Carnival Post - Snowflakes

Mother and Child Snowflake Print

by Valiantstudios

I love snowflakes, don't you? I know, they can only be seen in the midst of cold weather! But they are worth it! I remember seeing huge snowflake clusters falling when I lived in the mountains. Those clusters added to the total

Winter

by interrupt

overall footage of snowfall, but, of course, they settled with just a little warm weather. Anyway, snowflakes are the most beautiful crystal in nature, in my opinion.

So I went thru Etsy to see what intriguing items I could find that featured snowflakes. This post represents my favorites!

Snowflake Place Cards

by TimelessPaper

Snowflakes Card

by sarahtoma

Snow Flurries plates

by justmare

Decisions and Dominoes

Domino Necklaces by attitoodles

Thinking about Cathy's proposal, Abby took out a pad of paper to list the pros and cons. She was definitely for the proposal but she was wondering about the timing. With harvest season at hand and the the possible shortness of laborers, Abby just didn't know if she wanted to commit to a new venture, even if it was beneficial to Thomas House.

Hearing a scream at the back door, Abigail quickly left the pad and pencil lying on the table and ran toward the sound. She found Owen frozen in his steps, staring at a snake under the back steps! Abby grabbed a broom from the corner of the porch and banged the handle on the wooden step. The garter snake quickly slithered away down the back wall of the house and on into the field.

Scampering up the steps, Owen said, "Grandma, I 'm not scared of snakes, it just startled me! I didn't expect to see it there. Sorry to alarm you!"

"I know, Owen. You understand how snakes are good for us in controlling the mice and other derogatory critters around here. Come on in, and get a cookie! What did you need?"

"Oh, nothing. I just finished my chores and wanted to see what you are doing. Mom's busy sewing, and Paddy's playing a game with his friend."

"So, would you like to play a game with me? How about dominoes?" Abby asked. As she went to the game cupboard under the book shelves, she thought more about having another "little one" in the house . . . .

P.S. Please check out my son's site, Diamond Back Trading Cards. Educational cards for children and nature enthusiasts. Thanks, Linda

After Tea

Bauer 19302 California Pottery Tea cup and Saucer Delph Blue
by studiovintageshop

Vintage Shabby Chic Creamer and Sugar set in Blue

by harlowmonroevintage

Ms. Griffith was an immaculately dressed forty-ish woman who was on time and very friendly. Tea was cordial; full of thank yous from Ms. Griffith, for all the vegetable donations, and a time for getting to know one another. After teatime, there was the tour Abby's home, and the farm, and some chatting with Suz and the boys in the garden. Abby and Ms. Griffith, Cathy at this point in the relationship, finally settled in the wing chairs in front of the fireplace.



"Abigail, you have been highly recommended to me by all the staff and friends of Thomas House. I know that I am new, but I respect their opinions, and from what I see here, I must agree! I have a proposition for you. I have used this model in my previous job and it worked well. "

Abby replied, "Well, I'm always for anything that will benefit the kids."



"We would like to start a new program", Cathy continued, "where you would host a child from Thomas House for a week. This would help the parents while are finishing their studies, help the kids to be exposed to new experiences with all that goes on here at the farm, and some of these kids need a new sense of family which I believe they would see here at Blueberry Hill. We would like to start by just bringing groups of children for an afternoon tour of the farm. Then we can talk later about hosting a child and all the possible training paperwork involved."

While Abby and Cathy discussed the particulars, the afternoon was vanishing away. The sun was flooding thru the craft room windows and Sasha was brushing up against Abby's legs; she knew it was the time to be working in the sun filled room.

Photograph, Curtain Call, is from Etsy shop, eldphoto

Please visit these wonderful Etsy shops for some new delights!

Don't forget to leave a comment, to b e entered in the January giveaway! (see Jan 5th post for details!)

Tea and Flowers

Today, Abby was to have a guest. She spread the new patchwork tablecloth on the kitchen table, the dining room table was just too big for two people; she rinsed the dust from the china cabinet off the tea pot and cups and left them on the drainboard to dry. She had made fudge the night before and now she set about making some little finger sandwiches, arranging them with strawberries and kiwi slices on a three tiered plate with some of the fudge on the top plate. She made some lemonade, putting it in the refrigerator to cool, just in case her guest was not a "tea person" and she always had a hot pot thermos of coffee ready.

