It was a little slow for a work day, so I was home earlier than usual. I found that a new episode of HOME TOWN aired on Sunday so I looked it up and watched it. By then it was lunch time and I cooked the rest of the pancakes from yesterday’s batter. Half of those went in the freezer for another time.

I need to pick Chrissy up from track practice and take her home. Jen had a busy weekend with the rescue, and yesterday she picked up a bunny family: dad, mom, and six little ones. So when I drop Chrissy off, I’ll get to see the family.

BUT — on Sunday she rescued an albino King Snake (ugh), which did NOT go to her house. Nate put his foot (and every other thing!) down at snakes. I know the snake was vetted and is out with a foster and doing fine…

March 8 – When on car trips, did you play car games? “We didn’t go very often on car ‘trips.’ With 8 in the small old Pontiac we just talked. I got motion sickness so it was no fun going very far. Greensburg or New Kensington were as far as we traveled. We did count cows & when we passed a cemetery we had to ‘bury’ them and start over.”

Yesterday’s vacation destination was the AT – Appalachian Trail – and the picture posted was an overnight shelter. Now you can see why the AT would never appeal to me except for a few hour hike on some part of the trail. I actually did that in the fall of 2016 in Harper’s Ferry. It was very fun – but we hiked in the rain and only walked a few miles out and back. Harper’s Ferry is a cool place in itself! Here are other sites on the AT:

Calendar inspiration – Anticipation is the fine art of waiting for something without impatience.

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TOMORROW March 9 is:

• National Barbie Day
• National Crabmeat Day
• National Get Over it Day
• National Meatball Day
• National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day

It’s cold today, so I vote that tomorrow should be ‘Get Warmer Day’! In the meantime, I have my blankie (several, in fact) and the little space heater! Stay warm – God bless…

It started out as a rainy day and is still raining. Thankfully it’s pretty warm.

I did make my pancakes for lunch. I made the ‘mistake’ of not buying Bisquick last time, and the recipe on the box of baking mix was complex and very heavy. It didn’t take many bites before I was full. They tasted fine but I’ll stick with Bisquick from now on.

My exciting chores for today were to do laundry and do some Easter research. I have to type out a schedule for our Sunday School Easter lessons. Since Easter is a different week every year, it’s not in the correct order in our lesson planners. I will type them out so Mary and I are on the same page with lessons and activities.

After I do the ironing and listen to Greg’s Sunday message, it will be close time to go over to Kathy’s and watch the Gilded Age episode for the week. That’s a fun thing to look forward to, as well.

Today is Roger’s birthday, so sending out a big Happy Birthday to him, and wishing him a healthy and blessed year to come – every single day!

March 7 – What was the naughtiest or meanest thing you remember doing in school? Were there consequences? “In the winter when the potbelly stove was hot some one would bring in a pack of chewing gum. We would chew the gum & then heat it on the top of the stove. Put it on a piece of ivory (from piano key) and flip it on to the ceiling. When it cooled it would fall down & make a noise. I never got caught.” Wow – what a rebel! So fun to hear about these things.

Yesterday’s vacation destination was Slippery Rock – where we actually were! – and the picture posted was Slippery Rock Creek. Other things in Slippery Rock are:

Calendar inspiration – Stay sweet and kind wherever you go.

Quote – (two today)

Scripture – (two today)

Vacation destination –

TOMORROW March 8th:

• International Women’s Day
• National Oregon Day
• National Peanut Cluster Day
• National Proofreading Day

What exciting things are there to celebrate in Oregon? Probably more than we knew. But proofreading is more in my line – I’m sure I’ll be doing that in some form! Have a great day – and hope for Sunshine! God bless…

I went to Diane’s straight after Sunday School and we headed to Jennings Environmental center for the program – Sweet Stroll Through Maple History. The Park Ranger who took us through the hike was very engaging, informative, and interesting. Even the kids enjoyed it, and probably 2/3 of the group were kids under 15.

We started by learning about Pennsylvania State Parks – There are 121 State Parks in PA, and no matter where you are in the state you are never further than half an hour from a state park. Interesting information! We learned about the Prairie across the road, and that prairie is one of the only homes to the endangered Massasauga Rattlesnake. The ranger had a rubber one but it sure looked real! Yikes!

There are a lot of big rocks, which I really like, and lots of birds and chipmunks. I took a photos of 2 chipmunk homes.

We learned about the importance of trees, layers of trees, and how to identify maple from other trees, especially when there are no leaves on the trees. As we hiked the trail, we saw how tapping for syrup has changed since the Native Americans first began the process. Then, how the settlers improved on the process, and ultimately how both the Civil War and World War II introduced new and innovative equipment and processing, as well as understanding of the process.

