In One Day.............

I ask myself, how did we get to this day so quickly? The time went in a blink of an eye and then on the other hand, it took forever it seems as well. We sign the papers tomorrow and the little house on Winnie will belong to a new family. Not only will the little house on Winnie not be ours any more but my beloved Chicken Resort will belong to a new family as well. This is the post I waited to write, as it is the one that is breaking my heart into.

The new owners requested we leave the chicken resort when the presented the contract on our house. With the structure being permanently fixed to the property, we really did not have a choice. The new owners wanted to have chickens of their own and they loved loved loved the chicken coops on our property. Sure..I get that totally...I mean, how could they not love it! It was built with love. So we agreed to leave them and thus the journey of trying to figure out how to actually work it out to move the chickens with us.

Unfortunately, due to the time constraints on closing on these two houses and the lack of time we have to move from our home we are in now, the logistics of being able to have a place for them in the time frame was not going to work. I have a dear friend who agreed to house the chickens for me until I could get a coop built and moved to the property. I say this and know, this has been something I have struggled with for weeks on what was the right thing to do.

So many things came into leading me to the decision I have made in regards to my beloved feathered friends, and that being said, the chickens of my heart will be staying at the Chicken resort. The new home owners were delighted to keep them and be their care givers. I know that no matter how hard this decision is for me to make, it is the right thing to do for them. This is their home, and they will be most happiest here where they know home to be. Chickens are just like me, they don't like change and it stresses them out. Consequently most of them are in molt and they are already stressed out because of that and they have almost stopped laying eggs completely. Uprooting them from the home they know would only compound that stress and I don't want to do that. I am at peace with the decision I have made, but it still has just about broken my heart into pieces.

Oh, how I will miss my Benny boy...he is the one that started it all for me and my love for keeping chickens. Me and that rooster have come a long way together. In falling in love with him, started my journey on keeping chickens and learning how to care for them. He was the first and the most special in my heart. He still does not like to be handled, but he likes to play games with me and tease me with the fact that he just might let me touch him....he likes to inch close to me where he is just stops beyond my fingertips and then when I reach for him, he just moves away. He always makes me smile and he is a sweet boy and I will miss him so much.

Each of the hens are special and unique in their own way as well, one of them, Goldie one of the chicks that hatched last spring just about breaks the door down to get to me when I open the door, she loves me and if I don't pick her up and pay her the attention she thinks she deserves, she pecks me until I do. America and Cinnamon are the other two chicks that hatched in the spring and they love to be held and loved on.

Shirley and Rosie are still skiddish but they have come a long way as well, as they were so wild when I first got them. They are top hens in the whole bunch, and they stay pretty much by Benny's side most of the time.

Penny is most likely the sweetest of them all, she is Nugget's best buddy and she is so sweet and loving. And lastly, Nugget...that little speck of bird is so full of character and personality, she may be the tiniest of them all, but she rules her side of the coop. I will miss Nugget's protest and squawking when she decides she wants to set on eggs and I don't let her. She is the baby and the smallest and she is very special to my heart as well. Each one is unique in their own way, and each one holds a very special place in my heart.

I know Steve is probably right, the chickens love me because to them, I bring the food and they see me and they know food is on the way...but maybe just maybe they love me for who I am just a little. I hope they don't feel abandoned, and hope they will learn to love the new care givers. We will meet the new owners on our last day of our move out and I will have the opportunity to tell them how to care for the chickens and what I did for them. It is my hope that they will open up the back part of the yard and the chickens will have free range of that area and the chicken resort will not be a coop and run any longer but just the coop. They will be happy to have the whole yard to explore in and that large space to free range in. I am sure that is their plan because they were so excited about the chickens in the first place. We could not do that as the area housed our large dogs as well as the coops, so in the long run, I think they will be happier with the new situation and owners. It is so hard when making the right decisions and they are the ones that break your heart.

