Silver Friendship Ball

This silver ball was given to me by Robin probably about 10 years ago now. I always cherished it and following tradition, we mailed it back and forth to each other, filled with all sorts of surprises and goodies. Some silly, naughty gifts and some very practical things passed between us.

I found the silver ball again after Robin passed away in 2005. It was hanging on her mirror still full of the inspirational cards I'd last sent to her.

The Twiggery is the original silver Friendship Ball company or you can find them all over the internet for $15 - $17. I'd recommend it to anyone to purchase as a gift.

This friendship ball sits on my desk and I see it every single morning. This morning I was moved to pick it up and re-examine it and found it hard to let it go. I consider myself a student of intuition and hope to learn more about it so when something "speaks" to me, it usually finds it's way onto a website of mine as I try to figure out what it really means, if anything at all. It may be that Robin is making certain that she is not forgotten. Silly girl.

Good Morning!

Took a photo from my vantage point. There's a photo of Robin behind the white rabbit. Happy Friday, friends!

This Christmas Tree IS Robin.

Today would have been my sister Robin's 53rd birthday and I've been singing HB to her all day long! She loved for everyone to make a fuss over her on her special day.

It was also the date that she liked to have her Christmas tree up. Now that all of her ornaments and tree have been handed down to me I try to have it up by Dec 13th, but I rarely make it in time.

This year I made it in time.

So the tree is assembled, and I've hung all the lights and put the tree skirt around it and now I have to hang the ornaments she loved so much and took so much care to collect.

This Christmas tree IS Robin.

After a fire in the family home in 1989, along with the insurance settlement to replace the items that were stored in the attic, Robin bought all new Christmas ornaments and became an avid collector of specialty ornaments. Primarily Barbie items. She had oodles of other Barbie items she'd collected and saved from her childhood.

The tree lights are all on those little timers that made them fade in and out, or you can light them up one color at a time, adjust the speed and other fun things. I honestly don't think I've ever seen her as happy as when we were all gathered around the Christmas tree that she so lovingly decorated.

Two months after she passed I was putting up her tree for the first time and I was going through the ornaments and opened one up to find a surprise note from Robin expressing her love to us all. She may as well have been saying "I'm still here. Please don't forget about me!"

I feel extremely close to her this time of year. As soon as the tree comes out of storage I start smiling and don't stop until, well, I always smile each time I think of Robin. "I know you are still here with me and I'll never ever forget about you."

A Helping Hand

I took this photo a few days ago. Does anyone know what it is? It's some kind of large pink lily and I put it in a larger bowl of water. Wanna know the story behind it?

I was down in my back during flower planting time and didn't get to tend to Robin's (my dear sister who's passed on) flower garden the way I wanted to. And after an early frost, the tulips AND the daffodils died and nothing else came up in that bed. I also had those huge orange flowers and those humongous blue alliums that never showed their face at all this year. So the flower bed was looking gloomy and I took some hand clippers and clipped the stray stuff leaving one healthy unrecognizable stalk just for the hell of it.

Lo and behold, that one healthy unrecognizable stalk bloomed into a sassy, pink lily-looking display. And the fragrance... oh my.

Out of the blue this lone flower decided to put on a show in that dreary patch of grass. It was as if Robin had seen no flowers in her flower patch and lovingly lent me a hand. And I kid you not, right at this very moment I can smell that lily. Magic!

**UPDATE: I believe I've found the flower online. It looks very much like an Oriental Lily called "Muscadet". You can see this link for comparison.

First Hummingbirds Migrate Northward

Have you spotted your first hummingbird of the season? Have your neighbors? It's still a little early for most of us but it soon will be time to put up your hummingbird feeders. I put one up this week. We have one that sticks to the outside window by suction for optimal viewing that the birds love best.

You can log in your first sighting on this US and Canada hummingbird map.

In the past two weeks they're showing up along the US Gulf Coast region and a little inland since leaving Central America coming north. Spotters have seen the hummers along coastal Florida, coastal Louisiana, coastal Alabama, coastal Mississippi, coastal Texas, and coastal Georgia in early March.

Robin adored these birds so I'm following her tradition. Last year I spotted one on April 8 in western North Carolina so I'll see when I spot one this year.

The Number You Have Dialed

I was just recalling something I can now look back on and if not laugh at, I certainly find it oddly amusing...

Before Robin passed away (Nov 2005), Mother's telephone had an answering machine message on it with Robin's voice speaking. After she died, it never occurred to Mother or I to change the message or remove it! It was probably 6 months later that we came up from our clouded funk and unplugged the answering machine altogether. Looking back it must have been extra sad for others to call in and hear that message, but I'd like to think that Robin was laughing at me for being such an idiot. =)

(Numbers on this post; numbers on the last post-- Searching for the synchronicity these numbers are leading me to.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Here are a few links that you might find useful.

