One thing leads to the other

I know you have had this experience. You get just one thing. Then you have change some other things to make it work. That’s the dilemma I was in today. I bought eight water goblets at the Olde Time Pottery in Pigeon Forge because I didn’t have eight plain water glasses that I wanted to use at my big table. After running them through the dishwasher I realized that I had no space in my kitchen cupboards for them. So I needed to put them in the china cupboard. \   

      This china cupboard is very old. We acquired it a very long time ago when Don and I were in the antiquing stage of our life. We liked nothing better than to travel around looking in antique stores or going to auctions to find older things. I was in the primitive country phase and those antiques fit right in. I’m not longer in that place but the china closet, dresser, and bookcase have hung on in the the house as a reminder of our collecting days. And the china cupboard holds a lot of dishes and we all know I have the dish disease.

 

 

 

 

 

  So I spent a few hours taking everything out and cleaning and washing china and glassware. I must admit that it looks better. Unfortunately I didn’t throw anything away, just relegated those plastic margarita glasses to the summer storage in the basement. 

 

    Do you notice the chandelier? One time at an auction Don found a box of gas light parts hidden underneath a table. It was a two armed gas light but he converted it to a four armed electric chandelier. This has been in our house from the very beginning. Every time I look at it I am reminded of those fun times and how Don worked to buff up the blackness and bring out the brass shine.

 

 

 

I also made a wreath for over the fireplace. The theme in the living room is more pink this year. The picture doesn’t do it justice.



I also used the little French postcards that my sister Linda and I made one holiday. The sparkly deer add a luster to the mantle.

And last here is my coffee table.

That’s the only rule

 

"If you love something, it will work. That's the only real rule." ~Bunny Williams

 

 

Have you ever bought something that you absolutely loved but you didn’t know where you would put it when you got home?You only knew that it sung to your heart and it made you happy.

What would a little trip to the big city (in this case Knoxville) be without buying something special?
There are special shops that I like to visit when I am there and I call it “seeing pretty things”. One is the Repeat Etc. This shop (right beside the Repeat Boutique) deals in decorative objects…my kind of store. They have pictures (I bought one before that had rabbits), glassware, kitchen items, pillows, silver and many other designer objects. But when I saw this my heart went pit a pat!

 

 

 

I imagine that this is a silver vase. It’s hammered sides and two handles were so well designed. It is very heavy. I am using it on my ottomans with an arrangement in it. (I see I need to add some moss to the bottom to hid the dish that the arrangement was already in.) I know I will get so much use out of this one item. I love it and it fits in the sunroom with all my other silver and mercury glass things.


I also bought a new bed ensemble and new thermal drapes for winter. My older pillows matched completely and the colors are perfect for the room. Pretend you don’t see that crooked lampshade.
  I am very tired from our twelve hour trip home yesterday so there are many more things I need to do but that’s enough for today.

My little darling grandbaby is having her tonsils out tomorrow. She has suffered continuously with colds and her tonsils are very enlarged.

Forever Country

Here is my first Christmas gift for you. This country video has most of the great artists and weaves a few different songs into it. They did forget Garth however. Hope that you enjoy it. 

Dine well

Is your tummy full? Or are you a moderater? If you listen to Gretchen Rubin's podcast or read her books you know exactly what I'm talking about. There are those who when they are trying to break a habit can be satisfied with just having it a little. For instance they can limit themselves to two pieces of candy a day and be happy with that decision, stick to it and reach their goal. They are moderators. But I am an abstainer. It is easier for me just to completely abstain from the undesirable food in order to reach my goal. Which are you?

that said I must say it is very hard to be an abstainer when you are not in your own controlled environment at home. Visiting at someone else's home you at mostly at the mercy of your hosts. Then there is eating out. If you are diligent you can make good choices. But if you are a food addict you use that as an excuse to indulge in your favorite foods.

So when I return home it's back to watching and tracking my food again.

 

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Thanksgiving day

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers out there. I hope that your day was spent doing all the things you love and relaxing. I am so enjoying our little vacation. Being with my family is always wonderful and we have had so much fun.

