~SOME BLUE FOR ME IS GOOD~

I am trying to stay up more and more. My body is reacting adversely to one of the antibiotics and I am finding it difficult to walk...so that med. had to be stopped. At least for now. Getting my strength back seems to be a challenge and that has never happened to me before. Ever. Age? Of course not! Perish the thought! :)

Anyway...last month..I think..(I have lost track of time) I was in need of a new lamp shade for my bedroom lamp and of course I looked to my talented fellow bloggers first. I love the shades Marilyn makes on THE CUTEST COTTAGE LAMPS and have bought from her before...so I looked to her first. I found this one and though it didn't work for the bedroom lamp (too big and blue), I switched it with the living room floor lamp and I loved it. Perfect. I usually am not much into crystals but this was a wonderful change. And...it matched the little blue rocker which was here when I came.

I loved the fabric Marilyn used on this shade. Even though I am not into crystals ..I liked them on this shade.



Look how pretty and sort of Victorian they are. Nice.


The colors do NOT go with my picture frames..but..hey..this is home. Some picture switching is coming. I can feel it. Seems you change one thing and that leads to...well..you know the story! New carpets and paint by next year!! Right? :)



Also, as I mentioned, the shade matched the chair which I inherited when I moved here. It wasn't really my colors..but it is such a comfortable little chair and I wanted to keep something of the colors that Howards late wife loved. In some ways I feel I am just caring lovingly for this little home and making it comfortable. So the chair stays. She lived here for over 40 years...and please don't say you could NEVER live in another woman's home. One never knows what one will do when the chips are down. It just was not practical at our age to move to another home. I have grown to love this little home very much!

I must be better or I wouldn't be up once again at this late hour expounding away..and trying to get something posted. Back to bed. Tomorrow will be a better day! :) I MUST get well. There is so much to do and as Balisha says..never enough time!
~Love and smiles~
Mona

~JANE AUSTEN saves the day..~

This is just a quick note to let you know how much I miss visiting and that I will be back again soon. I can't stay up too long at a time and tried to visit today but I have run out of steam. It's the weakness and constant nausea that get me down. Just please know that I am so anxious to be back and visit you all.

I am watching all the BBC works of Jane Austen and it has been a blessing! My daughter, Erin, bought the entire series for me last Christmas and this is the first chance I have had to sit and watch them. I am afraid my husband doesn't care for them. :)
I cannot imagine why?! :)

Love to all of you. I wish I had more to offer...
Mona

~THEY LIGHT UP OUR LIVES~

All of you who sent me such warm get well wishes...from the bottom of my heart, thank you! I couldn't believe such warmth and kindness could be sent to me from people I have never met personally! I am so touched and grateful!

When I arrived home from the hospital, this was waiting for me to open! The sweetest little lamp ever. I want to thank Penny at THE COMFORTS OF HOME/LAVENDAR HILL STUDIO for this lovely cottage creation. Lighting has always been a big thing with me and lamps are a passion of mine. I think most of you will understand. I have 22 of them in this little cottage of mine and I love all of them.

I love this lamp! I saw the one that Penny had made for another customer, and fell in love with it! Unfortunately you can't see the tiny rose buds that are on top of the tea pot.
If you enlarge the photo you can see them around the rose.


Look at the precious custom made shade. Is that not adorable? I am delighted with this little accent lamp! And you KNOW me and roses...


this is just a closer view of the lamp base. This lamp is something I will always have. I have a feeling it will survive in our family for years to come. Thank you, Penny! Thank you for all the wonderful custom work you have done for me!

I am doing better today and I have no doubts I will, with all the wonderful prayers and get well wishes that have been sent to me, be back on my feet in no time at all!
My heart felt thanks and love to all of you! I am one lucky woman!

I am anxious to catch up on all you have been doing since I have been gone. Starting tomorrow I am going to try and start doing some catching up if I can.

~Smiles and love~
Mona

~THANK YOU, GOD~

There was no time for a note. I just suddenly became very ill with a high fever, nausea etc. I have a massive colon infection BUT there is no cancer or tumors! Antibiotics and good doctors and I am back home. It isn't over of course, and I may have to have part of my colon removed, but for the time being..I am trying to have a positive attitude.
I have a very supportive family and good friends, not to mention wonderful doctors that got me back on track to being well again. I really have not felt well for a very long time...and now I know why. I am doing good. Wish me luck!
I prayed for God to get me through this...and now it's up to me to do my part.
So..BRING ON THE MEDS AND PEDEALYTE! (the latter being for hydration!) :)




The one good thing about my hospital stay was this view from my window. It was like being in a large tree house! I was on the fifth floor! When the wind blew I nearly got motion sickness! Not really! :)




This may not seem like much, but when you are waiting to see if you have cancer...it means a lot!

It's good to be back! Pray for me...ok?

Love and smiles,
Mona

~SUMMERTIME..AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY...~

Thank you to Designs by Gollum for hosting our "Foodie Friday" to share tasty treats with our bloggy friends. This is a first for me..and not being huge on cooking up delectable treats any more...(my children have taken over!) my contribution is (again) small.




I recently found this lovely silver plate cake plate on ebay...and won! Not having a cake to put on it...I piled it with fresh peaches. Today was grocery day..and Costco was first on our list. A case of these...and you KNOW it is summer..

This is a new discovery we made at Costco. It is Blueberry Bread by INN KEEPERS and we love it. I toasted mine, added butter and YUM! Apparently, from the package, they feature it on "bread.com". We bought it on our last trip...and indulged again.
It says "It's the bread you would bake if you had the time!" Ahhhh...so true!

