Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Autumn Gently Comes to Stay



Earlier  this week  I   started introducing   decor   that   would  move me  gently into autumn,   using   bolder colors  on the mantel... for example...
Using found objects from  other rooms,     it is  fun to house shop to coordinate   color  themes     that  help   make transitions.

Now for the sunroom,  I have two inspirations....  First of all,  I am   so  excited about Lil Birdie's arrival in September,  I   decided to highlight this fabulous planter   our daughter gave me for Christmas last year. Is that a Lil Birdie I see on there??

 You may also see   the   impact of  apples..   ever since  I  taught third grade I associate September  with apples,,   "Back to School,   Johnny Appleseed,  An Apple for the Teacher,"""   So a marvelous opportunity to start   the season for using  my   inherited  Franciscan  apple  dishes...

And   I love how    this   fabric I bought last  summer  to make  this  table runner  keeps the     mood   summery  with a  hint of things to come! 
I find this a very welcome   sight  as I come into   our home,,, the colors   just seem to  say  we   are  joyful  happy loving folk...   step in and   get  comfortable! 

Also, with  apple season  upon us,  this  tablescape  puts me right into the mood to   be creative in the kitchen with apples  and other  summer fruits...
simply  delicious! 
APPLE BLUEBERRY CAKE
 from COOKS.COM
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. whipping cream
1 1/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 c. (2 med.) tart cooking apples, peeled cored, coarsely chopped
2 c. blueberries
Heat oven to 350 degrees in 1 quart saucepan. Cook butter and cream
over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts (7-8 minutes). Set
aside.
In large bowl combine sugar and eggs. Beat at medium speed, until well
mixed. Add butter mixture, flour, baking powder and salt. Continue beating
until smooth. Stir in apple and blueberries.
Spread into greased and floured 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake for 45-55
minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with sweetened
whipped cream



Home Party@ Sandi's   Rose Chintz Cottage  ,   
Tablescape Thursday
and 


Grace at Home  @ Imparting Grace
and
Home and Garden at  A Delightsome Life

HGTbtngrey photo HGTbtngrey-1_zps3305ec7e.jpg

Monday, August 26, 2013

One Thousand Gifts (550-558).


  Join  Ann Voskamp   here  for  more..
550.  Gathering around the scriptures with like minded  brothers and  sisters in Christ  is a taste of  heaven one earth!
551.  Seeing  my  dearest  in a choir robe for the first time.....   and  he  loved his  first  Sunday   singing for the Lord!
552.  Realizing that  life in   God's kingdom is  a life of freedom and joy more  each and every day! 
553.  Learning  a lesson of  forgiveness   this last week..   Such an important  element in our daily lives.
554.  
The  bus trip we took Saturday is just one example of the   wonders  retirement has  brought to us as a couple,,,   otherwise,  Saturday  would have been a catch up day around the house!  Life is so sweet!
555.  The joyful  countdown of days until  we get that   all  important call that Birdie is here!
556.  Sitting   in  the most  lovely   room last evening   looking out the long  bank of windows  to the wooded  scene  with the   blazing  sunset  mingling   in through the branches....  breathtaking!
557.  Knowing that   while  I type this my  dearest is  outside  painting the windows...  and  making great headway to get  them accomplished   today!
558.  Listening to the mellow  tones of Paul Cardall on my spotify list....  So soothing!Awesome story of his life!

Late Summer Colors


I am honored to have been

ARTLFEATURED BUTTON-1
Today,  as I begin a   week,  I am  thinking of  moving forward... ok,  I confess,   I  am counting the days  til  our  sweetest, Amanda, delivers  our  first grand daughter, Birdie....
This was  taken  in June.....   Birdie  has   growna  bit since then!  We've called her that   ever since her shower  where  the   theme was  Birdies! 

And I again, I confess,    the name  has  grown in my heart.
  So   Birdie will arrive in September   so Im thinking  that is right around the corner!  No matter what   this is  late summer....   ana evenings  cacophony  of the porch  attests to that..   click off the  music   at the top and enjoy a  bit of   evening   symphony!


Anyway,   I am thinking of the  colors of alte summer....   the  pastels of   spring and summer give way to the  jewel tones of autumn.....   but  it's not  quite autumn yet....   so  we have the   beginnings of   transformation   taking place   around the house...
The first mark of change comes to the  mantel
 with the  shades of  teal  replacing the  spring greens of early summer

 A    change of pillows to accent the subtle   greens   that  mark this   time of year...

Recapturing the  Olde English tone of the room  the   spring items  are   put away,  for now...

 This single  black on  white   plate   with the  gorgeous  Warwick Castle    finds   its new home.
 It seems  quite  comfortable   near  the   gothis  cross and   Shield that  remind  us of the   deep importance of   Spiritual Warfare,   which   our   Bible Teacher  reminds us   in these  trying days  we will  either   be a warrior or a casualty...m speaking of    the  magnitude  that we should place   on our prayer life!
More  on   the   late summer transformation   to come! A Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday
Cottage Style Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home on T
hursday

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Round, Round, Get Around, I Get Around

A Haven for Vee

 Click the icon   to  return to   Vee's  Notecard Party!
Boston from the top of the world!


