I bet you thought I fell off the face of the earth! Our DSL internet service has been down for a couple days, I was going through blog withdrawal. I am so behind on my emails and visits, I haven't abandoned you I promise:>) I have also been very busy with some projects and the usual things that seem to make a week whiz past. I am working on some etsy goodies and also on putting together a give-away, just because. Church meetings, a funeral ( a relative of someone dear to us), and errands,planning a little autumn party for the 4th & 5th grade girls in my wednesday night church class, and here we are mid-week before we knew it! There is certainly nothing earth shattering to share though, so I will leave you with some pictures of a few things on my bookshelves right now.

I set my bell jar on top of a depression glass cake plate that I got at a yard sale this summer for $3! It is so pretty, I have another one just like it in pink that I paid $12 for at a yard sale and I thought I was getting a great deal then! I just filled the jar with some white pumpkins and silk flowers for a simple autumn display. You can see how dark these shelves are, maybe I can line them with something lighter? What do you think? I wouldn't have to damage the shelves or make it permanent. Any suggestions? Keep an eye out for my give-away, I'll have it ready soon:>)

For those of you who wanted to see the gigantic entertainment center we moved yesterday, here it is. I apologise for how blurry this photo is. You can see the new wall color (yay!) behind it. I still don't have everything put back together yet. I think one of the things I like about painting is it forces you to evaluate and super clean everything. All that stuff you never move can finally be dusted, vacuumed, whatever. I got rid of about half the stuff that was lurking behind those bottom cabinet doors (disney VHS movies anyone?) and still plan on sorting more out. Moving these wasnt as bad as I thought it would be! As I watched my strong, virile hubby move these I felt not a twinge anywhere, and moving them back was just as easy! (Men, ya gotta love em!) I would actually love to paint these white but I don't think Earl would go for it. He loves them the way they are so I will deal with them as best I can.This is a close up of the shleves, once again, sorry about the darkness and blurriness. It is a cold grey day here and the light is bad and apparently I can't seem to hold the camera still! Right now I have what we call the "Vicky shrine" which consists of a display of her Senior pictures that we just got back. Love them! One of the lovely ladies in our church did them and they are spectacular! I think she does an extra special good job because of her love for the church kids. I can now begin working on what I will do as far as picture placement and other accessories in this room. I was thinking I would call a friend in to help me because after you look at your own stuff for a while you can end up in a decorating rut. I need some fresh eyes so we will give it a try! I'll share what we come up with as soon as we are done. Thanks for all the encouragement and for stopping by. You all brighten my day:>)

This is it!

Yes, today is the day I FINISH painting the living room! The project that has consumed my summer ends today. Really! Today is the day we move the ginormous solid oak entertainment center and bookshleves (after I spend the morning unloading the thing!) and paint the wall behind it. That will finish up the project! YAY! Funny story behind the Entertainment center. My husband got it free from a friend at work. The guy just wanted to get rid of it. Now this is a very nice solid wood, expensive brand and I love it. And we got it FREE! SO hubby wrestles it home and he and my brother in law get it in place. These shelves are HEAVY. Earl stand back & says his friend had said they hadn't painted the room it was in for something like 16 years because the unit was so heavy to move! I immediately hated my wall color! As soon as he said it would be too hard to paint now that it was there I almost fainted. I paint a lot! He looked at me, I looked at him, I think he knew he was doomed to move that entertainment center more, much more, than every 16 years! LOL, and he was right. We are moving it, today.

My favorite tree

This is my favorite tree in our yard. It is a very old pear tree that is beautiful no matter what season it happens to be. In winter you can see the craggy, twisted old branches and beautiful bare shape of the tree, sometimes every branch lined with glistening white snow. In the spring it is covered in white blossoms and delicate spring green leaves. Summer shows the beginnings of the tiny pears and autumn is best. In autumn this tree will be covered in hundreds of beautiful pears and the leaves turn the most lovely shade of deep burgundy. It really is a sight to behold no matter the season. Unfortunately, as beautiful as it is, the pears are inedible. They are almost perfect each year as they "ripen" and tumble to the ground, but they are as hard as rocks! They simply cannot be ripened. We have tried wrapping them in newspaper and putting them in the basement, we have waited until they are the perfect shade of gold and smell enticingly sweet, but they remain hard and unyielding and grainy. I love it anyway for its beauty. I also let it remind me not to concern myself only with what I look like on the outside while letting my heart be hard and unyielding. I will never be as pretty as this tree, but I hope I bear a better kind of fruit.
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

I want to thank Penny at Lavender Hill Studio for giving me the "you make me smile" award. Penny recieved it herself a few days ago and it is easy to see why. She is one of the nicest bloggers out there, with a beautiful blog that is a joy to visit. It is like stepping into her home for a chat:>) Thank you Penny! This award coming from you makes ME smile! The person who started this award had this to say about it:

"The thing that I love most about blogging is that I learn so much about a person just by reading their blog. I have met many wonderful people with wonderful stories to tell, and I am grateful everyday for each person that I have had the pleasure of crossing paths in life with. I wanted to create something special for the top 10 people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell and the lives they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement. Please grab your badge and wear it (with a smile!) proudly, and pass it on because you inspire and encourage me. Thank you."

I will pass this along to my top ten. There will be some who have already been nominated but that's ok. I absolve them from having to pass it along again, just know that you all make me smile every time you visit and leave me a comment to let me know that you were here:>)

Amy at Bunny Rose Cottage

Tiff at Folded Gingham

Phyllis at Shabby in the City

Penny at Lavender Hill Studio

Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams

Mary at Little Red House

Manuela at The Feathered Nest

Melissa at The Inspired Room

Polly at Counting Your Blessings

Alexandra at Silver Bell Cottage

There are so many more of you that I visit each and every day, and you truly do all inspire me and make me laugh and think and get my creativity spinning! Thanks to all of you!