Sunday Morning

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Have a blessed Sunday. I'll see all of you next year!!!!!!!

R~Mary

Good Morning!

It is a cloudy Thursday around here. Right now I am liking this wintry look, but I'm sure I will soon tire of it. I like lots of sunshine and much warmer temperatures than our high today~42 degrees. I know to some of you, that sounds warm!

How many of you braved the crowds and went shopping yesterday? Not me. I try never to leave the house the day after Christmas. It is just too scary out there:).

We got a little bit of wintry mix yesterday. Nothing to cause any problems on the roads and it was pretty to look at while it lasted. The above picture was taken soon after it started. I was too lazy to get out the camera and take more pictures after it was prettier.

Hope you all have a great day!

R~Mary

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you! May God bless you each and every one.

R~Mary

Christmas Crafts

I really haven't been able to get myself in the mood to make any Christmas crafts this season, yet, but my dh's aunt gave us a recipe that sounds easy, fast, and interesting.

Recipe:

Mix cinnamon and applesauce together to make a nice, workable dough. Roll out, cut out with cookie cutters (make a hole in the top to run string through) and let dry.

I haven't rolled mine out, yet, as you can see in the above picture, but mixing it together sure made the house smell good. I had an old container of nutmeg that I added to the mix .

If you try this, it takes a lot of cinnamon! So, you might want to start with only a cup or less of applesauce.

Have a great day.

R~Mary

Hello Friends!

My, I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted on my blog or been in touch with any of you.


I was busy the week of Thanksgiving with family company. The day after Thanksgiving we started helping my parents with their move to a senior citizens apartment in a small town, almost 20 miles from here.


They are both having health problems. My dad's back is so bad that he can barely walk and my mom has re-injured her foot. She was supposed to have surgery on it several years ago, but it has managed to get better on its own--until recently.


The house they have here is heated only by wood. We tried to keep wood stacked on their porch and in their firewood box inside, but they were having trouble even getting it out of the box. For now, this is the best solution for them, as we are not always available to build fires for them and this move puts them a half hour closer to their doctor appointments.


Last week, the day after most of their moving was finished, I came down with some sort of virus and am still in the process of recovering. I am much better and starting to feel like my old self. I will try to get around to visit all of you in the next day or two.


I Hope you are all having a great start to the Christmas season!


R~Mary

Predicting The Weather

I enjoy reading about folk lore and the habits of the mountain people. While labeled folk lore, most is based on the observations of the inhabitants of the area. One bit of folk lore is predicting the weather by splitting open the seeds of our native, wild persimmons. Inside of the seed, there is always a shape: a knife, a spoon, or a fork! The first time I saw one I was amazed!

If you see a knife, it means a bitter winter, with gusty winds and lots of ice.

A spoon means heavy, wet snows.

A fork (my personal favorite!) means a mild winter with only light snow.

One site I read advised cutting open at least ten seeds to see what the majority showed.

I was going to take a picture of the inside of one of our persimmon seeds. And you know what? Our trees don't have any persimmons this year! I've never seen this happen before. I suspect it has something to do with those late frosts we had last spring.

A man just north of here (I borrowed his picture--above) says that his persimmon seeds have spoons in them, meaning lots of heavy wet snow. I'm interested to see how close those little seeds come to what actually happens.

Hope you are all having a great week before Thanksgiving. Lots has been going on around here and I haven't had as much time for blogging.

Miss all of you,

R~Mary

Busy Days

Hi everyone! We were out of town for a few days. It was really a gorgeous weekend and beginning to the week. The colors in the trees are really starting to 'pop' in certain areas. It was strange, though~we'd drive for a while and see only green, then all of a sudden it was beautiful multi-colors again. The Sweetgums were especially pretty.

The pictures were taken at a cemetery in the Ozarks that we visit every year about this time. It is planted mostly in Maples and is usually gorgeous. I think we missed it's 'peak' by a few days, as some of the trees were starting to lose their leaves. It is always hard to time our visit just right.

Hope you've had a good beginning to your week. It was cold here--50s all day today. We'll probably warm up again in a day or two.

R~Mary

Black Bottom Banana Bars

Sometimes I get tired of making banana bread or banana muffins with my too-ripe-to-eat bananas, so I make this recipe.

Black Bottom Banana Bars

1/2 cup butter-softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium will do)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla--beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in the bananas.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to 1/2 of batter and spread in greased 9x13 pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with knife or fork.

Bake 350 for 25 minutes or until done. Cool. Enjoy.

Sometimes if I am especially in a hurry, I just mix the cocoa in with the whole mix and it makes a nice chocolate banana bar.

Have a great day.

