~FINALLY...NOW I HAVE ONE...~

....a Nativity set. 

How I would have loved to own one of these lovely sets when my children were small.

When I was very young..I believe it was in December 1940, WW11 was in full swing when I saw my first Nativity scene.  My parents were very young.  My baby brother was not quite a year old.  (He later passed away at the age of two and half.)   

My parents took us for a walk to a little church not far from our house.  There in the front of the church, was this beautiful scene, much like the one I bought.

The one in front of the little church had an angel over the manger looking down with light streaming all around her.  The staw in the manger was fresh and the little doll representing baby Jesus looked very real to a little five year old girl. 

I remember there was snow falling softly and Christmas carols were playing..people were bringing their children up to see this beautiful Christmas scene.

People stood around quietly..talking in low voices..

I've loved snow and Christmas all of my life from that one night.  It is all connected to my memories of my baby brother..and his very short life.

I remember my mother holding hand and Daddy holding my baby brother..as they told me the story of Mary and Joseph and how there was no room in the Inn...of course I don't think I understood.  But I listened and understood it was a very special time. 

 I always remembered that night in the snow with my young parents and my baby brother.  We lived in Oregon during the war and it snowed every year.  It was so beautiful...

My parents had such a short time left to be happy with their little family...Christmas is a joyful but melancholy time for me.

I loved the detail in this Nativity set.  I thought the camel was exquisite.  Of course I didn't buy it in a store.  I have waited so many years...and now I have one.  Each year I would look at them..and from time to time I would see them in people's homes....

I banked the background with evergreens and silk hydrangias which have a bit of sparkle...

It's a work in progress as of today...but what fun it was unpacking it and putting it together.

And after nearly 17 years I have NEW CHAIRS!  Yes indeed I do and just in time for the holidays!  Can you see them in the background??   They arrived this morning a 8:15.  My Christmas present to myself I guess.  :)  My old ones were so bad that the side of one of them was coming loose..they had become very rickety and besides...I was just plain sick and tired of them. 

 Some of you probably know exactly what I mean!

So....this is what happened...

Briefly, I was walking through jc Penny's and the next thing I remember is walking out of the store beside my girlfriend with a sales reciept in my purse and the promise of a Wednesday delivery. 

I think I must have blacked out.... :)  I don't remember a thing.

...at home Patient husband took a very deep breath...  bless his heart!  LOVE that man!

Love and hugs,

Mona 

~LIKE A SOFT OREGON MIST..

....the memories begin.

This time of year sometimes starts off a bit hard for me..but...life is good and memories of the past are but a part, a wonderful, if sometimes sad part of my life now...

I think most of us love Christmas and look forward to bringing out things that are especially meaningful to us. 

After a long search I found the perfect pair of ice skates hand painted by a lovely lady, all decorated with roses.  Exactly what I was looking for.

It been a big deal ever since I recieved my ice skates  as to where to put them.  One year they went on the piano..

and the next year they were hung on the inside of the front door.  This year?? 

Any idea's?

Have you seen how someone else used them?  These are full size so a wreath just won't make it, and besides I have NO talent in that direction, AND no patience!

I took them down and unwrapped them yesterday and they were my inspiration to get started.

Still....they sit on the guest bed waiting for my decision.  

Something different this year..but what?

 

No matter...I am at last on my way to Christmas decorating.  If all I have to worry about is where to put things, how to do the tree..what to change this year, I am truly blessed.

Of course that is NOT all I have to worry about.  No one is without worries..but decorating is certainly a fun part of my life and I am grateful for it.

I know..this will be a difficult month for me.  It always is.  Patrick  went into a coma on December 5th and passed away on December 15th 1997.  I think the children thought that I would never enjoy Christmas again but time is a great healer..and it's been 14 years now and life is good. 

I used to write about Patrick..blogging about him was a sort of outlet..but a very sad blogger rather ruined that for me..however I still blog about him...talk about him, think about him  and I always will.  43 years of marriage does not go away.  Ever.

Patient husband was married for over 50 years..so we both have a lot of memories this time of year.

AND...we are making NEW ones...

We smile a lot.

My love to you,

Mona

I think I will join Marty again @ A Stroll Thru Life.  Thank you Marty for taking the time to do this for us.  It's aways a fun place to visit.

~FROM MY HEART...~

HAPPY  THANKSGIVING!

There is so much I want to say and have no idea where to start.

Simply said...I am grateful to all of you out there for just being who you are and being in my life with support and love and laughter.

Have a wonderful, wonderful day on Thanksgiving and I will probably see you again on Friday.

My family is HUGE so things have already begun to gear up.

Take good care of yourselves.  Please. 