One thing I do know, I have poured my heart and soul into the love and care for my feathered friends, and if I did not think this was the best thing for them in the long run, I would have never made that decision. Does that mean I have not cried enough tears to fill a swimming pool? No....I have and still am. I don't know how I will make it when I have to say goodbye in a few days, I hope I can keep it together when I explain to the new home owners how I have cared for them and what I think they need to continue doing. These chickens have had the BEST of what I could offer them. I have always put their comfort and needs before any thing else. I expect nothing less for them in the future.....and if I get the vibe that the new owners might not provide that....well, if your in the area, you may see a car driving down the road loaded up with chickens and a rooster and I may change my mind. I don't expect that to happen as the Realtor has assured me they are beyond happy and excited to keep them and have promised they would be well cared for.

 
In one day....my beloved Chicken resort and my sweet birds will belong to the new owners. The days of coming home and collecting blue, green and tan eggs will be over as well. The days of coming home from a bad day and sitting in the coops and being comforted and soothed by my feathered friends will be no more. In one day it will be officially not mine any more and only a couple of days away from walking away from the lights in my heart. I feel this day, my heart will break into when that time comes. This is by far the hardest part of this journey......and it all takes place in one day.

In Two Days......

Where one chooses to reside, there is also a community in which you reside in. Living in a community for most of your life holds a certain fondness and attachment that makes it hard to think about relocating and leaving what is dear to you and your life behind. I thought about that this morning as I left for work in the early morning hours.

The community and the places you chose to do business with become more that just a place to stop and spend your money, they become a part of your life and the people who own/work there become a part of you. One of my favorite places on the east side is the little corner donut shop. The sweet little family that owns that shop are precious to me and very special. From a certain fault of my own, being I don't cook breakfast during the week, they know my husband and I very well and in fact, know what we always want before we walk through the door. The little lady that runs the counter several years ago got the idea in her head that I drove a school bus. Now, where she got that I don't really know, but at first, I tried to tell her I did not drive a school bus, but alas, she never really understood that I did not! So for the past several years, when it is time for school to start in the fall, she always wants to talk about the kids and the bus. I learned to just go with it! I drive a school bus, at least in her eyes and if you don't think I won't miss this little shop and the sweet folks that own it, I most certainly will. I have not told them we are moving....I'm not sure I could get the words out to tell them.....I don't like goodbyes.

There are a few other locally owned places I frequent and when you walk through the door, it feels like home. The Barber Shop is another special place to me, as we have spend years and years walking through those doors. The kids got haircuts there, we got haircuts there, Steve still gets haircuts there. The family that owns it is like family to us. The know and have known all our ups and downs through the years and just driving by the shop brings warm memories to mind. This place is so hard to think of leaving behind, I don't really believe we will. I know Steve will still drive up here for haircuts. Some places and people are etched so deeply in your heart, you can't just walk away.

The convenience of where the places we frequent are located, being less than five minutes away is something I will miss as well. Dora, my dachshund is always getting her self into situations where we need a vet...and need one quickly. We have a great vet just a few blocks away, and if I call and need to take one of my dogs in there, they are quick and get them in right away. The vet loves my Sophie...and calls her Sophia....I will miss having that convenience and comfort knowing they are so close when I need them. I love that vet's office and its staff. I could go on and on about the places I will miss here on the East Side of Ft. Worth....there are a lot of those special places on this side of town and the fact that they are so close to where I have lived was always a plus.

Another big part of the community you live in are the friends and special people who live there as well. A very special family member lives five minutes away, one who is always there when you need her or even if you don't. So close she can drop by, or you can drop by there, even if it does not happen a lot, I know that they are so close if we or she needs something. I will miss knowing she is that close to me when we leave. So much so, I have not thought about it for very long, for it weighs heavy on my heart. I have some very dear and cherished friends who have been a huge part of my life. The deep, meaningful friendships with people who have been by your side when you needed them the most. The friend that knows your deepest and darkest secrets and does not judge you for them. They love you any way....I know I will carry the friendships with me, but knowing that I won't be close enough for them to just stop by and visit for a second weighs heavy on my heart. There is just something about a friends stopping by for just a second and then spending a summer evening talking in the front yard for over an hour. Or the friend who will stop by and bring her daughter and granddaughter to "see the chickens" out of the blue....oh, I will miss these times. These are the friends who have shared so much of of my life with, sat at weekend garage sales with, planned events for social and personal reasons with, the ones who have always been at arms length on any given day, the ones who if you are in need of any thing, they will drop what they are doing to help in any way they can. In fact, I have one dear friend, who I was convinced she contacted the church and had the bells tole one last time, just for me....she denies that, but she is that kind of friend who would do a thing like that. I can hardly think about not living among my friends in this community. I know the road to a friends house is never long.....but it is a lot longer than five minutes away.

