Surviving the Summer

Our cats love to sleep in the sun - and they LOVE a small box, so we fixed a box in the sun for them... and when I put Mabel in it, she settled right down for a good long nap.













Meanwhile, Lucy was "hard at work" in my office. She is often very un-ladylike, but she loves to lie on her back like this!

A Lot is Happening!

It has been awhile since my last post, but I have been busy! My cousin Amanda got married last weekend, and I was the wedding coordinator. Photos will come soon!

My little friend Job McCully, from Bigelow, Arkansas, is getting a new house this next week, courtesy of ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition! We have been campaigning and praying for this for a long time, so it is a tremendous blessing. You can follow the daily progress and learn more at http://www.thehousejackbuilt.com/extreme/ You owe it to yourself to "meet" Job (just like in the Bible) and his family and follow this story!

Today is the 34th anniversary of our marriage! Yep - 34 big ones, and going stronger every day! I am so blessed I almost have to pinch myself!!! How will we celebrate? An auction, of course... and pizza tonight, of course. We may be dull, boring and predictable, but we're in it for the long haul. It's been amazing so far... and we can't wait to see what the future holds.

A Visit From the Dollars

Friday afternoon, my friend Marla Ann (Baker) Dollar brought her grandchildren and her daughter Molly to visit us. Marla was my next-door neighbor until we married, and she is like a sister to me. Her daughter Molly has three children - Griffin Alexander is nearly 10, Ruby Ann will be 7 on August 3, and Roman Maurel will be 5 in December. They all live in Fayetteville.

Marla and Molly took the children to Mtn. View on Thursday to see the sights and tour Blanchard Caverns - they took the Dripstone Trail tour and really enjoyed it. Yesterday they swam in the pool and visited relatives and came to our house. Today they were going to go boating with another friend and then visit and swim some more. The kids were having a great time seeing people and the town where their grandmother lived as a young girl.

Pictured are Marla (left) and Molly (right) and then from left to right are Griffin, Ruby, and Roman. Aren't these cute kids? I gave them a box of dominoes and taught them to play "Chicken Foot" so now they have a new game to add to their repertoire. Honestly, I think they have more fun lining up the dominoes and knocking them over, but someday that will change (maybe!) and they will be glad to know how to play a new game!

Treat Yourself - Visit The Pickett Fence!

If you haven't visited my friend Karen Denny at The Pickett Fence, you've missed a treat! The store is FULL of great things (including many of my "treasures" she is gracious enough to sell), and here are a few of the latest:

• Adirondack chairs, antiques, art


• Baskets, baby dishes, books


• Canister sets, coffee pots, cutting boards, chairs, collectibles, cutlery


• Dishes, desks, decorative boxes,
  
• Elegant glass, equestrian decor, embroidered linens
  
• Furniture, fishing decor, figurines, fall items (arriving soon)
  
• Garden decorations, gift certificates
  
• Hats, hanging plant baskets, Heisey, hall trees, Heber Springs items
  
• "Ice Cream" Furniture sets, iron wall art
  
• Jigsaw puzzles, jewelry
  
• Knick-knacks, kitchen items (vintage)
  
• Linens (antique table cloths, doilies, napkins and more), local artwork, lodge decor, lamps, lures (antique)
  
• Milk glass, metal accents, mirrors,
  
• New and old items
  
• Outdoor furniture, owls, ottomans
  
• Purses made by Lynn Allbright, prints (framed), potted plants, pillows, pottery
  
• Quail - figurines, prints
  
• Rugs, racks, Roseville pottery
  
• Soy candles, seasonal items, swags, serving pieces, sconces
  
• Trunks, tables, tin items
  
• Unusual gifts for every age and interest
  
• Vases, vintage items of all kinds
  
• Wall plaques, wicker, wine racks
  
• X-traordinary selection
  
• Yard art
  
• Zany colorful wall decor and ceramics

The store is located at 104 S. 2nd Street (one block south of Main at the 4-way stoplight). There is something for everyone - new things arrive almost daily - Karen is already thinking about Christmas (!) - don't miss out on a really fun store!!! Stop by and see Karen, Popcorn and Pearl (the store cats)! Maybe I'll see you there! (Link to The Pickett Fence is also in the sidebar to this blog!)

4th of July With My Birthday Buddy

Friday, July 4th, was the 90th birthday for my "Birthday Buddy," Geraldine McCurry. It was my 51st! MawMac (as I called her) had a big blowout, given by her family and hosted by her daughter Andrea and son-in-law, Phil Wade at their home. All of Gerry's children and grandchildren (and even a "great") were there, and she was in her element! Since she has shrunk 5 inches or more in the last few years, I gave her a "booster seat" that looks like the phone book for New York City. She was sitting on it when we arrived - said it had given her a new lease on life and put her back up in the swing of things! Don't you love her feather boa?!

When The Moon Hits Your Eye...

Okay, so I was up at 3:00 a.m. and got these shots - don't ask. My back "went out" on me last Friday and I had 2 days of spasms, and I'm slowly getting back on my feet - literally - so I haven't slept well. I passed through the living room this morning - at 3:00 - and the moon was high in the sky shining brightly. In one shot, you can see lights down below - that is Wilburn (be sure to click the photo to enlarge). In another, the moon itself is out of focus, but the reflection on the window glass of "another moon" was cool. See what we miss by sleeping?! Enjoy!

Squirrel Power?

Ever since we moved in last fall, we've stored bird seed under our back porch (which is underpinned in lattice) in hard plastic recycled kitty litter tubs with tight snap-on lids. When I went out to feed the birds yesterday, this is what I discovered. We had seen squirrels on our lattice and porches, so we can only assume that these critters were the culprits... nothing else could squeeze through the lattice, we're thinking! But who would believe they could chew right through this hard plastic!

At any rate, the bird seed is now in the garage, and the critters are on probation - no more seed for a few days!

Water Gun Fun!

Our great-niece and nephew - Caitlyn and Chase - are visiting from Missouri this week. We've seen then a couple of times already. Caitlyn is 8 - Chase is 4. They are a barrel of fun. One morning the doorbell rang, and Caitlyn was there, water gun in hand. "Poppy" Bruce and Chase were in one of Bruce's WWII Jeeps near the street... their mission was to "shoot STOP signs" and they were out of water - could they reload at our hydrant? They were only here about 10 minutes, but I managed to get a few good pictures to share. Notice Chase's T-shirt - it says "That's it... I'm calling Poppy!"

Light Show

We had a thunderstorm blow through Friday night - not much rain or anything else, but what a light show! We sat on the back porch and managed to catch these images... maybe more next time! The little row of lights in the lower left corner are the dam, and in picture #1 there are a couple of fish hatchery lights near the center. I'm pretty sure I took the first photo, and Greg caught the neat streak in picture #2!

Interesting Storm Clouds

As I write this, we are waiting for another round of thunderstorms to hit. But Tuesday night, we had an interesting storm come through. I thought I would post these photos of the dark, dark wall cloud that rolled over our house and through the valley, followed by 1.4 inches of rain! The last photo is the same valley in the bright sunshine the next day. (This is looking southeast toward Wilburn!)

Sunny Morning

Our cats took advantage of a beautiful sunny morning to soak up the rays and warmth. They LOVE the morning sunshine that floods our windows, and that is their new morning retreat. When I look at their faces, I am almost overwhelmed at God's artistry! I know, I know, I'm a doting "mother!" Humor me!!!