Something’s Missing…

Me, lately.

I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted.

Excuses?  I have a couple…

Between writer’s block, (I’ve been looking high and low for bits of inspiration.  Maybe I need to look right in front of me.) and an internet connection that works one minute and then goes out the next  (I’m clueless about wireless, and I hope that our internet service provider has some answers.) I haven’t been around here much.

I’ll be back to blogging full strength soon. I promise.

I miss all of you!

The Here and Now

Lately I feel like my life has hit a point that  resembles the Bermuda Triangle.  I usually feel melancholy this time of year, anyway, because summer is rapidly drawing to a close.  But this year it’s different.

With my dad’s recent bad patch, and my upcoming birthday (I despise birthdays) and Amy entering the 10th grade, I feel like the grains of sand that define my life are  just slipping away.

I guess everyone gets to this place at some point-the place where you stop and take stock.  And ask those tough questions like, “Am I happy?” or “Is this where I thought I would see myself now-and if not, where do I want to be?”

It’s hard for me to face up to the fact that my official role of “mom” is drawing to a close.  I know I still have 3 years before Amy graduates, and after that there are the college years, but still. 

I also realize that nothing, nor anyone, lasts forever. I have lots of old pictures of my ancestors that prove that.

But I wonder, who will I be someday when I don’t have Amy at home?  When my parents are gone?  When I an old woman?

I received this bit of advice recently, from a friend whose kids are grown, after I asked her how she dealt with her own Bermuda Triangle.

Live in the moment.  Don’t squander the here and now, mourning over what will be.

Like Kona does.

I never thought I would be envious of a dog, but I am.  Because Kona lives that advice every day. (Even though she doesn’t have a clue that she is doing it!)

And now I need to go pack.  Amy and I are going on little trip tomorrow to spend some time with my parents.  We will be back on Sunday.  Hugs to all of you, and I look forward to catching up when we get back:)

Photos by my darling Amy.

The Thrill of the Hunt!

I usually go to the charity shops in town, like Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul, and I love them, but once in a while it’s fun to go to an actual antique store, where pretty much everything is a great find.   I’m always on the lookout for barkcloth, nice pieces of vintage art pottery, and functional old kitchen stuff-plus anything else that catches my eye.

Browsing around a local antique store yesterday, I came across this little cutie-a vintage dashboard hula doll.  She was in pretty good condition, and she was only 49 cents!  Well, ok, so that’s what she cost back in the 40’s or 50’s when she was made-but still, I didn’t have to shell out that many coconuts for her.  She is the perfect addition to my studio.

 

And then I found this adorable tiny old button!  With it’s anchor and heart design, it fits right in with my For the Love of Pete shop logo.  Sheer kismet! 

 

Amy, my budding chef,  found a nice little cast iron frying pan, and Stuart found three old books, so it was a successful trip.

I can’t wait to go again, and find more treasures that I didn’t even know I was looking for!

Technorati Tags: old buttons,dashboard hula doll,antique store,thrifting,vintage stuff

Details

I’ve learned some of my best lessons about life from my garden.  And one is that it’s easy to see the big picture-the broad strokes of color, so to speak.

My days go by in those broad colorful strokes.  Time with my family, time outside, time with friends.  I love the big picture.   But lately, I’m trying to pay more attention to the details.  Like Amy’s expression of delight when she’s reading  Tin Tin , or  Willow’s crossed  front paws when she sleeps.  The artful lines of my Fiesta ware teapot, the subtle age marks on my 100 year old living room floor, and the twinkle in my father’s eyes as he peers out from under the brim of his baseball cap. 

In the smallest details, those close-ups, is where the real wonder lies.

 

 

 

 

A nickel for your thoughts?

Technorati Tags: garden,gadening,flowers,life,lessons,small,details

Dig In!

Last Sunday my mom, dad, sister and niece came to visit for the day.  It was warm by the afternoon, and so we cooled off with milkshakes.  Kona kept herself busy for quite a while licking out one of the empty cups.   Normally I’d think that a dog would panic having a cup stuck on its nose, but not Kona. She was much too busy licking to notice.

On a sad note, my precious father is under the weather and in the hospital today.  He wasn’t feeling that great on Sunday, and this morning was very ill.  I wish a milkshake could make him all better, but I think it will take some stronger medicine this time.  Get well soon Dad:)

The Girl in the Picture

Every time I go upstairs I see her, from her perch atop my enormous old Silvertone radio.  Peering out from her frame, she wears a barely coaxed smile on her lips.

I confess that I  bought her because I was drawn to her frame.  Obviously homemade, and, by the looks of it, someone's fledgling attempt at woodworking.  That was the charm.

What I found, though, was that I couldn't bring myself to remove her picture.  She belonged in that frame, and the thought of casting her aside bothered me. She must have been dear to someone once, long ago. And so I "adopted" her.

I have dozens of old family photographs, sentimentally priceless to me. I would never think of getting rid of them. The people in those pictures, and their life stories, are a part of my history.   A  tangible reminder that I am here now because of those who came before me. True, many of them are people I never knew, as much strangers to me as the girl in the picture. Still, for better or worse, they are my family.

So, who was she, this girl in the picture?

I'll never know.

Why did she end up in a dusty corner of a second hand shop?

That, I'll never understand.

Summer Reading!

 

I can’t wait to get my hands on this book! 

I just read about it, and watched the trailer here at Tina's blog. 

Go check it out-it looks like the perfect read-any time of the year!

In a Flower Bed

I came across this bumble bee early this morning while I was walking around my garden.  I love early mornings in my garden, especially if I have a nice hot cup of coffee to sip as I stroll.

This bumble bee was curled up inside this hollyhock-and at first I was afraid he might not be alive-but before too long he awoke, and dripping water droplets from last evenings watering as he flew, he began to make his morning flower rounds.

I love hollyhocks,  as they remind me of the gorgeous hibiscus I see in in Hawaii.

And I’m glad the bumble bees appreciate them too.

Technorati Tags: hollyhock,bumble bees,gardening