~WANNA SEE WHAT I FOUND...OK..BOUGHT?~

How I love those treasure hunts!

Our Garage Sale Saturday began with nothing. The first couple...were TRUE junk! I thought the first yard just needed a good cleaning and that someone had put the signs up as a joke!
No..I am serious! That really did pass through my mind. :)

We didn't plan on staying out until noon as we usually do. An hour and a half later we were about to go home when things began to look up..

I am always in the market for good frames at very cheap prices. This one was a bit more than I like to pay at $1.00! But...it was worth, it so into the trunk it went!


And this sturdy dyed red basket caught my eye for just 25 cents. The sweet little cookie plate was too great to pass up for another quarter..and also the old video's at .25 each. I have been searching and hoping to find "All About Eve" and there it was! I kept my VCR...so I love to find old classic films and spend an afternoon curled up watching them. Another dollar spent at this garage sale...I was not doing too badly...as I didn't have an agenda except to NOT spend much. (Famous last words!)


And books! I am always on the look out for books. I found four hardbound ones (a couple for great grandson) and two for me. Nice. .50 cents each! Yippee! I was on a roll!



I loved this little lamp with it's shaded leaf and floral design on the shade....so muted.
It is made of very heavy iron...and even came with the light bulb. Sweet little rope design...

I loved the soft colors of red, green and gold...



And here it is all lit up...


And then..OH JOY! A perfect little table for...um...somewhere!
To paint or not to paint. The stain is much too deep into the wood to remove it..and yes I could cover it with a doily or whatever ...but.. decisions, decisions!!

I had seen this little table and the lamp at one of garage sales but passed them by, then when I couldn't get them out of my mind..we backtracked trying to find it. Up one street and down another...and finally..there they were...I was really fortunate they hadn't sold.
Ever tried to backtrack when going to garage sales? Felt that urgency to rush, and it's one wrong street after another? Frantic that it will be sold by the time you find it??? Have you?

$3.00 for the lamp and $20.00 for the table. Not bad at all..but Sweet Husband was beginning to look nervous...so it was off to our favorite place for breakfast. I think it was the $20 that sent him over the edge. I noticed his hands were beginning to shake as he took that $20.00 out of his wallet. LOL Poor baby!

Of course it was another pot of beans when it was a "JOHN DEER" bike for $175! I mean, what the heck??!! At a garage sale no less! :) Please remember, he only shook, he didn't say anything! Gotta love that man!

Gosh the coffee tasted good...and the ice cold orange juice! So what do you think? Should I paint it?? The table, I mean...

Love and hugs,
Mona

~ GARAGE SALES AND LIVE THEATRE~

Do you see the hour? I have nothing! Didn't take pictures today...nothing! However....
today was a great Saturday. Started out good and stayed that way all day long so I'll just share that with you. Ok?

Sweet husband and I hit the road early because I had a date in the afternoon! At first I thought something had happened during the night and we were the only ones left alive! A wierd feeling.
But..we just are not used to getting out there quite that early. I loved it...but it really did feel strange. We had the streets completely to our selves...just an occassional car...
I will show you the few things I picked up on our treasure hunt tomorrow. We topped it off with our pancake breakfast... *smile* naturally!

Last week..Danny, my youngest son, asked to take me to the Theatre. :) Well, of course he could! I was delighted I said...so at 2 this afternoon, after a morning of garage saleing ..off Dan and I went to see the live stage play "AIDA..a timeless love story." The music had me crying and the audience was on their feet at curtain call.

I DO love live theatre! Sweet husband says he is not into things like that... however he would have loved the music...so next time I will twist his arm to get him to try it. Season tickets are in the air...


...and below...



I dug out this old unflattering photo of Danny and I...NEVER, EVER tell us a joke to get us to laugh. I think we fell on the floor with this one! Anyway, we have great times together...my children and I.
Life is good!
Have a perfectly beautiful Sunday.

My love to all of you...
Mona

~ME AND MY WHEELBARROW...~

Have you seen Tootsie's yard lately? If not you must go see the lovliness of her yard. She is hosting Fertilizer Friday and you are in for a treat!!

