Good Morning!

The Christmas presents are wrapped and the baking is ongoing! I had planned to show you some of my Christmas crafts, but I'm embarrassed to say that none are finished. Maybe I will get a few done before Christmas Day.

I hope all of you are having a fun and beautiful Christmas week!

Thursday

Have all of you finished your shopping? I finished mine today. I've had most of it done for a month, but had one last thing to go pick up.

I bought this little doll house at a flea market for $4.50 a few years ago. I put it out in my husband's shop and never did much with it. A couple of weeks ago, our daughters got it out and painted it pink and made a little Victorian Christmas house! It is very 'sparkly' but hard to tell in the pictures.

For some Christmas-y ideas, click on over to Christmas Decorating Ideas.

Have a wonderful day!!

And The Winner Is...

Tammy~from Just Being Me!!!! Congratulations, Tammy!! Send an email to me with your address and I'll get it in the mail tomorrow or Wednesday!

(I guess you can all see that I am a day behind. I meant tomorrow or Thursday, LOL!)

The Last Day...

To sign up for the Martha Stewart DVD giveaway~scroll down to the post below and sign up! I'll post the winner tomorrow!

Still Decorating

Our tree is up, but we still have some decorating to do. I'll be posting some more pictures next week. I want to let all of you know how much I'm enjoying looking at the Christmas pictures you've been posting on your blogs--you are all so creative!

With winter setting in, it's the perfect time to plan those comfort food meals for your family. I hope all of you will post a comment below to win this Martha Stewart Favorite Family Dinners DVD. I will be drawing the winner next Tuesday, December 14th. So be sure and sign up by midnight, December 13!

After you post below, be sure and click on over to Writing in a Cordwood Cabin and sign up for the ebook giveaway!

Giveway!!

Good morning~ I hope all of you are enjoying this beautiful Christmas season! I know I've been gone a while--but now I'm back--with a giveaway! I'm co-sponsoring my daughter's giveaway of her ebook, Only in Novels.

When a simple mistake lands bookstore owner, Lannie Maxwell, with the wrong author for her book signing, she wonders if her tiny business is destined to fail. Instead of Ms. Modern Homemaker--an author sure to multiply the bookstore's sales--Lannie finds herself stuck with D.E. Henson, an unorthodox and infuriating adventure novelist. The dashing D.E. (Dexter) is determined to help Lannie rescue her struggling business, but his outlandish ideas threaten to turn her world upside down. Can the two put aside their differences to save the store......and find their own version of happily-ever-after?

To register to win a free e-copy of Only in Novels, click on over to my writing blog, Writing in a Cordwood Cabin and sign up! To add to your chances, you can also register on Laura's blog with a link from mine.

Good Luck!

P. S. I'll be back with a giveaway on this blog in a few days!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Persimmon Seeds

I finally got around to going out to scrounge for some persimmons. I think the 'possums must have eaten all of ours. Or the dogs. It's always a contest to see who or what creature can get there first. I went out early this morning in the rain and found~ONE persimmon.

If you cut open your persimmon seeds and see the shape of a fork, then you will have a nice, easy winter. A spoon and there will be lots of snow to shovel. A knife~cutting cold.

Our neighbors have reported spoons in their persimmon seeds and that is what we are calling the shape we found in ours. They are not as defined as usual, but there is definitely the little 'cup' part of a spoon. So, lots of snow for us! We had spoons in them last year and there was plenty of snow.

Have you seen any 'signs' about the coming winter?

Don't Forget

to VOTE!!! Exercise your privilege and freedom!!

Friday!!

Have a fun, safe weekend!

A Week of Scary Fun!

Next week, the Pilgrims and Indian (I only have one), come out, along with the corn husk turkey to get us in the Thanksgiving mood. But this week is a week of creepy fun around our house.

One of the things we love to do is watch old classic-type horror movies. None of this modern blood and guts slasher kind of stuff for us. Just give us Vincent Price, Bela Lugosi, or Lon Chaney, Jr. and we are ready to watch!

A movie we'll be sure to watch is House on Haunted Hill~a little creepy, but with plenty of laugh out loud moments. If you watch, check out the old housekeeper. Don't you think she's being pushed around on an old upright vacuum cleaner??