R~Mary

Beautiful Fall Monday

It was truly a beautiful day today! We went to the woods this morning for a load of firewood and noticed that the trees are finally beginning to change in our area. Many of the leaves have already fallen, but I'm still hoping for lots of pretty color.

We still have many loads of firewood to go, but our week ahead is looking fairly warm, so we'll probably only have fires at night. Winter is still a ways away from us. Not that a cold snap can't happen at any time, once November is here.

I did not buy any craft supplies on Friday. I looked and looked through the small selection at our local Wal Mart and just could not find anything. I'll probably make a trip to a bigger town by next weekend, so maybe I'll be able to find something then. I do have some craft books that I am looking through in hopes I'll find a project that I like.

I like that some of you are already thinking about Christmas. I want to do more homemade items for this Christmas than I have done in the past few years--simple projects--but I need to get working on them SOON!

We started building my little craft pantry/cabinet today! We hope to have it finished by the end of the week. I will post a picture when it is finished.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

R~Mary

Christmas Talk

So many blogs are talking Christmas! I am wanting to start on some decorations, but haven't decided exactly what I am going to make. I am off for the day to look at some craft supplies and get some ideas.

Have any of you started your Christmas shopping? I tend to do a little at a time throughout the year. We've already purchased a few items, but still have some to go.

I'm already listening to Christmas music, too. Honestly, I tend to do that most of the year, but lately it seems I've been listening more. If you like the Irish sound, I can recommend the Cherish* the *Ladies Christmas album~I've been enjoying it quite a lot this last week. It is called *On* Christmas *Night* and has a wonderful mix of songs.

Everyone have a great day and a fun weekend!

R~Mary

Wednesday

Not much going on around here lately. We've had a lot of rain~which has produced a crop of toadstools, as you can see above.

Today, I am finally getting around to packing away my summer clothing. I think that fall has finally arrived. It is in the 50s outside right now and is supposed to make it up to 66. This will be our warmest day this week. We will be back in the 50s tomorrow. We'll probably have our first fire tonight or tomorrow.

Hope all of you are enjoying your fall weather.

R~Mary

It's Friday!!!!!!!

Good morning. It is a beautiful day here today. We had a lot of storms come through on Wednesday night. We were under a tornado warning for a half hour or so, but other than a few scattered branches on the ground, we didn't have any damage.

This is a sweet, funny, short video for the day before the weekend. Be sure and read the short intro to the video and stay to see his 'bow' at the end. Enjoy!

http://birdloversonly.blogspot.com/2007/09/may-i-have-this-dance.html

Happy Friday,

R~Mary

Prayers for Luke

I found about about Luke yesterday on Betty's blog. This precious little boy has been diagnosed with leukemia. One of his wishes was to have 500 prayers said for him. Please take the time and visit Luke's site and say a prayer for him~and continue to hold him in your prayers.

R~Mary

Foggy Morning

Good morning. It is cool and foggy here this early morning. I think the sun is about to start burning through and give us a sunny day.

Yesterday, we cleaned out the wood stove pipe and readied it for our winter fires. I don't think we'll have any of those fires this week, though. We will be staying in the mid 70s to mid 80s. Not bad temps for this time of year--and it gives us a little more time to prepare for winter. We'll probably be hauling a lot of firewood, starting next weekend.

I just love those little pumpkins in the bowl above. I am trying to resist buying more of them, as they are taking over my house! They are not only on top of the table, but on the Hoosier cabinet, in a little pumpkin holder in the living room, and on the bar that divides my kitchen and dining area. Next year, I would love to grow some of them~that way, maybe, I will have all of them that I want!

Have a great day.

R~Mary

Sweet Friday

Now that the cooler air seems to have set in, I'm in the mood to bake again. This is one of our favorite desserts, and something quick to make when unexpected company shows up. I have several versions of it, but it is the one I make most often.

Cheesecake Bars

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl. Add flour and walnuts and stir together. Reserve a heaping 1/2 cup of mixture for topping. Press remainder of mixture into an 8x8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes--just until lightly browned.

Blend sugar with cream cheese. Add egg, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla--beat well. Spread over baked crust and sprinkle with topping. Bake in oven 25 minutes. Cool, cut into bars--Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

R~Mary

Good Morning

Big waves to all of you out there! Yes, I am still here. Life has a way of getting busy and I let things slip by that I shouldn't--like visiting with all of you.

It was 48 degrees here this morning! I went out for a walk and enjoyed all the cool air. Don't you love fall? This is the coolest morning that we have had this autumn and I'm looking forward to many more of them.

The spiderwebs were so beautiful with the morning dew clinging to them. I took a few pictures, but I guess the light wasn't right to make them show up very well. My purple basil, above, is still looking great, as are all my other basils.

