Thank you Aunt Nancy. This breast cancer awareness charm was a wonderful birthday gift. It will always remind me of three special women. Firstly you Aunt Nancy, for your strength and courage. Aunt Jane, for her individuality and creativity. Grandma Florence, though my memories are small, I can still envision her smile.
Cancer hasn’t been scarce in my family. This charm certainly holds a place on my bracelet.
Damn, they got me again. I’m going to take Pandora up on this offer. Lariats are really cool. The concept of the lariat is flexibility. Tie different knots and braids using the Lariat to create versatile bracelets and necklaces with your beads.
The promotion is good for the month of July. Spend $50 or more and Pandora will give you a black leather lariat with sterling silver end caps, a value of $25.
Learn how to knot and braid, click here.
When I was a child I had an extensive eraser and sticker collection. I loved small items that resembled real life things. Some of my favorite erasers were shaped like fruit. Bright lime and orange slices with translucent wedges and opaque rinds. I enjoyed the smooth texture of their surface.
There is a super neat-o quality about Pandora charms. These beady items are like toys, like miniature doll house furniture. People such as myself are helpless after acquiring the first charm. I plot when I will buy my next trinket, easily justify a reason for my next purchase. The obsession has only begun.
The tea kettle is newest to my collection. This memento will be very valuable to me in time if I keep the promise I made when I bought it. Lucas and I bought it from the Pandora store in Eastview Mall.
Last Friday I met my friends Katy and Amy at Rochester’s Lilac Festival. It’s been such an awful rainy spring. This was one of the very few times Lucas and I have been out. After munching chocolate covered frozen bananas and strawberry smoothies we all headed our own way. On the way home, Lucas and I stopped at People’s Pottery to buy the Pandora Mother and baby kangaroo charm.
For the first time in history the Lilac Festival was rained out two days in a row, yesterday and today. The forecast doesn’t look so hot for the rest of the week either. This is the rainiest spring I have experienced in my 29 years. I’m glad Lucas and I went to meet our friends on Friday despite the awful headache I had.
Jason and Lucas got me the most thoughtful gift. As I lay in bed feeding Lucas, Jason whispered to him, Do you remember where you hid Mommy’s present? Jason likes to hide my gifts, this was going to take a long time to find and I was already running late for the Flea Market. After looking in the same spot for the third time, I finally saw the tiny box dressed in a cute white bow. Wearing a huge grin on my face I opened my present. Inside the box was a Pandora charm. The charm read, I Love You with a gold heart. I couldn’t be happier on my first Mothers Day. Not to mention he made me a nice fat steak on the grill for dinner. I love you too Jason and Lucas.
Yesterday being the date of my Aunt Jane’s death I decided it would be appropriate to go see her grave out in Naples. Thinking about the last time I had seen my Uncles, John and Doug at her funeral, I realized that could very likely be the last if I don’t do something about it. Jane was the link that kept us together. Every few years they would visit at my Moms house around Christmas time, this event was usually inspired by Jane.
Lucas and I packed up a few diapers and headed out to Middlesex, Lucas was going to meet his Great Uncles. My Uncles stay in the same house where my Grandpa Joe and Grandma Florence used to live. I stopped at the Source on the way to pick up the Owl Pandora charm. This silver owl will always remind me of my Mothers family and the day I spent with my Uncles in attempt to reconnect with them. It was a very chilly gray day. I stopped along the way for some photographs to capture the feel of the trip.
Really I had intended to photograph my Uncles and the old house, but upon my arrival it felt invasive to do so. They hadn’t a clue I was on my way. When I pulled my beat up Honda Civic into the driveway I excitedly removed Lucas from his car seat. John walked out the front door into the driveway peering at us while I greeted him, “Hi Uncle John, I want you to meet my son Lucas”. John invited us in and I nervously blabbed at them, fed Lucas, and changed his diaper. I explained that I wanted to visit Jane, but did not know where to find her. Doug suggested that John take us.
As John sat in the driver seat I realized he was not going to reposition the chair. He left it as is and looked very funny driving all cramped up. He slowly drove us to the cemetery, telling me about Naples along the way. When we arrived he asked me if I knew why each of his parents had died. Wow, I had forgotten. John gave me brief explanations as I stared at their tomb stones. We kept it short and headed back to the house.
Well, I’m gonna just take off from here, I don’t want to wake Lucas, I said. I opened my door and walked around the car to the driver side. John opened his arms to hug me, something I wouldn’t have expected. We said goodbye and he told me how nice it was that I popped in. On the drive home I was so aware of how much control I do have over my life. There was no reason to blame them or anyone else for the distance between us. I was elated. I finally learned to take these family matters into my own hands. I felt like an adult, like a wise old owl.
Today I went ahead and purchased two more charms. I was going to buy the Carriage and Queen Bee eventually. I figured why not get them now during the promotion and acquire another free bracelet.
The Carriage clearly represents Lucas and all the wonderful moments spent with him as a baby. Not that I needed to tell any of my frequent readers that.
Queen Bee represents my efforts to make quality beads while prioritizing being a nurturing Mother. Symbolizing power, Queen Bee will serve as a reminder to work toward my goals and to be a strong Mom.
Coincidentally I started obsessing over Pandora charms two days ago. I went back and forth between Chamilia and Pandora for hours. I love the toggle Chamilia bracelet, but Pandora won me over with their promotion and their reputation. The promotion ends this Sunday. They will give you a free lobster claw bracelet if you purchase $75 worth of Pandora items. Upgrade from the Lobster claw to the Pandora logo clasp for only $15 more.
Pandora has this darling discontinued sterling silver pig head charm, I lost sleep over it last night. Jason has called me piggy from the beginning of time, I NEED this pig head as my first charm. Off I go…