~EARLY MORNING THOUGHTS..~

What's with this 3:30 A.M. stuff!  Some nights no sleep at all and some mornings I am awake long before dawn.  Am I worried?  A bit, but then isn't everyone to some degree?  Should I put on a pot of coffee?  Have some with that wonderful vanilla creamer? 

I would love to post some pictures...inspire you, make you smile..but, I got nothin'!

I used to sleep so soundly.  A feeling of cozy, well being.  I know I  should, but I don't.  I don't know why that is because I am safe and warm and loved.

I keep dreaming of losing my purse.  Being lost with no phone, no money, no wallet, no purse!  Sometimes I'm on a lonely road, and there is nothing in either direction....and it's getting dark!  I am NOT one who likes the dark, never have.

I dream a lot now.  Last night I dreamed of Pat.  I do that lately.  In my dream he was telling me that he had told someone "I love Mona Duffy" and even in my dream my heart skipped a beat and joy swept over me and I remembered that feeling.

  I woke up but I didn't cry like I used to.
I just smiled and got up early.  VERY early! :)

They say love never dies and I believe that
. 

Have I ever told you that on our very first date back in June 1952, we went to a drive in theatre and saw a movie with Leslie Caron in "Lili".  Some of you probably don't remember her.  She was a French actress and cute as a button.  I still remember the song that was featured in the film.

It goes something like:

A song of love, is a sad song,

hi Lili, hi Lili, hi low...

A song of love is a song of woe

Don't ask me how I know....

I was only 15 and he was 18 and graduating from high school in just a few weeks and planned on joining the Marine Corp. 
He kissed me and said "Will you marry me?" and I said yes.

Maybe that is why I dream of being lost so much. 

Sometimes I have to wonder why.  How could this have happened?
Where did 57 years go?
*********

Just yesterday I took photo's of the front of our home.  The change to the front is amazing and I had no idea  what a difference  painting the trim would make.  Did you notice that homes are being painted in brighter colors now? 

A few new flowers..but it's more then that..I think a home reflects how much you love it.

Just like people do.

Love never really ever dies.  I believe that.  And look at me, I am on my third life, really.

Am I lucky to have found love a third time ..so lucky.

Think I'll go have that coffee now..and go peek at the sleeping husband that shares these last years of my life.  I can't wait to tell him how grateful I am to have him...

   
Love,
Mona      

~SHOULD'A, WOULD'A, COULD'A...~

I always think I am going to join this meme or that meme and just like in school, I come to class never prepared.  I do the same thing with the "meme's"

You see, I always mean to do them but never think ahead and decide at midnight to sign up.

Example. I wanted to do a Easter/Springtime tablescape for Thursday. Well, I decided late at night, and of course  we are not supposed to use a flash they say.  NO problem. The flash wouldn't work when I did try and use it..so that was that!
I tried Table Top Tuesday with one of my very favorite hostesses, Marty, and my very INTERESTING table top ended up to be my desk...which was not at all ready for photo's to be taken..and again it was late at night.

But I jumped in anyway! 

THIS should have been my Table Top Tuesday entry..but wasn't?  See the little black and white bunny tucked in there?  From Kristin's Creations.  I tried to link to her but it wouldn't do it.

I think I just might leave him there all Spring.  Maybe summer too..

I read on the couch in the afternoon..all comfy with my pillows..and, as usual forgot to prep and fluff for my picture.  Ah well...so what else is new?? :) 

That's all the decorating the mantel is getting.  But..it's nice.  Sorta!  The little green you see in the face of the clock is Patient Husband's desk lamp...yes..yes...his desk is in the family room!  I get the entire office all to myself..and believe me, I am grateful!  (Bless his heart!)

I dug out that old wagon I bought at a garage sale last summer and put it on the breakfast bar..LOVE IT!

Woe is me!  I feel sooooo left out because nearly everyone I know does those little party thingy's.
I think the fact of the matter is just that I am not organized enough.  Don't think ahead enough!  I mean, I did have seven babies in a row..(does that tell you anything about THINKING AHEAD??)

Can I tell you I am very grateful for those of you who come by and say "howdy" even if I'm not in the "meme's?" 

Lov'n hugs,
Mona

~SMASHED..~

Well, yes, it's called smashed!  I saw them on somebodys web site..not even sure which one..but they have them on Etsy and I am probably (as usual) the last one to get one..but boy, oh boy, is it handy.

Of course it isn't the only place I have things SMASHED in! 

This little box was built for me by my baby brother..who is now in his 60's.  It sits on my desk and is smashed full of everything.  Cards, note pads of all sorts, an envelope filled with all sorts of little papers that for some crazy reason I seem to think I need!

So...

I found this little SMASH book on Etsy and I love it.  Made of all sorts of paper..

