Happy Father's Day

Source

~Four Generations~

Tell your children about it,

Let your children tell their children,

And their children another generation.

 ~Joel 1:3

A blessed and happy day to you!

Doable? Perhaps Not...

So I told you I was going to work on the kitchen.  I tried. I lied. And this is the extent of "the freshening" downstairs.

This little game I've played...copycat...and one where I have failed miserably (no bread, jam, butter on the counter and certainly no white paint on the walls) has taught me more about myself. I can't show you the entire scene because the stuff from the counters and windowsills would show. If I cleared a lot of items, cute ones, too, I could have more the pared down, clean look of yesterday's kitchen. And I really, really like my stuff. And I really, really like color. Disclaimer: No, heaven's no! I am not redoing my kitchen. My sister is redoing hers. I'm helping her with ideas. 

(I'm really still in the sewing room folding material. I dig in and find a fabric that I had forgotten, which makes me think that I should make something instead. It's a case of the good angel on one shoulder and the red dude on the other. Oh my. The battles I have had. You can't imagine or can you?)

~Flag Day in the U.S.~

~Peonies and Irises~

That's right. That's all I've done on the ground floor besides keeping up with the dishes and the bathroom. The end. It's pathetic. Say, have you ever read Michele's tips for preserving cut flowers? You can find them *here.*

I turned the small pot of flowers on my deck into two pots because the geranium went beserk and really needed its own pot. Then I thought I'd put a chair on the little side deck so I could stare at the thermometer and by the heat of my gaze make it rise by a degree or two — at least to the 70s.

Then I visited Lorrie at Fabric Paper Thread, which was my undoing because I abandoned all work for taking pictures. Sigh. You can see what she did that inspired me so. I'm still working on it.

A happy weekend to you!

A Darling Kitchen

~Source~

Have you created a Houzz folder of your own? I did about a year ago and now it is filled with sweet images like this one. They provide a comment box, which can be kept private, for answering this question: What do you like about this room? 

My answer was this: The sink reminds me of my grandmother's. The room is bright and cheerful. There's bread, butter, and jam on the counter — always a good sign. It's clean. (I think it has something to do with sun at the windows, too.)

Clean is always good. I'm giving up on the upstairs for a while so I can concentrate on the first floor again. So many things need cleaning, including the garage, the car, the basement, the attic. Okay, this is as depressing as the rain. (It feels as if it's been raining forever. ETA: Sunshine this morning, though, before more rain returns this afternoon.)

So what do I need? A cheery tablecloth, preferably gingham, a lot of white (can't happen), flowers on the windowsill, a kettle on the stove, and a snack on the counter. Okay. It's doable! I'm off.

Kitchen Ideas

Thank you so much for the ideas! I've gathered them in this handy-dandy mosaic with sources listed just for fun.

~Right click, open link in new window, and regular click again for largest size~

Presenting your ideas in no particular order...

1. a large island either a built-in or a farmhouse table with lots of outlets (My sister wants her sink and dishwasher built into her island.) Source

2. a pantry in the kitchen or handy to it  Source

3. a cabinet specifically for cookie sheets and racks Source

4. more lower drawers and fewer upper cabinets (My sister is about five feet tall. This is an important one for her.) Source

5. warm floors Source

6. light painted cabinets Source

7. double oven and built-in microwave Source

8. instant hot water Source

9. pull out storage Source

10. lots of windows and a big sink Source

11. a chaise and a cool drink to watch the workers Source

12. not too matchy-matchy

A lot of points were hit in *this photo from Houzz:* note difference in counter surfaces, what a view, farmhouse sink, and painted off-white cabinetry.

13. Oops...forgot an important one that many mentioned: a gas stove!

Source

I'll try to pop in a photo as work progresses over the summer. Sis is actually not going to have a window in her kitchen (accckkkk!) She will have two patio doors opening to a screened in porch. An added feature of her kitchen is a brick fireplace on one end already there, and she has her porch swing, too. It's not my project, but that doesn't mean that I'm not nosy interested.

Anything you'd like to add?

Projects

Seems as if everyone in the family is involved in a big project these days except for me. The "kids" are doing landscaping. It started last December with the cutting down of the giant cedars that had grown as tall as the house and were overwhelming the architecture. (I had a blast decorating for Christmas and am certainly going to miss the cedars for their contributions to the greenery cause.) The roof was also replaced in December.

Now the dilemma seems to be the rock wall. Decisions, decisions.

Quite a pared back landscaping for the front yard without those towering cedars. I don't know what all the plants are. I know that there's Mountain Laurel way in the corner, a hibiscus tree, a rose, and a rescued lilac that is looking pretty shocked. There're also some hollyhocks and lupine.

