~MY 20TH GRANDCHILD~

I could not be prouder or happier today!  Roman Daniel was born to my beautiful Granddaughter and her sweet husband on June 28th.  He is my 6th great grandchild.  8 pounds and 15 ounces!  20 inches long. :) 

My family is in 7th heaven!!

 

Sending you all love,

Mona

~Fairy Garden's visit~

Have a wonderful weekend...and happy garage sales!

The Fairy garden's first visitors..made it all worth while...

 My grandson, Kyle, and my little neighbor girl, Ashley, immediately begin to check things out.

Oh look!  (Kyle discovers the tiny sleeping kitty in a flower pot... 

Lots to look at and Kyle just discovered a tiny Fairy sitting on a large hidden rock. 

My new Hens and Chicks plant is doing great...

Now that was fun!  Even the adults had fun poking around and peering into and under flowers.

What a nice afternoon...

I'm beginning to think about making another little garden..but haven't found the container I would like to use. 

The wheelbarrow is so handy because it can be moved about so easily...

Two of the places I bought plants from are Wee Tree's and Two Green Thumbs.  Both were delightful to order from..and the plants arrived in wonderful condition..and fast! 

Love,

Mona  :) 

(cough, cough!)

~WRETCHED WEEKEND TO WONDERFUL WEEK~

What a wretched weekend it was!  (whine, whine!)  The flu put both PH and I down with the flu..I would call it colds except we hurt from head to toe...so from Thursday until today I have been in bed....IN BED! 
I never get colds but this one certainly  hit me hard.  Poor PH is still hacking however it didn't put him down but for one day last week. 
 I am up and about today..thank heavens.
 I hope all of you had a better week end than we did...

So...
Some of you probably know that I have been working on a little Fairy Garden on and off.  It's finished, of course, but I keep puttering around with it. 

 I had sent for this sweet little swan planter...and requested cuttings of tiny plants.  I had NO idea I would be doing most of it with the tips of sissors. :)  Making tiny holes and inserting the little plants.  This is the best I could do.  Now it has to be watered with just drops of water.  

I think....I have complicated things a wee (no pun intended) ... which is what I usually end up doing. :)

Anyway, isn't it cute??

Wow..but that morning sun was BRIGHT!

This little birdbath stands just three inches high, approximately, and is adorned with grapes and vines.

I didn't get a really good photo of it..

I placed it just here...at the edge of the arbor..

You can probably see how fast the baby tears are growing...

I also found this tiny lantern and even a hook that sticks in the ground to hang it on..

I think I need a my mini lawn mowed  and soon!!!  I put in a request to PH..but he looked at me as if I were mad as a hatter and told me to buy a tiny lawn mower!
What a GREAT idea!

According to PH,  he has enough lawns to mow...so...

:)  ..I found one..all of about 4 inches high..or so.   No..I didn't buy it.  :)  Well, not yet!  I am going to use some scissors and see how that works...
Work, work, work....I do think I have made more work for myself.

Isn't it great??

The wheelbarrow

So far everything is coming along nicely..what a lot of fun it's been and tomorrow...or rather by the time most of you see this post, my little 7 year old Great Grandson will be here for the day.  He is here on summer vacation all the way from Missouri!! 
I ADORE  my little Greats and I can't wait for him to see it.  Sunday my little Great Granddaughter will be here!  :)  She just turned four years old.   I can't wait I tell you!!  :) 

If I could do one thing all over again in this life,  it would be to have my seven children.

Love,

Mona

~ A LUCKY SATURDAY'S SHOPPING..

Hi.  How are you?  We are doing pretty well. 

We haven't been doing the garage sales lately..so this Saturday we decided to get out there and see what they had to offer. 

These photo's are not ...um...staged well at all which I guess is pretty evident.  Hand lotion, printer, my little desk cases that I keep "junk" in that I'm just not ready to get rid of..but I know you don't mind.

After we had a delicious breakfast of belgium waffles at Jammin' Bread bakery, we began to work our way home..and then I got lucky... 

I found this beautiful leather Junior Blake handbag, approximately 16 inches from top to bottom, 15 inches side to side and about 3 inches deep..perhaps four.  It is a beautiful gray with blue trim.  Gathered pocket on one side and....

 A leather pull with a lock on the other.

Lots of detail..braid stitching and pleats...

 A print gray and very light gray lining..

The leather is butter soft.  Lots of inside slip pockets and zipped pockets.

...and not a single smudge or mark.  Gorgeous!

This bag is a Liz Claiborne bag with double zip pockets on one side..

 Can you see the stitched inset on the side?  Beautiful workmanship..

 You cannot believe how soft the leather is.

