"Z" as in the end of the Alphabet and Alphabe-Thursday

Welcome once again to Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."

Today we are studying the letter "Z."

"Z" is the last letter of the Alphabet.  Today is the last day of Alphabe-Thursday and I am sad.  I believe I was here for the very first Alphabe-Thursday.  Over the years I haven't been real good about blogging, but I always knew I could come back to Alphabe-Thursday and jump right in.

I consider Ms. Jenny a special friend.  She's one of the most thoughtful people I have ever known.  When my son had his first stem cell transplant she asked everyone on her blog to send him a card.  He was in the hospital for weeks.  Every day the nurse would bring in a handful of envelopes.  It helped lift his spirits and mine!

Over the years she has never forgotten us. She has sent many, many cards.

She has been through her own trials and tribulations for a long time now.  Somehow she kept Alphabe-Thursday going for us.  I'm hoping and praying Ms. Jenny's health will improve and this will just be a temporary break.

Please head over to Ms. Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.

Bye for now...

UPDATE:  Ms. Jenny is going to be back next Wednesday with something new.  She's not going to be going away after all.  I am so glad.  Thanks Mr. Jenny for being such a good support system for Ms. Jenny!!  You are both in my prayers.

"Y" as in YEA!!! for Alphabe-Thursday

"Y" as in YEA for this week's Alphabe-Thursday!

Why YEA?

Because I'm jumping up and down and saying, "YEA!"

Some of you already know that my son had a stem cell transplant almost three years ago.

He's been cancer free ever since, but this past summer his PET scan lit up.  That can be an indication that the cancer has returned.  He ended up having a needle biopsy that was negative, but they said the needle doesn't get much and could have missed it.  So, he had a surgical biopsy and that also came back negative.  Still, it could have meant they didn't get enough.  Then he had a spinal tap that was also negative.  So, we were down to waiting until the next PET scan to see if the spot got larger.  It didn't.  If it was the Lymphoma returning it would have gotten larger.  There's just a small spot now.

Other things can cause the scan to light up, but once there's been cancer it's a big worry.  Needless to say, we're very relieved.  He had been told that reaching three years cancer free would be very good.   I guess kind of a landmark.   On December 21st it will be three years.

After a stress filled summer we're saying YEA!

Now head over to Jenny's blog...Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" for a list of this week's participants.

Thanks for visiting...

"X" as in "let's "X" out this football season" for Alphabe-Thursday

I hate to say it, but I think this football season is over for my Houston Texans.

I hate to give up.  There are still a lot more games to play, but so far things aren't going well.

Last Sunday's game was the worst game ever for the Texans.  It was a great game for the Miami Dolphins!  Congratulations Miami!  You earned it.

The Texans lost 44-26.  At half time the score was 35-0!

As if things couldn't get any worse...Arian Foster is out for the season.  He's our running back and was injured in the last minutes of the game.  He's one of our best players.  We were being blown out of the water, so why did they leave him in?  He was just coming back from a serious injury.

So much drama too.  Ryan Mallet our back up quarterback missed the team charter and had to catch a commercial flight.  On Tuesday the Texans released him.  I don't think he was a team player, so it's good that he's history.

I want to be a loyal fan, but it isn't always easy.  My Dad was a Chicago White Sox fan for many, many years.  He started rooting for them when he was a Boy Scout.  He never gave up on them.  Finally, when he was in his late 80's they won the World Series.  "Good things come to those who wait."  Dad waited...and waited.  He always loved his team.  That's the kind of Texans fan I want to be.

I'll be at the game this coming Sunday.  I won't boo.  I won't leave.  I might be the last remaining fan in the stadium, but I'll be there.  I'm always kind of dismayed when people boo and start pouring out of the stadium when the team gets behind.  That's not what Dad taught me.  Don't worry Texans.  I'm in this for the long term.  It might just be us left in the stadium on Sunday, but I'm still with you.

We might have to "X" out the season, but I'm not ready to "X" out the team.

Please head over to Jenny's blog (Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent") for a list of this week's Alphabe-Thursday participants.

