Tuesday, July 31, 2007
No Reservations Cousins Night
Monday, July 30, 2007
Patience. . . yes... Use the force, Luke.... AAAAGH!
I will leave you with a little photo of the tea set my mother gave me for my birthday. It is sooo cute, made in Occupied Japan. She and her mother bought it in the city about 55 years ago when my mother was a teacher and went to a Teacher's Convention. They had it sent home because they were on the train and thought they would get it broken. Evidently the mailman just threw it on the ground and it arrived totally crushed, so my grandmother called Famous and Barr and they re-sent the package. That time our mail carrier brought it in and waited for it to be opened and had a cup of coffee... Long story short, it was never used by either my grandmother OR my mother. I called her up and said I had served tea in it to a friend, and Mom said, "Oh! That's the first time it's ever been used!!!" That is the story of my gramma's life, actually. She wore the oldest old ratty dresses, pins in her aprons instead of ties, old old dresses too worn for everyday she wore to bed... The oldest sweaters... holey old flannel shirts of my grandfather's. In her drawers after she went to heaven we found box after box of lacy nightgowns given by Mom and me, tons of new dresses, tags still on them, new sweaters I bought her at MY first teacher's meeting and a shawl she was saving TO BE BURIED IN.... ouch... You won't be finding that kind of stuff in my house.. I'm going to use it and enjoy!!! I have every intention of trying to take care of things, but hey... It's definitely time for me to take out some of the handmade quilts from Gramma and enjoy looking at them.. They are all in trunks, wrapped in tissue... What's the deal with me anyway? I'm on a toot due to no sleep and being ticked off/relieved about the computer thing... So enough for now. I'm going to watch Hell's Kitchen and go to bed. I need to hear him rip into somebody!!! Take care.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
We've been blogging!"
Well, good day here. I invited my mom and dad up for dinner, and my son invited two of his friends, so we had a wonderful little table full for Sunday dinner. I fixed smothered steaks, Italian vegetable salad, melon salad, butterflake drop biscuits, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions and carrots and Chocolate Peanut Butter gooey cake. Well, my.... We are all pretty full, I think. Mom and Dad have gone home, and I'm going to watch Design Star tonight.
The coolest part of the day happened when I decided to bring my mom into my bedroom and hook her up with some of you bloggers! My mom is 83, on a walker, and quite opinionated, but kinda sweet (as a daughter might say). I had no idea what opinion she would have of all this... It crossed my mind she might think it was weird, out of sync with reality, dangerous, or some such nonsense. OH, no... If she could have done what she wanted, she would have been sitting here until midnight. She was soooo crazy about all the photos of your beautiful homes, the foods you fix, the tables you set, the cats you pet, the decor you have loved into existence. It was so much fun... "Click on that one," she'd say... And she wanted to go back and see Christmas at some of your houses... "Do you have any more?" She asked... Uh, well... You all know how many links we all have.... I showed her about ten, I think... and my own... She was all about taking more pictures to go on here! "Use your camera!" She shouts! She was having a blast. We stayed in here about three hours I think. My dad got the heebie jeebies and wanted to go home, so she finally did. My son asked her, "What have you been doing in there?" She just sashayed right by him and flipped out the casual, "Oh, we've been blogging." AS IF she had ever heard of the term before today. She loved it.... I was so pleased with myself and with all of you and with the day. Good time. I love you all and think the absolute best of each of you... Mom asked me how I manage to get anything done except sit here and look... "It's better than any magazine!" I agree. Have a good week, everyone.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Saturday at the Movies - Anne Frank
Lovely video about my Anne. I just finished watching The Freedom Writers. OH, what a wonderful movie. When it came out to the theaters, a neighboring school took all their teachers to watch it. THAT would have been awesome. I had an awesome time myself. I got to watch it with my son, all alone, just the two of us with home baked lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and brownies. Rare treat to get to be together now... and I love his friends, but after all those days with our kids as little ones, isn't it fun to have a minute again? This video shows some beautiful and sad scenes from the Anne Frank movie I show after we read the play. I love Anne. My dear dear friend (the one with the baked Alaska?)told me I would adore Freedom Writers, and I did. I always gear back up for school with teacher movies: Dangerous Minds, The Principal, Stand and Deliver, and a few more... I'm so glad to have seen this one. Have a fun weekend...
Friday, July 27, 2007
One of my Auction Treasures
Thursday, July 26, 2007
A little bird told me
Also yesterday was an armed robbery in our tiny, tiny town. Pretty scary, but nobody was hurt! and I think the robbers were successful and may have gotten away. Then about fifteen miles from here where I taught last year, a man was stabbed, had to be life flighted... All this comes on wings of town tales... The network of information in a small town is amazing... sometimes accurate, as in "We got this straight from the scanner!" sometimes a little messed up, as in, "I think the robber rode a four wheeler." Well, don't know for sure, but it sure did a number on my attempt to NOT monitor the news so very closely. I had taken a little break from news during the summer. I still followed the major things, but just wanted to detox a bit. I truly believe all the blogging I've been reading has helped me see the beginning of the scope of truly good people. You know? You always believe there is good, want to believe so much as Anne Frank did, "In spite of everything, I really believe people are really good at heart." Browsing along through the web and realizing with every click, "wow... another super family, wonderful person... It adds documentation and substance to that affirmation of goodness in the world... Things like what happened in our town, they do happen.... but so, also.... a silver crown giveaway, a lovely scrapbook guild, a cupcake baker extraordinaire, someone who makes roses to rival Henry Fields.... out of coffee filters.... It's a beautiful world at its core.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wow.... Isn't this cute?
