Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Vintage Thingie Thursday:

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to
read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

I found these little figurines not long ago. I thought they were so sweet. There were only two, one playing the harp, the other, I am guessing a guitar.



I first thought they were angels, but they don't have wings.


This one looks like it is singing.


This one has the cutest heart shaped mouth.


This is the stamp on the bottom. I think they are so cute!

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!






Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Owl Plate

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to
read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

A few months ago, I was out treasure hunting at my new favorite thrift store. I found this vintage painted plate and it spoke to me. Naturally, when that happens, I bring it home with me. This one had a hanger on the back and I hung it up on one of my walls in my bedroom. Now, I must warn you, if you don't believe in strange occurrences and weird things that can happen in a blink of an eye..well, you might want to stop reading now...otherwise....I am going to record this story as it happened.



 I have written before about the owls that frequent our yard in the summer time, when the days are scorching hot. As the years have gone on, we have more and more that come each and every year. However, we never had a single one, not ever until after my mother in law passed away in 2013.

My mother in law must have liked owls, as she had several owl related things in her home and in fact, when she passed away, we took a large wood carving that was done from a chain saw of an owl and placed it at our cabin in Colorado. I always say that owl is standing guard over our little place in the mountains.


I mentioned several weeks ago my husband was in ICU and was there for about four days. One night, when I got home from visiting him in the hospital, I walked down the hall to take the dogs out. Sammie always runs ahead of me and as normal, off he went down the hall. I was not paying too much attention as I was tired as could be, but before I got to my bedroom, I saw Sammie cowing down and trying to hide under the bed. He was curling himself up in a ball and whimpering and doing everything he  could to get himself under the bed skirt and out of sight. This is not normal for him and I have never seen him try to hide under the bed before, I noticed his eyes were glued to the back sliding glass door and he was not going to budge. 

As I go into our bedroom, I glanced at the patio door and there, ON THE GROUND, staring inside that door was an owl. With eyes as large as could be it just sat there as if it was wanting something. That owl had a look so intense, I paused and as I looked at that owl, I found myself speaking out loud, and said these words, "Oh, he is going to be fine...don't worry.....I will take good care of him. I promise." and then lastly, I said, "You know I am more than capable of getting him well.....I will do it, don't worry."  

That owl looked at me for about 3 seconds, then closed its eyes and gave me, I swear a look of relief and then just turned and flew away. In my mind, I heard the words my mother in law always spoke to me, which were " you do that, ya hear? " It was not a moment of fear, but a moment that just was an  extraordinary thing to happen.



Yes, it is a weird story, one that most will think I am losing my mind, maybe I am. However, I do know this, we don't see any owls until summer, and this was March, and it was cold weather at best. We don't see owls on the ground, and they certainly don't sit at my patio window looking in and frightening my dog into hiding under the bed until it is gone. And I certainly never felt an owl wanted an answer from me and was acted relieved when I stated everything was going to be ok.

Maybe the owl was a messenger, wanting to relay a message....maybe it was something else entirely.  Either way, it was an extraordinary experience and one that I took notice of and won't forget. And for the record, no other owls have made an appearance in my yard again this year, and honestly don't expect to see them until the summer months.

Surely I am not the only one that these types of things happen to? Have you experienced anything out of the ordinary as this?? Are you open to things that are unexplainable?

If you are still reading....Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!





Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Dog Figurine

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to
read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

There is a thrift store in town that I love to stop in at every chance I get. It must be popular with the older generation because I can really come across some neat things at this one thrift store and the prices are giveaway.



Not long ago, I spotted this little dog on a shelf. And of course fell in love the minute I saw it. I thought at first it looked like a chihuahua dog, but I am honestly not sure what the breed of the dog is supposed to be. I just knew I was taking this one home.

 

The price was right too, only fifty cents. The bottom is not marked Japan, but Mexico. I was not concerned about that either, as I can tell from the look and feel this is an older piece. It fits rather well with all my other doggie figurines.

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!! Have a wonderful week!





Thursday, April 4, 2013

Menopause Should Come With Instructions


Do you ever feel like you have experienced most of the unpleasant things surrounding womanhood and fully expect all of those types of things to end when you approach or experience menopause? If you are like me, you will quickly agree that pre-menopause or menopause certainly don't come with a list of instructions. Fifty million women across North America are approaching or experiencing menopause and most have an average of five menopausal symptoms. But no two experiences are exactly alike. I would be interested to see how many of those fifty million women go through it alone and do not consult their doctor to ease some of the discomfort of this stage in life. I can honestly say that because if I am honest here, I would fall under that category myself. I certainly don't recommend going through menopause alone, and consulting a doctor to ease some of the unpleasant symptoms is really a good idea. But if you are like me, you feel that menopause sort of sneaked up on you and the symptoms can be trying at best to deal with.

