Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

This & That


Look at these gorgeous blossoms.


I brought them in from the 
apricot tree that I pruned last week.


 This post is a parade of different
subjects, but all related
to my month of March.
It's still cold outside,
so having the fireplace going is a comfort.


This painting that I have displayed
is one that I painted years ago.
It was in my sister's apartment
and her son thought that I might like it back.


The mantel seemed like a good place
for it.

 
He and his sister's went through
their mother's photos
and made a pile for me.
This was among them.
That's me age 10, watching my nephew
and niece and putting her in my doll carriage.


This lovely piano stool 
belonged to our neighbor.
I told her that if she ever wanted to
sell it, that I wanted first choice.
Unless her children wanted it of course.


The feet are metal claws with glass balls.


 And it spins to adjust for height.
My grandmother had one like this . . .
I remember playing on it and spinning
when I was a little girl :) 


I will close with this . . .
it's a simple sugar free stawberry jell-o
with fresh strawberries and 
fat free Cool Whip. 
If you are like me and need to get those
nasty winter pounds off . . .
you don't have to skip dessert :)

Have a sweet day and if you have the time
please leave a comment to let me 
know you visited.

Keep Smiling!

P.S.  Have a wonderful Easter,
It's a time to reflect on 
the precious blood of Christ 
and 
the price He paid for our sins.
We are blessed indeed!

Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

49 comments:

  1. Hi Connie,
    I really enjoyed your March post! Love the photo of you at age 10. Old photos are so precious to have, as are the memories they evoke.It sounds as if your little house and yard keep you quite busy. We recently downsized as well but I find that I'm busier than ever. Happy Easter to you and your family. ~Cheryl

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    1. When we bought this little home we downsized the house but multiplied our yard size by about thirty, LOL. That's just fine with us . . . it's gives us exercise and fresh air. I also have room to grow flowers for cutting and vegetables for eating and canning. We feel absolutely blessed to be living here. You will always be busy with a new home, just making it your own takes time and work, but isn't it fun? :) Happy Easter!

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  2. I enjoyed reading your post today and seeing the picture of you as a young girl. It’s often fun to see photos of us when we were younger and remember those fun, happy days of childhood. I really like your double mantle piece on your fireplace. Gives lots of roo for display doesn’t it? Blessings, Betsy

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    1. Hi Betsy, it is always a pleasure having you stop by to visit.

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  3. Hi Connie!! The apricot blossoms are beautiful. I'm afraid of what my plants are going to do this spring. We had several hard Frost's after some things started to bud out.

    The little painting is adorable; but that picture of you is precious. I love seeing vintage photos. Uhm, anything black and white!! Haaa.

    I'm doing well. I've started creating junk journals and am having a blast. Although my collection(s) have gotten out of hand!

    I really need to get back into blogging. I haven't visited any blogs in a long time.

    Have a wonderful Easter.

    Hugs
    Kay

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    1. I would love to see your "junk journals" this is new to me. Get out your camera sweet girl and share :)

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  4. The apricot blossoms are a so pretty. That fireplace looks very inviting. It's still chilly here too.
    Hope you have a happy Easter

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    1. Easter is so early this year . . . I was hoping to get my porch cleaned and a few pots planted, but not in this weather :)

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  5. Replies
    1. I love them, my family or anyone else's, too :)

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  6. Love your blossoms and photo from yesteryear.

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    1. The blossoms don't last long in the house, but fun for a while :)

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  7. The apricot blossoms are so pretty! Nothing is blossoming here yet. Love that little pear painting. It gives a nice pop of color on the mantel. Beautiful piano stool!

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    1. It's nice having it up there, it is actually a sweet reminder of my sister. We were never that close but it brings back a loving memory :)

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  8. The piano stool is a beauty!!
    I love to see old pics and it's neat to see you at ten years old.
    I sure agree that there's no need to deprive ourselves of dessert with all the low fat/fat free foods available. Fat free Cool Whip is always in my fridge!!

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    1. We like it on cake instead of frosting. One of our favorites is that poke cake that you pour (sugar free) jell-o over and then top with the fat free Cool Whip . . . no one has to know that you're dieting, LOL

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  9. That sure is a nice piano stool. Don't make them like that anymore.
    Not a fan of fat free. I'd rather have a smaller portion of the real stuff. 😊
    Pretty apricot blossoms and I love apricots!!

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  10. Hi Connie, I like the picture of you as a child. Fun to see . That was nice the children remember you with giving things that had connections to your sister. Yes, those little fire still take the chill off. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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    1. I'm looking forward to not needing any heat . . . Come on Spring!

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  11. Happy Easter, Connie. My aunt also had an old piano stool like that and I always envied it. I think it has been long gone to someone outside the family. Love your bits and pieces of spring here. Love to you, dear Connie! xo Diana

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    1. Hi Diana, thanks for visiting and here's wishing you and your family a very Happy Easter :)

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  12. I love sugar free Jello. I also like the Sugar free cool whip better than the fat free. Its all good though!
    I have two old piano stools like that but the feet are not clawed. How beautiufl yours is!!!
    One of mine is used at a vanity and the other is a plant stand. Ha.
    Lisa

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    1. Right now mine is just standing along the wall by a table, but I was thinking that I need to showcase it a bit more. I like that it brings back memories of my Grandma even if it is not the one she had, it still makes me think of her:) Happy Easter.

