Sewing on Saturday and a Wonky Macintosh

I was sewing the pink and yellow squares together today.  And then cut them apart again.  It's a Quilt-thing.

Yes dear Puffins... I sewed today!  Unfortunately there are no photos as I lost the daylight before I could take any.   I sewed half-square triangles for Dgd3's quilt.  And realized once again that piecing is NOT a race but I need to use the tools that help (The Angler Half-Square Triangle guide) and to go slowly.  After I started trimming dog-ears off the first of the blocks I realized I had some VERY misshaped pieces.  So I started stitching more slowly. After I had both stitch lines done but before I cut the HST apart, I measured the space between the stitching.  If it was anything other than exactly 1/2", I ripped out the stitching and did it again.  Thankfully by sewing more slowly, I only had to do that about 1/3 of the time.  
I realized I was not holding the corners firmly as I sewed and the beginning part of the stitching had a tendency to go a bit catty-wompus on me.  


102 individual squares of 2 colors, sewn together and cut apart makes for alot of HST blocks to be pressed and trimmed.  I sew about 10, then do the pressing and trimming, so I can catch any problems in a bunch.  It's easier to resew 10-20 HST than 50 or more at a shot.  Besides if I waited and had not found I was having a problem early on, I probably would have had to remake most of those blocks and I don't have that much extra fabric.  (And no idea where I got this to buy more.)


Anyway... that is how I spent my Saturday afternoon and plan to spend some of my Sunday the same way.  And my computer has decided to get sick now too.  I fear the hard drive is going out on me so as soon as my friend & repair tech gets the new one, I'll be "gone" for a few days.  It'll be hard, but I have that sewing and plenty of new books and I've been wanting to crochet some washcloths.  I will not be starting my Spring Cleaning.    *grin*


One final word of wisdom.... if you have not done so already.... get yourself an external hard drive and BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER NOW!  You'll be glad you did.


Hugs
K~


** "OUT:  Focusing on your mistakes

IN:  Focusing on your fabulousity"  ~Mark Lipinksi, Quilt Designer & Magazine Editor

Old Friends and Vintage Textiles

Happy Last Weekend of October, Puffins!  Have you eaten all the candy you bought on sale yet?  LOL

Sorry I was so quiet this week.  Life got in the way and I have too many posts in my head, that they just got all tangled up and I couldn't get a solidified thought written here.  But today I worked at filing some farm receipts and organized my closet and that seemed to shake out the fuzzies in my brain.

Here's what's been going on in my world....

Last Saturday, my Bff (Old Friends) and I had to have some quality "Girl Time" and went to the quarterly Antique Sale and Flea Market.  Our Farmers do not appreciate the thrill of the hunt at these kinds of events, so we left them home to combine and make fence, etc...

At past sales and on excursions to the local "Antique" Malls, we have always hunted up our favorite dealer, Todd H.  The man has an eye for the detail and knows how to "stage" a booth.  This time was no different.  We've learned to look over the other booths for his stacks of goodies on taller hutches and cupboards.  And we found him wayyyyy in the back of the building in a booth of indescribable delight!  Sweet stacks of vintage goodness and such intriguing vignettes, that it was almost painful to disturb them, but yet one wanted to handle and stroke and gaze upon all the lovelies.  He had porch posts (so do I!)  and a white Hoosier (I have an oak one.)  and railroad dishes (my newest passion!) and more red painted and white painted furniture and some rusty-crusty wire baskets and galvanized goodies and vintage fabric and some pink sweetness and farmhouse chic. 

Lawd, I love Todd! 

And he always makes us deals.  And on the first day of the sale, no less! just a few hours in. 
(A few rows over, there was a very sour dealer who complained to us that she was ready to pack it up and leave. No one was buying, everyone wanted a reduced price and it was not worth it!  Well, "honey"..... a few words to the "wise".... A.  You were sitting on your behind like a slug, kvetching about everything-- who wants to buy from someone like that?!  B. Your prices were HIGH!   C.  You just said you didn't want to deal on anything and yet everyone else we bought from or even just looked in their booth, was very willing to take off at least 10%.  Do the math, sweetheart.  And D.  It was a Nebraska Football Saturday with the game on TV... the "crowds" were home watching the game.  Know your customer base.)

Last year I got that red & white corner cupboard from Todd, some vintage food packaging and the "John Deere" colored garden cart.  This year I found a vintage tablecloth, some framed pictures, a wire display "thingie" and some burgundy and white plates.  

