After the Showers

While I was outside taking these photos today, a quick little shower passed my way.  It come out of nowhere, a huge black cloud.  But the shower was done and over with in less than a minute. 

It occurred to me that life is like that sometimes.  A problem comes our way and suddenly all we can think of is doom and gloom and in no time it's over and if someone should ask us about it, we have forgotten what it was all about.

I watched my parents go through many struggles, but they never let the bad times define them.  For instance one of their babies died when I was about five years old.  They talked to us about it and we went to visit the graveside occasionally, but the death did not define who they were.

When our families house burnt down, they often spoke of it, but in terms of gratitude for God's wonderful provision in the aftermath.  We weren't a family that had lost a child and whose house burnt down.  We were a family that God had blessed so tremendously.

There is a lesson to be learned in that, I think.

My husband has a saying that he repeats often, "God is good to me and He is good to me all of the time."  I love it!

I am so grateful for God's wonderful handiwork.  I enjoy my yard and flowers SO much!  

I just recently realized that Peonies do not smell especially pretty until they have been taken off of the bush and are put on display.  Then their fragrance can fill a whole room.  Their fragrance is much like a roses fragrance.

What defines you, the sadness of life or the gladness of life?  Life brings plenty of both, but I want the GLAD times to define me, then I will always have a reason to smile.  I will have a positive outlook.

  WISHING YOU LOVE IN YOUR HEART...PEACE IN YOUR SOUL..AND JOY IN YOUR LIFE.....ALWAYS...

Mod Mix Monday Again!

Happy Monday!  I hope your day is going well.

I am joining one of my favorite parties again today, 

Mod Mix Monday over at Mod Vintage Life.

I have told you that I have a neighbor who brings me the most wonderful vintage treasures and he has done it again!

Take a look at this wonderful glass jar.

Isn't it lovely?  I have always wanted one, but they are hard to find.

This is the latest find, he got it for about $2.00 and it is a very sweet find, somebody at the Thrift Store slipped up.  Normally their vintage items go for a whole lot more.  Notice the little flower lid on the sugar container, so cute!

 

What do you think?  I love the tray that it's on, too, the rim is silver and the inside is two pieces of glass that you separate to put a picture inside of.  I found it at my favorite GW store.

And my Peonies are finally blooming!  They smell heavenly!

So, pink is now one of the colors that I am using in my porch along with the lovely blue of the old ice chest.  I'm lovin' it!!!

I hope you check out Nita's fun little party.

Have a super-fabulous-wonderful day!

Hugs, 

My Favorite Space

Happy Thursday to all! 

If you have been to my blog more than a few times, then you have seen my kitchen.  It was completely renovated 18 months ago and I enjoy spending time in it so very much.

We rarely eat out, so my kitchen is used continuously.  

I love to bake and make a huge variety of main dishes for our Supper meal.  I have always believed that one of the most important things a family can do together is sit down to a proper evening meal and eat together.  The time spent chatting and filling our tummies is precious time.  Kids will grow up and duplicate that in their own homes, with their own kiddos.  My two have done exactly that, now  how special is that?!  It's only my husband and I left at home now, but we still do this.

Of all the areas that I enjoy in my kitchen, the area below is probably my favorite area.

I love to cook, but it runs a close second to my very most favorite and that is decorating.

I am joining Sarah over at Modern Country Style, have a look at the wonderful kitchens there today.

Have a fabulous day!!!

Cindy

~Welcome Summer~

The first day of Summer!

Welcome Summer, I wait all year long for you and you are finally here, and I am filled with gratitude.

The one project that I dearly wanted to have finished by the first of Summer was my screened in porch.  It's small, probably 9 feet wide by about 16 feet long, but it's a place to get away from the mosquitoes.

And it's a cozy place now.

Welcome to my Porch.

This wash tub stand, that I'm using as a coffee table is a curbside find.  I also found a wash tub, but there's no room in here for it.  The flat, long wooden box is where I store my barbeque utensils.  I picked it up on our Free Day.

Would you believe I found a step ladder at the same place that I found the long ladder.  The wood is very worn and has great patina.

I put my vintage seed bag on it.

I think it looks so wonderful!!!

I am loving the flea-market style of decorating out here.  It suits it so well, I think.

My dear husband helped me put this little rattan couch out here today and I covered it in a vintage chenille spread with some old embroidered pillowcases on the pillows.

You can see the trees and feel the breeze when you are in this little space of mine.  I plan to replace all of the blinds and add sheers.  Those will definitely have to be thrift store finds, because I need six of them.  I will show them to you when I find them.

There is an old trunk that my husband found on someone's curb, it holds the recycle bin.  Next to that and over a bit is a bookshelf for our shoes.  It needs a coat of white paint as does the table and chairs that you see above.  
We are Canadians, eh, and Canadians do not wear their outside shoes indoors.  
So most of them stay out here. 

We also plan to replace the horrible old rug in here and paint the brown walls and ceiling a lovely white!

You can just barely see the old ice-chest that I got at a garage sale for $2.00, it adds some nice color to the room.

I am joining A Delightsome Life for Savoring Summer and Rose Colored Glasses for Rhondi's Porch Party.

Sometimes the best way to savor Summer is from inside, so this is where I will be, if you need me.

Have a delightful day!

Hugs,

Mod Mix Monday Again!

Happy Monday to all..today is Mod Mix Monday, again.  I am loving this party that Nita has come up with.  It suits me so well, I think.

Today I have a lamp to show you.  The lamp that I had here originally, well, let's say it is in the repair shop.  While moving furniture around last week I forgot to unplug the lamp and it fell on the floor and one of its feet got broken, so it was sitting crookedly.  I happened to be in Value Village the next day and I saw a lamp that was maroon trimmed in gaudy gold.  I immediately imagined it in a lovely turquoise and I knew it was the lamp for me.  I paid $4.99 for it!

