Blog Boredom

No, I am not bored with all the wonderful blogs out there. I am still amazed at all the creativity I see from everyone. The "Blog Boredom" title is just directed towards my blog. I figured I needed to do a new post, but didn't figure you wanted to read about kids with the sniffles, dr. appointments, laundry.... Just not much exciting to blog about.

Living in the south has some advantages. Like the fact the "garage sale season" lasts longer down here. It has slowed down, but there are still some good sales scattered here and there. For lack of anything else to show you, I will post a few photos from a couple weeks ago.

Wow! This is a really poor photo of a really neat "Mother" pin. The shape is unique. Have you ever gone to a sale and almost felt guilty about buying things? This was a house full of things a man was selling of his mother's. Nothing priced. Things still in cabinets and drawers. Almost seemed too personal. Was the man still grieving the loss of the woman who once wore this pin? I just wonder.
Here are some more odds and ends I picked up from different sales. I love old wooden boxes - beauty and function! The music in the background is a fairly large book - The World's Best Music.
Old bulldog clips of varying sizes. A wooden spool? A unique money clip. Large pins. They are about 4 inches long. Does anyone know what their original use was?

Look at this old softball. After looking on ebay I am guessing it is probably from the 30's or 40's.

Have I ever told you how much I love old books? Well, I do. I started collecting antique school books when I was in college and it has just grown from there. They are an inexpensive way to decorate. The more "battered" ones can be used, page by page, for crafting. Some can be resold in my booth. Some just seem to cry out, "Take me home and love me." Like the one above. I read Heidi when I was a girl, but I am sure it wasn't the 307 page version. And I know it didn't have these delightful illustrations. This book (c. 1924) was illustrated by Frances Brundage. I didn't know anything about her before. Now I will be on the lookout for more books and postcards illustrated by her.

Well, for having nothing to blog about I still managed a fairly long post. Thanks for reading (or at least scrolling through to the end)!

{"Honor your father and mother so that you'll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you." Exodus 20:12}

Borrowing Eggs

A couple of Sundays ago we pulled into our driveway and were met by two of the neighbor kids. The little girl handed me the note below.

I quickly came inside, took an egg out of the refrigerator, padded it with a paper towel and put it into the plastic cup provided by the little boy. Off they went across the yard to their house.

(Before I forget, make sure you click on the photo to see the scripture on the egg carton.) Back to borrowing eggs..... I am so thankful that my neighbor felt comfortable asking me. Sure we go to church together. Sure our kids play together all the time. But how many people ask to borrow and egg or a cup of sugar from their neighbor anymore? I think it is sad that it doesn't happen very often.

First, stores are open 24 hours a day now. It used to be that if you ran short on an ingredient and it was after 6:00 or the weekend, then you had to improvise. Second, we don't know our neighbors anymore. Don't you think that is true? Am I going to ask my neighbor for an egg if I have barely spoken two words to her in the past? We are too busy to get to know the people next door.

Thankfully, we live in a friendly neighborhood. When we moved in everyone took the time to come introduce themselves. We are not afraid to ask favors of each other because we know each other. Also, we live a few miles from town. Running to the store for eggs is not convenient. So, if you need an egg, sugar, milk....come on over. And I hope you will sit on my porch and visit for a spell while you are here!

{"Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Matthew 5:42}

What A Week!

In my last post I mentioned that my husband was gone to a conference eight years ago. Well, actually he goes to the same conference every year - same week, different location. So, this week he was in Tulsa. Sweet Girl got pneumonia. Yep! I drug all three kids to the ER in the middle of the night on Tuesday. My Sweet Girl was having trouble breathing, gagging and vomiting up "gunk" and of course, crying. The nurse says to me, "Is she always this irritable?" Ummmm, no.....and neither am I!

