What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Monday, February 3, 2020

Getting Ready for Company!


Hello!  Company's comin!  Gotta get the guest room ready!  I know, I know...if you've kept up with me since our move you thought it was already ready...(Click HERE for that story!)  But there were still some things that needed to be done, and it's been a slow work in progress.  The "guest room" also became the Christmas gift wrapping room, so it was kind of a mess for the whole month of December and some of January as it also became the storage room for the boxes for the decorations as they came off the tree and from around the house until everything could be taken back out to the storage shed. So it was a good thing we didn't have any overnight guests during the Christmas season!

But now we definitely have some overnight guests coming for a night this weekend, and so I had to get to work and get this room in "ship-shape".  You will notice that it has once again become the "Bear Crossing Bed and Breakfast" room.  That is temporary as I didn't have any other complete bedding for a "couple" to sleep in this room. The other bedspread and items were just a little too feminine for a man and a woman I thought. So this decor should appeal to both. 

Oh, you are wondering who's coming? Well, it's my cousin Becky and her hubby Pat from Ohio, and they are just passing through on their way further south, and won't be able to stay but the one night...but I am sure we will have a good time while they are here. Becky and I grew up together and we always have lots of happy memories to reminisce about when we get together.

I want to tell you about the quilted vintage tablecloth hanging on the wall over the bed. First of all, I struggled to get it up there straight (and it still is a little "off center" but it will have to do). I couldn't hang it in a square shape because our ceilings are slanted at that point, and it just didn't look right no matter how hard I tried to straighten it. So this was the only way it would work.

Anyway, the significance of this beautiful quilted vintage tablecloth is that it was a gift to me from my dear friend Sharon before she passed away from cancer last summer.  Here is my hubby and me below with Sharon, during happier, healthier times:
 And the quilted vintage tablecloth was actually quilted by Sharon's sister Barbara, who has a wonderful gift for quilting. Sharon said that her sister suggested that she give the quilt to me when Sharon was beginning to pack up her house and prepare to move back to Minnesota to live with her family there during the final days of her life. I felt extremely honored and blessed to have this very special gift.

Here is a little closer look at the detail of the quilt:

Barbara always signs the backs of her quilts with a special patch with her name, date, and a message. Since this was originally a vintage tablecloth, this message and blessing is very appropriate:

Another view of the quilt below.  It could still be used as a tablecloth, but I would hate to spill something on it and ruin it, so it will forever be used as a wall hanging, a special memorial to our dear friend Sharon.

 Now, back to the guest room tour...in front of the window I have set up my hubby's grandmother's antique Singer Sewing Machine in case our guests would like to spend some time exercising on the "treadle", since we don't have a "treadmill".   Just kidding. LOL. 


On the nightstand is the little lamp with the bear roasting marshmallows over a campfire, while the owls look on from the tree branch and the squirrel sits on the ground hoping the bear will give him a marshmallow too!

Now, especially for my cousin Becky, I have added this lovely portrait of our Great Grandma Mursch. She was the mother of our Grandpa Mursch.  Becky's mother and my father were brother and sister.  This particular Great-Grandmother died at a young age, leaving four living children  and I think she also had at least two infant children who passed away as babies. We don't know much more about her. My Great-Grandfather remarried and had one more daughter and two step-children. Anyway, I thought Becky might "enjoy" sleeping with Great Grandma watching over her...

But if they should have a hard time sleeping, here is my collection of very old books to entertain them...

They will also be watched over by this handsome Indian Brave. This was painted by our son Matthew when he was about eleven years old. He actually won a ribbon at the county fair for this painting. It's pretty special to me.
 There's that pillow I made for my hubby's cousin Janice, using vintage linens that were embroidered by her grandmother, Nanny Martin, who is also my hubby's grandmother. You can read more about that HERE.

And so, thus concludes the tour of the "Bear Crossing Bed and Breakfast" Guest Room. I do hope my cousin and her hubby will be comfortable here and enjoy their stay. I wish they could stay a little longer, but at least they will have lots of interesting things around them while they are here. 




"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
Psalm 4:8

Good Night dear friends! Sleep Peacefully!

