That occasional “off” day . . .

I think most of us have them—days when we feel lackluster and out of sync.  Thankfully, I have never had anything remotely close to textbook or clinical depression.  But once in awhile I just feel “off”!  Today is kind of like that.  My 2nd cataract surgery is scheduled for this afternoon, so I’m experiencing a day [...]

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Friendship

I frequently meet for lunch with friends from high school; now we are talking about friendships of 60 plus years!  Old friends are comforting and comfortable.  One never needs explain oneself to old friends.  They know who you are.  They know who your parents were.  They recall your youthful endeavors and dreams.  If you’ve kept [...]

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Serendipity!

The gift of finding unexpected treasure in unexpected places—that’s serendipity.  Since I customarily do find some treasure on most every rummaging foray, I tend to think of garage sales not as serendipity but rather simply pleasant business as usual.  But yesterday’s excursion yielded far more than the considerable haul pictured above.  I’ll remember that day as truly serendipitous! The garage [...]

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The Things That Sustain . . .

NOTE:  I’ve finally updated my “Paintings and Poems” page on this site. Nearly every week I read over the back pages of my blogs, where the stats are listed.  On these pages I learn which entries were most frequently read, the search terms used to arrive at my blogs, the number of viewers each day and week, etc.  The [...]

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Junk, Junk, Wonderful Junk!

Our daughter, Laura, made this whiligig at a workshop near her home in Washington State.  The beauty is a composite of treasures culled from rummage and estate sales in her area. ——————————————————————————– Those of us who enjoy junking are NEVER BORED—and we’ll probably never be tempted to go off the deep end financially with our passion for collecting, because the stuff [...]

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Home: there’s no place like it!

My friend Karen and I visit a lot on the phone.  Such a nice old-fashioned means of communication!  In fact, the only communication venues that can compare with a congenial phone chat are:  a face to face visit and a real letter via USPS.  Karen and I enjoy these as well.  Karen and I catch up on our family [...]

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Spring Cleaning . . .

Now the sun has moved north enough to rise through our patio door.  Growing daylight is a spring cleaning signal for me.  What a joy to tear into one’s home and freshen up every nook and cranny.  Actually I love to do this throughout the year.  But I always embark on a home cleaning spree before the advent [...]

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Home decorating—a wonderful, personal world without rules!

Recently I read an article in a home decor magazine, which brought my blood to that proverbial boil.  The author of the article, an “interior decorator” wrote:  “I can always tell when I enter a home which has not been decorated by a professional . . . .”  Then she went on and on, describing everything [...]

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More indoor gardens, a paparazzi success, and other resident creatures!

Just inside the door from our snowy patio, more gardens thrive:  one on a vintage trunk which I decoupaged with wild west art and cattle brand-type symbols, and the other on a pie crust table.  Both trunk and table were unearthed at rummage sales in Price County, Wisconsin. The trunk features beloved African violets, overseen by a [...]

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Victory Sunday, Hiding the Uglies and Enhancing the Garden Decor

A lot of Wisconsin folks went to sleep happy last night!  Even those of us who are normally not rabid football fans are smiling today!  And yesterday made me smile for additional reasons. The success of the day began with my supermarket purchase of a magazine called Flea Market Gardens.  After our noon meal, I poured [...]

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