Bothersome...

You know what bothers me? Well Barack Obama bothers me. I still can't grasp that he is it. I mean I know he is... I know he is to be President. But; I can't accept it. It bothers me! Everytime I hear folks go all gushy about how wonderful it was that he was elected and all that I cringe...I change the channel. Sorry. That is true though. I don't know what is coming. I am not thinking he is the "answer" that so many think he is. Life in the meantime does go on. I have decisions to make as we all do. Things have not gone well here lately. Zeb had meningitis, is out of the hospital and will be fine. The cat scan was clear and the spinal proved viral meningitis as opposed to bacterial. And he did have a Meningitis shot before going to college. I don't know....just don't know. We will see what more comes next. My oldest has problems with Pei per usual more still again.... I can't deal with it anymore. And with all that, my husband is still what he is and it gets hard to take when troubles are deeper. He is not helpful he adds to them and I NEED a hug! :) I so want to just cuddle up and have a hug! But; such is life. :)

Bye! Too much information! See you all soon I hope!
Mel

Happy New Year - New Playlist....

First of all...here is the updated playlist! :) And; Happy New Year! Been a rough couple of days here. :) Son had meningitis, still does, but discharged from the hospital now. It was "viral" meningitis. Had the sleeping and bad neck, vomitting, headache, pain and that. The spinal confirmed viral and the cat scan was normal. The stress of knowing that even when sick he only wanted to talk to his Dad as evidenced by him and his girlfriend always calling him, hurts. That is life though. My oldest son having issues again/still with his SO hurts. They are right next door and I have had my fill. Too close to it. It is their daughter I have all the time. I love her to death. My New Years Resolutions are to pursue getting an Angel Food Ministries Outlet set up in my local church where there is great need in the community for such. And to pursue again, still more, my volunteering particularly as a Girl Scout Leader....starting with a Daisy Troop next year (if I don't leave the nest) for my little Iris. She is my girl afterall! Love her to death. :) And; to continue to do all I can whatever it might be to help those in need. Hopefully to go back to work at least part time.

Newly Updated for the New Year!

This is totally "Coull"

I had a very very good friend at work when I was working....named Alan B. Coull. He is the ultimate sweetheart and quite the character. Well tonight I ran across his Christmas Video. He started it last year and looks like he has doctored it some since I last knew of it. It is totally country and totally "Coull". :) I love it and wanted to share it. It is something too good to be missed...especially if you can take a little country! Here it is!

Lookie What I Found on UTUBE! Awesome!

Just Mel...

Wanted to share a picture of me with you all so you know who is talking here! Enjoy!

Mel

The Lights of my Life - The Babies!

These are Grammie's best babies... The granddaughter Iris, four-years-old and the "babies" Mei Mei & Spiderman, at least half Manx rescued four weeks ago from the road as brand spankin' newborns. They are bottleraised (just coming off gradually as I encourage them to "eat") and just the sweetest. If you folks recall, I fostered 26 kittens over the Summer and kept three that I figured I had put too much into to have them caged the rest of their life for lack of adoptions. I figured with their issues noone would take them. Now I have three Seniors in the house, three juvenile kitties (who rule the house and cost lots of vet care $$) and these two. Hopefully; in spite of the vet's fears, these two will continue with good health and not have the impaired immune system disease that their Juvenile siblings have..... :) I forget the correct name but the nickname is "herpe's cats" and NO it is not contagious to any other species just allows them to catch every bug that comes down the street and keeps them down too often.

Anyhow; I talk too much. :) Hope to hear from all you cat lovers, craft lovers, soapers, sewers, grandmothers and friends soon! :)

Hope the holidays are treating you well and the shopping nightmares are not winning.

Melody

More Talk....Music

So last night I ended up staying up later than ever...even for me. I got started working on this and putting my Playlist in. After hours of effort and attempts I resigned myself to the fact that I could only get my Playlist on here, this site, as a "post" apparently meaning my site is not set up to do this like others and have it separately on the side or whatever yet. I will have to make some contacts later on and figure it out. But; for now, I have a playlist just before this post as a post. It is full of music of types and styles and particular songs that I have loved specifically for various reasons and songs I remember my Dad singing when I was a child. There are many more really old ones I need to find and get in there .... but; as for now, I am tickled with it. Thanks again Sue for putting playlist in your blog which inspired me to do the same!

