Cabin Fever Primitives

Home Of The Free

2012-05-26T23:14:00.001-05:00

Because Of The Brave

"We dare not forget that we are

the heirs of that First Revolution"

John F. Kennedy

I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me.

To you our hero's,
sons, brothers, fathers, friends...
You, who have paid the price
for our freedom...
We Thank You
We will never forget you.
Let Freedom Ring
Across this, our great land!
Connie

Mothers Are A Special Gift

2012-05-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Motherhood....

All Love Begins

And Ends There

Robert Browning

Mothers Are A Special Gift

Faye Kilday

Mothers are a special gift sent

from God above,

They bless us with their nurturing

And fill us with their love.

They pick us up when we are down,

And when we're sad they know.

They're always there to lend a hand,

And guide us as we go.

And mothers are like special jewels

that can't be bought or sold...

A mother's love's more precious

than the rarest gem of gold.

Yes, mothers are a special gift

sent from God above.

And we'll be blessed forever with

their never ending love!

Mother's Day Promise

Mother, I promise to be here for you,

the way you've always been there for me.

I promise to celebrate your joys with you
and to care about the things that happen in your life.

I promise to remind you, how much I love you...

not just on special days like this,

but on ordinary days too.

My Mom has been gone 17 years,
I think of her often,
she was my best friend.
Now I am best friends with
my daughter Wendy.
This is "Moms" legacy

"Love You More" ~~~~~

Connie

Shiloh~~ A Time To Remember

2012-03-29T22:08:00.000-05:00

Creed of the Living Historian

We are the people to whom the past is forever speaking. We listen to it because we cannot help ourselves, for the past speaks to us in many voices. Far out of that dark nowhere, which is the time before we were born, men who were flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, went through fire and storm to break a path to the future.

We are part of the future they died for. They are part of the past that brought the future. What they did, the lives they lived, the sacrifice they made, the stories they told and songs they sung and finally, the deaths they

died, make up a part of our own experience. We cannot cut ourselves off from it. It is as real to us as something that happened last week.
By Bruce Catton Armies of Tennessee

A moment of reflection,
lest we shall never forget our ancestors
who by the highest standards paved their way into history books.

Beliefs ran deep in their soul,

courage flowed in their veins.

Determination swarmed their mind,

love of country pierced their hearts.

Farmers, ranchers, tradesmen,

brothers, fathers, sons and foreigners.

Such were the men bent on a cause

the cause - Freedom For All

Shiloh,
in Hebrew means, place of peace,
not so on this spring date of April 6 & 7, 1862
violence and the slaughter of war
took place on this fateful day.

For two days the Union and the Confederate armies clashed in fields and wooded areas near a meeting house called Shiloh in southwest Tennessee, becoming the first massive casualty battle of the civil war. 100,000 soldiers fought at Shiloh, when it was over the wounded, missing and dead numbered more than 24,000.

Monument Shiloh Military Park

Union Pacific Steam Locomotive No, 844
150th Anniversary Commemoration
Civil War Troop Train

Just as it did 150 years ago, transporting Unions soldiers
from their posts in Central Missouri to Counce Tennessee,
today this massive steam locomotive transports over 300
civil war re-enactors in transit to the Shiloh Battlefield
to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the infamous battle.
Watchers gathered near the historic tracks in
Jefferson City, Missouri Tuesday March 27
to pay their respect and to pay tribute
to the men and women who keep our history alive.

Last August 2011, I had the awesome experience
of attending the 150th Anniversary
of the Battle at Wilsons Creek in Republic, Missouri.
I so wanted to attend Shiloh this year but it was not meant to be.
If we can not be there in body let our Spirit fill our hearts.
On these momentous days in April
please take a brief moment to reflect on the past.
Just as Bruce Catton states,
"we are part of the future they died for!"

Let us never forget their sacrifice
Connie

Just Walk Beside Me and Be My Friend

2012-03-22T00:09:00.000-05:00

Don't walk in front of me...

I may not follow.

Don't walk behind me...

I may not lead.

Just walk beside me...

And be my friend.

I have always loved this poem,

thank you for being my friend.

Thank you for being so patient with me,

I have been silent as of late but never too far away.

I follow along and sometimes comment,

above all else I so enjoy visiting your blogs.

You all inspire me to create,

you make me laugh when I am sad,

you pick me up when I am down,

you touch my heart many times over.

Hugs Always...Connie

~~Make Over Project~~

Still tweaking... are we ever done

I hope not because that is the fun part.

Calm, Peace, Serenity

Bella Notte ~~ Beautiful Night

Play Time

Edith Holden

The Edwardian Lady

Most enjoyable indeed

Hues of brown and chippy whites

A little blurry, oh dear

School Days

still tweaking this corner...