37 comments:

  1. I like your Bear Crossing B and B, your guests will enjoy their stay. That is a lovely table cloth hanging at the head of the bed with many good memories in it.

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    1. Thank you, Terra. I do hope they will enjoy their stay. I hope the bed is comfortable. I've never slept on it! So we shall soon find out! Yes, we do have very happy memories of our dear friend. She was one in a million and will always be missed. Thank you for visiting our "guest room" tonight!

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  2. Your guest room looks inviting and very comfortable! Your cousin and hubby may decide to stay another night! Thanks for the tour, Pam. I think you are ready for guests!

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    1. Thank you, Terri. I do hope they will be comfortable. The bed is only a double, so they will be "cozy"! My hubby said if they aren't comfortable on the bed, we can switch with them. I might like sleeping in there too! LOL.

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  3. I love what you've done with the guest room Pamela. So cosy and inviting. I wish I had a guest room because I would definitely invite people to stay often. Enjoy your fellowship.

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    1. Thank you, "Joyful". Oh, I am sorry you do not have a guest room. Maybe a sofa that can be a bed for a night for a wandering friend passing by? We rarely do have overnight guests, but I always want to be ready "just in case". Oftentimes our "guest rooms" become our "junk rooms", or catch all spaces. I am trying hard not to let this room become that (except at Christmas or whenever special "projects" are going on) so that it isn't too difficult to welcome someone when the opportunity arises. Thank you for visiting here today.

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  4. The guest room looks great and very inviting. I hope you have a wonderful time visiting too.

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    1. Thank you, Annie. It will be fun just having them here even for a short time. Always wonderful to reconnect with loved ones whenever we can.

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  5. I enjoyed seeing your guess room and knowing what all it was and meant to you. Your guests will be comfortable and will enjoy their visit.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. I certainly enjoyed putting it together. Sometimes I just want to be my own "guest" and go stay in there! LOL>

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  6. So many thoughtful touches for your guests!!! Surely they will be blessed by all your warmth and hospitality that you serve up even before their arrival!!! I love that Psalm and say it often before bed time!! And as its night here in Japan, will receive it for a blessing tonight!!! Enjoy your time with your guests!! Blessings! Love!

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    1. Oh my, you may be still sleeping as I write this. Thank you for visiting here before you headed to bed there in Japan, and I am glad that Psalm blessed you. God bless YOU and yours, and have a good night's sleep. When you read this it will be morning where you are, so Good Morning! Hope you have a blessed and beautiful day.

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  7. What a lovely room and so many treasures kept there! I'm sure your cousin is going to enjoy staying in it.

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    1. Thank you, Stacy. I hope she isn't overwhelmed by so many "treasures." I got to thinking there really isn't any place to set their suitcases. I guess I need to go be a little more practical before they get here! LOL.

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  8. Your guests will surely feel special in such an inviting and comfortable room! The quilted tablecloth is just gorgeous, and all the heirlooms will bring lots of joyful memories...

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    1. Thank you Linda. I do hope it will be enjoyed...I enjoy just going in there and pretending I am a "guest". I'd like it just fine! Have a blessed and beautiful day.

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  9. What a beautiful room and the poem says it best...you are such wonderful hosts opening your home to family and friends! I'm going to zoom in and get a better look at your old books....you KNOW I love them! Enjoy your day and this great weather!

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    1. I will try to send you a close up of the books to your email. You probably would enjoy them...come on over and "be my guest"!!

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  10. What a lovely room to spend the night in, smiles. Have a great day friend. smiles

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    1. Y'all come!! Hope your day is filled with joy and blessing too.

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  11. This is beautiful. More later, we hav an appointment to keep.

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    1. Thank you Cecelia. Hope all is well with you. I had an appointment earlier today and have just gotten home so I can read and respond. Have a wonderful day.

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  12. What a sweet guest room! Who wouldn't want to be your GUEST? Hugs and blessings, Cindy P.S. Bet you are the quite the host too!

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    1. Oh thank you, Cindy. You are so sweet to say so. You are welcome to come find out for yourself any time!