I also got a new "vintage" child's red chair (not sure this is really "vintage" but it's cute) for upcoming dgd3 from another dealer; a chenille bedspread and 4 vintage aprons. 
Bff got an old school house table and chairs, preschool-sized for her dgs.  She found 2 framed pictures, a bowl and I talked her into an old grain screen for hanging on her wall.  I am kind of regretting letting that go....  lol.  She's not sure of where to hang it, so it may come home to me yet.    

I know..... if you are like me, you are saying, "Enough with the chatter... show us the photos already!"  I ducked out to the clothesline with the textiles as the sun was setting and the breeze was blowing, so excuse the quality.  I was losing the light, I just had to take them as they were.

Without further adieu.... 

Sweet pink, blue, green and yellow chenille bedspread for the girlies' room.  Only $27!  (one little frayed spot)

Some detail of the colored parts of the spread.

A beautiful grey, white, green and red geranium tablecloth.  It needs a little soaking in Oyxclean.  I couldn't leave it... Oh How it Sings to me!  I love it! (marked $10, but I think I paid less- from Todd)

Sweet, sweet, sweet vintage aprons, this one with rickrack! I paid $3 for all four! 

See!  Red Rickrack!!  Love the pocket detail and the flowered fabric.

A blue gingham apron with sweet cross-stitching to "fancy" it up.

The cross-stitch detail.

More rickrack!  On a pretty sheer party apron. 

Next time I'll show you the framed pictures.   There is a watercolor of a river and road that is sitting on my desk right now, that I absolutely love!   Also a cottage garden print full of color and flowers (LOVE) and an old black & white farmhouse photo, that could almost be the Prairie Farmhouse.   The frame is gaudy (Bff loved it... we are such opposites!  lol), but maybe it would be ok painted black.  I'll show you soon and you can give me some input.
And I think I owe you all, photos of some older vintage finds.... a wire table comes to mind and a wire flower pot holder and some sweet new dishes.  LuRay pastels and such.

Opps there goes the dryer buzzer...  Be sure to leave me a note below on any new vintage sweetness you have found lately, or tell me how Vintage is just not your thing....  :o)

Hugs!
Kay

** "It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lighten up already...

Since yesterday's post was a little heavy (get it?  ... pig? ... heavy?.... lol... sorry...  **giggle**)... anyway.... since I was so serious yesterday, I thought today should have a lighter, more fanciful and more colorful feel to it.

And the weather sure isn't cooperating... damp, rainy, cloudy, gray, humid, warm, muggy....Ick!  (I'm all for Autumn rainshowers, but can it be cool too, please!  This woman of a "certain age" doesn't need any more "warmth".)

So to add color to our lives, I took this photo...

 

Guess what I'm going to go do this afternoon....

Hugs, 

Kay~

** "How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself?  There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions.  You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light."  ~Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams

It was a Simple Pleasures Saturday.

Hi Puffins... how was your Saturday?  I hope you had a great one.  Here on the Prairie it was one of those far-too-few Absolutely Gorgeous Days!  Light breezes, sunshine, a few clouds rolling past, warm and it was Saturday, which is always nice.

After a very nice date-night with my Blue-eyed Farmer, it was nice to have a day to just be here and work.  (Date night?  Menards for chore gloves, garbage bags and 4/$1 reusable shopping bags.  Then Carlos O'Kelly's for nachos and a Gold Margarita.  Oh Yum Baby!)

After a slowish start (gotta have my coffee you know),  I decided I am tired of being tired and of course eating & drinking last night didn't help my outlook of my "Look."  With the pool being put away for the winter, I knew it was time to start a new exercise habit.  Hello Wii Fit!  :oD

It took me 30 mins to get going... with not being sure how to get the tv, satellite and Wii all coordinated, then the balance board had low batteries, the B-e F needed something... (AAAYYYyyyyy), but  once I did, it was great fun (mostly) again.  And I liked that my Wii Fit age is 38 yo.  Yeah baby!
I did a varied routine of some yoga, some strengthening/Pilates, the Hula Hoop game and a 3 min run (not my favorite).  Then I reprogrammed a yoga routine for weekdays when I'll be in more of a hurry.

After a shower, I did laundry, more deeply cleaned the bath (than I usually do), ran the dishwasher, hung out clothes, made lunch, made cookies, did "good" laundry and then I played.

I have 3 wicker chairs and 1 love seat in various stages of falling-apart-ness.  The best one is on my front porch and the rest have been languishing outside for the past few summers.  I finally decided to go with my muse and replicate this chair with what I had.

