Why is it?

Why is it that simply days can go by and I can't think of a single thing to write - despite all that, life has been busy.  Take these past few days for instance - grandson E7 started off the week with a cough which has gradually gotten worse. No school but mum still had to get off to work - grandma to the rescue - sitting with the little fella while he coughed his tummy sore!  Friday came and another doctor appt plus Xray - possible pneumonia!  Second doctor appt on Friday revealed Xray results not pneumonia but chest infection.  Prescribed anti-biotic and hopefully might be well enough for school on Monday.

Easter is not far away - daughter pleads "can you make E7  an Easter hat for the school parade?"  Oh boy I think - what next?  "Mum, you know you could do it so much better than me" - oh well, what's one more thing to line up?  Made a start on it this morning but will reserve the photo till it's finished.

Hasn't rained for weeks - since beginning of January - did the washing this morning to hang on the  line - including bed linen etc - now pouring with rain! Oh well - have hung some on the clothes airer - the rest can stay in the laundry basket until tomorrow to see if the weather takes a turn for the better. 

Garden is looking OK and carrots and mini cabbage are doing well.  I've erected a little netting cage over the top of them trying to keep the butterflies from laying their little eggs and caterpillars chomping the beautifully tender green leaves.  It seems to be working so far.  Put in some more purple runner beans a couple of weeks ago and they're up about 6 feet so far with flower buds just appearing.  I hope the weather stays warm enough for them to fruit.  The 'winter' tomatoes are all doing well - the Giant Tree Tomato has its first flowers open - boy are they big for tomatoes!  Can't wait to see the fruit once it starts. Have taken 7 pumpkins from the vine and one still left hanging. They're looking good too so shouldn't have to buy any for a while.  Cut the first one when I cooked roast lamb the other night.  They could take a  little more ripening but nice and sweet. 

Picked up a poor specimen of a begonia at the plant nursery a few weeks ago - reduced down in price. It seemed to have had far too much water. Let it dry right out and now blooming a beautiful red!

Had a visit yesterday from a baby kookaburra.  We hear them occasionally in our many trees around the yard but don't often see them.  This cutie perched himself in the old dead wattle tree over the back fence - he didn't seem in the least perturbed when I got as close as I could to take a shot at him - photo that is of course!

A couple of birthdays in the family in the past two weeks and a wedding anniversary - made cards to give and was pleased with the frangipani theme I used for E19.

Booked our flights to go see Mum at Easter time.  She's still in the hospital and hopefully is rehabilitating reasonably.  For a couple of weeks after her surgery we were extremely concerned about her condition but she did 'turn the corner' and is now back in the 'older people's ward' recuperating.  Hoping that there will be some kind of assessment by Easter regarding her ability to go back to her apartment and live independently.  If not, then assisted  living may need to be an option.

Have had contact from another second cousin in the United Kingdom who we'd never heard of before  - I am amazed that in the last few months no less than four distant rellies have made contact.  Genealogy is certainly a very popular pastime.  It is so good hearing from these people and being able to link extended families together. 

All for now - blessings!

Baby Kookaburra



Pretty red begonia




Birthday card for E19




Giant tree tomato plant with basil seedlings



This morning it is Autumn

Ah that wonderfully fresh air with a touch of coolness - I feel it on my feet as I sit here at the computer with the back door open. While the temperature today is predicted to be 26C, this morning's coolness is so refreshing.  Autumn is my favourite season of the year!  The only downside to it is the termination of summer daylight savings time.  But that won't happen for another few weeks yet - but the nights are drawing in quickly now. Once the clocks are put back the early mornings will be so much darker - harder to get out of bed.

My poor Mum is back in hospital again.  She's been there now more than 5 weeks - at first investigative tests and scans being done to get to the bottom of her severe pain - it seems she has the same problems I have had over the past few years - spinal nerves being caught and sending pain down her legs.  A decision by medical staff was made to do a decompressive laminectomy on her lower spine and release the nerves causing the problem.  That was done last Friday.  Her recovery is being hampered at present by a very low blood iron level so she is being given units of blood through transfusion.  We are hoping that may help her mental confusion once the iron level is normalised. Its fortunate that son CM has been in NZ on business for 10 days and weekends was able to make visits to the hospital.  Now phone calls to the hospital ward  to check on her progress and talk with her are the order of the day. Her birthday is in May and she'll be 92 - her recovery and rehabilitation may be a long tough road we're thinking, especially since this is the second major surgery she's undergone in 6 months.  Can only leave her in our Maker's hands, trusting that He knows what is best for her.

