Life With Jules, and other stuff

I went to my great aunt and great uncle’s in Leesburg (FL) today and really wish I had taken my good camera. Just check out the action in their backyard: Cardinals, Blue Jay and Black Bird VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I am 40! Yup, just turned the BIG 4-0 today. It was official around 12:30pm est. I know I was born around lunchtime, I just don't feel like digging out the 'ole baby book to get the exact time for ya, lol! Anyhooo, here is what I looked like at 39: And now, at 40: No, not any change really. Just another number, lol! I did get some beautiful flowers from my mom today:

TERRI !!!! Congratulations! Using the random integer wizard on random.org, I plugged in the number 1 and the number 12 (there were 12 official entries taking into consideration that I could not accept international on this giveaway due to one of the prizes). The wizard chose number 4. I will host another giveaway later this year that will be open to international followers as well. If you asked to be entered in this one, I will automatically enter you in the next one. I feel this is the best way to make it fair for all who entered. I have contacted you via email for your snail mail info. And in other news… My mom sent me a bouquet of flowers for my birthday. And the winner is… VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

…come to an end! Tomorrow begins a new decade in my life. It is also the day I will draw a winner for “My 40th Year” Giveaway! Have you entered yet?? Well, if you haven’t, please click on this link to enter. Entries will close at 11:59pm EST. I have spent much of the weekend working on Colon Cancer Awareness Ribbon by Ink Circles (well, it’s really Breast, but I changed it up for Colon). Here is my progress as of a few hours ago: I may put a bit more into it this evening while I continue to watch my “Star Wars” marathon. I am up to Episode IV. I should get part way through Episode V by the time I go to bed tonight. Then I will finish it and the last one tomorrow evening. It’s a birthday tradition. Afterall, it is the same weekend every single one premiered!

Well, maybe not a true "SOS", but I need a little help nonetheless. I am looking for a small Lily of the Valley motif. Does anyone out here in Stitchy blogland know where I might find one? And don't forget to enter "My 40th Year" Giveaway. A little more than a day left to enter!!!  

No pictures to share and no new stitching, but I do want to remind you about my upcoming giveaway. I promised to reveal a little more about it so now is the time. Included will be: a little something stitched by me something from a local shop that’s sweet to eat a bit of floss and something related to the month of your birth! Whew!! Pass the word! Remember to sign up here . Entries will end at 11:59pm on May 20th and I will draw the winner on my birthday, May 21st.

Well, I had a rather interesting Mother’s Day. Even though my child is not among the physically living, she is always with me in spirit. It’s true, I carry her around everywhere. I guess that’s my way of saying that when I miscarried in 1995, her tissues were absorbed back into my bloodstream. I also went to a baby shower yesterday and had a great time! Other than that, not much else happening in my life. So, I will get on with this week’s Q & A for Meet Me on Monday! Questions: 1.  For Mother's Day I _________ 2.  What is your favorite dish that your Mom makes? 3.  Who are you a "Mom" too? 4.  What did you have for Mother's Day dinner? 5.  What is your fondest memory of your Mom? And my answers: Questions: 1.  For Mother's Day I went to church (grandma joined us) and went to a baby shower later in the afternoon. Pretty non-eventful! 2.  What is your favorite dish that your Mom makes? My mom is the first to admit she is

If you want comedy relief, please join my family! I mean, I thought I knew some people quite well but I am learning that I really don’t. I don’t know when I have ever been around family members who are in such a rush to “get it done”. I mean c’mon! Do you really think it’s the right time to think about making a big move when you are not divorced yet and you are about to lose your job and you are not financially stable?! REALLY?!?! Maybe I just need to vent right now, but I am so sick of people thinking that they need to rush into everything. STOP, TAKE A BREATH and for crying out loud GET YOUR FREAKING LIFE TOGETHER!!! And the other one. I mean REALLY!?!? You really think that you aren’t pushing me away?! You choose a guy over your family. You tell me to call anytime and we can talk but when I do you are constantly distracted by him or other people around you. And I am trying to keep it together for myself. Did you really think I wouldn’t take to heart the things you told me last yea

This year is just flying by, don’tcha know!? I can’t believe summer is almost here. It seems like we just left winter behind. Of course, we are now beginning our monsoon season here in Florida. Today being no exception, it is trying to rain as I type this. Here are this week’s questions for Meet Me On Monday . Questions: 1.  I wish _________ 2.  If you could witness any event past, present or future, what would it be? 3.  Do you like to cook? 4.  What do you like to do to get exercise? 5.  How tidy are you? Before I get to my answers, I just wanted to update you, my readers, on my dad’s condition. If you remember, he was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer last year (April). He has been receiving chemo treatments in varying forms since May. Currently, he is about halfway through his third drug and going in for another CT Scan in about a month. I sure hope this stuff is doing the trick and stopping any further growth/damage to his insides. He has been a

Well, it’s almost here! I am almost 40!! Why do I sound so happy about it you might be wondering. Most people get to this age and act as though their world is coming to an end. I choose to look at it in a positive way: I am STILL ALIVE!!! I know HE has a plan for me and my life. I am thankful everyday that I wake up. I am also thankful for my stitchy friends here in bloggy-land. Just because we don’t know one another on a personal level doesn’t mean we don’t know one another, right?! So, I am going to celebrate my birthday with you all. I am going to do a giveaway. Yup! I will call it “My 40th Year Giveaway”. What will be included in this giveaway you might ask? Well, stay tuned! I plan to reveal that a little later on, but first here is my check-in post for WIPocalypse: I put a few stitches into Coming Home for the Holidays (my SAL with Joy ): I plan to work a little more on it this evening. I also put some more into Cancer Ribbon Awareness by Ink Circles: I think I am going

How many of us really know the origins of May Day? Most of us know that it is the 1st day of May. I know that it means 20 more days until my birthday. But do you really know where and why it all began?? The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora , the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane . Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May . Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May 1st. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring ,