Buttons

See these dirty nasty bottles.



See these cute bottles full of buttons.





Soap, water, and a little color makes everything look better! They are now in my etsy shop. I'm going to work on some more tonight. I have a different idea for the lids on the next ones. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Sandi!!!

Today is my first born child's birthday. When you arrived on the scene, I thought you were mad at the world. You had a big frown & cried a lot. Now you always have a smile, sometimes even when you're crying on the inside.

You have a great gift of getting along with everyone & you have always stood up for the underdog. You always want to make sure everyone has an equal chance in life.

You have always been a list maker & would plan our vacation down to the last detail. Who knew you would still be making lists?

You were always trying to teach your little sister things, even how to take a bath. I should have known you would become a teacher. You hated track and didn't like to run, but have become a runner since your high school days. You liked the Gong Show, Richard Simmons, & the Galloping Gourmet. You still like to exercise and make food look pretty...even though you don't like to cook.

You are a beautiful & wonderful daughter, Mom, sister, granddaughter & teacher. I am very proud of you & all you have accomplished.

Life has thrown you some curves, but you have overcome them & become a stronger person. Keep on smiling!

Roses are yellow,
Lilacs are purple,
Today on your ?? birthday,
Stay mellow!

I love you very much! Have a Happy Birthday, Sandi!!

Random Thoughts

I saw the first scissor-tail yesterday! Grandad always said it wouldn't freeze anymore after the scissor-tails arrived. This one was heading south as fast as he could. I think he was a little early.

Tally made the dance team at her school! She called Friday night to tell Behm. I haven't talked to her yet, but I know she is excited. The last day they were here she stayed on the internet & practiced a routine all afternoon.

Behm must have planted snow in our garden one day while I was working (napping more likely). I hope the other things we planted stay longer than the snow did.

Auction Goodies

There were 2 auctions in Henrietta yesterday. I went to one & they cancelled it due to the weather. Not enough crazy people like me showed up to buy things.

The other one was at a church that has built a new sanctuary & they were selling everything they didn't want along with the salvage rights to the church. No, I didn't buy the church, but would have loved to have had the old tin ceiling tiles, stained glass windows, & all the beautiful woodwork. The windows & tiles were already sold, but I'm sure I couldn't have afforded to buy them. Plus, it would have taken a huge ladder to take it all down & I'm scared of heights.

Anyway, I did manage to buy a few items & resisted more. I bought a table full of silk flower arrangements, baskets, a small Christian flag, games, craft items, & a food processor that looks like it has never been used.







After I came home & unloaded all these treasures, I went to Wichita Falls to the Adult Literacy Council book sale & was in heaven! Books everywhere & not enough time to read them all. I did get 6 new hardback books and these 2 old ones. I just love the graphics on them.




It was a pretty good day, despite the cold wind. One of the scarves I bought last week came in handy because I wore that to cover my ears. I really didn't look like a fashionista, but staying warm is more important to me than looking great!

Snow

It snowed this morning for about an hour. I planned on going to an auction today in Henrietta, but don't know if I'm tough enough to stand the cold wind. Not too many people will get out, so there might be lots of bargains. I might be the only crazy person to brave the elements and come home with everything I'm interested in.

I guess I'll just put on an extra layer of thermal underwear. I think I just talked myself into going. I've got to restock the inventory!

Update: Just read my horoscope & it said I might find great things. Now I really need to get ready & go!

Flying

I was watching this huge cloud building & exploding yesterday afternoon. It just kept getting bigger & bigger and then this plane came into view. After it got past the cloud, it turned back towards DFW. I guess it had to fly around the cloud, because I usually don't see planes in that flight pattern here. It might have gotten a little rough flying through all that energy.

I heard later that there was hail & a tornado sighted in Montague County. Fortunately we didn't get that.

Darkness

Electricity is a wonderful thing! Shortly after 5 this morning, the electricity went off. I didn't realize how dark it is without all the little lights that are normally on . . . alarm clocks, television, computer, refrigerator. I stumbled around until I lit some candles and could find the flashlight and my camera to take pictures. Isn't taking pictures the first thing you think of when the electricity goes off?

It's foggy this morning, so no moonlight & without the security lights outside it was dark. No water because the water pump runs on electricity. No cooking because the stove has an electric starter to light the burners.

I don't know how people read without electric lights. We have handwritten court papers from the 1880's in the office & I never thought about the people having to write those by kerosene lanterns or by candlelight until now. I thought I had it rough with our fluorescent lights blinking on & off at different times of the day. I'll be more grateful for what we have.