Here's the before:

And here is after: (they look a little unevenly painted as I ran out of each color.  Another can each and they'll be done.)

Now I need to find another shade of blue for the other two pieces.

I spray painted some smaller items too, but I can't show you or tell you about them just yet.  Soon.... (it's a secret.)

And after all that messy fun, I cleaned up (again) and helped Mr. Farmer with gates as he got hay for the calves.  Then I dug some Yukon Gold potatoes for dinner, pulled a few onions, picked my 2 ripening, volunteer Brandywine tomatoes, and picked some red Swiss Chard.  Grilled some steaks and acorn squash (yes, really... it was yum!).  Nuked the chard.  Cooked the potatoes and we were good as gold.  The Amish sugar cookies were dessert.

And now I'm relaxing with a glass of Merlot and enjoying the quiet breezes coming in the window.  A few blog posts to read and a shower and I'll be sleeping like a baby.

I hope you all are settled in and relaxing too.  And rejoice!  Tomorrow's Sunday!!

Hugs,

K~

** "We have worked at full speed since May. And that is I'm persuaded the root and source and origin of all health and happiness, provided of course that one rides work as a man rides a great horse, in a spirited and independent way; not a drudge, but a man with spurs to his heels." (Writing in her journal about her life as a publisher and writer.)-- Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) English Writer

Do you snoop in bookcases?

I can't be the only one who has to look closely at someone's bookcase(s) or click on a blog photo to enlarge and see what someone has on the shelves.  You learn so much about someone by the books they keep around them. 

This photo (right) is my "To Read" stack.  You might notice a few still have the stickers from the thrift store on them.
The red book at the top of the right-hand stack is my latest accusition.  I love the old movie "State Fair" and just found out over the weekend that it is based on the book by Phil Strong.  I found it used on Amazon and you know I have gift cards from my Swagbucks searching, just burning a hole in "my pocket."

"Nella Last's War" is another recent Amazon buy.  If you love WW II,  British homefront stuff, you may like this book.  At least I'm hoping I do.

You  may spy "Little House on the Prairie" that I wrote about getting a few days ago.  It's been quite a while since I read about Laura, Mary, Ma & Pa.

This is my stack to go back to the library.  I didn't get "Mr. Darcy's Daughters" read, but all the rest were easy, summer-time reads.
Right now I have an inter-library loan book to start (& finish asap), entitled, "Where In the World Is the Church  A Christian View of Culture and Your Role In It" .  This is not exactly fluff reading but I saw it mentioned "somewhere" and wondered how it will stack up to my point of view.  I'll try to give a review of it when I finish.

And finally, my more favorite cookbooks in the kitchen.  I have my old Betty Crocker cookbook in the pantry along with a few Cooking Light annual editions, my canning and preserving cookbooks, a few more local church cookbooks and my bound versions of Cook's Illustrated.

The black comb-bound book is my much-loved (& used) Kitchen Klatter cookbook.  I miss that radio program.  I was on the tail-end of it's existence and listened to it during the early part of my married life.  And then it abruptly ended, along with the magazine.  I always wondered if there was a hostile takeover of the company or someone unexpectedly died or what? 
I love that my KK cookbook is filled with all those old-timey recipes.  The ones your Grandma made.  (No Basil Foam over Sea Squid Pasta found here.  lol)

The Mennonite cookbook is a bit worn.  Another basic recipe and helpful tips/hints in this one.
Several baking & bread cookbooks because I love to made bread.
And 2 Prairie/Farm inspirational cookbooks.  I do love PW's recipes and the PC's style.


So there you have it.  The varied places my reading takes me.  Now you  know why my mind is such a cluttered place.  I need a better filing system.  More often than not, it's like a ream of paper blown about in a tornado.  You never know what will surface.

So, Puffins... are you bookcase peeping-toms too?  Or do you have a good book you've been reading, you'd like to share?  I'm interested.

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Other women have shoe addictions; I wear cheap sandals and buy books." ~~Jenna Glatzer

Can you Can-Can?

Susan at The T-Cozy asked in a recent post, if anyone canned fruits and vegetables anymore?  Do We??!! 

I canned 18 half-pints of sweet pickle relish last evening from too-big cucumbers my dear neighbor gave me.  I juiced a flat of her tomatoes and have that freezing in some retangle-shaped pyrex dishes to use in chili this winter. 

I'm watching the pear trees around here and hope to can Farmer-dear some pear halves or else I'll dry some slices. 

