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, June 21, 2021

Rainy Days and Mondays...


I can't believe that the month of June is almost over...here it is the first day of summer already! Although here in Florida it has felt like summer for a couple of months...
I have been admiring this beautiful picture on my John Sloane's Country Seasons June calendar...
"The Rose Arbor".  Oh, wouldn't it be lovely to have a rose arbor covered with so many beautiful roses? 

I don't seem to have the green thumb to manage such beauty, so I rely on God's handiwork for summer flowers:
These lovely pink flowers adorn the shore of Still Waters Pond right now. They are so lovely to look at from my "Room With a View"



I was outside picking these flowers and listening to the rumble of thunder coming from the distance...



So I had to hurry and pick a few and bring them inside so I can enjoy them here as well:


The rain is just about to start, and Lily Grace has been sitting there watching for the bluebirds all day as they come and go, building their nest in the birdhouse getting ready for the next clutch of eggs to be laid.

We haven't been out on many "adventures" lately, so Lily just has to be patient until the rains go away and we can get outside and do something fun again.

However, our family did do something fun yesterday for Father's Day. After church we headed down to the local "Hog Wild Country Cafe" bbq place for lunch.  It's always a fun place to gather with friends and family for a good meal.
Here's hubby with two of our wonderful sons.

And here's our sweet daughter in love Rose with our oldest son Benton.

It's always fun to have some of our church friends go out to dinner with us.


Today being a rainy day and Monday, I won't let it get me down...been thinking about some sweet memories from childhood.  My sister Doris posted this picture on Facebook this morning. It is a vintage greeting card, but it really got her attention and she had to send it to me.  She said, "Here we are!"
And yes, I had to agree!  When we were little girls on the farm in Pennsylvania, we had a beautiful wicker baby doll buggy much like this one below,  except ours was a pretty shade of light green. We loved playing with our dollies out in the yard of our old farmhouse...which looked a lot like this picture.

Sadly, when I was five years old, my daddy sold the farm and we moved to Florida. Farming was very difficult back in the 1950's.  You either had to have lots of money or borrow lots of money from the government to keep going, and he didn't want to do that.  It was a sad day when our house and most all of the furniture and the farm equipment and animals, etc., were all auctioned off...even our beloved dog Laddie was sold.  What furniture we wanted to keep was put in my uncle's barn until we could come back and pick it up to move it to Florida. Then we loaded what we could into a small trailer that Daddy pulled behind our '55 Chevy, and off we went to Florida, to live in a small apartment until a better house could be found. Eventually Daddy built us a wonderful house, and we went back to Pennsylvania to bring down the rest of our things, which included our beloved doll buggy.  However, when we got to my uncle's house, it wasn't there anymore. I'm not sure what happened to it, there never was a good explanation as to what had happened to that and some other things.  I was very young and really don't remember the details, except for the fact that our beautiful doll buggy was gone. I've never forgotten it.

Well, fast forward 50 + years, and we were cleaning out my parents' home after their passing.  Up in the attic of the "carriage house" workshop that Daddy built was this beautiful little wicker doll carriage. My mother collected dolls and had found this buggy somewhere and it was stashed away among their "treasures". 


Of course I wanted it as soon as I saw it, but wanted to make sure that it would be okay for me to take it.  My oldest brother was the executor of the estate and saw no problem in me having it. 

My other brother and my sister both agreed that I should have it as well...
because you see not long before that I had been given this special sweet baby doll,
"Baby Elva", whom, if you've known me for very long, you should already know her story.  If not, HERE it is again.


And so, even though it isn't the exact same baby doll buggy from my childhood, it is close enough and it is as though my mother had saved it for this special baby who arrived a few years after my mother's passing.


So that's my story for this rainy Monday afternoon. I hope you enjoyed coming along with me down memory lane for a little while.


Just some thoughts from the "Choose Grace" devotional:

"Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." 
Psalm 27:14







 

35 comments:

  1. You always bring such joy into my life, Pam...honestly. Wishing your hubby a belated Happy Father's Day...indeed, the price of hotdogs and groceries are super inflated right now...and since I work for a major grocer, I can tell you, grumblings from drivers of the price of diesel & among other reasons. sigh...no relief I am afraid in site.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. Yes, the price of most everything is sky rocketing since you know who became you know what. Praying that God will open the eyes of the blind before it is too late to turn back and our country is beyond redemption. Please take care of yourself and don't overdo it!

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  2. I like those vintage cards. They remind me of a sweeter more innocent time.
    Blessings. xx

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    1. Yes, me too. They are really sweet. My sister has been posting a lot of them on her facebook page, and this one really got to me! Thank you for visiting with me today. Is it raining where you are?

