Good Afternoon (Evening, I guess, here in Montana)! As usual, it has been a very long time since I last wrote and updated. Oh, how I wish I could know where to start and what to say. I am still so very new to this blogging world, so I hope you all will still understand this learning curve I keep on going through.

Here it is now March 24th, 2014, and time is flying by once again for this year, 2014. And, I seem to not be accomplishing all that I want to accomplish this year. I guess one would have to get up off the couch or chair and move, right? Hmmmmm..........that could be the main cause of nothing getting done.

It seems, though, that every time that I do write, I have some sad news. on January 23, 2014, I lost a very dear cousin (Kathy Lee Duffy Moler) quite suddenly and without notice due to heart problems. She was only 62 years old, just a mere 2 years younger than me. It is always hard to lose a family member so suddenly and to know that it could happen to "you" or anyone at any given time just as quickly. My heart and thoughts and prayers are always with her family as they digest and understand what happened and why. Life is so short and we just take it too much for granted. I hope that I am learning as I grow older that it is so short and when losing someone this close to you, it really does hit home and makes me re-evaluate where I am in my own life. Love you, Kathy! R.I.P.

The weather here in Montana this year has been really rather rough, but I still love it here. I have no desire to go back to Arizona any time soon, although I do have to admit that I kind of miss the perfect Winter weather they get down there, but it doesn't last long enough there and by early April, the temperatures are already in the 80's and 90's--too warm for this northern gal, for sure. Yes, it gets below zero here, but my thought process is that "you" (meaning me) can always put more clothes on, but you can only take so many off when the temperatures reach the 100's and above. So, here is where I will stay.

I am thankful that I can be my sweet mother's caregiver and get to spend her later years with her, listening to her stories and laughing and watching TV and just being here together. It is a true blessing and she is a true joy. She is 87 years old and is still going strong except for some memory loss (who doesn't have memory loss? I know I do and I am 23 years younger than her) and she has some difficulty with stability since she had both knees replaced a few years ago. But, other than that, she is definitely in better health, even, than I am. Love my Mama so much! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥   Here is a picture of Mom taken about a week ago when we went out to visit my sister's grave site on her one year anniversary of her death.

Now, we are preparing to make a trip to Utah in late April to go to my oldest granddaughter's wedding! Oh, how time does fly! And, she just does not seem old enough to be getting married. She is a real beauty and she has a level head on her shoulders, so I am sure it will all be okay. But, my daughter, Melissa, from Tacoma, Washington and her husband are going to make a straight trip over this direction to pick me and Mom up and then we all will head south to Utah with a carload of 4 wonderful little munchkins (my beautiful grandchildren), Melissa and Matt (her husband), and me and Grandma (Evelyn Taylor). Thank goodness they have a large enough vehicle to hold all of us! It is only an 8 hour drive from here in Montana to there, so basically just a one day drive. I am excited to get to go there---Utah is a 2nd home to me and I absolutely love it there!  Can't wait to go! Here's my beautiful granddaughter, Katelyn! Ta Da!!

I am also working on being more involved in doing my crochet and crafts. I am involved in a swap with a nice lady in Oregon and will be sending her a package every 4 months with the last month being an afghan that I have been working on making her since the middle of February, so some lofty goals going on there. I absolutely love crochet and it is my first and foremost love in crafting. I learned from my special and wonderful Grandma Gladys over 55 years ago as I sat on the floor at her knee as she sat in her rocking chair and had so much patience to teach me. Every time I lift a crochet hook, my thoughts go back to my Grandma and all that she taught me to do as far as crafting. And, now, I have the distinct privilege and blessing to live in the home that she and my Grandpa built back in the 1930's and the house I spent a lot of time in while growing up.  I hope, as I continue to learn this blogging experience, to add pictures of things I have crocheted and things that I want to crochet. But, I guess it shouldn't take 3 months every time I get on the computer to put something on my Blog.

So, with all of this said, I will sign off today and hopefully, will be back again soon. No promises! LOL!! I need to learn more of how to do some of this stuff on here to make it look good.  WAIT!  I just saw something at the top of this page as I have been typing for adding a picture. Let me see if I can do that. Please bear with me on this. (Oh, and wish me luck! :) )! YIPPEE!!  The picture worked! I put one of my mother up in the first part of this post where I was talking about her. Isn't she a beautiful lady? I just love her so much! :)

And, one more thing. I have a really sweet little doggie that we kind of, sort of rescued. His name is "Bubba", but he definitely does not look like a "Bubba". He is part Yorkshire Terrier and Part Wire-haired Dachsund and he is the love of both Mom and my lives! He's quite the partner and brings a lot of joy into both of our lives! So, here is a picture of Bubba!