My petunias turned out to be a flop this year. They didn't do well in early summer, due to all the rain and cloudy days. Then, after I cut them back in mid-July, they've bloomed, maybe, two times. I usually have them up to the week before Thanksgiving~so I am missing them this year.

Hope you are all having a great day. I'll be around to 'visit' with you later today.

R~Mary

October

A scarecrow family-- from Silver Dollar City.

October's the month

When the smallest breeze

Gives us a shower

Of autumn leaves.

Bonfires and pumpkins,

Leaves sailing down -

October is red

And golden and brown. -

Can Teach Songs

I'm looking forward to a beautiful month--Happy October, everyone!

R~Mary

The Rest of the Song

SEPTEMBER.

The golden-rod is yellow;

The corn is turning brown;

The trees in apple orchards,

With fruit are bending down

The gentian's bluest fringes

Are curling in the sun;

In dusty pods the milkweed,

Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest

In every meadow nook;

And asters by the brookside,

Make asters in the brook.

From dewey lanes at morning

The grapes' sweet odor rise;

At noon the roads all flutter,

With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here;

With summers' best of weather,

And autumn's best of cheer.

Helen Hunt Jackson

I looked around the Internet until I found the rest of the words to the little September song~a song that must be sung quickly as September is almost over!

I love the words, but have never heard this little children's song. Have any of you?

Have a great day.

R~Mary

Autumn Day

The goldenrod is yellow

The corn is turning brown

The trees in apple orchards

With fruit are bending down.

~Children's song~

This sweet scarecrow was one of many scattered throughout Silver Dollar City when we visited a few days ago. I love to walk through the park~the landscaping and decorations are always perfect.

Have a great day.

R~Mary

Good Morning

It was so cool when I opened the front door this morning! That is truly the first sign of fall in our area. It may get up to 90 degrees today~but at least we started out with a little bit of cool air! In the summer, it is sometimes up in the 80s by 7 o'clock.

Above is of one of my very favorite Charles Wysocki pictures. It goes over my Hoosier cabinet every fall and stays until time to decorate for Christmas. I would, of course, love to have an original print, but I think the puzzle pieces add a lot of character to the picture.

My dh made the pine frame for me several years ago. I painted it red to go with the dining room colors. I try to keep a little bit of red in every room. I think that it is a very 'happy' color and adds a little bit of 'spark' to decorating. Red and gold are usually my main fall decorating colors, as pumpkin--a color I do love--does not go well with the rest of my things--so I just use it in small bits. Usually with real pumpkins. I like to buy several of the smaller ones to put around the house.

My husband is off for a few days, so we will be getting some things done around here, as well as using some of the time to visit with our younger daughter at college.

Have a great weekend.

R~Mary

Fall?

Mums always seem spell out 'fall' to me, but we are back into some summer weather. Guess I'll just look at my mums and dream, LOL.

I hope some of you are getting a little of that great fall weather that is bound to be coming our way sometime soon! I've not been doing much. Today I dragged out my October issues of Country Living and Victoria that I keep stashed on the shelf. I thought maybe they would give me some inspiration, despite sitting in the air conditioning while I went through them.

Well, to look on the bright side, the air conditioning is cool and what could be more enjoyable than to make a pot of Earl Grey tea and look through your favorite magazines? I do hope all of you had an enjoyable day!

R~Mary

More Stillmeadow

Here are a couple of links about Gladys Taber, her life, and Stillmeadow that I thought you might enjoy:

http://www.themysticalgardens.com/stillmeadow.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5612/gtkitchen_intro.htm

http://groups.msn.com/StillmeadowFriends/aboutgladystaber.msnw

Have a great weekend!

R~Mary

September Reading

I hope all of you are getting a great start to September. We have had some cooler mornings lately, and it is nice to have my windows open at least part of the day. No real sign of fall here, yet, other than the morning temps, but in a month or so, we should start to have a little bit of color. I know that by the time we get any, some of you are already into your winter snows!

Being September, it is time for my annual reading of Stillmeadow Seasons by Gladys Taber. I really do love this book and its old fashioned feel for 'home'. She was a woman that loved being in her home~enjoying the simple things in life, like cooking, taking care of the house, reading, and enjoying her pets. It is a very peaceful book and one I pick up several times a year.

My copy belonged to my great aunt and is in very poor condition. She allowed her children to write in it and color some of the sketches. I keep thinking I will replace it, but I guess I am sentimental about the book having been hers.

So, what are all of you reading?

Have a great day,

R~Mary

Remembering. . .

I'm sure we all remember where we were on September 11, 2001. It is a day that is permanently etched into our memory. Please remember to pray for the families of the victims as they live through this day and recall the last memories of their loved ones. Pray for our nation today, as well as for each other as we remember this horrific event that changed each of us and our country forever.

