Blessings for all our gifts

For all the blessings which we received, our lives are enriched.  We are thankful for each friend who has touched our lives and pray those touches continue for years to come.

May your table be filled with family, friends, and good food.

Setting up shop

or home as the case may be....

This piece has graced a wall in my house for years,  but now it truly has found a place in our new family room.  The piece was done by Kathy and I was so happy finding it fit the space so perfectly both in colors and size.  This is also a room guests use, so I hope this continues to bring warmth to all those who come into our home.


Last week I found a box on the front porch which was not expected.  Being in a small town has increased my online ordering for supplies and other things, but this box wasn't from any of my orders.  I opened it to find Lisa sent a beautiful housewarming gift.  Lydia is a wonderful addition to my teapot collection.  This is a shape is one not previously part of my collection.  In addition to the pot are two pouches of tea, Holiday Spice Black Tea and Indian Spiced Chai.  These will be enjoyed during our cold winter nights.

Leaving friends and family behind on the east coast has been hard, but finding a place for each has been wonderful.  One thing we didn't have to leave behind is our Tina.  She didn't come with us on the first trip, but DH did bring her out when he made a special trip out with my best china and glassware about 2 weeks ago.  The kids are especially happy that she's come but I think Ms. Tina and I will return to our quality time while everyone is out of the house.  To welcome her home, we did pick up a new cozy bed for her which she's enjoying.

Blessings to those protecting us

I am so thankful my kids had school today.  Their classes put Veteran's Day into the mix of standard lessons and showing that their time in school is their service to those who protect their ways of life.

As friends serve overseas, I am proud and grateful to all of those who put their dedication to this country above service to self. My prayers for your safe return to family and friends.

Haunting Halloween

Our Mario and MM Kitty enjoyed many Halloween activities this year.  Manchester College held an early Halloween event with crafts, games, and trick or treating. MM went for the evening and had a blast until the last floor of the haunted hall.  That scared her into hysterics and took alot of calming from both Nana on the way home and Mom at home.

Saturday was trick or treating for kids in town.  LB in his full Mario and I went around part of the neighborhood and found fun houses with decorations from simple to very extravagant.  He even survived at stop at the house of Medusa.

MM kitty stayed on the porch with Nana and enjoyed handing out candy to the wide variety of costumed kids that came.  This included many princesses, fairies, a grim riper, and assorted little bees, butterflies, and

Back Home in Indiana

After an uneventful drive, the family is settling into life here in North Manchester.  Sunday was spent unpacking the kitchen and getting clothes sorted so the kids could be registered for school on Monday.

Starting school on Tuesday was a fun send off as the bus stop is just outside our back door.  The bus drivers talked and sorted out one route so both kids are picked up by the same bus.  Gotta love small town features.

If you saw the news reports, Tuesday was not a typical day for the kids.  About 10am we heard a siren for the tornado warning but didn't really think much of it.  We did get nailed with a lot of wind and rain.  In fact the trailer, we brought the first round of boxes and furniture out in, was blown off the parking pad and into the street.  It wasn't in traffic so we waited to move it back. Near 11:30 the siren sounded again as the storm settled down.Mom and DH headed into Wabash to run some errands and found out the Walmart lost part of the roof, power was out for many in the area.

MM and LB had a bigger impression of the storm.  At separate schools their respective classes were sent into the safety shelters during the tornado alert.  For each class their bathrooms were the safety shelters so MM was entertained that the boys were uncomfortable and LB that the  girls in his class were uncomfortable.  For them this was just the adventure to start their times at their new school.

I'm sure we will each have more adventures as we begin life in our small town America....

Time to fess up

As of Friday, my jump into my new life begins with both feet into the puddle.  Leaving the society hasn't been as much of a deal as I thought it would but that is probably due to a friend's note about how all the fun people were gone leaving me the last of the gang to hold on.  It definitely is time to make a change and one came to us over the past year.

Our new life starts with a move from Philadelphia to North Manchester.  Okay, you are welcome to ask, "where in the world is North Manchester?"  Well we are heading west, returning to the home county of my dad, Wabash County, Indiana.  Small town USA - here we come.

What will I be doing to keep from running down the street naked --- running a Bed & Breakfast.  That's right, I'm becoming an Innkeeper.  DH bought and existing B&B, where we stay during visits to my grandmother.  The   original owners started their time about 20 years ago and raised their family there, so now we continue the tradition moving out family and running the B&B.  So the Fruitt Basket Inn is becoming the Fruit Basket Inn.

I plan to continue this blog for my knitting, crafting, and other family stuff.  There will also be a blog at www.fruitbasketinn.com.  This site is still under construction.  I hope to have it up before the holidays start, but learning the guests, my menus, and getting the kids through the move and changes may delay some of the features I want to include.

So I may be a bit slow in posting here but promise not to totally abandon my first site.

Still kicking

Although woefully neglected, I have not forgot my blog.  I just haven't been much for writing here.  My plan from last year to write to friends and family has been more successful and more comforting.

The back issues continue, but there is a light trying to peek through.  The past 6 weeks have been wet - aqua therapy twice a week.  Finally some success!  The prior round of PT did help but not with the same results.  In fact I'm doing so well, today I started some new land PT.  Added to this I get to enjoy a stretch with the chiropractor twice a week.  This is a 21st century mechanical rack, but the stretch helps open up my back.  After all these months, it is a relief to find something besides all the medications helping me.


Knitting continues too. I had these partial balls and decided they could be fun to stripe together and this came off.  I liked the peach, purple, tan, lavender, and peach again better then I thought I would.  The mix of microfiber and cotton feels lovely.  I'm not at all sure who this will go to in the end but it will be nice

The summer sweater continues too, but slowly.  Now that fall has swept in, I'm turning to holiday gifts so this won't move along with great focused speed.







My plan tonight was to give warning that I would be absent for the next couple of weeks as we relocating and starting a new life all round.  Since my posting over the past several months has been hit and miss for posting to start with so being lost in moving and setting up new digs might not be noticed.