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  13. Oh Connie, I don't know which picture to comment on first. I love the apricot blossoms! And the picture you painted! You are such an artist! and I love the old picture of you, it's simply adorable! It reminds me of myself at that age. I had a doll carriage and used to push my doll in the carriage all the way across the baseball park field to meet my friend who was pushing her doll carriage too. That piano stool is beautiful! I am trying to lose a few pounds and the jello sounds good. I'm going to add that to my grocery list! Thank you! Happy Easter

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    1. It is always a pleasure to visit with you. I do think that we have so much in common. Wish you lived closer:) I had a doctor's appointment this morning and afterwards I drove to Lowes to walk through their garden center. They don't have much yet, but I purchased a Lilac and two Red Twig Dogwood. I'm working on creating a small corner out by my garden beds for a shady seating area. Just a couple of chairs and a place to rest while gardening. I'm finding that I seem to need to take a break more often this year. Maybe I'll get that energy back and maybe it's because I'm getting older. No, that cann't be it, LOL.

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  14. Connie you are such a talented painter....wow that's a lovely picture! love the fireplace, stool and the old photos. Girl ....you better get your canvas and paints out cause your talent is brilliant!

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    1. Thank you so much. I used to paint and have shows, but that seems like so long ago :)

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  15. Thanks for sharing your photos, Connie. Your home always looks such an amazing place! xx

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    1. You're so sweet, thank you :)

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    2. I meant so say, I LOVE the photo of you as a child. :D xx

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  16. Family photos are always a treasure of memories. And blossoms are a sure sign of spring.

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    1. I love looking at old black and white photos . . . and I enjoy the ones you put in your posts.

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  17. Beautiful blossoms!! we are starting to see them here too, can't wait for it to stop raining so we can enjoy them. You did a wonderful time with that painting, so neat to have it back. That was sweet of your neighbor to give you that stool, they just don't make stuff like that anymore.
    Hope you have a wonderful Easter too!

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    1. Those old stools are very rare, and I love that I'm fortunate enough to now own one :)

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  18. I love the stool. I have my Grandmother's piano bench with the big claw feet. I love it. Nancy

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    1. That would be the only thing to make this one nicer, is if it were my grandma's one :) Lucky you.

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  19. Even though it's still cold, it's beginning to look like spring there at Crafty Home Cottage. Your mantle is just gorgeous... no matter the season. We always hang onto our wood fire way into the spring; usually just a small fire in the evenings and early morning. I love the old photo...cute kiddos!

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    1. A fire always make things cozy. Thanks for stopping by to visit.

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  20. I love 'This and That' posts.

    So nice to read this post and see your photographs.
    Those blossoms look lovely, and what a special family photo.

    Happy Easter Wishes

    All the best Jan

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  21. Hi there! I replied to your sweet e-mail earlier and said I may drop by this evening and I actually made it. :) It was so nice to catch up with you. The painting of the pears is so vibrant...I'm sure it warms your heart to have it now. The photo of you as a child is precious! You still look just like that photo...such a sweet face. :) I love it! That stool is so lovely...I can see why you would want it. I would too. I have a thing for cute stools and that one is wonderful. Have a lovely Easter Connie...hugs! Vicky

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    1. I'm so ad that you had time to stop by and that you're having time to blog hop today . . . I know how busy life can get. I miss you when you're absent for so long, sweet friend.

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  22. Oh my... an apricot tree??? How neat! How about a peach tree? I had one in Waitsburg, WA when I lived there and it bore so much fruit it was just amazing. Love your white mantel of course.. and the pear painting is so good and real looking. I still have a picture of your white mantel and surround in my "wish book" for our house! Supposedly, our contractor guy is going to put an insert into our fireplace opening (one of these days) so we may one day have a real fireplace again. Then I want the white mantel and surround.

    You have a happy Easter too.... I'm alone this Easter - hubby is house sitting for my sister. Hop Hop Hop.... Marilyn

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    1. I love that you have a photo of my fireplace in your wish book . . . that is certainly a lovey compliment , thank you :)

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  23. Happy Easter Connie!!! :) The pears are beautiful and vibrant! I love that photo of you and that piano stool, oh how lovely. Oh the winter pounds...they'll come off in the summer then come back next winter lol! :)

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    1. You know that has been the story of my life. Gaining weight in the winter and taking it off in the summer, but at my age that is just not an option anymore, if I want to stay healthy. It is going to be the hardness habit that I have ever seriously tried to break, but I have come to a place where I know it is very important. This 72 year young woman wants to be healthy for the remainder of whatever number of days I have left. I had a horrible bout with no energy this year and that has never been an issue with me and I think that a lot of it has to do with the weight I gained. I know that my age factors in, but I think that more of it is my weight.

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  24. Hi Connie, Another wonderful post here. I love that picture of you at age 10. It is so cool to have those photos around to keep the memories alive. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Easter. Your closing words in this post are wonderful and appreciated! Take care Connie! John

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    1. Hello John, it is always a pleasure having you stop by to visit. Thank you for your kind comment.

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