Here it is today, sorry, but I forgot to get a before photo.  It had a really cool shade, but it didn't go with the turquoise at all.  I will revamp it and use it elsewhere.

Here it is from farther away.  I found the silver tray that it's sitting on at a garage sale for $5.00 last weekend.  

I am going to have to either make white slipcovers for those wing-back arm chairs or else find white slipcovers for sale somewhere.  But because they have square cushions on them, not the t-cushion, I have had no luck doing that.  So I can see a very big project in my future.  Yikes!  I'm not sure if I'm up to it.

I am working on making aprons to sell at our Family Camp.  Here is how it started out.  I used an apron that my grand-kids gave me as the pattern.  I found a really good tutorial at StoneGable and was able to make two that way.

Don't you love the bright polka-dots?  I used a red with white polka-dots for the second one.  It is nearly finished, I will show you what they look like when I am finished!

Be sure to check out Mod Mix Monday!  And say hello to Nita.

Have a wonderful day my friends, and thanks so much for stopping by and also for leaving a comment!  I love comments!!!

Hugs,

Happy Father's Day

I am blessed to have had a dad who, though he worked long hard hours, he always came home at night and spent time with his six children and my mom.  My dad never complained that he worked too hard at building churches and being a Pastor, as well as working his full-time, very physical job.  He loved God, he loved what he did for God and his family and he loved his family.

My dad was the one who helped me to understand that I was acceptable, attractive and worthy of love.

My mom and dad during the very early years.

I thought my dad was perfect, until one day in a sermon, he made reference to himself as not being perfect.  I will never forget how stunned I was to hear that.  I was probably about 10.

Twice, I can remember seeing my dad actually losing his temper and raising his voice to us kids.  That was as bad as it got.  Normally, it took just a spoken word and we obeyed him.  And once, when he lost patience with me, he came back and apologized to me.  I was just a teenager and my respect for him grew by leaps and bounds that day.

When I was 29 years old, I called him and begged him to rescue me from the very abusive man that I had been married to for 10 years.  He became my real-life hero that day and then he shielded me from the threatening phone calls that ensued.  My dad was such a gentle person, yet he did not back down.  Then three years later, with tears in his eyes and a catch in his throat, he officiated my marriage to the dear, sweet, loving man that I have been married to for nearly 21 years now.

I think the most important thing my dad did for his children, was love our mother, and treat her like a queen.  We saw that lived out every day.

He left this veil of tears 20 years ago, at about this time of year.  And I know I will see him again one day.

I am so grateful to have had such a wonderful dad.

I seldom say much that is real personal, but I think my dad deserves to be praised just a little bit.

If you still have a dad that you love to bits, I hope you let him know how very much you love him.  I wish I had told my dad a lot more often.

Have a lovely day, my friends, and Happy Father's Day to my dear husband and to all of the wonderful dads out there!!!

Hugs,

Climbing the Ladder

It's not the ladder of success, unfortunately, unless you consider the fact that I have been searching for an old ladder for several years now and I did finally find one.  That is success to us junkers.  I found it in the garbage, someone was actually throwing this thing away!  After a good hosing down it came out looking very nice, I think.

I'm not sure where it's final "resting" place will be, but I think it looks very nice right where I have put it.  For the time being anyways.  I want to work on my screened in porch and it will eventually go there. 

The wood is very weathered and if there was ever paint on it, there isn't any now.

You can see the old  rusted metal ladder mechanism at the top.  That is my thrifty find, it was FREE, you can't get much better than that.

Before you go, grab a Banana Bran Muffin, they are piping hot from the oven.  I'm surprised that you can't see steam coming out of them, they are that hot.

And for those of you who love to bake, here's the recipe.

Banana Bran Muffins

3 very ripe bananas

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Splenda

2 eggs

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup natural wheat bran

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Cream butter and sugars well, add eggs and beat.  Add flour and bran with salt and soda.  Beat until just mixed.  Add mashed bananas and nuts and or chocolate chips.  Mix well.

Bake in prepared muffin tin at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes or put in prepared loaf pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Very yummy both ways!

I freeze my bananas once they are over ripe and then thaw and just squeeze them out of their peel.  And I love to use both pecans and chocolate chips.  This muffin is both good for you and very tasty, could be served as a dessert or a breakfast food!

Please let me know if you use the recipe and tell me how it turned out for you.  This is a recipe I got from Kim at Dear Daisy Cottage and I changed it up, added the bran and used butter to suit my taste buds.

Have a lovely day my friends and thanks so much for stopping by, it is always a pleasure to have you.

I am joining The Thrifty Groove & Beyond the Picket Fence.

Hugs, 

June Blossoms

Here we are in the middle of June and it already feels like Summer, with hot humid days and mosquitoes.  They haven't been really bad, but one landed on me yesterday and I got him, before he got me!

  

My Irises bloomed this week, I love the yellow ones best.

Whenever Baxter, the neighbor dog, sees me outside he comes over for a back scratch.  It's the people that belong to him that give me so many wonderful vintage treasures.

I separated three of my Hostas and transplanted these here.  I enjoy how they look.  We tried for two years in a row to grow tomatoes here and this area just doesn't get enough sun.

Can you believe the huge ferns that we can grow?  I love them!

This is a view of our back lane, I enjoy it, (except for the garbage cans), because when I walk through there I feel like I am in the woods away from the concrete jungle.  There are lots of gorgeous lilac bushes through there, too.

The Peonies will be blossoming very soon!  I look forward to them every year.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see how my gardens is growing.  How is yours growing, have you been getting too much rain or not enough?  I would love to know.

Have a lovely day,