Grandy Farm This Weekend

Can't wait for next weekend - I'll be working on Sunday - but the open house is all weekend long - make sure you take a drive over to see the 127 year old farm house and all the delightful gifts available for your Christmas gift list!

What a lazy day!

I took a lesson from my sister, Jane! She said she was going to spend the whole day of Thanksgiving doing nothing - well - that's what I did today! Pat went to Almont to do some work at his brother's house and here it is 6:48 and I'm still in my pj's!

I watched "Return to Me" "Say yes to the dress" (I know trashy - but fun) "Dinner Impossible" and a very short amount of "Criminal Minds" (which I never watch because it is toooo creepy and here I was watching it by myself - I turned the dog gone thing off.)

I got caught up entering all my receipts for dishes and knives, etc. into my spreadsheet. Played a few computer games. And just vegged out for most of the day. Now I'm waiting for Pat to return and go out to eat with him. I sure did miss him today.

I've been thinking of the Stelter family all day - it sounds as if Maureen will have a good recovery after her surgery - much love to all of them - and a big thanks to Jennifer for keeping us all informed on her facebook.

Yeah - last day of work for the week!

Well – with the possibility of getting into one more show next weekend, I’ll be back in high speed wrapping mode this weekend. I’ve ordered 200 more knives and this afternoon I’m going to Jo-Ann Fabric – my absolutely favorite store. They have Merry Moolah today so I’m going to buy, buy, buy lots of beads! I want gold and red and green and crystal and more gold…….

Then – I’m staying away from Black Friday – I’ll leave Joanna, my daughter, to the sales. She took a coupon class and the woman is possessed. She saves more than she spends, often getting products for free. I save all my coupons for her and she loves putting them in order and figuring out how she can save money.

Caroline sent me pictures of her grandchildren – Ava after she climbed into the dog cage with their new dog Chachi and Javier holding the dog on the couch. They are adorable pictures. Ava has tried since she started moving around to go after their first dog, Baby, but every time she got close Baby would get up and move to the other side of the house. Chachi lets her get close and she loves it!

Christmas

Even though I have been selling Christmas plates and knives since June I just cannot get into the Christmas holiday spirit especially before Thanksgiving – I hate that the radio stations have switched to Christmas music – I hate that the Christmas ads have been in the paper for weeks – I hate that I have to think about Christmas at all right now!

If I wasn’t trying to sell Christmas myself this would be okay – but when I am pushing people for seven months to buy Christmas plates I really should be more open to the blending of the season all year round – but I’m not – I hate it, too! I really don’t think that I am turning into a Grinch – just someone who wants every season to be special. So how do I justify selling these hostess gifts all year? I don’t – I just drive myself crazy – and many of my friends will tell you it is a very short drive!

I do remember one September when our daughters were little that I had every Christmas gift purchased and wrapped. My friend, Kay and I had gone to some fabulous garage sales and sidewalk sales and yup – it was a very frugal Christmas, too. It never happened again but it was an amazing holiday season not thinking about Christmas gifts at all that year during the Christmas season.

A full day of sleep!

Wow - yesterday must have been a catch up day for me! After waking up at my usual 1:00 am middle of the night can't sleep wake up - I watched a bit of TV - read a bit and then Pat got up and we had coffee. We both fell back asleep. We got up and drove to Flushing to meet a new acquaintance that had called to say she had some Christmas dishes for me - so we went to the craft show she was selling at and got the dishes - how nice of her to think of me after a brief conversation at the Clarkston show!

Well anyway - I slept all the way to Flushing. Then we went to a few thrift shops and I slept all the way home. We got home and Pat said he really wanted to go back out driving - so we did and guess what? I slept most of the afternoon away in the car.

The we came home and he wanted to take a nap - so - yup you are right - I fell asleep again. Then we went to a wake to be with a friend whose girlfriend died last week and sat and talked with friends for a few hours. We then stopped at Pompeii for dinner to see Caroline and Jesse (who waited on us with love and cooked us great perch!) Then home to where else? Bed. I didn't think I would make it all night but here it is 4:45 and I just awakened!!!!

I must have needed the whole day because I feel wonderful!

YEAH! Another Show Added for Sheala!

We are so happy that we got into the Horizon Center Keepsake Show on December 12th. Sheala is going to be selling the dishes and knives to raise money for a special trip this summer. She will be going to Boston for two weeks to attend a conference for students who want to be doctors. So she is going to use this opportunity to raise the money to pay for the trip.

So - on December 12th - at the Horizon Conference Center in Saginaw - all proceeds go to Sheala! YEAH!

Holidays Begin

I love November - it starts the season of holidays at work. First there is Veteran's Day - then Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving - then my birthday - then Christmas Eve and Christmas - then New Years day then Martin Luther King Jr. Day - I love days off so these next few months are my favorite at work!

