HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY…
…TO MYDADLOVESMEBESTSISTER!!!!
XOXO,
Anna
(Extra Special THANKS to the Quilty Peeps and work friends for 50 bra donations!)
Family
Happy Birthday BigBoy!
Today is the 22nd anniversary of the birth of TheSecondChild!
I’ve always thought it was so cool that he was born on the first day of spring. There’s nothing like a new baby when mother earth is waking up from her winter’s nap. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and we were so blessed by the arrival of our little wild child.
He hasn’t always been this way and I’m pretty sure I didn’t drop him on his head when he was a baby. He did have a harrowing birth though, and the Dr. joked that he didn’t “lose a brain cell.” If only that Dr. could see him now. Does this look like a kid with all his marbles???
Our little angel keeps us hopping and guessing and entertained. These days he seems to have a penchant for jumping and in just a few short months, he’ll be jumping into a new life as he graduates from college.
We’re all crazy about our BigBoy and we hope that big jump will land him somewhere close to home. We miss you BigBoy and love you dearly — Happy, Happy Birthday!!!
XOXO,
Mom
Icy Christmas?
For those of you in the northern half of the US, is it cold enough for you out there? We got a whopper of an ice storm last night. It’s beautiful out there and ice is covering everything. I went out early in the morning to snap a few pictures, but after watching the tops of a few of our trees come crashing to the ground, I decided it would be safer inside the house.
Our house is full tonight as MeMum/BigDaddy and CrazyBIL/MyDadLovesMeBestSister are all without power. We’ve been lucky and ours is still on. Lots of stores and schools were closed and I thought how sad for all the school children who had their Christmas parties planned for today. The next few days aren’t looking much better weather-wise — it’s not supposed to be warm enough for the ice to melt. I’m wondering how much longer many of the bent over branches can last. Even more, I’m wondering how Santa and his reindeer are going to keep from sliding off of the roof!
I stayed in most of the day and finished decorating (finally!) and eeked out my first batch of cookies. For me, it isn’t Christmas without Angel Slices. MeMum has been making them for as long as I can remember. The recipe is on page 703 of The Joy of Cooking (at least in my version) and I love what the editors say about it:
“Many a copy of the Joy has been sold on the strength of this recipe. One fan says her family is sure these are the cakes St. Peter gives little children at the Gates of Heaven, to get them over the first pangs of homesickness. Her family has dubbed them Angel Cookies.”
The Joy. I have a friend who calls it the Joy too. “…such and such recipe is in the Joy.” I love it. If you google “The Joy of Cooking Angel Slices”, you’ll find several sites that have the recipe. (Although I found one site where they add nutmeg and vinegar — my version of the book doesn’t have those two ingredients listed in the Angel Slices recipe.) If for some reason the people who are posting the recipe have been arrested and you can’t find it, e-mail me and I’ll send you a copy.
You’ve probably already seen this, but since we’re talking cookies, you should check out this beautiful cookie post. I read it with my mouth hanging open. After that, you’ll need a little gift-giving humor, so go and read a little something to tickle your funny bone.
And finally, THANK YOU for all the CrazyBIL love and good wishes. 
He’s home from the hospital now and trying his very best to behave himself — which is very difficult with all the trees and branches down everywhere that need to be taken care of. He doesn’t sit still very well! Anyway, I thought I should show you what we’re dealing with here. This is an old picture of CrazyBIL and it’s one of my favorites. Crazy, huh? If I could give all of you a gift for Christmas, it would be for you to have your very own CrazyBIL. He’s a really fun guy and he makes me laugh. A. Lot. I probably should change his name to CrazyAboutBIL!
XOXO,
Anna
If You Set It Free…
Long time, no blog, huh? I seem to be having a bit of trouble keeping up these days. Do you ever feel like you’re doing a lot but not getting anything done? That’s how it is here in ThimbleannaLand, plus it feels like things are falling down all around me. I could probably write my to-do list in the dust on the furniture! Ah well, busy is happy, right?
TheFirstChild had his orientation for medical school this weekend and families were invited to attend the White Coat ceremony. We arrived early and I was glad we did because it was cool to see all of the white coats neatly laid out on the student seats before the students started arriving.
It was a wonderful ceremony and in a tradition that we saw when TheFirstChild went to his undergrad orientation at a different college, the Dean of Admissions spoke about the characteristics of the students in this class. He spoke of the diversity of their gender (56%M/44%F), race, age (19 – 41), and home countries, states and counties. As you can imagine, they come from very different backgrounds and some have overcome hardships to make it to med school. He read excerpts from a few essays by the students — my favorite was from a young man who had been an army medic and had been to Iraq three times. They are also an incredibly talented bunch — among them they have enough musical talent to form an orchestra, with the exception of a bassoon. The Dean read a list of a few of their hobbies and at the end he said they had knitters, crocheters and sewers among them who would hopefully use those skills in surgery. That comment got a lot of laughs!
There are approximately 305 students in this class which, I think, is the largest med school class in the US. Each student walked across the stage and handed his white coat to his dean who then helped him put it on. One of TheFirstChild’s friends since kindergarten (and a groomsman) is also in this class so we had the added bonus of seeing him receive his white coat too. Before we knew it the ceremony was over and it was time to go. We had dinner with the newlyweds and then sent them on their way.
I suddenly find myself joining Isabelle in the ranks of the melancholy. The newlywed’s wedding and their move were small potatoes compared to this. This time it’s real. They’re off on their own now to work long hard hours in pursuit of their dreams. My little butterfly slipped out of my grasp when I mistakenly had my palm open. What was I thinking? I should have held on tight.
XOXO,
Anna
Happy Mother’s Day!
Hello! I just wanted to pop in here and wish a very Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are celebrating this weekend. I sure hope tomorrow’s weather is like today’s — it was absolutely gorgeous here today. At last, I think spring is finally here!
Special hugs and kisses for MeMum this weekend. I’ve been so fortunate to have such a wonderful mother — she’s taught me everything I know about being a mother myself! And, as an added bonus, I’m lucky enough to have a mother who quilts!
These are pictures of her latest quilt (made entirely from her droolworthy stash), taken just after she took it off of the frame. She’s now working on finishing up the binding. As you can probably tell, MeMum is an excellent quilter and she’s truly an inspiration!
So, Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Thanks for everything you do for all of us — we love you. And for the rest of you — I hope your Mother’s Day is relaxing and wonderful!
XOXO,
Anna
P.S. I’ll be back soon for a pre-wedding update — it’s been a busy and fun weekend.