Let Boys Be Men

I am so sorry to have to do this but I'm initiating the captcha word verification for a while since I've been receiving a lot of spam advertising lately. They give up after a couple of weeks so it is temporary. I've opted to take an assertive stance instead of constantly deleting spam comments. I hate spam!
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I was reading a post the other day about little boys being little boys. I agree with the blogger, who has 2 little boys and 2 little girls. As she laments, we tell them to be quiet, don't track dirt in, don't play in the mud, don't chase your sisters, don't run, don't fight, don't shout, sit still, etc. Sit still? Puhleeeeze! That's what little boys do—wiggle endlessly. Fight dragons with sticks wrapped in duct tape and consider themselves lucky if they can get the colored duct tape. Poke their sisters and other boys. They let their imagination run wild while they drive their mummies nuts! Where are all the cowboys? There is a movement on to feminize them. I am not an adherent to that movement. I want the most masculine man I can find to protect me. I am married to a retired Marine. My son is a former Marine. What can I say? I'm a Marine's wife and mother. As George Orwell said:

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence in their behalf.

When my son was about 7 or 8 years old, we lived in 29 Palms, Ca. Now, let me tell you, that is isolated desert. He would go out into the desert in the morning and stay just about all day catching lizards and chuckwallas to bring home. He'd put them in a box and save them as pets in the garage, which wasn't attached to the house as it was military housing and we were lucky to have a garage at all. He loved having them.

One particular day he went out in the morning to check on them and they had escaped. (I thanked the Lord that day for detached garages!) He was sad, but he went back out again hunting for more pets.

It's coming up on the 2nd anniversary of our son's encounter with a gang of 4 down in Southern California, who beat him mercilessly for defending a woman at a Chevron Mini Mart. Read about it here. He has since been licensed to carry a concealed weapon because of that incident. Also, he has since bought weapons for his wife and oldest son, 22 years old, to be able to defend themselves should they be attacked. He takes them to firearms classes and target shooting to be prepared and to know how to handle weapons safely. He never wants to go through again what he went through. He still suffers side effects from that beating. And he is the gentlest soul I've ever known, but he is a man in the truest sense and a worthy member of our Church.

I want men to be men and protect, defend, be courageous and strong and be Godly examples to others. Let them alone to be boys!
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We have more beautiful photos for you to peruse today.

Charming barn wood used for this updated kitchen.

Walk with a loved one down this path.

I know this is a fall photo tucked in among spring and summer ones but it was so breathtaking I couldn't resist showing it to you.

Romantic settings will always excite me.

I shall live like a queen even if I'm not an official one.

I shall read until my eyes fail me and then I'll listen to tapes of my favorite books.

Romance will live in my head no matter what.

I shall coddle myself and let no one deter me.

I shall always and always love white.

Come look with me at the photos; the best is yet to be. ;-)
~*~

Different Fences and Patios for Pink Saturday 2/11/2012

Welcome to this Pink Saturday. Just click to go to Beverly's Blog to visit all the pink participants.
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We moved to the Idaho town we're in now at the same time as our neighbor, who had just moved here from California, because he bought the house a few doors down from us and that was our original pick. As fate would have it, we're now glad he did because we like having 4 bedrooms and his is only 3 bedrooms, much smaller and he paid a higher price than we did. While we were also from California we had lived in deserts several more years than he had and we were well acquainted with the effects the elements would have on things.

But when we put in our vinyl fence, he said he didn't want it because he wanted the wood fence. His is falling down now, discolored from the irrigation water in the canals we use and dried out from the divergent weather we get in the high desert—very cold to very hot. Some people don't like the vinyl but at our age we want low maintenance and durability and the vinyl offers both. Plus it still looks great after 6 years, a definite plus for us.

Then we asked us what kind of patio cover we were going to put on. We told him a special metal one that looked like wood and covered the porch. He said he wanted to put on a wood one with lattice slats to let the sun shine through. Okay by us!

Then when the first winter came he complained about the snow falling onto his patio. Can we say: We warned ya?! But choices are what life is all about. His back yard is absolutely smashing even if his fence looks horrible. We've lived in the deserts long enough to know the disadvantages of certain choices.
I love this home somewhere in Europe with its lovely garden,

I like these morning glories growing in abundance by the door.

This little two story home looks like it belongs south of the border.

Lovely pink wallpaper with a pink vignette.

Red lacquer Chinese chairs surrounding a round white table and a red lacquer lantern over the table.

A simple display of lace with roses to add softness to a window.

Texans aren't afraid to draw roses on their cars. My kinda people, I tell ya.

Looks like windows in hotels in Mexico where we spent many years vacationing.

Sweet fabric rags curled around big spools for saving them neatly and displayed so they can be eye candy for a work shop.

Just start every day with a smile and get it over with.
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I know I'm a sap for Miss Caroline, but this video had me laughing so hard because she is trying her best to tell her mummy something but just can't seem to get through to her. You'll see her exuberance, which she definitely gets from me! Please don't think: Oh, just another great grandma posting about her progeny. I am! But it just makes me laugh so to view this. You don't have to click for it to start if you do not want to view it. Just stop reading and go blog surfing some more. (By the way, when we were there recently, our son few up with 2 of his boys to visit and play golf. He said my granddaughter and I sound exactly alike. This was also noted by a friend in Texas who viewed this video. So if you listen to this you'll be able to hear what I sound like even though I'm 40 years older than my granddaughter. Really weird to hear someone tell me that.)

