Thank You!

I just wanted to take the time to send out a big Thank You to all you friends and kind readers! It really means so much to me that so many of you cared, left kind comments, prayers and get well wishes. It’s a little rougher going than I thought bouncing back from this surgery, but hopefully I will be feeling 100% in no time! Being slowed down has been so frustrating to me, but I know I need this healing time and have to behave myself.

Autumn, my Mom and other family have all been just wonderful in making sure I do just that, too! Please forgive me for not visiting your blogs, I will try my best to get caught up very soon! 🙂 Hugs to you all, Gabby

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Quotes About Family

I was thinking about how important family really is and should be to us. Looking over tons of family pictures recently really had me realizing how very blessed my family was. Growing up in Autumn’s and my family we really did have a lot of love together and such great times, and we still do of course! Our Mom and Dad, just the very best of parents and all of us 6 sisters…Well, we had some moments. Some bad, but most of them very good moments and so many wonderful memories. So I went searching for some good quotes concerning family, I found some really good ones. I hope you all enjoy reading them as much as I did! 🙂

 

1.You don’t choose your family. They are God‘s gift to you, as you are to them~Desmond Tutu

2.When you look at your life, the greatest happiness are family happinesses~Dr. Joyce Brothers

3.If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people~Tich Nhat Hanh

4.Families are a lot like fudge–Mostly sweet with just a few nuts~Author Unknown

5.Family is the most important thing in the world~Princess Diana

6.In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future~Alex Haley

7.Govern a family as you would cook a small fish–very gently~Chinese Proverb

8.What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family~Mother Teresa

9.I know why families were created with all the imperfections. They humanize you. They are made to make you forget yourself occasionally, so that the beautiful balance of life is not destroyed~Anais Nin

10.What greater blessing to give thanks for at a family gathering than the family and the gathering~Robert Brault

It Seems Like Yesterday

I really had to write this, it’s one of those posts that really just have “to be”. It’s a story that spans 25 years and it seems like yesterday. She was born on New Year‘s Day, that in itself is special wouldn’t you say? This is a story of my niece and of course I am her favorite Aunt, but why you may be asking? Well, because she is Autumn’s beautiful daughter and I was always and will always be her kind of second Mom. Thanks so much for sharing her Twinnie!

I did my best with the loving, the spoiling, the holding onto that little girl hand of hers as I strolled her through some magic times, with your permission of course. You were, are and will always be the best and most fun of Moms Twinnie dearest! I loved the time Twinnie had on her leather cowboy hat in the school pick up line and darling niece who was maybe 6 years old was not pleased. I got called Mom and Autumn was Aunt Gabs until that evil cowboy hat got taken off!

The darling niece had a fine sense of humor from the start and it still remains.  I feel blessed I had a major part of this lovely niece’s life, and those years seemed to roll by way too quickly. The darling niece learning to walk, then running everywhere she went because walking was way too slow! The girl had a zest for life from early on, she was clearly her mother’s daughter!

Then    

The days of schooling, well they seemed to fly and then, onto college…Those 4 years went by in a blink of an eye, too. Anyway, I am along with Autumn having a hard time of it these days. The beautiful niece has moved way too far away, 2, 000 miles away…I am still convinced she will tire of this new location and be back very soon. Her new job will end up boring and dull, she will miss us too much and move right back where she belongs. I just knew  we Twinnies should have kidnapped her and refused to let her go, except that’s not how real life works. I should have bribed darling niece with the shopping trip of her dreams, because I had helped teach her to shop until you dropped. Did I mention along with loving this niece like crazy, that I spoiled her shamefully? I couldn’t help myself, her big brown eyes just had me from the start!  Well, I know that kids have to find their way and live their own lives as they see fit…But who would have known it would be so difficult? Trying not to make this sad, we Twinnies shared a new batch of tears last night.
NOW

