Isn't He Cute?

This is a small statue I bought up in the mountains of NC, Andrews Mall, I think! I have him sitting in a bird bath between some Azaleas. He has a bird in his hand and stroking a dog with his other. I just love the expression on his face.

Impatiens Return

Pretty soon after we moved into our home in 1971, a neighbor of my mom's asked her if she wanted some impatiens. She didn't, but told me about it. So I called the neighbor, Tom Norris, and he told me to come get all I wanted. They volunteered and came back each year under some cedar trees he had along his back yard. He sat out in the yard and talked with me as I dug up what I wanted. I planted those and watered them well until they got a start. Every year since, these little impatiens come back . Over the years I have moved some of them around in my yard. These are under and around a rose bush at the end of the covered porch in back of our house. I have them in a line along the Azaleas next to the driveway. They come up everywhere. I find them in cracks of my steps, flower pots, birdbaths, anywhere the seeds have gone. You can have impatiens earlier by going to the nursey to buy plants, but I am content to wait until June for my babies to return. Since the weatherman is predicting rain for us tonight and tomorrow, I think this evening would be a good time to thin some out and start some in new places.

Mother's Baaack!

If you look closely you can see the black and white feathers of the mother. She blends in so well with her suroundings!

Nest Full of Eggs

We caught the mother Guinea off the nest yesterday. My husband pulled the hosta back and I was able to get this picture. We think we can count 40 eggs in this nest. Can you imagine having 40 children at once? My husband thinks that all of them might not hatch. A few more days and we will find out.

Southern Things

I was tagged by Little Penpen to list some Southern things.


1. Summer Thunder Storms like the one we had this afternoon. So thankful for much needed rain.

2. Collards, Chittlin's and Grits

3. Snow cream from the first snow

4. Dirty snowmen

5. Snuff dipping and tobacco chewing

6. Pig Pickings

7. Blue Berry Cobblers... I made one today!

8. Tractor Pulls

9. Do-Rags

10. going barefoot

11. Molasses biscuits and fried fat back (not my favorite)

12. Salted peanuts poured in your bottle of coke.

13. Fishing off a bridge

14. NABS ...for you people up north, these are Lance peanut butter crackers.

This was fun... but I'm not going to tag anyone!!

Something New

Today I've been working on the last bowling ball. I didn't finish Iranoutofmoney... Not really... just waiting for those pennies to set before moving it around to put on the rest. I thought I would put it where I want it to go and take a picture before the sun goes down...

Pretty And Pink

Pretty pink geraniums that were given to me by Little Pen Pen last year on mother's day. I kept her geranium through the winter and rooted two more in the blue pots she gave me for my birthday last year. The marble bowling ball was given to me by my SIL. The duck holding the petunias was another gift from Little Pen Pen. She's my FAVORITE daughter!! LOL

Outside My Bedroom Windows

Someone on another blog suggested that we take pictures to show the view from our bedroom windows. (http://smilnsigh.blogspot.com/2007/06/view-from-my-bedroom-window.html) This is the picture from the window that faces west. My husband works on lawnmowers from our back yard. Now you know why I keep the blinds closed in my bedroom!

This view is looking to the north. We are surrounded on three sides by woods. The path that goes to my husbands shop is in this view. These blinds stay closed also!

He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not

Childhood memories of me, my sister, and my cousin, sitting in the sunshine on our grandmothers porch pulling the petals off the daisies chanting "he loves me.. he loves me not"...and none of us at that young age (9,10,11) having a boyfriend.

I had a hard time getting daisies to live here. I think we had too much shade. Eventually one flower bed had a couple of trees removed close to it and I finally had enough sun to grow the daisies. My mom, who now lives in Grandma's old house, had daisies and gave me some. We have taken down many trees over the years and now have several sunny areas to grow sun loving flowers. Daisies are still some of my favorites!!

The Boy Caught The Supper!

Our grandson went fishing this morning. He brought back enough for supper. He has ten fish on that string. Granddad cooked them. Yum Good!!

More of Jessie's Treasures

This was one of the quilts that Aunt Jessie showed me when I was potographing some of her treasures, but for the life of me, I cannot remember what she told me about it!

Way back in the olden days, kitches were not connected to the main house. This was in case of fire. This little building, that sits behind her school house, my Aunt Jessie had turned into an old kitchen. Inside it is outfitted with things that would have been in old kitchens in days of old.

Now to me this old building on their farm just looked like a pack house. A place maybe where tobacco was kept after it was cured and before getting ready to go to market. But on this day (that the picture was taken) Aunt Jesse told me this was once a post office for the neighborhood. I have forgotten what the name of it was. Old folks, like me can't remember much. Oh how I wish I had taken notes!!

