O R D I N A R Y Things

How often I remark: "It just doesn't take much to make me happy."  That is so so true!  I am excited, appreciative, yes even thrilled over such small,  oft described as ordinary things in life, especially in my home environment.  I am not showing treasures or vintage and antique one-of-a-kinds or  decorative objects today...I am showing you Me...and a few of the things around me that make me feel good - comfortable, secure, sometimes pampered.  Be kind now ladies. Amused, is okay. Laughter is allright if it's not  too harsh .  Just be kind in your responses.

• Bedroom closets- We each have one. No, not large or walk in closets. If we had huge HGTV walk ins we would not be able to fill them.  They are 'adequate.' There's an easy to access light in each, and shelves above the hanging clothes. He has two levels for hanging. I have one and two extra shelves on one side. That's ENOUGH. ENOUGH is good!

This Makes Me Wanna Throw A Party-An America the Beautiful Party~

Thank you At The Picket Fence blog for the Inspiration!

http://atthepicketfence.com



I'm "out the door" as we speak-

I'm going shopping right now...
grab a few colorful cotton
bandanas,some small USA flags
put together at the very least a
new patriotictheme scene on my
 front porch!

http://atthepicketfence.com

Fresh From the Yard- BLUEBERRIES

Okay I see that  I cannot 'get the photo right'

But I still get to make a batch of

Breakfast Muffins tomorrow

In The Good Old Summertime - Let's Party on the Porch~

SUMMERTIME in the deep south. 

In my case that would be Alabama/USA

At our house we enjoy a FRONT PORCH,

Also a deck at the rear of the house
and a PATIO just off the deck
and as you exit from my kitchen door.
I cherish memories of PORCHES

in the summertime ...

 lazy, warm summer days daydreaming

[horizontally]

in a porch swing...

at my Grandma Mobley's house,

 at My Aunt Laura's 

and other cousins and friends porches too.

Below is one of those homes...
Aunt  Laura & Uncle Jack Mobley's

The picture was taken in more 'modern'

times /circa 1988 on one of those rare visits back home to

South Georgia

A Last Minute decision to slip this Picture  [ circa 1988-89] with me [red shirt]
my daughter Deanna and My Aunt Laura Mobley on her
 FRONT PORCH- Mershon, Georgia
Many wonderful memories of this dear aunt and this Mobley Home

Just a Sittin' and Swingin'

Friends Welcome to enter from the patio and deck at the back of the house

Little treasures [made in Japan}



One of the last 'finds' from southeast Texas



Oh, Yes- this is Southern Living-in the Deep South/usa

An old weathered useless $15 Window completes this scene-
Come on over..I just put freshly  washd/ironed pillow cases
on the swing pillows

A DECK is a 'kind of PORCH, RIGHT?
May is the month for harvesting the OAK LEAF HYDRANGEAS
and the section of hollowed out log from the Texas farmhouse
 works Perrrrfectly dontcha think

The LEMONADE is poured..ready for You!

Above/Below : You get a view from opposite   ends of the front porch

In the interest of  "keeping it honest''..all scenes are not SUMMERTIME
photos..above has to be OCTOBER-the peanut tree is in bloom

Lemonade or Iced Tea?


Our outdoor settings change with the seasons, weather and
events scheduled with family or friends...
   the  feeling is the same.

We cannot spend time outdoors
 without talking about how blessed we are
 to have this amazing  thing we call
CREATION surrounding us..
and giving thanks to the Creator, the God we serve.
Ahh, such Love!

Looking Forward,
Jonell

Please don't miss the Meet & Greet &
$100 Giveaway over at Stringtownhome

Lavender Farms-Yes, Lavender Farms ~

Afternoon Tea Across America Traveling Teapot

http://ataatravelingteapot.blogspot.com

I am so thrilled with my one [ yes 1 ] large, beautiful bush of Lavender-

There is no way I can IMAGINE Lavender Farms-

 

My Beauty register won't even go there.