ABC~~123

Reading, writing, arithmetic

For my girly girls

Time for Tea

Fun Stuff

Time for Tea and Chocolates

Vintage Bottles

Labels coming soon

Silhouette Votive Candle

Elegant Whites

Cream Brulee

I do hope you enjoyed touring my makeover room.

It is still a work in progress as

I still have one more corner that is not quite complete.

I hope to have it finished soon.

You all know how much I adore vintage clothing,

well that is a hint...

you will not be disappointed.

A room

where my little girls

will grown into young lady's.

Connie

You've Got A Friend

2012-03-01T21:27:00.000-06:00

From my heart to yours...

Thank You dear friends

for your concern,

well wishes and above all

your prayers.

I spent the day spreading love and friendship

by lending a hand to old friends in need.

Mother Nature spared us but not them.

A Gift Indeed

My arms are wrapped around all of you,

my dear blogger friends,

Thank you for your Gift of Love.

Connie

Makeover In Progress~~The Home Stretch

2012-02-16T23:38:00.000-06:00

Excitement abounds...

planning, anticipation, completion,

the end is in sight!

My Valentine's gift from Mr B
installing the bead board,
smiles!!!

~ My inspiration piece~
This lovely mirror
Rusty tin ceiling tile mounted in a wood frame

Good bye teal wallpaper

Welcome vintage bead board

Good bye bold ivy border

Welcome soft whimsical hand painted border

I wanted a softer look so I outlined
all the outside edges (leaves) with light gray.
One more trip around the room with my tiny brush,
Yes, I must have been out of my mind again!

Hugs to all my dear bloggers,
your suggestions and comments
were greatly appreciated.
You said: Cover up the wallpaper--cover up the border
What started out to be a small makeover
quickly turned into a major turnover, upside down, rip up
cover up task... I can truly say
"I Like It"

Now the fun part begins...decorating,
So many ideas floating in my head,
hope my little room has enough space.
Enough space where
Little girls will grow into young lady's.
Connie

You're A Special Friend Of Mine

2012-02-14T09:53:00.000-06:00

To each and every friend of mine

I send this lovely Valentine

Connie

Country Roads~~ Take Me Home

2012-02-09T22:44:00.000-06:00

To a Place ~~ Where I Belong

Is this Heaven, No

It is Missouri

Thank you dear friends for your interest

and your encouragement on our adventure.

So many questions...thought I would answer them here.

10 years ago we purchased 36 secluded acres

in the heart of Ozark Country.

We also purchased our Colorado property,

Post Office in a Ghost Town, which we restored.

Oh how my heart sings when I am at the old cabin....

5 years ago we sold our 36 acre Ozark property

on a land contract....due to the economy

last summer we received the property back.

A 16 hour drive takes us to our Colorado Cabin,

a 20 minute drive takes us to our Ozark Property.

So now we are back to square one,

should we build the cabin we thought of 10 years ago?

Yes, guess not, oh maybe, we are 10 years older!!

Mr B finally said "I think I have one more cabin in me"

OK then, you can count me in dear, lets roll.

Building Site
End of the trail seclusion, cold natural spring,
whispering waterfall, wildlife
wild turkeys, deer, even a cougar.
Rock formations, walking trails
and a sweet meadow tucked in among the cedars.
It is all about the land...
I have always been connected to land and the history it holds.
Gone With Wind--Scarlet, the land is what will sustain us
Sarah Plain And Tall--land, it is always the land
Magic Of Ordinary Days--this is my land, my fathers land

This Cabin will be a gathering place, where
friends , family, and strangers will be taken back to a simple time.
A time of sitting on the porch, hearing the softness of nature,
reading by oil lamp, telling old stories, making new memories.
Taste a bit of rustic life, taste a bit of the Ozarks.

Everyone is invited,
you will find the key under the mat.

Connie

Makeover In Progress ~~Update

2012-02-08T22:45:00.001-06:00

I must have been out of my mind!!

Did not take me long to remember why I gave up

Faux Painting

Tedious hours and a sore neck,

but what the heck,

it is almost done, I am pleased.

Ivy border
I had previously decided to keep this border but after
much thought decided it too should be updated.
It really did not fit my vintage chippy white theme.

Vintage Border
Guess I have been out of the loop,
did not know most DIY Stores no longer carry wallpaper.
I searched online but nothing caught my eye,
so thought why not paint over that border and create my own.
Remember....Faux painting...It all came back to me...

First coat, Cream primer paint
bottom edge of leaves was painted with a fine brush.

26 swags of ivy border now in primer.

Many Sleepless Nights
I had several ideas spinning in my head,
what should I put on this vintage border.
I am really into silhouettes and sheet music
with children or vintage ladies would be nice.
Remembering my New Years Promise,
"Keep It Simple"
A Stencil, that would be simple...and
I love vintage paper, combine the two.