On a brighter note, here is a quick view from my front porch. I love this time of year! I wasn't sure how much "color" we would get down here, but we ended up with quite a bit. The last few days have been windy, so now a lot of the leaves are on the ground.
This afternoon the boys and I went to the state park for a church youth party. It was a gorgeous day! We roasted hot dogs (my boys are on the left and far right)....
made s'mores....

played in the leaves....
and went on a hike.

Tomorrow is a Holiday Open House downtown. I spent the week trying to get my booth ready for Christmas. Isn't it too early for that? I've already had to go in a couple of times and fill in bare spots where Christmas things have sold. Never did remember to take my camera with me. I will try to do that tomorrow.

I did find some time to hit a few garage sales and was pleased with the outcome. Again, I haven't taken pictures. This is some of what I bought: old suitcases, a wagon wheel mold from a foundry, an end table, Christmas ornaments, a really old softball, a beautiful old music book, some white dishes, Santa mugs, rick rack and seam binding, buttons..... I had a van full!

I woke up at 5:15 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. Now it is 8:00 and I am ready for bed. I think I will curl up with the newest Country Living for a while and then go to bed.

{"And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22:2}

Eight Years Ago...

Very early in the morning, eight years ago today I went into labor with baby #2. No big deal except that I was at home in KS and hubby was at a conference in WY. I wasn't due for three more weeks, but I guess the baby had his own opinion on that. So, I got my three year old son out of bed, drove him across town to my dear friend's house and then drove myself to the hospital. A while later another sweet friend came to the hospital to be with me. She stayed by my side and was right there....

...when this guy entered the world. He was healthy and strong. That was definitely a day to give thanks. I had a healthy baby and I had wonderful friends who were there for me. In case you were wondering, hubby got home a couple hours after delivery.

Here is a quick little project I did a couple of weeks ago. I've had this old screen window (minus the screen) for several years. In this house I decided to hang it in the dining room, but it was looking pretty bare.

I found these chippy old plates at the thrift store. I'd never seen them do this. The white "paint" has come off around the edges and the underneath is black. Most people would probably look at them and think "trash", but not me.

I turned them into "treasure" with a few simple steps. I took a couple old dictionary pages and printed "Give thanks" on them. Then I just cut them out in a circle and glued them onto the plates, added plate hangers and ribbon and hung them in the windows. I do think I still need a punch of color somewhere, but at least I have more than a bare wall now. Not bad for a quarter! I think that is what I paid for the two plates. Everything else I already had.
This old scale came from the antique store. Yes, sometimes I do a little shopping of my own when I stop by to check on my booth. It was half price and I just thought it would be fun in my kitchen. It looks good outside with the pumpkins and gourds, too!



Just in case you think all I ever buy is things for the house or to resell in my booth, I thought I would tell you what I got for $20 at a garage sale on Friday. For boy #1: 1 hoodie, 1 jacket, 4 shirts and 2 pair of pants (all Aeropostle or American Eagle). For boy #2: 1 hoodie. For Sweet Girl: 1 skirt, 1 shirt, 1 pair of shorts and 4 pair of pants (all Children's Place). I have no idea how I would afford to clothe three kids without garage sales, thrift stores and hand-me-downs. I promise you they wouldn't be wearing Aeropostle and American Eagle!


I hope each of you has a wonderful week. Hubby is out of town all week, so it is going to be a long one for me!

{"She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes." Proverbs 31:21}

I'd Rather Be Blogging.....

.....than doing all the things I really need to be doing. I enjoy sharing things with my readers - even though I don't even know who some of you are. It is fun to choose just the right photos to go with my post. (Although, I'm trying to figure out why blogger suddenly posts my pics in the opposite order as I upload them. Anyone know?) Then I choose just the right scripture to go with the post. Of course, then I enjoy reading the comments. I just enjoy blogging!

