Taking it Off~

Now this little gal looks as if she 'gits whatever she goes after', so......................I think she will be my role model, as I attempt to 'lasso' the extra pounds on this short, pudgy body of mine!

I just joined our local 'Y' 2 weeks ago, & you talk about a MAJOR deal! Just 'gittin' there everyday for a 1 hour workout.............well, I got a feelin' it's about as much work as ropin' a newborn calf!

Honestly, it has taken the determination of a bull to get me there each day! I can't believe how out of shape I have gotten over the last 5 years. After walking faithfully for 1 hour a day for nearly a year, I lost 25 pounds in the process..........until ONE DAY, when I just couldn't 'do' the cold, I quit! Cold turkey...........just quit! Now, 5 years later, I have an EXTRA 35 pounds on my body, & I can't IMAGINE the amount of work , not to mention, deprivation, it's going to take to get it all off!

I would imagine there are more of you gals out there with the same problem. I was never one to want to go to a gym, & be around all those sweaty people (of which now, I am one!) , but, I have to give credit where credit is due~it's the BEST place to be if you are serious about your health and serious about doing the work required to get in shape. My mother struggles from the devastating effects of severe osteoporosis & multiple myeloma~bone cancer. I have seen a once vibrant woman, who could run circles around me, & with the figure of a teenager, reduced to a hunched over , fragile , wisp-of-a-thing in a mere 3 years. She is only 79, but 3 years ago, could have passed for someone in their mid-50's. It's caused me to take a second look at where I want to be at that age, and seeing that I or my siblings might carry the genes that have caused our mother so much misery, I hope to stall and even ward off the onset by taking better care of this one and only body I will ever have.
Yeah.................I think I'll try to 'lasso' in the waistline. Anyone want to join me?
PS~the picture came fromRee Drummond of "Pioneer Woman".

Boston Design Elements

I just returned from a trip to see my sister over the weekend. She lives in a town called 'Winthrop by The Sea', in Boston, Mass.
A light rain fell for most of my stay, which just added to the charm & beauty of this place. Coming from the Midwest, it is a virtual 'culture shock', to say the least! I am always enamored by the architectural elements in historic buildings, & this trip was no exception. Here are just a few pictures I snapped of the intricate details that make Boston so unforgettable. (The mermaid in the store window was life size, & absolutely BREATHTAKING !) I am in love with the 'Bwaaa-ston' accent !

"Just Checking!"

If you look closely at the bottom left-hand corner of this picture, you will see a pointed ear, with fur on it. Yes, that is the ear of our Corgi, Jasmine. Now, you see that 'Shabby Hamper'? It contains the VERY things that Jasmine LIVES for~my shoes!!

Since Jasmine came to join our family nearly 2 years ago, she has managed to destroy SEVERAL shoes, making what used to be a "pair" totally worthless! She was always quite sneaky about the whole deal: she would grab one when I was preoccupied with some other task, & head STRAIGHT for her carrier, which is where she: 1) sleeps 2) runs to when she's in trouble 3) burrows in to eat on shoes and other 'treasures' she manage's to cart off when noone's looking!
This little hamper became a necessity, placed strategically by the front door, to deposit our shoes in to keep them away from this little scoundrel! Little does she know that with only a slight nudge, she could upset the lid & dive into "Shoe Heaven"! (I wonder how many things that look insurmountable in my own life carry the same amount of ease to overcome???)
!

Weston, Missouri~Pure Delight!

This is '5B&C0.'~an ADORABLE candle shop in the heart of Historic Weston's shopping district. This is a candle wonderland, gals, filled with the most delicious scents imaginable !
The owner , Marsha Martin, has managed to create clean- burning, soy based candles that permeate your home or workspace with long-lasting fragrance. You gotta have a sense of humor to offer scents like: "Monkey Farts"~a distinct banana fragrance! ; "I'm the Boss Applesauce"~a creamy apple scent; & "Smelly Cat"~ one of my favorites, that actually neutralizes odors, like a cat box, for instance!!
For more information, go to www.freesniffs.com







This shop is home to "Missouri Bluffs", a distinctive boutique that features the most feminine clothing styles around~from everyday casual, to romantic styles fit for a bride & her court! Go to www.missouribluffs.com
F.Y.I.~the jewelry selections are nothing short of GORGEOUS, with designs to give any outfit that "WOW" factor!!









