The Bivens rocking chair

 

I love this rocking chair.  I have loved it since the first time I remember laying eyes on it.  This belonged to my great grandparents and, like so many things I cherish, I first noticed when the estate was divided in the mid 80s. At that time, this rocking chair was upstairs in the homeplace in one of the front bedrooms. This was the main guest bedroom. It had a marble top three-piece bedroom set along with several other pieces including this rocking chair. Back in its day, this was the bedroom that my Aunt Mary Lee and Uncle Bunyan spent their summers in when they came to visit the homeplace. Anyway, when the furnishings were divided up, this piece went to live in Wilmington with Aunt Billie.  She, too, kept it in an upstairs bedroom.  That was the bedroom that Grandmother and I would stay in when we visited. I loved just sitting in this rocking chair and feeling like I was enveloped in my family history. After Aunt Billie passed, the rocking chair came to me and was in my childhood bedroom for years.  Finally, it had a home with me.  And, for many years, its home was out in the garage.  Once I was living on my own, I took it out of the garage and cleaned it up and now it sits in my living room. Again, I love to sit in this and just let my memories take me to good places.  It's actually pretty comfortable though it may not look like it.  It presently has a vinyl seat.  I don't know if it is original or not to the chair.  It could have one time been a caned bottom, but I love it none the less.  I love knowing the history of my pieces, especially when it's family history. 

5 Things I am thankful for

 During this month of Thanksgiving, I want to focus on the things in my life that I am thankful for.  They may be current things or things from my past.  Possibly things from my future but we shall see.  These are the things that have shaped me and help me to focus my life.  I realize that often my life is very unfocused, but these things that I am thankful for ground me.  Despite all that is going on in our world, I am blessed every day. I hope you are as well.

1. Grandmother

Dorothy Louise Bivens Laney, my Grandmother.  I am so thankful that I had a deep, close relationship with her.  While she loved all of her grandchildren, there was something extra special about our relationship.  And I treasure every memory, every lesson learned. When I was a toddler, I called her Dottu because I could not say Grandmother and that name stuck for several years.  Almost everyone in Monroe knew my Grandmother and I can see why.  She was a loving, giving person.  She was the kind of person that you wanted to know, that you wanted in your life and I sure am thankful for having had that.

2. A roof over my head

I often talk about my dream of owning a big old house one day.  Even if that never comes true, I love that dream.  Still, I am thankful for the house I'm in right now.  I have been here for 15 years and I absolutely love.  I am so grateful that I have a place to call home, and I am surrounded with wonderful neighbors. It does not get much luckier than that!

3. Music

I am thankful that music is a part of my life every day.  All kinds of music.  I cannot imagine what life would be like without it.  An artform that brings so much joy to not only me but to so many people in this world. Records, CDs, radio, streaming.  It's all there even though records are my favorite. I hope that I never have to find out what a day without music would be like, even if it is just being on hold listening to elevator music. I'm good with that.

4. Love to cook

I am so thankful that I enjoy cooking.  And I like to think that I am good at it. Even if I was not, the fact that I love doing it would make up the difference.  Being single and on a budget, I rarely eat out so cooking at home is my go-to. How miserable it would be if I hated doing it and was forcing it on myself. Or always eating prepackaged food (which I do eat as well just not all the time because I love to cook.) It relaxes me.  It makes me feel creative.  For me, there is nothing like the adventure of trying out a new recipe.  It's the little things!

5. Giving Back

I am thankful that I have had opportunities to give back to my community.  While I hope to have more of those chances in my life, when they do arise, I am grateful.  This morning when I went grocery shopping, there was a food bank out front seeking donations.  I picked up their list and since I had a little extra, I was able to buy some items. It made me feel good to be able to help and I am happy that I had the chance to do that.

What are some things you are thankful for?

