Lovely Winter Red

A couple of years ago, I had this brilliant idea. I wanted to get fake poinsettias and put them in my pretty little white flower baskets–for the winter. Normally, these baskets hold the most beautiful Ivy Geraniums that you’ve ever seen. Bright pink…always.

But it was a very hard transition from all that color to nothing for the cold months. Hence the fake flower idea. I did tons of research on how and where to buy the flowers and became very discouraged, very quickly. Turns out, fake flowers are actually pretty pricey online and even at the craft stores. I just wasn’t prepared to spend a $100+ just to have a spot of color. As I was about to give up– a friend said, “You obviously haven’t been to the Dollar Store.”

She was right–I hadn’t! So, after correcting that problem–I found all the pretend Poinsettias at Dollar Tree! And the best part? I spent exactly $21.34 for all the red you see here! Wahooo!

I love that they look fabulous up against my little white house–just like I imagined they would. I’m feeling quite clever right now.

Heh, heh.

 

 

PS–If you decide to do something similar and grab some fake flowers like these ones–be sure to shop for them in October or you may not find them till the next year. They’ll be gone.

When It Snows

When the snow really comes down–well, for how much it ever really snows in Utah–

at least when there is enough to blanket the ground and the trees and the bushes…

I love to go out and stand in the quiet and just turn slowly and look at how beautiful it all is.

It’s like a funny, magical, lovely miracle that I am here, in this place at this time of my life. Sometimes I just stand there for a while, allllll alone and let it take my breath away.

But then I remember, the other sweetness is that we’re never, any of us, ever completely alone…

are we?

Old Daddy Willow

100 happy days #45…with a bit of sadness mixed in.

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Woke up the other day to this outside the window.

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Luckily, we knew ahead of time that it was happening…but still…

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after as many years as we have lived here…

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and after as many years as this old tree has lived here…

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it was still a shock to see it coming down.

Believe me, we don’t take this kind of thing lightly, especially when it’s such an ancient, beautiful tree.

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But, sadly, the wind storms that we’ve had lately have taken out so many big limbs and damaged so many others, that we realized that the next limbs to go would likely take the neighbors roof–or worse yet, their children’s play set–out with it.

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THAT was too big of a risk and it wasn’t worth taking. So the only thing to do was to remove the risk completely.

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But ooooh, it was a sad, sad day.

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We’ll certainly miss that old guy in the corner.

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A New Car

100 Happy Days #1

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Yeah, I’m quite certain this pretty little thing is making me happier than anyone has a right to be. I’ve never actually walked in to a car dealership and bought a car..like ever. But to walk in and say, “Yeah. That one,” and drive out with it was…well…

it was magic, I tell you.

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Please understand that I’ve behaved quite well for a number of years–19 in fact. Truth be told, I have loved this crazy, silly red van that has driven all my children to every single important thing that could possibly be imagined. It’s been a solid old trooper…indeed.

But…

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it never made me look out the window…

and giggle.

Gr Signature