The Historic Weston's shopping district is sheer delight, with beautiful vignettes at every turn~my favorites being the lush potatoe vines & silvery "Silver Mound" that always seem to intensify the colors of the flowers that surround them.

"Angel Eyes"

These sweet porcelain angels found a home with me upon the closing of my mother's antique shop, 'Cherishables', nearly 2 years ago.
These little cherubs have stolen my heart~don't they have the most precious faces??

The other picture below was taken at the monastery I wrote about . I just couldn't believe it when I realized that the intricate carving on this frieze captured the faces of three adorable cherubs, so similar to the ones I had at home!
I just wonder what the significance could be, except maybe just "three angels, watching over me!" Ha!

A Sanctuary in Clyde, Missouri

Seemingly, in the middle of NOWHERE , lies one of the most idyllic spots that could very well be the closest thing to the American version of "The Sound of Music" . Set in the rolling hills of Clyde, Missouri, just north of St. Joe , is the monastic community of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
The pristine beauty of this place is just almost beyond description...........from the spires of the 'castle' , to the perfectly manicured lawns dotted with Austrian pines that have stood like sentinels since the mid-1800's.
It was on these grounds that a dear friend & I spent the last several days, slowly releasing the stresses of our lives to the heavenly peace & quiet that permeates the very air of this glorious retreat.
Punctuating the precious hours of our days were the moments spent in worship & prayer in the most breath-taking chapel I have ever seen! Truly, the beauty of this place lent a sense of reverence to every aspect of our day~from a leisurely stroll along a tree-lined lane, to the Vanilla Nut coffee we enjoyed after a shared, noon-day meal with these gracious Sisters.

For more information on how you , too, might enjoy the benefits of personal and/or spiritual retreat, go to www.benedictinesisters.org.

Nell Hill's in Atchison, Ks

Mary Carol Garrity is the proprietor of 'Nell Hill's', a "home furnishings emporium in Atchison, Kansas." It is a treasure-box , full of garden-y things that just steal your heart!, and home accessories & furniture that DARE you to leave without them! Mary Carol is one of the most delightful people I have ever met, & even though her store is bustling with activity, she makes you feel like you are the ONLY ONE in the room when she is speaking to you..........which she always does, welcoming you with her beaming face that always wears a smile!
Set in the little town of Atchison, Amelia Earhart's birthplace!, it is a calling card to women near & far, who desire to bring a bit of class , & panache!, to their own homes. It is a MUST if you are in the area (or not!)
Mary Carol has written several books, one of which is "Feather Your Nest"~'It's All In The Details. It is a total DELIGHT , as each page spills over with beautiful photographs, depicting not only the irresistible accessories found in her store(s) (she has a new one in Kansas City, as well!), but room settings & beautiful vignettes that simply transport you into another world!
Just google "Nell Hill's" for more information, & directions to all of her stores.
FYI~don't forget to always 'look UP!' when in any of her stores! The most fantastic displays seem to ALWAYS be at the ceiling!

Gettin' It Right....Eventually!

Well, as y'all can see.........I haven't mastered the art of posting, with their corresponding pictures, just yet. (sigh...............) I'll get 'it' eventually!

Polka Dot Bliss

Our bunny~

Oh, and remember my post about 'our' bunny that loves to nibble in our yard each day? Well, here 'she' is ~keeping a watchful eye for any intruding pigeons or blue-jays that like to bombard her while she feasts! That's my little garden girl (pardon her rudeness as she turns her back to you!)~she lost her left arm in last winter's ice storm , so after being banished to our basement for 6 months, I decided to bring her out, imperfections and all! Now, she is the delight of the neighborhood...........well, at least to the birds & the squirrels & the rabbits, who enjoy the food & the shade she provides!

Polka-Dot Bliss!