Wheel Of Food - when you can't decide what to eat for lunch. Put in your zip code and spin the wheel.

Wisebread - Living large on a small budget.

Wanna make a Gmail gif? Only useful if you use Gmail, of course.



**I just discovered that my host, Your-Site.com is down, which affects Easy Bake Coven. I guess you get what you pay for. They're very affordable; $18.00 per quarter or $60 a year. Anybody know of another host I could look into? A referral will help both of us!

xoxo

What's That You're Wearing?

Robin left behind a lot of old colognes/perfumes. I walk by the perfume tray and I choose something for a quick trip in the way-back machine.

I bought more cologne in the 80s than in any other decade. Remember how decadent it was then? Or was that just me? Some of the most popular ones were Giorgio (I just spritzed some on that Robin had) and Gloria Vanderbilt and Halston. What else? Oh, Opium and Poison were big, too. But oh so heavy.

I like aromatic scents and oils, but j'adore cologne and bath powder and stuff, too. (I'm feeling frenchy since I spritzed on the Giorgio.)

In the early 90s Robin discovered Karl Lagerfeld's Sun Moon & Stars and I still wear the cologne and body lotion sometimes. We both liked it and I think of her when I wear it. I really love how a scent can take you back to an earlier memory. Do you think of anything when you small baby powder? Oranges? Fresh-cut grass?

The older I get the more I feel like the answer to the universe is found in our mind with sights, scents, memories, feelings etc. Certainly not in our skin suit. Did anyone see that Robin Williams movie, What Dreams May Come? I think that's what they were trying to say, or at least that's what I got from it. I haven't put it all together yet, but I think I'm on the right path. xoxo

link

Fiddling with the template again.

This past year and a half have certainly been challenging. With losing Robin, and then moving away to care for my Mother. And now my 18 year old baby, Skyler, has gone to live with friends in St Louis, MO. Now they're discussing travelling across Europe and staying in hostels and biking around. Sigh. Nothing will ever be the same, will it?

It would be so different if she was going off to college or moving away to start a new job, but she's just blindly staying with friends without any real plans and I don't know when I'll see her again.

I looked up Empty Nest on the internet today and found some wonderful blogs. I believe there are online support groups I may look into. On a more positive note, my blues have catapulted me into major house cleaning, rearranging furniture and I may redecorate this old bedroom. Starting with painting these sad old walls maybe a vibrant barn red.

xoxo

It was Robin's birthday yesterday, December 13th. She would have been 52. It's been almost 13 months since she's been gone. She was still 50 years old. December 13th is also the day when Robin always made sure the Christmas tree was up. I had it about 85% decorated yesterday. It's a 7 1/2 foot artificial tree and looks gorgeous. I just need to add the faux pearl garlands and the angel on top which I'll do later today.



I took Mother for cataract surgery yesterday. She's had it on one eye years ago and now she got the other eye done. We have a check up this afternoon. She had a tough time after the numbing wore off last night and barely slept from her pain and discomfort. Advil wasn't cutting it at all. Poor thing. She's just trembling today.

We have the "Light Up For Jesus" Saturday. Here in Smalltown, USA, you can say "Jesus" and the PC folks won't come after you. Although Light Up For The Holidays would probably be a better fit. Anyway, it's where all the neighbors line up those white bags with sand and votive candles and light them at sundown. Then everyone from all around drives by with their parking lights on to view all the decorated houses with the streets lined with soft, glowing lights. It really is magical. Usually someone flies over and gets a good aerial photo of the two large neighborhoods here in Golf Course Acres and if I'm able I'll post one.

Better get with it. =)

I just made 3 pies for tomorrow and I'm taking a little break. I made a chocolate pie and 2 caramel crunch pies. The Caramel Crunch Pie was something Robin always made each year and everyone loved it. It's sinfully delicious. Two of my friends have gotten the recipe from me this year and are making it for the Thanksgiving holiday so I thought it might be something you'd be interested in, too. It's easy and foolproof and I also left the calories out. Okay, I didn't really.


I also have an url for it-- http://easybakecoven.net/recipes/caramelpie.doc
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CARAMEL CRUNCH PIE - (local 1st Place recipe I saw in the paper)
--makes TWO pies--

2 graham cracker crusts
1 cup butter (I use about 3/4 cup margarine)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (7 oz) pkg flake coconut
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16 oz) cool whip
1 (12 oz) jar caramel ice cream sauce

1) Melt butter in skillet; add pecans and coconut and cook until golden brown. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth; then fold in the cool whip.