I visited Karen over at The Graphics Fairy Blog
I found this vintage hand written song titled
Power of Song
I then put a brown filigree scroll on top of the graphic
and copied onto ivory parchment paper.
Scrappy tore the edges, I was ready to decoupage.

So simple, so pretty

Second coat of paint was a tan wash
a little darker that I liked but would fix that later.
Decoupaged the graphics onto the swags in pairs.

Third coat of paint a white wash,
OK, now it is starting to compliment by bead boards.

I really fell in love with this paper,
I tore some strips of words and decoupaged them
here and there and wherever,
looks like pealing wall paper LOL.
Fourth coat of paint....
hand painting the bottom edge of leaves in white.

Nine boxes (108 pieces) of bead board ready for Mr B to install.

Painted flat white
Sanded to distress
Old English to antique
Yes, I decided to cover the teal wallpaper with bead board!!!
Hopefully my makeover room will be soon completed,
so I have can get onto the fun part
"decorate"

Playing In The Woods
Sneak peak~~~Another project

Cutting cedar timber for our Log Cabin

Peeling logs, not so much fun.

Don't you just love the peaceful sound of a waterfall

Beautiful natural spring flowing over
ancient Ozark rocks

Got to love it when Mr B finally makes up his mind,
yes dear, this is the year we build our Ozark Cabin.
Now, right now,
got to peel those logs when the sap is rising...makes it easier.
Can't we finish my chippy white room first?
I must have been out of mind!!
To Be Continued......

Connie

Makeover In Progress ~~ Decisions

2012-01-25T21:28:00.001-06:00

Decisions

So many ideas,

like it here, like it there

oh where, of where...

Update on my chippy room makeover

A woman has a right to change her mind, right?

After all that is our nature,

move it here, no wait dear, I like it better over there!!

An update from my last post,

I am replacing the pink Disney Princess border...

I chose bead board to use as a chair rail trim.

After sampling four different techniques

I went back to my old standby:

white paint, sand, and antique with "old english"

I was very pleased with the bead board ,

so pleased in fact I thought maybe...

I should cover the current teal wallpaper

with this chippy white bead board.

Decisions, think girl, think....

stand back take a look, Oh I am really liking this!

Then....

I stood up some trim behind my chippy table

and thought.....

Well... yes, no, maybe...

Is there too much white?

Is the furniture is getting lost, blending into the wall,

does it have the "wow" factor.

I think all my whites would stand out much better

against a colored background.

What are your thoughts?

As much as I would like to cover up the old teal paper

it does match the ivy border that I decided to keep in tact.

And

There is teal in this lovely picture.

I have some ideas on how I can accent the teal paper.

I will share those with you next time.

I have decided on a light gray wash (1/2 paint with 1/2 water)

applied to the cream walls.

As there is touches of gray in the ivy border,

this color should pull that together as well.

I have never put a wash on walls before, all I can vision

is a big mess waiting to happen.

I will have to practice much patient with this technique.

Fun Flea finds

The exciting part of a make over is searching for sweet flea finds.

I was quite lucky this week....

Heavy iron cherub plaques, they will look fabulous

with a print mounted behind

Awesome canvas picture...roosters are not awesome

however

this frame is so dreamy with the crackle look.

Listen to me...dreamy is not a "primitive" word

guess it is a "chippy" word.

Plans are to decoupage silhouette motifs over the roosters.

Metal box inside a white metal holder,

can hang on the wall or sit on a table...love it

2 white metal candle holders

and

this adorable figurine.

So sweet, so cheap 2.98

so "old" from Germany,

simply love it

Thank you for following along,

your comments are always welcome,

until next time,

Connie

Makeover In Progress

2012-01-20T14:24:00.000-06:00

January

a new beginning,

a time for new projects and finishing old ones.
January
has thrown me into a new project,
making something old look new again,
or rather
something old look "older" again.

What once was my Garden Room
then
grand girls Play Room
will now be
a big Girl Room
with fun surprises for everyone.

My days (actually only two but feels like more)
have been spent removing
two layers of wallpaper border.

I have decided to never ...repeat... never do that again.

Now I am back to where I was eight years ago.
The walls are painted a cream color with
a teal wallpaper on the bottom.
An ivy border along the ceiling
transformed this room into a Garden setting.

I still like this border, it was quite expensive,
so have decided it is a keeper and
will have to work around it.
~~Decisions~~
Do I want to cover up the teal wallpaper!
It does match the ceiling border....
If I change it I will then have two color schemes...
wood trim is replacing the border
and a wash of either gray or light tan applied to the walls
to achieve a vintage effect

What am I changing to, you ask?
Primitive Chippy Country White
Since my grand girls ages 6 thru 10 are sharing this room
with grandma I thought something a little brighter
(not the dark primitive look)
would be lots of fun.

