1/1/11 - 2/1/11

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29.1.11

A Brighter Day..

I just wanted to write a quick little note (I know..I’m not exactly ‘known’ for quick  notes). :O)  But I really am feeling much better and so appreciate your well wishes and prayers. I was hobbling around by yesterday evening, ate something that was probably not best for a recovering stomach..taco salad..and decided to stick to jello for a day or two. Ha!

Today, it was just so wonderful to wake up to a stomach that was on the mend..and amazingly..the first signs of spring! I have to say that one of the best things about living just north of Houston is that we get sub-tropical weather patterns here. It makes the summers miserable..but winters are just plain delightful..and very short lived.  (Of course, a cold front is coming…but I'm in 'denial' Tee-hee!)
camilla bush eaten

Christian was chasing honeybees out of the house yesterday! Can you believe it? They were coming in through the ‘doggy-flap’, Percy’s entrance to the house. He killed three before we decided to simply close off the door.  Of course, the leaf cutter ants woke up from dormancy too. If any one has any clue as to what to do about the pesks who are literally eating up my fruit trees and deciduous bushes faster than I can spray them with bug spray, I’d like to hear it. I sprayed every single bush, flowering tree, and anything else remotely green because they had ‘swarmed’ several. I counted 20-30 large ants PER LEAF. 
I had gone out just to get a closer shot with better background contrast on my tulip tree which is beginning to bud in the balmy weather. (Yes, it’s balmy! That’s all there is to it.  Delightful!) The tulips are opening and soon the whole tree will look so funny…all sticks..and huge pink tulips. They would make a great ‘oriental’ style tablescape I think.

Anyhow, I discovered that the ants had already, in only two days of warm weather, eaten most of one of my two Camilla bushes, a rose bush, two ornamental bushes, and were working on some more. I ran back inside, and grabbed the spray. Creepy..they were falling off my Camilla bush in huge clumps. I’m sorry they’re hungry, but they need to go out in the forest where there are plenty of green things to eat. But our bushes are more tasty I guess. Note to self: Go out every morning and work on the bushes. They really need some TLC…water, fertilizer, trimming and cleaning up from all the fall leaves buried in their limbs.
REbekahcookies

On another bright note, Jacob is in semi-finals at the Dallas speech and debate with his former debate partner’s sister. They are having a great time, and he’s been calling with exuberant updates…or getting called by his sister..who promptly posts his and Sarah’s accomplishments on facebook to their mutual friends. How I wish I could be there! And Rebekah is cooking cookies…and seemed a lot more cheerful after her visit with Laurie. Laurie’s cookies were absolutely divine…I’ll have to share the recipe with you later.

neon parts



An even brighter note was that Dear Hubby was able to remove, by HIMSELF, all the dented parts of my poor little Dodge Neon. The car repair people fixed the back bumper beautifully (paid for by the people who rear ended my son in my car) and also did a quick estimate of the front of the car which was damaged when DD rear ended someone else a week later. $2200.00! Yipes! Well, we are way too frugal to take that sitting down and since we don’t have full coverage..well..we HAVE to be! Rebekah wants to pay for the repairs..but obviously it can’t be done the usual way.

Tim removed the fender, bumper, and hood in only an hour and was able to beat out the front grill so that a replacement hood will be able to latch. We priced the replacement parts online at Car Parts, an online wholesale car part shop for a total of $477.00! Yes!!  On Monday, we plan to call some body shop places locally and see what they will charge to paint the pieces silver. The parts are already primed..so hopefully, it won’t be too much. Sure beats the original price tag for the repair.




Rebekah and I also dropped by CNS Treasure Chest, my favorite antique shop yesterday and got ‘matching’ tea cups from Germany which almost match our antique cocoa pot from Prussia..a family heirloom from Tim’s grandmother.  We went shopping yesterday at 5:00pm because she was dying to buy some special custard cups to make some chocolate dessert recipe she had looked up and she wanted a real tea cup to have tea with. I told her..”Fine…as long as you do the driving..” I was still feeling pretty worn out from my bout with the flu.

gold fish on the pond


It’s such a bright day, that even our recalcitrant gold fish, first introduced to our pond over four years ago, are making their annual appearance at the surface of our pond. They don’t like too much heat…or cold..so we only see them at dusk in the summer normally, but with the weather warming up, we had over 50 4” goldfish swarming to eat the newly hatched bugs.

