It Takes A Lot of Fragments - - -

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Just to make one whole.

In this case - - - whole STORIES. I am a born story teller, having begun by telling children younger than myself stories to keep them entertained at family camp while our parents were busy in meetings.

Back in THOSE days, while the parents were busy in meetings there were no nurseries, no babysitters, no day care. We "young'ens" were simply turned loose on the playground and the older ones (that would have been me) were expected to keep the younger ones entertained and out of trouble.

That's when I started my story telling career for I noticed that while I was telling stories, the others would gather round and sit there transfixed for as long as was the story.

My stories got real long.

So, welcome to THIS week's version of Miss Keetha weaves her fragments into tales.

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Those Old Things????

I saw this bench on someone's blog a while back. She said it was hideous so she PAINTED it and changed the upholstery.

I think it is beautiful just the way it is, I think painting beautiful wood items is a CRIME, so I added two throw pillows and a picture just to make it MORE of a focal point in my home.

I'm sure she didn't know I owned the same bench, but I'll get a little even with her here (especially since I don't even remember who "she" was) by saying one woman's trash is another's treasure.

While I found HER painted bench trash, I see THIS ONE as treasure.

And the picture has a story too.

Back in the late 60's and early 70's when I was a growin' up in this town, my mother had a hobby.

She would have us collect certain flowers along the way which she would then press between the pages of a phone book.

If the flowers were of the "fat and bulky" based variety, she would tear them apart petal by petal before she pressed them.

Later, when they were all brittle and dried, she would reconstruct them on a beautiful cloth background, green velvet in this instance, glue them down, and when she was totally satisfied with the result she would have them framed.

This may not sound like such a feat to you - - - but what I have NOT yet told you is, my mother was completely crippled with the most severe case of Rheumatoid Arthritis I've ever seen. Her hands had absolutely no hand shape left.

Still, she spent pains-taking hours with a small tweezer in her hand reconstructing her flower masterpieces.

She was also a master seamstress and pianist with those misshapen hands. I have no clue how she did it - - - but that's a story for another day for I digress.

This particular picture she gave to her oldest sister, my Aunt Ferol, in whose home it hung in a place of honor until she passed from this life into the next.

At Thanksgiving Fisherhubby and I spent the evening with my Cousin Doug who is Aunt Ferol's son.

Doug passed the picture back to me, so it has come "home" and found a new place of honor.

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Finally it Snows!!!

Fisherhubby and I LOVE our winters to be cold and snow filled. We CHOSE to move to the "Frozen Tundra after all!

Uh, so far this winter??? NOT SO MUCH. Precious little snow or cold so far.

But today our winter hopes and dreams are being fullfilled as the "high" temperature of the day so far is 1 degree F AND it is snowing - - - a little.

Last winter at this time we had more than 20 inches of snow and it looked like this:


If you can't really tell the DEPTH of the snow in these pictures, look for the corner of the shrub in the lower right hand corner of both.

Same shrub.

Nearly totally exposed so far this winter but buried up to its eyeballs last.

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Were You Born in a Barn!?!

My momma used to ask me that at regular intervals.

I would think SHE of all people would know exactly WHERE I was born, wouldn't you!?!

Of course I was not born in a barn, but I do love me a great looking barn - - - especially the traditional Wisconsin red variety.

Perhaps it is because while you can take the girl out of Wisconsin, you CANNOT take Wisconsin out of the girl.

Praise God I got to RETURN to my Wisconsin roots and blood.

Perhaps it is the "Wisconsin girl" blood in me that is causing me to surround myself with barn pictures.


You will find them hanging all over my home.


The more the merrier!!! Or perhaps I SHOULD say, "the more the moooo-ier!"

Each of these barns has a story. The top set of two barn/house pictures I bought on one of my antique shopping sprees with my beloved friend and cohort Eloise, pronounced E-Lois.

The middle set of three barn/house pictures I brought home from our Northwoods Hayward vacation last July. I went into that shop determined to come out with ONE barn picture and three insisted on following me home instead!!! ;-)

And the round red barn in the snow??? Well, I got that on one of my splashes through Cranberry Creek. I like to tell Jodi at The Creek that I am single-handedly keeping her in business!!


This barn photo was taken by my bloggy buddy Kristin of "The Goat" and I purchased it from her etsy shop already matted and everything. (You too can find delightful things over there if you just go look!)

It is my ONLY framed barn photograph and I dearly love it.

I hope it will SOON be hanging on my wall grouped with the next barn - - -


The one Fisherhubby painted for me thereby proving he CAN do more than fish and pick on me.

But I can't frame it YET because it is still WET.

I know - - - I accidentally touched it the other day and turned my thumb all white.

Ooops!

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Happy to Shop

This is my friend Ana, happy to be "shopping" in the Shepherd's Loft where I volunteer my time three mornings a week.

Ana ALWAYS wears that smile, which of course makes any outfit look all that much better on her!

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Sending Out the Wisconsin Gold

Just in case I have not yet extolled Wisconsin's virtues enough, let me remind you we are the Dairy State. (Stand down, California!!! We are first, last, and ALWAYS the Dairy State - our cows are VERY happy.)

So I thought I'd send the southern relatives a "taste of Wisconsin" for the holidays.

I drove 8 minutes from our front door to the cheese factory where I stocked up on all this Wisconsin Gold goodness - - -


And these Holstein cow-boxes. How fun are they????


I packed them all up myself, and sent them on their way.

They've already been received and duly appreciated.

Do you see Bucky in there???? Oh yah, he went to my F-I-L who loves college football as much, or maybe even more (were that possible) than do I.

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All Those Fishin' Shows - - -

Are just plain boring.

But DON'T take MY word for it. I've got PROOF POSITIVE.

Here's Fisherhubby "watching" them a little while ago - - -

They even put HIM to sleep.

I rest my case.

:-)


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I never promised my story fragments would be SHORT.

Please head on over to Mrs. 4444's place
And check out all the Friday Fragments.

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