Tuesday, April 8

Awards and a Fun Meme

I am very blessed with a wonderful group of blogging friends. I received these beautiful awards recently and I love them all.
The Nice Matters award was presented to me by Karen of Karen's Korner. I love pink and green together and this award is very pretty. I would like to pass it on to:

Denise at Samaritan Women

Grams at Talk to Grams

Lady Di at Kitty Justice

The You Make My Day Award was also presented to me by Karen at Karen's Korner. This award touched me in a special way. Thank you so much for the beautiful awards, Karen. You often make my day as well. I would like to present this award to:

Anni at Hootin' Anni's

Dawn at Call Me Grandma Dawn

Diane at Diane's Place

Deb at The Canvas Grey

Pea at Pea's Corner. I love this award with all the coffee cups that tells of a Perfect Blend of Friendship. This one goes to everyone on my blogroll. I am very thankful for my blogging friends. I don't know how I ever managed without all of you in my life.

Speaking of being grateful. I've been blessed. When we got back from our Florida trip, I mentioned that Barry, Michelle and the boys were planning on moving away from this area because Barry's work would be taking them there. Well, the house didn't sell and as the week's passed he realized that the job wasn't for him. So, he began looking for work closer to this area and he starts his new job on April 21st and it is only 20 minutes from here, so they will still be living close by. God is so good.
Carolyn at Talk to Grams tagged me for a meme. Here are the rules:
1. The rules are posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago.

Well, let me see. That would have been April 1998 and I would have been taking care of Brandon and Jordan full time. Brandon was almost three and Jordan was 8 months old. Those boys kept me real busy back then.

2. Five things on my to-do list for today.

Go and pay a bill that is due on the 13th. I always like to pay things ahead of time.

Do a bit more spring cleaning. I have to do it a little at a time because of my disability.

Get a few groceries.

Clean the bathroom.

Do laundry and get meals.

3. Snacks I enjoy.

Fruit of all kinds.

A taste of dark chocolate, though I have to be careful with this one as I'm a Type II diabetic.

Cheese and crackers or cheese and grapes.

Miss Vicky's potato chips. Mmm!

Crackers with a little peanut butter.

4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire.

Give money to the Salvation Army to supply all of their family service clients with food for a year.

Give money to the Autism Society so they could further research autism and the disorders that fall within the Autism Spectrum.

Pay off any debts for immediate family members. (1 brother, 1 sister, Mom, daughter)

I would buy my niece a house and pay the mortgages off for my other nieces and nephews.

Set up a college fund for my grandsons and great nieces and nephews.

5. Three bad habits that I have.

Not watching my diet close enough.

Procastinating about things that I dislike doing but know I have to do. Grandma always taught me if I had something to do that I disliked doing to get it done so it would be over with. I also tell the grandsons this. I should practice what I preach and do as my grandmother taught me.

Writing details on envelopes or scraps of paper. Sometimes, though not often, these get misplaced before I record them where they're safe.

6. Five places I've lived.

This one is real easy as I've always lived in the same area I do now. While growing up, I lived in rural southern Ontario about a 20 minute drive from the place I reside in now. Today I live in the city but our house is in an area across from a park. We have lots of green space here.

7. Five jobs I've had.

Sewing baseballs by hand for Spaldings. I loved this job and worked there for a number of years until they moved their operation to Korea. This job entailed tacking the leather onto the ball innards, threading the lacing through two needles and coating them with beeswax and then stitching the ball. These balls were for the major leagues and had to be perfect. I could sew three dozen balls per day, which was good. Since we were paid by the piece, I made good money.

Driving taxi. I did this for 14 years and owned my own taxi. Most of that time I worked from 12 noon to 2 am the next morning. It seemed that if there was a problem call I always was the one to get it. I probably would still be doing this if I hadn't been hit from behind when I was stopped. I had my foot on the brake and the impact gave me whiplash and pushed my hip into my spine. I was not able to dress myself for 6 months. It took me weeks to even be able to get out of bed.

Nurses Aid. I worked in a nursing home for a few years and then worked as a private duty nurse. I looked after a woman who was 101 years old. I adored her. She died at 102.

Bartender and waitress. I worked at the Holiday Inn for years as a bartender and waitress. The tips were good and the wages were $1.35 per hour.

Retail clerk. I worked as a retail clerk when Michelle was a baby - so about 40 years ago. I earned $1.00 per hour.

Here are five people I'd like to know better. What a nice way of tagging people.

Anni at Hootin' Anni's
Jackie In the Land of the Living Skies
Pea at Pea's Corner
Lori at Pink Faded Roses
Mama Bear at Bears in Exile.

Thanks, Grams for tagging me. This was a lot of fun.

That's all the news from this corner of the world for today. Take care, Everyone and remember to do something nice for YOU. You deserve it. ~Blessings, Mary

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for the award sweetie, I appreciate you. I am so glad that they will only be living about twenty minutes away, woo hoo.

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  2. Do you mean to tell me that there are still rural parts in Ontario and that it hasn't been swalled up by Toronto? hahahahah

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  3. Mary....I love the awards. And you receiving them just shows us all that you are tops!!!

    As for the tag. Of course I'll do this one too, but gimme a couple of days. That one on the jobs of yours...wow, as you described the 'rear end collision' I could feel the shooting pain as I read it!!! Ouch! Very interesting tag. It's always fun to read these, the 'tagees' just don't know as they answer the questions - they give a great depth of themselves which is much appreciated by the visitors/friends!!!

