Sunflower Serenade

I'm participating in Alphabe-Thursday with Jenny Matlock and our assignment this week is the letter "S".  Since Fall is officially here, I thought that I would help usher the season in with some photos of sunflowers.

The first four photos were taken at Apple Annie's in Willcox, AZ (near Tucson) 2 years ago.  As you can see, the sky was a gorgeous blue and some of the sunflowers were still standing tall and majestic among others that had already lived a sunny life!


 

A lonely bee feasting at nature's table. 

 

Alive and waiting to be born!

 

Custer's last stand!

The last two photos were taken in my daughter's backyard several weeks ago.  My son-in-law planted pumpkin seeds, sunflowers and I don't-know-what in their new backyard.  The sunflowers suddenly came up and started dancing in the wind which thrilled my two grandchildren.

             Here I am.  Come look at me in all my glory.

 

            Stop by Jenny's blog today and visit other "S" participants.



Blue nostalgia

 

 

This is my first attempt at participating in Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's blog.  I've chosen 3 photos that are near and dear to my heart as they were all part of my idyllic childhood growing up in Illinois.

 

My first photo is of my American Plastic Bricks by Elgo.  I played with these things for hours on end and built houses complete with moving doors and windows.  Does anyone remember these?  They are from the 50's.

 



This was my first cookbook!  I'm sure that I baked/cooked some things in this cook book, however, I'm glad that I married a man who loves to do the cooking around here.  As far as I'm concerned, my kitchen came with the house that is the only reason I periodically walk through it!  The copyright in this book is dated 1955.

My beloved Ginny doll by Vogue.  She is all original except for her unruly wig.  I played with my Ginny dolls constantly.  This doll is from the 50's.

 

 

These 3 "blue" items conjure up such sweet memories of a childhood that anyone would be happy to remember.  Enjoy.



This cracks me up!

Well, I have more Halloween/Harvest decor up and I'm looking forward to cooler weather which can't get here fast enough!

 

This is the sideboard in my kitchen area.

 

 

A close-up of the Halloween pumpkin that I bought at Home Goods after Halloween 2 years ago.

 

 This totally cracks me up!  The "Boos" brothers with their Halloween car!

 

The "Boos" brothers with their car and sunglasses!

 

I actually just recently bought the "Boos" brothers ghosts and their car from a neighbor who was selling tons of holiday decor.  I found a Craig's List posting for the decor and lo and behold the seller was down the street and around the corner from my house!



A PIANO...it's a Grand thing!

My story for the letter "P" at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday blog is all about a baby grand piano.  I'm posting this early as I will be out of town on Wed. and Thurs., and working on a computer other than my own really seems to confound me!  Can you say "technologically challenged"?

 

About a year ago, my father-in-law mentioned that he wanted my daughter, Karen, to have my mother-in-law's baby grand piano.  My mother-in-law loved this piano and played it all the time until Alzheimers invaded her mind and memory.  My daughter couldn't have the piano until she and her husband moved from their very small house into a much larger home that could accomodate the size of a baby grand piano. Karen and Joe knew that they wanted had to move because they were rapidly running out of room in the small, cramped house with two kids and all the "stuff" that goes along with a two year old and five year old! All the time they were looking for a larger home, Karen kept the piano in the back of her mind knowing that she had to have room for it. Luckily her new house has an open room (office area?) to the kitchen and family room that is perfect for the piano.



 

Karen and Joe painted the room and the piano looks great against the light walls.  Karen hasn't put anything on the walls yet because we have to have some old piano sheet music covers framed.  We found sheet music from the time my mother-in-law was single with her maiden name on the covers! She married in 1945 so the sheet music is old!

 

 

Eventually my grandchildren will take piano lessons.  Karen took lessons for several years but never really pursued the piano as a serious activity.  She would go to Northern Arizona University for summer music camp but I think that this was more of a social time than serious music theory time!  She insists that she learned a lot about the piano, but I know that she had a ball at music camp as well. 



 

I can't wait to see who gives Karen more of a headache when it comes to practicing the piano...Brandt or Lillian!  Believe me, I speak from experience!

 

 

Here are some of the sheet music covers that we are going to frame for the new "music" room.



 

 

Visit Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday for the letter "P".