Pink Child's Iron~ Pink Saturday

When I was a little girl, I received a little iron and ironing board for Christmas one year. I was so excited because the iron had to be plugged into the wall and it actually got warm to the touch. Now that may not sound exciting to the kids now-a-days. What with Easy Bake Ovens etc. however, it was a BIG thing to me. I didn't really realize why, until a couple of weeks ago while watching my granddaughter play. Rebekah is 15 months old and so much like her dad and probably me as a child. She already knows right from wrong, thanks to her mom and dad, however she is so tempted to do the opposite of right! She was running through the house playing chase with her aunt Melody when all of a sudden she noticed an unprotected electrical wall outlet. Rebekah knew all of their outlets at home had covers and she KNEW not to touch it. That was the revealing moment to me. Her curiosity got the best of her. She started towards the outlet with those big eyes sparkling. I said "NO, NO." Next her dad said "No," also. She stopped walking towards the outlet then started running and playing again. However, each time she went past that outlet, she looked at it then looked at me. I'm thinking that I was told "No, No," not to touch a hot iron. But on that Christmas Day, back in 1953, I could finally touch an iron as well as the outlet you plugged it in to! These little pink toy irons still heat up, just as a reminder of Christmas 1953. Happy Pink Saturday thanks to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound.

Dill Pickles Anyone?

My whole life I have seen my grandparents,mom etc. plant dill in the garden for canning dill pickles in the summer. While visiting Bisbee, Arizona last week, I noticed this unusual weed growing everywhere in the town. I told my sister to STOP the car. I think that is dill just growing everywhere in Bisbee! Sure 'nough, it was! It was all along the roadsides, in the ditches and everywhere you looked. It was truly Dill WEED! I had heard it called that but little did I know that it's just a WEED! You learn something every day don't 'cha?

Survey, restoring an old home

What an odd picture for a post to begin with...right, isn't that what you're saying? Here's what I'm saying. Every morning when I get up, I go to my front porch with a cup of coffee and this is what I see. This "farmhouse" was built in 1853 and has seen more memories than all of us put together. However, now it sits empty and needs a savior. There is a carriage house in the back as well as a wonderful smoke house. It sits on 1 and1/2 acres of land. Our community treasures the house. We fear someone will buy it and tear it down because it is on a corner lot in our town. However, the lady that owned it passed away and left it to her daughter. The daughter had helped her mother "work" on the house for ten years. (Note the scraped walls) They put so much TLC into the place. But, the daughter was diagnosed with cancer and passed away nine months later. She has a husband but no children. The mother has two other sons that live in Boston. To make a long story a little shorter, I Love This House! It calls my name. I have had the pleasure of going inside and could actually fill the LOVE from the walls within. The ladies had the house rewired, replumed and some structure work done inside. It is 4 big rooms with a "dogtrot" down the center. The staircase was torn down from the hall by a previous "restorer." My family would think me crazy if they knew I am considering biding on it next month when the auction is held. As you know, I love old things and this house would display my collection so well. What do you think? How crazy would a retired 62 year old single woman be to buy this "Money Pit?" My financial advisor had me to watch Tom Hanks' movie The Money Pit when I told her my dream! LOL Be thinking of what I should do and post a yes or no. Thanks

Tombstone Territory

Howdy Partners!

I'm back from the cowboy and Indian territory out West and had a hot, hot, wonderful trip. My sister and I went out for our friends wedding and took in Bisbee, Sierra Vista, Tombstone, Benson and Tuscon. We stayed in an 1819 Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast Inn and Legends Bed and Breakfast Inn. Tombstone is called the "The Little Town that refused to die." When you ride through "town", there are real cowboys hanging out. AZ has no gun law so the men wear their six guns right on their hips. I couldn't take my eyes off of them. I had a little Roy Rogers gun and holsters set and really wanted to get my hands on a gun. One of the cowboys at Carol's wedding let me handle his 45. It is really heavy, and that didn't include the bullets. The mountain range is so different from the Appalachians here in Alabama. Also, the cactus were blooming and we were just fascinated with the bright colors. It is good to be home. I missed all of you in blogland.

Mistletoe Bough Bed and Breakfast

Celebrating my birthday at Mistletoe Bough Bed and Breakfast today was so much fun. This historical B&'B was built in 1890 and is located in Alexander City, Alabama. We girls arrived Monday evening and were treated like royalty. The house is just one shake of a lamb's tail short of a mansion. It is totally Victorian, inside and out. Our hostess, Joanne and Jesse are so friendly and eager to make you feel right at home. This will be my last post for a few days as I leave at 6AM for my friend Carol's wedding in Tombstone Arizona. Enjoy the eye candy of this B&B.