There was certainly a lot of laughter when we played our annual game of Pie Face. It's fun to be around little ones once more. Tomorrow we will go to Ginger's for a Thanksgiving feast.

 

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Questions

I'm having a great visit with the grands. I can't tell you how much fun it is to hear...Nana will you play with me? I brought them activity books which have entertained them for hours cutting and pasting.

 

We had plans to go to Dollywood today to see some shows but the air is smokey from a huge thousand acre wildfire over that way. Don with his COPd can't be out in that so we will try tomorrow night instead. We will go into Knoxville for dinner at the Red Lobster later. We will be celebrating our thanksgiving on Friday at Jenny's mother's house.

On today's blog I will answer a few questions.

Share one of your happy thoughts here.....

At this stage of my life I am so contented. I feel at peace and don't want any conflict in my life. It's nice just to be so happy with the way my life is going

There's a Chinese proverb that says if you want to be happy for an hour take a nap, if you want to be happy for a day go fishing. What do you say?

If I want to be happy for an hour I look at my iPad for inspiration in art, writing, photography or decorating. If I want to be happy for a day I shop..not just to buy things but to see pretty things, have a delightful lunch, and get out of my rut.

Where do you go to decompress from the world around you?

I visit my sisters. There is nothing like a sister fix, as we call it. Being with them always lifts my spirits.

What song never fails to make you happy?

I always smile when I hear Put your head on my Shoulder by Paul Anka on fifties radio. That is our song.

What is the last fast food that you consumed?

Yesterday I stopped at Macallister's Deli and had a bowl of squash soup that was so delicious. I don't know if that qualifies as fast food nut it was sooo good!

In a few sentences tell us why you blog.

I blog as a personal journal of my life. I wanted a record of my daily way of living and how much I appreciate my blessings. I wanted a place to put the pictures that I take.

List five things that you are grateful for today.

I am so thankful for having a family that is so full of love. I am grateful for safe travels. I am happy for enjoying time spent together. I am thankful for being in good health. I am grateful for being able to enjoy art and music.

Your own random thought.

With all the uncertainty in the world..the wars, the hunger, the refugees. I feel helpless to help so I put my faith in our country to do the right thing. I hope that our leadership will be able to guide this country in the ways of freedom.

 

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The wind is whipping

I apologize for not showing up here on the blog for days. I seem to have been busy at home with decorating and forgot to blog. On Thursday I had a hair appointment and art lesson and so busy packing for the trip. And on Friday I went to Literary Club. We had a very interesting program presented by Betty Hach who is a new member of the club. She reviewed Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Betty was an art teacher in my school and a very creative person. She had a taught some small classes on learning to draw by training the right side of your brain through exercises like drawing upside down and drawing negative spaces. I had to write up the meeting for the paper.

Friday afternoon we traveled to Carlisle to Chris'. Yesterday I did a little shopping while the temperature was seventy one. But what a change today. A storm blew in and the temperature dropped to thirty eight with whipping winds. No snow yet down here but Bradford had snow. Today we will stay in and watch movies and play games.

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The final fall

We live in such a beautiful part of the country. Western Pennsylvania is a paradise for people who love the outdoors. There are two ski resorts just less than an hour away. There are many cross country skiing trails as well as those for snowmobiles. Hunting is a popular sport and there are so many lakes for fishing. We have an amazing hiking trail system too.

This is Quaker Lake. Part of the Allegany State Park in nearby New York State. We pass by here when we are traveling to Jamestown or Erie. I took this a few weeks ago. To capture those last leaves of fall. That day the water was a calm as a piece of glass.

Now we are approaching the gray season. Today it is so gloomy we need lights on in the house. But I am cuddled up under the blanket...not out of choice I might add. My bursitis is back in my hip so I'm sitting with the heating pad. If it gets too bad I will go to physical therapy.

 

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Someone had to speak up

I try to stay away from talking about politics on this blog. I respect everyone's right to form their own opinion even if it vastly differs from mine.