I'm sure that it will be fun for everyone to watch their new garden grow. A few weeks ago, I was telling the grands how I used to live next door (that house there beyond the drive) and the oldest said, "That's not a nice house like our house." And the youngest chimed in, "Our house is awesome!" And I'd have to agree. It's a great old house in town.

~~~

Another project? Window replacements at the Ponderosa. (John)

The other family project? Raising chickens. (My niece)

~~~

The other? A complete home remodel starting with the kitchen. (My sister) We've been checking out Houzz projects and looking at Pinterest. There's a glut of information out there so I'd like to narrow this down a bit to tips from people I know and trust. =D What is the one thing you like best about your kitchen and what is one thing you really don't like about your kitchen? Thanks for your help.

Columbine, a Bird House, and a Photo Challenge

As I understand it, this month's Photo Challenge Composition Variations is about changing/tweaking what I might ordinarily do from one photo to the next. 

The photos were taken on a very bright, sunny day this week, though I was standing in the shade of the house. Once I narrowed my subjects down, I decided to work with the birdhouse and some Columbine. I wasn't sure which one would predominate. 

~No~

The other lesson this week that made a lot of sense to me was "move your feet." All too often I stand in one place and expect to achieve a different photo. Hmmm...there's a larger life lesson there.

~No~

From the photo above, I decided to allow the Columbine to star.

~Maybe~

On macro setting, the Columbine takes center stage while the birdhouse fades to the background. (I never knew that Columbine can look like a group of swans in a dance.) Some of the colors have been enhanced, particularly the green in the flower itself, using photo editing programs: PhotoScape and Photoshop. 

I'll never achieve *what Donna achieves,* but I've had my fun!

Please visit what others are doing at A Personal Photo Challenge and consider joining in. After all, to be stretched is what a challenge is all about!


P.S. 
ISO 400
Aperture 2.8
Exposure 1/2000 sec
Focal Length 6mm
White Balance 0
Photoscape and Photoshop

The Garden is In and C-Span 2

Such wonderful days we're enjoying. The air is crisp and clear with zip humidity. (Right. We were recently sweltering and now we're back to normal.) The days are long and golden and the foliage is amazing and green. I spent all day outside yesterday planting and cleaning and putzing about.

I planted four tomato plants, two broccoli plants, rosemary, chives, marigolds, two seashells, a broken bit of a birdbath, and three plates.

I really like the colors in these marigolds.

This? Supposedly it will keep flies away. I first saw it on Pinterest so it is now pinned to my garden folder. The source is *here.* Maybe I need a penny.(I did plop a shiny penny in later.)

~~~

I watched the most riveting television last night on C-Span 2. It was the testimony of six Americans before the House Ways and Means Committee yesterday on the targeting of Conservative groups by "the agency that will remain unnamed." Right. I'm as scared as the next person. Wonder how many folks are watching C-Span 2 these days...

~~~

The next time you see me, I'll be participating in Donna's Photo Challenge. See my sidebar and click on the icon for more details. I've had fun with this month's "lesson."

A good day to you!  

A Little Excitement

Yes, it was a little exciting yesterday afternoon when the first of the tornado warnings started across our screen. 

Tornadoes in Maine??? Yes, very rare, but they have happened. We were told that if a tornado developed it would probably be an E-1 or lower and that we would have, at most, a ten-minute warning. Thing is, tornadoes can't get going so well as they have no place, unless over water, to really develop.

Anyway, I felt such a sense of solidarity with all of you who have been experiencing this sort of weather for several weeks now. It was stressful. Why we actually discussed a plan of action, which is pretty remarkable for the two of us! It all came to naught for which we are very grateful. 

Oh, one other minor thing...see that 74° at 5:01? That's in Portland where Channel 8 lives. It was at least ten degrees warmer inland. It usually is in the summer. We've been sweltering and are looking forward to the cooler temps arriving even as I type. The high yesterday was another 96F; today is more reasonable at 78F.

My son dropped by with some leftover plants my daughter-in-law is contributing to my garden. I hope to get those in the ground today. I still need to visit the nursery and pick up some herbs and some marigolds. My raised bed is going to mostly be an herb garden this year.

Would you believe that I still haven't finished cleaning upstairs? I've been at it for weeks and weeks. It has been further complicated by receiving a huge bag of hand-me-ups from my sister. Great items. Just wish I were her size. =D  

This is my favorite.

I can't decide if I want to wear it or cut it up and make something else from it. Currently, I'm wearing it. 


Like the tornado, this post just fizzled out... 

Have a great week!

A Bowl of Sunshine~Mosaic Monday

There, through the long, long summer hours,

The golden light should lie,

And thick young herbs and groups of flowers

Stand in their beauty by...