R~Mary

Early Sunday Post

Thought you might enjoy this little video: the scenery is beautiful as well as the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9upE_PGJVq8

Have a blessed Sunday!

R~Mary

Meme Anyone?

I found this meme over at Quilted Together and thought I would give it a try.

1. Accent? Southern
2. alcohol? No
3. Chore I hate: cleaning the bathroom
4. Pets?: three cats, one dog, six chickens
5. Essential electronics: computer, DVD--does a hair dryer and electric rollers count???
6. Perfume?: Rarely
7. Gold or silver? Silver
8.Insomnia? Sometimes
9. Job title?: Homemaker
10. Most admired trait-- loyal friend
11. Kids?: two daughters, 23 and 21.
12. Phobia? I don't think so--though sometimes I don't like crossing bridges.
13. Religion?: Christian
14. Siblings?: one brother
15. Time I wake up?: 6:30
16. Unusual talent/skill?: ?????
17. Vegetable love/hate?: I love most vegetables--except cauliflower
18Worst habit?: indecision
19. X-Rays?: dental, arm, finger--broke it when I was twelve, catching a football.
20. Favorite meal?: fajitas--most Mexican food.

Okay--any of you want to tell us some things about yourself?

County Fair Time

Our county fair begins tonight. It is a rainy day, so I'm sure the turn-out is going to be slim. Hopefully, the weather will be better by Friday and Saturday--the most important days to most fair goers.

I am looking forward to seeing the animals and also the crafts and food barn. I'm always drawn to the sheep and rabbits, as well as the 'fancy' chickens. We have a neighbor girl that raises goats and I'm looking forward to seeing them on exhibit.

Every year I say that I'm going to make something and enter it--and then, I never do. Maybe next year!

Do any of you enter food or crafts in your own county fairs?

R~Mary

Labor Day

I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend. My in-laws were here for the day and we enjoyed getting to spend some time with them. They showed us some pictures of their trip to Florida and also some from a trip they took earlier in the summer to Maine. Both places were beautiful, though quite different from each other. I love the diversity of the landscape in our country!

Although it is still quite warm here, Labor Day signals the end of summer and turns our sights to the fall season ahead. Remember when it was a 'no-no' to wear white after Labor Day? At least those rules have changed!

I usually don't do much fall decorating, but this year I would like to add a few little things around my house to go with the season. I'm thinking of doing some sorts of fall crafts that would add to the seasonal decorating, but haven't decided on anything specific. What are some of you going to do to change the season inside and outside of you homes?

I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you are doing~you're a creative bunch, so I know you've got some great ideas.

R~Mary

Lunar Eclipse

Did any of you see the lunar eclipse last night--or rather, early this morning? I got up around 5:30 and couldn't find the moon at all--and we weren't able to see a 'full' eclipse here, so I guess it was just cloudy. I had a hard time getting back to sleep. So much for science!

The gorgeous picture of a partial lunar eclipse is from our local weather station.

We are still having hot temperatures around here. Yesterday my thermometer showed 100 degrees in the shade. Our air conditioners are getting tired of this--I just hope they last through September-- then we won't need them anymore this year.

I am looking forward to fall, but summer does seem to have flown by terribly fast. It won't really seem like fall around here until at least October. We'll probably have a few 'teaser' days in September to get us ready.

Hope you are all having a great day.

R~Mary

Good Morning

Mission Statement: The Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association is dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of electric powered streetcars, railroad equipment, transportation and other technology that existed during this period in history, and to providing a unique educational experience to the visiting public.

Big waves to all my blogging friends. My husband was off most of last week and we spent a few days having fun with our daughters.

Tuesday, we were off to Fort Smith, Ar--a short, almost two hour drive:). Fort Smith is working hard to restore much of their old downtown area so that tourists can get the true feel of this once 'wild west' town. In another year and a half, Fort Smith will be the proud home to the U. S. Marshall's Museum, an attratction that will add much to the already wonderful history of the town.

As you can see in the picture above, (sorry I couldn't post it by my paragraph, but Blogger won't let me this morning) we had a good time riding the trolley. Right now, it is just a short ride from one end of the track to another, but a 'loop' is in the works that will add quite a bit to the ride.

Our youngest will go back to college tomorrow. It seems like her time at home has really sped by. I hope all of you had a great week. As soon as things slow down, I'll try to start posting more and get around to 'see' all of you more, as well.

R~Mary

Good Sunday Morning!

AMAZING GRACE
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me....I once was lost but now am found,Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught...my heart to fear.And Grace, my fears relieved.How precious did that Grace appear...the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...we have already come. T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...His word my hope secures.He will my shield and portion be...as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years...bright shining as the sun.We've no less days to sing God's praise...then when we've first begun.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me....I once was lost but now am found,Was blind, but now, I see.