 

Imagine a farm with ACRES OF LAVENDER!

 

http://ataatravelingteapot.blogspot.com



Photo Credit

Things That Make Me SIGH...."Ahhhhhhhh"

Things that make me sigh

And Some Actually "Make my heart sing" because of..

• Experiences-Painting the old Chifferobe w My Friend Shirley
•  Memories: The stove restoration, Wisteria Arbor & other labors of Love 
• Personal Passions- antiques/collecting or shopping
•  Relationships-My sweetheart for life

Looking Forward.

Jonell

What About Father's Day?

One of my SOAP BOX ISSUES- Father's Day in the U.S.A

It so bothers me that we in our culture flip for Mothers

on that day on the calendar labeled Mother's Day

We all get 'over the top' sentimental, mushy, emotional

as we honor our Moms. Nothing wrong with that

-but what happens on Father's Day?

Have we in our culture totally forgotten or set aside & ignored

the importance to our civilization that Fathers are..Fathers

present and functioning in the in the FAMILY?

Fathers actually Showing Up

A Time for Sisters-

My 'baby sister' and I have never had the luxury of living in the same town, or state [as adults] .  Since 1975 we can  count [ w/o running out of fingers] the times we have spent .together.  So you will understand
that her visit Is such an over the top blessing.  We just enjoyed 5 days with her and her husband and that was not enough.  We needed 3 more days just to use up all  the groceries I had stashed away in the freezer and pantry

Some of Us Just Like the Spotlight, Don't We?

Are you [like me] one of those people who are drawn to the spotlight?  Do you often end up "Center Stage"? Are you most often the leader, the Committee Chairman or the 'Go To" person?

No pretense here:  "I can relate to that."  As I analyze my own personality and look back at my history I have to be honest.  I am pretty much a Performer, a Producer, a Planner, a Promoter. That's me.

Gramma Was a Farmgirl..Imagine That~

It's ReRun Monday Just As I Promised ~



The Backyard lettuce crop  is from recent pictures..just trying
to hold your attention

As a child growing up in  rural south Georgia  we always ate whatever was growing in the garden - in season.  We ate the same food all time except

for the big holiday meals then we had more of it! No actually there were really special  holiday meals. We could always count on  southern dressings, fruits [ thanks to relatives from Florida] and our Mamas and Grandmas' fruit cake.. every one totally different.  I know we are not supposed to put down anything Grandma or Mama cooked but here goes.  I never liked their fruit cakes. Today I do like fruitcake-specifically the Claxton fruit cake made in Claxton, Georgia. Their recipe is heavier on nuts and dried fruits and not so much cake/bread texture. ..don't leave-There's More

Small patch but great Tomato harvest that season

When  I was 10 years old I was the official cook for the noon meal & that meant I got to prepare lunch while other family members continued with the farm work.  Summers were quite hot, the work usually meant hot and sweaty so needless to say I was eager to accept this assignment.  

We ate pretty much the same things every day [ in case you missed the first time I said it]. The menu changed if there was something ready to be harvested...field peas, butter beans, squash,  corn, cucumbers etc.  When fresh from the garden produce was scarce there was the basic pantry stock of dried peas, beans.

Nothing like the little bitty summer squash..Love 'em

all the usual ways but especially added [along w onions]

to old fashioned [yes, fried] CORNBREAD. I know, we can't

eat it often but as a decadent treat occasionally surely it

won't be the "death of us"

.  As the years passed and opportunity for new experiences came into my life I learned about  new and interesting foods like Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Shrimp cocktail, Grilled Salmon, Boiled Shrimp. I discovered that people in different parts of the country grew different vegetables and fruits. My husband never did get  excited about these discoveries. His favorite diet still would be Steak, potatoes, peas, beans, macaroni & cheese-you get the idea. 

