Serendipity

Books by Lamp Light?

2012-02-01T16:35:00.000-06:00

I saw this on the HGTV website and fell in love with it. I have a similar lamp that I purchased a couple of years ago at a craft fair, but I ADORE the shade on this one...or the lack thereof. It seems to be an old, wire apple-picking basket. HGTV has even offered instructions on how to make this cutie. Click here for a visit.

Enjoy!

Antique Glass Insulators

2011-07-27T14:51:00.001-05:00

Photo by Patrick Conn, PCONN, Flickr, "Around the House."

My grandfather was a collector. He collected everything from old tobacco cutters, to antique scales, to toy metal cars to coal company script. One of his favorite things to collect was antique glass insulators. A few years ago, my grandmother took me out to her old barn, showed me an old crate full of glass insulators, and told me they had belonged to my Grandfather...and now I could have them. My "Granddaddy" was adored by my brother and me, so to inherit anything that had been important to him was a thrill for me. They were dirty and heavy, but I somehow managed to heave the crate and its contents to my old car. I still have all these old insulators, and every time I see them, they bring a smile to my face. I have no idea WHAT to do with them, but they make me smile nonetheless.

Photo by Julie Green, DestinyCaptured, Flickr

My husband has encouraged me to get rid of them. I don't think I could do that. These pieces of glass are a part of history. Some glass insulators were made as early as the 1850's and used for telegraph lines. Later, they were used for telephone and power lines. Imagine all the communications that have passed by these little treasures! If only THEY could talk!

Boston in the 1860's in front of Old State House. Notice over the tops of the buildings all the old insulators!

Memphis, Tennessee, 1907, Union Depot. Wow...look at all the poles and all those insulators!

Louisville, Kentucky, 1906, Corner of Fourth and Main. Here's a nice closeup of a pole with insulators...many, many insulators!

Hemingray Advertisement, 1926

In an attempt to find a creative way to display my antique glass insulators, I discovered on the internet an absolutely WONDERFUL idea! Pendant lights made from glass insulators! Below is a photograph of those listed on Remodelista.com. Aren't they FABULOUS? Now I won't rest until I can find someone who can turn my Granddaddy's old insulator collection into pendent lights for our house.

I am looking for other interesting things to do with these little pieces of glass. If anyone has any ideas, I would truly appreciate you sharing them here. I would love to find creative and wonderful ways of displaying these sentimental collectibles.

Emeralds in the Sky

A booming train derailed the silent night

The fallen poles in skins of moss unroll

A trains conductor pounding rails in-flight

Around the glass, and through the wires control

The rare conductors weren't common names

Those colored jewels, emeralds in the sky

Atop the threaded perch, flamboyant flames

Where mustard yeller insulators spy

A million miles of wire across this land

Converting sounds from golden amber girls

To ears of purple ponies on demand

With pleated skirts a dancing dancer whirls

The hemingrays beside the lost zicme

Between the poles a catenaries sag

Our saddened faces watch a crosses plea

In piles of poles and crosses, raise the flag

Memories wonder through our minds of glass

Our crystal balls of color now amass

In homes of those who wonder why, and as

Memories never fading from our eyes

Our minds release the emeralds to the skies.

~Wesley Willis, 2007

Happy end-of-July,

Mommyhood

2011-07-19T12:55:00.001-05:00

I am ashamed at how neglected my blog has become over the last few months. While I have missed blogging desperately and thought of it often, I have had a good excuse for being MIA in Blogdom. I thought I would post a few photographs of the number one reason why I had to take a hiatus from blogging for a few months. I promise...it's a good one! :-)

My precious son vs. The Carrots. Guess who won?

Sweet son with his brother, Max.

First trip to the park. Guess who's a fan of the swings?

Celebrating a milestone birthday! My baby turned 1!

First vacation: Headed to Florida to visit his great-grandparents and other family members!

Our Sweet Boy was baptised, and afterward, he played in the Holy Water.

And then he drank it.

Playing in the toy box...uh huh....IN the toy box.

And climbing OUT of the toy box (and back IN and back OUT and back IN...)

Showing off his sweet side. Not! :-)

Developing a keen interest in remote controls...just like Daddy.

And capturing his Mommy's heart with that sweet smile.

My Angel

It's been a busy, busy, busy few months! And it's STILL busy, but we're managing to get the hang of this parenting thing. Finally. We have even been able to develop a schedule of sorts that allows us a little "us" time to do the things that we need to do. Some things that are necessary to live. Some things that are necessary for our sanity. My blog falls in the latter category. :-) Yea, me time! When the baby drifts off to sleep, I plan to sneak downstairs to blog a bit. It may not be every day...but it will at least be once a week! :-)

Mommyhood is WONDERFUL...but WOW! I feel as though I am chasing my tail half the time...running in circles, trying to keep my head above the tidal wave of tasks and responsibilities to keep from drowning in them. Actually, I'm loving every minute of being a Mommy. And after a year and three months of it, I know why so many Mommies told me so many months ago, "Dont' forget to make a little time for yourself." They were so right. That time may come at 9:00 at night after the baby has fallen asleep...but it WILL come.

How do you other Mommies manage to keep up with all those activities associated with being a mommy and still carve out a little times for yourselves? If there are any great secrets, I sure wish someone would share them with me.

Blissfully happy (albeit a little tired),

Our backyard space...and my little bunny

2011-05-03T11:55:00.005-05:00

We had a beautiful Easter weekend! It was our precious boy's first birthday, so it was doubly special for us this year! The yard was so green and so full of life, and I took what must have been hundreds of pictures. We also enjoyed our back porch for the first time this spring. It's in desperate need of a coat of paint, but we love lounging out there looking at all the greenery and flowers. Thought I'd share a few of our pictures here. Isn't my sweet baby boy just darling?

The Easter Bunny had been very busy hiding Easter eggs in our yard!

And they were placed ever so cleverly...just so little hands could pick them up and add them to Easter baskets.

Friends and family enjoying the back porch.

We have plenty of places to lounge. Molly is enjoying her favorite place at the edge of the porch near the steps.

My personal favorite place to sit with a good book.

Love having this little place outside my kitchen door - a great place to enjoy coffee or a cup of tea.

My gorgeous clematis vine is outdoing itself this year!

These blooms are huge...breathtaking!

Our sweet boy enjoying his time in the yard. He hasn't decided yet if he likes the prickly grass.

Our baby, with the help of Daddy, found so many Easter eggs!

"I like the orange ones best, Mama!"

A smile that melts his Mama's heart.

My beatiful baby boy - my joy!

They look as if they may be discussing where that Clever Easter Bunny hid more eggs....such a serious discussion.

The side of our house with a view of the old well and our precious boy's new firetruck. Ah, such sweet yard decor that is!

Hope you're enjoying your spring days soaking up the sunshine in your own yard. We are anxiously awaiting the peonies' bloom! So, stay tuned for more photos!

Happy spring!

In Your Easter Bonnet

2011-04-21T14:05:00.002-05:00

Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in Easter Parade

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,
You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter Parade.
I'll be all in clover and when they look you over,
I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter Parade.
On the avenue, Fifth Avenue, the photographers will snap us,
And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure.
Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet,
And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter Parade.
~Irving Berlin

Easter ushers in the season of rebirth and renewal...a celebration of the resurrection of nature and, most importantly, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Growing up in a wonderful, Christian home, the Easter Sundays of my childhood are some of my fondest memories. As a young child, I may not have fully understood the significance of the day, but I knew enough to understand it was a celebration of Jesus and His sacrifice for us. It was also a day to be with family, to feast on wonderful, traditional food, to get dressed up in new, spring colored clothing, to wear my white shoes for the first time since the end of the previous summer, and to marvel at the brightly colored Easter eggs and all the wonderful chocolate treats and special gifts my mother and grandmother would place in my Easter basket. My beloved "Granddaddy" would always bring me a beautiful corsage to wear to church, and I could not wait to put it on with my pretty spring dress.

But one of my favorite things about Easter Sunday (call it the girl in me) was seeing all the beautiful hats the ladies of the church would wear on that special day! My grandmother always had beautiful hats and gloves to wear to church, but on Easter Sunday, she would always wear something extra special. This may have been the origin of my fascination with hats and, especially, Easter Bonnets.

As long as I can remember, I have loved hats - so much so, that I have a collection of beautiful, vintage hats displayed on a coat stand in my home. I have many others in boxes in closets or displayed in the top of a Victorian trunk in one of my guest rooms. I adore them. If I could get by with it, I would enjoy wearing a hat every day!

Easter bonnets are top of the list for me as far as hats go...right up there with the beautiful hats women still wear to the Kentucky Derby...but those are for another post. In celebration of the upcoming Easter holiday, here are a few photographs of a few gorgeous Easter Bonnets. Enjoy!

Have a beautiful day!

Kitchen Redo - Weeks 1-4

2011-04-12T09:12:00.001-05:00

A kitchen remodel is not pretty. Believe me. We are now into week five of our kitchen redo, and I am beginning to wonder if we will survive it. The dust, the lack of water, the inability to cook in my kitchen, and the complete lack of organization (this is my fault completely) is about to drive me over the edge. But at least I can see progress. That's what keeps me going.

I can't believe I am going to do this, but I am going to share with you the pictures of my mess. I won't sugar coat it. I won't crop out the embarrassing stuff. Here it is: my kitchen remodel...and all the chaos that has gone along with it. Without further ado:

Here it is. We have moved a lot of the stuff out, in preparation for the workers to come in and tear down the wall that separates the "cooking part" of the kitchen from the "dining part" of the kitchen. I've dreamed for years of having one large space instead of two tiny spaces with no prep area!

And here's the wall. Why someone chose to build it there is beyond me. It's not load-bearing, so it really serves no purpose except to close in the cook area from the rest of the room. Problem is, there's absolutely no space to do any prep work. Makes it tough to do much in there!

Another picture of The Great Wall. The door to the left goes outside. Keep in mind as you're viewing these pictures, that this section of the house is the oldest, built sometime in the 1820's.

A view from the eating area into the tiny kitchen area. The door to the right goes through a sort of "butler's pantry" and into the dining room.

Can you see why preparing a meal in this kitchen would be difficult at best?! See that tiny sliver of counter space there in the middle? That is the ONLY area to work in here. Honestly.

Here's our sink. When the dish drainer is on the left and our flour jars and spice rack is on the right, there's no space remaining for anything else.

Another view of the wall that separates the two areas. Grrr.

Opposite side of the room from the sink. At one time, the door on the right housed an ancient dishwasher. Yes, the dishwasher was located on the opposite side of the room from the sink...in a closet. I can't make things like this up. The pantry is the door on the left behind the fridge.

After week one, the wallpaper is gone. Michael and I scraped wallpaper for days! Looks a little better, eh?

The wall is HISTORY! And we extended the counter top from the sink in order to accommodate a dishwasher. Our new counter tops are in at this point, and I've been able to get our island out of storage. Not sure the room is big enough for it, but I desperately need the prep space. Due to structural issues that we didn't realize we would run into, our budget tripled....so we kept the old cabinets, and I decided to try to restore them. I would have loved brand new ones, but ....such is life. At least I have a dishwasher that works!

Another view of the room minus the apple wallpaper. We had to work around the table and china cabinet, as I had nowhere to move them!

Half the wallpaper is down in the cooking area, but we still have that pesky strip above the cabinets. You have no idea how difficult this was to get down. We scraped for DAYS.

And the new floor is in! It's so nice! Before, we had half the room in pine and half in ancient linoleum. We're glad to get a cohesive look to the entire space!