    It's great to hear that your family will remain close by. I envy those that can say that. So many times I wish that Irene and the boys would be near us. But, life isn't always 'what you want', huh?

    Have a great day. Congrats on the awards, once again.

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  4. Good Morning Mary,
    "CONGRATULATION'S" on all of your very well deserved Awards and you are most welcome for the ones I gave you. "THANK YOU" for the one you gave me as well. That is such a beautiful Award and I do love the coffee cups as well. "PRAISE GOD" for an answered prayer. I'm so glad that Barry, Michelle, and the boys won't be moving away. I know you are very happy about that too. GOD IS INDEED GOOD, ALL THE TIME, GOD IS SO GOOD!!!! I enjoyed reading your Meme. It's always so nice to read things about our blogging friend and learn new things about them. I did put up a new post this morning. Take care my friend and have a great day. May God Bless You and Yours.

    Love & Hugs,
    Karen H.

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  5. Mary,

    I enjoyed reading this meme. You have had some interesting jobs! I'm so glad your daughter and family will remain close! I'm sure the boys are glad of that as well, as they would miss their grandma so much.

    Congrats on the awards. I have them as well, as Karen is so generous, just haven't had the time to put them up yet. I have to take time and put up an awards page soon! And the award from Hootin 'Anni is so very special!

    Thank you also for including me in your "friends" list. I do appreciate it very much. I am so behind on reading, and I'm sorry for that. We are to get several more days worth of rain, and I'm hoping we won't be worrying about flooding agin.

    Have a blessed day, dear Mary.

    Hugs and Blesings,

    Renie

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  6. Dearest Mary,

    Congratulations on the awards and thank you so much for passing one on to me...as you say, we are so very blessed to have found such wonderful friends through our blogging:-)

    Such wonderful news that your family will be staying nearby instead of moving so far away. I can just imagine how thrilled you are at that:-) Now that Shawn & Wendy will be giving me a grandchild I wish there wasn't 5 hours between us! lol

    I so enjoyed reading your answers to the meme...my goodness, you certainly did have quite the interesting assortment of jobs! Ouch, though, on being hit from behind when you were driving taxi. I see that you tagged me so I will make sure I get this meme done as well:-) xoxo

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  7. Boy I learned a lot about you in that post today!! I was always told to do the things that I hated first and get them over with. i still try to do that!! it works you know. I really enjoyed this post.


    Sandy

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  8. Mary,I did try your instructions and it worked. I figured that you were kind onough to try to teach mr something that I'd use you as the first link ans it does work.

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  9. What a blessing from God just for your big heart! I am SO glad that they are staying. I know how much it means to you to have the boys and your daughter close by. I am VERY excited for you. Thank you Jesus!

    And thank you for the sweet awards. They are very special coming from you. I do treasure your friendship. Thank you so much for your mother's heart--you just give and give.
    God says He will bless those who bless us--you are going to have so many treasures to lay at the feet of our Savior!
    Love ya girl

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  10. Congratulations on your awards. You deserve them all ;--)

    Thank you so much for sharing the “Perfect Blend of Friendship Award” with me. I love it and will enjoy sharing it with others soon!!!

    How wonderful that Barry will be working closer to home the family will remain close by to you. I know how you enjoy visiting with them.

    I enjoyed your answers to the meme and will keep it in mind to do myself perhaps at some point when I’ve got time to spend thinking through possible responses.

    Hugs and blessings,

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  11. Hi Mary,
    Congratulations on your awards! I enjoyed reading your meme and learning a bit more about you. I'm sure you're rejoicing that your family will be staying nearby!
    hugs!

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  12. Hi Mary, I thank you for choosing me for the MeMe, however I did this one just two weeks ago.

    I have the journal in the envelope and will mail it tomorrow. I was explaining to my Jordan(10 in May) about the journal and showed home the address. He liked the idea of its going to Canada and Australia. He had to inform me that Ontario was a state. He would really have been full of info if it had been Alaska as he is obsessed with that state and is always collecting facts.
    I have a little surprise for you inside the cover.
    Mama Bear

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  13. Thank you so much for the lovely award! I will acknowledge it soon!

    It was fun to hear about your life - especially the baseball-sewing job!

    So glad your grands are staying close by - and your daughter and SIL, too, of course!

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  14. Mary, congratulations on your aw.ards.

    I found it interesting that you used to work for Spalding hand sewing baseballs and that you could sew three dozen of these a day. That sounds hard to do to me, but then I'm not good with a needle and thread.

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  15. I am sooooooooooo glad that your daughter and grand babies are not moving from you........ I think God knew that they needed you close....... He is faithful ..... and I am so happy for you and for those grandbabies.......... because you are SUPER GRANDMA!!!! I wonder if you need to borrow my bustier'?

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  16. Thanks for the neat awards, Mary!! I will add your name on my side bar to the ones I have. I am sorry I didn't get over here yesterday becaue Kelly was catching up on her work on the computer and tied it up all day!!!
    Congrats on all your lovely awards!!
    Wow, you were able to drive a taxi!! But that wreck was terrible! Whoa!
    and doing all the baseballs by hand!! You are just great!! Thanks for doing the meme!! and thanks again for finding mine!!!!
    Love and Hugs Grams

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  17. Thank you dear heart, Mary, for these beautiful awards. I just got back and I'm trying to catch up! Hugs, Debi

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  18. Mary,
    Very interesting meme! I too tend to write information on bits of paper or on envelopes. And, I seldom lose them. I guess that is probably the odd part of this habit we share. I think most people might think we would lose the scraps. I guess we are actually very disorganizly organized? LOL
    hugs,
    Tina

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