Monthly Archives: November 2013

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie and Mary Something to Do….

I’m getting ready for the Thanksgiving Hoo-Ha that’s going to be happening in a few days. Thirty-six of us will be eating, loving and laughing here at my old homestead.

20131126-154933.jpgI admit it has been awhile since I was in my basement. Needless to say it needed some attention before our guests arrive. As I was wiping the cobwebs off the window blinds, my daddy’s 1940-something ice skates caught my eye. They were laying in the middle of the floor, right where I had put them months ago. I thought to myself….”Mar, you ought to do something with those things.” (I have these profound conversations all the time.) I agreed and went upstairs to get another load of laundry going.

20131126-155824.jpgStanding there at the washer, I noticed this black gunk around the base. So I pull the machine out from the wall and washed the grody floor. I probably should figure out why it was grody, but hopefully it’s just normal after six years of washing.

20131126-160120.jpgOh yeah! I remembered that I was supposed to be doing something with my Daddy’s skates. So let’s go to the garage and get those old tennis rackets! (White Squirrel! I’m scattered. Try to keep up!)

20131126-160341.jpgAren’t these totally cool? Well, for me, they are faBuLoUs! My mom had this whole stash and she was going to either throw them away or give them away. I snagged them.

20131126-160537.jpgA Jack Kramer Autograph! This baby goes for like $60 on EBay.

20131126-160709.jpgThis Ellsworth Vines catches a cool $90! Doesn’t his name sound so sophisticated, like maybe you need to say it with your nose in the air or something?

(Meanwhile…back at the ranch…Mary, stay on the subject. You are putting up your Dad’s skates!)

Anyhoo…these rackets are pretty cool and I want to do something cool with them.

20131126-161629.jpg(via) This is cool.

20131126-161833.jpg(via) But I lurve this idea of weaving some thread or yarn through the strings.

20131126-162441.jpgI knew that my racket would be laying on its side a bit, so I wove the heart sorta cattywompus.

20131126-162913.jpgWoop Woop! I do love tennis.

20131126-163122.jpgI couldn’t stop with just one!

20131126-163539.jpgAs for my daddy’s skates….

20131126-163615.jpgThey are right up there with my swimming trophies from when I was 9 or 10 years old, band awards for being the most enthusiastic and of course, my “Thanks for Participating” tennis trophy. Also, sharing the spotlight with the old skates are some deer antlers and a skull of some sort.

A little skattered and disconnected just like me.
Thanks for dropping by!

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If It’s Dead, It Can’t Die and other decorating ideas

20131125-154949.jpgJust a few more days and the Thanksgiving Hoo-Ha will begin! I was feeling a bit smug at my ability to be ahead of the game. My front stoop is all decorated.

20131125-155208.jpgTrees are blazing orange, red and yellows.

20131125-155340.jpgPumpkins are piled to really set the fall theme.

Ok. So maybe that was last week. This is what it looks like today…two days before company arrives.

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20131125-155609.jpgThis is so sad! I kind of pride myself on having a pretty setting outside on the back deck and walking up to my front door. Not this year!

20131125-155943.jpgInside, I decorated my door panels with beautiful, extra large leaves.

20131125-160057.jpgCheck it out! One was a foot wide! Gorgeous!

20131125-160141.jpgWellll, now it looks like this. All brown and shriveled up. Not quite the same effect I had when I first put them up. What am I going to do? Thirty or so guests are showing up and everything I’ve planted is dead. I say…Go with the dead stuff!

20131125-160447.jpgI was dog sitting last week and in their back yard were some sort of pine trees that were dropping their needles. I gathered up an armful and took them home. My friend thought I was crazy, but after showing her a picture, she agreed it looked pretty on my mantle.

20131125-160905.jpgAs I was clipping the light brown grass from the side of the road, a friend driving by questioned my aesthetics. What? Does she not use roadside weeds to decorate her house?” Hey, you know what? It won’t die on me, like the $10 per pot of flowers and loads of rotted pumpkins I bought.

20131125-161520.jpgThis is my kitchen mantle. I don’t think any of this will die either.

20131125-161616.jpgI was so tired of cleaning that I really just wanted to do something with my hands. I found some fall colored yarn and started crocheting these cute little hearts and garland. It might just cross the line into too cutsie, but I don’t care. I like it.

20131125-162421.jpgAs for my dining room…still nothing living.

20131125-162457.jpgJust some really sweet forest animals. Love the little hedge hog.

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20131125-162634.jpgI’m thinking I needed to be reminded that this gathering of friends and family is not about the decorations, but about the relationships. Worry not about outside adornments, but about the lips that will speak, ears that will listen, arms that will hug and the heart that will love.

Thanks for dropping by!

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