it's true!!!

me here...stuck in the same old outfit- i'm savin' the good one for something spectacular!

: )    beth

some of my pictures...

i made this collage. it's my kinda fun girls...i know, i know i am a wild woman. i am fun. i take pictures and i edit them. a.l.o.t.   i get to sit in my big chair where it's air conditioned and i can have a cool beverage by my side. life is good.

hoping your weekend looks relaxing and not so darned hot .when i got in the car after work the computer said 103~ that's a seriously uncomfortable number in my opinion!
stay cool my friends,

xo beth

what is it about family?

this past weekend was my family reunion. it was hot. and i do mean hot~ like my girl said~ "almost as hot as belize". but still we gathered~ for the 33rd summer in a row we gathered and caught up on each others lives and ate good food and tried to find shade or even just the tiniest hint of a breeze.

cousin judy made this remarkable cake, what a labor of love!!!

 games were played~

little girls got reacquainted~

the sun baked down while the program was held~

and for me, the highlight was when they asked anyone who thought they could stand on their head to come up and show us. my grandmother was a bit of a legend in her time, for continuing to stand on her head (for her grandkids) long past the age of 50. three volunteers came up and guess who was awarded the prize? my momma's twin sister dora, who's 76 years old!!!

                here she sits, all demure and lovely-but now look at her!

up, up and she's done it folks---and she held this perfect position for quite a while too!

i know, i know- at 76? you've got to be kidding me!!! if you wonder what her secret is, it's having been a hardworking farmer her whole life. she's just retired in the past year and

altho she may not be throwing bales of hay anymore- this girls still got it right?  : )

*a few  much younger competitors flailed around trying to outdo her but NADA! it could not be done!!!! (do you think this should maybe be an olympic event?)

so what is it about family anyway? they are the people we came from, our past and our future. i am never more comfortable in my own skin then when i am surrounded by these people of mine. if you're a baldwin and you're reading this- i love you and i'm glad to be a part of this great big clan. it's a simple as that.

now if you'll excuse me, i have to go practice my headstand.

xo, beth

tender mercies

                                           the surgical waiting room....

yesterday was a long day here. our son had rotator cuff surgery to repair his sholder after being rear ended exactly 6 months ago. it's been a long haul, but i am so grateful to the skilled doctor and especially the unsung heros, his nurses mary kay and bethany. they kept me informed and reassured me as i waited and prayed and waited some more. he had a tough go of it ~~ it's never an easy surgery- but there were some unexpected complications with the pain management part (poor guy has a weird nerve pattern that they'd never seen before and areas could not be blocked)  but today was a much better day!     yeah!

so many of you were sending up prayers for him and we felt it- so to the wonderful people at the clinic and my peeps, thank you for your concern,

 you matter to me too!

~they put 4 of these babies in his bone to hold the tendon back on!  (they'd never had anyone ask to see them before- but he wanted to)  : )

xo, beth

look what's attracting birds in my back yard

what started out as about 12 plants dug up from my cousin mikey's raspberry patch a few years ago has turned into a massive mound of raspberry goodness~ the birds love them and while i am out picking, the birds are scolding and squawking away- trying to scare me off so they can eat them all- little do they know there are enough for all of us!

it's big, my patch. that means massive amounts of deet to go back and pick without needing antihistamines, it means finding about an hour every other day to pick these little berries and then~~~ what to do with them all?

well, if you didn't already know this- making jam is really very easy- so it's jam i am!
here's what i've done with my first 3 gallons of berries.

i have made a lot of jam.

if you want to come pick them-let me know

now, onto something unrelated but equally important.

*does anyone have a good remedy for dry cracked feet? i am so over having calloused feet that could turn into hooves without intervention! I've tried a lot of lotions- and sanding devices-please tell me i'm not alone-anyone out there found a solution?

xo, beth ("neigh")

graduation~

the 72 cadets filed in...

cole in the middle~

wilfred brimley handed out their diplomas....just kidding

this face says it all!

so long MSU....

you've gotta have this shot right?

and then driving home....thru the trees i spotted this green giant.  just thought you'd want to know~ i wasn't even scared, i had a real  "cadet"  policeman with me. : )

happy monday my friends,

xo, beth

tomorrow is a big day for me.
it's official~ my last child ~graduates from college.
this son of mine is now qualified to be a policeman!....and after a test he has to pass in august, he will be available for hire. i'm so proud of him for choosing law enforcement as a career. we need our policemen right? they keep us safe.

i am proud-oh yes i am... but as his mother my head goes places. it has to explore the dangers and long, late hours and the stress he will have~ is it what i would have chosen for him? probably not- this is the kid i jumped through hoops to have... 4 miscarriages, infertility treatments, his in-utero heart defect followed by a 10 day overdue, Christmas day birth-by the time this kid was born i practically displayed him on a silver platter. HAHA. as a mom we just want to protect our kids- but i will support him and wish him luck in finding a job and ask God to protect him. i will turn it over to God and know in my heart that if this is what he wants to do, then i am o.k. with it.

his sibs are already teasing him about the perks of being a cop:

turning on your lights and racing to dunkin donuts,
turning on your lights and racing to taco bell,
eating donuts,
turning on your lights and racing anywhere-when you need to use the bathroom,
getting out of speeding tickets yourself,
getting to flash a badge,
eating donuts

oh it goes on and on~ & it's going to be an interesting ride- of that i have no doubt.
he's survived driving like a maniac on a closed course-with a "tough as steel" 70 yr. old instructor, and being maced and tasered. oh and there was a lot of psychology & book learning too. AND a couple of bowling classes thrown in for good measure.  (you never know when throwing a heavy bowling ball at a perp may come in handy!)    : )

* pictures will be comin next week!   Have yourself a fabulous weekend,


xo, beth