Still Decorating

We have been in our new home for a few months now, and we (I) am still decorating. I don't like bare walls, so I am constantly on the search for things to hang on them. A guest bath on the second floor, now has a new print. Look closely...in the mirror , and you can see it.

 

One if my favorite haunts is a furniture consignment shop, a place where people sell their belongings. Actually, the shop sells them for you, taking a bit of the profit.

I might also add that I have a love for the south of France. Provence to be exact. We have rented vacations homes there twice.....where I like to play like I am a native. Anyway, when I saw this print ...of a photograph of a window in Antibes, France....I melted. I also like geraniums, and who doesn't like garlic and a little patina on a wall...not to mention lace curtains.......So if you are wondering where I keep disappearing to....I am scouring second hand shops....Janey

The Dancers

One of my sisters saw a video, on the Internet, about a young guy walking down the street in New York City. Apparently, he saw another guy dancing down the street.....which I guess could be common in NYC? So, my sister decided it would be a fun way to exercise.....and the  Don't Walk Dance Girls of Ft. Worth were born.

They go downtown to Sundance Square on Saturdays, and dance through the streets to music (on their iPods and phones). Word is they have a ball, with people joining  in (even policemen,etc.) I was invited to join them.....but I don't like to attract attention myself....Just my nature. I think they are having a ball, and at the same time getting exercise. Dance on girls!

Sister Polly in the red and Dot in the pink sneakers...

The Gangs All Here!

We our dinner party last night. All of our summer friends who have houses in Colorado...and live in the North Texas area during the winter months. The exceptions being one of the couples passing through from Illinois, and another coming up to join us from Houston.

It is a tradition when we all get together, that we take a photo of us reading our favorite weekly newspaper, from Lake City. CO (The Silver World). We then send it to the paper, and it all likely hood it will appear in print. That's me bottom left.

Oh.. and the red velvet bundt cake, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was a huge hit

The Entertainment

Sunday was the last day of the Faces of Impressionism exhibit, portraits from the  Paris Musee d'Orsay, at our Kimbell Museum, here in Ft. Worth, Texas. Tom and I had already seen it , but went again since we have guests in town. It has been open now for three months, and still attracting crowds of patrons... especially on the last day.

Entertaining the people waiting in line,was this juggler. I noticed he didn't have a bucket for donations, and found out that he had been hired by the museum, so folks wouldn't get bored while queued up to get in . I thought was pretty thoughtful!

Curly Hair

On the subject of weird machines in my life. See previous post.

 

I actually remember getting a perm using this weird thing. You see, I had very straight hair, and I guess my mother liked curls. This contraption was invented in the 1920's or so, and continued to be used into the 1950's. There is  a disagreement who invented it. All I know is , it was  like a torture machine. It got very hot.

You where handed a stick, and you pointed to where it was too hot and the hair dresser would use and air bellow to pump cool air to that spot. I guess I am telling my age...but I was very small and remember sitting on a booster seat, to be tall enough. Gosh...today this would be considered child abuse!

Have any of you ever seen these machines?

The photo is not of me....by the way.

* images found on the Internet. I will be happy to remove if there are any objections

Does The Shoe Fit?

As long as I can remember, my grandfather owned a shoe store. That store was in a small town in north Texas. The actual storefront is still there, and last time I was in town it had become some sort of small restaurant. There was no mistaking the location of the store, since the little black and white tile entry  is still there. One memory of the shoe store...was this strange machine.

It was actually and x-ray machine. You climbed up the steps and put your feet in...wearing the shoe you were being fitted for. With the store clerk looking through one of the viewing scopes, and your parent the other, it was determined if the shoe fit properly. It wasn't too long before someone figured out that these contraptions were not safe. Not so much for the customer, but for the store clerk... who probably was exposed to radiation several times a day.

My grandfather would have never installed such a device, had he known it could be harmful to anyone.

Have you ever seen such a machine?

* photo found on the Internet. If anyone has any objection to it being published here. I will be happy to remove it.

The Dessert

What shall we have for dessert for our dinner party? Well, since I am cooking everything else...I figure I can buy the dessert. We have a shop in Ft Worth that makes nothing but bundt cakes....and they are delicious.

They do sell three sizes. I think the largest will work for us. Tom by the way, went with me to order it, as they do have free samples!

A display in the corner with a Valentine theme,

and this is the one we bought  last month......to add to our Christmas dessert buffet when my family was here.

I hope that you are having a sweet Wednesday!

The Hallway

We moved into a new house (and a new city), this summer.... and we are still decorating. We find the most difficult thing to do is hang pictures,especially a grouping, which we wanted to do in the upstairs (long), hallway. You now can go on the Internet, and get all sorts of advice.

