Just checking in. Going to get back to blogging soon.

Spring Dreaming

Life can have so much turmoil.  I am looking forward to sunshine and hot sweltering days.  Yes sweltering!   I cannot wait until the moment when I get to sit on my swing for the first time this year.  Its a special swing made with love.

LIGHT IT UP BLUE ON POLYVORE

JOIN THE BLUE MOVEMENT ON POLYVORE!!!

Just Let It Be..

Why....WHY?  do I dream of a house of my own??  Can't I just let it be?

 I remember being about 8 or 9 years old standing in the front yard on a summer day.  I stopped in my tracks and began to stare ( I stare a lot).  I remember clasping my hands together and began to think in a daze: "When I grow up I want a white house with a bay window in the front and a front porch that goes around to the side.. and a peaked roof with that scrolly trim stuff....something with character"  I kid you Not...I actually thought the whole thing and the "with character" part.  WHAT...how could I even know such a word.  Weird! Just really weird.

Maybe that's why I can't just let it be.  Then again, I like to torcher myself, that might be it too. Yeah, that's probably it.

My Mother's House

I am truly happy here.  My mind still wanders about owning my own piece of the world.  It won't leave me alone.  I say to myself: "Lord, I do not want it if it's not you."  Maybe it will happen someday but I want to be where He wants me.  I wouldn't want to ever leave here if He is not the one telling me it's time.

I think of my Mother's house a lot.  We lived there on Mulberry Street happy children.  Seems magical to me now.  It's a bit like looking back through the movie "A Christmas Story".  Similar house but smaller.  Front porch, side porch, neighbors. City blocks to walk to the store and school.  Standing at the front door with our Mom showing us how the puffy snowflakes look with the street light shining through the dark.  What a beautiful silent moment.

Here's the thing..It was always our home and we never doubted it.  She rented there for 30 years!!  Determination and hope and faith!!

My sister Cathy made these wood paintings of the house several years ago.  When I look at it I still see the real thing.  All the memories of my Mother's house.

I'M STILL HERE BLOG LAND

Well...I sincerely asked God to show me what to do. I LISTENED!!  I had faith, I moved on, and I AM truly thankful for it!
It was a lesson absolutely!
I am so happy where I am renting.  I'm proud to try to live within my means and have PEACE.
"You have to count every little thing as a blessing"  my sister said to me.  The little things I see now are such blessings in every day.  I hope that I never stop seeing them that way.


Psalm 16:
....I said to the Lord: You are my Lord, Apart from you I have no good thing


I want nothing without Him.

 
So I'm gonna hop back on the wagon..or the horse..whatever..and start blogging some again. mainly just for myself.
What I hope to share the most are the little blessings.  They are amazing!!
For Sure:  The fireplace! Heat in winter is good.

Moving On

I really am sitting here trying to think of some catchy way of making this sound good.  I can't.  I know it's just another step, another phase, another house.  But,  I can't stay.  It's not mine anymore and just wasn't meant to be.  I think it was a lesson.  And I am listening.  And I have faith.

So I will go to another house, I will take my things and make it a home.  And be truly Thankful for it.

Light the Whitehouse BLUE for Autism Mr. President

http://lightthewhitehouseblue.wordpress.com/laura/

Please go on over to the link and take a few minutes to read and pass on if you can.

Thanks!!

Irish Blessing

May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children's children,
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

New lamp

Sometimes a quick trip into goodwill or reasonably priced antique mall just makes the day doesn't it?  Ah you found something! You can afford it! You get that happy feeling, put it in place and get even happier.  It can give you inspiration to get back at it.

I don't know yet what it is made of but it is heavy metal.  

It made my day.

Now...I gotta get motivated on the barn sale idea.  

Found great inspiration on Miss Gracie's  Please go check it out.  It's got me thinkin.

Hmmmmm...

A Special Valentine

I received this "valentine" several years ago and I treasure it!

" With My Kindest Regards..

...Dear Little Birds You Sing So Well

What a Sweet Message of Joy You Tell..."

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

purty don't keep ya warm!

What a rough spell!  I know I had it good compared to so many others with this storm we just had so, I'm not complaining.  Our furnace does not work to start with but when the electric went out...well.  All I kept thinking was "purty don't keep ya warm".  All this fixing up and collecting things we love is so wonderful but,  the next thing i'm gonna collect is a wood stove!!

Just Putterin Around

My Grandma used to say that sometimes when I would call to see how she was or stop by to see her.  Rarely did she have those moments with all the kids.. then grand kids.. then great grand kids, and yes.. great great grand kids.  Her house was always busy and was never fancy.  Always warm and welcoming.  Putterin to her was more when she got to do some canning, make a rag rug and listen to the quiet, or crochet a new baby a blanket to come home in.