My love to all of you,

Mona



~A BLOCK AND A TABLE TOP~

I have bloggers block I think.  I haven't traveled anywhere...bought anything, changed anything.

Just nothing.  I did make a fantastic recipe for Chicken Enchaladas that I found on Annie's Eats.

These were by far the best I have ever eaten. 

I am not that great a photographer to take photos that would probably just show the dish not looking as good as it was...so check out Annie's Eats...as Annie said "you WON'T be disappointed." 

So..there goes my TABLE TOP TUESDAY with Marty!   :(

WAIT!!! 

She didn't want to sit on the table!  :(

Mele Kalikimaka was a Christmas present to me to me in 2004.  We call her Mele.  She is my pride and joy.

I love this tray, but, it's on the WALL!  (I know, I know...the plates have to go!!)

I guess.

WHY that wall looks PINK I do not know.  The flash?  But the pot is red..it's true color.  Hmmm...

I bought a new red silk lampshade for my kitchen because the other one was glarey and well...things are now sort of red in my kitchen.  LOL   Change lamps?  Change shades?  Take it back?  Decisions, decisions!

I LOVE my new red Mosser cake double cake plate.  Found it on Ebay.  It arrived a couple of days ago! 

It was filled with BIG cupcakes last night...honest.  You would think by now I could remember to TAKE pictures!!!  

Sooo..I DID buy something.  Just not today...  :)

She loves me unconditionally.   :)  At least she's sitting on a chair  AND she thinks I'm nuts!  

She always listens so carefully to me.
Always there.  Always cares .  My Mele. 

Love,
Mona

I'm  :) joining Marty for Table Top Tuesday...because I do have something on a tabletop..
Right?

~JUST A HEAVENLY GIVEAWAY~

Rebecca@ A GATHERING PLACE

Over the years I have bought many things from this lovely lady and will probably buy more in the years to come. 

 When I visit Rebecca, I am like a child in a toy store.
Because of her,  I learned to paint...or tried.  She was an inspiration.  She has been for a long time now.
Her little Vanity Cases are the most wonderful example of all Rebecca's  talents combined.  Painting, sewing and design.  The lucky person who wins will be most fortunate.  They have even been featured in Magazines.

This sweet little Vanity Case confection is worth winning!  Each is one of a kind!
Go see...  :)

Love and hugs,
Mona

~EVOLVING TABLE TOPS..~

This evening I decided to join Marty's table top party and realized how much I have changed over the past two years of blogging.  How much I have learned. 

Making a home is an art and each of us has our own style..our own twist.

But..we LOVE inspiration..

My Thanksgiving pumpkin pillow...just a few weeks of the year...

It's so easy when you don't entertain often to drift away from being interested in changing things in your home. 

Because of blogging I began to pick up silver serving pieces.  Here are some of  the things I have  picked up at garage sales.. 

I am taking much more of an interest in my table tops..and it has become a lot of fun.  The joy of collecting and changing things has spread to my daughters and my friends.  We chat about it a lot.

They in turn want to visit your blogs..and take a peek.

 These are my favorite Winter dishes...and I just added the creamer and sugar to my collection.

I am much more likely now to buy fresh flowers from our local Farmers Market which is just down the street from me.  OR I find them in my yard when they are in bloom. 

bj wrote of this in her blog just today, I believe.  The joy of splurging on fresh flowers. 

Cheery kitchen counter tops are fun..old things I have had for years have been dug out of boxes..and added..

rearranging my little kitchen shelf...

The discovery of Mosser glass and can be enjoyed throughout all the seasons...

...and setting a pretty Fall breakfast table...I might not have done this at one time.

All of this has become so  much more interesting when finding new ideas at places like  ....

Marty's TABLE TOP TUESDAY@ A Stroll Thru Life... to inspire me.

Better than any magazine you can buy...AND you can communicate with the women and sometimes men who do them.  Great huh? :)

Love and hugs,

Mona

~COLLECTING AND COLLECTING AND..~

I do this.  I collect things.   Sometimes to the point of..wondering at myself. 

Example:

I have the first rolling pin I ever owned...and little cutting board. 

It's the rolling pins that I can't seem to stop collecting.  I've given some away..but still..

..more rolling pins.

Just one picture of this mess is all you need. 

I have this large triangular area behind my sink..that I can't reach and because of this every week or so I have to take EVERYTHING out and get a stool, climb up and clean.  It's filled with all sorts of cooking impliments..but..ROLLING PINS seem to dominate! 

WHY OH WHY DO I DO THAT!!  I DO NOT NEED THAT MANY ROLLING PINS!

Now dolls and Teddy Bears are different.  I DO need them!!  :)

*sigh*

Love and hugs,

Mona

P.S. would love to have new faucets..and a new sink..and new counters..but you know...these will do just fine!!   Besides I hardly ever bake any more, so??? 