Hello Friends

I know~I've been a terrible blogger lately. Just busy, busy, and trying to catch up on some long over-due projects around the homestead.

I miss all of you and will be around to visit your blogs soon!

Big waves,

R~Mary

Sixty Years!!

Happy 60th birthday, Charlie Brown!!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Buttons

Counting Buttons:

1. Husband-- Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief.

2. Home--Big house, little house, pigsty, barn

3,What type of wedding dress will you wear--silk, satin, velvet, cotton, wool.

4. Grabbing hold of buttons on your clothing when a hearse or death carriage passes, will allow to you to cling to the living, rather than death.

5. It is unlucky to button your garment from the bottom up~start at the top!

6. If you miss a few buttons when you're buttoning up your shirt, it means a surprise is coming.

7. Buttons must be removed from the clothes of the dead and the clothing sewn (use no knots) or pinned to keep the spirit from coming back.

Good Housekeeping

Have you seen the October issue of Good Housekeeping? I really loved the interview they did with Jamie Lee Curtis~that girl is organized! So, thanks to her, my house is a mess, LOL! I have pulled all sorts of things out of my closet and also my pantry.

I now know that I have a lifetime supply of crushed pineapple:-0. Actually, most of it expires in 2012, so it's just a couple of years worth. Anyway, that is how I'm spending my Monday. Hope you're having a great day!

You can read the interview here.

Special Package

Last month, I won Tipper's Spread the Love prize! It arrived in the mail on Tuesday. It is perfect for my country home and I'm very happy to have it! This pretty piece was made by Mamabug. If you don't already visit their blogs, click on over there and take a look around~you'll love both of them!

Thank you, Tipper!

Wednesday Wives Tales

First day of fall!! My calendar says it's tomorrow, but, officially, I think it's today, so.... Some of our trees are just starting to turn and the ground around the oak trees are littered with acorns. Sadly, a few of our trees, like our dogwoods, have only brown, crispy leaves. The summer drought and heat were just too much for them.

1. Carrying an acorn in your pocket will bring you good luck.

2. An acorn kept on a windowsill will repel lightning.

3. Violets blooming in the autumn means a coming epidemic.

4. Catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn and you won't catch a cold all winter.

5. When goldenrod blooms, expect a frost in a month.

6. If the oak trees refuse to shed their topmost leaves, it is a sign of a hard winter to come.

7. A purple sunset means frost that night.

Easy Brownies

Some of you may already use this yummy recipe. For years, I just substituted applesauce for the amount of oil and mixed the recipe just as instructed. I've found that this recipe makes a 'fudgier' brownie.

Brownie Mix (type that makes 9x13 pan of brownies)

1/2 cup of applesauce

1/2 cup of cold or warm left-over coffee

1 egg

Nuts~optional

Mix all and put in greased pan, bake as usual. Watch and don't let it dry out too much.

Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the Constitution of the United States of America! Take the time today and read this special document and thank God for our liberty!

More 1900

I am still thinking about this subject. Staci mentioned Frontier House, that PBS produced a few years ago. I loved that show! It certainly brought out the best and a lot of the worst in people, LOL!

As a people, we are so used to everything being right at our fingertips. I remember that as a child, I thought it was bothersome to have to 'look-up' a subject in an encyclopedia. Now, all we do is type in the subject and resources appear before our eyes. I'll confess to loving the ease of the Internet.

When we experienced an ice storm in 2000/2001 (it started Christmas Eve, 2000), we had a little taste of the 1900 experiment. We were without electricity for twelve days. We heat with wood, so we cooked on top of the stove. I have plenty of kerosene lamps and we had kerosene, so we had light. Our well has a sand filter, so we drew water out of the filter--but basically, we were unprepared for a long term black-out. I remember making a list of what would have made our lives better for those couple of weeks, but of course I can't find it!

One history lesson that we all came to understand is why the old-timers went to bed with the chickens~sitting in the dark (because those lamps don't put out much light) makes for a long evening, LOL! We did take turns reading aloud The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. That story made us count our blessings!

Thank you all for your comments on the See You in a Hundred Years post!

See You....

In a Hundred Years~this is the name of a book I was looking at on Amazon. Back in 2000 a young couple decided to live--for one year--like their ancestors lived 100 years ago. They bought a small farm and ran it like it would have been run in 1900.