I liked the idea of having similar frames. It was also helpful to arrange the grouping on the floor, exactly like you want it on the wall. One recommendation (of mine), is to have a patient husband, which I don't. Although, I have to hand it to him...he did this without losing his cool too many times :). You can't imagine how long this took! We still have several pictures to add, but you get the idea...

I am not sure what I will do when we get this place finished. Maybe, get out there and take some pictures for this blog....as soon as I get a new camera...Janey

A Good Man

What woman wouldn't love a man that would agree to wash the windows? I should be out looking for a new camera, but we are getting ready for guests. Neighbors from Colorado are passing through, and will stop over for three nights. We have decided to get all of our Colorado friends together, that also live in Texas for the winter, for a dinner.

There will be seven couples in all. Yep, time to spit shine the house.  Hmmm, I guess people from other countries may not understand that term. Spit shine means to get everything clean...in expert shape, ready for inspection. Soldiers use to actually spit on their shoes, when polishing them for uniform inspection, to get a glossier shine.

The Wreaths

One of the reasons my husband and I moved to Fort Worth, Texas was to be near family. I have four sisters in the area, and I love it. One of my younger sisters, Polly is very creative. At Christmas time, she and friends made beautiful wreaths for their front doors. So,on Saturday she held wreath making class.. After all, Valentines Day is just around the corner.

We started out with these metal frames in the shape of a heart. The fuzzy wires were already attached. We used rolls of mesh (like the red and white roll near the heart ) as the first layer.

We then chose which two ribbon combinations we wanted to use. Sister Polly had already trimmed all of these to the correct lengths.

 A couple of hours later, we had something that looked like this. This was her friend Patricia's . I loved her finished product, and wished she had helped me pick out my ribbons and mesh.

Every one's looked different...My sister Dotty's

and Polly instead of the mesh used burlap.

and finally mine; which I guess looks a lot like my sister Dotty's. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday morning....and now we have fancy Valentine wreaths to hang on our doors! Thanks Polly.

I know most of you have a hobby of photography, and blogging... but does anyone like to do crafts?

Oh Joy!

Oh the joys of a Texas winter! It has been cold here....but today it's is 65 degrees and sunny ...Sat outside for lunch ! It is supposed to be even warmer over the weekend. We will have cold fronts come in now and then... until April...but I have always considered February...Spring! Love the sun..

taken with my iphone

Broken

Hi there. I haven't gone away. Don't you hate it when you go to a blog and discover it has just stopped.....with the last picture they posted, sitting there with no explanation as to what happened? I could make a whole list of those blogs...but I won't. I also can't figure out how to remove them from my reading list on blogger? That brings us to me. I am going to get up and running again. I  promise.

You see, I had been using this little camera for at least nine years. I loved it because it was simple...but mainly because it was small. It would fit into all of my purses, even a tiny evening bag, or in my pocket.

Sitting beside a normal pear, maybe you can tell the actual size. Well, I just plain wore it out. The plastic cover that held in the battery and the memory card broke off.

No problem, one of my daughters had the same camera and had upgraded to a better camera (sorry Sony), because she was going on a trip abroad. She was nice enough to pass along this perfectly working little specimen to me. All was great for a couple of years, and now it it broken.
. The LCD screen is black (even when turned on). The first time it happened I went to the computer and figured out how to reset the camera to factory specifications...and it worked! This time no.
So, how did I take these pictures you asked? Yep, with my phone. I don't like doing that. So, until I brave the cold and get out there and buy a new camera......at least you know what happened to me......Janey

Camera

Blogger Pause

Having camera issues

I will return....Janey

A School

I was surprised the first time I saw  the high school in our new neighborhood. It seems like all of the newer ones are more like brick boxes with windows, especially in suburbia. I was even more surprised, that it was built in 1936, which was in the middle of the United States depression (1929-39) Well, research tells me that it was funded and built by the W.P.A, (Work Progress Administration) which was a government program to put people to work.With so many people out of work, this emergency enacted program (by our President in 1935), employed over 3.4 million by 1936. I will bet if you look around your American city you can find something built by the W.P.A.

Soft Music

We have a guest this week from south Texas, so we took her to our favorite new restaurant last night. It is a little bistro in a restored area near our medical center. It sure fits the bill for me. Great cozy atmosphere, perfect lighting, and a brick wall that adds a lot of charm. Did I mention the food is good too?

 

Oh, and no piped in loud music....a great piano player playing softly in the corner.

Do you have a favorite place to dine?

Hurry Up Spring

I was at one of my favorite little grocery stores the other day (Trader Joe's), where I usually buy my fresh flowers , since they always have a nice selection...and the price is always right.

 

I was surprised to see these Irises. I guess because they are a Spring flower. I know that these plants are probably grown in green houses, but I wasn't expecting to see Irises in the middle of winter.

