First Snow of the Season

It's a habit...I walk out of my bedroom and look out the side window by the front door.
And to my surprise it was snowing! Just wanted to share the joy of December snow in Texas.

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Table Runner and a New Twist

When I visited BFF last time we popped into Wally World for some items and I picked up E-6000 to glue the wood and mirror together from an old...OLD vanity. I cleaned up the mirrors, glued them well and the next day hung them beside this old ceiling tin.



I like the darker tone against the celadon walls and the lighter tones of the room.

The Thanksgiving Table runner turned out perfectly sized for the table.





Last year I picked up chunky glittered gold pillars for the table but the plaid table cloth and simple runner, candles and little amber prisms on the chandelier seemed quite enough.



The tapers I use every year along with the crystal.

I would love to have an assortment of plates for each season but I already have three sets and no butler's pantry just yet. So, the simple solution was to get pretty paper plates and set my clear glass plates over them! It looked nicer than I thought it would with the coordinating napkins and dessert plates.

What do you think?





And just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday we had a cold snap and I caught a glimpse of the Fall tones scattered across our little crepe myrtle tree. This is its second Fall and the colors were amazing in shades of amber, rust, copper and a hint of plum.



Having walked through the dark days of unemployment and under employment, I receive comfort looking at this fabulous Creation we are blessed to enjoy, this Earth we walk. ...My prayers are with those whose family may be in Iraq or unable to come 'Home' and for those unemployed and/or struggling. May God bless each of you.

Melissa

The Two Teeth are gone

Yesterday I went to see a really amazing dental surgeon. I am told he has 2 PhDs and teaches at two Universities...in between he does what dental surgeons do.

My appointment started by swallowing 2 Atavans. WOW! Reminds me of the Demerol when I had my last son.

My younger son took me to the doctor, thought that was so sweet. I think my older son felt like I was showing favoritism but I told him I still remember when we were at that mall in D.C. and when I tripped he, stood a safe distance away and just let me stumble, wave my arms wildly and flail about, never trying to help me, while a tour bus stopped to watch...thought I'd never find my footing...lol...I'm sure it was quite a sight as son was laughing hysterically when I looked back to where he was standing.

My younger son is BIG and can easily steady me...even though I am quite fluffy. So I chose him.

I don't remember too much about the visit. I remember offering the surgeon an Atavan if he did a good job. He laughed, said he would do a good job without it...lol! Can't believe I did that!

Then I remember being in the waiting room afterward while Carolyn, who is FABULOUS, told me to do this and that, I nodded politely, good grief what was she saying? My son asked a few questions, they chatted and we made it home.

Fortunately, I made half the soup before I left home that afternoon...my older son finished it and made corn bread...he is a sweetheart and will do such things.

Hubby was there when I got home and helped me into my night gown, set me up on the bed and went to get something for me...who knows what it was.

I woke up in the middle of the night sideways in the bed, to my younger son giving me Advil...see how sweet he is?

Next day I asked hubby why he didn't tell me to lay down properly so I wouldn't roll off the bed and hurt myself, he said he knew I wouldn't. Hmmm...or he was hoping to collect my life insurance? LOL!

Younger son asked if hubby had given me my 7:30am meds. No. Apparently he forgot. He's been a little stressed, really, he has. I do call him Butt from time to time...I just can't help it, ya know?

Anyway, went back this past week and am healing well. Have to go back again Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Just to make sure.

And the lady who takes you money is into PINK! She found a sparkly Pink stapler, calculator, tape dispenser...oh, I wanted it so bad!

All in all I am SO glad I wasn't living Way Back When and that I had a very competent surgeon who could get those two teeth out for me...did I tell you the back tooth had three pins from a root canal gone very badly? One of the pins had gone through the tooth and was causing a bit of infection at the base of the tooth.

SO nice not to deal with that anymore!