Even though the grandies are now back at school, I am being kept fairly busy. This week however is much less so for which I'm grateful.  Had the lounge room windows measured last week for new blinds - they will take about 4 weeks to make. Looking forward to them being fitted. Meantime I've been washing curtains and windows, and cleaning out in the garage - getting rid of stuff that's been accumulated for a number of years.  I'm not finished in there yet but a long way to being able to find things again! LOL

Have planted out some tomato seedlings which were a freebie on a gardening mag in January. These are specifically grown in cool weather as opposed to summer cropping so will be interesting to see how they do.  There were four varieties, two the little truss cherry type, one 'normal' and one Giant Tree Tomato which apparently yields fruit up to 500 grams each.  That should be interesting!  Also tried a couple of rows of carrots and they have now been transplanted into 4 or 5 rows - not sure how they will be now the weather is cooling. I think they do better in a warmer spring/summer season. Planted out a few mini cabbages and some spinach along with a final crop of purple runner beans.  Have had to spread bird netting over them all as a new neighbour's cat has decided our yard to be it's bathroom area - spraying citronella oil around helps but this guys' pretty determined! 

All for now - blessings!



Black Cherry tomato 



Giant tree tomato (with tiny basil seedlings alongside

This made the hairs on my neck stand up!

Not much to post

I'm fine!  thanks to all who wished me a speedy 'back to normal'.  I was shaken up a little by the fall but there was no serious damage done for which I am so grateful.  I will certainly have to learn to pick my feet up though - I seem to have a bad habit of dragging them LOL.

I've had a busy week - bible in 90 days is going well - in fact I find myself 2 days ahead of myself and I'm not sure how that happened so this morning I took a break as am nearly at the end of Psalms and they tend to be much of a muchness in content.  Am at Ps 134 so almost at the end of them and almost to day 45 - the middle of the exercise.

Have been doing a lot of family history stuff in the past week.  Sometimes I can go for a few weeks without doing much at all but in the last 10 days, I've had 3 people make contact with me from a couple of genealogy sites I have my tree listed on.  Have found I have a second cousin in England I never knew before, another in Western Australia whose great grandparent is a sibling to mine, and a slightly more distant rellie in England I've made contact with.  It is an exciting pastime and I really enjoy delving into the history of it all.  Amazing things can be found out about people from the past.  On a sad note though another person who made contact with me about 12 months ago - another distant rellie on my great grandmother's side of the family has passed away after a long battle with breast cancer.  I was so sad as she wasn't a very old person.  It's still a dreadful killer isn't it?

Our weather is blessedly cool with showers at present after that really beastly 8 days we had where the temperature was so high and sleeping was so difficult.  Nights at present are cooler which is a relief.

Grandson L5.5 has had one week of school.  His reaction on the first day when he phoned to tell me all about it - "it was  AWESOME!"  The next couple of days he wasn't so sure when it came time to leave home, but he's now made a couple of little friends from his class so he's feeling much more comfortable about it all. 

Have just come in from my volunteer stint at the Visitors Information Centre - it was a fairly slow few hours but is pleasant enough as I take a book or some cross stitching to do.  Haven't done anything recently on my 'Daisy Girl' but have been working on a very simple little Dimensions design on 16 Aida which is easier on my eyes.  I'll soon get back to Daisy though.

Have finished off 2 scrapbook albums in the past week.  One for a nephew's wife who had her 40th birthday last Saturday and has a nearly one year old.  Now she can put all those gorgeous baby photos in order.  The other is a surprise gift for someone who any day should have a new baby grand-daughter in the family. This album will cater for photos of her as well as her other little grandie, a boy.

Well no more to tell - must away and get dinner started - roast lamb tonight!

Blessings!

Feeling a bit sorry for myself!