~from June by William Cullen Bryant

Not the best photography on such a wildly sunny day. I just liked the way the sunshine fills that one rose as if the rose were a bowl catching it.

Linking to Mary's Little Red House...

Hot in the Country

Just in case today is as hot where you are as it is where I am...

~96F~

I thought I'd share a cool meadow with you. In fact, it is my favorite meadow and I'd love to take you walking through it, if only we didn't have to be on the lookout for things found in meadows left by cows.

~Cool and Inviting~

Doesn't it look cool and inviting? So very cool. So very inviting. Wonder where the cows are. I only found one.

~Behind the rock and to the left~

Stay cool now and have a pleasant weekend...

Odd Little Jumbled Thoughts

Nothing much to say this morning even if John did tell me recently that he's never known me not to have an opinion. I had one for that comment now let me tell you. =/  Unfortunately, I am (opinionated) and so must work at keeping a lid on in hopes of not becoming a cranky old woman. It may be too late for that. ☺

~~~

The oddest thought came to me after playing ball on my back lawn. I really was playing ball; I really was on the back lawn; however, it was my former back lawn. (Some may remember that my former home is right next door to my kids' current home.) Anyway, the thought came that if I had been told in advance by one day that I would be playing ball on the back lawn on Memorial Day 2013, I would have found it very odd. (Apparently, there is a lot of sharing of yards among the three homes: my kids, their neighbor, and my daughter-in-law's parents' home.) Yet, if I had been told twenty years ago, I would have thought Of course. This is my home and I will live here forever. 

Oh the things I think. I am guilty of thinking that life is always going to be whatever it is now. Perhaps it is in light of tornadoes, bombings, and beheadings or whatever else is going on in the world these days. And now I'm just reminding myself of Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey, the old segments from SNL.
That dates me. I haven't watched SNL for nearly thirty years. Do they still do them? If you have no clue what I'm talking about, here's an example of one:
If you must lose your job, your home, and your mind in the same week, try to lose your mind first so the other two won't seem as bad. 

~~~

The rain has made the world so green, so lush, that it's strikingly beautiful even if it is my own corner that I am seeing.

I managed to get the new rosebush planted with John's help yesterday. My foot has not been happy about using the shovel, though I did get the azalea back in the ground a day earlier.

Have also managed to purchase a lawnmower that I am unable to start. Either that or I've really slipped since last summer. Anyway, I do hate to be this dependent on the man. Had to mow the lawn at high noon while the man was home for lunch. Not ideal.

~~~

Some time ago, John had a request from Diane to write a poem for Spring Fever. This is his attempt. Perhaps I should have provided dialog for you because he was not always coherent and I was beside myself with laughter. You'll see the camera shake. I can't help myself.

~It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!~

Edited to Add: Transcription for those who've requested one...

Spring Fever

Rushed out of bed one morning 

I knew the winter was waning

Somehow I felt quite different

My energy level was gaining

I looked at the chores that needed much doing

So I grabbed for my tool kit

I really was moving

I spun into this

And wound into that

Started on new things

And finished up stat

My wife thought I turned into a [general befuddlement ensues] whirlwind

When she watched me take down a tree like a beaver

[Aside] Okay, that's got a lot of work to be done on that.

I: [General merriment] Who is this for? Who are you doing this for?
He: I thought somebody wanted a "Spring Fever" poem.
I: That's true...

(Diane, this has given me so many laughs. I giggle myself silly every time I listen to it.)

~~~

We enjoyed a lovely Memorial Day with family, which my son and daughter-in-law hosted. (See paragraph two.) Perfect!

This ends today's odd little thoughts from my corner. Perhaps you have had an odd little thought lately you'd like to share? I'd be interested to know whether I'm normal. ☺

Memorial Day 2013

Many in my family have served. None have lost their lives. Some have been injured; some have suffered with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but none have paid the ultimate price. There may be some reading here today who have a very different story.

My closest link to a fallen soldier was through my grandmother whose dearest friend was a WWII widow. Her husband was shot down somewhere over the Mediterranean Sea in 1944; the wreckage was never found. She delivered a healthy baby boy not long after the loss. This is that little boy, his own photo taken with a photo of the father he never knew. How many similar photos grace homes across the country today?

The photo has been purposely blurred as this is not my story to tell nor my personal photo to share. I'm leaving this photo out for a few days just to remember by — to remember the price that has been paid over and over again. I wonder how many little boys and girls are growing up without a parent because that parent is one of our fallen heroes. The price is paid over and over again in multiple ways across time. Let us not forget to pray for those serving even today and their precious families.

God bless your day and may we never forget...

