We don't actually celebrate Halloween, but since the holiday fell on flea market day this year, Tristan got a new sweater to wear for the occasion. I wanted to show you how cute he looks in it but...
I got a lot of this...
and this...
and this. Oh, well...
Happy Halloween, anyway.
Other than mailing Christmas cards I am almost ready for Christmas Day. Decorating the Christmas tree inspired some other decorating around the house. This little tree is on our dining/library table.
We have a few new ornaments this year. I made these angels using some extra pictures of Staci.
The bodies are repurposed styrofoam trays and aluminum foil from the kitchen. The wings were cut from a cereal box.
I bought these little tin birds on my trip to Texas this fall. I love buying ornaments as a souvenier. When you get them out at Christmas time it brings back such fond memories of your trip.
This sweet little glass bird was from our last anniversary trip.
A nice thing about living with white accessories is that it takes very little to turn them into holiday vignettes.
When I put these candles on this platter to protect the furniture from melting wax, I thought it needed a bit of sparkle. Then I remembered a pair of glass doorknobs I'd just bought. Voila!
I bought a bundle of lights at the thrift shop. Included in the pile was a very short string of icecicle lights. For something different, I placed them behind a leaning mirror to sort of back light it. I love the effect so much I think they will stay there.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
Last week was a hard one for me since it was the first anniversary of my mother's death. But in the midst of that week God sent me a bit of sweetness.
One day during the week I was in the thrift shop and this lonely little tree was sitting there. She begged to come home with me. I looked at her worn sparse branches and felt sorry that someone had used her so harshly then tossed her aside. The store personnel thought so little of her they marked her at only $5.00.
Last year I determined to not put up a big tree anymore, but how could I refuse her? She was so embarrassed and I felt so sorry for her. So we came home together.
Now, the next challenge was how to dress her since I had given away most of our ornaments. She didn't mind. She just waited patiently until I had made a few more trips to the thrift stores to find worthy ornaments. We worked together on her make-over.
Gaping holes were filled with layers of ornaments.
A few special family angels were added...
She turned out really beautiful, don't you think? She is no longer embarrassed and lonely.
Today she told me her name; it is Merry.
Since the weather has cooled down enough here in Florida to open the windows I decided this was the week to paint the kitchen...again. This is the fourth color these walls have endured since we moved in, but honestly, this is THE one.
This color is Fairfax Gray by WalMart brand paint, Color Place. I am absolutely in love with this color. DH says this is the best color we've had so far. This one is a keeper. It is soft, serene, and is the perfect background for wood tones, white, and accessories. The paint was one-coat coverage with low odor, and at $7.77 per gallon is certainly budget-friendly. I am actually more satisfied with the paint than the last color done with an expensive brand which I had to stretch the budget to buy.
Ah...it feels so good to be in love.
I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I have been in Texas with the kids. It was a wonderful trip. Here are some highlights of my time there:
I've come home with the smell of fresh air in my lungs and love in my heart.
YEE-HAW!
On the weekend John trimmed an overgrown shrub on the side of the house. He came inside saying he needed my help before he finished the job. When he showed me the half-cut shrub, I noticed he had uncovered an old Mockingbird nest. Since he was cutting the shrub from eight feet to three feet and the job was half done, it had to be removed.
Of course, I don't mind adding this one to my collection. I am always so fascinated by the construction of a bird's nest; with the variety of materials they use. This nest contains a lot of lint from our dryer exhaust pipe. It appears Mrs. Bird was eating in bed because the bottom of the nest is full of berry pits.
While John was trimming outside, I was facing my own dilemma inside. I noticed there was a lot of water on our table. I thought John had poured some water on the Ivy that sat in the middle of the table.
I had bought the ivy the previous day to place in this vintage tureen instead of buying fresh flowers for the table. But where was all the water coming from?
Then I noticed it.
All the stems that I had trimmed were seeping water from the plant.
It was amazing how quickly the droplets formed. I kept clicking shots, hoping to catch the drop as it fell, but alas, my hand began to cramp. There goes any aspirations I might have for working for National Geographic.
The plant is now on the kitchen counter waiting for the ends to heal and the bird nest is on the library table waiting for just the right spot to show it off.
Thank you, Mother Nature...or, should I say, Father God.
Thank you, dear Friends, for your gracious words of love and comfort on the recent passing of my dear Mama. You can never know just how much they meant to me.
How can I put into words the things that have happened this month, or the things I have felt and learned. Some things are just so deep there are no words for them. But I do want to tell you about something incredible that happened.
Christmas was dismal and bleak for me this year. But on the day after Christmas, as I awoke, suddenly it was a new day in every sense. The sun was shining and everything was clean and fresh. It reminded me of those allergy commercials on TV that show a foggy picture, then suddenly the fog is peeled away to reveal a crystal clear view. As I got out of bed, these words came to me; "It's a new day. It's time to put away grieving and go forward now. Don't waste any more days on grief."
When I heard that, suddenly the grief was just gone. It was like a gift from God. Since then I have thought of Mama, but only as though I am having a cherished memory, not in the agonizing, debilitating, meloncholy experienced previously. It reminds me of a Bible verse;
"Weeping may endure for a night,
but joy comes in the morning."
Psalms 30:5
So here we are, now, on the eve of a new year; a year full of hope. There is so much to do. I have begun by putting away Mama's pots and pans in my own kitchen. She was proud of her "waterless cookware" purchased almost 50 years ago for the huge sum of $150. Last year, when I visited her, she said she wanted me to be the next to use them. I love this metaphor of life; from her kitchen to mine; her life continuing in mine. And I am thankful...so thankful.
Let the new year begin.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
My hope is that each of you will experience the peace and joy He came to give.
Hugs to you today,
Nelda
I have to share just a few more photos with you of my trip to Oklahoma.
I thought you might enjoy seeing some of Mama's flowers. She has always grown Marigolds. She planted them once, but now she says the ones in her yard are all "volunteers" that have come up when last year's flowers reseeded themselves. There was much activity among the flowers. Butterflies seem to love them. Can you see the butterfly in the lower right corner of this picture?
She is fascinated with growing cactus and has even made jelly from the fruits they produce.
Mama always has a little cactus, and sometimes rooting ivy, growing in her kitchen window.
On Sunday afternoon while I was there, some of the businesses in town had their holiday open house.
This was originally started by the town's flower shop, but has since evolved into quite an event.
There was even farm wagon rides for the children down main street.
Several businesses were open that afternoon.
I have to have one of these.