"I think I could use some flowers for the table. They are always so charming and calming. Besides, I sell them in town, and everyone else gets the benefit from our hard work, so I my guest and I should enjoy them too!" She walked out the back door, thru the porch screen door and around the corner of the house, to the side yard, past the vegetable garden and on to the flower garden. "We've planted cosmos, daisies, zinnias, echinacea, day lilies, rudbeckia, and sweet peas to name a few." The plot was edged with rose bushes dividing the flower garden from the lawn. She found Suz and Paddy pulling a few weeds between the rows.

"Good morning, no studies this morning?"

"Yes, we're going over our botany lesson, while we work. What are you doing?"

"The new director of Thomas House is coming for tea and I need some flowers for my table. I'm excited to meet her. I told her come all the way out Beavercreek until she saw . . . 'the most beautiful flower garden around' and that would be my house! Since it's the first thing that you see as you drive in the driveway. I think I'll choose some cosmos for today's table."

Reminiscing about Yesteryear and Apples

Abby rose from her nap a little hungry,

"Working the fields yesterday wore me out! Guess I'm not a young as I used to be."

She reached for a apple from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. She always had a fruit bowl filled with bananas, apples, oranges, kiwi, and clementines or whatever was in season. She laughed,

"I remember this fruit bowl when my boys were growing up. They were always hungry. Three teen aged boys at the same time. Whew! I was tired of them going thru a whole box of cereal at one sitting or carving off of the ham in the refrig before I got home from work to bake it! So I told them if they had to eat between meals, they must chose FRUIT! Just fruit!"

She took a bite of her apple and pleasantly smiled.

"This is good! I'll buy this one again!"

She'd bought a new apple at the store, one that she had not tried before. It was a Jazz apple. A little research revealed that is was a new apple cultivated first in New Zealand from a Breaburn and a Gala.

"I've always loved apples. I remember, as a kid, eating an apple every day, if my mom had them. The old saying was: An apple a day keeps the doctor away! I'd grab one and head out the back door to play. I'd eat it, throw the core in the 55 gallon drum barrel at the far back of the yard, and run off to play some more! No sitting around for me! But back then we only had a few choices. Delicious, which I really didn't like, Jonathans and McIntosh and "green" apples as we called them. My mom told me the green ones were Pippins and that they were the very best for making pies. My sister and I knew when we saw our mom buy green apples at the store that a pie was in the making!! My mom still makes the best apple pie that any of us have every tasted."

Pippins are an 'old' apple variety. The Newtown Pippin is from the 1700's and was made famous by none other than Thomas Jefferson, who grew them in his orchard at Monticello. One of the first US apple exports to the UK which originated in Newtown, Long Island, NY. Sometimes known as Albemarle Pippins. The well-known Yellow Newtown Pippin is a close relative.

"I wondered if Suz has any Pippins? I know she found a supplier on Sauvie Island in the Columbia River. Or did she find them at the Hood River Fruit Loop? I'll ask her, I feel like a pie . . . ."

(An earlier post was about autumn on a Sauvie Island farm.)

http://pruitthandcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/10/weekend-fun.html

Another giveaway!

Abby was kinda tired today, so no story about resting or napping . . . . but the writer, me-Linda, noticed that I have 86 followers! So, this is it . . . . I will send a free pair of earrings of my choice and a cute handpainted Angel gift bag, to my 100th follower!!!! Be sure to leave your email or someway to get hold of you!!!!

I'll be watching the followers! Thanks!~!

Work, spelling and cookies . . .

Paddy and Owen scrambled up the back steps and slammed the screen door behind them.

"Grandma, we're gonna work in the fields today, are ya coming? Mom wants to know."

Putting the last dish in the cupboard and hanging up the new tea towel, Abby responded, "Well, how are you boys today, did you get your studies done for the morning?"

"Yep! and we're all ready to plant those new shrubs. Dad got out early this morning and dug all the holes in the new rows, now we have to set them in! Grandma, did you make some more snickerdoodles? It smells like snickerdoodles. Can we have one?"

