Friday Show & Tell!

Kelli's suggestion for today's Show & Tell is something from the bedroom. These pictures of my husband and me hang in our bedroom.

I was about 10 months old here and three years old in the next picture.

My husband was 18 months in this one and about 10 years old in the next one. Isn't it a hoot?!

A Thankful, Precious Celebration

As you read this post I am with my parents, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. It is truly a joyous occasion because they love each other more today than they did on their wedding day 60 years ago. I watch them at times and they are in totally sync. They think alike, they move at the same time to do the same thing, they laugh at the same moment...I'm convinced they read each others minds. I have attempted a few breathless times to imagine one of them without the other and I simply can't. For now, I am celebrating having two wonderful parents who have stayed together through joy and hardship to build a legacy of love for all of us who watch in awe. I include some pictures of Mom and Dad on their wedding day and some more in the present, still sweethearts.

This precious picture is Mom and Dad on their wedding day. Didn't she look beautiful in her lovely satin gown? The dress still rests in tissue paper along with Mother's veil and satin shoes. I am one of three sisters and I have one daughter. Before each of us married mother brought out her precious wedding gown and carefully unwrapped it from it's protective layers. She helped each prospective bride into her gown and buttoned the million satin covered buttons up the back - as far as they would close! As it turns out not one of us could fit into her 20 inch waist! Mother enjoyed that immensely! Both Mom and Dad still remember every detail of their day, right down to the the little tear in the waist of Mothers dress. As they ran from the church among fluttering rice Daddy stepped on the hem. The moment was caught and rests in their wedding photo album, both of them looking at each other, laughing and not caring about anything but their love for one another. I have never known a man to love a woman more than my father loves my mother. And, oh, look at that sweet little cake! The bride and groom atop it in the photograph is in a box in their home today. The reception was held in my grandparents home. I've posted before about my memories of the elegant home with gorgeous furniture, linens, and crystal. I don't know if you can see it clearly enough in the picture or not, but just above the wedding cake and to my mom's right there is mirror hanging over a dining buffet table. That mirror now hangs in my parents home over their dining buffet.

Here Mom and Dad are with my grandchildren, December 2007.

Dad, a nature lover, sitting by one of his beloved mountain streams. I cherish my father for the gentle and kind man of God he is.

Mom and Dad, March 2008. We had such a lovely day with them, walking along some of the beautiful pathways in the Smoky Mountains.

I think I shall close my post now and schedule its delivery before I melt into a heap of tears just thinking about the fairy tale my parents are!

Off The Wall

I decided to show some things for this Friday's Show & Tell from my walls, most of which I attained traveling.

I fell in love with this when I saw it in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. My children rode all the way from Tennessee to Michigan with it held between them. They often remind me of that!

I purchased the print in Washington D.C. and brought it home to have it framed in an antique frame I restored.

Same here, I restored the frame and bought the print in D. C.

I bought both of these vintage plates in Lewiston Michigan where we own some property.

I painted this watercolor of a hummingbird and Foxglove. I just saw it when I was taking pictures and thought I would show it to you too!

I bought this at a flea market near where I grew up in Royal Oak Michigan. It is only open on Saturday mornings and is always busy and fresh with interesting items.

I love this piece and I wish the picture had turned out better. It is actually three separate copies of works by Ellen H. Clapsaddle. Both the frame and prints ate vintage and I purchase it just as you see it in Milford Michigan's Fall Festival.

My dad made this pretty little towel bar and I painted it. I've always told him we'd make a good business partnership!

I got this antique brass plate in Tennessee. It belonged to my grandmother.

This print came from Las Angeles California. My nephew's fiance is a well known mosaic artist, Tiffany Miller. This is a print of one of her mosaics. Tiffany many originals to the beautiful and famous of Hollywood!

That's about all I have time for tonight...I need to save time to look at all of your treasures! Happy weekend everyone!

In the Mood For Cookies?

I absolutely LOVE cookies! If they sit within my reach, they haunt me, they call my name! I thought you all might like a few of my favorite cookie recipes to add to your summer collection. My mother has made the first recipe for years when the family gets together and there is usually a fight over who gets the last one! The second is a cookie I made for my children when they were small. They are neat for them to eat, but keep in mind they have nuts in them. The third recipe is simply divine. If you are a chocolate lover, and who isn't, you will love these! They are not so neat to eat, but frankly, I don't care. If I see those babies, I'm goin' in! I hope you enjoy my recipes. It's almost the weekend...cookies anyone?

