Sidewalk scenes

("click" to enlarge photo.)

A lot can happen when you walk to see a parade -

finding a broken Robin's egg, cooling off with an Icee,

getting licked by a pony,

collecting candy from the parade people like it's Halloween,

stopping to play on a church playground.

I love the simple pleasures of a leisurely stroll.

Drive by love

Just a corner of the back yard.

**This was to be my Valentine's post but I didn't quite know how to finish so I didn't share. But, I decided to share anyway. Enjoy.

The house was quiet with all three kids taking a nap. I turned off the tv and listened to the stillness. Sinking deep into the comfortable leather chair that had been broken in over time, I looked out to the large picture window. To say it was large would be an understatement. It was massive, taking up almost the whole wall. I sat contemplating all that had gone on over the summer. The three months work of going through every single personal belonging in ones life was not an easy task. And the clearing, cataloguing, and distributing items along with cleaning and sprucing up a house to be sale-ready was a full-time job. At times it was overwhelming and I doubted my abilities to get it done. Soon though, I told myself, it would be over and done on time and we could fly back home to Jon and our other two children who stayed back with him in Pennsylvania.

My mind wandered as I stared out the window. Occasionally a car would drive past very slowly. I presumed they were taking a look at the "For Sale" sign in our front yard. It was a cute brick cottage on a tree-lined street with a half-acre backyard. Its sale was garnering a lot of attention.

A prime location in Logan, Utah and the unusual farm-like space out back was worth every penny I was asking for, maybe more really. Every Thursday I would go to the edge of the property and open up the water gates and flood the ground with fresh mountain water. Owning water rights was a commodity. I kicked myself for purchasing a home out East and tying us to that area when this house would have been a dream. I would have only been a day's drive from family. Originally we had planned on buying it years before but we decided to take the job transfer to Pennsylvania. My mom was so sad about that.

One car that drove by was going really slow. I thought maybe they were going to stop and then I thought they were running out of gas since it seemed to be inching down the road. I noticed the right turn signal was blinking so I knew it was not stopping. In order to come into my driveway, it would have to signal left. I waited to see where it would turn and watched as it began to turn into the driveway right across the street from my window. I was fixated on how slowly it was going and I surmised that it must be the elderly couple that my mom spoke of from time to time. They were well into their 80's.

I watched as their garage door automatically lifted and how the car pulled in to the immaculate space. There wasn't even a box to be seen, only a freezer and coat rack. It was a far cry from the garage that had just taken me months to unpack. The sun shine was coming from the East and gave direct light onto them.

From the driver's side stepped out an elderly man carrying a paper shopping bag with handles. His steps were short and shuffled. Time had slowed him. He came around the back of the car to the passenger side. With his right hand he gently opened the door. Reaching in with his left, he took the purse from his wife and was now holding two bags. How sweet, I thought, that he would make it easier for her to exit the vehicle. After pushing the door further open he extended his right hand and took his beloved's hand in his as he guided her out of the car. She was smartly dressed. A thin woman with a cream colored a-line skirt and long-sleeved blue flowered blouse. A light sweater covered her shoulders. It was the middle of summer but in the desert, the cool nights can leave you with a chill.

As she stepped out of the car, she smoothed out her skirt and smiled up at her husband. He took a small step toward her, leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. She smiled at him again and gently touched his face. I imagined she said something about their past, and maybe how handsome he still was, just like when they were young. They were still looking at each other, smiling as she fixed his collar. She stepped away from the car so he could shut the door. Turning back to her they each reached to hold hands and walked to the other side of the garage. With bags still in one hand, he reached up and pushed the garage door opener that was fastened to the wall, never letting go of her hand. I watched the door slowly go down, hearing the familiar whirl of its motor through an open window. My gaze was only interrupted by the single tear that fell from my cheek.

Who needs Picasso

when I have priceless works of art like these?

My newest Mother's Day acquisitions

Matryoshka (Матрёшка) by Charley

A huge meteor in space by Reese

I think I have a mirror in the garage - DIY

I did and it has been collecting dust for a while.

I used it in my last home but haven't done anything with it here. And although it's not a permanent solution for the bathroom mirror, I've gotta work with what I've got! So until l I find a smaller and hopefully round mirror that's a little on the rustic side, this will go in its place -

after I sand it a bit and put on another coat of paint -

and clean it...but you get the idea.

Good thing it didn't sell at my last garage sale.

linking to The thrifty home

Trendy Treehouse

Friday Finds - it's frametastic

I'm reworking the family picture wall and picked up a few more frames. They were only a few dollars each. The one on the left (from the local Mennonite thrift shop) received a basic white lacquer finish while the one on the right (from the G-dub) only needed a light coat because I wanted the details and antique finish to show through.

The pictures inside were not behind glass and were not made to swap out so I'll have to just lay my pictures right over top. That's even easier. Now to figure out who goes in what frame...

Here's to good finds!

Have a nice weekend

Linking to Craft Envy

Linking to Six Sister's Stuff

Linking to Be different, Act normal

Enduring films

Classic movie night at our house has consisted of each of these enduring films. There are so many to choose from but these were a few off the top of my head. When the kids started coming along we added good old fun 80's flicks. Ferris Bueller is still on the top of their list. Jon tried to add Old Yeller once and it took me back to when my family watched it and how we were in a sobbing heap on the floor so I vetoed it. We'll get to it later.

Rear Window

The Heiress

Some Like it Hot

Arsenic and Old Lace

The Quiet Man

The Way We Were

*bring lots of tissues for this one...

Mother's Day Tea - Kindergarten style

On Thursday was the big treat for mothers in Blair's Kindergarten class. I picked up Belén from school a little early so she could be home with Trae since this party was during the last 45 minutes of school. A crowded classroom and a 4 year-old who would want to go into the playhouse and bang pots and pans gave me visions of chasing him around the room and missing their performance. So it was better I left him.

I headed off to the school and realized 3 streets over that I had forgotten my camera so I quickly headed back home. Luckily we live a 3 minute drive from school but it still put me behind. I signed in to the school 7 minutes late and I knew Blair was going to be worried. I hoped the whole time that she could keep it together but I know my little tender hearted girl, it would be hard for her. She'd smile but with big tears in her eyes.

When I got to the room, I saw some of my mom friends motion to me and could read their lips saying, "She's here!" to Blair. I walked in at the last part of their first song and Blair was singing but with a worried face and big tears. She came right over and hugged me and I told her I was really sorry but never doubt I would always support her and then I reminded us to be mindful of those children whose mom's couldn't be here. Teaching moments...

The class went on to sing us more songs, give us Mother's day gifts and serve snacks and drinks. They even recited a poem with each child memorizing and saying their own line.

I told Blair that she could make herself a plate while she made one for me, like the other kids were doing, but she didn't want to do that. She said for me to just sit down so she could serve me. Doing that caused her to stand in line all over again for herself but she waited patiently and with cheerfulness and it made me so happy to see her strength. I love being a mom.