Summertime

Summer has hit full blast with temperatures in IL in the upper 90’s!

Time to change out the Hoosier Cabinet. 

McCoy, my Moms Pyrex, Marjolen Bastin, vintage watering can,

 flower frogs and seed packs.

Stay Cool

Ann

Revisiting a Old Friend in the Garden

This old friend is a book.

Garden Junk by Mary Randolph Carter

So many FB posts I see on flowers, gardening, garden antiques are things I did back in the 90’s when I first bought my house.

If you know me you are familiar with my Garden Cottage I built in 2003, way before there was such a thing as a “she shed”.  Those are popular on FB and Instagram too.

So let’s flip through the pages.

garden paintings....hers

Mine...a painted geranium I bought with my mom on a trip to the mall when they had a craft show. It hung in my kitchen in the 80’s. Was out away for years but it belongs here.

Hers...vintage watering cans and tools. 

Oh where do I begin!

Mine

Just a few in the cottage

Galvanized too

love finding them all

Hers

 Flower frogs and planters

Mine

I started with getting my Grandmothers flower pots in 1995

All kinds, pots, wheelbarrows, little people and a animals. 

 I have glass, metal, ceramic flower frogs. 

Hers....old cabinets

Mine

 Love this, found in my husbands basement...he kept paint in it

“ what do you want with that old thing”

Really?..

Hers...painted motel chairs 

Love them, I bought these for $4 in 1995

The first time my husband came to my house, 

he took them home with him to paint them.

I have 5 more at 1515, the lattice work one we pulled out of a garbage pile.

Hers...

Old painted benches

They use to be under $20

Mine

This one holds my favorite galvanized watering cans

In the cottage it’s my coffee table

Holding some of my books.

Adirondack chairs

Hers... 

 Mine

So good for a tired back, sitting feeling the cool breeze on my face, the birds singing and my sweet Greta with her head resting on my knee.

Rusty tables

Hers...

Mine

A French bistro set I picked up at a antique store

Trellis

Hers...

Mine..

Welcomes you at the front porch, side porch and for my roses.

I put this one up in 1996, still holds its green patina and vintage cans

above my Victorian plant stand

a little singing while sitting on the trellis on the porch for roses

the New Dawn on the cottage

 Bird baths and whimsy, hers...

Mine..

in the hosta bed with a little squirrel added

a pineapple my Mom bought for me on our last trip together

is Greta conversing with the angel?

And it has not stopped in 25 year

My new aquistions this week

A Little Beauty to our Days

On my days off I find myself paralyzed to think of much but work.

If you didn’t know I am a RN at one of the largest hospitals in the US.

So I did try to do a little decorating for Easter/ spring.

Two of my dear friends from work and I went to 1515 about 3 weeks ago for a girls trip we had planned for months. We had a blast, eating out, shopping and visiting with the twins. 

We were decided to cheer ourselves up we sent pictures to each other of what we bought on our trip and how we decorated.

We have worked together for about 15 years, through kids graduating, marriages, births, husbands illnesses. I am so blessed to work with wonderful coworkers. 

Some I even hired as new graduates when I was a manager. 

We are doing our best to keep each other positive. But we are scared, we are cath lab nurses being pulled apart to go do other duties as all elective procedures are cancelled. This means we rarely see or work with our work family anymore. 

I believe I could face anything with the team I belong to, but it scary doing it apart. 

So far we have not had to go to the Covid floors. But I know my old floors that I was a Manager of are....and when I saw a picture of them in their PPE, I cried. Many in the picture I hired as baby nurses. I still feel responsible for them. They are on the front line now.  

I started my career 40 years ago this year and not long after that started then AIDS epidemic and retirement 5 yrs off I see I am finishing it with the Covid pandemic. 

So do me a favor.....stay home! Say prayers for everyone.

If you get to stay home and get paid don’t complain.

Many of us go work feeling everyday with a pit in our stomach as we drive to work.

Thank you for recognizing all the people keeping us going, RTs, EMTs, policeman, gas stations grocery workers, and restaurants. 

So share some beauty in the world today.

G

My Grandma bunny waiting for its yearly pansies. 

My vintage pansy tablecloth and McCoy vase. New finds.

Have a blessed day

ANN