3) Layer 1/4 of cream cheese mixture in one graham cracker crust; layer 1/4 of the mixture in the 2nd pie crust; drizzel caramel sauce over the cream cheese mixture, drizzle sauce on 2nd pie; then top with the coconut-pecan mixture on both pies. Repeat.

You end up with the coconut-pecan mixture on the top of each pie and a nice, tall pie. You could add pecan halves or shaved chocolate topping or a dollop of cool whip and a cherry, if you like.

4) Freeze until firm (about an hour). Remove from the freezer about five minutes before serving.


**MAKES TWO PIES**

This was an email I received...

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

"Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older."

No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. "Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. You'll need other women - women always do."

'What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. 'Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worth while!

But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:
- Time passes.
- Life happens.
- Distance separates.
- Children grow up.
- Jobs come and go.
- Love waxes and wanes.
- Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
- Hearts break.
- Parents die.
- Colleagues forget favors.
- Careers end.

BUT........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.

A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you. Or come in and carry you out Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood; we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.


This is how I feel about my favorite online people who visit here. Allow me to get a little gushy. After my best friend for over 30 years passed, I just didn't bother trying to maintain friendships anymore. I never returned phone calls and seldom do now. I grieved and grieved over that passing.

And now my sister, Robin, is gone and she and I had always had plans about growing old together in our later years. My husband or her husband or kids or whatever would also live with us. We had an elderly great aunt and grandmother, Minnie and Hattie, who lived together so we called ourselves Minnie and Hattie, knowing we'd always have each other. Because we always did. Throughout schools, moving, husbands, deaths, birth, divorces, life. And we always came back to each other. Like a labryinth that led us back to it's center.

What I'm trying to say is that I really do cherish the friends I've made online here. You know who you are!

* I do believe it is one of the most glorious days I've seen in a l-o-n-g time. The back yard is aglow in about 5 80+ year old maples that are in full golden regalia. They're the first ones out of the pack in the fall leaf backyard parade. They're somewhat citrus-y in lemon and lime shades and still mostly hydrated, although there is a crunchy blanket of them underfoot. I remember when Robin and I used to build tunnels out of the leaves and cried when they got raked up.

* Mother and I are gearing up for the UT-Alabama football game at 3:30. She and Daddy always had season tickets and she was telling me how before home games the football players walk from the school to the stadium in dress clothes and everyone cheers them along the way. They had the best time and truly made an event out of Fall Saturdays together.

* Later, lovelies!

Decorating For Autumn

My dogs look very October-ish wearing their autumn kerchiefs. The black cocker spaniel has one on that has cartoony pics of witches and jack-o-lanterns and the caramel colored retriever/chow's kerchief has leaves and pumpkins on it. Someone gave us a ton of kerchiefs after their dog passed on, so we're ready for all occasions here.

I have a big ceramic jack-o-lantern with a light inside sitting among the plants, pointing towards the road. I placed a large autumn wreath that Robin made on the front door and a scarecrow on the porch. I brought the ferns inside the other day but quickly saw 2 bugs so I snatched them up and promptly took them back outside. What to do... hmmm. And there's a wooden plaque of Robin's that says, "The witch is in and she's casting spells". =)

Oh, no. I just found out that Estel, my brother-in-law passed away this morning. He was Robin's first husband. They'd been divorced for years, but was like a family member to us and was a friend of my first husband's. (We may need a score card)

He also had HepC, like she did. Damn this HepC all to hell. He'd been terminal for the past year, so it wasn't a big surprise to hear that he'd passed, but it sure does hurt. He absolutely adored Robin. She had that effect on people.

I just lit two candles on my altar beside a picture of Robin and I placed a picture I had of them both together by the candles. I lit some incense, rang a tiny brass bell, got out my handkerchief and sat down to write this.

Damn.

Getting ready to take Mother to her gynecology checkup in a moment.... Until then I have movies on my mind. This is the time of year when all the blockbusters come out, but I usually watch movies at home and there's been some good ones on HBO and CineMax lately.

Last night I finally saw The Notebook. Oh, my. Get out the kleenex. Such a tender movie. And last weekend I saw the Wedding Crashers, which I thought was funny and The 40-Year-Old Virgin which had me actually screaming out loud. I thought of Robin and how she would have laughed at this movie, too. Oh, and last night I was up until 4:00 watching a 1995 film, Suburbia, with Parker Posey and others. Lots of good stuff on the tube lately.

So what are you watching?