So..things are definitely looking up and I didn’t want anyone worrying about me. :o) The Lord is always taking good care of us. I do hope you have a lovely Sunday. I’ll be at church tomorrow helping with setup—that’s how good I feel. We will have a wonderful time worshiping the Lord..because to us..that’s the best part about Sunday.   Makes me think of my favorite country song, What I Love About Sunday by Craig Morgan. I can't think of a better way to describe our Sundays at home...  I'm linking this sweet song up with Natasha's Sunday Song Linky party. She's been out of the country and then got home to Australia where's there's been an awful lot of flooding. This is her first linky party after getting home. She has such a lovely blog!

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers…and sweet comments. Looking forward to lots of visiting on Monday...and a special post about a great giveaway. Be sure to check on Jan. 31st, back here for my OWOH giveaway post. If you didn't get a hand-quilted tote bag during my last giveaway, perhaps you will this time. :o)

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28.1.11

A Typical Day…at Our House

Last weekend, when I spent some time with my mom in Dallas, we were trying to analyze why I don’t seem to have a lot of spare time. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t really pin point what I do all day besides clean up kitchen messes and straighten up ..and pay bills..and teach school..and blog of course (in my spare time whatever THAT is).

This morning I got up unusually early at 6:00 am…but I don’t know why.  I guess I had a little too much hot tea the night before. I finished my post about the aprons that Rebekah and I had made the day before, got ready for the day, and Jacob and I headed out to the college in the rental car I’m driving while my Neon’s bumper is being replaced.  It was a really gorgeous day..crisp..clear..and cold.

Poor Jacob was pretty anxious because we didn’t get out the door quite as fast as we needed too. I’m driving the SPEED LIMIT..because I’ve had TWO warnings in one week. Add two fender benders in TWO weeks (I wasn’t involved either time)..and I’m like a cat in a room full of rockers. So late or not..I’m taking it easy. :o) 7:56 a.m. I dropped Jacob off for his Biology class and lab at the gorgeous new college campus that has been built only 15 minutes from our house. He had good reason to worry. The professor locks the door for safety reasons at 8:00am on the dot.  I’ll be so glad when Jacob gets his license!

hem pants

I realized, about half way to the college, that I had left the suit bag that my son, Andrew wanted to borrow to use on his trip to his interview in Oregon,  in the truck back home. Rebekah was supposed to drop it off the day before while in the neighborhood but forgot. So after dropping Jacob off, I drove back home, grabbed the bag, and headed back to Magnolia still trying to be VERY careful about my speed. :o)

Why all the way back to Magnolia (45 min. drive) ? To alter those suit pants I mentioned earlier this week, of course. Andrew had to buy a new suit for the interview but he couldn’t find pants that really fit. It costs a LOT to get suit pants altered. I think that’s silly. It took me 30 minutes to do a perfectly decent job.  Thank goodness, I had already altered some men’s dress slacks for someone at church, so I had some previous experience. It is quite a job to understand how to change the seat area of a pair of pants.  He was leaving in just a few hours for the airport, so it was today..or never.


lena in tub

I didn’t get to start sewing right away though, because my granddaughter was sick when I arrived at 9:00am. Andrew was on the phone with the pediatrician trying to figure out if Lena was reacting to the sudden lack of steroids she had been taking for pneumonia or was it a bug (Mom confirmed that the other kids at nursery had the bug too so it was probably a bug.). I went to get Lena, the 2 yr.old who had been sick all night.  We gave her a bath as she was still a little messy from the night’s mishaps. Andrew, Mr. Casual Mom, said, “You can sew now Mom—just leave her in the tub. She loves playing in there.” Ok..I’ve never done that myself, but I’ll try it. Next thing I know, she’s frantic. We had a little ‘accident’ in the tub. 

Andrew was still on the phone with the pediatrician and Ebeth, so I got her all cleaned up (Ebeth was at her morning college class), cleaned out the tub as best I could, and got Lena dressed. She was asking for food, so I tried a little apple sauce.  She didn’t want me to put her down..because she was feeling so sick. So I left the sewing machine, and held her for awhile.  She threw up on me, poor thing, but I was prepared with a large towel and a small bowl.  ( I had a feeling that applesauce wasn’t going to last too long!)  Andrew got her set up watching a Veggie Tales movie. She NEVER gets to watch movies and she was just mesmerized! She’s such a cutie!