I started this project before Thanksgiving
introducing the idea to the girls.
They welcomed the new change,
even though it was a little hard for them to give up
their Little Tykes doll furniture.

Two vintage desks have replaced the baby toys,
an old school room for the girls
with some of grandma's treasures in the mix.
Easy chair for reading, table for tea parties
A new place where new memories will be born.
A special place where little girls will grow into young ladies.

What A Mess

Better Days Are Coming
I will keep you posted on the progess
of my latest adventure.
Under the watchful eyes of my girls
all things will come together.

Makayla, Arwen, Amber, Madyson, Brooke, Ellie and Kami
My sweet girls, this is for you.

Connie

New life to all things old

2012-01-04T17:15:00.001-06:00

It is so amazing how the

flipping of one calender page

December 2011 to January 2012

refreshes the soul and brings

new life to all things old.

We were all blessed with another

Christmas Season filled with peace and love.

Reflections of this past year

in our hearts we will hold dear.

Simply love my small prim red table

January makes us more than ready

to move onto a fresh new start.

I resolve this year to

return to a more simple life

Simple displays, less is more

make the old look new again

changes... are good for the soul

mix it up a little, maybe a lot

and will remember

to take time to smell the Roses

Moved around some furniture

made some old displays~~new again

Enjoy the tour

150th Anniversary
Let us never forget their sacrifice

A Special Gift

Snowman in a mitten stitchery pillow

This adorable handmade pillow was a Christmas gift from

Linda Parker
Parkers Paradise

so perfectly prim, I am leaving it out till winters end

Thank you Linda for your kindness...

Thank you for thinking of me...awesome

We all follow you and know how sweet you are!

A silhouette of Katie

She thanks you for taking the tour with her today

She really wants that Cardnial

perched outside the window.

Not today Katie.....

Believe in Me,

I will Believe in You.

Connie

New Year Blessings

2011-12-31T08:11:00.000-06:00

January

Now is here...

A fine new start

For a whole New Year...

New Year Blessings to family and friends

May your days be filled with

Joy, Peace and Love.

Connie

Christmas Blessings

2011-12-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

Ring Christmas Bells

Merrily Ring

Tell All The World

"Jesus" Is King

Wishing you Peace, Love and Joy this Holy Night

Connie

What Child Is This

2011-12-21T15:03:00.000-06:00

This Is Christ The King

What Child is this who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping.

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;

Haste, haste to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Raise, raise a song on high,

The Virgin sings her lullaby,

Joy, Joy for Christ is Born,

the Babe, the Son of Mary

Joy, Joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

May the Spirit of Christmas bring you Peace
The Gladness of Christmas give you Hope
The Warmth of Christmas grant you Love.
Connie

Sights of the Season

2011-12-20T17:51:00.000-06:00

Our hearts grow tender with

childhood memories and love of kindred,

we are better throughout the year

for having, in spirit,

become a child again

at Christmas Time

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Primitive Blessings are sent your way

wishing you all

The Magic of an Ordinary Day

Connie

Primitive Gals, Are We

2011-12-15T07:35:00.001-06:00

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree
Much pleasure you do give me

Good morning friends,
a balmy day in Southwest Missouri
rain, mid 60's, makes me smile this December.

10 days until Christmas ~wow~
Are we ready... yes, no, almost!

Primitive Gals, Are We
Run here and there, oh dear, I fear
one more gift or maybe two,
finish that scarf for Auntie Sue.

I am finding the pattern is the same,
there is never enough time for creative minds.
We primitive gals are an ambitious lot
you will not find us lying on a sofa much.

Cutting and stuffing, painting and rusting;
sanding all thru the night
that wooden shelf has to be just right.
Simply prim is what we do,
crafting lovely gifts for you.

We primitive gals...
Brenda and Cathy, Gina and Tammy
Teresa and Robin, Pam and Annie
Tricia and Tonya, Connie and Connie
If we seem a little frazzled
bare with us, we love the hassle.

Seasons come and seasons go
but that will never change our soul,
our passion is a Simpler Thyme
my Primitive world,
just mine.

Simple Christmas trees
at the Cabin

Oh Christmas Tree
Oh Christmas Tree
Your branches are so lovely

Oh Christmas Tree
Oh Christmas Tree
Much pleasure you do give me

This year I brought back my white flocked tree,
these sweet paper silhouette's are lovely.
The dove was a gift from talented
Brenda ~~The Rusty Thimble

Kris Kringle Tree

Santa - sometimes called Kris Kringle
His merry eyes - oh how they twinkle

My simple Santa tree
quite primitive, oh how I love thee

Snowman Tree

One day I built a snowman
I built him out of snow,
You should have seen how fine he was
all white from top to toe.

