Satisfaction...Appreciation....Pride

Well...I've had one of those "milestone" birthdays and I'm just not liking it! Not one bit. I can't change the aging process but I can take satisfaction in the fact that time stops for no one (except for that crazy Joan Rivers loon) and that we are all growing older together. Thankfully, I have my health and the ability, albeit not always the will, to exercise regularly and eat right.  Darn you Exeline's Pizza, a good dry chardonnay and Fudge Stripe cookies!

For my birthday, my sweet husband pulled one over on me and had my mom and my 86 year old grandmother "Graneane" show up at our annual family beach vacation in Gulf Shores, AL.  After the shock of them showing up, on our doorstep totally  unexpected wore off, I realized that there were four more hands to help retrieve juice boxes, make sandwiches and hand out cookies! Score one for mommy getting to read a book! 

A little later in the evening as we had gathered for a nice dinner together, it dawned on me that my mom and I had never been on a vacation together. Now, I'm not counting the too many gymnastics meets or cheerleading competitions, I mean a vacation to the beach or to a theme park.  Not that she didn't want to or didn't care but more like being a single mom working sometimes multiple jobs, we just didn't have the means to do so.  Tough choices had to be made and over the years, I have really begun to  appreciate more and more the sacrifices she made for me.   Not so ironically, very much like I make for my two boys today. Hopefully in 25 years they will appreciate me as much as I appreciate my mother for everything she did. 

I have great genes!

I am so blessed to have had the opportunities I've enjoyed in life.  Loving mother and family. Wonderfully supportive husband and two beautiful boys. I have a mediocre level of artistic talent - just enough to be dangerous. I paint, I sew, I build things.  Over the years, my determination, studying, patience and practice have paid off pretty well for my sewing hobby/business.  I love it and I love making things for my friends.  I take so much pride in seeing those birthday photos of your little boys and girls in their special day shirts or wearing a personalized crab shirt in the family beach portrait. It means a lot to me that my work is being recorded in your memory albums for years to reflect and remember.

Dylan aka "Sweet Bottom" (above) is a great model if you have a high speed camera!

This weekend...More sewing photos and a blog about taking shortcuts in some designs.........I promise no more monologues.