White Linen Slipcovers

I posted last week that I had tons to do in a short 7 days. I did accomplish a lot, pat on the back! Since that post I got these 5 finished, only 1 left to go…

CLEANED up after tropical storm IDA. We were not in direct path but still had strong winds that left us with a huge mess....28 leaf and lawn bags of green leaves, 4 trash cans of sticks, and husband cleaning off the roof with a blower for 35 minutes.

said goodbye to the baby and brought him over to David's family, his other grandparents & aunt

got some new “cascading swags” and put them in place

got some old swags down from the attic

decided where I want swags this year

doing up the kid’s rooms to celebrate their arrival

when I get back, the decorations will go on the swags

Polished some silver and got table ready for “A WHITE THANKSGIVING” post to follow this week….I've auto posted it! MOM....see the sterling silver soup spoons that you and Dad found for me to match our silver....that was a few years ago. Here they are, in all their silver-polished glory!

BEST NEWS OF THE MONTH……sold this today for Liz & David….got the check, had to make a second trip down to the Bay to deposit it

and now I’m packing this for trip to Boston

I really kicked butt this past week!

Family Heirlooms

We have some treasured family heirlooms so I’m joining Julia’s Hooked on Fridays and Marie’s Heirloom Party.

Grandparents’ beautiful mahogany highboy. They lived in Longmeadow, MA. What a beautiful small town Longmeadow is.

The lowboy that matches highboy. Both these pieces had to be refinished after Katrina.

All the silver came from different family members.

More silver, we also have a complete set of flatware and tons of silver serving pieces. Always need polishing!

The E.N. Welch clock made in Connecticut dated 1854.

The fob from the gold watch that was given to great-great Grandfather by the Dutchess County Society of New York. I think it is a medical award, as he was a physician. The watch is in a safety deposit box.

The document that shows Great-Grandfather took possession of “different pieces of Spanish coins from the Spanish S.S. Piscaya". It’s dated 1898, before the rules about taking sunken treasures were implemented. Coins are in safety box also.

The AMAZING Family Bible. Thank God this was up high in a cabinet so it did not flood.

The illustrations are beautiful and a wealth of information.

The births start in the year in the year 1734, someone has kept amazing records through all these years. Since I’ve inherited this, it’s up to me to update it.

The marriage certificate of countless grandparents ago, Jean George Wahl and Elisabethe Burg. They were married by Louis Philippe, Roi des Francais in the year 1832. This is only a copy of the original. Maybe we’ll get the original certificate someday.

There are many other little things, scattered about, but I fear I might be boring! Yawn.

Check out both parties today.

Whew!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

My inspiration for a beautiful NEW YEAR ....a gift from one of my New Year's Day guests that joined us for dinner....beautiful pink tulips....how SPRING INSPIRATIONAL!!!!

and what a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year it was. Today, January 4th I finished taking down all my WAY too many, WAY too much decorations. My husband made it all special with this wonderful comment: "You fulfill all our hopes and expectations for a wonderful Christmas in so many ways. You give us peace, happiness, and joy and you make everything so special!"

WOW, so that's why I do all this!

Son and his dog have been here since the 12 of December. Daughter & SIL arrived on the 23 with their dog. We had the best Christmas ever. Our family is so blessed....we all love each other with strength and conviction. I would love to post family PICS but not sure the kids & hubby would approve!

I served too many sit-down in the dining room meals...love it but I'm whipped.

But I'm ready for tomorrow.....that starts my first day in 3 weeks to have my own space to myself..... since hubby has been home rehabbing his leg and knee, we've had to drive MIL everywhere, and kids + dogs have been here!

I've got some serious design projects keeping me awake at night....hope to fulfill these dreams!

I'm looking forward to bloggy catchup,

XOXO!

Since my last post....

just in these 3 shorts weeks ....here's what's happened:

Monday (17th of November) night HUBBY hit by a deer in our SUV on his way home from work. He's ok, just pissed as this is his 2nd deer accident. Car damaged, hustled to get that vehicle fixed since we intended to drive it to Oxford the following Wednesday morning. So body shop estimates, insurance phone calls, then being without one vehicle after bringing it to body shop. Me, stupid me, did not put rental reimbursement on that vehicle!