Oh my goodness -  have just come in from the library where I fell up the steps!  What a silly old moo I am!  My watch took the  brunt of the fall and I've cracked the glass and belted it up a little - grazed knee, took a bit of skin off my hand and a sore forehead where I landed. Thank goodness I didn't damage my specs apart from a little scratch on the side!  A dear old lady came rushing over to me and helped me up - she was so kind - one of God's angels there for me.  I'll really have to watch my step (no pun intended) - must be my advancing age I think and not picking my feet up properly.  I guess I'll know tomorrow if bruises emerge where else I might have landed.

My mum's back in hospital. My brother phoned me from NZ to let me know she has been in a week. He was not supposed to let me know (orders from her) however he felt I should be told.  I've spoken to her a couple of times on the phone and she doesn't sound too good.  The problem is pain in her lower back, hip and knee but especially down her right thigh.  I feel strongly that she may have a pinched nerve in the lower spine as I've had similar pain in the past myself.  There is not much that seems to relieve it.   Anyway she is having all manner of tests carried out and I just hope that before long a diagnosis will be made.  It's not good being so far away at a time like this.

We've just had 7 days of heatwave!  A record has been broken for Sydney - 5 days was previously the longest over 30C (86F). For most of those 7 days, it reached 40/42C (107F) and has been most uncomfortable - especially sleeping at night.  For those of you northerners reading this, we 'downunder' as a general rule don't have air conditioning/heating built into our homes although having said that, more and more people building new homes these days are certainly doing just that.  We mostly have brick homes too and once those bricks heat up after a number of hot days, it takes a while for them to cool down, even with insulation etc.  Yesterday we got a predicted cool change mid afternoon which brought the temperature down by about 15 degrees in quite a short time.  What a blessed relief.

Australia has certainly had dramatic weather conditions in the past few weeks.  Floods in Queensland, Northern NSW and Victoria, Cyclone Yasi has devastated many towns on the northern Qld coast and a few hundred miles inland and in the last few days, Western Australia around Perth has been battling dreadful bush fires.  It's all happening here folks!  All we in Sydney have had to cope with has been the heat. We consider ourselves more fortunate than our neighbours in other parts of the country.

Recently I've been feeding the Rainbow Lorikeets sunflower seeds instead of grain bread.  I was really being a bit aggravated by the brown Indian Mynah birds which are so aggressive, even to their own. The seeds are working out much better as the 'brown bombers' are not seed eaters.  I am putting out 3 trays each afternoon with the seeds and the birds come down and really get 'stuck in' to it.  I took a couple of pics of them with their heads down, tails up feeding - they look so comical!

Youngest grandson L5 1/2 started school this morning.  I am anxious to know how it all went for him.  His daddy was planning to take pics of him and big brother E7 before they left.  I'll post them here if he manages to send them on to me.

Well that's about it for now.  Hope you are all doing OK and thanks for popping in.

Blessings!



sunrise during the heatwave



scrambling for best position

 

heads down, tails up!




and a drink afterwards!



STAMPING - no not my feet!

I really love the Magnolia brand rubber stamps! I've never been a great 'stamper' but recently I purchased my first 'Tilda' and made some of my Christmas cards featuring her.  I just love the 'chunkiness' of them - just great to colour and since I began using Copic markers, I love them even more.

Now this is not a free commercial for Magnolia or Copic - I just wanted to show some of the cards I've been making recently.  So without any more ado -

ta da!!

I deliberately left these cards bereft of wording - I'll just add something appropriate when I choose to use them.  This weekend I'm planning to give the baby boy away with a small gift to a new mum who's recently had a little boy named Malachai - so I'll add a cutesy 'something or other' that I think is exactly 'her'.

My visit to the eye specialist yesterday went well.  It seems one tear duct may have been partially blocked but after a squirt of saline from a syringe through a mini-mini canula, it seemed to unblock with a squirt into my nose! A strange feeling.  After a couple of drops into my eyes which made my pupils dilated and another examination, it seems I have the beginnings of cataracts. Oh well - that's aging for you I guess. It's not concerning me - it could be years before anything needs to be done about that particular situation. I spent the best part of the rest of the day though, worried by my dilated pupils - fortunately the sky was fairly dull for the drive home but my sight didn't right itself until late in the afternoon.  Not too much of a problem though - and so on that note -
All for this time
Blessings!

CHIT CHAT

Another week has passed - cannot believe we are almost at the end of January! Is this how quickly 2011 is going to pass?  It must be that I'm getting older.