Hope your teeth are in good shape for Holiday Smiles and photos,
Melissa

The Hobbit Foot returns

Ok, So I was still bruising everytime I put on shoes...so yesterday I went to see Doc Gorgeous.

He asked what happened and I told him a bottle of beer fell out of the top shelf of the fridge some how and landed on my foot.

He said that is why we buy Light beer. LOL!

Apparently I have no broken bones. May have a broken capillary or two that bleed when locked up in my poorly fitting shoes...ugh! So, now I have to be fitted for new shoes at the New Balance store...or any shoe on that list in my purse. I'm going barefoot again at home and the foot seems to be doing better. My current New Balances are just fine so I am going to give it time to heal up and see how it goes. Mainly cause I want other things right now than new shoes for that foot.

I'm going to see if Santa brings me a pair first, he, of all people, should know if the shoe is properly fitting or not, doncha think?

So that is where we are with the Hobbit foot.

I knew you were wondering. :)

Oh, and tomorrow I get two teeth pulled...should be fun. LOL!

Melissa

Fabulous Fun at BFF's Home

Last Friday afternoon I hit the highways and had a lovely drive to my BFF's place.

It was a balmy sunny day, the lakes were lovely, the traffic tame and I arrived at her school just as school was about to let out. I was invited inside to meet 8 sweet children, really, really cute kids. Respectful, smiling, a little glint of fun sparkling in their eyes, it was great!

Then she and I wandered through Brookshire's. She showed me different sauces and food to give my cooking a super charge and then we went home to her place on half an acre.

Once I rolled out of the city there was a peace, an exhale of stress. But nothing can match sitting on the back deck of BFF's home. Never mind when you pull into her driveway the cell phone automatically looses contact, it matters not...the trees in her backyard are tall and the sound of the breeze ruffles the leaves...Peace, pure peace to my heart.

Back inside, we chopped red onions, garlic, roasted corn her Hubby had just taken off the grill (and he chopped the onions so we wouldn't cry...sweet huh?) , rotisserie chicken, fresh green peppers and threw all that into a big saute pan with black beans to simmer. Talk about a fabulous fragrance filling the kitchen!



While all that simmered, she threw all this in a beautiful bowl.

Letting that chill, she threw flour tortillas on a baking sheet to crisp in the oven then she added the saute ingredients to each tortilla, topped with an assortment of cheeses and then back into the oven to melt.




Her older son, her hubby and I were patiently waiting to fill our plates. Not! Look at that cheese! Didn't take us long to fill our plates.



The next day we made nachos out of the left overs...YUM!

And ya know what?

She hooked me up with WOW...World of WarCraft...yep, I have a rockin' troll or elf...wherever, she is thin and can kill scorpions and wander through an amazingly beautiful world! It's a trial now but I will probably get the whole set up. You would NOT believe how much time flies when you are playing this game! And it is a great way for us to hook up during the week and visit.

A bit of Normal

I'm not feeling up to a quilting session or cleaning up the house just yet. But I am able to embroider those pumpkin drawings I showed a few posts back.



Turned out really cute!



You can see in the raw drawing that I included lots of curlicues. They are much easier drawn or painted than embroidered...those curlicues get shortened and/or eliminated at will...lol!

Orange isn't my favorite color so I chose to embroider the 8 pumpkins in 4 colors plum, burgundy, dark cinnamon and straight up pumpkin. Two shades of green provide contrast and accents on each piece.



They should look nice on the table runner for Thanksgiving.

Embroidery is very time consuming but should be pretty for years to come and if handled well, an heirloom. So I am wanting to make these as nice as possible.
Another help to me has be the Online Retreats the Texas Quilter group has the first of the month. Gives us a chance to plan and set goals and work to meet them rather than letting those plans take a place on the back burner.

What are you working on for the Holidays?

Let's see, one done, one ready for the leaves and curliques...6 to go.

