Saginaw Series, Holiday Series, and Much More: July 2018

Mackinac Bridge

Trip to the Mackinac (pronounced Mack in naw) Bridge with Corey, Beth and Rebecca on their estate sale trip through Michigan in the book, "Enough Kindness to Fill an Empty Heart).

Estate Sale Trip Through Michigan

I love estate sales, thankfully my husband does too. I use Estatesales.net every week to see where sales are. I did screenshots from several estates to include in the book.

Rebecca, Beth and Corey go on a buying trip through Michigan in "Enough Kindness to Fill an Empty Heart."

Corey created a road trip using these sites:

Estatesales.net

Click the blue box below to find an estate sale near you!

Some of their finds

Another Yes!

A dear friend, Kirstin, has agreed to be a part of, Enough Kindness to Fill an Empty Heart.

She learned how to reupholster furniture and now sells her pieces at a Archive Antiques and Repurposed Goods, 959 Fulton St. E., Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I love Kirstin's style and of course Beth will just have to purchase one of these pieces for her apartment.

Corey, Beth and Rebecca will "discover" her on their buying trip at an Estate Sale.

Dream Girl

Here is a rough draft of the cover for the new book.

My friend, Clarence Lum, is the artist

(I used another of his paintings on the New Beginnings cover.)

His painting, "Dream Girl" is the picture I used.

To see more of his paintings CLICK HERE.

1 Year and a couple weeks

This is an amazing journey. Pat supports me 110%. He loves everything I cook. He suggested yesterday that we switch back to Berry Cloud Pancakes for breakfast because I've lost so little the past two weeks.

This picture shows that even though he has never counted a point he has lost right along with me.

So... I'm including Weight Watchers® in my book, "Enough Kindness to Fill an Empty Heart." However, everything I am writing is my own opinion. I will not include anything about how to follow the Weight Watchers® program.

In no way should you think that these references are the views of Weight Watchers. I do want you to know this program has changed our lives. If I can do it, so can you.

I am forever going to follow the Weight Watchers ® lifestyle. I am most grateful to the company for thinking first about its members.

Rebecca finds my great aunt's cookbook!

Looking through my Great Aunt Rosie's cookbook I was inspired to have Rebecca find it at the thrift shop in, "Enough Kindness to Fill an Empty Heart" the book I am working on.

I love the classic red and white checked cover on the cookbook that could be found in most kitchens when I was growing up.

On each chapter divider I found handwritten recipes of family and friends. Rosie's sister, Mary, was my Grandma and her Hot Cross Buns was on one and the family Lasatna (sp) was on another. I especially loved the recipe was for 15 people.

They spoke Italian at home growing up so English was their second language. Many words were spelled phonetically. It took me a bit to figure out Mutarel (sp).

Inspiration from East Side Soup Kitchen

Webber House

Obituary Inspiration

My eyes were pulled toward this obituary in the Saginaw News. When I read the description of Rosalie I knew immediately I wanted her in "A Light Shines Forth" - after talking with her daughter and emailing her granddaughter - I was so inspired. Thank you new friends. THIS IS FROM THE OBITUARY: From homesteading the farm to owning a local eatery, she raised her children by example of frugality and superior work ethic. She could stretch a penny into the next month and could feed an army on a squirrel. (And yes, thered be seconds.) Rose was a master gardener (often times with strangers stopping to admire) and was known to sleep on a cot along the row of dill to figure out how the deer got in. A canning magician, each year would produce a family squabble over who would get the last quart of dilly beans or tomato jam. An avid outdoors and fisherwoman, she raised and sold bait, smoked and sold fish, and was known to wrestle snapping turtles (for soup, of course) into her trunk on her way to pick blueberries. She was an excellent bowler, loved liver pate and cheap whiskey, produced miles of beautifully knitted and crocheted anything (no, really...anything) and was the dog whisperer of the family. For years she refused to use a microwave and she never used credit, boasting that the only plastic she owned was her laminated AARP card. She conducted her five foot self with grace and dignity but even at 85, she could swear like a sailor and wasn't afraid to take your money at the card table (or an IOU if you didnt have it). Affectionately known as Nonnie, she will be eternally missed by the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who claim that she first hung the moon and then scattered the stars.