I know I've been hit and miss in blogland lately, but I'm back for this week's Alphabe-Thursday.
Thanks for visiting...

"Q" as in QUICK for Alphabe-Thursday

It's time again for Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent." 

This week we are studying the letter "Q" as in QUICK...

...get an Alphabe-Thursday post up!!! 

This is it!

Now head over to Ms. Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants. 

Thank you for visiting.

"P" as in PAPER art for Alphabe-Thursday

After a bit of an absence I'm jumping in again for Ms. Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday.

This week we are studying the letter "P" as in PAPER art.

Take a look at this guy!   He's made out of paper.  This is Okoa The Wave Rider.  We stumbled upon him while down at MD Anderson Cancer Center for one of Reid's appointments recently.

I'm sorry that the picture of the sign isn't very clear.  He was an art project by the patients, families and staff at MD Anderson's Cancer Center.  The project was made possible by the Arts In Medicine Program.  The sign tells the story behind Okoa, but all of these pictures were taken with our cell phones and I know the writing isn't very clear.

However, you can read the entire story behind Okoa The Wave Rider here.

Now please head over to Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" for a list of this week's participants.  Thanks Jenny for sponsoring this event.

"G" as in GINNY DOLLS for Alphabe-Thursday

I'm getting my Alphabe-Thursday post up on Friday again this week!

"G" as in GINNY DOLLS!  Not too original.  I've done quite a few posts on my Vogue GINNY Dolls over the years, but she's the first thing that pops into my mind for the letter "G."

Yes, this will be a doll post.

I grew up in the 1950's playing with GINNY and I still play with her today.  I collect vintage, modern, and vintage reproduction GINNY Dolls and her family.  I'm forever trying to get them organized. 

Recently I had some cabinets built in my doll room.  It took a long time to get them painted.  They took three coats...one coat of primer and two coats of oil based paint.  I painted on and off for two weeks.

I've been moving dolls around and I've temporarily put some in the new cabinets.  Nothing is really organized yet.  I just put some in the new cabinets to get them out of the way for now.  I'm thinking about organizing them by year and theme.

With some dolls out of the way in the new cabinets I can work on some of the rooms.  They're pretty messy right now.

And I still need to get the game room finished.  A friend gave my son the Ginny size games.  They were used in a store as examples of how the human size games would look, but they were perfect for my dolls.  One of these days I'll have that room finished!

A while back I started hanging and tagging doll clothes.  I have to get that finished too!

I like the idea of hanging clothes because they don't get as wrinkled.

Now please head over to Ms. Jenny's blog at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" for a list of this week's participants.

Thank you for visiting.

"F" as in FINALLY FINISHED!!!

If only this was called Alphabe-Friday.  I'd be right on time!

This week we are studying the letter "F" as in FINALLY FINISHED!!!

In 2013 I began work on my mother's sewing table.  She said it had originally been her grandmother's.  It had always been pretty beat up, but got even worse in the move here.

My mother had it in the hallway and the mirror shown in this picture always hung above it for as long as I can remember.  As a child the little swing out drawer fascinated me.   My mother used to keep her thread on the little spindles.  The thread sold today does not fit on them.

I began work at the old house and then we got busy packing and moving.  (We've now lived here almost two years.)  Before the move I had it all sanded.  There was really no choice since the top had a deep scratch. 

I toyed with the idea of using chalk paint, but then decided with cats I needed to protect the finish.  Although I like the worn look I preferred a nice smooth finish for this piece.  Besides, I had a jar of sample paint in a shade of blue that I really liked.

I quickly took a few pictures of the finished table in my upstairs hallway.  They really don't accurately show the shade of blue.  It's a little washed out in these pictures.  I momentarily thought about lugging the table down the stairs and out into the yard for a photo in natural light, but it's so hot and humid out there today!  I also need to tell you that the rug is not dirty.  I think it's shadows.  After I uploaded these pictures I went back and checked just to be sure.