The small brass bell lady

 

As a young child, as many of you well know, I was obsessed with handbells.  So, naturally I became obsessed with any kind of bell that I could get my hands on.  I would ring the bells and pretend that I was in the handbell choir.  I know that it drove my family nuts but oh well. There are worse things I could have been obsessed with!  And this little brass bell is no different.  She belonged to Grandmother and had different homes throughout the house when I was a child.  Sometimes in the den, sometimes in the living room.  But she was always there.  She is only about 3 inches tall if that and quite heavy for being so small.  Solid brass.  And by the outfit she's wearing, it looks like she's an Elizabethan or Tudor period.  Not that she's that old, but that's what her dress reminds me of.  I love this little bell and love that it has a place in my home.  Ah, good memories. 

Putting my challenges all together

 One of the things I really need to start doing with my daily challenge is incorporating past challenges into my routine.  While I have enjoyed each month's challenge, I tend to let them fall by the wayside when the next month arrives.  I was just looking over my list of challenges this year and that has definitely been the case.  I am not sure how to do that exactly, but I think it would be good for me. Maybe another list is in order for me to check each day.  Not that I have to do every daily challenge every day because that would only result in me putting pressure on myself and then nothing would get done. I am talking more about a reminder to try and incorporate these things in my life as often as possible.  They have all been beneficial and I believe that the combination of these things, in different combinations day to day, would really make me feel better both physically and mentally. Some of the daily challenges have continued like my daily devotions.  Some like aerobic exercise and working in the garage have not.  Like I said, I do not necessarily need to do everything every day, but these challenges do need to become a part of my weekly canon.  One of the ironic things that I realized is that this month's challenge, self-care, is really about everything I have challenged myself with throughout the year.  It is such an important part of existence in order to maintain (or even achieve) a somewhat balanced life.  I can do this. Send good energy!

In the Wee Small Hours - Carly Simon

 I love the film Sleepless in Seattle and it has a wonderful soundtrack as well.  This is a cd that I love to sit down and listen to.  There are lots of covers of great standards including this one.  Before I saw the movie and heard the soundtrack, I was unfamiliar with this song.  Now, I know that it has been a popular tune that was first made famous by Frank Sinatra.  Carly Simon's take on it is beautiful.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Self-care is working

 

I have enjoyed this month of daily self-care and will definitely continue this going forward.  One of the things that I have noticed most of all is that I have not been down on myself nearly as much as I normally am.  I am not saying that I'm down on myself all of the time, but I do have my moments.  And this month, not so much.  Being good to myself each and every day has helped me to let go of things, process things and leave them in the past where they belong.  It has made me more appreciative of what I have and who I have in my life.  And that is a good thing. 

One of the things that I have done which has made a huge difference is how I go about my daily lists.  You all know that I love making lists.  I just cannot help it LOL  Still, each day I had a list of things to get done and I almost never got them all done on the day they had been assigned. I found myself getting upset because I was not doing all of the things I needed to do.  I was putting pressure on myself to get these things done when there was really no reason other than it was something to do.  Once I removed that pressure, I have found myself to be more relaxed and as a result, more productive.  Yes, I do still have a to-do list but I am handling it differently and it works for me.  It is now giving me the time to be good to myself each day.  That is a good feeling.

But I am finding that just taking this time every day for myself grounds me and gives me a better outlook on things.  It relaxes me and makes life more positive.  Sometimes it is listening to music, sometimes it is my daily devotions, some days it is letter writing.  But with each thing I do for myself, I feel more of who I truly am and can truly be.  That is a blessing to carry forward.  That is all. 

Some things I want to learn how to do

 Thinking about making the most out of life in this crazy world and looking at new things that I want to learn how to do.  Well, at least things that are new to me LOL I want to find some things that can occupy my time and give me some zen moments.  And some things that are productive but fun.  I don't know if I will ever get around to learning any of them, but hey, at least I can give it a try!