That's what I'm up to,
Melissa

Fall in the Kitchen with Pumpkins

There is an old wooden tray I use frequently that is so Vintage with its chips and layers of paint, just reminds me of Fall. I turned it upside down on a fall table cloth then wrapped it a couple times with pretty Fall ribbon and topped it with those sweet little pumpkins I made last week...then pulled out my favorite fall tapers and I think it looks cute.



Can you tell those are pumpkins on the table?



This little vignette with my Great Grandmother's wardrobe in the background truly makes me happy. When I pass by it it says Family, Warmth, and Comfort.

And to make this week even more special, I'm going to visit my BFF this weekend! Have NO idea what we will do but there will be lots of talking and laughing...and a little embroidering.

I hope your Autumn is cool and crisp with all the comforts of the Peace He gave to us; the Peace He left with us

Warm fall hugs,

Melissa

Pumpkins for Autumn Fun!

Pumpkins are calling my name!

Look what I found online:

http://schlosserdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/09/tutorial-fabric-pumpkins.html

Aren't these cute? And she is offering a pdf download FREE so we can all have fun with these! I picked out this material at the fat quarter sale last weekend.



I selected cinnamon and paprika tones with burgundy and plums. Some I love, some were selected for me so I had a nice balance.

This is the weekend for the Texas Quilters Online Retreat. Its our first and like many retreats, we are each working on our own projects and keeping in touch online.

As you can guess, I am making pumpkins: Only three so far but aren't they cute??



For the biggest one I enlarged the pattern to 125%. The Medium is made per the pattern and the little one is shrunk to 75%. These are perfect Table Top or Buffet top size. I can see these at 200% for a bed or to set on the floor or on the porch.

Also, if you like the look where embroider thread is pulled between the pumpkin sections, this pattern would be so easy to do that way.

Oh, and I just sewed that stem in while I was sewing the sections together. Stuff it first, lay it inside the pumpkin, sew across the top and it will look great when you turn the whole thing inside out!

I hope you hop over and get your copy, I'm making a set for my MIL and her sister and my mom. They are fast to make! I'm addicted and will probably have these little things all over the house!

One more thing...I was inspired by a pumpkin online and I reworked it a bit for embroidery, as I am making the pumpkin embroidery part of a table runner with these same fabrics.



Well, that is what I'm up to this weekend.

Hope your weekend is fresh, cool and fallish!

Have fun,
Melissa

Hobbit foot and Beer

So what was I doing all this time?

Well, the AC was fixed that same day, yay! And we are still spinning the thing. Keeps the humidity low when the humidity is high. So we use the AC. Keeps things from warping, getting mildewed, that sort of thing, cause, as my son explained it to me: 100% humidity is not the same as a swimming pool. Ok, now I know. So there, it is a gas rather than a liquid. Fine, make your momma feel 'tupid.

ANYWAY

As luck would have it the MMA fights were on about 3 weeks ago. Have I mentioned I live with males? Come Monday morning I rearrange the fridge and later start cooking dinner. The older male is in the living room requesting salt or pepper along with more iced tea and I am not paying attention and pull the 'whatever it was I needed' out of the fridge only to realize WAY too late that a beer bottle from Saturday night is in a free fall from the top shelf of the fridge all the way down to the foot.

It fell perfectly and caused enough pain that I was going through my 'not nice' vocabulary rather quickly. I am SO glad it didn't break cause I might have stitches that I would want to scratch and clip with the tiny embroidery scissors beside me here.

Are you like me, you ignore the pain, that caution that floats through your head and just keep right on going. Well, Two weekends in a row I did just that. We had some fabulous sales here and I had coupons for LOTS of things so I wasn't letting a little gimp foot me out of the store...for 2.5 hours.

So Monday means the bruise swelled even further than it was, need ice, call Dr. Gorgeous if it doesn't get better and make sure to limp appropriately through the house washing and cooking and be careful, above all!