But since the election I've been shaking my head when I realize how little Trump knows about governing a country. And each day I worry more about where our country is headed and how he will make major decisions when he responds so vehemently to a tweet.

Susan Branch is a wonderful author and I read her blog regularly for its delightful art and interesting travelogue. But today she did something quite extraordinary. She had a lengthy article on politics. It said everything that I wish I was able to say. And she said it without apology. I'm proud of her for standing up for her beliefs. I urge you to visit her blog from my sidebar and read it.

 

 

 

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JUST PUT A WREATH ON THE DOOR

 

 

 

 

I have a friend who is 85 but acts like 60. My sister and I laugh about her (in a nice way) because she is so much more minimal than we are. When she decorates for Christmas she puts a wreath on her door and decorates her lamp pole out front. Now you know that I could never, never be like that. Today I started my Christmas decorating. I know it’s early but I am leaving for the boys’ and I want to come back to a house that is all done.

   I promised myself that I would try not to put as much out…..but I can’t help myself. Many pictures will follow (I’ll wait until December). Last year the theme was plaid but this year it seems to be a garden theme. All whites and silver. I am keeping the living room minimal however as well as not putting so much in the kitchen.

   I just love to get out my decorations each year. And I’ve gone through them and eliminated those that I don’t use any more. I only kept the things I love. I need to make a wreath for above my fireplace yet but I’m looking for just the right things to put on it. I will be going to Michael’s this weekend and I’m sure that I’ll find something there. I’m looking forward to going to all the stores in the “big” city. I want to do a lot of my Christmas shopping when I am away.

  Have you begun thinking about Christmas yet?

Put a little love in your life

 

I'm crazy about this picture of Sean and Sara. I think it really captures a time in their life. Those two are so loving and protect each other. And don't you just love that they are losing their teeth?

 

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Rituals

“It’s a simple act, but doing it the same way each [day] habitualizes it – makes it repeatable, easy to do.  It reduces the chance that I [will] skip it or do it differently . . . when you [follow daily rituals], they impel you to get started. Whether it’s the act of carrying a hot coffee mug to an outdoor porch, or the rock’n’roll that gets a painter revved up to splash color on a canvas, or the stillness of an herb garden that puts a chef in a culinary trance, moving inside each of these routines gives you no choice but to do something. It’s Pavlovian: follow the routine, get a creative payoff.” –Twyla Tharp in The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Do you have a daily ritual? Something that grounds you? My daily ritual is getting up, dressed and out the door every day to meet my friends for coffee. We have been doing this for fourteen years now since I retired. I find I need this social time in my life. It gives me a reason to get dressed and get on with my day. I have great friends and they have been such a support system for me helping me when things go wrong and cheering me when they go right. We mull over life events and make plans together. I am so lucky.

Can you say “stuffed”

It’s been almost 55 years since I graduated from high school. I know, I know, I don’t feel that old. Since I’ve lived in the same town all my life it was natural that I would be on the class reunion committee. Last night we met at my house. I have a great bunch of classmates and we have a ball planning for the next reunion in July. First we had dinner. One of the gals made lasagna and we enjoyed all the extras that went with it. There was a lot of eating…did I mention home made apple pie? And a lot of laughter.

After dinner we stuffed almost 200 envelopes with information about our reunion to be sent out.

It took us about an hour of hard work while we listened to 50’s songs on the radio. Twice the girls have met to play cards..or in our case Marbles, a home made really fun card/marble game. We’ve decided to meet every month. On Wednesday when we met we laughed so hard tears were running down our legs.

Setting a table

The table’s ready. It’s all set.

 

 

I love the clip on flowers on the napkins that I found in a bin at Walmart. Are you hosting Thanksgiving?

Voting day

I am so grateful that most bloggers I visit did not delve into politics. This election will finally be over today and I must say it can’t come fast enough. What a whirlwind it has been no matter whose side you have supported. I must say that I spent more than too much time watching news programs analyze every movement of both candidates.

