I TOLD YOU SO

When hubs got his next to the next to the before last raise I asked him if I could stop ironing his shirts and send them to the cleaners.

Yes.  He said yes and I gave my iron to the Thrift Shop.

YAY!...emancipation.

There is one slight problem...they get starched really stiff...and I mean

REALLY STIFF.

He put on some khakis yesterday and could barely put his foot in, they were so stiff.  They would have been able to stand up in the room by themselves.  When he finally got them on, I looked at him and I said,

"Those aren't your pants"

He to me:..."how could they not be?"

Well, our cleaners is in Perryton and that town is 8000 population and 26 miles away.  It stands to reason that on occasion a mishap could occur and you could get the wrong pants from time to time.

He wore them anyway and struggled down the stairs and swished out the door.

Later in the day I had an email from him that said,

"I don't think these are my pants."

BOOGER!

A VERY FINE BUNNY TRAIL

There seems to be some evidence that 

I Like Rabbits!

Found this in my garage yesterday and put a little fern in it...just in the nick of time

Cute little mold...looks a bit dusty

This is "me n my 3 peeps" in rabbit life

My bff got me this for my birthday one year...love it!

Meet baby bo peep's rabbit friends..all 12 of them, one for each month (one is in my kitchen window in case you were counting) They can usually be seen on my piano keys

Remember I was digging around in my garage?

When I had my kiln at Zulu...we made some rabbits and cute little veggies for a rabbit patch, it was just really so darn cute...they were all sitting in a bed of real grass for an art show!

You are about to see a sad pattern..notice the ear?

Glued back on?  

Well...I have a little boy peep who went through a spurt of breaking stuff...even wrote a poem about him and all the stuff he broke.  It's called "The Cup Without a Handle"

He's 27 and just got married.  I'm not mad at him anymore..and it makes me laugh to think I just kept on gluing stuff back together...A. L.O.T.

These are missing some ears I do believe...did he think they were rabbit hot-wheels?

and speaking of missing

I have four of these little netsukes and when I was looking in my garage, I found the other stuff, but not them.  It will drive me crazy all day wondering where in the world I have packed them!

I have so much stuff packed away still that I bet I even have more rabbits than I can actually remember.

Hope you have a Happy Easter Season!

THE THING ABOUT WINDOWS

Can you see how this window reflects and you can't really see in?

It's very tall and my head goes just to the bottom of it.  A real perch.

But, don't let it fool you because I can see out!

I like to stand at this window in the morning and watch the moms take their kids to school...it makes me think of how many days I did that..years actually.

I like to stand here and watch folks drive by so slow you can read their tires, as they look on to see what we've been up to lately in the reno department.

I like to look across the street and see what my neighbors are doing in their gardens...makes me long for mine.

But I LOVE to watch my hubby walk up the rock path when he gets home from work.

He loves this house, maybe more than I do, and he always has a smile on his face as he's walking to the front door.

It's like he walks real slow to see what's grown or changed or maybe all the things that have stayed the same...I know just how he feels.

Seeing that smile?  Man..that makes me really happy.

TREE HUGGER

We are located on the High Plains in the top portion of the Texas Panhandle.

It's so flat that you can see the night lights of communities for miles and miles away.  In the daytime, you can see them by their groves of trees....and grain elevators.

We live in the grasslands and our trees are precious so I don't like it when

a: they die

b: folks cut them down on purpose

If you google earth 822, you can't even see the property for the trees

When we bought it, things had to change because it was just so wild and overgrown.

I have to tell you...it hurt me to cut trees down, but they will be replaced!

I keep thinking..."it's just what I get!"

(Our tree lined street is lovely!)

Last year was considered to be THE WORST DROUGHT in our history.  I didn't realize that an 80 year old tree could really die from that.  I kept thinking, they have been through droughts before.  Maybe so, but I fear I have trees that are not slow coming out...but trees, OLD trees, BIG trees, ESTABLISHED trees

PRECIOUS TREES

that really might be gone

This has really been on my mind.  I am not a Catholic, but I have friends who are and so have tinkered with the fun part of their ways.  I have some Holy Water that was blessed by the Pope that my bff brought me back from the Vatican.  So...I got to thinking...

Yesterday, I called bo peep and baby bo peep and we hugged our trees

I gave the Holy Water to her and told her to tell the trees please not to die and to ask God if he could please let them get well.

