The ledge

My bedroom has a vaulted ceiling. On the "high" wall there is a ledge. This is certainly cute, but it poses a bit of a decorating dilema...as I am...ahem...vertically challenged. On a side note, my smoke detector is on the highest part of the ceiling...should be fun come time to change the batteries! Anyway, tonight my assistant decorator, aka my mom, came over to help me decorate the ledge. You are about to be the first to see our masterpiece!

A little difficult to photograph thanks to the ceiling fan! But I like it!

A little birdie...

Isn't he cute???

Still working on the house decorating...

I still have so much to do on my house...it's a work in progress just like me! Well, last week, I got a bee in my bonnet and did a little work and I thought I would share it with you. My bathroom...These are times it pays to be single...I can be as girly as I want to be, and there's no one here to bug me about it!

This is one of the first pieces of "furniture" I remember buying. I have so much kitch...and never enough places to put it!

Precious time

This is a picture of Granny and Elizabeth taken 2 summers ago. We had gone out to visit her and feed my uncle's goat. The goat, "Smokey," also served as their watch dog!

I spent the night at my parents' house last night. I just felt the need to be with them and with Granny. Didn't sleep much...thanks to Max. He sleeps fine here...all night. But he has this thing, when Mom and Dad are around, he wants us all in one room. If one of us leaves the room, he will often find a spot between the rooms and sit there so that he can keep an eye on us and protect us. When we go visit, he BOUNDS through the house looking for everyone and then he will settle down. This morning, we went upstairs...but he was different. It was as if he senses that things are a little different. He went in and saw Mom and was all jumpy and hyper and then he quietly walked into Granny's room, stood at the end of the bed, peered up and made sure she was there and ok, and then came back to the other room with Mom and me. It's as if he knows she is sick...he didn't try to bother her stuff as he usually does...didn't try to jump up on the bed and lick her face - which she hates. He just wanted to check on her.

She was very quiet and peaceful today...but she seemed a little more alert than last night. I talked with her for a bit...she gave me her little wink and kiss and said in her little sing song way, "Well, I love you too, honey."

It's a blessing to know when the end is near...to really relish the moments...to pay attention...to let her know how loved she is.

A little too fast...

Today the hospice nurse came to the house to check on Granny. Her blood pressure is very low and her heart rate is very high. The nurse shared that this is what happens...at the end. We have just days left with Granny...not the months we thought we would be afforded.

I went in to see her tonight and was overcome by the change...she is so altered...just since yesterday. She is very weak. She isn't eating. Her kidneys are not functioning. It won't be long. Lots of family came to the house tonight. My mom commented tonight about how much all of us grandkids love our Granny. From my previous post, you know why...she is a jewel...her worth is far above rubies...

She is resting very peacefully...to this point it appears that she is not in any pain. I sat by her on the bed tonight. She could barely hold her little eyes open. But we talked...reminised about the long summer days when she kept us...playing McDonald's...having tea parties with the "special" tea set..."smoking" the beans from catawba trees...rolling down the hill on the soft, cool grass...She loves with her whole heart and she is loved by my whole heart...and lots of others too!

I'm a sucker...

for cute glass jars.

Sunday when Kristi picked me up, we went to her parents house for lunch and a visit. Her mom had milk in these precious milk bottles. She gave me an extra one...isn't it cute???

Finishing touches

I think my living room is now complete. I can't remember if I posted a picture since we hung these pictures behind the couch. They hung above my mantle in the other house and looked so perfect there. I wasn't sure I would like them anywhere else, but since I don't have a mantle in this house, we opted for behind the couch. I love them here too! I think I just love the pictures! I got these pictures several years ago for Christmas from my favorite store. They are Warren Kimble prints called "The Four Seasons." The funny things about these pictures is that Mom and I went to the store to just look around. It was close to Christmas. I was looking for a wedding shower gift for my cousin and his wife. I was telling Mom how much I liked these pictures and the lady who was helping us said something to the effect of, "Your Mom likes these too. Didn't you buy these the other day?" Mom looked at me sheepishly. They were to be my big Christmas surpise. The lady felt awful, but what a funny memory.

I have been looking for something for this wall since I moved in...just couldn't find it. I felt it needed to be more than a picture so when I saw this peg shelf, I decided it was the perfect addition.

My best friend, Kristi, and I have matching pictures. When I was visiting her in Indiana one summer we went to THE most precious store. Both of us could walk around for hours. Sadly, the baby and the toddler with us did not enjoy the store as much as we did. I fell in love with this precious stitched picture. It says, "Oh what a beautiful day." At the time, I was teaching kindergarten and loved to read the story We're Going on a Bear Hunt. That phrase is repeated throughout the story. I haven't had the perfect spot for it since I moved it from my classroom to my house. But THIS is IT! Now I can look at it every day and think of my sweet friend and remember that every day truly is beautiful...just somedays we have to look a little harder to find the beauty!

...and then there were curtains!

My mom has always taught me that a room is not complete without curtains. I could probably live without them, but I confess, they do make the rooms look more cozy and "home-y." I am still working on getting things just the way I want them...but getting there!