Thanks for visiting my oh-so-sketchy blog and if you got this far, thank you for reading and learning a little more about me and my life here in Montana. I wish only the best for you and for all who might read this, let's let Peanuts be the one to say good night to us all:

January 9, 2014

As we start the New Year of 2014, my plan for this Blog is to add more items that I have crocheted and to take orders from anyone who may want me to make items for them--for those people who appreciate a hand made item and want to have something that can be cherished and handed down or kept for future generations.  This is one of the baby crocheted hats that I have made and was able to give/sell to a friend who had just had a brand new baby girl born into the family. She absolutely loved it! The styles and colors are endless, as well as the different patterns for hats for baby girls, baby boys, teens and adults. You name it and I can do it--Not only hats, but scarves, shawls, dresses, boy or girl outfits, costumes, animal sweaters and coats an on and on. Just let me know what your desire may be and I will do what I can to make it happen.  I LOVE crochet!  But, I also love sewing and card making and scrap booking and photography (I will add some pictures that I have taken in this post in this blog, too. I hope you enjoy them! Thank you so much for looking and for being a part of my life and this Blog! {Smiles & Hugs & Love}} Always!! ♥♥♥♥♥

Some of my photography, mainly of nature! I hope you like them!

So, another day is almost complete. I have enjoyed writing in my Blog today and am thankful for this computer program that I can share my talents and loves with all of you! Have a wonderful night everyone and I will be seeing you soon! Gayle aka GiGi

Loss for Words?

Well, here it is early Saturday Morning, June 11, 2011.  I guess it is like any other Saturday morning, for me, anyway.  I wake up early (habit from my work week, I guess).  Oh, to get to sleep in.  In all reality, I could sleep in -- nothing to stop me.  Just me and my beautiful partner, my cat, Princess.  She seems to think, I believe, that no matter what day it is, by 5:00 a.m., I should be up and doing or going or something. And, if my alarm does not sound off as it normally does around 3:00 a.m., she lets me know that it's time to get up, without the alarm -- she IS my alarm!   She is my one bright spot each day and you know what?  She loves me -- unconditionally.  What a great feeling that is. We humans have a hard time loving unconditionally -- just not in our nature, is it? (Well, we adult humans have a hard time -- children are another story when it comes to loving unconditionally -- they seem to have it in the beginning, but sometime in the growing up years, something happens and we no longer love unconditionally.  Hmmm....wonder why)  Anyway, I love my Princess -- shedding of hair and all.  

 

Isn't she pretty? She definitely came into my life at a time when I was in desperate need of a companion and she seems to fill many empty spaces and fulfill some needs in a sometimes (many times, really) empty and lonely heart.  

So, as today unfolds, I have lots of thoughts going on in this crazy brain of mine.  There is a lot to accomplish over the next couple of weeks, so after writing this post, it will be a busy day.  In 2 weeks, approximately, I will be having surgery to have my gall bladder removed (maybe I will actually feel GOOD for the first time in a very long time).  But, in order to have the surgery done, I need to get my little home in order and ready for my daughter (who lives in Utah -- thank you, Heather!) to come stay with me for a bit while I recuperate.  Hopefully, it will be a short recovery time, but, if not, it will be wonderful to have her here with me to help (this aging process really sucks).  How my heart sings, knowing she will be here!  It's been so long since I have had one or more of my 5 girls here to see and visit me. Here is a great picture of 4 of the 5 girls at their last family reunion with their dad's side of the family (the Martin side).  I truly am blessed!

Top in the tree is Heather, next down is Pam, to the left, standing,  is Melissa and on the right is Valerie.  Jerren, the oldest of the 5 girls, is not in the picture.  She was not able to attend this family reunion.  So, here is a picture of Jerren at her college graduation a year or so ago.

I am so very proud of all of my girls and their accomplishments and as time goes on, I will highlight each one and their families and the very wonderful people they are and have grown up to be -- responsible, valuable adult members of society.  Oh, how they make a Mama proud!

And, then, of course, the 12 Grandchildren!  Here is a picture that was taken at the same family reunion, so the kids are definitely another couple of years older, now, but still a wonderful picture to have!  Aren't they great?!?