 I just started sticking all sorts of things that were crammed here and there on my desk top..(I tend to stick things in little crevices..and corners *shrug* ..not sure why I do that.  I KNOW I have to go back and put it in a proper place...but..I seldom do...but NOW...

I began to put things in it...sort of like a mini scrap book but not.  I keep it close by and if I don't know where to put something..I put it in here....

If ..you are interested in one of these..and don't want to make it yourself...go to Etsy and just type in ..handmade and then Smash book, and they will come up.  Adorable!!

Then I found this one..with a magnetic side closeure...??? 

a neat little place for scribbling notes..or whatever..and accordian pleated pockets for...whatever...

 Then at Michaels I found this one...and put my name on it...I mean, while I'm wasting time I might as well do a bang up job of it!  What to put in it...oh...who knows.
I actually like the first one with the rings.  I bought it from a lady on Etsy!  (Never mind...I already told you that, didn't I?  Inexpensive and  small and better than the more expensive Michaels book. 
A little larger is nice..but this one is NOT expandable..I probably won't use it as much..

 Half of these are from garage sales bought for a quarter.  I look for new unused desk supplies...and you cannot imagine what folks nearly give away.  ALL of my pens are from garage sales except the lovely one my sister in law made for me out of a gorgeous piece of wood burl. 

I would like to say I won't buy up any more little note books..but...I can't promise that...and who cares anyway. 
I keep trying to get organized but my organization gets so disorganized that I forget where I am and buy another thing to help organize me.

You understand, don't you?? 
I knew that you would!!
:)
Much love,
Mona

I am joining our lovely hostess, Marty at Table Top Tuesday. 



~TIME IN A CANDY DISH....~

It's all coming back to me now...a flood of memories.  This small candy dish...and where I found it.

Sitting here posting tonight, a flood of memories came back...memories are wonderful but they are painful too..of another life...with another person...with my children when they were in their teens and beginning to become adults...and getting married...leaving home..



 We decided to go to a few garage sales for a bit today.  We were on our way home when we noticed a rummage sale at a very familiar church.  The church my eldest daughter was married in  35 years ago this coming May.   We stopped and I bought this lead crystal candy dish for $5.00. 

 It is smallish and delicate and fits the living room coffee table perfectly!  ...makes me smile!  Look at the little feeties! :)  Do you think Sandy should have it?  I'll make sure she gets it one day.  Probably sooner..

Being at that church today brought back memories..of Candy's shoes and jeans that drug on the ground and became ragged, "fro" hair do's and long hair that the guys wore at the wedding...and watching my first daughter walk down the isle....yes, I like this candy dish a lot!

...this precious address book, brand new, never opened for just 25 cents.  It was the saying on the cover that I loved.  The inside is a lovely delicate print in sunshine yellow..with tabbed pages...

I love roosters so this is probably a keeper...I don't know...

And a lamp shade!  It's hard to see the pretty pattern in the shade..but it was in perfect condition for just 50 cents.  I could NOT believe it.  It was on a lamp and the sweet woman just took it off and sold it to me.  I LOVE garage sales and you meet the dearest people.!  Lamp shades are not cheap you know! :):)

But of course you know that!!

Then we stopped by Lowes's for flowers...

Flowers?  Cost?  A BLASTED MINT!!!  But, they are perrinials and will come back every year!

Can I call that an investment?  :)

I love that you stopped by!  Have I told you that?? 

Love and hugs, (always!)

Mona



~NEW BEGINNING'S ~

This is daughter #3 and her sweet husband.  Mary is #6 of my seven children.  The two young adults you see in the background are her daughter and son..(one is married and not at home)

They have a tiny doggie we call "Pepper" and he is now 15 years old.  They pretty much carry him around in his little bed as he sometimes gets confused..(sorta like me:)

Little Pepper in his sweater. Rory in her St. Patricks day kerchief laying outside the back patio door waiting for us to open it and let them inside. It was raining out and cold. I had just washed and dried Peppers little sweater and slipped it on him..and if doggies can smile..he smiled all over the place!

Rory is huge but such a sweetie.  She has NO idea how big she is and clammored up on the couch and half sat on my lap as she watch the activity outside the livingroom window where son in law and grandson were loading the moving truck with things stored in our garage..