At the end, we saw how the maple sap is boiled off now to make syrup, and then we all had a little taste. It was very sweet, and yummy! It was a fun day, and the weather was perfect – 70*, sunny and dry!

I snapped these photos on the trip – The city of Butler – and a huge flag waving in the breezes.

March 6 – Tell about how you spent your Sundays – “We went to Sunday School & church and then we were not allowed to do anything except read, play a quiet game, or play the piano rolls and sing. Sunday was to be sacred and a day to honor God. We did go visiting.”

Yesterday’s vacation destination was Maslowski Beach in the city of Ashland. Picture was Dobson Gardens, as are most of the others posted below. Diane and her friend Kendra visited there together. Kendra lives in Chicago but this is in Wisconsin.

The rest are in the garden: (Thanks for sharing, Diane!)

Calendar Inspiration is – ironically – tapping maple syrup! Sweet things come out of long hard work.

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TOMORROW March 7 is:

• National Be Heard  Day
• National Cereal Day
• National Crown of Roast Pork Day 
• National Flapjack Day

SO – I was hungry for pancakes (because of all the syrup talk) but since tomorrow is Flapjack Day I’ll wait until tomorrow. Better than cereal! (Sorry!) God bless…

Before I go any further, I want to post the review of the Thimble Shoppe. I also took a quick photo of the three thimbles I have – One is Grama Crooks’, one is Mary Crouch’s (Letters to Mary) and the bright one is mine from a teenager. I was excited to make a close connection to the book in several ways!

The Thimble Shoppe – by Elizabeth Bromke – caught my heart just from the title.  My mom was a very good seamstress from a young age – made my wedding dress – and so was my grandmother. So I made the connection easily.  The Thimble Shoppe is really a story about forgiveness.  Mabel struggles with forgiving herself, which is the most difficult type of forgiveness to effect.  Griffin, too, spends a lot of time looking back.  But as Mabel and Griffin each – on their own – wade through the changes in front of them in the light of what is behind them, they discover things about themselves that help them discover who they are. Are decisions and actions of family members really what they seem?  Mabel’s frustration and disappointments center around her self-imposed distancing from those who love her the most.  And Griffin’s resentments color his ability to see clearly what he wanted all along.  Once again Elizabeth builds the story with small, important nuggets that – as the lives of these characters unfold – fit together in ways we hadn’t imagined.  Prairie Creek is the perfect place to find ourselves, to become family, and to forgive the most important person – ourselves.  Well-developed characters, great story line, unexpected events – a must read!  I loved it!

Nate sent me pictures of his shed – which could finally be delivered and set up. The ground was too snowy or wet for so long that it couldn’t be hauled up through the yard. He’s very excited to have so much room for storage, and I’m excited for him.

After I did my few inside chores this morning I bundled up and went outside to work in the yard. ‘Bundled up’ was a mistake! By the time I was out there half an hour I had shed my windbreaker and my heavy hoodie. I cleaned up some of the leaves, but wanted to make sure the little plants were covered so after I took photos I covered them back up. I straightened the rock border around all the flower beds because they were pushed into the ground and covered by plants. Then I rebuilt the 4 small walls in the bottom flower bed. Also swept the patio stones and fixed the little retaining walls back there. A job (or jobs) well done. It felt so good to be outside; hadn’t realized how much I missed that. I have a feeling I will be stiff and sore in the morning.

March 5 – Tell about how you spent your Saturdays during the school year. “Baking for the weekend. Jt was also cleaning the house, especially our bedroom. Once or twice a year we went to Indiana & spent the day. We even got to see a movie once in a while. Abbot & Costello were favorite movies.”

Yesterday’s vacation destination was quirky hotels, and the picture posted was a forest fire tower get-a-way. Other choices are:

Calendar inspiration from Lucy today –

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Vacation Destination – (Contributed by Diane)

TOMORROW March 6 is:

• National Dentist’s Day
• National Dress Day
• National Frozen Food Day
• National Oreo Cookie Day 
• National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day
• Finisher’s Medal Day

Tomorrow after church is the Sweet Stroll Through Maple History hike, same place as the Cherry Pie hike last week. Should be very interesting! I’ll fill you in tomorrow. God bless!!!

My mom used to say that this is the most commanding day of the year: MARCH FORTH!!! Hopefully your day was busy, in a good way!

The day started with Diane coming for breakfast, and the scones were a huge hit. She even txted a picture to her friend Kendra in Chicago, who was drooling in envy! I promised to make a batch for her to take this summer (maybe in May) when she goes out to visit.

