A Story about Guests

Several years ago when we moved to Idaho from California, we bought a house. Little did I know at the time we bought it that it was the most famous house in that small town simply because it was built and owned by a prominent family. It didn't even have a house number on it. We just had to tell the craftspeople who came to fix something where it was and they'd say 'Oh, the old ****** house.' We finally ended up putting numbers on the front of it. I just couldn't live in a house without numbers on it.

As life would have it since it was a huge house, we were asked to house visiting people from our church when a group of young people would come to town. So we ended up hosting basketball teams and volleyball teams. But once we were asked to help a family in need.

A friend, whose hubby was a leader in our church ward, asked if I could help with a family with 2 children living in a motel and invite them to stay with us until they could find a house to rent. I said I would and went to the motel and packed them up into my car with all their belongings and brought them to our house. I don't know why but I was thinking the kids were girls but they turned out to be 2 very lively, hyper boys.

After a day or two I realized how active young boys could be but the mother tried keeping them in the daylight basement downstairs which was a huge area for all of them—about 1600 square feet. They had to use our kitchen to cook though and that turned out fine. I had to tell the boys to stop putting their feet on the walls (I'm very persnickety about my home.) My kids never did things like that, but boys will be boys. I just sat down the rules.

Well, after several days and through a set of circumstances, I found out the father had just been released from prison. I was flabbergasted and when I told our bishop about it I just blew up. While they were trying to preserve the family's confidentiality, I told them they had no right to ask me to take in a family with a father who was just released from prison without telling me about it. He could have been in for robbery or murder for all I knew. I think it was a white collar crime but I don't know for sure. I was furious and told them to please find them a house to rent asap. They did and actually turned out to be nice people and active in the church. They moved and divorced not long after that. But I told my hubby I wouldn't take in any more people that I didn't know. It's not a holier than thou attitude; it's a matter of safety and extra work for us now that we're getting older. It just takes so much more energy and time to do things now that we could accomplish much faster 20 years ago. But anyway, that's the story. I didn't like being deceived and not knowing what kind of individual I was hosting.
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We see many of these types of homes in California and I just loved the quaintness of them.

Another duvet I love.

Beautiful window, balcony and hanging flowers.

Another beautiful window.

A very brave homeowner indeed to have these colors in her kitchen.

Beautiful bedroom and she can hang things above her window with those coat hooks. Very clever!

Do I even have to say anything here? Sigh...

It is never too late to be what you might have been.
~*~

Goldfish and Animal Crackers for Pink Saturday 3/10/2012

Time once again to visit Beverly's blog and view all the pink participants.

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But first let me rant once more.

I have joined other Linky parties but Beverly's is my favorite. Probably because she's such a sweetheart for one but also because she actually visits you when you leave a comment on her blog and she cares; you can feel her love and she's always willing to help you with a giveaway. I mean she leaves a comment on your blog also. That is NOT why I join her for Pink Saturday though. I've done PS for a few years now and truly enjoy it. I don't get around to all the participants because I simply don't have the time but I visit some of them.

But I thought recently that I'd participate in one or two more just for fun. And, no, I still don't have the time but as long as I'm posting blogs I may as well post them to the Linky parties once in a while.

Well, recently I joined one, commented and she never visited me. If she wants us to join her Linky party why doesn't she visit us? She sent me an email saying thanks but don't they have them to get comments on their blogs also. I did it because I enjoyed it, but no more. I'll always join Beverly's Pink Saturday because it was my first and I love it. And Beverly is a real lady. The others don't care as long as they get enough participants or followers to visit them so they can make money with their ads. I'm getting sick of this scam. I'm through with every other Linky party.
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Last Sunday during our third hour of church I went into the nursery. I just didn't want to listen to a lesson from our Relief Society, but preferred to be with little munchkins and eat animal crackers and Goldfish with them. Yes, I made sure they had some animal crackers after I heard a mummy complained that they shouldn't be giving them that in nursery. What does she think is going to keep them interested for an hour if they don't get a snack mid morning? I tell ya, sometimes - kapow! But it was delightful because a little boy fell in love with me. Now, he's only about a year or so old and I probably smelled of animal crackers, but he was so clingy and adorable with his sweet smelling blond, spiky hair that I couldn't resist staying in there for almost the whole hour. I don't think I'd want to be in with eight kids under 3 years old for any length of time because it is very tiring for this old lady. Has anyone heard of getting Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from nursery at church?! ;-)
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Now, Beverly said to help celebrate St. Patrick's Day we could post some green along with out pink. Let's see what these gorgeous rooms do for ya, chicks! Personally, I think they are absolutely stunning.

I am not fond of dark spaces but this is one I found stunning. Very regal looking. Just changing that wallpaper would brighten it up and make it acceptable to me because I do love the gold and purple together. Reminds me of a king.

I cannot resist any photo with a sweet little birdhouse in it, but the snuggle-y bed just adds to its appeal.

Lots of white with splotches of very bright color thrown in. Gorgeous!

Day dreaming...

Just some beautiful eye candy for you on how to display lovely clothing.

I cannot resist inviting entrances.

Yes, I know...you're lusting about now. :-)

See what you can do with just simply old picture frames. Create your own collage that can be switched out rather quickly if you only fun-tack them to the wall.

These little journals covered in gorgeous roses fabric just touched by heart.