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  3. The memories this brought back! I had a wicker doll carriage just like that one in the picture of the little girls...except it was the 60s and my mom painted mine bright blue and lined it with red, white, and blue calico! It is still around. I believe it's up in the rafters of mom's garage. Our daughter never played with dolls so didn't use it and I don't think it's still sturdy enough to survive our granddaughter. I suppose they can sell it some day to a collector.

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    1. Why don't you look at the buggy before it gets away from your family? Your granddaughter just might love it! Or YOU might just love it to keep in your house with a special doll. I bet your granddaughter would love it then for sure...As you can tell, if it were mine, it wouldn't be stuck up in the rafter's of "mom's garage"! Just saying...but you know I'm a sentimental fool...LOL.

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  4. Another beautiful post my friend....I so enjoyed it! What a sweet little baby carriage....awwww---so cute and so is the card of the two little girls playing with one so much like it, and their beloved dolls! I guess YOU AND I have just never "outgrew" our love for our dolls, have we???!! LOL I sure do still love mine, and my new ones too, of course Miss Tansy thinks she is "number one"!! ha ha LOL Yep, we've been getting lots of rain too, and our gardens LOVE IT OF COURSE...but it slows down outside projects, as well as gardening chores. We seem to get a big soaking thundershower almost every day now, which is typical, then it clears off....and gets SO HOT AND MUGGY AGAIN. Bet it's the same there? Love the fun Fathers Day pictures and so glad y'all got to go out to eat, I know that's one of your favorite restaurants!!--right? We love good BBQ sandwich places as well, especially if they have good cold slaw and all the "fixins". Happy Fathers Day to your beloved! Hugs to you, my sweet friend!

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    1. I hope we never DO outgrow our love for our dolls. They are special and have their own stories to tell. But it takes a "kindred spirit" like you to understand that. Yes, we had a great time at the BBQ place for Father's Day. It is a special place...they always have room for large parties, which makes it nice because we always seem to have a "large party" when we go. I hope you have had a good weekend...and Happy Father's Day to your dear hubby too. I hope Tracie and Amybelle and Tansy are all okay. Lily Grace sends her love.

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  5. PS Pam I love those colorful pictures on that calendar you have....so pretty and old fashioned!!!

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    1. Thank you. I order that one each year as a Christmas present to myself. I love John Sloane's artwork. Yes, old fashioned like me.

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  6. The pink flowers from the pond are so pretty! Thanks for sharing your Father's Day celebration with us, great photos and glad it was a good time. I know if your original doll buggy would have still been there you would have still had it to this day!

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    1. Ha Ha, you know me so well already! Yes, if the original was still available it would be here! But for some reason it disappeared and no one seemed to know what had happened to it. That's okay. I hope someone else got to enjoy it. I had three boys, and it would have gotten in the way of their G.I. Joe and Star Wars toys. LOL.

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  7. I clicked over and read the wonderful story about your Grandmother Elva! I am so glad you were able to get a similar buggy! Something my priest says sticks with me -- He says that in Heaven, all things lost are returned to you, but you don't have a sore heart about it anyway at that time because of the glory and love in Heaven. Well, he says it better but I do always enjoy finding something that I feared was "lost" again.

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    1. Oh, I am so glad you read Elva's story. It's very special. I wonder if you read the update to that story as well, about my discovery of my grandmother's birth parents. It's amazing the journey this story has taken me on. And I believe that in heaven I will meet those amazing people who had a difficult time here on earth, but they eventually made things right with each other, and now I trust they are all together in heaven...perhaps your priest is right. Thank you for sharing that with me. Blessings to you today dear friend.

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  8. Oh my gosh, Pam ... I had one of those wicker baby buggies, too! Mine was faded pink, but I haven't but a couple memories. Much to my mother's dismay, I had little use for dolls or the girlie things she'd bring. I suspect your original is sitting in someone's home -- perhaps holding a 'Baby Elva' of its own. Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a nationwide sitewhere people could post 'lost and found' adverts?
    Your yellow pitcher is precious! It looks hand-thrown; did you make it?

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    1. It would be interesting if the original buggy could be found, but I think it is long gone. However, this buggy came to me at a very special time, and now holds a very special "baby". Like I told someone above, if I had had that buggy all these years, it would have been probably destroyed by my three sons and their G.I. Joe and Star Wars toys! LOL. I had to go back and look at the pictures to find out what "yellow pitcher" you were talking about. I guess it is a kind of yellow ware, but I never thought about it. I am assuming it is hand-thrown. It does look it, but no, I didn't make it. I believe my mother in law gave it to me, but I think she bought it in Georgia at some place we visited...I'm a little fuzzy on it. There is something written on the bottom with a pencil, like maybe it was supposed to be a date or something. I don't think it is an antique, but then again...who knows? I just like it because my MIL gave it to me. wish I could see your faded pink baby buggy! The pastel colored ones must have been a thing in the 50's.

