"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every

day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful

which God has implanted in the human soul."     ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


I am afraid that too often lately, we see more of the ugly in our world, flashed across
the television screens of our homes, and we become so absorbed in the ugliness at
times, that we miss out on the beautiful around us.  My prayer is, that on my blog, in
a simple way, I will continue to share bits of the beauty that make up daily life.  And
that even in the midst of pain, trials, uncertainty, and unrest...our focus can be
redirected to those simple, yet amazing gifts that our Heavenly Father provides us with.

 

A tiny gift for you today.  I only wish I could share the sweet aroma it provides,
along with it.  I know it would make you smile.

Thank you for stopping by.

On a clear, sunny Saturday afternoon, I was honored to be invited to a baby shower
for one of my daughter's dear friends.  On the invitation, it was called a "Mr. McGregor's
Garden Party", and I looked forward to seeing what that would entail.

The "soon to be mother" and one of her good friends.  They did not find out ahead of time
whether she was having a boy or girl, but everyone was making their predictions for her.
She looked pretty in her lace and pearls, for this anticipated event!

It was fun to walk around the home, and see all the creative touches put in place for this
garden party shower.

Here we were to guess the amount of old buttons in the jar.  I recognized some of the old books,
from my daughter's childhood. 

Eagerly this sweet girl wrote down her button guess.  In a few short weeks, she will get to meet her
new little cousin.  The big smile revealed her excitement over it all.

The clever way the relish tray was presented, fit perfectly into the garden theme.

Strawberries and grapes became eye candy, on the clear crystal pedestal display, and
tasted so good with the melted chocolate drizzled over it.

The food presentation was well thought out and  so attractively done.

 

 One of my favorite aspects of Mr. McGregor's Garden Party...

peanut butter button cookies, made by the hostess.  What a cute addition to the shower!

 

The sister and niece of the mother-to-be added to the shower's festivities, with their
warm smiles and kind hospitality.

 

 

Two lovely ladies, who eagerly look forward to fulfilling the coveted role

of "grandma" to the new little one.  I think grandmas are looking younger than

ever!

 

And, so are great-grandmothers!  These two gracious ladies have welcomed many little
ones into their arms over the years.

The smiles, the laughter, the conversations that were taking place throughout the home,
helped to make this event, one that will not soon be forgotten.

The baby will be so blessed to have aunts like this to care for and love them.

The gifts, the food, and the fellowship left the dear mother-to-be

with a feeling of joy and thankfulness in her heart, as she

faces the days ahead.

So much attention to detail was found everywhere. 

What fun to discover that I got to take a small gift along home with me. 

 

Another touch of "wow" to the garden party.

 

As I walked out the front door and said my goodbyes, it seemed like even the pansies
were smiling:)

Thank you for stopping by today.  Maybe this will renew some of memories you may
have from your days of reading about Mr. McGregor's garden, leaving you with a smile
too.

 

As the Peony bushes are pushing their way through the ground, here at our

home...

 

...our Midwest family spent the week visiting us.  They arrived on Saturday, and left
early this morning.  It has been years since our niece and nephew spent time with
their grandmother, and she loved every moment of that time together.

 

Time to read and to relax, were so needed for this family.  They live busy lives, and face
many demands, when they return from their spring break.

There was treasured time for lots of conversation, snacking on fresh, sweet,
delicious oranges from Costco, and potato chips.  Sounds like a great combination
doesn't it?   If what my brother claims is true, that potato chips really are vegetables,
then we snacked on fruit and vegetables:)

We had an extended family dinner with cousins who rarely spend time together.

Platters of hot, broasted chicken, makes every family event better.

The young ones were introduced for the first time, to the newest members of the family.
It was a tender moment for us, when we saw one of our nephews, taking a picture of
his precious, tiny second cousin.

"The richest gifts we can bestow are the least marketable."

~Henry David Thoreau

 

The family left early this morning, to drive the long distance home, and we

are left with lots of special memories.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

 

 

Saturday afternoon was an exquisitely gorgeous, spring day!  On my way home
from the grocery store, I had to go the long way through the country.  The sights
I found gave me cause to stop and try, in some small way, to capture the beauty of it
all.

"Spring heralds the return of the sun's warmth, the renewal of life, and the reappearance
of green and color everywhere."   ~unknown

 

There is something so fascinating to me, watching the dry, hardened ground

being tilled, and then the "fresh" rich topsoil in its place. 

Hundreds of tiny yellow flowers graced the creek banks.

 

"Some old fashion things like fresh air and sunshine, are hard to beat."   ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

"If we had no winter, this spring would not be so pleasant."    ~unknown

 

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy."  ~Charles H. Spurgeon

 

 

Sharing a few of the things I enjoy, with you on this early Monday morning. 

 

Thank you for stopping by. 

 

 

A miracle happened outside my window this week.

First there were brown sticks.

And then within days, there were gorgeous pink flowers overflowing in abundance.

 

I did not do a thing to create this happening.  I marveled at it all.  I do

 

every single time this miracle takes place. 

Everything is coming alive here, as I am sure it is everywhere.  Spring is such a revitalizing

and refreshing season.  I can think of no other way to explain this all, other than our wonder

working God, who is a Master Designer, and Creator.

Do you see what I mean?  Perfection at it's finest, even down to the tiny, straight lines in the

center of every pansy.  Amazing!

And thanks to a good friend, I have a bit of that beauty by my kitchen sink this

evening.


Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

When springtime arrives, I get in a cleaning and redecorating mood.  I

go through my home and pull things from where they spent the winter,

and replace them. 

 

 

Remember in the last few months, I did a post on the old

canning jars I was gifted with?  Well, I took them and replaced

them.  I cleared the tops of the cabinets in my family room, and decided

to use the jars in this location.

Old jars, tiny lights, and a few touches of green, completed the new look.

 

That's it!  So simple, and yet it makes me happy to give new looks to old things.

 

I am always working on me...when it comes to attempting to give "new" looks

to "old" things:)  I was told recently, that anything over 60 years old, is

considered an antique.  Meet your "antique" blogger.

 

I would love to know the stories that make up each of these old jars.  I like seeing the tiny
bubbles in some of the glass.

My kitchen shelves, with a bit of a new look, using the canning jars, and special other
pieces.

This old copper tea kettle was an antique wedding gift from our good friends.  Forty years
later, it still adds beauty to our home, no matter where I place it.  I especially like it with
the lit sticks and white faux flowers.  Thanks Charlie and Vickie, for a gift that keeps
giving.

 

This needlepoint piece was created by another good friend, and it too,

makes me smile each time I see it.

 

Truly, I give you "just a little something" today. 

 

Thank you for stopping by again.  What are some of your favorite "old"

things that you decorate with, in your home?