoK-KtE5PU790iq_hwayW4p9ZaCx8iolJ38LskTj_NJ4yVnHMIUWi2hyphenhyphengCsd0V7yK_ChvlnCdMPReO53Ew/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs8wviRt2I7AU_phT5gV-dmxWSGgnJ9IxEYNM5urV1NdIyMatQBTDqwcFFRoK-KtE5PU790iq_hwayW4p9ZaCx8iolJ38LskTj_NJ4yVnHMIUWi2hyphenhyphengCsd0V7yK_ChvlnCdMPReO53Ew/s320/011.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> The gauntlet was thrown. So here I am trying to be my smallest and win that 50 cents.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2tsqKR7kSGJgVBRIrjijeMpgKryAc47eNIBv7N3ijIZzEj-YxYzmOwzndtwDXbY78bSmu8q7kxt9oprsYCRWCk16SjUxF0ytVpzGOjFqpEFR-UhXvmtT54NDcodjRDCJgXqtFy2Atcs/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2tsqKR7kSGJgVBRIrjijeMpgKryAc47eNIBv7N3ijIZzEj-YxYzmOwzndtwDXbY78bSmu8q7kxt9oprsYCRWCk16SjUxF0ytVpzGOjFqpEFR-UhXvmtT54NDcodjRDCJgXqtFy2Atcs/s400/009.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> Kristen says it's close - but not quite.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qTKPTOJY9es7hMOsjrXVp7aD1EQYJ_MN6ViT6AOy9mOpS4-ryItgwtGoypsCPcW9FxOYArKcQHlJr_YJh8yITW83cbDViSYEW9FcUbSY9Y-yfgJcG1PsLDixwfCTle_-m_kd1yMRfVU/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qTKPTOJY9es7hMOsjrXVp7aD1EQYJ_MN6ViT6AOy9mOpS4-ryItgwtGoypsCPcW9FxOYArKcQHlJr_YJh8yITW83cbDViSYEW9FcUbSY9Y-yfgJcG1PsLDixwfCTle_-m_kd1yMRfVU/s400/010.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">My smarty pants daughter decides to see if she can help by sitting on the suitcase lid.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Oh well, always eager to accept a challenge, but I don't always succeed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Come back tomorrow and see what we have accomplished. I am so excited!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Until then, xo, Liz</span></span></div>
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<br />Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0Paeonian Springs, VA 20129, USA39.1492716 -77.619157613.627237099999999 -118.9277516 64.6713061 -36.310563599999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-13132737453093298482013-07-23T15:45:00.000-07:002013-07-23T15:47:50.201-07:00It's getting closer!!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LoyaltyRedBarnTagSale" target="_blank">Loyalty Red Barn Tag Sale</a> <span style="color: #990000;">is over for the month. For several days last week we scrubbed and cleaned and polished and buffed - yes we were there at 7 a.m. to try and beat the heat before the heat beat us.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvRqSDRKGwM5Q3RwdGkyuevqih0GUAglhLC15x9en_pJH8Z1xPIYYo2ZJVrq_iPCJpdKtAUcqyK5J7cGlcro4tDsFI_I53OpOAgMZzV68YrEeXzFOgwfoGLNVyC3qQNR_yVCb7CjHHaU/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvRqSDRKGwM5Q3RwdGkyuevqih0GUAglhLC15x9en_pJH8Z1xPIYYo2ZJVrq_iPCJpdKtAUcqyK5J7cGlcro4tDsFI_I53OpOAgMZzV68YrEeXzFOgwfoGLNVyC3qQNR_yVCb7CjHHaU/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #990000;">2 beautiful piano fronts came my way, courtesy of my talented and musical friend <a href="http://www.bobbicarmitchellmusic.com/" target="_blank">Bobbie Carmitchell</a> (World Domination Bobbi - oh, sorry, private joke...). The one above is a Sterling from 1898.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQOeHSWJ0A9hBiG2SWYTst-bBaMr3JIjpJfMiYdN91xTIxa2mBC1Bus57k0HbndkG2TzLNQS9BTxzHzhNKXUwmkPEVPjhl3lOmKBMC9LZh2WxMmK6z9N83gJvUc0wdxARyhLERVQW13s/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQOeHSWJ0A9hBiG2SWYTst-bBaMr3JIjpJfMiYdN91xTIxa2mBC1Bus57k0HbndkG2TzLNQS9BTxzHzhNKXUwmkPEVPjhl3lOmKBMC9LZh2WxMmK6z9N83gJvUc0wdxARyhLERVQW13s/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This one is much heavier - and possibly a Mason/Hamlin.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Also from Bobbi, a mahogany pie crust table.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">A very exciting yard sale find while in Lancaster County - a milking frame from Carl Diller. What I saw was another great industrial rack to hang more vintage clothing!</span></span><br />
