Thursday, June 27, 2013

Good News

Yes, God is good! After six months of being unemployed, closing my shop, cleaning house,  praying and trusting in Him for our daily bread.......Mr. Sweetladyelaine found a JOB!!!

Praise God .......We often laugh and say "He is a last minute God"! He delivers in the nick of time.  But it is in His time and His time is perfect. We can never be sure what has to take place before He can give us what we need.  We just have to trust, that in His time, it will come to us!

If you know me, you know that I trust God with all my heart. I have said many times that it is one day at a time. On some days, especially in this season,  it was a minute at a time. You heard me say," Pray without ceasing".  A few times, I have sat down in the morning to drink my coffee and ended up talking to God right until dinner. God has never failed me. NEVER!

I just wanted you to know that we are going to Pasadena, Texas! We moved here from Houston, Texas a year & a half ago. I guess we need to go back to Texas for some reason. A New Yorker in Texas! lol This time I will buy cowgirl boots! Maybe a few dishes too!

Thank you to everyone who has been  praying for us! God does hear our prayers.
I will be in Illinois until our house is sold......so come back & visit!

If anyone lives near Pasadena, lets get together sometime! I would love to meet other bloggers!

Blessings My Friend,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your needs to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ. Philippians 4:6&7.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

A Table on a Shoe String......

Since we are unemployed, I have not bought any dishes in at least the past six months! I pride myself in being a good steward of our money. This is decorating a table for very little.

I have been pretty busy the past two weeks.....my hubby went on a week of job interviews and I went on a hunt! lol  My friend and I went consignment shopping, garage sale shopping and just plain shopping! Did you ever have days like that???????
I was exhausted but I had so much fun.....

That brings me to my tablescape today! Everything on my table has come from Goodwill, garage sales, or on sale, cheap!





I bought these at Old Time Pottery for 50 cents a piece! I was so happy.....I haven't bought anything new for soooo long. They're"arc  called "Swirl" and are hand painted. They are orange & red.....


The plates are made in France  by "arcopal". I bought these at a garage sale last week. At $3.00 for a place setting of eight, it was a great buy.... 8 dinner, 8  salad, 2 bowls and 8 mugs.


Here is a side view of my bargains......my charger is blue - green, from a resale place in Texas.


 
I love this centerpiece....I wasn't sure what to put in it so I left it empty. I thought about turning it into a lamp! It needs a little painting but I am undecided what to do with it! I bought this at a Community Kindness Shop here in Belleville, IL.
 

Goodwill was so good to me in Buffalo, New York. I do miss it ! I bought these rose pots there for 99 cents each. I miss those days. I am only buying on sale.


Another Goodwill, New York  find......
 

I bought two of these at a garage sale last summer. I think they are so pretty!

 
Well, there you have it...a simple, table set on a shoe string.......


Thank you for stopping by. I always enjoy your comments so please leave me one!


I am joining:

Susan at BNOTP for Tablescape Thursday
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/4th-of-july-table-for-children/

Kathleen at Kathleen Cuisine for Let's Dish
http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/2013/06/the-party-lets-dish-68.html

Thank you to the ladies for hosting these wonderful parties. Without them I would not be meeting you!

Blessings My Friend,





Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The inspiration for this table are my orange lilies. I don't have a beautiful flower garden, so this is quite a big deal! I have to admit, I do dream of having a flower garden. But with moving so much, I have not been able to plant one. By the time we settle down, I will be too old to want one! I'm tired now!



                   My bird  dishes are from Old Time Pottery. At 39 cents each, they were a big bargain!
                                    The little oval bowls I got from the Dollar Store in Texas.


A close up of my pretty vintage rectangular basket. My glasses are from Tuesday Morning. I used them last week too! With no money to spend on extras, I use what I have.....over & over.



                                             My centerpiece.................very simple. I am not an orange person.
It is my least favorite color....Do you have a favorite color? I'm a pink and blue person. I laugh at my favorite colors. Not one of my rooms in our house is one of those colors! I wear them, though.......



                                          Vintage salt & pepper shakers and corn holders.
                                        I put corn holders on the table but we never use them.



I should tell you, Mr. Sweetladyelaine is cooking on the grill. I love cooking on the grill, because I'm not cooking!!!! lol  I get a day off! Do you get any days off?