So...she in her four year old preciousness, put her hands on every tree, dabbed them with some water, told them to please be well and asked God to help them be ok.

I know I know I know...it's a tree(s)

but they are living, they have a place on this property and have been there for nearly 90 years

I think that precious little prayer is worth a shot!

GOLDEN

The High Plains Observer has been doin' bidness since 2006 and we were recognized in 2008 as Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.  Since that time, we have expanded into 3 other communities and work in close affiliation with the local radio stations and regional television news stations.

Our headlines rarely include murders or rapes or destruction...hardly EVER...in fact, our news is more like "Spearman Gets a New Sidewalk" or COODER GRAW is coming to SPEARMAN????

W.H.A.T.? 

(Thanks to Chamber of Commerce President and Visionary Peep who has more guts than anyone I know!)

So...in my past, I have had a job(s)... real one(s), I have had a bed and breakfast, I have had an art gallery...

Art Gallery...ZULU ART GALLERY...one of the most fun things I have ever done!

Teaching kids art, having art shows to benefit local charities, hosting art shows with well known artists. (side note**..while traveling to Taos or Sante Fe I would embarrass my hubs so much going up to artists at random and saying, "hey would you like to do an art show in Spearman?..btw...every single one of them said yes and came and sold art!)

Kader Boly..Burkina Faso..he said yes

So...imagine my surprise and D.E.L.I.G.H.T. and humble disbelief that the HPO was nominated for a Golden Nail Award.  (This is an award for art)

W.H.A.T.?

There is not much money to be made...we just serve these communities by providing LOCAL news as it happens.   Free, every day all day...that's what I do.  So this nomination will be my pay for oh about

122 YEARS!

 And I mean it.

SOAP LOVE

So....I have sour dough bread rising ready for step II

I have last night's "happy hour turned supper" dishes to do

Tomorrow is the newest bride and groom's wedding shower and all the family is due to arrive soon

Y.A.Y.  did I say 

YAY?

and what praytell do I find myself doing in all the hubub?

Of course what any sane person in my situation would be doing...piddling with my soap!

I had this vision last night about 2 AM.  Soap from Italy from bo peep, zebra plate I painted when I had a kiln at my art gallery...I like...good vision

Always a bee

I really mean ALWAYS a bee

Brings me back to the day when I had the Bishop Cottage and always had fancy hotel soaps from our travels to put in a pretty jar for guests.

my newest green plate

Shells and soaps....of course!

kind of masculine

How many jars of soap can one woman have?

Gosh I love this little peacock plate...I actually have four, but really, don't you think four plates of soaps would be a little much?

I have four of these too...see above

oh...how precious!

This will go in my master bath...IF and WHEN it ever gets built!

yeah?

Coach Been might get a little annoyed when he finds this near his sink when he gets here...

but he better get used to it!

Because his mother-in-law-to-be

 kinda loves her some soap

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BABY BO PEEP

 Bo Peep had a meeting and even if she didn't, I would try to have this fun little person at 822 at least once a week...much more if possible.

Here are a few ways you can sense her presence...as if...

surprised there were any left...there were no orange slices left

She has an "office" that's all in a basket under the table..this is her Bible that she studies and reads out of, to me or others who might listen

This is one of my pj tops...she had it on with a wedding dress her Aunt Mattie wore when she was a flower girl...not sure where that dress is at the moment.  One thing is certain, I will laugh when I come across it.

always piano lessons for her rabbit friends

out of her ugs

so she can trace her foot

The other day I found a flashlight and an apple...today a book I made for her and I'm assuming she's reading to these "people" and the birds out the window

I try to keep her identity on the dl, internet predators and all, but thank goodness Poppy has a dress up chest and I feel pretty safe on this one!

I'm diggin those blue nails!

ALOUETTE, GENTILLE ALOUETTE HEY TELL

I first learned this song while in elementary choir and have always loved it.  I remember at the time thinking I could "speak" French.  Over the years I have sung this, mostly to myself, but lately I have enjoyed the feature on my Droid...the Hey Tell Feature....such a nice surprise when my little children get to hear this song at random!  Thank you Target for the great commercial to go with!