THIS is Giada.  She was a stray that grandson, Eian, rescued from a work site where he and his father were working.  She was half starved with her ribs sticking out when he brought her home.  She was approximately 3 or four months old.  She is now 8 months old and has nearly doubled in size and is busy, busy, busy!!!  They had a HUGE kennel for her that they put in our dining room.  :) 

FINALLY, she paused ..oh grief!  What is she eating!!!  A concrete chunk??  Poo? 
*yelled..no SCREAMS for grandson*  

...and this is "Meep."  He is Mary's little finch.  You can see I put wall paper on the back side of the cage to save my newly painted wall. :) 

Sadly, my daughter and her little family are victims of our economy in peril and have left the town they both grew up in.  I am so saddened by what has happened to them. 
B of A cheated them so badly that it's difficult to for me to think of all they did. The forgery or robo signing as it is called.
The total fraud they commited.  My daughter fought and fought but they have more money and lawyers and after a three year battle, B of A pulled something so strange that it's difficult to believe.  They actually BOUGHT my daughters home ...and they  were supposed to be the owners but their name was not on it..so they bought it from...who?  We don't know.  No matter.  It's done now.

They stayed with us for just two nights and two days and then moved into an apartment..yes, with the animals and the bird. 

Our last days here together were  as nice as they could be under the circumstances.  They were worn out from moving.  I made spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, brownies for dessert.  They seemed to cheer up a bit..but my heart broke for them.
Later a rousing game of Domino's had us actually laughing!

No one likes to hear a sad story..and I am sorry, but it's what is going on in my life! 
I escape to your blogs out there for good food, decorating idea's, gorgeous gardens and warmth of your friendship and kindness. Sometimes I think we bloggers keep each other going.

No one is whining here..because we KNOW one day things will turn around. 
Everything happens for a reason and I know,  I truely KNOW,  that God has wonderful things planned for my daughter and her little family.
It was hard to watch that moving truck pull out of our driveway and turn in the oposite direction they always go...
***********************

I planted pansies today..weeded, moved my big red wagon out of the shed, filled it with flowers for the patio, painted two bird cages, slice a half lug of strawberries and got them ready to have for breakfast..I kept my mind and body busy.

And on that note I will try and forget how much I already miss my precious daughter just being two miles or so down the road... and popping her little head in with her baked goodies!

I won't cry anymore and my daughter won't cry anymore.  We won't give them the satisfaction.
But...my brave daughter will fight on! 
:)
Here's to new beginnings, to new friends and to remembering that when one door closes another door opens. 
But it hurts to see your children hurting so badly.  She loved her home and I think it will hurt her heart when she thinks of it, for the rest of her life. She raised her children in that house.  There were new babies brought there, weddings, showers, every holiday we gathered and held hands and prayed together.  My daughter's home is where my family all gathered...always.  We will miss that.
Even worse than anything I think, is watching my hard working son in law quietly struggling to keep his family going.  I've known him since he was 12 years old and playing on a skate board.
Everything he worked for since age 16 is gone!    

Love and hugs to you,
Mona

Remind me to tell you of a few positive things about all of this... :)  Sorry this was so long.

~FINALLY..BURLAP WITH A PLUS~

Since I wasn't able to do much, I spent some time online looking for a burlap runner.  I have been having a difficult time finding just the right one and I've found they can be pretty pricy.  I finally found one I loved..and a bit more..

 I finally found this lovely burlap runner that lays so flat on the table that a delicate wine glass will not tip if sat on the edge! 

The ruffle is made of Chiffon and it's beautiful..

 I will not try to wash this.  I will send it to the cleaners.

I want it to last and am not taking any chances of it getting  ruined by me.

 All garage sale finds here..even the silk flowers..not the tea set though.  (the ivy's are real)

I have not been able to get out and shop for candles..so..I'm still in the process of trying things out.

My beautiful runner was only $19.00!  I could not believe the price and how beautifully made it was!

I am SO pleased!

 The same nice lady that sold me the runner, also was selling matching ties for the backs of chairs.

I loved that..at only $4.00 each.. :)

I just put this flower in to give you an idea of how cute it could be with silk ivy or some white daisies!  The possibilities are endless.  Christmas even..

I'm happy I bought them. 

I am going to join Marty for

Table Top

Tuesday..on Tuesday of course! :)

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Ok?  So..what do you think? 

This computer shopping thing ..can be dangerous but soooo nice. 

Buncha hugs!

Mona

~MY WISH FOR YOU~

May the wind be always at your back..and may the road rise to meet you...
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Love ALWAYS,

Mona

~SPRING ISN'T WAITING FOR ME...

Struggling here with the new blogger.  Guess it takes time and never having been great at reading directions, it's becoming obvious I am not the quickest to catch on.  Nothing new there!

Springtime.  It doesn't officially begin until the 20th of March..but it's fun to see everyone getting into the mood.  Such as...

Patient Husband tending the little lemon tree...mowing, weeding, bless his heart!!

..making sure every square inch is watered and fed..see that big Geranium?  $2.00 at a garage sale on Saturday...five gallon can..yep! :)  Isn't it pretty?

...busy as a bee...and all I could do was sit.  No activity for five days..so I couldn't even help him.

I will be back in action next week... (stupid angiogram kept me on the lawn swing temporarily and by the way...those are no fun!!  Thanks for the reassuring words from bj!)