Have you ever seen something and just fell in love with it...bought it and then just never used it. So it sat..and got further and further tucked away..until it was out of sight.

Then one day you thought, "I wish I had something to put weeds in and to haul plants around in, and my gardening tools...if only everything was right here handy...something light weight that I could handle with ease.." And then you remember! Wait, I have something like that. Now where did I put it??" and then you remember!! You sold it at a yard sale...you think...oh maybe three years or so ago, and you get that sinking feeling in your tummy?

You are NOT alone. I do that..more than I want to admit..but the search IS ON!
You start moving things, looking...give up finally. Ask sweet husband "Do you remember...." and he looks at you blankly.

Wasn't it in the shed, he asks, or did you sell that?!"
Back you go to search more thoughly.

Then you see it...and you start pulling down things, things fall, you grab a handle and pull, everything comes crashing down, but who cares.
My precious little wheelbarrow...*smiles*

And here it is, the dear little thing!!!


So light weight and easy to roll.

Doesn't look too sturdy, but it really is!

See the roomy pocket for gloves and tooks, I mean tools (I'm just so excited trying to get this story out!)...and that little handle? There is also a little strap with velcro on it....

...which when you fold the little darling up, fastens onto the other side holding it firmly together!

AND then you have the little handle to carry it with. Clever?? Indeed!

Gosh, I can hardly wait to get gardening in the morning! :) You DO believe me, don't you??

Love and hugs,

Mona

p.s. I wanted to add that I bought this little wheelbarrow at Target about four or five years ago.

~IT'S ALL ABOUT ..RED~

I thought I would join Susan @ BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for some interesting and inspiring before's and after's!


What a busy weekend! Actually, what a busy week the entire last week was. I find myself wondering how I ever found time to clean, cook, wash, iron and work a full time job at a hospital all those years.

Now I'm retired...and still just as busy but it's different. Things actually do get done! It's nice.

I became highly motivated to paint my little bistro set on my front porch when I saw Cindy's at Applestone Cottage...

For me..it's all about color!

This is what it has looked like for years...then I fell in love with Cindy's and well...you KNOW how we are here in blogland...

We just get inspired all to pieces...


Yes, I ran out of the Colonial Red paint..but it's not far from the store and tomorrow..I will talk Mr. Wonderful into picking me up a couple of cans...along with the new trash can he has in mind!



I tell you, I LOVE IT! I go out every morning and just sit across from it and ..wonder at the rich red glorious beauty!

Thank's Cindy for the inspiration. Of course the fact that Dawn visit of A Cottage State of Mind did factor in. I wanted it to look pretty for her. Nothing like an honored guest to make us move our feeties!!

So what do you think? Do you like it? :) I hoped that you would!! :)

Love and hugs,
Mona

~EARTH ANGELS...~

Blogland...a land where earth angels dwell...

Over a year ago, I met Dawn from A COTTAGE STATE OF MIND. I was a fairly new blogger and doing a lot of writing at that time, just stories of my early marriage to my first husband of 43 years who died of cancer in 1997.
Dawn was loving and so encouraging of all of my efforts. There were other blogger friends like Dawn, but then something happened.
I became very ill resulting in a serious surgery. This was in September 2009. For the next few months I slowly got better..and stronger. At my age..my family and I were concerned and a bit frightened.
Earlier this year...for some unknown reason, one day I began to go back, and back in Dawns blog. Suddenly there in front of me was my name and this beautiful angel that you see above!

All those months..and I never knew. I never knew!

She asked for prayers for me...
I was overwhelmed at her post... for me...and the things she said. I still am. How blest I am to have met this very caring person. They say there are angels among us... :) I believe that!

Today, finally, I got my wish. My wish was that I could hug this lovely lady in person..and thank her for all her prayers and kindness's to me over the past year. She is exactly the same in person as she is on her blog. Soft spoken, warm and loving.

Dawn brought me these sweet offerings! She knows I love rooster...but she also knows..

I love CHERRIES! :)

This is her precious family. Nick (handsome and sweet!) Her daughter, Angie who is an absolute hoot! (My personal angel, Dawn) :) And, Jesse! What a sweet young man Jesse is!