I picked up this wooden bowl at the thrift store last week. It actually looks like an offering plate from church. The milk bottle caps are the ones I got in Jefferson, TX. They had tons of them for a quarter each. I wish I would have picked up a few more. The colors and graphics are so fun!
Is anyone familiar with these flower globes? I had never seen them until this week at the thrift store. There were three of them but I only got this one.
It is the only one that had a "frog" in the lid. What a fun display piece!
We don't have a lot of fall color down here in southern Arkansas, but I love this red leaf!
This is from the pond across the road. The steam rising off the water is stunning. If you enlarge the picture you can see the dew on the tree and the grass. Beautiful!

Okay, I'm not going to bore you with my "to do" list or bring you down with the stresses of the week. I just want you to enjoy my photos and have a good day! Thanks for reading!

{May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness— an abundance of grain and new wine. Genesis 27:28}

P.S. Make sure you check out Margo's Junkin' Journal for a fun give away! Look for the link on my sidebar.

Play & Be Happy!

Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right and everything takes twice as long as it should? Well, I've had one of those days all week! One crazy little thing after another....Right now, for instance. Blogger just put my pictures in the opposite order. No time to change it, so they will just have to stay this way.

My Sweet Girl had a good time riding yesterday. Love to see that smile! If you enlarge the picture you will see her "toothless" grin. She lost another tooth yesterday morning. I tried to take a nice, upclose shot of her, but she wouldn't cooperate. Little stinker!
I had a fun time antiquing in Jefferson, TX last Saturday. There are lots of fun shops there. I really didn't buy much....a wire locker basket, some milk bottle caps, and an old box of crayons....but spending the day with "the girls" was great!
There was plenty of "junk" to look at - just not anything I thought I could turn around and sell. I really don't need anything for my house right now except for a mantle. I did see several of those, but it isn't in the budget right now.

I really don't have anything new and exciting to share. You probably don't want to hear about all my phone calls with insurance, doctors, pharmacy, medical supply company..... Instead I will leave you with this:

I love my old typewriter and its message. I need to keep reminding myself of this when things don't go the way they should.
I didn't set out to collect old games. It just sort of happened. I love the colors and graphics.

That is my randomness for today. I do hope you all are having a good week!

{"Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence." Psalm 105:1}

Easiest-Ever Pumpkin Muffins

Good evening! It has been a beautiful fall day and I just wanted to share one of my family's favorite fall treats. Actually, I posted this recipe last year, but it is definitely worth posting again. And this time you get pictures!

Easiest-Ever Pumpkin Muffins

The ingredients: one spice cake mix and one can of pumpkin. That's it!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake mix and pumpkin together in a bowl. I do it by hand, but you can use an electric mixer if you want.
The batter will be pretty thick.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray (or use paper liners) and fill about 2/3 full. This recipe will make 12-15 regular size muffins.
I actually made 12 regular size and 9 mini muffins tonight. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Decrease the time a bit if you are making minis.
These are a great thing to make if you need something quick for a potluck or brunch. I always try to keep the cake mix and pumpkin on hand for "emergencies." My kids love these!
Delicious fresh out of the oven with melted butter. Oh, you can add chopped nuts to the batter if you would like.
Soon, all you will have left is crumbs! Enjoy!

I am off to Jefferson, TX in the morning. Some gals from church are doing a "girls day out." We will be hitting all the local antique stores and flea markets. Maybe we will even find some garage sales and thrift stores. I'm just excited about getting away for a day. Maybe I will have some fun treasures to share with you when I return.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

{"He brought the man of God twenty loaves of fresh-baked bread from the early harvest, along with a few apples from the orchard." 2 Kings 4:42}

Autumn Blessings (and more junk)

I had a wonderful day yesterday! My friends came to visit! These are the women I used to meet with once a week for prayer. (I wrote a bit about them here.) They drove 3 1/2 hours (one way)to get here and even brought lunch with them. We laughed, we cried, we ate, we sat on my porch, we prayed..... It was such a blessing to be together again. Oh, and one of the gals is a massage therapist. She worked on my aching neck. Ahhhh! That was a blessing! Oh, wait! Something else - Luna bars! Flavors I can't buy in this town.