Andrew and augy

That freed me up to sew Andrew’s pants…  It was a little embarrassing..even if I AM ‘Mom”. But he was pretty stoic..we had to get those pants pinned one way or another. I guess if it has to be anybody, it might as well be Mom as some stranger. Ha! Eventually,  I had to leave Andrew with the babies, because Jacob would be out of class at 10:50. I felt so bad leaving him with all of this, but he seemed quite content and confident. Amazingly..our kids really do grow up someday!

Off I went to get son #4 leaving son #2 very grateful for his altered suit pants. I had forgotten my cell phone, so I parked and went to wait for Jacob in the atrium seating area. When he came down the stairs, he hooked my arm with a grin and said, “Hello Mom! What’s up?? “  He gave me a big hug as we walked out the door of the college to the car. Of course, he wanted to drive me, but I wasn’t sure that was ‘kosher ‘with the rental car, so I didn’t let him that time.

We got home as quick as we could, had a long discussion with Dad about some family issues..which I won’t go into –Ha! Then I gave Jacob his promised hair cut which was very important for a debate tournament. He was getting ready to leave for Dallas at 4pm with another Mom and her daughter and it was now 1:30pm. I tried getting back to school work with Christian but Jacob got a call from the recruiter saying..”Where was the finished application for the Texas Army National Guard?    This online form is MILES long! My grammar lesson with Christian was constantly being interrupted with, “When did I start high school? Where did we live in 1994? Have I ever been x-rayed..(yes)..who was my doctor?” Where have we lived for the last 15 years… (Shall I start counting?) OMGoodness!! I thought I was going to lose my mind!

Jacob on computer


Here he is trying to get ready for a weekend debate trip, and he hadn’t finished this meticulous application. So the questions begin.. “Are we closely related to any foreign nationals? Yes, my daughter-in-law, Elisabeth from Germany. Have we left the country? Yes, Germany. What dates?” You should have seen me scrambling for ticket stubs from our Germany trip, test papers and transcripts, old addresses. Jacob had to call just about everyone we knew trying to get addresses, references, and dates.  But I’ve been through this before..with Matthew. It’s all about security. I don’t think we need ever worry about our nation’s security at least as far as military servicemen are concerned. They literally leave no stone unturned!


Christian with microscope


All afternoon, Christian, my 16 yr.old, was peppering me with a whole different set of questions…” Mom--how do you spell inordinate?  Mom can you come see this Daphne—It’s eating the rotifers..Eeew! Yuck! Hey mom, I think we need to feed the rotifers and bacteria in my fish tank. They’re eating each other all up. I’m going to lose the whole colony! (There are no living fish in it at the moment, so Christian is growing bacteria instead.) I’m not kidding--For real. I suggested pond fish food..so he ran off and happily ‘fed’ the bacteria. He’s also growing mold on cheese on a plate in his room. I’ve offered several pieces of molding cheese from the fridge, but he keeps rejecting them. He wants to grow his mold HIMSELF.  I’m convinced that all school labs need a fridge. It’s the absolute perfect environment for growing mold!

At 5:00 pm, Jacob finally has to leave with Tim who is on the A/C committee (financial church committee) and meets at 6:00pm before the once a month men’s meeting  which starts at 7:00pm  in Magnolia. Between Jacob, Tim, and my friend Peggy, we get a coordinated meeting time and place I45 about 40 minutes away and finally two more family members are out the door. 


rebekah in car

In the midst of all the chaos, I couldn’t help thinking about my daughter and what she was doing at that moment. Rebekah was at my friend, Laurie’s lovely home, having ‘tea’ and planning a flower garden. Sigh.. She would be spending the night at Laurie’s and then go straight to work as a hostess at Chili’s the next day. It’s only five minutes from Laurie’s house. Tea…gardening..sounds so lovely right about now…
Suddenly, the quiet sets in. It’s 5 pm. Tim and Jacob ate snacks before they left, but I need to have dinner ready when Tim get’s home which will be late. So I start beef stew…but I have no interest in eating. Whatever in the world is wrong with me? I assure you this is NOT normal! We do some chores and get things tidied up. I never really got ANYTHING on my to do list done today, except the haircut and the pants mended.
  
