It's 6 a.m. and still dark here in Pittsburgh. I woke up with something on my mind, so I got up, plugged in the coffee maker, grabbed my laptop, and started to type. It's been awhile since I've checked in with you, so, hello. I hope you're well. I've missed you. But do me a favor before you read on. Go into your kitchen and make sure you've unplugged your air fryer. And your slow cooker (remember that THIS IS US episode? And any other unused small appliance.  Done? Phew. Okay. I can stop worrying now. You see, I watched a news report the other day about an air fryer that star ..read more

In April 2022, I posted part of the story of the ischemic stroke I had in September 2021. My intention was to finally start blogging again, despite the fact that my left hand wouldn't cooperate anymore when it came to typing. I was determined to recover. Then a couple of months after my "reentry" in the blogosphere, I got Covid again. This time, it attacked the scar tissue in my brain (from the stroke), causing a seizure. I thought I was having anoher stroke and it scared my husband, Bill, who called 911.  On the way to the hospital, I had a second seizure. This time, I aspirated. When I ..read more

Sponsored By: National Geographic Kids Hosted By: Love, Mrs. Mommy Winner Will Receive:  This 7 Book Dinosaur Collection from National Geographic Kids PLUS a Cool Fossil Kit!  A $92 RV! Now let's take a look at the prizes...  and enter to WIN down below! Little Kids First Board Book; Dinosaurs (ages baby - 3, hard cover, $7.99) The prehistoric world comes alive with dinosaurs small, big, giant, and gigantic in this colorful book for the very youngest dinosaur lovers! Each spread in this sturdy book features a different dinosaur, along with sup ..read more

  Hello, my friends. It's been a while. Have you missed me? I've certainly missed you, but I'm hoping to visit with you more frequently in the upcoming weeks and months. Oh happy day! I could drive again! On September 5, 2021, I had an ischemic stroke, followed by surgery five days later. It's been seven months now and I'm clawing my way back to as close to who I was before a blood clot hit the right side of my brain. At this point, typing is one of my greatest challenges, so each blog post will take me two-to-three times longer than it used to take me to write. And there ..read more

Thanks, Pixabay! School's back in session, or about to be. So how are you doing, mama? Propping your feet up and letting out a big sigh or crying into your hankie in disbelief that time has gone so quickly? It does go quickly, believe me. My second youngest grandchild started kindergarten today. I watched my daughter's video and choked back tears as I saw this little one boldly climbing the steps of the big yellow school bus. And then she was gone. It reminded me of when my own little ones went off to school for the first time. It's hard letting go of them as they venture out into ..read more

One thing 2021 taught my husband and me is that people really are kind. And they care. And they bring light. If you read my posts the past two days, you know that my husband and I faced a really rough year so far. There were times, I didn't know if he'd make it. There were times, I honestly didn't care if I made it or not. In the darkest of those times, people shone light into our home and our hearts. Kindness. During our three-week nightmare with Covid-19, meals, medications, soup, violets, and even a bag of tangerines were placed in our front entryway. Some were from family members and ne ..read more

Thanks for coming back to read the rest of the story. Click here to read the first part. On May 12th, my husband went into the hospital for outpatient inguinal hernia surgery. As I said yesterday, this was the good ol' fashioned cut-him-open type. The surgeon found a congenital hernia larger than expected. Subsequently, my husband bled more than expected. They finished, closed him up, and 3 hours later, sent him on his way with instructions to have someone (me) with him for the next 24 to 48 hours. They didn't issue any warnings about dehydration or being light-headed. They didn't tell me no ..read more

  Hello again. It's been a long time since I've posted anything. But I'm hoping that will change and I'll be providing you with lots of helpful info, great giveaways, and pieces of my heart. The latter is what I want to address today. What a year it's been. Last I "spoke" with you, I was running a senior in-home care company and was simply too busy to blog on a regular basis. Well, that changed. In December of 2020, the owner and I decided it was time to close our business for good. Let's just say the pandemic wore us out. It wasn't that we didn't have clients... we did. We just couldn ..read more

It's a beautiful day in Western Pennsylvania. Mid-70s with a slight breeze and plenty of sunshine.  I stopped at Marshall's this morning to buy a gift card for an employee who won the summer contest we hosted at Dignity Home Care Professionals. As I left with my gift card secured in my purse and my mask secured over my nose and mouth (as it should be, right?) ?, I lowered my sunglasses over my eyes and walked out into the plaza. ? My mood was nearing a 10, since doing for others always makes me feel good and I'm really happy about awarding this prize to our employee.  A stout woman ..read more

Let's face it. A good night's sleep is worth its weight in gold, right? For you new moms (and some seasoned ones), it's not happening no matter what you try. But for the rest of us, I want to recommend a product that I've found to be extremely helpful in achieving some much needed rest.  I received my first bottle of Calm Mood Mist by Cardea AuSet in the spring CAUSEBOX and immediately was sold. I spritzed it on my sheets and pillow that night and for the first time in a long time, I fell into a sound sleep that lasted throughout the night. My mind quieted and I rediscovered the bliss ..read more