The Best Things

The best things are nearest: breath
in your nostrils, light in your eyes,
flowers at your feet, duties at your
hand, the path of Right just before
you. Do not grasp at the stars,
but do life’s plain common work as
it comes, certain that daily duties
and daily bread are the sweetest
things in life.

From ‘Whispers Of Blessing:
Daily Encouragement For Women’
published by Barbour
Artwork: ‘Laundry Day’
Kay Shannon, artist
available at art.com

Why?

I look at your heavens,
which you made with your fingers.
I see the moon and stars,
which you created.
But why are people even important to you?
Why do you take care of human beings?

Psalm 8:3-4
(New Century Version)

A Dream Come True

On our recent vacation in San Francisco a long-time way-back-from-college-days dream came true. I think perhaps I had set it aside – not forgotten it – but when it was clear that the day had come to see the fulfillment of that dream I ‘pulled it forward’ in my heart, shared it with my sweetheart and then he shared my joy the moment it was accomplished! My dream? To sail under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now, in the big scheme of things – the picture of life – that doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming accomplishment. But it had been an important put-on-hold thing for over forty years! Actually, I didn’t have any idea that it would finally come true on this trip. You see, the way in which it came true wasn’t planned. Not at all! We bought a booklet of tickets - a package-deal - for places to go and things to do in the San Francisco area. It was a bargain. A good deal! Everything was planned. All in place. Until we arrived on the chosen morning to take our tour of Alcatraz. What we found was that there had been a mix-up and we didn’t have reservations or tickets to get on the tour boat going to Alcatraz. We had tickets to go on the Bay Cruise – a cruise I had gone on twice before during my college days. The Bay Cruise tickets that come in the booklet were supposed to be swapped for Alcatraz Tour tickets when I called to make reservations for the Alcatraz Tour. But that had not happened. We were told there was no way we could get on the chosen tour that day or any other day that we were in The City. They were booked too far ahead! Sorry, they said. So, my sweetheart and I walked away toward the Bay Cruise dock. I was very disappointed and upset! As we walked I felt such unrest about the situation that I asked my sweetheart if we could just stop along the seawall and pray together that I would have peace and that our cruise on the Bay would be blessed with joy. We prayed together and I felt a sense of peace fill my heart! As we walked toward the dock to board the boat I began to feel excitement welling up in my heart. We arrived in time for the next boat scheduled to board and leave within a few minutes of our arrival. Perfect timing!

As we stood in line I shared with my sweetheart the dream I had held in my heart since my college years in San Francisco. A group of students had gone on the Bay cruise together. Everyone – except for two of us - stayed inside the cabin to view the sights from the warmth and safety there. But two of us ventured outside to stand right at the ‘point’ of the bow. Not unusual except for the fact that the waters were choppy and the weather threatened to pour rain on us at any moment! And at times the swells of water were so big they splashed up over the bow of the boat and us! Bay Cruise boats go under the Golden Gate Bridge and turn around near where the Bay and the Pacific Ocean meet. As we approached the Bridge that day the Captain announced over the speaker system that the Coast Guard would not allow us to go under the Bridge because of the big swells on the water. It was too dangerous! That day, in my disappointment, I told my friend that someday I would sail under the Golden Gate Bridge. And I knew I would – I just thought it would be sooner than it was!

The day my sweetheart and I planned to be on a boat on the Bay was cloudy, threatening rain showers. The day before had been gorgeous – clear skies, sunny, hot! As the boat pulled away from the dock, heavy clouds covered the top of the Bridge. To the north we could see that the clouds were lifting and blue skies were beginning to appear.

Soon the north end of the Bridge was free from clouds, showing her golden expanse. But the south end was still touched by clouds.

As we approached the Bridge - closer and closer – I realized that my long-held dream was about to come true. My sweetheart shared my anticipation.

After a bit, with much anticipation, we were under the Bridge – moving toward the Pacific Ocean!

And then we were on the other side – the mission was accomplished! A crowd had gathered on the bow of the boat with us – they were completely unaware, totally oblivious, to what had just happened. A dream had come true! A promise fulfilled! A sweetheart and his wife exchanging smiles and a thumbs up!

There we were – on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Seeing it from the west. Looking past it to The City skyline and Alcatraz in the middle of the Bay. And it didn’t matter – not at all – that we weren’t touring the famous island. What mattered was that God had allowed the dream in a young girl’s heart to come true many years later. And He waited for her to share it with the man of her dreams, the love of her life – her sweetheart!

Was the problem with the tickets a mistake? I don’t think so! As we disembarked at the dock and moved on to the rest of our day together in The City my heart was full of gratitude. I had a new sense of how much my Heavenly Father loves me - not because I'm special but because He loves to do special things for His children. And He had taken what seemed like a huge disappointment and turned it into the fulfillment of a dream. And it brought such joy!

A Giveaway And A Special Surprise

My dear friend, Miss Betty, of Sammy Girl fame is celebrating her fiftieth post with a giveaway. She has some wonderful things planned to share with someone special. You can read more about them here and here. If you are fortunate enough to have your name drawn you will receive these pretties (except for the sweet mug – her dear daughter ‘needed’ it!).

And there’s more! We don’t know what it will be yet but it should be something very special! You see, Miss Betty is in London and she plans to bring something home to add to this wonderful collection of treasures for someone very special. It could be YOU! It could be ME! All you have to do is leave a comment on Miss Betty’s posts and your name will be added to the drawing when she returns from London in a few days.