Later!
Mel (running hours behind and chores behind but happy to be up this morning and be with her "kitties" in spite of the vets edict of their "condition" which we will discuss in another post.... Have you ever heard the term "herpes cats"? Well if you have you might know where I am going. I had never heard the term and was freaking out without research. Research put it in perspective and I realized I had heard of it but by a different name. Well if half my newcomer rescues from the Summer fosters (the rejects) and my two newbie babies have it...so be it. They are the most "special" cats I have ever had. When I can sit in the DR and call by name and they answer from whatever room they are "shut" in so I can come rescue them.. They are bright.

OK I quit now... I promise. Later!

Lilhippiema's Playlist

Whew & Thanks Sue!

Long long time no posting! Sorry folks...those who read this. I have been busier than ever fostering kitties on the bottle from day one, being sick and recovering from exhaustion when I left my job...and then the last month a round of bronchitis battles. Made it through Thanksgiving. We did ours yesterday. Went pretty well. As normal, particularly at holidays, I dwell on those members of the family who have elected to disassociate from the rest of us... I miss them. That is life I guess. Then too I keep thinking how little time there is til Christmas, how little time and energy I seem to have to spare and how much I have to do! Hope to see more folks posting here and to have time to catch up!

I thank you Sue for reminding me to get back in here and for linking to my blog here.... ;) Thanks again!

May you all have a blessed holiday.

BTW: I have been thinking alot today about pursueing again in my "spare time" herbs and their healing properties and adding salvemaking to my repertoire. :) More later on that. I need to get started growing the herbs as cheaply as possible. Lights and space I have.

Melody

Economical Gifts Now that Give All Year Long..

Site was shared with me today on a group I belong to and I am sharing it here. Hope some of you get some use out of it!

http://www.pfadvice.com/2008/09/15/28-gift-ideas-that-save-money-for-the-recipient/

Melody

Time to Breathe...

I am finding the longer I am out of my casino job & finally feeling a little better than I was most of the month; that I have "time". Finally I am starting to be able to do a few things! These "things" include being able to work on my longtime neglected email lists. They are "longtime" in longevity and "longtime" neglected due to time constraints. So I am going to list the groups I have, all on Yahoogroups, here. If anyone is interested in any of them and needs help for some reason, email me.

Basicsfolks@yahoogroups.com
Basicscooking@yahoogroups.com
VintageKenmoresSew@yahoogroups.com
Sew4SaleSwap@yahoogroups.com
Gramsoldsews_Charity@yahoogroups.com
NorwichCTSharing@yahoogroups.com

I also have Gramsoldsews but with the idea to split and have one group for "charity" grams it became basically obsolete. I just have not had the heart to delete it. Today; I am thinking I am really in the mood to focus on Basicsfolks a little and see if I can get it going again. These groups are all groups I have had as long as fourteen years (longest running one) and the newest a month or so (NorwichCTSharing an alternative group to the local Freecycles). Anyhow; all are welcome.....cross over children.....come into the light! Tee hee....

Melody (riding off on her broom)

Feeling of Accomplishment

Well finally I tackled it... I have put off and put off making these bags because I was not sure of myself or how they would turn out... Plus; I need a block of time to do them when I was in the mood! So finally they are done. Will post pics later. Made the Georgia Bulldog bags for some good friends of mine... Hannah and Megan. Enjoy them girls! They will be in the mail on Monday! I have also got into my dishcloth making mode again. Seems like popcorn eating...can't make just one have to keep going and going and going. So I work them while at the computer and watching TV. I can't sit still...have to be doing doing doing. Next big project is getting baby Casey Dawn's diapers done. Soon! :0

Tonight I am finally feeling a little better. Hopefully; I will stay that way for a while. :)

Melody

Once Upon A Time When I Was Young...