Another week of reading the bible each morning. Now that I've reached 'the Samuel's' it is a lot easier even though the biblical names still get me! They are so difficult to pronounce - even silently! I usually have to read them aloud to get the 'gist' of what they sound like.  They sure were a blood-thirsty mob back in those days - going to war with neighbours almost for the sake of it without any really good reason.  I'm so glad we don't operate that way these days. But it's easy to see that God had a hand in it all and David honoured Him in everything he did (well almost - discounting his discretion with Bathsheba) - but I run ahead of myself.  I've only just begun that part of David's story this morning so I won't comment any further.

At my usual weekly bible study (which doesn't commence for 2011 until next week) the title of the booklet we will be using is "Bold I Approach" (Tony Payne Matthias Media) the why and how of prayer.  I'm looking forward to this study as prayer is something I always seem to struggle with. Not the actual praying, but the words to say.

Have been doing a little more stitching on my WIP "Daisy Girl" recently and I'll include a pic of my progress.  I've also begun a little 'Dimensions' piece which is a bicycle with a huge bunch of flowers on the handlebars - just something quick as a bit of a change from working on linen which I find fairly tedious these days.  I haven't a pic of that one yet but will do that soon.

I've just come home from an appointment at my optometrist.  My eyes tested OK with no real change in prescription for my specs from last test 12 months ago but there seems to be something going on in my right eye which is causing my vision to not be great.  My GP thought it might be blocked tear ducts and I've an appt to see a specialist at the end of the week but after this mornings check up, it's possible it may not be the cause of my problem. The machines which are used these days to take photos of the eye are absolutely amazing!  Fancy even being able to get a pic of the film across the eyeball and from that to be able to see the depth of tears formed at the base of the eye. My problem may simply be 'old age' with the old eyelids sagging somewhat and changing the shape of both the eyeball and the opening to the tearduct.  Isn't it amazing what technology can do these days?

Anyway I'll know more after Friday when I see the specialist.

A few days ago a baby Noisy Miner bird came to the birdbath.  No mum or dad nearby that I could see - its the first time I've seen such a baby attempt by itself to go adventuring this way.  It had a marvellous time flapping in and out of the water. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the cute little thing.  Oh yes - instead of feeding the lorikeets grained bread recently, I've started putting out sunflower seeds for them.  I was getting really aggravated by the Indian myna birds which were stealing it all the time and causing damage to the native birds as well.  Since I've been using the seed, the mynas have shuffled off to a certain extent but we've been getting visits from some huge white sulphur crested cockatoos. They are big birds with an awful screech and all the little lorikeets are really quite afraid of them.  They also do a lot of damage to any fruit or vegies they can swipe at the same time so I don't encourage them.  Here is a pic of one having a good feed of the seed before I shushed him away! There's also one of a colourful bug I found on one of the eucalyptus trees recently.

All for now!

Blessings!



Birthdays

Why is it that as you get older, birthdays seem to be like any other day.  Kids just can't wait for theirs and continually ask 'how many weeks'? 'how many sleeps' - but for me anyway, birthdays now are just like any other day.

Well you might have guessed already - it was mine today and honestly I don't feel a day older!  Maybe next year when its one with a big fat ZERO on the end of it I may feel differently.

Today was quite unspectacular (is there such a word) - but good none the less.  It was good to just be alive, to have experienced one more day in the Lord's time.  Nice cards, phone messages and heaps of facebook birthday greetings made it just that bit more of a 'birthday' feel.

Well, tomorrow is another day and for now, I'm off to bed!

Blessings!

B90Days - week 2

Boy am I sure glad I'm through all those rules and regulations - even Deuteronomy's long sermon took some getting through but now I'm on to Joshua I feel sure I really enjoy reading each day.  I was pleased I only had one 'catch up' during last week - my morning reading time just seemed to slip away and I had to finish in the afternoon.

Three verses kind of jumped out at me:  Deuteronomy 10: 12 (Walk in His ways) 13: 17 & 18 (Keep His commands) and had a good chuckle at 24: 5 where a new bridegroom is instructed to not work for one year in order to keep his bride happy.  Wow! imagine that these days? LOL

DH is home on holiday this week - sadly we won't get to spend much time together as I am still required for childminding for another 3 weeks.  Much as I love these two 'nippers', I will be quite relieved when they are both at school for the new term.  While E7 begins on Monday 31st Jan, L5, beginning his first year at 'big school' starts a week later.  Called at the public library today and picked up two Elizabeth Elgin novels to read.  Very light reading - this woman writes novels about conditions during the World War 2 era - nice quick, light  'before going to sleep' kind of novels.

