common ground : birds

Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts

Sunday, February 23, 2014

A little gift...

We spent yesterday over at the old house packing, like we have for the last several weekends, and I'm sure for the next few months... I have to say it's slow going. The house is a mess, we're working hard but the pace is just tedious. When it's quiet and I'm working by myself my mind starts to wander and I think about what was happening last year at this time. What was I doing, and what was I blogging about? What was taking up my focus, was I "happy" and appreciating each day? Did I realize that in just a few months I would be in the middle of this seeming chaos?

Today was a little sad for some reason, I took out bird seed for the locals, but there were only my two little cardinals that came down to feed. I miss the birds and even the rotten squirrels that hang around and gobble everything up. I miss my daily routine, I miss my view from the kitchen window, that kept me up on what was happening with the weather and who was hanging out at the feeder. Even though I'm looking forward to the good things that are coming, I'm realizing that it doesn't hurt to hold those things from the past close to your heart.

I looked back through my photo gallery and here are some pics from exactly a year ago today. Funny, I didn't show this little needlework piece at that time. It didn't seem all that interesting, just an unsigned little work that wasn't particularly artistic or "good". It has been hanging on my kitchen wall for at least 5 years, and I've read it many times, but today looking back and seeing it in a photo, it spoke to me in a more meaningful way.

This is what was happening exactly a year ago, a terrible day of snow and sleet, and some hungry little critters.

See my little girl friend under the wagon?

It was really coming down and she was taking shelter from the storm.

Goldfinches, Purple finches, Wrens, and Bluebirds.

One of my sweet girls enjoying the view with me.

Just wanted to share this day with you, just wanted to share that little thought with you; that each day is indeed a gift. We might not know the importance of it at the moment, but looking back with a different perspective, we see that it truly is a blessing. And maybe, hopefully, in a year from now, I will look back at yesterday and see that day for what it really was.

If you haven't entered the Give Away with French Bleu Vintage, then click here. Adrian has so many beautiful things in her store. She's giving away a $35.00 Gift Certificate and has a 25% sale going on storewide. Hope you'll run by for a vist.

joining in on these great parties:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Make it a special day,

xoxo,

Sunday, January 12, 2014

knowing the right time...

Just wanted to check in with everyone, since my last post was on Thursday morning. We picked up the keys to the new "little house" Friday afternoon. Funny that I'm calling it "the little house". When hubbs and I first were married we lived in a gardener's cottage on my parents property...we called it "the little house". This would be a mansion in comparison to our tiny first house. Just one big room with a little bedroom that was heated with an old time gas heater. We were so happy: we didn't care where we lived.

We did a walk-thru Friday and realized that the carpets had not been cleaned so we spent most of the day Saturday over there doing that. I've said it before and I'll say it again, gotta have my Bissell Carpet Cleaner. It's saved the day on more than one occasion. We should have been here packing, but I have a pet peeve about dirty floors...'nough said.

I had to show these pics of one of my sweet birdies that I've been feeding during all the ice and snow of the last two weeks. I grabbed the camera and caught these. The setting is off, but I wanted to share them with you, anyway. The snow is almost melted and we're supposed to have a 60 degree afternoon...yay! Anyway, I kept seed out for the little guys (Juncos and Sparrows) and some ornery squirrels, it was grand central all day around the feeders. I'm going to miss these little guys, but then again, I'll be at this house a lot because we still have packing and sorting and getting ready for a sale to do. We'll be back and forth working at both houses. Our new house is a temporary one, we have a year's lease, but we hope to have some set plans by then.

Do you ever have an understanding of God's timing? It's hard to put into words, but I know you know what I mean. By our own thinking this wouldn't be the right timing to take a big step. Hubbs had inner ear surgery for Meniere's Disease, (he's much much better) in April, and I've had several rounds in the hospital with blood clots in my arteries next to my heart (I'm better too)...not a good time to plan several moves. But we just knew that the timing was now to get started with this transition...moving into a smaller lease house, getting rid of some of the "stuff" that's been cluttering up our lives. We had a flea market business for about 8 years, and during those years too much "stuff" came home with us. We knew that now was the time to lighten up and get freed up of some things...for some new things. Not just material; but emotional, and spiritual baggage that has held us in one place for awhile. We're starting to feel like this little bird...

This is the scripture verse that has been the center of my thoughts this last week.

Version: RSV

Isaiah 40:28-31

28. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. 29. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31. but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

...have a good Sunday.

Joining in here:

Inspire Me at A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop at StoneGable

xoxo,

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Decorating with Fall Naturals

I think we're seeing a trend in decor more and more each season, and that's decorating with nature's elements. I've found "mixing" faux and naturals goes a long way in making my home more inviting and giving it a more uncomplicated and spontaneous feel. There are so many beautiful, well made silks and faux elements that I'll never give them up, but finding that balance of combining the two has become a place where I'm enjoying the creative challenge.

If you read my post earlier in the week, you know that we've been literally neck deep in having a new roof put on our home. This was a more involved fix than just a composition roof, as after a really bad hail storm in June, we've decided to follow what everyone else in our 25-30 year old neighborhood has been doing, and that's replacing wood shake shingles with new super nice top of the line composition shingles. So, I've been under "house arrest" this week, as I didn't want my car out on the street for over a week. I opted to just stay home and not risk a flat tire or worse yet, vandalism.

So, I've had to play in the house this week, when all I want to do is get outside and do some puttering with plants and pumpkins. "Hedge Apples" are pretty common around this area; also called "Osage Oranges", I've been looking at them through different "decorating eyes" these last few years. What used to be a nuisance in the middle of the road, and half eaten messes, now I'm finding their wonderful color and texture to be something worth celebrating.

I bought two of these wonderful antique pottery flowerpots a few years ago,

after seeing them at Meloney and Brian's Seed Box Open House.

Anyone know the name for this type of flowerpot?

Somehow I got it in my head they were called "Vanilla" something or other?

You can see just part of Mel's great collection.

Sorry the photo is all blurry; that was 3 years and 3 cameras ago.

back to hedge apples...

I added some other natural elements on the coffeetable on the sunporch, so I at least could make a little vignette. Oh, and I added in a sunflower head that Julie sent me. love it!

Preserved leaves, hydrangeas, and bittersweet all join in.

And of course, anyplace you have sunflowers

you will automatically have some birdies.

just a little nibble

Here's a really ugly photo of what I've been looking at all week.

30 years of tree debris, dirt, rotten shingles,

and torn off guttering looking out from the Living Room.

See the plywood against the house?

yep, that covered all the windows so it was like a cave downstairs.

I couldn't go down there it was so depressing.

what you can't tell is that this pile is at least 3 feet deep.

uh huh...

And this is what most of my prints and wall decor look like

after 5 days of pounding on the roof.

sort of like how my head feels...

But the good news is that most of the new roof is on and they're working today on the details, so the end is in sight. now for clean up... And making my hubby take me out for dinner!

Hope you're having a great weekend...

we're expecting rain, but I think we're covered.

joining in on these parties:

Blissful Whites at Timewashed
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Knick of Time Tuesday
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch
Savvy Southern Style
TTT at StoneGable

xoxo,

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Frenchy Pillows

I know that I just showed you the updated (that would be "this week") sunporch, but I found some wonderful new pillows that I wanted to show you, and it just so happened they landed on the little wicker settee out there.

I have a small obsession with birdies this time of year, and when I saw this embroidered birdie pillow at one of my favorite places I had to have it...and one to go with it.