Wednesday, May 30, 2012

It's Not Boasting But Giving Credit

Ahhh... The holiday weekend is over and I am glad to return to the calmer everyday life mode.. Last week was spend preparing food for visiting family on 3 different occasions and Memorial Day playing in a mixed couples scramble of golf in over 97 degree temps of which I find it hard to struggle through... Today's temps are only to travel to the low 70's as our year continues to be unpredictable...
     Friday we will be traveling to Columbus as the Tinora High School guys baseball team will be playing at State the afternoon... I am not boasting but just want to give credit to this group of talented young guys that have made it to State the past 2 years....
     Temps for Friday are fore casted for the 60's ... and our area continues to beg for rain as our lawns and fields and foliage's continue to struggle... I am so glad to be back to the simple life... Choosing lifestyles and where one feels comfortable setting down and making a nest is very different for everyone... When I travel to the city as we will this weekend or view programming such as HGTV 's " Selling New York" or " Selling LA" I never ceased to be amazed at the extreme amount of money one is willing to pay to be sardined into a very tiny congested space... Compared to the casual manner of our home and living style ... I do wonder how one ever manages to achieve any balance with the extreme pace... Even when our farm life is at high demand during planting season and of course the fall harvest the iron horses of heavy machinery just travel across the fields taking in harvest at a steady pace... With imagination I have placed myself in a busy city and when traveling to a city or busy life within a few hours I am always saying " can we go home now"... as I want to return to the harmony of country living... As our little country school ... The Tinora Rams travel to the big city of Columbus I am sure we will all experience city living for a day or two with our vehicles all armed with GPS's.. I pads and phones and travel information as we don't have a clue where we are going, I may want to give fair warning to the Huntington Park area... be on the lookout for aliens all dressed in green garb as we are about to invade your area...
     Regardless of what our fancy and where we live... the main key to happiness is to enjoy our blessings and the moments they bring...
     When we all get to the Huntington Park where the games will be played the one most wonderful thing will be we will all know and greet one another and become one big unit.... The most wonderful part of being small town USA....

Friday, May 25, 2012

Weekend Musings


We are into a holiday weekend and I am sure many of you have special plans... As I peer from our picture window when sitting in our living room I have noticed many mobile homes and camping trailers heading North on our road for Michigan and the lakes and camp grounds... Tom and I do not have any special plans... Monday he has a signed up for a couples golf scramble that will take most of the day and the temps are forecast to be in the 90's and I am not looking forward to it...
     Tonight at 5:00 we are planning on attending the Tinora Guys Baseball game... We are in regionals tournament... They are a game away from going to State and no matter what they have been a great group of guys giving it their all... With the high temps in the forecast I am sure most of the time we will just hang around the pool and home... I do have to go grocery shopping and plan meals and somehow that takes the idea of a holiday weekend away and just really takes it back to a ordinary everyday in the country... for a woman anyway...
      Today I have pictured where we will be spending our time and a picture of a antique hat pin holder and old pins... I am going to make a little tag to hang from this to embellish it. The holder and pins were purchased at Ft. Defiance Antiques here in Defiance, Ohio... a couple weeks ago... I do love collecting hat pins but don't purchase many anymore... If we happen to travel somewhere and stop at a shop I always look as they are a treat to find and remember the outing... We just don't travel much anymore either... A couple years ago I did a post on pins and some of their history... I found the one fact very interesting and will share it with you again... Hat pins usually are 6 inches to 12 inches in size. Ornate usually and functional according to the size of the hat it was needed for to secure ... In 1908 a English Judge found it necessary during woman suffragette groups to make a law that the hatpin be no longer than 9 inches as it was feared to be used as a weapon... By 1942 the wearing of hats and the need for hatpins started falling out of fashion as in the years before... I think this makes the hatpins a very desirable collectors passion...
     Wanted to wish you all a safe and pleasing Holiday weekend... I do believe a large portion of mine will be spend watering flowers as we are in desperate need of rain... What the lack of water hasn't taken care of the wind has joined in and continues to whip and shred....It has not been a good start to our summer here in our area as many lawns, gardens and fields and crops are in high stress....
      Be safe.....

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

It Only Happens Once A Year

I allow myself the luxury of adding to my collection only once a year the passion for a lovely beaded Victorian purse.. When my eyes saw this one I knew it was time to do so... I was very pleased when it arrived by mail Monday... The purse is very lovely and in very nice condition.. I displayed it for now in one of my glass cloches but it will end up hanging on the wall display with others in my collection..
     I rarely find a Victorian or lovely purse anywhere in our area and if the shoppe does happen to have one it is usually priced way beyond what I can imagine spending...
     The history of Victorian purses begins with Queen Victoria who had to dress for her station in life... 1837-1901 era.
     Pre 1800 the purse began as a symbol... more than a useful accessory... wedding purses filled with money were given as a symbol of the womb... which would hopefully soon be filled as well.  The purse has been associated with womanhood...
    These purses have came all through the years and are still a everyday essential to a woman of today. Purses reveal much about history of woman, and her movement out of the home into the modern world..
      I just find the collecting these lovely reminders of past history with the beautiful bead work and elegant clasps and delicate chains to be rewarding and lovely for the eye...

