Packing it In

Happy trails to you,

until we meet again.

Some trails are happy

ones, others are blue.

It's the way you ride

the trail that counts.

Here's a happy one

for 

you.

~Dale Evans

I said good-bye to

 an old friend

last week.

Not a flesh and

bone friend, but an

 inanimate one

that had been part

of our household

for 25 years.

Standing nearly

seven feet tall and

made of pine, this

armoire stood sentry

for two and half decades,

first housing a

television, and later,

retrofitted with shelves

for a little boy's room.

A little boy who is

now six foot two and

needs a dresser for 

his teenage clothing

instead of a stashing

place for toys.

I arranged for movers

to hoist the armoire

down from my son's

room and into the

garage.

I arranged to donate

the armoire to The Hope

Chest for Breast Cancer, a

 fine organization raising

money to assist women

in poverty fighting 

breast cancer.

What I didn't anticipate

needing to arrange were

my emotions on 

pick-up day.

As the sun shone in 

through spotty garage

door windows onto the

armoire, I thought of 

all the memories 

packed

inside of it.

Like the memory of choosing

the armoire at Homemaker's

in Chicago with my hubby as a

newlywed.  Romantic that

I am, I'd always dreamed

of owning an armoire!  

We were so proud when

it was delivered and our

television tucked inside.

For 15 years, it was the

heart beat of our 

family room.

I've laughed and cried in

front of this armoire.  TV

shows, movies, national

joys and national tragedies

all played out on the screen

housed within the armoire's

pine walls.

And Barney and Sesame

Street, Disney Singalong

Songs and Blue's Clues.

All there.

After a carpenter outfitted

the armoire with shelves, 

it housed stuffed animals,

baseball uniforms, little

boy inventions and a secret

hiding place for Christmas

presents.

Little hands used to stroke

its exterior and little hands

once reached into its interior.

We packed so much 

into the armoire's 25 years 

with us.

A lot like 2012.  It was a

year of highs and lows, and

just like the armoire, I've been

a bit nostalgic about what 

memories we've packed

inside of it.....

While wondering what 

memories we will pack 

into 2013.

And the armoire?

It's at The Hope Chest, 
ready for a new home. 

I hope the next owner will

pack in many

sweet, sweet 
memories,

too.

xo

Suzanne

PS:  Wishing you all a holiday

season full of moments

that make your heart sing.

I'll be back after New Year's.

Be well : )

all images P&H

Still Learning

{AKA, British Fashion, Henry VIII and Curry!}

Get over the idea that only children

should spend their time in study.  Be

a student so long as you still have

something to learn, and this will 

mean all your life.

~ Henry L. Doherty

As a resident of a

cold winter climate,

I was eager to see

what women who live

in jolly old England

wear to stay warm 

and toasty on damp, chilly

winter days, when my

family recently visited 

our London relatives 

Riding London's

public transportation

for seven days, I was

able to study local

fashion on work days

and on the weekend.

That's the London Look,

explained Laura, my 

blogging friend and 

American ex-pat, who

lives outside this

amazing city, when we

discussed the fashionable 

ensemble I saw time

and again......

Window shopping!

The London Look:

1.

An oversized tunic

length sweater.

2.

Cozy tights ~ smooth

or wooly; usually black.

3.

Boots.  Riding boots,

low boots, high heeled

boots, Ugg boots; it's

all good.

4.

 A scarf wrapped around

the neck.  Any fabric will

do, but usually wool.

5.

A cute coat.  The lady-

like cut with nipped in

waist and skirted bottom

was a favorite of mine.

All ages and sizes wore

the London look, even

though the tunics could

be quite short. It's warm,

it's practical, it's easy,

and it's chic!

{I've adopted this fashion

back at home and even

convinced a few friends

to try it, too.}  

We discovered a lot about

Henry VIII on our trip,

between visits to the Tower

of London and an excursion

to his pleasure palace,

Hampton Court.

And while we personally

would not have enjoyed

being his subjects, it

certainly peaked our

curiosity about the Tudor

era of English history.

10 miles outside of Central

London, Hampton Court

is situated next to a small

village.  It was here that

I met my blogging friend 

at a Lebanese cafe on the

high {main} street.

In years past, when I

thought of British food,

things like fish and chips

or Yorkshire pudding 

sprang to mind, but not 

anymore.

Besides the Lebanese food,

we experienced delectable Indian, 

Italian, Thai and French foods, 

as well as that reliable favorite,

English pub food.

It was all wonderful.

One particular culinary

surprise was my family's

new fondness for curry.  

Not something that I'd

normally whip up, this

scrumptious introduction

was made to us by my

aunt and uncle on our

first night in London.

Who knew?

Blogging pals ~ Sweet Laura and Me

From fashion to history,

savory curries to rides on

red buses and The Tube,

in a way, I felt like a 

student again.

A student of life.

And London?

It truly is like 

Forest Gump's 

box of chocolates:

You really don't know

what you're gonna get : )

But for us, what we

got was 

delicious.

I hope to return again

someday, to keep on

learning and to take

another

bite.

Are you a student

of life?

xo

Suzanne

all pics: P&H

What Goes Around.....

I am a big fan

of Rhonda Byrne's

The Power, where

she contends that

the secret to 

happiness is

love.

Giving love.

Focusing on what 

you love.

Falling in love ~

with life.

Love.

Much of this love

manifests itself as

kindness, and

when you dole it

out, a funny thing

happens.....

It comes back 

to you.

I witnessed this 

principal in action

a few weeks ago,

when my family

visited my aunt and 

uncle in London.

Big time.

My dad is the oldest

of five boys and my

Uncle Tom is the

youngest.

When I was born,

Tommy was 

nine years old.

Maybe because we

are close in age,

I've always held him 

in high esteem.

Tommy with me, my mom and my little brother.

He was sweet.

He was fun.

He was smart.

He was cute : )

When he married

my Aunt Susan, he

rose even higher in

my estimation, as

she is also sweet,

fun, smart and

beautiful!

Me and Susan

18 months ago, Tom

was offered a position

with his company's

London office.  Susan

put her thriving career

on hold to join him 

on this adventure.

They're both blooming.

Tom and Susan's sweet London home;
their door is on the right.

But back to The Power.

Not only are T&S warm

and friendly with their

own family and friends,

they are that way with

everyone.

I never saw Tom sit on the

Tube if a lady or an older

gent didn't have a seat.

Ever.

I watched him and Susan

generously give to musicians

playing in the Tube station

or to the homeless who

{politely} asked for help.

They were up to make

sure the coffee was 

brewing before we 

awoke each morning

and went to bed after

the last lights were 

dimmed each night.

They love taking care of 

the people they love.

My aunt was very busy

co-chairing preparations
for a huge Christmas 
festival in their London 
village, but despite that, 
accompanied us cheerfully 
on many touristy outings 
that she's no doubt seen

countless times.

Smiling as if it were

the first time.

Many of the museums

around London are free

{paid for by the hard

working British taxpayers},

but usually there are

donation boxes.

T&S always quietly

slipped something in.

That's just who they are.

My aunt and uncle are

both very successful

people, but I believe it

is their kindness, more

than their intellect and

hard work, that has made

them so.

It's boomeranged.

And we were so 

blessed

to be in that 

boomerang's

path.

All grown up : )

Be kind whenever possible.

It is always possible.

~ Dalai Lama

xo

Suzanne