Bits & Bobs

 Me and Ivy June

We had our first weekend away in 5 years last week!

Off to the burbs of Chicago to visit our dear friends, Joy and Don.

Ivy is one of Joy's precious granddaughters that I could not hardly wait to get my hands on!

 Ivy, Derek, and Chelsea

I have known Chelsea since she was an itty bitty 4 year old.

What a joy to see her again with her precious family!

 Parisienne Farmgirl Angela and me

Ang is Joy's oldest daughter and has recently moved to a farm just on the inside edge of Illinois bordering Wisconsin.

Though we are in touch via FB and blogging and the occasional e-mail, it had been too, too long since we had seen her and her wonderful family!

Angela's farmhouse kitchen

 Homey and sweet

For real, I could have just taken pictures all weekend.

Amelie and legos

Just get a look at those toes

And the petticoat sticking out of her dress!

 Joy & Don's beautiful yard.

I could sit and look at this all day.

 panoramic view

Crunchy pea gravel beneath our feet

Cozy fires outside in the evenings

Sipping wine, laughing, loving...

Ivy June and Joy

On Saturday, after hanging out at Half Way Farm with Angela and her family, we came back to Joy and Don's for some front porch sittin'.

Chelsea stopped by to give us one last hug and grams Joy got to snuggle with Ivy.

 City porch

While on our getaway weekend, Joy and I hit the teeny flea/farm market just a few blocks from her home.

It is a tradition for us.

Coffee, throw on some clothes, and head out the door.

Brisk, cool morning, especially at 6am!

Yes, we get there early...while the vendors are still setting up!

I had been looking for some rockers for our city porch but had not found anything yet.

The flea market had a couple possibilities, but they were pricey, dark brown, and had new cushions.

Pretty much, no.

I would take my chances back home at the area garage sales.

However....that would not be necessary.

When we pulled up on Sunday afternoon, there sitting on our front porch were two large vintage wicker rockers.

After  bit of inquiry, my dear friend Homemaker Ang fessed up.

I had sold these very same rockers to Ang a few months before actually losing our home nearly 2 years ago.

I had totally forgotten even doing that.

Even though I had seen them on HER front porch for the last 1 1/2 years, it never crossed my mind that they used to be mine.

She had covered the cushions in different fabric, and I never even recognized them.

Personally, I think that was the mercy of God.

Such hard memories to look back on, and perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

And then God began speaking to Ang....

And she obeyed.

 Picket fencing around our city porch

And now the rockers belong to me once again...

And they sit on our city porch, surrounded by a sweet picket fence Pete built for me and installed just in time for Mother's Day!

 Vintage galvanized milk box

One of my finds from the little flea market....

hand stenciled with our address by Joy just a few hours before we left the burbs.

I asked our postman if it could be used as our mailbox, and he said yes!

How cute is this???

 Ollie, Fuzzy, and Sophia

With spring really here, we needed to invest in some screen doors.

The cats can't get enough of sitting there, gazing at a strip of sidewalk and the side of the garage!

So...there ya go!

Bits & bobs of my life the past few weeks.

Life is still good.

And I am still learning to...

Love people,

Love Jesus,

Cindy