This is a song that everyone knows and has always been on of my very favorites. It is something that I find myself humming quite often~because the words are so true! I thank God everyday for His Amazing Grace!

2 Corinthians 12:9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me

Have a blessed Sunday!

R~Mary

Thank you, Claudia!

My dear friend, Claudia, has given me the 'Nice Matters Award'!

"This award will be given to those that are just nice people, good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!"

I will have too hard of a time picking just five of my special blogging friends~you are all nice, inspirational and special in your own way! Please consider yourself nominated!

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful week. I've seen a lot of talk about Autumn in the blogging world lately~I guess we are all ready for some cooler weather!

Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

R~Mary

Good Morning

We let these 'babies' out of their pen two days ago--and so far, so good. We still have all six of them! There was originally eight, but a raccoon made a mid-night run a few weeks ago and took two of them.

Of course, now that they are out, they want nothing to do with us! That is the thing I don't like about Bantams--they are just too wild. Next, I'd like to get some Rhode Island Reds. We used to have quite a few of those and they tame down quite nicely.

Everybody have a great day.

R~Mary

Cat Days of Summer?

Even our heat-loving cats are starting to resent this heat! Especially poor Brina, above. All that black fur just makes her hotter. She's decided to spend a little time inside, after our 'photo' session!

The building for our shop is now taking on a real shop look! Nothing fancy, of course, but it will be usable. My husband has been trying to work in an 8'x16' area, and that is just not enough.

It is 97 degrees outside right now and with the heat index it 'feels' like 103. The high is supposed to be 105, so we've still a ways to go.

Hope all of you are staying cool!

R~Mary

Good Friday Evening!

I have been busy for a while and am just now getting back to my lonely little blog. Thanks to all of you who have checked in from time to time!

My dear friend, Connie, has given me the Thoughtful Blogger Award! Thank you so, so much, Connie. You are such a sweet friend and I always love hearing from you and visiting your blog. I'm very honored that you thought of me!

Check in here: http://www.writersreviews.com/2007/07/writers-reviews-blogger-awards.html for the rules for awarding your dear friends that give you inspiration on their blogs.

I'd like to give these awards to these five friends. Actually, I'd like to give awards to ALL my blogging friends. I enjoy knowing each and every one of you.

#1. To Terri, I'd like to award the Inspirational Blogger Award. I always love to hear what Terri is doing. She and her husband are both active in charity work, showing their love for others as well as being wonderful and inspirational grandparents to their two grandchildren.

#2. To Nancy Jo, I'd like to award the Creative Blogger Award. If you don't know Nancy Jo, you need to visit her blog. She is a very talented woman and does beautiful needlework. She also has a very good 'eye' when it comes to thrift shopping and makes some unbelievable finds!

#3. To Sue, I'd like to award the Inspirational Blogger award. She is truly an amazing woman. She not only loves the Lord, but truly cares about others. She is also an inspiration to me when it comes to gardening~especially with her herbs. And, she is a writer, also an inspiration to those of us who work at the craft.

#4. To Allison~sister of Sue and good friend, I give the Creative Blogger Award. She tells some amazing stories about the history of her town and shares some of the best outdoor pictures I've seen. She is such a good friend and always inspiring to read.

#5. To Pat, I give the Creative Blogging Award. She has the most amazing home and gardens. It is truly an inspiration to look at her pictures! And I love the way she practically takes us on her trips with her! She gets some great photos of the most beautiful places and things!

To everyone I didn't give an award to: you deserve one! Thanks to all of you for your sweet friendship!

R~Mary

Good Friday Morning!

Sorry I have been away from here for so long. It seems like summer is just not my time to Blog! I do miss all of you, though!

We are still busy sorting through bins of books, papers, and just plain junk, trying to get my husband's shop ready. There are several projects around the house that need attention as soon as the shop is ready. We have numerous shelves, a bookcase, and a craft/vacuum closet to build, just to name a few of the things that we hope to get completed. I am looking forward to having a place to store the vacuum and not have it sitting in my little hallway!

I don't understand how we have accumulated so much stuff! I am afraid that the people at the Goodwill will run and lock the doors when they see us coming, by the time this is over with! Oh well--there is one in a small town south of us that we might be able to sneak a few things in:-0!

Hope you all had a great week!

R~Mary

Summer Time Feast

Today is Show and Tell Friday. Click on over to Kelli's to see how to join the fun!

I've been going through a lot of old photographs that I have and I thought this one was a sweet remembrance of summer days gone by. These girls are certainly enjoying their watermelon, as are all those chickens gathered around their feet! I wish I knew who these girls were, but I haven't a clue.

My great-uncle was a photographer in these mountains back in the early 1900s and spent his day traveling from homestead to homestead making pictures of the mountain families. I often wonder how many of the families actually bought pictures, as we have so many leftover from his picture taking days.