Do you think you could do it? I'm not really keen on doing something like this, but it got me thinking about what I could 'take with me' if I did it. So far, I can take my china cabinet and my little Seth Thomas shelf clock. The clock came to Arkansas via covered wagon from Kentucky back in the 1870s. It belonged to an elderly neighbor we had when I was a child. His mother rode in the wagon with the clock on her lap to keep it from breaking on the long ride. My grandpa, who lived across the street, purchased it from him.

My grandpa gave it to me as a gift when I was five years old. I probably have a few other items that could travel back in time with me, but I'm not sure of the dates some of my things were made. I suspect that a few would just miss the mark.

Could you live like they did a hundred years ago for a year? Do you own anything that you could 'take with you'?

Sweet Book

If you want to read a book that will make you laugh, cry, and feel good all at the same time, try the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. A friend on a forum recommended it and it is everything that she said.

I will warn you that it is solely a book of 'letters' sent back and forth between friends. I don't usually like these sort of books, but this one drew me right in and I loved reading it. It is set on the Island of Guernsey, after WWII. The book, though fiction, delves into the problems that this tiny island suffered under German occupation. I learned a lot of things from this book!

Check it out from the library, borrow it from a friend, or buy it used on Amazon.

Have a great day!

Did You Know....

That today is National Thrift Shop Day? I wish I could celebrate by going thrift shopping! Maybe later this week.

Since I can't go today, I thought I'd share a few pictures of some recent purchases.

These old blue canning jars were $3.50 & $4.

This old green bowl (I love the color!) Was $5. I keep it on top of my Hoosier cabinet. It makes a great storage container for my fabric napkins.

This old metal coffee pot is rusty and doesn't have a lid. I thought it would make a great container for a fall bouquet! I paid $2.50 for it.

I hope all of you have been doing well. I haven't posted in over a week. I think this has been one of my busiest summers ever!

Friday Fun

Today is National Fresh Breath Day. I'm not sure what that means, but I thought you'd all like to know about it, LOL! Keep your breath mints handy.

And, if you're lucky enough to be anywhere near Braham, Minnesota, it is PIE day there! Yum. Homemade pies to eat, pie baking contests, etc.

Also, Only in Novels is available at White Rose Publishing. Congratulations, Laura!

Book Trailer For My Daughter's Novella!

My daughter's White Rose publication debuts Friday, August 6th. For a sneak peak, view the trailer below!

Busy Days

This summer is keeping me busy! It seems there's always something I have to do or some place I have to go. Hubby's been working extra hours, most of the appliances are thinking about going on the blitz, and the heat is stretching our air conditioner to its limit. I'm so ready for fall!

A friend on a forum recently recommended this book. After reading about it over on Amazon, I ordered a copy of it. I'm so looking forward to reading this book. I was amazed at the number of great customer reviews it has. Take a look and see what you think!

Summer Reading

Have you been doing any reading during these long, hot summer afternoons? I recently finished a couple of Dean Koontz books. He's a great writer, but right on the verge of being too 'creepy' for me!

I've just started reading Love's Rescue, by Tammy Barley, a Christian author. So far, it's an exciting read!

Have a great day!

Summer Squash

Are you tired of it, yet? I love it and look forward to it every summer. I usually freeze some to enjoy the rest of the year, too. My favorite way to eat it is fried. I like to mix it with okra and fry it together, along with some onion.

I've been experimenting with casserole recipes, and so far, Paula Deen's is my favorite.



The only thing I change about the recipe is to add more squash. It calls for 6 cups cut up, which I measure out--then I add two more medium squash to the amount. I keep all the other ingredients the same. It is delicious!

Summer Chores

With all the heat and humidity we've been having, I've been trying to catch up on some of my indoor projects. I recently painted my dining room chairs black. They are a mismatched set of chairs. One set was painted a dark green that was peeling off, and the other was not painted at all. I bought the unpainted chairs from a local flea market for $4.50 a piece and the smaller, painted chairs are a remnant from my childhood.

I also wanted to let you know that my romance story, Moonlight Magic, is in the July 19th issue of Woman's World.

Have a great day!

Yankee or Rebel?

Take this fun TEST and find out!

I scored 100% Dixie!

Independence Day

Happy Birthday, America!!!