Autumn was a single Mom for way over half of darling niece’s life…Sorry to report, Autumn’s ex-husband was really not father material and forever shame on him! Thankfully our parents were a marvelous help, I helped and so did my husband along with other family of course. It’s just hard to believe, here we are 25 years after the miracle of darling niece’s birth and she is really off having a new adventure of it. Well, I am trying to be strong and be there for Autumn and somehow we will get through this! I love my darling niece and want the best and brightest for her..Whatever the future holds for her, may she be blessed! But it still seems like it was only yesterday…

I Still Believe in Miracles

Yes I do, I really do still believe…Miracles can happen!  What a very odd title you may be thinking. Well, probably not if you are among the kind readers who know this part of the twinship of Gabby and Autumn. I’m the Gabby part of the twins, I am perhaps the quirky one with posts having some very unusual titles from time to time.. Autumn is the weaver of magic, love and just awesome poetry.Oops, I have to interrupt myself with a newsflash from Autumn… That Twinnie insists I label her as quirky, too! Well, she insisted so nicely, there you have it!

I digress so easily, and no Autumn doesn’t do it as nearly as often as I do. Back to the miracle thing, I still believe in miracles even after all that life has handed me so far. A few miracles I was hoping and praying for weren’t meant to be, but I can honestly say I still believe and that’s a positive thing.

The kind readers who know this story already,  I will make this short as not to be a bit of a bore. Evil cancer, in the form of Multiple Myeloma hit both my husband Dave and our Dad. The same exact cancer, the Multiple Myeloma Foundation said it was a first of this sort of thing. They died 40 days apart, was I wanting and praying for a miracle for both of them? Of course I was, along with tons of family and friends, etc. Did it shake my faith, did I turn my back on God? NO, that’s all as strong as ever and with the Divine Order of things, it was all meant to be and I don’t question these things. They each had their small miracles, Dad and Dave both lived longer than doctors predicted and they both bounced back from several horrible setbacks. It sounds strange, but yes, they were miracles. I survived the horrendous grief from the loss of them both, I stayed sane. So did our Mom, our family, that is also a miracle.

I looked out my window on this lovely spring day and saw the miracle of sun shining brightly, birds chirping among my trees. It had been raining and dreary the last few days and Wow! Just an all around beautiful sight, I look for simple things as my miracles and blessings. I will keep looking for miracles, I have already been a witness to several of them. How about all of you kind readers, do you look for miracles? I hope so, they are all over the place…Just look closely, very closely! Even the smallest, tiniest thing can turn out to be a miracle for you, keep believing I say and never stop looking…You don’t want to miss it! 🙂

Memories of Hiking With Dad…

I woke up early, it was a beautiful sunshiny weekend day. My mind does its own thing and thoughts and memories just pop into my head at random. Maybe this happens to other people, too and if so you will know what I’m saying. Most of you kind readers know me, so you will go with the flow and continue reading, I hope!

Anyway, I was just remembering all the hikes and trips in the mountains with our Dad. Autumn and I were so blessed to have trips alone hiking and meandering the mountains and all with our Dad. We both miss him still so much, we lost him to evil cancer close to 9 years ago. That makes these wonderful memories just all the more precious. Having been born the oldest of 6 sisters, Autumn and I had a lot of hiking trips alone with just our Dad. Mom kind of stayed behind at our cabin, minding those little sisters.

As they got older, then we all hiked as a family…So many, many times!  But, getting back to the Autumn and me, those hiking trips with Dad. We live only about 8-10 miles from where we usually hiked, so it was fun as well as being close to home. Dad was so patient when we had our first hike, pointing out all the interesting things on and off the trail. So many times we probably got on his nerves answering our wacky questions, but he never complained.

The stops for us Twinnies picking up little rocks that caught our eye, insisting the moss on rocks and trees needed investigating. But we walked and talked and so much joy and wonder as younger Twinnies we had! As we grew older we seemed to have gotten a pattern going, the hikes were fun and amazing, but the talking with Dad was just so awesome. He was a most special one, always ready to discuss just about anything and loving to share laughs, too.