Sunday (23th of November) SON comes home from Ole Miss/LSU game with BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIEND (BG) from NC and big black grand dog Bailey. They drove from Oxford to Baton Rouge on Friday to stay with SON'S LSU friends. This was our first time to meet BG, she has been in his life since early this summer. BG is delightful.

Monday SON brings BG to airport as she flies home to Winston-Salem, I'm preparing to pack up for Oxford.

Tuesday SON & HUBBY playing golf. I get call that MOTHER-IN-LAW on route to ER. She has suffered what will be first of 3 TIA's. HUSBAND spends all day & part of night at hospital. SON leaves for Oxford bringing up 1/2 of all the junk I think we have to have in Oxford for 4 days.

Wednesday (plan to leave early this morning) HUSBAND brings MIL home from hospital. 45 mins later she has 2nd TIA event. This was very scary as we witnessed it. HUSBAND brings MIL back to hospital, symptoms subside after 2 hours, ER says don't bring her back again but go to larger city hospital that has stroke unit. HUSBAND tells me to go to Oxford alone, as he is torn about leaving his MOTHER. I start to leave twice but come back. I can't leave him. Eventually we both get on the road at 4:00PM packed with thawing turkey and all the frozen dishes I've prepared last 2 weeks. We set up care takers for MIL.

Thanksgiving Day in Oxford is beautiful. DAUGHTER & SIL arrived last night from Shreveport with Miller. Condo is beautiful and spacious. MIL has 3 TIA, she has friends and neighbors taking shifts. We stay in touch throughout weekend.
HUSBAND, SON & SIL take dogs to THE PARK in Oxford. HUSBAND gets plowed from behind by frisky playful dogs re injuring his severely injured and operated-on knee (from college Lacrosse).

Friday tailgating in the Grove is great, even sweeter with OLE MISS'S big 45-0 win. HUSBAND in pain and hobbling, still refuses to go to hospital.

Saturday walked around the SQUARE, lunch at the Rib Cage as everyone was tired of turkey. Dinner at City Grocery. Husband still in pain.

Sunday home from Oxford and the care giving of MIL begins. She can not drive so I'm shopping, cooking, and taking her to all her doctor appointments.

Tuesday HUSBAND finally gets in to start assessment of his knee, X-Ray taken, MRI will be taken tomorrow. I hope he doesn't have to have surgery. I don't think I can handle 2 patients at once.

Me? I'm taking extra care of myself, exercising every day, going to bed early (I love to sleep), and staying positive. Christmas decorations are all most finished and it will be another online shopping year. No time for stores. MIL cancelled her Christmas trip to Chicago, DAUGHTER & SIL, & Miller come in Christmas eve, SON & Bailey will be here after finals end next week. So I'll have a house full for Christmas! What more can one ask for? I love having my children & family for the holidays!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Families, Loyalty, and Love

Daughter's sweet best friend is also her fiance's sister. Their parents live here in this private community where we live. So, sufficed to say, our families are quite similar, the kids have same family backgrounds...loving family that is there no matter what...to help support them. That is a wonderful thing. My future son in law's Mom is so adorable and sweet...last night she came by with this gift below for me to carry in my vehicle for bridal shower. She, her Mom, and her daughter are all flying in Friday night to Shreveport for the shower. Her daughter, my daughter's best friend and SIL 's sister has final exams through Friday. She has to take her finals, drive 5 1/2 hours from Ole Miss to here, then go airport and fly to Shreveport for hhmm, total 8 hour flight time. How devoted is that?