1. Gardening

I don't know the first thing about gardening and that is something that I regret not picking up from my parents.  Both Mom and Dad loved gardening.  Dad had an amazing vegetable garden that he did each year, and he was self-taught. He grew up on a tobacco farm but did not learn much about vegetable gardening, so he figured it out on his own and it was so beneficial to our household. Mom loved her flower beds.  She would get a stool and spend hours over the weekend planting and weeding.  Our backyard had several flower beds out there and she loved it.  I just do not know much about planting and tending to plants.  I want to learn because I think I would enjoy it. 

2. Make a Roux

I cannot make a good roux to save my life.  And believe me, I have tried. Part of me blames my stove top because it uses coil heat and it's hard to get a temperature going that's not blazingly hot.  But I have watched videos and read articles, and I still cannot master this technique.  I need to have someone show me in real time how to do this.  Any takers?

3. Refinish furniture

This is a skill I would love to learn.  And this can be combined with restore furniture and repurpose furniture.  At work, I see so many pieces get tossed in our dumpster that, with a little love and elbow grease, could be brought back to life and put to use.  It's one of the downsides of today's society. I see pieces on Market Place all the time that just need a little love, but I have never attempted this before.  Does anyone teach these skills, or would this be a watch YouTube videos kind of project?  Hmmmm. 

4. Arrange Flowers

This goes beyond sticking flowers in a vase.  That I can do.  I would love to learn the art of flower arranging.  Of course, not to be a professional or anything because those people are so amazing, I just want to be able to create beautiful and simple arrangements for the house. Grandmother was very good at that.  It would be nice to know how to make a beautiful centerpiece for my dining room table.

5. Swim

I do not know how to swim.  I'm not even good at holding my breath under water.  When I was a child, it scared me so badly.  That was one of the reasons that I was never baptized.  There were other reasons but I will save those for another time.  I don't really know where this fear of going under water came from.  I have my theory on that, and it does not stem from anything that happened in this lifetime.  Yet again, fodder for another blog. But now I am finally to a point where I want to learn how to swim.  It would help me so much physically with my health goals.  I remember when I was applying to colleges, the first time, Dad asked me if they still had the swimming requirement.  Back when he and Mom were at ECU, you could not graduate from the UNC system unless you could swim.  Sometimes I wish they did have that when I was at UNCG years ago.  Anyway, it is time for me to learn.  Anyone have a pool? And patience? 

6. Bridge

I would love to learn how to play bridge.  Most of my family played when I was growing up.  I never learned.  I think they tried to teach me once but at that time it was way too complicated.  Mom and Dad belonged to a bridge club.  Grandmother belonged to a bridge club.  I don't have to be in a club but it might be fun.  Many Saturday nights at our house held bridge games with Goodsons from the across the street.  Or Grandmother and Isabel would come over to play with Mom and Dad.  I just think it would be something fun to learn how to play.  As an old soul, it seems appropriate LOL  I have inquired to several local teachers but nothing has worked out yet.

7. Mah Jong

Here is another game that I believe would be interesting to learn how to play.  I do not know much about it at all other than it involves tiles.  I had never heard of this game until I saw Driving Miss Daisy in the movie theater!  It has lingered in the back of my mind ever since.  And working in a retirement community, I have heard several of my residents talk about playing over the years.  I think it would be fun to play!

8. Weight lifting

Here is another exercise that I want to learn how to do correctly.  I have a membership to a gym which I rarely use yet still pay for, like so many people.  And one of the reasons I don't go is because I don't know what I'm doing.  And lifting weights is a very precise exercise with so many different things to factor into it like number of weights, reps, how to correctly do the lifts. These are just basic things that I have no idea about and, again, want to have someone in real time teach me and not watch videos about it.  Using exercise videos as teachers is kind of difficult because I have to continuously stop what I'm doing and go back and rewatch.  That is a motivation killer right there!  

