Come Saturday Morning

Melissa offers such good advice in her July 23 post that I've taken it twice this week already. And, I'll be taking that advice again for much of August. My parents have requested time at their cottage in New Brunswick so I will be moving to their home to care for my grandmother (yes, my beloved will go with me). It is something that I've done every summer for six years. This way, my parents get some much deserved R&R and my grandmother gets a change of pace as well. All this to say that my posts will become as sporadic as they did when I first began blogging a year ago. (I do hope to sneak in and visit you all from time to time, however.)

Some of you have asked about the storms of Thursday that blew through my corner. I believe that New Hampshire got the worst of it, but they certainly were strong storms knocking out power and knocking down trees (two more gone in my neighborhood). Other than not daring to be on the computer for much of the day, we fared well. Wish that I could say the same of the poor flowers and plants that took an awful beating. I know that weather is making news everywhere and my thoughts are with Texas once again, as well as New Hampshire.

It has rained every day for several weeks now. Not that we didn't see any sun, but precious little and never for the entire day. What a lousy summer this has been as far as weather. This is also true for many of you. I am happy to report that sunshine has returned the past two days!

We may not have oil this winter, but, by golly, we're going to have our local honey! We find that allergies are kept at bay by eating at least a tablespoon of honey every day. See that nasty weather? Weeks of that can keep one feeling a titch gloomy. Lots of reading, lots of decorating, lots of napping, lots of sewing, lots of packing, lots of puttering. Say, have you seen Alison's latest list of puttery treats and all things domestic? It's enough to keep one busy for days.

Soooo, decorating, we've done some. The clock went up in that awkward little corner in the addition and it looks okay. Not sure if it'll stay, but I'm "sitting with it for a spell." A rather large bookcase will be placed along that expanse of wall in a few days, which will mean changes. I'll post about them.











Other than that, rainy days are best suited for reading and napping, which my beloved and Fioré have been happily doing for days. Ah well, nothing like a cat and a husband to provide that wonderful sense of home...they're the best decorations ever.

Have a happy Saturday and a wonderful weekend!

And the Winner of the Apron Is...

Someone very special that's who. I'm so pleased. Well, truth to tell, I would've been pleased with any of the 27 lovely gals who participated.

So here's my brave groom taking it on the chin for me yet again. What a guy! Does he not look adorable in that get-up? All he needs is a whisk and a bowl. Actually, I have been waiting for him to make me something...an omelette, a scone, even a piece of toast. He does make coffee every morning — great coffee!

Getting back to the apron, the groom is six feet tall so I hope that this will fit the little lady in question. I think so. It's a titch shorter than I had planned because the shirt, even though extra large and tall, just wasn't as long as I had hoped.



Omigosh! There he is again. Gee, I just can't help myself! ;>

And without further ado, here is our winner:



Congratulations, Pat! Now you and your hubby can cook all those wonderful Italian dishes and your apron will never look any worse. Say, do you suppose your hubby would be willing to pose in this apron? (Email with your information, Pat, and I'll get this out to you pronto.)

Happy Thursday, Everyone, and thanks again to all who participated. It's been a lot of fun at my house!

One-Year Blog Anniversary

It all began so simply. But if you could have watched me as I sat at the computer struggling with that first post, you'd have laughed. I was beyond nervous and had so many questions and no one to ask except HELP in Blogger. Finally, I figured out enough to post something, which I will re-post here in a few. I want to apologize to all Bloggers everywhere in advance and you'll see why!

Beginnings

July 27, 2007

Taking a deep breath here...If anyone had ever told me that I would one day blog, I would have called him/her a nut. I used to think that blogging was absurd and that anyone who kept a blog was a narcissist. I still do.

It all seemed so easy when I began the process until I had to create a name. It took forever to decide on "Vee's Haven." Sounds good, yes? No! Not good. Definitely not good. "Veeshaven" in the url?! No, no, that will never do. So while the name is stuffy, even uppity, A Haven for Vee it is, for now.

Posted by Vee ~ A Haven for Vee at 3:41 PM

Just so you'll know, my opinion of bloggers has been elevated with every new blog I read. You are most definitely not a bunch of narcissists! You're generous beyond words sharing your lives and chronicling the times. You provide a sense of community that is lacking for so many and you allow us to peek into your world and to delight in your stories. Thank you!

And thanks, too, to everyone who has ever read A Haven...still find that name "uppity." You are appreciated so much and I've been thinking of you as real, honest-to-goodness friends for a long time now. You've enriched my life. Would I write without you? I used to say "yes" — not so sure now.

So I'm having a giveaway. I worked late into the night getting this one ready. It's the apron mentioned yesterday.(I just know that I'm going to wish that I had waited for Suzanne's Bias Tape Post.) This is definitely one of a kind and is not without flaws, but I refer you to my recent post on perfectionism. ;>

Please leave a comment on this post, if you're interested. Please don't advertise on your blog as I'd like this to be for my own readers. As you know, I work fast, so I will be posting a winner on Thursday morning. (Gotta give the man something to do...wonder if he'd be willing to wear the apron as he pulls a name from the pocket.) Commenting here is open until 8 pm EST on Wednesday the 23rd.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, Everybody!

Aprons and Awards

I was hoping to have an apron to share today, but Suzanne's been off to the fair and has had no time to do the third tutorial, which is Bias Tape 101. Because I just so happen to own an apron that Suzanne made I know that her bias tape is something special. Stay tuned for the outcome of my apron; in the meantime, here are my fabric selections.





Received another one of those wonderful "Just Plain Fun to Read" awards from Carol @ Charli and Me. I am passing it along to Happyone @ Captain's Log because her blog is just plain fun to read and it's always full of optimism and positivity.

And Cindy "A Woman Who Is" from In a Garden blessed me with the Sharing the Love award.



The rules: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same** Visit (Memoirs of a Mommy)for the awesome story behind this award. (I'm trying something new with awarding this one so this should be fun. You'll see what I mean later in the day when I add more information.) Edited to Add: The following five gals are receiving the "Share the Love" award by virtue of being the only five commenters today and for being such all around good blogging buds: Sandi @ Holding Patterns, Happyone @ Captain's Log, Jan @ The Life and Times of Li'l Ol Me, Miss Sandy @ Quill Cottage, and Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti. Thanks so much for your sweet comments. You can't imagine how much they meant to me today!






Lisa at Knitty, Vintage and Rosy presented me with the Brillante Weblog award. These are the rules for this one:

1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. You must nominate 7 fellow bloggers for this award.
4. Add links to the recipients.
5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.

Seven? Wow! I'll have to ponder this carefully. For now, I'm doing well to get the information rounded up in one place. ;D

Guess that covers it for now. Over and out!

Rest and Refreshing

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God... Hebrews 4:9



As we drove through the Green Mountain National Forest on July 9, I snapped photos sometimes as fast as I could. Later, when I uploaded them, I discovered that I had taken a photo of a waterfall I had only barely even seen.

Sometimes life is this way. There is a place of refreshing and rest, but we pass it by hardly seeing. Today, I hope that we all find the time to reflect, to pray, to listen for God's voice. It'll be refreshing!

ETA: I added Alan Jackson's version of "In the Garden" to my playlist, if you'd like to listen.