It's Country Fair Time In Conn!

BEAUTIFUL Farm fresh tomatoes ~ YUMMMMY!

Just look what $16.50 will buy at our local church fair on the Naugatuck,Ct Green!
Hand made doily's, heavy vintage glass pitcher, very old wooden rulers,

Vintage Barber's barbicide glass jar for combs and brushes,

Cut glass juice glasses with crochet cozy's ~ aren't they sweet!

Lu-ray periwinkle blue platter without a single chip ~

Not pictured is the hot cinnamon donut I ate that would make your teeth droll!

We have the BEST fairs here in the Northeast! From now until November ~ they run the gamut from large state fairs to local church fairs.

They are loaded with treasures and prices that can't be beat! The weather is crisp and delightful and the warm fall colors are everywhere!

Teddi just loves laying in the basket of clean socks!

Some people, like flowers, give pleasure just by being .

Thanks for taking time from your day to read my blog ~ you are a treasure to me : )

A Little Something I Am Working On

I have been working on this little pouch on this rainy afternoon. The cigg silk, hand dyed ribbon, and fabric are all from my sweet friend Pat Winter who happens to be a Birthday Girl this month! She carries various supplies on her Etsy site.

I am not crazy about the Perle cotton thread on this. I have to spend some time on line looking for some different threads or heaven help me ~ maybe it's time for another trip to New York!

I LOVE Cleaning Day!!!!!

"Housework ~ if it is done correctly ~
can kill you." J. Show

But ohhhh how I LOVE it!

Last Friday was an all out rip the joint apart and put it all back together clean and spotless!
With my fave cleaning products in hand ~ I got to work!


Loads of dirty dishes to wash ~ ~ ~

Dirty clothes baskets overflowing ~ ~ ~

Cushion and pillow covers are in the wash and will soon be hanging on the line ~ ~ ~

Along with the sheets and duvet.

And OHHHH the sweet reward ~ a sparkling clean home ~ Ole' blue eyes playing ~ ~ ~ candles lit ~

and FLOWERS , FLOWERS , FLOWERS EVERYWHERE!!!!
I reward myself after a good clean by putting fresh flowers from my garden in each room.

Hydrangea's in the living room .......

And bedroom .........

Black eye Susan for the bathroom.......

More hydrangea for the kitchen......

And loveliest of ALL ~ This Gorgeous vision of beauty given to me from my friend Dave.

"A place for everything and everything in it's place."

Taking care of my home and making it feel like a warm and loving place to be is my gift to my family and friends. I do it with all the love and energy that is within me. Modest as my home may be ~ I have tryed to injected it with all that is good. It is filled with books of encouragement and warm blankets and cozy spots to sit and feel loved.

I am so thankful for my home and garden. And no matter what your income ~ it hardly cost a penny to keep a clean and well organized home : )

26 Years Since Our Wedding Day

We made ourselves a castle
Once after school was out;
We raked the leaves together
To wall it all about.
We made a winding pathway
Down to the school-yard gate,
And there we worked with might and main
Until the day grew late;
Until one bright star twinkled
Above the maple tree,
And lights shone down the village street
As far as we could see.
We planned that every recess
We'd come out there to play,
But in the night it blew so hard
Our castle blew away. K. Pyle

Let's toast to our castle never being blown away ~

No matter how hard that night wind may blow.

And let us remember ~

Storm clouds may come and go but every Sunset Brings a New Dawn.


Frank forgot to get me flowers this year but much more endearing to me was this bug.

He noticed it in the garden while I was out and took a picture of it with my camera to surprise me.

Only Frank would know how happy that would make me!

That kind of thoughtfulness touches my heart : )

Speaking of bugs ~

I looked up from my computer the other day to find this sitting right above my head!
After he has his picture taken ~ I " escorted " him outside.
The next morning I found him all the way in the backyard on my phlox!

He is beautiful but does anyone know what he is?

Funny Fruit and Veggies & Scenes from My Home and Garden

Isn't this the funniest thing!

