This is Thanksgiving

 Families close-gathered

With love-gentled faces,

 Memories of friendships

And warm, special places,

 Heads bowed in prayer

With hand touching hand,

 The smile-to-smile message

Each heart understands...

 This is togetherness,

Sharing and living--

This is true happiness...

This is Thanksgiving.

-Richie Tankersley

Sending love to all of my friends near and far.  Grateful for your friendship and love.  Spending time with family this week, and will be enjoying every minute of each beautiful day.  Hope you will be doing the same.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us At Home in English Valley.

Weekend Update, Tuesday Edition

 The pond at Mount Crumpet was frozen on Saturday.

 Some green still on the trees...

 Thin sheets of ice will be growing in thickness as these cold temperatures linger.

A busy day, starting at Ikea,  We had a problem table in our living room.  It was a wrought iron base with a beveled glass top, a sofa table.  With a small girl coming for a extended visit, a table that was always a worry, started looking more like an accident waiting to happen.  We decided on this table, higher, with more display space and two drawers.  A smaller version of our buffet in the dining room.

Funny how quickly we made this purchase thinking of  her safety.  We also did a little Christmas shopping for the same small girl. Baby grand will be getting her own  Ikea kitchen stocked with pots, pans and accessories!

In the neighborhood they haven't picked up the leaves from the streets yet.  Now they are mounds covered in snow.

The snow was still falling today.  So many things yet to do. All the shopping for food is complete, next some baking so someone will have my undivided attention next week. The house is ready, now just hoping and praying for good weather and that Mike won't be scheduled to work on Thanksgiving. I just want all my kids under the same roof  for even just a hour...nothing would make me happier. Still I am so grateful for so many blessings.  Especially for my family.

It will be hit or miss as far as posting for the next two weeks,  Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your kindness and friendship.  It means the world to me.  Enjoy this beautiful day.

Penny

This and That

 Check out this beautiful graphic.  A free download here.  Hung in a plastic frame painted with chalk paint.

 My tiny kitchen table is a mess of projects...These glittery butterflies are getting a vintage makeover.  .

Jean, close your eyes..., They NEED MORE GLITTER!

 We solved the problem, the problem is solved.  If you are hip to Peg plus Cat I'm sure you were singing along.(One of babygrand's favorite shows on PBS) Long ago when we had the stairs carpeted and installed on the landing,  we removed the iron railing that kept little people from going over.  Since we now have a small person who will be visiting often, (WOOOHOO!) we needed to take a permanent step.  Thanks to an idea from Pinterest, we installed this bookcase at the edge of the stairs.  A few screws and an L bracket and we are in business. It is also a great place for the books that seem to multiply daily and honey's poker chip collection. A few books for the small one and a little chair I painted long ago will make a place for our baby girl to quietly read books that once belonged to her Mommy.

 The fruits of my labor, seven jars of cinnamon almonds (one was sent to a friend) and the dried orange slices. Feels good to have a few things for the holiday complete.

 Veteran's Day sale at the thrift.  All bedding 50% off.  This queen sized quilt, $5!

Washed and ready for a snuggle, a fort, a picnic, a tea party.  I have a one track mind.  Enjoy this beautiful day my friends.

Veteran's Day

Remembering my Dad today on Veteran's Day.  Also my Uncles Vic, Sam and Hank and my cousin Butch who all served our country. Dad rarely talked about his service.  He was too young during the war to serve but went to Europe after the war.  He served in the Army in Germany and France.  I know that France made an impression on him and I always think there is a story there that was never told, at least to me.  Today we honor all who served..

My house smelled delicious when I dried some oranges in the oven, (too lazy to set up the dehydrator) and made up a batch of cinnamon almonds in the crock pot.  The oranges are for simmering potpourri and the almonds...well I need to get them out of the house as soon as possible! Yum.  Gifts for the holidays.

Enjoy this beautiful day.

Let the Holidays Begin!

Our local mall starts off the holiday season with an incredible firework display.  Maybe it's the cold temperatures, or how close we are able to watch, but it is my favorite fireworks display of the year.
Nary a mosquito, humidity, zero!  Our dear pals Jean and Tom surprised us and enjoyed the chilly but amazing show with us.

