...family, friends, home and other tidbits of a blessed life

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Happy Leap Day!

ABC.com
You've just been given a gift.
Twenty-four extra hours.
One day.
What will you do with your day?





Will you so something self indulgent?



interactiveinsightsgroup.com
 Will you get something done?


thekindlife.com
Will you do something kind?

Leap year facts:

From About.com:
Leap years are years with 366 days, instead of the usual 365. Leap years are necessary because the actual length of a year is 365.242 days, not 365 days, as commonly stated. Basically, leap years occur every 4 years, and years that are evenly divisible by 4 (2004, for example) have 366 days. This extra day is added to the calendar on February 29th.
However, there is one exception to the leap year rule involving century years, like the year 1900. Since the year is slightly less than 365.25 days long, adding an extra day every 4 years results in about 3 extra days being added over a period of 400 years. For this reason, only 1 out of every 4 century years is considered as a leap year. Century years are only considered as leap years if they are evenly divisible by 400. Therefore, 1700, 1800, 1900 were not leap years, and 2100 will not be a leap year. But 1600 and 2000 were leap years, because those year numbers are evenly divisible by 400.

Julius Caesar, Father of Leap Year

Julius Caesar was behind the origin of leap year in 45 BC. The early Romans had a 355 day calendar and to keep festivals occurring around the same season each year a 22 or 23 day month was created every second year. Julius Caesar decided to simplify things and added days to different months of the year to create the 365 day calendar, the actual calculation were made by Caesar's astronomer, Sosigenes. Every fourth year following the 28th day of Februarius (February 29th) one day was to be added, making every fourth year a leap year. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII further refined the calendar with the rule that leap day would occur in any year divisible by 4 as described above.

From Time and Date.com:

Leap Day – famous birthdays and events

Illustration image
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the only verified example of a family producing three consecutive generations born on February 29 is that of the Keogh family.
Peter Anthony was born in Ireland on February 29, 1940, while his son Peter Eric was born on the Leap Day in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1964. His daughter, Bethany Wealth, was, in turn, born in the UK on February 29, 1996.
What is a Leap Year and when is the next one?
When and what is Leap Day?
A Norwegian family named Henriksen from Andenes holds the official record of number of children born on February 29. Mrs. Karin Henriksen gave birth to 3 children on consecutive February 29; her daughter Heidi in 1960 and her sons Olav and Leif-Martin in 1964 and 1968 respectively.
Leap Day Traditions and Superstitions

Celebrity Leap Day birthdays

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Some famous people born on February 29 include:
  • 1468 – Pope Paul III (d. 1549)
  • 1792 – Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (William Tell, The Barber of Seville) (d. 1868)
  • 1896 – Morarji Desai, former Indian prime minister (d. 1995)
  • 1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Al Rosen, American baseball player
  • 1924 – Carlos Humberto Romero, former president of El Salvador
  • 1960 – Anthony (Tony) Robbins, American motivational speaker
  • 1964 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player
  • 1972 – Antonio Sabàto Jr, Italian-born actor
  • 1976 – Ja Rule, American rapper and actor
  • 1980 – Chris Conley, American musician and songwriter/composer


As for me, I will take this day to do something that pleases God, something that rights a wrong and ... oh well, I'll try!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Thinking wistfully

Doing some thinking today.

Truly a wonder.
These pretty faces stayed with us throughout the winter,
resuscitating after each freeze to bring more
sunshine to our lives.
Thank you, God.

Wondering.
It's only February, and the iris are already up.

There are buds on some of the branches on the elm trees.

Isn't this just too soon?
Our average last freeze date is April 9 (usually Easter!).
Leaving them in God's hands.

Praying this sweet boy stays healthy.
He had quite a week a few weeks ago.
A horrible scare (he's a scaredy cat anyway) on a Monday.
Bouts of vomiting.
A Dr's visit.
Some meds.
He's just fine now.
Thank you, God.

Praying for our son that he turns to God for wisdom, discernment, and the path his life is supposed to take.

Linking up to Seasonal Sunday at the Tablescapers.. see you there!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A Valentine's Day quickie - tablescape that is

I've been absent.
So very sorry. 
We are all alright.
Just a lot going on!

Not knowing what we would be doing on Valentine's, put me in a last minute rush.
It's the 38th anniversary of my husband's first proposal.
I always fix his favorite meal.
He couldn't remember what it was until 2 days ago.
He's old.. LOL..

If he couldn't remember,
I wasn't fixing it.
So threatened by a long line at a local restaurant,
it finally came to him.

This year instead of flowers,
he chose baubles.
Secretly, I  miss the flowers.
edited 2/15/12: Now this is funny. Our friend is also our florist and so he called my husband today and asked how we were getting along..... I'm getting flowers!!!

This week, there are flowers on the dishes.
After the rush this week and this coming weekend,
I'll have roses on the table next week!

In the last two weeks, I took a fall,
broke a crown,
and removed a hunk of flesh out of a finger.

We are planning on helping our son move back to Lubbock.
Regan was very ill (he's back to his chipper self now)
I've sucked the music off of an old iPod.

My new dishes ordered from OKL were delivered.
In perfect shape.

We've cleaned out the garage.

 Last Sunday,
we rested.
We tried to see how much firewood it takes to keep a fire going 
all day long.

A much needed respite.
Just the two of us,
Regan,
and a roaring fire.
Watching it snow.

I hope your Valentine's was joyful and delightful.
That your dreams came true.
That you felt loved.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and he who loves is begotten of God and is coming to know and understand God. 1 John 4: 7

I'll be joining up with Susan for Tablescape Thursday (held on Thursdays now) at Between Naps on the Porch. I'll also be making an appearance at the Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday. I'll be visiting this weekend, see you then! 

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A Gilded Tapestry Tablescape

A gilded tapestry - the rerun
first published 11/16/2010


It started with the tapestry. Made these to mimic some I saw in Santa Fe. Quite simple: Buy the fabric. Cut the fabric. Sew a tiny zigzag stitch around all sides about 1/4" inside the raw edge. Fray the edge.

First layer of gild: a charger backed in gold.

A white dinner plate.

The second layer of gild: a salad plate undercoated in gold.

A beautiful stack. Damask napkins in wooden napkin rings.

A crystal basket for the centerpiece.

Spider mums and some fitzer branches off of the shrubs outside.

A favorite that just seems to fit the season - rosewood handled brass flatware.

Mikasa water goblet with a golden hued wine goblet,
Create a gilded tapestry on which the setting sun works its magic.






















 Cast:
Large chargers - I've seen these at Pier One too, Tuesday Morning
Wedgwood Windsor dinner plate
Gold backed salad plates of unknown (can't remember) origin a decade ago
Rosewood handled brass flatware - gift from Mom
Mikasa Parklane water goblets
Golden water goblets - Stein Mart
Candlesticks - TJMaxx recent purchase
Damask napkins - family heirlooms
Tapestry fabric - Hobby Lobby
Wood and brass napkin rings - Stein Mart

I'm extremely thankful you dropping in today, I can't wait to read your comment.
I'm incredibly thankful for the sun that shines, for the rain that falls, for the snow that blankets, for the leaves that need to be raked!

I'm joining the hostess with the mostest - Susan and her eye-candy rich Tablescaping Thursday party and also to the fabulous Style Sisters for their centerpiece Wednesday! . Be sure to take some time and go see all the beautiful table settings awaiting your perusal. See you there!!!


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