I'm almost completely packed, we sign the papers and begin a new journey, leaving behind all I have known to be dear to my heart.....in two days.....

In Five Days...........

Neighbors.....the longtime, lifetime neighbors. The neighbors who know your every habit and routine and you pretty much know theirs. The neighbors who are dubbed "those neighbors" who do things that make you just shake your head. It takes all types to make up a neighborhood, some better than others, some a little more crazy than the next, but all are memorable in one way or the other.

The neighbor across the street who has lived here all her life. Bless her heart, she calls me regularly to just see "what I know" and shares magazines and flowers with me. We share a love for roses and she loves to sit in her chair by the big front window and look at all my beautiful roses, and then question her daughter as why my roses look better than her own. She knows our every move and watches our house when we are gone to work. I will miss that sweet lady most of all.

The neighbor down the street who thinks he has the whole neighborhood buffaloed into believing he is a code blue citizen. Which, by the way he is not..but he tells the story that he is. Truth be told, he is most likely the one who is the most scared of anything and everything. Heck, I protect the street far better than he thinks he can. Truth.

The neighbor down the street who every morning used to pick up my father-in-law's newspaper from the yard and put it on his porch, because it was the right thing to do and she was there any way. The one who we have a connection with all the way back when our kids were in the same class in school.

The fairly new to the street neighbor who we call "the neighbor" who moved in next door and transformed a run down dilapidated house into a really nice home. When he moved in, I was the crazy nosy neighbor that stuck my nose where it did not belong, but we became fast friends. He is the neighbor who purchased Betty, my first hen and brought her home to Benny when he still lived in the field. The neighbor who is sad we are leaving and was worried he had not been a good neighbor and might have been the cause for us to want to move. The neighbor who brings me food from his family functions because he knows I have a love for authentic mexican food. I will miss "the neighbor" an awful lot!

Year after year, you form bonds with the ones who live just on the outside of your day to day life. They are the ones who come out of their respective houses when there is a crisis on the street or someone is in need. They all know what the other is doing and keeps a vigil watch most of the time. I will miss these good neighbors and I hope my impact on their lives has meant as much to them as theirs has to me. Its rather ironic that the ones you take for granted when they pass in and around your daily life become pretty special when you think of not seeing them every day.

In a few short days, the pesky, nosy neighbor who resides in the house in the middle of the street will not reside there any more. The one that watches out the windows to see what is going on or what isn't. The one who will boldly walk into the yard of her neighbors and question a stranger as to why they are there and what they are doing if she does not think they belong there. The one who notices when the little lady across the streets light is not own at dark and can't get her to answer the phone and will call the police to come check on her. The one who boldly puts herself into the lives of her neighbors in one way or another and cheerfully does so. The one who keeps watch on the street will drive away and a new set of neighbors will move into that little house in the middle of the street. They will become the new neighbors to all of my old neighbors......in just five days.
~ my heart is heavy at the very thought.

Vintage Thingie Thursday ~ Adorable Dachshund Planter

Welcome to this weeks segment of Vintage Thingies Thursday. Thursday is the day to showcase your vintage treasures and to share your special things with everyone. If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy!
To participate, all you have to do is:

* * * * Please everyone, follow these guidelines!

(1) do a post about something vintage.
(2) Visit all the participates and leave a comment.
(3) Link in with the link at the bottom of this post, please use a perma-link to link in with, that way, anyone can refer back to your post if they can not get to it on Thursday.
(4) Be sure to refer back to my blog so everyone can see who is participating today, and if you like include the VTT button in your post. Please be sure to have your post up before linking in.

One of my long time friends found the sweetest planter at an estate sale. I had a fit over it when I saw it! Now, I go to lots of estate sales, and I have never seen one of these. She said it was there on the last day too. Oh. my.

She dropped by my house shortly after me seeing it and gave it to me as a gift. I was so excited, and thrilled she wanted me to have it. I adore it and am so thankful to have it!