They got the problem fixed about an hour later & I'm thankful for the people who work for the electric company. I don't think anyone would have wanted me to go to work without a shower!

Beauty

Spring break is over and everyone is back to their routines. I'm back to work, planting the garden, junking, & taking pictures of Texas & Colorado beauties.

Junk Finds

After Sandi & Sonya cleaned me out of unnecessary things, I had to buy more. My room felt empty! 2 garage sales & $18.00 later this is what I added:

An old metal letter & wooden speaker from a school.



A new purse & shoes.




Old Sunday School posters with glittered letters & flower prints. I love the pink & brown one.




Vintage cowgirl & horse picture & floral metal trash can.




Vintage Christmas cards & Valentines!




Sign to go in my kitchen.



I also bought books, records & a glass & metal spice stand. I have an idea cooking in my head, but may just sell them on eBay. Pretty good day of junking!

Happy Birthday Sonya!!!

Today is my baby's 33rd birthday! You have always been an independent person and wanted to do things by yourself even when I thought you were too young. Whenever we went on vacations, you were always the one who met other kids. You never smiled much when you were younger, more on the serious side. There aren't too many pictures of you because you didn't like having your picture taken.

Your independence and ability to meet new people have been a big help in living away from family. You are still serious, but with a wonderful sense of humor also. Oh and you smile more now.

Sonya, I have seen you grow and mature into a beautiful and loving young woman. You are a wonderful Mom, wife, sister, granddaughter and daughter! I am very proud of you and you will never truly know how much you are loved.

I know things haven't been perfect, but life seems to interrupt fairy tale endings. We just have to write new endings that fit our lives and try to make them turn out for the best.

Roses are pink,
Daisies are white,
Sometimes life stinks,
But most times it's right!

Thought you were going to get by without my famous poetry writing this birthday, didn't you?! LOL!

Happy Birthday Sonya!! I love you!!

Going Green

This little guy is an elf, but could be a leprechaun if you changed his hat.



Green glassware.





These green items are some of Mama & Daddy's collection. Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Fiesta Success

The Fiesta birthday party was a huge success! I turned a milk can into a cactus, made tissue paper flowers in between dusting, and cooked dinner to celebrate Sandi & Sonya's birthdays. Sandi requested tacos, so the fiesta theme seemed appropriate. I prepared a Cherry Delight for dessert, an old favorite of Sonya's. Mama, Daddy, Sandi, John, Sonya, Mia, Julian, Behm & I were celebrating a year's worth of birthdays too. We had beef & chicken tacos, refried beans, Spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, chips, quesadillas, & Cherry Delight.




After lunch the store was open, and everybody went shopping, even Julian! It was a great dig through boxes kind of day & thanks to Sandi, Sonya, Mia, Julian & Mama I have several boxes of treasures that are going to new homes. My room looks better & I have a start on getting it organized.

The girls & Julian spent the night and we started digging through boxes again this morning. Julian woke up sick and didn't feel well all day.

Mia & I tried our hands at the cake balls that Bakerella does, but I'm sure not Bakerella! We had fun decorating them though!



This afternoon we went to Mama & Daddy's & visited with them. We really had a great visit despite a few setbacks. The cake balls weren't perfect, Julian didn't feel like helping us, and I did not get one picture of us celebrating!

Birthday Party Time!

I've been busy doing this:



Getting ready for this:




We're having a birthday party for Sandi & Sonya today! All my spiders are homeless now, at least the ones I could see. Gotta run only a few more hours to cook, vacuum, & I'm making a new dish!

Dolls

Mama loves dolls! This is just one display case. Daddy used a cabinet that was in my old house, painted it and had glass fronts put in the doors.



These are her Native American dolls. Let's take a closer look.








I'll show more treasures those 2 living dolls have in later posts.

Pass the Salt Please

These two salt & pepper shakers were Grandma Kinney's. I also have the bread box that matches.



These belonged to Behm's grandmother. It also has a toothpick holder that is in the last picture.



The 2 brown ones were Grandma Kinney's. The yellow ones, Behm & I dug out of his Grandmother's burn barrel. She passed away before we were married & hadn't lived at that house several years before she died. The creamer is broken on one side. The cat was Mama's. One of her legs is missing.



I remember Mama, Daddy, Grammy, Grandad, Gloria & I visiting Grandma Pipes in Illinois. Aunt Mary, Grammy's sister, lived down the street from her & she had hundreds of salt & pepper shakers. It might not have been that many, but I was younger & had never seen that many before. I've often wondered what happened to them. I hope someone is loving them as much as I love mine.