Dad’s laugh, oh my goodness it was one of the most beautiful sounds ever! I remember it and can hear his laughter in my mind, talking it over with Autumn, Mom, our sisters and other family members…So can they! That makes me so happy, he had this contagious and most ear catching and pleasing laugh. It would just make you smile yourself and then join in laughing…Just so joyful, so full of love of life.

The hiking was just a wonderful memory that popped into my head on this fine spring morning. But I realize I am also writing lots of mine and Autumn’s love of our precious Dad. I think sometimes the tears we both have cried over remembering could fill more than a bucket, but that’s OK. Because ,never would we have ever missed one single hiking trip or one moment with our Dad. He was always so watchful and teaching us about good plants, bad plants, looking out for snakes, the balancing of your backpack and just so much more.

Autumn and I are still good hikers to this day, because Dad taught us well. We always had the best of hiking boots, too because that really does matter and any of you that hike know what I’m saying! Anyway, it was a beautiful memory and I guess I just wanted to share it with you kind readers. Thank you for listening and please do share any thoughts or memories of hiking and backpacking if you would like. Autumn and I will be planning our first hike of the springtime together…I can hardly wait! I know for sure Dad will be watching from Heaven and keeping his eye on us, too. 🙂

The Twinnies and the Canoe Trip

I happened upon a picture of a canoe in a magazine I was reading. That’s all it took and my mind was going back to a wonderful and treasured memory. Autumn’s and my very first canoe trip when we were very young Twinnies. We must have been maybe about 7 years old and the trip was with our Dad and beloved Uncle Tony. It was such an anticipated trip and Autumn and I had been told a couple weeks in advance. Dad was probably sorry he shared the happy upcoming event too early, we about drove him crazy with questions! When was the day we were going? He patiently pointed out the day on the calendar and marked it with a big red star for us, too.

Still, Autumn and I had other questions, did anyone doubt it? Needless to say, when the big day arrived the pair of us were just literally jumping for joy! Yay, off we went to pick up Uncle Tony and on our way to our much loved Pine Creek for our canoe ride! It was maybe a half hour drive from our house, enough of a car ride to have both of us Twinnies being overly chatty.

I know, that sure never changed kind readers…Autumn and I always have plenty to say it seems. We also loved singing with our Dad, so we had a song or two with Uncle Tony joining in also. Autumn and I only bugged them a couple times about when we would get there, how much longer? Anyway, we arrived at where the canoe was docked and got on our life jackets with Dad’s and Uncle Tony’s help of course.

We Twinnies got another going over about water safety, we were taught quite early about it all. But Dad went over it all one more time, just to be safe and sound he explained. Wow, the sights and sounds when floating along on the water! The water so clear, you could see all the underwater treasures! The birds singing happily, those beautiful and awesome mountains surrounding us. Autumn and I were being well behaved for us, we only got a warning about trailing our hands in the water.

Oh yeah, we had made up a song about the water, the canoe and after singing the same couple verses for too long…Well, Dad asked us nicely to give it a rest. The canoe trip was truly such a magical experience and so wonderous to us Twinnies we weren’t going to do anything dumb to mess it up for ourselves! We might have our moments, but we were no fools! The ride ended much too soon for Autumn and me of course because we would happily have ridden for hours. It was a magic day, one that sticks in my mind as so special and happy. Dad and Uncle Tony are both in Heaven now, so the memories are a joy to have.

Do any of you kind readers have any memories of an adventure like this one? If you would like to share, it would be great hearing all about it! 🙂 PS The only small mishap of this perfect day was after docking the canoe Autumn and I got our socks and sneakers wet stepping into the very shallow water. Never fear, our Mom had packed extras! 😉 🙂

Happy Easter and Some Quotes, Too! :)

Autumn and I would like to wish every single one of you kind readers a Very Happy Easter! Please enjoy it and spend your time with family, friends and just have a Very Blessed Day in whatever way you choose to celebrate. Also, if anyone is having an Easter egg hunt…Have lots of  fun and good luck! May those Easter baskets hold everything you wished they would!  I have found a varied selection of quotes for Easter, so please do enjoy them. 🙂  Again, HAPPY EASTER~~Gabby and Autumn 🙂

