Country Life = Country Club versus The Barn

On Easter, a friend of ours treated us to Easter brunch at the Country Club. We asked her to take a picture of us so I could send it to our son-in-law, who put himself through college on a golf scholarship (and academic as well... what a guy!). He practically grew up at the Country Club. George has been there a time or two for work luncheons. Me? It was my first time.

Uh oh, hidden behind the tree.

There we are! 

Lunch was delicious, and we had a great time.

But the reality is, we're not nearly as much the Country CLUB type,

as we are just COUNTRY type.

Fast forward to yesterday.

We have been helping with the neighbors goats for a few years. 

This year we bought them, they are our babies now.

Literally.

The first one had her babies yesterday morning.

Triplets!!!

Mama is skittish, and not impressed with my efforts to take pictures

I couldn't get her and the babies all together in one shot.

They don't take directions very well.

Nor do they say cheese.

But all 3 kids are hers.

And so far, she is feeding all 3.

Yay!

Altogether, there are around 20 goats ready to give birth.

Anyday now.

And believe me, they will be quite delighted to get it over with.

Some of them are looking quite miserable

as they waddle around!

Magnolia Tree in bloom

My walk today took me by the Marshall County Courthouse,

located in Moundsville, WV.

The magnolia tree is in full bloom.

One of my favorite trees.

Absolutely beautiful!!!

Scripture quotes

Oops, a couple weeks got away from me. 

This was my scripture quote from last Sunday.

And this one is todays.....

Amen.

Box of hidden treasures

This old box has a story.

Too bad I don't know what it is!

Ha!

It's a tool box, with compartments for little items.

Efficient!

It's always a plus when this kind of info is stamped on.

It started out it's life in Pittsburg, PA.

It would make a rustic coffee table.

Or storage for... well, for just about anything!

When I got the box, it had some fun treasures hidden inside.

A couple odds and ends tools.

Some screws.

Nuts and bolts.

Lots of dirt.

And these books!

They are a physicians records of payments made.

From the early 1900's.

Let me tell you, it didn't cost nearly as much

to get sick back then.

I wish now I had taken more pictures of the entries

to include here on the blog. But alas, I didn't think of it,

and they sold quickly. Not complaining, just saying.

The box is still available though, if you are interested.

Speaking of work, this scripture is a good one to keep in mind,

whether you are weary from a hard days work, or just daily life.

I forgot to post it on Sunday.

Maybe I'm needing some rest myself!

Wedding jars with Burlap and Lace

I had a small collection of jars that I picked up here & there.

Nothing special, just run of the mill jars.
Not unique or vintage enough to sell as is.

Not suitable for home canning.

But I hung on to them, thinking some day

I'd come up with an idea for them.

Thanks to Pinterest, I found my inspiration.

A little burlap, a little lace & other odds & ends

transforms plain ole jars into things of beauty!

The rose on the one above is actually an ear ring.

Buttons are a great go-to when looking for an embellishment.

I love the little grapevine heart. 

''

Jute twine goes so well with burlap & lace. 

For an adhesive, I used my hot glue gun.

I didn't know how well it would adhere to the glass, 

but it did surprisingly well.

Jars like these are great for weddings.

Use as is, or add a simple bouquet.

Photo from Budget Brides Guide

I had fun upcycling the jars,

and they are all now available in our shop.

Spring is in the Air

 March 1st

Spring is in the air!

It's supposed to be in the mid 60's today. Then crash to a high around 30 tomorrow, with snow for a couple days. Then warm again next week. Yep. It's spring alright.

I love the rebirth of spring, both outside, and inside our shop.

The spring colors...

The flowers....

The clay pots.

I have a thing for clay pots.

The more patina, the better.

I'm looking forward to green grass

Leaves on the trees.

Flowers in the yard.

Vegetables in the garden.

And warmer temperatures.

Not hot, just warm.

Not that I'm picky.

Ahem.

Country Life = Sunday Afternoon in the Barn

Such a comforting thought.

After church today, George and I spent the rest of the day in the barn.

This photo is a BIG DEAL.

Why? Because it's not zoomed in.

I was actually standing this close to the cows when I took the photo.