9. Learn another language

When I was in high school, I did not have a good ear for foreign language.  Part of the problem that my first Spanish Teacher, Mr. Tyner who was one of the best teachers I ever had, passed away over Christmas break and I ended up having 4 different teachers over the next year and a half.  So, I would love to take a language course.  I'm not sure which one, but who knows.  I think it would be not only a fun skill to have but beneficial in the work place someday. 

10. Autoharp

I want to learn how to play the autoharp.  My memories of the autoharp go all the way back to children's choir at FBC in Monroe.  One was often used to accompany us.  We all loved to play with it and press the different buttons and strum.  We didn't know what we were doing and were more making noise than music, but it was still fun.  Years, decades later, after seeing the film A Mighty Wind and watching Catherine O'Hara play the autoharp, my interest was renewed.  Michael went as far as to get me one for Christmas but I have yet to learn how to play it. I think it needs to be restrung or something.  Anyway, I need to look into get that fixed so I can start taking some lessons somewhere!

So, these are a few of the things I would like to learn how to do.  What are some of the things on your list?  

Recipe of the Week - Butterbean Salad

 I seem to be on a roll with salads here lately, so just ride the wave with me!  One of the things I love about trying out new recipes is when I find a recipe of Mom's or Grandmother's that I absolutely do not ever remember her making.  I always imagine that it's either something she made well before I came along, or it is a recipe that intrigued her that she just never got around to making. This is one such recipe.  As I was going through the salad section of one of Mom's recipes boxes (one of my most valued treasures), I came across this recipe.  I was not exactly sure what to make of it because I had never heard of a butterbean salad.  I thought why not?  I would give it a try.  And I'm so glad that I did.  I have made this several times since and shared it with friends.  It's definitely a keeper.  Even though it sounds like something you would make during the warmer months of summer, this will be an all-year staple for me!  Enjoy!

Butterbean Salad

3 cans of butterbeans, drained

1 8 oz carton of sour cream

1 cup of mayonnaise

chopped onion and celery, to taste

salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl and chill for several hours before serving.  Delicious!!

Served in one of Mom's everyday china pattern bowls, appropriately!

Halloween

Halloween is coming up next week and it's the first big holiday of autumn.  I have always enjoyed Halloween, but I have never been fanatical with it like I am with Christmas. I always feel like I'm on the periphery of Halloween, always on the outside looking in.  And that is absolutely fine.  I love to see how much others love Halloween and go to all ends to make it special.  That makes it special for me.  For me, it comes in 4th in the list of big holidays:  Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and then Halloween.  I don't do much, but I do look forward to the half-priced candies on sale the next day LOL. 

I don't remember many of the Halloween costumes I wore over the years but I do remember a few.  When I was three or four, my cousin Margaret bought me and Bill some Star Wars costumes.  They were those heavy plastic masks with the kind of plastic body bag you wore over your clothes.  We all wore those kinds of costumes for years.  Mine was C3PO and his was Darth Vador.  There are pictures of us wearing them and even switching masks.  Later on in childhood, I went as The Purple Pie Man.  Again, one of those plastic costumes we got off of the rack at Rose's.  How I miss that store!  In 5th grade I went as Dracula.  I had been Dracula in our AG Halloween play and so I already had the stuff for it. I remember because the neighborhood kids went to the mall to trick or treat that year and we racked up.  Also, I remember watching the Halloween episode of The Cosby Show after I got home.  That was the last time I went trick-or-treating.  I have rarely dressed up for Halloween as an adult.  Several years ago, I went as a biker to work and won the costume contest.  I truly believe it is because I got a mohawk for the occasion and very few people recognized me at first glance.  That was fun!

We didn't have many Halloween decorations, especially not like people have today.  But we did always have a jack-o-lantern on the porch with a candle in it.  And Mom had some cut outs that hung on the front door.  I still have one of those which I hang up in the house during the season.  I need to add that to my list before Halloween has come and gone! 

