Treasures, Adventures and Memories

Good Morning Everyone!

It is a beautiful crisp morning.  A glorious Saturday for sure.  I think because of the extended drought that our trees are not yet turning color.  I think they were so stressed through the drought that their biological clocks are off.  They can't tell the days are shorter because they are busy drinking up all the moisture that's in the soil for their parched trunks.  I have been seeing beautiful photos on blogs of lovely fall color.  We will get ours soon enough.  Nonetheless, it is gorgeous and cool this morning.  I am enjoying the green pastures.

My chickens hunting bugs

This pasture has been brown so long that I marvel at it

I'm sure the farmer of this field hates these yellow flowers which are weeds but I like it

I still have lots of figs and am excited to make something

I ate these this morning :)

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Little baby okra's finally

Crepe Myrtles still in bloom

I have been inspired to finally go through my Mom and Dad's home to clean and organize.  I find that I have let enough time go by where the pain has turned into fond memories.  My parents were not technically hoarders but they loved to collect things.  LOTS AND LOTS OF THINGS.  They also liked projects, LOTS AND LOTS OF PROJECTS.  I am not a collector and clutter challenges my ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) to its outer limits.  I have been dreading settling into Mom's house because of the need to sort through and organize before I can bring my things in.  It is a God thing though that I waited because I am truly having a great time.

My Mom, step-mom actually, and I did not like each other or become friends until after my Dad died in 2003.  She said that she accepted the LORD 2 weeks before Dad died and that caused her heart to change.  I had been through 3 years of counseling and healing at the point my Dad died and so God had worked out the details in such a way that we were both lonely, recovering, healing women and I was blessed to become her friend.  She was my best friend and I do miss her and her eccentricities very much.

They moved to Oklahoma in 1990.  I did not have much contact with them for those 13 years.  I had my own problems (see Hell and Back blogs).  As I venture through cupboards, closets and drawers, I find that it is a bit like a treasure hunt because they collected so many things that I find a new amazing thing everyday.  I find that it is comforting to pick up an object and ponder about what it is, why she saved it and what was the conversation between she and Dad when they bought it.  They lived life like an adventure too and so I do not know what phase of collecting they were in when they found lots of this stuff.

Yesterday was the completion of the hall linen closet and a large cupboard in the kitchen and all of her hope chests and quilt keepers.  In the closet I found an abundance of table cloths, cloth napkins, doilies and some baby clothes from when we were children. I remember big family dinners served on those table cloths. There were 8 in our family and there were always extra people in attendance at Sunday dinner.  We would have boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, grandchildren, friends and since we were all characters there were always stories and laughter......at least most of the time.  There is a gorgeous table cloth with the napkins that my brother Allan bought my Mom in Belgium with hand made battenbourg <so> lace.  I am going to send that in Allan's box so that he can use it with his family.

I did not know until I moved here that my Mom had taken up crocheting doilies.  My real Momma also crocheted doilies and so I have the doilies of both women and do not know who did which.  It will be comforting to press them and have them on the tables as a tribute to both of them.  There were embroidered pillow cases and needlepoint samplers.  I am not an embroidered pillow case or eyelet kind of girl but I will find something interesting to do with them.

I found oodles of fabric and batting that I am going to give to my Mother-in-law today because she has recently taken up quilting and I know that she will appreciate it and I will see some of it someday in the quilts that she makes.

I found lots and lots of yarn, knitting and crochet needles that I will donate to my dear friend Mary's prayer shawl ministry.  She has a wonderful ministry where she and a group of ladies get together and pray over each stitch of these shawls and give to women who need prayer, support and encouragement. My Mom tried to teach me to knit or crochet all of my life and I never could do it so she would be happy that it will go to support, love and encourage someone.

In the kitchen, I found this contraption that I could not identify.  I called the experts, my sister, my father-in-law-to-be and neither of them knew what it was.  I was about to ask my neighbor Johnny last night.  I got it out and was looking at it and realized that at some point my Mom was making her own cheese and it is a cheese press.  I have been day-dreaming about exploring how to make my own cheese now and so this contraption stays here. MMMMMM....comforting, melting, pungent cheese.

Today I am tackling the paintings in the closet and another large cupboard in the kitchen.  We can play a game with the stuff that I cannot identify and y'all can help me figure things out!  I have already put a beautiful fall table cloth on the table with her Halloween/Fall decorations on the table with lovely soy candles that I found.  Have a wonderful day today everyone. Can you guess what these are?