Another view of the dishwasher...my new favorite thing in the entire house! :-)

That wallpaper was IMPOSSIBLE! Here, it decided to take part of the drywall with it when it was stripped. We had to mend these walls...seriously mend.

The new sink is nice...a bit deeper than the old one and not stainless steel....yeah! I wanted one of those fabulous farm house sinks with the apron on it, but I just couldn't afford it. Next best thing: a cast iron sink in white. It's a lovely thing.

Here's looking into the room from in front of the refrigerator. You can see how open it feels. Still haven't made up my mind if the island stays. We'll see how it feels when all is said and done.

Here's my DH scraping away at that nasty green wallpaper. Can you tell he's having fun? This is about three weeks into the wallpaper removal. Three. Yes, it took us that long.

And here's the walls painted! I wanted something neutral, so I chose this color. I'll accent with red, I think.

New crown molding on the ceiling and beams. We decided to paint all the trim white to make it really stand out against the walls and ceiling. I am going for the "clean" look. I really NEED the clean look. :-) Also, you can see our new light fixtures. Much better than the old one.

Another view of the paint color. Neutral, neutral, neutral.

One of the beams on the ceiling. We have three of them.

Week Four. DH is still scraping green wallpaper. I'm not kidding. :-)

In case you wondered where all the stuff we removed from the kitchen was being kept, here's a view of my dining room. Yep, four weeks it's been like this. Four. Help me.

Teapots and pottery and pitchers....oh my!

Uh huh...more stuff. Are you wondering where we've been eating dinner during this remodel? Two words: Take out. Oh, two more: Family Room. ;-) Uh huh...on the couch in our TV room...on the days that we didn't need to escape and just went to one of the nearby restaurants.

Just so you can get the full experience. Somebody has too much stuff. Don't you think?

And here's the path through the dining room. Yes, that's dust on the floor - drywall dust. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I'm beginning to feel as though we need to be highlighted on an episode of Hoarders. How sad is this?!?!

Finally, the china cabinet gets put back together!

Hubby, trying to find his way through the clutter and mess...

Did you know that drywall dust gets everywhere?!?! Even in drawers and closets in other rooms in the house? We'll be cleaning up this stuff for weeks!

I have no shame, no shame at all. ;-)

So, there it is. Pictures of a REAL remodel. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And we're still working on it. Think we'll be finished by.....Christmas?

Perfection

2011-03-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure

is the most perfect refreshment.

~Jane Austen

Enjoy the sunlight on spring green,

200th Post Giveaway Winner

2011-03-19T12:36:00.001-05:00

Well, I am a day late, but I hope that won't dampen the excitement and celebration for my 200th Post Giveaway Winner! I am pleased to announce that the winner is:

Marcia

One Heart at Home

Marcia will get a box with at least two vintage brooches and anything else I may find that I think she may enjoy.

Please visit Marcia at her beautiful blog. Every post is truly inspiring, and she is such a beautiful person.

Congratulations, Marcia!

I want to thank everyone who took the time to leave a message on my blog, and I want each of you to know how much I appreciate you being a follower. I find such encouragement through your sweet comments and have been so blessed by them. Thanks to each of you.

Sunny Weekend Blessings,

Swinging Into Spring

2011-03-18T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is our Sweet Boy's first spring . . . at least the first he can enjoy outdoors. He was born late April of 2010, so by the time he was old enough to be "out and about," it was too hot to enjoy the outdoors. But this year, he is having a ball! Last week, we visited the park for the first time. He loves the swings so much, and that adorable laughter just makes my heart soar!

I remember fondly the spring seasons of my childhood, and I want his to be just as magical.

Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.

~Rainer Maria Rilke

May warm, spring sunshine fill your days!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T12:34:00.001-05:00

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I'm posting a photo of our favorite Irish establishment: Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. Michael and I LOVE to visit Pat O's and sit on the patio soaking up the atmosphere and a hurricane. This photo was taken on our last visit to NOLA.

May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight.
:-)

(Irish blessing)

Happy Day!

200th Post Celebration & Giveaway!

2011-03-10T13:25:00.000-06:00

Today, I am celebrating my 200th post! I have truly enjoyed blogging, as it has been a wonderful forum for me to express myself randomly about my interests, my disinterests, my art, my family, my house and all the projects, nature and poetry, books and authors, travels and home thoughts, current events or the weather. Hmmm...I admit to doing quite a bit of rambling. Which is why I am always humbled by the fact that anyone else would even want to read it, and I am so appreciative of those who stop by regularly or from time-to-time just to read a bit and say hello.

So, in the spirit of celebration and friendship and rambling, I am giving away some BLING on my 200th blogaversary. I have A LOT of costume jewelry. A lot. Most of the really special stuff was given to me by my grandmother who ALWAYS looked smashing and wore the latest fashions. It was from her that I first learned to love all these pretty shiny things. I used to play dress up as a young girl and put on her biggest, shiniest jewelry and high heels. A few years ago when I was visiting her, she told me that she had such fond memories of me trying on her jewelry and her high heels that she wanted to give them to me. So...all those pretty pieces I drooled over as a little girl are now in my very own permanent collection of shiny jewelry. She also gave me a pair of high heeled shoes about which she loves to tell the story of coming home from work one day and finding me running around the yard in them. I would sit in the floor of her closet and try on the highest of the high heels and think they looked just beautiful on my feet...but that's a totally different story for another blog post. I am rambling...see?

ANYway, I am giving away some of my costume jewelry to one reader of my blog. If you are a follower and would like to participate, just leave me a comment on this post, and on March 18th, I'll randomly select one winner (by random number selector, of course). That winner will receive at least a couple of pieces of my vintage costume jewelry and anything else I find that I may want to add to the goody box. For an extra entry in the contest, just blog about my giveaway on YOUR blog, and I'll assign you another random number for an ever greater chance at winning.

So, if you like a bit of bling, here's a giveaway for you! Thanks so much for following my blog, and I hope you'll be following me for many posts to come!

Blessings,

Hello, dear friends

2011-03-10T11:04:00.000-06:00

Here come the irises...awakening after their long winter's nap. Seeing them is like welcoming home old friends!

What is making an appearance in your garden?

Good-bye Bad Floors!

2011-03-07T11:57:00.001-06:00

Today, I learned about a blog party in which I really want....NEED...to participate! Goodbye, House! Hello, Home! is hosting a Purge Party, and since my life for the last five years has been devoted to purging, changing, cleaning, and restructuring, I really wanted to do this! I could post about several of our recent purges or projects, but one of the most significant has to do with redoing the nasty, scratched, what seemed like destroyed floors in what is now my husband's den. When we peeled back the carpet to reveal the 140+ year old floors, we were dumbfounded. I remember looking at each other and one of us saying out loud..."they'll never look decent." We actually contemplated putting carpet back down just to hide the mess that we had revealed. Take a look at these before pictures...

Needless to say, we were worried. That's paint and drywall compound that has been spilled all over the floors.

Here's my husband looking quite depressed and wondering what in the world we had taken on...it seemed fairly hopeless at this point.

Here's a view of the entire room...you can see the mess we faced.

It didn't seem to worry Isabella, though, as she took it easy on the nasty carpet padding we had just pulled up. I remember being worried that she was laying on something that would make me not want to pet her later. Yew.

A closer up view of the paint and drywall compound. Can you believe someone actually did this to these poor floors? What were they thinking?!

After sanding, and scraping and crying and praying, here's what we eventually were able to do with the floors. There is two coats of stain on them at this point. Try not to look at the bad wallpaper. We haven't tackled that project yet! ;-)

Can you believe the difference? Aren't they beautiful? Would you ever have thought those floors could have looked like this?!?

And here's a closeup...no drywall compound or paint! Wooo hooo!

And here's a view of the completed project. Wow, are we proud of this! Now, 18 more rooms to go...(ha!)!!

Have a great week!

Lucky Me!

2011-03-06T00:42:00.000-06:00

I recently participated in the One World - One Heart event and was fortunate enough to win a few very special giveaways! I'll be highlighting each of them and the blogs from which I won the giveaways, so that you, too, can marvel at the creativity of these amazing artists and beautiful blogs!

I want to thank Shelly over at StampTramp for this gorgeous chunky tag! Look at how beautiful it is! Not only did I win the tag, but Shelly sent me materials so that I, too, could make one of these fun little beauties! I can't wait!

Please hop over to Shelly's blog and take a look at her wonderful work. I am in awe.

Thanks so much, Shelly, for participating in OWOH and for such a wonderful giveaway!

Wings for my Dream...

2011-03-01T13:48:00.001-06:00

If you have followed my blog for any length of time or know me personally, you know how much historic preservation means to me. It means a lot. My husband and I were caught up in a battle a few years ago when the historic school house across the street from our home was torn down to make way for condominiums. It was a heart breaking experience, as we felt hopeless and nothing that we did made a difference! The elected officials in the city had already made up their minds to have the structure destroyed. I will never forget standing in the street in front of the school the day they drove the bulldozer through the front doors. I cried. I cried not only for this beautiful old building, but for all that it had meant to the children who had once learned inside its walls...and for all the people who would never get to see it and for what it once stood.

Before that sad day when we finally realized that the building would not be repurposed or restored as we had hoped, we quickly went about trying to have some of the beautiful architectural details inside the building saved: the antique stairwell, the windows, the doorknobs and light fixtures. The person in charge of the project would not allow us to go in and remove these items. When I asked to remove the old front doors right before the bulldozer drove through them, I was laughed at by the men from the demolition company and the by the developer.

The building is now gone, and what remains in its place is an empty dirt hole. The developer never finished the project, and the city has seen nothing but heartache over this project. I vowed a few weeks after this happened that I would never be defeated so easily again. With this said, I know that I will not be able to save every historic structure, but I certainly can try! And if the structures cannot be saved, at least I want to try to salvage the beautiful architectural details that once made them so special.

I have long dreamed of opening a business that focused on architectural salvage, whether it be repurposed or sold to interior designers, architects or builders to use in other restoration projects. But with a need to pay bills and support my family, I have never been able to pursue that dream due to financial commitments that cannot be postponed. Start-up for a company of that type would take a bit of time and money.

Enter DOCKERS. They have announced a contest called "Wear the Pants Project." People like me who LOOOONG to pursue their dreams of doing something important and fulfilling can enter for a chance to win $100,000 to get their project started. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?! How wonderful! Of course, I had to enter! I've long had my business plan constructed and just lacked the financial means to follow it. Dockers is giving one lucky person the chance to do just that!

So, I'm looking for votes! I NEED votes! I would so much appreciate it if those who frequent my blog (and even those who just stop by on occasion) would PLEEEEEASE visit the link below and vote for my plan! Please give wings to my dream.....I WANT TO FLY!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR PAULA'S

"WEAR THE PANTS" PROJECT ON FACEBOOK!

Thanks to all for your much-needed and appreciated support!

Our House Restoration - LAUNDRY ROOM

2011-02-24T11:29:00.000-06:00

The remodel of our laundry room happened sooner than we anticipated. A couple of years ago, we were forced to remodel the laundry room after a disasterous water leak on the west side of our house. The leak damaged the floor and walls of a second floor bathroom and then seaped through to the room below, the laundry room.

There is no way to describe the state of the laundry room before the remodel. I did not take pictures before the water leak, as we were not yet working on that room and I thought I would have time to document the disaster. Little did I know it would get worse before it got better. We awoke one morning to water pouring through the ceiling, and there just wasn't time to stop and snap pictures. Looking back, it seems odd that I did not stop to take pictures. I take pictures of everything. Anyway...