I was offered a chance to review some products by Poise Feminine Wellness Line and was pleasantly surprised with the results of the products I tested. In fact, The 2013 Product of the Year award-winning Poise Feminine Wellness line was introduced to help women approach these changes with confidence. The line consists of five products designed to help women with feeling fresh, staying cool, and intimacy.


The line of Poise Products includes: Roll-On Cooling Gel and Body Cooling Towelettes provide hot flash comfort. My package included the Body Cooling Towelettes and these were the first products that I tried. These towelettes are hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested and provided instant cooling. Specifically, one of the most amazing things about these towelettes was that they provided an instant cooling sensation. Body Cooling Towelettes offer instant cooling and refreshment. Gently wipe the towelette on wrists, chest or neck to feel cool and comfortable. Featuring a portable, re-sealable package, these towelettes are easy to use anywhere you go. This is a product that would be great for women of any age. Personal Lubricant provides long lasting lubrication to enhance your intimate experience. This lubricant features an easy to use bottle and is made without Fragrance, Glycerin or Parabens. While there are many types of lubricant out on the market, I have to be honest here, and say I had never tried any of those types of products before. I am learning that "dealing with these unpleasant" bodily changes is not something that has to be endured. Poise  has designed wonderful products for women our age who are going through all of these types of symptoms, and these products really help comfort during this stage in life. After trying the personal lubricant, I can wholeheartedly recommend this product and I feel sure my husband would have no complaints as well. All I wanted to ask myself was "Who Knew?"  This really is a wonderful product, beautifully and discretely packaged and this will be something I continue to use in the future. Panty Fresheners and Feminine Wash provide daily freshness from odors. Panty Fresheners have a fresh and clean scent that lasts up to four hours. I was most excited about the Poise panty fresheners.

As my body seems to not be able to make up its mind if I am through menopause or not, these were great to try and keep on hand for a "just in case" moment. For most of my adult life, I have been pretty loyal to one or two products to help ease the unpleasantness of once a month accordance. After trying Poise panty liners, I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and clean I felt and how easy they were to carry with me on the go. I would recommend trying these for yourself, I found the long liners gave me the extra confidence I needed to not worry about any mishaps during my day. The Feminine Wash provides daily freshness with a unique formulation that is pH balanced for your intimate area. Glycerin and paraben free, this gentle wash will help you feel clean and confident. I found the Feminine Wash pleasant to use and added the feeling of clean and refreshed during the days I needed a little extra. I myself, know I am not completely out of menopause yet, and honestly I don't know how many more years or months I will have to deal with this stage in my life. I often wish I had had a guide for what to expect and how to deal with things a couple of years ago. That would have explained a lot and I maybe would have done things a bit differently. I do know however, that no matter what the time frame will be for this stage to pass, I have found several products that will make the journey a bit easier.  Women can go to the Poise Facebook page to learn more about the Poise Feminine Wellness Line and sign up for a coupon or sample.

Now, since I have shared some rather personal life facts here about myself, I have to ask you all a question. “How are you approaching life's changes confidently?” Are you just trudging along like I found myself doing, or are you embracing the changes and marching forward? There is no right or wrong answer here, I just think it is a sensitive subject that many women could benefit from themselves by reading others experiences. Each comment will automatically be entered for a $100 Visa gift card.

 
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 4/04/13-4/30/13.
Be sure to visit the Poise brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!





Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Daher Candy Tin

Welcome everyone to Vintage Thingies Thursday

If you have a love for vintage things, well....you have come to the right place. We have a really good time each and every week!!!
If you are new to this party, please take the time to
read and follow the instructions for participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday, click HERE. I try and keep things fairly simple, so please make sure you follow the instructions. Please only ONE link per week. Lastly, if you link in, LINK back to my blog, so everyone can see all of the vintage goodies on display that day. If you don't link back here, they won't know who to visit......thanks so much.

Several months ago I came across this tin. I was drawn to it because of the pretty flowers, but then something in the back of my memory kept telling me I had seen these types of tins before. Once I turned it over and looked at the price, I knew it was going home with me.


This is a Daher candy tin and the tin was made in England. I did a quick search online and remembered I had seen these on a blog a few years ago. I tell you I did not spend too much time looking at all the different tins that you can find online, this could be a "new collection" in no time at all.

I found this great article that talks about what to look for when collecting these candy tins and a little bit of history about the containers themselves. My favorite part is the beautiful floral decor and the adorable knob on top.


