......come follow along as we share our adventures, passions, creations & stories.....our hopes & dreams.....sometimes our sorrows. Just life on the Lane as it is ~
She blessed our lives for many years.....
Our hearts broke...... she is mended.
Rest in peace our sweet, sweet Isabelle Lee.
..... and the bedroom, the Keeping Room, the closet, the pantry, the Cellar, and well everywhere!
When I sing or when I dance they're always ready to party, too.
I wouldn't want it any other way!
Wishing you a happy start to this final week of October, gosh where has 2021 gone!
From the Lane....
Sharon, Ivy, Lola & Isabelle
BigPops is still the resident guy, but he's been sorta living in the woods since October showed itself!!
remember me? I hope at least a few of you do..... and that you're still following along, tap tap tapping your foot awaiting some news, some photos, a story.... or just a "hey there"!
Well.... Hey there!! I'm back and I'm ready to share some photos, creations and maybe even a story or two. Isn't it hard to believe that it's almost two years since our world ran into this big... no, make that huge, bump in our road of life? The bump started a bit sooner with us when in January of '20 we lost a great friend. The friend that made the Sharon/BigPops team happen. A blind date it was, and well...... the rest is history, 23 years of history, good history. We watched him fail with Parkinsons for several years and then in December of '19 he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. He was gone a few weeks later. And so it began. The months of one loss after another of people I loved. Friends. Family.
Junior, Uncle Joe, Curt, Aunt Judy, Harriet, Bill aka Bos and Helen.
These are the ones who held a special place in my heart, the ones I have stories to tell of, memories to share, and how they made my life better.
I will share a story of each in future posts as I think I have finally found my "voice" to put words to "paper"...... I so hope I have, and I hope you'll enjoy the little stories of each I have to tell and how I loved each of them.
For now, I just want to say, "hey there", "how ya doin'", "so happy to see you again"..... and of course, a Happy, happy Autumn to everyone! I love all of our wonderful seasons here in the mitten but I really do love Fall most of all! It's the leaves coming alive with color, pumpkins, bittersweet, mums, gourds and the scent.... you know that scent of Fall.... that's how I know when it's really arrived, and I smile.
A few photos to share.....
and of course one of The Girls.....
Click on our "Offerings from the Lane" link in the left column to take a peek!
Let us know if you might like a bunch or a pot of spring.....
yellowdoglane@gmail.com
This is me.... after a valiant try at back combing my hair, upside down, with the use of only my non dominant arm. I know, there probably should be a video to share as I'm sure many of you have wondered how one might accomplish this task. Don't try it. For starters I got dizzy when I stood up, scared myself when I looked in the mirror and had to try smoothing the mess out with the non dominant arm to boot.
This of course all took place after Big Pops try at getting my hair into a clip. He said it was too slippery? Not to mention that he kept losing the clip in those big paws of his. He did manage to finally get the clip in..... it was sideways. I couldn't get it in sideways if I wanted to, and I'm a veteran Hairstylist. He offered to try and curl it with the iron, I diplomatically declined when the thought of the burns from the iron entered my mental picture of the task. The guy does have a way with those hair clips though.
Pops has also been doing well with the vacuum and he makes a good stab at making the bed. He has actually taken on the role of Chief Cook and BottleWasher here since my shoulder surgery a little over a week ago. They tell me it will be thee months plus before I'm able to do my normal tasks, I of course scoff at that thought. I am woman, after all!
This has given me just one more thing to add to the long list of occurrences, losses, gains and just things in general that I must try to "embrace". Some I do with laughter, some with tears..... some with a swear or two. I even have a few that I've stomped on and thrown out the back door, never to allow back in.
At the end of each day I try to reflect on what I've been handed to embrace and remain thankful for all the good that's in that handful.
I hope you noticed that I did a bit of sprucing up here on the site.... new background, new colors, new photo. I'm in hopes that it will help me to embrace the task of writing and sharing more here and I have lots of stuff in mind, and to be honest.... it was something I could do fairly easily with my non dominant arm by sneaking in my right hand to help a bit. I have put wallpapering, stenciling, hairstyling and quite a few other things on the back burner for now. I can still dance though, just no cartwheels.