And then this fall I need to make some apple pie filling and can it and also make some apple butter and applesauce. 
These fruits usually come to me for free also and I hate to waste anything like this. 

I haven't done much drying this summer simply because there hasn't been much to dry.  And my jars of dried foodstuffs are pretty full right now.  I'm watching my basil and thyme plants and will be sure to harvest them before the first frost.  I love the dried basil I did the last 2 years.  It smells so fresh whenever I open the jar.
I'll probably be drying onions when we pull those from the weedy garden. 

Not a huge amount of preserving going on here but enough.  It's another of my Simple Pleasures.  :)

What about you dear Puffins?  Do you "can" or is that for old women back in the 40s?  Would you like to learn how to can/preserve?  Is there a need, still, for these skills in this day?  

I'm interested in your thoughts.

And to firmly establish my identity with the Old-fashioned Ladies.... I'm off to sew on my quilt blocks. 

Hugs!
Kay~

** "I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade.  It's amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and scrub the floor."  ~D.H. Lawrence

New motto and a new drool-worthy vintage blog

I found a new motto....

"...I learned that no matter how bad a day I was having at the office, I was not working on the evisceration line at a poultry plant..."

Run, don't doddle, over to Oodles and Oodles and join me in drooling over her lovelies...

Vintage Pyrex.... √;

Jadite bowls..... √;

Green McCoy flower pots.... √;

White wicker and painted vintage AND home-sewn pillows on her front porch.... √;

30's fabrics on the back of a vintage doll quilt... √;

a Hoosier cabinet!! (she has a Hoosier too!) .... √;

Aprons, Vintage Cmas ornaments and Red/White kitchenware ... √.

I'm not done looking myself, but after reading that line about the eviscerating turkeys, I knew I had to pop on over and tell you all about her blog.
(It was either that and take a breather or hyperventilate and faint over the Czech/Slovak/American Lutheran Church Cookbook! I'm feeling faint again just thinking about it... )

Between finding new blogs on vintage finds and watching the latest episode of American Pickers, I'm having thrift/vintage withdrawals. My BFF (& partner-in-crime) is AWOL after Saturday, so I'm going to have to round up another innocent victim.... I mean, unsuspecting pawn... no, no... I mean, a fellow thrill-seeker, that's it and head out for some thrifty/dusty/crusty fun.

Why are you still here.... go read "Oodles and Oodles"... Go! Go! ....

Hugs!
K~

** "When you buy a piece of vintage clothing you're not just buying the fabric and thread - you're buying a piece of someone's past."
— Isabel Wolff (A Vintage Affair)

In my Kitchen today....

Any guesses what I'm doing today?

I have a draft entru waiting for me to edit and post. Hopefully this week. After I sing the "Ode to Sweet Corn." ;o)


".... Sweet corn: the best thing in life. I grew up in a house about a hundred feet from a cornfield, and every evening we'd put the water on to boil, then pick the corn and husk it as we walked rapidly toward the house and chuck it in and dish up the chicken and say a prayer and out came the corn, on went the butter and salt, eight minutes flat from stalk to mouth, and when you ate sweet corn, life had nothing better to offer. You'd been to the top. That's how it'll be in heaven, I'm sure. But I'm not sure we'll have chicken.

We praise you Lord for this good good life
And praise for the day we were born
And the gifts you have given including this heaven-Ly fresh sweet corn. "

**Garrison Keillor May, 2007


Hugs
Kay~

Simple Pleasures

1. Sunny afternoons after crisp, frosty mornings.

2. The feel of a new hair cut & the sight of renewed hair color.

3. A friendly "Hello" to & from a stranger passing on the sidewalk.

4. Listening to someone share, when that someone is usually the one having to listen.

5. Window shopping

6. Leisurely puttering around a favorite thrift store instead of stressing that a delivery truck is blocking your car.

7. The mystery of dropping a letter (ok, a bill) into the dark mailbox.

8. New library books!

9. Driving home, singing with the radio.

10. A yellow apron; music on the stereo; apples, flour & cinnamon in the air.

11. The brilliant sunset from atop the hill.

12. The window open just a little for cool fresh air and an extra quilt on the bed.

What were your Simple Pleasures this week?

Hugs!
Kay~
––"I am still determined to be cheerful and to be happy in whatever situation I may be, for I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our disposition and not our circumstances."
~~Martha Washington~~

Friday Night Doin's

I'm just bouncing off the walls here on this gloomy Friday afternoon. I am going to see Mark Lipinski of "Quilters Home Magazine" tonight in Lincoln and get this... Little ole' Me will be joining him (and 8 other of his Nebraska Pickles) for dinner!

