STYLE AND STUFF

Her name is Edith. She was the mother of one of our childhood friends and happened to be the daughter of the doctor that delivered me.

She was the first person in my life other than my mother that I realized had personal STYLE.

I can think of any number of beautiful homes where they lived in our small town, as she loved to move and she loved to decorate.

She had wonderful things like art, dishes, and antique furniture in her house; but it was a home foremost for a family where you always felt comfortable.

She was gracious in every way!

Her only child, our friend, was killed in an automobile accident when we were in our early 30s. He was not married and had no children. Edith was naturally devastated; I don't think she ever fully recovered.

Soon after he died, she called to say she had a couple of things that she wanted me to have, then pass on to my children someday.

She gave me this beautiful Victorian fruit dish that had belonged to her father, the doctor.

And, she also gave me this tablecloth from her youth.

She said her mother always used it for Christmas morning breakfast, as the design reminded them of Santa Claus!

In the 1990s, I was visiting with Edith at a party at my parent's house. We were standing near my mother's china cabinet, where this plate was prominently displayed.


Edith said, "You know, I gave your mother that plate when you were all babies and we were young with our future ahead of us. It makes me feel good that she has cherished it all of these years."



Edith is almost 100 years old now, quite fragile, and in a nursing home. Remaining with me are three beautiful items that have passed through many hands. I know that in the end, things are just things; however, the memories they raise and the emotions they evoke are PRICELESS.



Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

Blue Monday

Sally at Smiling Sally is hosting Blue Monday! Please check her blog for a list of all of those participating.

For twenty years, I was a full-time quiltmaker designing and making quilts for publication in magazines and books. This particular BLUE quilt entitled "Bountiful Baskets" was in a book I wrote called "Traditional Two Block Quilts".

It is cold and dreary in Colorado today, a perfect day to snuggle up in a quilt!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

PUMPKINS DON'T GROW ON TREES, OR DO THEY?

We went to our local garden center to buy some pansies to plant, and discovered they had decorated two evergreen trees for Halloween. I thought you might enjoy seeing them!! The first tree was decorated with pumpkins, scarecrows, sun flowers, and gourds in baskets.

The second tree had a ghost and witch theme.

A witches hat as a tree topper!!

What will they think of next?

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

LA TOUR EIFFEL

My husband, Bob, is retired from a 44-year career as a civil engineer. Consequently, when we travel, engineering marvels are always at the top of our "must see" list.

There are many engineering feats I have not witnessed such as the pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China.

But, I have seen the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge, and viewed the Royal Gorge Bridge of Colorado from a tram 1100 feet above the river.

I've been claustrophobic at the top of the St. Louis Arch, and have ridden 13 miles across the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island in Canada.

I've been in the bowels and seen the inner workings of the Tower Bridge in London, and traveled 180 miles an hour under the water of the English Channel through a tunnel.

BUT, in my opinion, the absolute best, best, best engineering marvel is the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

It combines the structure and strength of engineering and the beauty and form of art.

I know that there are professional photos that capture that beauty better than our amateur pictures, but these are ours and remind me that I was actually there!

A view from the top!!!!

Ooooooo, I so want to go back and see it again!!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I'm going to be 'missing in action' for a few days, as my sister-in-law and I are going on a little road trip!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally

TABLESCAPE TUESDAY

Once again, thanks to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for hosting Tablescape Tuesday. Check out her blog for a list of wonderful tablescapes.Today, I'm showing a table with some of the Franciscan Desert Rose dishes that I inherited from my mother. Sheila of Note Songs also loves and owns this pattern. As a lot of you know, Sheila was caught in the wrath of Hurricane Ike and was missing from blogland for a long time. Our prayers have been answered; and word has been received that considering the circumstances, Sheila has returned relatively unscathed. We are so thankful that she and her sweet spirit will be posting again soon!!

So, Sheila this is for you!!!!

In our dining room we have a harvest table that is long and narrow and seats eight. When there is four or fewer for dinner, it is hard to set the table with any intimacy. So I usually put the centerpiece at the end to block off the unused portion of the table. In this case, I have used the huge, beautiful Desert Rose platter for a background.

I've combined the Desert Rose with my grandmother's Depression-era green glass plates, sherbet bowls, and stemware and and my mother's Fostoria ice tea glasses.

Sheila, we are glad you are back; we missed you.

"THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS!!!"

Autumn in Colorado is all about viewing the aspens as they turn to gold!

A short trip to the mountains this weekend provided an opportunity to take these photos.

This was probably the last weekend to view the aspens. Snow is in the forecast!

Thanks for stopping by to view our state's autumn glory,

Sally

MEMORIES FROM "THE GOOD OLD DAYS"

It is almost time to close up our screened porch before the snow flies, but thought I would take you on a tour first.

Both sides of my family were farmers and ranchers after homesteading on the prairies of Colorado. When we cleaned out my father's shop, I just couldn't get rid of some of the things that remind me of those days long ago. Somehow, they have accumulated on our back porch.

The candle holder is a part from an old piece of farm equipment, and the toy truck belonged to my husband as a child.

This stool is made from an old tractor seat and was at my Dad's workbench for years. The blanket is from the Chimayo Trading Post in New Mexico, and was purchased a long time ago on a sheep buying trip by my Grandfather.

A sheep crook that was salvaged from an old sheep herder's wagon.

A branding iron for cattle.

This little table is where our grandchildren play and eat. The little tractor and wagon were mine as a child. We call the little silver man driving "Granddad Man"! He occasionally gets lost, but we have always managed to find him. In the background is my Mother's wooden ironing board from 1937.

A chicken coop and a stoneware chicken water jug.

This old rake holder holds my Dad's spurs and several wooden and metal brands for sheep.

Old stoneware jugs -- for "moonshine", I guess.

An old red tool box with tools from my family, plus others that Bob has collected over the years.

This is a lantern that belonged to my Great Grandfather.

In the background is a Dutch oven used in a sheep camp. Bob made the rustic stool, and there's an old copper wash boiler where we store the kid's balls.

Hope you enjoyed the tour into yesteryear. There are a lot of memories here!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Sally