Hello Summer.....

Summer officially begins here at our cottage today.

Maddie will be staying the week with us.

I will be picking her up this afternoon.

There was a neighborhood party, yesterday, to welcome the newcomers that moved here in the past few months.

Plus, it was a great way to kick off the summer season.

Lots of people, and lots of fun!

The evening ended with a bonfire, which was soooo enjoyable!

As I was taking this picture, a Chickadee was just landing on the birdbath in the background.

He made sure to let me know I was invading his space!

The roses are starting to bloom...but the rabbits are feasting on them in the cottage garden.

I am NOT happy about that at all!

They strip the canes of all the leaves first. Then they start chewing down the stems.

UGH!!!

I've been seeing everyone using their canning jars for vases again.

It must be the summer that brings them out.

I agree that the color of the jars compliment fresh flowers of any kind, and color.

This is the time of year I start making lavender sachets.

My stash dwindles, and I need to stock up for little gifts for special friends that need a little pick me up, or a just because......

It's a good thing that it's flea market season.

My stock of vintage lace is getting quite low.

The white, pearl buttons are getting more difficult to find...so they are on my list also.

Summer goes by so fast. With so many things to do, and people to share time with, I wish the season lasted longer.  I might not appreciate it as much as I do, though.  So I make each moment count!
So.....ready or not, here it comes....Enjoy!

Rainy day musings.

What do you do on a rainy day?

I sit around, and wonder what needs to be changed in the house.

I notice all of the stuff all over the place, and can't believe I thought just one more piece added to a vignette would improve the look!

No, that glass isn't a part of the display!

I was drinking OJ while scanning the room.

So, when does a vignette start looking more like a flea market display, than a vignette?

I don't know when enough is enough!!

I think it's because I owned a shop.

I became a master at piling a lot of items on to a very small space.

Something else I noticed this morning was the table in front of the sofa.

It's so small!!!!!  Oh my gosh!!!!!!  When I backed up, and looked at it, I started to laugh!

What a silly looking display!  hahaha

So, now I will be looking for a table that's of larger size, taller, and chippy in just the right places.

Oh my.

Rainy days really are good for me. They not only give my gardens a nourishing drink. They give me time to sit down, and re-evaluate the look of the house. Prompting me to make changes needed here, and there. Some little changes, and some big ones....like the size of the table sitting in the middle of the room!!!  Good grief.
I hope you have a productive day today. Rain, or shine.
  Debbie
xoxoxoxo

Missing my Dad on Father's Day.

The pictures are old, and faded, but the face is the same familiar one I remember.

The black and white photo is him as a child.

The larger photo is him holding his great granddaughter, Maddie.

She was born on his birthday.

Although a smile didn't escape his lips, tears of joy were streaming down his cheeks.

Every Father's Day, since his passing, the memories are different.

This year, they were of my wedding day....August 5th, 1972.

People remarked how much I looked like my Dad that day.

He was 1/2 Chippewa Indian, and 1/2 Irish.

We were both nervous as we stood in the back of St. Andrew's Cathedral waiting for the wedding march to start.

I told him how handsome he looked, and he said I looked pretty.

I stare hard at the photo's to see the resemblance, and all I can see are high cheekbones, and rosy cheeks.

I hope I have some of the other traits my Dad carried.

Whenever I was sick...he was there for me.

From the time I was a child, through my adult life.

I was in the hospital many times in my life.

My Dad was there, every day....EVERY day.

He was the king of hugs.

He hugged, and kissed you hello, goodbye, and goodnight.

You never, ever went away without knowing that he loved you.

My Dad tried to be a tough guy at times....but the day I got married, when we reached the alter, I looked up at him, and said, "I love you Daddy".

All he could do was walk away with tears in his eyes.

Thinking about my Dad today was a little more difficult than usual.  
These photos are from so long ago...but the memories are so fresh in my mind, and my heart.
"I miss you Dad".

The love of roses....

What is it about roses that captivates us so?

I remember watching my Gramma tend to her prized roses early in the mornings when I would stay at her house in the summer.

I was only five years old, but can still see her stooped over...wearing an old dress, and an apron.

She would be weeding, and pruning.

I would be sitting in the sun room, watching her.

When she finished her work, she would bring in a few blooms for the dining room table.

My Mother's mother was a woman with a very tough exterior.

When I saw her with the roses, it seemed to soften her some how.

My Mother was the same kind of woman.

She also had a small rose garden for awhile.

They were a prized possession of hers.

I've always loved to garden.

I didn't have roses, however.

I worked with them as a florist, for years!

My attraction to them just started through blogging.

Seeing Bella's Rose Gardens, and June's gorgeous gardens at Laughing with Angels inspired me, and opened my eyes to the beauty of the rose.

I've collected linens for a long, long time.

Now I look for pieces with roses on them.

Rose dishes fill my farm cupboard!

I recently found this darling sugar bowl at a local shop.

There was no lid, but the design is so beautiful, I didn't care.

I went to visit with Ilonka, my friend that owns my favorite Cottage shop here at the lake, and she had a set of these pretty rose glasses.

I was so happy to find a whole set!

Plus the little ones for my grand kids.

The outside of our cottage is brimming with roses, as well as the inside.

The lavender ones have the most wonderful scent!

It seems, every time I go to our market, I not only bring home fresh fruits, and vegetables, I usually have a rose of some species.

I don't know if the attraction to roses was birthed out there on my Gramma's sun porch, or not. I DO know that some of the gardens here in blogland have helped to inspire me, and help "grow" my love of them.
I don't feel that I'm obsessed with roses. I feel a great appreciation of something that has been crafted by THE Master Gardner. I am thankful for the gift of sight, and smell. Something I take for granted too often...until I see a rose.

I'm joining Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday.
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2014/06/feathered-nest-friday 

Treasures of the Heart

The sky is a gorgeous blue, with no clouds.

This is the time of year when the sun shines through the windows here at the cottage...brighter than any other time of the year.

It's the time of year when I bring out my canning jar collection.

I love the wonderful blues.

They look so pretty with the flowers in the window boxes on the other side of the glass.

The color of the jars is magnified by the rays of the sun.

I've filled some of the jars with my other collection....seashells.

Nothing says "summer" like seashells.

Another favorite thing to search for are old blue bottles.

The aqua color makes me catch my breath!

It amazes me how much more the color will come out when the sun hits the glass.

Each jar has a unique shade of blue all it's own.

I have LOTS of shells that I've collected. Each year, I sprinkle a few onto our little beach for the grand kiddos to find.  When they come up to stay, they are excited to find seashells on the beach!
I also have beach glass for them to find this year.
When they pack their bags to go home, they make sure to pack a small jar of treasures found while vacationing at Gramma's house.
Little do those kiddos know....they are the treasures that I keep(above jars, bottles, and seashells)....in my heart.
Have a happy weekend!
                                                             Debbie