Oh Snowman tree you make me smile
think I'll just sit and gaze for awhile.

Vintage Tree

Outside there's a pine tree
standing straight and tall
It needs no decorations
nature's done it all

Pine cone's on it's branches
Icicles glistening bright

Snow upon it's needles
where birds take rest at night

I see it from my window
and take the time to say

Thank you for your beauty
on this Christmas Day

Paper Ornament Tutorial
These were so simple and fun to make.
The silhouette's are printed on top of a music sheet.
I first printed the music sheet, put back into printer
then selected 9 wallets (per program)
printed on top of the music.
I used another music sheet for backing

These were printed on top of black script, I did not like it
as well as I liked the sheet music.
Next step: along the edge
tape front and back sheets together,
just need a little to hold in place while you sew.
Using my sewing machine I sewed around the sides
and bottoms of each wallet picture, do not sew the top.

Next step: cut each picture out, there will be a small
margin between each pic, be careful not to snip the stitches.
Next: I then stuffed each picture with a small amount
of fiberfill to give it dimension.

Next: Cut a 4 inch piece of lace or jute for hanger
insert into picture and then sew across the top.
I liked to set the ornaments into the branches but
with the hanger attached you can use these for tags.
Also can embellish as you wish,
add glitter around the edges, attach a rusty bell
I added silver snowflake brads to a few.

These ornaments would be perfect
done up with a burlap backing,
I will have to try this....

Note: Santa and colored images are not printed
on top of a music sheet, use plain paper!!
Stitch length was a 3 just slightly longer than normal,
and remember paper will dull your needle so change it out for fabric.
You can obtain the sheet music and lovely images from
The Graphics Fairy
Graphics are free
she has thousands, just search her site

~~Hugs from me to thee~~
Connie

My Primitive Prayer

2011-12-06T11:01:00.000-06:00

December, the calender says it is here,

so many days until Christmas cheer.

Presents and elves, reindeer and sleighs,

carols playing loudly, some hurt my ears.

Cookies and candy, tinsel and lights

feverish shopping way into the night.

Children running wildly with excitement or fear

that their dear Santa will forget them this year.

I come before you Heavenly Father,

with a tear in my eye,

I fear our generation has lost it's way

have we forgotten Your Holiest Day.

Come one and all, Come sit with me

I have a tale to tell that will comfort thee.

It was a simple scene that first
Christmas - a rough room, a young
couple and nothing but a feeding
trough to put the child in. It was
probably quite cold and with family far
away there was little help. Not exactly
the Hallmark moment we like to show
in Christmas pageants. And yet this
rustic scene marked the greatest
event in the history of mankind.

God's son became human and came

to earth to save us. God had promised to send a Messiah, one who would save

His people. He could have easily burst on the scene as a full grown man, a seven foot warrior with fiery eyes and arms of steel. This was what many people were looking for, but it wasn't how God did it.

He arrived in the arms of a young girl. He was,

"a very small package, wrapped in rags, given from the heart of God.

The perfect gift."

O Welcome, little Christmas guest
Dear Jesus from above,
Upon Thy face, so pure and mild
We see God's smile of Love.

My Primitive Prayer

Please forgive me for being so grumpy
as I trudge through the never - ending
tasks set before me this holiday season.
My to-do list seems to keep growing
with shopping, church services and
family gatherings... and
I am running short of time.
Restore the Joy of Christmas to my heart
Help me to relax each day
And make time for "You"
Amen

Christmas - A time to open our hearts to
God and His glorious gifts.

Connie

ThanksGiving Greetings

2011-11-22T11:03:00.000-06:00

The year has turned full circle,

The seasons come and go.

The harvest is all gathered in

And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,

The fields, their yellow grain.

So open wide the doorway,

Thanksgiving comes again.

Receive my wholesome wishes,

For well prepared Thanksgiving dishes.

From my heart to yours,

wishing you all a wonderful

Thanksgiving celebration.

May your loved ones be with you this day,

And loved ones from a far join you in spirit.

Connie

The Gift

2011-11-09T10:08:00.000-06:00

Gifts come in numerous shapes and sizes

some are large and others small

some gifts have no size at all.

However, it is not the size of the gift that matters

but rather the size of the heart that gives it.

Wondrous gifts of wisdom and knowledge,

precious gifts of grace and life.

Gift of the Magi

There is no gift more magical

than the gift of being loved

A perfect autumn day greeted me,
warm rays of sun with just a touch of fall crisp air
set the mood for what was going to be a
special time spent with my daughter and granddaughters.

My Saturday plate was full indeed,
I was excited to get this day started.

I had taken off from work, that was a treat in itself.

8:00 am off to a Pheona's Vintage Market
Click on Pheona's above to view her terrific monthly market.