Next weekend is the show at Mt. Pleasant High School - I am really looking forward to it because it is the opening season of deer hunting that weekend so I would imagine LOTS of women will be shopping for Christmas with their friends. And I do have to say - groups of women at my booth usually means they talk each other into buying something! Yahoo!

I'm seeing good friends from high school this weekend. Jo - who we named our first child after (with the promise if she ever won the lottery she would share it with my first born!) And my lockermate - we shared a locker for 12 years because our names alphabetically were together - good thing we loved each other! So I am looking forward to a fun time together. I am sure I'll blog about it later.

The weather is supposed to be fantastic today - a beautiful Michigan fall day - if I am to believe the weather people - which I only do when it fits my needs!

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

Two Years

So I was looking back on the blog and realized that I have been writing in it for two years - it seems like yesterday! So - since I only have two years left at work maybe it will go as quickly!!!!!

Trick or Treat

Well we stayed home to hand out candy - all 10 pieces! Whew - Adams Blvd we are not. But there was one little cutie about 6 years old that came to the door and sang the old dittie "Trick or Treat, Smell my feet, Give me somethin good to eat!" When Pat stopped laughing he gave him a candy bar and the little goblin said "Thank you have a nice Halloween!"

One young lady came to the door all dressed up with her Dad waiting at the end of the sidewalk. She looked to be about 12 and I thought how wonderful to still go trick or treating with her Dad and having a good time, too.

Anyway - I missed having lots of kids at the door.

Thank You Elise

My cousin, Elise, sent me a package of dishes and knives she had found on her antique store jaunts - they are beautiful. It was like Christmas opening the box yesterday and finding the treasures within. Thank you, thank you, thank you - what fun.

My living room and kitchen are destroyed - dishes, knives dropped beads, plastic bins to hold them - I am determined to have the bins filled and in the basement tonight with priced hostess sets ready to go to the next sale in two weeks.

I can't wait to see all the little ghosts and goblins tomorrow night - we have more kids in the neighborhood this year so I think it will be fun. It is supposed to rain and be windy today but maybe a little better for trick or treating tomorrow.

Then on Sunday we are going to Olympia and Vince's for dinner - yum - yum - Olympia is by far the very best cook around - we love to stand around the kitchen - eating snacks watching her cook (we do help out a bit too) She is a master at cooking and keeping us entertained until we sit down to a scrumptious meal. Good friends - good food - an all around good night - we are looking forward to it.

I've been helping my friend with a winkflash book - that has been fun - now it is all ready to go and I am just waiting for a sale to order them - that was fun helping her get it all in order.

Pat's birthday was yesterday so we went out to the Junction and had a drink after he went to choir practice - they had a great band there and we really enjoyed the music.

That's all for now - gotta go have coffee before I go to work - ME

Traverse City Jaunt

Our friends let us stay at their up north home in Bellaire for the weekend - it was so beautiful up there - it rained Friday and Saturday but Sunday was sunny and warm. The trees were golden with rain-soaked trunks and so the rain was even a welcome addition. There was a huge rainbow over the Mission Peninsula on Saturday in the late afternoon - it was raining and sunny in sections.

We went to eight shops - and bought some beautiful dishes. At one we found old white china plates made in Japan with a half inch golden rim - they are going to sell out this season I am sure. I wrapped beads all weekend so I just have to put the sets together and I'll be set for Mt. Pleasant.

We were going to stay one more night but decided we've played hooky from work too much lately - so we are going back to work today - yuck.

I've been working on Pat's cousins pictures and thankfully, Pat helped me yesterday and we got the last of them scanned. So I am going to start to put them together on Winkflash or Snapfish - haven't decided which one yet. So I better go do that now!

YEAH - I FOUND KNIVES

We did so well in Clarkston - I'm almost out of knives - but this morning I have been surfing and I FOUND KNIVES!!! YEAH - we can continue. We had a really nice time and met some really great crafters. Pat likes watching the people and I love selling to them! YEAH!

Getting Ready for Clarkston

We've been busy getting ready to sell at Clarkston High School this weekend. I think we will do well there - the wrapped beads with dishes are very unique and very affordable - so I'm thinking this might be an all time high for sales!

I found some really cute Christmas dishes - and Joanna found me some snowflake dishes so I'm set for this show.

Wish me good luck!

Very Sad News

Leo Lynch died this weekend. I have such great memories of him all through my life. My favorite? Riding on his shoulders when I was in first grade. He was a young associate pastor and very active with the students at St. Mary Cathedral. We loved him as much as we loved our teacher, Sr. Yvonne. He came to our classroom a lot of times and he made us laugh.

In later years, after he had married Judy, they sat many times behind us at Liturgy - his voice reminded me of my Dad's and I loved hearing him sing. My Mom asked if he could sing Ave Maria at her funeral and he did - it was beautiful and exactly what she wanted - it meant so much to all of us.