So, I guess I wasn't at such a loss for words, anyway, was I?  Sometimes, when I write, I can't seem to stop.  I have been told that before, so this blogging world is perfect for someone like me who loves to write and spill the words out on paper (well, paper, so to speak).  

As time goes on and I move forward with this blog, I will be adding pictures of what I like to do -- such as my crocheting.  Here is a sampling of some of the items I have made. I know that no one really sees this blog right now, but maybe someday they will.  My legacy to my children and grandchildren will be my crocheting, I believe, so need to keep doing it for as long as my sometimes arthritic fingers and hands will let me.

 Child's Scarf and Hat Set in Crochet!  This one would fit a child of 2 or 3 years old.

 Infant Child Crocheted Hat with flower and ribbon

 Infant Child's Pink Crochet Hat with darker pink flower and ribbon button embellishment

 Infant Child's crocheted hat in variegated pink and Brown with flower of same yarn.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Hugs and Smiles and Love,

Gayle

Memorial Day Thoughts

Sunday, May 29, 2011 -- Here is it the night before Memorial Day and as I sit and watch a Memorial Day concert being aired on PBS, my heart is touched with sadness, with love, with joy.  I have watched and listened to stories of the servicemen who have lost not only their lives, but the their limbs, their minds, their emotions and feelings in the wars we have that are going on in our world right now in 2011 combined with all of the previous wars.  As they commemorate the different wars and tragedies of the past, it makes our hearts turn to the servicemen who have given so much for our freedoms that we all seem to take so much for granted.  I, personally, want to thank all of those who have served and to those of my family who have served and are still serving in the different Armed Services, whether it be Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard.  As we remember September 11, 2001, and the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, we need to remember why we have soldiers fighting for our freedom in other countries.  There are bad people all around (be it terrorists, murderers, rapists, etc.), and we need our service men and women and our police, firefighters and so many others to protect our country and us.  I want to personally Thank ALL of them for their sacrifices for us.  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

BB King is performing right now even as I write.  He is 85 years old and is still performing (not without difficulty), but still performing and making people laugh and remembering the time of the World War II.  What a joy it is to get to watch him.  He was big when i was growing up in the 50's and 60's.  What a pleasure to get to watch and listen to him again.  Brings back old times and thoughts.

So, with that said, I will stop writing and let you all take your time to remember those who have fought for us, for those who have died for us, for those who protect us and watch out for our safety -- not only our safety, but our children and our grandchildren safety.

Love and Hugs,

Gayle

Random Thoughts

May 26, 2011 -- So, today is another day just like any other day, I guess.  I get up and go to work and then work from 6:00 a.m, until 3:00 p.m., which means I get up around 3:30 in the morning to get ready.  I know, that is awful early to be getting up and starting a day.  But, the reason for that is that I just don't move very fast, anymore .  Whatever happened to a quick shower, wash hair, blow dry and curl hair, makeup, lunch for the day in a matter of minutes?  I just don't know, but what used to take approximately a half hour to 45 minutes to do, now takes me an hour to hour and a half to do.  This old age stuff really is no fun at all.

So, now it is almost 6:30 p.m., and I am ready to go to bed already.  YIKES!  What's up with that?  There just has to be more to life than this kind of schedule.  I will work on that and get back to you.  If I find a cure (is that what I am looking for?) or maybe a remedy to this dilemma, I will surely let you all know (since I have so many followers who are in the need to know -- Ha, ha!)  In fact, on that same note, I get on my blog today and I have, let's say 2 or 3 or maybe it's 4 followers and I look when I get here today, and not one or 2, but all of them are all gone.  Guess that tells ya how boring I am and I have scared those people off -- even my daughter.  Now, that's the one that concerns me.  I am sure it is something wrong with the blogosphere I am in, but not sure how to fix it.  So, Melissa, if you read this and since you're the only one of my daughters who reads this, maybe try to put yourself on again as one of my followers and see what happens.  It would be much appreciated.  If it doesn't work, then I have some things I need to figure out.

I am working on a goal with this blog, though.  I know it doesn't look like that, but the main one is to have some kind of journal that my daughters and yes, even my grandchildren (all 12 of them) can read and maybe know a little bit about this Grandma and all of her quirks and even the things that maybe are somewhat personal and the thoughts that I think when I am alone in my world of thoughts.  That happens alot in these days, now.  And, believe me, there is plenty to be thinking about -- and to worry about -- and to just wonder about.  So, as time goes on, I will put more of that in this blog, along with pictures of things that I love.