So, this picture is for all of you folks up north, who are in a deep deep freeze right now. Just remember, Spring will surely be here soon!

A One Man Job

Have you ever wondered how they change the light bulbs on those really tall light poles?

 

Well, I got a kick out of watching this guy. He drove up pulling a little green trailer (all by himself), and then implementing the wonders of hydraulics the contraption unfolded .... He climbed aboard quite effortlessly, and  up he went to change the light bulb.When he was finished, he simply reversed his movements, got in his van, and drove away. I wonder what you call these people? Light Changers, Aerial Maintenance  Technicians...... how about Streetlight Engineers? I now wish that I had videoed it, and set it to music.

 I know I know, I am easily entertained!

Have a wonderful Wednesday

The Plate

In cold weather, here in north Texas, people sometimes go to the mall, and walk around it several times. That way, they are in a pleasant atmosphere, out of the cold and getting exercise. I think I have found a place I like better. There is a huge antique mall near me, and I seem to be there a lot.!

On my "walk" the other day, I came across something I just had to have (one of the dangers of walking in either place). It is a large blue plate, or charger. You see, when I lived in The Netherlands, over thirty years ago, we enjoyed taking our visiting guests to a Pannenkoekn Huis. Roughly translated....a Pancake House. The Dutch (to my knowledge), have two types of pancakes. There is the Pannenkoek which is quite large and Pofferjes which are quite small. This place served the large ones, and you could purchase the large blue Delft looking platter your dinner came on. For some reason, I never bought one.

Getting to the point, that is why I was excited to see this large blue plate at the antique mall. It was actually made in Belgium by a company named Bosch Ferrer. The scene, to me, looks like a farm family enjoying the end of the day. Although, further research tells me it's a tavern scene.

I knew that I had the  perfect place for it. You see we built our cabinets all the way to the ceiling on both sides of the kitchen, so that I could display blue and white pottery in little lighted cabinets. I now have the plate on display above the vent hood  . It will always remind me of those pancakes!

Oh, and I was so proud of myself for talking the guy down about fifteen percent.....Then I searched the Internet (shouldn't have done that) and discovered I still had paid too much!

The Key Keeper

Oh joy! Our sun came out today. It is still very chilly out though, with a north wind blowing. I just love sunny days! So, I ventured out to a nearby antique mall to browse around, and get some exercise.

 

That is where I met this nice lady. You see there are over 100 separate unmanned stalls, and many of them have locked cabinets. She is the keeper of the keys.

I marveled at the number of keys she was carrying, and inquired if they were heavy......to which she answered yes! Very friendly key keeper she is.

Come back tomorrow and I will show you what I bought.

The Little Box

I think we have talked about collections before. I really don't collect things...in the true sense. But, I do have a few things that I cherish. Sitting on my shelf, in my new closet, is a small grouping of little boxes. Three of the boxes are Limoges boxes. Limoges (pronounced le moge), boxes are from an area of France that has a city by the same name. Limoges boxes do not all come from the same factory. They are simply from that region, and are hand painted. Some being more valuable than others, and are collected by a lot of people.

This is not a guessing game, where you pick out the real boxes....which of course you are welcome to do. For there is one box that makes me smile, and touches my heart.

It is this little blue and gold one. 

Yes, it is from Limoges, but it is in the true sense not a Limoges box. It is more of a souvenir with Limoges written on the bottom.

It was sent to me by this sweet girl, who is from Limoges, France. Marina (who I refer to as My Marina), was our Rotary exchange student way back in 1999. We housed many students over the years....but Marina stole my heart. I just spied the little box this morning....and I thought of her.

Have you ever housed an exchange student?

I Don't Get It

We were so excited for Christmas morning to arrive, which is when our family opens gifts around the Christmas tree, eating coffee cake..... most of us in our pajamas. This year was little Hannah's second Christmas.....although she hardly remembers the first. We just knew she would be so thrilled with the packages and toys left by Santa. WRONG!

 

First of all, we thought she would never wake up. When she did, she wanted to bring her pillow and blanket into the living room. She wasn't interested in her stocking full of goodies, or in opening any packages. When you said "Hannah open this"...she would look at you and say "you do it". You can see Mommy's arm on the right trying to show her a gift. Poor Hannah. (or poor us), She just didn't get it. Maybe next year?

New Year

Hi there. I didn't get around to wishing you a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I do hope that you all have the best year ever!

We were actually on the road yesterday. We delivered my little granddaughter Hannah back to her parents on Wednesday. They live in Austin, which is the capitol of Texas, and it is about three hours south of us. We did spend the night, and headed back New Year's Day. The weather was just plain awful. There was a wreck in front of us and we sat on the highway a good thirty minutes.

I am hoping our weather improves, so I can get out there and take some pictures for this blog!