It is stamped Japan on all of the four pieces. It is a wonderful addition to all my doxie treasures.

Here it is with all my other little dogs. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Truth of the matter is, when I took the photo, I discovered a bit of dust on the back of the shelves, and did not want to retake the photo. Call it lazy....but I sure wanted to try and "hide" the dust. Truth. You will just have to use your imagination.

Here is my sweet Sophie.....exactly where she does not belong. On The Table. But I snapped a picture of her anyway...she just wanted to smell the flowers!

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!

Happy St. Paddy Day!!! Have You Seen This Tea Pot?

Don't forget to wear your green......I am off in a minute to find my green to wear today!!

While looking online for a image to post....I found this one! Look at this adorable tea pot!! I could not find a link to where it was from, or the maker. So I have to ask...have you seen any thing like this in your neck of the woods?? I love it, and I am not big on tea pots, but this one made my heart sing.

Wishing you a day of shiny rainbows, a field of lucky clovers and hopefully, a day without getting pinched!!

Christmas Ornament Swap Received! What fun!!

This year, I participated in a Christmas Ornament Swap hosted by Sue, at It's a Very Cherry World.

My partner was Dorothy from Hens Rule Blog. I had a great time fixing a goodie box for Dorothy and making an ornament. It was my first time to swap a ornament I had to make, and I hope my effort was not too much of a fail.

Today, my box arrived and I could hardly wait to open it and check out my new ornament and goodies! Boy, was this a fun box to open, and I was so excited as I dug into all the goodies!

Here is a picture of all my fun things. The ornament Dorothy made for me is so sweet, as it is a black and tan dachshund playing in the snow with a cute Christmas tree. It could not be more perfect.

Look how sweet this ornament is!! Sparkly snow and all tied up with a cute polka dot red bow!

She also included this cute little putz house. Oh, this is so cute! Loved it too!

Vintage euphoria, and a cute little vintage Christmas book. The little book really jogged my mind as I seem to remember little books like this from my childhood. I love all of these treasures.

Dorothy included a pretty card with a personal note and a cute little snowman ornament as well! This was  a very fun swap, and I really enjoyed participating.

Here is a glimpse of my little putz house, it is on top of my china cabinet with these little vintage Santa and Mrs. Clause that were gifts from  my SSS swap. They go so cute together, like it was meant to be.

And here is my cute little dachshund ornament already hanging on my tree! 

Thank you again, Dorothy for swapping with me this year. I enjoyed putting your box together and making you an ornament. Likewise, I was over the moon with my gifts! So fun!! I am really glad I decided to participate with this swap, and Thank you to Sue for organizing it! Christmas surprises are sure a lot of fun.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Precious Memories

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.

This is a old snapshot photograph of a house in the country, which was a place where memories upon memories were made.

This photo must have been taken shortly after my aunt and uncle purchased it and moved it to their property. I was a little girl, most likely under eight years old when they purchased this house, so it must have been in the mid 1960's. I can remember in the back of my mind walking through this house when it was not even a home yet. I remember that front porch, as it had some soft slats on the floor of the porch and my mom telling me to stay off those boards. I remember hardwood floors that were in need of lots of work and I remember large cracks on the walls. I remember a wasp nest in the corner of one of the bedrooms that housed wasps. And as a very young girl, that was scary. I remember my mom telling my aunt that they had lost their minds with this house. Funny, what your mind will recall when you let it drift back in time.

However, that shell of a house over the years became a home. I remember they worked on it and remember seeing it in stages of being complete. I remember they added a large living room off the back and when it was under construction, it reminded me of a garage. I remember that very house as I grew older became an idea in my mind of how romantic (reminder of just an idea here) of how living on a farm or ranch would be when I grew up and got married. It always seemed like an ideal to me, a romantic sort of life, so different from the life I lived in the city.

But I know now, it really was not the house at all, but the two individuals that made it a home and who loved each other in the most romantic way. They always sorta seemed so mismatched to me, as my aunt was so girly and so pretty and you just had a hard time visioning her working on a cattle ranch or help with planting crops or baling hay. My uncle, was the picture of a rugged cowboy and a hard worker. He was the first REAL cowboy I ever knew. I remember how he would walk in the door and his very presence and size filled up the door frame. He'd be dirty and sweaty from working and most likely tired as all get out, but he always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Always. Their relationship was magical. Special. They were a team and they made it work during good times and bad.

