Decorating for Halloween.......and other stuff, too......

It's Sunday afternoon and I am anxiously awaiting the rain that is coming. Last night we got a little shower about midnight and the sound of the rain on the roof was lovely. Julie Andrews sang of "raindrops on roses" as some of her favorite things but I like my raindrops on the roof. There is something so soothing about a steady rain (not the near tornado/hurricane stuff - been through that) and knowing that the earth will get a drink and the grass will be greener and the crops will do better. Julie also likes "whiskers on kittens" and when I pulled out the Halloween decorations a bit ago, there was a black fur cat that I made years ago and he has whiskers made of nylon thread. I have great memories of Halloween as a kid and then with my kids. My daughter says she cannot hear the song "My Favorite Things" without thinking of me singing it when she was a child. I made a big deal of holidays and we decorated the whole house. It's not quite the same when your kids are grown and gone but this year we are in a new house and I am hoping lots of neighborhood kids will come to my door and enjoy the decorations I set out on my porch and in the entry and up the steps. I can't show photos yet because I'm not done decorating. You see, I'm taking a break. :-) I decorate a little, check my blog, read a few favorite blogs, etc. etc.
That leads me to the following............One of the most enjoyable aspects of this blogging journey that I have begun is the people I have "met" since I began blogging last May. In my previous entry that celebrates my 100th post I wrote this in response to all of you who have commented on my blog.... "People touch our lives in the simplest of ways sometimes and I have been touched by the comments that you have all shared with me." Today as I began reading blogs and posting comments myself, I thought about how if I hadn't read one person's blog, I would not have found another, and so on and so on. And I would have missed so much if I had not crossed paths with so many of you wonderful bloggers. I am not a shy person as most of my close friends know. If I want to get to know someone, I start talking right away. Perhaps, the same works here in blogland. Comments are like talking. If you don't speak up, well, you won't get a response. (That said, I am still working my way through responding to the over-100 comments on my fall giveaway post and am up to about 80 now. )
The first blog that I ever read is one from a gentleman who is certainly not afraid to "speak up" - Mark Lipinski at Quilter's Home magazine. I began following his blog and joined his Yahoo group last fall right about this time. I soon "met" Donna Jo and we exchanged e-mails and then met in person. You're going to hear more about her when I post the tutorial for the "Pickled Pink Pincushion" on October 17. There's a reason why I'll be posting it that day but you will have to check back then to find out what it is!! Here's a peek at the finished product............just a little pickle to bring some luck (you know, like the German tradition of a pickle in the Christmas tree for good luck) or a smile to your face.

So, back to "people touching our lives".................If I hadn't found Mark's blog and group, I would not have met Donna Jo and I also would not have "met" Nanette of FredasHive as she also was reading Mark's blog. We connected almost immediately, talked on the phone, enjoy each other's blogs, and e-mail frequently. She is, in fact, my "Blog pick of the week".

At about the same time that I started reading Mark's blog, I found Natalie at CinderberryStitches. I love her blog and all the wonderful embroidery projects. I love handstitching and from her blog, I found many others that were equally enjoyable. One of them was Belladia and her posts are often just inspiring words that can make my day. So on an earlier "break" from my decorating, I stopped in to Bella dia and caught up on her posts. One was about "The Martha Blog" and if you want a chance to have your blog reviewed by Martha Stewart go to her blog and make a comment - which I promptly did! :-) One of the requirements is to post a link back to her blog, so if you want to learn more, just click on Martha. There was a time in my life when I "took" the name Martha. Some of you know that I worked as a living history interpreter at Murphy's Landing in Shakopee, MN now known as TheLanding. I took the name of Martha because that was the name of my paternal great grandmother. I never knew her but had learned more about her shortly before my grandmother passed away. Martha, her mother had been a dressmaker, so it was only appropriate that I take the name of Martha when working at the site. Somehow, Sandi just didn't seem right for a woman of the late 1800's who was a dressmaker and homemaker.

And that brings me to my last blog link for this afternoon. One of the blogs I check on aregular basis is HenandChicks the blog of Heidi Kaisand. I like it because she shares stories of her life and kids and family in Iowa and since that is my home state, her blog makes me feel like I have taken a visit home. She's hosting a retreat in November (go to her blog to find out more) that I had hoped to go to but it's not going to work because of a conflict with my husband's business travels. His travels though, have taken us many places and it was a blog listed among Heidi's favorites that led me to NihalsCrossroads in Turkey. I have enjoyed reading her blog and sharing memories of a trip that my husband and I took to Turkey to celebrate our 30th Anniversary in 1998. She is enjoying reading them and is looking forward to hearing more of our adventures. Before I crossed paths with Nihal, I had already given a hint in my GratitudeandGiving post that I would be sharing more about "a marker coming up in my life - our 40th Wedding anniversary and the many things for which I am thankful, grateful". Crossing paths with Nihal will make it even more enjoyable as she is there, in Turkey, and will read and enjoy what I write. I hope you do, too.

I make this apology or excuse, now though............. for the life of me, I am not able to post a short post! I have so much to tell and things to share that I just can't type a few lines and be done. I've had such a good time during my life and continue to enjoy each day that I just want to share that. Remember that you can always skim my writings and go straight to the pictures or the giveaways but if you really want to get to know me or learn something fun, you'll want to stay tuned to my blog.

Well, there's Halloween decorating to finish so this goblin is off to pull out more treasures that bring back memories of so many fun Halloween times!!
Sandi