2010- Coming~Ready or Not!

Mixing the Old With the New

A happy  mix of 'relics' from the past century with the new, shiny and modern doesn't just happen.  First you have to love the history, craftsmanship  and unique beauty.  Then you have to trust your own eye and instinct to recognize when it works together and when it's just not quite right.

 Know your boundaries.  What is important to you? Is it monetary value, color, shape or do you collect  things to impress others?  The table & chairs  shown here: The table is a primitive farm table from an estate sale where I paid a big $10. for it.  The chairs were found new costing quite a few ten dollar bills. The $10, table will always be  a treasure.

 My standard has nothing to do with cost, appraised value or popularity with other collectors.  The test question for me is:  "Do I love this?"

Then you go with it no matter what people around you think. It's you-Enjoy!

Sometimes you must make allowance for someone else's taste or preference  especially if there's a husband in the same house.  For me that means I made the choice to [slightly] downsize and go for less clutter in this particular house as I consider Ted's likes and dislikes.  The attic gets used more and I have to remind myself to check the attic regularly to see what I might like to change out with something I've had in use or on display for a while. 

During Christmastime this year that meant bringing down some wonderful old jars to use about the house filled with nuts and candies that remind me of old fashioned Christmases.

Remember the ORANGE SLICES...Grandma Mobley usually had those at Christmas. I fill old  jars with those and gumdrops and Hersheys kisses & peppermint stick or candy canes. 

I also try to display only old things that are actually usable.  My old Toaster is the quality of the high end Kitchen appliances most women consider extravagant. Most people don't even notice it's old as many of them are [ 1930's or 40's] If I had the counter space I would be using my equally old WAFFLE IRON.  To satisfy that collector in me I managed to get shelves built over windows in the breakfast room-that's where my collection of COFFEE POTS goes. It's out of our way but satifies that need for me. There are wonderful built in cabinets in this house [Built 1930's] just right for showing most of my dishes & pottery.



I like so many old or primitive things that the updated light fixtures [ DR & LR] along with the solid red upholstered sofa, Black floral love seat and tasteful stripe chair pull it all together in a way that is very pleasing. Those new pieces cause your eye to forget there is so much of the distant past preserved and used in those rooms. It doesn't shout "Primitive".


Let's pause with Decorating 101..to be continued I am sure!

mmmmm....You Did That???

Why does it surprise our younger friends or family members when we do incredible or challenging things or display something that might be remotely considered talented or impressive?

Do they think we  left our real selves, our brain or creative parts  to be donated at the local Good Will store?

And if so, wouldn't you think some of them might begin to worry each time they themselves drive by that good will location?

A Fresh Start

I do think it's time to start moving furniture and hanging new pictures..meaning a new look for my blog.  This is not "Me"..gotta start shopping for a fresh new look.

What's a Gramma Want for Christmas?

First I just love Christmas time,period.

Next, I love being with people I love or like and people who love us!

Blue lights in the windows. In Texas Ted constructed a very large star outline for me..wrapped it in blue lights and set it atop "the old barn"..doesn't that say Bethlehem?!!

Candles, Candles and more candlelight..all over the house,even on the deck and front porch. Santa can always give me more CANDLES!

Jingle Bells!!!!!!!! Yes, I love the jingle jangle sound of bells that sound like sleigh bells in the distance.

Hot Tea, Spiced Tea, Hot Chocolate and Wassail!

Christmas Music..O Holy Night, Silent Night,

Fruitcake..yes I do like fruit cake. to be specific I like Claxton fruit cake,made in Georgia.  It's heavy on fruit and nuts and not much cake.  A little goes a long way. Just pour a small cup of hot wassail or black coffee,that's all you need.

I DO NOT need big expensive gifts for Christmas, small, inexpensive, thoughtful things are my kind of gifts. One of my favorite gifts during the past 25 years was a package of a dozen yellow legal pads from a daughter in law.  That gift said; "I notice" and "I remember."  She noticed that I always used those for making study notes.

It's hard to think of grand, extravagant gifts..after all Christmas takes note of the greatest gift of all The Saviour, Christ our Lord.  Every thing else is small by comparison.

So, if a loved one wants to really "make my Christmas"..just come to see me, with bells on and spend time sharing all the homemade goodies , visiting with candle light and enjoying the Christmas trees and outdoor Christmas lights.

