~MY LOVE OF FROGGIES...~

Ok...the time has come for me to share something with you.  I am going to come out of the closet..which is where I have been hiding for a long time. 

By now some of you probaby have guessed that I love to write..I was married to a writer and because of that..stayed away from it.  Besides, I was busy having babies.  Seven of them.  Changing diapers, washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning and even sometimes trying to work outside our home.  Patrick always hated that! 

He felt someone should be minding the store...and he was right.  So I did.  Mind the store, that is.

Eventually our little ones grew up..and over time I began to write. 

We moved to Santa Maria California and my love affair with writing childrens books became a passion.

However, my stories began to take the form of...nursery rhymes.  I loved it.  I had found my niche and recently these little chests were found again ...

...and inside

..I found my lost writings I have been looking for.

So...I thought since I was a wee hung up with blogger's block..I would share my first one with you.  Oh...no!  You have something you have to do?  :)  I don't blame you one bit!  

   ..so..for love of Froggies...here goes...(it's not that long, I promise!)

"Tiny Bill"

Once upon a tiny time

Upon a tiny hill

There lived a tiny little frog

His name was Tiny Bill.

Now all the other little frogs

said Tiny Bill was wrong.

He should not live upon a hill

He should live in the pond.

Now Tiny Bill was very sad

He loved his tiny hill

He did not think the other frogs

Should pick Tiny Bill.

So from his hill moved Tiny Bill

Back to the Froggy pond

But still his friends with downcast eyes

Said something else was wrong!

For heavens sake, what could it be

He had left his lovely hill

They said it was his tiny name

NO froggies were named "Bill"

So Tiny Bill, he packed his bags

And moved back to his hill

Because he knew that real true friends

Would love the name of "Bill"

A lesson learned, it's not so wrong

Being different is okay

To follow your heart is very smart

Or peace is the price you pay.

Now Tiny Bill has found a friend

Who loves his tiny hill

Who even loves his tiny name

Her name is ..Tiny Jill.

Hugs and love,

Mona 

P.S.  If you are still here, be kind!  :)  But then you always are!

~IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS....~

...a cool place to sit in the early morning hours..when it's quiet out and the little birds are brave and don't mind my presense...

listening to the water fountain..and wild canaries..

...and sometimes God.

My chair..

At a garage sale I came across the book "Sense and Sensibility."  I have watched the movie, many times (because I do that sort of thing!) and loved it so I was looking forward to reading the book.  

What...a...challenge!!  

I would sometimes read a sentence to Sweet Husband and ask him to translate.  LOL  Was I KIDDING??

He would just look at me blankly.  Aw well...I mean after all, it was written in the 1700's. 

I finished it night before last and loved every  minute of my struggle.  Honest, I did! 

**************

An update on my daughter, Sandy.  She is struggling but doing ok.  Any of you out there that has been where she is, knows what is happening with her...she rests a lot.  We are all with her, cheering for her, and those of us who are not with her physically are with her in spirit.  We all have plans to visit her soon...

God and I are now on first name basis...He knows how much I love my daughter.  We talk a lot.  Usually in the early morning hours on the front porch.  Just He and I alone....in the garden.

I find myself promising Him I'll be good, just like I did when I was a child. 

I think He understands.

Love,

Mona

~GOOD MORNING...~

Garage sale Saturday!! 

Would you look at this GIANT froggy??  Actually, this was found at an Estate Sale, not a garage sale so the price was higher..but to me, worth it.  $15!  I plopped an ivy in him for his photo, but am replacing it with a larger, fuller one with a bit of moss around it...(I ALWAYS get in a hurry when I decide to take pictures of something!) :)

Yeah? :)  I love him on the front porch! 

I found this as well..and paid the same price...

Sweet husband gave me money for our anniversary and insisted I buy something I REALLY wanted...so I did.

I didn't use the flash and the hallway is dark so the only light available was the hall light.  I am NOT a photographer.. nope! NOT a photographer! :)  I can see me in the mirror...yikes!

Just the cost of the silk flowers alone would have undone me!  I am always on the lookout for arrangements that do not show age, are in wonderful condition and suit my taste. 

The compote is very heavy!  I think concrete or some such material. 

At the same Estate Sale I found this little arrangement of sunflowers and roses...I mean, what could be better...not to mention hydrangia's!  I was delighted.  Once again the compote is heavy concrete...not that light stuff that is sometimes found in stores now.

From another angle...

The lamp in the background does not belong there... :)  You see..in the early morning Sweet and Patient Husband likes to read at the table when it is a bit cool out...and brought this lamp in (painted by Rebecca @ A Gathering Place, to read by.  I lay another cloth on the end of the table, that way the ink won't run off on ONE OF MY SIX RED CHECKED TABLE CLOTHES!  Grrrrrr.....

I ...still cannot believe I had six of them.  I think someone must have planted them just to confuse me!!!

~WHAT'S HAPPENING? HEAT..that's what..~

 Everyone should have a red fence!  Right?

Whatta guy!

It reached 101 here today...and he finally called it quits.  A huge breakfast was waiting for him.  He started at 6:30 and quit at 10:00!  I will do the hinges later...honest!  Stones will be set in the ground soon..I can't wait!!

Anyway...that's what is happening around here...still lots yet to be done.

The heat is throwing a wrench in our plans..

My poor birds!  I moved the cage, then clumsy me backed into it and knocked it over.  I spent the next hour trying to catch one of them...finally corraled her in the dish cupboard!  Poor baby was all in a panic...and so was I!  Yeah!  I KNOW!  Not good!

