~HE IS RISEN~

Happy Easter!  

~MY FRONT DOOR BOUQUET..

Easter!

I've always loved Easter..

My mother used to decorate the middle of our large dining room table with Easter grass and baskets for all of us children.  There were four and I was the eldest.

Still am. 

But my mom is gone now and Easter is a time I remember my parents and our Easter's.

This year, Easter is at PH's and my home and it's been a long time since that happened.

A new baby girl that will be born this Thursday to my granddaughter, Rachel, will keep us in town.

No going to the beach this year..

So..

when a dear online friend, Jean, sent me a photo she had found of an umbrella arrangement for the front door...I decided to try it.  Jean sent the picture and wrote "It's got your name all over it."  :)

I had to wing it.  Could not find directions..but..it's no wonder.

Simple as heck!
Thank's Jean!!

I found this umbrella at Target for $12 and the flowers I had around the house.

(got lotsa flowers!)

The hanger looks black in the photo, but it's gold.

 I should probably buy new ribbon..found this in the bottom of my sewing basket and it looks it.

Most of the flowers...ALL the rose stems go clear to the bottom of the umbrella..

I tucked Spanish moss every place I could tuck it...

Done!

No hot glue at all..if I take everything out, the umbrella could be used as intended without a speck on it.

AND I did have to buy the fern and nest.  Pier 1 had it.  

So..I'm just...about...ready.  Working on that patio now.

Hope you like it.

It's not much of a post but it's better than nothing at all...right?

Right?   :)

Love,

Mona

~A BRIGHT SUNSHINY DAY THAT GOD HAS MADE~

Most of us are lucky people.  We have homes..enough to eat and families to love us.

I try to lose myself in the little things..the sweet things.

But...I will not stick my head in the sand and pretend all is well.

Our part in all this?

Love one another....

The Coastal Redwoods are getting big.  Sometimes I just walk into their branches and stand.

They are soft and cool.  Even though one day someone will come along and cut them down...I won't have to see it.

PH  and I planted them one day in December 2008.  They were only 5' tall or so and now they are taller than the house...MUCH taller.

The grass is trying to fill in again.  Lack of water had all but killed it.  It's still sparce in places..but reseeding helped and our recent rains.  I hoped the rain would be more plentiful...

Some folks are getting way too much...life is so unpredictable.

It brings joy to some and heartbreak to others...

Interesting orbs show up on the lawn..and a really large one in the tree. 

Dust?  The rains just past.  Due drops?  Yep..HUGE ones.   :)  Light refractions of some sort.

Sure.  All of the above probaby. 

What a bright sunny morning this was.  I took these the morning after the rainy day a couple of days ago.

The stones were still wet..I could almost hear things growing..

The grass is getting thicker and greener.   There are so many things I would love to do to this little home.  This is just a little home..nothing outstanding about it ..except it is SO loved.  That always makes things special.  

We are all in this together...hang on, dear friends, it's going to be a bumpy year.

This one's going down in the history books...and it's the first time in my long lifetime that it makes me want to cry.  If family values are important to you...love...don't hate.  

We ARE one!

Love,

Mona

~OUTDOORS ON THE PATIO..come on out..~

Thanks for stopping in ..I was just thinking...

(shhh..don't say it! :)

I love the country, but I know now that I will never live there.  Of course anything can happen in this life so who knows.

In the meantime, I love our yard.   A little rain worked miracles!  The weather has been so nice and I've felt so good that I've been out there fiddling with the flower beds..sneaking a bit of water for the new grass seed.  More rain expected a couple of days this week.

Loving it!

We spend a lot of time on the patio as well.

Notice the piled stones and bricks on the umbrella stand?  We have had some high winds and have more than once found the umbrella's in the neighbor's yards..and one is broken.  

*sniff*

We don't have the rolling hills that I would love to see, but it's a nice yard and Mele' had lots of room for a little doggy to run about and chase imaginary kitties that sometimes wander in..well, they are not ALL imaginary!    My poor fern had a rough winter, can you tell?  

