SPRING MANTEL

My Dear Mr. PV has taught me to put away my stuff

for anyone who knows me (kids)

they know I love me some stuff 

I love art, vases, statuary, plants, books, baskets, 

well...you get the idea

822 has 4 fireplaces with 3 mantels

which, as it turns out, seems to be a good place to

display all that stuff

my favorite fireplace mantel is in the music room/dining room

I think because it has a huge mirror surround and so

you guessed it..

*double stuff*

For the cold months of winter

I love to force bulbs

this year I used all the blue stuff I could find

(oh don't be shocked...I have more...I just needed to hold myself back...

Mr. PV quote:  "you don't have to use it all..just put out some of it and store the rest"..

he's not that much for stuff, unless it's Spearman Beer Bottles/Paraphernalia)

He has a growing collection of this stuff..his own stuff 

which I often have to remind him when he's quoting to me

something about the blue and green on the white mantel

seems so cheerful and begs you to look forward to spring

the bulbs are getting a little too big for their britches

as we say in Texas

The paperwhites are still blooming nicely and have some flowers yet to pop out

but they are a little wild

 I'm going to move them to the atrium

and put them in some tall glass jars or tie them up with burlap

next year I'm going to try that gin trick

the one where you drink gin and the flowers stand up straight or at least you think they are because you've been drinking it instead of pouring a teaspoon in your bulbs

and this mantel will take on an all white look

as I have been inspired by sweaters for my vases

Miss Kopy Kat

unless I just go to the store and buy about 4 or 12

plain white prayer candles

which I think will look smashing for now

since I have  no idea where I will find this many white sweater sleeves

I am considering tube socks

GOOD MORNING MR. OWL

While Mom is on the movie set of

Hot Bath Stiff Drink

with the most colorful character in our family

(except Uncle Bobby)

(while the stagecoach meanders past the Heritage Square)

WE...

are busy getting ready for school

OUR WAY!

and that is with 

pink binoculars 

that match our curlers

 greeting Mr. Owl

 and of course the

documentation of such

The owls have been living in our trees for a couple of years now

and can be heard hooting in the middle of the night

through dawn

it is our goal around here to become 

seekers of the birds

all birds

We don't really have the Barn Owl,

but she thought this sticker was prettier than the owls we do have...

and no need for me to argue at 6:30 am about such details

this is the group that hatched two doors down this spring

it all started out so innocently

....

"um..hello mom...I think I have a Cedar Waxwing on my right shoulder...and

have you heard the call of the Red Headed Downy Woodpecker?  Um...are you coming home today?"

SMOOCHY SMOOCHY

17 points for the kitchen window! (and me!)

because ya'll, it's 

half past kissin' time and time to kiss again!

which means that

the arrow is near

and the hearts are too!

looks like these got a little smashed in all the eagerness!

that's ok...we'll just bake some real sugar cookies

maybe during the super bowl commercials!

at the baking station that nobody bakes at

and maybe enjoy those with a cup of tea and the pink plates

that silver pitcher sure makes me wish I'd bought those sweet roses yesterday

I'm so ready for spring...are you?

last summer's basil seems to be hanging in there

and this pretty little hyacinth is bursting forth

I got this heart shaped ivy at last year's chamber banquet in February

it loves the morning sunshine

this week I'll be moving around all the pretty blue and the fading paper whites

to make room for the spring mantel

love is in our air...I hope it's in your air too!

FEBRUARY 1 1984

Today,

January 31

I started having some strange pains...

I was scheduled for a C-Sec March 14

and because I had never been in labor with Grace,

I didn't know for sure what I was feeling

so...

I called the Dr. who was 2 hours away ~~ we were in the middle of a very cold blizzard

He told me it was Braxton-Hicks..take a rest...call if something changes

in the middle of the night when my water broke

I called the hospital and asked that they call him

the nurse said

"honey, you come on over to the hospital and when you get here, if your water really did break then we'll call your doctor"

I said ok...I'm headed that way...btw..I'm down for a C-sec March 14

Dr. Schwartz 

met me at the door

He was born February 1, 1984 and currently is in possession of all baby photos

this is the day he took my scissors and cut his hair

he was born with a high and tight

or as he called it when he combed it...

"a shelf"

like his Uncle Jamie's

I always dressed him and Grace alike

something I think he's never really forgiven me for

nice shirt

the tree he's leaning on is just a few blocks down from where we live now

here he is

a man

choosing art

married

baby on the way

I think Grace has on a pink shirt and khaki skirt

these are the kind of photos I get from him

these are his cucumbers

sometimes he sends photos of

his roses

cardinals in his trees

his dogs

 the new car 

and just the other day

a new little man

that I can only pray that will give him as much 

joy 

pride

happiness

honor

as he has given us

Today...this is the email I got from him

I hope you will take the time to watch it because it is where we live

and it is truly amazing

both that it's where we live and that these are the kinds of things he sends my way

pura vida

Wyman, the photographer, used to live in the old jail in Benjamin, TX.  The photo of the coiled rattlesnake appeared on the cover of a wildlife magazine in the 80's. He said, there were times he crawled a long way on his belly to get a good shot of a wild animal.

The music is by Doug Smith from Petersburg, Texas

 

 

DETAILS

As we have been finishing up the last few details of the master suite renovation

I have noticed a "thing"

an eye rolling thing

as I play around with all my goodies

I change them around and around and around I guess for no other reason except

that I want to feel like after all this dastardly demo

I have landed myself in a spa

once I get it like I want it~

O.U.T.

with all the stuff I won't use that I have been saving all this time

(not knowing for sure if I want it or don't want it)

I have been buried and working around and painting around and caulking around

S.T.U.F.F.

that has memories and means something to me

I am so hesitant to let it go

but as I "arrange"

sometimes in my periphery

I see Mr. P.V.

oh yes

roll his eyes

he really could care less that I brought this 

thing a ma bopper home from a wonderful trip

I have no idea what it is...it came from a spa, it smells good

and when you move it around some kind of fine powder falls from it

who doesn't like that?

might be great for eye strain

and look at that sweet little blue dish that I bought at a garage sale?

and look at this cute little perfume bottle that I found in a box of 

S.T.U.F.F.

I bet hubs would like to bury his head in this jar of sand

don't you know he gets so annoyed at all the useless

vignettes

that I create?

and he can scarcely hold his eyeballs still 

when I move this rug from in front of the bath to the shower to the vanity

oooo...can you imagine burying your wet toes into this?

So...where WILL it go???

This precious thing has been waiting to sit on the edge of the shower niche for a very long time

with a the rosary of a Methodist

I so wanted Larimar counter tops

but I had to go without supper one night to afford these

I have only arranged this window sill 6 times

can you see that bubble in this glass jar?

and that coral?  Oh man..that coral!!!

and I bought this perfect chair off the floor

from Pier 1 in Lubbock during a winter snow storm!

I would have bought it for twice the price

but I only had to pay a portion of my chair budget to own it

as it was a close-out and the only one left

and yes...I have moved it several places as well..

but hubs is so glad to have a place to rest as he takes it all in

and what about all those soaps he's had to make room for by leaving his clothes behind at the hotels?

at least they smell good...seashells don't always

gosh I love that bamboo tray that I bought at an antique store for 1/2 off of $35~

when I moved this little number in was the time I realized it was not my imagination

that there was some eye rolling going on!

but if you want to talk

patience...

do you remember our tub sitting on the drive on baby bo peep's wedding day?

all I can say is this

thank the LORD

that I had some pretty stuff stashed away

to dream about

to keep my heart strong!