And let's share Christmas memories with Carols in the background  until it's time to go to church for a quiet sweet joyous candlelight service.

That's Christmastime! Time spent Together, Remembering important things, Sharing Small things that matter and being there for no other reason than that you want to be with each other..and no one is in a hurry to leave!

Then when everyone has left or gone to bed I so love to sit in the living room with my pretty warm socks on, a pretty tea cup in hand with warm wassail or a wonderful hand thrown pottery mug filled with hot chocolate or hot tea..just hugging the cup and soaking in the incredible beauty of the clear white lights on the Christmas tree, all decorated in white and gold/silver with clear glass ornaments that reflect the light. I never tire of this setting. It's better than unwrapping  Christmas gifts. The quiet and the beauty is pure..gifts are not always-they sometimes get complicated & mixed in with less than pure motives or intent. Just keep it simple.

Another  Christmastime [ or anytime] thing that gives me great pleasure is seeing families together at church.  On  days like these we see older couples with their grown up children and Grands who are visiting all fill a pew or two and everyone knows that's one happy Mom & Dad or Grandparents -such a simple thing~having your family sitting in worship service with you. ..Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service, a Big Anniversary or milestone Birthday.

post script:
What does a Gramma want for Christmas & every other day of the year?  - to be needed, valued, visible. remembered, noticed, considered.

Giving Thanks at Gramma's & Pop's-Brundidge,Alabama

Just hitting the high spots, the high lights of the day:
It's always a special moment when they start arriving-ah, the greetings, the hugs are so sweet.  Yes, I know we only saw them 3 months ago but it seems much longer.

Each gathering is priceless-a treasured time.

Then when the next arrivals are announced we do it all over again..the greetings, the hugs and the nine year old grandson plays "dodge the hugging  grown ups."

I had hoped to get a [half of us] family picture on the front steps before dark but we missed that-

Everyone has their specialties I guess.  One daughter in law couldn't show up without her sweet potato casserole and I had to call in the other daughter in law just before time to eat to make the gravy-oops who discarded the pan drippings from the ham and turkey??? Not to worry ~ an expert gravy maker and a spare can of chicken broth saved the day there-The sister Schubert Rolls went into the oven and several of us wondered aloud if our 11 yr. old Samantha in the far north-Iowa, had her favorite SS rolls for her ROLL DAY!

No picture, but in my mind's eye it's there-of the crowd circled, holding hands and Pop whom we all expected to do the honors asked: "Reagan, since you are the youngest, would you say 'grace' for us?"  With a nine year old surrounded by all big people you never know how he will react.
Reagan came through beautifully. As we bowed he began "Dear Jesus" and continued sincerely and w confidence to express thanks for and ask protection for his Special Forces cousin Don, the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I think he covered the food and all our families. 
It was a moment to remember! Thank You Jesus.

[to be continued..gotta go find my christmastime wreath for the front door]

This Gramma...Pondering

I do that often...pondering things that I cannot change, that I can do nothing about.
Today it's pondering the question: "What will our grand children remember about us?"
We have missed out on so much of their lives. Our first Ryan was born soon after we  moved to southeast Texas and the last, Reagan was born in September of 2000 six years before we moved from Texas back to Alabama closer to our family.  Six months later our daughter and her family relocated twice as far away as we had been..to the state of Iowa.  We last saw them in the spring of 2007.  Samantha was a little girl just turned  nine then.  In January she will be 12..on the verge of becoming a teenager any minute and soon a young lady. We have missed it all.  They have missed us..I suppose.  We will be impacted by how they have grown and changed and they are likely to be taken aback with the reality of the years added to Gramma and Pop.  It's gone. It won't come back.  There was nothing we could fill that space and time with ..no way to make up for it.  The time and the people we each knew are no more.

I am just wondering with all this time lost what our Grands will remember about us.  One cannot remember what was not.  How can they know how much we have missed and longed for time face to face with them? I just don't know if that's possible.

Yes, I know all we can do as we come to turns in the road is  make the best choices we can at the time..then we live with the consequences. What else can you do?  For our Children as they look forward all they see is a "lifetime" ahead of them.  For us now what we see is: "A lifetime past and not too many years left here with them."

It's real to us.  It's not real to them.

Just pondering..[to be continued another day]

It's Just Furniture, Right?