 

The next best thing to having a Pear tree in your back yard
is having a neighbor with a Pear tree in her back yard-with
an open invitation to Pick What You Want

Funny thing as I have gotten older especially the past 10-15 years I crave the familiar food from my childhood.  That would be the fried conbread, lima beans, new potatoes w fresh green beans. I did "get over" all the southern fried chicken though. Many years ago we substituted baked chicken/breasts for the  less healthy southern fried entree. Even some of the foods I didn't like as a child I now claim as part of my heritage.  That would turnip greens, collards, rutabagas. Funny how we run back to Our Roots and embrace it with such eagerness and joy.  

Remember what so many have said: "You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl."

Why did it take me half my life to discover
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

All I Want for Mother's Day -

Is this tacky or what?  My Mother's Day Wish List: 

Comfort - Convenience - Space - Solitude 

That's all..no company, no gifts..honest to goodness

For this day, this year we are not even hungry for the company of our children and grands.

I have no real NEEDS.  Any [human] 'wants' I have can wait. 

But don't scold me yet! By the time Father's Day  comes around  in June we are likely

going to be longing for another of those big, sometimes crowded, always noisy family gatherings-

the big smiles of loved ones coming through that  front door-the greetings, the laughter, 

the hugs & kisses. 

[ With only one Grand at that 'almost a teenager' stage we almost have to

chase him down to get the  hugs and kisses. I think he secretly loves it!]

And yes we will be hungry for all the chatter & talking over one another.  With all the verbal catching  up,

still I will  think back  upon the day later and wish I had more one on one conversation with each

of our children and their spouses especially.  

Years from now  the Grands will think back and have the same thoughts..

Wishing they had  more one on one time with Grandparents too..just as I did.

No one told me life was going to be so fleeting..

Surely I would have hugged more closely and held on longer to my grandparents..

Asked them  more questions ..

Then listened more intently to their voices and the things they shared..

When asked!

The breakfast in bed idea is always a fanciful vision-This works better for me. 

Set up a tray like this. & display in a safe location -

Go to the kitchen, start the Coffee-

Go to the bathroom - Brush your teeth .

There's no way I am going to sip on a cup of great coffee or tea in bed

without first brushing my teeth.

Mixing It Up- Familiar Scenes and Early Spring 2015

If these scenes look familiar..perhaps you were visiting Like Gramma's House last summer. 

 Some of my blog followers are local..and many of you I have not seen in quite a while. Imagine if  we had a few minutes of quality time to 'catch up'?..

 

or just sit a spell..and wait for inspiration to find us?  

Just click on the photo below for a much larger view~







Looking Forward~ http://mygrammashouse.blogspot.com/2013/08/looking-forward.html

'Justa  note' for those  who read/follow regularly:  You may be seeing  Random posts and even a few Re-Run posts in the coming weeks.  Then again You may not-I guess that's basically what Random means, do you think?

Let me explain:  As I speak my Silver Fox and I are guests, out of town...away from home during the week M-F while he is receiving additional treatments. Did you miss this? Okay here goes: A year ago My sweetheart of a lifetime [ 1958 ] was diagnosed with stage 4 Cancer. Beginning August 2012 he had Chemo infusions every 21 days until December 2012. He handled the chemo extraordinarily well [the Oncologist's statement] and we had  wonderful weeks of "Life is Good"  -actually so good it was really hard to register the reality that he had Cancer.  

Now here we go again. It was a question of when not if , according to the medical Oncologist. That's why we are living M-F  in the homes of our oldest and youngest sons & their families. Yes, Children are a Blessing..for us especially true. We have two other adult  children who would open their homes also were they not 3 hours away... We are so thankful for all of them..the four children and their spouses.

*Next-Looking Forward: Watch for a few re- run posts you might have missed and also come along for blog party link ups if you  will.