These are two wonderful parents...loving and caring who are raising two of the dearest young people! I was proud to meet them!

To me "cottage" means warm and cozy and that is exactly what Dawn is like!!

Thank you for coming to see me, Dawn, and for making my wish come true!

Blogging is so rewarding..and adds so much to my life.

Love and hugs,

Mona

~LOT'S OF OUTDOOR ...SITTING..~

Thank you to Susan of A SOUTHERN DAYDREAMER for hosting this lovely party...

This is our outdoors. No real view to speak of but..it's pleasant...and we are happy. Just enough to putter around in and not kill ourselves. (Did I say "ourselves?) :) It isn't me that does all the mowing and edging and feeding..
it's the man who didn't want to do any of that...and now..I honestly think he is hooked. :) No...I really do!

See my li'l froggy hanging there? I took two garlands and braided them around the pole. :) Is it tacky looking? No...now be honest... is it?

I'm thinking of painting the patio set...maybe next year. I would buy material and take it all to Mattie and have her make the covers...maybe next year... :)

So what do you think? Color? White like the swing....or? Red??? I'll think about it tomorrow...

My Jasmine is blooming. Um..that is Jasmine isn't it? Smells wonderful! Honeysuckle?? I think it might be Honeysuckle...??


The grass is greatly improved from two years ago. There was a huge patch of dirt in the middle and when Sweet husband mowed...the air was filled with dirt and dust.....so...MUCH improved.

Wonderful son in law...the one that did all of our interior painting..and put in all of our curbing...is going to extend the patio by about three feet..and see the hedge? There will be a pathway along it to the end of the house where another little shed will be installed on a slab?

Sooo...tacky? lol My garlands I mean... My little froggy is on a long spring with a lovely crystal ball on the end and he bounces at the slightest breeze. :) This is where I take naps... WAY too often!

Debbi from All In My Cottage made my pillow covers and I love them. They are the envelope type..and so easy to keep clean.

The rug is a garage sale find for just $8.00! It has been out there ..this will be the second summer and it went through the winter...and still is like brand new.

I just keep throwing flowers in front of the wine barrels...easy... And to think I nearly sent my lawn swing to the dump with the canvas wore out and I could not find replacements.....White Spray Paint...she has the right idea!

And this is my Outdoor Wednesday. Time for a snooze...and a little reading..and ice tea of course. You can find me out here any nice morning of the week...

Hugs,

Mona

~STUFF AND STRAWBERRIES..~

Saturday was garage sale day...I wasn't exactly up to par but we went for a short time then the heat set in...so off to breakfast. Nice..but I was glad to go home.
There is always next week...

So...first garage sale:
I couldn't believe she sold all four of these precious little mugs for $1.50!! But...she did and I was right there to assist her in getting rid of them.

These two Fall garlands, two large goards and a bundle of lovely Fall ribbon were all for just $1.00!
Everything is like new. I'll just add it to my collection of "Fall stuff" and I know I will find a good use for it. (Fall... :) the very thought makes me smile!)

Now these are something for the BBQ. Didn't mean a lot to me..but they certainly excited Sweet Husband! Both for $.50! Good?

Did I show you these...I think I did. Found them at Goodwill for $4.00. The basket is of bark.
One of those things that when I tire of it...it will be returned to Goodwill with joy. I thought it very Summer and Springtime.

Sweet husband brought these home yesterday! I was delighted. Costco does offer wonderful fresh fruit and veggies.

Howards late night snack! Do you suppose this was what he was dreaming of when he bought them? And...he knows it is only the beginning...bless his little heart!

I do love my sugar container. No spoon needed...

For me, a dollap of strawberry jam. (I REALLY needed that!) :)

Much love and lotsa hugs,
Mona

~Featuring MELE...~

Hey! Mele! Come get your picture taken! Can you smile for Mom?? :):)
She KNOWS I hate having to smile!

Smile? Who..me??

Hark! I think I hear a li'l bug!!

Ok..how's this??

I hope your finished taking my picture because...

I'm leaving...


Take a picture of this, Mom. I'm outta here!

Ahh well...
Love and hugs,
Mona
*sigh*