~GARAGE SAILING....~

  Warm, balmy breeze, not a cloud in the sky..or so I remember.  Whatever the case, it felt good to get outside.  A PERFECT day for sailing..from one garage sale to another...an Estate Sale thrown in.

 

We didn't find much at the garage sales..but as always, it was a treasure hunt.  It's amazing how just the littlest treasure can cheer one up...especially when it's under a dollar! Or over..in most cases.
Ah well...next Saturday is another day....

 

Here are my finds..now don't get excited...it wasn't much...but it's the hunt that really is fun.

 

A pair of SINGER scissors..like new!  $1.00  They are wonderful!

I had never seen Singer scissors like these before. 

 

  Cast iron skillet  $4.00  Beautifully cured.  I gave all of mine to my daughter in law..HUGE mistake.
HUGE~!  lol  I needed something to make my pineapple upsidedown cake in...should have saved one. 

 

 Alfred Meikin  7" creamer.  (daughter Maryalice couldn't talk me out of it, and believe me she tried!)

 Not a chip, not a flea bite.  Perfection!
 

My milkglass story~

 

At an Estate Sale I found this nice sized candy dish/compote without a price on it.  So I took it to the dealer who owns the business and whom I am familiar with and asked her "how much?" She took it from me..looked it over and said, "well, it's a Fenton piece...so it's expensive...." and I said "no, it's Westmoreland Milkglass, the tag is still inside.."  so she opened it and took out the well worn two inch folded card and opened it and read a bit..put it back in the dish and said "well, it's a REPRODUCTION so you can have it for...three dollars."  I smiled and said, "thank you." and walked away.  It is a tri footed dish with the raised WG, one letter on top of the other clearly embossed on one leg.  GOOD heavens!  Of course it is a "reproduction!"  It's supposed to be!  (said the Milkglass snob!)  *smile*

I win!

  Worth $48 on ebay..not sure otherwise.  I only found one.  Mostly just the lids or the bowl were available.  Only one intact.  Can you imagine not knowing Westmoreland from Fenton? :)

 

This pretty old lamp for $2.00 at a garage sale.  The roses are raised.  I love it.  I found the shade at Vintage Bliss.  The same little thrift shop I took Marydon and Tanza to when they visited.

Price of the shade was $10.  $12 for a pretty lamp is not bad.  There are tiny pearl like beads on the lampshade fringe.  Not sure the shade will stay on that lamp..but for now...what the heck!
 

 

 



 A cat. Price..I think$8.00 at an Estate Sale.  There was something about her sweet face and big eyes that caught my attention.  She is sitting on my piano.  She may be goofy looking but I love her.

Maybe it's the roses?

 

Crock..50 cents. 



 Little milk glass basket..hob nail bottom...$1.00

 

I also bought a few books.  I seldom come home after a Saturday adventure without at least one book.

One of them I had read through by Sunday night.

 

I'll show you which one tomorrow.

 

Tomorrow is Thursday.  Wasn't it JUST Thursday??

Love,

Mona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~YA GOTTA START SOMEWHERE...BUT....~

 

 The photo below is of a TV screen.  The show is "Body of Proof" and my grandson landed a tiny part in it.  He is a kidnap victim and this is his picture and to the right is the information about him. The second photo was of him in a bodybag, unzipped...showing how he was killed.  I could NOT make myself put it on here.  Not a fan of those shows.

My daughter Mary, watched the show but was so interested in whether he did this or that right that she wasn't even horrified.  Me?  I had VERY mixed feelings. 

 

Well...you have to start somewhere..and when he got the casting call..to do the part..he certainly did not turn it down.  I haven't seen the episode yet and don't watch crime shows..(they scare the heck out of me) so ...but I guess I really should watch.  I don't know...yeah..I probably will.  I mean after all, it IS just a TV show and he IS my grandson and I AM proud..still.....  :(

******************

The name of this rose is Irish Hope.  It means a lot to me.
It should arrive shortly. 

Love,
Mona

 







~GREEN, GREEN, MY WORLD IS GREEN...~

Well, the tiny bicycle arrived, but it's green and doesn't really show up against all the green of my little Fairy Garden.  Also..a new wheelbarrow, yeah, also green!  WHY didn't I get the little red bike instead?  I don't know.  Red is one of my favorite colors..and it would have looked cute as heck there..but no..I had to get the green. 
Anyway, it's cute and since my brain cannot think of much to blog about, I will just show you the tiny bike...

Yeah, I know.  Hard to see it..  grrrrrrr :(

The tiny wheelbarrow is difficult to see too.  NO MORE GREEN!  It just does not show up either.
But...I am hoping you can enough of it to see that it is made to (if it isn't) look like wood.  I placed a tiny real clay flower pot inside.

It didn't change my Fairy Garden from a distance..but..it sure does bring out the child in me..
What fun to add those little things.  Now for some moss.  Thinking of adding the real thing to the roof of the little house.  Also on the floor.  What fun this is, messing with it. Clipping tiny pathways ..

