A Little R & R

This Is where you will find me this week end. Just taking a few minutes for myself. Reflecting on the week. Catching a few rays and just some much needed quiet time.
Mr.K will be just a baby monitor away.

I hope you all find some me time this week end. See you Monday,
Kathi

Did You Know

To keep cotton towels fluffier and help retain absorbency, don't use fabric softer or dryer sheets, It will Inhibit cotton's natural water wicking ability and It also makes the towel stay brighter. I didn't know that and read It In a magazine just the other day so I thought I would share the tip.


Enjoy your day,
Kathi

Wordless Wednesday

In My Garden,












Have a grand Wednesday,
Kathi

Year Around Wreath

I'm the type of person that loves to decorate for holidays or change of season. I've been looking for the last couple of months for a summer wreath for my door and I found the perfect one at Two Inspire You This Is a wreath that will take me all the way through fall. These are two friends who find simple inspiration in the changing seasons and the colorful world around them. They opened their Etsy shop In January 2009 and are doing fabulous and I know why. The wreath I purchased Is just gorgeous. It Is full and bursting with color and texture. They have many wreaths to choose from and I have my eye on another. Stop by and say hi to the girl's and you might just find a wreath you simply can not live without.

Have a grand Tuesday,
Kathi

My Radio Interview

The walk to defeat ALS Is coming up on June 13th. I've been working hard on securing different forms of advertising from Television, radio and newspaper. Thursday I did a radio Interview on one of our local radio stations.

Let me set this Interview up for you.

Mr.K and I worked at a restaurant In the down town area for about twenty years. This was a very popular restaurants and MR.K was the GM and I was In charge of the wait staff. We met so many wonderful people while there Including many celebrities. Mr.K left that business In 1998 to open our sporting good store here In Illinois. I stayed at the restaurant until the following year when I then went and worked full time at our store. I have always worked side my side with Mr.K In all of our careers so when we had to be home full time because of the ALS It was not a huge adjustment because we were use to that. This Interview was done my Jayme Markley of WMBD 1470. We have known Jayme for many many years because he worked at another radio station that did a lot of our advertising for both the restaurant and later at our store.

This Interview really tells more of the personal side of the disease what we live with and how we manage. I hope you enjoy It.

http://jmpradio.com/pods/ml/052109TH.mp3Have a wonderful holiday week end,
Kathi

Pretty Flower

Here are a few flowers I have blooming right now In my garden. My garden Is bursting with color this time of year I only wish It would stay a little longer.

I did find out the blog problem was blogger and they were aware of the problem and would try to fix It as so as possible. Right now I am having no problems with this post. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

Have a great Friday,
Kathi

Blog Problems

Just wanted to do a quick post to let you all know I've been having problems getting on my blog to update. I'm trying to figure It out so as soon as I do I will be up and running again. I have heard others are having the same problem. I receive a message that read's. Internet explorer can not open this site, operation abort. Has anyone else had this problem. If you have I would love to know how to fix it. Have a great day,
Kathi

Wizard Of Paws

Isn't that the cutest name for a mobile dog groomer. Every six weeks Penny, our mobile dog groomer comes and gives Savannah a bath, we tell her she Is going to the spa. How nice, not even I get a day at the spa let alone one every six weeks. This Is so convenient for me. I don't have to ask someone to sit with Mr.K. Penny does a wonderful job and Is so nice. Sometimes I wish I was a little mouse so I could hear what they talk about when she's bathing her.

Have a grand Wednesday,
Kathi

Wee Little Garden Bobbies

These cute little bobbies are something I just started listing In my Etsy shop.

Today I will be finishing up In my studio, just a few more thing's to organize. Hoping to list a few new pieces In my shop today as well.

Hope you all had a great week end. See you tomorrow,
Kathi

Quiet Breakfast

Sunday morning I usually like to have a small breakfast and my coffee before Mr.K wakes. I like to sit In quiet and reflected back on the week. What did I accomplish this week, what did I postpone for another day, how did Mr.K's week go, any major problems with him, things like that.

Today for my quiet breakfast I had a bagel with strawberry fruit spread. Have you ever tried Brummel & Brown fruit spread made with strawberries and yogurt. It really Is fabulous....yummy !

Today I will be finishing up In my studio. I have some new pieces I need to photograph and list. The sun Is shinning today It Is a beautiful day here In the heart land. Thank you God for all your beauty.

Have a restful Sunday,
Kathi

Brothers Breakfast

Mr.K and I feel so blessed to have our wonderful families. On the third Saturday of every month all the brothers and Mr.K's Dad go to breakfast and after their finished they all come to visit with Mr.K.

This Is besides the Brothers Breakfast. For the last six years one of them has been here every Saturday. They all sit down and make a schedule out for three months In advance and one of them Is always here on Saturday to spend some one on one time with Mr.K. They watch movies, surf the web and read magazines things like that. Our families are very close and they have helped us walk through are journey a little easier.

