Santa Cruz 2013

I would like to say that I have been at the Sea since my last post, but sadly, that is not the case.

Oh, but we had the most wonderful time. 

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, with the exception of Kristina and Beth not being able to join us...but next year...for sure. 

The sunshine was amazing, the sea air, the whooshing of the waves, all just so perfect. 

I'm fascinated by homes on the beach. 

The lives lived there, by strangers I don't know. 

This one in particular, right on the beach,

 the sand beneath your feet at the very moment you set foot outside. 

That sun porch area...oh my, oh my, the beauty it must have seen. 

Do you ever wonder what your life would look like in another place?

If this were my home, living by the sea, who would I be? 

Would I tire of seeing the beauty through those windows? 

Would I tire of the magnificent sunsets, and the music of the waves? 

Would I embrace the sun, as well as the fog and wind? 

Would I walk every day along the sandy shore? 

Would I pinch myself each day, just to be sure I wasn't living in a dream? 

My Sister and I talk, a lot... we talked about what we would do in that home, sitting in that sun room, having coffee and tea.  

If that were my home that room would be my favorite spot for sure. 

A perfect day indeed...

more pictures...

Good times. 

 Have a wonderful day. 

The Girasole Lady

Going To The Sea

“I am longing to be with you, and by the sea, where we can talk together freely and build our castles in the air."-Bram Stoker- 

Going to the Sea...

See you soon...

The Girasole Lady

Summer Sewing

                           

It's been a very, very, long tine since I have had the opportunity to sew during the Summer months.

As a matter of fact, let me give you a mental picture of how long it has actually been.

When my girls were little, I used to sew often, almost daily, during the Summer months.  

Our home, at that time, had big glass doors right off our bedroom that overlooked our back porch.

I set my sewing machine up right in front of those glass doors, as to keep an eye on the girls while they played endlessly in their wading pool, surrounded by all sorts of water toys. 

They rode their riding toys across the BIG cement patio.  

They set up 'house' and had 'tea', and even went to 'school'. 

All the while watching them create a bond of sisterhood and friendship.

In case you're wondering-that was in the early 80's and I continued for several years afterward. 

Since then I cannot recall a time that I have used the words Summer and Sewing in the same sentence. 

But now, this Summer, I have sewn.

For so many past Summer's I have been a 'full-time' gardener. 

Having a smaller garden is so much less work.  

Remember the quilt I started at the first of the year? 

Well, I finally got around to finishing the top. 

Yes- I sorely missed the birthday deadline! 

(sorry Kristina) 

I made a few sundresses out of the most adorable fabric. 

It's a Sarah Jane design, printed on Michael Miller fabric. 

It is called 'Children At Play'. 

 I made this Sundress for Mia. 

Using this Dress pattern tutorial

I had to tweak the pattern here and there for sizing changes. 

I made two similar dresses in a smaller size, but forgot to take pictures of them before I gave them away as a baby gift. 

I picked up a couple of pillows from Costco 

and made some really cute cases to cover them...

 A pillow case for Mia

and a pillow case for Laci. 

This is the pillowcase Tutorial I used

The pillowcase tutorial was amazingly simple, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. 

Enjoying the Summer days.

The Girasole Lady

Looking Back

Today is Mia's 2nd Birthday. 

Mia is truly a miracle.

Two years ago Mia was born with CDH.

The details of CDH are HERE on Tonya's Blog. 

Mia is an angel that changed all our lives forever,

but none so more than her Mommy & Daddy...

I wrote about 

A Mothers Love HERE...

Sometimes it's hard to look back at this picture.

So much mixed emotion, and heartache. 

Hungering for just a glimpse of hope. 

Struggling every moment to just hang on. 

But WOW- we have come so far, so very far indeed, and at times it seems so very, very, long ago. 

Still, every time I look at Mia I am reminded at how fragile life can be.

How precious is each and every breath, every beat of the heart, truly precious.

If I think too much about it, I cry very easily. 

But most of all it reminds me to never ever take anything for granted again, never.  

That life is truly a blessing, 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIA

I Love you to the moon and back-

Grammy

The Girasole Lady

Doing my Best

It's 5AM.

I'm the 'all or none' personality, and because of this I've been holding back from blogging, afraid that I cannot give it my all, so I give nothing, and regret it later. 

This morning I will agree to do the best I can, at least for today anyway. 

This is baby Harper...

she is 7 months old now. 

(I did not take this picture, it was taken at a lovely wedding we attended a few weeks ago)

Harper is my 3rd Gran-daughter. 

She stays with me on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays

(sometimes Wednesdays too),

while her Mommy goes to work. 

She'll be here this morning around 6:45. 

She keeps me busy, happy, entertained, and yes- tired by the end of the day. 

I am ready at the end of each day for her mommy to appear again around 4 O'clock.

I love her, and all the Gran-babies, to pieces. 

My biggest help with Harper comes from baby Mia...

 Mia holds her...

(perhaps a head lock might be a more appropriate description)

 Loves her....

and pats her. 

Truly these two girls have a very special bond. 

They both light up like a light when they enter the same room as each other, one being just as excited as the other. 

 Mia will share her baby...

 AND her blanket...

Oh- it doesn't get any sweeter than this. 

Laci...well... she cautiously watches the "babies" from a safe distance...

she knows how crazy these two can play together. 

Our family just keeps growing with Gran-babies. 

I've mentioned before that Tonya is due with baby #3 in November.

Hold your hats...IT's A BOY!!!

That's BIG news in our family, as I had 3 daughters, and they have had only daughters themselves, up until now. 

It's weird to think about having a little boy around, as I have absolutely NO experience in raising boys whatsoever! We are all excited, and can hardly wait to meet him. 

Ok- that's it for the Gran-baby news. 

Our back porch addition was finally poured last week.

See the brackets in the concrete? 

There are six of them, which will support the posts for the roof. 

I covered them with planters, upside down, both for safety and appearance, and arranged smaller planters on the top with flowers. 

The roof will come in the Fall when Caveman is done working 12 hour days/7 days a week. 

Yuk- for Summer hours! 

I still have yet to get it all organized with furniture and pretty stuff. 

The garden is good...

 I'm brave enough to show the weeds too...

I'm still loving the smallness of it all.

We get just enough fresh cucumbers and zucchini, for now, and the rest I get from Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. 

Pretty soon we'll have our own tomatoes. 

There is a large patch of wild Morning Glory that is growing next to the garden beds. 

I'm leaving it there as is, just because I think it's lovely. 

Yes- Lovely, even among the weeds. 

July has been dreadfully HOT! My Sis came for a visit the week of the 4th, and the weather was so miserable we didn't do a thing, except eat, stay indoors, and complain about the heat. 

EVERYONE was a little crabby by the end of the week and we ended up ALL heading to Sonoma County for some cool relief from the heat, and a BIG family gathering with family that lives in Santa Rosa

(more on that gathering later). 

It was great fun, and a wonderful time had by all. 

An hour has passed and I need to be getting ready for the day....

"Learn from yesterday,

live for today,

hope for tomorrow"

-Albert Einstein-

The Girasole Lady