Friday, January 29, 2016

Is There Always A Story? Probably

Good morning and welcome Through My Back Door. The coffee is on, and guess what? We are back to DD. It is a good thing I wasn't this fickle in other things, as I am coffee. I LOVE good coffee. It is important to me, but I find if I drink the same brand day in and day out, it just gets blah, so I change around. I am a Gemini and I don't know enough about astrology to know if that is in our make up or not. Hahahaha. However, there is also some cake, strawberries and whipped cream if you want it this early. As many of you know, I belong to a few decorating groups on FB. One of the people in the group, made the comment that all of my things had a story, and it set my mind a whirl. I guess for the most part they do. With that said, I think when I sit in this little house and I look around at all the pieces I have collected, they do tell a story and they do bring back memories. So when Al made that comment I thought, "I feel a blog coming on". Well home is where I spend a lot of time now that I am retired and no longer work part time, so yes I want it to feel good. I want to look at something and remember where,when, and why I have it. It makes me happy. Most of you who know me, personally, know I am happy most all the time. Oh I have my moments, as I have lost a husband and other wonderful people in my life, but for most part I am happy. You see as a Christian, I KNOW I will see them again. Well when I look around and I see a dresser Curtis refinished that had green enamel on it I smile. He used to say the wood spoke to him. I believe it did.
See it in the back ground? We have another just like it in the bedroom. See that picture over it, that was a gift from a fellow blogger, the year Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer. He wouldn't let me pay for it, said it made him happy to make someone smile. Well, I smile everytime I look at it.
See the desk? I looked for 3-4 years on my travels for the "right" desk. It couldn't be over a certain size to fit in this spot. Well my daughter in law Renda, found it on line in up state New York, she and Dodd bought it, had it shipped to me for Christmas a year ago.It fills my heart to see it and know what they went through to get it for me. The cupboard in the background? Most of you know the story about the two German cupboards.
The other one is in this picture. We bought those 3 years apart, sold the small one, bought the big one kept it, and eventually bought the little one back. Curtis loved them. See the mantle? I had always wanted a mantle to decorate. One day Deb and Michael pulled up to the front door and had bought this for me. Just because. I smile every time I flip that remote, and think about what wonderful children I have. BTW this is an old picture and although the big things remain, it looks completely different.
All of you know the story of the little yellow bowl. It restores my faith in people every time I look at it. I have my great great grandfathers little chair and Curtis stripped it and put the last bottom in it. It makes me smile for it has lots of stories.
Then there is my kitchen table.
When I decided to downsize my table Renda found this one on Craigslist. A 2 board East Tn Walnut table. So Michael and I go to look at it. Let me digress a minute, and say when Curtis' mind deteriorated, every old piece of furniture he saw, he would say, we used to own that. Well it got to be a joke with all the family. Everyone of my children, Doug, Dodd, and Deb love anything old and all collect, so we all used that phrase, as it made us smile. Well back to the table, when Michael and I went into the house and saw this table, I said, We used to own this table.lol The look on his face said, "uh oh. Here we go again".  However when I told him  to look for a couple of things, he knew I was still ok. Anyway, we never had used it in our house, but had sold it in the shop. So it does have a story too. The cupboard behind it has a story. Curtis tried to buy it in NC , but a local auction house won the bid. Their truck broke down and he hauled them and the cupboard back home. When they eventually put it up for bid, we bought it.
My churns all have a story, as do my baskets, and so many other things.Another post I will share some other pieces and their stories. So yes, there is always a story and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Know what else I wouldn't have any other way? You coming Through My Back door where life is good.
betty
PS: I want to throw out a thank you for my domino group. They came and played yesterday with sheetrock dust everywhere, Subway sandwiches for lunch and never once complained.
PSS: I have lost approx 30 followers. Someone said it was because people are stopping to blog. I find that so sad
PSSS I don't air my personal ailments but I am facing shoulder surgery of some kind.Waiting on the results of the MRI to know how involved.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

I Did What!

Good morning and welcome Through My Back Door. Grab a mug and get yourself a cup of coffee. I love it when you make yourself at home. After all you have been coming Through My Back Door for a long time now. I always love seeing you because I know we will have a good visit.
I have been "tweaking". Yes, I have! You can't believe it can you? When I put my Christmas away, the day after Christmas, I decided to declutter. I think there must be something wrong with me but I cannot feel sad putting my decorations away. I am so ready to reclaim my house for the winter. Nothing extra comes out until a little bit before Valentines Day, and then I will put some hearts. Not many, but as you know I LOVE hearts. Not the cut out 60-70's hearts, but special ones. Anyway, I digress, when I put things away this year, I decided I was not going to have many smalls out. I know so many of you collect brooms, mashers, rolling pins, graters, etc. Not me. Deb had a copper candy kettle full of rolling pins yesterday and I asked her why she had all that stuff? She said because she liked it. Well, I am not one who does, so, now I have hardly any smalls out and I like it. I will share a few pictures of my "less than" decor. One of the things I always wanted to do was hang my spice box. There was only one place to hang it and that was where my wall of love was. Well after lots of thought, I dismantled that wall and hung my spice box and I am loving it.
what do you think? I may at a later date change it but for now, this is where it is and I like it. I had it on my mantle.  After removing that I had to find something to replace it.
I think I am good with this. It isn't cluttered and I can enjoy my tiger maple knife box.
I put the candle box from the same state on the tavern table.
I am liking this look so much. I used to think I had to have everything out, but "everything" got to be too much.The large blanket chest is lampless for the first time in 40 years.
I am loving this as I love my red tulips. I got them at a local shop many years ago and I never tire of them.
I bought this little stage coach trunk from Dodd. It "spoke" to me. Don't laugh it did.lol Well I have no place for it. I tried stacking it and that didn't work for me, so it sets happily on the floor holding wrapping paper. I paid big bucks for that horse at a show after I retired. I must have been in a fog, because I have no where for him either, so the two little misfits are together and hopefully happy.lol
Well I have just bombarded you with pictures so I will stop showing house pictures. I hope you enjoyed coming Through My Back Door today as much as I enjoyed having you.
betty
PS: After receiving so many private emails and lots of prayer I will keep the blog going for a while longer. The hits are staggering to me. I never expected it
PSS:I am getting excited as the first trip of 2016 is coming up soon.
PSSS: I received an article on my FB timeline that there would be no more Cadbury Caramel eggs, due to a lawsuit by Hershey. Well that sent me into a nose dive! However my neighbors, Jackie and Phil found some the other day, When I got home that day, there was a bag of them on my back door knob! I knew exactly where they came from. I called her and said I was glad her hens were laying. She replied, that she gathered them because she knew I would be afraid too! I love them.