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Cute Things

As I said, I'm just got to make you daydream about things...with a dash of reality thrown in.

How about this darling vignette? It looks so small and from the overhead cabinets I'd say this is a trailer, maybe a camping trailer. I have a pillow exactly like the one on the sofa in front of the last green pillow. I also have a footstool exactly like that one.

I wonder if our homeowner's association would complain if I did this to our garage driveway? Probably so, but we've been in this house 6 1/2 years and have had 3 driveways—the original one that raised up after about 8 months, then another one they poured a few months after that, and then the one on there now, which is raising up and chipping on most of it. So now we'll have to pay to put a new one in. Just frosts my cookies to have to do that when they couldn't get it right in 3 tries!

I've told Love Bunny I wanted one of these for our backyard, but he says, "We don't have a pool and we don't live near a beach." Silly man, as if that mattered. We're talking ambiance here, not reality.

I saw this photo years ago, but it just now struck me that this is what I need for our table. Yep, hubs will make me one posthaste because we all know how men love to put hammers, saws, and nails in their hands. I have no doubt I'll have one within the next 2 weeks. ;-) Plus I already have the roses to fill it.

Can you just picture this in your bedroom to sit on while reading and not disturb your hubby? Darling!

Pink French chairs? Sigh.....

Can you remember the days when a woman would negate the idea of 2 old boards for a table? Now, they fight to be the first to buy it at a barn sale, flea market or antique store. Antique?? The farmer's wife who owned it would have traded it gladly for a new table. I find this one absolutely gorgeous!

Sighing..... It's true; I use a lot of netting around my house, especially in our bedroom and master bathroom. It adds romance and beauty when draped behind the headboard.

That's it for today. So go and smell some roses and lift someone up.

~*~

Visiting with Granddaughter and Family

First of all a word about Google getting rid of Google Friend Connect on March 1, 2012.

This will not affect Blogger accounts. It will affect your blog if you're doing Wordpress. Wordpress and maybe even Typepad but I'm not absolutely positive about it. Right now it looks like Typepad will not be affected but don't quote me on that. Wordpress, at least, will no longer be given the codes to allow GFC to work on their blogs. Those of you who have Google Friend Connect on your Blogger blog have no need to worry about it; it will still work on your blogs. While some prefer to keep their Wordpress, I'm sure there is a way to bring it over to Blogger if you prefer to use Blogger to keep the GFC. If you prefer to not use Blogger and stay with your current blog, you can get other applications if you'd like: a Facebook page just for your blog or Networked Blogs. Personally, I've always preferred Blogger. It's much easier and user-friendly. I've always used the Old Editor as the New Editor is much glitchier. I can usually tell immediately which editor a blogger is using.
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Welcome once again. I hope you've enjoyed the last few posts. I'm in Washington visiting my granddaughter and her family. Miss Caroline will be featured on posts shortly. Our great granddaughter is growing so fast I can't believe it.

There is no rhyme or reason as to how I post the photos. As I've said, there are over 1,100 of them to show you. I mean I have really and truly scouted the internet the last several days looking for photos to lift your spirits. So don't expect a post on gardens or rooms or flowers or weddings or food; just look, dream, get ideas, relax and enjoy. I've done all the hard work for you! But it has truly been my pleasure. I didn't even load all the ones I've seen, just being very selective as to what I like and thought you'd enjoy it also. If not this blog, then wait for the next ones. I think I can promise you that you'll enjoy them. I'll feature a variety each time. I have photos of roses, fruits, homes, gardens, European streets, vignettes, walkways, kitchens, food, bedrooms, yards, rustic, elegance, just anything and everything. My imagination ran wild.

A vine covered outdoor room.

This looks like a sun room. I cannot tell if it's outdoors or indoors but with the vines growing I'm guessing it is outdoors with a cover over it. Quaint though.

Can we say a gypsy or bohemian bathroom? That's what it looks like to me, but I'm loving the lace-covered walls.

I threw this in for all you lovers of rustic.

I threw this one in because I love warm, crusty butter-slathered french bread and red and white ruffled chair covers!

This little tent absolutely stole my heart. I'm not ambitious enough to make one but what a joy it would be to have this on a camp out. This couldn't possibly be a doghouse, could it?! Ooooh, I hope not. Just too danged cute.

Look at that scalloped blue table and those stone walls. Are you lusting yet?

Now, go and smell some beautiful roses.
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Pink Saturday 2/3/2012

As I promised a few days ago, here are more lovely photos for you to look at as you just sit and dream and relax. All will bring pleasurable thoughts to your mind as you peruse them. Words are not required, but being the loquacious chick I am, I'll probably put in a few comments. ;-) I'm up to 1100 of them on my Photobucket so many more unique photos to come.

For you and a friend to chat about your lives in secret.

For you lovers of France and all things french.

Don't you just love this setting for the photograph? To say nothing about the stylization.

Smiling.

I call this one "reality." You can guess why. Oooooh, you can't? Well, even the rich have to wash and hang clothes.

Like looking through a veil into the celestial world.

This could be European or someplace south of our borders.

An elegant window.

Shabby elegance?

Swoon...

I found several such photos that remind me of a gypsy lifestyle.

Exquisite windows.

Gasping with awe!! Ooooh, my.

Remember to take time to smell the flowers.

Time to go, so adieu, mes amis.

~*~