The good news is that in a matter of a couple of months, I had a brand new laundry room. I appreciate that laundry room even more now that we have a ten month old at home, so in celebration of this heavenly space (at least it is to me), I decided to repost pictures of the remodeled space.

Have a wonderful, washed and clothes-line fresh kind of day!

Sign of Spring

2011-02-20T11:45:00.000-06:00

I wonder if they realize that Winter has not yet gone away but is simply taking a temporary vacation?

OWOH Winners!

2011-02-17T14:10:00.001-06:00

When we first heard about One World - One Heart, we were so excited! My sweet boy was thinking with eyes in wide amazement (and of course, I understood!)... Mommy! You mean to tell me we can journey around the world and visit wonderfully creative people without ever leaving our house?!" Yes! Yes, we can! And it's almost as fun as visiting with them in person, I replied!

And we'll have a chance to sign up to win beautiful giveaways? And WE will get to give away something special, too? he seemed to say. Actually, it came out as "Da Da Ga Boo, Da," but I knew what he was trying to say. Yes! Yes, we will, I replied!

As we watched the comments and entries come in, it was a nail biter! WHO will win? WHO will be the lucky one? Oh, how exciting!!!!!!

WHO WILL IT BE? THIS IS SO EXCITING!

And today, we drew the winners! And we're so happy to announce them! See that big smile!? He's thinking, This is so much fun, and we're so happy for the winners!!!!

HOORAY FOR THE WINNERS!!!

I have had the most wonderful time on my One World - One Heart journey around the world, and I have seen some of the most amazing blogs and creative giveaways! It has truly been a joy, and I am looking forward to exploring so many of these fabulous blogs in more depth.

I had so many SWEET comments on my blog that I decided to add another giveaway and actually choose two winners. I was very scientific in my selection process (I asked my hubby to give me two random numbers between 1 and 195), and without further ado, I am pleased to announce the winners:

AMY

BUMBLE BEE LANE

Amy will receive a box of goodies that will include (but not be limited to): old stamps, old stickers and clip art, scraps from old magazines, art papers, and anything else I think she might like.

ZIGGY

ZIGGY'S EMPORIUM

Ziggy will receive a packet of goodies that will include art paper, stickers, vintage stuff and anything else I think she might like.

These two ladies are WONDERFUL ARTISTS, and I encourage everyone to visit their beautiful blogs. I am certain that you will be as impressed as I am. I know they will put these nifty little bits and pieces to wonderful use.

OWOH has been so much fun, and I would like to thank Lisa, our wonderful and gracious host, at A Whimsical Bohemian for sponsoring such a fun event. I am so sad that this is the last year...but OWOH will live on in our hearts! Thanks for bringing all of us bloggers together, Lisa!

Congratulations and thanks to all participants! We feel that WE are the big winners because we have been able to "meet" so many wonderful and creative people! Thank you to ALL who left comments and visited with us, and thanks to all who have decided to follow us! We are so excited to get to know you!!

OWOH Blessings!

Fallen

2011-02-14T10:59:00.001-06:00

I've fallen in love many times... always with you.

Happy Valentines Day

to my wonderful husband with whom I am fortunate enough to share my life.

I am one very blessed woman,

Winter Wind

2011-02-09T15:30:00.001-06:00

Here it comes again, approaching from the west, bringing with it hints of the snow that will soon follow. Another blistery cold night in Tennessee and the promise of snowy weather this evening will keep us indoors, tucked in tightly beneath our quilts and dreaming of spring.

Stay warm in your corner of the world tonight!

One World One Heart 2011

2011-02-09T10:42:00.002-06:00

WELCOME, to my serendipitous blog! I am an artist, a writer, a mother, a wife, a collector, a yard-saler, a flea-marketing, auction-going lover of all things vintage and antique. My husband and I have been married for five years, and we live in a 160+ year old home that is listed on the historic register. We are slowly working on this grand old house and filling it with art, furniture, antiques and things that we love. Sometimes the going is slow, but we do love making this place into the home of our dreams. And she's quite a pretty lady! We juggle the ups and downs of living in an old, old house with our every day, hectic lives filled with cats, dogs, full-time jobs, and, most importantly, our nine-month old son. No day is typical around the Little Young House! I hope you'll make yourself a nice cup of tea, put your feet up and stay awhile at my blog. I'd love to get to know you!

ANYWAY, on to the good stuff! I AM GIVING AWAY A SPECIAL PRIZE (see below for details)! This giveaway is open to all active bloggers worldwide. Just leave a comment and make sure I have a way of contacting you if you should win. I'd also love to visit your blog, so please be sure to tell me how I can do that. I'll announce a winner on February 17, 2011.

WHAT WILL YOU WIN? Oh, you artists out there will love this! How about a box of old stamps, old stickers, old clips of art work snagged from old magazines and books...a box full of goodies that will help you create up a storm! Just looking through these things gets my creative juices flowing! I can just imagine all the things I could do with these wonderful old treasures.

Leave me a comment...that's all you have to do to enter! And I hope you'll stop by and visit with me again soon!

Be Melting Snow

2011-01-17T13:08:00.000-06:00

There's no need to go outside.

Be melting snow.

Wash yourself of yourself.

Excerpt from Be Melting Snow by Rumi

The Merriest of Christmases

2010-12-14T16:21:00.002-06:00

This year will be a very special Christmas for us, as it will be our son's first Christmas. He is fascinated with the ornaments and lights of the Christmas trees. My husband and I are having a wonderful time watching his curiosity with all the decor...and we have never been happier.

It is a wonderful thing to remember what it is like to see the splendor and beauty of Christmas through the eyes of a child.

Photo copyright Terri Fortney Photography, 2010

Baby's First Christmas

You have to hold him up to see

The angel on the Christmas tree.

And even though he's still too small

To know the meaning of it all

You watch his eyes reflect the glow

Of colored lights that come and go

And feel him quiver with delight

At every new and wondrous sight.

There's Santa with his jolly face

Beaming from the fireplace.

And from the stocking hanging there

Peeks a cuddly teddy bear.

Bright ornaments and candy canes --

Musical toy and wooden trains --

There's just no end to the delights

Spread out for him this night of nights!

He points and grins from ear to ear

And then he yawns - his bedtime's near!

Dad gives him a kiss and you tuck him away

To rest up for the fun of his first Christmas Day!

~Alice E. Chase

Oh, so happy, happy, happy,

Welcome, December...

2010-12-01T15:52:00.000-06:00

Through bare trees
I can see all the rickety lean-tos
and sheds, and the outhouse
with the half-moon on the door,
once modestly covered in
summer's greenery.

Through bare trees
I can watch the hawk
perched on a distant branch,
black silhouetted wings
shaking feathers and snow,
and so can its prey.

Through bare trees
I can be winter's innocence,
unashamed needfulness,
the thin and reaching limbs
of a beggar, longing to touch
but the hem of the sun.
~ Lisa Lindsey, Bare Trees

My November Guest

2010-11-15T10:34:00.000-06:00

My Sorrow, when she's here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.
Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She's glad the birds are gone away,
She's glad her simple worsted grady
Is silver now with clinging mist.
The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so ryly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.
Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.
~Robert Frost

Salute The Brave

2010-11-11T10:35:00.000-06:00

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.
- Elmer Davis

This photo is courtesy of Able Veterans. Please visit and support Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust.

THANK YOU, AMERICAN VETERANS, FOR THE SACRIFICES YOU HAVE MADE TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY FREE.

September

2010-09-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

The breezes taste

of apple peel.

The air is full

of smells to feel -

ripe fruit, old footballs,

burning brush,
new books, erasers,
chalk and such.
The bee, his hive,
well-honeyed hum,
and Mother cuts
Chrisanthemums.
Late plates washed clean
with suds, the days
are polished with
a morning haze.
`John Updike, September

Half Price Demi Purses From Thirty-One

2010-09-09T02:21:00.001-05:00

Please visit my Thirty-One Blog HERE for this fabulous deal! You don't want to miss this!

A New Venture

2010-08-26T11:57:00.000-05:00

I've become a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts, and I am so excited! This faith-based company that derives its name from Proverbs 31, offers a multitude of fabulous merchandise that will help you organize your life simply and beautifully! I hope you'll visit my new website here and the accompanying blog here (I'd love for you to sign up to follow me there!), and let me know what you think!

Summer Shower

2010-08-20T08:09:00.000-05:00

A drop fell on the apple tree,
Another on the roof;
A half a dozen kissed the eaves,
And made the gables laugh.

A few went out to help the brook,
That went to help the sea.
Myself conjectured, Were they pearls,
What necklaces could be!

The dust replaced in hoisted roads,
The birds jocoser sung;
The sunshine threw his hat away,
The orchards spangles hung.

The breezes brought dejected lutes,
And bathed them in the glee;
The East put out a single flag,
And signed the fete away.

Summer Shower by Emily Dickinson

We have waited all summer for a good rain. It had been weeks when, unexpectedly, a sunny day turned dark and the skies opened up and blessed us with a late afternoon shower that was overdue by at least two months. What a luxury rain has become this summer! And what a blessing to finally get a reprieve from the unrelenting sun. Although the rain was brief and we wish it could have visited longer, we were thankful for what little we received! I was so happy to see it, I nearly took to yard in my bare feet just to wade in those glorious puddles! If it had not been for the baby sleeping inside and no one to watch after him, I may have flung open the door, ran outside, tilted my face to the sky and laughed like a mad woman! Oh, when this sweet boy gets a little older, what fun we will have in the rain!

Gone to Seed

2010-08-01T02:33:00.000-05:00

A lot of things have changed here in the last three months. We started the spring by planting a few annuals, hanging Boston ferns across our back porch, carefully weeding the gardens each week, and setting out herbs and a variety of vegetable plants. Everything was flourishing until May 15th. Since we brought our Baby Boy home, every moment has been dedicated to him and his care. Watering the flowers became something we thought about doing about once a week (on a good week), and I still haven't staked the tomato plants. As the old saying goes, everything has "gone to seed" -- quite literally when it comes to our property.

As the baby's schedule becomes more regulated and DH and I have caught up on some sleep, we realize that we are going to have to learn how to juggle household responsibilities with caring for our new baby. Is there a course we can take? A book we can read? A consultant we can hire? Surely other parents have experienced this same feeling of overwhelming responsibility and feeling as though they'll never get caught up on household chores again! If anyone has the answer to this dilemma, please let us know! I'll be trying to get in a load of laundry in between the diaper changes and feedings. :-)

Loving every moment of motherhood (even the crazy ones),

Smiles

2010-07-26T16:18:00.000-05:00

Today, you have been smiling in your sleep,

and I cannot help but wonder

what sweet dreams

you are dreaming.

Patriotism

2010-07-04T00:36:00.001-05:00

“Patriotism is like charity — it begins at home. ”

~ James Henry

Happy Independence Day!

A Guest Room Transformed

2010-06-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

A little over a year ago, we were still operating a bed and breakfast out of our house, and the plan to grow our family still seemed a bit distant. But in September, we closed the B&B and began the transformation of one of our Victorian guest rooms (you can see photos of it HERE) to a nursery. Since we were uncertain if we would have a boy or girl, we chose bedding that we felt would be appropriate for either, although now that it is in the room, I do feel that it gives the nursery a more feminine feel. It was important to us that we stay true to our decorating style and not create a room that felt as though it belonged in another house. We tried to be mindful of the house's 1860's architecture and history and create a room that was eclectic, fun and appropriate for a baby...and on a budget!