There was a house down the street from us on Brookgreen Drive that had the greatest witch on their front door.  Even though witches scared me, thank you Wizard of Oz, I would always ask Mom to slow the car down while we passed that house so I could get a good look! When the big night came, it was always seeing streets full of kids in costumes.  I don't remember many specific experiences trick-or-treating, but I do remember the Purple Pie Man year when Monica, who lived next door, took me.  And back in those days we always went after dark.  Going trick-or-treating in daylight was not even an option.  I remember watching ET for the first time and wondering why they went while the sun was still out.  Oh well LOL  And we almost never gave away candy at our house.  Mom would pop popcorn and fill treat bags full.  Of course, back in those days popcorn was not really sold much in stores except in seed form, so this was a treat. 

Of course, no Halloween would have been complete without watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" which has been a staple of American Halloween viewing since 1966.  It is usually shown several nights before Halloween, and I watch it every year.  Now that I don't have regular tv, or whoever shows it these days, I just watch my faithful DVD. I did not watch a lot of scary movies as a kid because they would give me nightmares.  They still do sometimes!!  A Garfield Halloween, The Worst Witch, The Bugs Bunny Halloween Special and the Halloween episode of The Wonderful World of Disney were enough for me!

I imagine that if I had children I would do more for Halloween.  We don't have trick-or-treaters here on my street but a few streets over they come in by the van loads. I put a few things up around the house so that I can remember the good times of days gone by.  I still enjoy the holiday and am glad that I am around to see another one.  Happy Halloween!

TV Specials

Quote of the Week

This is what I'm working on with myself right now.  And I must admit it feels pretty damn good!

The Buffet

 

I love my dining room furniture.  It was Grandmother's and I have always loved it.  And you know from my Sunday lunches that I love to use my buffet.  The buffet is both a pretty piece of furniture and a utilitarian piece of furniture.  Grandmother, at least in my lifetime, never used it to serve from.  It always had her silver service on it and a pair of candlesticks.  So, in some ways it was utilitarian for her because it was used for displaying pieces. But I like to use it when I eat.  Of course, it takes some time to remove all of the items on display from it and set it up, but I do not mind.  It's part of the fun for me. 

The buffet was originally part of a dining room set.  I am not sure when they first bought it. I'm thinking sometime in the 40s or 50s. The set consisted of a table and chairs, a china cabinet and the buffet. They were originally a much darker color than they are today.  They were more of a mahogany color. Grandmother wanted a new dining room table and when she got one in the 60s, it was a beautiful light cherry wood.  So, she had the buffet and china cabinet restained to match.  Whoever did it did an excellent job. 

When we divided the estate, I ended up with the table, chairs and cabinet and Bill ended up with the buffet.  Why we split the set, I don't really know.  Anyway, years later they no longer had room for it and asked if I wanted it.  Of course I did. So, Michael and I got a van and met Bill halfway to pick up the piece.  It was easier than shipping it to Greensboro. I have loved having it and have loved using it.  I will continue to use it for as long as possible.  It is still both pretty and useful, which good pieces should be.  Now, I guess it's time to set up another Sunday lunch!  Join me?

The Last Dance - Donna Summer

 This is just a fun song to start my weekend off with.  I heard it on the radio the other day and it's been stuck in the back of my mind since then.  Hope you like it too!

Recipe of the Week - Cranberry Salad

 

Now, I will be the first to admit that I absolutely love a good, congealed salad.  I grew up with them.  Every family gathering there was a congealed salad of some kind.  My great Aunt Sara brought one every time she came to a dinner at our house or Grandmother's. It was tradition and I just love them. I did not make them much over the past few decades because Michael does not like them so now, I am making up for lost time. I found this recipe in a cookbook that June gave me and wanted to give it a try, mainly because I had all of the ingredients on hand.  I thought it turned out so good.  I shared with several friends, and they loved it as well.  It's different from other congealed salads that I have made before.  Its texture is almost that of a relish than a congealed salad. Either way, it is wonderful and will be a part of my cooking canon going forward.  I hope you enjoy it!