Do you see the plum tree in full bloom?!  I'm so happy about that!

The apple tree is the last to leaf out.

Looking in the opposite direction..the orange tree, lemon tree ..the peach tree..not sure what happened but it may have frozen.  It's looking bad.  It's behind the lemon tree.  

From this angle it looks like a pile of junk!  LOL  

That's okay.  It's home and it's comfortable.  

You know, I never used to like succulents but for awhile now they have been gathering on this little table...yes, and I allow it.  The spider plants are ones that were born here..pups clipped from the large hanging plants.  They are doing well   

So, that's most of the patio.  I very carefully didn't let you see the potting bench..it's a MESS!

Please come back and have coffee with me.  I'll even make some big chocolate chip cookies..

Okay?

Love and hugs,

Mona

~I'VE THIS THING FOR BABIES AND ...PORCHES~

Stole a couple of pictures from Granddaughter in law of our little baby boy, Ethan Daniel.
He was born last August 11th.   

 I wish his great grandfather had lived to see his great grandchildren..but he died way too young at the age of 63.  
Emily is his big sister..I just recently posted a large photo of her..
I think he is going to be handsome..don't you?  :) :)

 Ethan was about to make his first snow angel..with a little help from his Mommy?

Taken at Mammoth Lake California about two weeks ago..

AND...

Front porch with a touch of Easter...say..like...an Easter bunny?

I fell in love with her especially when I saw...

...her tiny baby bunny in her backpack!  Isn't he just so cute??
(I've this thing for "babies" as you probably know by now!

I just want to say here that I am so appreciative of the visits you paid to me.  I wander off and my sweet blogger friends are kind enough to keep tabs on me.

If I ever don't come back..my Granddaughter, Kristy will post to let you know as soon as possible.
  Absolutely NO plans to do that..LOL but I just wanted you to know.
My love to you..and thank you so much!

Hugs and love,
Mona

~I DID IT..I POSTED SOMETHING..

I said "something."

I cannot seem to get into the swing of blogging again.  New camera is not really the problem..

I should be used to it by  now..problems downloading and then finding the pictures..but that's not really the reason either.

I'm...in...a...funk!  

Ran out of steam!

Get up and go, got up and....blah, blah...

Working on  Easter decorating a bit helped.  

Still messing with the fireplace mantel.  I think I'm done!  

Needed more brambles but still haven't found a source.

I did get a bit more done today..but I haven't opened a single Easter crate.  

Hmmm...does this mean..I'm (oh  God!) slowing down??  

Another thing I did was replace the living room curtains from Heritage's "Downton Abby collection."

I love them.

But then I'm a fan of lace.  I have a typical old lady home.  My style does not change.  My daughter and were looking at old magazines, some over 15, to 20 years old..(yes, yes, I keep old magazines!) and we both said we still like the styles from back then.  

No STYLE here.  Just what I like...so..I have a hodge podge of furnishings and it keeps changing.just not the sofa etc.  

Let's see...

More dishes...well..yes...more dishes!

I fell in love with these..so Springtime and Easter.  Also the placemats.  The dishes are from Pier 1 and the place mats I found on Amazon.  I bought a set of six..total cost was about $30 something dollars.  They were $5+ each.  At Pier1 they were almost $20 each.  The price has dropped now.

But still not enough that I wanted to pay that much.  Then they came and boy, were they worth it.

I love those placemats..or..chargers..whatever.  I say placemats as chargers are smaller I think. 

The mantel cover above is also from Pier1.  I don't usually shop with them..but they had the cutest things this year!  So..I added to my collection.

Tomorrow...

I am going to dig into my cartons.  The clock is ticking! :)

This isn't much or all that interesting..but I'm trying!  

At least it keeps my mind off politics!!!  LOL

Big hugs and love,

Mona