 

~THANK YOU FOR HONORING OUR VETERANS~

We remember...those who are serving, those who didn't come home...

..and those who have served in other wars..

I married  a young Marine, Patrick, when I was just 17 years old.  It is not an easy life.  And to be honored for his service in the Military would have made him so happy.  Unfortunately he served during Korea and then Vietnam, and did not come home to parades and flying flags. 

I am so glad things have changed for the young men today and that they come home to something better than Pat did.

I had hoped and so did he, that there would be no more wars like Korea and then Vietnam, but it wasn't to be.

In some ways I am glad he didn't live to see that war is happening once again.

God bless all our men and their families who are caught up in it.

Love and hugs,

Mona

~A TABLETOP POST...OF SORTS~

HOW I love to mess around with my tabletops.  I do have a problem though.  It's my coffee table. 

I just cannot figure out what on earth to put on it...working on it though.. working on it.

You see...tabletops are NOT my strongest point. 

So..I'll just show something else..ok?

I already had a Princess House cake keeper but when I got the chance to buy another at half price at an Estate sale..$12.50, I knew  could use it.

And I am really glad I did.  At that same sale I found this little set of Bavarian china cups and saucers.

Would you believe...I got ALL OF THEM inside??  So..two cake keepers, both full of dishes for now.

(Well, you see, storage space is getting to be a tiny problem!)

I love childrens little china tea sets...and this new one just arrived a few days ago.  I found it on ebay.  Bavarian china..by Winterling.  So sweet.  Mixed in is my Beatrix Potter set  and some old children silverware I found.  The silverware even came in a silverware protector with divisions for each piece.

Sooo cute.

Toy corner of my living room.  Sort of childish, don'cha think?  :)

Too much stuff?  Probably.  :)  I tend to over do. Everything on the tabletop came from garage sales..(and probably looks like it! )  LOL  ....except the cup and saucer. 

And..I think that came from one also..found by my sweet step daughter in law for me.  She gave it to me for my birthday. 

The three little books are poem books I found from the 1800's!  :)

Love,

Mona

I am joining our Marty @ A STROLL THRU LIFE  for Tabletop Tuesday.

~THE GIFT ....~

This picture was taken at the Huntington Library this past  Thursday.   

In the photo is my daughter Mary, my Grandson Adam's wife Cristina, me and Great Granddaughter Emily. 
Natalia took this lovely photo of us.  Thank you Natalia!  :)

It houses a fantastic art collection.  Being interesting in European History..I had a wondeful time.

The silver collection...well..it's wonderful but I can tell you this...

MINE is beginning to rival it!  LOL

The entire day trip was a gift from my wonderful daughter Mary and her husband and their family, Alex, Natalia, Christina and Emily.
Thanks girls, for all the trouble you went to for me.  I love my gifts!!

..here I am with Patient Husband walking and walking and walking..
 to the Japanese gardens.. (puff puff!)

THANK HEAVENS for benches!!

And someone to lean on...

More tomorrow about our day in Pasadena! 

Love,

Mona

~ EMILY GIVE'S CHECKUP...~

 Emily checks Great Grandma's heart! 

"Am I alive, Sweetheart??!"

"Thank heavens!  For a moment I thought I was a goner!" :)

Hugs,

Mona

MORE rain and clouds today...it's WONDERFUL!

~NO RAINY DAY BLUES HERE..~

LOOK..a fire in our fireplace tonight!  The first time since last Winter.  It's so nice..cozy.

S'wonderful!

We cuddled by the fire most the evening, listening to music and chatting.  Nice.

It poured rain last night and all day today.  About noon it stopped for a bit so we decided to go to a nearby Estate Sale.  I won't tell you my tale of woe..how they sold a lovely quilt that they were suppose to be holding for me...KING size, by Ralph Lauren!  Gorgeous thing.  I guess I was not supposed to have it.    Rule of thumb...don't leave things in the care of anyone but yourself...UNLESS you have paid for them.  Best to pay and take to the car...honest.

Anyway..I did find this lamp..perfect color and in perfect shape.  For now it is going over my sink for a change.  Price:$5.00

Then we were off to a Thrift store...and..

everything was 50% off.  :):) 

I found this pie plate..nice and heavy. 

And also I found this one...both half price..but they were $5.00  each.  

I think..I prefer garage sales..so..

...on the way home..I spotted a garage sale.  YES.  They were having it under tarps!  IN THE POURING RAIN!  Well..they were no crazier than we were.  I mean we WERE there!  :):)

 Right away I found this darling little clay bunny.  You can't see it but the clay shows through here and there and it's darling.   Easter IS coming you know...