Ya Ha Sisterhood

My sister and I rarely get to do anything together...just the two of us. Well, It's about time! We are both retired and "free as a bird" to finally make an effort to travel together. Our long time childhood friend is getting married next Friday and invited us to come out to her wedding in Tombstone, Arizona! Well, We're Doing It! I told our friend, Carol, that we would not be able to make it, then all of a sudden, Priceline ran a sale on airfare that included a rental car! We will leave on Wednesday, Aug. 20th and check out the sights a few days before Carol's wedding. We are SO excited to travel our first trip together in a long time. Our parents took us to this same spot out West when we were 5 and 9 years old. It will be so much fun to revisit it.We plan to make this an annual event. Oh, did I mention that we only live 8 blocks apart? My sister, Darthy has 4 grands and Garrison is standing with us at my retirement party. We are both retired teachers.I will post our travels when we return, if the cowboys and Injuns don't shoot us up or lynch us!

Pink Saturday Aug. 16th Prayer Kitchen Ladies

My Pink post for today is my Kitchen Prayer Ladies. Thanks Beverly from How Sweet The Sound for hostessing this party. My Kitchen Prayer ladies are made by ENESCO by Columbia Ceramics in the 1950's. Each one has an inspirational kitchen prayer or blessing. They come in yellow and blue as well as MY Color....PINK. I noticed that a lovely planter is available on EBay this week. It is going for $30 right now.

Strawberry Shortcake/Vintage Style

Thanks Sue, from The Cotton Patch , for the great idea for a quick dessert. I too had a Sunday School Class party tonight and wanted to make a cute dessert. I found this wonderful depression glass basket at a yard sale about 3 years ago. I paid $20 for it and it has no flaws. I simply took Sue's advice but layered the angel food cake,strawberries and whipped topping in this depression glass basket.The ladies in my class loved it.

Pink Saturday August 09,2008

Thank you for inviting me to PINK SATURDAY. I have chosen one of my favorite pink vintage toys to share with you. This vintage metal stove and refrigerator were given to me by my BFF Carol Isley. Carol is a flea/antique-aholic for sure. She is a former travel nurse and knows every shop from California to Alabama. These two vintage tin pieces sit in my kitchen sharing to glow from all of the other pink items. One is Frigidaire brand and the other is Coldspot. The Frigidaire reminds me so much of my dad. EVERY refrigerator was a Frigidaire to him. "Get me some buttermilk out of the Frigidaire," Daddy would yell. We had a GE! I have collected a few vintage dishes to accompany my play set. Come over some time and we'll make up a batch of mud pies with acorns on top.

Passion For Pink

I am a pink person! I love everything PINK~ I collect Fire King's Pink Swirl dishes....only made during Elvis Presley days. I also collect the dishes my mother used when I was a girl. I never knew the name of them until one day at The Birmingham Fairgrounds Flea Market I just saw them! Turns out they are called Hazel. I believe they came in DUZ detergent.The have no markings on them. I recognized the yellow flower on the plate because I used to scrub the color off thinking it was egg yolk! I have pink aprons, glasses, vintage linens, pink enamel ware and working on finding pink vintage cooking utensils. I have a stand up mixer as well as a portable one. I even have an ice crusher and a meat,vegetable grinder. And check out that 50's clock radio. I try to use everything whenever possible because my kids will put it at the Thrift Store when I'm gone. I am a collector, they are not. I got it honestly from my parents. They grew up when you saved string off of the sacks of flour and hog shorts! I've worn those little calico dresses made from flour sacks. They rarely were pink..do you think? Thanks to my friend Carol for arranging my items on the Hoosier. She can just put junk together so nicely.

It's Contagious~No, It's Justice

One week at school I noticed three of my students wearing arm slings. Now, I had taught two of the girls and the other one visits me often and is a sweet little friend. I learned to realize that things are not always what they look like. For example, one of my students from second grade (J) was excused from doing homework for two weeks because she had her arm in a cast...a cast she found in the girl's bathroom! We educators laugh when kids get caught up with. You see, J was in my room once and the mom gave me a hard time about accusing the little girl of doing sneaky things. Well, to get back to the story, J was now in the 4th grade and her mom came in to pick her up early from school. J, unsuspecting, walked out in the hall and saw her mom, and quickly ducked into the bathroom and hid the cast. However, it wasn't quick enough. The mom caught a glimpse of that cast and marched down to the classroom to investigate. We could hear the mom yelling "you a lie" and J bawling clear on the back hall . It was hard to hear above our laughing! Yes, there is justice for teachers, especially if you teach long enough! This is also a reason I wouldn't name my kids J! Anyway, the three girls decided to write their stories and I would publish them. Happy Ending!