May your handfuls at days end be full of all things good...... with a Big Pops tucked in for good measure.
From the Lane ~ Sharon
over a week out since my last post and I had vowed to myself to post more often!
Rest assured, I haven't been just sitting on my duff.... really I haven't. I've been cleaning, sorting, purging and selling!! It's been kind of fun really.... and I've even got Big Pops into helping me! I shouldn't make that sound like it's such a big deal because truly, he's alway at the ready when I need him to help out. I do have to admit though it's kinda cute when I get that big ole guy to give me his ideas on rearranging the Keeping Room and whether or not I should sell something or maybe keep it!! He's a former super athlete in any sport he played pretty much and here he is telling me if he thinks that cute little chair will look good in the corner, or not so much. He is a keeper for sure ❤️ He did tell me today though that he thought I had a problem with books. Hardcover home decor, primitive, country and the like..... books. He estimates he piled over a hundred of them on the table that I will sort and decide which ones to part with. Problem??? Whatever!! I love him that's all that matters!
This is just the start of my purging..... I added much more after this photo and I have more to go, and oh yes, I nearly forgot the books that I have a problem with!!
I found that with all the happenings in our world this past week that if I didn't keep myself busy I may just dig a hole and crawl into it. So..... I decided to bring calm and comfort to my own little world here on the Lane, that I would simplify and weed things out that have been packed away or crammed in to where they needn't be and get them along to a new home where they could be enjoyed. Lord only knows why I kept all of this after I closed Saltbox Farm. Just in case I guess. I've decided if "just in case" comes along, I will improvise and make it happen, just like always.
I'm also working on another blog/website??? Not really sure myself. I just know that PictureTrail will be no longer at the end of February and I either need to curl up and die or find another outlet for my offerings and other nonsense, so..... stay tuned my friends, foes and followers, I will keep you posted on the progress right here!
I wish you all peace in your heart and not the hatred I see in so many. A post I seen read, "don't let some people that you don't know and don't know you, fracture a friendship", we all have our opinions and our political views but really, are they worth the loss of a friend? I think not.
Wishing you all a good week to come and better things beyond.
From the Lane.....
Sharon
for 2021
accept or support, willingly and enthusiastically
There is much that goes with this one word, much more than the seven letters might suggest....
I have decided to start with Myself.... embracing myself. Maybe a good place and maybe not but it's often said you must start by loving yourself, so.....
To embrace yourself means to let go of harsh self-recrimination and happily except your own identity and uniqueness.
I think I have my work cut out for me, but I am ready to.....
EMBRACE!
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Thanks to those who have shared your choice of a word for the New Year! I hope to hear from more of you. I will post updates on my progress, or lack there of, as the days go by. Please feel free to share yours as well.
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We actually stayed awake to usher in the New Year last night. I told BigPops that I was going to make it come hell or high water just to be sure that 2020 took its leave! It did, and although some of its baggage has followed us into this new territory, we will continue to look ahead to brighter days and signs of hope that things will be good once again.
Wishing all of you a New Year filled with hope, hope of good things to come and kinder, gentler days, weeks and months ahead.
Let's embrace this New Year together!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
From the Lane,
Sharon
well, first.... I hope you all had a Christmas to remember. One filled with love, be it from afar, via zoom or a phone call. A Christmas filled with love and not loss.... a Christmas of fond memories made.
Most often by now I have popped in at least a time or two to see if you've chosen a word for the New Year I think I might be behind on that seeing we have less than a week before said New Year arrives!
I have several that I'm still tossing around in my mind at this late date. Sometimes it's just so hard to choose just one. I'm sure many of you can relate.....
My word for 2020.... Balance. Had I only known that trying to make sense of that word in 2020, this year of abnormal.... Little did I know that I would spend the year feeling like a blind folded, one legged gymnast trying to conquer the balance, yes, balance beam, I may have opted for my second choice, that I can't share with you now because it may well be my 2021 choice. After this year I'm almost thinking of changing the rules and allowing two words instead of just one.... just in case.
How do you balance the loss of twenty plus people in your life? Family, friends who count as family, close friends and others you've known your whole life. Balance the heartache of seeing those you love, near and far go through so much and have no way to comfort them except virtually.
