Second Time Around Tuesday

Diane over at A Picture is Worth 1000 Words is hosting 2nd Time Around Tuesday. Look around and find that 2nd hand treasures that you've found or re-purposed and join in the fun!



My computer is being stubborn this morning, and is not reading my camera memory card. So I am going back into my picture archives to show you a treasure.

A shower was held at our home for our DIL Lisa.

These two precious little dresses were passed along to Lisa from her mother at that shower. They are so special because they were worn by Lisa when she was a baby!:)

And Sophia will look beautiful wearing these this Spring and summer.


But of course, she would look sweet....

wearing....

anything...
especially that sweet smile!:)

The Simple Woman's Daybook- April 27,2009

Stop in and visit Peggy over at Simple Woman's Daybook.



For Today... April 27,2009

Outside my window...cloudy after raining all weekend.

I am thinking... I really need to broaden my menus- am in a rut of fixing the same things over and over.

I am thankful for... my tulips are blooming and Day Lillies are growing!

From the kitchen... grocery shopping needed!

I am wearing... black capris and black light sweater.

I am hoping... to starts plans for Amanda's graduation party.

I am hearing...a plane making its way higher into the sky, traffic on the street. Makes me wonder about all the places people are going today...to everyday errands, to business meetings, to happy occasions and very sad occasions. Lord bless them with their burdens that they carry today.

I am praying... that we can get a low bid for a new roof.

Around the house... a pesky squirrel broke a bird feeder - fix that. Otherwise, general cleaning and getting spruced up for the upcoming graduation party.

One of my favorite things...in early Spring when the grass has just greened up and no one's lawn needs mowing yet:)

A few plans for the rest of the week... help get a PowerPoint presentation, with pictures of our family, ready for my husband's introduction to his colleagues.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...*

Here is little Sophia - one month old already! Looks like she's doing the "so big" motions:)
Thank you, Lord, for this precious one...and be close to her mommy and daddy each day as they walk this blessed journey of parenthood...

Wordless Wednesday- Earth Day

I am joining in Wordless Wednesday. The subject this week is Earth Day. Thanks to our hostess Dixie:) Please visit her and all of those participating today to see some great recycling ideas.

2nd Time Around Tuesday

Diane over at A Picture is Worth 1000 Words is hosting 2nd Time Around Tuesday. Look around and find that 2nd hand treasures that you've found or re-purposed and join in the fun!




As I reached for this platter on which to serve our Easter dinner ham, I thought how useful it has been over the years. I have received compliments on how pretty it is several times. I found this at Good Will many years ago. It has a vintage look to it and is just the right size for most meat entrees.

(click on picture to see a close-up of the design)

It has a worn gold trim around the edge, which adds a kind of elegance to it - and makes me think that it has been well used in the past. I often wonder where it came from and who used it to serve her meals before it came to my table...

The Simple Woman's Daybook- April 20,2009

Stop in and visit Peggy over at Simple Woman's Daybook.



For Today... April 20,2009

Outside my window...cloudy and rain.

I am thinking...I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night. Am yawning a lot this morning...I tape the 24 tv series for hubby because he works -so he was catching up on them and I joined him- they are addicting, even if you've seen them before.

I am thankful for... the flowers popping up through the soil these days!

From the kitchen... uh- did I mentioned that I was watching 24 late with hubby? Yeah, I need to go load the dishwasher.

I am wearing...jammies, of course

I am reading...through my cookbooks for some new ideas for meals.

I am hoping... for a stretch of warm dry weather for painting our deck railing.

I am creating... an organized home office.

I am hearing...the city wood chipper grinding up tree branches-- it's branch pick up day- oops!- didn't realize that.

I am praying... the family whose son committed suicide last Thursday. He was a senior -in my daughter's class. And all the students who are grieving. I also pray that this opens up hearts and mind to the gospel and Hope for their lives.

Around the house... pretty much the same thing every week- wash, rinse,...repeat:)

One of my favorite things... is talking with my sister on the phone, my best friend.*

A few plans for the rest of the week... nothing big on the agenda, a pretty quiet week expected. Those are usually dangerous words...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...*

This was taken of my sister, Melissa and me when she was four and I was nineteen. I was a freshman in college, and her job then, was to have fun and make us laugh:)
Side note++ the Wisconsin Badger sweatshirt was from a business trip our parents took to the UW. (We lived in central Illinois) Who knew then,that I would live most of my adult life here in the Badger state?!

It's funny how a 15 year difference in our ages melted away as we got older.

We are best friends--and among all her many talents-- Missy is still very good at having fun and making us laugh-til coffee comes out of our nose:)

I love you Missy!!

Kelli @ There's No Place Like Home is hosting Show and Tell Friday. Don't miss seeing Kelli's sweet garden furniture for people and fairies!:) And be sure to check out all of the other treasures of those participating this week!

Due to some "technical" problems with my usual computer, my show and tell post today will be a rerun of some pictures. This time I would like to showcase the dishes that are displayed on our hutch. These are not close ups, but I am hoping you'll be able to click on the picture and see the pattern better.


These dishes are on display in my kitchen every day on the hutch. I have to admit, that we rarely use them. Since they compliment the wallpaper border with fruit, I have used them decoratively.

