Elijah Wheeler Hall

My nephew was born this morning at 7:51 a.m. in Brooklyn, NY...
The tears don't stop.

I didn't notice this, but it was pointed out to me that Eli's initials are the same as my mother's... Nice.

Puppy kisses

Does anyone know how dogs learned to "kiss" humans?

I don't think I've ever seen a puppy "kiss" another dog.

Raney kisses me every time we go visit. :-)

Puppy Prep

Okay... I know that you're probably not as "into" our family getting a puppy as we are, but for the next little while, I'm probably going to be posting about Raney: lessons learned, funny antics, adjustments for all of us.

Yesterday, as I was continuing my reading about Golden Retrievers, a fear began to creep over me. How can taking care of dogs involve so much more than having cats? Bathing, nail cutting, ear cleaning, hair brushing, teeth brushing (?!), coat trimming. Oh my goodness! What the heck have I signed up for?!

And, then it hit me... if I had read a book telling me EVERYTHING that was involved with taking care of babies (twin babies, at that!), I might not have signed up for the job.

If I can remember to take it one step at a time, I'm pretty sure I'll do okay.

First things first.

Gotta get prepared for potty training! Ahhh. One of my favorite memories of toddler-hood. :-)

Raney

At the risk of boring you, here is our new puppy in action...

Meet our newest family member, Raney...

This sweet puppy's name came from Southern literature.

Seems like a story is in her future, don't you think?

Lessons from Nature

Most of the times I've seen Great Blue Herons, they've been sitting still. From what I've seen, they sit there for a loooooong time just hangin' out, with their feet in the water, looking out over the horizon. Every time I've seen them, they look content. They're not in a hurry; they don't appear anxious; they're just hangin'.

Sunday afternoon, I saw this heron. He seemed pretty much the same as all the other herons I had seen. This time, though, I decided to get out of the car and take a few pictures. When I did, I noticed a few things: he seemed thoughtful about even the slightest of movements, he was aware of me and the girls, but he wasn't afraid, and when he finally decided to move, it was very deliberate.

It occurred to me that I could learn a thing or two from that heron:

• Think about what you're doing.
• Be aware of what's happening around you, but don't lose focus on your goals.
• Don't rush into things, but don't hang around forever without taking action.
• And, don't be afraid to move -- even if it means you don't get exactly what you want right away.

Hmm. Isn't it interesting when nature can teach you a lesson in life?

One down, three to go

I finished my first quilt last weekend...

Yea!!

Now, I only have three more goals to accomplish before the year is out.

(See January 6th post)

And sometimes...

... you just need to get something on paper instead of waiting for total perfection!

(Crazy Carrie!)

Just right

Sometimes you just want a picture.

Sometimes you want that picture to be just right.

Sometimes you just want to tell a story.

Sometimes that story needs to be told "just so."

Buttons!

A "million" years ago, my grandmother began collecting buttons of all shapes and sizes. I imagine she put buttons in there that had fallen off a dress or shirt or coat. Or, perhaps, they were the extra buttons in the package... Regardless of how they got there, they were there.

My mother inherited the buttons after my grandmother died. I remember being fascinated by the huge jar of buttons and somehow it made me feel more connected to my granmother.

Nothing ever happened with those buttons. No one ever searched through that jar to replace a missing button somewhere else. It was just "The Button Jar." We liked it that way.

A few years ago, I asked my mother if I could have some of the buttons from the jar. Thankfully, she said "yes." My plan was to create an art piece that I could hang on the wall. That art piece hasn't happened yet, but I LOVE having these buttons.

There's something very comforting about owning a piece of the past. Now, it not only connects me with my grandmother. It keeps me connected to my mother. That makes me feel good.

What do you have that keeps you connected to part of your past? What part of your past gives you comfort?