"I made them this morning, just for you! Help yourself, you know where the cookie jar is. I hope you ate your lunch, but I guess you probably did, since you are ready to work! Owen, can you spell 'cookie', for grandma? I know you've been working on your spelling words. And Padraic, you can spell 'snickerdoodle'. "

C-O-O-K-I-E recipe:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/snickerdoodles/7ffc92a9-d847-4869-9ecb-99de3b751b14

"Enjoy! I used to always make these for your mom and her siblings when they were growing up, and now I make them for you. When your grandpa and I were young and broke, I would use all shortening and no butter or which ever I had, cuz all the ingredients were in the cupboard as basics. We grew to love them!!!!"

Abby's Craft

Ater all the fun at Thomas House and the errands, "I almost forgot to pick up our new stock order at the nursery!" Abby settled into the craft room to work on her latest creation.

"Terry and Suz will take care of the new shrubs, until all of us can get out there to plant. I'm so glad to have family work days together. Dreams are not very good, unless you can share the progress with someone!"

The craft room was at the back of the house and had huge windows that looked out at the blueberry acreage. The sun was getting low on the horizon and shined directly into the room, providing plenty of late afternoon light to work on her project. The sewing machine was there, the cutting table, a recliner and side table, beautiful quilts on the walls for decor and plenty of storage for her fabrics. Returning to a pile of cut fabric, she began sorting the colors into patterns. "These are lovely prints, they remind me of my great-grandmother's dress prints. She always wore sort of non-descript loose fitting dresses with a small print fabric. I guess they were comfortable." While reminising about the old pictures of grandma and great-grandmother standing in front of the old homeplace, Abby continued to sort the fabric pieces, rearranging as needed for the design. She had already made one of these beautiful patchwork tablecloths, but Suz wanted one for her home.

Sasha brushed up against her feet under the table, letting her presence be known. "Oh, Sasha, it's your dinner time, isn't it?"

Two Dollar Earring Sale!

I added a new section to my shop! (Actually, I had this section some time back but emptied it!)

It's a $2 Earring Clearance Section!!!

I have tons of earrings, and need to move them. Take a look! Select several. You can tuck these away somewhere for just the right gift giving time or treat yourself!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PruittDesign?section_id=6534681

Looking Forward

Again today, I deviate from the Abby story to post my Etsyblogger Carnival post for the month:

The year 2009 was so bad that I am not looking back. I'm letting it go and mustering all the hope I can for 2010. Economic situations for everyone were not what we hoped, so I am looking forward to what the new year will bring. Some of my hopes and dreams:

1) My husband is in a dead-end (and a stop-gap) job that he took just because he needed something! It doesn't meet our needs so we are living with family. This year he needs a GOOD permanent job! We have several prospects, so with the job market still tight, we are hoping!

2) I have always dreamed of and want to purchase a piece of country property, much like I am writing about in my 'Abby' series in this blog. I want to have a small rural family farm.

3) I want to expand my business interests. I'm thinking of expanding one of my items to place in brick and mortar stores on a wholesale basis. This will be a new adventure for me, exciting!

4) I hope to design a line of country linens and kitchen towels, also for future expansion.

These may seem like lofty plans or dreams, but without hope, our lives are just no fun!

Charity

Stroking Sasha's fur and grabbing her travel cup, Abby dashed out the door and headed for the truck. No sporty sedan for her, she needed a work vehicle. Some of her errands today were to pick up some replacement stock at the nursery and deliver a batch of flowers to the rural market stand. Then, on to Thomas House to deliver vegetables that Suz picked fresh and prepared for delivery.

"I had better stop at the market first, and drop off these flowers while they are still fresh. Wouldn't want them to wilt! I always spend too much time at TH! The kids there are just so cute and need an extra smiling face! Maybe I could work on puzzles with a few of them today. Thomas House is such a worthy charity." She further mused on the work and services they provided there, "Immediate haven that meets the urgent and long-term needs of homeless women and their children. Activities conducted by skilled professional staff and they maintain a 5 to 1 client to staff ratio. That's pretty Good! Transitional Services span the range from workforce related learning and career centers and an educational children's center to life skills such as budgeting and cooking needed to be self-sufficient, along with parenting classes. There's career planning, opportunities to acquire a high school diploma, learn computer, vocational and employment skills. The Continuation Service includes moving assistance, ongoing life skills instruction, and neighborhood orientation to make the transition to independent living. The Children's Center is a state licensed center providing early childhood education, or homeschooling for a younger children until they are ready to enter the school system. Comprehensive. How could we not help?"

