It’s been fun getting The Creek House ready for summer. Pool parties, bridal showers, July 4th, Birthday Celebrations, etc! I love it! I love the sun and the summer.

Let’s start with the kitchen:
I bought this canvas when I was in Maui in March. It is very different than the things I usually like, but something about the explosion of color, and the feeling of ‘canning fruit’ in Aunt Ree’s kitchen (see the jar of huckleberries), just spoke to me. My family doesn’t really like it, they think it looks like an ‘old lady’. But, since there are no ‘old ladies’ around this house, I decided to hang it up. And, I love it! It makes me happy!

Now…do you notice the ‘blue willow like’ china in the picture? I thought it was important to bring that out, and I did not have any pieces. So, I sat off on a quest. Find some pieces at a low, low price. First stop, R*ss…where I scored this great platter for $5.95! It really is pretty. Next over to TJM, where I found the bowl and saucer for $3.99 each.

Heading back to TJM several days later, they were just putting out these small lamps…$9.99. And, on a trip over to Pop’s, I realized Mom had several pieces on the top of a cabinet. The large pot on the second shelf is hers. It is difficult to tell, but right in front of the lamp is a dish of faux cherries. There are cherries in the pic. Now, I am on the prowl for some faux strawberries. None around these parts, so I may have to look out of town. A little pot of herbs, some oranges, and a little greenery…all in all, it’s coming together well.

And, look at this beautiful tall pitcher…from Adam and Suzanne for Mother’s Day. It is just perfect in my kitchen! They are very good to me!

FYI…canvases can be wrapped and not framed, as such, and I really like that look better. However, since I was hanging this in the kitchen, I decided to frame it under glass instead, to better protect it.

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KITCHEN TIP: To get rid of those pesky kitchen odors….eat out!

Let me share with you a memory I have of my Granny Merritt, that makes me laugh every time I think of it. Once when we went up to visit, Granny and I were sitting and talking. She brought up cooking and I told her that I had a motto:
………”FROM THE CAN…TO THE PAN…TO THE MAN!”………Well, she though that was the funniest thing she had ever heard! She laughed and laughed, and told everyone who came around about it. But, she kept forgetting part of it. She asked me to write it down for her so she would not forget it. All I could find was an old scrap of blue paper. But, I wrote it out for her, and she hung it on her refrigerator. Later, after she died, Mom found that tattered old blue paper tucked inside her Bible! She brought it home to me, and I have it among my treasures.

“Listen! Stand still and consider the wonders of God.” Job 37:14

“God made the world and everything in it.” Acts 17.24

“God made everything beautiful in its time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Just a few of the beautiful shells I have collected…

I can remember a time when doing something really embarrassing would have just made me want to crawl under a table and wait until everyone went home and then come out. I haven’t been that person in quite a while…and today, I got a chance to prove it again.

I went to the PS to offer a little help with end of year things. I spoke with several people, and then went into Bonnie’s office and sat down. She was on the phone, so I talked with my friend Allison. Then I crossed my legs… and LOOK!!!

I just laughed and laughed! You would be surprised how many of those girls asked me if I did that on purpose! Would I do something like that on purpose???? Well, yes, I probably would…but I didn’t today!

{MEMO TO MY YOUNGER READERS: The day that you find you can laugh at yourself…is the day you are on the road to maturity.}

Oh, it was so good to see my friends there! I miss them so much!

Well, I left there and went to Ross to look for something specific…didn’t find it, but did find something else. I have a whole group of decorations in the beachy theme to use throughout the summer. And I found this little figurine…

Here’s a better look at their sweet faces…

$4.99…Ross…great deal!

I then moved on to Kohl’s, then to Michael’s, and finally to Lowe’s. That was all my feet would agree to carry me today…so home I went. Had a nice, long conversation with my Pop, too.

Oh, and I did go home and change shoes before I walked all over town…well, actually I just had to change one shoe!!! 🙂

To be perfectly honest, it has been several years since I have dyed Easter Eggs. My boys grew out of them, and not being sentimental like girls, they never really cared if I had any or not when they came home. So, I didn’t. I suppose that WHEN the good Lord sends me some grandchildren, I will do them again. Until then, pictures will do just fine.

None of that means that I do not think they are beautiful. They are, and there are so many different ways of dyeing them…it can get quite creative. Here are a few that I think are beautiful.

These are Ukranian Pysanky eggs. They are done with a batik method using wax and layer upon layer upon layer of dyes. Much time is required for this process…not to mention patience! These are done on blown eggs…so they are very fragile.

Here are some ordinary Easter Eggs, done as I always did with food coloring and vinegar. I love all the pastels. To make polka dots and stripes, add stickers from the office supply store and rubber bands. They stick very well, and do not come off in the dye.

Now, these are works of art! If I had these I would put them in a glass box to keep them protected. Oh, the steady hand it must take to do these…along with good eyesight! These are goose eggs, by the way. They are stronger than chicken eggs.

Do you see the tiny drill the artist uses? Many times they work with dental tools!

These are Bulgarian Easter Eggs. These are all done with natural dyes. See the ones with the leaves on them? The leaves are applied and then the eggs are wrapped in strips of pantyhose tied at each end to hole the leaves in place. Some of the dyes are turmeric, onion skins, cabbage, and beets.

This is an Emu egg. This egg has many layers, each layer being lighter in color than the previous one. So, it requires many hours to complete.

And, last, these are Chinese Tea Eggs. The eggs are hard boiled, then cracked gently with a spoon and then dyed in strong brewed tea. Sometimes soy sauce is also used. Actually, I think the shell is prettier than the eggs!


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In ancient Egypt and Persia people exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox, the beginning of the new year. The eggs were seen as a symbol of fertility for them because the coming forth of a live creature from an egg was so surprising to people of ancient times.
Christians adopted this tradition, and the Easter egg became a religious symbol. It represented the tomb from which Jesus broke forth. In medieval times eggs were traditionally given at Easter to all servants, and to the children, along with other gifts. It seems that the custom of hiding the eggs is a universal one.
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Once, when Adam was very young…perhaps his first Easter Egg Hunt, he did not quite understand the concept. I told him to get ready and wait by the door for me. I gathered my things and met him at the back door. There he stood in his camoflage jacket and hat, boots to his knees, and gun in hand. “Why are you dressed like that?” I asked, “I had your clothes laid out on your bed!” He looked at me like I was from another planet. “Mama,” he said,”you can’t wear church clothes to go hunting…this is what you ‘spose to wear!” And, that day, that was exactly what you wore to go Easter Egg HUNTING!!!!!

The many faces of the Easter Bunny….

FRIENDLY BUNNY

FAMILY BUNNY

FINE ART BUNNY

SUNNY BUNNY

BIBLE QUOTING BUNNY

BUNNY SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS

DAREDEVIL BUNNY

BUNNY IN A NEW DRESS

BLOGGING BUNNY

PRACTICING FOR THE BIG DAY

TIRED BUNNY