I’ll vouch for the wonder of these pretty things. I’ve seen them. Up close and personal. Right in front of me. But I didn’t touch – honest, I did NOT touch them. I was tempted but nosireesir, not me – I did not yield to temptation. You see, my sweetheart and I are keeping an eye on Miss Betty’s home and her wonderful looks-like-a-tiger cat, Rusty, while they are away. These lovelies are resting right where she left them – displayed as you see them. And, oh, are they beautiful! They make my heart sing!

Organizing and Storage Advice

Help! I have a problem – I need to find the best way to store my extra dishes, teacups, teapots and silver serving pieces. I’m stumped! A bit lost! I need your advice – how and where do you store all of your pretty, and often breakable, pieces that grace your table and buffet settings.

Where do you keep them? In a closet? A pantry? A spare closet? In-house storage? Do you have a Butler’s Pantry? Or, do you have a place in the garage?

And how do you store them? Stacked? Carefully wrapped and packaged? In cute little cubbies and nooks and crannies? In plastic storage? In cardboard boxes?

I have a small house with limited storage and I want to store the things that have I have accumulated. Some are in boxes in the garage but they are not easy to get to and easily retrieved. I have open shelves that would hold plastic or cardboard storage containers but I wonder what is most useful. What is most efficient? If they are too hard to get to – and to put away – I will not use them often. And I DO want to use them.

Some of you have millions of pieces of china and the accompanying serving pieces and accessories. What is your best advice?

Inquiring blog friends need to know!

Photos compliments of:
art.com
Victoria Magazine
Southern Accent Magazine

Quiet In The City

On our recent trip to San Francisco we spent a bit of time at The Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District. The Palace of Fine Arts was originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. The Exposition was in honor of the discovery of the Pacific Ocean and the completion of the Panama Canal. It also celebrated the ‘resurrection’ of San Francisco after the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906.

Strangely enough, on our recent visit I felt as though something was not right – this didn’t seem to be as I recalled. It had been many, many years since I had first visited this beautiful place and I wondered if my memory was fading. At times I was puzzled that it seemed so different this time. Then I read of the history of this monument of honor and I was quite relieved to learn that shortly after I left San Francisco and my college years there so long ago, the Palace was moved to a different location and completely restored and refurbished. Whew – what a relief! The puzzle pieces all fit. Now my mind (and memory) could rest and be at ease!

The inspiration for this place of beauty, designed by Bernard Maybeck, came from Roman and Greek architecture. The sculptured frieze and allegorical figures representing Contemplation, Wonderment and Meditation were created by Ulric Ellerhusan.

Renovation to restore the interior of the dome, the walkways around the Palace and retrofit the structures for earthquake safety was completed early this year.

It seemed as if there was a sense of awe and quiet whenever anyone stepped inside and stood under the dome.

(It was humorous to watch quite a few people lie on the ground in the center, under the dome, in order to photograph the design high overhead. And there were quite a few ‘interesting’ ways to pose people for photos of the dome and detail high above. Fearing that I wouldn’t be able to get up again, and choosing to maintain my ladylike decorum, I, however, preferred to bend and lean and angle the camera in an attempt to capture the images we saw!)

Columns and pillars and sculptures abound. They capture the eye and the imagination and give a sense that you have stepped into another world.

The lagoon was designed to echo those found in classical settings in Europe. The surface of the water mirrors the reflection of the grand structures above.

As we walked along the pathway toward the lagoon our hearts were captured by three, small hummingbirds that were hard at work gathering food. Such sweet and tiny creatures – seemingly oblivious to the crowds that passed by.

It was amazing how this quiet place in the heart of the hustle and bustle of city life could slow the pace and calm the soul. It didn’t seem possible that just steps away from here we would soon rejoin the fast-paced movement of pedestrians and vehicles again. But during the time we wandered through the beauty and quiet in the city we felt we had stepped into another world and that we had been touched by the heart and soul of those who created this place so long ago.

Tea To Go

While I continue to edit and organize the millions of photos taken during our recent vacation I want to share a new ‘find’ with you. I’m excited to have this little treasure that will add a touch of class, a few moments of relaxed refreshment and just a bit of 'me' to our little cabin-on-wheels. For some time I have been on a mission to make our travel trailer a home-away-from-home – give it a touch of ‘us’ and the feeling that it is more than just the average RV. Unlike all the others on the lot or in the park. In my quest to do so I decided something was missing – a teacup and a little teapot! It wasn’t long before I decided what those pieces should look like. Then the hunt was on! On a recent Friday out with my dear little mother we garage sale-d right into the perfect garage filled with treasures galore. And there, sitting atop its box, was exactly what I was looking for. This was the one! Just what I needed. And the price was unbelievable.

It’s a ‘one-piece, all-in-one’ set, easily stored in my little home-where-I-go home. And the colors are perfect – my favorites. It is a ‘hardy’ little set, not too fragile – just right! When I’m ready for tea it easily becomes. . .

A teapot and a teacup. For one! When I showed it to my sweetheart he said he didn’t want to be responsible for ‘protecting’ it when he takes the trailer to hunting camp. It would certainly get broken. My response? Oh, my dear, you have no idea how many things I take out of there before you ever leave home! Things that have no place with the guys at hunting camp. I think he was surprised, but it’s true. Some things just don’t work when it’s a guy-place. This one is truly a special girl-thing, a me-thing, a pretty thing. It will only go to hunting camp the day that I go to hunting camp! Picture this: the men will be running through the woods chasing whatever they chase. And I – I will be lounging in the comfort and style of my little cabin-on-wheels in the woods nearby. Curled up on my couch of luxury, surrounded by my pretties. Drinking tea!