If you don't know who Mark is, go here for more info:

More about Mark


( permission Granted to post a photo of the magazine here)




Mark is the owner of a Yahoo group I'm a member of and it is the Funnest quilt guild! Pure guilty pleasure for me, just reading and laughing and occasionally posting.

I will be taking my camera tonight as I've been begging for a photo and so far, Mark as been agreeable. We'll see what happens when he finally meets me in person.

*****************

Life here on the Farm has been in that weird semi-busy lull between late winter and early spring. We had 2 or 3 lovely days of sunshine, warm breezes and temps near 80. I opened all the windows and blew out that stale winter air. (woke up all the dang flies too! )

My dFarmer has been busy with cattle work. He pulled the bull out of the herd until May so the mamas and babies could have some quality bonding time with out "that" distraction. (IYKWIM...)

He also bought 3 bred older cows from a co-worker. They are all Black, Angus I'm supposing. Nice looking girls and not too freaked out by the change. The evening we brought them home they headed for the north side of the pond and stayed there. At least they didn't go through the electric fence like some we bought a few years ago...(yes, Arvin, they were YOURS.).

Now several days later, they are working themselves into the herd. They are the bottom of the pecking order but I have a feeling they will not stay there.

We also culled out 2 more old cows. Our older mama who's calf died last week and "Short Ears". "SE" had her ear tips and the end of her tail froze off when she was a little thing, but has been a good mama. She even gave us twins about 2 or 3 years ago. But she must be close to 15 years old and it's time. Just like when we took Molly-Cow up to the sale barn...it was hard to see her go. Now we only have "Lucy" left of the named cows. So far she is doing well, despite being the same age as Molly and Short Ears.

We drove the Old Mama and Short Ears up to Columbus and stopped to pick up 3 steers from the co-worker we bought the 3 bred cows from. It was an uneventful ride but long and we didn't get home until close to 9 p.m.

**************

The poor quilt studio is about as lonely as can be! I've sewn exactly one seam in the last 2 weeks and cut a few pieces but that is it! Sad..sad...sad... I haven't even had a chance to get those bindings on yet. I did start folding one of them over and getting it in place. I bought some 'binder holders' which are just snap close barrette thingies. (there is a better name that eludes me just now) I did this while waiting for the delivery guys to install my washer/dryer/range.

Hey!! I don't' think I mentioned that, did I?
But shucks... I don't have time now... (LOL) Seriously, I have to get some cookies baked for my Farmer and finish cleaning up the kitchen and fold some laundry, all before 5 p.m. when I have to leave for my Night Out.
I'm off.
Hugs
Kay

** Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.
-Hoosier Farmer

The first week in December

I'm sorry I've been AWOL for so long. My poor Mac developed a problem that turned into a "coma." It had to be taken into the computer doctor, but thankfully it was a known problem that was covered by Apple. An overnight stay in the computer hospital and it's back home almost as good as new.
If anyone knows how to get the Keychain to stop asking for a password in my email program, I'd be very happy to hear it!

So, what's new with us?
I've been doing some on-line gift buying and recipe downloading. I've been trying to get to the fitness center as often as possible. I averaged once a week in Nov. Not very good, so my goal is 3 times a week in Dec. and then 5 times a week in January. I paid for the 3 months, I better use it!

Work is going well. Just busy. Friday I spent the morning at my desk and then the afternoon by myself in the mail room. We had a backorder of books come in and there were 30+ orders waiting for that particular book plus all the rest of the out-going mail. I filled the tape gun twice!
I was in a bit of a tizzy trying to get my November ledger sheet balanced but my boss was so nice and told me to work on it next week as I had time. She said she is only up to October herself. That was very kind, but it still gripes me when I can't get it done on the last day of the month.

I've caught a head cold. Not sure where as no-one I know has one. It could have been from the spinal adjustment I had on Friday morning or from the fitness center that evening. I really don't have time to be sick right now so I've been taking Vitamin C and lots of liquids. I slept in this morning and plan to be in bed by 10 p.m. or earlier every night. I'll be going back to the chiropractor tomorrow and see if another adjustment will help.
Rick also tried to help me feel better by taking me to our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant for some Tortilla Soup. He even called to be sure we could order it. It hasn't been on the menu but we were assured we could order it anyway. I did and it was HOT! Just the thing to burn through a cold. The salsa for the chips was especially spicey tonight too. I was only able to eat half of my soup and just one piece of my chicken quesadilla. I guess I have supper planned for tomorrow night. Rick will have his take-home tomorrow for lunch. I can make him chicken strips or hot ham and cheese paninis.

