These rings aren't really pink....I had on a red shirt the day I took the photo. I lost the center diamond out of my engagement ring. I was sick about it. I had been potting waterlilies that day and feeding the fish, and I was sure I would never find it. Two months passed. One of my junking friends called to see if I wanted to go to some yard sales and thrift shops. I always carry a clutch type wallet. Never a purse. I looked in my wallet to see how much cash I had. In the place for the bills, was my diamond. Mind you, I had carried it everywhere, but it hadn't fallen out. I was so happy, and I got the rings repaired. Jody was captain on a tow boat at the time, gone for 2 weeks at a time. He hired a guy to help me while he was gone....who turned out to be a crack addict. I broke my wrist, took the rings off and put them in a baggie in a glass candy jar in a corner cabinet. I was house sitting for a friend, spending nights at her house. I came home one morning, and the door was open to my hous. All doors open. Even refrigerator. All drawers pulled out. I immediately went to the cupboard and my rings were gone. For 18 months, I went to pawn shops, talked to people that might know drug dealers....trying to find them. No luck. I gave up. One day I looked in a covered vegetable dish that was in the corner cabinet. I had a habit of putting little things in covered dishes. Things I collect like an old button or marbles. I looked to see if I had put anything in there. I hadn't, but it had a domed lid and when I lifted the lid, I saw a baggie crammed in the corner behind it. In the baggie were my rings. I had kept some lose change in that candy jar. No more than $5. The thief had taken that, but in his haste, he didn't see anything in the baggie....the rings were small...size 4 1/2....and he only had the light from the fridge to go by...so he hadn't seen the rings in the baggie in the jar!

We have A LOT of windows in this house! Our kitchen faces towards the mountains. I keep pots of red geraniums and basil on my window sills in here. I took a few off so that you could better see the view. That pointed thing in the foreground of the second pic is a fountain with a winter cover on it. I’m still getting used to it, as half the time when I glance towards it, my first thought is that it‘s some person skulking around out there (LOL)!

These kiddos make us so happy. Oldest DGD who was home from grad school with great nieces and great nephew at our house for Christmas Eve breakfast. We had lots of celebrating over the holidays with family members and enjoyed every minute.

I’ve been to two funerals this week. Both very nice people who lived a good, long life but very different send offs. The one earlier this week in Calgary was brief and plenty of laughs. The one this morning, in a small town in Alberta, oh my goodness, it was very long and the service was chanted in both English and Ukrainian. We had to stand most of the time. The reception was a huge meal of holopchi, perishke, natchingka, nalysnyky, pork ribs, rice, pickles, vegetable, gravy….all before noon. And then more chanting. It was held in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. There was a lot of laughs as well. It was for my husband’s 93 year old aunt. Before the meal we all were given an orange, an apple and an individual kolach with a candle that we lit before the meal. Blew it out after some chanting and then took it home. It was good to see old friends and family at both.