Married 30+ years to the same sweet man & plan to hang on to him! Pray for your family daily!! If you don't... who will?

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Pink Dyson!!!

Happy Pink Saturday!
Thank you to Beverly for hostessing again this weekend!
Hopefully, most of you are finished digging out of the week's weather and up for some fun.
Click below to join in or to check out what other pinks are displayed today!


I love pink flowers, but this is not my pink item for today.



I got me a pink Dyson!




No really I did!
From Target and the Black Friday/
After Thanksgiving Sale!

My old vac was dying and couldn't handle my new rugs.



I actually ordered it online because
I didn't want to go out so early
(even tho' we did after all).






And I got a free $100 e-gift card too!
Uh huh, I did!



And the best part?
My Sweet Hubby will vacuum for me if I ask him real nice!!


Thursday, January 29, 2009

Still Home

Okay, okay, so there is nothing else going on except the weather!
Once the sun came out yesterday the snow just glistened like glitter.
Gorgeous! Wish I had a star filter to put on this digi.


Woke up this morning to freezing fog warnings.
It is soooo beautiful!

Kinda Fairylandish!

There's still ice on the lake and the snow is now frozen and crunchy.

I'm not going anywhere!


Wednesday, January 28, 2009

What's On Your Wall Wednesday


I've been out of the loop, I've not participated in What's On Your Wall Wednesday. Probably because usually it's crunch time mid-week for teaching, getting ready for Bible Study, etc. But today, I'm home due to the ice on the roads and decided to join in. I'm late to the party so not on the Mr. Linky, but that's okay.

By our front door is a round mirror above the treadle sewing machine I bought probably 20+ years ago. It really works and I used to sew dresses for my girls on this beauty!


This wall has the thermostat control on it
and not much wider than you see here,
so this is my solution.
An initial and an angel watching over us.


After my Nana H passed away, my dad brought back a few little things for me.
This mirror is plaster cast
gold leaf.
And my kids were none too gentle on it
over the years.
It needs a little attention,
but I still LOVE it!
I saw the original painting (at the top) in the Louvre.
But the photo of it is on

35mm film & I haven't scanned it to show today.

The label says "LEBRUN Élisabeth, Louise, Vigee (Mme)
Peint_ _ (1755-1842) par elle même

"Blue Nude"
My mom painted this when I was about 6.
My mother was very artistic but as a single mom didn't have a whole lot of time & opportunity to express her talent.
I remember being dragged to art supply stores and having my own sets of charcoals and watercolor supplies.
This is the only remaining art item I have found in her stuff so far and cherish it.



What's on YOUR wall?
Edit: I never knew that my Nana's mirror is a trumeau. I love it when I learn something! I googled a few and some are $$$!
And I also was unaware that this was the very first WOYWW! Dumb luck is my mantra. As for my mom's painting, we have over 100 pieces of various artwork from my mom's and stepfather's place... we still haven't unwrapped most of it but I am hoping to find more of my mom's work. My stepfather's first wife was an artist, but he loved to collect unknown work that pleased him.


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Baby It's Cold Outside

This is why I am home today.


The ice started yesterday afternoon before school was out.
We apparently had 3 buses in the ditch by the time they were done delivering students.
I was close to joining them... slippin' and slidin' sideways
on my way home.
Phew!
We had a snow day today.
Our driveway is almost impassable in bad weather.
It's pretty though isn't it?

(We've learned to park and drive on the lawn
and stay off the cute driveway)



We had a snow day today.

We'll have a snow day again tomorrow.
Now it's big fluffy snow flakes, hiding the evil ice that lurks below.


Sweet Hubby has to be at work at 4 a.m. driving in this.
Please pray for him.


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

My President



Today was a momentous date in history. Not only did we inaugurate the 44th President of the United States, but many social barriers have been broken. Yes, he is our first President of color, but we will truly cross over that great divide when it is no longer mentioned. Even though I did not vote for President Obama, he was not and still is not my choice, he is MY President! I will support him and and I will pray for him. God Bless America and God Bless President Obama.

Monday, January 19, 2009

"Could you love that barn?"

When we first moved to the Mid West, I envisioned rambling farmhouses and huge traditional barns scattered across the landscape.
Maybe even owning such.
I mean, that's what I'd grown to love visiting NW Iowa as a child!

The barn where I had milk squirted in my mouth straight from the cow, the barnyard with the hogs behind the pen and the geese that snipped my backside were all in my memory!
I remember the surprise of Uncle Berdett swatting that same backside when I was trying to hook me a chicken through the chickenwire fence.
(This little girl from L.A. was completely inept so he had no cause for concern.)