While we still have things to do, here is the nearly finished project. We feel that our little boy won't mind the flowers that are a part of the current bedding scheme, and by the time he is old enough to notice, we will have found something boy-worthy in a vintage airplane or train or other motif.

This crib is only one of two new pieces of furniture that we bought for the room. We purchased it to match an existing wardrobe and dresser that we already owned.

The rocking chair below is the only other piece of new furniture that we purchased. My husband and I painted the pictures that hang on the walls.

I previously owned the Beatrix Potter plate, bunnies and books. We also borrowed this lamp from another room to use on the table beside the rocking chair. The little desk belonged to my husband before we were married. It has a green leather inset on the top.

My mother-in-law made the cross stitch picture of the Bremen Town Musicians many years ago and gave it to us to use in the nursery. I think it looks as though it was created especially for the space. Most of the childrens' books belonged to my husband and me when we were children, although we have added (and will continue to add) more books to the baby's library. Can you guess which of us donated the Star Wars pop-up book to the collection? :-) Hint: Not me.

I bought the sheep artwork from an artist on Etsy, and the Easter egg compass and basket came from Victorian Trading Company.

I have owned this rocking horse for years and thought it would look cute in the nursery while the baby is not old enough to climb on it. Of course, it is not a toy, so it will have to be removed from the nursery as the baby grows. We will not want to tempt him to try to ride this guy. We will be on the look-out for a more appropriate rocking horse as our son grows older.

The alphabet sampler is one that we owned. I thought it worked well for now behind the rocking chair.

The pillows in the rocking chair were borrowed from another room in the house.

I have also owned the antique school desk for many years. I think it adds a nice vintage touch in the nursery. The bear is handmade by a shop owner in town. The vintage wooden blocks were picked up by me at yard sales, antique booths and auctions over the years. I must have dozens of them.

This wardrobe (I know there's a better name for this piece of furniture...what is it?) belonged to my husband growning up. It has a matching dresser, which does double-time as a changing table. We purchased the crib to match the wood of these two pieces.

As you can see, we used a lot of what we already owned to decorate the nursery. While we will want to change the decor to reflect our son's interests as he grows, for now it seems to work. Tell me, does it looked pulled together from years worth of collecting? Does it feel hodge-podge? I'd love to get your thoughts!

Thanks so much!

2010-06-27T07:43:00.000-05:00

God’s Word is just as accurate as His works. You can set your clock by His sun, and you can charter your course by His Word.

Have a blessed day,

Through the Storm

2010-06-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

Today, I am recovering. I have spent the last 48 hours drifting in and out of a restless sleep between bouts of pure misery. I have been hibernating, healing, dreaming of not feeling so lousy. Stomach viruses are hard to kick, and believe me, this one has been a doozie. I feel as though I have lost days of my life. As I lay here in our bedroom this afternoon, watching the lace curtains blow in the breeze of the approaching storm, I find myself praying for the rain...the sweet, cleansing, drenching rain. Just what we need. A perfect way to wash away the yuckiness, leaving me feeling refreshed, albeit a little disheveled after this most recent storm. The thunder rumbles low in the distance (or is that my stomach?)...no, it's the thunder. Thank heavens. And yes, here comes the rain. Ahhh.

Isn't the photograph above lovely? It's by photographer Lyle Huisken whose work you may find at http://lyle-and-fran-huisken.fineartamerica.com/. This looks much like the white lace curtains blowing in our own room (although I am too sick to get out of bed to find my own camera to take a picture, but I will do that soon). Meanwhile, please visit Mr. Huisken's site and look at his fabulous photographs. They're just the type I would take if I was a gifted photographer just like him.

Thinking well thoughts,

Happiest of Father's Day

2010-06-21T09:56:00.000-05:00

This was my DH's first Father's Day as a Daddy. This day was such a special one for him, so I thought I would post a few photographs. Doesn't the smile in the first photo just say it all? We are in heaven.

Our Dream Come True

2010-06-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

If you have followed our blog for any time, you know that my DH and I have been trying to adopt for many years. We finally received "the call," and were able to bring home our beautiful baby boy. Isn't he amazing?

He is the answer to hundreds of prayers we prayed. We thank God for this precious gift.

Prayers Answered

2010-05-30T02:28:00.001-05:00

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.
But those who make their journey home across time & miles,
growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,
are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us
by God's very own hands.
-- Kristi Larson

I am sorry that I have been away for a few weeks, but it was due to the most amazing event. We finally were successful in our attempt to adopt a baby, and we brought home an amazing, beautiful newborn baby boy. He is gorgeous and truly a gift from God. Our many, many prayers were answered and years of waiting finally came to an end. We could not be more ecstatic. I will post more soon about our adoption journey and our beautiful son.

Victory Gardens

2010-05-13T09:13:00.000-05:00

As I plant my own vegetables and herbs this year, I am reminded of the old posters of the Victory Gardens that citizens were encouraged to grow during WWII. The images are some of my favorite vintage art even though they portray a time of unrest in the world; they also recall a time of great patriotism. The US School Garden Program also had amazing images of children in the garden. I have many vintage photographs of my grandmother in overalls with a scarf tied around her hair, so the first image reminds me so much of her. She was in her early to mid twenties during WWII and is a wealth of information regarding that era.

And thanks to people like my grandparents, we live in a time when we may garden simply for pure pleasure. I am grateful.

2010-05-12T13:15:00.001-05:00

The year's at the spring

And day's at the morn;

Morning's at seven;

The hillside's dew-pearled;

The lark's on the wing;

The snail's on the thorn;

God's in His heaven -

All's right with the world!

~Robert Browning

It has been a while since I posted, and I have missed it dearly. We have been busy with yard sales and baby preparations and reclaiming our house after the remodel. We have also been busy in our yard and garden. Time certainly flies when one has one thousand things to do!

This year, instead of planting herbs and vegetables in a separate space, I have mixed them in among my flowers. They are alongside the house in the flowerbeds and in the large ornamental spaces in front of the house. That area receives the best sunlight, and all other places have failed to produce...so I decided to give this a try. Of course, I only grow peppers and tomatoes, along with the basic herbs: onion chives, basil, oregano, fern leaf dill, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. I am seeing this more and more in landscapes. I would love to hear from others who mix their herbs and veggies in with their ornamental flowers. We are thoroughly enjoying the warmer weather and our time out of doors. Soon, the weather will turn so hot that we will avoid the midday in the garden, so we are enjoying it now while we may. We currently have irises blooming, as well as our beautiful clematis vines...so full of blooms that you couldn't count them all! One of the prettiest irises I have this year is a gorgeous peach color. We are anxiously awaiting our new blooms courtesy of the landscaping project we completed back in the fall: cone flowers, dianthus, black-eyed susans, and more showy blooms.

April is a promise that May is bound to keep. ~Hal Borland

Happy gardening and flowering!

Conquering the Stuff

2010-04-12T09:44:00.003-05:00

I hate that I have not had the opportunity to post for a week or so, but it has been for a very good reason. With the remodel finished on our master closet and art studio, we have been putting our house back together! This has meant a lot of deep cleaning and sorting and laundering and organizing. We had a great weekend and felt that we were making some progress until we opened the door to our guest bedroom and realized that we had another room full of MORE stuff. Neither of us has any idea how we accumulated so much stuff or how we had it ALL stored in our house. Looking at it now, that does not seem logically possible!

We are giving ourselves two more weekends to conquer "the stuff." What we have not found permanent homes for by then is going in the yard sale or to Good Will. We can DO this. We CAN do this. We can do THIS!

Wish us luck! ;-)

Meeting the Easter Bunny

2010-04-02T00:55:00.004-05:00

On Easter morn at early dawn

before the cocks were crowing

I met a bob-tail bunnykin

and asked where he was going.

"'Tis in the house and out the house

a-tipsy, tipsy-toeing,

Tis round the house

and 'bout the house a-lightly I am going."

"But what is that of every hue

you carry in your basket?"

"Tis eggs of gold and eggs of blue;

I wonder why you ask it.

"Tis chocolate eggs and bonbon eggs

and eggs of red and gray,

for every child in every house

on bonny Easter day.

He perked his ears

and winked his eye and twitched his little nose;

He shook his tail -- what tail he had --

and stood up on his toes.

I must be gone before the sun;

the east is growing gray;

Tis almost time for bells to chime."

--So he hippety-hopped away.

Meeting the Easter Bunny

by Rowena Bennett

Nothing but blue skies...

2010-03-31T13:30:00.003-05:00

Blue skies

Smiling at me

Nothing but blue skies

Do I see

Bluebirds

Singing a song

Nothing but bluebirds

All day long

Have a blue sky, daffodil kind of day!

All of a sudden...

2010-03-19T15:07:00.001-05:00

Open the windows and open the door

And let the fresh breezes blow in, blow in.

Jack Frost has gone to his home in the north

And all of a sudden it's Spring!

~Author Unknown~

Antique Card Catalog

2010-03-17T11:04:00.009-05:00

For as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with books. Not just books, but libraries filled with books. As a child, I enjoyed going to our small town's library and getting lost in the stacks of books, reading the back covers, having a difficult time deciding which I would check out because I wanted to check out all of them. In elementary school, our class would go to the library one day a week. I would check out the maximum books allowed and carry them home with me. My favorites I checked out over and over again. Many years later, the woman who had been my elementary school librarian decided that Harold and the Purple Crayon should be retired. Since she remembered that this was one that I checked out over and over again, she signed the inside of the well worn cover and brought it to me. Of course, I was thrilled. Now that little tattered book is among my collection of first editions and author-signed books, as it is as important to me as any of those...perhaps even more.

Another thing I loved about libraries was the old card catalogs. I loved reading them! So, imagine my delight when poking through an old junk store, I spied in the back corner under piles of "stuff" a dusty antique card catalog that called out to me louder than if it could speak. I got so excited over this scratched old cabinet with it's twelve drawers that I could barely ask the price of the old man who ran the store. Fifty dollars. He actually said fifty dollars. I couldn't believe it. Of course I yelled, "Sold." and went up to immediately pay him, and I couldn't get it loaded in my car fast enough. It barely fit across the back seat, but it did...as if it was meant to be. When I got home and asked my husband to help me unload the car of a true treasure, he looked at me as if I had lost my mind when he saw it. "Where in the world are you going to put it," I remember him asking. "I don't know, but I have to find a place!"

The photo above is not my cabinet, although this one has twelve drawers. Mine is two drawers high and six drawers wide! I love it!

I believe I know the perfect place. In my new studio. It will look wonderful in there and serve as a great cabinet to hold paint brushes, tubes of paint, pencils, etc. I cannot wait to take the orange oil to it and see how that old wood shines. I bet the patina is amazing. For now, it sits among the other furniture all piled in our guest bedroom awaiting the finish of the remodel. I can't even get in there to take a photo of it right now, but soon....

This will be a project that will touch my heart and lift my soul. I can't wait to see it in its new home.

First Signs of Spring

2010-03-15T12:09:00.003-05:00

The first signs of spring always bring a smile to my face. After a long winter's sleep, it is always so promising to see those first signs of life - the crocus and the daffodils beginning their journey toward the sun, rising up through the soil to greet the warmer weather and the new spring light.

I love taking drives in the country during the early spring and seeing the newly born calves beginning to walk under the close supervision of their mothers. With an early spring chill still in the air, I love to take my camera to the edge of the fields, stand by the fence posts and watch the activities of these youngsters as they become more self assured and frolic in the warming of the season.