I broke the top off the cage and it was NOT repairable.  I also dented the cage badly..and nearly decided to throw it out...but finally I straightened the bars out...and popped a pot of ivy in the top....

I don't know...works for me! :) 

So....what do you think?  Cages can cost a lot...I think I really like it!  So..shall I start a new business?  You KNOW what they say about desperation leading to invention?  :)

It was so hot out there that I spent the day reading...Sense and Senseability...Really interesting.  I have seen the movie..so the book was an added treat...that and ice cold Lemonade made my day. 

Retirement...Ahhhhh....

Wondering if our checks will come this month...???  *sigh*

Love ...

Mona

~THE LOVE OF FRIENDS...~

It was all about just being together again.  My beautiful friends...how much I love them and have missed them.

Mick, me,  my son Danny and Nedra.

They arrived on Tuesday morning...and I don't think I have felt that much pure joy for many years. 

Nedra is on the far right and Mick is on the left of me.  Mick graduated from high school with my husband Patrick back in 1952 and joined the Merchant Marines and Patrick joined the Marine Corp.  Nedra married Mick in January of 1954 and I married Patrick in June, the day after my graduation from high school. 

Both Nedra and I were both just 17 years old.  Mick was just 19 and Patrick 20.  How young we were.

********

The first morning after they arrived...I knocked lightly on their door and when Neddie answered I opened the door and ran in and piled on top of them..hugging them both, all of us laughing and talking at once.

I suddenly began crying and couldn't stop...and when I did...it was ...just such joy to be with them again.

I hadn't seen Mick in about six years and Nedra in three. They moved to Arkansas some years ago after Patrick's death...and have lived there ever since.

Of course they were with me through Patrick's death...and later when I remarried...and lost Frank, Nedra flew out to be with me and stayed over a month. 

They are, to me, more than I can put into words.  Mick is my friend and buddy, a brother, but most of all he was my husbands best friend. 

This is not a post that will interest most of you...but this is where I have been.  I am losing followers...but lots has been happening to me...and as I look back over the past 13 years...an awful lot has happened.

Probably the same with everyone.  My world changed so drastically...and just continued to do so.

I no longer trust that I know what tomorrow will bring.  I don't.  But..

I have friends.  People I cherish, can depend on in times of crisis...have had come live with us when times were bad for them and lived with them when times were hard for us. 

They were there through the deaths of both my husbands.  Always supportive...their home is my home.

I think the first day they arrived we hugged one another every five minutes...cried a bit..knowing this visit would fly by..and it did.

We also knew that this could be the last time we saw one another.  Something I never thought would come but it has. 

Of course we say we will go visit them..but will we?  Hopefully we will be able to do that.

We each hope it isn't the death of one of us that will bring us together again.

Between us we had 12 children.  Can you imagine living in a house with friends and that many young ones, not to mention two dogs and two cats?  We did it.  We have memories that we treasure as do  all our children!  Our friendship is so rare...so precious and we know it and treasure it.

Now Mick and my patient husband, Howard, are becoming good friends and after meeting them he understands what treasures they are, why our friendship has endured these past 61 years.  These are not Christmas card friends once a year...these are friends of constant phone calls.  Always there, always constant.  They are a blessing!

I thank God for friends every single day of my life. 

Love and hugs,

Mona

~..INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL..~

Have a wonderful and safe July 4th!

Love,

Mona

~HIGH END DEPARTMENT STORES~

When the children were all grown and gone...I discovered department stores such as Nordstrom's.  I mean I knew they were around..but Mervyn's was where I went..it was more affordable.  You see, I had not discovered garage sales back then and even if I had, I would have been too proud to go to them.  My how the times have changed. 

Not that I didn't use second hand things...heavens yes!  Grandma, Mom, friends who were tired of what they had would sell their things to me...or..as was usually the case, I baby sat the cost of the item off. 

Ever did that?  I did.

You see, even back then I was drawn to women who were talented in interior design...learned about design centers..and warehouses where you had to have a "resale" card to shop there. 

My labor was free to my friends...but I watched and learned a bit...not much, but enough.

I could never afford the things they bought...and I remember the ache when we would all go shopping in those adorable little exclusive shops with all the things for your home..and I would watch as they filled up their trays with adorble things..

I usually had, if I was lucky, five or ten dollars on me and I remember pretending that I could just "could not find a thing I liked".. HO!  That was a joke! :)

You see...some people have children and some people have things.  If you are most fortunate and not married to a Military man from age 17 in the 1950's, perhaps you are one of those people.  I was not. 

Groceries, school clothes etc. came first...so I learned to use what I could find.

But I had fun.  I was with women I enjoyed..and even if I could only look, it was fun!  But how I longed for those pretty things!

But..my babies grew up..one by one and slowly or fastly, depending on the day, they went out on their own.

Most went early and I didn't blame them but they all came back at least once for short stays...and then they were established and gone for good.  And I had memories.

Some years ago I bought this...at a high end department store.

It's a tray on a stand and originally it was gorgeous..but..I used it out on the patio and it got caught in a rainstorm.  My patio back then was not covered..just with slats...and the water sat...and sat..I had forgotten it was even out there.

And..you can see the results. 

At one time I painted little roses on the sides...but after the standing water ruined this tray..I put it and it's stand away..intending to do something with it one day.

Today I finally did it.  I dug it out..spray painted the legs "Apple Green" and sanded the tray down just enough to get rid of the sharp edges of peeling paint. 

I could not find the exact color of the orignial paint..but I did find this and it's fine.

Patient husband is going to add little brackets on the corners...bless his heart..

Hugs!

Mona