Wiener Roast

We had a wiener roast last night with family. I think this will become our Memorial Day weekend tradition. Due to Heather's gymnastics recital we had it Sunday night. Heather said she already has her recital on UVA Wise's schedule next year for earlier in the month so next year hopefully there won't be a conflict. I told everyone to put a wiener roast on their Memorial Day weekend calendar next year.

Tim and I made a makeshift table from cinder blocks and a board instead of dragging the card table out. It worked well. Jen and Fred walked out the path, Erin and John Patrick came, Joni, Tammy, Heather, Elijah and Ean as well. Seth came over too! He ended up staying after everyone else left and visited with us until 12:35 a.m. Late for us!!

Fire building 101. Paper, tender, kindling and then the wood.

I'm so glad John Patrick brought his guitar. He played and sang. He is so talented to be twelve and we enjoyed it so much. I just can't believe how grown up he is.

And of course we roasted hot dogs.

And marshmallows.

It was a wonderful evening. Only downside, feeling a granddaddy long legs crawl across my foot and the occasional whiff of something dead in the woods. Blech!

Estate Sale Finds

Saturday morning we left the house early and dropped Gabby and Riley off to be groomed and drove over to Big Stone Gap for an estate sale. We arrived right at the hour it was to start and there was already a very long line. If it hadn't been for the dogs' appointment we would have arrived much earlier. Tim dropped me off and went to park. They were only allowing twenty five people in at a time. There was a pretty long line. I just tried not to look when people were carrying out stuff. We have always been pretty early to most of the sales we've been to. We ended up chatting with the woman behind us. The house was downtown across from the John Fox Jr. house and close to Bullit Park. It was a beautiful neighborhood. The woman we were talking to told us whose house it was and Tim knew her son. I guess if you sale insurance a lot of people know you.

Finally, we made it in and scoped out the place. I really wasn't looking for anything in particular. Ironstone is always on my radar but I have found very little of it so of course there was none. I'm not even going to think that someone else might have bought some before me. I doubt it. I spotted a little silver plate or pewter tray as soon as we went in and picked it up. I used it in the kitchen to corral a few items.

Tim saw this cake/pie  plate and thought I might be interested. I was. I have another metal pie plate that came from Tim's mom's attic so I'd like to collect a few and hang on a wall. I looked it up and am guessing it is from the fifties. We also picked up a metal bowl. It has a bit of grease buildup so I'll have to clean it. I am thinking about putting a plant or flower in it.

I was happy to spot this camera also. It is a Brownie Hawkeye. I bought my first vintage camera two years ago at my first estate sale. This camera was pretty dirty but was easy to clean. It has a sticker on the back with the owner's name. I left it on the camera.

It took me a couple of trys to arrange my cameras the way I liked. The Polaroid was Daddy Paul's.

I love my bookshelves. It is a great place to arrange collections and trinkets. Many we have found at estate sales and antique shops. Some came from family though. The old car whiskey decanter was from Daddy Paul's collection. There is a harmonica setting on the older books that was Papaw's and probably my favorite thing is Mammy's old typewriter.

There aren't too many estate sales around here so I was happy to finally get to go to another. Can't wait for the next one. :)

Seth's Mother's Day Gift

Seth called one day last week and said that he had ordered my Mother's Day gift and when it was delivered not to open it. So, when the UPS truck came Monday I didn't open the box. I texted him Tuesday morning so he could stop by. In the meantime I talked to Sarah on the phone. They had been at Dan's parent's and were getting ready to drive down to Charleston. So, I told her Seth was coming up so I could open my gift and she commented about what a good "gift giver" Seth is. I agreed. I am a terrible gift giver and I think Sarah might have inherited some of my genes whereas Seth inherited Tim's. He's a pretty good gift giver too.

So, Seth came up and opened the box for me. Hmmm, surprise...a Reds' bag! Last year he bought me a Reds' door mat and one other year he got me a Reds' tag cover for my car. Actually, I like it. Gonna take it to church tonight. :)

Wonder when I go to shop at Foodland what Nut will think about it? =D

The View From Here

This afternoon I went out on my front porch to read. My house was still chilly since the temperature got down in the forties last night so the warm sun felt heavenly. I can't imagine a nicer day. Nearly perfect.

