Decked out

Summertime

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

and the cotton is high

1935, George Gershwin- Porgy and Bess

lyrics by DuBose Heyward

When I was very young, Mother would play albums on the record player and the soundtrack from Porgy and Bess was always one of my favorites.  If you aren't familiar with it, you might check it out.  I especially love the Summertime song. 

Yesterday when I went to Farmer's Market, I filled my market basket with pots of flowers.  Today we went to one of my favorite places to purchase plants, Bloomington Valley Nursery.  I call it "Happy Valley."   Our good friend Jeanna works there. 

Once again I filled my market basket and then some.  I like my flower pots filled to overflowing.  I came home and planted and planted.  Seems everything I do I do to excess and today was no exception.  I nearly ran out of flower pots.  We have an old deck and we are using my old wicker set which is now 24 years old.  

These photos were taken this afternoon in the late afternoon light.  This is my deck- decked out.

My daughter's room

My daughter doesn't live at home, but there is a room in our house that we refer to as her room. 

My daughter lives on the east coast.  I live "somewhere in the middle" in Indiana.  From the very beginning, it was very important to me that we have a lovely guest room for my daughter when she comes to visit.  The guest room was Doug's son's room before I moved in.  It was white and stark and had old, yucky carpet in it.  Doug pulled up the carpet and revealed lovely pine flooring beneath.  He stripped it and put on four coats of polyurethane.  The paint in my bedroom, in the house I lived in two hours north, was called pine needle and was a soothing, dark pine.  Doug liked it a lot and so it was his choice that we use something very similar for the guest room.  The guest room is nice but still needs a few finishing touches.  I love having a guest room, ready and waiting and very often am inviting people to come and stay with us.  We have housed a lot of family and most of my friends from up north in the guest room. 

When I first moved here, after so many years of living alone, Doug's "quiet" was often too loud for me at night and I would retreat to the guest room.  On nights I am tossing and turning, I will go there to sleep so as not to bother Doug. I always know when I'm keeping him awake when he says "are you having trouble sleeping?"  The guest room is one of my favorite places for a Sunday afternoon nap.

  

 Items to the left once hung in my Grandma's house.
The child's rocker was mine and it will go to my first grand-child.

 The old bentwood rocker was what I rocked and nursed my babies in. 

 My daughter cut her teeth on this chair. 

 Note:  Milo in the window.

 Vanity drawer holds extra toothbrushes, soaps, lotions.

  I like to have treats for my guests and fun magazines to read.

Note:  "door-doggie" to the right. 

 I've had him as long as I can remember and that is what we called him.

Here on the farm our guests sleep well.  Crickets and cicadas sing a lullaby.  (My daughter said they don't hear bugs on the east coast, just cars.)  How sad.  Here, you might hear an owl or a coyote or the trill of a bird or frog.

Doug is the king of short-order breakfasts from "kitchen sink" omelets (with everything), pancakes or french toast.  You name it and he will whip it up in no time flat.  Or, if you prefer to eat breakfast out, we'll head into town and take in one of many of the wonderful local spots to get delicious breakfast fare.

This room has not only been my daughter's, but Kathy's, Lori's, Ivy's, Becky's, Donna's, Michele's (and Skye), we offered it to Laura and Isabelle, but they chose to sleep on the pull-out in front of the fire in the keeping room, on a cold New Year's eve.  I'm certain there have been others, that I'm not remembering right this moment.  Now that you've seen our guest room and heard all about it, I'm certain you want to join the list of those who have been our guests.  Just give me a head's up, o.k.?  The guest room is always clean, ready and waiting.  I can't always say that about the rest of the house.

**I tried to post on Monday evening (it had been a week since my last post) but Blogger gave me such a fit, I couldn't even upload my photos.  Usually, I am a late night person.  In the summer, I garden, walk, workout, I've been doing boot camp.  It has been busy.  But, I still want to post and stay in touch.  I've been so frustrated with Blogger.  I want to stay here on this site, but how long will this continue?

Madison In Bloom, Part Deux

In Madison in Bloom, Part Deux, we shall visit the home of Dottie and Jerry Massie, 413 E. Third Street. When asked to participate in the Madison in Bloom tour, Dottie said "well, it just wouldn't be worth it if I don't let them see the house."
Thank you, Dottie!
For me, this home just made the tour. This home is a "shotgun" house and Dottie has taken advantage of every square inch of it. (More info on Madison, IN shotgun houses here.)

Exterior. Look at the little candle in the small lower window. I didn't notice it when we were there. I would have loved to have heard the story on that - does anyone know? To provide lighting for footing before street lamps?

Pulling out the original ceiling, the Massies opened up the ceiling to the rooftop. Isn't this skylight wonderful? I love the way the trees are there- it would be lovely to sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace and watch the skylight.

There was a fireplace which passed between the living room and kitchen. Two chairs covered in black and white gingham material complete with matching ottoman graced the fireplace on the kitchen side. This interesting fellow greeted us just as we entered the kitchen.

I would love to have a sink like this. Everything, including the refrigerator was covered in this wood. Dottie had drawers surrounding the island on all sides and cabinets to the ceiling. An abundance of storage in a very small kitchen.

This lightweight interesting light fixture centered the kitchen. Dottie told us she had collected the copper fixtures for many years.

Our gracious, welcoming, hostess, Dottie Massie. She showed us a copy of Midwest Living magazine (on counter) in which her previous home on Main Street (in Madison) had been featured.

I was quite taken with this candlestick.

This high chair was used by Dottie's children. She told us that she took it to the artist in pieces and that the artist not only repaired it, but painted it. Unfortunately, I did not get the artist's name. (Dottie, if you read this post- perhaps you might enlighten us?)

The quote on the back of the chair written by my beloved William Blake. (Yes, I love him...I have a degree in English.)

Another chair, painted by the same artist. The inscription reads "everyone needs their own spot."

In sitting area in the bedroom...I love dragonflies. Isn't this lovely?

"Might I have a spot of tea?"

Oh my. I just wanted to climb on and take a nap. Doesn't this look like the coziest bed, ever?

Laundry area. The entire house looked as if it were straight out of a magazine.
Look at the little brass squirrel door knocker. I do not remember if Dottie's garden was significant...I just know the house was. Is. My only regret is that I didn't take more photographs to share with you.