The Big Apple   via  Amtrak

Culpeper Station Northern Virginia  via Amtrak 


Saturday  morning  on my way to   prayer group...   my church  steeple   there at the foot of the  mountain!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

On Old fashioned Gal

Oh, me!  have you ever  almost finished   a  really  great post  and  you  hit  a keystroke and it all  disappears.....!  Very disheartening... I  dont know  that I can retrieve it from  my  memory   much less  this computer's  !I know it started out with...
Good Morning!..  Well, it was morning, then!
 here goes,  again!
During the  few weeks I've been unable to blog,  I  have spent   some   time   processing   and  several revelations have come to me  about  myself.   I  guess they could be summed up   to  say, i truly am  an old fogey, ..oops, I mean,  an old-fashioned gal!
  Now  I  do  enjoy  HGTV  as much or more than  many folks,   but this  idea that  to sell a house,  one must  remove  all  personal   marks  of the home and   neutralize  it  stuns me....   I mean,    I become fairly paralyzed to think that someday I  have to do that if I  dare to think of selling   ...   and we do  need to downsize, and  move onto one level....  I actually have my eye on  a  sweetest patio home....and yes, I do need to  get rid of a ton of stuff....   but  how?
Ok,   I do   visit Zillow frequently!   And  there is  the living proof  that it  is and can be done....  I am  convinced   people     rent  a storage unit to  de-clutter their  home for showing....
  I mean, I am not   a minimalist, and  have no  intention of  becoming one...call me old-fashioned, but I love my stuff.   it represents  our lives together!
I mean,    I think in layers....
   layers of   flavor in my  food,  and layers of   dimension in my decorating!


The storyteller in me   comes out when I  put  a  vignette  together...
  Items  that  remind me of  my   family,   times as a child on the farm,    heirlooms that  passed on to me,   these   all   become   such a part of   my  decorating schemes,  I  can't imagine disconnecting  from    treasures  that   have  contributed to making  our  house a home, and    that   carry with them  such   living   memories....
Yes,   I love to layer,  


 but now to the problem at hand...
  I didnt   grow up  in the Depression  but my family did  and  somehow the genes to keep everything    passed on to me!
Take this painting ,  for example,    well,  go ahead... take it!...
Because I dont know   what to do with it...  My mother loved it, and it hung over her  sofa....   It  is   lovely , but it certainly doesnt   go   here... in the least...  I   really need to   disconnect  from  pieces  that  dont   speak  anything except....  how  my mother loved it....

Note that the tall   flower  arrangement will be going to Boston soon when the baby arrives.. That was used in Amanda's shower and will  look  great in the nursery!  And the  fairy items will be incorporated into  a  fairy   village  this   fall  outside....   so   I will reclaim this space  soon... YAYAYAYAYAY!
  
 But   let's  turn to the dining  table in the sun room...
Now the blue and white   makes the room  seem   cool, and  with the humidity returning,   this   tablescape is in no hurry to    be changed...

But what I really love about it is the planter.
Not just the planter  but my wonderful   new   philodendron...
 An  old-fashioned   kind of   indoor plant...  so  forgiving....  I dont think I  could   kill this  plant if I tried... as I have all the other newer  varieties I've used in this planter... I love it   so much  I think I  should name him...  he is so handsome and healthy....  perhaps  Hugh, (  loved Les Mes)  so much....
   and  oh, how Id love to see    Hugh just take off and   spiral  his tendrils  up the wall and over the  sashes and  consume the  sun room....  just like philodendrons  used to do   back in the day!

Nothing minimal about that, I daresay!
Yes,  IM   just old-fashioned, and I say,   so what..  it is who I am, and  I have no desire to change....Will  I   try to   do what Amanda  tells me to do...."Mom, take  a bag around  the house everyday and  put   something in it   to take  to the Goodwill...  I guarantee, Mom,  after a while,  you'll forget all about it!"
Yes,  I do that  about  once every other month>..  And I  know, I  should try to  do that  at least  once every other week.....  because,  after going through all of  mom's   clutter, I do not wish that on Amanda!  Just  writing this  again   has  made me  feel a bit  motivated....   I think it  is a God thing that I was   made to   recreate this post because the   ending is rather different and  much more   appropriate....So  let me  go  find a nice  large   sturdy bag and  get to   house shopping  for   my next   delivery  to   the   Good will! For someone   may be truly needing   something  I just dont  anymore!
A Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday
Cottage Style Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home on T
hursday

Monday, August 19, 2013

One Thousand Gifts (540-549)


  Join  Ann Voskamp   here  for  more..
540.   The  cooler weather   and windows   open wide.....  the   familiar  symphony of the cicadas.
541.  A  refreshing   sense of  renewal     and   freedom...   I love     this   feeling!Thank you, Lord!
542.  The  marvelous evening breezes  stirring the   blinds
543.  A  surprising     development from the   auto mechanic...   the cost was   1/4 of   original expectations...
544.  God's   precious favor in  so many    small details   which   creates a  huge sense of     well being!
545.  Life in the slow lane    the last few days  is    so remarkable....
546.  Loving  and  caring friends.....  life is  so sweet!
547.  The wonderful expectation of   our   precious daughter's   delivery   in the  coming weeks....
548.  We dont have to   think about   trading in our   12 year old Nissan   Suv after all.....  besides I love it  more than  any new    vehicle..


