The Case of the Tall Clock

My husband recently asked me to clean my junque out of the garage.

He's SO funny!
However, in the spirit of cooperation, I decided to bring a piece of furniture   from the garage into the house.

That counts, right?

I had an empty corner that was begging for something 

tall and skinny.  (Ha! I used to be tall and skinny)

So my sister and I lugged in a tall clock case

and set 'er down in the corner.

Perfect!

 This was a display piece

 I had in my store for many years.

There were no clock works

so I added a battery-operated clock face.

We're off to a good start.

Then, of course, I had to fill the empty space next to it.

So I pulled in an orphan chair

added a tray for a plant

found a big ol' pot and added one of my obsession plants

(sansevieria)

and walaa!  mission accomplished.

But I couldn't leave it alone, so I added a picture.
(I can't help myself)

 Then I moved the chairs back in place.

Problem is, there's so much stuff in the garage

it didn't make a dent.

And now there's just more stuff in the house /~"

Nevertheless, I'm

Counting My Blessings,

xo Susy

I'm linking to
Wow Us Wednesday
Vintage Inspiration Friday

Trip Report

We hit the road on a rainy California morning, heading to Texas for a reunion of Mr. D's Army unit.  Over one hundred of them had trained together at Fort Irwin, California, and shipped out from Long Beach in 1968 to Vietnam.  

 

By the time we passed Palm Springs, we had blue skies and smooth sailin'

 

Not long after they arrived in Vietnam, my husband was re-assigned to work as an artillery adviser to the Vietnamese.   He really didn't remember the others at the reunion, but some of them knew his name from  being on the other end of the radio when he called in the firing coordinates for the heavy artillery.

  Apparently those things are not easily forgotten.

  I took one look at the pictures they had in albums and started to cry.

 We were newlyweds at the time he was deployed,

 and it's still hard to think about all they went through.

The reunion was hosted by a retired Officer, at his country road ranch.

He and his beautiful and talented wife were very gracious

 and treated us all to a day of down-home food and music.  

She's an artist, and her wood-burning art can be seen here 

  (these photos are from her website)

The color is added with pencils or pastels

I was taken with the property and all the rustic elements

and wandered off and went a-shootin, while hubby reminisced

Counting My Blessings,

xo Susy

I'm joining my blogger buddies at
  Spiritual Sundays

Vintage Inspiration Friday 

Please Stay

  "November comes,

and November goes,
With the last red berries, and the first white snows.
With night coming early, and dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket,

and frost by the gate.
The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."
     ~ Elizabeth Coatsworth

Fall is my favorite season.  I relish the colors, the crisp mornings, wearing jeans and cardigans, and dinners from the oven.   But it seems to get cut short.  No sooner have I covered up the patio furniture and closed the kitchen windows - than people are talking about decorating for Christmas.  

For me, that happens the day after Thanksgiving.  This may be a subliminal nod to my retail days and "black Friday", when the holiday season 'officially' begins.  (Although we usually started putting our trees up in late September.)

At home, I decorate with fall colors year round, and at Christmas I just add more red.  That's it.  Although I've lived in a beach community all my life, instead of shells and sea glass, I have twigs, flora, wildlife and earthtoned-pottery in every room.  Here are a few samplings from around the homestead.

The breakfast room table ~

although we never eat breakfast there (:

Snowberry Roseville

Lilies and Freesia cachepots and a

Hudson-Weller lamp in the living room

A Pinecone Trio 

The twig- handled basket is one of the pieces broken

(and glued back together) in a mantel mishap

Wildlife in the den curio cabinet;

 a hand-painted cider set with a bird on a branch (of course)

(see more from this cabinet here ) 

and a hefty acorn pitcher with squirrel handle

accompanied by a sweet little deer family 

And in the bedroom...

more squirrel!

and an old lake print

and more pottery ~  I think this is the Zephyr Lily pattern,

with a sentimental little brown bear candle

 And finally,
this  print hangs over the mantle in the bedroom

 

its a forest scene,
with a buck walking into the light, looking back

It reminds me of my husband; strong and sturdy, brave and rugged

 

Whenever I study it, this song always comes to mind

"When It's All Been Said and Done"

Click here if you'd like to listen

 

 Wishing you a spectacular November ~ every bit of it. 

Counting My Blessings,

Susy

I'm joining Vintage Inspiration Friday

Show and Tell Friday 

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