I plan to put together a SUMMER PORCH PARTY in June. I would absolutely  luv, luv for you to gather your own PORCH scenes current or from your stash of photos from last year..either way it would be great to have you join up. more later..
http://mygrammashouse.blogspot.com/2013/08/looking-forward.html
Ooops ..forgot to mention the SUMMER PORCH PARTY can be a front porch, back porch, side screened in porch, a deck, a patio or a little Porch Wannabee..Whatever you have is perrrfect.

Lastly: Prayer Warriors please join us-I will post updates

Later: Summer Porch Party in JUNE

 

A Spot, A Moment, A Season, A Memory-

No Words Needed here

Home

 

 

Let's have another cup  of coffee..alone or in the
company of a dear friend..still a perfect little spot

 

The fickle weather here late winter/early spring
really played havoc with the Bridal Wreaths
blooming schedule..last year was perfection so
we  can share  these blooms and a breathless
spring moment from  last year

Come Along  With Me As I Visit With
Jann Olson
at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson

http://stringtownhome.com ~ "You Are God Alone"

~My Personal Recommendation:  Please visit my friend and blogger Heather over at Stringtown Home and allow her Timely and straight from the heart remarks to bless you.  Or encourage ...or excite you-whatever it is that YOU need today, this week to help you feel better about this world we live in, this country we have become. 

Like me and so many other bloggers who cross our paths, Heather chooses to allow her blog content to be honest, light hearted and joyful....not filling every post with preachy messages . 

 We want Christ to naturally show through us in our writing.  Then we run smack into days like this week and are truly convicted...feel compelled to STAND UP, SPEAK OUT, allowing what our Lord puts on our hearts to spill out passionately, boldly but with a loving motivation and spirit. Please accept it as that.

Now, Run over to Heather's   at  http://stringtownhome.net  and sit for a bit and soak up a little something good straight from her heart.

Looking Forward,
Jonell

Wisteria Project ~ Spring Reveal

My Silver Fox made no Announcement

 or declaration but this scene suggested 

he was starting a project.

It's another of My Honey Do plans.




 
Five years ago landscaping projects were being prioritized.  A Strategically placed electrical outlet and  water faucet were installed alongside the WISTERIA VINE I had planted...with stated plan of building an arbor, reading nook, Peaceful hideaway. Yes. 5 years ago. 

 I had not totally given up but  did have a mental thing going on...quietly trying to envision myself building my own version of this  Gramma's dream outdoor spot.  I really could have done it..I know I could!!  [ an appropriate place for you to smile but not laugh ]





Disclosure: My role in this project had more to do with smiling, nodding approval
& properly timed applause and of course a few changes...adjustments.

 

 

That's My Rock Rug

Never before have I used this idea..hope you like it too. I started with a bag of
the smaller size [ Landscaping/Lowe's  ] then decided to give it dimension
by mixing in a larger size. OF COURSE IT'S CHEAP...  Lowe's Home Improvement-
landscaping supplies. LESS THAN $20. w some to spare for Another spot

There were design adjustments as we went along... 3 slats high boards - realized I felt PENNED IN!! One had to go, leaving it two high around 3 sides...just right.

 

 

 

 

 

No paint- We agreed to allow it to weather naturally

Props:The Quilt roll is an antique  quilt and the pillow  handmade from vintage/antique materials, a gift from my friend Shirley, always a treasured reminder of our special  times in southeast Texas. I am sure I will be reliving some of those times when I linger with a book in this incredible hideaway...not to mention recalling the scenes of my sweetheart constructing this JUST FOR ME. [ He quietly began work on it soon after his cancer diagnosis last summer. Boards had been selected and stacked to dry out in the Greenhouse for months]

I later found some Good Will outdoor pillows...$2. each just my price range [cheep cheep] and a heavy downpour of rain doesn't affect them at all..beats paying $20 and more, much more dontcha think?

~a special long distance hug and thank you to Heather for enticing you with a Sneak Peak Preview of my Wisteria Project Reveal on  http://stringtownhome.com ..Love Ya Sweetheart! 

