A Merry Hallowe'en

Tonight all the children will be dressed in their costumes and full of merry laughter.  I look forward to their shenanigans.  "Trick, or Treat," they will say.  I will reply, "Do a trick, and I'll give you a treat!

It's Hallowe'en when little boys

Are frightened by the slightest noise,

And little girls run off to bed

And climb in quick, and hide their head.

Have a Merry Hallowe'en all you wonderful people!  Please stay safe out there, dear ones.

I Will Always Miss You

Just about now, three years ago, my Beloved Husband was being rushed to the hospital by ambulance.  Today is a difficult day.  Strange how life can change in an instant.  Strange.  Sometimes I still can't believe he is gone.

I am grateful to God for bringing Alan in to my life and for the wonderful adventure we had together...  I am so thankful for the lovely children he gave to me and for the love we shared.  I will always miss him.

You Ought to See the Other Fellow! -Postcard Friendship Friday #379

I loved the face of this little fellow so much, I had to post it.  The artist did an incredible job catching the plucky nature of this funny cat. I would like to find more of this artist's work. 

Have a great weekend and Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

Afraid of His Own Shadow -Postcard Friendship Friday #378

When I was a child, we lived on the edge of a vast forest.  The woods became our playground.  Especially one huge old fir tree next to our home.  We played under it so often the ground became as hard as a floor.  It was our outdoor playroom. 

When Halloween came around we would decorate underneath that tree.  We would sweep the "floor" and hang little hand-made ghosts in the tree branches.   We created scary exhibits of goblins and frightening creatures using whatever we had around the house.  It was all great fun...until the sun went down.

Then we were so scared, we wouldn't dare venture out to see our creations, even using candles.  We were, haha, afraid of our own shadows.

Have a great weekend and Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

A Merry Halloween -Postcard Friendship Friday #377

I adore black cats.  It is sad people sometimes mistreat them this time of year.

When he was a boy, my Father enjoyed the company of a black cat he named Snow.  This became a tradition in our family.  When I was a girl, we had sweet friendship of our own little Snow--she was a gentle spirited, long-haired, black kitty with a tiny bit of white on her chest.

Our most recent furry friend Snowbunny is in heaven now.  She often thought of herself as Mom Number two to my children.  I still miss her.  Someday soon I hope to make the acquaintance of another wee black kitten, who, of course will be called "Snow." 

'Tis the time of harvest, and though the rains are well begun, the trees are turning yellow and red, and the harvest moon has come and gone.  Fall is here and Halloween is right around the corner.

Have a lovely weekend Friends.  Happy Postcard Friendship Friday.


* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

Fall Winds -Postcard Friendship Friday #376

Hello, sweet Friends.  It has been a long two weeks.  I missed last week--but here is this week's Postcard Friendship Friday.  I hope you enjoy this bit of whimsy.  I love the windswept look of this flower faced maiden.

Fall is peeking from the shadows of the trees.  A chilly wind blows as I gather firewood out back.  The flowers are beginning to feel the cold and the morning sunshine scatters rainbows across the green, green grass.

Have a lovely weekend, and Happy Postcard Friendship Friday.

* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

Autumn Sprite -Postcard Friendship Friday #375

Hello, sweet Friends.  I'm a little late getting this one posted.  I apologize for that--it has been a very long weekend.

Fall is here with it's beautiful leaves and nostalgic air.  I am looking forward to blue skies and crisp freezing mornings.

I am NOT, however, looking forward to winter.  Unless it snows--which is rare here.  We usually get a LOT of rain.  However each moment is a gift and I am grateful for the beauty I see each day.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday, and have a lovely weekend, dear ones.  God is good.

* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

Dear Little Grandmother -Postcard Friendship Friday #374

Today I celebrate the life of my precious 91-year old Grandma Gladys who has flown to heaven.  She is no longer in pain, she can walk, see and laugh again.  She is in a better place and she was ready to go and see her Beloved Vic--and to see Jesus.  Ah, I miss her.

