German cabinet

I have been looking for something to put our DVDs and CDs in the Thrift Stores and Antique stores for awhile now.  The other day when we stopped to pick up a "not Fiesta ware, Kool-aid looking blue pitcher" at Sweet Annie's that Lady Melanie had seen and decided she wanted, I found this 1900's German cabinet.  It was made differently and was old.  That's what made me want it.  The door doesn't even have hinges.  It just fits inside a groove on the top.  I wish it was twice as tall but it's still neat to have.  Another fun find!

A Month Early

We've  had a crazy warmer winter than the last two.  Everything thinks it's early Spring already.  The Bradford pear trees are budding, my lilac has buds, the tulips are coming up and the daffodils are starting to bloom.  They normally don't bloom until the end of February.  It's making Winter go by fast this year.  I did miss the snow but it's nice seeing Spring so early.

The Star Theatre...RIP

Remember when we went to the "sale" at the Star Theatre in our little town, a few months ago, because they were going to tear it down?  Well, Saturday was the day.  They had already started by the time we got there.  There were several people there, taking pictures along with two "news reporters".  It sure looked little without the other buildings around it.  It was sad to see them tear it down.  I wish with all my heart that they could have restored it and we could have enjoyed going to movies in our little town. This wasn't even the first movie theatre in town.  The first one was over a department store on the other side of the square.  How I wish I could go back in time and see our little town like it was 50 years ago.  We have heard so many stories from the people who grew up here.  I wish I had such stories to tell.   

Got One!

Chuck went down to the garden to empty the compost bowl from the kitchen, this morning and came back to the house to grab his gun.  There was a coyote down by the garden.  He said it stood up and looked at him as he went by and then laid back down.  It was still there when he got back down there with the gun.  It apparently must have been sick or something for it not to run.  It won't be running any where now!  Chuck is burying it as I write this.  I sure hope it's the one that killed "the girls".  There are so many around here.  I wish we could get rid of them all but at least there is one less now.  I love most animals but there are some that shouldn't be left to roam the woods.  This is one of them!

Family Company

They're here!

Lady Melanie



Not my Friend, SIL Elaine



Sharing my tea!

 



Calendar I had printed for Chuck's birthday



Enjoying the Spring like weather on the porch



Elaine, Chuck, Charlie and Fred



There they go :-(

We had a fun filled, packed long weekend when Fred, Elaine and Charlie came up from Florida.  They flew up but rented a car in Birmingham.  Our time was spent on Saturday with the guys going to see the Rocket and Space Center in Huntsville and Elaine and I met Lady Melanie in Hartselle to shop, which included us walking down the middle of town carrying a 5 ft giraffe, an old high chair and several bags of goodies.  What's a shopping trip without going to lunch (for salads of course since all three of us are diabetic) and spending an hour in " the thrift store", in Decatur.  We ended the afternoon with having "tea at Brambly Pines". 
   Chuck's birthday was Sunday and we celebrated with going out to dinner and surprising Chuck with presents.  Chuck is officially old.  His social security starts in March! :-)  I'm not old for another six months. 
    Chuck and Fred did get a small hike in the forest, this trip.  We'll have to wait for all of us to spend the day in the forest for when Fred and Elaine come back, this summer.  It was a bit hard having Charlie come this trip but it was good that he got to see where we have moved too.  I know it's hard to picture Brambly Pines, until you have seen it in person. 

Life Marches On.

Family Cut Glass Punch Bowl



Blue and white hen from Sandy

Chuck drove down to Florida for his Dad's 90th birthday and to help clean out his Dad's house.  Charlie is now living in an assisted living home and it's time to give his house up to the reverse mortgage company.  I know it is hard for Elaine and Chuck to go through a house full of  life time of memories and decide what to keep and what to let go.  After a week of going through each room and the shed out back, Chuck had a truck load to bring home.  The kids all went over and picked out things that they wanted for their memories of Nana and Papa.  While Chuck was at his Dad's house one afternoon, Sandy came by to give Chuck a box to bring home to me.  It was like Christmas all over again for me.  In Sandy's box was a pretty blue and white hen casserole dish, some bath soaps, a Halloween decoration and a "Sweet Home Alabama" movie.   The pretty blue/white hen looks so pretty in my cabinet.  I love her!  Chuck bought back a beautiful cut glass punch bowl that was his Mothers along with several matching cut glass pieces that matched it.  Shell helped Chuck go through things in the house and picked several things that she thought I might like.  There were lots of pieces of silverware that were black, but once I polished them, they turned out to be really pretty.  Shell sent home several table cloths and napkins, along with a tea cozy.  It was fun cleaning everything up and finding places for it all in our house.  It's sad that Charlie can't live in his house any longer, but knowing that he is being taken care of and that he likes living where he is now, I know it is a relief for Chuck and Elaine.  The house is one less thing they have to worry about also.  Life keeps marching on and it all goes so fast once you get to be our age.  It makes you stop and think about each day.  Don't waste a single one!