No, it's more.   After chasing our tail [ so to speak] a long time  in south Georgia last Sunday we met up with Paula, first cousin once removed and picked up  the furniture that  belonged to Grandma Mobley.

I don't need extra furniture.  I have no room for another old Chifferobe. I  have no need for another old dresser base.
I will make room for them and treasure always, Just Because- because they were my Grandma Mobley's.

I know she never dreamed anyone would want much less cherish some piece of furniture she had. It's just furniture, right?

A similar Chifferobe [I already have] has no sentimental value. It will be stripped to become a utilitarian shelving unit.  After  a little work on my two treasures  they will each slip into a spot that will be just right.

Are they worth a lot of money?  No, not at all.  But they are worth a lot to me.

Why?  Just Because.  Just because they were my Grandma's.

Natural, Simple, Unpretentious

I repeat, beauty comes in many forms.

The healthy green leaves on the rose bush, the dainty little rosebuds or 'grown up' rose in full bloom. But it doesn't end here.

There's a new beauty in the dried petals or the entire bloom in dry form. You need not be a trained  designer or artist to recognize a work of art in the natural, faded form - just lying against a contrasting texture or surface [such as the fabric covering this chair.] When you only have loose dry petals left scatter them or fill a pretty little cup, dish or saucer with them.

This makes a nice 'thinking of you' gift ..with  a few fragrant leaves from Eucalyptus or lavendar stems or nothing added at all. 

Unpretentious beauty..Naturally!

Home & Yarden

Have you Ever? No, I never knew a vining Jasmine produced a seed pod like this? It looks exactly like a small field pea. As the old [er] folks say: "You live & learn."

It's Just A Gourd- Hoping for a late frost. My gourd seeds didn't get in the ground early this year..so these are 'late bloomers.' That's why I am hoping for a late frost because they will continue to mature until a heavy frost. On the neighbor's side of the wire trellis there is one smaller specimen that of necessity has the neck twisted..gonna be a special beauty. If these same gourds had been left to spread on the ground it would have been possible to manipulate the young tender gourd and get unique twists and turns of the gourd neck..Interesting!

 

I Just had to share- This 'natural habitat' for who knows what is something we have intended to eliminate but that's easier 'said than done'..quite a chore; but in the meantime it has it's own unique natural beauty that is hard to dismiss. See the liechen on the top front? Of course, I luv that!

 

Another Rainy Day

It's time for my much needed nap but something has intruded.

The rains have started again...

Wonderful, pouring rain that cannot be ignored and tuned out even inside this house.

I sense right now a new direction for the rest of my day.

This is an afternoon for finishing the book I am reading.

Rain, Rain, come and stay-

I have a book to read today!

 

 

 

 

 

Jonell

The Good Things in Life

Are there things in life that make you sigh, smile and laugh all at the same time..For me it's what I call the good things in life.

Front Porches with Nice Rocking Chairs-

 

Looking out toward the arbor covered with cypress vines in bloom for the humming birds that flit from one tiny little red flower to another~ flower beds with greenery and blooms showing through and above the porch railing.

Growing things excite me! Blooming things thrill me!

Growing, vining, blooming things just feed my senses.

From the deck looking out onto the back yard I love the open spaces and lush growth of trees [of nearby property owners] we enjoy as they provide shade and beauty hugging close to our fences.

I feel so loved and cared for when I lounge on that deck watching for butterflies and hummingbirds and trying to identify the birds within hearing. My husband usually knows what they are ..late, late afternoon before dusk the sounds of locusts? Katydids? at times seem to be filling the entire outdoors surrounding us..he points out if I listen carefully I can identify where they are coming from-the exact tree- and continues to inform me that there are actually two or perhaps three making all that noise. Amazing! Where did he learn all that?

 



If you live in a small town in southern United States, you must have a front porch. It's a southern thing. It's welcoming, friendly, homey. Then if you have that welcoming front porch you really do need a front porch swing. I have noticed certain family members when they visit always gravitate to that swing.

Surprising as it may sound I think each one of our sons have taken notice of Mom's touch, the windowless old window behind the swing, attached with wire to the ceiling and hanging directly above the porch railing. Why the window without window panes? It provides a frame for the blooming mandevilla vine to climb onto. Truthfully, even without the vine, the old window was going to be hung there. That's just what I do. I love that "our boys" notice it. In fact I think other men visiting usually notice it. Such a little thing...paid $15 for the window at a yard sale and didn't cost a thing for "you know who" to hang it! He could live without these primitive decorative touches but he knows I can't.