In 1991 I brought home to Cali a barnboard from that old barn, by then barely standing.
Sadly I don't know where that board is now.

After we moved here I would often squeal in delight when I spied a well loved and maintained barn and express sadness upon sighting a neglected structure.
Eventually it became the family joke.
ANY barn we passed would have one of the kids asking me, "Could you love that barn, Mom?" But I still find myself remarking, "Nobody loves that barn," or "I could love that barn!"

Today, driving my students back from Contest, we pulled into the Arby's in Carthage, and peeking from behind the motel next door I saw again the barn I'd promised myself a coupla months ago that I would photograph.


Isn't that "banner" really neat?
I wonder what it said?
"Harper Family Farms?"
"Jones' Dairy?"

Imagine the years of service that this beauty provided.
The yard is still manicured and cared for but it has been many many years since new paint has graced those boards.

As we came around the corner, we saw "the rest of the story".

Nobody loves this barn. She will one day completely cave in and then tumble over on herself as so many have already succumbed.

But I will give her a wink and a nod as long as she stands.

I "could" love this barn... but she's not mine.





Saturday, January 17, 2009

Pink Sky

The other day I was pouring my morning coffee and looked up and out the window as the sun was rising. As the colors continued to expand across the sky and water, the geese floated into view.


So pour yourself a nice hot cup and check out the other PINK SATURDAY posts hosted by Sweet Beverly.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Proof

Last night was Jay's work Christmas Party.
I think it's pretty smart for them to wait
until after all the busyness of the Holidays!

Aren't they cute?

So I volunteered to watch the two little ones while they partied!
Oooo-ey, I get to watch the girls!
We went shopping yesterday to get something for Sweet Christy:

And Jay wanted to wear his Hawaiian shirt.
I told him he looked like a Midwestern Tourist.
He wore it for his White Coat Ceremony.
Yeah, we know.
All he needed were some shorts and black socks w/sandals!
His major line of defense was that they had a laid back,
tropical themed wedding.
Uh-huh. That's okay.
Dress nice, get used to it.

He relented and put on a button up shirt
and his leather jacket.

Much Better!

The girls and I had a blast, just hangin' out!
(btw. he's mad at me now. I can take it.)

This is proof that I did teach my children
how to dress appropriate to the situation.
Or it's proof that a mother's job is never done. Sigh.


Saturday, January 10, 2009

A Cuppa PINK

For PINK SATURDAY I have chosen to show my little pink teapot.


Tea is instant wisdom - just add water!
~Astrid Alauda


If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you.

~Gladstone, 1865
It's one of several I have on display (see it on the shelf second from the right?)
Stands the Church clock at ten to three?
And is there honey still for tea?
~Rupert Brooke, "The Old Vicarage, Grantchester," 1912
(Thanks, Helen)


I always fear that creation will expire before teatime.
~Sydney Smith



I haven't bought a new teapot in quite some time.
I could not resist this one at Tuesday Morning last week.
A perfect literary pot for one.

The perfect temperature for tea is two degrees hotter than just right.
~The Quote Garden


Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.

~Henry Fielding, "Love in Several Masques"


If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.
~Japanese Proverb


Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.
~Author Unknown


The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose.
~George Gissing, The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft


There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
~Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

(I even read the above book just because of that opening quote. It wasn't my favorite)

I also picked up these tea coasters while I was there:
Tea is liquid wisdom.
~Anonymous


There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea. ~Bernard-Paul Heroux


Hmmm, I didn't think to get out my tea cups! I'll save that for another day.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

PINK PINK PINK!

Thank you to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for bringing us Pink Saturday yet again!

Just for fun I decided to look up some pink animals for Pink Saturday! Some are very obvious:
A Pig:
dogbreedinfo.com

The beautiful flamingos from my old stomping ground at the San Diego Zoo. Have you been there to see them?
sandiegozoo.org

Who knew there were pink cats?
bbc.co.uk

I have read about the local white squirrels in Marionville, MO. My DIL who is from near there says she's been to that town many times, but has never seen one! This one has cute pink ears and nose, etc:
ruralmissouri.org

So Pink Elephants aren't just from imbibing too heartily on New Year's Eve?
wikipedia.org

Of course I couldn't forget the Pink Poodle?
pinkpoodlespa.com


This was a total surprise to me! I had no idea that albino dolphins were pink! Beautiful!
singaporeair.com


HAPPY PINK SATURDAY!!!