Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A Literary Walk #13

 Walk around Juniper Hill and Fringford
10 miles
with Flora Thompson




Lark Rise to Candleford 
is a 3 part semi-autobiographical account
of Flora's life in the English Countryside
before the industrial world began to expand.
If you love nature and the beauty of 
small villages you will love her writing.
I would classify it as a "love song"
to a bygone era.

Favorite quote
"Nearer at hand were the trees and 
bushes and wild-flower patches beside the path 
she had trodden daily. 
The pond where the yellow brandyball waterlilies grew, 
the little birch thicket where the long-tailed tits
 had congregated, the boathouse where she had sheltered
 from the thunderstorm and seen the rain plash
 like leaden bullets into the leaden water, 
 and the hillock beyond from which
 she had seen the perfect rainbow.
 She was never to see any of these again
 but she was to carry a mental picture of them,
 to be recalled at will, through 
the changing scenes of a lifetime.
As she went on her way, 
gossamer threads, spun from bush to bush,
 barricaded her pathway, 
and as she broke through one after another
 of these fairy barricades she thought
 "They're trying to bind and keep me."
But the threads which were to bind her
 to her native county were more enduring than gossamer.
They were spun of love and kinship
 and cherished memories."

Monday, July 29, 2013

A Vintage Gathering 2013

Our little town was a hopping place 
this past weekend
as the vendors set up and the shopping began.







Gorgeous Junk and great prices!
If you didn't make it this time 
another one is scheduled for September.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

To Market, To Market

Our Downtown is hosting
Vintage Gathering 
(See Post)
this weekend, so I got busy and 
did the linings on some market carts
I've picked up. Hopefully
some "picker" will want a cute
market cart for shopping.
These would be awesome 
for a farmers market cart also.


And here are a few other projects for sale.


Monday, July 22, 2013

Family of Three

I have anew Grandson!
What a beautiful thing an new baby is,
so fresh from God's creative genius
and so perfectly perfect down
to tiny fingers and toes.
He happened to be born on what would've
been my parents 68th wedding anniversary,
so it was a very special day to me.

Proud big sister
 Beautiful family
(Big brother doesn't look so sure about this!)

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Seattle Times

Our Annual Friends Trip
was to Seattle this year.
The weather was lovely,
the food delicious,
and the friends outstanding!


Thank you, Debi and Carmelle,
you are dear to my heart.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

A Literary Walk #12

 I have indeed been walking, just not getting
the time to do my research so I can post
"where" I've been!
This is the 2nd walk in the Oxford area as I continue
to explore where the 2 greats did their major writing.
25 miles

This time I followed the incredible 
J.R.R. Tolkien
who wrote the famous series
"The Lord of the Rings"
He is also considered partly responsible for
helping C. S. Lewis to return to Christianity,
I like the series but "The Return of the King" is my
favorite as it is so reminiscent of the last days
and the return of our Great King-Christ.

Favorite Quote
"But when Aragorn arose all that beheld him
gazed in silence, for it seemed to them
 that he was revealed to them now for the first time.
 Tall as the sea- kings of old,
he stood above all that were near;
 ancient of days he seemed
and yet in the flower of manhood;
and wisdom sat upon his brow,
and strength and healing were in his hands,
and a light was about him.
And  then Faramir cried: "Behold the King!"

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

More Items to Sell

These were some real diamonds in the rough!
I always forget to take before pics,
but believe me they were trash ready
when I bought them so it was a real
pleasure to make something cute out of them.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Antiques while Camping

I found a great antique store 
in a nearby town while on my camping trip.
The house was jammed with items, 
more than I have ever seen in one place!
Spendy but very fun to browse, I seem
to spend so much time looking for
bargains I can upcycle that I rarely
have time to just look for the fun of it.


Friday, July 5, 2013

Glamping 2013

After all the projects were done
and the tent was put up I settled in for 
a relaxing and beautiful time at camp.
My tent bed was bliss to sleep in and 
my little dressing table and mirror area
created a really usable tent to actually
"live" in instead of just sleep:)
 I used a light at night to read with- not a
lantern- which was so much nicer for 
eyes that don't work so great anymore.
 I actually extended my stay one night since
I was enjoying it all so thoroughly and
my kids and grands joined me for supper
and the evening too.
Can't wait to go again and explore another campground
after the new grand is born and before the summer
vanishes. If anyone is interested in glamping
I highly recommend garage sales and reusing
non camping items to make usable at camp.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Other Camp Projects

Another project for camp was to take
an old lounge chair and recover it in denim
after painting the arms cream.
I also took an old canvas camp stool
and made a cover.
The roasting sticks and pie irons each got
their own canvas bag with velcro so
no more rattling and falling around with those, 
Yippee! 
 I also made banners from fabric to hang in the 
tent and pillows for the very comfy camp
bed I bought at a garage sale:)
The camp kitchen was an old metal box for 
keeping tools in with a lid that opens
in front and shelves.
I just added rope through the front hole so
I could have a paper towel roll
handy. It worked out really great and 
also only cost $3 plus paint.


Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Tent Awning 101

I just spent 3 blissful days
camping by myself...in a very safe
state park near a local town.
I had prepared with several projects
before I went so I really had my
tent feeling cozy and pretty.
The first thing I knew I wanted was an
awning in front of my tent.
I found a queen flat sheet in a nice
stripe at a garage sale for $2
and that is what I used.
First I put 2 grommets in the fabric where I wanted
the poles to go, then I put sand in a large jar
and the jar in a metal bucket. This is
what the poles went into for stability.
I put a nail in the top of each pole and the grommets 
went over that and then 2 ends were tied on to tent
and the pole side was tied down with 
rope and tent pegs. It stayed up nicely the whole time
and provided a good shade in the 90* weather.