Been Gone Too Long

Where did the time go?  Somehow the summer has gone by so fast.  I can't believe my last post was for Mother's Day and now Labor Day is almost here.  This is just a short post now to let you know I'm still alive and well.  I've made a few changes in my life and I want to share those with you.  I will be making a longer post with pictures and details a little later on but wanted to let you know that I haven't stopped blogging or disappeared, just had a hiatus and did some soul searching, making some decisions affecting my life, all good, all positive allowing me some opportunities to reach out in other directions and areas I've always wanted to. 

Please come back for the details and some pictures of what I've been up to.  It has been a long very, very hot summer here in California and we are still in the midst of a heat wave.  Today at least it is down to 97.  Yeah, I know that is still hot but better than 107 which we had over the weekend.

I hope you all stick with me because I think you'll enjoy some of the changes I hope to incorporate into my blog. 

Until next time, stay safe, be good to one another and help those in need when you can.
Hugs,

Kathy

Honoring Motherhood

In honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to do a post as my way of honoring all moms, grandmas, great grandmas, stepmoms, moms to be and all those who have the "momitude".  Often there are those women who just take on that role of "mothers" giving advice, helping out, acting like moms but not really moms at all.  We love you too. 

Unfortunately my own mom passed away over 20 years ago and her death has left a void in my life.  If you have lost your mom, you know what I mean.  They may be gone physically but still they are in your heart.  There is nothing like a mother's love.  It seems though we never appreciate all our moms did and who they were until we are moms ourselves.   We finally realize the sacrifice and devotion it takes to raise responsible children, to nuture them, teach them right from wrong, and help them through the disappointments and rejections in life.  It isn't a job it is a vocation that never takes a day off.

If you are a mom, grandma or any of the above, I praise you for all you do.  The days are long and the work is endless.  It is the hardest job on the planet but the rewards are worth it.  You get to be part of watching another human being develop and grow into an adult.  You get to share in their journey from infancy into womanhood or manhood.  You are part of the miracle of birth or are blessed to be parents to someone elses child.  

Then, of course, there are days when you seem invisible.  You work hard and nobody seems to notice.  Or those times when you make a great meal and all you get are complaints.  I feel your pain.  I wish you comfort when you feel sad because you have a sick child and feel so helpless.  I offer you a cup of joy when you finally get the laundry all done and you want to shout with glee but nobody cares.  I have for you a box of tissues when you are in tears because you just found out you have to make 5 dozen cupcakes for your son's school tomorrow and it is 7:00 p.m.  For all the times you've held a crying baby and walked the floor, I give you a medal of honor and some Tylenol PM to take when you are 60 years old because that's probably the only time you'll get a good night's sleep again. 

When I had my first child, I was very young compared to today's standards.  I loved being a mom and still do.  It is my greatest joy.  I never wanted a career or to be famous just to be somebody's mom.  I love babies and little children but those little children don't stay little for very long. They grow up and get married.  So what starts out as being a mom can lead to becoming a grandma.  All the hard work of raising your own children was well worth it when your child blesses you with a grandchild. When you hold that grandbaby in your arms for the first time, there are no words to describe the feeling. 

My granddaughter Hannah is now 11 and such a blessing in my life.  I couldn't wish for a sweeter, more loving granddaughter than her.  She has the heart of an angel.  She is so sensitive to others and very caring and loving.  I am so touched by the things she does and says.  She has many talents and is gifted in her school work as well as in drawing. I pray that she will always keep the sweet spirit that dwells within her.

So in honor of Mother's Day I want to leave you with this poem that I've had for a very, very long time.  I don't know who wrote it but I feel it is appropriate.  Your children are everything, but wait, the other surprise is just around the corner.

The Love and Devotion I Gave To My Child

I Thought I Could Give To No Other

But Life Had A Wonderful Surprise For Me

The Day I Became A Grandmother

I wish you all a very blessed Mother's Day and may it be filled with the love of your family who will shower you with appreciation for each and every thing you do.  May you have a day of peace and tranquility, relaxation and pampering as you deserve the best.  Without mothers, our world would never know the true meaning of unconditional love.

Until next time, remember a mother's love is never failing, never lacking and always present.

Hugs

Kathy 

Spring Fever

Well Spring has finally arrived here in California.  It decided to take its sweet time just like it has with the rest of the country.  I know many of you are saying that we have nothing to complain about and you are right, we have nice weather most of the year but this year we had to wait a bit longer than usual.