With the darkness setting in so early and the weather turning so cold, we've been hibernating here in the evenings. Rick likes to have the lights off when he's watching tv, but I find with it being so dark in the house, I'm more apt to want to just sit and vegetate as well. I cannot afford to do that anymore. We have things to get done before the grands get here on the 14th!!

Goals for this week:
Get the Christmas Tree up and the house decorated.
Finish Gifts wrapping. I'm using the reindeer names for the kids' names this year. That should drive ds2 nuts.
Trim the comfort quilt I have been working on so I can finish the binding on it and get it sent off.
Make several batches of buns and some cookies for the kids' visit.

I'm leaving the Christmas cards/letter for later. I'll have the week of Christmas to get them out and do some baking for friends and others we want to bless.

What is Blessing Me Today:
The sun shining.
A furnace that works and keeps us warm without us having to think much about it.
Clothes washer and dryer that works.
Dishwasher that also helps.

The wonderful PennyAnne newsletter that gave me so much food for thought on decorating and cooking. One of my goals for the new year (when I can think beyond the "here & now"), will be to make menus like she does. Also to do some switching around of our home decorations and more using what I love, shopping at thrift stores. To stop waiting for the "someday" when we can afford to renovate the living room and make it a room I can love NOW.

A dear friend who likes to go Cmas shopping as much as I do and is willing to drive in the city.
Getting done with that shopping list yesterday!

Getting an email announcing a sale on a coat I wanted, I saw a similar one yesterday during our shopping trip, but didn't get it because it didn't fit. This email sale is from one of my favorite e-stores and I know this coat will fit. And it is within my budget. Rick has asked that I don't wear my current fall jacket anymore as it is showing so much wear. It has been cold enough here that I could change to my winter coat but if the weather warms up I'd be without a jacket. Merry Christmas to ME!!

That is all for today. I hope it makes sense. I feel a bit befuddled from this cold.

Candy Cane Smiles!
Kay

--
"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a
happy family all wrapped up in each other."
~Burton Hillis~

2 Weddings

Happy Saturday Evening to Everyone!

The battle of the mice seems to have ended and I believe we are victorious! The final body count was nine. Not sure if we finally just "got" them all or if the low frequency repellants worked, but I'm very glad they are gone. Rick cleaned up the back porch for me, bless him. He took out all the recyclable trash and mouse-proofed the room even more than before. This next week he said he would help me clean and organize the pantry. I found "evidence" of the mice in there today. ICK!

We were invited to and attended two weddings this weekend. It was interesting to note the differences and similarities in the two.

The first was simple, but beautiful. The bride was blond, the colors were blue and white. It was held in a small, old country church. The reception and dance were held in an old-time dance hall. The buffet was simple but plentiful and very tasty. We sat with old friends and visited and realized we unknowingly had passed the gauntlet of "young marrieds" to our children. When did we get old and become the middle-aged group?

The second wedding was held in an old Catholic church. The ceremony was a traditional Catholic mass. The bride was brunette and the colors were red and black. This wedding was just a bit more formal and beautiful as well. The reception and dance were held in a small town American Legion hall. The meal was catered.

The second wedding was reminiscent of the weddings I remember attending as a young girl and in my teen years. I remember being surrounded by family and friends. The Czech accents took me back to the church I was raised in and my grandmother's and aunt's voices. I remember the jovial older men and the fun the older generation had at the dances. How the grandpas and grandmas, moms and dads enjoyed their drinks and the dancing and seeing their friends and socializing.

The first wedding was a sign of where I am now in my life. Surrounded by my friends who I met through home-schooling our sons. The wedding service was simple and heartfelt and the Gospel message was spoken. It was more modern with some popular music played and yet brought tears to my eyes.

The weekend was a trip back in time in my heart and emotions. Back to my childhood, back to my days of dating my husband, to our wedding and our oldest son's and daughter-in-love's wedding. And a time to reflect on where I've come from and where I am now in my Christian walk.

And as is appropriate for the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, I gave thanks to God for saving me and for my marriage to a wonderful man who loves me and our children and grands. I thanked Him for old friends and new friends.
And the chance to see again, the joy and radiance on a new bride's face and the pride in her groom's eyes.

Be Loved,
Kay