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  9. Love the carriage!! Looks like you all had a great Father's Day celebration with family and friends! The little wild flowers are beautiful and look so pretty on your table. I love how you can weave such a great picture with your words and family history! xo

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    1. Oh thank you, Terri! Yes, we did have a great day yesterday. We are blessed with some great folks from our church who love to have fellowship too. I couldn't resist the little flowers. They are so sweet. And I didn't have to do a thing to make them grow! I am glad you enjoyed the story about the buggy. The picture my sister found on Facebook today got my thinker thinking about that and I had to share. Have a blessed night. I'm off to bed now soon...

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  10. I love that sweet baby buggy and your special life like doll. I have a couple that look real too. They feel real too, don't they...well, kind of! lol Love seeing your family and friends and the pretty wildflowers there at your house. After our rains lately, we are seeing more too. Fewer hikes though with this heat and humidity! Take care! Hugs!

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    1. Thank you, Diane. Yes, our "life-like" dolls are very realistic in many ways, but thankfully they don't need to be fed and have diapers changed! LOL. You are amazing to be able to take any hikes at all in this heat and humidity. We do try to take our daily walk if it isn't raining, but in some ways I think I'd rather walk in the rain than in the humidity! It has really been bad. I am looking forward to fall already! That is when I can really enjoy walking again!

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  11. Love the doll buggy and the pink flowers at the pond.
    You always have such interesting stories!!!
    Have a good day.

    https://gloriasretiredlife.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you Gloria. You are very kind. I guess it all comes from looking for the adventure in every situation...it's amazing what blessings we have had when we stop and really think about it! Hope you have a wonderful week.

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  12. Pam: I love the wild flowers. Pink is one of my favorite colors. I love the story of the wicker doll carriage. That is a sweet memory for you. Glad you could go out to celebrate Father's Day. Peace and blessings to you and yours.

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    1. Thank you Cecelia! I have been enjoying these little pink flowers so much. I am thankful that God provides beauty for us everywhere we look, if we look! And I am glad you enjoyed the doll carriage story. It all turned out great in the end, didn't it? I love how God blesses us with special gifts even when we weren't expecting them! Hope you are having a blessed and peaceful week. Was your son able to come home for Father's Day? I hope you all had a good visit if he did. (((hugs)))

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  13. I love that picture of the 2 little girls and there buggy is adorable. I think it would make an awesome jigsaw puzzle. Being out again with family and friends is so awesome! Have a great day.

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    1. Oh, yes it would make a great jigsaw puzzle! What a great idea. And yes, being with family and friends is the highlight of our week, as often as possible! I hope you are doing well and enjoying your countdown to retirement!

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  14. I enjoyed your story and your memory. It is amazing how the wildflowers are in their beauty. There is a vine down the street that has the most unusual and pretty purple flowers on it. The sort of look like sea anemone but are purple.

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  15. Love the story of the doll carriage, Pamela, and that sweet card Doris found to share with you. Great memories! Looks like Father's Day was a huge success, too. We've had lots of rain here lately, but we don't have to let that get us down.
    Blessings!

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  16. Thanks for sharing bits and pieces of your life. I always feel like I have had a visit with a friend when I'm done reading your blog post. Great memories and you are a good story teller.

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  17. The "Choose Grace" devotional on patience is so good, and very true. As we age, we recognize more readily that waiting leads to outcome -- eventually.

    Hello to Baby Elva! I have held her, everybody!! She is sooo lifelike.

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    1. Thank you, Barbara. Yes, patience is something that we learn through experience and trust...knowing that God is always there for us, and that He is in control no matter what our circumstances may be. And yes, that's right! You have held "Baby Elva". She sends her love to you! She is very lifelike and heavy!! I find it hard to believe I used to carry around babies heavier than that all the time! I guess that is why having babies is for young women! LOL. God bless you dear friend. Thank you for visiting.

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  18. Wonderful memories for you dear Pam. The wild flowers are so pretty. I wish I had a field of them. We sure got a lot of rain last night. Marty said that one minute we are asking for the rain and the next minute we are asking it to go away. LOL! My pond looks good though! Happy weekend to you dear lady. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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    1. Yes, our pond is filling back up and looking happy again too. We are thankful for the rain...and we are sure getting a lot of it these days. I just pray the hurricanes stay away. Please take care and have a wonderful week.

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  19. They look lovely on your table. Now that sounds like a lovely Father's Day for everyone involved. Love the photos. That is a beautiful story on Baby Elva and I'm no glad you got the buggy from the Carriage House. God has a place for each of us.

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    1. Yes, He does. So thankful for God's grace and goodness to us. Thank you for visiting with us. I hope you are having a good week. We are still getting a lot of rain. Our pond is filling back up and looking good. Take care and have a blessed day.

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