1.Easter is a demonstration of God that life is essentially spirtual and timeless~Charles M. Crowe

2.On Easter Day the veil between time and eternity thins to gossamer~Douglas Horton

3.Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of a new life~S.D. Gordon

4.The story of Easter is the story of God’s wonderful window of divine surprise~Carl Knudsen

5.’Twas Easter Sunday. The full blossomed trees filled all the air with fragance and with joy~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

6.I think of the garden after the rain; And hope to my heart comes singing, “At morn the cherry blooms will be white, and the Easter bells be ringing!” Edna Dean Procter (Easter Bells)

7. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket~The Easter Bunny

8.I lied on my Weight Watcher’s list, I put down that I had 3 eggs…But they were Cadbury chocolate eggs~Caroline Rhea

9.My Mom used to say that Greek Easter is later because then you get the stuff cheaper~Amy Sedaris

10.An Easter bonnet can tame the wildest hare~The Easter Bunny

Sometimes Tact Comes Into Play…

Another weighty subject…This thing with having tact. You know when you have to be gracefully sensitive and really do not ever want to hurt feelings. Then, inside you are asking yourself…Why did they ask me such a thing? That’s the thought I’ve pondering for the day, I have an explanation why this thought occured. Don’t I always? If you’ve been at all following the Twinnies blog you will know I can tend to pluck a happening out of my life and write a post on it. It also includes Autumn’s life, my family’s life, sometimes friends and in this case neighbors….Well, you get the idea.

I had the strangest little chat with one of my neighbors earlier, it really is still bothering me. I know she is an older person, my Mom’s age actually. But  Mom wouldn’t be asking me such kind of off the wall things on certain matters. OK, this neighbor and what got said…Here’s a sample if you all are ready, that is! 😉

It starts off with being outside at the same time as Mrs Y. as we will call her. She lives across the street, upon seeing me coming home she came over to chat for a few minutes. Which is fine, I’m not snobby but I tend to limit my time with certain neighbors. To save my sanity, my privacy and all that kind of thing…No escaping it today! As Mrs. Y approaches she is kind of smiling and I pray it will be an OK kind of talk.

She starts off by saying how I seem to be in and out a lot lately, what all have I been up to? I answered vaguely because I really haven’t been coming or going any more than the normal. Mrs Y asks if perchance I maybe was seeing a nice young man…Then goes on to say how it would be a good idea. After all, she was alone now (she got divorced!) and open to male company for herself. She sure did elaborate on that subject! I just said about how everyone was different, I had very much loved my late husband Dave,etc…You know kind of kept it light. She did have the nerve to say…That’s no reason, you are still quite young! I was feeling kind of disgusted and I wanted to say more because of the Dave and me bond she knew nothing of and I showed good contol and once again tact. She had only moved in a couple years earlier, she hadn’t know my husband Dave.

Then, on she went to how awful it was for people to be living together before they got married…I think she was alluding to one of my family members. I just again said everyone does what’s best for them. Then she was warming up to how lucky I was not to have children…Oh, that’s a blessing now? It hadn’t been to Dave and me! Of course Mrs Y was going on about how her kids weren’t visiting enough to suit her. Either were those ungrateful grandkids it seems…Because they were all just so selfish anyway. I know, can you kind readers believe this stuff?  It was just all starting to make me a bit sad and also at the same time feeling kind of stressed. She is one of those people who unfortunately looks at the glass as half empty, know what I’m saying?

I quickly decided I had been tactful enough and excused myself to get back to the house…I escaped very gracefully I must say. Closing my door, with a sigh of relief…Off in search for tylenol for the devoping headache! Do any of you kind readers have neighbors such as this? If so, what do you do? Do you practice tact like I do? I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts! Autumn’s kind opinion…Run like crazy when you see her coming! 😉 Anyone agreeing with the Twinnie by chance? 😉 🙂