Chocolate Scotch-A-Roo’s
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut better
6 cups Rice Krispies
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
12 ounces butterscotch morsels

Cook sugar and syrup until bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter; mix until smooth, being careful since this mixture is very hot. Stir in Rice Krispies. Pat into buttered 9x13 inch pan. In glass measuring cup, melt together the chocolate and butterscotch chips. Pour over cereal mixture. Cool and cut into bars.


Butterscotch Thins
6 ounces butterscotch morsels
1 cup butter
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 2/3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butterscotch morsels and butter over hot water or in microwave at medium. Remove from heat and beat in sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, flour, and vanilla. Mix well. Shape dough in 2 logs. Wrap with waxed paper and chill several hours. Thinly slice the dough and bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for about 6-8 minutes, or until brown.


Fudge Oat Bars
Cookie Dough:
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick oats, uncooked
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream brown sugar and butter until fluffy; add salt, eggs, vanilla, baking soda; then add oats and flour. Mix well. Press 2/3 dough into greased 9x13 inch baking pan, reserving 1/3 dough for topping.

Filling:
12 ounces chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Combine ingredients for filling in microwave or saucepan and heat on low temperature until chocolate chips are melted. Pour the filling over the unbaked crust, spreading evenly.
Drop the reserved dough by teaspoons full all over filling. Press down gently. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars. Yummy!

My Daybook For May 20, 2008

Sorry...my Simple Woman Daybook entry is a day late again!

Outside My Window...total silence - it is a cool, clear, starlit night.

I am thinking...about the trip we are planning for my parents 60th wedding anniversary. Any suggestions from anyone for some ways to make this big anniversary and trip special?

I am thankful for...my faithful husband. Once again he sat next to me in a hard hospital chair for the entire day today during my 8 hour infusion. A good man, he is!

From the kitchen...I hear the dishwasher running...did I mention I have a good man?

I am wearing...my comfy, soft, blue and white nightie.

I am creating...a hand painted rocking chair for my youngest granddaughter's first birthday.

I am going...to see the new Indiana Jones movie this weekend.

I am reading...a Bible study on Mark and James, the last of a series to end in June.

I am hoping...the warm weather will return tomorrow. I NEED sunshine!!

I am hearing...political projections from Anderson Cooper - is anyone else already anxious for this election to be over with??

Around the house...are little stacks and remnants of our sons belongings, waiting for him to carry them to his own new home. Each time I pass his funny T shirts folded in stacks waiting for him, I feel that familiar twinge...my boy is no longer a boy!!

One of my favorite things...white cake!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I plan to take a day to recover from my infusion, something I have not been doing lately. Then I plan to finish planting flowers and arrange the deck. After the long, brutal winter I can hardly wait to sit on my swing and enjoy my gardens!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...no explanation necessary!

Tea Pots!

Compared to many of you I have a fairly pitiful collection of tea pots! I don't have very many, but I do love what I have and they all have a sentimental value to me. This is the last week for the Gracious Hospitality tea blog-a-thon and I didn't want to miss it. It has been such an enjoyable experience. Thank you, La Tea Dah, for investing so much time in this fun project!

This pot is so sweet. It's about 10 inches high and it's covered with pink roses and green leaves. The band at the top and the top of the lid is a soft minty green. My husband bought this pot for me at a flea market - no special occasion, just because I liked it! I keep the pot on a corner shelf to the side of my kitchen window.

My sister-in-law gave me this clear glass pot with the infuser for Christmas along with a large collection of "blooming" tea pods. I love the pot even more because it was a thoughtful gift from my very dear friend.


This is a one cup size tea pot, sitting on it's own little matching tea cup. My daughter gave it to me for Mother's Day one year. Love it!


My daughter brought this pot home from a trip she took to England and Wales when she was about 17. It is Royal Albert Moss Rose. It is just lovely - I suppose I should give it back to her now that she is a grown woman with a home of her own!


This pot is a Continental Kilns pot, Green Arbor pattern. My parents gave it to me for my 30th birthday, along with a matching cream and sugar. I wrote the story about how they purchased it for me in another post, "A Blessed Woman". I cherish this set.

This white pot with purple violets is also a pot I posted about in the "A Blessed Woman" post. My mom gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago. It is special to me because she chose it for me, but also because of the significance of violets to me. In an earlier post "Daddy's Violets", I wrote about my love of violets and the memory of my dad digging them up for me when I moved away for the first time as a new bride.

What Do Water, Spiders, Insomnia, and Heart Attacks Have In Common???

