A Bit Of Christmas At The Cottage

One of my most precious belongings, my stocking knitted by my mama many years ago..

Outside little window box.

One of my favorite Christmas whatsits.

Two sweet little snow guys..

Just a corner in my back room

I just could not get him to stay out of things

I put my old sled on top of my old red cupboard and my little elf helped me decorate it all.. Cute in person, looks cluttered in the picture.

This is my little cupboard at my front door, it turned out really cute, the mercury glass canisters I just got today for my dear buddy Betsy for my birthday.. Which is tomorrow, Yes I am A Christmas Eve Baby.. Well this little sitting is so pretty but it just does not show in the picture, wish you could stop by and see it..

To you and your family..


Hope you enjoyed, Merry Christmas And God Bless You Every One!

Grandma's Little Peanut

I finally got to go meet Claire and O my goodness what a beautiful little girl she is. I wanted to bring her home with me but have to wait until she is a little bigger, maybe a lot bigger as she is not very big, infact she is not big at all, infact she is tinny tiny, and cute as a button.

Now, could you just eat her up?

Grandma's Girls

Claire Francesca Dobson 1 day old.

LuElle (Lulu) almost 4 months.

Look Who's Here

Our beautiful little Claire is here, thank you all so much for all your prayers, this is one special little girl. Merry Christmas to us..

Gramdma Got Some Drugs.

Yes I finally got some antibiotics. When I went last Thursday they said I had not been sick long enough. Well today when I called STILL SICK and with a grand baby coming any minute I guess they decided I had been sick long enough. Go figure.
Our baby should be here any time, they broke Sara's water and now we are just waiting, if you want to keep up with her look under my links , you can find updates and pictures there under Our Beautiful Claire Bear. They still need help with a middle name if you have any ideas. My vote is for Noel, Claire Noel Dobson. Tis the season.
Please keep our baby and her mama in your prayers tonight. We have waited a long time for this little baby girl. I love her already.. Hugs To all..

Baby Claire Is On Her Way....

The kids went to the hospital about two hours ago, Sara has been induced and we are just waiting. Of course I can not go because I am sick, so I will be waiting at home for the news of her arrival. Merry Christmas to us.. Our little Claire if finally going to be here.

I Believe In Angels Do You?

For the first year after my mom passed away these images appeared on the brick wall in my backyard four or five time. As hard as many tried to prove they were just a reflection I knew they were angels, as Deena would call them (God visits). They have not came around in a long time. I think they stayed long enough to make sure I was going to be ok. I want to believe it is because they are off helping someone else, like Deena.
If you have never met Deena or read her story you should. You can find her at Can I be pretty in Pink under my blog links, she is an awesome, brave, God loving, Cancer kickin woman and you will never be the same. Thanks for stopping by and seeing my angels, Do you have any to share? I have another to show you later. It is beautiful. Hugs Deb

Jingle for the Cure Swap

Sweet Deena from Can I be Pretty In Pink had a Jingle for the Cure Pink Ornament swap, My partner is Virginia from Love Is All There Is. I got my ornament yesterday and I wanted to share with you all, this was so much fun I love my little pink snow lady she is so cute, and the little Christmas balls are beautiful, Thank you so much Virginia you did good. Much love.

SOLD- The General Store Has- SOLD

The little Store has sold, Thank You Betsy Schultz, you are now the proud owner of this darling hand made with love little store and I know you will love it. I now have $95.00 in my Relay For Life Cancer Fund.
Once again I would like to thank Mike for making this, what a kind wonder thing to do, I am truly blessed to have you for a friend. Big Hugs To You.

No Baby Today.

Just an FYI to let you all know that we did not have our baby last night, they stopped her contractions and sent her home, they want little Claire to stay in there at least one more week. Thanks for all your prayers. Deb

Breaking News.

Our Little Sara is on the way to the hospital to have our little baby Claire, please keep them both in your prayers. I am so excited, I can not wait to see her little face. I love you Sara and Jayson.

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, S

ecure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,

'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.' '

It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'

Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.'

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'
' So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'

'But isn't there something I can do, at the least, '

Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son.'
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

Look What I Got In The Mail Today.

The Dec-Jan issue of MaryJanes Farm.. How exciting is this..




Here is a peek inside. Yum, lots of eye candy! Thought I would share with you all..
If you like Christmas, gardening, nostalgic crafts, Sweet Treats,And wonderful heart warming storys you will not want to miss this issue.. So come on Farmgirls run get yours now. Enjoy.



Holiday Apron, Yum.

Wonderful Christmas Santa Stars

Christmas Ruffle Mold Ornaments. O So Cute.

MaryJanes Farm limited edition teardrop. WOW I Want One.

AND THE WINNER IS???? "CEEKAY"! YEA!