Ground Hog Day is Upon us…:( By Gabby

Well, it’s almost here. February 2nd is officially Groundhog Day. Being a resident of Pennsylvania one would think I would embrace the day, I don’t. I just can’t and either can Autumn! No, I am not talking about the movie from 1993 starring Bill Murray either. A good flick though, wasn’t it…to relieve the same day over and over and over again. I would much rather embrace and celebrate the movie than the dreaded event. I am talking about the day when the poor little groundhog gets dragged out of its cozy and safe little burrow. Manhandled and subjected to loud crowds of people, flashes from cameras in his little face, too. No doubt being half scared to death. I just think it’s mean and I happily boycott the whole deal! So does Autumn by the way, TF <3=Twins Forever all the way on this event! Who is with us? Please kind readers, do not give in to the hype of it all, think about the poor and sweet little groundhog!

To further top things off, the poor defenseless groundhog’s name here in PA is called Punxsutawney Phil. That was our Dad’s first name Philip.  I don’t like them borrowing Dad’s first name for the pitiful groundhog either! The whole day makes us twinnies sad, who is with us? Any kind readers have any thoughts? I am trying to not make this all doomy and gloomy, I know it’s been a tradition forever. They make a day of it all…Early morning festivals, speeches skits, bands and all kind of social events. Yay! While the groundhog gets to be shoved back in his burrow…Did he see his shadow? Didn’t he? It all depends on the weather after all…No matter, we still have a bit of winter left. Pure groundhog abuse!

It’s tradition started from folklore after all…Autumn and I got told this since we were young kids. Both of us crying and worrying over the groundhog, were we the only ones? We always were very sensitive and loved all animals, neither of us can watch Bambi to this day. Well, that is my take on February 2nd and I say let’s protest! Don’t celebrate and be a party to such things…Anyone with us twinnies? Don’t worry I will be back to my cheery self tomorrow kind readers. I just had to speak my mind about this and thank you ever so much for listening. Perhaps you think it’s silly that the twinnies get all mad, sad and just plain had enough…Groundhog abuse it is! Pure and simple and we will instead be celebrating Down With Mean People Day!! No, it’s not real, I made it up…But it sure fits. Hmm…Well, just maybe poor little groundhog will run for freedom! That would make for some mighty good headlines, wouldn’t it?! It could happen…With perhaps just a little help. 😉 Run little groundhog, run fast!!

The Twinnies Celebrate A Birthday ~ by Gabby

Yes indeed we twinnies were born January 15th. Being twins, we never knew anything else but having to share a birthday. It was just fun and a nice thing, in case nobody else ever remembered we could wish each other a “Happy Birthday“! 😉 Our birth was such a trauma to our poor Mom, she will never forget of course. An emergency c-section, Autumn and I were delivered only a minute apart. We all could have really not survived, so that is a blessing we all made it! I am the one who is a minute older, not that it’s ever been lorded over Autumn’s head. Seriously, I have  never gloated about the one minute thing, (I think). 😉

What a start to parenthood for our Mom and Dad…Twins, a little double blessing we were. At least that is the story we got told, how exciting it was to find out it wasn’t one baby but two! We had grandparents, aunts and uncles who looked forward to our birth, too. It’s a nice feeling to know we twinnies were so welcomed. To think, we never gave Mom and Dad one problem or woe or cause for headaches after that…OK, that is a total fabrication I admit. 😉 I hear tell we were quite a handful, charming and cute…But also very much double the trouble at times.

Anyway, it was an exciting day for all…January 15th and it kind of went down in history, too. Not us twinnies, I am referring to Martin Luther King! What an honor to share his birthday…Such a man of peace and wonderful thoughts, dreams and inspiration to many. It’s just very sad how he was gone too soon and with such tragedy…I am happy he has his own special holiday. Celebrated of course on Monday the 16th of January, may he be remembered forever!

Anyway, birthday thoughts…Autumn and I are grateful to be here yet another year of course. We have always celebrated together, it’s been a tradition since the start and it’s always fun.How old are we? As Autumn nicely put it…Still a couple years away from the dreaded decade. Age is really is only a number after all, isn’t it? So, there you have it…Another birthday for the twinnies and hopefully a very good year! 🙂 🙂