I almost had a heart attack Friday night. Now, I don't mean to take the seriousness of a heart attack lightly - my husband had one when he was in his 50's and I was in my 40's. I know it's a big deal. Trust me, you will ALL agree that I am not overstating the situation!

I am a major water drinker - yes, CeeKay, I know you are laughing right now. What can I say, I am a water addict! I am never, ever without a bottle of water. Other than iced tea, it's my signature drink! The lack of excitement in this statement is sad, I know. But anyhoo...

I had killed a spider earlier in the day in the hallway. I wasn't thrilled about it being there or even the killing of it. I don't care for spiders one bit but I guess I really am a bleeding heart as my son likes to call me. I prefer to carry spiders, ants, etc. outside on a piece of paper (I know, lots of you are laughing along with my son and husband). But this spider was particularly hideous and even I could not be merciful. He went to spider Heaven via a swirling water bath. Later in the day I spotted another equally hideous spider crawling on the wall above the computer as I was reading Show & Tell postings. I'm sorry, but he joined his friend in the eternal beyond. I finished up with my blogging and decided I better go to bed, even though it was still early - 2:30 am - I'm not exactly known for healthy sleep habits. Oh dear, I remembered that I had forgotten my water bottle in the kitchen, so of course I had to get it before I could possibly go to sleep. Like the water addict I am, I must drink from a water bottle the minute my hand touches it. So I toasted myself for turning in early and raised that bottle to within a half inch of my lips and A HUGE SPIDER CRAWLED OUT OF THE BOTTLE!!! (Sorry about the all caps - it's still a silent scream!) Ladies, my thankful thought of the day is that the spider did not crawl onto my face or, cringe, INTO MY MOUTH (still screaming) or I would be in a hospital or a cemetery today! My first instinct as I saw the horrible, hairy creature with it's 4 inch eyes crawling at me, was to throw the bottle to the floor, which I did. Now, I don't drink from a small bottle. How far can a quart of water spread on a floor when thrown at greased lightening speed, you say? Pretty far. The fact that my husband slept through this uproar is proof that he needs no sleeping assistance. I, on the other hand, will need multiple aides indefinitely in order to ever sleep again. So, CeeKay, it's never too late to call me, even though you live in a time zone three hours earlier than I do. I've been up since Friday.

Show & Tell: I'm In Love!

I have not been blogging in the last week or so. I've missed it and all of you! I have been a little under the weather and I have also been involved in a major home decorating project - that's actually a very large understatement! Our son recently moved out of our house for the first time in order to purchase a home of his own in preparation for his marriage in a year. I have been taking pictures of the work done in his room all along because I knew the transformation would be incredible. Again, an understatement. My sweet boy is a gigantic sports fan, especially of local teams. Since we live in the Detroit metropolitan area the teams which have taken over my house for a very long time are the Pistons (basketball), Detroit Tigers (baseball), Red Wings (hockey), and University of Michigan (football). Now, I can go as far as to enjoy watching a playoff game or two but to totally paint a room in bright Piston blue is just not right! Well, my darling boy slept his last night at home about two weeks ago and the transformation began the very next day. Sorry, Doll Boy, I've dreamed of this day since the blue went up on the walls (not dreaming of the day you would leave of course, but the paint...oh, the paint!) It's been a loooooooooooooong two weeks. At the same time as emptying out my husband's parents house and being sick, I have been elbow deep in lilac paint. Hallelujah, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! And it is going to be worth every miserable second! I hardly feel any guilt at all when my poor boy comes back home and stands alone in the center of this new stangeland, A.K.A. BEAUTIFUL room, wondering why it all happened so fast! I miss my sweet boy like crazy, but I don't miss the Pistons, not even a little. Since this week Kelli's Friday Show & Tell is about something we have made, I am posting the room I have lovingly made for the many guests I hope will stay over and over again in my lovely new lilac room. Here are some pics to prove my point about the transformation from Piston's to lilacs! Ok, ladies, am I right or am I right?

The beginning of the story...it's like a bad dream now!

The next step...prime and final coat in lilac, trimmed in Cocoa White. Bye-bye Piston blue!

Here's my final hand painted border of wisteria, in white with purple and pink touches.


The furniture arrived Tuesday - could you die? I'm in love...

Hand painted vintage silk shades, yum!

Details on the head and foot boards.

The nearly finished product, with the addition of a white down comforter and one of the shams. Still have no dust ruffle, nothing on the window, nothing on the walls. I hope that will be next Friday's Show & Tell post!