  So it was with pleasure every day when I could stroll through my bloglist and visit familiar websites to enjoy looking into the lives of other women. I enjoy seeing their way of cooking, decorating, crafting, and seeing their various interests. Let me recommend a few to you.

The first one is very personal to me…Gretch Runs. This is my grandson Dan’s wife. If you want to know what the younger generation is doing just take a look at her blog. Dan and Gretchen live in Pittsburgh where she works in IT for a bank. They just bought their first house and she also has another blog where she only talks about how they are establishing their home called Gretch@Home.

Gretchen has been a runner since she was young and some of her blog chronicles her training, running, and races. But it is a lot more than that. She recently became a vegan so there are many vegan recipes that she tries and reports on. She also introduces us to new products that I, being from a small town, have never heard of. She gives makeup advice, wardrobe suggestions, songs choices and talks about their travels. I love being able to read about the life of this hip urban couple.

One of the first blogs I began reading was Between Naps on the Porch. Susan has hosted Tablescape Thursday for 424 weeks! It’s a blog party where she invites women to show off their table settings. It is delightful to see the clever and creative ways that tables are decorated. But her blog is more than that. On Mondays she hosts Metamorphosis Monday where talented ladies give ways to decorate your house. There are also home tours, crafts and seasonal ideas. If you enjoy seeing pretty things you will enjoy visiting her blog.   

Instructions for living a life

Why didn’t life come with instructions? Why did I not pay attention for so many years? I was busy just  living and letting things happen to me. I didn’t have a big plan for my life. Yes, I got an education and a career. But I didn’t have a lofty goal to follow. I raised a family and lived a life. I look back on it and wonder how it all turned out so well.

I don’t know anything about Mary Oliver but her words keep appearing in my presence so I looked her up. I learned that she was born in 1935 in Ohio and began writing poetry at the age of 14. At 17 she visited the home of Edna St. Vincent Millay and formed a friendship with the late poet’s sister. She helped Norma spend six to seven years and the estate organizing Edna St. Vincent Millay’s papers. She moved to Provincetown in the 1960’s and sets most of her poetry in and around there. Influenced by both Whitman and Thoreau she is known for her clear and poignant  observances of the natural world. Her creativity is stirred by nature, and Oliver, an avid walker, often pursues inspiration on foot. Her poems are filled with imagery from her daily walks near her home: shore birds, water snakes, the phases of the moon and humpback whales. In Long life she says "[I] go off to my woods, my ponds, my sun-filled harbor, no more than a blue comma on the map of the world but, to me, the emblem of everything. She commented in a rare interview "When things are going well, you know, the walk does not get rapid or get anywhere: I finally just stop, and write. That's a successful walk!" She says that she once found herself walking in the woods with no pen and later hid pencils in the trees so she would never be stuck in that place again She often carries a 3-by-5-inch hand-sewn notebook for recording impressions and phrases.

Sadie

 

You think I don’t know you stuffed a pill in that treat?

Sadie is still not doing very well. She refuses to put weight on her leg at all except when we carry her outside to do her business. Other than that she just lays around. It is so sad to see her like this. I don’t see that this surgery was an improvement. Our next step will be to go back to the Buffalo Animal hospital.

I AM THE LAST

I am the last red apple, hanging here alone. I cling to my branch daring the wind to shake me down. How proud I am that I defy winter.

I am the last flower blooming on the clematis vine turning my head toward the waning sun. The frost has not yet touched me. I am defying winter.

I am the last of the climbing hydrangea leaves. I shake and quiver in the wind and know that soon my destiny is to be on the ground but I stand firm. I defy winter.


I am the last little summer plant still growing in my planter and spreading as I can now. I am defying winter.


I am the last of the water catching fallen leaves in the pond. Soon my top will be frozen and I will lie cold. For now, I am defying winter.
 

Defying Winter

A lone golden tree
Stands before the gray mountains
Sky is dark clouds, overcast
The tree shines alone
Defying winter’s coming
And hanging tight to its leaves

anonymous