Hold Your Horses!

Lookit what we have here!

Yesterday you saw TPot's dining room.

Someone let the cat outta the bag..

and now she knows..

and..well...honey, sweetie, darlin',

I already TOOK the pictures of

your living room so I might as well

you know...just post them now..

I promise not to show

THE DESK!

Ladies, Listen up...

We don't talk about

THE DESK..

so don't even be asking about

THE DESK!

When I stepped in the front door

I saw this...Hey! I ask-Did you get a horse?

No..why? (blank stare)

Just wondering......

Jokes are no fun when you have to explain them.

I'm gonna tell you a little secret...

TPot really loves horses...

but, sadly, every time she

sees a horse..she sneezes...

and her eyes water...

and she sneezes...

and she starts making this

deep little snarky sucky sound

in the back of her throat..

Yeah...you guessed it..

she has allergies..

to horses.

Now remember this fact because

I am gonna tell you a little

story about that a bit later...

But first I want to show you

what lies just beyond the boots

by the front door.

Look to your left

(remember-dining room on the right)

Ahhh...there it is..

the living room..

A real living room...

A room people actually use and

live in!

See the piano?

The lovely, warm old piano?

That belonged to MyHero's grandmother.

She was a concert pianist.

She taught many, many people

to play. One of her students

is quite well-known and has

traveled abroad giving concerts.

This piano always reminds me of her.

It was part of her estate.

We got it when Grandmother K passed away.

Because TPot played the piano

and loved it well....

We always told her that when

she had a home of her own..

we would give it to her...

When they bought this house and moved in

We gave her the piano..

and are so glad we did.

If you look behind the piano

you will see TPot and TheBrawyMan's

wedding photo.

They got married on a cold February day.

As a surprise to his bride

TheBrawnyMan

hired a horse and carriage

to take them from the church

to the reception.

uh-huh...

It had a nice, warm, cozy blanket to

keep them warm..

Guess what was on the blanket?

Horsehair..just a bit...of horsehair.

Remember the allergies?

Remember the watery eyes?

Remember the snarky throat thing?

Yeah? Poor TPot!

Poor BrawnyMan...who thought

he was giving her the most

wonderful, awesome present ever..

oh...well...All's well that

ends well...

A little fresh air and

she was once again

the radiant bride..

To the side of the piano

along the wall is her sofa.

She bought this when she was

only 22 or 23.

I'd say she had a pretty good eye

for a kid.

It has stood the test of time

and still looks great.

The painting over the couch was one

she spotted in a little cafe

where we were having lunch.

She loved it and called

TheBrawnyMan.

He met us there

and bought it off the wall.

Yes.He.Did.

That was when their marriage

was young and fresh and

sweet.

Yeah..remember those days?

Yeah? Me neither!

As you can see,

I didn't do any "fluff and puff"

for pictures.

The pillows are just like

the kids left them when they went

bouncing off to another spot!

And she has her bust on the music

cabinet...well...not HER bust...

but A bust...

Don't get all crazy on me here.

If you could look out her window

you could see her neighbor

working on his oh-so-perfect

lawn...He is the kind of guy

that you love to live next to

because the view of HIS lawn

is so perfect you can forget

how bad your own looks.

Wonder how he

likes it when SweetCheeks

throws a few stones over

the lot line when no one is looking?

Hmmmm...Let's not go there.

And there is Lulu's guitar by the tree..

She had a few lessons from

Uncle MamasBoy....And, although she likes her guitar,

she has discovered that she has

a very good aptitude for playing

the piano..

and composing her own music.

She is whipping through her music

books like a hot knife through butter.

(we never say margarine in WI-

that is blasphemy of the highest order)And...not to be outdone by Big Sister...

our little Ria is just one step

behind..following right along.

However, I think she is going to be

a ballerina...or an actress...

she has that Judy Garland

look about her..

And we already KNOW this one is headed

for the Circus Side Show Broadway

Maybe

just maybe...

one of them will grow up

and play in a concert..

