Blessed

I came home from work today and as I was walking around, feeding the wild birds, filling the birdbath, and watering plants, I realized how extremely blessed I am. Even when some things are just not good, I really know I'm blessed. So I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things. Things that when I look at them make me smile or make me feel really good inside. Although things cannot replace people, they are from people or because of people or just there because in the eyes of the beholder, they bring happiness. Or reminders of how blessed we really are.

I love to feed the birds. I do it everyday when I get home from work. I sit and watch them feed, a pair of bluejays, several robins, sparrows, dove, a cardinal and the usual crackles and crows. They really seem to not be too greedy and share.


When we moved in to this house, I'd placed the birdbath out front. Now the front is empty but the show that the birdbath provides in the backyard makes up for the lack of beauty out front. That is a project for another day. I feel as if this is the community watering hole. To date the birds come and take their drinks with the robins putting on the best bath time show ever. Each bird species letting others in, even to the tiny sparrows. But birds are not the only partakers of the water provided. The squirrels come by and quench their thirst, but the biggest surprise was the Siamese cat that jumps up and gets her belly full too. This is the same cat that will lie at the base of the bird feeder and not even look at the birds!







I love cooking in my copper pots. Not only do they cook extremely well, but they are just pretty. And no I am not a fanatic about keeping them clean. Oh, and I love roosters and chickens too....
















Okay, I'm embarrassed by the dirty windows. Didn't quite have time since the torrential rainstorm last Thursday to do anything about it. Next weekend...maybe.
I love red geraniums in tall pots in my kitchen window. How can I be sad looking at these beauties? They make me smile.















There is nothing I don't like about this. Pins given to me by friends, my husband and my mother. Aren't they so much prettier out in the open than tucked away in a drawer? Most buttons on here came from my grandmother or my mother. I used to love to sit and play in each of their button boxes. I would marvel at the textures and shapes and sort them and count them and think about from where they came. Now they grace this framed piece of embroidered silk, that came from one of my favorite places in the world... Alabama. Look at the beautiful angel. Handmade for me by my most beautiful, kindest friend Charlotte. She holds a dried rose given to me by my youngest son at least a decade ago. But isn't she beautiful? Made with serger thread, ribbon, lace and crystals. I treasure her beyond words. Charlotte also made me another one, but I'll save that beautiful creature for another day.




Sammeltassen. That a German word. These are German collector's sets. In Germany, giving a set that consists of a desert plate, cup and saucer is a pretty special event. I inherited these from my grandmother. Or most of them. I couldn't stand not having any of my own so I started my own set thanks to Ebay. But kept to German manufacturers. So then I got my Oma's mix of dishes. I can remember her setting the afternoon Kaffee Tisch (about 4pm in the afternoon was time for coffee, tea and handmade cake!) and she would always let me pick the set I wanted to use. Before my mother died, we went through them one by one and told stories about them. What pleasant memories!

This is the prized set. Real gold overlay and a gift from my grandfather to my grandmother. At a time when they could least afford it. I don't think anyone has ever been special enough to use this one. So I am keeping up the tradition of not using it. Why? Who knows. And I know better. But I get to see it everyday. Will I ever brave using this piece? Would you?







Something else that makes me smile. This little scissor case is made by a beautiful lady from New Zealand. Beverly Sheldrick. We spent many lovely afternoons getting our projects ready for our 15 minutes of fame on PBS TV. She handmakes these, I so wish you could appreciate her beautiful stitching.
Bernina scissors are adorned with a scissor fob brought back from the Orient by a very talented Rami Kim. She has beautiful Kimono fabrics, inspiring patterns and so much charm she could melt ice!



This little prize I am certainly not going to remove any time soon. My dear little granddaughter Zoe left me these cherished reminders of her on Valentine's day. And I've left them up on the door since then. I will probably only remove them when the door gets really, really bad. Aren't they adorable? Wouldn't they make you smile too?


He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:20-22


Be Creative!