Next weekend my very very BFF came into town, we had a BLAST! and I stood on the thing looking at fat quarters laughing and chatting it up with other crazy quilt sale ladies at the quilt store. We were there talking walking/standing for maybe an hour and a half. Had a FAB time. Ran next door to our fav Mexican restaurant, sat and filled our plates with salt, chips, salt, cheese dip, salt and guacamole...it was luscious!! And most swell worthy!

Sunday, Hubby is now threating the emergency room. The foot is broken, may need amputating and then what will you do. Hmmm....it did look really bad. And BFF thought perhaps there was an ongoing bleed, small nick (she explained) that bled slowly. OK, thank you all!

I began to wonder what walking on a faux foot would feel like.

So Anti-Inflamatory diet, ICE, sit on bum and hope. I don't mind seeing Doc G but geeze, not surgery and amputation! Monday repeat, Tuesday hobble about with ice, Wednesday more of same...and be SO thankful the foot is close to normal size.

I knew you wanted the details first...now the foot which has been renamed Hobbit by the younger males.



The little black speck shows the very small space the beer bottle hit when it landed on my foot.



A very sweet friend in Oklahoma checked with me several times and worried over it. Thank you Joyce, it isn't even hardly green anymore.

Another friend very generously dropped something on her foot in solidarity and I think hers is hurt worse than mine. (((hugs)))

A precious friend in New York asked if the beer was OK. Yes, Terri, the beer survived, thanks for the concern. LOL, love Terri, you'd have to know her. 5 kids, pigs, gardening, moving all over the north east, it will give you a twisted sense of humor, bless her heart.

So, there you have it.

I think what really bothered me most about the whole thing was not being able to stand up long enough to shave my legs and thinking I might have to see another human that way. 'Did you see that fat lady's legs?' I could just hear it...

Well, now you know.

The Cat Days of Summer...

No AC.

I witnessed the destruction with my own eyes while starting out the window...the fallen wires whipped unabashedly by the fan blades of that giant thing outside, then no more blustery breeze blowing out the wonderful vents in the ceiling.

The slow melting heat overtakes and continues to overtake without mercy while I attempt to locate the AC Guy's phone number. Shaking hands hold the little phone and miracles are prayed for.

All I want to hear is the word 'TODAY'.

Not 'TRY for TODAY'. Not Tomorrow.

T.O.D.A.Y..



Even the fiercest among us is compelled to roll over and play dead.

And then I hear the melodious voice on the other ends ask: Today?

Ah, that would be awesome!

It may be 98* with a heat index of 101* but I am back to pretending it is chilly outdoors.

Denial, my August 'Happy Place' is once again a reality.

I hope your 'Happy Place' is on firm ground.

Melissa

Vintage Pink Cover Cook Book

The I Never Cooked Before Cook Book



It was 1963.

Modern was 'in'. Modern was NEW! Modern brought changes to the American way of life. And, along with The Sixties, LOTS of freedoms and, in the end...Lots of Men and Women were Single and Entertaining friends...

and a child or two.

Entertaining was to be Avant-Guard and Posh. And nothing like mom did it.

It was a time of change!

And a time when young (citified) ladies didn't always learn the homemaking arts from their mothers and grandmothers.

It also was a time when men were still very ignorant of kitchen skills and simply weren't expected to cook.

So it was the PERFECT time for Jo Coudert to write the book: The I Never Cooked Before Cook Book.

But wrap it in PINK?

What were the publishers thinking?

Perhaps it was a way to attract the ignorant but 'willing to learn male' while letting the female know she was on the right track.

Genius!



Sure seems right for today!

The cover shows sure sign of wear with a tear or two here and there.






The INSIDE is where the meat is...pun intended...lol.

And it should be given a place of honor at the kitchen desk or any place were curious minds will take notice, because it is just that captivating.

As with all Vintage books, the nips, tucks, tears and such are expected; all the signs of a well loved book.

But I love the way the copyrights are shown and the copyright statement is amusing as well.



Remember the old Mimeograph machines? How about tape recorders?