Friday, May 18, 2012

Our Little Slice Of Country Acres


I have been out in the back yard space this morning and thought I would snap a few pics to share with you of our little slice of country acres... As  you can see in the pics we can see for sections over the country side and I know it not of mansion size but it is perfect for our casual and country lifestyle... I have completed most of what I am going to do for this year outside of adding a couple objects to the fence... Now it is time to just enjoy the moments.. I shared pictures of my outdoor space in the front a post or so ago... This back yard outdoor space we spend almost all our hours here eating and relaxing and yes, of course ,we do have to labor and keep it up... Celebrating a balance of contentment in life is very important to our mental health and production and happiness. Not having to wake to a alarm clock after about 55 ears seems like heaven itself... Walking out and sipping coffee poolside in ones jammies and not have to run off anywhere at any special time is one of life's special rewards to me as I am such a homebody and need not to always be on the road... I do have a schedule one day a week however that is on Tuesday for woman's golf league but that is my only one for leaving the house at a special time... Otherwise it is just celebrating home and enjoying the moments God is allowing me to have....

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Timeless



I have been MIA most of this past week spending all time extra in my outdoor spaces making ready for summer use... Planting is completed for this year except for a sweet potato vine to climb up the old hoe handle and if I can find some flowering Kale...The back space is about 98% done also... Pics next week or so when the pool is completely ready and minus it's solar blanket which doesn't make for lovely pictures... I am pleased with the spaces and stayed on a very tight budget with the touches of romance with the use of vintage objects and old china.. Garden and outdoor spaces make such lovely gathering places..
    As soon as I post this I have some very old silverware I want to tuck in a couple of the pots in the back and a couple more china dishes to bury in the ground... This space is designed for a very simple living and even with the pool I like to keep the country feel  with the charm and not so elegant... Just a touch of glam mixed with the timeworn and distressed makes it my style...
    Well I am off ... to do my projects.. Will share more next week... Ps. In the picture with the old buggy ... the beautiful plant in the buggy is a Mothers Day gift from Tom's daughter Trish and her family... It is just lovely and I can view it from my picture window in the living room when now outside to enjoy it... The front porch as you can see I keep very simple as most of our time is spent in the back area... Planning on at least a lovely hour today to sit stretched out on one of our lounges ... with a book and listening to the soft harmony of the chimes Tom purchased for me... The money spend has proved to be worth every dollar... They are so very lovely to the ear...  Best of wishes sent your way for a very pleasant Mother's Day ... Enjoy the moments....

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Faith and Hope

The sun was out for about a hour this morning and now it appears more rain is setting in... Our area really hasn't been able to complete many outdoor chores due to rain in forecast for several days at a time... Trees are shedding the helicopters and now stems ... hopefully all of this will end by next week so some clean up may be completed...
      Lighting hit out home the early morning hours on Monday and with it took out both our 43 inch plasma television sets and the dish receivers... They have been hauled off to be checked and have paper work on them for insurance purposes... We also lost the chest freezer in our basement.... I am not expecting the Tv situation to be taken care of till next week sometime ... Haven't heard the result of Tvs yet.... and new boxes we are awaiting... Oh it's the patience thing that is not by virtue by any means... We will shop for a new freezer this afternoon.. With all this taking place I have not been really accomplishing  much with any extras around the home leaving me just somewhat frustrated also... I am finding I do not handle this as well as I did at one time... find the rolling with the punches somewhat harder in more than one way....I do know in my heart it will all be taken care of and most likely soon forgotten... My heart is heavy however with the families that have totally lost homes... I honestly don't know where a person would start to rebuilt and know you would have to will your body with faith and hope.... Take a few moments on how really blessed you are today...  right this minute.. and be thankful...

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Trip To Blissfield Michigan


  
Saturday Tom and I traveled to Blissfield Michigan to a open house and then back around the Toledo area and then out to supper with his brother... I did purchase a couple finds.... the framed blackboard is about 30 inches long... nice size and the silver tray 24 inches without the handles.... The two items I choose was from "Patina" and I saw many others I would have enjoyed.... Also in Maumee we stopped at Maumee at the Andersons and I ask for wind chimes... The gentleman ask if I wanted tinkle, tinkle or serious chimes... Of course I told him serious wind chimes and I found them... One serious wind chimes was 249.00... I choose the next one down from that serious wind chime as I wasn't quite that serious... I now have soft and gentle sounds that sounds like they are coming from a church organ much of the day... I have always been drawn to wind chimes and know I will find them relaxing as I enjoy our outdoor space by the pool whenever the weather settles... Our temps are fairly good for this week but rain in the forecast several more days.... More patience is going to be required...  I will snap some pics of outdoor space as the weather permits ....