Hello, my name is Linda and I'm a....

coffee cup addict! For the past two years, I've not been able to walk into a Starbucks without buying a coffee cup - well, at least once a week or so anyway! This past three months, I put myself on a cup-diet.... I was not allowed to buy them - I was not allowed to even look at them! Every once in awhile, my eyes would start to stray and I would yell out - no no - look away - look away woman! Sometimes I couldn't help myself - I would have to go over to the shelves and look (and fondle) them. But I did not let myself buy them - oh no, not for three months. Then I saw this little charmer and I was lost. It kept calling out - buy me Linda - take me home with you - you need me, you love me, you want me.... And I folded! Now, let's see how long I can go without buying another one! People buying them for me does not count - that is allowed.....

A Memory to Share.....

Years ago, I just fell in love with items that had a "fruit theme" - especially when I saw it on china. When my parents came for a visit, I mentioned this to my Mom. We went out shopping a few times during that visit, and we seemed to see fruit-themed things everywhere we went. Christmastime came later that year. I opened a package from my parents, and inside were these fruit plates (made by Havilland china company), that belonged to my Mom. They were passed down through the family and ended up with her. And now she was giving them to me. I yelled out in surprise and delight - and then cried.... I love looking at them every time I walk through my living room.

Spring Has Sprung!

All my outside birdies are coming back for visits at the feeders. It is so good to see them again! Happy Spring everyone!

Such a Little Thing....

This looks like a tiny shadow box, with a few little items displayed in it. But ahhh, this little box holds much much more. It holds tons of memories of the first time Barb came from Ohio (my home state) to visit me here in Virginia. Barb, who is the mother of one of my nieces, is also my best friend in the world. When she came for this first visit, we went shopping to my favorite town of Occoquan. We went two days in a row, and had so much fun! We went crazy taking pictures of things we wanted to try and make one day. We still laugh over the fact that we never made any of them! However, we both did make these shadowboxes while she was here. We made them exactly the same. She took hers home to hang in her house, and I have had mine hanging in my kitchen - for almost 15 years now. And every time I look at it, all those good memories come back and I smile. And get a bit teary eyed too because I wish we could be together on a daily basis - shopping, chatting, doing our crafts! One day it will happen - I just know it!

Winner of Giveaway for

Bent Creek chart is - ta da da DA!! Susan in S.C.! - Congrats!

Linda

Enter the Giveaway Contest!

In honor of the snowstorm we had on March 1st (came in like a lion and hopefully will go out like a lamb), I'm giving away this adorable chart by Bent Creek. If you are interested in a chance of winning this chart, just leave a comment here! I will choose a name on Sunday, March 8th. Here is a link to the chart:

http://www.123stitch.com/cgi-perl/itemdetail.pl?item=01-2707

Getting Away with Murder

I've had an ongoing love/irritation thing going on with my squirrels for years. I enjoy watching their antics, but get a bit nutso when they eat all the seed and leave none for the birdies, or when they tear apart my feeders. And there are mornings during the wintertime when I've had 12 of them out on my deck running around like maniacs fighting each other for a bit of food! I put crackers out for them too - they grab them and run up into the tree to enjoy them. It was quite comical yesterday when I was trying to direct one who was trying to find the cracker buried in the snow. I kept yelling out - look to your right, no, to your right - no your OTHER right! He never did find it - so I threw him another one. Anyway, the squirrel in this picture is one of the baby ones that come around. He is allowed to get away with murder - I don't even yell when I find him sitting "inside" my one hanging feeder. He is much smaller than he appears here. But he has a huge appetite!!