They also brought me a housewarming gift. My dear friend knew I loved this picture and now I have it. It will go in my bedroom and be a wonderful reminder of my sweet friends. Thank you, ladies!

My pictures didn't quite get in the order I wanted them, so I will post about "more junk" and then get back to the "Autumn blessings."

We needed something to hang towels on in our master bathroom. I wanted something unique and this is what I came up with. It is shoe forms screwed onto an old board I had. Works great!

Here is another one with four "hooks." This board is an old table leaf that a guy at a garage sale gave me a couple weeks ago. This is for sale in my booth.

These hooks are near our back door and I thought they looked a little boring. The numbers really liven things up. I "stole" this idea from another blog, but of course I don't remember which one. Sorry.

A while back I found these black "hairy" button things in a box of trims I bought. They immediately reminded me of spiders. So, I added eyes and some fishing line and "EEK" I had spiders!

Back to the Autumn Blessings. I love wildflowers! Our roadsides are lined with these right now.
This is my little fall display on my front porch.
Some little pumpkins stacked in an old hanging planter. I think this would also be fun with a candle in it.
EEK! I have real spiders. A friend was teasing me the other day about my "Halloween decorations." She was referring to the spider webs on my porch. Sometimes I don't have the heart to take them down. They really are works of art.

Well, I am off to parent teacher conferences this afternoon. Then I have photography class. I am taking one of those "continuing education" courses. I really want to learn more about aperature, shutter speed, etc. so I can take better photos. I have a feeling, though, that the class is just going to make me want an SLR camera even worse than I already do. That's okay. I'm just going to be thankful for the camera I do have right now.

{"That's what happens to all who forget God— all their hopes come to nothing. They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web. One jiggle and the thread

breaks, one jab and the web collapses." Job 8:13-15}

Junk For Sale

Good evening! The picture above is how the pond across the road looks almost every morning. The steam rising off the water is absolutely beautiful. I need to try to take a better picture. It is even more breathtaking when you see the sun peaking up over the trees.

I came home this evening to the sound of a tractor mowing our grass. We have several acres of grass, but only mow the yard (probably about 2 acres). I worried when we moved here what we would do since we don't own a tractor. Well, everything works out. A farmer down the road mows and bales our grass. He has hay for his livestock and we have a cleared yard. No money is exchanged, but he is happy and we are happy!

My first month at the antique store was great! I deposited my first check yesterday and it was more than I expected when I started this whole thing. I really enjoy doing this - shopping for treasures, turning "junk" into something new, and then displaying it in my booth just so. I found out that there is one lady in town (and her daughter) who have bought A LOT from my booth. They'll come in or call and ask if I have been there to add anything new. And then they SHOP! Works for me!

Last week was a good junking week. Between thrift stores, garage sales and one estate "tag" sale I came home with lots of new things. Most will end up in my booth, although I am hanging on to a few things (for now anyway).

This isn't everything I bought last week, but it gives you an idea. The back of my van got pretty full on Saturday morning. I am so thankful that my hubby allows me to go junking on Saturday mornings while he watches the kiddos. I don't go out every week, but it sure is nice when I do.

It is a little hard to see the table that everything is sitting on. It appears to be pretty old and "primitive" and was a bargain for $3. It is on my front porch. I'm working on a fall display set up on it that I will try to show you later.

I have a confession. I like men's pajamas. Only vintage ones. Strange, I know. But have you every looked at them? There are some great prints. The ones I found last weekend are probably my favorites. It is a beautiful winter scene fabric. Not sure if I will put them in my booth around Christmas time or if I will keep them and wear them. Yes, I even wear men's pajamas. Now you know.

I love this old refrigerator drawer. And of course I can't pass up trim, lace and rick rack.

There is a lady in town who does estate "tag" sales. Sometimes I think things are pricey and other times I am excited at the bargains I find. This breakfast tray was $2. Definitely worth it! The cherry plate came from a garage sale. Isn't it sweet?

