Slumber Party Brunches

When I was in grammar school slumber parties were the thing to do. I loved them and they all had quite a bit in common--the mothers used paper plates or mix-matched china so it wouldn't matter if breakage occurred. Plastic place mats and paper napkins completed the place setting. We usually got a choice of cereals or packaged cinnamon buns. This was not the case at our house. My mother pulled out her best china--Concord by Haviland to be exact--and even used the sterling silver. [It was my job to polish it the week before.] She used juice glasses of the thinnest glass and never cringed when she heard them clink against something, at least I never saw her! We had big, snowy white cloth napkins and she always called it brunch, not breakfast. She'd make toast points with the edges cut off, scrambled eggs with bacon crumbled on top and some kind of fresh fruit, usually strawberries. I'm sure not even the Ritz would have been more impressive to us at that age. I've always thought my mother the epitome of a southern lady. At 95 years of age she still is. And I will never, ever forget her serving a bunch of clumsy little girls brunch on her best china.

I had these in the shop one year and we were down to the last pair--I couldn't make myself sell them, I had to keep them. Now they occupy the front room that I love and they are very happy there.

White Barn Cottage

This is the welcoming entrance to the upstairs of White Barn Cottage aka The Rose Garden. I use white lights all year long, not just during the Holiday Season. They are so lovely, why not all the time? At least that's what I think. Anyway, the fairies like them. This is now my favorite room [other than my workroom, of course!] and its done in soft white, apple green, and black.

Full Bloom

The pink flowering Apricot in full regalia! She looks like a bridesmaid ready to precede the bride down the walkway!

Such a Thrill!

A beautiful little crocus--one of the first signs of Spring!
Does this thrill you? It thrills me!!!

Mittie's and Jessie's Daffodils

Mittie and Jessie lived up the road in a tiny little white frame house. They fished in the pond every day of the summer months, worked their vegetable garden, and sat on their porch with fans in the late afternoons. They smiled and waved at me every day as I walked home from the bus and always let me pick jonquils for Mother. Their little house is long gone now and so are the jonquils but before it was torn down I spent days digging up Mittie's and Jessie's daffodils. I now have them planted all the way down the road on both sides. They are the small early daffodils, some might call them "the common daffodil" but they are dear to me. I have been collecting and planting jonquils for several years now and have thousands of many different varieties, all colors, shapes, and sizes. Still I love the little early bloomers that I remember as a child blooming their heads off and filling up that little postage stamp yard. When I knew the house was going to be torn down I decided I would dig as many as I could and line the road
with them as a legacy to Mittie and Jessie. They are coming up now and these were the very first to open.

The Flowering Pink Apricot Tree

Always the earliest to bloom, this flowering pink apricot tree is a tease! She makes you believe that Spring is just around the corner and even though you know in your heart of hearts that more cold and ice is ahead you foolishly fall for her flirtatious and frilly ways! She is quite hardy, I don't believe that I ever remember her not blooming no matter what the weather throws out. The birds love the twiggy little branches and there's no lovelier place for a rustic woven home. If I were a bird I would like living there. Then my nest would be the prettiest of all during the time of year when nothing else is quite gutsy enough to burst into glory. After all, presentation is everything. [I bet you get tired of hearing me say that but I won't stop. Ever.]

This little smiling face apparently

likes any kind of weather because he has smiled all year long no matter what and has made me smile too. I like that in a face! He likes to move around, I never know where I'll find him.

More Garden Art

This is Megan's tricycle. It holds an old iron pot of hens and chickens. I think it was handed down to Sarah and Forrest too but I just remember T.P. and Mother getting it for Megan. I love it as an ornament for the garden--a continuity of family treasures.

Winter Decoration

Garden Decoration

This particular garden ornament has been a favorite place to pose children for pictures. In fact, a photographer gave it to me as thanks for letting him come out here to photograph so often. Soon it will be surrounded by jonquils--I can't wait! This week of warmer weather is going to make the daffodils really start to pop up. I have thousands planted from early, mid, to late varieties. Another obsession? Of course. So what's your point?

This old mirror hung in Granny's bathroom--her bathroom always spelled of lavender. There was a big claw foot tub and always, always a vase of fresh flowers. It was simple, clean, white--the original version of "Shabby Chic". The mirror graces the top of the secretary, also from her house. So many memories that surface at the oddest moments from these relics of the past.

Ode to Possum

Most people don't care for opossums. Personally I find them attractive. Well, maybe "attractive" isn't exactly the right word but I don't find them offensive. They have their own personal charm. And so for my literary friends I give you my possum poem----Ode to Possum

They're so ugly they're cute

and they probably stink

We know they're all girls

'cause they only wear pink!

They have pink little ears

and pink little noses

they wear gray little coats

down to their pink little toeses!

The only confusion

the question, if any--

If they're all female gender

How'd I'd get so darn many???

It's my blog--I can write what I want. You want Longfellow go to the library.

The answer to the curious name!

And what does Valentine's Day need besides flowers and hearts? Lovers, of course!!

These lovers stood upon my grandmother's sideboard and my mother loved them. She called them "Oh, Don't". I didn't remember them and thought the name curious but then again all families are curious at some time or another so I didn't give it much thought. Much later after

granny had died and the house had been cleaned out and sold mother wanted to know where "Oh, Don't" was and I happened to mention it to my cousin, Sandy. Later he came bringing me a box which I opened and there they were! Plus the answer to the name--on the base is inscribed "Oh, Don't!" The demur little peasant woman is a hesitant lover!

Happy Valentine's Day

And what would Valentine's Day be without a heart? This one hangs from my weeping willow branches and it proves there is beauty in simplicity. It was given to me by my dear Laurie.

Just in time for Valentine's Day--the delicate pink buds of the flowering apricot
about to open.

This is the view from the moss covered perch. There were ducks on the pond yesterday and the gray heron has already been visiting this year.


perch.

Moss covered perch by the pond.

A Sea of Jonquils

The Folding Bed

This bed was my grandmother's. My grandfather had a furniture store and because of that I am very fortunate to have some beautiful family pieces. When I was growing up people would come over and comment on the "Murphy" bed and mother would say, "my mother always called it a folding bed." I remember being a bit embarrassed--after all, what did it matter? On down the line several antique dealers told us that it was indeed a "folding" bed, that the Murphy bed came along later to take up less space and usually folded in half rather that all the way down.

You can see the ornate iron legs hanging at the top. There's a small latch that you undo and then just pull the bed down so that the mirror is facing the floor and the iron legs drop down. It's pretty cool! As children Mother and Uncle Billy used to crawl under it and would see their shadowy reflections upon which one them of would scream of the carved face at the top, "His mouth is opening, his mouth is opening!" Then they would roll out from under it as fast as they could!

Aunt Sallie had it for a long time and whenever I visited I got to sleep in it. She had pink polished cotton sheets and a satin comforter for me to use. Yes, I did feel like a princess!

And now that I'm older I open my mouth and my mother comes out. Someone calls it a Murphy bed and I say, "well, my mother always called it a folding bed."