Merry Christmas!!!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!  You can see here that we got a nice amount of snow last night, it was a total surprise. some went away today, but we may get some tonight.  I am hoping so as our grandchildren are coming tomorrow, and it would just make it perfect day to have some snow.  I hope you are all creating your own memories of this special holiday.  We are now making new memories with our next generation of children.  What a blessing it is to watch the excitement of a small child when they receive that special gift, that was chosen just for them.
Hold onto all those memories.  I am!

Posted with Love,
Florence

OK I Can Do This!

OK I can do this!  After taking a break from blogging, I had decided to get back to posting. I would come upon obstacles, first my memory for my photos was full, imagine that? After four years of blogging, I guess it was bound to happen.  I had to make a decision do I buy more, with some thought I decided to go for it. I bought more memory for my photos, then went to post and struggled to get the photos where I wanted with the captions below the photos, therefore my last post is a little messed up with a huge blank spot in the beginning. I will persevere just like I did all summer climbing mountains, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone.  I am asking that you hang in there with me as I maneuver through blog posting. I will master it because that is who I am.
Posted with Love,
Florence

Thanksgiving 2012 A Time of Remembrance!

Rosemary for remembrance.  Did you know that rosemary was and is used for remembering something? This holiday season I am doing a lot of remembering, holding those good memories close to my heart.  Thanksgiving our girls would be with their in-laws. Roger and I decided to just stay home, until a last minute decision  to take our dinner to some friends whom also would be home alone. The rosemary would go into the brine that Roger made for the turkey.  I grow rosemary, so all I do it step out my door and cut it.  Roger would be making the brine before I came home from work, so I harvested it, left it on the cutting board, labeled it so he what it was and the rest was up to him.

I make my dressing like my mom taught me, using my home grown sage, adding chicken broth to add just the right amount of moistness to the dish.

Green beans sauteed with almonds and onion and little seasoning.

An apple pie would be in order.  I canned my apple pie filling so all it took was to roll out the dough, add the filling and bake.

This round oak table makes the best work table to create on.

Although I don't make the prettiest looking pies, they are tasty.  One of my life time goals is to make pretty fluted crust edges on my pies!

Roger would smoke our brinned turkey on the Traeger. Did I say it was moist?  One of our best turkeys. I hope you all had a memorable Thanksgiving. I am now ready to move on to Christmas.  My two older daughters will be coming to our home for Christmas so I best get myself ready for the celebration.  There is a lot of decorating to do! Menu is planned.  How about you?
Posted with Love

Life's Challenges

Since my last post, my life has faced many challenges. The first week of August, my sister Patty was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer that had spread to her liver.  Preparing myself to be strong and to be her support person would prove to take all I had. Our biological mother had passed away when I was 21 and Patty was 19.  I soon would take over the role of not only Big Sister but Mother as well over the years.  Patty did not lead a very healthy life style, thus resulting in lung issues, along with diabetes. Sometimes I would be pretty hard on her through the years.  I think because I did not understand why she would not change her habits to stay healthy. I wanted her to be healthy, but she chose a lifestyle that would not warrant that very style of life.  I loved my sister very much.  In the three weeks we had left I would reiterate to her my love for her. I hold on to the fact that I know she was going to heaven and now she is in no pain. 
I have processed her passing in many ways, through climbing mountains, hiking some difficult trails, to creating, which seems to be my way to heal. I will soon share some of those journeys.  God has given us so much beauty and we are all so blessed. I can look all around me and just smile.

Posted with Love,
Florence

The Barn House Boy's Gardens

Not only do the Barn House Boys put on an incredible Vintage and Antique Market, they have a very well groomed garden as you will see.  Enjoy my journey through the gardens.

Are you noticing how neat and tidy this garden is looking.  I could only strive to accomplish this very fete.

Galvanized envy going on here for me!!!  I have wanted one of these for a long time.

Part of the Barn House Family!

I am thinking that this one had to wonder "what is going on with all these people that have invaded my piece of heaven?"

These last few photos are from last years show. I hope this will inspire you to be out in your gardens.

Now I think I would love to take a rest in this setting!  Ahh!  Whenever I have been at Barn House, that is what my heart feels. Ahh!  The energy there is so positive.  I hope you have enjoyed this journey that I was able to experience.

Barn House Vintage & Antique Marketplace 2012 V

This should be my final post on Barn House Vintage & Antique Marketplace 2012.  I know as a blogger this takes time to do and some careful thought.  It is my hope that I have been able to acknolge those whom I have taken photos from their space correctly.  Above is Worthy Goods enjoy the final journey.

Loved this table using the wine barrels.

I think this is from Petit & Olson. Love this post mail bag!

I actually considered getting this blue enamel pitcher, but decided I should wait.

The Duchess

Cottage Vintage Home

House of Harvest. I met Lindsea at my friend Natalie's last fall.  I love all her great finds.

I have some great vintage cameras, I am sure whom ever purchased these are pretty happy!

Mine is just like this one!

Along with all the wonderful vendors I get to see many friends that I have met over the years of attending these shows.  Here we have Kimberly Taylor and Lara Blair, professional photographers I look up to!

Kimberly Taylor and Rebbecca.

These next few photos I am not sure whom to give credit to, but I do want to share them with you.

It is always so much fun to meet up with  my Best Friend Erin!

As they say in show business. "That's a wrap"  Thank you Lindsea for this photo op.  I hope I have been able to capture what you might have wanted to see or remember from you visit to Barn House.  I know for myself I love to go back and enjoy the journey.