OUCH!

My niece Jackie fell as she was leaving work the other night and her finger looked like this:


Jackie went to the Emergency Room of a nearby hospital and after waiting for seven hours she still hadn't been seen by a doctor so she decided she was too tired to wait any longer!! She went home to her apartment and took some Tylenol, and she slept for awhile, and then she got up for work the next day, and she decided she would 'fix' her finger herself!
Oh, to be young again!


Jackie is my sister-in-law Susie's oldest daughter and she is the one that our family has labeled 'Most Photogenic' (I did a post on that a few months ago). Here is a picture of Jackie with her boyfriend:




And here is a picture of Jackie that I think belongs on a magazine cover or hanging on the wall of an art gallery. I love this picture! And I love Jackie!




I told Jackie that I 'stole' a few of her photos from Facebook and she wrote and asked me why, she asked, "You're not creating a creepy stalkerish shrine to me - are you?", and I wrote back, "That's EXACTLY what I'm going to do, my little pretty!"
And her response was something like, "Oh if that's the case, I have more pictures. Man, I love the attention!"

And that's why I love this kid!

The Yankee Game

Two happy guys looking forward to the game!




Four happy guys looking forward to the game!

Ray, Jayden, Brian, Erik

How can one little guy eat so much?!




Jayden looks more like he's in time-out here rather than enjoying the new stadium!







Yankee owner George Steinbrenner made sure to keep Thurman Munson's locker after he died in the middle of the 1979 season. Munson's wife said that Thurman was so proud to be a Yankee and that he kept his locker in pristine condition. When the team moved to the new stadium this year, Munson's locker was moved and placed into the museum area.

New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox

Notice all the empty 'high-end' expensive seats behind home plate!

Yankees won! Final score Yankees 10 ~ White Sox 0

Happy Birthday Marcy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MARCY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Now I was having a hard time trying to choose the appropriate birthday cake for our dear Marcy. I know she likes chocolate so I thought maybe the above cake would be okay, but then I thought no, it's just not festive enough for our girl! So I continued my search. There's so many lovely ones to choose from, and when I thought about what I would want for my own birthday, well I would have chosen this dreamy one:

Or maybe this:



This green one is pretty too, and very festive with the pink dollops and sprinkles strewn like confetti!



Oh, this one is so cute, maybe this is the one!





Or I even like this one:
(It's chocolate and festive looking!)


If Jayden were helping me pick out a cake he'd probably choose one of these:




If it were Mia giving me advice she might say this is the one:

Or maybe this one:

(I might even agree with her on this one, it's very cute and it's pink!)

Or she might choose this adorable one:



But I have a feeling this is what we'd get for sure if we let Mia choose Marcy's cake:




And I know without a doubt if Ray were choosing Marcy's cake, this is what we'd be celebrating with:





You know, I really do favor this one!

But Tinkerbell just isn't the right Disney character for Marcy!
So my search continued...



...and I finally did narrow it down!
I loved this one:

And this one:






But I think the winner is this one!





As you read on you'll understand and I think you'll agree wholeheartedly with my choice, for you see here is our Marcy Poppins all dressed up in her party attire, just like the Poppins Doll Cake! And she's waiting for Michael to pick her up to take her out for a night on the town!




Doesn't our Poppins look beautiful!







Oh and here's Michael now!
Have a wonderful time you two!

Our spoonful of sugar, she sure helps the medicine go down!
Our 'practically perfect in every way' girl!
Happy Birthday, Marcy!
Enjoy your special day!

Friday Favorites

Just a quick post.

(No time to upload pictures.)

If I started listing my favorite blogs and everything I love about them, you'd all be sitting here a long, long, long time reading!
But I do have to give a little 'shout out' to Cathy @ A Bit of the Blarney because she had mentioned on her blog recently a way of praying that she had just discovered on another blog that she visits, and I loved it so much. It is called Cinquain. I 'googled' it and found that it is a form of poetry inspired by Japanese hiaku. I was going to save this and do it for the next Wordful Wednesday, but I liked this idea so much I decided to include it in my Friday Favorites.