Cranberry Salad

1 lb cranberries (ground)

1 (No. 2) can of crushed pineapple

2 boxes red Jell-O*

2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped apples

1 orange, cut into small pieces**

Drain and heat liquid from pineapple, adding water to make 2 cups.  Add sugar and Jell-O until everything is dissolved and mixed thoroughly.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a Pyrex or mold and chill. 

* I used cherry Jell-O

** I used a large can of mandarin oranges, drained

Enjoy!

Self-care update

 

Each day I have taken time, even if it is just a few minutes, to do something for myself.  It is time when I put my phone away and stay off of the computer and just focus my energy on relaxation, meditation and restoration.  The length of the time does not really matter to me but the quality of what I'm doing does.  And it varies.  Some days, I take a nap.  This is something that I enjoy doing and it is amazing how refreshed I feel, especially after a long day at work. Of course, I set an alarm so that I don't sleep for two hours but it is still refreshing. I have taken the time to read some. Just an hour or so getting lost in another world is a good thing. I have listened to music.  Sometimes just putting a cd on, putting in the headphones and just taking in the music is so relaxing.  No distractions, just beautiful melodies to sooth the soul.  And I do not plan on what I'm going to do each day.  I just do whatever my mood feels like doing.  It is nice to have this process be on the organic side for me because I'm such a list person and normally have everything spelled out.  

Today is another day, so I'll see where my self-care leads me today!

Grandmother's Spice Rack

 

This spice rack is something that I have grown up with.  It used to hang in Grandmother's kitchen and so I remember it very fondly having spent a lot of time in that kitchen in my formative years. Oh, what I wouldn't give to be back in that kitchen again!  But it hung on a wall near the stove.  She never used it, at least not during my life because it was vintage even then.  I think it is from the 40s or 50s.  It has most of its original glass bottles.  I think one may have broken over the years because there is definitely room for one more.  And each bottle has its own label.  I love the fact that there is a bottle for MSG, which was a staple ingredient in recipes during the 50s unlike today when everyone is so scared of it LOL. And in the drawer are extra blank labels so if you needed to store something else, you could. 

I got this when we divided Grandmother's estate, so it's been in my kitchens for the last 20 plus years. Of course, I do not use the spices in these bottles but am curious as to their condition.  No, I have not opened them to find out and probably won't.  But I love having it hanging in my kitchen as a reminder not only of my Grandmother, but of the warmth that being in the kitchen brings.  It's a very cozy piece and I love having it.  Like so many other pieces I have, this always takes me back to a time when my life in many ways was much simpler.  Those were good times.  

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Bring your full attention to the experience of having a shower or bath.  Notice how the water feels and the sound it makes.  Savor the scent of the soap and shampoo and be aware of the variety of textures beneath your hands.  Finish by imagining that you are washed clean of negativity. 

Quote of the week

 

So very true!  

Somewhere - Barbra Streisand

 Starting off my week with a little inspiration from the divine Ms. Streisand.  A beautiful rendition of a classic musical theatre song.  Enjoy!

A Dream Home

Realistically, I know that I will probably never live in my dream home.  But let me tell you, it's fun to dream.  And while most people these days love the modern conveniences of new construction, I still cling to the old styles.  Shocking, I know.  Even if I won the lottery and built a home, I would make sure it had the feeling and the master carpentry of an old home.  I love to fantasize about what my dream home would be like.  I cannot put it down to one specific style because I'll see a Victorian house that I love but then I'll see a 1940's bungalow that I think is perfect.  Anyway, here are things that I would love to have in my one day dream home.  

1. Individual rooms - when I say that I do not like open floor plans, I mean that for my taste.  While it works for other people, it's not for me.  If someone gave me a house with an open floor plan, my first thing would be to section it off into rooms LOL  I like the idea of individual spaces within a home.  Sometimes I just like to go into a room and know that I'm in a specific space that has a specific purpose.  And sometimes you just need to shut yourself away from everything for a little while and an open floor plan does not really allow for that.