Then I start feeling really cold. This doesn’t make sense. I’m pretty certain that I’m pre-menopausal..so all I EVER feel is HOT. I’m hot natured in the first place and 72 is almost always too warm for me. We keep the temp at 72 in the winter. Our house is poorly insulated, so if we turn it any higher..we pay through the nose! I turn it up to 74…and still shiver.  I feel so blahh…   Christian is quietly playing a computer game. I go ahead and finish tomorrow’s post, way early…just because I don’t feel in the mood to do anything else. Which is so strange…I smile even though I’m so tired because the comments were so sweet. :O)

percy on couch

By 7:00pm my energy level gets even worse. Usually I’m getting things done right  up until 10pm when I either watch a movie with family or write a post. Now, I try to watch a movie with Christian just because I don’t seem to have the ummph to do anything else...  Castaway--Wow—this is NOT what I want to see…cold..miserable…stressful..then hot. I can’t even relate to the hot part. LOL! I put on slippers, and socks, and a warm long-sleeved shirt and wrap up in two quilts on the couch. Oh..gee..I finally get it…I’m sick and have a fever….and then those familiar cramps start up.

I’m supposed to babysit the grandkids the next two days in the morning..but I think I’ve caught that flu bug from them. I call Ebeth about 9:30pm and tell her the bad news. She’s very sweet and encouraging. Calling her early gave her time to find a substitute. And then I conk over on the couch and just lay there. Dear Christian, who has a heart of gold, brings me more blankets, EmergenC drinks, aspirin, etc. He has such a servant’s heart. There is no chore or task he will not cheerfully do. He takes care of me for the rest of the evening. Good boy!

By the time Tim get’s home at 10:00pm, I’m feeling a little better due to the medications kicking in and we all snuggle on the couch and watch half of “It’s a Wonderful Life” together. Percy is laying in my lap keeping me warm and enjoying the rare privilege of being on the couch (on a blanket) because he’s normally banned from  it. Finally..I go to bed, because I’ve had it—we’ll have to finish this movie tomorrow.  It’s so funny and heart-warming, that I go to bed dreaming sweet dreams.  Tomorrow, now, that's another story! I KNOW I have the stomach flu..so I guess I’ll be on the couch all day…still…

It really is a wonderful life…

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27.1.11

Finding Hidden Splashes of Color

Winterberry Holly next to the patio

When I first went out for a walk around our property the other day, I honestly didn’t think that I would find anything to take a picture of. In fact, so many things were dead or dying, that I decided to do last week’s pictures of my weekly walk in sepia.

dying field daisies

But I was so wrong! In the gray light of a dull winter afternoon, I didn’t realize just how many beautiful splashes of color were hiding amongst the weeds and bushes. I just had to know where to look….I found surprises everywhere!

blackberry leaves
Wild Blackberry bushes along the driveway

Here are some day brighteners..just to remind us that spring will come again!
pine trees
Pine trees on the front pasture
 clover
Periwinkle by the sidewalk

irish moss
Irish Moss in the back pasture


 maple
Maple leaves on a little tree beside the driveway.

DSC03887
Mystery bush…

And I couldn’t figure out what you call this ornamental bush…Do you know what it is?
You can see more spring flowers on our property here and here.

I’m linking with Cottage Flora Thursday’s Linky party. If you’d like to see more pretty things growing…even in winter..then be sure to drop by. :o)

Luke 12:27 "Consider how the lilies grow.
They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you,
not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.


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26.1.11

We’re Sewing Aprons!


 

There’s nothing quite as cheering as a fresh new apron! Don’t you think? Rebekah was in the ‘mood’ to sew..which hasn’t happened in quite a while. So I was not about to nay-say a chance for some mommy-daughter time. She’s so busy now with work, bible study, and things like the brown bag live concert at Chick Filet last night, that we don’t get a lot of time together except for our early morning..just before she leaves for work..tea time.
 




We didn’t bother with patterns (though I think maybe I should have. Note to self—use online patterns—they/re free!) Rebekah traced a little apron I had made for her brother, Andrew, when he was only nine. Did I tell you she’s a size 4? (Sigh.. Note to self—do not be jealous of daughter’s gorgeous figure. Check. ) She just enlarged her brother’s apron using freezer paper to trace it. 

 
We scrambled through my sewing stash and she pulled out her favorite colors…classy black and white. She lined the black and white striped fabric with black and white polka dots. She laughed a little when she saw what I pulled out of the drawers. We are so opposite when it comes to style. Her apron was simple, stylish, and subdued in design. That’s just the way she likes her clothes.