Just like their Great Grandmother K did..

A special concert.

A concert that will be heard in Heaven...

Wouldn't that make GrandmotherK proud?

A Window Peeper

Are you, like me, one of those

people that likes to take

walks at night and peek into

uncurtained windows to catch a glimpse

of life in someone else's home?

What makes another's house feel

so magical, so beautiful, so unique?

Do you like to do that?

C'mon...You KNOW you do!

Would you like to take a peek

into TPot's house?

Shhh...We are here for dinner

and I am sneaking around

taking pictures of her rooms..

Don't tell~

Here is her dining room

to the right of the foyer when you enter.

It's ever so lovely.

We'll start with the chandelier

which used to be bright brass

and gaudy as all get-out.

We like it toned down,

spray painted Heritage White

and dressed

with beaded shades.

Pretty cute, huh?

She has had this picture for a long time.

SweetCheeks calls it

Two Gurhls Kissing

That's our girl!This is the buffet that used to be

an old French Provincial dresser.

You can see it's rehab here.

Pffft..she needs to get SOMETHING

under that glass dome!

What IS she thinking?

Oh..maybe she has plans for it

later...hmmm...

Anyway, don't mention

it if you see her...

She might get kinda testy!Her dining room set was a luxurious

bargain-to-be-had

from her Uncle and Aunt

when they purchased a new set.

It is beautiful and next-to-new-

The little girls treat this room lovingly.

None of the girls ever write,

draw, glue or spit on this table...

at least while we are watching.

I hate spitters-don't you just

hate spitters?

On the back wall is a domed Jasper

china case...

the name which escapes me at

the moment...it's not a hutch..

it's not a china cabinet...

hmmm...it will come to me in about a week.

I got it from my good friend, Ruth,

when she sold some things to me.

I love my Ruthie..

She has always been so good to me.

It is "on loan" to TPot

until "someday"...

She just started to haul her Fall

decorations out..

and overlaid her table with a piece

of lovely old Fall fabric I had.
I love the way she puts things together.

And although I didn't get pictures..

shortly after this was taken..

the table was laden with dishes

and food...

the room was full of

family and friends.

After we sat down we opened the windows

and the brisk Fall night air

caressed us with magic fingertips

as we enjoyed our lovingly prepared

Harvest Dinner.

Now...if you are very good..

and promise not to spit out your vegetables

tomorrow I will let you peek into

TPot's Living Room.

No Time To Blog

It has been a long week....
I have noticed that sometimes bloggers

take time off and will
invite a guest blogger

to do a post for

them.

Here is my guest blogger..
Baby E.

First he must open

his computer..

Next he must concentrate on his

message.

He wants to tell you that

he doesn't care a thing

about blogging..

So he hastily writes a discombobulated post.Tired from wracking his brain

for blog ideas he has

decided to take a sink bath...Read a good night book...

And go to bed...

Sweet Dreams BabyE..

Maybe tomorrow you can blog

about your cousin,

SweetCheeks..

who has decided

that maybe you CAN play

with her and Ria

after all

Psssstt...

How would you feel about

wearing a Princess gown?

Just askin'.........

The Three Bares-er-Bears

This night was one of the best sunsets

we had all year.

A beautiful full-of-fire sky...

Breathtakingly beautiful..

Marred only by the noises

coming from inside the kitchen.

Come on girls- Hurry up-

It's bathtime..

Please ignore the counter mess...this is

not House Beautiful..

at least not when

you-know-who is spending the night.

Lulu, seen below,

informs me that she only takes a bath

about once a week..maybe once a week..if that.

What? Huh?

Now remember...we call her Literal Lulu.

I ask Mama....So, Lulu only takes a bath

once a week?

What? Huh?

My sentiments, exactly.

Lulu takes a bath just about every day.

Nooooooo...

Oh..wait...let me clarify that...

She SHOWERS regularly but

only takes a bath once a week...or so....

