Hi Girlfriends! I’ve been getting ready this last week, practicing “Ordinary Arts” at home. Two of my girlfriends arrived here on the island (from California) last night (lobster dinner required and requirement was met!) — there are two more coming on Saturday! We’re heading out for a walk in a few minutes … but they’re telling me to say hello to you! So, Hello!
Before they got here, I cleaned. Nothing like company to get a person in gear! All the dishes have been washed and put back into the freshly painted cupboard. Clean and nice. These are shelves that had cupboard doors on them when we moved in to this house, but my dad, who’d come to help us move, took them off, and I’ve loved them ever since. But what I want to show you today is my napkin layer cake; that’s it on the lower left side, bottom shelf . . . in front of the pink-rimmed plate.
This: the layer cake of napkin holders. You know how I try to follow the William Morris rule of nothing in the house that isn’t either pretty or useful? I think this has it all covered. Here it is, layer by layer:
The base layer of this cake is a sturdy dessert plate which I put in front of my large Birthday Cake Plate.
Layer number two, out of sight, but I know they’re there, are ticket stubs from events to remember, and cards I’ve received over the years whenever someone sends me flowers. I just lift up the pile and slip them in here, and now I have them forever.
On top of the cards is part of my collection of crocheted potholders, ones too beautiful to pass by at a yard sale . . . they make up the pretty layer.
Then comes the white paper luncheon napkins we use for everyday.
And then, a heavy, marble watermelon slice I use to hold napkins down when we eat outside in the wind. And that’s it. Perfect, useful in many ways, adorable in all ways. Not important, but I really love this little layer cake. It’s playing house in the best possible way. I don’t even know if Joe knows I do this.
My soul is happy. And, of course, I’ve had help as I’ve been cleaning, taking the screens off the windows, making beds, Jack is my constant companion . . .
I think, today, I’ll take you back for more Autumn Adventure, but first, MUSICA (haven’t played this one in a while) . . . and now, is everyone comfy? Do you have something to drink, maybe a cookie too? I’ll wait . . . . OK, here we go . . .
Very early this morning, Vanna, dressed in peach-colored chiffon jammies; still wearing the pink satin mask that keeps the morning light out of her precious private environment, reached into the hat, swirled and swirled to find just the right name . . . and pulled it out, gracefully, as only Vanna can. Our winner is . . .
Diana Hall!
CONGRATULATIONS DIANA(and not related to Joe!) — I just signed your book, here it is! I wrote you an email to tell you you’re the Lucky Winner . . . wishing once again, I had a couple thousand of these books lying around!!! ♥ I hope you’ll leave a comment here and tell us all where you’re from; and let us congratulate you ourselves!
Diana’s package will soon be winging it’s way home to her . . . with a little extra surprise . . . inside, in addition to the lucky leaf I brought from Connecticut, a copy of my first book, Heart of the Home, which I rescued from the Library Book Sale, one of our new collectible Christmas Ornaments for 2012, the fat, cute, antique-store measuring cup, into which I sunk a green pear-shaped candle in sand we brought home from where we walk to the water every day, along with some seashells and sea glass, for a little Martha’s Vineyard DNA, ♥ and, because life is short, and girls just want to have fun . . . I put in a little surprise (teeny tiny), to light the candle, a box of “Cunard” matches we brought home from our trip on board the Queen Mary 2. ♥ Hope Diana loves it all and it causes some redecorating to take place!
And now, I feel it’s my job to cheer everyone else UPPPPP!!! I’m so sorry if you aren’t Diana Hall, but then again, you’re wonderful YOU, and that’s pretty darn fabulous too ♥ . . . so let’s stop thinking about it and go back to Connecticut, OK? Cause I have something to show you!
Here we are tooling along; it was a cool overcast day on a leafy country road, we have no idea where we are, we’re just following the dots on the map that say, “scenic.” But I like barns, especially if they have an American Flag on them, so I say, “Joe! Stop, let me take a picture of the flag on the barn!” (Take note of the sign on the right, girlfriends . . . “Turkey Farm!”)
Joe pulls over, saying, “Wow, look at all the white turkeys!” I get out of the car to walk around it and take the picture of the barn across the street, but suddenly these guys see me, and immediately jump up and start running towards me, really fast, using their wings for lift. And because I’m unfamiliar with the habits of turkeys, I turn around and RACE back to the car, get in and close the door fast, because I don’t know if they will just fly over that short little fence and GET me.
But then, I begin to see how cute they are, with their fat bodies wobbling back and forth as they run . . . . they are gentle adorable creatures who just want to look at me; they think I carry turkey food in that big red van.
Here they are, I want to sing a turkey song to entertain them! I’m wracking my brain for a turkey song!
Then while I was standing there admiring them and talking to the babies . . .
A mule donkey ( 🙂 ) walked right into the picture . . . so, just in case the first one didn’t turn out, I took another video . . .
I liked reassuring them, I wonder if they believed me?
I loved this crazy peaceful kingdom.
So then I ran across the street to get my barn picture for my American Flag collection . . .
And because adventure requires sustenance, we went to the Ekonk Turkey Farm Store and got two of these cider donuts, still warm from the oven, and hot coffee with lots of cream to dip them in. This Farm is wonderful . . . besides the bakery, it has pumpkins and dried corn and a truly fabulous Corn Maze too . . . if you’re near Moosup, CT, this would be a very fun place to visit; I bet the leaves there are in full color by now!
I don’t think I showed you how Jack handled the idea of us preparing to go away . . .
I think he had something more like this in mind! Of course, not on TOP of the car … 🙂
Here he tries to divert Joe from the subject of maps!
And this is what we had waiting for us when we came home . . . Girl Kitty!
. . . and Jack helped us unpack . . .
. . . while Girl looked on, reciting The Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change . . .
Our trees have been talking constantly lately . . . shhhhhhh says the wind as it passes through the leaves; I can hear it right now, and see it, blowing through the treetops outside. I did more fall cleaning over the weekend, getting ready for my girlfriend’s visit this week, hanging clothes, blankets and sheets to flap on the line, being outside getting good advice from trees.
⇐ Look at his little paws!!
The wedding was just as romantic as I hoped. The singing was successful! The groom didn’t run from us, no one fainted, the guests had all had enough Peah Ci-da (or the equivalent) to be appreciative! Joe videoed it too. Only thing, he forgot there was a microphone on the camera, right next to his mouth, and sang the song, with what words he could remember, a capella, through the whole thing! So funny! We both burst out laughing when we heard it; he moaned, eyes rolling in his head, “What am I DOING?” 🙂 Cutie pie!
After his solo performance, he put the camera down and forgot it was still on, so it sat there staring at a candle for about fifteen minutes. Please pass him a Peah Ci-da! I’ll post some photos of the wedding soon, and I’ll show you this video as soon as we learn how to edit movies on iMovie, but please, don’t hold your breath! Have a wonderful day Girls! ♥ Congratulations to Diana! xoxo me
Our trees have been talking constantly lately . . . shhhhhhh says the wind as it passes through the leaves; I can hear it right now, and see it, blowing through the treetops outside. I did more fall cleaning over the weekend, getting ready for my girlfriend’s visit this week, hanging clothes, blankets and sheets to flap on the line, being outside getting good advice from trees.