Me..well..did I tell you I ADORE chickens? I’ve been saving this fabric, which I bought on sale some time ago for something special. I had even bought a little furry orange trim as I had planned on making a purse or tote bag out of this. But I never got around to it.  To tell you the truth I was NOT in the ‘mood’ to sew anything. Too many must do’s on my plate! But for her sake, I decided to give it a go.
 

It gave me a chance to practice on my Serger. It was only after I did the straps to my apron that I realized the most important of the three threads was not threaded. The edges were finished but the main seamline was missing. Gee..I don’t have a manual..have to get that online..on my very slow laptop. That’s it..I used her machine to finish my apron after she headed off to work.  Another day, I will force myself to get over the learning curve with the serger.




My friend is hosting a Works in Progress at the Clip Cafe, so I thought I’d show you my apron even thought the pocket, neck strap, and ruffle are not done.  I’m off to alter my son’s pants while is wife head’s off to class at college. He’s flying to Oregon for an interview this evening and his wife said they really didn’t know who else could even begin to alter brand new suit pants. Well, I’ve never downsized them before, but I have altered a couple of pairs of suit pants. Pray for me…we are now out of my comfort zone!




Speaking of sewing..I wanted to leave you with an introduction to an amazing seamstress…Julia of Julia’s Sweet and Special Occasion Clothing for Children. She is a MASTER seamstress!! If you want to see some stunning things like smocking, knitting and very formal children’s clothes..her blog is the place to visit. 

Julia, like Needled Mom, has been visiting me since I started my sewing blog (which I’m retiring by the way).  I always know I will see something really special when I drop by her place! If you have time, you might like to visit Julia and browse through her posts. You will see some of the most beautiful sewing and knitting I’ve ever seen!

Well..I’m off to take a son to junior college and go alter some pants..while the grandbabies look on. That’s a pretty fun way to spend a morning!  What projects are you working on this week? If you want, you can join in the fun at Clip Cafe’s Wednesday WIP’s. And for some amazing transformations, why not visit Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphasis Monday?

25.1.11

When Our Children Are Hurting…


Today is Tuesday Tea and I’d love to have you join me for a hot cup of your favorite tea and a little heart to heart chat. If you’d like to join us, you can just leave comments  or write your own post and link up with any photos of tea cups or anything else pretty on your blog, but please, do remember to link back here. I’ll be sure to visit you and hope our readers will too. The challenges of mothering were on my heart today so that is what I’d like to talk about, but feel free to share on any subject. :o)

Being a mother is, in my opinion, one of the most rewarding experiences in life. But as some of my blogging friends can tell you, it can be one of the most painful experiences too. One of my friends lost both her adult son and wife…and I know she is still hurting. If we never had children and never loved them..we could escape the pain of losing them or of seeing them suffer in one way or another. Yes, it would be much easier. But this is certainly a case of better to have loved and lost, than not loved at all. 
tea at window

Most of my days as a mother of teenagers and adult children are very happy ones—full, rich, rewarding, and most of all…BUSY!  We laugh a lot, disagree at times, and do a lot teasing in our big family. But life isn’t always that way. Sometimes things go wrong. And when they do, our children hurt…and we hurt with them.

This past week has been one of those ‘hurting times’…  The grief and pain that my daughter is experiencing is one I would give anything to have been able to help her avoid. I simply couldn’t. What unnerves me most, is that in many ways, I honestly didn’t see it coming and I feel that I should have. I had concerns but she had allayed them for the most part. I had to trust her judgment when she said everything was fine…but complicated.  I really can’t say any more, other than to say that things are no longer fine…



cup of tea


She will survive the painful ordeal and some day the sun will shine again for her. But Saturday morning found Tim and I snuggled with Rebekah on the couch trying our best to be a comfort to her. We didn’t talk…we just held her. That’s usually the best way to comfort anyone who’s hurting. Words often fail at times like these.

This week also saw her getting her first ticket and being involved in a small wreck…all the day after she found out the other bad news.  She made a simple and split second error. No one was hurt, but she felt terrible of course! (Especially, since it was my little car and we don't have full coverage.) I guess there is no question that the Lord is working in her life right now…refining and purifying her heart. She said as much to me herself. She is a strong young woman and she recognizes that though it may not sometimes feel like it…her Heavenly Father is in control…and he cares.  Just as we, her earthly parents, weep with her…so her heavenly parent does too…as he does for all of us in our times of sorrow.


time for tea portrait


As if that was not enough grief for one week, my oldest son was deployed Tuesday…and on the same day my next to youngest son met with us and  a recruiter with the Texas Army National Guard in our living room, since he will be signing up this week. He will be going to college full time right after boot camp…but still…I wasn’t quite ready for yet another chick to leave the nest..so soon!