OOOPS...don't go yet.  I almost forgot these last few shots taken just this week.  If you love these Wisteria Project  Photos and are drooling to use them...Sure You May. Simply msg me [ harrisonhouse@troycable.net  or facebook: Jonell Williams Harrison] and ASK FOR PERMISSION THEN GIVE ME CREDIT when you use them. ..that's all I require.

The pillows I found
at GW-$2

The Knock Out Rose Bush
 is new- just this Spring

Our Wisteria Project

  That's my Sweetheart..My Silver Fox

Thank you My Love for another

labor of love.

 

 

Looking Forward,

Jonell





 

To be cont'd... will post as I
spend special moments here
 





  Come Along With Me As I Visit Some Special Places:

Stringtownhome

Alderberry Hill

Have a Cup Of Mrs Olson

Home Sweet Home #115

Aiken Home & Garden

The Charm of Home

It's A Boy!

My, isn't it Grand! No, actually it's Great..After  Grandchildren comes the Great Grands. The parents, our oldest Grand his lovely, lovely wife  now expect to be parents in late summer-perhaps early September. 

Aha, this means our middle son  and Wife are about to become GRANDPARENTS.  When they blessed us with our first Grand Child  I felt not quite ready for the tag of Grandma, Nanny, etc..so I asked to be called Gramma.. Now, after almost 28 years have passed I am  somewhat adjusted to all the tags that come along with this season of life so adding another..great grand parent  just seems a natural thing. 

The Grandparents-
Pop & Nana

Breaking News- I think I would be comfortable with the tag of Gran this time around..My hubby could not care less what the new baby calls him. When we anticipated being Grandparents I was the one who suggested the name POP for my husband..how about Poppy- for the Great Grand!

Imagine that-getting to choose what someone calls you.  I am so impressed with the power I have as a woman!!

That  makes up for not having 'a say' in choosing my own name wouldn't you think?

As I see it with this new branch on the Family Tree - there's  more bragging rights and even less responsibility, right? These old folks couldn't possibly know what to do with a 21st century little one!

In anticipation of this day- I already have put aside a few pieces of Baby Silverware-matches my own silver pattern:  This might be a good time to get on EBay to complete that little set. Oh, yes I did spot some "Beatrice Potter" dishes recently too.

Looking Forward~

Jonell

Post script:  Our prayer and desire would simply be for a healthy baby with thankful parents focused on a God centered family-

Join us as we Share Our Cup  with Mrs. Olson - Thursday

http://jannolson.blogspot.com/

Looking Back~ With Thankful Hearts

'A page from  lgh written about a year ago...2012'

Coming Soon- to a town not so far away from Gramma and Pop's - our daughter and her precious family who have had their adventure in the FAR NORTH..[ Iowa ] now for five long years. [ Remember, we are located in south Alabama.]

 I know it is a bittersweet move for the grands 14, 17 & 19 years old so just maybe we will try to mute the 'celebration' with that in mind. Time heals and the joys of being close enough to "reach out and touch" family will soon make up for the youthful heartbreak of leaving the friends & familiar behind.

As a rule I don't post this type of content that is so personally related to specific family members -but, I just want to briefly share a "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..and His Mercy endures forever.." after all His Blessings are to go back to Him in the form of Praise.

~Gramma

post script: ..that was quite a few months ago and now the 'news' is history.  Our daughter and family are settled in just three hours drive away from here.  What a joy it is to know that we can drive over even for a day trip if we are actually up for that turn around.  We can if we want or need to. Right now we are joyously looking forward to being over in west Georgia not once but twice in the month of May. 
Again, Praise God for this answered prayer.  Family is precious..and Time is Precious.  jh

It's All About F A M I L Y

 

oooooooo FOR ME?  You shouldn't have!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve & Carol
Thanks for having all of us

The Hostess-Our newest
daughter in law, Carol