A birthday from my daughter, Erin Kathleen, two years ago has grown and grown...

 ..clear to the patio...I LOVE IT!

Saturday while out doing the garage sales, I found this old pitchfork which I hauled home and placed against the wall under the tin picture..  I already have one, but this one was slightly different..and old and rusty.   
I also found with it an old scythe.

Neat, huh?  :)  Ok, I know old rusty tools are not for everyone...They were just 50 cents each!
 



View from the lawn to the patio..sort of wish I had had the entire end of the backyard flagstoned.  Now I want a stone pond and waterfall. 
I am never satisfied and always looking for a new project....however, Son in law says I will get it!! :)  Bless his heart.  He is the one that did our patio..and all the other concrete work for our home.  Nice to have a contractor in the family!

Did you notice that I lost one of my plants??  Dang!!
 

 

 EVERYONE needs a water feature.  Large ones are wonderful as they don't have to be filled every morning...this one is under the patio cover which probably helps keep it from evaporating so quickly.

 

All the plants around the fountain are in pots..easily moved for whatever purpose if we need to.   

 

It's so nice to sit in the lawn swing and listen to the fountain.  The pump I bought new some years ago and bolted it to a board that we cut to fit the top of the old half barrel.  The board is bolted to the barrel so that it won't topple over as it is very heavy.  The pump when new worked,  but of course it has long since rusted though I haven't tried it.  It cost $9.99 at Harbor Freight.

 

The barrel we bought from a nursury..it was the most costly.  $30.00 five years ago and it is wonderful.  No, it does not leak.  The wood swells when wet.  Water features do not need to be expensive I find.  The pumps last forever..mine is over ten years old  now.

I am keeping very busy...lots of Springtime plans including another Fairy Garden...I mean..why not? :)

 

I really do need to keep my mind occupied.  I have a story for you tomorrow..of sorts. (rather on Tuesday...)  Okey dokey??  See? I told you I couldn't thing of anything to blog about.

 

Hugs,

Mona

 

 

I am joining my sweet friend Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life.  She is hosting a rather new Inspire Me Tuesday and it looks like fun!  Come see! A Stroll Thru Life 

 

I am also joining Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home  for "Amaze Me Monday"

 

 

~MYSTERIOUS?~

A couple of weeks after my daughter Sandy passed away, our family did a Celebration Of Life for her at Corona Del Mar.  It's a beautiful rather quiet beach in a cove. 
I didn't show the memorial during the late afternoon, but just before sunset we gathered in a   prayer circle and released butterflies.
Then each of us that wanted to say something, tell a little story of Sandra,  anything at all, did so.
As difficult as it was..it was a good thing for all those of our family and extended family that could not be in Georgia for her funeral.
 

 Look closely at the photo's below...
 

The sun set and the fire that we cooked on earlier for the family and guests, gathered around a bonfire and enjoyed each others company.  I took some pictures , pretty much one after the other and when I got home and looked at them the next day...this is what I saw!  Many, many orbs, everywhere..some huge, some tiny and bright..

It was an overcast day and evening ...

...and when I first saw the photo's I thought it was the moon and knew that there was none....so I enlarged my photos..and the area over my children was covered with these orbs.  Some large enough to be a moon and others small. A tiny light one on my daughter in law. 
One very large one is at the top right of the photo above..and when you look closely you can see more and more of them.  They are everywhere.

In this one I only see one medium sized one next to my daughter in law..or so it appears.

 In this photo there are two of my grandson's , my granddaughter and my youngest daughter, Dawn with her hand on her daughters shoulder.  If you look carefully at the sky you can many, many of them..

Here dispite the poor quality of my picture, you can see the sky and area around my children is filled with them..  None showed up in photo's take away from my family. 

You can laugh and say I am foolish but I have to wonder if our dear ones who have passed on were there with us in spirit. 
I think we know little or nothing of our souls, our spirits, our essence when we die..but  I do know that nothing dies.  It only changes form.  I think that energy we each possess has to go somewhere...
Whatever the case, for me it's a lovely thought.  Perhaps my parents, grandparents were there, perhaps their father joined us, our friends.  I believe in Angels you know. :)

Perhaps my girl was with her brothers and sisters in their group hug.  That was a wish of Sandy's...and they fulfilled it. 

Much love,
Mona


Please click on the photo's for a really good look.
 I would be interested in your feedback.
It's ok if you think I am being silly thinking such things,  and you may placate me if you wish, I truly don't mind.  The odd thing is that they were not in all of the photo's taken at the same time..just in those near my children and grands.   I will show those later...















~BLOGGER FRIENDS VISIT BRINGS SMILES~

The rest of the pictures we took on my camera during our visit..

I could NOT have been in better, sweeter, kinder company then that of these two wonderful blogger friends.

(How I LOVE my home state, California!)

 

This photo is of one of the orange trees in the shopping area of the Mission Inn in Riverside.  This is just a few miles from my home and was my favorite stomping ground to shop for goodies.  Now I tend to hit the garage sales..or tag sales, as they call them on the East coast.  The prices are ..a wee bit better..