The vendors, again outdid themselves,
all the rooms were full of
prim, shabby, chippy, antique and needful junk.

Browsing the grounds for the perfect finds made me giddy
visiting with friends and vendors warmed my heart.
After several trips to my car I was fully loaded
and happy as a singing lark.

It was still early in the day so I sped off to a new flea market.
I could not buy much as my little Toyota's doors were bulging.

However, there was enough room for a vintage suitcase or two.

Time to get ready for the Banquet.
As daughter instructed,
"Now wear something special and bring your camera",
are one of the girls going to speak or get an award?
How exciting, what a great way to end my perfect day,
spending it with my lovely girls.

Saturday Evening
6:00 pm arrive at Wendy's home.
The grand girls are at school decorating for the event,
we will meet them there.
With tickets in hand, daughter gave me the envelope,
guess I was in charge of the tickets, we were on our way.
I was babbling non stop informing Wendy of my
wonderful primitive finds and how much fun I had today.

"Mom check the tickets,
make sure there is four of them in the envelope."
Well why wouldn't there be four
I said to myself...you gave them to me.
These tickets looked strange, I turned them over and over again.
"Wendy, these don't look like tickets to a
Mother Daughter Banquet"

"We must have the wrong envelope!"
"I only see two tickets!"
"Well, what do they say............."

These are theater tickets for.....

What the? What is this?
Are we going to see Michael Bolton?

My body is shaking like tender leaves blowing in the wind.
I look up in time to see the Marquee
as Wendy pulls into the Mansion Theater.
Appearing Tonight
Michael Bolton
OMG, tears, giggles, shock over takes my very being.
What a surprise, I am a huge MB Fan,
I was clueless, didn't even know Michael was in town.

Wendy is in tears, over come with joy,
relishing in the fact she just pulled off
the best surprise, the best gift,
the magical gift of love.

The concert was amazing.
The fastest two hours of my life.
Michael captivated the audience,
his tender voice belting out song after song.
"When A Man Loves A Woman"
I melted into my seat as Michael was only
five people away from where we sat

Cameras flashing everywhere
Screaming ladies, me included
Fighting back tears
Singing along
Goosebumps and chills
Awesome, so Awesome....
I had the time of my life

Thank You Dear Daughter

A daughter is a little girl
who grows up to be your friend.

Wendy you may outgrow my lap, but
you will never outgrow my heart.

Wendy you are like flowers
you fill the world with beauty.

Wendy and Connie

When we are together or when we are apart,
You're first in my thoughts and first in my heart.

There is no gift more magical
Than the gift of being loved

"A daughter is a gift of love"

Connie

October's Magic

2011-10-19T15:51:00.001-05:00

October is the month

When the smallest breeze

Gives us a shower
Of autumn leaves

Bonfires and Pumpkins

Leaves falling down

October is Red

And Golden and Brown

When autumn wind goes running
It does some magic things

It gives the shadows dancing shoes
It gives the bright leaves wings

Come said the wind
To the leaves one day

Come o're the meadows
And we will play

Put on your dresses of
Scarlet and gold

For summer is gone
And the days grow cold
A Children's Song of the 1880's

Wishing you the Magic of an October Day

1916 Baby Book ~~ Come turn the pages with me

2011-10-12T17:51:00.002-05:00

Ina Laura Petersen

Date of Birth July 11th, 1916

Ina Petersen where are you?

Browsing a flea market in Colorado

I came upon a leather bound book.

Since I have a passion for leather

this book immediately caught my attention.

To my elated surprise, lying on a dusty shelf

was a baby book dated 1916.

Thus Follows:

Story of the Little Lost Book

The Book

Baby Mine

I am "The Book of Baby Mine"

I lay here on this hard dusty shelf, lost and all alone.

Strangers come and go, some pass me by, others,

pick me up and then throw me down.

How did I get here, what is this place.

I miss my family, the Petersen family,

where are you Ina Petersen?

Memories fill my little pages, the celebration of a new life.

Delicate entries made by a caring Mother

who was so taken with her precious baby girl,

she wanted the entire world to know

Ina Laura Petersen.

When was I born

July 11th, 1916 was the date

8 pounds 0 ounces was my weight.

The day was Tuesday

Tick tock, tick tock

2 minutes past 4 said the clock.

Carefully traced tiny hand and foot prints of baby Ina.

Unlike footprints in the sand, yours are embedded forever.

Gifts

In the days of old when babes were born,

Good fairies came with gifts, you see.

Now I believe in good fairies too,

For here are the gifts they brought to me

Coat cap and booties

Hot water bottle with card

Baby ring and Baby doll

Book of Baby Mine

First Christmas

Hang my stocking, mother mine,

Let the little candles shine.

Hear the happy laughter ring,

All the world is Christmasing.

Who gave the earth this happy day,

Just a little Babe like me.

