THAT GIRL!

MR. AGP MAN & THAT GIRL (1977)

It is beyond my comprehension how forty years could have passed since this photo was taken.  I can still remember purchasing the outfit I was wearing...pale pink baby-wale corduroy wide-leg pants and a matching top that was made of light-weight terrycloth.  Both were purchased at LERNER'S.

(Remember that store?)

 Sometimes I wonder what happened to

THAT GIRL!

Love to you~

REBECCA 

GOOD FRIDAY BLESSINGS & AN OLD FRIEND

Hey Friends...

Blessings to you this Good Friday!  I hope your day is wonderful and your weekend is full of passion as we celebrate the beauty of Easter.

As I make my way back into Blogland I want to share with a few personal thoughts..

Me, Sarah (DIL) & Adrienne (Daughter)

I have loved my little blog for so long, but when my Mr. AGPMan was laid off from his longtime job at Xerox in July of 2013 and then the subsequent passing of my Father in February 2014, well, I guess I felt the wind had blown out of my sails.  My Dad was often the source of my writing inspiration and his death left a huge gaping hole in my life.  Even though I know he's still with me in spirit there was just something about the absence of his physical presence that made me feel very alone.

Ultimately, the financial pressure and chaos of losing both a job and a parent took it's tole. To help bridge the money-gap I opted to take on a part-time job at the market where I have my booth.  Once my guy returned to full-time work (about 9 months later!) I guess I'd just grown accustomed to working outside my home.  After nearly four years I'm still there.  Sometimes I feel like I abandoned something I greatly loved for a fist-full of dollars and months and months of wandering in the wilderness.

I can't really say specifically what lit my desire to return to blogging, but I'm quite sure the accident I was in last May has had a great deal to do with it.  It caused me to seriously reflect upon my life and some of the choices I've made.

Most have been good.

But, not all.

I guess I still have some life-lessons to learn!

Anyway... 

A few days ago while working at Serendipity, one of my long-time customers, Vickie (way back to e-bay days!), visited the store with her daughter.  I've had the pleasure of meeting several of my buyers this way and I'm thrilled to say so many of them have also become friends!  Here's a photo of the three of us!  It was such a JOY to meet the two of them in person...

Vickie, Me & Martha (her daughter)

Also...I hope to pass along some thoughts and MAYBE some inspiration as I've watched one of my children overcome obesity.  Never dreamed in a million years it would be a path my Mr. AGPMan and I would travel.  But, travel it we have. 

Of course...I still LOVE all things that are vintage...white...French...and gently loved.  Can't wait to show you more of what makes my heart sing.

Love to you...

Rebecca

BACK AT IT...WHATEVER THAT IS!

Dear Blogger Friends...

Today I'm going to tip-toe my way back into the Blog World.  Honestly--I kind of feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience here! I know how to do it, you know,BLOG, but when you haven't done it consistently in a long time it's easy to start out feeling a bit dazed and confused!

 MORNING OF SURGERY - March 6th

So...I'm going to at least TRY to make my way back to some of the things I love!  I'm hoping to reclaim some of what I feel I've lost over the past few years...

Last Monday marked five weeks since my spine/neck surgery.  I'm going to spare you the details of the entire process and only say I'm thankful that I'm growing stronger each and every day and grateful to be able to work towards finding normalcy again in my life.  I've greatly missed doing the things I love and I'm absolutely serious when I say I will never take my good health for granted again.  I feel humbled and blessed to even be able to type out these words...  God is good.  

That is all I can say~

Here's an update on a few other things...

MY BOOTH AT SERENDIPITY MARKET

I still have my A Gathering Place booth at Serendipity Market in Edmond, Oklahoma, and I am still moonlighting there a couple of days a week as well.  I pretty much let my website stay EMPTY after the car accident as I found I wasn't able to keep it stocked while trying to stay committed to those other two things anyway.

SWEET FRENCH CHEST

Last weekend was Serendipity's SPRING OPEN HOUSE and so I was busy working as much as possible on things to stock my booth.  I'm still healing up so I'm working very slow!  My Mr. AGPMan has been super busy as well.  He fashioned a couple of really neat things for me and I can't wait to show you.

I'm still loving all things vintage, antique, soft creamy white, farmhouse (as if!) and nearly everything else that is flirty, romantic, French, fun or previously loved....  Here is a picture of a suitcase I painted for a special bride-to-be.  Her Grandma contacted me a few months ago and I promised her I would TRY and make her dreams of soft pink roses come true!

HAND PAINTED PINK ROSES!

My little Miss Mollie, our precious Yorkie, is still hanging on.  We visited her Vet about three weeks ago and he found her to be spry and inquisitive and didn't feel she was ready to be put down.  The tumor in her tummy is huge (Vet believes the underlying cause is heart disease or liver failure) and we know it won't be long before we will be forced to say good-bye to her.  She is 14 years and 3 months old (about 74 or so in human years) and we've been BLESSED to have her for so many years.

 Me and Miss Mollie 

(Taken Today!)

She is still our baby girl and our hearts are breaking as the  day draws near.  We are praying for an quiet, gentle passing...but we won't let pain invade her tiny body so we watch closely for signs of discomfort.  Those of you who love animals understand our hurting hearts...  We just hate all this.  We've prayed and asked God to give us peace as we proceed ahead...but it is so hard~

Today I met a man at Lowe's who snapped this picture of us.  He is a photographer and said he'd be honored to do a portrait of her for us.  I'm telling you...God brings the most amazing people into my life when I least expect it.  Not sure what I will do yet...but the beautiful gesture from him made me smile.

  To those of you who sent me notes, cards and emails during the past few months, well, I can't thank you enough.  I'm looking forward to better days and getting back to sharing my passions and joys with you.

Bless you all!

Love to you~

Rebecca