Finds and Treasures (3)

The sun was out today and it was warm in our part of the Pacific Northwest. A perfect day for garage sale-ing! My dear little mother and I had a good time together at a few sales and we both came home with new treasures. Our favorite today was at a local church - a fundraiser to help kids go to summer camp. This was the second day of the sale. Shortly after we arrived they announced that everything was $1.00 per bag. As much as you could get into a bag! We got a lot in our bags and had such fun. I bought a couple of items that were too big for bags and they counted them as each being 'in' a bag. Two items that would have been much more were now $1.00. What fun.

A cute gold half-bucket. . .

Wooden 'firecrackers' for Fourth of July decorations. . .A cute soft stacking toy for Mr. H.'s enjoyment when he comes to Grandma's house. . .And a BIG Christmas snowglobe of the nativity. It plays 'Silent Night' as two beautiful angels look on and little cherubs go round and round at the base.There were linens and other treasures that did not photograph well in my evening light. I will share them soon when I can use more natural light to show their beauty.

Once again we had a day that will stay in our memories. A day together that was filled with laughter and fun.

My Three Sons

Do you remember the TV show "My Three Sons"? Every time I am with my son and his three boys I think of that program from my youth. When I watch him with his boys I feel like humming the theme song. Of course he doesn't have any idea what I'm talking about. There must be a video of the shows somewhere.

Sunday afternoon we drove a ways south of our home to visit our son, daughter-in-law and their three sons. My dear little mother went with us and we had such a great time together with our grandsons and their mommy and daddy. There was a lot of laughter and fun. We were amazed how much each of the boys have grown and they shared with pride some projects and their plans for busy summer days. We heard of baseball games played and vacation plans being made. Kids have such a wonderful perspective on life! Most of all we just enjoyed being together.

The three boys get along well together and enjoy each other. Mr. R. is just past my shoulder and enjoying the thought that one of these days he will be taller than his Grandma. Mr. G. is busy and always has profound thoughts about life. Mr. H. is a busy little guy- crawling and beginning to pull himself up to stand. Soon he will walk and life will present new adventures everywhere.Mr. G. and Mr. H. played together for a bit. Mr. G. played a little toy horn for his little brother.Mr. R. and Mr. G played together by their daddy's feet. Mr. H. made his way to the window by the front door. He stood and jabbered and discussed something important with whoever would listen. (I have a picture of Mr. G. at the same window when he was much smaller.)Soon his brothers joined him.We ate a wonderful supper together and enjoyed the evening's conversation. Before we left for home my sweetheart read Curious George - a familiar favorite from our son's childhood - to Mr. R. and Mr. G. (Mr. H. was busily eating Cheerios in his high chair nearby.)Our time together went by much too fast. Soon it was time for us to give hugs and kisses, say goodbye and head for home. We will return again soon to spend time with them - our son and his three sons. Until then sweet memories will return and bring smiles to our faces and joy to our hearts. Again and again and again.

May We Never Forget

Happy Memorial Day.

May we never forget the sacrifice of those who have given their lives for our freedom.

I'm proud to be an American,

Where at least I know I'm free,

And I won't forget the men who died,

Who gave that right to me

And I'll proudly stand next to him

To defend her still today,

'Cuz there ain't no doubt I love this land,

God bless the USA.

-Lee Greenwood

Artwork: 'American Pride'

Artist: David Doss

Compliments of Art.com

Psalm Of Praise

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

Slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all;

He has compassion on all He has made. . .

The Lord is faithful to all His promises

And loving toward all He has made.

The Lord upholds all those who fall
And lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

And you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand

And satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways

And loving toward all He has made.

The Lord is near to all who call on Him,

to all who call on Him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;

He hears the desires of those who fear Him;

He hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord watches over all who love Him. . .

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

Let every creature praise His holy name forever and ever.

Psalm 145:8-21

Finds and Treasures (2)

I am a bit behind schedule with my second Friday Finds. A whole day behind! I worked most of yesterday altering and hanging new curtains in my dear little mother's kitchen window. I was away from home most of the day. Some things didn't go as smoothly or as quickly as hoped but the end result was just what we envisioned. Just right!

Recent thrifting has added a few more new things to my collection of treasures. I don't know what I will put in this pair of cute little frames but I couldn't leave them behind.This sweet little pitcher has found a home in my kitchen. When I saw this darling blue and white teacup I couldn't believe the price. A real bargain.The birds inside the cup. . .And around the saucer make me smile.This beautiful teacup was the same great price as the first one. My photos don't do it justice! My first cup and saucer made in. . .The delicate accent inside of the cup. . .and every detail is just perfect.I'll share more finds again next week. On Friday! And now I think I'll make some tea and enjoy one of these new cups.

Spring Beauty

Spring is such a lovely time of year in my part of world. I love the colors of the trees and flowers around town. Recently I stepped outside with my camera and walked around my yard to see what was blooming.

Late-blooming tulips

Pink Scilla

A Red Rhododendron

Snow on the Mountain

Big Purple 'Bachelor Buttons'

Joseph's Coat

Mexican Orange

Lilacs

Lavendar

And my neighbor's Molus Azalea nearby.

The beauty continues around town. This pink rhodie shows her color on a busy corner near our post office.

Our town is filled with Springtime color everywhere. I wish you could see it with me. What fun we would have!