My Sister Robin. Picture taken around middle of Oct 2005. She passed away on Nov 24, 2005. I found a camera of hers, developed the pics and this one was on it.

I suppose when you see someone often who's ill, they're gradually changing and I don't notice the changes. I didn't realize how badly she looked until I found an old picture of her that showed her all robust and lively. And even though I had 50 years with her, it still wasn't enough.

Love. That's all there is. Love.

Thanks for bearing with me as I work through my grief online. It means so much to let it out someplace and I find that this place works best for me.

**UPDATED: I tried to show a better picture of Robin with this one photo in the frame. She would fuss at me if I only had the one picture of her in her last weeks posted! Little sister had tons of good taste and style and cleaned up very nicely. Pretty, Dob. That's all I can say...

I found a disposable digital camera that Robin had that had 10 pictures left to take on it. I wonder what the pictures she took will reveal.

She used to get those cameras from CVS drugstore all the time. You take your pictures, give it back to CVS. They keep the camera and give you the pictures back. I'm hoping they have the cd option, too. Then I can show you some pictures I'm taking around the house. I took one of some flowers, my dog Buddy, the back yard where I hope you're able to see the pond AND the green. Oh, and one of that huge peace lily her favorite cousin Ray sent when she passed. It's thriving like a mofo with 3 blooms(?) on it.

Whenever I can take the remaining 6 pictures and get them developed, I'll share them with you. I mean, everybody's doing it.

AND... the mystery remains of what pictures are on the camera that Robin took? So you could say I'm more than a little anxious to see this film!

I'm extra careful about harming innocent creatures. When digging in the garden, I dig around the earthworms. I caught a fly in the house last night and set it free outdoors. I brake for squirrels and crows who are nibbling on roadside pizza. So I'd say I love all of the creatures in the world.

Except for that one damn cat. This particular neighbor's cat is determined to rob the Robin's nest I have in a bush at home. This one 7 foot tall shrubbery monstrosity is home to Robin birds each year and they successfully lay their eggs and introduce their young to fly from this very bush. Today I will call Mrs S and ask her nicely if she would consider putting a collar with a bell on it to warn the birds when it's approaching. That's about the only thing I know of to help in this situation. Honestly I adore cats, too, so I wouldn't dare hurt this one.

I'm really missing my Robin today. She was a genuine Kentucky Derby nut. When she didn't attend the Derby, she still poured over her racing form and no one dared disturb her. She was so meticulous with her research when anything interested her. She read everything she could get her hands on, studying the trainers, the horses, track conditions, etc.

When she would go to Louisville, she gave her Derby wardrobe serious consideration. One of my favorites was a striking and crisp black and white outfit. A black and white suit, handbag and shoes to match, gloves and of course THE HAT. She spared no expense, of course, which comes as no surprise to anyone who knew Robin because she never really had a concept of money. The price of something was never a factor and only the best would do. That was just her way and her friends and I understood and would just shake our heads, smiling. I think we all overlooked the little things after she lost her hearing at 17.

Others thought of Robin because of the Kentucky Derby today. I got a call from our favorite cousin Ray in Atlanta and from a family friend who called to ask about us all as we all reminisced about Robin.

A few minutes before post-time Mother fixed her usual Bloody Mary and I fixed a rare Kahlua and Cream. She in the den and I in my room; avoiding an inevitable breakdown. Both clutching kleenex while waiting for "...And They're Off" and silently toasting our girl.

Hi, Flickr Friends! Let's pick up the mood a bit around here. I've spent most of my online time today on Flickr.com viewing YOUR pictures. And lovin' every minute of it.

Jeanne8's photos are always so uplifting. It's funny how you can get a glimpse into someone by looking at their pictures.

And Auntowwee's documenting her new move into the historical family farmhouse. And yes, it's just as lovely as it sounds.

Mindful One is so creative and artistic with her collages and her embellished touch on her artwork.

Karen6977 captures photos that surround her. In beautiful Utah, the only problem with that is trying to decide which shot to take.

Kaneblues remains mysterious, but he lets his photos do his talking.

Threed, aka Susan, is our certified dog lover. She loves animals so much and her pet pics are just adorable.

You will flip when you see Trykemom's pictures. She has a great photo of a hawk! And an alligator! ("Gator's got your granny...", why do I automatically hear that old song?)

And I (sujaco) uploaded pics of the flowers that Robin planted and has bought from Brecks.com, and there's also a Canadian website. Don't know if they ship internationally or not. They have an unconditional guarantee. One of these days I hope to have a digital camera so I can take photos and share them with all of you. I'll be a picture taking fool someday.

So back to Flickr.com. Moonbird has actually made the lowly dandelion look beautiful.