Fourth Of July Hutch

One of the best purchases I made was the white hutch that stands in the corner of my house.  I love decorating it for the holidays and seasons that come around.  My pulled neck muscle feels better, but my neck is still stiff and sore, so I rested last week, and I thought it would be a good time to decorate my hutch for the 4th of July.  I don't have a lot of stuff for this holiday, as I gave many things away in the moves - three moves in six years (awful, but each move gave me some special moments that I will always remember).  So, here is my hutch that's not too cluttered, just festive enough for the 4th. 🎇🎇🎇

I found this little 4th of July girl at Hobby Lobby this year.

A few other items.

And I can't forget to put out my 'All American' Troll that I've had since my childhood.  The writing on his shirt is faded, but that's what makes him vintage and a treasure.   He's at least 55 years old. 

I found these pretty blue candle holders, and I already had the tapers.

I liked them so much, I went back and got another.

Made a batch of sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies cause they're always good with a cup of coffee.

My neighbor across the street has a row of pink roses planted in her front yard.  There are a couple red bushes mixed in with them.  This red rose was the first to bloom this spring.

My son made a braised chicken dish.  I got a picture of it before it was all gone - it was really good.

~Oh, to be a kid again in the spring and summer....chasing the butterflies, listening to the frogs tell a story, picking the wild dandelions anywhere and everywhere, skipping and laughing, and resting on a tree stump until you do it all over again~

From the plane....✈ Jess and Nel went on a fabulous trip, and I'll share with you the destination soon.

 

Town Story

 Whenever I go into town, I always come home with a story or two.  One of the first things I asked my brother when he bought the house is "how far from town is it?"  He was careful in his search to find a place that was not too far out.  I'm only 3 minutes from the town, so I drive there often.  Here's a story from last week that I'll share with you.

~I was at the grocery story in the produce section getting the best looking veggies to bring home, and when I was finished, I headed over to the meats.  I looked back, and from the corner of my eye, I saw something run fast in the distance.  It came from the back storage, and ran past the produce section, and I was glad to be done there.  I thought it might just be a shadow, because another shopper came through.  But I hurried up and gathered all the groceries I needed, and checked out.  Someone was at the check-out with a big bag of dog food.  He said, "did you see the Chipmunk in the store?"  I replied, "that was a Chipmunk?"  He said, "yea, it was so cute."  I said, "not everyone thinks that Chipmunks are cute," and thought to myself, "especially at a grocery store!"  So, I mentioned it to the manager, who's such a good guy, and he searched for it.  He said, "I opened the back door so he can run out."  Apparently, he has been a visitor before.  I noticed the front door was open when I first got there, so that's probably how he snuck in. V. at check-out said, "well, we live in the woods."  I said, "I know, I love the deer, but not the rodents!"  I got out of there faster than a greased pig! 🐷 

I picked up some Chinese take-out, and the restaurant always accommodates me with my orders, as I sometimes change the order to this or that.  The restaurant owners are so good to me.  I asked for chicken chow mein, with more sauce, and it was delicious with fried prawns. 🍤🍤🍤

I thought these flowers were so pretty in the parking lot of the Chinese restaurant.

I also drove through the eatery on another day last week and got a hot pastrami sandwich.  I pulled a neck muscle, and it was painful, and didn't feel like cooking.  They open at 11, but I got there at ten to 11, and they took my order.  I asked them to beef up the sandwiches, and they sure did.  They make a mean hot pastrami sub.  I have this little rock in the console of my car - it's a reminder of all the little daily graces I receive.

The 100-year old pioneer wagon on main street is already decked out with red, white, and blue, and flags waving in every direction.

The California Poppy is blooming like crazy along the edges of the highway, and even in the parking lots.  Their color ranges from shades of golden yellow

to an intense beautiful orange.

Mia did a craft project with her mama.  I thought it turned out so cute.

A California Quail and his mate were digging vigorously in my garden.  They are ground birds that search for food, but there is no food in my garden, so maybe they were making a nest?  Then, the female kept digging while the male looked on.

He looked funny when shaking all the dirt off him.

I love hearing the song of the birds in this area during this season.  It's fun to guess what calls are from what birds.  I will see these little songbirds soon.

Mia finished her last dance class (of three years), and will graduate from her little pink tutu to a purple leotard next fall.

Remember Maxwell House Coffee?  And their jingle?...."Good To The Last Drop."  Maxwell House coffee was introduced in 1892.  Is it just me, or does it blow you away that a coffee has been around for 134 years?  It's still good to the last drop.

I know I share pics of the deer often, but they came around a lot in May this year.  And I was in awe of this Buck right across the street!

Happy June!

The Big And Little Things Of May

Well, it seems that there are always big and small things that come up each month, and among the big ones is the blazing fire that's going on in So California right now.  It's called the Sandy Fire, and it's not that far from Jess.  It's 75% contained, thank the Lord, and we have some robust firefighters working on it.  Thousands were ordered to evacuate.  There's some smoke in Jess' area, but she has not had to evacuate.  

When I see the deer, I feel it's considered a big thing, as how many of us open our doors, walk outside, and see deer right in their front or back yards?  This one looked satisfied chomping on something.  I do think there was a buck in the midst of them all, which is rare.

Some baby birds were born recently, and I'm not sure what type of bird they are, but the neighborhood can hear them peep loudly day and night!  *Baby birds stretch and open their beaks as wide as possible.  This is called gaping.  They do this to reveal their brightly colored mouths, which triggers their parents' natural instinct to feed them.

🐣🐣🐣🐣🐣

Among the little things (and those are often the best ones).....I watched the movie Green Book.  It was a really good movie.....reflective, eye opening, had a lot of perspective, inspiring, and entertaining.  I recommend watching this film.  It's based on a true story as well, which I always appreciate.

The kids are officially on summer break, and ready to enjoy this time off from school.  Mia had a 'spring sing,' an end of the year performance where all the classes in that grade level come together to give a short concert.

It's always such a joy to see my white flowering bush awaken every spring.

Cinnamon raisin toast and peach orange tea - a good combination.

Through the kitchen window, I see my neighbor's flag waving every Memorial Day weekend.

~if you know someone like this, give them a gentle hug today~

Sometimes I feel like I'm part Italian (but I'm not), cause I love their food so much. 🍝🍞🍕  Shell pasta with marinara sauce.

I hope you have some big and little surprises this week.

**update...the Sandy Fire is now 100% contained, thank the Lord.  Thank you, brave CAL FIRE firefighters.