AND THE WINNER IS " CEEKAY". I WAS SO EXCITED, I HAD MY DAD DRAW THE NAME THIS MORNING IN HONOR OF MY MOM, AND WHEN HE CAME OUT WITH "CEEKAY" A TWO YEAR SURVIVOR OF OVARIAN CANCER I WAS SO HAPPY! YEA CEEKAY!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS, I HOPE TOGETHER WE HAVE REACHED WOMEN WHO WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THE SYMPTOMS OTHER WISE.
CEEKAY, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT shoalcreekcottag@yahoo.com with your address and I will get your little snowman in the mail on tuesday. Congratulations I hope you love him.. Deb

Just A Few Things About Myself

First of all I really am not comfortable talking about myself, I guess it is really not that I am uncomfortable more that I feel who wants to hear about me!
Well I have decided that I have to share a few things so that my post will make sense and not leave you wondering What! Or How?
You all know that I am a TEN year Ovarian Cancer survivor. I first lost grandmother to cancer back when I was only twenty years old; not really understanding what cancer was at the time and not knowing just how much Cancer would effect my life in the years to come.
Twenty five years ago I lost my father-n-law to cancer, then my other grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 83, she died at 95 not from cancer. Thirteen years ago I lost my husband to cancer, ten years ago I was diagnosed , then four years ago this Sunday I lost my mom. You see Cancer really does SUCK to me. Okay, I have to take a deep breath, because I am wanting to cry. I hate cancer, it's like having your family murdered and never finding the murderer.
Now for Happy stuff, three months before my mother's sickness started God brought a wonderful man into my life, the kind of man that every woman dreams of. I met this man in May 2002 and my mother got sick in August. Long story short he stood by me the whole time, from five weeks in the hospital, driving me every night, staying with me if I could not leave, to a year at home with hospice, never a complaint,, he was alway there. Most men would have ran, screaming down the road. I love this man. Thank you God.
Because I qualified for my husband's insurance when he passed away I can not remarry until I am 56 or I will lose that insurance; anyone who has had cancer knows how important having health insurance is, so we will wait.
Not only was I blessed with a wonderful man, this man came with two wonderful grown boys. How blessed am I. I have no children of my own so you can imagine how excited I was, first nervous but after meeting them so excited. These two boys are such a gift to me, I love them so much, and if that was not enough, Jason is married to Sara and they have a son Wesly who is 17. Justin will be married this May to Heather, not only two wonderful boys but now two wonderful girls and a grandson. I could not have hand picked five people that I could have loved anymore than I love these five. Thank you God again.
And now as if that was not enough, along comes baby LuLu. Oh be still my heart, me a grandmother of a baby girl. I know I am only a step grandmother, but I am a grandma, and I love that baby girl as if Justin was my own son, or Heather my own daughter.
Now that is not all, I have not talked about this as of yet but can not wait any longer. We are expecting number three, baby Claire any time, yes Jason and Sara are going to have a baby any time, due date is December 30th but they think she will be early. Can you believe it, two baby girls, I do not know if my heart can get any bigger with out exploding.
Jason and Sara have been trying so long to have a baby, after a miscarriage and lots of disappointments our little baby Claire will be here soon, and you have never seen any two people any happier than these two. Thank you God again.
Loosing my mom was the worst thing I have ever been through. Losing my husband was awful, but my mom, loosing her was like loosing my legs, I have had to learn to walk all over again without her. She was my joy, I have had to learn to feel joy again.
I am proof that when God takes something away, he replaces it with something else. I now have a new family to love. Soon TWO new baby girls to focus all this love I have not known what to do with since the loss of my mom, and a new lease on life, a knowing that there is life after such a tremendous loss.
Thank You God. Me

Comment From Melinda.

It is true that Ovarian cancer is truly the silent killer of women. If Ovarian cancer could obtain the support and research dollars that Breast Cancer has, it too could be brought into the high survival rates that breast cancer patients now enjoy.
Help us spread the word!
This is truly a very ugly killer of women of all ages.
Melindawww.youknowjuststuff.blogspot.com

AWARENESS IS THE ANSWER.

I copied this from Melinda's blog, Just Stuff. It is from an interview with Kathy Bates. I was not even aware that she had Ovarian Cancer.
Raising awareness about ovarian cancer on a national and local level is essential because diagnosing the disease is difficult. The number of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in its early stages is so small that the survival rates continue to be low. In more than 30 years since the War on Cancer was declared, ovarian cancer mortality rates have not significantly improved. About 22,000 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008 and about 15,000 women will die from the disease.

Vacation At The Cottage

Finally a weeks vacation, I have not spent a week at my Cottage since my mother passed away four years ago this week, I can not believe she has been gone four years..
I wish you could all come spend a day with me, it is beautiful up here, fall leaves cover the ground like a blanket, the sun is shining on the creek this morning and the air is cold. I love it up here..
We have some really cute shops up here in cleveland, I will be visiting them this week and will bring you along how fun. Hope you all have a wonderful week.. Hugs Deb

Did You Get This Email, It Will Make You Smile.