Below are two new acquisitions. I love the colours of the fuschia - just like a ballerina's tutu - and the orchid is tiny and quite fragile looking.

 Beautiful ballerina fuschia

Pretty pink phaeleonopsis orchid

Thanks for calling in - blessings!



B90Days

When I was browsing my niece's blog not so long ago, I came across commennts which led me to another website.  From there I jumped again and have come up with a great way to read right through the bible in 90 days.(See here) It is a schedule worked out for each day's readings.  Without too much thought as to why I actually wanted to do it (in fact I'm still not really sure!) I signed up.  It's not as though I'm signing my life away or anything nearly as drastic (LOL). Each reader is grouped with a leader who takes an active part through the internet in encouraging and praying for each participant in the group and is encouraged to check in to a website each Monday to update your experience and how you are finding it.   Prayer requests can also be made and whilst being part of the group, other members are also praying for you.

I'm now on to my 8th day of readings and I have to be honest I have found the past couple of days fairly tough.  My focus has not been great and I've been easily distracted, especially throughout Exodus where so much is repetitive.  Still I'm determined to keep up with it and I know I will feel an achievement at the end of the 90 days.

Thanks for popping in - blessings!

Happy New Year

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us".

Ephesians 3: 20

Last days of 2010

Looking forward to 2011, I'm posting a few of my last pic memories of December.



Rosy Galah's came to visit and tear up the grass!

  

Some new cards I made using the very cute "Magnolia" stamps




Beautiful soy wax Lemongrass perfumed candle which I keep on my kitchen benchtop




Butter beans, purple runner beans and the very first peas I have ever grown picked yesterday



90 Days

Here I am on the last day of 2010. I've decided to read through the Bible and will be doing it in 90 days. It will be a challenge for me as I need to devote about an hour of reading each day.  I didn't realise there were so many supports and resources out there for this kind of 'adventure' but I'm going to try to stick with it. The reading begins on January 3 and I'm hoping to update my progress here every Monday.

The weather today is hot!  It's just after 1pm and already the thermometer has climbed to 32C.  It is expected to get a bit hotter than that by late afternoon and I'm not looking forward to it.  Here in Sydney we've been given a real reprieve from this heat so far but it looks as though that might be reaching it's end - more and hotter over the weekend is expected.  These days I am trying not to use the air conditioner - our electricity bill has been creeping up with the increase in tarriff but we do have fans which are cooling especially at night - sleeping under one is a relief!

I've been checking out the internet for accommodation for our Family Reunion in June on the Gold Coast in Queensland and I think I've found one that looks OK which is half the price of the resort we stayed in three years ago.  I'm glad I decided to look around first.  It will be our early winter month when we all meet but Queensland temperatures shouldn't be too cold then. Probably swimming in the sea might be a bit cool but this resort has a heated pool and spa so for those who are brave enough, I'm sure that will be fine.

Not sure yet if I'll make it awake to see 2011 in yet - I usually fall asleep while waiting for the massive Sydney celebration fireworks to begin (on the TV I mean) but one of our channels is showing the Edinburgh Tattoo tonight so that should keep me awake for a while.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you my friend a very blessed New Year and peace throughout 2011.

Happy New Year!



Fireworks over Sydney Harbour showing Opera House



'Tis the day after Christmas

Christmas eve saw us delivering the grandie's gifts to them. They were full of excitement and we got this pic to remember the occasion

Christmas morning worship service then home to a king ocean prawn lunch by ourselves - the first time in our almost 49 years of married life! A very lazy afternoon, napping, watching TV, cross stitching then out to our son's property for a combined meal with ours and his wife's extended families. Thirty three of us in total and what a spread it was.

A fun-filled game of volley ball where no rules were allowed followed to 'shake the first course down' - followed later by desert of Christmas plum pudding,  whipped cream, cheese cake, chocolate log, trifle, ice cream and fresh fruit.  Oh I forgot the chocolates and cheese dip which also added to the food spread.  Despite there being 32 mouths to feed (1 extra being a baby) there was still a heap of food left over.  No doubt that will be used over the next day or so.