We lost my Auntie in 2003 and my Uncle Dee, who was already suffering from Parkinson's disease struggled with the loss of his wife and friend. The laughter that used to be present in that house was put to rest and the laughs and smiles were few and far between. The last few years have been hard for him. But the toll that disease took on his body and spirit never could shadow the person he always has been in my eyes. Strong. Present. Faithful. Rugged. Authentic.

He was the one of the ones who were there with my beloved grandmother when she left this world. He was with my Aunt as well, holding her hand. When my father passed, and my aunt was too sick to come to the service, my uncle came. Not out of any loyalty to my father, but because it was the right thing to do. A real example of what it really means to be a man. That is what I think of when I think of my Uncle Dee.

This week my rugged, cowboy uncle was put on Hospice and he is on his journey to forever green pastures as I type this out. I know my aunt will be waiting for him when the time is right. It is hard to say goodbye. But it is a little easier knowing he will be free of this horrible disease and will be holding my aunt in his arms again.

I am thankful that I had such wonderful examples in my life that fairytale endings that really do come true. Two people who were really different as night and day who had the most loving marriage of any I can remember from my youth. I am sure it was not perfect and I am sure there were lots of struggles, as that is how life is. 

However, for a young girl looking in from the outside, it was as perfect as I could imagine. I treasure the great memories of love, laughter, oh the laughter, I can still hear it today, and family that worked with and for each other. Some people live their whole lives and only read about this kind of marriages in novels or books. I am lucky to have lived in a family where I got to experience it first hand and have the memories to cherish of special people and special times.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Dachshund Treasures

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.

The post I had ready for today has to wait until next week.....I am sorry, I just could not help myself. I was too excited to show off my newest adoptive additions to our doxie family.

Annie emailed me a few weeks ago and said she had something she wanted to send me. I got to know Annie over the holidays when she participated in the SSS santa swap. It is so fun to meet bloggers and get to know them in such a way!!

 She said her mother used to buy doxie things and that was over 40 years ago. She even explained to me she was a sister to a doxie growing up.  I was so touched when Annie said she did not collect these kinds of things and knew I might love them and give them a good home. This is what came in the mail today!!

This little darling is just too cute! I love how it has a puppy face.

How about these fun salt and pepper shakers. They are adorable, and you can tell by the way the porcelain feels that these are old and fragile. They are just so cute!!! And I treasure them oh so much.

Now these had me dancing up and down in the kitchen. Truth. These are vintage china, lavender dachshunds playing musical instruments.  Look at the one in the middle!! My papaw played in a  band and played the saxophone for years. I myself, played the saxophone during middle school and was in band. But here is the real kicker, now hold on to your hat, see the one one the left? My husband when he was growing up took lessons in learning how to play the accordion.  I think these were just destined to live with us here and all the doxies!! I love them oh so much.

Thank you Annie, from the bottom of my heart. They were a wonderful surprise and certainly a welcome after what came yesterday in the mail!!

All of these are vintage and just super cute!! I am pleased to say, they will be furever loved!!!

*****I will be emailing the Birthday list for March.....I am running behind, so if you participate in the One Fine Blessing for seniors, watch your emails by tomorrow!!

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!! Have a wonderful week!!!

In A Blink Of An Eye - 32 Years

For those of you who have been with me here at The Coloradolady for a long time, you very well know I rarely, or never post pictures of myself. I guess the best excuse for that is I just don't like to take pictures of myself at this point of my life. I don't like seeing myself in photos because I don't see what my mind sees and how I used to be years ago. So I avoid it.

Not only do I avoid photos, but for all of my adult life, I pretty much have avoided lots of things because of the way I felt about myself. I have never even once attended a class reunion, ever for this very reason. I always said, when I lose the weight I will......when I look better I will......and well, for me, I feel like time is running out. Honestly, I know I won't ever be back where I want to be or be at the place I feel like I can conquer the world again, so I better start making the most of it. I know it is pretty pathetic to admit that, but it is the truth.