Riding Through Enemy Lines

Deborah Champion, born in 1753, was the daughter of Continental Army's Commisary General, Henry Champion. In September, 1775, she rode two days and nights, accompanied by a trusted family slave, whom she called 'Uncle Starky', to deliver intelligence information to General George Washington. The ride was from Connecticut to Boston.

She was stopped by British soldiers once, and at first they insisted she go to their headquarters and be questioned. But it was very early in the morning, still dark, and she begged to be let through, telling them she was making haste to a friend's home.

Deborah was wearing her mother's bonnet, a very large bonnet covering most of her face. It was a fashion worn by older women. The soldiers studied her for a few moments and replied, "Well, you are only an old woman, anyway", and he allowed her to pass.

She successfully delivered the papers to General George Washington himself. He complimented her on her courage and patriotism.

Molly Pitcher

The name 'Molly Pitcher' is generally attributed to Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. She was the wife of John Hays. Mary was carrying water to the soldiers at the Battle of Monmouth fought in New Jersey, when her husband, who was loading one of the cannons, was killed. She immediately took over his job and continued to load the cannon throughout the battle. It is said that George Washington was so impressed with her quick thinking and actions, that he dubbed her, Sergeant Molly.

She has been honored in various ways throughout the years, including a depiction of her on a pedestal of a monument, a stamp, and a section of a U. S. highway was named after her, as well as a ship in WWII, the SS Molly Pitcher.

Like many stories from the Revolution, there is speculation that the true Molly Pitcher was a combination of women and the roles they played in various battles.

Angels and flags

Bestsy Ross

Betsy Ross is a well-known symbol of our history. Whether or not she actually made the first American flag is up for debate. Is it possible? Yes. Probable, unfortunately, no. Yet, the legend comes from her own grandson, who told the story of George Washington, Robert Morris, and her husband's uncle, George Ross coming to see her and asking her to design a flag for the newly independent colonies.

What we do know about Betsy Ross is that she was a flag maker and also, eventually, the widow of two Revolutionary War soldiers. I'd say that makes her a definite Patriot.

Whether or not Betsy Ross actually made our flag is not as important as it is to remember that women played a big role in the revolution of our great country! I want to do a few more posts this week about the important roles that they played in our independence.

On another note, are any of you decorating for the Fourth of July? I'll be posting some pictures later this week.

Have a great day!

Summer Fun

It's hot and there's nothing to do about it, so, we might as well celebrate the season. Looking around the web, I found Martha Stewart's 60 Days of Summer. I especially like these Star Medallions, and I noticed in the comment section that several people are making them with paper. She's got some great ideas, so check it out!

Stay cool!

Afternoon Movie

One cure for the afternoon heat is to sit back in your air conditioned living room, den, or wherever you like to watch television and turn on an old movie. I try to get some things done outside in the morning and then take the afternoon to read, do research for my writing, or occasionally, watch an old movie.

Bringing Up Baby is one of my all-time favorites. I think that this is Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn at their best. I will say that this screwball comedy is a little much if you like a slower pace. But if you've never watched this movie and want to see something a little bit silly and crazy--this is the movie for you. Enjoy~and stay cool!

To Weed or Not to Weed

I love weeds. Well, some of them. Some are rightfully called wildflowers, but many still consider them a weed. But for a person who is somewhat challenged in the green-thumb department (like me), weeds can be a wonderful help. Whenever some new looking plant pops up among my struggling-to-stay-alive flowers, I usually leave it, at least for a while, just to see what it may become.

My Mom's Black-eyed Susan flowers.

There is some sort of wild pea-vine (I think), that shows up every year in my day lilies. The leaves are nice, there are no stickers, and they will eventually bloom some very pretty purple/lavender flowers. I think they are a nice 'filler' for that area once the day lilies are finished. And after several years, they haven't harmed the day lilies at all. Of course, day lilies are tough plants. Maybe nothing can harm them. Even all the honeysuckle around here hasn't conquered them, yet.

How about you~do you weed-out all the weeds?

Tuesday Chores and Writing News

Hello everyone. I hope wherever you are that it's cooler than it is here. Our high was only about 90 degrees, but boy was it humid!

I still have a few things to plant out in my flower/herb bed and if I don't get it done by the end of next week, it will probably be too late. I guess I'd better stop hoping for a cool-down and get out there and do it!