 The interior of this handbag was perfection also!  Not a mark..lots of slip pockets and a zippered pocket.  Large enough to carry a lap top computer I think.  Gorgeous..

This bag is by Kenneth Cole of NY.  Also in perfect condition.  The woman said she only used this one once.  I believe her.  The hardware on all the bags is perfect...and high quality.

Pouchy and soooo soft.  The color is a pretty dark brown.  It looks gray in the photo but it isn't.

Lots of pockets and a light lining of soft cream. 

What is wonderful about these bags was the price.  I bought all three for $19.00, total for all three!!   All were so lightly used..exactly what I look for!

All of these bags are so comfortable to carry..

Of course they have all found homes with Granddaughters and a daughter!  Two Grands are going to college..and my daughter..well...she just fell in love with the Luggage tan bag..so..you know. :)

Gotta love those garage sales.

With love,

Mona

Note*   Our family is hanging in there...thank you so much for the encouragement.  This is not a good time but it will be alright!  It has to be!  Some of the most wonderful bloggers in the world are praying for us...how can we NOT come through this?  :) 

~NOTHING SPECIAL...

Just a bit of lace...

I have fun playing with this old swing of mine.  I cover and recover it.

I've wrapped in in quilts...decked it out in plaid and checks...

Add crochet to the bottom..sometimes fabric...and of course it started out in  a dark hunter green.

 

Recently I covered the top, for winter, with an old quilt..made it cozy..big pillows and afghans..

 but, Summer is here and I love the look of the delicate floaty lace..

I think my poor patio changes daily.  The plants at the back of the swing..and the old gate had to change...so just let the back curtains drop and ran the side curtains over the top.  Made a new slip cover and washed the crocheted tablecloth..and lined the underside of the cushiions. 

Wonder how long this will last.  ?? :)

I am thinking of doing the canapy back to matching the cushions..but...we'll see.
Keeping busy..occupied.  Great therapy, isn't it?  :)

Those of you who know Desiree of Driftwood Ramblings and even those of you who don't, she has something to say that I found very thought provoking..you might want to peek in on her.
One of the dearest people I have ever met while blogging..

I want to thank all of you for your concern.  Life is happening to all of us...and sometimes other things take presidence over blogging..or we just get tired..

As much fun as it is, blogging can become very demanding...and we all need to step back and take a deep breath.  I've often wondered about the attraction that blogging has...
I know those of us that blog are people lovers and lovers of life, of family and feel things very passionately. 
I am fine.  Not to worry.  My heartfelt thanks to those of you who care so much. 
I am just slowing down a bit ...on blogging.  One day at a time...:)
Love,
Mona 



~BREAK TIME...~

But just for a couple more days. 

Hi...

I'm taking a tiny break from blogging during a family crisis.  Nothing that won't be fine.  Just a couple more days.  Can't think straight right now but I will probably visit some in the evenings.  See you soon.

Have a wonderful week.

Much love,

Mona

~RULES ARE TO BE BROKEN..~

This is my pretty daughter-in-law.  She is married to my eldest son and is the one who owns the bakery and keeps me supplied with CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING.  Why is that all in caps?

Because I'm SHOUTING it!  That's why! 

(sorry..I just get carried away when  Bread Pudding is the subject!)  Thank you, sweet girl!  For everything.

And...here is a flagstone walk way that leads to.. (she would hate this if she saw it because she was complaining that she hadn't be able to find the time to get out and work on the yard.

Since this photo was taken...the yard has been all redone...new grass..etc.

.. this little arbor where a garden is in progress..every single year.  Ohhhhh..I want a garden too!!

I really, really do! 
What I love about the way this garden is done..is that the gate and arbor is right at the corner of the fence.

 This was taken early last month when the new plants were going in.  The corner of their lot is where they situated the garden.    Perfect.  If I can't have a garden at least my daughter has one. :)

There are so many little nooks and crannies in this yard..

My daughter works full time as a high school counselor so she is very busy but loves to get out in her jammies in the early morning and work..or on the weekend.  She is the reason I have roses.  We share the love of our yards. 

She is the fifth of my seven children and put herself through college.  Has her Masters.  Graduated with honors.  I am so proud of her.

Now she is going to become a Grandmother..where have the years gone??

My precious granddaughter...and her soon to be, baby boy!  She graduated from college last year and is now a teacher also.  I had to show you just enough of her face so that you can see how beautiful she is.  Can you see? (I'm not a proud Grandma!  I'm not bragging!  Not at all..I'm just being "real" here and telling the truth!)  heh heh.. :)

My daughter thinks there should be gardening pajama's...so do I.  I guess all of my pajama's are for gardening.  Must be because I wash a pair a day and they always have a bit of dirt on them by the time my first cup of coffee (with vanilla creamer) is gone. 