It's a trip back through the Old Days for sure.

And yet so relevant for today.



It's a keeper, for sure.
Enjoy!
Melissa

Pink Saturday

Wooden Spools of thread found at a Flea Market in an old Train Case. I opened the case and it was full of sewing needles, a tatting hook(?) threads and the wonderful scent of Old Lady perfume.



For a flash of a second I knew that older woman. She had stuffed her beloved needle work into the train case with her perfume and some loose face powder, most likely, then carried it where life took her. Perhaps to her daughter's after a fall or to the retirement home as her life-line.

So many thoughts, situations, I hope she was happy.



Pink Thread, still wound on the spool. Many spools, small, at the ready. And embroidery thread, my favorite. The embroidery thread was marked 5 cents, the pink thread on the wooden spool is marked 19 cents and both with the assurance: 'Will Boil'.

And for 5 and 19 cents! We don't even have the cents symbol anymore! LONG before electric typewriters, main frame computers, PCs, laptops, Blackberries....Embroidery thread, not DMC, is 29 cents at my fabric store...I have SO much regular thread I have NO idea how much that might cost but a wee more than 19 cents, I would guess.

Rather takes you to a time long ago when clothes were washed with boiling water. My G-Mom had an old wringer washer, I'm sure after the water was heated on the stove (drawn first from the cistern) it was poured over the clothing in the washer and agitated.

Oh, I wish I had that wringer washer on the back porch of my little cottage!

Well, until I get the cottage I won't complain. LOL!

Special thanks to Our Sweet Pink Saturday Hostess, Beverly at How Sweet The Sound! Now run over there and indulge yourself in all things PINK!

Enjoy!

And the Moral to your Reality?

Hi All!

We are approaching the Dog Dayz of Summer here in North Texas. August usually lasts forever...or so it seems. I stay inside and pretend I am snowed in from a blizzard...I'll even pull out the tea pot and make hot blueberry tea and plan Holiday decor and meals.

So I asked the Mental Health Expert, my hubby, if it's OK to live in Denial pretending I'm snowed in during August or until the weather cools.

Yes, that's fine, he says, as long as the little white dog next door isn't talking to you you're fine.

Uh oh...I say, But she is.

He looks at me with that 'I can read your mind' look and says.

Do you talk back to it?

Yes, when I am hanging the clothes on the line I do.

I think you are OK, then he adds, as long as it doesn't tell you to kill people.

Heavens No! She has never said anything like that! Gosh, I would NOT talk to her if she did, ya know?

He starts to leave the room then turns back...What does that little white dog next door say?

Nothing important,we just chat...but she did tell me I should hit the sale at the fabric store and buy all the fabrics and embroidery threads I want.

Aaah....you're fine then, nothing wrong with talking to that dog. Did you tell it you already bought lots of fabric and embroidery thread, remember last Saturday when I took you to breakfast and we walked to the fabric store?

I remember breakfast...but that was three weeks ago!

Yes, and what have you made with your new fabric and threads?

*sigh*

Thought so, he said.

The Gall of that man!

And then he gave me that 'Look' again.

But I have those new shelves that will look so pretty with the folded fabrics in stacks...all in the color of our decor.

Isn't that what makes going to the fabric store so much fun, he slyly inquires.

Oh, Yes! I exclaim.

Well, if you bring all that fabric home then you will eliminate a source of fun, a reason to get out of the house and then you'll feel trapped by all the projects you MUST get done to relieve yourself from all the guilt. I just don't think that is healthy for you.

But talking to the little white dog next door is?

As long as it doesn't tell you to kill people, etc, it's fine, he says as he takes my debit card out of the little woven cozy where it lives with my insurance card, driver's license and cell phone.

BEAST!

Moral to the story...don't tell your hard working hubby the little dog next door tells you to buy fabric! BUY the fabric FIRST, then you can BLAME it on the little white dog next door!

Can't believe I even told him what she said...