This postcard looks a lot like Grandma.  What a dear, wonderful lady she was.  One of the first dates my Beloved took me on was to meet Grandma and her family.  She has been a part of my life for almost 35 years. 

I see her in my home everywhere.  Pictures she painted, odd pans and cutlery, the beautiful four-poster bed in the guest room, most of the things I have in the craft room...  I think of her every day, and will always think of her every day.

I can hear her laughter, I can see her merry old eyes twinkling at me.  She deeply loved my family--She brought joy into our lives with her wisdom, bubbles, crafts--and I smile as many hilarious memories flood into my mind.  I am going to miss her so much.  I am so grateful to have spent time with Grandma while her daughter was out of town a number of months ago.   What a privilege to hear her stories, share her laughter and tend to her as she slept in her big easy chair.

Take a moment to cherish the people you love, my Friends.  Life is short and each moment is a gift.  Happy Postcard Friendship Friday, dear ones.

* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

September Birthdays -Postcard Friendship Friday #373

Though sadness sometimes envelopes my heart, I still love the month of September.  It is a kind of prelude to Fall--and time of harvest.  The birds are busy and the season is changing.

September's stone is the Sapphire.  In ancient times, it was known as the wisdom stone, good for the mind--relieving mention tension, and depression.  It was said to restore balance within the body, and peace of mind.  The ancients also used the Sapphire to treat blood disorders, bleeding and the strengthening of one's heart.  The poem on this postcard reflects those beliefs.

A maiden born when Autumn leaves

Are rustling in September's breeze.

A Sapphire on her brow should bind--

'Twill cure diseases of the mind.

I love Sapphires of all colors, including the Ruby. It is said various colors of this stone treat various things--but I will not go into that here! 

Have a lovely weekend dear friends--and Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

COMMENDATION:  I wanted to put in an extra note here about Linkytools and its creator Brent.  I have had Linkytools on my blog before it was known as Linkytools!  Brent has always answered every single email I've sent personally and professionally.  He does this even now that Linkytools is one of the most popular of its kind in the world.  I've never seen anything like the personal touch he brings to his business.  I highly recommend Linkytools to every blogger.  :D

 * LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.

Honoring American Labor -Postcard Friendship Friday #372

It was hard to find old postcards honoring Labor Day, which was a surprise considering Labor Day has been around since the late 1880's.  I finally found this one via an online source.  I hope you enjoy the beautiful 1956 postcard I was able to procure for you!

Labor Day falls on the first Monday of  September.  This holiday honors those who work with a day off to celebrate.  Labor Day weekend is also considered the end of summer, then its back to school for most of America’s kids. It is also a federal holiday, so most national, state, and local government offices are closed.

I did some research on the history of Labor day and even after more than 130 years after the first Labor day was observed in 1882, there still seems to be a controversy over who invented the idea first.  Was it the Carpenters, or the Machinists? 

According to some historians, America’s carpenters and construction workers believe it was Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, who first suggested a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

But there are others who argue that Matthew Maguire, a machinist from Paterson, New Jersey, was the man who proposed Labor Day in 1882 while serving as secretary of New York’s Central Labor Union. 

The first Labor day was holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The day was highlighted by a parade to show the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.”

Since it's celebrated with a day off--Labor Day became very popular very fast and by 1885, several city governments adopted ordinances calling for the observance of Labor Day.  June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.

“The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy,” notes the U.S Labor Department. “It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership— the American worker.”

Though there are plenty of folks who work through that holiday, ensuring our safety and well-being, most Americans will be taking a day off this coming Monday.  God bless you, dear ones.  Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week!     

  * BADGE:  When you submit a postcard, be sure to put a link back to this page.  You can copy and paste the PFF badge, which has the link embedded.  Thank you! 

*  THEMES: You don't have to stick to the theme I choose each Friday. Just put up the postcards you love and tell us why you like them.