I had a piece of glass cut for the top.  Just an added piece of protection from the cats.  The finish on top looked so pretty and I knew I'd be heartbroken if a cat scratched it.  Only the first picture has the glass.  I took some without it.  I'd prefer not to have the glass, but I'd also prefer not to have the top ruined.

I used three coats of the blue paint and some stain on the top.  I no longer remember the color of the stain.  Then I added a rub on varnish for the top and two coats of Polycrylic finish to protect the paint.

I still have to finish the mirror.

I started the table in June of 2013 and finished it a couple of months ago.  It's FINALLY FINISHED!!!

Now head over and visit Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" for a list of this week's Alphabe-Thursday's participants.  Thanks for visiting.

"E" as in EXTREME hate...

I had no idea what I'd write about this week for Alphabe-Thursday and then the news about the Charleston, South Carolina church killings broke.  Nine people murdered because of a person's extreme hate.

I've never understood the ability to hate that deeply. What motivates someone to be consumed by hate?

My son had a doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago.  While waiting he sent me a text about a man in the waiting room.  "Wait until I get home and tell you about what this guy is saying."  What he was saying was bizarre and hate filled, but I told my son he had to be getting his rant from somewhere.  Sure enough, I did a quick google search and pulled up the same hate filled statements.

I have a love hate relationship with the Internet.  There are many things I enjoy online, but its presence has also opened up a whole can of worms.  People can now easily spread misinformation and hate.  A hate filled person can find others to validate and fuel his hatred in the anonymous Internet world. 

I don't know if that's what actually happened in the South Carolina tragedy, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this murderer/terrorist spent a considerable amount of time online with like minded people.


Hate has always been around and I'm afraid always will be, but I think the Internet is just one of the contributing factors that has made hatred worse in recent times.

Today my prayers are with everyone affected by hate.


Please visit Ms. Jenny's blog at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent" for a list of this week's participants.

"D" as in my DOLLS again!

Welcome to Alphabe-Thursday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."

Today we are studying the letter "D" as in DOLLS, so this will be a post about the latest happenings with my Vogue Ginny DOLL family.

Recently I enlisted my son to help restring some vintage Vogue Ginny DOLLS.  It's a two person job.  One person to hold the DOLL while the other pulls the elastic cording real tight.  My vintage DOLLS are from the early 1950's through the late 1950's. 

We also restrung some of the Vogue vintage reproduction DOLLS and a modern Vogue Ginny DOLL.  It amazed me that most of the DOLLS from the 1950's still had the original rubber bands holding them together.  They had just stretched out.  They don't make rubber like that anymore because the newer DOLLS are already starting to fall apart.

Then I worked on my Ginny school.  I recently purchased some wood furniture that reminded me of a 1950's classroom.  The teacher's desk and chair, the students' chairs, and the bookcase were all hand made.  The man that made them did a great job.

Once again Ginny Ellen takes care of the class guinea pig.  Ginny Ellen is my interpretation of Ellen DeGeneris as a child.  I'm pretty sure she was the class clown back in her day.  Ginny Ellen gets in a lot of trouble with Sister Anna.

It was "show and tell" day when these pictures were taken.

The DOLL in the brown check and green dress was my latest DOLL purchase.  I found her in an antique store in Galveston.  She only cost $25.  I removed her wig and moved it forward on her head.  It was too far back and looked strange to me.  I think it looks much better now.  She was wearing a plain pair of pajamas and I redressed her in a Vogue dress from 1955.  The dress came with a hat, but I forgot to put it on her.

In this picture you can see that they're all waiting patiently for their turn.  The girls have dolls to share with the class and the boy has a View Master.  A lady on Etsy made the boxes and they're miniature duplicates of real DOLL boxes and a View Master box.  She did a really nice job.

I also recently purchased an old tin kitchen.  I had wanted this kitchen for a long time.  They are usually pretty beat up when they appear on eBay, but this one was in pretty good shape for its age.  It even came in the original box and still had the original directions.

I know it's pretty old because my sister and I got one for Christmas in 1952!

Now head over to Ms. Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.  Thank you for visiting.