It has finally stopped raining here and the sun Is shining bright. Hope your enjoying your week end,
Kathi

My Gift

This Is the Mothers Day gift I received from Mr.K, care of my sis. It Is a vase/frame. It holds a 4X6 photo but right now I have a postcard In It. When I was out last week I purchased these beautiful pink silk geraniums to display since we can't have real flowers In our home, to many crazy allergies.

Today I will be In my studio cleaning and organizing, how does one person get so messy. It's raining again so I guess It's a good day to clean. Have a great week end,

Kathi

Sleeping Beauties

As I had mentioned yesterday that It had been raining, so with that In mind what else Is there to do but take a little nap. Tinkerbelle Is laying on Mr.K's lap and Savannah Is In her favorite spot and me well I never get the luxury of napping to many things to do. My to do list consisted of getting packages ready to ship, listing a few pieces In my Etsy shop darkening some brass and answering emails. As I was passing by Mr.K's bed and yes he was napping too, how could I resist, I had to take a few photos of the girl's.

Our girl's bring us so much joy and happiness. They are both rescues and fit right In our home since day one. Just another piece of the puzzle.

Have a grand Thursday,
Kathi

Lilacs Smell So Good

I took this photo yesterday and am so glad I did. Today It Is pouring down rain and my lilac bush Is heavy with water. I really had a full bush this year and they smell so good despite all the talk about the very bitter cold winter was going to be really hard on the flowering bushes. This bush Is one of my favorites.

Have a grand Wednesday,
Kathi

To The Best Mothers

Wishing you all a very happy Mothers Day. I'll be planting flowers with my Mom today.

Have a grand, restful, peaceful, enjoyable, happy Mothers Day,
Kathi

May Is National ALS Awareness Month

Some of you already know that my husband, Mr.K was diagnosed In 1999 with ALS better known as Lou Gerhig's Disease. I am my husbands caregiver, advocate, friend, wife, banker, doctor, nurse, secretary and comedian. As a caregiver I wear many hat's.
I thought I would share today with you some Information you may not know about ALS.

1 Every 90 minutes someone Is diagnosed with ALS.

2 Every 90 minutes someone dies from ALS.

3 Typical life expectancy Is two to five years.

4 ALS Is one of the most expensive disease. To adequately care for someone In your home with ALS It Is an annual cost of $250 thousand dollars. Thank goodness for Insurance.

5 ALS robs you of your ability to breath, eat, swallow or move.

6 ALS does not effect your mind.

7 There Is no known cause or cure for ALS.

8 There Is only one FDA approved medication for ALS, this medication slows down the progression of ALS and typically adds 3 months on to a patients life.
The cost of this medication Is $940.00 monthly. Again, thank goodness for Insurance.

I have many more facts about ALS but thought I would share just a few of them with you today. Like I said In the title, May Is national ALS awareness month so I thought I would raise some awareness on my blog of this terriable disesase.

To learn more about ALS go to www.alsa-stl.org

Have a grand Friday,
Kathi

Flowering Crabapple Tree

Hard to believe that this Is the same tree doesn't It. This tree Is In my Moms yard and being that she Is my next door neighbor I get to enjoy It too.

It Is a beautiful sunny day here In the heartland although the allergy Index Is high It Is still manageable.

Today I will be listing some new pieces In my Etsy Shop. So pop on over later today for a visit I'll have the tea on all day.

Have a grand Tuesday,
Kathi

BOGO 1/2 Off Sale

Today and tomorrow I'm having a sale In my Etsy shop. BOGO 1/2 off on all rings. Now Is a great time to grab those Mothers day gifts or upcoming birthdays and as always all rings will arrived tucked Into this sage green beaded pouch. Hope your enjoying your week end.

Kathi

Baked French Toast

I made this today and It was fabulous. I cut the recipe in half because there was only two of us. Enjoy

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1 inch slices
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans


DIRECTIONS
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture add pecans on top.
Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

I have a sale In my Etsy shop this week end so pop on over.

Have a great week end,
Kathi

May Day

May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.
In medieval England, people would celebrate the start of spring by going out to the country or woods—"going a-maying"—and gathering greenery and flowers, or "bringing in the may."

Another English tradition is the maypole. Some towns had permanent maypoles that would stay up all year; others put up a new one each May. In any event, the pole would be hung with greenery and ribbons, brightly painted, and otherwise decorated, and served as a central point for the festivities.

One of the most popularly known May Day traditions is to hang a basket full of spring flowers on a neighbor's doorknob. The trick is you don't want the neighbor to see you. What a nice surprise when they opened the door.
This was a tradition that I always did growing up.

Have a grand Friday,
Kathi