December Evenings

Good evening everyone,

I tried to post a earlier blog, but somewhere I lost it. Perhaps it is out in Blog land, however it is out of my Blog site for the time being. I guess it was not meant to be.


a Quiet peaceful night

Snowfall

Ancient Trees

Memories of Christmas Past

Hope

Blessings to Everyone


Happy Holidays to one and all

Mary Ann

Halloween Birthday thoughts

Hello everyone,
It is 12:15am on October 31,2011.

Twenty six years ago I became a Mother the second time to my Beautiful daughter Samantha. I remember being in the hospital for a scheduled C-section. However I started contractions about 3:00am, so she was going to be born that day scheduled or not.

I am not sure where the time has went. Each year when my Daughters have a Birthday I ask myself the same question. the Sleepless nights turned into Preschool days, then Grade School, Middle School and High School days. Birthday parties, Sleep overs,Dates and Dances, Throw in a Wedding and College, new Jobs and moving experiences...well it all continues to travel very fast.

I am learning to stop and smell the roses.

Take it One day at a Time.

to Learn from the Past, Don't worry about the Future ( the Future never does "get here" ) and to keep trying to do the Next right thing.

Why did I Push myself at "Breakneck Speed" for years? for what? Sometimes I was so busy, I did not stop to "play a game", "watch a movie", once I missed a Concert ( I had to teach a Dance class) but at what price? There are many times I did do those things, but sometimes I didn't stop to do the little things. Now I wish that I had.

I am so very Greatful to have two Amazing Daughters. I could not be a richer or more blessed Woman. On the Eve of the Youngest daughter's Birthday..it is nice to remember that

Thank you for letting me share , and if you have children or children in your life.Take time for them. You won't regret it.



Mary Ann

1000 FAN GIVE AWAY!!!

HEY FRIENDS!

We are so excited about hitting 1,000 likes. To celebrate, we are doing a '1,000 likes give away!' Wanting to enter?? Here's what you do.

Below will be a picture of a jar of beans.

To enter, go to the announcement post of this give away on our Vintage Whispers Wall on Facebook. The post will begin as "ANNOUNCEMENT POST"

Secondly, post your guess! You can only post your guess only ONCE. Place it as a comment under the Announcement Post.

Lastly, tag Vintage Whispers in a post on your wall!

Sounds easy right? Now what is the prize you ask? The winner will receive the very first pillow of our NEW "Dream Pillow" line! Scented with lavender, this heart shaped pillow will help you drift off into the land of dreams. There is even a pouch on the front for you to put a piece of paper and record your dreams when you wake! How fun is that?!

Remember you can only guess once. If someone guesses the winning number after a previous person guessed it already, the first person who guessed it will win. If no one guesses the right number, the person CLOSEST will win. Should two people be off by one number, low or high, the low guess would be the winner.

(Example: The winning number is 8. Someone guessed 7 and another guessed 9. The person who guessed 7 will win.)

The winner will be announced Sunday Night, October 2 2011, by 10PM EST if we hit our 1,000th like. If we haven't hit it yet, the winner will be announced when we hit 1,000.

The winner will be declared via Facebook Wall post! The winner will have 48 hours to send us an email to Vintagewhispers2@gmail.com to claim their prize. If the winner doesn't contact us within that time frame, the runner up will be announced.

Everyone is welcome to partake in this give away no matter where you live! We are only 10 away so get those guesses posted!!

GOOD LUCK and thank you so much for the support!

Brandy and Mary Ann
Vintage Whispers

New October

Pitter Patter, Pitter Patter, The Rain raps at the Window.

I can see the Wind Blowing the Branches of the Big Pine Tree out in the Back Yard.

The day looks a bit mournful. It has been this way for 3 days now. Rain , rain and more rain.


The Dogs come in from their outside time, and patiently wait to get their Feet dried off. I think they are tired of the rain. The Chill of Fall is in the Air.

However, on the upside of a rainy day it is a Wonderful Day to Knit.

Read a Few Magazines

Or Sew


Cuddle up with your Loved ones
And maybe read a Spooky Book , in a Comfy Chair

The day is full of opportunities !

Hope your day if fully Blessed,
Mary Ann

Adapting to Change

Another Day....

And a Beautiful one at that...

Changing Seasons... Adapting to Change. Boy we don't like to do that. At least I don't like it. Most people I come in contact with don't like it. Change.. Bleh... But I watch the Squirrels and Rabbits in my yard. The Squirrels especially are gathering things to bury to sustain them through the Winter My Fur kids too, don't really like their Schedule changed..but they do seem to adapt more quickly than I do to Change. They "go with the flow" as long as Mommy and Daddy are with them and loving them.

Life on Life's Terms...Oye ! Life is not easy at times. Every time I " think I have everything figured out"..guess what? I don't. I have decided most people I know feel that way.

So, I take a deep breath, I pray..Some days I do better than other days, but If I just accept the fact that Change is part of Life, change is gonna come no matter what. There is no Future..(for sure)..the Past is the Past.(you can't repeat it) all you have it Right Now.. and this Right now is not like any other "Right now".. Ever.. or ever will be again.. That is just " how it is".

Change is not a bad thing.. it "is just Different". sometimes these Changes are easier to accept than others, some just plain "stink" other Changes are "fantastic".. but Change is gonna be a Constant Companion. So I might as well get used to Traveling this path of life with " Change". It will make the Journey alot easier.

