She passed away so many years ago..........

but my memory of her is still fresh and vivid.

While most teenage girls would be out with their boyfriends, 

much of my weekends were spent with my best friend at the home of her grandmother.

We would spend the Saturday there, watching the Grand Old Opry on television with her, and not knowingly  keep her up with our girlish giggling late in the night, till she would finally tap on the wall to tell us to quieten down and go to sleep. 

Sunday morning would find us dressed and going to church with her. 

She and my friend introduced me to the path of a Christian life and  pulled  me into the warmth and love of their family. 

So many wonderful memories I have from the time spent there.

A little while back , my friend visited and brought with her 

this little night case that belonged to her grandmother. Her grandmother had used it while traveling to visit relatives. I feel so honored that she gave it to me! 

 It still has her name on the tag.  I had been keeping it in my home, filled with crocheted items that I have found  along the way.

I have just opened my vintage shop and embroidery studio,  and realized that this little case was the perfect display.

 . 

It sits on an old dresser and is overflowing with vintage crocheted items. 

The crochet is all for sale............but the case will never be. It makes me smile and remember Mrs. Golden when I see it. 

I think she would be thrilled to know that it is being used this way..........

don't you think?

Throughout the shop, there are items, given by friends and family throughout the years, which are also, not for sale. I have them there, because of the connection and the love I feel for all of them.

As the little saying on the heart says:

" old friendships are the dearest and best"

and if I could add my own statement..........

they are also the most missed.

It's been an extremely busy and work packed day...........

I can feel the results in my bones as the day gets ready to rest..........

and there is much on my heart and mind to go with it. 

                             

but it all resolves and  dissolves 

as  I find  comfort in the golden hued hours and solitude of the late afternoon.

There is a peacefulness to the woods that surround the house...........

as it lies over......

 soft and comforting...........

like a warm blanket.

In my silence I watch a rabbit hop about in the dry yellow brush......

in search for something green to munch on. 

A dove coos and calls out to it's mate as it finds a final roosting place 

in the crooked mesquite tree, that is lit up with the late afternoon sun.

In the midst of this.............

one could never know that it was such a hurried and hectic day

All is still.

                         

Sophie who has been out with me through much of this day,   

 finds comfort even in the hard bricks on the porch .

Tomorrow, the sun will shine, the harsh wind may blow,

and the wolf might come knocking on the door,

bringing life's uncertainties along with it,  

but there is assurance that all is well at the end of the day.

I have faith in that.........

and sometimes......faith is all one needs.

An electric fence has now been added to the outside area

of the chicken yard.

Hopefully, this will keep my chickens safe from future coyote attacks. 

They coyotes are appearing every day. This very young and very starved coyote was following behind Sophie and I, because it picked up the scent of the scraps that I had carried out to place at the far end of the woods, to keep the coons and the coyotes away from the house.. I often feed the scraps to the chickens, but if I leave too much and the chickens don't eat it, the scraps draw the wild animals into their yard. 

I was able to get pretty close to this young coyote for this photo. It was so naive and starved to be very afraid of Sophie and I. It did keep a good distance from me.  

The dry brown ground has started to awaken from it's winter slumber

and the daffodils are starting to blossom in their vibrant yellow.

Such a pretty sight at the base of this ancient mesquite tree.

I hope they multiply and bloom each season  as the years pass by.

The warm weather has brought out the wasp and they explore the rose bushes for a drop of water.

In spite of the pretty blossoms, I am brought back to the reality of how dry it is by the hard blowing wind today. It blows the dirt and the tumbleweeds across the bare cotton field onto the share croppers house. 

I brought home an armful of English Daisies from a local nursery........

with one thing in mind..........

to capture their beauty with my needle and thread.

You can read more about this on my embroidery blog

Yesteryear Embroideries

How about you?

Has the weather warmed and awakened your grounds and blossoming flowers?

Are you still under a blanket of snow?

The grounds are starting to awaken..........

and the bulbs I planted in early fall, have sprouted, gotten taller, and are now just about ready to bloom. 

I can't wait!

Earlier in the year, I had the opportunity to pick through an old farmstead acreage, where an old house had fallen and lots of things were left lying on the grounds.........years ago. I saw this old railing and had to bring it home. At first I was going to use it, standing up, for a towel rack in my vintage shop. 

However, it just said "garden" to me an I fixed it as a partial fence to go along with the vintage archway that I have placed in my garden. I love the way it looks........don't you?

I also put these whimsical flowers and butterflies

along in front of it..........but I am not so sure if this is the look I want for it. So I might remove them.

If you remember, I love making cement things for the garden and had my " cement pumpkin garden" out by my patio.

I had also learned how to cast cement leaves and to give them unique colors. 

But the pumpkins just never seemed to fit in that space...........

So I loaded them up in the wheel barrow 

and placed them on the other side of the vintage archway. I think they are still too clustered up, so I may stretch them out a little further. 

So now the front of the garden has a lot of decoration..........as you can see, I have Sophie giving it her full inspection. I hope to grow my pumpkins and zinnias here of course, but I am also planning on growing grapes and blackberries. I have never had success with these vines, but I am not giving up. 

How about you? What do you like to decorate your garden with?

What are you planning on growing this year?

I would love to hear!