Since we have had some nice weather, the urge to get things spruced up has hit us so we have done a little work around the yard.  We cleared out the old to make room for the new.  Here are a few pictures of what it looks like in the front of our house.  These are Martha Washington geraniums which bloom every year.  I like these type of flowers, pay once enjoy forever.

We still need to do some trimming and our grass is not the greatest but I love the colors of the flowers. 

This is a hillside that we always have trouble keeping up with.  Right now there are blooms and it is colorful but sometimes it is just full of weeds and a lot of work to manage.  Things just seem to grow wild here.

We love our little wagon.  We are still working on it and will fill it up with more flowers and better pots.  In the fall we have hay bales and pumpkins.  It is really a great focal point to decorate for each season.

Since I had a little time one day after a dental appointment, I stopped at an antique store that was on my way.  This place had been there for years but I never went in before.  You could barely move around it was so crowded and small.  I wouldn't say it was a very good place to shop but I did find some cute items.  It reminded me more of something you would see in grandma's basement.  There were boxes filled with stuff, books all over the place.  I  did manage to get a couple of nice things at least I think so.

I found a few baby dresses that had a few stains in some areas.  I thought some of them looked like blood and started wondering what happened, did the babies get hurt, were they okay, got me pretty sentimental for a few moments. 

There are also small tears but barely noticeable.  They were just stuffed in a box along with other shawls and blankets.

This is a beautiful long infants night shirt.  It could have been a baptism outfit as well.  It is made of a little heavier cotton than the others with a couple of tiny tears.  The neck edge is trimmed with delicate lace and the upper bodice has some smocking.  The handiwork is gorgeous.

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It wouldn't be complete without a bonnet.  This alone was worth the money.  The cut out work and the lace is so beautiful.  I know this must have taken a lot of time to make.  I think I paid about $7.50 for everything  and there is one other small dress that I didn't show so I think I got a good deal, don't you. 

I also managed to get these old books which I think are just perfectly prim.  One is an old arithmetic book and it actually had a paper with math problems on it.  Wonder if it was somebody's homework.

This bonnet I bought also but it was a light pink and white check.  I think it was $2.00.  I ended up soaking it in coffee to stain it.  I know I took the before picture of how light it was but I can't find it now.  I hate when that happens.  Anyway, this is how it looks after coffee stained.  Remember it was a light pink and white gingham.

It really looks different now.  It took quite a long time to get this way.  Apparently gingham doesn't like coffee too much.  The fabric would not soak it in .  I ended up putting in some instant coffee to just to make it darker.  I do like how it looks now.  It really aged quite a bit.

So if you are finally getting some lovely spring weather where you are I hope you get out and do something fun.  I love working in the yard and seeing things grow.  My hubby and I started a raised bed garden and we are hoping to get some nice fresh vegetables this summer.  Next time I'll have some pictures of our plants.  Of course, I forgot to take the before pictures.  I never seem to remember that.

Spring is also a time for new beginnings, new things spring to life and that which looked dead over the winter seems to blossom into something of beauty.  We all can take a lesson from that.  I know I seem to reflect on my life at this time of the year.  I think of what I need to weed out, get rid of the junk so to speak and make room for the new and better things.  We sometimes have to prune ourselves too.  We could be holding on to some things that keep us from living a full and complete life.  It isn't worth it.  I know I try to think of how I can live more in peace and if that means forgiving someone or going the extra mile to help someone then I try to do it.  We shouldn't let those hurts take over our lives because they will develop roots, grow so deep and be hard weed out. 

Make it your mission that going forward into a new season, you will strive to "bloom where you are planted" and remove all those weeds and debris and allow flowers to grow and the beautiful fragrance to take over your life from now on.  It is not worth it to hold on to anything that robs you of blooming into the beautiful person  you are. 

So until next time, may your garden of life be always filled with fragrant blooms.

Hugs

Kathy

Jury Duty Surprises

Last Monday I had to report for jury duty.  In California you get the summons and the weekend prior you call a phone number to see if your group has been selected for Monday.  If you are not needed for Monday you have to call every evening to check in to see if you are needed for the next day and so on until Thursday evening.  If you are not called by then well you are one of the lucky ones, your jury service is completed and you don't have to report for another year.

I did my duty and called the Saturday prior and of course as luck would have it I had to report on the Monday.  It was one of our rainy days and the drive I  had was quite far.  I was not looking forward to this.  I dragged myself out of bed early and was sure I'd be in for a day of boredom.  Most of the time you just sit and wait and if you do get called to a jury room well, you wait some more and then either get picked, let go or go back and sit in the jury room again. 

