'maters in the sunshine ..

does anyone do this anymore? .. sitting your tomatoes on the windowsill to fully ripen? .. my Mom and Dad both used to do this, i just started doing it recently .. i love the taste of a tomato (my father called them 'maters) ripened in the sun .. the warm juiciness coming through in the flavor .. the juice sometimes running down your wrist or spreading across your plate .. i like to sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper .. sometimes a little dill .. i love them as a side dish .. especially in the summer ..

i think everyone has grown a tomato plant at some time or another in their life .. it's the one garden item we can all grow .. easily so .. and feel connected to the earth .. the cycle .. look what i did .. i grew a tomato .. and that first taste is always the sweetest ..

may your day be filled with the sunshine your life requires ..

love ya'
Troy

cleaning house ..

i hate cleaning house .. who likes it? i like having a clean house .. i like everything in it's place .. i just hate being the one to do it .. i really have to make myself get up and do it .. that being said, other than pushing a broom to sweep up dog hair here and there and stray fabric clippings, i am ashamed to admit that our house hasn't been cleaned since Christmas .. yeah, i know .. yuck .. i tell myself that is the advantage of two guys living together .. there is no pressure to clean .. but that is a cop out .. everyone likes a clean environment to work in .. it just always seems to be the last thing on the growing list of things that need to be done .. especially when you live in an old house .. i keep waiting .. when we get a new door, we'll redo the floor in the entry .. i'll hang the curtains after the new windows are put in .. i wanna re-paint before i hang the art .. i can't decide on the color of paint ..

after a lot of really looking at our lives .. and the way we live .. i decided to just enjoy what we have .. we have an old house that needs work .. which is why we love old houses .. they are solid and have a story to tell .. i love stories .. i accept that our house is not shiny and new .. but you know what? .. it's ours .. i think this is what the Japanese call wabi sabi ..i don't know .. but i like the way our house speaks .. i like the creak in the stairs .. when the dogs are upstairs they know that creak means i am coming up to sit with them for awhile .. they wag their tails extra hard .. i like the way the window doesn't raise all the way up and hangs at a slight tilt .. when it hits that angle, i know it has been pushed as far up as it will go .. i like the ledge of the window sill, it's perfect for a rock collection or to rest an elbow as i look out into the gravel drive and watch the flock of doves that peck at the gravel under the big old oak tree ..

i like our house .. so this weekend we started cleaning and accenting our house and enjoying it for what it is .. an old house with hundreds of stories to tell .. what is your house telling you? ..

enjoy the pics and have an awesome day ..

love ya'll
Troy

You can 'click' on these pictures and make them bigger ..

the gathering room .. this is kind of like the dining room .. with comfortable chairs to sit and visit after a meal .. it's where we have morning coffee and visit with the puppies before we begin the day .. it's where we will have dinners for family and friends .. it's where neighbors will drop in and have a cup of coffee .. we have a large round dining table that is being repaired that will go in the center of the room .. around it will be slipcovered arm chairs of various shapes and sizes ..

we love art .. the gathering room is mostly the landscapes .. one wall has blue bonnets on it .. :) .. the cabinet is an old sheet music cabinet from the trash .. i use it to hold serving platters and trays .. perfectly ..

we use an old dresser for a sideboard .. we have a glass front cabinet that will eventually go here .. this dresser holds linens and slipcovers .. and serving pieces ..

shooger .. in her fav chair .. she is usually found in this chair with her head resting on the back of the chair looking out the window .. when she is not chasing squirrels ..

entrance to the gathering room from the front door ..


looking across the gathering room ..

the blue bonnet wall .. the two chairs are wonderful examples of art .. they are sturdy and very comfortable ..

the needlepoint says " God Bless Our Home " .. Sister stitched it as a Christmas gift for our Nannie and PawPaw one year .. when Nannie passed away and we were emptying her home, i got it .. two gifts in one .. i like it ..

the teddies .. the little chandelier joining them on the bench was purchased for the entry hall .. it has yet to be attached .. we keep forgetting to buy scotch locks ..



i love how 'harvey' sits on the window sill at the landing during the day and plays up and down the stairs at night while we sleep .. the sill is the perfect place for him .. so he can sit there and watch the comings and goings of everyone in the house .. and turn to see the doves under the oak in the drive below ..

i have been pulling up the faux wood masonite someone placed over the risers and treads of the stairs .. each will be sanded and waxed .. but for now .. i will enjoy the painted scared finish ..

this little angel looks down from the upstairs landing .. through the railing .. Rod and I gave her to my Momma one year .. and she spent a good part of her life in Mommas garden .. when Momma died, she came to live with us .. but has spent that time in a box .. yesterday i took her out of the box and placed her on the little footstool that my grandfather made my grandmother and i reupholstered for her ..

yes, emma there are unicorns .. my mom loved this statue .. everyone who sees it, loves this statue .. rod purchased it years ago from a friend of his from galesburg, illinois .. john tribbey .. it is made of welding rods .. the mane and tail of the unicorn is made of little stick figure people climbing all over one another .. a portion of our rock collection sits below him on the window sill ..

enjoy your house .. love your life ..

always love,
troy

Happy Mothers Day, Momma

Dear Momma,

I haven't talked to you in the longest time .. seems like forever, though I can still hear your voice. And smell your perfume.