Today I baked bread and also cut out some fabric squares to make napkins. I've needed to do this for a while, as we tend to use a lot of paper products~more than we need to. I would love to quit using paper towels, too, but I'm afraid that would only add to my laundry, which is hard to keep up with as it is. Have some of you done away with using paper towels?

I have some exciting news I want to share with all of you. I have a romance story being published in Woman's World magazine. It is supposed to be in the July 8th issue. I also had a mini-mystery in the May 10th issue. I had the wrong date for that story and didn't get to tell all of you about it. The story will be published under Mary L. Briggs.

Hope you're having a great week!

Remember Your Neighbors This Week

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.

32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.

35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Luke 10: 29-37

Saturday

I'm posting this as a special request for prayer for the families down south of us. The devastating floods at the beautiful and remote Caddo Gap area took the lives of seventeen people (as I write this). There are possibly twenty-four more persons unaccounted for.

It was such a freak thing to happen. I can't imagine the terror that those people were going through. The water rose so quickly that most were unable to get out. Yesterday, no survivors were found, but there is still hope that some may be out there.

Thank you, friends.

Blog Break

There's too much to do inside and out, and since quite a few of you are taking a break, I think I will, too.

Big waves to all of you~be back later!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Doors

Did you know that there are odd beliefs about doors? Most seem to involve entering and leaving through the front door of the house. Always enter and leave by the same door.

It seems an odd thing to me and I can't help but wonder where people got the idea about the doors they were entering and leaving and how this affected their 'luck'. I'm still researching this question. Does anyone know?

1. If you are moving to a new house, the first time you enter it must be through the front door.

2. A wedding couple should only enter a house by the front door.

3. The front door of a bride's house must not be closed while she is at the church getting married. (Does anybody leave their door unlocked these days?)

4. Letting the foot of the bed face a doorway causes bad luck.

5. Nailing a horseshoe on a door will bring good luck--just make sure it's nailed up in the shape of a U to keep your luck from 'falling out'!

6. Having a black cat greet you at your door is good luck! (At last, something nice about cats, LOL).

7. If a spider builds a web across your front door, you are going to have company!

Have a wonderful day~and make sure you use the front door!

Saturday Smile

Ginger being lazy on the porch swing. She's a sweet little cat that we adopted from the Humane Shelter back in February.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Worms

We were out looking at our wild plum trees yesterday and saw worms in a few of the plums~which made me wonder....how many old wives tales are about worms? Most seem to involve getting worms, LOL!

1. If you eat too much sugar, worms will grown in your stomach.

2. Eating a hair from a horses forelock will cure worms (Yuck!).

3. You will grow worms in your stomach if you go to bed hungry.

4. You will get worms if you eat raw potatoes.

5. The thirteen bands on a woolly worm allow you to predict the weather for winter.

6. Eating boiled onions cures stomach worms.

7. A lot of worms on the ground is a sign of rain. (I looked this up and it is true).

There are many more old beliefs about worms. Do you know any old wives tales about worms?

Good Monday Morning

It's a beautiful Monday here in the mountains. The air is a little muggy from all the rain, but the sunshine is wonderful! I am baking bread this morning and I also got together a couple of bags of clothes for the charity shop.

I thought I'd share a picture of our little kitty cabin. My husband made this for the cats to sleep inside of in the winter. It has two stories in it for the cats to share. There is a light bulb underneath to heat it when it's really cold. Our oldest daughter painted it to match the cabin!

And while the cats like it and will get inside when it's extremely cold~it is really the favorite of the chickens for laying their eggs! Right now, our little red hen is setting on her clutch of eggs~which has made the rest of the hens mad. It doesn't stop them, though--they just climb in and lay their eggs on top of her! We try to get the 'new' eggs out periodically through the day, LOL!

Hubby is going to build a couple more of these to put out in the yard and hopefully, the hens will use them, instead of the cat's cabin!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Spices & Herbs

Wives tales involving spices were very common in Elizabethan times. Here are a few.

1. Accidentally omitting spices when mixing a recipe means that trouble is coming your way.

2. If you pin bay leaves on each corner of your pillow on St. Valentine's Eve, you will dream of your future husband.

3. A basil leaf left under a pot will turn into a scorpion.

4. During Elizabethan times it was considered good luck for a bachelor to wear a sprig of basil on his collar. It would bring the luck of finding a bride.