Don't ask me where this thought pattern is going. "It is what it is". This is my Meditation for the Day. My meditations will be different tomorrow.. they will be Changed from today.

As I get older, I don't like the Changes so much. I want to know what is familiar, I want to look like I used to look, do what I used to do... but well.. Good Ole' Life on Life's terms again..not gonna happen. So, I am learning to Adapt. To Change as I go. I am not the same person as I was before. Oh sure, I am still Mary Ann, but I am an older , and Wiser, and I hope Kinder and Gentler Mary Ann, changing and becoming hopefully a better person each day.

Thank you for sharing my thoughts, ( In case you actually read this far) For now I will leave you with a Quote from Ghandi

"Be the Change you want to see in the World"

~Blessings~
Mary Ann

Changing Seasons

A Good Day ( or Evening if that is when you are reading this post ) to you all.What a Lovely Fall Day ! There is a Crisp feel to the air. a gentle breeze, the slight smell of Woodsmoke when I step outside.The flowers of Summer are starting to fade, and Mother Nature is putting on her seasons colors Red, Brown, Gold.

I have always liked Fall. As a young girl my best Dates were in the Fall ( for some odd reason ). I got engaged in the Fall. One of my children was born in the Fall, School starts in the Fall,and Football starts in the Fall.It is a beautiful time to do some hiking as well.

This is the time of year, that I start to look back at what has been and I begin reevaluating what I need to do with my life. I am 54 years old. I am in the Fall of my life. Youth , and Young Adult are passed.

Children are raised and out of the house with lives of their own. I am starting a new Career as well. Life in the Nursing profession for 20 years taught me many lessons, and gave me many opportunities to help people. However in taking care of others, I neglected to take care of myself. Deciding to switch careers was a huge stepping stone for me.

I have always been a "people person". However I do enjoy my solitude.

Solitude is different than being lonely. I have been lonely many times in my life and that is not fun. However solitude is a different thing. It is spending time with yourself and enjoying the " me , myself and I". There was a time I could not do that, I absolutely Had to have someone around at all times. However even then, with people all around, I was lonely. I think most of not all of us have experienced that at some time in our life.

I have heard it said, that Fall is the start of a lonely time, and this stage of life the beginning of a lonely time. I can understand that. Lifestyles change, children leave home, sometimes a spouse leaves or dies changing the two to a one, parents are getting older, we become the caregivers.I think many of us start to ask, what is there for me to do with my life, and have I really made a difference? and how can I make a positive impact with the second half of my life.

However as I look out on this most beautiful of Fall days, I see there is new life, hope and beauty in all the stages of Life. Change has to occur, life has to evolve. That is the way life is. "Life on Life's terms"..that is what it is, how we choose to live that life is our choice.

I am Happily looking forward to the Autumn of my Life. I am embracing the changes, grateful for new opportunities, new friends, and new ideas.

Thank you for letting me share my musings with you all. I do hope you are embracing life , whatever stage you are experiencing at this time.

~Mary Ann

Cinderella Days

Good Morning Everyone,
I have heard that Blogging becomes addictive, we shall see Hummm?

These Crisp Days of Early Fall, the Leaves taking on a little weathered Color, and the Smells of Fall Always make me a Bit Remenicient of years gone by.

I Have a Lone Pumpkin Plant in my Yard. I did not plant it purposefully. Last year I put the Halloween Pumpkins out near the fence for the Squirrels to eat. One little seed survived and now has created a beautiful Pumpkin plant. which I am leaving to grow for as long as it can.


That Pumpkin Plant got me thinking of Cinderella. ( I will be teaching a creative Writing and exploring what the Fairy tales mean to you at GMS Art Studio this Fall). That got me remembering the Dances the Girls had gone to, homecomings, Proms.. all the Wonderful Fun times of Mommy / Daughter time running around searching for the perfect dress, Shoes, accessories. The Hair Appointments, or one year when I did Brandy's air myself ( Praying that it would tun out ok ) and Nail appointments ( Or getting the Right color polish to do at home. All those exciting Fairy Tale Moments. I would even remember my own exciting dance times, ( sometimes the prepping was more fun than the date ...Oops did I say that ?)

Then after everyone was prepped, and pictures taken and handsome Dates awaiting them, off the girls would go for an Enchanting Evening. One Enchanted Evening to dress up like a Fairy Princess. I am greatful That I had those times with my girls. Even the one year, which Samantha's boyfriend broke up with her a week before Prom. Poor Cinderella just would not go that year, stayed home and cried. However all fairy tales have happy endings. The next year when she was at Central Michigan University a High School friend asked her to be his Date. That year was the Best Date and Dance ever for her, He actually knew how to Dance ! She was the Beautiful "older College Girl", looking Beautiful and Sophisticated, he in his Tux, Printed T-shirt underneath and Dance Boots... they looked so Adorable. They Danced all night and the Fairy tale had a Happy ending.

So those of you who have daughters, enjoy those times, make the memories. Even if some "Cinderella Moments" start out not going to the "Ball", there is something out there even better, even more magical.

So I leave you with some lovely thoughts and pictures, as I sit and Contemplate something else that Fall Time brings to me.

Many Blessings,

Mary Ann