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  13. The tablecloth is gorgeous, Pamela, and what a sweet way to remember your friend, Sharon! I do love the bear-themed guest room, too. It reminds me of the way some of the cabins we visit from time to time are decorated. Very cozy and inviting!
    Blessings!

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    1. Thank you Martha. Yes, I am thankful to have that beautiful quilt to remember Sharon by, although she also left me with many other wonderful memories and things that she gave me over the years. Such a blessing to have known her. My bear theme goes back to our previous home where we had real live bears in our yard frequently. Here we don't have bears, and I probably will change the theme eventually, but haven't quite figured it out yet. I still want something kind of woodsy/cabin/pond-ish. But then again, I also like girlie things like teapots and dolls and that kind of decor. I guess it will depend on who's coming!! Have a blessed day dear friend.

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  14. I commented yesterday but it didn't take I guess.
    Anyway, its a really nice room and very cute little lamp. I hope you and your guests have a really lovely time together! I especially like the welcome guest sign. Its so wonderful!

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    1. I saw and responded to your comment up above, from "Annie"...you are the same person, aren't you? I hope so, because I've thought so all along! LOL. Thank you for both of your sweet comments. I always look forward to hearing from you. I have been out a good bit today and haven't gotten around to everyone yet. Sorry I didn't do the Tuesday four post. I'll try to do better next time.

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    2. Ann, I just realized that you have two different profiles for your blog...no wonder it's confusing. So will the real Ann, Annie, please stand up? :)

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  15. I like the bear room. Um... who am I kidding? I'm screaming. Bears! Aaaaaagh. Um...the quilt is pretty. I'm not scared of quilts.

    I am struck by the painting on the wall of Great-Grandma Mursch. How old were her children? That is so very sad. Heartbreaking. I hope their Step-mother was kind.

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    1. Ha Ha, Sandi. You would have loved it where we lived before...we had the real bears in our yard and that is why I called out guest room the Bear Crossing B&B. They literally did cross through our yard frequently. It was fun to watch. My Great Grandma's four living children were in their teens I think when she died. I believe my grandfather was 12, and the others were close in age. I don't know how she died. I believe their step-mother was very good to them. She is the only "grandma" my dad ever knew, and he loved her. She already had two children who were teens, and they all got along well. As a matter of fact, I am "friends" with one of her great-granddaughters on Facebook. My dad knew her mother as a "cousin" even though they were step-cousins. So they were all one big happy family. They lived in NY, so I never really knew them.

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  16. We are very much looking forward to our visit with you this weekend! The guest room looks great and I'm sure we will be comfortable there. We appreciate all of the work you've done to make it special. See you soon!

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    1. Oh Hi Becky! Are you still on your cruise? I didn't know if you would see this or not. Yes, we are ready and looking forward to your visit so much. Wish you could stay longer. Enjoy your trip! See you soon!!

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  17. Your cousin is going to love staying with you. I love that you put the portrait in there and I love that quilt. I am so sorry that you lost a dear friend, though. Hugs, Diana

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    1. Thank you Diana. We are looking forward to spending some time together, even if it will be short. Thank you for your kind words. My friend Sharon was a very special woman, and she was the 1st good friend that entered heaven last summer. After her came another wonderful friend, also named Sharon, and they both also had the same last initial of W. So strange. And then a couple of weeks ago my other very dear friend Judy entered heaven's gates. These were all very special Christian women whom I was most privileged to count as dear friends. They were all from different places and times in my life, but all still precious friends. I am truly missing them and their sweetness in this life. It would be great if they found each other up there in heaven and made friends!! Thank you for the hugs. Hope you had a great vacation.

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  18. Your guest room is delightful! I love the bear theme -- it reminds me so much of Colorado.

    The painting by Matthew of the Indian is so special, as are all the other touches. The quilted table cloth is really special. By displaying it on the wall instead of on a dining table, you don't have to worry about somebody spilling food on it!

    Enjoy your guests when they come through!

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    1. Thank you, Barbara! We are really looking forward to visiting with my cousin and her hubby. They are quite the "world travelers", so I feel honored that they would include our "Bear Crossing B&B" on their itinerary! I hope the bears and Indian and Great-Grandma don't make them too uncomfortable! LOL.

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Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.