Can You Say....Inappropriate??

One of the most important part of our home is our cats. They are wonderful companions as well as beautiful creations. Our kitten, Clarence, is growing up fast. He still has a bit to learn in the manners department, though! But he is showing off the island, the kitchen bookcase and the newly painted floor today.

(Look, I now am keeping my mixer out on display!)



I set my computer on the kitchen island. Now, I must tell you that I am very germ conscious. Having said that, I do let the cats on the island, but NO other surface in the kitchen. That way, we can hang out together, and they aren't in the food prep area.

Can you see that Clarence pulled up Aunt Amelia's blog???!!

He also pulled up a window I had never seen before.




It would never occur to me to use a computer keyboard as a....bed. Even after this, it just doesn't appeal.




Clarence, thank you for helping out today. You are the most darling, snuggliest, lovey kitten EVER!

Your mommy.

He is.

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.




4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.




6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

(from Psalm 95)

Thank you, Charlotte and Ginger, for hosting Spiritual Sundays.

Have a blessed and beautiful day!

Carol

My Lovely Mixer

Get ready to feast your eyes on a beauty!



A few years ago, I wanted to get a new stand mixer. I do love the Kitchen Aid, but this one caught my eye. The price was right. The style was sooooo cool. Mister gave her to me for Christmas.




Sunbeam. MixMaster.




Legacy Edition.




Heritage Series.




She's a workhorse.




Love her look. She's beautiful.




She gets a lot of use.




Every time I get this mixer out to use, I feel happy. If I had more counter space, I'd leave her out to look at all the time, like I used to do.
A simple thing, but something that gives me great pleasure.
Don't you agree?

Have a spooktacular weekend!
Carol

Linking to Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday. Join me!

Linda's Birthday

I'm participating in Outdoor Wednesday, hosted by A Southern Daydreamer today! Be sure to visit this delightful blog!



It was my sister's birthday this week so I went to visit her. Being an empty nester, and all, I have more time to do things like this now. Linda and her family live out in the country. If you look carefully, you will get a glimpse of the pond at the farm across the road from her house. You know when it's spring around here because of the constant trill of the spring peepers! Love it.




You can see the cornfield behind the back yard. Linda has 7 chickens, so we headed out to see them.




Look at the different patterns on each hen! Each breed is uniquely beautiful. Each has her own feather pattern. Glorious.



Linda thinks this one is the most beautiful. She is gorgeous.




When it was time for them to go back into their run, I watched them follow Linda like she was the Pied Piper. Linda and her family love these birds, and they truly are pets, as well as egg producers.




She sent me home with a dozen beautiful brown eggs!

The Old Chest

You know how it is. You know you've got to have a thrifting fix. You can hold off for a while, but it's inevitable. You're gonna have to go.
So I went.




All furniture was half off. One day only. I found this old chest. It had lots of character and....it was half price.
But the line for the cashier extended halfway back the store. And I didn't know if it would fit in my car. But our family room ottoman was broken, and we'd been looking for something to replace it with.




I texted Mister, who was out of town, with a picture and the question, "Do you think I can carry this out and get it home?" His emphatic answer, "NO!" So I knew what I had to do.
Fortunately, the chest has wheels. Very squeaky ones. I maneuvered it out of the big crowd of furniture it was in the middle of. EEEK....EEEEK... went the wheels. Bump, EEK, across the cement floor. Turned a lot of heads.




I waited in line for about 20 minutes. Checked out. Then EEEK'ed my way across the parking lot.
"You know," I told myself, "I think I can slide (jam) this into the back seat of the car." I did that until one of the legs started breaking off. Pulled it back onto the parking lot.
"Maybe I could kind of wedge it into the trunk", was my next thought. Which I did. Got 1/3 of it in the trunk, made a quick maneuver with some bungee cords, drove SLOWLY home.
Sent another picture text to Mister. This one was entitled Ta. Da.




As Clarence is showing you, the chest has charcoal in it. It smelled strongly of mothballs. I don't mind the smell of mothballs so much, but this really was rather strong. It also has a little extra storage section there where Clarence is peering.





My favorite thing about the chest is the patina. I love looking at it in the evening and seeing the scars and imperfections, and the color. It's also nice to have a flat place to set a drink while reading or blogging.