I can say goodbye to the winter with little remorse as the new season offers so many delights of colors and scents and sounds. As I draw up the blinds that have for the last few months helped to keep the artificial warmth inside my home, I welcome the sun through the window panes and feel a sense of renewal as it dances around the rooms.

It is time to begin again.

Sorrow

2010-03-10T14:10:00.007-06:00

The Childless Mother's Lullaby

By Ella Rhoads Higginson, 1925

Oh, many's the time in the evening

When the light has fled o'er the sea,

That I dream alone in the gloaming

Of the joys that are not for me;

And oft in my sorrowful bosom

Swells up the mother-love flame,

And I clasp with my arms that are trembling

My child that never came....

The hours swim on the midnight

The moon looks over the hill,

And the u-lu-lu of the night owl

Sinks mournfully and shrill;

The solitude aches with rapture,

And my heart with the mother-love flame

As I sing alone in the gloaming

To the child that never came.

From A Book of Lullabies (Elva S. Smith ed., 1925)

Today I am sinking into the depths of sorrow...I feel it happening, as if a giant wave is enveloping me; it has been another difficult day.

Hopelessness.

Once again, it all feels so hopeless. We have explored adoption, surrogacy, donor egg programs, foster care, and still we do not have a child. I called Department of Children Services earlier. The lady on the telephone was cold and harsh. "If you are looking to adopt a baby, this is not for you." She said, matter-of-fact. "People just don't hand over their babies to DCS, and when they do under the age of 18 months, they usually end up being placed back in the home." She also said that we would have to foster a child for a period of six months or more before we could be considered as potential adoptive parents. It doesn't matter that we have gone through home studies and background checks before with agencies and attorneys. I also found out today that surrogacy is not an option for me... because my ovarian reserve is low and I am over 42. The nurse said, it is "unlikely." "The doctor won't even consider harvesting eggs from a woman your age," I was told by the nurse. "The odds are against it," she said. She added that she was not trying to be mean...that she was just explaining the facts to me. It seems that every path we look down, there is someone slamming doors in our faces.

Sorrow. Today it is all that I know.

Painting: Joy & Sorrow

by Zhong-Yang Huang

Anger, "Justified?"

2010-03-06T11:25:00.008-06:00

Here we go again. As a native of Harlan, Kentucky, I am used to stereotypes. I run up against them all the time. As soon as someone knows where I was born and raised, they feel compelled to make remarks like: (looking down at my feet) "Well...you're wearing shoes!" Or...(squinting as they pretend to take a closer look at my mouth) "You have all your teeth!" Or they ask me if I grew up with indoor plumbing. If my family tree actually forks. Do we have electricity? Phone service? Are my daddy and grandaddy and brother coalminers? I have even been asked if we have television in Harlan. Usually, I would make smart comments like, "Well, we only have ONE television in town....it's down at the courthouse, and all of us go down there on Saturday nights to watch 'HeeHaw'." You would be surprised at how many people believed me.

If you have followed this blog for long, you will remember my anger over the Diane Sawyer piece, "Hidden America: Children of the Mountains." Oh, I was upset...and justifiably so! But now I have a new one to focus on...the latest in the long list of (inaccurate?) portrayals of my hometown.

FX will present a new series, Justified, beginning March 16th. My husband keeps saying, "Paula, watch the first episode before you get so upset." I do not need to watch the first episode to tell you how it is going to represent us. It has been done before. We know. It will make us all look like gun toting, barefoot (or boot wearing), uneducated, unethical, primitive-living, moonshine making hillbillies. I will be shocked if it is anything BUT that.

I did managed to calm down enough to watch the trailer and their video on the History of Harlan. What did I see within the first couple of seconds? A flannel-wearing man carrying a shotgun, running through the woods, looking behind him like he was running from someone. The only thing missing was his hound dog. Oh wait...they had that, too.

I AM FURIOUS!

I was born in Harlan County to a middle class family. My father worked for the state, my mother owned her own business. My grandfather was president of a local wholesale company. My grandmother was a kindergarten teacher. All of us wore shoes. I was not allowed to use the word "ain't." If I spoke with a double negative in my sentences, I was corrected. I was educated. I grew up with a telephone AND a television in my house. I did not know any moonshiners.....well...that I knew of. My mother's father and grandfather were coal miners. Nothing to be ashamed of there! They were honest men who earned an honest living. That I know of, neither of them carried shotguns with them on a regular basis. Please.

I hope that this newest series set in Harlan does not portray the entire population with the same mentality that we are used to seeing when it comes to the media. I hope that someone did their homework and has enough intelligence to look at the place as a whole and tell your made up stories that do not portray the area as a wasteland when it comes to IQ's and morals. I am skeptical...again.

I believe the media thinks that telling the positive aspects of Harlan County won't bring them ratings. Perhaps the world would discover that our problems in Harlan are not very different from those in any other place in America. The myth would be exposed, and then who would the media have to exploit?! We cannot fight stereotypes in Eastern Kentucky with this kind of thing out there! This series is just one more nail in the coffin of my hometown...and one more slap in the face of the place and the people I love.

Come on, FX and Mr. Leonard....prove me wrong. I dare you.

Seething,

God's Language

2010-03-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

"Silence is the first language of God; all else is a poor translation." Thomas Merton

In this world full of noise and chaos, are you taking the time to listen to that sweet, small, subtle voice of God?

Photograph by Christopher Talbot Frank

Blessings,

In Praise of Winter Trees*

2010-03-03T06:00:00.003-06:00

A closed heart can't greet

a winter sky. Even a rain puddle

is filled by it, and a horse trough,

and the slow current of creeks.

Winter trees, sycamore and oak,

reach for the sky to offer praise –

stark, hard praise, born from all

those rooted years of bearing

the sky's weight. Some nights

an open heart is filled with vast

spaces between stars the mind

can't grasp. The thought of heaven

is not so much mammothed by

the sky's grandeur, but mystified

beyond our silly notions. Winter

trees aren't arrogant; they praise

no flags, no denominations,

they owe allegiance to the soil.

My sister, when she was younger,

awoke in winter to hold her arms

up to the sky, shiver in the wholeness

of it, let shadows of winter trees

dance sunlight across her face.

Oak, beech, sycamore, maple, and gum,

reenact creation, drop their seeds

from the sky, make their homes

in star dust, and reach back

toward heaven. Trees suffer

drought and freezing rain, accept

the annual tilt toward shorter days.

Some ancient hope, like winter light,

is allied with the gravity of stars.

*Excerpted from Late Winter by Bill Brown, published by Iris Press. Bill Brown is a part-time lecturer at Vanderbilt University. He has written four poetry collections, three chapbooks and a textbook. The recipient of many awards and fellowships, Brown lives in Robertson County, Tennessee.

I have always found beauty in the starkness of winter. Something about the winter light and proud trees with their entangled branches against a gray winter sky speaks to my heart. The pure white of a fallen snow with its shadows of violet and muted silver, flashes of diamonds in the rays of a winter sun. Asleep. At rest. Peaceful and waiting.

Hoping you're enjoying the beauty of Winter, wherever you may be...

Happy Birthday, Mom

2010-03-02T12:54:00.005-06:00

As a child, I used to love to pick flowers for my mom. I thought she was beautiful and smart and funny. I liked to make her smile. I liked when she talked to me and made me feel that what I said was important.

It was not until years later that I found out she was highly allergic to those little raggedy flowers that I thought were so beautiful. Even though I brought her weeds, she always smiled as if I had brought her roses.

My mother is still beautiful and funny....and smarter than I ever imagined. And I still like to make her smile, because she has always made me feel that what I had to say and what I thought mattered.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.

How Lucky Am I?!?

2010-03-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

I won this beautiful work of art through the One World - One Heart Giveaway from a truly gifted artist, Katie, over at Ragamuffin Gal. You really MUST go visit her and take a look at all the beautiful creations she makes. I adore her blog, and I know you will, too! She and I have a lot of things in common: we are both animal lovers, both from mountain states (she from Arkansas and I originally from Eastern Kentucky), and both love OWOH and all the wonderful people we have met through participating in this great event!

I was so lucky, don't you think?! These gorgeous girls are going to take center stage in one of our newly remodeled rooms, and I cannot WAIT to hang them. Pictures will soon follow once all the work is done...which hopefully will be in another week or so (keeping fingers crossed).

Thanks so much, Katie! I love this adorable piece of work!! These cuties will be well cared for in their new home. :-)

Blessings,

Photos courtesy of Ragamuffin Gal

I have a dream

2010-03-01T10:59:00.004-06:00

I have a dream that one day I will come home each day to an organized and clean house. I dream that the pantry will be a thing of beauty, with each thing in its place and no dog food bags turned over with food spilling out because we forgot to close the door and the dogs got inside. I dream that the shelves will be neat without things tossed carelessly on them. I dream that each closet in our home will have only what belongs inside. They will not be stuffed to the gills with things we simply wanted out of the way in our attempt to hide a messy house from our friends and family. I dream that our laundry room will not have clothes stacked waiting for washing. A couple of laundry fairies would be nice. I dream that every porch would be clean and free of dust and spider webs. I dream of an organized clothing closet where all clothes are neat, ironed and perfect. And since I am dreaming big, I would like to see a craft room without storage cabinets stuffed so full that I can't find anything. Oh, those cleaning supplies need to have some organization, too. Preferably one so that I can find what I want when I want. No more guessing "Is it upstairs or downstairs? Under the kitchen sink? Or maybe under the sink in the laundry room?" Oh, but since it's a dream, I want to dream for someone else to do the house cleaning for me. How about a couple of housecleaning fairies? Or one really good housekeeper. I dream of a clean, dust-free car with no crumbs that have fallen from my breakfasts during my mad dashes to work. I dream of there being a time when all the drawers in our laundry room have what are supposed to be inside them there, and I don't have to search all over the house for light bulbs or Mighty Mend It or an extension cord. They will simply be where they are supposed to be. I dream of being able to find a writing pen when I need it.

Sigh.

What are the chances?!

I have to tell you this, because perhaps you will find it as ironic as I did. When we cleaned out our storage area for the workers to begin construction on our new master closet, in the back of the room behind several boxes and under some stuff we had thrown back there to get out of the way......I found, not one, not two....BUT THREE books on organizing one's life. That's right. Three books. I obviously had lost them. Two went into my yard sale stack. I did keep one, however, because....I have a dream.

Photo from themotherhood.com

Winner of 150th Post Giveaway!

2010-02-28T12:04:00.006-06:00

I am happy to announce the winner of my
Sesquicentennial Post Giveaway is

Nancy

from

Her Art Nest!!

Please visit her gorgeous blog. You will love visiting as much as I do!

Congratulations, Nan!

Please visit me again and be looking for my next special giveaway coming soon!

And did I mention, "I love our house?!?!"

2010-02-24T13:43:00.011-06:00

I love our house. I am just going to keep saying that over and over again and maybe...just maybe...it will quit surprising us with unexpected little catastrophes. And maybe if I keep repeating that phrase, I will remind myself of all the excitement I first felt at owning a historic home with all its character and charm. I love our house. I love our house...

The story of being a historic homeowner began for my husband in 2001. I joined the team upon our marriage in 2005. And then began the growing list of...well...projects to be done. I'm serious. We had pipes breaking and flooding rooms, floors creaking and shaking when we walked on them. New roof. New boards on outside of house to replace those that were rotted. Foundation stabilization. The root seller that fills up with water every time it rains. Raccoons down the chimney, skunks between the floors. Mice. Ugly wallpaper. Uneven corners. Cracks in the walls. Hail damage. Another new roof. Burned ceiling beams from a century ago. No water pressure. Dry rotted carpet. And now we have added to the latest little snag in our growing list of mini disasters.