A Few Things At My Place

Thought I'd give you a quick glimpse of a couple of things in my yard today. The Gladiola was given to me many years ago. It had been lost up under some Azaleas. Last year when we cut those back I found these and moved them out into an opening and this is my reward. Thanks to Mrs. Maybelle Cannon for her gift long,long ago!

These yellow lilies were given to me by my cousin. Aren't they pretty? My Aunt Jessie loved old flowers. She told me years ago I should plant lilies in between all my Azeleas. When the Lillies bloom I always think of her. Thanks Shirley for dividing with me!!

This is a chair given to me by one of my daughter's in law. I took the bottom out and planted it. For about three years, this chair has had different flowers each summer. Thanks Wendy!!

Linwood School

Aunt Jessie had this one room school moved onto their property. I think she told me her husband, James Albert, attended this school as a child. In it she had old desks and things that an old school would have. She even had a mannequin dressed as the school teacher. Notice how many stars are on this old flag, and the dunce cap for the bad student.

Elsie's Dolls

My aunt Elsie loves dolls also. She participates in doll shows. She knows all about dolls. I consider her an expert. She and her dolls have been featured in her local paper.

This particular article was describing one of her favorite dolls. She had someone make a doll of her mother (my grandmother) using a picture. We were all amazed at how much that doll reminds us of grandma.

I think the picture will get larger if you click on it.

Doll Museum for Jessie

Besides having all those dolls all over her house, Aunt Jessie, had a doll museum in her back yard. This tour took some time. As I remember there were two full rooms of dolls and a story that went with each one.I remember doll houses that she had furnished to look like her grandfather's home as best as she could remember from her youth.She had old, old carriages for her dolls. If it was doll related, she had it.Her passion for dolls spilled over unto us. My aunt Elsie has the same passion for dolls. My mother caught the doll fever. I caught the doll fever..... ~more later

Jessie's Treasures Continued

**First, let me say that I do not own these treasures. I only have pictures of them. Several of you have left comments congratulating me on MY treasures.**

My Aunt Jessie ran a Dusty Dreams Doll Hospital from her home. She repaired dolls for others. She was good at it. She made lots of doll clothes. She told me once that she often made baby clothes for little premie babies to be buried in.

This picture is a group of dolls she owned. She had dolls in practically every room of her home. She was always pleased to show off her dolls and I was always pleased to get the tour!!

A Surprise At The Front Door

I like color at the front door. Most of my annuals are in containers. During the dry spell, I had to do a lot of watering. I'm so thankful for the rain we got on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and I know the plants appreciate it too!!

There is a surprise under this hosta planted next to the steps. One of the Guinea's has a nest back there. There are over 20 eggs in that nest. So be very quite when you come to visit. Don't disturb the mother. She will come out squawking and scare you to death...LOL

Natasha Burns Give Away - I WON !!

I received my winnings on Saturday. All these pretty things from Australia!! Thank you so much Natasha. You are so generous. !! Please visit her at www.natashaburns.com

Thanks Hope!!

Because of Hope, I googled Hair Works and this explains exactly what I was told by my Aunt Jessie.

"Another form of hairwork is hair flowers. These are formed by "stitching" the hair with fine wire over a rod which forms a series of loops which are then formed into different flower shapes. Most of the hair wreaths were formed into a horseshoe shaped wreath that was placed on a silk or velvet background inside the frame. When memorial wreaths were made, hair was collected from the deceased and added to the wreath whenever any one died. The top of the wreath was always kept open at the top....ascending heavenward. It was said that the newest addition would be placed in the center, and then moved to the side to become part of the large wreath when the next person passed away.
Not all hair flower wreaths are memorials, some contain the hair from an entire church, a school, family etc. These wreaths could get quite large in size. They were made at a time when there were no pictures."~copied

Jessie's Treasures Cont.

I loved going to my Aunt Jessie's home. She had antiques, collections, and such unusual decorations all over her house. Any where you looked, there were so many interesting things.

And always there was a story that went with each thing. Which estate sale, yard sale, etc... the stories were sometimes more interesting than the object.

I admired this picture that was hanging in a bedroom. I just mentioned that I liked it. She then told me that all the decoration inside this frame was made with hair. I repeated, "HAIR", then I took another look. (Sorry my picture is blurred... I'm not a very good photographer!) I just wish I could remember the story that went with this picture. I should have taken notes as well as the pictures!!

Do any of you know about these "HAIR PICTURES"?

Jessie's Treasures

My aunt Jessie was a collector, in every sense of the word. Her home was filled with treasures.

This is an old quilt that was done by my great grandmother (her grandmother).

Once when I was visiting her, she allowed me to photograph some of her treasures. Over the next few blogs I will show you more of her treasures.