Ethnomusicologist Conrad LaForte points out that, in song, the lark (l'alouette)is the bird of the morning, and that it is the first bird to sing in the morning, hence waking lovers up and causing them to part, and waking up others as well, something which is not always appreciated.

 And so, as the lark makes lovers part or wakes up the sleepyhead, this would explain why the singer of "Alouette" wants to pluck it in so many ways, if he can catch it.

 Little skylark, lovely little skylark Little lark, I'll pluck your feathers off I’ll pluck the feathers off your head I’ll pluck the feathers off your head Off your head - off your head Little lark, little lark O-o-o-o-oh And adding: Off your beak Off your neck Off your back Off your wings Off your feet Off your tail

SPRING GREEN

My bff moved away and today I was able to meet her for lunch...a rare treat!  While I waited, I browsed through one of my new favorite little antique shops on 6th Street

Spring was certainly in the air...even her sacks and tissue paper were green...two shades!

I bought these two cute little plates, the frogs, the dragon fly candle snuffer and what she told me was 

a bon bon spoon

Since I might melt a sugar cube over my green absinthe, I will say it is an absinthe spoon

I don't do bon bons 

so as a bon bon spoon it might really be considered a whimsical purchase

and I just can't take that kind of pressure

HELLO SPRING

We've been waiting!

AN ASIAN POT OF GOLD

Our St. Patrick's Day was supposed to be spent loading up the city truck with contents from our recent demo. Our change of plans landed us 90 miles south in Amarillo for one of the most unusual auctions I have ever attended.

First of all, all the items for auction were staged in an old historic home that had already sold before we arrived.  All we had to do was get a buyer's number and sit under a tent while a group of hard working men brought us out all the things we as registered buyers had placed a red sticky dot on.

It was a great trick because later we realized what we were buying was NOT the lifelong collection of art and furniture and antiques from the owner of the home.  It was certainly  made to appear that way.  This was more like a container auction and most of the contents were very Asian..which I was quite tickled with.

There were some really beautiful things...huge rugs, signed art, bronzes, pottery..it was a 2 day sale if that tells you anything.

And another thing...we had to pay a 10% buyer's premium.  

Folks don't like that.  That's not how we do our auctions around here, but I understand that many do.

We ran into some old  friends and sat together which was fun.  Nice sunny breezy day and lots of pretty things to wish for.  When the asking bid on the first rug was $12,500...I kind of had to wiggle in my chair...but the auctioneer was the one who ended up wiggling!  We were a tough crowd for sure!

Our car when we got home and we had to leave our large carved screen at bubba peep's house to get next week.

Hubs purchased two G Harvey signed prints for the new bank in Perryton.  We don't really like the western style, but it looks very good in a Texas Panhandle Bank.  They were pretty large and a great bargain.

This is a very cool marble top bombe chest that will probably go in the new office

Can't you just imagine African art and artifacts, an authentic zebra rug, some alligator luggage and bookshelves filled with...books...AND...scales and maps and globes and travel treasures?

however, the marble matches the marble on the fireplace surround in the music room

...this is where it's at for now (because my garage is F.U.L.L.) and I don't really like the feel of it there.  I think my mind is already made up...it will just have to wait for the office to be built...hopefully within the next 2 months.

This wonderful piece is about 4 feet tall and I have no idea what it is or what it will be

The auctioneer told us these were late 1800 circa, you just have to take his word for it.  Doesn't really matter that much to me...I LOVED them!

They will probably be in the office in front of B's desk and if I were to guess, that thing we don't know what to do with will have a heavy silver tray with some old decanters and folks will sit in these chairs and chat with him over a scotch.

We also purchased a 3 panel carved screen that is similar to these photos.  We just couldn't fit it all in our car, so we left it in Amarillo to either pick up later, or have the kids bring when they come this weekend for their wedding shower.

It was a lot darker and heavier but you get the idea

BUT...my favorite (and first) purchase of the day was this Foo Dog Roof Tile

The auctioneer warned us not to remove that seal on his back..."it proves the authenticity," he said.

Like I would really have a clue about any of these purchases...they weren't really that expensive, I don't really care...I just liked them all...and when spread throughout the house it won't seem like we live in 

Shanghai

But this little green mean thing is going to be my favorite memory of an unforgettable St. Patrick's Day 2012.  I've been thinking about getting a dog for awhile.  I think this one will just do the trick!