Apparently at some point in the history of our house, someone decided to remove an old chimney from the first floor of the house. What they DID NOT do was remove the rest of it on the second floor of the house. You know, we wondered why the floor was beginning to sag in the oldest section of the house. Little did we know it was because said floor was holding up century-and-a-half old chimney bricks with very little help.

Oh yeah. They found it today.

I love our house. I love our house. I love our house.

We are very fortunate that chimney above-mentioned sagging floor did not crash through on top of our heads. I mean, we already lost our minds when we bought this place...we don't need any more brain damage...right?!

The cost of the latest project is climbing. We are now having the chimney removed, the roof patched where chimney comes out of roof, and in the Spring....an entire new roof will be put on the house. Oh, the roof is needed due to the recent hail and wind damage, not due to the chimney. At least we discovered them at the same time.

I have a migraine.

And did I mention...I love our house?

Pictures of said mini disaster forthcoming as soon as I locate my photo memory card. And my sanity.

Top Photo credit: Scene from "The Money Pit."

Evidence of the Past

2010-02-23T10:28:00.005-06:00

We have always heard that our historic home had been through a fire sometime in the 1930's or 40's, but we did not know any of the details. Yesterday, we found a few. When workers remodeling the oldest part of our house (built in the 1820's) pulled down some of the beadboard ceiling to put in insulation, they uncovered old, charred beams and rafters. I panicked! How in the world has this held up the roof for this long?!? I was concerned over the obvious safety issues; however, as I looked at my husband, I could see him mentally totaling up how much more this was going to cost him. :-)~ That's how we work. He worries about money - I worry about everything else. Needless to say, this little surprise has taken us both aback.

Obviously, we're going to have to get some reinforcement up there. We have left it for the workers to secure. We trust them because we have to do so. Neither of us has the knowledge to deal with this latest snag in our effort to refurbish this old house.

Anyway, upon taking a survey of the condition, I had to leave. That, along with the rotted floor boards around the old chimney gave me a headache.

I am going home tonight and rent the movie The Money Pit to make me feel better about our situation.

Oh, the woes of owning a historic home.

Wish us luck and say lots of prayers that we'll make it through this! :-)

Inventing the Perfect Closet

2010-02-22T11:35:00.006-06:00

My husband and I recently closed our historic Bed and Breakfast. The two of us had, until that point, shared a walk-in closet just off of our "innkeeper's suite." While it is a fairly good size walk-in closet, over the four years we have been married, it seems to have shrunk. After closing the B&B, we have been able to live in our entire house for the first time! That means that we have inherited a lot of extra storage space that we could never utilize before (our guests probably would not have appreciated their guestroom closets stuffed full of our personal junk!). We have been finding new homes for a lot of our "stuff," and have loved every moment of it.

When we moved our bedroom to one of our former guest rooms, we took one look at the teeny tiny closet and immediately knew it would never work. Historic homes, as you know, are not known for their abundant closet space, and I think I would be hard pressed to get my shoes in that closet, let alone my clothes, and pocketbooks and scarves and ..... (you get the idea). We finally decided to take one of the extra rooms upstairs and build a master closet. Needless to say, I am overjoyed about this! The room we have chosen is quite quaint with sloping ceilings and tons of character, but we are limited as to how far up we can hang clothes racks. I think we have come up with a fairly good solution, though, and it forced us to be a little creative with our space. I think we are going to like it!

The workers came today to begin the process. I had my sketches roughly drawn. Of course, they were not to scale. The guys began asking me questions like, "How deep do you want those shelves?" To which I replied, "Deep enough to get my shoes on them?...." and "enough height that my pocketbooks will stand up?...." Blank stares. I think in the end they understood me, though. I hope. I guess I will find out soon enough. As I was leaving them to go to work, I told them not to talk about my drawings or the way I measured the shelves after I was gone. I know they did. :-)

Anyway, this newest venture has had me considering all the possibilities this new closet will hold, and I have to say I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! I have stolen ....I mean, borrowed...a few ideas from celebrities' closets and closet sites and decorating sites and mixed them all together into something that would fit my own needs...and our room dimensions. I found so much inspiration, and below are a few that I really love.

My favorite closet designs came from Closet Tailors. Their design styles and material options are extensive. As you will see in the next five photos, their closets are to die for!

The closet below is from Affordable Closet Systems. Love it, love it, love it!

What do you think about this cutesy closet from Decorology. Isn't it adorable?! The colors are amazing and fun!

And this one, also from Decorology's blog, is Paris Hilton's closet. Isn't that the most amazing closet you have ever seen?! Check out the chandelier!
My closet may not be as flashy as Paris' or as cute or as organized as any of those above, but I do believe it will be a wonderful space! I can't wait to post the before and after photos and will do that soon!

Blessings,

Giveaway Reminder!

2010-02-22T11:03:00.004-06:00

Don't forget to go sign up for my 150th Post Giveaway! Click here to learn more about it and to leave a message to enter. Good luck! I will draw a winner on February 28th...this coming Sunday, the last day of the month!

Have a fabulous week!

Old-Fashioned Screen Doors

2010-02-19T14:27:00.001-06:00

Recently, my dog destroyed our screen door. I admit, I wasn't sad...or even mad at her. I hate our screen door! We inherited it with our house, and it is the standard, cheap metal with plexiglass door that one sees everywhere. Needless to say, it does not look as though it belongs on our circa 1869 house. I love those old-fashioned, squeek-when-you-open, slam-shut-with-a-spring kind of doors...those with the little curly-cues in the corners are my favorite. So I searched the internet to find one that I like, and I admit I like many! But they are so expensive to order over the internet. The shipping alone will break my budget! So, I am on the hunt for a local woodworker/master carpenter to make me a door. It has to be 85 inches tall by 40 inches wide...that's one BIG door! And, most importantly, it has to stand up to Molly the Mutt and our two cats, Isabella and Hermione, who love to hang by their toes from the screen. Below are a few that I have fallen in love with. Which do you like?

Look at the cute puppy on this one! I adore this!
This photo is from orvis.com.

Doesn't this look so homey and inviting?! Found this photo on thisoldhouse.com

These from Glyndon Carpentry are magnificent! Oh, how I wish I had a double-wide door! :-)

Okay, granted this is not a door to outside...but to a pantry! Isn't it WONDERFUL?!?! This came from the Sugar Pie Farmhouse...whose site you MUST visit!! This makes me want to take down my own pantry door and put up a cute screen door. Look at the embellishments in the corners and the chalkboard paint! What an adorable idea!

I love the cozy look of this porch!!

I found this one on the blog Anderson Daily Photo. This is a great blog. Anderson is a town in South Carolina, and the owner of the blog posts a photo each day taken in the city. Such a great idea! Anyway, isn't this a cute little entry to this cottage?

Here's another screen door used as a pantry door in a cute kitchen. I love the design of this one and its blue color! I think I need to paint mine another color besides white. I found this great picture on the AtticMag website. I love this website that has house tours and historic homes and designer rooms. You should really go for a visit!

...and this little cutie all painted in red I saw featured over at Twice Remembered who borrowed it from CountryLiving.Com.

There are so many designs and styles to choose from. As soon as I have it finished and installed, I will share it here with you. I definitely have a tough decision to make!

Creative Intervention

2010-02-17T13:06:00.005-06:00

I have a problem. I admit it. It has been getting worse over the colder months and has recently become a full-blown addiction. It is.....gaming on facebook. Specifically, it's FarmTown and Jungle Jewels (I know...don't say it). I need an intervention! Normally, I would have spent my little bit of free time reading or painting or crafting, but I am taking less and less time for those types of activities and spending more time playing those.....silly games! Someone help!

I need ideas for projects that will hold my interest enough to get me away from FarmTown. Any suggestions?! :-)

I am considering taking up knitting.........

(sigh)

Image borrowed from CountryLiving.Com

Images of Snowfall

2010-02-16T15:22:00.008-06:00

What a great amount of respect I have for the trees that carry such a heavy burden. Ice, then snow...and they still stand majestic.

More scenes of a snowy Sewanee. I am beginning to think we may never see the green of the grass again!

I tried without success to make a snowman. The snow is too dry. I find that quite ironic and mildly amusing considering the amount of rainfall we have had in the last few months.

The beauty of this place never ceases to amaze me.

Hope you are staying warm!

Hope & Trust

2010-02-12T12:02:00.005-06:00

Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue

inherent in the state of being alive.

If life is to be sustained, hope must remain,

even where confidence is wounded, trust impaired.
~Erik H. Erikson

My husband and I have been hoping to adopt for a very long time. We have been through all of the home study requirements, the home visits, the background checks and fingerprinting. We have worked through both an agency and an attorney in hope of finding a birthmother. We started on this journey over two years ago, and today, still...we wait.

The nursery is ready. The stuffed animals and toys sit on the dresser and on the shelves with the children's books. We painted artwork for the room. We have taken every precaution as far as safety and comfort. And, still....we wait.

I keep a waiting journal. I write about all the things we are doing in preparation for a little one. I write letters to our baby, even though we don't know his or her name or face. We talk about "the baby" as if he or she are already with us. Every decision we make in our daily lives are made with our baby in mind. But, still...we wait.

Today, although I try so hard to keep hope in my heart, it is difficult not to feel that this may never happen after so much time has passed. I truly believe that all things happen in God's own precious time, but...what if He is saying no, and I am just not listening? What if I am prolonging this vigil because I want to, and it really isn't His will? What if I am ignoring Him? I have battled with this for some days now. I admit that my hope is waning, but I trust God...still. I trust Him to let me know in no uncertain terms what our future holds, and I know He will tell me if I open my heart to hear.

And I trust Him...even if the answer is no.

My Sesquicentennial Post and Giveaway

2010-02-10T12:42:00.006-06:00

This is my 150th post, and I am celebrating with a special giveaway. I will assign each person who comments a special number and conduct a random drawing on Sunday, February 28th, the last day of this month. The winner will receive a special gift box from me containing vintage treasures, art items, and anything else I may think to add to the box. It really is a mystery at this point all that I will decide to include. So...feel free to enter by leaving a comment.

I've truly enjoyed my blog and all the wonderful people with whom I have become acquainted since beginning it. I hope to be blogging for many years to come!

By the way, the sweet little wrapped gift photo above is courtesy of Lilla Blanka. Visit this blog...you'll be amazed at the simplistic beauty and the creativity in using vintage items. Just gorgeous! And while my little gift probably won't be wrapped as creatively as this (although I'll try), it has definitely given me inspiration! We'll see what happens!

Thanks for visiting and following,

Sewanee Tornado

2010-01-25T15:39:00.005-06:00

Well, the winter wind definitely blew at Sewanee last week! I was fortunate enough to have missed the tornado that set down near the airport and that twisted and fell trees, ripped off roof shingles and made a mess of things in the Midway Community. I knew my drive home was a strange one that day as I watched lightening strike from black clouds and arrived home to a yard full of half-dollar sized hail!

The photo above was taken by Ben Beavers as he stood on the front porch of Shenanigans Restaurant in Sewanee looking across Highway 41A toward the Sewanee Market and, thus, the airport.

Brrrrrrrr,

Thou Winter Wind

2010-01-25T15:13:00.007-06:00

Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art no seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto thy green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Painting by Thomas Kinkade

Stay warm!

