Circle of Life | Bead Happily Ever After

Making Memories

Posted on October 15, 2010 by crystal

Is it Friday, already?

I’m not finished with stuff I had to do this week!

Oh well 😉

I hope you’ve had at least a few days of the glorious autumn weather that we’ve been experiencing here on the east coast.

Our leaves are more colorful by the hour, and the fresh air, azure skies, and moderate temperatures have us in a very celebratory mood!

During this time of year, it’s a New England tradition to make a day of going to an orchard to pick apples, select pumpkins and stock up on delicious cider!

Recently, Clenna and her grandchildren did just that! Thank you Clenna for sharing the pictures with us!

How fortunate Clenna is to have such sweet grandkids!

And how lucky are those kids? Their grandmother is helping them to create special memories…. memories they’ll carry in their hearts for the rest of their lives. 🙂

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

May it be fun, yet relaxing . . .

with a little excitement, but with time to dream!

Let’s all meet back here on Monday to report on our adventures, ok? 😉

Hugs,

The Secret Ingredient

Posted on September 28, 2010 by crystal

Is it just me? 😉

Or, have you ever noticed that food made for you by a friend or family member often tastes better than if you made it yourself.

And it doesn’t have to be a complicated recipe either!

For many years, we used to drive 800 miles to the Midwest to visit hubby’s family. His Mom would prepare sandwiches for us to have on the long journey home. There was nothing out of the ordinary about them – as far as ingredients go – but I’m telling you they were always the BEST sandwiches we’d have all year.

Also . . . Have you ever tried to duplicate a favorite family recipe? It’s awfully hard to do, in my opinion.

I like to make . . .

My Mother’s Spice Cake

My Grandmother’s Irish Bread

My Mom-in-Law’s Cheese Potatoes

And they all come out fine . . . but they NEVER taste as good as when they were made for me.

Maybe you’re thinking – “Crystal, the fact that you don’t have to prepare the meal makes it taste better!”

That can’t be the reason, though. When I have a meal at a restaurant, I’m not cooking… and I don’t usually feel that the restaurant has made a particular dish better than I can make it at home.

I’ve decided the secret ingredient in food prepared by family and friends must be LOVE!

What do you think? 😀

Hugs,

Counting Our Blessings

Posted on August 30, 2010 by crystal

Hi Kids,
Hope you enjoyed the weekend. 🙂 We had a party!

I’ve mentioned that my Mum and Dad have their 60th wedding anniversary coming up soon (Sept. 2nd).

Because it will fall on a weekday, we had the celebration on Saturday (which coincidentally is the date I married Sir Beads way back when.) But, this year, Aug. 28th belonged to Mum and Dad!

Our daughter hosted a lovely party in her sweet little home. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful summer day! There was good food, lots of laughter, and much love. How blessed we all felt to be able to share such a special occasion! The memory will surely be etched in our hearts, forever.

There was a cake, of course! It was decorated with hydrangeas, one of my parents’ favorite flowers. The blue/violet blooms remind them of Cape Cod.

The clear baubles you see above are acrylic “diamonds’! LOL Since the 60th is the diamond anniversary, these plastic sparklers were playfully strewn on tables throughout the room.

And it appears that 60 years of marriage can be good for one’s health! Can you believe they are 84 and 80 years old? And isn’t it sweet that he has his arm around her as they are about to cut the cake? 🙂

After 60 years, 6 kids, and 11 grandkids, they’re still smiling.

The day flew by, but there was a treat to take home!

For “party favors”, we ordered the cutest little cupcakes – each with miniature hydrangeas on top. (I wonder how many of them actually made it all the way home!) 😉

Hugs,

Always and Forever

Posted on August 27, 2010 by crystal

She awoke very early that morning, after a night of little rest.

She’d been much too excited to sleep. The first thing she noticed after jumping out of bed was her long white gown hanging on the closet door.

She quickly raised the window shade and gasped to see that the trees were blowing wildly, and ominous grey clouds swirled in the sky. She knew that late August was hurricane season in New England, but this storm came out of the blue! The weatherman had predicted only “a chance of showers”.

“Is this a bad omen on my wedding day?” she wondered out loud, but quickly dismissed the thought and began to get dressed.

She was happy; she was nervous; she was SCARED! Her mind wandered and suddenly she was sure she was making a huge mistake. Her heart raced and she felt a little faint. She tried to put it out of her mind. After all, there were guests on the way. The reception was booked and the dinner paid in full. There was no choice – she had to go through with it.

With butterflies zooming around in her stomach, she rode to the church. The skies looked darker and more threatening. The winds were recklessly whipping her veil as she climbed the steps. Just inside the doors, her parents kept her company until an usher gave the signal that the ceremony was about to begin. She took a very deep breath. Then, as organ music filled the air, she reached for her father’s arm and started down the aisle.

In the distance, she saw him . . . waiting for her. He looked so handsome in his wedding attire.

He smiled as she approached the altar, but she noticed he looked nervous. At that very moment, all of her fears melted away. She was now focusing solely on him and thinking of how she could help him to be calm.

She felt her confidence return – they were doing the right thing . . . they were right for eachother.

After the ceremony, the doors were opened and the bride and groom stepped outside. To everyone’s amazement – the sun was shining brightly! There was no longer any trace of the storm. The new couple believed this was a wonderful sign.

And it was . . . 😉

Sir Beads and I will celebrate our 39th anniversary this weekend. Would I do it all over again?

Oh yes – in a rainstorm, in a hurricane, in a tornado, or a blizzard! I never forget how lucky I am to have found my true love.

If you are reading this, Sweet Husband, thank you!

For 39 years, you’ve made my heart sing. . .

Let’s go for 39 more! 😀

Coloring Book Weather

Posted on August 26, 2010 by crystal

It’s still raining . . .

I’m not complaining! We need it, and it’s really a nice rest from all the heat.

Whenever we have a series of rainy summer days, I’m always reminded of summers long ago . . .

When I was a kid and the weather was dreary, our choices for amusement were limited. We had no computers, or cell phones to text our friends. Of course, we had a TV (black and white!) and board games, but most often we’d opt for the coloring books and our big supply of crayons.

There was something soothing and almost zen-like about a dreamy afternoon of coloring, while listening to the soft sounds of rain and gentle summer breezes whooshing through the trees.

Yesterday, I decided to play for an hour. I had nothing special in mind. I just wanted to pull out some things I’d been gathering for future projects . . .

I had a new leaf-shaped paper punch that I hadn’t tried, and some quilling paper I found on sale (I used to quill YEARS ago and would like to do it again sometime.).

I also wanted to see how I liked the effect of crocheting a decorative edge on cardstock (love it!), and other than that I just perused some of the paper do-dads I might use to make cards or tags.

As I said, it was just “play” time. But you know what? I could hear the rain, and for a minute there, I was a little girl coloring . . . 😉

What do you like to do when it rains?

Hugs,