Another ebay find was this wonderful orange jam container..which I filled with strawberry jam. It is big and holds a LOT of jam! I think it is one of my favorite things. It just arrived two days ago. Cute? I think so!

Have a wonderful Foodie Friday everyone...treat yourself and others well! Feed them toast and tea and the world will be a better place. I promise.

Smiles and hugs...
Mona

~A CUP OF TEA, MY BOOK AND ME...~

Thank you to Susan at BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for hosting this fun event so we can play with our dishes. Or not.. ~smile~



This is certainly not an exciting post...or one to remember. I had no tablescape.
But..when I sat down on the couch to have a cup of tea, a chocolate chip cookie and to read a bit from "The Painted House" ...I decided to light a candle...and snap the picture. It's not much..but it's something. I am in my P.J's and on my way to bed now.
Have a wonderful Thursday!

Smiles and a loving G'night~
Mona

~EMILIE BARNES HOME AND A STRANGE WALK~

Thank you to Susan for hosting this wonderful and creative event and encouraging us to share our wonderful outdoor photo's.



This is the top of the driveway...and my son, Dan, made that little barn mailbox for his sister.


Roses and white iris' (I think!) border the drive way...


I love the front of this little home...not so little home.

Cute little window boxes that Mary is getting ready to add the color soon...




That's my daughter, Mary, walkig from the lawn area to the house... You can see the barn..



I decided to go for a walk around the grounds. Do you see that white arbor at the top of the drive? The path starts there...

I love this climbing Black Eyed Susan. It dies back in winter and in Spring becomes glorious once again! I always have to stop and look at it on my way by...I bought one once. The heat killed it...so I visit Mary's.

..so I headed up the driveway....


...an ancient old wagon...that needs some of the ivy cut back or soon no one will know it is there. My daughter assures me that they never let it get covered and that the gardeners make sure of it...but..but...

And through this little arbor the path begins...


And it winds through the grounds... and this is the view off to the left...across the grass there is the Koi pond...



The little path wanders curving here and there with little benches to rest a bit..and "take your ease" as the English say...

and on the path winds...


..and on...

I was busy snapping pictures as I walked. My daughter was down in the driveway watering the roses...

I took this shot of the path and suddenly...I noticed something strange...



something happened and to this day...I have no idea what. I took these pictures earlier but didn't post them because I was upset for awhile.
My camera lens suddens looked sort of snowy, not clear anymore...do you know what I mean? I took it away and looked at the area I was focusing on...and saw nothing but brilliant white light. You can see it in the picture....sort of golden...odd...it looked like...a HUGE swarm of golden gnats. But they were't gnats. Or bees. There was no sound. They seemed to be coming down from the sky to my left. I had this funny feeling...and began backing away.. PLEASE look at the bush carefully at the end of the path..notice part of it is blocked out by those little golden rectangles!

I called to my daughter to come up quick and look...she climbed over the ivy as I know I sounded in a bit of a panic. She said "it better not be a dead cat, Mom!!"
I told her no...look through my camera and tell me what you see...she did..then looked at me blankly and said..."I don't have my glasses on...I can't see a thing! What is it?" I started to try and tell her..but instead just said..."Let's go!" She looked at me, turned and jumped into the ivy, sat on her behind and slid down the hill yelling at me NOT to do this...go the long way..but I was already gone...
Enlarge the picture and look carefully..


Back down the drive at a dead run...and the day became ..normal again. I walked over and took a couple of shots of the pond below...




This is the pond on the far side of the grounds...


You can see the Koi, which are very tame and come up and eat out of my son in law's hand...but..no one else's.
I had intended on taking pictures of the the fountain that shoots high into the air and crashes down...and of the tree house...but instead...I laughingly told my daughter I'd had enough adventure for the day...and drove off in my little gray truck!

Later at home..I told Howard...and just said "hmmmm..." The following day when looking at my pictures I found I did have a couple of shots just before I ran...so I blew them up...oddly enough it just looked like golden rectangles...which appeared to be light coming through the dead bushes but on closer inspection...no..as it was coming down from my left...and up into that bright light ...which I am sure can be explained by someone. Golden rectangles? (shrug) I have no idea and really don't want to know.
And...that's my OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY....

Smiles and hugs..
Mona

~PATRIOTIC CUPCAKES ANYONE?~

Yesterday my daughter Mary and I met for lunch. So we headed for "Jammin' Bread" which is owned by my oldest son and his wife.


After hugs, my sweet daughter-in-law Cheryl took our order..



But of course there were patriotic cupcakes with raspberries, blueberries and cream cheese frosting! Not to mention all sorts of other goodies to tempt us but...


I ordered a whole turky sandwich on sourdough with a fresh fruit side. Mary had their wonderful homemade soup. And yes, yes, I know I started eating before I remembered to take a picture. It was bad enough I forgot to take the picture but I also ate my chocolate bread pudding FIRST! You can see it is partially consumed in the background. Well, shoot, I was hungry! :) Now you KNOW that could have happened to you, so be nice!!



Before long Grandson Dustin, Great Grandson, Kyle and my son (Kyles Grandpa) Danny arrived. And the party began!


We all adore our little grand children and great grandchildren..and they are all just adorable. But.. ~smile~ this little boy, Kyle, is just the sweetest, gentlest little boy! I could not get enough of hugging the poor little thing!

Listen..you are fortunate I don't bring out my "grandma's pictures" thingy and unfurl it! You would be begging me to shut up and put the thing away! There are 18 and one on the way! Am I lucky or what??? :) The best thing I ever did was have those seven children!
You are ALL just so sweet to read all of this!! Thanks!

Love and hugs,
Mona