Hang my stocking, mother mine,

Let the little candles shine.

Ina's First Photograph taken in the Spring of 1917

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh dear, oh dear what do I feel, a gentle touch,

come closer, someone has lifted me off this shelf.

Who can this be, a lady,

Is that you Ina Petersen?

Soft tender fingers caress my leather cover,

slowly my cover opens,

ever so carefully pages are turning over,

Is that you Ina Petersen?

I hear a gasp of surprise then a moaning sound of delight,

she is viewing your locket of hair Ina, still tied in the pink silk ribbon.

I vividly remember the day Mother snipped this curl and placed it here,

March 1920.

You are almost 4 years old now with eyes of blue and golden blond tresses,

what a beauty you are.

I am saddened that your curl from October 10th, 1918 has been lost.

Your Firsts

You could sit without support at the age of 4 months,

you crypt at 7 months,

took your first step all alone on the date of July 3rd, 1917.

The first words you learned were

papa, kitty, mama and baby.

On February 18th, 1917 you cut your first tooth and

learned to play peek-a-boo when 15 months of age.

Here is an outline of your little hand when you grew older,

age 2 years and 3 months.

August 1919 Denver Colorado

We celebrated your third birthday in the mountains near Denver.

Perched on this large log a family photo was snapped.

Father, mother and you Ina in the middle.

Cool crisp autumn air made you shiver a little,

Mom snuggled close to keep you warm,

You are the twinkle in father's eye and mother's little helper.

Life is good and you are loved.

Your First Professional Photograph

One Year and 11 Months

Mother knew this was going to be a special photo,

a photo she would hold dear to her heart

and later place on this page.

A picture that would stand the test of time

a picture of her sweet Ina

revealed to the world forever.

Round rosy checks passed down from father.

Golden curls, a cherub's smile from mother.

Crisp linen dress with just a touch of fine lace.

Little toes protruding from your sandals,

a gift from Aunt Grace.

What a beauty of innocence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another gasp, a louder gasp,

my book slams shut, what is happening,

will I again be placed on the shelf?

I am now staring into the misty eyed face of that lovely lady.

Sadly she views Jack's photo,

in a mystified trance touching it ever so lightly.

She has found my page of "honor"

Brothers and sisters

Their photographs

And dates of birth

Jack Rudolph Petersen

Born: November 13, 1913

Died: September 22, 1915

We did not know little Jack, Ina and me,

this was before our time.

One thing I know for sure,

Jack was special.

So special Mom put his photo here for us to cherish,

always to remember the big brother

who came first into our world

then left way too soon.

Mom's littlest Angel

First School Days

Just so I won't forget when I'm gray

I'll write here the names of:

My First School____________________

My First Teacher___________________

My First School Chum_______________

And other important notes:____________

No school entry, no teacher or important notes,

why is this page blank?

My mind wanders now,

Ina Petersen where are you?

Did you not go to school,

were you ill fated like little Jack, leaving us way too soon!

Perhaps it was Mom who left us,

and father was too sad to continue your story.

Where are you Ina,

95 years would be your age now,

could you still be with us?

Did you find the love of your life;

did you become a mother,

perhaps a grandmother of a sweet baby girl?

I am a little lost book with no more stories' to share.

I sit on a dusty shelf and no one cares.

All I want is my family back,

Who will remember Ina and little Jack!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is happening, don't hold me so tight.

Oh dear I am fearful, where am I going tonight.

Shelf I am calling you, shelf, shelf

I need your arms to comfort myself.

Once more I stare into the elated face of a lovely lady.

Her soft fingers move lightly over my leather cover,

her caring tone of speech fills the room,

calmness overtakes my pages.

Missouri Ozarks is where I call home,

I think you will like it here Ina.

Everything about this place takes me back to 1916,

when life was simple.

I am regally displayed with many vintage friends.

We share stories of old,

some make us laugh, others are sad.

I share our story Ina....

This story that will continue to live on

because some nice lady cared enough

to pick me up, dust me off and take me with her.

Thank You Connie B

Connie

Remember When .... Apple Orchard Outing

2011-09-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

Remember When

As a child growing up in northern Wisconsin, October held many memories.

Our annual trip to the Apple Orchard is one of my favorites.

Our family always went to the orchard on Sunday after morning Mass.

The orchards were packed with neighbors seeking out the best deals.

The drive to the orchard meant riding in the backseat

with four other siblings

all pushing and shoving for the window seats.

After a few choice words from the front seat,

we would settle in for the 10 mile ride,

but not without a few more silent elbow jabs

for good measure.

Corn binders cleared the once luscious green corn fields,

leaving rows of corn bundles
glowing golden yellow against the barren brown stubble.

Some years, the warm rays of the sun,

would make the "frosty" corn bundles

glisten like glass crystal towers.

