Shake! Shake! Shake! Shake!...Shake your...

cookie. Today is Granddaddy's birthday. Happy Birthday, Granddaddy. What better way to celebrate his birthday than visiting the one grandchild who isn't busy with school or daycare? We are so blessed, indeed, to be able to spend these moments, days, etc. with her.

So, it was off to her house with plans to eat at Spaghetti Warehouse, my favorite place for Eggplant Parmesan. (My daughter suggested maybe next time we could split a meal. What? I don't split Eggplan Parmesan with anyone! I like having another meal out of it later. Get your own!)

We got to their house and found Annabelle and her Mommy baking cookies for Granddaddy's birthday. Oatmeal cookies...Grandmother B's (Mommy's Grandmother B's) scrumptious, long-time favorite oatmeal cookies. This recipe can't be beat for sure. Our very favorite recipe.

After the final batch of cookies came out of the oven we made our way over to Spaghetti Warehouse for our lunch and then after pouting for a while, we went on over to one of my very favorite stamp stores. It has a huge selection of the neatest rubber stamps and you had better hold onto your cash or charge card when you are in there.

I found a card that had been made and was on display. Hmmm, wonder where that stamp is. It has great potential! I took it to the cash register and asked where I could find the stamp. The female owner looked at the card and said, "Well, it's made up of, let me see...one, two, three, four, five, six (and maybe she said seven) different stamps. I can show you the ones that were used." I might add the stamps ranged in price from as little as $4.50 up to $9.50 or more. I think the cheapest one was $4.50. And it was tiny! (So, if you get a handmade card from me, just be very thankful because there is much more than lots of time in making it. It's pretty expensive, too! So, just enjoy anything you get from me. I try, really, I do.)

The owner volunteered to show us the method used for making the card, which I lapped up immediately. She made it seem so simple and pretty. Did it in no time at all. I looked through the stamps trying to decide which ones I really couldn't live without so I could make a decent looking card. I already had some that I thought might work, so I eliminated those. Still, I managed to walk away (Wait, that sounds like I stole them. I didn't. I definitely paid for them...dearly.)with I think five really cute stamps I can't find locally. Oh, I definitely found more than that. She showed us another card she had done and framed, which peaked my interest, but after mentally tallying up the price I decided to make that my next purchase.

When my daughter and I returned to the car, Annabelle said, "Can I see the stamps, Grandmomma?" Her Mommy was so surprised. She said, "How did you know there were stamps in that bag?" Well, I guess she knows her Grandmomma and knows she can't turn down a cute stamp!

By this time it was beginning to be the "witching hour", as my best friend would say. But since it is officially a holiday today, traffic moved on and we went to Annabelle's house for some good old cookies!

We were standing in the kitchen, enjoying our cookies, and I, completely subconsciously took a bite of my cookie, held it over the sink and shook it to keep the crumbs from dropping onto the floor. I looked down and saw that sweet little face looking at me. I didn't think anything about it very much and she walks over to the sink and puts her cookie over the sink. I thought she was going to drop it into the water so I started to correct her before she lost her cookie to the dirty water in the sink. Then I realized she was trying to shake her cookie crumbs into the sink just like she had seen her Grandmomma do! Now how sweet is that? And scary! She did it several more times.

It made me think of seeing people driving down the road with their cigarettes hanging over the slightly rolled down window, careful not to let the smoke come back into their car. They will share it with anyone driving alongside of them, but can't stand it in their car.

And I wonder just how much our children are influenced by seeing just such outside happenings that we have no control whatsoever over. Very sad. Makes me want to tell them what I think of their rudeness. But I can't because somehow they have the "right" to pollute my air while driving alongside me.

That really wasn't where I had intended the blog to go because I know I can't stop that, but I do know I and others close to us have to be careful what we do because those little eyes are watching our ever move. E.v.e.r.y m.o.v.e! As I said before, scary!

It was a great day. I ended it by pulling out my beautiful stamps, held them in my hands, admiring each perfect etch, and then I pulled out my paper, ink, brushes and used one of them to satisfy my creative (or lack of) abilities and pretended I could do the technique just as well as the stamp store owner.

Oh the joys of an expensive hobby. But, as the stampers creed says, "It's cheaper than therapy!" I'm not sure about that, but it does satisfy something. Sometimes I remember what my youngest niece said one day when we were talking about our stamping addiction. She said she thought it was because she didn't get to color as much during her childhood and she was making up for it now. I'm with her. I didn't have access to my own crayons when I was younger. I only had school issued ones and we had to leave them at school. There's just not enough time during the school day to express your feelings and you can't do it at home when you don't own your own box of crayons.

Wipe the tears from your eyes, now because now I can buy my own crayons. I can buy my own colored pencils by the hundreds,from every company, in every color, my own boxes of water colored pencils or crayons, more stamps than will ever be touched by ink, and any other means of expressing myself I desire. And I do...just because I can.

When I'm on a buying spree my daughter always mutters under her breath, "There she goes again, spending my inheritance." I hate to burst her bubble by telling her there will be no inheritance, even if I didn't have such an addiction. Maybe she can put all my fun stuff on e-bay when I'm dead. She may have a small inheritance there. Just wait until I'm dead and gone. I'm having way too much fun. Talentless or not.

And Happy Birthday, Granddaddy! I sure hope you enjoy your birthday present. You know, the stamps I bought today? They bought you a little freedom from me while I'm playing!

Let's see...I have a birthday coming up in about two weeks. Maybe I'll plan to eat at Spaghetti Warehouse again and then make another trip over to...Shhh! don't tell Granddaddy! I might be able to pick up a few more of those cute stamps for my, I mean, an added birthday present for him!

Hey, I'm doing my best to help stimulate this economy! It really needs it and I think I can contribute quite nicely to it!