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one! Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing. Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favourite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box. It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact , she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death. The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable. Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed. When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favourite things in life. He had covered her with his love. Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure. Remember....live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards .They are the ones that care for us. If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God
A small request: All you are asked to do is keep this circulating. Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen All you are asked to do is keep this circulating even if it's to one more person. In memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by cancer and in honor of those still living with it.

95 YEAR OLD THANKSGIVING POST CARD

I am Thankful most of all for you...

This Thanksgiving card was sent to my grandfather on nov 25th, 1913. I just loved it and thought it would be fun to share. Hope you are all having a wonderful day. Do not forget my giveaway, Hugs Deb

12 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER- PLEASE HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD.

You still have 12days to enter my Giveaway! All you have to do

is scroll down, find four symptoms for ovarian cancer and

leave a comment under the Giveaway post listing these four symptoms.

Please help pass this on, do you know there are women out there

that do not even know that ovarian cancer exist! Please help me reach

as many as we can.

Ovarian Cancer is called the silent killer because the symptoms are so

similar to other problems that they go misdiagnoised, passed off as other

problems, irritable bowel syndrome etc.

We can not let this cancer silently kill any more women.

I need your help. Please Spread the word.....

In memory of my darling sister-n-law that lost her life to OC last week.

Well miss you Karen.

HOW DID I MISS THIS?

www.maryjanesfarm.com

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a magazine junky! I love anything cottage or country, flea market, old, new, yellow, blue ok you get the point. I love them all, everyone, and I buy them everyone, and then I can not part with them not one of them. But somehow I have missed MaryJanes Farm, where have I been? How could I have missed such a wonderful, yummy magazine. If you have not heard of it, maybe you had your head stuck in the sand with mine.lol. Go now, go fast and look, but I warn you, you will have to have it! You will be able to feel it calling the farm girl in you.. Heeeey Farrrrrrrm Girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl.

Karen Lost Her Battle

My Day started with some bad news. This morning at 1:10am I got the call, my sister-n-law had lost her battle with ovarian cancer. I am so sad, but at the same time more determined to get the word out. Karen did not find her cancer until it was in the last stages and had spread through her entire body. By the time they did surgery they were unable to remove it all . They had planned chemo but she was never able to build her strength and became infected from the surgery. She was a wonderful person with a big heart and she will be missed terribly, please add her husband and children to you prayer list. And please help me spread the word about Ovarian Cancer and the symptoms. Thank you so much Debra
I had to come back and add that Karen's cancer probably could have been caught sooner but she did not have insurance and could not afford to go to the Dr, she turned 65 in April and was able to go then due to Medicaid but it was to LATE!!! Makes me sick!

More Fall At The Cottage

If you do not believe in God you must come to the
mountains in the fall.
What a beautiful sight, the colors, the crisp cool air, the smell of warm fires burning in fireplaces.
My cottage is ground level in the front but 17ft off the ground in the back by the creek, there fore you are looking into the trees when you are in the back room.
Yesterday I laid on the couch most all of the day. Not because I am lazy, but because I put my back out.
It was so beautiful to just lay and look out the windows. I have a lot of windows at the cottage
And outside of each one was something more beautiful than the other. I felt like I was the figurine inside
A snow globe, ( well I was on muscle relaxers) leaves falling all around me.
What a magical place I have here at
SHOAL CREEK COTTAGE.
How Blessed I am
To be
Me.

WOULD YOU GUYS PLEASE ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

Ok, I am beginning to feel a little hurt here that no one is entering my giveaway, if you do not like the snowman, (cute as he is) enter anyway. Knowing these symptoms just might save your life of the life of someone you love, so come on what are you waiting for. If you do not want to enter, leave me a comment letting me know why, anything just let know that I am reaching someone. Thanks to those who have entered bless you.

GIVEAWAY-- PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

I am so worried that I am not reaching enough women so today I came up with an idea.
IF YOU HAVE A GIVEAWAY THEY WILL COME. LOL
We all love to win something so I am going to give this little guy away. I made him
with my very own hands, and he is cute if I say so myself.
To win him all you have to do is read through my posts and in comments LIST FOUR SYMPTOMS OF OVARIAN CANCER. I feel if you have to list them they will stick in your mind and maybe they will help
save a life. When you enter your comment I will enter your name into the hat, if you post this on your
Blog I will enter it two more times. So come on join in, lets get the word out.
Most women have no idea what the symptoms are and are being misdiagnosed.
It has to stop.

This giveaway will start now and I will draw the winner on Nov 23rd, in honor of my mom who

lost her battle with lung cancer on that day.

Little General Store For Sale

This is Mike,

and this is the little General Store that Mike made for me to sell for my cancer cause.