On Easter, I decided to use them because of their Spring colors and in doing so realized how much I enjoy using them. I'm sorry that I didn't get a picture of our Easter tablescape for you to see. In your mind's eye, see a cream color tablecloth with six place settings, including the stemware pictured here. The cloth napkins that I made in November and Grandmother Viola's silverware (in 3rd photo). For a centerpiece, I placed a two layered white cake with white icing and sprinkles on a glass pedestal cake plate, topped with a darling ceramic tiny bunny popping out of a purple egg. I know... we can't figure out what a bunny is doing coming out of an egg either, but that's our Easter dessert decoration every year -the bunny cake:)

I found these at Dollar Tree several years ago. I love that place:)



When my local store didn't have all of the pieces that I wanted, a quick call to my sister put her on the move to find them in her town. And find them she did! Enough for settings for 12--with extra cups:)

So as I told my family, as we enjoyed our Sunday Easter dinner, I think that I will be pulling these down to use them more often. To look at them just makes me happy:) And that's what it's all about, right?:)

Thankful Thursday and The Smallest Blessings

Today I am posting gratitude for blessings at Thankful Thursday and The Smallest Blessings.


Please join Laurie from ‘Women Taking a Stand’ who will be hosting Thankful Thursday in April.

And join The Southern Housewife for The Smallest Blessings. Check out her blog and see what its all about.

I am thankful for the joy that comes my way each day...

from watching the birds that come to visit our backyard...

and remind us that God made these creatures for our enjoyment...

and that the wonder of His creation leads us to seek the Creator, come closer to Him, and give Him glory.

"Notice the raven: they do not sow or reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn, yet God feeds them. How much more important are you than birds!" Luke 12:24

Wordless Wednesday - Tax Day

I am joining in Wordless Wednesday. The subject this week is Tax Day. Thanks to our hostess Dixie:) Please visit her and all of those participating today.

He is Risen!

Show and Tell Friday- Treasure from Grandma

Kelli @ There's No Place Like Home is hosting Show and Tell Friday. Don't miss seeing Kelli's special childhood jewelry and all of the other treasures of those participating this week!

In our curio cabinet among all the other pretty trinkets and glassware sits a little ceramic bird. It doesn't have any monetary value, yet it is priceless to me. This small bird and a jewelry box are treasures from my grandma- my mother's mom after she passed away in 1983.

Grandma was a quiet woman who stood about 4'10". As children, we were thrilled to see how we grew and were soon taller than Grandma. We were actually taller that an adult at a fairly young age. We thought that was cool! She would just smile with us.

I remember fun times playing with cousins after a wonderful meal on Sunday afternoons at her house --or my Aunt Mary's house where she lived before she bought a small home of her own.
...Being chased by bumblebees during a game of hide-and-seek --and the time a cousin was "clothes-lined" (running into a too low clothesline about neck height) - he was fine:)

My grandfather died when I was about 3 years old. So she was a widow for many years of her life.

Grandma came and stayed at our house several times, when my mom was in the hospital, following the birth of a sibling. I remember her as being very kind and gentle.

I don't feel like I really knew Grandma very well, because she was so quiet. But I am thankful for her loving ways and gentle spirit that my mom learned from her, and modeled for our family as we were growing up. I am also thankful for the Christian heritage that she raised her children with. They were a Christian family and those values have reached into new generations to enrich our lives.
Her name was Daisy Dee. My Mom passed this sweet bird on to me following Grandma's death, as a remembrance of her.

Thankful Thursday and The Smallest Blessings

Today I am posting gratitude for blessings at Thankful Thursday and The Smallest Blessings.


Please join Laurie from ‘Women Taking a Stand’ who will be hosting Thankful Thursday in April.

And join The Southern Housewife for the very first The Smallest Blessings. Check out her blog and see what its all about.









Look who else has discovered a smorgasbord on our deck. I am thankful for the joy it brings to watch God's creation and little creatures in our backyard. I think I'll call this little chipmunk "Theodore"-- (Alvin always gets top billing;)

I'd love to see how he gets up the deck stairs!

Works For Me Wednesday - April Fools- and an Anniversary-Of Sorts

Today is April Fools Day version of Reverse Works For Me Wednesday over at We are THAT Family.
Instead of giving a solution to something we are to offer a dilemma that we need help with.

Okay, If you have read some of my early posts, you know that we have a cute squirrel family that lives in the pine tree in our back yard. They love to make themselves at home in our pumpkin AND help themselves to large amounts of bird seed from our feeders. I am spending way more that we need to for the pretty birds that come around.I have this style of feeder.

The latter is my dilemma that I bring before you today. How do you keep squirrels from climbing up the pole to hanging bird feeders? Yes, it is comical to watch them hang upside-down and swing to and fro while eating. I've thought of playing circus music to their act. They can hang there all day and eat:)

Any and all ideas will be appreciated!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 1st is an anniversary, of sorts, for me. In 1998, on this day, at 8:30 a.m., while walking down the stairs to our front door on my way to work, I slid on a small pebble on the tile, fell, and broke my left ankle. That's how fast your day, and the next few months of your life can change:)

It was not a hard fall- just slid down to the floor, but somehow had done much damage- as the doctor said "one of the worst breaks there is-in several places". Fortunately, my husband was home and called the ambulance. Later that day, I had surgery and 9 screws and one titanium rod was put in my leg and angle. Still have those in today:)

The next six weeks were spent with my leg up- no weight-bearing allowed on it. Thank goodness for help from my sister and mom for a week and then meals brought in every other night for a month by ladies in our church. They even came to clean my house!

The funny April Fools story that our family laughs about was when our son Daniel, then in high school, picked up the grade school aged Jonathan and Amanda that day instead of me. They didn't believe him when he told them the reason he was picking them up. They had had jokes played on them all day at school and thought this was just one more April Fools prank by their brother. Their response to, "Mom broke her ankle and is in the hospital", was, " She did not! You're just trying to fool us!". And it took a phone call when they got home to convince them:)

So today, I wish for you good health and steady feet! No joke:)