It was a long morning and a few people were called but were still waiting for the courtroom to be ready for them.  We broke for lunch and we didn't have to report back for 1-1/2 hours.  I surely didn't want to wait there so even though it was raining I decided to take a walk.  As I was walking, I remembered an Antique/Primitive shop that was close by.  I hadn't been there for at least 2 years or so.  I began to pick up my pace.  The rain didn't help, but it didn't deter me either.  I was getting anxious by the minute.  I finally got to the store and was overwhelmed.  I didn't drive because I didn't want to lose my parking place but I wish I had.  There were more items I would have bought, well again, money had to be figured into it too.  I posted earlier about my cabinet and how I wanted to find some more crocks well I did.

This is a good size crock and is pretty old but I can't tell the age.  There are no marks on it but there are nice streaks going through the coloring and it is in excellent shape.  No cracks or chips.

I just kept findings so many things I liked.  I wasn't thinking about carrying these to my car.  I also found this nice crock, well actually it looks like a jug more than a crock

Do you notice the swirl effect going through it.  I thought that was so neat.  She had so many great things in her shop.  Again, I wish I had driven there.

I also picked up this pitcher and loved the stripe in the middle  I have a small crock that has a stripe in middle very similiar to this pitcher.

As you can see, I wasn't thinking about the weight of these objects at all.  I had to carry them to my car before the next session of my jury duty began.  It was a few blocks away. I must have been crazy because it was raining, I had a purse, a tote bag for my goodies to eat, water bottle, snacks, reading material and then I had these items to carry too.  I guess when you see what you like all at once you don't think of things like how you are going to transport them.

I also found this cute dish, not sure what you would call it but I liked it.  I'm sure it has a name, maybe somebody knows.

I've seen these before but I'm not sure if they have a name.

Anyway those were my jury duty surprises.  No I never did get called for any jury thank goodness.  I just stayed there most of the day and did manage to carry those heavy crocks to the car but had a backache the next day.  Of course, it was all worth it. 

Here is a picture of what my cupboard looks like now.  It still needs a few more touches here and there.  I need some little things to make it complete.

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So the next time you get called for jury duty, don't be frustrated, maybe something good will come out of it.  I am so happy I went that day.  That antique store is not very close to my house but if it were, I probably would be there more often.  I think my husband is very glad that it isn't.

Until next time, you can always find something positive in an otherwise negative situation.

Hugs

~Kathy~ 

Time for Changes

We are in spring finally but here in California it doesn't feel like spring.  Today it was only in the high 50's and for us that is cold.  Our winter was warmer than that.  Still I have felt like cleaning and tweaking my house, moving things around and have that urge to change everything.  Do you ever feel like that?  With money tight these days there are only so many things you can do.  I decided to look at what I have and see if I could move stuff and rearrange it to give my home a new look.  So looking around I decided to make a change.  I have a cupboard with wire doors (I know there is a name for it but for the life of me I can't think of it) and it had all my cookbooks in.  I decided to take them out and use it for a display of my crocks. 

I have a few in there already but I am not quite sure how to display them.  I have a few more that are not in there yet and some a little smaller.  This is right in the front entry as you walk in.  I want to get a few larger ones for the bottom so hopefully I'll be able to find them at a good price.  I also think I should add other things to coordinate but not sure what.  Any ideas? 

I never realized how many cookbooks I had.  Going through them wasn't easy because I want to purge some but I kept saying to myself I needed to keep this one or that one.  Why is it even if we don't use something a lot, we still don't want to give it up?  I have to learn how to change.  I want to live more simply and get rid of what I don't need.   I think it is a matter of discipline, something which I am trying to practice.

I also moved around some of my crocks that were on my kitchen shelf  which is just below the ceiling that runs along 3/4 of the kitchen.  I really liked them there but that also needed a change.

I put fabric over the top and tied it with twine.  As you can see, this one has a little too much twine.  I have some where I just put cheese cloth that I aged by soaking it in coffee and tied it on top.  That looks real prim and great on a crock. 

If anyone has some ideas of what else I can mix in with the crocks in my cupboard, please let me know.  I've seen some great combinations of what other people do but now I can't remember.  I should just take pictures or tear them out of the magazines but of course I don't do that at the time.  Also now my kitchen shelf is a little bare, need help there also.

To bring some spring into my home, I changed the flowers on top of my hutch.  I always have artificial flowers there and at Christmas it is full with pointsettas both red and white, some berries and pine cones.  I love that set up and always hate to take it down.  Now I have some hydrandras and mixed flowers, trying to keep with the red tones because I have red and cream colors in that room.