(whew-guess I don't have to be calling

Child Protective Services on my

own daughter-what a relief)Another bubble bath..

Listen...Here's a secret for you~

Try Liquid Dreft...

It is marvelous for kids' baths..

It leaves them silky soft..

they smell marvelous...

It is 1/3 the price of bubble bath...

and it does not cause any

allergic reactions...and they

come out squeaky clean..

Seriously...I know..I know..

No one believes I use Dreft...

but I do..

pssst...sometimes I even use it for myself..

Yes...I do...

But don't tell MyHero or he will be

wanting to try it too....

TAKE A SHOWER..

IT IS MY OWN BATHTUB!

Thank You!After bathing we put on our pjs

and head for the big bed upstairs.

We all pile in and read this..

We have been reading this since

Lulu was one year old...

It is their favorite bedtime story..

and I imitate all the voices..

from growly to squeaky..It's a pop-up book.

How cute is that?

This is the page about the porridge..

uh-huh...And when the sun comes up..

and little heads peek out of bed

and head down the steps

this is what they find.

Porridge..

Nana's own kind..

Made with my secret-til-I-die

recipe. Yep! Til I die!

And THIS is my extra secret

super dooper WOWSER factor..

Cinnamon...

Yep-Cinnamon..

Can you say Cinnamon?

YUM!However, it MUST..oh yes it must...

be served in these..

special heart shaped bowls...

We had 3...one for each girl..

Someone (who looked a lot like Papa

in his robe) microwaved one of them

into something that resembled

a frisbee...

Although it didn't look nearly that nice...

and it didn't work like a Frisbee either..

I noticed that as I shot it at MyHero's head

as he walked away from the microwave

mumbling about plastic bowls..

Uhhhh...WHY are you using those bowls to

begin with...Do you see where I'm going here...

Never mind-I was just dreaming that part!

So now we only have TWO

heart shaped bowls and

poor, poor Lulu

graduated to a round

Precious Moments bowl..

Not nearly as cute..

Just something about those big eyes

staring up at you from under your spoon

just doesn't set well...Oatmeal is spooned in..

1/2 teaspoon PURE WISCONSIN BUTTER

(oh my...oh my..oh my..)

is dropped on top..

along with 1 SCANT teaspoon of raw brown sugar...

Which SweetCheeks promptly eats

off the top and says...

Nana...I think yoah forgetted to put enuff

shugarh on my oatmeal..

(It's porridge...duh)

Does she get more, you ask?

Faster than a duck gets on a June bug!They finish eating...

Get dressed...

Pose for a quick picture on the swing...Then self-load into the car...

and are gone...Gone for another day...

SweetCheeks waves goodbye

and promises that she'll be back later..

Exactly what I was afraid of- I tell her...

And she gives me her special

wonderful little response

that she uses when

she doesn't quite

know what else

to say...

Pfffffffttttt!

Glue For You

Nana...Can yoah chome heah?
What's the matter, SweetCheeks?

I isss soo sad.

I chan't go to the ball now..

cuz my slippahs is bwroken!

Poor SweetCheeks.

Hmmmm...Let me see them..

One is okay..

One is not!

Uh-oh...

Please Nana...I'm gonna be lahte

forah the ball.

Dass the top phart...do yoah see it?

(Hey..do I LOOK like I'm blind here)

Yeah... I see it..

Let me see what I can do.

Well...I hope yoah chan huwrry up

or the ball isss gonna be overah!

Whass this???
Don't touch it, honey, it's really hot!

Well....I wasssn't gonna tuuch it enyways..

uh-huh...

Hey, Naneee...iss dat a goose or a duck

where that glue dwrips outta itself?

I think it's a goose..

Nope! It's a duck, Nana...cuz

isss white and all ducks isss white.

okay...Not gonna go down

this road tonight...

Yep...all ducks are white.

Noah...dey not...I isss jus' khidding yoah!Remind me to beat you later, okay?

Nana, Can yoah glue enyfing with dat?

