Instagram Inspired

 I really try hard to stay off of social media. I’ll skip thru Mike’s Facebook account to see if family has posted. I do have an instagram account that I find myself getting caught up in, especially when the quilters and crafters show up.

I like to see the garage sale and the thrift store buyers transform trash into not trash.

When this one lady bough these ugly old Christmas houses and painted them (though gold, ick). I’m thinking “I got an old Christmas village in the basement.” I can so do this.. with my ugly houses. It’s been down there in the box for quite a few years.” I think it was from 1984 when Linda and I were selling “Christmas around the world” . Who remembers them home parties?

Old Christmas village

I took out 4 houses that I thought would look good as gingerbread houses and spray painted them brown.

The easy part - plain brown

Now comes the fun part. I got my craft paint from the basement and sat down to some serious painting.

Lots of painting

Here they are about half painted. I realized that they all needed to be different - except that each one had to have a heart somewhere on them. It took me 4 days to where I was satisfied with them. 

They are now displayed on my kitchen counter next to the new cookie jar that Sharen got me.

Every year for our birthday and Christmas Sharen and I go shopping together at Hoppy Lobby. What I want I put in her cart and she puts her gift in mine. We are both mindful of the costs, but sometimes you just don’t care. When I saw that cookie jar I had to have it, not looking at the price at all. Sharen didn’t care either. When she figured I spent a little more than she did (both still not caring) she went back with me and bought me the little trees for my gingerbread village. I guess I have to call my new village TwinTown. We both had a part in it.

TwinTown

Pretty sure this display will be out each year.

Logan’s graduation

 It was a very cold (thermostat on the car said -2) morning, but we were not about to miss watching our grandson Logan walk across the Northern Illinois University stage to receive his diploma.

I know everyone says how hard they all work, blah, blah, blah - but Logan worked so hard and never gave up. He went to classes part time and worked 2 jobs. He worked at Menards in the yard and was part of the coaching staff at Byron HS who took the school to state and winning 3 out of the last 5 years. He has a deep love for coaching and has never wavered at his goal of one day becoming a head coach somewhere. He is well on his way.

Mike and I were a bit confused - ok a lot confused - on how to scan the code to get to the program. This is the program?!? Pretty sure you can’t save that in their memory box.

Today’s program

Congratulations 

Entrance on the Jumbotron 

I feel very grateful to be a part of such a special time in his life and to celebrate him and his journey. 

Dream big Logan! Grandma Karen is praying for great things for you. I am sure you are ready for your next chapter and you’ll face it with determination and confidence. I’m really proud of you.

That’s my Grandson

The Nutcracker

 The fifth grade at MSW put on their annual Nutcracker and Owen had a big part. This will be our last one. You would think I would understand the play by now, but Roger was a toy solider, Luke was a clown so when Owen said he was Uncle Dosselmeyer I had to look it up to find out his role. The curtain opens and there he is!

Owen opens the show

He does appear thru out the play.

He was so good, knew all his lines and gave a great performance. He does admit he enjoys acting., and it shows. I was so proud of him. 

He even made the advertising poster.

It was our last time seeing the Nutcracker, but I’m sure it is not the last time we see him on stage.

I’m usually right on top of getting pictures, but I really just wanted to sit back and enjoy the play. So, thanks to Bryan who was at both performances and shared these pictures with me.

Thanksgiving

 It’s been awhile since I hosted thanksgiving and I missed it. I missed the family being together. 

I planned it for early dinner. Bryan and the boys were playing in the annual turkey bowl (Owen came home with the MVP) so it made sense to have eats at noon. Logan and Nicole were celebrating with Nicole’s family and Dylan was spending the day with his new girlfriend Regan and her family. 

We had  a table full of food and  family and it was wonderful.

Dinner table

Our children

Our grandchildren who were there

Happy thanksgiving 2025.

Gee - I’m - a - tree

 In high school my favorite subject was math. Specifically Geometry. I was very good at it. Maybe that’s why I love quilting, measuring squares, triangles, 1/4 inch seams -  all geometry!

My teacher would sometimes grade on a curve. When he did there was always an extra credit question. One day I walk into class and the test score were on the board. I got the highest - 105. 100 on the test and 5 points for the bonus question. Classmates were not happy with me.

I will never forget that question.

 “What does an acorn (we have lots of acorns) say when it grows up? Gee-I’m-a-Tree.

So I named our new tree. Mr. Z in honor of my teacher. Yes, it’s ok to name trees.

New addition to side yard

We had a crabapple tree there that died a slow death and had to come down. I liked the openness of the front yard.

Then After a storm we lost power and the down lines were behind our neighbors house.  ComEd thought it was a good idea to cut thru our yard.

Cost us $700 to fix it

Couple weeks ago they knocked on our door and asked to use our yard to get back there again. BIG NO!!! I showed them what happen last time. We needed to do something so they stop asking to go back there thru our yard.

Thanks to Wasco Nursery and these 3 gentlemen we got this beautiful blue spruce. It’s just a baby right now, but eventually it’s gonna be 15-20 tall. 

Now, the only question is Christmas light or no Christmas lights?

Grandparents Days

 We were very excited to visit our grandsons schools on grandparents day. 

We took a ride into the city last week to see and meet some of Owen’s and Luke’s teachers. The halls were crowded as usual, but Luke and Owen found us to guide us around to their different classrooms. 

Luke’s friend Peter took a picture of us in front of the book cover he designed to tell his story.

Luke is covering his book

We took a walk around - nothing much has changed since we took this walk with Roger, when he was in seventh grade, but it was nice seeing it thru Luke experiences. 

We found Owen and his other grandparents and posed for an another picture with both boys.

Proud grandparents

The priest was on a retreat so there was no mass. We got entertained by the school reciting and singing the rosary in the gymnasium. 

Luke being a seventh grader was in the back row

Owens turn put him in the back row also

Another successful visit.

Yesterday we headed on over to Notre Dame College Prep HS for our first visit to Roger’s new school. Their grandparents day was celebrated with a mass in the gymnasium. Roger joined us.

Proud grandparents again

He looked very grown up and polished. He was very happy to have us there and Mike and I were so proud to support him. We joined a few parents in the cafeteria for treats after the mass. I wish we had more time to see the school, but school was out and the halls were crowded, with boys talking, slamming lockers and laughing. Something’s about high school just doesn’t change.

A poem we were handed

So proud of these 3 Flory boys. I am very thankful that we could join them all at their schools.

Turning 70

 When you tell people you’re 70 years old their response is sometimes “age is just a number right”. Well no, for some it’s a milestone. 

My husband, Mike turned 70 yesterday. He has more than his share of health concerns. He faces them all with “What do I have to do to fix it? 9 years ago he had bypass surgery, got it fixed, but the doctors told him he may need a valve replacement down the road. 

Then 2 years ago the doctors told us it was time to get it fixed. Mike said “do what you need to do, cause I don’t want to die”. That was a gut punch for me. He felt his life was slipping away? He had the procedure and now 2 years later he is doing well. 

So, no, 70 is not just a number to us. It’s a sign of persistence and perseverance for us. 

And I was gonna make sure he celebrates it with his kids and grandkids.

Family

His kids

3 of six grandkids

We ordered his favorites. Wings from BWW and pizza from riverside tap (they have GF). I made him a lemon gluten free cake. Yes Mike has severe allergy to Gluten also that sometimes is dilapidating. Just something else he manages so he can show up for his golf games, and cheer the grandkids on at the football games. Being a Dad and Papa is his greatest joy. 

Happy 70th Birthday, Mike!