The old photo is faded and someone glued it on its backing crooked, so it was a little hard to scan in. I hope you enjoy looking at it.

Have a great day.

RMary

Hot Summer Days

It has been so hot here lately. The rain has stopped and the humidity is starting to go down a little. We were up in the 'big city' on Monday and the heat (always bad with all that asphalt and concrete) was tolerable since there was a nice breeze.

I did get in a little bit of thrift shopping which I will show you later in the week. It is always nice to head up to the city for the day, but it seems to wear us out. We were ' tired out' by the time we got home!

Hope you are all having a good week. I have some projects around here that I need to work on. Some involve paint, some sewing, some cleaning and organizing.

Have a great day!

RMary

ME ME Tag!

Connie over at Connies Thoughts From The Heart has challenged me to name eight random things about myself. I did something like this a while back, so I am going to try to come up with some new things.

EIGHT RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME ME ME

RULES BEFORE DOING THE ME ME ME
01. Post rules before giving the facts
02. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves
03. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
04. At the end of the your blog you need to tag eight people and list their names. Leave them a comment on their blog, telling them they have been tagged and not to forget to read your blog.

#1. My favorite color is green.

#2. I enjoy reading whenever I get the chance. Right now I am half-way through The Count of Monte Cristo.

#3. I like to watch old comedies starring Cary Grant, David Niven, Jimmy Stewart, Doris Day as well as the Marx Brothers. And probably many more I am forgetting right now.

#4. I enjoy thrift-shopping. Especially finding old dishes from the 1940s.

#5. My favorite dessert is ice cream.

#6. I am a hopeless pack-rat. This is something that I am 'working' on!

#7. I like to listen to Big Band music from the 1940s.

#8. My favorite mystery writers are Agatha Christie and Mary Roberts Rinehart.

I think a lot of people that I know have already been tagged by this Me Me, so to anyone who wants to jump in and tell us more about yourself--I am tagging YOU!

RMary

Hooray, It's Friday!!!

Good morning! Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! Kelli at There is No Place Like Home sponsors Show and Tell every Friday. To get in on the fun, click on over there and read how to get involved.

Today, I am showing you two of my Homer Laughlin platters I purchased on eBay last year. I love the old-fashioned look of these platters. I have several more and have had to put a 'limit' on my purchases, as I find them quite addictive!

The platter on the left is in the Brittany pattern, the one on the right is one of the many Virginia Rose patterns. There seems to be several different versions of all the Homer Laughlin patterns. If any of you believe that I have identified these patterns wrong--please tell me! The creamer is one that I bought for $1 at a flea market recently. The brown tea pot was purchased back in the 1980s at the Dollar Store.

Have a great day!

RMary

Dog Days of Summer

I believe the proverbial 'dog days of summer' have finally set in. It has been so hot and humid lately that it makes going outside for any length of time very uncomfortable.

We are still in the process of cleaning out our storage building in order to make a shop for my husband. It is amazing how much 'stuff' you can collect! We have hauled off box after box of unwanted items: old shoes, magazines, old clothes that no one will ever wear again. I am a loyal Goodwill shopper, but I hope not to see any of this 'stuff' there!

Hope you are all keeping cool! I took the picture of the sweet dog fountain at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO a month or so ago. I thought it was an appropriate picture for this hot 'dog day'!

RMary

Monday afternoon

Hi all! I can't believe its been a week since I blogged. This summer is flying by too fast.

I spent some time outside this afternoon, trying to pull some weeds out of my herbs and flowers. So many things are yellowing due to all the rain we've had. Surely we are in for a drying out 'spell'!

My cherry tomato plants actually have three little tomatoes on them despite the lack of sunshine. I'm hoping they will start producing more now that Mr. Sun has made his return. I've never grown tomatoes in pots before, so I'm not sure what sort of 'harvest' to expect.

The lilies pictured above are from my mom's yard. This is the first year that they have done so well for her. She has them in a lot of different colors. I only have the old fashioned day lilies in my yard. A lot of people don't like them, but they are extremely hardy and make great 'fillers'!

Hope you are all having a great day.

RMary

Monday Morning

Good morning to you all! I am off for the day--dh has a chiropractor appointment and there is some random grocery shopping to do as well.

Things have been super busy around here. We put one daughter on a plane last Thursday (an all day event!) and she is busy in a four week writing course out on the west coast. I picked up our younger daughter on Saturday and she is how home for seven weeks.

Yesterday, we attended an after church birthday party for our pastor and his wife. She is turning 80 today and he will be 81 later this week. We sure love this couple and hope to spend many more birthdays with them!