There was a big change that happened internally for me at the beginning of this year. I don't want to go into much of that right now, but I am so thankful it happened and changes are being made and made rather rapidly. That is a huge thing for me, as some struggles are not so hard anymore and walls are coming down. I am making progress on goals that I felt were unattainable and in doing so, my self image has improved and I see how unimportant that really is in the big scheme of things. I am thankful beyond words, because I want to share a special moment in my life that happened this last week....and it was 32 years in the making.

I have a friend from high school whom I have not seen since we graduated in 1980. We reconnected on Facebook a few years ago and keep in touch that way. She does not live here in Texas, she lives in Ohio and is away from all her childhood friends. When she and her family were making their way to Texas while on a family vacation, I knew in my heart of hearts I was going to see her no matter how insecure I felt with myself. 

 Mary and myself...Spring of 1978

This is a picture of us in our sophomore year of high school. This is one of the hand full of photos I have of my years in high school. Back then, we just did not take cameras to school and when we did it was usually at the end of the year. It certainly was not like it is today when the kids are able to document their every move via media. This was taken at the end of our sophomore year right before summer.

 Mary and myself.....February 23, 2012

And this was last week.....34 years since the first photo was taken, and 32 years since I last saw my friend in person. And yes, to me she looks the same! We met for breakfast and spent a good part of the day together and had the best time. Talking was none stop, and I did not even finish my food as it got too cold while we were catching up. It was like all those years melted away and we picked up like it was yesterday when we last saw one another. I can't remember when I had so much fun and so thankful for the time we spent together.

We even walked around an antique mall and a vintage retro store that was filled with memories from the 1970's. It was for me a very special day and I am planning to see her later this year. (she just does not know it yet)

The most important lesson here is that all that silly worry about not measuring up and feeling bad about myself made absolutely no difference when we stepped out of the car and hugged...it melted away like a slab of butter on a 120 degree day. What a silly thing that had controlled me most of my adult life.....I feel so grateful that finally I am over all of that silly stuff.....no matter how it came about, I am grateful. I am grateful for my friend, and having that precious time with her while she was here. It meant the world to me.

.....and you know the icing on the cake??? I got an invite from another classmate to a party coming up right after I spent the day having such a good time......when I read it, for an instant I felt that old dread of  "oh, I can't go....thing trying to work itself in my mind" But I pushed those feelings away and out of my head...and I marched in the living room and told my husband we were going to a party.....he looked at me like I had sprouted horns and turned green!! I am sure he thought, "Who are you and what have you done with my wife!"  No matter even if I feel a bit self conscious, I am going and can't wait to do so.

I think with the idea of turning 50 this year has been such a shock as to where have all the years gone that it has shocked my brain, or maybe I am finally getting comfortable in my own skin....after all, there certainly is a lot more skin to feel comfortable with rather than when I was seventeen for goodness sakes.

I felt like writing this down so I could go back to it when I needed to reread how I felt today. If you have never struggled with self doubt, let me say it is not easy living with it and even harder to move past it. But moving past those feelings is when living your life to the fullest really makes sense. It is the most amazing feeling and such treasured moments can come from letting go. It took me a long time....32 years......how sad is that....but I have made it past the stuff that has held me at bay to what is really important in life and I could not be more happier about that!

Thanks Mary, for taking the time from your vacation and spending it with me.....it meant more to me than you could ever possibly know. It was an amazing day!


*** I am also thankful that through blogging, I see things differently too. I knew when I was driving to meet Mary that morning that I wanted to take a photo in the parking lot because I remembered this photo from long ago. That is how bloggers think....and I am most grateful for that too!! Both photos are treasures now.

Tell Me Tuesday: Week Seven

Welcome to Tell Me Tuesday.....First off the title is a bit deceiving.....it really is not about you telling me anything.... but answering a question truthfully and maybe telling yourself a little something you had not thought about.

I'd love for you to join me each week, and copy the question onto your blog and answer the question....and link back here. I am sure it will be interesting how there will be many different answers to the same question.....and hopefully give each of us something to think about as this new year progresses. My thought is so many people (including myself) are looking for some answers to various things. I have a feeling that the answers are inside needing to be jiggled loose and maybe a question posed a certain way will have a cause and effect in a good way. We will see how it goes! I have committed to this once a week for the whole year of 2012. I'd love for you to take the challenge with me!