 

 Marydon was pointing up to a sign that announced that this particular Cupcake shop was the winner of the Cupcake Wars TV show..and there was a big banner announcing it.  She was pointing to it.

 

 Ohhh...I hate to stand next to skinny mini's ...Ah hates it ah do!! 

GOOD grief but I'm short!  Look how pretty and tall AND slender they are.  (NOT to mention the fact that they are blonds!!!  :)  *sigh*

 

 See, I told you they made me smile..

 

 These two are SO DARNED CUTE!

 

Y'all come back..ya hear??!!  :)

 

Hugs,

Mona

 

Marydon..thank you again for the lovely dishtowels!  I love them!



~A VISIT WITH THE FAIRIES...~

My yard and patio keep me calm and centered, whatever that means.  All I know is that I can snip away for a couple of hours at a time...nap a bit in the swing and back at it.  It helps.  The Fairies don't mind a few tears.  Not at all.  They love it when I come to the garden ...alone.  :)  They told me so.

 

My little wheelbarrow Fairy Garden is always a work in progress.  It was left on it's own through the winter..so now I am working to bring it back.  It gets prettier all the time.

 

I planted tiny little succulents last year..they made it through our mild Winter.  The stone is real, not faux.

 

 Many of you have seen my old wheelbarrow.  No, I didn't paint it.  I liked the chippy look.  I found it in a womans front yard full of regular dirt and a few Geraniums.  I asked if it was for sale...she said "no" and I said.."are you sure??  Yep...bless her heart. 

 

Here is an all over view...the sun was a bit bright..

 

Tiny pots, watering can and stepping stone.  The gravel..needs a bit of work...

 

Tiny moss pots with seperate liners are favorites of mine..I actually planted tiny starter plants in them..and they are doing nicely!   I see things are spreading as the Spring takes hold.

 

 This is the side yard.  It's hard to see, but there is a tiny Fairy sitting on a bench..



 A log is good, just in case a tiny critter comes along.

 

 Sorry this is out of focus...*sigh*

She really is a pretty Fairy..

The little stone path winds around from the arbor to the side yard where the birdbath is.

 

Poor kitty needs some fresh moss.  I'll get to it.

Coming attractions?

A bridge

Perhaps new Fairies

Tiny bike

itty table and chairs..

fresh moss..although it is beginning to come back..I am just so impatient!!!

 

I am looking for just the right vines to train over the arbor. 

 

The bridge has been picked out..finally and I am so excited. 

 

Here is the issue.  I am SO afraid of overdoing  with the "items"  I don't like the structured look.

I like it to look natural and if I am not careful, it's easy to add WAY too much. 

I have seen that happen in other gardens. 

 

Pictures of Marydon, Tanza and I tomorrow.  :):)

 

(no..I mean it this time!)  I just look...FAT in all of the pictures...YUK!

 

Love,

Mona

 

( I am ...keeping busy)



~ONE DAY AT A TIME...SWEET FRIENDS AND CARING HEARTS...

I want to thank all of you for your support during this VERY difficult and heartbroken time of my life.  It's Spring, and I am trying to pick myself up and go on.  I will go to pieces now and then and even scream until my throat is raw  at the injustice when I am alone, but I am trying hard to cope.  I probably will for the rest of my life.  My poor family is my main concern. 

 

I have working outside for the past few days..replanting my little Fairy Garden in my old wheelbarrow, trimming here and there, pruning and watch things come to life.  Tiny peaches on my little peach tree and blossoms blowing through the air is a wonderful thing. 

I know from experience that healing takes a lot of time.  It's nothing you can rush and everyone goes through it differently.
One day at a time, sweet Jesus...

 

I love my yard and it is great therapy!

 

I haven't planted a single thing this Spring, but it's ok. 

 

We nearly removed these vines because they were so difficult to control but I am so happy we didn't.

As they mature they just get more and more beautiful..like people.  Like my daughter did.

*********

 

These two sweet and beautiful ladies came to visit and cheer me!  You cannot imagine what it meant to me.  It was a wonderful day but it did go by in a sort of blur.  Tomorrow, if I can, I want to post more photo's of these two wonderful blogger friends, Marydon and Tanza gave me so much joy that day...they made me smile and even laugh.  Both are absolutely delightful. 

 

This is about all I can do tonight..it is 2:30 in the morning and it has been another sleepless night when my mind won't stop wandering.

 

Bless each and every single one of you out there for caring, for your loving comments and for your comforting words.  You fill my heart with joy every single day, and I love you for it.

 

Mona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



~WE WILL HAVE THESE MOMENTS TO REMEMBER~

 ~Sandy~

 

I will hear her laughter in my memory forever... 

 

Sandy and Jeff and a new grandson...a happy, happy moment! 

 

 

Sandy and baby sister Dawn.  Their last visit together. 

 

My beautiful girl fought with every ounce of her strength to live.

I am proud of her!!