The Hunt Continues

My quest for house numbers continues.  I'm serious about this, I want something clever - but not too cute.  I would also like to finish this project before Christmas.

Life Lesson:  When you tell your husband you'll go shopping with him wherever he wants to go, keep in mind he may not choose an antique mall or a quilt shop. 

...where would I put the house number?...

We found this little beauty in Bass Pro Shop or Cabela's - sorry I can't remember which store, the day was kind of a blur.  Yes, I did say I wanted our entry way to be something visitors would remember.  And I vaguely remember saying something about wanting people to leave with a smile on their face. 

I can tell you it didn't come home with us. 

I hope it doesn't show up in my Christmas stocking.



*

Time and Again

I am trying hard not to complain but this time change thing is not something I look forward to.  I've gotten used to getting up and watching the sunrise at a decent hour.  I'm usually on my second cup of coffee and the colors are breathtaking.  Morning walks can start at just before 8:00 a.m.  Life is good.

I have also been enjoying soft sunsets.  I like the way the sun hangs on to the western sky and slowly slips away.  The shadows are different in the autumn - how do they do that?

via wallpapers.net

The "Spring Ahead" part works because for so many years I've gone in such a rush it is easy for me to believe I've lost an hour.  Of course I have.  In all my comings and goings I could simply misplace a bit of time, along with a bunch of other stuff.  I'm sure it's around here somewhere.

It is the idea that I'm being given an hour that really messes with my brain. 

"You'd do that for me?"

"A whole hour?"

"How thoughtful."

"It's just what I've always wanted."

Something about the "Fall Back" time change makes me want to go to bed at 7:10 p.m. and get up at 3:30 a.m.  Maybe if I get up really, really early on Sunday morning it will all make sense.  But I'll probably do what most people do and just enjoy my extra hour of sleep.  That's just it - I'll be asleep when it happens - how do I really know I'm getting an extra hour? 

If you are gaining an hour this weekend, enjoy it, you might as well, it's yours - well, that's what I've heard.

Question and Answer

I'd like to ask a few questions:

What if God created men and women truly equal?

What if, in the eyes of our Creator, there is
no difference in black, brown, red, white, or yellow?

How would your world be different
if you knew in your heart
no one is better
than you?

Is there anyone out there who doubts the existence of  God?


Well, I have proof positive that
God is alive
and well
and loves us all.

That's right, SPANX for men. 

As seen in a well known department store at the mall -

just before they threw me out for taking pictures with my phone. 

O.K., they didn't really throw me out,

but the sales associate did ask if she could help

in a "you'll have to put away that camera" sort of way.

I put my phone in my purse and walked away thinking,

"God is good."

Pumpkins - Part II

First off:  Happy Blog Day to me.  A year ago I sat down with my new laptop and wondered - how hard can writing a blog be?  Of course it was more than six months before my next post.  Like anything new, you have to make room for it in your life - I gave up bit of TV, life is better, blogs seem more real than TV.  There has to be some kind of payoff and for me - it's you.  Also, it keeps my children happy that I'm sharing my thoughts with someone besides them.

I'm celebrating this occasion with (what else?) cookies.

Do you like pumpkin bread?  Here's the recipe of one of my favorite autumn cookies. They have the taste and texture of pumpkin bread. 

Pumpkin Bread Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 F.

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

-------------------------------------------Sift and set aside.

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar

-------------------------------------------Beat until creamy. Add

1  15 oz. can pumpkin

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

-----------------------------Mix well.

-----------------------------Gradually beat in flour mixture.

It's more like cake batter than cookie dough.

-----------------------------Stir in

2 cups semi-sweet "mini" chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecan)

I stir in the chocolate chips and nuts by hand - no mixer - just gently fold them in.

Scoop out a rounded tablespoon of the dough (I use my 1 inch ice cream scoop makes the dough nice and round) and drop onto greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper to line my cookie sheets - easy clean up and no sticking).

This scoop makes my cookie making so easy - helps to keep all my cookies the same size.  Usually cookies sink down and get flat but this cookie bakes in the shape that you put it on the cookie sheet.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 375. Cool on wire rack.

Top (left) going in the oven.  Bottom (right) just came out.

They taste best after 12 hours of cooling. But they are pretty good warm.  

I'm trying to show you the texture of the cookies.  They are like little pumpkin breads.

I'm off to learn new things, meet new people, save the planet, you know, the usual stuff - I'll tell you all about it in another post.

Pumpkins - Part I

I have been away visiting my mom the last couple of weeks. It was great. I experienced the miracle of flight - and landing. I got to visit with most of my Georgia family, got together for lunch with some of mom's friends, relaxed in the country without a computer, looked for but didn't find house numbers, enjoyed wonderful food, played lots of card games, just lived.

One Friday, Mom and I found ourselves in Calhoun, Georgia. Sweet little town, leaves just starting to turn.  Walking down Wall Street, across from the Courthouse we passed a ballet studio.  The front windows were decorated with pink netting and pink pumpkins - lots of pink pumpkins.  The biggest one looked like this...

I was reminded of the blogs I follow that love pink. 

It was there, in the mist of all my good times and happy moments, I realized I may be hooked on blogging.  I missed you all.  Could it be that in the year 2011 there's more than one way to be a friend? 

I'm now playing catch-up with my home, garden, and life.  But in the mist of wedding plans and weeding and dusting the guest room I am taking a few minutes very now and then to play catch-up with my favorite blogs.

It's good to be home.

Sherry or Port

We are the proud owners of this little beauty.  A hand painted wine decanter set complete with little glasses that were also hand painted. 

As the weather starts to cool down, I like to put sherry in the decanter.  And at Christmas I like to have port in the house.  Using these glasses is a great way to have just a bit of alcohol.

We keep it on the same stand that it was kept on in my in-laws house, and they kept it on the same stand that it was on in the house my mother-in-law grew up in.  Wish I knew more about it.  When did her family use it?  What did they drink?  My husband tells me it was kept in the dining room.  Period.  No fun family stories.

In the years to come, my children will have stories to tell their children and (I hope) some of the stories will be about what we were doing when we were using "Grandma Joy's" wine decanter set.

Out and About in Fort Worth

Have you ever been to The Old Home Supply House?  It is just south of downtown Fort Worth, Texas, and it's an interesting place to spend some time.  Trust me, they have all kinds of treasures.  This is where I began my house numbers search...

Old Home Supply and then some, this is a fun visit.

Just when you think you've pegged them "old industrial stuff"

Lots of industrial stuff....

Just take a few minutes to look around the place,

really look,

and at some point

you will see the light.

If you look up you'll see lots of lights...

There's all kinds of stuff here - I like the hand painted sinks.
Check out the pink toilet, and there's a teal one -
bet you don't see those every day.

It's the old stuff that I enjoy looking at and some of it follows me home.

.

Too bad I'm not looking for a sink today, I like this one...

The fun part is, once you get through this building,
you've got two others to go through that are so different from this one.
Also, visit them when it's not raining - they have a garden collection...

There's lots more to see but I must stop here.

Turns out they did not have any old tile house numbers
so I leave this amazing place to go search somewhere else.

If you get a chance to visit
let me know what you think,
and if you have already discovered this unique place,
tell me,
what came home with you?


They are online:
http://www.oldhomesupplyhouse.com/

I'm not really good with online, I like to feel the merchandise.

What's your favorite 'Old House' place to shop?

cJoy




*