A Maine Connection

How long have I been reading Cheryl's Thinking About Home? Not sure. It feels like not too long, yet time slips away. I don't remember when Cheryl began visiting me either. What I do know is that we clicked; we are like-minded in many ways. 

When I heard that Cheryl had a "Maine connection," I began wondering about the possibility of a meeting sometime in our future. I learned last fall that a trip was being planned from their home in Maryland and that Cheryl hoped that a meeting was possible. Talk about Anticipation! In fact, by meeting Cheryl and her daughter Kati, I met two bloggers at the same time because Kati blogs at Kati's Little Corner of the World.

Sure enough, our meeting happened nearly a week ago on the one gorgeous day of spring thus far. You think I jest? No. I was so blinded by the light that all my photos came out terrible so I'm stealing Cheryl's  Kati's and calling it my own. 

~"My" Photography Skills are Improving~

Isn't that gorgeous? For more beautiful photographs, click over, look around, say hello. I am inordinately proud of Maine's beauty and the photos that Cheryl, Kati, and others in the family took are faBulOuS. If you are planning a trip to Maine, it'll inspire you! (You can find Cheryl's account of our meeting there, too.)

~~~

We met at a stopping place just off I-95. Travelers need to stay close to the highway in places that are not too busy for bloggers who only wish to gab and gab and gab some more. (Some may enjoy eating.) We have to pack a lot into the time that we have, which is always limited when folks are traveling.

The waitress showed us to "The Hollow" and somehow we six jostled ourselves into a booth. A booth?! Good heavens! Should have said that it was not going to be acceptable, but perhaps God wanted us to be cozy. Ha!

We got down to chatting right away and John and I had a fantastic time. At one point, Cheryl's husband Ron said, "I'm just so enjoying this!" And we could tell that he really was. Perhaps Ron had been a titch concerned when their son had questioned the wisdom of meeting people from the WWW. It is true that I often tell John to grab the hatchet just before we leave for one of these meetings. Be warned, future meet bloggers! ☺

Anyway, longsuffering husbands of bloggers often take the hit in these sorts of meetings. I didn't get that sense at all with these two. They really enjoyed their chat. 

~Longsuffering Husbands~

Now, in no particular order...

Ron leading the way up the hill to the picnic area where we exchanged gifts. See the light? Doesn't the color quality remind you of a child's reader circa 1951?

~Cheryl and Ron~

~Their beautiful daughters: Bekah and Kati~

A million photos or more later, and we knew that we had to wind things up. 

Speaking of longsuffering, look at those sweet faces! 

These were my delightful gifts... the cutest felted strawberries, yummy strawberry jam, and a book of poetry by Amy Carmichael. Cheryl has been reading this blog very closely!

Thank you, Cheryl, for even wanting to meet John and me. (Let's do it again!)  Thank you for sharing your precious family with us. We enjoyed Ron, Kati, Bekah and you so much.  And thank you for sharing your heart and home at Thinking About Home with all of us. 

ツ

Gather Some Ferns

~Calming Green~

I was walking through Blogdom this morning and every footstep echoed after me. We are all thinking of Oklahoma and so many other things besides blogging. Some are finishing up homeschooling; some are gardening; some are dealing with the constant frustration that this particularly challenging spring has brought. Some are in the process of moving; some are dealing with loss, anxiety, the stuff of 

life. So many of us are away.

When I mentioned to one dear blogger that I was thinking of graves this morning, she got in touch with me right away. I was perplexed and couldn't imagine why she was worried, but then she had been sharing about BBQs and I wasn't. Talk about being on different pages. So funny! 

Well, yes, I am thinking about graves. In fact, I'd not been at my sister's more than a few minutes when that became the topic of discussion and we planned a trip for tomorrow to visit a few family graves. It will be an all-day event taking us up-country. Has Memorial Day taken on a larger meaning than only recognizing fallen war heroes there? It has here. It's become a day of recognizing all those who've gone before us. Hence graves are tended and flowers are purchased and most of us visit family graves before or on Memorial Day.

~Grounded Forsythia~

~Neighbors' Red Wheelbarrow~

~Rusty Basket and Dirty Deck~

~White Lilac~

~Lilac~

~A New Arrangement~

~Gather a Fern~

One of the most popular posts on my blog was *this Puttery Treat* that I did to join Brocante Home's Puttery Treat Challenge. (Alison also has a wonderful Pinterest board of Puttery Treats you may be interested in). By my definition, puttery treats must be easy-peasy, done quick as a wink, which is why I'm offering you a suggestion for a kind of puttery thing that you can do to instantly spring up the house and bring some green inside: Gather some ferns! Besides, green is so calming.