His Hands

His Hands can move the mountains

His Hands can calm the sea

His Hands can hold the sparrow

His Hands hold you and me

His Hands hold all creation

And through His Hands, salvation

I can rest my soul

I can rest my soul. . .in His Hands

Song: 'His Hands'

Written by Bonnie Knopf

A Gift From The Heart

I couldn't let today pass without wishing my sweetheart, Dave, a happy birthday here. He would prefer that his day goes by in a quiet, unadvertised way. By his choice there was no special celebration for him today. Tomorrow after church my dear little mother will join us here at our home for a dinner prepared just for him. This dear man who I love with my whole heart gave a gift to someone else today. The gift of himself and his strength. He is a gentle, tender man who cherishes opportunities to bless others in helping ways. So, today, one of the hottest days of our year so far - by his choice - he headed up a crew of men from our church to meet at my dear mother's home, joining together to put their hands to a task that required much energy and hrad work. He chose this day to completely sand her good-sized deck and prepare it for new stain. A job that needed to be accomplished last summer. Every time he scheduled a crew to help him we had rain. Lots of rain last summer. Today he gave the gift of himself. On his birthday, much to my dear mother's protests. Soon she will be able to use her deck to relax, visit and entertain friends and enjoy her beautiful back yard. More than a job well done. A gift on his birthday to her. A gift from his heart.

I love you, my sweetheart, and I admire and respect the Godly qualities that make you the person you are. I am so glad - and blessed - that God chose me to share life with you. On this day we celebrate more than your birth - we celebrate YOU!

Blue Skies

Blue skies

Smiling at me

Nothing but blue skies

Do I see

Bluebirds

Singing a song

Nothing but bluebirds

All day long

Never saw the sun shining so bright

Never saw things going so right

Noticing the days hurrying by

When you're in love, my how they fly

Blue days

All of them gone

Nothing but blue skies

From now on

Sunny and warm here today. And blue skies! Not.a.cloud.in.the.sky. Not one. Not anywhere!

A Pioneer Home

An original log cabin - part of the Old Aurora Colony Museum complex - gives an idea of early life in our area.My dear mother and I enjoyed touring the little cabin and we often commented about how different their lives were from ours today.

The Steinbach cabin was built in 1875 to house George and Katherine Steinbach and their five children. The cabin was originally built on the bank of the Willamette River, about four miles north of Aurora. It is built with cedar logs and chinked with mud and straw. The Steinbachs lived in the cabin for seven years. It is one of three surviving cabins from the colony. The pieces of furniture within the cabin are original colonial artifacts, a portion of which were used by the Steinbachs.

The kitchen 'sink'. . .

A stove used by the lady of the house. . .

Kitchen storage and. . .

Useful gadgets and serving pieces give a glimpse of life in a pioneer kitchen.

Fredrick Miley, Mrs. Steinbach’s father, came to live with the family at a later time. To accommodate his needs, a lean-to addition with a separate entrance was added. This turned the cabin into what we now call a duplex. (You can see the addition and 'Grandpa's' entrance in the first picture above.) Originally there was a wall at the back of his room that separated his living quarters from the rest of the family. In that wall was a door that allowed him to enter and join the family in the main cabin. The wall has been removed to allow more efficient tours of cabin. A lovely old bed is displayed in 'Grandpa's room'.

A little wood stove kept 'Grandpa' warm. A washstand. . . And chamberpots under the bed. . .Provide all the comforts of home.

It is hard to imagine the challenges and struggles faced within the walls of this little pioneer home. No matter how hard their lives were, I'm sure there was laughter and singing. And the joyful voices of children. Sweet children. What more could a family ask?

Mother's Day Flowers

I love flowers. Anytime. Any place. For any occasion. For no occasion. Flowers seem to bring a sweet sense of something special to a room. When given by someone special they have deep meaning that is often not spoken. Roses are my favorites. Yellow roses. In the assortment of rose bushes around my yard there was only a miniature tree rose with tiny, sweet yellow roses. But there were no 'regular' yellow roses. Until now. My sweetheart gave me a beautiful yellow rose bush for Mother's Day. He will help me plant it in the backyard where I can see it from the kitchen and dining room windows. And the patio.

My dear little mother always give me a Mother's Day gift. I never know what wonderful things she has found and hidden away for that very special day when she celebrates motherhood with me. This year she gave me a gorgeous Martha Washington geranium for my patio. Or porch. Or wherever I choose to put it.Our church gave carnations to each lady 18 and over on Sunday. Our pastor and his wife struggled through several Mother's Days without children. It was painful for her and often brought tears. Then God surprised them with a son and later another son, now grown. They never forget that Mother's Day is not always a joyful day for every lady in the congregation so all ladies are celebrated. Mothers, Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers are honored and a gift always awaits each lady at the end of the service. This year when nearly everyone was gone my dear mother and I were told that the remaining flowers would be thrown away if no one took them. Did we know someone who would appreciate them? Someone to bless with them? You bet I do! I brought them all home and kept them in water until this morning. Just before I left for the first care center where I minister on Tuesdays I put them into plastic to retain the moisture. They were in my arms as I walked through the door and handed them to the Activity Director to share with the residents. Everyone around us was thrilled and one man faultingly said, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!' By the time I was ready to leave the building I saw small bouquets of carnations in different places. On side tables in the hallway. At the nurse's station. In the dining room. Every place that could be seen by the residents as they come and go through their day. And I smiled, knowing how they brightened the lives of the special people I have come to love. Simple, small things mean so much. Flowers that would be thrown away. Unexpected blessings.