Our First Cottage

Hello, I'm so glad you stopped by!

I hope your summer is in full bloom and you are relaxing and working on projects you put off till times were a bit slower.

Today I finished a project I wanted to do for a long time...use fabric art and embroidery to reproduce the first home we lived in, posted about here shortly after we married.

And here is the finished piece:



One the left blooming fabulously is a purple crepe myrtle. That goes with the Rose of Sharon on the other side of the house...the Rose of Sharon was already there as was the large tree.



Daffodils now bloom on the walkway to the backyard. And a cluster of Wax Leaf Begonias bloom in pinks, burgundies with rich green and dark foliage. Under the large window two large rose bushes are ever blooming while just below are Pink Caladiums and Hydrangeas.



The window beside the crepe myrtle has a window box with yellow and orange flowers and greenery...that is when I stuck my finger with the needle and put my DNA at the top of the window, thus the awnings became a must.

More Caladiums, Begonias and Hydrangeas grace that side of the house and on the porch, outlined in scroll work that I would add if we lived there today, is a large wicker plant holder holding a variety of Geraniums.

Down the steps at the walk way is the Mail Box with our name and date of marriage that I moved up from the street. It is centered in Lantana with their blooms of peach, yellow and pinks...and they line the drive way as well.

On the door is an upper window to let in light and below are Door Chimes, Colorful bells that I would have if living there today.

Thank you for sharing this accomplishment with me! I hope you get to fashion something special you have wanted to do as well.

Warm hugs,
Melissa

Polka Dot Girls and Candy Cane Christmas

I happened upon the CUTEST embroidery pattern called The Polka Dot Girls. Composed of several larger designs and a few sweet smaller designs all for a quilt, wall hanging, well almost anything you want to make! I'm in love with them all!

I picked my favorite, chosen for the big huge cat the middle lady is holding. Reminds me of Hug A Lump, who did his best to lay all over my embroidery box and thread...at one point he was after the metallic thread. After we had an understanding that it was mine not his I started embroidering and fast as lightening that cat pounced on my leg and grabbed the thread before I knew what happened!

And because it was 2 in the morning he ran away snickering at me trying to quietly chase him through a dark house. Silly cat...he didn't barf or die so I guess all is well.

Well, here is the first one. I'm framing rather than quilting, etc.:



I added a few little bits here and there to make it my own and gave the cat alien eyes of green...lol! Then framed it:



Because I paint, I mistakenly thought embroidery would be similar to highlighting and shadowing. So I designed a sweet lavender candy cane for Christmas and made the bow out of metallic threads of different hues. I had NO idea it would take forever!
But,I learned a LOT and will let that guide the rest of my Christmas designs I want to make.

I hope you can see the sparkly outline and throughout the bow.



Not sure of the frame just yet.



I'm starting work again on the house applique and embroidery. Hope to have some photos of that soon.

We are barely surviving the heat! kids said the bank temperature was 108* this afternoon, same as yesterday and the day before...Ugh! And we have August yet to go...and September.

I pretend it is snowing and that is why I can't go out to play...lol!

Happy weekend to each of you!

Many hugs,
Melissa

Too Hot to Cook!

Happy Pink Saturday!

Salads

That's what we do when it's too hot to cook. Paper Plates and Cups full of ice are regular fare.

However, when the males are out of the house (which is SO rare!) I indulge myself at dinner time and use my Pink Petunia Pastelware and pretty stem ware and set dinner on a pink TV tray rescued via garage sale or flea market.



Cold Tuna salad with Parmesan Toast Triangles and a side of Pea Salad, flanked with a BIG goblet of Flavored Iced Tea.



A wonderful alternative to slaving over a hot stove.

Special thanks to our sweet Hostess: Beverly at How Sweet The Sound Hop on over to see what other Pink Goodies are being showcased today!

Have a wonder day!

Stay COOL,
Melissa

Heat Waves...