This last shot shows the scope of the place, rooms beyond the rooms full of scenes and carolers. My mother would LOVE this place. I will have to take pictures of her miniatures and her doll house. Just thought I'd share HIS road trip. Me? Today was a quiet, good day. My son's sweetie bought and cooked a wonderful pork roast with carrots and potatoes for a treat for me! It was delicious! I told him I thought pretty girls like that weren't supposed to be such good cooks... It really isn't fair, you know! haha.. Have a nice Christmas---- uh, week...
Whisky or Totebag?.... She hides her head in shame!
This one is currently going for about 45 dollars. Evidently someone else is in love with this vintage Halloween fabric as much as I am. Isn't it dear?
Monday, July 23, 2007
Favorite Poem Project Website
Saturday, July 21, 2007
What stuff brought
The cheese cover was a steal at $125... I'm wondering if it was maybe new?
Saturday at the Movies - Safe Hands
Glad this didn't happen to me today at the estate auction. I feel sorry for this guy! Had a great day today. I'll show you all my goodies as soon as I get a minute to "play" with them.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Profound Poet
The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self.Give wine. Give bread.
all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart.
the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror.
-- DEREK WALCOTT
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Recipes from Favorite Places
But I will also direct you all to my favorite recipe site on the web. It is called Traveler's Cookbook and you can browse through it and see all kinds of recipes from bed and breakfasts all over the place. Not only can you find a recipe, you can find the story behind it and see photos of a room to rent there, prices, the whole deal. I have made so many of these for carry-in dinners and for refreshments in my shop. It is so fun to say, "These are pumpkin bars from Maine, or a Scotch Cake from Washington State. I love to just look at the rooms and think about the fun of traveling and eating in that place at any given time of the year. Here is the link to that wonderful website. Travelers Cookbook.
So, enjoy. I'm tired tonight and think I'll watch some telly. Did you all see Food Network Star? What a shocker! And Hell's Kitchen? Yay for that little short order cook. They are coming to a close, and I get sooo excited. I'll miss them when they are over. Take care.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Gettin' My Vibes Going. . .
1. After the _________ . You fill in the blank. I think my favorite time of ANY event is after it’s over. Being with family after a reunion or after a wedding. Sitting with a group of friends at our annual Homecoming on little bleachers about two feet from the ground, lights low, a little country music piped in around the edges, a couple of Homecoming hamburgers piping hot with a special flavor unduplicated on the face of the earth, maybe somebody with a funnel cake to share… We get to chatting about past homecomings, the year my son (now nearly 26, then 3) sang “Born in the USA” on the mikes after the show. (He doesn’t even come to Homecoming mostly because he hears that story a gazillion times a night! Haha). I love sitting after a wedding reception and re-creating the big moments, sitting in the gym after a game or a dance with a group of teachers…. At a family function sitting around after the big push to clear the table and put away the dishes…. After the fact. It’s my favorite time.
2. Staying home several days in a row. I love everyone a lot. I really, really do. But I adore to stay home day after day after day. I almost never do it. A couple of years ago I had dry sockets after wisdom teeth extraction. Yep. I loved those two weeks because I didn’t really go anywhere. Pain, yeah… but kind of worth it. This year we had an ice storm. I hit my door at noon on Friday and left my cocoon of a home on Monday ten day later. A record, I think. No cabin fever. Really loved it.
and thus, Seasons and Weather. Love it. Love snow, love gray days, love rain, love storms if nobody gets hurt or loses houses. I groove on snowy, blustery weather… (from the inside looking out.) So, apologies to farmers and everyone who has to work out in it. Also seasonal stuff. I have boxes of decorations for nearly every holiday known to man. I would love to have an entertainment center or Emporium based on holidays. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? A Christmas room… then my beloved Halloween! An Easter tearoom… ah… a little glen full of wee leprechauns. I love Autumn and Halloween, the full moon (as I may have mentioned). Seasonal foods and décor and clothing are simply inspiring to me. Storing the overflow the other 11 months is not.
3. Books. The evil that is Amazon.com and other similar avenues of seduction. When I discovered one could slip out of bed at night, click a few buttons, look through myriads of titles, recommendations, covers, reviews…. And click a couple more buttons and expect that book in two days. Oh….. Hallelujah angels began to sing and bank balances began to wane. I can’t remember the last time I had less than six or seven books started. I also adore Bookcloseouts.com It’s fabulous to try books you’ve never heard of… Yum!
4. Kitty cats. Photos of cats, the real deals. I love kittens and cats so much. I love dogs, too. Cats just seem easier to love and require nothing less than adoration. They remind me of the Rose in The Little Prince. That book is also worthy of a spot on here. Amazing philosophical treasure. It touches the soul.
And 5. Beauty. I love beautiful people and beautiful things: clothes, paper ephemera, lovely rooms, pretty handwork, tiffany lamps aglow in the dawn light, little floral fantasies… the legacies of my grandmothers in china, lace, and strength. Beauty is eternal. It is always found in the hearts of our children and loved ones. It is often found in the tiniest of keepsakes. It may glitter, or it may glow, but it always gives us light in our hearts.
Saturday at the Movies: Phillies help with the tarp
Kind of an interesting moment in sports that I never considered. Hope you are all having a good weekend.