Here Comes the Rain

2010-01-20T15:43:00.007-06:00

Just when I believe we may see a break in the rain and snow, here it comes again! While I admit to love the snow...and even the rain when it comes in moderation, day after day without my winter sunshine can sometimes make me rather melancholy. Is it any wonder that the simple nursery rhyme keeps running through my mind today?

Rain, Rain, go away;

Come again another day.

And upon thinking of this rhyme, I began to wonder how many other cute rhymes and poems exist about the rain and how....well...downright TIRED of it we are?! How are these?

Rain, rain, pour down,

But not a drop on our town.

Rain on the green grass,

and rain on the tree,

and rain on the housetop,

but not on me!

Rain, rain go away,

Come again on washing day.

Rain, rain go to Germany,

And remain there permanently.

Rain rain go away,

Come on (insert old sweetheart's name here) wedding day.

Rain on Monday,

Sunshine next Sunday.

Rain is falling down,

Splash!

Rain is falling down,

Splash!

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter,

Rain is falling down,

Splash!

If all the raindrops

were lemondrops and gumdrops,

Oh, what a rain that would be!

Just as a note of interest, the history of the lyrics to "Rain, rain go away" are said to date back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), one of the English Tudor monarchs. During this period of English history, there was a constant rivalry between Spain and England culminating in the launch of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The Spanish Armada was led by Duke of Medina Sedonia, and the fleet numbered over 130 ships. The English fleet, under the Admiral Lord Howard, totalled 34 small Navy vessels and 163 armed merchant ships. But the great Spanish Armada was defeated. Only 65 Spanish galleons and just 10,000 men returned to Spain. The attempt failed, not only because of the swift nature of the smaller English ships, but also by the stormy weather which scattered the Armada fleet. Hence, the origin of the nursery rhyme:

Rain, rain go away,

Come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play.

Rain, rain go to Spain,

Never show your face again!

May your rainy days be tolerable! ;-)

Reading Jane

2010-01-18T12:00:00.012-06:00

I have just finished rereading every Jane Austen novel. This was a goal I had set for myself during the summer of 2009, and I just finished with the last of the group, Northanger Abbey. I always save Northanger for last. It is not that I do not love it as I do the others, for I do love it, but I find that the characters of her other novels better suit my personality. The Heroine of Northanger is just a little more passive (I will refuse to say "wimpy") than I could ever imagine, so it is much more difficult for me to identify with her. I once took a test online that told me which of the Austen characters I was most like. The result: Elizabeth Bennett. I have to agree wholeheartedly. I have always admired her spunk and straightforwardness!

Above: Portrait of Jane Austen

At any rate, I adore all of Austen's novels and could read and reread them over and over again. Most recently, I joined the Jane Austen Society of North America (or JASNA), as I am hoping to learn even more about Jane Austen and her works. So far, I have been rather disappointed, but I will reserve my opinion until the end of my first, fledgling year with the group. I just cannot get enough of Jane, and I am excited about this new path upon which I hope to gain even more knowledge and insight!

I am hoping within the next couple of years for an anniversary trip to England. My Dear Husband is not as keen on Jane as I am, you see. In fact, when I rent one of the many movies, perhaps a version I have never seen, and beg him to give it a chance to "speak to his heart," he simply smiles and says he will leave it to speak to my own heart, which I may share with him afterward. He prefers ESPN, Fox News or a good spy mystery to any of Jane's works. He did make it through one hour of Sense and Sensibility, once. I was quite thrilled with his progress. Anyway, back to the hope of a trip to England -- my dream is to visit Jane Country. I would love nothing more than to see where stood Steventon Rectory, where Jane was born and spent 25 years of her life. It was also here that she wrote Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and Northanger Abbey. Although the rectory is no longer standing, the 12th century Steventon Church, where Jane worshipped, stands almost unchanged from those days. One can find inside the church memorial tablets to James Austen, Jane's eldest brother, who took over the parish from her father. His grave is in the churchyard. There is also a bronze plaque dedicated to Jane Austen inside the church. In January 1995, members of JASNA paid for the refurbishment of the church bells.

Above: A depiction of Steventon Rectory, birthplace of Jane Austen, as it appeared in the early 1800s

Below: Steventon Church as it appears today

While in England, I would also like to visit some of the countryside and villages mentioned in Jane's novels. I have a feeling that this will be a venture which will take much convincing with DH, but he is very good about that sort of thing. In fact, he even went with me to visit the House of Seven Gables and the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne in Massachusetts, so I do have hope that he will also indulge me this. I will keep you posted!

I am listing below links to some of my favorite Austen sites. Take some time to browse and enjoy yourself! I visit each of these often!

The Republic of Pemberley

If you're interested, please let me know, and I will send you a coupon for $5 off any of the items in the gift shop.

The Jane Austen Society of North America

Jane Austen.Org

Austen.Com

The blessing of peace in all families,

Snow Day

2010-01-11T09:58:00.015-06:00

When men were all asleep the snow came flying,
In large white flakes falling on the city brown,
Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying,
Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town;
Deadening, muffling, stifling its murmurs failing;
Lazily and incessantly floating down and down:
Silently sifting and veiling road, roof and railing;
Hiding difference, making unevenness even,
Into angles and crevices softly drifting and sailing.
All night it fell, and when full inches seven
It lay in the depth of its uncompacted lightness,
The clouds blew off from a high frosty heaven;
And all woke earlier for the unaccustomed brightness
Of the winter dawning, the strange unheavenly glare:
The eye marvelled - marvelled at the dazzling whiteness;
The ear hearkened to the stillness of the solemn air;
No sound of wheel rumbling nor of foot falling,
And the busy morning cries came thin and spare.
Then boys I heard, as they went to school, calling,
They gathered up the crystal manna to freeze
Their tongues with tasting, their hands with snowballing;
Or rioted in a drift, plunging up to the knees;
Or peering up from under the white-mossed wonder!
"O look at the trees!" they cried, "O look at the trees!"
With lessened load a few carts creak and blunder,
Following along the white deserted way,
A country company long dispersed asunder:
When now already the sun, in pale display
Standing by Paul's high dome, spread forth below
His sparkling beams, and awoke the stir of the day.
For now doors open, and war is waged on the snow;
And trains of sombre men, past tale of number,
Tread along brown paths, as toward their toil they go;
But even for them awhile no cares encumber
Their minds diverted; the daily word is unspoken,
The daily thoughts of labour and sorrow slumber
At the sign of the beauty that greets them,
for the charm they have broken.

London Snow

by Robert Bridges, 1844-1930

English

Hoping you have a happy snow day,

More Scenes from a Snowy Sewanee

2010-01-08T11:23:00.005-06:00

My drive home...

A farm on the way home from Sewanee

A small lake outside of Winchester

Hope you're staying warm!

Snowy Sewanee

2010-01-07T14:25:00.004-06:00

The view outside my office windows. I have a corner office with views in two directions. Wonderful! Is it any wonder why I love my office so much?

Stay warm and happy!

2009-12-18T15:03:00.007-06:00

Today, the rain and cold are penetrating my soul. I feel sad. The drops of rain falling outside my window echo the tears in my heart, and it feels as though the heavens themselves are mournful. I heard from an old friend this morning that his father is dying and only has a couple of days left. The family has gathered, and now they wait. There is no joy for them during this Christmas season. I grieve for them and for their loss. What a difficult time to lose someone you love.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The day is cold and dark and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,

But at every gust the dead leaves fall,

And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold and dark and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,

But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,

And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

~The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Down South in the Land of Cotton

2009-11-24T14:20:00.008-06:00

Having grown up in Kentucky, I knew nothing about cotton fields until I moved to south central Tennessee. Now, I am in cotton country, and on my long drive to Sewanee every day, I pass by many fields of cotton. And soybean. And corn. But mostly cotton. When I first moved here, I was fascinated with the cotton pods and begged my husband to stop on the side of the road so that I could reach through a fence and pick a branch off one of the cotton plants. It was such strange, foreign stuff to me, and I wanted to see it up close, touch it, smell it, take it apart and see exactly what it looked like (this has carried over from my childhood...inquiring minds want to know, you know).

The first year I lived here, I visited a farm so that I could watch the big machines vacuum up the cotton. I even went to a cotton gin so that I could see exactly what happens to the cotton once it leaves the field. This was one of the highlights of moving here for me. The machinery that processes cotton absolutely fascinates me.

Something I am less thrilled with, however, is the mess that is left behind once the fields are picked. Cotton is not a pretty plant once the fluffy white cotton pods are gone. The stalky, leggy, brownish gray sticks protrude from the ground looking rather pitiful (and dangerous), if you ask me. Beginning in October, the sides of the highways are littered with cotton once the machines begin their work, and for many more months, stalks are left in the fields to wither and become even more brittle. An emptied cotton field looks so forlorn to me. When I pass by them in November, they always reminds me of the frosty fields of snow I would see back home in Kentucky...except the frost is cotton that never made it into the giant vacuum cleaner. It makes my drive to work seem much colder than it actually is! I have to remind myself that I am not seeing a dusting of snow in the distance!

I can see much beauty in the baren winter landscape, but I admit that it is very difficult for me to find anything lovely about a graying cotton field. And here I am - it's not even December yet, and I am already looking forward to spring plowing time! At least where the cotton fields are concerned.

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

2009-11-21T10:18:00.008-06:00

Yesterday, I received the sweetest surprise in my mailbox! Carla at 365 Letters sent me a true, real letter...handwritten even! It had been such a long time since I had received a note or letter in the mail, and I was thrilled. I have often commented on the downward trend of letter writing, and it truly has become a lost art. In a world of twitters, blogs, emails, and facebook entries, letter writing has fallen by the wayside. There is something so special about someone sitting down, taking pen in hand, and writing a letter just to you. And being on the receiving end of such a treasure is a true gift.

Carla has a wonderful blog focusing on her goal of writing a letter every day of the year. I think this is a wonderful concept. As I drove to work yesterday, I was thinking about how I should write more...quit depending on technology to keep in touch and put more of a personal touch on my correspondence. I have tons of beautiful stationery and note cards that I never use because I simply do not take the time to sit down and write anymore. Carla has it right: make letter writing a priority. It truly is a dying art form, and I find that ridiculously sad.

Carla, you have inspired me! Oh, I can't give up facebook or the quick convenience of email, but I truly intend to write more letters. Three a week. That is my solemn promise. And now I am off to write the first one. What a pleasure it will certainly be.

The Art of Paul Sawyier

2009-11-17T10:34:00.009-06:00

"We're made so that we love. First, when we see things painted, things we have passed perhaps a hundred times, nor cared to see....they are better painted -- better to us...God uses us to help each other so, lending our minds out." ~Paul Sawyier

"Summer Moon"

I have long loved the beautiful artwork of Kentucky artist Paul Sawyier, known as the River Artist due to his amazing images of the Kentucky River. Sawyier (1865-1917) was an American impressionist artist choosing to work mostly in watercolor. He is best known for his paintings of the Frankfort, Kentucky area and New York City.

Having grown up in Kentucky, I have been fortunate to have seen Sawyier's work all my life, and a few years ago even more fortunate with the purchase of two limited prints that now hang in our master bedroom. Sawyier's is the the kind of work in which one can get lost, forget that you are not actually a part of the painting, forget that you are on the outside looking in rather than being a part of it.

The University of Kentucky's art museum has two of Sawyier's paintings and often sells prints of some of his work. If you are ever fortunate enough to be able to visit an exhibit of Sawyier's work, you will, no doubt, become enamored with it as I have. Anyone with a love for impressionism will find the work of Paul Sawyier among some of the most beautiful ever created.