Weather.com sez:
Cloudy
101°F
Feels Like
107°F
Updated: Jun 24 04:25 p.m. CT

My little temperature thang on the side sez it's 99*

Probably doesn't work over that...people shouldn't either.

The AC man is coming out because yesterday I thought the AC wasn't working. Then I remember ACs don't cool much below 20* over the outside.

Thanking those clouds in the sky right now and thinking that is thunder I'm hearing.

Pretend you are seeing an Oasis instead of heat waves rising from the ground...imagine a nice cold glass of iced tea maybe some snow on the ground...maybe you are shivering a bit. Yes, that is what I am doing. So nice to have company.

Hugs for hanging with me,
Melissa

Greetings, Pinkies!

It's a Gorgeous Pink Saturday!

I've seen many lovely Roses, Peonies and Petunias these last few weeks...leaving me wishing I had put in that rose garden and maybe researched names of those I'd love to grow. Until then, I am enjoying other Blogger's photos of their gardens as they spring to life!

I've been embroidering this week with the Office Assistants curiously watching what I am doing with these hands...when I should be petting them, scratching their heads and rubbing their bellies.

I remembered a Mouse Pad I designed and sold for a while...thought you might like to take a peek and share the lift these sayings provide. They put 'things' in perspective for the Weekend and the rest of our beautiful days!



Toss perfection and give yourself a HUG!

Then pop on over to Beverly's for the Pink Saturday line up. Special thanks to our hostess Beverly for providing us these Pink Pleasures!

Melissa

Happy Pink Saturday!

Wow, already the second week in June! I would really like to know just where that time went, wouldn't you? So many things I want to do, ideas spinning in my mind left undone or half done. This is the year I decided to take action. Finish up the started projects, start the new ones and break away from the computer and LIVE.

Don't get me wrong, I still start my day with coffee and blogs, reading a few emails. But when the house clears and the morning rush turns into a day, I'm in my dining room sketching, sewing, painting, thinking...living my day.

And that brings me to Pink Saturday... :)

Last week I showed some of my trays to help me stay organized. This week my plan was to show this and a few other items:


It's a vanity mirror from long ago painted pretty. I keep it on my desk with my dad's old hole punch from his office in downtown Dallas. (I also keep prescription bottles there when necessary or pens and pencils.) I LOVE old stuff! And being his makes it all the more dear. I feel like I possess a bit of History to go along with the stories I heard from his travels and the goings on at 'the office'.

It's not pink, I know...

But it has a place of honor in this tray of Pink.

And thanks to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound I am able to share it with you like 'Show and Tell' in Elementary school. I would have brought the wooden file boxes and the old Royal typewriter but they weren't Pink and I imagine on Pink Saturday Pink is expected.

With the storms we had Wednesday evening through Thursday morning and the details brought on by the aftermath, I quite forgot about Pink Saturday until just now (10ish on Friday night). I hope you will forgive and return next Saturday where I will have some pretties to display.

Till then...LIVE your life. Step out of the ordinary routine and experience the difference.

AFTER Pink Saturday, of course! Click here to enjoy the beauty Beverly has blessed us with for over a year!

About 7:30am I'll be grabbing my Yum mug out of the dishwasher, filling it with the coffee my fabulous Man will have made and tuning in to Beverly's to get a Pink start for my day...

Hugs for Living,
Melissa

Talk about being in the eye of the storm...

Wow, the last 24 hours have been crazy!

Getting dinner ready yesterday afternoon I was so thankful for the overcast skies. It sure kept the heat out of the kitchen, though the humidity was High. Once the cornbread was baking, I had time for a little internet surfing and Iced Tea.

It was VERY still outside...not good...so I pulled up the weather report about the same time as my guys called me to see something outside. They were very excited so I ran to the back to see rain pelting the patio. But it was the whirling, swirling of the clouds above us that caused us to be wide eyed.

Back inside, to the covered front porch we ran for shelter from the rain and better view of the sky. We stood there for a few seconds when a large branch was snapped from this tree and thrown to the ground.