I see so many beautiful things around me. I feel so richly blessed it seems almost decadent. Did I mention the fabulous eucalyptus tree close enough to smell at times?

His world..and He allows me to enjoy it. The beauty and abundance just never ends. My dear Mother would have felt her daughter must be 'rich.'
I am.
My Faith, My Family and even Flowers-What more could I need?


I would wish for you, each of you that you are able to see, hear and smell the same beauty..and hold it close, 'never forgetting from whence it came'.

A Word ~ About W.O.R.D.S.

A  Few  Good  Words

 

J.E.S.U.S

F.a.m.i.l.y

Loved Ones

My Children

The G.r.a.n.d.s

Neighbor

Beloved

 

A  G.a.t.h.e.r.i.n.g

Weed Flowers

Child of the King

Ponder

Mulling Over

 

H.O.M.E

 

 

I love the sound of these words:

 

Delightsome

Blissful

Amble

wander

Meander

Pondering

whimsical

Delightful

Awhile
 

R.e.d.e.m.p.t.i.o.n

 

Yarden

[yard and garden]

Quirky

L a n e

 

A Thankful Heart-A Tender Heart

So many times over many years I have asked God: "Give me a thankful heart, a tender heart." It's a good thing to long for, to desire.

Let's assume I now have a thankful heart.

Question: What is satan going to use now to tempt, distract & possibly defeat me?
Answer: That Thankful Heart!

Question: And how does he do that?
Answer: By introducing me to discontentment and that ugly thing we call Envy, Reminding me of all the places I have never been, things I could never do and will not do in the remaining years of my life. He runs the slide show and I whine inside. Knowing the source of this attitude does not necessarily make it go away.

Summary/Cautionary Note: A Heads up when you think you have arrived-and you now have that noble Godly trait you have long prayed to have.

The lessons of life, it seems they never end.
I do pray I will continue to accept with grace His molding and shaping- His teaching.

My intent is not to ruin someone's day with this post. My intent is to peel away layers of pretense and find honesty ..and figure out what to do with that discovery. Yes, I guess you might say that I like a challenge.

Ordinary Things

Simple Pleasures-Simply Stated

 Recently after being away overnight, I slipped under the top sheet and lay my head on my pillow and verbalized my feelings this way: "It is soooo good to be at home, in our house, On our bed, under these nice white, fresh linens and laying my head on my own pillow.

I am thinking perhaps one just has to be a 'certain age' to truly appreciate such ordinary things.





No Place Like Home, Indeed.

What could be better!

My 1912 Calendar

Yes I have a 1912 completely in tact calendar hanging in my den.

Yes I love old things. Yes I do collect many things. And Yes, I too am old. Not that old.

My calendar is left open to the month of August.
That's my Mama's birthdate, August 2, 1912. She's been gone since 1973.

I Still remember.

Something of Grandma's

I am so excited. I have the opportunity to collect from a cousin-first,once removed, two pieces of furniture that were my Grandma Mobley's.

One is a chifferobe and the other a dresser. I remember the chifferobe, not sure about the dresser-it may be only a dresser base. That's allright! I will cherish it no matter what. I think I might feel that my collection of "old stuff" is now complete in our house with the addition of "something of Grandma's.

How blessed I am !! I think I must be rich :^)

 

 



Ahhhhh Zinnias!

 

My zinnias are growing taller and fuller with many colors. I am torn between leaving them be...and regularly snipping the blooms to use and encourage more growth.

Most of my flower choices are perennial. I love hardy plants and flowers that come back for us the next spring, however; a few others are on my "luv it" list:
Coleous and Zinnias.

I have seen green zinnias in Southern Living magazine and gardening magazines but never had any. This year I do have a few green ones. "Luv It!"

Now all I need in that bed is a Zinnia that grows smaller to balance out with the tall plants.

Let's Dry Roses!

 

 

How often have you received beautiful roses or a bouquet of mixed flowers for a special occasion and in a short time they were no longer beautiful and had to be thrown out. All you can think about is the money your loved one spent.

Let's dry those roses! Let's preserve that beauty and the memory of the giver. It's usually quite simple.

Note: All roses are not the same. The dried flower will vary depending on the compactness and the color of the bloom. You should experiment.

