~GRADUATION DAY~

GRADUATION DAY!

It's FINALLY here! 

Such a happy day for my family...

You can't even begin to know how full my heart is with gratitude and joy!  I'm so proud of my husband...so very proud!

Promise to share photos soon.

Love to you... 

~A MEMOIR'~

If you've followed my blog for very long or read my profile on my sidebar then you know I'm the daughter of a preacher-man.  For as long as I can remember my father was a student of the Word and because of his ministry I was exposed to many amazing things during my childhood.  As a young girl I didn't fully understand the impact some of those early life-lessons would have upon my life, or years later just how they would affect me as I grew into adulthood.

Sunday was always a busy day at our home.  We were up early and rarely missed church.  We had to be on our death-bed or at the very least laden with a high fever to get out of going.  I tried faking being sick a few times,  but I was always busted.  After morning services ended as a family we returned home for lunch. Rarely was dining out an option as my father's meager income couldn't afford the luxury of a restaurant meal.  By early afternoon my brother Bill and I, along with our father, piled back into our ratty-trap car (I know this because ALL the cars we ever owned were junkers!) and drove about ten miles to a convalescent home to minister to the aged and afflicted.  We did this three Sundays out of four each month until we were in our early teens...

I suppose it's important to tell you here that although I willingly went with my father to these services sometimes most times I didn't want to go.  Although my dad never forced me to go with him,  I just could never actually bring myself to tell him I wanted to stay home.  Instead of singing to a bunch of old people, who were either out of their minds or sleeping, I just want to run and play outside with my friends.

 On most of our trips to the nursing home my brother would pass out hymnals and I would almost always sing and play my guitar.  It was in these simple, unsophisticated meetings I learned what it meant to have a compassionate heart for the sick and infirmed.  It would take another three decades before I would come to appreciate the experience and today I hold the memory of our convalescent services as one of my best.  I'm so glad I didn't stay home.

When the nursing home service concluded Bill and I knew our father would treat us both to something special.  It was never much...a small ice-cream float at the local A&W or a bottle of pop from Market Basket.  Sometimes he'd buy us a tiny box of candy, but usually it was a sweet, fizzy concoction of our own choosing.  Together we would open the cooler's lid and pull out whatever soda fit our fancy on that day.  Bill never picked the same thing twice and my dad, if he could afford three bottles, always drank Dr. Pepper...

But for me, being the kind of thinker I am, I had the picking out of my soda down to an art.  My logic was simple.  I would simply pick the biggest bottle of pop for the least amount of money...  And without a doubt it was always BUBBLE-UP.   Most soda pop bottles back then were 12oz or 16oz...but not Bubble-Up!  It held a whopping 18oz (which was alotta pop back then!) and I promise you I savored ever tiny drop.

I rarely (if ever) drink soda anymore...  But while on our mini vacation over Thanksgiving I visited a small store out west and sitting right in front of me was a four pack of Bubble-Up.  My heart skipped a beat and I instantly was transported back to the age of ten.  It was as if the last 40 years had never passed for I could feel myself standing along side my father and brother with my trusty icy cold, lemon-lime drink in hand.

What I understand today is that those bottles of pop often took my father's last few coins.

He gave us all he had and we didn't even realize it.

As I type this my only brother and his wife are driving from Southern Cali to Oklahoma (20 plus hour trip) to be here to watch my beloved, my Mr. AGPMan, receive his college diploma.  As a family we will celebrate with joy!

 While here we will also travel down to the nursing home where our father still resides for a long overdue visit.  I'll take my guitar and my brother will take his and together we will sing and play for a special aged and infirmed man, just like we did as children...

And just in case we get thirsty I'll have three bottles of soda in my satchel...

An Orange Crush for Bill.

Dr. Pepper for my Daddy.

And Bubble-Up for me.

Blessings as the memories help carry you through...

Love to you~

~A WINTER WHITE CHRISTMAS - A TREE OF WHITE~

~OUR FRENCH DOORS~

If I will quiet down my spirit and allow myself a few moments to reflect upon the goodness of God's grace in my life, something wonderful happens to me during the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

Christmas comes.

Today while I worked in my studio on my 87th Christmas Stocking for the year (yeah...that's a lot of stockings!) I popped in my favorite Christmas CD and was amazed at how peaceful I felt.  The rhythm of my once familiar life is returning to normal and for the first time in months I feel myself giving into rest.  Not the physical kind of rest, really~  I like to be busy.  But emotional rest.  You know, the kind that comes when you know you are blessed and content with where you are in life.  Not that everything is perfect, mind you. It isn't.  But life is good and I'm happy.

 ~PLEASE COME IN~

It's been my goal to de-pink the downstairs space of my La Chaumière de Briarwood for over a year now and the change of color has brought with it a true sense of calm to our home.

   ~OUR FAMILY TREE~

We are still working on a few areas...still want to slip cover my beautiful black and soft white chairs and cover that amazing French Settee I found last summer...but that will come in time.

~FAMILY PHOTOS and KEEPSAKE ORNAMENTS~

With the opening up of a main wall inside our home we really had to move things around!  It's been YEARS since our family's Christmas Tree has been in the front window and today I'm happy to tell you she's right back where she belongs!

~GORGEOUS VINTAGE LACE SKIRT~

This 100 year old net lace looks sooo beautiful!

 ~MY BABES BACK IN 1987~

Dainty little frames hold family photos and they are scattered all over our Tree...

~FAVORITE PHOTO OF MY PARENTS~

Wedding picture 1955.

 ~SOMETHING NEW THIS YEAR~

Hand fashioned ornaments with a French/Tattered look and feel.

~GORGEOUS GERMAN HAND PAINTED HEARTS~

I've owned these ornaments for over twenty years now.  Wish I could buy more.  They were purchased wholesale in 1991 and were once featured in the old Victoria Magazine.

~MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS PILLOW~

My hubby finally got around to cutting out about ten Christmas Tree Baskets for me.  Shown is the smaller of the two.  If you want one email me...  Made from his original 1986 pattern I'm loving how they look, simple and white!

In a few days my home will be buzzing with family and friends.  After my Mr. AGPMan graduates on Saturday we are having a celebration party afterwards here at our home...  I almost decided to have it somewhere else because our kitchen is still under construction.  But...we wanted to have it at our favorite place...and that's HOME.

Promise to share more of our Christmas 2012 decorating soon!

Hope your day is lovely...

Love to you~