Memosa's with our brunch...ahhhhh...so nice!

I would show more photo's but we have a privacy thing in the family going on..so.. :) .. you know.

That's our "baby boy's" soon to be grandpa  there to the right in the background.

And..to the left is another of my grandson's.. :)  The very sweetest young man in the world!

You wouldn't recognize him if you saw them on the street, now would you?  OH, please say you wouldn't.....

Love,

Mona

~SEARS HOMES FOR SALE....the old days..~

Some years ago I worked in an acute hospital..and came across an very old Sears Catalog.

The very "wish book" that used to come to our home every year when I was a child.  Something we waited for, watched for.  

But this catalog was something I wish I had saved...Oh, how I wish I had saved it,

because..it had homes in it. 

http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/images/images

Price's began as low as $400.  This one was $1294 to 1906 complete!

This one sold for $2978...

Ok...so prices were probably a lot for the times.. but certainly nothing compared to what eventually happened. 

"Entire homes would arrive by railroad, from pre cut lumber to carved staircases, down to the nails and varnish.  Families picked out their houses according to their needs and tastes and pocketbooks.

Sears provided all the materials and instructions, and for many years the financing, for homeowners to build their own houses.  Sears homes stand today as living monuments to the fine, enduring, and solid quality of Sears craftmanship."

*********

Now..would you believe that when I moved to our town..there were A few Sears houses along our main street.  1972.  One day as I was driving by, I was shocked to see them bulldozing them to make way for a strip mall..AND a Bank of America!  Arrrggg...

I pulled over and watched..I could see the beautiful old rose covered walls..winding staircases..and I felt like crying.  They were still beautiful..but in the way of progress.  Tree's were cleared and the yards dug up. ..and soon stores were built..stop lights put in.  A huge shopping mall and today..it's different.  So different.  The small town look is almost gone completely. 

In 1962 my husband bought this little home (not that tiny any more) for $11,000.  Can you imagine?

We were still a little sane back then.  He can't even remember when he paid it off it's been so long ago..  Smart man, my husband.  I've tried to contribute by having my son-in-law put in curbing, patio, walkway..and there's more to come. 

 Soon there will be a stone walkway right there between the Crape Myrtle  and the flower bed and it will run from the edge of the driveway the full length of the home and around the corner to the back gate...

The front porch has become such a cozy place to gather.  This yesterday morning three of us gathered and visited to  WAY too long ..but it was fun!  So nice.. such a beautiful morning.

Behind that gate is stacked the stones for the walkway...  Oh..can you say "HI!" to the gardener??  heh heh..:)  Yep..that's Patient Husband in his gardening hat.

  It's our home sweet home.  Almost a cottage.  It's a cottage wannabe.

Bye now... and hugs,

Mona

~NEVER TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED~

Saturday my baby girl took a plane and flew down to spend the weekend with us so she could attend  her nieces baby shower.  How wonderful it was to see her.  She is the youngest of my seven children.  My 20th grandchild, a little boy is due in just a few weeks.

Daughter #6 baked these adorable cookies..

Not sure which dipped the strawberries but it may have been my daughter in law...or then again, maybe it was my daughter.  (If she recognizes her dipped strawberries...too bad!)  :)

These little red velvet mini cupcakes..with cream cheese frosting...YUM!

I think Mr. PH ate the onces I brought home!  AND the strawberries...and the cookies.  I did get one. :)

This morning...ahhhh yes..this morning..HOW I do love our yard.  Every morning finds me out  looking at all the weeding I have to get done.  It certainly isn't the most beautiful yard..but I feel so fortunate to have a nice yard for Mele to play in.  A place to grow my roses and a few fruit trees. 

I know so many folks don't.  I do feel fortunate to have my wonderful family.

I have lost two precious husbands to cancer...

So...every single morning is a blessing to me.  Every day that I have my dear ones ...I am so grateful.

Yep...just wanted to say that.  :)

Thus the cancer candle burns on my blog.

Love,

Mona

P.S.  Have you ever written a post..put it out there, gone to read it and ran back and deleted a whole bunch of it.  I tend to get wordy.  You never noticed that, did you? :)

HUGS!

~MELE N' ME~

What a GREAT day!

Oh..hi Mom...

I was just laying here thinking...

oh...well..you know...



... how GREAT it would be..

..to JUST THROW MYSELF ...

onto your lap..

and lay my head on your knee...cuz I LOVE you sooooo much!

Yep, just another lovely day....

:)

 

for Mele and me!