2. Formal Dining Room - This is a must.  If you know me, I love to use my dining room and I will not live in a house without one.  Not a dining "area" but it has to have a dining room.  End of discussion.  Haha!

3. Glass Cabinets - Grandmother had glass cabinets in her breakfast room and I just love the look of them.  One of the houses I rented years ago had them in the kitchen.  I love the way they look and it makes finding things so much easier.  

4. Knotty Pine - this is not to everyone's taste, but I absolutely love knotty pine.  I think that it gives a room a certain air of comfort.  My current den has knotty pine and I find it so cozy.  Aunt Billie's den also was constructed of knotty pine and that was one of my favorite rooms in her home.  I see it being in a den or study of some kind, but I do want to have some. 

5. Pocket Doors - I love the idea of pocket doors.  The door to my bathroom is a pocket door.  I just think they are a neat and very convenient type of door.  

6. Pantry - this is also a must have for me.  You know how much I love to cook and having a pantry would be amazing.  None of the houses from my childhood really had a pantry but they did have lots of cabinets.  Aunt Sara's house did have two closets in the dining room that she used for pantry, so I suppose that counts some.  But I would love to have a place to store not only food staples but also cooking equipment. 

7. Sunroom - I love this idea of a sunroom.  I guess it would be more like an enclosed porch of some kind but to have one room with lots of light would be wonderful.  Brighter colors and carefully chosen plants.  A place to have some coffee and just relax and look at the outdoors.  I love rooms like this when it rains, too.  Maybe have a tin roof over the sunroom. 

8. Front Hall - I just love an entry hall on a house.  I think it sets the tone for the rest of the home.  Whether it is a smaller room like the one in our house in Monroe or Aunt Sara's, or a big open hallway with a staircase like Aunt Billie's, it is something I would love to have.

9. Screened in Porch - To be able to sit outside and not be bothered with bugs is a great thing.  Or to sit outside when it's raining.  I love the practicality of a screened in porch.  And it can be in front or in back.  Or on the side. It's all good to me.

10. Built in Bookcases - I want built in bookcases in the den/library/study.  I think they add a lot to a room.  I also have amassed a nice book collection that I could probably fill those shelves without any issue!  And if not with books, then I have plenty of knick knacks LOL  A built in bookcase would be nice in the kitchen for all of my cookbooks.  Now, I don't want built in cabinets in the dining room.  I like the look of a stand alone china cabinet.  But bookcases, most definitely!

Whether or not this will ever come true, it's fun to think about!

Autumn

 It has officially been autumn for a few weeks now.  Here in Greensboro, it is finally starting to feel like.  The air is cooler and crisper.  I wake up in the morning and am happy to have the blankets on my bed. I enjoy these colder mornings.  It makes the coffee taste better.  Autumn was always Mom's favorite season and the older I get it is becoming one of mine as well.  There is something very nostalgic to me about autumn.  It is the one season where I feel like the page is turning in my book of life.  I love seeing the leaves turn but you have to pay attention to them.  You blink and they are no longer on the tree but in crumpled piles on the ground. While I do not find raking the fallen leaves very fun, I find the idea of that very sentimental.  It's part of autumn. But believe me, if you spent your childhood raking and gathering gum balls, autumn yard work is hardly an ideal!

Fall means soup weather to me.  While I can make and have made soup all year long, there is something about eating homemade soup in the fall that is simply magical. Growing up, I don't recall eating soup during warm weather unless I was sick and then it was Campbell's chicken noodle soup.  Mom would make and can soup in the summer in anticipation of the colder months.  I love making soup and have so many great soup recipes that I look forward to this time of year to really get the most out of my soups. Autumn also means the coming of Thanksgiving, another big food tradition.  The memories of Thanksgivings I have had fill my heart at this time of year.  In addition to autumn being Mom's favorite season, Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday.  She looked forward to that every year.  Being surrounded by friends and family and gathering together to share the day meant the world to her.  And she loved hosting it with Grandmother.  Those were grand times.