Just about.

Can yoah glue Papa?

I'd sure like to try.

Glue him where?

Enywheres...I doan care..

Hmmm...we'll see..

See whut?

Never mind..*sigh*

Never try to be funny (or evasive) with a 3 year old.
Hurry, Nana!
There you go...good to go...

Put your slippers on and off to the ball

with you!Nana?

Yes, honey?

I doan wanna go to the ball tonight...

Culd we just have a snack instead.

Yeah...Let me get right on that!

And then yoah can read us

The Three Beears afftur our baffs, right?

Yep!

Sumday I gonna read it all by myselfff, huh?

Yep..you sure will!

Cuz then I'll be a bhig gurl, huh?

Yep....But I sure

hope that doesn't happen for a good long time

cuz I like you just the way you are!

A Short Story

SweetCheeks, bathtime sweet,

is sitting in her favorite spot.

It is "calm down" time at Nana's house.

A time to relax after playing

hard all evening.

She is sitting in her favorite place...

It is everyone's favorite...

It is a down-filled chair that

hugs you like a long-lost sister.

SweetCheeks, I ask tenderly.

SweetCheeks...are you reading a book?

She replies without ever looking up!

Dat is just cwrazy talk, Nana...

Yoah know I chan't read!Do you think that

Implied message-

IS...

Wow! Are YOAH stupid!?!

UP in the UP

That would be ..Up in the

Upper Peninsula-one of the

beautiful spots we like to go.

This is Hougton...just under the

Welcome sign, on the corner..

is a wonderful little coffee shop..

with good books...good coffee..

and it's good for people watching..

one of my favorite things to do..

that and talking to complete strangers..

Yeah...I'm good at that too~

See the trees on the picture on the right?

The hotel that we stay at is just down below them..

on the water...we can see that bridge from

our window...and the water..

and if we are on the first floor..

we see...

people walking by and looking into our room..

That's why MyHero keeps his clothes on..

cuz I like the drapes open until it is dark..

He is modest like that...sometimes..

Did you ever look into a motel window

and notice someone sitting there in

their tighty-whities?

That might be MyHero...

or...maybe not~

Anyway..after a good night's sleep

we get up and head to Copper Country.

The first stop is Calumet.

They have all these wonderful churches

preserved...even though much of the

town has quietly closed up shop.

This one is right next to the one above..And..they have a cute little downtown area.

Later, I will tell you about MyHero

and his rock-ing experience..
and forgetting his wallet...

and losing my own credit card...

and buying some clip on glasses...

but that is an experience for another day...

I can only pack so much excitment into one blog .

We drive further North to Copper Harbor..

There is a camp there that was set up

during the depression years.

Family stayed there..worked there..

and made their homes there during

the Depression years.

It has a lovely old lodge where you

can stay or where you can

just grab a bite to eat in the dining hall.
This is a picture of the grounds as you

drive up Leaving there we drive South
towards Florida where I really want to go -See- It is less than 2000 miles away...but Nooooo we have to go to Lake Superior where it is cold enough to freeze the butt off an antelope Eagle Harbor





Isn't this beautiful though?

And...my mouth is already watering when we

pass Eagle Harbor...for soon...

soon...but not soon enough..

we will find this

sweet and darling

little place..

where they make the best

muffins you have ever had in your life...

They make a gingerbread muffin that is

to die for...with lemon cream cheese frosting...

my mouth is watering...

there's the sign!!!

Yaaaayy!

Their little front door is always open

with wonderful smells

wafting through the screen..

WHAT?

THE DOOR IS CLOSED?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

ARE.YOU.KIDDING.

You are closed on Sundays?

Are you nuts?

No?

Ohhh...You're religious..

and it's your day off..

Okay...but..I

am

still

mad!

Do you suppose they left the back door

open by mistake?? hmmmm-

might be worth checking..

I didn't see a No Trespassing Sign.

No? Huh? Why not? *sigh*

MyHero has NO sense of adventure!