I usually say formal prayers almost by rote (the Rosary [the Our Father, the Hail Mary], etc.), and I'm practically daydreaming the whole time. I do talk to God, as in conversation that I continually have with Him throughout the day, but that's not time set aside for just focusing on Him. So I found this form of prayer very intriguing as it does require me to focus on God alone and my relationship with Him and how I can improve it.

There were so many different forms or patterns of Cinquain. The two that I found easiest and worked best for me were:

Line One: Two Words
Line Two: Four Words
Line Three: Six Words
Line Four: Eight Words
Line Five: Two Words

My Lord
Move me beyond myself
Break the bonds of self interest
Refresh and renew that which lies dormant within
Good Shepherd

(and)
Line One: One Word ~ Noun
Line Two: Two Words ~ Describe Noun

Line Three: Three Words ~ Actions
Line Four: Four Words ~ Feelings (about noun)
Line Five: One Word ~ Noun (another name for the first word)

Jesus
Sacrificial Lamb
Protects, Forgives, Heals
Loving Defender of all
Savior

I'm going to try and do a Bible reading each day and then write a prayer about it in this format in a prayer journal, and then also do another one just focusing on deepening my relationship with God.
Thank you, Cathy, for sharing this!

Here is another favorite thing that happened to me just this week.
The other night I got a beautiful note from my sister-in-law Susie, telling me that she was thinking about me on the Anniversary of my Dad's passing.

In Susie's note she included a quote that not only touched my heart, but helped me realize an incredible Blessing I have been overlooking:

"When you are sorrowful look again into your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." ~ Kahlil Gibran

If I hadn't had such a wonderful relationship with my parents, if I hadn't had such a happy childhood, if I hadn't been so loved, I would not be experiencing this heartache now.

So I am thankful to God for this gift of sorrow that resides in my heart, for it is the remnants of the gift of love that is at home in my heart.


'Hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend.

Wordful Wednesday ~ Sand Forts

My brother-in-law has built sand forts on the beach

He has built one for Summer and one for Fall and Spring
But the one that I love the most is the one built for Winter
I think you'll agree it's really a most amazing thing!

These all were erected with his own two hands
And I think also a bit of his heart
For there were no tools around to help
He relied on muscle alone to create these wonderful works of art

Climb up in the dunes to a peaceful spot
And you will find hidden away
A very tranquil little place
Where you can spend a quiet day

This guy never ceases to surprise me
With these incredible feats he performs
He's always coming up with something new
And astonishing us all with his many brainstorms!


I had to add this last verse in here now
because I am so very irked with me!
I had Ray change my blog last night
But for this post I should have left sand and sea!


Oh well. Here is Donald's Summer Beach Fort:






And here is Donald's Autumn and Spring Fort:








And last but not least, the Winter Fort:

You would never know that just over this sand dune lies Donald's little oasis.



It's multi-tiered and Donald built steps so it can be accessed from two sides.






Don't forget, he had no tools except a shovel to dig with! And this thing is built solid as a rock!


He built it with only the things he's found on the beach.
He said that sometimes people will leave rocks and shells for him, and he uses them to decorate his little utopia.

He found the top to a cooler and uses it as a bench.

I told him I think it needs some kind of tarp for a roof now!




And here's just some random pictures of fun in the sun!

(Okay, here's Donald 'drowning' in the surf. You feel like laughing too, you know you do!)













On a different subject ~ I was trying to take pictures to participate in a 'Tablescape Thursday' post on my other blog. The whole theme of the tablescape was some alone time with my husband.
Well, look who decided to stick his smiling little face into the picture!
No, it's not Ray!
And it was the best photo I had of the glassware too! Oh well.
Another funny thing, Jayden asked me, "Umma, are you taking these pictures for Marcy?"
I guess when I say I'm taking pictures for my blog he associates my blog with Marcy!

Happy Wordful Wednesday everyone!