Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

In our early marriage I could never cook corned beef like his mom 

Hers was delicious. 

I'll never know what I was doing wrong but magically somehow it turns out fine now. 

But in the mean time we switched to Reuben Sandwiches instead. 

We love, love, love them so that’s our standard to this day  

I’m so looking forward to dinner tonite….

alot!

 Add a side of friend Chris' wonderful homemade dressing to dip it in and voila' 

~perfection~

Also a  nod to my husband’s ancestors from County Cork in Ireland.

David Austin Roses

I'm not entirely sure what prompted to sign up for emails from David Austin Roses 

but I'm so glad I did. 

It's one of those little things that make me close my eyes and smile and 

imagine the fragrances in the air..

I have absolutely no luck growing roses 

but it is such a sweet pleasure to see what someone

else can accomplish.  This is just a small sampling

of  what's available.

Enjoy!

http://www.davidaustinroses.com

Jubilee Celebration

Golden Celebration

Munstead Wood

Tamora

Wollerton Od Hall

James Galway

Netflix Obsession

I recently got Netflix. 

I have been thinking about it for several years and my dear son pushed me and just signed me up. Bless his heart

So now I am binge watching Call the Midwife and the list of other things to watch is a mile long. Everyone had suggestions of what to watch first but I am so glad I chose this wonderful PBS series. 

I started at Season 1 and now I’m finishing up Season 5.

In record time if I must confess. 

What a wonderful show and how can you not love all the endearing English sayings like 

Golly Gumdrops or Tickety Boo ……….

Next up is The Crown….there is definitely a trend here for me of English programs.

Carnivor

Twice now someone brought this wine to the house.

Admittedly I didn't try it the first time.

I'm not a huge red wine fan but when it came by the second time 

Someone was trying to get my attention

I knew I needed to try it.

?My reaction?

Splendid 

Not sharp

Not acidic

&

I currently have multiple bottles at my disposal.

Kickin' Back in Nassau

I love this picture.

I love this picture because it’s my son in the hammock

I love that he is home from a 9-month deployment and he and his family took a cruise that stopped one day in Nassau

I love that he looks so relaxed

  I’m so happy he is back safe and sound.

 I love my son

Winter 2017

I wrote this on my chalkboard last week
I am over winter!
Next season please.

And look what happened!
Windows & doors were open!

Next week is in the 30's again 

but this is what gets me through til Spring!

Projects

In the process of cleaning up and out in my sewing room I have unearthed many projects.

Some started

 Some put off

Some I really didn’t want to do

But after finding room to put things away 

and finding the top of my cutting table 

I am trying to clear them away. 

I WILL start with the one I don’t want to do and continue to move forward, 

albeit at a snails pace, 

but move forward I will because at the end is the beginning of a new quilt.

 There is a method to my madness!

Soooo cute.

DIL wants me to make a top with an adorable polka dot collar.

I just don't enjoy sewing clothes 

I can do it tho so I said yes

This will be the current final project. 

Vintage quilt pieces for another quilt.

New Year Gratitude

As the New Year begin I, like many people, have fresh dreams and plans for a wonderful coming year.

My gratitude  for 2016 is always there in my mind as it brought me much happiness and thankfully life lessons that I can learn and grow from. 

So here is to the beginning of 2017 as a year of dreams coming true and contentment in our lives. 

I am forever grateful for what I have been blessed with in life.

Vintage Skates

Child vintage double-runner skates. 

What a find! 

Lemon Tree--Update

This is why I save plants from being thrown out!

The Rewards are wonderful!

Lemon Tree Very Pretty

I have a serious weakness for plants. I just can't stand to see them discarded. 

I have certainly bought my share of plants but I "inherit" alot of them. 

 I can't say no! I just can't.

So my latest treasure is a lemon tree with 5 lemons on it! 

Unripe green lemons.. but it's so pretty.

 It has even started to bloom again for me. 

I'm so glad I rescued her...

German Christmas Pyramid

I purchased my pyramid at Marshall Fields while on a "girls day out "
shopping trip to Chicago many many years ago.

This Christmas treasure is my favorite. 
I always look forward to putting it together 
and remembering back to the day I purchased it.

My children always loved to see it put out each year & see it spin around

and now my grandchildren are enjoying it.

Tho not as much as I do!

Christmas Cactus

I have a lovely Christmas Cactus that is  probably over 10 years old. 

It started off as a tiny plant and turned into a monster.

However, it never blooms at Christmas! Only around Halloween and again at Easter!

And only if I put it outside for the summer.....
if not, 
it grudgingly gives me only a few blooms.
What a brat, right?
but what a lovely brat.

Sandhill Cranes

Illinois is a migratory path for Sandhill Cranes and I saw them for the first time this month.

They were in a baseball field of all places on a road I cut down to get home occasionally.

 I have lived here for many many years and just when I think I have seen 

everything there is to see in my neck of the woods I am proved wrong.

I happened to be in the right place at the right time….

Front Porch Gift

Dear Kindle DIL showed up with this a couple weeks ago. What a treat to walk up to my front door everyday and be greeted by something so beautiful and Autumn-ish!