Do you have a sibling who always thinks you don't know what you are talking about and always doubts your memories. As the oldest of the clan I think I should have memories that the youngest does not have because I was there before she was but that is neither here nor there. I remember, before my sister was born, my mother singing another sister to sleep. This sister had been through much and there was much to deal with with her. I remember her singing this song:

Yeah the song does exist and you can listent to the Glenn Miller version of it for free online someplace! :) Actually; more than one place. Not quite how my mother sang it for a lullabye but she did. I decided to look it up because the third generation wearing the name Dawn is no upon us.. First there was the "Dawn" and then Bethany Dawn (my neice), and now baby Casey Dawn (Bethany's new daughter). Perhaps she will want to carry on the tradition of using this for a lullabye for her "Dawn". Later! Enjoy!

Have a great day! Hoping some come to visit and drop me a line!
Melody

Waxing Philosohical Again, Still, More...

I was just thinking. I mean here I sit in the wee hours of the morning when I should be asleep. My sleep pattern is quite the mess lately. But; that is not what I am thinking about! :) I am watching about "cakes" and cake making. An online friend of mine is into "fancy" cake making. At one point I dabbled a bit. So as I sit here thinking I need to "dabble" again and thinking "I can do that" it brings me back to old thoughts. I have always said that children are blank slates when they are born ...pretty much. It is up to us to hold open all the doors we can so they can be all they are meant to be and want to be etc etc. Myself; I had eye issues my whole life and was to my detriment often reminded of that and that I was a girl. Frequently; I was told "you can't do that you are a girl". Or; "you can't do that you don't see well enough". Then there was "you can't do that you get too stressed". :) All that sort of negative(?) feedback I think left it's mark. Now that I can see better than I ever have in my life (thanks Dr. Hornby!) and no thanks to Dr. Shah and his contributions which made the results less than they would have been.. I wonder. How much would I have seen more clearly? How artistic would I have been sooner? I am not getting any younger and find myself often thinking that the things I am doing go back to things I wanted to do always when I was little. I always loved to bake. I always loved designing. Still love designing. When I soap or knit or sew or whatever..I like to make my own designs. So with cakes, as I look at this one or that one now the urges are coming.. I think I can do that but I would... Yeah; don't hold back your kiddos. Don't "stifle" their creativity! :) Not every child can or should do everything they want to do but I think more than ever that it is very important that every child be encouraged to try whatever they would like to try and some things they say they don't want to try.

All that said; this old lady needs to take herself to bed. Been fun chatting... :) See you all soon!

Drop me a line!
Melody (Norwich, CT)

Grammie Mel's Place

Well maybe this blog land will work for me. Now that I have the "newtome" 'puter anything is possible right? This baby is light years ahead of the old Mac. Being a Mac user for fourteen years getting used to the enemy (PC) is different but not so bad and I can do so much more.

So for now; I am posting my pic and info on my "dish/facecloth/doilies" here. Folks use them for different things. It is all up to you! Contact: Tofugrammie@yahoo.com for more information on placing an order. I will have more pics later. Don't wait too long, I have some ready now! Or; I take orders. :)

Also; I sell Watkins Products. If you are interested visit:
http://www.watkinsonline.com/melodygillette/?lgWelmsg=1

I grew up with some Watkins products and swear by them. Do you remember the vanilla or the PetroCarbo Salve? They are going more and more "Fair Trade" items and "organic". If you are interested in any of the products or need help, please contact me: Tofugrammie@yahoo.com

Further; I collect and use Vintage Sewing Machines. Currently I am working a large special order of pre-print 100% cotton flannel classic prefold diapers (like grandma's only printed). If interested in some of those by "order" or what's available now, email: Tofugrammie@yahoo.com

Soon: I will be doing soap again. Remember my Tea Tree Soap and my Frankincense & Myrrh? Not just for the holidays, my personal favorite next to the Pork-E soap! :) Keep watching! The MarbleMantleSoap branch of SoapNSews should be heating up soon!

NorwichCT Join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorwichCTSharing/?yguid=170449411
Join: VintageKenmoresSew@yahoogroups.com or Gramsoldsews_Charity@yahoogroups.com
Sew4saleswap@yahoogroups.com
Basicsfolks@yahoogroups.com
BasicsCooking@yahoogroups.com
Colormeflannel@yahoogroups.com (for great fabric buys..tell Dena I sent you!)

Thanks for reading! More pics and links later!

Melody (CT)