Early Valentines

Look what came in the mail today!!!!!  It's an early Valentine's present from my Florida Debbie friend.  Had to make sure I put Florida in there because I have several Debbie friends.  One from Alabama/Texas, one from New Jersey and Ryan's mother in law's name is Debbie but I call her Dee. Oh yeah!  Genavive's other grandmother's name is Debbie also, even though Genavive calls her Anna. (that's another story) Sure are a lot of Debbies in the world.  So, Florida Debbie knitted me a pair of beautiful socks!  I know!!  They are to pretty to put on my feet and walk around in them.  I love them!   When Debbie was here last summer, she was knitting herself a pair to wear under her cow girl boots.  I guess I'm just gonna have to get me a pair of cow girl boots to wear my socks in.   She also sent me a pretty little Spring time bud wreath and a BFF rubber stamp.  I know everyone thinks BFF stands for Best Friends Forever, but not so between Debbie and I.  We came up with our own wording for it, only I can't tell ya what it is.  It's a secret.  It makes Debbie and I both laugh every time we see the letters BFF and it's oh so true.  I sure do have the best " knitting friends" in the whole wide world!  Thank you Debbie and Carmen for being such good friends to knit me beautiful things.  I wish I could knit such pretty things.

Just a Dusting

It has been a mild winter compared to the last two winters here in Northern Alabama.  I think this is more like normal though.  This time last year, we had the 8 1/2 inches of snow and really freezing weather.  Yesterday the temperature kept dropping as the day went on and by late afternoon, it started snowing.  It only snowed for three or four hours so we ended up getting a dusting on things.  It's still neat to see it falling from the sky and build up on things.  It was still on the deck and in a few places on the ground this morning, until the sun came out and it didn't take long for it to melt.  Even though, our high today was 36.  It's back to being in the 50's for the weekend but it was fun to even have this little bit of snow. 

Shadow Kitties

Ok, turn your head to the left....



Now, look straight ahead......

It was a nice sunny day yesterday and Marmalade wanted out on the porch to be in the warm winter sun.  As I was in the kitchen, I looked out the windows and happen to see that George was out on the back steps and Marmie was at the door.  They used to fight through the screen but they have grown to like each other so they just "hang out" together now.  It was funny how they were both sitting the same way and every time one would turn his head, the other would too.  I grabbed the camera but knew if I opened the kitchen door, that Marmalade would move, so I took the pictures through the kitchen windows.  They sat there for awhile, until George saw something in the woods and took off to chase it.  I know Marmie would have LOVED to have been able to chase along with him but since we moved up here, he's been an "indoor kitty".  I keep telling him, it's for the best.  I don't think he thinks so though. 

A Surprise!

When I opened the mailbox yesterday, there was a ton of mail.  In the middle of it all was this package.  I'm thinking, " who is sending me something, Christmas is over".  The return address wasn't one that I am used to getting mail from.  It was from Carmen in Washington State.  Let me tell you about the story of Carmen and Don.  Do you remember the stupid chat rooms that were on the Internet about 15 years ago?  Well, I have to admit, I did sit at night and talk to people from all over the world in them when I got my first computer.  It was fun and I made some really nice friends.  Some came and some went and it makes ya wonder what ever happened to those people but some have turned out to be some of my best friends.  I have talked to some of them on the phone and have even met some in person.  Any ways... Carmen and Don and I have kept in touch though out the years and when Face Book came about, we found each other on there.  We have talked on the phone several times but we have never met in person.  I feel like we have known each other forever though.  We've been through good times, bad times, children's weddings and grand babies being born.  Yes, we are real friends even if we have never hugged in person.  Well, Carmen sent me a pair of the most prettiest, warm gloves that she knitted.  It was a wonderful surprise and put a smile on my face all day.  It really made my day and I will think of Carmen every time I put them on my hands.  Some day maybe we will be able to really hug each other. 

Pumpkin Seeds!

About three months later, we finally cut all the pumpkins that we had collected for our Fall decorations.  They sat on the picnic table by the TT all through the Christmas Holidays.  One day as I was walking by them, I noticed a couple of them were really soft and funny looking.  That's when I decided we had better take care of them. Chuck cut them all open with his machete and I scooped out the seeds. I spread them out in a box to dry.   I wanted the seeds so I could plant them this Spring.  We're moving our pumpkin patch from the garden area, in hopes that they will grow better in a less wet area.  We'll see how they grow this year.  Hopefully big ones, little ones, orange ones and white ones.  We'll see.