How blessed am I to have a friend that would do this for me, he brought it to work yesterday and I was so excited. Of course there is one little problem!!! I WANT TO KEEP IT!!
Mike is not only one of the smartest men I know, like one of those people that can answer all the questions on Jeopardy, he also has a big heart and a great talent for making these little buildings. The detail is awesome, with the little feed bags, wheelbarrow with pumpkins and pickle barrel it makes you want to just go in sit down and have a soda from the old soda machine.
I am offering this little gem for $95.00, plus shipping. The store weighs about 5 1/2 pds, it is 14in long or deep, 11ins high to top of General Store sign and 8 ¾ wide across the front.
100% of the proceeds will be going to help find a cure.
If you would like to buy this cute, darling little General Store please email me at shoalcreekcottage@yahoo.com. The first email I get, gets the store. We will discuss the shipping at that time. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a blessed day.
P.S. I have some more pictures if you would like to see them just let me know.. xxoo

Halle Berrey joins Callaway Golf Foundation to Help raise awareness for Ovarian Cancer.

Callaway Golf Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation have launched a public service campaign with Halle Berry to raise awareness for ovarian cancer. Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry has joined these organizations as the 2008 ambassador for Women’s cancer initiatives. Berry will be featured in extensive public service announcements this summer aimed to raise the awareness and funds to fight and find the cure for ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer afflicts more than 22,000 women in the United States each year and claims the lives of more than 15,000.. That is why she has teamed up with Callaway Golf Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to educate women about taking care of their health. This is a very important issue for women to be more aware of ovarian cancer and how to protect your self.Through $2 million in donations of these foundations to establish a leading cancer institution nationwide, works to fast-track breakthrough treatments and tests to beat this disease. Donations to the Callaway Golf Foundation Women’s Cancer Initiative will also benefit the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation. I find this extremely interesting as last year during my annual physical they discovered my Paps smear was negative. This is always a cause for alarm and I went through several more tests and they proved it was not cancer but it seemed to come up negative. So far from the last test it was positive.There is always a scare when you think you may have ovarian cancer but it seems they are doing more extensive testing of than in years past. At my age of 83 with all the usual questions from the gynecologist that I was sent to, it just did not fit me. She did admit that they have to do more extensive testing because of sexually transmitted diseases. It was a relief that they did not find ovarian cancer or could not explain the negative tests.Much of the research the Institutions selected for their work in ovarian cancer was the Cedars-Sinai Women’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Anderson Cancer Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution. This Women’s cancer initiative represents an undertaking designed to advance treatment of ovarian cancerGeorge Fellows, President and Chief Executive Officer of Callaway says he is so pleased that Callaway Golf Foundation is standing behind this cause to raise awareness of this cancer. We are very grateful to Halle Berry for serving as our ambassador and for leading the challenge to educate women to learn the risk for this deadly disease.The Callaway Golf Foundation will host this year’s celebrity golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles on December 15. Last years tournament raised more than a million dollars all benefiting Cancer research Programs. Many celebrities will be supporting this cause plus the Callaway Golf staff professionals. For more information or learn how to get involved visit www.calawaygolffoundation.org .The Callaway golf Company Foundation strives to support communities where company employees live and work. This 2008 Foundation will help raise awareness of women’s cancers, specifically ovarian cancer. Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide. I am very aware of Callaway golf clubs as I have owned my Callaway Great Big Bertha II clubs for the past five years. You can’t go wrong with Callaway golf equipment at www.callawaygolf.com .The Entertainment Industry Foundation is committed to saving lives by raising awareness of early detection of breast and reproductive cancers and provides funds for treatment and supporting community programs. This foundation had a great track record of their fight against cancer. As a philanthropic leader of the entertainment industry have distributed hundreds of millions of dollars for addressing critical health and social issues in the care of women. Check out their web site at www.effoundation.org .Nothing is more important than our health and we must always be aware of our life style, social activities, exercise and proper diet. With annual health check up it will lead us to a better and a more healthy life. Golf has kept me active, exercised and enjoying a competitive game always trying to improve my score. I am pleased that Callaway Golf Foundation is working on this worthwhile project and Halle Berry will be a great spoke person for this cause.

Its Fall Ya' All, Deena's Fall Open House.

Well I am new to this remembe!, I stayed up until 12:00am last night trying to load these pictures, got them loaded and then wanted to put some captions by them, well I should have left well enough alone because soon after I had the whole blog messed up along with my mind and had to go to bed and start over this morning. SO I am not going to try captions this morning.LOL
I wanted to be a part of Deena's Fall Open House, but since I do not live at the Cottage full time I did not get as much done as I would have liked by the dead line. So I am just going to share what I do have. Hope you all enjoy. Have a blessed day and thank you for stopping by the cottage..Hugs Deb