I love scenery, flowers, children who smile and laugh, adults who smile and laugh, anything that strikes my attention as being beautiful, which can be just about anything -- really!  So, I plan on adding pictures and more pictures of all of those things.  Also, I love to crochet (as you as read before), so I will be posting pictures of my crochet items that I make and as is usual for me, give away.  I think it will be my legacy for my grandchildren and they will probably just get tired of Grandma's crocheted stuff.  But, trust me, kids, someday you will be glad to have something of your silly Grandma's and I love to just give you stuff that I make, hoping you will remember me when you look at it.  And, just because I LOVE YOU!

So, yes, I have lots of plans with this blog and as time goes on, I will add more and more pictures and words.  Thanks for reading (if you see this).  This Blog is actually more for me than anyone else and it definitely helps with the sadness I feel on so many occasions -- It actually is helping me feel happy.

So, remember, always to love and laugh and smile and do good for and to others.  If someone does something nice for you, pay it forward and do it for someone else.  It is what makes the world shine and gives us the opportunity and blessings of doing good for and to others.

Hugs and Love,

Gigi (Grandma Gayle)

Sad Chapter in my Family

Sunday, May 21, 2011 -- It's like any other Sunday, really, especially in Arizona.  The sun is shining (so what else is new?).  It's hot but not as hot as it normally would be this time of year.  I spent most of the day doing laundry, washing my car (hopefully, won't get rain -- highly unlikely) and continuing the constant project of organizing my house and most especially, my craft room -- WHEW!  Never ending, I believe.  But, I am making a dent and it does feel good.

So, at some point during the day today, my phone rings.  It's my daughter, Melissa, calling.  I had just taken a little rest and was kind of dozing in my chair.  I wasn't sure I could wake up enough to talk, but I did take the call.  As is normal with Melissa (and my other girls), the kids were making noise in the background and her daughter, my granddaughter, Mollie, wanted to talk to Grandma (said she was bored -- LOL! -- How does a 6 year old child get bored?).  Anyway, she was, so she begged her Mama to let her talk to Grandma -- My pleasure, of course!  And, Mollie always has something to talk about -- I love to talk to her and I love her so much!  We had a nice little visit.

Then, Melissa got back on the phone.  She then proceeded to inform me that my cousin, Linda Lambard Shandy, who lives in Billings, Montana, had passed away.  What a shock!  She is 6 years younger than I am and so full of life.  However, she has been struggling with breast cancer for the last several years and her body just could not take it anymore.  I loved Linda with all of my heart.  Her heart and soul was so full of love, generosity, happiness  and her many shared talents.  It is so hard to believe she is gone.  My heart aches for her family, her husband and son and her sisters and brother.  She was preceded in death by her sweet Mama and Daddy.  Our lives will forever be changed because of her death and not having her sweet smile and love surrounding us.  Thank you, Linda, for making my life better for having known you and being your relative.  You will always be loved by many, but, most especially by me.  I will never forget the time I received one of my crafts catalogs (Herrschner's) in the mail and the minute I opened up the front cover and saw Linda's face, I just knew I had to call her.  She was in Billings and I was living, I believe, here in Arizona at the time.  I told her that I jut had to talk to a celebrity -- and, that she was!  She had won a monetary prize for an afghan she had crocheted and had made the pattern up on her own -- I think it was a Noah's Ark afghan.  She laughed at me and we had a very nice visit.  She was so very talented.  She taught me how to make my very first bead bracelet and I wore that silly bracelet until it broke.  She could do absolutely anything!  She took such good care of her Mama when she was still alive (along with her husband, Tony).  They loved her so; and, in turn, they would take care of my Mama, too.  Both of our mothers lived in the same house -- her mom in the bottom half of the house and my Mom in the top.  She and her husband, Tony, always made sure the walks were cleared especially after a snowstorm and made sure the trash got hauled out.  I could go on and on about all of the absolutely good and wonderful things that Linda did for others.  She will be so missed.

So, I will end this blog note on that note, leaving my heartfelt thoughts love and sorrow for Linda's husband and family.  This note is dedicated to you, Linda.  I love you!

May 2011--A new Beginning of Blogging (AGAIN)

Good Morning from warm (no, HOT) Mesa, Arizona!  So, it has been eons since I have written in my blog -- literally EONS!  What's up with that?  Not sure -- just lazy, I guess.  Anyway, once again, I am going to try and write a little bit about me and about what is going on in my life (which, for the most part, just isn't all that much).  And, this will be a running journal somewhat for me and for my children and grandchildren to read, if they so desire.  That's the operative word -- Desire.  Ha, ha!  We shall see.