And these two little beauties were fifty cents each...in plastic pots of course.  Not a bad deal..those are really easy to raise though..but I liked them.

The Saturday before I bought this old galvanized bucket full of plants at a garage sale.  They are all so healthy that I couldn't resist it.  Just three dollars!  Worth every cent, don't you think?  One day it will be just gorgeous!

The lady that sold me the large geranium in the big five gallon can also sold me this one.  The two small succulants, this plant of an unknown variety were all just $5.00!!  She had painted the five gallon cans different colors at some time and they were old and I didn't mind one bit.  But...WHAT on earth IS this plant??  The leaves are ..sort of rubbery.  It blooms because you can see evidence of past blooms still.  (Sheesh,  I hope it isn't poison!  :)

See all those little plants? Garage sales! :) Poor little plant needs repotting badly!  Soon!

The chairs...plants, pots..little picket fence hides gardening tools (almost!) ALL from garage sales!

Is that a loose little picket I see???  Hmmmmm?

Coffee table (even with the glass top), froggy, plant with pot..everything..is from garage sales.  Spray paint does wonders, doesn't it? 

Talk about your "second hand rose"...goodness! 

No garage sales this Saturday.  We are expecting a BIG storm all weekend.  *extremely heavy sigh*

:)

Buncha hugs and lotsa love!!

Mona

(are you still here???  lol  Long post, huh.  I sorta got carried away there!)

~BETTER EARLY THAN LATE?~

Right out of my garden!! 
I was just thinking..perhaps I'm a wee early with the Easter header, however I am so inept that I couldn't figure out how to do it myself so I had someone do it for me. 

Its an old Easter header that another blogger did for me a couple of years ago when I first began blogging.  Her name is Debbi and she is at http://cgtreasures.blogspot.com  A very talented lady.

Another neat lady that does headers and is very talented and did my previous one, is Di at The Blue Ridge Gal.  She has done a couple of headers for me and I loved them.  Each has a different style and both are wonderful. 
So..are you tempted to get your Easter bunnies out??  ME TOO!!  I figured it takes me forever to get all decked out so..why not start NOW!! 

All of them were garage sale finds.  All of them came home dirty and wondering where their next meal was coming from!  Ok..maybe it wasn't THAT bad, but they were terribly dirty!  Isn't it amazing what a little soap and water will do?

I found this little lop earred guy in a flower bed covered with mud.  I paid very little for these bunnies and they never get put away.  They are tucked into corners but for Easter they will have be the center of attention.  It is their time to shine!!

???  :)

Anyway...so back to the subject..is it too early or are you one of those that is sick of seeing holiday things by the time the holiday gets here. 
(Never mind Di, I already know your answer!  LOL )

I cannot..believe that tomorrow is another "garage sale" day!! 
On the way home today we stopped at a garage sale and I passed on a big white froggy.  So in the morning..I am going back to see if he is still there.  :)


Have a wonderful weekend..I love ya!
Mona

~NOT A BAD SATURDAY'S SHOPPING TRIP..

Well, of course Saturday was garage sale day but didn't come up with a whole lot. Besides, we were both coming down with colds so it was a very short morning.
Poor Patient Husbands voice was unrecognizable! Would he stay home? NO!!

I did find something a bit interesting and wondered if you might know what it was used for.



It isn't a curtain..but it is fairly long as you can see.

Whatever it is, think it is lovely. It seems to be specially made for something. I thought perhaps an alter cloth? Any idea's? Just a tiny seam is at the oposite end..The plain white fabric is very soft and delicate. Price was $2.00.

Next I found a pair of sconses. Extremely heavy! No glass shades came with them but since I collect shades for such things and have a shelf of them in the garage, it was no problem at all finding a set to fit them. See? A tiny bit of hoarding can be a good thing. Maybe? :)

Sorry these pictures are so bad.

I have no idea what they are made of but they are not silver. They are beautifully made. We had to drill into the morter as I didn't really want to drill into the brick.

I think we hung them a wee high and a wee wide..but that can be fixed...someday. What a pain it was trying to figure out where to put them. They are just too high to suit me...

They cost me $3.00 for the pair. Not bad at all.

This 13 inch tall tin pitcher with an embossed leaf on the side. My favorite butter yellow and so perfect for a spring bouquet. 25 cents.

And last of all, two novels by John Grisham, one of my favorite authors. Price? 25 cents each and I don't think they have ever been opened.

By this time we were ready for our coffee, juice, hotcakes and eggs at our favorite little Lucky Greek restaurant where the owner, Tony, always wants to know what we found, sits with us and chats it up for awhile.

Total for the mornings shopping.. $5.75

And that was our Saturday morning.

Love and hugs,

Mona

*cough *cough and *sniff *sniff.......