There are so many things I want to tell you. So many. But mostly, I just want to lay my head in your lap and feel you brush the side of my face with your soft gentle reassuring hand.

You were the first person I thought to call during that awful September day .. and then I realized, you weren't there to talk to like we had talked when Princess Diana died.

And when they brought Bubba home, I wanted so bad to bury my head in your lap and pretend it wasn't happening.

When Nannie left to be with you and PawPaw and Daddy and Gran and PeePaw and Bubba, I tried staying away from the hospital, but I wasn't very successful at blocking the memory.

And then Sister .. Momma I never thought Sister would leave. I was sure her stubbornness would help her outlive us all. It seems like we are all still walking in a fog, still waiting for her to be released from the hospital. But she isn't coming back.

And now Uncle Wade joins all of you. It seems like more of you have gone than there are of us left.

And the weddings since you left.. Sister remarried .. Kevin and I dressed in overalls and gave her away.. and I decorated the yard for her wedding, which we had outside under the trees and she married on yours and Daddys wedding anniversary .. Mistie married and it was a beautiful wedding.. the guy she married is twice as tall as she is, talk about Mutt & Jeff ..lol.. she was so pretty in white.. Renee did a wonderful job of orchestrating the entire thing.. it was held at the white Gazebo there in the middle of West.. and Aunt Bobbie married a wonderful man and she retired from the hotels .. I know you were there with us at all of them, but I also know you most likely out-danced anyone around.

And the births Momma.. you would love all the young-uns we have running around here. First Little Mistie had Emmaree, then Kaleigh, then Wendal and now Kevins family includes little Emma Nicole.

I love you Momma and miss you so much. After you left, Sister and all of us, but mostly Sister, organized get-to-gathers, bar b ques and meals on Mothers Day .. and sometimes it was just a celebrated meal at Golden Corral.. this will be our first year without some celebration on Mothers Day. One year I made pinback buttons for everyone to wear from that picture of you at Gran and PeePaws 50th wedding anniversary bar-b-que that Daddy threw for them, where you are sticking out your tongue at the camera .. everyone gets a kick out of that pic ..

You were the best Momma a young, confused, artistic, creative, sensitive, shy, blond haired, blue eyed country boy could have ever hoped to have. You were fun to be around, I so loved making you laugh. You were so easy to talk with. If I could re-wind to that last moment when we talked, and I held you tight and kissed you goodbye before I left ... I would hold you longer, tighter and remind you how much you are loved..and I wouldn't have walked so comfortably from your room assured we were in the clear and everything was going to be ok .. before you slipped into that coma and left us.

Were you here, now.. Every day would be Mothers Day..

I love you, Momma
Toebo

weekly wrap-up & old gliders

Canton was last weekend .. and it turned out to be a pretty good show in spite of the abundance of tornadoes and high winds .. we had chilly mornings .. and pleasant afternoons .. though the weather people scared everyone with talk of tornado warnings and watches .. we didn't see much rain to speak of .. and Sunday was downright pleasant .. though no customers ..

I forgot to take my camera along .. so the only pic I have is from my phone ..


this was taken from the front of the booth.. we had an old army cot all dressed up and draped with mosquito netting .. it was quite cute and started a conversation with Rod and a customer over the metal gliders we used to slipcover .. I promised that customer I would upload some pics of gliders we had done in the past ..

this glider all in white and accented with a single green damask pillow was shown at Marburger .. it sold the first day it was shown ..

this glider and the one below were both shown in Warrenton at the Hillcrest Inn .. they both sold the first day ..



this one was also shown at Warrenton at the Hillcrest Inn show, I think it sold the second day of the show ..

this one was done in vintage denim and tablecloth check in red and white and vintage tablecloth pillow fronts .. it was shown in Canton and sold the second time it was shown ..

this is one of my favorite Warrenton gliders ..I covered it in a gorgeous Cath Kidson rose pattern fabric and accented it with eyelet underskirt .. then draped it with mosquito netting .. sold the first day ..

this is one done for Canton.. it is covered in vintage mattress ticking and had a matching chair.. both pieces sold though separately that weekend..

other than that .. not a lot going on .. hoping the upcoming Canton is a good one .. Rod is working on some cool things for the show .. we are also doing some minor things around the house ..

ya'll have a good weekend ..

love ya'
Troy