Mister remarked to me the other day that he hasn't decided how he will refinish it yet. Refinish it???

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Today I'm joining Linda for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays! and Bonnie for Twice Owned Tuesday!

Mom and Dad's

So I went to visit my parents. I am fortunate that we are only 30 minutes apart. It was a beautiful day for a drive.




They live in a lovely neighborhood, with lots of mature trees.




They moved here 7 years ago. They wanted to live closer to town and have less upkeep. I wanted them to move to my town, but they did end up being about half an hour closer than they had been.




My dad is like me. Everything neat and well maintained outside. Except I don't mind some chippy, vintage too, but Dad likes things neat and organized.







Mom and Dad have an amazing view from their bay window. This doesn't half do it justice. And in the winter, when the leaves fall, you can see the lights of the city.


I had a great time. Mom had some books to give me that she thought I'd like. We had chili for lunch and then coffee with Almond Toffee Cookies from the Taste Of Home magazine. I asked her for the recipe and she said to google it and I could easily find it.
Oh, my goodness, those cookies were amazing!

Then after visiting for a while, they gave me a portrait of my great great grandparents that I will have to show you....soon!

I'm off to Cielo's for Show off Your Cottage Monday!

Have a splendid day,
Carol

Joy!

I've been singing this child's song all day. Actually, I don't think it should be considered only a child's song. I remember Chickie marching with me around the house singing it with all her heart. As I've been singing it all day.




Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart,
From the castle of my heart,
From the castle of my heart,




Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart,
Because the King is in residence there!




So let it fly in the sky,
Let the whole world see!
Let the whole world see!
Let the whole world see!




Let it fly in the sky,
Let the whole world see!
That the King is in residence here!

Forty plus years of knowing Him and His joy is still unspeakable!! Wow.

Wishing all of you a most blessed Sunday, and a Special Wish to you, Dad, for a Blessed Birthday!

Visit Spiritual Sundays with me, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger every week!

Carol

Saturday Favorites and Thank Yous

Blogging is one of my favorite things. It is a source of delight, interaction, connection, inspiration and encouragement.
Just this week, Brenda at Cozy Little House featured me on her weekly Welcome Wagon Friday. Thank you, Brenda, and I do enjoy visiting your delightful blog!



I love the color of our dining room walls. It transformed the dining room from average cute to beautiful.




Hazelnut coffee. We enjoy it as the weather cools. It just seems like a cozy cool weather homey snuggly thing to do.
And cloth napkins. We've stopped using paper ones. These were an excellent buy, and they have such a wonderful texture. Thank you, dear Olive! for the inspiration.



White pumpkins. I have this faux one, and a Real one, too. The Real one is outside.
White is wonderful.




Dishes. I don't think I could have too many.




I found these at a yard sale years ago. They are the same pattern I remember from my childhood, at my grandparents' cabin. My grandmother had them in yellow, blue, green, white.

Join Laurie to enjoy her wonderful A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday party! Thanks, Laurie for hosting this terrific event!

Carol

Chummy and His Life Lesson

He was our prettiest cat. His name was Chumley, but we called him Chummy. Because we wanted him to be our friend.




Two years ago, almost to the day, a police officer found a small, emaciated kitten that had crawled up under his car hood looking for warmth. He was filthy, flea ridden and very weak. He couldn't even swallow.




Having never been handled, he screamed with fear. I had him bundled up with warm water gloves and blankets and we syringe fed him warm IV fluids by mouth. (Putting an IV in would surely have killed him.)




Within hours he was able to swallow, drink, eat. I cleaned him up and took him home. He slept for 3 days, awakening only to eat.
But he was very fearful. We could never pick him up. Occasionally we could pet him.





I loved Chummy very much. I was so thankful for the privilege of being able to save him. It was a great gift.
God showed me a great truth through Chummy. He showed me how He wants to extravagantly, exorbitantly, excessively bless us, but He also wants us to completely surrender to Him and trust Him. When we don't, we deny ourselves much blessing, joy, delight in dwelling intimately with Him.
Unless Chummy changed, I knew that because of his wild and fearful nature I could never treat him for any sort of illness. I couldn't get close enough to him. He would revert to his wild, fearful, defensive nature. And he did.

So I said goodbye to him this week.

I love you Chummy.