Leo and Judy were mentors to our daughter Joanna and her then fiance Robin. Joanna and Robin had just graduated from high school and Robin was ready to leave for the Army - I felt that Judy and Leo wrapped them in love and wisdom to begin their marriage.

Many times when we saw Leo and Judy over the years we had our trips to Ireland as a common experience for us to talk about - I so enjoyed those discussions. Just two weeks ago we saw them at the Frankenmuth craft show - I am so glad we got to talk for a little bit.

Much love to Judy and their children - Leo will be missed by many.

Great Sales

I had my best sales every at the Ryder Center - I didn't even have time to write a blog that I was there yesterday. Pat and I went all over the great State of Michigan looking for dishes. I wrapped until I couldn't wrap anymore and next weekend I have a two-day show in Clarkston and I have to buy and wrap all this week. It was so nice to see many friends and repeat customers! Thank you for making Saturday such a great day.

Those Dog Gone Tigers

I was so looking forward to watching the Tigers in the World Series this year. Goodness they are unpredictable. I still love them - but I'm disappointed.

Up in the UP

Pat and I are on a road trip - we try to get to Manistique once a year - usually for Pat's birthday month. So here we are sitting having coffee and waffles at the Peninsula Inn at 6:24 am.

We started out by leaving early from work and getting to the Keyhole Bar in Mackinaw City to watch the Tigers on Thursday. They had the chance of winning the division title but - they didn't do it. We thought the colors may have started but the trees have hardly turned at all.

So then we went to St. Ignace to spend the night. We stayed at a very nice hotel - the Days Inn. We had a huge room which had a balcony looking over Lake Huron. We went to the Casino and Pat made enough that we walked out with $15 extra dollars (which means he had to win a lot more because I lost my $20!) Thank goodness we had traveled over the bridge and stayed in St. Ignace because the wind was really blowing - there were people there that had to go over the bridge that morning and the staff person was telling them they would probably have to have an escort to go over the bridge! YIKES!

So then we drove to Escanaba to go to a couple thrift shops and then back to Manistique. I feel bad that it is raining so much because we can't go to Palms Brook State Park to ride on the raft - we love doing that. We did go to Ted's last night for dinner - my friend, Diane, at work heard we go there every time we come to Manistique and she laughed and told us it was her uncle that owned it. We saw him last night and I told him we were her friends and he said to say hi to her. The dinner was great - Pat said his Canadian Walleye was the best fish he ever had and my Campfire Trout was delicious. We kept trying to outdo our adjectives about the dinner saying we each had the best meal! Really - we always look forward to going there and it ALWAYS exceeds our anticipation of what it will be.

So - today we are going home - the wind has died down so it won't be so bad going over the bridge. We have had a very nice time. Maybe we will have to come back up in a few weeks to see some color.

Winkflash

Pat's cousin and his wife are coming over for dinner tonight and we are going to work on a photo album in Winkflash or Snapfish - of course Winkflash has a sale that ends today - ggggrrrr - she has tons of pictures that we are going to put in order tonight so I can scan them in and then the next time we get together she can work on the different pages in the book - It is fun when the book arrives to see the finished product.

I've made several books and have learned if it is not a professional picture - you might not be happy with the full page pictures - they tend to get a little blurry. But it is fun to give the books as gifts.

I haven't even thought about what I'm cooking for dinner - YIKES - I better get down to the freezer and takes something out!

Christmas Plates

Pat and I went to Mt. Pleasant yesterday - we found some really cute plates. Snowmen, Strawberries and Holly. Then when we got home Joanna had left us some plates and a cup that she found for us. I was very worried about finding Christmas plates - I sold so many last weekend that I didn't have a good selection left for Midland Antique Show this weekend and Ryder Center in October - we are going to Ann Arbor one day to look some more - then we'll have enough I am sure.

Selling My Wares

What a fun weekend – Pat and I were at the Frankenmuth Keepsake Craft Show selling my hostess sets. We met so many great people. We were setup next to three women selling beautifully hand woven blankets using a technique called Swedish Weaving. I kept telling them they needed to double their prices because I think they get about a penny an hour for their work. They were working on blankets during the show and after they start a blanket they don’t even have to look at the pattern – it was amazing! They were all friends from high school days – two from Flushing and one from Oscoda. They kept us laughing all weekend.

I sold so many hostess sets – it was the best show I’ve ever done. I can’t wait to go sell at more shows. It is most fun when someone keeps going around the tables and can’t decide which set to buy – then I know they like all the work and it just makes me smile. It was very funny – I didn’t sell any in the very early morning and very few in the late afternoon – but from Noon until 3 pm they sold like hotcakes.
Next weekend – the last Midland Antique Festival for the year, I hope the weather is just the same – sunny and warm with a slight breeze. Hope to see you there!