WE HAVE ARRIVED!

We have arrived . . . well, actually we arrived a week ago today, but things have been hectic and I was without Internet access until Thursday. Our trip went off without a hitch. Our friend Duane and his son Christopher arrived about 8 hours behind us with the truck. After a wonderful breakfast at the Cumberland Inn in Williamsburg, we got the travel trailer set in place and the beds made and let the guys take a nap before unloading. My "niece" and her new husband drove up from Knoxville to help us unload. I don't know what we'd have done without them!

True to form for us, life is an adventure. We found "squatters" in the carport/patio in the form of a family of barn swallows that had nested on a blade of the ceiling fan. Good thing the guys noticed the nest BEFORE they turned the fan on! We've had a blast watching Barney and Mrs. Swallow prepare for their hatchlings and then when the little quadruplets arrived, a constant flurry of activity to keep the little guys fed. Much better than TV! Mrs. M. Dove has also nested in the carport - in the grape vine growing between the posts. So far no little doves, but there are two eggs in the nest. A family of house wrens has made their home in the trash can in the barn. We'd left some dead branches from an old rose bush in the can before we left in April and they must have decided we left it just for them and built their nest amongst the thorns. Guess we didn't need that trash can anyhow - at least not until the eggs hatch and the little wrens fly the nest!

The greatest treasure waiting for us comes in the form of a puppy - and I use the term puppy loosely! She is probably about 6 - 8 months old, a beautiful red color with long legs and paws the size of a small third world country. Our neighbor, Mr. Wilson, tells us she's been hanging around for about three weeks or more - just like she'd been waiting for us to arrive. Throughout the day, while we were unloading the truck, we tried to come up with a name for her. Trouble was one of the top choices of the day, but somehow just didn't seem right for a pretty little girl. I finally decided on Grace (or Gracie). No, I didn't name her after my wonderful Sunny friend, although she does have a sweet disposition and constantly makes us laugh. Her name came about after she followed Brigitte and I on our evening walk down our little country road. She was galloping along beside us when she suddenly disappeared - down into a ditch on the side of the road. She looked up at me with that "how did I get down here" look on her face as she picked herself up and made her way back up on to the road to join us. Once was funny, but when she rolled down into a ditch on the other side of the road just a few minutes later - well you can imagine me doubled over in laughter. I was still laughing when we got back to the carport/patio where the guys were relaxing. Before I had a chance to tell them what happened she, in all her clumsy puppiness, cleared a table with her tail. I told the guys that I thought we should name her Grace - something that she was definitely lacking, but a beautiful name for a beautiful "little" girl.

Unfortunately, pictures will have to wait until I figure out where I put the little cord thingy that transfers pictures from my camera to the laptop. I put it somewhere I'd be sure to find it easily - so if anyone out there can give me a clue as to where that might be, please let me in on the secret!

Blessings y'all!

Bound 4 Kentucky!

I thought I'd post a few quick lines while the postin' is good. My internet access has been limited for the past week and time has been even more limited. The house is empty, save a few personal items and cleaning supplies. We had so much help loading the truck last night! People running every which way, grabbing everything in sight - including a few things that were supposed to stay behind! I managed to hold things together fairly well in the emotions department with a few minor exceptions - like when my Junque Syster got in her car to drive away, when my Sister at Heart got ready to walk out the door and when our good friends Jim and Janet left. I allowed myself only one major meltdown (last nite at least). Closing went off without a hitch. It's the first time I've ever been on the selling side of the table.

Well, I've got a little more sprucing up, and one more look through the cabinets to do, then we're off to spend the night with friends and by first light tomorrow morning we should officially be

KENTUCKY BOUND!
LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

IT'S REAL!!!!!

It's real! It's official! It's time to panic! We just got a call from our Realtor. Our closing has been moved up to Tuesday at 10:00. That means it's real. really real! I've been living in a cave of boxes for several weeks now and my cabinets are nearly empty, but somehow, it just hadn't sunk in! We're really moving! OK girl, BREATHE! In through the nose, out through the mouth! Or is it in through the mouth, out through the nose? And if I hyperventelate, is it paper or plastic?

Enough of this, I have things to do and people to see!

Did I mention IT'S OFFICIAL!? Did I mention IT'S REAL?

Blessings y'all!