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One of my best recent finds... I got this set of seats from a local contractor that was moving away. These beauties came out of the balcony (which was the 'colored' section) of our local movie theatre the Tally Ho when the unsafe balcony was demolished in the 1980s. In all vintage seller's dreams this is how it works: you buy something and sell it right away. That is what happened to these beauties. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> This is Bob and one of his summer workers, Sydney. We had the honor of being invited to church to hear her give a talk prior to leaving on an 18 month mission trip to Brazil. Her words were wise beyond her years and I will remember them always. </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The gist being: imagine the people around you not as they are; but how they could be - moving towards 'perfection', moving towards their fullest potential. You could love them then, why not find the good in them, and love them now?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #990000;">Now that the busy weekend is over, </span></span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I am using the time to slow down and get caught up on other projects.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My back log of jewelry repairs for one, and getting my <a href="http://www.bittersweetdesignstudio.com/" target="_blank">website</a> closer to a selling site, another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Here's hoping we can keep it low key this week...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Talk to you soon! Liz</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1135497528006992601.post-34238150807562236862013-07-06T19:49:00.000-07:002013-07-06T19:55:21.884-07:00The Work will Teach you How to Do it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> is an old Estonian proverb. And so very true. These are just a few pics of of the work we have done on house in the woods.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Our nephews'</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> Kenny and Rusty, replaced the wood board walk from the drive to the steps, with flagstone. The sloped wood walk was too slippery for a house in the woods.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">These two talented young men also put in this rustic flagstone path from the boardwalk to the shed so the owner would not be walking through dirt.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The boardwalk connects the side and front porch with the deck.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bob, Kenny and Rusty replaced the front door.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A closet - exciting, I know!! Ginna and I spent some quiet time in here on July 4th. We were the only two working at the house this day. Amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do isn't it?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Friday the 5th was really crazy. We had people everywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sydney and Bob in the kitchen/dining room. I was there too - painting quarter round.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The plumber and his helper were here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bob and Kenny replacing a piece of plywood with heartwood pine. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bob teaching Sydney how to use the nail gun.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Saturday the 6th was quiet again. It was just Sydney, me and Ginna working at the house today. Look who was here to greet us!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ginna stained the new flooring to match the existing. Once we clean all the joint compound dust off of the old floor it will look great!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And matched it by the steps as well. Where's Sydney? Outside hosing down and washing all of the first floor windows.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Putting the finish down in the laundry area, kitchen and dining room. I fail to remember the exercise in isometrics this is - I always find muscles I had forgotten about. The kitchen area had stick down tiles that we peeled up to reveal the very same floor that is in the dining room. We used a pad sander to take up the leftover glue and some crud. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Amazing what a day makes. Hectic and crazy busy the day before, stuff everywhere. Today - quiet and an empty room with a pretty floor. A tenant will be moving in shortly. He will truly enjoy living in a rustic house in the woods.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It has been a long couple of months getting this place ready. There are a few details that still have to be taken care of - but that will come.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Time for bed, </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am one tired girl! Until later, Liz</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Liz P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08414587303664747154noreply@blogger.com0