“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Earth Day 2015

Hello Mother Earth...


alicepopkorn


Two things always impress 
me when I go to the wilderness:
  
One is how I always discover something new there; 
the other is how glad I am there is still some wilderness to go to.

Time was in America when people went to an untouched spot in a forest or beside a river, or into a desert or up a mountainside or onto a wide, grass-covered prairie, and took along what they poetically called "a dream," which was the hope of building a home there, or a city, or a society.  
Too often that dream came true.....

Rachel Peden 
from 
Speak to the Earth






Thank you Mother Earth for all that you give.
~~ Diane ~~


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Five AM Wake-up Call!

It's been awhile since I've been to any estate sales. Now that the weather is finally nice, my husband and I went to one last week. Up at 5 AM, making the coffee, feeding the cats, making myself look somewhat presentable and then gathering my estate sale shopping necessities. On the list... first of course, cash, flashlight, cloth bag and slip on booties, (sometimes they ask you to remove your shoes).

Then off we go. In this area we first get our preliminary numbers, this time they were in a plastic bag, taped to a car window in front of the house. We were there about an hour before the start of the sale, so after I picked up our numbers, we went to the local fast food place and had our breakfast and then returned to the house to get a parking place.

At the time the sale started, usually 8 AM, we exchanged our preliminary numbers for the real numbers. Then we lined up and waited. This keeps everything running in a somewhat orderly fashion, so there are no people knocked over getting through the door. Maybe the big box stores should use this method at the holidays?!!

After all of this, you just hope there is something inside that was worth all this rigamarole! When we got in my hubby ran to the garage to look for sailing and fishing stuff. I toured the upstairs and realized the prices were way too high. A bit discouraged I headed for the basement. Still kind of a dud sale, until I found two really cute items!!

The first item I found was a Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Pencil Case. It was in really good shape on the exterior. Sadly, only a couple of used crayons remained inside. The graphics are still in nice condition.




 




On the same table I found something I'd never seen before. At first it just looked like a long skinny box with cute graphics. When I opened it I was delighted with what I saw.


















It is a darling miniature teacup and saucer set! The company Merry Manufacturing, made all sorts of these items. I found several different types on Pinterest and they are all adorable.




Both of these items are for sale in my Etsy Shop, CraveCute. Update! While I was posting this my phone went Ca-Ching! I have an app on my smartphone that makes the sound when I get a sale. The Tea Set has already sold! Guess I should have priced it higher!! Haha!







Even though most of these estate sales post pictures on the internet, you still never really know until you get there what interesting things you will find. I often go thinking I will buy one thing, and end up finding something else completely different and completely adorable!



Thus begins the spring shopping season for me! Fresh air, warm breezes and Flea Markets and Estate Sales!



Thanks for being here!
~~ Diane ~~




Thursday, April 9, 2015

Once Upon a Time



We have April showers.  The rain is pattering on the roof and when I step outside I smell the sweet scent of spring earth .... the smell of the garden waking up after its long winter slumber. The Fairies are awake again too, and they sometimes sneak in and bring little presents.

I found one hanging out next to the bottle of Port wine. He looks to be holding up some kind of little snack. Don't mind if I do little Fairy friend. The sound of rain on the roof, a wee bit of Port and a snack. It's a nice way to spend the evening.

I remembered that somewhere in my image files I also had a sweet little Fairy poem with an illustration. Probably ripped from some old magazine long ago, I love the illustration and the poem.  I uploaded it to my Fairy Pinterest board and wrote the poem out so it's easier to read.






Once Upon a Time by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman illustrated by Childe Hassam circa 1900







Once Upon A Time

Now, once upon a time, a nest of fairies
Was in a meadow 'neath a wild rose-tree;
And, once upon a time, the violets clustered
So thick around it one could scarcely see;
And, once upon a time, a troop of children
Came dancing by upon the flowery ground;
And, once upon a time, the nest of fairies,
With shouts of joy and wonderment they found;
And, once upon a time, the fairies fluttered
On purple winglets, shimmering in the sun;
And, once upon a time, the nest forsaking,
They flew off thro' the violets, every one;
And, once upon a time, the children followed
With loud halloos along the meadow green;
And, once upon a time, the fairies vanished,
And never more could one of them be seen;
And, once upon a time, the children sought them
For many a day, but fruitless was their quest,
For, once upon a time, amid the violets,
They only found the fairies' empty nest.

by
Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

illustrated 
by Childe Hassam

 

Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (October 31, 1852 – March 13, 1930) was a prominent 19th-century American author.  Frederick Childe Hassam (October 17, 1859 – August 27, 1935) was a prolific American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes. In 1882, Hassam became a free-lance illustrator (known as a "black-and-white man" in the trade), and established his first studio. He specialized in illustrating children's stories for magazines such as Harper's Weekly, Scribner's Monthly, and The Century.




Remember if you come upon some Fairies in the garden, tread softly, 
you don't want to frighten them away!
~~ Diane ~~






Thursday, April 2, 2015

Remembering Balisha~Patricia

Balisha~Patricia





Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  Such was the case with a good blogging friend by the name of Patricia.  We didn't always know her real name. Her blog was called Simply Balisha. Only recently did she tell us that her name was Patricia and that the nickname Balisha was given to her by her husband who rhymed it with her real name.



Of course during that time I had always mispronounced it in my head as Ba-leeesha.  So when she told us her real name it took me a bit to adjust. She was telling us this to prepare us for what was just the beginning of a huge change to come in Balisha~Patricia's life and everyone who knew her.  She told us that she had terminal cancer. Through the tears and words that we her blogging friends shared and the back and forth messages, she left us with a wonderful gift. 


It was one of her favorite gifts, the gift of words. Patricia was an inspirational writer, a wonderful and loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend.  In her blog she shared all of those things with us.  She spoke of her craft projects and cooking, of helping friends and learning new things.  She was a dear sweet woman who was taken too soon away from her family and friends. Patricia was a very strong woman with a deep Christian faith and I find this a fitting time to remember her on one of her favorite holidays, Easter. Below, you will find the words she left for us in the form of a poem.





Morning...by Balisha

Waking up this morning....I'm in my cozy bed,
I heard a birdie singing and this is what he said...
"Good morning dear Balisha...I'm visiting from above,
The skies are clear and beautiful and I am full of love.
I came so early to cheer you up and make you feel OK..
Some other friends are here with me and this is what they say"..
The little wren (my favorite) brings songs so full of joy...
The robin with his winter coat....is being oh so coy..
The black bird on the wire....is too shy to come down..
He squawks his message from above..his face is in a frown.
The chipmunk  out of hiding he gives his little grin...
The possum shyly gives a smile....and turns to go back in.
The sun is  up ... gives me a nod  and stops to say hello..
A sunny day is what we need to warm us down below.
I turn toward the downy bed to rest a little more...
All is well today... a good day is in store. 










Even though we never set eyes on each other, I felt a connection to her as I do with many of my other blogging friends.  For a long time she was one of the first people to arrive at my blog after I posted something new. I miss her.  That was the last poem Patricia posted on her blog and within a few short days, she was gone.


Happy Easter Balisha~Patricia
May the stars shine bright where you are...






Happy Easter and Happy Spring 
to all my dear blogging friends.
At this time of rebirth and renewal I wish you all peace.

~~~ Diane ~~~