Watch that bouquet. Don't wait until the petals start to fall. It's Too late now.
Enjoy them a few days and then remove them from the water. You may or Not remove the wires from the stems. Carefully secure the stems and hang a small bunch upside down indoors. You may try a closet or other spots in the house. Experiment! I seldom think about what room in the house to hang them. Just hang them. My only bad, and I do mean BAD experience was trying to dry lots of roses in a semi open area in what turned out to be the wettest, rainy season ever..There was too too much moisture in the air around them for far too long... Costly lesson.

To Spray or not to spray: Someone asked today about spraying with hairspray or polyurethane clear paint..my personal opinion: It is NOT NECESSARY. When your dry blooms collect dust use a hair dryer [at a distance] to blow them.

If you are concerned about dried material falling - Don't place them in a high traffic area where one is likely to brush against them. I do like wall pockets for two or three dried blooms. My very fav wall pocket is the long neck of a dipper gourd stem end down. I have one on our bedroom door with dried roses in it.

Your dried roses will last longer than you want to keep them..Then you just toss them and start over with the next delivery of expensive flowers you receive.

Drying Things

What can be dried? I'm not talking about laundry or any other household 'chore'. I'm talking about "pretties" like your flower garden successes or woodlands discoveries.

My very favorite flower to dry.. For me it has  to be hydrangeas. Of course the oak leaf hydrangea takes care of itself. Don't worry about drying it. It's the mop head, the endless summer and others I'm referring to.

 

 

When there are several options for drying a specific bloom I choose the easiest every time.

The easiest for these Hydrangea blooms is air drying in small bundles upside down. The trick is knowing when to harvest them. When I asked friends they all had a different answer. when I read articles or books it was hard to interpret the instructions. Basically you pretty much have to figure it out for yourself.

 My advice goes like this: Don't get in a hurry. You cut too soon they are a total loss-they shrivel up. When I reach out with slightly cupped palm to touch the large bloom and the feel I get could almost be described as a slight stiffness as opposed to the touch of  tender vegetation. You can almost [not really] sense a slight paper rattle.  They are now ready to harvest.

 I gather a nice handful, strip many of the lower leaves off, bind the [usually] long stems with either wire, string or rubberbands and hang them on a wire or against the wall indoors or perhaps a covered space like a porch or patio.

Let them be.  When they are finished there is no doubt . If you especially appreciate the various colors..the easiest way to get this is to spray with two or three shades of color..a floral spray/aerosol.  Experiment with distance and mixing the various colors..you'll figure it out.

When you become super comfortable with choosing when to cut for drying you will be able to cut, place in water and  let them dry in the container as you enjoy them.

 

When I am trying to make a new convert to dried flowers I usually  tell them It's just another kind of beauty and with the dried blooms you can enjoy the same beauties often year round....first the fresh cut and later as they are perfectly dried.

Jonell
 

 

Where My Mobley Grandparents Lived

The only house I ever recall My Mobley Grandpa and Grandma living in was the primitive dog trot farmhouse down  the lane from Uncle Jack and aunt Laura Mobley's. (a mile from the Mershon-Crossroads)

 

 

That farmhouse was always immaculate..the yards didn't have a sprig of grass [it was promptly chopped up with a sharp hoe] and was literally swept clean with a handmade brush broom made from a bundle  of branches.

 

 

 

This is NOT my Grandma and Grandpa Mobley's house. It is the

1906 dog trop farmhouse we owned during our Texas years.

http://mershongeorgiagirl.blogspot.com

 

And Do You Remember Those..

Bubble Glass Picture Frames & Mirrors

Stacks of Wonderful Hand Made Quilts

 

 

A Green primitive Short Settee

 

 

[That's where I put out my letters to Santa ]

More Remembering

Colorful Depression Glass neatly lined the shelves of a Pie Safe.

They didn't know it was "depression glass." That label or description was given later by people as they came to value those dishes Grandma got free in a "box of something" she purchased or a premium at the movie theater, in a box of oatmeal. 

 

 

 

 



Reminders of My Grandma's House

 

 Those cotton hand embroidered pillow cases on Grandma Mobley's beds come to mind when I find these.
 

Grandma's had the fronts adorned with dainty embroidered ladies in flower gardens & little birds perched on branches, large flower baskets filled with hand embroidered flowers.