Hope you are all having a great summer and getting to do lots of fun activities. We plan to work some 'fun' in our busy schedule sometime soon.

Have a great day.

RMary

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

I hope you all have a great day with your friends and family. I'm busy making potato salad and getting a last visit in with my daughter before she heads out of town tomorrow.

Don't forget to pray for all our soldiers that are serving!

Love ya,

RMary

Good Morning

Hello friends! I know I've not been around much these past two weeks. Things are just busy, busy around here. My oldest daughter is leaving in a few days to take some classes and a couple of days later our youngest is coming home for several weeks, so we've been spending a lot of time getting some extra things done.

I hope you are all having a good summer and things are going well for you. It is still wet, wet, wet around here. This must be the wettest summer we've had in years! I know some of you are ultra-dry and I do feel for you. We've been there for the past couple of years and are very thankful that we are finally getting some moisture in here.

I will try to get around and 'visit' with a lot of you sometime today!

All of you have a great July 4th!

RMary

Sunday Post

Proverbs 3: 1-6

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight

Have a blessed Sunday!

RMary

Show and Tell Friday!

Good morning! Welcome to Show and Tell Friday, sponsored by Kelli over at There Is No Place Like Home. If you'd like to join in the fun, click on over there and sign up!

This is a combination herb/wildflower bouquet that I picked yesterday. It has bee balm, black-eyed Susan, catnip, oregano, lemon thyme, Queen Anne's lace and sage all mixed up together. I love a wild, cottage type flower garden and this year mine is a little more wild than I would like it! I've just been so busy and it has rained so much that I haven't had time to 'tame' it!

Hope you are all having a fantastic day!

RMary

Tuesday Morning

Good morning everyone! It is a good morning for me because I am at home. Our couple of days away turned into three days due to car trouble. We were supposed to be home by Sunday night, but ended up stranded in a little town in northwest Arkansas. We finally arrived home yesterday afternoon.

After help from several different individuals, we managed to get our car to a small motel just two doors down from the mechanic. We are so thankful to all those who helped us.

One fellow jumped the battery for us, two others helped push the car out of an intersection and the fellas stayed late at the Auto Zone to charge our battery. The charge gave us enough power to get to the motel. The motel owner was so sweet and offered us, strangers she had never seen before, the use of her own car to go get something to eat!

For some time I have felt that most Americans have become indifferent to the plight of others and I have to say that this experience did change my mind on the subject. I am not a person who believes in coincidence, so I know God sent all these people into our pathway and I am so thankful that He did!

The herb wall hanging above was something I received in a swap with some folks on a forum I belong to. She sent it because she knows I love herbs and it it has Rosemary embroidered on it. She is a sweet friend. Thanks, Gina!

Hope you are all having a great day.

RMary

Weekend

Gone for the weekend---everyone have a great one!

God Bless,

RMary

Show and Tell Friday!

Good Morning. Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! If you'd like to join in the fun, please link over to Kelli's blog, There Is No Place Like Home. All the details of how to participate are listed for you.

The picture above was taken in the early 1900s. The girl in the picture is a cousin of my grandfather's. I've always loved this photo because of its old-fashioned look. It is hard to see in the picture, but her blouse is very pretty, with a lot of intricate embroidery and cut-work in it.

I have many old photographs taken from the era above and I love to display them in my home. Many of them were taken by my great-great uncle, a photographer that traveled these mountains offering his services to the remote mountain farmers.

I also wanted to share the above picture with you. I do not know exactly who the woman in the picture is. Some long-ago relative, I think. We have speculated that it is the mother of my great-grandmother, as the dating would be about right and the picture belonged to her. The picture is actually a sketch that has been painted with water color type paint. I especially love the frame. All of the carving is done by hand and has some sort of gold leaf or paint inside of it.

I hope you have enjoyed stopping by and will come again!

Have a great day,

RMary

Life In the South

I've been tagged by Pat to name some 'southern' things. Since I haven't seen any one's list except Pat's, I'm sure I'll be repeating many of them that have already been named!

1. Drinking ice tea year-round
2. BBQ sauce cooked in the meat rather than served on the side.
3. Front porch sitting.
4. Beans, fried potatoes and cornbread--served with a glass of ice tea, of course!
5. Buttermilk pie.
6. Sweet potato pie.
7. Waving to everybody you pass on your way to town. (I've noticed that cell phones seem to be interfering with this custom!)
8. Fried chicken and gravy with biscuits for Sunday dinner. That would be Sunday noon.

I'm sure there are many more! I don't have anyone in mind to challenge, but if you're a southern girl/guy, feel free to join in the fun. And be sure and give Pat a visit to read her southern things. And while you're there, take a look at her beautiful flowers. Her garden is really fantastic!

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day!