Like I said, the weather here is not spring-like yet but I'm sure it will be soon.  I'm ready to start planting a garden.  My husband and I decided to buy a raised bed that they sell at Lowes.  We can't start one in the ground because we have gopher friends who love our yard so we will put down weed cover, wire mesh to keep the criters out and then the raised bed and soil.  I love the feel of soil and watching the plants grow.  I get so excited when I see the flower and then the vegetable.  My kids think I'm a little nuts when I tell them I saw a little tomato on the vine.  That is how I am, I love anything that grows from the earth.

Soon we'll have lots of sunshine and warm temperatures and children will be outside more and the birds will be building nests.  Schools will be finished for the year and summer will be upon us.  The cold, frigid days of winter will be gone and we will all enjoy a more gentler time.  I know life seems a little sweeter when the weather cooperates. 

Life has many seasons as well and each one brings with it challenges of its own.  May all your seasons be pleasant ones and if you have a season with lots of rain or thunder, I hope you come through the storm much wiser and stronger as you see the sun shining on the other side.

Until next time, keep feathering your nest and tweaking those branches, make your home your own and fill it with the love only you can bring.

Hugs
Kathy

Too Many Hats to Juggle

Hats are something you either love to wear or just never wear.  I think they are great but on other people.  I personally don't feel I look good in them.  When I lived in Rhode Island, the winters were cold and most of us wore them for warmth.  When I was a teenager, though, I didn't want to mess up my hair so I refused to wear one.  Boy I can still hear my mom's voice telling me to "go put a hat on".  

My mom on the other hand looked so elegant in her hats.  In her day, no lady went anywhere without proper head covering. 

 Moms today do wear hats, differents types of hats for different reasons.  We all are so busy raising a family, working, cooking, making lunches, helping with homework, laundry, cleaning,  grocery shopping and running the kids here, and there constantly juggling those hats hoping we don't drop any.  That's too many hats to juggle and still feel together and in control.  Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed, frustrated, overcomitted? It could be you  have too much on your plate, trying to do too much at one time so maybe now it is time to let something go. 

It is time to take inventory of everything you do and see what is not only important but necessary to your life.  There are many things we do that are good but you must weed out the good and concentrate on the BEST by learning to set priorities.  We do it for the kids, wanting them to have it all but what they truly need is A HAPPY MOM, A HAPPY HOME, A PEACEFUL PLACE TO LIVE.  If you fall apart, what will happen to their security and feeling of being safe. 

I know from experience.  I have been there and lived it.  I walked where you walk right now and had the frustrations and feelings of being torn between job and home, activities, commitments, housework, chores and endless obligations in between. 

If you have infants or toddlers, they will not be young for much longer.  I encourage you to spend as much time with them as you can.  They don't need a lot of planned or arranged activities at that age, they just want you.

When they get sick and need comforting, they want their mom to hold them and wipe away those tears.  They want the special touch that only mom can bring.  They need to know that you are just a few steps away.  If you have a full time job like I did, save your free time for the family.  Encourage everyone to pitch in with the chores and help out.  Young childen are very capable of doing things around the house if given the chance.  My children were making their beds at 5 years old and no matter how it looked I left it that way and little by little they learned to do it correctly.  They never went to school with an undone bed (well almost never). 

You also have to be a very good psychologist/psychiatrist and learn the right way to handle situations and help them to grow into mature adults and that is by giving them responsibilities at a young age.   

We are busy women.  We have much to do.  If you are blessed with more than one child, well you know the work involved and how hard it is to keep up but it doesn't have to be a curse.  As you care for your family, remember to be thankful that you were chosen for this job we call "mom".  You were given a gift of a family that many do not have.  When you are making those lunches, be grateful for those children or child who has enriched your life so much and brought you joy instead of thinking of the messes and extra work you have to do.  When you cook those meals, be joyful that you have food to feed your family and a stove to cook it on and loved ones who are happy to see you and gather around the family table.  As you fold the laundry, pray for those dear to you and be blessed that they have clean clothes and a place to get them clean. 

So many times we look at the negatives of our life especially when we are busy and overwhelmed.  We get so frustrated by all that is in front of us, we burn out.  We need to step back, take a deep breath, slow down, regroup and scale back.  Don't get so busy you lose sight of what is right in front of you.  Sometime you may have to leave chores undone to take the kids to the park on a beautiful day.  It is okay, nobody is going to check your home for dust.  Don't put that kind of stress on yourself.  Enjoy your family and the time you have to spend with your children. You are allowed.