5. Sprigs of mint tied around the wrist is good for stomach ailments.

6. Oregano is put in a bride's shoes and in her bouquet for good luck.

7. Lemon balm planted next to the front door will drive away evil. Also, lemon balm is said to cause the heart to be merry.

8. If you spill pepper, you will have an argument with your best friend.

Friday Fun~Primitive Crafts

I'm still working on my little bag of dolls, but thought I'd post a picture of some of my older primitive, grungy dolls.




The small doll in front on the left was made by my daughter, as well as the grungy little kitty with the rusty wire whiskers. I made the two black sock dolls and the Clara Barton doll, as well as the little patriotic shelf sitter type doll.

Everyone have a great weekend!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Butterflies

We've been seeing so many butterflies lately, that I thought it might be interesting to find some old superstitions about them.

1. If you find three butterflies together, it's a sign of good luck.

2. If butterflies arrive early for the season, it is a sign that good weather is here to stay.

3. If the first butterfly you see is dark, it means there will be a lot of thunderstorms during the spring and summer.

4. If a butterfly flies inside of your house, someone in the family will soon marry.

5. If the first butterfly you see is white, you will have good luck throughout the season.

6. If a butterfly comes into the house, a lady will soon visit and her dress will be the same color as the butterfly.

7. If a butterfly lights on your shoulder, you will soon get some new clothes.

There were many more~some not so 'fun'. Do you know any superstitions about butterflies?

Monday Chores

Monday is bread baking day around here. I baked two loaves this morning, but it looks like one of them is about gone. Three people ate some hot for breakfast, then two made sandwiches at lunch.

I did some research for some potential writing projects and I've also folded clothes, washed dishes, worked on re-doing some old curtains and pinched down some of my lemon balm and other herbs.

And now I'm going to take a tea break.

What's on your Monday-to-do list?

Saturday Smile

My Saturday Smile is George in the kitchen window. She loves to sleep in this deep window sill and it is the perfect perch for watching birds when she is awake!

Thank you all for welcoming me back to blogging. I missed all of you!

And thank you all for your sweet comments about my kitchen. Sue wants to come for coffee and Zuzu says she will bring cinnamon buns (yum!). I think it would be so fun if we all really could get together for coffee. I'd perk some up for all of us in my old Farberware Superfast percolator. I use it everyday and love the way the coffee tastes.

To answer some of your specific questions~Carmen C., all my fur babies are doing very well and you'll be seeing pictures of them pretty soon-probably more than you might want to, LOL!

Lea, the bowls in my kitchen are Jadite. I love Fiesta ware, too, but don't have any. If you keep looking at thrift stores and yard sales, I'm sure you'll find a bread box that you like. I have 5 of them and love to use them on my shelves. They are great to store even more 'stuff' in, LOL!

Penny~I promise I'll show my grungy little dolls when I get them finished. They are all just stuffed in a bag right now, but maybe I'll get to work on them this weekend.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend and do something you love.

R~Mary

Friday

As some of you noticed, I've been away from blogging for the past month. I really needed to take a computer break and get a few things done around the home place.

For starters, I painted the kitchen and dining room a soft yellow/white and a gray/green on the trim. Our walls are cordwood and pine boards. I love the look of the boards, but they made the rooms really dark and we are getting to the age when we need a lot of light to see:) Now it is so much brighter in here. I'm thinking about doing the living room, too, but it is 'on hold' for right now, at least until I'm finished with the dining room.

Here are a few pictures of my country/farmhouse kitchen. As you can see, I like lots of 'stuff', LOL!

I decided to leave the ceiling unpainted. The pantry next to the refrigerator has been 'antiqued', but in the picture it just looks like it needs a good bath. So much for my great photography.

I've also been working outside. I planted quite a few tomato plants, some cucumbers (which are not looking too good, and some squash, also not looking good. I'll probably have to start over on those two.

I'm making a new herb bed that is still in progress.

And, I have about six doll bodies made up, but they are not 'decorated' yet, so their identity is still something I have to decide on. I make very grungy, prim dolls. I think that grunging them is my favorite part, LOL!

Have a great weekend!