~A MUCH, MUCH, MUCH TOO LONG POST...

I'm sorry, I get carried away so I shortened it.  A LOT!  

I actually took a photography class in high school, I did!  I learned how to develop film.  I just can't take pictures.  I cut the tops off things..my focus is terrible..but you can see the time on my..oops.. stopped clock!

We all have things in our homes that are special to us.  At least most of us do. :)  My mantel is an old corral post found on the ranch of my late husband's cousin.  It has been cut at both ends..by Frank and then lots and lots of sanding and a couple of coats of walnut stain..then buffed..sanded stained and buffed again.  

I love it.  Problem?  It isn't exactly flat and I have to be really careful of how I sit things on it.  The wall is solid used brick, not half bricks, and the bolts are very long and far into the brick and the wood.  It stays on the wall....but my things fall off, or they used to.  I use earthquake holding stuff now. Smart, huh? :)

I love decorating it.  

...and here is where I get serious!  Kinda.

What IS it that makes me crazy every holiday, that I think I have to decorate..and always think I have way more than I need..and then I go on a mad hunt for cute things.  I just have so much fun decorating things up..(fluffying the pillows!) and yes I get teased about my decorating from my family!  

I have to tell you this story about my sweet daughter Sandy who passed away from Cancer this past February 22.

She came to visit me one day and we were chatting away..and suddenly she threw up her hands in exasperation and said " Mom!  It's so HARD to talk to you when you have so many CENTERPIECES everywhere!"  

Centerpieces?  Me?  Where??

Another comment I get is that my home looks like a "store" and it DOES NOT!  Maybe a Goodwill store..but that's it!  

Michael's kraft store..is that the name (?), well, they DO get the cutest things sometimes.  It's the little things, isn't it? :)  That little wooden teddy bear that you see down in the right hand corner..has a little painted heart on him, and he was made for me by my dearest friend for the past 60 years.  We went to high school together, double dated together.  Her husband was my husband's best friends and  they graduated together too. We all had such wonderful times together.  Ten children between us, at first..then it later became 12! 

Once during a very difficult time for them, they came to live with us..with their five children (before we each had another baby)...and our 6!  Yep!  We did that.  We made the garage into a bedroom for the six boys.  There were three sets of bunk beds.  The floor was covered by big braided rugs.  Very cozy.  

The girls we put in one bedroom.  One was a baby (mine) still in a crib.  It worked.  Nedra and I did not have one problem with who did what!  We both cleaned, and we both cooked on alternate nights.  She kept me company or I kept her company..just chatting away.  I don't think we knew that what we were doing was impossible for most folks.  We had a wonderful time and we all have great memories of those days.  Finally they moved to a home next door to us that became vacant.  That lasted just a short time as we were all either at their house or at our house so they all moved back in!!!  LOL  It was a waste of money!  Their home was a rental and we owned ours.  And besides..it was too much trouble to keep running back and forth.  (I wonder now what the neighbors thought!)

What a great time of life it was!!  One of my favorite memories!!  When we tell that story to people...we get comments like, " I could NEVER do that!"  We know.  It was uncommon and it was just until they got on their feet.  We missed them when they finally moved into their own home for good.  If you think it was only for a very short time.  It wasn't.  Eight months the first time and I think just three or four when they moved back in.

Nedra is my earth angel.  Nedra was the sister Pat never had and Mick, her husband is like my brother.  Our lives changed so much after Pat passed away.  We all lost a best friend.

 My very favorite angels here were a gift!  A dear lady I knew long ago passed away and one day her son came to my door and gave them to me.  He said his mother would have wanted me to have them.  I was so surprised and pleased and very humbled.  One has a broken wing..which reminds me not to fly too high!

That's my grandmother you see in the background.  Her name was Lilly! 

Are you still with me?  :)

Big hugs and love,

Mona

P.S. Don't tell me you read ALL of the above!  I don't believe it!!  You wouldn't believe how much I just erased!