549.  My mother's    memory   about  her  circumstances  are  returning....    her stay  in the hospital   sort of put her in a tailspin,  but  she is   coming   back to us!

Back to Basics



Visit Sandra here for more HHM!
The weather.....
I am loving this weather,  here it is  after 1pm and it is 70 degrees.
Right now I am....
I am listening to   some Bible teaching      by Derek Prince....
Thinking...
I  have been absent from   blogging for a  bit,   while my mother was in hospital....   she is   holding her own now.....    and    meanwhile,   so many things  are   happening to   take my time...I am  blogging now   for release and   finding balance!

Looking forward to...
getting  to  actually see and hold Little Birdie in my arms...  she  could make  her  appearance  anytime within the next month! AYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

On my reading pile....

Daily Bible reading...Isaiah
various   books   on Spiritual warfare   from Derek Prince.... 
Blessings and Curses  of the old testament  and beyond
Conquest of Canaan  by Jessie Penn Lewis

On my TV..... 
enjoyed the  film, "Darling Companion"   playing on encore lately

Blog Hopping
no time lately, sorry to say

On my to do list....

laundry
errands
clean house (this list never changes)
grocery shopping  



In the craft basket.... 
nothing

Looking around the house....

Do I have to?

From the camera:
How   fabulous it is to break our fast   out on the porch!

On my prayer list..... 
Our family, parents, daughter ,  Little Birdie*, son-in law, 
Our church, and church family 
our nation, leaders, 
Israel and the Middle East 


Bible verse, Devotional  or  thoughtful  words:

Colossians 1:15-20

The Supremacy of the Son of God

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.


  Smiling Sally here!
Smiling Sally

Thursday, August 15, 2013

iF ANYONE IS INTERESTED.....

My  90 year old mother  did   get released from the hospital  this week, and we are   givien  God the glory for   a miracle.   I  am    rather  exhausted and  jsut n ot   feeling well  myself.  We  take  it one day a t a time.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Behind on Posting

My dear momma    last spring   calling my dad  who also lives   at the Virginia   Veteran's.

My poor mother   who lives in  a nursing facility  became ill over the weekend  and   she became extremely dehydrated...  My  Monday she  was  in  the  ER  for  over  12 hours waiting for a hospital bed..  Between  sitting up with her  there  over night and long into the day,   and  sleeping in   this morning  to make up for  lost sleep and visiting her  there,  I am not in much a a blogging  attitude...   Although I do have much for which to be thankful...  Mom not only was   severely  dehydrated but she has  pneumonia and  her liver enzymes were  triple what they should be  at age 90.  Our initial  report from  the doctor was  somewhat grim  and  I  was  preparing myself for   whatever the Lord  has for us and I still   am,   but there  is reason to be more optimistic today...Actually, the doctor whom I have  great respect and admiration for called me this morning at 5am to tell me  that her enzyme numbers were way down, and   she w as  looking so much better....   he was offering  to bring in  a gastro specialist  to   take a look   into her liver  condition   and   attend to a swallowing issue  she has also developed.....Today I found mother   sleeping   peacfully and when she did awaken she said she could tell she was  feeling much better..  I attribute  this all to the Lord and his  answer to the many prayers that  are and  continue to go up for her....90 doesnt mean   its time to give up....   goodness look what Moses did at 80...  Please dont give up on me for not   blogging for a while.....  I  shall return...  it is   such  a  joy to me.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Eucharisteo (531-539)


  Join  Ann Voskamp   here  for  more..
531.  The promise of new life   in the spiritual and the physical   ever being manifest in  our lives!
532.  The joy  of  anticipation  and   reflection







 today                                     25 years ago


533.  The surprise of finding   wonderful treasures   stored away  for  such a time as this...  more  about that later!
534.  The  provision  of   spiritual  sisters  when physical   ones   were never forthcoming.

535.    Precious hours  spent  in  sharing  life's   struggles,   and   Holy Spirit's  edification    which led to spiritual  warfare  which   birthed    breakthroughs....  God's Word is powerful and   trustworthy!
536.  My dear  husband who works so very hard to   keep   things going around  the house and lawn....what a blessing he is to us!
 photo evdningyard010.jpg
537.   The wisdom of  our   daughter  who   counselled me  in a very   disconcerting time recently..  God's love for me   never  fails to  astound me!

538.  Late summer's   sunset  hues that   inspire  and   pacify me.
 photo Summerday002.jpg
539.The  wonder and   appreciation of fast  food   nearby  on  such an evening as this!!!  

Farewell

 After  17 years of   blogging  I am  pretty sad to  just fade  out  with  hardly  anyone showing any   farewell,  concern  about my  surger...