Putterin to me is when you have time all alone in your home.  When you get to move things around or fix up a piece of old furniture.  Maybe sew some curtains.  Lighting some candles and being proud of what you so geniously just came up with.   Just working on making your house a home.

So here's some of my putterin around...(see, I do have furniture!)

 (wow...baddd lighting)

I know....I need a camera besides my phone.  I'm learning, I'm learning.

More to come soon!

Just Laughing

Ever just sit around in your kitchen and laugh till you cry reliving family moments?  I really missed that.  We had a time tonight.  (it was actually my son's kitchen in the back of the house, not my dream kitchen...well anyway..)

So many hours we spent doing that where I grew up.  That kitchen was so tiny yet somehow we all fit in there.  We still joke about "rotating" if someone needed in the fridge or the bathroom.  We did not have much but I have the best memories to live on.  My mother rented there for 30 years!  Now that's something!  Wish I could buy it for her and move it here.

I think some days I forget what an opportunity I have here.  The furnace is out, the water is awful, and yes the roof leaks.. luckily only in one spot.

I know God gave me this chance for a reason.  I need to just push ahead and not be so serious about it all the time worrying.  After all, it is in God's hands as is everything.  So..I am just going to enjoy it.  Hopefully the kids and the grand kids will have good memories here and where ever we can be together and just laugh.

I'd love to know some of your favorite bellyachers...

Inside the house..

The Living Room

The Dining Room

Thought I would show you a few pictures of what I have to work with in most of the house.  The top pictures are of the kitchen.  It is wired plumbed and ready for cabinets and all.  Hope that happens soon..geeeez.
I love the barn looking doors in there. they are all over the house.  There is also a barn door on the door that goes out to the garden.  Great spot for the kitchen to be able to step right out in the garden when it is all beautiful and lush.

I'm still trying to figure out which way to go with the kitchen.  Pretty sure i want lower cabinets, some old sink, and open shelving for the top to display things.  One of those doors of the two in the picture far above is a pantry so I don't think I will need the uppers.  Too bad Layla (The Lettered Cottage) doesn't live next door! :)

I do have furniture in the rest of the house It's just not pic ready.


I have to tell you though that I ran across http://myshabbystreamsidestudio.blogspot.com/  and I now feel kinda silly trying to make a big ol farm work after seeing the most beautiful little house I've ever seen.  What an inspirational story too.
Here's a peek since I don't know the ettiquite just yet of putting others items on here.

Stop over there and check it out.

Oh and she had some posts of  http://urbanfarmhouse.blogspot.com/ Which I love and live very near to.  Lisa over there is going to love me too as soon as I find a box of cash.  I'd buy everything she has if I could.  I think it is the most beautiful and artistic shop I have ever seen.

Hope you find some inspiration too.

Patsy

Opening the Book..

Of course,  I'm only beginning with this blog but, I am amazed at all the help that is out there.  What a wonderful community of special people all helping each other.  Isn't that how it is supposed to be?  I think a lot of people forgot that in life.

We have all heard the stories about the ways of the past.  Take pioneers.  They all helped each other survive, build homes, and barns, feed each other if one was in need.  That's the spirit of America!

So...what's happening here?  Some exciting things (well, exciting plans). For one, Turning the barn into an antiques and home decor Super Barn!.  I think it will be beautiful once I get it clean and closed in.  I long to have it done by spring so I can have fresh herbs ready to purchase and plant in that special garden that someone is growing.  The smell alone will be heavenly.  Of course some perennials,  some clay pots, and anything else I can think of.

Oh for next Christmas!  Selling cut trees until we can get our trees planted and grown for sale.  Decorating the farm and the barn in anticipation for the season.

You get the point.  I am starting to dream again and that's progress.  

A Blank Page

My favorite post is the one I begin today.  Actually it started yesterday..   For some time I have been trying to find an answer to be able to afford keeping this farm or move on (give up).  I'm one of those people who need a neon sign to drop down in front of me before I am sure of a decision.  January 1, 2011 was a neon sign.

I was looking around on the internet at houses and decor of homes, dreaming.  I came across "The Lettered Cottage"  Wow,  so much inspiration!  So talented.  I was on there for hours and on other sites that I found from her site.

Here's what got me:  The Post,  The favorite post of the year and maybe my neon sign!

She had a quote on her site:

" We will open the book,  It's pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter begins on New Years Day."


And so I go on....
This  is my first page of Chapter one 2011

<div align="center"><a href="http://theletteredcottage.net/a-few-of-my-favorite-blog-posts-2010" title="The Lettered Cottage"><img src="http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj29/LaylaPalmer/2010%20Linky%20Images/Favorite_Blog_Posts.jpg" alt="The Lettered Cottage" style="border:none;" /></a></div>