Son had decorated his house and yard with lights which looked magnificent once daylight faded.

Despite the fact that youngest grandie broke three bones in his foot a week ago, and couldn't participate in the game, he had a good time and he and I sat on the old cubby house steps and watched the proceedings - until the mosquitoes began biting that was.

Well Christmas is over for another year - the preparation, the sending cards, the buying gifts, the eating more than we needed, the meeting of those we don't see regularly, all fades into insignificance when we remember the baby Jesus who came as the Saviour of the world.  That is something we can celebrate every day of the year, not just at Christmas time.

Blessings!

Merry Christmas to you!

As we reflect on the baby in the manger and the reason for his coming to earth, I wish for you a holy, peaceful, and safe Christmas.

Looking for someone?

If you look for me at Christmas
you won't need a special star -

I'm no longer just in Bethlehem,
I'm right there where you are.

You may not be aware of Me
amid the celebrations -

You'll have to look beyond the stores
and all the decorations.

But if you take a moment
from your list of things to do

and listen to your heart - you'll find
I'm waiting there for you.

You're the one I want to be with,
You're the reason that I came,

And you'll find Me in the stillness
as I'm whispering your name

Love, Jesus



Inspiration?

Yes I need some!  I pop in to read so many but at present I just can't seem to get any enthusiasm or inspiration to write even though there seems to be lots going on in my life.

The Christmas lights look great now they are all operating as they should, but alas, lack of sunshine at times has meant that the solar panel ones are not twinkling as brightly as they should.  Whoever heard of a December morning being only 12C outside?  I don't remember it in Sydney anyway. Maybe that's a reflection of our northern cousins who are experiencing chilling  weather at present.  The photos I took of the lights didn't turn out too well so I'm not going to embarrass myself further by posting them.  Suffice to say I just love looking at them out the windows in the evenings  when they start to 'do their thing'!

As I write this at least the sun is shining but there's a cold wind.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours doing some more stitching on my WIP. I've used all of one colour thread so will need to replenish supply.  I will get to post another progress pic on this soon but at present I'm off to do my Monday volunteer at the Information Centre.  I'll take it with me and hope that I have a chance to do a few more stitches on it. 

Blessings!

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

Oh Christmas Lights!

Neighbours have had their up for days, right down to a gorgeous sleigh with Santa sitting relaxed being pulled by three beautiful twinkling reindeer. Santa's climbing house walls, Santa's on roofs, even the lady next door was busy up on a ladder a couple of days ago hammering long lines of lights to the roofline (a first for this neighbour, bless her heart!). So with all that's happening around me to make it all feel more 'Christmassy' I felt obliged to move myself and start a bit of decorating myself. 

Well, now the wreath's on the door, the little Christmas tree is up and the balustrade decorated with green and gold starry tinsel.  Two new sets of solar lights for the shrubbery by the letterbox now fired up enough to twinkle their little heads off.  Timer set on fixed lights around the roof line - last thing to do was switch on last year's solar lights (pretty multi coloured and flickering) which chase each other up under the eaves.  Oh no! not working - oh well, put the solar panel right into the sun's path for a full day - that should do it.  But Alas!  they have gone to God! 

Out with grandson L5 yesterday to the Christmas el cheapo shop to purchase more - darn it, I'll get two lots  (just in case).

Came home and put the panels out in the brilliant sun. Not quite long enough though so today will have them out early to catch enough sun power for sparkles tonight.

Oh the joys of Christmas!

PS might get pics when all are functioning (ahem)!

Clydesdale eating?

Another feature on our familiarisation tour was the Clydesdale Restaurant. An unusual way to see the historic sites around the Windsor (Sydney) area is to be pulled in a dining van by 3 beautiful Clydesdale horses.  We stopped by to check it all out while they were being 'dressed' for the evening's booking.  Beautifully docile animals stood patiently while their dresser plaited and twisted and knotted and decorated their manes and tails.

For just A$185 per person you can be fed a five course meal (collected along the way from the area's top restaurants) and be shown many historic sites in and around Windsor.

What a great way to spend an evening on a special occasion!

Blessings!