And still another grown son, who lost his job at Christmas, told me that he and his wife and the grandchildren may be moving to Oregon because of a great job offer he received. They also lost their hot water heater  this week (the secondary one thank goodness) and the two grandbabies were diagnosed with pneumonia.  Is it any wonder that I was feeling almost sick with worry? One night I could hardly sleep…so I just laid there trying to pray.




I finally had to have a little talk with the Lord and I felt that he reminded me that I will have to choose to walk in faith if I want to be a blessing and a help to my children as they, too, go through the lessons and challenges of life…  It makes me think of a song I wrote in college… 

What is Faith?

When things are really going good, it’s easy to be strong.
But when the waves start getting rough, Oh who is really wrong?
Lord teach me how to trust in you, no matter what I see.
Help me keep my eyes on you, Lord, help me to believe…
I need faith…the gift of Faith..

Chorus:
Faith is standing on the Father’s Word
A mother on her knees,
the trust of a child,
or a bird on the breeze.
It’s the hope of the weary,
the strength of the young..
Faith is trusting in Christ Jesus..God’s only Son,
This…is faith.

DSC03934


Today, I'm feeling so much better! Everything is moving in a better direction. The Lord answered several prayers this week…A son seems to have a new job,  the  kids brought the grandbabies over on Sunday night for dinner and they seemed to be recovering rapidly on their antibiotics,  my daughter-in-law, Amanda, Matthew's wife, got a roommate, an older woman who wants to help her learn how to parent better and be a better homemaker while Matthew is overseas, and Rebekah was feeling less sad and a little more cheerful today.  We’re sewing aprons this evening. That's always a good sign.   The sale of  my daughter's horse, didn’t go through after all, (Tex has been gone two months) so he will be home again soon. She realized that the Lord knew she would need a distraction…and caring for Tex will help so much. She’s focusing on the bright side as best she can in spite of how really awful she feels, knowing that there is a purpose for every trial.

I don’t know what struggles or trials you or your children may be facing, but I do know  that you don’t have to go through them alone.  If you are hurting, just know that you have many friends… Drop me an email if you need to chat. As mothers, we must have faith…in our children…and in our Heavenly Father who knows what they need…and what we need…before we even ask.  What is on your heart today? I know we’d all like to comfort those of you who are carrying heavy burdens this week and rejoice with those of you who are rejoicing…

Here are some scriptures that are helpful at times like these...

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Matthew 6:7“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8“So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.


My favorite visitor at Tuesday Tea last week was Rayanne's post about having Whittard "Russian Caravan" tea ...along with a good book of Old English poems and a recipe for Chocolate Coconut muffins... I also enjoyed Faith, Hope and CherryTea's post about Hope That Inspires and Fishtail Cottage's darling story about sharing tea with her little girls. She even showed the matching tea set they used!

I had my favorite standby this morning... Lipton black tea…It was good and strong…just what I needed! How about you? What tea are you drinking this week? Got any good recipes for goodies to go with our tea? Rebekah and I would love to test your recipe out if you send it to us. :o)

PS. I'm linking up to a life changing blogs...




23.1.11

Getting Things Back in Shape…


I know Ladies, it is almost Monday. We’re supposed to be working in the master bedroom…and bathroom. And, yes, I’ve done some cleaning and organizing especially in the bathroom.  If you are a Flylady fan, then that is this week's zone…but with Christmas over, I’ve done a lot of work all over the house.
 

It’s always kind of refreshing to get the house and especially the living room all back in order after the holidays. I’m celebrating because I only put back HALF the Christmas boxes in storage that I pulled out. Next year, I’ll be all streamlined with my holiday decor which will make the holidays even easier to prepare for. Might as well de-clutter while you’ve got everything pulled out! My motto—never miss an opportunity to purge and clean!

DSC03627

For Christmas this year, one of the things I received was a set of lovely antique kitchen utensils from my friend Laurie. She also gave me the antique spools of thread you see on the little ledges, several years ago. I just can’t wait on the FlyLady schedule (kitchen week)  to share them with you, so here they are! Aren’t they pretty?  It’s amazing that some kitchen gadgets and appliances really do pass the test of time. Of course, some…like these…don’t! Ha!