This is Abby's charity; the family farm operation provides fresh vegetables thru the summer season. Are you like Abby? There are charitable possibilities everywhere in your city to offer your time or your contributions. Local shelters, rescue missions always need coffee, mentoring services for children, court appointed volunteers for foster children, Red Cross volunteers for overnight warming shelters, agencies that provide homemade blankets for seriously ill children and hospice patients, etc. Do you have a favorite charity that you contribute to? Tell us about it.

Last Three Days!

We leave Abby, today, to let you know about a sale that ends on Friday. Only Three days left! We will return to Abby's story tomorrow.

Shop Clearance Sale

I am cleaning out my stock in my design shop! Must cut my inventory!

Everything is 40% OFF!!

If you mention this blog in the notes to seller at checkout, I will refund you an extra 10% Off thru Paypal!! Such a DEAL!!!! I had two sales today, already!

I thought I would share with you Abby's picks for today:

Something simple for everyday wear:

Moonstone Beaded Necklace

Something to wear to church:

Red Agate Necklace and Earring set

and something for FUN frivolity:

Pink Lampwork Bracelet

Morning Coffee

"Rooster's crowing, it must be almost dawn. I better get up, so much to do today!" As Abby's feet hit the rag rug on the floor, Sasha only squirmed and repositioned herself on the bed.

"Come on, Sasha, Let's go down and get your breakfast--busy day ahead."

Downstairs Abby crossed the living room and entered the big country kitchen, going straight to the pantry for expresso beans and cat food. After preparing Sasha's breakfast and setting it on the floor for her, Abby set about to make the world's best (at least, Abby's best) latte to start her day!

"Now for my 'simulated' breakfast. Sasha, I really learned a ton, from Shirley, since she became a barista! Let's see now, proper grind, lighter to the finger touch than sugar grains, seven grams worth; cold whole milk for me, I need the protein; and of course, sugar free syrups, which I should always add first to prevent curdling. But not today, though. My breakfast is a Cinnamon Roll Latte. And I don't have any sugar-free Cinnamon Syrup!"

Cinnamon Roll Latte
Pour 1/2 oz Cinnamon Syrup in your cup
Add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
Stir
Add your expresso
Fill with foamed and steamed milk
Top with whipped cream
Dust with powered cinnamon

Enjoy!

Quick facts about our Coffee culture:*
1. Gourmet coffee became a social beverage in the 90s because the ten year total of teetotaloers was up by 28%. We started drinking mochas, not martinis.
2. Seattle is the expresso capital of the world with gourmet coffee sales reaching 40% of the total coffee market share. National average is about 30%
3. Why do we say "coffee beans" when coffee comes from berries? Because each berry has two beans.

* Facts from Espresso, Quick Reference Guide by Phillip Janssen (you know, an old fashioned BOOK :)

Abby's Tea Towels

After dinner, Abby lit a fire in the huge stone fireplace in the sitting room. She settled into her favorite fireside wing chair with her planner and some embroidery work. Obviously no room for Sasha in her lap, the cat settled herself in the matching wing back just opposite Abby. Opening her planner, Abigail thought about tomorrows activities. Besides bringing some fresh produce to the children of Thomas House, she should stop at the co-op office to see about the projected price of blueberries. "We need a better price, this season." she thought. "I also need to sign up for some extra laborers. It's getting harder and harder for Suz and family to do the work since we added that extra acreage year before last. Well, tomorrow will hold enough work of it's own, right now, I need to finish this set of tea towels."

After jotting down a couple of more items on her list, she put the planner on the end table and picked up the sewing basket and tea towels. This set would be for Aunt Ramona in Missouri, a gift for her birthday. Cute little rooster calling out the morning light. "Better finish this quickly, as tommorrow morning's light will be here all too soon."

P.S. Tea towel set available in my shop!

Saturday Picks

Saturday--Shopping day!

We'll go back to the Abigail story on Monday, but today I want to share a few of my favorite picks with you! Shop Etsy sellers!

Mini Weed Pocket
Midnightcoiler Etsy Shop

Rococco Marie Ann Cup

PaintedCottages Etsy Shop

Cottage in the Woods Quilt

brenniequilts Etsy Shop

Visit these great shops today!