My day today was totally changed. Hubby told me last night that his trip to White Sands, NM was postponed. That meant that since I did not have to drive him to the airport today, that I needed to take full responsibility for his Mom's colonoscopy. She was to have her sweet neighbor bring her home after procedure. . I all ways say "help someone like you would help your own Mother". My Mother is 84, lives in Massachusetts and I have to trust that my family there takes care of her since, I, her only daughter, am so far away. So yes, I was up at 4:30 am to call Mother in law, pick her up at 6:00am, drive to hospital to check her in at 6:45 am....surgery procedure was scheduled for 7:30 am. So I'm waiting in the surgery/waiting room and about 9:15 I asked the pink lady about my MIL. She had no news. At 9:30am I get a call from surgical nurse that she has not gone into surgery yet. Nurse didn't know how much longer and told me they would keep me updated.. So I came home. Finally at 11:15am I get a call that she is going into surgery. Seems her surgeon took all his other surgical patients before her, even though we were there at 6:45am. At 1:15 pm, I meet with surgeon and got her in my vehicle. Stayed with her at her home for 2 1/2 hours as she regained strength, ate food, & got fluids back into her system. Wow, it takes an entire day out of one's life to help a loved one with simple procedure. Wondering what the future has in store for me.
Families...ya gotta love them and help them!

My Kids

As I'm working on my photo albums from a previous post, I'm overwhelmed with memories from the past. Sometimes it makes me sad, as they are all grown up now. Mostly it makes me happy as they are all grown up now!!! I thought I'd share a few pictures of their early years. Don't laugh at me....it was the 80's and I've always been a sucker for the latest trends....frizzy hair, shoulder pads, and pouffy stuff! OMG, what was I thinking? At least both daughter and I had our pearls on. Soon after, dear daughter turned into the Fashion Police and kept us all straight! Son had lots of broken bones thru out childhood.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAUGHTER

25 years ago today you made my life complete. I love you.

Almost 25

Daughter has a birthday coming up...here is what she is getting. They may be small but they are mighty!

Love you, Princess!

TO MY TWO SONS

To my new son: Godspeed as you set off to yet another foreign and dangerous country to make us all safe. We truly appreciate what you and your comrades, brothers and sisters, in uniform are doing for all of us on a daily basis. You are not thanked enough and I ask all my readers out there in blog land.....THANK THESE YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN .... Thank my future son-in-law for his dedicated service to us and our country. It does not matter if you support the war...just tell them that you appreciate and respect what they are doing! Son, I hope your upcoming venture is quick, safe, and not depressing! Thank you, new son, we love you, be careful, and be safe! See you in 2 weeks for golf and wedding plans... Moo

To my son of 20+ years: WHERE ARE YOU? I MISS YOU!!!!! I know you went to St. Simons Island, GA for Spring Break, but it must be so cold up there! Wouldn't you rather be here in Mommy's world @ 70 degrees during the day? Can I tempt you with these lovely Vineyard Vine clothes and Charleston Twills Madras shorts? What else do I need to do to bribe you home? I promise Dad and I won't make you do any Katrina yard work!
We really need to size you for clothes for the upcoming wedding!!! PS.... your wonderful sister is to thank for the Vineyard Vines shirt, tie, and Charleston Twill's madras shorts! I can not take credit for her great taste and spending habits. She loves you too!!! Come home!!!! Love, Moo

College exams have ended

Son has finished his finals for this first semester of his Junior year at Ole Miss. Ole Miss has so much time off between semesters, that he needs different things to occupy all 6 weeks. In the past years, he has taken a "winter-session class" or two. Unfortunately , in his freshman year, 2005, we made him work along side with us cleaning up Katrina devastation. I fear he is still afraid to come home for too long, those bad memories still linger.


This year, there is nothing offered, course-wise that he needs, being a junior. Last year, he asked that his Christmas gift be a ski trip to Alta, Utah where a former roommate/fraternity brother was staying. So that took up 2 weeks.


So, this year he is going to University of South Carolina to see one of his best friends. They attended and graduated from St. Stanislaus College Prep. Son went there from 7th grade through 12th grade. What a wonderful school.

This friend has one final next week, then they go to his family's home, Estherville Plantation, which is just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. There is so much to do there . Sounds like fun, can I come too?