Liz

A CELEBRATION OF LOVE

I love vintage things. Vintage furniture! Vintage linens! Vintage quilts! Vintage kitchen gadgets! Vintage dishes! Vintage! Vintage! Vintage! Saturday I had the opportunity to help our Pastor's daughters decorate the church Fellowship Hall for Brother Billy and Sister Jean's 50th anniversary celebration! We used vintage pictures, jewelery, handbags, hankies, gloves, Brother Billy's highschool letterman's sweater and baseball cap, and Ms. Jean's absolutely beautiful wedding dress and headpiece as part of the decorations. It was beautiful! Simple! Elegant! Definitely befitting a beautiful, elegant, vintage couple.



On Sunday afternoon we celebrated not only their 50 years of marriage, but their 50 years in the ministry together as well. We celebrated when they told of their wedding day 50 years ago to the day on a Sunday afternoon and the fact that Brother Billy actually preached the Sunday morning service and then had an afternoon wedding! We celebrated their wonderful, Godly family. We celebrated Brother Billy's recovery and we celebrated the strength he is regaining every day. We celebrated old friendships. We celebrated young lives that have been touched by this wonderful couple.




At the service last night the celebration continued with special music. We celebrated with tears of joy that our Pastor, although still not able to climb up to the platform, was able to deliver his first message since his accident!



I'm certain that Brother Billy and Sister Jean enjoyed every moment of their day. I know they appreciated all the beautiful gifts they received. The greatest gift that day, however, was not a gift they received. It was a gift that those of us who know and love them received. The gift of being there to celebrate their lives and their love with them!

Blessings y'all!

Sunday Repose

In and out of situations
That tug-of-war and me
All day long I struggle
For answers that I need
But then I come into His presence
All my questions become clear
And for that sacred moment
No doubs can interfere

In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King



Through His love the Lord provided
A place for us to rest
A place to find the answers
In hours of distress
Now there is never any reason
For you to give up in despair
Just slip away and breathe His name
You will surely find Him there

In the pesence of Jehovah
God almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
In the presence of the King . . . .
In the presence of the King

Geron Davis/Becky Davis

Treasures and Friendship

I was given the most incredible gift on Saturday. We'd made a trip into town to deliver some things to my Junque Syster. She's beginning to go through the purging and packing and nail biting associated with an anticipated move in a few months - something I can relate to very well. During the course of our conversation, she asked me if I would like to have her treadle sewing machine cabinet and sewing machine. My heart stopped. A treadle sewing machine has been on my "wish" list for as long as I can remember. And for her to offer me something that has such a long history in her family and has held a place of honor in her beautiful home for many years. . . oh my! Our wonderful husbands loaded this beautiful treasure into our truck and we brought it home. "She" is currently residing beneath an old quilt, amongst boxes and other pieces of furniture awaiting the trip to Kentucky. "She" will eventually have a place of honor in our new home and will be a constant reminder of a treasured friendship. As my Junque Syster so beautifully put it . . . "a piece of her will be going to Kentucky with us".





P.S. I've decided my beautiful treasure needs a name. So, from this moment on, she will have the honor of being called "Ms. Annie Ruth Singer".

I'D LIKE TO THANK . . . .

Whew! I'm certainly glad I hadn't packed away all of my dress-up shoes or my sparkly jewels or my needlepoint stool because my blogger friend Grace at Grace Today shared this beautiful award with me. This is much to special an occasion to be caught in flip-flops or sneakers or (collective gasp) in my bare feet! Grace has become so very special to me over the past several months. I'm looking forward to meeting her face to face one day - if not on this side of the River Jordan, then on Heaven's side!



It is my honor to pass this award along to five blogers who are all very special to me. Please stop by to visit them. I promise you won't be disappointed!

My Junque Syster, Sharron from Vintage Girl at Heart who shares my love of thrifting and alley pickin' and turning other people's trash into our treasures. I'm hoping one day some of her creative juices will overflow on to me! We may not be sisters by birth but we've defintely become sisters at heart!
My adopted Junque Niece, Hayley from Rambles by HayHay. She is the younger version of Vintage Girl at Heart and has inherrited her auntie's sweet disposition, creativity and love of junque.
Adrienne from With a Grateful Heart. Like Grace, I've never met Adrienne face to face, but I would love to have the opportunity one day. Her sweet spirit and loving heart make her blog such a wonderful place to visit.
Colleen from Mainstreet Memories. Colleen has such a wonderful outlook on life. I can always count on her to make me smile.
And last, but certainly not least, Elaine from Peace for the Journey. Elaine has become so very special to me. Her writing is definitely a gift from God. She has challenged me to look beyond the surface of seemingly simple, every day things and to dig deeper into the Word. If not this side of the River Jordan . . . !

I really hate to stop here! So for all of you who inspire me, challenge me, make me laugh . . . from my perch atop my antique needlepoint stool, please accept this award!



Blessings y'all!