"Yesterday's Summer"

"Jamaica Bay"

"Singing Bridge"

"Springtime on Elkhorn"

"Tanglewood"

"Coolkenny"

"Perfect Water"

"Lover's Rain"

"After the Snow"

Please Thank a Veteran

2009-11-11T15:48:00.007-06:00

My Uncle, Roy E. Moore, was an American soldier. There are so many stories that have been circulated about him for years within our family...how he gave food to hungry children in Germany during WWII after he, a tank commander, and his fellow soldiers rolled through and liberated a village, how he cried over fallen fellow soldiers, how brave he was starring into the face of death. Even after he had served in WWII, he was asked to participate in the Korean War as an older man, and he did so without thinking twice.

My Uncle, Albert Lay, Jr., was a member of the United States Navy. He served courageously during WWII. He does not talk very much about all that he witnessed and did during the war, but we do know that he was what was, at that time, called a "Frog Man"...underwater demolition...the predecessors to the Navy Seals. He is STILL brave and tough as nails to this day.

My Uncle, Edmond L. Lesko, was a member of the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. He spent hours and hours on a submarine deciphering codes and listening for intelligence that the Armed Forces might have been able to use to their advantage. He was so fortunate to not have seen combat, but his sacrifice and the work that he did was no less important than if he had.

These are the men in my family who have most closely defined for me the sacrifice, commitment and dedication of what it means to be an American Veteran. For their sacrifices, and those of every American soldier, I am truly grateful.

Please tell a United States Veteran how appreciative you are today. It is the very least we can do.

Many blessings,

Change is in the air

2009-11-09T11:18:00.008-06:00

I didn't realize that switching a few rooms around at our house would cause as much chaos as the day I moved into our home upon my marriage to Dear Husband. This past weekend, after an hour into our bedroom move from the ground floor of the house to the second floor and the den from the second floor to the ground floor, I knew I had underestimated the would-be mess and the time it would take me to get things back into order! I am a firm believer that a move on this scale is a good thing every four or five years, as I have learned that this may be the only way that I will agree to purge items that have outstayed their welcome. I accomplished a dramatic reduction in the number of clothes that I have...some that I had not worn in over three years! Why am I so reluctant to get rid of things?! I can be such a pack rat, and Dear Husband and I have agreed that we need to switch things up a little bit every few years just to force us to reduce our "inventory." What a concept!

For now, I will spend the next several weeks recovering from this move, but I find the prospect of a new routine in a new space a little exciting (I know, it doesn't take much to excite me these days). We will be building a new walk-in closet within the next couple of months, and I am enjoying planning the layout and flow of it and the adjoining art studio/work room. The changes taking place are exciting and give us something to look forward to...if we can only survive the decluttering stage!

Photo borrowed from http://www.alamo.edu/

Autumn Moments

2009-11-04T18:23:00.010-06:00

We love Autumn at our house! We love the brisker temperatures and football games. We love getting out our Halloween decorations and the color of the changing leaves. I even love the way the trees look, silhouetted against a "winter's coming" sky, after the leaves have fallen. When fall arrives, I can't wait for the weekends to come so that I can load my camera and my favorite photography companion, Max, in the car for long drives in the country. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to do just that. We visited Riverbend Farm on an overcast Autumn day and were not disappointed in all the beauty we found.

I am always amazed at how different the weather can be only a few miles away from our house. We may see torrential rain at home, but three miles away, it may never rain a drop! I'm equally amazed at how the colors at Riverbend Farm are still mostly green, but at our house, a short distance away, is awash in Autumn colors. These photos of our house were taken the same day we took the photos at Riverbend:

Our Molly loves to chase sticks. Can you BELIEVE the size of this one that she brought for me to throw for her? She is quite ambitious!

"Rummmm....yummmmm....yummmmm....good stick!"

Max is thinking..."Throw a stick for me, too, Mommy!"

Aren't these trees in our back yard a beautiful color?!? They're so gorgeous, I don't want to rake them, yet. I love the colors on the ground!

A view of the corner of our back porch and the trees beyond.

Max and Molly love spending time outside playing in the leaves. Here, Max is wearing his Halloween costume that reads, "Handsome Devil." How cute is that?!?!

Welcome, November

2009-11-01T15:07:00.006-06:00

My November Guest

My Sorrow, when she's here with me,

Thinks these dark days of autumn rain

Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;

She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.

She talks and I am fain to list:

She's glad the birds are gone away,

She's glad her simple worsted grey
Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,

The faded earth, the heavy sky,

The beauties she so truly sees,

She thinks I have no eye for these,

And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know

The love of bare November days

Before the coming of the snow,

But it were vain to tell her so,

And they are better for her praise.

~Robert Frost

A Haunting?

2009-10-28T13:27:00.008-05:00

This time of year, all the focus is on the creepy, the ghostly and the haunted. We enjoy getting into the "spirit" of things by hosting our biennial Halloween party and passing along all the great, spooky stories of our own haunted house. Yes, my husband and I supposedly inhabit a real haunted house!!

The main portion of our house was built in 1869 by Colonel Thomas Cheatham Little for his bride, Agnes. The back of the house that now houses our kitchen was built in the 1820s and was originally a cottage on the property. Colonel Little was a veteran of the Civil War and an escort for General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Young Thomas ran away from home at the age of 16 to join the Confederate Army when word of the death of his uncle, a Confederate officer, reached him. Devastated by the news and filled with anger, he joined the war, fought with the Confederates, and was with Forrest when he surrendered at the end of the War. Thomas and Agnes had several children, and the house was passed down in the family until my Dear Husband purchased it in 2001. He was the first person to own the house outside of the family.

After the purchase of the house, DH immediately began hearing stories of "The Gray Lady." Since the earlier part of the century, there were stories of the solemn woman who could be seen haunting the upper hallway of the house. She was also seen at times in some of the upstairs bedrooms and a few times on the ground floor of the house. There were stories of guests' bed covers being pulled slowly off of them in the middle of the night, one woman being pushed down by an unseen force, a chair flying through a glass window. But most of the reports were simply of a lone woman in Victorian style clothing appearing in various places in the house.

DH lived alone in the house from 2001 until we married in 2005, and claims to have never seen The Gray Lady. Likewise, I have not seen her since moving into the house over four years ago. With that being said, however, we can report many strange happenings that we have been unable to explain. They include our dogs being locked into one room of the house when no one is home to do so, doors that are heavy and difficult to move slamming shut without any assistance and with a puzzling ease, items disappearing or moving from where we originally placed them, and a stereo blaring music without anyone turning it on, then, shutting itself off after about 20 seconds. I have many times heard footsteps in the house, thought it was DH returning home, and then found no one in the house but me. Of course, it makes us feel a little better to come up with reasons for these happenings, and since we have not yet "seen" a ghost to blame them on, we will continue to look for logical explanations of such occurrences. It helps us sleep better at night, you see.

This time of year, our friends love to visit our house and hear all these stories. And I admit that I, especially this time of year, always feel a little reluctant to look over my shoulder for fear that the Lady in Gray will finally make her appearance!

But...until I have seen her for myself, I will continue to try to "explain away" all the odd little happenings.

I am including a photograph in this posting in which guests claim to be able to see The Gray Lady in one of the upstairs windows. Can you find her?

Happy Halloween!!

Halloween Party 2009

2009-10-27T13:11:00.011-05:00

We held our biennial Halloween Party at the B&B this past weekend, and the costumes were so much fun! It was a great time with wonderful friends!

Friends Lindsey and Sherry as Sonny & Cher and Sister Leah and Father Jeff
Sonny & Cher...Sherry and Linsey...love Sonny's moustache!

Charles & Vickie

Matthew & Beth

My DH

Cindy

Steve, aka Bobo the Clown

Farmer Dorothy
My mother-in-law with friends Beth and Sherry.

Yours truly. The longer the night wore on, the more the makeup wore off.

Had to take a picture of my cute witch socks and shoes.

Bobo the Clown and DH, the Gangster, talk politics, thus the expressions...

Wonderful Doris

Charles & Doris, the DH's godparents

My sweet gangster

"Babe, I got you Babe..."

The Last Time...

2009-10-17T22:51:00.016-05:00

This special post is for my husband, the Auburn fan, from your loving wife, the Kentucky fan.

The LAST TIME, Kentucky beat Auburn in football:

Lyndon B. Johnson was president of the United States.

Mod Fashion was all the rage, and Twiggy was dubbed "The Face of Fashion."

Gasoline was .32 cents per gallon.

Simon & Garfunkel had just released their new song, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.

The average annual income in the U.S. was $6,900.

The best selling car in America was the Chevrolet Impala.

Star Trek had just appeared on television for the first time.

Disposable diapers had JUST been invented.

A Man for All Seasons won the Academy Award for best film.

AND

I would not be born for another 8 months.

So...Kentucky "finally fielded a team!"

'Bout time, eh?

I think this is the beginning of a new tradition!

GO BIG BLUE!!!

Welcome Autumn

2009-10-01T13:01:00.003-05:00

Fall arrives on the Domain of the University of the South in Sewanee.

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose elaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--

For the grapes' sake along the all.

~October, by Robert Frost

Sewanee's campus is beautiful in the fall, and I love to watch the colors change outside my office window.

Welcome, October, my favorite month of the year.

Living Room Color Scheme Help!

2009-09-20T20:53:00.009-05:00

When Dear Husband bought our circa 1869 home in 2001, he inherited pink floral wallpaper in our living room. Since then, because we have no idea what the wall looks like behind that wallpaper AND because we had other home projects that were higher priority, we simply decorated to match the wallpaper. As a result, our living room rather resembles a bottle of Pepto Bismol. Don't get me wrong...I LIKE pink. I am just uncertain that I like THIS much pink in one of our main rooms. So, I have decided that it is time to address the pink room. But I am completely at a loss for what direction to take with color! We have original, antique yellow tiles surrounding our fireplace, and that is the one thing in the room we cannot...WILL not change, so we would like to tie a color scheme into that. The pink and yellow just aren't working! So, we need YOUR help! Please take a look at the room -- I took a lot of photos of the fireplace so that you can see the colors we will need to incorporate...or MAKE work. And keep in mind that I may purchase new couches, or I can at LEAST recover those that I have. Thanks for your ideas!

I know...the right side of the secretary needs SOMEthing...paintings? Decorative plates?

We can't figure out what this is...cast iron? Or brass? It has a gold-coppery tinge to it. Any ideas?

These creamy yellow tiles are original to the house. These and the fireplace cover will stay. So how do I go from pink to this? And what colors should I put with it? Help!

Words for a Saturday Morning

2009-09-19T11:10:00.004-05:00

Freedom

Home

Contentment

Family

The weekend looms in front of me with
all the promises of time
and opportunities for renewal.
I am among everything I love.

I am happy.

Vivaldi, the scent of coffee, the overflowing basket of laundry,
my barking dogs turning circles at my feet, the sound of the rain on the windowsills.

I am happy.

Two Branches of One Tree

2009-09-17T11:17:00.005-05:00

Grow old along with me
Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun
When the day is done
God bless our love
God bless our love

Grow old along with me
Whatever fate decrees
We will see it through
For our love is true
God bless our love
God bless our love

Happy fourth anniversary, my Dear Husband.

Every moment of this journey with you is a blessing and a true gift, and I love you with all that I am or ever hope to be.

Couple photo courtesy of richerresourcespublications.com.

Lyrics from Grow Old with Me by John Lennon

2009-09-11T10:13:00.005-05:00

Never forget.