And why is that a big deal?

Because all my life, I've been afraid of cows.

I'm slowly getting over that fear.

Slooooowwwwllllyyyy.

Goats are more my size. 

But.... when you are trying to catch them, 

and hang on to them while they are getting their feet trimmed....

they can feel much bigger than they appear.

Let's just say after doing that with 22 goats, our backs felt it.

We aren't as young as we used to be!

Storm Clouds and a Sweet Quilt

It was a very odd day in Moundsville.

Rain then sun. Storms, then sun.

And warm, in the low 60's.

In February.

In West Virginia.

I do a Facebook page called Uptown Moundsville.

Not every day, but most days, I snap a picture 

somewhere around town, and post it on the page.

I call it #MoundsvillePhotoOfTheDay.

The hashtag works on Facebook.

Maybe someday I'll get around to Twitter.

Maybe.

With a capital M.

Anyway, when I left our shop at 5 to go home, I glanced up at the sky.

It summed up perfectly the weather we had all day.

Seems like a good day to show off this sweet baby quilt

we have in our shop right now.

How adorable is that?

The ducks don't care one bit if it's raining!!!

After several very warm days, it's supposed to get colder tonight.

And snow tomorrow.

Back to normal!

Bottles and Country Weddings

We sell lots of old bottles in our shop.

They are nothing fancy.

Not worth much.

Some people buy one or two to add to their collection.

But these days, most of my customers who buy them

don't have a collection in mind.

They have a wedding in mind.

Photo credit: Beyond the Screen Door

It's all the rage right now to use vintage bottles as 

vases for a few flowers. Often times, the bride tells me 

she will be using wild flowers in them to decorate 

the tables at the reception.

Photo credit: Lucy Dylan Weddings

It's a very cost effective way to add beauty 

to a country wedding.

 

Photo credit: Upcycled Wonders

Don't like the graphics on the bottle?

Or maybe can't get the bottle clean enough?

No problem!

Cover it up!

Back to my own shop, I posted this photo on my 

Facebook page today with these thoughts...

Aren't these pretty little bottles? I assume they held perfume. Are you a perfume wearer? I did some when I was young, but not anymore. The older I get, the more I can't handle the flowery smells. Too bad it's not fashionable to smell like a cinnamon roll - that I could do. Haha. I like men's cologne. I kept my dad's cologne after he passed. I open it once in a while and take a sniff, and it's like he is standing right beside me. The power of smell.....

In Him will I trust

I don't know about you, but I feel like the world is in a turmoil. And getting worse everyday. I was a child of the 60's, and a teen of the 70's. So, I've certainly seen the world in turmoil before. Sadly, I don't think it's my imagination that things have only gotten worse.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how important my faith in God is to me. I've also been thinking that maybe I keep it to myself too much. I'm not one to "shout it to the world". That's not my style on any subject. But maybe I could at least whisper it now and then.

So, I decided to put a Scripture based post on my business Facebook page every Sunday. Not a sermon, or a "shout". Just a little whisper of inspiration.

Creating these posts gives me a chance to look up some Bible verses and dwell on them for a bit. 

And maybe they will help brighten someone else's day as well. There is so much bad news in the world. It's nice to have something positive to reflect on, to find moments of peace. 

Have a blessed day.

Coffee time

Coffee.

It seems everyone awakens to coffee.

Photo from Pixabay.com

Everyone but me.

I'm allergic to it.

Seriously.

Severely allergic actually.

When I was tested for allergies as a kid,

the tests showed I was severely allergic.

The doctor said never to drink it.

And I haven't.

Photo from Pixabay.com

I wish I could!

I absolutely love the smell.

Oh well.

Since many of our customers are probably coffee drinkers,

we carry some coffee themed decor.

 

Gingerbread & coffee seem to go together.

Not that I would know from personal experience.

I added a burlap coffee sack to this door 

after turning it into a chalkboard.

I think these are coffee sacks....

they say Product of Columbia on the back.

I'm thinking it's a pretty safe bet these thermoses 

held coffee a time or two.

Or every day.

George tells me coffee isn't really that good.

That it's an acquired taste.

He tells me that as he is enjoying his cup.

Hmmm....