For honey and I, a walk along the stores and some window shopping after the fireworks is now a tradition. It was strange because most of the stores were dark.  Then we learned that a transformer had blown and the power was out in 90% of the mall.  We walked to the one island of light, where Santa was meeting the children and the large tree was in it's splendor to take a couple of photos.  With no safe have to warm up, we cut our walk short and headed back to the car.  By the time we got there, the lights in the stores went on and a cheer rose up.  Too late for us, but I hope that the stores we able to recoup some of the lost business from a usually very busy night..

 Ooooo, Ahhhh...

 The dark stores.

Saturday's skies were so beautiful.  We were busy from sunup to sundown.  Late in the afternoon we headed to the nearest Cracker Barrel, to purchase 32 shopping bags for our guild project for Christmas.  I'll tell you more about that another time.

 Things are getting done at home.  The last important things are being scratched off our to do list. ( If we were organized enough to have such a list! ;-)

After working most of the day, we were pooped.  Dear hubby fell asleep watching the Bears.  Thank goodness, it was a horrible defeat by our rivals the Green Bay Packers.  I just turned off the sound and crafted.  I punched some tags and made the cutest little books from a tutorial I found of Pinterest.

So another week brings me closer to having my kids home, if even for a few short days.  My hope is that we are all together even for a few hours...would make this old Mom's heart full.

I am grateful for so many things. I appreciate the fact that you visit here, and for the many friends I've made through blogging.   I hope that there are many things that you have to be grateful for too. Take care my friends and enjoy this beautiful day.

Quick Trip to Michigan

 Up before dawn to prepare for a visit to Michigan to see our son Michael.

 From a distance I hoped this was a turnip truck ;-)  but it was apples.

 Most of the trees are bare and the wispy clouds made for a beautiful sky.  It's about 4 hours to Mike and Amanda's.

We went to the Lansing City Market for lunch.  Mike is taller and thinner than I remember, but just as sweet as always. Mike's girlfriend Amanda was able to join us.  She knows her way around all of Michigan having grown up here.

 Had to get Dad into the photo.

 I loved the vibrant colors of the new construction.

 I had to take this one of my Dr. Who loving hubby in front of the phone box, not exactly the the Tardis (the blue British police box Dr. Who travels the universe in.) but as close as you get at a Cider Mill in Michigan.

 The orchard, even in November was beautiful.

 Looking at these photos I see my Mother in Mike's eyes.

We sang a happy birthday, more hugs and kisses and then back on the road home.
We had a great visit, always always too short, but sweet and filled with happy memories.  My baby is thirty! How the heck did that happen?

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comments.  Have a great weekend my friends and enjoy this beautiful day.

Happy Birthday Mikey!

We got to spend the day in Michigan with our baby boy Mikey and his lovely girlfriend Amanda to celebrate his birthday.  Mikey was hugged repeated;y, squeezed and kissed, I warned him! ;-)  We had a great lunch and a trip to a local Cider Mill before it was time to go. Happy Happy Birthday Mikey, you are so special to all of us.  May all your birthday wishes come true. Love you so.

Mom, aka

Just a Peek

Decorating a second guest room without spending a dollar more than we already spent for the bed.  I am shopping the house, and finishing some projects.  The bedding is Laura Ashley, rummage sale.  The pillow cases made by me.  The table thrifted and painted by me.  Also found the shade for the lamp at a rummage sale.  The floor cloth, from my floor cloth period, (did you have one?) ;-) painted and stenciled by me, let's just say... long ago. Even the clock came from the thrift store.  The cost for the everything, about $21!  That includes the quilt at the foot of the bed!

Then I saw a photo which inspired me to make a window seat, between two bookcases we received as wedding gifts.  This is the top of my Mom's cedar chest, covered with a comforter and thrifted pillows. The curtains are thrifted, shabby chic shower curtains. Remember the garbage picked chandelier?  I found the perfect place for it!  I am happy with the room so far, but I'll be tweaking till guests arrive!

Off to vote!  I will be so glad when this election is over. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy this beautiful day.