Dinner Time!

Reading finished, the kitchen garden called. Weeding always needed to be done and of course, the watering. The chicken wire fencing kept the chickens out, but not the moles! Raised beds were the only answer to the moles and the clay soil pervasive in the area. It helped her keep the soil lighter too, especially for the carrots that grew longer and deeper in loose soil. After weeding and picking a few bright red tomatoes, Abigail's afternoon was nearly over and it was dinner preparation time.




Opening the wood-framed screen door and stepping up onto the enclosed porch, Sasha jumped from the wicker chair pad where she'd had her afternoon nap and began to purr while brushing the side of Abby's leg. Abby set the tomatoes on the sideboard and sat for a moment to cool off. Sasha jumped immediately to the newly formed lap and curled up, still purring. Looking over at the little table beside her chair, Abby noticed a foil covered package shaped like a loaf. It was still warm. Remembering that Suzanne promised to bring over some cornbread, she looked up to see her daughter returning to her house, across the plot between their homes. She waved as she entered her back door. While stroking Sasha's back, Abby thought about dinner: Hamburger pie, fresh tomato slices and, now, homemade from scratch Sweet Corn Bread!



Suzanne's Sweet Corn Bread

1 c. milk

1/4 c. stick butter, melted

1 lg egg

1 1/4 c. cornmeal

1 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt



Beat milk, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until moistened. Pour into a greased square or round baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with butter.

I won a giveaway!

I diverge from the Abigail story today. I have neglected to give acknowledgement to a blogger friend, Marlene. I entered her blog giveaway back in December and won! With all the Christmas craziness, I forgot to acknowledge her wonderful artistic talent! She has art, jewelry and vintage items in her lovely shop!






I actually won a Christmas candle ACEO and a pair of earrings. I promptly gave the beautiful earrings to one of my granddaughters, and to my surprise the ACEO fit perfectly in my tea light candle lantern! It's inside the glass and I can enjoy it without having to light a candle! I put it right next to a Santa figurine for the Christmas season and it was beautiful! Thanks Marlene.

Please visit her shop to view her other ACEO's and products! Thanks!

Who Am I? part 2

When I thought of Abigail, I thought of a romantic patchwork and lace table cloth covering a small round patio table holding one lone tea cup and saucer and a book. The book is romantic too, but a mystery, where hours could be wiled away in the pursuit of an answer. A huge oak tree branches out over the patio grape arbor providing shade and coolness for the afternoon. A few short steps away, is the kitchen garden, waiting for attention after the reading is over.

Am I a loner? Am I lazy? Do I live in a dream world? Yes, no, and no. I am somewhat of a loner, not given to excessive babbling about nothing. I'm industrious, but I like my down time. I love the lonely, lazy down time between passionate pursuits of purpose. And my purpose for today, a Romantic patchwork tablecloth with lace and an occasional cup of tea at stopping points.

My stash of pastel romantic fabrics and my tea cup! I'm off to create . . . .

Honoring My Readers

I am so excited about this new format and ongoing dialog that I am writing! It's helping me with my creative process! I have come up with several new ideas--not to be shared yet--but you will love them, I am sure!!!! First . . .

WHAT?

I'm doing a giveaway.


WHO is it for?

It's for those of you who follow and comment.


WHEN?

Winner will be picked from a bag full of entries, by my little grandson, Padraic, on February 1st (his 7th birthday!)


HOW to participate:

1) If you have ever commented on my blog, you automatically have one entry! That's for the whole of last year!

2) Each comment to my blog from January 1st to the 31st will be entered into the drawing!

3) Each new blog follower will get another chance just for being a new participant!

4) If you recommend my blog to someone who becomes a new follower, I will give you two new chances to win. Please make sure your friend lists your name in the comment so I can give you credit.

All these entries will be put in a hat (actually a paper gift bag) and a winner will be drawn!

Winner will receive a 25$ gift certificate good in either of my shops! I will pay for the shipping of the item or items!

BONUS WINNER will be for the best 2010 comment of my choosing. Bonus winner will win a zipper pull of your choice or $8 toward any purchase in my Design shop.



WHY?