I really like the vintage photo element on the photo of this tin, really makes it feel more vintage to me!

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!! Have a wonderful week!





Monday, April 1, 2013

March Roared In Like a Lion......and not in a good way.


March roared in like a lion for me this year. With the coming of March, also unexpected things happened and the most eye opening lessons learned as well. I was happy to bid March goodbye as even up until the very last second of that month, the lion still roared. I still hear the loud lengthy roar in my head and am most weary from it all.

Short version of the month past is the first of the month my husband fell ill and was hospitalized in ICU. He is better now and is feeling better, but not where I want him to be. That might have been just enough of out of the ordinary to handle, but that ole lion had other plans for the rest of the month. He decided to make his presence known around every turn and keep his paw in more than what should have been allowed. It has been a draining time. I know just because the month ended that does not mean the shadow of that lion is not still around. I hope his presence weakens and hope I have the courage to face whatever the shadow cast on our walls.

With that being said, I certainly learned a lot from the month of March. Sometimes it takes a crises to open our eyes at what we choose not to see. It is easy to overlook what you really don't want to face and pretend things are not as they are. What the Month of March taught me are listed below, a reminder if I need to re-read them as I keep thinking of days ahead.

1. I learned that my thoughts on growing older have been easier to handle by totally ignoring any of the signs that presented themselves to me. It is easier to dismiss what you don't want to see or acknowledge, then it is to face it head on. I remember feeling utter shock as I sat in my husbands hospital room and wondered how and when we became "old". Seriously....how did that happen....the only way to describe that was shock. I learned that our hourglass has run out of sand and now it is time to face the music and do something about all the things we have ignored. Total wake up call.

2. I learned that the people who should be there for you in a crisis won't be. I also learned it is in those who you would never expect to fill those shoes do so and do it so willingly. I also learned that it does not matter how much you have done for individuals in the past, how much time you have invested in them, how much thought and love went into trying to enrich their lives and make their life easier when they needed it. You can never expect the same in return. It is better to expect nothing. Less hurt that way. (I also know it is not in the things that I have done that should make me deserving of anything. It is just when the people who you would expect to be there in some capacity, and when they are not...well.....you get the idea.)

3. I learned where I focus a lot of my time is time wasted. I learned that things that occupy my free time is not what is really important in the grand scheme of things. I am making adjustments.

4. I learned that my own fear is crippling. So much so it clouds good judgement. So much so, that no matter the fact, I know what I need to do, it is so hard to take that first step. I am a work in progress. I need to find the courage and find it quick.

5. I learned that everyone will not respect your story as your own. After much thought, I am not sure it is a lack of respect of the story, but of the people themselves. I find that folks want to know all the details of a crisis, not because it is any of their business, but simply they want to have something to go tell every person they can think of from the far regions. Funny thing is, these are the same people who demand respect for their particular stories and expect them not to be told. I have a dear friend who in passing told me she did not give out any details of what was going on...she told me it was not her story to tell. Respect and care for me was her concern. She really has no idea how this radiated with me. I know the value of this friend.

6. I learned that from now on, when I offer to help someone and ask if there is anything I can do, I know that question is just is not enough. I learned that when a person is going through something hard, they have no idea what they need. Seriously. I told caller after caller that I did not need anything but thanks anyway. Luckily, some folks decided they would take matters into their own hands. They provided exactly what I (we) needed even with strong protest from me in the process. I told myself that I would never ask again....I would put something into action. Big lesson learned here.

7. I learned to never take for granted the people who fill your heart with happiness....because it can all come crashing down in a blink of an eye.

8. I learned that life is so short and for years I have overlooked that fact and lived like I had all the time in the world. I am so fearful I won't have the time left to do all I had hoped to do. Make each day count...we are never ever guaranteed another day after this one.

9. I learned that there are things that happen that can not be explained where others understand them. It is not a part of their story and if they choose not to believe like you do that is ok. If I have learned one thing about myself it would be I am gifted many unusual things that occur in my life and it is because I am open to the unexplainable and I believe and see the meaning when they occur. It is a blessing.

10. I learned that no matter how heavy your heart is, no matter how tired you are, no matter how fearful you are of the truth, no matter how you feel you can't take another step towards the unknown - you can. You must. You will.


I am expecting that lion to decide to sleep again soon and things return to how I would prefer them to be. This photo sorta sums up how I feel about that....better keep a look out for that lion even if he decides to sleep....he might be peaking around the corner of his eye. 

Things very well may be different than what I had a month ago, but different is better than not at all. Here's hoping for a wonderful Spring as we welcome in April and hoping I don't hear that roar in my head for a while.

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