Okay, I didn't start out with the intention of making this a post to bring you down but I know that you're all here with me on 2020, and I guess for me, I just needed to get this all out there before moving on. Moving on to a new and better year. A year of heartache and fear..... changes and loss..... a year of memories, good and not so much. A year to make us so want to move on to the new one that is just around the corner..... and, although not life changing, a word for 2021. And then again, maybe, just maybe the word you choose will be life changing. Think about it. Make a choice. I have a feeling it will be a life change in the right direction. Think positive as you make your choice.... negative rarely works and if it does, it's surely not fun!
As we close out the year, my hope is that we will gather again soon, our losses will become fewer and our happiness be overflowing. I will be choosing my word with all that in mind......
So.... care to share your word of 2021?
thought this pic might give a bit of a lift to all..... makes me smile every time!
From the Lane.....
Sharon
where is this month of December going? Flying by like a bullet for us it seems! Keeping busy each day with all things Holiday keeps the days busy and move right along, I'm thinking.
Seems the slideshow I posted worked well for everyone.... thank you all for your kind comments, so happy it was enjoyed by so many. It sure made the posting much easier for me and hopefully more to enjoy for you all!
I baked up some Frosted Gingerbread Bars this past weekend.... I had to hide them so we wouldn't just clean out the pan! They are so, so good, even if I do say so myself! Now mind you I don't follow a recipe much better than I follow a pattern, and I can't follow a pattern worth a darn, so..... the bars I baked are a someone mixed up combo of three recipes I found and then I added my own tweaks right in!
Here's what they look like.....
something a bit different this year with our Christmas photo share. I have always used our PictureTrail site but this year it has given me issue with uploading photos among other things, so..... I put a slideshow together and we shall see how it goes!
This is a test.... crossing my fingers it will work. Please let my know your thoughts in the comments here on our Blog. If it goes as planned, it will be much easier to share fun things with you a bit more often.
I hope this finds you and yours healthy and safe and enjoying the beauty of the season. It has been a year of years for certain but we continue to count our blessings for all we have and look forwarder to a brighter, kinder and fun filled year ahead.
From the Lane....
Sharon
We do have a couple more trees and I will be sure to share those before years end.... they're simple like the others but still we love them.... for now, the garage looks as if a Christmas blimp of greens somehow got in and imploded, and well..... I'm up to my bum in greens. Not to mention preparing for the big Thanksgiving celebration! Ours this year will be very small, just me and BP, and the Girls of course. The kids all work out of the home, like most, and they feel it best not to bring to us what they may bring home from work. They have all had the need to be tested once or more and thankfully they have been negative. It will be a different day than past Thanksgivings, we won't give thanks for the extras gathered around our table. We will count our blessing that they are kind enough, smart enough and care enough about us not to take a chance at passing along to us that which has caused so, so many such suffering and heartbreak... and then we will give great thanks for all of them even though we can't see and hug them.
We took a short break this morning to make a special delivery to some dear friends.... I almost say family with these two as they treat us as such and the thought of them is a HeartSqueeze each time! A basket of goodies we carried in and after a cup of Joe, some fresh fruit and white cheddar cheese its, off we went with an armload of goodies headed back home.
Now I'm sure some of you are thinking.... no Thanksgiving with your family but you're out visiting others. Well, not that I need to explain, but I'm going to..... MaMa K and PopsB are retired, they have followed the directions of keeping themselves and others safe to a t..... a t! BigPops is retired and well, me..... I'm just temporarily out of work, sorta!! We follow the direction as well, and have little to no exposure to anyone other than us and if and when we do we are extremely cautious. We decided we needed to see each other and deemed it safe. We wore our masks the entire time, except when sipping and munching and we kept the distance then. Their was laughter, good conversation and a bit of food.... most importantly their was the love of friends..... or might I say family
The two Pops.... sharing deer stories. And much needed fellowship
If I don't get a chance to pop in before the big day, all of us here on the Lane want to wish you the best Thanksgiving you imagine.....
Count your Blessings!
BigPops, Sharon, Ivy, Lola & Isabelle
from a teeny tiny ball of fur, rescued from the edge of the swale, to a beautiful gray tortie.... Mothered by Gracie and then by Sophie. I...
