last time until after...

I said I wasn't going to post again until after the Paris Flea Market but I couldn't wait and also had to send one last reminder. Karen and I made our first trip with loads today to get ready to set up for tomorrow. Okay, I know I mentioned this before but I have to say without doing it any justice, the drive is so beautiful. All I got was this pic which is not great but shows a little how green and lush it is? As soon as you hit Route 15 and cross the bridge it just gets breathtaking. I saw so many great photo opts but couldn't stop. Check it out in person yourself!

Then we are greeted by the girls! Oh what fun already. And the shop. No eye contact until we could peruse the whole place and I immediately started making my pile at the cash wrap desk.

So I got some first-day buys under my belt and already home. There are so many fab morsels to look at.

I took many more party pics but I don't want to give too much away, you just gotta see it all in person or you'll have to wait 'til after.

Amy's little nook inside the shop.

Amy setting up outside, having fun with a trial run.

Just a peek of what will be tomorrow in Amy's tent...

And here's just one of my wonderful first-day purchases. The hydrangeas already cozy in my bathroom!

No snoozing and loosing, see you there!

Mira, Mira~By Surprise!

I must have been really distracted on Friday when this showed up in my mailbox. Well it was the beginning of finally getting some nice weather. So distracted by it being Friday; no homework, all the kids out riding bikes, me on the front porch (on my new porch furniture-see previous post regarding PJ's) doing my crossword puzzle... So by bedtime I still hadn't thought much except, "hmmm, I don't have a subscription to this, I usually pick it up at the newsstand". Then I decided to peruse the issue and it dawned on me that they do send a complimentary copy when they publish your art but, since it had been well over a year since I had submitted anything to them, I brushed off the thought.

Then I flipped to this page and still didn't think a thing until my eye caught MY NAME. It had been so long since I submitted this I didn't even recognize it. I "rock-starred" myself (as Mellie and I like to say-we easily amuse ourselves)! Well it IS fun.

I couldn't be greedy, I had to share. Remember, just when things might seem ho-hum or even when you are busy enjoying one thing another great thing can still surprise you. Have a blessedly surprising day!

Gallery Under Construction...

As I was taking pictures of my most recent art work today before the Paris Flea Market, I was thinking how I take pictures of everything but don't usually do anything with them. So I decided that I'm going to build this gallery post and then move it to archives so y'all won't have to go through all these to get somewhere else. So, here's the start and as soon as I figure out how to move them they'll be easier to look for.

Fun and Photos with Cousin Carol, Part II

Yesterday was another great day with mine and my dad's favorite cousin, Carol (nee Lott). If you read the previous post regarding the old family photos you know that Carol is the one who ended up with a lot of the family photos and memorabilia. She had many pictures of my dad and his sister that I had never seen before. These are a few that she shared with me yesterday and I took advantage by scanning as many as I could. I'm sure if you're not related this will not interest you unless you just like looking at old photos in general as I do. These two pictures above are of my dad, Carl and Carol. I love the look Carol has in the one on the left-priceless.

Below is my dad's second birthday party. He was obviously having the time of his life with all the girls!

I told my husband today that I should have gotten stuck in the 30-50'S. And would have wanted the world to be in black and white. It all seems so sweet and simple and innocent. Above is a photo of my dad as a teen on a funny motorcycle with his little sis, Marydith.

This one is of my great-grandfather. The man on the left was my dad's mother's father. He was a Methodist minister named Zorabable B. Pirtle. He was called Brother Zora B., his grandchildren called him Foddy (Carol's doing through baby-talk). I queried my dad as to why I hadn't know of these family names before I named my sons. I think he might have kept it from me on purpose to protect the boys knowing I'd run with them! This is the only picture I've ever seen of Foddy. My dad's family pictures kind of got out of our hands but thank goodness Carol has the ones from her side which include many of my dad's family as well.

This is of my grandmother's sisters and brothers and their spouses plus my dad and his sister along with my grandmother and grandfather.

This is Carol's family with my dad's, Carl, family(the Georges). Carol is the center girl behind my little aunt next to her brother, Gene. My dad is between his mom and Carol's mom to the right. Carol's mom and dad, Aunt Bill and Uncle Vestal were my dad's favorite relatives along with Carol and her brother, Gene. They spent summer vacations and traveled often to see each other. When Carol and her family moved to from Pecos, Texas to New York City my dad went to visit as a young man and they showed him around the city including Uncle Vestal taking him to see the Rockettes. Then when they moved to D.C. my dad again went for a full-tour visit. Those trips plus the ones they took to their grandfather's farm were some of the best childhood memories he had.

Here's one from a road trip with the Georges and the Lotts. I want to go!

My grandmother is the one holding my aunt and she's flanked by her sisters and sisters-in-law.

This was my dad's sister, my Aunt Marydith, where she crammed herself into her doll's buggy. Look at that sweet face!

I know it's not PC to have a photo with a big gun and ammo but my dad was always so good-looking. He was a beautiful baby and child, hunky teen and Texas A&M ROTC, record-breaking boxer at A&M, and Air Force officer. And even in his 30's and 40's my sister's friends would oooooh and aaaaah over him and hang around the school parking lot to get a peek at him when he dropped her off in the mornings. I just thought my dad looked so pretty (kinda Prince Williamish don't you think?) in this picture I had to include it. He was a marksman (well he WAS several-generation Texan) but he was never a hunter. Some day I'll do a post on the personal exotic animal preserve he created as a hobby when we were growing up.

I love you Daddy, and miss you dearly. I know you are so happy that Carol and I have a great relationship, it's my pleasure.

sometimes meds just aren't enough

My good friend, Karen, sent me these pictures today. She must be psychic because I needed a laugh so badly and these certainly did the trick. This is part of how I deal with the bad things in life. When I get overwhelmed I try not to hide under the covers (although I do that a lot, too); I look, I read, I feel, I pray, I deal then when I get too close to the ledge I look at pictures of fish made from kale. I have clinical depression, I take meds, I see a shrink, but the number one best defense is that I have a fabulous sister and unbelievably great friends. I am a fighter, though, and now veggie animals are another of my weapons. I'm not afraid to use them when needed. Enjoy! With the things that have been going on in our world the last few years and most recently in our area here, we have to remind ourselves that there is so much more good in the world than bad, the good just doesn't sell advertising like the bad so we aren't exposed to all the many more good deeds and instead are bombarded with the bad. I'll use the airplane theory (harder to use these days, knock on wood, safety has gotten very good); my husband used to tell me over and over when we flew (now I have cute blue pills) about how many planes take off and land safely each day and to concentrate on that instead of the relatively few that don't.

I don't know who did these. Someone who obviously has even more time on their hands than I do. Sorry but I think it's a totally socially worthwhile project. This person is my hero. This is right up there with the peeps diarama contest that the Washington Post did and printed the results in the Sunday edition recently. I've been meaning to scan and post them so I promise to do so soon.

Please remember to stop and see the roses. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.