I had some title work to do after Diane left, and while I was working I heard my facebook app ping a live post. It was my friend Rachelle, who was live-streaming the truck convoy headed to DC. Her husband is a PA State Representative, and she’s very active in community support. I got caught up in the excitement as she did a play-by-play of the vehicles heading up Route I-70 to the PA turnpike. There was an estimate of 4 to 6 miles of trucks and support vehicles. I pray that this peaceful demonstration will show our country coming together to be the America that we want it to be. I guess it was about 2 or 3 hours long! I did hear it mentioned that the convoy went through West Alexander and wonder if Kelly and the boys saw any of it. The pictures really don’t do justice to the number of vehicles and the flags and banners displayed. The overhead bridge where they were standing was full of observers, plus the hills on either side.

After finishing laundry and ironing, I did get the pillow cover sewn with the bunny material. I think it looks so fun, especially beside the bunny blanket.

I decided I needed some air, so I drove over to L&L Fleatique and walked around. I bought a little Americana coaster and 2 small ceramic bunnies. Now I am going to do some writing before it’s time for supper.

March 4 – Do you have a good story about yourself cussing? “I never even said ‘dirty’ words. Once when Uncle Jim locked me in our playhouse, which was the old chicken house, I called him an old ‘s—‘. My Grandma Crooks heard me yelling & came across the rough path, using her cane, & left me out. I was crying & she said “don’t cry. You are out now.” I said that wasn’t what I was crying about. I said I was going to hell as I had said a bad word. She just hugged me & told me to ask Jesus to forgive me & never do it again. I never did.” Oh, if we all had that spirit of repentance and conviction!

Yesterday’s vacation destination was Guatape Columbia, and the picture posted was the islands.

Calendar inspiration – Delightful things can be found in unexpected places; you never know what you’ll find so enjoy the search.

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TOMORROW March 5 is:

• National Absinthe Day
• National Cheese Doodle Day
• National Multiple Personality Day

Hoping the weekend brings more sunshine and warm temperatures.. and joy! God bless…

I’m surprised that it’s still Thursday. This was an unexpectedly full, busy day, on top of a basically sleepless night (not sure why!). After work I stopped at Mike P’s, and he had a bunch of deals and questions. Then I stopped at the bank to make a deposit, at the Post Office to mail 3 letters, and at the Citgo to get gas. As I’d heard, it was $.30 more a gallon and predicted to go up again.

I made a grilled cheese with tomato for lunch, and was just going to mix up my scones for tomorrow’s breakfast (my friend is coming for breakfast!) when Autmn txt me. She had the day off and wanted us to hang out. I have been ‘pestering’ her to come visit so I switched plans and went to West Newton to pick her up. I owed her a birthday lunch and shopping trip, so we went straight to Barnes and Noble, then Joanne Fabrics, Five Below, and then food at Chick-Fil-A.

She has loved fingernail tips since she was old enough to walk, so she bought tips and glue, and also a craft kit to make bracelets. She confessed that she does get bored a lot. She’s been knitting blankets to keep busy between work shifts. I was glad to spend some time with her, and at least get the feel of how she’s doing and feeling. I can see her being more mature but she’s still a little lost. Love that girl!

So I was in the car most of the time between 2:30pm until about 8:15pm. Makes for a long afternoon, but I was glad it was long with Autmn! I did get the scones mixed up, but everything else on the to-do list is flipped to tomorrow.

One little side note – I take Route 136 (very narrow, hilly, twisty road) to West Newton, and at the blinker light on Middletown Road a tractor-trailer pulled in front of me. I followed him for several miles, and when we went up the one hill, the top of the trailer snagged an electric line and pulled it loose. He drug it for probably half a mile until it fell and bounced across the road. I was directly behind the truck and had slowed down and fell way back. Thankfully the wire finally came to rest in the middle of the road. I was able to go between the wire and the guide rail, and pulled over at the next driveway and called 9-1-1. I’m not sure what kind of wire it was but knew I shouldn’t drive over it. They took all the information – hope they got it put back together! It was sort of scary – it could have snapped back and landed on my car! A huge blessing and thankful heart that all was well in the end.

March 3 – Did you ever pretend to be sick as an excuse to stay home from school? “I loved school & never wanted to miss. I had a sick time in the 5th or 6th grade. The teacher came to the house so I could take the tests. I guess my mother was a good teacher as I always made 100% on the tests.” So I can tell Kelly her home-school roots run close!