More treasures....a serenity prayer sampler and a Homer Laughlin mixing bowl. I like how they look together.

More old magazines, turkey salt and pepper shakers, a vintage thermos, a McCoy planter....The mirror (which you can see better in a previous picture) is an old window frame. It came from the tag sale. I have been looking for a mirror for our back bathroom and I think this one is perfect.

I'm not sure if I will do much fall decorating inside this year, but like I said before, I am working on the porch. I wish I could find some of those fun pumpkins like are available in some places - white, green, etc. All that is available here is the typical orange ones from the grocery store. Have any of you every grown pumpkins or gourds? I'm thinking about trying it next year.

Time to get off the computer. The house is not going to clean itself and the laundry fairy did not make an appearance here today. I guess it is up to me.....

{Two rows of bronze gourds were around the outer edge of the bowl, ten gourds to every eighteen inches. I Kings 7:24}

Grass Stains

October is "Rett Syndrome Awareness Month." I've been trying to think of some great, profound post, but I guess my heart and my head are just not in it right now. Neither is my body. I have a recurring neck/shoulder/arm pain that is back this week. It hurts to be on the computer. It hurts to sleep. It hurts to lift my Sweet Girl. It isn't horrible - just constant and annoying. But enough about me.

Since I can't think of anything original to type tonight, I want to share a story I wrote a few years ago.

Grass Stains

As moms, we’ve all heard the phrase, “You’ve got to pick your battles.” Well, I am done fighting the war on grass stains. I’ve scrubbed. I’ve soaked. I’ve scrubbed some more. Still, my sons’ jeans come out of the laundry looking quite colorful. My seven year old arrives home from school not only with bright green on his knees, but all the way up and down his legs and the seat of his pants. I can’t even imagine what he does to get those stains in so many places! And if that is not enough, his four year old brother is quickly learning from his example.

I used to worry about those stubborn grass stains. What will other moms think about me if I let my boys be seen this way? Maybe I don’t care enough about their appearance. If I can’t remove those stubborn stains, what does it say about my homemaking skills? After all my scrubbing and soaking, I am still inadequate. Well, I surrender. The grass stains are just going to stay!

My grumbling has turned to gratitude. Now, as I throw those blue-turned-green jeans into the washing machine, I don’t reach for the Shout or Spray-and-Wash. Those stains are a reminder that God has blessed me with two healthy boys who can run and play. I fold the permanently stained jeans and think about the fun that was involved in getting them that way. Let others think what they will. Green is becoming my favorite color.

You see, I also have a daughter and chances are, she will never have grass stains on her knees. Not because she is a girl, but because she can’t walk. She has Rett Syndrome which affects her ability to move, among other things. I love my little girl with all my heart, but I grieve the fact that she will never join her brothers in a game of tag; that she won’t fall down in the grass and come up with green battle scars. Her little pink leggings will be forever pink.

I guess I need to get back to my laundry. Time to soak the food stains from my daughter’s shirts. Swallowing is sometimes difficult for her and food falls out of her mouth onto her clothes. On second thought, I think I’m beginning to like the pizza sauce polka dots……

Here is the most recent picture of Sweet Girl. It was taken last weekend. It is a rare occasion to get her looking at the camera and smiling (well, sort of).

If you would like to know more about Rett Syndrome you can visit these places: RettHelp, Girl Power, and IRSF. All of these sites have information about Rett Syndrome and also opportunities to donate. I really hate asking for money, especially in these difficult economic times. But I also hate that there is no cure for Rett Syndrome yet.

Also, my Usborne books eshow is still open. I am donating my commission to Rett Syndrome research. These books make wonderful gifts and the holidays are fast approaching.

Well, this has been a somewhat "scattered" post. Just the way my brain is tonight, I guess. It is past my bedtime and it hurts to type or even use the mouse. I'll be back in a few days with a more "usual" post.