Growing up, autumn meant packing away your summer clothes and taking out the winter ones.  No more shorts and tee shirts outside.  Time for jeans and sweaters.  How I love a good sweater. I used to have so many of them.  I either wore them out or outgrew them.  I still have a few sweaters that I cherish and still wear.  Autumn meant Friday night football games.  We went almost every Friday.  Once Bill and I were in the marching band, at different times, going to the football games was a staple of our lives.  In October, that was always followed by a Saturday marching band competition. We rarely came in first but it was always fun. And the fall festivals.  There was always a fall festival at school.  It was almost as if that was part of the curriculum.  These days, fall festivals have bled over into the community a lot more than when I was growing up.  And these can be such fun to go to.  A good way to support local businesses. 

Autumn is such a wonderful time of year.  With a lot of the things going on in the world, I am determined to make the most of my autumn and create wonderful memories to carry with me the rest of my days.  That is all. 

The Green Glass Flower Bowl

 

This is a piece that I got from Grandmother when I was a teenager and first discovering my love for antiques.  I would spend hours going through cabinets and drawers in her house to see all of the treasures that were there.  This was one that I found tucked away in a breakfast room cabinet.  She never used it.  Well, that is to say she had not used it in many, many years.  And, of course, I asked her if I could have it.  I loved and still love anything that is green.  It's my favorite color.

This is called a flower bowl.  I cannot imagine exactly how you would arrange flowers in it, but I guess with the assistance of a flower frog it would be possible.  But I love the design, and it seems to be sandwich glass. I have always had it on display in my various homes as it brings me comfort and I enjoy its color so much. I have even used it as a serving dish, and it has worked out quite well.  Now, it sits in my den, and I see it every day.  Who knows?  I may arrange flowers in it one day. Why not?  That would do Grandmother proud!

Collecting Stickers

 One of the things that I miss about childhood, among so many other things, is collecting stickers.  That was such great fun when I was a kid.  And one of the things that was so great about it is that everyone did it and it was a wonderful way to be included.  After all, when we're kids, being included is very important. Not that it isn't important as an adult, but I feel like it's different for children. In school, getting a sticker was often an important prize given away.  And usually, it was a scratch and sniff sticker.  The main ones I remember were round shaped and came in multiple scents.  One was grape and one was popcorn.  Those were my favorite two.

Having a sticker book was also something that most every child had.  After all, you had to have a place to put your stickers. I had many of them throughout the years.  And I will bet you that I still have many of them out in a box somewhere.  We would often get together as kids and trade stickers.  There were different levels of importance for stickers.  If you had a sticker that someone wanted, you then held all of the cards and could get multiple stickers in exchange.  I remember that there was a sticker of Fifi the lamb from Hello Kitty that was very rare, and we all wanted it.  Whoever was in possession could get just about any other sticker he/she wanted.  And did.  

Stickers were also a staple as a birthday gift.  And there were all kinds.  Remember puffy stickers?  And then scratch and sniff?  I also remember there being stickers you could color. They were often themed with whatever toys were popular that week and came with special crayons designed specifically to color the stickers.  It was always great fun to open up the birthday gift and see stickers there.  We used to go to the Hallmark store in the mall to buy stickers.  They would have kiosks throughout the store, those circular metal racks that would spin, that held packets of stickers.  They often came in sets of 2 to 4 pages.  The pages were not always the same in the pack either but even if they were, it made for good trading.  The motherload of stickers were at the back of the store.  There was a section of the back wall in Hallmark that was all things stickers. What joy it was to thumb through the different sections and find just the right pack of stickers to buy.  Those were good times.

I think I need to find my stickers again and see what condition they're in.  Who knows?  I may take up the hobby again.  It brings me joy so why not?  It's the little things!