Yesterday’s vacation destination was strange and unusual sights in Pennsylvania, and the pictures posted was Schafer’s Auto Art in Erie PA. Other crazy things to see:

Calendar Inspiration – Look for moments to raise your spirits and inspire your imagination.

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TOMORROW March 4 is:

• Marching Music Day
• National Grammar Day
• National Hug a G.I. Day
• National Pound Cake Day
• National Sons Day
• Tartar Sauce Day
• National Day of Unplugging
• National Dress in Blue Day 
• National Speech and Debate Education Day
• National Employee Appreciation Day

Lots to celebrate tomorrow! Personally, I’d love to have a piece of Lisa Hays’ pound cake. It’s so yummy! Hope I remember to dress in blue – but it’s doubtful. Have a happy day. God bless…

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Mostly I was doing inside chores, like cleaning and organizing and laundry, but I was outside a few times. Once my two neighbors were out, and we stood on the street taking for about 15 minutes. Sharon had her dog out for a walk, and Karen was putting the trash up. I was getting the mail. It was nice enough to be comfortable chatting and catching up – and discussing the shortage of some key items we have noticed. I felt like a actual neighbor, chatting and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

I was so happy with my St. Patrick’s Day pillow cover that I got a half a yard to bunny material. That – along with making scones – will be my chores tomorrow after work. Picture to follow!

Supper was a scrambled egg wrap. Easy and yummy. Now I will finish this and get organized for tomorrow.

March 2 – Tell about a school principal you remember. “I was the only one that had a study period so I would go to the principal’s office to study. He was “weird”. He put his wife in a mental hospital. After the school was closed they (authorities) discovered he was the one that was mentally ill. I was questioned about what I thought. I just said he was very ‘strange’.” What an unusual situation to be in!

Yesterday’s vacation destination was actually Best Rental Cabins in Pennsylvania, and the cabin pictured was in Montoursville. Other top choices:

Calendar inspiration – There’s satisfaction in sharing any journey.  A good attitude makes a difference when crossing the rain puddles of life.  – I really love this! So glad and thankful for those of you who are crossing puddles with me!

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TOMORROW March 3 is:

• National Anthem Day
• National Cold Cuts Day
• National I Want You to Be Happy Day
• National Mulled Wine Day 
• Soup It Forward Day
• National Hospitalist Day

The Star Spangled Banner was officially declared our National Anthem on March 3, 1931 – Mom was not even a year old! I’m going to look up more details. I love history! Have a great day – ‘Oh, say, can you see???’ God bless…

March definitely came in like a lamb – but the sun played peek-a-boo with a light wind all day. Nicer temperatures so it was fine.

After work I met Aunt Darlene (a friend) and her friend Gail at Pizza Siena. The food was good but the service wasn’t. The waitress was super nice but not very attentive. I had a piece of pizza and a side salad. Either of those would have made a whole meal! I brought over half of the pizza slice home – it was huge! Auntie D treated me to lunch so that was extra nice.

I stopped on the way home at the Blind Association to get some documents shredded. Because it was under 10 pounds it was no cost! So that was a bonus. I’ll remember that.

After I got home and changed clothes I got out the St. Patrick’s Day decorations. I just have a small box and a few sheets of window stickees but it was enough to brighten up the house. Sharing some photos…

Today I received the ARC (corrected copy after my input) on The Thimble Shoppe – and Liz had changed the note in the credits. I am so blessed to be part of her team! I really enjoy reading and helping! Great story.

March 1 – Tell about being in a school play or program. “Our cousin Dora Burns was the music teacher and put on spring plays. I sang in the chorus. I still remember some of the songs when I hear them today. Mostly patriotic songs since we were at war at that time of my life.”

Yesterday’s vacation destination was Niagara Falls and the picture posted was Old Fort Niagara. The first few photos are ones we took when we visited in the fall of 2020.

Calendar Inspiration – It doesn’t take much to make a positive difference in the world.

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TOMORROW March 2 is:

• National Banana Cream Pie Day
• National Old Stuff Day
• World Teen Mental Wellness Day
• National Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss Day) 
• Ash Wednesday

Well, I have plenty of old stuff in my house, including me! But it’s ‘vintage’ and valuable and important! Have a happy day and read a Dr. Seuss book! God bless…

Here we are at the end of February – will tomorrow – Fat Tuesday and March 1st – come in like a lamb or a lion? Seems like, based on today, it will be mild like a lamb. We’ll see in the morning!

After work and lunch I started my chore list – laundry, ironing, sewing, cleaning. I made a pillow cover with the shamrock materiel I already had, and made my little doll (I’ve decided to name her Miss Dottie after my mom!) an apron and dressed her up. Tomorrow I’ll finish decorating. After supper I’ll go to Kath’s and watch The Gilded Age.