Green leaves on the trees.

Fabulous blue sky.

I spied a little spider web between porch posts.

If I looked closely I could see gabby at the door looking out at me.

Oh, and then there was Pokey. Meowing as usual. See, I said it was nearly perfect.....not perfect. 

The Cincinnati Reds Room

Last week my first cousin's wife emailed me to ask if my uncle and her family could stay at my house when my cousin's grandmother on the other side of the family passed away. She had cancer and the time was near. So, of course I didn't mind if they stayed here since all of their family would be in and every bed would be taken on that side of the family. I emailed her back and planned to clean upstairs to prepare the rooms.

Well, the time was the next day. So, I had a couple of days to whip Seth's (the Cincinnati Reds) room into shape. I washed linens and made beds. I moved some of Seth's furniture around and brought the recliner from the playroom into his room. I had been planning to do this anyway so I would have somewhere to sit if I went upstairs when Tim worked in his home office which happens to be in the Cincinnati Reds room.

My uncle ended up not coming so I just had my first cousin, his wife and their three year old little boy. They came Saturday and left Tuesday. They stayed in Sarah's room. They weren't here most of the time since they were spending it with the other side of the family but it was very handy since it's just a few minutes drive to his Papaw's house, especially with a little one. Melanie was able to come back to the house with Jadon when need be. I enjoyed having them here.

When Tim and I went to the visitation we learned that Kit's other two first cousins had gotten a motel room so we offered they could stay at our house. Now, these cousins were born and raised in San Fransisco, California. How shall I put this...they were a little "different." :) So, my aunt told them we had extra room if they wanted to stay with us and I chimed in, "you can stay in the Cincinnati Reds room." They looked a little bewildered. I mean, they had just met me that evening so technically we were strangers. It ended up they had already checked into their motel but one of them did ask if the Cincinnati Reds was a football team. He really had no idea!

Guess that is why he wasn't impressed when I offered my Cincinnati Reds room.

Now, who wouldn't want to stay in here surrounded by photos of current and past Reds?

Plenty of memorabilia.

And a little Virginia stuff thrown in for good measure. ;)

I guess it doesn't have quite the appeal to others as it does us. Anyway, the Cincinnati Reds room is ready next time someone needs a place to stay. Hope it's Seth and he comes to spend the night. ;)

I Voted

This time last year we were in the throws of wedding planning. Whew! I am glad that is a thing of the past. As busy as last spring was, this one has been equally as low key.

Gabby

Pokey

Riley

 It has been so "not busy" there hasn't been anything to blog about. Yesterday when we went to the town hall to vote in our local election...mayor and three council members. I left with my "I Voted Today" sticker and knew I had something to blog about. ;)

Then after voting we drove over to Wise as we have been doing on Tuesdays since Tim started working in Pikeville. He delivered Ben's checks and went to Austin's to pick up the mail. We were home before the Red's game was supposed to start. But it was in a rain delay. Then two hours later they finally postponed it.

I took pictures of my current mantel so next year at this time when I am trying to figure out how to decorate the mantel I can look back at these pictures. I framed a picture of Tim walking Sarah down the isle at her wedding. The plate is from Sarah and Dan's trip to Rhodes a couple of years ago.

I can't remember where I bought this flattened sap bucket but I still love it and it has made its way to the mantel several times. I put one of my "fake" Pottery Barn" succulents in a small terra cotta pot. The votives are from Sarah's wedding.

The only project going on right now is this chair. I started painting it last week and have yet to finish. The Reds have a day game tomorrow so I plan to finish it.

In other news Seth and Tim went to Mt. Airy, North Carolina Saturday and Seth bought a "new" used jeep cherokee. His jeep liberty had torn up three weeks ago so he had been looking online and found it. Fortunately he could drive his work truck back and forth to work.

The weather has been fabulous the past week. Since a cool spell a little over a week ago it has been nice. This week it is supposed to be in the eighties or high seventies every day. Monday I finally took our flannel sheets off the bed and we turned off the gas to our logs. I am going to hold off turning on the air conditioning as long as possible or as long as Tim can stand it. So, needless to say we have windows open and are utilizing our ceiling fans. Can't beat this time of year. ;)