Liberty Day

Every year, during the last week of June, my little town celebrates Independence Day. It all begins the week before with the Miss Shelby County Pageant. As the actual Liberty Day activities approach, we all decorate our porches and yards in a patriotic theme. Many of us with lovely porches, drape them with banners, ( I found out these were called buntings) and leave them up for several weeks. My friends give me red. white and blue items all the time because they know Columbiana goes "all out." A couple of years ago, I found this lovely folk art Uncle Sam at a consignment shop. He proudly stands with his rifle at ease. This year I had to teach him to "cock it" because mischievous teens or "red necks" have walked off with my lawn decorations! My street runs parallel with Main Street so a lot of traffic goes in front of my house on Liberty Day. Main Street is closed on Friday evening so vendors can begin setting up their wares. I love Libery Day. I get to see folks I haven't seen in years. They yell at me on the porch while they are stopped at the stop sign. Horses trot by...poooping the whole time, sirens blast and kids that I don't want to know where I live, discover the location to roll for next Halloween!. None the less, I enjoy every minute of it. I go to the parade that evening to catch junk just like a kid. But, the most incredible part is the fireworks display that night! I starts at 9:oo and the football field is full of folks from miles around. Free watermelon is served by our only grocery store,Piggly Wiggly. All the neighborhood dogs howl and hide during the fireworks. People walk everywhere and it's just a great day. I can still smell the kettle corn and Polish dogs cooking. I gotta close and see if Uncle Sam is still standing at attention...yea, it's August!

Friends and Bed and Breakfast Fun

One of my very favorite things to do is visit Bed and Breakfast Inns. I really think I might have been born in the wrong era. I love the Victorian ambiance, decorations and colors. I am happy when I am among a lot of friends and enjoying a scone and a cup of tea. The antiques and amenities are just a bonus for me. Although the stairs are getting harder to climb, once at the top, I feel like it is Christmas. Opening each bedroom to see who is going in that room is like opening a Christmas present to me! All of us B&B group just oooh and aaah at every little touch that the innkeepers have added. I am so crazy about B&B's that I actually became a certified Inn Keeper! My friends no longer asked me "what do you want to do for your birthday?" They know I want to visit another B&B. I have even talked my children into visiting one for their anniversary. My favorites are too numberious to list. I adore Mistletoe Bow in Alex City, Myrtlewood Inn in Aliceville, Gorham's Bluff, Pisga, Rose Inn, Fayette, and of course Columbiana Inn right here in Columbiana. The least favorite is in New Orleans and that was only because the Inn Keepers were terrible hostesses. Here are some pictures of the gang.

Favorite Child

My two children have said for the last 14 years that my favorite child was "Sugar." Sugar was a toy white poodle that has been the love of my heart for the past 14 years. I had to let her go to pet heaven a month ago. My human children gave her to me as a Mother's Day gift...well at least a gift certificate for her. I did not want another dog. I had just lost a wonderful Basset Hound and was still grieving the loss of her. One day I saw an add for these poodles in Attalla and Melody and I drove up there and chose her out of about 9 puppies at a puppy mill! She was so tiny, the runt of the litter, and only 5 weeks old. She attached to me immediately. She was "there" for me through so many major parts of my life. She was with me when both of my parents died, when both of my children graduated HS then college, divorce, marriage of both children, birth of grandchild, retirement. When I almost died in 2001, Sugar was written in on my chart as a visitor to the hospital. My kids brought her up to my room and she lay in the bed with me. Otherwise, she had to live alone in our house for 33 days, during Christmas and New Year. You see, she has been through a lot with me. She could get everyone laughing with her singing to our song...Sugar Boogar." Melody taught her to pray with her little paws, so I know she was a Christian and I will see her again. She went camping with me and even went to school once a year to show my class how to care for pets. She also was a therapy dog occasionally. So you see, she was special to me. It took both of my children to help me lay her to rest near the garden pond in my yard. I still tear up and will always love her. She was my Sugar Boogar.