Quaint cottage window with the prerequisite window boxes filled with brightly blooming petunias and/or geraniums.

Have a piece of white and pink cake! Yummmm...

I wouldn't give anything if my office could look like this but I'd consider giving a great deal if it could! I think it's gorgeous.

Darling way to display kitchen items if you don't have a cabinet to hide them somewhere. Make them a vignette!

Sometimes it's just simple things that can make us smile, make our day or just lift us up at a particularly tough moment. This does it for me.



People who throw kisses are hopelessly lazy.
~*~

A Little Time for Me!

Lately, the only thing I've done for me is read a book or go out to eat while putting several creative things I've wanted to do on the back burner. But I'm sure you understand that, right? Today is the day I'm correcting that.

I started with my office here and took down some of the stuff on the wall behind me. It was starting to look cluttered to me or maybe it always was but it just got to me now.

The two shutters I got for a couple of dollars at a farm sale a few years ago and painted white and put decals on are going into the family room now.

I've taken down a little pink ladder, a mirror and several pictures. I've patched the holes in the wall and painted over them. I'll show the results later.

I've also recently tried an embellishment I saw months ago on a blog and cannot remember where. I emptied my armoire of several t-shirts that are stained, too big or too small or the colors weren't just right or I had taken a dislike to the color of the shirt. I cut circles out of them and put them on t-shirts I wear everyday. I'm usually in a t-shirt, but I thought I'd pizzazz them up a bit by putting coordinating colors or opposite colors I like with them. So far I've done two of them. You'll see the blue one in its first stage. I'm finished with it but it needs to be laundered before I show it here and it's a very old and well-worn shirt. This is the photo with half of the neckline done. I chose a blue and white thin knit to cut up into about 2 1/4 inch circles.

This one is done and I'm wearing it. The t-shirt is a candy apple red and does not show the true color of its red in any of these photos (red being a difficult color to photograph especially indoors with artificial light), but I decided to do pink on it. I love that color combination. These circles are 3 1/4 inches. So they're just a bit bigger but it does make a difference. I then folded the circle in half and then half again, stitched along the point of that and pinned them to the shirt and then sewed them on by hand. You "arrange" them as you sew them on. Very, very easy but I'll not see anyone around here with a t-shirt like mine. ;-)

Does the earth laugh in flowers? I think it may.
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Silence is true wisdom's best reply. I know this from experience.
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Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. If you show joy, it means you are thankful for life's blessings. And I am!!
~*~

Genealogy Work

I recently decided to get involved more fully with my genealogy. It's something our Church not only recommends but encourages us mightily to do. Even our young men and women, with their technological skills far exceeding most of their parents and most certainly their grandparents (present company excluded—ME!), are being asked, encouraged and instructed to do some genealogy. Since I have genealogists on both sides of my family they've done a great deal of it for me, so all I have to do is get it into my own genealogy program on my Mac.

My father's side of my family doesn't want to give me anything because I'm LDS, but one cousin in Wyoming has been more than willing to share. He's been a sweetheart and sent me a lot of stuff. My problem has been finding a genealogy program for Mac that will sync with newFamilySearch. So I've been testing out 2 genealogy software programs, both Mac programs. I'm liking one over the other much better because it's got a beautiful, elegant interface and is much more user-friendly. Remember, I'm new at this so user-friendly is important. Plus the owner has given me a key to use free for 30 days to see if it is compatible with newFamilySearch. And he's available to help me with questions about syncing with the Church.

So I joined their forum to chat with other users. Immediately I get slammed for doing temple work for my ancestors. I never in my life experienced any prejudice before joining the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—LDS or Mormon Church are common names for it. In the forum I suggested an option that would be beneficial to members of the Church. (Every programmer likes and welcomes ideas for improvements to their software applications. I've even been asked to be a Beta tester for Apple!! But I refused since I didn't think Apple was ready for me and my humor.) Immediately 2 women objected to it. I was going to respond but I decided to take the high road and not get into a contentious argument on a forum. I did receive a post, and subsequently an email, from one woman who lives in Israel and she wants to go forward without rancor and I agree with her. She and I are of "like mind" on this issue and I'm hoping to become her friend in all this. It's about doing genealogy after all, not causing contention. I've been involved with many forums and have never had a problem until now. But it was not nice. I'm just going to continue as if nothing happened as I seek their help with working on my own genealogy. And besides, I'm a very positive and not a nasty person. ;-)
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So now let's look at some beautiful photos.

I think this little tree could be used for Easter or Valentine's Day or a birthday party just as well as Christmas. I think it's darling.

The view, bloggers, just look at that view!

This could quite possibly be that cabin in the Catskills but I don't know. No matter, it's still gorgeous.

Quite cute for storing kitchen stuff but it could also be a place for craft supplies.

Dream...I like the idea of a beautiful sheet behind the headboard.

I found this little dress on etsy but when I went back to purchase one for Miss Caroline, I could not find it. I was so disappointed. I searched and searched there but nothing came up even remotely as cute as these little dresses. And yes, I checked my history. Just couldn't find it.

Cute bathroom probably somewhere in England.

Aren't these adorable? Probably Cath Kidston but I don't know.

Yeah, yeah, we all want one of these. I know, I know.

This looks like a loft in a big city from the view out the window. Otherwise, I'd say it was in Texas.

We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.
~*~