Notice the house is missing a set of shutters on the right window? They just had them painted last week. Ugh!

Well, we knew to get back in the house!

In the kitchen the window over my sink was closed and locked but water was filtering in from the force of the wind...I was cleaning up the water when my son commanded I get out of the kitchen as he was afraid the window would break. Good thinking, so I complied.

The storm sirens were going off all around as the trees were being twisted, their branches swaying hard left, right then straight down. In minutes the water was over the curb and 5 trash cans from back alleys had found there way to the high water intersection. The yards looks littered with foot long branches and bits of roof shingles.

And then we lost power.

It had to be mid 90s when the power went out. My original plan was to take a shower once the corn bread was cooked but no way I was getting in the shower with the winds so high and a tornado on the ground three blocks over.

Mom called to tell me we were having bad weather, Hubby called to tell me he was sending employees to shelter.

I still hear the sirens ringing like a casino in my head. The pulsating of the warning system and the race of police and rescue sirens over lapped each other with the sound of a fire truck passing occasionally down the main road.

And, our own alarm system squawking at each pulse. Loud blaring smoke alarm and the panel beeping out of control, 3 of us trying to make it stop and couldn't. We had momentary control for half hour intervals and still I don't know why,with no power, the blasted thangs kept going off. But they did.

9:30 we had dead quiet peace from the wind...finally. Three waves had hit hard.

The doors stood wide open to let in a breeze that was cool but wet, as the rains were gentle summer sprinkles highlighted with viscous lightening. I prayed the power would come back on soon and went to bed with 3 cats who were weary of loud noises and crazy alarm systems.

Still

Hot

The lightening never ended. The thunder rumbled once to the end of the Earth and back around until I had no idea if it was the same thunder or a different one.

I got up 6 or 7 times for water, for relief from the fur babies who were laying next to me for comfort.

Finally at 3am the power came back on and the alarm began going crazy once again.

At 5am I went to bed...in the cool confines of my bedroom, fan blowing it's assurance of comfort.

At 6:30am I am aware of nothing but my son's near hysterical words as he flew downstairs announcing another tornado. He was numb, half asleep, sitting on the stairs sobbing. I didn't hear the pop nor was I awakened by the brightness of the lightening that hit our street...only the sound of him in need of comfort and my husband and older son's excited voices as they stood looking out the windows.

And again that alarm system roaring its presence!

And still I have had no shower, dried on sweat, hair matted, nerves spent. I grabbed my flash drives and prepared my laptop for a journey...told everyone to get dressed as we might not want to be found walking around like we looked.

Jeans and a t-shirt with pocket for my two flash drives, brushed my teeth, found my shoes and tried to think straight.

About 7am, my older son agreed to drive me up to look at the house on the corner. Hubby pointed out it's tree was laying on the ground and looked like shrubs.





But on the way to the corner, we passed this...and it looked worse in the back yard. We live on the other side of that red brick to the right.





We road up a couple streets and shot these photos...different house, same photo. Trees snapped like tooth picks laying on the ground.




I've never seen telephone poles leaning like this...You can see the blue in the left of the photo signaling another round of storms so we turned onto our street to go home.





Today we ran into town and saw more trees on houses, trees snapped like tooth picks at the base or totally uprooted. The apartment down the street had bricks blown off and the roof slid off as well. I haven't seen and news as our internet and TV have been down until just now. They had to totally reinstall our FIOS.

We are finally back online, The television DVR will be here tomorrow, power is up and we are cool. The alarm system has settled down. The cats are curled up in the windows or on chairs and I think we will all sleep better tonight.

I'm off to see if I can find any news on what happened in our area last night but wanted to post photos while it was on my mind.

I sure hope things have been peaceful where you are and look forward to visiting everyone's blogs.

Gosh, it was horrible being without TV and internet!!

Hugs to all,
Melissa