I must fess up to you all..I bought a new GADGET!!—even worse…it’s a new kitchen appliance! Yipes!!! You can be sure that my daughter and I had quite a soul searching discussion--to buy or not to buy.    I had a credit for a gift that didn’t fit and the only thing I could find was this coffee press.  Since we are so low on counter space, and three of our family members are coffee aficionados', we decided that we’d all enjoy a gorgeous coffee press.  The coffee we made in this pot is SO SMOOTH! And we can make it as strong as we like it too.  

dining room

We’ll be able to get rid of two bulky electric appliances—the coffee pot AND the espresso machine. I love how new things are taking a more ‘retro’ swing. They fit right in with my decor.  Plus..there’s something much more ‘feminine’ and pretty about THIS kind of coffee pot. We can set it on the coffee table with our china coffee cups..and it will look very ‘dainty’.  Great for entertaining!

The coffee press will go perfectly with my new kitchen canisters..all stainless steel..and ‘weevil’ proof—a serious consideration in a kitchen out in the country.  Tim just can’t get over  the idea that I would want canisters, totes, and a coffee pot for Christmas…but then..HE’s not a woman is he? But he sure does love the order and cleanliness that results. from my passion. And he's thrilled about my new habit of de-cluttering with empty boxes and bags. (Yes..I did, indeed, fill the box that the coffee pot came in with fabric scraps…and the shopping bag with old clothes. :o)

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With some of the Christmas money that I was given by generous family members, I was able to buy ORGANIZERS (and serger thread)!!! I know, I just told you that organizers aren’t the solution to too much stuff only two short posts ago. But, I’ve been de-cluttering and have earned the right to buy a few—yippee!! With the money my husband’s parents gave me for Christmas, I ran straight to Target and bought these lovely fabric collapsible totes. Thank goodness for boring ole’ me, they didn’t have enough of any one color so I bought several of each color that I thought would go with my new couch and dining room table cloth. I thought the design element of mis-matched color blocks was pretty great!


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This cubbyhole shelf has been a lifesaver and the bane of my life at the same time. It’s been useful in every room of the house…a home school grand central organizing station (kid’s school books, teacher’s manuals, school supplies, and even curriculum, and it's been used for pending projects, toys, and fabric.  It’s lived in every room in the house at one time or another depending on what I needed.  It first housed my ‘standing to do list’ of sewing projects. For me out of sight really can mean out of mind, which is a bad thing when you are behind on projects. Later I found a different way to organize those sewing projects. 


I now store my fabric, sorted by type, in the 12 cubby shelf and have been for the last four years. The problem with putting it in the sewing room, though, is that it’s also the office and school room and there just isn't room for it--so it had to go in the living room. The problem with that though, is that it just didn’t look nice to have a bunch of fabric on display with my living room decor . I have always had to cover it with a quilt or fabric of some kind to hide what was inside because the fabric didn’t look all that great. But it was always a headache to 'dig' under that blanket, trying not to knock everything holding the quilt in place over. And it looked tacky in my opinion. What a mess! Finally..I have a solution that looks nice for a change. And it's so much more convenient!



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Speaking of antiques, my mother gave me several lovely things too…like a cradle, a rocking chair, and some of the kitchen utensils above. I just can’t resist something lovely…that brings back memories of a slower and more ‘natural’ pace of living.


This is a great time of year to get things off to a better start…time for new habits, new organizing solutions…and a new outlook on the year. How about you? Are you starting to feel like life is getting ‘back to normal’?  Any new habits you are trying to establish? Just think--31 days…and it will feel like second nature!

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21.1.11

Country Winter Walk

   

This afternoon was cold, gray, windy and damp.

 sepia rope


I don’t really know why I wanted to go for a walk but I did.

daisies sepia
It’s always amazing to me what you can see on a walk
that you might miss just driving by.



Percy, our dog, followed me all the way of course.


countryroad sepia

It’s always nice to have a companion on the road.
 sepia tree

Sometimes…we just have to take a little closer look to find beauty in the dead of winter….

Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it stays alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.  John 12:24

Have a lovely weekend…

Linking with Cottage Flora Thursday and My Romantic Home’s Friday Show and Tell.

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.” ~ Margaret Sangster

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