Life is so precious and the people we have in it even more so.  As I look back, I realize that my children didn't care if I had perfectly polished furniture or dusted every nook and crannie, they wanted me to sit down and play a game with them, take time to have some fun, even watch a TV show with them, that was all they cared about.  Your dust will always be there but the children won't.  Try not to get so absorbed in life's trap of being so busy that you miss your actual LIFE. 

Right now times are hard for so many people and it takes tough decisions to make it through tough times but families will prevail if they stick together.  I encourage you to look at everything you do, evaluate what is really essential, let go of everything else and simplify your life as best you can.  Your family needs you and you need them. 

The memories we give may a lifetime live

in the heart of those we hold close

Author Unknown

 So until next time, simplify your life, stop juggling all those hats and scale back.  You will not regret it.

Hugs

Kathy  

Simple Displays

I love to look at pictures of other blogger's homes as well as homes in magazines and on line.  I am always amazed as how they get the look that I would like to have.  I move things around and tweak but never get it quite right.  Do you feel that way?  I think most of us do at one time or another.  Other people seem to have a special talent for doing it just right.

I think part of life is wanting what we don't have and it is normal to feel that way as long as it doesn't become an obsession and cause financial hardship or other issues.  We should always try to live within our means.  This is one reason why I love the primitive look.  You can shop at a thrift store and redo a piece and make it your own without having to spend a lot of money.  Look at what I did with this one.  Sorry I don't have the before picture since all these makeovers were done before I had a blog so no before pictures were taken.   

I found it at a thrift store and it was pretty bad.  It didn't look like much but I sanded it and painted it and then sanded the edges a little to rough it up a bit and I had a nice wall box.  These sell for quite a bit at the stores so I felt I had a bargain.  Don't you feel good when you find a bargain?

Here is another make over I did.  This time I painted and sanded the box and breadboards but also put on primitive labels.   They really add to the old fashioned look.

When I was first married, I grew up in New England and all our homes had wallpaper on the walls.  It was such a chore first picking out the wallpaper and then hanging it or paying someone to do it for you.  Now I have painted walls and it is much better.  It is so easy to change your color scheme with paint and wallpaper is so expensive. 

I found this cabinet at an antique/thrift store and it had some broken glass on the front.  I was going to replace the glass but I decided not to.  I also thought of putting some screening on the front but then just left it without anything on the door.  I actually like it the way it is.  Everythihg inside was purchased at thrift stores.  The tiny Mason jars were from World Market and the blue bowl at the top I think was from an antique store.

I think this shelf was purchased from the same place as above and was pretty bad and worn out.  I just painted it black.

This is a cross stitch wall hanging that a friend of mine did for me.  I just love cross stitch and stitchery in general.  She was a coworker and loved doing it.  I have a few displayed throughout my home and just think they are so special. 

Who doesn't love Annie?  I have quite a few different types of her.  This one is pretty stained and tea dyed.  I love it.  She still has a happy face despite her worn clothes.  She is not concerned that she is dirty either.  She loves sitting on my shelf and stays happy all day long.  I think Annie will always remain a primitive lover's special gal.

This peg rack says Home Sweet Home and is in my front hallway as you open the front door.  I just love the bonnets and the little black praire dress.  I can't imagine having to wear a bonnet all day long.  We are so fortunate today that we are not restricted by certain types of clothing as they were years ago.  Wearing black dresses in the heat would be unbearable and they didn't have air conditioning.  This is where my Annie sits.  She is right on top along with some other treasures.  I'll have to show you those next time.

So these are a few of my displays throughout the house.  I thought you might like to see some of the things I like and take a little peak into my home.  Again, I love how others decorate their homes and those touches they put on their decorating.  We all have are own ways of doing things and that is what makes our homes unique.

Remember that whatever type of home you have, small, big, apartment, condo, modular home, one room, whatever it is, you can make it yours simply by putting your special touches.  We each have our own special talents and gifts and they come through in the way we dress and the way we decorate.  We have color preferences and design choices.  You probably already know many bloggers and can tell their home without even seeing their name because of their particular design style.  Everyone is unique and even though we may try to be like someone else, our own style still makes it way through.  Don't be afraid to shine in your own light.  Use your talents and be free to follow your own choices.  I like primitive and country style but my friends like other styles and their homes are lovely as well.  Follow your inner voice and do what you like. 

So until next time, remember that style is unique and so are you.

Hugs
Kathy