Price?  $1.00!   Now..that's what I'm talkin' about!!

(I think that is one of my cookie crumbs on his ear....oh well.)

Story time.. :) 

However...everything comes at a price.  The "yard sale" was at a school...in their parking lot..so we drove in...and the rain was pouring..

I jumped out of the car and ran for cover.  I immediately spotted the little bunny.  He was adorable..so

I paid..and stepped out from under the blue tarp just as a big gust of wind flipped the tarp dumping water and darn near drowned me!  It was icy cold and I gasped as it hit my head!   I was drenched!  You know how when something like that happens..and you look around to see if anyone saw??   I have no idea because I ran for the car and when I jumped in "Patient Husband"  said "What happened??!  Did they try to drown you or something?!"  Oh, HA HA HA!! Very funny!   I dried off with kleenex.  KLEENEX!!  Try that sometime. 

I took the whole thing as a sign that it was time to head home....  Oh...and by the way...at the Estate Sale?  Sweet neighbor walked up to me a few minutes after I arrived!  LOL  

S'ok.  She loves me and I'm sure it was a coincidence this time! 

Love and hugs,

Mona

~THRIFTY? ME?~

Not exactly!  You see, it isn't that I try and be thrifty..it's just that I have always HAD to be. I learned very early on that it could be a lot of fun.  But back then it was not thought to be such a great thing to have second hand things.  Now? 

I no longer have to swallow my pride! 

Saturday's garage sales were WONDERFUL.  First stop and this lot of siverware turned up..ALL polished!  $8.00 for all of it...AND I found a set of 8 STERLING spoons and matching dessert forks  which are on the far right.  There is a set of spoons in between matching ones. 

I hadn't even noticed they were sterling when I took the photo.  :)  Was I happy..INDEED I WAS!

*have you heard that keeping a piece of chalk near your silver keeps it from tarnishing?*

The lovely dresser scarf under the silverware was $1.00 at a different sale.

 AND..I was able to add 8 cups...

 ...and eight saucers, plus 4 bread and butter plates to my collection of Friendly  Village.

Price for all $10.00!!

This  little candy dish was another $1.00.   It is now full of carmels! :)

A glass candy dish was just $3.00.  Crystal...not sure, but who cares..it's so cute.

Christmas candy, tiny pine cones and greenery or pretty glass balls..whatever..

I can never resists nice silks..and these violets caught my eye at another sale for just a quarter.

This sweet cut glass pitcher for $2.00.  NOT big but not small either.  Tons of uses..including flowers.
The top of the handle looked cracked but upon close inspection..it wasn't.  A flaw?  Odd.

A 1940's or 50's Christmas tablecloth...Charming.  Just $1.00!
(I was vacumming when I decided to take the photo's.) 

Oh well.  :)

All of these were just $1.00 for all.  The smallest one has a light coffee stain which will be all soaked OUT by tomorrow! :) 

There was more..but I will show you later.

Enough is enough!

Now..I have a story for you.. yes..yes I do.

Have I told you that no one laughs and teases me about my weekly garage sales..and that daughter has joined me?  Well...I have a GREAT one for you.  :)

People ask me where I go.  I say "all over the place" which is true..but my neighbor decided she was going to see for herself.

So..on Saturday morning...I noticed that when Patient Husband opened our garage door..sweet neighbor came out and got in her car with "precocious little girl" in tow.  We waited for her to back out.

She didn't...we waited...she waited..and finally we backed out...and sure enough..not too far behind us...there she was..

We turned..she turned..

We turned ..she turned.

We kept going...passed garage sale signs...so did she..

My usually patient husband began to get a wee undone...I said..with a grin...not to worry.

If she follows us into the bank parking lot, then...but..she didn't..

She turned.

We continued on turned and stopped at our first garage sale...and guess who joined us a few minutes later... yep..sweet neighbor.

Hugs!  Surprised "hi's!"

Next garage sale..."Well HELLO again!"

We are gone in nothing flat!  Mr. Patience is a good driver AND determined...

LOL

Actually, it was really rather fun whizzing around town...keeping ahead...

It's tricky though.  I wouldn't try this at home! 

*giggle*

besides..I didn't really mind, I was just sort of ...surprised? 

Wonder what will happen this Saturday. :)

 Poor daughter was not feeling well..so on the way home I dropped her off some lovely serving pieces and a candelabra!  She was still smiling today!!  I will get pictures later.

I think I will take my camera this Saturday...IF I can remember!

I just want to tell you that there is NO trick to finding treasures at garage sales...just going every week is the secret. 

Love and hugs,

Mona

I thought I would join  THE THRIFTY GROOVE for "Thrifty Things Friday!"

It looks like a fun Meme!!