Why? Because I love you! I love to get comments, most bloggers love feedback! And because I have had a blog for over a year now and haven't thanked my supporters, my readers! This one is for you!

Bye for now,
Abby . . . er . . . Linda!

Who am I?

On this new year's journey, I will start by asking the question: "Who am I?"



It depends on who is asking, what that answer will be. My kids will say that I am 'MOM'. My grandchildren will say that I am 'Grammy' or even 'Grandma'. But, one thing I am sure, my grandkids, will not know who I am inside, most of the time. I want them to know.



Ever had an alter ego? Once my youngest did. Everything that she wrote was not from her, but from her pseudonym 'Jane'. Well, I have a pseudonym, of sorts. It's the persona where my wishes and dreams are kept safe. She doesn't have a name, but she's real none-the-less, in my thoughts and dreams.



I'm a city dweller, but my other ego is a country farm girl/mama. I have no animals, but my other ego has chickens, a cat, and, on some days, a horse. I love the outdoors and nature, but am much too familiar with asphalt and concrete. I love tramping thru the woods to see what is over the next hill, but I rarely go out. I love recipes, but am all too acquainted with chicken nuggets and hamburgers.



So, who is my other person and will she ever take over the circumstances of my current existence? For now, and for the sake of dreaming, let's call her Abigail (or Abby) after a character that I once admired for her courage and boldness. And let's let her "become" in the pages of this blog. In so doing, I will be true to myself and my quote from my January 2nd blog post:

"I want to wander about my mind for creativeness that has been hidden. I want to journey around the despair and disappointment that stifles, and be completely surprised by inspiration that lies dormant. I want to present a beautiful blog that is an inspiration to others, that's not just common place. It will take some effort, I know, but it is an adventure worth taking."

So, onward we go . . . .

P.S. By the way, I will be unveiling a readers comment contest tomorrow, be sure to come back and participate!

Out my window, I see a weathered fence with moss on the top, and the neighbor's cypress hedge towering above the fence top. Beyond that roof tops, and pine trees swaying in the slight wind that the storm has brought. It's cold outside, and uninviting. A lazy gray day. No snow or rain today, just grayness. It's sort of how I feel. Nothing particular to do but watch a chickadee flit thru the cypress and onto the fence rail. Another one joins her, a male. They peck at the moss, hopping up and down the fence, then fly off to who knows where.

Chickadee print by Paul Dolanjski
(follow the link for his site on Etsy)

I guess the cat saw them too. Not five minutes later, when another bird flew up to the top rail, she pounced out from her hidden perch in the cypress boughs and almost had lunch! So much for my peaceful bird watching for now! Guess I will go find something else to do.

Ideas for the New Year

Ever felt like you're a bit undecided but KNOW that you need to take a direction and pursue it?

I am still contemplating what changes that I really need to make.



I'm sort of feeling, "out with the old, in with the new." The first change, you can see: I have changed the format of my blog. It's the new year and a perfect time to make changes. Besides this format change, there will be a few more blog changes soon. I would like to make a three column presentation, just haven't finished with everything yet.



I've been blogging for more than a year now, and I want to customize my writing to reflect who I am. I may have to dig deep to find just who that is and to find my voice, in the midst of all the bloggy creativeness out there, but find my voice I will. Sometimes in the past, I have taken my lead from what others are doing, i.e. Wordless Wednesdays. I soon ran out of cute pictures to post. I tried doing a Tuesday Proverb, although I still think this is a good idea, it was really the wrong day of the week for me. Maybe Monday would be better. Still thinkin'.

I want to wander about my mind for creativeness that has been hidden. I want to journey around the despair and disappointment that stifles, and be completely surprised by inspiration that lies dormant. I want to present a beautiful blog that is an inspiration to others, that's not just common place. It will take some effort, I know, but it is an adventure worth taking.

So, I hope that you will bear with me as I begin quieting myself, listening to my spirit, and becoming self-honest to see where this journey will take us. Perhaps you will see yourself in my words or in the pictures of my work that I chose to present in this blog. And hopefully, over time, you will begin to see the things for which I strive.

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's 2010!

.

I remember when,

I thought 2000 we'd never reach!

.

Now it's a decade later,

And I'm no spring peach,

.

Much faster these days,

time seems to fly

.

My resolution to make memorible

And sweet each day as it goes by.