HOLLYWOOD HERE WE COME !

Every year my Doll Friends and I celebrate our birthdays collectively.

This year I suggested that we go up to L.A. and spend the night at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.
I have a friend that works there and she was able to get us good rates for rooms.

We planned to take the Amtrak up to L.A. and then catch the Metro to Hollywood.
It was only this year that I discovered that L.A. had a Metro.
I happened to see a movie filmed there and I saw the L.A. Metro . I said,"They don't have a Metro in Hollywood do they?" I guess that they did, because there it was!
It has been 15 years since I had last been up to Hollywood and I must say that they are doing a wonderful job re- designing the area!

I was rather nervous as I had suggested that we try this trip. Everyone, (there are 7 of us, )was excited to go somewhere new,and to go shopping at the garment district for fabrics.
We had a delightful full two days of shopping and tasting of several magnificent meals.
We didn't go on the Tour of the Star's homes and we didn't get our picture with Spider Man, but we felt special staying at the hotel and looking about.

Groman's Chinese Theater as well as the Kodak Theater,(that's where they have the Oscars), were directly across the street from the Hotel. The Walk of Stars directed our path.as we were on Hollywood Blvd. Jimmy Kimmel Live was next door as well as the T.V. Guide Building.
This was exciting 'cause sometimes I get stuck watching their program while trying to figure out what to watch and forget to look at the channel and programs racing by!

There were no Star sightings but we managed to have a great time! I wish that we could have stayed another night!

Happy Birthday Girls! What a wonderful reason to celebrate!

ETHAN

My Mother's Day Blessing

Here is a picture of my beautiful daughter and grand daughter on Mother's Day.

Mother"s Day

Today is Mother's Day.
The day to honor Mother.
My children honored me, and I felt honored.
I was honored at church today from a dear woman who wrote a poem inspired by the Lord about my past. It lead me to stand up and give a part of my testimony.

I became a mother 40 years ago when I gave birth to my first son and gave him to another couple who desperately wanted to have children , but couldn't.
For nearly 25 years I carried the pain of being a mother and wondering about my son.
15 years ago, he found me and we celebrated.
My children are the dearest gift God has given save for my two grandchildren.

Last week E. ,my grandson invited both his Nana and me to come celebrate with his family by having a "Tea Party" for us, it was so sweet. He especially liked to stick his finger into the bottom of the empty cup to get the last part of the dissolved sugar.
I have a picture, but I can't figure out how to put it up on the blog... perhaps later when my son gets here.

My youngest son is here to celebrate and what a nice surprise it was to find him here.
I have spoken to the two other sons today and even though they are not here as I wish they were, I feel the love that they are sending.

I spoke to a neighbor today as she was preparing to go to the in-laws for their celebration, she is longing for quiet, but with young ones you do not get quiet....
It is only after the fledglings are out of the nest that quiet comes.... perhaps it is a little too quiet...

Did I mention that I wore a tiara this afternoon? I am making the most of my day!
We have invited my daughter and her husband and the two grandchildren over for dinner along with my youngest son.
Yes, today is a day to celebrate! Anyway you can . Happy Mother's Day!!!

Ode From a Mother For Mother's Day

Bartholomew by Norman Gale

Bartholomew is very sweet,
From sandy hair to rosy feet.

Bartholomew is six months old,
And dearer far than pearls or gold.

Bartholomew has deep blue eyes,
Round pieces dropped from out the skies.

Bartholomew is hugged and kissed:
He loves a flower in either fist.

Bartholomew's my saucy son:
No mother has a sweeter one!

Silver Penny Memories

For the last few weeks my husband and I have been preparing for a MEGA garage sale,which we had last Saturday.
This entailed sorting through years and years of memories and accumulation of "STUFF".
Among that so called "STUFF" were quite a collection of old books and memorabilia.
One book, which had belonged to my mother. "Silver Pennies", by Blanche Tennings Thompson, is a collection of poems for the young and young at heart.

I fondly remember this sweet book with it's gray cover. A fairy like child is reaching out to catch what looks like silver coins cascading down from a sliver of a moon.

I have kept this book with my things all these years .

In the Preface The author writes ,"You must have a silver penny to get into Fairyland".
She then goes on to offer the "silver pennies" and warns one to be careful how you handle them,because their lustre is easily dimmed.
"If a poem is worthy at all, it isn't tough-- it is frail and exqiusite, a mood a moment of sudden understanding, a cobweb which falls apart at a clumsy touch".

So with that introduction I will write the poem that first touched my dear little soul so many many years ago when this book was placed into my little hands.


THE LITTLE TURTLE by Vachel Lindsay


There was a little turtle
He lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle
He climbed on the rocks.

He snapped at a mosquito.
He snapped at a flea.
He snapped at a minnow.
He snapped at me.

He caught the mosquito.
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow.
But he didn't catch me.