I am keeping the rules simple...I'd love to watch this grow as the year goes on.

1. Grab the button on the sidebar if you like so others can find this new writing experience each week.

2. Once you link in, visit the person who linked in before you and leave them a comment. It would be great to visit and leave comments for as many as you can. But at least try and leave the person ahead of you in the link a comment of support.

3. Please link back to my blog and mention Tell Me Tuesday somewhere in your POST. That is it....easy.

Most of all, look at this writing experience with an open mind. Sometimes the questions will be hard...and require some thought. That is a good thing. Other times it will be easy. You can add photos, or whatever you like to your post. It is about you after all. ~ Thanks for joining me.....I hope you enjoy this each week.


Week Six Question:

What songs bring you back to really great moments in your life?


_________________________________________ 

This happens to be a good question for this week with the Grammy's just over and the recent events in the media this past week.  At first, I thought...."easy enough"......but as I sat and thought about it, really thought about this question....I was surprised at some of my choices!

Some of the songs that bring me back to really great moments in my life would have to be.....


1. The Chair by George Strait - This is the song that reminds me of my husband and when we first met. Every time I hear it it takes me back to those very early days in our relationship. It always makes my heart smile.


2. Lookin for Love (from Urban Cowboy) by Johnny Lee - this one takes me back to my very young days. Young love is always associated with this song and evokes fond memories.


3. There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney - This one always takes me back to the time right before my daughter was going to be leaving for college. My husband is a manly man but he has a sensitive side and a big heart. He asked me one day had I heard that song on the radio, and he seemed a little misty eyed....once I heard it....my heart smiled. When I hear this song, for some reason it is a reminder of the wonderful heart my husband has, and his rough and tough exterior is no match for what is really inside. It always makes my heart smile.

Music does have a way of taking us back to a time of good or bad. I really had not thought too much about that until I read this question.  How would you answer the question? What songs evoke memories from great moments in your life? What songs make your own heart smile? Have you ever thought about it??


Use the link below to share your answer.
 

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Toy Lion

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 "dog-gone" 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. 

This is a vintage toy lion that I have always called Leo. He belonged to my great grandmother, who I always called Grandma 2. She had this toy at her house and I always loved it when I was little.   I love his cheerful face the best. My grandma kept him in her bedroom on her bed and that is where he had to stay most of the time. As a little kid, that held a lot of attention and wanting to drag it all over the  house.

I can still vision that bedroom in that little house. Although as a child, I did not think that their house was all that small. But to drive by there today....it looks the same as I remember, just a whole lot smaller. This lion sat on her bed that was covered with a dusty pink chenille bedspread. I can remember how that old bedspread felt as I would lay across the bed and play with this lion.

Friends, that was a long, long time ago. My great grandma passed I believe in either 1969 or '70 and I was around seven or eight when she passed. I remember asking for this lion as a way to remember her by. Luckily, my mom was outspoken and would speak her mind because I was not the only one who wanted him...and I was lucky enough to have him for my own.

And in-case you are wondering, when I attach myself to things that mean something to me, I don't take ownership lightly. He is for the most part in exactly the condition he was when I got him all those years ago. Never, did I play with him. He sat on my bed or dresser for most of my childhood and when I was a teenager and got a hope chest....he found his way there for safe keeping and has been there for years on end. I hate to think of what would have become of him had I not been able to have him. I would hope he would be in the same shape, but it is not likely.

Of course, I did not need this toy to remember my very special grandma 2.....but I would not take any thing for him and he really means a lot to me.

He does need a few repairs. I have no idea how old he actually is, as there are no tags at all. His body and legs have wires, as you can see the one sticking out of his tail. There are a couple of places where the stitching has come undone, this is the one with the most need of repair. I tend to believe if he had not lived in that chest for so many years, he would not be in the shape he is today. I need to find a way to display him and enjoy him while I am still here to do so. I think he is adorable, and reminds me of someone I still hold very dear to my heart.

This is a photo of my (left to right) Papaw, his brother Edmond, my great grandma 2, and my great grandfather 2. They were very sweet and special people in my life and I am so thankful that I was old enough to remember special bits and pieces about my great grandparents.

Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday everyone!!! Have a wonderful day!!