RMary

Just Desserts Wednesday

I always love to get new recipes myself, so I thought that I would start sharing some of mine. Most I make are fairly easy. This one tastes especially good--at least we think so! I got the following recipe from Better Homes and Gardens about ten years ago. It is great for breakfast, coffee after services at church or just as a regular dessert after your dinner.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cherry preserves or preserves of your choice

Sifted powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed till fluffy. Add half of the flour, the eggs, milk, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat for about 2 minutes or till well mixed. Beat in remaining flour on low speed till well mixed. Spread batter evenly in a greased and floured 9x13 pan (I use vegetable spray instead of greasing and flouring). Spoon preserves in 8 to 10 portions on top of batter. With a knife, swirl preserves into butter to marble.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes or until tests done with a toothpick. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over cake and serve warm or cool.

We are still having rain! Yesterday there was only a 20 percent chance of rain, so I finished planting some chicory seeds in an area I was wanting them. By dinner time, it was pouring outside, probably washing all my seeds away! More chance for rain today, so I'll plant again at the end of the week.

Have a great day.

RMary

Another Rainy Day

We are having more rain here at the cabin. I'm sure this rainy streak will soon leave us and we will get to our usual dry and dusty summer, but for now we are enjoying all the green.

I managed to get outside between showers and pull some more dandelions from my too wild flower garden--it really could use some 'taming' and I am going to get to it sooner or later. Our little bunny friends are quite fond of the dandelions and we enjoy watching them sit out in the yard and eat them--ever watchful of the cats that are lazing around. So I won't pull them all up. Not that I could--I believe I could make a career out of pulling them up, there are so many! I know they are indicative of poor soil, but I do love to see them in the early spring with their sunny yellow faces.

This is the first year we have so many rabbits! A sign that our dog is getting older! Some of them are getting quite tame and will let you get very close to them before they scamper away.

It sounds like the rain is letting up again, so I'll be heading back outside.

Have a great day.

RMary

Sunday Post

Proverbs 2: 1-5
My son, if you accept my words

and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding,
3 and if you call out for insight

and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver

and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD

and find the knowledge of God.

Have a blessed Sunday.

RMary

Show and Tell Friday!

At There's No Place Like Home, Kelli asks "do you have a something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, an antique find. Your show and tell can be old or new. Use your imagination and dig through those old boxes in your closet if you have to! Feel free to share pictures and if there's a story behind your special something, that's even better!"

This is my first Show and Tell Friday! I've been meaning to get involved with it for several weeks now and keep forgetting!

Today I am 'showing' a little butterfly covered sugar bowl that I recently purchased at an antique mall in a small town north of us. I have been looking for some information about it all over the web and have found none. I have no idea how old it is or if it is even old, but, it is green, so I had to have it, of course!

I hope all of you are enjoying the Show and Tell Fridays and are getting involved with it. If you aren't doing Show and Tell, go to the above link and join in! It is fun to visit all the blogs and see every one's treasures!

Have a great day.

RMary

VBS!

This is Vacation Bible School week at our church. We don't have as many children this year as we had in the past, but we are really enjoying the time we are having with them.

Today, our lesson was on the importance of putting your trust in Jesus in every situation. Our lesson used many examples to try and stress how allowing Him to be in charge of every situation is the only real answer to solving our problems.

We are having lots of sunshine here today. After all the rain, our grass needs mowing again. It doesn't quite last a week until it is time to get back after it. I'm sure that when July's hot winds and high temperatures set in, the grass will slow down and we can change our mowing schedule to every two weeks.

My Bee Balm has bloomed and it looks so pretty. I will try to post a picture of it in a few days. This is a busy week. Hope all of you are doing well.

RMary

Sunday Morning

John 3: 16-21

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Have a blessed Sunday and a wonderful start to a new week.

RMary

Saturday

The best things in life 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. Then 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. ~Robert Louis Stevenson~

Enjoy your weekend!

RMary

Summer!

As you can see, it definitely looks like summer outside my living room windows! I know summer doesn't get here officially until June 21, but living in a southern state gives us a few 'bonus' months on either side of the real season.

I took this picture yesterday. At the moment there is a nice little thunderstorm moving through our area. It was already 84 degrees outside when we got up at 6:30 this morning. Hopefully, this rain will cool us down a little, else we are in for a very hot day!

We have a new addition to our little farm family--eight new chicks hatched out almost two weeks ago. I've been trying to get some pictures of them, but they are fast little things and so far I've only managed to get a few blurs. I'll try to post a picture of them, soon. We are always excited to get a few more 'bug eaters' and egg layers. Right now, chickens are about the only 'farm' type creatures we have, except for the guard dog (at least that is supposed to be his job- He gets rather lazy sometimes) and a few cats that stay on mouse duty.

Have a great day.

RMary