I stayed at it last night and finished reading and editing Liz’s book, The Thimble Shoppe. As always, I really love reading her work. I got to the end and read the acknowledgements, and here’s what I found! Thank you, my friend Elizabeth! She also referred to me in her live podcast this morning! (These 2 photos are screen shots…)

So for me, February is going OUT like a lamb – or maybe a sleeping puppy!

February 28 – Tell about other pets you had. “Rabbits, that the cat had caught. We nursed them back to health. My brother had a pet crow called Jake. he was smart. He would take the clothespins off the clothes line on wash day. Mom wasn’t happy about that.”

Yesterday’s vacation destination was really a compilation of 10 of the most adventurous vacations. The picture posted was bungie jumping in New Zealand (ironically our previous destination!). The other nine places are:

Calendar inspiration – Everybody appreciates a kind word – give a compliment and make someone’s day better!

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My personal motto –

Vacation Destination –

TOMORROW March 1 is:

• National Dadgum That’s Good Day
• National Fruit Compote Day
• National Horse Protection Day
• National Minnesota Day
• National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
• National Pig Day
• Self-Injury Awareness Day
• National Pancake Day – IHOP
• Fat Tuesday – Day Before Ash Wednesday
• Paczki Day
• Fastnacht Day 

I hope Piggy Smalls gets a special treat tomorrow. It’s his day! Maybe —- a PANCAKE!! 🙂 Have a great Tuesday and a brand new month! God bless…

Sometime overnight Liz sent me the first reading of The Thimble Shoppe to read/edit. I’m about a quarter of the way though. I feel like I’m back in the Seton Hill days, when I read everything with a tablet and pen, making notes about the good, the bad, and the ugly! It’s an entirely different way to read. But Liz’s work is normally pretty smooth. I’m excited to be part of her ‘first reader’ team!

We taught the lesson about Heaven for the Sunday School class. I was a bit concerned about teaching that to 5 and 7 year olds, but they were fascinated! Max loved the River of Life, and JJ was amazed that the ‘animals’ had wings like angels. Grace loved all the gold and jewels and rainbows. It was a fun class to teach. Basically we stressed to them that this was what John shared when he was given a glimpse inside the pearly gates. We haven’t seen it!

After church I stopped at the Xfinity store. I tried calling them yesterday, then did a virtual chat, and couldn’t get any resolution to my questions. We did figure it out – sort of – not sure it’s totally resolved but I’ll see when I get my next email statement. They were having a promotional offer on high speed internet if you signed a contract for three years. I explained my ‘distrust’ of those ‘deals’ and took the person’s name. But saving $15.00 a month for 3 years (guaranteed) sounds like a safe bet. I’ll deal with it again in three years, I guess. My grandsons will be excited. One more step up in the high speed internet. They will never want to go home.

After that, the rest was easy. I popped into the Dollar Tree to get a bottle of glitter nail polish and a wall charger. The way it printed out on the receipt was POLISH WALL CHARGER and the clerk said, ‘What is a Polish wall charger? – From Poland?’ We both laughed! From there I stopped at the Mall – I was picking up a box of Fields of Blue books that I had ordered from Don Miller, and Barb was meeting me at Panera Bread. I was surprised that they still had several chocolate chip bagels left, so I bought one to bring home for lunch. I don’t think I’ve had one of those in several year. It was a great lunch. My intention was to get a bar of Lilac Soap at Barbara Ann’s, but they sold out. So I purchased a Shamrock coaster instead – about 1/3 the price. Now it’s time to do afternoon chores and get ready for a new week.

February 27 -Tell about the best pet you ever had. “We had a big farm cat we named Tibby. She went to visit a neighbor and Elsie left her in her kitchen & fed her. We would wonder where she was. We were down to visit Elsie (Dad’s cousin) and there was Tibby in the kitchen. We shared her as long as she lived. She was always having kittens so we had kittens in the barn to play with all the time.”

Yesterday’s vacation destination was New Zealand, the the picture posted was the Lord of the Rings tour. Other things to visit:

Calendar inspiration for today is from Peanuts:

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TOMORROW February 28 is:

• National Chocolate Souffle Day
• National Floral Design Day
• National Public Sleeping Day
• National Tooth Fairy Day
• Rare Disease Day USA 

Not sure I can buy into the public sleeping scenario. The Tooth Fairy and I are well acquainted, but he stopped leaving me money for tooth issues decades ago. He’s be broke by now if he hadn’t. Have a happy day – we’re looking at the start of a new week and a new month! God bless…