Oh, how I love polka-dots! To show you how unobservant I can be, it just dawned on me the other day that I had created a broom to match my garden clogs..................and I hadn't even REALIZED it, until I snapped this picture! Oh, 'ma-yun', as 'Diego', the cartoon character always says! ha! It has been so hot & humid the last week here in our neck of the woods, that watering twice a day has been a must, in order to keep things from burning up! I have been babying these Gerber daisies for most of the summer (I don't even know why I have tried so hard~it's just that they were the 'leftovers' from the flats that I had planted in the Spring, & I just didn't want them to go to waste!) It is EXTREMELY hot in August here in Kansas, which takes alot of the joy out of gardening this time of year. But somehow these pink polka dot clogs & broom make even the heat tolerable!

So what's'bedbug' all about?

I thought you might like to know a bit more about 'bedbug'!
The name is actually part of the name of my custom bed linens business~The Bed Bug Linen Co.
I have an interior design business, & after many years of actually fabricating (sewing) for other designers, I needed an outlet for my OWN designs~hence, Bed Bug!
Now, for most of you, that term strikes FEAR into your hearts, after the bedbug epidemic that has swept our country of late in many motels & even fine hotels! In spite of several people in my life who tried to dissuade me from naming my company that, I chose to be true to myself & 'go' with what STILL makes me smile every time I hear it! For sure, it is unforgettable, & in business, that is one thing in my favor!!

Many years ago, I read a book called "Pioneer Women". It was there & then that I even became familiar with the 'phenomenon' of bedbugs! I had never even HEARD of such a thing, much less seen one! At the time, though, the name just resonated with me~'bedbug'~and I knew that I knew, that one day, I would use it in naming a company for myself. So, there you have it~'the rest of the story', as Paul Harvey used to say!

I can never have too many rabbits or flowers around me!
There is the most precious little bunny that comes to our yard most every morning & early evening to eat.
Our Corgi, Jasmine, starts her low growl as soon as 'bunny' appears~what a watch-dog she is!

I watch my little grand-girls each day, & today I was just struck with the fact of what a privilege it is to have them close enough to care for them & enjoy the wonder of them !
I have wished so many times of late , that I could have seen my own girls through these 'grandmother eyes'. These 'eyes' are so much more capable of seeing what's really bothering them when they are out of sorts, & knowing the things to do to soothe them , without growing impatient in the process. That is most assuredly due to the time I have to devote to just them, without feeling the pressure to attend to a job or the many responsibilities that come with being a Mom.

Today was so HOT, & humid~I just can hardly STAND it! Typically, my husband , who works 3rd shift, takes the little girls for an 'Icee' after he wakes up. But today, I decided to make home-made icecream instead. Seeing as it's almost the end of the summer, I thought it a good reason to pull out the icecream freezer, maybe for the last time this season. Once the grandgirls helped me with the mixture, I couldn't get it to the freezer fast enough! I loaded it down with ice & LOTS of salt, to speed up the freezing process. Viola!~we have rich, creamy icecream in less than 30 minutes! A record!! My mother-in-law came to enjoy this delicious treat with us (she can literally eat us under the table when it comes to icecream!! ) She was the one who taught me to say, "I scream, You scream , We ALL scream , for icecream"!! And scream we do..............for MORE, MORE , MORE ! ha!

And now, let me share this delicious recipe with you~I guarantee, it's a winner!!

VANILLA ICECREAM

4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup vanilla flavoring
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 quart half & half

Blend the eggs, sugar & vanilla well with a mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to incorporate any stray sugar crystals. Slowly add the half & half. Blend well. Add the whipping cream, & blend well. Pour into your canister for freezing. Add regular milk to bring the mixture up to the 'fill' line.
Now, here's the trick: You MUST add LOTS of icecream salt to ensure a good frozen consistency. I layer the ice with about a half-cup of salt per layer~3 in all. Top it all off with ice to cover the top of the canister, keeping it covered with ice throughout the whole freezing process. It should freeze up thick & creamy in no time. Now, get out those spoons & get ready to go to icecream heaven!! Enjoy!
PS~This is a NO COOK icecream recipe. I have made it this way for 37 years, & never gotten sick once. My mother-in-law made it this way for as many years before me!