Today is Sunday, May 15, 2011.  It's a warm beautiful day in Arizona, although, I do believe I would much rather be somewhere like Montana, Utah, Washington, Missouri, North Carolina -- being close to family.  I miss my family so much and there just aren't all that many here in Arizona for me to be close to.  Valerie is in Tucson, but, still, that is over 100 miles to visit her, so we don't get to see each other often and her children, Zoe and Christian, change as much as all of the other grandkids do who live even further away and I don't get to see it.  So, tell me, what is the solution to this problem that I have?  I know!  RETIREMENT!  Wait!  No, I can't do that yet!  Dang!  Well, I will work on that and hopefully, will come up with an answer in the next year or two -- see, I have been working on that for a long time, now.  

I still work in the foreclosure arena of filing mortgage insurance claims to the MI company.  It's a great job and I am so thankful for it and that I can get up and go to work each day, even with all of the corporate stuff that goes along with it.  Just something that has to be done.  I don't know what I would do without my job and most especially, the medical benefits that come along with it.  I am so very blessed to work for such a good company.

My health is still of some concern, but I am seeing doctors to figure out what in the heck is going on.  It just seems I don't feel good most of the time.  I had an ultrasound done of my abdomen last week and go to see the doctor this week to figure out if there is something going on in there.  I think they are grasping at straws to figure out what in the heck is wrong with this old lady.  Oh, yeah -- that's it!  I'm OLD!  Maybe I don't need to see a doctor after all -- there's the diagnosis right there.  I do know, though, that with a chronic illness such as I have with Fibromyalgia, there are many things that can be manifested and can make me feel like crap.   The goal is to just feel good enough to keep going to work and to enjoy my children and grandchildren.  It will get figured out, in the end, and I will be much better.

I still love to crochet and do it at each chance I get.  Thank you, Grandma Hellyer, for teaching me how to crochet so many years ago.  Every single time I pick up a crochet hook, I think of you and thank the Lord that he gave me you as a Grandma.  You were the best and I miss you so much!  You were so quiet and kept to yourself, but you were always making something with your hands, whether that be a quilt for a grandchild, or crocheted or knitted booties for one of the new babies at church (every new baby that came into this world at church received a pair of booties from you -- what a legacy to leave!).  And, you would always be baking something and giving your food away to a needy person or to one of us kids.  I remember you when you baked bread.  You would knead the dough and let it rise (sometimes, you would take a pinch off and let us eat the dough -- yummmm!), and then bake it and someone always got your baked items.  I loved, loved, loved, your filled raisin cookies -- wish I had the recipe now, because I know you made them in a special way.  And, you knew how much I loved applesauce, so on my birthday every year, you would give me sometimes a quart, sometimes a gallon, of applesauce that was just mine to eat.  I felt so special! And, your garden!  You loved your garden and the flowers (tulips, poppies, especially), still grow in the yard where Mom now lives and the pop up every Springs, still, so your life lives on through the flowers you planted so many years ago.  And, you had the best rhubarb right at the front of the walkway that we got to pick and eat right there -- so sour, yet so yummy!  I can't eat it now -- too sour for me.  Isn't that funny?   Oh, there is so much I remember about you, Grandma!  I could just go on and on. I guess this blog should be dedicated to you!  Like I said, I miss you and I love you.  Can't wait to meet you again someday in the life after.  I know it will be complete bliss!


Today is my day to get my laundry done.  I don't have a washer and dryer in my home, so go to the laundromat.  Thank goodness, there is a small laundromat right her in the mobile home park I live in and I don't have to go far to do it --  it's just hard to lift the baskets and carry them back and forth.  That's why I put it off for 2 or 3 weeks.  Thank goodness, I have enough clothes to carry me through.  I also am continuing to organized my craft room and area and will be working on that today, too.  It's a continual adventure and something that never seems to get completely done.  I love my crafts, whether I get much done on them or not.  The desire is always there.  Hey, maybe someday my grandchildren will come and rescue me and take over for me where I left off.  I have enough crafts here to start a small home business.  That's not good, is it?  Oh, well, I still love my craft life.  It's who I am.


So, with this all said, I will stop now.  I think I have said enough for a while.  For those who see this, I hope you enjoy what you read and if you don't, let me know that, too.  I would like this to be a story of me and a journal of who I am and what I do, how I think, and what makes me tick -- it's a lot!


Love to all!