Mr.  Sweetladyelaine still has not found a job. We are trusting in God to find us one.
We know He is faithful!
This is a quick tablescape this week. My camera is still not working properly. I am at the mercy of its whims, for now.

I am joining:

Let's Dish with Kathleen Cuisine
http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/2013/06/i-have-lot-of-ballsliterally.html

Tablescape Thursday with Susan at BNOTP
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/table-setting-ideas-for-a-4th-of-july-party/

Please visit as many tablescapes as you can throughout the week. I love your comments!

Blessings My Friend,


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Goose Grove Part 3

 
 
Yes....you are my queen!  You are the only one.....I love you....I love you.....the way the pond water glistens off your skin.....the........er.........the.......pay no attention to those ladies who have come to pay a visit.  I told you I was giving tours of Goose Grove...they are nothing to worry about!   I love you my queen!!!  But I must finish my story about our neighborhood....Darling.  You know I only have bug eyes for YOU!!!


Ah....my good friends.....it's time to meet my many friends!  This is the official Garden Greeter!

He tries to make sure the bugs don't eat too many of the treats inside the blue fence!

This is my nephew.  He swings on the willow tree all day!  You can hear him yelling..."weeee-bit!"
This is my friend the squirrel.  She is very tired because fighting the birds for the seeds....can be exhausting! She is dreaming of Fall when the acorns fall!
This is solar turtle.  He makes sure we don't step on the rocks and ruin the design!
Under the snapdragons lives a copper snail.  He doesn't eat much - the owner doesn't squish him.
Little blue birds live next to the driveway tucked under pink flowers.
On the other side of the snapdragons....lives my neighbor's kid.  He is little and doesn't go very far.

There is this rabbit who swings every year above the tulips!
Yellow finch who waters the hanging baskets watches that crazy rabbit....
 

And of course...with all of the flowers here...the butterflies like to stay all the time.

Speaking of flowers....I forgot to show you the window boxes!  The window boxes were made by the Mr. Goose & his oldest Gander. 
Every years, it looks different.  They are so beautiful....some neighbors have asked if they were plastic!
 
The longer the season...they will grow right up the shutters!
Here is this years arrangement. In a month...it will really look nice!!
Under the window boxes there is hedge that blooms pink flowers!
Sometimes the ducks will make a nest under there....but you didn't hear it from me!

We gets lots of butterflies here too.  They don't consider me a close friend....well because...sometimes I'm really, really hungry!!!




This guy was so big- I wanted to ride him around the yard!!

We also have lots of bees & ladybugs!  They are everywhere...teasing me!!

They really like the Russian Sage .......


And the wildflowers under the maple tree.....
This is a Mason Bee House.  They don't sting...so they can stay as long as they want!
 
We get LOTS of dragonflies.....

And once in awhile.....a  hummingbird flies by!



 And maybe you noticed the blue fence?  That was built by Mr. Goose & his 2 Ganders on Mother's Day! 
They feed their family all season with what they grow in there! 
Peppers of all shapes & sizes!!

Green Beans.......
 

Butter-crisp Lettuce!

Onions....green ones  & garlic!
Melons....
Beets....oh the tops are DELICIOUS!!


Tomatoes of all kinds! Beef steak, early girl, roma, cherry, & grape tomatoes!  They also grow cucumbers, eggplants, peanuts & black-eyed peas!!

Now there wasn't enough room for everything...so they had to make 2 strips for other root vegetables & squashes.  At first, they planted purple & white onions & Yukon potatoes & sweet potatoes in there. This year - mostly squash is taking it's place. You've got to rotate your crop you know!

Sweet potatoes...that lasted for months after being pulled from the ground.
Yukon golden potatoes....
 
Now if you want food to taste good...you've got to add spices & herbs.  So on the side of the house...is a herb garden!! 
There's rosemary, sage, basils, oregano, parsley, cilantro, thyme, marjoram, tarragon, & mints.

Well....it's getting late....and the sun is setting.....

over Goose Grove.....

......and soon the humans will be out to make a small fire that will reflect the bunny rabbits!

 
It was very nice meeting all of you! 
I hope you enjoyed my home of Goose Grove.
It is a work in progress...and perhaps at the end of the season I'll have even more to show you!
But until then...you can find me with my Queen.  Poor thing was a human before she kissed me!