And THIS! Well I'm just "peachless" he! he!

These are all pictures taken standing in front of our picket fence ~ ~ ~

Sometimes I just walked around my house with the camera and see cool shots I want to take ~ here are a few I took yesterday ~

.....the afternoon light shining through a lantern

......wallwords and a cool reflection. The real mirror is to the right ~ it's reflection to the left.

.....my butterfly bush looking through the antique lace curtains.

Teddi Is SO Handsome!

Today I went to the groomer .......

I look SO handsome my Mommy can hardly stand it .......

She keeps kissing me ~ putting me in silly poses ~ and taking my picture .

Mommy pleezz lets me go to sleep ~ it's nap time for me and Jake : )

What Has Been Sitting By My Bedstand This Summer ~ Book's In Review

This is the book I am currently reading. I was intrigued by a recent interview I heard on this book and noticed it had been on the New York Times best sellers list for some time. I started reading it last night and got a third way through. I hope to finish it at the beach tomorrow.
It takes you out of "the box" we so often experience God through. You know ~ the one that says our Dear Jesus is a most assuredly a white man confined within the walls of a church experience.It's all about relationship friends ~ one that is free and open to all and most certainly not dependant on 4 walls. This is a story about a real man with real feelings, anger and not able to trust God ~ and how God comes to find him.
Note (8-28-08) ~ I finished this book and let me say ~ it was something. It's one of those books that really "bring it on home " at the last 2 chapters. I am a BIG believer in relationship with God verses the idea of needing to go through another source to reach Him. Here is a quote from the book I love ~ words that Mack felt the Lord was saying to him.
"Religion must use law to empower itself and control the people who they need in order to survive. I (Jesus) give you an ability to respond and your response is to be free to love and serve in every situation, and therefore each moment is different and unique and wonderful.
Because I am your ability to respond, I have to be present in you. If I simply gave you a responsibility, I would not have to be with you at all. It would now be a task to preform, an obligation to be met, something to fail."
and a quote by A.W. Tozer
"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children.
He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part,
but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others."




This is a really well organized book that gets right to the point. It is one you will want to keep in your studio/craft room and reference often.

OH WOW! One Thursday this summer I was walking through Borders on my way to pay and this book jumped out at me. I never listened to Korn, had never heard of Brian "Head" Walsh, and couldn't guess for the life of me why I was buying this book. I started to read it after dinner ~ never dreaming I would not be able to put it down. It is a raw , not for the lighthearted but powerful story of how this rock star ~ addicted to crystal meth ~ was able to turn his twisted mess of a life around through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. It didn't come easy ~ Brian often had shouting matches with the Lord ~ said he was sorry by day and did more drugs by night. God never turned His back on Brian and carried him step by difficult step out of his private hell to a joy he had never known before. I loved hearing Brian's point of view as he does not come from a church background so his point of view is real and not immersed in anything but the raw direction of God.

I finished this book at the beach on Fri. I drove home completely washed through and through with the glory of God and the joy and thankfulness that God sees such beauty in all of us ~ no matter how ugly we feel.

When I got home I got the news that my sweet cousin had died in her sleep. It was the afterglow of this book that helped me through this awful news.

NOTE ~ Brian's New York Times Bestseller book " Save Me From Myself " is the same book with more pictures. "Washed By The Blood" has less pictures but contains discussion questions after each chapter. It is geared to his fans who question why he left the band "Korn" and gave his life to Christ. Since I grew up in the drug culture of the 70's ~ I was able to handle the beginning chapters where he describes his experiences with drugs etc.

I will be 50 in March and this book still spoke to me. Some others may find it offensive.

I just LOVE this book! It came in the mail just this week and I can almost taste the new DMC thread I spotted at Joann's Fabric last week. It is perfect for the simple, easy patterns in this book. Nothing fancy here ~ just refreshing and peaceful. It would be a fun challenge to do each season they picture in the book!