Passing miles of maple and oak hardwood trees,

bright yellow, burnt orange, blazing red leaves,

we would all ooh and aah,

just like we did during the July 4th fireworks display.

Life was simple then, nature was our entertainment.

Finally, the apple trees came into sight.

Dark shiny green leaves were dotted with bold red balls,

some are yellow and green
red is my favorite.

Excitement filled us as
dad pull's into the dirt drive that leads to the apple barns.

The long apple barns were always red and white in color,

such a pretty setting for the colorful apples and pumpkins.

Apples were everywhere, bushels, pecks, paper sacks full of

Granny Smiths, Red Delicious,

McIntosh and Fancy Reds.

Pumpkins too...

Large Jack O Lantern pumpkins

and deep orange pie pumpkins
lined up to form pathways.

We ran to find the largest pumpkin from the patch.

What a sight it was,

enormously huge, perched high on straw bales,

patiently waiting for us to climb up and say
"wow".

The lucky person who guessed how much it weighed,

was awarded a bushel of juicy ripe apples.

Jugs of apple cider filled tables,

we all got a sample in a paper cup.

I never liked the sour drink but always took it

"cause it was free".

What I really wanted - drooled over - and silently begged for

was a sweet rich brown "caramel apple".

I knew better than to ask for one,
"too expensive" to purchase for all of us kids.
I promised myself
one day I would have that caramel apple.
Today I dip a sliced apple into melted caramel.
Good stuff.

After sampling all the apples we finally made our purchase.

It was the same every year,
Granny Smiths for pie,

#2 windfalls for sauce and Red Delicious for eating,

Jack O Lantern for us kids
pie pumpkins for Mom.

The trunk was full.

The backseat is silent now,

three sleepy kids no longer fighting for the window seat,

just using each others laps as pillows.

Mom is rocking baby sis in her arms (no car seats back then)

Dad slowly navigates the ole Pontiac over the gravel road

that will soon turn into blacktop.
Good bye corn fields,
Good bye cows, strolling single file to the barn for evening milking.

Sun is setting now,

casting dark shadows over the beautiful leaves,

somber silence....

I stare out the window reflecting in the quiet of the moment,

that's me, always daydreaming.

I reflect on today's outing not totally realizing how special it was.
It will take years before this day becomes a precious memory
that will warm my heart and soothe my soul.

I am still the Big Sister, also blessed as a Mom and a Grandma.
Twenty, thirty, forty years of memories
brings a smile to my face and a reassurance to my heart that
Life is Good, and I was Loved.

Thank you for visiting with me at the Orchard

Connie

It Was All So Simple Then

2011-09-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

If we had a chance to do it all again

Would we ~~~

Could we ~~~

Grab that second cup of coffee

Come on in...

Let us revisit 1896

Memories

Light the corners of my mind

Misty watercolor memories

Of the way we were

Scattered pictures

Of the smiles we left behind

Smiles we gave to one another

For the way we were

Can it be that it was all so simple then

Or has time rewritten every line

If we had the chance to do it all again

Tell me - would we, could we?

Memories

May be beautiful and yet

What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget

So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were

So it's the laughter
We will remember

Whenever we remember
The way we were

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you so very much for visiting with me today.
I do hope you enjoyed our time spent in 1896

Life ~~ Sometimes it is quite simple
At times It can be extremely complicated
the precious history lesson is

making the memories ~~~

and remembering "the laughter"

Lyrics by Barbra Streisand...Thank you Barbra

The Road Is Long

2011-09-14T20:39:00.000-05:00

With Many A Winding Turn

That Leads Us To Who Knows Where

Where~~~

Right back where we started from

Home~~ Family~~ Love

As Promised

Eye Candy From The Cabin

Annie Keeping Watch

Fun Stuff

Needfuls

New Goodies

Useful Items

Annie says thank you
for visiting today.....
Please return again for more
Cabin Fever Adventures

Connie

Cabin Fever Primitives

Home Of The Free

Mothers Are A Special Gift

Shiloh~~ A Time To Remember

Just Walk Beside Me and Be My Friend

You've Got A Friend

Makeover In Progress~~The Home Stretch

You're A Special Friend Of Mine

Country Roads~~ Take Me Home

Makeover In Progress ~~Update

Makeover In Progress ~~ Decisions

Makeover In Progress

~~New life to all things old~~

New Year Blessings

Christmas Blessings

~~What Child Is This~~

Sights of the Season

~~Primitive Gals, Are We~~

My Primitive Prayer

ThanksGiving Greetings

The Gift

October's Magic

1916 Baby Book ~~ Come turn the pages with me

Remember When .... Apple Orchard Outing

It Was All So Simple Then

The Road Is Long

New life to all things old

What Child Is This

Primitive Gals, Are We